Deku's Extraordinary Playlist - Chapter 5

“Get dressed, nerd!”

Izuku groaned as he sat up, cringing when the front door slammed, rattling the entire apartment. Katsuki’s footsteps were heavy on the wooden floors, and Izuku made a mental note to apologise to his neighbours later, maybe even leave flowers or chocolates at the door of the apartment below.

“Are you still in bed?” Katsuki demanded, throwing his bedroom door open. “What the fuck, nerd? It’s almost noon.”

“I’m injured, Kacchan. I’m meant to rest,” he pouted. “What do you want me to do, go for a run? Go hiking? Throw myself down a hill?”

Katsuki froze, and Izuku immediately regretted the words, wincing as he opened his mouth to apologise before Katsuki could yell at him for his asshole tone.

“Right,” Katsuki said instead, face strangely soft as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, uh, good. Rest, get better.”

“Are you feeling okay, Kacchan?”

“Shut up, nerd. I just… I have the day off.”

“Kacchan was gonna take me on a date?”

Katsuki didn’t say a word, but his face burned bright red, and Izuku lit up with a grin.

“I’m okay! I can go on a date!”

“No, fuck that. We’re gonna… Have a date here. I’m gonna make you breakfast.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Do you feel like anything in particular?”

Izuku hummed as he considered it, eyes wandering around the dimly lit walls. His room was strangely orange in the late-morning light, and he couldn’t help but notice how it matched Katsuki’s shirt.

“Did you dress up for me?” he asked, immediately distracted. “Kacchan that’s so cute!”

“Shut up! I always wear this shit!”

“You don’t,” Izuku insisted, reaching for him to tug at his dark leather jacket. “You’re dressed up all cool! You have buttons on your shirt!”

“I’m going home.”

“Kacchaaaaan,” he whined. “I’m complimenting you! I’m allowed to do that! We’re dating now, aren’t we? That’s what couples do!”

Katsuki pouted still, his cheeks bright pink and chubby, and it took all Izuku’s might to resist the urge to poke them.

“Breakfast?” Izuku asked tentatively, flashing his best smile. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“You always get distracted,” Katsuki mumbled. “I’m used to it.”

“Sorry!”

“What do you normally have?”

“Mm… Leftover rice, maybe an egg if I have time to sit down?”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, I prefer to sleep another ten minutes instead of cooking.”

Katsuki sighed at him, but didn’t bother to voice his annoyance, nodding instead.

“Okay,” he conceded, standing up again and tucking the blankets up over Izuku’s lap. “You rest, I’ll bring you breakfast.”

“In bed?”

“In bed,” he confirmed. “I was gonna take you out for lunch, but this works just as well.”

“We can go to lunch next time,” Izuku beamed. “Thank you, Kacchan.”

“Whatever, nerd.”

Izuku watched him go before he lay back down, snuggling in with his blankets to listen to the sounds of Katsuki in his kitchen. Despite being so loud in everything else he did, he was surprisingly gentle in the kitchen – in fact, he was the one lecturing Izuku about how he treated his cookware, most of the time. Izuku was much less careful than Katsuki, and usually clumsier too. Most of his pots were dented from dropping them, his pans scratched up from scrubbing off burnt food, and he didn’t even own anything for baking, much to Katsuki’s disbelief a few months prior when Izuku had asked him for help making a birthday cake for his mother. Cooking for himself was a loud affair, including a lot of cursing most of the time – hence why he… Maybe spent too much time at the convenience store on the corner, avoiding the problem altogether.

“Kacchan?” he called, smiling to himself faintly as he curled his fingers into the duvet. “Could I maybe have a drink? Please?”

“Now or with the food?”

“Um… Now would be good. Or soon?”

“Yeah, gimme a minute.”

Sure enough, it took less than sixty seconds for Katsuki to arrive with both hands full. He set a bottle of cold water on the bedside table first, then handed Izuku a mug, making sure he got a good grip on it before he dared to let go. Izuku took a sip, lips curling into another smile when he tasted the perfectly sweet tea – Katsuki always knew exactly how to make it, he'd never once had to ask for a reminder.

