Once Again From Better Days

The conversation about crushes is still ringing in his head when Izuku rejoins him. It's then that Katsuki realizes there is hardly a moment during the school day when they're not together, and that makes his situation, well, a little dire. Since his revelation, Katsuki feels like his heartbeats are magnified tenfold when Izuku is anywhere in his vicinity. By the end of the day, he feels like his brain is about to explode, and he has to do something to alleviate the pressure before any actual combustion occurs.

They usually walk home together after school, but Katsuki tells Izuku to go first, giving some crappy excuse about leaving a textbook in the classroom. Izuku knows he didn't, and he gives Katsuki a look like he's about to tell him so, but ultimately he decides to walk away. It hurts to watch him leave, but Katsuki thinks it's for the best. He needs time to clear his head or come up with something before he makes a complete fool of himself. 

It's just one day. Izuku will be fine by himself for one day. But one day turns into three and then three turns into a week. 

Katsuki tells himself he's not avoiding Izuku—he's giving his friend space, that's all, and it's just for a little while. Just until he figures out how to make eye contact without his face flushing. They still walk to school together, but Katsuki is quieter and he finds excuses to spend more time with the other people in their class. Every time Izuku turns a brilliant shade of desk when a girl greets him, Katsuki has to struggle not to blow up his desk, and it's getting harder.

He sits through a nearly silent lunch with Izuku. It's easier to deal with his stupid crush(ing feelings) in the absence of conversation. He can almost pretend Izuku isn't there and just focus on his food. But of course, the peace is only temporary.

"Kacchan, did you hear about the new superhero movie? It's about a kid vigilante who has a speed quirk and a sword. Would you go see it? With me, I mean." Izuku looks down. "You seem kind of…busy lately, so it's fine if you don't…"

The way Izuku's voice trails off makes Katsuki's c.h.e.s.t hurt. "Of course, dumbass, I'll go with you," he says, and it takes everything he has to keep his voice in a semi-neutral tone.

If he didn't know better, he'd say Izuku just asked him out on a date. But that would be ridiculous. Nevermind the fact that they'd gone and seen movies together before. This is nothing different and should just be considered normal. Even after telling himself that, Katuski finds his c.h.e.s.t swelling with warmth and his heart pounding faster than ever.

They decide to go on Sunday when they don't have school. Or rather, Izuku suggests a time, and Katsuki is too busy trying to keep a lid on his combustion that he doesn't have anything to say.

For the rest of the afternoon, Katsuki has to struggle to focus on his studies. If he gets bad grades his mom will kick his a.s.s, but it's still hard to find the willpower to look at the blackboard and actually understand what the teachers are writing.

One way or another, Katsuki makes it to the end of the week. He also managed to get a decent grade on the quiz in English even though his concentration was severely compromised. By Saturday night, he both wants it to be Sunday already and doesn't. He is happy to have time to spend with Izuku because he has a crush goddammit, but he doesn't want his friend to know. Ever. 

His goal is keeping Izuku alive and healthy through high school or until whenever they get rid of All for One for good. His goal has nothing to do with romance.

When Sunday morning dawns, Katsuki has hardly slept. Stress is a pain in the a.s.s, he concludes, and so is having a crush. He meets Izuku at the bottom of the stairs in their apartment complex. They walk in silence, Katsuki constantly reminding himself that this is not a date . He and Izuku are just good friends, as they have been now for several years. It's normal and not romantic. If his imagination gets too far down the romance path, he will actually blow something up. 

He concentrates so hard on how it's not a date, that he misses walking up to the ticket counter and only notices when Izuku pokes him in the side with a ticket. It goes in his pocket for safekeeping. The lobby is crowded with people. There are a lot of families with small children and a few couples here and there. Izuku looks at the crowd apprehensively.

"Let's get popcorn," Katsuki says.

He can't remember if it's normal for him to grab Izuku's wrist and drag him off or not, but being connected isn't a bad thing when there's a large crowd. Katsuki walks forward without looking back. If he did, he'd probably die of embarrassment or something. His face is already burning, because Izuku's skin is warm against his. They arrive at the end of the popcorn line slightly out of breath, and Katsuki drops Izuku's thin wrist. He doesn't have a good excuse to keep hanging on, and he really shouldn't anyway.

The line is slow, but they eventually make it out with a large bucket of popcorn and only a couple minutes before the movie starts. The movie is okay, Katsuki decides. It's a lot of typical action movie stuff, but Izuku seems to like it so he keeps quiet and munches on the popcorn. Leaving the theater, Izuku gushes about one action sequence or another. Katsuki tunes out most of what Izuku says as they head for home. 

Izuku interrupts his train of thought, when he says: "Kacchan, I'm going to learn how to use a sword."