Chapter Text
Izuku had taken a psychology class in college. It had only been to fill an elective during his junior year, but he found the course surprisingly interesting. He liked learning more about how the brain worked, even if he felt called out at times when anxiety disorders came up. Though the years had made him forget some of the diagnoses and theories, one part had stuck into his mind like a thorn. When discussing the five F’s of stress, he learned there were scientific reasons for his flighty reaction after intense situations. He did his best not to run when conflict arose, knowing facing his problems was normally the healthy way to go.
But when the most attractive man he’d ever seen got one hundred thousand people to follow him for a kiss, fleeing seemed like the only solution.
“You ghosted Dynamight?” Ochaco sighed into her smoothie, shaking her head while she judged him with her eyes.
He tried not to wince at her blunt question. “Not exactly.”
“Tell me what I’m missing, because it sounds exactly what I just said.”
“First off, you can’t ghost someone you never technically talked to before.” He knew it was a weak defense, which only made sense in his own mind. “We’ve always been in group calls, and he only messaged me the one time two days ago.”
Ochaco sighed and leaned her chin on her palm, staring at him over her sweet treat. “Yeah, because Bakugo seems like the type not to take that personally. He didn’t amass a small army just to get a chance of kissing you or anything.”
“Oh my God, this is terrible.” Crumbling onto his arms on the table, he pressed his forehead to his own drink and closed his eyes. “I’m the worst person ever. There’s the chance that the biggest streamer in the country wants to talk to me, and I’m leaving him on read like a bad date from Tinder.”
“Midoriya, you’re not a bad person. You’re just a little terrible when it comes to people flirting with you. Especially one that looks like that.”
Her little sigh made Izuku glance up from his spot on the table, blinking. “You think he’s hot?”
“It’s annoying to admit with his cocky personality, but I can see why you have a crush on him. He’s got that hot jerk appeal.” She laughed when he flushed and buried his face back into his forearms. “But if your adoration of him is sad, then his for you is just pathetic. Like, he’s obviously smitten, nerdy hobbies and all. I don’t think I’ve seen a guy so interested in you.”
“Ochaco, it doesn’t make sense.” Knowing she would refute his claim, he pushed forward before she could soothe his anxiety. “I’m some random data analyst who still wears superhero underwear. Every Friday, while other people our age are out partying or finding love, I’m calling my mom so she can tell me about her new banana bread recipe. The most fun I’ve had in the past six months has been making macaroni bracelets with Eri. What about all of that would make someone like Kacchan want to… kiss me?”
“You’re selling yourself so short, it makes me want to punch your self-esteem with love!” She seemed to settle for hitting his arm, rolling her eyes when he jerked up from his slumped position and rubbed the spot. “Your bicep is as big as my head, stop pretending it hurt.”
“I think those kickboxing classes are working too well,” he muttered, but she didn’t let him distract her.
Reaching forward, she cupped her hands on his cheeks, squishing his face while forcing eye contact. “Izuku Midoryia, I need you to listen to me, and listen to me very carefully.”
“‘Kay.” He couldn’t form the ‘O’ for the word, barely able to nod in her palms.
“I know you’re thinking of every reason why someone like Dynamight wouldn’t want to follow through with his bet, because that’s how your mind reacts to romantic potential.” Despite her blunt words, Ochaco’s eyes softened, genuine care shining in the gaze. “But you’re not asking yourself the right question, here. I already told you I understand why people are so excited about this situation. Dynamight’s a great streamer, and most people would kill to be you right now. If he’s the person you plan to settle this bet with, then we can make a kickass plan to steal all his followers during the stream. It’ll be a fun vacation, and you’ll come back here without any lasting effects on your life. Except, I know you, and I think I get why this is making you so nervous.”
“That’s…” He swallowed at her serious tone, hesitation dragging out his reply. “Ochaco, I—.”
She didn’t let him flounder for long. “So I have to ask… do you want to kiss Dynamight, or Bakugo?”
When she dropped her hand from his chin, he rocked back in his seat, hands grabbing the edge of his table to try and calibrate himself from his spiraling thoughts. Though he had admitted to himself how much he wanted to get to know Katsuki, saying it out loud felt too vulnerable. Aiming just for Dynamight’s attention was surface level. If Katsuki didn’t like him once they met in person, then only focusing on his streamer persona could ease some of the rejection. If he put himself out there for the man he caught glimpses of in their conversations and private account, the cut would be so much deeper. But so wouldn’t the reward if Katsuki felt the same desire.
“I wanna kiss Kacchan,” he answered, offering his weak smile when she giggled and clapped her hands together.
“Then we’ve got to show him that! But first, you need to stop ignoring him and start planning your trip to get your man.”
He whined at her reply. “Don’t call him that.”
“Do you prefer boyfriend? I think fiancee’s a little pretentious, but you did plan a whole wedding—”
“Ochaco!”
