Archive of Our Own

Tokyo Central Station was crowded. Katsuki expected as much but it was still overwhelming once he left the train. It didn't help that his ride had been uncomfortable and cramped, his mood already soured by the long travel. He adjusted the awkwardly large paintings on his back, tilting his body forward and moving to the exits. 

Katsuki was an artist and currently on a spontaneous trip to one of the biggest art galleries in Japan. He was initially rejected months ago, his art not good enough to secure him a spot.

That was until two days ago when an email popped into his inbox, asking him to fill in a spot at the gallery. Another artist cancelled at the last minute and they needed a replacement.

Now navigating an eight hour journey with multiple, big canvases while on a budget wasn’t easy and Katsuki hated every minute of it. The trip alone cost him a third of his savings while the rest of it went into the cost of the artist booth.

On top of it all, Katsuki couldn’t afford an actual hotel room. He had to resort to sleeping on a stranger's couch, as it was the cheapest option available on such short notice.

Katsuki never in his life considered couch surfing. It was a strange concept and in his opinion extremely unsafe but alas he didn’t have another choice.

After researching thoroughly, he found a guy who lived close to the gallery, owned a sleeping couch, was cheap and available and got a few decent to good reviews. He'd be meeting the guy, Shinsou, near the McDonald's outside. 

Leaving the station, Katsuki's eyes adjusted to the bright city lights. He took a quick scan of everything around him. The McDonald's was easily spotted and Katsuki made a beeline for it. 

That Shinsou guy told him to look out for purple hair, which Katsuki first found a bold choice but now he was glad to be looking for someone who would stand out.

It was still crowded and it took Katsuki a hot minute before his eyes stopped at something purple. A tall young man, around his age, leaned against a lamp post near the fast food restaurant. Assuming this guy to be Shinsou, Katsuki made his way over.

The man in question looked up from his phone, immediately seeming to recognise Katsuki. His lips turned up into a lopsided grin, just as he pushed himself off the lamp post. 

"Hey, Bakugou, right?" Katsuki nodded.

"Yeah, you're Shinsou?" The man, Shinsou, hummed, circling Katsuki to take a look at his make-shift canvas carrier. 

"Right, you're an artist, coming up for some gallery here." 

Katsuki huffed, offended by Shinsou's nonchalance. He turned, looking up into tired purple eyes. Katsuki had to admit that Shinsou was a lot taller than him.

"It’s not just some gallery! It's the biggest art gallery in all of Japan!" Katsuki snapped, turning his art away from Shinsou's prying hands.

"Right. Good for you man. Anyway, we should get going, I can’t stand the cold." Shinsou led Katsuki to their train. They didn’t speak much and Katsuki was grateful for it.

He was tired and wanted nothing more than to lose the extra weight of his artworks and sleep until the next morning.

It took them another twenty minutes until they arrived at an apartment complex with what Katsuki assumed to be hundreds of apartments.

Shinsou held the door open for Katsuki. The hallway was small and Katsuki's paintings barely fit through. They maneuvered their way to the elevator where Shinsou pressed the button to the sixth floor.

Katsuki was glad he'd chosen a guy with an elevator. He would have never managed to carry his paintings all the way up there.

Shinsou’s apartment was small and the space was calculated. A single room over which a loft made space for a bed. Nearby were a small kitchen area and a shower and toilet.

All in all, Katsuki supposed it to be alright for his stay; it certainly could be worse.

"Okay, welcome to my humble fort." Shinsou hummed, motioning to the single room. "I know it’s not much, but it should do, for the purpose of your stay."

Katsuki nodded, gently lifting the paintings off of his carrier and leaning everything against the entrance wall.

"Yeah, should be fine." Shinsou raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Katsuki’s back, choosing to ignore the comment.

"By the way, I'll be working later, so you'll be by yourself here. Please don’t steal anything or make a mess." He pushed past Katsuki into the kitchen area, rummaging through the cupboard before pulling out some snacks.

"Pff, as if I'd ever do something like that." Katsuki growled quietly.

"Dude, it’s nothing personal, I tell that to everyone who stays here." Shinsou hummed between mouths full of chocolate.

"Go on, you can take a look around. It’s pretty small, so you can’t get lost anywhere." Shinsou nodded his head around the room. Katsuki sighed deeply, throwing his jacket over his bags and looking around.

The loft was located over the kitchen area and Katsuki wanted to check out the view from it. So without thinking further, he climbed the small stairs near the kitchen and crawled onto the loft. 

Shinsou's bed was a thick mattress, covered in a couple of pillows and a thick blanket. There was definitely no height space for a bedframe. It was, however, big enough for Shinsou to put some low shelves on one side of the loft.

Katsuki slid to the edge of the space. There was a wooden railing to keep from falling. He leaned his arms over it and looked out the huge window front on the other side.

The view was pretty amazing and if Katsuki didn’t mind all the crowds and small spaces, he'd definitely consider living in the city.

"Pretty nice, huh," Startled from Shinsou’s voice, Katsuki jumped in his seat, almost hitting his head against the ceiling. "Fuck" he cursed under his breath, throwing Shinsou an angry glare.

"Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you." Shinsou slid into the space next to him, his legs hanging off. They stared quietly out of the window, watching people run around like ants.

"You know, you could rent the space for some good money." Katsuki hummed and Shinsou turned to look at him. 

"Thought about it, but I got nowhere else to go and I doubt my landlord would allow it." He shrugged his shoulders, eyes fixed back on the people outside.

"Shame."

Shinsou raised his brow, a small smirk playing on his lips, "What, you thinking of living here part-time? You've barely been here for ten minutes." He grinned now, a challenging look in his eyes.

Katsuki huffed, meeting his gaze, "Huh? No way, too cramped honestly. I'd go insane after a week." 

Shinsou thought it was ironic for his guest to say that after booking five nights here. "Sure. Anyway, I'm going to go and study, you get comfy and do whatever." 

Shinsou was down again in a matter of seconds. Must have been second nature, Katsuki assumed. He watched as Shinsou put on his headphones and slumped down behind his desk near the window. Katsuki felt awkward just staring at the guy, so he decided to get back down as well and check the outside area; the gallery was supposed to be nearby after all.

Climbing down the narrow stairs, Katsuki almost slipped when he was nudged near his ankle. Gripping the above stairs tightly, he peaked beneath him, eyes fixed onto the relaxed face of what had to be Shinsou's cat.

It laid comfortably on the next step down, eyeing Katsuki with genuine curiosity. After a three second stare down, the cat resumed its cleaning, which Katsuki very likely had disturbed. He let out a deep breath. "Fucking forgot there’s a cat." He wasn’t loud per se, but Shinsou heard him nonetheless. He glimpsed over his shoulder and Katsuki could tell he had a hard time schooling his expression. 

On the verge of breaking out into laughter, Shinsou pressed his lips together tightly, averting his eyes before scribbling down some notes. "I'm glad you're having fun, while I almost broke my neck." Katsuki huffed, sitting back up, carefully placing his feet around the cat before leaping down the rest of the stairs. He almost crashed into the couch.

Sliding his headphones down, Shinsou turned back to Katsuki. "Her name's Nugget." Katsuki turned to see Nugget trudging up the stairs to Shinsou's loft.

"Well Nugget almost killed me." He huffed, but it held no real malice. Despite not having one himself, Katsuki loved pets, cats especially. He honestly didn’t mind tip-toeing around one.

"Sorry 'bout her." Shinsou hummed before making a point to showcase turning up the volume of his headphones. Katsuki grumbled something along the lines of bad host but made his way back to his paintings anyway. 

He carried them over to the couch, which presumably would turn into his bed for the next few days. Worry crept up Katsuki's neck as he inspected his neatly packed canvases. It would be tough to come up with an arrangement for them without having seen his space. 

