Chapter Text
Katsuki wakes up feeling unbearably hot. No—hot isn’t quite the word. Warm? Suffocatingly warm.
The dim room is barely lit, shadows casting over familiar furniture that his groggy mind recognizes as his own. How the hell did he get back here?
That nagging heat draws his attention again, and as his eyes regain focus, he realizes the source: Izuku’s body. His massive, meaty, body, wrapped around him in a way that leaves no room for escape.
Katsuki blinks in confusion, but the truth hits him like a freight train: He’s trapped. Not the sort of trap he’d normally want to break free from, but a trap nonetheless. Izuku’s broad arms are snug around his neck, pulling him close, and his head is pressed firmly against Izuku’s chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of Izuku’s breath is oddly soothing…and way too intimate for Katsuki’s liking.
To top it all off, his left leg is curled over Izuku’s right hip as if this is completely normal.
Katsuki’s heart thumps faster feeling feverish.
What the hell?
He’s blushing. Hard. And he’s not sure whether it’s from the position, Izuku’s heavy presence, or the way his own body is reacting to being so close…this close.
Izuku’s snoring lightly beside him, the quiet sound so peaceful it makes Katsuki feel a strange mix of annoyance and tenderness.
He’s wide awake now, but he can’t seem to make his body move. And now, with his face burning hot, he wonders just how long he’ll be stuck in this embarrassing position before his pride kicks in.
He manages to tilt his head just enough to catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall across from his bed. The faint glow of the numbers confirms it—
5:38 AM.
Katsuki’s brow furrows, his pride screaming at him to shove Izuku off and demand answers. But instead, his body stays still, reluctant to move away from the ridiculous warmth wrapping him up like a damn cocoon. It’s too comfortable. Too safe.
His lips twitch into a scowl, though it lacks its usual bite. Fine. He’ll let it slide for now. He can yell at Izuku—or better yet, interrogate him about this entire situation later.
For now, he moves just slightly, pressing closer against Izuku’s torso and feeling the vibrations of his heartbeat. His body relaxes without permission. It’s way too early for this, he thinks. At least for now, he can slip back into a deeper sleep.
·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·
Izuku wakes to the heavy weight pressing into his back.
He blinks a few times, his vision adjusting to the bright sunlight casting from the window. His position registers slowly; he’s lying flat on his bed. No, wait. Not ‘his’ bed. Kacchan’s.
The weight over him? Kacchan’s sleeping body sprawled across his back.
Izuku lets out a soft, sleepy chuckle, the sound almost giddy as he carefully shifts, turning just enough to slide Katsuki back into his arms so he’s not suffocating anymore. The blonde grumbles softly in his sleep but doesn’t wake, his face nestled against Izuku’s heart.
Izuku takes a moment to soak it all in, his heart thrumming in disbelief. He rubs Katsuki’s head gently, his fingers threading through the wild tufts of blonde hair. Katsuki’s snoozing face is unexpectedly serene, and Izuku can’t help but marvel at it, smiling like an idiot.
He inhales deeply, catching that familiar scent that feels like home.
Kacchan’s scent. It’s a little smoky, but overwhelmingly comforting.
Last night, Katsuki had practically collapsed into his arms, and Izuku had barely managed to drag him back home. After fumbling for Katsuki’s keys, he’d let them inside, peeled Katsuki out of his booze-soaked clothes, and swapped them for comfy pajamas. He’d even borrowed some clothes himself and tucked Kacchan into bed.
He hadn’t planned to join him at first. But after a quick bathroom break, the pull was irresistible. Katsuki hadn’t minded Izuku’s tongue down his throat earlier so, surely a little cuddling wouldn’t bother him, right?
Izuku’s critical thinking could wait until tomorrow. At that moment, he’d let himself have this one indulgence, holding Katsuki the way he’d dreamed of for years.
Now, he’s awake after possibly the best sleep of his life, Katsuki still nestled against him, inhaling softly against his chest.
Until, that is, Katsuki’s eyelids flutter open, his crimson eyes meeting Izuku’s own.
“Good morning, Kacchan,” Izuku says, his voice catching awkwardly in his throat.
“You drove my car,” Katsuki states, as if piecing together fragments of a puzzle, his brow quirking sleepily.
“You were in no state to drive, Kacchan. Also, have you forgotten how you gave me the key?” Izuku replies, forcing a steady tone as his heart pounds. How much does Katsuki actually remember?
“Ah,” Katsuki mutters, sounding like he’s only halfway recalling the events.
And then it hits Izuku, like ice water poured over his head.
Could Kacchan have forgotten the kiss?
The thought sends a jolt down his spine. No…could the kiss have only happened because of his drunken haze? Was he even in a state to consent? Was it all just a fleeting moment, meaningless to him but everything to me?
