Archive of Our Own ^beta

It's been a year since Izuku reconnected with his childhood friend, now pro hero, Bakugo Katsuki.

He has changed a lot... in a good way. When he found out Izuku got a job at the same agency he works for, he went straight to the analytics department to see him and talk to him.

Izuku had to ask for a break and meet Katsuki outside; he was nervous then, but he realized quickly he didn't have to. All the pro hero wanted was to apologize for his past behavior.

They started over after that and now they're really good friends and Izuku is very happy because of it.

There's a lot of things in his life that have improved since he got that job, actually.

He gets to meet a lot of pro heroes, yes, most of them are kind enough to go to his department and see him in person rather than only communicate with him via text or earpiece.

Aizawa promoted him after a couple of months and now Izuku handles most to the mission and investigations; he chooses quickly which pro hero (based on their quirk, availability and experience) is the best to deal with the situation at hand.

He really likes his job because even though he doesn't do the hero work directly, he gets to help the pro heroes in a way.

He also hangs out with Katsuki a lot; he met his friends the first week after the apology and went to his apartment for the first time fifteen days after that.

Ashido says that it's weird for "Blasty" (as she calls Katsuki) to spend so much time with him right after meeting him again, although she has this smirk on her face whenever she says it that makes Izuku flustered for some reason.

However, Izuku thinks it's perfectly normal; whenever they're together, it feels right, like they never stopped seeing each other and have been good friends for years, ever since they were kids.

"It's still weird," Kaminari says when Katsuki goes to the cafeteria counter to get Izuku a coffee and a bagel. "It took us a year to get invited to his apartment."

The way his friends (because Izuku considers them his friends now) look at him make him feel flustered, but he doesn't do anything to hide the blush on his cheeks like he used to do in high-school whenever he was embarrassed.

Now he just hopes it goes away quickly.

"Well, that was years ago," Izuku says, trying to dismiss it. Katsuki told him he bought his fancy apartment two years after he started working as a professional hero. "Kacchan has changed."

Izuku got really shocked when he found out he owned that apartment, but he knows the pro heroes get very well paid, especially when they get brand deals. It also helps that Katsuki is the number one hero currently, although pro hero Shoto is right behind him.

"He doesn't trust most people," Kirishima points out, like he's trying to tell him something. Then his expression turns into an amused one as he sees Katsuki approaching them again. "And he's certainly not the type to bring anyone food."

"Kacchan's just being nice!" Izuku says as the three pro heroes look back at him like he's crazy. Yes, Katsuki is not that nice on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean he hasn't improved. "I told him my ankle hurts a bit because I rescued a cat and fell right after I managed to get him down from a tree."

Fortunately, the mention of the cat makes them focus on that instead, and suddenly Izuku finds himself showing them pictures of it.

Katsuki sits right next to him, and Izuku sighs in delight after taking the first bite of his bagel.

"How much?" He asks after a while.

"I don't know," Katsuki makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "I paid for your stuff and mine together."

"But surely they gave you a receipt–"

"No. Just drink your damn coffee, nerd!"

"Thank you, Kacchan," Izuku says, trying not to roll his eyes; sometimes Katsuki does stuff like that, he seems determined to pay for every little thing Izuku wants when they go out together.

"Also, I'm going to drive you to your apartment..."

"There's no need–"

"You're hurt," Katsuki argues and the green haired man knows that expression really well; there's nothing that can change his mind now, no matter what Izuku says, the pro hero will take him home no matter what.

Izuku realizes right then that it's the first time Katsuki sees the place where he lives; they always go to Dynamight's apartment or to a coffee shop, a restaurant or somewhere else when they hang out.

"Please, tell me you're joking," Katsuki hisses as he parks his expensive car right outside Izuku's building, the one that looks like it's been sitting there for hundreds of years and is about to collapse under its own weight.

Or maybe that's not why the pro hero is frowning that much; his red eyes are scanning the area like the worst kind of villain is about to pop up from the dark alley next to Izuku's building.

"It's not that bad," he assures his friend. They have tried to rob him only once, maybe twice... but he survived!

Well, maybe he shouldn't say that out loud.

"Shit!" Katsuki hisses. "I thought they paid you well! What the hell?"

"They do!" Izuku assures him. "But, uhh... you see... I'm kinda tired of paying rent so I've been saving some money to buy my own place somewhere else. However, if I want it to happen soon, I need to stay here for a while."

"I'll buy you a new apartment."

Izuku chuckles, but his smile falls when he realizes Katsuki is not joking at all.

"I appreciate the offer, but there's no need, Kacchan," he smiles.

Katsuki is still grabbing the steering wheel like he's very tempted to drive away from there. His knuckles are slightly white, perhaps because the grip of the wheel has tightened considerably.

"Izuku, this is not a safe place." He's deadly serious, and by the tone in his voice, it seems like he's about to snap, but he's trying to control himself.

"I can take care of myself," he hears himself saying, slightly irritated. Katsuki is not the only stubborn person in that car.

"Alright..." Katsuki doesn't deny it, but Izuku can tell that he doesn't like the situation at all. "If you want to save for your new apartment, perhaps you can live with me in the meantime. You'll save even more money because you won't have to pay rent anymore."

Izuku's face turns slightly pink at the thought of living with Katsuki. A memory returns to him in that moment; when they were kids, they had promised each other they would live together and work in the same agency as a hero duo.

But that was before Izuku found out he was quirkless.

A long time ago.

"Kacchan, I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can't accept–"

"Please."

He's sure the pro hero has seen a lot of awful things during all those years working as Dynamight; Izuku has access to a lot of cases, and even though the information is sometimes haunting, he knows there's nothing compared to seeing it happening or arriving at the crime scene.

However, this time Katsuki is overreacting. Sure, the place is not the safest one, but it's not like there's a murder every single day.

Besides, his neighbors are very good people.

"I'll think about it," he finally says, mostly to reassure him.

However, it doesn't work. Katsuki keeps looking around, growing tense.

"You should stay with me tonight. I'll make katsudon if you do."

The offer is really tempting, but Izuku knows it's because Katsuki is imagining horrible things happening to him in that place. Things that are not real.

"I'll be fine."

"Then I'll stay with you."

The fact that he's almost begging makes Izuku's heart beat in a funny way inside his chest. Surely, they are friends now, but it seems Izuku really had no idea how much Katsuki cared about him.

