beach day <3
They sat together on the bullet train, side by side, shoulders pressed together as they awaited the departure. Katsuki still hadn’t told Izuku where they were headed, but it was almost better that way. He would get to see his reaction live and surprised. The ride to the ocean wasn’t terribly far, but it was a little over an hour. So they would have time to rest.
The train was stuffy and crowded, but more people would get off along the way. It gave them an excuse to sit close, anyway. Still, Katsuki didn’t like that strangers were breathing down his neck. Touching his arms. Pushing around him. He tried to stop himself from succumbing to the overwhelming growth of his irritation. Katsuki took a deep breath and glanced at the boy beside him.
Izuku sat fidgety, craning his neck to look out the windows pressed against their backs. Their clothing was slightly damp with rain. It smelled like rain as well. When there were morning showers, however, the sun would show itself sooner or later. Izuku watched as the train started to move, the people he had seen around the station becoming blurs of color.
He watched until he couldn’t look without getting a headache, turning back to look at his hands, or Katsuki’s if he had the chance. The hands he would have liked to hold. But instead, he clasped his together and looked at the blond.
“Can I see our tickets?” Izuku asked, bouncing his body along to the faint music he could hear coming out of Katsuki’s earbuds.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him, “Could you be any more obvious, nerd?”
“Ugh! Can I at least know where we're going now?”
“You’re impatient as fuck.”
“You would be too!”
“I’m a proud hypocrite.”
Izuku restrained the urge to smile, “How rude, Kacchan.”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“Are we there yet?”
“We just fucking left.”
“Are we there y–”
“Don’t fucking start,” Katsuki narrowed his eyes, pointing a warning finger at Izuku’s temple, “I will turn this damn train around.”
At this, Izuku laughed, shoving his arm away lightly, “Pleaseeeeeeee.”
“No.”
“Fine, watch this,” Izuku wiggled his fingers like he was casting a spell, his voice whimsical. “You, Kacchan, will tell me our destination. Share my fate.”
Katsuki cracked a smile and pushed his head away, “You’re such a child. Too bad you’re not a fucking wizard.”
Izuku laughed and swatted at him, “I might be!”
“Please–-I would’ve known by now. I know everything. You’re a shitty secret keeper,” Katsuki raised his eyebrows, referencing Izuku’s failed attempt at concealing One For All from him.
But for a second, just a second, the freckled boy shivered, because it almost sounded like Katsuki knew.
“Well, this one was really hidden. Not even you know, Kacchan.”
“Don’t believe you,” Katsuki crossed his arms, “Prove it.”
“I’ll grant you three wishes.”
“That’s a genie, dork-weasel.”
“Nu-uh! That’s, um, my wizard power, actually.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhm.”
“‘Kay, grant them then.”
Izuku closed his eyes in concentration, forcing a serious face and moving his hands as though there was a magic ball in them, “What do you wish for?”
“A billion wishes.”
He cracked an eye open, “That’s not allowed, Kacchan!”
“Fuck off, that’s dumb.”
“You have to follow my wizard rules.”
“Fine.”
“And don’t say your wishes out loud.”
“Fine.”
Katsuki closed his eyes and made his wishes.
Izuku waited patiently, “You done?”
“Yep.”
“Okay! I’ll make sure they come true!”
Katsuki looked at him with melancholy eyes, his smile tainted, and his face churning with yearning. Then, he looked away and sighed as if he was sharing an inside joke with himself. He had wished for the same thing three times, funnily enough. It was probably obvious what he wanted.
Looking back, “Make sure you do, nerd.”
“I will,” Izuku smiled and gave him a thumbs up. His smile was interrupted by a yawn, “Sorry, maybe later. I’m a little sleepy, actually.”
“Did you just say sleepy?”
“Yes.”
“Idiot. Anyway, sleep if you wanna. ‘Cause we got, like, an hour or so.”
“Okay,” Izuku smiled at him. He turned his head back forward, watching the scenery from the window across from their seats. The blurry, rushing trees brushed the clearing sky. As they sat, Izuku continued dancing lightly to the rhythms he heard beside him, tapping his foot along as he tried to drift off. And after a while, his eyes started to flutter shut. Eyelashes rested on his cheeks.
