Work Text:
“When are you scheduled to come back?”
Man, he hated how his voice sounded tired and desperate, making it obvious how hopeful and torn he was about the current situation. He laid quietly on the bed, one pillow cuddled against his chest and the sheets pulled up nearly over his head. His cats were asleep alongside him on the mattress, a black fur ball that has always been the perfect heating pad for his feet could be identified as Pepper. Salt was curled up by his bed’s front board, a white blob of fluff pressed flush against the nape of his neck on his pillow for his head. One of his arms was wrapped around the second pillow placed against his front, the other hand holding up his phone to his ear and listening for a reply.
The other end of the phone call was silent, nothing heard but gentle breathing and boiling uncertainty. When he did get a reply, it was something that caused dread to bubble in his stomach. “I honestly don’t know. It’s completely up to them. I could be getting on a plane to come back as soon as next week, or they may keep me here for a few months. I can’t say for sure.”
At this point he went quiet again, listening to the reply on the other end with a hand over the lower half of his face. Unintentionally his grip on the pillow tightened, and the familiar feeling of sweaty heat enveloped his palms.
“Katsuki,”
The sound of his husband’s voice caused any tempting explosions to cease.
“I know you are upset about this,” He was quiet and gentle, though love was pouring out of each word he said. “I am to, believe me. But it can’t be helped, this is just what comes with the job.”
“I know. I just…dammit. I miss you, Eijirou.”
The silence took over again, and Katsuki couldn’t help the small smile the adorned his face when he saw Pepper slowly crawl up from the foot of the bed. His arms reached down to swoop up the black feline and hold the pet against his chest instead of the pillow. Instantly Pepper curled up with a loud purr, contentment clear as he laid up flush against the ash blonde while he was pet.
“How are the cats?”
Clearly his husband was trying to change the topic, wanting to talk about something more different or happy in an effort to cheer them both up. Katsuki hummed, his fingers running through Pepper’s midnight black fur as he adjusted his grip on the phone.
“They’re good.” He hummed. “They realize you aren’t here though, I think they miss having you here to drop them all the table scraps.”
Eijirou chuckled, warm and small. “I bet. You never give them anything.”
“Because I don’t want them getting sick.” The ash blonde retorted, continuing to pet the soft fur of Pepper’s belly.
“I know, I know.” His husband said with more laughter, the sound causing Katsuki to feel all cozy and joyful inside.
Almost as if he was laying in the bed next to him.
“Are you on duty now?” He asked to change the topic back onto something more serious. He heard Eijirou’s chuckled turn into a rough inhale on the other end of the phone, listening and waiting for a reply.
“In a few minutes, yeah. I’m leaving the hotel now. I was told the city is on high alert, so I hope that we put this certain case to a close today.”
“Oh…” Katsuki breathed.
About a month ago, Eijirou was told to pack his bags and head for New York City in America. He was given no leg room, no choice in the matter, just get up and leave to work. And his husband was told that unless he wanted to lose his heroes’ license, he was to stay in America and work as long they need him. He was not permitted to come back to Japan unless they didn’t need him to serve anymore. Apparently, the crime rate was rapidly increasing in New York, and they started recruiting high-ranked heroes from around the world to help get it under control. To say Katsuki was devastated when his husband came home and told him the news would be a dreaded understatement. Going away on a business trip for a few days is one thing; but being forced to travel and work in a foreign country on the other side of the world and not know when you are coming home, is another.
He couldn’t believe they had done that to him.
He had been furious, absolutely livid and angry and in tears as he was physically restrained by Eijirou himself when he attempted to march in the agency’s office and demand sending someone else.
It has been lonely with his husband not around, the apartment is quiet and dead, he doesn’t get out much unless he’s getting groceries or working. Neither him or Eijirou drink much so its not like the thought of going out to a club or bar is appealing to him. He just shows up at his shifts, does his job and protects citizens from villains, comes home, cooks, showers and goes to bed.
It was a boring process, and Katsuki had sworn he’s scrubbed every inch of their home clean four times or more just out of impulse for doing something that keeps him occupied. Their apartment was starting to smell like a cleaning closet and he knows there is no way inhaling such chemicals twenty-four seven is healthy, but he couldn’t control himself. He needs to find things to focus on as a substitute for his husband’s absence. The ash blonde is one hundred percent positive that if he didn’t have the cats here he would lose his mind.
“Katsuki,” Eijirou’s deep, raspy and loving voice broke him from the sudden increase of his breathing. “Calm down, it’s okay.”
