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Chapter Text

"Ninety-eight...ninety-nine...one hundred." Izuku dropped the barbell with as much delicacy as possible. Though the floor was protected by a rubber mat, he had just about overloaded the bar to its maximum capacity. Any more weight and the bar might have bent. And dropping it with any more force might just break the floor despite the mat. But it was his third set and not only were his muscles exhausted, but his palms were sweating through his weight lifting gloves. In fact, he was covered in sweat. He grabbed the little towel he left on the bench and swiped at his face, grimacing in disgust at the droplets of sweat he sent flying.

Breathing hard, Izuku sat on the edge of bench, taking a moment to rest. He braced his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, the towel dangling in his loose grasp. He already finished all the Gatorade he brought with him and while he could go get more, he might run into the very person he was seeking to avoid by hiding out in the weight room. He turned his head slightly, eyeing the barbell again. Could he do one more set? Just to kill a bit more time?

"Oi, Deku." Only long practice kept him from visibly flinching at the coarse voice he was certain he could positively identify even if he were a hundred years old and living with a diagnosis of dementia. Slowly he raised his eyes to the doorway, where his oldest friend and current rival leaned, a disparaging sneer painted on his face. "You nearly done? You've been hogging this room all day."

That was a bit of an overstatement, but not by much. Izuku had gone for a run in the morning (lasting just over three hours) before returning for lunch. He'd thought to use the pool outside, but Kacchan had already been in it, so he'd settled for the weight room instead. Of course, Izuku didn't say any of this; that would just start the fight he'd been seeking to avoid for the past two days.

"Plenty of room if you need to work out," Izuku said, gesturing vaguely to the room. Kacchan only curled his upper lip in distaste. It seemed Izuku wasn't the only one avoiding the house's other sole occupant. "Actually, though, I'm done, so...do whatever."

"I will do whatever, it's my fucking house," Kacchan growled without taking a step into the room. He was shirtless, with only a towel over his shoulders, his hair still wet from the pool, although he was wearing gym shorts now rather than his trunks, Izuku noted. The water dripping from his hair traced the outlines of his chest muscles before sliding between his abs, hugging the curves of his hips. Izuku dropped his head and buried his face in his towel again; he couldn't let Kacchan see him staring like this. Instead he collected his empty bottles of Gatorade, slung his sweaty towel over a shoulder and straightened, eyes flicking to the only doorway, still currently blocked by the red-eyed blond. Izuku's eyes darted away as soon as they met the challenge in Kacchan's. He swallowed, shuffling nervously.

"It wasn't my idea to stay here over the break, Kacchan," Izuku said in response to the unspoken challenge. "If you want me out of here, I could probably stay with Iida-kun or Uraraka-san for the rest of the break."

"Tch." The doorway creaked as the heavily muscled body pushed away from it. The padded floor softened Kacchan's footsteps as he crossed the room, but Izuku caught the faintest whiff of nitroglycerin lurking beneath the chlorine that enshrouded the other boy's skin. "Do whatever you want. Shitty nerd."

Ignoring the insult that he'd heard so often that it had just about lost all meaning, Izuku pushed past Kacchan to leave the weight room. But there was a difference between being a respectful house guest and a pushover, so as he passed, Izuku let his shoulder jostle against Kacchan's, letting the taller boy know that while he's speaking softly now, he certainly could--and would--put up a fight if pressed. He heard a soft grunt from Kacchan but didn't look back, instead continuing on into the hallway and to the guest room that was currently his.

If Kacchan was in the weight room, that meant Izuku had time to take a real shower without the door being beaten in under an impatient, possibly explosive, fist. Kacchan's childhood room was connected to the guest room via a shared bathroom, which had been fun when they’d had sleepovers as children; less fun now that Izuku had been mandated to "keep an eye" on Kacchan while his parents were away during the school break. Izuku locked the door to Kacchan's room before securing the lock to his own room and turning up the hot water as high as it would go.

It was actually pretty unfair of Kacchan's parents to ask Izuku to stay with Kacchan while they were away, Izuku thought as he waited for the water to come up to temperature. Sure, Kacchan had thrown a wildly out-of-control party the last time they were away during a school break, but hadn't they noticed that of all the classmates invited, Izuku hadn't been one of them? He'd seen the pictures, of course: Kirishima trying to drink out of two beer bottles at once, spilling half the contents on the family couch, Ashido topless in the hot tub, Kaminari passed out as he hugged the toilet. It wasn't even the type of party Izuku would have enjoyed if he were invited--and he most definitely had NOT been invited. Somehow Kacchan's parents were under the impression that Izuku could either control Kacchan from throwing another party, or perhaps that his very presence was enough to deter such an event, but either way, they were just wrong and making both boys uncomfortable in the interim.

As the shower water finally grew hot enough, Izuku stepped under the spray, scraping off the congealed sweat from his earlier run as well as the fresher sweat from his work out in Kacchan's weight room. Kacchan's family wasn't rich, but they'd had enough to properly prepare Kacchan for a future in hero work. The weight room was properly outfitted with all the latest weight lifting equipment, sparring mat and punching bags, as well as an endless lap pool outside that doubled as a hot tub. When they were younger, Kacchan had spent every school break at heroes-in-training camps, but Izuku, growing up Quirkless, remained at home. Gracious as Kacchan's parents were, they allowed him to come over and use the weights and pool while Kacchan had been away. He'd looked forward to that almost as much as he'd looked forward to Kacchan coming back home for the start of the new term.

But with high school and Izuku's new and sudden Quirk...

Well, he'd be lying if he thought things hadn't changed long before then. Kacchan's childhood teasing had turned vicious around middle school, long before Izuku had inherited his Quirk from All Might. And if he were being truly honest with himself, he knew exactly what had sparked that change.

Izuku didn't like being that honest with himself.

He wasn't sure how long he stood under the shower's punishing spray, but when every last patch of skin turned red and angry from the heat, he finally felt clean enough to turn it off and towel off. With a fresh towel knotted around his waist, Izuku went to unlock the door to Kacchan's room. Before he could step away, a hand pounded against the door, startling him enough to make him yelp.

"You finished in there, shitty Deku?"

Getting ahold of himself (and his towel), Izuku twisted the knob and let the door come open, finding Kacchan on the other side of it with his fist still upraised to knock. His childhood friend was still only half dressed, but the drawstring on his workout shorts had been loosened, the waistband riding low, giving a teasing view of the perfect V of Kacchan's abs. Izuku dropped his gaze to the floor, backing away hastily.

"I didn't know you were waiting, Kacchan."

"The fuck you didn't," Kacchan drawled, matching Izuku's retreat to claim the connecting bathroom. "You thought I'd go to your mom's place smelling like a goddamn locker room?"

That's right. Part of the condition of staying at Kacchan's over the school break was that they would both take dinner with Izuku's mother a few times during the week. Last night they'd each had a protein shake and gone to bed without speaking, but tonight they were obligated to share a "family" meal with Midoriya Inko.

Although, if Izuku were honest, he much preferred the unfulfilling protein shake and a silent goodnight to the forced atmosphere of a sit-down family meal with Kacchan. The Bakugou's had always been close family friends and when Izuku and Kacchan were both children, they frequently shared meals at each other's houses, often culminating in sleepovers or next-day outings. They had been friends then and eating together felt natural, familiar. Now, they sat across a table from each other trying while trying to maintain the facade that they were still friends in front of their parents. Kacchan actually spoke respectfully to Izuku's mother (or, at least as respectfully as he was able) and even referred to Izuku as "Izuku-kun" rather than by the cruel childhood nickname of "Deku." Somehow, that was actually worse than all the beatings, all the destroyed property, all the cruel Quirkless taunts. Sitting through a family meal with Kacchan was like looking through a window into an alternate dimension: one in which he and Kacchan might still be friends.

But then the meal would end and Izuku would be "Deku" again. Kacchan would be...well, Kacchan.

He'd always be Kacchan.

As the bathroom door slammed shut behind him, Izuku began dressing in the borrowed guest room of the Bakugou household. He pulled on a pair of cargo shorts, grabbed a clean-looking t-shirt and scrubbed a towel through his moss-green hair once more. After dropping the towel, he noted a blinking light on his cellphone, left on the bed while he showered. He scooped it up and sank onto the mattress, his stomach sinking in tandem as he read the message.

"Picking up a second shift tonight. Sorry to miss our dinner date!"

The message was followed by the usual embarrassing amount of hugging and kissing emojis that parents thought were cool. With a disappointed sigh, he sent back a text letting her know it was okay and that they would definitely meet up for dinner another night. He couldn't be mad about his mother picking up the hours she needed to pay his tuition as well as her rent, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed to miss a dinner with her. Nothing was better than katsudon made by his mother.

The sound of hissing water drew Izuku's gaze to the bathroom door. He should tell Kacchan. Should he tell Kacchan now? Or wait until he finished showering?

He's going to yell at me either way, Izuku decided, picking himself up off the bed to cross the room. He knocked on the bathroom door, loudly so that Kacchan could hear it over the spray of the water.

"Heh?" Came the call through the door.

"I just got a text from my mom--"

"I can't fuckin' hear you, fuckin' Deku!"

"I said, I just got a text--"

"Just open the fuckin' door, shitty nerd!"

With a heavy sigh, Izuku pushed the door open, setting his shoulder against the frame while keeping his eyes low.

"Just invite yourself in, shitty Deku." Fog filled the room, giving only a vague shape to the figure behind the shower curtain.

"My mom texted, she says she's working tonight so she's not going to be home in time for dinner."

"Heh?" The water turned off and Izuku heard the curtain rings slide along the rod. The suddenness of it all had him looking up in surprise before he can catch himself. "That fuckin' sucks. Could have really gone for some katsudon tonight. The fuck you lookin' at, nerd?"

Izuku dropped his gaze back to the phone in his hand, ignoring the question. "We could order some katsudon. There's a place that delivers--"

"I don't want any shitty take out, fuckin' nerd." The steam mostly hid Kacchan as he toweled off and knotted a fresh towel around his waist. "You think I got to look this good by eating fuckin' take out?"

Izuku shrugged and walked back to his room. No, that's not right. He walked back to the guest room, still staring hard at his phone. It took him longer than it should have to realize it wasn’t even on. Kacchan followed him into the guest room, still clad in nothing but a towel.

"The fuck you wanna do for dinner?"

Izuku shrugged, refusing to look up or to even answer.

"You fuckin' ignoring me, shitty nerd?" Kacchan crossed the room and shoved his face in front of Izuku's, knocking the phone from his fingers like he used to do with Izuku's notebooks in middle school.

At least he didn't explode it, Izuku thought as his phone hit the floor with a thud. "I suggested take out, Kacchan. If you want something else, why don't you just say so?"

He finally met the crimson gaze and held it, despite the trigger warning going off behind it. Kacchan had always relied on intimidation, even when they were children. He could terrify bigger children, adults and even teachers with that glare of his. But Izuku had seen it too many times before in his life to feel scared of it now. Kacchan might be King Explodo Murder to everyone else in the world, but to Izuku he was still the kid next door.

Well, no, that wasn't right. Kacchan had never been "just that kid next door."

By slow increments, Kacchan leaned back, rolling his shoulders and shifting his gaze as if in thought. "Might just do a protein shake. Maybe a food bar."

Except Izuku knew that was exactly what Kacchan had for lunch and one of the many things Auntie Mitsuki had asked of him was to keep an eye on Kacchan's diet. While Kacchan could preach the virtues of a well-rounded diet, when left to his own devices, he'd rather eat protein powder by the spoonful than cook for himself. Izuku had thought it wouldn't be a problem since they were supposed to take dinner with his mom most nights, but now... Was this an issue he should push? It would be so much easier to just let Kacchan do what he wanted to do.

"I could make a stir fry," Izuku suggested, voice soft.

"You suck at cooking." Kacchan wasn't even being mean, he was just stating a fact.

"You do what you want, Kacchan. I need more than a shake and a food bar." Izuku started to push past Kacchan for the door, only to have his arm caught in an iron grip.

Izuku immediately felt his blood rush, his heart pounding in his ears. Don't look at him, he told himself. Don't think about him, don't smell the soap that's still on his skin...

"I'll make the stir fry, you just start the rice. Can you handle that, fuckin' Deku?"

"Yes, Kacchan," Izuku sighed, resigned. "I can handle that."

The hand gripping his arm let go and bare feet padded back through the bathroom to the connecting bedroom. Izuku took a moment to just breathe, center himself, then goes to the kitchen to start the rice cooker. Brown rice, of course. None of that processed, bleached-out crap for Kacchan. Hell, everything in his parents' kitchen looked like it came straight from a farmer's market: organic, GMO-free, no additives, dyes or hormones.

Most people of Izuku's background--a single, working mom, tiny apartment and Quirkless (for most of his life, anyway)--would feel jealous of a family that was able to nurture a Hero-Quirk as great as Kacchan's. Izuku had never felt jealous once. Sure, the home gym, the personal trainers and the targeted diet plan were great head starts, but that wasn't what made Kacchan as strong as he was. It took dedication, determination and an unrelenting drive for someone to chase their dream as Kacchan had. Izuku could only stand by in utter admiration as Kacchan sweated, bled and worked himself to exhaustion on a daily basis, all to one day have a chance at becoming a top hero.

Even now, Izuku still found him impressive. Knowing how hard Kacchan had worked his whole life somehow made Izuku's sudden, unexpected Quirk seem...unfair. Unearned.

"Oi!" Kacchan's voice made Izuku jump, his heart ratcheting back up to a million beats a minute. "Play some fuckin' music!"

"Kacchan, what--" Izuku stopped as a cylindrical device plugged into a corner wall socket suddenly lit up, flashed once, then began playing a metal band. He blinked at it dryly. "How does it possibly know that you're the one who's asking for the music?"

"Think your fuckin' funny?" Kacchan was rummaging around behind the open fridge door. When he kicked it closed, he tossed a paper bag at Izuku. "Wash those."

Izuku wanted to argue, but the idea is brief, fleeting. What would it accomplish in the end? Instead, he found a colander and began washing farm fresh vegetables while Kacchan heated oil in a saucepan before preparing a cutting board.

It might have been too quiet, uncomfortably quiet, between the two of them as they made dinner, but with the music echoing off the corners of the kitchen, there really wasn't the space to talk. And what would they say, anyway? Two years at UA and they'd learned to tolerate each other in small doses, but they still weren’t friends. Not the way they once were.

Not the way they had been before Izuku...

A song caught Izuku's ear after Kacchan finished slicing the last of the vegetables. Kacchan must have noticed the smile on his face because he grunted and asked: "The fuck you smiling for?"

"Oh, it's just...this song."

Kacchan's eyes narrowed into crimson slits. "You don't listen to this shit."

"No, I don't, but this song is set to one of my favorite PHMVs."

"The fuck is a P-H-whatever the fuck?"

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't watch Pro-Hero Music Videos?"

Kacchan tossed the stir fry aggressively before shooting a glare over his shoulder. "That's what I'm fuckin' asking, isn't it, shitty nerd?"

Izuku shook his head as he scanned through his phone. "They got really popular a year or two ago. Fans collect video footage of their favorite heroes and set them to music. Watch."

Izuku didn't even realize he moved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kacchan in order to hold the phone out over the stir fry. Kacchan shouted for his kitchen speaker device to stop the music ("Shut the fuck up!") and watched as he continued cooking the vegetables.

It's an All Might video (because of course it is) and set to the same song that was just playing over Kacchan's speakers. Kacchan watched in silence until the music swelled to a crescendo and the video cuts to a dramatic clip of All Might catching a school bus before it can crash into the side of a building. And then Izuku was treated to the most beautiful sight he knew he’d ever see: Kacchan's normally angry eyes crinkling with mirth and a genuine smile that wasn't simply baring his teeth in a threat. His motions over the frying pan slowed as he got wrapped up in the video.

"Shit," he swore as the video ended and the pan started smoking. He tossed the vegetables quickly, scraping at anything stuck to the bottom of the pan. "So someone just made that, like using media clips and whatever?"

"Well, the best ones kind of chase after Pro Heroes and record their own videos, so they have something the public hasn't seen before." Izuku scrolled through his phone again, looking for another favorite video. "But it's dangerous and interferes with professional Hero work, so it's not really encouraged."

"Makes sense. Don't want some fuckin' looky-loos gettin' hurt while Heroes are working." Kacchan moved the pan off the heat and glances down at Izuku's phone. "Do that one."

"No, I've seen that poster's videos before; they're terrible."

"Who cares? I want to see it." Kacchan made a grab for the phone, then stopped. "No, wait. I'll get my tablet. You set up the food."

Izuku agreed, mostly because it hadn't come across as one of Kacchan's usual gruff orders. Kacchan suddenly sounded excited, youthful, flush with a new discovery about an old hobby. He set up his tablet on the table as Izuku set bowls of rice and veggie stir fry down for the both of them. Kacchan barely remembered to season his food as he scrolled through the list of videos.

"People just do this?" Kacchan asked, halfway through their meal. "They don't get paid for it or anything?"

"No, but sometimes there's online contests with prizes. That's where I find the best videos. But the hero industry is trying to discourage the amateur videographers, so they tend to shut down the contests they can find."

Kacchan looked conflicted because he agreed that civilians shouldn't be putting themselves at risk during a Villain fight, but Izuku can see how much he's really enjoying the videos. Kacchan’s gaze shifted away and Izuku noticed a slight pink tinge in his cheeks as he asked: "Anyone make any videos of us yet?"

"Us?" Izuku was surprised because the two of them hadn't been an "us" since before middle school.

"Class fuckin' 2A, shitty nerd," Kacchan growled. "Or 3A, I guess, when the term starts up again."

"Oh, um..." Izuku grabbed the tablet and stared down at it, mostly to hide his blush. "There isn't much, but then we've only patrolled as interns so far. Most of our big fights have happened far away from civilians, so they don't tend to get recorded. I've found one or two that feature Todoroki-kun, though."

"Fuckin' Half-and-half. Like I wanna see that shit." Kacchan snatched the tablet, erasing Izuku's query as he hunted for a new video. "Nothing on Aizawa-sensei, huh?"

"No, but, um..." Izuku hesitated. "There are quite a few featuring Midnight-sensei."

Kacchan laughed out loud, startling a chuckle from Izuku. "Yeah, and I bet they're all recorded and spliced by Grape-ball-head." He scrolled for a bit, selected a video, then watched in silence. At the end, he seemed thoughtful. "I like the All Might ones, but the bigger cast videos are more fun to watch."

"Right?" Izuku couldn't help but grin foolishly. He hadn't felt this comfortable around Kacchan in years. It was like how they used to play with All Might action figures together all over again. "The videographers who can use the music to tell an actual story are amazing! There's one guy who specializes in collecting footage from single, specific fights and then cuts it all together to a song. I hear he's working on one--" Izuku cut himself off abruptly as he suddenly realized what he was about to say and who he was talking to.

"Heh?" Kacchan was giving him that look again. His eyes narrowed as Izuku looked away guiltily. "What's that guy working on, shitty Deku?"

Izuku gathered up the dinner dishes and tried to slink away. It was stupid of him to bring it up. He knew what mentioning That Fight would mean to Kacchan. Before he could get the dishes to the sink, Kacchan's hand was on his arm and it was warm. Not just warm. Hot.

"K-Kacchan!" After years of being bullied by the explosion junior-hero, Izuku knew Kacchan would never severely injure him. But he would create enough pain to make Izuku yelp and drop all of Auntie Mitsuki's dishes, then leave him to clean up the mess.

"What fight is this guy looking for clips on, Deku?" Kacchan's voice was low, barely above a growl. His eyes were narrow, bloody half-moons.

Izuku swallowed. "The-the fight between...All Might and All-For-One."

He cringed as Kacchan's palm burned even hotter on his arm, but it was only for a moment and then the hand let go. Kacchan turned away, scowling as he scrolled through the list of videos again. Izuku backed away and started cleaning up after dinner, but not before running some cool water over the palm-shaped burn mark on his arm. It wasn't bad; Kacchan didn't hold it long enough to leave a lasting mark. It still stung, though.

Kacchan didn't offer to help with the dishes, but then again, Izuku had never really expected him to. Instead, he listened to the music from the videos that Kacchan chose on the tablet, smiling when Kacchan begrudgingly approved of this video or that, grimacing when Kacchan swore over a video with poor editing. Izuku was putting the last dish away when he felt Kacchan step up behind him, his body radiating heat like a furnace.

"Hey, nerd." The lack of an expletive was what really got Izuku's attention. "You know how to make these videos?"

"Uh, well..." He had considered making a video. And by considered, he meant he'd watched tutorials, read blogs, studied the software and made a list of hero clips and songs he might use. "N-no. Not really."

Kacchan’s look was skeptical, the corner of his mouth twitching like he's either going to scream or smirk. A sharp breath through his nose and he glanced away. "D'ya wanna?"

"Do I want to--" Izuku could barely breathe. "You want to try making a PHMV?"

Kacchan shrugged, the picture of adolescent nonchalance. "The fuck not? It's not that hard, right?"

Actually, it was very hard.

Harder than even Izuku anticipated.

They started by checking out the best video-splicing software ("Three hundred dollars?! Are they out of their fuckin' minds??") and then settled for watching tutorials on how to make the free software not look shitty. They did this at the dinner table, but when Izuku mentioned needing a notebook for possible songs and clips, Kacchan rolled his eyes and dragged him to the guest room. He just about threw a blank notebook at Izuku's head before going to his own room and retrieving his laptop.

"I'm gonna pick out the music," Kacchan declared. "You find some videos."

"What heroes do you want me to look for?" Izuku asked, already spreading out on the floor with his phone, the borrowed tablet and a fresh notebook.

Kacchan hesitated at the question. Izuku knew he wanted to say All Might, but finding fresh clips on their favorite hero (everyone's favorite hero) was just about impossible any more. "What if we made it about our class?"

"Oh, just a collection of classmate shorts?" Izuku twirled a pen around his fingers, considering. "That's a really good idea. Most of our friends upload training videos to their social media, so we have access to some exclusive footage."

"Of course it's a fuckin' good idea; it's mine." Kacchan flashed his usual arrogant smile as he made himself comfortable in the middle of Izuku's bed. He put on a set of headphones connected to his laptop while Izuku began compiling a list of clips and where to find them. They worked separately for about an hour before Izuku, cringing, twisted to look up over his shoulder from where he was lying on the floor.

"Kacchan?"

No response, but then again, the blond was lip syncing a song while nodding his head.

"Kacchan!" When his call went unheard for the second time, Izuku gathered up the tablet, phone and notepad. He walked around the bed, shuffled the items in his arms and awkwardly patted Kacchan on the shoulder.

Kacchan didn't so much as flinch, but tensed, his jaw tightening as he glared daggers at Izuku. "What?" he asked after lowering the headphones.

"I--I don't think we should use the videos of our classmates."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because...well, most of it is really embarrassing." He showed Kacchan a queued-up video on his phone of Tokoyami getting dragged around the training yard by his dark shadow. Kacchan laughed so hard he nearly cried.

"That's fuckin' gold is what that is!" He crowed.

Izuku frowned in disagreement but said nothing as he skipped to the next uploaded video. "And any of the cooler training videos give away some of our hidden moves."

And of course, this video was of Kacchan using his armor-piercing blast. This time the look on Kacchan's face was a mix of pride and resignation. "No, yeah, we can't make a video that shows anything a Villain could use against us. Fine. What heroes do you want to make a video of?"

"Um..." Was he really asking for an opinion? What was the best answer? As he hesitated, Kacchan shuffled over on the bed and canted his head to the side. Izuku hesitated. Was Kacchan inviting him to get into the bed with him? He really shouldn't...but wouldn't it be worse if he declined?

Then again, it was Izuku's bed to begin with, wasn't it? No, wait, not really, it was a guest bed. But for the week it was his, right?

"Holy shitting fuck, Deku, would you stop muttering and just come here?" Kacchan rolled his eyes. "Answer the stupid question, don't just mutter about it."

Wait, did he hear...? No, Kacchan thought he was muttering about the hero videos, not the bed dilemma. Deciding he was just safer getting into the bed than continuing to obsess about it, Deku settled on the edge, leaving his feet on the floor in case he had to make a sudden run for it.

"Um, for heroes..." Deku scrunched up his face to keep himself from muttering again. "I actually really like the videos that highlight the old school heroes from the golden generation. You know, kind of the like the first generation of Pro Heroes?"

"So like, HyperStream and Lil' Star and Ghoster?" Kacchan tipped his head to side, considering. "The clips for those have to be old."

"Yes, but most have been uploaded in HD by now," Izuku pointed out. "And there aren't many good videos of them, so it's kind of different."

Kacchan was still mulling it over. Izuku knew he'd struck gold when those crimson orbs lit up like stoplights. "We'd have to use a classic rock song, not heavy metal."

"Right! To set the right tone!" Izuku barely realized that he’d curled his legs beneath him, once again spreading his materials out around him. He flipped to a new page in his notebook, twirled his pen and began tapping a new search into the tablet. He paused suddenly as he realized that Kacchan was holding completely still beside him. He turned slowly, hesitantly. "What is it, Kacchan?"

Kacchan almost seemed surprised to be caught staring at Izuku. "Nothing. You're such a fuckin' nerd." Kacchan pulled the headphones back over his ears and turned his focus to his playlist. Izuku shrugged and began hunting down the old Hero clips they would need. An hour went by before they spoke again, each focused on their own task, barely noticing each other as they settled in, rearranging pillows and blankets to suit their comfort, until they were barely separated by the merest of inches. Izuku found a video clip he'd never seen before, something he thought might be perfect for their video and as he turned to look up at Kacchan, he was surprised to find how close they were to each other.

"What is it, nerd?" Kacchan asked, but his usual sneering tone was absent, as if he was too focused to put heat into the mocking nickname.

"Um." Izuku swallowed. He could smell Kacchan's breath from how close they were sitting: remnants of their stir fry dinner and the spices Kacchan used to flavor his own dish.

"Is that Storm Crow?" Kacchan plucked the tablet out of Izuku's hand and played the video clip, a faint smile playing over his face that Izuku simply couldn’t help but stare at. "This is perfect. Here, listen to this part of the song I picked."

Kacchan thrust his headphones over Izuku's head. His breathing caught as Kacchan leaned in close to hear through the nearest earpiece, his hair brushing Izuku’s hand as the moss-haired boy adjusted the fit of the headset. Kacchan pressed play on his laptop, then leaned in closer, adjusting the music to get the part he wanted Izuku to hear.

Izuku could scarcely breathe. He couldn't hear the music over the pounding of his own heart. Distantly he was aware of Kacchan explaining how the clip would work perfectly at this particular part of the song. He tried to nod his agreement, but the movement made him dizzy. Where had the air gone? All he could breathe was the heat of spicy stir fry and the scent freshly washed hair.

"Oi! Nerd! The hell are you spacing out over?" Kacchan waved a hand in front of Izuku's face, his expression now fixed in its usual setting: annoyed. "I thought you were into this."

"I am," Izuku tried, but his voice came out as a squeak.

Kacchan glared at him a moment before his mouth quirked up into a smirk. "If you're not into it, we could always just have sex."

Izuku's mouth instantly went dry and he swore that for a solid minute, his heart refused to beat.

"You confessed to me in middle school. Remember?" Kacchan hand was reaching for Izuku's face. No. He was reaching for the headphones, pulling them away.

Of course, Izuku remembers his confession. It was the single stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life. That day marked the moment when Kacchan's playful teasing turned to cruel taunts that had lasted up until the middle of their first year of high school together. How could he ever forget such a painful memory?

"So..." Kacchan shoved the laptop and tablet away, then turned to face Izuku, his hands bracketing Izuku's legs on either side. "Do you wanna?"

Izuku's brain short circuited as his heart begins pumping pure electricity through his veins at approximately the speed of light.

I wonder if this is how Kaminari feels when he activates his Quirk, the analytical part of his brain thought as the rest of his brain could only focus on how close Kacchan's lips were to his.

"K-Kacchan," Izuku tried, swallowing painfully. "It's just--it's late and I-I'm just having a little trouble c-c-concentrating right now. Maybe we could tr-try again tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" God, but Izuku just wanted to lick that smile off of Kacchan's face. How was it possible for him to come closer without touching him yet? "But I'm ready now."

Izuku wasn’t ready for it when Kacchan's lips pressed against his. It was warm and dry and surprisingly soft. He'd always imagined (not that he's ever imagined--except that he has, extensively) that Kacchan would be more of an aggressive kisser. He gasped quietly against Kacchan's mouth and as his lips parted, Kacchan pressed in, tongue swiping his lower lip, his teeth, light suction drawing his own tongue forward. A noise Izuku had never made before--part desire, part arousal, part just-fucking-animal--tore itself loose from his throat. He could taste Kacchan's chuckle on his tongue and as the blond's teeth tugged gently at his lower lip, Izuku's hands rose as if to pull Kacchan in closer.

He pulled them back though, before they could find Kacchan's loose-fitting t-shirt.

When Kacchan finally pulled back, Izuku was panting, trembling and feverishly warm. Kacchan leaned his weight on one arm so he could run a hand back through Izuku's moss-green curls.

"Don't want to?" Kacchan asked, watching Izuku closely. "You can't tell me you haven't been staring at me these past two days."

"I--" No, he couldn't deny it; it was true and Kacchan knew it. He dropped his chin to break the crimson gaze, swallowed and took a deep breath. "You know how attractive you are, Kacchan. That doesn't mean I want to have sex with you."

Kacchan shrugged, the motion making the bed bounce gently, bringing them closer together then farther apart. "You've gotten kinda hot, yourself. Wouldn't be the worst thing if we fucked each other."

Kacchan's vulgarity shouldn't be something that shocked Izuku anymore, but somehow the context colors his reaction. He feels the rush of blood to his cheeks, his ears...his dick. He desperately wished Kacchan wasn't so close so that maybe he could drag a pillow or something over his lap.

"I-I can't, Kacchan."

"Why not?"

Because...no, he couldn't say it. The last time he’d said it, he’d lost Kacchan for years.

"How do I know this isn't some joke to you?" Izuku finally managed. "Or maybe you're just looking for a sexual conquest. Or someone to practice on. I'm not a good enough friend to just go along with this just because you want to have sex."

