Izuku decided to stay even though he wanted to flee. After his exchange with Katsuki Bakugo he all but slammed his wine and resisted asking for another. The full bodied wine hit him quickly as he was already feeling flushed. He did end up asking the bartender for an ice water, drank half of it and continued to socialize so his brain wouldn't consume him with questions he didn't know. He couldn't unravel in a building full of people who had quirks. He needed to network and he wanted to see if Mirio was also attending.

Scanning the ballroom he did not see anyone who resembled his friend but he did see Kirishima standing with a group of people. The second he noticed the redhead, Kirishima also noticed him and excitedly waved him over. He was feeling warm and fuzzy already and his sweet side was bubbling to actually talk to some possibly like minded people.

"Hello again Kirishima!"

"Midoriya! Come meet some of my colleagues and friends!" Everyone smiled at him and he introduced himself, laughing that this was his first time and to take it easy on him. To his surprise a pretty brunette with big, wide auburn eyes smiled at him and happily exclaimed that it was also her first time and that her name was Uraraka.

Every one smiled happily and introduced themselves respectfully. There was Awase, Iida, Kendo, Kaminari and Shoji. He repeated the names over and over to resist forgetting.

"Oh, and don't forget Tokoyami! He went to get a drink but here he is."

Izuku stared at his friend with a big grin plastered to his face. "Fumi you sneaky sneaky! Did you know I was coming?"

At the sudden mention of his name twice Tokoyami finally registered what was happening when he walked back up to his friends.

"Hello again Izuku. I wasn't completely sure this was your event but I may have surmised."

"That's why you accepted my order at such last minute!"

The dark haired man nodded his head. He had a full feathered black raven's mask on with a gold encrusted beak.

"All this time and I never knew you had a quirk!"

"I suppose I could say the same."

"Midoriya! You do know some people already!" Kirishima slapped his back and they all started conversing as though he had known each other their whole lives. They talked about how he and Tokoyami attended the same business courses several years ago and they had become comfortable friends quickly. They never lost contact by meeting up every few months and catching up and also supporting each other's businesses. Tokoyami purchased some paintings from Izuku and just like here of course, Izuku had requested a few custom made leather pieces for gifts.

Everyone had separate conversations and he was currently engaging with Uraraka about music and art. He was ready for another drink and asked her if she wanted wine. She happily agreed and they walked to the small hidden bar that Inasa showed him. They each got their glass, different than the wine from before, still, he smiled and thanked the bartender who then winked at him.

He was missing out insanely bad wasn't he? Being a bookworm nerd at home is great and all, but wow, he really missed the memo on what friends use to be like. After he made something of his quirk he recessed into himself and was totally okay with it. But this whole thing was so damn refreshing. Even the stuff that was happening with seeing the man who's been robbing him of sleep. He was still having so much fun. And socializing was definitely keeping his mind occupied.

Coming back into the conversation was fluid but when he caught a glimpse of broad shoulders, a big smile and golden blond hair he stopped, excused himself and walked to the gentleman who was moving through the crowd.

"Excuse me sir!" He tried not to laugh as his friend stopped and looked around before noticing Izuku come toward him.

"Me? You mean me?" He pointed at himself, his beady blue eyes squinting behind his plain red mask in confusion, and then he squinted at Izuku. Moving his head back and forth really trying to register if it was actually him or not.

"Iiiiizuuuuuu?" He extended the name playfully. "Is that really you?"

Izuku nodded vigorously and they hugged each other. "You never told me about these things!" Izuku slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Ay ay! They're suppose to be secret invites only. I was just keeping the secret!"

Izuku laughed. "Well I'm very happy to be finally invited. I've made some friends for once, hah!" motioned over to the group of people excitedly talking and laughing among themselves. ""How is Tamaki?"

Mirio nodded vigorously at the mention of his husband "He's wonderful of course! He'll be excited when I tell him I saw you here!"

Mirio was a few years older than he was and sought him out when he was just 14, way before he began his studio, and was on a mission to find love. Finding Izuku was his hail mary and after he gave Mirio the picture of Amajiki, Mirio vowed to be his friend for life and so far he stood true to his word.

"I just wanted to say hello, I had a feeling you were here!" They chatted a bit before hugging and exchanging goodbyes.

