Izuku had never consider what his life would be like without Katsuki.
No matter if Katsuki was a gangster, Katsuki was alive wreaking havoc out there somewhere. Izuku never had to worry about if Katsuki's life was on the line because he knew Katsuki was the top predator of the food chain. The thought of Death's hands even grazing Katsuki was close to a fairy tale.
That is, it was until Izuku witnessed him take three bullets to the chest.
Fear seized Izuku's throat in that moment. He had never felt fear so overpowering like that. Not when Isao dragged him to the warehouse. Not when he was tied to that chair. Not even when there was a loaded gun pressed against his skull. It all paled in comparison when Katsuki's blood splattered across his face.
Katsuki's body dropped to the ground at the same time as his when the bullets hit. A shower of gunfire let out from Kirishima's and Sero's rifles, effectively killing Isao.
All the nightmares Izuku's ever had couldn't equate when crimson liquid snuck out of Katsuki's mouth like a snake.
Izuku didn't remember moving, his limbs were possessed by the need to cradle Katsuki solely by his emotions. He could feel himself cry and press down on the gunshot wounds. Tears dripped from his eyes onto his ex-lover's face as he tried to stop the bleeding. In the background, multiple
calls were made by Kirishima and Sero, and they rushed to get Katsuki to safety. Izuku kept Katsuki's head in his lap the whole ride in the car.
"St-stay with me, Kacchan," Izuku whispered. His voice cracked as he pushed down harder on to the wound dripping blood. "Please try and stay with me, you can't leave m-me. We're going to get you help."
Katsuki gazed up at him like they were laying in a field of flowers.
"I wouldn't ever leave you," Katsuki whispered, voice barely audible. He smirked, in a way Kacchan only could. "Not even in my daydreams."
Katsuki's eyes fluttered shut, dragged under by the loss of blood. Izuku tried to shake him back awake, but it was fruitless. Katsuki's breathing began to shallow out and Sero began to drive recklessly faster.
Izuku felt himself inflicted with a wound he knew would leave a scar: another heartbreak.
"He's coming out of critical condition, thank goodness," Sero announced with a relieved expression.
Everyone let out a bated breath. Izuku slumped in the plush chair he was in, sliding down halfway and puffed out his cheeks.
He was currently sitting outside of two very large double doors with Sero, Mina, and Denki. They were inside of Katsuki's mansion, which to Izuku's surprise, had a whole section dedicated to medical operations. It made sense when Izuku considered exactly what type of business was occurring. If he was a King Pin himself, Izuku probably wouldn't trust just any doctor that operated on him.
"Every time that man is shot I feel like I lose ten years off my life," Mina muttered. Izuku wished that didn't make him nauseous. "Every time?"
"Yeah," Mina mumbled. "It's not the first time Boss has been shot and it definitely won't be the last. But he'll be fine don't worry about it."
Izuku tried his best not to wince at that very real fact.
"That's reassuring, I suppose," Izuku said softly. He stared at the doors where Katsuki was probably stretched out, unconscious. His stomach knotted. "When do you think he'll be done?"
"It's going to be a while," Mina answered. "Three bullet wounds to the chest requires a lot of care and precision. Not to mention recovery time. If you want to go home, you could. The bakery case is shut. Isao is dead and Kirishima found the mole in the network. Kiri is taking care of it now."
"Who was the mole?" Izuku asked, ignoring the fact that he could go home.
"Some old man from when Mr. Sano was in control," Denki said sourly. He was holding an icepack up to his eye with a deep frown. "He was a Sano family loyalist, so he wanted Mr. Sano's son to be in power next. Bakugou had killed most of the family loyalist when he took over, but it seems like one slipped past him, and literally waited years to see an opening for Boss's downfall."
"Fucking weasels," Sero hissed. He shook his head. "I'm glad this is over. I'm sure this will be the last talk of anymore uprising any time soon."
Izuku nodded at Katsuki's inner circle, eyes heavy. His shoulders were sagged forward as he blinked in a mild delay. Sero tilted his head and gently placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder to steady him.
"If you're tired I could drive you back to your apartment," Sero suggested. "It's been a long and eventful night. You should get some rest. If anything comes up regarding Boss's health, we'll be sure to inform you."
Izuku's tired eyes looked down to his shoes. They were covered with tiny speckles of blood and his eyes were having a difficult time staying open. He pondered what Sero had suggested and glanced towards the doors once more.
"I think I'll stay here, if that's alright," Izuku said. He shifted his gaze back down to his feet. "I can sleep in the guest bedroom like before. I'll wait for him to wake up and recover before going so I can say goodbye."
Sero, Denki and Mina all exchanged looks.
"Of course, Izuku," Mina said. "Let's get you to your room."
Izuku was escorted back to the guest room after that.
He tucked himself into the too large bed and tried to will away the heaviness of the night.
So much occurred within a small period that it was difficult for Izuku to process it all. When he closed his eyes all he saw over and over again were visions of Katsuki taking the three bullets to the chest. He could still feel it. Hear it. Even taste the iron on his lips as he screamed.
His imagination supplied him with memories from over the years he had forgotten: him and Katsuki playing at the park as kids. Then them entering high school together holding hands. He started remembering all the small moments of Katsuki helping him with his homework while neglecting his own.
He could see the pathway Katsuki always built for him now, clearly. Sacrificing himself over and over and over again. Even the sleepless nights when Katsuki would be out in the cold world, he managed to come back with a bag full of food for Izuku to cut up and use.
