Chapter Text
“What do you mean this is Deku’s last song?!”
Kaminari’s shout when Jirou announced one of the final steps of their plan should have been expected, yet Izuku still flinched. He hadn’t planned for his friend’s tone to sound so dismayed about the information. For the first time since the start of the tour, Izuku wished he was too busy working on stage lighting or a sound check to miss the new song reveal. His knees pushed up closer to his chest from his seated position in the rows of the stadium. Being back home meant All Might’s connections ran deeper. They’d given Dynamight free rein to the stadium three full days before the performance.
Jirou kept her composure when she shrugged, leaning on the speaker next to the stage. “You heard me. He let me know when we finished up the track.”
“But why ?” Hanta asked, tilting his head. “You think he’s bummed out that Bakugo finally got his shit together with Midoriya? Were all the Twitter threads right about our little writer?”
“It’s got nothing to do with them,” Jirou answered instantly, sending a disappointed glare toward Hanta’s sheepish smile. “Look, I don’t want to speak for Deku, but there’s no big drama behind it. Things came up, and he needs to move on after the tour. He put a lot of thought into it, and he decided to give you this last track as his swan song. You should thank him, not try to pry.”
“But he is okay, right?” Unlike the other two, Kirishima’s concern focused more on Deku over the loss of his work. “I’ve been a little worried about him with all the heavier music coming out. He seems pretty stressed.”
“I’m sure he’d be happy to hear you’re concerned, but he’s gonna be okay.” Izuku’s spine straightened when her eyes barely flickered toward him before she continued. “He’s got a lot of people who are supporting him.”
“We should respect Deku’s decision,” Mina said from her stool, her fingers tapping against her microphone with her conviction. “He’s been a big supporter of our growth, and if he’s taking a step back from the band, he’s going to need us to protect him when rumors come out.”
“I’m all for that. Our little buddy should take all the time he needs.” Then Kirishima paused, as if unsure about his next thought. “If he’s not working with Dynamight anymore, does that mean he’s going to reveal who he is? You said a while ago he promised to tell us at some point, but if he’s not ready, I don’t wanna pressure the dude.”
“Deku still plans to, so be patient with him.”
The band relaxed after Jirou’s assurance, and Izuku was surprised by how invested they were in finding out the man behind the music. Then again, ‘Deku’ had been with them for years. He may not have been a part of the band, but they had grown together. If Jirou had been the one stepping away, he was sure they’d feel the same dedication to her.
The bittersweet warmth faded quickly when Kaminari spoke again. “Bakugo’s been awfully quiet over there. Got something to hide?”
“Maybe he’s happy his not-so-secret admirer is leaving,” Hanta said, hiking Izuku’s anxiety through the roof.
He hadn’t been able to look at the drummer since Jirou made the announcement, not wanting to see what his reaction would be. While it would have hurt if any of the band disrespected Deku’s decision, Katsuki’s response mattered more. It wouldn’t change his mind, or stop the plan already set into motion days ago. More than his relationship hung on it going perfectly, which meant he had to shed his secret identity. The only thing that Katsuki’s answer would damage would be his heart.
Izuku held back his wince when Katsuki glared down at his drums, hands clenched around the sticks like they personally offended him. “Who fucking cares what Deku does?”
“Aw, don’t say that—”
Katsuki cut off Kirishima’s gentle tone. “No, fuck that guy. Let’s just learn the shitty song.”
“Hey, there’s no need to be rude,” Mina said, huffing at his scowl. “I’m sure Deku didn’t make this choice lightly. We don’t know what he’s going through.”
“Because he didn’t tell us.” The words felt familiar to Izuku, remembering how many times Katsuki had thrown the same argument at him throughout the tour. And it was true; once again, Izuku had hidden something from him because he had decided he knew what was best for Katsuki. He forced himself to breathe when Katsuki gritted his teeth. “If he wants to be a coward, then it’s better he’s leaving without showing his face. That way, I don’t know who to punch when this whole thing is over.”
“Wow, you sure sound like someone who doesn’t care about the guy,” Hanta said with an eye-roll.
Katsuki scoffed, but didn’t answer, and Kirishima took the long pause of silence to drag the practice back on track. Izuku’s spine couldn’t settle when he watched them work on Deku’s final song. His attention flickered between each of the band members who didn’t know his identity while Mina sang out the lyrics repeatedly.
“ I've gone for too long, living like I'm not alive. So I'm gonna start over tonight, beginning with you and I. ”
He’d made the lyrics obvious, yet cryptic, not wanting them to make the connection to how he was currently feeling until after his big revelation. Each time Katsuki lifted his head from the sheet music or glanced his way, Izuku’s fingers dug into his knees. Panic seized his throat the same way Shigaraki had days ago. But the red gaze barely lingered on him before it glared back down to the music, staring like he could set the chords on fire with enough mental energy.
“We've tied our pain below, and no one ever has to know that inside we're broken.” Mina closed her eyes while she tapped the heavy beat Jirou threw under Izuku’s confession to the band. He wondered if she shut them to hide her feelings about what he was doing for the men behind her. “I try to patch things up again, to calm my tears and kill these fears. But have I told you, have I?”