Her words lingered in his mind on the walk back to his apartment after they parted ways. He wasn’t sure how to respond to Katsuki after days of silence, but he knew it had to be that night. The last thing he wanted to do was have him (or the fans) lose interest, removing the need to complete the bet. But how could he get his attention and show he still wanted to meet up without making it weird?
Izuku sighed on the walk up the stairs, pulling out his buzzing phone while opening his front door. Kaminari’s pleading for him to come onto his stream, despite only being Saturday, was tempting. He didn’t have plans for the night, and being alone with his thoughts could ruin all of Ochaco’s hard work. Having his energetic friend and his lovely chat felt like a good distraction
Maybe not just as a distraction. He thought, eyes widening with his new idea.
It was risky, and it had a high probability of total embarrassment if the message wasn’t received by Katsuki. Still, thinking over what he admitted to Ochaco, he knew he had to try. During the bet, Katsuki dealt with the Bakusquad’s antics for months. He didn’t yell at his chat for spamming Izuku’s screenname, and never downplayed his investment in the follower goal. Several of their friends brought up how many times Katsuki promoted his Twitter, even more than his own.
So he needed to do something to reciprocate, and Kaminari’s offer gave him the perfect opportunity.
“Are you excited for Red Riot’s trip?” He asked an hour into the stream, trying to keep his breathing steady when starting his plan.
Kaminari brightened just at the mention of his not-so-secret crush, nodding hard enough to shift his headphone. “Yeah, I’m pumped! He’s flying on the third, which is a little over two weeks away. And I get him for a whole week! I kind of wish I had a time machine to make it go faster. But I don’t think the extra people in our stream are here to talk about that meet-up.”
“I think they’re here for lots of things,” he replied, knowing more fans were shippers of Kirishima and Kaminari than his friend thought. Still, the increased number of viewers wasn’t lost on him, the hefty thirty thousand making him a little nervous to continue his thought. “How… do you think they’d feel if I came as well? Maybe on the eight?”
Though they’d talked about it in theory, Izuku had never confirmed to Kaminari or anyone else that he’d put in the request for time off from work. He’d accumulated a month of vacation, but he promised he’d bring his laptop in case of any emergency.
“Wait, really?!” Kaminari’s excitement had him vibrating in his chair, looking between Izuku and the chat. “Did you hear that, everyone? We’re gonna have a Deku sandwich in North Carolina!”
“What does that mean?”
“Don’t worry about it.” The quick shutdown, paired with the blushing emojis and exclamations in the chat, made him aware of the obvious lie. “This is the best stream ever! I’ve missed seeing your cute freckles in person. Oh, wait, are you going to follow through with the whole plan? Like, going back to Cali with us to meet your hubby Kacchan for true love’s kiss?”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that,” he said, sure his face planned to burn off with his embarrassment. “And I’m still trying to figure out the money situation. I need to look at California hotels and flights for all the trips, so nothing’s set in stone—”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. You’re gonna be staying with me in North Carolina. From what I’ve seen on video calls, Dynamight and Kiri’s house is the size of a hotel. And I’ll buy your airfare.”
The offer from Kaminari was so unexpected, Izuku stammered over his rejection. “N-no, I can’t let you do that! None of you have to host me; I don’t want to be in the way. I have money, I just need to look at some bills and check my credit card. And you’re not my boyfriend, so that’d be taking advantage of your hospitality.”
“Taking advantage is milking your cute face for views by having you come on my stream every week. And I’m going to say what ninety percent of my chat is thinking.” Without any shame, Kaminari clasped his hand over his heart like a lovestruck teen. “ Please take advantage of me, Zuku. Anyway you want is fine with me. Just don’t do it on stream, cause I don’t want a ban.”
“They’re gonna clip that out of context!” Izuku protested after his squeak, knowing the flirting was all for show. He wasn’t Kaminari’s type, and only platonic love filled their friendship over the years. But like smelling a drop of blood in the water, the sharks of the chat were going crazy over the flirty banter.
And his friend was too good at picking up on his chat’s needs to give up the bit. “Okay, but think about it. I could give Bakugo a run for his money! I’m blond, too, and can be the perfect sugar daddy for you. Sure, I can’t cook like Dynamight, but that just means we get to go on more dinner dates!”
“There’s nothing wrong with a date at home,” he replied, biting his lower lip before he shrugged. “Actually, having someone home-cook a meal for me sounds kind of romantic.”
“Yeah, but he’d make you something boring like a salad. Without dressing or cheese!”
“I don’t think salads are considered cooking.”
“It’s California, they’re strange over there. They don’t let people wear cowboy boots unless they own two cows. So say goodbye to any cute country sundresses at your wedding. Actually, let’s cancel our trip, and we’ll cuddle in North Carolina instead. And it’s probably better if we just got married instead. Maybe Bakugo can be a ring bearer or something.”
Izuku laughed at Kaminari’s ridiculous offer, thankful his friend had been so receptive to his leap of faith. Before he could defend a state he’d never been in, the ping in his ear proved that someone had entered their Discord call. He felt his breath catch at the name he’d been hoping to see flash over his screen when the gruff voice crashed into the conversation.
