Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 — Bitter

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“Open wide, Kacchan!” Izuku said in a happy sing-song tune. He grinned from ear to ear as he lifted a silver fork that held a small bite of his latest strawberry creation. 

“Sure thing, sweet. Give me a moment.” 

The blond teenager in question quickly checked a text message. Izuku watched, undoubtedly curious as Katsuki’s fingers worked quickly. His boyfriend tilted his phone just enough that Izuku couldn’t see everything. But he saw one thing: In place of a name, “XXXX” was in the identification slot.

A feeling of eeriness scratched at the back of Izuku’s head. Katsuki had lazily glanced over at whatever message he received. Then his eyebrow twitched and his nose slightly crinkled. But just as quickly had that trickle of irritation appeared, it vanished. Katsuki sweetly smiled at him at the same time he turned his phone face down on the wooden table. 

“Alright, I’m ready. Hit me with that good shit you made.”

He gave all his attention back to Izuku with a small smirk as he opened his mouth.

Izuku’s fragile smile faltered for a moment. Then he picked it back up and carefully pinned it back on his face. He reminded himself that this was supposed to be a sweet moment between them and not bring up anything that would twist it into bitterness. He fed the small piece of tart into his high school sweetheart’s mouth, eager for his feedback.

They maintained eye contact the entire time, and Izuku could feel himself blush slightly. Katsuki always managed to make him flustered whenever he helped him fix up something in the kitchen. There was a small hum of delight that slipped past Katsuki’s lips, and he smirked handsomely at Izuku while clutching his phone. 

“That was fucking amazing,” Katsuki complimented with a small chuckle. He licked his lips to catch some of the residue sweetness. “Now what was wrong with it? I heard you muttering up a storm over there like something was missing, but this is fantastic.”

“Oh, I-I think I need one more ingredient,” Izuku mumbled slightly. “If I had white truffles I could make Toshinori’s famous chocolate white truffles recipe. Maybe I could even win the whole prize money for university.”

“White truffles or not, you’re going to win that bake off without an issue. Everyone else might as well go home now.”

Izuku beamed and his heart thumped hard. His eyes sparkled and widened at the praise as he clutched the tiny fork in his hand. 

“You really think so, Kacchan?”

“I know so.” Katsuki gave a cocky grin and leaned across the table with a look of adoration. “You’re the best baker in school. There’s not a doubt in my mind that you’re going to win that competition and everyone else is going to suck ass.”

Izuku’s heart leaped and his eyes softened. It soared high, feeling amazing that Katsuki really thought he was going to win. The blond teen was a lot of things, but dishonest was never one. He always made sure to give Izuku his honest opinion on whether anything he baked tasted too sour, salty or even sweet. Katsuki had an excellent palette and Izuku utilized it to his full abilities all the time.

“I couldn’t have done it without you though,” Izuku said in a gentle tone. He smoothed out his green apron and sat down in the chair across from Katsuki. “Thank you so much for always being my taste tester.” 

“Of course, I’d do anything for you, sweet.” 

Katsuki gazed back at him and Izuku remembered why he loved him so much. There was a stillness in the air that filled up with gentle, soft looks and Izuku could feel his heart pounding in his chest more. He reached for Katsuki’s hand sitting on the tabletop—but stopped when Katsuki’s phone buzzed again. 

Both their smiles fell away. 

Katsuki pressed his lips in a thin line before flipping his phone over and Izuku retracted his hand. Izuku turned his head away slightly, eyes averted to the dirty dishes sitting on the worn-down kitchen table. He curled his hands in his lap to prevent himself from saying something he might regret later as Katsuki’s fingers went click clack on the phone screen.

Izuku surveyed all the small cracks on the table and on the wall to distract himself. He stared around at the flowery wallpaper that was dingy and the crooked family portraits hanging up. Izuku caught sight of the way one piece of wallpaper was slipping down. A corner was peeled back showing the moldy surface underneath. It was ironic, in a way. It reminded Izuku no matter how much prettiness can be slapped on top of a problem, it was always festering underneath. 

“I have to run,” Katsuki said. Izuku wished then that his voice held a little bit more reluctancy, but it didn’t. “I’ll be right back before you go to bed, alright?”

Izuku could only respond with a small head nod. His throat was feeling sore now, and he feared his voice might crack if he spoke. He turned to Katsuki and gazed at him with the best fake smile he could muster.

Of course, Katsuki clearly saw through it and exhaled roughly through his nose.

“Hey, don’t be upset. Really, I’ll be fine and I’m sure it won’t take all night.”

But Izuku couldn’t really stop the disappointment from showing through. His brows pinched together when Katsuki rose from his seat. The old wooden chair creaked heavily against the tilted kitchen floor. Katsuki leaned over and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek and moved to turn away.

Izuku shot his hand out. He grabbed Katsuki by his elbow, stopping him in place. The blond teenager turned around, a bit shocked, and Izuku became aware of the tears pouring down his cheeks as he stared at his boyfriend. 

“Don’t go,” Izuku begged. He squeezed the words past the tightness in his throat. “Please. Stay with me tonight, Kacchan.”

“You know I have to go when my boss calls, Izuku.”

There was no sweet nickname this time. Only hard seriousness and the cold exterior Izuku had been watching form over Katsuki’s soul the older they became. 

Izuku’s hold on Katsuki went slack and his boyfriend walked forward towards the discolored white door without another word. He slipped on his shoes and threw on his winter coat. Right as Katsuki reached for the door, he turned to give Izuku a reassuring smirk.

All Izuku could give him in exchange was a look of longing. 

The door quietly shut and Izuku found himself alone. 

The wind rattled the dusty, neglected windows and howled. The sound of nothingness reminded Izuku exactly how alone he was as he sat in the kitchen by himself. There was no one else around because his mom was off to the other side of the country. The person whose house she tended to asked her to spend the week because of an important event, which resulted in Izuku home alone. 

Izuku quietly stood up from his own creaky wooden chair. He wiped away the hot tears stinging his eyes and began washing the dishes.

As he looked around at the mess of flour, chocolate and left-over dough, Izuku wondered how they got to this point: with him baking in the kitchen on school nights, and Katsuki running errands for some shady man across town. 

But all Izuku could really think about was how it all led back to baking. 

The smell of sweet bread, butter, and the feeling of flour on his hands always had brought him an inexplicable rush of joy. Every time he turned on the oven, he allowed himself to become utterly lost in the chaos of mixing ingredients together. It was beyond thrilling to make unknown, exciting new combinations that would bring smiles to everyone’s faces. 

But what he loved most about baking was the handsome smirk he would be given by Katsuki in particular. Whenever the blond taste-tested a new pastry of his, his red eyes would grow sharper as he gave Izuku every last drop of his attention. Those looks ignited sweet butterflies in Izuku’s stomach that fluttered softly. That small sensation whenever Katsuki looked at him was all Izuku needed in the world on some days. 

And somehow because of that, Katsuki became Izuku’s reason to bake. Then gradually Katsuki wanted Izuku to bake more when he saw how happy it made him. Katsuki would go out of his way to pick up wayward jobs to buy Izuku all the groceries and baking materials he wanted.

However, the only issue was their living situation. 

Izuku looked over his shoulder at the peeling piece of wallpaper.

Staring at the dark, fuzzy green spot peaking from underneath reminded him that they didn’t have much money. Both of their families struggled heavily to make ends meet. Coupled with that, the owners of the apartment building they grew up in didn’t seem to care about anything. The landlords always ignored the rundown conditions tenants were subjected to because they knew everyone needed a place to stay, and they took full advantage of that. 

To try to free his mind from their problems, baking progressively became an escape for Izuku to find a slice of joy in all the hardship.

Whenever he found himself wrestling with insomnia, he wandered into the kitchen and baked. If he was stumped on some dumb math problem, he baked. If he didn’t want to clean up right away, he baked. When his mom cried after his dad left, he baked.

Eventually, it became the same for Katsuki—or at least Izuku assumed so. 

When Katsuki asked him out in the first year of high school, he promised Izuku that they would move out to a better side of town and open up Izuku’s dream bakery together. Izuku desperately wanted to believe that to be true, so he didn’t pay it any mind when he found himself showered in all the cookbooks and pots and pans Katsuki could find.

Part of Izuku wondered where Katsuki was getting the money. However, the other part of him was thankful because he could never afford his dreams on his own. There was a budding mysterious side to Katsuki, a side that no one could tell unravel or see. Not even Izuku. 

The blond boy of his childhood was a walking enigma of a hurricane. 

Ever since they were kids, Katsuki was hard to read to everyone. But for Izuku he was close to an open book. But only close to it. There were still pages of him that Izuku couldn’t decode, but Izuku had no doubt in his mind that Katsuki was his person. Especially when Katsuki would smile at him privately with gentleness. That was saved for him and only him.

However, when they reached the age of fifteen, something began to happen. 

Katsuki became more preoccupied with finding jobs around the city that allowed him to still study and spend time with Izuku. At first, Izuku figured Katsuki was running under the table errands for someone on the wealthier sides of town. But Katsuki would come back with wads of cash. Obscene loads of it to the point Izuku questioned where he got it from. 

Then on top of it, Katsuki hid most of it from his parents—giving them just enough to think he had an after-school job. 

Whenever Izuku questioned it, Katsuki would give him that charming lopsided grin, a kiss on the cheek and tell him, “Don’t worry about it, sweet.”

But in true Izuku fashion, he worried.

He worried when he spotted Katsuki in alleys.

He worried when he saw him dress finer.

He worried especially when he saw his attitude become a bit more calloused and he was starting to act cold towards people. Izuku worried all the way up until now, as they were getting ready to go off to university on their own. 

Izuku couldn’t stop worrying if he tried.

Even now, he worried as he finished washing the dishes and straightened up the kitchen.

The wind blew stronger as the night deepened, and Izuku went to bed that night alone. He struggled to keep his eyes open, and he kept his ears peeled for any indication that Katsuki would somehow wander back in. When the digital clock’s red lettering read well into the early hours of the morning, Izuku fell asleep despite himself.

Soft gentle light woke him the next morning instead of Katsuki.

Izuku frowned all the way to the kitchen and sitting there was a white note taped to the fridge. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that there was a small trace of dried blood staining the corner.

“I won’t be at school today. Sorry for being out late and sorry for having to miss the bake off today. But I put a surprise in the fridge for you. You’re going to kill the competition. Show those extras who’s the best chef in Japan.”

Izuku opened the fridge to find a bundle of white truffles sitting neatly inside for him.

There was even a small green bow taped on top. 

❃ ❃ ❃

When the bake off arrived, Izuku won.

He was pinned with a giant blue ribbon that had ‘1st place’ on it. All the judges were smiling at him lovingly, gathered around proudly as if they were his parents. With their hearty laughs, they told him he was going to be the future of Japan’s culinary arts as they gave him the award money. He shook their hands and took pictures for a million cameras with bright flashing lights. Izuku even got his name recognized by the educational head of their province.

However, there was a twinge of bitterness at the back of his tongue when the crowd cheered.

The one person he wished could be there, wasn’t. 

And he wasn’t there when he came back home to the empty apartment.

❃ ❃ ❃

When the first year of university came, it was clear to Izuku that this was the fork in the road for the two of them. It was wide like a parting ocean, and they were on opposite sides of the wall of water. There was no way their paths could cross and Izuku was beginning to bitterly realize that.

Izuku took to majoring in Culinary Arts, wanting to pursue his dream of opening up a quiet bakery with his mother’s recipes.

Katsuki started spending more time uptown.

Not the nice part of uptown, but the shady parts that made a feeling like spiders tickling at the back of Izuku’s neck ignite. His boyfriend barely spent time with him now, trading him in for that unknown name on his phone that asked him to go do errands.

Whenever he asked his boyfriend to taste a new treat, now Katsuki would halfheartedly do it. He was too distracted by whatever was on his damn phone. It made a part of Izuku rot, turn sour and chip from his spirit as he watched the gap between them grow bigger.

If Izuku wanted to go out on date nights, or explore University parties, Katsuki was too busy. It was always, “I got somethin’ to do, I’ll be back later.” or “Can we raincheck, sweet? I got an important meetin’ with that old man I work for.”

There was never later, and there was never a raincheck.

It was always Izuku alone weathering the storm by himself.

Then finally the breaking point occurred.

It was a day Izuku thought would be filled with joy, Kacchan’s birthday! He had woken up early for Katsuki’s 19^th birthday, grinning like a lovesick fool. His boyfriend had emphasized that he would for sure be back to spend time with him. So Izuku didn’t doubt it. He kept his smile pinned on his face when Katsuki was thirty minutes late. He even kept it pinned when he was two hours late.

But that same smile crumbled under his tears and neglect when six hours passed.

Izuku had spent all day baking and cooking his boyfriend’s favorite food for nothing only for Katsuki to saunter in at nearly 03:21AM.

Izuku snapped at the sight of his disheveled fancy clothes.

A fight as loud as a hurricane erupted between them as they raised their voices. Izuku threw the cake he wept over next to Katsuki’s head with all his strength. It hit the wall with a loud splat, and all the icing and bites of wasted dessert scattered. The pink frosting sprinkled into Katsuki’s hair, and his face was stunned into disbelief. They stared at each other; boiling point reached.

Izuku’s tears stung. Why was this happening? What the hell was Katsuki always putting before him? Was he that goddamn unimportant? Swiftly, his feet moved like he was a natural disaster as he ran upstairs to rummage through Katsuki’s things.

Katsuki chased after him immediately, yelling at the top of his lung for Izuku to stop.

He pushed Katsuki off of him as he grabbed for the drawer of their dresser that was always ‘off limits’. He snatched it open, tumbling it to the ground with a loud clank and everything that was inside came tumbling out.

Guns, brass knuckles, bullets and knives sprayed across their bedroom floor with loud metallic scraping sounds.

Izuku’s vision grew bleary. He choked back a sob as he stared at Katsuki fumbling to try to pick up the weapons. All the bitterness inside his chest ripened and his heart cracked in two under the weight of reality. He had finally found the confirmation to what he already knew. He always had a scratch at the back of his conscious telling him that Katsuki was involved with shady people, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be right.

He slowly bent down to pick up the bloodied brass knuckles that fell next to his feet.

“Kacchan,” Izuku murmured desperately through his tears. “Are you hurting people? Please. Tell me you’re not hurting people.”

Katsuki opened his mouth but didn’t answer.

Izuku’s face crumbled into misery and his hand shook. “Why are you throwing your life away like this?”

Katsuki quickly shook his head and gripped Izuku’s shoulders as loud sobs wrecked through the smaller teen. Izuku’s whole world felt like it was tilting underneath his feet, thrown off balance by finally facing the truth. Katsuki was running errands for someone—bloody errands.

“I’m not throwing my life away, I fucking swear I’m not,” Katsuki desperately tried to reason. “I’m making our lives better. Don’t you see? I’ve been running errands for this old gangster for a while, and he’s been the one giving me all the money to your baking stuff. He’s showing me the ropes and soon everything will be alright.”

The crazed look swirling in red eyes was something Izuku didn’t recognize.

He recoiled.

This wasn’t his Katsuki anymore.

“How is this making things better?” Izuku questioned sorrowfully. He shook his head slowly and screwed his eyes shut. “You haven’t spent any time with me for years. Yo-You spend all your time elsewhere and now you’re telling me you’ve been trading me in for a gangster. I thought at first it was you running errands for this guy, but you’re hurting people,” Izuku wept. “You’re actually hurting people.”

“Only people who deserve it,” Katsuki clarified as if it was better. “I’m building a future for us, Izuku. We won’t ever be poor and hungry anymore.”

Izuku dropped the brass knuckles and screwed his eyes shut.

“Please, Izuku. This is what we said we wanted,” Katsuki hissed wildly. “You with that stupid little bakery and me helping out! I can give you all that with time now.”

“Not like this,” Izuku replied through tears.

Katsuki pressed his lips in a thin line at the same time his brows furrowed. He shifted and placed his hands over Izuku’s in a quiet plea.

“Please,” Katsuki rasped out. His eyes searched into Izuku’s for understanding. “I can’t do this without you.”

Izuku’s body trembled as he stared in the deep ember like eyes he loved so much. They flickered with passion, want, but he saw fresh blood lust there too. It was hungry, and newly bloomed and craved to release pent up anger somewhere.

Izuku stared down at their intertwined hands. Where he once always saw love, he only saw invisible blood—caked high and staining his palms.

He shook his head slowly. He stepped back, one step at a time until their fingers slid apart. He hated the way his eyes stung. His chest convulsed and his bottom lip quivered as he turned away.

He detested the words he was about to say.

“And I can’t do this with you,” Izuku sobbed.

Katsuki’s breath hitched like he had been speared. Izuku couldn’t bring himself to look at him. Katsuki’s first curled and his breathing became uneven. He was hurt, and Izuku was hurt too. If someone had asked him to describe the silence in that moment, he would say it sounded like two heart shattering into a million pieces.

Katsuki and him didn’t speak after that.

Then his ex-lover dropped out of university.

❃ ❃ ❃

Eight Years Later

Izuku cleaned the countertop of his new bakery until he could see his reflection in it. He smiled at himself in the spotless marble, giddy with excitement as he fastened his green and pink apron.

His heart hadn’t felt this full in a long while. He had finally opened up his bakery after years of internships, apprenticeships, and working second rate jobs to save up.

He named it after what his mother said to before she passed: Sweetest Treats.

He had finally got his dream, and in a bitter way he hoped Katsuki got his too. He knew it was torture for his heart to think of the man he left behind, but the memory of Katsuki slithered in too frequently.

News of Katsuki’s involvement with gangs spread around their hometown like wildfire.

After their breakup, his cruelty up ticked so heavily that he earned a street name. Izuku didn’t bother to learn it. He kept himself far away from that bloodied mess and Katsuki kept himself far away from Izuku too. Eventually the fiery blond stopped coming back home. Katsuki sent his parents enough money to move out—and they did. Mitsuki and Masaru didn’t seem to question the lucrative cash flow anymore since they didn’t care to be poor.

Even though eight years had passed, Izuku struggled not to let Katsuki in his thoughts. Even in his dreams he was haunted by that handsome smirk. But Izuku found it especially messed up when he would be cleaning his butcher knives and think of Katsuki. In the reflection he swore he could see blood red eyes staring back at him full of dangerous passion.

But Izuku didn’t want to think about him right now. He wanted to think about his bakery, that he was excited for!

The first week went swell. People came in after working, and he could see several Uni students become quick regulars, liking the atmosphere for studying.

His bakery was charming with a green and pink color scheme. Tiny cartoon rabbits were on the fresh wallpaper and free chocolate treats were stationed outside to lure the crowds inside. Perched on the walls were photos of Izuku’s baking accomplishments. Pictures with head chefs, or with mayors. He had worked his way up from the bottom and now he finally had invested all his saving into his own slice of life.

As people filled his bakery, it warmed his heart to the fullest. It was surreal watching his dreams play out in front of him.

Then, right before closing on the last day, a group of people strolled in. Izuku was about to announce that he was shutting down for the day but froze when he felt something wrong.

It was about ten gruff men. They had scars littering their face and bandages wrapped around their fists with blood showing through. Worst of all, they dressed like Katsuki used to. Fancy. Luxe. Some animal print shirts that were half unbuttoned with their chests showing. He flinched at their pointed grins and slicked back hair. All of their knuckles were decorated with silver and gold rings and their smiles were looking at him hungrily.

Izuku’s heart pounded in his chest. “C-Can I help you?”

“Ah, it’s you who can help us,” A man who appeared to be the leader chuckled.

He had the worst smile—the hungriest. Like a wolf who had finally caught the prey he had been circling. Izuku studied his wavey copper like hair and a lopsided smirk. The unnamed man walked up to the countertop lazily and that’s when Izuku saw the metal bat in his hand. It dragged behind him making a terrible scraping noise that vibrated the atmosphere with dread.

Izuku’s heart dropped.

“My name is Isao and you set up shop in our territory, pretty boy,” the man further explained. “We collect payment here.”

Izuku paled. Territory?

His heart dropped to his stomach fast enough to make him nauseous. He clutched the hems of his apron in horror when he realized what was happening and how quickly his dream got stomped out.

It didn’t take long for the man named Isao to antagonize him further.

Isao leaned into his space, ran a hand through his curls, and greedily ate some of the left-over pastries directly in his face with a wicked smirk. The other roughnecks joined in it too, pawing at his apron, calling it frilly and cutesy. Izuku struggled not to cry or scream as they smashed some of his baked goods against the wall and against his face.

Despite his fear, Izuku stayed still. He didn’t dare to move or speak when he could see the glint of metal pistols in their hands.

“This is how much you owe us by the end of the month,” Isao said with a sinister laugh.

Isao pushed Izuku against the wall and kneeled down. Terror trickled into Izuku’s core when the man grabbed the hem of his apron and tugged on it harshly. Without breaking eye contact, Isao pulled out a sharpie and wrote down a number in large black letter on the green cloth.

Izuku stayed deathly still as the man rose to his full height again, towering over him. He screwed his eyes shut when Isao thumbed at some of the icing on the corner of his mouth. The gangster licked it against his tongue and sharply laughed.

“See you soon, sweetcakes,” Isao taunted maliciously.

All the bodies in the room shuffled, laughing and cruelly knocking over tables and chairs. When the group left, the door chime rang out, and it signaled he was alone.

Izuku opened his eyes and saw the disaster all around him.

He slide down slowly on the wall and cried.

❃ ❃ ❃

The next day Izuku tried his best to clean up and move on. He attempted to advertise and sell all he could. But it was hard. It was harder than he ever thought it would be. Between the bills to keep the bakery afloat and the new one he was pinned with—he didn’t know what to do.

Then on the second week—the last person he expected to walked in and Izuku didn’t know what to feel. It felt like time had halted and all movement in the busy bakery stopped. Sharp red eyes glanced around curiously, and blond spikes were somehow more dangerous.

The once angry scowl set on the handsome face was a stale, resting expression. Far less emotion driven but far more lethal. Then those cutthroat eyes glanced over towards him, and it felt like Izuku was transported in one of his dreams.

His ex-lover walked up to the counter with his head down, biting his lip. His shining orange shirt was neatly tucked behind his expensive snake skinned belt and hands were hidden in his black dress pockets. The golden chain on his neck swung, shining a little too brightly.

“Hey, sweet,” Katsuki’s voice said. It was deeper, gruffer, and it caressed deep parts of Izuku that he wished it no longer did.

Izuku blinked once. Then blinked twice.

The silence between them swelled as the two ex-lovers stared. Katsuki cleared his throat in the awkward tension and strummed his decorated hand on the countertop.

“I, uh, was around and I wanted to check out how the bakery looked.”

Izuku turned his attention downwards, towards where the large hand was on the countertop. He studied the shiny silver and gold rings on that veiny, muscular hand. One had a beautiful sapphire gem. The other one a sparkling ruby. Then finally a dazzling emerald. They screamed wealth—blood earned wealth and it spoke to a bitter part of Izuku. He had worked so hard just for his dreams to be taken away by men like this.

Izuku’s nostrils flared.

“Get out,” Izuku hissed in a low warning.

Katsuki made a pained face. “Izu—”

“No! Get out!” Izuku screamed, voice splintering on the ends. Several people whipped their heads towards him, but he didn’t give a damn he was making a scene right now. His chest churned angrily with blame as he pointed a finger towards his ex-lover. “Th-This is your fault isn’t it? You’re the reason why those guys came by, aren’t you?”

This time it was Katsuki’s turn to be baffled. “Guys? What guys?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know—”

“—I fucking don’t,” Katsuki said earnestly.

Izuku scrunched his nose. How did he not know? Wasn’t he a lapdog for some top gangster? Katsuki should know everything, he was that man’s eyes and ears last he checked. Plus, those men were dressed exactly like him.

The pair gawked at each other as several beats of silence passed. Then gradually, Izuku’s anger shifted to confusion and then rage consumed Katsuki’s sharp features. His upper lip twitched into a nasty curl and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Did someone come by here and fucking threaten you?”

Izuku clammed up. The wrath in Katsuki’s eyes burned through him.

“No,” Izuku lied easily, hardening his exterior. He pushed away from the counter and averted his eyes. “Sorry. I’m not having a good day. No one came by, but I need you to go. Pl-Please leave. I can’t do this with you. Not today.”

“Izuku. If someone threatened you I can help—”

“—I don’t want your help,” Izuku said curtly. “If I wanted that type of help I would’ve stayed with you in uni. Now either order something or go.”

The words were sharp, and he didn’t need to look at Katsuki to know they hurt.

There was several long moments of muteness. Izuku finally glanced back up at Katsuki and he could see blazing scarlet eyes digging into him, calculating carefully.

“I’ll take a chai latte and two dorayakis,” Katsuki eventually muttered. He looked away and probed his tongue on the inside of his cheek.

“For here or to go?” Izuku muttered back.

He didn’t want to ask that question, but he had to. For the sake of civility, of course.

Katsuki tilted his head. “For here.”

Izuku resisted glowering as he fixed up Katsuki’s order.

When he handed his ex-lover his food, their finger brushed slightly, and their eyes connected. Terrible familiar warmth raced like electricity from the tips of his fingers down his spine. Katsuki felt the same, rough yet somehow soft all in one breath. Izuku wished that he could forgot and move on.