Though he understood the reason behind what he was doing, it didn’t make the pain any easier to handle. Despite Hanta’s joking nature throughout the session, he caught the moments of wistful thought when his friend glanced out at the empty stadium. Kaminari kept whispering something to Jirou between breaks, and Izuku picked up on the tremble of his hand when he grabbed hers. Kirishima hid his pain the best, taking on the caretaker role of checking in with the other band members when the energy became strained in the concert hall.
Katsuki, in contrast, had none of his normal defenses up. Angry on the outside, Izuku was too good at decoding his boyfriend’s body language to miss the pain in his tense frame. Despite trying not to think about what would happen in the next few days, the biggest question mark hung over Katsuki’s head. What would he look like when the plan finally went into action? How long would it take for their trust to build up again? Or was it possible that his friends were right, and Katsuki wouldn’t see the lie as a betrayal? As he stared at the drummer currently slamming his drumsticks into the cymbal without emotion, he wanted to believe that they could make it through anything life threw at them.
“ I won't let you, let you give up on a miracle. 'Cause it might save you. ”
But even if they didn’t, Izuku would not regret saving what mattered most to the love of his life.
A buzz on his thigh made Izuku wiggle out his phone, mouth going dry at the curt text from Dynamight’s manager.
>> Aizawa (2:34pm): All set for Saturday, Problem Child.
>> Aizawa (2:34pm): Hope you know what you’re doing.
He took a slow breath before he pushed out of his seat, glancing over to Mina and Jirou before giving both a nod. Once Mina sent him a wink, he hurried down the stairs of the stadium, refusing to look back at the stage when he made his quick exit. The band would only practice for another two hours, and he needed to use that time to work on Deku’s secret announcement without being caught. Katsuki would be on edge for the next few days, and anything ‘suspicious’ Izuku did would be held under a microscope. That was why he’d made the plan with Jirou and Mina to cover for him when he disappeared from practices he normally hung out at the entire time.
Except he didn’t plan for how quickly Katsuki cornered him about the elephant in the room.
“Um.” Izuku swallowed when his back hit the wall of their hotel room, staring up at the heavy stare boring down on him. “H-Hi, Kacchan. How was the rest of practice?”
“If you wanted to know, you would have stayed.” The arms on either side of his head felt like prison bars, sturdy and caging Izuku in until his boyfriend felt like releasing him. “What were you doing?”
“I told Mina and Jirou that Aizawa needed me for something,” he answered, leaning on the excuse they’d created the night before.
But Katsuki wasn’t in a good mood, which made him more perceptive. “About One For All, or about Deku ?”
“D-Deku?” For once, he wished he had taken more theater classes in high school. “Kacchan, why would I—”
“Because I know you’ve been keeping something from me.” Izuku flinched at the accusation, and he tried to press deeper into the wall when Katsuki narrowed his stare. “I thought it was your feelings. Then when we figured that out, I let you get away with the excuse of your voice. If that was all you were keeping hidden, you wouldn’t be acting more evasive. Now, after you’ve been pulling away from me all week, I find out Deku’s quitting? You knew about Deku’s plan to leave before today, didn’t you?”
“Why does that matter?” He asked, balancing between answering honestly and sticking to the script.
“You didn’t think I’d want to know?” Izuku had been prepared for the anger, but the softer cadence left him speechless when staring at Katsuki’s open expression. “I get he’s not with us on the tour, but he’s still… fuck, he’s a part of this stupid shit.”
“You really care about Deku.” He flinched when he earned a grimace, reaching out to brush the back of his fingers along the smooth cheek. “Sorry, I’m not making fun of you.”
“Didn’t think you were.” Katsuki’s mouth pressed into a thin line of frustration. “The more I read his lyrics, the more I’m convinced I know him. There’s stuff in there that’s just… too close to me.”
Izuku swallowed, careful with his words. “You think the songs are about you.”
“Its kind of hard not to put it together.”
“Yeah, he—” He tried to fight the words back, but his mouth spilled the truth. “He does love you, Kacchan. So, so much. His songs are just his way of trying to process the deep feelings he has for you.”
Katsuki’s eyes met his quietly. “That a problem for you, Nerd?”
“I…” He shook his head and changed the topic. “If Deku loves you enough to share it with the world, doesn’t that confirm that he isn’t doing this because he hates you or anyone in Dynamight?”
“Maybe,” Katsuki mumbled, though he didn’t pull away from the gentle touch. “It feels like he’s running away. Deku doesn’t seem the type to suddenly ditch us unless he has a pretty big reason.”
“You could say that.” When silence followed his agreement, Izuku sucked in a nervous breath. “But he’s trying to do this the right way. He doesn’t want to hurt you.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.” Katsuki sighed, swearing under his breath. “You’d rat him out if he was in danger, right?”
“Of course! I promise he’s going to be okay, no matter what happens.” His immediate agreement didn’t change the wrinkle on Katsuki’s forehead, though it disappeared when the drummer leaned forward to press it against Izuku’s.
