You're still Kacchan [Pride Month 2023]

Izuku had known for a long time that Katsuki was... different.

Well, Katsuki was unique in a lot of ways, of course! The single-mindedness when it came to being a hero and the drive to be the best, the determination, the self-confidence bordering on arrogance that most teenagers would kill for, and of course the talent and strength to back it up. But beyond all that, beyond all those things that everyone in the world could see, there was something... more.

He still remembered the time, when they could only have been eight or nine years old, that the two of them had sat for hours at the park, bathed in the light of a sunset that should have had them home already, silently waiting for one of them to find the words they needed. It had never fully gotten there, since all too soon they’d heard familiar voices calling them home, one much more annoyed than the other. They’d stood up in silence, had walked home with their mothers, each getting an earful about staying out late, but never saying a word in return. Izuku had watched Katsuki out the corner of his eye, had tried to catch that ruby gaze, but it had never once darted his way.

“I’ll listen,” Izuku had whispered, when they parted at the end of his street. “When you’re ready.”

He’d always hoped that Katsuki had remembered those words. And now, years later, he finally seemed to have gotten his confirmation.

“Can we talk?” Katsuki asked, voice oddly quiet, leaning against Izuku’s door frame. “About...”

The words trailed off, but the tone alone told Izuku everything he needed to hear, and he leapt to his feet. He was nodding like an idiot, grabbing his hoodie to hurry out the door, but Katsuki didn’t just walk off ahead like usual. When Izuku stepped out the door, Katsuki still stood there, waiting, and Izuku smiled softly as they fell into step together.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested. “The training grounds are usually pretty quiet by now, maybe down that way?”

“Sure.”

Without ever actually saying it, they found themselves heading straight for Ground Beta, for the spot where they’d had some of their greatest fights, where they’d duked it out and tried to find some form of understanding and even-footing in their own weird way.

Izuku really hoped they weren’t about to get in a fight, that definitely wasn’t what he’d mentally prepared himself for.

When they reached a small cluster of trees, Katsuki waved toward it silently, and Izuku didn’t hesitate. He sat down, leaning back against a thick trunk, and Katsuki rounded it, resting against the other side, out of Izuku’s sight. Izuku didn’t question it, just let Katsuki do whatever felt best, and tried his best to keep his mouth shut.

“S’weird seeing you so quiet,” Katsuki mumbled, making Izuku crack a smile. “Not even mumbling and shit, for once.”

“I’m trying my hardest,” Izuku said softly. “I’m here to listen, like I promised.”

“You can... say shit. And ask shit. If you want.”

“I’ll keep it in mind!”

He tilted his head back to rest on the bark, closing his eyes, and a tiny sigh from behind him told him that Katsuki was still mentally preparing to actually communicate.

“We’re okay,” Katsuki said finally. “Right?”

“You and me?” Izuku clarified, getting only a grunt in return. "Of course we are, Kacchan! I always wanted to be your friend again, you know that, and since you apologised and everything I know you don’t hate me like you used to, so we’re great!”

“I think... part of that hatred I had, back then. I think maybe it was...”

Izuku just waited, refusing to interrupt, as Katsuki paused to start over.

“You always kinda... saw through me, you know? You knew me better than anyone.”

“Yeah,” Izuku smiled softly, opening his eyes again and watching the leaves shift above them. “I know I was a bit of a creep.”

“Even without that, you just... got me. You’d known me forever. You knew things that... I guess I was trying to bury.”

Aha. So Izuku had been on the mark, then. He knew where this was going.

“Kacchan,” he said gently, when Katsuki paused again. “You know I don’t discriminate, right? I mean, obviously, with the whole... quirk thing. But in general, too. You know um, half our classmates are queer, and I’m pretty sure you know that includes me, too, so... You can tell me whatever you want, you know?”

“I know,” Katsuki agreed, tense fingers tearing at the grass and letting green blades scatter in the breeze. “But it’s... different.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “Is this where you want me to ask questions?”

Katsuki didn’t answer, and Izuku quickly regretted his words.

“Where I can ask questions,” he amended. “Since you said I can, in general.”

“If you want,” Katsuki agreed.

“So um, maybe this is... a little close to home, so stop me if you want. But uh, do you remember that time when we were really little, and we were playing in my room, and your mother came to pick you up, while you were...”

Izuku could practically feel Katsuki tense up through the tree, and he gnawed at his lip, hesitating, but Katsuki didn’t speak.

“You were hugging my teddy bear,” he continued finally. “Which, by the way, was totally normal, we were children, and I honestly think your mother overreacted massively, but-”

“I remember,” Katsuki cut him off.

“After you left, I asked my mother about it, about why yours didn’t want you to hug toys, and she gave me some weird explanation that really made no sense. And I didn’t really find out what it meant until years later, and I had to ask her again to clarify that it was what she meant, and this is all based only on what she said not what your mother said, so I know it’s not-”

“Izuku.”

“Sorry,” Izuku chuckled knowingly. “She uh, she thought boys shouldn’t have those sorts of toys, right? That they would make you... gay.”

“Guess she wasn’t entirely wrong,” Katsuki snorted, though there was clearly no heart in it. “Look how you turned out.”

