Chapter Text
When they returned to school, Katsuki found that Izuku wasn’t the only one after his affections. Denki bounded over to his locker, that ever-present goofy smile on his face. But a determined gleam in his eye. After Bakugou slammed his locker shut, Denki wrapped both his arms around the teenager’s bicep. Resting his head against his shoulder and fixing him with puppy-dog eyes and a pout to match.
“You owe me a date, Kacchan” he reminded him with the sweetest voice he could.
It took the explosive boy a moment to remember. Busy battling the urge to shove Kaminari off of him for being annoying. It had been weeks ago. But he supposed he and Deku had both been cursed with steel trap memories. It would be useful if it wasn’t just effective for the things that they wanted.
“I do, don’t I, dunce face?” he smirked down at the other boy, who was still clinging to him like a koala bear- he bit back a giggle at his Valentine’s Day card, “what do you wanna do?”
The energetic boy had been giving this far more thought than he probably should have. “Wipe out what’s left of the Valentine’s candy,” he said, “then we’re gonna go back to my house and play video games and you’re gonna tell me how pretty I am”
Bakugou smiled, ruffling the teenager’s wavy hair. “Saturday after my shift,” he promised, “I’ll pick you up at 3”
Kaminari practically squealed, smiling the brightest Bakugou had seen in recent memory and bouncing up and down. While still attached to the disabled boy’s arm!
“Hey,” he barked, “hey,” Katsuki freed his arm, “can’t take you on a date if you rip my arm out of its socket!” the teenager scolded, “shit…”
The startled boy could forget how strong he was. He wasn’t as strong as Izuku, who had the same problem, but it’s never fun getting yanked on!
“Sorry, Bakugou” he signed sheepishly, biting his lip and staring down at his beat up black Converse.
“I know you’re excited, Denki,” he assured, “it’s not everyday I get to be somebody’s trial run boyfriend,” he teased, “might ruin you for all those other fuckers you flirt with”
Kaminari made a stank face. “That’s different!”
The blond couldn’t help but laugh at how cute his friend looked. “I know,” he said, “besides, they’re losers anyway”
“Not all of them!” the flirtatious boy whined, his pride wounded, “the last one was pretty nice”
Katsuki worried for his friend more than he’d be willing to admit. “They’re supposed to be nice, dunce face,” call him what he is- a judgemental bitch- but the teenager never liked any of the people Denki had been talking to recently, “that’s the literal bare minimum”
Kaminari was less angry. But he stood with his arms wrapped around his waist. Giving himself a hug. Twisting himself slightly in an attempt to not have to be still. Not that he ever really was to begin with. “Yeah,” he agreed with a whimper, “I know”
Bakugou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Denki really needed to have higher standards. But he couldn’t start mapping those out till he saw what they looked like. “I’m a great boyfriend,” he boasted, “Deku can attest,” he was happy to see that his friend didn’t seem as upset anymore- more interested in what the Hell Katsuki was getting at, “I’m gonna take you on a date so awesome that you’ll be fucking insufferable”
“What?” he giggled, up for his friend’s challenge, “am I not already?”
Bakugou side eyed him. “Pretty fucking close,” he admitted, “but, no”
The boy chuckled at his friend’s joke. “Aw, damn,” he sounded like Bakugou had ruined his plans, “wasting my potential”
“Exactly” he clicked his tongue and leaned against his locker, his eyes searching the student body that bustled about for his boyfriend.
Denki joined him. Knowing exactly who he was looking for. But, instead of looking for someone, he just let his eyes rest. Spacing out. But quickly jostled out of his thought when the bell rang; and Bakugou wasn’t standing next to him any more.
Shit. Stupid brain. Denki huffed and made his way to class. Excited and terrified by what Katsuki had planned. Hoping that it wouldn’t be a disaster.
Across the hallway, unknown to Kaminari, the rest of the planning had already begun. Bakugou and Izuku were holding hands as they walked. Their arms swinging the slightest bit.
"You remember a few weeks ago when I said I owed dunce face a date?"
Deku bit the inside of his cheek. But nodded. "Yeah," he said, "what about it?"
"Little twerp finally took me up on it," he squeezed the greenette's hand as an assurance- even though they'd already talked about it and he didn't care, "you okay with giving up a Saturday?"
"As long as you make it up to me on Sunday," he purred, kissing his boyfriend's cheek, "what are you gonna end up doing?"
