Chapter Text
It all started on a Friday evening.
Spring had just arrived, and the cherry trees were in full bloom. A slight breeze blew pink sakura petals through the air and over the wide, brick-laid path. School had just ended, and Kirishima was trying to walk home with his bro. Keyword was trying to.
“Hey Bakubro, wait up!” Kirishima called out to the spikey-haired boy. Katsuki started walking faster. Kirishima finally managed to get his arm through his bag strap and trotted up to his friend.
“Geez man, you walk real fast. Not that it’s bad or anything, it’s actually super manly! Anyway, I need your advice on something. You know how Valentine’s Day is coming up, right? And Mina keeps dropping hints that she wants me to- hold on, is that Midoriya?”
“Hah?” Katsuki’s head whipped around so fast he almost got whiplash.
“Oh yeah, it is! And Todoroki’s with him too! Let's go say hi!”
Katsuki was no longer paying attention. He watched with gritted teeth as Todoroki pointed out a cherry blossom that landed in Deku’s hair, and as Todoroki picked it out and handed it to Deku. The smile on Deku’s face made Katsuki see red. He abandoned Kirishima and stomped over to Deku, glaring down at him. Deku blinked back up at him, confused.
“Ehh…Kacchan? You’re going home now too?"
The huge green eyes staring up at Katsuki stopped his violent thoughts in their tracks. As if hypnotized, Katsuki slowly leaned forwards and then viciously chomped down on the flower Deku was holding.
“Eeek! Kacchan?? What are you doing?” Deku cried out, trying to shake Katsuki off the flower. It was no use. Katsuki was clamped on tightly with his teeth, refusing to let go. He closed his lips around Deku’s fingers to get a better grip but then paused, fascinated, as he watched Deku’s face become an interesting shade of red. Katsuki then felt himself being lifted up into the air.
“Bakugou. Calm down.” Todoroki said in a monotone, his hands under Katsuki’s armpits. Hearing him speak only pissed Katsuki off even further.
“I’ll calm down if I want to, you candy-cane haired freak!” He shouted back. Except it was through the mouthful of flower so it really just sounded like, “L kaln down eff aye aunt to, you candy keen heard feek!”
“What’s he saying?” Todoroki turned to Deku. The greenette just shrugged.
“Guys!” Kirishima called out, running up to them. “What’s going on? What’s Bakubro doing?”
Katsuki finally spat the flower back out, then blasted Todoroki’s face and escaped from his grasp.
“Whatever, losers. I’m going home. Don’t follow me.” And with that, Katsuki stomped off into the sunset.
Deku stared down at his saliva covered hand, then squinted up to where Katsuki was. “But…we live in the same neighborhood?”
Shit. What the fuck? What was that?
Katsuki sat at the dinner table, head in his hands, as he thought back to the events that had just occurred. It was like a strange hunger had consumed him the moment Deku’s eyes met his, and suddenly all he wanted- no, all he needed to do was eat the flower in Deku’s hands.
And what was Deku doing with that Canadian flag, anyway? How could he just accept that flower so easily? Doesn’t that little nerd have common sense? Didn’t he know not to accept objects from strangers? Especially with that kind of stupid, soft expression-?
His chest stung. Katsuki thumped it twice. He was not going to be brought down by a heart attack at age sixteen.
“I’m hoooome!” Mitsuki called out, slamming the door behind her. “Masaru, come look at what I got!"
Masaru poked his head out from his study. “What is it, dear?”
Mitsuki proudly lifted a flowerpot out of the bag. “Tulips! For the garden!”
Katsuki's eyes zeroed in on the tulips. All his other senses drowned out. His parents continued to talk but to him, they sounded like they were speaking underwater. The same strange hunger consumed him again.
Round. Smooth. Soft. Delicious.
Katsuki’s pupils dilated. The next thing he knew, he was across the room with an entire tulip bulb in his mouth.
“You little brat!” Mitsuki gasped. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Ay don’no,” was Katsuki's eloquent reply. Then he started chewing.
“Stop it-STOP!” Mitsuki tried to pry Katsuki away, but the tulip bulb came with him. He continued chewing.
“These were so expensive!” Mitsuki wailed.
Masaru stepped out of his study. “Katsuki, what on earth are you doing? Why are you eating the tulips?” He waved his arms in front of him as if to protect himself against his son’s feral nature. “Is it puberty? Hormones?”
Mitsuki paused her wailing to squint at her son . “Wait a second…you’re a weird shit, but you’ve never had flower-eating tendencies before.” Then her eyebrows raised, and she whirled to face her husband.
“No way, does he…”
“Mitsuki,” Masaru breathed, his eyes wide. “You don’t think…he has Tabehana?”
Mitsuki nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up in delight. “I think he does.”
“Whass Tab’ana?” They both turned to Katsuki. Mitsuki smacked his head.
“You shitty toe-sucking gremlin! Did you just eat another tulip?”
Masaru reached out and clasped his son’s shoulders. “Katsuki,” he began, eyes suspiciously misty. “A person gets Tabehana disease when they have strong feelings for someone. The disease fills the person with the desire to consume flowers. It’s pretty common and mostly harmless but,” Masaru took off his glasses to rub at his eyes. “I just never thought this day would come for you!” He cried.
“So who’s the lucky person?” Mitsuki grinned like the Cheshire cat.
“Shut up! It’s no one.” Katsuki scowled.
Mitsuki hmmed, tapping her chin and rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “Is it…Izuku?”
Katsuki choked on the petals.
“It is, isn’t it?” Mitsuki laughed, thumping his back. “You better bring him over when you ask him out on Valentine’s Day!”
“I ain’t doing shit on Valentine’s Day!” Katsuki snapped, then stomped upstairs. He paused, then whirled around to point a finger at his parents. “Don’t come into my room!” Then he continued stomping up.
Masaru stared at his son’s retreating back. “I wonder how long he’s had it for…”
“Hmm?”
“I mean, Katsuki’s only eaten two tulips. People with the disease usually crave more than that.”
Mitsuki waved her hand carelessly. “Eh, he probably just has a mild case of it. I don’t think we need to worry too much.”
1 day later…
“Stop!” *smack* “Eating!” *smack* “My!” *smack* “Garden!” *smacksmacksmack*.
“Cut it out, you old hag!” Katsuki yelled, furiously munching on the lavenders.
“Me? No, you cut it out!” Mitsuki yelled back.
“Now now, Mitsuki, stop hitting our son. Katsuki can’t help it. He’s in love after all.” Masaru said.
“He’s eating all of my gardenias!”
“You raised them well. They’re delicious.” Katsuki gave his mom a thumbs up.
“You’re moving onto the peonies now??”
“Don’t be too harsh on him, love. Didn’t you eat through half of your neighbors garden before we finally started dating?” Masaru said.
“That’s-!”
“And I had to replant so many of the flowers in the park because of how many I consumed!”
Mitsuki slumped over, defeated. “Fine. But he needs to replant every single flower after he pulls his head outta his ass,” Mitsuki turned towards Katsuki to shout the last part, “AND CONFESSES TO IZUKU ON VALENTINE’S DAY!”
“Of course, darling.”
“Shuddup, you old hag!”