Chapter Text
Katsuki
The television droned quietly in the background, filling the apartment with a low murmur neither of them was actually paying attention to. Rain tapped steadily against the windows, soft enough to be comforting rather than distracting, turning the city lights outside into blurred streaks of gold and white. The living room was warm, dimly lit by the glow of the TV and a single lamp in the corner.
Izuku was asleep.
Well, mostly asleep.
Curled against Katsuki's side beneath a blanket, one arm draped across his waist, his face tucked into Katsuki's chest, he looked completely at ease. His curls were a mess from a long day of patrols, his freckles softened by exhaustion, and his glasses sat abandoned on the coffee table where he'd taken them off sometime during the second movie. Every few minutes, he made some tiny sleepy noise or shifted closer, and Katsuki would never admit to anyone how much he liked it.
They'd both come off long patrol shifts that afternoon. Izuku had shown up at Katsuki's apartment with takeout, claiming he'd ordered too much food and needed help finishing it, which had been an obvious lie considering he'd brought exactly enough for both of them. They'd eaten on the couch, argued over what movie to watch, watched two films back-to-back, and somewhere in the middle of the second one, Izuku had slowly melted into a warm, half-conscious puddle of boyfriend.
When Katsuki shifted slightly to reach for the remote, Izuku immediately made a small protesting sound and burrowed even closer. His grip tightened around Katsuki's waist as if he were trying to prevent him from escaping.
"...Brat."
The response was a sleepy hum that barely qualified as communication.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and settled back against the couch. Outside, the rain continued to fall, and inside, everything felt warm and quiet in a way that had become strangely familiar over the past couple of years.
His gaze drifted around the living room. The extra blanket draped over the armrest belonged to Izuku. The notebook abandoned on the side table belonged to Izuku. The All Might mug sitting beside Katsuki's own belonged to Izuku. There was a pair of red shoes by the door, a hoodie thrown over one of the dining chairs, and three different hero analysis notebooks scattered throughout the apartment because apparently the nerd was physically incapable of keeping them all in one place.
The hoodie had been hanging there for almost three weeks, and neither of them had moved it or even noticed it was still there because, somehow, it belonged there. The realization arrived unexpectedly, slipping into his thoughts so naturally that it took a second for him to recognize it. The apartment didn't feel like his apartment anymore.
Whenever Izuku wasn't here, the place felt too quiet. The couch seemed too large. The bed felt colder. Even breakfast felt wrong when there wasn't someone standing beside him, rambling about hero statistics before seven in the morning. Somehow, over the course of two years, the apartment had stopped feeling complete unless Izuku was in it.
Katsuki looked down at him. One cheek was squished against his shirt, and a tiny crease sat between his eyebrows even in sleep, as though some part of him was still trying to solve a problem. Idiot. The fondness hit hard enough to be annoying. Before he could overthink it, before he could decide it was stupid, before he could talk himself out of it entirely, the words left his mouth.
"Move in with me."
Izuku hummed.
"Mhm."
Katsuki blinked.
"What?"
"Okay."
The response was immediate, casual, and completely devoid of any significance. Katsuki stared.
"Okay?"
Izuku nodded against him without opening his eyes.
"Okay."
"The hell d'you mean, 'okay'?"
One green eye cracked open. Izuku squinted up at him, visibly confused and still operating on almost no sleep whatsoever.
"You asked me something."
"Yeah."
"So I answered."
"That wasn't a normal question."
Izuku frowned slightly, trying to piece together what conversation they were apparently having. After several seconds of visible effort, he finally muttered, "What was the question again?"
Katsuki let out a disbelieving laugh.
"You serious?"
"Very tired."
"No kidding."
Izuku yawned so widely his eyes watered before immediately settling back into Katsuki's side.
"Ask again."
Katsuki considered shoving him off the couch. Instead, he sighed and repeated himself.
"Move in with me."
Silence followed. For a moment, Katsuki wondered if he'd fallen asleep again, but then Izuku's expression shifted. His brows furrowed as his brain slowly processed the words, every thought apparently wading through molasses before reaching its destination. Finally, he said, "...I thought we already lived together."
Katsuki's brain stopped.
Because honestly, fair. The nerd was here constantly. He had multiple drawers in Katsuki's bedroom, half the bathroom shelf, and his own mug, blanket, and collection of snacks in the pantry. Somehow, he even managed to occupy nearly half the refrigerator despite technically living somewhere else.
Izuku yawned again.
"I just keep paying rent somewhere else."
A laugh escaped Katsuki before he could stop it. Izuku smiled faintly at the sound, looking entirely too pleased with himself for someone who was barely conscious.
"You've thought about this."
"Mm."
"So?"
This pause felt different—longer, more awake. Izuku shifted enough to tilt his head back and look at him properly. The sleepiness was still there, but underneath it was something warmer, softer. Green eyes met red, and for once, neither of them looked away.
"I'd like that."
Simple. No dramatic speech, no tears, no long explanation—just the truth. I'd like that. Something settled inside Katsuki's chest, a tension he hadn't even realized he was carrying easing all at once.
"Yeah?"
A small smile spread across Izuku's face, the kind he only wore when he was completely comfortable, completely safe.
"Yeah."
The answer came quietly but without hesitation.
Then, apparently deciding the conversation was finished, Izuku leaned forward and pressed a sleepy kiss against Katsuki's jaw. A second later, he tucked himself back against Katsuki's chest as though he belonged there and closed his eyes.
Within moments, his breathing evened out again.
Fast asleep.
Katsuki stared down at him while rain tapped softly against the windows and the television continued playing to an audience of absolutely nobody. The apartment felt warm. Full. Comfortable in a way he couldn't quite describe.
Home.
After a minute, he carefully lowered his head and pressed a kiss into Izuku's curls.
"Good."
Izuku made a sleepy noise, then, without opening his eyes, mumbled, "Love you too."
Katsuki's entire body locked up. The idiot was unconscious, practically dreaming, and somehow he'd still managed to land a direct hit. A faint smile tugged at Izuku's lips as he snuggled closer, completely unaware of the damage he'd caused, while Katsuki looked away, ears burning.
"...Go to sleep, nerd."
Izuku only burrowed closer, and for the first time, the apartment felt exactly the right size.