*Izuku*

Izuku had sent that text on a whim. He was frustrated, kind of wanted to vent to someone, had no one to turn to, hated tweeting into a void, and instead finally fell more toward needing to see Katsuki than the need to avoid him.

He had just cuddled Shouto until he fell asleep and slipped from bed and huddled into the dining room, making a perch of the dining chair. Izuku was tired. Emotionally, he was a mess, mentally he was exhausted. Physically, his body was rushing with adrenaline that came pumping through him in fury when he thought about the second studio he didn't want flopping and bringing down his hard work in exactly the way he had warned Shouto about.

With a glass of rose sweating onto the table, he swiped through his social media feeds mindlessly trying to laugh at cute animals. His stomach grumbled because it was stimulated by his two glasses of wine. There were leftovers, but that required effort. He wished there were fast food places that delivered past whatever time it was.

He saw an angry pomeranian and immediately thought of Katsuki, and without thinking, he opened Katsuki's chat window and typed.

'Hey, you cook right?''
-Izuku

The ticks went blue almost immediately and Izuku felt his chest do a painful hiccup. He realised what he had sent, who he had sent it to, and then glanced at the time. It was 4:23 am. Shit, shit, shit.

'Sorry, did I wake you?'
-Izuku

"Fucking lame, stupid Deku." he muttered to himself and curled more into himself on the dining room chair. His glass of wine was warm now, and condensation pooled thickly at the base of the stem.

The ticks went blue again, he had the window open. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was open on his desktop, maybe...maybe… he couldn't find any more explanations. Swallowing a gulp, then holding his breath, he typed in quick succession.

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

There, that should be good enough. He won't think anything about it when he sees it later. Grey ticks turned blue one after the other and the panic he had in his chest simmered. It was probably opened accidentally. It was after 4 am. He would be asleep, surely, and he must have booped it with his finger.

Katsuki
is typing…

Izuku's shoulders tensed.

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

Izuku let out a breath and laughed. It was either relief or the fact that Katsuki responded at 4 am to a random message from him. He thought Katsuki was avoiding him just as much as he had been avoiding him.

The back of his head met the chair and he smiled at the ceiling, his body felt warm and floaty; a mixture of the alcohol and maybe because Katsuki was actually responding and not ignoring him like he thought he would.

Katsuki's words repeated again in his head, on my way home , and his stomach flipped. He was out all night? Was he alright? Izuku laughed, of course he was, it was Katsuki. He also said 'message in a bit' which meant he wanted to keep talking. They were okay, talking like normal people.

Finally, he tapped out a response without giving himself a chance to overthink it.

'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'
-Izuku

Talk to you soon. Simple. It meant he wanted to keep talking too.

About half an hour later, his phone pinged, rousing him from the table and the half drunk glass of wine. His neck hurt from the awkward position and his palm was wet where the condensation from the glass seeped toward him. In his sleepiness, he picked up his phone and collapsed into bed, already too aware that he wouldn't get enough rest.

The first thing he always did as he rose in the morning was check his phone. And once he had, even though he had slept for only three hours after permitting himself an hour longer in bed, his heart beat so fast that his brain stirred awake at an alarming rate and his breaths came in little pants as though he rose from a nightmare. But this was more like a dream.

'I'm home, what do you need to know about cooking?'
-Kacchan

Izuku hadn't seen that, so he didn't respond. And just under it were words that made him blush and he was glad for Shouto's board meetings on a Saturday.

'Sweet dreams, nerd.'
-Kacchan

Izuku rolled over in place and pressed his face deep into the pillow. His head throbbed dully from dehydration and last night's alcohol. He peeked at his phone and smiled.

'Glad you're safe, Kacchan. I've started cooking, but I can only do meat and veg with basic shit. Help?'
-Izuku

Izuku assumed he would sleep in, if he was on his way home after 4 am in the morning, it meant he was tired. And seeing as his career as a model is on pause, Katsuki had every right to take liberties and sleep in.

