"When are you gonna answer the idiot's calls?" Katsuki asked over his shoulder without turning all the way. Izuku was watching him, admiring the shape of his shoulders through his loose tank and somehow that was better than the divine smell of food.
Then it registered what he had said. Izuku blinked.
"What?" was all his mouth was apparently capable of saying.
"The idiot. Your ex? Half n half?" Katsuki said patiently as his shoulder and arm worked to chop what Izuku assumed was garlic by its fragrant smell.
"I don't want to." The words spurted out his mouth. And he really didn't want to. It was a door he'd rather keep shut so he could remain in this bubble with Katsuki.
The bubble consisted of walks on a morning either through the food cart streets, or Katsuki walking on the treadmill and sometimes a jog while Izuku started up his workout routines again, now at a different gym so they didn't have to see One for All ever again.
When he was sore, he allowed Katsuki to massage his limbs with icy hot rub or run him an ice bath to soothe his muscles. It was the most pampered he had ever been. And Katsuki's wounds were healing nicely because Izuku refused to allow him to do anything, much to Katsuki's poorly hidden chagrin.
Two days later, when he touched his phone while running on the treadmill beside Katsuki in the evening, Katsuki's face furrowed into that serious way it gets when he's mad, or thinking, or both, and Izuku knew he saw Todo on his phone screen before he had pressed ignore. It wasn't until they were in the gym showers that Katsuki asked him about it. Izuku had actually been avoiding watching Katsuki's naked body this time around, when otherwise all he would do is ogle, all in the hopes that Katsuki would not bring up what Izuku hoped he didn't see.
"Nerd." Katsuki said almost in his ear. His eyes were closed as he sunk his head under the stream of water to rinse the shampoo out of his hair; scented in his favourite spring aroma because it calmed him. Izuku jumped, opened his eyes, got shampoo in them causing them to sting, water, making him blink rapidly, all the while trying not to act surprised.
"Kacchan, you can't- we're in public, go back to your-" Izuku was sputtering and swiping at his eyes and also felt Katsuki's heat right beside him. Katsuki's broad hands wrapped around his shoulder, spun him around, then began wiping at his face. Izuku blinked up at him.
"Shut up. Why aren't you answering the idiot's calls?" Katsuki asked as water dripped from the ends of his spiky hair, defying gravity even with the added weight of water in it.
"I told you, I don't want to!" Izuku was aware of Katsuki's palms on his biceps now, and they were so close, the warmth of him was rivalling the heat of the water.
"The faster you do it, the faster it's over with. Don't ya get it?" Katsuki dragged a frustrated hand through his hair and sprinkled Izuku with cold droplets, making him shiver.
"Oh." Izuku blinked again, water was getting into his eyes. Katsuki wanted him to do it, to get it over with, so then…there would be nothing connecting them anymore; nothing to talk about, then Shouto Todoroki would be in his past.
"Oh." He said again realising all Katsuki wanted was for Izuku to sever ties, when Izuku thought that was what he was attempting by keeping them in a bubble, just the two of them. It was a big mess of misinformation. "I'll call him, okay? I didn't think-"
But Katsuki had shifted back into his own shower and ducked his head under the water leaving Izuku feeling the coldness of his vacant body next to him. "Kacchan?"
"Yea, nerd. I'm good." Katsuki looked at him and smirked, Izuku's heart skipped and he sank back into the spray of water. "Do you want my help with anything from storage?"
"Uh…" Izuku peered at his shoulder and tried to see his side in the usual way he appraised Katsuki's wounds, but couldn't. "I think heavy lifting for you is out of the question. Plus, I don't know what I'm taking. I don't stay in my apartment anyway."
Katsuki laughed and shut off his water before grabbing his towel and shaking it through his hair, then dragging it down his body. Izuku followed his movements hungrily and Katsuki stared down and lifted his eyebrows. Really ? Izuku blushed and turned away, breathing to calm his semi arousal. They were in public, he had to remind himself.
When they got home, Izuku put the call on speaker and listened to the dull tone trill; Katsuki was pulling ingredients from the fridge and placing them on his countertops in his methodical way, Izuku knew his ears were peaked. He half hoped Shouto wouldn't answer.
The phone clicked and Izuku's stomach flipped. He felt sick.
"Uh, Todo?" Izuku ripped his eyes off Katsuki who had gone still, then began moving again, with steady, measured chopping.
"Izu? Hey!" Shouto said airily. "I was just thinking about you."
Izuku's stomach did a weak little swoop, because Shouto's voice still tugged at a familiarity within him and he felt guilty about that almost immediately after recognizing it.
"Uh, yea, sorry it took me so long. You know, life's in the way." Izuku thought he was blushing and dragged his hand down his face in an attempt to wipe it away.
"I was this close to tracking you down and finding you, thought you were dead for a bit there." Shouto said playfully. Izuku shifted uncomfortably, his silence reflected that and he hoped Katsuki knew he wasn't trying to flirt.
"Listen, Todo-" Izuku felt the old nickname turn bitter on the tip of his tongue and he inhaled sharply. "Shouto." It wasn't much but it felt more right, it certainly was the foundation of a wall Izuku intended to build and keep building. "I only wanted to know about getting my stuff. But uh-" Izuku gleaned at Katsuki and he stopped squirming. "I moved in with someone, and I don't think I need any of my things anymore."
Katsuki stopped chopping and turned around, his eyes searching Izuku's face. Izuku smiled, his eyes swam. He didn't even realise he had teared up and Katsuki was being distorted by his tears even as he blinked them away. He didn't even notice that Shouto had fallen into silence. Izuku swiped his tears away and Katsuki's face came into focus, grinning, brilliant and toothy.
We're moving in together? he mouthed, and Izuku laughed, then nodded and shrugged.
