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“You’re late.”
It’s the same thing Katsuki says every time Izuku shows up at his apartment. Letting himself in with the keys they long ago traded.
“Am not,” Izuku retorts, toeing his shoes off in the genkan and heading straight for his designated stool at the kitchen counter.
Even after years of friendship post-UA, Izuku is still banned from the kitchen. He doesn’t mind. Katsuki might claim it’s because Izuku is incompetent and in the way in there, but Izuku knows it’s just because this is Katsuki’s domain. His escape and way to relax. Izuku’s perfectly happy to sit at the counter with tea and watch Katsuki work.
He’s always different here. Not just in the kitchen but in his apartment. A space where Izuku gets to see the quieter, calmer side of his friend. The tension gone from his shoulders, the sneer absent from his lips. Just focus and concentration as he chops vegetables and stirs pots to the backtrack of music quietly playing on the stereo.
“What’s for dinner?”
“For late people? Nothing,” Katsuki snarks and Izuku pouts, collapsing on the counter until he can reach across and wiggle fingers at the delicious smelling food. Curry is his guess.
“Kacchan come on , I was like… thirty seconds late. At most.”
“Ha!” Katsuki says victoriously, pointing a wooden spoon at Izuku. “So you admit it.”
Izuku rolls his eyes, pulling his arms back until he can pillow his head on them, and glares at a smug-looking Katsuki. “Were you always this obsessed with punctuality?”
“Check your journals, I’m sure you made a note of it,” Katsuki teases, and Izuku flushes.
Izuku’s journaling habit has only gotten worse with access to adult money and regular interactions with other Pro Heroes, but Katsuki still holds the record for most journals Izuku has on a Pro Hero. Something Izuku would be more embarrassed about, except they’ve known each other since they were two and Katsuki’s smug enough about it that he brings it up unprompted to friends just to tease Izuku.
Plus, Izuku has caught him flipping through the ones on other Pro Heroes on more than one occasion when they’ve hung out at his place. Katsuki is just as much of a nerd as Izuku. He just hides it better.
“What if I told you I brought mochi?” Izuku asks, blinking innocently up at Katsuki, who pauses mid-stir.
“Mochi?”
“Red bean mochi,” Izuku adds with a smile. It’s Katsuki’s favorite, and Izuku’s go-to bribery option.
“The good one?”
“From the best shop,” Izuku confirms and Katsuki huffs but he pulls two bowls from the cabinet, filling both with rice.
“Fine. Go get set up and I’ll bring food in.”
Izuku cheers in victory and then he’s off the stool and bounding for the living room before Katsuki can find anything to throw at him. He uses his quirk to float over the sofa, half to hear the annoyed sound Katsuki makes from behind him and half because what’s the point of having a quirk like that if it doesn’t let you take shortcuts? He plops down onto the sofa and grabs the remote as Katsuki settles beside him, depositing bowls of hot (probably in both senses of the word) curry on the coffee table.
“Whatever your first choice is, I’m vetoing it.”
“Kachaaaaaan,” Izuku whines, flipping through the menu options to find what he wants. “Don’t pretend like you don’t want to see it too. Unless—“ Izuku feigns a horrified gasp, giving Katsuki a look of betrayal. “Did you watch it without me?!”
“Knowing the lecture I’d get?” Katsuki asks, arching an eyebrow as he sinks back into the cushions with his food. “I’m not looking to speed up my hearing loss, thanks.”
“I told you to talk to Hatsume about—“
“I know.”
“—getting her to modify the earpieces for the varying frequencies. I think she could really improve the—“
“Izuku,” Katsuki cuts him off, snatching the remote from him to navigate to the Pro Hero documentary Izuku’s still trying to find. “I know.”
He hesitates long enough that Izuku gives him a curious look as he grabs his own food, shuffling back on the sofa until he’s wedged next to Katsuki.
“I’m already talking to her,” Katsuki finally admits, gaze still locked on the TV.
Izuku hides his giant smile by stuffing his mouth full of curry, but he hums happily, glad that Katsuki finally caved to the suggestion he’s been making for months . Sure, the team at Katsuki’s agency is fine . But Hatsume is the best and if you can get her to make custom gear for you, why wouldn’t you? Half Izuku’s own uniform was originally designed by her and it’s the best he’s ever had.
“Shut up,” Katsuki mutters, starting the movie and propping his feet on the coffee table.
“I didn’t say anything,” Izuku replies, feeling excessively chipper. He bumps Katsuki’s shoulder with his own, but doesn’t say anything else, content to eat in silence and watch the movie together.
—
The documentary lives up to everything the reviews said it would. Exclusive interviews with retired heroes, and details on Pros Izuku has barely even heard of. He’s so captivated by it he hardly notices when halfway through Katsuki disappears until he reappears with a notebook and a pen, shoving them into Izuku’s hands.
