Work Text:
“You lurrrrve him.”
“No! No I don’t! Fuck off…”
“Blasty...baby...you can’t hide from me. I know the truth.”
“Shut the fuck up Pinky!”
“Neveeeerrrrrrrrr!”
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“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“As much as flies love shit.”
“Oh my goooooddddd you love me that much?!”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DIE!”
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“I lied…”
“Hngh...mmm...whatcha say…?”
“I do love you.”
“Aww Bakubabe...I love you too!”
“...Do you need a bucket?”
“Sweet fuckin’ Buddha yes please…”
“Fucks sake…”
“Can you hold my hair back?”
“Eurrrrrgh...”
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“We need to talk Blasty Boy..”
“No we don’t.”
“Err...YEAH. We really do.”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yes uh. Kats…”
“Shut. The fuck. Up. Not another word from you until you’ve spilled the rest of your sappy stomach contents into this bucket.”
“But Kaaaaaatsssss…”
“No. Shuddup. You’ll forget this conversation ever happened.”
“Hmph…”
---------------------
“I regret nothing!!”
“I regret your fucking voice right now.”
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Katsuki really didn’t want to open his eyes. He could already tell they hadn’t pulled the curtains all the way shut, and now the sun was beaming through the windows and making him regret every life choice he had ever made before he was even properly awake.
Beside him he heard Mina groan, flopping around in the bed as she too seemed to come to the conclusion that drinking with their American counterparts had been a really, really bad idea.
Wait...why was Mina in his bed??
Katsuki’s eyes snapped open, a pained hiss escaping his lips as he was brutally assaulted by daylight. Blinking several times to try and salvage what was left of his corneas, he frowned as he looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
He had a light fitting above his bed that had a simple blue shade covering it.
This one was pink (cliché much…?).
Oh.
He was apparently in Mina’s bed.
Oops.
Turning his head slightly to the left – slowly so as not to induce a fresh wave of vertigo – he met the black and gold (and somewhat bleary and bloodshot) eyes of his very hungover pink-haired friend.
“S’up,” he croaked out. Damn his throat felt drier than Gandhi’s flip-flop. “You alive?”
“Barely,” she rasped back. “Oh god my head…”
“We are NEVER doing that again,” he told her, raising one hand to point a finger at the ceiling in determination. “Never, ever…”
“We had fun though...didn’t we?”
“I don’t have a fucking clue.”
They lay in pained silence for a moment, each of them assessing just how rough they felt. After a few minutes, Katsuki pushed himself up onto his elbows and thumped a hand around looking for his phone. “I’m ordering chicken. I need fried food and ten ton of painkillers.”
“Chick-Fil-A please,” Mina replied, joining him in the hunt for their phones. “As greasy as it comes.”
“Do you remember anything after that fifth Jaeger shot?” Katsuki asked, cheering croakily as he found his phone and opened up the ordering app. He was not surprised to see it was already gone 11am.
“It’s a bit fuzzy. I think you followed me into the women’s toilets at some point ‘cos you were convinced I was gonna run away or get kidnapped or something.”
“Ahh fuck. I remember a bucket...oh god!” He sat up too quickly, wincing as pain shot through his skull. “Where did we put your puke bucket?”
“Err...bathroom? I hope…”
“You can sort that out.”
“That’s fair.”
Mina staggered off towards the bathroom whilst Katsuki got on and ordered them food. He eventually managed to crawl out of bed, opening the bedroom window and taking a few much-needed deep breaths of fresh air.
Well...as fresh as you could get in New York anyways.
He heard the toilet flush in the background, and figured it was finally safe to enter the bathroom. Mina was rinsing the bucket out in the bath when he entered. Thankfully she had also opened a window.
“Food should be about half an hour,” he told her, splashing his face with cold water.
“Awesome, thanks babe. Coffee?”
“God yes please.”
Mina pottered off to the kitchen whilst Katsuki attempted to freshen up. He decided it would be safer to shower once he had some food in him. He couldn’t trust his balance right now.
He entered the kitchen to the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee. Mina plopped a giant mug of the dark goodness before him, and he let himself give a small moan of satisfaction as he breathed in the heavenly scent.
“Love how I set myself a reminder to drink water for 4am,” Mina giggled as she scrolled through her phone. “Where even were we at 4am?”
“I think we’d made it back here by that point,” Katsuki mused as he sipped on his drink. “I think you were deep-throating the toilet and I was possibly face down in the bath.”
“Ahh, yes.”
“Weren’t you meant to face-time Kiri today?”
“Tonight,” she told him, putting her phone down in favour of her own coffee. “It’s his day off, so we can talk for a bit longer than normal.”
“Ahh ok.”
“I think he’ll have some of the others with him. You gonna join?”
Katsuki shrugged. “Maybe. If I’m still alive by then.”
Mina snorted a laugh. “You’ll be fine once we get some chicken in you. And at least we have tomorrow off as well.”
“Thank fuck. I think if I tried to use my quirk right now, I’d explode myself the wrong way and end up face-planting the nearest building.”
“Yeah never drink and quirk. Denki learned that the hard way.”
“That idiot learns everything the hard way.”
At that moment their buzzer sounded, and Mina skipped off with a happy squeal to meet the delivery guy. The smell of freshly fried chicken wafted into the apartment, and Katsuki nearly cried with relief.
Now Katsuki was not one to indulge in fast food regularly. He liked to keep himself in tiptop condition at all times. But after a heavy night on the tiles and being now convinced he had more tequila than blood in his veins, he was more than happy to break his strict diet regime for one day.
America was instilling many bad habits in him it seemed.
As they stuffed their faces full of fried chickeny goodness, Mina scrolled through the many photos she had taken the night before. A lot of them were blurry and no good for anything, but she had managed to snap some absolute corkers.
“Hey there’s that cute guy that was hitting on you!” she exclaimed, shoving her phone in Katsuki’s face.
He scrunched up his nose, waving her hand away. “He wasn’t that cute.”
“Oh he was. And he was well into you. Did you get his number?”
“No.”
“Kats!”
“What?” He glared at her. “M’not interested.”
“Not green enough huh?”
His scowl deepened. “Shut the fuck up.”
Mina simply giggled, popping a nugget into her mouth. “You could’ve at least had some fun with him. It’s not like we’re gonna be here forever.”
“I don’t do flings Pinky. Y’know that.”
“Eurgh Blasty babe – y’need to lighten up a little. Have some fun – put yourself out there.” She swiftly chowed down a couple more nuggets. “Seriously though...when is the last time you got laid?”
“Mina…”
“Nah come on. It’s just us two here. I won’t tell anyone. I bet it’s not been since you split up with that dude...what was his name…? The dark haired guy…?”
“Akira.”
“That’s the one!”
“Yeah.”
She frowned a little, taking another big gulp of coffee. “Babe...you two split months before we came out here. No wonder you’re always so pent up.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes, favouring to focus on his food rather than their conversation. His sex life – or rather the lack of – was not something he particularly wanted to discuss with the gossip queen of their friendship group.
