Chapter 9

Uraraka was on an overnight shift, dealing with a building collapse down south, and was unable to come right away. Izuku dealt by hopping in the bathtub and attempting to wash the horrible conversation off of him with scalding water and an entire bottle of bubble bath. It didn't work. He spent the night obsessing over the conversation gone wrong and slept maybe a grand total of three hours. His phone didn't buzz until the next morning.

Kacchan: Deku, you doing ok? Let's talk

Kacchan: What I said was wrong ok

Kacchan: I'm fcking sorry for losing my temper and I said shit I didn't mean

Kacchan: Izuku?

The texts came spaced out over the next day, starting at 5:46 AM with the last at 2:00 PM. Izuku wasn't ready to deal with any of them. He was sick with self-loathing and still didn't trust himself to talk to Katsuki. How had that conversation gone so wrong? Izuku had a lot of ideas, and explored them liberally before Uraraka had time to come over.

Katsuki thought Izuku was clingy and annoying. Fine, Izuku knew that. He'd known it as a kid too, but it hadn't stopped him then. Katsuki had obviously been dodging the question of any kind of real relationship, and Izuku, instead of considering what Katsuki wanted, had just tried to enforce his own desires. The second Katsuki had shown any kind of temper and reminded Izuku of their past, Izuku had lost control of his emotions and said things he didn't mean. Katsuki had obviously changed, and Izuku hated that he might have hurt him by saying otherwise. It made him feel sick to remember how horrified Katsuki had looked.

Izuku had to acknowledge the truth. They didn't communicate well. More accurately, they'd communicated exceptionally badly, and Izuku held at least some of the fault. Izuku hated to imagine what would have been said if he hadn't left when he did. Katsuki had been right - a relationship was a bad idea, especially if they couldn't even talk like this. He couldn't keep bringing up the past whenever he felt hurt. It wasn't fair to Katsuki, and if he couldn't move past it, then there couldn't be a relationship.

Still, now that Katsuki had entered his life, Izuku couldn't bear to give him up. But they could be friends, right? He wouldn't be so needy, wouldn't ask for Katsuki's attention. His phone buzzed again. Izuku realized he couldn't put off replying anymore, not when Katsuki was obviously worried. He didn't want to be the kind of person who'd silently sulk, refusing to talk when the other person was obviously trying.

Kacchan: Hey, you ok? Can I call you?

Izuku: I'm fine. Just processing everything. I'll tell you when I want to talk.

Kacchan: K, well I have important shit to say. Don't take too long

How long was too long? Izuku added that to the list of things he was currently overthinking. Well, there was one way he dealt with his problems - avoid them through working. Uraraka had promised to come over that night, so Izuku went into the office and completed every piece of paperwork he could find. With that done, he made exhaustive reviews of his top three intern candidates - one who could extend their fingers into needle-like points, one who could absorb and reflect impacts, and one who could self-armor like an armadillo. They all seemed very promising. Unlike Izuku's love life.

Thankfully, Uraraka was there for him. She brought over IP Man and take-out katsudon, and listened to Izuku carefully explain how he was a horrible person and friend, and how certainly everyone hated him. She just gave him a huge hug.

"Deku, you're an amazing friend, and you know it. Everyone likes having you around, especially me. Now tell me, do I need to kill Katsuki? Because based on raw combat stats I can't win a head-on fight, so I'll probably need to poison his food. Since he eats such spicy crap, it shouldn't be hard to hide-"

"Uraraka, no," Deku said, laughing despite himself. "It's not his fault, okay?"

"I'll believe it when I see it," she sniffed, but thankfully listened when Izuku said he didn't want to talk about it. Instead, they enjoyed IP Man, and the entire Rush Hour series before passing out on the couch.

