Safe Space

Whatever You Like

According to Eijirou Kirishima, Katsuki is a picture of manliness. Tall, tan and handsome. Strong. Arrogant. Incredibly good at anything he does.

According to Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki is a picture of recovering toxic masculinity.

Katsuki doesn't much care for the opinions of his friends. He is the way that he is, and it's been decided that it's not exactly a bad thing for it to be that way.

Because, according to Shouto, Katsuki is just...Katsuki.

But Little Katsuki?

Little Katsuki is a completely different story.

#

"Do you see something you like, baby?"

Izuku knows the answer, of course, by the way the boy is pressed against the glass of the window, standing on his toes. He's abandoned the one thing Izuku allowed him to carry home, leaving the package of toilet paper on the sidewalk to pursue whatever it was that caught his attention.

The boy nods, and Izuku can see how excited he looks from his reflecting in the glass.

The freckled teen picks up the toilet paper on his way to the window, peering in to see it was that had Katsuki ready to burst at the seams.

He pauses upon realizing that it's a clothing store.

For girls.

"O-Oh. What is it that you want from here?" He doesn't mean to sound quite so apprehensive---it just threw him off, but Katsuki seems to have picked up on the change fairly quickly. His hands quickly leave the glass to play with the hem of his shirt, dropping his head to stare at his untied shoe laces in utter disappointment.

"N-nothing."

Izuku hisses through his teeth when he realizes what he's done.

"Are you sure, honey? It's okay if you like something here---"

He quickly shakes head and Izuku sighs. So much for teaching him that it's okay to be himself. He offers Katsuki his hand and the boy accepts, taking one last longing glance into the shop as they leave.

Izuku doesn't bring it up again.

#

Later that night, Katsuki notices Mina sitting on the floor of the common room attempting to paint her toenails but she can't quite seem to get it. The polish is black and it matches the coat on her fingernails. Katsuki eyes it in her hand for a long while before Mina notices him, motioning for him to come over with a friendly smile. He crawls over from his own spot, toys left forgotten.

"Hi, sweetie!"

He smiles. "H-Hi." He points to the polish. "I-I like it. Pretty."

"I know, right?! Super cute! Too bad I can't reach far enough to get my toes, huh? Oh well."

He watches her lean back with a sigh before moving to screw the cap closed again when Katsuki gingerly taps her on the shoulder.

"C-Can I try?"

She gets ready to decline him, thinking that he's asking if he can paint her toenails but when she looks up and sees the longing in his eyes, she realizes that it's something else entirely.

"You want me to paint your nails, baby?"

He nods, unable to look her in the eye. When she doesn't respond, he regrets asking and thinks maybe he should just go back to play with his toys but when he looks back up again, she's reaching out to grab his hand.