“All I’m saying,” Mina continued, blatantly ignoring his scowl. “Is that we’re out here to experience everything America has to offer right? Maybe that includes getting down and dirty with some hot young New York firefighter or something.”
“We’re meant to be experiencing everything that American hero society has to show us,” he corrected her. “Last I checked, that didn’t include one-night stands and shit.”
“I bet our American counterparts in Tokyo are doing all they can to get their dicks wet.”
“Eurgh Mina!” He thumped his forehead down onto the countertop, ignoring the throb it sent shooting through his skull. “They can do whatever the fuck they want. I don’t give a damn. I’m not gonna sleep with the first pretty boy that comes up to me in some dingy nightclub. Ain’t my style.”
“Eurgh, fiiiiine.” She finished off her last nugget and wiped her hands clean. “In that case, you’d better sort out whatever-the-fuck is going on between you and Izuku when we get back then.”
“There’s nothing ‘going on’ between us.”
“Except enough pining to fill a forest?”
“Shuddup.”
“See – I know I’m right, cos you don’t have a strong or witty comeback for me.”
“Because I’m currently hanging out of my ass and my brain is more fried than your nuggets.”
“Whatever you say babe. You wanna shower first? Think I’m gonna soak in the bathtub and take my time.”
“Yeah sure.”
Katsuki threw away his rubbish and washed up his mug before stomping off to the bathroom. A shower and clean clothes would make him feel a lot better.
---------------------
The pair of them spent their day off lounging around the apartment, trying their best not to melt in the sweltering New York summer heat. Summer in Tokyo could be rough, but New York was a whole other level. Thankfully the agency they were working with had provided them with an apartment that had decent AC. They were able to flake out in the living room or their respective bedrooms in minimal clothing without completely roasting to death.
“Days like this make me actually miss Tokyo winters,” Mina stated from the couch. She was dressed in a simple sports bra and shorts combo.
Katsuki grunted from where he was sprawled across a nearby armchair, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. “Even I have to admit some rain or snow would be welcome right now.”
“How do the locals deal with this?” Mina asked, fanning herself and sipping from her iced lemonade. “Like...every year?!”
“They’re a whole different breed,” Katsuki concluded, guzzling from his water bottle he had recently extracted from the freezer. “Plus it probably feels worse cos it’s so built up and crowded here. Pretty sure the actual temperature isn’t much different to home. It’s just shittier surroundings.”
“Well so long as it’s a bit cooler by Monday so I don’t sweat into a puddle on the pavement, I’ll be happy,” Mina told him.
Katsuki checked the weather app on his phone. “It is meant to start getting cooler as of tomorrow,” he replied. “Hopefully Monday will be a bit more bearable.”
“In the meantime…” Mina sat herself up and trotted over to the kitchen. “Ice cream?”
“We got any pistachio left?”
Mina rummaged for a moment before holding the pale green tub aloft with a successful cheer. She scurried back over to the living room, tubs and spoons in hand. Katsuki accepted his with thanks, pulling a face at the tub of raspberry ripple she had picked out for herself. “How can you eat that sugary shit?”
“With deep joy and satisfaction,” she replied, flopping back onto the sofa and tucking in. Katsuki merely scowled as he took smaller, more delicate spoonfuls of his own ice cream.
The afternoon passed in much the same fashion. They nursed their slowly improving hangovers whilst trying to remain cool. Katsuki answered some work emails whilst Mina messed around on social media, howling over some of the comments she had received on photos uploaded from the previous night.
Katsuki actually made an effort for their dinner, throwing together some ramen with extra vegetables. As evening wore on it gradually cooled down in the apartment. Katsuki finally felt safe enough to put on a tank top; it no longer felt like the slightest sneeze would trigger his quirk. Mina disappeared off into her room to video call Eijirou, and Katsuki remained sprawled out on the sofa, scrolling through his phone without much purpose.
They’d been in New York for three months now. Only another nine to go.
Katsuki huffed to himself as he scrolled through social media, half-heartedly looking at what his friends back home were up to in their absence. A slight pang went through his chest at a photo Eijirou had uploaded a few days ago of him, Denki, and Hanta enjoying lunch break together.
He hated admitting it, and would never say it out loud, but he was actually starting to miss those idiots.
A year in America had sounded like such a great idea at the time. The perfect opportunity to learn from a bunch of different heroes, to experience a new culture, and to make some much-needed overseas connections. He and Mina had basically swapped places with two heroes from the agency they were working at. It had been a lucky dip scenario; anyone who wanted the chance to go could put their name forward, and two were picked at random from a blind dip. Katsuki and Mina were the lucky winners.
Katsuki knew Izuku had been desperate to go; to follow in All Might’s footsteps with spending time in America. But his name hadn’t been chosen.
Katsuki had half considered forfeiting his place and letting the nerd come instead, but he knew another chance like this would not be likely in the near future, so he had swallowed it down and got on that plane alongside Mina himself.
Although...he had to admit he probably would have preferred to have Izuku with him instead of Mina.
Not that he and the pink-haired woman didn’t get on – in fact, they got along great. Mina knew Katsuki well; which buttons to press to wind him up just enough without making him explode, whilst at the same time also knowing how to get his fun and more carefree side on show. He could trust her too – yes, she was a gossip queen, but she was also deeply loyal and cared very much for those she loved. If he were to tell her something in confidence, he knew she would keep it secret.
If he was being completely honest with himself, whilst he was having the absolute time of his life in New York (ball-sweating heatwave aside), he was also missing his friends and family a lot more than he had ever thought he would.
Especially Izuku.
Izuku Midoriya. Childhood friend turned bullying victim turned rival turned best friend once again. Turned...whatever-the-fuck they were now.
Not official hero partners, but close enough. Everyone knew the pair of them worked perfectly together. Fat Gum frequently requested that Katsuki join up with Izuku for missions and patrols. They made a fucking good team, if Katsuki could say so himself.
Three months without Deku made him feel like he’d lost a limb.
They’d messaged sporadically since Katsuki had touched down in America, but it was nothing compared to their weekly movie nights or semi-regular patrols together. Katsuki found himself actually missing Izuku’s ramblings. He’d give his left testicle right now to hear the nerd’s thoughts on the latest hero rankings or the freshest batch of interns coming out of UA.
Speaking of Izuku…
“KATS!!!”
Katsuki groaned as Mina came barrelling out of her bedroom, leaning over the back of the sofa with phone in hand. “Whaddya want Pinky?”
“Izuku wanted to say hi.”
“Heh?!”
He sat up, eyes slowly focusing on the screen of her phone as she thrust it into his face.
Sure enough – there was Izuku; waving back at him with his trademark beaming smile.
“Hi Kacchan!”
“H...hey nerd.” He sat up a little straighter, letting Mina vault over the back of the sofa to sit beside him so they could both be seen on camera. “Whatchu doin’ here?”
Izuku giggled, angling the camera to show Eijirou, Denki, Hanta, Ochaco, and Kyoka sat nearby. “We’re all heading out for brunch today as it’s our day off. Kiri said he’d be facetiming you guys this morning, so we came over to join.”
