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“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, raising his voice as much as he could. But apparently not enough.
“What did you say?” Katsuki stopped in his tracks, a few steps ahead of Izuku, and turned around. “Can’t hear your mumbling over there.”
Izuku wrinkled his nose, more than unwilling to pull down the thick woolen scarf that covered most of his face. Clumps of snow clung to the fabric and it didn’t do a great job of keeping him warm in the raging snowstorm. They’d left in the morning, sun bright in the sky, but around midday the weather had suddenly changed for the worse.
Katsuki reassured him that he had everything under control and that it wouldn’t be a problem for them to reach their cabin safely. Izuku had admired the big, fluffy snowflakes at first, but another half hour into their little hike he could barely see what was in front of him anymore.
With a sigh he trudged towards Katsuki and repeated his question, which earned him a snort of disbelief.
“Of course I’m sure.” He practically shoved a small device into Izuku’s face. “Do you really think I wouldn’t fucking prepare for this kind of situation?”
Izuku blinked at the GPS and smiled sheepishly, pulling his shoulders up to his ears. Of course Katsuki knew what he was doing, they were heroes after all. And really, he trusted Katsuki more than anyone, but at the same time Izuku was really confused.
It had been a surprise when Katsuki had asked him if he wanted to spend Christmas together in the mountains. Izuku knew that his friend always went on a big hiking trip over the holidays, usually with his squad or just Kirishima. Secretly he’d been extremely jealous, because Katsuki had never invited him until now. They’d grown closer during their time at UA, had chosen to join the same agency even, but there was still that last bit of distance between him and Katsuki, and Izuku didn’t know how to bridge that.
“No, of course not,” he finally mumbled and handed the GPS back to Katsuki, who studied the small screen. Izuku shivered and Katsuki clicked his tongue, linking their arms. He froze for a second, because Katsuki was so close, but quickly fell into step next to his friend.
“Gotta stay close, visibility keeps getting worse,” he mumbled and Izuku nodded, “We’re almost there. About damn time we get out of this storm.”
Katsuki’s warmth next to him helped a little and Izuku trudged on. A small eternity later, he could make out a building in the distance, praying that it was their cabin. Thankfully his prayers were answered and Katsuki fumbled with the locked door for a moment, then opened it and dragged Izuku inside.
It wasn’t much warmer than outside, unfortunately. Katsuki pulled off his gloves, creating the tiniest of sparks in his palms that jumped over to the pile of wood and newspapers in the fireplace, kindling the fire. Izuku peeled off his soggy jacket, hat and scarf, then took off his boots, sighing in relief when he stepped next to Katsuki, rubbing his hands.
“You’re such a baby,” Katsuki teased him, lightly punching Izuku’s shoulder, who flipped him off. They laughed together and Izuku reveled in the moment, happy that he got to spend this time alone with Katsuki. For a moment they looked at each other and there was a weird atmosphere in the air, but Katsuki suddenly turned away.
“I’m gonna go and get us some more wood, it’s probably stacked outside.” Before Izuku could even offer to help, Katsuki had already left the cabin, firmly shutting the door behind himself. He stared at the door for a few seconds, wondering what just happened. Instead of dwelling on it, Izuku decided to explore the cabin.
A doorway led to the small open kitchen, just big enough for all the necessities and a table with two chairs. Close to the fireplace was a comfortable looking couch with a small coffee table. On the far wall were two doors, one of which led to the small bathroom and the other…
Izuku stared at the huge double bed for a moment, unsure what to think. They hadn’t shared a bed with each other since they were children and it seemed so unlike Katsuki, who liked his space. Before he could start overthinking it though, the door flew open and Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Can you close the damn door?” Katsuki asked, muffled by the gigantic pile of wood in his arms. Izuku was frozen for a moment, then finally reacted and did as he was told. He took some of the wood and helped Katsuki stack it next to the fireplace.
“Thanks. We need to add some more to the fire or it won’t last long.”
Izuku nodded and grabbed a few logs, handing them to Katsuki one by one. The cabin was heating up gradually, but he was still pretty cold, unable to suppress a shiver.
“I think I’ll get changed,” Izuku mumbled and grabbed his backpack, carrying it into the bedroom. Unfortunately that made him remember the one-bed-situation and against his better judgment he allowed himself a brief fantasy of snuggling under the covers with Katsuki.
A knock on the door pulled him out of the fantasy and Izuku was grateful that Katsuki didn’t just come in unannounced. “I’m going to start dinner. You want some hot chocolate?”
Izuku grinned, delighted at the prospect of a home-cooked Kacchan dinner and a hot beverage. “Yes, please!”
He quickly put on dry clothes, silently thankful for his mother insisting he bring a thick knitted sweater. The soggy stuff went into the bathroom, where Izuku tried to hang it up as neatly as possible, since he didn’t want to anger Katsuki with his messy tendencies.