“True,” Izuku laughed. “But um, my mom was a bit more open about that stuff, I guess? She didn’t fully understand it, she still doesn’t really, but she always just... wanted me to be happy. And if that means I hold hands with guys and sometimes I walk down city streets wearing rainbows, then she’s cool with that, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“I think what I’m trying to say is that maybe I don’t know what you are, but I’ve always known it was a possibility, and that it was nothing to do with teddy bears, and I’ve always been here, waiting, ready to accept you for whoever you are and whoever you love, okay? It won’t change anything, it would never make me think any differently of you, but if you want to tell someone, or to ask questions about things your parents never really answered for you, then I hope you know I’m here, and that I’d be really happy knowing you trusted me enough to tell me that sort of thing even though it might make you feel vulnerable.”

“I don’t know who I like,” Katsuki said, without any hesitation. “I mean- no one, I guess, at least for now, so-”

“That’s okay too! There’s an A in the acronym for a reason, right? If that’s what you decide suits you best, then-”

“That’s not- Not like that. Well, maybe. I don’t know.”

“And that’s fine too! You don’t have to figure things out right away!”

“Izuku.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled again. “I’ll stop rambling, you get the point!”

Katsuki fell silent again, and this time Izuku just waited, keeping his mouth clamped shut. Admittedly, he was a little more confused now – he’d always thought this conversation was going to be about sexualities and identity, but he supposed this made sense too, if it was about not knowing exactly who you are when you don’t have the freedom to figure it out. That wasn’t so far from what he’d seen coming.

“It’s not about who I like. Or don’t like.”

“Mm-hm?” Izuku hummed, trying his best not to interrupt again.

“It’s about me.”

They’re not mutually exclusive, Izuku wanted to say. It’s your identity too, not just who you want to sleep with, after all.

“I don’t want to be... No, I don’t feel like, or I’m not supposed to be... me.”

Izuku froze, eyes wide, and forced himself to think hard before he let any words pour out of his mouth and interrupt again. Katsuki didn’t continue though, and after a moment Izuku felt panic rise in his chest – was he taking too long? Was Katsuki going to freak out that he wasn’t answering?

“Okay,” he said quickly, swallowing hard. “You feel like... you’re someone different?”

“Mm.”

“Like, the person other people see you as, isn’t who you really are?”

“Yeah.”

“And... You want to change that, somehow? Want to get rid of these perceptions and just be who you want with no judgment from anyone else?”

“Exactly,” Katsuki said, breathing a sigh of relief. “That. Yeah.”

“Okay. Well, can you maybe tell me which things you feel aren’t you? Like, which misconceptions you want me to fix in my brain?”

Katsuki didn’t answer this time, and Izuku grimaced.

“I’m sorry, did you expect me to already know? I just don’t want to guess and get it wrong or anything, you know? I’d rather you just tell me straight out so we can do this properly.”

Katsuki’s breath caught, and it took Izuku a moment to understand, to glance back and see the shuddering of Katsuki’s shoulders barely out of his reach.

“I’m sorry,” Izuku said again. “Take your time, there’s no rush, I promise.”

“I’m so fucking sick of lying to everyone,” Katsuki choked out, head tilting to hide the tears Izuku knew were falling. “Or to myself, or something. What the fuck is wrong with me, Deku?”

Izuku didn’t bother to call out the old nickname, oddly a little touched to see that it still came back in the moment of weakness, that Katsuki was still trying so hard to get it right the rest of the time.

“Nothing is wrong with you,” Izuku promised, shuffling over to sit at Katsuki’s side. “I swear, Kacchan, no matter what you tell me, I’ll never think anything is wrong with you.”

“I’m supposed to be so fuckin’- Strong and shit, angry, and staunch, and- and- fuck, maybe I am those things, so it makes no fuckin’ sense, but-”

“Breathe,” Izuku instructed, bravely snaking his arm around Katsuki’s waist. “You’re safe, Kacchan. I’ve got you. You’re safe here, with me.”

To his surprise, Katsuki leaned into the touch, letting Izuku pull them tight together and hold them close, side by side, and share his warmth with Katsuki’s surprisingly cold limbs. He didn’t bother to ask questions, didn’t bother to push it, he just held Katsuki close and boldly leaned his cheek on blond hair, cradling Katsuki in his embrace.

“I’ve got you,” he said again, just a whisper this time. “You’re safe, Kacchan. You’re safe.”

“I’m sick of having to be a guy,” Katsuki hissed, muffled by a sleeve that tried so desperately to hide the tears. “I never signed up for this shit.”

“Oh,” Izuku said, feeling stupid for it instantly. “That’s okay, Kacchan. That’s normal, or, it’s common, I just- wasn’t expecting it, I’m sorry.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay,” Izuku smiled faintly, leaning in a little closer. “One question, though?”

“I guess.”

“Are you non-binary in some form, or are you a girl?”

Katsuki didn’t answer, but the sobs got stronger, and Izuku just gently stroked up and down Katsuki’s side, trying to be reassuring.

“It’s okay if you haven’t gotten that far,” he continued after a minute. “I guess I just selfishly want to start practising the right pronouns in my head, but if you aren’t sure yet, that’s fine too, I’ll wait.”