“And there’s absolutely nothing you need to tell me?”
“I…” He couldn’t get another lie out, and he saw the flash of hurt flicker in the red stare watching him. For once, he didn’t blurt out the first thing on his mind, taking a moment to debate what he wanted to say. Though being completely honest was too dangerous, he refused to lie anymore. “There’s something I wish I could explain right now, but if I did, it could hurt Dynamight.”
“What the hell?” Izuku expected Katsuki’s frown and furrowed brows. “Is this connected to Deku?”
“Yeah.” He pressed both palms to Katsuki’s cheeks, hoping his earnest words would soothe the bubble of reactive anger. “Can you trust me enough to do what’s best for you and the band?”
“Fuck no. I bet you’re gonna throw yourself in front of a bus or something—”
“Kacchan.” His gentle calling of the nickname made Katsuki glare away, even when he led the stubborn face closer to kiss. He didn’t linger long, just enough to remind him of his adoration before breaking the quick connection. “Just a few more days, and then I’ll tell you everything. About me, about Deku, and then… whatever you want to do with that information after, I won’t stop you. But trust me enough to know I’d never let something hurt you.”
When Katsuki returned his gaze to Izuku, something was different about the expression crossing his face. The lack of anger felt wrong, but he couldn’t identify the emotion as happiness, either. Complex like a Rubik’s cube, Izuku only had a heartbeat to try and dissect it before he was pressed into the wall, mouth slammed over his. The energy in the kiss swelled with a different tightness, as if Katsuki had never kissed him before the current moment. Confused, but unwilling to turn away from his favorite activity, he relaxed against the lips moving against his. Izuku lifted his hand to card fingers through the fluffy blond hair. A hint of orange from whatever flavored water he had on stage tinged the exchange with artificial sweetness. Silently, he wished he could wash it away to find Katsuki’s natural taste. He didn’t voice his strange thoughts out loud, too focused on the teeth that dragged his lower lip out when Katsuki broke the kiss.
“Fine.” Still close enough for the word to brush his mouth, the rougher tone rolled down his spine. When Izuku forced his lax lashes to open again, he found the same strange look crossing Katsuki’s face. “I won’t ask about Deku again. Don’t make me regret it, Freckles.”
He wasn’t sure if potentially ruining their relationship would count as regret, but he gave a quiet nod. “I’ll do my best.”
“Yeah, I bet you will.” Before he could ask, Katsuki grabbed his wrist, dragging him across the room. “Now hurry up and strip so we can go to bed.”
“Don’t say it like that!” He shouted, pouting when Katsuki snickered but didn’t retract his statement.
When he snuggled into the strong embrace minutes later, he could only hope he’d still have that safety after the world learned the truth.
~**~
Just like Izuku expected, the last concert was brimming with energy he hadn’t experienced before. The fans felt louder, the lights brighter, and even Dynamight’s sound came out with an aura he couldn’t place. It was a give-and-take dynamic between the crowd and the band, both feeding off each other to push to the next level. Each time one song ended, the roars shook the stadium with the cheers for more. Izuku tried to take it all in without letting the anxiety of their plan creep into his mind. He kept his eyes on Katsuki, knowing that most people wouldn’t pick up on his moments of distraction in the performance.
When Jirou tugged his arm and led him backstage, he wasn’t naïve enough to think Deku’s secret wasn’t still on his boyfriend’s mind. But he’d kept his word, and not brought up the elusive writer since their clash three days ago.
“Izuku.” Ochaco’s call of his name snapped him out of his thoughts, looking over to the shirt she held up for him in the dressing room. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” he said, hoping his smile hadn’t shown the nerves filling his chest.
“Don’t move your face too much.” Tsu wiggled her eyeliner in front of him. “Unless you want me to poke your eye out.”
“Do you think that would get me out of Mina’s plan?”
At his half-joke, Ochaco frowned, reaching over to touch his shoulder. “Hey, you really don’t have to do this. We made that video and set up the stadium projectors just in case this was too much for you—”
“No.” He shook his head, stamping the option down before she could finish it. “Shigaraki could say Kacchan made me do that behind the scenes. I was also really nervous during that recording, so fans might see that as me feeling pressured into filming it. Doing something live will make everything more legitimate. People believe things they see in person more than after the fact. Aizawa also said this was the best solution.”
Tsu grabbed his chin, forcing him to stay still while applying the eye make-up. “Bakugo isn’t gonna like it if you give yourself a panic attack for his benefit.”
“When does Kacchan like anything?” He asked, actually smiling when Ochaco rolled her eyes and moved to drape the shirt over the couch.
“Well, either way, this is your choice to make. But just know…” She peeked up over her shoulder, giving him a bright smile. “No matter what happens out there, we’re gonna love you tomorrow.”
“Even if you end up with an angry boyfriend,” Tsu said, searching through her make-up bag.
“Thank you.” He looked between them, taking a slow breath. “I know that this is gonna be worth it, no matter what happens with me and Kacchan.”
“For someone who only sees Bakugo in rose-colored glasses, you sure have no faith in his love for you.”
