Work Text:
The fifth winter after the war had ended, was also the winter that Izuku was coming home from college, with a shining new teaching degree under his belt.
It had been two and a half years on a fast track course and a year of interning and he’d graduated a semester early, due to his own diligence and aptitude for the material…And even, if anyone cared to admit, perhaps a bit because of his reputation.
It was the middle of December in a cold snap, that Izuku was scheduled to make it back home.
The winter had been cold, a wet year, but Great Explosion Murder God DynaMight hadn’t slowed down, either.
Taking shifts anywhere he could, but doubling down on reaching out to merch brands, accepting more deals than ever before. Winter slowed his Quirk down, so wherever his field work was lacking, Katsuki made up the difference by agreeing to all of the sponsorships and merchlines he could stomach being a part of.
He was years deep into the Replica Suit project by now and couldn’t afford slow times or lean paychecks.
He was spending more time in Edgeshot’s building, especially as the snow came down heavily, on standby and keeping himself warmed up in the gym until something would come over his pager.
And occasionally, Kirishima would keep him company, breezing through sets on the deadlift station nearby Katsuki, who was sitting on a bench between his own sets. Deep workout days like today allowed him the chance to absorb his sweat for storage, which was a help when the weather was not nearly warm enough to facilitate high sweat production out in the field. Tubes were tapped into his bracers, wicking his sweat into his gauntlets between Katsuki’s feet on the floor.
He meanwhile scrolled his e-mails to sort out which merch brands he wanted to look into.
He growled, finding an e-mail from his mother, bluntly worded and suggesting a modeling gig she had a connection to through her company that could pay him pretty well for a single shoot…so long as he signed with the clothing brand for a year long contract of advertisements.
Kirishima whistled as Katsuki read the proposed number out loud.
“Man, that sounds like a good deal,” Kirishima encouraged, huffing as he easily lifted the massive amount of weight on his bar. “You aren’t gonna turn it down just cause she’s your mom, are you??”
“She’s always sending me this crap, it’s always modeling. I ain’t a fuckin’ model.” Katsuki groused, flipping the e-mail into the read folder, but marking it for later nonetheless. “I’m a Pro Hero, not a damn show pony.”
Kirishima frowned. “You’ve modeled plenty of times! And you say you aren’t a model, but you’re actually really good at it,” Kirishima winked over at him. Katsuki waved away the compliment.
“That was all for my own merch, the hag and this company want me in their shit, not mine.”
“Still, though, you take a damn good photograph, when you’re not glaring at the photographer and cussing out the director.” Kirishima laughed, and Katsuki growled, rolling his eyes.
“That was one fucking time and that prick was full of himself!” Katsuki pointed a finger at his companion, still gloved and attached to his gauntlet.
“You’re so charming,” Kirishima teased, voice hardly strained as he pulled another deadlift. Katsuki could have thrown his phone at the redhead, but instead, clicked out of his e-mails, reviewing his texts.
“If you heard how he was talking to his regular models while he was kissing my ass just for being there, you’d have called that bastard out, too.” Katsuki muttered with disgust.
Kirishima shot a proud smile Katsuki’s way, but said nothing, continuing with his lifts. After his one hundredth, he finally let the weights settle on the floor with a deep, satisfied sigh.
By then, Katsuki was ready for a spotter. He put away the texts he had been reviewing, a ghost of a smile on his face as he disconnected his gear and got into position.
Halfway through Katsuki’s set on the bench, Katsuki brought up Izuku.
“Izuku’s done with school, says he’s gonna be moving back soon,” Katsuki grunted, pushing the bar above his chest, sweat starting to bead on his skin.
Kirishima lit up, leaning over Katsuki all too eagerly. “That’s great! Any word where he’s gonna be living? Does he need help moving??”
“Dunno.” Katuski grunted behind another push. “I’ll see him in a bit, though. He’s visiting today…We’re getting coffee.”
Katsuki grit his teeth through another lift, trying to ignore how Kirishima bounced at this news.
