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June at UA is always a fun time. June 1st of their third year at UA sees the dorms pretty much exploding in flags, since the general consensus was that every person comfortable with it brings their flags and hangs it on an open wall in the common room. Since homophobia is pretty much nonexistent in Class 1-A now that the poster child of straight pride Mineta has been expelled and replaced with a very gay Shinsou, pretty much every lgbtq person has a flag to bring in.
By the end of the day on June 1st, the wall is covered in flags. Izuku and Uraraka’s bigass bi flag that they bought together last year lies near the center. Izuku’s demiromantic flag hangs out next to Hagakure’s pan one. The real attraction, though, is Kirishima and Kacchan’s gigantic pride flag. Nobody knows where they found a flag that big. It’s pretty much perfect for the center. Todoroki plants his aroace flag onto the wall, right next to Momo’s lesbian flag.
Kacchan’s in the kitchen making dinner, but he does come out to hang up his and Kirishima’s flag and give his best friend a high-five. He also reaches up to help Izuku and Uraraka with their flag, since they’re both short and Kacchan is not. Izuku grins brightly up at him with a “thanks, Kacchan!” and Kacchan blinks at him, rolls his eyes fondly, and then goes back to the kitchen.
It kind of seems like he’s debating something for the rest of the night. After eating, the whole class sits down for their weekly movie night. Kacchan ends up sandwiched between Izuku and Todoroki. Kacchan’s absentmindedly playing with Izuku’s hair like he does pretty often, while Todoroki is falling asleep on Kacchan’s shoulder and not getting murdered for it. Kirishima is between Kacchan’s legs with Kaminari on his lap. Shinsou is next to him trying and failing not to be jealous of Kirishima, and Uraraka is on Kirishima’s other side sitting in between Izuku’s legs.
At one point Todoroki pokes Kacchan in the side and whispers something to him, and Kacchan grumbles a bit before shrugging. Five minutes later he’s getting up, dismantling pretty much the entire seating arrangement because Kacchan was in the center of it all, and Izuku mourns the loss of fingers in his hair. Kacchan steps over everyone’s bodies and the distraction causes Ojiro, in charge of the remote, to pause the movie. Kacchan disappears up the stairs, and when he comes back down he’s holding what looks like another flag.
“Oh, you’re doing it?” Kirishima looks up at Kacchan, who is now walking over to what they’ve been calling the pride wall.
Kacchan just grunts in acknowledgement, “Dry Ice made me.”
“So proud,” Todoroki deadpans. Kacchan flips him off and gets to work, using Sero’s tape to hang his flag up next to Todoroki’s. The light is dim but they can still see the stripe of purple at the bottom, showing that it’s an ace flag Kacchan hung up next to Ojiro’s transgender one. Finished hanging it up, Kacchan goes back to the sofa and the seating arrangement rights itself again. Katsuki’s fingers return to Izuku’s hair, but there’s a stiffness to his hold now.
“Kacchan?” Izuku says, turning to look at him, “you’re ace?”
“What?” Kacchan barks, “the hell’s so surprising?”
“Yesterday you said you’d rail Kirishima into his mattress if he asked you to,” Izuku replies, “the day before that you said Todoroki has the chiseled muscles of a God, and the day before that you said Uraraka's face was unparalleled in cuteness-”
“I am unparalleled in cuteness,” Uraraka agrees. One day a few months ago her and Kacchan started fake-flirting and since then it hasn’t stopped.
“That’s just how Bakubro is,” Kaminari adds, “once TNT runs out of anger there’s nothing left except for horrifyingly sexual humor.”
“And very consensual flirting,” Kirishima adds, “I’d fuck you too, bro.”
“Dumbass,” Kacchan replies to Kirishima, light with no bite.
Izuku frowns. There’s something odd curling in his stomach, something red-hot and uncomfortable. Kirishima and Kaminari knew Kacchan was ace before him. Todoroki makes sense since they’re best friends and both ace, but why didn’t Izuku know? He’s so used to knowing everything about Kacchan, this kind of stuff is new. He didn’t even know Kacchan’s sense of humor was generally sexual. How would he know, they weren’t friends when they were learning about sex.
