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“Don’t you just love winters?” Izuku sighed as he washed lemon grass, adding it to the boiling pot of water on the stove next to him.
“No. I hate it. And you know it why.” Ochaco bluntly stated back.
“Oh, come on, you know you only hate it because the cold weather isn’t up to your sunny standards.” Izuku snickered.
“Ughhhh, I hate having to wear so many layers. It's sooo uncomfortable." She cringed.
“Pft- excuses, shemuses, besides we have my special handmade green tea to keep us warm.” Izuku praised himself as he poured them two cups of the steaming hot tea respectively.
“Yeah right, the only reason you know how to make this is because Bakugo taught you, I still remember back in UA you were horrible at cooking.” She teased him as she blew on her tea to cool it down.
All of a sudden, Izuku felt a pang of loneliness.
Katsuki had been gone for months (had left in May and now it was November), and so far, there had been no contact from him whatsoever.
Ochaco being Ochaco, saw the hurt written all over his face. Typical Izuku.
“Oops- Sorry, did I hit a soft spot?”
Izuku forced a smile. “No, don’t worry, I'm fine.”
“Deku-kun, don’t deny it, I can see it written all over your face.” She said with one eyebrow up, giving him a look of disapproval.
Izuku hesitated. "It's just... I miss him, I miss his stupid jokes, his annoying laugh, and you know, his everything.”
“Oh, aww, it’s alright, he’ll come back, I’m sure of it.” Ochaco said as she rubbed her hand up and down on his shoulder, comforting him.
Izuku nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know, I just... I miss him a lot."
They sat in silence, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Well, that was before Ochaco’s phone buzzed.
“Oh, its Mina. Huh, I wonder what she has to say.”
Ochaco picked up the phone.
"Mina? What's up? Everything all right?"
“Oh.My.God. You won’t believe what just happened.”
“What?”
“Kiri just proposed to me.”
“…”
“…”
“NO WAY! WHAT?! WHEN, WHERE HOW?”
Izuku tapped Ochaco’s shoulder.
“What happened?”
“Kiri just proposed to Mina- hold on gimme a sec.”
Ochaco turned to her phone, squealing into it like she was a middle schooler again, leaving Izuku to ponder his thoughts.
Why was he feeling so down?
Oh, right, he had thought it had been some news of Katsuki.
Why?
Because, the first two people Katsuki would contact coming back would be either Mina or Eijiro.
It wouldn’t be him. It couldn’t be him. Never in a million years.
When will you come back, Kacchan?
---------------------------
The next morning Izuku woke up with his teeth clacking form the cold. Usually, during winters he had Katsuki to warm him up (natural body heat from his quirk) and this morning wasn’t turning out the way he thought it would.
Scowling Izuku made his way out of the cozy bed, and to the bathroom, to get ready.
As he showered, the hot water felt especially soothing. It especially reminded him of Katsuki (Crazy, I know.)
He quickly finished up and got dressed, eager to start his day. He made himself a cup of hot chocolate and sat down by the window, watching the snow fall gently. He still had a half-an hour before he had patrol, so he wasn’t in any rush.
As Izuku sipped his hot chocolate, his mind wandered back to Katsuki (Again). He wondered where he was, what he was doing, if he was safe. The silence in the apartment felt heavy without his explodey presence.
Sighing Izuku made his way to his kitchen, where he placed the singular cup in the sink, and made his way out of the cozy home and into the chilly morning of November.
Upon arriving at the agency, Izuku was met with Eri.
“Deku! How are you today?” she asked, in her usual bubbly manner.
“Ah, Eri! I’m fine, but I didn’t expect to see you here today.” He said as he led them inside the agency.
“Oh, right! I forgot, we have internship week going on right now, and this was my choice! I mean how couldn’t the WonderDuo Agency be my choice? Its run by the Top 2 heroes of Japan!”
Izuku blushed profusely.
“Ah, I-I mean there are plenty of other agencies here in Japan, and you c-could have gone to any one of them, but I really appreciate you picking this one!” He awkwardly said as he tripped over his words.