“Sparky, you can fuck right off with your bullshit.”
“Kacchan!” He chirped out, unsure if his tone was excited or nervous. Hopefully, his camera wouldn’t expose his fond smile.
Kaminari stiffened on his screen, though waved to the newcomer with a grin. “Hey, Dynamight! What a totally random appearance that has nothing to do with Deku and I's marriage, right?”
“Stop trying to convince him not to come here, you waste of space. You can stay wherever the fuck you want, but Deku’s vacation is already paid for.”
“It’s what?” A vibration from his phone made him tap the screen, mouth dropping open at the emails sitting on his notification bar. “Kacchan, why do I have two emails from United Airlines?”
“What, did you think I was gonna let you or Pikachu buy your tickets? Dream on, Nerd. If I let him do it, you’ll end up in Iceland instead of North Carolina. And I know you’d buy the shittiest seats for that six hour flight to California. Probably from some shady airline, too. It’s pretty clear you two are hopeless, so shut up and let me handle it.”
“There were way too many insults for such a nice gesture,” Kaminari said, though Izuku was more focused on keeping his eyes dry. The last thing he needed to do was cry on a livestream in front of Katsuki.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” he murmured, pressing his phone to his chest. “I’m… really excited to meet you.”
There was a pause on the call, and he wished Katsuki had turned on his camera so he could see his reaction. Where he expected a scoff or a brag, there was only silence, and the lower tone lacked its normal snarkiness. “Then don’t miss your flight, Deku.”
And even when Katsuki ended his side of the call without a goodbye, Izuku could only smile.
~**~
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into Charlotte. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and…”
Izuku tried to relax against the seat of his flight when he heard the pilot’s muffled announcement. It wasn’t the longest trip he’d ever taken, and his excitement over being reunited with his friend from college helped combat some of his nerves. North Carolina was beautiful, Charlotte’s buildings already lit up to combat with the evening’s lowering sunset. It was surrounded by trees he knew looked lovely in the fall, though hid their barren limbs in the growing darkness. He was grateful Katsuki had bought him a window seat (though the first class was a little extreme), and he had used the scenery to help ignore his ear discomfort when they took off. The lack of sleep the night before and running around all day before the flight had been a blessing in disguise. Too tired to let his anxiety take over, he curled into the chair and passed out.
When the wheels stopped on the runway, the forgotten panic stiffened his limbs while getting off the plane. Kaminari wasn’t intimidating, but he wasn’t alone. Izuku wanted to make a good impression on Kirishima, knowing how close he was to Katsuki. Beyond the fact that he lived with the other streamer, lots of Katsuki’s pictures on his private Twitter were with Kirishima. It was like a soft launch to feeling out how someone in his personal life would feel with Izuku stepping in beyond the screen. He didn’t know himself what he (nevermind Katsuki) wanted after their bet, but understanding his options were important. If Kirishima didn’t think he fit in their world, it felt like a door would be shut before he even got to peek his head inside.
“Where is he?”
Sighing, Izuku pulled his luggage behind him while he looked around the airport, unsure where Kaminari was located. He had sent his gate number when he landed, and his friend had only sent a thumbs up in response. The weight of his backpack sat low on his spine, making him huff before hiking it higher and wonder why he agreed to bring his work laptop. From all the things Kaminari sent over for their ‘vacation bucket list’, he doubted he’d have time to turn it on. He knew some of the activities in North Carolina would make him a third wheel for the duo who acted more like a couple than married pairs, but he didn’t mind. Seeing Kaminari finally get his time with his long-time crush was worth the momentary loneliness.
“He’s probably in the gift shop or something,” he mumbled to himself, moving to switch out of their texts to give Kaminari a call.
Before he could get to his contacts, a familiar voice rolled down his spine. “Yo.”
He jerked his head up from his phone, nearly falling over his suitcase when he caught red eyes watching him. The evening glow had cast an orange hue over blond hair, making it look almost golden. A black sweatshirt hung loose over a strong frame, but the dark joggers mimicked skin in their tightness against the man’s thighs. Spotless white sneakers matched the mask over the bottom half of his face, though Izuku didn’t need to see it to know who was staring him down.
If none of that gave it away, the ‘Deku’ sign held between beautiful hands would make one name fall from his lips. “Kacchan?”
“Obviously.” Despite having one of the best microphones money could buy, Kastuki’s voice dipped a smidge lower than his videos. “You look like you just woke up, Nerd.”
The comment about his appearance made his face flush. He hadn’t put any thought into what he wore, since Kaminari had seen him hungover and during finals plenty of times throughout college. With no product in his hair, the comfiest clothes in his wardrobe, and a probably crease line over his cheek from how he slept, he couldn’t have made a worse arrival. Katsuki looked like he was modeling a high-end athletic line, and Izuku could pass as a homeless person. The urge to throw himself out of the nearest airport window surged into his mind, but he fought back his ridiculous impulse.
Instead, he tried to search Katsuki’s uncovered face for an explanation. “What are you doing here?”