They didn’t exchange another word.

Katsuki sat down neatly at one of the pastel pink tables and ate his order. He casually scrolled through his phone while Izuku took more orders, bustling around. The two stole glances at each other through the hour, missing the other’s longing stare by a single hair.

If Izuku had been paying Katsuki more attention, he would have seen the proud smirk on Katsuki’s face.

❃ ❃ ❃

Izuku thought maybe that’d be the last time he saw the ghost of his past, like a blip in the timeline—but it wasn’t. For some unspoken reason, Katsuki came by every evening afterwards. He ordered the same thing, at the same time, and sat in the same spot.

Izuku would watch him curiously as he did nothing but relax for an hour in the shop. Stunning red eyes took in the decorations, and Izuku could have sworn he saw Katsuki smirk to himself at the cutesy bunny wallpaper. The supposed gangster had scratched it, like he was making sure the quality was good and nodded in approval.

Then without being provoked, Katsuki started making small compliments about his food.

“You got better at cooking somehow, nerd,” Katsuki mentioned one day after buying everything on the menu. “Glad to see you fixed that salty and sweet ratio you always messed up.”

“Pink and green was a good choice,” Katsuki muttered softly once while checking out. “I like the stupid little bunny cupcakes with the pink and green icing.”

“Your, uh, butter pecan pie is good. That’s new,” Katsuki said with a flustered look another day.

The old part of Izuku keened at the praise. That side of him wanted to drag the blond to the back of the kitchen and have him taste test everything. Then maybe Katsuki could give him that awarding smile he used to adore so much.

Damn his emotions.

Izuku shoved the fluttering butterflies down to the deepest part of him, attempting to drown then in the sea of his sorrows. He can’t like Katsuki again. He can’t. Kacc—Katsuki was a gangster. A murderer. A terrible person—right?

Right?

But those butterflies fluttered to the surface whenever Katsuki gave him one of his signature cocksure smirks.

❃ ❃ ❃

Before Izuku knew it, it was close to time for that horrible payment. He was thankfully on track according to his calculations. If he was correct, he had one more week and he would make it just in time. But now the question loomed over his head: did he even want to stay in this area now? There were so many deterrents.

One being a specific blond of his past with alluring eyes. He didn’t trust himself around Katsuki enough. Especially if the godforsaken blond would stroll by every day paying him compliments on his baking.

Izuku decided he should move. It broke his heart to think, he had invested everything in buying this plot of land. Then he invested even more money in fixing up the building and decorating to the way he always envisioned. But moving is what was for the best, he had no desire to be around gangsters.

The rest of the week went by without a blip, and surprisingly Katsuki disappeared.

Izuku tried to remind himself not to be disappointed about that. Why should it matter if Katsuki came and went? He should be happy that gangster wasn’t anywhere near his shop.

But then everything was flipped upside down and his worst nightmare manifested into reality.

Exactly four days before payment, the group of gangsters came back. They barged in right as Izuku was prepping for tomorrow and let out a gun shot directly next to his head. Izuku shrieked and dropped the metal bowl of batter. It went clamoring to the ground the same time the zinging bullet cut the area of skin on his cheek bone.

Izuku dropped to the ground, and anxiously touched the side of his cheek. When he pulled back, he saw a small amount of blood. His vision pulsed.

“Ding dong, sweetcakes. We’ve come to collect our payment,” Isao announced cruelly.

All his men laughed with vicious smiles, and they locked the doors. Izuku watched in horror as they pulled the blinds shut and it was only him and these men in the tiny corner bakery.

Izuku paled. “W-What? You’re not supposed to be here yet.”

“We know,” Isao said with a bored tone. He flicked some dirt from under his nails nonchalantly. “We decided to collect early. So, do you have it?”

“Th-That’s not fair.” Izuku shook his head. “You said a month. I’ll have it all in four days—”

“—So that’s a no,” Isao interrupted. He tutted his finger sarcastically and lifted his bat on his shoulder. “First lesson in setting up shop in our territory, have payment ready early.”

Izuku yelled as they started smashing all his dreams into pieces. The glass, the tarts, the mixing machines and all of the porcelain plates. They tore apart his store bit by bit, leaving nothing untouched.

Izuku launched himself at them trying to get them to stop but was held down by two men and forced to watch. They stripped his walls of the bunny wallpaper and ripped it to shreds. They broke apart his tables and took a bat to the framed portraits of all his accomplishments. Izuku’s voice grew hoarse from screaming at them to stop—his heart broke into fragments as he watched everything he saved up for be taken away in mere seconds.

After a while, he closed his eyes.

He couldn’t look at this anymore.

He drowned out their taunting with his own crying and it all blurred together.

Izuku didn’t know how long he sat there on the floor in the shattered glass and smashed foods. At some point Isao spit on him and degraded him further, shouting insults he didn’t care to repeat. When he was roughly slapped, Izuku wondered what he did to them—this was horrible.

This felt personal.

Izuku’s throat was too sore from sobbing to ask for Isao to stop anymore.

He took all the punches and kicks, and he listened as more glass shattered in the background.

❃ ❃ ❃

It was only when the night bled into day did he realize he had laid on the floor for hours. No one was here now. Just him and his broken dreams.

Izuku bitterly looked around at all of his smashed belongings.

The gangsters had no intensions of letting him pay on time. It was clear and Izuku couldn’t figure out how someone could be so malicious to a person they didn’t know. He lifted his hand to cup his bruised face from where he was beaten and curled into the side of the counter. He wished the ground could swallow him whole. He repeated it like a mantra to make the hurt in his heart lessen.

The crunch of glass underneath boots grabbed Izuku’s attention. Hesitantly, Izuku flinched out of fear that it was Isao and his goons again. He slowly lifted his battered face to see who had entered.

Katsuki was standing there, dressed like a normal citizen for once, and there were green roses in his hands. His hair was awkwardly slicked back—but he wasn’t paying attention to Izuku.

Stunned, scarlet eyes stared around, mortified. His mouth was gaped in shock. Katsuki stepped forward meticulously and his fist crushed the stems of the roses in his palms until the thorns made him bleed.

Scarlet eyes snapped down towards Izuku and landed on the bruise on his face.

Izuku had never seen Katsuki look so downright livid.

Slowly, and a little too calmly, Katsuki dropped down in front of Izuku and reached to touch his black eye. On instinct, the battered man flinched away.

“Don’t look at me,” Izuku hissed. Shame rattled in his chest like a hornet’s nest stinging him all over with indignity. “Please don’t look.”

Izuku tried then to shove Katsuki away, ignoring the agonizing ache in his body. Katsuki glowered and easily caught his wrists, forcing him to still. They made eye contact and crimson eyes were wild, far deadlier than Izuku had ever witnessed in another person.

“Who.” Katsuki spoke simply. “Tell me who did this to you.”

“Why? So, you can hurt them?” Izuku replied bitterly. He shook his head and fruitlessly tried to grab his wrists back. “Are you going to go tell that old gangster you work for? You think he can fix this too?”

Katsuki let out a dry laugh and sneered.

“That old man died ages ago. I’m the one in charge now. Now. You fucking tell me who did this so I can go teach them some manners.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 — Sour

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Every sound felt like white noise drumming against his ears.

Izuku could barely hear anything between the sirens, the police walking all over, and the crushing of glass underneath shoes. Every sound blended together like a nightmare. This was his worst fear come true, and he was dead center in the middle of it with the taste of iron on his tongue from his open gash.

Across the way was Katsuki. The quiet blond was leaning against the wall with his arms folded in a way that screamed pissed off. His ex-lover wasn’t uttering a word, but his eyes were saying a million phrases. Even Katsuki’s aura was tainted black and red, dripping in lethality and his face was stone cold.

After Katsuki had graciously offered to maim whoever had done this, Izuku viciously refused.

He didn’t want Katsuki’s help.

He knew what Katsuki’s help meant: blood, violence, and illegal activity that Izuku could barely fathom. Even now, he could barely wrap his mind around why Katsuki hadn’t left when the cops arrived.

Izuku assumed his ex would be avoidant of law enforcement—but it seemed to be the entire other way around. The second the men and women in uniforms arrived on the scene, they took a single glance at Katsuki, and their spines visibly turned to ice. Everyone stiffened. Those threatening red eyes bored into the officers, and not a single soul laid sight on Katsuki after.

They walked around Katsuki like he was their king, allowing him to quietly observe the scene without being disturbed. That was enough for Izuku to attempt to guess what Katsuki’s current influence level was.

As the police took Izuku’s statement, there was a low muttering of whispers all over the debauched bakery. Izuku tried to stop his voice from trembling, but it was hard. His hands were shaking. His limbs were quivering. Even his neck muscle got that awful twitch that only appeared whenever he slipped into his panic attacks.

When the cops finished investigating, they all gave him useless pitiful stares.

“Apologies about your bakery,” the Chief of Police had muttered. “My son said he really enjoyed coming here ever since your grand opening. Hopefully we find the criminals responsible, and this can all get sorted out.”

Izuku nodded, forcing himself not to tick.

All the cops left, giving him their numbers if he ever needed it but nothing further occurred.

Izuku stood there the same as they arrived: wading in the middle of his mess. He could still feel himself trapped in Isao’s sticky web because what happened now? Would they try to still come for their money in four days like originally promised? Would they leave him alone? Would they try to come back and smash up his bakery some more? Izuku had no clue—but he did have fear.

He dared to glance at Katsuki, who was studying him carefully.

“Izuku.” Katsuki spoke his name like a warning. “The cops can’t handle this one. You know that.”

Izuku averted his eyes. “I don’t want to get involved with all of the gang problems, Katsuki,” he whispered softly. “I really don’t.”

“You’re already involved,” Katsuki mumbled. His voice shifted in tone, a lot gentler.

Katsuki stepped forward, approaching Izuku as if he might run off. Once they were up close, the two ex-lovers held eye contact for a beat of silence. Katsuki’s brows pinched together, pulling his perfectly unscarred skin taut.

Suddenly, Katsuki flicked his wrist out. Between two of his fingers was an all-black card with a red embossed symbol of a lion.

Izuku stopped himself from laughing sarcastically through his tears. How cliché. Katsuki’s favorite animal growing up was always the lion—and it seems like that fact stayed unchanging even well into their adulthood. He remembered how his ex-lover always proudly emphasized the lion was the best animal because of how viciously protective it was.

“If you change your mind,” Katsuki said. He pushed the card between Izuku’s fingers concisely. “Call this number.”

Izuku flipped the card over to see a telephone number embossed in red on the other side.

There was no name, no other info, or even an inkling of if this was Katsuki’s number or someone else’s. Izuku didn’t try to speak, not trusting his voice.

Eventually, Katsuki took the first step backwards. He was clearly torn, but soon all that emotion was carefully hidden away behind his invisible mask. Now, he appeared regally lethal just like before.

Katsuki wordlessly walked through the shattered glass door and took his leave. Izuku stared after him for a moment, the wafting scent of his ex’s cologne lingered behind him.

Cinnamon and ginger—somehow Katsuki still smelled the same. That aroma unwillingly evoked memories of Izuku’s first time in a grocery store.

The soft nostalgia ran forward, painted in childhood innocence. His distress mind allowed it to cradle him and transport him to a more comforting time in his life. He could perfectly visualize him and Katsuki as awkward teens again, walking through the nearly empty stores of their old neighborhood. He hadn’t known how to bake yet then. All he knew is that he enjoyed the way Kacchan smelled and bought a bunch of cinnamon and ginger as a result.

Later that day, the pair of them made the worst tasting cookies with the clashing spices.

A vision of young Katsuki smiling at him flashed in his mind. But once the smell of the warm spices faded, so did the memories. Izuku was pushed back into his dull reality.

He sadly looked around the bakery at all the shattered glass that reflected the same state of his dreams. Broken and irreparable. Izuku knew he should throw away Katsuki’s business card. He wouldn’t use it—but.

A small part in the bottom of his heart was reaching up towards the card. It wanted to clasp it tightly.

With trembling fingers, Izuku pocketed it.

❃ ❃ ❃

The next two weeks passed without a word from either Katsuki or Isao.

Izuku was trying to decide if he was relieved about that or not. But he couldn’t focus on either gangster due to the bill that he was currently staring at. He was now sitting in the umpteenth bank trying to figure out his insurance, loans, and getting all his equipment replaced.

He was drowning, to say the least.

“I’m sorry sir, but we can’t give you another loan until you pay back the one you took out to help pay for the store,” the clerk told him. The man’s smile was soft and gentle. More than likely the employee was trained to be polite with the way the sincerity didn’t bleed into his eyes. “If there’s anything else I can assist you with, let me know but otherwise we can’t help you replace all the equipment until your settled up with the past loan.”

“But I was vandalized,” Izuku emphasized. He hated how his hands were shaking. “I was—” He swallowed. “—I-I was threatened, and they destroyed all of my things. I-I can’t repay the loan because I’m out of business currently. Surely there is another way to get things settled?”

“Unfortunately, you didn’t make a police report when they first threatened you,” the clerk said stalely. “We can’t say for sure that you didn’t already have ties with them. Right now, it looks like it was an illegal deal gone wrong. We can’t get entangled in illegal affairs. Especially ones around here.”

“But they threatened to kill me,” Izuku said with more force. “I couldn’t go to the police—”

“—Sir. I am simply telling you how our policies work.”

Suddenly the niceness from the clerk faded away. He moved his seat slightly, and his posture shifted into closed. Izuku could see the annoyance in the other man’s eyes, and he wasn’t socially inept enough not to take the hint. There was nothing more than could be done here.

Izuku breathed in deeply and stood up with as much grace as he could.

“Thank you for your time,” Izuku muttered sadly. He bowed at the waist out of respect and then turned to leave.

He beelined for the door, burning to go home and drown his sorrows in Nutella flavored ice-cream. However, once again his dreams were put on hold. Outside the window it was raining cats and dogs. Hail was even falling from the sky in an unruly storm Izuku didn’t anticipate. The rain came down in large chunks and he could see people scattering for shelter from the strong winds and falling pieces of ice.

The logical side of him said he should simply stay inside, but the sour half of him didn’t want to stay in this bank any longer. He glanced over his shoulder at the clerk who gave him another forced smile.

Izuku sighed and decided to wait.

He glanced down at the paper in his hand to pass the time. It was an excel sheet of all the damages and items he had lost. He had spent meticulous time going down everything he had lost in Isao’s stampede. Counter tops. Mixers. Several marble tables. All the chairs. Even his single oven was destroyed past salvation much to Izuku’s distress.

It all added up to several unfortunate commas in the total cost of repairs, but his insurance policies barely covered half. It seemed like they were being picky about what they wanted to help him replace.

This wasn’t fair.

None of this was fair.

The ticking clock reminded him of each second creeping by as he sat in the lobby of the bank. One by one everyone began to leave, muttering about the storm. It wasn’t until the clock reached 23:00 that the security guard finally told him he had to leave.

“Sorry, I know the storm is bad, but I can’t allow you to stay much longer,” the security woman told him. She seemed genuinely sorry and could understand his distress. “Is there anyone you could call to pick you up? The rain is really heavy.”

Katsuki’s business card burned in his pocket. He had kept it on his person for reasons he didn’t want to admit to.

“No.” Izuku fiddled with his hands. “I-I don’t have anyone I can call.”

“I’m sorry then, but you have to probably brave the storm.”

Izuku nodded and stood up. He looked outside with reluctance and decided if he could survive this shit show then he could survive anything. He pulled out his umbrella and ventured into the night.

As Izuku walked in the storm, he had his shoulders hunched and head down to prevent rain from splashing on his face. He was deeply looking forward to going back to his apartment and sinking into the couch face down and crying.

Izuku walked, he could see passing bodies running from the rain with their coats above their heads. One woman dressed in bright purple caught his eye and he naturally turned his head to follow her. But as he glanced behind him, Izuku laid his sights on a tall man dressed in all black with no umbrella.

Izuku frowned.

The man had a hoodie pulled all the way over his head with the bill of a baseball cap blocking out the view of his face. He was walking rather slowly, and he kept his eyes trained on the ground.

Normally, Izuku would ignore this type of thing. But given what occurred two weeks ago—the goosebumps on his arms raced up to his neck in an instant. With caution, Izuku turned back around, trying not to seem suspicious. He kept his pace steady, waiting for the man to possibly walk elsewhere but no detour occurred.

The crowds thinned out the closer he got to his apartment, and soon it was only the two of them cutting the corner into the quiet residential areas of the city.

Izuku then slowed his pace to see if the man would walk ahead of him—but the man slowed down as well.

Izuku then quickened his steps.

The man quickened his as well.

Adrenaline began pounding through Izuku when he realized what might be happening. He inched his head around again and this time cut his eye carefully at the man behind him—and the stranger was looking directly at him with ice blue eyes through a ski mask.

Izuku’s heart dropped to his darkest pit.

Within a second he abandoned his umbrella and ran full speed.

The sound of running feet hitting puddles on the sidewalk echoed into the night. Izuku’s labored panting hurled into the air with his cries for help as he pushed his body to a speed he’s never gone. He ran with all he could, muscles straining with immediate pain as the rain and ice pelted him full force. He tried to shield his face from the oncoming force of nature, but the wind blinded his eyes. All his nerves screamed at him, and he gambled in that moment to glance behind. He regretted it instantly.

The man was running full force as well, keeping hot on his heels with a homed in glare.

In the dark, the moonlight caught on a sliver of silver, and it glimmered in the night. Izuku’s whole stomach knotted. It was a knife. Izuku sobbed loudly, voice wrecked with pure pain. He ran quicker and began zig zagging as his body pushed into overdrive. He wasn’t even running towards his apartment anymore—attempting his best to get to a more public area as he worked his way around the winding empty streets.

He began to jump over fences, hoping to lose the man. But the stranger was quicker than the wind.

Izuku began screaming louder into the dense darkness for help, but the only answer he got in return was the echoes of the storms.

A deep chuckle boomed with the roll of thunder.

Fear shot through Izuku, nesting itself inside of his ribcage like it was home. All his limbs were burning with heat as he saw a fast-moving highway. The headlights were simply streaks of white and red color, but they signaled a way out to Izuku. Then, Izuku decided to do something that would either get him killed or saved.

He ran straight into oncoming traffic.

A litany of blaring horns, screams, and blinding headlights overpowered Izuku. He tried his best to maneuver into the chaotic craze of cars swerving, heart rate tripled.

He was only half successful when one car swerved a little too late and hit him with light force. His world tipped upside down as he yelled, rolled on top of the hood, and then slid off on the pavement in the rain. His skull cracked against the pavement with a harsh force and nausea rocked his whole body.

The woman in the car shrieked and quickly unbuckled her seat belt to open her door.

“Oh my gosh! Are you alright!?” She screamed in the storm, but Izuku’s heart was pounding too loud in his ears to hear a word she said.

“I’m sorry!” Izuku slurred his sentence. He felt dizzy as he attempted to get up. He gazed around like a wild animal with his hands out. “I’m so sorry—”

He urgently looked behind him to see the man had stopped on the other side of the street. Those cold blue eyes dug into him and Izuku got one more wave of adrenaline.

Get away. Get far away was all his brain was commanding from him. He quickly kept running, stumbling and ignoring the sharp shots of pain digging into his muscles. He dodged cars that came to screeching halts and ignored the puzzled woman who was left in the middle of the road with a sideways car.

When he reached the other side of the roaring highway, Izuku could see the man standing there. Fury rolled off his body more than the rain did. His sharp blue eyes were boring into him from across the busy highway and Izuku never felt such dread as he looked at the way the mysterious man was gripping that knife.

Izuku’s whole body was trembling, and his chest was tight like someone was squeezing his throat. He back walked, eyes over his shoulder the entire time as he pulled out his phone.

His hands were unsteady and as a result, he dropped two things into a large puddle: The list of expenses from his bakery and Katsuki’s business card.

A loud sob wrecked through his body as Izuku dropped to his knees on the wet ground. His battered reflection stared back at him in the body of water. It gave him pause. Izuku could see his face drenched in tears, rain and blood. The rain mixed with his new head wound, and scarlet-colored droplets drippled into the puddle creating vermillion ripples.

Acting on pure instinct alone, Izuku fished out the business card. All he could think was safety. He needed safety right now.

With shaky fingers, Izuku dialed the number written in red.

It only took one ring.

“Hello?” Katsuki’s raspy voice on the other line answered.

Izuku tried to form words but instead he broke down into tiny sobs on the sidewalk. He picked up his list that was soaked through, black ink ran off the page. The mixture of his tears, blood and rain hit the sheet and the white paper slowly turned red.

“Izuku? Izuku is that you?” Katsuki asked again, voice on edge. “Are you hurt? Where are you? Why are you crying?”

Izuku clutched the phone. “I-I need your help.”

“Tell me where you are, right now.”

❃ ❃ ❃

A car came for him within ten minutes. Izuku didn’t question it, Katsuki probably had men at every corner ready to jump at the single bat of his eye.

The driver who arrived was a guy around his age with a thick head of raven colored hair. It cut off at his shoulders and his eyes were a deep midnight black. He was dressed in a suit but lacked the business professionalism that usually came with it. He had no tie, and his white dress shirt was unbuttoned all the way to show off his chest tattoos. The sleeves of his shirt were pushed up to reveal more colorful designs that were wrapped around his hands and forearms.

There was an underlying kindness in the man’s eyes.

The unnamed driver quietly ushered him inside the black car without a single word. He helped him into the vehicle and gave him an icepack for the forming lump on his head from where he was hit with the car. 

The windows of the car were tinted, and the whole interior smelled of cinnamon and ginger. Izuku laid down on the backseat, exhausted and ready to pass out at any given moment. He put his soaked hair on the leather and felt a twinge of guilt for getting it dirty. Filthy gravel from falling in the street was latched onto his hands and all Izuku wanted to do was disappear.

Was the masked man one of Isao’s people? Was Isao really trying to hurt him now? Was he really going to kill him?

Izuku wept quietly when he realized he had no clue what to do anymore.

During the long drive to who knows where, Izuku’s whole body shut down. He shivered in his state of pure wetness and shame rattled his bones like a natural disaster.

By the time the car came to a stop, Izuku wanted nothing more than to rewind time. He sat up slowly and tried his best to wipe his tears, but it was futile. More simply poured down his face to immediately replace the ones he had brushed away.

The driver parked the car and walked around to the back door. When the man opened it, Izuku didn’t know what he was expecting. However, what he wasn’t expecting was to see a house more beautiful beyond his imagination.

Izuku’s crying stopped in pure shock.

They were out in some quiet side of the city, no other homes were around. In place of neighbors were lush, thick trees, and rows of green. The trees towered over the property giving a gentle shade as the moonlight snuck past the leaves. The soft light from the moon touched the house—or mansion—Izuku corrected in his mind as he gazed upon it. It was made of a gorgeous beige brick and had red and gold trimming all around.

In front of the house was a long driveway, lined by vibrant blue rose bushes. In the center, right before the doors, was a large fountain that glittered with white lights.

As he observed all the stunning details, one important one came busting through the front doors.

Katsuki.

His ex-lover jogged lightly all the way up to the car before Izuku could tell himself to even move. He had been so stunned by the house in front of him he hadn’t even gotten out of the car. The driver wearily looked at him and when Katsuki got close, his ex-lover’s face was painted in deep pain.

Katsuki didn’t say anything right away. Worried red eyes observed his face in horror and Katsuki reached a hand out experimentally to touch the bleeding part of his head. Izuku flinched and Katsuki’s face twisted in distain.

“Can you walk?” Katsuki asked quietly.

Izuku nodded. “Ye-Yeah I should be fine.”

He stood up out of the car and immediately ate his words. Ironic shots of pain blazed up from his feet to his knees. He buckled lightly and Katsuki caught him out of instinct. Izuku was too tired to be embarrassed and held on to Katsuki’s arms that cradled around him for purchase.

His ex-lover cursed lightly under his breath and held him up against him all the way for support. Izuku’s head drooped into Katsuki’s chest, too fatigued to keep it up and his nose was filled with the lovely smell of cinnamon and ginger once more.

Izuku held on tighter to him.

“Sero, go park the car in the back,” Katsuki commended quietly. “I’m going to take him upstairs.”

The driver, who was now identified as Sero nodded and quickly returned back to the car in silence.

Izuku let Katsuki assist him all the way to the house. He lifted his head once they got to the doors, and the first thing he was greeted by was a golden lion sigil. Katsuki pulled the door open, and the beautiful mansion had a matching interior. Marble floors. Gold stairway railings. All the furniture inside were deep scarlet or maroon with black wooden shelving to match.

Izuku looked above to see a crystal chandelier that shone dazzling light onto them.

“I have a room ready for you upstairs,” Katsuki informed him with a serious tone. “You should stay here until we can get this sorted out. You’ll be safe under my wing until we can figure out what’s going on.”

Izuku weakly nodded, head pulsing.

He thought about that man’s cold, icy glare and held on tighter to Katsuki.

❃ ❃ ❃

The bedroom he was brought to was about as big as his whole apartment. It was the same color scheme as the rest of the mansion and had a full bathroom attached.