God, if Katsuki would be here right now, He would have been teasing Izuku nonstop.
What the hell Izuku. Get yourself together.
As Izuku was lost in his thoughts, he accidentally bumped into a wall, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Eri giggled at his clumsiness.
“You okay, Deku?” she asked, her eyes filled with amusement.
Izuku blushed again, embarrassed by his clumsiness. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he muttered.
“Right then let’s get to work!” she said, enthusiastically.
---------------------------
Katsuki grumbled as he flopped down on the hotel bed. His body ached like hell. (I mean going under cover aint no easy job.)
“Pass me the Painkillers.” He ordered.
Ayako, who was cracking her joints, looked at him un-impressed.
"You sure you don't want a doctor to look at that?" she said as she passed the painkillers to him.
"Tch, I'll be fine," Katsuki grumbled, taking the painkillers form her. "Just leave me alone."
“Well, whatever you say, grumpy.”
Ayako Tanaka, was like Mina’s long-lost sister. Only thing that didn’t match (in his opinion) were the appearances, where Mina had dulled pink skin, golden eyes, and an unruly, birds nest, Ayako had warm golden-bronze skin, olive green eyes, and beautiful curly hair. But one couldn’t tell from a first glance that she had a sassy, (read very sassy) attitude.
After a few minutes, Katsuki had calmed down, the painkillers starting to take effect. He looked at Ayako, who was now scrolling through her phone.
"If you’re here to make a move, then I’m not fucking interested.” he said with mirth.
Ayako shrugged. "I’m not interested either, just thought I'd check up on you. Make sure you're not blowing up any innocent civilians or something."
"I'm not a child, you know." Katsuki rolled his eyes.
“Besides there only one more day left of this hell hole of a mission, thank fuck for that too.”
“Well do you have any ideas on how to actually arrest them?” Ayako, asked as she put her phone away, and took out a notepad.
Katsuki thought for a moment. "We could always just blow up the whole place," he suggested, an evil smirk on his lips.
Ayako rolled her eyes. "That's not going to help. We need to capture them alive, remember?"
"Fine, fine," Katsuki grumbled. "We'll just have to outsmart them. Really could’ve used Deku here ‘bout now." He mumbled the last part.
Well in his defense Izuku was a complete nerd, and in this situation, his nerdiness would have been very helpful (no he wasn’t going to admit, screw you-) but despite him mumbling that part Ayako still heard it.
"Did I just hear the great Katsuki Bakugo admit he misses Midoriya? Should I write that down for the record?"
The glare Katsuki gave her could have melted steel (in some universe it did too probably).
"Shut it, Tanaka. I didn’t say that. I just said he’d be...useful. That’s it." He crossed his arms, sinking into his chair like a sulking child despite his earlier protests.
Ayako chuckled, shaking her head. "Fine, fine. No teasing... for now. But seriously, we need a plan that doesn’t involve property damage. What's the layout of the place like? Any blind spots?"
Katsuki leaned forward, pulling the notepad toward him. He quickly sketched a rough outline of the target building. His drawings messy, but got the job done.
"Here. The warehouse has two main entrances, a loading dock, and this side door. Probably some vents too, but they’re small. Perfect for sneaking in, though."
Ayako nodded. "And security?"
"About a dozen guys. Armed. Plus, those bastards, we actually want to take down." Katsuki’s face scrunched up in frustration. "Bunch of smugglers dealing in illegal Quirk enhancers and suppressors. Scums I tell ya."
Ayako tapped her pen against her lips, thinking. "What about the goods? Where do they keep them?"
"In the back, near the loading dock. Big metal crates. Dumb move keeping everything in one place, but that’s their problem, not ours."
Ayako’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly jotted down notes.
"Okay, how about this: We split up. One of us creates a distraction to draw out the guards while the other sneaks in and secures the evidence. Once we have what we need, we can corner the leaders and call-in backup."
Katsuki frowned. "And by ‘distraction,’ you mean you want me to blow something up, don’t you?"
Ayako shrugged innocently. "If the shoe fits..."