Katsuki’s heart absolutely one-hundred-per-cent did not stutter at Izuku’s words. Nope. Not a single flutter. Nothing.
Thank fuck his heart monitor hadn’t beeped.
“That’s cool,” he choked out instead, completely unwilling to admit he was feeling overly emotional at the sight and sound of his best friend for the first time in three months. “How are you guys?”
“Never mind us!” Denki butted in with his usual cheesy grin. “How’s New York treating you?”
Katsuki and Mina shared a look before shrugging nonchalantly. “It’s fuckin’ hot,” Katsuki grumbled. “And crowded.”
“Everything is so big and noisy,” Mina added, scrunching her nose up. “There’s no such thing as peace and quiet or personal space in this city.”
“Oh dear,” Izuku mumbled, his eyes fixed on Katsuki. “You ok with that Kacchan?”
Damn nerd knew exactly which questions to ask. Every damn time.
Katsuki shrugged again. “It’s not ideal,” he conceded. “But I haven’t exploded anyone into the sun yet, so…”
Izuku giggled, the others joining in with chuckles of their own. Katsuki couldn’t help but smile slightly, flicking his eyes away from the camera.
“The nightclubs here are insane,” Mina continued, easily picking up the thread of conversation. “Some of the agency guys took us out last night and we had the best time.”
“Speak for yourself Chunderchops.”
“Oh I wasn’t that bad!” Mina waved him off as the group laughed. “Although I have to admit today has been rather painful.”
“Hangover from hell?” Eijirou asked with a smug grin.
“Bakubabe ordered me fried chicken,” Mina told him with a lazy wave of one hand. “And we ate ice cream from the tub on the sofa in our underwear. What do you think?”
Katsuki couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s howling reactions. He knew the news of him being drunk and subsequently hungover would be hilarious to most people. He’d let them have this one.
There you go Dr Hayashi – fuckin’ progress!
As much as he had fought against therapy initially, he had to admit it had done him the world of good. The fact that Dr Hayashi had agreed to continue his sessions via video link was nothing short of miraculous. The blonde knew he wouldn’t survive a year in a foreign country without his trusted therapist.
“Guys and girls and gays – whatever you do - do not - and I repeat DO NOT!! go drinking with the Americans,” Mina was telling the others. “They chug down tequila like it’s water. I honestly don’t know how we’re still alive today to be honest.”
“4am water reminders and fried chicken for the win,” Katsuki interjected, prompting another round of laughter.
“Yeah those guys are pretty intense,” Eijirou admitted. “They’re always talking about going out for the night, getting shitfaced and having fun. It’s cool but also fucking insane. Like...how do they function?!”
“Americans are a different breed,” Mina told him, echoing Katsuki’s earlier statement. “I honestly thought I could hold my drink, but dear sweet All Might the guys we went out with last night proved me wrong many times over.”
“Pinky named her puke bucket Haruki the Pukey,” Katsuki told them, garnering another bout of raucous laughter. “I would’ve recorded that shit, but the bathtub had become my new best friend.”
“Aww,” Izuku griped, pouting at the camera. “But I’m your best friend Kacchan!”
Everyone chuckled again, Ochaco poking at Izuku’s puffed out cheeks. “Jealous of a bathtub huh ‘Zuku?”
Katsuki hated the way Ochaco called him that. He knew it was irrational – Pink Cheeks was quite possibly even gayer than he was – but it still irked him to hear her call him that cutesy nickname.
“It was a temporary thing,” the blonde assured Izuku, smirking in his trademark way at the camera. “It gave me what I needed in the moment – an ice cold stable surface to help me readjust to life on this planet.”
Laughter broke out amongst the group again, and Katsuki took the opportunity to flash a soft and what he hoped was a caring smile at Izuku. Even thousands of miles apart, he hoped his nerd could see everything he was trying to portray.
Izuku returned the smile, a faint blush highlighting his cheeks. Katsuki loved watching how his freckles popped out against the pink skin.
The group talked for a while longer, Katsuki and Mina filling their friends in on what they had been up to at the New York agency. Izuku had so many questions, and Katsuki could see he was physically restraining himself to ask even more.
Whilst Mina and Ochaco were busy discussing the differences in clothing shops, Katsuki grabbed his own phone and fired off a quick message to Izuku.
Kacchan:
When’s your next day off? We can arrange a call – just us?
He saw Izuku check his phone on camera, his blush deepening as he smiled to himself. He soon received a reply.
Deku:
I’m off next weekend – Saturday and Sunday. Would love to have a proper catch up with you 😊
Kacchan:
Same time next weekend then nerd? I’m off on the Sunday so will have time to sit and talk.
Deku:
Perfect. Looking forward to it Kacchan 😊
---------------------
“Tell him how you feel.”
“No.”
“Kats…”
“Don’t ‘Kats’ me.” Katsuki let off another explosion at the villain before them, finally knocking him out cold. He sauntered over with quirk-suppressing cuffs, locking the man’s wrists together and hauling him upright to drag over to the nearest police car. “There’s nothin’ to tell anyways,” he grumbled, handing the unconscious villain off to a waiting officer.
Mina merely quirked a pink eyebrow at him, her expression clearly unimpressed. “You’re a terrible liar Katsuki Bakugo,” she told them as they started heading towards the lead officer to give their report. “Both to yourself and to others. Just accept that your super strong manly heart has actually developed soft and squishy feelings for another human being. It’s not such a terrible thing.”
Katsuki sighed, halting the conversation as they spoke with the officer in charge of the scene. It was a simple handover – the guy had been trying to hold up a bank using his quirk Vanity. He was able to control his reflections; seeing himself in any reflective surface meant he could control the image and send it off to do his bidding.
He reminded Katsuki a bit of Twice. A poor man's version.
However the guy was completely untrained and had little to no control over his quirk. His reflections soon started wandering off and doing their own thing, not listening to the villain as he tried to corral them back into line. It made it so much easier for the heroes to swoop in and take control of the situation.
He’d come in hoping for a big cash windfall and a quick getaway. What he got was a concussion and several burns from both Katsuki and Mina.
Once they were done with the police, the hero pair started heading back towards the agency. Their shift was almost over, and Katsuki was looking forward to a day off.
Mina picked up the threads of their previous conversation like they hadn’t been interrupted at all.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she asked him softly as they strolled along. “You know Izuku adores you right?”
“He’s idolised me since we were brats,” Katsuki told her. “There’s a big difference between that and actually loving someone.”
“Love changes and develops over time,” she pointed out. “What was once idolisation and maybe a childhood crush has developed into a full blown attraction to you. Surely you can see it?”
“How do you know that’s how he feels?” Katsuki asked her, returning a wave from a nearby civilian without breaking stride. “You become bosom buddies or some shit?”
“No, but I talk to Ochaco regularly. And Eijirou has been patrolling with Izuku a lot since we both came out here.”
“So it’s gossip?”