Katsuki had quietly tended to his wounds, hands gentle and precise as he disinfected the gash on his forehead. Every time he flinched, Katsuki’s held him in place so that he could properly clean it. Once a bandage was fully on it, Katsuki brought him clothes that were slightly too big for him.

“Go ahead and get showered and I’ll be right back,” Katsuki said sternly. “I’m have to check up on something, but I’ll be back in a moment. I got two people watching your door too. Okay? You’re safe here.”

Izuku gratefully nodded, nerves settling a bit.

Once Katsuki left, Izuku showered in the gold-plated bathroom without saying a word. The shock of the day was holding his tongue as he gazed around at all the luxe items. He marveled at the tiny crystal chandelier that hung above his head in the bathroom. What kind of bathroom had a chandelier? Izuku wanted to question this further, but left it alone. His body was ready to collapse at any moment under the weight of the terrible last few weeks.

He scrubbed his skin hard, attempting to wipe away the horridness of the day off—but it was impossible.

He could still feel the clerk’s judgmental eyes. The strange man’s dangerous aura. He could even still feel Isao’s hands gripping his forearms in a deathly grip ready to drag him down. Izuku’s face twisted in pain as his heart began to race again.

He changed into the oversized pants and t-shirt Katsuki provided once he was finished. As he wondered out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, he explored all the tiny details of his temporary room. There was a lot of fine art on the walls, and the pictures led to a balcony that over saw the whole mansion’s backyard.

The large plot of land was an enormous garden. It was thriving with fresh fruits and vegetables, rows and rows of colorful berries, greens, and fruit trees. Izuku froze in shock at the sight. He furrowed his brows from behind the balcony’s glass doors and walked closely to the window to make sure he was seeing properly.

This was something he used to talk about often with Katsuki.

“I want a garden in the back yard,” Izuku could hear the memory of himself say with a small giggle. “Wouldn’t that be nice, Kacchan? We could grow all the fresh foods for the bakery and meals right at home!”

He could still remember the way Katsuki smirked at him. The light in his ex-lover’s ruby eyes shimmered like star dust back then.

“That sounds fucking perfect, Sweet. I’ll get you the biggest goddamn garden you can think of.”

Izuku curiously looked at the rows of strawberries.

The door behind him creeped open and Izuku turned around.

Slowly, Katsuki shuffled in with intense concentration. His tongue was slightly sticking out and he was looking down, watching his feet. In his hands was a gold platter with a single porcelain painted teacup. Steam wafted from the top and exactly three sugar cubes were on the side, residing on a neatly folded maroon napkin.

“I, er, brought you some tea,” Katsuki said awkwardly. He held up the golden tray in his hand for emphasis. “Decaffeinated, since it’s late. And it’s chai. Do—Do you still like chai? If not I can get another flavor.”

“I-I still like chai,” Izuku stuttered unwillingly. “Thank you.”

Katsuki tautly smiled.

He walked over to the nightstand and set the tray down, waving for Izuku to come over. The flustered baker gripped the hem of the oversized shirt as he walked across the room to his ex-lover.

Izuku couldn’t help but notice small things this close up. Katsuki officially filled out in the last eight years. He was taller now—wider even from a bulk of muscle on his chest and arms. Probably due to the physical demands of his so-called profession.

Izuku sat down on the edge of the gold and red bed, admiring the smooth silky texture of the comforter underneath him. Katsuki handed him the teacup with care and allowed Izuku to mix in his own sugars. Which was exactly three cubes—Katsuki clearly remembered.

He sipped his tea in silence for a moment, then Katsuki finally took a seat next to him with a frown deep enough to leave an everlasting imprint on his face.

“Izuku. What the hell happened tonight?” Katsuki glowered and looked at him with a terribly concerned face.

“I was chased by a man, and he had a knife,” Izuku said honestly. His eyes gazed down to the hem of the shirt he was wearing in humiliation. “I didn’t get a good look at his face so I can’t tell if it’s related to the bakery. But I…I ran into traffic to lose him and got hit by a car in the process. I fell and hit my head on the pavement.”

Izuku could feel all the amiability drain from Katsuki upon hearing what occurred. The other man’s lips pulled into a sneer. His eyebrow twitched and his fingers dug into the silk covers on the bed. But he still kept his temper in line and his gaze unwavering.

“Okay,” Katsuki breathed out with utter control. His nostrils flared. “Izuku. I’m going to need you to tell me from the start what happened with these so-called gangsters. Leave out no details—I mean it. If you have a name—tell me right now.”

Izuku did.

He let all the events spill out, far too tired and at the end of his rope now to try to resist. He was involved with this mess and like the clerk had said—he should have gone straight to the police, but he didn’t out of fear. He thought that if he could pay Isao off that would be the end of it, but instead it was only the beginning.

As he told Katsuki Isao’s name, he was waiting for some flash of recognition, but there was none. The only emotion enrapturing Katsuki’s handsome features was pure, lethal rage and it was pouring all over the room by the time Izuku wrapped up his story.

He finished his tea in silence as Katsuki marinated over the details.

There was probably a million ways to slaughter Isao running through that blond head right now—and that terrified Izuku to an extent. He wasn’t sure if he was fully equipped to handle seeing that side of Katsuki.

Katsuki nodded to himself, cracked his neck and then stood up slowly.

He cut his eye to Izuku.

“I’ll get this sorted out for you,” Katsuki promised in a low voice that sent chills down Izuku’s spine. “I don’t know who the hell Isao is—or thinks he is—but this entire city is under my territory. You can go ahead and get to sleep. If you need anything I’m down the hall and there’s watchguards out at the front door for you the rest of the night, alright?”

“Alright,” Izuku whispered.

He didn’t know what else to say as he stared at his ex-lover in slight awe and trepidation.

His Kacchan—or no longer his Kacchan he supposed—had changed so much yet not at the same time. His face was so much sharper, older, and his hair was somehow lighter. His ash blond shade was so soft and entirely opposite of his personality. He was a more potent version of his past self to say the least.

Katsuki didn’t spare him another glance as he walked towards the door with his fist balled up tight. Izuku thought maybe he was going to hit the wall with how tense his whole body was. But Katsuki held it in, as if he was saving the violent momentum for Isao.

When Katsuki reached the doors, a force inside Izuku forced him to speak up.

“—Thank you,” Izuku called out loudly.

Katsuki stopped and looked over his shoulder in surprise.

His red eyes were bright underneath the yellow hue of the lamp in the room, appearing nearly orange. Izuku mustered up the strength to give a fragile smile, ignoring the pain of the bruise on his face. His cut lip stretched with his gesture and Katsuki’s anger melted for a brief moment at the sight. His fists relaxed all the way.

“Of course,” Katsuki rasped out. A sad, longing expression trickled into his eyes. “Anything you need.”

❃ ❃ ❃

When Izuku fell asleep that night he dreamed of red eyes.

The penetrating scarlet hue shone through the darkness to stare right at him. Those eyes were unmoving, solid and swirling full of a type of compelling affection Izuku couldn’t place. Then suddenly those bloodlust eyes softened into a familiar image of young Katsuki when they were in university—right before they broke up.

A hand wrapped around his and pulled him in close and Izuku knew it was Katsuki’s. He recognized the hills of the callouses and the placement of the scars, even in his dreams. He knew that touch anywhere.

“I’m going to make our lives perfect,” Katsuki had promised once.

The dream warped prettily, shaping into a real memory. All the darkness shifted into light and now they were standing in the middle of their old University’s cafeteria. Blurry bodies of students passed them by in slow motion as streaks of vibrant colors. Izuku could see their hands perfectly intertwined and remember how the contrast of his own tan skin against Katsuki’s paler tone always felt like home.

“What does perfect mean?” Izuku heard his own voice question.

Katsuki leaned down to his height, red eyes were ignited with a dark passion.

“Perfect like you’ll never have to sleep in the cold again,” Katsuki whispered, voice low and dangerous. “Perfect as in I’ll make sure we’ll never have to fucking suffer again. I want to give you everything you ever dreamed of.”

Izuku remembered how he hadn’t listened to Katsuki’s words that day—not fully. He had been distracted by things that no longer mattered like making sure to read all his lecture notes. Or see how his partners in class were holding up on the PowerPoint presentation. Even more so, he was sad about how he hadn’t seen Katsuki in so long.

But now in this distant dream, Izuku felt the weight in those words. Katsuki’s eyes burned brighter than the pits of hell.

The heaviness of the promise dragged him down and down until he suddenly found himself slipping away. The hand holding his slowly phased through him and the texture of Katsuki’s skin went along with it. He woke up blinking and clutching the silky covers. Out of lingering instinct from the dream, Izuku brushed his palm across the empty bed searching for that familiar touch.

“Kacchan…?” Izuku called out, voice groggy.

Then it hit him like a truck.

When he realized what he had said, he snapped upwards, fully awake. Izuku stared around wildly in the empty room, praying he was alone—and he was. The gorgeous room was filled with only him. He exhaled in relief and ignored the loneliness prickling against his skin. 

He glanced at the vacancy in the bed and a strange string of conflicting emotions muddled inside of him, making them hard to distinguish. He decided to distract himself, not wanting to examine why he felt disappointed by waking up alone in Katsuki’s house. He checked his phone only to find a giant crack on the glass stretching across it like a large spiderweb. He traced the fractures carefully, feeling their sharp edges.

I guess this happened when I hit the pavement yesterday. Yet another thing to pay for and fix.

Izuku shook off his bitter feeling and slowly climbed out of the giant bed. He stepped on the plush carpet and walked around slowly, admiring all the paintings on the walls he hadn’t really paid attention to last night. He stopped in front of one of Katsuki himself. It was a side profile with a dark hue that made him appear like a regal, moody prince.

“You always were the theatrical one, Katsuki,” Izuku muttered to himself. He crossed his arms and tilted his head at the subtle lion sigil on Katsuki’s shirt in the painting. “And the one who liked aesthetics.”

Suddenly there was a clumsy bump in the hallway.

“He’s awake—” A weary voice called out from outside the door. “Go get his breakfast! Warm it up before he notices us.”

Izuku snapped his head to the golden doors and noticed that it was slightly pushed open.

He straighten out and slowly tip toed carefully to the cluster of voices from outside his room. He peeked through it, confused. There, he could see a man and woman with the brightest hair he’s ever seen in his life on the other side. They both were dressed in the same type of casual business wear as the driver was last night.

“I don’t know where the tray is!” A guy with bright blond hair said. He had a single black streak running through his locks and sunglasses hooked on his unbuttoned blazer. He shook his head like he was afraid, and his silver lightning bolt earrings caught the hallway light. “I can barely navigate that big ass kitchen. I’ll get lost!”

“But you’re the one who put it back downstairs,” the other person hissed. Izuku squinted against the door to get a better look and he could see a woman with vibrant pink hair and dark skin in a power suit.

“I know, and I got lost doing it! I don’t remember where I put it—”

“—Ugh, whatever. I don’t know why Boss hired you sometimes, Denki,” the woman said. She flicked her wrist flippantly and shook her head. “I’ll go find it. Keep watch and don’t scare him off either. Boss says he’s not used to people like us and I’m pretty sure he’ll skin us alive if we run this man out of here.”

“Okay! You got it. I won’t even speak,” the man named Denki said.

“Bulletproof plan.”

The woman power walked away, heels clicking angrily against the marble floors.

Izuku fiddled with his fingers and leaned away from the doors.

Breakfast? He thought to himself curiously.

He didn’t think that he would be getting this type of treatment after everything—but he also didn’t think too much in the first place what might happen if he dialed Katsuki’s number.

Curiosity caused Izuku to backtrack all the way to the bed and slowly climb inside of it once more. He sat there, wondering what was going to happen next as he stared at the prince like portrait of Katsuki. He studied the way his ex-lover’s blood-colored eyes were distant in the painting, almost as if he was thinking of something as he posed.

Then on cue a couple moments later, the doors to his room slammed opened.

“Hello there!” The woman greeted. She had a friendly round face and a bright smile. In her hands was a golden tray stacked with food and beside her was the blond man, Denki. They both had tight grins and overly straight postures. “My name is Ashido Mina and your bodyguard for the time you’re here and this is Kaminari Denki—your, er, other bodyguard.”

“H-Hello!” Denki said nervously. He gave an enthusiastic wave. “Nice to meet you finally! This is really exciting to be honest, heh. We’ve heard so much about you—”

Mina swiftly elbowed Denki in the side without dropping the platter of food or her smile. Denki let out a small ‘eep’ and clutched at his side.

“—I-I mean we’ve have heard nothing!” Denki corrected in a haste. “Absolutely nothing about you. I don’t even know who you are. I’ve never even heard of someone with green eyes or freckles or green hair.”

Izuku blinked. Then blinked again.

“Uh, nice to meet you two,” Izuku said shyly. “Thank you for looking out for me. I appreciate it a lot.”

Mina’s eyes softened as she held up the tray in her hands. “I have food for you. You must be tired after yesterday. Boss gave us a quick rundown of what happened. Hope you got some good sleep.”

She walked over to Izuku, and Denki swiftly followed. In a quick, and very obviously rehearsed motion, Denki pulled out a bed table to position over Izuku’s body and Mina elegantly placed the tray of delicious smelling food in front of Izuku. Denki then quickly dished out all the golden utensils and maroon napkins for Izuku as Mina poured a small glass of grapefruit juice.

Izuku noted all the food on the tray was his favorite breakfast foods.

“If you need anything else from us please let us know!” Mina said happily. We’ll be waiting outside for you. There’s also a fresh pair of clothes in the bathroom for when you’re ready to get dressed.”

Izuku nodded in understanding, and it was only then did he look at the clock and realize it was well into the afternoon. He had to stop himself from gaping. He had slept so long.

Mina and Denki smiled politely at him one last time before taking their leave.

Izuku stared in awe at the food in front of him. He poked at it slightly with his golden fork and tasted it. An explosion of delicious flavors seeped onto his tongue and Izuku hummed in delight. He began happily shoveling the pieces of fruits, vegetables and meat into his mouth, savoring every flavor.

While eating, Izuku bet Katsuki had a whole staff of gourmet chefs cooking his every meal. If this breakfast was an indicator of how well off Katsuki was, his ex-lover definitely got the life he always wanted. He probably didn’t even have to lift a finger anymore. Izuku’s eyes darted between the chandelier and the painting of Katsuki one the wall.

At least one of them got their dreams, Izuku thought sourly.

After finishing his food, Izuku decided to wander into the bathroom. Just like Mina had said—a pair of new clothes were neatly folded and waiting for him. There was a small note poised on top of the pile in perfect penmanship.

“Take your time getting ready today. If you need anything ask Mina and Denki while I’m busy.”

—K.

Izuku pursed his lips to the side as he looked at the golden faucet.

❃ ❃ ❃

By the time Izuku finished showering and getting dressed, he was feeling a little less like his nerves would explode.

Being inside of Katsuki’s mansion was giving him a sense of security he hadn’t felt in about eight years. However, the very large elephant in the room stuck out like a needle digging under his skin unkindly. Everywhere he looked he was reminded Katsuki gained all of this from blood money—and that kept him from falling into complete mindless security.

Even more so, the clothes Katsuki had picked out for him were a large reality check.

They were…er, definitely in Katsuki’s tastes.

His top was a tight fitting dark green turtleneck and a sleek pair of black dress pants that were hugging him a little too tightly. Izuku nervously studied himself in the full-length mirror. He could see every hill and dip on his body, especially on his arms, chest and narrow hips.

I wonder if he did this on purpose, Izuku questioned.

He pulled at the collar when a blush settled into his round cheeks. He looked nice, Izuku couldn’t deny it. The dark green complimented his tanned skin and green hair, but Katsuki was definitely the opposite of him. His ex-lover enjoyed flashy things, or how Katsuki liked to describe it: “rightfully showing off good assets”.

Izuku sighed and grabbed his cracked phone. He exited the room to find Denki and Mina playing rock-paper-scissors while leaning against the wall with silly expressions taped on their faces. When he was in their line of vision, both of them immediately straightened out and smiled brightly.

“Well, you look refreshed!” Mina said happily, clasping her hands together. “Let’s get you to Boss. He wanted to speak with you when you woke up about the bakery situation. Are you comfortable with that? He says if you’re not that’s okay too.”

“I-I’m alright with it,” Izuku said quietly, then his head pulsed a bit with an underlying headache. The dull ache made him hyperaware of the bandage on his head from yesterday’s fiasco. “Where is Katsuki?”

“He’s in his office,” Denki said. “He’s meeting with a couple of clients today, but he said not to worry about interrupting. You can come in at any time since you’re a special case.”

Izuku nodded mutely and mulled over the word clients.

He glanced at the fresh, lovely maroon wallpaper and tried to hide his distain. Abruptly. the beautiful house didn’t feel as enchanting as he realized the amount of blood that had to be shed to acquire all this lavishness.

❃ ❃ ❃

When they arrived after their long walk, they were standing in front of two mahogany doors. There were twin lion heads mounted on each one and gold doorknobs were shined so well Izuku could see the fisheye reflection of himself.

Denki pushed his ear against the door and nodded to Mina before knocking politely.

“Come in,” Katsuki’s voice drawled out loudly from the other side.

Denki pushed open the door and Izuku held a breath, bracing himself for the gaudiest show of wealth he’d probably ever seen—but Katsuki’s office was not what he was expecting at all.

The whole office space was small, quaint, and quiet. Normal.

On the walls were pictures of Katsuki’s parents and Izuku’s heart stopped when he recognized one old photograph. It was tattered at the edges and framed delicately as if it was a golden metal. It was a news clipping of Izuku’s regional bakery win from high school with the white truffles.

Izuku snapped his eyes to Katsuki, whose back was facing him.

His ex-lover was towering over a shelf of plants basking in the window’s sunlight. They were purple African violets. Izuku curiously watched as Katsuki touched one drooping leaf with one hand as his other held up a phone against his ear.

“Listen. Kiri. I don’t give a shit whose fucking fingers you have to cut off, get me the rest of the goddamn information,” Katsuki’s deep voice commanded in the coldest tone Izuku witnessed yet. “I want whoever is bothering Ms. Sano buried by fucking sundown.”

Izuku stiffened upon hearing those words and so did Mina and Denki.

Mina wearily cut her eye towards Izuku then quickly cleared her throat. “Uh, Boss. We’re here with Izuku.”

Katsuki’s whole body stiffened and then he whirled around.

Red eyes met green and there was an immediate tension that rose in the air.

Izuku didn’t say anything, mind clouded by the gruesome visual of someone’s fingers being possibly chopped off on Katsuki’s command. He mustered up a tiny wave and meekly mouthed “hello”. Katsuki waved back as well, mirroring his awkwardness. His ex-lover cut his eye to the plants in the windowsill and then turned around again.

“I have to go,” Katsuki said in a murmur. “Handle them. I don’t want to hear anything more about this.”

Izuku could hear a long sigh and “got it, Boss” from whoever was on the other line before it cut off.

Katsuki straightened out his shirt and adjusted his black tie before turning back around.

“Good afternoon,” Katsuki greeted stiffly. He placed the phone on his table and planted his palms face down on the wooden surface. “Sorry. Business call.”

“It’s alright. Good afternoon to you too,” Izuku said back. He scratched behind his head and pressed his lips in a thin line.

“Did…Did you sleep well?” Katsuki asked carefully.

Katsuki strummed his fingers on the table and Izuku looked at all the silver and gold rings on his hands.

“I-I did. The bed was very comfortable.” Izuku nodded and rocked on his feet. “And the bathroom was very nice! I like the decorations you put all around your home. It’s…nice.”

Izuku didn’t miss the way Katsuki’s chest puffed out slightly at the compliment. “Thank you.” He gave a small smirk. “I picked out everything myself when I got this place built.”

“I can tell.” Izuku lightly chuckled. “Also thank you again for, uh, letting me spend the night after yesterday. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you at all.”

“Not a problem. You can stay as long as you want,” Katsuki offered a little too quickly. Mina and Denki glanced between them curiously and Katsuki obviously caught it. He cleared his throat and rubbed his nape, hiding a hint of red that slowly crept up on his face. “I mean. You can stay as long as you need until this is all sorted out.”

Izuku gave a soft smile and ignored the way his heart fluttered. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Hopefully it won’t be too long. I don’t want to bother you too long from your business practices.”

Katsuki pursed his lips like he wanted to say something. Instead, he breathed in deep, and his expression was veiled by a familiar seriousness. “Well. Speaking of, I started the searched based off the details you gave last night. I think we got a couple of the guys who are involved.”

Izuku stammered and rapidly blinked. “Th-That quickly?”

“Yeah. I work fast,” Katsuki brushed off with a shrug. “The only thing I need from you is proper identification if you feel comfortable. They won’t be able to see you, but if you could tell me I got the right guys that would be helpful.”

Words jammed into Izuku’s throat.

The attack from the bakery came forth again, and it made his whole body shake slightly. The shattering of glass directly next to his ear was still ringing inside of his head. Along with that, the cruel laughter of Isao as the man kicked and beat him was thick in his memory.

Izuku stayed mute, fidgeting with his fingers. He naturally averted his eyes down to his feet.

Then slowly, he could hear Katsuki approach him from across the room. Nerves entangled all over Izuku as Katsuki’s all too clean black dress shoes lined up with his.

“Hey,” Katsuki whispered gently. He reached out his hand and gingerly lifted Izuku’s chin to look up at him. Izuku’s heart thumped against his chest at the vision of the soft light haloing Katsuki. He looked like his Kacchan like this almost. “It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable. You can go back to sleep if you want to. You don’t have to be a part of this at all.”

Izuku furrowed his brow. “What will you do if I don’t identify them?”

“I…” Katsuki sighed exhaustedly and licked his lips. He retracted his hand and shoved it into his pants pockets. “I have other means of getting information out of people.”

A picture of severed bloodied fingertips appeared in Izuku’s mind.

“I’ll come,” Izuku muttered.

Katsuki quietly studied him for several moment.

Then he cut his eye to Mina and Denki, who had been quiet the whole time.

Katsuki gave a single flick of his wrist and that was all the two bodyguards needed before walking out of the room. His ex-lover then placed his hand on his shoulder with a reassuring expression.

“We’ll head over right now. I promise this will be behind you before you know it.”

Izuku had to resist the impulse to grip him back.

❃ ❃ ❃

Izuku was taken somewhere hours away in a car with Katsuki. The entire time Katsuki chatted with Sero, Mina and Denki like a regular person as if they weren’t on their way to do an illegal interrogation.

Seeing Katsuki laugh and behave like a regular person thawed a part of Izuku that had been dormant for years. Soon it didn’t take long for Izuku to laugh alongside with the other three people, finding his routine and natural like the past when he and Katsuki were together. When he finally cracked a small giggle, Katsuki’s head whirled towards him like he had said something groundbreaking.

Izuku used his hand to cover his smile when they all started going around and telling embarrassing stories about each other. He tried to hide how hard he was laughing for everyone’s sake but could barely contain himself.

“Boss here once scared an elderly man to death,” Denki said with a mischievous chuckle. “He climbed into the wrong car without even thinking once.”

“No way,” Izuku laughed along. “You got into the car without checking the license plate?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki admitted. He shrugged with a smirk. “Dumbass Pikachu here had texted me that he was outside in our getaway car, a blue sedan. I saw a blue sedan, so I climbed into it. Simple. However, he was actually in a green sedan. Besides, that old man didn’t even say a word when I got into the passenger seat.”

“Probably because you were covered in blood, Boss,” Mina tacked on. “He was in shock from the staining you left all over his car.”

“He did scream once we made eye contact,” Katsuki muttered. He lazily scratched at his chin. “Must’ve been the bullet wounds.”

Izuku couldn’t help but laugh at the visual. He held his hand up to his mouth, trying to hold in belting out a loud giggle. He then glanced to his side to see Katsuki starring at him with a small smirk. His ex-lover’s eyes were tender in a way that flustered Izuku’s heart.

Izuku cleared his throat and tightly placed his hands in his lap.

“Feeling better?” Katsuki privately whispered as the convo carried on elsewhere. He leaned in close and Izuku nervously looked down at his hands in his lap.

“I am,” Izuku muttered, suddenly aware of the way his face felt hot.

He glanced up at Katsuki and there was a satisfied smirk on his ex-lover’s lips.

❃ ❃ ❃

The warehouse was large and had more people dressed in odd suits and business casual clothes. The symbol of a lion was subtly tucked in places like on the pavement, and on the walls.

Katsuki kept his arm around Izuku’s shoulders the entire walk through the warehouse. The baker mulled over how the touch was warm and reassuring, cradling him almost. Izuku leaned into the other body at certain points when he could see individuals stealing glances at him. A lot of the people walking by did double take as if what they were viewing was an impossible sight.

When they finally stopped walking, they were standing in a small room with a lineup of ten men tied to chairs. Blood and bruises were littered all over their skin and it caused Izuku to flinch at the sight.

Katsuki firmly placed his hands on either one of Izuku’s shoulders to steady him. With grace only Katsuki had, he leaned down slowly, lips grazing the shell of Izuku’s ear slightly.

“If you want to leave you still can,” Katsuki reminded in a low whisper. “Don’t do something you’re not comfortable with.”

The heels of Izuku’s feet were screaming for him to turn around and run. This was bad. This was so so bad and he didn’t want to be here. This was everything he wanted to avoid, and his moral compass was spinning out of control in his head like all the gravity in the room had vanished.

