Fanfic translated in English !!

I've finally translated chapter one into English YAAAAAAY!!! 🎉😭

I had to read it 20 times and I'm still not sure about it... but oh well!

I'll leave the AO3 link if you prefer ➡️ https://archiveofourown.org/works/65524966/chapters/168671020

Otherwise you can read it here ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Wake Me Up When September Ends

• Chapter 1

"I swear I booked the other spot!" Ochaco opened the minivan's trunk to pull out the tent from on top of their luggage. "But they told me someone had already paid the full price before I could pay the deposit..."

"It’s okay, Ocha, it’s not that bad." Izuku helped her unpack their things. "We’re not too badly off here." He looked around—their pitch was a small square, just big enough to pitch a tent for four and park their van. Right next to them was an old-looking campsite cabin that had clearly seen many seasons, and on the other side were the communal toilets and showers. Sure, they would’ve been better off at the lakefront spot with no neighbors, but hey, that’s camping life. And Izuku was far too excited to be on his first holiday without his mom to let something this minor ruin it.

"Yeah… But two months breathing in toilet stench in the summer heat? Ugh…" She grimaced in disgust.

"Come on, we still have a lake view from here!" Izuku gestured enthusiastically over the small hedges that bordered the back of their pitch. Sure enough, the lake shimmered in the background, visible between the trees and mobile homes, though they’d have to cross half the campground to reach it.

His friend rolled her eyes and groaned. "Uuuugh… Your smile is more blinding than this damned sun..."

Izuku laughed as he finally pulled the tent out of its bag.

It took them over an hour to set up the wretched thing, and another hour to unpack and organize their belongings. It was 7 p.m. by the time they finally finished.

"Hey, how about pizza for dinner?" Izuku offered as he closed the van’s trunk.

"Oh my god yes! I don’t have the energy to cook tonight," sighed the girl as she flopped into her camping chair in front of the tent.

"Alright, alright," Izuku chuckled. "I’ll go get some. The usual?"

"Please, babe." She winked at him and blew a kiss, which he dodged. "Rude." They both burst out laughing, and Izuku left, hands in the pockets of his shorts.

As he passed by the neighboring cabin, he noticed a large black Jeep with orange stripes parked outside, it hadn’t been there when they arrived earlier in the afternoon. Their neighbors must have shown up while they were setting up the tent.

Izuku decided he’d try to meet them soon. He wondered if it was a family, the cabin looked big enough for four, maybe more, and it seemed like the kind of place a family with kids would vacation.

There was a small snack shack near the campground entrance, just a counter where you could order pizza, sandwiches, tacos… Nothing fancy, but more than enough for his hungry stomach. He quickly placed an order with a bubbly young woman with short, curly pink hair, and waited patiently in one of the plastic chairs outside the shack.

He pulled out his phone to check social media and (too many) messages from his mom.

Of course she was worried. It was the first time her baby was traveling without her, but she knew he needed this and deserved a little time for himself.

Izuku was the perfect son. Smart, decent at sports though not an athlete, never had an identity crisis or rebellious phase, responsible, never touched alcohol or drugs, never stayed out late, helped with house chores (except cooking, he nearly burned their apartment the few times he tried).

He was the kind of son anyone would dream of. So when he asked if he could go on vacation with his best friend before starting university, his mom couldn’t say no. Though, he did have to make a PowerPoint presentation to prove everything was organized and safe, and promise to call her every day until he came home. 

He sent her a quick message saying they were settled and everything was fine. With a sigh, he put the phone back in his pocket and looked around, fidgeting with the orange bracelet on his wrist.

It was more like an old piece of string than a bracelet, but he’d had it his whole life… As far back as he could remember, anyway. His mom never knew where it came from, but he was deeply attached to it without knowing why. As he grew, he’d had to repair and reinforce it with new cords, so now it was all frayed and knotted with varying shades of rust and orange, but the original piece was still there.

Looking around, he could see other vacationers bustling about in the communal area. There was a big stage and a bar across the plaza from where he sat. Some kids were running and playing in front of the stage while their parents watched with drinks in hand. There was also a small grocery shop for supplies.

A loud grumble behind him near the snack counter interrupted his quiet survey of the place. He turned around to see a tall man in black shorts and a black tank top, blond hair hidden under a matching cap, leaning on the counter. “What the fuck, Pinky?! I asked for Orangina, not this orange soda crap!”

"Hey, look sweetheart, that’s all we’ve got. If you want Orangina with your pizzas, go to the bar and check if they’ve got some!" The pink-haired girl from earlier was glaring at him, totally unfazed by his outburst.

"Tch. Fine! Just make the damn pizzas already..." the blond grumbled.

"They’re already cooking, Bakubabe." She smiled sweetly and turned to Izuku, who had been watching the scene. "Oh, your pizzas are ready, honey!" She placed two boxes on the counter.

"O-oh... Uh... Okay..." He approached timidly, and the blond turned toward him, sending a shiver down his spine. Crap, this guy had a terrifying aura. Izuku hoped he wouldn’t run into him again.

"Thank you very much!" Izuku bowed and stole a glance at the blond and- 

Oh no...

Gay panic.

The guy was seriously, ridiculously hot. Okay, Izuku had noticed the muscles from behind, which was already telling, but his face? His eyes? He looked like a demon sent to Earth to test the purity of mere mortals like Izuku, because he’d never seen such an intense gaze. Even his scowl was sexy…

"What?!" the blond snapped, baring perfect teeth.

Izuku tensed, realizing he’d been staring for too long. His neck flushed red. "S-sorry!" He scurried away as fast as he could without looking like he was running, even though he totally was.

Back at the pitch, he didn’t see Ochaco anywhere. He set the pizzas down on their little table in front of the tent and looked around.

Nothing.

He was about to call her when he heard a loud crash from the neighboring cabin, followed by a shrill scream.

Without thinking, he ran to the open door. Inside, he saw his best friend in the middle of what looked like a combined kitchen-living-dining space, holding a broom. A guy with bright yellow hair and a black lightning bolt dyed on the side stood on the corner couch. Several chairs were overturned around the table—probably the source of the noise.

