This chapter jumps around in the timeline a bit. I tried to keep the breaks for major time jumps to be helpful. But it's kinda the epilogue so yeah.

Also, I've taken some liberties with the sports festival. Each grade will go on a separate day.

Also also, that stuff with the League of Villains – Izuku and All Might dealt with it during the Internship arc so they're gone. Yay!

They didn't see each other again for the rest of the weekend, though they did text plenty. There was plenty of flirting – primarily from Bakugou – but there was also a shadow on their relationship from their argument that Izuku hoped faded soon. As of yet they hadn't really talked about him gaining and hiding his quirk and he was hesitant to bring up the topic again while their relationship was so new. At some point, though, he really wanted to sit down with the other and talk about it.

But before that, he wanted to figure out just what he and Kacchan were going to do. He had said they weren't dating – officially – but he didn't want things to go back to the way they were before either. He wanted couple-y things, without being too couple-y. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it? They did do the whole kiss on the cheek thing, so asking to spend more time together shouldn't be any worse than that.

"'Zuku, dude, why don't you just sit with him at lunch or something?" Mirio interrupted, having been watching his friend slowly start to panic next to him.

Izuku turned to his friend with wide eyes. "You think so?"

"I mean, you used to walk home together all the time. This isn't much different from that. Heck, you could probably start doing that again since you're both here," he suggested.

"Yeah," Izuku agreed. "Yeah! You're right. That wouldn't be too out of the normal, and it's not like it would be all that different from before. I can totally do that!"

"Might wanna leave now," Mirio glanced at his watch, "if you wanna get lunch with him."

"Right! Bye guys!" And then Izuku was dashing out of the 3-A classroom.

"Hey Mirio, where's Izuku going?" Hadou asked, approaching the other boy as she watched their top student run out.

"Lunch date with his not-boyfriend," he answered, standing to leave. "Guess it's just us two."

"Hmm, okay."

.

Bakugou's sitting at his desk and staring at his phone, debating on whether or not he wants to text Deku to sit with him at lunch. Normally he wouldn't have hesitated, but he's unsure about how the older boy would feel eating around younger students easily impressed by new and upcoming heroes. And that's the only reason. He's certainly not nervous about talking to someone he's known since diapers. No way.

His musing is interrupted by a sudden outbreak of whispers from the rest of his classmates and he turns to the nearest with an annoyed scowl already ready when he catches sight of just what exactly they're whispering about.

Deku is standing at the door, looking plenty nervous as he scans the classroom. His expression visibly brightens when he catches sight of Katsuki and the older boy quickly makes his way over. "Kacchan, hi!" he greets when he's close enough, admirably ignoring the rise in muttering when he does so.

"Deku," he replies, only a little surprised to see the other. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah," Deku says as he begins fidgeting nervously. It's not blatantly obvious, but Katsuki knows him so well he can tell. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to eat lunch together."

"Lunch?" he deadpans, as if he hadn't just been contemplating the very thing before Deku arrived. But the older boy doesn't need to know that.

He immediately flushes, though out of embarrassment or nervousness is debatable. "Yeah, I mean, I figured it would be nice? Since we're both here at school – for now. B-but I mean if you don't want to I can just go join Mirio and Nejire like usual so it's fine," he rambles, misinterpreting Katsuki's earlier reply as disinterest.

Hearing the name of the other boy immediately snaps him out of whatever surprise-induced stupor he'd been in. "What?" he snaps, standing. "No, you're eating with me. That sunny bastard can keep his paws off! C'mon, Deku." He grabbed the other boy by the sleeve, ignoring his classmates as he dragged the other out of the room to the cafeteria. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Izuku waving to his classmates that were very obviously watching them and he snorted. Trust Deku to be friendly to the people who were going to gossip about him as soon as they were out of sight.

.

They managed to find a quiet table away from both Izuku's and Katsuki's classmates. That didn't stop Bakugou from glaring at Mirio after Izuku waved to his friends, though the other clearly only found it amusing.

That was fine. Katsuki would just make sure Izuku only ever ate lunch with him from then on.