Blue ticks almost immediately. Fuck.

' Hey, sure. Come over'
-Kacchan

A hiccup escaped Izuku's throat as his mind played on repeat what had happened or didn't happen the last time he was at his apartment. And what he possibly was maybe probably starting to feel for Katsuki. He weighed the danger.

Shouto was very much still his only focus, the only man he wanted. Shouto was the perfect partner and understood everything about Izuku, so when Izuku thought about the idea of physically touching someone else in a romantic way, it was enough to make him nauseous.

He couldn't do it. And with that decision made, the fact that he couldn't cheat and that he wasn't interested in Katsuki like that , he just liked that they were getting past whatever rut they had gotten into because of each of their failures with teaching and learning photography or modelling was finally not important.

'Sure, I might take a while on bike. Is lunch good?'
-Izuku

'Dumbass, I don't got all day. I'll come get you.'
-Kacchan

'No, don't do that. You're already going to teach me to cook'
-Izuku

'Be there in 35 mins. Put some pants on'
-Kacchan

"What is happening?" Izuku asked himself out loud. He dragged his too heavy body- slow from lack of water in his system- to the bathroom. There, he splashed water on his face, needed more so he showered in cold water to wake himself and rid himself of the stink of stale alcohol in his pores, then brushed his teeth. He palmed the back of his hair and it was long enough again to curl around his fingers.

Had it been that long since they saw each other? Weeks? His hair didn't matter because this was about cooking and not self portraits and his confidence; at least that's what he tried to convince himself of.

A horn honked in two quick pops that called his attention and Izuku felt his heart jump to his throat. Was this going to be too weird? Maybe he was in over his head. It's his bully, things got weird, nothing was talked out.

This is the time to talk it out if ever there was a time , he thought. What should I tell Shouto?

He stared at his phone and texted that he would be out for the day and hoped they could catch dinner together.

Shouto sent him a kissy emoji, the one with a heart and Izuku felt his cheeks warm. This was fine. He loved Shouto.

Before Katsuki could press the horn again, Izuku skipped down the stairs to him and hopped into the car so fast that he looked out of breath. Izuku flashed a grin after he shut the door and reached for the seatbelt.

"Hey, Kacchan."

"Hey, nerd." Katsuki said, his smile lopsided and resembling a sneer. Izuku stared. All his hair was gone. The spikes, the wildness, it was tamed. Like a well groomed lawn, short uneven spikes rose from the top of his head. He wanted to touch it. In his ears hung a long red chain from a stud like a plug in his ear, and a spike went through the other.

"What? Somethin' on my face?" Katsuki asked, passing his hand across his face then glancing at himself in the rearview.

"Your hair." Izuku said softly.

"It'll grow back." Katsuki said. He put the car in drive and rolled into the street. "Up to a market run?"

"Um -" Izuku said. "I guess? We're cooking so that makes sense."

"Where d'you get your produce?" Katsuki asked.

"I literally started cooking like two weeks ago. I go to the grocery like everyone else." Izuku said, fighting an indignant rise in his pitch of voice.

Katsuki laughed, his incisor snagging his lip before he glanced over at Izuku and away again. "I'll show you where t' go then."

"Okay, Kacchan." Izuku said. And Izuku swore he saw Katsuki's shoulders relax, and his own followed suit. They drove in silence to a place Izuku was only familiar with when he and Shouto visited a sushi place near the water, the best sushi and cold soba the city had.

Katsuki parked the car with a familiar ease and knowledge of the too crowded place. As Izuku opened the door, wafts of smells came at him from all directions, travelling in the sea wind. It was the unmistakable smell of a wharf, fish and people and a sweet rot that often came with produce markets. In one direction, Izuku could see fruits and veggies lining the streets, in another, meats and fish slung across ice or live fish in water tubs. People walked in pairs or alone, bustling against each other's shoulders to get their early morning Saturday market supplies.