"Ocha?" Izuku called from the doorway.

"Oh! Izuku!" She grinned. "I met our neighbor! This is Kaminari Denki!"

"Uh… Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you…?" Izuku raised a brow at the blond.

"Nice to meet you too, dude!" Denki grinned.

The three of them stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before Izuku spoke. "Why-"

"There was a spider," Ochaco cut him off.

"A HUGE one!" Denki added.

"And Denki hates killing spiders, so he came to ask me to deal with it."

Izuku looked between the two of them… then burst out laughing. "Pff-... O-okay..."

"Hey! Don’t laugh! It was seriously monstrous!"

"I believe you. Where is it now?"

"That’s the problem," Ochaco sighed. "It moved when I tried to hit it and Denki jumped on the furniture to escape, and now... it’s gone."

"Hmm… Maybe we can use the air compressor to flush it out? The one we used for the air mattresses, it’s probably hiding under some furniture."

"Oh yeah! Good idea." Ochaco shoved the broom at Izuku and headed out. "I’ll grab it!"

Denki sat cross-legged on the couch. "Sorry about this." Izuku could see that, despite the smile, he looked a bit embarrassed.

"It’s fine. Neighbors help each other, right?" He smiled to reassure him. "Are you here alone?"

"Oh no, there are four of us. We split up when we arrived. Two went shopping, and one went to grab food."

"Oh…" So not a family. Izuku glanced around—there were four doors, two on the left, two on the right. One had to be a bathroom, so… three bedrooms for four people?

"Yeah, Sero’s bunking with me, but don’t get any ideas, it’s a room with two beds!" Denki grinned for real this time. "The other two got the double bedrooms 'cause… let’s just say they’ll need them."

"S-sorry, did I say that out loud?" Izuku scratched the back of his neck, laughing nervously.

"It’s cool, man. It’s actually kinda cute." He smiled at Izuku. "So, how long are you guys staying?"

"All summer. We start college in September, so we’re here till the end of August."

"Really?! That’s awesome! Us too! We can totally hang out!" Denki looked thrilled, and his excitement was contagious. Izuku didn’t mind the idea at all, he liked making new friends.

"Alright, let’s try this!" Ochaco came back in with the little compressor. She plugged it in and started blowing air under the furniture. Dust came out… and then-

"THERE! THE FRIDGE!" Denki shouted.

"GOT IT!" Izuku raised the broom to strike the spider (which wasn’t that big, honestly), but hit something behind him, blocking the broom in midair.

He froze and turned around, his color draining.

The hot blond from earlier was right behind him, pizzas in one hand, gripping the broom with the other. "That was close." He let go of the broom. "What the hell are you doing? And who are you?"

A loud SMACK, and Ochaco cheered. "Got it!" She had used a rolled-up magazine to squish the spider. Then she looked up and saw the blond behind Izuku.

"Hey Baku! There was a spider, so I asked our lovely neighbors for help!" Denki hopped off the couch and grabbed the pizzas from the blond’s hand to place them on the table.

Wait…

Neighbors? Oh no no no…

He was going to be living next to him for two months?!

"A fucking spider?! Are you serious? Damn it, dunce face! We’re in nature! We’ve been here for two hours and you’re already bothering strangers with your bug phobia?!"

"Actually, spiders aren’t bugs. They’re arachnids..." Izuku was living dangerously.

If looks could kill, the blond would’ve blown his head off. "Thanks for the vital biology lesson, nerd." he spat.

"Oh, come on… Don’t be grumpy." Denki slung an arm around his broad shoulders and pulled him inside. "They were kind enough to help me out, so the least we can do is be nice back, right?"

"Exactly, dumbass. They helped you. I had nothing to do with this."

"Anyway, we were just leaving." Ochaco grabbed Izuku by the shoulders and steered him out. "Lovely to meet you, Denki! Feel free to stop by anytime!"

"Oh, uh… yeah! See you guys, and thanks!" Denki called.

Ochaco and Izuku walked the five meters back to their pitch.

"What’s that guy’s problem? How is Denki even friends with him?" Ochaco growled.

Izuku couldn’t help glancing at the single window from the cabin that overlooked their spot, thankfully closed. He didn’t want any eavesdropping, especially not from a certain angry blond.

"I don’t know… I saw him when I was ordering pizza, and he was so rude..."

"That guy’s a total asshole if you ask me." She sat down and grabbed a slice. "For a moment I thought we got lucky with the neighbors, if they were all like Denki, you know? But that guy… Uuuugh..." She took a big bite.

"I know!" Izuku couldn’t agree more. He already didn’t like the guy and had no desire to spend time with him.

They ate their pizza while ranting about the blond for the next 20 minutes. Two guys walked past with grocery bags. One was even more muscular than the blond, with bright red hair, and the other was tall and slim with straight black hair.

As they passed, the redhead stopped and gave them a megawatt smile. "Hey! You’re our neighbors?! That’s awesome! Looks like we’re about the same age too!"

Oh, these must be the other two Denki mentioned.

"Y-yeah! I’m Izuku Midoriya and this is Uraraka Ochaco, nice to meet you!"

"No need to be so formal, dude! I’m Eijiro Kirishima and that’s Hanta Sero. We picked up some beer, wanna join us?" the redhead offered, lifting the big pack of beer.

Izuku and Ochaco exchanged a long, silent glance.

The guys seemed nice. Three out of four wasn’t bad… right? But that one…

"Okay, let us clean up and we’ll be right there!" Ochaco finally replied.

Ah yes. Free beer.

"Awesome! See you in a bit!" The boys went back to their cabin.

"Ochaaa!!!" Izuku whined.

"What? They seem nice! And that grumpy gremlin isn’t going to stop me from making friends."

She wasn’t wrong. "Alright… But I know you’re doing this partly for the beer."

She looked away. "I don’t know what you’re talking about~"

Resigned, Izuku gathered the empty pizza boxes and took them to the communal trash bins while Ochaco packed up their things to avoid leaving anything outside. She zipped up the tent and joined him in front of the cabin.