He let out a deep breath before deciding he needed to get some fresh air - or not so fresh, but Katsuki couldn’t be picky. "Oi, eyebags, I'm heading out to get a look at the gallery." His voice cut through the overall silence of the apartment like a knife through butter and he inwardly cursed under his breath. He hadn’t meant to be this loud.

Shinsou didn’t turn or make a show of removing his headphones or lowering his music. Katsuki was finger-touching close to yelling straight into this man's ear when Shinsou raised his hand, waved at him and loudly exclaimed: 

"Key's at the front door! The one without the student ID." Katsuki caught his voice, turned around quickly, grabbed the assigned key and left.

He wasn’t sure he'd survive five nights with Shinsou, if he was going to be rude like this. He could have at least looked up or even taken off his headphones while talking to Katsuki. Chewing his lips Katsuki made his way around the corner, the key nestling inside his jeans pocket.

The gallery truly was nearby, it only took him eight minutes to get there. Posters of the show that would be starting tomorrow, hung everywhere.

There was a list of artists on the door and Katsuki found his name at the very bottom - a last minute ad-on, he assumed. It didn’t matter, being last was infinitely better than being swallowed by names in the middle.

He gazed inside the windows when someone next to him cleared his throat loudly. Katsuki jumped, turning around only to find the host standing next to him.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" The man was tall and covered in clothing made of jeans fabric. Katsuki tried not to gape.

"Um… yeah, I'm wondering if I could take a look at my assigned booth. I was added last minute and didn’t get to see it a couple months back." 

The man hummed, "Anyone can just claim to be an artist, your name?" Katsuki understood the wariness, yet he did feel a little uncomfortable with being as unknown as he was. 

"Bakugou Katsuki." Posture straight and voice steady, Katsuki held the man's strict gaze. "Ah, yes, I've heard that name. Good on you for coming early to check everything out. You're in luck, I was going to do a last minute check-up, so feel free to take a look around." 

The man unlocked the door, leading Katsuki inside before locking it behind them. Katsuki trailed after him until they stopped at a corner wall.

Katsuki realised quickly that he had to get creative with his space. It was small and, in a way, covered from the main attraction. He'd be lucky if someone wandered back here.

"This is yours, you may take a photo of it, if it helps with planning. We're grateful to have you come in on such short notice."

Katsuki hummed in agreement, whispering a thanks before taking a slow walk around the surrounding area. Their names were already lettered onto the white stands below and Katsuki took to researching each surrounding artist. 

He stayed for about an hour before thanking the man and leaving him to his preparations. Wandering around, Katsuki realised he was dead tired and very hungry. He hadn’t eaten since this morning and could likely inhale three bowls of his favourite spicy ramen. He made his way back, deciding that he also needed caffeine, so he stopped by the next inviting café. 

Not looking too closely, Katsuki got in line, scrolling through the pictures on his phone. Realising he could make his spot work in his favour, Katsuki felt imminently more at ease.

"Welcome to - Oh." Katsuki looked back up only to be met with familiar purple eyes. 

"There's no way." He whispered, a smirk pulling up on the corner of his lips. Shinsou shook his head lightly, the corners of his mouth moving up ever so slightly. 

"Well then, what can I get you?" Shinsou's voice turned from fake-friendly to the low hum Katsuki was somewhat familiar with.

"One black coffee." Shinsou hummed, hitting some buttons on the cash register. He grabbed the biggest cup available and put it under their coffee maker.

"I thought you were studying." Katsuki's brow raised in question and Shinsou nodded along as he pressed a button.

"I was, remember I told you I'd be working this evening?" The coffee maker beeped loudly and Shinsou took the cup, placing a lid on top. 

"Has it been this long already?" Katsuki checked the clock, eyes widening in recognition. "Fuck, it's been hours." Shinsou snorted at his dilemma. "Yeah, by the way, that's 506 yen." Katsuki blinked before rummaging for his wallet. With each passing second he realised it wasn't on him.

"Ah, shit." He glared angrily at his jeans, not braving to look at Shinsou, whose stance shifted. The register rang and Shinsou pressed the hot coffee against Katsuki's arm.

"It's on me, now go fill up your caffeine tank and get home." Katsuki blinked, furrowing his brows before taking the cup. 

"I'll pay you back!" He huffed, almost offended, eliciting a small eye roll from Shinsou. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, it's no big deal!" He waved him off, "I got some more customers to take care of." Katsuki turned his head, noticing a group of students entering the café. He huffed one last time, mumbling a quiet thanks before rushing outside.

The coffee lasted until he arrived at Shinsou's apartment. After fumbling with the key for way too long, Katsuki was greeted by Nugget. She meowed at him before rubbing against his legs and walking in his path.

Katsuki tiptoed around Nugget until arriving at the couch and his paintings. He unravelled them all, inspecting them carefully. Pulling up his phone, he looked at his spot before beginning to prop up his paintings against the coffee table, a crocodile fern and one of Shinsou's three dining chairs. To get a look at the arrangement, Katsuki moved further back.

Fourty minutes and a whole lot of rearranging later, Katsuki was finally satisfied with the outcome, taking one last picture for reference. While wrapping up the paintings again, the door to Shinsou's apartment opened. 

Katsuki glanced up to see Shinsou carry two bags of takeout and two coffees inside, closing the door with his foot. "Mind giving me a hand?" He mumbled, his eyes meeting Katsuki's, who blinked before making his way over and snatching the food from Shinsou.

"You got me some food?" He asked incredulously and Shinsou only hummed. "I took a wild guess that you haven't eaten yet simply because you forgot your wallet."

Katsuki felt his ears burn but tried to play it cool. "Yeah, true, I'll pay you back for the coffee." Shinsou shrugged, placing the coffee down and sinking into the couch. Katsuki dropped into the seat next to him and while he unpacked their food, Shinsou turned on the TV.

As Katsuki placed the boxes on the table, he realised Shinsou picked basic stuff most people liked. He couldn’t really blame the guy, since he didn’t know Katsuki and he didn’t even need to get him food but Katsuki couldn’t help but stare at Shinsou’s spicy ramen. The other picked up on it quickly. 

“I should have known a bitchy artist like yourself would love spicy food.” He raised his brow at Katsuki who huffed, furrowing his brows the way he always did when someone annoyed him.

“Fuck off, I’m not bitchy!” He crossed his arms defensively, making Shinsou snort in amusement. 

“Right, ‘cause that wasn’t bitchy, right there!” Katsuki glared back at him, lightly punching his shoulder. Shinsou dramatically slumped over to his side of the couch. 

“He’s violent, too!” Katsuki couldn’t help himself as he cracked a smile at Shinsou’s antics. “Tell me, are you always like that, eyebags?” He challenged, gaining back his confidence. Shinsou smirked, righting himself again, smoothing his hair out, evidently evading Katsuki’s eyes.

“Only to people I like.” Katsuki blinked, a little taken aback before promptly turning away. He could feel his face heat up and he definitely didn’t need Shinsou to see it.

Putting his hand to his cheeks to feel their warmth, Katsuki deemed it safe to peek back at their food. His eyes widened when he recognised the ramen bowl in front of him.

“Are you giving me your spicy ramen?” He asked a little roughly, trying to tie together why Shinsou was being so nice to him. 

“You looked positively grossed out by the rest of what I brought and since I enjoy everything I got, I’m graciously giving you the spicy ramen.” Shinsou’s voice was laced with confidence, the slight embarrassment completely passing by Katsuki. 

“Thanks man. You really didn’t need to.” He whispered, taking his chopsticks before opening the lid. Shinsou leaned back, his own noodles in hand as he took a first bite. He didn’t reply any further and so they sat in silence, watching whatever show Shinsou previously put on.

They'd sat together a little while longer. Katsuki first complained about a show Shinsou had switched to. They'd gotten into a semi-heated argument why it was or wasn't good. Which then turned into a discussion about tv shows and movies, ending with each picking one of their favourites to show the other over the course of Katsuki's stay.