Katsuki was always selfless with him—right up to pushing him out of the way and getting shot. Each memory felt like a knife, slicing Izuku open and he bled out in sorrow.
Izuku turned over and forced his eye shut. He simply hoped that Katsuki's heart stayed beating.
Like a bad nightmare, four days passed without a word of what was occurring.
Those double doors stayed locked, and Izuku was barred from going inside according to everyone. Multiple times he tried to push through the bodyguards, but they always gave him the same excuse whenever he begged to go see Katsuki.
"And why can't I go in and see him exactly?" Izuku demanded. "This isn't right. I-I just want to make sure he's okay. You understand that don't you?"
"I know. But Bakugou doesn't want you to see him like this," the bodyguard named Mirio said. "Sorry, Mr. Midoriya. Boss's word is law. He said go home if you can."
Izuku huffed under his breath. Katsuki was stubborn but Izuku was just as stubborn.
Instead of listening to a word Mirio said, he began making himself comfortable in the large mansion. He walked around and made himself familiar with it. He chatted with the staff and hung out with Denki in the meanwhile. He found himself actually liking the place, and it warmed a forgotten part of his heart.
While he was wandering he found so many tiny things that he remembered mentioning to Katsuki. Or things Katsuki mentioned. It was all adding up in such a strangely sweet way that Izuku realized how much thought truly did go into this home.
It was a perfect mesh of their dreams, like stars colliding to create a beautiful masterpiece in the sky.
On the evening of the fifth night, Izuku found himself walking by the double doors again. The two bodyguards gave him an exhausted smile and wave, probably tired of his pestering.
As Izuku rounded the corner, he was surprised when he saw two small cats in the hallway. One was light orange in color with a mint green colored collar. The other was a white cat with dots of black on its fur with a pink collar. They stopped their playing, turning their sharp eyes towards him in surprise.
Izuku tilted his head. The cats tilted their heads as well.
"Ah, well hello there," Izuku cooed in a higher pitched tone. He bent down to their level and smiled. "I didn't know Kacchan had cats."
With a little bit more personality than Izuku anticipated, the two tiny creatures sauntered up to him. They sniffed his hand a bit, and he smiled despite his own sadness. Then slowly they poked at him, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the tiny little paws.
"I always thought Kacchan was more of a dog person," Izuku muttered to himself. "But you all are really cute."
The tiny cats meowed and him and Izuku gave them a quick pet on the head.
He glanced sadly back around the corner and decided to go lay down again. His heart was feeling obnoxiously heavy once more.
Izuku stood up but stopped when he heard footsteps.
He whipped his head, hoping to see spiky blond hair—but was meant with brunette instead. The figure revealed itself to be a woman in a white coat with long, chocolate-colored locks. She had blue eyes and a pretty, heart shaped face.
"There you two are," The woman said, pointing to the cats. "You two keep wandering off while I'm treating the patient. You know Mr. Bakugou doesn't like you exploring his house."
Izuku watched as the woman walked over to gather the cats, who ran around in circles thinking it was a game. She signed tiredly, and let the tiny animals run around her legs. Izuku took this moment to study her, and he eyed her ID and white coat carefully. He glanced at the direction where he knew Katsuki was at and licked his dry lips.
"Are you by any chance treating Kac—I-I mean Mr. Bakugou?" Izuku asked carefully.
The woman turned her attention towards him, curiously. "Yes, I am," she said with a smile. "Do you work here?"
"No," Izuku quickly said. He shook his head. "I am a, er, friend of his. I was wondering if he's okay?"
"Yes. He's doing much better." The Doctor paused and Izuku could feel a slight edge of defense radiating off her, rightfully so after what had happened. "May I ask who you are?"
"Sorry. My name is Midoriya Izuku. I'm part of the reason he was shot. Unfortunately."
"So you're the baker he's been obsessed with," the Doctor said, amused. A new light in her eyes sparked and a blush raked across Izuku's face. "I have a couple of your cookbooks thanks to Mr. Bakugou! He really loves your recipes."
Izuku gawked. Kacchan has my cookbooks?
"I'm Dr. Emi by the way," the Doctor introduced with a large grin. "I'm Mr. Bakugou's personal
surgeon. And these are my two cats, Minty and Chérie."
"Nice to meet you Dr. Emi. Your cats are adorable," Izuku said with an underlying giggle.
He bent down to pick up Minty and Emi picked up Chérie in her arms. Izuku cooed to the small animal as it squirmed around. He began to pet it gently and slowly the creature snuggled into his arms and purred in delight.
"Minty has taken a good liking to you I see," Emi laughed and stroked Chérie in her arms. "Usually, I can test if someone has a good heart through my cats. Yours must be very pure."
"How do you know Mr. Bakugou? If you don't mind me prying," Izuku asked quietly. He continued to pet the purring cat in his arms who nuzzled into him. "He must trust you a lot if you're his personal doctor."
Dr. Emi smiled at him as they began walking side by side.
"I know him from a long time ago," Dr. Emi said. "When he took over the business, the first thing he did was go back to where I used to live, some shabby apartment complex. It had a lot of molds in the vents. It was something my parents and I always complained about, but the landlord never did anything about it unfortunately and he knew everyone in the building was too poor to move. Typical asshole taking advantage of people."
Izuku stiffened when he heard that. That sounds exactly like where they grew up. "Wh-Where did you live, if you don't mind me asking?"
She smiled and told him the exact address of their childhood apartment.
All of Izuku's body clammed up.