Until now.

"My apartment is tiny and I don't have an extra futon–"

"I can sleep on the floor."

"Kacchan..." Izuku leans closer, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. "Listen, take a deep breath. Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise. I have lived here for over two years now. I know this place, and I know how to take care of myself."

Katsuki nods as he relaxes... a bit.

"Alright, but I won't go until you enter that building... no, I won't leave until you text me you're inside your apartment."

Fine. He can agree to that.

"Okay, Kacchan."

***

Two days. It's been two days since Katsuki found out where Izuku lived and whenever he's not with him, he calls him. A couple of times a day.

It's okay, at least he hasn't "kidnapped" Izuku and taken him to his apartment, even though he clearly wants to.

"Hi, Kacchan. Yes, I'm in the office and nothing has happened to me," he mumbles joyfully as he keeps filling a couple of reports for Endeavor's agency.

"I call because I somehow got used to your nerdy voice, and now I miss it constantly," Katsuki grumbles. There's a weird noise coming from his side that makes Izuku frown for a moment.

"Sure, Kacchan," he rolls his eyes because he knows the pro hero can't see him. Maybe he just imagined it. "I suppose you're on patrol so before you–what was that?"

"Shit!"

There's an explosion on his side. This time Izuku is sure of it.

At first, he gets worried as he immediately goes to the database, and then the status section until he finds Dynamight's profile.

"Are you okay?"

"I got everything under control," Katsuki assures him and even though he's clearly using his quirk, Izuku can tell he's being honest.

Then, he gets irritated. Especially when he reads the status and remembers the important mission Izuku assigned to him started today.

"Did you call me during a mission?"

"Izuku, I'm clearly busy here..."

"Alright, I'll end the call."

"No, wait! Is Hatsume there yet?"

Just as Katsuki says it, the head of the support department rushes into Izuku's cubicle.

"Hello, pretty!"

"Hi, Hatsume!" Izuku perks up, smiling at her; she's always a mess, but it suits her somehow.

"Great," Katsuki sounds relived.

"Wait, how did you know–"

"I'm sorry, Izuku, I have to go. I'll pick you up in a couple of hours, alright? Don't get out of the office!"

Katsuki ends the call before Izuku has the opportunity to say anything at all.

He's so distracted arranging everything for the pro hero from Endeavor's agency who'll be coming to work on a case with them and, at the same time, thinking about what he's going to say to Katsuki when he sees him again that he doesn't realize Hatsume is in his personal space until he hears a click.

Suddenly, there's a very beautiful golden chain around his neck, it's not exactly tight, but not as loose as other necklaces he's seen.

It's honestly beautiful, especially with that black X in the middle covered in orange and green gemstones.

Izuku is sure Hatsume made a mistake; if he had to guess, he'd say it looks like a fancy necklace that's probably part of Dynamight's new merch collection or something.

"Uhh... Hatsume?"

She has a tablet in her hands and is typing something so fast it makes Izuku feel a little envious; his job would be slightly easier if he could type that fast.

"I sent an email," she says, without looking up.

A little bit confused, but intrigued nonetheless, Izuku takes out his phone again and opens his mailbox.

It has the agency logo, so Izuku supposes that's something official and relaxes a bit.

He starts reading and then...

"A tracker?"

She chuckles.

"Don't worry, it doesn't activate unless you're in danger. This is for your safety. The standard ones send an alarm to the agency so one of our pro heroes can go and rescue you or help you in case you need it."

Izuku has read about these in a couple of files, although he doesn't know much about them. The ones he looked at seemed completely different from his.

Besides, they were just for very important people... politicians, idols, all kinds of celebrities and scientists if their lives were considered to be in imminent danger.

Also, for obvious reasons, pro heroes' families.

But Izuku was neither of those. He decides to ask Hatsume, but something else makes him worry.

"This looks really expensive."

"You bet!"

"But–"

"It's already paid for, obviously," she says, typing something before the necklace makes a noise and a green light appears in the middle of the X, although it vanishes quickly.

So it's from the agency? Maybe. Although Izuku knows he's not that important to be given something like that. Sure, he handles a lot of information, but it stays in the computer he uses to work on in the office. Besides, neither he nor his coworkers wear uniforms... they aren't given anything that can be linked to the agency for the same reason.

They're not usually the villains' targets. Izuku has never seen a report that mentions an office worker being in danger.

But he admits he's not an expert in that area, perhaps they give something like this to everyone who works there.

"Why Dynamight's logo?"

Hatsume looks at him before chuckling.

"You're funny, Midoriya."

Getting slightly frustrated, Izuku tries again with another question.

"How can I take it off?"

Even though she's the one with crooked goggles on her head and stains of grease all over her face, she looks at him like he's crazy.

"You're not supposed to take it off, ever. It'd defeat its purpose."

"I mean... to take a shower?"

"Oh! Don't worry, it's waterproof!"

At least he finally got a little bit more information about the necklace.

"Uhh..."

"Sorry, I'd love to stay and chat with you, but I have a lot of work to do and I'm sure you do too!" Hatsume says, already waving him goodbye, and looking down at her tablet at the same time.

Izuku sighs and looks down at the device around his neck. He likes the Dynamight symbol, even though he has no idea why she picked that one specifically.

He knows these have to be a secret; the general public can't know about them, so perhaps making it look like expensive merch was her goal?

Yeah, that's probably it.

And she chose Katsuki because it's not a secret Izuku is good friends with him so him wearing his merch makes sense.

He nods to himself, mostly because he doesn't have time to look for more information on that.

He still has to tell Aizawa that Endeavor's office hasn't sent the name of the pro hero who's coming in a few days.

They have to work with them in that particular case because even though they started the investigation, the villain has moved to the zone assigned to the pro heroes who work at Endeavor's.

It'll probably be fine.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a second, Izuku stops in front of Aizawa's door. By the time he touches the door handle, he feels better because his mind is focused on the case now.

However, he hesitates and knocks first; Aizawa's voice can be heard on the other side, telling him to come in.

Both Aizawa and pro hero Shoto are standing in the middle of the room; the man with mismatched eyes has his arms crossed over his chest, and even though he has a serious expression, he looks relaxed. For a moment, Izuku wonders if he was one of Aizawa's students too; he knows Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari, Uraraka and Katsuki were at some point.