He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. "Fine. But you’d better not screw up while I’m babysitting these idiots. Got it?"
Ayako grinned. "Wouldn’t dream of it. Now, let’s get to sleep before I have to listen to you complain even more."
Katsuki snorted, already heading for the door. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get yourself killed, dumbass. That’s my job."
The next morning Ayako barged into Katsuki’s room.
“Rise and shine princess! Its go time!”
Katsuki groaned from under the blanket, his voice muffled but clearly irritated. "What the hell, Tanaka? Do you have to yell first thing in the morning?"
Ayako stood in the doorway with a smug smile, hands on her hips. "Yes, actually. Someone has to make sure you’re awake, and subtlety isn’t your style anyway. Now, get your ass up. We’ve got a job to do."
He muttered something incomprehensible (probably a string of curses) and finally shoved the blanket off, his hair sticking up in every possible direction. "You’re way too cheerful for this sh*t."
"Cheerful? Nah. I’m just excited to watch you do your 'distraction' thing. Should be fun." She grinned at him before tossing his jacket at his face.
Katsuki caught it midair with a glare. "You’re enjoying this way too much."
"Damn right I am. Now hurry up. The clock’s ticking, and I’d like to finish this mission before lunch. Maybe even grab a decent meal for once." Ayako turned and walked out of the room, her voice echoing behind her. "Five minutes, Bakugo. Don’t make me come back!"
Katsuki dragged himself out of bed, grumbling under his breath. He quickly threw on his gear, his mind already running through the plan. The mission wasn’t going to be easy, but at least it would give him a chance to let loose a little and finally head back home.
As he stepped into the small living room where Ayako was waiting, she handed him a thermos. "Coffee. Figured you’d be less of a pain with some caffeine in your system."
He raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "What’s the catch?"
"No catch. Just don’t blow up anything you’re not supposed to." She smirked, grabbing her own bag.
"Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get this over with," Katsuki grunted, taking a sip from the thermos as they headed out.
The drive to the warehouse was tense but quiet. Both of them ran through the plan in their heads, the gravity of the situation settling in.
As they pulled up a few blocks away, Ayako adjusted her earpiece. "Alright. You ready, or do you need another cup of coffee to fuel that sparkling personality of yours?"
Katsuki smirked, flexing his hands as small sparks crackled from his palms. "I was born ready. Let’s do this."
Ayako gave him a thumbs-up before slipping into the shadows, her voice soft in his earpiece. "I’ll handle the sneaking. You do what you do best, Bakugo—make some noise."
Katsuki grinned as he stepped toward the warehouse, his hands already heating up. "Oh, I’ll make noise, alright. Let’s see these bastards try to ignore me."
The first explosion lit up the warehouse, and Katsuki’s laughter echoed through the walls. "Come on, you morons!”
In the distance, Ayako shook her head with a chuckle as she slipped through the side door. "Never a dull moment with him."
As the echo of Katsuki’s explosion reverberated through the area, the chaos began to unfold. Guards scrambled from their posts, shouting orders over the noise. Katsuki stood in the middle of the of it, his palms crackling with energy and a devilish grin on his face.
"Hey, idiots! Over here!" he shouted, tossing a small but flashy blast toward a parked van. The resulting boom made the guards flinch, their attention fully on him now.
From her vantage point inside the warehouse, Ayako smirked. Classic. She crept through the shadows, avoiding the remaining guards inside who were too busy grabbing weapons to notice her. She made her way toward the loading dock, where the crates of illegal Quirk enhancers and Quirk suppressors were stacked.
Kneeling beside one of the crates, Ayako pulled out a small device and attached it to the lock. The quiet click of the mechanism disengaging made her grin.
"Gotcha," she whispered, lifting the lid to confirm the stash. Rows of vials shimmered under the dim light, the liquid inside glowing faintly and red pills stored in cases.
"Bakugo, I’ve got the goods," she said into her earpiece.
"Yeah? Good for you," he replied, the sound of an explosion muffling his words. "I’m kinda busy out here."
