Kazu said to meet him at around 6 pm, That good with you?
Izuku stared at the text message on his phone and rubbed his eyes. Morning light had just begun to creep in through his window above his bed, a circular slice of the sky shimmered mercilessly and Izuku had to squint.
He left the text message unread because it was bloody 5 am, who got up at 5 am? Katsuki and Izuku, it seems. He skipped in place and did his stretches, did his pushups and sit ups, and finished with very basic yoga. It calmed him after all the blood pumping exercises; then he showered, fried some eggs and paired it with rice, before finally, he opened it.
Kacchan.
Well, good morning to you too.
Izuku smiled at the words, his finger hovering over the send button before his stomach did an uncomfortable squirm at his familiarity with Katsuki and thought maybe, just maybe he was pushing the limit and he backspaced it.
See you at 6 pm, Kacchan. Send, before he could amend it once more, and he groaned at his half eaten breakfast. He washed up when he was finished, and began opening the store without actually unlocking the front door or flipping the sign. It had become an unhealthy habit of Izuku, making the bookstore his life that he often worked an hour before opening to an hour past it. And lately with the traffic through the bookstore due to Katsuki's…help, Izuku had more work to do than ever.
The day sped up and sludged on in increments, slowing when he stared at his watch or his phone willing the minutes by, but quickly when he was called to the front to help a customer with a particular request. Acquisitions were always fun for Izuku, fulfilling that specific need a customer had always sent a shiver of happiness and accomplishment through him.
Dark grey clouds dotted the deepened blue sky at 5 pm; the promise of snow tinted the air with a freshness that always felt like a splash of cold water to Izuku. Smiling brightly, and that had nothing to do with who he was about to meet in the restaurant down the street, he walked.
A woman greeted him with a polite bow and gestured toward the back of the restaurant where he had sat with Katsuki the night before but hadn't had the pleasure of tasting the food. Food that filled the air with aromas that had Izuku's mouth salivating in anticipation. He had purposefully snacked all day to better experience the food and his stomach gave him a growl he could almost hear over the delicate chatter of the room.
Katsuki rose to his feet as Izuku approached and Izuku almost stopped, thinking he had done something wrong.
"Hi?" He said instead. Katsuki seemed to only just realise he had risen to his feet, and he blushed, subtle enough that when he ducked his head and sat quickly, the blush was gone and Izuku thought he imagined it.
"Hey, nerd." Izuki slipped into the seat opposite him and all at once, Izuku was aware of how intimate the setting was. Was it that way last night? He couldn't remember, he was so blinded by anger toward the table of assholes. "I got us some sake, because I figured you might be cold- it looks cold out." Katsuki cleared his throat and gestured at untouched sake, steaming gently from the puckered lip of the container.
"Thanks." Izuku was sitting stock still on his side, his body fighting every urge to fidget. Katsuki poured the liquid delicately before he placed Izuku's cup closer to Izuku when Izuku didn't seem to shift.
"You okay in there?" Katsuki's eyes narrowed a little as he surveyed Izuku. Izuku inhaled and his body fell from its tensed muscles into a half hearted slouch.
"Sorry. Work today was-" Izuku didn't want to lie, he had a feeling Katsuki would know if he was lying, "-long."
"Did ya miss me?" Katsuki grinned in that self assured way that made Izuku's stomach swoop and he almost tensed up again. But this was happening, this was good, they were friends and Katsuki was beautiful and cute, complex and brilliant; the least Izuku could do is swallow his anxieties and apprehensions and dive.
Dive into dinner at least, without worrying about what was happening in his chest.
Anddd he was blushing. Katsuki's grin turned a little softer, and formed more into a smile. "Bottom's up, nerd."
"Kacchan, we shouldn't treat this like a shot-" Izuku's fingers had already begun to warm where it had closed onto the small cup. It was like holding light in his palm, warm and fuzzy; he hadn't realised he was cold at all until that moment.
"Didn't you just say that work was killin' ya?" Katsuki paused midway to his mouth to ask his question before he threw it back and poured one more. He exhaled and Izuku felt the air shift around him in the disturbance. "We're not shottin' the entire thing, but suit yourself, nerd. I ain't gonna force ya to loosen up."
Izuku swallowed, the length of Katsuki's neck when he tilted his head back to swig the liquid then the subsequent movement of his Adam's apple had made Izuku's mouth go dry, which, naturally, made him thirsty. Without much hesitation, he tilted it back and swallowed the now gently warm liquid so that it coated his throat and stirred heat in his belly. His stomach purred in protest; it wasn't food. Izuku opened his eyes after savouring the sharp and sweet flavour of the drink to find Katsuki's glittering red eyes on Izuku; like he was reading him.