“Not really.” Mina huffed, scowling lightly at him. “Babe – our whole class knew that Izuku felt more than just friendship for you even when we were still at UA. Especially after the war. Honestly we’re all surprised you two are still only ‘just friends’.” She rolled her eyes with a cheeky grin. “Personally I think you two would make an absolutely amazing couple. You work well together, you look good together, you know each other inside and out...what’s the hold-up?”
Katsuki sighed, slowing his steps as they drew closer to the agency building. “What we have is really good,” he said softly. “Like...really fuckin’ good. We’re the best we’ve ever been. And I don’t wanna fuck that up.”
Mina halted him by grabbing his hand, spinning him round to face her. “You won’t,” she assured him. “Look...I know I tease you. Our banter is one of my favourite things. You can take whatever I dish out and vice versa.” She squeezed his hand. “But I promise I’m not teasing you about this. It’s too important. You know I love you very much Kats. You’re like the brother I never had. And I want you to be happy. I really do think Izuku could make you happy. At least consider it hmm?”
Katsuki sighed again, returning the squeezed hand. “I’ll think about it,” he promised. “Either way, we’ve still got another 9 months out here. If something does happen between us, I want it to be when we’re back in Japan.”
“Gives you more time to miss each other.” She grinned with a cheeky wink, resuming their walk to the agency. “Don’t they say absence makes the heart grow fonder?”
Katsuki rolled his eyes at the cheesiness. “Got any more damn Hallmark quotes up your sleeve?”
“You’re the cheese to my macaroni?”
“Oh god…”
“I love you with all of my butt. I would say heart, but my butt is bigger.”
“For fucks sake…”
“If you were a vegetable, you’d be a cute-cumber.”
“Ok, that’s enough!”
Mina cackled all the way into the lobby.
---------------------
Two hours later they were back in the apartment. Freshly showered and changed, Katsuki whipped them up some food whilst Mina signed off on the last of their reports for the week. The system was slightly different to what they did back home, but it had been easy enough to pick up.
After dinner Mina excused herself into her bedroom, planning to video call Eijirou. Katsuki headed into his own room, ready for his call with Izuku.
The blonde was nervous, but also excited. He’d been looking forward to this all week, regardless of what he had told Mina. He’d finally accepted that he missed the nerd, and that actually the feelings he held for the fellow hero ran a lot deeper than he had ever before been willing to acknowledge.
Bang on time, Izuku sent through a video chat request. Katsuki smirked as he settled himself back against his pillows, clicking accept once he was comfortable.
Izuku’s beaming grin shone through the screen. He waved, making Katsuki chuckle. “Hi Kacchan!”
“Hey nerd,” Katsuki drawled. “How’s it goin’?”
“Same as ever. You know nothing much changes round here. How are you?”
“I’m…”
Katsuki paused for a moment, feeling the sudden urge to actually open up a bit. He was having the time of his life sure, but he was also starting to feel really quite homesick.
Izuku noted his pause, head tilted slightly to one side in question. “Kacchan?”
Katsuki blinked, shaking his head slightly and giving Izuku what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Sorry ‘Zuku. I’m ok. Just…” He shrugged. “Kinda missing home to be honest.”
“Yeah?” Izuku smiled sadly, fingers twitching where he fiddled with his sleeves. “We miss you too. It’s weird not having you here. Are they treating you well?”
“Yeah,” Katsuki replied, taking a sip of water from the bottle on his bedside table. “They’ve been super welcoming. The apartment is nice, even though it is smack bang in the middle of the city. The agency guys are always making sure we’re ok and have plenty of food and shit. They’re decent people.”
“Good, I’m glad. How is New York?”
“Fuckin’ loud,” Katsuki grumbled, making Izuku giggle. “Seriously Deku – nothin’ here ever stops or slows down. People and traffic continue on all through the night. You think Tokyo is bad – it’s nothin’ compared to this place. So many places are open 24/7, and there is so much to see and do. It’s a bit overwhelming to be honest.”
“Have you visited anywhere yet? Any of the typical touristy places?”
“Yeah a couple of the other heroes at the agency took us out to the Statue of Liberty,” Katsuki told him. “And we’ve been up the Empire State Building. I think they’ve got more planned for when we have some more time off.”
“Please tell me you took lots of pictures Kacchan!”
“Of course.” He rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Knew you’d go mad if I didn’t.” He laughed at Izuku’s little whoop and happy dance in his chair. “We’ve got a week off coming up soon. Thinking we’re gonna do a road trip down to Washington, visit the Hero Museum.”
Izuku’s eyes widened, hands coming up to clap at his cheeks dramatically. “Ohmygod KACCHAN!! I’m SO jealous! I’ve always wanted to go there. You know they have the original version of the first proper suit All Might ever wore in America – the one David Shield helped create. And they also have examples of some of the support gear he used for a while. Oh! And they have an interactive exhibit where you can actually feel what it’s like to use other people’s quirks! Oh oh! AND…!”
Katsuki full on belly laughed then, revelling in the absolute joy and excitement on Izuku’s face. The greenette was positively vibrating out of his chair, reeling off facts and stats about the museum at record speeds. He let the nerd ramble on, enjoying watching the blush deepen his cheeks. He barely heard a word the other man said, quite content to just observe and ignore the little pangs his heart was giving.
Izuku paused after several minutes, hands coming up to cover his mouth. “Sorry Kacchan – I got a bit carried away there.”
“It’s fine Deku,” Katsuki assured him, forcing himself back to full awareness. “I knew you’d go full nerd mode when I told you.”
Izuku giggled, sipping from his own water bottle. “I’ll get there one day,” he said determinedly. “The museum in Tokyo is great and all, but the American one has so much new and different stuff!”
“You’d need to bring a whole case of fresh notebooks,” Katsuki teased. “One whole suitcase just for your nerd journals.”
“That could be a headache at customs,” Izuku mused, one finger tapping his chin thoughtfully as Katsuki laughed. “Maybe I’d just have to dictate all my thoughts, then write them up later.”
They continued chatting for some time. Izuku filled him in on how the Americans were doing over there, and brought him up to speed on some of the friendship group gossip. Katsuki was pleased to hear things weren’t completely falling apart without him around. He told Izuku about some of the heroes he was working closely with; all about their quirks and fighting styles. The greenette lapped it up, revelling in the chance to learn something new.
As evening drifted on in New York, Katsuki scooched himself lower and lower into his pillows, until eventually he was lying on one side, propped up on one hand with his phone perched in front of him. He could see the daylight brightening behind Izuku, and it still amazed him at just how big the time difference was. Izuku was only just beginning his day, whereas Katsuki would soon be heading to bed.
“You ok Kacchan?” Izuku asked softly. He had pulled his legs up onto the chair and wrapped his arms around them, chin leaning against his knees. “You look tired.”
“S’been a long week is all,” Katsuki told him stifling a yawn. “And it’s still hotter than Satan’s armpit.” He smiled at Izuku’s giggles. “Great for my quirk, but not for my sanity.”