When had he started panicking?
His anxiety has always been a difficult part of his life these past few years, with the stress and weight of his job pushing down on him. One can only witness so much death and blood and evil, only taste so many losses knowing they failed to save someone, until it breaks them. Until it eats them up, washes them around until they think they are fucked up enough in the head, and spits them back out. Katsuki has always had a rough time coping with his anxiety since he was a teenager, before he was dating Eijirou, after he got taken by the villains. But it has increased severely over the past year or so, and has become even more extreme since the redhead left for America.
His husband has always been his rock, his person to go to and crawl up and cope with the negative thoughts and panic-filled memories that would consume his brain. The redhead would hold him, whisper happy and reassuring thoughts in his ears, running his hands through ash blonde hair and telling him he was okay.
But with his rock, his love, his husband, not here, he was left open and vulnerable for those terrible panic attacks to take him. He would find himself hyperventilating and crying himself out of oxygen on the kitchen or bathroom floor, wishing for it all to end and wanting to do nothing but curl up under his sheets and die. It had taken Salt and Pepper to purr at his feet in a calming reassurance to break him from his panic just enough so he would be back into awareness.
“I know it’s hard, love.” His husband’s voice grew uncharacteristically quiet. “It’s been so hard for me you have no idea. But it will get better, I’ll be home as soon as I can, okay?”
Katsuki wasn’t sure if he should say anything, he just laid there with Pepper clutched to his chest and his eyes squeezed shut. The ash blonde is surprised his hand has not crushed his phone to death with how tight he was gripping it.
“Katsuki?”
Said man let out a shaky exhale. “Okay…”
“It’s nighttime there now, isn’t it?”
Katsuki simply hummed back as a “yes” lazily.
“Okay, so try to get some rest, alright?”
“I’ll try.”
The ash blonde could just see the soft and loving smile that would be on Eijirou’s face if he was here right now. “I love you.”
Katsuki’s face broke out into an intense shade of pink, the blush fading from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck. However, he could not stop himself from smiling in a way that would remind one of a lovestruck schoolgirl.
“I love you too, be safe out there.”
“I will. Goodnight.”
“Night.”
The phone buzzed, signaling the end of the call. Katsuki pulled his cell from his ear, putting it down on his nightstand and settling in under his comforters. He tried to think of another large, warm body sleeping beside him, with muscled arms wrapped around him and keeping him feeling safe in the night. He tried to think of hearing his husband’s soft snores in his ear, and though he hated them, now he would give anything to hear them again. He tried to think about the lazy night kisses they would share, both half asleep and daze without a care in the world about bad breath. He tried to think of his perfect little family being together again, that the cats were great company, but it still was not the same.
He tried to think of his husband still here, alongside him.
But the bed was cold and empty.
The following morning was a fucking drag.
He didn’t sleep well, though that was to be expected. Ever since he’s been alone he hasn’t slept well at all; his thoughts being eating away by the fact he was safe and tucked in bed all while his husband was across the world fighting dangerous criminals and murderers. He was worried sick, so much so to the point that he would just lay in bed with his eyes wide open and staring at the empty mass of sheets next to him. He would blink over and over again, hoping that one night Eijirou would just appear sleeping besides him, and he would be able to close his eyes and relax.
But, of course, that never happened.
So, the ash blonde forced himself out of bed when the run rose, and natural light engulfed the bedroom. He dragged his sock-covered feet from the bedroom, down the hall and into the kitchen. Salt and Pepper had jumped from the bed and followed him with hopes of getting breakfast.
He seemed to be on complete autopilot, his brain blank white and body moving on its own as he prepared a half-pot of coffee for himself and fed the cats their morning food. His coffee didn’t even taste as well as when Eijirou made it, and honestly Katsuki could not tell if it was a mental thing or if genuinely his husband was just better at the water to coffee grounds ratio.
Either way, it was to the point where he was simply forcing down the beverage just to get the caffeine he needed that would get him through the day. He had to be on patrol in roughly two hours, and the mere thought of trying to work when his brain was nothing but mush and his body was screaming for some actual rest, made him want to break down.
But he had to do it, so he made himself a piece of toast, scarfed it down, changed into jeans with his hero costume in a duffle bag over his shoulder, and left the apartment with more thoughts and worries clouding his head than ever before.
“Something is wrong with you.”
The declaration had Katsuki jolting up in his seat, shoulders hunched, and teeth bared as he eyed the other blonde from across the table. “No. Something is not bothering me.”