Jealousy. Izuku is jealous. Like he always has been when it comes to Kacchan. He’s so happy Kacchan found friends who love him and who he loves back, but Izuku so badly wants that too. They are friends now, close friends, but Izuku wants more . He always has. More than what Kirishima and Kacchan have, even more than what Kacchan and Todoroki have. Izuku despite all the years they spent as enemies, is in love with Kacchan and always will be.
The movie is turned back on by now, and everyone’s distracted again now that they’ve appropriately commended Kacchan for opening up to them. But Izuku is still stiff and quiet, lost in thought.
“The hell is wrong, Deku?” Kacchan suddenly addresses him, ruffling his hair a little harsher, “just ‘cause I think someone’s hot doesn’t mean I’d actually fuck them, you know? It’s just me stating fuckin’ facts.”
“Yeah, I got that,” Izuku nods, “that’s not the issue. I guess I was just wondering, um, why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Dunno,” Kacchan answers, “we’ve known each other since always, yeah? I just didn’t know what the hell would happen. I mean, I know you’d react fine since, like, obviously, but sometimes I just fuckin’ worry. Like after everything I’ve done to you, what if not having sex is the last straw?”
“Wait, Kacchan-” Izuku whips around, facing Kacchan with wide eyes, “what is that supposed to mean? How does your sexuality affect me?”
“It fucking doesn’t,” Kacchan snarls, “forget it. You just never know when someone’s a goddamn exclusionist. Hate those fuckers.”
“I would never,” Izuku assures, “I get it. You know I’m not going to react badly but sometimes you still worry. I was like that too. I guess I get why you didn’t tell me, but I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell everyone now! I’m always here for you, Kacchan! I love and accept you and support you no matter what-”
“The hell is this, a practiced speech?” Kacchan snorts, using the palm of his hand to shake Izuku’s head back and forth, “I don’t want any of that crap. I know you know that too. Just say okay and move on, asshole.”
Izuku grins. “Okay, Kacchan. But I do, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Love you,” Izuku answers, “you’re my best friend.”
“Oh,” Kacchan blinks, “how d’you want me to react to that?”
“Well, I know you don’t hate me,” Izuku muses, “and I know I’m your friend. And I know it’s hard for you to say ‘I love you’ to people. So nothing, really. Just know that no matter what I’ll always love you.”
“Sap,” Kacchan nudges Izuku with his shoulder, but his tiny smile is genuine. Izuku grins back, settling his head on Kacchan’s shoulder, and they turn back to the TV screen to watch the rest of the movie.
The next time it gets brought up is at lunch a few days later. Izuku and Kacchan’s friend groups have pretty much merged at this point due to Izuku and Kacchan’s friendship as well as whatever Kacchan and Todoroki have going on. They became friends at some point and now they’re inseparable and occasionally talk about getting platonically married. One time Izuku went to a restaurant with them and Kacchan pretended to propose to Todoroki so they could get free dessert.
It was hard to explain to the waitress why Izuku was also there.
Izuku and Kacchan are just as inseparable and platonically close, but in a different way. Izuku has his own romantic feelings to deal with, which means he finds himself a little jumpy around Kacchan every now and then. But their friendship has improved so much over the last year, and now they’re close like they were as little kids but different, because now they’re older and Izuku knows what it feels like to be in love. So while he’s happy with the way they are now, he’ll probably always continue to want more.
At the lunch table, Kirishima and Shinsou are on either side of Kaminari engaged in a silent duel for Kaminari’s love and possibly hand in marriage. Kaminari himself remains oblivious, sticking Sero’s tape on his hands and talking about something or other with Todoroki, who’s across the table. Izuku is next to Todoroki, sitting between him and Kacchan. Kacchan is arguing about something-or-other with Ashido and Uraraka and Izuku is trying and failing not to stare at him. Uraraka notices and shoots him a wink. Izuku blushes.
“You’re so mean, Blasty!” Izuku hears Ashido complain while Uraraka laughs from next to them. Ashido seems to be pouting about something, while Kacchan rolls his eyes and sighs at his friend.