Uraraka was kind of enough to go out with him again the next day. In efforts to cheer Izuku up, they went to the popular shopping district and got some trendy crepes. They chatted about Uraraka's lack of a love life, about work, about pretty much anything that wasn't Bakugou Katsuki. He'd been struggling to make peace with the reality of their situation. Katsuki didn't want a relationship, and after their conversation, Izuku figured it had been a bad idea in the first place. In the light of day, Izuku could pretend like it didn't hurt. So, that left him with friendship or nothing. So, Izuku would make peace with just being friends, if Katsuki even wanted that.

It just hurt. He'd thought he'd had a chance, for once. Sure, it was the fulfillment of a childhood crush, years of longing, and so on, but had become more than just that. In the last few months, he'd gotten to know Katsuki in a new way, and he'd been surprised to find how well they actually fit together, how much chemistry they had. How easy it was to be around him, how effortlessly Katsuki eased Izuku's insecurities and motivated him to be the best version of himself. He was also unbearably attractive, but that's beside the point.

So it was hard to imagine being just friends. Fuck. He could do this, he just needed to calm down, and make peace with it. He took a deep breath, blinking back the tears already forming in his eyes.

"Deku?"

Uraraka. She was looking at him with concern, her strawberry crepe already mostly gone. "Just dealing with things," he smiled at her. "It'll be fine. I'll talk to him soon."

She squeezed his arm, and Izuku, for a moment, believed it would be alright.

Then, over loudspeakers, came Katsuki's voice. No - it was Ground Zero's voice, coming from a massive TV screen on the side of one of the shops, as the show switched to an interview segment.

Katsuki was lounging in a chair next to a reporter, dressed in full hero costume, minus the gauntlets and grenades. Izuku swallowed hard. It was so hard to forget what his lips felt like, how he smelled, what he'd said about watching Izuku on TV. Izuku was rooted to the spot, transfixed. Uraraka tried to tug him away, and utterly failed.

The interview went on, as the reporter asked inane questions about the BOOM video, and Ground Zero was clearly barely holding on to his temper. There was a thumbnail on the screen of the video playing silently. Izuku would have laughed if he hadn't been so torn up by seeing Katsuki in front of him in HD.

"So," the reporter was asking, "We've covered your dramatic spike in popularity thanks to video, but here's what we all want to know: You're known for your drive to win - are you happy about winning via a viral social media?"

Izuku could practically hear Katsuki's teeth grinding from here. Still, Ground Zero's temper was marginally more controlled than Bakugou Katsuki's, and all he said was, "Winning is winning. If I didn't deserve the #14 spot, then I wouldn't be here."

#14? When had that happened? Was Izuku still #16?

"Well," the reporter continued, scooting back to a safer distance, "Some would argue that your reckless behavior and bad manners mean you don't deserve to be on the rankings at all."

Ground Zero's expression went dark. "Some fuckers should try saying that to my face, then, huh?"

"Ahem, Ground Zero, please refrain from swearing during this segment." The reporter only looked a little afraid, to his credit.

Ground Zero crossed his arms, muscles bulging. "Fine, I'll stop fucking swearing. Look, buddy, here's the deal: I'm here to kick ass and save lives, not to stop prude losers from getting their panties in a twist. I'll win just the same whether I'm nice or not."

Holy...shit. Katsuki was insane. It was career suicide, and Izuku could feel his heart in his mouth. He swore he could see Best Jeanist behind the corner of the stage, palm on his face.

"Well, there you have it," the reporter continued, looking a little sweaty. "That's Ground Zero's take on his recent viral video, BOOM . I hesitate to ask, but Ground Zero: is there anything you'd like to say to close out? You don't have to say anything." Izuku suspected this last bit was more of a plea than anything else.

Izuku saw his jaw tighten, a gesture most people wouldn't pick up on, and even if they did, they wouldn't know what it meant. It told Izuku that Katsuki was about to say something that was very, very difficult for him to say.

"Sure," Ground Zero said, then stood, walking to the center of the camera's view, looking nearly casual and unconcerned. Izuku knew he wasn't. He cleared his throat then said, "Everyone. I will be the next #1 hero. You better be fucking ready."