"I want to die," Izuku muttered.

Ochaco bumped his shoulder. "You’ll be fine. We’re gonna have fun, okay?"

He sighed. "...Okay..."

They climbed the steps and reached the door, voices inside loud but indistinct.

Ochaco knocked. The voices went silent. The redhead, Kirishima, opened the door with that same big smile. "You came! I was afraid Bakugou scared you off." He laughed and stepped aside to let them in.

All four guys were inside around their pizzas. The grumpy blond sat in the corner of the couch, arms crossed, brows furrowed. Izuku could’ve sworn he was pouting like a kid who’d just been scolded.

Sero spoke up. “Sorry about him, he’s kind of… complicated. But he’s a good guy.”

“Yeah! He’s kinda like a hedgehog, y’know? They’re cute, but they’re prickly!” Denki got smacked on the back of the head by the blond guy next to him.

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. And fuck off, I’m not a hedgehog, dumbass…”

“Anyway, I’m happy to make new friends on the very first day!” Kirishima chimed in, holding out a beer.

“Oh, um… I-I don’t drink…” Shit… Great, Izuku was going to ruin the mood because he couldn’t even drink a beer. They were just going to laugh at him, especially the blond one, no doubt.

“Oh shit, man… Sorry, I didn’t know. Want a Coke or something?” The redhead offered sincerely, without a trace of mockery, which made Izuku raise an eyebrow. He looked at the other boys, who didn’t seem fazed. Even the grumpy blond didn’t say anything.

“Uh… Yeah, sure. Sorry, I made you open a bottle for nothing…”

“Give me the beer, I’ll drink it,” Bakugou said calmly, or as calm as Izuku thought possible coming from him.

“Okay, bro.” He handed the bottle to the other boy, who grabbed it and took a sip, looking at Izuku, who was now staring at him. Upon closer inspection, Izuku noticed there was already a bottle in front of the blond. Already opened, but untouched… Had he taken Izuku’s so he wouldn’t feel bad? No… He didn’t seem like the type to do something like that for someone he barely knew… or even for someone he did know, for that matter.

“Midobro, your Coke.” Kirishima pulled him out of his thoughts, handing him a can.

Midobro? “Thanks.”

Ochaco had already settled next to Kaminari and was passionately telling Sero about the earlier spider incident, exaggerating the story to the point that the creature now resembled something out of a Tolkien book. Kirishima had sat next to Sero, which left Izuku with only one spot left: next to Bakugou on the couch. So, he sat down there, as far away as possible, though he still ended up within a foot of him unless he wanted to sit on the floor.

Fortunately, Kirishima was very talkative. He had a thousand questions and tons of stories to tell. So Izuku answered and listened the best he could. He learned they were all heading to university soon, each in a different field, so they wouldn’t be going to the same college. These holidays were like the end of an era for them. They had spent all of high school together. They even had a rock band that had been quite popular. Izuku was curious to hear them, and Kirishima promised to play him some songs.

He had almost forgotten about the blond. While Kirishima and Ochaco talked and Izuku half-listened, slowly drifting into his own thoughts, he started fiddling with his bracelet. It was a nervous habit, something he did when he was anxious, or excited.

“What’s that?” The blond leaned toward him to look at his wrist.

Izuku turned toward him, realizing the guy was really close… and also a bit flushed. A quick glance at the table confirmed he’d had several beers.

Bakugou was still staring at Izuku’s bracelet, but Izuku was too focused on his face to reply. His expression had softened, probably from the alcohol, his brows less furrowed, his gaze less sharp.

He looked into the blond’s eyes, they were a mesmerizing shade of crimson red. Izuku hadn’t even known eyes could be that color. They were beautiful. He must’ve leaned in closer to get a better look.

Then those eyes met his, and Izuku felt consumed by that gaze. “Deku…” the blond whispered.

“Y-yeah?” Izuku remembered he had asked a question. He looked down at his wrist where the string was tied. “Oh! Yeah… um, it’s an old bracelet I’ve had since I was a kid. I don’t really know where it’s from but-” his eyes met the blond’s again. “What did you just call me?”

“Deku.”

He frowned at the tipsy blond.

Why did that sound so familiar?

“Hey, Izuku! Did you know your name can also be read as ‘Deku’? That’s hilarious! I’m gonna call you that from now on!”

Huh? Where did that come from? Was it a memory?

“Uh… no, my name’s Izuku…”

“Nope, it’s Deku.” The boy grinned mischievously, folding his arm on the table and leaning against it.

He was definitely drunk. Or teasing him.

“No. It’s Izuku. I-zu-ku…”

“De-ku~” Okay, yeah, definitely teasing.

Izuku frowned at him while the blond burst out laughing.

“S-stop making fun of me!”

“Nah, you’re just too funny. And what’s that face? Is that supposed to be intimidating? You look like an angry Teletubby. The green one, course.”

Izuku turned bright red with embarrassment and rage. How dare he make fun of him like this? He stood up. “Fine. I’m going to bed. Thanks for having me.”

“Wait, Izuku! I’ll come with you!” said Ochaco, starting to get up.

“It’s fine, Ocha, you can stay. I’m just really tired. Goodnight, guys.”

Everyone, except the blond, wished him goodnight as he left. A few steps later, he was in his tent. He grabbed some clothes and headed to the nearby showers to freshen up, then went to bed.

The day had started so well, but of course, he had to run into him. Ugh…

He was so angry, and Izuku never got angry. He was really tired, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. So he pulled out his phone and scrolled through Insta. He was surprised to see a photo Ochaco had posted an hour ago, with all the boys and himself. When had she taken that? He hadn’t even noticed. Zooming in, he saw the blond watching him intently while drinking his beer, while Izuku was clearly engrossed in conversation with Kirishima.

Oh, she tagged the guys.

So there was Denki, Kirishima, Sero, and…

Katsuki Bakugou…

So his first name was Katsuki…

Curiosity got the better of him, and he clicked on the name to open the profile.

Big mistake.