“This is your own fucking fault,” Kacchan says, “if you ask me who I think is more objectively attractive between you and Shitty Hair, I’m gonna say him!”
“But why?” Mina sighs, “I thought I was beautiful!”
“I think you’re beautiful,” Uraraka reassures, “very pretty.”
“Aw, thanks babe!” Mina shoots Uraraka a smile.
“You look fine,” Kacchan groans, “I’m just more into dick, you know this.”
“You said you thought guys and girls were equally aesthetically attractive,” Kaminari overhears and cuts in.
“They are,” Kacchan argues, “but keep in mind that I am fucking gay. And I was into Spikes for, like, two months. Remember that?”
Izuku does not remember that. What? Was this before they became friends?
“Oh, that was a fun two months,” Kaminari recalls, “remember when he wore a skirt and you cried?”
“Remember when Izuku wore a skirt and you cried?” Shinsou adds.
Izuku does remember that. Him and Uraraka had gone to the store and bought a bunch of matching outfits, multiple of which included cute skirts. Izuku does vaguely remember Kacchan turning red and excusing himself from the room. He wonders if that reaction was really because of Izuku himself.
“I didn’t cry either of those times!” Kacchan yells, “the hell kinda reaction did you think I had? There were no tears involved!”
“Just a lot of blushing,” Sero mutters.
"You didn't actually cry. It's called exaggeration," Kaminari says.
"Don't patronize me!" Kacchan yells. Kaminari snorts, completely unaffected by his frankly not intimidating at all rage.
“Wait, wait,” Kirishima leans across the table to look at Kacchan, “when did you have a crush on me?”
“I didn’t,” Kacchan scrunches up his face, “that would be weird as hell, Spikes. You’re my best friend. I was just very attracted to your face.”
“He means he was aesthetically attracted to you,” Todoroki explains, “which makes sense. You are very attractive.”
“Thanks, Todoroki,” Kirishima grins.
“Awww,” Izuku smiles, “Kacchan thinks Kirishima’s pretty.”
“Shut the fuck up, Deku!” Kacchan kicks him under the table.
“Is he wrong, though,” Kaminari comments, “you don’t wanna fuck him, but you’d spend your entire life looking at his face.”
Kacchan kicks him, too, even though Kaminari is exactly right. Even Kacchan knows that, so he nods and explains.
“I like dick,” Kacchan shrugs, “just not up my ass.”
Izuku chokes on his water. “Why would you phrase it like that, Kacchan?”
“It’s the truth!” Kacchan yells back. Kaminari tries and fails to hold back a snort and a bout of laughter. Kirishima just grins.
“Eloquent as usual,” Todoroki points out, which earns him a kick from Kacchan as well. Except with the two of them it quickly dissolves into some weird kind of competitive but affectionate footsie. Izuku does not understand their friendship. If Todoroki wasn’t aromantic they would probably be dating? But also Izuku hates the idea of that because he’s possessive and wants Kacchan all to himself. And he realizes in order to do that he has to actually confess, but he’s nervous and has no idea if Kacchan even feels the same. He talks a lot about Kirishima and Kaminari and Todoroki and Uraraka being pretty, but never Izuku.
Maybe Kacchan doesn’t think Izuku’s pretty? Which, fine, Izuku can deal with. Even if it does hurt for some reason. He wants Kacchan to think that he’s pretty, to flirt with him like he does with Kirishima except not as a joke. Izuku wants to be loved by Kacchan in more than just the platonic sense. Izuku’s been holding off on confessing mostly because of his own insecurities and worries that Kacchan won’t feel the same, but Kacchan coming out is reminding Izuku that he has a life outside of him. Kacchan isn’t always thinking about Izuku the way Izuku is about him, and Kacchan won’t wait for him forever.
