Work Text:
The rain pounded on the sidewalk as Katsuki trudged home, fat drops that splattered noisily on the sidewalk. It’d been pouring all day, gushing water turning the streets into canals as motorists sped by with no regard for the pedestrians they splashed. He was grateful he’d remembered to shove his raincoat into his backpack as he shivered under his hood, but was cursing his wet socks and sneakers. His toes were long since numb.
With how busy the agency had been the last few weeks, he’d put off grocery shopping in favor of takeout while working late in the office. He was paying the price for his procrastination now as he carried several bags through the rain, hands icy-cold and slick with precipitation. It was times like this that he really wished he had a car. Or a fucking butler to get groceries for him.
He grumbled under his breath. He got cold easily, but the rain always made him extra sluggish and miserable, any sweat he would’ve been able to conjure on his palms washed away. It also made his hair poof out like a fuckin’ Pomeranian. Racoon Eyes had followed him around all day at the agency, trying to pet his voluminous spikes, until he’d finally snapped and punted the maneki-neko that sat on her desk across the office. Luckily it was one of the plastic ones, so the shitty thing was fine.
He picked up his pace, anxious to get home, unpack his groceries, and sink into his soaker tub for the rest of this shitty evening. As he finally approached his apartment door, he began fumbling through his backpack for his electronic key fob, already anticipating the relief of peeling off his cold, wet socks. His hand scraped the bottom of his backpack. No key. He rolled his eyes as he kept blindly digging around. Still nothing. Growing even more aggravated, he plonked his groceries on the ground to rifle through his bag in earnest. One by one he pulled items out of his backpack and tossed them on the hallway floor.
Spare t-shirt, receipt from the konbini yesterday, water bottle, wallet...where the fuck is my key?!
There was no key.
“Fuck!!” He banged a fist on his door in frustration. He was so fucking close to his warm bed. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He could call the landlord. Except no, it was Saturday, and that piece of shit refused to answer the phone on weekends. He could break his door down... but, said shitty landlord had it out for him, too many noise complaints and singed walls had Katsuki facing eviction the next time he even scuffed a wood floor. The answer crept up on him slowly, anxiety and anger flaring up in its wake; he would have to call for help.
“Hey! You’ve reached Kirishima’s voicemail! Leave me a message and I’ll call ya back. Have an awesome day!!!”
Yikes. That was way too cheery. He shivered slightly. Next.
“Hello?”
“Yo Pikachu, you home?”
“Hello? Can you speak up?”
“Dunce Face! You fucking deaf? It’s Bakugou, where the hell are you?”
“Hey, I can’t hear you!-”
“ARE YOU FUCKING-”
“-because this is my answering machine! HA! Leave me a message, suckers!”
It took every damn milligram of patience Katsuki had to not crunch his phone in his fist.
Soy Sauce was at a conference in Hokkaido. Icy Hot never answered his fucking phone anyways and like hell Katsuki was gonna call him. Ponytail lived with Icy Hot. Ears lived too far away, it’d take him at least another two hours.
There was really only one person left who Katsuki could call. And he really really didn’t want to call him.
“Fuuuuuuuucking shit. Ugh!” he yelled, before smashing the call icon for his oldest friend. As expected, Deku picked up after about half a ring.
“Kacchan! Hey! How are you? How’s your Saturda-”
“Are you home right now?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, I am! What’s up?”
“I’m coming over.”
“Wh-what? Uh, now’s not really-”
Click. With a resigned sigh, Katsuki shoved his belongings back into his backpack, adjusted his groceries, and set off for the nerd’s apartment.
☆
Shit! Kacchan was coming over now?! How much time did he have? Izuku spun around and gave his apartment a once over, eyes wild with anxiety. The place was a disaster. He’d just gotten back from a mission in Kagoshima, and hadn’t even bothered unpacking yet. His battered green suitcase was lying in the middle of the living room, hero suit, random shoes and dirty boxers strewn across the floor. His laundry basket was overflowing, and the recycling bin was begging to be emptied. Not to mention his fridge was barren, although he’d remembered (luckily) to clean it out before he left. He’d made the mistake of coming home to chunky milk and slimy salmon too many times before.
Also, why was Kacchan demanding to come over? Was something wrong? Maybe there was a new dangerous villain? His mind began to race with more and more nefarious scenarios. But, underneath that, there was a familiar small voice in the back of his head parading around in excitement. The same small voice he’d been trying to put aside for the last, oh, twenty years? His stupid crush was jumping up and down at the prospect of Kacchan being in his apartment, alone, spending time with him outside of work.