“Perfect, as always,” Izuku praised. “Thank you Kacchan.”

“No problem,” Katsuki mumbled, ruffling Izuku’s messy hair. “Anything else, your majesty?”

“I only asked because you told me to wait in bed!”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Izuku’s smile stretched wider, and Katsuki immediately looked away, face burning again as he made a quick escape from the room. Izuku wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Katsuki blush so much in one day, and he was kind of loving it.

It didn’t take long for Katsuki to return, this time with a tray in hand littered with small bowls and plates. Izuku watched in awe as he sat down on the other side of the bed, the side Izuku would forever think of as Kacchan’s side from then on, and shuffled in close enough to let Izuku reach.

“I figured we could share,” Katsuki mumbled, settling the tray across their thighs and gesturing vaguely at the matching bowls of each dish. “It all fits okay on one tray.”

“Kacchan is gonna feed me?”

“Hell no! Fuck off!”

Izuku clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh a little, and Katsuki gripped extra tight at the tray to keep it from spilling when the whole bed shook with him. He didn’t let go until Izuku had himself well and truly under control, and Izuku was surprised to find there was no irritation in his expression for it, just… Amusement?

“I’m sorry,” he said anyway, shuffling a little closer so their legs touched. “I know I’m a pain.”

“You’re not a pain, just an idiot.”

“Is that… A compliment?”

“Calling you an idiot?” Katsuki snorted. “No, it’s not.”

“But it’s better than a pain!”

“Just eat your damn food.”

Grinning, Izuku reached for a hot bowl of soup, taking a sip and moaning when it hit his tongue. The soup he made for himself, when he dared try, always came out so watery and flavourless, but Katsuki’s was packed with so much meat and tofu that it managed to catch him completely off-guard.

“It’s so good,” he said needlessly, when Katsuki glanced at him. “Pork?”

“Mm.”

“Because it’s my favourite?”

Katsuki didn’t answer, other than shoving him lightly in the arm, and Izuku giggled again as he lifted his bowl for another sip.

“You know I already love you, right?” he asked quietly. “You don’t have to act different or anything, Kacchan is perfect already.”

“Shut up,” Katsuki huffed, leaning over and thumping his head down on Izuku’s shoulder. “I’m gonna say this once and only once, you listening?”

“Y-Yeah!”

“I wanna do sappy shit with you, alright? Want to. I’m still gonna yell at your ass, and kick it too, but sometimes… I wanna do this shit too.”

“Okay!” Izuku beamed, eyes watery. “I wanna do sappy shit with you, too!”

Katsuki snorted, and Izuku lifted a hand, running it lightly through Katsuki’s hair and feeling him shiver under the touch.

“I might be too sappy,” he continued. “So you can tell me to cut it out when you want to, but I like this cuddly stuff.”

“It’s fine. I won’t tell you to stop.”

“But you can, okay? I won’t be offended if you need a break.”

“Okay.”

Katsuki sat back up, leaving Izuku’s arm cold, and in a moment of boldness, he remedied it by moving even closer. Their thighs pressed together comfortably, and now their arms did too, sharing light touches every time they moved.

“Is our first date too soon to cuddle?” Izuku asked, as he set down an empty soup bowl and reached for the rice. “After breakfast, I mean.”

“We’ve known each other our entire lives,” Katsuki snorted. “I think we can do whatever, by now.”

“Is that a yes to cuddles?”

“If you want. I gotta do the dishes first though.”

“No you don’t, I’ll do them later.”

“I need to do the dishes,” he repeated. “And you need to brush your teeth and wash your face. You haven’t been out of the bed yet.”

“Mm… I do kinda need to pee,” he admitted. “But really, you cooked for me, you don’t need-”

“I do.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“Damn right, and your ass is just as bad. Otherwise we wouldn’t have spent this long pining after each other without even talking about it.”

“You love me,” Izuku grinned, turning to press a kiss to Katsuki’s cheek.

“I already told you that.”