However, when he scanned over the ten faces his whole body froze on the spot.

He recognized five of the men.

The memory of them pushing him to the ground, kicking him, punching him and smashing in the glass in his bakery barged in brutally. He carefully noted all their faces, all the scars and the twisted scowls. It was them. Katsuki had really found them somehow—but not all of them. Isao was still missing along with several of his other goons.

Izuku stayed frozen on the spot as his mind ran a mile per minute.

“Are any of these faces familiar?” Katsuki whispered into his ear. The warm breath tickled his skin as they stared through the one-way glass. Izuku could see their reflection ghosted in the glass and Katsuki’s red eyes shone so brightly. “This is one way mirror and soundproof. No one can hear or see you. Just say who.”

Katsuki’s fingers on his shoulders drew small circles with his thumbs. Izuku relaxed into the gesture on instinct, suddenly reminded how Katsuki used to do this same thing to help him destress when they were together.

Izuku swallowed thickly.

He looked at the men again, and even those the men couldn’t see him he could feel the hate in their gazes burning through the glass. He looked into the bottomless gaze of one man, and it was filled with the same nothingness that hurled his life into the hurricane it was now. The memory of the sharp pain from where this one man punched him slammed the words out of Izuku.

“…The ones in purple, orange, blue, navy and yellow,” Izuku whispered.

Guilt weighted heavy on his tongue.

It tasted bad, as if curdled milk was forced down his throat from muttering those words. However, the ugly memory of seeing those men destroy all of his belongings quickly covered up all those feelings of shame.

He could still hear them degrade him as they shoved his own pastries in his face.

He must’ve looked sad because Katsuki stroked his hair in an attempt to comfort him. Izuku inched his gaze up to his ex-lover and Katsuki was surveying his face with an unreadable expression.

Then Katsuki nodded to the other people in the room, pointing to the five men Izuku identified. A sudden chill fell in the air and wrapped around Izuku like a burning rope of frost bite. Within the next moment, Izuku bared witness to Mina, Sero and Denki pulling out guns and knives from their blazers without a bat of an eye.

His eyes widened, shocked by the sudden shift in demeanor from the car ride to now—and Izuku waited for Katsuki to pull out a weapon as well. But one never came. It was then Izuku finally realized he hadn’t seen Katsuki with a weapon. Not at the shop. Not in the house. Not in the car. Not even here, in a place filled with armed people who could possibly turn on him at any given moment.

Izuku concluded Katsuki’s weapon was the snap of his fingers—and that was far more dangerous than any gun or knife.

❃ ❃ ❃

“Well, this was a productive day! Eh, Boss?” Denki said with a bright grin. “Five bastards down, five to go! I say that’s solid progress on this case. We should celebrate!”

They were all walking back from the car in front of Katsuki’s mansion. Izuku watched as Mina casually cleaned her hot pink brass knuckles and double checked if she had broken a nail.

“No celebrating until we find whoever this Isao is,” Katsuki quipped back, unamused. He raised a brow at Denki and shook his head. “We only found half of his group, we need to find the other half. I’ll celebrate when he’s in our hands.”

“Got it, Boss,” Mina, Denki and Sero chimed all together.

Izuku observed curiously as the four of them all blended back into casualness. Sero undid his tie once they stepped foot back in the mansion and Mina ran her hands through her thick head of hair. Denki pulled out his phone and began chatting with someone and Katsuki—Katsuki stared at him with that same unreadable expression.

Izuku stared at him back, feeling something in his chest flutter against his reasoning.

He was thankful, and more importantly he was feeling far more secure in living his life than he had a couple days ago. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Katsuki would take care of this issue anymore. That simple act reminded Izuku of how Kacchan used to be: always taking care of him and protecting him whenever the opportunity arose.

Izuku shifted on his feet and blushed. “Thank you, Katsuki for doing all this.”

Katsuki’s eyes lit up. He turned his body inwards to him. “Of course. No need to thank me.”

There was a small moment of silence as the two ex-lovers gently smiled at each other.

“Ahem,” Mina cleared her throat. “I’m going to try to get some quick shut eye in the guest bedrooms before Kiri comes back.” She pointed to the basement staircase. “Sero, Denki, are you guys coming?”

Sero nodded quickly. “Yeah, we’re gonna to come with you. Consider it a snuggle party.”

“What?” Denki scrunched his nose. “I’m not even tired. It’s dinner time—”

Sero elbowed Denki in the side. He tried to be discreet but failed miserably and Izuku could clearly see what was going on. Next, Sero jutted his chin towards the two ex-lovers who were now blushing looking down at the ground.

Denki’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah. I am beat. Super tired! I have never slept before, who needs food when you have sleep.”

Mina sighed exhaustedly and quickly dragged Denki by his collar towards the basement. They all waved goodbye and Izuku cocked his head.

“Are they really all going to cuddle together right now?” Izuku quietly questioned in a poor attempt to make what occurred less obvious.

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Katsuki muttered. He was lightly scowling with his hands pushed in his pockets and a pink tint on his cheeks. “Ignore them. They are clinically sharing one damn brain cell.”

“It seems like that one brain cell is really focused on sleeping and cuddling,” Izuku said with a small smile.

Katsuki chuckled. “Are you hungry by any chance?”

 “I could go for some food.” Izuku smiled and placed a hand on his stomach.

“Perfect, me too,” Katsuki agreed quickly, happy for a subject change. He gestured for Izuku to follow him down a hallway with a small smirk. “Let me show you the kitchen.”

❃ ❃ ❃

What they walked into was something straight out of Izuku’s scrapbooks. He had to resist gawking like a fish and clasped a hand over his mouth. This was the most perfect kitchen he had ever seen.

It was sparkling white with black cabinets and everything that a professional cook could want in their life. A full row of stoves, electrical and gas. Walls of knifes, spoons, plates. Even mixers and whiskers were all set out. Hanging overhead was a delicate, non-gaudy abstract lamp that at added an artistic touch to the space.  

“This is your kitchen?” Izuku whispered, utterly amazed.

“Yup,” Katsuki muttered. There was an underlying mood to the way he said it as he tilted his head. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? Katsuki, this is a baker’s dream,” Izuku said, astonished beyond belief. He walked up calmly to the four ovens in the wall and hesitantly touched the dial. “I’ve never even seen these types of ovens in person. I’ve always heard of having this many ovens in the magazines but never thought I would actually see someone who did it.”

“Well, take a look around as much as you want.”

Izuku did exactly that.

He happily strolled through the whole kitchen, exploring every inch up and down. He noticed from this side of the mansion, the kitchen patio led out to the garden outside. All the lush fruits and vegetables were poised like something right out his dreams. Then, as he took a closer look it started to actually feel like one of his dreams.

Izuku’s mood deflated a bit when he noticed the small truffle farm that was sectioned off in the garden.

Then Izuku started noticing more.

He started noticing that not only were the utensils high quality, but they were also the ones he wanted when he was in college. He noticed the counter tops were the same material and pattern that he always eyed in the stores—the same as the type he had installed in his own bakery. But moreover, he noticed the signature Yagi Toshinori chef’s kit that was hitting on top of the cabinet.

Izuku’s mouth ran dry.

Katsuki carefully walked beside him, smile slowly slipping off his face when he could sense Izuku’s seriousness. “What’s on your mind?”

“This kitchen…” Izuku whispered. He looked at the set of knives and traced his finger along the edge of one, the metal surfaced reflected both his and Katsuki’s eyes back at him. “E-Everything in the house—the garden. The kitchen. This special knife set and even small things like how the kitchen is attached to the garden area—it’s stuff I’ve mentioned before,” Izuku whispered as his throat began to feel tight.

Katsuki went stiff and his eyes darted to the side.

That single glance away confirmed what Izuku thought. His belly knotted up and down.

“Please tell me you didn’t make all of this for me?” Izuku painfully asked. “We—We haven’t even spoken for so long. Why would you do this?”

“I did it before we broke up,” Katsuki muttered.

“What?”

“I had gotten a big bonus from that old gangster I worked for,” Katsuki said sourly. He made a face like he had seen a painful memory. “He asked me why I was working so hard for him, and I told him the real reason—and the reason was you at the time.”

Izuku’s stomach dropped.

“Despite being a ruthless drug lord, the old bastard had a heart,” Katsuki chuckled dryly. He ran his finger along an oven’s handle. “He told me he could get a house build for us, so we didn’t have to keep on livin’ the way we were. He said he was happy to do it because I was like the son he always wanted after he disowned his biological son. It was a gift for my 19^th birthday.”

“…And he had this house built before that night?” Izuku whispered.

Katsuki nodded. “Not fully built. He put in the construction layout and finalized all the deals that week. I had gotten so carried away with talking shit with him and putting in all this useless fucking construction plans I forgot to—I forgot to come back for my birthday party and even more so, I forgot about spending time with you.” He curled his fist.

Any word Izuku thought to say wouldn’t express the way he felt. He stared at his perfect dream kitchen in a new light but also he stared at Katsuki in a new light as well. His heart unwillingly clenched until he felt tears cling to the edges of his eyes.

Kacchan had been living in a house built for them this whole time.

“Why did you never mention it?” Izuku whispered, voice wobbly with hurt.

“Because I knew you didn’t want to be involved with my lifestyle,” Katsuki said curtly. He curled his upper lip in distaste and cocked his head. “The only trade off that damn old man had was that I help him run operations out of this house. Which as you can see—I’m doing exactly that. I wanted to respect both of your demands. His to continue on his legacy and yours not to be involved.”

All the luxury felt just as bad as the moldy apartment he grew up in suddenly. He looked at the wallpaper and realized no matter how nice things were, there would always be secrets and pain festering underneath some surface.

“So, I guess. Here I am,” Katsuki said sarcastically. He shrugged with a forced smirk that didn’t fool Izuku. “I’m stuck in the perfect palace built for two by myself because I fucked up and kept things from you.”

Izuku sucked in a breath, trying to ignore the tension that sparked. Katsuki was looking around at all the windows like he was a stranger in his own home. 

“Well. I’m sure it’s not a total waste.” Izuku changed the subject when the tips of his ears grew hot. “Your kitchen staff must be very pleased with you. This is any chef’s dream.”

Katsuki dryly chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a kitchen staff.”

“What do you mean?” Izuku asked slowly. His face pinched in confusion.

“I, uh, never got around to hiring a kitchen staff,” Katsuki confessed. He leaned against the garnet counter while looking upwards at the high ceiling. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“Then who cooked the breakfast this morning?” Izuku asked slowly.

Katsuki smirked and used his thumb to point to his chest. “I did, you fucking nerd.”

“What?” Izuku gasped, eyes going wide. “But it tasted good.”

“Hah? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Katsuki shot back with a sneer. He walked over to Izuku and leaned into his space with a terribly handsome smirk. “Are you shocked I can cook, nerd? You know eight years is a long time to learn how to do something.”

“N-No! I didn’t mean it like that!” Izuku quickly corrected. He threw his hands up and shook his head. “I am surprised that’s all. You usually burnt things to a crisp or added too much spice, so I’m a little taken back.”

Katsuki hummed. “I haven’t burnt anything in several years. I’m basically a pro at this point. Hell, I might even be better at cooking than you now.”

“Ah. That’s a bold statement,” Izuku pointed out.

“Bold statement for the bold truth.” Katsuki smirked a little too cockily.

Izuku bit his lip and squinted his eyes.

Katsuki was undoubtedly baiting him, but he did it well because Izuku’s naturally competitive side flickered. Izuku rocked on his feet slightly as he gazed into those mocking red eyes that dared him to feed into the challenge. Izuku tilted his head to the side and familiar banter rolled off his tongue like it was second nature.

“Y’know, I doubt eight years was enough for you to become that good of a chef,” Izuku lightly said, bouncing on his heels. Katsuki’s eyes lit up and his smirk grew fonder. “If I remember correctly, you messed up how to make rice. I will never forget that.”

“Tch. That was one time.”

“One time is one time too many to burn rice, Katsuki. I had to throw that pot out because we couldn’t get the charred remains off the bottom.”

“Okay fine, you damn nerd. Since you want to be such a little shit, how about we make it a competition?” Katsuki proposed with a flex of a brow. “Let’s bake something, and whoever bakes it quicker and better wins. We can make a prize out of it like old times.”

Izuku broke eye contact to resist blushing.

His gaze fell onto the way Katsuki’s chest was being hugged by his maroon button down. Specifically, Izuku was looking at the way a couple of the buttons were screaming, holding on to the fabric for dear life whenever Katsuki breathed in and his chest expanded.

Izuku subconsciously licked his lips. “And what would the prize be?”

“Anything.”

“Anything like what?”

“Name anything you want,” Katsuki emphasized with a wider smirk. “If you win I’ll give you anything that big noggin’ of yours could think up.”

“Deal,” Izuku agreed.

He shifted on his feet and his hand brushed with Katsuki’s. Their eyes snapped down to where they had made contact and Izuku hadn’t noticed they had gotten so close. They stared back up to the other’s face but neither mentioned the proximity.

Izuku couldn’t stop himself from blushing like a fool.

“If…If I win—” Izuku licked his lips. “If I win you have to make me all my meals until I leave.”

Katsuki scoffed, entirely unimpressed. “Lame. That doesn’t count if I was planning on cooking for you the entire time you were here, does it?”

“While wearing a maid’s outfit!” Izuku hurriedly tacked on. 

Katsuki’s mouth dropped, and he raised an eyebrow. Izuku smiled like he had finally bested his ex-lover because there was no way Kacchan would want to do something like that. It would be perfect for a losing bet.

“Is that what you’re into these days?” Katsuki teased. Much to Izuku’s horror, Katsuki’s smirk only grew wider, and he leaned in even more while dropping his voice to an octave that touched the bottom of Izuku’s belly. “So, you’re that kind of pervert are you? Want me to give you a lil’ show or somethin’?”

“N-No!” Izuku quickly hissed, recoiling like he had been burned. “I only said that because I know you would be embarrassed to put one on—”

“—Jokes on you. I would fucking rock a maid’s outfit,” Katsuki retorted. He gave a cocksure grin and flexed his brows. “Have you seen my goddamn body? I look damn sexy in anything I put on and if I flexed I probably would rip that thing right off of me.”

Izuku’s eyes flickered to the straining buttons again. He gulped.

“What do you want if you win?” Izuku bit in an attempt to shift the convo off Katsuki’s body.

Katsuki licked his lips. He opened his mouth, but no words were formed right away. Izuku waited patiently when he could feel Katsuki hesitate—something he never did. The flicker of wavering only begged Izuku to be more curious for what his ex-lover had in mind. Katsuki’s burning gaze grew more intense by the second until he finally spoke.

“If I win, you have to stay here with me for a month after I maim that Isao bastard for you,” Katsuki said in a whisper.

Izuku’s heart stopped.

Suddenly all the playful banter didn’t feel so lighthearted. Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat when he could see the plea swimming in his ex-lover’s eyes.

“Katsuki…” Izuku whispered seriously. He chewed on his bottom lip. “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea between the two of us. Even as a silly bet—”

“—Then don’t lose,” Katsuki quipped. He stood up straight and a mask shielding his emotions slipped on his face. “If you don’t want to stay here with me, all you have to do is not lose. Shouldn’t be too hard for a professional baker, right?”

Izuku fumbled on his response.

He tried to picture himself staying here with Katsuki for a month—even as a tiny bet—and he knew that was dangerous. His heart pulled too harshly and pounded too hard in his chest for this to be something that would have little effect on him.

Katsuki walked over to a specific door in the kitchen and pulled it open to reveal two barely touched maroon aprons. He held them up with an expectant look.

“What are we baking then?” Izuku asked. “You can pick since you’re at a disadvantage.”

Katsuki raised a brow. “Chocolate beignets.”

“Easy enough.”

Izuku opened his hand, anticipating Katsuki to give an apron over to him, but was only partially surprised when that didn’t happen. His ex-lover circled behind him; red eyes fully trained on his green ones like a fierce predator circling its prey.

Izuku stayed still when Katsuki stopped directly behind him and brushed their backs together. His breath hitched slightly when Katsuki tenderly placed the apron over his head. Katsuki tied the slash on the apron tight around his waist and then placed his hands on his hips.

His lips touched Izuku’s ear lightly. “Don’t lose, Izuku.”

“I won’t,” Izuku shot back. He turned his head to look up at Katsuki who nodded in approval.

It didn’t take long for Izuku to switch gears and fall completely into his baker headspace.

The familiar feeling of being in the kitchen allowed him to breathe in without anxiety for the first time in a while. Izuku hadn’t realized how much he missed losing himself in simply enjoying his craft.

As they buzzed around the large kitchen, Katsuki’s own competitive side kicked in. Izuku found himself getting hip bumped out of the way of the fridge and playfully tugging back and forth with Katsuki for ingredients. The second Izuku tried to grab a whisker, his ex-lover placed it up on the top shelf, out of his reach, with a smirk and glint in his eye.

“That’s cheating,” Izuku objected in shock. “You can’t put stuff on the top shelf!”

“Sucks to suck, short stuff,” Katsuki said with a chuckle and ruffled his hair.

Izuku smiled despite himself. He quickly found a way around Katsuki’s antics and began grabbing for the nearest chairs and making sure he could get everything he needed. They were both rushing to make the sweet pastries, maneuvering swiftly like ballerinas dancing around each other—and it didn’t take too long for Izuku to get pulled into Katsuki’s gravity.

His ex-lover was as charming as always. Playful in the right ways. Helpful sometimes even though this was a friendly competition. Katsuki shouted out to Izuku where some items like the sugar were since he was still unfamiliar with the kitchen. Izuku yelled back ‘thank you’, fully impressed with Katsuki’s brand new baking skills.

The way he moved in the kitchen was doing things to Izuku’s heart.

Kacchan was always so amazing.

When Katsuki finished putting in his pastries in the oven, Izuku was still rushing to put his together. His ex-lover was blocking him and trying to slow him down more by grabbing his waist, tickling him, and stealing tools he needs.

When Izuku finally placed his in the oven, Katsuki had taken his out with a victory grin.

“Looks like I win,” Katsuki smirked. “Better start clearing your schedule next week.”

“Not yet,” Izuku said. “You said faster and better. If mine taste better then I win.”

Katsuki scoffed. “As if you’re going to beat me.” He grabbed for the powdered sugar, to place the final touch on his pastries but Izuku had other plans.

Following his ex-lover’s shenanigans, Izuku grabbed for the powdered sugar and took a fist full to chuck at Katsuki. The other man was caught off guard so much he cursed out loud and gawked at Izuku.

Then a mischievous smirk blossomed on his sharp features.

“So that’s how you want to play this?” Katsuki warned.

Izuku laughed, took another chunk of sugar and flung it at Katsuki, decorating the air with tiny white flakes. Katsuki then took a fist full as well and poured it down on Izuku’s head. The baker yelled out in surprise and tried to run away but chaos erupted. One moment Izuku was flinging powder at Katsuki, the next Katsuki was ducking and throwing powder at him.

Their hair and clothes soon became caked in the white substance, and they found themselves harmonizing in laughter. Izuku looked up at one point and the sugar mimicked gentle snowfall. He caught view of Katsuki in the whirlwind—laughing with the biggest grin on his face.

Izuku’s heart fluttered at the handsome sight.

Katsuki slowly tapered off his chuckles to look through the falling sugar at Izuku as well. For a second, Izuku could have sworn they were suspended in time.

“You uh, got some on your lip,” Katsuki said in a low voice. Izuku lifted his hand to touch the side of his mouth and Katsuki shook his head. “Other side.”

Izuku moved his hand around again, but when he failed to swipe the powder off his face, Katsuki reach forward for him. He gently swiped away the chunk of sweet powder, his thumb dragged along Izuku’s plump bottom lip. They both stayed completely still. A shock of heat crawled up Izuku’s spine when he realized just how close Katsuki was again. His heart began hammering as he looked at the other’s lips and Katsuki himself froze.

His ex-lover glanced into his eyes, and they became grid locked in silence.

Katsuki had so many shades of pretty red in his eyes, Izuku thought to himself. He counted each shade, recognizing he missed doing that. He missed the scarlet. The amber. The crimson. Katsuki’s eyes always shone perfectly in the dusk lighting of the setting sun.

As he was admiring Katsuki, with the upmost care, Katsuki ran his hand through Izuku’s sugar filled curls. He did this gesture again and again as if trying to prove the person in front of him was real.

Then without notice, a painfully raw expression spilled on Katsuki’s face. His perfect emotional veil cracked in half to reveal the eyes of the boy Izuku used to know. Such sad, lonely eyes glazed back at him and Izuku quickly felt like they never aged a day past nineteen.

“I’m sorry, Sweet,” Katsuki whispered. His eyes watered slightly, and his lip pressed into a thin line. “I’m so fucking sorry for what happened.”

Izuku knew he should move away—but his body did the opposite. The vulnerable expression in Katsuki’s eyes was something too much to bear and Izuku’s own emotional fortress came tumbling down. All the years of need and pain came hurling forward and Izuku’s face crumbled like flimsy paper as he was held in Katsuki’s hands. The calloused fingers in his hair cupped his cheeks and Izuku held back a sob.

In the light of the sunset, Katsuki didn’t feel like danger. He felt like his old home. He felt like that wallpaper he would always tape up. Or the trips to the grocery store littered with tiny touches they exchanged. Katsuki felt like his best friend and the person he used to always rely on.

He felt like his Kacchan and the person he thought about every day for eight years.

Countless memories made Izuku’s heart beat in tempo with Katsuki’s, and he could feel them become in sync. The longing in their eyes melted into one and without a word, they slowly leaned in.

Katsuki kissed him like he was made of daydreams. Izuku kissed him back like he was made of nightmares. He trembled in Katsuki’s grasp, fearful of the line he was crossing while Katsuki pushed into him like a fleeting moment he could only indulge in once.

The kiss grew touchier as they pressed forward and Izuku was soon swept away underneath all the pent-up feelings. Katsuki’s lips were still perfectly rough in the way he remembered as they kissed, steadily increasing the hunger for one another as they went. The sugar on both of their lips added in a sweetness that clouded all of Izuku’s judgement. He grappled for Katsuki’s arms and Katsuki’s hand slid back to grip the hair at the back of his nape.

“My sweet baby,” Katsuki whispered into his lips. They broke apart only for a moment as Katsuki trickled kisses all over Izuku’s cheek, neck, Adam’s apple and collar bone. “You have no idea how much I missed you, Sweet. I missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you too, Kacchan,” Izuku confessed, his words muddled.

His thoughts were overpowered by the scent of cinnamon and ginger directly in his nose. His eyes were blinking rapidly as they stumbled backwards into the counter. He grabbed onto Katsuki’s shirt as his ex-lover kissed his lips again, much rougher and more famished. He closed his eyes and handed over the control to Katsuki as a tongue swiped at his bottom lip.

Their chests flushed together, and heat crackled all over Izuku’s body. He tried to push backwards but only found himself trapped between Katsuki and the countertop—and was mortified that he liked it. Driven by desire, Izuku pulled Katsuki in deeper to the kiss, whispering his name on the other man’s lips. Katsuki fiercely met his enthusiasm, snaking an arm around his waist and pulling him all the way against him.

Too busy lost with re-exploring each other, neither man heard the footsteps that came rushing into the kitchen.

“Boss, we got an emergency—shit. Sorry!” A voice cut in.

Izuku whirled his head to see a man with blazing red hair at the entrance. The newcomer quickly covered his eyes with his hands, and modestly turned away from them. Embarrassment snaked into Izuku’s core when he felt one of Katsuki’s fingers slide down his spine.

“Fucking go away, Kirishima,” Katsuki bit out. “Can’t you see I’m a little occupied? Handle whatever it is.”

He didn’t bother slowing down placing kisses on Izuku’s neck. Izuku tried to shy away but the hand in his hair kept him in place and he felt like he was on a high of adrenaline. Katsuki was clearly very far gone too, eyes dilated all the way as he nipped on freckled skin. Katsuki’s lips brushed against the sensitive spot on Izuku’s clavicle that made his toes curl and eyes flutter shut.

“Ye-Yeah I normally would, Boss. But this is actually something you need to do—”

“—What did I just fucking say?” Katsuki snapped impatiently. He tore himself away from Izuku’s neck and pierced a frightening glare into Kirishima. “If this is the Ms. Sano case, I told you to kill whoever is harassing her, I don’t give a damn.”

Izuku’s eyes snapped open at Katsuki’s harsh words.

The following second, reality hit him in the face harder than an avalanche.

All the sweetness of their past was buried underneath the realism that Katsuki hurt people for a living. Izuku saw flashes of blood, murder, and could hear figments of ghost men and women screaming for mercy at the hands of his ex-lover. Izuku then remembered the bloodied brass knuckles he had found on Katsuki’s 19^th birthday.

He was callously reminded that Katsuki was a killer—no number of soft-spoken words would change that.

The sugar on his lips tasted sour with the thought.

“This isn’t the Ms. Sano case,” Kirishima muttered. “It’s actually for, uh, the bakery issue. We got a lead on where the last few guys might be hiding. I figured you wanted to handle this round up personally like this morning.”