“You know, I have a crazy idea,” Kirishima replied far too quickly. Katsuki looked at him with suspicion. Kirishima had been thinking, clearly, and that usually meant pushing Katsuki into something…
“The Hell are you talking about?” Katsuki grunted under the weight. Kirishima beamed down at him, looking a little too excited.
“I think you should ask him to move in together!” Kirishima suggested.
Katsuki huffed out a breath, pausing with the weight fully extended above him.
“The fuck do you know about it?” Katsuki’s voice belted out a little stronger than usual, and Kirishima held out his hands in defense, an easy grin on his face.
“It’s not like you haven’t thought about it, I know you’ve been looking at bigger places. You think I don’t see over your shoulder, but…” Kirishima suggested. “Who else would you be looking to split a new apartment with at this point, especially when you’re saving all of your money? Definitely not me and the guys, you always said you couldn’t stand the idea of living with all of us at one time.”
Katsuki did his level best to not rush his set in defiance of Kirishima’s ability to clock him from a mile away, and breathed in rhythm with his steady lifts. Keeping himself strictly adhered to his rhythm.
“Okay–maybe I’ve thought about it–but you need to stay – outta my business,” Katsuki growled between his last pushes, and Kirishima helped him guide the bar back onto the brackets at the end. Breathing heavily from the weight of the workout, Katsuki glared up at Kirishima, who was unintimidated.
“Look, Kats, I’m not trying to meddle, I swear! All I’m saying is that I think you should go for it!” Kirishima knocked a friendly fist against Katsuki’s bicep, the muscle twitching slightly from all the activity. Kirishima circled back around to the other side of the bench as Katsuki pulled himself up into a sitting position. “You gotta admit, it’s kinda great timing, he’s moving back, you wanna reconnect with him, explore this, feeling that you have for him…” Katsuki’s warning was a low grumble, and Kirishima shrugged through it.
“…What better way than to become room mates??”
Katsuki’s crimson eyes met with Kirishima’s vibrant red, non plussed as he put out a lip. His posture was rigid as he crossed his arms.
“You don’t need to convince me, Ei. You’re the one who’s been spying on me. You know I was already going to…” Katsuki glared off, hating that he was so damn easy to read, and ran a hand down his face in frustration. “So what about it? I know all that already, got anything else to say??”
Kirishima shook his head with a toothy smile.
“Nothing, other than, ‘I hope he says yes.’” He cheerily replied.
“Tch.” Katsuki huffed in response. He didn’t admit it out loud, but he agreed.
….
Katsuki held the collar of his coat tight around his neck to ward off the cold and moisture as he walked down the plowed sidewalk, crimson eyes peering out into the bright white of the snowy city. He felt a shiver run through him, and thanked his stars that he didn’t have to be working in this kind of freezing cold weather. Getting a sweat going in this, would have been damn near impossible.
He was starting to entertain the thought of Izuku’s suggestion from a while back of built-in heating elements in the winter version of his costume. Maybe the nerd was on to something, there. If it meant he didn’t have to rely on his storage and support gear quite as much…
Izuku had mentioned that Froppy had something similar built into her winter outfits, so maybe… Maybe he’d look into it later.
He found Izuku outside the local cafe they had agreed on, and his mind pulled back to the present.
There he was, fat flakes of snow falling around him, freckled cheek rosy and pointed to the sky, innocently looking up into the falling snow. Puffs of breath curled out from behind a shockingly vibrant scarf of red, blue and yellow…his usual All Might scarf. His puffer coat was thick and long, concealing him underneath its soft, shapeless form. For once, the nerd had put away his casual red high tops for more suitable snow boots– They clearly had Shouto Todoroki’s brand on them, with glowing blue accents tracing their shape. Meanwhile, DynaMight’s orange X emblazoned the matching beanie and mittens set that he wore.
Katsuki hadn’t seen him in months, and he now felt every minute of it now pulling him forward towards his rival, his best friend.
Green eyes slid towards Katsuki as Izuku heard the scuffs of Katsuki's boots across the wet and slightly icy pavement, and his face immediately lit up.
“Kacchan!” He exclaimed, and he hurried across the sidewalk in front of the cafe’s window to meet him.
