"You don't want me?" Izuku felt anguish rip through him. Abandoned by Shouto, unwanted by Katsuki. Forgotten by One for All. Katsuki shifted, thought better of reaching out to Izuku and opened his mouth. No words came immediately. There was a beat of silence.

"Izuku. I do, I do want you." Katsuki shifted on his feet then winced. "This is how much I want you." Katsuki readjusted himself in his pants and Izuku did the same.

"Why are we stopping?" Izuku took a step toward him and Katsuki didn't move, contemplating. Izuku stepped forward again.

"Izuku, please." Katsuki looked at him, pain and conflict in his eyes. "I can't say no, don't make this worse for me."

"Worse for you? What about me?" Izuku's eyes began to sting. Katsuki's eyes widened a little and he almost stepped toward Izuku before he swallowed and looked away.

Katsuki took a deep breath, steadied his gaze in Izuku, and his eyes flickered away, almost losing the guts to continue. But he looked at him steadily now.

"Do y'know what I do. When I'm with Aizawa- Eraser Head?" Katsuki swallowed and Izuku could see he was uncomfortable. He shook his head in response. "I think 'bout you. I think 'bout you all the time. I pretend he's you.

"But Izuku. You've been with Shouto for I dunno how many years. And you can't just dive into a thing with me-."

"Why not?" Izuku interjected. Katsuki sucked at his teeth and shook his head.

"I knew I wanted you before I broke up with Ochako. But when I ended things with her- my business partner for years- I didn't have the option to run to you." Katsuki's shoulders slumped. He glanced at the bed then the chairs at his little dining table, decided on the latter and moved to sit in it.

Izuku wanted to follow him, but remained in the kitchen. He waited for Katsuki to continue. The distance between them in the small apartment was massive, even though they were only ten feet away.

"Because you were with Shouto and I couldn't just bury myself in you, I was forced to mourn my relationship and partnership with her." Katsuki looked at Izuku again, unwavering and attentive, sincere and with a sort of plea that made Izuku want to listen. He wanted to sink onto Katsuki's lap, but he wanted to listen.

"Okay," Izuku cleared his throat. "And you're saying I should do the same?"

Katsuki nodded. "I'm sayin' you need to not be missin' him if we were to-" he struggled to find a word before he settled on, "-date."

"He and I were over a long time ago, Kacchan." Izuku said the words, but it felt tainted with a little dishonesty. Katsuki clocked his head and folded his arms.

"Doesn't change the fact that you broke up and moved out last night." Katsuki explained, he hooked his hand behind his neck and rubbed. "And I don't wanna be your rebound-"

"You're not my rebound! I want you-"

" Izuku . You're not hearin' me." Katsuki shifted in his seat and Izuku swallowed his words. When Katsuki looked satisfied he wouldn't interject, he smiled a little before he said, "I wanna do this right. I wanna date you. I wanna be with you, I want to shoot with you, cook with you, drink, be your model, be your muse." Izuku felt his heartbeat thump in his ears. Butterflies erupted from his stomach and were now trapped in his chest. What is Kacchan saying?

Katsuki's smile faded a little. "I can't do that if Shouto is a shadow of your past that you didn't take the time to let go."

"Oh." And the world came back into focus. Izuku felt his throat go dry.

"It…" Izuku shook his head. "It kind of sounds like you're breaking up with me. But we aren't even together."

Katsuki chuckled softly. "God, you're an idiot. I still wanna see you. We just can't do that again." Katsuki gestured to where they were both just glued to each other in the kitchen.

Izuku felt panic rise in his chest. "Ever?"

"No, nerd. Just until y'ready." Katsuki got to his feet now, the tension in his shoulders melted. He came back to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water before gulping at his. Izuku watched him, dazed, before he sipped on his own.

He didn't want time to process Shouto. He was fine. He would be fine if he could be with Katsuki all the time. Because when he was with him, nothing else existed. And this was a new part of his life. He didn't want to waste time thinking about the old.

Katsuki tasted like peaches and cinnamon. It was Izuku's new favourite flavour.

"I want to kiss you." Izuku looked at him, the glass still near his face. Katsuki choked, spilling water down his front.

"It's gonna have to wait, shit head." Katsuki ripped a paper towel from a roll and dabbed at his chest and wiped his chin.

"But you want to kiss me." Izuku whispered.

"I do. Among other things."

"How long do I have to wait to convince you?" Izuku looked up at him and placed his glass carefully out of the way. Katsuki didn't move. Izuku inched closer. "Until it's okay to do what I want?"

Katsuki swallowed, his eyes darted to Izuku's lips and back to his eyes again. He closed his own, asking for patience.

"Let's say three months." Katsuki said with his eyes still closed. Izuku watched his throat as he swallowed before stepping into Katsuki, placing one foot between Katsuki's.

Katsuki groaned. "Izuku."

"I like it when you say my name." Izuku let his chest skim Katsuki's and almost pressed his thigh into him. He let his breath tickle Katsuki's neck before he lifted his mouth to his ear. "Katsuki."

Katsuki's eyes flew open to find Izuku inches from his face, absolute desire on every inch of him. Izuku's scarred arms caged him in against the counter top, his thigh and hip delicately teasing at his semi hard cock.

"You're makin' this difficult." Katsuki's voice dropped so low it almost didn't make it out of his throat.

