Chapter Text
“But Kacchan, why did you act like you didn't remember me?”
A lukewarm breeze began to blow.
Katsuki blinked twice, swept a hand through his hair and sighed. Izuku did not miss the expression on his face that clearly read, ‘fuck, I got caught.’
Izuku gave him a wry smile and said, “I thought you’d forgotten me. You were acting like you didn’t know me. I never thought I would run into you in a place like this. How have you been, Kacchan?”
Katsuki suddenly rose to his feet, ignoring the omega. When Izuku looked at him with cold eyes, he had the decency to grimace.
“Stay here. I’ll get some bandages.”
Stunned, Izuku’s jaw dropped open. “Hey, is that really the most important thing right now?”
“It is for me.”
Katsuki turned on his heel without hesitation and crossed the crosswalk again, then ran to the pharmacy once more. Izuku watched him as he quickly moved away and sighed deeply.
Izuku felt so nervous.
He didn’t know if he had done the right thing, but at least he knew for certain that he hadn’t gone crazy. The alpha was without a doubt the same Katsuki Izuku knew before. He even called him Deku .
There was no doubt why Katsuki was so special to Izuku. He was Izuku’s first love, someone Izuku could never forget.
And, perhaps, if he hadn’t disappeared that day, the two of them would have started dating, and maybe they would have gotten to do more things together…
All the firsts that Izuku ever wanted to remember… all of them were with Katsuki.
It wasn’t like Izuku hadn’t been interested in others since then, but none of his relationships had ever lasted long.
Every single person he dated complained that he was too indifferent. They said that he never made enough effort to get to know them. Or let them get to know him.
Izuku never felt the need to tell them about himself, and he had never had the desire to get to know them better either. He concluded that it was just a reflection of his personality and how he didn’t want to become deeply involved with others.
And because of his unsuccessful stints at attempted relationships, Izuku came to the conclusion that relationships were a waste of time.
After so many attempts, Izuku thought it best to keep all of his relationships casual and purely physical. Any one who was capable of getting past Izuku's initial cold barrier knew from the beginning that Izuku wasn’t interested in taking the relationship any further.
Katsuki was the only exception to all of this.
There was so much that Izuku wanted to know about him. He felt that only when he knew the truth, would he finally be able to release the lump in his throat and chest that had been festering inside him for so, so long.
“Lift your leg.”
A voice suddenly spoke to him, making Izuku jump and raise his head. Katsuki was sitting at the edge of the bench and immediately grabbed his ankle, pulling his leg into his lap.
As he started taking things out of his plastic bag, Izuku muttered, “You don’t look good with your hair so long like that.”
Katsuki scoffed, and began pulling at the edge of his pants. “I’m gonna rip these.”
“What…Kacchan!”
Katsuki suddenly ripped the fabric, making a horrible tearing sound. Izuku grimaced at the sight of the pants torn all the way from the bottom up to his thigh.
He clenched his teeth as Katsuki began casually spraying disinfectant on the wound.
“Isn’t your hair annoying, Kacchan? And I see that you still have a thing for showing off your muscles.”
Katsuki smirked. “I need to take care of this properly if you don’t want it to scar.”
“Are you really worried about me getting a scar on my leg?”
‘Even after you’re the one who disappeared without a word?’
Those were the words that he really wanted to say to him, but they wouldn’t leave his throat. Katsuki just kept attending to his leg, as if he hadn’t heard. Only after putting a wide bandage on his leg did he let go and stand up.
“If you bought everything you need, let’s go.”
“I still need something.”
“I’ll buy it for you.”
“You want to buy underwear for me?”
Katsuki stiffened briefly at his response, then let out a long sigh and extended his hand. Izuku grabbed his hand and pulled himself up with a grimace. When he stumbled to his feet he could feel Katsuki hovering nearby, ready to catch him. The back of his neck tickled annoyingly.
“Can I ask you something?”
Feeling his body temperature still close by, he looked over and noticed Katsuki offering his arm. Izuku blinked, and noticed that Katsuki’s jaw was pulled tight with tension.
“Why does everyone call you Kudo?”
The tension suddenly eased and his sharp eyes slowly softened as he answered in a dry voice.
“They just do.”
Ha, so he wasn’t going to explain?
Izuku pursed his lips and shrugged.
“Then should I call you Mr. Kudo or Kacchan from now on? What should I call you?”
“Don’t say my name at all.”
Izuku, who was carefully watching his steps, suddenly stopped in his tracks. Katsuki’s gentle voice grazed his ears.
“This isn’t a good time...”
It felt like someone had slapped him hard on the back of his head. He felt heat rush to his face.
He felt so drunk on his emotions that he completely missed the mark. Izuku was going crazy.
While Izuku stared blankly at him, Katsuki asked, “When are you leaving?”