“Oh,” Sero pipped up from his chair next to Kaminari. “But I think there is.”
Ashido leaned across the table to eye the ash blonde warily. “Yeah, you nearly got hit by that villain’s quirk and were completely out of it almost your entire shift.”
“I’m fine.” Katsuki practically growled out, swiping his bubble tea from the table and taking a sip. After their work, Kaminari, Sero and Ashido had dragged him to go get bubble tea downtown. The only way he agreed was because he was craving some and he needed to get out of the house, as well as Ashido agreed she would pay for it. But once he was here and felt slightly at ease for the first time in weeks, he realized the true reason they asked him to hang out. Now the tense and queasy feeling that has been consuming him was back, and Katsuki desperately wanted to flee and crawl back into his apartment so he could be alone.
“Do you miss him?”
Ashido’s sudden question caused so much shock and emotions to swirl in the ash blonde’s mind, just the thought of his husband made his palms crack. The plastic cup filled with bubble tea in his hands threatened to burst, and Sero quickly took it from him so they would avoid having a big mess to clean up. All of Katsuki’s friends waited for him to answer, but all he did was look down at the folded hands on his lap, teeth gritting in overwhelming anger and pain that it caused his face to redden.
“Aw, honey.” Ashido spoke gently, almost as if she was speaking to an injured animal. “It’s okay to miss him.”
Katsuki could not even find the energy in himself to throw the pink-haired woman off when she put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a side hug. Sero and Kaminari looked on to the exchange in silence, and the electric blonde soon leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms back behind his head.
“Man, if you miss him that much just buy a fucking plane ticket to New York and go see him for the weekend.”
At those words the other three at the table froze, eyes wide and mouths open in awe while their heads turned towards the man leaning in the chair. Katsuki felt his brain practically short circuit once he took in the other’s words.
He was so fucking stupid.
He was honestly starting to think that he really was fucking stupid.
At this point in time, Katsuki had never felt so lost and uneasy in his entire life.
America was so much different than Japan, and as he stood there in the middle of the chaotic airport with a shocked face, his luggage, English dictionary, and cat carriers, he was questioning if this was a good idea.
It had been an impulse purchase, leaving the bubble tea shop in a hurry and racing back to his apartment. Greeting the cats at the door way, Salt and Pepper both extremely excited to see the ash blonde home safe and sound, he picked up Salt to carry in his arms and allowed Pepper to crawl onto his shoulders. With both cats in toe and purring happily, Katsuki walked through his apartment and into the master bedroom. Reaching his bedroom, the man watched with amusement as Salt wiggled out of his arms, her white fur itching against his nose as she jumped up onto his opposite shoulder. Feeling the weight of both his cats on his shoulders against his neck, he chuckled, their joyful noises making him smile and feel even better. He snagged his laptop off his dresser, walked back towards the kitchen and sat down at the dining room table.
Within the following minutes he had purchase an airline ticket for the following day at noon. Once his receipt came in and his trip to New York was confirmed, it was then that the reality of the situation smacked him in the face. Tomorrow he was flying to New York. All to see his husband that probably was not expecting him.
He was quickly starting to realize how head over heels he was in love with that stupid, overly happy, charming, handsome man.
That or he was just batshit crazy.
Maybe both.
Either way, now here he was standing dead center in one of the most populated cities of a country he’s never been in before without anyone else to assist him. Salt and Pepper were both in their carriers by his feet and meowing with worry and confusion, and Katsuki tried to calm them down the best he could, but that got him was weird stares from onlookers. All it looked like to anyone passing by was a Japanese man speaking a strange foreign language to purple and blue boxes.
And that made him even all the more self-conscious, going tense and worried as he tightened his grip on the English dictionary in his hands. Knowing that now he had his suitcase and all his belongings, he put the book back in his bag and grabbed all his belongings. Slowly he made his way to the front of the airport, mindful of the cats and others as he maneuvered his way outside.
New York smelled…dirty. He couldn’t think of anything else to describe it. With all the people and buildings and pollution, it shouldn’t be surprising that the city smelled different than his home in Japan. His nose scrunched up in distaste once outside, but he couldn’t deny that the sight of such a large and alive city was amazing. Even more so with all the buzzing sights and people and sounds that surrounded him.
In front of him cabs were pulled up on the curb, ready to assist people with their bags and take them away to their desired destination. Katsuki had waved down a taxi of his own, the driver welcoming him to America and loading up his suit case in the truck. The ash blonde however, refused to let the other man load the cat carriers into the car, he took that upon himself so they were handled with care.