Izuku feels a sick, twisting guilt curl in his stomach.
Did I get carried away?
The questions come rushing in like a tidal wave, drowning his earlier peace. His mumbling starts before he can stop it, words spilling from his lips in a frantic, incoherent stream.
“Oi, Izuku! Quit mumbling! I can’t understand a damn thing you’re saying!” Katsuki’s voice cuts through the noise in Izuku’s head.
Panic grips him. Without thinking, Izuku pushes Katsuki off of him and drops to the floor, kneeling as if the weight of his guilt has dragged him down.
“W-what the hell are you doing?” Katsuki growls, but Izuku doesn’t look up. He can feel Katsuki’s baffled stare boring into him.
“I’m sorry…Kacchan!” Izuku blurts out, his voice trembling. “Yesterday, about the kiss…I—” His words choke in his throat, but he forces them out. “I took advantage of you! You were drunk, and I—I didn’t think. I should’ve waited until you were sober, until we could talk, but I was selfish. I’m sorry, Kacchan! I’m so, so sorry!”
“Are you crying?” Katsuki asks, his tone softer now, a little baffled.
Izuku risks lifting his head, his tear-streaked face meeting Katsuki’s gaze.
“Damn, Izuku. You’re hopeless,” Katsuki mutters, sighing as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed. He gestures with his hand. “Get up, idiot.”
Izuku hesitates but slowly rises to his feet.
“You don’t have to apologize, stupid Izuku,” Katsuki huffs, his tone gruff. “Yeah, I was drunk, but you didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to.”
“Kacchan…” he whines, more tears and snot spilling down his cheeks. He doesn’t give Katsuki a chance to respond before he throws himself into the blonde’s arms, knocking them both back onto the mattress.
“Tch, Izuku, get off! You’re heavy!."
Izuku rubs his face with his arm, offering Katsuki a bright, watery smile. “I’m happy! Just let me have this, hmm, Kacchan?” he says, nuzzling into the blonde’s shoulder.
Katsuki groans, rolling his eyes. “Don’t forget Izuku, we still have to talk.”
But even as he says it, he doesn’t push Izuku away, his hands still resting loosely on the small of Izuku’s back. “I’m not this touchy with anyone, you know,” Katsuki mutters, his voice quieter now.
Izuku stills at that. The words sink in slowly as he stares at the steady rise and fall of Katsuki’s chest, his grip tightening just a little on the fabric of Katsuki’s shirt.
“Kacchan…” he murmurs, tentative. “Is…this all you want this to be?”
Katsuki’s brows furrow, and instead of answering directly, he turns the question back on him. “Is that what you want?”
Izuku doesn’t hesitate. “No,” he says firmly.
Katsuki exhales, something easing in his shoulders. “Me neither.”
Izuku’s breath catches as the room falls into a heavy, fragile stillness. Then Katsuki lets out a quiet huff, his cheeks tinged pink. “I already told you—you’re not just…anyone."
Not just anyone.
The realization settles slowly, gently, like something he’s always known but never dared to name. He doesn’t just want Katsuki in his life in the way he always has. He wants him closer than that wants the sharp edges and the soft moments, the anger and the quiet, all of it. He wants him.
“Kacchan…” Izuku murmurs, lifting a hand before he can lose his nerve. Hesitant, careful, he presses his palm to Katsuki’s cheek. His other hand rests lightly at his shoulder, like he’s afraid too much pressure might make him disappear.
Katsuki stills, eyes sharp and searching. “What’re you doing…Izuku?” he asks, quieter than his words suggest.
Izuku leans in just enough for their foreheads to touch, their breaths mingling. His eyes flutter shut as he exhales. “Because I don’t want this to stay the way it is,” he whispers. “I don’t want just ‘almost.’ I want more.”
Katsuki’s hands curl into the sheets, his breath hitching, but he doesn’t pull away. His gaze flickers between Izuku’s eyes and his lips.
He’s been in love with Katsuki for so long, but only now does he understand how much—how deeply, how desperately—he wants to be the one Kacchan chooses.
Izuku leans in until their foreheads rest together, the space between them barely there, breaths brushing. He closes his eyes for a brief second, steadying himself. “I don’t want to keep pretending this is enough,” he whispers. “I want…more than what we’ve been calling this.”
Katsuki’s breath stutters. His hands curl tightly in the bedsheets, knuckles whitening, but he doesn’t move away. His gaze stays locked on Izuku’s, flicking once to his lips before returning.
“I don’t know what you feel,” Izuku admits softly, his voice shaking just a little. “But I couldn’t hold this in anymore.”