Exhaustion that Izuku's limbs had known from the night before had now vanished and he felt excitement rise and extend to his fingertips. He started bouncing in place and glanced up to find Katsuki looking at him, the shadow of a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

"Meat and veg, right?" Katsuki asked. Izuku nodded. "Let's get the meat first, veg last." And he strode off to the more pungent smelling side of the market and almost disappeared amongst the bodies before Izuku caught up to him.

"I don't know here, what happens if I lose you?" Izuku said, maybe a little too loud because a couple people threw glances at them.

"You have your phone, yea?" Katsuki asked. Izuku felt a wave of stupidity wash over him. Right.

But the crowd was still too much and not long after, Izuku lost sight of Katsuki's shoulders and short hair. He pulled out his phone and was about to call when someone grabbed his wrist.

"Literally, leave it to you to get lost immediately after we talk about it." Katsuki said through his teeth. He didn't sound angry but Izuku flinched anyway. Katsuki's fingers eased their grip when he saw Izuku flinch.

"But you found me." Izuku said with a smile. He would attempt to put Katsuki at ease, he saw those moments when he wasn't tensed or watching how to be around Izuku and Izuku wanted him to be okay. Attempt to be friends.

"I'll pull you by your wrist, that okay?" Katsuki asked. Izuku was now very aware of how this felt like holding hands but it wasn't. His palm itched to feel Katsuki's own press to his skin but he just nodded. Katsuki sucked his teeth making a sharp tch sound. "God, you're like a puppy on a leash."

"I am not!" Izuku said, again too loudly, because the stall attendant beside them glanced sideways and his eyebrows shot up.

"Oh, what asshole? Have something to say?" Katsuki spat at the man who then scurried away with a scared glance at Katsuki.

"Hey, be nice. I was just annoying as usual." Izuku said.

"No, dipshit. He had a problem with this ." Katsuki said, and to emphasize his point, he raised his hand that held onto Izuku's wrist.

"Oh." Izuku said.

"Let's go." Katsuki said. And he tugged Izuku through the sea of bodies, their arms still in contact. Every now and then Katsuki's fingers would tighten around his wrist but then relaxed again. Soon enough they stopped and Izuku almost ran flush into his back.

"Okay, Deku. You wanna do what you know - which I assume is chicken or somethin' - or do you wanna try a protein you haven't yet?" Katsuki asked. Someone pushed against Izuku and he stumbled into Katsuki's back anyway.

"Sorry." he said, muffled as he tried to maneuver to Katsuki's side. For that instant, the smell of musty burnt maple and earth had held him in a soft bubble and it didn't feel too bad being sandwiched between people.

"You good?" Katsuki asked, it was almost a growl. He didn't look at Izuku but kept his eyes scanning the various meats in front of him.

"I- yea. I want to try something new." Izuku said, a little breathless.

"Okay, let's do one beef, one pork. You like pork cutlets, right?" Katsuki asked. He began pointing and holding up fingers, then the stall attendant deftly wrapped the selected meats in brown paper.

"I do." Izuku said, surprised he paid attention enough to remember.

"I feel like doing fish for dinner. Let's go." Katsuki gave the man money so quickly, Izuku was having a hard time keeping up. Then Katsuki's fingers were around his wrist again and tugged him away. They came to a stop about four stalls down and Katsuki pointed and held up some fingers again, the attendant wrapped a whole fish and he paid.

Izuku watched Katsuki in fascination. He was rich, or well off enough that he could take all this time off. He did his own shopping and knew exactly what he wanted to boot.

"Nerd, you okay?" Katsuki asked. He was asking Izuku that a lot, maybe he looked tired. Izuku shook his head in a yes and opened his eyes too wide in an effort to not look tired but he imagined he looked deranged because Katsuki furrowed his brow.

"Crowd too much for you?" he asked.