Pro hero Shoto is slightly taller than Katsuki; he has broad shoulders too. His eyes meet Izuku's across the room and even though his expression doesn't change, he is sure the pro hero is not looking at him with any type of hostility.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku. It's a pleasure!" He smiles, feeling more and more relaxed as he places a few folders on the desk.

"Todoroki Shoto," the pro hero nods, the hint of a smile tugs the corners of his lips up for a second.

Izuku takes a deep breath and hands one of the files to the pro hero before setting his mind into work mode. Time moves fast as he starts explaining the first encounter with the villain.

The "encounters" haven't been exactly face to face; none of their pro heroes have seen the villain, but they're familiar with his modus operandi, by the things he has left after kidnapping students.

Izuku also tells the pro hero that they believe he is most likely a male villain because he has left notes to the teachers and sometimes the mothers of the students he takes.

For the past days, he has taken students from their area, but the last encounter was near Endeavor's agency, which is why they need to work with one of them now.

"I think he knows our pro heroes are looking for him," Izuku mumbles, still staring at the pictures of the students taken, trying not to tear up. He's worried about them, but concern won't fix anything. "That's why he's moving to another area."

"Do you think he kills them?" The pro hero asks, prompting Izuku to look at him again.

It's a valid question and one that has kept Izuku awake for a couple of nights, especially when he has a bad day or the other solved cases of murder pop up in his mind.

He usually doesn't give his opinion because it's not part of his job; Katsuki often asks what Izuku thinks on specific cases because he says he's a very smart nerd and has an unique perspective compared to the pro heroes.

"There's nothing to indicate he's particularly violent," Izuku says after a while. "I don't think he kills them, I think he either wants them to get something or perhaps something about their quirks, but their quirks are not particularly powerful so I don't think that's what he's after either."

Pro hero Shoto doesn't say anything, he just keeps staring at him like he knows Izuku is not done and wants to say something else.

"I'm not sure though," he mumbles. "But I really hope he doesn't kill them, and our pro heroes can get them back."

He knows the last thing is just what he wants to believe and it's not an objective opinion at all, but he wanted to say it anyway.

He truly wants them to be alright.

A soft smile appears on the pro hero's face, one that lasts more than a second. He puts a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"I'll try to get them back," he promises, and even though Izuku knows he shouldn't get his hopes up, he smiles back.

"Thanks, Midoriya," Aizawa says then. "Now, if you excuse us, I need to explain a few things to Todoroki now."

Izuku nods before heading towards the door.

"Midoriya."

He stops to turn around again only to find pro hero Shoto still looking at him.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again."

"Me too, pro–"

"Please, call me Todoroki."

"Me too, Todoroki!"

***

After he sits back in his station; a couple of his coworkers approach him with very curious and excited looks.

"How is he?"

"Is he as hot as he looks on the news?"

"I heard him talk! His voice is really deep! But how does he sound up close?"

"Do you know if he's seeing someone?"

Oh, right. Todoroki is even more popular than Katsuki in that aspect, not because he's hotter (they're both incredibly hot), but due to his personality. His cold demeanor makes him look mysterious, while Katsuki is constantly yelling and growling on live TV.

Izuku tries his best to answer those questions while updating another cases that need more work. At least the train incident has been successfully handled thanks to Uravity.

When he gets an email from her with the report on the situation, he smiles; she's always very responsible when it comes to doing her paperwork on time.

What he doesn't expect is to see her there.

"Hello, sweetheart!"

"Hi, Uraraka!" Izuku beams, glad to see her again. "Congratulations on a successful mission!"

"Thank you!" She chuckles, leaning over to ruffle his hair. "You're so, so sweet! We should hang out more!"

"I'd like that too," Izuku smiles. He really likes her; she's fun and often helps him to pick nice clothes for himself.

"Great. I'll text you!" She's about to leave when she seems to remember something. "Do you know if Todoroki is still here?"

"I'm not sure, but if he is, he must be in Aizawa's office," he tells her.

"I'll see if I can catch him before he leaves. I haven't seen him in a while."

Maybe Izuku is right and Todoroki was in the same class as the others.

***

He should've guessed by the excited gasps that something was going on, but Izuku was too absorbed in the documents on his screen monitor at the time.

"Midoriya."

That's probably why he almost jumps from his seat when he hears Todoroki's voice again.

He looks up, only to find mismatched eyes staring down at him from the other side of his cubicle.

"Hi, again!" Izuku relaxes when he notices the way the other is smiling at him. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes," he walks around to get inside the cubicle and hand Izuku his phone.

The green haired man narrows his eyes in confusion and is about to tell Todoroki that if he has a problem with any device he should head to the IT department or perhaps support...

"Please add your number."

"Oh! Sure!" Izuku chuckles, noticing the contact list and adding his quickly before handing it back.

"I'll be coming here a few times a week until we solve this case so I thought it was important to keep your contact information. Just in case."

He doesn't tell Todoroki he can use the agency email to communicate with Izuku about the case because the pro hero looks happy now, and Izuku has the feeling he's not very good with people.

It's alright though; he likes him and perhaps they can become friends.

"Thank you, Midoriya. I'll see you tomorrow."

As soon as he gets in the elevator, a couple of Izuku's coworkers gather around his station in the blink of an eye.

"Did he say something?"

"Does he need help?"

"Is he going to come back here soon?"

"I'm not sure," Izuku manages to say after a while; he doesn't blame them, it's pretty exciting to have one of the best pro heroes around. "He just wanted my number though."

One of the younger men looks back at Izuku like he just betrayed them.

"But I thought you were dating Dynamight?"

Great. Another misunderstanding.

"No, Ka–Dynamight is my friend and Todoroki just wanted my number because he'll be working on the case I have information on, that's it."

Why are they always assuming everything is about romance? Well... maybe it's because it'd be more entertaining that way.

Just as Izuku thought, they walk away after that, looking disappointed.

***

He glances again at his station to make sure he doesn't forget anything before taking his backpack.

The sound of the elevator doesn't make him look up, until he hears a familiar voice.

"Izuku."

"Kacchan, what are you doing here?" He tilts his head, not even questioning when his friend takes his stuff and carries it for him; he usually does that when they're going out. "I thought you had patrol tonight."

"I do," Katsuki says as they both take the stairs this time. "But I have time to take you to your shitty apartment."

Izuku rolls his eyes and is about to say something, but he reminds himself he needs to talk to him so he agrees.

