"We're closed." Izuku said automatically. He shook his head as if to shake his just spoken words into nonexistence and stepped aside. For a moment, Katsuki stood frozen unsure whether to come in or expect the door to shut in his face. Izuku gestured, embarrassment and defiance mixing into a huge, uncomfortable ball in his stomach and around his heart. "It's fine, come in before someone sees you." Izuku muttered the words half wishing they hadn't slipped out of him.

He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't excited that Katsuki was here. He wanted Katsuki to chase after him in that dramatic way he had read in one too many romance novels. But he also felt like Katsuki was a day too late.

His mortification from yesterday hadn't quite faded, in fact, it was swelling into a proverbial elephant in the room, the sheer size of it. All because Katsuki came to Bookmarked to see him, instead of pretending it never happened like he hoped the hardheaded man would comply with.

Izuku wrapped his arms around himself as the last of the draft from outside was shut off with the click of the door. Katsuki hesitated before he turned the lock with a click of finality.

"I know- I know you don't," Katsuki dragged a hand through his hair, his eyes flitted from Izuku's face to now everything but his eyes. Katsuki couldn't look at him. Izuku wasn't the only one embarrassed here. He inhaled deeply and plowed on. "I know you don't owe me anything. I know it's been a while-"

"Almost a year, Kacchan." Izuku said quietly. He wasn't mad. Katsuki didn't owe him anything either, maybe an apology for ignoring him, but Katsuki didn't owe him anything now . They didn't owe each other anything. One night stands were one night stands for a reason. Being childhood friends, while that complicated it, didn't change that.

"I know. I was an idiot." Katsuki chewed on his lip. Izuku tried not to look at the swollen mouth which told him Katsuki had been chewing on his lip recently, a lot. And he tried not to stare at his too long canines that snagged sometimes without him trying. "I got the messages when Eijirou forced me to listen to them-"

"You had to be forced?" Izuku kept his eyes on Katsuki now, trying to understand where this was going. He wanted him, he wanted all that Katsuki had become to him. But the old wounds of it all felt raw and exposed and he wasn't sure he was ready for it, whatever this it was.

Katsuki winced and grinned bashfully. "I get really angry and pig headed sometimes."

"I know." Izuku smiled despite his conflicted insides. "I like that about you." That bit had slipped without him meaning to, but Katsuki looked at him and blushed so sweetly, Izuku thought it was worth the embarrassment.

"I hadn't deleted the messages, I had just screened your number so it went away." Katsuki's hands were fists in his pockets, Izuku could see it and the flex of his forearms under the thin surface of the shirt. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to them sooner," Katsuki inhaled, the words coming faster now, "I fucked up, I'm sorry. By the time I did listen to them, it had been months and I didn't think you'd wanna hear from me."

"You'd have been right, I didn't." Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. "You accused me of something so horrible, Kacchan."

"I know. I know you'd never do that to me. I just," Katsuki's eyes looked a little glassy, his eyebrows pinched slightly in the middle as his expression turned to poorly hidden pain, "Camie hurt me and I didn't trust anyone. And I opened myself up to you like that so soon, for the relationship to just be thrown into the spotlight like that. I thought-"

Izuku watched as he brushed his hand against his eyes, he didn't see any tears, but he didn't like that Katsuki was hurting. Katsuki swallowed.

"I didn't think, to be honest. I just- felt . I thought you were like everyone else and I'm sorry. Because you're not like them, Izuku. You're nothing like anyone I've ever known and you've been in my life this whole time. I was just an idiot." Katsuki was panting noiselessly. His chest rising and dropping, and Izuku thought he could see the beat of Katsuki's anxious heart but he realised it was his own.

"I think it's a bad idea." Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, to get the words out while not looking at him, because he thought it would hurt him and he didn't want to hurt Katsuki. "We- us, jumping into anything like this."

"You're right." Katsuki shocked Izuku into looking up at him. Their eyes met and Katsuki's ruby stare looked settled; like he expected those specific words.

"So, what was the goal, Kacchan?" Izuku shifted from one foot to the next wishing he wasn't standing in the middle of the store with nothing to lean against or sit on, in basically a shift and boxers. And he didn't want to move, their energies were already taut and stifling in the store.

"What was your goal in coming to my press conference?" Katsuki bounced the question back at him, he sounded like he was teasing, but he also sounded more curious than anything.