Izuku's jaw dropped. Around him, he could hear people whispering. Izuku was immediately reminded of their first sports festival at UA, when Katsuki had claimed he'd be first like an absolute madman. Then he'd fucking done it, looking like a rabid animal on the winner's platform. Would this be any different? Was he trying to get knocked off the top #30 again? The reporter half-stood, trying to stop the trainwreck, but Ground Zero continued, the camera zooming in on his face. His voice was rough, loud, and deadly serious.

"I'm going to goddamn earn it by being the greatest hero this country has ever seen. I know I'm hard to like, that I have a fucking terrible attitude. I fucking know!"

Then his face vanished from the frame, and the camera panned out, revealing Ground Zero in a perfect, 90-degree bow. Izuku's heart damn near stopped beating. Neither he nor anyone on the planet had ever seen Katsuki do anything like this.

"But no matter what," he shouted to the ground, "No matter what you think of me, I will do my fucking best to serve each and every citizen, to keep you safe, and to remove every piece-of-shit villain in this country! So, please accept me for who I am! Please let me fight for you! Thank you very much!"

Then he snapped back to standing, face contorted in some strange mix of horror and rage. Then he turned and stormed from the studio. Now Best Jeanist was clearly in the shot, looking like he'd just been handed a live grenade. In a way, maybe he had.

It took Izuku a few moments to realize he'd teared up. He'd never, never in his life seen Katsuki say anything like that. Seen anyone say anything like that. He was deaf to the murmurs of everyone in the street who'd gathered around the screen. He couldn't see anything except the afterimages of what Katsuki had said. He could only think of one thing. One unfortunate, undeniable thing that echoed around his soul.

He was in love with Bakugou Katsuki. Again.

Ground Zero knocked over a grand sum of seven people on his way to the emergency exit, which he proceeded to storm out of. Eight flights of stairs disappeared beneath his boots as he half-ran outside. He slammed the exit door and leaned against the brick wall, chest heaving.

Only once he'd stopped running did he realize how badly he was shaking. What the hell had he done? Sure, he'd talked about it first with Best Jeanist, who'd advised him to apologize. Apologize for everything, in general. Katsuki had an overabundance of things he could apologize for, if he felt yanking his head out of his ass long enough to do so (Jeanist's words). But, he'd actually planned to apologize. He really had.

But when he was standing there in front of the cameras, in front of that studio audience, all he could see was Deku, looking at him with those huge green eyes, telling him that he liked him. Asking why he couldn't be #1 without changing who he was, and suddenly, Katsuki couldn't bear to apologize anymore.

So he'd fucking begged for acceptance. Live, on national TV. Humiliating. He leaned his head back against the warm bricks, trying to calm himself, but he couldn't. After probably the worst interview of his life, the only thing he wanted to do was call Deku, hear his voice, to soak up some of that irrepressible optimism. But he couldn't call, because Deku didn't want to talk to him, and he couldn't blame him. Just two days, and he already missed that little fucker so badly.

Katsuki pulled out his phone, looking at the last text Deku had sent. The message was clear. I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone. Katsuki was sick to death of leaving him alone. That fucking conversation had gone about as well as Chernobyl, and he was seriously going to lose his shit if Deku ran out one more time during an important conversation.

But Katsuki knew he'd royally fucked up. Losing his temper with Deku wasn't an option, and he'd done it anyway. The guy was still too scared of him, and it killed Katsuki to know that it was all his fault. Between that and his wreck of an interview, Katsuki was batting 0-2 in terms of success at the things most important to him.

This was why he couldn't just jump into fucking relationship bliss. Just one argument with Deku, and he'd already lost his shit and jeopardized his goddamn career. Katsuki knew what he was good at - blowing up shit, being a hero, being an asshole, giving head, winning, whatever. What he wasn't good at was regulating emotions, and being a top-tier hero already took all of his ability to manage his temper. How could he be a good boyfriend to Deku like that?

As if in answer, the All Might ringtone started playing from his phone. Probably Best Jeanist, ready to explain what a walking disaster he was. Katsuki took a deep breath and promised himself he'd keep the swearing to a bare minimum.