Kacchan had used his reach to correct something like that? It was always a hinderance to them growing up, all the coughing and wheezing. They always had to ignore those ugly, green patches. But—Katsuki fixed it. Now others wouldn't have to go through what they did.
"Did I say something wrong?" Emi asked, worried. "You seem shocked."
"Nothing," Izuku quickly covered up. "I guess I'm surprised that Bakugou would use his status to help out with something like that. I figured he would be too busy with the other things in his business, it seems beneath him for his type of work."
"Well, his business is helping people who can't help themselves," Emi explained. "That's what he's known for. Any time someone needs an issue handled that the cops don't seem to want to help with, The Lions are the group to call to fix things for you. It's how they have always run the entire operation."
This time, Izuku did stop walking. "Wait—he helps people?"
"Yup," Emi hummed. "Always has! The old King Pin, Mr. Sano, was the same way. Purely driven by helping those who can't help themselves. Mr. Bakugou is the same, it's why he was chosen to be the next King Pin, he's good at protecting people."
"Really?" Izuku said softly, stunned.
"Yup! But, um, he doesn't always do it in the most legal and nonviolent manner. Not everything can be handled by law enforcement, especially when other gangsters are involved."
"Just to be clear, he handles issues from people who need someone...more skilled than them to assist?"
"Exactly! A lot of innocent citizens don't want to go to jail for being entrapped and such with the dirty deals—much like what happened to you."
Gears inside of both Izuku's head and heart turned in sync.
The dark, blood-soaked nightmare of Katsuki in his head cleared a bit to be less bloody. Slowly, Izuku started clicking the pieces into place and he began to understand Kacchan a little bit different.
But that begged the question: why hadn't Katsuki told him all this before?
Later that evening, Izuku went back to the guest bedroom. He laid awake all night, with thoughts of Katsuki swimming in and out of his mind.
He kept his eyes trained on that wistful painting of Katsuki in the room and how distant his eyes looked. Now, Izuku could see that emotion in his face wasn't distance. It was protection—and it warmed a bit of Izuku's heart to think this is what Katsuki had been doing this whole time.
He dared to even say it was sweet, in its own twisted way. ~~
When Katsuki woke up on the sixth day of recovery, it felt like he was hit with a goddamn truck. His skull was pounding with a serious migraine and his mind was still foggy with all the goddamn
pain meds he was on. Katsuki groaned deep in his throat out of discomfort. His hand moved towards the three wounds he had sustained.
He traced the bandages with a pained expression. Then the visual of Izuku's stunned face screaming popped up in his mind.
Katsuki looked over to the entrance of the bedrest room to see Mirio sitting inside on his laptop. His trusted bodyguard was leaned against the chair casually with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, Boss," Mirio said with a gleeful grin. "How do you feel today?"
Katsuki waited to answer that question as he sat up. He winced slightly when his chest still fucking felt heavy and like he had been sliced open. But he ignored the pain to exhale. "I feel as fine as I can after getting fucking shot. It hurts to breathe, but I'm sure that'll go away in time."
Mirio cringed a bit but smiled regardless.
Katsuki then glanced towards the exit. He pursed his lips. "Is Izuku still here?"
"Yes. He's refusing to leave until he talks to you," Mirio answer. There was a smirk on the man's face, and his tone snuck into a smugger octave. "He seems to be a little stubborn—a lot like someone else we know."
"Of fucking course," Katsuki muttered and rolled his eyes. He ignored Mirio's smirk and slowly climbed out of the bed. "That little shit is more stubborn than a goddamn ram. I'll go talk to him to get him going. Where's the brief case I asked you to get?"
Mirio held up a shiny, clean brief case with a sigil of a lion. "Here. It has everything we discussed inside."
Katsuki nodded. "Perfect."
Katsuki wandered about, holding the briefcase in his hands. He studied it carefully, knowing exactly what it was and ignored how fucked up it was making him feel.
He sucked in his pride however and straighten out his back to march directly up to the guest bedroom. Half of him was still in shock that Izuku hadn't fucking bolted to the goddamn mountains by now. The damn man should be in an entirely separate part of Japan after that fiasco. Hell, he nearly didn't believe that Izuku would even be in that guest bedroom.
But when he pushed open the door: there Izuku was, sitting on the edge of the bed casually watching some TV show.
Izuku turned his head and Katsuki's heart tripled in beats automatically. His feet planted at the entrance and Izuku's whole body froze at the sight of him. They waded in silence for a moment, trapped in thoughts and at a loss of what to say.
Gradually, Izuku's face melted into a relieved smile, and he slowly arose from the bed. "You're alright," Izuku said once they were within arm's reach. "Glad to see you can walk."
Katsuki forced his heart to stay rooted and not sore up to the sky. He averted his eyes to the ground and cleared his throat. "I am. I was always going to be fine, Izuku. It's dumb to worry about me.
But I am surprised you stayed."
"Of course I stayed," Izuku said sadly. "I wanted to make sure you were going to recover but they wouldn't let me come into the operating area. Something about their Boss not wanting to let me in."
"I didn't want you to see me, like that," Katsuki muttered under his breath. He willed himself not to look up and stare into Izuku's endless green eyes. "I'm alright now though don't worry."
Izuku didn't say anything.
From this angle, Katsuki could see Izuku fiddle with the hems of his sweater and nervously shift on his feet. He looked carefully at Izuku's hands, then he noticed scars that weren't there before. Fresh wounds striped across Izuku's skin like someone painted them on. Katsuki's heart crumbled at the sight.