The hair pricked up on the back of his neck and he looked behind him as though he was being watched. He was. In the far opposite of the building, those smoldering ruby eyes connected with his and held him captive. Every hair raised on his body and his drawing hand was becoming increasingly warm like it did when his quirk was active. His pulse quickened and he felt the warmth creep down his spine once again. That pang, in his chest felt open and vulnerable and he instinctively used his hand to grip his chest. He forced himself to turn around and walk back to the group he was chatting with. His worries came back and his mind began to race again. He needed to get out of here. He thought solving the mystery of the strangely beautiful man would ease but he knew something loaded was about to happen and why was he freaking out? Its been two freaking years. Why was he afraid now?

"Hey guys I think I'm going to be heading out. Can we swap numbers? I'd love to get together sometime if you guys think that would be cool?" Everyone pitched in that a get together was a great idea. Since they had all known each other. he just let them pass his phone around and each of them added their names in. He thanked everyone and before long he was exiting the ballroom, the feeling of being watched intensifying.

He dialed the drivers number from earlier, quickly responding yes to the immediate question of, 'Are you ready to leave sir?'

It was already 11:16 he noticed putting his phone away and leaving the beautiful home. Under different circumstances he would have stayed but the throbbing in his chest was uncomfortable. He might be making excuses but for some reason he, the matchmaker, was afraid that was his match staring at him across the room. His absolutely gorgeous match.

He was perfect alone already and even though seeing so much happiness... It did something to him. For some reason he felt like he didn't deserve it even thought he'd spent his entire life giving and giving and he still had more to give. So then why was he so scared to take a little? He'd never let himself believe that he would actually get to meet the guy he'd been sketching, or asked himself what he would do if he ever met him.

He was being really childish. He realized it as he watched his driver pull up, get out and open his door for him. There was no turning back to the party, he was already here and he might as well own up to himself that he was being a little bitch. He got into the back seat and thanked the driver with a tight smile.

The drive on the way back was much quicker even though the distance was the same. It was about midnight when he got home and he was ready for a shower. He took his mask off and neatly placed it on his dresser along with his phone and wallet. He undressed and neatly folded his suit placing it a bin to be laundered. His steamy shower was cut short by several chimes of his elevator doorbell.

It's 12:40, who the hell is here?

He shut the water off and grabbed the hanging towel. He slipped his boxers and a set of satin pajama bottoms. Walking to the elevator, his hair dripped with every step onto his freckled toned shoulders. He peered at the camera showing someone definitely at his residence. Even in the camera he knew who it was, his heart began to pound.

He pressed the intercom. "Did you really follow me home?" The sudden capture of his voice made the person lightly jump at the sudden sound.

"It's about fucking time and yes sort of, but no not really. I've been buzzing you for the past 10 minutes. Let me the fuck in before I bust in."

Izuku blanched just staring at the live feed. Katsuki Bakugo was also staring at him through the camera of his elevator with obvious irritation and a bag that looked like it was holding a few wine bottles.

Unease crept into his bones, belly and heart as he pressed the entrance button. He watched the man enter his elevator and disappear and not moments later the doors in front of him slid open.

Katsuki walked in like he owned the place, not even looking at Izuku and marched for the kitchen. Izuku was stunned, stone still in place as he listened to the blond rummage around the kitchen. He heard glass clink, foil unwind, a pop, a pour, another pour... a bag being crumbled. His feet finally moved, his disbelief in his wide eyes. He rounded the corner to the kitchen to see Katsuki leaning against a counter looking at his kitchen and then at him.

Those ruby eyes stared at him. Izuku felt like he would melt if he let himself. He tried not to blush but failed miserably when those red orbs looked him over, and then looked him over again, his blush reached his shoulders. Katsuki smirked into his wine as he took a sip, his free hand slid the second glass forward on the counter, telling him to come get it. Izuku was pretty sure he was about to cause an earthquake, his heartbeat was so loud in his ears. He inhaled, trying to remember to breath and walked to his glass, which brought him inches from the stranger in his home. Emerald eyes flicked to the open bottle, and he could see the last words of Esplosione, his wine.

"You know this is incredibly strange right?" He said shakily, taking a rather large sip.

"Fuck yeah I do." Katsuki copied him and they practically raced each other until their glasses were empty. There was a undeniable tension in the room and Katsuki poured the remainder of the bottle in their glasses.

"Nice place. Quirk get you here?"