Tsu’s casual comment dragged a red flush to his face, though he hoped his concealer hid it. “W-Well, he’s never actually said he loves me.”
“With words, maybe not, but he’s been saying it with his actions for years.”
“Since when are you a Kacchan-reader, Ochaco?” He asked, amused when she stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth and gave him a thumbs up.
“Well, when your best friend is an anxious, pining mess—”
“I’m not that bad!”
“Anymore,” Tsu added, and both girls giggled when he slumped in his seat and groaned.
“Alright, is his make-up done?” Ochaco grabbed his hand after Tsu nodded, pulling him over the outfit laid out. “Time to make you so beautiful, Bakugo won’t care if your secret identity was Batman.”
He tried to focus on her joking tone over the dwindling time, going limp to let her move him as she pleased. Though he was a little unsure about wearing a shirt that showed off his mid-drift in front of an entire stadium (and more importantly, his mother), Izuku trusted Ochaco’s styling enough to put it on. The cut tank top was from Dynamight’s store, the black fabric a nice contrast to the orange explosions around the band’s name. He glanced at the baggy pants before accepting the matching black hoodie, though one glare from Ochaco stopped him from zipping it up. From the larger size that kept slipping off his shoulder when the girls led him toward the back of the stage, he wondered if it’d even stay on long after they started the plan.
Iida came by to usher them to the back of the stage. His feet froze when he saw the band, who were wrapping up the final part of ‘Miracle’. Though he had been in the audience less than an hour before, the noise rattled his bones with its ferocity. Izuku tried to remind himself to breathe, but the moment Mina’s eyes glanced his way, every organ in his stomach locked up. Even with her dream right in front of her, Mina’s expression brightened by his appearance before she looked back out to the crowd, jumping headfirst into the last bridge.
Ochaco snagged his trembling hand, squeezing gently. “This is it. Last chance for me to tell the crew to do our back-up plan.”
“I know.” He returned the pressure before he nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Okay.” Then she used her free hand to tap her earpiece, speaking the phrase that would change his life. “Plan Deku is a go.”
Tsu stepped up to secure his vocal ear monitor while the lights of the stadium suddenly shut off, the blackout the first sign that something was different in their last concert. He closed his eyes when the murmurs and excited confusion buzzed through the air, thankful that Ochaco didn’t let go of his hand. By the time he finished his shaky breath and parted his lashes, Todoroki had bathed the stage in a green light. He saw Hanta’s confusion in his cocked head, while Kirishima and Kaminari glanced at each other with lost shrugs. Katsuki glared up at the booth where Todoroki sat, and Izuku fought the urge to bite his glossed lips at the suspicion filling his expression. It would work perfectly for the live streams recording Mina’s plan, but their relationship…
“Thank you, everyone, for coming to our last show of our first tour. We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of you and the amazing crew that followed us every step of the way.” Mina’s smile brightened at the cheers of the crowd, waiting until some of the roar lowered to continue. “Now, we’ve got one more song for you, which I think everyone knows has become a staple in our tour since Deku wrote it. But I can’t start the track without talking about the big announcement we had to broadcast for everyone to witness. Something so secret, even my bandmates don’t know I’m the one who orchestrated it!”
“Mina, are you hiding things from me?” Kirishima laughed into his microphone, though his surprise edged his smile. “Not cool, babe.”
She blew him a kiss before she spun around, holding a hand out toward the audience as she twirled. “Can everyone in the crowd help me surprise my boys? I bet, if you guys cheer loud enough, our special guest may come join me for this final song!”
The shouted reply showed their excitement to take part in whatever Mina was setting up for them. Izuku’s shoulders stiffened when she looked back at the band to signal the starting chords of their ending song. Kirishima showed how thrown off he was by the sudden announcement when he blinked, as if he had forgotten he started the track. Though he didn’t want to, Izuku forced himself to look over at Katsuki, who had turned his surprise into annoyance when staring at Mina.
But when she met his gaze and simply winked, the drummer scowled and did the last countdown of their tour.
“ This is when the ink stops flowing. This is when my head starts going ,” Mina sang, her smile wide while she entrapped the audience with her beautiful vocals. “ This is when I just can't get it out. ”
“Fifteen seconds,” Ochaco said, barely able to be heard from the roar of the crowd. Izuku didn’t answer, turning his attention one last time to Katsuki.
He doesn’t have to love me back, he thought, letting go of Ochaco’s hand to accept her offered microphone when Mina started her last cue for the plan. But I really hope he doesn’t hate me.
“ This is when the hits keep comin', just when I think I'm on to something…This is when the bottom bottoms out. ” With a glee that could only be genuine in its shine, Mina threw her hand toward the wing Izuku stood in and shouted. “Everyone, give it up for my good friend, Deku!”
The crowd’s frenzied screams and Katsuki’s almost missed spot in the song made Izuku nearly trip when he stepped onto the stage, his hand shaking around the microphone. “ I promise good enough for you, then I never keep it. I pace the floor at night when all the pretty world is sleeping… And all the world is sleeping .”
