**explicit warning**
If Izuku could describe Katsuki in one word, resilient would be one of them.
The second word would be stubbornly persistent.
The last week, Izuku had the unfortunate attention of the aforementioned person who insisted on working his newly appointed desk duties from the comfort of Izuku's work place.
Mrs. Shuzenji was now his accomplice by making him a rather comfy workstation in the back corner of the cafe with the excuse that he was a well-paying customer. Izuku felt betrayal because of this.
"Your friend's courting may be overbearing, but he seems like a good kid. Why don't you make up with him already?" Mrs. Shujenzi said.
Izuku fumbled with the cups he was trying to put away. The tips of his ears growing hot. How much did Katsuki tell her exactly that she would use that word? He didn't know where to begin.
"He's not…. courting…. me. He's just trying to bother me while I'm working." Izuku said.
The blonde snickered from his spot, although he never looked away from his laptop. Izuku grit his teeth as he went back to putting away the cups. He straightened each one, making sure the handles all faced the same way.
"Shut up Katsuki." Izuku said.
"Don't be rude Izuku, he's still a customer."
"Yeah, Izuku, don't be rude." Katsuki said.
His brow twitched as he held back his retort. Because his boss was right. He was at work and Katsuki a customer, infuriating as it was to admit.
"I'm going to take my break now." Izuku said.
His boss waved him off with a knowing smile as she stood by the register.
Katsuki's decision not to follow Izuku into the back alley, which had become his new hiding spot, caused Izuku's uncertainty of whether to be relieved.
Or annoyed.
The cigarette he had lit was dangling from his lips, smoke easing the tension in his shoulders as he pressed his head back against the exposed brick.
He prided himself int he fact that he had not put his hands on Katsuki since that night. Not for lack of trying on Katsuki's part, but Izuku couldn't risk being tempted again.
Katsuki was his weakness, and he was thinking Katsuki knew this.
He checked his phone just in case he had missed any calls, but Kaina had been silent. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned.
Kaina was a tough cookie, but that didn't mean she was completely invulnerable and she no longer had him to watch her back, so it left Izuku antsy, his fingers tapping impatient against his phone.
"Who are you waiting for?"
Izuku pocketed the phone without responding to Katsuki. He must have decided Izuku had enough alone time. Katsuki watched him through narrow eyes, but Izuku didn't give him any reaction as he finished his cigarette.
"What do you want, Katsuki?"
Katsuki relaxed his features and thankfully didn't push the topic further as he leaned against the open door frame.
"Are you going to the festival downtown?"
Izuku wasn't expecting that question. He paid little attention to the traditions in the city, but he knew about it. He wanted to take Eri there one day, when things got better.
Some interest must have shown on his face, because Katsuki smiled.
"Let's go after your shift."
He could have said no.
It's not like he was actually interested in going to some small festival downtown full of crowds. Izuku cringed at just the mentioned of the amount of bodies clustered together in one place.
Katsuki was looking at him expectantly, red eyes wide and shiny with excitement.
They reminded him of Eri's, who were the same pretty ruby color.
"Fine."
It was a benefit having Katsuki coming by his work as often as he was. With Kaina MIA, it would be easier to keep tabs on Katsuki and make sure he wasn't investigating AFO.
"Wait really?" Katsuki asked.
He must have expected Izuku to reject him like usual and Izuku got some gratification at seeing the gaping expression on Katsuki's face.
"Yeah, one night wouldn't hurt."
Katsuki worked on whatever task they gave him for the rest of Izuku's shift, head low over his keyboard. Katsuki worked on a few reports mostly, but Izuku didn't understand when he tried to explain it.
He had only just clocked out for the day when Katsuki had him by the cuff of his jacket, dragging him out of the cafe with a charming grin toward Mrs. Shuzenji, who waved them off.
"You two behave yourselves."
"No promises!" Katsuki yelled.
Izuku was worried about that comment.
Downtown was only a quick ten-minute bus trip from the cafe, so the drive was relatively quiet as Izuku did his best to compress himself into the overcrowded vehicle.