"Thank you. I guess so... yeah. How did you know where I lived? How'd you know it was my birthday?"

"Do you always ask so many fucking questions?" The blond had so many facial expressions. He could tell they held no real ill feelings and.. that's just who this person was. He was abrasive, but kind in his own way. Him being here, giving him his wine, being docile, but fuck was in half his sentences. He gave annoyed looks and seemed to scoff often, but as noted earlier, it was fluff masked with gruff.

"I'm sure you have plenty of your own or you would be here at almost 1 in the morning after just meeting me."

Izuku received a dark look. Electricity bolted down his spine resting in his lower belly at the intensity of the look. He drank his wine again chuckling a little bit.

"I'm Izuku and you're Katsuki, We just met, but I've been dreaming about you for a few years and by the look you're giving me, you have been too." Did he suddenly have black eyes? He continued, letting the wine try and speak for him. "I don't know your quirk and I don't know if you know mine," he sipped long again, letting the rich flavors coat his tongue. "You're wine is incredible did you know that?" He smiled looking down at the wine. "Wow I don't have a shirt on, I'll be right back." He blushed at the realization that he was in his pajamas and went to turn to walk to his bedroom.

The blond stopped him before he left. "Yeah I do. Know what your quirk is. It's public. Everyone's quirk, name and birth date. All I had to do was search your name and I found your business. It's pretty easy to find out. One of the really shitty things about having a quirk. No fucking privacy." He grumbled this all out.

"How did you know I was someone with a quirk? ID doesn't have photos."

Katsuki looked away from him, for the first time a small blush littering his face.

"Doesn't matter" he muttered.

Izuku practically killed his second glass and his cheeks were warm "Oh nooo no no no, you don't get to demand entrance to my home and then not be honest with me."

The blond scoffed and killed his glass off, still leaning against the counter.

"I live here too. A few miles North. I never come downtown. Its fucking lame and boring and filled with so many randoms and extras."

He was reaching for the second bottle. He opened it quickly pouring them a third glass. Izuku took a few steps to the side and leaned over a different side of the counter, allowing him some distance. Katsuki slid his glass over again and swigged.

"I walked in because its a damn art studio. I wanted a new picture of something. I don't fucking know. I walk in your place and in the corner is you, talking to some bitch and I about freaked the fuck out." Another swig. His cheeks were becoming lightly tinted just like Izuku's. "I've never run out so fucking fast."

"After that, I looked you up and found out that your studio was also where you used your quirk." He turned to Izuku again, looking him up and down again, small smirk on his lip. "I knew it was you right the fuck away tonight."

"I knew it was you too." Izuku whispered.

" No one has green eyes like yours." He looked away when he said that, his voice getting smaller.

"If I show you something, promise not to 'freak the fuck out' as you so put it?"

'I don't think anything is more fucking weird than this."

"Just wait. Follow me."

He led him over towards his bedroom, making sure to bring his wine, stopping before his door and turning to his study. Another drink, he caught Katsuki looking into his bedroom.

"My quirk makes me draw the people I see." He was looking down at his hands, fingers playing with each other. "The images get stored away like.. in a filing cabinet. And I saw you a lot, but your image never stored. And every time I saw you and couldn't pull up your image like everyone else. So... I would sketch. I sketched as much as I could." He sighed a big sigh, "Please don't be weirded out, it's mostly my quirk." He opened his office and turned on the light. The warm lamp cast an illuminated glow the room and Katsuki's eyes were wide as he soaked in the room.

"Holy fuck."

"You're telling me."

Everywhere in the room were scattered images. All portraits of Katsuki. Almost like a montage. Him laughing, mad, sad, crying, eating, irritated. Every mood and facial expression Katsuki ever owned was documented there, hand drawn by the freckled emerald eyed boy standing next to him. He walked in running his fingers across the desk and picked up an image of him smiling.

"The fuck is happening here huh?"

Izuku shrugged feeling ultimately exposed at his rather intimate secret. Leaning against the door frame he drank the rest of his third glass and hiccupped very lightly feeling the wine take over his mind he walked in and sat the glass down.

"I was laying in bed the first time I saw you all those years back. I thought it was really weird. I only get images when I touch people and I was in bed obviously alone." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a flat square turning it over. "This was the first thing I ever drew of you. That night after sleeping, I slept-walked for the first time and sketched you out."