Bakugou shrugged his shoulders. "He honestly doesn't want to go and do a whole Hell of a lot," he sighed, "just eat candy and play video games...," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck, "which is what we normally do- accept he wants me to compliment him too"
"Like, what kind?" Izuku poked his chin with his free hand. A master at the varied ways to compliment a friend. Even though he knew from experience Katsuki himself wasn’t super well versed at it.
"Just tell him he's pretty and shit," the stubborn boy huffed, suddenly intimated at having to compliment someone who wasn’t Deku- most of his compliments were spur of the moment blabber, how was he supposed to do it on purpose?!
The greenette thought about this for a while. "Well, he is pretty"
"Not pretty like you, though"
Deku blushed at the unexpected- though totally appreciated- compliment. "It isn't a competition, Kacchan!"
That's rich coming from you. You possessive, jealous, little shit. "But if it were..." he goaded, a sly smile on his face as he bumped the sweet boy’s shoulder, instead of responding.
You would win. Deku puffed his cheeks out. Scowling at the disabled boy. "Well, it's not," he snapped, even though they both knew what Katsuki's answer would be, "so we'll never know"
"I guess we won't," Bakugou answered smoothly, dropping Izuku off in front of his classroom. Giving him one last kiss before making himself scarce.
The compliment still swirled around in Izuku's head. Slumping down in his desk and willing his heart to calm down.
He's not pretty like you
What on Earth did that mean? Sure, they didn't look a thing alike. It'd be weird if they did.
And Izuku knew he was reading into too much. He should have just taken the compliment and left it at that. But Katsuki had never said something like that. The boy had called him pretty, plenty. Never in comparison to someone else, though.
It ate away at Izuku. Flattered, but still confused. He gnawed on his cheek as he gave it more space in his head.
By the time Katsuki picked him up to drive home from school together, it was clear something was wrong. He poked his boyfriend in the forehead. Scowling at him more so in concern than anything else. "What's the matter with you, short stack?"
"You really think I'm pretty?" he sighed, always thinking of himself as cute above all else.
Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Yes," he readily supplied, "doofus"
Izuku grinned, grabbing his hand and rubbing circles into the boy's knuckles with his thumb, "okay," he allowed, walking toward the van, "but how?"
"What do you mean, how?"
"Well," he sighed, thinking about how he should form his response, "cause you said we were both pretty," he reminded Katsuki, "but not in the same way," it really didn't matter, but his brain would not shut up until this was explained, "so... how?"
Katsuki bumped him with his shoulder. Chuckling when he got a tiny "epp!" and a trademark strawberry face in reply.
When he recovered, it was Izuku's turn to scowl. It wasn't very effective. But he tried his best. "What was that for?!"
"You're being stupid," he murmured, ruffling his boyfriend's curls and kissing his temple, "you're the prettiest boy I've ever seen," he gushed, "nobody even compares"
Don't you charm your way out of this! I'm mad at you! But he couldn't stop the fluttering of his heart; or the warmth that spread through his chest and down to his stomach. Not that he'd want to. It did put a wrench in his plans, though.
"But if you must know," Deku perked up at that, "I'll tell you"
Please. Do enlighten me. Izuku bit his lip as he waited for the answer. Feet planted firmly on the asphalt under him. Scared, but also elated to hear what Bakugou had to say.
"Denki is pretty in the way that a beach day is," he murmured, "bright, sunny," he watched Izuku's expression carefully, "he swipes you up like a ocean current," he rubbed the back of his neck, "he's a lot to deal with," the disabled boy admitted, "but he's so charming that it doesn't really bother you too much"
Izuku nodded along. Not really disagreeing in any way. "But I'm not like that"
Katsuki shook his head. Trying to think of how to explain how Izuku made him feel in an understandable way. "You're way different," he assured, gracing Deku with a loving smile, "in a good way"
Bakugou helped Deku into the van. Not wanting to pour his heart out in a parking lot. He wanted to go somewhere safer. Somewhere more important. Katsuki drove for a while; stopping in front of the park.
Grabbing his boyfriend's hand and pulling him toward the swing-set. Izuku was confused, but trusted Katsuki more than anyone. So, he gently settled into a swing- wrapping his scarred fingers around the handles. His feet dragging on the wood chip heavy mulch. Giving his boyfriend the space to think about what to say.
Bakugou settled in beside him. The old swing creaking under his weight. The boy sighed and dragged his feet. Much too tall to actually swing. Keeping Izuku in the corner of his eye.