"I swear," Izuku waved at the air, "I came to see your face and celebrate with you like any other fan. I wasn't planning on-"

"Eavesdropping on a pro hero?" Katsuki interrupted, smirking slightly. Izuku blushed.

"I didn't know I was eavesdropping." Izuku's hands gestured in small wild motions, as if that somehow helped demonstrate his innocence. "I thought you saw me and meant for me to come back there."

Katsuki scrubbed a hand through his hair, his cheeks pinkening. "I thought I did see you, but I thought you hated me and wouldn't be caught dead at the agency." Katsuki chanced a glance at Izuku who was staring unabashedly. Izuku took a small breath trying to relieve the tightness in his chest.

"I don't hate you." He said after an aeon of silence. Katsuki chuckled a little nervously. Izuku loved this side of him, the sides he only saw sometimes when they were growing up, and a year ago when they had started to reknow each other. He was gentle, and kind, and cared how he made Izuku feel. Izuku levelled him with a wide eyed stare, innocently intaking every one of Katsuki's features. He breathed again, the tightness in his chest loosened slightly. "I never hated you."

Katsuki shifted, like he was about to walk toward him. It would only take three short steps. Their eyes locked, and Izuku was aware of his heartbeat as it drummed loudly in his ears, his chest heaved. Katsuki's was too. He took a step toward Izuku, Izuku's head tilted slightly to look up at him.

Katsuki's eyes flickered to Izuku's mouth and Izuku knew he was thinking about kissing him. And Izuku wanted to kiss him so badly, he could already taste him. He could feel his body leaning toward him like gravity. He could hear Katsuki's shallow breaths.

He was just a friend. It meant nothing . Katsuki's voice echoed inside his head and he flinched. The moment was broken and he stumbled a half step back. Katsuki didn't miss the movement, he looked slightly mortified. He opened his mouth, Izuku could see the word sorry forming.

"Can we be friends?" Izuku blurted out. Katsuki's mouth closed like a fish. His head tilted as he considered Izuku's words.

"I don't wanna be friends." He was frowning slightly. Izuku realised he was being honest, and honest Katsuki wasn't odd except, this was Katsuki baring his feelings so it wouldn't be misunderstood.

"That's all I could do right now." Izuku said quietly, a sliver of guilt writhed its way into the pain in his chest.

"I was horrible, I know. That was me at my worst, and you've witnessed me at my worst twice now." Katsuki looked to be in physical agony; rooted in spot and trying desperately to move forward. "Please give me a shot, I promise there won't be a third time."

"I know there won't, Kacchan." Izuku gave him a smile and he saw Katsuki's heart break a little. "But, we can't do this again. You need to trust me, and I need space."

"We had a year of space." Katsuki didn't sound like he was arguing. Izuku could recognise that now. But he did sound like he had the wind knocked out of him and he was trying to make sense of it all. Katsuki was really trying.

"We can do a little while of friendship, I think." Izuku stepped toward him after weighing the risks of doing it. He needed Katsuki to consider this. "If you leave again, I don't think I could survive it. And Kacchan," Kastuki's eyes softened at the nickname, "I can't be your secret, I want to be known as yours ."

"I guess it's just like me to push my luck with you." Katsuk's expression was transforming slowly into one of excitement. "Okay, let's give friendship a go."

Izuku grinned, he almost couldn't see Katsuki with the force of his cheeks closing his eyes. "Thank you."

"Uh, I'll give you your space." Katsuki ran a hand through his hair before it settled on the back of his neck. "Just, text me when you can and I'll be there." Katsuki walked to the door, his fingers on the lock. The air was suddenly cold again with Katsuki further away. Katsuki dug his free hand into his pocket and presented his fist. Izuku opened his palm so Katsuki could press the small box into his palm. "In the meantime, here's an early Christmas present."

Excitement welled inside of him, despite the heaviness of their conversation with so much feelings bouncing around the room. "Can I hug you?" Izuku asked as he held the box close to him. He didn't know if they trusted each other to hug, but he really wanted to hug him. Katsuki smiled and nodded. Izuku wondered how he ever thought that smirk was anything but beautiful.

When he sank against Katsuki, he propped his chin onto his shoulder and turned his nose into the nape of his neck, inhaling softly the woody, smoky scent of him. He could feel Katsuki doing the same into the side of his head and for a second, when his fingers closed around Katsuki's back and wrapped around his clothes, he thought he would never pull away. But he did.