At twenty four, he’d pretty much accepted that Kacchan was it for him; he’d love him until the day he died. But he wasn’t about to let that ruin their friendship, not after they’d so carefully and painstakingly repaired it. They still weren’t incredibly close; they texted sometimes, sparred frequently, hung out occasionally with others after work, and even went to the other’s apartment to work on a case and eat takeout on occasion. But the two of them rarely did anything just for the sake of ‘hanging out’. Part of that was Izuku’s doing; the less one-on-one time they had, the easier it was for him to keep his feelings under control.
Which was why he was freaking the hell out right now.
Focus, he reminded himself. Taking a deep breath, he started in the living room, shoving all his dirty clothes and toiletries back into his suitcase. He then thrust the whole thing into his hall closet. Next he rounded up all his dirty dishes and cups and threw them into the sink; he’d have to wash them later, if there was time. Digging around in the cupboard under the sink, he whipped out some room freshening spray, then ran through the apartment, spritzing like mad in his wake. He sniffed. It didn’t really smell like Calming Orchid, but whatever. It smelled better than Stale Apartment and Man Sweat.
He was just ‘casually’ throwing a blanket over a soy sauce stain on his couch when he heard a heavy knock at the door. He gulped, then ran towards the entryway to let his crush guest in.
On his doorstep, he was met with a very wet, very annoyed Kacchan, holding about five bags of groceries.
“Kacchan! What happened? Are you alright?!”
“M’ fine. Let me in, Deku, I’m fucking freezing.”
Izuku stepped aside quickly. “Sorry, yeah, of course! Come in.”
“Got locked out of my fucking apartment.” Kacchan peeled off his raincoat, looking slightly guilty as it dripped all over Izuku’s floor. “N’ no one else was picking up and my stupid shitty landlord was no help. And I didn’t want my food to go bad. Thought I could crash here for the night... or something.” Kacchan finally peered up at Izuku through his damp blond spikes, looking subdued and… nervous?
Izuku’s eyes lit up. “O-of course you can stay here! You’re always welcome! I can take your raincoat, I’ll go hang it in the bathroom so it won’t drip everywhere. Go sit, I’ll be right back.”
☆
As Deku ran off, Katsuki wandered into the kitchen to put away his perishables. He was feeling slightly less annoyed now that he was out of the pelting rain, but he was still fucking freezing. And hungry. And tired. And Deku’s apartment smelled like a cheap scented candle.
It was a little weird being in Deku’s apartment under non-work circumstances. They’d grown to be pretty good friends over the last few years, and were damn good hero partners. But, Katsuki still tried to keep a bit of distance between them, a boundary, if only for his own stupid heart. The more they hung out as friends, the harder and harder it got to hide his gross, shitty feelings.
He felt a little guilty as he opened the fridge and noticed it was completely empty, remembering that Deku had just come back into town. Well, I bought food, might as well fucking use it, he thought, as he dug through Deku’s kitchen to find a cutting board, stock pot, and knife. As he started chopping up the onions, Deku walked back into the kitchen, carrying some familiar-looking black sweatpants, fuzzy socks, and a green official DEKU hoodie.
“I thought you’d want some dry clothes. These sweatpants are yours, actually!” he let out a little laugh. “I think I stole them at some point when we were still at UA.” He set the clothes on the countertop, neatly folded, then gasped as he saw what Katsuki was up to. “You don’t have to cook, Kacchan, you already worked all day! And you’re all cold and wet...”
Katsuki turned and leveled him with an annoyed stare. “Oh yeah? Well then what the fuck do you suggest we eat? Your fridge looks like the fucking Gobi Desert, nerd.”
Deku fidgeted, picking at his fingers absentmindedly. “I - I just feel bad making you waste your groceries on-”
“S’not a fucking waste. I’m hungry. You’re hungry. I have food. Just… let me do this.”
Deku smiled softly, that shitty smile that made his eyes gleam and his cheeks turn a pretty pink color. It was adorable and fucking gross all at the same time. “Okay, Kacchan. Thanks.”
Katsuki finished chopping all the vegetables, then threw them into the pot with some dashi stock and miso paste, turning the stove burner on low. “Let that simmer for awhile. If it starts to bubble up too much just down the heat a notch or two. In the meantime, d’you mind if I use your shower?”