If Izuku wants Kacchan, he has to tell him. And even if Izuku gets rejected, he knows that at this point in their friendship he would still be nice and supportive and they would stay friends. So maybe, Izuku thinks, he should just man up and tell Kacchan. He’s so in love with his best friend, and on days like this it’s especially hard to hold it in. Especially when Kacchan turns to Izuku and ruffles his hair, keeping his arm slung around Izuku’s shoulders as he leans over to talk to Kirishima and Todoroki. Izuku smiles to himself, leaning into the warmth across his neck. It’s very hard to resist the urge to turn his head downward and kiss Kacchan’s hand. But that is weird, non-platonic behavior unless you’re Todoroki.
Why Todoroki gets Kacchan hand-kissing privileges, Izuku will never understand. They literally aren’t even dating. They hated each other for most of first year. But around second they started getting closer and closer, and one day Izuku went down to the common room and Todoroki had Kacchan’s head in his lap. After that, it was pretty much expected that they had somehow become best friends. Izuku and Kacchan’s relationship is obviously much more complicated, though at the same time it’s relatively simple.
At least on Kacchan’s side, it is. Because Kacchan sees Izuku as a friend. And Izuku can probably accept that. They started as equal rivals in first year, and graduated to friends by second. Around the end of second year a dam broke, and Kacchan started letting Izuku touch him more. And since Izuku is extremely dependent on touch and happens to love attaching himself to Kacchan’s body heat, it resulted in Izuku cuddling Kacchan within an inch of his life. Except as far as Izuku can tell, Kacchan doesn’t really mind. His hand always ends up in Izuku’s hair or near his face somewhere, and Izuku finds it easy to have his head on Kacchan’s shoulder or his hand wrapped tightly in Kacchan's.
Kacchan only holds hands with Izuku.
Suck it, Todoroki.
“Suck it, Todoroki,” Izuku tells Todoroki later that evening, when they’re sitting in Kaminiari’s room with Jirou and Kirishima. If there’s one thing that all of Class 1-A has in common, it’s that they are extremely cuddly. Even people like Kacchan and Todoroki eventually managed to get into physical touch, especially with each other and the people they trust, like Izuku and Kirishima. As long as people respect their boundaries on their bad days, the two of them are pretty much down to cuddle always. Which is why Todoroki is sitting on the floor with his legs in Kirishima’s lap, leaning against the side of the bed.
Todoroki looks up at Izuku’s voice. “What?”
“I said suck it,” Izuku replies, antagonizing his friend, “Kacchan doesn’t ruffle your hair or hold your hand. He likes me better than you.”
“You sound like Shinsou and Kirishima battling over Kaminari,” Jirou informs them from where her head is resting on Kaminari’s thigh.
“Who and who battling over who?” Kaminari screeches, almost banging his head against the wall in his surprise, “what?”
“You haven’t noticed?” Kirishima raises an eyebrow, “dude, we haven’t exactly been subtle.”
“My self esteem is shot,” Kaminari reminds, “and I’m oblivious.”
“Double whammy,” Jirou comments, “what a catch.”
“Fuck you,” Kaminari sticks his tongue out at her, “some kind of best friend you are. I want a friendship like Mido has with Baku. Now those are two people who actually love each other, Jirou.”
“What are you attacking me for?” Jirou rolls her eyes, “also, Bakugou literally yells at Midoriya every day for about half of said day. In what world are they your immediate role model for friendship?”
“Bakugou cares,” Kirishima speaks up, “for Midoriya more than he cares about anyone else. Anyone can see that.”
“It’s true,” Kaminari agrees, “and Midoriya cares about him right back.”
“I would take a bullet for Kacchan,” Izuku says dreamily.
“Irrelevant,” Todoroki replies, “I would take a hundred bullets for him.”
“Well, you know what, Todoroki?” Izuku prepares for war, “I would take a thousand bullets for him! I would take an infinite amount of bullets for Kacchan!”
“Okay, scratch that,” Jirou says, “you two are worse than Shinsou and Kirishima. Todoroki, you and Bakugou are already as close in your relationship as you can possibly get. Midoriya, just confess already. Please.”
“Oh, that might be smart,” Kaminari agrees, “that way we don’t have to sit here and listen to this ridiculous-ass pining.”