"No, just you -" and Izuku felt a sharp jab to his back and had the wind knocked from him. He felt hands steady him then pull him by his wrist and into a small space, a respite from the crowd.

"You hurt?" Katsuki asked, his hands fumbling across Izuku's back but then quickly pulling away.

"I'm fine, it was nothing. You've hit me harder." Izuku said, an attempt at a joke but Katsuki flinched. Izuku raised his hands and waved them frantically. "I was kidding! I'm fine, promise. Where to next?"

"I want to make a broth, you need to know spices and flavour combos, and we can get basic veggies." Katsuki said, his voice unusually gentle, like he was wounded. Izuku was about to ask but before he had a moment to think, Katsuki was pulling him through the crowd again, weaving in and through people, the meat in a big reusable bag that he held close to his body.

It was a blur, bodies and spices and aromas and veggies all passing him in a blend of colours and too much information all at once while trying to stay clear of people's elbows and swinging bags, plus the occasional restocking of stalls which were heavy crates being wheeled in on trolleys.

Izuku felt ablaze with the experience, it was something new! Away from his photography, and gym, and editing in his apartment or the sad grocery, this was something brand new. With an abundance of information and completely different to what his usual routine looked like. And he liked it.

When they had finally got leeks and onions, a weird looking rice and some beans, various aromats and spices, Izuku tried to take the bag from Katsuki who only half sneered and pulled him through the crowd again until his red car came into view. With some maneuvering, they slid into their respective seats and Katsuki pushed the now too full market bag into the back seat.

He smelled of musk and sea, the hint of smoke and earthiness that sometimes clung to freshly washed vegetables. Izuku was grinning.

"You get hit in the head?" Katsuki asked.

"This was fun!" Izuku said. He was aware that the bracelet that Katsuki's fingers had made now left an empty feeling space on his skin and he rubbed it absentmindedly.

"Yea, it's one of my favourite things t' do." Katsuki said. And he carefully rolled the car until they were into the free road and away from people.

"Were you coming here today anyway?" Izuku asked. "Without me, I mean."

"Yea, Saturday's a good day for most fresh stuff. The earlier the better, 'cause you could avoid that crowd." Katsuki said. He jabbed a thumb at the bodies swarming behind them.

"Sorry, Kacchan. I made you late." Izuku said, but he was still smiling, his cheeks had a dull ache from smiling too much.

"It was fun." Katsuki said. He was staring determinedly ahead and driving carefully. They weren't far from the food stall district and pulled into Katsuki's apartment complex garage in ten minutes. Ten minutes of comfortable silence. Izuku squirmed. He wanted to apologize for his behaviour that night, and for leaving just a note. He needed to say something, but they seemed to be okay, they were doing okay, he didn't want to spoil it. He already hurt him by making the hitting joke earlier.

Before Katsuki could get his hands on the market bag, Izuku had grabbed it and refused to release it when Katsuki tugged at it.

"Fuck it, you dumbass. Before we rip the damned thing, let's go." Katsuki said with a scoff and he strode off angrily to the elevator in the dark corner of the complex. Izuku grinned at his victory.

The knives that had been carefully tucked away were now hung carefully on the wall in an impressive display. They looked shiny, clean, too sharp.

"That's new." Izuku said as Katsuki locked his door behind him and Izuku slid the market bag on the woefully small countertop. He began to unpack.

"Yea, I installed it when I moved back in here." Katsuki said. "Easier access, healthier for the knives."

"You're living here?" Izuku asked.

"Yea, long story." Katsuki said. Izuku didn't pry, but curiosity ate at him. He tried not to dwell on whether that meant Katsuki was single or not, because the fact of the matter was that Izuku wasn't single. But he wanted to be there for his friend if he was hurting. It was almost convincing enough but Izuku swallowed his queries and hoped Katsuki would tell him on his own.

"Well, thanks for having me over, I guess?" Izuku said.

