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Izuku laid curled on his mattress, a pillow caught between his arms, holding it tightly. It smelled like Katsuki. He had made sure of that. His nose was buried against the soft cloth, he was dozing. Deep breath, shallow exhale through softly parted lips. The lazy hum of a radio only made his eyelids heavier. He was mostly asleep when Katsuki came in the front door loudly, if he cared about Izuku’s peace; he didn’t show it.
“Hey nerd!” Kat said in his usual almost shout. It was much too loud for the zen bubble of an apartment Izuku had created, but the green-haired boy didn’t care—barely noticed, even, seeing as the explosive other barged in like that almost every day. “Deku, are you asleep?”
“Barely,” Izuku replied, attempting to blink the sleep out of his eyes, and quitting approximately at the same time Katsuki opened the door. Letting his head fall on top of the pillow to look lazily over it towards the blonde. “Hi.”
“Mm.” Bakugo replied, promptly sitting—if that was even what you could call it. It was more of a body shove—in the rolling chair in front of Deku's desk next to his bed. He picked up a Rubik's Cube. “Did I wake you up?” The question was calmer, less abrupt. It was sweet, to Izuku.
“Not by much, I was only dozing.” He yawned.
“Well go back to sleep. You don’t have to wake up because of me.”
“You were a bit loud…” Deku murmured.
Kat looked up from the cube, finally. “Then, I’m sorry. Go back to sleep.”
Izuku’s breath caught at that. An apology from Katsuki? Without being provoked?
“Stop looking at me like that, dumbass.” He sniffed. There really was a deep awe that seeped through Izuku’s eyes.
“Like what?”
“Like a damn simp. Like I’m a dream.”
It feels like you’re a dream, is what he wished to say. He didn’t, obviously… Or, he hadn’t meant to. It wasn’t even a shock to him that he had said it out loud because a moment later he realized there was redness visible just above the other boy’s collar. Katsuki was blushing. Which made heat rise on Izuku’s cheeks—of course.
“Tch…” Katsuki looked back at the Rubik’s Cube, but his eyes were softer at the corners and a small smile played on his lips. Izuku stayed watching him in admiration until he was found out again. Kats squinted, “What’s your problem?” He growled in false annoyance.
“What’s your problem?” Izuku replied.
“I—” This seemed to stumble Katsuki. He licked his lips slowly, sighed, and muttered. “Can I… lay down,” He huffed, then added, lower, “With you…?”
This took the green-haired boy by surprise. Kat wanted to… with him… and he wasn’t joking…? “You— Seriously? You want to?” He stuttered, bewildered.
Katsuki growled, and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. “Yes! Am I not allowed to want to hold my boyfriend?”
“No—No, Yeah— You are, of course—” Izuku sat up quickly, scooting back to give Katsuki space.
“Right.” He huffed, “Then,” He climbed into the bed, lying down. “Come here.”
Izuku obeyed, moving closer and hesitantly pressing his back against Kat’s chest. The boy hummed in satisfaction, and buried his face in that soft green hair. It was surprisingly soft.
Deku found quickly that Katsuki being right up close to him was much better than the pillow. Of course Izuku had been hesitant at first. Their relationship had just begun after years of pining. They were barely eighteen, barely into their new apartments, and barely started at their new jobs. Everything was new. Especially the arm around his waist and hand on his chest.
It stayed like that for a while— Katsuki barging in and avoiding the actual topic until he was forced to bring it up, Izuku reluctantly curling up to Katsuki when he’d climb into the bed, and finally them dozing off together—until it wasn’t like that anymore. Katsuki started coming in and just climbing in bed. If Izuku wasn’t in bed already, he’d pull him over. And Izuku stopped hesitating, just let himself be consumed by the warmth.
Eventually, it became like a second skin to them. They both automatically gravitated towards the bed as soon as Kat showed up, cuddled up close, and fell asleep. It was normal, then.
At some point, Katsuki started being affectionate in public too—only with their close groups at first, then when they’d meet up with 1-A, then their parents, and at some point it wasn’t even PDA anymore. It was just… Katsuki and Izuku. A hand on the waist, the arm, the shoulder. A peck to the top of the head, the cheek, the lips. Even out in the mall or city Katsuki would always have some part of him touching Izuku. It was necessary. Izuku couldn’t imagine there was ever a time Katsuki wasn’t there constantly. The knowledge of having someone hold onto him so protectively was comforting, even if he could hold his own. The concept of not having an arm next to him to grab at all times was lost on him. Even at night, Katsuki had started sleeping over more nights than not.
This was one of those nights.
Katsuki was nodding off. Izuku traced the lines in his hands, brushing his thumb over scars. Kat shifted, nuzzled his nose to the roots of Deku’s hair, breathed in deeply, and wrapped his arms tightly around Izuku’s chest and waist, fingers splaying. “Sleep.” He murmured.
“Alright…”