Katsuki broke eye contact to pour another serving of sake into Izuku's empty cup and he cleared his throat, shifting nervously. Oh, Katsuki was nervous. Izuku grinned, the heat of the alcohol already going to his head and rounding the sharp edges of the day into a soft, pleasant sensation.
"What you grinnin' at?" Katsuki tilted his head and Izuku smiled.
"This is nice." Izuku didn't look away when he said it, even when his cheeks warmed and he knew he was blushing unabashedly. "You, you're nice."
"Psh, I am always nice." Katsuki tried to muster indignation, but he was blushing that light blush again, if Izuku blinked, he knew it would be gone, so he didn't.
"I believe you." Izuku was gentle with the words, because he wanted Katsuki to believe him too. Katsuki's eyes showed an unasked question when the first plates of food arrived. And their little bubble was burst by the bodies of the servers as they laid dish after dish on their now, decidedly, too small table.
"What did you order?" Izuku blustered as Katsuki looked a little sheepish at the display and thanked the servers who beamed at him, instead of the impression Izuku got yesterday when the server had scurried off after Katsuki greeted- or didn't greet them.
"I didn't. I just told Kazu not to murder your palette and left the rest to him." Katsuki shifted a plate nervously, it was filled with dumplings covered in a sauce that was glossy and brown with specks of green. Ginger, garlic, onions, spices and herbs literally filled the air so thickly, Izuku was sure it had made its way into his bloodstream via simply breathing it.
"What are we going to do with the rest of it?" Izuku counted around nine plates, two of which were saucer sized with a bowl in the middle, empty and ready to serve themselves their own food.
"I guess we can take it back to mine." Katsuki's face was furrowed as he thought, his eyes went a little unfocused and Izuku captured the expression in his mind because it was adorable. Then he registered Katsuki's words, about we, and back to mine . Just casually, just like that. "I don't recognise any of these. The fucker is experimenting on us." Katsuki finally looked up to see Izuku half buried behind the plates of food and his expression softened again. "Don't eat anythin' you don't wanna. I can't promise you it's all good, I just know I like the guy's food."
Without another word, Katsuki pulled one thing from each of the plates and either put it deftly into the saucer or the bowl which remained in one of his sturdy hands, his fingers rising like braces around the corners in a perfect fit to his palm. Izuku allowed himself one, then two seconds of staring before he followed Katsuki's lead and took exactly what he did.
When the food touched his tongue, it was immediately an explosion in his mouth. Every layer of flavour found the corners of his tongue that he now knew were undiscovered, because the sensations that zinged, the flavours that pressed into the surfaces of his tastebuds literally made him close his eyes and moan.
His eyes shot open at the sound- when had he closed his eyes?- and Katsuki was regarding him with such a curious look, Izuku almost forgot his embarrassment.
"Sorry." Izuku said with some difficulty as the food muffled his words. He swallowed. "This is really good."
"Yea, I know." Katsuki continued eating, one mouthful, then two, before he sipped his sake and leaned back, stretching, his food neglected. It took a stretch of three minutes, punctuated by Katsuki's sipping of sake before Izuku paused, food midway to his mouth and balancing on chopsticks.
"Aren't you going to eat more?" Izuku looked pointedly at the food.
"I ate a lot earlier today and I'm full. I'll take my time, don't ya worry y'pretty little head about it." Katsuki grinned and Izuku suddenly felt like someone was watching him strip. He sat back too, mirroring Katsuki and then for good measure, folded his arms.
"You can't just watch me eat, Kacchan." Izuku narrowed his eyes, attempting to look intimidating.
"Well, my date, I get to do that if I want to." Katsuki tilted his head in amusement at Izuku's show of defiance. Date . While Izuku's brain malfunctioned at the one little word, Katsuki rolled his eyes and huffed. "Fine, if you insist." Katsuki, albeit slowly, started eating again and at the same time a woman laughed and snapped Izuku out of his trance.
They ate in silence for the rest of the meal, only putting away about four servings before Izuku knew, had he decided to have more, there would be no purpose in wearing a belt. Katsuki paid the bill and the sake was done, the food was packed, and Kazu was standing there. It was like Izuku had blinked and the date was over. Date .
"Usually you're a chatty fucker. What's gotten into you?" Katsuki had his hand around the bags of food in take away containers. "Don't say work again, before I just leave your ass here."
