————

The kisses were never the same.

It was quite weird, and Katsuki thought that the feeling of his heart beating hard, the blood rushing to his cheeks- the pure euphoria, excitement, would fade when Izuku kissed him enough times. He thought he would get used to it but..

Izuku kisses Katsuki's cheek, and the latter turns red. "Deku."

"Mm?"

"Again?"

And Izuku complies easily, placing kisses all over his face, and Katsuki wraps his arms around his waist.

"Kacchan, I want ice cream."

"Ugh. You eat too much junk." But Katsuki allows him to giggle and get up, slipping on a shirt, tugging at his lazy form. "Kacchannn come with me!"

"Fine. Put on your scarf. It's cold as shit outside."

————

They sat in comfortable silence by the bus stop, shoulders brushing as Izuku laps at the vanilla swirl in his hands.

"Is Kacchan my boyfriend?"

Katsuki bristles, eyes wide and staring at Izuku- who was looking at him curiously through thick lashes.

"What the fuck? No."

It was really out of instinct, his reaction. Katsuki was caught off guard, not ready for the question dropping from out of the blue. Izuku pauses, face unreadable- and for a moment, Bakugou panics.

"Oh."

Soft, quiet. His voice lilted a bit.

".. Why?"

"Why fuckin' what?"

"We kiss, right? That's what.. That's what boyfriends do!" He says I'm in a matter-of-fact tone, and Katsuki furrows his brows at the sudden childish display. "No. Being boyfriends means that you like each other."

(Shut up.)

"W-What- Kacchan.. Kacchan likes me, right?"

"No."

(SHUT UP.)

"B-But-" Izuku splutters.

"I don't like you. I just.."

(WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?)

"T-The kisses-"

"-mean nothing."

(... God, what a fuck up you are.)

Izuku goes quiet then, head bowed- and Katsuki's defense mechanism kicks in and his scowls makes his forehead crease. "What the fuck? Why're you so upset?" He turns the tables quickly, deflecting- inching away from Izuku.

".. What.. What are we..?"

".. We're friends." Katsuki stands up, hearing the familiar screech of wheels on the icy road. He purposefully looks away from Izuku. "Just.. Not lovers."

".. Why.. Why would you kiss me?"

"... I.. You're pretty, Deku."

Izuku makes a sound of confusion, tangling his fingers in his green locks. "I don't understand," he whispers, before speaking up louder- feeling a sharp pain in his chest. "I don't.. I don't understand!"

"God- it just means I wanna.. Wanna get in your pants, okay? That's all! Your body's hot, and just..! That's all! I don't have any feelings!"

(Stop lying. Can't you see you're breaking him?)

"I'm not your boyfriend!"

(Katsuki wants to apologize, but his pride makes his tongue heavy like lead.)

"Look." Katsuki grasps his shoulders, and Deku was crying- oh god- what have you done-?

(What's wrong with you?

God.

What the fuck is wrong with you?)

"We're together, just.. not in that way, got it? Get.. Get it through your skull!"

(Katsuki would rather take a swan dive off the roof than admit it.)

———