"I'm so fucking sorry, Izuku," Katsuki confessed. He finally willed himself to look up and stare Izuku in the eye. Then the longing look in Izuku's doe eyes pierced him like a spear. "I'm so goddamn sorry for this whole mess. You ended up being right in the end, this was my fault that Isao even came by and targeted you."
Izuku shook his head rapidly. "It's okay—"
"—It really fucking isn't. You got kidnapped and had your bakery bashed in because of some fucking turf war. There's no goddamn way I can just let that go—so here."
Katsuki thrusted the briefcase out, pushing it into Izuku's hands. Izuku fumbled slightly, caught off guard as he grappled for the heavy item.
"What is this?" Izuku asked. He held the brief case away from him to inspect it.
"Inside is enough money to pay for the bakery repairs and more," Katsuki explained with a heavy heart. Izuku's head snapped up and his eyes widened. "You'll also find other shit you may need like a new phone. The money will also cover moving locations to another part of the country—you would be safer the further away you are from me."
Izuku opened his mouth and closed it several times. Conflict swayed across both of their faces. "...Katsuki," Izuku whispered. "I can't accept this." "Izuku, please just take the money—"
"—No," Izuku said a lot firmer. He shook his head and thrusted the suitcase back against Katsuki's chest. "I-I mean, I can't accept this because I lost the bet."
Katsuki's face scrunched. "Bet? What are you talking about?"
"The bet we made while baking before I was kidnapped," Izuku admitted. Pretty pink danced across his face. "Y-You said if you won I would have to stay here a month with you. You won. I burnt my beignets to crisp, so you won fair and square. I have to stay."
"Oh, c'mon. That shit doesn't matter," Katsuki exasperated and pushed the briefcase back into Izuku's arms. "Especially not after you were kidnapped on my goddamn behalf. Just take the
money and go."
"But it matters to me!" Izuku pushed the briefcase back with enough force to make Katsuki stumble on his feet. "I don't like to go back on my word—so. I will stay here with you for a month like I agreed. I lost, fair and square."
Katsuki gawked, fucking perplexed.
He surveyed his ex-lover carefully at that moment. Izuku's button nose was scrunched up, his bushy brows were pinched together and there was a mild tremble in his fingers Katsuki could vaguely feel. Unhurriedly, Katsuki straightened his back to full height and towered over his ex- lover with a sneer. He gripped the briefcase in his hands, brushing Izuku's fingers.
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Katsuki asked lowly.
Izuku straightened out as well, and quickly snatched his hands off the briefcase. He cleared his throat and ignored the burning blush on his face. "Nope. I'm going to make sure to stick by my word. Y-You can give me the money after I completed my side of the bet."
Katsuki prodded his tongue into his cheek.
Once Izuku's mind was set on something, there was no real room to tell him fucking no. So, Katsuki caved.
"Fine."
Izuku softly smiled at him and Katsuki tried to remind himself that this didn't mean anything. Izuku surely didn't want anything to do with him—he couldn't. Not after he was fucking kidnapped.
However, Katsuki waived slightly on that thought when Izuku walked back over to the bed and patted the space next to him.
"Come watch the rest of this movie with me," Izuku said, sliding the conversation to something else. "I think you'll like it. It's kind of funny."
Katsuki slowly stalked over and plopped himself on the bed next to Izuku. He leaned back on his forearms and allowed himself to enjoy the sound of Izuku's sweet laughter. While Izuku watched the TV, Katsuki watched Izuku and smiled privately to himself.
A month, huh?
He decided he could indulge for a month before they had to go their separate ways.
The first week Izuku stayed with him it felt—fucking right.
Katsuki tried his damnest not to get his hopes up, but Izuku was acting like nothing occurred. His ex-lover was singing in the damn hallways, and when did the nerd become best friends with Denki? The two melted together easily like he had been here this whole time.
It wasn't before long that Izuku began to fit in like a missing piece with his life. He hung around him with his inner circle, and cooked all their meals for them, enjoying the spacious kitchen.
"Damn Midoriya, your cooking really is as good as I thought it would be," Denki happily said with a large grin. It was his first time tasting Izuku's meals. "Boss's version of this dish doesn't even touch yours!"
"Fucking watch it," Katsuki grumbled with an empty threat.
Everyone in the kitchen erupted with laughs and continued eating, Izuku included. His ex-lover
giggled under his hand while smiling at him.
When the rest of the group had dispersed for the night, Izuku asked him to privately stay behind in the kitchen and help him iron out some recipes. The nerd was bustling about in the kitchen like he had been here his whole life, easily figuring out where all the tools were. Katsuki looked over some case in the meantime, circling potential areas to find whoever robbed Ms. Tanaka of her purse.
"I've been trying to get this ratio of sweet to tangy-cool correct for ages," Izuku said while mixing some icing. "It's for a new signature dish I'm trying to make. Will you taste it for me?"
"Sure, no problem," Katsuki answered easily.
He had reached for the spoon, expecting to feed himself but was surprised when Izuku held up the spoon to his lips. They both hesitated, recognizing that this was probably the worse force of habit to surface.
But Izuku didn't retract his hand, too embarrassed.
Trying not to think too hard about it, Katsuki ate right out of Izuku's hand. He hummed delightfully as his taste buds exploded with a near perfect flavor. He smirked slightly when he made eye contact with Izuku and swallowed all of it. Izuku was blushing slightly but there was a comforting sense of nostalgia hanging between them.
"Well. What do you think?" Izuku asked eagerly. He tilted his head sweetly.
"Add more sugar," Katsuki suggested, ignoring how hard his heart was hammering. "Maybe even a hint of mint would be interesting."