. . .

Of course, as soon as Katsuki returned to the classroom he was mobbed by his fellow students.

"What the hell was that?!" Kirishima asked. "Since when are you friends with Deku? I thought you guys were fighting."

"We were fighting. Now we're not. Mind your own fucking business, hair-for-brains," Katsuki snapped, pulling out his things.

"How?" Kaminari bemoaned. "How does a guy like you know Deku? I've heard he's super nice. Like, too-good-to-be-true nice. Why is he hanging around you?"

Bakugou frowned but Uraraka interjected before he could speak. "Oh my gosh, I've always wanted to meet him!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, that would be nice," Iida agreed, pushing up his glasses. "And he is under the mentorship of All Might, so he must be unbelievably skilled. Perhaps we could even get some good advice from him."

"You think if I asked him out he'd give me a chance?" Ashido asked, a dreamy expression on her face that Katsuki didn't even want to think about. Then his attention was drawn back to Kirishima.

"Bakugou. Dude," Kirishima turned back to him, his gaze pleading. "You gotta bring him to class one day."

Katsuki scowled. "No. Definitely not." Then he turned to Ashido. "And he'd say no."

Ashido pouted. "Aww, you think so?"

"I know so," he smirked.

Kaminari gave him a knowing grin, one that Kirishima matched from beside him. "Oh, so you his boyfriend, Bakugou?"

Katsuki scowled. "No," he retorted. Then a wry grin spread across his face. "Not yet."

. . .

"I'm sure you'll do fine in the sports festival," Izuku told Katsuki one morning as they walked to school. It was the first day of the festival and all of the first years would be competing later that afternoon. The third years would have theirs in two days.

"Of course I will," Katsuki scoffed. "I'm gonna fucking win. Just you watch."

"I will, Kacchan, so do your best!" Izuku smiled.

Katsuki would forever deny the fluttering in his heart at the action. "Can I get a kiss for good luck?" he asked. Any opportunity he could find he would ask Izuku for a kiss. He never got one after the very first, but it wouldn't hurt to keep asking.

Izuku paused at the entryway to the school and looked at Katsuki. The younger boy stopped and looked back. Izuku smiled again, though Katsuki could see a faint reddening on his cheeks. "I suppose one wouldn't hurt, especially for luck." Then Katsuki watched as the other leaned in and placed a chaste, lingering kiss on his cheek before pulling away. "Now you definitely have to win," Izuku told him.

"Fine," Katsuki agreed, and then cleared his throat when his voice came out a little rougher than he'd intended. Izuku smirked and he scowled in response, ignoring the heat in the tips of his ears. "Because you asked me to and I would hate to disappoint. But this doesn't mean you can slack off in your group, you hear?" He pointed a stern finger at the older boy.

"I don't compete for two days, Kacchan," Izuku reminded him. "But yeah, I'll give it my all!"

"Good," Katsuki nodded. "I'd hate to have to tell my classmates my not-boyfriend is only number two at UA."

Izuku blushed. "I'd hate to say the same, Kacchan," he replied with a grin.

Two days later their mothers forced them to take a photo with their first place medals, to commemorate their first and last years respectively at UA. Katsuki made a point to complain the entire time, but internally he was more proud of the two of them than he would admit. Finally they were able to stand together, if only for a little while.

. . .

Graduation comes far too quickly in Bakugou's mind. It seemed like just last week they were putting on their hero costumes for the first time, and now Izuku was leaving to be a pro hero. Katsuki had been nothing short of proud for his not-boyfriend when Izuku came to tell him – before anyone else – that All Might's agency had officially signed him as their newest pro hero. And not as a sidekick either.

Now he's sitting in the large hall where UA holds their graduation ceremonies, waiting with his and Deku's families for him to walk across the stage last, of all places, since he's the leading student of the class. He barely pays any attention to the final speech – something about memories and peace and hope for the future – before they're eventually allowed to stand. Of course, now they actually have to find Izuku.