"Listen, Katsuki." Izuku smiled sweetly up at him, his freckles rising with his cheeks. Izuku nudged his thigh against Katsuki ever so slightly just to see his eyelids flutter as he tried to maintain control. Katsuki's jaw tensed. "I'll give you the three months you think I need. I'll agree to it. If you at least let me do what I want for the next minute."

Katsuki laughed. Izuku loved his laugh. He moved against Katsuki again, breathing in the scent of him, longing for cinnamon and peaches.

"Are y'holdin' me hostage?" Katsuki tilted his head down to Izuku's, stopping an inch short. Izuku could feel his breath on his lips. "You're so fuckin' annoyin'."

"Do we have a deal, Katsuki?" Izuku wanted to kiss him, but he didn't want Katsuki to think he wasn't taking him seriously. "A minute for three months? Sounds fair."

"Yea, nerd. Sounds fair." Katsuki's words came more as breaths and that's all Izuku needed to close the space between them.

Their teeth didn't make contact again. Instead their lips melted against each other as Izuku pressed the length of his body against Katsuki and moaned into his mouth. It was a relief, to be held by him.

Katsuki's arms wrapped around him and lifted him, placing him on the counter as he turned. Izuku slid forward so that Katsuki was hard against him and so he could grind his hips.

He would make this minute last a lifetime.

Izuku nipped at his lips, Katsuki grazed his against Izuku's lips. Izuku wanted them to be swollen, abused. They took their time exploring each other and Katsuki sucked at the tip of his tongue which made him throb in his pants.

He pulled firmly at Katsuki's hair to induce a groan, full bodied and reactive. Izuku liked that sound. He wanted more of it. He placed a palm to Katsuki's tensed stomach, feeling the ridges of his abs as he edged his fingers downward, into the waistband of his boxers and pants.

For a moment, Izuku thought he would let him. But Katsuki's fingers gripped firmly onto Izuku's wrist and pulled his hand away.

"Minute's up, nerd." Katsuki said it against Izuku's lips and Izuku tried to continue their kiss.

"I gotta get you back to Kiri's." Katsuki said as he dropped his head to Izuku's shoulder. Izuku covertly rotated his hips so that his sensitive head made contact with Katsuki's hip. He bit back a moan, but Katsuki didn't.

Izuku wanted more of that too.

"Izuku. I will fuck you right here, right now, if you don't stop." Katsuki's hips subtly moved with Izuku's as his lips hovered over Izuku's throbbing pulse in his neck, sensitive to everything. Izuku grabbed his head, burying his fingers in his hair and holding him in place, and continued moving his hips, Katsuki's hands were flat against the countertop on either side of him, knuckles white as his fingers clawed at the surface to exercise control. His breath humid on Izuku's skin. Tingling with every exhale.

And then he stopped. A minute for three months. That was the promise. Katsuki lifted his head and looked at Izuku, pupils blown almost to complete black, lust resonated from him. And with careful effort, he extricated himself from Izuku's legs and grasp, and the space between them was filled with cool, sobering air.

"Thank you." Katsuki said weakly.

"Just know, every day we're together, I'd be thinking of you inside of me." Izuku jumped off the counter, and adjusted himself again in his pants. It was wet and uncomfortable and he needed a shower.

"It's been like that for months for me. Three more is fine." Katsuki fixed himself too before he took a deep breath.

"And when we're not together, I'd be thinking of you." Izuku watched as Katsuki struggled to recompose himself.

"Naturally." Katsuki attempted to smirk but it was soft. "I'm amazing, after all."

Izuku laughed.

"Tomorrow, we see about an apartment?" Katsuki nodded. "Then we can resume photoshoots, without a studio, without all the setup, and you continue teaching me to cook?"

"Yea. Sure." Katsuki nodded.

"Can we go hiking?" Izuku asked.

"These are startin' to sound suspiciously like dates, Izuku." Katsuki looked at him sideways. Izuku shook his head.

"Your old Instagram posts. I saw you like to hike." Izuku explained. "I've never been. And I promise I won't touch you for three months."

Katsuki groaned and looked to the ceiling. "I hike so I can mountain climb."

"I like to mountain climb." Izuku said quickly. Katsuki raised his eyebrows. "Okay, I've never done it. But the pictures we can get…"

"Sure." Katsuki watched him as Izuku let the excitement spread into a wide smile on his face.

"It's a date!" Izuku teased.

"Fuck you, dude." Katsuki laughed. And Izuku saw a flash of Shouto saying those words to him, and understood what Katsuki meant.

He was excited and then the ugliest part of their relationship just flared up. And Katsuki was looking at him because the wide smile on his face had faltered.

"Hey, I didn't mean it seriously." Katsuki was stepping toward him. Izuku shook his head.

"It's not you." Izuku smiled sadly at him now and understanding bloomed on Katsuki's face. Izuku was mad that he let that moment taint what would have been otherwise fine. "Okay, Kacchan. I can't wait to see what our first date looks like in three months."

Katsuki grinned. "You got no idea."

Izuku blushed. They stared at each other, one beat, two beats. Izuku could hear his blood rushing in his ears.

"Okay. gotta get you back to Kiri's and I'll see you tomorrow." Katsuki cleared his throat and moved to the door. Izuku saw him glance at the unwashed dishes in the sink and he laughed because of where they started. His happiness was interrupted by a thought.

Eraser Head.

"Kacchan." Izuku said, stopping him from exiting. Katsuki grunted. "Will you stop seeing him?"

Izuku knew he didn't need to specify who.

"I'll never see him again." Katsuki looked over his shoulder. "It's always gonna be you, nerd."

Izuku followed him out the door.