*Izuku*

Izuku had to admit, having two studios now freed up his workload. He needed to hire another photographer for the studio to replace Iida who had moved to head the second studio, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Being tired, being occupied so completely with either shooting, or editing, or going to the gym and then starting all over again, was all that Izuku could do to stay sane. Giving that to someone else might be the last straw and break him with boredom. He even started playing games online, but it was so confusing sometimes that he would just put it down and never really progress.

Izuku knew what he was missing and he was just not ready to go back to it. His hair had grown out. Broccoli head, the stupid phrase, repeated in his head as he combed his fingers through it. Maybe if he ever decided to try his hand at photographing himself, he'd consider getting his hair cut. He knew where Red Riot was. Plus there was always Maps.

Shouto had kept his promise and they now shared dinner most nights, though a little late. Izuku had taken to cooking a little; using more protein based foods because he had so much time at home. It started with eggs, then he moved on to baking chicken breasts, then gradually added veggies he liked. It was all bland, most of the time, but it was edible. Helped his muscles too, because he was getting tired of drinking protein shakes.

When he was wandering around a shopping mall after a gym session, a knife set caught his eye and he almost bought it. Instead, he went home and bought a much smaller, cheaper set. One he wouldn't feel too badly about neglecting them and how he would use them poorly.

The gym often felt empty, even when people teemed through the place. The treadmill beside him was being used by the wrong person.

Tonight, Izuku tried to make a more seasoned version of his baked chicken, and he thought it turned out pretty okay. He set two plates and put them in the oven to keep warm, then he packed the rest away. The fridge was filled with a weird assortment of containers, and most times before, Izuku wouldn't know what they contained.

Then he edited photos, waiting for the door to click and let him know Shouto was finally home.

He was almost through a whole set of photos of a cute family who did an annual shot the same time every year before the door opened and the tell tale shuffle at the door announced Shouto's return. Izuku rose to his feet, ignored the tingling in his legs that had fallen asleep because of his poor posture and sitting position and wobbled outside to greet him.

Shouto walked to him and wrapped his arms tightly around him, a full body hug that told Izuku that something was wrong. Izuku gripped his back and held him there, waiting. Shouto smelled faintly of coffee and smoke, like cigarettes. It wasn't strong, so it was probably Touya or Enji.

"Izuku." Shouto finally said. Izuku could hear the pain in his voice, the fear. It immediately made him feel like someone died.

"Is everyone okay?" Izuku asked, forgetting that he was going to let him speak when he was ready.

"Yes, everyone's fine. But, we fucked up." Shouto said.

"Fucked up?" Izuku asked. He pulled away, arms still around his partner's torso with reassuring pressure, and looked up at Shouto who looked to be avoiding his eyes. He ignored the we part of that statement, because Izuku didn't fuck up anything, not today anyway.

"The All for One studio, I don't know what happened, but a big client got pissed and shit all over our ratings. It's- it definitely damaged our reputation. I fucked up. I'm sorry." Shouto said. He braced, kind of recoiled even as he was being held by Izuku and Izuku swallowed his thoughts.

He was tempted to say 'this is why we shouldn't have', but it didn't matter. It was already done. The second studio, All for One, was open and it fucked with One for All's rating too. It already happened.

"Is there anything we can do about it?" Izuku asked. Positivity instead. Shouto's eyes looked shocked for a second and he gave a watery smile.

"No refunds, plus they didn't like, like nitpicky things." Shouto said. He was tired, full body exhausted like Izuku sometimes felt when he went too long at the gym, running on the treadmill and ignoring the muscles screaming for reprieve.

"Let me reshoot whatever it is." Izuku suggested. "I can do it, it won't cost much, we can do it at One for All. No extra charge. I'll have it done in no time. Maybe it could reverse the damage."

Shouto smiled, not quite comforted but hope gleamed through his glassy eyes and he blinked as though trying to soothe them from burning under threat of tears.

"Hey, we're partners right?" Izuku said. "We'll figure it out together."

Shouto tightened his grip on Izuku's back and pressed his forehead to Izuku's, then let out a long sigh. A soft exhale of laughter followed.

"You know, I thought you would -" Shouto said. He shook his head. "Nevermind."