"Who. Who with?" Shouto's voice was quiet and Izuku suddenly remembered him there. He half sobbed a laugh before he looked down at his phone, half expecting Shouto to be peering back and locking eyes with Katsuki while simultaneously plotting his murder.
"Uh-" Izuku hoped his eyes asked the right question and Katsuki tilted his head, thinking. He shook it slightly and then jerked his chin, I don't know, you decide. "Does it matter?" Izuku settled on.
"God, Izuku. It's been what- weeks-" Shouto sounded pained.
"Months. And I'm happy, Shouto. You took our studio and mutated it into something I can't love, you took our partnership and turned it into currency based value, and he treats me like I'm worth something."
"Fuck." Shouto's voice was bitter and it leeched through the phone, but it didn't even hit Izuku like a slap like it would have done before. His jealousy didn't hurt him. But he had to give Shouto credit for working it out, because it was heavy realisation that had turned the conversation sour. "It's him." Shouto swore and Izuku wondered what gave him away. "I should've known. You've only ever spoken about him like he was a god."
"Okay, Shouto. Do whatever you want to our crap. I don't want it. Good luck with your studio." And Izuku hung up. Only when the phone beeped sadly did Izuku feel Katsuki's hand squeezing his thigh gently. A thumb stroked across his cheek.
"You always spoke about me like I'm a 'god'?" Katsuki teased before sidling between Izuku's legs and pulling him into a hug. Even on the ground, shortened to his knees, he was almost level with Izuku who sat in his chair. Izuku sob laughed into his shoulder as he pulled him tighter, feeling his hot tears go cold on his cheek before pressing into Katsuki's fragrant neck and making their skin slippery where they connected.
"Shut up, Kacchan." Izuku kissed his tears off Katsuki's neck, the salt coated his tongue and it also tasted of smoke and woody undertones.
"So, you're moving in?" Katsuki nuzzled into Izuku's hair and Izuku felt and heard him inhale, it tickled his skin in a comforting sort of way that a cat offered when it purred contentedly on one's lap.
"If you want me to?" Izuku pulled away so he could look at Katsuki who was grinning broadly still and Izuku's stomach was warm goo.
"You never leave anyway." Katsuki stood up and pulled Izuku to his feet. "What kind of lease did you sign with the old bastard?"
"Monthly. I didn't know if you'd have hated the idea of me being in your building, and-"
Katsuki kissed him, swallowing the rest of Izuku's words. When they both pulled away to breathe, Izuku still on his toes and pressed against Katsuki, they laughed.
"You're so clingy." Katsuki murmured against his cheek.
"Because I like seeing you!" Izuku squirmed against him and pretended to be wriggling free. Katsuki held him tighter.
"We should call a studio, get your cameras ready. I think we should shoot our scars and open our studio." Katsuki kissed him, which did nothing to break Izuku from his shock.
" Our studio?" Izuku asked finally. "I thought you were intending to support me this entire time, not-"
"I mean, if you don't want me as a partner-" Katsuki pulled away and worry tinted his grin for a moment.
"No, no!" Izuku shook his head furiously. "I want you. I mean, I want you there. Of course. It's just such a huge commitment."
"So we're doing this?" Katsuki looked down at him and Izuku thought he was vibrating with excitement. "We're moving in together and opening a studio?"
"Well, yea?" Izuku hiccuped.
"If I proposed-" Katsuki broke off laughing and Izuku's body went up in flames. "Calm down, nerd. I'm not about to. That would be pushin' my luck, huh?"
"Kaccha-" Izuku started to beat his chest and Katsuki smashed his mouth into Izuku's to silence him, the rest of his words came in muffled protestations.
"I found a studio we can rent- not for our promotional shoot. For our studio." Katsuki said in an uncharacteristically testy voice; wavering a little. Izuku titled his head slightly, trying to catalogue and figure out the behaviour. "It used to be called All for One."
Izuku thought he stopped breathing.
"No?" He thought what he felt was dread at first because it meant the second studio had failed. But the fluttering in his chest was expanding with the size of his smile. "How did you find out?"
"Uh-" Katsuki turned pink around the ears and his eyes shifted to the countertop where the pile of mail lay stacked haphazardly. Amongst the papers were a couple magazines Izuku knew Katsuki subscribed to just to 'keep an eye on his competition'. "The tabloids had the fall of the Todoroki board stocks, and I called my realtor-"
"You have a realtor?" Izuku interjected. Katsuki ignored him.
"-and she said that it was on the market, but not posted yet. We can bid. What do you think?" Katsuki was looking hopeful and Izuku felt squirmish under such a soft gaze.
"I have the savings, do you?" Izuku did the math. They might be able to take out a loan to pay the difference.
"Oh yea, I mean, I was thinking about buying a house-" Katsuki rambled without looking and Izuku.
"A house?" Izuku was being surprised so often he felt like a broken record with his questions that were just Katsuki's own words repeated back to him.
"-uh- I thought maybe I'd be asking you to move in with me, but I think we're pretty happy here, and we should invest in our studio again." Katsuki finally looked at Izuku and he was blushing furiously while also looking fiercely determined.
"How long have you been-"
"I couldn't let Eijirou hog you forever." Katsuki swayed a little and Izuku thought it might look like they were dancing.
"Since I've been by him?" Izuku's eyes opened wide. "But-!"
"I would've asked you out first, yea I know we weren't even dating. I know I said three months." Katsuki blushed even brighter and Izuku laughed at the sight of his furrowed angry eyebrows that weren't angry at all.
"You're ridiculous." Izuku snaked his arms back around Katsuki and hugged him tightly, careful to avoid his injuries.
"You made me this way." Katsuki nuzzled his hair.