Katsuki had been watching him dance, and he loved it like one loved old memories. He knew that the sight would be gone, but he wanted it forever, or at least as long as he could. Perpetuate his happiness as long as he could. So, Katsuki tapped him on the shoulder. When Izuku opened his eyes, the blond offered him the other earbud.
Izuku blinked at it, looked at him, then took it with a blush and some hesitance. But Katsuki didn’t seem to regret it. Izuku stuck it in his ear and scooted a bit closer to avoid the risk of it falling out. Fire crawled over their skin.
Katsuki swallowed thickly and tried to slow his hammering heartbeat, feigning nonchalance as he closed his eyes and focused on the music he knew the boy beside him was hearing too.
As they went through shadows and back into the sunlight, they could feel the warmth shifting on their backs, going from a chill to heat in seconds. The sky was gradually clearing.
And after a while, Katsuki finally felt like he was fine again. The world seemed busier with the sound in his ears. More distracting than the voices in his head. At least, he was fine until he felt a gentle weight press on his shoulder, gradually falling down onto him like it was no mistake.
Katsuki froze. He held his breath and, without moving, shifted his eyes to the side, catching a glimpse of the curly mop of hair on his shoulder and Izuku’s calm, tired expression. The boy’s lips were parted as he lightly snored. His eyes closed heavily, his body rising and falling like the rolls of the tide. Katsuki didn’t realize he was staring until he had to blink again.
He shook his head lightly, pulling his lips in a thin line to avoid grinning like an idiot. Sometimes, he truly felt like Izuku was trying to kill him. Every moment they were together was another punch to the gut. Katsuki hated the way it stung. Yet, he couldn’t stop, like an addict who couldn’t resist another hit.
Katsuki slowly tilted his head to the side until it was resting on Izuku’s and the boy’s strawberry shampoo clouded his senses with the feeling of spring. The blond sighed painfully, closing his eyes as the train stopped to let off its second batch of passengers.
He wished the ride would last a little longer.
The reaction was completely worth it.
Izuku stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at a distant strip of the ocean just over the town, gasping dramatically. His eyes blew so wide, Katsuki wouldn’t have been surprised if they popped out of his skull. Izuku turned to him with his jaw on the floor. His eyes were sparkling, he might as well have been surrounded by a beam of light and little gems flying around his body as he practically vibrated from elation.
His hands, which were wrapped dorkily around a yellow backpack, flew out in crazy gestures, “Kacchan,” Izuku laughed loudly and rattled the blond's arms, “The beach! I can’t believe I didn’t guess.”
“Yeah, I honestly thought you would,” Katsuki shrugged and tapped his head, “Maybe that thinker is fucking jammed.”
“I’ll polish it later. Good as new,” Izuku replied absent-mindedly. Then, he flung his arms wide out in the direction of the ocean, “This is amazing! I can’t believe we’re here!” He pumped his fists up, “Beach day! Whoop whoop! Kacchan, this is awesome! Thank you so much. I've always wanted to have a beach day with you! Or, not with you--I mean, you know...”
Katsuki glanced around awkwardly at the crowd watching them (they were still at the station, after all). He scowled at the people staring too hard, but still, if this wasn’t his dork he probably would have judged the same way.
Izuku spun in a circle and turned back to grin at him, arms still spread out as if he had forgotten there were other people around. He pointed over his shoulder at the beach, “The ocean is here, Kacchan!”
“I know, nerd.”
“It’s so beautiful!”
“It is but–”
“Like, delicious beautiful!”
“I dunno if it would taste that good. A little too much salt, you know.”
“I would gobble it regardless.”
Katsuki laughed loudly before clearing his throat, “Izuku, you’re looking a little fuckin’ cray-cray right now.”
Those words hung in the air, Izuku’s face instantly swelled up in embarrassment as he dropped his arms to the side with a smack. He looked around. Then, he scratched his neck awkwardly and walked back to Katsuki like a kicked puppy. The crowd was parting around them, diverging as they stood in the middle of the busy station.
“I’m sorry,” Izuku whispered as if he hadn’t been borderline yelling seconds before, “I’m really excited.”
“Damn, I couldn’t tell,” Katsuki deadpanned with an eye roll. He proceeded to ruffle Izuku’s hair, “It’s fine.” And even though he meant his words, the blond’s voice was irritated.
Izuku smiled nervously, “Did I annoy you?”