“You’re so fucking calm about this,” Katsuki choked out.

“I told you, Kacchan, I accept you and I love you no matter what. You’re still the same person you’ve always been, even if we’ve been labelling you wrong this whole time. You’re still Kacchan, no matter what.”

“I keep thinking I want to be a girl,” Katsuki admitted, albeit through gritted teeth.

“But?”

Katsuki didn’t answer, and it took Izuku a moment to catch on.

“Oh. My phrasing?”

Katsuki nodded, and Izuku smiled again, closing his eyes as he just continued to hold Katsuki through the tears.

“You’re still Kacchan,” he said again, barely a whisper. “You’ve always been Kacchan. And if you feel like you’re a girl, then you’re a girl, no matter what anyone might try to say about it.”

For a long time they sat there, curled together, and when Katsuki finally began to move, Izuku’s first instinct was to hold on tighter, to refuse. Instead, he went with his second instinct, which happened to be stripping off his warm hoodie and wrapping it around Katsuki’s shoulders, to keep hi- her warm in the cool evening. Katsuki blushed in response, and Izuku couldn’t resist a tiny smile – he could never resist it when that pink flush spread across Katsuki’s cheeks.

“So pronouns,” he said quietly. “I’m already working on using she/her in my head, do you want me to do it out loud too? Or are you not ready for that yet?”

“Maybe... when we’re alone?”

“Sure,” Izuku agreed easily. “Do you want me to misgender you in front of other people, or use neutral pronouns, or just try to avoid pronouns in general?”

“I don’t really know,” Katsuki admitted.

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “I know it’s a lot to think about. Just let me know if or when you have a preference, okay? I don’t want to keep doing the wrong thing if you decide you prefer something else, or... you know what I mean.”

“I’ll tell you,” Katsuki confirmed. “Um, th- thank you. For uh, being cool about it.”

“Of course I am, you’re still Kacchan.”

“Sorry you’re gonna have to work on that big stupid crush you’ve always had on me,” Katsuki chuckled faintly. “Kinda ruined that one for you, huh?”

Izuku felt his face warm, but he grinned all the same, reaching out to shove Katsuki gently in the arm.

“Don’t be silly, Kacchan!” he laughed. “I don’t mind being Bi!”


─────


Izuku wasn’t sure if their classmates had picked up on any of the changes in Katsuki, but he had, and he was honestly super proud of her for it all. She hadn’t suddenly become some simpering little girl who needed everything done for her, she wasn’t suddenly dressing up in skirts and heels and strutting around the dorms that way, but she was being herself and Izuku couldn’t have been prouder. She still yelled at people constantly, still kicked all their asses in heroics class, she was completely the same in such an unapologetic way, and yet there was just something different, something a little more self-confident, a little less hesitant, that Izuku found almost intoxicating.

“Ask the resident expert,” Uraraka teased, elbowing Izuku in the ribs and jolting his attention back to their little line of easels. “That’s why we have a gay dude in the squad, right? For opinions on rainbows?”

“Bi,” Izuku corrected her.

Uraraka blinked at him, surprised, and Izuku realised what he’d said far too late, his jaw dropping a little as he tried to find words to explain himself.

“Sorry, I guess I never mentioned that?” he said awkwardly, when Uraraka and Tsuyu just continued to stare at him, paintbrushes dripping onto the plastic-covered floor. “I guess I kind of acknowledged it to myself and didn’t actually say it out loud, oops.”

“Congratulations,” Shouto said flatly, reaching over to pat his shoulder with an impressively clean hand. “I’m glad you’re still making discoveries about yourself.”

“Um, thanks?”

“Wait, who is she?!” Uraraka hissed, leaning in close. “Who made you realise?!”

“Huh? Oh,” Izuku blushed, clamping his mouth shut. “Sorry, I uh, I’d rather not... talk about that.”

“Come on, you can trust us!”

“No, I know, it’s just... complicated.”

“Don’t push him if he’s not ready,” Iida insisted, leaning forward to see him past Shouto. “That’s not fair to Midoriya!”

“Thanks, Iida,” Izuku said sheepishly. “I promise I’ll tell you guys one day, it’s just... not the time, yet. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Uraraka assured him. “Sorry I asked!”

“No, don’t be! You’re always allowed to ask questions! I’m just glad you guys accept it when I don’t want to answer, that means a lot.”

“Of course! I’d never want to make you uncomfortable!”

He shot her a quick smile, then leaned back a little, getting a good view of Tsuyu’s easel and the canvas painted in bright colours.

“It looks great,” he assured her. “queer dude approved!”

“It just feels so primary,” Tsuyu lamented, croaking quietly when she began mumbling to herself – Izuku seemed to have rubbed off on his friends, oops. “It looks fake!”

“Because it’s never that strong in the sky, it’s more see-through.”

Izuku whirled around to see Katsuki just standing there, watching them, and he couldn’t help but grin at her when their eyes met.

“Hi Kacchan!” he said brightly. “How’s your painting going?”