“I know! But it makes me happy!”

Katsuki caved, grabbing Izuku by the hair and planting a kiss on his temple in return, and it was all Izuku could do to keep from fawning over him and scaring him off.

“There’s something I should probably tell you, though,” Izuku sighed, as they wrapped up their meal. “Once we’re back here.”

“Something bad?”

“Not really, I don’t think. It’s not great but it’s okay.”

“Alright,” Katsuki nodded, scooping up all the dirty dishes. “I’ll be back in two minutes.”

“Me too!”

He climbed up with a yawn, taking a moment to stretch lightly and watch Katsuki’s back as he left, but his contentment faltered when he began thinking about the words he needed to say. Katsuki needed to know about the quirk, he didn’t want to keep that from him if they were going to be spending more time together, but something about the concept just felt so unreal still. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Katsuki just wouldn’t believe him. Was he supposed to tell him about Shouto? About the doctors and nurses? About Kirishima? It was all such a damn mess.

When he returned, he found Katsuki propping pillows against the wall, making them a comfy little nest to cuddle in. He wrapped an arm around Izuku without hesitation, dragging him into a hug, and Izuku sighed fondly as he snuggled in.

“Alright, tell me what’s up.”

“Um, so those hostages you saved-”

“We saved.”

“Okay, we saved. Well... One of them... hit me with her quirk. By accident.”

“Continue,” Katsuki said warily. “What does it do?”

“She… Hears people’s thoughts.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“But she can also make other people hear thoughts.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Izuku cringed. “And they don’t just… Tell me these thoughts, they kind of… Sing them.”

“People are just… Serenading you their thoughts?”

“More like… They pick a song that fits? And sing it? And sometimes there’s dancing?”

“You’re messing with me.”

“I’m not. I know it sounds fake, but… Yeah. That’s what I’ve been dealing with this week.”

“Are you gonna tell me about any of the stuff you’ve heard?”

“Mm… I woke up in hospital with Shouto singing beside me. He was singing something about wanting to hold my hand. I didn’t get it at first, and when I asked him about crushes and stuff he told me he liked someone but they were in love with their best friend. But it turns out that by singing to me it probably means he likes me.”

“No kidding,” Katsuki scoffed. “We’ve all known he liked you since high school, nerd.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he snorted. “What else?”

“Um, the nurses kept hitting on this one doctor, which was… Really weird. And Tenya and Ochako had a really cute duet!”

“Gag.”

“Don’t be mean! But, um, Kirishima sang too. When you were both here before. And it was all… Dark. Like, weirdly dark. About resentment eating him up inside even though he didn’t want it to, or something? And he kept looking at me and you. So… Yeah. I think he likes you and he’s kinda… Mad at me?”

“So that’s where that came from.”

“Yeah,” Izuku cringed. “When you said he knew, it kind of cemented it in my mind.”

“Eijirou won’t let it get in the way of your friendship, don’t stress about it.”

“I know that,” Izuku assured him. “He hasn’t so far, after all. I just wish he didn’t feel that way, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“I wish he could just be happy with someone else. And Shouto too! It’s so sad, I don’t want them to be lonely.”

Katsuki snorted, and Izuku tilted his head slightly to look up at him, to try and decipher what he was thinking.

“It would be fucking funny if we sent them on a date.”

“What?”

“Eijirou and Halfie.”

“Kacchan!” Izuku gasped, sitting up to look at him with wide eyes. “You’re a genius!”

“I fucking am but you’re kidding, right?”

“No! It’s perfect! Kirishima is super sweet and bubbly, he would be so good at getting Shouto to come out of his shell and be happy!”

“I guess the half-ass has some stuff in common with me,” Katsuki grumbled. “We’re both sarcastic assholes.”

“Yeah! Kirishima will love it!”

“You can’t seriously be considering this.”

“We can try, right?”

“I guess so,” Katsuki conceded. “It can’t make things worse.”

“I’ll set it up right away!”

“Oh no you don’t,” Katsuki huffed, grabbing him as he started to move away. “Those shitheads can wait, right now is our date time.”