Deku spluttered, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Y-yeah of course! That’s totally fine. Um, there are spare towels under the sink.”
Katsuki just grunted in affirmation.
“H-have a nice shower!”
☆
Izuku slapped his hands over his face and groaned quietly. Have a nice shower? Why did he just say that? Was that a weird thing to say? Was Kacchan already regretting everything? It’s not like he was thinking about Kacchan in the shower, about Katsuki naked and steamy in his apartment, Katsuki, abs and pecs gleaming while warm water trickled down in little rivulets over his toned body… ok so he was totally thinking about Kacchan showering, but he didn’t want Kacchan to know that!
He whined quietly, face still in his hands. This was gonna be a long night. It was hard enough to keep his crush under wraps every day at work, but now, alone together in his apartment on a weekend when neither of them had work the next day? This was really asking too much of Izuku. He couldn’t decide whether to thank the gods or curse them.
He peered down into the pot, where the soup was beginning to simmer nicely. The rich, savory smell filled the kitchen, gentle steam swirling lazily as it ascended upwards. He could hear the water running in the bathroom and the snap of soap bottle caps as Kacchan washed off. He was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion at how domestic the whole situation felt; Kacchan coming home after a long shift, making soup together on a cold rainy day, the smells making the space feel homey and comforting… He shook his head quickly, eyes squeezed shut as he told himself, again, that that was dangerous territory. Kacchan just needed a favor, and Izuku already knew that he wasn’t the first one Kacchan had called.
After that sobering thought, he decided it’d be a good idea to make a plan for the rest of the evening, to keep things firmly on the ‘friend’ track. It was for his own good. It was already late in the evening (by Kacchan standards) so he’d probably want to go to sleep pretty soon after dinner. He’d make up the couch in the living room with some spare blankets and pillows and let Kacchan get his rest. He had some episodes of his favorite anime backlogged on his laptop that he could watch in his room, keeping him occupied while also not annoying Kacchan.
After a few more minutes, Kacchan emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, smelling of Izuku’s cinnamon body wash. And damn, that did something to Izuku, possessiveness suddenly rearing up in his chest and curling around his heart. It was like Kacchan was his, decked out in his clothes and his brand and his scent.
“How’s the soup lookin’?” Kacchan asked, gently toweling his hair dry. They were already popping back up into their usual spikes.
“G-good! It smells delicious, just been simmering.”
Kacchan wandered back into the kitchen, lifting up the lid and peering down into the stock pot. “Good work, nerd.” He clicked off the stove and took the pot off the heat. “Where are your bowls?”
Izuku jolted into action, heading to the cabinet where he kept his small soup bowls. “Go sit,” he instructed, as he ladled two servings into his favorite red bowls. Kacchan went without arguing, for once, immediately snuggling under the kotatsu. Izuku felt his heart squeeze at how cute Kacchan looked, all sleepy and still damp from his shower. Stop!
They ate in a comfortable silence, mostly just the slurping of broth and Izuku asking a few questions about Kacchan’s patrol earlier. Kacchan seemed oddly quiet; normally when he was tired, he got snappy and a little bratty. But this Kacchan almost seemed...nervous. On edge.
“Are you alright, Kacchan? Are you feeling ok?”
☆
Katsuki choked a little on his soup. Was he doing that bad a job at hiding his nerves? And why the fuck was he so nervous anyway? He’d been to the nerd’s apartment dozens of times. But he couldn’t help but feel like this was different. No work to focus on, no immediate task that needed completing. Just the two of them alone for the whole fucking night.
“M’fine,” he replied. “Just tired, I hate patrolling in the rain. Makes me feel slow.”
Deku nodded slightly in agreement. “Me too. No matter how much I move around, I’m always freezing. And it’s so hard to see long distances in the rain, too!”
Deku placed his spoon down on the wooden table and stretched, a hint of stomach peeking out from under his cottony shirt as he held his arms over his head and groaned softly. Then he stood up and stacked Katsuki’s empty bowl on top of his own, before slowly wandering back into the kitchen and starting the process of cleanup. “Kacchan, if you want, there’s some spare blankets in that closet to the left, you can go ahead and lie down on the couch if you’re cold?” he offered over the noise of the sink running.
