numbertwohero | Prismatica Inbox

[He's trying. He's not exactly great at opening up, either; it's so easy to shut back down at the slightest sign of negative response. Katsuki's seen that, too. But sometimes you have to take that risk, open up even if it means getting hurt. Sometimes you need someone who's not going to let you run.

And sometimes maybe you need someone who'll hold your hand and let you pet their hair while you debate dumb things like this.]

That's true, he's not exactly the bureaucratic type. So if not him, then who...

I've got it. Principal Nezu. Totally Illuminati.

[They can both be bad at it, in their own unique ways. They're both stubborn, which Katsuki is glad about. Most people would have given up at the first glare, let alone all of the other bullshit.

Even if it means entertaining the idea of one of their teachers being in a nonexistent organization. At this point he's not even sure if Shouto believes what he's saying.]

SHIT!!!

[His head snaps up briefly, bumping into Shouto's hand before he slouches down again.]

I never trusted him. He's too happy. And I saw what he did with our two dumbest classmates.

[They both need someone who's stubborn, maybe. Someone who isn't just gonna give up. Especially since they both suck at this.

Honestly, he's just playing along for the hell of it, now. He doesn't necessarily believe in any of this, it's just something that's fun to think about occasionally. What's the harm in keeping an open mind? And after all, didn't this dumb conversation get Katsuki interested, too?

That sparkle in Shouto's eyes is back as he looks down at Katsuki, fingers combing through his hair again as the other boy settles back down, and he's definitely smiling now.]

Right? I saw that challenge. He was way too cheerful about trying to murder them. I'm honestly surprised they survived.

[He is interested. He doesn't believe in any of this shit, but he's having fun discussing it with Shouto. The whole thing is so ridiculous.

But instead of coming up with a clever retort, Katsuki just stares up at him in awe. God he's fucking beautiful.]

He let them live. Maybe it's some sort of initiation process. [Keep talking about murdering his classmates. He didn't realize how attractive that was.]

[You know, Katsuki's eyes are really pretty, he finds himself thinking almost idly as he looks back at the other boy. It's an unusual color, one that might look weird on some people but just seems strangely fitting on the other boy. Even when the look on his face is...not a look he's used to seeing from any angle. It reminds him of the way Katsuki was looking at him just a few hours ago, which reminds him of the context of that look, which...

Hm. Probably better to not think about that, given the way his stomach does a weird little flip.

Instead, he laughs, shaking his head with a huff, clearing it of thoughts that might lead awkward places.]

So does that mean Kaminari's a member of the illuminati now?? That would just be too weird.

[He might be a little disappointed Shouto doesn't go into the gory details, but his laugh is more than enough to make up for it. He's pretty sure he's gotten the Icy Bastard to smile and laugh more in a few days than most people could do in a decade, and he's proud of that. It doesn't hurt that Shouto's laugh is just as melodic as his voice. His voice is soft, but there's a strength there that he deeply respects.

He can't help the way his mouth tilts up into a faint smile.]

He's young enough to be brainwashed and stupid enough to stay that way. I never said they had good ideas all the time.

You never say they have good ideas, period. Pretty sure you're allergic to giving compliments.

[And yet, that smile lingers. Maybe because he likes it a lot when Katsuki smiles, too.]

Compliments are pointless if they're said just because! Besides, I've complimented you!

[He scoffs, but he can't look away from his smile.]

You have? Guess I must have been so shocked I blocked it out.

[He's definitely teasing, now. It feels strange, and also strangely liberating, to be able to be like this, especially with Katsuki. Especially like this.]

Then--!

[His face heats up. Why is he getting flustered? What the fuck did Shouto do to have this kind of affect on him?]

Then I'll just have to compliment you again. I like your stupid smile.

[Is Katsuki blushing? He probably shouldn't feel so strangely proud of making that happen, but he does. He absolutely does--and then it's his turn to blush, too, his heart doing a weird little leap in his chest at the words.

It's just a compliment. And one punctuated with an insult, like most of Katsuki's, but...still. It feels different, when he's holding Katsuki's hand and the other boy's looking up at him like that.]

Usually works a little better without the insults, you know. Like...'I like the way you make me smile.'

[The words are a little quieter. Less teasing, much more genuine, and a little hesitant. He's not sure how Katsuki will react, after all.]