She shrugged slightly, tilting her head toward where her group of friends had apparently given up on painting in favour of bickering and slapping each other with painty brushes. Izuku couldn’t help but laugh, not just at his classmates having such a good time, but at the idea of Katsuki just standing up and walking away to avoid it.

“Do you want to join us?” Shouto offered, shifting his easel over to make room. “Please don’t blow up the paints.”

“Why would I want that?” Katsuki sneered. “Hang out with you?”

“You don’t have to pretend, Bakugou, they all know we are besties.”

“Don’t make me puke.”

Despite her objection, when Izuku shuffled his own easel over the other way, leaving a space between himself and Shouto, Katsuki caved. She picked up her stuff, carting it over to them, and Uraraka grinned when she caught Izuku’s eye briefly.

“Were you talking about me or some shit?” Katsuki demanded, when the group didn’t immediately resume their conversation. “Or do I just not get an opinion on fucking rainbows.”

“Your opinion is welcome and appreciated,” Tsuyu assured her, turning the easel slightly to show the pale blue wash she was painting lightly over the rainbow. “We were talking about sexuality!”

“About the nerd being queer?” Katsuki snorted, getting a wide-eyed look from Uraraka. “Of course I knew, don’t fucking look at me like that.”

“Sorry! I just didn’t know you two talked about that kind of thing!”

Katsuki glanced at Izuku, their eyes meeting briefly with a lot of unspoken words, before she shrugged it off just as quickly.

“Known him since he was a toddler,” she reminded them. “Like I’m not gonna know he’s a bi menace.”

Izuku grinned, and Uraraka lost a giggle she clearly hadn’t been prepared for, but Katsuki’s eyes just locked onto her canvas, where she was painstakingly painting tiny pink thorns along a long, dark vine. Izuku wished he could ask a thousand questions, or maybe just give her a hug, but he knew he had to hold it in until Katsuki came to him again, until she was willing to talk about it once more.

“Alright class, time to pack up, the bell is about to ring.”

Izuku quickly began packing his paints away, grabbing a handful of brushes to take to the sink, and as an afterthought, reaching across to take a couple from Katsuki, too. He got a glare for his efforts, but he didn’t bother to argue about it, just shot her a smile and walked away without a single word.

By the time the bell rang, his collection of now-clean brushes was laid out in the drying rack, and Katsuki was waiting with narrowed eyes for his return – so much for avoiding that argument.

“How about tonkatsu?” Uraraka suggested, making Izuku’s stomach growl. “It’s been a while since we went to that tiny place?”

“Ooh, that sounds good!” Tsuyu agreed. “Midoriya, are you coming?”

“We’re going to get an early dinner,” Shouto explained. “We’re all starving.”

It did sound good, and Izuku was hungry, but...

“Bakugou, how about you?” Shouto diverted quickly, getting a stunned look from Katsuki before she could school her features into something sterner. “Do you want to come get food?”

“With you?” Katsuki sneered. “Pass.”

“I think I’ll give it a miss too,” Izuku smiled awkwardly. “I’ve got some important stuff to do, I should be responsible for once!”

Uraraka pouted, but Iida began ushering her out the door before she could object, Shouto following them with a knowing little smile twisting at his lips as he waved goodbye. Tsuyu was the last to leave, glancing back at them one more time before she smiled warmly.

“Next time, then,” she said. “You too, Bakugou, if you change your mind.”

Katsuki didn’t speak, but Izuku felt the words hanging in the air, and smiled to himself as the classroom began to quickly empty out.

“Want to hang out for a bit?” Izuku offered.

“You have shit to do,” Katsuki shrugged.

“It can wait.”

“Bring your homework to my room, then,” Katsuki instructed, already walking out the door after their classmates. “We can do it together.”

“Sounds good!”

He grabbed his backpack and said a quick goodbye to the teacher as he hurried out, joining the mob of babbling students who filed down the halls to escape the building for the day, unable to quite reach the spiky blonde head slipping its way through the crowd.

He headed up to his dorm room first, to change out of his uniform and grab a few snacks from his hidden collection – along with a little paper bag that had been waiting for days – before wondering, perhaps belatedly, if maybe he was meant to wait a while before going over, or even wait for a text giving him permission. There had been an implied now in the conversation, he’d thought, but maybe he’d read the situation wrong?

Oh well, Katsuki could just kick him out if she needed to, right?

To his surprise, when he got to the right floor, Katsuki was only just arriving herself – still in uniform, still carrying her school bag, but now with a little shopping bag hanging from her arm, too. She waved him in wordlessly, and he smiled as he followed, glancing around the impeccably clean bedroom that Katsuki was so insistent about keeping to herself.

“I grabbed you some food,” Katsuki explained, dumping the bag on her desk. “I know you were late to lunch and shit.”

“Thank you, Kacchan.”

He was a little flattered that Katsuki had noticed, honestly. He’d hung back with his friends to make plans for a group project, and they’d lost track of time, had been forced to rush into the cafeteria and grab whatever scraps were still left before they ran out of time. He’d been fine for most of the afternoon, but as the hours had worn on, he’d started to get hungry all over again.

“I brought snacks too,” he offered, setting them down beside the bag. “Do you still like the soy sauce popcorn?”

