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Izuku sat on the roof, legs dangling over the side, arms resting on the protective railing. The sounds of the city a distant hum at this height. Whatever was happening down there in the streets was no longer a worry for an off-duty hero. Yes, in the past he’d had trouble separating the on duty from the off, so now he sat up here at the end of each shift, to reflect and recharge. Some nights he sat crying for the losses or the mistakes made. Other times he sat with a can of tea or coffee and savored the flavor while he simply relaxed and allowed the tension to ease from his muscles. And sometimes, more recently, Kacchan joined him and they cracked beers and toasted to victory together.
“There you are.” Speak of the devil. Izuku turned to find Kacchan standing in the doorway. Tentative. Almost waiting for permission. “You didn’t wait for me. I didn’t know if you’d left or…I figured you might be here.”
Three days. Three days since Kacchan had kissed him and brought Izuku’s entire world to a screeching halt. He’d replayed the moment over and over again in his head, was replaying it now.
“Yeah, sorry. I just wanted a few minutes alone.”
“Oh,” said Kacchan, his voice tinged with disappointment. “I’ll go.”
“No. Stay,” Izuku said, his voice soft, inviting. Kacchan grinned and offered Izuku a beer, which he took, gratefully. They clinked bottles as Kacchan sat down next to him. Close, thighs touching. That was new. New, but not unwelcome. Welcome. Very welcome. They didn’t talk about the kiss. They didn’t talk about the case. They didn’t talk. And despite something as monumental as their first kiss happening recently, without a deeper conversation, the silence between them was comfortable. Izuku could have wondered why that was, but he didn’t. Instead, he just soaked it in. Soaked in the silence, the night sky, the cityscape, Kacchan.
The familiar scent of caramel and smoke filled his space. Even after a shower, Kacchan still exuded this scent. It was in his hair, his clothes, his skin. Oh. Izuku felt the warmth of Kacchan’s skin, pressed against his; a bare arm pressing into his own and then a hand resting on top of his, fingers interlacing. Izuku allowed it. Allowed it because he wanted it. Kacchan’s gaze trained on Izuku. Followed his hairline, his jaw, his lips; it lingered on his lips, and came to settle on his eyes, red irises boring into green. Izuku found he couldn’t speak. So much he wanted to say, and yet words failed him. None of them seemed like enough. They sat like that for a long while, hands entwined, gazes fixed on each other. The pangs in Izuku’s heart threatened to explode through his chest, explode just like Kacchan’s Quirk. Izuku wanted to kiss Kacchan again. That much he knew for certain. So what was stopping him from doing so? From claiming those lips with his own.
“Deku,” Kacchan spoke first. And then they broke the silence.
“Kacchan, I…” Izuku lowered his eyes, finally withering under the intense gaze. But Kacchan tilted his chin back up with the edge of a finger, eyes still searching.
“Do you know what it meant when I kissed you?” Kacchan asked.
“Mmm,” answered Izuku, shaking his head from side to side. Kacchan leaned back, a confused look crossing his face.
“Hmmm,” said Kacchan, running a hand across his chin, thinking, appraising. “Then, why don’t I do it again, and you can tell me what you come up with. Would that be okay?”
Izuku nodded. More vigorously than he meant to, so not playing it cool, Izuku, he scolded himself.
“It’d be more than okay,” he said, leaning in, attempting to salvage his confidence. Then their lips met; soft and slow and warm, and with every sensation, Izuku did feel as though Kacchan was trying to communicate something important. Hands held faces, fingers ran through hair, and tears danced in eyes. Damn, Izuku, now is not the time to cry. They pulled apart, breathless, faces red, hearts pounding. Kacchan brought their foreheads to touch. Izuku smiled, happy, incredulous.
“You love me,” Izuku said. His heart beat so rapidly now, he was sure it would leave his body. But In a way it already had. Kacchan held it in his hand.
“I do, Deku. I love you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I don’t expect anything from you, I just…”
“Kacchan,” Izuku ran his fingers along Kacchan’s jawline and looked into his eyes with purpose. “Now let me tell you something.” And Izuku was kissing him again, putting all the thoughts and feelings he could muster into the contact.
The message was loud and clear.