Chapter Text
‘Because of recent events, I will be choosing your partners for the project. You will be in groups of 2.’ Mr. Aizawa spoke with a stern voice; however, his students still groaned and argued with him. He shot them a look and their voices shut down almost immediately. ‘This is not up for discussion so don’t complain.’ He picked up a sheet of paper that assumably had the groups on it. He began to call them out and Izuku crossed his fingers to be alone or with someone who would let him do most of the work. However, his prayers are left unanswered, and he hears his name.
‘Midoriya and Bakugou.’ Izuku's heart sank. He was paired with Katsuki. The captain of the football team. The most popular guy in the entire school and he was stuck with him for the next - well he didn’t know how long but it was going to be awhile. Izuku could feel Katsuki's eyes on him. Staring at him intently. His eyes felt heavy yet soft. Izuku didn’t dare make eye contact or even look at him. He and Katsuki had known each other since they were kids. They were best friends, inseparable even. But they grew apart after Katsuki got super popular…without Izuku. Katsuki was smart, not as smart as Izuku but still very smart. Both got particularly good grades, so he assumed that's why they were put together. It made sense but Izuku could do it just as easily alone, and that's how he would have preferred it.
After that class, Katsuki stopped him and told him to meet at Izuku's place for the project. Because Katsuki’s house was ‘unavailable’ Izuku didn’t mind. It was easier and his mum wasn’t at home so they would have to deal with interruptions. The faster they finished it the faster they would be able to avoid each other again. It wasn’t that Izuku didn’t like Katsuki. He just had mixed feelings and didn’t want to have to deal with his self-centred and entitled attitude any longer than he had to.
Izuku spent the rest of the day thinking about the project and his sudden forced partnership with Katsuki. He had slowly come to terms with the fact he had no choice, and that Katsuki was coming to his house today…. Today. Shit. Katsuki was coming to his house. It was easier but Izuku had forgotten about the mess in his room. All the books scattered on his desk, the All Might (his favourite TV show character from when he was a kid) figures and posters covering almost every inch of his room. Luckily Katsuki wasn’t coming over until 6 so he had time to ‘prepare’ his room for guests. His sudden realization must have been obvious on his face because Uraraka, his best friend, was giving him a concerned look. They had been friends since they met on the first day of school. They both just clicked.
‘Deku? Are you okay?’ Uraraka had a soft concerned expression settled on her face. Izuku knew that he had to answer, or she’d just get more worried ‘Oh yeah, I'm fine just…thinking’ Izuku gave a soft reassuring smile and that did the trick because she was less worried and more intrigued. ‘Oh yeah? What about?’ She gave an interested smile. That's what Izuku liked best about Uraraka she always listened to it. To anything, about anything. He trusted her so much and she knew that, and she never once did anything to make him regret it. She was one of the first people he came as Bi to, and she never looked or treated him differently. That is why he valued her so much. ‘Kaccahn…We grouped for a project.’ Izuku sighed. His palm rose to his forehead. Kaccahn was a nickname Izuku came up with for Katsuki when they were kids and Katsuki called him Deku. He still does and Izuku does the same. He still calls him Kacchan all the time. ‘Oooooo interesting~’ Her voice was filled with a teasing tone ‘As in the guy you were obsessed with at the beginning of the year?’ Her smirk was malicious and evil. Izuku waved his hand in front of her face viscously to stop her from continuing his embarrassing obsession. 'Yes him, now shut up’ She was still laughing and it only made Izuku more embarrassed and flustered. For the rest of that lesson, she kept smiling at him with malicious eyes.
This only made him more nervous for the evening to come. That lesson and the walk home only made him overthink more and more. He started to think of all the worst possible scenarios in his head and it would only make it worse. He hadn’t spoken to Katsuki since what felt like forever. Katsuki was one of his best friends – no was his best friend when they were growing up. Until around middle school when he started to play football. He made new friends and so did Izuku. It's not like their friendship ended badly. It was just awkward being forced to start over.
As soon as he got home, he frantically cleaned his room. Stuffing All Might posters and figurines into his cupboard and draws before moving over to put the books into neat piles on his desk. He was nervous, more than he expected to be. Katsuki had been to his house hundreds of times when they were little, but this felt…different in a way. By the time he finished, it was almost 6. He quickly made something to eat before Katsuki came. Just as he finished cleaning up, he heard his doorbell ring. He walked swiftly over to the door, opening it to reveal Katsuki leaning against the frame on the other side. He was tall and muscular compared to Izuku who stood at 5,6 and had a nerdy build even though he worked out a fair bit. Katsuki was huge compared to him. Izuku blamed it on football, that's why.