Katsuki was bundled up, a long black coat with orange accents very subtly echoing his current Hero outfit, and blonde hair concealed by a thick beanie, except for a few spikes of his bangs. His own breath filtered out of a black fabric mask that further hid his identity away, but Izuku recognized him on sight.
Conveniently, the mask was also hiding a broad smile on Katsuki’s face.
Katsuki let out an amused laugh as Izuku threw himself into his arms, and he returned the snug embrace, arms tight around Izuku’s waist and lifting him just slightly off the ground. Even with the several layers of winter gear separating them, it was so good, so warm to feel Izuku again. The winter was wet and cold and an obstacle to his Quirk, and therefore an overall annoyance… but nothing compared to holding a warm Izuku in the cold, snow falling quietly all around them, their breath mingling in the air.
Izuku pulled away with mittened hands still on Katsuki’s arms as crimson eyes seemed to smile down at him. The facemask hid the worst of it, a broad, indulgent smile.
“Sorry, it’s just so good to see you!” Izuku beamed. Katsuki noticed there was already a watery shine to Izuku’s eyes, a wobble to his smile. “I can’t believe it’s been so long!!”
“You forget about me or something, nerd??” Katsuki teased, his own gloved hand upsetting that DynaMight brand hat on Izuku’s head.
“No, never!” Izuku sighed, so happily. They turned, together, and headed for the door to the cafe, eager to get out of the cold. “That last semester was really busy, I’ve been running around for internships and finals, guest speaking, finishing my Thesis…”
“It was a great experience but I’m excited to move on from it!” Izuku sighed, the heaviness of his schooling having finally lifted. And Katsuki believed it, sensing Izuku’s shoulders relaxing, a weight being lifted off of them.
The bell above their head dinged cheerfully, and a worker behind the counter greeted them as they went into the cafe at last.
“And now you’re a real teacher, in charge of all the little brats who are our future heroes,” Katsuki puffed up proudly, crimson eyes tracing over every line of Izuku being next to him again, watching green curls dance with static as Izuku removed his hat and stuffed it in his pocket while they were inside. There were still tiny droplets of water where snow flakes had melted on his flushed cheeks.
“Well, as soon as the spring hits, yes!” Izuku nodded eagerly. Briefly giving his order to the barista and waiting for Katsuki to do the same, Izuku continued, “Over the next few months I have to come up with my first lesson plans, work with Principal Nezu and Aizawa-sensei to get my curriculum approved, get my own space set up in the office…There’s still so much to do,” he breathed with slight trepidation…but a sparkle of determination in his green eyes.
Katsuki nodded, laughing just slightly at how he still referred to their former teacher in the honorific ‘sensei’, when technically, they were about to be on equal footing.
They received their drinks and settled in, coats draped on the backs of their chairs, only a small table dividing them. Izuku finally removed his scarf as well, keeping it folded in his lap. Katsuki did the same with his hat and mask, no longer concerned with being recognized in the quiet, nearly empty cafe.
“Sorry again that I couldn’t make it to your graduation,” Katsuki sighed, minutes into their drinks and their catching up, once Izuku’s story had reached the point of his graduation, the culmination of his long time away from Musutafu.
Katsuki had planned on making the trip out to see Izuku graduate, but an emergency call that day had assured that it didn’t happen.
He’d gotten caught up in the rise of some villain, twisting the freezing water of the bay into an almost endless source of fuel for his aggressive ice Quirk and trying to take over the city. It had turned into an hours-long struggle to neutralize the guy, a war of contrition. His blasts that tore down swaths of the villain’s ice were only matched with more and more of ice, encroaching on the evacuated section of the city that Katsuki had worked to defend, coating everything in ice thicker than the worst sleet storm …until Shouto could finally arrive from a different mission on the other side of Tokyo and match the villain’s ice with his own, and subdue it with his fire.
“Still, you were amazing–When Shouto showed up, you were able to get in close, find the villain and land that knock-out explosion on him! Not only that, but your Cluster explosions reduced all of the debris of the destroyed ice almost to powder!” Izuku marveled once again over Katsuki’s victory–He had done so already over text, when he had first watched the bystander footage after his graduation that day.
