Sweetheart

Chapter 1

Katsuki wasn't sure how he'd ended up in this situation. It had just been a simple invitation, a request to hang out and catch up over dinner – Deku's treat, he had insisted.

It wasn't that Katsuki was broke, but it had certainly been a while since he'd been to an actual restaurant. No one to go with, for one. The grueling process of fighting his way up the charts despite his shitty attitude, for another.

And yeah, okay, he would admit it: The pay was pretty shit. There were so many damn heroes fighting for attention, fighting over villain captures, not to mention having to pay stupidly high insurance costs for his damage-prone quirk.

So yeah, after a ton of nagging from the nerd, he'd caved. He'd put on a button-up shirt he managed to unearth in his closet, had combed his hair (not that it made it much more presentable than when he didn't), and had started his walk.

Halfway there, in the night breeze, he wished he'd forked out for a ride. He didn't like riding trains and busses at the best of times, not now that his face was considered recognizable, and in formalwear? No thank you.

Maybe he should have sucked it up, though. Or else paid for a taxi. He could spend a little cash once in a while, right? It would just mean cutting back a little on his meal budget next month. More carbs, less fresh fruit and vegetables.

It was too late for that now, though, he supposed. He was almost there, and he could suck it up and take a train home, when there were less people around. He just had to get through an hour or so listening to Deku's insane enthusiasm first.

"Kacchan!" Deku bleated, the moment he pushed open the front door. "I'm so happy you came!"The nerd hadn't changed at all, still short and slim, toned rather than bulky, still baby-faced as all hell.

"Hey," Katsuki answered finally.

The hostess showed them to a table immediately, and Katsuki blushed when Deku pulled the chair out for him with a big grin, as if he did it every day. It was so damn stupid and cheesy, but Katsuki sat all the same.

"I'm so glad you came," Deku reiterated, when they were seated opposite each other with drink menus in hand. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever! I mean, have we met up even once since you moved?"

Katsuki shook his head. He hadn't seen much of anybody since he left town. Miruko had offered to let him be her sidekick, despite her general stance against teaming up with people, and he'd had to admit, it was a damn good offer.

They worked well together, had similar personalities, both worked incredibly hard and weren't afraid to throw down with the people who deserved it. He loved his job, even if the hours were awful and the pay almost as bad.

"Yeah, well," he snorted quietly. "Wasn't gonna pass up free food, was I?"Deku giggled, signalling to the waitress, and Katsuki finally glanced down at his menu."Do you drink, Kacchan?" Deku asked."Sometimes," he nodded. "Uh, I try not to do it too often.""Of course! But we can share some nice wine, right? A toast to our careers finally taking off!""Yeah."

He knew the words were meant genuinely, but they stung all the same. Deku had hardly even needed to try to get noticed. He was All Might's successor, after all. He didn't need to be a sidekick, he just smiled sweetly and beat up assholes.

Katsuki just watched as Deku ordered a bottle of wine that just sounded expensive. He'd never even heard of the damn brand – not that he was exactly a wine connoisseur, he'd have to do some research next time the nerd was in town."Did you want anything else, Kacchan?""No. Uh, thanks. Wine is good.""Okay!"