This time Katsuki’s attention was grabbed fully.

“I’ll come in a second, let me get cleaned up,” Katsuki said to Kirishima. He then turned his stare to Izuku. “Sweet, do you want to come with? If not I can come back for you, and you identify them later like we did earlier.”

Pretty green eyes fluttered away because Izuku was too ashamed to meet his gaze. Embarrassment as hot as coals sat on top of Izuku’s chest. How did he let himself get carried away that much? Izuku kept his head down and he curled into himself.

When he got no direct response, Katsuki made a worried face. He reached forward and lightly touched Izuku’s shoulder. It was a soft touch, gentle and full of affection. However, with the visuals of blood and violence still running through Izuku’s mind, the smaller man flinched at the contact when all he could see was scarlet pouring off Katsuki’s fingers.

The moment was shattered entirely.

Katsuki retracted his hand, eyes wide with hurt and Izuku kept his head hung low.

“I’ll stay here,” Izuku said quietly only for Katsuki to hear. An onset of tears was creeping up his throat with bile. “I’m feeling tired. I th-think I’m going to go to bed.”

Katsuki knew it was a lie—and Izuku knew he knew by the way he didn’t push it.

“…Alright,” Katsuki said. Disappointment was thick in the air. “I’ll tell Denki and Mina that you’re going to lay down.”

He stepped away slowly and Izuku was left feeling cold from the retraction of body heat. Katsuki shimmering red eyes didn’t leave Izuku until they had to. Katsuki painfully looked around the kitchen and the mess they had made in their temporary euphoria of forgetting who they were. He brushed the powdered sugar out of his hair and neatly tucked away his emotions.

“Let’s go, Kirishima,” Katsuki said coldly. He turned on his heel and didn’t look back to Izuku.

The two left, leaving Izuku alone in the kitchen.

The sunset eventually, leaving Izuku alone in the dark. He hadn’t moved from his spot, too stunned by the way he had lost himself. It was only when the smell of burnt dough reached his nose did Izuku startle into motion. He whirled his head around to the expensive ovens to see smoke pouring out from where he had placed his beignets. Izuku cursed loudly as he went rushing forward to snatched them out.

They were burnt to a blackened crisp. Cracked and neglected.

Izuku finally broke down and cried.

❃ ❃ ❃

Everything hurt as Izuku walked up the stairs with Denki and Mina behind him. His two escorts didn’t say a word as he softly cried, they merely exchanged worried glances between each other.

Izuku dug his fingernails into his skin, wanting to rip his emotions from out of himself.

Why did everything hurt? Why was he suddenly so confused?

He reached his room and closed the door up tight. His knees gave out and Izuku fell onto the bed, sobbing loudly as he replayed what happened in the kitchen over and over.

The rough feeling of Katsuki’s lips on him was intoxicating and he hated himself for missing him. He hated that he wanted to be here and catch up with Katsuki more. The clashing feelings of terror and want wrestled inside of him for dominance, but neither won out. They struggled infinitely and tore Izuku apart from the inside out.

Bloodshot green eyes stared around at the large bedroom. All he could hear was the echo of Katsuki’s confession about this mansion ringing loudly in his ears. His ex-lover had planned this place out for them to live happily—and now Katsuki was living in this hollowness by himself all these years.

Izuku didn’t know how to process this at all.

How had this been something Katsuki kept to himself and not gone mad over? Izuku gripped at the carpet underneath him as shame piled into his body. Everything from the day began to pile up and conflict in his mind.

Hours passed as Izuku stayed curled up on the bed, too tired to move. Izuku looked up at the beautiful portrait of Katsuki on the wall. He admired the oil painting, hoping to find an answer for his confusion. 

But before he could come to his own conclusion, fate had other plans. A knock on the door occurred in blended in with the vibration in his body. Izuku wiped his tears quickly, thinking it was possibly Denki and Mina, worried about his amount of sobbing and crying.

However, when he opened the door all he could see was cold blue eyes.

Fear surged through him and Izuku acted fast.

He ran and screamed but the larger body overpowered him to the point of knocking him backwards. They struggled back and forth, and Izuku shrieked, clawing at the carpet as his skin burned with the surface friction. Within a flash, the point of a knife precisely pressed into Izuku’s Adam’s apple, and he went deathly still. His labored breathing echoed out in the room, and white noise filled his head.

His eyes inched up in full horror to the intruder.

The cloaked man slowly pulled off his ski mask to reveal his face. Copper colored hair shone under the bright chandelier with a matching wicked grin. It was Isao, chuckling like the devil himself and bearing a snide expression.

Izuku’s eyes darted around for help, and his stomach dropped when he saw Mina and Denki face down on the ground with the last of Isao’s men overpowering them. Duct tape was being forced on their mouths and Mina was shaking her head furiously for Izuku not to move.

“Well, it looks like I was right about you,” Isao said mockingly. He pushed in the knife to Izuku’s throat shallowly, drawing just enough blood to make Izuku shed a tear from pain. “You really are that bastard’s weak spot.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 — Salty

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Katsuki hated seeing people suffer. It hurt him more than fucking anything.

But all his life that’s all Katsuki truly knew: the bitter taste of suffering. It was overpowering and easily spread like a rotting infection of the skin. He would try his best to stop the suffering from spilling over, eroding all the beautiful parts of life, but there wasn’t any medicine to heal such a wound.

Katsuki would have to close his fist when he wanted to swing. He would have to bite his tongue when he wanted to scream. But worst of all, he would have to sit and watch when the people he loved suffer greatly.

Particularly, Katsuki hated seeing Izuku suffer.

Sweet, adoring Izuku.

Izuku was always the light of his life since the day Katsuki could remember. Izuku was his person, attached at the hip since childhood. In Katsuki’s mind, they were twin stars carved out from the same piece of sky, forged under the circulating moon. They were tied together in the depths of this cursed universe and there was nothing Katsuki wouldn’t do for Izuku.

He discovered his devoutness towards Izuku young.

Originally, it started with small objects.

Katsuki would find tiny trinkets to bring to Izuku. Example: a bottle cap that was half rusted. He had seen Izuku take some home a couple of times when they were kids. The way Izuku’s eyes lit up collecting the piece of trash was oddly endearing. Even though Katsuki found it absolutely fucking filthy—Izuku didn’t. Which is all that mattered.

He started collecting bottle caps for Izuku after that.

Every time he got a pretty smile in return.

Next, Katsuki found himself in high school being captivated by Izuku in an entirely different way.

Izuku grew taller, wiser, and it was very apparent Izuku stuck out. He was like a vibrant viridian beauty contrasting against the grayness of their hometown. He was captivating. He was kind. He was talented. He was smart. Izuku had potential to be more than the life of poverty they were born into and when Katsuki realized that, he had to make a choice.

His decision was clear as day the moment Izuku’s father left.

The man departed after finding a younger wife and spoke very harshly that he wanted nothing to do with Izuku. With agony, Katsuki watched how Inko struggled in their apartment complex that was riddled with mold. The toxic substance was as green as her hair and as potent as her sorrow. She struggled with money, and Katsuki was old enough to understand that while he was poor too, he at least had two parents.

Izuku was growing thinner in weight during that period.

So, Katsuki started finding time to run errands for people on the wealthier side of town.

One couple, Mr. and Mrs. Otsuka particularly took a liking to him.

They were older than his parents and had salt and pepper colored hair. Their house was huge and always decorated with golden lions. Katsuki marveled at their riches quietly, trying his best not to come across as a poor boy who was stunned by how well off someone could be. The elder man liked him enough to give him pointers on how to walk and talk while the woman always happily told him how to fix his hair.

The Otsukas paid him for small tasks like grocery shopping and returning clothes for them. Sometimes however, he found himself delivering odd packages. They were very keen on reminding him not to open the parcel, simply drop it off and come straight back. The box would always be red with a gold ribbon. On the top was always the symbol of a lion and whatever was inside was heavy.

Gold. Money. Diamonds. Guns.

That was Katsuki’s best guess when he rattled the boxes to hear what was inside. Whenever he would return from dropping off these boxes, every time the Otsukas gave him a hand full of yen. Nothing huge. But it was enough to purchase extra cans of food and that’s all that mattered to Katsuki.

It wasn’t before long the errands cut into his school time, and for that his grades suffered.

But he saw Izuku eating more, and Izuku was doing better in school as a result.

Katsuki easily decided if it had to be between one of them, it should be Izuku who climbed up and touched the clouds. Katsuki could settle for building the ladder to the sky and make damn sure Izuku reached all the way to the top.

He asked Izuku out in a stupid way their first year in high school.

He had no real clue how to be romantic that young. He fumbled on his words, accidentally cursed and crushed the petals of the daffodils in his hands out of nerves when he almost dropped them. He was mortified, to say the least. Katsuki remembered how he stood there, trying to fix the limp, bright yellow flowers in his hands.

He thought for sure he would be rejected after the shit show, but Izuku simply clasped his hands over his. How soft Izuku hands had been that day, and his gaze even softer.

“These are beautiful, Kacchan,” Izuku had said. “I love them.”

“I fucked them up,” Katsuki muttered. His shame was hot on his face. “You don’t have to lie to me. They’re ugly as shit now.”

“No. They’re beautiful because of the thought,” Izuku corrected. “I would be happy to be your boyfriend.”

Izuku took the flowers and grinned wide. He held the limp daffodils to his nose and inhaled deeply with a dramatic flutter of his eyes.

Then he turned to Katsuki and kissed him on the cheek. It felt like little butterflies grazing his skin and Katsuki’s heart soared as high as the sun.

✾ ✾ ✾

Shortly after he asked Izuku out, Katsuki began to notice how Izuku enjoyed baking. Izuku baked when the sun was setting. He baked at the crack of dawn, and every day after school.

One of Katsuki’s favorite memories of Izuku’s baking was a funny one. Katsuki had ran downstairs in their apartment complex because he could smell smoke. He darted to the Midoriya residence like he was on fire in the fear that Izuku and Inko’s apartment was in flames—but when he arrived, Izuku was standing in the kitchen with a goofy grin holding a plate of burnt pastries.

The subpar ventilation in the apartment held the smoke and, of fucking course, the carbon monoxide detector didn’t go off.

“Kacchan, taste these for me!” Izuku had said. He didn’t seem to give a damn that the oven was pouring smoke and it baffled Katsuki. “I made these from a recipe I saw online and I think I finally got it right!”

Katsuki wearily looked at the burnt food.

He was about to say “I’m not putting that in my mouth” but when he stared at Izuku longer, he could see that need for attention. Katsuki glanced around the smokey apartment and noted Inko was missing again, probably off at the house she tended to. The people she worked for always asked her to do ridiculous hours.

So Katsuki tasted a single bit—and it was horrible.

He gagged immediately and spat it out. Izuku’s face fell.

“What the fuck—” Katsuki hissed and tried to wipe his tongue. “That tasted like shit.”

“Jeez. Did you have to spit it out?” Izuku pouted, feelings clearly hurt.

“If you’re going to cook you need to get it right,” Katsuki muttered. He wasn’t about to lie to Izuku for the sake of his feelings. “You burnt up the whole place to make this crap? C’mon, Izuku. You’re better than that.”

Little did Katsuki know, Izuku took those words literal.

After that, Izuku baked with purpose and forced Katsuki to taste test every time. Katsuki went along with it, because he could see how fixated Izuku became on the idea of baking. He watched Izuku work day and night to try to perfect countless dishes over and over and over again. Every bite Katsuki took that year got tastier and tastier.

Soon, Katsuki was addicted to both Izuku and his pastries.

He couldn’t go a day without tasting something Izuku made, and kissing him.

“Thank you, Sweet.” The nickname flowed off his tongue so well. He kissed Izuku’s sugary lips happily.

✾ ✾ ✾

Time passed by like this as Katsuki continued to help Izuku refine his baking talents.

He bought Izuku all the cheap cooking ware he could find. He even stuck his neck out once and asked Ms. Otsuka if she could spare some extra money for pots and pans. She had stared at him oddly, brown eyes studying him carefully.

“Why do you need pots and pans?” She asked slowly. “Surely, you don’t cook. All you buy is canned food.”

“My boyfriend cooks,” Katsuki explained. “He likes it a lot and we don’t have any of that fancy stuff he needs to make things he wants. It would be nice to get him things like that.”

Her eyes crinkled and she grinned at him.

Ms. Otsuka started giving him random pots, pans, silverware and shit he didn’t even know existed. But when he brought it home and gave it to Izuku, of course the damn nerd knew what it was. Izuku’s eyes lit up brighter than a cluster of stars and he started making more complex food dishes.

Katsuki continued happily running errands for the Otsukas. It was easy enough work that allowed him to have way more money than needed.

However, one fateful day when he was fifteen change the course of his life. He was still deciding if it was for the better or if it was for the worse. But whatever it may be, that day changed him for good.

Mr. Otsuka died.

The circumstances of his death were as elusive as the Gods in the sky. He only took Mrs. Otsuka’s word and tears as proof for the man’s passing. Katsuki never saw a body, or even saw evidence if there was a funeral.

She began dressing in all black with delicate veils over her aged face and always kept a maroon handkerchief with a golden lion on it. She wiped her tears with this lacey cloth anytime strange men in tuxedos came by the house to talk to her.

Whatever those men told her, shook her.

Mrs. Otsuka began making plans to leave the province within a couple day’s time.

It broke Katsuki’s heart in a way. He had grown attached to both of them and even more, so he was stressed about where would he get money to help support Izuku now. His young mind was strained for balancing studying as it was and there was no way he could balance an after-school job as well.

But he helped Mrs. Otsuka pack up her belongings regardless.

There was something mysteriously jittery about her during this time. She was making calls, chain smoking cigarettes and muttering in harsh whispers to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Is everything alright, ma’am?” Katsuki asked the day of the move. He had finished packing up her moving truck and Mrs. Otsuka was bouncing her leg a little too rapidly. “You seem stressed.”

She offered a fake smile. “I’m alright, Katsuki. Thank you for asking. Let’s just keep it moving. I’m waiting for a cousin of mine to meet me here.”

Katsuki nodded, deciding to just close out with her and leave it be.

However, during the move three men had assaulted them.

Katsuki remembered how his heart sunk to the deepest parts of his being when they attacked. They came out of the darkness like walking shadows. They bled into the night with their wolfish grins and sharp stares. They started stealing her expensive belongings, and when Mrs. Otsuka and Katsuki tried to stop them, they were overpowered.

Katsuki yelled for help as both of them were held down on the cold pavement. The men’s laughter had been daunting and cruel. They sunk their fingers into Katsuki’s neck and made him eat the grovel of the pavement as he struggled.

“Quick! Let’s hurry and get out of here!” One of the men had yelled. “Take what you can and get to moving.”

They pulled on Mrs. Otsuka’s pearl necklace, breaking it. All the small gems rolled on the ground towards Katsuki. Then Katsuki had looked over at her—and all he saw was suffering.

Her eyes were full of tears as her frail body gave under the weight of the man. She sobbed silently and wheezed out the name of her departed lover. Katsuki wished he could describe what came over him that night, but he couldn’t even if he tried.

His vision twisted with the wind, and his logic was swallowed by unbridled rage. His throat felt like a monster had ripped through it as he screamed loudly. With all his anger towards the world, Katsuki pushed the man holding him down off. He jerked his body fluidly to slam a fist into the man’s face.

Everyone in the vicinity stopped at the crude sound of bones cracking.

The rest of Katsuki’s memory was unclear.

All the events were swept under his sheer disgust for how unfair the world was. He remembered vaguely the sound of bones breaking. Screams. Pleas. The bitter taste of iron in his mouth. His fist slammed into something over and over again until whatever he was punching gave. Then he remembered hurried sounds of footsteps. 

By the time two of the robbers fled the scene, Katsuki’s voice was hoarse.

He had turned around to ask the widow if she was alright, but the ghostly look on her face stopped him. She was paler than before, gazing upon him like he was someone else entirely. Her brown eyes were stretched wide, and her gloved hand was shaking. She covered her mouth as she stared upon Katsuki like he had grown fangs.

When he finally looked down at his hands, they were painted in blood.

A body was limp underneath him.

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki didn’t know how to understand what he had done.

He had stopped the robbers, but he had lost control of himself to the point he was terrified. The pounding in his head was so loud. Mrs. Otsuka tried to call for him to wait, but Katsuki ran off in the night before she could reach him.

By the time he arrived at home, his heart was beating out of control. His eyes stung and the salty taste of tears reached his mouth. Katsuki wheezed violently as he tried to recollect his memory, but it was fragmented. He didn’t understand what was happening—and he was shaking.

He didn’t go see Izuku that night, ignoring all the text messages on his phone.

[Sweet]: I can’t wait to see you today! :)) How did the errands for nice that widow go?

[Sweet]: Hey! Did you get my message? I’m making your favorite ginger snap cookies!!

[Sweet]: Kacchan? Are you not coming by tonight?

[You]: No, not tonight. Sorry.

He kept to himself, like a beast tucked away in the shadows.

His mom and dad were worried about him that day too, surprisingly. Normally his parents couldn’t give a real damn what was going on in his life. They were always too focused on paying the rent, and Katsuki could feel an underlying resentment from them from him being an unplanned pregnancy. But even on this night, Katsuki’s distress drew their attention.

“Katsuki? Are you okay?” His dad asked from the other side of the door. “You can talk to us if something is wrong, son.”

“I’m fine,” Katsuki yelled back, defensive. “Leave me alone.”

Hot tears were streaming down Katsuki’s face as he gawked at the crusted blood on his fingers.

But they kept asking what was wrong with him, but truthfully Katsuki couldn’t answer even if he wanted to.

He realized that night, he didn’t regret hurting those men and that’s what worried him the most. He should be upset for hurting someone. He should be mad with himself for getting out of control and breaking their bones. Hell, he hadn’t even checked if that man was breathing before he fled.

But truthfully, it felt damn good.

Later that night, Katsuki got three important messages from Mrs. Otsuka.

[Mrs. Otsuka]: In case you were worried, that robber was not dead. My cousin finally arrived, and we took care of it.

Katsuki eyed the strange language. Took care of it?

[Mrs. Otsuka]: I hope you’re alright, Katsuki. I feel terrible leaving you on your own after everything you’ve done for my late husband and me. But I’m going away soon, and I won’t ever be coming back. Do you still need someone to run errands for money to help with your family?

Katsuki was going to ignore her, but then the stars aligned and reminded him of the very reason he had sought out being an errand boy in the first place.

[Sweet]: Ah, okay. Sorry to bother you. I’ll leave the door open for if you change your mind and I left the cookies with your parents.

Katsuki’s eyes softened.

He replied to Mrs. Otsuka with blood still caked underneath his fingernails.

[You]: If you have anyone I can work for, I’ll take it.

[Mrs Otsuka]: Perfect. I have a cousin that I think would be able to help you out as much as he can help you.

Katsuki soon found out that cousin’s name was Sano Raion.

✾ ✾ ✾

Sano Raion was a man of sophisticated cruelty.

He held himself as regal as an underground king and as ominous as the grim reaper.

What stood out most was Mr. Sano’s striking appearance. He was tall, had hair the color of copper with chilling amber eyes to contrast. Four wrinkles on his forehead showed, and he constantly held a frown like he was in utter disgust of humankind. There was never a single hair out of place, and he was always dressed in flawless white suits with maroon ties.

In his hand at all moments was a long cane that had a golden lion head on it. It was daunting with its gemstone eyes the color of blood. Mr. Sano’s veiny fingers were always wrapped around that cane in a fierce grip. And whoever he pointed it at, it was like giving the signal for them to be devoured alive like raw meat.

But the one thing about Mr. Sano Katsuki always noted was how much power he had.

The people around him bent to his every whim. When he walked in a room every soul bowed at the waist like there was a magnet pulling from the earth forcing them too.

It was fascinating.

“My cousin tells me you’re in need of a job,” Mr. Sano said the first time they met. He was poised elegantly with his hands folded on top of his cane. He leaned back in his chair and looked Katsuki’s raggedy clothes up and down. “And I also have heard you have an anger problem that has potential of getting out of control. She says you had an episode, an outburst of sorts.”

“People were robbing her,” Katsuki explained. “I was only trying to stop them.”

“I saw the aftermath. You nearly bashed that man’s skull in, and I’m positive he has brain damage.” Mr. Sano tilted his head. “That goes a little further than stopping a petty robbery, wouldn’t you say?”

Katsuki looked at his dingy shoes. “…Yes.”

“To sum it up: you’re a poor, angry brat in need of a job.” Mr. Sano laughed sharply and there was a smugness in his eyes. “Luckily for you, I’m an expert in helping those gifted with rage home in their abilities. I think we will get along very well.”

“Gifted?” Katsuki echoed.

“Yes, Bakugou. Gifted.” Mr. Sano chuckled darkly. “You are going to find out exactly what those hands of yours can do. Your first errand starts today.”

✾ ✾ ✾

The errand Katsuki ended up running for Mr. Sano were extremely different than the errands the Otsukas had him doing.

There were no pretty boxes or elegant ribbons but there was always a lion sigil.

The very first errand Mr. Sano had him do was to a discreet underground warehouse, stationed off the river in the city. It looked like a normal factory, but it was very clear once Katsuki entered the basement it was much more than that. Muffles behind locked rooms could be heard along with pleas for mercy. Katsuki flinched once at the sound of a hard kick behind one steel door.

He was quietly led to the back by Mr. Sano. There, he was put into a small room and given a clean set of brass knuckles. Katsuki realized what he was being asked to do when the lights flickered on. Sitting the middle of the small, concrete room was a man tied to a chair.

Katsuki’s stomach flipped.

“This man leads an underground drug ring,” Mr. Sano explained. He walked with a slight limp, using his cane for balance all the way up to the man in the chair. Burning, hateful eyes glared at Mr. Sano as the man struggled slightly. “He also has a taste for kidnapping little girls. I got a recent client who said his daughter was missing—and he was last seen with one of his men.”

Katsuki’s eyes went wide.

Quickly, all sympathy in Katsuki’s body vanished.

“I’m not telling you anything,” the man in the chair said. “You can go to hell you decrepit bastard.”

The captive man spat at Mr. Sano’s dress shoes, but the King Pin swiftly moved his foot before it could touch him. In a single movement, Mr. Sano lifted his cane and slammed it across the man’s face, breaking his nose.

A single hair from Mr. Sano’s head flopped out of line and onto his forehead. With a graceful hand, Mr. Sano smoothed it back in place and walked back over to Katsuki.

Expectant amber eyes bore through him. Not a single emotion was in Mr. Sano’s voice as he spoke. “Do you think you can enlighten this man into offering up information on the girl, Bakugou?”

Rage pulsed through Katsuki at the idea of the girl suffering.

“Of course, I can.”

✾ ✾ ✾

It turned out he was good at bloody errands.

Every time Mr. Sano needed someone handled, he called upon Katsuki. In all instances, the person that he needed to hurt was some type of asshole.

If it wasn’t someone taking advantage of an elder, it was some dickhead who was cheating small business owners out of money. Turns out, Mr. Sano ran a network of protection, and all his clients were non-gangsters who needed gangster issues handled.

Through whispers, Katsuki learned that this was a niche field Mr. Sano was passionate about due to how he was brought up. Mr. Sano was born into wealth, but he watched every day the woman he loved suffer because she was born in an area that was overrun by gang activity.

These specific gangsters sucked her family dry of money, and Mr. Sano did all he could to help pay off these debts. On the day that he decided they should run away together, she died at their hands. The leader of the gang thought it would be funny to waste her life—but it only elicited the rage of Mr. Sano.

Mr. Sano killed that man with his bare fists—and in return took over the underground organization. After that, Mr. Sano decided to help people like the woman he loved in order to alleviate his guilt about her death.

But truthfully, it only turned him salty towards the world when he saw how cruel humans could be. So he was just as cruel in return.

But no matter the feelings Mr. Sano had now, the old man’s organization gave Katsuki an outlet on how much he hated suffering.

The King Pin barely smiled, but he would happily tell Katsuki when to pull his punches or when not to and how to properly handle himself. Within time, Mr. Sano was a mentor more than any teacher at school ever could be. Even more than his own parents, who barely paid attention to him.

Mr. Sano sharpened Katsuki into the deadliest blade he had and wherever Mr. Sano pointed his cane, Katsuki’s fist followed.

All the money he earned, Katsuki gave to his parents and Inko. The three adults were reluctant at first. His mother insisted that he should be focusing on his studies and not some random after school job. But when the money started smoothing over items like food and new clothes, suddenly no one objected—except Izuku.

“You’re barely at home anymore,” Izuku muttered once when they were seventeen. His puppy eyes were deeply sad. “I miss when you were here all the time.”

Katsuki hadn’t really listened to it. “But you like the new cooking shit, don’t you?”

“I do…but, I miss you taste testing for me every day like you used to,” Izuku muttered. A fake smile then painted on his face. At the time, it was convincing. “But thank you for everything, Kacchan.”

“We can make more time for taste testing if that would make you happier.” Katsuki smirked handsomely. “Now let me taste that new dish you made.”

Had he been older and wiser, Katsuki would’ve seen the cracks in their relationship starting to show. The distance between them grew with every passing year because Katsuki was more focused on earning money.