Katsuki didn't seem bothered by it even though his build wasn't that much of a difference from Izuku's frame. People just naturally give him space wherever he went.
When they reached the festival, Izuku absorbed the bustle of people walking between different vendors and rides. Colorful balloons lined the expanse area and everyone looked happy as the sounds of laughter reached Izuku's ears.
Katsuki tugged at his sleeve to keep moving.
"We need to eat something first. Then we can look around." Katsuki said.
The next few hours were consistent with overly priced vendor foods that Izuku would describe as cheaply delicious.
The sounds were overwhelming, but Katsuki was good at keeping Izuku's attention fixated on him whenever his thoughts wandered.
He could even admit that he was having fun.
They played some games, their competitive streak coming back as they kept tabs on who won what. Katsuki looked smug after beating him in a shooter game. Izuku was only off by a few points, but one would think he had won by a landslide the way he preened in front of Izuku.
It was the toy rifle he had received, but Katsuki was having none of it.
"The rifle is off, so it took a while to get used to. Otherwise, my aim would have been better." Izuku said.
"Suck it, you sore loser. I was at the top of my class in the shooting range. No way would you beat me in an actual match." Katsuki said.
Izuku was also an excellent marksman, but he didn't feel like bringing down the mood by mentioning how he had learned his shooting skills. Guns weren't exactly his favorite choice of weapon anyway, so he let it go.
While they were grabbing a drink, one of the game operators caught their attention, his voice booming over people's heads as he goaded the passerby with some of their usual cliche phrases.
"Step right up! Let's see who are the men from the boys!"
Katsuki had taken the bate easily. As he rolled his sleeves up, he smirked at Izuku, who eyed the worn out high striker. The bell looked like it had been a shiny gold color, but orange rust covered it in patches.
"What, you scared of losing to me again?" Katsuki said.
Katsuki had tucked his last winnings under his arm, a small fluff of fur that reminded Izuku of Katsuki's locks. The blond was still waiting, and a familiar rush of adrenaline washed over Izuku as he took off his jacket. Katsuki's smirk grew wider across his cheeks.
"Alright! It looks like we have a face off, folks!" The operator said.
A small group of spectators watched from the sidelines. The operator was soaring at the potential business while Izuku shook his head, amused.
Waiting, he watched Katsuki test the weight of the hammer in his hands. He was attractive from all angles, his shoulders wide with a small waist. His work clothes looked tailored perfectly to his figure.
Katsuki swung the hammer over his head, and as he bent forward, Izuku's eyes gravitated to the firm roundness of his ass.
The puck came just shy of the bell before hitting the ground. Katsuki grip tightened around the handle of the hammer as Izuku chuckled behind him.
"Guess it's my turn."
Izuku adjusted his stance a bit, but didn't hesitate to swing the hammer, aiming down the middle of the pad. The puck shot, hitting the bell hard and the small gathering cheered, lines forming behind them to try it themselves.
"First winner of the day! Who's next to test their strength?" The operator said.
The worker handed Izuku a toy that was squishy and soft. He didn't really need the thing, but would be a small reminder of a good day. The other man grumbled behind him as they walked off, his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Now whose the sore loser," Izuku said.
Katsuki's warm body pressed into Izuku's side, catching him off guard and flooded his senses with cedarwood and something citrusy-sweet.
His breath hitched in his throat as Katsuki tickled the side of Izuku's neck and he could feel the cockiness in Katsuki's tone as his lips grazed the ends of his ear.
"Don't think I didn't notice you looking, so technically I won."
Katsuki pulled away before Izuku could process the over stimulation, dragging him to the only large ride the city had set up.
"They say the Ferris wheel has a pretty good view at the top." Katsuki said.
The line was a bit of a wait, which gave Izuku time to cool off. It wasn't much since Katsuki now made it a habit to stay close by, never quit touching, but a constant heat against Izuku's left side.