Now Katsuki was cuddled up on Shinsou's pullout couch, checking his phone alarm for the third time. He couldn't be late tomorrow and for the first time, he felt incredibly nervous. So much so that he decided to go to bed early, effectively cutting Shinsou's night short as well.

While Shinsou wasn't planning on falling asleep anytime soon, he still found Katsuki's turning and checking, irritating. Without moving, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I get that you're nervous but you gotta stop checking your stuff every other second." Katsuki's turning stopped and Shinsou hoped it would be the last time, until he heard the distinct motion of a blanket getting pulled back aggressively.

Katsuki's head poked up from under it, tilted to where Shinsou was laying on his mattress in the loft above. Shinsou let out a quiet sigh before meeting the other's gaze. Katsuki was frowning before eventually speaking.

"Fuck off, eyebags! Like you'd know how fucking much this means to me! I can't afford to make a stupid mistake, like setting my alarm wrong!" 

Shinsou turned on his side, propping himself up on his arm to get a better view of Katsuki below. "Got it! Well tell me, when's the gallery start?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, letting a second pass before checking his phone. "Ten-Thirty." He finally answered. 

"Right. When do you need to be there?" Katsuki huffed, "At least an hour before, if not an hour and a half!" 

Shinsou hummed, scrolling through his phone, "Cool, so like, nine a.m." Katsuki huffed once again, which Shinsou learned to take as an affirmation, after having spent only one evening with Katsuki so far.

"So when do you wanna wake up?" Katsuki didn't know why Shinsou was so interested in his schedule. After all, he was allowed to use the spare key to come and go as he pleased during his stay. Shinsou specifically requested it, so he didn't have to remember Katsuki's schedule.

"Eight is fine. I need coffee and will get something to eat on the go." Katsuki didn't know why he still answered Shinsou's question. He supposed it didn't matter now. It got quiet for a moment until Shinsou turned his phone toward Katsuki. Despite his efforts, Katsuki couldn't make out what he was supposed to be seeing.

"I got you. My alarm is set for eight-fifteen. If you're not awake by then, I'll promise to kick your ass off the couch!" Katsuki rolled his eyes before slumping back down into the cushions. It took him a good thirty seconds to realise that Shinsou was going out of his way to help Katsuki.

"Thanks. I won't be needing your ass-kick." He whispered and with a quiet thud, Shinsou presumably landed back on his own mattress. "Good, 'cause I hate physically exerting myself."

Katsuki willed the smile that was pulling on his lips, back down. He needed to be careful, Shinsou was a stranger who he didn't really know, he couldn't afford to catch any type of feelings.

Katsuki woke fifteen minutes before his first alarm. He didn't sleep well, tossing and turning all night on the small couch. It wasn't even the sleeping arrangement; Katsuki had slept on far more uncomfortable surfaces before; it was simply the stress, making his thoughts race and his heart beat fast. He was certain, Shinsou must have been very annoyed, although he didn't speak up again after offering his help.

As careful and quiet as possible, Katsuki moved his blanket back to stand up and stretch. He felt his back pop slightly and with a quiet yawn he made his way over to the bathroom.

It took him fifteen minutes, of which he spent about ten staring at his own reflection, to get ready. He realised he'd properly overplanned when he was ready to leave by the time Shinsou's phone rang.

It startled him too, having completely forgotten that Shinsou fixed an alarm for eight-fifteen. Katsuki stood by the door, frozen in place, waiting for Shinsou to make any noise that would indicate he was awake. 

When he couldn't hear anything for another minute, Katsuki deemed it safe enough to move and he unlocked the door with a click. 

"Have a good day at your gallery-thingy," Shinsou's sleepy voice echoed just when the door shut behind Katsuki. His heart rate picked up and his cheeks flushed. This was the type of embarrassment Katsuki hoped to avoid! Stupid Shinsou, yelling at the last second.

Katsuki made his way down, deciding to shove all embarrassing thoughts back to make space for worrying about the gallery.

After securing a coffee and some pastries for breakfast, Katsuki arrived at the gallery on time. He was greeted by the man from the day before, Hakamada, who introduced him to some of the other artists. Katsuki made small talk before making his way to his spot. He unwrapped his paintings and began placing them onto their stands.

He was done fairly early and decided to take another quick look around. He met some of the other smaller artists and they talked about their pieces. Half an hour before opening, everyone was ready and Hakamada gave a small speech to kick off the five day long exhibit!

All in all, Katsuki would say his first day at the gallery went well. While his corner was barely visited, the few people who did show interest, were kind and had many thoughts to share. They enjoyed his expertise and Katsuki felt that it wasn't a terrible start. 

There was even a class of art students from a nearby university and Katsuki found them roaming the secluded corners, rather than sticking to the main stands. A few of them even stopped at Katsuki's paintings and when he himself revealed to be the artist, they asked for his social media.

When the gallery closed, Katsuki realised he hadn't eaten all day. He blamed the excitement and rush of opening day. His stomach churned as he was packing his paintings up again. 

"Why are you packing your stuff?" An elderly lady approached him, watching as he carefully hoisted the paintings on his carrier. He looked up, a snappy remark on his tongue which he refrained from making. That woman seemed kind and she hadn't really done anything to deserve it. 

"I have a bunch more paintings I want to showcase. Each day a new assortment." He calmly explained and the woman hummed. "I see. Very clever, not many choose to vary their showcase. They usually assort the ones with the most cohesive theme and then go with that."

Katsuki turned back to his carrier. The woman, who he assumed to be an artist as well, was right. His approach was risky, especially since people would recommend the gallery or a piece of his and find it not there the next day. 

"I do have a plan." He stated, heaving his paintings onto his back. The woman gave him a kind smile, "Well I can't wait to see your other paintings!" She turned away and Katsuki took a second to leave the gallery with a small smile on his lips. 

He made it back to an empty apartment. The only presence being a sleepy Nugget back on Shinsou's window sill. She meowed at Katsuki before returning to her nap. 

Despite being positively worn out, Katsuki decided to freshen up, get some groceries and cook some dinner. He couldn't eat another round of take-out.

On his way to the grocery store, Katsuki caught sight of the café from the day before. Deciding coffee was necessary to have enough energy for cooking, Katsuki made his way over.

It was pretty packed and Katsuki had to wait a bit before finally being able to order. He looked up only to be met by someone with purple hair. It wasn't the one he was expecting though and he tried playing off his disappointment by ordering quickly.

The girl hummed, giving him a knowing look while typing in his order and moving to prepare it. "You want any sugar or milk?" She yelled over her shoulder and Katsuki shook his head, "No, all black please." He looked back down to his phone until he was rung up. After contemplating for a moment, Katsuki decided he could enjoy his coffee inside the café and took a seat in a corner, watching the busy street through the window.

"So, I was told to take this to the customer who looked rather disappointed when ordering his coffee." Katsuki jumped in his seat, his head snapping over to where Shinsou stood, an apron tied around his waist and a strawberry cake roll in hand. 

"Huh?" It took Katsuki a moment to register the scene before him. Shinsou didn't seem to mind as he placed the cake in front of Katsuki. Instead of walking away, Shinsou looked over to the counter and Katsuki watched as Shinsou had a silent conversation with the purple-haired girl from earlier. It took another few seconds before Shinsou sighed dramatically and dropped into the seat opposite Katsuki. 

"What, you on a break now?" Katsuki couldn't quite tell what was happening. He didn't know why Shinsou was always being so nice to him; unless it was his form of 'customer service' as Katsuki's host, but he highly doubted it. Although the reviews had all been pretty good, Katsuki was sure someone would have mentioned a behaviour as obliging as this.

