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Katsuki pushes into the 2A dorm after just getting back from his physical therapy. His right arm is in a sling to prevent him agitating the overworked muscles, the training he had done that day being more extensive than what he was used to. But if he plans to still become the number one hero, he has to put the work in to gain full use of his arm back.
The common room is quiet at this time of day, most students having resigned themselves to their rooms to study or for more privacy. The war had been tough on a lot of people, and everyone had become closer as a result. Everybody hung out with everyone, whether in their rooms or the common area or the training rooms.
Katsuki was still a little more reluctant to reach out to anyone, but he did find himself hanging out in Kirishima’s room quite often for movie nights with the Bakusquad (not his doing, fucking Pinky). A majority of the time he kept to himself, unless the nightmares got bad.
There was only one person he turned to when that happened.
He trudged his way into the kitchen, hoping he wouldn’t have to throw something together. He had gotten a lot better, but his right hand was still mostly useless. Cooking had been a challenge, but most of the time he resigned himself to getting some extra hands in the kitchen when it was his turn to cook dinner.
Opening the fridge, he saw a lot of ingredients, something he had started enforcing when they first moved into the dorms. But what puzzled him was the tin covered bowl off to the side of the fridge, with a sticky note.
Kacchan I saved you some! I know you like this :)
He pulls the bowl out, still slightly warm, before shutting the fridge door with his hip. Moving to the counter and removing the tin revealed a freshly prepared bowl of mapo tofu. The slightest bit of steam escaping proved the bowl was recently put in the fridge, the tofu still stiff and not overly soggy like it would have been if it had been sitting a while.
He didn’t know how Izuku got him a fresh bowl of mapo tofu, especially one that smells like it’s from his favourite restaurant. He doesn’t think more of it when shoving the bowl into the microwave to heat it up more, moving to grab a pair of chopsticks and a glass for some water. It beeps, and he grabs the steaming dish, thankful he has heat resistance in his hands, before grabbing what he can to sit at the counter.
He notices a couple of his classmates hanging around the common room quietly watching a movie, some documentary on the meta era of quirks. He dives into his food silently, enjoying the flavours of his favourite meal. He can’t multitask like he normally would, down to one hand and all, but it is definitely a nice way to end a rough day.
He finishes quickly, moving to put his dishes in the sink, before Shoto walks around the corner. “Did you need help with your dishes?” He asks, bringing in a glass with him.
Pre-war Katsuki would have gotten defensive immediately at the implication that he couldn’t do something on his own, thinking that whoever was offering him assistance thought he was weak.
Post-war Katsuki however knows his limits. He can’t really do dishes one-handed and he knows this. It would just end up in a soapy disaster. Again.
He is not going through that.
“Thanks, Icy-hot,” Katsuki says instead, still his normally grumbly attitude.
Shoto just gives him a small smile, before moving to the sink to clean his dishes. He resigns himself to go up to his room, needing to get away from Shoto being… well Shoto.
He is just his own brand of odd. Katsuki is too tired to deal with him right now.
He hears some laughter coming from Kirishima’s room right next door, probably having a couple of the extras over for whatever reason. Luckily, they aren’t too loud when he does get into his room, slipping off his slippers by his door and moving to his desk. Katsuki resigns himself to studying to pass some of the time before he has to get into bed to keep his schedule.
It’s not more than twenty minutes go by until he hears a knock at his door. He can still hear the extras laughing next door, but maybe one snuck away when they heard him enter his room. He crosses his room quickly, a retort already on his tongue to convince them to leave him alone for the evening.
“Whatever the fuck you guys are doing I don’t wan-” Katsuki cuts off after opening his door.
Izuku is standing in the hall, wide eyed and a little surprised.
Well no duh, Katsuki. You answered your door like a fucking idiot spewing shit meant for someone else.
“Um, Kacchan?”
“Sorry, what d’ya want, nerd?” Katsuki says, leaning his left shoulder against the door frame.
Izuku fiddles with his fingers a bit, looking down to the floor. His nervous habits still get the better of him sometimes around Katsuki, though their relationship has gotten ten times better than what it used to be.
Probably because Katsuki accepted his feelings for him. It changed a lot about how he interacted with Izuku. He was a lot gentler around him now, more open. He is still competitive, they are rivals after all, but ever since he realized how he felt he couldn't find it in himself to be as aggressive with Izuku as he used to be.