He could barely hear Ochaco and Tsu’s scream of his name when Mina rushed over to grab his hand, dragging him to the middle as she sang exactly how they’d practiced in Tsu’s hotel room. “ When the lights go down and the girls are screaming— ”
“ Don't stop now ,” he answered, thankful for her soothing touch during the intense moment.
The crowd was beyond loud as they started to recognize who he was, but Mina didn’t tear her eyes from him. “ Then I catch my breath and my heart is beating and all I'm thinking is… ”
She squeezed his hand, and he knew she wanted him to listen to himself when he sang again. “ Don't stop now .”
The instrumental break gave him a moment to breathe, and he couldn’t stop himself from glancing toward some of the band behind them. Hanta’s grin looked a mile wide, while Kaminari still didn’t seem like he had shaken off the initial surprise. Kirishima kept his concentration on the chords he was strumming, but the warm smile down at his guitar said enough for Izuku.
He couldn’t look beyond them, at the most important reaction, so he let Mina yank off his sweatshirt at the front of the stage while she jumped into the next verse. “ This is when my hands are shaking. This is when the rules are breaking. This is when the music plays too loud. ”
“ Oh ,” He cracked a bit on the vowel, but the panic shoved down beneath the surface when catching a glimpse of the front row. Most of the lights washed out the crowd, but he knew his mother’s teary expression from anywhere. He smiled through his own overwhelming feelings when he said the next part for her. “ This is when it's now or never. When it goes from bad to better. This is when it all makes sense somehow. ”
“Sing along with Deku!” Mina shouted to the crowd, and his universe shifted when seventy thousand people joined in to sing with him.
“ I promise good enough for you, and pray that I can keep it. ” Despite his best effort, Izuku felt his tears build up when the words he thought would never come true fell from his own lips. “ And all the world is watching while I'm open-mouthed and dreaming. ”
Mina took over the second chorus as they planned, a precaution to help keep Izuku’s voice from giving out before the song was over. Though he didn’t feel any pain in his throat, he was thankful for the emotional break. He hadn’t thought getting to live out his dream for three minutes would leave him so vulnerable. As he listened to the band kill the instrumental solo, he finally mustered up the courage to look at Katsuki. The blond’s head stayed low, though Izuku knew it wasn’t because he was concentrating. Whatever emotion he was feeling, he didn’t want anyone (or maybe just Izuku) to see. For a second, Izuku wondered if he really had severed the string between them with his selfish decision.
But when Mina shouted ‘Bring us home, Deku!’, he knew he couldn’t think about it until after he saved Dynamight.
“ I promise good enough for you, and find that I can keep it. ” He walked forward on the stage, crouching down to look out at his dream one last time. “ And all the world is right with me, and all we are is breathing. ”
Though he knew the last bridge started right after the verse, he paused, knowing he didn’t want to sing the next words from his song to the crowd. He hadn’t written them for the people who only saw him as Deku. This one part, he had penned not as the mysterious author for a famous band. He’d written it as a boy who simply fell in love with his best friend at five years old.
So he stood up, grateful Kirishima was professional enough to keep the soft beat going in his hiccup of silence, before he turned to face Katsuki. The drummer’s head had popped up from the change of the song, and their eyes met for the first time since Izuku had exposed his final truth to the world. Todoroki’s spotlight splashed over the drummer without warning, but Izuku couldn’t let his mind wander. He took a small step closer, despite the entire stage lingering between them.
“ This is when the ink starts flowing. This is where my heart is going. ” His tearful voice cracked on the last line, his fingers pressing over his chest while he tried to sing his affection into words already saturated in love. “ This is when my hands belong to you.”
Izuku refused to look away when Katsuki jumped in with a bang on the drums to introduce the final chorus, only breaking their connection when Mina spun him around for the end. He did his best to meet her energy, even when the tears streamed down his face from his outpouring of emotion. He had thought singing at the karaoke bar was the closest he’d ever get to the moment he’d written in the song meant for Mina to sing. Izuku accepted years ago he had to give up on this dream.
But even if it meant saying goodbye, he was grateful for Deku’s last embers to fade away on the stage he’d never fallen out of love with.
“ So I catch my breath ,” He finished the song off, though he collapsed onto the stage with the final chords. “ And I won’t stop… now .”
While the band played them out to an ovation that hurt his ears, Izuku could only cover his face and cry harder into the palm not clutching his microphone. There was no telling if they were from his joy or loss, but he couldn’t stop the emotion from ruining Tsu’s hard work on his make-up.
A gentle touch crossed his shoulders, Mina’s words radiating pride. “Let me formally introduce to the world our favorite cinnamon bun, Izuku Midoriya!”
“Oh my God,” he whispered, turning his face into her shoulder when she stroked his hair. “I’m… sorry I’m ruining this moment for you—”
“Don’t worry, I sobbed like a baby after my high school talent show,” she answered, as if that was the same as falling apart in front of millions of people around the world.
Before he could answer, a sudden rush of weight hit his other side, and Izuku yelped when Kaminari almost crawled into his lap with excitement. “Bro, no way! The Twitter theories were true?!”