[He notices that pink flush, and the way it makes Shouto's eyes brighter. There's an annoying sound in his head that won't go away, and even though their faces are a good couple of feet apart suddenly the space between them feels a lot warmer than it did seconds ago.

Finally he realizes that sound is his own heartbeat, louder than ever after the silence that follows Shouto's confession. Suddenly he's very nervous. He's nervous and he can't cover it up with anger and screw things up again. Katsuki swallows, but it sounds more like a boulder has been dropped on the floor. Despite the way his heart races and breathing quickens, there's that rush of pride, similar to after winning a tough fight but so incredibly different.]

I...

[Why the hell won't his voice work?] I like it more. And you should like it because what- what point would there be if you didn't?

[Now it's his turn to wait. How badly did he fuck up this time?]

[Is it Katsuki's heartbeat, or is it his own? Because Shouto's pulse is racing like he's just run a 5-minute mile.

Katsuki could run. He could get too flustered and just trade this soft quiet moment for yelling and pushing Shouto away. But it's worth the risk, he thinks. If he doesn't keep trying, maybe Katsuki will stop, too, and he doesn't...

But he doesn't.

And Shouto's smiling again, a little smaller, softer, but a smile, as his fingers squeeze Katsuki's lightly. It'd be an awkward angle to kiss him from, which is possibly the only reason his answer isn't just a kiss. Katsuki didn't fuck up at all.]

Guess I wouldn't mind if you do it more often. But--only if I can make you smile, too.

[He could run. But he's tired of that. When Shouto smiles again and he feels a pang in his chest and all of the tension drain away at once, he's sure he made the right choice. Shouto is strong, and beautiful, and smart but it's not just that. He can't figure it out.

He squeezes his hand in return and he shifts a little to sit up and press his lips lightly against Shouto's, smiling against them, and pulls away a second later.]

Better?

[He's worried for a moment when Katsuki shifts to sit up, but it's only a moment, there and gone as the other boy presses his lips to Shouto's in an achingly light touch. It's a gentle thing, not quite a kiss, but it's enough that he can feel the curve of that smile against his own lips, and he thinks his heart might shatter at any moment from the sheer sweetness of it. Sweetness and Katsuki are not two words that go hand in hand, and he's fine with that, but if he can have just a few moments like this, it'll be worth it.

When Katsuki pulls away, Shouto's eyes open slowly, filled with something he's not even sure he could name. He doesn't know what this feeling is, but he wants to keep it.]

...Yeah. Better.

[It's okay if he steals another kiss, right? Just one.]

[Sweet isn't a word he ever thought he'd associate with either of them. But it's that, and fragile, and he wants to hold onto whatever this is for as long as he can. He can't put a label on that look in Shouto's eyes. Even if he could, he doesn't think he'd want to. The way it resonates in his chest, echoing through his limbs and flooding him with warmth is better than any label. He feels the same way. Maybe that's why he kept running away.

Or maybe it's too complicated to boil down to one reason, like that precious, rare look in Shouto's eyes that he's so fiercely protective of. Even if it means kicking his own ass.

He opens his mouth to say something clever and probably a little abrasive when Shouto's lips unexpectedly meet his. Without thinking about it he hums a little, and leans in, his hand not holding Shouto's squeezing his shoulder.]

[Of all the reactions he might have been expecting, an enthusiastic response was not one of them. But he's definitely not complaining. What was meant to be just a short, brief, chaste touch turns into something slow and lingering, his free hand coming to rest on Katsuki's leg, and he's not sure what exactly is happening here but he doesn't want it to stop, either.

It isn't just a moon, apparently. But then, he's known that for a while.

After a long moment, he finally pauses to breathe, licking his lips and pulling back just a little.]

...Guess I like that, too. Sorry.

[It's not the moon, the moon just magnifies whatever it is he feels for him. And he's okay with that. It means they're doing it on their own volition, even if it's confusing and leaves his head swimming.

There's a pressure on his leg, a warmth that floods up, and he hums despite himself and leans forward against Shouto's chest until he can practically feel every breath and beat of his heart against his chest-

And then it's over and Katsuki blinks, face flushed and bangs slightly mussed in his eyes.]

Yeah. Me too.

[There is a kind of comfort to this still happening, even though there's no moon influence. They might not know what they're doing, but they're doing it together, and it's mutual.