Katsuki stayed in the room even when Izuku left. A few moments later Izuku returned wearing a black tank.

"I was never satisfied." He turned to Izuku glaring at him. "I dated countless women, and even a few men and nothing ever felt right. And then you walked in and that fucking emptiness that always engulfed me, I knew you felt it too. You feel the goddamned void too."

Izuku's chest was going up and down with his erratic breathing. Oh yes, he definitely knew the void well.

"Use your damn quirk and confirm what I already know is true."

Izuku stared up at him with eyes full of fear of the unknown.

"Like actually?"

"Duh nerd. It's been 8 goddamned years that I've felt empty. And tonight when I finally talked to you I.. " He looked away afraid of his traitorous features that blushed. "I fuckin felt whole for the first time."

Izuku had never been with anyone romantically at all. He was comfortable with his sexuality and he was comfortable being alone. He assumed maybe that feeling of void was from his desire to be by himself. But he was also never attracted to anyone either. He did however always think the man he drew was beautiful and no doubt he was even better in person. But he never thought the void was solely just because he was single without his thread.

"Come here." He asked softly missing Katsuki's smirk.

"Put both of your hands in mine." Izuku held out shaky hands and watched as equally shaky hands were placed in his. They were larger than his and so very warm. The sensation of their skin touching began to tingle from his fingertips and into his entire palm. The warmth began to spread and Izuku noticed that Katsuki's eyes were furrowed but soft, keeping a watchful eye on their connected hands. They were feeling everything together. The red eyes that were watching him flicked up to meet his gaze and back down, a pink tongue flicking over his bottom lip. It made Izuku's mouth water. He blushed at his strange reaction but gasped when Katsuki's fingertips trailed a line in Izuku's palm. He stared at his palm, eyes watering at the sight of the little red glowing string forming on Katsuki's pinkie finger and a tear fell down his cheek and another as a little red ring began to form on his pinkie where it attached to Katsuki's.

"Can you see that?" He whispered.

"I sure as hell don't think I'm suppose to but yeah, I do."

Izuku found his thread. Well, his thread found him, sort of. He had mixed feelings about it, but he couldn't deny that for the first time since he could remember, he was genuinely content. Katsuki's fingers were drawing little circles into Izuku's palm and they were both blushing at the contact and the feel it was generating.

He lifted his palm up to study the illuminated thread. It was the brightest one he'd ever seen. Is that because he was the quirk bearer or was that really the indication that he'd truly been paired with the perfect match?

"I've been doing this my whole life and I don't know what to say or what to do..."

Katsuki finally removed his hands, one falling to his side and one lifted to run his hands through Izuku's half wet hair.

"Don't say shit for now. Happy birthday Izuku."

He turned and began walking back to the elevator pressed a button for it to open.

"W-wait! You've been drinking. Do..." He looking around bashfully. "-you want to sleep on the couch?"

Katsuki paused a moment allowing it to pass its open phase. It closed again and he stared back contemplating.

"Yeah, why the hell not."

Izuku nodded and left to his bedroom for some extra bedding he had put away. He came back out with one of his pillows and a fresh blanket. He motioned his head for Katsuki to follow and took him to the living room where he sat the bedding down. The living room was spacious and he had a huge sectional to sleep all over.

Izuku yawned. "I usually get up early to make breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan."

Izuku peer at him a little while longer before scurrying off to his bedroom., closing and locking his door he rested his back to it. Heart hammering. That was the love of his life. The literal love of his life, in his living room, sleeping with his pillow. In his house. In his house.

There was so much to think about. But what he did notice... the ache that always lingered was not as deep as it usually was.

Tomorrow would be an insane day.

I did some light editing to a little bit of timeline in the first chapter. I had Izuku seeing images of Bakugo at 23 and I realize that's much too late. I changed it to 17. It allows for a better brew between the boys. I have actually made a few light changes to some things in the first two chapters. Nothing drastic. Just allows the story to flow a little more languid in it's timeline.

Thanks to everyone who was worried about the electricity. It didn't go out once! The hurricane did absolutely no damage and even though it rained all night, we aren't even flooded. The earth is so dry right now from our heat that it's welcomed the heavy rainfall.

Keep reviewing! And I'll keep busting these bad boys out for your enjoyment ^_~
buuuut it's 3 am and I have work at 10 huehuehue

toodles~ xo