Ayako chuckled. "Keep them distracted a little longer. I’m setting the trackers on these crates. Once we call it in, the cleanup team can move in and nab the rest."
"Whatever. Just don’t take all day," Katsuki growled, dodging a spray of bullets. He blasted the ground in front of the guards, sending them scattering. "You fuckers call this a fight? Pathetic!"
Back inside, Ayako moved quickly, placing small, discreet tracking devices on each crate. Just as she finished the last one, she whipped around just in time to see a smuggler lunge at her with a bat
"Well, crap," she muttered, ducking as the bat swung down, missing her by inches. She rolled to the side, grabbing her stun baton and activating it with a sharp crackle of electricity.
The smuggler lunged again, but Ayako sidestepped and jabbed the baton into his side. He dropped with a grunt, twitching slightly from the shock and mildly form the force of the hit.
"Bakugo," she said, catching her breath. "One of them found me, but it’s handled. How’s the outside looking?"
"Handled?" Katsuki’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Try half the damn city chasing me. But yeah, it’s fine. I’m amazing, remember?"
Ayako rolled her eyes, securing the crates. "Right, well, wrap it up. I’m heading to the rendezvous point."
As she made her way toward the exit, another explosion rattled the building. She smirked. He really doesn’t do anything halfway, does he?
Outside, Katsuki was a blur of destruction, dodging and blasting with precision. The smugglers’ guards were either unconscious, fleeing, or too scared to get close.
"Alright, I’m out," Ayako said as she slipped into the shadows near the alley. "You good to bail, or do you wanna keep playing hero?"
Katsuki let out a short laugh. "Nah, I’m done with these losers. Let’s move before the cops show up and start asking questions."
Together, they regrouped a few blocks away, watching as the chaos they’d left behind continued to unfold. Sirens wailed in the distance, signaling that backup was on its way.
"Mission accomplished," Ayako said, leaning against a wall with a satisfied grin.
Katsuki shrugged, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, yeah. Could’ve gone faster if you didn’t need me to babysit the guards."
She laughed, nudging his shoulder. "Admit it, you had fun."
Katsuki smirked. "Maybe. But don’t get used to it."
Ayako grinned as she looked out at the flashing lights of the approaching police cars. "Don’t worry. With you around, fun’s pretty much guaranteed."
“Yeah, Yeah, lets just get back to the hotel, I wanna get the fuck outta here.”
---------------------------
“I miss him, ‘Chacko.” Izuku whined into the phone.
“Yes Deku-kun, you’ve said this fifteen times already.” Ochaco sighed back.
Izuku let out a dramatic groan, flopping back onto his bed with his phone pressed to his ear. "But he hasn’t even texted me once! I mean, he’s alive, right? He hasn’t blown himself up or something?"
Ochaco pinched the bridge of her nose on the other end of the line, fighting back a groan.
"Deku-kun, it’s Bakugo. If there’s anyone who’s fine, it’s him. You know how he is—he probably thinks texting you is some kind of weakness."
"I know that," Izuku said, his tone exasperated but still soft. "But it’s been months! What if the mission’s gone south or—"
"Izuku," Ochaco interrupted firmly. "It’s Bakugo. He’s either blowing things up or yelling at someone right now. Or both. Trust me, he’s fine."
Izuku let out a long sigh, his voice quieter now. "Yeah... you’re right. I just—"
"Miss him," Ochaco finished for him with a small chuckle. "We get it. You’re hopeless. Head-over-heels for him."
"Hey!" Izuku protested weakly, though he couldn’t deny it.
“Oh please, you’ve been whining about missing him ever since he left.” Ochaco snickered.
Before Izuku could respond, the sound of the front door unlocking made him stop in his tracks, and the only other person who had the keys was Todoroki. He frowned, glancing at the clock. It was late—too late for visitors.
"Hold on, someone’s at the door," he said into the phone as he stood up.
"Who could it be this late?" Ochaco asked curiously, but Izuku had already pulled the phone away from his ear, tossing it on the bed.
