Katsuki has a secret.

And he isn't stupid, he knows it's childish and embarrassing but still, it's his and his alone.

At least, that was the plan until fucking Eijiro starts piecing together that something isn't quiet...right with him.

Being an asshole has its perks, it means no one gives a shit when he goes to bed at an insanely early hour and no one cares that he doesn't want to go out on weekend nights or do any of the things that normal friends are supposed to want to do.

Of course, Eijiro fucks it up.

It starts with some pokes and prods, some "we don't have to go out to the beach tonight we can go to the woods if you want," or a few "c'mon Katsuki, everyone else is spending the night there you should come too." Those were the easiest to brush off.

Simple excuses worked for those like, "no, I don't want to go" or "I have homework" or just typical hermit grandpa seemed to work.

But then Eijiro started planning things SPECIFICALLY for him. And those...those were harder to say no too.

And when Eijiro decided to go hardcore with straight up begging and puppy dog eyes, well even he had a fucking breaking point.

"I can't," Katsuki says through gritted teeth, shutting his eyes to avoid whatever spell Eijiro was threatening to pull him under.

Eijiro was holding two tickets for some old hero movie event. A double feature that Katsuki had definitely mentioned wanting to see a few times but this problem with these tickets were...well, the movie was going to be late.

"Pleasepleaseplease," Eijiro whines, bouncing in the threshold of his doorway. "I know for a fact you don't have anything planned tonight. And it'll just be us no one else will be there an—"

"Stop! Look I don't...I don't /want/ to go," Katsuki lies.

"Yes you do," Eijiro insists with a sigh. He levels Katsuki with a look, his sharp teeth worrying on his bottom lip. Finally after a beat, Eijiro releases his lip and his brows furrow together. "Oh. It's me huh? Fuck I can't believe I didn't notice until now. I'm sorry."

"What are you on about?" Katsuki snaps, hating the stupid sad look on Eijiro's face.

"It's me. You've just been too nice to let me down, you always came up with excuses..." Eijiro laughs, humorlessly. "I get it now. I'll stop, I won't...keep bothering you anymore."

Fucking hell.

Just as Eijiro moves to turn away, his shoulders slumped and his head down, Katsuki reaches for his wrist and tugs, forcing him to follow him into his room.

"Shut the fucking door," he says to Eijiro. Thought confused looking, he listens.

Stomping his way over to his bed, Katsuki sits down with a huff, his hands already twisting together with nerves. "I—fuck, just...it's not /YOU/ okay. It's me."

Still standing near the door, Eijiro groans. "It's not you it's me? You are really gonna break up with me like THAT?"

Katsuki immediately blushes. "W-What?"

"I meant like friendship breakup. You made it Perfectly clear you don't want to date me, but I didn't think you..." Eijiro trails off, face red as he sniffles. "I didn't think you didn't want to be friends at least."

The room is quiet as Katsuki forces himself to piece together back his brain which had exploded inside of his skull. Another one of Eijiro's sniffing brings him back to reality.

"C'mere and stop crying," Katsuki says.

"No," Eijiro sniffs, wiping his eyes. "I'm allowed."

This was totally uncharted territory, the distance between them appearing like a vast ocean, scary and cold and dark but Eijiro, Eijiro who was crying over him with all the wrong reason was worth him sucking it up and getting his toes wet.

Quietly, Katsuki gets up from his bed and softly pads over to where Eijiro is sniffling, pointedly not looking at him.

With shaking fingers, Katsuki reaches out, gently taking Eijiro's wrist back into his hand to lower it from his face.

"Eijiro, look at me."

He sniffs again. "No."

Katsuki rolls his eyes, using his free hand to tug at Eijiro's chin, forcing him to comply. "Look at me. Do I look like someone who doesn't fucking like you?"

That stops Eijiro short. He hiccups.

"Huh?" He finally squeaks out, eyes searching Katsuki's.

"You got nothing under that thick skull of yours? Eijiro..." Katsuki swallows down the lump in his throat and mentally tells his nerves to fuck off.