Taking a deep breath, he stops Katsuki before walking in the parking lot.

"Did you ask Hatsume to make this for me, Kacchan?" He mumbles as his fingers touch the X hanging from the chain.

The pro hero looks down; a few emotions can be seen written on his face. He looks almost fond for a moment before noticing Izuku's frown.

"I did," he whispers without turning away. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you first."

The apology makes him calm down immediately, mostly because he can tell Katsuki is sincere.

"I was scared. I still am," he continues, allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of Izuku. The Katsuki from middle school would have never done that, and Izuku appreciates the honesty. "Knowing that you have this around your neck helps me sleep at night. But if you want to take it off, I can tell Hatsume to do it for you."

Taking a few steps closer, Izuku holds his friend's gaze and smiles at him.

"No. It's fine," he says after a couple of seconds. "I like it. Just... please tell me next time you plan to do something like this, alright?"

Katsuki nods, worry still clear in his red eyes.

"Izuku, can I hug you?"

They're friends; he doesn't need to ask. However, instead of saying that, he nods.

When Katsuki pulls him into his arms, Izuku feels warm and fuzzy, like people often do when they go back home after a long day at work.

"I don't like the place where you live," Katsuki says again, making Izuku chuckle before noticing that his friend has a serious, almost scared look in his eyes. "It looks so fucking insecure, dangerous and whenever I'm not with you I can't stop thinking something is going to happen to you."

"Nothing is–"

A shake of Katsuki's head cuts him off; the pro hero presses their foreheads together.

"I know you make your own choices," he continues, taking a deep breath. "But I'd like you to consider moving in with me. I... promise I'll take care of you."

Something about the way Katsuki is staring at him makes him blush.

"I'll think about it, Kacchan," he whispers after a while.

Even though it'd make sense and it'd help Izuku save more money, he has the feeling that it'd be a big step.

He doesn't know why it feels that way; they're friends, it could be like having a roommate. Izuku has had those in the past.

But it's different this time.

***

A quick trip to the nearest grocery store is what he needs, especially because he knows he'll be thinking about Katsuki all the time if he doesn't.

Izuku worries about him too, his concern increases whenever he's on a mission, and while during his patrols is not as strong, it doesn't disappear either.

He buys instant noodles, eggs, milk and bread for the week; Izuku knows Katsuki doesn't like whenever he goes out late, especially in the area where he lives, but he's not there to scold him.

Besides, Katsuki has no room to talk because he is constantly risking his life.

He's back in his building an hour later and makes sure to give the lady next door milk for her cat; the one he rescued a couple of days ago and decided to give to her.

When he finally closes the door behind himself he realizes his tiny apartment doesn't make him feel at home anymore; he remembers being so happy the first time he had enough money to pay rent and moved in, but something has changed since then.

He has changed.

Izuku sits on the floor with his bowl full if noddles when he realizes that Todoroki has sent him a text so he can add him to his contacts too; he does that and sends him the smile emoji. Then he notices that he has added him on social media too.

Letting himself being a curious fanboy for once, Izuku goes to his Instagram only to realize he doesn't have that many pictures, at least not in his personal account. The other one must be run by his manager.

Suddenly, his phone lights up and he rolls his eyes when he sees the contact picture. However, he knows there's a fond smile on his lips as well.

No, he's not actually irritated.

"Aren't you on patrol, Kacchan?"

"It's a boring night, nerd. There's nothing happening."

"Really? Well... who's with you tonight?"

"Dunce face, but we split up a while ago so we could cover a bigger area."

"I like Kaminari. Say 'hi' to him for me when you see him."

There's a huff on the other side and Izuku can't help but chuckle.

"We're not five anymore, nerd. You can send him a text or something."

"Okay..." Izuku sighs. Honestly, Katsuki is no fun...

"Tch! Fine!"

"Thanks, Kacchan. You're really sweet."

There's a strong noise, followed by a curse. For a moment, Izuku worries that Katsuki found a villain.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he chokes. "I just walked into a tree. Don't call me sweet again."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to distract you! I think it's better if we end the–"

"No..." The pro hero cuts him off, voice getting soft. "I just... are you in your apartment?"

This time Izuku doesn't get exasperated; he finds endearing the way Katsuki tries not to seem too worried. But he knows what he really wants to ask instead.

"Yes. I'm safe, don't worry."

"Good," Katsuki mumbles, relief clear in his voice.

"I'm having dinner too!"

"Tell me it's not instant noodles..." He hisses, like they're an insult to his name.

"They're not that bad!" Izuku pouts, even though he knows Katsuki can't see him. He feels the need to defend his dinner. It's what helped him survive during his college years. "They taste good!"

"It's trash food, Izuku!"

He is sure... no, he knows Katsuki is pinching the bridge of his nose at the moment.

"At least tomorrow evening I'll be free and I'll be able to cook you something way better than the trash food you're used to."

"I want Italian," Izuku says, mostly as a joke.

"Fine. I'll buy the ingredients before I go back home."

"What? No, Kacchan, it was a jo–"

"Too late, nerd. You'll eat it and you'll like it!"

He ends the call after that. Izuku narrows his eyes at his phone but doesn't call him back because he doesn't want to get him in trouble.

He sighs, washes the dishes, and gets ready to go to bed before silently wishing good luck to Katsuki during his patrol.

Izuku steps out of his cubicle and stretches for a couple of seconds before sitting back.

It has been a really productive morning, but also a difficult one; a couple of pro heroes have finished three out of ten missions on his list, a few cases have been successfully closed and now Izuku has to deal with the paperwork.

Pro heroes usually send him the reports, but he has to make sure they're in order and save them in the correct file.

Also, Aizawa told him they were going to start searching for the missing students in a new area; Todoroki and Hagakure are going to be in charge of it.

Since they have just one lead, a young girl who saw a "suspicious" person walking outside her school a few days ago, the situation hasn't been classified as a rescue mission. The pro heroes will be sent to locate and assess the situation first.

However, since they have to be ready for anything, Izuku has to be online the whole time, prepared to send more pro heroes if necessary.

At least he'll have time to eat something because the operation will start in a couple of hours.

As soon as he listens a couple of his coworkers sigh and start whispering among themselves he looks up, momentarily distracted.

"It's good to see you again, Midoriya."

"Good morning, Todoroki!"