His face brightened, his fear dissipated from his face. "What's for dinner?"

Izuku walked with him to the kitchen, pulled a bottle of wine that was tucked away in the cupboard, not caring that it was red and being paired with chicken. He poured a tall glass for Shouto and a little for himself and then got the food from the oven.

It was a good meal.

*Katsuki*

Wind touched his scalp and tingled the top of his head. A new sensation Katsuki had to get used to and not immediately want to swat away someone's invisible hand. He was on his way to the gym, a new gym. But still during the day for safety's sake. He was making a lot of effort to put some space between himself and Izuku.

Between himself and everyone really. He was out more often now with Kirishima, now that he was newly single himself. Kirishima never hooked up with anyone though, but Katsuki would take home or go home with a different person every time they went there.

He even hooked up with an older man, long hair and scruffy beard. It was the first time in a long time he had agreed to be bottom. The man whose name he didn't remember had a lot of cats, and one woke Katsuki the next morning by walking over his face. The man was snoring softly, his hair spread across the pillow. Katsuki could see his bite and nail marks along his body and smirked.

While his body was pleasantly sore from the experience, no matter how many times he hooked up with strangers, he still didn't know what he was missing. He knew he didn't want to model right now. He was okay with going to the gym and having his muscles scream at him in pain.

The buzz cut with a one inch height atop his head and fade that Kirishima had given him helped a little, until he got used to its newness and immediately felt himself fall back into what felt like depression. But Katsuki had been worse before so he pulled himself out of it and kept himself busy.

Cooking, gyming, clubbing, running, hiking, rock climbing, endless cycle of random hobbies that didn't all go back to modelling. On the way from the stranger's house and to his own, he passed by a camera store and his eyes lingered on a sale item of a camera similar to One for All's. He contemplated buying it, but the store was closed, because it was apparently 4 am.

Cats were little shits.

His phone buzzed in his pocket against his thigh. The screen lit up in the dark, too bright and sudden and Katsuki squinted, halted on the sidewalk on the abandoned street.

'Hey, you cook right?''
-Deku

Shit. In his squinting, his finger had accidentally touched it and opened it. The message now stared back at him on the app, and Izuku would see the two blue ticks.

Katsuki's chest had tightened painfully and he forced himself to inhale and exhale until it loosened. He was avoiding him so astutely, and here this idiot was. On his phone. Katsuki looked at the top right and saw it was 4:23 am and he was messaging him now?

'Sorry, did I wake you?'
-Deku

Katsuki groaned. He didn't close it, so two blue ticks now inevitably accompanied that message on Izuku's end. His fingers hovered awkwardly and he was suddenly aware of the random sounds of litter tumbling across the hard surface of the road. There was an eerie quietness and stillness around him.

'Just, I saw you had these awesome chef knives, so I thought, waw, Kacchan must cook!'
-Deku
'Sorry to bother you.'
-Deku
'Goodnight Kacchan.'
-Deku

Katsuki groaned in frustration.

"Why the fuck did they update the fucking app so that it shows when someone has read your messages?" Katsuki cursed into the silent night air. He was sure there were people who'd assume an intoxicated person was walloping in the streets.

Plus, Izuku wasn't giving him a chance to respond! Just like in real life, virtual Izuku managed to find a way to mutter mutter mutter. Did Katsuki even want to respond? The dull pain in his ribcage insisted that he did.

'Hey dipshit. You didn't wake me. Yea I cook. What you want?'
-Katsuki
'Also, if you could just be a patient fucker, stop assumin shit'
-Katsuki
'I'm on my way home, message in a bit'
-Katsuki

He could not give him a chance to respond too! Two can play at that game. He didn't know why he added that last bit. He didn't owe Izuku that explanation. It was fucking 4 in the morning! He shouldn't be messaging anyone at that hour. But, it felt nice.

'Message in a bit' meant they would keep talking. And judging by the dull stab in his chest, he needed to feel nice.

'I'd ask why you're out at 4 am, but you won't tell me anyway. Don't beat up your muggers too bad, okay? Ttys'
-Deku

The stab was now accompanied by uncomfortable fluttering. A smile broke across Katsuki's face as he tucked his phone into his pockets, keeping his hands there as he made the trek back home.