Low humming greeted him when he slipped out of the bathroom and closed the door quietly. Katsuki was stirring something and as Izuku walked closer, a whiff of curry greeted him. Izuku stepped through the doorway and Katsuki nodded towards the small table where two steaming mugs of hot chocolate were waiting. One even had little colored marshmallows and whipped cream.
“Kacchan is the best!” Izuku gushed and grabbed his mug, taking a long sip. He almost moaned at the taste, the chocolate flavor deep and rich on his tongue.
“Tch. You’re so messy, Nerd.” Katsuki gently swiped up the whipped cream that somehow got onto Izuku’s nose and licked it off his finger. Izuku gaped at him for a moment, then took another sip and turned away, mumbling a muffled ‘thank you’. On the inside he was nearly combusting because what had just happened?
“Yeah yeah. Dinner will be done in about half an hour. Don’t be a lazy shit and take care of the fire.” Izuku slumped onto the couch with a sigh and put his mug onto the coffee table. He considered adding another log to the fire, but decided that could wait a bit, until he was done with his internal meltdown.
He’d been in love with Katsuki for most of his life, but Izuku was painfully aware that it was completely one-sided. Or so he had assumed, because Katsuki’s behavior was starting to make him question everything. Izuku still didn’t know exactly why Katsuki had invited him for this trip, only that he wanted to talk about something important; could it be…?
“Oi Nerd, stop mumbling over there,” Katsuki grumbled and Izuku blinked, then hastily got up to tend the fire. He might have stayed there a little longer than necessary, jamming the poker here and there, just to hide his flaming face.
Eventually he went back to his spot on the couch, enjoying the rest of his hot chocolate. Katsuki had started humming again and Izuku tried to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn’t stop this time. The sound was really soothing and he felt himself truly relax for the first time in ages.
As All Might’s successor there was barely a day where he didn’t get called in for emergencies, even if it was his day off. And Izuku never complained, just got things done, even when he could barely afford the time to eat, sleep or rest in between. His friends didn’t like it, constantly telling him that he was too self-sacrificing, but Izuku honestly didn’t know how to stop, was afraid people would look down on him if he worked less.
He’d never been this far away from Japan and it made him a little uneasy, yet at the same time it felt freeing. Here on the snowy mountain their phones didn’t have reception, they only had each other and what they needed to survive. No one could reach him here, could ask for his help in an emergency.
“You okay?” Katsuki questioned, as he sat down next to Izuku, his own mug in hand. He looked concerned and Izuku sighed, giving him a small smile.
“I’m fine, really. Just not used to being…” He gestured with his hands, floundering to find the right words.
“Unavailable?” Katsuki finished the sentence for him and Izuku nodded.
“Yes. At home I would have already gotten a call by now. Villain attack, rescue operation… something.” He leaned back into the couch cushions and pulled his legs up, hugging them.
“Does it bother you? The peace and quiet? No calls?” Izuku thought about it for a moment, then shook his head, turning towards Katsuki.
“No. It’s really nice. I can just sit here and do nothing for as long as I want, no need to hurry and get things done in case I get called in.” Katsuki snorted and Izuku looked at him questioningly. “What?”
“In case? You always get called in, nerd. Because the fuckers at the agency know you won’t ever say no.” The harsh tone made Izuku cringe and he stared at his feet. He knew Katsuki was right and while he wasn’t as vocal about it usually, unlike Ochako and Tenya, Izuku always noticed the disappointed looks.
“I don’t know how to stop,” he admitted and Katsuki sighed, raking a hand through his own unruly hair.
“That’s part of why I invited you to come here. Why do you think I always do these trips?” Izuku thought about it for a moment and finally had an epiphany.
“Because no one can reach you here and you can take an actual break from work.”
Katsuki grinned and lightly slapped his shoulder. “Knew you weren’t totally stupid, Nerd. Exactly. And dragging you away from work was the only way to talk to you about something important for more than five minutes. Otherwise some extra would have called and you would have run off.”
As much as it bothered him, Izuku knew that Katsuki was right. He couldn’t even count the times he’d left his friends hanging when work called. They were all heroes too and understood to a degree, yet all of the others were better at balancing work and life.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled quietly, feeling like an idiot.
“It’s fine. It’s not like I’m much better. This is our dream, after all. Being the greatest hero… Just that we didn’t realize the full extent of it when we were brats. Long hours, little sleep, shitty missions, popularity bullshit. I imagine it’s even harder on you, because everyone knows about your connection to All Might now.” Katsuki sounded wistful and Izuku was surprised that he was this open.
“I don’t want to disappoint people,” Izuku confessed and fiddled with his fingers, “I feel like I have to do what I can to live up to expectations.”