The pro hero smiles softly at him before leaning over the cubicle a bit to see him better.

"Aizawa told me I can be in contact with you if I need anything during today's mission," he says, prompting Izuku to nod.

"Yes, I think you'll have to pay a visit to the support department so they give you what you need," he explains. "They'll provide you with an earpiece, but that's only in case things don't go as planned."

Izuku is not usually in constant communication with heroes unless the place is completely unknown to them and Izuku has to gide them through it with a blueprint. Sometimes, they need quick information on the villain's quirk and others he has to send assistance.

However, most of the time Izuku remains quiet while working on other cases because pro heroes take care of everything most days.

"Alright, thank you," Todoroki's lips quirk up a little again. Izuku doesn't usually see him smiling in interviews, so he's glad to know he does like to smile every now and then.

Perhaps it's because of what he knows about his family life (two years ago, a reporter found out serious and concerning stuff about Endeavor's behavior towards his wife and children) but sometimes Izuku feels the need to give Todoroki a hug. They're not friends so he knows he can't offer that kind of comfort, but he hopes one day he can.

Todoroki seems like a good person.

"Good luck on your mission!" Izuku beams.

"Thank you," the pro hero nods, looking slightly flustered. "I have to go see Aizawa now."

"I thought you already did!" Izuku mumbles, feeling a little bit mortified. He hopes his boss doesn't scold him for distracting a pro hero. "Sorry for keeping you!"

Todoroki's smile gets slightly wider; he looks amused.

"No, it's fine. I wanted to say 'Hi' to you first. Have a good day, Midoriya!"

"You too!"

***

He logs off before getting his bento box; he just needs to buy something to drink and then head to the break room.

"Great!" Ashido grins, startling him. "We arrived right on time!"

Behind her, Uraraka shows him her own lunch box before both pro heroes take him by the arms and drag him towards the elevator.

Pro heroes have their own break room; Izuku shouldn't be there, but his two friends are very persistent that day.

The room is almost empty anyway, due to their complicated schedules, pro heroes' breaks aren't usually at the same time as their coworkers'.

Ashido and Uraraka got lucky that day.

"Here, we got you something!" Uraraka hands him a can of green tea.

"Thank you!" Izuku beams, happily opening his bento; he's starving.

"Is that Tamagoyaki?" Ashido looks at his lunch with envy. "It looks delicious!"

"Yeah, you have gotten a lot better at cooking lately! I'm so proud!"

"Actually..." Izuku mumbles, scratching his cheek nervously as he looks at the eggs, the perfect cut vegetables and the sausage. His lunch really looks mouthwatering. "Kacchan made it for me. He picked me up this morning and gave me this before dropping me at work."

Ashido's smile morphs into something almost mischievous.

"Interesting."

"Wow," Uraraka blurts out. "Honestly, it's wild to see Bakugo acting like this. I never thought he'd be one of those besotted boyfriends when I was in high-school, in fact, I wasn't sure he was going to get himself a significant other and yet here we are."

Izuku chokes on his tea before staring at the two women sitting in front of him. They look too amused for his liking.

"You're right. I mean, we weren't even sure he was into... anything really because he never showed interest in anyone, but I guess his type is green haired cute beans!" Ashido chuckles, pinching Izuku's cheek affectionately.

"Please, stop," he pouts, turning completely red. "You know we're not dating! We're friends!"

"Of course you are, darling," the pink pro hero pats him on the head, like he's a stubborn kid.

"What's the meaning of this then? I can smell the love from here!" The brown haired woman asks, pointing at Izuku's beautiful bento box.

"He... Kacchan worries about me a lot," Izuku tries to explain. "He did this because he was mad I had noodles for dinner the other day. He says it's trash food."

"Well... Blasty is kinda right, they are certainly not good for you. Although he tends to overreact too," Ashido comments, resting her chin on her palm as she keeps looking at Izuku with amusement.

Flustered, he looks down at his lunch and keeps eating in silence for a while. He wonders why everyone seems to think he's dating Katsuki lately.

"Anyway..." Yellow eyes meet his as she sighs. "I think you should know that you make him really happy."

"He makes me happy too!"

They fall into a comfortable silence for a while, until Uraraka asks:

"Do you know if Todoroki is coming today? It's been a long time since I last saw him and I wanted to talk to him."

"So you were in the same class!" He says, glad to have guessed correctly as he watches both pro heroes nod. "Well, I think he's still in Aizawa's office, although he must be preparing for his mission."

"Have you met him?"

"Yes, he's really nice," he mumbles, after finally leaving his box empty. He needs to thank Katsuki for it again.

Both women nod, Izuku can see in their eyes they're having flashbacks of their time in high-school.

"He was a bit cold at first," Ashido says after a while. "Claiming he wasn't there to make friends, but he eventually warmed up to us!"

"Yeah, he doesn't trust people easily," the other pro hero nods after taking a bite of her mochi. "But he's really kind to those he decides to trust."

He wants to say something about his first meeting with Todoroki, but his phone vibrates then.

"Oh, it's Aizawa!" Izuku jumps from his seat after looking at his notifications. "Sorry, I have to go!"

Todoroki and Hagakure will be heading towards the place earlier than expected.

He needs to be ready.

***

It's been a couple of hours without news; Izuku's leg is bouncing under his desk, but he tries to focus on Kirishima's report.

The truth is, like probably everyone there, he can't stop thinking about those students. It's even worse when a new plan makes them hopeful.

He almost drops his black tea, the one he made before logging back in, when his earpiece makes a sound.

"Hagakure?"

"He keeps them here, Midoriya," the pro hero whispers. "But I think the villain is not alone so we'll probably need back up before proceeding."

"Let me transfer you to Aizawa," he says before checking the other pro heroes profiles. There are two of them on patrol, but they don't have any missions at the moment.

"How many?" Aizawa asks as soon as Izuku answers the call.

"Two available right now."

"Who?"

"Uravity and Dynamight."

"Alright. Send them the location and explain the situation to them briefly. Remember that our priority is to rescue the students."

"Yes, sir."

He decides to send them texts so they can focus better, well... he also does it not to fall into the temptation of wishing Katsuki good luck or ask him to be careful.

Izuku has to be professional.

Now comes the worst part of it: waiting. He knows a couple of his coworkers are monitoring them thanks to the tracker in their hero suits, but Izuku forces himself to stay in his station.