The operator opened the small door to their cab and Izuku made it a point to sit across to put some distance between them. It wasn't much, but there was one con to his plan as Katsuki settled on his side. Katsuki had leaned back in his seat, legs spread o accommodate Izuku in the cramped compartment. Izuku cleared his throat, choosing to look elsewhere before his thoughts got away from him.
"You're insufferable sometimes, you know that." Izuku said.
The permanent smirk on Katsuki's face was becoming a constant reminder of how often he got under Izuku's skin.
As the ride moved them up higher into the sky, Izuku could see the backdrop of downtown around them. The sky, a soft orange-pink and Izuku wished he had a good enough camera on his phone to capture the moment for himself.
Katsuki had his phone out, taking a quick snapshot. It looked new and shiny, reminding Izuku how different things had become between them.
"If you hadn't moved, would things have been different?" Katsuki asked.
Their hometown was both a place of warm nostalgia encased in bitterness of what ifs and could bes. Izuku never lingered on those thoughts for longer than a second.
"No point in thinking about what didn't happen." Izuku said.
The reality is all they had now.
Surrounded by picture perfect views, their earlier lightness darkened around them, making things heavy as Katsuki frowned down at his phone.
"I'll send you the picture later." Katsuki said.
"It's fine. I don't need it." Izuku said.
When they reached the bottom, Izuku was the first one to get out. The air was crisp as he waited for Katsuki, keeping pace with him as they left the event.
They were silent on their walk back the streets rather quiet as they reached his neighborhood. Katsuki continued to follow him, but Izuku was too tired to protest this time.
The day had been fun, but the air between them had turned solemn because of Izuku.
Maybe that's why he let him inside. They didn't say it out loud. Katsuki just walked in and Izuku didn't stop him.
"Want something to drink?" Izuku asked.
"Sure. Whatever you have."
Izuku left him standing in the middle of his living room and it wasn't until he was contemplating between beer or water that he sobered up to the fact that he had given into Katsuki's whims again. Grabbing two water bottles, Izuku returned, only to find Katsuki snooping through the scrapbook he had left on his small coffee table.
The very detailed scrapbook containing all of Katsuki's achievements since the day Izuku had moved.
"Don't look!"
Katsuki glanced back, letting the flap of the cover drop back down as Izuku snatched it away, water bottles left forgotten on the floor where he had dropped them. Katsuki laughed at the awkward crouch Izuku had put himself in to reach for the offensive item.
"You still following me around I see." Katsuki teased.
Izuku groaned, hiding his face and cursing his forgetfulness.
"Come on, let me see it." Katsuki said.
Izuku forked over the damning evidence and, after grabbing the water bottles, he slouched back onto the couch, his head resting back as he ignored the sounds of Katsuki's amusement next to him.
"You really collected everything, you little stalker." Katsuki said.
"Shut up. I just wanted to follow your success. Maybe it's a way of living vicariously through you or something." Izuku said.
"Nah, you're just obsessed with me." Katsuki said.
Izuku sighed, but didn't bother to protest at his assessment. Since they were kids, Izuku had watched him in awe of how easily he could achieve anything he wanted in life.
Izuku was the shadow to Katsuki's light. And the brighter Katsuki became over the years, the darker the contrast Izuku became in return.
Constant parallels to each other.
Which was why today felt bizarre, yet familiar to Izuku. Maybe this is how it would have been between them. Two friends, hanging out after a long day at work. Only Izuku was his partner, not Kirishima.
He was contradicting himself by imagining what ifs and could bes'.
Katsuki chuckled at whatever notes he found in his book. Izuku usually wrote his thoughts next to each news clippings, a habit from his journaling days.
Katsuki looked up at him, eyes mischievous as he teased him about something.
"You reall.."
Izuku was a weak person by nature, which was why his lips were now pressed against Katsuki in a resigned kiss. A miracle he lasted this long, really. A testament to Izuku's own resilience.
Their touch was light compared to their previous kisses, and Katsuki wrapped himself around Izuku without protest. When Izuku considered pulling away at some point, Katsuki only pulled him in deeper.