“You look like you’re going to explode if you don’t write something down,” Katsuki huffs, dropping back into his seat. “You do know you can watch it again, right?”
“I know, I know,” Izuku agrees distractedly, flipping the book open and jotting things down. “But it’s so much more fun capturing it the first time! I’ve barely even heard of some of these heroes. Whoever did the research for this documentary has access to resources I would give anything to see.”
He stops, turning wide eyes to Katsuki who’s giving him a weird look. “Do you think they’d let me see them if I asked? I mean, I’m a top ten Pro Hero now, that’s gotta count for something.”
Katsuki opens his mouth, then shuts it before giving Izuku an incredulous look. “Are you saying you want to pull rank to fanboy over retired Pro Heroes?”
“Maybe?” Izuku says reluctantly, chewing on the end of the pen as Katsuki sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I mean I wouldn’t say it that way, but it’s not like they won’t know who I am if I contact them. And if I ask really nicely maybe they’d let me take a look at what they have? I wouldn’t ask for copies or anything. God, my apartment can’t hold any more papers and my landlord would kill me if I show up with more boxes but I—“
Katsuki is just staring at him at this point, hands limp in his lap and eyebrows crawling up into blond hair. Izuku’s ramble starts to slow down, realizing in his enthusiasm he’s twisted around on the sofa, completely ignoring the movie as he gestures enthusiastically at Katsuki.
“—would take some notes…and maybe a photo or two, just if it was something…really interesting or I wanted to show you…and I’d be so careful with all of it…‘cause they’re important records and…” Katsuki’s squinting at him now and Izuku’s ramble peters to a halt, cheeks hot. “What?”
“Nothing,” Katsuki says abruptly, clearing his throat and looking oddly uncomfortable. “Just…uh… just realizing something. You uh…you were saying something about important records?”
“Oh. I ah, yeah, I mean they’re probably valuable and…I dunno.” Izuku flails half-heartedly, losing his momentum under Katsuki’s continued staring. “It’s silly, they’d probably say no anyway, forget it.”
He grabs a throw pillow, clutching it to his chest just for something to do with his hands as he turns his attention back to the movie. He knows he gets worked up, but Katsuki’s usually totally immune to it these days. Half the time Izuku isn’t even sure he’s listening, just letting the words wash over him.
“You should ask them,” Katsuki says out of nowhere and Izuku startles, head swiveling around to look at Katsuki.
“Huh?”
Katsuki gestures at the TV. “The producers. Ask them. Worst thing they can do is say no.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Izuku says, propping his chin back on the pillow as he contemplates the screen. “I dunno.”
“Like you said, you really think they’re going to say no to the number eight Pro Hero in Japan?”
“I thought I shouldn’t use my rank like that,” Izuku retorts with a small smile.
“Tsk, when did I ever say that?” Katsuki asks with a grin, propping his head in his hand. “Just try and be subtle about it.”
“I can be subtle!” Izuku protests, spine straightening in indignation. Fine, he does tend to blurt things out when he’s worked up, but he’s learning tact and well…okay, it’s a work in progress. Katsuki looks as unimpressed with Izuku’s protest as he feels about it.
“Izuku, I’ve known you basically your entire life. Your brain has a direct line to your mouth and you know it. Why do you think you’ve gone through three times more media training than even I have?”
“I just get nervous,” Izuku grumbles, sinking further into the sofa under Katsuki’s gaze. “And I think honesty is important!”
“There’s a difference between honesty and saying every little thing on your mind,” Katsuki points out.
“I don’t do that!” Izuku protests and Katsuki gives him that grin that tells Izuku he’s stepped into some sort of trap Katsuki’s been leading him toward.
“You’ve always done that.” He holds up a finger and Izuku groans, knowing a list of evidence is incoming. “Last week, what did you say to that reporter?”
“I don’t remember, it doesn’t matter,” Izuku protests, voice muffled from where his face is now buried in the cushion.
“Mid-interview, on live television, you told her she had something in her teeth,” Katsuki says, cackling, and Izuku groans.
“Her staff should have told her! It slipped out! I didn’t mean—“
“And then there’s the time at UA you told Mina her uniform was really flattering and she thought you were asking her out and she tried to let you down easy because she was dating Momo.”
“Oh god please stop talking,” Izuku moans, but Katsuki ignores him.
“You’ve been doing it since we were kids . Hell, you even claimed you wanted to date me.”
Izuku freezes at that, horrified embarrassment washing through him. God, he’d done that, hadn’t he? He’s always thought Katsuki was the moon and the stars, his dumb ass definitely blurted it out. Though technically that’s not what he said.
“I was six ,” he protests feebly, cracking one eye open to peer at Katsuki who’s looking not at all upset like Izuku assumed he would be. “And I’m pretty sure what I said was I wanted to ‘hold your hand forever’.”