If things get... noisy the reporters will find out, and it'll be on the news in minutes. But Aizawa forbids them to look at the news while they're working because sometimes the reporters don't have all the information on what's going and can lead the people in Izuku's department to give the pro heroes wrong instructions.

They must act based on the data they have and the details the pro heroes themselves provide when they're dealing with the villains.

But it's difficult to stay there without doing anything and not knowing what's going on.

After almost an hour, he gets another call, this time from pro hero Shoto.

"Midoriya?"

"Yes?"

"We have five teenagers here. Can you send us the information on the missing students to make sure they all are here?"

"Of course. Are they alright?"

"Yes, I think they have a few scratches and some of them haven't eaten in hours, but they'll be fine."

As he says that, Izuku can hear a few explosions in the background and a familiar voice cursing at the top of his lungs.

He sighs in relief.

After sending the information to the four pro heroes in the scene, Uraraka texts him back that they are, in fact, the missing students.

***

By the time he has to leave, Izuku is desperate to see Katsuki. His coworkers told him that they took the students to the hospital and they are with their families at the moment.

Also, the villains have been taken into custody and are currently waiting for trial.

Perhaps he can ask Katsuki exactly what happened while they have dinner together.

"Izuku!"

"Kacchan!"

"Come here, I deserve one," the pro hero says with a smirk, spreading his arms in front of him as he steps out of the elevator.

Izuku doesn't know how their little routine started, but he gives Katsuki a hug after a successful mission; what he doesn't tell him is that he does it mostly because he's happy he didn't get hurt.

Since they're still in the building, Izuku is determined to give him just a quick hug, but Katsuki lifts him off his feet easily, prompting Izuku to giggle.

"I want a hug too."

"What the fuck are you doing here, half and half?"

"I came to see Midoriya and thank him for his assistance during the mission."

Izuku tries to get back on his feet, but Katsuki refuses to let him go and even moves him away from Todoroki's reach.

"Can I get a hug?"

"Of course, Todoroki!"

"Fuck off, half and half!"

"Kacchan, be nice!"

In the end Izuku does give the other pro hero a hug, although Katsuki pulls him away by the hood of his jacket rather quickly.

They're in the hallway, but he can see his coworkers trying to get a glimpse of what's going on from the office.

"Do you want to go celebrate with us, Midoriya? Uraraka says we should go out."

"Sure!" Izuku is tired, but Todoroki looks happy about the perspective of hanging out with friends that he can't say no. He has the feeling he doesn't do that often.

Katsuki growls before pulling Izuku aside.

"But I thought we were having dinner at my place! I was going to cook Italian for you!"

"We can do that tomorrow, Kacchan. Let's hang out with our friends!"

He pouts, but Izuku knows he will go anyway.

"Tch! Fine!"

Izuku puts both hands at each side of the pro hero's face and grins at him; the fact that Katsuki has to bend over a little so Izuku can reach him makes him feel warm inside.

Then, Katsuki pulls him into another hug as he flips Todoroki off.

"Kacchan!"

They decide to go to a cafe; the place is nice and cozy, and Izuku will have the opportunity to ask questions to every single one in order to get all the details about the mission; he wants to know how they used their quirks and why they decided to use them that way.

The tables have bench cushions around; Katsuki and Izuku sit on one and Uraraka, Hagakure and Todoroki on the one in front.

Even though he tells himself to calm down, Izuku can't help it and starts asking about the rescue. He listens with a fascinated smile on his face as Hagakure explains how she used her quirk to blind the villain when he tried to attack them.

Then he starts rambling about her quirk for a while, all the data he has gathered about her during the time they have met each other, she seems interested or at least he hopes so. He's too focused he doesn't even realize Uraraka is looking at something with amusement until she makes a gesture with her hand towards it.

Izuku turns around, only to find Katsuki with a hand on his chin, quietly staring at him with a fond smile on his face.

"What?"

Katsuki looks a little bit flustered when he notices Izuku's confusion, but he doesn't say anything.

"Midoriya, do you want something to eat?"

"Right!" He says, embarrassed. He looks back at Todoroki as his cheeks turn slightly pink. "Sorry for rambling! You must be hungry!"

"It's alright, I don't mind," the pro hero with mismatched hair assures him. "Actually, everything you say is fascinating. I feel like I'm learning a lot about quirks after listening to you."

Izuku can feel the moment his face turns even more red; Katsuki hisses next to him. When he looks at him again, he realizes he's get irritated. He must be starving too.

"What do you want to eat? I'll get it for you."

"Uhh..." Before Izuku can answer Todoroki's question, Katsuki is already getting up while glaring at the other pro hero.

"Don't bother. I always get Izuku's food."

"Well, I want a strawberry churro and Uraraka wants a croissant. Thanks for asking! Yes, we both are here too, in case you have forgotten!" Hagakure cuts in, half irritated half amused at the situation.

"Sorry! I'll go get them for you!" Izuku says.

"Not you, darling! Sit down!"

However, no matter how much Uraraka insists, Izuku ends up in the line with Katsuki and Todoroki.

"Midoriya."

Katsuki growls as a warning, but Todoroki ignores him completely.

"I'd like you to consider working at Endeavor's agency instead."

That definitely wasn't something Izuku expected to come out of Todoroki's mouth.

"I was really impressed by your performance these last two days; you're really smart and I think you'd be a great asset for our agency."

"Oh, fuck off!"

"Kacchan, please," Izuku has to grab the blond pro hero's arm in order to calm him down a bit. Then, when his friend looks less murderous, he turns towards Todoroki again: "I appreciate the offer, but I'm really happy where I am."

"Take that, half and half!"

Rolling his eyes, Izuku is glad they're next in the line. It's a nice distraction. Perhaps food is what everyone needs to feel less irritated.

"What happened?" Uraraka asks, grabbing her croissant and the coffee Izuku decided to buy for her. "I was watching you from here and Bakugo got more grumpy than usual."

"Half and half here wants to steal Izuku from m–us!"

"What do you mean?" Hagakure asks, sounding curious already. By the time Todoroki explains, even the women get slightly annoyed.

"No!" Uraraka huffs, grabbing one of Izuku's hands in hers. "Get your own green bean! This one is ours!"

They keep playfully scolding him for it and even he starts smiling at them. However, Katsuki moves closer to Izuku until their legs are pressing together even though there's plenty of space on his side.