The guy was walking candy. The kind that gave you cavities just by looking. There were tons of pictures of him, most looking professional. Some were candid, but the majority looked straight out of high-end fashion magazines.

Oh… he hadn’t read his bio…

Wait…

Two million followers?! Who the hell wanted to follow a jerk like that? Okay, sure, he was hot, but he had a mouth Izuku wanted to punch and @&#!?/%∆!!!...

Ahem. Anyway.

He looked more closely at his bio.

Well, there it was…

Model and face of a very popular youth clothing brand…

The guy was hot and famous—and the same age as Izuku… Well, not exactly, Izuku wouldn’t be 19 for a few more days.

As he scrolled, he came across a photo from last summer. It looked like a night concert, maybe a music festival? Oh… wait… he recognized Denki’s bright yellow hair and the black lightning with his guitar, Kirishima nearby with his own guitar and Sero with his bass… It was their band on stage! But where was the other blond? He swiped left to see the next photos and finally found him. Of course he was the drummer. What else could he be?

The smile he wore in the photo was dangerous, almost the same one he gave Izuku earlier… but here, he looked… happy? Like he was exactly where he belonged and nothing else mattered.

Izuku zoomed in to see the photo better. It was clearly candid, his thick, bare arms (thanks to a shirt with sleeves torn off), raised, holding drumsticks ready to strike. Sweat glistened on his skin under the stage lights… and Izuku suddenly wanted to lic-

He heard the tent zip and quickly closed the app… oh… shit, did he just tap something? Did he accidentally like a photo or… ugh, hopefully not.

“You’re not asleep? I thought you were tired,” Ochaco said, grabbing her toiletries.

“Couldn’t sleep, probably just the excitement,” Izuku offered lamely. He knew it wouldn’t convince her, but he didn’t want to talk about it. It was stupid and not worth it.

Ochaco looked at him for a second, unconvinced, then gave in. “Alright… I’ll be back in a bit.”

She returned a few minutes later, and they quickly fell asleep, the exhaustion of the day finally taking over.

They woke up the next morning because of the heat in the tent. The sun had been up for hours and was hitting the canvas full force, turning the place into an oven. Neither Izuku nor Ochaco wanted to roast.

They stepped outside, blinking in the morning light. His best friend offered to get breakfast since he had taken care of the pizzas the night before, which he happily agreed to.

Once she was out of sight, Izuku checked his phone. He had a notification… not from his mom, surprisingly. He clicked it, someone had messaged him on the app he was using the night before.

Katsuki: You stalking me, nerd?

Huh?

Izuku rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming. But no. The message was real. Well, might as well reply…

Izuku: Why do you say that?

Katsuki: //screenshot//

Oh.

It was the photo of the blond playing the drums that he’d been looking at last ni-

Oh shit…

MightyZuku liked your post.

No no no… Just how unlucky could he be? He knew he’d tapped something, but this?! And it was an old photo too, which meant the guy knew Izuku had gone through all his pics to get there…

Mortifying. Nothing went right with this guy.

Still, he tried a dodge worthy of the greatest masters.

Izuku: My finger slipped…?

FOR REAL?! Why did he add a question mark? He smacked his forehead with his phone. Idiot, Izuku! Idiot idiot idiot! he muttered to himself.

/Ping/

Katsuki: You’re gonna hurt yourself, dumbass.

Huh?

He heard a tap-tap sound and turned toward the one window of the cabin facing their spot… and saw the blond grinning smugly through the glass.

Izuku was suddenly on fire, and the tent heat was only 10% of the heat on his cheeks.

And as the very mature young man he was, his only response to the blond was… sticking out his tongue. 

What was he? Five? Ugh…

The blond looked surprised at first, then raised an eyebrow, that insufferable (and admittedly stunning) smile returning to his face. Not stunning! Horrible! Demonic! Infuriating! Izuku looked away as another message came in.

Katsuki: A piercing, huh? Pretty wild for a nerd.

Oh right… Of course, he saw the green bead on Izuku’s tongue.

It was one of the few “crazy” things Izuku had ever done. He got it on his 18th birthday last summer, after convincing his mom for six months. She only agreed if she could come along to check the hygiene and sterilization of the studio.

Anyway. That left Izuku with a pierced tongue. And from the blond’s reaction, he felt less embarrassed and more amused.

Izuku: Surprised you?

Izuku watched the blond read his message, smiling.

Katsuki: Hell yeah.

Izuku: You swear over text too? Is there a time when you don’t swear?

Katsuki: I’d say in my sleep, but according to Eij, I talk then too. Must have some pretty intense dreams. Or filled with shitty assholes.

Izuku snorted and looked up to see Katsuki smiling at him. And for the first time since yesterday, he saw a real smile, not a smirk or a sneer. Just a simple, amused smile.

Maybe they would get along after all? If they could at least avoid killing each other before summer’s end, that would already be a win.

“Breakfast time! Croissants and pain au chocolat fresh out of the oven!” Ochaco arrived, waving her bags of pastries.

Izuku got up to make coffee in their improvised van kitchen. He glanced toward the window, but the blond was gone.

After breakfast, they both enjoyed a shower in the communal area, then went for a walk around the campsite.

The area was truly incredible. Nestled in the heart of a massive forest, the campground was surrounded by towering trees that seemed to touch the sky, and majestic mountains stood in the distance. The lake at the center reflected the blue sky while sunlight danced across its surface, casting a dazzling glow and giving the whole area an almost enchanted atmosphere. The blend of natural elements made the campground a hidden paradise, a perfect refuge from the chaos of daily life, and Izuku was more than happy to have found this little slice of heaven to enjoy all summer.

On their way back, they passed the spot that was supposed to be theirs. A massive tent stood there, fit for a Roman emperor (Ochaco’s words, not his). Right in front, sitting in a very fancy and comfortable-looking camping chair, was a man with white hair, covered in so many piercings and tattoos it was impossible to count them. He looked up from his book, met their gaze, and smiled. “Hey kids. You here on vacation?”

Kids? The guy looked like he was their age, or maybe slightly older, despite the white hair...