“Same thing, at six,” Katsuki says with a dismissive wave.
Izuku rolls his eyes, waiting for Katsuki to continue with the onslaught of evidence, but something in the air has changed. Shifting away from the casual teasing to something Izuku can’t quite recognize. He rolls his head on the pillow to find Katsuki still watching him, humor fading from his face as he chews his lip thoughtfully.
“Do you still want that?”
“What?!” Izuku yelps, startling so hard he nearly falls off the sofa, face burning.
“Do you still want to date me?” Katsuki asks, expression serious.
“I—“ Izuku flails, at a complete loss for words for once. Katsuki doesn’t say anything, just lets him fumble around as he tries to figure out what the trick is. Tries to find the joke when Katsuki looks so serious and genuinely interested in the answer to his question.
“Why?” he asks, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“I’m just curious,” Katsuki says evasively, shrugging a shoulder.
“No, you’re not,” Izuku retorts, squeezing the pillow hard against him. “You just want me to admit it so you can tease me about it.”
He realizes his slip-up when a small smile tugs at Katsuki’s lips. “So that’s a ‘yes’.”
“Wha—well I—I mean—“
“It’s okay if you do,” Katsuki says when Izuku continues to stutter. “I—I uh… I don’t think I’d mind. If you did.”
Katsuki flushes, caving in a little on himself as Izuku stares at him.
“I don’t understand,” Izuku says slowly, a tiny bud of hope blossoming in his stomach.
Katsuki groans, head flopping back on the armrest, hands pressed to his face. “I don’t know? Maybe I—” he takes a deep breath, hands dropping to his lap but continues to stare at the ceiling, avoiding Izuku’s gaze. “Maybe I want to date you too?”
Something settles in Izuku with that admission. A security in the fact that this is a big deal for Katsuki too. This acknowledgment of the desire for something else. Izuku has always assumed it was one-sided. Had carefully categorized his long-time crush on his lost-then-found-again best friend under “celebrity crush” where it would stay safely harmless.
Everything changes though, with Katsuki’s confession. The hesitant voicing of his own shift in feelings toward Izuku. After over twenty years of knowing Katsuki, of dedicating a lifetime to learning to read him, Izuku can tell it scares the crap out of him. Even if he looks angry rather than nervous. So Izuku responds in a language he knows Katsuki is more comfortable speaking in.
“It took you twenty years to realize that?!” he says, trying to sound annoyed as he thwaps Katsuki in the chest with a pillow. “Twenty years?!”
“I was a little busy you know,” Katsuki retorts, as he sits back up, looking fondly exasperated. “I got around to it in the end.”
Izuku shoves his face in the pillow as he giggles, documentary forgotten. After a minute a finger pokes him in the head.
“Oi.”
He peeks over the fabric, trying not to grin like an idiot at the cute blush that spreads on Katsuki’s cheeks as their eyes meet.
“I mean it, but I get it if you don’t...we’re friends first and that doesn’t change if you don’t want something more wi—“
“I want it!” Izuku cuts in before Katsuki can talk his way right back out of the moment. Katsuki blinks at the outburst and Izuku shuffles around until they’re knee to knee on the sofa. He hooks a finger around Katsuki’s pinky, tugging his hand toward him as he finishes in a more reasonable tone, “I want to date you.”
Katsuki’s face lights up at the admission and his fingers curl around Izuku’s, giving his hand a squeeze. “Good.”
“Can I—“ Izuku hesitates and Katsuki rubs a thumb across the back of his hand, head tilting to the side in curiosity. “Can I hug you?” Izuku asks sheepishly.
“This is going to be a thing isn’t it?” Katsuki says, but he doesn’t even attempt to look annoyed.
He holds his arms open and Izuku throws himself into them immediately, wrapping around Katsuki, face smushed to his chest. Katsuki’s arms settle around him, face buried in Izuku’s curls as he sighs.
Izuku’s brain is happily drifting in the endorphin haze caused by the word association “Kacchan” and “boyfriend” when the gremlin of doubt and worry claws its way out and starts chattering away. Because as happy as Izuku is about this, about the fact that Katsuki wants to be with him, and that he’s getting to be here, curled up in Katsuki’s lap like this…there’s a problem. Well, maybe a problem? A thing . Not a thing, thing makes it sound bad. It’s not bad. It’s more… logistics? Well… maybe it’s bad, he doesn’t know, but it exists and they have to—
“Just say it, Izuku,” Katsuki says, sounding amused as he runs a hand down Izuku’s spine. “I can hear your brain overheating from here.”
“I like sex,” Izuku blurts out and then smashes both hands over his mouth in horror. Katsuki laughs, a full genuine laugh that rumbles through his chest and into Izuku as he leans back against the armrest.
“Yeah, I noticed,” he says in amusement and Izuku flushes.
Right.