Izuku’s lips stiffened into a thin line. Katsuki didn’t know, but his words hadn’t just slapped Izuku in the back of the head, but had also pushed a button hidden inside him. The very same button had gotten Izuku to where he was today. His button of stubbornness and obsession.
The corners of his mouth rose gently until they became a smirk. He glared fiercely at Katsuki, who froze in place at his sudden change in demeanor.
Tightening his grip on Katsuki’s arm, he whispered, “You must have forgotten. I’m the type of person who will run to motel alleyways and police stations just to sate my curiosity.”
Katsuki’s eyebrows tightened, as if he was remembering the same thing. Then his eyes narrowed and he sighed softly.
“Izuku…”
“You know, I did exactly the same thing after you suddenly disappeared. As soon as I heard that you had dropped out of school, I went to the police station. I found out your address and went there first, but I could tell that you hadn’t left for a normal reason... I tried to ask what happened around your neighborhood, but no one seemed to care. So, I hung around the police station and bothered that police officer for days and days. Do you have any idea how many times I was in and out of that police station because of you?”
Katsuki’s face distorted as he stared at Izuku silently. Izuku’s voice had started to shake, but he didn’t care. He tightened his grip even more.
“You’re asking when I’m leaving? I’m sorry, but I haven’t decided yet. My job is to ensure that there will be no more problems, and to make sure construction is completed on schedule. And I don’t plan on staying at a hotel either because I also need to know why Katsuki Bakugou became Mr. Kudo, and why you disappeared out of my life without even a single word.”
Katsuki remained silent, but his eyes never left him.
Izuku continued on in a cold tone. “So you better have a good explanation. Oh, and if you’re thinking about disappearing again before you explain yourself, I’ll never forgive you. Never ever for the rest of my life!”
Izuku slowly let go of his arm and stepped back. He looked up at Katsuki, who was standing still as stone, and said one last thing. “So if none of this means anything to you, then you can be the one who leaves again.”
Only then would Izuku leave it alone, and live his life content with never knowing.
Izuku walked on alone, limping heavily. The emotions swirling inside him were enough to make his headache grow.
Izuku was too harsh… No, he had to say it.
Izuku glared at the ceiling. It felt like he had only fallen asleep for a moment, or maybe he had been awake the whole night. What mattered was that it was already dawn. He could see the dim light outside the door growing brighter and brighter.
When they had gotten back, Izuku barely had the strength to wash himself before collapsing on the bed in his room. But because his nerves were on edge, he couldn’t sleep.
He couldn’t help but notice the stale smell of the futon and the damp feel of the blanket. But most of all he couldn’t get Katsuki’s face out of his head.
It wasn't as if he or Katsuki did anything wrong, but he couldn’t get the alpha’s image to disappear from his mind. He realized later that the reason why he couldn’t close his eyes comfortably was because he was terrified that Katsuki would disappear again while he was sleeping.
It was no wonder why Izuku felt so shitty.
Izuku sat up, dragging his aching body out of bed. Fatigue seemed to cling to every inch of his being.
“Still it’s strange, no matter how much I think about it,” he mumbled to himself while he rubbed his sore shoulders and stretched his stiff neck.
Why couldn’t they have just greeted each other normally after meeting for the first time in years. It was clear that Izuku was important to Katsuki back then. The alpha had been the first to confess, he took such good care of Izuku, and Izuku was positive that he was also Katsuki’s first love. Why was the alpha acting so cold now?
Maybe Izuku drew a brighter, more affectionate picture of the stupid alpha in his head, just because he was his first love.
It was all Katsuki’s fault. He was the one who drew a line and started to put distance between the two for no good reason!
But maybe he had a good reason…
Maybe it's the same reason why he’s using another name.
“Could he have been adopted?”
…at his age?
“Maybe he had to change his name because he was still being chased.”
At least that reason made more sense.
If Izuku thought about it optimistically, maybe that was the reason why he asked that Izuku not say his name at all. The way he suddenly disappeared without a word was unusual to begin with.
Though Izuku was not usually the type to think positively about the outcome of things…
Izuku shook his head to dismiss the thought, then staggered to his feet. His knee was stiff and neck was sore, but regardless of how he felt, he had to wash up and get ready for work.
“Oh, you’re awake already? It’s only just a little after six.”
The old woman, who had just stepped out of the house with a broom in her hand, looked at Izuku in surprise as she noticed the ripped pants.
Izuku smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I had an accident yesterday. I’ll buy you another pair. Where could I buy them?”
“An accident? Goodness, how did you scrape your knee like that? And don’t worry about the clothes. I have three or four pairs just like them.”
“Still, I feel guilty, I’ll buy you something nice.”
“It’s alright. I bought them from a market a long, long time ago, so they were old anyway. We have breakfast. It will be ready in about 10 minutes. Would you like some?”
“No thank you, I don’t normally eat breakfast. I’ll go wash up and be back soon.”