After a while, the four pro heroes start talking about their time in the UA; Izuku can't help but laugh at all the things they tell him about Katsuki.

"They had to put a muzzle on him because he was so angry at Todoroki for not trying harder at the sports festival!" Hagakure chuckles, while Katsuki narrows his eyes at her.

"He even won, but didn't look happy with the results!" Uraraka adds, laughing along with Hagakure.

"He probably thought he didn't deserve it," Izuku cuts in. "That's why he was so mad."

He looks up at the blond pro hero before stroking his cheek; Katsuki closes his eyes and leans into the touch, content.

"It's alright, Kacchan. You did your best!"

"I didn't," Todoroki says then, getting Izuku's attention again. "But that's because I didn't truly accept myself back then."

"But now you do, right?" Izuku asks, smiling kindly at him.

"Now I do."

***

As they sit back in Katsuki's car, Izuku realizes that he's still frowning. Probably because Todoroki asked Izuku to think about his offer.

"I'm not going to work at Endeavor's," Izuku assures him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He relaxes somewhat before looking back at the green haired man with an intense expression on his face; Katsuki does that a lot lately and he has no idea what he's thinking about.

"Stay with me tonight."

"Okay, Kacchan," he says, smiling at him softly. The truth is that he still wants to spend a little bit more time with his friend after what happened.

But staying is a mistake because Izuku likes Katsuki's apartment; it feels like home even though it shouldn't.

The next days he barely stays at his own place and every time he goes back to it, it feels colder and less like the cozy apartment he once acquired.

Katsuki basically gives him one of the guest's rooms; he has a closet for himself in which he keeps a few clothes because he also stays during work days and it's more "convenient" that way.

Somedays, Izuku feels like he's fooling himself.

There's green tea now in Katsuki's kitchen, chocolate, and blueberries on the fridge that Izuku makes disappear quickly.

"You seriously don't want the last bit of honey?" Izuku asks, looking tempted to pour it all over his bread, but he wants to offer it to Katsuki first. He doesn't think he has ever seen him touch the bottle, but he's not there ALL the time.

"I don't like sweet food," Katsuki says from the couch, browsing through Netflix's catalog, looking for a good horror movie.

"But you do like honey!" Izuku argues. "I mean, you bought this..."

That bottle was there before Izuku started staying in that apartment a few times a week.

"I bought it for you," the pro hero says casually, already selecting a movie. The thumbnail looks like it'll give Izuku nightmares.

He looks back at the now empty bottle, feeling warm inside out of the sudden. He smiles, thinking about all the things Katsuki does for him...

"Well, I'll go back to my room now!"

"None of that, nerd!" Katsuki turns around, looking at him over the back of the couch. "You promised!"

"Fine!" Izuku pouts, getting ready to close his eyes. "But if you complain about me clinging to you, I'll leave, okay?"

Being as close as possible to Katsuki is the only thing that makes him feel safe when they watch those kind of movies.

Katsuki snorts.

"Have I ever complained about that?"

"No, but just in case," Izuku mumbles before sitting right next to him, even though there's a lot of space on the couch. "I don't know why you want me here, to be honest. All I do is cover my eyes, gasp and wrap myself around you every time. Sometimes, I even end up on your lap! That can't be pleasant for you!"

Katsuki's smirk makes his eyes glimmer with amusement.

"That is actually very pleasant for me. You have no idea."

It must be because he enjoys Izuku's suffering... his friend is still a jerk sometimes. But he buys a lot of sweets for him and lets Izuku cuddle him so he'll forgive him for that eventually.

To no one's surprise, Izuku ends up covering his eyes and Katsuki's space.

The pro hero looks like he's having the time of his life, but he's kind enough to put a hand over Izuku's shoulders and nuzzle against his green curls to calm him down.

He falls asleep like that but wakes up on his bed in the morning.

***

"Trying a new style?" One of his coworkers asks as a form of greeting. "Well, you look good with everything, Midoriya!"

"Isn't that too big for you though?" Another one says, frowning a bit.

Some days, he wishes he didn't blush that easily; it makes him look like he's hiding something.

"Kacchan gave it to me," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. It's not his fault that Katsuki's clothes are very comfortable; it's true that wearing black is not Izuku's style, but he likes the fact that the hoodie feels like it's hugging him.

He's not sure if that's completely true, though, because most of the time is just Izuku "stealing" things from him that the pro hero ends up giving him.

"I see," the man in front of him grins in a way Izuku doesn't like. There's nothing to "see" there.

He runs back to his station then.

An hour later, he decides to pay a visit to Hatsume. He wants to ask about Kaminari's gear; something happened during his latest mission and it ended up damaged, but Izuku doesn't understand what prompted it to act the way it did. And he needs to understand in order to write a report about it.

But he's also very curious.

Right outside Hatsume's department, Izuku remembers why other people are not allowed there unless they let them know they're coming beforehand.

Izuku forgot to do that.

"Not again!" He manages to hear someone complaining before Hatsume laughs.

"It's alright! We always learn from our mistakes," she says right before something inside explodes and sends Izuku backwards.

There's smoke everywhere; his ears start ringing a bit, but he realizes he's alright, although his back hurts.

"Are you okay, Midoriya?" Hatsume asks, leaning over him. "You shouldn't be here."

He gets that now. At least the people from support are completely fine, mostly because they wear special clothes all the time. In case something like that happens.

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes, don't worry!"

"Alright, then let me turn off the alarm in your device before he comes running here..."

Honestly, Izuku had forgotten his pretty necklace was a security device. But now as he looks down he sees a red dot in the middle of the X.

"IZUKU!"

"Too late," Hatsume mumbles, right before turning it off. She moves away from Izuku to give room for Dynamight to fret over him.

"I'm fine, Kacchan, I promise," he assures him as he manages to sit.

Katsuki kneels on the floor next to him and Izuku notices his hero suit; it looks clean and impeccable, which means he was about to go out.

His red eyes start scanning his body from head to toe, desperately looking for wounds.

"Where does it hurt?" He asks, touching Izuku's back of the head with his fingertips. When the green haired man flinches, the pro hero's eyes lose their shine. "I'll take you to the infirmary."

"Kacchan, wait!"

Katsuki growls. He's obviously still in distress, and Izuku can't have that. Pretending no one is watching, he cradles his friend's face and rubs their noses together.

The fear he notices in his eyes shocks Izuku for a moment.