Fortunately he finds them first, and after Inko gets her photos of Izuku with his classmates and herself and even All Might they're finally heading home until they have to head out to his party later that evening. It's only a couple of hours but Katsuki will take any time with Deku he can get. Izuku's mother doesn't even question him when he follows the other boy back to his room when they get home.

Katsuki stood nervously by the entryway of Deku's room while the other moved around, gathering the clothes he would be changing into for later. "So," he begins after a while. "You're finally doing it."

Though his back is to Katsuki, he can clearly see the soft smile forming on the older boy's face. "Yeah, I am."

Katsuki scowls and immediately moves forward to smack the other's arm. Izuku jolts and turns to give him a surprised look. "What's with that face, huh?" he berates. "You should be more excited. You're a real hero now!"

"Uh, y-yeah!" he stutters out. Katsuki snorts.

"Whatever, Deku." Then he turns back to the older boy with an intense gaze. "Just remember, you said you'd wait for me until I graduated, so don't go getting distracted by any lame-ass heroes you meet, got it!"

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise at the other's straightforwardness, but soon he was smiling as he gazed at the younger boy with a fond look. "Of course, Kacchan. Wouldn't dream of it."

. . .

Izuku heard talk several months later about potential interns. It's not really something he's involved in, as new as he is, but a specific name caught his attention and he paused to listen in.

"Bakugou Katsuki…didn't that kid win UA's sports festival two years in a row?" another newer hero asked his friend. "Only Deku has that kind of record."

"He might even top it with three for three," his friend chuckled. "The kid's a genius, if not a little hot-tempered. But I've heard he's a lot better than he was last year. Best Jeanist said he was such a handful to deal with; he probably won't take him on again even if Bakugou wanted to apply there."

"Heh, yeah," the first hero agreed. "You think he'd come here?"

Deku couldn't see the other but he was sure he just shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't think we've got any heroes he's interested in now that All Might's officially retired."

"That's true. And I heard Mirko's office was gonna make an offer."

"Yeah," he could just hear the grimace in the hero's voice, "can't compete with that."

Izuku smiled and walked off. It had been a couple of weeks since he'd last seen Katsuki, but the younger teen was definitely starting to mellow out – to a degree. He was still as rash as ever but at least now there was some more thought behind his actions instead of outright violence.

Perhaps he would visit again soon.

. . .

Izuku starts to understand Katsuki's complaints about the graduation ceremony when he has to endure it for himself a year and a half later. He nearly groaned in relief when they were able to stand again. Luckily they didn't have to look hard for Katsuki, now that he stood almost a head above Izuku – which he was still disappointed about, but also not surprised.

Katsuki reluctantly introduced them to his friends in the class – and the pink girl whose name Izuku forgot almost fainted when she shook his hand? He wasn't sure what that was about – until he eventually managed to scare them away, though it was much harder to do after they'd known him for three years. Izuku could understand, and he smiled in amusement as he watched the newest generation of heroes interact. Soon enough, though, Katsuki was storming away and dragging Izuku along with him.

They wandered around the back of UA's campus, hanging around a little longer than they had for his own graduation. Katsuki had begged off having a party and his parents had grudgingly agreed if he promised to join them for a nice dinner instead. But for now they had time, and Izuku was happy to spend it with Katsuki.

As soon as they were out of sight of the other people Katsuki was reaching for his hand, a common event between them now after Katsuki had worked up the courage to ask almost a year before. Yet despite the familiarity between them Izuku was almost nervous being alone with Katsuki. He had graduated, and as they had promised each other so long ago, there was nothing holding them back now. They just had to take the step, but Izuku wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"Where are we going?" he asked, just to fill the silence. Katsuki shrugged.

"Don't know. Don't care. As long as they're not here."

Izuku let out a quiet huff of laughter. "You mean you haven't gotten used to them yet? You know you might end up working with them one day."

"Nah," Katsuki replied. "Those losers aren't going anywhere near me."

"Yeah?" Izuku asked, glancing to the side at Katsuki. "You still haven't told me which agency you signed with," he mentioned, poking at the other boy.