Kacchan frowned. His hand slid forward, thumb skimming along Izuku's cheekbone. "Idiot. It's because we're friends that I think we should."

"What?" Izuku startled, his breath catching with surprise.

Kacchan shrugged, rocking the bed again. "The only way to get good at something is to practice. You don't wanna fuck up when it's goddamn showtime. I figure it's like sparring: you need a challenge, sure, but you also need to do it with someone you trust."

Izuku swallowed again. Trust. Kacchan...trusted him? "If we--if we did, then...then what?"

"Then what?" The smirk came back, along with an eyeroll. "You're fucking overthinking it. You wanna fuck or not?"

"Do you even have condoms?"

"No, I don't fucking have condoms, it's my first fucking time. You think I have something I could give you?"

No, Izuku didn't think that. It was his first time, too, but Kacchan probably already knew that. Before he could think of another question to ask or another reason why this was a bad idea, Kacchan was leaning forward, catching his lips in another kiss. He was aware that he was kissing back, too, it was just hard to focus on because Kacchan's hand was resting on his shoulder, his thumb drawing lazy circles on his collarbone, the weight of his palm heavy and insistent. When his hands reached for Kacchan again, he didn't stop them. He gripped the fabric of the t-shirt in front of him and hauled Kacchan closer, earning a soft huff of surprise that only interrupted the kiss for a moment. The weight of Kacchan against his chest made breathing difficult, made thinking impossible. All he could think about was having those hot, explosive hands running all over his body.

Kacchan finally pulled back, panting softly through red, wet lips, his eyes hooded. "Tell me you're okay with this, Deku."

"This?" His mind was still spinning, trying to keep up. "J-just this? For now?"

Kacchan's eyes searched Izuku's and he found himself wondering if Kacchan was having as much trouble processing this as he is. "Yeah, for now. If it fuckin' sucks, we won't do it again."

Izuku couldn't help but laugh. Kacchan darted in so suddenly the laugh turned into a cry of surprise before his lips were caught in fast, hungry kiss.

"Are you fine with this? 'Cause if you don't tell me to stop--"

"No!" Panic spiked cold and sharp in his chest. Izuku gripped the t-shirt all the more tightly. "Don't stop, Kacchan. I-I want this."

Kacchan's smirk was nothing like Izuku had ever seen before. It wasn't self-assured or arrogant, it wasn't even taunting. It looked like a cross between getting a gift you already expected and receiving praise from someone you respected. Izuku didn't have long to study it, however, because Kacchan leaned back and gently pushed Izuku's hands away.

"What--"

"Can't kick my laptop off the bed. My old lady will kill me," Kacchan grumbled, setting the laptop on the floor with a drop that sounded just as loud as if it had been kicked.

Izuku hurried to clear his side of the bed of the tablet, phone, notebook and the three or four pens he'd somehow accumulated while working on their Hero video. A small part of him wondered if the whole thing hadn't been some sort of ruse to get them both into bed, but the larger part of his mind didn't care. Before Izuku can finish tucking everything away, Kacchan was up and out of the bed, padding through the bathroom that connected to his own bedroom.

Fear gripped him as soon as Kacchan was out of the room. Did he change his mind? Were they still doing this? Or had it all been an extremely cruel joke? Kacchan was only been gone for a minute, but by the time he returned, Izuku's doubt had resurfaced.

"Um..."

"Overthinking again?" Kacchan asked, tossing the object he'd gone to retrieve into Izuku's lap.

Izukue blushed as he fumbled the slightly slick bottle. "You don't have condoms but you have this?"

"Like you don't keep somethin' for when you're rubbing one out." Kacchan tried for his usual arrogant tone, but it was just a touch off. Izuku looked up to see a tinge of red coloring his ears. "And it's, like, neutralizing oils for the nitroglycerin in my sweat."

"Ah." That made a lot of sense. He'd never really thought of Kacchan having such issues because of his Quirk. Idly curious, Izuku flipped the bottle over to read the information on the back.

"Shitty nerd." Kacchan yanked the bottle out of his hands. "Would you stop to read the condom box in the middle of sex, too?"

"Oh, um..." It was Izuku’s turn to blush. He felt like he was making a mess of his first time, but then again, he had to admit that Kacchan was right earlier: if he was going to make mistakes, wasn't it better to make them in front of someone who knew him as well as Kacchan?

"Stop muttering, stupid Deku." Kacchan's weight depressed the mattress. Izuku expected him to lean over him and start kissing again, but instead Kacchan settled back against the pillows and the headboard, catching Izuku's eye and canting his head to the side.

Apparently that was all it took to send Izuku scrambling into Kacchan's lap, his knees on either side of Kacchan's hips, his arms around Kacchan's neck. He planted quick, hard kisses along Kacchan's mouth, his cheeks, his neck, his ear while hands skimmed down his sides, tracing the hard-earned muscles of his chest, abs and back. He could feel each gasp and moan in Kacchan's chest, could taste them on his lips. He tangled his fingers in Kacchan's hair, surprised to find it isn't the feather-soft down he remembered from his childhood, though it was still softer than his own. His thumb traced the curve of Kacchan's ear just before he leaned in to press a kiss against the pulse he saw throbbing in Kacchan's neck.

Kacchan moaned, his hands gripping Izuku's waist hard. Izuku wasn't sure if his hips thrust in towards Kacchan or if Kacchan bucked slightly beneath him, or if it happened at the same time but both loosed a groan at the same time, breath mingling, chests heaving. Kacchan's fingers felt like they were on fire as they slipped beneath Izuku's shirt and yanked it off him in one quick motion. And then suddenly, Izuku was on his back, his head near the foot of the bed, Kacchan hovering over him, kisses raining down on his cheekbones, his mouth, his neck, his chest. His hands scrambled at Kacchan's back until he grabbed enough of the shirt to pull it forward. Even pulling it over Kacchan's head didn't stop the kisses long. Izuku quivered and moaned, gasped and arched, his hands grasping at any part of Kacchan that he could reach: his hair, his shoulders, his back. Izuku just about came off the bed with a scream when Kacchan's tongue darted into his navel.

Kacchan's laugh was deep, throaty. "If you can't handle that, how are you going to get through sex, hm?" Kacchan smirked at Izuku as his fingers played along his waistband, his eyes teasing, his smile self-assured. "Gonna be a one-second wonder, Deku?"

Izuku struggled to control his breathing. It didn't help that Kacchan's face hovered scant inches away from the extremely evident erection beneath his gym shorts. He wanted to take that smirk away from Kacchan, though. This was his first time too, wasn't it? There was no reason for Kacchan to have that level of confidence.

"What about you, Kacchan?" Izuku slid his leg against Kacchan's. When the taller boy pushed him down, their legs had gotten tangled and now he had one between Kacchan's thighs. He pressed his knee softly but insistently against the bulge in Kacchan's shorts, using gentle rubbing to confirm Kacchan's own excitement. "Think you'll even last a whole second? I think you could come just like this."

The noise that emerged from Kacchan's throat was the headiest mix of a snarl and a groan. He moved one hand from Izuku's waistband to hover just over the bulge in Izuku's pants. "You want to see who comes in their pants first, Deku? I'll fuckin' race you."

No, this wasn't what Izuku wanted. While the sex wasn't likely to last long with the two of them as keyed up as they were, he didn't want his first time to be a competition ending with a wet spot in his shorts. Instead, he used the leverage of his hips and legs to tip Kacchan sideways off of him, grabbing Kacchan's arm and hauling him up so that they could lay side by side and face to face. Kacchan looked surprised and flushed, red tinging the paleness of his skin. Skin that Izuku just wanted to lick all over.

"There's no reason to rush, Kacchan." He struggled to keep his voice even, but it was still a bit breathy. "Let's take our time."

Kacchan's lip curled like he was about to refuse, but then he rolled forward and they were kissing again. One hand tangled in Izuku's curls, holding him in the kiss, the other hand was stove-top hot and curled around his hip. All Izuku could do was cling to Kacchan's arms, blunt nails digging half-moon crescents into that beautifully flushed skin. His hips thrust forward on their own volition, bringing his erection against Kacchan's, sending a spark of electricity and a chest-shuddering groan through the both of them. The thin fabric of their gym shorts was almost no barrier at all and the slick fabric slid against itself almost without friction. All too soon Izuku was panting into Kacchan's mouth, fearing he was about to come in his pants anyway.

Kacchan peeled away, his eyes made darker by his blown out pupils, his lips kissed-out and red. "How do you want this?" Just the low, visceral quality of Kacchan's voice nearly brought Izuku off. How was he going to make it through this without embarrassing himself?

But he did know the answer to the question. "I want to see you, Kacchan."

Kacchan nodded like he expected the answer, but he was still pulling away, hands groping through the rumpled blankets. The lube, Izuku realized, sitting up to look around. Where did it go?

With a grunt of triumph, Kacchan raised the bottle of lube, then put a hand on Izuku's chest, guiding him back to rest against the pillows. Izuku went willingly, letting Kacchan take the lead because he knew it was important to him. For a moment, they fell still, Izuku pressed into the pillows, his knees bent and open, Kacchan half hovering over him, one hand on his chest.

Who's overthinking now? Izuku wondered. "Please, Kacchan," he whined instead, letting his need take over.

The keening cry seemed to shake Kacchan out of a stupor. He set the lube down nearby and put both hands on Izuku's hips, fingers slipping beneath the waistband of both his shorts and his boxers. He stopped, looked up at Izuku, waiting for confirmation. Izuku bit his lip to keep from screaming. Gave a small nod: It's fine; get on with it.

The shorts and the boxers slid down inexorably slowly, catching slightly on his erection before the band was lifted clear to free it. Izuku hissed as the cool air in the room hit his engorged member and then the shorts were gone, tossed away and the anxiety came rushing back. He'd never really been naked in front of anyone before, certainly never like this, and as his face flushed, he looked sharply away from Kacchan.

Dimly, he was aware of the other boy looking him over, open and exposed. It was a struggle to keep from trying to cover himself. What would be the point by now, anyway? He heard a ragged breath, but Kacchan remained silent so he kept his eyes averted.

A sudden flurry of movement and Kacchan had shucked off his own shorts and boxers. Izuku caught the briefest glimpse of a flushed, heavy-looking cock in a nest of nearly transparent curls before Kacchan's hand cupped his cheek, tilted his face up and pressed their lips together. It was sloppy, wet and frantic, a tangle of tongues and teeth. Kacchan was between Izuku's legs, one hand on his chest for balance, the other touching his face, his neck, his hair. Izuku clung to Kacchan's arms, catching small gasps of air in between kisses. His hips jumped just as Kacchan's jerked forward and he screamed at the contact: Kacchan's hot, hard dick pressed up alongside his. For an instant, he was aware that his Quirk had activated and his body was in full-cowl mode. That had never happened before and it took long, breathless moments to relax enough to let it go.

It took a moment to realize that he wasn’t the only one fighting an internal battle; Kacchan's head was resting on Izuku's shoulder and they were both trembling. Kacchan's hands were searing hot against his skin and Izuku found himself hoping the explosion-hero's Quirk didn't decide to activate itself like his own had.

Kacchan turned his head, his lips brushing Izuku's ear. "Fuckin' want you. Bad."

"M-me too," Izuku panted. Because he did. He'd always wanted this. And right now, the reality was so much better than it ever was in his dreams.

Without lifting his head, Kacchan groped for the lube bottle. Izuku felt the cool plastic pressed against his skin. "Can I?"

Izuku could only whine and give a single, jerky nod. Kacchan scooted back and for the first time since they started, he looked unsure of himself. He licked his lips as he flipped the cap on the bottle, his eyes flicking to Izuku's, then away. It looked like he wanted to say something, maybe an assurance, maybe an apology, but either way Izuku didn't care and he understood because he was feeling the same way. Rather than try to say something that might be misinterpreted (or, heaven forbid, be seen as trying to help) Izuku shimmied down the pillows a bit and set one foot atop Kacchan's thigh, trying to show that he was ready. He wasn’t, of course, how could he ever be? But fuck all if he was going to let that stop him now.

Kacchan swallowed visibly and seemed to overcome whatever doubts he just had. He squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his fingers before setting the bottle down nearby. He pulled Izuku closer with his other hand, wedged Izuku's legs open a bit more with his knees and then he was leaning in...reaching...

Izuku bit his lip and turned his head, a keening whine shooting straight up his spine and out of his mouth. The lube was slick and cool and Kacchan's fingers were circling his-- He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't--just couldn't!

"You need to relax," came Kacchan's voice, low enough to smolder. "If you can't relax then..."

It'll hurt?

We'll have to stop?

No, Izuku didn't want that. He tried to breathe, but all he could do was gasp. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire, the prodding between his legs felt so foreign, so terrifying...

Then Kacchan was shifting up on one knee, leaning forward. His one hand was still between Izuku's legs, but the other braced itself on the bed outside of Izuku's hip. Kacchan pressed a kiss along his neck and whispered: "Relax. It's just me."

Izuku turned his nose into Kacchan's hair as the kisses and suckling continued at his neck. His hands curled around Kacchan's upper arms once more. The scents of spice and nitroglycerin reassure him that yes, this was only Kacchan. They might be doing something new, but they'd tried new things together before. Hell, they’d fought Villains together, so how was this scary?

Izuku felt himself relax. Kacchan's fingers and the lube felt somehow warmer now. He gasped as one slipped inside him, prodding, exploring.

"K-Kacchan."

"That hurt?"

"No."

"Good."

It was probably too soon, but how would either of them know how big a difference it was from one finger to two? Izuku hissed and arched his back, once again reminding himself that it was only Kacchan, only the friend he'd known since before grade school. He took a breath, focused on the teeth scraping against his collarbone, and insisted that his body relax. It was harder now because Kacchan was stretching him, scissoring his fingers, twisting them as he pushed in and out.

Just as Izuku thought he might be getting the hang of it, Kacchan shifted, shrugging Izuku's knee over his shoulder and pushed in a bit deeper. The way he moved his fingers it almost felt like he was--

"AAaahh!" Izuku screamed, his back arching completely free of the bed. If electricity was running through his veins earlier, then what he felt now were fireworks lighting him up from the inside out. And just like a single firework against the night sky, it was over too soon, leaving him panting, aching, begging for more.

"Fuck, that was beautiful." Izuku was almost certain he imagined hearing that. He couldn't really have heard that, right? "I can't wait any more. Are you ready?"

Izuku had no idea, but ready or not, one more touch like that and he was going to come whether he wanted to or not. So he nodded, unable to speak around the whine of pure and total need that threatened to cut off his air. Kacchan leaned back, then, almost as an afterthought, came back in for a quick kiss. Izuku watched, licking his lips in grim fascination, as Kacchan ran his lube-slick hand over his erection and gripped it near the base. Another hot flash of fear made Izuku tear his eyes away, so he focused on relaxing, breathing, opening.

There was a hot and hard pressure against his entrance. One hand was wrapped around the knee propped up over Kacchan's shoulder, the other reached out to hold onto Izuku's shoulder, as if for leverage. Izuku curled his fingers around Kacchan's forearm, his other hand fisting uselessly in the sheets. Kacchan inched forward, his pale brows furrowed in concentration, sweat running down from his hair. His eyes were locked on their joining but all Izuku could do was watch Kacchan's face.

It hurt. Izuku didn't mean to, but he whined, unprepared for the burning, stretching, insistent pain. Kacchan's blood-colored eyes snapped up to meet his, lips mouthing a swear.

Don't ask if I'm okay, Izuku begged silently. Don't ask if I want to stop.

Because right now...he almost wished it would. It was more pain that he'd thought it'd be and maybe they could just go back to touching each other and the kissing, he liked the kissing...

"Stop muttering, nerd," Kacchan panted, their eyes still locked. "Killing the mood."

Something about Kacchan's voice lit a fire in Izuku's bones. He wasn’t conscious of his back arching slightly, his hips lifting, but he was suddenly very aware that Kacchan's cock was sliding insistently inside him, not fast, but not exactly slowly either.

"Shit shit fuck fuck!" Kacchan began swearing in a continuous stream, now fully sheathed inside of Izuku and Izuku--

He fucking screamed.

Kacchan's hands were searing hot, blazing hot, pressing into his skin and leaving welts, burns. Izuku struggled to throw off the hand gripping his shoulder. As the pain intensified--as he could smell his own skin burning--his Quirk activated and the sudden full-cowl gave him the strength to peel back Kacchan's hand.

"Shit, Deku--Izuku, I'm sorry!" Kacchan, panting and flushed, finally realized he'd activated his Quirk without realizing it. He let go of Izuku's leg, his eyes wide in panic. "I didn't mean to--I didn't know I was--"

"I-I know." Izuku was in pain, but somehow the burns from Kacchan's hands were taking away the pain of penetration. "I--Mine, too, Kacchan."

"I'll--We can stop," Kacchan offered, but his voice was strained. Izuku didn't doubt that Kacchan would stop if Izuku told him to, but he was already, finally inside and the burns were already there, no matter whether they stopped now or later.

"Please, Kacchan," Izuku begged, releasing One-for-All. "I want--I need--"

He gasped as Kacchan moved, sliding out of him. Izuku flailed, panicked, grabbed Kacchan's arm, holding on to keep Kacchan from leaving him entirely.

"Stop, just--Relax." Kacchan set his hand on Izuku's hip, restrained by Izuku's grip. "I'm just--Fuck, you're tight!"

With a groan, Kacchan was pushing in again and Izuku felt himself relax by the merest iota. It still hurt, but it was easier now. The motion began to flow a little more. Kacchan hiked Izuku's leg up a little more; Izuku figured out how to arch his back. They were moving together now and Kacchan's eyes fell shut as he thrusted in and out, his fingers digging into Izuku's hip, but at least his Quirk hasn't activated again. Izuku takes up the rhythm, thrusting back until--

"Oh, FUCK!" There was that spot again, he'd found it and he was seeing stars, seeing fireworks, seeing--

"I can't--Shit! Izuku!" The hand on his hip vanished only to wrap around his weeping cock, rough strokes out of time with their thrusts, but it was more than what the neglected organ needed in that moment.

"Kat-Katsuki!" Not a yell, but a thready whine, a needy plea. Eyes slitted nearly closed, he could see Kacchan, his head bowed, blond hair sticking to sweat-streaked skin, his face, throat and chest flushed with his arousal. It didn't take long at all before he felt himself go off in Kacchan's palm--a different kind of explosion, something that could almost make him laugh in any other situation--as strands of hot, sticky cum streaked his chest, stomach and Kacchan's hand.

Kacchan shouted wordlessly, a vein bulging in his neck as he buried himself deeply, his head bowed low, his thighs shaking as he finally found release. For long moments, Kacchan simply stayed where he was, catching his breath, riding the waves of pleasure as they coursed over him. Just as Izuku became acutely aware of how uncomfortable this position was, Kacchan looked up, his pupils blown, his lower lip red and angry as if he'd been biting it.

"Fuck."

Izuku nodded his agreement. "Yeah, fuck."

Kacchan chuckled and finally moved, pulling out as gently as possible--more gently than Izuku thought was possible--and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "When'd you start talking like that, nerd?"

I guess I'm "nerd" again, Izuku thought, grimacing as he draws his legs in. He could almost believe he'd made up the part where Kacchan had called him by his name. Twice. "It's just...kind of appropriate right now."

Kacchan laughed again, but softly, not cruelly. He looked back at Izuku and cringed. "Do those hurt?" He gestured to Izuku's shoulder, to his leg.

Drawn by the gesture, Izuku looked down and saw a bright, angry hand print, starkly outlined on the pale skin just above his knee. Reaching up, he felt the soreness at his shoulder and figured there must be another one there as well. He knew it hadn't been intentional and he really didn't want to make Kacchan feel bad for something he couldn't control, but... "Yeah, kinda."

"Tch." Kacchan snapped his head around. He scooped up a pair of shorts from the floor and stepped into them. Izuku panicked when Kacchan picked up a shirt. Was this it? Was it over just like this? But Kacchan only used the shirt to scrub at his hands before stalking to the bathroom, where he grabbed a small towel and threw it to the bed with an order for Izuku to "clean up." Izuku heard some rummaging in the bathroom as he swiped the sticky mess from his chest and hands, taking a single furtive swipe at his behind because he could feel the mess left behind. He grimaced at the smear of blood on the towel and crumpled it so Kacchan wouldn't see.

"Here." Kacchan came back, a bottle of green gel in his hand this time. "Aloe. It'll help."

"Thanks, Kacchan." Izuku reached for it, but Kacchan pulled it away, bringing their childhood past springing to the forefront of Izuku's brain.

"Just lay back, nerd." Kacchan pushed gently against Izuku's chest as he climbed back into the bed. He popped the cap on the aloe and Izuku just about whimpered as Kacchan rubbed the cooling gel over the welt on his leg.

"Thank you, Kacchan," Izuku sighed, settling back against the pillows.

Kacchan grunted. "'S my fault. Didn't know that would happen."

"'S okay." Izuku was suddenly overwhelmingly tired. They couldn't have been at it for too long, but it had already been late when they'd begun. And his body felt as wrung out and pained as if he had gone three rounds in the ring against All Might himself. "'M tired, Kacchan."

Kacchan snorted. "I bet. Come here." Kacchan rolled Izuku onto his side so he could rub aloe on his burned shoulder. Never one to resist an invitation, Izuku rubbed his nose against Kacchan's chest. There was a slight hesitation in the aloe application, but then it resumed.

"Fuckin' tickles, nerd."

"Mmm. Don't worry it's just..." Izuku yawned. "For now."

He fell asleep before Kacchan finished applying the aloe, breathing in the scent of spices and nitroglycerin, sex and shampoo.

Chapter Text

Izuku felt like he was being rocked as he slept. How did that old lullaby go? When the wind blows, the cradle will rock? He was in a bed, not a cradle, he knew that even in his mostly-sleeping state. His barely-there consciousness was fluid, flowing back and forth between wakefulness and sleepiness. It would be so easy to simply drift off again...

But what was that rocking?

And why did he feel so...warm?

And that distant sensation...was that…pain?

The bough beneath the cradle snapped, tumbling Izuku into full consciousness as well as some throbbing, intense pain. And there was something else that was throbbing...

The arm slung haphazardly over his waist confirmed that Izuku wasn't in the bed alone. It also confirmed that the rocking was coming from behind him and that hot hardness he felt pressed against his backside was...

Oh God, Kacchan and I had sex last night!!! Izuku's eyes flew open wide as he held himself rigidly still, so as not to wake the boy slowly sleep-humping him. Did we fall asleep together? But why would Kacchan have stayed? His bedroom is right through the bathroom; he could have just left! Wait, did I want him to just leave? No, that would feel...but then we said this wasn't anything, so it shouldn't feel like...unless he feels? No, this is Kacchan. Maybe he was just too tired to get to his own bed? I don't even remember falling asleep, maybe he just fell asleep too...

"Oi, nerd." Izuku hadn't even realized that the gentle rocking had stopped. "You sleep muttering? Knock it the hell off."

"S-sorry, Kacchan." Izuku was immensely grateful that he at least had fallen asleep facing away from Kacchan so the other boy couldn't see him blush.

The blanket pulled around him as Kacchan yawned and stretched. Izuku stayed hunkered down. Maybe if Kacchan got up first, they could both pretend the night before had never happened, just as they'd said they would.

"Hey." The warmth at Izuku's back returned, as did a hand on his waist. He felt Kacchan's warm breath on the back of his neck. "Wanna go again?"

Izuku's first response was a squeak, probably only audible to dogs. Kacchan's warm hand was rubbing his hip, then sliding over the taut planes of his stomach. Izuku shivered as the hand quested downwards. Even without checking it out himself, he knew he was already hard, just as Kacchan was at his back.

"I thought--" Izuku was still squeaking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I thought we were just...I thought last night...was going to be it?"

The hand on his stomach stopped its ministrations. Kacchan was silent and still, both signs that usually preempted an explosion of violence from the other boy. Izuku mentally prepared himself as a hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him over onto his back. In an instant, Kacchan was hovering above him, hands on either side of Izuku's head, the other boy's legs straddling his hips.

Kacchan stared down through narrow, crimson slits, studying the boy beneath him. "Was that all you wanted? Just a fuckin' one-night-stand?"

"I thought we said--" Izuku cut himself off, swallowing hard. Kacchan looked beautiful, with morning sunlight streaming through his sex and sleep mussed hair. The shadows deepened the muscles of his arms, chest and shoulders. Even the creases from the pillow on his face somehow made him look beautiful, maybe just a touch soft. "Kacchan, I didn't want you to think that...I expected anything from you after...what we did last night."

"Tch." Kacchan's eyes left Izuku's to stare at something on his shoulder. "I'm not fuckin' asking to get married. I'm asking if you want to keep fucking."

Izuku shivered and looked away sharply. "Just...just this one more time, or...did you mean for the week?"

"You're gonna be here for the week, right?" Izuku felt the shrug through the bounce of the mattress. "I don't see a good reason to stop. I mean, it definitely didn't suck."

No, it didn't suck. Although, if Izuku was being honest, he was in more than enough pain to forestall a second attempt at the moment. He shifted between Kacchan's arms, trying to figure out exactly how much pain he was in. Yep, moving hurt. Sex was likely off the table, at least for right now.

Izuku gasped as cool fingers brushed the side of his neck, sending a sting of pain sharper than the soft touch should have been capable of.

"Hurts?" Kacchan asked.

"Yeah," Izuku whimpered, suddenly remembering Kacchan's Quirk activating by accident the previous night. Throbbing pain reminiscent of a sunburn bloomed on both his right shoulder and left leg. It wasn't as intense as the pain in his ass, but it was insistent and irritating.

"Fuck." Kacchan muttered, pulling his hand back. He grimaced, apparently thinking. "I'll put more aloe on it. We don't have to--"

Izuku surprised himself by catching Kacchan's wrist as the other boy started to pull away. Green eyes locked with crimson for a breathless moment. "It--it hurts but...it's okay. For right now."

Something like hesitation passed over Kacchan's features, but then he was leaning back in, covering Izuku's body with his own once more. "So you want to?"

"Um, yeah, I think--" Izuku took a sharp breath as one of Kacchan's hands quested down his side to his hip. "Wait! But, maybe, can we try something a little different?"

Kacchan's eyes narrowed again but Izuku was already taking the lead. He felt too sore to let Kacchan penetrate him, but there had been something he'd wanted to try the night before--hadn't really known he'd wanted until it had happened almost by accident. Reaching between the two of them, Izuku slipped his fingers between Kacchan's flat, toned stomach and his thick, morning hard-on. He began stroking it slowly, feeling a small thrill at touching a cock that wasn't his own. It wasn't quite as thick as Izuku's, but he could tell by the stroke that there was more length than he was used to. Once he felt more comfortable with his grip, he arched his back, bringing his own morning hard-on flush against Kacchan's.

Kacchan inhaled sharply, placing both his hands on the mattress to hold his weight. He lowered himself to his elbows, making it easier for Izuku to stroke the two of them together. Izuku keened, his hips thrusting unconsciously as Kacchan buried his head in the crook of his neck--the side that wasn't marked with an angry, red palm print. He felt a tongue flick over his pulse just before teeth dug into the juncture of his shoulder and neck. Izuku cried out, hips thrusting upwards as his hand sped up between them.

The groan Kacchan breathed into Izuku's ear had his cock leaping in his own hand. He stopped for just a moment to smooth his palm over the head of Kacchan's cock, then over his own, using the copiously leaking pre-cum to coat his hand. Kacchan shivered against him as Izuku rolled his thumb over the slit before palming Kacchan's dick once more. His hand moved more easily now, picking up the pace as he worked both of them towards completion.

"Shit, fuck." Kacchan pushed himself up on his elbows, rutting shamelessly into Izuku's hand, grinding against the cock pressed flat against Izuku's stomach. His eyes looked more maroon than red, hazy in lust. He panted through red, wet lips that Izuku wished he could kiss without giving up the friction between them. For just a moment, Kacchan's eyes seemed to come into focus, but then he growled low in his chest, an animalistic sound Izuku felt more than heard.

Suddenly Kacchan's hand was on his shoulder and he was falling onto his side, tugging Izuku over to face him. Izuku gaped as Kacchan locked eyes with him, then licked a long swipe along his palm before reaching between them taking hold of Izuku's cock. Izuku lost control for a moment, keening as his thrusts lost their rhythm.

"Fuckin' breathe," Kacchan growled, his hand taking a commanding--if fast--pace. Izuku nodded, gulping down enough air to force himself to match Kacchan's pace. Izuku's arm had been over Kacchan's shoulders before, so now that they were on their sides Kacchan's head was resting on Izuku's bicep. They lay eye to eye, panting helplessly into each other's mouths as their hands worked furiously between them.

I'm going to come, Izuku suddenly realized. It wasn't really a realization, he'd known what was happening in the beginning when they started, but somehow coming while staring into Kacchan's eyes with Kacchan's cock flush against his was so startlingly erotic that he thought he might come to the visual alone.

Kacchan gave a stuttered groan, his eyes falling shut as his head tipped forward, forehead resting against the bridge of Izuku's nose. The noise was enough to send Izuku spilling over the edge, streamers of cum coating his stomach and chest. Obscenely, he could feel the pulsing of Kacchan's cock in his hand as the other boy went off, hot liquid coating his fingers.

Kacchan groaned loudly before shifting to lie back on the bed, limbs spreading wide, chest heaving with the effort of breathing. He let the hand covered in Izuku's cum hang over the edge of the bed as he splayed out, his head still resting on Izuku's arm. Izuku rolled onto his back, his messy hand resting on his abdomen, sweat and semen cooling on his skin. Curiously, Izuku found his head emptier than usual; he should be freaking out, obsessing, panicking about what he and Kacchan were doing. Instead, he felt strangely calm, as if he were floating, weightless and free of concern.

Idly, he stared down at the sticky mess of his hand. He was acutely aware that the semen coating it was mostly Kacchan's, even if a little of it was his own. It still felt warm on his skin, a bit heavy with a viscous texture.

What does it taste like? Izuku found himself wondering. Like any healthy teenager, he'd watched porn and he understood the process of a blowjob, but he'd always wondered about the taste...