Cautiously he made his way downstairs, one-for-all activating on its own. Izuku crept toward the door, the faint glow of Blackwhip casting jagged shadows on the walls. His heart raced.
As he turned the corner he stopped in his tracks.
Standing in the doorway, looking like he'd just come out of a war zone, the great Dynamite Katsuki Bakugo. His ash-blonde hair was messier than usual, soot smeared across his face and arms and, hero costume a complete mess. His crimson eyes locked onto Izuku, sharp as ever.
"Kacchan, Y-you're... you're back?"
Bakugo snorted, tossing his duffel bag onto the floor with a thud. "No sh*t, nerd. You gonna come’ere? or you just gonna stand there gawking?"
Izuku blinked rapidly, his body frozen for a moment before he lunged towards Katsuki.
"Kacchan!" Izuku exclaimed, his voice breaking as he threw himself at the explosive hero, wrapping his arms tightly around him, and burying his face into the blonde’s chest, tears and dirt staining his face.
"Oi, watch it!" Katsuki barked, though his hands came to wrap around Izuku, bringing him closer. "I'm covered in dirt, you idiot."
"I don't care," Izuku mumbled, his face pressed against Katsuki's chest. "You're back."
Katsuki sighed, the tension in his body slowly easing as Izuku clung to him. "Yeah, I'm back," he said gruffly. "Now let go before you suffocate me, dumbass."
Izuku reluctantly pulled back, wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "You didn’t text. Not once. I was so worried—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Katsuki interrupted, running a hand through his messy hair. "we were supposed to keep it low, so texting wasn’t an option, Mission was a pain in the ass. But I’m here now."
Izuku sniffled, his lips trembling as he nodded, trying to compose himself. "I know… I just… I’m glad you’re okay, Kacchan." His voice wavered, thick with emotion.
Katsuki sighed again, reaching out to ruffle Izuku's already messy hair. "Deku, you’re such a damn crybaby. I told you before, I don’t go down that easy. Don’t start bawling now."
Izuku swatted at Katsuki’s hand half-heartedly but didn’t bother trying to hide the tears still welling in his eyes. "I couldn’t help it. I wondered if you’d come back, and—"
"Stop," Katsuki said firmly, his voice low but not unkind. His crimson eyes softened for a brief moment. "I’m back now. That’s all that matters. Oh, and I want my kisses."
Izuku flushed bright red.
"K-Kisses?! Kacchan, what are you even—" he spluttered.
"You heard me," Katsuki interrupted, leaning slightly closer with his signature cocky smirk, despite the exhaustion still tugging at the corners of his eyes. "I’m claiming ‘em. You owe me."
He crossed his arms, trying to muster confidence even though his face betrayed him.
“Oh no I don’t, you owe me! I had to suffer for months not hearing from you!”
"You… You don’t just get kisses, Kacchan! Especially not when you’re filthy and covered in dirt! Go clean up first!" He scolded. Katsuki blinked, and then, to Izuku's horror he brought their noses together and gently rubbed them together.
"You’re putting conditions on this? Fine. I’ll take my damn shower." He turned toward the bathroom, muttering as he went, "Better make ‘em worth it when I’m back."
Fifteen minutes later, Katsuki reappeared, his hair damp and fluffy, dressed in a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. He looked annoyingly good, even with the faint scowl on his face.
"All right, I’m clean," Katsuki announced, crossing his arms and smirking again. "Now, about those kisses—"
Before he could finish though, Izuku smashed his lips against Katsuki’s, who was caught off guard.
He froze for a split second, his vermillion eyes widening in surprise as Izuku’s lips pressed firmly against his. But it didn’t take long for him to recover. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and he grabbed Izuku by the waist, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss.
Izuku’s heart pounded in his chest as he became breathless, but he didn’t pull back, his hands gripping Katsuki’s hoodie for support as he felt butterflies arise in his stomach.
Sure, they had kissed countless times before, but every single time had Izuku feeling like it was their first.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless. Katsuki rested his forehead against Izuku’s, his smirk replaced by a gentle, mostly reserved and rare smile.