"Yup. Kyouka is making me take my fifteen minutes right now" Shinsou pushed the cake forward. "Which I don't mind. Though she's insisting I lighten your mood." 

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at Shinsou, who leaned back, dropping his hand behind his chair. 

"My mood needs no lightening, thanks." Katsuki grumbled, pointedly ignoring the obvious stares from the other baristas. Shinsou hummed in agreement.

"Clearly." Shinsou's snarky comment earned him an annoyed huff by Katsuki and a light kick against the shins. "Pff. Get lost, I came here to relax, maybe make a shopping list, not be annoyed by you." 

Shinsou smirked, snatching the fork from the small cake and digging in. "Shopping? Are you gonna get some souvenirs or something?" Katsuki rolled his eyes, grabbing the strawberry cake out from under Shinsou's fork. 

"Hell no! I meant groceries. Food for dinner." A pout made its way on Shinsou's face as he looked at the wooden table which he just stabbed. His pout disappeared when he looked up at Katsuki.

"Oh dinner! Are you going to cook something today?" Katsuki hummed, supporting his head on his hand as he studied the passersby. "Got anything you can't eat?" Katsuki didn't plan to cook for the both of them at first. He planned to cook for himself, maybe leave leftovers for Shinsou, if he liked. He couldn't quite understand why he was now offering like this. 

He chugged it down to not wanting to be in debt to Shinsou by having two coffees and one spicy ramen bought for him. This was his way to make up for that. Yes, that made a whole lot more sense than any of his other thoughts that strayed way too far for an acquaintance.

"Oooh, you're cooking for me? What an honour! Didn't know you had it in you!" Shinsou smiled as he stretched his arms over the table. "Also I eat everything! No allergies and stuff!" Katsuki nodded his head. "Oh and I love spicy!" Shinsou added, cracking his neck and earning an exasperated sigh from Katsuki. 

"Got it. I'll make something later. When will you be off work?" Shinsou looked around for the time before counting down the hours. "Around three more hours." Katsuki chewed his lips. He was pretty hungry already, waiting for another three hours just seemed cruel. His eyes landed on the strawberry cake roll. He may not have ordered it but it was meant for him, so Katsuki helped himself to the fork Shinsou was flicking around.

"Hey!" Shinsou's eyes widened just as Katsuki dug into the cake, inhaling it all in a matter of seconds. 

"Ugh, you gotta appreciate it more! What's gotten into you?" Shinsou leaned back, showing the disgust on his face which Katsuki found very amusing.

"Was hungry, now I'll survive three more hours surrounded by food while not starving." Shinsou rolled his eyes before getting back up. "Well then, I'll see you later!" Katsuki grinned, downing his coffee in one go and leaving the café to get his dinner ingredients.

Cooking dinner relaxed Katsuki immensely and put him into a good mood. While chopping the vegetables, Katsuki already made a plan on which paintings he was going to present the next day. Shinsou made it home by eight, which was just in time for Katsuki to finish. 

They slumped down onto the couch, Shinsou eagerly taking the bowl of food from Katsuki. Propping their feet up on the coffee table, it was Katsuki's turn to show Shinsou one of his favourite shows.

"I swear if you don't like it, something's clearly wrong with you!" He announced as the intro played. Shinsou snorted, stuffing his face with some more rice. 

"I gotta say the intro was lame as hell!" He was purposely riling him up, Katsuki was certain of it. Despite knowing it to be on purpose, Katsuki still jumped at the insult.

They bickered throughout the first episode, by the end of which Katsuki realised Shinsou was getting more and more invested.During the second episode, Shinsou only occasionally commented on something and after the third he was truly paying close attention.

"Hah! Who's fangirling now, bitch!" If it was any other new acquaintance, Katsuki would have never dared to be as rude as this.

Of course he always spoke his mind but with Shinsou he was able to give it that extra kind of salty undertone, or simply rudeness without it being taken the wrong way. 

"Fuck off, I am not fangirling, I am merely giving your favourite show a shot!" Shinsou stuck out his tongue at Katsuki who couldn't help but smirk as he raised his brows. 

"Oh yeah? Looks to me like you're very into it!" Shinsou grabbed the pillow to his right to throw it at Katsuki's unsuspecting face.

It hit with a thump, and Katsuki could feel his face heat. He wasn't entirely sure but somehow he knew it definitely wasn't anger or any other negative emotion. With his face buried inside the pillow, Katsuki realised it might be some form of liking that he was feeling. 

He knew his face was tinted in red and with all of his might, he swung the pillow back at Shinsou. He barely dodged it and Katsuki couldn't help the genuine laugh rising in his chest.

They ended up having a childish pillow fight through Shinsou's apartment. Katsuki was running after him, while Shinsou elegantly jumped over his furniture. 

In an attempt to retreat, Shinsou climbed his loft and Katsuki knew he got him. He followed, prepared for the worst. Shinsou hovered somewhere in the back, his pillow raised as a shield in front of him.

"I give up! You win, please spare me, oh mighty pillow king!" Katsuki snorted before shaking his head. "I'm executing you! Get over here!" He closed the distance, punching his own pillow against Shinsou before grabbing his wrist and pulling him out from his corner.

They landed back on the mattress with a thunk, Shinsou sprawled on top of Katsuki, who definitely miscalculated his strength. They were breathing heavily, their eyes meeting and exchanging uncertain glances.

Katsuki wasn't sure what he'd just started and by the looks of it, Shinsou wasn't either.

Shinsou rolled off of him, staring at the ceiling and just when Katsuki thought he'd overstepped several goddamn boundaries with the guy who he was paying to let him crash on his couch, Shinsou erupted in laughter.

It was mostly quiet but his snorts and giggles got louder, fuller. It was the most beautiful sound Katsuki's ever heard and he tried hard to fight its infectious nature.

He lost that fight ungraciously when a particularly loud snort made Katsuki laugh. They laid there for a while, two twenty-something year olds, laughing like little children. 

It quieted down again, the only sound coming from Nugget, who was likely demanding more dinner, despite having it served only a couple hours ago. 

Katsuki's arm moved to shield his eyes and dry the very prominent tears of laughter from his cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. Shinsou moved then to look over to him.

"God, my stomach hurts!" Shinsou broke down on his belly, his face squished by the mattress below. A smile played on Katsuki's lips. "You started it." Shinsou huffed into the bedding. "Whatever, who could have known you had so much stamina?" He mumbled, half of his words being swallowed by the mattress. 

Katsuki was barely able to make them out, thinking them over he replied with a smirk on his lips, "Maybe you should move to the countryside, it'll improve your stamina tenfold!" 

Shinsou's head moved from left to right, "Never!" It made Katsuki laugh a little before he decided to get back up. "Or start with a holiday there. I could show you around." Shinsou looked back up to catch Katsuki slowly moving down the stairs.

"Is that a promise?" He grinned, pushing himself off the mattress. Katsuki picked up the pace, "Maybe." 

Katsuki slept significantly better the second night. Shinsou was still snoring softly up on his loft, when Katsuki scribbled down a note: Will be back by five.

He didn't know what compelled him to let Shinsou know but he'd felt the need for it and therefore left it. Patting Nugget one more time, he took the key and left the apartment. 

The second day of the gallery was well-visited. People roamed the different displays and Katsuki had a lot of wonderful conversations with fellow artists and connoisseurs. 

There was the occasional side-eye he received but Katsuki didn't let that get to him.

Being judged for his appearance wasn't new. He was certainly aware of his resting-bitch-face, as Izuku liked to remind him. 

Conversing with a few more people, Katsuki was able to take another break in between. He promised to get one of his co-artists a coffee, who in turn watched over his paintings.

Pushing past the masses, Katsuki was glad he made it outside. Taking a deep breath didn't compare to the countryside; it was, however, still better than the used up air inside the gallery.