Almost lazily, he raised his hand to his lips and gave his finger a tentative lick.

Not like much, Izuku decided. A little salty, a little tangy, but overall the texture overrode the flavor.

"Fuuuuck," Kacchan drawled. Izuku nearly jumped; he'd thought Kacchan had fallen back to sleep. He rolled his head to the side now and realized Kacchan had been watching him. He expected a cruel taunt, or at least a jibe, but Kacchan merely looked stunned. "So we can...we can keep doing this, right?"

"Um." Izuku felt his stomach turn and he wasn't sure if was because of the way Kacchan was looking at him or if it was a result of too much activity so early in the morning. "I'm not saying no, Kacchan, but...what happens at the end of the week?"

Kacchan's tongue flicked out over his lips, then he swallowed. Then he shrugged. "The fuck, Deku? We don't have to fuckin' tell anyone. What do you want to happen?"

I want... I want...

No, he'd never say that out loud. Not after what happened the last time.

"We could just...go back to being us?" Izuku offered. "The way it was before?"

"Like this week never happened?" Kacchan asked, face strangely blank.

"Yeah." Izuku felt his cheeks flame. "I won't tell anyone. Promise."

Kacchan started to roll over, reaching as if to touch Izuku, but stopped as he remembered the mess on his hand. With a disgusted look and a groan, he turned around to sit on the edge of the bed. "Gotta wash up. This shit's gross."

"Probably have to wash the sheets, too," Izuku said, gingerly swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. There was a deep, burning ache inside him that intensified as he moved, so he took it slowly. For the first time since waking up, he saw the welt on his leg from Kacchan's Quirk. He blushed, imagining the kinds of rumors that would go flying if any of their classmates caught sight of it. He pushed himself to his feet, grimacing, as Kacchan rounded the corner of the bed.

"Where d'ya think you're going?" Kacchan asked, eyeing the stiffness of Izuku's motions. "You should stay put, maybe put more aloe on those burns."

"I really need to shower, Kacchan." It was too late to be embarrassed now. "There's a lot to wash up."

"Dipshit, it's the same for--Oh." Was that a tinge of red on Kacchan's cheeks? "Fine, take the shower first. Just make sure you take care of those burns after."

"Yeah." Izuku half-limped into the bathroom, stopping at the sink to at least wash his hands and give a cursory swipe over his chest and stomach with a washcloth. The mirror showed him the hand print on his shoulder for the first time, Kacchan's thumb lying perfectly across his collarbone. He made a face, realizing how difficult the burn would be to hide under any of his tank tops. Still, it wasn't Kacchan's fault; his own Quirk had gone off unexpectedly, too. It was like Kacchan had said, it was better to fuck up on each other than on someone...

Someone else.

The mirror revealed Izuku's blush just as he turned away for the shower. Stepping over the tub sent a rifle-shot of pain through his ass, making him bite his lip to keep from crying out. Afterwards, even the cold spray of the shower felt good by comparison. He leaned against the tiled wall, catching his breath and waiting for the water to warm up.

"Feelin' all right, Deku?"

Izuku jumped, nearly slipping. He hadn't even heard Kacchan come into the bathroom. Wait, had he even bothered to close the door behind him?

"It's fine, Kacchan."

"Does it hurt?"

"Well, yeah." Izuku's face felt hotter than the water. "It's not, like, bad, just like a pulled muscle."

"Heh." He could hear Kacchan's smirk through the shower curtain. "That just means you need to keep working on it, right?"

"After a recovery period and maybe some ice," Izuku muttered. The sudden slide of the shower rings had Izuku jumping again. "What are you--"

"It's my fuckin' shower, nerd. And I'm gross." Kacchan was stepping inside despite Izuku's half-uttered protests. "Just shut up and move, Deku."

They'd been naked together overnight and all morning. Why was it suddenly so weird to stand naked next to Kacchan in the shower? In fact, this should be the least weird thing for them; the showers in the dorms didn't even have curtains between them, so technically they had showered together before.

But not like this, Izuku thought as Kacchan reached past him for a bottle of shampoo. Kacchan closed his eyes to scrub his hair and Izuku took advantage of the opportunity to scrub between his ass cheeks with a soapy washcloth. He couldn't help but hiss in a bit of pain; the soap was harsh against the raw skin. By the time Kacchan was rinsing his hair, Izuku felt a good deal cleaner, if a bit more sore.

"What are you looking at, nerd?" Kacchan asked.

Izuku blinked, surprised to be caught staring. But he could stare now, couldn't he? Kacchan had climbed into the shower with him, after all. "You."

Kacchan smirked, all arrogance and self-assurance once again. "Gettin' kinda bold, aren't you, Deku?"

Izuku shrugged, trying a small smile. "If it's only for the week, I guess I can be. Eh, Kacchan?"

"Shit." Kacchan ran a hand through his wet hair, eyes flicking to the side as the hot water brought a flush to his cheeks. "The fuck do you want to do, then? You into some kinky shit or something?"

It was difficult to say he was "into" anything specific, seeing as how this was his first time with another person. The only thing he was certain he liked was keeping Kacchan looking unsure and off balance, like he was now. So in that moment--since he was only getting one week to ask for what he wanted--Izuku decided that yes, he would be bold. He stepped under the shower's spray, setting his palms on Kacchan's chest, tipping his chin up to meet Kacchan's eyes.

"There's something I'd like to do to you if you'll do it for me." Kacchan's eyes went wide as Izuku slowly licked his lips. "I like the way you taste."

"Shit, fuck, Deku!" Izuku reveled the tremor that rocked Kacchan's body. He could feel the rapid rise and fall of Kacchan's chest beneath his hands, the gentle twitch of Kacchan's half-hard cock between them. "I mean, fuckin' yeah. You can--if you want, I'll do that, too."

"Can I?" Izuku pushed back enough to look down their bodies. "Doesn't seem like you're that into it."

"That's because I only came like five seconds ago," Kacchan growled. "Finish fucking washing, I'll be good to go after that."

Izuku couldn't argue with that; despite the water, he still felt a layer of grime on his skin and he hadn't yet washed his hair. He picked up a bottle and shook it as Kacchan began lathering up with soap specific to his nitroglycerin-coated skin. Izuku would have preferred to watch the water wash the suds from Kacchan's body, but the shampoo in his hair had his eyes falling shut by instinct. Just as he'd worked the shampoo through his sodden curls, rough fingers caught his chin and tipped his face up. He only had time for a short cry before lips crashed against his, a body coming flush against his.

Izuku was kissing back, despite the soap and water running over his closed eyes. He dragged his hands down Kacchan's muscled back, enjoying the slick-slide of the soap. He rolled his hips against Kacchan's, swallowing the gasp that followed. Kacchan's hands started in his hair, working the shampoo in a bit more, then trailed down his arms, his stomach then finally soap-slick hands were working around the base of his dick, the insides of his thighs, gently massaging his balls.

"K-Kacchan!" Izuku gasped, coughing on water and shampoo.

"Making sure you wash properly," Kacchan muttered against his mouth, the taste of a grin on his mouth. Izuku moaned, clutching at Kacchan's arms as calloused hands began tugging at his length, drawing his interest all the way up. Suddenly he was pulled forward against Kacchan's broad chest and turned around, nearly stumbling, to stand beneath the full spray of the shower head. The hands were in his hair again, scrubbing the shampoo from his hair. Izuku tipped his head back, letting the spray take the soap from his eyes.

"You finished?" Kacchan asked, voice rough.

"I need conditioner or my hair will knot," Izuku explained, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hands.

Kacchan grumbled a curse and grabbed Izuku's bottle of conditioner, pushing it into the moss-haired boy's chest. Izuku smiled devilishly and pushed it back. "You do it, Kacchan."

"I'm not your fucking stylist."

"No? I tip well." Izuku slipped one hand around Kacchan's freshly engorged length, tugging gently to illustrate his point.

"Fuck," Kacchan cursed, eyes rolling back at the touch. "Turn around, then."

"No," Izuku singsonged. "I have a better idea." Before Kacchan could up with an appropriately vulgar swear word, Izuku dropped to his knees, hands on Kacchan's hips. "Be thorough, Kacchan."

"Fuck!" Kacchan squeezed a dollop of conditioner into his hand and simply dropped the bottle behind him, not wasting the time it would take to put it on a shelf. Just as Izuku felt the hands in his hair, he leaned forward and nuzzled the juncture between Kacchan's thigh and groin. Ignoring the muttered curses above him and the massaging fingers in his hair, Izuku licked a trail along the crevice, taking his time to appreciate the wispy curls that almost appeared transparent. His own pubic hair was darker and thicker than the hair on his head; it seemed unfair that Kacchan's hair should be even finer here than it was elsewhere. Experimentally, he flattened his tongue against Kacchan's balls, tasting only clean water and the barest hint of soap.

Kacchan shuddered and swore, his hands leaving Izuku's hair to hold himself up against the shower wall.

Izuku leaned back and clicked his tongue, admonishing. "You'll never get the tip like that, Kacchan."

"I'm gonna fuckin' give you the tip," Kacchan snarled, but apparently it's impossible to look intimidating when someone literally has you by the balls. With a shaking breath, Kacchan straightened and continued running his fingers through Izuku's slippery curls.

Having never given head before, Izuku wasn't entirely sure how to start, but then again, was there really a wrong way? He decided the base was a good place to start as any and licked a straight line up the underside of Kacchan's cock. Drawing himself up on his knees, he gripped the cock at its base and ran the tip of his tongue along the slit, barely tasting anything as the water continued to patter down around him. He traced the ridge along the angry, red head, then chanced a glance upwards as he felt the hands in his hair fall still.

"Shit, Izuku." The only way to describe the look on Kacchan's face was "lustful." "Please, just--fuckin' please!"

Keeping his eyes up, he slowly took the crown into his mouth, tongue swiping over the slit experimentally. Kacchan groaned, eyes squeezing shut as the fingers twisted in his hair. Something about watching Kacchan fall apart was wildly satisfying and deliciously erotic. Izuku took a bit more into his mouth, running his tongue along the length he could reach. Kacchan whimpered, hands twisting in Izuku's curls, his task forgotten in his need. Surprisingly, he didn't apply any pressure on Izuku's head to make him move faster. Izuku was both relieved and a bit disappointed. He'd expected to make Kacchan lose more control than this. And in any case, he was strong enough to keep Kacchan from really hurting him if he became overly forceful.

Izuku took in as much of Kacchan's length as he could comfortably, then began to move his mouth and hand in tandem, not quickly but with a good amount of pressure. This was his first time and the last thing he wanted to do was hit his gag reflex and vomit; no matter their agreement to stop after the week was out, Kacchan would never let him forget such a thing if it happened. Slowly, he picked up speed, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked and periodically swiping his tongue around the engorged head.

Kacchan leaned back against the wall, head thrown back as he panted in the spray of the shower, hands picking up Izuku's rhythm. He didn't try to force Izuku down, but he did manage to increase the pace by thrusting his hips unconsciously. A few times Izuku slipped, taking a bit more than he intended, nearly choking on the length. His jaw was beginning to ache by the time Kacchan's thighs began to tremble.

"Izuku, I'm--Shit, I'm--!" One hand came free of Izuku's hair to brace itself against the wall. The other twisted painfully in Izuku's hair, holding on in some indecisive motion of either holding him down or pushing him away. It was all the warning Izuku got as the shaft pulsed along his tongue and hot cum was shooting into his mouth.

He had intended to swallow. Really, he had. But he'd been in the middle of thrusting in towards Kacchan and the sudden torrent hit his gag reflex like it was a bulls' eye. He reeled back against the edge of the tub, spitting and coughing, trying wildly not to vomit. Tears pricked the backs of his eyes as he scrubbed at his mouth, shaking slightly. Beside him, Kacchan slid down the wall to slump bonelessly in the tub, his eyes glazed, his mouth open in an "O" of wonder.

Izuku cupped a hand beneath the cooling spray of the shower, collecting a palmful of water to rinse out his mouth. After spitting again, he looked over at Kacchan, ashamed he'd messed up his first blowjob. "Kacchan?"

The only response was a grunt. Then a hand ran over his face. A blink. Crimson eyes seemed to come into focus. "Shit." He searched Izuku's face for a moment, then said again: "Shit."

"Was it...bad?" Izuku asked, scared to hear the answer.

Kacchan stared at him for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "That was...fuck, so far that was even better than sex."

"Really?" Kacchan wasn't just being nice, right? He wouldn't just say something like that, would he? Izuku watched in dumb silence as Kacchan reached past him to turn off the water.

"Get out, nerd."

"Oh, um. Why?"

"Because." Kacchan still looked bone-tired, but his grin was wicked, lit with blood-colored eyes. "Now it's my turn."

"Your--Oh!" Kacchan stood, grabbed a towel and dropped it over Izuku's head. As Izuku climbed to his feet (now his knees were a little sore in addition to his burns and his backside) and scrubbed the towel over his head, Kacchan toweled off quickly before knotting a towel around his waist. When Izuku started to do the same, Kacchan yanked the towel from his grip.

"You don't need that." The look in Kacchan's eyes was dark, thrilling and sexual.

"But I'm still wet," Izuku pointed out.

With a sigh that sounded more like a growl, Kacchan tossed the towel over Izuku's head once more, scrubbed violently at his hair, then took his wrist to lead him back to the guest room.

"Ugh, but the sheets--"

"Stop overthinking, nerd." Kacchan turned Izuku around and gave him a light shove so that he sat on the edge of the mattress, looking up at Kacchan.

"How do you want to--"

"Fuck, do you ever stop talking?" Kacchan leaned in quickly, his teeth catching Izuku's lower lip with a sharp bite before he soothed it with his tongue. They kissed with heat and teeth and tongues, and it felt wonderful, but Izuku felt a niggle of doubt in the pit of his stomach. Did Kacchan just want him quiet so he could pretend he was with someone else? Was this really so impersonal that Kacchan didn't want to hear him speak?

But then rational thought fled as Kacchan began kissing his way down Izuku's neck, nails scraping his sides, the rumbling growl of his chest sending shivers of pleasure down Izuku's spine. Kacchan set one knee on the bed, snuck a hand beneath Izuku's thigh, then lifted and tossed him bodily onto the mattress. Izuku cried out in surprise and delight, bouncing once before Kacchan covered him with his body. His back arched as Kacchan's hot tongue traced the muscles of his stomach, fingers digging into Kacchan's shoulders as he dipped lower and lower, shoving Izuku's knees apart to settle in between them. Izuku pushed himself up on his elbows to see just as Kacchan sent a fiery glare up at him. A low moan escaped Izuku's mouth at the sight of Kacchan licking his lips, inches from Izuku's straining cock.

"You like that, heh?" Kacchan teased, easing his shoulder beneath one of Izuku's knees to prop it up. "Bet you'd like me to suck on it, wouldn't you?"

"Uh huh." The ability to use words seemed to have fled Izuku's skillset.

"Yeah?" Kacchan's smile looked fit for the devil's own face. "Problem is, nerd, I remember quite a bit of teasing before you got down to business, so..." Maintaining eye contact, Kacchan turned his head just slightly, licking the underside of the knee propped over his shoulder.

"N-No," Izuku moaned, his head falling back.

"Suck it up, nerd." A bite on Izuku's thigh had his back arching off the bed. "That is, if you want me to suck it up."

Izuku whimpered as kisses trailed up his thigh, skipped over his straining need, only to pepper down the other side. Kacchan shifted the other knee, slipping it over his shoulder like the first one. The kisses were coming back up and Izuku was just about ready to beg Kacchan to just get to it, when Kacchan pulled back, dragging Izuku up and forward by his legs. Before he could ask what was going on, he felt hands on his ass cheeks, spreading them wide.

"K-Kacchan!" Izuku yelped, attempting to pull back. A hand caught his hips, holding him still. "Kacchan, don't--!"

"What? You just showered, didn't you?"

Izuku felt helpless and exposed as warm breath fluttered against his opening. "K-Kacchan--" He keened and arched at the warm, wet swipe of a tongue. "Kacch--Katsuki, please, please stop!"

"Stop?" Kacchan leaned back, let one of Izuku's legs slip to his elbow so he could see him better. "Like, really stop?"

"P-Please," Izuku begged, still shivering. It had felt good, really but at the same time... "I'm still really sore there from last night. I-I like it and I want to...just not now."

"Tch. Fine." Kacchan lowered Izuku's legs back to the bed, then rubbed the back of his neck while staring off to the side. "Kind of a mood-killer, though."

"Sorry." Izuku felt his face flush. "If you want, we can--"

"You're too fuckin' nice, you know that?" Kacchan smirked, his confidence seeming to return all at once. "You'd really just let me stop, wouldn't you?"

"If you wanted to." Izuku was still blushing. "I'd--I'd never ask you to do anything you didn't want to."

"And how do you know what I want to do?" Kacchan asked, an eyebrow cocked as he lowered himself back to the bed. "It's not like you've asked me or anything."

"Should I-I--" Izuku stuttered out as Kacchan scraped his nails down Izuku's ribs and lowered his lips to place a kiss on Izuku's hip.

"Not now, stupid Deku," Kacchan said, blowing lightly over the kiss to send a shiver up Izuku's spine. "I'm not doing anything I don't want to."

Mm, that actually sounded nice. Rough fingertips traced a pattern on his abs before following the trail of hair from his navel to his crotch, ghosting over his balls and teasing his aching shaft as the kisses along his hips continued. Izuku let his eyes fall closed, sinking into the sensations. He gasped as the tip of Kacchan's tongue traced a vein on the underside of his dick, hands fisting in the sheets as he resisted thrusting upwards with his hips.

The licks were tentative at first, teasing, tasting, probing. Izuku cried out at the first broad swipe along his head, his hips rising off the bed against his will. A firm hand gripped his hip and pressed it down firmly before the tongue swept around the ridge of his glans. Izuku whimpered and twisted the sheets uselessly. He ached for Kacchan to touch him, to grip him, to feel his mouth around him. Was Kacchan still just teasing? Or was he having second thoughts?

Just as Izuku was resolving to ask Kacchan--once again--if this was okay, he felt the bed shift as Kacchan changed his position so he could wrap a hand around the base of Izuku's cock. There was a teasing flutter of lips around his head, a questing tongue, and then it retracted.

Izuku whined sharply, a high-pitched tone he hadn't known he could make.

"Shit, just calm down, will you?"

"B-but--"

"You wanna come or not?"

Izuku bit his lip and turned his face away. He heard a mutter that sounded something like "good boy" as the hand around his cock gave a gentle squeeze. Lips around his cock once more. His hips tried to jump, but the hand on his hip held him pinned. Izuku felt the press of a tongue against the sensitive cleft of his head, then gasped as heat and pressure slowly surrounded him, engulfed him. He kept his body still, but his hands scrabbled and grasped at the sheets, his head rolling back and forth and he succumbed to the pleasure. Was this anything like what sex felt like? If it was, how did anyone ever get anything else done in life?

Suddenly Kacchan lifted off, cursing and swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. Izuku hissed as cold air met his wet cock. He blinked, focusing on Kacchan hovering above him.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just...you're fuckin' thick, Deku."

"Oh, um, sorry?" His ears flamed at the compliment-that-wasn't-a-compliment. "We could always do something different?"

"Just, shut up, okay?"

"Okay."

Kacchan lowered himself again, hand pinning Izuku's hip to the bed once more. Instead of gripping Izuku's shaft with his whole hand, he held it upright and took broad swipes with his tongue, making Izuku yelp and moan each time. After a minute or two of this, he took it firmly in hand and once again lowered his mouth over the head of Izuku's cock. Already saliva-wet, his lips slid down further, taking in more and more of Izuku's cock.

"A-ah! Fuck--Kacchan!" Izuku thrashed, his hips trying to buck. He thought he felt the sheets pop off the corner of the bed as he tugged at them.

Inexorably slowly, Kacchan began to move, his hand and his mouth gliding up and down Izuku's cock. It was too slow; Izuku moaned, whined, cried, begged. He even drooled a little, as if he'd lost all control over his body. In fact--yes, his Quirk was active. He could feel it in the currents of electricity racing through his body, the hum of his muscles and rapid beat of his heart.

Have to stop using One-for-All, Izuku thought, his thoughts disjointed, jumbling and confused. Have to...turn it off...somehow.

But Kacchan had begun twisting his wrist as it rose and fell, his tongue teasing at Izuku's slit only to dance away and tease elsewhere before coming back at random intervals. Every time he tried to concentrate on releasing his full cowl, Kacchan distracted him in some new, wonderful way. At some point, his hand came off the sheets and gripped Kacchan's shoulder as if holding on for dear life. Pressure was building inside him, stirring his thoughts to senselessness. He felt a wave rising like a tsunami, climbing, soaring impossibly high, until--

Kacchan tried to warn me earlier, Izuku thought, grasping at that coherent thought to stave off the oncoming orgasm. I have to tell him. Have to warn--

His throat was dry from gasping and moaning, he couldn't summon the will to form words. The last thing he wanted was for Kacchan to stop, but he also didn't want to come without a warning. As the wave finally crested, beginning to crash downward, Izuku dug his fingers into Kacchan's shoulder and shoved, pushing the blond away just as he came, hard and pulsing, white jets streaking across the already-soiled bedsheets.

"Fuck, nerd." Kacchan watched in morbid fascination as Izuku practically convulsed with the force of his orgasm. When he finally stopped, he had to swallow hard, trying to catch his breath and wet his throat so he could speak. Everything seemed so hazy, almost dreamlike, so he didn't think to protest when Kacchan's head ducked out of sight. He screamed, though, when a tongue swept across the over-sensitized head of his cock. Kacchan sat up again, licking his lips before he swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked pensive as Izuku caught his breath. "Were you using your Quirk?"

"No. I mean, yeah, it just--it just turned on." Izuku was still working on rational thought and putting it into words. "I didn't mean to. I was trying to stop it, but..." He stopped, taking a moment to catch his breath. His brows furrowed as a question occurred to him. "Can you tell when I activate my Quirk?"

"Not really." Kacchan tilted his head to the side as if considering the question. "Just sometimes, there's like a...like a pressure in my ears or somethin.' That, and I think you fucking bruised me."

"Oh." Perhaps that made sense. That was something for not-blissed-out Izuku to contemplate. Right now, all he wanted to do was splay out on the bed and think about all the favors he would be willing to trade for just one more blowjob like that one. "Sorry, Kacchan."

"Tch. Gonna fuck around in bed all day, Deku?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Tch." But there was a hint of laughter behind it. "I'm gonna make breakfast."

"Oh. Okay." A weight lifted off the mattress and footsteps padded through the bathroom that connected their two bedrooms. In trying to keep with his blissed-out feeling, Izuku stared up at the ceiling, wondering about inane things like how it might feel to have a flight Quirk or how potent a sexual Quirk might be in battle. Just as he beginning to wonder about sex while flying (yes, his thoughts did take a weird turn) the sounds of eggs cracking and hot oil sizzling in a pain roused him from semi-consciousness. He grimaced at the mess he'd made in the sheets, then used those same sheets to scrub the newest mess from his body. He finished cleaning with a damp cloth in the bathroom, dressed, and bundled the sheets, blankets and pillow cases into a laundry bag. Izuku bypassed the kitchen in order to toss the bedclothes into the washer and set the machine to a heavy-duty wash. Only afterwards did he follow his nose to the kitchen.

"What are you making?" Izuku asked, leaning over the counter.

"Omelets," came the short answer. Kacchan slipped a spatula beneath the sizzling mass, folded it, then flipped it before turning to something waiting in a blender. After a whir of blades and noise, he took the implement off the mixer-cup and handed it over to Izuku.

"What's this?"

"Protein shake, dumbass. What's it look like?" Kacchan went back to his eggs, but not before Izuku noticed the flash of red across his cheeks. He hid his grin behind the protein shake. By far, this was already his favorite breakfast at Kacchan's this week. Usually he just grabbed a shake and a breakfast bar on his way out the door for his morning run, hoping not to bump into his surly housemate. And now Kacchan was making his protein shake alongside his own, with a serving of omelets and--were those sausages? Izuku felt his mouth watering.

"They're, like, chicken sausages or some shit," Kacchan said by way of explanation as he dropped the sausages in the hot pan. "And the omelets are egg whites only. Obviously."

Izuku had noticed the color of the omelets, as well as the freshly diced tomatoes and peppers mixed in, but he'd known better than to ask questions. Instead, he beamed, arms stretching over the counter, toes curling beneath him. "I'll eat whatever Kacchan makes me."

Kacchan's turned away, but his red ears gave him away. "Shut the fuck up, shitty nerd, or I'll serve you a shit-sandwich."

Izuku laughed, laying his head on his arm as he watched Kacchan cook. "You never cook at the dorms."

"Kitchen is shit," Kacchan muttered, focused on turning the sausages. "And too many fuckin' people always staring and asking for a bite, like I'm cooking for the whole goddamn dorm." He swung a spatula at Izuku as if it were a sword. "You're cleaning this up, nerd."

"Right!" Izuku agreed cheerfully.

"Tch." Kacchan slid the omelets onto separate plates then portioned out the sausages. He slid a plate in front of Izuku and set his own plate on the counter across from him.

"Mmm, this is great!" Izuku hadn't realized Kacchan had added some cheese to the omelet. It was stringy and fresh and wonderful--far better than anything he could have made on his own.

"It's just eggs, nerd." Kacchan sounded subdued, almost pensive as he ate. He gestured with a sausage. "You can't wear that shirt outside."

"What? Why?" Izuku looked down at his shirt, worried he'd dropped food on it and stained it. It was just a simple tank top, perfect for running or working out. "What's wrong with it?"

Instead of answering, Kacchan picked up his phone and snapped a quick photo, stunning Izuku who was still holding a bit of sausage on a fork. Kacchan turned the phone around to show Izuku what he meant.

There, stark as daylight, on Izuku's shoulder was the perfect burned-in shape of Kacchan's hand beneath the sleeve of his tank top.

"Oh, I hope that fades before we start school again," Izuku muttered, trying to adjust the tank top sleeve while staring at the photo. When he glanced down at the welt on his leg, he saw that the length of his shorts just missed hiding it. Kacchan took his phone back as Izuku shrugged and ate the sausage on his fork. He'd gotten burns from Kacchan before; he could hide these until they faded.

"The aloe should help. Might have some actual burn cream, too," Kacchan suggested, mostly to his plate of food.

"That'd be great. Thanks, Kacchan!" Izuku smiled as he scooped up another bite of his omelet.

Kacchan looked up, his expression somewhere between bemused and skeptical. "You acting this cheerful because of a blowjob or is there some other reason?"

"What?" Izuku coughed on his mouthful of egg. "I'm always cheerful, Kacchan."

"Not lately." The crimson eyes continued to study Izuku's face. "Ever since my old lady asked you to stay with me this week, you've been acting like you got a fucking A minus on a final exam."

"Oh." Izuku's gaze slid off to the side. "Sorry, Kacchan. But you know, you and I haven't exactly been...on great terms lately. I mean, it's been a bit better but we still haven't been...friends."

Kacchan looked down at his plate, slicing off a piece of sausage with more force than strictly necessary. "So, what? Was I, like, the last person you wanted to spend the school break with? Were you planning on seeing Round Face or Shitty Glasses or someone?"

Izuku's cheeks colored. "I was looking forward to seeing my mom, really. But, yeah, I was going to see Uraraka-san and some of our classmates. Did you hear Ashido-san is throwing a beach bonfire party on the last day of vacation?"

Kacchan snorted. "Yeah, I fuckin' heard. She wants me to bring the booze."

"Oh." Izuku chased a sausage around his plate. "Are you going?"

"Shit no!" Kacchan's explosive response made Izuku jump. "I almost got fucking expelled for the last shitty party I let her throw. Those fucking pictures."

"Well, I guess some good came of that party," Izuku said, beaming as he scraped up the last bite of his omelet.

"Oh, yeah?" Kacchan eyed him warily. "What's that, nerd?"

"If you hadn't thrown that party, then I wouldn't be here this week." Izku beamed across the counter at Kacchan, who snorted on a laugh.

"Fucking Deku." Kacchan turned and dropped his plate into the sink with a crash. "You going running today?"

"Um." Izuku gauged his pain by walking around the counter with his plate. "No."

"Wanna hit the gym?"

"...No."

"Fuck, then. What do you want to do?"

Kacchan was going to let him choose what they did today? The day just kept looking brighter and brighter. If only his ass would stop hurting. "I have some lesson notes from last year's graduating class that I wanted to read through. Just to get a feel for next year's classes." Izuku ran the water in the kitchen sink, wetting down the breakfast implements before soaping a sponge. "That sounds a little boring though, so maybe we could work on the Pro Hero Music Video later?" He began washing the dishes. "Unless you'd rather run or work out, Kacchan, that's perfectly--Eep!"

"Did you seriously just say 'Eep?'"

"Did you seriously just pull my sleeve off and start rubbing lotion on my shoulder?"

"It's not fucking lotion, dipshit, it's aloe. And I don't fucking care what we do today."

Izuku ducked his head to hide his smile. Kacchan had said "we!" "At the very least, we have to finish washing my bedsheets."

"Why?" Kacchan leaned forward, his breath hot in Izuku's ear. "So we can get them dirty again?"

Izuku gasped and shivered, a soapy plate slipping from his grasp.

"Careful, nerd. The old lady likes these ugly-ass dishes for some reason." Kacchan squeezed more aloe into his palm and stooped slightly to rub into the burn on Izuku's leg.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be so distracting," Izuku accused, checking the plate for any damage. He very nearly dropped it a second time as Kacchan's hand worked its way up his shorts. "Kacchan!"

"What?" Izuku could hear the shit-eating grin on Kacchan's face. "Oh, and I guess I lied a little just now." Izuku shivered as an arm wrapped around his waist, warm hand sliding over his stomach, fingertips dipping beneath his waistband. "There are a few things I'd like to do today."

Izuku raised a clean plate from the sink and shook it, sending water droplets flying and wringing a string of vulgar curses from Kacchan.

"Shitty nerd, what the fuck--"

"If you want to start ticking those items off your list," Izuku countered, smirking as he thrust the wet plate at Kacchan, "then help me by drying the dishes."

