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He's Amazing

Summary:

Izuku loved children. They were so bright and full of hope and they were curious. But they also had no concept of propriety and didn't know how to regulate their verbal filters. Which is why Izuku had a heart attack when the kid asked:

"Do you love him?"

- or -

Deku meets a fan, receives a gift, and gets a pep talk.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

"That was amazing, Kacchan," Izuku grinned, brushing the fine dusting of rubble off his costume. "I didn't even see the windup to your final move, it happened so fast—"

 

"You can tell me how amazing I am later, dork," Katsuki scolded. There was an affectionate undertone, though—an acceptance and closeness (not to mention a significant amount of preening) that he was so grateful for. There was a time that he thought he'd never see the look that was currently on Katsuki's face. "You gotta go talk to medical, though. You took a nasty hit back there. I think I heard a rib crack," he said, gently prodding at the spot in question and making him wince. He did it with so much care, though—eyes soft and concerned—that Izuku didn't even mind.

 

Katsuki was his best friend. His best person, really. He was so blessed.

 

"I'll do it at the agency—"

 

"You'll do it now or I'll knock you the fuck out," Katsuki warned. Izuku gave his face a quick study to check if he was serious. He was.

 

"Fine," he sighed. "Have fun with the media."

 

"Huh?" Katsuki asked, turning around. "Ah, fuck," he swore, flipping Izuku off when he laughed.

 

"That's what you get for being MVP!"

 

"Fuck you too!"

 

"Don't swear in front of the civilians! Think of the children!"

 

"The children gotta learn eventually, fuckhead!"

 

Izuku saw a few more mics swing in Katsuki's direction so he didn't say anything, but he did give him a very pointed and exhausted look that made the blonde grin as though he'd won something.

 

He loved that smile, even when it meant his hero partner was being a smug asshole. It was teasing and challenging and kinda made him want to throw a rock at his head. In an affectionate way.

 

"You know," a medic commented as he drew near. "We like to think of ourselves as your personal ambulance."

 

Izuku laughed, letting it crinkle the corners of his eyes. "I'm not that bad!"

 

The medic raised a single eyebrow in the most unimpressed moue of disbelief he'd ever seen. "Right. Possible concussion, signs of delusion—"

 

"Alright, alright," he laughed even harder.

 

He let himself get checked out, wincing when the medic prodded at his ribs. It felt a little harsher than normal and judging by the knowing look on her face, he probably deserved it.

 

"Mr. Deku!" a high, excited voice yelled. Izuku jolted, head whipping around to see a kid, who had somehow broken the police line, sprinting toward him. His mother and two officers were following after him but he was a determined little guy—beelining for him. "Mr. Deku!"

 

He waved off the officers who, upon seeing Izuku's approval, stood back. He batted his medic's hand away, too. He didn't want the kid to be worried about him. "Hey there," he smiled brightly.

 

"I'm so sorry, Deku," the kid's mother panted. "He saw that you were here and took off running and he seems to be getting faster by the day—"

 

"It's no problem," he assured her, chuckling at the kid who was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "As long as you promise not to break any more police lines, kiddo. Those are there to keep you safe and to make our jobs easier, alright?"

 

The kid looked appropriately shamefaced with just a tinge of defiance. "Yes sir, but look!"

 

And then, the kid thrust a doll in his direction—an unofficial Ground Zero plushie. Izuku smiled at it, a little confused but charmed nonetheless.

 

"That's so cute! Do you want me to get him to sign it for you?" he offered, kneeling down to the kid's level.

 

"No, it's for you! We were gonna mail it to your agency," he looked at his mom to make sure he'd used the right word, before looking back up at Deku, beaming. "But you're here! And I can give it to you! You said that Ground Zero is your favorite hero, right, Mr. Deku?"

 

He blushed, remembering the interview in question vividly. He'd been passionately defending Katsuki's choices to a belligerent interviewer, and he'd declared that Katsuki was his favorite hero, second only to All Might in his mind.

 

Katsuki had made him dinner and called him a 'fucking embarrassing dickweed'. It had honestly made his heart flutter like a butterfly that had recently snorted cocaine.

 

"He is," Izuku replied softly, taking the plushie carefully, standing slowly as he turned it over in his hands. It was actually kinda perfect—a truly well-made unofficial. If he could find the designer, he'd probably hire them.