But the screen said Midoriya Izuku (Deku) . Fuck. Katsuki was too surprised to act. It took a good six rings before he realized he needed to answer, and he picked up the phone gingerly.

"Kacchan?" Deku's soft voice came over the phone and took Katsuki's breath away. It took him a moment to remember to reply.

"Deku." It came out as a growl. Could he do nothing without sounding like an asshole? Still, he couldn't help the surge of hope in his chest. Maybe Deku was finally ready to talk, and maybe Katsuki could talk his way out of looking like the biggest asshole in the country. Maybe he could somehow make it up to him.

"I saw your interview," Deku murmured. Disappointment ran a crash course through Katsuki's emotions. He hadn't called to talk. Maybe he was calling to explain that no, he didn't believe in Bakugou Katsuki after all, not after that idiot interview and-

"It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen a hero do on TV," he said, softly. Katsuki finally stilled.

"Oh." He sounded like an idiot, but his heart was pounding. Shit, if Deku thought it was cool, then who cared about the rest of the entire world? Not Katsuki, that's for sure. With just one sentence from Deku, Katsuki started to believe in himself again.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure," Katsuki said, despite not being okay in pretty much anyway. He swallowed hard, clutching his phone like he could hold Deku closer over the airwaves.

"I, um," Deku trailed off. Katsuki waited for him to finish, feeling existential uselessness. "Um, I just wanted to tell you. I'm proud of you." Holy shit. Katsuki was not expecting to be gut-punched in the feelings, but it was Deku he was talking to. Getting hit in the feels was always an option with him.

"Look, Deku, can we-" Katuski managed to get out, then the line clicked dead. He stared at his phone in disbelief. Motherfucker'd hung up on him? He'd already punched the return call button before he could think better of it. Shit. He heard it pick up, and found himself saying,

"Where are you?"

"Out with Uraraka," Deku said, as if this somehow answered anything. Katsuki was pacing in circles now, full of restless energy.

"Deku, we have to-"

"I know!" Deku's voice was high and determined. "We can talk. Tonight?"

Katsuki's brain flatlined. He had the emotional capacity of an overcooked cucumber at the moment, and he wanted to be at his best when he talked to Deku. Tonight was not his best.

"I…" he trailed off, not wanting to turn him down. Then he remembered the rest of his night. Interviews, signings, and fucking photoshoot that Jeanist had booked for him, out of the debatable goodness of Jeanist's heart. Katsuki was pretty sure the other hero only helped him out with things specifically designed to torment him. "I can't, Deku. I've got interviews and shit all night. Tomorrow?"

"Of- of course you do," came Deku's reply. Katsuki could imagine his worried face, the way his brow furrowed when he thought hard… "I work tomorrow, though," Deku said, finally.

"Fuck," Katsuki said, helpfully. "Well, call me when you're off?"

"Okay," Deku said, sounding sad. This time, when the line went dead, Katsuki didn't call him back. This was why he couldn't just leap into a goddamn relationship. He just disappointed people left and right, and Katsuki couldn't stand disappointing people. Especially not Deku. That's why he kept everyone nice and distant, and worked himself to death to live up to his own merciless expectations. If he met his own impossible standards, he could ignore the way he failed to meet others, right? He was starting to shake again. Shit. He took deep breaths, his hands forming fists. He could do this. Somehow.

Katsuki looked at his call history with Deku. So many calls in the last few months, and absolutely none before that one day he'd ventured into Deku's sector. He was getting fucking sentimental over their call history, Jesus Christ. He needed to quit pining and get to work. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and prepared to apologize to seven people on his way back up to the studio.

He was Bakugou motherfucking Katsuki. He'd get the top hero spot. And he'd win the damn boy while he was at it. It was like Deku had said, back that day in his flat. Why couldn't he win the #1 spot while being an asshole? And why couldn't he do it while being a good partner to Deku? It wouldn't be easy for Katsuki, but he was damn well going to try. He just needed to convince Deku to give him a chance.