“It’s been hot here too,” Izuku told him. “Thankfully they finally installed the new air con at the agency. I’ve never been so happy to be on desk duty.”
Katsuki chuckled, nodding his agreement. “Yeah the air con is my saving grace. I’ve never been so glad to do paperwork in my whole life.”
Izuku hummed. “Kacchan willingly doing reports? Nah, I don’t believe it.”
“Cheeky shit,” Katsuki said with no bite to his words. “I always get them done...eventually.”
“Usually after poor Hana-san has chased you around the agency five times to try and pin you down.”
“Bet she’s not missing me huh?”
“We all miss you,” Izuku told him. “The city is far too quiet without your daily explosions.”
“I just blend into the background noise in New York. There’s a hero here with a quirk similar to Present Mic. We’re all quiet as mice compared to him.” Katsuki yawned, unable to suppress this one.
“You should get to bed Kacchan,” Izuku said softly. “Get some sleep.”
“But I wanna talk to you.” Katsuki pouted, loving seeing his favourite shade of pink steadily take over Izuku’s cheeks. “M’off tomorrow anyways. I can sleep in.”
“You say that now, but you’ll hate it come tomorrow,” Izuku replied with a grin. “We can do this again soon Kacchan. Let me know when you’re next off and book me in.”
“Y’promise?”
“I do.”
Izuku could tell that Katsuki was not telling him everything. He guessed his best friend was bound to be feeling some kind of homesickness by now, even if he never admitted it out loud. Izuku wanted him to know that he was there for him, and would always be willing to listen if Katsuki ever wanted to talk.
“Thanks ‘Zuku,” Katsuki mumbled out, feeling his eyelids getting heavier. “I miss our movie nights y’know.”
“So do I.”
“S’first thing we’re gonna do when I get home,” he told him. “Movie night and curry. The curry here sucks.”
“We can make it extra spicy for you. And you get first pick on the film ok?”
Katsuki nodded, the pillow beneath him scrunching his hair up. Izuku had to bite his lip to not giggle at how soft and domestic Katsuki looked in that moment.
His best friend really was beautiful.
Izuku swallowed hard, tampering down his Mount Lady sized feelings for the blonde on the other side of the camera. Truth be told, he’d loved Katsuki for years, and the separation was killing him. He missed patrolling with him, hanging out on a Friday evening with a few drinks and decent food whilst they watched a film. He had been able to ignore his growing romantic feelings for the blonde for some time now, happy enough with how far their friendship had progressed over the recent years.
But now being forcibly separated from Katsuki for a year was pushing those feelings to all bubble up to the surface. He really missed Katsuki. They’d never been apart for so long before, and they still had several months to go.
The separation was forcing Izuku to confront the fact that he really did hold Katsuki much closer to his heart than he had previously been willing to admit, and that he hated being apart from him for so long.
Dammit.
He sighed quietly to himself as he watched Katsuki try his hardest to refrain from yawning. The blonde looked really cosy and comfortable curled up in bed, the dim lamplight casting shadows across his sharp jawline.
What Izuku wouldn’t give to run his fingers down it.
“Go to bed Kacchan,” he pressed gently. “We’ll talk again soon ok?”
“Mmmkay.” Katsuki rubbed at his eyes, smiling at Izuku. “Thanks for this ‘Zuku,” he murmured, softer in tone than usual. “I needed it.”
“I miss you too,” Izuku told him wistfully. “I’m so glad you’re having an amazing time, but honestly I can’t wait for you to get home.”
“Same here,” Katsuki said. Izuku saw something flit across those crimson eyes for a second; something like sadness or loneliness. Izuku wasn’t sure, but he knew he never wanted to see that look in Katsuki’s eyes again.
“Keep those Yanks in line,” Katsuki told him, shifting so that he was burrowing himself under the duvet. “And stay out of hospital. Don’t want you getting’ hurt when I’m not there to look after you.”
“Kacchan…” Izuku trailed off as he swallowed back tears. That was the closest Katsuki had come to in years to admitting he cared for him. “I’ll do my best,” he promised. “And the same goes for you. I need my hero partner back here in one piece next year.”
“I will be,” Katsuki assured him. “I’ll be back and kickin’ ass.” He yawned again, snuggling even further down into the bed.
Izuku giggled, the only parts of Katsuki he could see being a few spikes of blonde hair and tired red eyes. “Get some sleep Kacchan. Text me when you wake up and we’ll arrange our next call ok?”
“Mmmkay. N’night Deku.”
“Good night Kacchan. Sweet dreams.”
“Y’too. Lov...laters.” Katsuki blinked before giving a quick wave and ending the call.
Izuku sat back, blinking at his now blank phone screen. What had Kacchan been about to say there? It sounded a lot like…
No...no! Izuku shook his head. That couldn’t possibly be it. Kacchan was just bone tired is all, probably not completely aware of what he was saying.
But it definitely sounded like the L word was about to slip out.
Did that mean there was someone else Katsuki would say that to?
Izuku frowned to himself, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt as he pondered things. As far as he was aware, Katsuki had not been involved with anyone since he had split from his last boyfriend about a year ago. He’d certainly not said anything to Izuku about a possible romantic partner.
Not that he had to of course – he wasn’t obligated to tell Izuku every teeny tiny detail of his personal life. But it would be unusual for Katsuki not to tell him about a possible relationship. Izuku had been the first to know about Akira after all. He’d been genuinely happy for Katsuki when the blonde had told him about his new boyfriend, but there was also a part of him that had been insanely jealous and angry.
He’d never admit to anyone about how happy he had been when Katsuki had broken up with that idiot. Akira had never been good enough for him, and Izuku was thankful that the relationship had only lasted a year.
Anyway – back to to the present.
Izuku shook himself as he stood up, padding into his kitchen to make coffee. Katsuki was probably just exhausted and feeling comfortable from their chat. Izuku knew the blonde did love him, in his own way. They’d known each other since they were babies after all, and they been through so much together in their 25 years. Of course their friendship ran deeper than normal.
But that didn’t mean Katsuki loved him. At least, not in the way Izuku wished he did.
Izuku sighed, making himself a drink and heading towards his home office. It would not do to dwell on wishes and fanciful thoughts. He had things to do, and he didn’t want to waste his day off.
He only hoped the next few months flew by.
---------------------
Lights flashed, music pounded, and Katsuki felt himself being drawn deeper into the dancing crowd by Mina. The woman was small, but by god did she have a grip on her.
“C’mon babe – let’s dance!” She pulled him forcefully onto the dance floor, keeping her arms locked around his waist as she moved to the beat.
Katsuki inwardly groaned, knowing the only reason she had managed to get him this far was because of the several shots they had both just done at the bar. Otherwise he’d never step one foot onto the sticky dance floor.
He obliged her for a time, keeping one hand gripped tightly to her waist as they danced. She had already been approached by one drunken sleazebag hoping to get his end away, but Katsuki had soon helped scare him off. Mina was more than capable of holding her own against such idiots, but Katsuki had promised Eijirou before they left that he would look after her.