 

"He's cool," the kid agreed sagely. "He's kinda scary, though. That's why you're my favorite. You're cool and nice," he explained, blushing as he complimented his hero. Izuku's heart clenched. He was so blessed to have this life. With Katsuki at his side, where he could be a role model. Where people looked at him and saw hope.

 

"Can I tell you a secret?" he said quietly, looking over his shoulder at Katsuki, who was still attempting to speak to reporters in a measured tone.

 

"Sure," the kid replied, excited. Izuku felt himself softening around the edges as Katsuki rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He was trying so hard to stay polite even though his patience was wearing thin.

 

Katsuki always did his best, and Izuku loved him for it. He clutched the plushie a little tighter.

 

"Ground Zero is amazing. The only people who should fear him are villains. Everyone else should feel inspired. Hopeful. Because if Ground Zero is still fighting, that means there's still a chance to win. He's my symbol of victory. The only person I would follow anywhere," he said quietly.

 

Izuku loved children. They were so bright and full of hope and they were curious. But they also had no concept of propriety and didn't know how to regulate their verbal filters. Which is why Izuku had a heart attack when the kid asked:

 

"Do you love him?"

 

Izuku choked on air, whipping back around to stare at him—eyes wide and unblinking. He didn't move an inch, as though he could disappear if he stood still enough. But that spotlight stare didn't leave him, waiting for an answer.

 

He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Kids were, notoriously, blabbermouths. If he said yes, the world would know in like...20 minutes. If he said no, he'd be lying and the world would know in 20 minutes because he was the shittiest liar on the planet.

 

"I'm so sorry, sometimes his mouth runs away with him," the mother chuckled uncomfortably.

 

Unfortunately, this kid was perceptive. He took his mother's discomfort and Izuku's odd reaction and put them together to reach his conclusion. God. Dammit. "You do love him don't you! Are you gonna marry him?"

 

Izuku wheezed. "Uh," he chuckled, weak and a little breathless. "I don't think so, kiddo."

 

The kid frowned like Izuku had told him that Santa wasn't real, or the Easter Bunny mugged chickens for their eggs. "Why not?" he demanded.

 

Izuku gave him a thin smile. "Sometimes love is scary. He might not feel the same as me, and that might make him uncomfortable if I tell him. What if I ask him and he says no? What if he starts to avoid me? I don't want to lose him."

 

For a brief second, the kid looked at him like he was stupid. Then, he seemed to think about it, and nodded slowly. "Like when my best friend stopped talking to me because I didn't like Froppy as much as she did. I thought she wouldn't talk to me ever again."

 

"And it made you sad, right? I'd be so sad if Ground Zero stopped talking to me," he admitted.

 

The kid's mom was watching their conversation with wide eyes and wider ears, clearly shocked at the turn it had taken. He couldn't blame her. He was pretty damn shocked, too.

 

The kid looked him in the eye, then, shoulders set and eyes determined. "You said courage makes a good hero and that means choosing to be brave even when you're scared. That's why you're my favorite hero. You're the coolest, bravest one."

 

Izuku wanted to say something. Anything, really. His mouth opened at least three times in an attempt to reply. But what could he really say without apparently refuting his core values?

 

Izuku looked down at the kid, smile growing a little bigger with each passing second until the kid and his mom were grinning too. "What's your name?" he asked.

 

The kid blushed furiously. "Itsuki," he muttered, looking down at his feet.

 

"Thank you, Itsuki," he said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Wish me luck, okay? And don't tell anyone. It'll be our secret."

 

Itsuki looked thrilled. "Okay!" he replied, looking back up at him and bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I won't tell anyone, promise!"

 

"Good luck," Itsuki's mother smiled at him, so excited that it looked like she was glowing.

 

Izuku made to move, but his medic interrupted him. "Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.

 

"I'll be right back," he promised. "Then you can poke at my broken ribs and yell directly into my concussion and I won't even complain."

 

She squinted at him before sticking her pinky out demandingly. "Pinky said you've never broken a Pinky Promise."

 

He rolled his eyes, but took the proffered pinky. "I pinky promise I'll be right back. And she's right, I haven't. I'm not a barbarian," he joked, already walking toward Katsuki before she'd even let him go.

 

"Five minutes and then I'm dragging you back!" she called after him.