Izuku's eyes sparked, and his mouth made a tiny 'o' like he had a full epiphany. "Mint! Of course, that makes perfect sense. Ah, I missed your taste buds!"
Izuku started muttering to himself and quickly grabbed for his tiny notebook.
He began scribbling something while talking under his breath at a furious speed. His tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he wrote, completely oblivious to the flour on the side of his cheek. Katsuki watched in silence, admiring the cute, dorky mannerisms he missed so much.
Katsuki went along with it and decided to ignore how easily his heart longed.
This is what he always wanted with him in this home—and it was right in front of him.
By the second week, Izuku fell into a pattern with him. They repeated the taste testing cycle every day until Izuku got his new debut signature dish finished.
Katsuki ran his operations like normal, deciding to let his subordinates do all the dirty work while
he recovered. Word about what occurred with Isao spread around, and Katsuki could hear the rumors inflate. Some people said he beheaded Isao in the name of his secret lover. Others muttered about him being Mr. Sano's real child. Some rumors were even vicious enough to talk about Katsuki's love for blood.
These whispers were clearly wandering around like rampant ghouls, and Katsuki was sure they would scare off Izuku. His craving for bloodlust wasn't exactly wrong, but he didn't want Izuku to know that.
However, no matter how many whispers Izuku heard, he didn't seem to be afraid.
He smiled the whole time he was under Katsuki's roof, and whenever a client came by—Izuku
baked them fucking sugar cookies.
Katsuki watched in amazement as Izuku handed one of his newer clients, Ms. Tanaka, a homemade batch to go on the road. The elderly woman's sweet brown eyes lit up with glee and she grinned with all her teeth. She looked between them approvingly as she walked out the door with her cane. When the door clicked shut, the smell of sweet treats was still heavily in the air.
"Do you want some?" Izuku asked him once they were alone. He smiled at him with that sugary expression. "I made you a couple extra."
"Sure," Katsuki replied cautiously.
Izuku walked into the kitchen like it was his home, and that sense of homeliness stroked a bit of Katsuki's pride. Izuku liked the house it seemed—especially the kitchen.
Once they were inside, he took his usual seat and sitting in front of him was a mountain of sugar cookies, still warm and baked to total perfection.
Katsuki hesitantly took one, biting into it and he couldn't stop himself from moaning in delight. He cut his eye to Izuku who was watching him the whole time with a happy yet calculating gaze. There was something on the tip of his tongue Katsuki could anticipate, but Izuku kept it closed inside his mouth.
"Alright, I'm going to bite," Katsuki started. Izuku startled a bit, snapping straight up out of his daze. "Why are you being so nice, Izuku? No offense, but last I checked, this type of lifestyle was disgusting to you."
"Er." Izuku awkwardly forced himself to laugh then scratched behind his head. "Can't I be nice for the sake of being nice?"
"Not in this case, no. You can't. Spit it out—what's on your mind?"
"I talked to your doctor the other day," Izuku admitted. He pursed his lips to the side and clutched his hands together. "She told me pretty much all the details of your operations, how you're actually helping out ordinary people who just need some leverage after getting dealt a bad hand of cards in life."
Katsuki chewed on the cookie in his mouth and swallowed. He exhaled through his nose and put down the sweet treat in his hand.
"Yeah," Katsuki confirmed. "That's the basis of what I do. I help maim assholes upon request or help get peoples' harassers and abusers off their case at a price. What about it?"
"It's just not what I was expecting from you, when I saw those bloodied brass knuckles," Izuku whispered. He fiddled with his fingers, twisting his index finger to calm his rising emotions. "Th- This is a lot different than hurting people for selfish gain. You're also helping people and I—I don't think that's entirely wrong."
Katsuki flexed a brow. "You don't?"
"No." Izuku let out a deep breath and dropped his head. "Especially after what happened with my bakery. I would feel like a hypocrite, saying otherwise. I called you that day I got chased because I knew you would help me, hurt that man even and get him to leave me alone. I can imagine that you get calls like that a lot, don't you?"
"Every day."
"And you take them all?"
"Always."
"What if someone doesn't have enough money to pay you?"
"I'm very understanding," Katsuki mumbled with a shrug. "I'm not about to drain an old lady of her savings because some ass-wipe is intimidating her at her store. Sometimes depending on how I feel, I do it for free. It's never really been about the money—but it's a nice touch. What's most important is helping others."
Izuku's head stayed hung. He nodded gradually, shoulders a lot less tense than before. "That's... very sweet, Katsuki."
"I suppose," Katsuki said, shrugging it off.
His heart thumped and thumped in his chest at the compliment. He wondered what was going through Izuku's mind when the man lifted his head again and this time there was a saccharine smile taped to the edge of his mouth.
"I guess sugar cookies were a good choice today, a sweet treat for a sweet person," Izuku said softly. He chuckled slightly and pushed the plate towards him. "Eat up. I'll fix your favorite spicy dish for dinner later once you've finished meeting with the rest of your clients. How many more do you have to meet with today?"
Katsuki blinked a couple of times, surprised. "Um—I meet with four more people today."
"I'll make four more batches in to go boxes then." Izuku grinned happily, eyes turning into pretty crescent moons. "I hope they like them."
"I'm sure they'll love them," Katsuki said, still confused.
Izuku gave him one more, shy glance before turning on his heel and going back to baking. Katsuki stayed rooted in his chair, watching Izuku's fluffy head of hair bounce around the kitchen.