“That was my favorite part, Kacchan, it was such an excellent move to prevent further damage, and it just… looked like it was snowing! Lots of people were really impressed by the power and the beauty of it!” Izuku looked as if the whole thing had mesmerized him, the most, eyes glittering and hands gesticulating as they usually did on his nerdy rambling about Quirks.
Katsuki’s chest swelled with pride, a pleased grin on his face, but with eyes softened so much for Izuku…
Of course, Izuku would have noticed that purposeful detail about his Cluster move when it seemed that everyone else was more interested in the spectacle.
But still, of course there would have been a stupid emergency the day that Izuku was receiving his degree. Katsuki was still pissed off about it, and the media hadn’t missed how the punches he threw that day were particularly aggressive, his attitude more sour than usual as they tried to catch him for soundbites during the clean up.
Ironically, he same media also ran a small, feel-good story about Izuku’s graduation into the world of teaching at his prestigious alma mater, but they couldn’t begin to connect the dots between Katsuki’s mood and the graduation ceremony he was missing due to the villain attack.
“The Hag and old man made it, didn’t they?”
“Yes! They came with my mom and All Might, and I missed you, of course, but I’m happy they were there!” Izuku smiled, not seeming too upset.
“Good,” Katsuki said, sipping his drink. “I told them they better be there for you when I can’t be.”
“Kacchan,” Izuku looked at him fondly.
For a moment there was quiet between them, and Katsuki shifted forward in his seat, clearing his throat, before Izuku could suddenly grab his attention first.
“Oh, Kacchan! You want to come with me somewhere? I want to show you something!” Izuku asked him excitedly, scarred hands curled around his warm cup. Katsuki’s mind went blank at the sight of Izuku’s bright green eyes, and he supposed he could entertain the nerd before getting into this whole discussion about apartments.
He followed Izuku out of the cafe, the both of them bundled back up, coffee drinks still in hand and steaming in the cold.
After a short walk, Katsuki looked up at a building, and watched as Izuku produced a key from his pockets. Unexpectedly, he followed Izuku into the building, a passcode quickly tapped into the key pad by the door. Izuku didn’t stop, he went to the elevator, and seemed to be grinning with excitement as they rode up 9 floors.
Katsuki followed Izuku up to a door that he didn't hesitate to unlock with the key in his hand.
He was beginning to sense where this was going, and while he was hiding the sudden spike of disappointment with a placid look, it didn't escape him that Izuku was bouncing on his feet as he turned to look at Katsuki before turning the handle. With an eager bite to his lip, Izuku gave him one last lingering look to see Katsuki's reaction as he pushed through the door at last, beckoning Katsuki inside with him.
Katsuki stepped inside, finding an empty expanse of an apartment, a studio style floorplan. The floors were gleaming hardwood, reflecting the bright winter light from outside the windows. A modest kitchen, not nearly big enough for his own standards, but for Izuku, it wasn't bad. Built-in cabinets in an area that had to be designed for a bedroom area sectioned the space with a partial wall, and there was a separate room for the bathroom and shower...complete with in-unit laundry, according to Izuku.
It...really wasn't bad.
Crimson eyes roamed around the place and landed back on Izuku, who was centered in the room, smiling around at the architecture, admiring the mock-exposed beams in the ceiling, and then back to Katsuki. A big smile spread across his face, and Katsuki realized he was staring at the nerd, seeing him fitting into the space, arms held out in presentation.
"What do you think??" Izuku grinned, his excitement earnest and brimming.
Katsuki blinked at him.
"This is..."
"Isn't it great? I can't wait to move in..." Izuku beamed, and it truly settled in on Katsuki what this was.
"Wait...is this...yours?"
"Once the paperwork goes through, yes!" Izuku nodded, shrugging out of his coat in the warm apartment, hanging it off of the built in hooks by the door. "Kacchan, my own place, can you believe it??"
Katsuki smiled a wobbly smile, and looked around the place again, now with context...and felt a fond ache in his chest.
"I...didnt know you'd already gotten a place," Katsuki remarked, taking some steps around the great room. His eyes were now carefully inspecting...judging the space, the quality of the floor, the walls, eyeing everything to make sure there were no wires, no stains, no evidence of pests, that the paint hadn't been piled on like the landlord was trying to hide something...