Katsuki made a noise of assent, then walked to the closet and cautiously opened the door, preparing for a shit ton of All Might crap to fall on his head. The inside was about as bad as he imagined: a suitcase was shoved inside, clothes and bottles spilling out all over the floor; various coats and sweaters were half-heartedly hung on hangers, dangling precariously; boxes of hero merch and manga and shoes and photos were stacked near the back, dusty and slightly crumpled. At the top were the blankets Deku was referring to, overflowing and wedged tightly between the high shelf and the ceiling. Sighing, he grabbed onto the corner of a green and black plaid fleecy blanket. He tugged. The blanket stayed firmly wedged on the shelf. He pulled again. Nothing.
He growled. “Wanna fuckin’ be like that, huh?” he muttered under his breath. Gritting his teeth, he gave an almighty tug, and with a fwoop the entire pile of blankets flew out and landed on top of him, knocking him over.
“DEKU!!” Katsuki yelled, his voice muffled. He began to accept his fate and laid motionless under the suffocating pile. At least it was fucking warm. He heard Deku’s footsteps coming closer, then-
“Oi! Stop laughing you shitty nerd, if your closet wasn’t such a fucking disaster this wouldn’t have happened. Damn hoarder.”
“I’m sorry Kacchan!” He said through his giggles. “But you look kinda cute, just a little Kacchan lump under all those blankets!”
Katsuki furiously tore at the blankets until his face poked out, and glared at Deku. “I ain’t fucking cute.”
Deku beamed. “Whatever you say, Kacchan. You look like an angry burrito.” And before Katsuki could untangle himself to stop him, Deku whipped out his phone and snapped a photo.
Katsuki could feel himself blushing. “If you show that photo to anyone, you’re fucking dead. You’re lucky I’m letting you live,” he huffed.
Deku stared down at him for a moment, his face soft. Katsuki fucking loved that face. He didn’t get to see it too often, but it never failed to make him blush like an idiot, especially when it was directed at him.
☆
Kacchan’s face was growing redder under all the blankets. He was probably too hot under there, Izuku realized, feeling somewhat guilty for staring.
“Sorry my closet exploded on you Kacchan. Here, I’ll take some of these blankets over to the couch for you.” He grabbed a handful of mismatched quilts as Kacchan untangled himself and stood up, still looking a little pink.
Izuku sighed. As much as he wanted to stay up and enjoy this glorious opportunity, he knew it was approaching Kacchan’s usual bedtime. Not to mention he hadn’t come here to hang out, he came here out of necessity. Izuku felt his stomach drop back down again, sneaking one last look at Kacchan who was now bundled on the couch. He looked so cute.
“I know it’s kinda late for you, so I’ll let you sleep. Just, uh, let me know if you need anything else. I’m just gonna be watching some anime for a bit so no worries.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his bedroom.
Kacchan muttered something under his breath.
“S-sorry? I didn’t hear that…”
Kacchan huffed. “I said, you can watch out here. If you want.” He was glaring at his socks, expression unreadable.
Izuku felt his heart leap in his chest. “Really? I know you like to sleep early, I didn’t want to be in your way or be annoying when you’re trying to get some sleep, especially since-”
“Just get your damn laptop and quit muttering, nerd. I need to catch up on One Kick Girl.” Kacchan burrowed further into the blankets, slightly hiding his face.
Izuku beamed. “Okay! Sure! I’ll be right back!” He ran into his bedroom, quirk almost sparking under his skin in excitement. Kacchan wants to hang out! As he knelt down by his bed to unplug the charger, an idea popped into his head. He smiled, and before he could overthink it, he grabbed his laptop as well as his desk chair and small portable heater. He lugged the items back out into the living room, earning him a curious look from Kacchan. Izuku placed the chair in the middle of the room, then scooted over one of his arm chairs, stopping it about six feet from the desk chair.
“Kacchan, push that ottoman over here.”
Kacchan, eyes still trained on Izuku, surprisingly complied, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Is this what I think it is?”
Izuku laughed. “Yep! Blanket fort! Remember how we used to build one almost every weekend? And I have this little heater so it’ll be like a warm blanket cave!”
Kacchan grabbed another blanket, draping it over the chairs and ottoman. “We need something in the middle to hold it up. You got some kinda pole or something?”
Izuku’s brows scrunched together in thought. “Maybe I can use…no that’s too top heavy, it won’t hold. Hmm. Oh!” He snapped his fingers and then darted off down the small hallway, popping out the pole in his shower that normally held the curtain. He left the curtain and liner lying on the floor. Whatever, he shrugged, before rejoining Kacchan in the living room.
Kacchan let out a bark of laughter. “Your shower curtain rod?”