“I get it, but fuck that, Izuku. You’re still only human and not a machine that can just work 24 hours a day. Japan has a lot of capable heroes and they don’t need to call you for emergencies that even rookies could deal with. What if you collapse during a rescue mission because you didn’t sleep or eat, hah? What then?” The feeling of being scolded was an awful one, even though Izuku knew that it wasn’t entirely his fault.
“I don’t know what to say, Kacchan. You’re right, I’m sorry…” He curled even more into a ball and stiffened when he felt Katsuki’s hand on his shoulder.
“No need to apologize, just… try to take better care of yourself? And let everyone else help with that too. I didn’t ask you to come with me to argue, Nerd. I just worry about you.” Katsuki lightly rubbed his back and Izuku finally relaxed into the touch, smiling slightly.
“The big bad Explosion Murder God Dynamight cares, who would have thought?” He chuckled and Katsuki growled at the comment, making Izuku giggle. “Ahaha, sorry Kacchan. It’s nice, thank you.”
“Whatever. Are you ready to eat? We can have dinner in the kitchen or here, I don’t care.” Izuku contemplated his choices for a moment, then unfolded from his curled up position. Katsuki’s hand fell away from his shoulder and he blinked at the fact that it had still been there in the first place.
“I want to eat here, it’s cozy.” Getting up, Katsuki grabbed both his and Izuku’s empty mug.
“Okay then. You just stay here, I got it.” Izuku wanted to help, but he stayed seated, listening to Katsuki. It was just a small thing, but he still felt bad because Katsuki was doing all the work. Before he could change his mind and rush to the kitchen though, Katsuki was back, balancing two big plates.
“Since I know your eating habits, I made katsu curry,” Katsuki announced and Izuku nearly kissed him then and there. It wasn’t katsudon, but Katsuki’s curry was amazing, even better than his mom’s, though Izuku would never admit that out loud.
“Kacchan is amazing!” Katsuki rolled his eyes at the comment, but Izuku saw the small, pleased grin on his face.
“Shut up and eat, Nerd.” Izuku nodded and picked up a piece of crispy fried pork with his chopsticks, unable to suppress a small noise of delight. It would be so nice if he could eat Katsuki’s delicious food all the time. Usually he was living off protein bars and convenience store bentos, because it was fast and easy.
They ate in relative silence for a while and it was comfortable. There had never been the need for constant chatter between Izuku and Katsuki, and while he enjoyed talking, Izuku cherished these quiet times a lot.
“I’ll do the dishes,” he offered when they were done and Katsuki agreed, saying he’d tend to the fire in the meantime. Izuku gathered their dishes and stopped in surprise when he felt Katsuki’s hand on his arm to stop him.
“When you’re done… We should talk.” Somehow it sounded rather ominous and Katsuki’s serious face didn’t help. So with barely a nod towards his friend Izuku pretty much fled towards the kitchen. He tried to compose himself as he did the dishes, maybe taking a little longer than necessary. Why he was so on edge, he didn’t even know. This was Kacchan after all, his childhood friend, someone he’d known all his life.
Surprisingly Katsuki didn’t disturb him, probably aware of Izuku’s nerves. He smiled ruefully and dried the last plate, neatly stacking it with the rest. They would talk either way, so there was no reason to postpone it any further.
Katsuki was staring at the fire, a contemplative look on his face, but his eyes immediately found Izuku, who settled back down onto the couch.
“What did you want to talk about?” he asked and Katsuki hummed noncommittally, looking a bit nervous.
“You know that I haven’t been all that happy at Endeavor’s agency,” Katsuki began and a feeling of trepidation rose in Izuku. This was a line of conversation he hadn’t expected at all.
“Are you leaving?” he asked and when Katsuki nodded, Izuku closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He wanted Katsuki to stay, but it wasn’t his choice to make.
“I plan to, yes.” Izuku chewed on his bottom lip and didn’t look at Katsuki.
“Where are you going?” The question was very quiet and Izuku even sounded sad to his own ears. Suddenly Katsuki’s hand was at his cheek, turning Izuku’s face so he had to meet his friend’s eyes.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I know it won’t be easy and there’ll be a lot of work in the beginning, but… I want to open my own agency.” He looked at Izuku intently, who could only stare. “Preferably with you as my partner.”
“You want to… with me?”
Katsuki grinned and nudged him gently. “Of course with you, Nerd. Who else? The idiot squad?”
Izuku felt his lower lip wobble and didn’t even try to hold back the tears. Katsuki, his Kacchan, wanted to open a hero agency, with Izuku as his partner. He could barely wrap his mind around all of that, but Izuku followed the urge to hug Katsuki, nearly tackling him down onto the couch.
“Kacchan…” he almost wailed and Katsuki patted his back, chuckling, as if he’d anticipated Izuku’s reaction.
