Dancing in the Rain

by Oasis42

Katsuki hates the rain, yet he can't help but be inexplicably drawn outside in the middle of a downpour when he spies Izuku dancing in the puddles from his window. Lots of angst, not much comfort.

There's something uniquely majestic about a summer rain. The way the sky darkens to an ashy grey, an earthy damp smell permeates the air and the cool splash of rain as it pelts warm skin. There's that low rumble of thunder, reverberating threateningly off in the distance as lightning paints a golden glow across an iron canvas. Leaves rustle as the wind blows, humidity so thick it sticks to your skin and flavors your tongue. The world becomes a bubble, another place entirely, like a special secret just for you.

Katsuki always hated the rain. It complicated his quirk as misty water cleansed his skin of his precious sweat. It made him feel vulnerable, weak even. It's a weakness he's spent hours of his life researching and correcting. He knew if a villain were to attack him now he'd kick that fucker's ass no problem. But that didn't mean he liked opening himself up to such vulnerabilities, forcing him to work so much harder for that victory.

Despite that irrefutable fact, Katsuki found himself standing outside and alone as mother nature pelted him in fat raindrops as they fell from the sky. The cotton fabric of his nightshirt was soaked through, sticking uncomfortably to his chest and back, his lounge pants a sopping mess around muscular calves and thick thighs.

You see, he couldn't sleep that night, like most nights recently. He thought maybe watching the rain fall from his window might have been enough to reward him with a moment or so of rest but then something completely unexpected caught his wandering eye. He could have sworn he saw a familiar green clad boy striding along the walkway just outside their building only moments ago. It caused him to do a double take, shaking his head and blinking rapidly when the image was still there. It was ludicrous of course. Why would anyone be outside in the middle of a storm like this, at the witching hour of three in the morning even?

The blond had no choice but to investigate which is what brought him to this unfortunate and very wet predicament. He squinted as he attempted to scan his surroundings, vision slightly blurred from the constant splash of water that somehow never missed his eyes and lashes. He saw plenty of green, the blades of grass and swishing leaves a shade darker than usual as the overcast sky eliminated the moon's glow and the twinkling stars.

Anger bubbled from somewhere deep inside him. Anger at himself for being unable to sleep, anger at his fogged mind conjuring up an image that clearly wasn't real and fury at the goddamn sky for drenching him in its godawful wetness. Cursing under his breath, he was about to turn on his heel and stalk back inside, where he'd have to change out of his clothes, wring them out and set them to dry, when he suddenly saw the boy once again only a few feet ahead.

Just in front of him stood Izuku, head tilted back and eyes cast to the sky. His tongue hanging out like a dog, catching droplets in his mouth. His usual lively mop of green curls were tangled and clinging against his skull, white cotton tee stuck against his torso, revealing every well defined groove and swell of his muscular frame. As Katsuki closed the gap between them, he couldn't help but notice the joy reflecting from those emerald depths or the slight upturn of the corners of his lips as he continued to collect rainwater.

Any reprimand Katsuki had died instantly on his tongue, his mouth curving into an affectionate smile instead. Izuku was beautiful, exotic even. The blond's fingers itched to touch him, to gain purchase on how ever much of that slick skin he could as he kissed and bit all along Izuku's jaw and neck. He wanted to worship the hard planes of his body, squeeze that perfect, fat ass while the smaller male wrapped those perfect, muscular thighs around Katsuki's waist.

He'd lie Izuku down, his back pressed against the wet blades of grass as the blond pressed their lips together in a sloppy, urgent kiss. Adoration would gleam in his eyes as he removed their sopping wet clothes, love blooming as he entered the boy below him, multiplying as their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. The soft needy moans filling the air would be music to Katsuki's ears, it's rhythm driving him with every snap of his hips. He'd make love to him for the rest of the night and well past the peak of dawn, swearing to never ever let Izuku go.

But that wasn't what was meant to happen on that rainy night. Instead, Izuku, having noticed him was looking at him curiously, his head tilted to the side. Those emerald eyes were so wide and curious, searching for something but Katsuki couldn't even begin to guess what.

After some time he broke contact, perhaps having found whatever he had been looking for. Giggling, Izuku smiled brightly, his cheeks shading a light pink.

Katsuki crossed his arms, trying to look stern even though they both knew he was like putty when it came to Izuku's wishes. "The hell are you doing nerd? You're fucking soaked."

Another giggle, and god Katsuki was weak for that exquisite sound. "I've just been thinking I guess" Izuku began, his expression wistful. "I don't regret coming here. You know, to become a hero. It's all I ever wanted after all so how could I regret it? But… I don't know Kacchan. Don't you ever feel like by choosing to become heroes we've given up the chance to just be kids. Like, we've forced ourselves to grow up and completely skipped over a lot of fun kid stuff as a result?"

The blond understood all too well what Izuku was saying. They all had to make some pretty fucking hard and grown up choices during their time at UA. Choices most of their peers in other schools would never have needed to even consider. Sacrifice was a part of what they did and their childhood was the first thing to go on the chopping block. "We all knew what we were getting into when we applied for U.A. Hero life comes at a cost" he replied, a deeper meaning ringing true for each word uttered.

"You're right, but then of course you are. Kacchan is always right." Izuku sighed, deep in thought. "You know, when I was little I used to love it when it rained. I liked to sneak outside when mom wasn't looking. I'd dance while humming my favorite All Might theme song."