And Katsuki always held firm to his promises.
Mina appreciated his support, even if she did tease him about being a guard dog.
It had been just over two months since their last drunken outing. Katsuki still wasn’t convinced his liver had completely recovered, but he had eventually caved to Mina’s pleas.
Eventually they stumbled back to the bar, Katsuki flagging the bartender down. They then ambled off to a sofa that had become free against one wall, slumping down into the cushions and taking a momentary breather.
“Thanks for coming out tonight Kats,” Mina said to him, clinking her glass against his. “I really appreciate it.”
Katsuki grunted a reply, taking a deep swig and feeling the alcohol burn its way down his throat. “S’no problem Pinky,” he told her. “Guess we were overdue some fun.”
“Hell yeah we were! And just think – three more weeks and we go to Washington!”
Katsuki grinned at her. “It’s gonna be fuckin’ epic. Shitty Hair still jealous?”
“Of course!” Mina giggled. “I bet Izuku is worse.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Of course he is. Damn nerd was practically foaming at the mouth when I told him we were going.”
“Oh bless him. You’ll just have to bring him back one day and show him around.” She pointedly ignored Katsuki’s scowl. “When’s your next video date?”
“They’re not dates,” he told her.
“Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that sunshine.” She winked at him, downing the rest of her drink and jumping to her feet. “I’ll get the next one. Same again?”
Katsuki nodded as he finished his own glass, and Mina skipped off back towards the bar.
As the night wore on, they drank and danced more and more. Katsuki finally felt himself relaxing with the help of the alcohol, his limbs becoming looser and his smiles becoming more frequent. Mina loved seeing him like this – loved seeing him let go of some of that battle-honed restraint. As amazing a hero as he was, Katsuki was always far too highly-strung and hyper-fixated on performance and improvement. She loved being able to break him out of that cycle every now and then.
Eventually the pair managed to stagger out into the club’s designated smoking area, needing a few moments to catch their breath. Katsuki became preoccupied scrolling through his phone, wanting to see what Izuku had been up to during the week. They hadn’t been able to video call for a while as their schedules had not lined up, and Katsuki was missing it.
“You should message him,” Mina slurred out from where she was leaning up against a nearby wall. “Ooh send him a selfie!”
“I look like shit,” Katsuki told her. “I’m all hot and sweaty and sticky from dancin’.”
“You look fucking hot babe,” she corrected him, pulling out her own phone and snapping a quick photo before he could argue. “Sweaty is basically your brand after all. I’m sending this to Izuku.”
“Mina don’t,” he pleaded, making a half-hearted attempt to swipe her phone away. “I look fuckin’ awful.”
“No, you really don’t,” she assured him, typing out a quick message before sending the photo on its way. “You look hot and fuckable.”
“He sure does,” came a slimy voice from just behind her. She spun on her heel to come face to face with a tall blonde man who was shamelessly ogling Katsuki. “Very fuckable I’d say.” He ran his tongue across his lower lip as he raked his eyes up and down Katsuki.
“Well sorry babes, but he’s a taken man,” Mina told him before Katsuki could get a word in. “Eyes off.”
The blonde stranger sighed, taking a swig from his beer as he continued to eye-fuck Katsuki. “Shame. We could have some fun y’know.”
“Fuck off,” Katsuki growled, opting for the moment to go along with Mina’s ruse. “M’not available.”
“Shame,” the man repeated, refusing to tear his eyes away. “But what is it they say? When the cat is away the mice can play?” He smirked lewdly at Katsuki, and the explosive hero felt a sick shiver run down his spine.
“Even if I was available, I wouldn’t look twice at your sorry ass,” he bit out. “Try your shitty lines on some other stupid sap and fuck off.”
“Are you actually taken?” the stranger asked, completely ignoring Katsuki’s dismissal. “Or do you just say that to people to try and tempt them in more?”
“The fuck?!”
“The forbidden fruit is always more appealing,” the blonde man continued, draining his beer and leaving the bottle to one side. “You provide more of a challenge by saying you have a partner. Turns me on.”
“You really need to fuck off before I explode your face into the stratosphere.”
Beside him, Mina was frantically tapping away on her phone. Katsuki didn’t look down to see what she was up to as he didn’t want to take his eyes off the slimebag in front of them, but he hoped she was doing something proactive.
Seconds later his phone vibrated, and when he looked at it, Izuku’s number was glaring at him from the screen. He glanced at Mina then, who simply blinked and smiled at him, giving him a nod to answer.
Turning away from the other blonde, effectively completely cutting off the conversation without another word, he accepted the call.
“Hello?”
“Kacchan!” Izuku’s bright voice trickled into his ear. “Are you ok? I got a worrying message from Mina.”
“M’fine,” he growled out, eyes flicking back towards the man still standing there. “You okay babe?”
He had quickly cottoned on to what Mina had done. They were lucky Izuku was available and able to call.
“I’m fine,” Izuku breathed down the phone, voice changing to a whisper. “Sticky situation?”
“Yup,” Katsuki replied, scuffing his shoe against the floor. “Very. Fuckin’ sucks.”
“Say whatever you need to Kacchan,” Izuku whispered, not wanting the stranger to overhear anything. “I’ll play along.”
Katsuki flashed grateful eyes at Mina before turning his back completely on the blonde and continuing the conversation. “I miss you,” he said softly, wondering if Izuku could hear just how much he meant by that statement.
“I miss you too,” Izuku replied, sighing softly. “So much.”
“Not long now. We’re nearly halfway there babe.”
“I know. It’s just...it’s still too long.”
Behind him, Katsuki could hear Mina continuing to tell the stranger to back off and leave them alone. But he ignored them, focused wholly on the gentle voice coming through his phone.
“Just think of everything we can do once I’m home,” he said, a rough growl entering his voice. He heard Izuku’s breath hitch slightly, and then felt his own body react to that sound. “You won’t be able to walk for a week once I’m done with you.”
“Kacchan!” Izuku spluttered for a moment, and Katsuki could easily picture just how red his face must be. “You can’t say things like that when I’m in the middle of patrol.”
“Hmm...my bad. Sorry baby.” From the corner of his eye he saw the other dude finally slinking away, metaphorical tail between his legs. Mina winked at him before scurrying back inside, presumably to get them more drinks.
The alcohol was loosening his tongue, giving him confidence. He would never dream of speaking to Izuku like this if he were sober, but something within him prompted him to keep up the act, even though his unwanted admirer had backed off.
“I just miss you,” he continued, leaning back up against the wall and casting his eyes around. No one else was paying him any attention thankfully. “Like...really fuckin’ miss you.”
“I miss you too,” Izuku replied, and Katsuki was sure he could hear genuine emotion in that statement. “I really miss Kacchan.”
“Better be keeping my side of the bed warm,” Katsuki said, a small smirk upon his lips. “You huggin’ a pillow every night instead of me?”
“Ye...yeah,” Izuku stuttered, his breath catching again. “My bed feels empty without you. I don’t like it.”
“Mmhmm. I’ll be back to warm it soon baby. Just hold on a little longer ‘kay?”
