To Stand by Your Side (DekuBaku)

Chapter 24: Why Confront Our Problems When We Could Just Go to an Onsen Instead

"So, lemme get this straight. This person—"

"My friend."

"Your friend, won a coupon for a free overnight trip to this place? Like, for real?"

"Last I checked, that was, in fact, the case."

"...damn."

Izuku couldn't get over the small bit of wonder on Katsuki's face as he stared out the train window and over flourishing scenery, the cityscape having only recently disappeared behind them.

"S'nice of your friend to offer." Katsuki murmured, relaxing back into his seat. "Don't think I've ever been to a private onsen before. I've gone with my family once or twice to group ones, but they usually leave me behind when they go out."

"Hm, wonder why." Izuku chuckled, only to receive a light smack in the arm in return.

"Don't make me think about my parents having sex, asshole." His boyfriend grumbled. "But, hell. You said that you started planning this like, two months ago?"

"Three."

"Shit..." Katsuki let out a small sigh. "Time went by faster than I thought it would."

Izuku managed a weak smile. "It tends to do that, the older you get. I just wish I'd have gotten to see you more. I've been so busy lately..."

"Same here. Ugh." His boyfriend's head slumped against his shoulder. "I got my ass beat preparing for finals, and it felt like it was just exam after exam after exam. Break's a fucking miracle."

"U.A. doesn't leave much time for slacking off, that's for sure." Izuku's hand found its way to rest on Katsuki's leg. "God, I missed you. Wish we'd managed more than five dates between September and now."

"Five? I don't think we can count the one you ran off in the middle of for an assignment a proper date." Katsuki snorted. "Four-and-a-half, at best. And two of those doubled as training sessions."

"Yeah, yeah... but, hey. I can't say I minded kissing you while I had you pinned down on the beach." He grinned as a barely-hidden flush rose up over Katsuki's cheeks. "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

"...whatever." His boyfriend rolled his eyes. "Maybe it wasn't awful."

Truth be told, though, combat training had been a touchy subject since their fight several months ago. It'd taken two months alone for Izuku to not feel nauseous at just the thought of raising his fists against Katsuki, and even once they'd started again, he knew he hadn't been able to give it his all during those sessions. Seeing him on the ground hurt, and while Izuku had been trying to hold off on multitudes of checking-up messages, it was hard, so damn hard to think about the fact that there were people out there that could be out to hurt him, and that he couldn't do a single thing about it.

And they'd tried talking about their fight. Tried. But for as many times as they dared to breach the subject, raised voices kept coming up, and no matter how much Izuku tried to wrap his head around what Katsuki was saying, it was just...

It hurts.

Not that Katsuki was much better, though. They'd manage to at least admit that they weren't mad-mad at each other, and things were certainly less stilted and awkward, but it was more than obvious that a bit of strain was still there.

We can't put it off forever. But for this next day, I...

Katsuki's eyes had fallen closed, soft hair spilling across his face.

I don't wanna deal with that stuff. We both need to relax. My work and his education have both been too exhausting to allow us to think about much else...