“Okay!” Izuku agreed easily, his grin almost as wide as his face. “Cuddles first, then cupids!”

“You’re such a nerd.”

“A nerd you love,” Izuku teased. “You have such poor taste.”

“I don’t know what I see in you,” Katsuki snorted, hugging him close. “Shitty nerd, stop making me smile.”

“Never!”

“You’re the worst.”

Izuku let his eyes fall closed, savouring Katsuki’s affection, and to his surprise, Katsuki let it slide. He didn’t take the opportunity to make him jump, or to tease, or pinch or poke or shove, he just stroked his warm hand lightly up and down Izuku’s side, letting him cuddle to his heart’s content.

“Would you come to karaoke with me if I asked nicely?” he murmured.

“What, with the extras? I always come, don’t I?”

“Would you join in though?”

“Haah? Why the fuck would you want that?”

“Kacchan has such a handsome voice,” Izuku explained, tensing up as he braced himself to be punched for it. “I want to hear Kacchan sing.”

“Ugh, you’re so gross.”

“Kacchaaaaan.”

“One song,” Katsuki conceded. “Half the assholes have tonight off, Shitty-Hair was trying to make weekend plans.”

“You think they’d come if we asked about tonight?”

“Probably. Think you’re up to it?”

“Yeah! We can always take a nap together beforehand, right?”

“I don’t take naps.”

Izuku opened his eyes just to give Katsuki his best pathetic look, poking out his lower lip, and Katsuki grumbled as he pulled on it lightly.

“Cut the shit,” he sighed, rolling his eyes when Izuku just laughed. “Whatever, I can stay here with you.”

“You’ll give me cuddles?”

“Only if you don’t use that word.”

“Deal!”

Izuku wriggled away a little to grab his phone, snuggling right back in when it was safely in his grip. He tapped out a quick invite in their old group chat, a holdover from high school that they’d continued to use in recent years, and Katsuki’s phone dinged as it sent to all their friends.

“Satisfied?” Katsuki asked.

“Yeah! Why, do you have more plans or something?”

“You could say that,” Katsuki smirked, slipping a hand beneath Izuku’s shirt and leaning in closer. “I can think of a few things I’d like to do.”

“Hell yes.”

Izuku slung an arm around Katsuki’s neck, dragging him in closer, and with lips curled into matching little smirks, they kissed once more.

─────

Few things made Izuku happier than spending time with his friends, and with Katsuki by his side, it only got better and better. Their friends had caught on right away when they walked in together, even though they’d let go of each other’s hand halfway down the street specifically to avoid the screams of excitement and confusion that they knew it would bring. Apparently, the way they walked together and looked at each other was more than enough for them all to figure it out – he really needed to look deeper into how his friends managed to read him like a book.

“You finally confessed?” Mina squealed, jumping up to hug Katsuki despite his protests. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Like I’d do that gross shit.”

“Confessing isn’t gross!”

“It is,” Katsuki snorted, shoving her off. “Neither of us sank that low.”

“Kacchan, it’s not low,” Izuku huffed, elbowing him lightly. “Confessions are cute!”

“Ugh.”

Izuku couldn’t help but let his eyes wander to where Shouto sat, bracing himself for pain or discomfort in his expression, but instead he looked… Surprisingly good. He was even smiling to himself faintly, as he sipped at a beer, and Izuku smiled back when he saw it.

“It’s about time,” he chuckled, when Katsuki glanced his way too. “Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Says you,” Katsuki snorted, nudging Izuku into a seat. “At least I have a date.”

“Congratulations, it only took you a decade.”

“You should ask Shitty-Hair.”

“What?” Shouto frowned slightly.

“On a date,” he clarified. “Ask him out.”

“Kirishima? Why would I-”

“Yeah!” Izuku cut in, beaming from ear to ear. “You two would make such a cute couple! Kirishima, take Shouto on a date!”