✾ ✾ ✾

Time went on, and Katsuki never told Izuku what he was doing.

But how could he? It was one thing to run stupid, pointless errands for an elderly couple. It was an entirely other thing to get paid to beat a man within an inch of their life. Izuku would be terrified of him if he knew.

Katsuki was still coming to terms with it his damn self. The new violence kept that darker side of him sedated and allowed his body to convulse with catharsis every time he busted some bastard’s lip. He wanted to heal injustices, at the end of the day. Even better, he earned so much money for it that Katsuki could taste their new life waiting around the corner for them.

His mind slowly began to be clouded with shiny, material things.

Especially when Mr. Sano began to be impressed with him and gave him hefty bonuses.

“Bakugou. You’re eighteen now, and you’ve been working for me for so long,” Mr. Sano said one evening on his yacht after they finished maiming some guy. “How come?”

The salty sea breeze caressed Katsuki’s skin and in the distance, he could see the stars twinkle.

“For my boyfriend, Izuku,” Katsuki admitted. “We haven’t grown up the best. His mom is gone most of the time and his useless dad remarried and never looked back. My dad and mom are still around but they’re not exactly into what goes on in my life. So, it’s always been us. It’s nice to be able to support people I care about, y’know?”

Mr. Sano nodded at him, impressed. “That was more noble than I expected from a hot head like you. I thought you were going to say your only motive was being rich.”

“I won’t lie, money smooths things over,” Katsuki said honestly. “Only delusional dumbasses believe money can’t buy happiness. Money can get a house and shit and we won’t ever have to be worried about goddamn mold in the vents again.”

Mr. Sano chuckled and poured him another glass of wine. “Cheers to that, Bakugou.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Later that evening he went home in the middle of the night.

He didn’t bother going to his room, he knew his parents wouldn’t care to check in on him. Instead, he did what he usually did and walked into the Midoriyas’ unlocked apartment. The air was still, and Katsuki noted that once more Inko was gone. He shook his head slightly, worried that those damn homeowners she worked for would run her ass right into the grave.

He found Izuku sound asleep, on the couch. His boyfriend had fell asleep with his day clothes on and the TV was still running. Katsuki smiled at the bit of drool coming out of Izuku’s mouth. With delicate care, he bent down and picked Izuku up and carried him into the bedroom. He tucked Izuku in and turned off the lights.

When he crawled under the covers with Izuku and spooned him tight, Izuku’s small voice spoke up.

“I missed you tonight, Kacchan,” Izuku said softly. “Where did you go?”

“I missed you too, Sweet. Go back to sleep, and don’t worry about it.”

Looking back on it now, he missed the way Izuku’s face fell when he left in the mornings to go run errands for Mr. Sano. He missed how Izuku was lonely when he was out all night. Then finally he missed it when indifference begin to slip into Izuku once they got to university.

Katsuki was able to provide all the ingredients that the world could offer for Izuku, but he was always forgetting the main element that made Izuku’s world: himself.

✾ ✾ ✾

When his 19^th birthday came around, Katsuki was expecting it to be like it always was: only him and Izuku. His parents normally left it up to them, because him and Izuku were so attached at the hip. It was times like this Katsuki was hyperaware of how his parents were never truly involved in his life.

By this time, he had been working for Mr. Sano for four years. Katsuki was loyal to that bastard down to his last breath if he had to be. Mr. Sano gave him food, clothes, pointers in life and everything else that Katsuki lacked from his parents.

But most of all he gave Katsuki the keys to what he always dreamed of: a forever home.

Mr. Sano cracked his first smile at him the day of his 19^th birthday. The elder gentleman held up a large, blank blueprint paper and sat it on the table.

“Bakugou,” Mr. Sano said sternly. His gleaming smile threw Katsuki off kilter. “I’m going to have you design your dream house. I’ll pay for it.”

Katsuki nearly tripped on his feet.

Everything twisted around him as he snapped his head towards his Boss. The elder man was smiling at him, face pulled tight with the muscles he barely used. Katsuki really did think the old bastard had to have lost his damn mind.

“What?” Katsuki hissed, eyes wide. “No, that’s too much. I can’t fucking accept that.”

“Ah, shut up you grouchy boy,” Mr. Sano retorted. He ran his finger along the blank blueprints. “I want you to have this. You deserve it after all the loyalty you have shown me, my cousin, and how hard you’ve worked over the years. You have something special, and I want to do this for you. Let an old man spoil his best employee, heh?”

“Er—Thank you.” Katsuki bowed at the waist. “I appreciate it a lot Mr. Sano, but—why? Why would you do this for me?”

“Because you’re the son I always wanted,” Mr. Sano said. His lip curled in disgust at some memory. “I have a biological son but he’s down right fucking useless. Waste of goddamn oxygen on this planet. He never understood the important message of helping defend those who can’t defend themselves. He wanted to turn my goddamn business into a full-scale scheme that took advantage of the weak rather than helped them.”

Katsuki furrowed his brows. He was surprised to hear that Mr. Sano even had a son out there. “What’s your son’s name?”

“Unimportant.” Mr. Sano scoffed and waved his hand. “I disowned the ungrateful brat the moment he turned eighteen and started making rotten deals under the table. I have no desire to keep him in my memory. But, you however—” Mr. Sano placed his large hands on either one of Katsuki’s shoulders proudly. “You. You are a true successor. We will start building your legacy now. On one condition.”

Katsuki swallowed.

This was all too good to be true, and he was positive this would put a target on his goddamn back. He was just some kid from the poor areas of the city who had a knack for punching fuckers in the face. What real loyalty had he shown Mr. Sano to give him his entire underground business?

But—as Katsuki thought about Izuku, he figured maybe his boss viewed his devotion towards the person he loved as a key characteristic.

“What condition is that?” Katsuki asked.

“You have to keep my business running properly after I’m gone.”

Mr. Sano sat down in his plush chair. It was then Katsuki noticed how his hands jittered on his cane a bit—a sign of decreasing health. Katsuki never truly considered Mr. Sano to be mortal, he thought maybe the man would live forever fueled by his spite and hatred for humanity.

“There’s plenty of filthy vultures who want my throne,” Mr. Sano said quietly. He looked out the window and a trickle of sadness rippled in his face. “I’ve spent many lifetimes being betrayed. Being distrusted. Being hurt. I lost people I thought were my friends. Everyone wants to corrupt what I have spent time building, a gang that helps protect citizens from other gangs—but I do not think that will happen under your watch, you hate watching the weak suffer.”

Katsuki nodded in agreeance. “I would be happy to help you keep up the business.”

Mr. Sano smiled at him again, and his shoulders sagged with relief. Katsuki never had seen the man relaxed like this and he wondered how many burdens were stacked so high on those broad shoulders.

“It’s important to always help those who can’t help themselves, Bakugou,” Mr. Sano emphasized. “We are men of cruelty. The least we can do is use this rage we are gifted to the benefit of the people.” Mr. Sano tapped his finger on the head of the lion attached to his cane. “Be their fangs.”

Be their fangs.

That saying stuck with Katsuki.

“Now get your ass over here and start listing what you want in this house,” Mr. Sano chuckled. “What do you want in the house? Name anything.”

Katsuki eagerly walked over to the blank sheet of paper and when he stared down at it, he saw forever staring back at him. His palms itched for the future that was going to be so bright for him and Izuku. Katsuki’s lips twitched into a smirk.

“A huge garden in the backyard and a perfect goddamn kitchen.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki had entirely lost track of fucking time.

He ran back to campus, wind pushing against his body. He looked at his phone and he had several missed calls from Izuku, and when he tried to call him back—Izuku didn’t answer. He cursed himself for getting caught up with talking with Mr. Sano. He hadn’t meant to, but when he was presented with those blueprints, all Katsuki could think about was getting it right.

When he walked into their shared apartment, the atmosphere was tense.

Izuku’s face was covered in tears and the wax from the candle had melted into the icing on the cake. Izuku’s whole body was shaking as he stared at Katsuki. Burning green eyes looked straight through him and a vicious argument erupted like a volcano.

Katsuki had no clue where Izuku was holding in all these emotions.

They slapped into his face harshly, making all the dreams of the future he had seem fucking bleak.

As he stared at Izuku’s crying face, Katsuki could only wonder where he fucked up. And when he looked at how much older Izuku seemed, that’s when he knew what had happened. He hadn’t been there. He had been so worried about everything else that he left Izuku out to fend for himself in the very same loneliness he was working so hard to prevent.

Katsuki decided then and there he was going to do better—but when Izuku stormed past him and up to his room, his heart dropped. Izuku went straight for that drawer that hid away his biggest secret. He tried to stop him, he needed more time to tell Izuku—but when it was unearthed, nothing could repair the fragments that they split into.

If they were truly twin stars made from the same sky, then they broke in half under their fated circumstances. All that came pouring out between them was scorching stardust that was composed of tears, fury, and irreversible hurt.

“Please,” Katsuki rasped out. His eyes searched into Izuku’s for understanding. “I can’t do this without you.”

“And I can’t do this with you,” Izuku sobbed.

They imploded that night, exactly like stars were destined to.

✾ ✾ ✾

The day Mr. Sano passed, the birds were chirping.

The sun was shining and not a single damn cloud was in the sky. Katsuki was convinced whatever deity was up there was celebrating that cruel bastard’s passing. But Katsuki was mourning, surprisingly.

He was twenty-three when it happened and thought he would feel indifferent about it. However, when he was gifted Mr. Sano’s cane he realized the man had done more for him than his own parents ever did.

He stared at the ruby eyes of the lion and it stared back at him.

Katsuki grew into himself over these years without Izuku. But he always kept a piece of Izuku with him at all moments. Once he was in charge Katsuki grew meaner, finally understanding why Mr. Sano was always so cold. He realized he needed to show he had a real spine otherwise people would use him and try to break his spirit.

He found his inner circle quickly during this time.

They were a loyal set of people around his age named Denki, Mina, Sero, and Kirishima. They were goofy and reminded Katsuki a lot of himself.

When Mina pointed out a mole in their network, that’s when he knew he could trust her. When Sero proved himself to be the best getaway driver and risked taking a bullet for Katsuki, that’s when Katsuki knew he wanted only Sero to escort him places.

The same occurred for Kirishima and Denki. The two were his trusted informants—but also the gang’s fucking gossip heads. However, their big mouths were always loyal. Any sliver of information that didn’t pass Kirishima and Denki’s vibe check they reported it directly to Katsuki. Which is why he kept them close.

During these years Katsuki completed the very short checklist he had for himself:

1. Move his parents out into a better home.
2. Finish construction on the house for him and Izuku.

He couldn’t reverse a lot of the architecture plans on the latter even if he tried.

And really, he fucking tried. But he was stuck with the layout, so he decided to keep it.

If asked, Katsuki would say it cost too much to change and there was nothing wrong with having a big kitchen and garden. But if he was made of glass, anyone could see right through his well build wall, and they would see he didn’t have the heart to really erase Izuku from his life.

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki kept Mr. Sano’s business running exactly like he asked when he took over.

However, there were a litany of whispers and rumors. Really fucking ugly ones.

Some people said Katsuki poisoned Mr. Sano. Others said he weaseled his way into getting handed over the underground legacy. Others refused to listen to a single command he gave only because he was a nobody who came from being dirt poor.

Every day Katsuki was subjected to listening to these people claim he should be nothing but scum on the bottom of their shoes. Some even theorized he was possibly the illegitimate child of Mr. Sano and replaced the other one. The rightful one.

“You should do something about those nasty rumors,” Sero suggested to him one evening while they were driving back from meeting with another client. “It’s one thing to ignore what people are saying but it’s another thing to let shit like that run rampant.”

“What do you think I should do about it?” Katsuki asked tiredly. “I knew the power shift would be hard, but I didn’t expect it to be this goddamn difficult.”

“Well. What do you think Mr. Sano would have done if people who worked for him were saying crap like that?”

Katsuki pondered the question.

He gazed out of the window of the limousine at all the passing people. How happy they were, ignorant to the crimes of the world that occurred right before their eyes. He wondered what it would be like to be one of them—then he realized he would never be one of them. He was raised by a man who was closer related to Satan himself than his own kin.

Katsuki stared at the shiny rings on his fingers Mr. Sano had given him.

Then finally he looked at the cane. He twisted the lion head, and it revealed the cane was truly a long sword in disguise. He unsheathed it, savoring the low hum of the metal in the air. He held it up to admire the way it twinkled, and in the reflection Katsuki’s blood-colored eyes stared back at him.

“He would collect their fucking heads.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki cleaned out the insubordinates with that sword to prove a point.

He found each person undermining him and swiftly cut their throats without a blink of an eye. He made examples of the ones with the most disrespectful mouths and sliced out their tongues during a board meeting. Everyone in the vicinity had screamed when he maimed one particular bastard who called him a ‘filthy gutter boy’.

After Katsuki finished butchering the man for everyone to see, he flicked his blade clean of blood elegantly. Exactly like Mr. Sano used to do with the same exact cold stare. He slowly sheathed it while maintaining eye contact with all the gawking people.

“I invite everyone to respectfully voice concerns about any choice I may make in the future as your leader,” Katsuki announced while standing over the puddle of blood. “However. I will not tolerate the fucking disrespect that was shown these last couple of months any longer. If another person wants to undermine my authority going forward, you will be joining Mr. Takahashi in being permanently mute.”

Not a damn sole questioned him after that.

He found the balance that Mr. Sano always had. Such a thin line between respect and cruelty and Katsuki walked that tight rope perfectly. He finally understood what Mr. Sano was training him for now, and this was it.

Everyone started respecting him and realized he was the rightful inheritor.

Other rumors started spouting up slowly over the years after he had effectively taken full power.

His remaining workers said he was mean, but he was fair, nonetheless. He was protective, devoted and he was fierce at handling business for those who couldn’t do it on their own. There was even a rumor that leaked that he was only this venomous because he loved someone and only wanted to give them the world.

Katsuki never confirmed or denied those rumors when his inner circle asked him about it.

“Is it true?” Denki asked, in full gossip mode. His eyes were sparkling with hopeless romanticism. “Do you really have someone you’re in love with, Boss?”

“Possibly,” Katsuki answered with a shrug as he sharpened his sword. “If I was, I wouldn’t fucking tell any of you extras. Now don’t ask me about that ever again.”

He couldn’t let Izuku’s identity be known. He would rather be fucking shot than ever put Izuku in danger like that. But secretly Katsuki couldn’t truly let Izuku go. They were tied together after all, and Katsuki’s heart ached every time he thought about what happened between them.

Over the years apart he kept newspaper clippings of Izuku’s success.

The damn nerd was soaring high in the skies now, graduating at the top of his class in university. Izuku then went on to the top Culinary Arts school, and he blew everything out of the water there too. Even worked with the chef he looked up to, Yagi Toshinori. Katsuki had never been one to care for cooking, but as he watched Izuku grow into the baker he was destined to be, Katsuki finally decided to see what the fuss was about.

During Izuku’s internship underneath a famous chef, he was featured on daytime television for exactly three months. He helped host in a cooking special and the entire time Katsuki watched.

Izuku looked so happy, full of life and his green eyes were somehow brighter.

“Hello! Welcome back to the Plus Ultra baking show!” Izuku’s voice through the television said. His eyes were still as pretty as Katsuki remembered them. “Today we’ll be making some fun styled breakfast foods! First up, is a savory yet delicious tamagoyaki I put together today.”

Izuku held up his plate to show the rolled omelet. Then he walked over to the other side of the counter to stand in front of an assortment of ingredients.

“Let’s get started!” Izuku said with a fist pump.

He watched Izuku on that bake show every day, and slowly started to follow along. He learned how to make his first dishes from Izuku, even if the nerd didn’t know it.

✾ ✾ ✾

He followed Izuku’s career closely enough that he picked up on all the dork’s recipes.

Katsuki noted that Izuku sure liked sugar, that’s for sure.

His Sweet always had the biggest sweet tooth which is why it wasn’t surprising when Izuku’s first recipe book was published, and it was called ‘Sweetest Treats’. On the cover was a polished, high-definition picture of strawberry swirled cheesecake and it was sitting on a tablecloth that had tiny green bunnies on it.

Katsuki’s lips tugged upwards into a smirk at the sight.

He purchased it immediately and began cooking every single thing inside of it.

“Wow, Boss. You sure do like this guy’s cooking!” Mina pointed out one day with a grin. They were all gathered in the kitchen far too large for him after hours. “Do you know him or something?”

“No,” Katsuki muttered while chopping. He halted his movements and glared at all his subordinates. “Can’t I appreciate culinary arts?”

Everyone froze at his icy tone. They began awkwardly eating the dish of white ravioli Katsuki had prepped for everyone and no one added any more questions. Mina curiously looked between the professional photo of Izuku in the cookbook and Katsuki.

“Of course. My fault, Boss,” Mina whispered. “Good cooking regardless.”

No one directly asked him about it ever again.

✾ ✾ ✾

Despite trying to be discreet about following Izuku’s path in life, Katsuki was sure it was kind of obvious.

He bought all the little dumb cookbooks Izuku published or were even featured in. Didn’t matter if it was a single page of his recipes, Katsuki bought it. He started to build up a hefty collection of Chef Midoriya cookbooks in the kitchen cabinet. It filled his heart with warmth, to be honest.

But what made his heart become overcome with pride the most was the day he learned Izuku opened a bakery.

He had been stunned by the news. It didn’t make large leeway or top headlines, but rather it was a small journal article that announced it. Izuku was posing for the camera with a cheesy grin and blush on his face for the camera in his white chef’s outfit.

Katsuki had stared at his phone in awe that day, utterly fucking proud.

Izuku truly was the hardest working person he knew.

What stunned Katsuki the most however, was when he learned that the bakery was in the city where they grew up. His gang territory, technically. Katsuki tilted his head as he zoomed in on the address and his heart pounded furiously.

Later that night before bed, Katsuki took a good look at himself in the mirror.

He was older now; eight years had passed in the blink of an eye.

There were scars on his body that Izuku didn’t know of. His knuckles were littered with cuts and bruises from his professional activities. His eyes were sharper, and his hair was shorter. He ran his hand along his chin and could feel the scruff there that he usually never bothered with now.

However, as he looked at that address for Sweetest Treats once more, Katsuki looked at his razor.

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki arrived the next day in Izuku’s bakery, and the sweet smell of familiar treats filled the air.

He immediately recognized the smell of cinnamon, butter, and sugar that swirled about. It was familiar and distinctly Izuku. As he walked in, he looked around at the tiny details and couldn’t stop the proud smirk on his lips even if he wanted to. Then when he turned his head, he saw Izuku behind the counter staring at him.

Katsuki could have sworn he felt the stars align.

Izuku had grown taller, filled out a bit more. His hair was curlier, like he had finally figured out how to properly brush it. His deep green eyes reminded Katsuki of all the beautiful nebulas above them and his perfect, warm olive complexion was still graced with endless freckles.

Katsuki walked right up the counter, as if the last eight years didn’t happen.

“Hey, Sweet,” Katsuki’s said smoothly.

He watched how Izuku’s pretty pink blush grew deeper. His ex-lover stared at him like he was about to say something, but as time passed on, Izuku didn’t. Katsuki rocked on his feet awkwardly. He was slammed with the fact that this might’ve been a terrible goddamn idea. 

“I, uh, was around and I wanted to check out how the bakery looked,” Katsuki added when Izuku didn’t say a word.

Then Izuku looked down at his hand, studying all the rings on his fingers. Izuku’s nostrils flared.

“Get out,” Izuku hissed in a low warning.

Katsuki’s heart squeezed until it broke. Fuck. “Izu—”

“No! Get out!” Izuku screamed, voice splintering on the ends.

Several people whipped their heads towards them, and suddenly Katsuki didn’t feel like a King Pin. He was somehow that same foolish boy who left the one person he cared for to drown in loneliness. Katsuki averted his eyes in shame, ready to leave then suddenly Izuku spoke very specific words that changed everything.

“Th-This is your fault isn’t it?” Izuku whispered, fear edged in his voice. “You’re the reason why those guys came by, aren’t you?”

Katsuki’s thoughts halted. He whipped his head up. “Guys? What guys?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know—”

“—I fucking don’t,” Katsuki said earnestly.

Izuku scrunched his nose, baffled.

The pair gawked at each other as several beats of silence passed. Then gradually, Izuku’s anger shifted to confusion and then rage consumed Katsuki’s sharp features. His upper lip twitched into a nasty curl and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Did someone come by here and fucking threaten you?” Katsuki seethed.

At the idea of someone so much as making Izuku scared, Katsuki felt his veracious side stir.

“No,” Izuku said softly. He turned away from him. “Sorry. I’m not having a good day. No one came by, but I need you to go. Pl-Please leave. I can’t do this with you. Not today.”

What a damn lie.

Katsuki could see Izuku swallow nervously and pull at the hem of his apron. Katsuki’s heart was now squeezing for entirely different reasons when he could fucking feel how scared Izuku was.

“Be their fangs,” the phantom voice of Mr. Sano whispered in his head.

“Izuku. If someone threatened you I can help—”

“—I don’t want your help,” Izuku rejected brusquely. “If I wanted that type of help I would’ve stayed with you in uni. Now either order something or go.”

The words were sharp, and it hurt to be so viciously rejected.

Izuku clearly didn’t want anything to do with him still—which was fucking fine. What was not fine however, was the possibility someone threatened Izuku. Katsuki stared at his ex-lover, calculating the situation with care. He eventually decided that there would be no harm in monitoring Izuku’s bakery discreetly.

He was the King Pin of this region after all.

“I’ll take a chai latte and two dorayakis,” Katsuki muttered.

He looked away and probed his tongue on the inside of his cheek. He started thinking of a list of people who could possibly be fucking bothering Izuku right then and there.

“For here or to go?” Izuku muttered back.

Katsuki tilted his head as he admired the setting. “For here.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki started spending his lunch breaks at Izuku’s bakery.

He had Sero every evening drop him off in secret and pick him up. He made Sero not whisper a word about it because he was sure it would be really fucking obvious he knew Izuku if word spread around. He could only deflect so much. No one was that stupid not to put the pieces together that Izuku was the baker whose cookbooks he was obsessed with.

Every day Katsuki did some paperwork, or casually scrolled on his phone as he admired Izuku working. The beautiful green-eyed man buzzed around the small bakery like a busy bee and the entire time Izuku smiled while doing it.

Katsuki smirked at the sight of small blips of flour or sugar that was in Izuku’s hair. He charmed every person who walked in, and he worked hard to always make sure all his costumers were happy and comfortable.

Izuku was still Izuku at the end of the day.

✾ ✾ ✾

Several weeks passed without a peep about who could possibly have threatened Izuku.

Katsuki kept his eyes peeled for any hint of suspicious activity, and asked Sero to as well. But nothing ever came up. Maybe Izuku was right, it was nothing. Or maybe the damn nerd handled the situation himself, he was more than capable if Katsuki was being honest. But there was a part of Katsuki that simply wanted to help.

He walked away from Izuku’s bakery one evening feeling sadder than usual.

Izuku had blossomed into a beautiful human, without him. Maybe it was fate that their paths stayed separated and Katsuki should mind his own business and really leave Izuku alone. He climbed into his limo that evening without greeting Sero and watched Izuku through the foggy window.

“You like him,” Sero pointed out as he began driving.

Katsuki whipped his head towards his driver. “What? Who?”

“Midoriya Izuku,” Sero clarified. He smirked slightly. “He’s the same guy whose cookbooks you guy all the time, Boss. You’re not exactly very sly in how you look at him either. Plus, you’re more eager than a toddler in a toy store when I drop you off and look like a kicked puppy when I pick you up.”

Damn.

Katsuki clicked his tongue and ran his fingers through his hair. No point in lying to Sero, he guessed.

“…Don’t tell anyone,” Katsuki murmured. “You tell anyone and I’m going to have your tongue cut out. Got it?”

“Ah, chill, Boss. I won’t.” Sero smiled at him through the rearview mirror. “Why not ask this guy on a date? You’re a good-looking man and I can see him time to time watch you leave the store. He seems like he might be interested in you too.”

Katsuki scoffed sarcastically. “You need to get your eyes checked, that little fucker hates me. I’m pretty sure he would rather dunk my head in a goddamn fryer than ever accept a date from me.”

“Hah? What do you mean?”

Katsuki ended up telling Sero everything.

It flowed out easy, like a calm river as he retold him and Izuku’s failed love story. He told Sero all the tiny details, especially how when he was young, he eagerly ran errands for the Otsukas to buy Izuku cooking materials. Then he told Sero how that was how he got involved with Mr. Sano and eventually how that ended their relationship due to his violence and neglect.

“Geez,” Sero whispered. He whistled low. “That’s quite the story.”

“Yeah. And the ending is he ignores me for the rest of my natural born life.”

“Or—hear me out. You could try to rekindle the flame.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Sero, did you hear a word I fucking said?”

“I did! Which is why I think you should try!” Sero happily suggested. He grinned from ear to ear. “I know you don’t believe me, but I can see when you get up to come outside and his eyes follow after you. You can’t see his face, but I can. He likes you—even if a little.”

Katsuki’s heart skipped a beat with horrible hope.

“…You really think so?” He said cautiously. He could be setting himself up for worse hurt—but. The thought of holding Izuku again even for a little while—egged him on.