At first Kacchan looked ready to commit a very messy murder. Then, a smile stretched across his face. It didn't make him look any less dangerous; if anything, it enhanced the murdery vibe he was giving off. "Fuck, Deku. When'd you get so fucking smart-mouthed?"

"I've always had a smart mouth." Izuku smiled slyly. "You're only just getting a taste of it now."

Kacchan cursed as he threw a plate into a cabinet with such a crash, Izuku wasn't sure if it was still in one piece or not by the door the cabinet door slammed shut. "I'm gonna wipe that smile off your face, Deku."

Izuku smirked. "I'm looking forward to it."

They spent the day, quite literally, fucking around. What started as a study session on the floor of the den turned into a rolling, gasping, touch-everything-you-can-reach make out session, ending in an exchange of handjobs. After cleaning up after that, they watched a few more Pro Hero music videos and made an effort towards working on their video, but that just devolved into another make out session. It might have continued past that, but Izuku's bedsheets had finished drying so they stopped to make the bed. And promptly ended up attempting a sixty-nine that ended with the both of them panting and on their sides. Izuku had managed to swallow most of Kacchan's load, but Kacchan had gagged, coughed and spat, earning a gentle chiding for messing up the fresh sheets. He responded with a vulgar suggestion that only made Izuku laugh.

Lunch was sandwiches and another protein shake (because Kacchan didn't drink anything other than protein shakes) eaten in the living room with the television on. The news was uninteresting, so Kacchan channel surfed until he found a midday biography show highlighting a retired Pro Hero. Izuku was feeling lazy and cuddly after a morning that had exhausted him more thoroughly than any of his usual workouts, so he curled up against Kacchan’s side, half expecting to be shoved away. Kacchan felt tense, but gradually relaxed, even going so far as to throw an arm over Izuku’s shoulders. Feeling contented, Izuku reached for one of Kacchan’s hands, only to have it yanked away.

“We holding fucking hands now?” Kacchan demanded to know, looking almost scandalized.

“No.” Izuku’s face burned. They could give each other blowjobs, but they couldn’t hold hands? “I remember your Quirk-therapist saying that you should have your hands massaged daily, in order to keep your muscles and tendons from getting damaged by your Quirk.”

“How the fuck do you remember that?” Kacchan asked, surprised and a little wary.

Izuku shrugged. “I just do. I remember how she showed you to do it, too. Can I?”

Cautiously, as if setting his hand on a hot burner, Kacchan reached out to Izuku. Izuku took his palm between his hands and began kneading at the muscles, flexing the back of his hand and rolling his wrist in gentle, soothing motions. Kacchan remained curiously on edge as Izuku worked, relaxing only when Izuku’s hand climbed his arm to his elbow, the other hand linking their fingers so he could shake out the tendon that ran the length of Kacchan’s forearm.

“Shit, I forgot half of that,” Kacchan admitted as Izuku moved to pick up his other hand.

“You really should be doing this for yourself every day, Kacchan,” Izuku chided, intent on his work. “Your Quirk puts a lot of strain on your hands and wrists and the bones there are delicate. Your therapist said the massages break up calcium deposits and reduce swelling and increase overall flexibility, so the chance for injury is lower.”

“I get massages sometimes,” Kacchan retorted. “And I use the hot tub here and the sauna at the school.”

“That’s not the same. Although, massaging your hands in the sauna is probably a good idea.” Izuku considered for a moment. “Also using a specialized lotion would help, I’m sure.”

Kacchan watched Izuku finish the hand massage, a quizzical look on his face. “Got any Quirk-therapy recommendations for yourself?”

Izuku shrugged, letting Kacchan’s hand fall in his lap as he snuggled closer, feeling tired all of a sudden. “Not really. It’s a strength Quirk, mostly, so just regular muscle conditioning and recovery. I schedule full body massages at the school. That’s really it.”

Kacchan turned to stare straight ahead at the TV, but Izuku got the impression he wasn’t watching it. “You should let me look at your conditioning routine sometime. I’ve done a lot of research on weightlifting and stuff.”

Izuku yawned. “Whatever you want, Kacchan.”

Izuku laid his head against Kacchan's shoulder and dozed. He awoke with Kacchan's arm around him, the TV playing so softly it might as well have been muted.

"You awake?" Kacchan asked, turning the TV off as Izuku stretched.

"Yeah, sorry." He groped about until he found his phone and checked the time: just after two in the afternoon. "Wow, I didn't think I was that tired. You could have gone to go work out or something, Kacchan. You didn't have to wait for me."

"Whatever." Kacchan shrugged. He watched Izuku for a moment, then gripped his shoulder, turning him so they were face to face. Kacchan pinned Izuku back against the arm of the couch, his eyes intense and open even as they kissed, hot and slow. His eyes were like smoldering embers of burning wreckage when he finally pulled back. His voice was low and rough as he asked: "Can I fuck you again?"

"Um!" Izuku felt his face light up at the directness of the request. He squirmed, but only partially out of discomfort. "Maybe? I think...it's okay. Just, go slowly?"

Kacchan's slow, menacing smile sent a shiver down Izuku's spine, making his cock twitch in interest. "Yeah. I'm gonna take my time this time."

As if to prove his point, Kacchan leaned in for another kiss, but this time it was long and slow, hands playing beneath Izuku's shirt, tweaking his nipples, scratching his sides until Izuku was clinging helplessly to Kacchan's shoulders, his hips bucking in shallow, aborted efforts. He cried out in loss as Kacchan pulled away from him to stand up.

"What, you thought we were gonna do it here?" Kacchan smirked as he pulled Izuku to his feet. "My mom would fucking light me on fire if we got stains on this couch."

"Oh," Izuku said dumbly, following Kacchan back to the guest room. He set his phone on the bedside table, next to the bottle of lube, and suddenly felt self-conscious. After everything they'd already done in the last twenty-four hours--Wow, it technically hadn't even been that long yet!--Izuku knew, rationally, he should be feeling anything other than nervous, but as Kacchan stripped out of his shirt, he saw a row of four coin-sized bruises on Kacchan's shoulder.

"Oh!" He cried out so suddenly that Kacchan spun, wild-eyed, palm out, as if expecting to see a Villain in the room with them. "Your shoulder! I didn't mean to--I'm sorry, Kacchan."

"Are you shitting me right now?" Kacchan rolled his eyes as he loosened the drawstring on his gym shorts. They didn't fall to the ground, but hung lewdly about his hips. "I fucking branded you last night. Twice. I'm not worried about some shitty little bruises."

"Still, though." Izuku rubbed his neck and grimaced as he touched the burn mark left by Kacchan's hand. "Maybe we should...I don't know, it's like--"

"Oi, nerd." Izuku jumped; when had Kacchan moved to stand right in front of him? "You start muttering and overthinking right now, I'm going to put a pillow over your face when I fuck you."

"O-oh!" Izuku's eyes went wide, his dick definitely firming up with interest.

Kacchan smirked. "You into dirty talk? Or you just like it a little rough?"

"I-I don't know, Kacchan." He swallowed, meeting Kacchan's gaze steadily. "Isn't that what we're practicing to find out?"

Kacchan shuddered, breath escaping in a rush. "Shit, nerd. Clothes. Off."

It felt like Izuku's libido had simply been waiting for that command in order to take control of his body's actions. His shirt came off in a rush, just in time to meet the crash of Kacchan's lips. Hands--both his own and Kacchan's--were at the waistband of his shorts, tripping over each other as they sought to shove them down. Kacchan must have already stepped out of his shorts because as Izuku's fell, he felt the hot, firm flesh of Kacchan's erection against his hip. He gasped, hands grabbing for purchase, nails scratching at Kacchan's back.

Kacchan growled low in his chest. His hands on Izuku's hips, he lifted and pushed, tossing Izuku onto the bed, quickly climbing after him. Izuku just about screamed, laughing as he landed. He caught Kacchan's face between his hands as the blond climbed his body, kissing him thoroughly, thrusting his tongue in and out suggestively. He arched up with a groan as Kacchan pressed their hips together, trapping their erections between their bodies. Izuku tried to buck into Kacchan before his chin was grabbed by a calloused hand and kissed roughly until he was panting and keening.

"Please, Kacchan." Izuku knew what he was asking for this time and even if his mind was still on the fence about all of this, his body was more than willing.

"Fuck." Kacchan pushed back, leaned away to grab the lube, knocking Izuku's phone onto the floor. He almost looked like he was shaking as he squeezed a dollop of lube into his hand and propping Izuku's knee over his shoulder. "You ready?"

Izuku nodded, his throat dry, his breath coming in irregular pants. He bit his lip as Kacchan pressed his fingers to his entrance, circling the ring of muscle, surprisingly gentle considering their earlier kisses. Izuku let his head fall back, exposing his throat and closing his eyes. He took deeper breaths and willed his body into relaxing. The first finger slipped past the entrance, bringing a sting along with it. Izuku exhaled slowly, rolling his hips to try to draw Kacchan's probing digit further in.

A hissed curse and slowly the second finger slipped inside. Izuku drew a long, slow breath, then just as the fingers began to stretch, curl, push and pull, he let loose a slow, shaking exhale. Breathing seemed to be the key to keeping himself as relaxed as possible, although he stuttered as a third finger pushed its way inside. His eyes flew open, his body tensed painfully, muscles clamping down.

"Easy," Kacchan murmured. Izuku focused on him for a moment, mesmerized by the pale lashes that veiled eyes as hot as cherry-red coals. Sweat was beading on Kacchan's forehead, darkening the hair against his skin. He seemed focused, despite his murmured assurance. Izuku bit his lip, swallowing a moan. Had he really doubted that he wanted this? No; watching Kacchan's intense determination to not hurt him again was more than enough to assure him that yes, absolutely, he wanted this.

A slow, indrawn breath, and his muscles slowly loosened, relaxed. The fingers inside him began moving again, stretching, searching. Remembering the spot from last night, Izuku shifted just slightly, his heel pressing into the bed for a bit of leverage. Fireworks went off behind his eyes as Kacchan grazed the spot--My prostate, Izuku realized dumbly--he'd been searching for. Izuku keened, pressed back, sought the spot for himself. Kacchan obliged, rubbing and prodding as Izuku ground back against his fingers.

"Kacch--"

"Don't, Izuku." Izuku's eyes came open at the deep, resounding tone. "Not that nickname. Not right now."

"Kat-Katsuki." Izuku swallowed, the name tasting strange on his lips. "If you--if you don't stop, I'll--I'm going to--"

"Ssh." Kacchan stopped. The sweat didn't just cover his face, it was all along his shoulders, his chest. He looked like a shining, golden god, though the red of his lips and the blood-dark sparkle of his eyes made him look more a devil. Slowly he slipped his fingers from Izuku's ass, wiping them on the bedsheets. "Turn over."

"What?" Izuku cried. "But I want--"

"Look, just, turn over, okay?" Kacchan had squeezed a fresh dollop of lube into his palm and he was generously slicking up his cock. "I did a bit of research while you were sleeping on the couch. This should be a little easier for you to handle."

Izuku blinked. "You researched how to have sex?"

"Shut up and turn over." Kacchan's cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

Izuku giggled as he rolled onto his stomach, propping himself up on his hands and knees. "Who's the nerd now, Kacchan?"

"If I have to keep telling you to shut up, I'm going to make you choke on it instead," Kacchan threatened.

Izuku twisted to watch over his shoulder as Kacchan lined himself up against his ass. Hands stroked his hips, his sides, as Kacchan took a shuddering breath.

"You ready?"

"Yes." Izuku smiled reassuringly. "Please, Katsuki."

Kacchan swore under his breath, taking his length in one hand and holding Izuku's hip with the other. He pressed forward, the slick, blunt head pressing against Izuku's ring of muscle like a battering ram. Izuku let his head fall between his arms, breathing out slowly in order to relax. He felt the puckered ring open, the tip of Kacchan's cock sliding through, stinging a bit, but bringing with it a sensation of heat and fullness.

"Oh shit, Katsuki," Izuku whined, his hips bucking.

Kacchan gasped behind him. "Stay still."

"It's hard!"

"I fucking know it's fucking hard!" Despite the angry tone, Kacchan continued to move slowly, cautiously, watching for any sign of Izuku's discomfort. Though the hand on Izuku's hip was warm, it didn't light with the explosive heat that had burned him the day before. With a moan from both of them, Kacchan bottomed out, hips tight against Izuku's ass. "How's that, Izuku?"

Izuku keened, his hips rocking back in tiny aborted thrusts. He wanted movement, he wanted heat, he wanted--"Katsuki!"

"Fuck." Kacchan pulled out only halfway before snapping back in. Izuku wailed, his hips slamming back with almost the same intensity as Kacchan's thrust. "You're gonna have to tell me if this hurts, Izuku, because--because I can't fucking stop unless you make me."

"Please please please..." Izuku murmured, grinding back. He wasn't even sure what he was asking for, except for more.

Kacchan was more than happy to give him more. Izuku screamed at the next thrust, and the next, his voice finally petering out as the rhythm intensified enough to dry out his throat. His hands clawed at the bed sheets, scrabbling for purchase as the thrusts forced him forward. His back arched, his knees spread and just when he thought the sensation of being filled fully, violently, would be enough to put him over the edge, Kacchan struck the magic spot hard enough to make him see stars. Izuku felt tears spill down his cheeks, a strangled cry escaping his lips as his hips slammed back, seeking that same spot again.

"Fuck, Izuku...Fuck!" Kacchan seemed to have lost the ability to form coherent thoughts just as Izuku had. Just as a spot on his hip began to smolder and burn, Kacchan swore, pulled his hand away and shook it, willing it to cool down. By the time it did, he had to shake the other hand out, leaving only faint marks on Izuku's waist rather than the angry burns he'd left on Izuku's shoulder and leg. When his second hand was no longer glowing cherry-bomb hot, Kacchan reached around Izuku, gripping the base of his cock. Izuku keened, hips losing their rhythm briefly as he stuttered into Kacchan's firm grip. With a dominant growl, Kacchan reasserted the rhythm, now stroking Izuku's cock in time with his thrusts.

Overwhelmed by sensations, Izuku could only gasp and shudder as he came, hard, staining the recently washed sheets as his muscles tightened down on Kacchan's cock. Kacchan swore violently, hands burning hot once more as he lost control of himself, spilling over deep inside the moss-haired boy beneath him. Hips still riding the waves of his orgasm, Kacchan placed both hands flat on either side of Izuku. Puffs of smoke announced that he was scorching the sheets, but at least he wasn't burning Izuku. Kacchan finally stilled, his body rocking forward, forehead hovering just inches above Izuku's back as he panted, trying to catch his breath. After long moments, Izuku finally whined, although he would have been hard pressed to say whether he wanted to be released or whether he wanted still more.

Kacchan placed a hand in the center of Izuku's back, sliding himself free and helping Izuku down on his side. Both boys were breathing heavily as they collapsed together, limbs trembling, bodies sated. Izuku felt like he was still seeing the near side of heaven after coming so hard. He wondered blearily what Kacchan was thinking of.

Kacchan finally rolled to his side, meeting Izuku's eyes. He frowned, ran a hand down Izuku's face. "I hurt you?"

"No," Izuku was quick to assure him. "I mean, no more than it was going to hurt. It actually felt...it was amazing, Kacchan."

Kacchan tried for his cock-sure smile but missed the mark by barely hitting exhausted-but-pleased. "'Course it fuckin' was, it's me, isn't it?"

Izuku huffed a laugh, his throat still dry from screaming. Part of him really wanted to drag himself from the bed, find a washcloth and clean himself up. More than that, though, he just wanted to curl up and sleep. With more effort than it should have taken, Izuku picked himself up, crawled forward, then collapsed with his head on Kacchan's shoulder.

"The fuck you doing, nerd?"

"Shut up, Kacchan. I'm sleeping."

A soft laugh. "Fine, then."

Chapter Text

Izuku was warm. Comfortable. And deeply, deeply satisfied. His body felt as if it had melted into the bed, twisting impossibly around Kacchan's sleeping form in a way that made him wish he'd never have to untangle himself.

But somewhere, a tinny, musical sound was going off. Izuku wanted to ignore it--tried ignoring it--but something in his consciousness wouldn't let him. There was something important about that distant noise...

Kacchan grunted, the sound reverberating through Izuku's chest. "That your phone?"

Izuku's eyes opened wide, realization and memory flooding into him all at once like a bucket of ice water upended over his head. "Oh no!" He scrambled across the bed, reaching for the bedside table, only to find it bare. The sound echoed up from somewhere on the floor, making Izuku lean down over the edge of the bed to find it.

"You could just ignore it," Kacchan called, sounding bemused.

"I can't," Izuku moaned, finally sitting back on the bed, holding the phone and staring at it with an expression akin to horror. "It's my mom."

The sleepy grin on Kacchan's face dribbled off, leaving an expression that mirrored Izuku's. For a moment they only stared at each other, then Kacchan cursed. "What time is it?"

"A little after five," Izuku squeaked, the phone in his hand still squealing cheerfully.

"Fuck!" Kacchan scrambled out of the bed, rushing for the bathroom. "Answer it!"

"Hi Mom!" Izuku knew his voice sounded high, nervous, and hoped his mother wouldn't think to comment on it.

"Hi, Izuku! You sound winded! Are you and Katsuki-kun on your way over right now?"

"Um, no, sorry, Mom." Izuku heard the sound of running water from the bathroom and assumed Kacchan was getting cleaned up. "We, um, we lost track of time while we were working out."

Kacchan leaned into the room to shoot a questioning glare at Izuku, who only threw his hands up in a helpless shrug.

"Oh." His mom sounded disappointed. "Were you still planning on coming over for dinner?"

"Yes! Of course, we're--we've just got to clean ourselves--clean up, you know, because our clothes got all sweaty. From working out. We're just...we'll head out in a minute." Izuku knew he was floundering by the roll of Kacchan's eyes.

"Okay, dear. I'll keep your dinner warm. Don't take too long, Izuku, I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Mom." They exchanged farewells and Izuku clicked his phone off, feeling like the world's worst son for having forgotten his dinner plans with his mother.

"That was a fuckin' disaster," Kacchan commented from the bathroom. "Can't wait to see how you act in front of all your shitty friends when we get back to school."

"Me neither," Izuku muttered, face still flaming red as he eased himself out of bed. He didn't hurt as much as last time; there was still some pain, but mostly there was just mess. Walking just a touch gingerly, Izuku pushed past Kacchan to wet a washcloth at the sink.

"You gonna be able to walk to your mom's?" Kacchan asked, watching Izuku's limp skeptically.

"I can make it," Izuku replied, grimacing as he cleaned the mess from his rear and legs. "If she asks, I'll just tell her I pulled a muscle while we were lifting."

"You lie to your mom now?" Kacchan asked, mock-surprised.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Well, if you'd rather I tell her the truth..."

"No, don't tell her." Kacchan's face looked pinched. "If she tells my mom, she will literally murder me."

"And as fun as that would be to watch, it would make my life too boring to continue living."

"You sayin' you'd miss me, nerd?" Kacchan smirked.

Izuku grinned back at Kacchan's reflection. "I never miss you when we're fighting, Kacchan."

Kacchan chuckled, then flicked the palm of his hand up, creating a small explosion near Izuku's ear, just loud enough to make his ears ring. As he turned to find his clothes, Izuku made a face at his back. That was an old trick of Kacchan's, usually reserved for anytime he felt he was losing an argument.

As clean as he could be without actually showering, Izuku returned to his borrowed room and scoured the floor for any clothing that wasn't sweat-soaked from a work out, or soiled from a day's worth of sex-play. By the time he shrugged into a cleanish tank top, Kacchan sauntered through the bathroom, looking fresh in a faded sleeveless t-shirt patterned with flaming skulls and a pair of old denim shorts.

"You can't wear that," the blond said, jutting his chin at the outfit.

"What? Why?" Izuku pinched the shirt to look down it for stains he might have missed. "It's all I have that's clean."

"Shitty nerd. It shows the burn on your neck."

"Oh!" Izuku touched his neck and flinched, earning yet another eye-roll from Kacchan. "I keep forgetting about that!"

"The pants are too short, too." Kacchan jerked his head towards the bathroom. "C'mere. You can wear something of mine."

"Mom will ask questions if I show up wearing your clothes," Izuku protested, following Kacchan back to his room anyway.

"Yeah, well, she'll ask more questions when she sees my marks on you," Kacchan pointed out.

"She'll just think we were fighting again," Izuku muttered, catching a pair of cargo shorts Kacchan threw at him. "We do that anyway."

Kacchan growled low in his throat as he searched through his drawers for a matching shirt. "Shut up and change, Deku."

As he pulled on the offered shorts, Izuku glanced around the room that he hadn't stepped inside since about a year before middle school began. For some reason, he'd expected Kacchan to take down his All Might posters and action figures, but they were still in the same places as he remembered them--along with a few new additions. Although Kacchan hid his fanboy nature at school, here it was still brightly on display.

The cargo shorts were long, ending below Izuku's knees and appropriately hiding the hand print on his leg. They were black with bright orange X-shaped embroideries on the pockets and seams. As he was securing the shorts with a belt, a pale orange t-shirt landed atop his moss-green curls.

"That should match."

"Orange?" Izuku made a face. "This is going to look terrible on me."

Kacchan shrugged, looking away as he ruffled his blond hair. "It's fine. Just tell your mom you haven't done any laundry this week or something."

Izuku shrugged into the shirt, accepting Kacchan's lie. It wasn't a far stretch from the truth anyway; if he didn't do some laundry tomorrow, he'd be hard pressed to find anything clean enough to wear. He ran a hand through his curls before glancing up and finding Kacchan staring at him curiously. Intently.

"What?" Izuku asked, nervous. He glanced down at the shirt. It was a little tight across his shoulders and chest, a little long over his hips. "I look stupid, don't I?"

Kacchan leaned in close, his thumb swiping over Izuku's cheekbone as if brushing something away. "You look fucking fine, nerd. We should go before Auntie Inko calls again."

"Okay, Kacchan." Izuku followed Kacchan to the front door, where they sat on the edge of the genkan to pull their shoes on. Kacchan locked the door behind them and they walked the short distance to Izuku's mother's apartment complex. The more he walked, the better Izuku's pain felt, as if moving and stretching eased the muscles abused during penetration. Perhaps tomorrow he could walk his usual running circuit, maybe even go back to working out in the afternoon. Well, in between having sex, of course. In only three days, Kacchan's parents would come back, then Izuku would have the weekend with his mother, then school would be back in session.

Three more days, Izuku thought to himself, blushing as he glanced sidelong over at Kacchan. Three more days, then the two of them would pretend none of this had ever happened.

I think...I think I'm glad it did happen, Izuku decided. Even if it never happens again, even it doesn't mean the same thing to Kacchan as it does to me... I'm glad to have my first experience like this, with Kacchan.

"The fuck you lookin' at, nerd?"

"Just you!" Izuku beamed at his one-time best friend. He wished they could hold hands; it was something he'd always pictured himself doing with a boyfriend. But then, Kacchan was certainly not his boyfriend. More like...his experimental sex partner? Temporary lover? Well, the title wasn't that important. What was important was getting the most out of this week. Perhaps Izuku should make a list of all the things he wanted to try. Just so he didn't miss out on anything.

By the time they stood in the elevator together, Izuku realized that his erotic thoughts were clearly evident to anyone looking at him sideways. He took a few deep breaths and tried to picture his mother and the plate of katsudon that was undoubtedly waiting for him back at his apartment. When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, he had calmed down enough to not be sporting a raging hard-on. When his mother greeted the both of them at the door, his arousal had disappeared entirely, replaced instead with a small amount of shame and guilt about lying to her, even if it was only by omission.

Inko accepted the excuse that Izuku had forgotten to do any laundry and chided him gently even as she pressed him into a seat at the dinner table. She thanked Katsuki-kun for his gracious loan of clothing and reminded Izuku not to spill any food as he ate. Not that he intended to waste even a crumb of his mother's most perfect comfort food.

The meal was about as awkward as expected: Inko asked about school and the teachers and if Kacchan and Izuku were studying together to prepare for the new year of classes. Kacchan spoke as politely as possible, which meant he referred to Izuku as "Izuku-kun" and didn't use curse words in reference to either Midoriya family member. He did curse when he spoke about other classmates, school contests and challenges and, of course, the teaching staff. At the end of the meal, Izuku asked his mother if she would be expecting them for dinner the following night.

"Oh, no, honey. I have some plans with a friend tomorrow night." The blush on her cheeks was startlingly familiar, but Izuku couldn't place where he'd seen it before. "I could give you some money for some take-out, though, if you need it."

"No, thank you," Izuku assured her.

"Fuck that," Kacchan replied at the same time. "Take-out is for loser extras who gain weight over the school break. I was planning on making curry, anyway."

"That sounds delightful," Inko said, beaming just like her son. "Izuku, you should ask Katsuki-kun if he'll teach you how to cook."

Shy green eyes met haughty red ones before flicking away, the usual red flags appearing on Izuku's cheeks. "Yes, Mom."

Kacchan gave a suffering sigh. "I can try, Auntie Inko, but Izuku-kun is terrible at anything that isn't washing dishes."

"Just do your best, Katsuki-kun." Inko beamed fondly at him before hugging her son. "Oh, it's so nice to see the two of you getting along. For a while, it seemed like all you did was sulk and fight with each other."

Izuku's whole face turned red, so he ducked his chin to hide it. Inko was right, except that all the sulking had been on Izuku's part; most of the fighting was Kacchan's fault. And, if their history was any indicator, after this week, it was likely they would both return to their usual pattern.

Inko sent the boys on their way with two small bento boxes of leftover katsudon. They walked back to Kacchan's home without speaking, though the silence wasn't overly uncomfortable. Izuku felt so full after the meal that he thought perhaps his borrowed shorts might be able to stay up even without the belt. He didn't test this, of course, because if he was wrong and Kacchan's shorts fell to his knees and tripped him, he'd never live it down.

Izuku considered what it would feel like to suddenly have Kacchan ridiculing him again, as he had in middle school, now that they had shared something so intimate with each other. It would feel worse, wouldn't it? Those lips he'd kissed so many times over the past day were still capable of cruelty; he bore the physical proof that those soft, questing hands could be turned to burning violence in a heartbeat. Wouldn't it hurt that much more now that he'd made himself vulnerable to his childhood bully, his consummate rival?

"The fuck are you muttering about now?" Kacchan asked, locking the door behind them as they stood in the genkan. Izuku averted his gaze as Kacchan stood in front of him. "You want to stop or something? We've got three more days until my parents come home, it's not like anyone's gonna find out."

Izuku kept his eyes down as his heart began to beat faster. Somehow, it was even more shameful to keep this as a secret than if he were to confess that he'd let his tormentor bed him willingly.

"You wanna stop, just say stop," Kacchan said, leaning even closer. Izuku could smell green onions on his breath. "But I was really hoping to fuck you up against the wall at least once before the week is over."

Izuku gasped, a thrill tracing a path down his spine and straight to his balls. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end and his recently satisfied cock twitched in interest. "I-I want that, too, but...maybe not tonight." No, he was still a bit sore. He'd feel better if they waited at least until tomorrow for something that adventurous.

"Yeah?" Kacchan was smirking. "Is there something else you'd rather try tonight?"

Izuku flicked his eyes up to meet Kacchan's. "Maybe the hot tub?"

Kacchan swore deep and low, his eyes sweeping Izuku from head to toe. "Outside? You're not as shy as you make everyone else think."

Izuku shrugged, holding Kacchan's eyes. "Is that too much for you?"

Kacchan replied by pulling his shirt off and dropping it to the floor of the entryway. He turned, taking off his belt as he walked to the back door. Only halfway across the living room, his shorts fell to the floor and he stepped out of them, shooting a look back at Izuku over his shoulder. "Coming?"

"Oh, I'm going to," Izuku promised, scrambling to follow as he stripped out of Kacchan's borrowed clothing.

Having sex in the hot tub didn't quite work out as planned. Izuku had envisioned sitting in Kacchan's lap and riding him, but the water proved too poor a lubricant and they "settled" for frotting and grinding until they both came. After that, they showered together to clean off the chlorine and ended up making out beneath the warm spray of the showerhead. Kacchan tried lifting Izuku against the wall, but nearly slipped and they both decided that shower-sex would be too risky to attempt.

Rather than sleep in Izuku's sex-spoiled guest bed, Kacchan invited Izuku to sleep with him in his own bed. Though the comforter was a standard red-orange and black pattern, Izuku was delighted to find the same All Might bed sheets he slept on at his mother's house. The following morning, Izuku woke up first and, after a moment of internal debate, decided Kacchan wouldn't be too upset if he were to be awoken by a blowjob. He'd guessed correctly, although Kacchan did take his revenge by flipping Izuku onto his hands and knees, littering his neck and shoulders with red-purple hickeys while bringing Izuku to completion with a hand job.

Both beds were dirty after that, so the boys tossed all the sheets into the washer, made breakfast, and--just for a change of pace--decided to go jogging along the beach path. Not counting the trip to Inko's for dinner, they hadn't really left the house for days and aside from sex, they weren't really working out either, so a leisurely jog felt like just the thing to get back on pace. School would be starting up again soon and neither of them wanted to lose any muscle tone over the break. They made plans to work out in Kacchan's home gym after lunch and Izuku resolved to actually do his laundry--he'd had to borrow some clothing from Kacchan in order to run that morning. At least the angry red hand prints on his shoulder and leg were finally beginning to fade.

At home it was protein shakes and a brief, aborted attempt at studying the new term's material as the boys began making out over their notes. The sound of the dryer finishing their sheets interrupted them, however, and Izuku dutifully unwound himself from Kacchan to go make his bed. He had a feeling that sex on the floor might lead to rug burn and bruises, and with school looming ever closer, he wanted to avoid any embarrassing marks he'd have to explain in the locker room. Already he'd had to chastise Kacchan for marking his neck as he had. (Not that Izuku hadn't enjoyed receiving those marks immensely--it turned out that his neck was just about his favorite erogenous zone.)