After spending two nights in this part of Tokyo, Katsuki found his way to Shinsou's café in no time. He didn't know why he wanted to come visit again when there were at least three cafés on the way. It certainly wasn't for the purple haired guy he was staying with. Katsuki at least tried to pretend it wasn't.

The small bell rang and a blond barista greeted Katsuki excitedly. He hummed, ordering two coffees to-go when the backdoor opened and someone entered with a huge stack of fresh pastries.

"Denks, some help here!" Came the muffled voice from behind the pastry baskets. The blond barista finished Katsuki's orders before rushing to help. Katsuki stood nearby, stirring his own pot before he met purple eyes.

"I know we make good coffee but there's like three different cafés down the road to your gallery, why come all this way?" Shinsou was neither subtle nor ashamed.

The blond barista called Denki graced Shinsou with a blunt what, before realising he wasn't being addressed. He looked from Shinsou back to Katsuki and his eyes widened significantly.

"Oh… OH! That's the -" he couldn't finish as Shinsou threw a hand over his mouth, eyes narrowed and hissing something that made Denki nod before returning to his post behind the cash register.

Katsuki couldn't help the snort. He shrugged in response to Shinsou's previous question, deciding he'd stuck around long enough. He made his way outside, the bell ringing softly once, then twice.

A small smile crept up on his face. Shinsou let out a deep breath. They stood to the side of the door, trying to keep the entry accessible to customers.

"Who's this for?" Katsuki looked down at the second coffee Shinsou was pointing at. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Some dude from the gallery. Made a deal to bring him a coffee in exchange for him watching my stuff." Shinsou hummed, leaning against the glass window of the café.

"You never answered my first question." Shinsou blatantly pointed out and Katsuki huffed.

"I needed a longer break than two minutes. And I know this café already and that you guys make good coffee." Ah, Katsuki really hoped Shinsou would buy it. Although, he wasn't quite certain as he was still unconvinced himself.

Shinsou raised his brow before humming, "Uh-huh" They stayed quiet for a moment. Shinsou hummed a tune Katsuki didn't recognise.

"Got your note, by the way." Shinsou muttered toward the sky and Katsuki turned to look at him. "Did ya? Good for you." Shinsou wore a grin on his face before he pushed himself off the wall.

"I did appreciate the heads up, though!" Shinsou added before pushing the door open. "See you later!" The bell rang again and just like that Shinsou was back inside. Katsuki snorted, making his way back to the gallery, the second coffee cold at his arrival.

Katsuki didn't know why he was inherently sad when Shinsou wasn't home upon his return. He knew the other was working or studying - busy with his own life and it wasn't like they were friends, hanging out. Katsuki was paying for a couch to sleep on; it just so happened to be Shinsou's, nothing more.

Still, it was an odd feeling that resided in him when he put down his paintings, exhausted from the rush of the city and the long days. He wasn't sure he wanted to cook today. After sitting on the couch for almost half an hour, Katsuki decided he needed to take a shower. He was filthy from all the sweat-inducing activities - mostly carrying large paintings and walking around all day - and he needed to freshen up, for his own sake.

It was the only upside to Shinsou still being gone; Katsuki was free to use his two square foot bathroom without fearing for his privacy. 

All of the tension and exhaustion flowed away under the warm stream of water. Katsuki felt so much better afterwards that he simply wrapped a towel around his hips and walked out of the bathroom twenty minutes later.

He didn't quite realise he wasn't alone until he almost walked into Shinsou. Stopping dead in his tracks, Katsuki's eyes widened. They matched Shinsou's usually small and tired eyes, perfectly - he was openly gaping down on Katsuki, his eyes taking in all of his body.

Katsuki swallowed down the lump in his throat, suddenly realising how naked he still was, despite the towel. He flushed bright red.

"What are you staring at?" Were his first coherent words, tumbling out of his mouth angrily; not that Shinsou seemed perturbed.

"So… Sorry! I got off work early and…" Shinsou couldn't help himself as Katsuki crossed his arms, his body stretching so audaciously that Shinsou had to catch his breath.

"Well, um, I got some food on the way, if you're hungry?!" Shinsou offered after collecting himself. Katsuki nodded, quickly grabbing his clothes and hopping back into the small bathroom to change. 

They ate their food in relative silence, putting on a show Shinsou liked and wanted Katsuki to see. It felt a little awkward between them but when Katsuki made an offhand comment about something and Shinsou immediately defended it, they went back to their previous banter.

Their night was cut short by Shinsou, who had to finish a paper for university and couldn't slack any more than he'd already done. Katsuki didn't mind as he laid down on the couch and began scrolling through the art gallery hashtag on his phone. 

People enjoyed the gallery so far and had lots to say. There were some posts about Katsuki's work as well, some more critical while others showed endless support. A smile formed at the corner of his lips as he read another post from the gallery's official account. It had promoted short sneak peeks and introductions prior to the event and since Katsuki was a last-minute backup, they only now managed to post an intro for him. They shared kind words that made Katsuki giddy inside. His excitement quickly subsided when he read the last two sentences.

A countryside fill-in is what this gallery needed! Let's see if Katsuki Bakugou is capable of keeping up with the sophisticated city artists!

Katsuki felt attacked. He didn't like the way they phrased their last words and the way it put him down below the other artists. His mood soured and he closed the app, turning his phone off. He took in a deep breath before getting ready for bed. 

Shinsou was still busy, headphones over his ears, typing away on his laptop when Katsuki pushed his blanket back to lay back down. He snuggled up into the covers and closed his eyes. He promised himself to prove these snobby wanna-be artists wrong!

An hour later, Shinsou moved his stuff into the loft, so as to not disturb Katsuki further and he began to drift off to sleep. 

Around 3 a.m. Katsuki jolted awake when his body fell down into the pits of the cushions with a loud bang. He breathed heavily, a silent scream on his face. As he woke up, he realised what happened. Throwing his covers back, Katsuki looked straight ahead at his feet.

"Are you okay?" Shinsou's voice echoed groggily from the loft. Katsuki was still a little in shock, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. He scrambled to his feet looking down into the huge dent in the couch. 

"Yeah…" he quietly answered and silence stretched before Shinsou spoke again.

"What happened?"

Katsuki's gaze turned to the loft, where he spotted lilac hair and eyes. "It broke!" 

Shinsou stretched further, "What? What broke?" He whisper-yelled and Katsuki looked back down to assess the situation, making sure he wasn't imagining things.

"The goddamn couch!" He yelled back, not as quiet. He heard cursing and the patting of naked feet on the linoleum floor. Shinsou stumbled down the stairs until he was next to Katsuki, dishevelled and tired.

"Fuck!" He cursed again, wiping his hand over his face.

"Yeah fuck. What are we going to do?" Katsuki felt pretty awake by now. He couldn't believe his sleeping arrangement would break during his stay. Shinsou was probably just as stunned about it. He pushed his hair back, staring down at the broken couch in exhaustion.

"Listen… I'm not going to fix this now" Katsuki raised a brow, genuinely curious about Shinsou's next few words.

"Take your blanket and pillow and follow me." Shinsou yawned demonstratively and moved toward the stairs to his loft. Katsuki packed his things, following him before realisation made him stop in his tracks. 

Halfway up, Shinsou noticed. "What? Aren't you coming?" Katsuki blinked at him, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. 

"To your loft?" Shinsou tilted his head in confusion at the question, "Yeah! Where else? Do you wanna sleep on the floor tonight?" His tone was laced in sarcasm but the question seemed genuine nonetheless.

To be fair, Katsuki wasn't sure, all he knew was that he didn't think he'd be ready to share a bed with Shinsou - or that he'd survive it.

He was very tired though and Shinsou didn't seem to have too much patience as he began climbing the rest of the stairs slowly. Katsuki let out a deep breath. He could manage one night until the couch was fixed.

