MHA smut

And It All Keeps Coming Back to You

Deku blinks at him. Blinks again, and gives a little shake of his head, as if to clear it.

"The best... what?" Deku asks.

"What do you mean, what?" Katsuki says, and counts off his points on his fingers: "You're the only hero who's my equal. You're smarter, stronger, and more powerful than anyone in the industry, other than me. Everyone else is leagues behind us."

Deku is... no longer looking at Katsuki like he's amazing. His jaw has dropped a little. He takes a step back, putting space between them, which irritates Katsuki. Katsuki steps forward, closing the gap, but Deku pulls away again. Fucking stubborn asshole, what else is new?

"So you're saying," Deku says, "that we should sleep together because we're the top two heroes, and no one else is good enough for you?"

"Exactly!"

Deku closes his eyes. "Oh my god."

"So?"

"No!"

"What? You're saying you don't want this hot ass?" Katsuki snaps, offended. "Everyone else does!"

"That's not what I— that is, um—"

"You dating someone?"

But there's no way. When Deku's not working, he spends all his time with Katsuki and a handful of people from Class 1-A. Katsuki would know if Deku had anyone. He doesn't. He just doesn't. And if he does, Katsuki will find that person and crush them.

To his relief, Deku says, "Ha! No, I'm not, but—"

"Are you not gay?" Katsuki shoots back. "I'll fix that."

"I'm bi, not that it's any of your—"

Katsuki throws his hands up in frustration. "Then what's your problem?"

"Kacchan, can you just... listen to yourself?" Deku says, desperation creeping into his voice. "You can't just decide to be with me because of our hero stats!"

"Why not!"

Deku makes a strangled noise. He takes several deep breaths and turns his eyes skyward, as if praying to All Might for patience.

"So if Shouto was number one, you'd be having this conversation with him?" Deku asks.

"First of all," Katsuki tells him, "that would never happen."

Icyhot at number one? As if.

"Second," Katsuki continues, "You're not number one. I'm number one."

"That was last week, Kacchan," Deku says, coolly. He's regained his composure, which only makes Katsuki more annoyed. "I see you haven't checked the rankings this morning."

"You gonna answer me or what?" Katsuki forces the question out through gritted teeth.

Deku laughs. Katsuki has heard Deku laugh a million times – during particularly exhilarating battles, after hard-earned victories, over interviews with fawning reporters, at dinner with Katsuki and their friends. That laugh has been part of the soundtrack of Katsuki's life, and he's heard so many versions of it at so many ages. As small children, as teens butting heads at UA, as grown adults living their lives side-by-side.

But he's never heard that laugh sound so sad.

"I can't believe," Deku says, and stops. "I thought you finally—"

"What?"

"Never mind." Deku wipes all traces of emotion from his face. He regards Katsuki with a look of detached politeness that makes his skin crawl. "Thank you, Kacchan, but I have to decline."