After the beds were finished, Izuku started his laundry, both ate the lunches Inko had sent home with them the previous day, then they adjourned to the weight room for their promised after-lunch work out. What followed could only really be described as a manly strip-tease, as Kacchan tossed off his shirt as he approached the punching bag. Izuku swallowed, trying not to watch, as Kacchan worked up a sweat, the sheen highlighting the hard, flat planes between his shoulder blades and along his spine. Each solid thump on the bag brought to mind hips thrusting against each other, the sound of flesh on flesh, and continuing to watch was making him increasingly hard. With an effort of will to look away, Izuku loaded up a bar with weights and began counting out a set of squats. He tried to focus on his breathing and not on the sound of Kacchan destroying the poor punching bag.

It worked--a little too well. The bar over his shoulders was heavy and if he didn't concentrate on holding it, it would roll in the sweat gathered on his neck. With slow patience and long practice, Izuku bent his knees slow and low on an exhale, counted to three in his head, then slowly straightened his legs on the inhale, once more counting to three. The familiar rhythm was comforting once he got into it and before long he realized that the sounds of Kacchan's boxing had faded away. A look to the corner of the room found the blond staring intently at him, mouth slightly open, muscled chest rising and falling as if he were having trouble catching his breath. When he realized he'd been caught, Kacchan's cheeks turned just the palest color of red. He looked away, rubbed at his cheek with the towel draped across his shoulders.

Izuku felt slightly stunned as he realized that Kacchan enjoyed staring at him just as much as Izuku enjoyed staring at Kacchan. Ever since Izuku's failed confession in middle school, he'd been careful to keep himself from gazing too long or too hard at the boy he'd fallen head over heels for. He certainly had never noticed getting any of that attention back--at least, not in a good way. Now he couldn't help but tease a little: holding the squat for a bit longer, grunting softly as he straightened his legs and adjusted the bar over his shoulders. Kacchan swallowed visibly as he glanced back over his shoulder to watch.

By the time Izuku was setting the bar down gently, Kacchan had moved on to agility training: stepping sideways over raised blocks while throwing and catching a medicine ball over his head. It wasn't an exercise Izuku was familiar with, so he paused to watch--for educational and physical training purposes only, of course. Not because the movement made Kacchan's shorts ride low on his hips, or the tossing and catching of the ball set his spine to arching in a most inviting way.

Izuku had to dump his water bottle over his head to finally stop staring and move on. He removed his soaked shirt, dried his hands on his towel, then stood beneath the chin-up bar mounted against the wall. Across the room from Kacchan, he began a long set of chin-ups, fast enough at first to send his shiny basketball shorts slipping down his hips. He had to bend his knees and cross his ankles to keep them from riding too low. Before long, Izuku heard the bark of a curse and the sudden, hard thud of a medicine ball landing on a gym mat.

Alarmed, Izuku dropped from the bar. "Kacchan, are you--"

A blast ricocheted off the metal gym equipment, making it seem louder in Izuku's ears than it really was. Kacchan's body was suddenly flush against his, sweaty chest to sweaty chest, panting mouths catching each other's breaths. Thumbs dug into Izuku's hips as long fingers gripped his ass beneath his shorts. The kisses were short, rapid, as both boys were still catching their breath. Izuku kneaded Kacchan's triceps like a cat, digging into the corded muscle as if looking for a weak spot, but really he was just holding on. Between all those squats and his sudden erection, Izuku's legs were having trouble holding him up.

Red eyes locked with green as Kacchan leaned back, yanking Izuku's hips into his own. "Against the wall?"

Izuku was certain Kacchan had meant to growl it as an order, but it came out softer, like a question or a request. He nodded, eager, stumbling over free weights and kettle balls as Kacchan tugged him over to the nearest wall. He wasn't too surprised to see that Kacchan had planned for this eventuality, as the blond revealed the bottle of lube hidden beneath a gym towel near the door. Izuku skinned out of his shorts as Kacchan rubbed the gel-like substance between his fingers to warm it up. He licked his lips, eyes rising slowly to meet Izuku's.

"Think it'd be hot to watch you prep yourself," Kacchan murmured, eyes hooded, voice gravelly and low.

"Oh!" Izuku blushed and shivered at the thought of touching himself in front of Kacchan. "Is that--Should I--You want--"

Kacchan chuckled, low and gruff. "Not this time. But keep it in mind, maybe."

Before Izuku could do more than nod, Kacchan was pressing him back against the wall with his clean hand against his chest and a rough kiss on his lips. Kacchan wrapped an arm around Izuku's waist, tightly, taking his weight. Izuku helped by grabbing the chin-up bar over his head, pulling himself up just enough to wrap his legs around Kacchan's waist. Kacchan slipped his arm beneath Izuku's knee to prop him up and with Izuku leaning heavily back against the wall to support himself, Kacchan reached between them to slick Izuku's entrance.

Izuku couldn't help but moan and grind back on Kacchan's fingers, one hand still holding the bar above him for support, the other gripping the forearm that held him up.

"Shit, that's so fucking hot," Kacchan growled, his fingers continuing to scissor and stretch Izuku's ass.

Izuku whined, tossing his head back and exposing his throat. "Please, Kacchan, I'm ready, just--just--"

With an animalistic snarl, Kacchan took his hand away, smearing the remnants of the lubricant over his cock before using both hands to lift Izuku's hips. Izuku shifted against the wall, holding the bar above him in both hands so Kacchan could maneuver him as he needed to. One hand moved to the small of Izuku's back, the other gripped the base of his cock. Using his legs around Kacchan's waist, Izuku pulled himself down onto Kacchan's cock.

"Fuck, this is so hot," Kacchan panted, eyes locked on their joining. "Shit. Fuck, you're tight!"

"Wait, just wait." Izuku was trying to breathe, to relax himself, but it was difficult in this position, especially as he was using so many muscles to hold himself up. Maybe once upon a time, Kacchan could have easily pinned Izuku to the wall and had his way with him, but after years of training his body to use his One-for-All Quirk, Izuku now likely weighed as much as Kacchan did and it was all pounds and pounds of steely muscle. It wasn't fair to expect Kacchan to be able to do all of the work, but it also wasn't easy to relax while using his core muscles to hold himself up.

Kacchan looked up, seeming to understand the problem. "Here." He reached for one of Izuku's arms, lowering it to loop around the back of his neck. He took a step back, adjusted his grip on Izuku's waist, making the moss-haired boy lean more of his weight back against the wall. With both hands on Izuku's hips, he pulled Izuku slowly down, gasping as the new position and the increase in Izuku's weight eased him down. Izuku whimpered, let go of the chip-up bar and held onto Kacchan's shoulders instead. He closed his eyes as he felt Kacchan seated deep inside himself, filling him with a sweet, deep ache.

For a moment, they simply stayed like that, adjusting grips and shifting weight, making sure they were each steady and balanced. Finally, needy green eyes flicked open, a whimper and a slight shimmy begging for movement. Kacchan approximated a smirk.

"You want to move, then move, stupid Deku," the blond challenged. "You've got better leverage than me in this position."

"I thought we weren't using nicknames," Izuku murmured, using the strength of his legs and the angle of the wall to draw himself up, nearly off of Kacchan's cock.

"Izuku,” he all but whispered. Then he shouted wordlessly as Izuku slammed himself back down, legs tightening almost violently around Kacchan's waist.

"Katsuki," Izuku murmured, already leaning back for another thrust.

Kacchan swore, his hips unable to thrust, but his arms were more than capable of pulling Izuku down over and over again each time the shorter boy lifted himself up. They set a violent pace. Before long, Kacchan's knees were trembling beneath their combined weight, threatening collapse before they could finish. Izuku wasn't worried about Kacchan dropping him, no, what he was worried about was that this position was terrible for hitting his prostate and he didn't trust his own balance enough to let go of Kacchan's shoulders to get himself off. His own erection lay thick and neglected against his stomach, leaking precum that glistened each time it bounced with a frenetic thrust.

"Kat--Katsuki!" Izuku begged urgently, unable and unwilling to slow his thrusts down onto Kacchan's cock.

"Fuck," Kacchan swore, shifting so he could wrap one arm around Izuku's hips, freeing the other to grip Izuku's dick between them.

Izuku screamed at the contact, owing in no small part to how warm Kacchan's hand was. Not searing hot, not painfully hot, but as warm as he imagined Kacchan's cock must be, buried in the heat of Izuku's own body. With his head tossed back, his back arched, his hips practically beyond his own conscious control, Izuku came, hot, hard and almost as rapidly as his heart was beating. It felt distant and far away when Kacchan stumbled, slammed his back against the wall, and came with a few more jerky thrusts.

Izuku sagged forward and would have fallen but for Kacchan standing in front of him. Pinned between the wall and Kacchan's body, his legs refused to take his weight. He rested his head against Kacchan's shoulder, his arms loosely resting atop Kacchan's arms as he caught his breath. He could feel warm cum running down his legs, cooling as it dripped, making him shiver. He curled a little more into Kacchan's chest for warmth.

"You just gonna...stand there?" Kacchan asked, sounding as winded as Izuku felt.

"Mmhmm," Izuku hummed. His eyelids felt heavy. If not for the chill on his legs and backside, he'd be tempted to fall asleep right here.

Kacchan chuckled. Izuku could feel it in his chest, his stomach. His heart. He loved the sound of Kacchan's laugh. He loved the feel of Kacchan's skin against his.

He loved--

Izuku lifted his head, nearly falling as his knees gave out beneath him.

"Walk much, Deku?" Kacchan asked, a hint of an old taunt in his voice. He held on until Izuku found his feet, though.

"I think I need a shower," Izuku said, acutely aware of how close Kacchan was. He glanced away, face reddening. "This position was really fun, but it's, um, a bit messier than some of the others."

"Such a fuckin' nerd," Kacchan teased as he let Izuku go. "Feel like I'm gonna find a notebook full of pros and cons on all the stuff we tried this week."

Actually, that didn't sound like a bad idea at all to Izuku, although he knew Kacchan was being derisive of his Pro-Hero notebooks. Izuku also knew he'd never be able to keep such a notebook; the fear of his classmates, or, worse, his mother, finding such a thing was too great for him to even consider making a simple list of favorite positions or sexual acts. Rather than respond to Kacchan, Izuku made his way carefully around the room, collecting his clothing, towel and water bottle as Kacchan did the same.

They arrived at the bathroom at the same time. Kacchan started the shower, Izuku took a moment to swipe at the mess on his legs with a warm washcloth. For a moment, he found himself considering what Kacchan felt during sex (physically, of course, because he didn't want to think about what Kacchan might be feeling emotionally) but then Kacchan was calling Izuku to the shower and the moment passed.

There was a little bit of kissing, maybe a touch here and there, but mostly they simply showered, coming clean of their work out as well as their diversion. Izuku felt wrung out like a rag, stumbling as he exited the shower. Kacchan laughed at him, but it wasn't too unkind as the blond wrapped him in a towel and gave him a shove towards one of the bedrooms. It was only later, after they were curled beneath the blankets, that Izuku realized they were in Kacchan's bed. He yawned, tucked his head beneath Kacchan's chin, and fell sleep in Kacchan's arms.

It was hours later and dark when Izuku awoke, naked and warm, pressed tight to Kacchan's side. The prevailing scent was soap and freshly laundered sheets, but beneath that was the smell Izuku would always associate with Kacchan: something sulfurous and sweet, a burning smell like a lit firework. Just enough light filtered into the room to show the steady rise and fall of Kacchan's chest, the flicker of motion beneath an eyelid, the ephemeral shadows cast by Kacchan's fairer-than-fair eyelashes upon his cheek.

I'm in love with him, Izuku admitted, biting his lip to keep himself from muttering. I knew it back in middle school. I told him, confessed to him. And he...he mocked me. Tortured me. For years. And I...I still love him.

So where did Izuku go from here? They'd said that after this week, they'd simply move on as if nothing had happened. They wouldn't tell anyone, they wouldn't speak of it. Everything would just go back to normal.

How do I go back to normal? Izuku wondered, panic fluttering inside his chest like a caged hummingbird. I've loved him for years, I've wanted this to happen between us forever. And in a few more days, I have to accept that I'll never get it again? How? How can I just let all of this go?

By remembering what he'll say to you if you try and confess again, a tiny voice of memory and pain called from the back of Izuku's mind. Remember the bloody pieces he tore your heart into years ago. Remember all the stolen toys, the destroyed notebooks, the burns he left to scar on you. Remember that he doesn't love you; this was never about love. This was about experience and experiments and feeling safe with someone you trust. That's all this ever was and that is how you have to let it stay.

It sounded so clinical, so cold, inside Izuku's head. But the tiny, practical voice was right. He couldn't let his emotions run away with his senses; he'd known what this was and what this wasn't from the start.

This wasn't love.

It never was.

Fine, then, Izuku told himself, lower lip still firmly clamped between his teeth. If it's not about love, then I might as well get everything out of it that I can. If it's about experience and experimenting, then that's what I'll do. Kacchan may not love me, but he trusts me. That's enough for right now.

Kacchan grunted in his sleep, rolled over, pulled at the blankets. Just when Izuku wondered if Kacchan had fallen back into a deep sleep, the almost invisible eyelashes parted, revealing bleary red orbs.

"You just lyin' there, staring creepily?" Kacchan asked, voice rough with sleep.

"No," Izuku said quickly, blushing. "I just woke up, too."

"Mmm," Kacchan grunted. Yawned. "You hungry?"

"Yeah, actually." Izuku hadn't realized it, but the pang in his gut was hunger rather than unrequited affection.

"We slept through dinner." Kacchan kicked the blankets off, rubbed at his eyes and stretched. "Too late to make curry. What do you want?"

Izuku hesitated, gnawing on his lip as he watched Kacchan stand, gloriously naked in the dark room.

"What?" Kacchan demanded, turning back to see Izuku still sitting in bed. "Spit it out, nerd, I'm starving."

"We could order a pizza?" Izuku offered timidly.

Kacchan made a face. Stretched his arm over his chest. Stooped and picked up a pair of boxers from the floor. "Fine. Just one, though. No fucking pineapple."

"Right!" Izuku rolled over and grabbed his phone from the bedside table to place the order. By the time he finished, Kacchan had fully dressed and left the room. Izuku hurried to pull some clothes on--Kacchan's, of course, because his clothes were far away in his own room--and went in search of Kacchan.

The whir of a mixer sounded in the kitchen, revealing Kacchan's location. Izuku followed the noise and found a protein shake already waiting for him on the counter.

"Should have had one right after working out," Kacchan grumbled by way of explanation once the mixer was turned off. He took a gulp of his own shake before smirking over at Izuku. "You're fucking distracting, you know that?"

Izuku grinned, letting his gaze wander over Kacchan as he lounged against the counter. "You're pretty hard to ignore, too, Kacchan."

Kacchan finished his shake in one more gulp, looking satisfied and smug. After rinsing the glass out, he turned back, a slight frown on his face. "We really need to get back to working out regularly so we're ready for school next week."

"Small breaks in training aren't the worst," Izuku replied, shaking his glass to stir the drink. "One way of looking at it is that we're letting our muscles take a break to rebuild and repair after all the stress we put on our bodies last term." He raised the glass to mask a sly smile. "And it's not as if we're not working out at all."

Kacchan snorted. "That's fucking right. Shit, I think my balls are sore. Can't say I've had that happen before."

Izuku laughed into his shake, nearly spitting it up in his mirth. "I can't imagine trying to explain that to any of our conditioning trainers."

"Yeah, no way." Kacchan shook his head. He took Izuku's glass, rinsed it and set it aside near the blender. "You tired?"

"Not really. It's not that late, and we slept most of the afternoon."

"Yeah, me neither. Want to study or something?"

It was a good suggestion, but despite not feeling tired, Izuku definitely felt too distracted to study for the new term. "Could we maybe just find something to watch on TV?"

Kacchan shrugged. "Why the fuck not? We've already ordered pizza, might as well cap off the day by sitting on the fucking couch like two lazy fat asses."

"Lazy? Maybe. Fat? Never." Izuku dared to pinch Kacchan's ass as he walked past, earning himself a tiny explosion near his ear, just loud enough to make it ring. Izuku was still rubbing at it as he sat beside Kacchan on the living room couch.

Kacchan was still flicking through the channels when a knock sounded at the door. Izuku retrieved the pizza and returned to find an old action movie on TV, one the two of them had watched together as children. He set the pizza on the coffee table--spicy sausage and pepperoni toppings, as well as extra cheese--and the two of them ate off of paper plates as the movie played. After two slices each, they settled back onto the couch, Izuku leaning on Kacchan's shoulder and almost unconsciously reaching for Kacchan’s hand. Kacchan didn’t resist this time and Izuku performed the physical therapist’s recommended hand massage, kneading the muscles, stretching the tendons and gently easing any knots he found. It was different this time, as if Kacchan was really relaxed enough to benefit from Izuku’s efforts.

At about the midpoint of the movie, they began making out. Izuku wasn't entirely certain who started it. He knew he'd been nuzzling his face into Kacchan's neck and the hand at his waist had dipped below the waistband to rub gentle circles into his skin. The kissing began naturally, gently, even as Kacchan pushed Izuku back against the cushions of the couch, straddling his lap and running fingers through his green curls. Izuku arched his back like a cat, reveling in the sensations, but then Kacchan was slipping away.

Slipping away? No. Sliding down. Kneeling on the floor between Izuku's legs.

"Um, Kacchan, you don't--"

"Want me to stop?" Kacchan was looking up at him with a smirk. Izuku could feel the heat of Kacchan's palm over the bulge in his pants. "'Cause I don't think you really want me to stop."

Izuku swallowed hard. "If--only if you want to, Kacchan."

The only response was a smirk and an insistent tug on Izuku's shorts. Feeling a bit of a thrill run through him, Izuku lifted his hips, allowing Kacchan to slide his shorts out from beneath him. As he felt Kacchan's hot breath against his straining erection, Izuku gripped the couch cushion beneath him and leaned his head back. While sex with Kacchan was amazing in its own right, Izuku had to admit that he was developing a special fondness for blowjobs. Just the sight of Kacchan's messy blond hair between his legs was enough to make his thighs shake and his cock weep. He took shaking breaths, trying to calm himself so he could last long enough not to be mocked by the boy who was currently on his knees.

Kacchan started slowly, as if he knew how close Izuku already was. He set his hands on Izuku's thighs, rubbing gently, palms warm but not hot. He blew a stream of air across the weeping slit, earning a strangled cry from Izuku's lips. A hot tongue was there, suddenly, tonguing and tasting the precum, making Izuku gasp sharply, his hips jumping upwards at their own accord. Kacchan was prepared for that, though, holding Izuku's thighs down to keep him from straining upwards too far. He leaned back for a moment, met Izuku's heavily lidded green eyes, then slowly, purposefully, leaned forward and ran the flat of his tongue up the base of Izuku's cock to the tip. Izuku shuddered, cursed, tossed his head to the side and very nearly came right then and there. His hands fisted in the couch cushions, white knuckled and occasionally flickering with the electricity he associated with his Quirk. A strangled groan emerged from his throat as Kacchan repeated the motion, this time just a touch faster.

The TV behind Kacchan was still on, still playing an action movie of some sort. The background noise of actors shouting, a helicopter taking off and several booming explosions seemed a complimentary soundtrack to the slurping and sucking sounds as Kacchan worked on Izuku's length. If he would just use his hands to increase the rhythm and pressure, Izuku was sure he'd be over the edge in an instant. It almost seemed as if Kacchan was deliberately drawing it out, changing up the motions, the rhythm, the pace. Keeping Izuku on the edge of sanity for what was beginning to feel like hours, although it couldn't be that long--the movie was still on the same action scene as when they started.

"K-K-Katsuki!" Izuku whimpered, his whole body shaking with need.

Kacchan glanced up, the cock sliding free of his mouth. Izuku nearly lost it when Kacchan licked unconsciously at the corner of his mouth. "Don't you wanna put your hands on me?" he asked, sounding curious. "You don't hate this, do you?"

"No!" Izuku was quick to assure him. "I just...it's my Quirk. I can't keep it from activating and I'm afraid I could hurt you."

Kacchan rolled his eyes. He grabbed Izuku's wrist, twisting it free from its deathgrip on the couch. He moved it to his own hair, Izuku's palm sweating and shaking. Red eyes smirked up at him. "Show me what you want, Izuku. I'm not gonna fuckin' break."

Izuku bit his lower lip as Kacchan leaned in close again, his breath warm on his saliva-slick cock. He curled his fingers through Kacchan's startlingly fine hair, nervous and afraid to put any strength behind his hand. He remembered the feel of Kacchan's hands in his hair both times he'd given Kacchan a blowjob. Sometimes the fingers pulled at his hair, sometimes the hands took up the rhythm of the thrusts and just a few times he'd found himself choking, briefly, without air. It never hurt much, it never even truly scared him. In a contest of strength, he could beat Kacchan easily, but more than that, he knew the other boy wasn't trying to hurt him. They were both simply new to these acts and while enthusiastic, they couldn't help but make mistakes at times.

But for Kacchan to trust Izuku's strength while in such a vulnerable position...if Izuku's Quirk activated in the throes of passion, would he be able to keep himself from choking him? From hurting him? It was strange to suddenly realize that he somehow had come to trust Kacchan to control his Quirk during sex more than he trusted his own.

"Oi, nerd." Kacchan pursed his lips, blowing cold air over Izuku's mouth-wet cock. "Before you start mumbling, you mind showing me what you want down here?"

"What I...want?" Izuku swallowed. They'd lost the mood a little while he debated internally over whether he wanted to leave his hand on Kacchan's head or not. "What if I want..." Izuku dropped his hand down to the collar of Kacchan's shirt and dragged him up, leaning forward so they came eye to eye. "This?" And he kissed him, jerking his shirt forward, clashing teeth and lips and tongues.

Izuku could taste himself on Kacchan's tongue, but not strongly--just the hint of precum. The stronger flavors were from their dinner of pizza, as well as a hint of some kind of spice. Cinnamon, maybe? Izuku wasn't sure. As he pulled back from the kiss, he released Kacchan's collar to run his thumb over Kacchan's fucked-out and kissed-out lips. Kacchan's lips parted, his tongue darting out to tease Izuku's thumb. Leaning forward, Izuku brought his free hand up to cup the back of Kacchan's neck. He traced the outline of Kacchan's lips gently, and, while holding Kacchan's gaze, he slipped two fingers inside Kacchan's mouth.

Kacchan's expression didn't change, but his surprise registered in the sudden heat of his palms resting on Izuku's thighs. It was only for a moment--they didn't sear or burn--but the sudden temperature increase was noted and catalogued as Izuku stroked Kacchan's tongue with his fingers. Kacchan's gaze turned dark and heavy as the tongue swirled around Izuku's fingers, thrusting between them, a bit of suction teasing them against teeth and the roof of his mouth. Gently, Izuku began thrusting his fingers in a simulated fuck inside the hot cavern of Kacchan's mouth.

"That's what I want," Izuku whispered huskily, finally withdrawing his fingers. With the hand behind Kacchan's head, he pushed down with the slightest amount of pressure. He half expected the headstrong Kacchan to balk, but with only a slightly challenging glare, Kacchan settled back down onto his knees, coming forward to Izuku's cock as the hand behind him guided him. Izuku smoothed a bit of Kacchan's hair behind his ear just as warm, wet heat enveloped his cock.

Izuku shuddered as Kacchan's tongue swirled around the head, lapped against the slit, then slowly worked its way down as Kacchan took more of him in. His arms tensed, muscles thrumming with electricity. He struggled not to pull Kacchan down onto him forcefully and tried instead to simply follow Kacchan's own motion with his hands. His fingers tangled in fine threads of hair, the other hand slid from Kacchan's neck to his shoulder, fingers digging into the muscles there. Kacchan's hands kept Izuku's hips from thrusting as he slowly withdrew, then sank down again. Izuku moaned, hand tightening reflexively in Kacchan's hair before he forced himself to relax it.

As Kacchan's rhythm increased, it became increasingly difficult not to take control, not to exert his own will over Kacchan's movements. One-for-All still flicked on and off like a light switch, dividing his attention between pleasure and control. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Kacchan, but the pressure inside him was building and he wasn't allowed to thrust and he wasn't entirely certain of his strength and Fuck! He just wanted to come...

A flash of teasing crimson caught his eye. Izuku's hand fisted in the spiky blond hair as he realized Kacchan was deliberately keeping him on edge. He'd been trying to make Izuku take control the whole time, riding the edge, changing the rhythm, the pressure, all to bait Izuku into enforcing his own rhythm.

Well, fine, then. If that was what Kacchan wanted.

The hand tangled in Kacchan's hair unwound itself, moving to cup the back of the blond head, at first just riding the bobbing motion, then subtly, gently, taking over the rhythm. He didn't press hard and he didn't hold Kacchan down for any length of time, he simply set a pace that felt strong and steady and deep. His hips thrust shallowly upwards and as Kacchan's hands on his thighs sought to pin him down, Izuku used the hand on Kacchan's shoulder as leverage, just slightly overpowering the blond. He kept watch for any signs of discomfort on Kacchan's part, but seeing none, he increased the tug on Kacchan's head just as he increased the pulse of his hips.

Fuck, he was going to come. He was going to come hard, he could feel it building, feel it rising to the height of a cresting wave.

"Ka-tsuki--" Izuku stammered, his voice broken. "I--I'm--"

Without breaking the motion, Kacchan hummed an acknowledgment of Izuku's warning. The hum sent vibrations zinging straight through Izuku's cock, to his spine, to every steel-corded muscle in his body, flipping One-for-All on like a switch. The first shock of his orgasm had him thrusting up and pulling down on Kacchan all at once. He didn't hear the strangled protest over the roaring of blood in his ears, but the warning flash of heat on his legs from Kacchan's palms had him letting go an instant before understanding caught up to him. His hands curled over Kacchan's hair without pressure or pain behind them as he rode out the rest of his orgasm, sagging bonelessly back into the couch.

Izuku was entirely finished but still catching his breath when Kacchan sat back on his heels, swiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His lips were a puffy, angry red and lines of saliva traced the corners of his mouth. Under normal circumstances, Izuku would have had a dozen questions to ask and a thousand apologies to make for the accidental use of his Quirk, but the only lazy thought that echoed within his empty mind was how Kacchan had managed to swallow without gagging, especially considering how he'd pulled him down for that first, strongest pulse of cum.

Kacchan stood, only to straddle Izuku's lap on the couch, smoothing sweat-slick green curls back from Izuku's face before kissing him deeply. Izuku's hands lazily cupped Kacchan's hips, thumbs tracing lazy circles beneath the band of his shorts. He could taste his own cum on Kacchan's tongue and chased the flavor as Kacchan pulled back. He felt the teasing tug of teeth at his lower lip before his head fell back against the couch, a wave of exhaustion crashing down on him unexpectedly. Hadn't they only awaken an hour or so ago? How could he be this tired again already?

Distantly he was aware of Kacchan watching him with appraising eyes, Kacchan's own erection pressed against his t-shirt, creating a wet spot. Izuku leaned into fingers massaging the side of his neck. Kacchan leaned in close again, his lips brushing Izuku's ear as he whispered: "You okay if I take what I want?"

That actually sounded kind of nice. Easy. Relaxing. Izuku's body was felt as compliant as putty and his brain seemed to have turned itself off for the night, so letting Kacchan take control of the next round was certainly an enticing one.

But...

If this week was all there would be, then Izuku had a few things he wanted to do as well. Rallying himself, Izuku shook his head, more to clear it than in denial of Kacchan's request.

"Actually, do you mind if I try something?"

Kacchan's pale brows rose, half in interest, half in challenge. "Like what?"

Izuku smiled lazily, his breathing finally catching up. He leaned forward for a quick kiss. "Think you'll like it, Kacchan. We should do it in the bedroom, though."

Kacchan grumbled, but he looked mildly intrigued. They wasted a little time in putting away the pizza and turning off the TV before Kacchan just about dragged Izuku to the room that was Izuku's for the week. "What do you want to do?"

"Go sit against the pillows," Izuku instructed, flicking a hand toward the bed. His mind was still hazy and his body still felt compliant, soft and relaxed. "Wait. Take your clothes off first."

Kacchan smirked. "Come over here and do it yourself."

Izuku chuckled as he retrieved the bottle of lubricant from where it had been tossed earlier. "You're more than capable of taking your own clothes off, Kacchan. Besides, I want to watch."

A look that was more surprise than anything else appeared on Kacchan's face. That was odd; Izuku had been expecting a snide comment along with an egotistical remark. He did enjoy the show of Kacchan stripping, even it was just about as perfunctory as if he were stripping down in UA's locker room for a shower. With a slight grumble, Kacchan climbed onto the bed and scooted back against the pillows and the headboard. He watched nervously as Izuku clambered onto the end of the bed and squeezed a palmful of lube into his hand, warming it inside a closed hand.

Izuku hesitated, glancing up at Kacchan. "What you said earlier, in the gym...I don't know how..." He foundered, but Kacchan's wariness turned to an exultant smirk.

"Turn around," Kacchan ordered. "On your knees."

Izuku shivered beneath the haughty, commanding tone and did as instructed. He leaned forward on an elbow, exposing his backside to Kacchan.

"Reach between your legs. Use your hand to hold yourself open."

Izuku couldn't help the flaming rush of blood to his cheeks; this was embarrassing and only made worse by the fact that his fingers were slick with lube and slipped as he attempted to hold his cheeks open.

"Use your middle finger," Kacchan ordered, sounding a touch breathless. "Just touch it--like that."

Izuku circled his entrance with a slick finger, Kacchan's excitement catching. His recently wrung-out cock stirred with a twitch of interest; his balls almost seemed to lament the fact that they might be pressed into service once again. That was fine though; they would soldier on. After this week was over, when would he ever get a chance to do something like this again? With that thought in mind, he pressed his finger inside himself up to the first knuckle.

"Yeah," Kacchan's voice broke. There was a sound of flesh sliding on flesh. Izuku had to twist to look back at Kacchan. "Like that, 'Zuku. More. Go deeper."

"Don't you touch yourself, Katsuki," Izuku ordered even as he sunk his finger all the way inside. "I have more to do to you after this."

It was with almost a mournful groan that Kacchan removed his hands from himself, fisting them instead in the blankets. "Then fucking hurry up, Deku."