"Uh… Yeah, we got here yesterday." Izuku replied. He glanced at his best friend out of the corner of his eye; she looked like she was about to explode with rage. They were the ones who had taken their spot, and Ochaco held a grudge. Even if, technically, it wasn’t this stranger’s fault… Maybe.

"Cool. What are you, in your twenties? You’ll probably get along with my little brother. He went off to explore the area." He stood up from his chair and approached them. He was very tall and slim, and his eyes were a captivating icy blue. "Name’s Touya Todoroki, but just call me Touya." He extended a hand toward Izuku, who froze for a split second before reaching out to shake it.

"Izuku Midoriya. And she’s..." He turned toward his best friend who… was blushing? Oh no… He coughed and elbowed the brunette in the side.

"Oh! Orako Ucharaka!" she said, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red the moment she realized her mistake. "I-I mean… Ochaco Uraraka..."

The guy, Touya, chuckled lightly at her embarrassment and ruffled her hair a bit. "Nice. Izuku, Ochaco, it’s a pleasure to meet you."

"Touya! What are you doing?!" a voice called from behind them. The taller one sighed, shrugged, and gave a small smirk as the two turned to see who had shouted.

It was clearly Touya’s brother. The resemblance was striking, if half his hair hadn’t been red, you could easily confuse them.

The other boy approached. Damn, are they all this tall in that family? Izuku wondered as he looked up at the red-and-white-haired guy. Sure, he was shorter than Touya, but still way taller than Izuku, who apparently had become a hobbit from the Shire surrounded by elven giants since arriving at this campsite.

"What is it, Shouto? I can’t get to know the other campers?" Touya asked.

"Of course you can. Just don’t start fucking everything that moves! I remind you we share a tent, and I really don’t want to hear it." He sounded more annoyed than angry.

A gust of wind blew past, tossing the boy’s hair aside and revealing a nasty scar on the left side of his face... Oh… And his eyes weren’t the same color, one matched Touya’s blue, but the other was steel gray… It was unusual and, strangely… pretty…

The boy looked down at Izuku, eyes wide and cheeks just slightly pink. "W-what?"

Oh shit… Did he say that out loud? Holy shit, Izuku!!!

"I-I… I think we’ll get going! We’ve got a lot to do! Nice meeting you, bye!" He grabbed his best friend’s arm and bolted.

A few meters away, once they were sure the two guys weren’t watching anymore, he let go of the brunette who burst into a high-pitched laugh. "Oh my god, Izu! 'Pretty'?! Oh my god… You’re killing me…"

"Excuse me for not being able to keep my thoughts to myself, Orako Ucharaka!"

She immediately stopped laughing and started blushing again, grabbing Izuku's head under her arm and giving him a rough noogie. "You big noodle!"

"Haaa! I surrender! I surrender! You’re going to tangle my hair!"

"As if it could look worse." Ochaco laughed, letting him go.

Izuku tried to fix his hair with his fingers, but she was right, it was always a mess. "Anyway… Just be careful, Ocha…"

"What a buzzkill… Touya’s hot! Tell me I’m wrong!"

"Okay, yes, he’s… pretty interesting. But he’s not really my type."

"Oh?" Her eyes narrowed mischievously as she leaned in close. "So you’ve got a thing for heterochromia, huh?"

Izuku blushed and widened his eyes. "W-what?! No!!! He’s… he’s just good-looking, okay? It doesn’t mean anything!"

"Mmhmm… I might actually win my bet with Tsu after all." She kept walking with her hands clasped behind her back, skipping a little.

"A bet?! Ocha! You bet on me? What is it?!"

"Oh, nothing crazy… I just told her you’d lose your virginity this summer. She didn’t believe me. That’s all." She winked at him.

Izuku felt a wave of heat rise through his body. "Ocha! I’m not planning to—"

"I know, Izu-baby. But those things aren’t always planned. And that lake is full of hungry sharks that would love to take a bite of your cute little ass."

"Oh my… ugh…" He buried his face in his hand. "Remind me why we’re friends again?"

"Because you love me!" she laughed as she ran toward their tent.

Izuku sighed with a smile. Of course he loved her. She was the most important person in his life after his mom.

Don’t get it twisted, there was nothing romantic between them. Izuku was 100% gay, rainbow-shooting-out-of-his-ass level, and Ochaco… well, she technically had a boyfriend. Even if their relationship was pretty open.

They ate and spent the afternoon by the lake, lounging in the grass and swimming when it got too hot. It was peaceful. The campground wasn’t very big to begin with, but it felt like they had the whole area to themselves.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the mountains when they decided it was time to head back. Izuku had managed to get a nasty sunburn on his nose and cheeks, making him look even more boyish than he already did. Ochaco said he looked adorable, but he just felt dumb and now his face hurt.

"I don’t think we have any aloe or after-sun lotion..." said Ochaco, digging through her beauty bag.

"It’s fine, it’ll go away eventually." Izuku said as he settled into a chair in front of their tent.

"Still..." she looked at him with a sad little pout. "Want me to go check the camp store to see if they have some?"

"No, it’s okay. I promise." He gave her a smile.

His phone started ringing. Without checking the caller ID, he picked up.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hey baby! How are you? How was your first day?"

"It’s good. It was super hot today, so Ocha and I spent most of it by the lake. It’s beautiful here, you’ve got to come with me sometime."

"I’d love that, Izuku."

He kept chatting with his mom while Ochaco was on her phone too, probably texting her boyfriend, Iida.

The guys from the other tent walked past theirs, returning from who-knows-where.

"Hey, you guys! Want to have dinner with us tonight?" Kirishima offered, flashing his usual smile that could light up a whole city.

Ochaco and Izuku exchanged a glance and nodded. Izuku was still on the phone, so Ochaco got up to go accept the invitation.

"Mmh? I heard another voice, a boy…? You already made some friends?"

"Uh…" he looked at Katsuki, who was staring at him with a blank face, hands in his pockets. "Maybe…"

His mom paused a second before replying. "Don’t forget to use protection, baby."