"I promise to talk about it later?" Izuku shifted warily, noting the free hand that dangled at Katsuki's side and if Izuku really wanted to, he could reach out and grab it. It would show it was real, whatever this was that was only a kindling but had promise of a roaring fire. What if he grabbed Katsuki's hand and the blond ripped his hand out of his. That would ruin everything. More terrifyingly, what would happen if he grabbed Katsuki's hand and the man let him. Izuku swallowed.
His last relationship was so long ago that relationships felt like a foreign concept to Izuku. Then he had become more involved with Bookmarked and couldn't see past it or outside of it, and he was perfectly fine living like that. Plus, he couldn't really count his last relationship as a real one, since he had come to realise upon their breakup that he was not, in fact, in love with his highschool boyfriend. He just loved the idea of love.
Three years since his last relationship, one year since his last blind hook up. No wonder Izuku was so enamoured with Katsuki. Just holding his hand and pulling him along because he was a directionless dumb dumb was enough to tug at his heartstrings. It had nothing to do with his crush on Katsuki when they were growing up and then never being able to escape him even though they hadn't seen each other since they were 14. The UA festival was broadcast and everyone talked about him, and of course he was feral when a boy, Shouto, had refused to unleash his fire on him, instead settling for ice.
"Freakin' me out over there, with the far away look and no talkin'." Katsuki paused under a streetlamp, snow had dusted the streets but melted away in most places, white still caked the corners where wind had heaped it.
"Sorry." Izuku liked the way the light reflected in Katsuki's red eyes, it made it seem orange in the dark, even at five feet away. "I just- I'm not asking to define whatever we're doing." Izuku gestured to the space between them. "I just realised I like spending time with you. I don't know anyone like you."
"I'd fucking hope not. I'm one ofa kind." Katsuki half heartedly sucked his teeth and gave a half grin. Under the orange light, it was hard to tell if he was blushing.
"Well, yea, that's it." Izuku shrugged. "I don't know what I expect, I like doing whatever this is with you, and I haven't been in a relationship in forever."
"Why not?" Katsuki leaned against the post, the air wasn't overwhelming cold, Izuku was warm enough, and a wet droplet hit his cheek.
"I got caught up with the bookstore. And," Izuku dragged a hand through his hair and gave a lopsided smile. "I didn't like anyone, not like that, so I just didn't want a relationship."
"How long since ya had sex?" Katsuki asked casually, like they weren't just standing in the street with couples and people passing by. To be fair, it felt like it was him and Katsuki, alone under this lamp. Izuku blushed.
"I used to do hook ups, I think a year ago." Izuku started walking, not knowing what to do with himself to have this conversation so intimately and not be doing something felt like he was being exposed to the bone. Katsuki fell into step beside him.
"Hmm." Katsuki shoved his hands into his pockets while the plastic bag of take away food hung from his wrist. Hmm? That was all the response? He thought he would be relentlessly teased.
"I broke it off with Ochako because being a hero, we kinda drifted apart. She wanted to date someone else, and I- I just needed the optics and I'm just tired man. I'd choose not to date if I could, too." Katsuki's voice had gone soft and fatigued, like he was drifting to sleep.
"You can choose." Izuku said plainly. "Can't you?" Katsuki huffed, a tiny puff of air disappeared quickly into the wind.
"Haven't ya been payin' attention nerd? Everyone thinks I'm gonna be like that bastard and he and his wife split, his family was publicly a mess. If I wanna seem like the furthest thing from him, I gotta at least try to have a simple, nice relationship and be a good boy." Katsuki half rolled his eyes, and Izuku could tell his hands were fists in his pockets.
"Well, I'm here if you ever want to vent. You know where to find me." Izuku turned his back to the bookstore's door, not ready to say goodbye just yet. But Katsuki had kept walking and he stopped when he realised Izuku wasn't next to him. Katsuki's eyes narrowed in confusion and he tilted his head.
"Weren't ya comin' back to mine?" Katsuki stood on one hip and his body looked so long and commanding, Izuku almost joined him.
"I don't know, Kacchan. I'm- you're all in my head, and I don't want to push this." Izuku smiled sadly, because he realised Katsuki either hadn't been paying attention to Izuku's confessions, or he didn't understand.
"I ain't gonna bite ya." Katsuki laughed, his shoulders shaking with the sound and his teeth flashing in that grin that melted Izuku. "Not unless that's what ya into."