As Izuku baked like there was no tomorrow, Katsuki digested the conversation that occurred. Izuku thought he was sweet. His heart fluttered with tiny, unexpected butterflies. They tickled him from the inside and lifted his hopes up delicately.
~~
Izuku didn't really know why he agreed to stay by the third week.
He could have left—probably should've left like any sane person would have after being kidnapped to be used as leverage over their ex-lover. But he stayed, entirely compelled by the gravity that always haunted him and Katsuki like a bad nightmare.
When he tried to even think about leaving, all he saw was Katsuki's beautiful smirk. It sent sensations down his spine that Izuku didn't anticipate—so he stayed.
There was no harm in doing so. Humans indulged in moments all the time and he was a pastry chef after all. His entire career was built upon people indulging in sweets that were truly no good for them, so why wouldn't Izuku indulge in this one thing—no matter how many alarms in his head went off.
However, the longer he stayed in Katsuki's home all he could see was his sweet Kacchan. He watched for three weeks, carefully studying the man he used to know.
Katsuki always walked his clients to and from his office, smiling kindly the whole time. He even had special escorts for those who didn't own cars.
Katsuki also always sat eye level with his clients, never above them—or in some cases he did kneel down to hear them better if they had softer voices.
But what touched Izuku the most was witnessing how Katsuki always made sure to get cases shut. Especially when his clients showed up with unexplained bruises, blood shot eyes and fear piercing through them. There was even a family that needed to get away from their abuser and Katsuki hosted them in the guest rooms for a couple of days until they could go to somewhere more discreet.
His Kacchan was still sweet, at the end of the day.
By the beginning of the fourth week, Izuku felt like he was at home.
He had forgotten even he had an apartment, and that this time was going to be up. Every day with Katsuki mended his old wounds like stitches. Every glance, subtle touch and smile dug into him and Izuku found himself put in a trance by his ex-lover.
One particular evening stuck to Izuku's core—and it made him feel something he hadn't felt in ages.
They had gone out for a concert.
Izuku didn't actually think it was something that would happen. Katsuki had caught him looking on his phone at his favorite band. Then Katsuki's sly eyes once again caught him looking up tickets. His ex-lover had sauntered up directly behind him, body nearly pressed flat against his back in the kitchen.
"Do you want to go to that?" Katsuki questioned. There was a low hum in his voice like always, teasing him. "We can get tickets and go see them while you're here. I'm sure you're feeling a little cooped up."
Izuku craned his neck to stare up at Katsuki, trying to ignore how hot his face felt. "Oh, it's okay! I
don't need to go. I'm happy staying inside."
"No, really it's fine, if you want to go, we can go," Katsuki urged. He smirked at him with a devilish grin and flexed his brows. "I always did appreciate a rock concert; I haven't been to one in a long time."
So they went, and Izuku thought it was endearing to finally see Katsuki out of his King Pin element. They went discreetly, feeling like normal humans and the entire time, Katsuki kept him close.
The atmosphere was wonderful and helped Izuku relax. He tried to remember a time that he had this much fun, but his memory only guided him back to eight years ago—with Katsuki. That fact sat on his mind for a moment.
He drank his cocktail thoughtfully and Katsuki paid for everything without a bat of an eye.
Izuku dressed in a dark flannel with ripped jeans and his red sneakers, trying to be comfortable. Katsuki matched him more or less, keeping it casual. His ex-lover was dressed in black ripped jeans and a tight, black tank top.
But it threw Izuku off guard more than he would've liked because Katsuki had tattoos.
More than just a couple—his whole chest, arms, and back were inked up and down with intricate designs of a dragon and lion. His entire body was like a well thought out painting, and the beautiful ink was vibrant in color. It stretched across his taut skin so well and Izuku nearly spilled the drink in his hand when Katsuki's muscles flexed.
Izuku barely could pay attention to the band. His eyes kept wandering to Katsuki who was shouting and cheering the entire time, entirely oblivious to Izuku checking him out. It wasn't until halfway through the concert did Katsuki glance down at him and notice him staring.
"What's on your mind, Izuku?" Katsuki asked a little too cockily. He leaned forward into Izuku's space, getting up close and person. "Y'know, you can touch them if you want. I won't bite unless asked. You of all people should know that."
Izuku didn't know what demon possessed him in that moment. Maybe it was the body heat—or the fact they finally just felt like two regular people, but he picked his hand up and traced the inked fang of the lion—directly on Katsuki's bicep.
Katsuki's skin was so warm under his finger pad.
He lost himself a bit, using his pointer finger to follow the path of the line. He soaked up the whole image on Katsuki's arm, and it wasn't until he felt the hard surface of a collar bone did he snap himself back to reality.
When he lifted his eyes, intense scarlet irises were boring into him.
"Like what you see?" Katsuki tested in a low whisper. "There's more underneath my shirt if you want me to take it off."
That was like a splash of cold water to Izuku's face.
"Th-That's alright!" Izuku deflected rapidly. The tips of his ears burned hot. "I-I don't need to see the whole thing. It looks great from what I can see here!"
He retracted his hand and deeply hated how he actually did want to see what was underneath Katsuki's shirt. His ex-lover's smirk didn't lessen. Instead, there was a small mischievous pull on his pink lips.
"Whatever you say," Katsuki said, voice inflecting at the ends playfully.
They both turned their attention back to the band on stage, but Izuku couldn't stop sneaking peaks at the man next to him. He kept looking at the way the inked lion head moved with Katsuki. It nearly felt alive like it was roaring.
Hell, if Izuku was a little more drunk he could have sworn it was.