Izuku felt his sunburn flare up with heat. "MOM!!! I’M NOT-" The group turned to look at him after his outburst. He gave a sheepish little wave, mortified even though she wasn’t physically there. He hurried into the tent to speak in private. "Don’t say things like that, Mom…"

"I’m sorry, Izu… But promise me you’ll be careful."

"I’m not-"

"Izuku Midoriya."

He sighed. "Fine. I’ll be careful. But I’m not doing anything."

"Okay. But I want you safe. I was your age once, you know. I had summer flings before I met your father. I did a lot of-"

"Okaaaaaaay! Got it, Mom! Protection, etc! I gotta go. Love you!"

He heard his mom laughing. "Love you too, baby."

He hung up and screamed into his pillow.

After calming down, he walked out of the tent trying to look as normal as possible. (Which meant: fake smiles and almost robotic movements.) He joined the small group on the path outside their tent. "Sorry about that, guys."

"Don’t worry, man! We kinda crashed in outta nowhere anyway." Kirishima replied.

They all headed to the boys’ cabin together. As they entered, Izuku noticed Katsuki wasn’t there. When he’d only seen three of the four boys outside the tent earlier, he thought the blond must be inside—but he definitely wasn’t.

Not that he missed him or anything…

But still. "Uh… Bakugou’s not here?"

"Huh?" Denki flopped onto the couch. "Oh naaah. He might come back late… or not at all, depending on how it’s going for him." He started laughing, and Izuku didn’t get what was funny.

Ochaco elbowed him. "He went hunting."

"Hunting? Hunting what? There’s stuff to hunt in this forest?"

Denki, Kirishima, Sero, and Ochaco all froze and stared at him—before bursting into laughter.

Izuku felt deeply offended.

"No, sweetie. He wants to hook up. He went hunting for girls." Ochaco explained.

"Exactly!" Denki kept laughing while Izuku turned beet red.

"O-oh… I see…" God, this was so embarrassing…

“Let’s stop bothering Midoriya.” Sero placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, man. It’s just that you’re so innocent, it’s almost adorable.”

“It’s cool… I should’ve understood. Sorry for being so dense…”

“Come on, Midoriya! We’re sorry we laughed. Wanna come sit next to me?” Denki patted the spot on the couch to his left, and Izuku sat down.

The evening was perfect. New friends, good food, games… Izuku laughed so much that the muscles in his cheeks hurt more than his sunburns.

It was nearly 3 a.m. when they left the cabin to return to their tent. As they passed their small table, he noticed a jar of aloe vera cream sitting on top of it. Izuku raised an eyebrow and picked it up. He watched his best friend, very drunk, slip into the tent and immediately pass out. Maybe Ochaco had found the jar earlier when Izuku was busy and she had left it here…

He shrugged, thinking it could only have been her anyway. He applied a layer on his sunburns, the pain easing almost instantly. Then he entered the tent and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

The next day was much the same. The only noticeable difference was that he didn’t see Bakugou or the Todorokis. Ochaco and he spent another evening in the boys' cabin, still without a sign of the grumpy blond.

When they left the cabin that night to head back to their tent, they ran into Bakugou.

Izuku stared a bit too hard. Despite the dim yellowish light from the streetlamps along the path, he could clearly make out bruises on his neck and collarbones.

He wasn’t an idiot. He might be clueless in that area, but he knew a hickey when he saw one.

He was suddenly grateful for his sunburns—they were at least useful to hide his blushing. “H-hi.” Crap. Why did his voice have to crack now?

The blond looked at Izuku’s face, studying it almost in detail, and Izuku suddenly felt very exposed, even though the guy was just looking at his face. Bakugo gave a nod in acknowledgment. “Deku.” He turned to Ochaco. “Kirby.”

“Pff…” Oops. Okay, he couldn’t hold back the laugh. That was spot-on.

“It’s Ochaco, idiot,” Ochaco growled, hands on her hips.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to bed. Night, nerds.” He brushed past Izuku to enter the cabin.

“What an asshole…” Ochaco gritted between her teeth as she headed toward the tent.

“Yeah…” Izuku cast one last glance at the door where the blond had disappeared before following the girl.

He woke up the next day to a loud crash and muffled shouting. Checking his phone, Izuku saw it was already noon. They had slept in…

Peeking at his best friend, he started laughing silently. She was totally out, sprawled like a starfish on her makeshift mattress, sleeping deeply and drooling on her pillow.

He exited as quietly as possible not to wake her and went to find the source of the noise. It didn’t take long.

“Damn it! I told you not to touch the food! You don’t cook rice in a freaking frying pan, you badly coded NPC!”

He followed the voice, climbing the cabin steps and poking his head through the door. “Uh… hey guys…”

Denki came flying toward him like lightning, ducking behind Izuku and grabbing his shoulders. “Mido, my savior! The great demon has invaded the kitchen! Save me!”

“I’ll show you who the demon is, you dumbass!” Bakugo shouted.

“Well… actually…” Kirishima, who was sitting down, interrupted. “He was talking about you, Bakubro. So you don’t have to prove anything.” He pretended to adjust imaginary glasses on his nose.

Bakugou turned to Kirishima with a murderous look.

“S-sorry if I’m interrupting,” Izuku said. “I just wanted to check if everything was okay since I heard shouting…”

“Aww… isn’t he adorable? He was worried…” Denki giggled behind him, rubbing his cheek against Izuku’s. “Wait…” He pulled back to look at Izuku’s body. “You’re not even dressed… Don’t tell me you just woke up?!”

Izuku shrugged with a nervous smile. “Then I won’t say it…” then he remembered what he was wearing. Boxers and an old All Might T-shirt that was three sizes too big for him (it was the last size available and he needed that shirt, okay?). His gaze met the blond’s intense stare. He suddenly felt very exposed. “I… I’m gonna change… see you later?”

“Oh yeah, later Midoriya!” Kirishima said cheerfully.

Denki walked with him to the tent. “Dude, I really thought my time had come… Bakugou is terrifying when it comes to food…” He frowned, looking up. “No, actually he’s terrifying all the time!” He started laughing, and Izuku couldn’t help but laugh with him. Ochaco stepped out of the tent, hair a mess, one eye closed, drool on her cheek which sent the two boys into another fit of laughter.