“Shitty Hair hates planes, so he begged me to come with him. I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t!” With his shock fading away, his excitement swelled, stepping closer while tapping his cheek. “Uh, but I’m confused why you’re wearing the mask. Are you sick? Because you shouldn’t be driving if you are. Or flying! What if introducing yourself to a new environment compromises your immune system? We should call Kaminari and see if he has medicine, unless you’ve already taken some—”
“Oi!” A sharp pinch to his cheek made Izuku yelp, but the grip didn't let go when he peered up at Katsuki’s glare. “I ain’t sick, idiot. People don’t know I’m here, and I wanna keep it that way at least for one more night.”
“So that’s why you haven’t been streaming?” He had wondered why Dynamight had gone silent on his Twitch, and his fans were ready to fly to California to check in on him. Izuku had messaged him with the excuse about the trip, thankful to get speedy responses. But he had no idea about the secret plan he and their friends had been working on.
“Obviously.” Then, Katsuki leaned down and grabbed his luggage, ignoring Izuku’s protest when walking away. “Let's go.”
“You don’t have to carry those!”
His pleas were ignored while he chased after Katsuki, who pretended not to hear him through the exiting of the airport. Though the mask stayed on his face, Izuku could tell that Katsuki’s attractiveness had caught a few eyes of people when they walked by. He even thought he saw a girl take a picture of them, and he wondered how Katsuki had hidden his location for the days before. Even when Kaminari and Kirishima did their sponsored streams, there had been no tell that they had a third guest at the house. Had Katsuki kept himself locked away to keep the surprise from being exposed? The thought over the selflessness made his protests fade away, cheeks warming above his growing smile.
When they escaped to the parking lot, Katsuki yanked out a pair of keys, clicking the button until a chirp came from a flashy yellow car. “Woah! That’s your car?”
“Yeah right, like I’d ever have such an obnoxious color.” Even as he complained, Katsuki moved to the rear passenger side, shoving the suitcases in before hip checking it shut. Then he opened the passenger door, stepping back to leave a space for someone to slip in. “Get in, Nerd.”
“Thank you.” He bowed at the polite offer before he rushed inside, sliding his backpack onto the floor between his shaking knees. It wasn’t until his door was shut that his anxiety shot through the roof. Though they had more interactions since their first group stream, they had never spoken alone. What was he supposed to talk about? His racing mind didn’t help, wanting to get somewhere the other wouldn’t have to wear his mask. He wanted to deny the truth behind his desire to see Katsuki’s mouth in person, knowing the bet attached to it. The thought made him feel like a fanboy, and he nearly jumped out of his seat when Katsuki dropped into the driver’s side to start the car.
“You really are terrified of your own shadow.” Finally, Katsuki’s mask was ripped off, tossed in the back seat.
When the car pulled out of the parking lot, Izuku gave a meek shrug. “I think I’m just more aware of my fight or flight response than most people. You know, evolution believes we had these reactions to keep us safe—”
“Did you really almost punch a guy at a haunted house because he scared you?”
“Kaminari told you about that?!” He squeaked out, wanting to melt into the seat when the other snorted.
“Trust me, that’s not the only thing he said.” Katsuki smirked, looking both ways before pulling onto another road with ease. “Dunce Face’s been blabbing about you since you started streaming with him, and I’ve got a good memory. Stories about you just stick in my brain.”
Blushing over the answer, Izuku sucked in a breath and aimed for a joking response. “When you say it like that, you sound like a Deku fan.”
“Hm.” When the car stopped at a red light, Katsuki glanced at him from the corner of his eye, like the suggestion was a challenge. “Got a problem with that?”
“No, not at all.” He couldn’t help the urge to lean a bit against the middle console, eyes focused on the face slowly turning toward his own while he spoke. “I mean, you’ve been my favorite streamer for a while, so…”
“Cause I know more than you about All Might comics?”
From how Katsuki smirked after his tease, Izuku knew it was meant to rile him up, but he couldn’t help his huff of annoyance. “That’s not true! Take that back, Kacchan.”
“Or what?” The glow of the streetlights rolled over the smooth cheek when Katsuki leaned closer, arm brushing against his on the console. “What are you gonna do if I don’t, Freckles?”
The growing tension in the car didn’t bloom with anger, but something intimate. His eyes scanned Katsuki’s face before betraying him when lowering to take in the curve of his mouth. He swallowed without thought, then ran his tongue along his lower lip, thighs tensing when red eyes snapped down to watch the motion. For a moment, time felt frozen, unwilling to move until one of them crossed the imaginary line.
Both jumped away when a blaring horn came from behind the car, Katsuki swearing while Izuku noticed the green light hanging above them.
“Kacchan, the light—”
“I fucking see it,” he grumbled like a child told he couldn’t have dessert, jerking the car into motion again.