Once they were both in the car, the cab driver asked the ash blonde where he wanted to go, and Katsuki had to focus and listen intensely so he could make out what the other was asking. He had flipped through his English dictionary for a few minutes, trying to come up with a proper sentence that included the address his husband where was staying.
But even then, his pronunciation was terrible, mediocre at best and left the taxi driver staring at him with slight confusion. With a groan of frustration, Katsuki leaned down to open his backpack which was situated at his feet. After shuffling through his folder of papers that were inside, he pulled out his trip information that contained the hotel address, handing it to the man. Thankfully he had printed out a version of it in English in case something such as this was to show up, however he didn’t know if it was a proper translation. It seems though it was good enough, for the driver nodded in understanding, handed back the paper, and they drove off.
He shouldn’t be so nervous about knocking on a door. It was Eijirou. It was his husband. He should not be nervous.
But he was.
Nervous that Eijirou would be angry, would be upset with him for flying over to see him without his knowledge. Nervous that he would disapprove of wanting to see him because of it. Nervous because his phone practically blew up at the amount of missed calls and unread texts he had received from Eijirou when he was on the plane and service was unavailable. Katsuki always answered his phone and never forgot to text back, so the ash blonde wouldn’t be surprised if his husband was worried sick.
Dammit.
He was letting the panic get to him again, and he couldn’t allow that. He can’t come all this way only to turn back now. He was practically ill from missing his husband and being alone, he wanted to see him again. That is why he was here. And that was what ran over and over through his head as he clenched his fist and knocked on the door. Shuffling was heard from the inside, almost like someone had fallen off of the bed, before the pattering of bare feet on carpet was advancing.
A familiar voice spoke in the foreign language of English as the door swung open. “I said I don’t need housekeeping so can you please just—”
Any other words broke off into dead silence when his husband came completely into view, bright red hair, kind ruby eyes, tan skin, muscles and all. His broad body was adorned in nothing but boxers and a tank top, fitting for the warm spring day. Eijirou had paused when his eyes landed on the other, completely awestruck and speechless as he saw none other than Katsuki standing outside in the middle of the hallway, a suit case in hand and the cat carriers in the other.
“What are you doing here?” It came out in a breathy whisper, the sound of his lover speaking in Japanese for him putting a tiny grin on his face.
He couldn’t help but shrug. “I missed you.”
It went quiet again, and Katsuki was growing fidgety under his husband’s intense gaze. Slowly he looked down at his feet and shuffled back and forth on them awkwardly. Gently he let his luggage go and kept it seated on the carpeted floor by his feet, holding his hands together and looking down at them awkwardly.
“Look,” Katsuki couldn’t take the silence anymore. “I know you are probably mad at me for flying out here without telling you but I was fucking miserable by myself and I needed to see you again and I just—”
Any further words the ash blonde wanted to say died on his tongue and turned into a surprised squeak when his husband lunged forward. The larger man wrapped the ash blonde up into a hug, practically swinging him around in circles smack dab in the middle of the hotel hallway. The action caused Katsuki to yelp, arms and legs failing in shock as Eijirou rejoiced at seeing him.
He shouldn’t be caught off guard with that kind of reaction, but he is. He was not expecting his husband to be so happy, but rather hovering over him with dozens of questions. None the less, he found himself hugging Eijirou back, laughing alongside him in happiness as he was twirled around by his knight in shining armor.
Eijirou paused just long enough for them to catch their breath and get a handle on their excitement. Pulling away, though still keeping the smaller man wrapped in his arms, the redhead let their noses brushed against each other. Katsuki watched his husband smile lovingly, teeth flashing and eyes wide with admiration as he looked at the ash blonde as though he was the only thing in the world that mattered. When the smaller man heard his husband speak again, he could feel his heart clench.
“It’s good to see you again, love.”
“So, I guess long distance relationships don't work for everyone, huh?”
Katsuki just glared sternly at his husband, tempted to smack the hand away that was running through his ash blonde locks in the process. “Of course not! What makes you think that it would work!?”
The redhead just sighed, coaxing the other man back to laying down on the bed in an effort to relax him. Slowly, but surely, the smaller man relaxed back down onto the bed to lie besides the redhead. The action caused Eijirou to resume running his fingers through his husband’s hair.