‘Hi kacchan’ He spoke in the calmest and happiest voice he could to not reveal his nerves. He held eye contact for about 5 seconds before Katsuki replied. ‘Hey, nerd.’ His voice was low and tired. Katsuki didn’t usually let his tiredness show but he must have thought it didn’t matter if Izuku saw him like that. Izuku stepped back letting him inside. 'Come in Kacchan’ Katsuki took off his shoes and walked inside straight over to Izuku’s room. Izuku shut the door and followed behind. Katsuki waited for Izuku to go inside before shutting the door to the room. Izuku went over to get some stuff for the project off his desk and saw Katsuki looking intently around his room. Observing every inch, every corner, and every speck of dust that was there. He then turned his focus over to Izuku. His fiery red eyes stared directly into Izuku’s green ones. It was almost intimidating. He walked over to Izuku who was sitting on his bed and joined him.
They sat close to each other. Not weirdly close, but closer than Izuku had expected. He was still unsure of their relationship. They acted like strangers and not many people even knew about their past friendship. Although they didn’t go around announcing it. Their project wasn’t overly hard and didn’t take them long to get started. If Izuku was being honest the hardest part was working together and talking to each other. Things between them were so awkward and distant that it was like they had forgotten how to even talk. If they wanted to pass, they were going to have to figure it out. Katsuki was the one to start most of the conversations. He was more confident than Izuku at most things, so it made sense. Katsuki could obliviously sense the tension between them and after a while decided to say something. ‘Stop making such a big deal out of nothing nerd. We couldn't have avoided each other forever and it’s not like we have to talk to each other in public.’ His tone had its usual agitated edge to it but had something else that Izuku couldn't quite figure out. He gave a small nod of acknowledgment ‘I know but...’ His voice got quieter, and he didn’t finish his statement. Katsuki gave him a look but didn’t press the issue further.
They worked on the project for around 3 hours before they released just how late it had gotten. It was now completely dark outside. Katsuki grabbed out his phone to check the time, it was almost 10. Izuku peered over Katsuki's shoulder to look at the time before turning to him. ‘Do you want to stay over?’ The words just slipped out before Izuku could even think about what he was asking. Katsuki’s eyes widened but he quickly composed himself. ‘Stay over?’ Katsuki’s tone wasn’t turning him down but was still not accepting it either. ‘I'll have to ask the hag first.’ He stood up and grabbed his phone walking outside Izuku’s room. He could feel his face get hotter as he sat back on his bed re-thinking what had just happened. He was about to sleep over with Katsuki. Something they hadn't done since they were 5.
Katsuki came back into the room. His expression was unreadable. He put his phone back into his pocket before turning to Izuku and holding his hand out. ‘Give me your phone.’ His tone was concise and demanding. ‘Huh? Why do you want my phone?’ He hesitantly reached for my phone beside me as he waited for his answer. ‘I need your number. For the project.’ There was a pause before Izuku gave him his phone. He typed his number into it and called himself Kaccahn before handing it back. Izuku looked at the name trying to hide a smile before looking at him. ‘I knew you were going to call me that anyway, so I just did it myself.’ Katsuki turned away. ‘Tomorrow Saturday so mums’ all good with me staying over.’ Izuku nodded slowly. ‘Cool I’ll get some stuff for you.’ Izuku stood up walked over to a cupboard and pulled out an air mattress with some sheets. Katsuki helped him set them up, putting the sheet over the bed.
They both decided that Katsuki should cook and agreed on Katsudon. Izuku helped with some of the prep work for the veggies but Katsuki did most of the work. They ate their dinner and cleaned up. Izuku suggested that Katsuki have a shower because Izuku had already had one before he arrived. He went to his room to find some clothes that would fit him. Izuku handed it to him and showed him to the shower. Walking away he heard the distant sound of running water. Izuku flumped onto the couch turning on the TV. He sunk into the cushions forgetting the fact that Katsuki was even here, until he came out. Izuku’s clothes were small on him, his shirt was skintight outlying his muscular figure. Izuku felt his cheeks heat up. He snapped his head away. ‘I knew you were small but holy’ Katsuki gestured towards his shirt. ‘Yeah... sorry that's the biggest shirt I have’ He avoided eye contact. He heard Katsuki laugh behind him. ‘It’s fine, I might need to borrow your clothes more often.’ Katsuki had a smile on his face. A genuine one. Something Izuku hadn’t seen for a long time.