"I'm bored out of my mind, this was just something to do." Katsuki said. He was next to Izuku now, methodically placing things in an order that used the counter space to its fullest potential. Then as soon as he was done, he started putting things into the fridge, just the things they wouldn't be using right away.

"We'll start with these." he said, pointing to the various vegetables and meat still resting on the counter. And Izuku felt a tight knot in his stomach as he looked up at Katsuki who was all too close in this too small kitchen. And he was fine with it.

Quickly enough, Izuku realised he was out of his depth and retreated to a stool on the perimeter of the kitchen and watched Katsuki carefully as he worked through ingredients, chopping them precisely one size then another, everything uniform and methodically put into containers.

"It's called mise en place , get all your stuff ready before you put anythin' on the heat and the cookin' goes faster." Katsuki said without looking up from his carefully curled fingers as his knife blade made rhythmic sounds against the chopping board. "Do you wanna try?"

Izuku eyed the knife and watched as it effortlessly cut through anything it touched and shivered. He was barely used to his own, let alone that one.

"Um, next time?" Izuku asked. "I can observe now, do one later?"

"Okay. If you have questions, try not to be annoyin' with 'em." Katsuki said. Izuku thought his neck looked red, but maybe it was just the colour of his earrings or something. Optical illusion.

So, Izuku observed. And then the kitchen grew warmer as the stove tops were turned on for use, he watched Katsuki's unflinching movements as things hit hot oil in the pans and they pitched angrily at any wet contact.

The room was filled with aromas, onions being caramelized and the addition of garlic made Izuku's stomach grumble in need. He was happy for the sound of sizzling and the overhead fan that sucked the steam of the pots into a vent.

The smell of the vegetables that were being roasted in a mixture of seasonings and spices Izuku would have never thought to use was perfuming the entire room. There was a big heavy looking pan that smoked with the shimmer of hot oil before Katsuki pressed into the pan the slab of steak, and smoke erupted where it seared. It reminded Izuku of the smokiness that clung to Katsuki whenever he was close enough that Izuku could smell him.

He studied Katsuki's furrowed brows whenever he was concentrating on tossing something. He took note of the way everything had its place in the tiny kitchen and that there was even space for the cooked food to go once it was done.

"Get yourself a rice cooker, Deku. You don't gotta worry about watchin' it or it overflowin'." Katsuki said, his back still to Izuku, his muscles moving as he lifted pans to toss it or stirred their contents.

"Okay, Kacchan." Izuku said, because he wanted Katsuki to know he was listening.

Katsuki was perfect at this. He could have maybe worked in a restaurant , Izuku thought. Because he just looked so at home.

The towel slung across his left shoulder was stained various colours for the spices and vegetables, maybe a little red from the beef juices. Izuku watched as his fingers touched what had to be scorching hot meat as he turned it on the cutting board to study it, poking it for a reason Izuku didn't know yet. He'd ask later.

It felt like he was spying, but Katsuki made no objection to his staring and Izuku didn't ask any questions.

"You better be payin' attention nerd, I'm quizzin' you on this." Katsuki said. And he looked up from his steak and flashed a grin at Izuku who was immediately flustered by the sudden attention.

He couldn't muster a coherent sentence and instead mumbled something he himself wasn't sure he said. Katsuki sucked his teeth and looked away, then started clearing up his space and setting the cooked food to the little eating table in the corner of the room.

Izuku's mouth watered as the aromas passed by him, his eyes following Katsuki as he steadied the plates and bowls of food.

"I have a question." Izuku asked suddenly, surprising himself. He got off the stool and followed Katsuki the five steps it took to get to the dining table for two. Katsuki looked up after placing the dishes on the surface, his expression patient.

Izuku hesitated and Katsuki narrowed his eyes, a chair and three feet the only barrier between them.

"Deku, what? I told you don't be annoyin' with it."

Izuku swallowed.

"Are we friends?"