Katsuki moved to settle into his lap, his weight a pleasant pressure against Izuku's waist. His hands dragged down the length of Katsuki's thighs, firm as he rubbed small circles into the skin hidden beneath the fabric.
Katsuki lets out a sigh, his long lashes fluttering closed, and Izuku presses his lips against the side of his jaw in response.
Their breaths mingle deep and uneven as they explored. Izuku's thoughts ceased as he allowed himself a moment to just feel the soft and rough textures that made up Katsuki in his hands, while Katsuki stayed still basking in Izuku's attention.
When his hands slid up his side, Katsuki jerked back and Izuku looked back at his panicked expression.
"Don't."
Izuku's grip was on the soft cloth of his shirt and he tested the new information as he brushed his fingers against Katsuki, who jerked back again, his teeth bared in an angry scowl.
"I said quit it."
Katsuki was ticklish.
Prickly loud mouth Kacchan was ticklish.
Katsuki must have seen something because he tried to move back, but Izuku latched onto him, making them stumble forward until they fell onto the carpeted floor. He used his weight to pin Katsuki under him as he took advantage of the opening to scrape his fingers against the other mans exposed side.
Katsuki burst into loud curses as he squirmed under him, his hips jerking upwards to knock him off.
"I said stop,… fuck! I'm gonna kill you, Deku!"
Izuku laughed, his mouth latching over Katsuki's angry rants, enjoying the earlier taste of the funnel cake on his tongue. Izuku let up enough for Katsuki to catch his breath, chest heaving in gulps of air as he glared up at him.
"Kacchan's ticklish." Izuku teased.
"Fuck you, asshole."
Katsuki's face was a pretty pink, his shirt untucked by their movements revealing firm muscles. Izuku didn't deny himself as he touched the exposed area.
He was weak, but he knew this couldn't go much further without clarifying that this couldn't be what Katsuki wanted it to be. Izuku still had enough of his brain cells to set ground rules for both their sakes.
"This won't mean anything, just some fun." Izuku said.
To himself and to Katsuki. He needed to keep that line between them. He could handle this much if Katsuki accepted it, but nothing more. The other man's eyes were steely, but his cocky smirk returned on his face as he wrapped his arms around Izuku's neck, dragging him down closer.
"You keep telling yourself that."
His teeth nipped at Izuku's bottom lip, leaving a pleasant sting in retaliation for Izuku's words. Hands explored under clothes until Izuku had enough of a mind to take his shirt off, while Katsuki unbuttoned his shirt so that it lay open to Izuku's greedy eyes.
His hands slid down Izuku's back and over the scars that were out of his line of view. Most were old and faded to a light color. Others were still pink and raw, not yet settled into his skin, making them sensitive under Katsuki's finger tips.
"Condom?" Katsuki asked.
His fingers dipped into the dimples of Izuku's waist as he looked up at him, but Izuku shook his head.
"We're not doing that tonight."
Katsuki's irritation looked more like a pouting frown, making him rather cute from Izuku's perspective. The blonde dug his nails in protest, but a sharp rush went up Izuku's spin at the pressure. As he pressed forward between Katsuki's thighs, the denim of his jeans became stretched tight. Katsuki jolted forward, chasing the friction Izuku had created.
"I can take it." Katsuki said.
Izuku scoff came out breathlessly as he leaned forward to lay a peck against the hollow area of his neck. Katsuki's hum of approval vibrated against his lips.
"Not this time." Izuku said.
"So there will be a next time."
Before he could say anything, Katsuki's phone rang from somewhere in his pocket. The odd vibration felt between them. Izuku froze for a second as they stared back at each other, neither willing to move.
"Its Kiri." Katsuki said.
Izuku made to move back, but Katsuki grabbed a fist full of his curls keeping him locked in place.
"No! He's not fucking this up for me again." Katsuki said.
Izuku tensed, ready to protest, but Katsuki's desperation to keep this from ending had him giving in and falling into Katsuki with ease.