“Did you get the mapo tofu in the fridge? Shoto’s sister came by with a bunch of food for everyone, and I know it’s your favourite,” Izuku says, a gentle smile gracing his face.
“I saw. Thanks, I really didn’t want to cook after therapy,” Katsuki says, moving his hand up to rub underneath the strap for his sling. “We went a lot harder than I normally do, but they were worried about my shoulder freezing up.”
“Are you ok? Do you need anything?”
Leave it to Izuku to always jump to the rescue. If Katsuki wasn’t so goddamn fond of him he would blow up his stupid face, but he is already missing freckles from the large scar on his cheek. Katsuki isn’t gonna mess up any other ones.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Gonna ice it tomorrow and hope for the best.”
Izuku smiles before he starts to fiddle with his fingers again.
“Do you wanna come in? I was just studying,” Katsuki asks, a little tentatively.
They hadn’t really properly hung out one on one in a long time, their training of One For All with All Might was the closest they got. But after the war, when either of their nightmares got too bad, they both kept an unspoken rule to keep their doors unlocked for the other in case they needed it. Izuku always needed to check his heart, and Katsuki always needed to grab his arms. Neither would ask questions. A majority of the time, since these would happen in the middle of the night, they would always end up sleeping side by side in each other's dorm rooms. They never talked about it after, just a quick check in in the morning before they went about their normal routines.
“Um, sure,” Izuku says, shuffling into the room. He takes his slippers off by the door, right besides Katsuki’s, before moving to his bed. “Do you wanna watch a movie?”
“Sure nerd. Grab my laptop, pick something good,” Katsuki says, moving to his desk to close his books.
He walks to his closet to grab the extra blanket he keeps in there just for Izuku since he doesn’t sleep with a thick one on his bed. He moves back, Izuku leaned against the wall sideways on his bed, his laptop open in his lap. He throws the blanket over his legs before moving to sit beside him.
“Actually, can you reach the clasp on my sling? I can’t sleep with it on,” Katsuki asks before he fully reclines back.
Izuku wordlessly reaches behind him to grab the clasp, releasing it quickly before moving his hand around his shoulder to bring it around to his chest. Katsuki takes it off the rest of the way, his right arm hanging beside him before he shuffles back to sit next to him.
Izuku shuffles through the movies he's downloaded to his laptop, before he huffs a small laugh. Picking one, the screen loads as he moves the blanket underneath the laptop, throwing the extra bit over Katsuki’s legs. As soon as the opening music plays, Katsuki groans.
“Of course you pick Golden Age All Might, you fucking nerd,” Katsuki laughs, leaning his head back against the wall before turning to Izuku.
Izuku gives a light chuckle before turning to him, “Golden age is my favourite era. And you have the first movie which I haven’t seen in a while.”
Katsuki smiles at him, not mentioning the fact that he may or may not have downloaded all of Izuku’s favourite movies just in case he wanted to watch something in the middle of the night when he would sneak over.
They sit in silence through most of the movie, Izuku either picking at his thumb or the edge of the blanket. Katsuki watches him out of the corner of his eye a majority of the time, watching how the different colours from the movie reflect from his eyes. Izuku shifts around a bit around the halfway mark, moving the laptop between their legs and silently leaning his head onto Katsuki’s shoulder.
Katsuki stiffens the slightest bit before forcing himself to relax. He still isn’t the greatest with physical touch, but Izuku is different. He wants it with Izuku, more than anything. And he will selfishly take whatever he can get.
Nearing the end of the movie, Izuku lets out a big yawn, shuffling to lean more of his weight against Katsuki. Their arms are brushing against each other, their hands mere centimeters apart. Katsuki could flex his fingers and be able to touch Izuku’s scarred hand.
“I’m really glad you’re ok, Kacchan,” Izuku mumbles, his voice soft. Katsuki almost missed it from how quiet he said it, maybe not meaning for him to hear it.
“Not going anywhere, Izuku. Gotta be the number one hero after all, huh?”
Izuku goes quiet at that, not saying anything. He moves to sit up, which makes Katsuki panic thinking he said the wrong thing, before he gets a good look at Izuku's face. The slight tear tracks on his cheeks, the shine of his eyes, the pained smile.
