Chapter Text
Shouto was late. Again.
Katsuki had been staring at his phone for the last thirty minutes, and he still hadn’t called. Rationally, he knew that Shouto was likely caught up at work, but he was still pissed off anyway. As heroes working in different cities, they barely got to see each other. The FaceTime call they had at ten o’clock every night was the only time Katsuki let himself be selfish and demand Shouto’s attention.
“Fuck,” Katsuki muttered, checking the clock for the dozenth time. “Should I just give up?”
His fingers tightened against his phone. No matter how angry he was, he really wanted to see that pretty bastard’s face. Five more minutes. He’d give him five more minutes, but that was it.
Katsuki waited in anxious silence, listening to the clock ticking in the kitchen and resisting the urge to rip it off the wall. It was tough enough being a couple when they lived so far apart, but with the added strain of being heroes, it was nearly impossible to spend time together. Although Katsuki wanted to monopolize Shouto, he was equally as busy with work—and thus reluctantly forced to be understanding.
Katsuki hated being needy in any way, but it had been an especially rough day. He wanted to talk to his boyfriend, if even for a few seconds. Was that really too much to fucking ask?
Apparently so. The clock struck eleven, and there was still no call.
“This is bullshit.” Katsuki threw himself onto the couch, ignoring his traitorously silent phone.
The silence of the apartment itself made him feel all the more worse.
* * * * *
Katsuki must’ve dozed off, because the incessant banging at the door definitely hadn’t been there before. He ignored it for a while, but the noise only grew louder. Whoever was out there was about to get their arms ripped off. Who knocks on someone’s door at—Katsuki rolled over to look at the clock—three in the fucking morning?
The ringing of the doorbell joined the obnoxious knocking. The door was literally rattling in its frame. Could it be a villain? It wasn’t very villain-like to knock, though.
“Dammit, shut the fuck up already!” Katsuki pushed himself up and stomped across the floor as vehemently as possible. “Whoever you are, I’m about to put my foot up your—“
As soon as he opened the door, the threat dried up in his throat.
Shouto stood outside, dark circles under his eyes and a set of car keys in his hand. He fell heavily into Katsuki’s arms before a word could be uttered between either of them, the keys clattering across the wooden floor.
“Katsuki,” he murmured tiredly. “Sorry I’m late.”
“What—“ Katsuki nearly collapsed under Shouto’s dead weight. “Hey—hey, what the hell is up with you? This isn’t like you at all. Why are you here? How did you get here?”
“I’m sorry.” Shouto wouldn’t let go of him. He buried his face in Katsuki’s neck, mumbling the words again, “I’m sorry. I drove straight here without stopping. I just—I had to see you in person. I had to.”
Katsuki held Shouto carefully, half afraid he might break. His whole body was trembling. He smelled faintly of cinnamon aftershave and strongly of smoke. He was still wearing his hero costume. He must’ve come straight from his last job.
“Did something happen?”
“There was a villain… He showed me such—such terrible things. I can’t even describe—” Shouto sucked in a sharp breath. His voice shook even more than his hands as they gripped desperately at Katsuki’s back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m late. I—I just want to be with you. Now and in the future, I…”
He was crying. Hot tears prickled against Katsuki’s neck.
“Hey… Whatever that fucker showed you, it’s not real. I’m here, aren’t I?” He gripped Shouto tightly around the waist. “I’m standing right here. Now and in the future, I’ll always stand right next to you. Don’t you dare doubt me on that, you bastard.”
Shouto held Katsuki closer, finally pulling himself back together. “Yeah. I suppose I should’ve known better.”
“Damn right,” Katsuki said, unusually softly.
He stood there for a long moment, listening to Shouto’s heartbeat with his eyes closed. It was far more soothing than the sound of the clock. Fuck, he’d really missed him. He was probably hugging him too tight, but it was impossible to let go. For once, Katsuki didn’t mind being a little embarrassing.
“You can’t do reckless things, even if I am a little… happy to see you,” he mumbled into Shouto’s chest. “Next time you decide to make a surprise visit, you shouldn’t drive. What if you’d passed out on the—“ He paused. “Shouto? Did you just fucking fall asleep?”
Shouto’s body had gone completely limp. He released a soft breath, nuzzling against Katsuki’s shoulder. He must’ve been exhausted after driving all the way from Tokyo. What a moron.
Katsuki sighed. He scooped Shouto up gently, heading for the bedroom down the hall. He could chew the idiot out tomorrow. First, they both needed a good night’s sleep. Right next to each other, where they belonged.