Shinsou scooched his bedding to the far left, making just enough space for Katsuki to put his stuff down on the right. The lack of headspace made Katsuki crawl into the covers without much further contemplation. 

"I'm gonna be up early again." He informed Shinsou, who hummed agreeingly. "Alright. I may get up with you… gotta figure out the couch situation." Katsuki hummed and they turned away from one another.

It was agonisingly quiet. Katsuki was sure Shinsou wasn't asleep yet either, but he didn't dare speak. The less they spoke about the situation the better they were for it in the morning.

Shinsou shifted ever so slightly next to him and Katsuki realised that they didn't really have all that much space to move around. Maybe he should have warned Shinsou about his incessant need to spread out like a starfish during sleep. Although he'd been fine on the narrow couch, maybe his body would be fine on Shinsou's queen-sized mattress they were sharing.

While his head was going a million miles an hour, Shinsou began to snore softly next to him. It stopped his overthinking brain and Katsuki spared a slow look over his shoulder. Shinsou laid on his stomach, his face turned to Katsuki, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. He looked peaceful and Katsuki could feel his heart beat way too fast given the situation. His traitorous brain, working alongside his racing heart, supplied him with thoughts of how kissable Shinsou looked. 

He bit his lip hard as he turned away, surely flushed red, considering how warm his cheeks felt. Falling asleep proved even harder after the embarrassing understanding that he liked Shinsou and found him kissable, huggable or even, potentially, scarily dateable.

After his brain worried Katsuki for two more hours, he managed to fall asleep again only to be unceremoniously woken up by his alarm at eight in the morning. 

Shinsou next to him grumbled as Katsuki tried silencing his phone. It took him a hot second before the music finally shut off, blissful silence engulfing them once again. 

Shinsou turned around, lifting his head to look at Katsuki, who was crawling out of the covers - Katsuki, who was also dressed only in boxers and a tank top. 

Shinsou tried not to stare, but it was very hard when someone he'd found attractive since day one, was half naked and crawling away from him, ass on full display. He gulped quietly, making a show of turning away when Katsuki looked over his shoulder at him.

When he climbed down the stairs, Katsuki realised why Shinsou was staring at him and he suddenly felt way too hot. Fuck, they couldn't share a bed one more night! Katsuki almost ran down the stairs into the bathroom, closing its door rather loudly.

Shinsou let out a deep breath, covering his face with his hands. Watching Katsuki leave, did things to him, he wouldn't be able to rationally explain. Good thing he was covered by his blanket and still laying on his stomach. He really needed to fix the damn couch if he was going to survive the following two nights. 

Shinsou eventually made it downstairs too. He was still in his pyjamas when he made two coffees and held one out to Katsuki, who emerged from the bathroom fully dressed.

Shinsou took a sip, staring at the broken couch thoughtfully. Katsuki came to stand beside him, looking between his former bed and the man who owned it.

"So, think you can fix that?" It was a pretty stupid question, Katsuki could tell the couch was irrevocably damaged but the silence was too awkward not to say anything.

"Hmm…" Shinsou's brows narrowed. He bit his lower lip in thought - which certainly didn't do things to Katsuki's growing warm body - and turned to his desk.

"I'm going to hit up some friends who may be able to help. No promises though, I don't know how it happened, but it looks pretty wrecked…" Katsuki hummed in understanding before turning to his paintings. He packed up the ones he'd be displaying today before turning to leave. "See ya." He spoke toward Shinsou, who hummed, waving a hand in goodbye.

Katsuki arrived back at Shinsou's apartment full of resentment and anger. Some of the other, bigger artists had made comments about his paintings and today's display wasn't met with as much kindness as the previous ones. 

On top of it all, the day had stretched on forever and Katsuki was tired at the end of it. When he saw the broken couch, he let out another annoyed breath. 

"Jeez, what crawled up your ass?" Shinsou was sitting behind his desk, previously hunched over some papers, now looking over at Katsuki.

"Fuck off!" Katsuki didn't spare him any more words as he carefully put down his stuff before aggressively throwing his jacket at the couch.

Shinsou wheeled around completely, supporting his head with his hand. He seemed contemplative and Katsuki couldn't look at him any further; after all he didn't really deserve any of his bubbling anger.

He clenched his fists before relaxing them and pushing his ruddy hair back. Shinsou watched him carefully. It took another stretch of silence before Shinsou spoke.

"You look exhausted," Katsuki didn't spare him a word and Shinsou continued, "and I feel like you need a distraction." It would be nice to clear his head and Shinsou offered him a small smile.

"Wanna grab some drinks? Get something to eat, outside of my mess of a room?" Katsuki let out a deep sigh and eventually hummed in agreement. It would be good to go out and he knew Shinsou to be good company, so why not take this chance?

Probably because this sounded awfully like a date and Katsuki didn't want his heart broken, but this wasn't really a date. He shouldn't let his overthinking get the best of him.

"Alrighty! Get changed, I know a good place to go!" Shinsou clapped his hands together, jumping up from his desk chair to rummage through his closet. Katsuki did as he was told, letting Shinsou lead the way outside to wherever it was they were going.

Katsuki didn't think he'd enjoy a burger place of all things but it was really good and he was having a great time. Shinsou brought some of his writing with him and Katsuki couldn't stop himself from asking about it.

Shinsou was now leaning over the table explaining his texts to Katsuki, who was genuinely impressed with how good it was.

"So you're studying literature to be able to fully grasp it for writing?" Katsuki skimmed over some of the lines, looking back up at Shinsou. The other nodded, twirling some fries through ketchup and popping them into his mouth.

"Yup! It's honestly just a lot of fun and I love literary history. So what do you think?" Katsuki smiled faintly, "I guess I like it. Not much of a reader myself but I like what you're writing. I'm more of a visual guy, you know, being an artist and all." 

Shinsou hummed and took his papers from Katsuki's outstretched hand. "How did you get into that, by the way?" Katsuki shrugged as he swiftly snatched some of Shinsou's leftover fries, ignoring his complaint.

"I always loved art. I used to draw a lot when I was a kid. I stopped for a while though…" his eyes travelled to the window, evading Shinsou's soft gaze. He watched as people walked past the restaurant with umbrellas stretching over their heads; some hurrying through the rain.

"Why'd you stop?" Shinsou whispered and Katsuki shrugged, still not meeting his eyes. "If you don't mind me asking…" Shinsou added, stirring his cold coke with its straw.

"I got a terrible cold once; so bad, I had to be hospitalised for my fever. On top of it all, it turned out I had otitis media. Means my middle ear was infected. It got so bad, I lost almost all of my hearing." Katsuki scratched the spot behind his ear, brushing against the hearing aid.

"When the inflammation was finally dealt with, my hearing had suffered irreversibly. For the longest time after, I could barely hear and was constantly at the doctor's office." He braved a look back at Shinsou, who watched him attentively, no pity or sadness evident on his features as of yet.

"I stopped talking for a while… my parents didn't really know how to deal with it… We learned sign language together but even so, I still didn't want to talk. Got therapy and stuff and hearing aids and what not but I never really talked about it all.”

“Since I had a hard time verbally expressing my feelings, my therapist used art and drawing as a form for me to express myself. And that worked real well.”

“Long story short, I got back into drawing through therapy and have used it to express myself ever since! I began to talk again and overall, I'd say that my art has helped me through the toughest time of my life."

Shinsou hummed, showing him one of his absolutely gorgeous smiles and Katsuki felt his cheeks flush once again.

"Anyway, I'm good now, overall. Sorry for dumping that on ya… although you did ask" Katsuki felt embarrassed; Shinsou probably didn't want to hear all about his traumatic childhood story. Although Shinsou certainly didn't look put off by it. On the contrary, he shook his head, smiled and pointed another fry at Katsuki.