Whenever Izuku listened to a voice, which was completely devoid of the malice he had long become accustomed to, his tone naturally became gentle. Izuku's warmth made the woman clap her hands.
"The water will be cold right now, so why don't you sit down and eat something first? It takes a while for the hot water to come through in this old house, I need to keep the faucet going for a while.”
“But yesterday it came out hot…”
Izuku stopped mid sentence as he heard the door behind him creak open. He turned to see Katsuki come out of his room with a towel draped around his shoulders.
Seeing Katsuki’s nonchalant behavior in the morning made Izuku angry.
After all, he had spent the entire night worrying if Katsuki would disappear again. He stared at the alpha sharply as he yawned lazily and calmly walked past. As he headed into the bathroom, Izuku smirked.
"Good morning, Mr. Kudo. I was going to go in first."
"It'll only take five minutes," he walked into the bathroom without looking back. The old lady patted Izuku on the back as she stared at the exchange in disbelief.
"It's okay, young man, just come and eat. If he washes up first, the water will be nice and warm when it's your turn."
"Ma’am," Izuku called after the old lady, who was about to return to the kitchen, "what kind of person is he?"
"Why are you asking me? Don't you know him?"
“We don't know each other that well, not yet at least."
The old woman smiled at Izuku's pouting expression.
"You two fought, didn’t you?"
"We're not even close enough to fight, so tell me, what kind of person is he?"
Hearing Izuku's words, the elderly woman tilted her head and looked towards the bathroom.
"He's not from around here, he's only been here for a month or so. When he first came, he told me that he works at the construction site over there and was looking for a cheap room. He goes to work in the morning and comes back when it's time to eat dinner. He's not much of a talker, but he's sincere, and he doesn't seem to be seeing anyone," the old woman added the last bit with a smile on her lips.
Izuku responded with a shy glance before crossing his arms and asking quietly, "Have you met any of the people he works with?"
"He never comes home with anyone else. Most workers stay together in a cheaper place in a nearby town while they're out on a job and drive in together. Mr. Kudo was a late comer though, so I suppose he had to find his own place."
A late comer?
Izuku raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the closed bathroom door.
"By any chance, do you know his full name?"
"Full name?"
"Everyone calls him Kudo, but he won't tell me his full name."
"Wait…What was it again? I know it's a common name. I used to call him ‘Mr. Bachelor’, until I heard him being called Kudo.”
The old woman smiled faintly, wrinkling her eyes. She shook her head, then suddenly clapped her hands.
"Oh, where is my head at? I need to cook the eggs. Come and sit down, I just need to set the table."
"I'll do it for you."
A delicious smell spread across the yard. Izuku limped over and sat on the floor. He winced as he carefully bent his leg, revealing a nasty bruise around his knee under the bandage.
Izuku thought it was just a light fall, but he must have fallen quite hard.
He should have grabbed the owner of that motorcycle and demanded medical compensation from him.
Suddenly, he remembered Katsuki running towards him as he called out Izuku’s nickname. If it weren't for the accident, he probably would have pretended not to know him until the very end.
…He was so shocked that he ran to Izuku without even thinking.
Izuku trusted that his expression at that moment was genuine. That it had all happened so fast that he had no time to put on his mask.
While sitting down, Izuku scooched forward and stretched out his hands, reaching for the folding table that was leaning against the wall when it was suddenly snatched out of his hands in mid-air.
He turned to see Katsuki running a hand through his blonde hair, which was still wet from his shower. Katsuki leaned over and extended the legs of the table, setting it down in front of him.
A toasty and sweet smell blew in with a cool breeze. A few drops of water dripped onto his lap. Izuku stared up in amazement before speaking.
"Hello, Mr. Kudo."
Katsuki looked back at him like he wanted to say something. Izuku quickly spoke his next words, shrugging his shoulders.
"Did you come here to do something dangerous?"
His sharp eyes narrowed at him in annoyance. It was only for a fleeting moment, but it was there. Katsuki clicked his tongue and furrowed his brows.
"Can't say I didn’t. Someone died."
"He's not dead."
Katsuki sighed at the blunt retort and straightened up.
"When is the original person in charge coming back?"
"When I've proven myself incompetent I suppose."
"So..."
He felt Katsuki's calm eyes scanning him. Izuku lifted his chin proudly in response. Then Katsuki’s lips slowly tilted up.
"When there's another accident?"
Izuku, who was so confident a moment ago, flinched at his words. His own words spilled out before he had a chance to stop them.
"Kacchan, what the hell...!"
"Be careful, it's hot," the old woman's voice suddenly crept behind them, and Izuku immediately shut his mouth. Soon, there were an array of dishes and bowls placed on the table.
"Let it cool for a bit, then eat. It’s all very delicious, if I do say so myself. Mr. Kudo likes my cooking a lot."
After receiving a spoon from the old woman, Izuku shot Katsuki a sharp look, but he completely ignored Izuku and just ate his food with an impassive face.