He lifted them off the ground, and the two fumbled with rushed kisses on any new area of skin that came into view while Izuku attempted to lead them back towards his room.
"Hold on…. Kacchan,"
Katsuki's shirt kept his arms restricted at his sides as it caught mid fall, but he didn't seem to care as his lips latched onto the closest nipple. Izuku groaned at the rough pad of his tongue against his skin, hands rough as Katsuki attempted to open the fly of Izuku's jeans.
They reached the bed somehow and Izuku slotted himself back between Katsuki's legs, grinding against the bulge straining against him. Katsuki moaned low in his ear as they built a slow friction between them.
The pressure was boarding on painfully, but Izuku didn't want to rush. This was Katsuki. Tangled in each other, Izuku could barely accept this as reality. That it had already happened before was already hard to fathom.
Izuku pressed his forehead against Katsuki's, their breathing growing more frantic between them
"Dek…Izuku..."
"Call me whatever you want, Kacchan." Izuku said.
Katsuki pushed at his jeans, trying to shove them off before giving up and fumbling to pull his pants open.
"Still so impatient." Izuku teased.
He moved Katsuki's hands away, and they moved instead to grip on Izuku's arms. Faces pressed close together, they watched Izuku pull down the last barriers between them. Katsuki let out a stuttered breath against his cheek as Izuku's dick brushed against his own.
"Fucking finally," Katsuki said.
Izuku groaned at the silk texture of Katsuki as he slid against him, his palm keeping them pressed against each other, a slow rhythm starting between them.
Fire curled up his spine as they moved against each other, but Izuku kept his eyes open, soaking in every expression that crossed Katsuki's flushed face.
"You're so perfect, Kacchan."
His pupils were blown-wide, engulfing the dark red, not quite focused on Izuku as they tried to flutter close.
"Look at me.." Izuku said.
Katsuki groaned as he tried to do as he said, legs tightening around him as he pushed up against Izuku.
"Deku."
He was pure bliss, a beautiful sin against him, and Izuku shuddered as he grit his teeth to hold off the heat that was building inside.
He pressed an open mouth kiss against Katsuki's temple as the other man arched against Izuku's quickened movements.
"Izuku!"
"It's okay Kacchan."
Kacchan was everything, from the quiet pants that left his lips to the way he gripped at the sheets on either side of him as he followed Izuku's controlled pace.
His grip tightened and a small keening sound escaped Kacchan as he froze, his muscles tensed. It was enough to push Izuku over the edge as he followed him with a low moan pressed against his open mouth.
"Fuck." Katsuki said.
Izuku's mind was a haze of white as he laid over Katsuki, drawing him closer. A sweaty mess. Katsuki's skin stuck against him when they moved, but even that was its own form of gratification for Izuku, a reminder of what happened.
Katsuki had allowed himself to be maneuvered to Izuku's liking as they came back down.
"We need to clean up." Katsuki said.
Izuku gave a quiet hum of agreement, but he didn't move from his spot. With a huff, Katsuki pushed at his shoulders until Izuku relented, moving to lie down on the bed beside him. His mind was mush, content to just lay there for a few more minutes.
Katsuki returned with a damp cloth that he pressed against Izuku's chest to clean them up.
"I'm staying the night." Katsuki said.
Katsuki wasn't looking at him as he cleans himself up with the same damn cloth. It wasn't a question or a suggestion. Just a matter of fact. Izuku couldn't find the energy to dispute it.
"Okay."
Katsuki pushed him to roll over and Izuku moved so that Katsuki could pass the cloth against his back, cleaning up the dried sweat that had built up.
"We could just shower in the morning." Izuku suggested.
"I will not have your dirty sweat on me all night!" Katsuki protested.
He stopped his movements around Izuku's shoulder, where a recent scar remained.
"This looks like a burn."
"That's because it is." Izuku said.
He fingered the raised lumps of skin. It tingled, making Izuku squirm as he got used to it. Katsuki was obviously curious, but he said nothing until Izuku offered the information.