“Yeah,” she answered, wide-eyed as she nodded. “It’s uh, been a while.”

“I always remember my friends’ favourites,” Izuku grinned. “You know that!”

“Yeah.”

He sat down on the edge of Katsuki’s bed to wait, watching when Katsuki reached for the closet door, hesitating for a moment as she glanced back at him awkwardly.

“Do you want me to wait in the hall?” he offered. “Or just turn around?”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki mumbled, fingers twitching at the edge of the door. “I just... was thinking.”

“I don’t mind as long as you’re comfy,” Izuku answered the unspoken question. “Have you got something I don’t usually see?”

Katsuki shrugged, and Izuku couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“I won’t be judging or thinking you’re weird or anything, you know that. If you’re more comfortable in your older stuff around me that’s fine, but if you normally wear something else, that’s okay too.”

“It’s not like I have a bunch of frilly dresses in here, weirdo,” Katsuki grumbled, making Izuku laugh. “Don’t be a perv.”

Izuku turned around with a grin, pulling his phone out while he waited, hearing the sounds of hangers scraping gently against a metal rail as Katsuki debated her choices.

The outfit she ended up with, as far as he could tell, was barely any different from her usual ones. Her t-shirt was a little more fitted than usual, with shorter sleeves, but honestly, that was the only thing Izuku could even pick out – had he read the room wrong? Was it not the clothes she was worried about? Or did she consider putting on something different and change her mind? Izuku knew he couldn’t ask, not really, but he couldn’t help but be a little curious.

“How are you doing?” he asked weakly, when Katsuki sat down beside him silently. “You’ve seemed good from the outside, but how are you really?”

“I’m okay,” she shrugged. “It’s... good to have talked about it?”

“I’m glad,” Izuku smiled softly. “Even if it’s just me, it must be nice to have it off your chest.”

“Mm-hm. And uh, the shit you said... helped.”

“I’m glad.”

Izuku reached out, pulling her into another little hug, and much to his surprise, she leaned in with no hesitation. She dropped her cheek to his shoulder, letting him hold her close, and Izuku smiled to himself as he tilted his head a little, feeling her soft hair brush against his neck.

“You know that big dumb crush we talked about?” he whispered.

“I called it stupid, not dumb.”

“Sorry,” Izuku chuckled. “That big, stupid crush?”

“Mm.”

“Would you hate me forever if I asked you on a date?”

“No,” Katsuki answered right away, making Izuku’s stomach flutter. “But you prefer dudes, so.”

“I prefer you,” Izuku chuckled. “I don’t care about your gender, as long as it makes you happy. I liked you before, sure, but I like you a lot right now, too. You’ve always been you, I’m just continuing to learn new things about you.”

“Have you just been spending your days looking up the right shit to say?”

“No. I promise, that was all me.”

“Sappy fucker.”

Despite his face burning bright red as he did it, Izuku turned his head slightly, planting a tiny kiss on Katsuki’s temple and watching her face turn just as red in return. She turned her head quickly to hide it, but Izuku had already caught her out, gleeful at her embarrassment.

“You’re so cute,” he teased. “But I’m hungry, can we pick up the cuddling after snacks?”

“Shut up,” Katsuki huffed, sitting up all the same and reaching for her bag. “Move over then, asshole.”

Izuku shuffled across with a grin, letting Katsuki prop pillows behind them both to get comfortable, and then she was handing over a karaage bento box, cracking a smile when Izuku practically drooled at the sight.

“I know it’s no katsudon.”

“I like more foods than just katsudon, you know that!”

Katsuki shuffled a little closer as they settled in to eat, pressing their arms together in the middle of the bed, and Izuku immediately wrapped an arm around her again – he could suffer through eating his food one-handed for the sake of more cuddles, while she gave him the chance. Even if it was his left hand that was free – coordination training, right?

“You’re such a gross idiot,” Katsuki snorted, allowing it regardless. “When did you get so clingy?”

“When you started enjoying it,” Izuku laughed right back. “Or admitting to it, anyway.”

“I didn’t say shit.”

“You don’t need to use words to admit it, I can see it in your face!”

“Nerd.”

They ate in silence after that, chomping on their matching little sets of rice and chicken, and without Izuku even attempting to suggest it, when their dishes were empty, Katsuki snuggled in closer, letting Izuku wrap her up in a proper hug for perhaps the first time since they were children.

“C’mere,” he demanded, when Katsuki didn’t squirm away. “I’ve been waiting so long for this.”

He navigated one of his legs around behind her, pulling her into his lap, and to his surprise, despite the pink cheeks that came with it, Katsuki seemed more than happy to let it happen.

“You’re my girlfriend now,” Izuku said firmly, kissing her fluffy hair again when she didn’t blow him up for it all. “I’ve decided.”

“As soon as I tell you I’m a girl, I lose my right to autonomy, huh?”

“Kacchan!” Izuku protested, mortified. “You know that’s not what I meant!”

“I’m teasing, jackass.”

“I would never treat you differently because of your gender. Never.”

“What do you call all the damn hugs?”

“I call that ‘you acknowledging my crush and not only allowing it but encouraging it.’ Just because you won’t say you like me doesn’t mean you haven’t made it pretty damn clear.”