“Nah. There were just a lot of fuckin’ eyes on us. I fucking hate people,” Katsuki complained, intentionally raising his volume for people to hear.
A woman and her son exchanged a look before shuffling past.
“I thought you liked having people’s eyes, Kacchan.”
Katsuki clicked his tongue, “Only yours, nerd,” He gritted his teeth painfully.
“Whateverletsgo," Katsuki grabbed Izuku's arm and started walking forward, speaking fast to cover up what he said before Izuku could think too much about it.
The blond was genuinely surprised Izuku hadn’t guessed where they were going when he told him to wear basketball shorts (a swimsuit was too obvious) and sunscreen. But he supposed it worked out fine. Izuku had been walking on clouds since their arrival. He had this innate bounce in his step, always giddy about the opportunity to be alive. He kept pointing out random things the closer they got to the beach, strolling through a small oceanside town. Katsuki had been here a million times, but he still liked listening and acting like everything was novel to him.
They passed ice cream shops and gift shops with expensive items, ones you could buy anywhere. Unlike the morning, it was sunny now, and the boys wrapped their jackets around their waists when it started to feel like they were roasting. The town was colorful, pastel colors adorned the buildings with ruffled canopies and tropical designs. Outdoor patios with string lights hung but turned off. Palm trees planted artificially on street corners.
As they were waiting on a crosswalk, Izuku stared up and watched the seagulls fly over them. Katsuki watched him with a small smile, “I take it you haven’t been here before?”
Izuku shook his head, “Nope. My mom and I didn’t really go out much. Our vacations were to the closest town over. Have you been here before?”
“Once or twice,” Katsuki lied, failing to mention he had come almost every break for the past 18 years, “I think you’ll like the beach. It’s got shells ‘n pretty shit there.”
“Really? That’s so cool! I hope the sand is soft and the ocean’s full of waves, I really want to dive into one. Would you do that? Like, when they submerge you? I’ve seen a ton of people do that online. It always looks so fun, that’s always what the beach reminds me of. Oh! Shell necklaces too. Kacchan, can I bury you in the sand?”
Katsuki took Izuku’s hand and dragged him across the street as the other boy rambled. And the blond, being a trained professional in verbal rants, cut him off, “What fucking question do you want me to answer?”
Izuku diverged from his words, “Will you dive in the waves with me?”
“Duh, obviously.”
“Yes!” Izuku pumped his fist, “Can I make you into a mermaid? Or–uh–merman? Like a sand sculpture?”
Katsuki blinked at him, releasing his hand but tugging him by the sleeve to encourage his feet forward, “Weirdo.”
“It’s a fair question.”
“It’s a dumb question.”
“Will you answer it?”
Katsuki groaned, “It’s so weird I haven’t even considered a fucking response.”
“Take your time.”
On the other side of the street, there was a boardwalk covered with sand, leading out onto the beach like a runway for the ocean. There was a small shower off to the side where people were getting sand off of themselves, it infected everything. Izuku grabbed Katsuki’s hand again on instinct and began walking briskly forward. He ignored how the calluses felt, and how natural it was, he just kept moving.
Katsuki had to jog to keep up, “Izuku, slow the fuck down! It’s not goin’ anywhere.”
“We are, though! We gotta make the most of our time before we go back!” Izuku started running at that point, the wind blowing his hair back and whistling through his ears.
Katsuki was running too. He had stopped protesting and allowed himself to be dragged, ignoring the looks of strangers and listening to Izuku’s laughter instead. The sunlight beat down on their shoulders. The sunlight held his hand and kept him moving. People on the boardwalk leaned onto the railing when they sped by, trying to avoid getting plowed over by what they thought was a very rabid couple.
“Take off your shoes, nerd!” Katsuki shouted over the wind as they approached the sand. He took his own off as well, clutching them in one hand and holding Izuku’s hand in the other.
Izuku did as he was told and dragged them both barefoot into the hot sand. It burned their feet initially, making them yelp in surprise.
Izuku jumped from one foot to the other, “It’s so hot! Owwwww!”
“The ocean’s right there, stupid!” Katsuki scolded, doing a similar jumping motion, “C’mon!”