Kirishima’s eyes widened, lost for words, and for a moment the two just stared at each other. They were both far too nice to say no right to each other’s faces, and Katsuki had capitalised on that fact without hesitation. Izuku was kind of impressed by it, underneath his surprise and concern over him going for it so quickly, but Katsuki just shrugged like it was a well-known fact rather than a suggestion.

“Haven’t you been wanting to try that new soba place near work, Shouto?” Izuku pushed. “I bet Kirishima would love to try it with you.”

“Eijirou loves trying new restaurants,” Kaminari chimed in. “He’s always dragging us to new places that turn out to be terrible.”

“You’ve got to at least give them a chance,” Kirishima insisted, rubbing at his neck sheepishly. “I guess uh, there’s no harm in hanging out, right? These two aren’t gonna stop pushing.”

“Are you going to buy flowers or should I?”

Izuku laughed, clapping a hand over his mouth, and thankfully Kirishima was right along with him – there were only a few people who appreciated Shouto’s form of deadpan humour, and Izuku was pleased to see that Kirishima was one of them.

Maybe it really had been a good idea.

“How have you been doing, anyway?” Mina prompted, dropping into the seat on Izuku’s other side and ruffling his hair playfully. “You holding up okay? Boom Boy taking good care of you?”

“Really good,” Izuku agreed. “He’s perfect.”

“Aww, you’re so cute. He’s been smitten for as long as I’ve known him, I’m glad he finally got his act together and told you.”

“Actually,” Izuku laughed awkwardly, “I was uh… The one who said it.”

“Wait, really? I thought there was no way you’d get the guts to confess to Explodoboy. You never know how he might react, after all. Could all blow up in your face just because you asked five minutes too early.”

“He was… Giving me some pretty strong vibes,” Izuku mumbled. “I uh, figured it would… Be okay.”

“He finally learned how to flirt?!”

Izuku ducked when Katsuki leaned over to swat at her, giggling to himself as they slapped each other’s hands a few times just to make their points.

“Either way, it amounts to the same thing,” Izuku pointed out, in hopes of placating them. “I get to hold Kacchan’s hand, that’s all that really matters!”

“Awww,” Mina cooed, patting him on the back lightly before she retracted her hand. “Go on then, Blasty, hold your cute boyfriend’s hand.”

Katsuki glared at her, but did it all the same, linking his fingers with the scarred ones waiting on Izuku’s thigh. Izuku squeezed him lightly, shooting him a big smile, and Katsuki’s stern look softened a little at the sight. He was such a sap, deep down, and while Izuku would never dare say it out loud, it made him beyond happy to know. There was just something so perfect about being the only one who saw those little moments of love and sweetness, the only one who knew exactly how in love Katsuki really was, and in love with him to boot.

With a few drinks in them, people started to take turns singing, and Izuku practically buzzed with excitement as he waited for his moment to come. Everyone stared at Katsuki like he’d grown an extra head when he picked up a microphone, but no one dared to say a word, and Izuku knew his smile was ridiculously big when Katsuki glanced his way.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Katsuki grumbled, quickly confirming Izuku’s assumption. “Close your eyes or some shit.”

“But I wanna watch!”

“You’re so embarrassing, I swear to god.”

“Just one and I promise I’ll never ask again.”

“I’m holding you to that, nerd.”

He looked away when the music started, his foot tapping along faintly with a familiar drum beat to count him in, and Izuku was stunned by the bubbly tune that came out of the speakers. He’d expected Katsuki to pick one of his typical heavy rock or metal songs, something that would make all their ears bleed and help him save face, but instead he’d picked out something that was more Izuku’s style than his own, something that probably existed on one of Izuku’s playlists somewhere, and something about that thought made Izuku’s heart flutter.

And yet, Izuku felt like he’d never really listened to the song before. Katsuki refused to look at him, staring straight at the screen instead as if he had to read along with the lyrics, though Izuku suspected he had them all in his head anyway. He’d picked it so quickly, after all, and there was no hesitation, no stumbling over a wrong word or a sudden change in tempo, he definitely knew this one.

He’d listened to this song, probably alone in his apartment, probably many times, and he’d thought of Izuku.