"That’s more like it," Katsuki murmured, his voice husky. "About time you stopped acting like a damn coward."
Izuku’s face was a fiery shade of red, but he managed a wobbly smile, his green eyes shining with a mix of embarrassment and joy.
"I-I wasn’t a coward! You’re just… really intense. And you came back tired as well so I didn’t know if you would like it."
Katsuki snorted, brushing a thumb against Izuku’s flushed cheek. "I will never not like your kisses. It’s like a fluffy bunny is kissing me."
“Wait you think of me as a fluffy bunny?!”
Katsuki’s expression softened, “Yeah, why? You are like one, even if you’re a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“Waaah! That’s so cute! Eeeeek Kacchan!”
Katsuki rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Alright, enough with the sappy crap. Let’s eat. I’m starving, and your fridge better not be full of that rabbit food you call a diet."
Izuku laughed, as he followed Katsuki into the kitchen. "I think I have some leftovers. Just don’t blow anything up this time. You didn’t even help clean last time!"
"No promises," Katsuki replied with a mischievous grin.
The two of them worked together to heat up some leftovers, which, to Katsuki’s dismay, consisted mostly of healthy dishes.
He poked at the bowl of roasted vegetables with his fork, glaring at it like it had personally insulted him.
"Seriously, Deku? Where’s the meat? You expect me to eat this crap after weeks of field rations?"
Izuku stifled a laugh, setting a plate of chicken down in front of Katsuki. "Relax, Kacchan. I saved this just for you. But you should really try the veggies. They’re good for you."
"Good for me, my ass," Katsuki muttered, though he immediately dug into the chicken, his scowl softening with each bite. "This is decent, at least."
When they finished eating, Izuku started cleaning up, but Katsuki grabbed his wrist.
"Leave it, you can deal with it tomorrow. Let’s go to bed." Katsuki said.
"Okay. Let me just—"
"Now, nerd," Katsuki cut in, already heading toward the stairs. "Come on, or I’m leaving you behind."
Izuku scrambled to follow, turning off the lights before joining Katsuki in his bedroom.
As they climbed into bed, Katsuki pulled Izuku close without hesitation, his arms wrapping around him, cuddling him like he was a big bear. Izuku stiffened at first but quickly relaxed, nestling against Katsuki’s chest.
"You’re clingier than I thought you’d be," Izuku teased softly, his voice muffled against the fabric of Katsuki’s hoodie.
"Shut up, you’re warm. Don’t make it weird." Katsuki grumbled.
Izuku chuckled but didn’t say anything more. The warmth of Katsuki’s body and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulled him into comfort, his earlier worries melting away.
Just as Katsuki was on the verge of falling asleep, Izuku spoke up, his voice hesitant.
"Kacchan?"
"What?" Katsuki mumbled; his voice heavy with exhaustion.
"I, uh… I forgot to tell you earlier. Kirishima and Mina are getting married."
Katsuki’s eyes snapped open, and he pulled back slightly to stare at Izuku. "What the hell did you just say?"
Izuku blinked up at him innocently. "They’re getting married. Isn’t it exciting?"
"Those extras?" Katsuki sputtered, his voice rising slightly. "When the hell did this happen? Why didn’t anyone tell me?"
"Maybe because you weren’t replying back to anyone," Izuku said, trying to suppress a giggle at Katsuki’s reaction. "They’re planning a big announcement party soon though."
Katsuki groaned, flopping back onto the pillow. "Great. Just great. First thing I do when I get back is deal with those idiots tying the knot. They better not make me wear anything stupid."
Izuku laughed, resting his head on Katsuki’s chest. "You’ll be fine. And you know you’re happy for them."
Katsuki huffed but didn’t argue, his hand coming up to rest on Izuku’s back. "Whatever. Now shut up and sleep. I’m exhausted, nerd."
Izuku smiled, closing his eyes as he felt himself give into sleep. Before he finally fell asleep Izuku mumbled something just loud enough for Katsuki to catch.
"Goodnight, Kacchan."
"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Deku,"