The late February sunlight glistened against his hair. Softening his already goose down-like skin. Brightening the green of his eyes like it were the whispered promise of Spring.
Just like that, it hit Bakugou square in the head. "You're pretty like after rainfall"
By the look on his boyfriend's face, it was clear to Bakugou he hadn't made a lick of sense.
"Like, you know how after it rains, everything is so much brighter?" he tried again, tightening his grip on the swing, "all the plants are disgustingly bright green- it almost looks fake," he sucked on his teeth, "and there are huge puddles that look like mirrors," he didn't know if he was making sense; but what he was saying still felt right, "and you just notice things so much better," he sighed, "that you normally wouldn't, because it all seems 'normal' and 'boring'" he noticed that Izuku had stopped moving, "but then you look at it this way and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen... it makes you wonder why you hadn't noticed it before"
Deku wasn't making noise. But heavy tears poured down his face. Overwhelmed by his boyfriend's admission.
"Hey," Katsuki murmured, leaning over against the screaming defiance of the playground equipment he sat in; grabbing Izuku's chin and pulling him forward until they were a mere breath apart, "I know I'm shit with words, but..."
"No," he hucciped, "Kacchan, I'm not sad," the boy promised, still feeling more tears fall, "I just never thought someone could think of me that way"
"Well, I do," he said, giving him a peck on the mouth, "there are plenty of people in the world," the blond allotted, "but they don't matter to me," Bakugou kissed him again, "because they aren't you"
Izuku kissed him back. Trying his best to wrap his arms around Bakugou's neck; despite the awkward angle. Feeling his body start to twist as the swing moved along with him.
Before long, the two boys were tangled up together. Which made Izuku giggle into their kisses. Bakugou pulled away to de-tangle them. Blushing at the joy he saw on his boyfriend's face. Even if he couldn't quite hear his laughter.
"Glad I can make you happy, baby doll" he helped Deku off the swing and made their way, hand in hand, to the van.
The crisp mix of ice and flurry crunching underneath their shoes. Before long, they were snuggled up as best they could in Deku's van. The heater blasting and warming their frozen bodies. Even if they hadn't felt cold in the moment. Bakugou kissed his temple again; running his fingers through the boy's curls.
Izuku drove Bakugou home in relative quiet. Sighing to himself in contentment at his kisses. The greenette parked carefully. Walking his boyfriend up to his door. Where Mitsuki waited; as she did nearly every day.
About ready to call and wonder where the Hell he'd been. Before she saw a blob of green bound up toward her door. Reaching up and ringing the doorbell. Like the good boy he was. She chuckled and crossed the room. Opening the door for her hopeless son. Though, she shouldn't have been surprised. They'd always been bound at the hip.
She urshed Bakugou inside. Waving Izuku off and watching for him until he turned the corner. Shutting the door behind her and furrowing her brows at her own son; as he struggled at removing his winter jacket. She fought against the itching in her fingers to help him. Knowing he'd snap at her for it.
"You'd have fun out today with your little boyfriend?" Mitsuki teased gently, trying to hide her smile.
"When don't I, Mom?" he grunted, "besides," the young man finally flung his jacket off- leaving it on the wet, hardwood floor, "he has a name," he reminded her darkly, "and you know what it is"
"Of course I know Izuku's name," she reminded him, smacking him upside his head, "I'm just teasing you," she scowled, crossing her arms over her chest, "goodness"
Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Mom," he grumbled, shutting his backpack down in his proper spot, "we had a good time, okay?" he sighed, "we went to the park"
"Fun!" Mitsuki beamed, connecting her hands together in a praying motion, "glad you boys have such a good time together"
Bakugou gave her an odd look. But shrugged her behavior off. He knew she got like that sometimes. Mitsuki was already clamoring for him to settle down. Espically now that he had 'caught' someone as dear and sweet as Deku.
"Hey, Mama?" he asked as he rummaged through his bag for his homework.
"Yes, baby?"
"Do you think Deku and me'll end up like you and Dad did?"
That threw Mitsuki off a bit. Bakugou had never really talked like that before. In fact, he seemed almost weirded out whenever one of them would bring up how they'd met and when they'd started dating. "I don't know, sweet pea," she tried to stay as tender as she could, "maybe"
"Okay," he answered, "cause... sometimes, it seems like that'd be nice," he huffed, "instead of stupid"