“I know,” he says, his voice cracking at the end.
Katsuki doesn’t know what to say to that, so he gives him a soft smile back before reaching his hand up to gently wipe the tear tracks. Izuku leans into his hand, almost nuzzling it before he sniffles.
“I actually did come here for something else,” Izuku says, his eyes shut and leaning almost the whole weight of his head into Katsuki’s hand. He sighs before pulling away, reaching into his pocket to grab something.
It takes a second for Katsuki to recognize it, the dim lighting in the room making it hard to distinguish. But there in Izuku’s hand is an All Might card. Izuku’s All Might card. The same one that Katsuki has, the same one they both pulled way back when they were just four years old.
Before Katsuki ruined everything.
“Why did you bring that?” Katsuki asks, his voice almost trembling.
“I wanted to um,” Izuku flushes a bit, before taking a deep breath in and saying, “I’m giving it to you, Kacchan.”
Katsuki looks down at the card in his hand, before looking back up to Izuku’s face. Gone are the tears, his face shows nothing but determination.
“I’m not taking your card,” Katsuki says, pushing his hand away.
Izuku sighs, “Kacchan, I saw how battered yours is. I want you to take mine, get All Might to sign this one.”
Katsuki looks at the card in Izuku’s hand before violently shaking his head. He pushes himself off the bed, walking towards his desk and pulling out the drawer. Since the battle, he hasn’t kept it in his pocket anymore, the card too fragile. The dried blood, bent corners and scratch marks all mark his All Might card, but he wouldn’t give it up for anything.
“We pulled these cards together, Izuku,” Katsuki says, his anger bleeding into his voice.
“Kacchan,” Izuku says, his voice soft.
Katsuki just shakes his head again. “You and I have a really shitty fucked up past, but, these cards were before that. Before I went and fucked everything up. These connect us, that moment connects us together. We pulled these cards and I remember being so goddamn happy that my best friend and I had something special, just between us.” Katsuki walks back to the bed, standing in front of Izuku. “No matter what, we have always been connected. Don’t just give away your card like it doesn’t mean anything.”
Izuku looks up at him, a fresh set of tears pooling in his eyes before he smiles. He scoots to the edge of the bed to sit right in front of him, holding his card out beside Katsuki’s. The contrast of how pristine Izuku’s card is compared to Katsuki’s is laughable.
Katsuki’s heart wants to beat out of his chest, but the way Izuku is looking at him makes him feel like there is a swarm of butterflies trying to escape his stomach. The green of his eyes shine in the moonlight casting into his room, his hair looking almost black in the dim light. But his smile is so wide, Katsuki would be able to see it even if it was pitch black.
“How about this,” Izuku says, reaching up to grab Katsuki’s card. He gently pulls it out of his grasp, careful to not damage it more, before putting the pristine one in its place.
Katsuki takes the pristine card in hand, pulling it up to his face to get a better look, like he hasn’t been carrying it around in his pocket for the last thirteen years. Izuku has kept his in immaculate condition, not a single frayed edge or scratch. Katsuki looks back to Izuku, who is looking down at his card, gently touching the one bent corner at the top.
“Now we are even closer. You have mine, and I have yours,” Izuku says, his voice gentle. He moves back to the wall again, getting back in his spot before patting beside him. “Come finish the movie, Kacchan.”
Katsuki can’t move, he can barely think past the pounding in his ears. Everything in him is screaming to tell him, say something. The way Izuku is looking at him is giving him all different kinds of feelings but he can’t get the words to spill out of his mouth.
He silently moves back to his spot, leaning back against the wall right next to Izuku, their arms brushing together again. Izuku gets the laptop back between them, pressing play on the movie. They are in the last twenty minutes, the ending battle with the villain almost over. Izuku moves himself back to his spot on Katsuki’s shoulder, holding his All Might card in his scarred hand like it’s precious.
Katsuki takes the chance, reaching out to grab at his hand, pulling gently on his fingers. Izuku lifts his head for a moment, before settling back down, moving the card into his opposite hand and lacing their fingers together. Katsuki takes a deep breath, tightening the hold before placing their hands down between them again. His thumb moves over the back of Izuku’s knuckles gently, while Izuku gives his hand a gentle squeeze.