He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Katsuki admit he was wrong or had made a mistake, in real life. Hearing him sing those words made Izuku feel… Lighter. Katsuki sang them for him.

Somehow, he’d gotten caught up in the way he felt about Katsuki, and the way Katsuki felt about him. He’d never thought to consider how he might make Katsuki feel. It was one thing to know Katsuki loved him, it was a whole other thing to think about why Katsuki loved him, and how he knew. The way he weighed on Katsuki’s mind, with past mistakes and future possibilities. The way Katsuki thought of him when they were apart, wondering what he might be doing. All the things he felt and he did, Katsuki was doing right along with him. He’d never considered that a possibility, only days earlier, but now that fact seemed insane to think about.

And Katsuki’s voice… It was just everything. He knew Katsuki was perfectly capable of being polite and respectful if he wanted to, if he had reason to, but he had always much preferred to be blunt and short with his words, to save time and effort. The way he so easily changed to a softer, prettier tone to sing would be the envy of any actor who heard it, and Izuku wished he was recording it to listen to every day for the rest of his life. He would never get bored of hearing that voice, those words full of love and regret and understanding. Katsuki loved him for everything he was, everything he’d ever been. They completed each other, complemented each other perfectly, and Izuku sniffled a little as his eyes began to water. Really, Katsuki should have warned him he’d need a box of tissues before he even started – it was all his fault, the damn jerk.

Izuku wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and for the first time, Katsuki glanced his way.

He cracked a smile finally, the nerves fading away when he found Izuku blubbering over him, even reaching out to squeeze at Izuku’s hand lightly. Somewhere in the middle he’d forgotten about his audience, had gotten caught up in the words that had for so long spelled Deku to him. A small part of him had been worried that Izuku might just smile and clap and not understand, but this was the man he’d known for almost as long as he’d known himself. The boy who had followed him through the woods, the awkward kid who had leapt up and praised him every time Katsuki knocked him down, the teenager who had challenged him and fought him at every opportunity just to push them both higher, and the man he’d been in love with for so long that it had become a part of his identity, like he was no longer sure who “Katsuki” was if it didn’t have “and Izuku” tacked on the end.

If you’d asked him back in high school, Katsuki would have sneered at that concept, even as he was living it. But Katsuki had grown since then, had become a little more self-aware, and liked to think he’d become a better person in general.

He’d had to, in the end. Not just for the civilians he saved, or for his friends and family and co-workers, but for himself. He wanted to be the best hero, after all, and he couldn’t do that without first being the best Katsuki.

As time went on, he’d gained another motivation to be better. He knew Izuku had forgiven him long ago for being a shitty person, but he still didn’t feel like he deserved that forgiveness. Not until he knew it would never happen again.

He’d finally given himself permission to be in love.

As the music trailed out, Izuku threw himself into Katsuki’s lap, bawling into his shoulder without a care in the world for the people giggling and cooing at them. He wrapped his arms tight around Katsuki’s back, holding him close, and Katsuki didn’t hesitate for even a moment. He wound his arms around Izuku’s waist, steadying him in his precarious position, and just smiled to himself faintly as the idiot blubbered into his shirt.

“Thank you, Kacchan,” he choked out, barely loud enough for Katsuki to catch it. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

“Me neither,” Katsuki assured him. “I told you, you’re my favourite place.”

Izuku refused to move, even when they began to regain some awareness of all the people watching, and across the room he caught a glimpse of Kirishima leaning over, gently nudging Shouto in the arm. Shouto’s head popped up, eyes wide, and Kirishima shot him a little smile.

“Want to get soba tomorrow?”

Shouto’s lips twitched upward, and he nodded, slipping his phone out of his pocket.

“I’ll send you the address.”

By the end of the night they were all well and truly tipsy, exchanging hugs and missed high-fives at the door when the karaoke bar began to close up, splitting off in all different directions to head for their homes. Izuku couldn’t help but notice that Shouto walked a little closer to Kirishima’s side than usual, the pair chatting together quietly, and he burst into giggles when Katsuki smirked at him knowingly. 