Izuku shrugged. “Why not?” He giggled a bit too before climbing under the blankets and propping the pole up, creating a vaulted roof. He crawled out again and grabbed his laptop and the remaining blankets, laying them down on the floor under the canopy. Kacchan crawled under too, holding onto a few couch cushions and Izuku’s Shiba Inu-shaped pillow.
“Hey! Did you steal Hachikō off my bed?!”
Kacchan flipped him off. “So what if I did? I still think it’s stupid you named him that. Hachikō was an Akita, not a Shiba.”
Izuku rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Their faces look the same. You’re just mad that I caught you crying at that movie in third year.”
Kacchan whacked him with Hachikō before laying down on the blankets and wiggling around to get comfortable. He laid on his stomach, chin resting on Hachikō’s smiling face.
As he queued up One Kick Girl, he chanced another look at Kacchan. “Are you comfy?”
Kacchan, eyes on the screen, let out a small huff of laughter. “Yeah. I am. S’ nice, actually.”
Izuku’s heart squeezed in his chest. He hated that Kacchan had had a crappy day, but at the same time he couldn’t help feeling glad that Kacchan had gotten locked out and ended up here. He watched as the light from the laptop played across Kacchan’s face, smooth and passive and so handsome. It was nice to hang out like this, be close like they were as kids, under a silly blanket fort watching anime.
“Hey, Deku…” Kacchan shifted to look him in the eyes, face serious. “I wanna…” he groaned slightly exasperatedly before continuing. “I wanna say thanks. For letting me crash here and shit.”
Izuku beamed. “Of course! You’re welcome here any time, you know that. Not just when you’re locked out.”
Kacchan huffed a small laugh, then ran a hand through his hair, tugging slightly on the blond strands. “I also… I’ve been wanting to properly say this. I dunno if I ever have, and I know we’re ok now and shit, but I still wanna say it ‘cause I know it’s important to you.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Izuku. I’m sorry for all the fucked up shit I did when we were younger. You didn’t deserve that, and I was a fucking horrible friend.”
Izuku’s mouth hung open. He felt like someone just dumped a bucket of water over him, or maybe shoved him outside into the frigid rain. He didn’t dare move, didn’t even blink, knowing Kacchan wasn’t done yet and any sudden movements might scare him off.
“I thought I was fucking invincible and I hated seeing you try to challenge that. But I needed that. I still need that. You’re the one who challenges me, and pushes me to be fucking better than I was yesterday. You’re a good fucking person and I dunno why you still wanted to be friends after all that but I’m really glad.”
Kacchan was still staring at him, sincerity burning deep in his crimson eyes, scanning Izuku’s face for a reaction. His mouth was a thin, tense line, waiting for Izuku to speak. Izuku, still wide eyed and stunned, slowly rolled over onto his side to better face Kacchan. Then he smiled, gentle and watery.
“Thank you for apologizing,” he spoke, slightly tremblingly. “It means a lot to hear it out loud. But, Kacchan, I want you to know I forgave you a long time ago. You’ve… you’ve shown me you’re sorry in so many ways. You have my back in the field, you make sure I’m taking care of myself and you chew me out if I’m not, you remind me to check in with friends and family... You challenge me, too. You push me to be the absolute best version of myself. You inspire me! I mean, you know that. How many times a day do I say that?” He chuckled softly before continuing. “And your actions every day show how far you’ve come, how caring and thoughtful and perceptive you are. It’s one of the tons of reasons I’m in love with you. You’re amazing, Kacchan, of course I still wanted to be friends!”
Izuku wiped his eyes again, then looked up to meet Kacchan’s gaze, still smiling.
Kacchan looked thunderstruck, eyes wide with shock and mouth slightly agape.
“L-love?”
Izuku felt his heart drop out through his stomach, face coloring in panic and embarrassment.
“I - did I say that?” He began, waving his arms wildly, knocking a pillow into the laptop. “I, haha, I meant, you know, um, because we’ve known each other for so long? Yeah, that. Um, please don’t -”
“Deku.” Kacchan’s voice was low and calm.
“Yes?” Izuku peered out from between his fingers.
“Don’t fuck with me. Are you… are you really in love with me?” Kacchan reached forward and gently peeled Izuku’s hands away from his face. His eyes were searching, desperate, his cheeks slightly pink but mouth now taut with nerves.
Izuku took a shaky breath, meeting Kacchan’s eyes, even though it took every bit of bravery he had left. “I… yeah, I am. It’s always been Kacchan.” He admitted in a whisper, smiling sadly. “But please don’t worry about it, I don’t want it to affect our friendsh- mmpphh!”