With his heartbeat racing from the heightened tension, Izuku tried to steady his breath while staring out the car window. But the time he calmed down, they pulled into a driveway, Katsuki yanking the keys out before getting out of the car. He fumbled out of his seatbelt and followed suit, realizing his luggage had already been confiscated from the backseat. Katsuki trudged up the walkway to the front of the house, though he barely touched the first step before the door opened.
“Zuku!” Kaminari shoved past Katsuki to jump over the front porch stairs, diving into his chest to hug him too tightly. “I’ve missed you!”
“Me too,” he replied, hoping his own excitement flooded his voice. “Sorry it’s been so long.”
“That’s okay. I know you’re off having an adult job and leaving me alone with these losers.”
“Who are you calling a loser, Pikachu?”
Izuku lifted his face from Kaminari’s shoulder, shaking his head. “Kacchan, be nice.”
“I don’t know if that’s in Bakubro’s vocabulary.” Kirishima appeared from the house, waving while he sauntered down the stairs. Kaminari moved to Izuku’s side, letting the two shake hands while the taller one beamed. “It’s nice to finally meet the dude who's got my best friend losing his mind.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Katsuki growled out before storming into the house with his bags.
Kaminari rushed to let him go, chasing after the man who disappeared. “Wait, get back here! You still have the keys to my baby.”
“Oh, so that’s who had the flashy car,” he mumbled, putting together the clues from earlier.
Kirishima laughed and wrapped an arm around Izuku’s shoulders, leading him up the stairs. “Don’t tell him I told you, but Bakugo made a deal with Kami to be the one to pick you up. He’s been a little hermit since he got to North Carolina, refusing to leave the house. So Kami made him promise that if he lent the car, Bakugo would pay for dinner, Kami’s choice.”
“Really? Why would he do that?”
“Because he really wanted to be the first person you saw. He’s been pretty nervous all day.”
The sweet thought made Izuku’s heart squeeze, leaning into Kirishima’s warm side when he lowered his voice. “I’m pretty nervous, too. He’s… even more amazing in person.”
“Yeah, my bro’s a catch. But you’re perfect for him, so don’t be nervous.” The pep talk was followed with a firm pat on his back when they entered the house, Kirishima raising his voice. “Yo, you two ready for food? I’m so hungry, I’m about to eat Midobro in the front hall.”
“Keep your shark teeth away from him.” Katsuki appeared at the top of the stairs. “I had to toss Deku’s shit in the room, and your stupid boy-toy wanted to change his shirt before we go. Eat him instead; nobody would miss him.”
“You know, for someone living in my house for a week, you’re not being a very friendly guest.” Kaminari popped out behind Katsuki, jogging past his slower decent on the stairs to reach the two at the bottom. He grabbed Izuku’s hand with a flashy smile, tugging him toward the door. “Alright, let’s show you the best diner in all of North Carolina!”
“Uh, sure?” He glanced over his shoulder to catch Katsuki’s gaze already watching him, hoping his smile urged him to follow before Kaminari yanked him through the front door.
To Kaminari’s credit, the food was amazing. Everything was cooked to perfection, strong flavors and perfect balances of breading and meat over each of the dishes. Kirishima looked elated with the greasy food Kaminari offered, though Katsuki made sure to lecture them about clogging their arteries while munching on a french fry. Between mozzarella sticks and milkshakes, Kirishima asked questions about his life in New York that they couldn’t share on stream, his genuine interest tinting his ears pink in modesty.
The checkered booth they sat in was small, meaning he couldn’t avoid bumping into Katsuki throughout the night. Whether it was from his excitement over the conversation, or trying to cut into his food, their elbows and shoulders kept finding each other. Kaminari snickered each time it happened, like he expected the struggle. On the other side of the table, Kirishima had thrown his arm along the back of the booth, giving him and Kaminari more room. The thought of having the arm currently bumping into his side moving to rest around him made his face heat, Izuku quick to stuff another bite of fried chicken into his mouth
“When’s the last time you ate, a week ago?” Katsuki asked, poking his stuffed cheek with his fork. “It’s a little too late to stock up for hibernation; it’s already January.”
“The food’s just really good,” he replied, glancing down to Katsuki’s plate. “And you’re just regretting getting the boring fish.”
“Who the fuck said that?”
“Well, you’re more focused on my food than yours—”
“Because you’re trying to break my ribs with your bone daggers.” As if to prove his point, Katsuki leaned over him, reaching around to snag his opposite elbow and squeezing it.
Laughing at the new sensation, Izuku tried to shake off the touch, his weight shift making him fall against the firm chest beside him. “Stop, that tickles!”
“Who has ticklish elbows? You’re so weird.”
“And Kacchan’s a bully.”
“I'll fucking show you a bully, Deku .” Another squeeze and a firm brush of Katsuki’s thumb made goosebumps spread over his skin. Trying to hide his next burst of laughter, he turned his face into the crook of Katsuki’s neck, mouth and nose buried into his sweatshirt. A strong wave of cinnamon and sandalwood blended into the warmth burning his side, Izuku almost melting into the mixed sensation of comfort. He glanced up from his new position, surprised to find a heavy stare already focused on him. Their proximity brushed the tips of their noses, and his thoughts drifted into a pink haze of affection.