“And it would make you both happy!” Kirishima adds.
“I am friends with both Midoriya and Bakugou,” Todoroki puts in, “if I have to listen to one of them rant about the other one more time I will commit a murder and it will not be my father’s. I told Natsuo he could kill dad. I regret it now, but, a promise is a promise. Bro code and all that.”
“The bro code isn’t for actual brothers,” Kaminari clarifies, “unless your brother is in your friend group, I guess?”
“Hmm,” Todoroki muses, “so then I can kill my father?”
“I thought this conversation was about Midoriya,” Jirou inputs.
“Yeah, guys, listen to me,” Izuku agrees. Kaminari looks apologetic and Todoroki is expressionless as usual, so Izuku goes back to talking about his problems.
“I want to confess,” Izuku explains, “but what if Kacchan reacts badly? I mean, I’m prepared for a rejection but I don’t want to lose his friendship-”
Kirishima snorts. “Dude, that’s not gonna happen. He might not show it, but he’s really grateful you even agreed to be his friend in the first place. He would never do anything to lose you again. Trust me on that.”
“I guess so,” Izuku thinks out loud, still apprehensive, “but that brings up another thing. What if he refuses because he’s afraid he’ll hurt me again?”
“Then tell him to be honest with you,” Kaminari says, “just tell him that you love him and you want him to react honestly, show you what he really feels.”
“You give weirdly good advice sometimes,” Izuku tells him.
“I know,” Kaminari looks smug, “it’s a gift.”
“Kaminari is very talented,” Kirishima adds, and when Kaminari beams he immediately whips out his phone and starts texting, muttering the words out loud as he types. “Eat my ass, Shinsou, Kaminari smiled at me.”
“Eat my-” Jirou blinks, “are you sure you don’t just want to date Shinsou?”
“Better yet,” Kaminari inputs, “we all date each other.”
“Excuse me,” Kirishima says, “Shinsou and I are having a very manly fight to the death to win Kaminari’s love. Let it happen.”
“Why would you listen to Bakugou for love advice?” Todooki wonders, “all he ever says is to fight to the death.”
“I’m not gonna date you if you kill my other friend,” Kaminari mutters.
“But it was in a fight to death with rules,” Jirou says, “so technically the murder would be legal and consensual. So it’s fine.”
“How is the murder legal?” Kaminari screeches.
As the four of them dissolve into an argument over proper rules for fighting to the death, Izuku gets up and sighs. He loves his friends, but they have a very bad habit of getting off track. Besides, he’s heard what he needed from them. They give great advice when they try, and Izuku is starting to formulate a plan in his mind. He can’t put this off any longer. He will confess to Kacchan.
What better month than pride month to tell your best friend that you’re gay for him and always have been because you literally don’t feel romantic attraction for anyone else?
Izuku, being the nervous wreck he is, doesn’t actually confess until way late that night. The rest of the day consisted of Kaminari finally realizing that Kirishima and Shinsou are fighting over him and then trying to resolve the conflict before one of them actually kills the other. Todoroki complained about being cold despite the fact that he can regulate his body temperature, and Kacchan, who knows that, decided the best course of action was to put an arm around him and pretend it was just a convenient place for his arm to be. Izuku just shakes his head; it’s impossible to be jealous of those two. Not when Kacchan can finally and easily admit that him and Todoroki are friends.
Other notable events of the day include Jirou whipping Sero in the face with her earphone jacks. Aoyama and Mina chased Tokoyami around the dorms in an attempt to give him a makeover. Hagakure and Shoji played some kind of game involving Shoji using his appendages to try and catch Hagakure from somewhere in the common room. Kaminari finally resolved the Shinsou vs. Kirishima situation by getting them to agree to share Kaminari, which means that a new couple abruptly and aggressively formed. They are pretty cute, though. And the jealousy has turned into Kirishima and Shinsou just gushing over Kaminari for an hour straight. It's working wonders for Kaminari's self-esteem. At the same time, Uraraka and Tsu tried to convince Momo to actually talk to Jirou instead of pining from a distance.