 

Izuku waved his hand over his shoulder, but was now utterly focused on Katsuki. Katsuki who didn't notice him approaching, even as the reporters did.

 

His heart was beating in his throat.

 

He was honestly tempted to puke, and wasn't sure if that was because he was nervous or because he had a concussion. Could be both.

 

He clutched the plushie a little tighter, squeezing it against his chest as he got closer. If his ears weren't buzzing with anxiety, he'd be able to hear what Katsuki was saying now.

 

The last time his body had this much adrenaline pumping through it, a literal building had dropped on top of him.

 

Katsuki was his hero partner. Even if he didn't feel the same, they'd be friends. Even if it was a little awkward for a while. He'd hold them together with his bare hands if he had to.

 

"Deku! We saw you get thrown into a car, are you injured?" a reporter spoke up as soon as he was close enough.

 

Katsuki whipped around to glare at him. "Get your ass back to medical!"

 

"I need to ask you something—"

 

"Ask me when you're not injured!" he barked.

 

"Can't, I'll lose my nerve," he admitted. Katsuki fell silent, frowning deeper. His burning eyes raked over him, from head to toe and back again.

 

"Well?" Katsuki barked when he didn't spit it out.

 

Izuku could feel the reporters eyes on him—gaze like physical touch. "Uh...can we speak in private for a second?"

 

Katsuki's eyes cut to the media circus, eyes narrowing viciously. "If any of you try to listen in on this shit, I won't file a complaint, I'll just blow you up on sight," he warned.

 

A fair few of them took healthy steps back, even as Katsuki grabbed Izuku's arm and marched him away.

 

And then it was just them. And the Ground Zero plushie. Which Katsuki took that moment to notice. "The fuck is that?"

 

Izuku looked down at the plush and back up at Katsuki. Then back down at the plush. "It's a gift from a fan," he uttered. His fucking lips were numb from anxiety.

 

"Why'd they give you fake merch of me," he scoffed.

 

"Because they thought I'd love it," he replied, shifting uncomfortably. "They were right," he insisted when Katsuki scoffed again.

 

"Yeah, why's that? My official merch not good enough for you?" he demanded.

 

"I can never get enough of you. I love you," he rushed out in one breath.

 

He probably could have done that more delicately. But the bandaid was now ripped off, so that was a relief. He'd done the brave thing.

 

Now he had to do the terrifying waiting thing.

 

Unfortunately, Katsuki was not emotionally literate.

 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm amazing, whatever," he huffed.

 

Izuku grimaced, steeling himself. He could do this. Probably. At least if he had a heart attack, he'd die with the knowledge that he did his best!

 

"No, like I love you. Go out with me?" he squeaked.

 

Katsuki's eyes left the plush and landed on Izuku's face his entire body going stone still. For the first time in years, Izuku had no idea what Katsuki was thinking.

 

Usually, he could read his partner like a book—a skill gained through literal blood, sweat and tears. So this was unnerving.

 

"What do you mean?" Katsuki demanded.

 

Izuku rolled over his last two sentences in his mind, searching for potential points of misinterpretation. He found none.

 

"Uh...exactly what I said, I think?" he uttered. Maybe he could phrase it a little differently. "I love you, can I take you on a date?"

 

"Are you serious?" he asked, eyes burning into Izuku's face.

 

Izuku examined him back. His face was infuriatingly blank. But, on the bright side, he wasn't disgusted or angry.

 

"Pretty serious," he assured him. "I think I'm having a heart attack right now, so yeah. Serious as a heart attack."

 

"Why the hell are you telling me now?" Katsuki demanded. Izuku's stomach sunk. This didn't seem to be going well.

 

"I was, uh," he rubbed his neck. "Reminded that I'm meant to be brave. I wanted to do it before I wimped out, honestly."

 

"So what, you're fucking scared of me now?" he demanded, sounding a little wounded. Izuku smiled at him despite the fact that he felt like he was gonna collapse.

 

"Never," he replied. "Just afraid of losing you. But you're also worth the risk," he shrugged.

 

And then, to his utter fascination, Katsuki blushed violently. But he didn't say anything and really, Izuku's bravery only went so far.

 

He started backing away but Katsuki grabbed his arm again, this time almost violently. His gaze narrowed into a furious glare.