Denki spent the rest of the day with them, figuring he’d hit Katsuki’s daily tolerance limit for him and didn’t want to die.

They took the van to explore the surroundings. According to Denki, who had already visited the area with friends, there were tons of places unknown to tourists. He promised to show them all his favorite spots during the two months they’d be staying there.

They stopped on the far side of the lake, near an abandoned fisherman’s cabin. An old firepit sat by the water, surrounded by dead logs that probably served as seats. A little further, a wooden dock stretched into the lake. The wood looked old and weathered but still solid.

Izuku was the first to step onto the dock, followed by Denki and Ochaco. They sat with their legs dangling over the lake and chatted like old friends.

As the sun began to set, Denki got a call from Kirishima asking him to come back for dinner and to bring Izuku and Ochaco too. And just like that, they headed back to the campsite.

As they parked, Izuku spotted the youngest Todoroki talking with Katsuki near the public restrooms. He wondered what they could be talking about. They looked so serious

“Ah, great! You’re the last ones!” Kirishima said as he came out of the cabin.

“What’s for dinner?” Denki jumped like a starving child and ran inside without waiting for an answer.

“What the hell are you waiting for? Get in before it gets cold,” Katsuki grumbled, making Izuku turn to meet his gaze as he approached them.

“You weren’t here either, Bakubro,” Kirishima laughed. They all followed him into the cabin.

“Had something to take care of,” the blond said simply.

Something to take care of with Todoroki? They knew each other?

Mmh… Whatever.

They spent the evening as usual, their group of six now fully formed.

Denki talked about the spot they’d discovered and proposed a marshmallow roast by the firepit. Everyone agreed it would be nice to go together next time.

Around 10 p.m., as they were playing 20 Questions (Ochaco’s idea), Katsuki grumbled that there was nothing left to drink.

“Oh, I think the campground shop closes at midnight,” Sero suggested.

“Fuck… Fine.” The blond grabbed his wallet and phone and shoved them into his pocket. “You.” He pointed at Izuku. “You’re coming with me.”

Izuku didn’t argue. He got up quickly and followed the boy outside. He’d probably need help carrying the drinks anyway, and Izuku loved helping people. He would’ve volunteered if Katsuki hadn’t beaten him to it.

Still, he didn’t understand why he had been the one asked to come…

They walked in near silence. Izuku stayed two steps behind him. He couldn’t help but look at the blond’s exposed back, what peeked out from his tank top, including part of his shoulder blades and broad shoulders. He noticed red lines, as if they were…

Scratch marks…

He blushed, suddenly very aware that the blond had recently had some intense sex with someone.

With all his great intelligence, the only thing his dumb mouth managed to say was, “Does it hurt?”

The blond stopped and turned, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

Izuku, now completely red, kept going. “Y-your back, I mean… It looks painful…”

Oh god, I’m so embarrassing…

“It’s fine,” the blond replied simply before turning back and continuing on.

Izuku hadn’t expected that. Honestly, he thought the blond would tease him about sex or something like that. He seemed like the type to brag about his conquests. But maybe Izuku had misjudged him based on too little information.

Now the silence between them felt really heavy.

They finished their shopping at the store quickly and walked out. But instead of heading back toward the boys’ cabin, Katsuki took the opposite path, leading to a corner of the campground where a children’s playground was set up.

Izuku followed him, too curious to ask where he was going.

When the blond sat on one of the swings and set the bag of drinks beside him, Izuku tilted his head.

He just wanted to… sit?

“Uh… You okay?” he asked the blond.

“Yeah, just needed air a bit longer. The idiots give me a headache.”

Oh… Okay, fair. Their new friend group was kind of loud, to be honest.

Izuku approached and sat on the swing next to him, his own bag of drinks between his legs.

Neither of them spoke for a while, enjoying the quiet night. He looked up at the night sky through the trees.

It was breathtaking.

Izuku lived in the city and rarely got out. So this was the first time he’d ever seen a sky like that.

Each star twinkled like a tiny firefly and, together, they lit up the night in an impressive, almost unreal way. The Milky Way, faintly visible, stretched across the sky like a soft, glowing path, giving the impression of witnessing something ancient and infinite.

It was quite warm outside, a gentle breeze brushing his hair and rustling the leaves around him. The air smelled like summer, almost earthy, mixed with the scent of pine trees that surrounded them. Izuku could hear crickets chirping and even an owl hooting in the distance, creating a peaceful, almost hypnotic background noise.

Sitting there, looking up in the middle of nature, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of awe and calm, realizing just how vast and beautiful the universe truly was.

Izuku felt so small in the face of that immensity.

But there was something else.

A feeling of nostalgia. The sounds, the smells... Everything gave him a sense of déjà vu…

“What are you mumbling about?” asked a gruff voice beside him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Uh... The stars are pretty?” he smiled naively at the other boy.

Katsuki looked up to the sky. “Yeah, it’s okay. I guess.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow. “Just okay? That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say? They’re literally balls of gas burning in space.”

“That’s... a very scientific way to put it…”

“What? Would you rather I said they looked like fucking fireflies lighting up the sky?”

Izuku blushed, because that was exactly what he had thought… “Y-yeah, that would be really dumb… You’re right…”

“I’m always right.”

Izuku rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject. “By the way… Why did you want me to come with you if you wanted to be alone?”

The blond shrugged. “So I wouldn’t have to carry the bags by myself.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out. What I mean is… why me?”

Katsuki looked at him, the dim glow of the lamps around the campsite giving his eyes a dangerous, almost predatory blood-red gleam.

And Izuku was totally captivated, like a moth drawn to a flame. He wanted to move closer…

“You were the quietest pain in the ass. I just figured you wouldn’t annoy me, that’s all,” the blond snapped him out of his dangerous fascination, and it was like Izuku had been slapped.

Okay, so they weren’t exactly friends. But did he really have to treat Izuku like a damn piece of furniture?