Meanwhile Izuku sat on a couch by himself realizing that Uraraka is right. He does have to grow some balls and actually say something (yes, they told Momo to grow some balls. With her quirk? Izuku doesn’t know and doesn’t want to). So instead of worrying about that situation, Izuku tries to figure out exactly how to confess to Kacchan.
School wasn’t hard that day, so they decide to have another movie night. This time they play shitty rom coms and once again Kacchan is the center of the cuddling arrangements. This time Kirishima has landed Kacchan’s shoulder, and Todoroki sits between his legs. Kaminari fights Uraraka for Kacchan’s lap and wins, so Uraraka pouts and plops herself on top of Izuku. Izuku himself is next to Kacchan, arms linked around Kacchan’s arm so he can shamefully cry into Kacchan’s biceps whenever the movie becomes too cute for his heart to handle.
He likes shitty rom coms, okay?
Kacchan hates them. Izuku is subjected to his occasionally funny commentary and complains about how the girl is too whiny and the guy is a creepy stalker. Then he says the couple reminds him of Uraraka and Izuku, which makes them both turn around to yell at him. Kacchan just smirks and pinches each of their cheeks with one of his hands in some kind of weird apology. Izuku holds his cheek and pouts, so Kacchan soothes the hurting area with his thumb. Izuku blushes and Uraraka complains about Izuku getting special treatment.
The second movie is actually not that bad. The couple is decently healthy and very much in love, and the movie ends with the couple getting happily married. Izuku cries a lot. Kacchan just sighs through it. By the end of the movie, though, Izuku notices that Kacchan’s mood started to sour. He’s frowning now, and Izuku hates that look. He’ll ask Kacchan what’s wrong later.
Eventually everyone leaves, stumbling up the stairs to go to bed, and Izuku tugs on Kacchan’s arm so that he’ll stay. Kacchan obliges, sitting down on the sofa next to Izuku and waiting for him to talk. Once everyone is gone upstairs and into their bedrooms, Izuku resolves that he will both comfort Kacchan about whatever’s hurting him, and he’ll confess tonight. He will not chicken out.
Izuku crosses one of his legs over Kacchan’s so he can scoot closer and press himself against Kacchan’s side, leaning on his shoulder and looking up at him sideways. Kacchan lets him without protest, so Izuku starts talking.
“Kacchan,” Izuku says, “what’s wrong? You started looking sad in the middle of movie night and I don’t know why. Are you okay?”
“That’s what you wanted to talk about?” Kacchan rolls his eyes, “I’m fuckin’ fine, Deku. Don’t worry your dumbass head about me.”
“But I can’t not!” Izuku says, “you looked so sad all of a sudden, like you weren’t just grumpy but actually hurting. Please tell me what’s wrong?”
“It’s stupid,” Kacchan grumbles, looking away.
“It’s not stupid if it’s hurting Kacchan,” Izuku argues.
“It's-” Kacchan sighs, losing resolve, “fine, Deku. I’ll tell you.”
“Thanks, Kacchan,” Izuku settles in closer to Kacchan, “I’m just here to help you. I’m always here for you. What’s wrong?”
“Don’t say it’s stupid,” Kacchan warns, even though Izuku would never, “but that shitty movie made me think about how hard it’ll be for me to date. My chances of getting fucking mairried are probably low as fuck. It’s weird, I guess, ‘cause all I used to want was to be the best but now I've got other goals too, so there’s all this weird shit going on in my head. Now I want love, but most people who want love want sex.”
“Oh,” Izuku realizes, “I didn’t realize that was something you worried about. I didn’t even know you wanted marriage and all that stuff.”
“I don’t,” Kacchan grimaces, “just sometimes. When I watch all this crappy stuff about all this true love and soulmates bullshit.”
“I believe in both of those things, but okay,” Izuku mutters, “but Kacchan, you don’t have to worry! It’s like you said, most people want sex. There are plenty of people who don’t! It might be hard, but I have no doubt you’ll find someone!”
“Really?” Kacchan snorts, “sex thing aside, my personality is shit.”