But a fake cough cleared his mind in seconds, Kaminari’s voice too sneaky for his own good. “If this is how you are after two hours, your wedding night is gonna be scandalous .”
“Kaminari!” Izuku turned to scold his friend for the inappropriate comment, his quick movement making the two across the table lean back to feign innocence.
But the unexpected movements caused Kirishima to knock over his soda, everyone shouting at the liquid spilling over the table. “Whoops! Sorry, guys.”
“You’re both stupid.” Katsuki glared at his friends, leaning away from Izuku to help toss napkins onto the growing mess. While Kaminari laughed over Kirishima’s repeated apology, Izuku flopped back in the booth, hands pressed against his inner thighs to hide their tremble. After the clean up, the space from before their moment returned, though he caught Katsuki glancing at him a few times between the casual conversation.
Once dinner was done, the group went back to the house to change into comfortable clothes. Realizing there was an extra body in the house, Izuku offered to get a hotel room, though Kaminari quickly shut it down. Jokes about them snuggling together that night made Katsuki punch Kaminari’s arm before pushing him at Kirishima, who only sent a sheepish smile toward his seething friend. After everyone showered and slipped into their night clothes, they camped out in the living room, the three streamers picking compilations made by their fans of their ‘best moments’. Hearing some of the backstories to the clips made him laugh or gasp in shock, seeing the videos in a different light. Kirishima and Kaminari did their best to embarrass Katsuki, causing several death threats and pillows thrown across the room.
When one of the videos finished, Izuku massaged his cheeks from laughing. “These are amazing. You guys look like you’re having so much fun.”
“It doesn’t pay as good as some jobs, but it’s still the best,” Kanimari said, head resting on Kirishima’s lap. He looked happy as a kitten, almost purring when Kirishima mindlessly threaded busy fingers through the blond hair.
Kirishima smiled with fondness when he spoke. “Nothing’s better than getting to spend your week hanging out with your bros. The Bakusquad is one of the best things in my life, so I’d never change my job. I know you enjoy what you’re doing, but if you ever wanna switch it up, we’d love to have you on more streams!”
“Thank you for the invite, but that might not be a good idea.”
“Come on, don’t be such a wet blanket.” Kaminari groaned during the complaint, smacking his forehead with his palm. “Everyone loves you on my streams, and now people are dying for Deku and Dynamight content. And there’s that whole ‘stream your kiss’ thing…it just makes sense to use it to jumpstart your streaming career.”
“I’m not sure if I’m gonna do that.” He didn’t clarify if he meant the continued streams or his bet. Taking a quick breath, he glanced over to look for Katsuki’s reaction. Their eyes met for a moment before the other looked away with a scoff, making Izuku bite his lip. He didn’t know him well enough yet to determine if the behavior was embarrassment, discomfort, or something in-between.
“Kami’s right, the bet would be a good way to get you going. But I totally get you not wanting to. Whatever makes you comfortable, Midobro!”
Knowing Kirishima was trying to be understanding under his obvious excitement, he gave a weak nod. “I’ll think about it.”
“Sweet! Kiri, let's show him that time Hanta accidentally shared his porn history…”
He wasn’t sure if the nap on the plane had affected his schedule, but Izuku found himself unable to find sleep with the same ease as Kaminari and Kirishima. They had all transitioned from the couches to the floor, throwing pillows and blankets around to keep everyone comfortable. The cute image of the two snuggled on the floor became an image in his phone, knowing his friend would want it when he woke up. Kirishima’s arm hung casually around Kaminari’s waist, like they’d slept beside each other for years. He was dying to get Kaminari alone to ask if he had made any real progress with Kirishima, but his own heart had distracted him since the plane touched down.
“Here.” He jumped when a water bottle was shoved in his face, looking up at Katsuki’s scowl before offering his own weak smile.
“Oh, thanks.” The drink chilled his throat when he sipped it down, and he kept both hands wrapped around the plastic when Katsuki sat next to him, arms brushing each other from the proximity.
“Dunce Face snores like a lawn mower.” Katsuki’s quiet mumble made him hide his laugh behind the lip of his bottle, not wanting to wake up their friends across the room.
“He used to fall asleep in class sometimes, and the teacher would have to stop his lecture because of how loud he was. I don’t know how he passed.”
“Probably your nerdy ass. You ain’t the type to let your extras fail.”
The comment wasn’t phrased like a compliment, but Izuku still flushed when pressing his toes together against the blanket they sat on. “Well, Kaminari was a really good friend during college. Without him, I don’t know if I would have made any connections. He always brought me to parties he was invited to, and introduced me to his social group so I wouldn’t be lonely.”
“Yeah, he’s a people magnet.” Katsuki’s shoulders unwound in the quiet, and Izuku felt his body lean into his side from the warm aura. “Without Sparky, I wouldn’t be stuck with these fucking idiots.”
