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Katsuki was relaxed, cup of coffee in one hand and phone in the other, legs warm under the kotatsu as he waited for Izuku to return home. He'd awoken in bed alone this morning and his brief moment of panic was quickly assuaged by the note on Izuku's pillow.
"Kacchan! Don't freak out, okay? I'm fine! Just went out to get a little surprise for you ^_~ I'll be home soon and you can yell at me then."
Assuming Izuku was going to bring a fancy breakfast from somewhere, Katsuki had made coffee and settled in to wait. It wasn't long before he heard the car drive up and the horn honk twice, their sign that the other needed to come outside. Sighing, Katsuki got up and slipped on his snow boots, tucking his pajama bottoms into them so they wouldn't get wet. He pulled on a coat and yanked a hat down on his head to help keep warm. He'd never done very well in the cold.
Opening the door, Katsuki was already bitching before he even got a foot out. "This better be worth it, Izu-- ku." His complaint died in his throat as he got a good look at the sight in his driveway. Their little car was weighed down by the biggest tree Katsuki had ever seen. He wasn't sure how the hell the car had actually managed to get up their short hill with that thing. Izuku stood in front of the spectacle, smile toothy and wide, his arms thrown up in celebration.
"Kacchan! Look what I got us!" He bounced, the pom-pom on his hat doing a little jig atop his head, seeming to celebrate right along with its owner. "For our first Christmas together, yeah?!" He bounced again, his eagerness all but visible in an aura around him.
Katsuki sighed heavily. He should have known Izuku would blow past his expectations, especially with a holiday to give him the okay to go a little too far. "Who is going to bring that monster inside," he demanded, voice tingled with a growl. Of course, he knew the answer to that. He was.
"You are! Come on, don't pout! Think of how nice it'll look all decorated and lit up in the living room!"
"If it'll even fit through the door," Katsuki grumped, shaking his head. Complaining the whole time but obediently following Izuku's guidance, he managed to wrestle the Beast Tree through the front door and into the living room. His muscles ached from over use and he was covered in wet, rapidly melting snow and stabby little needles from head to toe. Katsuki threw himself down onto the couch with a huff.
"I seriously thought you were bringing breakfast," he said, eyeing the tree as if it had personally offended him.
"Oh. You're not disappointed… are you?"
The doubt in Izuku's usually cheerful tone softened Katsuki immediately. "No. Come here." Lazily, he held his arms up, inviting Izuku into them.
It was an invitation Izuku wasted no time accepting. He tossed himself atop Katsuki, giggling at the soft 'oof' he got out of the blonde. He caught Katsuki's face between his mittened hands and rained kisses all over it until the other man broke and began to laugh.
"Alright, alright, get off," Katsuki said, giving Izuku a playful shove. "No, I'm not disappointed. Hungry, maybe." He laughed out loud as Izuku whacked him on the shoulder.
"You're such a pain, Kacchan," Izuku said through his own giggles.
"Yeah, but I'm your pain, baby." Katsuki drew Izuku back into a more lingering kiss, content to see the light flush he left behind on Izuku's freckled cheeks. "It does look good in here," he admitted about The Beast Tree, giving it an appraising look. "How about I make breakfast and you grab the decorations from storage?" Glancing over at the Beast Tree again, he added, "All of them."
Izuku nodded eagerly and hopped up, yanking off his outdoor clothes and tossing them into a pile on an empty chair so he could get started as soon as possible. His eager energy was infectious and Katsuki found himself humming softly as he fried eggs and finished making a couple of simple breakfast sandwiches. He returned to the living room as Izuku was struggling up the stairs with the last box. Katsuki ate with Izuku snuggled up to his side and happily chattering away between bites. When they both finished, Izuku set immediately to decorating the tree but it soon became obvious that there was going to be a major problem.
He wouldn't be able to reach the top.
Katsuki noticed but sat on it like a prized secret, a little smile tugging at his lips as he watched Izuku get closer and closer. As Izuku decorated higher, he strained more and more on his tip-toes, barely getting the last few ornaments in their place. Finally there was only one item left, a limited edition All Might Merriest of Christmas Star Deluxe. Despite it's showy name, it was actually pretty simple. Two gold stars sandwiched the hidden light so that it gave off a soft, all around glow. In the center was a smaller red star covered in glitter. Izuku removed it carefully from its box and approached the tree. Katsuki bit the corner of his bottom lip, trying not to crack. He watched Izuku circle the tree slowly and reach up a time or two before resorting to little hops. It was the hopping that broke him.
Izuku whirled around as Katsuki burst into laughter, green eyes narrowed in annoyance. Katsuki bent over the arm folded across his stomach as he laughed even harder. "Ho-how can you… Haaah-- you can figure out a villan's fuckin' favorite food just by lookin' but you can't tell that is too high, eh, Deku? Come on! Is that same fluff inside your head too?"
Izuku stomped a foot at him, his bottom lip pushing out into a pout. "Well, you coulda offered to help instead of laughing!"
"And miss the show? No way." Katsuki chuckled a little more, wiping at the corner of his eye.
"Kacchan!"
"I'm coming, stop ya fussing." Still smiling, Katsuki pushed himself up off the couch and took a moment to lean down and catch a quick kiss on Izuku's pout. "Turn around."
"What?" Izuku's green brows drew together in confusion. He glanced behind himself. "Why?"
Katsuki's eyes rolled and he jerked his chin upwards. "Just do it. Trust me." It was all he needed to say to get Izuku's immediate obedience. With a shrug, he turned his back to Katsuki, the star still in his hands. Bending his knees, Katsuki leaned down and reached up to grab Izuku around his upper thighs. He stood, using the momentum to easily lift Izuku up onto his shoulder. Izuku gave a little shout of surprise, followed by a softly muttered, "Ahh, Kacchan is so strong."
Katsuki took a few steps towards the Beast Tree, grunting as little needles poked at his skin. They were sharper than he'd expected.
"Am I too heavy," Izuku asked worriedly, frozen with his arms stretched half out, the star abruptly forgotten.
Katsuki laughed. "No, silly. And don't drop that."
"O-oh!" Izuku snapped back to attention, grinning sheepishly as he finished placing the star on the very tip of the tree. He took a few seconds to adjust it, wanting it just perfect before he gave a nod. "Okay, done!"
Katsuki guided him down, letting Izuku slide down his front but locked his arms around his waist as he settled back on the ground. He lowered his face into Izuku's thick hair, inhaling deep enough that Izuku giggled softly and began to squirm in his grip.
"Kaaaa-acchan!"
"What? I can't enjoy my boyfriend on Christmas Eve? Even though he totally owes me for sneaking out this morning?"
"I kissed you bye! You snarled at me."
Katsuki laughed. "Oops."
Izuku relaxed back against him, reaching up to hook his hands around Katsuki's neck. "So? Do you like it?"
Katsuki didn't answer right away. He was too busy admiring the way the soft golden light of the tree twinkled in Izuku's eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
~Fin