Izuku was being stared down by Uraraka. His phone sat in hand like it was an innocent electronic and not a portal to hearing Katsuki's rough voice from across the city. Hearing his voice over the phone directly after that interview had been shocking, to say the least. Izuku's heart was still thumping in his chest. He loved him . Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

"Deku, are you alright? That was Katsuki on the phone, right?"

"Yeah," Izuku said, voice still distant. The words fell lifelessly from his lips. "Uraraka, I'm in love with him."

"Huh??" She jumped back for a moment, then grabbed his shoulders, peering into his face. "Are you feeling okay? I thought Bitchugou was strictly friend-zone now?"

"Um, I mean, he is, but," Izuku stuttered, thanks to Uraraka's vigorous shaking. She finally stopped, looking worried, but Izuku's mind was a million miles away. Because Izuku was inspired. Katsuki had balls of steel to pull that move on TV, and to keep doing interviews on the same day? He was taking his future more seriously than anyone would have expected, even if he was making risky moves. There was no Katsuki without risky moves, anyway.

And like always, he'd inspired Izuku. Izuku decided he'd finally pick an intern for the next quarterly cycle, and he'd follow up on his applications to several hero societies dedicated to causes he cared about - equal pay for heroes, post-disaster relief funds, and so on. He wasn't afraid of making a scene, but he'd never be as flashy or as attention-grabbing as Katsuki. But then, no one was. He had to climb in his own way.

"Deku, you really love that guy?"

"Right," Izuku said, pulling his thoughts together. "Yeah, I know I'm fucked. But I'm going to pull myself together, Uraraka. We're going to talk tomorrow. Even if we're just friends now, that's fine. I'm focusing on my hero career anyway, and maybe after some time's passed we'll have another chance."

"Deku," she gave him a hug. "I'm proud of you. Just do what's best for you, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," he said, blushing. Admitting his feelings out loud had helped, he realized. He could handle talking to Katsuki again. He'd be honest about what he thought, and he was sure Katsuki would understand. "Uraraka, can I ask something?"

"'Course, sweetface," she smiled.

"Why do you love Iida?"

"L-love?" Her face went completely red, and Izuku felt a little bad. "It's not like that, really. I just um, it's just a crush," she mumbled.

"But why? Your personalities seem so different," Izuku said, hoping her answer would somehow make some sense of his own apparent need to fall for the most stubborn, infuriating, hot-headed man within a 1,000-mile radius.

"Well, not really, you know? The little stuff is different, like he's a lot more uptight than me and is so strict, but we both care about doing the right thing and helping people, and about family. I really admire how much he cares about his family and stuff," she rambled, blushing harder. "Even if he's so stiff most of the time! It makes it even cuter when he relaxes."

"Huh," Izuku said, amazed. He'd never thought of it like that, but it made sense. Shared values, and all. In the back of his head, his shared values with Katsuki ran like stocks on the bottom of a TV screen: being a good hero, saving others, honesty, never compromising his values, ambition, determination...

"And he's a freak in bed," Uraraka squeaked.

"What?!" Izuku screamed, as his soul departed his body in search of friendlier realms. "He, what? Uraraka, what? Why do you know?"

"Ummm," she mumbled. "We hooked up once after graduation, before we moved out of the dorms."

Izuku didn't even have the emotional capacity to scream in shock anymore. He just stared. She rubbed her face. "It was probably the only time we ever got him to completely loosen up, and we just kind of snuck into my room after that. I know he didn't know I had feelings for him, or he wouldn't have done it, but oh my god. I would never have guessed he was into-"

"Nope!" Izuku said, way too loudly. People turned to look. "Please have mercy I cannot hear about Iida's sex life, oh my god."

"Into being pegged and being a power sub!" Uraraka finished, eyes gleaming. She'd apparently snapped out of her own embarrassment when she realized the potential to horrify Izuku.

"Oh my GOD," Izuku clapped his hands over his ears, while Uraraka cackled.