"I'm fine, Kacchan," he whispers, smiling softly at him. "I promise."

He watches as the blond's broad shoulders lose some of their tension. His arms wrap around Izuku's completely before he presses his lips against one of his freckled cheeks gently. After he takes a deep breath, he does the same against the other.

Izuku's heart skips a beat.

"Alright! Let's go back to work, everybody!" Hatsume says, clapping her hands together to get her workers' attention. "There's nothing to see here!"

As the smoke clears, Izuku turns as red as a strawberry.

Katsuki doesn't seem to care about having an audience or not.

"When I heard the alarm, I panicked," he admits, pointing at a bracelet on his right wrist. Izuku had thought all this time it was a simple accessory.

"I'm fine," he repeats, mostly because his own heartbeat doesn't let him think that much.

Katsuki leans to give him a kiss on the forehead, making even more difficult for Izuku to actually focus.

"Let me take you to the infirmary anyway. Please, it'll help me feel better."

"Okay, Kacchan."

As the doctor explains to them both that Izuku doesn't have a concussion and the incident only got him a few bruises, he realizes, as he remembers Katsuki's soft kisses on his face that me might have feelings for his best friend.

And that could be a problem.

***

Perhaps the best thing is to stop staying with Katsuki; Izuku's feelings will only grow if he keeps spending that much time with his friend.

It's a good thing he never moved in with him like Katsuki wanted. He'd be kicked out immediately if the pro hero found out about Izuku's crush on him.

Except that it doesn't feel like a simple crush.

As they both walk down the stairs, Izuku takes a deep breath and thinks about an excuse to stay at his own apartment this time.

"Here, take this, nerd," Katsuki stops for a moment to give him a key. "This is just in case you need it, but you know you only have to type the code to get in."

A copy of Katsuki's apartment door key. And he's going to give him the code too.

"It's 0715," the pro hero says in a whisper. His face turns so red Izuku worries about him for a moment. "So when... I'm on late night patrol you can get in without me and stay there."

"Oh, that'll be easy to remember!" He says, chuckling. His friend probably hasn't even realized what those numbers mean. "It's like my birthday! What a coincidence!"

Katsuki chokes on air, blush spreading down his neck. Maybe he's getting sick or something...

"I know you are really smart, but sometimes you make me question your intelligence."

"Kacchan, that's so mean!" Izuku tries to look offended, but he fails miserably. Besides, his mind is preoccupied with something else.

When they're inside Katsuki's car. Izuku takes a deep breath.

"Take me to my apartment, please."

"Why? Did you forget something?"

"No... it's just," he bites his bottom lip before continuing: "I mean... I live there after all, I should stay in my own apartment."

"Or you can finally move in with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Katsuki turns his head towards him; good thing he hasn't started the car yet.

"Why not? Does something in my apartment bother you? We can redecorate it if you want. I just bought you a display cabinet to put your ridiculous All Might figure collection. It was a surprise, by the way. So pretend to be surprised when it finally arrives."

Katsuki is making it really difficult for Izuku not to fall in love with him.

"Uhh... it's..." Izuku blinks as his eyes start getting wet.

"What is it, Izuku? Talk to me. You know you can tell me anything," he says; he's never heard him speak that softly to him. His thumbs wipe his tears off before he presses his forehead against the sweet nerd's.

Katsuki deserves to know so he can decide for himself if he wants to keep some distance between them from now on.

It'll break Izuku's heart, but he can handle it.

"Listen, Kacchan, don't freak out, but I think I have f-feelings for you. So it'll be better if we–"

"Wow," Katsuki chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. "You really are an idiot, Izuku."

"This is not funny, Kacchan! I'm trying to tell you something important!"

"So am I!" He smiles, red eyes glimmering with unrestrained happiness. He cradles Izuku's confused face, before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Izuku. I am in love with you."

"What?" He blinks, getting slightly dizzy as Katsuki keeps pressing their lips together. Kisses pressed against his face as he turns so pink his freckles disappear momentarily.

"I have never been subtle about my devotion to you," Katsuki smirks, enjoying the fact that Izuku gets so flustered after being kissed to speak properly. "That's why everyone in the agency thinks we're dating. Yes, I know about those rumors too, the only difference is that I have never shut them down."

"But why you never told me anything?"

Katsuki's smile vanishes for a moment and Izuku wants to take the question back immediately.

"I thought you didn't love me the way I did."

This time it's Izuku the one who initiates their kiss, although Katsuki is the one in control. He smiles against his lips before taking his time to explore Izuku's mouth.

"Move in with me, Izuku."

"I'd love to, Kacchan."

***

A lot of things have changed in a month; Izuku finally left his old apartment and is now living with Katsuki.

And sleeping on his bed too.

Waving a hand in front of his face to stop himself from blushing, Izuku focuses on the task at hand.

He has practiced that curry recipe a lot, torturing his friends in the process, although Todoroki claims that the first time was perfect.

Uraraka couldn't even finish it, Kirishima gave him a thumbs up, but didn't look like he was enjoying it.

However, the last one was a success, which means he's ready to make it for his boyfriend.

He wants to surprise Katsuki this time; he's the one who cooks for them and he knows he does it gladly, but Izuku wants to show him he can make an effort too.

A loud sigh escapes from his lips when he finishes just in time for the door to open.

"I'm home, Izuku!"

He rushes towards the entrance because that's one of his favorite parts of living with Katsuki, that he gets to greet him in his own home.

In their own home, and wants to do that for the rest of their lives.

The realization hits him by surprise, and both Izuku and Katsuki just stand there, frozen, staring into each other's eyes like they know exactly what they're both thinking.

"You look cute with that apron," Katsuki breathes deeply, as if he had forgotten how to and pulls Izuku into a tight hug. "Is it too soon to ask you to marry me?"

"It's us," he whispers back, trying not to cry. "We have never been a conventional couple to begin with. It's fine."

"Is that a yes?"

"It is."

After a long kiss, Izuku pushes his boyfriend away a bit, chuckling when Katsuki chases his lips desperately and pouts when he keeps turning his head away.

"Come on, nerd! Just one more!"

"Wait, I need to tell you something first."

"What is it?"

"Welcome home, Kacchan!"

Katsuki rolls his eyes, but the glimmer in them and the wide smile on his lips tell Izuku that he's just as happy to hear that as Izuku is to say it.