“Um, ye-yeah?” Izuku said, smiling at how the crowd laughed at Kaminari’s confused noise.
“Man, you really pulled the rug out from under us.” Hanta’s hand ruffled Izuku’s hair, making him tilt his head back in order to look at the tall man grinning behind him. “I can’t believe you kept it secret for so long.”
He shrugged, finally controlling his emotions enough to stop his crying. “I had some help.”
“The crew, right?” Kirishima crouched in front of him, as if becoming a shield from the world trying to watch their intimate moment. Izuku had offered them front row seats to a very vulnerable secret, but it was nice to see how quickly the band swarmed him with their protectiveness.
“Oh, um… yes. And Mina, though she only found out during the tour.” He looked around at the band, his lower lips quivering when he spoke. “I’m sorry I hid it from you. I guess part of me was always worried some of the Deku-magic would be lost if you found out it was only me behind him.”
“What? Why would our friend being one of the coolest songwriters in the world be a bad thing?” Hanta asked, Kaminari nodding in his agreement.
“I can’t be the only one who’s happy Izuku and Deku are the same person, right? Now I don’t have to feel bad about who I want to see Bakugo end up with — though you were always my pick, of course!”
“What he’s trying to say,” Kirishima butted in, tapping his knuckles against Izuku’s shoulder. “Is that we’re happy you finally told us who you were. Thanks for everything you’ve done, as Deku and Midoriya.”
“You guys…”
Rubbing his eyes to make sure he didn’t cry again, Izuku let Kirishima tug him forward into a hug, the rest of the band quick to cuddle in and join the soft moment. It didn’t last long, the sudden interference of his and Mina’s microphones breaking up the group. He blushed when realizing most of the conversation echoed through the stadium. None of the fans had left, despite the show being over. Though he could only imagine what the live stream looked like, his mind took a sharp turn when he heard the sudden murmuring of the audience increase.
“I was wondering when he’d come over.”
Mina’s comment paired with Hanta and Kirishima lifting Izuku onto his feet, his head already turning to see where she was looking. Katsuki’s slow walk toward them gave the band time to nudge him forward before they scurried to the side of the stage. He tried to keep his breath even, but it went to shambles the second a bright spotlight dropped over them. He wondered if Shinso had told Todoroki to do the mischievous act, or if it’d been an artistic request from the livestream.
Still, while he watched Katsuki stop in front of him with one hand in his pocket, he stopped caring. He couldn’t keep his fingers from clenching around the microphone, forcing himself to face the arched brow head-on.
“You sure know how to make an announcement,” Katsuki said, and Izuku stepped closer with his rushed words.
“I can explain, and I know there’s so much to apologize for—” He paused when warm knuckles brushed his cheek, hope and fear clashing in his chest. “I promise, I didn’t mean to embarrass you—”
“How did I know you were doing some reckless, again ?”
“And I’m going to yell at Todoroki for spotlighting you—”
“That candy cane looking bastard. I’m totally kicking his ass after this.”
Despite the wave of laughter surrounding them, Izuku couldn’t get his frantic mouth from rambling all of his thoughts into the echoing microphone. “And the fans were so amazing, I never thought they’d be so kind to me and — Oh my God, Kacchan, I sang. On stage .”
“Yeah, you fucking did.” Katsuki’s hand found his waist, pulling him closer despite his continued rant.
“This is probably a lot to take in right now — ”
The snort proved Katsuki didn’t agree. “Maybe three days ago.”
“I…” Though he wanted to ask what that meant, Izuku shook his head and poured his heart out onto the stage for the second time that night. “Kacchan, if you hate me forever, it's okay. I should have told you I was Deku the second we got into a relationship. There were so many times I wanted to! But you were stressed with the tour, and the fans, and I promise I did this for you. Well, you and the band, but mainly you because—”
“Oi.” When Katsuki cupped the back of his neck and tilted his chin up, Izuku finally stopped talking. He winced before he took a deep breath and met Katsuki’s gaze, though he barely got to see the bemused expression before the order spilled against his mouth. “Shut the fuck up, Deku.”
The kiss they shared on the stage made Izuku forget about the blackmail, the livestream, and the millions of people watching the love of his life melt his brain with his mouth. A hot hand pressed on the open skin of his back, arching him closer. He held Izuku like he was always meant to. Izuku’s adrenaline finally kicked in, making him challenge the pressure with his own love. Ignoring the hair gel and sweat in Katsuki’s hair, he slid his fingers into the blond strands to tilt Katsuki’s head to the left, giving Izuku more space to deepen their connection. He couldn’t imagine anything better than sharing the moment with Katsuki, who had never stopped believing in him.
They only broke apart when Mina’s voice echoed in the stadium. “Thank you everyone, have a great night!”
“Uh…” A shy glance at the screaming crowd brought his modesty to the forefront, Izuku quickly burrowing his face into Katsuki’s chest. “I think I’m gonna pass out.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on.” Katsuki swept his arm under Izuku’s knees, and he yelped before he wrapped around his neck to keep from dropping.