"When I left the organization, they burned my fighter tattoo off as penance."
When Katsuki had said nothing, Izuku cracked open an eye to see his face looked pale. Izuku chuckled and pulled the other man down against his chest.
"Don't worry about it, Kacchan. It's over."
As they settled in for the night, Izuku considered what they had done. Tomorrow he would regret it. This would no doubt complicate things between them, but for tonight, he just wanted to enjoy Katsuki's light for as long as possible.
He hadn't realized he had drifted off until Katsuki's phone woke him up. The ringing piercing the peaceful quiet of the room.
"Kiri must be pissed if he's sending his wife after me this late at night." Katsuki said.
Izuku chuckled, barely conscious, as he wrapped an arm around Katsuki's waist. The blond struggled against him to reach for his phone.
"Get off you big oaf." Katsuki said.
Izuku awarded him enough spac to sit up and reach for his phone, but Izuku refused to let go fully, his arm still firmly wrapped around him. Katsuki answered his phone, his tone rough with sleep.
"Can't this wait until morning?" Katsuki asked.
Izuku barely registered when Katsuki pulled away at first. It could have been a work call, but the way he stood abruptly out of bed made him more alert.
"What's happened?" Katsuki asked.
That caught his attention as Izuku sat up as well. His gaze followed Katsuki as he rushed to grab his things, his movements aggressive while holding the phone to his ear.
"I'm on my way."
"What happened?" Izuku asked.
His thoughts were already running ahead, wondering if another murder had happened, but Katsuki was on desk duty, so he didn't think they would have called him in if that was the case.
Katsuki struggled to button his shirt, his hands shaking as he looked up at Izuku. He moved closer and helped Katsuki put on his clothes.
"Kiri's in the hospital." Katsuki said.
The gravity of the situation hung over them as Izuku joined him in getting dressed. When Katsuki stopped moving, just standing in the center of the room, Izuku moved him to sit on the bed.
"Do you know the details?" Izuku asked.
Katsuki shook his head as Izuku helped him to put on his shoes one at a time.
"Mina just told me it's bad and to hurry."
He leaned forward to cover his face and Izuku gave him a moment to gather his thoughts as he looked schedule for a ride to come pick them up.
"We need to hurry. She needs me there." Katsuki said.
"Let's go." Izuku said.
I picked them up not long after, the small cabin deathly silent, that even the driver kept his mouth shut until he had dropped them off in front of the ER entrance.
They had just stepped through the sliding doors when a curvy pink skinned girl came into view. Katsuki made a beeline towards her and a small group that was nearby as Izuku followed close behind.
"Mina."
The girl didn't hesitate to fall into Katsuki's arms, a crying mess as the others stood up to join them.
"What are they saying?" Katsuki asked.
Mina shook her head, unable to speak, and Izuku looked at the man standing nearby. He noticed Izuku in return. His black hair laid flat around a grim face as he nodded in greeting.
"Sero."
"Izuku."
Something flashed across his face and Izuku could guess that he at least knew of him before Katsuki got his attention.
"Can it wait? What are the doctors saying?" Katsuki asked.
"They found him on the side of the river bank near the docks." Sero said.
A confused frown marred Katsuki's face as he looked at them, eyes impatient.
"What the fuck was he doing at the docks?"
Sero scratched at the back of his head, his eyes shifting over to a yellow-haired man next to him, who shrugged. There was a silent conversation between them, but they both looked nervous at facing Katsuki's anger.
"Kiri told us he was going to go meet with a viable lead, but we think it may have been a setup."
Dread stirred in Izuku's chest, the reminder of why he had wanted Katsuki to back off. Reality had to return, destroying the thin layer of fantasy they had felt only a few hours before.
Katsuki held onto Mina, but it was hard to distinguish what he was thinking at that moment.
"How bad is it?" Katsuki asked.
Mina tightened her hold on him, her cries muffled into the fabric of his shirt, and Katsuki tightened his hold.
"They're still working on him... but they said to prepare for the worst case."