The streets were impressively busy for how late it was, though Izuku supposed that wasn’t unusual for a Friday night, and as they wove their way through crowds of people much drunker than themselves, Izuku clung tightly to Katsuki’s strong hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d let go, was pretty sure they’d been holding on since the moment they left the apartment other than their brief parting at the karaoke club's entrance, but he wouldn’t have traded that for the world. The simple comfort of that hand in his was better than all the years of therapy he’d attended through work – okay, that was probably not true, but he certainly felt like it was – and he had a weird sense of wonder and disbelief that he’d gone so long without it.

As they turned into a main street to enter the train station, the crowds thickened considerably, and Izuku froze in his tracks. He stared down a dark alley, and Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him for it, tugging lightly at their linked hands.

“What?” he asked pointedly. “Oi, Deku.”

“It’s happening.”

“What’s happen- Oh. Now? I don’t hear anything.”

“You don’t hear that music?” Izuku asked, frowning as he looked around, hoping desperately that he might find the source

“No?”

“Someone is singing.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, tightening his grip on Izuku’s scarred hand.

“Oh great, someone is singing during the last-train rush on one of the busiest streets in the city, and you want to find out who. Fuck this quirk, come on, you’re gonna get us stuck out here all night or make me fork out for an expensive as shit taxi instead of just getting on the goddamn train.”

The music still rang in Izuku’s ears even as Katsuki dragged him away, and he looked desperately over his shoulder, only finding a packed street of people walking home from late nights at work and drinks with their co-workers. Despite his curiosity, he couldn’t say no to the hand that was linked with his, dragging him away, down into an equally crowded station to head out.

The station sounds muffled the music that came from above, though he felt like he could still hear feet on the concrete, tapping along with the rhythm that was now going to be stuck in his head for hours. He was pretty sure he heard car horns honking along too, and a small part of him kind of wished he could see it.

What he didn’t see, perhaps thankfully for his sanity, was the way an entire street full of people were dancing in time, like the most well-practiced choreography in the world. Unbeknownst to Izuku, and the rest of the world along with him, a winged hero and a scarred villain met in the middle of the street, taking turns verse-for-verse as they sang.

He didn’t see the way the civilians suddenly become hip hop experts, popping and locking with the best of them, or the way they shuffled in time with people they’d never even met, like a scene straight out of a musical. He didn’t see the way Hawks circled around Dabi like a predator, like he might strike and take the villain down at a moment’s notice, while singing about broken wings that kept them from flying together. He didn’t see the way Dabi stepped in closer, challenging the hero with his gaze, telling him there’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing with his song. Telling Hawks how he was broken but still there, still waiting for Hawks to return to him, to make his choice.

If Izuku had seen it, he might have been alarmed – would certainly have been confused, at the very least. He might have wondered if this was some kind of assignment for Hawks, something he’d been dragged into by the Public Safety Commission and their power over all the heroes of the country, forced into supervising one of the worst offenders they had. As time went on, he might have remembered how the quirk was described to him, how it was supposed to speak their innermost thoughts and feelings, and then… Then he would definitely have been concerned.

But in that moment, Izuku missed the most confusing performance of a lifetime. Undisturbed, Hawks and Dabi shared their dilemmas with the world through music, screamed to the world that their minds couldn’t justify what their hearts wanted. No matter how hard they tried to fly together, they were still dragged back down.

Dabi gripped Hawks around the waist, lifting him up to the sky and watching his wings spread as they spun, watching the way they shone under the streetlights and cast mottled shadows over the concrete around them. He would be dragged down again and again, but Dabi would still continue to raise him up, to help him fly once more – whether that was with or without him, though he certainly hoped it would be with. And in that moment, Hawks smiled down at Dabi like he didn’t have a care or a worry in his body, the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders as Dabi held him up high.

In reality, as civilians walked undisturbed through the streets, and cars honked at each other for not looking where they were going, Hawks and Dabi shared a brief moment, barely a look, in an alleyway before they parted ways. But in a world where Izuku stayed to watch, they danced.