“Kacchan, be careful—”
“So, Deku’s head over heels in love with me, huh?”
“I—!” Izuku’s cheeks went bright at the underlying question, and he buried his face against his boyfriend’s clammy skin while refusing to answer.
He got a cackle in reply before Katsuki walked them off the stage, not caring about the thousands watching his open display of affection. Maybe Katsuki had been caught up in the moment, and would regret his choice about everything in the morning.
It doesn’t matter what happens, Izuku thought, tightening his hold and closing his eyes to the world they left behind. As long as I have him, we’ll be okay.
And that was enough for the night.
~**~
“Wait, what if I…”
Izuku hummed while he pushed his knees closer to his chest, the notebook jostling from the slight movement. He fixed the page before crossing out what he’d written before, tongue wetting his lower lip without thought. If he let his mind drift, he’d get distracted and not finish before one of his friends found him. The last thing he wanted was to lose his current flow because of outside distractions.
Deku’s announcement six months ago had taken the music world by storm. Like Aizawa predicted, Izuku’s spoiling of Shigaraki’s plan caused a violent rant that proved how far gone he was down the rabbit hole. His threats of harm to not only All Might, but Katsuki and Izuku, made most people disregard his feverish claims. Though he hated the way Shigaraki treated him and his friends, Izuku heard some of his valid points regarding the industry and fame. Unfortunately, the visceral words and deranged comments buried his cry for help under the rubble. That, paired with Aizawa’s intel about his discovered extortion of Tsubasa and Toga, caused the arrest of the unstable man. Izuku tried to avoid reading about the depressing outcome for the singer. Though the trial was coming up, and all the news media around it kept growing, most of the situation was being managed by Aizawa.
“There you are!” Kirishima’s chipper tone pulled his attention from the lyrics on his paper, quick to realize his friend wasn’t alone. Dynamight, only missing their drummer, stood in front of him with wide smiles. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Oh, sorry. I just like to write in here because All Might normally doesn’t use it for anything but meetings with new employees.” A blip of worry over his missing boyfriend furrowed his brows. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s almost time for practice,” Mina said, her hand curling around her hip. “You coming or what?”
“Me? Uh, well…” The hesitation drew out sighs from the band, Izuku quick to explain himself. “I’m working on this song, and you don’t always have to invite me—”
Hanta cut him off by throwing his head back and groaning. “Here he goes again.”
“How does one guy overthink this much?” Kaminari asked, pressing his palm to his forehead. “It’s making my brain hurt in sympathy.”
“Guess it's time to call in the big guns.” Kirishima looked too happy over the comment while he nudged Hanta, who rushed to peek his head out of the room.
“Yo, Bakugo! We got a problem in here.”
“Wait, you don’t have to call him!” Izuku shouted, curling his knees closer to his chest when Mina waved her finger at him.
“It’s for your own good… and ours, of course.”
“But—”
“Oi.” Katsuki stepped into the room, ignoring the snickering of his bandmates when he stomped over to stand in front of Izuku. “There a problem?”
“No, no problem!” When he only got an arched eyebrow and crossed arms as a reply, Izuku bit his lip and shrugged. “I just thought Dynamight may want a practice without me butting in—”
“I fucking knew it.”
Scoffing as if insulted, Katsuki reached over and snatched the notebook off Izuku’s lap. He closed it without looking at the unfinished work, and Izuku tried not to smile at the unconscious action. Even when annoyed with Izuku’s antics, Katsuki respected him enough to not look at his lyrics until he had permission. Izuku wouldn’t care (as much) if his boyfriend got nosey, their trust since childhood only growing since his Deku announcement. Katsuki still acknowledged his boundary despite the unspoken permission. The care for his comfort only added another reason to why he loved the scowling man standing over him.
Once closed, Katsuki tossed the notebook at Mina. “Here, hold this. I’ve got the nerd.”
“Wait, Kacchan!” Despite his protest, Izuku couldn’t avoid the arms that scooped him off the couch, lifting him without hesitation over his shoulder. The fireman carry left him facing the grinning band, which dragged out his flush. “Guys, is this necessary?”
“For you? No. For us…”
Hanta’s shrug after the comment proved none of them planned to stop Katsuki as he carried Izuku out of the room. He tried to squirm off the shoulder, but a warning squeeze on his butt made Izuku squeak and hit Katsuki’s back.
“This is not professional! If anyone sees this—”
“What are they gonna do, fire us?”
Before he could answer, a dry voice came from behind him. “Depends on if I’ve had my coffee or not.”
“A-Aizawa!” He watched the manager appear when Katsuki walked past him without a care, eyes widening when realizing he wasn’t alone. “And All Might. Please stop Kacchan, he’s kidnapping me!”
While Aizawa didn’t even blink at the scene, All Might at least had the courtesy to speak up. “Young Bakugo, please be careful with our newest singer.”
“I will when he stops trying to hide behind Deku again,” Katsuki replied. “I’m just reminding him where he belongs.”