"You're going to get fed up with me if you keep spending time with me like this." Izuku stepped back and his back met the door. He didn't know why he was backing away, he was pretty far already. Katsuki sighed, a smile on his lips. He raised his hands like he was showing he was 'unarmed' and in a surrender kind of way, but he was smiling that smile and Izuku wanted to kiss him.
"Alright, listen. You don't come back home with me tonight, not that I expected anythin', just-" Katsuki laughed and passed his hand through his hair and grinned at Izuku, but he was definitely also blushing, "-sit on it, yea? I'll see you tomorrow, 'cause I'd really like to."
"You want to see me tomorrow?" Izuku felt a little numb. Or dumb. Depends. It was like he couldn't understand why Katsuki was spending this time with him.
"Sometimes I wonder how you're so thick when you're the smartest guy I know." Katsuki stepped toward Izuku and Izuku's back pressed more firmly against his door; he could feel Katsuki's breath on his face, warm in the chilly night air. "I'd like to see you because I wanna do more of this."
Izuku didn't have time to ask what, because Katsuki was kissing him. He gave a muffled sound of protest but melted when Katsuki's mouth opened against his and his tongue licked his lips. His knees almost couldn't hold him up and he was slumped against the door, propped by Katsuki's hand on his waist and neck. Izuku opened his mouth in response and he nipped at Katsuki's lip before the blond stepped back, his lips pink and abused, and also grinning.
"See ya tomorrow?" Katsuki was already retreating with the food slung over his shoulder like a jacket and a smirk that disappeared into the shadows.
Izuku had to take a cold shower that night, and Katsuki's name was used somewhere in there.
Should I bring anything? Izuku texted him the next morning. It was Saturday, Bookmarked was slow on Saturdays because most people passed by as an extension of their errands, but no one came to the bookstore as an errand. Ai and Daisuke would manage and Izuku trusted them; though he would admit it felt odd leaving them both while heading out to have fun.
Katsuki had just responded with one word, ' Yourself'.
Izuku had been in a daze since Katsuki had kissed him. It was proof that Katsuki wanted more, right? It wasn't all in Izuku's head and his confused feelings had become even more confused because if Katsuki wanted more, was Izuku ready for that? What were they even doing?
Katsuki was a public figure, which meant he actually had to choose wisely who he dated, who he would be seen with. But Katsuki kissed him, and said he wanted to see him again, and invited him over.
He went to the address Katsuki had sent him last night before bed and was surprised at the sheer size of the glass building in the city when he found it. He went up to the seventh floor and knocked on room 720; a wide dark wood door with a silver knocker, the whole place was like a hotel really with plush carpet and well lit hallways.
Izuku's heart was hammering in his chest, seconds had passed since he knocked and adrenaline spiked through him. This was worth it, he had convinced himself. He was going to pursue something with Katsuki Bakugou and see where it could go. Because he liked him. Not just the personality in the paper, or the boy he grew up with, not simple admiration anymore; Izuku truly liked him and who he was trying to be and could see that he was genuinely trying.
Katsuki opened the door. His red eyes were wild and when they found Izuku standing there, he froze.
"Izuku," Katsuki stepped into the hallway and shut the door so that a sliver of his apartment wall peeked through. Izuku's heart skipped in his chest, then his lungs tightened. A knife was twisting in his gut and working its steady, jagged way up his sternum; Katsuki was looking at him with regret. He regretted it. Of course he did. "I'm sorry, she came over today and I didn't have a chance to call-"
Izuku's eyes slipped to the wall of his apartment. His breathing had hitched. She? "Ochako?" His ears just barely picked up the sound of soft footsteps.
"No, listen, I'll explain. I promise-" Katsuki reached out to Izuku and Izuku stepped back.
"Katsuki?" A woman's voice reverberated like she was on stage and it tunnelled further into Izuku's chest, twisting the knife there so that pain shot through him like electricity. Katsuki's eyebrows came together and his eyes refused to meet Izuku's.
"I'll be right there, Camie." Katsuki said into the crack of the doorway.
"I'm sorry." Izuku apologised without having a conscious thought to do it. Katsuki whipped to attention, his eyes focusing again on Izuku's face but still flitting, not settling on his eyes.
"Nothin' to apologize for. I'll text ya later, okay?" Katsuki sounded urgent, but Izuku had gone numb.
"Yea, Kacchan. Later." Izuku turned back to the elevator and he could feel Katsuki's eyes on him the entire time. He couldn't bring himself to look at him; Katsuki's door never shut, even as the elevator swallowed him.