“You do love them, though.” The sharp snort didn’t sway him from his conviction. “I can’t imagine you’d let them get away with all their high jinks if you didn’t.”
“Love’s a very optimistic perspective. I’d say I tolerate them from a distance.”
“Kirishima lives with you.”
“He’s the least annoying and he pays rent.”
“Yeah? How much?” When Katsuki huffed and glared at him, Izuku knew he’d gotten the upper hand. “Average prices for rent in California is over two thousand dollars. I don’t think you’re charging him that.”
“Course you’d know such useless information.” He squirmed when two fingers poked his forehead, Katsuki’s other arm laying on the cushion Izuku leaned against. The shift of their position meant he was almost surrounded by the heat that seemed constant from Katsuki’s body. “For someone that likes numbers so much, you really shouldn’t have taken Pikachu’s bet.”
“Well, there were variables that weren’t provided to me at the beginning.” Like the nerd he was, he let his mouth ramble with his fluttering nerves. “It wouldn’t have been a risk if I had been given every condition from the start. If you look at our original deal, and my projected numbers before he added stipulations, my analysis would have been correct. And I want to point out I had been drinking, which means my cognitive abilities were—”
“So you only agreed to kiss me cause you were drunk?”
“No!” He flinched at his raised voice, glancing over his shoulder to look at their sleeping friends. When the only response was Kirishima tugging Kaminari close enough to curl around his back, he dropped a relieved sigh and turned back to the scrunched nose and narrowed eyes watching him. “Kacchan, please don’t think I agreed to this without knowing what would happen if you won. I never want you to think I don’t… th-that I’m not an active participant in this. Kissing you isn’t a burden at all. I really w-want to.”
“Then why the fuck do you always looked so bothered whenever someone mentions it?” Katsuki asked, Izuku stunned at the slight wince before their eye-contact broke. Though Katsuki didn’t pull back, his shoulder curled forward, as if preparing for a hit. “If you only agreed cause kissing Dynamight on stream would help your Twitch shit, just fucking say that.”
“Twitch? Why would I care about that? To be honest, I don’t wanna kiss Dynamight at all, especially on stream.”
“Hah? You just said you did.”
“I said I wanted to kiss Kacchan.”
“What the fucking difference?!”
Izuku didn’t answer right away, pulling his legs up to bury his face in his knees. The truth, though he’d settled with his thought weeks ago, was still a struggle to mumble out. “It’s hard to explain. You’re gonna think I’m weird.”
“I already think that, nerd.” When he only curled tighter on himself, he felt a sigh brush warm air along his ear. “Tell me or I’m just gonna fuck back off to California. I’m not here to make people uncomfortable.”
“Please don’t do that,” Izuku replied, turning his face to rest his cheek on one knee when looking up. Katsuki was leaning close, unwilling to get go of a conversation that both knew was long overdue. Even with his irritation, Katsuki didn’t box him in against the front of the couch, giving him a physical escape if he wanted it. Despite how obvious it was he wanted an answer, Katsuki wasn’t going to force him against his will. The thought soothed him enough to relax, his mouth itching to break the final thread of tension between them. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”
“Fucking finally.” Even with his crass reply, Izuku could see a flicker of relief in the glow of the paused television. “Spill.”
“I really didn’t think this would even happen when I made the deal.” He raised his hand when Katsuki opened his mouth, pressing it to his chest to keep the other from cutting in. “Not because of your ability! But, think about it from my side. Why would you want to kiss me? You’re Dynamight, this big shot streamer, and my biggest claim to fame was being Chargebolt’s friend. When you said you’d do it, my first thought was that you never back down from a bet. You were stuck in this terrible situation, so I didn’t want to promote it and make you more uncomfortable if you were only agreeing to it for your followers.”
“That’s dumb. I don’t do things I don’t want, everyone knows that.”
“Which is why I don’t feel that way as much anymore. I mean, it’s still there, but it’s less now that… when you started talking to Eri, the girl I babysit? It was the first time I got to see you outside of your Dynamight persona. Then we started talking with our friends, and you were really nice. Still super cool, but more real.” He didn’t mean to sound so fond, but the tone flowed out naturally with his accidental crush on the man silently watching him. “Then Jirou let me look at your private Twitter— please don’t get upset at her for that!”
“For you being a stalker?” The harsh insult didn’t feel so embarrassing with Katsuki’s smirk around it. “If I knew you’d actually respond to that one, I would have friend requested you on it the first week.”
Blushing over his previous avoidance, he shook his head. “I wasn’t ignoring Dynamight, it was just a lot! You’ve got ten million followers, which is kind of intimidating to message.”
“Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.” Katsuki’s arm shifted off the couch, fingers brushing the top of Izuku’s opposite arm with a softness that made him shiver. “So what, you bribe Ears or something?”
“Not really? I mean, she offered. I think she realized I wanted to see who you were outside of Dynamight. Mainly, if we were as compatible as I felt we were during the wedding stream.”
“And did your nerdy snooping find what you were looking for?”