If this was Izuku's apartment, he would rip apart any flaws, figuratively annihilate them on sight.
Surprisingly, the place seemed pretty solid, for its age.
"Yeah, mom's helping me with the first month, but my salary will start as soon as I'm officially on the UA payroll. A few weeks, give or take, according to Nezu!" He added cheerfully. Then his face lit up with a gasp. "Let’s see, there’s a gym in the basement open to all residents, and…Oh!! You can't really see it right now, because it's all snowy, but there's a rooftop garden and veranda upstairs! They remodeled it after the war to provide more community for the residents of the building..."
Katsuki looked around silently, imagining Izuku seeping into the walls of the place. Katsuki nodded slowly, envisioning Izuku walking around the place in his baggy pajamas, relishing the space after a hard day's work, filling it with more nerdy memorabilia, covering the walls in limited edition All Might posters...even now, Izuku was plotting where he was going to put a couch, before wondering out loud where he was going to get one.
"You really like it, huh?" Katsuki smiled, leaning against the window sill and looking back at Izuku.
"I do! What do you think, Kacchan??" Izuku asked, returning to his side. Katsuki was bathed in bright white, thick flakes of snow pouring outside behind him. A sight to behold, as Izuku looked up at him with bright eyes.
Katsuki hesitated, breath hitching in his chest. His eyes darted back around the apartment one more time. He couldn't see any exposed wires, no haunting remnants of messes made by previous tenants, no Landlord's Specials to be seen...The kitchen was functional, the bathroom clean, appliances updated...
Try as he might, Katsuki couldn't find anything that he had a right to complain about.
And besides that, he couldn't deny how happy Izuku looked. How excited he was. Katsuki couldn't fight how that made him feel incredibly protective of that happiness. It filled his chest with something that he was only just starting to fathom, warm, and blooming, like a flower unfurling. Something beautiful, that he wanted to nurture.
Not only was Izuku visibly happy about his milestone, but Katsuki realized it was a good first step for Izuku to strike out on his own; until now he had only known dorm life outside his mother's house. Shared spaces, communal facilities. It would be a good experience for him, as it had been for Katsuki, to have his own space, to learn about himself.
It was a clean slate, a new space for Izuku to make his own, and figure out how he would go about that newfound independence. And wasn't that always what Katsuki wanted...for Izuku to choose himself?
"Guess it'll do," Katsuki shrugged, trying nonchalance. But he had to have been grinning, eyes flashing at Izuku. He remembered how exhilarating it was for him, when he had moved into his first place.
There was always the future, and until that time, Izuku emphasized how close the apartment was to Katsuki's. Central, in fact, to all of his beloved places; his childhood home, UA, where he would soon be teaching, and Katsuki’s own apartment. Katsuki couldn’t deny that was a major plus.
Together with Kirishima, Sero, and Kaminari, Katsuki helped Izuku move in within the week, and even accompanied him to find new furniture...Katsuki had convinced the guys to pool their money together to get Izuku a nice couch, one that he was too modest to admit to wanting, demanding over Izuku's objections that it was a housewarming gift from the group.
By Christmas Eve that year, Izuku was fully moved in. Fully furnished, with some modest items and that nice couch, and a small tree with all of the dressings that Inko had insisted on buying for him.
Colorful lights twinkled in the dimmed apartment as Inko, Masaru and Mitsuki sipped champagne around the dinner table, jovial and quickly losing track of the time as the evening wore on. Some old Christmas movies from America were playing on the TV, though no one was truly paying attention to them. Their parents laughed loudly in the dining area, and Katsuki, tired from a long couple of days of holiday overtime, curled into the couch next to Izuku even more.
"Kacchan, if you want, you can stay over tonight...you seem really tired."
His voice was close...and quiet. Katsuki blinked and realized he'd tipped his head against Izuku's shoulder, dozing off. Shit, how'd he let that happen?
"'S not a big deal," Katsuki shrugged, and pulled himself away, arms crossing defiantly. "I can manage."
Izuku pouted at him, leaning after him on the couch. "I can't believe you really took a shift on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Why?"