"Oh, Katsuki." Izuku grinned as he settled himself comfortably, his middle finger drawing in and out of his hole. "That nickname is going to cost you."

"Cost me what?" Kacchan's voice was strangling in his throat, his breath coming a touch too quickly.

"Time." Izuku contained a gasp as he drove his finger in deeper, curling it inside himself, causing his back to arch in reaction. "It's going to take me longer to get ready for you now."

Kacchan groaned with want and need. Izuku felt the blankets tense and pull beneath his knees as Kacchan's grip on them tightened. "Two fingers."

"Don't rush me, Kacchan."

"Please!" The plea was a barked order, but Izuku complied anyway, slipping his index finger in with the middle one. As much as he wanted to tease Kacchan, to make him beg, the feeling was exquisite and he was excited to get on with it.

After a moment of searching, Izuku found his prostate, pressing softly on it at first, then harder, doing nothing to contain his moans of pleasure. He withdrew only to stretch his entrance, then returned to the sweet, sweet spot, grinding back on his own fingers, drooling mindlessly onto the bed.

"Three." Kacchan's voice was high, as if his throat had gone dry. "Three fingers, Izuku, please."

Izuku had never before thought that watching someone prepare themselves for sex could be hot, but as Kacchan came apart behind him as he inserted the third finger, he realized that even if it wasn't his kink, he could certainly get off on Kacchan's intensity and excitement. Three fingers made it a bit difficult to stroke his prostate the way he wanted to, so instead he focused on thrusting in and out as well as stretching his rim, preparing himself to be entered. His cock hung at half-mast between his legs, garnering interest as Kacchan shifted on the bed behind him.

"Sit down, Kacchan," Izuku ordered, voice surprisingly strong for how soft and compliant his body felt. He felt fingers ghost along his hip before withdrawing, Kacchan hovering indecisively just out of reach. "You told me I could show you what I want. So sit back, Kacchan, and let me show you."

"Thought you said no nicknames," Kacchan growled, retreating sulkily back to the pillows.

"Oh, right." Izuku slid his fingers free, swiping them against the back of his thigh before wiping them on the blankets. He turned to face Kacchan, a slight flush on his cheeks. "I forgot."

"Guess you owe me a little of that time back, eh?" Kacchan smirked and beckoned. "C'mere."

Izuku crawled across the bed agreeably, climbing over Kacchan's body for a messy kiss. Fingers carded his hair aggressively before they slid over his shoulders, down his waist to grip his hips. Izuku twisted free before Kacchan could pull him down.

"Just let me," Izuku whispered, his tongue teasing Kacchan's ear. Kacchan shivered. He rested his hands around Izuku's hips, but didn't try to roll him over or push him down. Izuku trailed kisses down Kacchan's neck--an act he himself loved--but received only soft, pleasurable moans in response. Continuing downwards, Izuku snuck his tongue out to tease a nipple. Kacchan's breathing caught very slightly. Another quick tease, this time with teeth and Kacchan's eyes flicked open, dark and dangerous.

"You called me Kacchan twice, which means I get to tell you to hurry it the fuck up twice."

"I don't remember agreeing to those terms."

"I'm about to flip you the fuck over and write the goddamn rules on your back with my dick."

Izuku only smiled. "But I like you on your back, Kacchan."

Kacchan shuddered, his breath coming faster. "Three times. One more and I'm fucking taking over."

"So impatient." Izuku pressed a kiss to Kacchan's chest. "Relax. I think you'll like this."

Kacchan's fingers dug into Izuku's sides hard, once, then loosened their grip as Izuku continued downward, kissing the trail of invisibly fine hair down from Kacchan's naval to his groin. He held the base of Kacchan's cock loosely, running his tongue up the sides, trailing it through the glistening precum and coating the blood-hot head with saliva. His ministrations only lasted a minute before Izuku sat up, adjusting his position.

"That fuck was that, you--"

Izuku braced a hand over Kacchan's mouth as he positioned himself. "Be nice, Katsuki. Or else I won't be nice to you."

Realization dawned slowly on Kacchan's face, his narrowed eyes slowly widening, his brows climbing his forehead. Izuku was on his knees, straddled over Kacchan's lap, one hand reaching back and between them as he positioned Kacchan's cock at his entrance. Kacchan's hands moved to circle Izuku's waist, tightly but not forcefully. Finding the angle a bit difficult, Izuku had to pull his hand back from Kacchan's mouth to lean his weight back on it. Kacchan held him steadily as Izuku began lowering himself, slowly, carefully, down onto Kacchan's cock.

"Fuck. Shit. Holy hell, Izuku, this is--Just--" Kacchan was lost for words. Izuku could only concentrate on the position of his body, seeking the right angle to take Kacchan in. It wasn't a matter of relaxing or preparation, all of that felt fine. But finding the right angle took a bit more than he'd anticipated. He had to kick one leg forward and lean back on his hand just to get the tip, then he placed both hands on the bed in order to ease himself down. By the time his ass rested against Kacchan's lap, he was panting, faintly glistening with sweat, with his cock at full mast once more. He shifted, moving experimentally as the position wasn't what he had pictured it being at all.

"I wanted to ride you," Izuku said by way of explanation.

"Yeah, got that." Kacchan's voice was low, gruff.

"'M not sure I can, though."

A shudder ran through Kacchan, as if he were struggling to hold back. "Get your leg underneath you. Here." He held Izuku's waist, keeping him centered while Izuku maneuvered to his knees, so he had some leverage to ride. "I'll just--I'll hold you, so you just--do what you were gonna do."

The anticipation in Kacchan's voice was almost too much for Izuku. He felt a sudden rush of gratitude for Kacchan's initial plan to experiment; just the thought of having to muddle through this with anyone else was enough to make Izuku blush all over. Carefully, with his weight still on his arms stretched behind him, Izuku rose slightly on his knees, then crashed back down, earning a series of swear from Kacchan as well as a poorly controlled thrust of the blond's hips.

"Was that okay?" Izuku asked, genuinely concerned.

"Shit, yeah," Kacchan panted. "Keep going."

Izuku bobbed a bit irregularly before finding a rhythm he could keep. And it felt amazing. It was like earlier in the gym, when he'd been in control of the pace as Kacchan held him up against the wall. Kacchan could thrust upwards, but his movement was limited. Izuku's wasn't. He could control the depth of each penetration, the duration and the pace. And he loved it. Lost in the sensation, he let his head roll back, eyes closed. First one arm came forward to clasp Kacchan's forearm, then the other, letting Kacchan support his weight while he lost himself in the ride.

Kacchan swore in a steady stream, leaning back against the headboard, his arms locked around Izuku's waist to keep him from bouncing erratically. His hips gave stuttered thrusts as Izuku's blunt fingernails dug into his arms, leaving faint red lines behind. A translucent drip of precum pearled at the tip of Izuku's dick, then dribbled down his length.

"K-Katsuki," Izuku begged, his eyes closed as he continued to ride.

Kacchan removed hand from Izuku's waist, but as the moss-haired boy came down at a rough angle, he cursed and grabbed hold firmly. "I can't, 'Zuku, you gotta do it."

Izuku whimpered, his eyes still closed, his body still rising and falling in rhythm, as he unclasped his hand from Kacchan's arm and gripped the base of his own erection. His mouth fell open, his breathing stuttering as he took himself in hand, Kacchan swallowing and swearing lowly as Izuku tried to match the pace he was setting. It began to fall apart, Izuku's thrusts becoming wild, the strength in his thighs giving out, his body shaking with his oncoming orgasm. Kacchan leaned back against the headboard, watching through hooded eyes as Izuku came closer and closer to the edge. He adjusted his grip on Izuku's hips and slammed upwards, chasing his own release as he drove sharp, ringing cries from Izuku's chest. A wordless shout and hot spurts of semen shot across Kacchan's chest and stomach, the first hard shot splashing just under his jaw. Every muscle within Izuku clamped down, hard, bringing Kacchan to his own hard climax, the grip on Izuku's waist becoming painful as Kacchan ground him down against his hips.

Izuku sagged forward, weak and spent, unable to hold himself up any longer. Kacchan held him in place, one hand moving to Izuku's shoulder to hold him up. He was still riding the waves of his orgasm and didn't want Izuku to move before he was finished. Izuku blinked blearily, wanting no more than to curl up and sleep, despite the mess he and Kacchan had just finished making. His vision was doubled at first, but then resolved, slowly, into a streak of his own cum running down Kacchan's neck. Unable to tear his eyes away from it, Izuku leaned forward, breaking the link between their bodies. Kacchan took a breath to cry out, which turned into a stuttered moan as Izuku licked the line of cum from his throat.

"Shit," he muttered, assisting wearily as Izuku sagged down over Kacchan's lap. "You're a freak, you know that?"

"Is that bad?" Izuku asked, yawning.

"Fuck no."

Chapter Text

Izuku awoke once again in Kacchan's bed, pressed against the sleeping warmth of another body. He allowed himself a moment to revel in that fact before anxiety kicked over his stalled brain.

Tomorrow afternoon, Kacchan's parents would be home. And just a few days after that, school would start again.

And all of this would be over.

Izuku's stomach churned unpleasantly. He'd known the end was coming, right from the very beginning. Somehow, it had seemed so distant, but now, like final exams, the end date was looming just over the horizon. He and Kacchan would be back to being just...classmates. Rivals. Old friends.

Izuku took a steadying breath and crept from the bed. He searched briefly for his clothes before remembering that he'd left them back in the guest room. After he'd finished riding Kacchan last night, they'd both cleaned up in the bathroom and Kacchan had insisted they sleep in his room, where the sheets were still fresh. Izuku turned to leave, but thin light from beneath the curtains caught Kacchan's cheek, his pale blond hair, making him look younger, softer, than he'd seemed over the past handful of years. Izuku felt fondness kindle in his chest, then turned, crushing it. He couldn't let Kacchan know what this week had meant for him; that his feelings from middle school had never changed. This hadn't meant anything to Kacchan; he couldn't let it show that it meant anything to him. If Kacchan found out...would he taunt Izuku as cruelly as he had in middle school? Or would he simply be disgusted with Izuku and ignore him for the rest of their time at school together? Would he brag to his friends about everything they'd done together?

Izuku didn’t think his heart could take that.

At the least, Izuku was certain that if Kacchan found out he was still in love with him, he'd never have another chance to do this with Kacchan ever again, even if another perfect opportunity like this one came along.

So he killed his feelings, drew back physically and emotionally, and retreated to his bedroom.

Feeling empty but not about to give in to the urge to crawl back into bed with Kacchan, Izuku found himself wandering the house he had once known so well as a child. There were new pictures on the walls, most of them of Kacchan, naturally. But there were some old ones as well. One in particular, a photo of two barely school-aged boys playing in the sand on the beach, caught Izuku's eye. He couldn't help but smile. Right after the picture was taken, Izuku had fallen, tripping into a hole they had dug together. Kacchan had hauled him out of the hole right before the spill of a wave filled it in, collapsing it. Izuku had cried, calling Kacchan his hero. Kacchan had called him stupid and set to digging a "better" hole.

Izuku had spent a lot of time growing up within Kacchan's household. Inko worked a lot as a single parent bringing up a child on her own, but Bakugou Mitsuki had the good fortune to suspend her career while Kacchan was young and graciously watched over the both of them. There had been a lot of sleepovers, covert rule-breaking and childish skirmishes. When Kacchan's Quirk had developed, they had tested it together, experimenting endlessly while Izuku took notes and suggested new feats of strength. Kacchan had been encouraging, promising that Izuku's Quirk would be just as cool as his own (it couldn't be cooler, because what the fuck was cooler than blowing shit up with your hands?) and they'd practice with it together. Because they were going to be a team. They were going to surpass All Might, beat all the Villains and rescue all the people.

Izuku frowned, turning away from the picture. Why couldn't life have just followed the plan? It could have been so simple. Instead, soon after it was determined that Izuku had passed the point of developing a Quirk, Kacchan had begun pulling away. He made friends with other kids, kids with cool or strong Quirks. He began teasing Izuku, pushing him away and calling him Quirkless.

Useless.

I need to cheer up, Izuku realized, shaking his head to clear it. If Kacchan sees that I'm sulking, I'll lose out on my last day to be with him like this.

If there was only one more day, it had to count.

Izuku's stomach grumbled loudly, echoing the emptiness he felt inside himself. Well, if he wasn't going to allow himself to wallow in self-pity, he might as well make something to eat. As he rummaged through the pantry that mostly contained a series of differently flavored protein powders (seriously, the protein powder industry must have wet themselves with joy the day Kacchan discovered protein shakes) Izuku accidentally came upon a box of instant mix. He checked the expiration date, then smiled.

Why not start the day like it was one of their old sleepovers?

It was nearly an hour later when Kacchan wandered into the kitchen, grumbling, his hair still a mess and dressed only in a pair of worn-in cotton pajama pants, hanging low on his hips.

"The fuck you doing, nerd?" Kacchan asked without any heat behind it.

"Making breakfast." Izuku smiled beatifically, rubbing at a smear of pancake mix on his cheek. He'd made a bit of a mess of the kitchen, but then, it had taken a few tries to get the pancakes just right. The first two had burned, nearly setting off the fire alarm. After that, the heat was set too low and the pancakes simply wouldn't cook. On top of that, he'd forgotten to add the blueberries he'd found in the fridge after he'd rinsed them off in the sink. Oh, and... "I couldn't find any syrup. Why do you have pancake mix without syrup?"

"Didn't even know we had pancake mix," Kacchan grumbled. "All that shit's terrible for you."

"Fine, then don't eat any," Izuku teased as he set an orange-flavored protein shake down in front of Kacchan. "I found some honey and some butter and I'm eating them."

Kacchan sipped his protein shake, eyeing Izuku’s mess critically. He smirked at the reject-pancakes in the trash and prodded a lemon half on a cutting board.

"I squeezed some lemon juice into the batter," Izuku admitted, watching Kacchan pace through the kitchen like a tiger. "I saw Auntie Mitsuki do that whenever she made pancakes."

"Only when she added blueberries to them." Kacchan frowned as Izuku blushed, busying himself with flipping a pancake. He glanced into the sink, saw the rinsed blueberries and realized Izuku's omission. "You could just make a syrup out of the berries."

"Really?" Izuku turned, eyes wide with wonder.

Kacchan snickered. "It's just sugar and water. Get out of the way. I'll make it."

Kacchan set up a second saucepan on the stove, set some water and sugar to boil, then added the blueberries. With just a little stirring, he had a warm blueberry syrup ready by the time Izuku finished the last of the pancakes. Kacchan squeezed the remaining lemon half over the syrup, then poured generous portions over both plates of pancakes.

Izuku watched with big eyes, amazed by the transformation of whole berries into a sweet, pulpy syrup. Kacchan watched, amused, as Izuku cut off a large piece of pancake, swept it through a puddle of syrup, and bit rapturously into it.

"Mmm!" Izuku beamed, relishing the sweetness of the berries countered with the subtle tang of the lemon juice. "Kacchan is such a great cook!"

"Fucking nerd," Kacchan chuckled, reaching out to swipe a bit of pancake batter from Izuku's cheek with his thumb. "What'd you wanna do today?"

"Hmm." Izuku hummed around a mouthful of pancakes. The syrup really was the perfect complement to the slightly tart flavor of the pancakes. "Should probably get some exercise. Maybe go running on the beach?"

Kacchan held him locked in a long stare before finally nodding. "Yeah. Whatever."

Once he finished eating, Izuku began cleaning up the dishes he'd used to cook breakfast. A few moments later, Kacchan shoved him roughly away from the sink and took over the task without a word. Still smiling brightly, Izuku set about straightening the kitchen, wiping down the stove and drying the dishes as Kacchan finished cleaning them. It felt as if Kacchan was being deliberately stand-offish but then again, he had probably come to his own conclusion that their time together was drawing to a close. In just over twenty-four hours, Kacchan's parents would be home and Izuku would go back to his mother's apartment for the remainder of the break.

Well, they'd just have to make the best of what time they had left.

Izuku dried his hands on a kitchen towel, then retreated to his guest room, closing the door behind himself as he changed into a pair of running shorts and a tank top. As he brushed his hair and his teeth, he noted the mark on his shoulder from Kacchan's hand had mostly faded. The shapes of Kacchan's fingers had lost their definition, so it almost looked more like a splotchy sunburn than a hand print. He gave the print on his leg a cursory check and found it in the same condition. He sighed in relief; it seemed likely that both marks would be completely gone before he went back to school.

A sound from the bathroom door leading to Kacchan's room made Izuku jump.

"Fuckin' nerd, open the fuckin' door!"

"Sorry, Kacchan!" Izuku had forgotten he'd locked it earlier when he'd used the toilet. He unlocked it now, nearly getting hit when Kacchan shoved it open roughly.

They stared at each other briefly, Izuku in confusion, Kacchan looking irritated. Kacchan was still wearing his loose pajama bottoms, looking nowhere near prepared for a run.

"Did you...want to go running with me, Kacchan?" Izuku asked timidly.

Kacchan blinked, then his brows furrowed. "Together?"

"Yeah." Izuku felt confused. "I mean, only if you want to."

It was like someone had hit the pause button. Izuku wasn't even certain Kacchan was breathing. Then, finally: "Yeah, whatever. Get the fuck out so I can change."

Izuku retreated to his room, closing the bathroom door behind him. Hadn't he been clear earlier when he suggested that they go for a run? He couldn't quite remember what he'd said. They'd gone walking the other day, so he couldn't see why Kacchan would be so reluctant. Perhaps Kacchan thought Izuku couldn't keep up with him on an actual run. Izuku began to stretch, grinning. If that was what Kacchan thought, then he was in for a surprise.

Kacchan thumped on the door to Izuku's room once to indicate that he was ready for a run. They both sat at the end of the genkan, pulling their running shoes on. Kacchan stretched lazily as they meandered down to the beach, his silence driving Izuku into nervous chatter, mostly about how school would be starting up again soon and how he, Kacchan and Todoroki-kun were beginning the year as the new Big Three. He wondered aloud how Iida-kun and Uraraka-san were enjoying their break and maybe over the weekend he'd call them for a chat. Kacchan remained silent all the way down the beach, a storm cloud on his furrowed brow and in the twitch of his jaw.

They stretched once more at the top of the steps that led down to the running path along the beach, then trotted down the steps to begin. Izuku let Kacchan set the pace, which started off a bit more punishing than he'd anticipated, but by the time they hit the second mile, slowed to something a bit closer to a jog. Izuku was beginning to regret letting so many days go by without a run; by the third mile, he could feel his wind waning.

"'S'matter, Deku?" Kacchan asked, giving him a sideways glance. "You done already?"

"Not a chance, Kacchan!" Izuku smiled through his breathlessness.

"Heh. Good." Kacchan smirked just before increasing his pace. Izuku hid a grimace and pushed himself to keep up.

By the time they reached the end of the running path and turned back, they were both full-out sprinting, each pushing the other to go faster, further, just a little more. Izuku could have cheated, could have beaten Kacchan definitively if he'd used his Quirk to enhance his muscles and his speed. But then again, if Kacchan could use his Quirk to propel himself forward, it was possible that he would win in a footrace as well. But as Kacchan's Quirk was the visible one and he could possibly get in trouble if anyone saw him using it, Izuku refrained from using his own as well.

Even though he wanted nothing more than too collapse when they reached their starting point, Izuku skidded past the stairway back up to the street, slowing his pace to a walk. Beside him, Kacchan slowed as well, cursing as he shook out his arms and rolled his shoulders.

"Think that's one of my best times yet," Kacchan commented with a smirk. His eyes flickered like lit fuses as he glanced over at Izuku. "Wanna help me stretch out when we get back?"

Izuku felt blood rush to his cheeks at the implication in such a public place. He glanced around to make sure they were alone before responding. "Only if you help me stretch, too, Kacchan."

Kacchan chuckled soft and low. They walked for another mile before turning back to the stairs. On the way home, Izuku begged that they stop for an iced coffee at a street vendor he knew. To his surprise, Kacchan ordered a coffee as well: iced, black, two sugars. He gave Izuku's iced mocha a judgmental look, as if the extra calories could infect his own drink. Izuku only giggled and enjoyed his drink on the walk back to Kacchan's home, feeling more relaxed now that he'd had a decent workout.

They kicked out of their shoes at the genkan, finished their iced coffees and then Kacchan insisted on protein shakes for each of them. Izuku didn't normally take a shake after every workout during the day, but protein was practically Kacchan's religion, so he agreed simply to be polite. Afterwards, Kacchan suggested a soak in the hot tub to relax after their run and Izuku was quick to agree.

So, when Izuku told himself that he wasn't jealous of Kacchan and his family, he meant it. Truly.

At the same time, it's hard not to be envious of a hot tub.

And this was no ordinary hot tub, of course. The end nearest the house was a standard jet tub, with benches and cup holders and lights that changed color, but there was a longer portion just over a short divider where the swimmer could set the jets to create a strong current to swim against. And as swimming was supposed to be the best exercise for muscle definition while also being easiest on the joints, Izuku couldn't quite keep himself from feeling a twinge of envy every time he was allowed a dip.

Izuku had changed into trunks quicker than Kacchan had, so by the time the blond arrived, Izuku was already adjusting the massage jets in his chosen seat. Kacchan set two glasses of something pinkish into the cup holders, removed his cellphone from the pocket of his trunks, then stepped into the tub. He sank into a corner seat, almost opposite of where Izuku sat, and busied himself on his phone. Curious, Izuku swam across the pool and took one of the glasses.

"Mmm, lemonade?" Izuku asked, holding the glass up as he floated back across the tub to his seat.

Kacchan grunted an affirmation. "Fuckin' Pinky Pie. Still tryin' to get me to bring booze to her shitty bonfire."

"Maybe tell her you couldn't get any?" Izuku suggested, setting the glass of lemonade in a nearby cup holder before settling back into his seat again.

"Nah, she knows my old lady hides it around the house. She can't even say anything when I steal it, or else Dad'll find out she's still drinking."

"Oh." Izuku had only passing knowledge of Auntie Mitsuki's drinking problem. He'd actually stumbled across one or two of her hiding places by accident in the past week. "Then maybe tell Ashido-san that you can't go? You barely got to see your parents over the break, after all."

Kacchan snorted. "That's even more unbelievable. Like I'd want to spend any more time with that old hag than I have to."

Izuku shrugged, taking another sip of his lemonade. "I like Auntie Mitsuki."

Kacchan rolled his eyes. "Of course, you do. You fuckin' like everyone."

Izuku only beamed. "Thank you for the lemonade, Kacchan!"

"Whatever." Katsuki tossed his phone behind him, sending it skittering to the edge of a deck table. “C’mere.”

Izuku blinked, surprised. “Kacchan?”

“Said we’d help each other stretch out, remember?”
“Oh yeah!” Izuku set his lemonade in a nearby cup holder and propelled himself across the tub. Kacchan caught his arm and towed him in towards himself, one hand already digging into the muscles at the back of Izuku’s neck. “Mmm, that’s so good, Kacchan!”

“You carry a lot of fuckin’ tension here,” Kacchan chided. He probably spent longer than was absolutely necessary working on Izuku’s neck and shoulders, but Izuku certainly wasn’t complaining. Afterwards, Kacchan worked his arms through a series of stretches, followed by stretches for his hips, thighs and calves. While it would have been nicer to simply revel in the feel of Kacchan’s hands working his body, Izuku took note of each stretch and once Kacchan had wrung him out like a rag, Izuku turned the same attention back on Kacchan. It wasn’t too surprising to find the blond was more flexible than Izuku was; he’d been training his body longer, after all.

Izuku ended his massage by working on Kacchan’s hands. He’d actually settled himself in Kacchan’s lap with Kacchan’s free arm wrapped around his waist to keep Izuku from floating while he worked the tendons and muscles of Kacchan’s most powerful weapons. After popping every joint in Kacchan’s left hand, he switched to working on the right.

By the end of the hand massage, Kacchan felt limp and loose, his head resting back against the seat. Izuku suppressed the urge to plant a kiss on Kacchan’s cheek—it felt too couple-y and he thought Kacchan might yell at him for doing it—and swam back across the tub to where he’d left his lemonade. Though most of the ice had melted, it was still cool enough to provide relief from the heat of the tub.

For a while, the only sound was that of the jets and the tumble of foamy water. Izuku closed his eyes, relaxing fully into the jets. The clink of ice in a glass startled him from near-sleepiness and when he looked up, he found Kacchan's eyes on him.

"Kacchan?"

Was Kacchan's face red from the hot water, or had he gotten a little sunburn from running this morning? He opened his mouth to speak, turned slightly more red, then looked away before asking: "You going to the bonfire, Deku?"

"I think so," Izuku chirped, glancing around for his phone before he remembered that he left it back in his room. "Uraraka-san says she's going to be there and I didn't get to see her at all this break. Iida-kun can't make it, but between you and me, that's probably for the best."

Izuku honestly really liked Iida, but to say he was a little strict when it came to rules was like saying the ocean was a little salty. If there were going to be any youthful shenanigans at the bonfire, such as underage drinking, it was best that Iida remain unaware of them.

"Yeah, probably," Kacchan grunted, his eyes still averted. He reached back for his lemonade, took a long sip, then a deep breath as if bracing himself for something. "Hey, Deku?"

"Yes, Kacchan?" Izuku smiled, feeling warm and relaxed.

Kacchan hesitated, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Finally: "You wanna go fuck around?"

"Yes, but..." Now Izuku found himself hesitating. He wanted to try something, but he felt certain Kacchan would refuse, so then was it even worth asking? But then, something Kacchan had said before came back to him: How do you know what I want to do? It's not like you've asked me or anything. Izuku took a breath and dared: "I'd like to top, Kacchan."

Everything in Kacchan went tense at once. Izuku swore he felt the temperature of the water--already pushing the upper limits of tolerable heat--ratchet up another few degrees. The glass in Kacchan's hand squealed as a crack ran up the side of it. Kacchan swore and quickly twisted to set the glass down before it could shatter.

"We don't have to," Izuku hurried to add. "It's just...earlier, you said--"

"Shut up, Deku." Kacchan didn't make eye contact, instead his crimson gaze swept across the foaming water as if searching for the right answer.

Izuku remained silent. He knew he could argue the point: Izuku had been on the bottom the whole week, shouldn't Kacchan be on bottom at least once? If this was a week for experimentation, shouldn't they each get a turn topping? If Kacchan thought it was beneath his pride to be on bottom, then wouldn't it also have been beneath Izuku's pride? But he didn't press any of these points. If Kacchan refused, that was it. Izuku would never try to push a friend into doing something that made them uncomfortable, especially in regards to sex.

Kacchan shifted uncomfortably, his eyes low and narrowed. Izuku silently finished his lemonade, letting Kacchan turn the idea over a few times.

"Fine," Kacchan finally muttered without lifting his gaze.

Izuku startled, nearly dropping the glass in the water. "We really don't have to, Kacchan. I'm not going to hold back sex if you say you don't--"

"I said it's fucking fine." Kacchan stood, displacing the water so that it sloshed over the side. He grabbed a towel, scraped the chlorinated water off his limbs, then knotted the towel over his waist. With a glance back over his shoulder, he called: "Let's go."

Izuku scrambled to follow, slipping as he climbed over the side of the tub. He hurried to dry off, tying his towel just as Kacchan had, then grabbed the lemonade glasses before pulling the cover back over the hot tub. He stopped at the kitchen to drop off the glasses, then stepped into his borrowed room. Kacchan wasn't waiting for him there, so he took a moment to scrub at his damp hair.

"Oi, Deku." Kacchan pushed the bathroom door open. "You coming?"

Izuku froze, the towel still over his head. Kacchan was standing fully, gloriously nude. Of course, he'd seen Kacchan naked a lot over the past few days, but usually only parts and pieces at a time, often in dim lighting or beneath the suds and spray in the shower. His mouth went dry at the sight of Kacchan's perfectly proportioned body on display for him: The flat planes of muscle over his chest, the powerful curve of his shoulders, the perfect little squares that made up his abs, the nearly invisible trail of hair tapering from his navel down to his half-hard arousal. Izuku knew he was staring, but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

Luckily, Kacchan only smirked arrogantly before turning and walking back to his own room. Izuku swallowed, staring at the ass he'd just been given permission to breach. To make his. Just this once.

His brain finally finished the reset it began on seeing Kacchan naked and allowed him to move his feet. He stopped in the bathroom to throw his towel over a rack and sling his swim trunks over the shower rod, just as Kacchan had. He took a moment to himself, just to breathe, before stepping into Kacchan's room.

Kacchan was sitting on the edge of his bed, the bottle of lubricant in his hands. He looked up as Izuku entered, tossing the bottle to him. Izuku caught it against his chest, a little unnerved at how hard it hit him.

"Kacchan, we don't have to--"

"Shut up." The look in Kacchan's eyes was a stark reminder of the challenge Izuku saw the day of their big fight, back in their first year. "If you can do it, then I can too, that's all. Just do it right, Deku."

"Um, okay." Izuku hesitated in the doorway, the bottle slick and heavy in his hands.

"Yeah, you're making me feel real comfortable by just fucking standing there and overthinking this whole thing," Kacchan taunted.

Izuku took a breath, dropped the bottle down to his side and crossed the room to stand before Kacchan. He started the same way Kacchan usually did: with a kiss. Izuku slid his free hand behind Kacchan's neck, tipping it back, slipping his tongue past Kacchan's lips to tease the roof of his mouth. Kacchan's hands circled Izuku's waist, pulling him in to stand between Kacchan's legs. Izuku tossed the lube down on the bed to run his hands over Kacchan's shoulders, through his hair, over the broad muscles in his back. He let the kiss go on and on, until he felt a fine line of tension ease from Kacchan's neck and shoulders. When he finally pulled back, Kacchan's lips were thick and red, his eyes hooded with lust.

"Ease back on the pillows for me, gorgeous," Izuku said, voice low.

Kacchan's jaw tensed, just for a second, then he scooted back on the bed, settling in against the pillows. Izuku followed the motion, crawling after him, straddling Kacchan's lap to kiss him again. Kacchan's hands felt hot on Izuku's back as they traced his spine, circled his hips, squeezed his cheeks. Izuku took long moments simply kissing Kacchan's lips, his neck, his collarbone. He nuzzled Kacchan's neck and whispered: "I'll never think any less of you if you ask me to stop. Just say so, okay?"