“No it’s not!” Izuku shakes his head, curls flying everywhere, “you’re amazing and strong and such a great friend and you’d make a great partner too. Anybody would be lucky to have you. If I had you I’d make sure to tell you that every day. Because you’re my favorite person to love, Kacchan.”
Kacchan’s eyes widen, and he sucks in a breath. Izuku takes a moment to process what exactly he said out loud, but he doesn’t regret it. He said he would confess to Kacchan and he did. Accidentally, but still.
“Deku, you-” Kacchan starts, “love...how?”
“Romantically,” Izuku replies without preamble, “I am so in love with you, Kacchan, you have no idea. I’ll have you know that I would marry you without hesitation. Actually, I do have a notebook of ideas for our wedding-”
“Deku, that’s so creepy,” Kacchan tells him, but he still looks sad. Izuku pouts. “Kacchan, what’s wrong? Do you...do you not feel the same?”
“Of course I feel the same,” Kacchan huffs out a long sigh, “but that’s the problem! You won’t be having sex if you’re with me, you realize that? And even without that, I don’t even deserve you in the first place-”
“You deserve to be loved, Kacchan,” Izuku interrupts fiercely, “you deserve so much, and I want to give it all to you. Sex or no sex.”
“You deserve to be loved, Deku,” Kacchan argues, eyes wet, “you deserve everything. You deserve to be loved by someone who gives shit to you instead of taking it from you, by someone who didn’t treat you like trash for ten years, someone who can actually say that they love you out loud because trust me, Deku, I won’t be able to for a really long time-”
“Kacchan,” Izuku says, voice quiet but firm, “you are the only person I want to be loved by. Let me love you too, Kacchan. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you exactly how much you deserve. I’d give you the entire universe if I could. Even though I don’t really understand that saying because who would want the universe when you could have All Might merch, I’d still give you the universe. You deserve everything too, Kacchan. And as long as I've got you, I already have everything."
“That,” Kacchan tells Izuku, turning around so they’re facing each other, “is the sappiest shit you’ve ever said. And you’ve said a lot of sappy shit, Deku. You better find something even worse for our wedding vows, got it?”
Izuku’s face breaks into a grin so wide he worries for his facial structure. But he can’t really care right now because Kacchan’s leaned forward so their foreheads are touching and he’s smiling too, something soft and just for Izuku.
“Love you, Kacchan,” Izuku whispers, “let me show you.”
Kacchan just sighs, and the fond look in his eyes is so pretty.
“Okay, Deku,” Kacchan says, ducking his head down to kiss Izuku’s freckles, “okay.”
Todoroki comes downstairs in the middle of the night to make some coffee and finds Izuku and Kacchan making out on the couch. He makes a sound of mild surprise, and Kacchan peels himself off of Izuku’s neck at the noise. Izuku mourns the contact, but quickly becomes more mortified than anything when he sees Todoroki standing there, looking at them with mild distaste. Kacchan isn’t embarrassed at all, lazily leaning on his elbows and cracking one eye open to look at Todoroki, who gives him a thumbs up. Izuku just smirks, pulling his arm out from under Kacchan to flick his wrist up to flip Todoroki off.
“Suck it, Todoroki,” Izuku says, “Kacchan doesn't make out with you.”
“I wouldn’t want him to,” Todoroki replies calmly, already walking towards the stairs, “but congratulations, you two. I call dibs on best man.”
Kacchan looks back down at Izuku, who’s blushing at the second mention tonight of his and Kacchan’s wedding. Kacchan himself is still grinning, but now it’s much softer. His red eyes shine with happiness, something Izuku knows is new to Kacchan. Izuku loves being the one who brought happiness into Kacchan’s life.
“I love you, Kacchan,” Izuku murmurs, because he has to.
Kacchan leans down to kiss the corner of Izuku’s mouth. Izuku knows it means I love you too. Kacchan props himself up again and looks at Izuku.
“Deku?” Kacchan asks, smiling. Izuku’s never seen anything more beautiful.
Izuku smiles back, breathless. “Yeah, Kacchan?”
“Who the hell taught Todoroki about dibs?”