The blonde lifts a hand and catches Izuku’s wrist, not tight, just enough to stop him from pulling away. “Idiot,” he mutters under his breath.
Izuku’s pulse stutters at the contact, his world narrowing to the warmth of Katsuki’s grip and the intensity in his eyes. Katsuki exhales through his nose, gaze flicking away for half a second before returning. “You really think I’d let just anyone this close?” he says quietly.
“Kacchan…” Izuku’s face lights up before he can stop it, his happiness impossible to hide. Before Katsuki can react, Izuku cups his face gently with both hands and presses a soft, reverent kiss to his forehead.
Katsuki goes completely still. Heat rushes up his neck, coloring his cheeks and ears in a vivid red as he sharply turns his head away. Izuku only smiles wider at the reaction, unaware; or maybe pretending to be, of just how deeply he’s affected him.
“Damn it, Izuku…” Katsuki mutters, still trying to regain some composure.
Before he can finish, the freckled boy leans in again, his lips dangerously close. Katsuki quickly covers Izuku's mouth with his hand, “Izuku, I said you still have some explaining to do!!”
Izuku laughs, brushing the hand away and sitting up. “Okay, okay. Let’s brush our teeth and talk over breakfast, yeah? I’ve got something to tell you too.”
·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·
Cooking breakfast on a Sunday morning is nothing new.
The blonde transfers the rolled omelette from the pan to a plate. He grabs some side dishes that are a few days old and warms them up in the microwave.
He sets the table. But this time, he calls the freckled boy to join him. That’s not the new part—they’ve had breakfast together before, spent nights at each other’s houses.
But not once have they slept in the same bed. He’s also never shared a meal with Izuku after the green-eyed boy practically half-confessed his feelings.
Katsuki still has a lot of questions, so he doesn’t allow himself to feel the extent of his happiness just yet.
Instead, they share a calm silence as they take their first few bites of food.
“I didn’t have a proper breakfast in a long time,” the freckled one says, breaking the quiet.
“I bet your fridge is still filled with convenience store meals,” the blond retorts with a knowing smirk.
Izuku awkwardly giggles, not even defending himself, and quickly changes the subject.
“I have a meeting to attend soon, but I have some things to tell you first,” he says, his tone shifting to something more serious.
“About your agency, Kacchan.”
Katsuki puts his spoon down, giving him his full attention.
Izuku draws in a slow breath. “I’ve thought about it every day since I got back to hero work,” he admits. “And the truth is…I want to stand beside you. I always have.” His fingers twitch against his sleeve. “But I don’t want to return as the same person I left as. I don’t want something handed to me just because it’s you.”
His gaze drops, voice tightening. “I need to prove myself again. On my own. I need to feel like I earned it. And then…when we meet as equals, or when we can be proper rivals again the way we used to be; I want us to build something together. For real.”
He hesitates, jaw tightening before the next words spill out. “But when I saw you searching for a partner...Todoroki, Tamaki, all of them—I couldn’t breathe right. I told myself I had no right to feel that way, but I did. I was jealous. Terrified that I’d already lost my chance.” His voice wavers just slightly. “And part of me selfishly hoped you’d wait. For me.”
Izuku finally looks up at him. “That wasn’t fair to you. I’m sorry I let that feeling control me.”
A long pause follows as the blonde processes his words.
It’s not just him who’s been holding on to their rivalry. Izuku has too.
Not as a shadow, not as someone chasing from behind, but as an equal who wants to meet him head-on. Katsuki’s jaw tightens. All this time, he thought Izuku was hesitating because he doubted himself…or worse, because he didn’t care enough to fight for that place beside him.
But that isn’t it at all.
The idiot wants to earn it.
Izuku never wanted things easy. Not his strength. Not his place. Not even him.
“So that’s it,” he mutters quietly. “You weren’t running away. You were just trying to catch up properly.”
Izuku stiffens at the words.
Katsuki doesn’t look at him at first. His grip tightens around the spoon. He’s misunderstood so much. Izuku’s hesitation, his jealousy, even his silence. All this time, he thought he was being left behind.
He’d have to talk to Tamaki later because Izuku’s words make him feel like waiting might actually be the right choice.
“Maybe…maybe I can hold off on the agency stuff for now. I’ll go apologize to Tamaki and tell him I’ll wait. Wait until you're ready. Then, we can start from scratch. Together. Like we always should’ve.”
Izuku’s face lights up at the words, the weight of the offer sending waves of happiness through him. He nods eagerly, practically bouncing in his seat.
And for a dangerous moment, he almost lets himself believe that Izuku might feel the same way he does. That maybe all those years of rivalry, all that fire and tension, meant the same thing to them both.
His gaze drifts away before that thought can settle too deeply.
Because then...he thinks of her.