His words were cut off abruptly as Kacchan’s lips - warm, intense, determined - smashed against his own, pressing with care and desperation. Izuku blinked, willing his brain to catch up with the sudden turn of events. Just as he started to feel Kacchan pull away, he brought his hands up to Kacchan’s face and kissed him back with fervor. He was kissing Kacchan! Kacchan kissed him! They were kissing each other!!
He felt himself smiling against Kacchan’s mouth, too overwhelmed to hide his emotions. Kacchan pressed one last soft, chaste kiss to his lips before pulling away, just slightly, just enough to whisper, “Me too, Deku.”
Izuku blinked again, a fat, hot tear escaping his eye. Kacchan wiped it away with his thumb before he could even react. “Kacchan… really? You mean it?”
Kacchan pulled a bit farther away to softly caress Izuku’s face, his trademark scowl now marring his handsome face. “Tch. Course I mean it. I don’t say shit I don’t mean. Especially something that fucking important.”
Izuku beamed, nuzzling into Kacchan’s hand. He suddenly felt laughter bubbling up in his chest, and started to giggle.
Kacchan frowned. “What’s so fucking funny?”
Izuku kept laughing, harder and louder, gripping his sides as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Oi! Don’t ignore me you little shit,” Kacchan whined, poking him in the ribs.
Finally Izuku calmed down, wiping his eyes and breathing heavily. “Kacchan… we’re so stupid.”
Kacchan looked pissed. “Hah?! Who’s stupid?!”
“We could’ve been together this whole time! We’ve both been so stupid, hiding from each other when we both felt the same way.” He flopped back down onto the blankets, still grinning and wiping his eyes.
Kacchan huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. Then, he flipped over, caging Izuku between his arms. Izuku gasped quietly, feeling his face burn. Kacchan leaned in so their noses just barely touched, sparking jolts of excitement and happiness all over Izuku’s skin. “S’fine. We got where we needed to be,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to a flushed cheek. “N’ we got all the time in the world, now.” His words ghosted across Izuku’s freckles, as he pressed another kiss to the opposite cheek. “We can make up for lost time, right here, right now, if you want.”
He kissed Izuku full on the mouth this time, slow and firm, sucking Izuku’s bottom lip and giving it a small bite. Izuku moaned softly into his mouth. He felt Kacchan smirking. “You like that?” He asked, lips moving against Izuku’s still.
Izuku hummed in affirmation. “I do. I love it. I love you.”
They continued kissing for what could’ve been hours, slowly exploring each other’s mouths, drawing out sighs and moans, hands sliding under shirts to gently caress heated skin, taking their time to learn each other’s bodies in new ways. The blankets above them muffled and dimmed the outside world, the laptop long since forgotten. Right now, it was only the two of them - Deku and Kacchan.
Finally, Kacchan pulled away, flopping down to lay next to Izuku. He lazily stroked a patch of exposed stomach where Izuku’s shirt had ridden up, the feeling sending pleasant chills up his spine. Izuku stared at Kacchan. His lips were pink and swollen from kissing, his eyes open and radiant. He looked… relaxed. At peace.
“So… what do we do now?” He asked, reaching out to lightly smooth Kacchan’s hair. The spikes were even more dramatic than usual, probably the result of Izuku running his fingers through them for the last several minutes.
Kacchan hummed, holding his gaze. “We fucking continue kicking ass, that’s what.”
Izuku laughed. “You know what I mean.”
“I know. But it doesn’t have to be some big fucking dramatic announcement, ya know? We’re still heroes, we still work together, we’re still the same people. We just… we figure it out as we go. We do what feels right. We already know pretty much every goddamn thing about each other, we just… add in sappy shit too. It’s still you ‘n’ me, nerd.”
Izuku smiled. “I like sappy shit.”
“I know you do, you fucking dork.” Kacchan’s words carried no heat though, just a sort of exasperated fondness.
Izuku beamed, then rolled until he was pressed up against Kacchan, winding his arms around his strong frame. “‘m really happy, Kacchan,” he murmured. Kacchan snaked his arms around Izuku in return, rubbing soothingly up and down his spine. “I’m sorry you got rained on, but I’m really glad you got locked out.”
Kacchan laughed, then pressed a kiss into Izuku’s wild green hair. “Best fuckin’ rainy day ever.”