"Nope," the younger said, popping the 'p' as he did. Izuku pouted.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Kacchan."

"No."

"Kacchan!" Izuku pouted when the other had the audacity to smirk.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Deku."

He scowled off to the side. "Maybe, maybe not. For all I know you could be transferring to Okinawa and then we'd never see each other."

"Certainly a possibility," Katsuki agreed.

Izuku shot him a look that he hoped didn't show how worried he was over the possibility. As far as he could tell nothing had changed between them for the worse. Katsuki still acted like he wanted to be with Izuku, and Izuku certainly still wanted to be with Katsuki. But these past few months had been rather rough; with Izuku working and Katsuki busy with final exams it had been several months since they'd last seen each other. And even though they talked almost daily anything could have happened that Katsuki wouldn't tell Izuku about. He'd never doubted Katsuki before, and he definitely didn't want to start now, but the way the other was avoiding the topic was nothing short of stressful.

"There you are, boys!" Mitsuki exclaimed as she rounded the corner ahead of them, startling Izuku out of his inner thoughts. "We're heading out now. Hurry up!"

"Yeah yeah, we're coming, old hag," Katsuki grumbled, pulling Izuku along with him.

.

Unfortunately for Izuku he couldn't get more than the one day off work and so it was back to the grind. He heard little from Katsuki over the next few days, the other no doubt busy transferring to whatever agency he'd signed with. Izuku still hadn't found out where he was going. He didn't even know if the other was still in Tokyo.

When he got back from an early morning patrol about a week after the graduation he found the office abuzz with activity. He looked around in tired confusion as he saw heroes that rarely deigned to come into work hanging around, and managerial staff running back and forth with papers and coffee and the like. "What's going on?" he asked one of his friendlier coworkers as he got a cup of coffee for himself.

"New recruits," the other replied. "They're coming in right after lunch."

"Ah," Izuku nodded. It had been much the same when he had first started working there. "Do you know who they are?"

He shrugged dismissively. "Nah, though I heard one of them's from UA."

Izuku's mind couldn't help but catch on that one tidbit of information. "Really?" he asked, trying not to sound too intrigued. "And you don't remember who it was?"

"Eh, not really. But hey," the other began, switching topics, "since you just got back and all you're probably starving. You wanna grab some lunch together?" A hopeful gaze turned on Izuku and he barely managed to hide his grimace at the other's words. It hadn't been the first time he'd been asked, or the first time he'd said no.

"Ah, well -"

"Sorry," a rough voice cut in, "but he's already got plans with me."

Both heroes turned in surprise to face the newcomer and immediately Izuku was brightening out of sheer happiness, his earlier exhaustion forgotten. "Kacchan!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"You know him?" Izuku's friend asked, an displeased expression on their face.

"Obviously I'm one of the new heroes with the agency," Katsuki replied, ignoring the other's question. "Jeez, Deku, haven't you been paying attention," he chided as he approached the older boy. Izuku sheepishly grinned and Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes, though there was an undeniable fondness behind the expression. "Whatever. Doesn't matter. But now…"

And before Izuku could really register what was happening Katsuki's hands were cradling his cheeks and his lips were on his own, finally kissing him in a way Izuku had only dreamed of up until then. His eyes fell shut of their own accord as he leaned into the other, his arms wrapping around Katsuki's waist as he rose on the tips of his feet for a better angle. When they finally pulled apart Izuku thought it was far too soon – a sentiment likely reflected in Katsuki if the quick glance down to his lips was any indication. But they didn't kiss again. Instead Katsuki spoke.

"You. Me. Lunch. So you can't say I never took you out on a date before we got married."

Izuku couldn't help the chuckle that escaped anymore than he could the flush that spread across his cheeks. "So quick, Kacchan," he teased. "It'll take more than just one. I'm not that easy, you know."

Katsuki smirked in return, his hands falling to Izuku's neck and shoulder. "I've been waiting for two years now, but fine. All the lunches from now on then," he amended.

"I can agree to that," Izuku replied with a blinding smile.

And in the corner his coworker stood, forgotten and alone.

The end, folks.