They sit in silence and finish the movie, the credits playing but neither making a move to stop or get up. Katsuki moves to lean his head against Izuku’s on his shoulder, the soft strands tickling his cheek.
He isn’t the greatest with words, but Katsuki feels like he should say something. This is the closest him and Izuku have been outside of the times they help each other with their nightmares. He feels each crooked finger on Izuku’s hand, the texture from his scars, just how cold his hands are. Every little detail he sears into his memory, hoping it won’t be the only chance he gets.
He feels Izuku shift slightly, his leg moving to stretch out from its bend. His hand loosens slightly, which makes Katsuki panic and blurt, “Will you stay?”
“Kacchan?” Izuku asks, his tone questioning.
Katsuki takes a deep breath, before stealing his resolve to look up into Izuku’s eyes. The moonlight peaking from the half closed curtain making his eyes glisten. He looks at his scar along his cheek, the marred flesh lighter now then when he first got it. The freckles that sit on his other cheek, the faint scar poking out of his hairline parting his hair differently, his chapped and bitten lips. He takes the moment to memorize Izuku’s features bathed in the soft white light like he may never get the chance to again.
“Will you stay here? With me?” Katsuki asks again, his voice almost a whisper.
Izuku looks at him the same way he just was, his eyes flicking all over his face, landing on his lips for longer than a second, before snapping back to his eyes. He gives the faintest nod, before turning away to close the laptop.
They move without separating their hands until they lay down, Izuku pulling the extra blanket over his side of the bed with him. They bump knees trying to get comfortable, before Katsuki reaches down with what little movement he can with his right arm, grabbing behind Izuku’s knee and lifting it over his legs, pulling him closer.
They finally settle, Katsuki’s left arm under the pillow and Izuku’s head, his right still on his knee. Izuku’s hands are in between them, the backs of his knuckles brushing against Katsuki’s chest, right near the edge of the starburst scar from the war. The silence in the room apart from their breathing is almost heavy with the amount of unspoken words between them. Katsuki wants to say so much to Izuku, he just wishes he could find the right way to say it.
“Kacchan?” Izuku asks, his voice quiet.
Katsuki looks, but Izuku isn’t looking at him, focused solely on where his knuckles are brushing against Katsuki’s shirt.
“Yeah?”
“Will you kiss me?”
Katsuki watches Izuku’s face, the slight flinch already starting before he’s even said anything.
He tries his hardest to move his right arm up the slightest bit, more resting on Izuku’s thigh instead of his knee. He moves his left from underneath, getting his hand to the back of Izuku’s head before forcing his gaze to meet his. When he sees no hint of fear in Izuku’s eyes, he looks down to his lips and leans forward. Izuku leans with him.
The first brush of their lips is soft, before Katsuki pushes with a little more pressure. His first ever kiss may not have been what he thought it was going to be, but that only makes it ten times sweeter.
They don’t try and force more, they just keep a gentle pressure before Izuku pulls back the slightest bit. He moves his hand up to cup Katsuki’s cheek, caressing his thumb over his scar before moving back in again.
They stay that way for a while, both too nervous to try and ask for more. They just keep the innocent pecks as they are, Katsuki’s fingers tangling in the hair by Izuku’s nape, Izuku’s thumb gentle along his cheek.
“Izuku,” Katsuki says, a little short of breath. He pulls back to look at Izuku’s face a bit, his eyes still closed. He leans forward to press their foreheads together, desperate to keep their connection.
“Yeah?”
Katsuki doesn’t say anything, he just moves to kiss him again, this time tilting his head to the side so their lips slot together. He attempts to move the slightest bit, getting a gentle gasp from Izuku in return before Izuku moves with him. He tightens his hand on Izuku’s neck, bleeding all the hope and fear and love into this kiss that when they pull away, Izuku’s smile almost lights up the room.
He doesn’t say anything, just pushes forward and tucks his head under Katsuki’s jaw, nuzzling into his chest to get comfortable. He moves his leg to Katsuki’s hip, his arms snaking around his waist before he finally settles.
They don’t speak anymore after that. They just fall asleep in each other's arms.
Izuku’s All Might card sits on Katsuki’s bed side table right beside his own. Both showing how much time can change things between them.