"You know, I know sign language, too. I'm not partially deaf or anything but my mother was born deaf. We solely communicate with signs at home." Katsuki blinked, he was surprised that Shinsou knew sign language. Most people Katsuki had met so far, didn't even know the basic signs.

"Really? Huh, I didn't think we'd have so much in common." He spared him a cheeky grin and Shinsou laughed lightly.

"Honestly, it's scary!" He winked and Katsuki licked his lips in reaction. He felt warm again and had to resist the urge to actually fan himself with his hand. Stupid Shinsou and his stupid wink and smile and soft lilac eyes! Katsuki was going to have some serious problems, if they continued to flirt with one another so effortlessly.

They returned home and Katsuki felt much lighter. He wasn't as affected by seeing the broken couch as he'd been before. Still, it raised a valid question for him.

"Where will I be sleeping now?" Shinsou sighed but nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. My friend didn't manage to fix it. I gotta get a new one and I have no money at the moment." Katsuki nodded, eyes tearing from the couch to search Shinsou's eyes.

The other scratched his neck awkwardly. He didn't speak and Katsuki raised a questioning brow. Shinsou seemed to contemplate something before he finally gave in.

"So, I don't mind sharing my loft with you for the rest of your stay…" Katsuki's eyes widened a little. God this was the worst outcome!

"Um… free of charge, of course!" Shinsou's cheeks were red and Katsuki was sure his own matched him perfectly. There really was no other option and he didn't have the money for a hotel. He looked away, letting out a small breath.

"Thanks, I guess I'll take it. And I don't want to crash free of charge, it's paid already, no take-backs!" He gave Shinsou a small smile that the other returned.

"Thanks, man! Let me pay for food at least! As some form of compensation." Katsuki shrugged, "Sure, if you want to!"

Since Shinsou still had to study, Katsuki used the time to settle in the loft and get a headstart on sleep, hoping to avoid any awkwardness between them. He drifted off fairly quickly.

Katsuki woke to an unfamiliar scent. When he opened his eyes, he instantly recognised where it was coming from. A mop of purple hair resided right under his nose and Katsuki was unwillingly breathing in the scent of Shinsou's shampoo!

Shinsou stirred somewhere beneath him. Katsuki was too tired to care, so he turned away, reaching for his phone and checking the time. He blinked when he suddenly realised he was running late!

He bolted upright, hitting his head when he wanted to stand, which wasn't possible up on the loft. Cursing, he crawled down the stairs, waking Shinsou with the ruckus he was making.

Five minutes later, Shinsou climbed down to an empty apartment. Katsuki left in a hurry, barely getting dressed in time and almost forgetting his paintings.

It was a day like any other, just that Katsuki was doing his utmost to polish his reputation after he wasn't perceived as well the day before. He didn't manage to take a break at the café. However some of his co-artists treated him to a small dinner to celebrate the end of their second to last day together!

Katsuki promised to come under the premise that he had to leave early to be able to prepare his final display! Everyone was a-okay with that and Katsuki had to admit he enjoyed himself.

When he arrived back at Shinsou's, it was already well past eight. Shinsou was hunched behind his computer typing away as he slurped some instant ramen. Katsuki made himself known by knocking loudly. Shinsou jolted a bit before turning around. 

A smile greeted Katsuki, which he returned. Shinsou took off his headphones, just as Katsuki started unpacking all of his paintings. Placing them against the wall, Katsuki began skipping through them.

"So, how was your day?" Shinsou was sitting on his desk chair in reverse, leaning his arms on the backrest. Katsuki hummed, "Better than yesterday. Had dinner with some of the nicer folk." 

Katsuki could feel Shinsou's eyes on him. He didn't turn around though, he needed to put together a breathtaking and opinionating final display.

"Sounds cool. Whatcha doing now?" Shinsou peeked past Katsuki's side, who moved so Shinsou could see better. "I'm picking my final display." His hand stopped over a particular painting and he slid it out from between the others.

Shinsou audibly gasped, "That's my favourite!" He rolled closer, almost crashing into Katsuki, who swiftly stepped aside. 

"I haven't seen you use it before!" Shinsou noted and Katsuki hummed, scratching his chin in thought.

"It's my favourite, too. It's also my most personal and vulnerable piece." Shinsou watched him carefully brush over the canvas. "I'm not sure I want to use it…"

It was one of the few pieces he'd done during therapy. All of his emotions and the resulting feelings were poured into it. A lot of red and black formed a boy's silhouette, surrounded by spots of blue. Katsuki never really painted people, yet this particular piece resonated the most with him.

He kept it to the side, flipping through the other canvases searching for another painting. He stopped when he'd found it. Shinsou let out a soft ooh once he saw it.

It was similar to the other one. There was a boy's silhouette, done with dark greens and specks of orange and yellow. It was cleaner, much more calculated than the other one and there were a couple of years between them.

"You should definitely make these two your centrepieces!" Shinsou didn't know much about paintings or art in general yet he was fairly certain these two paintings were breathtaking and would be a showstopper.

"They're not really what I usually paint… Do you think they'd still work?" Katsuki looked at Shinsou expectantly. The purple haired student hummed, getting up from his chair to stand beside Katsuki.

"From what I've seen of you, I'd say they're quite like you! I don't think I've connected you with any of your other paintings as much as those! It's still in your style!"

Katsuki chewed his lips in thought. Once he tasted iron in his mouth, he stopped and grabbed the paintings. Gently, he laid them on the floor behind the couch. 

Shinsou watched in awe as Katsuki returned to flip through his paintings, choosing seemingly the most random ones to incorporate into his final display. Once he was done, he carefully wrapped them up.

Shinsou was already up on the loft by the time Katsuki was finished and ready for bed. He climbed up, slowly slipping under his own covers. It was different, sharing the bed while they were both awake simultaneously. 

Katsuki could feel the heat radiating off Shinsou, underlining their closeness. Despite his better judgement, Katsuki heard himself ask: "Will you come tomorrow?" 

He felt embarrassment take over as soon as the words left his mouth. Shinsou dropped his phone onto his face, stuttering around until he managed to get a hold of the situation. He met Katsuki's unsure red eyes.

"Really? You want me to see it?" Katsuki evaded Shinsou's piercing gaze, "Yeah. You helped with picking my centrepieces… Unless you're not interested, you don't have to…"

Shinsou shook his head, "Fuck that, of course I'll come see your stuff! Honestly, I've been wanting to come but thought it'd be weird and uni and work have been kicking my ass too! But, I'm free tomorrow, so I'll come!"

Katsuki covered his smile beneath the blanket, opting for a curt nod instead. "Cool, I'll be seeing you there tomorrow then!"

It scared Katsuki just a little bit, how much he was affected by Shinsou. So much so that he was surprised to find his boxers a little too tight that morning.

Of course, nothing a quick shower wouldn't fix but it was truly embarrassing since they'd been sharing the bed. Good thing Katsuki was sure Shinsou was still fast asleep and therefore not able to notice. He left for the gallery before Shinsou could wake up.

Katsuki was tense all day. The prospect of Shinsou seeing his final display was nerve-wracking and Katsuki regretted not being able to text him. He'd feel more relaxed if he knew when the other was coming.

His nervousness was interrupted when people came up to talk to him about his art. The overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive and kind. People were impressed by his display and even big artists came to stop by and promote his pieces on social media.

Time flew by and Katsuki didn't see Shinsou yet. He couldn't really leave his post, since his display was well-visited and he needed to get his name out. 

As closing time ticked nearer and Katsuki still didn't see Shinsou - nor heard of anyone having seen a tall purple-haired student with eyebags for days - he grew even more restless. It was a different kind of nervousness now, one that made his skin crawl. 

As the gallery grew emptier by the minute, regret started pooling in the pits of Katsuki's stomach. Showcasing his most personal work, therefore showcasing his vulnerability was costing him a huge price and he wasn't sure he was willing to pay anymore.

