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“Just one more!” Izuku exclaimed, running into the woods toward a new plant species in order to grab a sample.
“Hurry up, you damn nerd!”
Katuski scowled, though it turned into a smile as soon as Izuku’s back was turned. Izuku’s enthusiasm was downright endearing. The herbalist had never been to barbarian lands before, and every little thing had him chattering with excitement. Plants Katsuki thought of as weeds were just as interesting to Izuku as the rare and beautiful ones, simply because he’d never seen them before.
“Oi! Deku! It’s going to rain soon!” Katsuki called out. “We need to find a place to set up camp.”
Lightning could be seen in the distance, and the low rumble of thunder could be heard. The spring storms in this area really were beautiful, something Izuku probably didn’t have where he came from, and Katsuki was looking forward to sharing them with him. He just would rather do so from somewhere safe and dry.
Katsuki had married while in a foreign land, and was finally bringing his husband home. Although he was loath to admit it, Izuku’s sense of wonder was contagious, and he was getting to see the world for the first time again through his eyes. They had planned on reaching the village that day, but it would seem the weather had other ideas. Rather than waiting it out, they would just have to camp early and head into the village tomorrow.
“I got it!” Izuku called back, holding a plant stem triumphantly above his head as he trotted back to the path.
“It’s about time,” Katsuki grumbled. “You didn’t have to take all fucking day.”
Katsuki began looking around for someplace they could take shelter, and he remembered a cave he had camped in years ago. If he was correct about where they were, it should be right around here somewhere, near the waterfall.
They kept going, and after a while, he spotted the waterfall up ahead. He quickened his pace as it all came back to him and he remembered the exact location of the cave.
“Kacchan, where are you going?” Izuku exclaimed.
“You’ll see!” he grinned, grabbing Izuku’s hand and pulling him along.
When he got to the rock face he felt around with his hands, pulling at leaves and vines until he found it: an opening in the rock. Pulling the vines aside, he motioned for Izuku to go in, following closely behind him.
They were just in time, because immediately after they entered there was a crack of thunder and rain began to fall down in sheets. The cave was dark, but dry, and large enough to stand and walk around in comfortably. There was even some dry firewood stacked in the corner from the last time someone had camped here.
Despite it being spring, there was still a bite to the air and Katsuki began building a fire to ward off the chill. Izuku sat by the cave entrance, looking out at the rain.
“Now I understand why everything here is so green!” Izuku said with amazement. “Does this happen often?”
“It varies,” Katsuki explained. “Some years are dryer than others. A few years ago there was a bad drought, so I’m glad to see the land is recovering.”
After a few tries, he had the fire going and began to unpack their supplies. It didn’t take long to make dinner and by the time it was starting to get dark, their bellies were full. The rain still had not let up, and it beat rhythmically against the rock outside of the cave, mixed in with the occasional sound of wind. Every once in a while there was a bright flash, followed by the sound of rolling thunder.
“Everything smells so fresh!” Izuku observed. “I think I can smell mint! I wonder if we could use it to make tea!”
He closed his eyes and smiled contentedly. Katsuki simply watched him, absolutely amazed by his husband and all the interesting thoughts in his brain. When Izuku shivered, he moved closer, pulling him into his lap and wrapping his cloak around them both.
The fire was dying down and Katsuki reached over to throw on some more wood. Izuku curled up against his chest and he enjoyed just holding him, honored that Izuku trusted him to keep him safe in a land he knew nothing about. He was just beginning to doze off when he felt Izuku begin to nibble his ear. He opened eyes to see his nerd, flushed and panting, his eyes dark with arousal.
“You know, Kacchan, there are other ways to keep each other warm,” Izuku whispered.
Katsuki responded by kissing him deeply, pouring every bit of his emotion into it so that Izuku would know he was loved. They quickly became lost in each other, becoming a mess of tongues and teeth and discarded clothes, their moans and cries drowned out by the rain.