“I do. Like you. I just thought...”

“A lot of things,” Izuku said knowingly, when she trailed off. “All of them mistaken, at least as far as I’ve seen so far.”

“Stop getting nerdy about this shit.”

“Never, you love it.”

“Gross.”

Izuku just smiled to himself, nuzzling Katsuki’s hair lightly, until his eyes landed on the paper bag he’d left beside his snack pile.

“I got you something,” he said. “It’s just something small, so don’t bother complaining.”

“A present?”

“Yeah. I was gonna give it to you and ask you to be my girlfriend, but you clearly didn’t need bribery to say yes.”

“You didn’t let me say yes.”

“If it was a no, the fire alarms would be going off by now!”

“Hmph. Gimme my present anyway, nerd.”

He untangled one arm from the hug, leaning right over to reach it with his fingertips, and dropped the bag into Katsuki’s lap, amused when she grabbed it immediately. She’d done the same thing when they were much younger, at all her birthday parties – every year she’d insisted on opening presents the moment she got them, had refused to wait any longer than entirely necessary. Not an ounce of patience in her body, Izuku thought.

“Since you didn’t get one of your own,” he explained, when Katsuki peeked inside. “Sorry it’s so late, but I got there eventually.”

In Katsuki’s hands was a little teddy bear, soft and fuzzy, with a giant head and a tiny face – Izuku loved that damn tiny face, it made him laugh every time he saw it. The bear was pale brown in colour, but had a tiny purple ribbon around its neck, tied in a cute little bow. Katsuki’s hands squeezed at it lightly, pulling it to her chest, and Izuku smiled to himself – he was glad he’d apparently picked a good one.

“It’s cute as fuck,” she mumbled. “How do you do this shit?”

“Which shit?”

“The cute shit.”

“I just like making you happy,” Izuku laughed. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Thank you.”

“Aww, you’re being so sincere, Kacchan!” Izuku laughed, his heart squeezing all the same. “You’re welcome.”

“Sappy fuck.”

“You know it.”

It was a little funny, Izuku couldn’t help but think, that Katsuki had become so much more open with him after their little talk. Not just about being a girl, but in general, like she was no longer stressed out about overthinking her words, about making sure she didn’t slip up and say something that didn’t fit the world’s perception of her. It was the first time since they’d been toddlers that Izuku felt like they were really connecting, like there were no unspoken words and walls left between them, and he was drunk on the feeling.

“Just so you know,” Izuku murmured, “I’ll never judge you. If there are things you want to do, or say, or wear, or... anything. I promise not to think any of it is weird, and I’d love to help you figure out more about who you are and all.”

“Say what you mean, loser, stop being vague.”

“Do you want to tell me about that clothes thing a minute ago?”

“Disappointed I’m not wearing a dress?” Katsuki snorted.

“Not at all,” Izuku laughed. “But if you ever wanted to, I wouldn’t judge you for that. I’m sure you’d look super cute in a dress! Just... you hesitated a lot, before, so I wondered why.”

“I know they don’t look much different,” Katsuki acknowledged, apparently reading Izuku’s damn mind as per usual. “But they feel different.”

“Physically or emotionally?”

“Yes.”

Izuku grinned, and he noticed Katsuki’s cheek twitch too, fighting off a smile of her own.

“I like me,” she said after a moment, shrugging. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m awesome, it’s not like I hate myself because I was born with the wrong genitals.”

“I’m sure you don’t,” Izuku chuckled fondly. “And I’m glad you don’t, because you’re right, you’re awesome.”

“And I don’t mind my name and shit either, it’s not like I’m scrolling through lists of the most feminine names in the world and wishing that were me.”

“I’m glad, I like Kacchan.”

“And that. People used to tell me it was girly in middle school, and I always said ‘so fucking what’ but you know what those idiots were like.”

“I don’t see why names should have genders.”

“Yeah.”

“But?”

Katsuki didn’t continue right away, but Izuku waited patiently, letting her get all her thoughts in order before she opened her mouth again.

“Sometimes I’ll just randomly hear someone say he or that guy or hell, Shitty Hair with his you’re so manly bullshit, and it just...”

Still Izuku waited, even though he wasn’t entirely sure an ending was going to come.

“Hurts.” Katsuki said finally, voice barely a whisper. “God that sounds so fucking pathetic, but-”

“It doesn’t,” Izuku cut her off. “I understand, and I know that must be really difficult, especially if you’re finally getting to a good place internally and then someone goes and ruins it without even realising they’re doing anything wrong.”

“Sounds like this shit is a lot like being Quirkless.”

“In some ways,” Izuku agreed. “It’s always hard to be different, especially when it’s not really... visible. So people say stupid stuff without even knowing it might affect you.”

“Mm-hm. I know people don’t know, so I can’t expect them to be any different, it just... would be nice, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

“And I guess I take it out on people a lot, when I shouldn’t. I know, I’m fucking self-aware, don’t start.”

“I wasn’t gonna start.”

“But sometimes there’s not even someone to blame, and then it’s all just internal and gross.”

“Like blaming someone else is easier?”