“I have one last question.”
“You and Round Face...what’s that about?
Izuku blinks, surprised. “What do you mean?”
Katsuki shrugs, trying to act nonchalant but clearly flustered. “I thought…you guys were, uhm…together or something.”
“Kacchan! What gave you that idea?” Izuku exclaims, cheeks heating. “Yeah, we’ve caught up a lot lately, it's been 8 years."
"Uraraka-san and I have grown closer, but most of our conversations…have been about you. Especially after you started avoiding me.”
The blonde feels his face flush again, a mix of embarrassment and guilt.
They really need to fix their communication before his heart gives out.
“Kacchan…don’t tell me you…got the wrong idea?!” Izuku adds, voice panicked.
“SHUT UP!” he yells, shoveling the last bite of food into his mouth and carrying his dishes to the kitchen.
He places them in the sink, grabbing a sponge to start washing them, like the clean freak he is, unable to leave dirty dishes for later.
Izuku gets up from his chair, and the blonde thinks he’s coming over to bring his dishes.
But instead, the freckled one sneaks up behind him and wraps his arms around his waist.
“Kacchan…you’re so…cute,” Izuku blurts out before he can stop himself, his voice soft but full of awe.
The blonde freezes, his grip tightening on the sink, trying to steady himself. The arms around him and the breath against his neck are too much.
Izuku’s arms tighten around his waist, leaning in closer. “God…I love you,” he says on a sudden, impulsive whim, the words tumbling out with all the honesty he’s been holding in.
Katsuki’s hands pause over the sink, the sponge trembling slightly in his grip. Slowly, he turns, his crimson eyes locking onto Izuku’s.
“You…what did you just say?” Katsuki’s voice disbelieving, but there’s no hiding the way his body tenses, the way his heart seems to skip.
Izuku swallows, heart pounding, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I said…I love you. All of you. I have for a long time.”
Katsuki blinks, his mouth opening slightly.
Before he can respond, Izuku seizes the moment. He steps closer, pressing his body flush against Katsuki’s, trapping him gently between the sink and himself. The freckled boy’s arms slide up, one hand brushing over the blonde’s shoulder, the other tangling lightly in his hair.
Katsuki’s eyes widen further, panic and desire mingling in his gaze, but he doesn’t push back.
Then, without hesitation, Izuku tilts his head, brushing his lips over Katsuki’s in a deliberate, claiming kiss. The first contact is soft, testing, and electrifying all at once. Katsuki’s breath hitches, his hands instinctively pressing against Izuku’s chest.
"Is this really happening? " Kacchan wonders.
I’ve loved him this whole time…even I didn’t even know I could feel like this, he thinks.
His hands tighten slightly over Izuku’s shoulders, not in resistance, but in a need to anchor himself to the moment, to the boy he’s loved in secret.
Katsuki’s lips part slightly, a shuddering breath escaping as he leans into the kiss, finally letting himself feel what he’s denied for so long. He’s not just in love he’s consumed, desperate, and utterly certain that he never wants to let this go.
Izuku finally pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against Katsuki’s, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He grins, a little breathless, his freckled cheeks warm.
“You know,” he says, voice teasing, “if you don’t give me an answer soon, I might just start singing it out loud. Really badly.”
Katsuki mutters, voice rough, “You’re really not gonna let this go, are you?”
Izuku just grins, eyes gleaming. “Not until I hear you say it.”
The blonde groans, cheeks burning, but finally exhales, voice low and steady.
“I…love you too, damn it.”
Izuku’s grin softens immediately, his heart soaring at the simplicity and weight of Katsuki’s words.
Izuku leans in once again, lips just inches from-
RING!
Izuku’s phone starts buzzing in his pocket.
Brows furrowed and clearly annoyed by the interruption, Izuku leans back, pulling out his phone to turn off the alarm.
“I have to go, Kacchan…It’s the alarm for my meeting,” Izuku says, glancing apologetically at him.
He leans back in, trapping the blonde once more in his embrace. This time, Izuku presses his lips to Katsuki’s in a deep kiss before pulling away with a soft pop.
“I’ve got to run now, Kacchan…see you later, okay? The conversation is not yet over” he says with a playful grin.
The blonde nods, speechless, as Izuku steps away and heads to grab his things.
Katsuki stands there for a moment, watching Izuku move around the room, the warmth of the kiss and confession still burning across his lips.
There were still words left unsaid, thoughts and feelings they hadn’t fully untangled, but to him it didn’t matter right now.
They have each other, and whatever came next, they would figure it out together.
A small, satisfied smile tugs at his mouth as he lets out a quiet breath, the tension in his chest finally easing.
In that quiet moment, a glaring dream of victory burned in his mind.