“Is he still there?” Izuku whispered, breaths panting slightly. Katsuki wondered if this conversation was affecting Deku as much as it was him. “Is he still listening?”
“Yeah baby,” Katsuki lied smoothly, feeling the slightest twinge of guilt as he did so. “Talk to me a little longer?”
“Of course,” Izuku breathed out, the sound sending goosebumps rippling across Katsuki’s skin. “Wish I could Texas Smash him through the phone.”
Katsuki snorted a laugh, loving how defensive Izuku was becoming. “I’d pay to see that,” he told him with a wry chuckle. “Would be fuckin’ hot too.”
“Kacchan…”
Katsuki snickered, subconsciously readjusting his jeans as they tightened slightly around his crotch. “Keep breathin’ out sounds like that baby and I’m gonna bust a nut right here in the club.”
“Kacchan!”
“What? S’true.”
“Kacchan, behave.” Izuku’s voice dropped an octave, and Katsuki’s body responded in kind. He swallowed hard, cock twitching in his boxers. “Can’t have you enjoying yourself too much when I’m not there to appreciate it hmm?”
“Damn ‘Zuku...you’re making it real fuckin’ hard to stay in control right now.”
“Hmm.” Izuku grinned from his end of the phone. He’d tucked himself away in an alley, hidden from public view. He knew this was all just for show for Katsuki; he’d been approached by some slimy scumbag at a club and was struggling to shake him off. Mina’s message had flustered and then really annoyed him.
How dare someone try and get into his Kacchan’s pants!
Wait...his Kacchan??
Oh dear...Izuku was getting way too into this role play.
But...fuck it. Even if it never actually happened in real life, Izuku may as well enjoy the chance to hear Katsuki this way.
It turned him on more than he cared to admit.
“Maybe I don’t want you to stay in control,” he purred in answer, grin widening when he heard the smallest of whimpers from Katsuki’s end of the phone. “As much as I’d prefer to be with you when you let loose, it still feels good to know I helped get you to that point.”
“Jesus fuckin’ christ ‘Zuku...I’m gonna be hobblin’ out of here at this rate…”
“Good,” Izuku hummed, casting his gaze around quickly to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Then you can head back to the apartment and fix your little problem hmm?”
“Not so much of the little,” Katsuki growled, causing Izuku to chuckle.
“Oh I know that Kacchan. Big boy Bakugo.”
Katsuki practically choked where he was standing, heat flying up his face and turning the tips of his ears pink. “Goddamn ‘Zuku...didn’t know you had it in you.”
“You’d be surprised,” came the cool response. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me Kacchan.”
Somehow Katsuki knew this had gone beyond a simple get-me-out-of-this-shitshow conversation, and into much deeper, hornier territory. Surely Izuku had realised by now that the creep had fucked off? That Katsuki was playing along with a lie that no longer needed to be done?
Well...fuck it. Might as well hop on and enjoy the ride.
“You’re bein’ fuckin’ brazen considering you’re on patrol,” Katsuki said, smirking to himself. “Got yourself hidden away somewhere huh nerd? Don’t think your adoring public would like hearing the Symbol of Peace being so fuckin’ dirty over the phone.”
“What they don’t know can’t hurt them,” came the quick reply. Katsuki groaned to himself, thighs rubbing together slightly as he tried to ignore his growing arousal. “Think I’d quickly lose my spot in the top 10 if people knew what I was really like.”
Oh shit...oh shit...oooooh fucking shiiiiiit...
Katsuki was in real trouble now. He’d heard what Izuku could sound like when he was teasing, when he was possibly slightly aroused himself. That voice would echo around his brain for months, if not years, to come. It was definitely being filed away in his private wank bank for later use.
“Is that so?” he breathed out, fighting desperately against his restrictive jeans. “Well damn nerd...you’re gonna have to let me in on some of those secrets some day.”
“I’d be glad to,” Izuku replied, adjusting his costume as the conversation continued. The middle of patrol was really not the time or place to pop a boner. “I think I could surprise you Kacchan.”
“I look forward to it.” Katsuki’s voice was practically a growl at this point. He could feel his palms sweating, face heating up as he blushed at the mere sound of Izuku’s purring voice. There may have been thousands of miles between them, but Katsuki had never felt so close to the man currently murmuring dirty words in his ear.
Mina made her reappearance at that point, shoving a glass into Katsuki’s hand as she quirked one eyebrow curiously at the fact he was still on the phone. He shook his head at her, taking a deep gulp of whatever cocktail she had brought out to him.
“Hey uh...Mina’s back. She says hi nerd.”
“O...oh! H...hi Mina!”
“Hey green bean,” Mina cooed, stepping close enough so that Izuku could hear her. “Thanks for your help babes. Sorry to message you out the blue like that, but we needed back-up.”
“Anytime!” Izuku cheerily assured her. “You know I’ll always help you or Kacchan out.”
Katsuki swallowed hard, willing his semi-chub to subside before Mina noticed the slight tent in his jeans. “Thanks ‘Zuku,” he said softly, fingers gripping the glass in his hand tightly. “Appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem Kacchan,” Izuku assured him softly, an almost sad tint to his voice. Katsuki frowned, not liking it. “Call me anytime ok?”
“Sure,” Katsuki choked out, taking another deep gulp of his drink. “Th...thank you.”
“Get home safe you two ok? I don’t want anymore creepy bastards trying to get into either of yours pants.”
Katsuki chuckled. “Don’t worry nerd – Mina will keep me safe.”
The pink-haired woman cackled, nodding in agreement. “I’ve got his back Mido – don’t you worry!”
Izuku giggled. “That’s good to know. I better get back on patrol – enjoy your night both of you, and speak soon yeah?”
“Definitely,” Katsuki replied. “Stay safe ‘Zuku. Talk soon.”
“You too Kacchan. Bye.”
“Bye…”
Katsuki refused to meet Mina’s eyes as he hung up, focused instead on tucking his phone back into a pocket and finishing off his drink. He could see her tapping one foot impatiently, waiting for an explanation.
“Spill Kats. What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” he answered too quickly, still not meeting her eyes. “We were just...chatting.”
“Uh huh. And that’s why your face is pinker than my hair right now.”
Katsuki groaned, head thumping back against the wall behind him. Mina smirked, knowing she had him by the proverbial balls.
“Ok Katsuki. Here’s what we’re gonna do. We are gonna get the hell out of here and head home. Once there, we are gonna crack open that bottle of vodka we’ve got stashed in the cupboard, and we are gonna sit and talk about your goddamn planet-sized crush on Izuku. And then we’re gonna figure out a way to get you to remove that gigantic stick from your ass so that you can actually open up to him properly without the guise of being a damsel in distress so that you can get dicked down as hard as you want.”
“MINA!!!”
“No arguments Blasty Boy. Come on – we’re going home!”
And so it was that a mere half hour later, Katsuki found himself sprawled out across the sofa in their apartment, vodka and lemonade in hand. Mina sat behind him, cradling his head in her lap as she carded her fingers through his hair and sipped at her own drink.