When his face refused to stop blushing and Katsuki caught him staring one more time, Izuku crumbled. He nervously began drinking more, hoping to drown out his own thoughts and get lost with the crowd.
The night passed on with them singing in sync and dancing around each other and Izuku could have sworn he had never seen Katsuki smile so beautifully.
They stumbled into the house, giggling with flushed faces and clutching onto one another. Katsuki had his head buried in Izuku's hair, and his arms wrapped around his midriff.
"I had so much damn fun, Sweet," Katsuki slurred. They stumbled up the stairs, walking straight past a stunned Mina on the way. "Let's get to bed though. My head is fucking killing me."
Izuku nodded, head swirling a bit. They wobbled into his guest bedroom, and Katsuki followed him, helping keep him steady the whole time. They didn't bother changing out of their clothes and both fell face forward onto the mattress.
Katsuki groaned unhappily and muttered something about 'being too hot' and Izuku rolled on the bed to find Katsuki stripping himself of his black tank top.
Half of Izuku sobered up in that moment, eyes full of Katsuki's inked chest.
Then before he could even stop himself, the drunk half of him lurched forward when Katsuki splayed out. Izuku giggled a bit, and slowly started to climb into Katsuki's lap. His ex-lover laughed deeply; hands perched on his hips to steady him. Izuku spread his palms on top of Katsuki's chest, marveling at the ink work.
He studied it a lot closer this time, cherishing the moment to really get a closer look at how well it rippled across Katsuki's skin.
"So you do like it, hah?" Katsuki smirked with half lidded eyes and rocked his hips slightly. "You don't have to be shy with me, Sweet. Explore my body as much as you like." His tone curled at the end and Izuku's face reddened.
Izuku was about to retract his hands, but quickly Katsuki's hands shot out to capture his wrists. They held eye contact as Katsuki dragged his hands back down and placed either one on top of his pecs.
A warm drop of embarrassment ignited beneath Izuku's skin at the touch. Kacchan was firm, and his skin was somehow the perfect mixture of course yet soft. He could feel his face burn furiously, but he didn't remove his hands.
"Here, I'll help you," Katsuki teased. "Take your time."
Without taking his eyes off him, Katsuki guided his hands along his body. He nearly felt like he was mapping it as his fingers danced about the linework. It was all so enticing and Izuku couldn't peel his eyes away from the two dragons that snaked up either one of Katsuki's arms.
Izuku could feel the heat stir at the bottom of his stomach. His breath hitched at the way the muscles tightened under the colorful tattoos. His hands ran up and down Katsuki's skin, looking at all the tiny lines and enchanting designs. A snake. A flower. Waves. Even a single rose was carefully placed in the sea of tattoos.
He didn't even notice when Katsuki let go of his wrists. No one was moving his fingers for him, but he was doing it anyways. He missed how Kacchan felt: rough yet comforting.
Izuku let himself go contentedly, and he spent that night memorizing the canvas of Katsuki's skin. He happily appreciated all the new scars on his ex-lover's body that he never had seen before, and they stayed up all night relearning each other.
When he woke up the next day, he was face planted directly on Katsuki's chest.
The body underneath him was snoring lightly and Katsuki's arms were locked around him.
Memories of last night snuck into his mind. He could still feel all the gentle laughs and tender touches. He rose slightly from his place on Katsuki's chest, looking down upon him. He took the moment and studied Katsuki underneath the morning light. The gentle sun blended into his soft blond hair, making him seem nearly angelic while he slept. His skin was smooth in the light, and his face was relaxed underneath the weight of sleep.
Izuku didn't notice he was smiling until he touched his lips.
It dawned on him with the rising sun that he couldn't remember a time he had been this happy.
However, when he looked across the room he saw that shining, silver brief case gleaming on the desk. His eyes softened as he gazed at it then he stared at the sleeping man underneath him who held him closer.
"Go back to sleep, Sweet," Katsuki muttered. His hand lazily stroked through Izuku's curls, urging him to put his head back down.
Izuku slowly did so.
He placed his ear right above Katsuki's beating heart as he pondered the last few weeks.
~~
When Izuku left on the end of the fourth week, Katsuki felt a void rip through him.
The hollowness inside of him tripled to a point that he felt like a black hole. Any and all happiness surrounding him was eclipsed by his sorrow. He hated himself for ever indulging in Izuku's sweetness. Why the fuck did he let him stay? That had been such a cruel thing to do to himself.
He wandered around his home for two weeks like he was a ghost. Barely here or there. All of his staff avoided him, the darkness of his aura dripped off like blackened ink.
He was shorter in his tone and a lot grumpier with his inner circle. They were all trying to cheer him up—but the fact of the matter was that Izuku was gone now. His ex-lover took the brief case and was going to patch up the hole in his life that Katsuki put into it.
Currently, Katsuki was sitting in his office swirling a half empty glass of whiskey.
The lights were set to dim and music was playing from his record player. It allowed Katsuki to wallow in his depression, and seep into his feelings. He took a quick swing of his drink and scowled.
"Hey Boss, you gotta stop sulking so much," Sero said to him quietly. He entered through the doors without trying to cause too much of a disturbance. "It's bad for your health, and you're scaring the really nice cleaning lady. She's new and she is a little afraid of you after you threw a fit in the kitchen the other day because you burnt your bagel."
"Don't tell me what to do, Sero," Katsuki snapped back without much bite. "Get the hell out."
"I was going to suggest that we go for a drive," Sero replied, ignoring him. "I think it might make you feel better. You don't have to step foot outside or anything, but I think a change of scenery is good for you."