To actually get to the ocean, they had to run down a large hill with a rather random patch of grass, almost as if the sand was placed manually. It was covered with dandelions, which the wind would take and spread to make anew. When the two of them were kids, they would run through them sometimes, playing with the puffs in their hands, touching them, or making wishes. The dandelions were alive now, and the wind scattered them like snow.
Izuku held his arm over his eyes, squinting as the wind blew into his face. Their shirts blew behind them like capes, tugging around their figures, flapping as each gust came along. The heat on their feet was unbearable.
Katsuki started walking ahead of him, leading the way like he had done this a thousand times, his posture confident. Izuku was walking behind him at a slower pace like a shadow, content to be pulled along.
However, Katsuki looked over his shoulder when he realized Izuku wasn’t by his side. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, “You wanna get up here?”
“Huh?”
“Get up here.”
“It’s okay! I’m fine following you. I’ve never been here b–”
“Ugh,” Katsuki pulled him by the hand, making Izuku yelp in surprise as he was yanked forward and by his side again. Izuku rubbed his arm with a wince.
“Don’t fall behind me, idiot,” Katsuki looked at him from the corner of his eye, “Stay beside me.”
Izuku held his breath. The air cooled the heat on their face, the crashing waves, and the hammering of his heart. He glanced at Katsuki, who was staring out at the ocean like he didn’t know the weight of his words.
Katsuki could drop sentimental comments and seem to be completely unaware of the weight, and the history behind them. The blond kept his eyes forward. Izuku stared at his side profile, his breath momentarily taken from him, his hand tightening in Katsuki’s. Because neither of them cared that they hadn’t let go.
“Okay,” Izuku promised softly.
Katsuki hummed and started abruptly dragging him down the hill. They stumbled over their feet as they ran down it. Izuku nearly doubled over at the sudden sprint. Katsuki cursed and kicked the heads off the dandelions. They shrieked with laughter because the dandelions grabbed their ankles and they couldn’t stay steady no matter how they fell on each other.
Katsuki tried to shake Izuku off but they couldn’t stay apart. If one stumbled, it was reciprocated, constantly pushing against each other.
Izuku couldn’t help but chortle as Katsuki tried to shove him away, only to be the one to latch onto him again as he began to slip.
Their feet kicked up the tufts, swirling them around like beautiful dancers.
As Katsuki began to run, he held Izuku with him until they sank into each other’s movements. Their choreography was playful and improvised. Katsuki led them through the performance like they had planned every stumble, laugh and yell.
When their feet hit the bottom of the hill, back in the sand again, they lost their balance finally, toppling over onto their hands and knees. Izuku fell back into the grass while Katsuki landed in the sand with a weak curse.
The sky was consumed by their laughter.
The grass enveloped his body. Izuku laughed and he couldn’t stop. He clutched his stomach and curled his knees up, his laugh from his whole heart. His shoulders shook.
Katsuki’s laugh mixed with his. It was harsher as though he wasn’t used to it.
Sand swirled around Katsuki’s limbs. He shifted up onto his knees, wiping it off his arms and back into the thousands of indistinguishable pieces. He liked Izuku’s laugh. So he listened until it dwindled out long after his own had stopped.
Izuku leaned back and rested his hands on his stomach, “You know, this grass is actually kind of nice.”
Katsuki sat beside him, “Dumbass. There’s an ocean right there. The grass prolly has dog shit riddled in the atoms of it.”
“At least it looks pretty though, huh?,” Izuku mused softly and moved so that their shoulders were touching, “The ocean is really beautiful, though. I’ve never seen it in person.”
“It’s even better when you’re in it and not watching it from the fucking feces-infested grass.”
“Can we get in?” Izuku asked hopefully.
“We should soon if we’re gonna. I didn’t realize the train would take for-fucking-ever and we still gotta go home before tomorrow. We probably got two hours.”
Izuku considered something for a second, a small smirk on his lips, “How mad do you think Sensei would be if we skipped class?”
“You suggesting skipping? I must’ve picked up the wrong nerd at the fucking station. And we aren’t skipping class, no way.”
“Ahah!” Izuku exclaimed suddenly like he caught Katsuki in an unexpected game. He pointed a finger against the blond’s chest, “That was a nerd test. You passed.”
“Fuck you,” Katsuki grabbed a fist full of grass and threw it into his face, “What even is that? Sounds fake.”
“It’s not fake, I invented it.”