“Fucking yeah it is,” Katsuki huffed. “I tried to research the school’s architects once, so I could have someone to blame for the fucking bathrooms.”

“Oh,” Izuku said softly. “I guess I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Every damn day when we have to go into those changing rooms I just wanna punch some weedy, glasses-wearing, architect son-of-a-bitch.”

Izuku just nodded understandingly, cheek brushing against Katsuki’s hair, holding her a little tighter when she paused again.

“Gimme that popcorn,” she demanded after a minute, tucking her new bear under her arm and reaching for a remote with the other hand. “We’re gonna watch a shitty movie.”

“That sounds great, Kacchan,” Izuku chuckled, reaching for the bag on the desk. “Pick out a gross one for our first date.”

“Damn right.”


─────


“You’re amazing,” Izuku whispered in Katsuki’s ear, as she stood in front of their waiting classmates. “So brave.”

“Shut up,” she hissed, cheeks flushing a little. “Don’t make this weirder than it already is.”

She’d called the class to gather after dinner, had muttered something about having something to say to them, and the class had gone wild with speculation. They’d all gathered immediately, hadn’t needed the warning time Katsuki had given them, they were all too excited about finding out what was such a big deal. But now, poor Katsuki stood in front of a conspiring crowd, eye twitching as she heard the rumours start to fly.

Izuku had taken her hand immediately, in a show of support, which of course had made everyone think their relationship was the announcement, even though Izuku had thought that was pretty obvious rather than something to tell everyone. It had taken a little while to calm them back down, to get them quiet enough for Katsuki to speak, and Izuku could feel the cold fingers trembling in his grip despite how valiantly Katsuki tried to hide it.

“I’m trans,” she said finally, without even a few words of lead-in. “I’m... I’m a girl, and I’m tired of people using the wrong pronouns and shitty masculine words and making me so... disappointed all the time. So I want you ex- you all to start using the right ones.”

Izuku looked down at Katsuki’s friends first, at the people he knew would be the most shocked, but hoped would also be the most excited for Katsuki to finally be herself. But while Kirishima just stared at her in silence, and Kaminari blinked at her like a deer in headlights, and Sero took out his phone to google the words he’d never heard before, Izuku was already being shoved out of the way, forced apart from Katsuki without a second thought, by a pair of bright pink arms that snatched Katsuki into the tightest hug Izuku had ever seen.

“Hell yeah, babes!” Ashido gushed, hugging Katsuki so hard that Izuku was pretty sure she couldn’t breathe. “I’m so happy to have another girl in the squad!”

“We’re slowly balancing out the class!” Uraraka agreed, hugging Katsuki from the other side and, somehow, not getting blown up for it. “We have sleepovers every month, don’t tell the boys!”

“You’re not gonna get all weird and touchy like those two, right?” Jirou huffed, nodding toward the two koalas Katsuki had found herself with. “Please tell me you’re gonna be normal.”

“I haven’t changed,” Katsuki grumbled, attempting to wiggle free and failing miserably. “I’m still me you pricks, correcting you on your fucking language doesn’t turn me into an asshole.”

“Thank God.”

“I’ll show you where all the cleanest bathrooms are,” Hagakure offered. “I mean, they’re probably all better than the guys’ ones, but some are way nicer than others.”

Katsuki’s eyes darted to her immediately – or at least to her floating clothes – and the other girls seemed to feel Katsuki tense up.

“You’re always welcome,” Yaoyorozu assured her softly. “I’ll talk to Aizawa with you if you want, or talk to him on your behalf if you need it. We can make sure people know it’s okay for you to use the right bathrooms, especially.”

The right bathrooms echoed in Izuku’s brain, making him smile warmly at her. He knew Katsuki would appreciate the phrasing, too – not our bathrooms or even the girls’ bathrooms, just the right ones. He knew he adored his classmates for good reason.

“Thank you for telling us,” Tsuyu piped up. “I’m glad you trust me enough, I’m sure the others are too.”

Even when Kirishima tried to speak, and Kaminari tried to interject, and Sero opened his mouth pointedly to weigh in, they didn’t get a chance. The whole rest of the class was forgotten, the girls taking over the show, and honestly, Izuku didn't mind standing back to let it happen. He knew the guys would be just as accepting, if a little more confused and hesitant to start out, but it wasn’t their moment.

“You know,” Ashido hummed, “the rest of us girls call each other by our first names.”

“No.”

Izuku laughed brightly, and Katsuki's face softened a little when she heard it, glancing back at him and finding nothing but joy and love in his face. Izuku knew he was so gone for her, that if his friends were more like Katsuki’s friends he would be called whipped and a simp and any other manner of jeers, but he didn’t even care. His Kacchan was too perfect to not be a mess for her.

“Oh! We should get Aizawa to unlock one of the rooms on our floor for you!” Ashido suggested, gesturing toward Uraraka, who had finally given Katsuki room to breathe – though Ashido still refused. “You can be my neighbour!”

“Oh God, that sounds loud.”

Ashido just laughed, well-accustomed to Katsuki’s complaints, and Yaoyorozu smiled at them again softly.

“The bottom floor is unused, right now,” she pointed out. “I’m sure you’d like the extra privacy, if you don’t think you’d get lonely.”