They had gotten Katsuki and his things situated in the hotel room, letting the cats free and allowing them to wander around. Eijirou wasn’t sure if this particular hotel allowed pets, but something told him that if his husband was able to bring them all the way up here without being stopped, then it was okay.
After Salt and Pepper were alright, they had laid down on the bed to relax and catch up. Gently he ran his large hand up and down Katsuki’s side, the action causing the ash blond to nearly melt into the sheets and close his eyes. Thick lashes fluttered as Eijirou brought his hand up to run them through his husband’s hair once more.
“I’m sorry I left you…”
A crimson orange eye opened to look up at the larger man. “Don’t fucking start that, Eijirou. We both know we weren’t given any choice.”
“N-No,” The redhead sputtered. “I could have not gone and—”
“And lost your hero license.” Katsuki shot back, rolling over on the bed so he was flat on his back. Slowly he reached his arms out to bring them around the redhead, pulling the larger man closer so their noses were touching and their breaths were fanning over each other. “As much as I didn’t want you to go, I wouldn’t force you into a position where you would lose that.”
Eijirou let out a rough exhale, leaning down to place a gentle kiss under Katsuki’s ear and whispering quietly. “I know…you know that I would never leave you. I’ll always come back.”
“I know…”
“And you know I love you, right?”
Katsuki couldn’t stop the smile from coming over his face. “Yeah…”
Eijirou simply brought their lips together, leaning over the ash blonde and kissing him deeply for the first time since they were together. Katsuki returned it instantly, pulling his husband closer and savoring the feeling of the redhead’s lips against his own for the first time in almost two months. It made him want to cry, overjoyed and overwhelmed with seeing his lover again. He hardly knew what to do with himself.
And Eijirou was here to pick up the pieces, wiping away the tears threatening his eyes and kissing every inch of his face, whispering loving words to him all the while. Katsuki found himself clinging to the larger man, mumbling incoherent, loving words as he buried his face into the redhead’s shoulder. Eijirou held him back, wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s waist and pulling him flush against his body.
They laid like that for a while, hugging and keeping close under the covers with the cats out of their carriers and wandering around the hotel room with excitement. After they had their share of curiosity, they both had joined the married couple on the bed, curled up and ready to sleep alongside them. Eijirou could feel his husband going limp in his arms, the drowsiness and jetlag from the flight catching up to him. It was not long until Katsuki fell asleep, his gentle snores and peaceful breathing putting the redhead at ease and allowing him to close his eyes.
And the room was engulfed in the peaceful aroma of sleep, warmth, and comfort.
“So how long are you here in New York?”
Katsuki shrugged, throwing his t-shirt on over his head while Eijrou was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and washing up for the day. When he remembered that his husband couldn’t see him, and that he needed a verbal response, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Not sure, I haven’t booked a flight home yet.”
“Alright, sweet.” He could hear Eijirou hum over the running sink. “I have today and tomorrow off before I’m back on patrolling for the week, so I want to show you around the city. There are a bunch of really neat places I want you to see while you’re here!”
Katsuki nodded, and almost slapped himself when he realized that he needed to reply via speaking again. “And where exactly is that?”
At this point Eijirou popped his head out from the bathroom door, hands sticky with hair gel and his red locks in the middle of being styled up. Currently he looked ridiculous, and Katsuki had to cover his mouth with his hand to stop himself from laughing.
“It’s a surprise!” Was all he said, sharp teeth on display from his beaming smile before he disappeared again.
Katsuki just shook his head with a smirk, rolling his eyes and continuing to put his boots on. Salt and Pepper watched from the bed curiously, heads tilted in sync and tails swaying as they observed the couple getting ready for the day.
Once the redhead came out of the bathroom, hands free of the hair-styling product and locks all spiked up, they swapped positions. Eijirou went out to finish changing and Katsuki went into the bathroom to wash up. Their exchange passed in comfortable silence, neither of them feeling the need to make conversation and instead just bask in each other’s company.
After they both were dressed and hygienic enough to face the day, Eijirou put the “Do Not Disturb” sign out on their hotel door so housekeeping wouldn’t come in and spook the cats. Meanwhile, Katsuki put out Salt and Pepper’s food, water, litter box, as well as anything else they may need when Eijirou and himself went out for the day.
“Ready?” Eijirou asked once they were done, holding the door out for him.
The ash blonde smiled, watching his husband hold a hand out for him with his charming grin and loving eyes. This was how it’s supposed to be. This is how they are supposed to be.
Together.
Katsuki took his hand, letting the redhead place an arm around the small of his back and guide him out the door. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”