“Yeah!” Sero nodded furiously. “Maybe you need to show him that you wouldn’t be that dumbass teen anymore. That’s all! Show him that you’re a mature, grown man and I’m sure the rest will follow. Ease back into friendship and let nature take its course.”

Katsuki bounced his leg and bit his lip.

✾ ✾ ✾

The next day Katsuki let Sero style his hair. He was halfway fucking regretting it, because his friend put so much goddamn gel in it that it was solid as a rock. Katsuki scowled the entire time Sero combed it back. Which Sero had to do very forcefully because his spikes were so wild that it took an effort for them to be trained.

When Katsuki was ready, he looked like a goddamn dork.

Katsuki exhaled roughly as he hooked a finger under the collar of his tacky, plaid shirt. He looked like a regular citizen for once and Sero was giving him a large thumbs up to encourage him.

The final touches were green roses Katsuki had seen earlier that morning. They smelled wonderful and reminded him of Izuku. He hoped this would be a good peace offering for his ex-lover and they could begin a new on better terms.

“Remember not to frown so much!” Sero said as he was dropped off around the corner from the bakery.

Katsuki waved off his friend and nervously adjusted his tucked in shirt. He walked around the corner, brushing his thumbs on the petals of the roses. He was going over what to say in his mind, trying to practice and make sure he got this right. Izuku clearly was on edge with him, so he had to be sure not to scare away the man.

Katsuki turned the corner, eager to see Izuku but when he saw the bakery his whole heart stopped.

It was like a tornado wrecked through it on purpose. Katsuki’s whole face fell in disbelief as he looked through the smashed windows. Everything was broken. The register. The pictures on the walls. The tables were wrecked, and all the pastries were smashed against the walls. Everything that made Izuku’s bakery unique and lovely, was torn to shreds.

Katsuki stepped over all the broken glass to stand inside. His anger boiled in his belly the longer he stared at the horrible scene because this wasn’t some accident. This was done by hand, and this was done on purpose. Someone really had fucking threatened Izuku.

Katsuki’s eyes snapped down at the sound of a small sob.

Laying in the middle of the floor was Izuku, curled into himself. Tiny speckles of blood were all around him and Katsuki swore all he saw was fucking red. The ferociousness inside his chest roared and clawed at him until his ribcage convulsed at the sight.

Slowly, Katsuki bent down to Izuku’s level, and he got the full view of the inflicted wounds. A black eye. Several bruises. A busted lip. Izuku’s apron was torn like some filthy animal tried to claw it off of him.

Katsuki’s nostrils flared with unchecked rage. He reached forward to hold Izuku out of instinct and inspect his wounds better, but his ex-lover shied away.

“Don’t look at me,” Izuku wept, clearly ashamed. Katsuki’s heart hurt at the pain in Izuku’s gentle voice. “Please don’t look.”

Izuku tried then to shove Katsuki away, but Katsuki easily caught his wrists, forcing him to still. They made eye contact and crimson eyes were wild. All Katsuki could see was Izuku’s suffering, and it pained him worse than anything he ever felt. Izuku had finally touched the clouds, and someone had ripped him from it so violently.

“Who.” Katsuki asked with all his self-control. “Tell me who.”

“Why? So, you can hurt them?” Izuku replied bitterly. His ex-lover shook his head and fruitlessly tried to grab his wrists back. “Are you going to go tell that old gangster you work for? You think he can fix this too?”

Katsuki let out a dry laugh and sneered.

“That old man died ages ago. I’m the one in charge now. Now. You fucking tell me who did this to you so I can go teach them some manners.”

✾ ✾ ✾

It came as no surprise to Katsuki that Izuku rejected his offer.

Katsuki was okay with it for now. If things got worse, he would step in but in the meantime he wanted to give Izuku his space to process what he had gone through. It was horrible listening to the cops do nothing, and Katsuki knew they wouldn’t be able to help in this situation.

Katsuki, however, could.

Katsuki set his watchdogs out immediately after the bakery incident.

He only trusted his inner circle with the information on what occurred and who Izuku was. He ignored how happy Denki and Kirishima seemed about finally being filled in on Izuku’s relation to him. Mina gave him a soft smile.

They searched up and down the city, asking anyone who could know what happened. But almost all their leads turned out to be dead ends.

Whoever bashed in the bakery had done it in such slickness that it went underneath Katsuki’s nose. Which was fucking infuriating, to say the least. He had been running the city for years and hadn’t had a blip in respect since his public maiming of the last man who dared to speak poorly of him.

“Anything?” Katsuki asked after a full two weeks of hunting. “There’s got to be some type of lead.”

“Nothing related to the bakery,” Mina said. She sat down tiredly in his office on the couch and puffed out her cheeks. “But I did overhear something a little concerning that I think you should know.”

Katsuki rubbed his temples. “What?”

“There’s a rumor about Mr. Sano’s son supposedly being back in town after all these years,” Mina explained. “I don’t know if that’s connected with anything, but I think that’s something that should be on your radar in case he becomes a problem later.”

“If he decides to stir up shit, I’ll handle him when that time comes,” Katsuki said flippantly. He dismissed it, too focused on Izuku. “First we need to figure out who could be targeting Swee—I mean Izuku. He takes priority. Keep trying to figure out what’s going on.”

“Of course, Boss.”

Mina arose from the couch, bowed at the waist and took her exit.

Katsuki leaned back in his chair and a low creek echoed into the air. He strummed his fingers against his desk over and over trying to go down a list of possible fuckers who were into harassing small business owners. But last time Katsuki checked—he barely could think of anyone. At least not on his territory. Any dumbass to pull some shit like this on his watch clearly had a death wish.

As Katsuki muddled in his thoughts, his personal phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up immediately. “Hello?”

He waited for whoever it was to say something. Then suddenly the saddest sob resonated into his ear. Katsuki immediately sat up straight and his heart plummeted into his stomach. It sounded like—

“Izuku? Izuku is that you?” Katsuki asked, entirely on edge. “Are you hurt? Where are you? Why are you crying?”

The crying continued and Katsuki wasted no time. He immediately sprung up and grabbed his jacket. He rushed down the hall to burst into the kitchen where Sero was getting a midnight snack from the kitchen. Katsuki urgently signaled for Sero, and his friend quickly ran up to him.

“I-I need your help,” Izuku hiccupped.

Katsuki’s heart skipped. “Tell me where you are, right now.”

✾ ✾ ✾

Katsuki hadn’t truly thought about what it meant to have Izuku in this home with him. It was strange seeing the very person he designed it for walk the halls. He could feel a shift in the atmosphere, because Izuku matched so well with all the lavish things inside. He nearly looked like a lost daydream that Katsuki would only think about in private. Which is what made it worse.

The deep longing in Katsuki’s heart was tripled now, and it drove him to find the men who had crushed Izuku’s bakery quicker than any case he’s handled.

With the information Izuku had given him, he was able to follow sparse breadcrumbs and track down people possibly connected to whoever this fucking Isao was. He found exactly five of them and took them in for questioning. Katsuki had no doubt in his mind this case would be a closed book by the next day with him and his inner circle handling it.

They had gone back to the house, and Katsuki thought it would be innocent enough to spend time with Izuku. He hadn’t seen the man in so long, and he missed the way they used to be.

He missed his person.

But in the moment of baking, he forgot himself and exactly what their circumstances were. When they kissed, the whole world stopped. There was no Isao. No business. No drift between them. This was what he dreamed about for fucking years. He wanted to keep kissing Izuku, drown in him if possible—

But like most daydreams, he was rudely dragged back to reality.

Katsuki never felt heart break the way he did when Izuku flinched away from him.

He could feel the old wounds reopen and pulse with fresh hurt. Time stopped and all the saccharine nature in the atmosphere spoiled like rotten milk.

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder to see Kirishima giving them a pitiful look he didn’t give a damn for. But worst of all, Izuku couldn’t meet his eye. The smaller man was shying away from him and curling into himself.

Izuku was scared of him.

Katsuki’s eyes started to sting. He blinked rapidly, staring down at his sugar-coated hands realizing that this was wrong. His hands weren’t meant to be sweet. They were meant to be terrifying—of course Izuku was scared of him. Them baking fucking pastries together wouldn’t change that goddamn fact.

He stepped away from Izuku before the pain in his heart spread all over.

“Let’s go, Kirishima,” Katsuki said coldly.

He turned on his heel and didn’t look back to Izuku. He took off his apron and threw it to the ground. He brushed the sugar out of his hair and angrily wiped at his face to push back the onset of tears that were bound to come.

✾ ✾ ✾

When they arrived at the location that they were given Katsuki knew something was wrong.

It was a strange forest location off to the outskirts of the city. Not a soul was anywhere in sight, nor was any sign of suspicious activity. They scoured up and down the river front, and searched a nearby town to find absolutely fucking nothing. A gnawing feeling in the back of his mind was telling him this was bad. How had they driven an hour out for not a goddamn thing?

“Are you sure this was the right place?” Katsuki muttered. He walked up to the spot where they goddamn slimy bastards were supposed to be—but found absolutely nothing. Again. “This doesn’t seem to be right.”

Kirishima scratched his head and Sero walked around with his flashlight and assault rifle loaded. All of his other workers were searching the fields with their weapons as well, ready to pounce and devour the first sign of movement. But with every second that passed, that sinking feeling in Katsuki’s gut grew worse.

“This was the tip we received from one of those captured guys after beating the shit out of them,” Sero said in an unsure voice. He lowered his weapon and shook his head. “But no one is here.”

Katsuki held up his hand in a fist and everyone halted.

Sharp red eyes gazed around at the dark woods. He surveyed the dense greenery carefully and found nothing besides his own colleagues. He gave a signal with his hand for everyone to retreat.

They all got back in their cars and headed back to the house.

The gnawing in Katsuki’s stomach threatened to eat him alive.

✾ ✾ ✾

When they arrived back at the house, Katsuki’s head was pounding.

In and out of his mind escaped thoughts about who the fuck Isao was. Where did he come from? Why the hell had he lied and told Izuku that the bakery was on his territory? Anyone with a goddamn brain knew that this whole city was under Katsuki’s watch.

When they parked the cars, most of Katsuki’s posse went home, he dismissed them for the night as the clock creeped into the witching hours. He was about to dismiss Sero and Kirishima as well but decided against it when that nagging feeling returned.

Katsuki reached for the keys to his golden gates but stopped when the wind blew them open.

“Did someone leave the gates unlocked?” Katsuki asked.

His heart started to increase in tempo when a layer of murmurs couldn’t answer him. He whipped his head around to his inner circle who were looking just as pale.

“No,” Kirishima said gravely. “I was the last to leave and Mina locked the door behind me.”

Katsuki didn’t need to hear another word.

He ran forward, thrusting open the gates. Behind him Sero and Kirishima ran too, feet pushing with everything they had. They reached the large doors of the house and Katsuki began to feel nauseous when they were cracked open. He started desperately calling out Izuku’s name, and when he entered the large foyer of his home, all he saw was blood.

Several of his men were on the ground bleeding out on his marble floors. A sharp, splintering pain pulsed through Katsuki when he realized his worst nightmare had come true.

He didn’t remember running up the stairs or hearing Sero call out for Denki’s name. He vaguely heard Kirishima’s voice trying to get him to calm down, but all Katsuki could focus on was a single matter: where the hell was Izuku?

He searched high and low but found nothing but signs of struggle.

His heart broke further when he walked into the bedroom and saw a small note, addressed to him.

“If you want him back, come alone to the address listed below.”

-Isao

Katsuki stayed there, frozen as he looked at the note in his hand.

Slowly, Katsuki turned around and a small gust of air from the window blew in. He realized his face was wet with tears. Sero and Kirishima stood there, trying to wake up Mina and Denki who were drugged and limp on the floor. Both of his friends stared at him with uncertainty in their eyes.

Katsuki’s rage spilled over, and he crushed the note in his fist.

✾ ✾ ✾

“You know this is a trap, Boss,” Sero wearily said as Katsuki began to arm himself.

“I don’t give a shit,” Katsuki replied without a second thought. “If that son of a bitch wants to square off then fine. I’m getting Izuku back tonight.”

He cocked his gun and pushed it into his holster. Next, he delicately selected which blade would do. He found the one with the sharpest edge and ran his finger along it approvingly. As he geared up, his guilt ate him alive that this was likely all his fault. Katsuki was a lot of things, but he wasn’t dumb enough not to put the pieces together.

If Isao was attacking Izuku only, he wouldn’t be holding him hostage—which left one possible motive.

It was personal.

✾ ✾ ✾

When Katsuki arrived on the site, there was an ominous foreboding in the air. The smell of dust, rot, and acid was trickling in and all the hairs on his arm were standing high. An onset of goosebumps slowly inched up to his nape as he walked into the run-down factory.

The rusted door creaked, announcing his arrival.

Katsuki stopped as the door swung closed with a loud bang.

Sharp red eyes glanced around, on high alert. He noticed all the tiny details like the broken pipes leaking conspicuous fluid. There were wire framed catwalks overhead and all around the building was made of a dingy concrete infrastructure. On grey walls were cracks and dried blood marks that told a story that made Katsuki sick to his stomach.

Katsuki stayed entirely still as he looked around this death trap. He took a single step and slowly began to follow the blood trail that was on the ground. He found himself rounding a dark corner and sitting in the middle of the room was Izuku.

Katsuki rushed towards Izuku, heart pounding as he looked over his shoulder.

Izuku began frantically shaking his head. Tears stained his face as he struggled against the ropes binding him to the metal chair. His muffled warnings stayed sealed behind the silver duct tape on his mouth.

Katsuki got in reach of Izuku, and immediately a figure bloomed from the shadows like he was made of nightmares.

“—Well, well, well. I can’t believe this really fucking worked.”

A large hand clutched at Izuku’s shoulder, and another pressed the barrel of a loaded gun against his temple.

Katsuki’s breath hitched when a man who resembled Mr. Sano a little too much came all the way into the light. His smile was full of bloodlust and his blue eyes swirled with envy. His copper hair matched his old mentor’s to the last strand and the squareness of his jawline revoked too much family resemblance.

Katsuki gritted his teeth together and tried to move for his gun—but all his muscles froze when Izuku whined.

The man dug his fingers into Izuku’s skin.

“Not so fast,” The stranger spoke with a sadistic smirk. “Wouldn’t want me to hurt your Sweet, now would you?”

“Who the fuck are you and what do you want?” Katsuki hissed. “I’ll give you anything—just leave him out of this and we can settle this between us.”

The man’s chuckle bounced around the cement walls like thunder.

“Let’s not ask stupid questions, Bakugou,” The stranger hissed his name like it tasted salty. “I think you can take one look at me and know exactly who I am. And I think you know exactly why I am here. My name is Isao—and I am the rightful Lion that was supposed to be next in line for taking over my father’s business. I’m sure you know him, Sano Raion.”

Katsuki’s face twisted into a nasty snarl.

“You know, I always thought I would be the one to inherent my father’s fortune after that miserable man died,” Isao continued like it was small talk. “Family is family after all.”

Katsuki wearily looked at Izuku who was violently trembling, terrified to his core.

“But imagine my surprise when I learned that not only did my father give the business to some stranger, but some classless boy from the goddamn gutter on top of it.” Isao scowled. “I’ve decided it’s time that I take back what’s mine and many of my blood family’s loyalist agree. The vision for The Lions needs a rebranding and I’m done decaying in the background.”

Katsuki gritted his teeth. “And what the fuck makes you think I’ll let that happen?”

“If you don’t do as I say, I will paint the walls red with your little lover’s blood.” The gun cocked. “Hurting him seems to be your only weakness. It took years to finally find your Achilles heel. Imagine my surprise when it was confirmed that you were a lovesick fool by one of my moles.”

Izuku’s whole body clammed up.

Red eyes met green and Katsuki’s guilt boiled hot in his veins.

“Fine,” Katsuki whispered. “How do you want to do this? A public fucking announcement?”

“No. That’s too easy and you have too many people loyal to you,” Isao said. “The only way for a proper pass in power to happen is if I dethrone you—permanently.”

Izuku’s trembling stopped, and his eyes cut up to Isao.

“I’m going to kill you right here and now,” Isao declared too confidently. “Don’t worry. I’ll set your little baker free afterwards, I really don’t give a fuck about taking his life. He can be a witness to your downfall—it would be suiting. A man like you killed in front of the one person you love.”

Katsuki swallowed thickly, ignoring Izuku’s onset of protests. Izuku’s eyes were wild, crazed with fear and he was struggling against Isao’s fierce grip to no avail. Katsuki pressed his lips in a thin line and decided he knew what he had to do in order to get them out of here safely.

“Fine,” Katsuki agreed. Izuku’s crying grew louder and he struggled against the ropes until his wrist rubbed raw. “You can kill me.”

Isao smiled greedily and his eyes lit up. “I knew you’d see it my way, Bakugou. Put your gun down and slide it over to me so we can hurry and get your Sweet home safely.”

Katsuki placed his gun on the ground and kicked it over to Isao who caught it with his foot.

“Knife too,” Isao added. “I know a bastard like you is carrying multiple weapons. Drop them all or I fill his head full of bullets.”

Beads of salty sweat rolled off Katsuki’s brow.

He did as he was told and disarmed himself. He kicked all his weapons across the room beneath Isao’s feet. Isao grinned in satisfaction; a crazed look of pre-earned victory gleamed in his eyes. Despair drowned in Izuku’s, and his chest convulsed.

“Now. Get on your goddamn knees,” Isao ordered coldly.

Katsuki kneeled on the ground, heart pounding rapidly.

All of his racing thoughts blended with Izuku’s muffled screams and cries as Isao pointed the gun to his head. The man walked over to him, looking like he had finally filled his life’s purpose. There was blood on his hands that dripped down to the ground

As Isao loomed over him, Katsuki took a deep breath. He could feel the grimy smile that was on the other man’s face and within a blink of an eye, Katsuki acted.

Before Isao could pull the trigger, Katsuki rolled forward, slamming their bodies together. The echo of the gun shot slammed against his ear as the bullet grazed his skin shallowly. Katsuki tackled Isao with his full weight and in the background Izuku’s muffled screams filled the air.

The two men began struggling, battling for dominance of the gun that was firing off stray bullets. Isao was stronger than he appeared, and he slammed Katsuki on his back, attempting to aim the gun back towards Katsuki’s forehead. Katsuki caught his wrists, and they were gridlocked in a push and pull as the man pulled the trigger over and over again.

Katsuki hissed as he swiftly moved, maneuvering out of the way every time Isao fired off far too closely to him. He reeled back and with full forced slammed his skull into Isao who yelled in pain.

When Isao’s eyes were closed, Katsuki flipped their positions and grabbed the gun. He turned it expertly in his hand and pistol-whipped Isao across the face.

As the blood oozed out of Isao’s nose, that part of Katsuki rumbled again, ready to devour.

He wanted to make this sick bastard pay for even laying a goddamn finger on Izuku.

His thoughts swirled red, and Katsuki began reverting to his old state of mind. Fists loaded with rage collided with Isao’s face and Katsuki relished in the pain filled gasp. He did it again and again and again until he felt himself slip into the dark spiral that threatened to consume him.

He didn’t know how long he was slamming his knuckles on Isao’s face. But the sound of Izuku’s shocked cry made the whole world halt.

Katsuki stopped his fist.

His vision steadily shifted out of its red-hot state of anger back into reality. But when it did, he was mortified at what he had done—in front of Izuku. He wearily glanced beneath him to see Isao choking up blood, face bruised and beaten.

He reeled back, sitting up from his position over the other man and looked down at his hands. His knuckles were bruised, entirely raw from smashing against the other man’s skull over and over.

Katsuki inched his gaze towards Izuku who was staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.

Katsuki’s heart hurt, seeing how scared Izuku was.

But the rational side of him pulled him out of his insecurities. He looked down at Isao and decided he was not cruel enough to murder a man in front of Izuku. He checked Isao’s breath with his hand. The bastard was still breathing.

Katsuki sighed and slowly stood up. He walked over to Izuku with a heavy heart. With care he drew his blade out and began cutting the ropes off Izuku’s legs and arms.

He winced when he could see the rope burns marking Izuku’s freckled skin and all he could think about was how badly he fucked up. This was the very reason Izuku dumped him and put distance between them. He never wanted to be involved with shit like this—and deserved not to.

Katsuki was sure that Izuku would never speak to him after this—and he couldn’t blame him.

Katsuki peeled back the duct tape on Izuku’s mouth, expecting nothing but disgust and fear. But he was stunned into silence when Izuku sprung up from the chair and wrapped his arms around him. Izuku’s hoarse throat let out more harsh cries as he squeezed Katsuki in his grasp.

“Ka-Kacchan,” Izuku wept. He pushed his face into Katsuki’s blood-stained shirt. “You’re okay. I was so scared I was going to lose you—”

Katsuki stood there like a statue, entirely caught off guard.

Izuku clung to him harder, and their hearts hammered in sync with each other. Warmth spilled from Izuku into Katsuki and slowly a smile tugged on Katsuki’s lips. He delicately wrapped his blood-stained hands around Izuku and held him close.

“I’m okay, Sweet. I’ll be fine,” Katsuki reassured. He smoothed back Izuku’s disheveled curls. “Let’s hurry and get you out of here.”

Katsuki pulled out his phone and immediately dialed Sero. He rushed to tell his friend that he handled the situation and to come quickly to the scene. Izuku kept his arms around him the entire phone call and buried his face into his chest. Katsuki held him back with one arm as they stood over Isao’s unconscious body. Izuku wearily poked the limp body with his foot.

Izuku made a disgruntled sound. “Is…Is he—”

“—No,” Katsuki quickly answered. “He’s still breathing. Probably in a piss poor condition though.”

Izuku nodded and then he turned his eyes up to Katsuki. Katsuki was waiting for them to fill with fear, disgust or even shame. But he was surprised when instead the green eyes he adored so much softened. Izuku smiled up at him in a way he hadn’t in years.

“Thank you for saving me,” Izuku whispered. His hands clutched onto Katsuki’s shirt in a tighter grip.

“Of course, Sweet,” Katsuki said. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Light as beautiful as stardust shone in Izuku’s eyes.

He gazed up at Katsuki like he was seeing him for the first time. Katsuki gazed at him back, lifting a hand to gently touch his cheek. He let himself indulge in the moment, knowing that after this him and Izuku would probably never speak again. With his course fingers, Katsuki pushed a strand of hair behind Izuku’s ear.

A loud creek reached Katsuki’s ears that drew both of their attention towards the entrance.

In walked Sero and Kirishima, guns drawn and smiling happily at them.

“Perfect timing,” Katsuki said smugly. He wrapped his arm around Izuku and began walking him towards the exit. Once he reached his two friends, Katsuki jutted his head towards the bloody body on the ground. “Deal with this piece of shit. Bury him or something I don’t care. I’m going to go take care of Izuku—”

“—Boss!” Kirishima’s voice suddenly yelled. He pointed his gun and tried to push Katsuki out of the way. “Get down!”

Both Katsuki and Izuku whirled around at the same time.

The seconds slowed as their eyes laid sights on Isao. He was struggling on the ground suddenly awake. With the last bit of strength Isao had, he held up his gun and pointed it directly at Izuku’s chest. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he grinned wide and pulled the trigger thrice.

Katsuki moved before he could think.

Everything blended together like a raging tornado twisting upon itself. The yells, the screams, the gunshots. His feet worked rapidly, and his body flung in front of Izuku. He desperately pushed Izuku down, safely out of the line of fire and everything in his world tilted on its head.

Katsuki yelled as mind numbing pain tore through him.

Izuku’s screams were the last thing he heard.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 — Sweet

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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.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 — Umami

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It had been three months since Izuku reopened his bakery, and it had been three months of pure joy.

After reopening, the bakery drew more attention. Local news stations talked about how Izuku was a small business owner who bounced back on his two feet to keep his dreams alive.

Izuku knew it was with the help of Katsuki, but his lover took no credit and kept in the shadows like the watchful eye he was. He smiled the whole time, as radiant as ever.

Many of Katsuki’s clients loved coming to visit him as well. The word about his cooking spread all over the city through them, and it didn’t take long for Izuku to have special discounts for Katsuki’s clientele. Izuku even made them special to-go boxes. Tiny, pretty things with ribbons and lion sigils. He dropped them off every morning for Katsuki before he had his slew of meetings.

Izuku loved watching everyone’s eyes light up when he did this, but most of all he loved Katsuki’s approving smirk.

Many people wanted to know what the secret to his pastries was, and when Izuku answered that he could only say one thing:

“The secret is devotion,” Izuku decided. “Cooking is dedication towards wanting to make someone you care about feel good. You can translate all that you want to say through a home baked meal—and that’s why I bake. I want to make sure everyone feels the care I do every day.”

Which brings Izuku to now, saying goodbye to the nth reporter.

He had been bogged down with interview after interview for the last month, and Izuku was a little tired. But he smiled the whole time, keeping his grin pinned up carefully on his face.

When the nice reporter was out of sight, Izuku exhaled, deflated. He scratched his head of curls, tired from the day because this was his sixth time giving a small interview for someone within the span of the day alone.

Katsuki’s chuckle rumbled from across the room.