He was tired and next to regret he also felt foolish; foolish for thinking Shinsou cared, foolish for caring about whether or not Shinsou cared.

With a disappointed sigh, Katsuki turned to his display. In fifteen minutes they'd close the doors and clean their display area. He'd pack up his paintings, pack his things and leave with the night train back home.

He was sobering up now, all of the previous confusing feelings draining from him. He could feel tears sting in the corners of his eyes.

"Fuck! How stupid…" Katsuki closed his eyes tightly, trying to push back the potential tears. He wouldn't cry over someone like Shinsou! 

"Hey!"

Katsuki's head snapped up, anger evident on his face. Now he was hearing that bastard's voice, too. He whirled around and almost crashed into someone's chest.

"Woah! Careful!" Shinsou's hands rested on Katsuki's shoulders, steadying him. Oh, so he didn't imagine his voice.

"You came…" Katsuki whispered, a little annoyed with himself for saying it out loud. Shinsou smiled, his hands reaching up to scratch his neck.

"Yeah, I promised!" He smiled and Katsuki leaned back, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. Shinsou squirmed uncomfortably.

"I thought you wouldn't come anymore!" His voice was accusatory and Katsuki knew it wasn't fair but he was hurt and Shinsou could very well realise it. Because, if Katsuki realised anything, it was that they weren't strangers anymore - not after the week they'd spent together.

"Right, I'm sorry about that! I was called in for work at the last minute" Katsuki didn't budge and Shinsou continued, awkwardly shifting around and blushing a little in embarrassment, "And I needed the money for the new couch. I told them I couldn't work the full shift because of your gallery." 

Their eyes met and Shinsou stopped moving around, "I was going to be here earlier, but some asshole made a whole mess I had to help clean up. I'm not trying to find excuses, I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier." 

Katsuki felt himself relax and shrugged his shoulders, trying to feign nonchalance that he clearly didn't have a minute ago. "It's all good. Gotta admit, I was a bit disappointed when you didn't show." Shinsou smiled down at him, "Aw, you care?"

Katsuki huffed, "Fuck you, eyebags! So, you wanna take a look before they throw you out?" Shinsou snorted and peeked past Katsuki to look at his display. The atmosphere between them was back to cheeky banter and Shinsou helped Katsuki clean up his display once the gallery closed.

They made their way back to Shinsou's apartment and Katsuki packed the rest of his things, while Shinsou waited for him. They left for the train station, their usual banter replaced by a strangely solemn silence. 

Katsuki was sure if he didn't make a move, they'd lose touch. Of course, he really wasn't looking for anything. He'd come here to present his art, his passion, to like-minded people. Really, all Shinsou was supposed to be was a place to stay. 

When they reached the platform, Katsuki's train home was already waiting. He realised Shinsou had become more to him and he would be lying if he didn't want to find out where this journey with Shinsou could take him.

Katsuki turned from the train back to Shinsou, who was biting his bottom lip, seemingly deep in thought. When he met Katsuki's eyes, he seemed to snap back to reality.

"So, um, I guess that's it then." He mumbled awkwardly and Katsuki almost felt like laughing. He didn't, although he couldn't help the smile.

"Fuck that…" He began and Shinsou raised his brow in question. "You can't tell me that you really want to send me off without being able to spam me with pictures of your cat or some dumb memes!" 

Shinsou's lips pulled up into a smirk, matching Katsuki's own. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He grinned and Katsuki rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, you're the one studying literature, what am I saying?" He raised a challenging brow and Shinsou laughed heartily at it before leaning forward, intentionally and impossibly close to Katsuki. With nimble fingers he swiftly took Katsuki's phone from his front pocket.

Katsuki knew he was red as a tomato, especially when he saw himself in his phone screen before it unlocked. Shinsou quickly typed in his number, saving it and returning Katsuki's phone to his pocket.

"You better text me!" He grinned, taking a step back from Katsuki. It sent a shiver down Katsuki's spine. That's when he'd given enough fucks already and did what his damn heart wanted to do since his first night in Tokyo.

He grabbed Shinsou by his collar, pulling him down to eye level. Shinsou yelped in surprise before looking down into Katsuki's fiery red eyes. His own darkened and Katsuki licked his lips, watching Shinsou's own part slightly at the action.

They met halfway, lips pressing together hungrily. Shinsou's hands came up to rest on Katsuki's waist and Katsuki's free hand found its way into Shinsou's messy hair. Their kiss deepend with Katsuki biting Shinsou's lips and Shinsou moaning softly into his mouth.

Katsuki broke their kiss shortly after, his lips brushing softly against Shinsou's one last time before Katsuki pushed him away slowly. He let go of Shinsou's collar, smoothing it out with one hand before taking a step back.

Shinsou was still catching his breath when the announcement for Katsuki's train echoed through the station. They were both heavily breathing and Katsuki smiled.

"I'll call you! You better be visiting me soon!" Katsuki winked before turning around, moving towards the train. He was grabbed by his wrist and pulled back around, crashing into a familiar chest.

"I will! Take care!" Shinsou whispered into his ear and Katsuki let himself enjoy the warmth Shinsou radiated for just a second longer.

"You too!" He answered and Shinsou grabbed his face, placing a long soft kiss to his lips. "I can't wait to see you again!" Shinsou's smile was blinding and Katsuki couldn't stop his own face from mirroring him.

"Me too!" He mumbled. They parted and Katsuki entered the train to find his seat. Shinsou stayed at the station until the train left. After immediately putting on his headphones, Katsuki sent a flirty text to Shinsou.

He hoped whatever this was between them, would last, despite the distance. A notification popped up on his phone and Katsuki couldn't help but snort. 

He was asked to review his stay with Shinsou and Katsuki began typing:

I can recommend staying here. It's pretty central, plenty of bakeries and restaurants around! There's an art gallery nearby, I recommend!

The apartment was always clean and communication with the host was pretty good.

Now to some details of my stay:

There's a wild tiger, beware! (The goodest and sweetest cat, she will lay in your path and trip you up tho!) 

The dude's alright, I guess, studies literature, what a loser amr? (Too fucking handsome for his own good, the eyebags only add to his charme, dude got me takeout a couple of times… I am pretty sure that's not an included service for everyone.)

The couch was fine, slept on worse surfaces and cannot complain given the price. (It did break though, what a bummer! I had to share the guy's mattress in his loft, most nerve-wracking two nights of my life.)

Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars

With a satisfying grin, Katsuki sent the review, taking a screenshot of it to message Shinsou.

It didn't take long before Shinsou sent him one of the shocked emojis which was followed by a laughing one. Katsuki grinned and so their back and forth began making the trip home rather enjoyable for Katsuki.

Years down the line, Katsuki was looking for something on his phone when he came across a certain screenshot. He couldn't help the smile pulling up on his face, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What are you looking at? You better be smiling at my handsome face, Kats!" Shinsou slumped himself over Katsuki's shoulders, his eyes catching the screenshot. He let out a snort and Katsuki tried turning to him.

"Unbelievable! You have no idea what you did with that." Shinsou whined and Katsuki let out a laugh.

"I really don't know what you mean, Toshi. Didn't you stop selling your couch after my stay?" Shinsou huffed, "And whose fault is that? You just came, looking all handsome, flirting then being a brat that broke my couch in his sleep!" Katsuki grinned as he fully turned, now facing Shinsou.

He stood on his tiptoes, leaning up to Shinsou's ear. "Right, you weren't head over heels for me then. Also, it's a shame what happened to your old ass couch. We should have broken that old thing together…"

Katsuki could feel Shinsou shiver as he bit the other's earlobe. That was enough for Shinsou to sweep him off his feet and carry him to their new couch that they got for their new apartment, just outside of Tokyo.

This was never how Katsuki imagined his life to go, but he was damn glad it did!