“Problem Child Two, don’t break Problem Child One on our property.” Aizawa fixed his scarf while he sighed. “I don’t want to fill out paperwork.”
“Tch. No promises, Hobo!”
At Katsuki’s villainous cackle, Izuku whined and flopped against his back, giving up in his attempt to escape. Like a bag of flour, Katsuki carried him with ease into the practice room. Instead of fighting, he used his energy to frown at the band following them like ducklings. Mina and Kaminari showed no shame in their snickering, while Hanta made kissy faces like a child. The only one who looked sheepish was Kirishima, but he didn’t try to save Izuku from his fate.
“Oh, Izuku…” Ochaco’s sigh when Katsuki stormed across the floor proved the crew had already congregated for the practice. They’d been coming more often to prepare for the international tour, meaning everyone was there to witness his shame.
“Bakugo, put Midoriya down at once!”
“Shut up, Glasses.”
Todoroki blinked as they passed. “Fanfics say the bridal carry is far more romantic.”
“Because that’s what these two dorks need,” Shinso said from where he laid on the couch.
Tsu flipped through the magazine on her lap, barely giving them a second glance. “It’s hard to top a worldwide confession.”
“Oh, please. They’ve been sickeningly romantic way before that,” Jirou said, the group murmuring their versions of agreement.
“Will all of you shut up?! It’s like a room full of damn chickens.” Katsuki stopped before grabbing Izuku’s waist, sliding him down the firmer body to plant his feet back to the ground. Before he could balance himself, Katsuki pushed him behind one of the microphone stands. Wrapping Izuku’s hand onto the base, their eyes met, Katsuki’s grin almost feral. “Keep trying to hide behind your little notebooks during band practice, Freckles. I’m having fun tracking you down.”
“I’m not trying to make your life harder,” he answered, quiet despite enjoying the thumb brushing along the back of his hand. “Sometimes I get in my head about what people are going to think about me singing on some songs. What if I ruin Dynamight’s second album because they don’t want me on it?”
“You talking about people, or those assholes from middle school?”
“I…both?”
Izuku flinched when Katsuki huffed, though the red gaze shifted away from him. “Alright, extras. You’re all a bunch of music nerds—”
“Sound production isn’t technically music,” Shinso said, smirking at Katsuki’s eye roll before Todoroki nodded.
“I also cannot claim my employment implies the mastery of music.”
Katsuki took a slow breath, and Izuku felt himself smile at his boyfriend’s irritation. “Jesus fucking — Does anyone here think adding Izuku to the band has been a downgrade?”
He expected the chorus of ‘no’s’ from the group, but it still made him flush from their confidence in his ability.
“Exactly.” Katsuki returned his attention, leaning close enough to press the stand between their chests. “You’re not here cause I enjoy looking at your ass from my drum set. That’s a perk, sure, but what I really care about is your voice. I like the best, and Pinky’s got good pipes on her—”
“Aw, Bakubabe,” Mina cooed, though he ignored her to pinch Izuku’s cheek.
“But your voice makes everything better. So stop letting some nobodies from the past take our dream away again.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Izuku replied, leaning into the touch when it softened.
“And the world doesn’t matter, anyway.” Katsuki tipped his chin up, and Izuku melted at the arrogance covering his smirk. “You sing to me, Izuku, and only me. That’s the deal we made twenty years ago.”
“Okay.” Feeling a little vulnerable from the spotlight, Izuku blinked back his tears to mumble. “I love you.”
“Cut that shit out, Crybaby. Ain’t letting you mess up your voice for practice.” A slow kiss settled his emotions, and he hummed his quiet pleasure against the warm mouth still skimming his own. “Love you too.”
He’d heard it several times over the six months since his own pseudo confession, but Izuku still preened at the words. “Really?”
“Obviously.” A soft hand collected his before pressing it over Katsuki’s heart, right where the red flower tattoo peeked out from his tank-top. “Here’s your damn proof.”
Izuku couldn’t stop his smile from growing before he popped up on his tiptoes to kiss his boyfriend again.
“Wow, look at Bakugo being a sweetheart,” Ochaco teased when they broke apart, the woman giggling when earning a glare.
“Super manly, bro!”
“I don’t think fanfiction would label him a tsundere anymore…”
The teasing from their friends continued until Katsuki spun around, shouting at the mischievous group. “Shut up and get to work!”
“You’re not so scary after being all lovey dovey with your boyfriend.” Mina tapped Katsuki’s nose when she approached, only grinning at his scowl.
“You’re still annoying no matter who you’re fucking.” Then Katsuki turned away, moving toward his drum set.
Mina ignored the insult, bumping her hip into Izuku’s. “You ready to try out our new song?”
“Yeah.” He felt his heart flutter when he looked at the microphone he still gripped. “Ready when you are.”
“Sweet! Blasty, count us down.”
Izuku looked over his shoulder, a smile growing when finding the powerful gaze already on him. He stared as Katsuki lifted his drumsticks up, the same way he’d done on the sidelines for years. Except now, he didn’t have to simply watch.
“One, two, three…”
Opening his mouth, Izuku fell in love with music all over again.