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For the first time since they were teenagers, Katsuki stared at Izuku’s outstretched hand and hesitated.
“Kacchan,” Izuku whined, wiggling his fingers impatiently. “You promised!”
Katsuki tightened his fist, metal keys biting into his palm. True, he did promise to teach Izuku how to drive. But promises made when tangled in disheveled sheets under the soft glow of the morning light shouldn’t count. He couldn’t have refused Izuku anything when he was sprawled out on their bed like that, looking up at Katsuki with his stupidly big, soft eyes.
And maybe it was the effects of where they were and what they had just been doing, but when Izuku asked for driving lessons, Katsuki’s mind had exploded with images of Izuku in the driver’s seat of his car. One scarred hand wrapped around the steering wheel, the other resting high on Katsuki’s thigh. City lights flashed through the windows as Izuku effortlessly navigated through the streets, barely distracted as Katsuki leaned across the center console…
Of course Katsuki had immediately agreed.
But now the time had come to hand over the keys, to allow Izuku to have complete control of his car. Katsuki’s gaze flicked behind Izuku, where said car sat, sleek and shining in the early sunlight. His very expensive, pristine car. Even after almost a year, there wasn’t a scratch on his baby. Not a single imperfection. Katsuki would really like to keep it that way.
“Don’t you trust me?” Katsuki looked back at Izuku, who was pouting, eyes wide.
Katsuki knew that Izuku knew that nine times out of ten, that look would have him folding instantly. But not today. Katsuki had to be stronger than those damn puppy eyes, for the sake of his car.
“With my life, yeah, of course,” Katsuki was quick to reply. There was no question about that. They were the Wonder Duo, a hero pair that had quickly risen in the hero rankings with their unmatched teamwork and efficiency. They read each other so well that they barely needed to speak to each other in battle. When teaming up with other heroes, Katsuki had to constantly be reminded to use his comms. Not everyone could read minds like he and Izuku, the extras liked to tease.
At Katsuki’s response, Izuku’s eyes brightened. He held up his hand higher, expectant.
“With my car, hell no,” Katsuki continued.
Izuku dropped his hand, groaning. “Kacchan! Why?”
Katsuki huffed and crossed his arms. If he purposely flexed a bit, knowing Izuku’s weakness for his pecs, no one was around to call him on it.
(It wasn’t a sufficient distraction this time anyway. He knew that Izuku knew that Katsuki knew that nine times out of ten, his pecs could end any disagreement, redirecting Izuku’s attention and desires…elsewhere. Today, Izuku apparently knew to keep his glare firmly fixed no lower than Katsuki’s eyes.)
“You’ve never driven,” Katsuki said.
“Yes, which is why you’re giving me lessons…?” Izuku frowned.
Fair point. Katsuki would give Izuku the best damn driving lessons ever. But before Izuku became a master driver under Katsuki’s amazing tutelage, he would start off…not so great. Katsuki knew it. Izuku might be determined, and definitely focused when it came to academics and heroics, but Katsuki had seen the bruises in the locker room when Izuku was mastering a new quirk. There was always a stage of trial and error. And this time, his car would take the damage.
Not to mention—
“Driving requires a lot of focus, Izuku,” Katsuki said slowly. He took a breath. Then, in a rush, “I’m just concerned that you might get distracted and hurt my car.”
Izuku’s eyes narrowed. Katsuki’s heart pounded. Visions of Izuku seducing Katsuki from the driver’s seat of Katsuki’s own car were replaced with images of Izuku’s back—the only thing Katsuki would be seeing when he was exiled to the far side of the bed for his comments. He rushed to explain, trying to get Izuku to understand.
“I’ve heard your mumbling when I take you for a drive. You analyze every hero billboard and advertisement we pass down to the last detail. Text, images, everything! You won’t be able to do that when you’re the driver. You’ll barely be able to read them!”
What the hell had Katsuki been thinking when he agreed to this? That smutty dream of his was just that: a dream. Izuku could never be undistracted behind the wheel of a car. It was adorable how he had to analyze and examine anything that caught his attention, but picturing Izuku trying to absorb the world with his usual level of detail while operating a two-ton machine, and veering off the road and crashing, had Katsuki shuddering.
Izuku was staring at him flatly. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I know driving is different than being a passenger. And I think I’ve proven I can focus and multitask. I mastered using seven quirks, after all.” He perked up. “One of which used a gear shift!”
“An imaginary gear shift,” Katsuki corrected.
Izuku frowned. “Okay, but this is why I asked you to teach me!”
His voice was filled with confusion, and Katsuki didn’t blame him. He had promised to teach Izuku how to drive, had brought them out to this open lot in the middle of nowhere early in the morning to make sure there would be no other people around, and now he was refusing to let Izuku have the keys.
But it might be worth Izuku’s confusion, Izuku’s frustration and anger, as long as it meant keeping his car—and Izuku—safe.
“Maybe we could borrow someone else’s car,” Katsuki suggested. “We could come back next time we’re off?”