 

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

 

"Honestly? I'm running away so you can come up with a polite way to let me down easily," he replied sheepishly.

 

"You—ahhhg," he snarled.

 

Ah, he'd devolved into the 'incomprehensible noises of rage' state.

 

At least he had rock-solid life insurance.

 

Just as he was contemplating what kind of casket his mother would pick out for him, he felt Katsuki yanking him forward.

 

For a moment, his idiotic, uncultured brain focused on the painful twinge in his ribs rather than the fact that Katsuki was kissing him.

 

In front of literally the whole world, no less.

 

But then his brain abandoned the stabbing pain in his side and zeroed in on the hand in his hair and the lips pressing against his.

 

Somehow, he could hear camera shutters and surprised exclamations over the blood pounding in his ears. He squeezed Plush-chan a little tighter. Was this real?

 

Maybe he'd gotten knocked out during the fight.

 

Maybe he'd passed out because of the concussion.

 

Maybe Katsuki's tongue was licking his lower lip. That one couldn't possibly be real.

 

It felt good though. Really good. Good enough to get him to play into the hallucination as long as possible kissing back fervently.

 

Katsuki wrapped his arm around his waist and squeezed, prompting a full-body flinch from the pain in his side.

 

"What the fuck?" the blonde snapped, pulling back like he'd been burned. "You're still fucking injured?"

 

"Uh," Izuku blinked up at him dazedly. Katsuki's hand was still in his hair. His mouth felt swollen. "Huh?"

 

Katsuki dug his fingers into Izuku's ribs punitively, eliciting a hiss of pain from the greenette in his grip. "Your fucking ribs. Did you even go to the medic, asshole?"

 

"Yeah, but I got distracted," Izuku replied. "Don't worry, I'm going back."

 

"You fucking better," Katsuki barked, taking his arm to march him back to the ambulance. "Your priorities are bullshit, Deku."

 

"You're always my priority, Kacchan," he replied.

 

Katsuki blushed again, burning even brighter this time and reaching his ears.

 

"Shut the fuck up. You're an embarrassment."

 

Izuku let Katsuki drag him for a few long, silent moments before his anxiety got the best of him and he had to ask.

 

"Uh...so I know we just...made out in front of like a thousand reporters, but could you give me an actual answer so that I know I'm not hallucinating?" he asked.

 

Katsuki stopped, turning to face him. He stared at Izuku like he was the stupidest person alive before smacking him upside the head.

 

Not great for his concussion or his confidence, to be honest.

 

His words were practically salvation, though. "Fucking yes, nerd. I love you too or whatever."

 

Holy shit. Holy shit. "Really?" he breathed.

 

"I'm not fucking repeating myself, goddammit," he snapped. "Now get your ass to medical or I'll never fucking kiss you again."

 

Well, that was just unacceptable.

 

Izuku stood on tiptoe to smack a kiss to Katsuki's lips, reveling in his shocked face even as he shook out of his grip. "I'll pick you up at 8! Wear something nice," he said before sprinting back to the ambulance.

 

"Congratulations," the medic smiled at him as he reached her. "Looks like you broke him, though," she giggled, nodding in Katsuki's direction.

 

Izuku looked back at him to find his partner—boyfriend?—standing frozen in place, staring at him wide eyed.

 

Was this real? "I'm a little broken too, honestly," he breathed. "Did that really happen?"

 

"It definitely did," the medic assured him. "Your concussion isn't that bad."

 

Itsuki and his mother were still there, and the kid tugged his costume at the leg.

 

"Do I still have to keep it a secret?" he asked.

 

Izuku let out a startled laugh, eyes swinging from Itsuki to the mass of reporters who were trying to get Katsuki's attention. "I think that ship has sailed," he said, smiling so wide his face hurt.

 

"Is he gonna be okay?" Itsuki's mother asked, eyeing Katsuki in concern. The blonde was still stalled, but he'd moved just enough to bring shaking hands to his lips. As though he hadn't kissed first.

 

He let out another high pitched giggle. Fuck, he loved Katsuki so much.

 

This was surreal.

 

His heart was beating like a goddamn jackhammer, flying and clenching and doing pirouettes in his chest.

 

"Of course he will," he answered, watching in awe as a manic grin climbed on Katsuki's face. He squeezed Plush-chan a little tighter. "He's amazing."

Notes:

Fic based on this tweet!

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