He and Katsuki have been friends since third year. Good friends. Katsuki has been witness to every one of Izuku’s relationships. Been there to be the judgmental friend at the start, and the shoulder Izuku cried on at the end of every one. Plus, ya know, no filter. There were a lot of nights Izuku sat on this very sofa and drunk rambled every thought in his head to Katsuki.
“You don’t,” he points out when Katsuki doesn’t add anything else, struggling to sit up, though Katsuki won’t let him climb out of his lap.
“I mean, it doesn’t gross me out or anything,” Katsuki says with a shrug, shifting Izuku until he’s sideways, back against the sofa as Katsuki wraps an arm around his waist. “It's not that I don't like it. It’s just not something I feel inclined to do with anyone.”
“ Anyone? Ever?” Izuku asks, unable to help the disbelief that creeps into his tone. It’s not like they haven’t talked about this before. Katsuki has been openly ace for ages, but Izuku doesn’t know what it means in this new context.
“Eh. I’ve had it before but I’d be fine with never having it again. It’s just not something that falls on my radar. But I dunno, with you, I wouldn’t mind, from time to time. Especially if it’s something you enjoy. I like seeing you happy,” Katsuki admits and Izuku has to smash his face in Katsuki’s shoulder before he dies from how overwhelming this is.
They stay like that for a few quiet minutes, Izuku fussing idly with the soft fabric of Katsuki’s shirt while he tries to come up with the right words for what he wants to say.
“I don’t want to if you don’t want to,” he says finally, then frowns because that sounded dumb and obvious. “I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”
“Izuku,” Katsuki says, voice taking on that teasing lilt again, “are you implying that you think you might be able to pressure me into doing something I don’t want to? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I’m serious!” Izuku complains, thwacking Katsuki hard in the chest and Katsuki grabs his hand, threading their fingers back together again.
“I know you are. But believe me, I’ll tell you if I’m interested or not.”
“But I—“
“Do you trust me?” Katsuki asks and Izuku sits up so abruptly his head almost clocks Katsuki in the chin.
“Of course I do!”
What a ridiculous question. Izuku would, and has, quite literally put his life in Katsuki’s hands. Trusting him at this point is instinct, second nature and unquestioning. And he knows it’s the same for Katsuki, can tell by the way they fight side-by-side, how everything just clicks.
“Then you’ll know. If you ask me, I’ll answer you honestly, and you can trust my answer. Just like always.”
Izuku relaxes at that, letting Katsuki coax him back into the curve of his arm, head nestled back under Katsuki’s chin.
“Just…” Katsuki pauses, fingers tracing a scar across the back of Izuku’s hand. “Just don’t be disappointed if I’m not up for something, okay? I don’t want you to have expectations I can’t live up to, we have to find a middle ground.”
“I understand,” Izuku says, and he does. Katsuki looks like he doesn’t quite believe him, and Izuku squishes Katsuki’s face between his hands, forcing him to make eye contact as Katsuki scowls at the manhandling. “I’m not just saying that to make you feel better.”
“Izuku I—”
“Let me finish ,” Izuku cuts in and Katsuki snaps his mouth shut, cheeks still smushed between Izuku’s hands. “I know we’ll have to keep talking about it, and sometimes we’re not going to be on the same page. But I want this. I want you —”
Katsuki turns bright red at that, peeling Izuku’s hands off his face and hiding in Izuku’s shirt. Izuku just pets through blond hair and keeps talking.
“—and after everything we’ve been through, I think we can figure it out. And if not…” he pauses long enough that Katsuki pulls back to meet his eye.
“If not?”
“If not, then you’re still my best friend,” Izuku says easily and something softens in Katsuki’s gaze, a secret worry he’d kept buried but Izuku knew was there. Katsuki has always been afraid of ruining the thing they’ve worked so hard to build. Izuku has a lot more faith in it. They’re both different people now, and what they have is rock solid.
Katsuki is his best friend first, but having a chance to get to be with him, as friends and partners, that’s something he wants enough to figure out all the other stuff. He’s actually looking forward to those conversations, to learning more about that side of Katsuki, and how his asexuality fits into it, how it will work for both of them.
As for right now…well…he has one more important question.
“Do you like kissing?” he asks shyly, feeling heat crawl up the back of his neck at even asking a question that seems so silly and yet so important at the same time.
“Yeah.” Katsuki snorts, hand coming up to tilt Izuku’s chin back until he’s looking up at him. “I like kissing.”
“Can we kiss?”
“Yeah,” Katsuki replies, lips curling into a smile as he cups Izuku’s cheek. “We can kiss.”
He dips his head down, lips brushing almost hesitantly against Izuku’s before he commits to it, teeth nipping lightly against Izuku’s bottom lip. Izuku sighs into it, arms wrapping around Katsuki’s neck and pulling them tight together as he kisses him back.