“Kacchan, we’re already here. We both have off today.” Izuku put his hands on his hips. “And you don’t trust me with your car, but you’re fine putting our friends’ cars at risk?”
Katsuki tilted his head. “I mean…yeah? Half-and-Half and Four-Eyes bought their cars years ago, when they should have been contributing to your suit. Their cars are old and probably already damaged.”
And maybe Katsuki was still just a little bitter towards his classmates. If their cars weren’t damaged yet, they deserved to be. Izuku could have been out there, rising in the ranks beside him much sooner if everyone had had their priorities straight. All his money had gone towards the suit and basic necessities. This car was the first big purchase he had made after Izuku was back by his side.
…He might be a bit overprotective of it.
Izuku’s eyes had softened slightly at the mention of his suit, but before he could speak, Katsuki tried a different approach. “Is the suit’s flight function not sufficient? I can get Mei to—”
“No, Kacchan, the suit is great,” Izuku cut him off. “For hero work. I don’t want to use it as transportation. Like I said, I want to learn how to drive, like you and our friends! I love being driven around by you, but sometimes… I want to drive you around too.”
Katsuki’s thoughts stuttered to halt as he felt himself flush. Izuku wanted to drive him around, just like he’d imagined? Did Izuku also imagine glancing over at Katsuki at a stoplight, eyes dark? Reaching over with one hand and tugging Katsuki into a messy, quick, deep kiss before the light changed? Catching Katsuki’s hands as he pulled away, directing them low, lower, as Izuku smoothly accelerated through the intersection… Before he could rethink, before he could say anything, Izuku sighed.
“Of course, if you’re really not comfortable with me driving your car right now, I can understand. I’m not going to force you.” Izuku turned to make his way to the passenger side of the car.
“Izuku, I—” Oh. Katsuki cut himself off as he processed what Izuku just said. He had agreed?
Katsuki’s shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. His car was safe. The images of Izuku behind the wheel of Katsuki’s car were slipping away, but that was okay. Izuku looked just as good in Katsuki’s passenger seat, the plush leather hugging his relaxed body as he quietly read every sign and billboard they passed, trusting Katsuki to watch the road and deliver him safely where they were heading.
And honestly, everything Katsuki had imagined them doing could easily be done with Izuku as a passenger…
Then Izuku opened his mouth again.
“You know, Rody wanted me to visit him this summer. Instead of going through the trouble of borrowing someone else’s car—and really, just teaching me to drive seems to be stressing you out—I could see if he’d teach me instead. He’s been wanting to get me in his cockpit since he got his pilot’s license. I’m sure he’d be a great driving instructor. I know he has access to a few vehicles we could practice with, ones he wouldn’t mind getting scratched up if I get distracted.”
Katsuki froze as Izuku slid into the car. Images flashed through his mind, imagination filling in the pieces Izuku had left out of mission debriefs from their time abroad years ago. Katsuki didn’t like to think about the days Izuku spent on the run with Rody Soul, the two of them alone, isolated, out of contact with everyone for days. Anything could have happened. Rody fucking Soul wrapping Izuku’s bare chest with bandages in the light of an intimate campfire, fingers lingering over scarred skin. Rody fucking Soul leaning close to Izuku over the console of their stolen van, whispering stupid sweet nothings in his ear, the two of them giggling. Rody fucking Soul hugging Izuku at the airport, tears in his stupid quirk bird’s eyes.
That last one Katsuki witnessed himself. No matter what else had actually happened, that homewrecker would definitely enjoy another chance to get way too close to Izuku in a small car on Otheon’s open country roads.
No way in hell was Katsuki letting that happen.
“Get out,” he barked, stomping over to rip open Izuku’s door. “I’m teaching you how to drive, right here, right now.”
Izuku looked up at Katsuki, eyes wide. “Oh, but are you sure, Kacchan? I’m sure Rody wouldn’t mind—”
“I can teach you way better than that loser.” Katsuki tossed Izuku the keys. Izuku caught them with ease, a wide grin growing on his face.
Katsuki silently apologized to his car as he slid into the passenger seat, but he was starting to feel that a scratch or two might definitely be worth it. He wouldn’t want to give this view to anyone else, especially not Rody: Izuku lowering himself into the driver’s seat of Katsuki’s car, confidently adjusting the mirrors, buckling his seatbelt… How could Izuku make such mundane tasks look so hot? Katsuki sank deeper into his seat, swallowing tightly as he watched Izuku’s hands smooth over the steering wheel once, twice, before settling in at the proper 9 and 3 positions.
Both of Izuku’s hands would have to stay on the wheel for now. It would take time and experience until Izuku was skilled enough to hold Katsuki’s hand while driving, to reach over and rest a hand on his thigh. But damn—
(Izuku glanced over at Katsuki with glittering eyes and a bright smile. Katsuki’s stomach swooped and he smiled back. He straightened in his seat, ready to give his cute nerd the best driving lesson anyone had ever given.)
—if this image wasn’t just as good as Katsuki had pictured. He wasn’t sharing it with anyone.