“Yeah, I did.” His smile felt wobbly from his surge of affection, letting one hand curl in the edge of Katsuki’s sweatshirt pocket to ground him. “It made me realize I don’t wanna kiss Dynamight on a stream with people I don’t know watching. If that’s our first kiss, that would just be because of a bet Dynamight promised his followers. It’d be a show that people would forget about in a few weeks. I don’t want that.”
“Who says its gotta be our first?” The blunt question made his eyes widen, jerking his head up to watch Katsuki’s eyes roll. “Do you think I flew across the country and watched those two trainwrecks fumble around each other like two horny virgins for a bet ? You’re dumber than I thought.”
“You said it was because Kirishima doesn’t like flying alone.” From the dry look he received, Izuku switched to a new thought. “Then why are you here?”
“Because you wouldn’t talk to me alone, and I wasn’t gonna have our first interaction be right before we kissed.” Once again, Katsuki proved how sweet he was under all his burliness. “As soon as you’re in California, we’re gonna be trending and followed by a bunch of parasocial idiots. Coming here just gives us time to see if we’re… I don’t know, something more.”
“You mean outside of the bet?”
“Deku,” He growled, throwing his head back to bump against the couch in his irritation. “I don’t care about that shit if you don’t wanna do it. The extras can cry about it on Twitter. None of them matter. Just what me and you want.”
Nodding with the clarification, Izuku scooted closer. He built up a spike of bravery when he slid his hand from Katsuki’s chest to cup the back of his neck, guiding his head back up to find his wary gaze. “Sorry, I’m just trying to process all of this. My head keeps telling all the reasons I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Things like I live in New York, we’ve only known each other for a day… plus I’m a nobody. Why would you ever want to date me?”
“None of that’s true.” Looking ready for the fight, Katsuki tugged his cheek while he spoke. “You said on Pikachu’s stream you can do your job anywhere. And we’ve been talking through the squirt and the group streams for half a year. Nobody’s don’t have a hundred thousand followers, and don’t trend monthly on Twitter.”
The way he spoke sounded like he’d thought over the barriers, making Izuku’s eyes start to water. “K-Kacchan…”
“All of that shit can be fixed if you talked to me.” Then Kasuki frowned, letting go of his face.“But I obviously got the wrong fucking idea.”
“You didn’t!” Wanting the contact again, he reached out and grabbed the retreating hand, turning fully to face him. “Kacchan, you’re amazing. Like, I get really nervous just seeing you interact with me on Twitter cause you’re really pretty and cool. And smart. Like, I’ve seen your chess games with Kirishima and it's insane how smart you are.”
“You’re rambling,” Katsuki said, though he didn’t stop.
“You care so much about Eri, and I can’t get over how adorable you are bickering with your mom. I can see how your friends trust you, even if call them extras, and everyone is just better knowing you—”
“Alright, nerd, I’m going to save you from any more embarrassment.”
The firm press of a mouth against his made Izuku tense, though a swipe of a warm tongue against his bottom lip left him eager to respond. His hand slid up to grab the wisps of hair peppering Katsuki’s nape, his other fingers slipping between bigger ones to tighten their grasp. He leaned into the broader chest, squeaking into the connection when Katsuki’s free hand yanked him onto sturdy thighs.
Blankets tangled over their feet from their eagerness to get closer, a growl vibrating his mouth before a hard kick beneath him nearly knocked him off. The neediness of the movement made him laugh into the kiss, earning a sharp nip that barely stung. A hot hand found the space between his sleep pants and oversized shirt, though it didn’t try to slide any higher up. Despite staying innocent, Izuku huffed out a soft moan, wishing he hadn’t avoided being alone with the skilled man coaxing his mouth into a deeper kiss. Heat burst through every inch of their contact, mouths only breaking apart to catch a wisp of air before sealing together again. For a moment, he regretted not getting a hotel room.
Before the thought could linger, a loud snore broke the two apart, Katsuki scowling with bruised lips over Izuku’s shoulder. “That fucking—”
“K-Kacchan, be nice.” He leaned down to muffle his laugher into the sweatshirt that still smelt as wonderful as it had at the diner. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“Don’t underestimate an idiot.” Built arms wrapped around him, snugging him closer to the body before Katsuki shifted them both onto the blanket mess beneath them. Before their heads could hit the floor, a pillow was yanked underneath, softening their decent into something comfortable. They squirmed a bit to move limbs into smoother positions, and he felt the moment crash into his chest when chapped lips skimmed his hairline.
“I can’t believe this,” he whispered, hands bunching into the fabric over Katsuki’s chest. “Normal people don’t make-out with Twitch stars like Dynamight.”
“Good thing that’s not who’s here right now, right?” A kiss too sweet for Katsuki’s media persona dropped on the tip of Izuku’s nose, feeling the smirk growing against his skin. “And who the fuck is normal here? You’re famous, Deku.”
“I am not,” he replied, cheeks heated under his murmur.
Katsuki’s voice held too much mischief. “Wanna bet?”
And burying his flushed face into the welcoming embrace, Izuku could only smile.