“Nah, nerds are people that wear shirts with printed fucking bowties on them.”
“That was one time!”
“One time too many. And I know that shit is still in your closet."
They stared at the clouds and talked for a bit. It was more so because they didn't want to get up. The clouds told them stories and drew pictures in the sky, the past rainfall still visible through darkened shadows. They pointed out the shapes they could see. However, Izuku stopped the game when Katsuki made perpetual penis references.
Then, Izuku got to his feet and dusted off his knees, knocking Katsuki with the tip of his foot. Katsuki raised an eyebrow but quickly got the memo when the freckled boy extended a hand and pulled him to his feet. Izuku smiled as he began walking toward the water because he knew Katsuki would follow along.
And he did.
The water rushed furiously over their ankles, shocking them with a cold chill. Izuku shivered dramatically, “Oh! That’s colder than I expected.”
“Too cold?” Katsuki asked in concern. He thought it was rather cold himself.
“No. We got this!”
“‘Course we do.”
“We can do anything! We’re the wonder duo!”
Katsuki felt heat rush to his face, “Don’t call us that.”
“Why?”
“It’s dorky.”
“That’s what All Might calls us! You calling All Might dorky?”
“He is. Have you seen him?”
“Yeah, he’s glorious.”
Katsuki bent down to the water, moving his hand around and stirring up the sand beneath the surface. Izuku got down beside him. He leaned closer like he was watching the water for magic, leaning on the blond as he watched Katsuki pull up small shells before letting them fall back into the sand. After a while, when it seemed calm, Katsuki was waiting to make his move. His attack.
He waited until after he showed Izuku how he could sift through shells. Then, while his nerd was distracted and blabbering about how cute the tiny things were—he struck.
Katsuki scooped a handful of water in his hand and splashed it into the other boy’s face. Izuku choked on the sudden salt and wiped his eyes. He tried to retaliate fast but Katsuki had already stood up and moved away from the water, crouching like he was prepared to run.
“Coward!” Izuku sputtered, “You’re running away!”
“Nah, just come and get me!” Katsuki clapped his hands tauntingly. He smirked when Izuku glared at him, “How’s it taste?”
“Like the tears of my enemies!” Izuku declared with a medieval voice, “You’re my enemy, by the way. Kneel before me.”
“I cannot take you seriously,” Katsuki snorted and crossed his arms.
They stood in challenge for a second, repressing their childish smiles.
Then, Izuku made the split-second decision to turn around, scoop water in his hands, charge toward Katsuki, throw it at him, and flick his forehead all in less than a moment.
Izuku nearly slipped and fell into the sand before taking off in a sprint, kicking up dust but trying to avoid getting any in Katsuki’s face. He heard familiar yells from behind him. Humorous ones. He wasn’t too afraid, but his chest was pumping with adrenaline. That and he didn’t want to give Katsuki the satisfaction of catching him. Even though his training was intensive, running on the beach always felt like a kick to the gut. His chest was heaving, burning, and his legs stung. Izuku thrashed his arms wildly like he truly would not survive if caught. He tried to imagine a villain chasing him for motivation. That led to a ridiculous mental image of Katsuki as a mutant or something hideous, and he laughed breathily, which drained him in itself. He couldn’t believe Katsuki could ever be hideous.
That scared him sometimes, how little he felt in comparison to everyone in the world. All the other options in the world. How could he be number one out of all of them? Number one for Katsuki? Izuku shook his head.
He peaked over his shoulder. Izuku knew you were never supposed to do that in a race, but he couldn’t help himself. It was suspiciously quiet behind him. No taunts had been yelled for a good thirty seconds. Izuku made an anxious sound when he found Katsuki on his heels, blond hair was blown back, exposing his face and devilish grin.
The wind blew against them like a barrier, making it difficult to run and even worse to see. At least, suddenly it didn’t feel as hot anymore. Izuku tried to hold up his arms and shield his eyes but that slowed his momentum. And when he heard a triumphant yell, despite not perceiving the words, he knew it was over.
He felt a snag on his forearm, audibly groaning as he was pulled into the sand and falling lightly on his back. It wasn’t an aggressive tug, but he was so tired he all but collapsed. Staring up at the cloudless sky and panting like his chest was void.
“Got you!” A voice above him said.
Katsuki had one hand holding his arm and the other jabbing a victorious finger in his face.