"It's only fair since you made me listen to the story of how Bakugo blew you like, ten times. My brain is forever scarred." She paused, making a face like she was thinking hard. "Bakublowed you?"

Izuku snorted in laughter despite himself. "So you don't want to hear about what we did in the HA locker room?"

"No!" Uraraka cried. Izuku was giggling, surprised at how little it hurt to talk about it. Even if it hadn't worked out, he didn't need to regret anything he'd done with Katsuki. He was certain there'd come a time when he could look back at this and cherish the good memories they'd made. The sparring, the stolen kisses, Katsuki's burning looks, the way he blushed whenever Izuku surprised him...

"Fine, fine," Izuku relented, if only because if news of the locker room nonsense got back to Iida, the man might actually have a stroke and Izuku didn't want to be responsible for that.

"Look, Denki's got a bunch of us going out tonight," Uraraka said, deftly changing the topic. "Want to come? It'll take your mind off a certain blonde idiot, yeah? We can watch Kirishima drool over him from a distance, it'll be fun!"

Izuku shouldn't, not really. He had patrols the next morning, and though it was unlikely, there were probably more notes he could make about something, somewhere. But also, he needed to look after himself. He couldn't be the best version of himself if he worked himself to death, so why not have a little fun?

"Okay, fine." He ducked his head as Uraraka squealed in happiness, and her hug literally lifted him off the ground.

Kaminari's clubs were always, well, interesting. This one was some strange, exclusive grunge-rave hybrid club, but the vibe was actually pretty nice inside. Uraraka wore a black and pink dress with very creative cut-outs, and Izuku had stuck with a sheer white shirt that showed off his muscles, and standard skinny jeans. No sense in going out if he wasn't going to try and look good, right? That's what he was telling himself, anyway.

He and Uraraka caught up with Kaminari and Kirishima at the bar. Shinsou, possibly the most reclusive member of their group (outside of Katsuki) was surprisingly there. He looked like he hadn't slept for the last eight years, as per usual. Izuku ran over and threw himself into a hug. He always fit perfectly under the other man's chin. He heard Shinsou's loud chuckle over his head.

"Izu!" He was uncharacteristically loud, trying to talk over the music. "How've you been?"

"Sad," Izuku wailed. "I haven't seen you in like a year!"

"Six months," Shinsou corrected, patting his head. They'd gotten close after UA, and Izuku had been the one to drag him into their friend group. His dry humor and determined personality had fit right in. Then Kirishima and Kaminari jumped onto the hug, and Shinsou managed to choke out, "We'll catch up soon, it's fucking loud," as the other two guys shouted over each other.

"Damn, Ochako, you're smokin'!" Kaminari was shouting. Uraraka gave them all a bright smile, as if she didn't know she was damn near the cutest thing in the place.

"Pff, you flatterer," she said, and ordered shots for her and Izuku. "Deku, we are dancing tonight! No excuses! Gonna find you a nice man!"

Izuku actually was having fun. Several shots made him very dancy, and they'd all somewhat scattered in the ear-shattering dance music. Uraraka nudged him, and he saw Kaminari dancing with Kirishima. Not near him, but on him, with Kirishima's face in his neck and hands on his ass.

"Oh my god," Uraraka mouthed. It was finally happening!

"Next is you and Iida," Izuku pointed out. She scoffed and pushed him towards what appeared to be other cute, dancing guys. Her implication was clear. Get some.

Izuku did find nice people to dance with. Dance on. A tall, dark-haired guy with kind eyes seemed especially friendly, and before he knew it, Izuku was dancing on him, ass to crotch, the works. Izuku liked clubbing, liked all the noise, the energy, the happy people, but it still wasn't particularly common for him to dance with people, as opposed to near them. So it was a thrill to let someone run their hands over his abs when he didn't even know their name, moving in time with the music.

He was having a great time for several more songs, until the guy stopped moving. He gently took Izuku's shoulders and turned him around. Izuku blinked up at him, trying to figure out what was happening. Was he going to kiss him? Izuku didn't really want that. Before he could worry more, the guy leaned in to speak in his ear.