“We won’t let her!” Hagakure laughed brightly. “What if we got Aizawa to give us two rooms on that floor? One for Bakugou, and one for sleepovers!”

“I wish,” Jirou said emphatically, much to Izuku’s surprise – he hadn’t known she was so keen on sleepovers! “Last time it took me a week to clean up after you all.”

“Oh! It’s Blasty’s turn next, surely!” Ashido grinned slyly. “Housewarming sleepover!”

“Stay the fuck out of my room.”

“Nope!”

“You already have sleepovers with your boyfriend,” Kirishima teased, finally managing to nudge his way in with a smile. “You won’t let the girls join in?”

“Fuck no.”

“So mean, bro!” He realised his mistake even before Ashido punched him, though she did it anyway, finally conceding her grip on Katsuki to do it. “Uh, not bro. Sis? That sounds weird. I’ll work on it.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki huffed, looking away pointedly to hide her blush. “Just quit calling me manly and we’re good.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course! I’m sorry, if I’d known I would never have done that!”

“I know.”

“I mean, you know I don’t mean it like that though, right? You’re just cool! And strong! And-”

“Cut it out before my boyfriend gets jealous.”

“Sorry!” Kirishima laughed. “Sorry, Midoriya!”

As Ashido and Uraraka stepped away, giving Katsuki some space with just a last few whispered words each, Kirishima moved closer, mumbling something quick in Katsuki’s ear before he, too, gave her room to breathe.

“Alright,” she spoke up again, sighing. “That’s enough bullshit for today. If you have questions, Google them, I’m not your damn dictionary.”

The crowd began to break up, each member shooting Katsuki a nod or a smile or a few parting words as they moved on, but still the girls hung back, making quiet plans that Katsuki was apparently unable to avoid.

“We’ll all help!” Uraraka was insisting, when Izuku moved a little closer to investigate. “If you’re not ready to tell Aizawa it’s fine, we can just break in, we already did it once when Tsuyu accidentally flooded her room, Aizawa will never notice.”

“Is it really breaking in if we have a key?” Jirou asked pointedly, gesturing toward Yaoyorozu. “It may be a different type of crime, but I’m pretty sure it’s not breaking in.”

“You know what? You’re right!” Uraraka agreed enthusiastically. “We can definitely move you ourselves, then. Do you need bags? Boxes? Or just arms? I bet Shouji would help out, he’s actually very chivalrous for a teenager.”

“I’ll carry the heavy things for you,” Izuku offered, grinning when Katsuki glared at him for it. “I know changing pronouns just destroys your deadlift and bench numbers, so I’m sure you could use a little help.”

“One day someone is gonna think you’re being serious,” Katsuki warned him, squirming when Izuku planted a kiss on her temple cheesily. “And I’m not gonna stick up for you when they do.”

“Deal.”

He stepped away again, feeling red eyes linger on him, but when he gestured toward the elevators, Katsuki cracked the tiniest of smiles.

“We’d better start packing,” he grinned. “While the others open up a door for you and we pretend to know nothing about how they did it.”

“Are you nerds seriously gonna make me move all my stuff?”

“We have to,” Yaoyorozu said firmly. “The school was determined that the genders needed to be split, for safety and privacy.”

“Plus we don’t know what Mineta might do to you now that he knows you’re a girl,” Jirou snorted. “Better to keep you away from him, for both your sakes.”

“Fine,” Katsuki conceded. “I guess I’d better go pack my shit, then.”

“See you soon!” Hagakure said brightly. “We’ll make sure it’s all clean and ready to go for you.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Izuku wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s waist as soon as she got close enough, but the moment the elevator doors closed, she was turning around, hiding her face in his shirt. He recognised the quiet whines that were muffled by his shirt, and couldn’t help but smile softly, hugging her a little tighter.

“We have good friends,” he whispered, resting his cheek on her hair. “And you did a great job of not blowing them up for being excited.”

“You know I’m just gonna come sleep in your room anyway, right?”

“I know,” Izuku laughed. “Or I can come to yours, I don’t think the girls will mind, especially if you have your own floor.”

“You need a shitty room key to use the elevator. Mina showed us ages ago.”

“Really? I didn’t know that, that’s cool! I guess Yaoyorozu has figured out how to duplicate them, though, judging by that whole... conversation. I never knew the girls of our class were so bad-ass.”

“Sure you did,” Katsuki smirked, lifting her head to look him in the eyes. “You know me.”

“Good point,” Izuku agreed easily, grinning down at the warmth in her eyes that he so rarely got to see. “I stand corrected.”

The elevator dinged for Katsuki’s floor, and Katsuki wove her fingers through Izuku’s without hesitation, leading the way down to her door with a tiny smile still tugging at her lips.

“I’m not gonna say this again, nerd, so listen up,” she demanded, meeting his eyes with a determined gaze. “Thank you.”

Izuku laughed, clapping a hand over his mouth to stifle exactly how loudly it came out all of a sudden, and Katsuki just watched fondly, as her boyfriend dissolved into a pile of stupid giggles, feeling her heart warm with love for him like a big damn sap.

Being different didn’t seem so bad, with the right people by her side.