"Yeah, I know. Remember I'd come out and dance with you sometimes? You were ridiculous, dancing around in puddles, mud caked all over your stupid sneakers." Despite the harshness of his words, there was a small reminiscent smile graced over Katsuki's face as he remembered the way Izuku would shimmy over to him and pull him in to join him.

Izuku hummed softly in response, eyes far away once again before returning to the blond. "You were always so grouchy about it, grumbling about being forced to dance with a quirkless Deku."

Yes, Katsuki remembered that too. The way he'd put Izuku down, calling him names and treating him like he was less than human simply because the boy was quirkless. He bitterly resented his younger self for it. So much time was wasted with his head up his own ass, never giving the greenette the time of day, the time he deserved.

He let out a long, pained sigh, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders as he did. "Deku… Izuku. I was such a fucking brat. The way I looked down my nose at you and bullied you- It was unfucking forgiveable."

"Kacchan, you know I've let all that go a long time ago. You've been forgiven time and time again- maybe the real problem is that you haven't forgiven yourself yet. You should let it go too Kacchan. You'll feel better."

The blond didn't think he deserves forgiveness. Not from himself and certainly not from the beautiful boy in front of him. He never did deserve Izuku's unyielding grace. "You know It isn't that simple, Izuku" he replied solemnly, wiping the rainwater from his eyes which may or may not have been diluted with his own tears. His chest suddenly felt tight, painfully tight, his breathing ragged.

"Of course it is" Izuku cheerfully responded as if the blond wasn't on his way to a full breakdown in front of him. Suddenly, he's reaching a dripping wet hand out to Katsuki, green eyebrow quirked just slightly. "Lets be kids again, just for tonight. Come dance in the rain with me, Kacchan!"

Katsuki looked from the proffered hand to Izuku's face and back to the hand again. He took a step forward, reaching out slightly but not touching the boy in front of him. So many different emotions clashed through him as he followed Izuku to a particularly large puddle collecting water along the ground. The boy hopped right in and immediately began to sway his hips and move his feet to a soundless tune.

"Hum the tune for me Kacchan. You know the one I like" he insisted as he began flailing his arms around in the air to match his cute little nerd sway.

With tears leaking down his cheeks, Katsuki swallowed thickly before humming a tune he hadn't heard in years, but could never forget. He watched, mesmerized as Izuku moved around from puddle to puddle, whirling around and around with his arms in the air and hips swaying softly. At one point he stopped, just long enough to insist the blond join him. Katsuki awkwardly began his own stiff dance, careful not to take his eyes off the nerd as he moved around in the puddles.

He couldn't have said how long it lasted, every second blissful agony. By the time Izuku stopped, he was mere inches from Katsuki, so close that the blond would only need to lean in a little to kiss those plush lips. He knew if he closed his eyes he'd probably almost be able to feel Izuku's soft breath fan over his damp skin. His heart hammered thunderously in his chest, like he was going to have a heart attack and keel over right there and then. Katsuki supposed that wasn't the worst thing that could happen at that point. God, how can he still be in so much pain?

It was then that the cheerful expression on Izuku's face melted, worry remaining in its place. Katsuki knew what he was going to say. He's heard it before and he'll hear it again. "Kacchan still isn't sleeping, huh" Izuku asked with a small pout.

Again, Katsuki tried to clean his eyes of the salty wetness that somehow continued to drip down his face despite his best efforts. "It's hard, Izuku. Every time I close my eyes, I see your face. I see the way you'd look at me with all that sickeningly sweet adoration and I just- I just fucking can't." A sob escaped from somewhere deep and raw inside Katsuki, a place he didn't want to go but somehow always found himself at.

Izuku reached his hand up to cup the side of Katsuki's cheek, his palm and fingers stopping just short of the blond's skin. Katsuki shivered, wishing he could feel that touch just one more time. He'd die for it, he was certain.

"I know you're sad but it will be okay. You'll be okay because you're Kacchan and you always figure things out! Besides, we had a great life together. Sure, it started rocky but we figured everything out eventually. You were my best friend and the love of my life and I cherished every minute we spent together. The arguments, the fights, the laughter, and the love- all of it."

Sniffling, Katsuki hiccuped as another sob ripped from his throat. "That's the thing though, shitty Deku. You were taken too early. I wasn't done arguing with you over your poor tactical planning or kicking your ass when you deserved it. I wasn't done laughing with you while we joked around between classes or showing you how much I fucking loved you every minute of every goddamn day!" Katsuki couldn't hold it in anymore as he just let it all out, everything. "Fuck, we were supposed to be an unstoppable team, taking down villains by day and making love by night. We'd have a big house with the white picket fence and way too many pets because you're weak when it comes to homeless animals."

"That sounds nice, Kacchan. I would have loved to have that life with you."

"Yeah but you never will because the fucking league of villains attacked our school and took you away from me!" Katsuki could still remember the moment he found him after frantically searching for over an hour. There was blood everywhere. So. Much. Blood. He remembers the way Izuku's chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, his skin pale and covered in sweat. There was a chunk of iron sticking out of his stomach, allowing him to slowly, slowly bleed out. It was the worst moment of his life.

Izuku smiled sympathetically, his hand still just a sliver from grazing Katsuki's skin. "We might not be able to have all those things together, Katsuki but you can still have them one day. And you know I'll always be with you wherever you go, right?"

With a deep sigh, Katsuki looked down to his hands, watching as they pulsed with the limitless energy of one for all. It was Izuku's final gift, something he still wasn't sure he really wanted but if it let him keep a part of Izuku then it was worth it.

"Yeah, I know. I love you, Izuku." He whispered softly as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. When they only caught air, his heart shuttered in its cage.