Izuku looked up through his hair, fringe falling over his eyes as he smiled weakly, “Barley!”
Some parts of their clothes were discolored, with darker patches because of the water. Sand was sticking to their legs and arms. They were both breathing heavily, trying to catch their breath. Katsuki fell down beside him. Izuku nuzzled himself somewhat into Katsuki’s side, or as much as he could dare to do, pressing the sides of their bodies together.
His face was warm and butterflies pounded in his stomach; his heart went wild when Katsuki moved his arm under Izuku’s head so that the freckled boy was in the crook of his elbow. They were on the fine line of making moves, each one more risky than the last. Trying not to cross the point of platonic proximity and wishing to throw themselves over it all at once.
“Hey,” Izuku said once he had caught his breath, “Can I bury you?”
“Well, you didn’t kill me yet, did ya?”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Izuku giggled, “But seriously!”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. He swallowed thickly before he began playing with Izuku’s curls, which were temptingly close to his face, soft in his hands. “Later,” Katsuki grumbled and closed his eyes.
Izuku moved his head closer as Katsuki buried his hands uncharacteristically gently in his hair, twirling coils and brushing his fingers through it. For a while, they just listened to the ocean. And Izuku wanted to capture every moment in a bottle, just so he could relive it a million times.
Izuku thought Katsuki was cruel. Treating him like a lover, if it was even that way. But Izuku knew he couldn’t resist. He couldn’t. He was basically dooming himself.
It could have drifted them to sleep.
Izuku felt like he was losing his mind, the moment being so gentle but all he could do was feel insane with Kacchan, Kacchan, Kacchan by his side and holding him close, playing with his hair, making him feel like he would ever have a chance to love him.
And Katsuki, the boy on Izuku’s mind, pretended he wasn’t wishing this moment was forever. He forgot UA, forgot Ochako, forgot the fact that they should be leaving very soon.
This was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for Izuku. He couldn't describe it. It was beyond any language, any gesture of thanks. Anything he could say would be a meek comparison. Curse the barriers of language. Feelings and language would always be foreign to each other.
"Kacchan," Izuku whispered over the waves, "Thank you…for bringing me here."
Katsuki squeezed him slightly, “Yeah.”
“Seriously, this is beautiful.”
“Mhm.”
“I really, really, really appreciate it. You have no i–”
“Don’t get sappy, Izuku, I get it,” Katsuki grumbled uncomfortably, “You’re so grateful or whatever, just don’t mention it.”
“Okay, fine. But I mean it, you know.”
“I know you do, nerd. Just shut up,” Uncomfortable with feelings. Changing the subject, “Wanna bury me now?”
Izuku grinned, “Okay!”
“Right, just make it painless.”
“I’m not killing you, Kacchan!”
After Katsuki was buried (Izuku wasn’t allowed to cover anything beyond his ankles), they ran into the water. They dove into the waves, the crisp blue submerging them before they reappeared like wet, slobby dogs. The boys treaded above the water waves came and went, pulling them above before dropping them again. That was always how it felt when they were together. Push and pull and rise and fall. Izuku shook his head to get the water out of his eyes, swiping a hand over his face. He coughed some salt off his tongue.
Katsuki ducked back under before popping up again, gasping as he rose to the surface, pushing his hair back, “That’s fucking cold!”
Izuku laughed and leaned his head back in the water. The waves washed up against his bare shoulders, “It feels refreshing, doesn’t it?”
“Tch, I guess. I just fucking hate the cold.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t mix well with your quirk.”
“Who’re you to tell me shit about my own quirk, stalker?”
“Hey, my stalking has proved pretty beneficial to you!”
“I would be just fucking peachy without your stalking.”
Izuku sat up to look at the blond again, “Would you?”
“Duh.”
“Absolutely fine?”
“Yep.”
He forced a pitiful frown on his lips, “If I vanished right now?”
“Huh? I didn’t say that,” Katsuki narrowed his eyes, “Wha–”
Izuku pointed wildly behind him, a hand going over his mouth and his eyes bulging, “Kacchan,” his voice was full of fear, “W-What’s that?!”
“What?” Katsuki threw his body around, a wave coming up to his chin, before dropping him. And there was nothing there. Just an endless expanse of ocean and blue skies. That little shit.