“There there. So what do you say, Izuku?” His voice sounded a little uncertain and Izuku realized that he still hadn’t given Katsuki an answer. He loved working at the Endeavor agency with a lot of his friends, but to be the head of his own agency…
“Of course I want to be your partner!” Izuku realized that he was half lying on Katsuki and mumbled a hurried apology, trying to pull away, but Katsuki wouldn’t let him.
“Yeah? I’m glad,” he murmured right into Izuku’s ear, who felt a shiver go down his spine. Izuku’s cheeks were flushed and Katsuki pulled him even closer, burying his face into Izuku’s curls.
"Hey... there's something else I wanted to tell you...” Katsuki’s warm breath ghosted over Izuku’s cheek and he felt his heart hammer in his chest.
“Hmm?” he asked noncommittally and Katsuki looked at him intently, as if he wanted to discover all of Izuku’s secrets. Izuku licked his lips unconsciously and felt Katsuki’s eyes follow the movement. Suddenly he was even closer and Izuku hoped, prayed that he hadn’t misunderstood the situation when he closed the last gap between them, meeting Katsuki halfway.
Their lips met in a gentle kiss and Izuku felt himself relax when Katsuki carefully cradled his face. Over the years he’d tried to imagine what kissing Katsuki would feel like, but reality was so much better than any of Izuku’s fantasies. There weren’t any fireworks, no rush of adrenaline, instead it felt like coming home, like he belonged.
“Kacchan…” Izuku whispered and Katsuki grinned at him crookedly, pressing a kiss to Izuku’s cheek. The look he was giving Izuku was so soft, so warm, unlike anything he’d seen before.
"I... want you to be my partner. In everything, not just work.” He grabbed Izuku’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “If you’ll have me.”
"Kacchan... Do you really mean that?" Izuku bit his lower lip, wondering whether he’d fallen asleep. This was everything he’d ever hoped for.
"Of course I do. I know it took me forever to be honest with you about this, but... I hope it's not too late." Katsuki squeezed his hand and Izuku just smiled at him softly, shaking his head.
"I'd wait my whole life for you, if that’s what it took,” he confessed. “There’s never been anyone else for me, only Kacchan. In any way I could have you.”
Katsuki looked absolutely stunned, then pulled Izuku even closer, kissing him fervently. Izuku just melted into the kiss, leaning against his boyfriend. Because amazingly enough, that’s what Katsuki was now.
Their eyes connected again and Katsuki looked conflicted for a moment, then just huffed a quiet laugh, worry being replaced by determination. "I love you. Have for a very long time."
Izuku hid his face in the crook of Katsuki's neck, hands fisted into his sweater. His shoulders were shaking, the whole scope of what was happening here and now finally registering in his head.
"Izuku?" Katsuki asked carefully, sounding like he was unsure whether he should take the words back, had said too much.
Biting his lip, Izuku took a deep breath and haphazardly wiped away the tears running down his face. He’d been silently crying, but now he was looking at Katsuki again.
"I... I never thought I'd hear you say that..." he whispered brokenly, fingers curled into Katsuki’s sweater, holding on.
"I'm so sorry..."
Hands cradled his face and Katsuki wiped away the last of the tears with his thumbs, oh so gentle. Izuku shook his head, smiling.
"No, it's okay, Kacchan. It doesn't matter now..." He murmured his own love confession, straight into Katsuki’s ear, and could feel him shudder. "Though I'm sure you already knew that."
Katsuki chuckled and leaned his forehead against Izuku’s, one hand at the small of his back, the other lightly massaging his neck.
"I... was hoping, at least. The others told me I was stupid, but I was afraid to lose you.” Katsuki carded his hand through Izuku's curls, who sighed in contentment.
“You’d never lose me, Kacchan. I don’t think I can function without you in my life.” Izuku snuggled close and watched the flickering flames for a while.
"I'm glad we're here," he eventually said, voice quiet, and Katsuki hummed his agreement.
"Didn't want anything or anyone to interfere, so I wouldn’t chicken out," he confessed with a grin and Izuku laughed loudly, which tapered off into quiet giggles after a while.
Katsuki wrapped a blanket around them and Izuku sighed, happier than he’d been in a very long time. Eventually he yawned and rubbed his eyes, blushing when Katsuki kissed his forehead.
“Maybe we should sleep. It’s been a long day.”
Reluctantly Izuku untangled himself from Katsuki and stood up. He slowly made his way to the bedroom and that’s when he remembered the bed situation. Katsuki’s arms came around him from behind, as he was standing in the door, chin resting on Izuku’s shoulder.
“It was a calculated risk, glad it paid off,” he murmured and Izuku shivered. “Come on, Nerd.”
They got undressed and climbed under the covers together. Katsuki immediately pulled Izuku close, spooning him from behind. It should have been awkward and new, but again there was this overwhelming familiarity, and before he could overthink anything, Izuku had already fallen asleep, safe and warm in Katsuki’s embrace.