"Dude, you ok? There's some guy at the bar glaring at you, he looks really pissed."

"What?" Izuku shouted, trying to see through the mass of people.

"I can walk you home or talk to a bouncer for you," the guy offered. "He looks like he could break you in half."

Izuku was alarmed, right up until the crowd shifted and he saw the culprit. It was Katsuki, sitting at the furthest, darkest corner of the bar, holding a drink, with an expression so angry Izuku was surprised his head wasn't combusting like Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider.

"Oh, that's just Kach-Katsuki," he said without thinking. Oops. The man blinked.

"Wow, he does look just like Bakugou Katsuki!" Izuku tried to keep a straight face, as the guy put two and two together. "No way. Ground Zero's here?"

Apparently catching them looking at him, Katsuki tipped his head back, baring his teeth in a growl. Izuku's guy swallowed hard and patted him on the shoulder.

"Man, I am sorry but this is above my pay grade. You should go find a bouncer." Then he vanished in the crowd, right along with Izuku's good mood. Was there nothing Katsuki wouldn't ruin for him? He stormed over to the bar, ready to chew Katsuki out. He didn't get a chance.

"Sorry for scaring off your guy," Katsuki said immediately, though he didn't technically look that sorry. "Though if you're gonna pick someone else, maybe choose someone with a fucking ballsack."

"Real nice, Katsuki," Izuku snapped. He wasn't happy drunk anymore, he was annoyed drunk. Katsuki shrugged, just looking tired. Now that he thought of it, Katsuki looked exhausted, bags under his eyes, face drawn. He was wearing the enormous, fluffy-hooded coat again, and looked like some sort of jaded movie star, sunglasses pushed up on top of his head. He looked like perfection. His words in the interview echoed in Izuku's head. Please accept me for who I am .

Okay, scratch what he'd said earlier. Izuku was now an annoyed and horny drunk. "So what are you gonna do about it?" He snapped. "Gonna keep scaring off everyone I find? Are you really that jealous?" He wanted Katsuki to say something about how he'd dance with Izuku himself. It was way too easy to imagine him on the dancefloor, feeling Izuku up through his clothes, pulling him to a dark corner of the club and-

"You have no idea how jealous I am," Katsuki rumbled, leaning back on the bar. "But if you want me to fucking find that loser and bring him back for you, I motherfucking will. Even if I want to melt his stupid, smarmy face off."

"Why are you here?" Izuku hated how plaintive he sounded. He meant to sound demanding, strong. He just sounded wounded. Why wasn't Katsuki making some kind of move? Was he here just to torment Izuku?

"Shitty hair made me come," he said. "I didn't know you'd be here. I'm leaving." He stood up, coincidentally putting himself right in Izuku's personal space.

"Avoiding me?" Izuku demanded, knowing it was petty. Katsuki crossed his arms, clearly annoyed but coincidentally giving Izuku front row seats to ogle his chest. Katsuki should stop wearing such low-cut tank tops if he didn't want Izuku to eye-fuck him every three seconds.

"Fuck that, Deku. I've been begging you to fucking talk to me, you little asshole. I'm gonna go home and sleep for twelve hours, then hope you actually fucking follow through and call me."

He turned to go. Izuku had a hard time letting him leave. He hadn't expected to see Katsuki before talking to him, but here he was. After they talked tomorrow, it would all be over. They'd just be friends, and he knew Katsuki would never flirt with him again once Izuku asked him to stop. So this was it. His last moments with more-than-friends Katsuki, and he found himself grabbing Katsuki's arm, pulling the surprised man back around.

"One last kiss," he said breathlessly, then pulled an unresisting Katsuki down kiss him. After a moment, Katsuki responded, deepening the kiss with teeth and tongue, yanking Izuku against him. Goddamn, Izuku had missed this. Katsuki forced them backward until Izuku's back thumped into the counter. Izuku's body was alight with pleasure. He moaned into Katsuki's mouth, feeling both incredibly dirty and incredibly alive.