Turning back around, “Izuku, what the fu–okay, what?”
Izuku was gone.
With no one with him, the world seemed deathly quiet. Only the distant waves on the shore and the sound his own arms make as he swims around and kicks underwater. Katsuki didn’t know how long the other boy could hold his breath. He searched around but after about a minute, he was becoming slightly convinced Izuku had vanished. Not that he would admit it.
Katsuki had been throwing his arms and kicking his legs all around the vicinity, splashing in the water and tiring himself out. He moved to slightly more shallow waters so he could stand. As he dragged his feet, he felt a brush against his ankle, which was pretty damn creepy. He knew there were jellyfish around here, “Izuku!” Katsuki cupped his hands over his mouth, “Come out come out wherever you are!”
A brush against his ankle again. He grimaced slightly and kicked at the spot where it had come from, “Shit!” Katsuki shouted, “I could really go for some ice cream! But since Izuku is fucking dumb, I guess I gotta go by my–oh fuc—!” Instantly, he was dragged underwater by his ankle, words swallowed by the ocean, gagging on salt water.
He could hear the faint sound of laughter before he swam to the surface. He gasped, coughing and pounding on his chest. Izuku came up a few seconds later. He threw his head back and cackled as Katsuki looked dumbfoundedly at him.
“Got you, Kacchan!” Izuku leaned forward and held onto the blond’s shoulder as he giggled, “You almost looked worried!”
“You need fucking glasses, then,” Katsuki shoved him away, “I can’t believe you. You nefarious piece of shit.”
“That was payback for earlier.”
“Yeah, when your slow ass got taken down?”
“Hey, you can’t be talking Kacchan. Unless you need a reminder of what just happened.”
Katsuki waved his hand dismissively, “You didn’t set the rules. Doesn’t count.”
“There are rules to scaring Kacchan? Like what?”
“The rules are a secret. Only I know when you break ‘em.”
“Oh, how is that any fair?”
“It isn’t,” Katsuki chuckled and splashed Izuku’s face.
Izuku caught his hand as it was mid-swing, “You’re always unfair.”
“Nu-uh, I always play by the rules. It isn’t breaking ‘em if I know what I'm doing.”
“I hate that that makes sense,” Izuku rolled his eyes, “And nothing about you ever makes sense, by the way.”
“Everything about me makes sense.”
“Yeah,” the freckled boy looked down at their hands strangely. How he was allowed to hold it. He ran his thumb over Katsuki’s knuckles, “Doesn’t mean I understand it all the time.”
The tide pulled them in a way that made them constantly adjust where they stood, pushing them closer and further apart. Like they always seemed to do when things got too hard to understand. Always running from what made the uncomfortable to acknowledge. They ran from conversations and each other.
The two boys had adjusted to the cold. Now it was only the wind that gave them the occasional shiver, making the water more furious.
When it got too cold and the time got too late, they returned to their things a bit down on the beach. Racing there. Drying themselves off and changing into sweaters to hide from the chill. They walked to the station again in the wake of streetlights and light traffic bustle, humming cars, and the sound of the ocean becoming more distant with each step they took.
The boys did stop for ice cream, eating it as they talked. And Katsuki scolded Izuku for spilling it all over his fingers. Then, the blond stole a bite of Izuku’s ice cream (much to the other boy's devastation). Their sandals smacked on the sidewalk. They walked close to one another.
The station was all but deserted, with an apocalyptic impression, a few guards, and the sound of cheap speakers making calls for trains. Overhead lights flickered with a weak, resigning buzz. From where they were, the boys could still see the ocean. They sat on a bench while they waited for their train to arrive.
Izuku fiddled with his thumbs, yawning, “Kacchan?” He said a bit nervously, pink tinting his cheeks.
“What?” Katsuki looked over at him, “You forget something? You look pitiful.”
“No, no,” Izuku shook his head. He blinked drowsily, “Is it alright if I–um–l-lean on you?”
Katsuki was quiet. The other boy had already done that once. More than once, the blond felt as though they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Not in a sexual manner—just…always needed to be close. Was it weird?he thought, friends can do this, right? That’s normal. It’s fucking normal.
Katsuki nodded wordlessly, turning his head back to the ocean, the cold air whipping at his cheeks. Izuku cuddled himself into Katsuki’s side with an appreciative hum, sighing as he closed his eyes. And the blond rested his head on Izuku’s. They waited for the train.