As his eyes half open, Shouto takes in that flush on Katsuki's cheeks, the way his hair is a bit of a mess and falling into his face, and without thinking he lifts that hand from Katsuki's leg to push his hair back, thumb brushing against the other boy's temple as the touch lingers against his jaw.]

...Yeah?

[Not that he couldn't tell, just that...it's still a little hard to believe. That this could happen. That Katsuki likes this as much as he does. And maybe--]

--We could do more of it. If you want.

[It's hard for him to believe too. It baffles his mind that Shouto would want to do this with him, and not have him kill someone, or something simpler. But he's also kind of proud of himself that he's getting this kind of reaction out of him.

And then Shouto's cradling half of his face and he melts, resting his hand against the other teen's.]

Do you want to?

[It's an incredible rush, feeling Katsuki melt into his touch. He's so fierce, so angry, and yet right now he's so soft and pliant, and his hand on the back of Shouto's is incredibly warm. It's not just the moonlacing that makes him feel like he's floating, or maybe falling. It's this. This crazy, unbelievable experience.

Shouto leans in just a little closer, their lips barely inches apart, his eyes flickering down briefly to the other's mouth as he licks his lips. His pulse is hammering in his ears, and yet there's still a heavy silence in the air, almost expectant.]

...Yeah. Yeah, I do. Do you...?

[His voice is husky, quiet as he brushes his thumb over one sharp cheekbone, the touch almost delicate. He does. He really, really does, and maybe that should be weird but it isn't.]

[He can barely hear Shouto over his own heartbeat. He could answer, give some snarky asshole response like he normally would. But Shouto's touch is so light, and he's always so unsure, and Katsuki's mouth feels dry and his lips are barely parted when he makes his decision, leaning back in with his answer. Actions always speak louder than words, even if he has a tendency to scream the latter.

Shouto's lips are soft and warm, and he lingers there for a bit longer before moving away to breathe.]

That answer your question?

Edited 2020-04-15 11:58 (UTC)

[Most of the time, he's not gonna mind the snarky asshole response. In fact, generally he looks forward to that response, enjoys Katsuki's razor sharp wit, but right now, in the midst of this fragile thing, sharp and abrasive isn't what he needs. Maybe eventually, if this is a thing that lasts, but right now it's still so new and fresh that any sharpness could break it.

So it's good, that Katsuki answers with a kiss instead of words. A kiss Shouto knows how to answer, and it's by kissing back, fingers sliding to card through the other boy's hair again, leaning into his touch. And again, it's somehow too short. It's never enough, no matter how much he does it.]

Maybe. But I think I want to hear you say it.

[His voice is low, husky, and his lips brush Katsuki's again in a touch that's accidentally more suggestive than he means it to be.]

Why? Why do I gotta say it?

[Katsuki actually shivers at the gesture, a rush of electricity jolting down his spine, but there's an underlying current that stops him from meeting his eyes, even as he tilts his forehead to meet Shouto's, close enough to feel the heat of his breath. He can't put a label on the sensation, but it makes his heart race and vision blur. It's the same sensation he felt when he realized he wasn't extraordinary at UA, just average. The same sensation he felt when he was powerless to help All Might. It's the same, but different. It's tolerable this time.]

Demanding bastard...

[Finally, he meets his eyes.]

I want to. I don't fucking get it, but I like doing stuff with you. I think I might li- not hate you. But I don't feel that way about anyone else. Does that answer your question?

Because I want to hear it.

[The words are quiet but insistent. Why? It seemed like it shouldn't be a big deal, but suddenly it is. Suddenly it matters a lot. Why? Because he wants to hear Katsuki say the words. Why? Because the answer matters. Why? Because...because he feels that way, too, and as Katsuki finally meets his eyes, he feels a jolt of electricity down his spine.

I think I might...not hate you. It's a very Katsuki answer, but it almost wasn't. He heard that other sound, before he'd stopped himself and switched tacks. And he doesn't feel that way about anyone else. The warmth that floods through him then is a flood, drowning out anything he might have felt before. The shaky breath he lets out is somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, but his heart is pounding hard enough Katsuki might be able to feel the trembling of his fingertips against the nape of his neck.]

...Yeah. Yeah, that answers my question.

[The pulse in his ears drowns out everything else, but even if he can't hear the words he thinks maybe he should say them. So he whispers them against Katsuki's mouth, his eyes closed.]

I like you, too.

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