"I like you stupid. As friends and...fuckin more I guess. So me not wanting to fucking go out with you aint it, alright. So stop crying, okay? You're...you're too pretty to be crying like that."

The last past came out in an embarrassed rush, and yeah he maybe sort of wanted to drown at that exact moment but the second we went to move, Eijiro's hand was suddenly cupping his face and his lips were on his.

Katsuki pressed harder against them, his hands taking on their own mind as they clung to Eijiro like a life preserve. The kisses were rushed and frantic, hurts being fixed with every pull of lips and huffs of breath being shared between them.

After the adrenaline begins to fade and the touches become softer, the kisses slower, Eijiro is the first to pull away but his lips easily press unhurriedly against Katsuki's forehead and his arms pull him into his chest, holding him close.

Eijiro kisses Katsuki's hair and gives him another squeeze before his body starts to tremble.

"Are you fucking laughing at me?" Katsuki demands, pulling back to look at him.

Eijiro IS laughing, but the giddiness is contagious. Soon Katsuki is laughing right along with him.

He isn't even sure what the fuck they are laughing about, but it feels so fucking good. And in this one moment, freshly kissed and holding hands everything was perfect.

Of course, Eijiro fucking ruins it.

"So," he starts, wiping away the tears from the corner of his eyes. "Now that I know you like me which, wow, that's kinda gay br—don't hit me! I'm joking! But uhh...you gonna tell me what's going on."

Katsuki doesn't want to tell him, not really, but he can't see him cry again.

"You aren't allowed to laugh at me," Katsuki warns.

"I'd never laugh at my boyfriend," Eijiro says, crossing his heart.

Katsuki snorts. "Oh? Is that what we are?"

"We just made out for like an hour and confessed to each other bro. Hi yeah, we are dating now. Dems the rules."

"Sounds good, lets make out again." Katsuki moves to lean back in, but Eijiro stops him with a hand to his chest.

"Fuck, I /want/ to but not until after you tell me what's going on."

Katsuki groans, rolling his eyes as he moves to stomp back over to his bed. "You're serious?"

Eijiro nods. "Very." Katsuki sucks in a breath just as Eijiro is sitting down next to him. "So, why don't you want to go out with me or any of our friends ever."

"I do," Katsuki admits, looking at him through underneath this eyelashes. "Its just always so...late."

"And you can't just like stay up? For us? For...me?"

Katsuki groans again, before flopping backwards on his bed. "It isn't that it's late it's...where you guys always want to hang it's it...it's fucking dark okay."

Katsuki can practically hear the gears turning in his head.

And then without warning Eijiro is on him, crushing him to his chest as he peppers Katsuki's face with kisses.

"Oh Katsuki I didn't know!" He says inbetween kisses. "You're afraid of the dark! Why didn't you tell me?!" He kisses him again. "I'm so insensitive! I'm sorry!"

"It's embarrassing okay! Leave me alone!"

Eijiro pulls back, hovering over Katsuki as he leans down, his hands on either side of his head, cradling him. "Never," he promises and then he kisses him again until not even Katsuki notices how dark his room as gotten.

And it takes time, but eventually Eijiro convinces his boyfriend to come clean about his fear to his friend.

Instead of laughing at him, they are understanding. More relieved to know the truth and more than willing to help him.

It's embarrassing to admit it, but his friends make it more than easy to feel like nothing is wrong with him. They always plan things to do to make Katsuki feel safe and comfortable and with his own personal nightlight of a boyfriend, Katsuki catches himself getting braver.

Brave enough to stay out a little later, even when the sun dips below the horizon.

Katsuki still gets nervous but throughout the years Eijiro is always there, always reassuring and their friends never too far away to give him encouragement either.

And when Katsuki and Eijiro's own daughter admits to being scared of the dark, it's Katsuki who is the one to comfort her and to remind her that even when things are scary, he will always be there to hold her hand and beat up the monsters just like her daddy did for him.