“Is the fame wearing you out, Chef Midoriya?” The playfulness in Katsuki’s voice was light as summer air. Izuku turned to see his lover laughing at him with that signature smirk. “Let me know if you want me to scare off the next person to walk through those doors for ya. I’ve been told I have a mean bark.”

Izuku laughed a little, finding humor in the image of Katsuki behaving like a guard dog.

“No, there won’t be any need for that,” Izuku dismissed. He waved his hand and walked over to the tiny door of his bakery. He flicked the lock shut, turned the pastel sign over from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, and shut the blinds so no one could see inside. “I’m done for the day with entertaining other people. I need some privacy.”

“Ready for me to walk you home then?”

“Not quite!” Izuku said. He hurried to the back of the kitchen and looked around. “I actually have something I wanted to do before we left.” He quickly spotted two, tiny sample cakes sitting prettily off in the corner. He happily sauntered up to grab them and strolled back out into the dining area. “Want to taste test these for me?”

Katsuki raised a delicate brow. “Cakes? How many more of these can you sell?”

“You can never have too much cake,” Izuku replied. He cheerfully sat down the two mini cakes in front of his lover. He carefully aligned them with a nervous smile. “I spent some extra time on these, so I am really excited to see how you like them.”

Izuku reached into his apron’s pouch and pulled out a small, silver fork to hand to Katsuki. His lover took the utensil from him and tasted the bite of the yellow cake. Katsuki chuckled with his mouth full.

“Lemon?” Katsuki jabbed curiously. “You’ve never made lemon cake.”

“First time for everything,” Izuku replied. He pulled out a chair and sat down patiently. He pointed to the next cake and pushed it towards Katsuki. “Try this one next.”

Katsuki swallowed and nodded. He poked the fork into the next one and held it up to his lips. Izuku watched, excited a bit for Katsuki’s opinion. He watched the tiny piece of cream covered cake enter into his boyfriend’s mouth. Then like magic, Katsuki gave the highest honor of approval when taste testing: he moaned.

Izuku swallowed the way the heat rose to his face.

He pressed his legs together to ignore the drop of sensation that snuck under his shirt. While this was a signal that Katsuki really loved what he was tasting, he always did it so vulgarly.

Katsuki hummed, low and full of vibration. Then he slowly pulled the fork out of his mouth with a pop. His tongue darted out to lick the missed pieces of icing. Izuku stared a bit too hard. Why did Kacchan have to lick the fork clean like that?

“Fucking delicious,” Katsuki chuckled. “What is this flavor? I can’t place it.”

“Taro,” Izuku answered a little too fast. He snapped his eyes up from Katsuki’s mouth and there was a smug smirk waiting to meet him. He had been caught, but Izuku proceeded to ignore the glint in burning red eyes. “H-How do you like it? I tried a new approach to it.”

Katsuki’s smugness only grew. He leaned in across the table and stabbed his fork into the cake.

“Whatever you did it’s great.” Katsuki held up the fork and darted out his tongue again. Izuku hated how sensually he ate it—he knew what he was doing. “Have you had a chance to taste it yourself yet?”

“A little bit,” Izuku mumbled, distracted by Katsuki’s pink tongue lapping at the fork. “I still need to try it. I wanted to see your opinion on the icing though. I have another batch of icing that I’m stuck with choosing between.”

“Well, go get it,” Katsuki commanded. He waved his hand with the fork towards the kitchen. “I know your nerdy ass has it ready to go in the back. Bring it out.”

Izuku smiled and blushed. He rose from the chair and walked to the back of the kitchen to retrieve the pan of icing. He looked down at it, examining it beneath the Saran Wrap. The purple frosting was fluffy and seemed delicate to the touch.

When Izuku arrived back at the table, he placed it down in front of Katsuki. His lover now had his sleeves rolled up mid-way on his arm and was eating the Taro cake happily.

Izuku unwrapped the bowl and discarded the plastic off to the side. He sat down, eager to get Kacchan’s opinion, but before he could take out the spoon in his apron, Katsuki hauled off and dipped two fingers inside of the icing.

“Wh-What are you doing?!” Izuku exclaimed. He snatched the pan away, mortified at the lack of hygiene safety. “We have spoons for a reason!”

Katsuki leaned in across the table within arm’s reach—a single breath away. He held the icing loaded fingers up to Izuku’s mouth.

“Why don’t you have the first taste?” Katsuki teased. His smirk widened from ear to ear. “You need to learn to trust your taste buds more.”

“But I wanted your opinion—”

“—C’mon,” Katsuki cut off. “Open wide for me, Sweet.”

Izuku hated how that’s all it took.

He pursed his lips to the side, knowing exactly what Katsuki was playing at, but the simmering burn under his apron spoke louder than his logic.

Gingerly, Izuku leaned forward and meekly opened his mouth. Katsuki’s smirk spilt into a full force grin like the devil as he pushed his fingers into Izuku’s mouth. His lover’s eyes grew heavy, shifting to be half lidded. They held eye contact as the sweet but tart flavor spread across his tongue in waves.

Izuku closed his mouth around Katsuki’s fingers, and the digits shifted. Lewdly, they drew a part for his tongue to glide between them. It felt plump, it a nice way—having his mouth full like this. He sucked off all the icing leisurely, deciding to match Katsuki in his game. Katsuki retracted his fingers, and Izuku gave the digits a generous suck on their way out.

“How did it taste?” Katsuki asked, shamelessly ogling the bit of icing caught on the corner of Izuku’s mouth.

“Good,” Izuku muttered. His ears burned from the inside out. “I guess you were right, I should trust my taste more often.”

“Exactly. Do you want another load?” Katsuki’s tone was mischievous. “You can make another batch later.”

Izuku watched how Katsuki’s fingers sunk into the icing. Soft. Sweet. Then suddenly it burned in his belly to watch how the long digits were swallowed whole by the viscous substance.

The fingers met Izuku’s lips again, and this time, he opened up easily.

Katsuki pushed them in with provocative force, moving his body closer to Izuku’s. The burning gaze of his lover was leveled the whole time, his head even tilted like he was watching a lovely show. He pushed them in further than he needed to, and Izuku squirmed in his seat.

Izuku swallowed while keeping eye contact.

The heat in his core spread its vines all over his skin. Warmth rippled into his limbs, back, and crawled up his neck to his nape. He took his time licking Katsuki’s fingers clean, trying his best to make sure he fed into the sensations, and he heard a low curse from his lover beside him.

Katsuki moved the fingers back, but right when Izuku thought he was going to remove them—they pushed slowly back in against his tongue.

“Y’know,” Katsuki started, dropping his voice into a lower octave. “I always wanted to do this with you.” He slid his fingers backwards again. Then forwards. Backwards. Forwards. Izuku breathed heavily out of his nose when the heat spiked in his body. “You look so goddamn good taking in my fingers like this, sucking them like such a good boy.”

Izuku wanted to answer, but all the came out was a small, muffled version of Katsuki’s name.

Katsuki repeated the action, his own breathing growing heavier. He slowly fucked his fingers in and out of Izuku’s mouth, enjoying the view. Izuku swallowed down on and began twisting his tongue.

A chord of restraint snapped.

Katsuki’s free hand reached around and gripped the hair at the base of Izuku’s nape. The fingers in Izuku’s mouth then rapidly retreated, replaced by a set of rough lips.

Katsuki kissed him like he wanted to devour him.

Izuku kissed him back like he wanted to consume him.

They stumbled a bit, grappling at the table for some level of purchase. Katsuki entangled his hands into silky locks to fully sink into the kiss, and Izuku’s arms wrapped around Katsuki’s shoulders as he let himself be led. Slowly, a hand snaked from his nape down his neck with a purposeful light touch that made Izuku want more.

Izuku couldn’t stop the light groan that slipped out of his mouth. Without wasting moments, Katsuki pushed his tongue in and the combined sweetness on their lips compiled. They breathed in each other’s breath as they kissed hungrily, stirring heat more and more until Izuku pushed away.

Katsuki chased his lips, and Izuku leaned back. He gently placed his hands on Katsuki’s chest. “Ah, we should stop until we get somewhere better—”

“Or we could try it here,” Katsuki urged. He planted tiny kisses as light as butterflies against Izuku’s neck. “C’mon, Sweet,” he drawled, nipping at Izuku’s Adam’s apple. “I promise it’ll be fun.”

Izuku wished he was a stronger man—but he was not.

“O-Okay,” he breathed out when Katsuki’s tongue traced on the sensitive part of his collar bone. “Just this once, I don’t want to make this a habit—ah—”

Izuku yelped when Katsuki quickly rose up from his seat and lifted him with him. Katsuki smirked right before he began kissing him, passion ignited tenfold.

All of Katsuki’s emotions poured into him as they fumbled backwards. Izuku loved the texture of Katsuki’s forearms underneath his finger pads. He loved his lips. He loved his eyes. He loved how Katsuki kissed him like he needed to breathe only from his lungs. He loved him.

When his back hit the blunt edge of the counter, Katsuki broke from their fury of kisses and placed him down, standing up.

Katsuki’s hands raked down Izuku’s back and hooked under the hem of his pants.

“I never told you why I called you Sweet, have I?” Katsuki asked. “You taste so much of your own pastries that you taste sweet down here.” Katsuki fluidly sank to his knees, taking Izuku’s pants down with him. “I fucking loved giving you head because of your goddamn sweet tooth.”

Izuku’s throat released a deep groan.

Katsuki reached under his apron and palmed at his growing erection. The pressure pushed and pulled ecstasy into his system. It slowly built with Katsuki’s motion like a rising wave. Izuku let out a breathy keen as Katsuki’s large hand fully grasped onto his sensitive areas and slowly kneaded.

“Ah,” Izuku moaned. He entangled his fingers into soft, blond locks. “I missed your mouth for more than one reason I have to admit.”

“I know you did.” Katsuki palmed him harder. “Such a spoiled little boyfriend, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Izuku nodded and gripped Katsuki’s hair harder.

Katsuki pulled down his boxers, pooling them at his ankles with his pants. Izuku’s apron flapped forward again, and quickly Izuku reached behind him to pull at the strings to take it off—then a hand stopped him.

“Oh, absolutely fucking not,” Katsuki commanded. “You’re keeping the apron on.”

“But it’s in the way—”

Katsuki grabbed at the hem of the apron and lifted it all the way up to Izuku’s mouth. “Bite down.”

Izuku blushed but did as he was told.

He opened his mouth and Katsuki gently pushed the hem of the apron in. Izuku held it with his teeth and whined when his cocked twitched in Katsuki’s hot grip. Steadily Katsuki began stroking him, twisting at the tip and squeezing lightly to draw out his muffled moans. Izuku watched intensely as Katsuki leaned forward and licked the tip of his cock, sucking it lightly.

Izuku’s toes curled in his shoes as he rocked his hips forward, pushing his cock against Katsuki’s lips and smearing pre-cum. He leaned against the counter for support when Katsuki’s mouth began to sink down around him, engulfing his cock in wet heat.

Izuku moaned loudly, nearly dropping the apron as Katsuki took him all the way in his mouth.

“Kacchan,” Izuku whined.

He clenched his jaw all the way as he rocked himself into Katsuki’s mouth.

His lover hummed low, sending addictive riptides of raptures down to his toes. Katsuki began bobbing his head, pulling out all the sweet sounds and savoring every moment. Izuku squirmed in his hold, bucking his hips into the hollowed-out mouth. The tip of his cock hit the back of Katsuki’s throat, and he whimpered with pleasure, trying not to sink to the floor.

Egged on by the lovely sounds dripping from Izuku’s lips, Katsuki moved with fervor.

Izuku huffed heavily as the heat that was tingling in his core was now radiating all over his body. His lover’s skilled tongue lapped him up and down as the walls of his mouth wrapped him tightly. Izuku cursed louder. Riptides of pleasure stacked inside of him—higher and higher—as Katsuki began twisting, sucking, and licking at the slit of his cock.

It didn’t take long for Izuku to begin trembling. His cock pulsed in Katsuki’s hand and mouth.

“Kacchan. Kacchan—” Izuku muttered. His fingers dug in deeper to the soft hair as he pushed his cock in further. “More, please. Please.”

His lover’s hand moved smoothly to roll his hanging manhood in his palm, and made his knees nearly buckle. Izuku gave underneath his own weight, and within a split second Katsuki’s hands snapped up to pin his hips in place against the counter. Izuku keened loudly as pleasure overpowered him all the way to his fingertips. Katsuki sucked harder, bobbing his head with more zeal, his own cock straining in his pants.

Izuku’s mind was swimming in nothing but thoughts of Katsuki, and he savored every moment. The burning feeling his core pulled tight and with one long, gracious suck, Izuku came.

His voice cracked as he cried out through his clenched teeth and shot his load into Katsuki’s welcoming mouth. His lover took it all eagerly, nuzzling all the way down his shaft with a hefty sigh through the nose. Izuku twitched as his cock pulsed with spurts of cum, and Katsuki happily swallowed every bit.

His lover’s mouth slid off him, leaving a trail of saliva from the tip of his throbbing cock to Katsuki’s swollen lips. The man underneath him was stroking himself in his pants, eyes blazing with pent up desire.

“You taste as sweet as I remember,” Katsuki growled. He licked his lips with a feral smirk. “Damn near pure sugar.”

Katsuki gave the base of Izuku’s shaft a squeeze. Another litany of keens from Izuku ensued and small, dribbles of cum from his cock followed. Katsuki greedily lapped up every drop, milking Izuku for all he was worth.

Katsuki’s hand shifted off his hips and Izuku sank to the ground immediately. His wobbly knees clocked together as he finally let go of the apron in his mouth. Katsuki leaned forward to kiss him, the taste of sweet cum still littered all over his lips.

They kissed sensually, slow and with patience. Left over waves of pleasure rolled over Izuku’s nerves as Katsuki kissed him. He liked this. They had nowhere to be and could enjoy each other. Izuku reached between them, lightly touching Katsuki’s clothed erection. Katsuki’s hand joined his, firmly pressing down as they lost themselves in one an another.

Their kiss melted into the moment as they moved in sync and both of their lips parted as Katsuki’s erection grew. Izuku began to pant heavily in anticipation, Katsuki’s breathing picked up.

Then Izuku’s vision tilted. He was flipped on his stomach and his body was manhandled to perch his backside upwards.

“Keep just like this,” Katsuki instructed.

He spread Izuku’s legs out and gave the weeping cock hanging several pumps. Izuku groaned and Katsuki slowly built the pleasure in his body once again—but this time his fingers shook under the waves of sensation. Izuku pressed his face against the cold tile of his bakery and arched his back more as Katsuki’s thumb slid along his tip.

He felt more than embarrassed but he was still so hard, and the throbbing of his cock was back with double the force. He pushed his ass up more to Katsuki, giving his lover the perfect view of his fluttering hole.

“Fuck, you’re a goddamn dream. Wait here.”

Katsuki stood up and walked somewhere Izuku couldn’t see. But Izuku didn’t move, ignoring how he was leaking, and his cock was twitching between his legs. When his lover returned, Izuku craned his neck to look, but shot up on his forearms at the sight of his cakes.

“Wh-What are you doing—”

“—Having my cake and eating it too,” Katsuki replied cheekily. He took a forceful hand and pushed on Izuku’s back, guiding him back down to the ground. He angled Izuku’s hips up, keeping him steady. “I wanna taste all of you, Sweet. I’ve waited so damn long.”

Izuku screwed his eyes shut at the warm sensation the slid between his cheeks. His hands curled into nervous fists as Katsuki began eating the cake from off of him.

A delicate tongue teased at his hole, working it open as Katsuki began his meal. Deep groans filled the air as Katsuki pushed his face in, licking and nipping at every sweet delight. He ate the small sample cakes gradually, loving the way Izuku was squirming as his tongue pushed in slightly and lapped at his hole.

It felt obscene, was the only word Izuku could find.

His face was heated, fully red. His cock twitched and leaked. His lover reached his hand around and played with his cock as he swirled his tongue around. With every push and pulse against his backside, tantalizing feelings sparked all over him.

Then slowly the hand toying with his cock sneaked up underneath his apron and shirt. It tweaked his nipple, drawing out a light gasp. Intoxicating ecstasy filled his chest, and Izuku keened. He leaned back on the tongue, and Izuku called out Katsuki’s name headily. At that same moment his lover’s tongue pushed inside of him ever so lightly.

Katsuki groaned deeply and reeled back when both cakes were finally all eaten.

Izuku was hot—unbearably so and he was squirming in Katsuki’s grip for some sort of release. He reached a hand to grasp his leaking cock. He pumped it exactly twice before Katsuki’s hand eclipsed his and helped him stroke the pleasure into his veins.

“You have no idea how cute you look like this,” Katsuki whispered, voice heavy with want. “Your cock just hanging and twitching while I eat you out. You really are my weakness, Izuku.” He squeezed the tip of Izuku’s cock, and a breathy whine slipped past Izuku’s lips. “I’m going to fuck you now, Sweet. Is that alright?”

Izuku nodded furiously. “Yes, please.”

Katsuki bit his lip and quickly began to undress. Izuku rolled over on to his back, and the view of Katsuki unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time sunk into his memory. With every button loosened, more of his tattooed chest showed and the desperation in Izuku heated to a boiling point.

Katsuki held his eye contact as his shirt finally fell off his body like liquid, dropping to the floor.

He undid his pants, dragging the zipper slow all the way down. In one motion, he pushed off his pants and boxers and his erection finally hung free into the air.

The giddy side of Izuku beamed. It’s been so long since he indulged in intimacy, and the romantic side of Izuku clutched. He had secretly longed for Kacchan so much with so many years that passed. Izuku spread his legs, welcoming his lover to rest between them. Katsuki shifted a small tube of lube out his pants pocket. Cotton Candy was printed on the side. Izuku chuckled at how prepared Katsuki was.

“Not going to say anything cheeky?” Katsuki teased as he uncapped the tube.

“I would be more surprised if you didn’t have it on you,” Izuku laughed.

Katsuki grinned and kissed Izuku’s temple tenderly. He coated his fingers up with the liquid, warming it in his hands before pressing it against Izuku’s tight hole.

They didn’t let each other’s gaze go as the first finger slipped in. Izuku’s mouth dropped open at the small feeling and his knees spread further apart on instinct.

Katsuki glanced down to Izuku’s cock, and it throbbed underneath his intense eyes. The single digit was pumped in and out and slowly it shifted to two, then to three and Izuku was quickly a mess. Katsuki went straight for his sweet spot, curling his fingers to press down and sends shocks of euphoria pulsing through his limps.

Izuku whined and bucked and sunk his fingers into Katsuki’s shoulders as he was graciously fucked on the three fingers. Each push sent a jolt of tantalizing pleasure all the way up to his chest, making it convulse in order to just keep steady.

When Katsuki felt like Izuku was loosened enough he kept going, distracting him as he lathered up his own cock. He shifted his fingers out with a slick pop and Izuku only wanted more.

Katsuki lined his cock up with Izuku’s sweet backside and pushed.

Izuku moaned sweetly, voice scratching from the deepest parts of him. His lover’s cock slowly sunk in, inch by inch with the upmost care. With every second that passed, Izuku gazed up at Katsuki looming over him. He caged him in with his inked arms, as he split Izuku wider on his girth. Izuku welcomed it, the burning hotness. He wanted it to fill him whole just like Katsuki always did.

When Katsuki was finally seated all the way in, they stole several fleeting kisses once more. Katsuki’s body rested on top of him, and Izuku hooked his legs around him—never wanting to let him go.

They slowly rocked together, pushing and pulling with the feeling of pleasure they exchanged between them. This pace kept steady as Katsuki rolled his hips deep, brushing against the one spot that elicited more intimate sounds from Izuku’s lips.

“Harder,” Izuku panted. His fingernails dug into the beautiful lion tattoo. “Please, go harder.”

Katsuki obeyed, snapping his hips up in momentum. They rocked faster and the tensions built again. Heat trickled from his throat to his core, and he tried his best to urge his lover on more.

“Please, Kacchan, harder,” Izuku begged, voice teetering a thin line of command. “Fuck me harder.”

“I thought you would want it to be gentle,” Katsuki hissed.

He rolled his hips on Izuku’s pleasure button and it made Izuku quiver once again. Izuku’s panting transformed into a deep groan and he snatched his hands into Katsuki’s hair. He forced his lover’s eyes to meet his—and he spoke his next words with intent.

“I like when you’re soft, I do. But I wouldn’t be dating you if I liked it gentle,” Izuku muttered. “I like when you’re rough—I like that you’re rough. So please, fuck me like you’re the King Pin you are.”

Whatever tether was holding Katsuki back, it broke under the words.

His face twisted into a sneer and his eyes glowed with delight. “Fuck you like a King Pin, hah? What a goddamn dirty mouth you have.”

He pulled out roughly, and Izuku shuttered with the delight of a little bit of the pain. Katsuki’s hands moved from holding Izuku’s hips gently to forcefully flipping him on his hands and knees. When Katsuki aligned his cock this time, he planted one foot on the ground with a hand gripping Izuku’s curls.

He sunk in slowly, but once he was adjusted Izuku found himself drowning. Katsuki held nothing back, snapping his hips up in a powerful movement, aiming directly for the spot that made Izuku see white. Izuku moaned loudly, lost in the sudden change of pace. He struggled to meet the thrusts in speed and every time he lobbed his head, Katsuki snapped him back up by his hair in a powerful grip.

Izuku bounced as he was roughly fucked and was held in place by each yank of his hair.

Katsuki fucked him harder, leaning over him as he drove in more. Izuku felt one particularly strong thrust right against his prostate and came entirely undone. His knees buckled and they went toppling down. But Katsuki didn’t stop, he fucked into him more, leveling his hips to move Izuku’s body with his.

Izuku gasped, drowned fully in nothing but rapture. Filthy quenching sounds met Izuku’s ears as his vision began to pulse white.

“Does a King Pin fuck like this?” Katsuki hissed in between thrusts. He rammed into his lover sharply, over stimulating him with ripple after ripple of euphoria. “Tell me sweet baby, you think about me roughly taking you like this?”

Izuku tried to nod but all he could feel from head to toe was Katsuki. “Y-Yes—Ah-Ah! E-Every day.”

“My sweet baby likes to be fucked hard. You’re goddamn perfect.”

Katsuki’s labored breath was hot in Izuku’s ear as he began to move fervently. His hands moved to grab Izuku’s wrists and hold him down as he used his hole.

Izuku’s moans hitched in octave with each thrust until his voice broke into a sharp cry. He came harshly on the tile floor, and his hole spasmed around the thick cock inside of him.

Katsuki’s loud groan rang out into the space and his thrusts grew harsher and harsher until he plunged deep and stilled. Izuku sighed happily when he was filled with warmth. Katsuki’s cum emptied deep inside of him, spreading all over.

Their position held for a moment, and then Katsuki exhaled and relaxed. Izuku slumped against the floor all the way as the cock inside of him carefully pulled out. He turned his head, panting heavily. There he saw Katsuki spreading his cheeks, ogling his used hole.

Katsuki used his pointer finger and rubbed at it, smearing the cum.

“Damn. You have the prettiest cream pie,” Katsuki muttered. He bit his lip as he leaned down to kiss it.

Izuku laughed and Katsuki laughed too. Delicately, Katsuki rolled Izuku over on his back and they laid there together in each other’s arms.

Izuku wondered if they might fall asleep accidentally on the floor when Katsuki wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him in tight. His lover tucked his head into his neck and Izuku closed his eyes as well. They breathed. Silently yet together.

“…You should move in with me,” Katsuki mumbled against his skin.

Izuku froze and his eyes shot open. Katsuki slowly leaned away from him, and there was nothing but devotion and love inside of his smile.

“So soon?” Izuku muttered. He shifted slightly, unsure. But the more he weighed it in the scales of his mind, it didn’t give him alarms like he thought it would. “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Katsuki replied. He leaned forward and stole a cliché kiss. “The home was built for you after all. It would only feel like a homecoming but, whenever you’re ready. There’s no rush; the doors are open for you when you want.”

Always so sweet.

Izuku smiled and wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s neck.

❃ ❃ ❃

Months passed by, and Izuku finally moved in with Katsuki.

It all came together as easy as a lock and key. Two people who were meant to be finally molding together into their final act. Every day Izuku woke up, he woke up to kind red eyes fluttering open. And every night, he went to sleep with the distant dreams of Katsuki while the same person held him.

There were so many memories now that he loved.

But one of Izuku’s favorite memory was when it was just them under the night-sky.

They had been laying on their backs, staring up at the dark sky that was a sea of burning stars. He assumed they were just like those stars out there, burning so brightly with each other until the last day.

All the memories danced in front of him in the galaxies that he could see. Different designs, patterns, and figments of his imagination projected into the sky. They twinkled with their love story. He vividly saw him and Katsuki written in the stars, forever intertwined that night.

“I’m glad we found our way back to each other, Sweet,” Katsuki said to him softly that day. “I love you so much.”

Izuku knew then the stars were aligned. He took Katsuki’s hand, and it perfectly interlocked with his in a way he would cherish forever.

“I love you too,” Izuku replied.

He leaned forward to kiss his lover and savored the moment forever.

❃✾ Fin ✾❃