Izuku had a backbone. So he stood up, trying to look as casual as possible even though he was boiling inside. He picked up his bag and headed back toward the cabin without checking if Katsuki was following.

He thought they were okay, that maybe, just maybe, they were starting to build the beginnings of a friendship. Their conversation the other morning had really… Well, it had been a long time since Izuku had felt something like that while talking to someone. But if that jerk just wanted to use him, Izuku wasn’t going to let it happen.

He heard quick footsteps on the gravel behind him, then something hit his back. Izuku turned and saw a pinecone on the ground. He looked up at Katsuki with an unimpressed expression. “Wow. Really mature.”

Katsuki had a mischievous grin on his face, holding two more pinecones in one hand, his other gripping his bag of booze. Izuku saw that grin exactly for what it was.

The blond wanted to play.

Fine. Izuku wouldn’t go down without a fight.

He quickly grabbed the pinecone, his only ammo, and dashed behind some trees to hide as another one flew past him, missing by just a bit.

Izuku dropped his bag behind the tree he was hiding behind and used the opportunity to gather more ammo. He then crouched to peek out and see where the enemy was, but there was no sign of blond hair, no sounds indicating his direction.

Crack

He turned the other way at the sound of a twig snapping and saw the blond’s wolfish grin staring right at him, about five meters away.

But Izuku wasn’t going to be prey.

He threw all his pinecones at the blond, who shielded himself with his arms. Izuku took the chance to find a new hiding spot. This time, he moved deeper into the forest, beyond the edge of the campsite, and hid inside the hollow of a tree.

He could hear the heavy footsteps of the blond, who wasn’t even trying to hide anymore. He was hunting out in the open.

Izuku wanted to laugh at the situation. He was mad at Katsuki, and now they were playing... whatever this was. Izuku felt like the little kid he used to be.

“De-ku…~” the blond’s voice in the dark silence of the forest sent shivers down his spine.

He was close, and Izuku was out of ammo. He looked at his feet—dead leaves? No, too light… Rocks? He didn’t want to hurt him…

There was absolutely no—

Something crawled up his leg. He looked down to see the shadow of a spider, the size of his fist, climbing up his pants.

The game was instantly forgotten. He bolted out of his hiding spot, yelling and hopping around to get the monster off. Cold sweat dripped down his back. Normally Izuku had no problem with insects or spiders… as long as they weren’t on his body.

He heard a snort and turned toward the sound, only to see the blond stifling a laugh behind his fist.

Shit.

He’d seen everything.

Izuku flushed red with embarrassment. “Don’t laugh at me!”

“Never…” he lied.

But honestly… it was hilarious. So Izuku started laughing too. And their laughter rang through the once-silent forest.

“Come on, nerd. Let’s get back to the idiots before they send a search party,” Katsuki said with a surprisingly soft smile.

Why did he have to be like that? Blowing hot and cold like Izuku was some damn weather vane… But Izuku preferred this Katsuki. The one he could laugh with easily.

“You wouldn’t want to worry your girlfriend, right?” the blond continued with a smug smile.

Huh?

“My... what?”

“Kirby. The girl with cheeks so round she looks like she’s storing food for winter like a fucking chipmunk.”

“Oh… Ochaco?” Wait, he thought that- “She’s not my girlfriend!”

The blond raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening slightly, just enough for Izuku to notice. “Really? She called you baby and clings to your arm like a leech.”

Izuku couldn’t help it. He laughed. “She’s my best friend. There’s nothing between us.”

“Mmh.” Katsuki turned to head back, grabbing his own bag and the one Izuku had left near a tree. “Good to know,” he muttered with his back turned.

Izuku frowned. Good to know? Was Katsuki interested in Ochaco? No way. She hated him, and Izuku wouldn’t let his best friend become just another name on the list of people that blond would hook up with over break.

He said nothing but silently vowed to protect Ochaco from Katsuki Bakugou.

Now walking beside the blond on the way back, they weren’t talking, but the silence was far less suffocating than before. Katsuki growled (yes, growled, like an angry dog) at him when he tried to take his bag back.

When they returned, the others had started a game of Uno, which had apparently ignited a fierce competitive spirit in Ochaco and Sero.

They all ended the evening drunk, except Izuku, who didn’t drink, and Katsuki, who had only two beers this time. His best friend had passed out on the couch at some point, Denki and Sero had gone to bed, and Kirishima was dozing on the bench next to Ochaco while watching TV. Izuku was tidying up the mess they’d made in the small shared living space, and Katsuki had slipped into his room without a word.

The door was ajar when Izuku walked past, and he was too curious not to “accidentally” peek inside as he picked up the empty beer bottles. And holy mother of God...

Katsuki was changing.

He was in his underwear. And absolutely nothing was left to the imagination. The guy was... big.

Too flustered to linger there, Izuku’s eyes traveled up, catching the blond’s chiseled, smooth abs just before he turned around.

Did he shave? Maybe, he was a model after all… Or maybe it was just natural? Izuku himself didn’t have much body hair so he couldn’t really judge…

This is NOT the time to study his body, Izuku!

Katsuki bent to pick up a black t-shirt folded on his bed. Before he could pull it over his head, Izuku got a full view of his back. The scratch marks he had noticed earlier weren’t much more extensive, and Izuku felt strangely relieved not to see more of them on the other boy’s slightly tanned skin.

But his eyes lingered on his broad back. His shoulders were wide and muscular, but his waist was slim, like an inverted triangle. No wonder the guy was such a successful model, his proportions were perfect, almost unreal. He must work out a lot to maintain that.

T-shirt on, he grabbed a pair of shorts (black, of course. Was that the only color he owned?) and Izuku followed the movement of his legs as he stepped into them. The muscles in his calves, his thighs, his butt…

God, it was so round and firm…

Izuku wanted to bite it.

Wait…

NO! Not bite! God, what was wrong with him?!

By reflex, Izuku slapped his own cheeks to snap out of it, making just enough noise to make the blond turn around, his crimson eyes locking onto panicked green ones through the small opening in the door.

Shit, 

Shit,

Shit...