And when the train came, they sat the same way on the train. There were hardly any people on board with them, only a few stragglers working too late, bags under their eyes and briefcases in their hands. Katsuki tried not to fall asleep as Izuku snored into his chest. It was because the nerd was tired, that was all he told himself with a scowl and a slight pat to Izuku’s head.
Katsuki couldn’t stand Izuku.
Katsuki couldn’t stand how he allowed Izuku to lean on him even on the taxi ride back to school, and when they arrived, the blond bridal carried the other boy inside the dorms. Izuku clung to his shoulders like a koala, curling his head under Katsuki’s chin. And Katsuki’s heart was pounding so hard he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand Izuku.
When he kicked open the door, the common room seemed empty. All lights turned out except for one dim kitchen light, illuminating a moderately surprised Shoto eating microwave ramen. Goddamnit.
Shoto raised his eyebrows, slurping slowly on his noodles, staring pointedly at the awfully intimate scene in front of him. Katsuki tried to maintain his glare, even as Izuku embarrassingly nuzzled his face deeper into his chest.
Shoto swallowed his noodles and gestured at them with his chopsticks, “I take it you and the prince had fun.”
Katsuki began walking toward the kitchen, resisting the urge to drop Izuku and run for cover, “You know?”
“Of course, Midoryia told me you were taking him somewhere unspecified. He is my best friend, after all,” Shoto slurped loudly to fill the silence, never breaking eye contact, “I know a lot.”
“Uh, cool.”
“A lot.”
“Okay…?”
Shoto raised his eyebrows meaningfully, but because of his nonchalant expression, it looked like he was possessed. Katsuki shivered and instinctively hid Izuku like a mom protecting her baby.
“You’re fuckin’ weird, Todoroki.”
“You might not want to insult me. I got leverage right now.”
Katsuki shrugged uncomfortably, “This doesn’t mean shit. He was just asleep. I was being fucking decent.”
“That’s beyond decent.”
“I don’t fucking like him or whatever you’re thinking!” Katsuki snapped defensively.
Shoto looked weirdly at him, “I never said I was implying romance.”
Katsuki gaped for a second. He blinked and righted himself, “Ya didn’t have to! I saw it in your stupid face. ‘Sides, it was just clarification.”
“Okay? Don’t get worked up, Bakugo. No one has to know where you wisk Midoryia off to in your free time.”
Katsuki almost smiled, “Yeah, and shut yer trap about it too.”
Shoto offered a small smile. His eyes drifted down to Izuku with a sigh, “Ochaco was looking for him.”
“Oh,” Katsuki also looked down at the boy in his arms.
“I told her you guys were training all day.”
The blond looked surprised, “You didn’t hafta lie. It’s not like we’re Romeo and Juliet.”
Shoto snorted lightly to himself, “You kind of are.”
“The fuck does that mean?”
The other boy shrugged and turned back to his food.
Katsuki stared at him.
“You guys should get to bed,” Shoto concluded, “We have classes like regular tomorrow.”
“It’s gonna take you a century to get to bed if you keep eating in slow motion.”
Shoto snorted, then turned to him with an expression of forced indifference, “Goodnight, Bakugo.”
“Night and eat fucking faster,” Katsuki grumbled as he walked toward the elevator, struggling to push the button with a person occupying his arms. Izuku made a protesting noise as Katsuki shifted around, walking him toward his bedroom with his steps as light as possible. Izuku’s door was unlocked. He found it almost impossible that Izuku could be asleep right now. The blond shoved up the door and lumbered Izuku over, rolling him out of his arms and placing the freckles boy gently on top of the mattress.
Izuku reached his arms out, barely conscious, “Kacchan.”
“Izuku,” Katsuki stood at the foot of his bed, listening to his quiet voice, “What?”
“Stay? Can y…stay?” He slurred his words together. Izuku couldn’t even open his eyes.
How could Izuku fucking say shit like that? Katsuki could see how tired the other boy was, how delirious and unmeaningful his words were.
“Kacchan?” Izuku called again when the blond didn’t answer.
Katsuki took a deep breath as he walked toward the door. Sparing a few glances as his body screamed at him to go back. That was ridiculous.
“Night.”