Izuku felt the rumble in Kacchan's chest that meant he was about to protest, growl or posture menacingly. Before he could, he slid his hand down Kacchan's chest and gripped his erection, firmly but gently. Whatever Kacchan had been about to say was lost in a grunt.

"You have to tell me how you want it." Izuku nipped at Kacchan's ear as his hand moved with lazy, long strokes.

Izuku could feel Kacchan's throat muscles work as he swallowed. "I'll turn over," he managed, though the words were tight, strained.

"If that's what you want, lover." The pet names felt strange on his tongue, as if he hadn't found just the right one yet. He ignored the feeling and kept petting, stroking, leaving small kisses on Kacchan's shoulder. "Is it okay if I get you ready?"

Kacchan nodded sharply, everything in him tense even as Izuku began peppering kisses over his chest, his arms, his abdomen. Kacchan's hands felt hot on his shoulders as he settled between Kacchan's knees and groped for the bottle of lube. The hands tightened, burning for an instant before Kacchan swore and pulled them away, burying them in the sheets.

Izuku warmed the lube in his hand, licking his lips as he stared down at the junction between Kacchan's legs, bent and parted for him. The erection that had been so eager in his hand just moments before looked to be waning, just a touch. Kacchan was clearly nervous but he'd never say it out loud. So for Kacchan's benefit, Izuku made eye contact before settling down onto his elbows.

"Eyes on me, big guy." Holding those deadly crimson orbs, Izuku's tongue darted out to lap at the engorged purple crown. He slid his hand down Kacchan's side in a comforting gesture, keeping his other hand cupped around the dollop of lube. He focused entirely on Kacchan's cock, using his mouth and tongue to hold his interest, waiting until Kacchan moaned in pleasure, his body easing in infinitesimal increments. Only when Kacchan's head fell back against the pillows did Izuku gently run his finger along his puckered rosebud of an entrance.

Kacchan tensed instantly, his legs pressing in as if to close, his head snapping up to glare down at Izuku.

"Try and relax," Izuku crooned, voice low and soft. He didn't stop circling Kacchan's rim. He did take the head of Kacchan's cock into his mouth, easing it with his tongue, applying a bit of suction to draw attention away from his hand. It seemed to work as Kacchan's eyes fell shut, his head leaning back once more. One hand unfurled from the blankets, started to come down on Izuku's hair, then pulled back, clenching into a fist. "It's okay if you want to touch me, handsome, I won't break."

Hot, strong fingers carded through Izuku's damp hair. He let Kacchan set a pulsing rhythm, focusing instead on preparing for his entry. It wasn't all at once, but slowly, steadily, he felt the way ease beneath his fingers. He reached in slowly, tentatively, waiting for any sign of discomfort or refusal. Finding none, he sank his first finger in, circling, thrusting, stretching carefully. Kacchan's body tightened around him, the hand in his hair twisted the strands sharply before letting go, petting away the pain. Izuku kept up the work with his mouth until he felt the tension ease once more.

Kacchan never relaxed, not completely, but then Izuku knew it had taken him several attempts to relax for penetration as well, even though he wanted it. So unless Kacchan was going to speak up and tell him otherwise, Izuku was going to keep moving forward. Slowly, of course, giving plenty of time for Kacchan to change his mind. His second finger slid inside, more easily than the first, and worked to help stretch, prod and lubricate the entrance. Izuku sped up his oral ministrations, keeping Kacchan's attention on the pleasure rather than the pain. He curled his fingers, groping searching for that--

"AAaaah!" Kacchan's hips arched off the bed as if an electric current was coursing through him. "Shit, fuck, 'Zuku, fucking shitting hell!"

Izuku's free hand came up to pin Kacchan's hip to the bed. He ignored the tears caused by nearly swallowing Kacchan's cock in that unexpected thrust. He felt more than a little proud, though, at earning such a reaction from the boy he'd loved for at least half his life. He hit that spot a few more times, until Kacchan could no longer form coherent curse words and instead whined and bucked, thrusting back on Izuku's hand. When he slid the third finger in to finish stretching and preparing, he wasn't even certain that Kacchan noticed. The hand in his hair was moving with force, as if Kacchan were getting close to coming.

"Not yet," Izuku admonished softly, letting Kacchan's cock pop out of his mouth. He eased back, hoping Kacchan was better prepared than he had been for his first time. Kacchan's eyes came open, wanting but wary, watching as Izuku slicked his own cock generously. "You still want to turn over, bombshell?"

That nickname earned a breathy smirk that Izuku didn't think he'd ever forget. Kacchan flipped to his hands and knees more rapidly than Izuku thought he would; perhaps he was trying not to think about what was coming, or, perhaps he was excited for it. Either way, Izuku took a few moments to stroke and kiss Kacchan's back and cheeks, murmuring soft compliments before he lined himself up against Kacchan's entrance.

"You look gorgeous like this," Izuku whispered, unable to stop himself. His hands traced the line of Kacchan's spine, the curve of his ass, slid over the muscles of his stomach. "You're like a Greek god, Kacchan, I just want to worship you. You're my hero, Kacchan."

A shudder ran the length of Kacchan's body, a released gasp of air and an unmistakable thrust backwards, keening sharply as Izuku's erection pressed against him. "Fuck me, Izuku."

"Yes, my Katsuki." Izuku took a moment longer, using his knees to widen Kacchan's legs. One hand cupped Kacchan's hip, the other guided himself to the stretched and lubed hole. It was too much to expect Kacchan to take him in a single thrust, but the way wasn't entirely closed either. Izuku pressed slowly, using small thrusts and murmured words of encouragement. He petted Kacchan's back and sides, conscious of the pain he was likely causing, but at the same time feeling the euphoric rush of being surrounded, of being taken while at the same time taking. Kacchan's body was heaven--the perfect amount of pressure, of resistance and yielding. He wanted more of it, all of it, all the time, forever. By the time he finally bottomed out, he couldn’t help but add a thrusting pulse, trying for more, just a little more heat, a little more depth.

Kacchan's sharp, pained breaths brought Izuku back to himself. He fell still, though it felt physically painful to do so. He waited, letting Kacchan adjust, lift his hips a bit higher, spread his legs a little more. Izuku still remembered his first time, that desire to stop while at the same time just wanting to get on with it, because he knew the better sensations were waiting just past this first threshold. He held his hips still, but gently stroked Kacchan's sides, his back, his thighs. God, but Kacchan was beautiful and so strong and warm and tight and--

Izuku was suddenly conscious of the fact that he was muttering. Rather than quell it, he kept it up: "You're the best, Kacchan. So perfect, so strong. I wish I could just stay here, stay like this, with you. Want to taste you everywhere, want to feel you, want to move in you. You've always been my hero, Kacchan."

There was a sudden backwards thrust, startling Izuku into a breathy silence. Kacchan was tense, drawing away, then pushing back, unmistakably thrusting himself back on Izuku's cock.

"God, Kacchan--Katsuki. That--it feels so good," Izuku murmured. "Can I move, Katsuki? Please, can I? I won't if you tell me not to--"

"Go," Kacchan grunted, his voice low, his hips still moving with small jerks.

Izuku set his hands on Kacchan's hips and withdrew, slowly, about halfway. He seated himself back in just as slowly, drawing a soft breath from the blond.

"Faster," Kacchan demanded.

Izuku pulled back again, sliding just a bit easier but still not moving quickly. He held back the overwhelming desire to pound into Kacchan with reckless abandon, reminding himself over and over again that this would be the only time he was allowed this precious gift. If he rushed through it, it would be over, as fleeting as the sakura blossoms in the spring. No, he had to treasure this, take his time--

He was muttering again. Izuku bit his lower lip, wondering why Kacchan wasn't snarling at him for ruining the mood with his incessant chatter. He focused on the feeling of being surrounded, enveloped, by Kacchan. He sped his next thrust up, this time drawing a moan from Kacchan. The next thrust came a bit faster, as did the one after that. Yes, he wanted to savor it, but at some point he also had to come.

Izuku wasn't the only one thrusting: Kacchan had his elbows down on the bed and was pushing back, meeting Izuku thrust for thrust. Each new half-strangled moan and gasp spurred Izuku on, making him climb higher and higher as he chased his release. Gray smoke was twining up from beneath Kacchan's hands where they were twisted in the sheets, but unless Kacchan called for a stop, Izuku was going to keep going.

They had reached a frenzied pace, ass slapping against thighs in an obscene yet thrilling cacophony. Reality was beginning to blur for Izuku, his last grounded thought being that he had to help Kacchan reach his completion, too. But just as he reached around to take hold of Kacchan's perfect, swollen cock--

"Stop!"

Later, Izuku would feel ashamed that he hadn't halted immediately on command. What if he'd been hurting Kacchan? What if Kacchan had changed his mind? But in that moment, Izuku was given over to baser instincts, which insisted that stopping was actually physically impossible; it would be easier to continue, to beg for forgiveness afterwards. He had to suppress those instincts hard, tears actually forming in his eyes as his hips slowed and finally halted, still seated deeply inside of Kacchan.

"Really?" Izuku asked, breath coming hard. "Really stop?"

"Just--wait."

Izuku was even more ashamed as One-for-All flickered beneath his skin. His teenaged hormones screamed that he didn't need to wait for permission; he had the strength to take what he wanted. He smoothed a tear from his cheek with his shoulder, inwardly hating himself for such thoughts. "Something wrong, Kacchan?"

A sound that might have been half a word, a shift that might have been discomfort. "I want to see you."

"Oh. Oh!" Izuku swallowed. "Are you sure? That position was...just a little uncomfortable."

"Don't care," Kacchan panted. "Gotta see you, 'Zuku."

"Okay." Izuku pulled out carefully, regretting the loss of sensation. But as Kacchan flipped over, his pupils blown, his face and neck flushed with desire, he suddenly realized how much better this was. So much more personal, more intimate. So much better to look into the face of his lover rather than the impersonal lines of his body. Izuku wet his lips as he looped one of Kacchan's legs up over his shoulder, the other wrapping around his waist. "Ready, Kacchan?"

"Just do it," Kacchan growled, his voice a lit fuse. He braced one hand against the headboard, the other twisted in the sheets. Izuku couldn't help but smile as he found two blackened hand prints on the sheets to either side of Kacchan's head. Thankfully they were in Kacchan's own bed, rather than the guest bed, so hopefully the burns could be explained away by a bad dream.

Izuku pushed back in, not slowly this time, but steadily, easily. The way was open, relaxed and--dare he think it--eager. Kacchan's heel dug into Izuku's back, drawing him forward as pale lashes fluttered on flushed cheeks. So powerful was the hold around his waist, that Izuku had to struggle to pull out before the heel was snapping him forward, the hips beneath him snapping up, setting a pace that he willingly fell into. Izuku wrapped one hand around the leg over his shoulder, tucking his face against Kacchan's knee, murmuring praise and whispers of awe against Kacchan's skin. His other hand found Kacchan's purple majesty, his thumb spreading beads of precum over the crown before his hand took up the rhythm of their thrusts. It was going to be soon, Izuku could feel it, the height of the wave, the cresting foam, that feeling of soaring--

"'Zuku--Fuck!" Kacchan shouted and tensed, arching his back and pulsing his hips to ride that particular spot within him. Izuku strained to hold that spot, to drag against it, to hit it, holding back his own pleasure for the sake of Kacchan's. The cock in his hand throbbed, then pulsed, pumping thick streams of cum across Kacchan and the bed.

Then it was Izuku's turn to curse and scream. Every muscle in Kacchan's body clamped down, the heel in his back driving him forward, the muscles surrounding his dick closing like a vice. He couldn't have held back if there had been a gun to his head. Izuku spilled himself into Kacchan's body, barely able to move as he rode the wave down to the beach, crashing hard, then sliding back lazily, languorously back into the ocean. His vision whited out, his chest screaming for air and for one perilous moment, Izuku feared he might black out. When he vision came back, he found himself hovering over Kacchan, his hands planted on either side of the blond's hips, the leg over his shoulder pinned uncomfortably against Kacchan's abdomen.

"Lucky I'm pretty flexible," Kacchan muttered, shifting uncomfortably as Izuku blinked. "You wanna get up?"

"Not really," Izuku admitted, still warmly sheathed inside of Kacchan. "Do I have to?"

"Yeah, rent's past due, Deku." Kacchan seemed darkly amused as he pressed his other foot into Izuku's hip, easing him backwards. Izuku leaned back, unable to describe the feeling of loss that overtook him as pulled out.

"Kacchan, that was--it was--" There were no words for the experience. "Thank you, Kacchan."

"Whatever." Kacchan grimaced, a pained look on his face as he straightened his leg. He started to sit up, gritted his teeth, then laid back down. "It supposed to fucking hurt this much?"

"It-it did for me, but only the first time," Izuku assured him quickly. He wanted nothing more than to lie down next to Kacchan, recharge and maybe doze for an hour or two, but instead he willed himself to his feet. "I'll get a towel and some water. Stay here, Kacchan."

Izuku cleaned himself in the bathroom with a little warm water and a washcloth. After wetting a clean cloth, he returned to the bed and wiped the streaks of cum from Kacchan's chest and stomach. He started to reach between Kacchan's legs, but a murderous crimson glare stopped him. He turned away and waited while Kacchan performed the task for himself. After depositing the cloth back in the bathroom, Izuku went to the kitchen for a glass of ice water. When he returned, Kacchan had rearranged the pillows so that he could sit against the headboard.

"Here." Izuku crawled onto the bed, holding out the water like an offering. Kacchan grumbled something that might have been thanks and drained half the glass. Izuku set it on the bedside table and, without giving Kacchan the option of refusing, snuggled in close to Kacchan's side. The blond huffed, then put an arm around the moss-haired boy's shoulders.

"Kacchan?"

An irritated grunt was the only response.

"Did it--Was it--okay?"

"Yeah, it was--it felt--" Kacchan shifted uncomfortably. "But right now it sucks. Shit hurts." He turned his head, looking down at Izuku nestled against his shoulder. "Do you hate me for doing this to you?"

"What? No!" Izuku startled, nearly banging his head into Kacchan's chin as he sat up. "It did hurt the first time, but I swear each time after that it only got better. I actually...I really like it."

A blush settled over Kacchan's cheeks as he looked away. "Yeah, well, guess it wasn't so bad. Not during, anyway. Still think I prefer being on top."

"I can understand why," Izuku replied with a nervous chuckle. Topping had been amazing, but bottoming had its own unique pleasures. Izuku decided he didn't need to pick a favorite, especially as after tomorrow, he'd have no expectations to do it again anytime soon.

Izuku felt himself drifting off on Kacchan's shoulder, catching himself as his head bobbed. After a wide yawn, he caught Kacchan staring down at him. "What is it, Kacchan?"

The explosion junior-hero shifted, grimacing at the movement. "I really wanna take a shower."

"Oh, okay!" Izuku roused himself, stretching and climbing out of bed. "Can I join you? Do you need any help?"

He realized too late that that was exactly the wrong thing to say. Kacchan bared his teeth and just about snarled. "I don't need your fucking help, fucking nerd. Why don't you go make lunch or something and get out of my face!"

"Y-yes, Kacchan!" Izuku scrambled from the room, accidentally finding himself out in the hallway rather than going through the connecting bathroom. He waited until he heard both bathroom doors slam shut before creeping around to the guest bedroom, where he'd left his clothes. As he dressed, he found himself wishing he could have lain in Kacchan's arms just a bit longer. Or at least, had had the good sense not to offer any "help." It had been gracious of Kacchan to allow Izuku a turn on top; he hadn't meant to ruin it by implying Kacchan might be weak. Not that that was what he meant at all, but that was how Kacchan would see it.

Izuku decided that lunch would be the leftover pizza from the night before. Rather than heat it while Kacchan was still in the shower, he made himself a protein shake and waited, listening for the hiss of the shower. Kacchan didn't normally take long showers, but this one lasted just shy of a half hour. When he heard the water turn off, Izuku warmed two plates of pizza in the microwave, made Kacchan a protein shake, then waited.

And waited.

When it became apparent that Kacchan was not coming to the kitchen for lunch, Izuku carried both plates and the shake to Kacchan's bedroom. Kacchan was seated in the middle of his bed, wearing boxers and a grimace of pain.

"Lunch?" Izuku asked warily from the doorway.

Kacchan grunted and waved him in. Izuku handed over the shake before climbing carefully into the bed. He knew better than to ask if Kacchan was okay. Instead, he ate his lunch and set the finished cup and plates on the bedside table.

"Do you want to do anything?" Izuku asked timidly. Kacchan was in a foul mood and he could see it. "We could watch a movie? Or work on our Pro-Hero music video?"

Kacchan's upper lip curled in distaste. Izuku wondered if he should suggest the hot tub, or perhaps an ice pack, when Kacchan finally uttered a suggestion: "You get any studying done for the new term?"

"No, not yet." Izuku leapt from the bed, gathering the plates and cups. "I'll go get my notes. I'll be right back, Kacchan."

The rest of the afternoon wasn't exactly fun, as Kacchan continued to shift and grimace painfully. They pored over notes from previous UA third-year students, talking quietly about study habits and battle strategies. Suddenly, it didn't feel like the new term was far away at all. Scarcely a weekend separated them from a new school year, one which would test them in new, increasingly dangerous ways. Before they knew it, they'd be up to their necks in written exams, physical fitness tests, mock battles and internships. All on top of being two-thirds of the Big Three and responsible for helping underclassmen reach their potential as needed. Izuku was just beginning to feel the pressure when his cellphone rang.

"Uh, hi, Mom!" Izuku answered.

"Hi, honey!" Inko chirped over the line. "I just wanted to check that you and Katsuki-kun are still coming over for dinner tonight?"

"U-um..." Izuku cowered as he glanced over at Kacchan. By the twisted grimace on his face, there was no way he was going to make the walk over to Izuku's apartment. "We, um, can't, Mom."

"Can't?" Inko sounded both hurt and confused, tugging at Izuku's heart strings. "Why not?"

"Um, you see, ah--" Izuku cast about for a plausible explanation, his gaze lighting on a pair of dumbbells in the corner of the room. "Kacchan dropped a weight on his foot when we were working out. We're sure nothing's broken, but he needs me to get change his ice pack when it melts. So h gets better in time for the new term." The hardest part of the lie was ignoring the scandalized expression on Kacchan's face.

"Oh my!" Inko exclaimed. "Should I come over? He should really have a doctor look at it. I can order a car to take us to the emergency room."

"No, no!" Izuku quickly assured her. "It's fine, Mom. We've both taken enough injuries to know when it's serious and when it isn't. It's just a bruise and I'm sure it'll be better in no time."

"Well..." He could hear the parental concern weighed against meddling in her son's life in Inko's voice. "If you're sure. But you must tell his parents when they get home."

"Yes, Mom, I will." Whether he told them or not, Kacchan would just curse and claim nothing had happened. It was an easy promise to make.

"Alright. Take care of each other."

"We will, Mom." They exchanged I love you's and clicked off the call.

"Fucking Deku," Kacchan muttered darkly. "Like I'm incompetent enough to drop a weight on my foot."

"Accidents happen to everyone. Even Heroes, Kacchan," Izuku chided gently. "Did you want anything for dinner? I could go pick something up?"

"Take out two nights in a row?" Kacchan sneered. He gestured to the notes they'd just been studying. "Guess you aren't worried about getting in shape for the new term at all, heh?"

Izuku sighed. "Can I make something for you?"

"You?" Kacchan's incredulity was even more painful now than it had been days earlier. "Might as well just poison myself."

Izuku flushed, angry and irritated. He understood that Kacchan was in pain and embarrassed about it; he'd been the same just two days before. But why did Kacchan have to take his frustration out on Izuku? Izuku hadn't done the same when their position were reversed. "I saw some instant ramen in the pantry. I'll make that, Kacchan."

"Whatever," Kacchan grumbled, rolling to his side and propping himself on an elbow so he could flip the pages of a notebook. Izuku slipped off the bed and ducked out of the room. His breathing was becoming shaky and tears pricked the backs of his eyes; he couldn't let Kacchan see him like this or he'd never hear the end of it.

Growing up, Kacchan might have been the worst of Izuku's tormentors, but he wasn't the only one. The condition of being Quirkless was universally pitied and despised, making him a target especially to those who only had middling or weak Quirks, as he was someone who could be looked down upon. He actually had developed a thick skin to the endless insults, the insinuations that he was helpless and weak. Even before he'd inherited his Quirk, he could stand up for himself, fearlessly, recklessly, against anyone.

Anyone except Kacchan.

Kacchan's taunts always cut deeper, even when they weren't mean to. Even when they'd still been friends, the little comments that should have meant nothing more than playful ribbing still cut and burned like salt on skinned knees. Why couldn't Kacchan see how personally Izuku took his every word? Why use a bomb when a papercut would hurt just as much? And why, after all this time, couldn't Izuku just shore up his defenses and give back as good as he got?

Because I love him, Izuku told himself miserably as he sulked in the kitchen. This could all be completely different if I didn't, but I do. And really, if I had a choice...would I choose to stop loving him?

The emptiness from the morning threatened to swallow him up, leave him sobbing and gutless as he pined for someone who would sleep with him for a week and forget about him the next. Izuku never should have agreed to this arrangement in the first place...but even as he thought that, he knew it was a lie. He would have accepted much less at the same cost, just because it was Kacchan. His first hero.

It wasn't quite late enough for dinner, but Izuku was feeling empty inside, so he began heating the water for cups of instant ramen. To pass the time, he texted his friends, watched Hero videos on his phone and typed up a study and workout schedule for the new term. Even after the ramen had sat long enough, Izuku waited, telling himself that he was letting the water cool, not delaying the moment when he had to walk back into Kacchan's room. He found the pitcher of lemonade Kacchan had made earlier, poured a glass, then pulled himself together, a cheerful smile in place as he carried the ramen and the lemonade to Kacchan's room.

"It's not much, but it's dinner," Izuku chirped, setting both items on Kacchan's bedside table. "Are you done with this notebook, Kacchan?"

Kacchan eyed Izuku warily before flicking his gaze to the indicated notebook. "Why?"

"I'm going to read it while I eat dinner," Izuku replied, still smiling. "Unless you still need it?"

Kacchan's frown deepened almost imperceptibly. "No. You can take it."

"Thank you!" Izuku swept up the notebook and trotted back to the kitchen, where he'd left his own dinner. He ate at the counter, leaning on an elbow as he flipped the pages of the notebook. With his free hand, he drew up long strands of noodles, letting them steam and cool before eating them. The lemonade was soothing when he burned his mouth on the broth, still hot despite letting it sit. He finished his dinner long before he finished reading the notebook and stayed poised over the counter, reviewing and rereading, not only to learn, but also to keep himself from wondering which bed he would sleep in tonight and dreading what tomorrow might bring.

A soft, shuttered sound made Izuku blink and look around. His heart leapt to his throat when he saw Kacchan standing across the kitchen counter, his noodle cup and lemonade glass in one hand.

"Kacchan!" Izuku jumped, holding his hands out for the meager dinner items. "Sorry, I didn't know you were finished. I mean, I didn't know you were here."

"It's my fucking house, nerd," Kacchan said, strangely subdued as he shoved his leavings across the counter. He watched with passing interest as Izuku threw away the ramen cup and washed the lemonade glasses. As Izuku dried his hands on a towel, Kacchan said: "Come back to bed."

"Um." Izuku's gaze skittered away. "I was thinking, Kacchan... Your parents come home tomorrow, so...maybe I should just sleep in my own bed tonight?"

"Tch." Like the sound of a match being struck. "They won't be home til the afternoon. And I don't even give a shit about them. Come back to bed, Deku."

He wished he could say that he hesitated, that he weighed the pros and cons, that he even wavered for a moment and gave serious thought to going back to the guest room. But he didn't. The only thing Izuku wanted was one more night curled up against his oldest friend, his new lover, wrapped in the warmth of sulfurous embers and smelling the scent of just-lit fireworks. "Okay, Kacchan."

It was too early to sleep, so they spread out notebooks, took notes of their own, discussed team battle strategies and even wondered aloud if they should try internships at different Hero companies this year. Kacchan had always chafed under Best Jeanist's supervision and Izuku's internships, while personal and highly beneficial, weren't exactly high-profile. Hours passed and finally Kacchan suggested they turn off the light.

It was the first time they were going to bed together without having just had sex. Izuku was painfully aware of the fact that he was stripping down to his boxers and crawling into bed beside Kacchan. He crowded the edge of the bed, turning his back to the blond, but still had an arm thrown over him and Kacchan curled around him. He could feel Kacchan's breath on his neck, comforting but at the same time unnerving. He swallowed, confused about why he was suddenly feeling awkward when, really, he should have felt more awkward when they were having sex.

"Kacchan?"

"What?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know."

"Are you...mad?"

"Will be if you don't shut the fuck up and go to sleep."

Well, at least that sounded like Kacchan's usual self. "Goodnight, Kacchan."

"'Night, 'Zuku."

Chapter Text

In the dark, Izuku was only aware of warm hands on his body: petting his side, twining through his fingers, tracing patterns across his abs. It felt like the beginning of a really nice dream. He wasn't fully convinced that he was awake until warm, wet lips were pressed against his shoulder. Even then, he feigned sleep until the scrape of teeth drew him to wakefulness with a gasp.

Kacchan rolled Izuku onto his back, the kisses continuing along his collarbone, one hand cupping the back of his head while the other pinched a nipple. Izuku yelped, his hips bucking upwards as his hands grasped Kacchan's shoulders. Kacchan moved to straddle him, nuzzling Izuku's neck as his knees settled on either side of Izuku's thighs.

"Kacchan?"

Kacchan hummed just below Izuku's ear, setting his nerves to vibrating. "Can I have you, Deku?"

A small voice at the back of his mind warned him that this was probably their last time together, and that, in order to spare his heart, he should probably refuse. But Izuku's body was primed, soft and sleep-warm, and he found himself agreeing before he could give much credence to the tiny, niggling voice. Kacchan was already settling between his legs, nudging his knees aside as he kissed Izuku's chest. His teeth teased a nipple and Izuku arched off the bed, bringing their morning erections together in a sweet ache that made them moan in unison.

As if by unspoken agreement, neither of them said a word. Kacchan squeezed a dollop of lube into his hand and Izuku drew his knees up, giving Kacchan the space to use it. By now, Kacchan's fingers were practiced and sure, but he still took his time preparing. Izuku shuddered and cried as Kacchan found his prostate, waves of pleasure lapping at him teasingly as Kacchan massaged it. All too soon, the fingers withdrew and Kacchan was pressing up against his entrance. Izuku was still on his back, one leg hooked over Kacchan's elbow. In a moment of clarity, he realized Kacchan was watching him, waiting to be told it was okay before continuing.

Izuku smiled, still hazy with sleep. He nodded as he adjusted himself, pressing down on Kacchan's slicked cock. Kacchan hissed a curse, then pressed forward, hitching Izuku's leg up over his shoulder.

Izuku lost himself in the rhythm, half-convinced that he was dreaming. Everything felt perfect, warm and comforting, like a favorite blanket, like a scented bath. He could sink in and just feel, just enjoy, just ride the waves of pleasure flooding over him. When Kacchan struck his prostate, instead of screaming, he moaned and shuddered, pressing back hard to enjoy it just a moment longer, just little more. One hand twisted in the sheets, the other clasped Kacchan's hand, their fingers intertwining. It just felt right. Everything just felt right.

"Katsuki," he whispered, like a half-uttered prayer."

"Izuku, I--I'm--" Kacchan cut himself off. What was that sound in his voice? Izuku couldn't place it.

Izuku's breath was coming faster now. He used the leverage provided by Kacchan's shoulder to arch, to grind, to press against Kacchan, enjoying the sensation of being full, warm and wanted. Nearly every other thrust was rubbing up against his prostate and even without a hand around his cock, Izuku knew he was going to come soon. He turned his head to the side, biting his lower lip against the words he knew he could never speak out loud. But he felt them, echoing in the cavern of his chest, sending electric currents through his bones. His lip was bleeding, but it barely registered as he was coming harder than he'd ever come before.

Kacchan made a sound like a heartbreak, squeezing Izuku's fingers threaded through his own as he hit his climax, molten-hot hand closing over Izuku's hip to pin him down, to hold him still as he rode the waves of his own pleasure. Izuku felt held close, protected, even long after they caught their breath. He blinked his eyes open and found himself staring up into hooded eyes the color of congealed blood. He smiled, slow and lazy.

"Morning, Kacchan."

Kacchan let out a shuddering breath, his muscles tensing. His hand was still intertwined with Izuku's, though he barely seemed cognizant of it. The cords in his throat moved as if with speech, but Kacchan's jaw was locked tight. After waiting long minutes, Izuku arched and twisted, freeing himself from Kacchan's grip.

"We should shower," he suggested, checking the time and finding it early, but a good time to begin the day. "And we should probably clean up the house before your parents get home. Right, Kacchan?"

No response. Izuku looked up from his seat at the edge of the bed. Kacchan had sat back on his heels, still sitting where Izuku had left him. His eyes were downcast, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

"Kacchan?"

A long, slow breath. "What?"

"Want to come shower with me?"

A slow, shuddery breath. "Yeah. Why the fuck not?"

Kacchan was uncharacteristically silent as they began their morning. Izuku attributed it to the early hour; during the school year, they would have been up and exercising by now, but over the break they had both fallen into the bad habit of sleeping in. Izuku let Kacchan start the shower as he took his time sorting through the strewn clothing about the room, separating his own clothes from Kacchan's. He hesitated over the pale orange t-shirt Kacchan had leant him that night they went to have dinner with his mom. Did Kacchan wear this shirt anymore? Would he miss it if Izuku took it?

Better not chance it, Izuku decided, leaving the shirt in a puddle of other clothing. He carried his belongings through the bathroom and dumped them on the guest bed before stepping into the shower with Kacchan. He'd only just begun to wash when Kacchan gripped his chin, pressing a kiss on him that felt both hard and soft at the same time. When Kacchan leaned back, Izuku half-expected him to say something. Instead, with a muttered curse, Kacchan stepped out of the shower, leaving Izuku to shower alone.