"Deku," Katsuki snarled, "I've had a very long, very shitty day. My self-control is fucking shot so if you don't want this, tell me now. I'm sick of holding back."

"Don't stop," Izuku demanded. Damn the consequences. He wanted one last memory with Katsuki, and it may as well be a hot and heavy one.

"Fucking hell, Deku, I'm going to eat you alive," Katsuki said, eyes dark with desire. He leaned in, picking up Izuku by his ass, then pinning him against the wall. Izuku was lost to the feeling of Katsuki's teeth on his neck, the bass music vibrating in his bones, Katsuki's hand slipping down the back of his pants. He knew how it looked, to be doing this in public. He just couldn't bring himself to care. He was in ecstasy, hands fisted in Katsuki's hair, legs wrapped around his waist, until something thumped against the wall next to him.

He flinched at the noise, looking over. Katsuki continued his merciless assault on Izuku's neck, ignoring the very angry bartender pounding the wall to get their attention.

"Take it outside boys, before I call the bouncer!" he was shouting. Izuku's had to pull Katsuki's head away from him by his hair. Katsuki stared up at him, pupils wide, lips wet, teeth bared.

"We're getting kicked out," Izuku said, breathlessly. Katsuki turned to glare at the bartender, with enough venom the poor man actually backed away.

"Fucking voyeuristic piece of shit," Katsuki snapped, then carried Izuku out the nearest emergency exit, effortlessly holding him up with one hand and shoving the door open with the other.

The night was surprisingly cold after the club, and Katsuki set him down gently, breath puffing out in a cloud. Izuku watched it vanish into the night, hypnotized. "Lil' Deku," he said, voice low, one hand reaching out to tenderly push Izuku's sweaty hair out of his eyes. "I don't think they'll let us back in. I'll call you a cab home, okay?"

Izuku leaned into his chest, inhibitions long gone. "You take me home instead, Kacchan," he asked, blinking up at him.

"Fuck!" Katsuki shouted, looking up in the air, hands making fists against Izuku's back, fingers catching in his shirt. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Deku, no. You're going home nice, safe, and alone in a cab."

"Why though," Izuku pouted, hating it. Izuku didn't care about Katsuki's shitty ideas. He wanted something to remember. "Kacchan, come on," he pleaded, "I want you. Take me, please."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Katsuki chanted under his breath, hands digging into Izuku's shoulders, pushing him away. Izuku didn't like it. He wanted to be closer to Katsuki, but the man was holding him at a very firm distance. Katsuki took several more deep breaths, then looked Izuku in the eyes.

"As much as I want to take you home and fuck you 'til you can't do anything but scream my fucking name, it's. Not. Happening. You are drunk and I am exhausted, and we need to talk!" He shouted the last word in frustration. Izuku was frowning.

"You're no fun," he told Katsuki.

"Fun?! You and your fun are going to fucking end my life," Katsuki sighed, breath gusting out. They were saved by Uraraka, who slipped out of the fire exit. Her hair was mussed, lipstick smeared. Izuku struggled to process the significance of this.

"Thank fucking god," Katsuki snapped, and shoved Izuku to her. She caught him, pulling him into a hug. She was nice and warm, and smelled like vanilla. Izuku hated being pushed away from Katsuki, but she was an acceptable alternative.

"What's going on? You guys okay?" she frowned. Sweet, sweet Uraraka. Izuku loved her, but he hated her for stopping his Katsuki-seducing efforts.

"You take him," Katsuki said gruffly, pulling his hood up. "He's a goddamn monster, tryna make me do something he's gonna regret."

"Oh," Uraraka said, as if this made sense to her. It didn't make sense to Izuku, who attempted to make puppy eyes at them both. "I'll take care of him," she said.

"Thanks Ochako," Katsuki said. "Owe you one." Then he slipped away into the night. Izuku watched him go and tried to convince himself it wasn't breaking his heart.