Katsuki swirled his drink around and glanced at his record player.
When the song that was playing fully hit him, he realized how pathetic he was being and decided maybe his friend was right.
"Fine," Katsuki grumbled. "Let's go for a drive."
Katsuki for sure thought Sero was trying to fuck with him when he began driving around where Izuku's bakery used to be.
Right as Katsuki was going to speak up and ask him exactly what the hell was going on, the words caught in his throat. His eyes went wide as he looked outside the window and saw exactly what he thought was some daydream.
Izuku's bakery was intact—with a bright sign that read "Sweetest Treats" in the front.
His heart stopped at the same time the car did. Katsuki whipped his head to see Sero smirking at him.
"I rolled by it the other day and was just as surprised as you are," Sero said before Katsuki could speak. "It looks like your Sweet decided to keep his bakery in the same spot."
Katsuki's heart started beating fast. "But why the hell would he do that?"
"Why don't you ask him that yourself?" Sero answered and unlocked the car door.
Katsuki looked at the front of Izuku's store and saw a small sign that read 'under construction, reopening soon!' that hung from the front. Through the window he could see Izuku sweeping up with a tiny apron on. His face was pursed in concentration and Katsuki swallowed thickly.
He nodded, scared that his daydreams were playing tricks on him. He slowly got out of the car and approached the small bakery. The sweet smell of lovely pastries reached his nose, drawing him in
but all he could really focus on was Izuku standing there like a beautiful figment of his imagination.
He pushed open the tiny doors, and a melodic chime announced his arrival.
Izuku turned to him, and both of their breaths caught at the sight of the other. Katsuki walked in slowly, stepping over the glass and debris still on the floor. Izuku gingerly smiled at him and clutched the broom in his hand.
"You stayed," Katsuki whispered. "Why did you stay?"
"I guess, I didn't want to be too far from you," Izuku admitted. He focused his gaze down at the floor in deep thought. "I—I really did think I could move again and open up somewhere else. But the thought of leaving you again was...too much. So, I stayed."
"Sweet," Katsuki whispered, his heart hammered. He stepped closer to Izuku, scared that he was misunderstanding what the implications of this was. "Are you saying what I think you are?"
"I am," Izuku nodded. Katsuki stepped forward more, heart hammering like a drum. "But—I have one question for you, I suppose," Izuku said when they were close enough to touch. His beautiful green eyes looked up at Katsuki, searching them deeply.
"Ask me anything," Katsuki said with a deep rasp. "Anything you fucking want."
"Why didn't you tell me that you help people mostly before we—we broke up?" Izuku whispered. "I would have understood more if I had known."
Katsuki sucked at his teeth and clenched his hands.
"I don't know," Katsuki answered earnestly. "I have no real answer for what the hell was going through my mind back then. I was always scared you would be afraid of me if you found out what I was doing—because I am violent, Izuku. There's no sugar-coating that. I nearly beat a man robbing someone to death when I was fifteen and I was horrified at what I had done because it felt good."
Izuku nodded with trepidation. Pain rippled through his eyes as he shrugged his shoulders.
"But," Katsuki continued, trying so fucking hard to grab onto the strings of hope in front of him. "I try my damnest to make sure my anger is always directed in a way that benefits people who need it. I always try to be people's fangs when they need me to be."
"And all those errands you ran for that gangster back when we were younger," Izuku started. "Why did you do them then?"
"To make sure you reached all your dreams," Katsuki said. His low voice scraped at the emotions sitting at the bottom of his pit of a heart, pinning it on display for Izuku to see. "You've always been my motivation. I just wanted to give you what you wanted."
"But what if that was you?" Izuku asked with tears thick in his throat.
Izuku's emotions toppled over like a tower built too tall. All the rawness shone through his eyes as they became glossy. A passionate need boiled into of the deep viridian stare and Katsuki could nearly taste the sentiments of Izuku's words.
"I-I just wanted you with me, Kacchan," Izuku hissed with a groveling need. "It wouldn't have
mattered if I had all the shiny things and ingredients. It was you that made me happiest. This past month made me realize how much I missed you. I thought I was fine without you but—" Izuku licked his lips as his voice trembled. "B-But I am happiest when we're together. What if all I wanted was you by my side?"
"Then I would say I would like another shot at making you happy," Katsuki admitted, matching Izuku's yearning. "If you would let me."
"I think that would be nice," Izuku agreed through his watery eyes. "I want to make you happy too."
"You make me happy already," Katsuki said. He stepped forward a bit more and wrapped his arms around Izuku. They embraced each other, hearts beating in sync. "I promise we'll get it right this time."
Katsuki nodded, finally understanding where they messed up. He could see they wanted the same thing for each other, and he smile tenderly at Izuku. With a careful touch, Katsuki wiped away the lone tear that escaped Izuku's eye.
Izuku reached up and did the same with a small laugh, and Katsuki didn't even realize he was crying.
They joined together in tiny chuckles and then slowly Katsuki leaned down. He waited in silent permission as Izuku's eyes fluttered closed. Newly scarred hands grasped onto Katsuki's shirt and pulled him down.
When their lips met, Katsuki felt all the stars in the sky triple. The emotions that spilled over inside of him boiled to the surface like a geyser. All he could feel was joy, admiration, and love.
They pulled away in the gentle sunlight of the bakery and both of them were grinning until their cheeks hurt.
"I missed you, Sweet," Katsuki whispered against Izuku's lips. Izuku smiled brighter than any star. "I missed you too, Kacchan."