Maybe he's hungry, Izuku decided, writing off Kacchan's weird behavior. He was disappointed, really, that they hadn't taken another opportunity to fool around, but then again, the week was over. They said it wouldn't mean anything after the week ended. Izuku tamped down his feelings, determined not to ruin what had been one of the best weeks of his adolescent life so far.

Out of the shower, Izuku sifted through the clothing on his bed, folding his clean clothes and stuffing anything dirty inside a plastic bag. He'd only brought a backpack with him for his stay at the Bakugou household rather than a suitcase, so it took a little time to cram everything he'd packed back inside. Afterwards, he dressed, toweled his hair mostly dry, and checked the burns on his shoulder and leg. The spots beneath Kacchan's palms had turned rash-red, but they no longer held the shape of hand prints, so at least that was good news.

Izuku smelled something cooking and heard the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen, so once his bag was packed, he went to join Kacchan there. Rather than finding a protein shake and breakfast, however, Kacchan had his back to the entryway, scrubbing at something in the sink. Izuku frowned. Despite the wafting aromas, there was nothing cooking on the stove.

"Kacchan?"

Something metal clattered into the sink as Kacchan spun away from it. He blocked Izuku's view of the kitchen and the sink with his body, a faint touch of pink on his cheeks. "What?"

"Are you...cooking something?" Izuku asked.

"No. Not for you anyway, shitty nerd." Kacchan looked away sharply, color rising on his face.

"Oh." Izuku felt his heart crumple inward on itself. Kacchan had made breakfast but hadn't made anything for him? It shouldn't have been surprising--after all, that was how their week together had begun--but it still hit Izuku like falling rubble in the middle of a Villain fight. "That's okay, I can make my own breakfast."

"We should--I mean, if you want--" Kacchan ruffled his hair, eyes still focused on something distant. "We can walk to that iced coffee cart."

"Oh!" Izuku smiled. "I told you that you'd love it! Yeah, let's go!"

They made an odd pair on the quiet street: Kacchan scowling with his hands dug deep in his pockets, Izuku chattering about school and the new term as he practically skipped to the coffee stand. They got the same drinks as the day before, except Izuku added an orange and cranberry scone to his order. Kacchan glared at the pastry as if it had personally offended him somehow. On the walk back home, Izuku began listing all the straightening they had to do before Kacchan's parents arrived home.

"I should have started the bedsheets in the wash before we left," he chided himself. "I think I left some notes in the den and really I should wipe down the equipment in the gym. Did we leave a mess in the living room? I think it's okay, but I can't remember. Oh, and we need to drop a foaming tablet into the hot tub. Did you need any help cleaning the kitchen, Kacchan?"

"No," Kacchan growled, the only words he'd spoken since ordering his coffee. "Just handle your own shit, Deku."

Izuku took a long sip of his iced mocha latte. It was clear that Kacchan was already pulling back, so he braced himself mentally. "Sure thing, Kacchan."

Back at home, Izuku stayed out of Kacchan's way. It was easy at first because he was running laundry or cleaning the guest room or collecting his belongings from various rooms around the house. But then as Izuku was wiping down all the equipment he'd used in the gym, he'd looked up to find Kacchan leaning against the doorway, as if he were waiting to use the room. Izuku had smiled and slipped past, busying himself with switching over the laundry, then stepping outside to condition the hot tub. It took a few minutes to check the ph of the water and count out the correct number of tablets. By the time he turned to go back inside, Kacchan had opened the door to step outside.

"Ah, sorry, Kacchan. I just added the tabs, so it's probably not a good idea to go swimming for a while."

Powerful shoulders rolled in a careless shrug. "Whatever."

Izuku waited to see if any more dialogue would be forthcoming, but as the silence grew, he excused himself and pushed past Kacchan into the living room. The room was mostly in order, save for a few scattered books and pillows. Izuku set about straightening the room as Kacchan lurked in the doorway to the backyard. The silence between them grew, feeding into Izuku's natural anxiety: Was Kacchan angry? Was he regretting what they'd done together? Should Izuku acknowledge it, or should he just let it go, as they had agreed to earlier? Should he try and leave before Kacchan's parents arrived home? Or was it better to wait and prove to Kacchan that he could pretend nothing had happened?

It was actually a relief when the dryer announced that it had finished with Izuku's sheets. "Want to help me make the bed, Kacchan?"

A sharp shrug was the only reply he got. Nevertheless, Kacchan followed him to the dryer, then to the guest room, where they made up the bed together.

"Were you going to wash your sheets, Kacchan?"

"No."

"Did you want help making your bed?"

"You think I need your fucking help to make a bed?"

"No. Sorry, Kacchan."

Izuku was entirely packed and the house seemed in order. Kacchan was still lurking in the guest room, though, and Izuku didn't know what to say. Thanks for all the sex? Can't wait to see you at school? I love you?

Izuku swallowed hard, averting his eyes from his childhood friend. "Um, are you...going to the bonfire this weekend, Kacchan?"

"Probably," the blond admitted. "Fucking Pinky Pie won't shut up about it."

"It looks like a lot of the class will be there. Should be a fun way to catch up with everyone before the term starts."

"Loser extras," Kacchan muttered, but without his usual venom.

Silence swelled between them once again. Izuku struggled to find another topic to talk about, something safe, something Kacchan couldn't possibly turn into a fight, but nothing came to mind. He was about to suggest they try to find something on TV when Kacchan took a breath, his mouth opening for speech--

--When a car horn blared loudly just outside.

"I'm fucking coming, fucking old hag!" Kacchan shouted, slouching his shoulders as he strode from the room. Izuku had nearly leapt out of his skin at the sudden noise and took a few moments to catch his breath and slow his heart before shouldering his backpack.

The genkan and entryway were a flurry of activity as suitcases, boxes and bags were trooped inside, carried by a complaining Kacchan and a teasing Auntie Mitsuki. Izuku was greeted lovingly by both of Kacchan's parents and managed to keep a straight face as he fielded the question of whether Kacchan had gotten into any mischief while they were away. After assuring them that Kacchan hadn't had any other friends over, nor had he gone out to any wild parties, Izuku slipped past them and out onto the sidewalk. He glanced back once to say goodbye to Kacchan, but the blond was nowhere to be seen. He waited a moment longer, then held his head determinedly high as he walked back to his mother's apartment alone.

To say Inko was thrilled to have her son back was an understatement. She had scheduled the day off of work and greeted Izuku with “Welcome Home” balloons as if he hadn’t just been down the street for the past week. She cooked his favorite foods, told stories from work and asked questions about his classes, his friends, and his work as a Junior Hero. As overbearing as it was, Izuku actually welcomed the distraction from the gnawing sensation that had been growing in his gut ever since he’d begun packing up at Kacchan’s. He pushed back any feelings of grief and shame in favor of enjoying the short amount of time he’d be spending with his mother before the new school term began.

The next day, however, Inko had to work a shift, leaving Izuku home alone for the day. He fully intended to spend the day studying up for the new term, but as he turned on some music for background noise, he was suddenly reminded of Kacchan yelling at the device in his kitchen: “Play some fucking music!”

The memory made Izuku chuckle.

And then, suddenly, he was crying.

Sobbing, coughing, choking, dying. His chest ached and felt empty at the same time. He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling as if he might break apart if he let go. When the wracking sobs finally ran out, tears continued to stream down his cheeks, his eyes stinging as he stared ahead blankly.

It wasn’t regret that he was feeling. It wasn’t even shame, not really. Not for what they’d done, anyway. More like, he felt ashamed that he hadn’t had the guts to tell Kacchan how he felt. Ashamed he hadn’t asked for more. Ashamed because he’d lied to Kacchan about what the week had meant to him.

And ashamed he’d agreed to hide it.

I have to let it go, Izuku told himself, still staring blankly at the wall. If I can’t just let it all go back to normal, Kacchan will hate me again. I can’t let him turn what was so beautiful and private into something ugly and public. I can’t…I can’t go through that again. I have to find a way to be okay with this.

By the time Inko came home from work, Izuku had cried himself out and made peace with himself. He decided he wouldn’t have changed a thing about the week spent at Kacchan’s, so there was no reason to overthink it and make himself upset. And if he cried himself to sleep that night, well, no one else needed to know.

The Class 3A Back to School bonfire was scheduled the day before the students could move back into the UA dormitories, so after he finished all his laundry and packed his bags to return to school, Izuku walked to the local market to pick up his assigned supplies, then hired a car to drive him to the beach.

The exact firepit was easy to locate--someone (Izuku suspected Yaoyorozu) had made a large banner fastened to posts driven into the sand demarcating the boundaries of Class 3A's bonfire from the others nearby. The sun was only just setting and a few classmates (Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero and Jirou) were using the last vestiges of the light to play a game with a volleyball that followed no discernible rules to the casual observer. Just as Izuku set down the marshmallows that Ashido had requested him to bring, a familiar voice hailed him from the parking lot.

"Deku-kun!!" A pickup truck bearing the logo of a construction company had stopped at the entrance of the beach and Uraraka was waving from the passenger side window.

"Uraraka-san!" Izuku waved back, just as pleased to see her as she was to see him. He made his way up the beach as Uraraka hopped out of the truck and circled around to the bed. Izuku couldn't see what she did, but a moment later a stack of wooden pallets floated up out the of the bed of the truck, all attached to a string that Uraraka held almost carelessly in her hand. The pallets bobbed along behind her in a parody of a half-wilted bouquet of balloons.

"I missed you!" Uraraka exclaimed, catching Izuku in a one-armed hug. "How was it, babysitting Bakugou-kun?"

"Um." Izuku hoped the sunset hid the flush on his cheeks. "Better than I expected, I guess? Did Ashido-san ask you to bring the firewood?"

"Mmhmm!" Uraraka looked pleased with herself. "Dad said I could have these since they were all falling apart. I hope this is enough, though."

Izuku laughed. He counted almost ten pallets floating along behind Uraraka as they made their way down to the firepit. "I think you have enough firewood to keep up the bonfire for the whole term."

Uraraka blushed as she laughed. "I guess I did go a little overboard. Oh well! I'm sure Todoroki-kun can incinerate them if we don't use them all."

"Todoroki-kun is coming?" Izuku blinked, surprised. "I thought I saw on the group chat that he couldn't make it."

"I know, I was surprised, too, but when I checked this morning his status had changed to say he was coming." Uraraka yanked down on her string while standing near the firepit. Izuku helped her hold the floating pallets down so that when she released her Quirk, they didn't all crash down on each other and shatter into pieces. He helped her stack just two pallets on top of the fire ring to start.

"What about Iida-kun?" Izuku asked, assisting Uraraka in stacking the pallets nearby so they could be added to the fire as needed.

"As of this morning, he's still not coming." Uraraka twisted her lips thoughtfully. "You know I love Iida-kun, but I just don't think these types of gatherings appeal to his...particular standards."

Izuku had to laugh. Iida was a great friend, a wonderful study-buddy and the perfect class rep, but the casual rule breaking that tended to occur in large social groups often upset him. Sadly, it was easier on everyone if Iida simply excused himself and turned a blind eye to what might devolve into a little light underage drinking and blatant Quirk usage (such as Uraraka's trick with the pallets).

Just over half the class showed up by the time the sun finished setting with a few more trickling in. Todoroki showed up in time to light the bonfire and Kacchan was the last to arrive, wearing a scowl and a backpack that clinked suspiciously when he walked. Ashido greeted him enthusiastically by leaping into his arms--or at least leaping at his chest and catching herself on his shoulders, because Kacchan made no move to embrace her. Not that Izuku was paying any attention. No, he was casually setting a marshmallow on fire from his seat on a towel shared with Uraraka and Todoroki. When Ashido broke away from Kacchan, she was holding a nondescript brown paper bag crumpled around the obvious shape of a bottle. She crouched near the firelight and squealed as she revealed the label. Izuku couldn't see what it was; Kirishima and Kaminari had crowded in too close as they each vied for the first drink.

"No fucking pictures this time," Kacchan growled, stealing Ashido's towel as he sat down. His eyes only flicked up to Izuku's once before he focused on his backpack, still full of rattling, sloshing bottles hidden in brown paper bags. Izuku felt a heat in his cheeks that had nothing to do with the bonfire.

Todoroki shifted uncomfortably beside him, frowning across the fire at Kacchan. "It might be a good idea for us to leave before this gets out of control. I can have my driver take each of us home," he offered, voice low.

"As long as no one takes any pictures, it should be okay, I think." Uraraka was craning her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the bottle that Kirishima and Kaminari were trying to wrestle away from Ashido. She looked anxious and conflicted. Izuku remembered her confiding in him after they found out about Kacchan's crazy party and how she'd been disappointed at not being invited, especially as most of the other girls in the class had been there. Izuku had confessed his own disappointment as well, although at least in his case, he understood why Kacchan hadn't wanted him there.

Near the end of middle school, Izuku had accidentally stumbled upon Kacchan and his friends taking sips from a nearly empty bottle of Fireball Whiskey. (Actually, it hadn't been that accidental; Izuku hadn't known they'd been drinking, but he'd deliberately gone to find them so he could be included in whatever they were doing because they were the "cool" kids.) Kacchan had baited Izuku into taking a sip of the whiskey by telling him he'd be part of the "in" crowd if he drank it. Really--and Izuku knew it even at the time--it was to keep Izuku from telling on them. He couldn't exactly rat them out if he'd partaken of the alcohol as well.

It hadn't been enough to get drunk on, not even as a kid, but he still remembered the burn of the liquor and the way it made him feel sick. Aside from that, the only time Izuku had ever had anything to drink was a tiny glass of champagne with his mother to celebrate his acceptance into UA and the occasional stolen sip of white wine when he cleaned up after dinner at home. He wasn't looking to get drunk at the bonfire, but he wasn't objecting to having a drink or two, either.

Todoroki looked stiffly disapproving as Kacchan passed around a second bottle wrapped in brown paper. After Jiro and Yaoyorozu each took a sip, giggling to each other as they did so, they pushed the bottle into Todoroki's hands. For a moment, it appeared as if the heterochromatic teen was considering throwing the bottle into the fire (or, perhaps, simply igniting the bottle in his left hand), but stopped when Uraraka leaned across Izuku to take the bottle from him. Leaning close together, Uraraka peeled back the brown paper bag to reveal the label.

Vanilla ice cream flavored vodka?

Izuku flicked his eyes up, surprised to find Kacchan staring back at him. It was only for an instant; Kacchan looked away sharply, yelling something at Kirishima, who had just merely stumbled into the fire after taking too large of a hit from his bottle of liquor.

Did Kacchan pick this for me? Izuku wondered. He knows I like sweet drinks, so maybe? But no, it's probably just a coincidence.

Uraraka swallowed as if steeling herself. She glanced sideways at Izuku. "I'll drink some if you'll drink some."

"Okay," Izuku agreed. Ice cream flavored vodka sounded intriguing.

"If this gets out of hand, I'm taking you both home," Todoroki warned, an edge in his usually mellow voice.

"Thank you for looking out for us, Todoroki-kun!" Izuku flashed his friend a smile as Uraraka took a short sip from the neck of the bottle.

"Mmm, it's good!" Flags of color appeared on her cheeks, though whether that was her usual good cheer or a side effect from the drink was hard to tell. Izuku took the bottle next, hardly doing more than wetting his tongue with the liquor. Uraraka was right: it tasted sweet and smooth, nothing like the burn of the whiskey from last time. With an apologetic glance at Todoroki, Izuku took another sip, then handed the bottle to Uraraka again.

After they passed the bottle on to the next group, Izuku, Todoroki and Uraraka set to heating marshmallows over the fire for smores. Todoroki even helped soften the chocolate so it was gooey on the graham crackers. They ignored the next pass of the vodka bottle in favor of enjoying the campfire food.

Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, either with food or with drink, or just in catching up after a long break. A few commiserated about sleeping too much and not working out enough, or complained that the break hadn't been long enough. Others, like Izuku, seemed anxious to get back into the steady rhythm of studying, training, and preparing for their futures as Pro Heroes. When the bottle of vodka made its next pass (one of the bottles was Fireball and Izuku was avoiding it like the plague) Izuku and Uraraka helped themselves to another sip each. Todoroki frowned but said nothing.

"You too good to drink with us?" Kacchan demanded to know, raising his chin in a challenge.

Todoroki eyed him coolly. "If we're caught with alcohol, in could jeopardize all of our future careers as Heroes."

"So then, don't get caught." Kacchan smirked, an empty bottle held in one hand. Izuku had the good sense to look away just before the bottle exploded in a loud POP!

Todoroki looked unimpressed. "That could have hurt someone."

"Lighten up, Half-and-Half. It's a fuckin' party, isn't it?" Kacchan reclined back on his hands, looking rakishly devil-may-care. "Why come at all if you didn't want to have any fun?"

Though Todoroki's expression didn't change, Izuku got the sense that he was irritated. Kacchan did tend to have that affect on people. Rather than reply to Kacchan, Todoroki turned to face Izuku. "How did you manage to put up with him for the entire break?"

"Oooh, yes!" Ashido squealed, sprawling across the sand so that she landed half in Kacchan's lap. "Did you guys do anything? Play pranks on each other or anything like that?"

Kacchan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we thought it would be fun to act like four-year-olds again and rub peanut butter in each other's hair."

Izuku touched his curls, remembering that particular incident. "It was just...normal, I guess." He stared into the fire to avoid looking at Kacchan. "We worked out and did some studying. Just kind of...stayed out of each other's way."

When he looked up, Kacchan was giving him a narrow-eyed look. Had Izuku given something away? Was he blushing or looking suspicious? In an attempt to let someone else divert the conversation, Izuku helped himself to a large swig from the vodka bottle.

"Don't you have a pool, Bakugou-kun?" Uraraka was asking.

Oh no, Izuku thought, blush already rising in his cheeks.

"Hot tub," Kacchan replied shortly.

"Did you guys take a bath together?" Uraraka's face turned red as she realized what she had said. "No, I mean--I meant--"

But Ashido had fallen over laughing, Kirishima was jeering while Kaminari choked on a mouthful of Fireball. Luckily Izuku was spared from answering as the rest of the class took up the laughter. He felt like his face was on fire and he wasn't certain it was all from the vodka.

"Are you feeling alright?" Todoroki asked, leaning down to peer into Izuku's eyes. "You look a little feverish."

"It's, um, probably just this." He shook the bag-wrapped bottle.

"I think you're done with that now," Todoroki decided, taking the bottle and passing it to Jirou.

"That's a good probably idea," Uraraka agreed. Then she frowned. "I can't talk good."

"It'll pass as long as you eat some more," Ashido advised sagely, still lying in the sand, propped up on an elbow. "Someone pass the smores!"

Bags of marshmallows and boxes of graham crackers were passed around. Izuku snacked on a cookie, trying to ignore the way Kaminari was plying Kacchan for another bottle of alcohol. The electric-blond was resting his head against Kacchan's shoulder, one arm groping lazily around for the backpack that Kacchan kept pulling just out of reach. Izuku wasn't sure why it bothered him; he knew that Kaminari and Kacchan were friendly with each other. It was good to see Kacchan interacting with someone without shouting at them.

Right?

"Could someone please pass the chocolate?" Yaoyorozu asked politely.

There was a general rustle, then a handful of empty chocolate wrappers were tossed into the fire. Izuku checked the towel he shared with Todoroki and Uraraka but couldn't find any chocolate bars.

"Nooo!" Ashido moaned childishly. "We can't be out of chocolate already! How many did you bring, Kiri-kun?"

"I brought, like, ten bars!" Kirishima replied defensively, only slurring slightly. "It's not my fault Kaminari ate half of them before we got the fire going."

"I wasn't the only one eating them!" Kaminari protested, one arm still wrapped around Kacchan's shoulders, although it looked like he was using the platinum blond to hold himself upright. "Shiro had some, too!"

"Shiro?" Aoyama asked, an amused expression on his face. He was seated on his own towel, a bottle of wine and a long-stemmed glass set upon it like a classy picnic.

"Sero?" Ashido guessed.

"Jirou?" Yaoyorozu suggested, dabbing at a spot on Jirou's face as the earjack trainee flushed and tried to push her hand away.

"Yeah!" Kaminari shouted, slightly too enthusiastically. "Thash wha' I shaid. Shiro!"

"Dude, you are way too drunk if you're slurring that bad," Kirishima laughed. "Don't give him any more, Bakugou."

"It's his shitty hangover." Kacchan had already dug out a fresh bottle from his bag, pushed it into Kaminari's hands and shoved the blond away from himself. He looked vaguely pleased with himself as he took a sip from a bottle he'd kept back from the rest of the group.

"Ugh, what are we going to do without chocolate?" Ashido lamented, returning to the more immediate problem.

"Um." All eyes turned to Izuku, making him blush at the attention. "I, ah, brought some chocolate marshmallows? I don't know how good they taste, I just saw them when I was getting the regular ones, so..."

"Chocolate marshmallows?" Uraraka looked astounded, as if such a thing was more unbelievable than the ability to make a metal I-beam weightless. "Can I try one?"

Izuku reached into the grocery bag he'd brought and passed around two packages of brown marshmallows. Most of the girls ooh'd over them, deeming them as acceptable while the guys stared doubtfully at them.

"How do you know when it's warm?" Sero asked, spearing one on a stick. "It's brown already."

"It'sh no' really tha' schocolatey," Kaminari said, his mouth full of either marshmallows or liquor or both.

"I love them!" Uraraka squealed. "Did you bring any more?"

"Uraraka-san, don't--" Izuku was too late. Uraraka had just pulled the last bag of marshmallows from the grocery sack.

Both Todoroki and Uraraka blinked at the treats in confusion. Todoroki went so far as to conjure a flame for light to give the bag a closer look.

"Are these...red marshmallows, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked.

"Um, they're cinnamon flavored?" Izuku tried desperately to keep his eyes away from Kacchan and failed. The fiery-eyed blond was glaring at him from across the fire. "I just thought...they might be good?"

"Let me try!" Ashido demanded, lunging for the bag of marshmallows. She landed somewhere in the middle of Izuku, Todoroki and Uraraka, the bag of marshmallows in her hands. The bag ripped open wide, scattering red pillowy blobs everywhere. Uraraka helped herself to one that landed on the towel while Ashido plucked one from her cleavage. Both girls chewed for a moment before their faces twisted in twin grimaces of disgust.

"It's, um, different, Deku-kun."

"These are gross!" Ashido leapt up and spat into the fire, earning mild protests from her nearby classmates. "It's like a fireball candy made into a gummy! Who would want a spicy marshmallow?"

She moved as if to toss the remainder of the cinnamon marshmallows into the fire when suddenly Kacchan was in front of her, ripping the bag from her fingers.

"Don't waste 'em, shitty Pinkie Pie." Kacchan stood with the fire at his back as he tossed a marshmallow into the air and caught it in his mouth. His smile was slow and cocksure as he chewed and swallowed, his eyes on Izuku. Izuku turned his face away, rubbing at the back of his neck, embarrassed. Of course, he'd gotten the marshmallows for Kacchan. The moment he saw them, he knew they were something the explosion-hero teen would enjoy. He'd hoped to maybe give them to him later, though, away from the rest of the class.

Kacchan walked back to his spot around the fire, fighting off Kaminari and Kirishima's attempts to steal the marshmallows from him. Beside Izuku, Todoroki picked up a red marshmallow from the sand. He sniffed it tentatively before shifting his gaze up to Kacchan, then back to Izuku. Izuku tried to avoid the weighted stare by eating another graham cracker. He found himself wishing for another sip of the vodka, but by the way his vision was beginning to blur at the edges, it was probably for the best that Todoroki had taken it away.

A few more stories were shared over the fire and Kacchan exploded a few more empty bottles into the pit. Uraraka's pallets were burning high and bright against the black sky, a beacon heralding the end of their break and the beginning of their third year of school. It wasn't all that late when Uraraka fell asleep with her head in Izuku's lap, missing the moment when Kaminari threw up noisily in the sand.

"We should get her home," Todoroki suggested softly, tapping on his phone. "Tomorrow we move back into the dorms and school starts the day after. I'll have my driver drop her off at home if you'll help me carry her to the parking lot."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Izuku replied, leaning down to whisper as he gently shook Uraraka's shoulder. "Can you make yourself weightless, Uraraka-san?"

"But I'm already floating," came the warbly response.

Todoroki made a face, but Izuku only grinned resignedly. Together they helped lift Uraraka to her feet and with her arms over their shoulders, they walked her up the beach to the parking lot. The car hadn't arrived just yet, so Izuku helped Uraraka sit down on a bench, letting her lean against his shoulder as they waited.

"I can drop you off at home, too," Todoroki suggested, voice bland as his eyes scanned the parking lot. His demeanor was the same whether he was looking for his driver or for hidden Villains; it was a trait Izuku admired about him. "You looked flushed all night. Are you sure you're well?"

"I'm fine," Izuku assured him, hoping the dark hid his blush. Why did Todoroki have to be so observant? "I think I got a sunburn while running, that's all. And maybe, you know...the vodka."

Todoroki nodded slowly, his eyes critical as he observed Izuku's shifty gaze. "Did something happen between you and Bakugou last week?"

"What?" Izuku felt his voice rise an octave, which he hoped Todoroki would attribute to the alcohol. "I don't...I don't know what you mean, Todoroki-kun."

The teen's bicolored eyes were steady as he watched Izuku's nonverbal reactions. "Did you two fight? Did he hurt you? Or degrade you?"

"N-n-nothing like that," Izuku stammered. "It was just...normal."

"Everything I just said could be attributed as ‘normal’ for the two of you."

"I, ah, um." Izuku was fairly certain his entire body was blushing. What was he supposed to say? "Look, Todoroki-kun! Your car!"

The sudden relief at the sight of a white SUV nearly made him faint. Todoroki frowned at the interruption, but helped get Uraraka on her feet and into the back seat of the car. Then he stepped aside, waiting.

"Um..." Izuku hesitated.

"Come on. I'll take you home." Todoroki tipped his head towards the car.

"I, um..." Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable. "It's...it's out of your way and you're already being nice enough to take Uraraka-san home, so..."

"It's fine," Todoroki assured him. Then he smiled, almost shyly. "I'd like to take you home, Midoriya."

That smile nearly had him. Izuku couldn't help but notice how young and vulnerable Todoroki looked when he smiled--like he didn't have the strongest Quirk in the class, or the biggest advantage in the world of Pro-Heroes by being Endeavor's son. He just looked kind, unassuming and beautiful. And while Izuku really did want to ride home with Todoroki, the last thing he wanted was to be subjected to more questions about his week with Kacchan. His stomach rolled uncomfortably, though he was uncertain whether it was caused by nerves or by alcohol.

On the other hand, Izuku didn't want to offend Todoroki by refusing a ride and he didn't really have an excuse not to...

"Oi, Deku!"

Todoroki's smile vanished, replaced by a thin-lipped scowl. Izuku felt his heart contract almost violently as he turned around.

"Yes, Kacchan?"

"My dad's on his way to pick me up. Need a ride?" Kacchan wasn't even looking at Izuku; he was eyeing the SUV and Todoroki with unveiled contempt.

"Yes, please, if it's alright." Izuku smiled, his shoulders sagging with relief as he turned back to Todoroki. "Thank you for the offer, Todoroki-kun, but this way you can get Uraraka home without going out of your way for me."

Todoroki sighed, his gaze skipping off to the side. "I'd like to go out of my way for you, Midoriya."

"It's okay," Izuku assured him brightly. "I'll see you at the dorms tomorrow!"

A thin smile that disappeared too quickly. "I'll look forward to it." Mismatched eyes flicked a glare in Kacchan's direction. "Bakugou."

"Half-and-half," Kacchan snarled back in response. A moment later saw Todoroki in the back seat of the SUV, gently propping up Uraraka as the car turned smoothly out of the parking lot. "The fuck did he want?"

"He was just being nice, Kacchan." Izuku ground sand into the pavement beneath his red sneaker. "Uraraka fell asleep and he offered us both a ride home. Why are you leaving so early?"

"The old hag only let me come tonight if I agreed to be home by eleven." Kacchan rolled his eyes. "Hopefully she doesn't realize I emptied all her secret stashes before I leave for the dorms tomorrow morning."

Izuku ducked his head and grinned, imagining the horror that would be unleashed when Auntie Mitsuki realized her son had pilfered her liquor. She might not be able to ground him for stealing it, but she'd surely find some way to take her revenge on Kacchan. She always did.

"Hey, Deku." Kacchan had his hands in his pockets, slouching as he gazed off into the distance.

"Hm?" Izuku looked around. Was Kacchan's dad here already?

"Do you...really want things to go back to the way they were?" Izuku watched in stunned awe as Kacchan lowered his gaze to the pavement, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Before we...you know."

Izuku swallowed. Licked his lips. Looked away. "Yeah, I guess so. If that's what you want, Kacchan."

Silence grew between them, swelling like an ocean wave. Just as it crested, they each took a breath, turning towards each other.

"Maybe not--entirely like it was before," Izuku corrected, cutting over Kacchan's words.

"Yeah?" Was that...relief on Kacchan's face?

"I think...maybe it would be nice if...we could go back to the ways things used to be? Back when we were friends?" Izuku felt like he was asking a lot; they hadn't been just friends since the first year of middle school and a lot had happened since then. "Is that...could we do that, Kacchan? Be friends again?"

"Friends?" He said it as if the word was foreign to him.

"Yeah, just like...we were." Izuku suddenly felt stupid for suggesting it. "It-it's fine, Kacchan. You've got your friends and I've got mine and it's...it's fine."

Kacchan stared out over the parking lot as a familiar car turned into the lot, headlights temporarily blinding the both of them. Before Kacchan's dad could pull the car up alongside them, Kacchan asked: "You go running before class every morning, don't you?"

"Yes?" They both ran before classes started; they usually passed one another during their circuit around the school grounds.

A trick of the light made it look as if Kacchan were blushing. "Wanna run with me in the mornings, nerd?"

Izuku beamed as the car came to a stop. "That sounds great, Kacchan!"

It wasn't perfect. But it was a start. At least, for now.