New Year's Day passed and classes began anew.
No one sat in the desk behind Katsuki. He couldn't even clench his still relatively useless fist with the anger that boiled up, knowing how much school Deku was missing just laying in a shitty bed. How the fuck was Deku meaning to surpass him as the number one hero when he was flat-out in a hospital? That wasn't a fair way to win their life-long competition.
And it wasn't fair to keep Katsuki on edge, every single day, wondering how Deku's healing progressed.
Of-fucking-course, he heard about Deku all the goddamn time from his classmates. Every day, someone who had visited him within the UA compound hospital reported on his current state. Katsuki wondered how the fuck Deku could stand all of the visitors. From what he could tell, people hung out with him at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Literally. He was never alone.
At least he was surrounded with his stupid friends and was probably smiling his dumb, distracting smile every day.
Still, he needed to come back. Not for Katsuki, obviously. Because what use was Deku to himself or anyone else stuck over there? He needed to come back.
Not that it meant anything to Katsuki. The further they were from each other, the better. Katsuki had made that decision when Deku would have been too stubborn and stupid. It had been the right thing. It had been what a good hero would have done. Protected the people they cared about from danger.
So why did it hurt so fucking bad?
January passed and Valentine's Day came.
Katsuki opened his locker, and chocolates dumped out onto his feet.
Gritting his teeth, he stared down at the mess of gross girl emotions mauling him first thing in the morning. Deku would never do something like this if they were going out. He knew he'd get drop-kicked over the fucking moon.
Katsuki's hands froze in the process of scooping up the offensive gifts, his eyes wide as he stared his feet.
Why the fuck was that nerd popping up at a time like this? Had he gotten a concussion in yesterday's scrimmage? Shitting hell.
With a rabid animal scream, Katsuki shoved the Valentines into the nearest garbage can, whirling around at the gawking populace.
"What?" Katsuki said, a sneering smile twisting up his features, a vein above his eyebrow pulsing. "The hell you bastards lookin' at? You want chocolate? Dig in the fuckin' garbage!"
"Bro," Ashido said from behind, still bundled in her plaid, neon green puffer jacket. "What's going on with you? Chill out."
She put a hand on Katsuki's shoulder and gave a hard push, directing him back to their lockers. A growl rumbled deep in Katsuki's chest, but he allowed her to lead him away.
"I hate Valentine's Day," he said, low and menacing, snapping a look over his shoulder as if some chick with a confession letter would peek around the corner at any minute.
"I don't even know how you have the fanclub you do," Ashido said, pulling off her penguin-faced earmuffs and fluffing up her new pink faux hawk. "You're probably the least attractive dude I've ever met, personality-wise. And that's saying something. Remember when I dated Monoma for that one week in second year? What the fuck was I thinking?"
Katsuki sighed as he put on his indoor shoes and slammed the locker door.
"You said he had a dick like a wand because it had to be magic. I remember this because you fuckin' scarred me for life and I haven't been able to look him in the face since."
