Mine is the Heart (One Shot)

Mine is the Heart

Izuku has always been kind of obsessed with Bakugou Katsuki. Not in a creepy way! No Mam. In a wholesome, super caring and overly analytical way. Completely healthy. No harm done.

Don't get him wrong, Izuku is aware that he's always adored Kacchan . He didn't go around from the day he was old enough to form the word 'Amazing' using it on just anyone. No, that was reserved for those things which truly did amaze. And boy did Katsuki amaze Izuku.

When they were children it was his strength, his tenacity and no nonsense attitude. When Katsuki got his quirk, it was how strong his quirk was, how useful it could be, and how many ways it could be utilized for hero work. Even in middle school, when Izuku was at his lowest (mostly thanks to Katsuki) he still admired the blond. His whole life was structured around his goal; his schedule, his diet, his academic standing, his workout regime. It took Izuku a long time to admit it, but now he can honestly say that although he dreamed of being a hero with every fiber of his being he did none of the things necessary to achieve that goal, quirkless or not. All he did was fanboy and nerd out - although on the upside his analytical skills are definitely one of his best assets nowadays.

When they got into UA Izuku got to see Katsuki in his element, and then the amount of 'Sugoi Kacchans' he hurled the blond's way suddenly held more meaning because damn was Katsuki intensely serious about his hero career. And now Izuku had a quirk that was strong, stronger than anyone knew, and he had to prove himself and keep up with the big leagues. Through lots of fighting, pain, sacrifice and revelations, they became more than friends or even rivals. They became more. The ying to the other's yang, light and dark, ebbing and flowing in perfect harmony while the discord played on the B-side and spurred them on to be better, do better. Constant one-upmanship of a now friendly nature.

So yes, Izuku very obviously admired Kacchan. But when the heck did admiration become love? When did Izuku go from respecting Kacchan, being in awe of him, to loving him?

Izuku can't exactly pinpoint when, but at some point he stopped just chasing after Katsuki, stopped just seeking approval of his strength, his tactics, his strategies. He and Katsuki had become close. They worked at the same agency, trained and sparred together weekly at minimum. They critiqued each other - even if Katsuki scoffed at Izuku's feedback, he always saw his suggestions implemented, spent some of their downtime together, even discussing future plans for a joint agency while working out and sharing after work meals. They had become equals.

Yes, at some point Izuku looked across the table and stopped thinking that Kacchan was amazing and someone to be beaten, and started seeing him as a partner, a remarkable individual who just made the greenette's days better by being in them.

Then Izuku started to notice other things too.

He noticed that he liked the way Katsuki smelled, even after a workout, or a rough sparring session. He noticed how the strong line of Katsuki's jaw and the angle of his eyes added to the handsomeness of his face. Now don't get him wrong, Katsuki was of course objectively handsome, but subjectively Izuku started to notice that he found even the blond's imperfections wonderful. For instance, Katsuki couldn't grow a beard if he tried and ended up with awful wiry rogue hairs on his chin. He won't wear antiperspirant because of his quirk, and he has scars littering his body - much like Izuku, and many of them earned on each other's behalf. Just another reason for Izuku to love him.

Oh crap, there's that word again.

When Izuku started noticing these things, and feeling the tightness in his chest everytime their bodies made physical contact - a hand on his shoulder, or ruffling his hair, or grasping of his bicep to lead him away from reporters after a fight - he began to analyse his own behaviour. When he realised his need for approval had morphed into his actively seeking opportunities to be with the blond, to gain his attention, he started to worry.