Katsuki tightened up. "No one else wanted to work, duh. It was easy to pick up a couple of shifts."
"That's not--Kacchan, that doesn't explain anything!" Izuku persisted. "Why work the whole holiday? You're working too hard!"
"So what? Maybe I'm saving my money, and ain't that none of your business?" Katsuki bristled, hoping that would be enough. Every once in a while, Izuku was too clever, and started sniffing dangerously close to Katsuki's secret, 1-A’s secret.
"A new apartment?" Izuku asked curiously, leaning towards Katsuki. Katsuki's gaze snapped back to him. "I uh-- It's just that, Kirishima mentioned you had been looking."
"Is that so?" Katsuki muttered, something feral pulling at his lips in a dangerous smile. He'd address that with the meddlesome redhead, later. But for right now, if it kept Izuku off his trail... "Fine, yeah, it's something I was looking into. Not sure if it'll pan out though, nothing's really catching my eye." He said, giving himself a bit of wiggle room for when he didn't turn up in a new apartment within the next few months. He had no more plans of leaving his current contract until the suit was finished and his money was fluid again.
And he knew that was still a few years out.
The only reason he had been looking, in the first place, with Kirishima apparently spying over his shoulder the whole time, had been the idea of moving in somewhere with Izuku, and splitting the rent and bills together. But fate, and the very eager nerd, had had other plans.
He didn't mind, in the end, and Izuku's apartment had taken so much shape, it was honestly beginning to grow on him. The two of them were closer to each other now, anyway...he was already seeing more of Izuku in one week than he had in the previous several months....and there, he had no complaints.
Izuku kept his eyes on him, and they were assessing.
"Quit staring, nerd," Katsuki escaped to his feet, heading to the fridge and coming back quickly with two glasses and a fresh bottle of Champagne. How many had his parents even brought over, anyway?
He opened the thing with a pop that briefly drew a little cheer from Mitsuki across the room(to which Katsuki yelled “Keep it down!!” in offense) and a subsequent hiccup and giggle from Inko Midoriya.
Back to the couch, Katsuki smirked down at Izuku, shoulders square and challenging.
"Fine, just so happens, I’ve decided I'm having a drink anyway– so if you're offering, I'll stay over." The hand that gripped the bottle hard by the neck pointed at Izuku's face, so close that Izuku's eyes practically crossed. "But if you think you're gonna try to pry into my shit, or try to convince me I'm working too hard when I’m the best damn hero out there and that’s just what I do, you've got another damn thing coming, Izuku." Bubbles fizzed as he poured out two glasses carefully on the coffee table, with perfect form and smooth movements, that Izuku vacantly admired that Katsuki could be a bar tender for sure.
He thrust a chilled glass at Izuku, and with a wry smile, Izuku took it, cradling it gently and waiting for Katsuki to grab his own and retake his seat.
"Alright, Kacchan, I won't pry," Izuku sighed dramatically. He reached out with his glass and there was a sharp little ting as he tapped Katsuki's glass with his own.
"Merry Christmas, Kacchan." Izuku cheered warmly, and Katsuki basked in the vision of Izuku smiling at him with multicolored lights from his nearby Christmas tree reflecting off of green...Green eyes, green hair, that green knit sweater that looked so damn soft that he wanted to touch it.
Wait, had he been touching it earlier, when he had almost fallen asleep on Izuku’s shoulder? He suddenly wished he had been paying more attention...
"Yeah. You too, ya damn, nosy nerd." They both took a long sip of their champagne, the tang and the bubbles teasing their mouths. Crimson eyes, doused in the same array of colors, and a tired, but happy haze, beheld Izuku fondly, the young man sitting comfortably in his brand new couch, sipping his drink so smoothly, and he couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of adoration. That bloom in his chest.
Katsuki smiled in earnest, catching those wide green eyes, and for the first time since Izuku had moved back to Musutafu, slung his arm over Izuku’s shoulders as they sat side by side on the couch, leaned against the back, sappy Christmas music and cheesy dialogue filtering to their ears from the speakers of the TV.
"Welcome home, Izuku."