“C’mon babe – spill. What did you two talk about whilst I was gone?”
Katsuki took a deep gulp of his drink, hoping the alcohol would help him relax a bit. “Nothin’...nothin’ much. We just carried on like that dickwad was still there.”
“Even though he wasn’t?”
“Yeah.” Katsuki winced slightly, fingers tapping against the glass in agitation. “I should’ve told Izuku he’d gone,” he admitted, teeth gnawing at his bottom lip. “But...but it was nice to be talking to him. In that way.”
“In what way?”
“Like...like we were an actual couple.” Katsuki sighed, taking another sip of his vodka. “He put this tone of voice on...fuck. Fuck!” He squirmed in her grasp slightly.
“What kinda tone?”
“Like...like…” Katsuki floundered for a minute, unaccustomedly lost for words. “Like a fuckin’ bedroom voice,” he eventually sighed out, one hand running down over his face. “It wasn’t the kinda tone you’d use in normal day-to-day conversation.”
“Ahh I see.” Mina took a sip of her own drink, fingers still trailing through blonde spikes. “So like a sex voice?”
“Hnnnngh…”
“S’ok babe – no judgement here. I know exactly what you mean. Ei has this particular tone where his voice drops and becomes huskier like…”
“Pinky...no offence, but I really don’t wanna know what Shitty Hair sounds like in bed.”
Mina cackled, reaching down to press a soft kiss to Katsuki’s forehead. “Sorry lovely – got carried away there for a moment. But I do know what you mean. And I guess it’s completely different to how Izuku sounds normally?”
“SO different,” Katsuki admitted, draining his glass. “I had no idea the nerd could sound so...so...so damn hot.”
“Oh babe. You’ve really got it bad huh?”
Katsuki whined, both hands coming up to cover his face. “I’m so fucked,” he mumbled out between his fingers. “Now that I know what he fucking sounds like when he’s trying to be seductive.”
“Don’t get too far into your own head,” she warned him, reaching across to refill both their glasses. “He was obviously into it, otherwise he’d have just spouted nonsense for the entire phonecall.”
“I s’pose…” Katsuki took his refilled glass with thanks, taking several deep gulps to try and help calm his racing heart. “He did seem quite happy to play along.”
“I bet he was. He probably enjoyed being able to help you and have some fun along the way. I told you babe – Izuku is so into you. You can’t deny it now, surely?”
“I...well...I dunno…”
“Katsuki Bakugo.” She poked a cheek with one finger. “You listen to me, and listen well sweetcheeks. That adorable little green bean loves the pants off you. I would happily put money on the fact that if you were to actually ask him out, he would jump at the chance. I mean...a lot of people would to be fair, but Izuku is the only one that matters. We’ve got six months left out here – more than enough time for you to grow a pair and ask him out the second we hit Japanese tarmac. I promise you he’ll accept. Trust me on this? Please?”
Katsuki blinked up at her. Once again the alcohol coursing through his veins made him feel more than usual, helped him wade through his murky mess of emotions. Mina looked completely sincere and serious above him. He knew she wasn’t just saying this stuff to help make him feel better.
She genuinely believed it.
He sighed, hauling himself up to sit beside her. She immediately wrapped an arm around him, pulling his head down to lean against her shoulder, fingers still carding through his hair.
“I know Izuku is your person,” she said softly. “And you are his. I know there’s a ton of history between you two, but that’s exactly what it is – history. It’s in the past. You’ve both grown and changed so much since your childhood. You’ll always be connected in one way or another. Don’t be scared to take that leap to the next level. Please believe me babe.”
Katsuki’s breath hitched as he fought against tears. Katsuki Bakugo did not cry. He wouldn’t cry. Izuku was the crybaby – not him.
But he knew that what Mina said was true. Deep down, deep deep down he knew. And he wanted it so badly to be true.
“Let’s just get through the next six months,” he rasped out, taking a chug of his drink to help clear his throat. “Lemme see how things are once we’re back home. If...if he’s even still single by the time we get back.”
“He will be,” Mina told him confidently. “He’s waiting for you Kats. Trust me – please?”
“I trust you,” he replied emphatically, one hand gripping around her forearm tightly. “Thanks Pinky.”
“Anytime babe.”
---------------------
The weeks continued to crawl by. Katsuki and Mina took their roadtrip to Washington, and Katsuki gleefully video-called Izuku whilst they were in the Hero Museum. He chuckled at the nerd bouncing on his screen, bright green eyes wide in wonder as he scanned around the exhibits. He kept his earbuds in so as not to disturb other visitors as he walked around, but he thoroughly enjoyed being able to include Izuku in some capacity as he wandered around.
They didn’t talk about the nightclub incident. Katsuki was too nervous to bring it up in conversation, and it seemed Izuku was the same. It was merely filed away in their memories, something to possibly come back to at a later date.
Summer turned to autumn that turned to winter. Katsuki soon dug out his winter costume, wrapping himself up as much as possible against the bitter winter winds. It seemed New York winters were as harsh as New York summers, and both he and Mina complained about it.
Thankfully their little apartment was fitted with decent heating as well as AC, so they were able to bundle themselves up in blankets and hoodies of an evening to help stave off the winter chill.
Christmas in New York was an experience. The pair marvelled at the extravagant displays and beautiful decorations that lined the streets. Americans always did things to excess, and Christmas was certainly no exception. Even Katsuki had to admit he was impressed.
The agency graciously let them both have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off so that they could contact their loved ones and share in the festivities as much as possible. Katsuki spent most of Christmas Eve on the phone to Izuku alone, tucked away in his bedroom with a warming bottle of rum. Izuku had managed to wrangle the time off as well, and so the pair of them chatted long into the night whilst sipping on drinks and swapping stories of recent villain takedowns.
New Year soon rolled around, and even Katsuki had to admit that being in Times Square for the ball drop at midnight was an experience like no other. He and Mina had hugged tightly at the stroke of midnight, chaste kisses pressed to cheeks as they welcomed in the new year.
Soon they were on the final countdown of their time in America. Katsuki had loved it, he really had. He had learned so much from the New York agency, and had made some decent friends along the way. He and Mina had really made their little apartment feel like home, and part of him knew he would miss these times once they were back in Japan.
He and Izuku continued their semi-regular video calls, keeping each other up to date on what was happening on their side of the world. Katsuki was thrilled to hear Izuku had jumped up several places in the rankings, now sitting comfortably in third place. Only Endeavour and Mirko were ahead of him now, although Katsuki promised to bring strong competition back into the fold once he returned home.
Izuku gleefully welcomed the challenge.
The weeks continued to tick by painfully slowly. Katsuki threw himself into work; anything to take his mind off the painful wait to return home. He took on extra shifts, sacrificing his free time in order to distract himself as much as possible. Mina scolded him, chastising him for overworking and pushing himself too far. He couldn’t even give her a clear reason as to why he was doing it, other than to busy himself and keep him from counting down the days until their return.
Finally, they reached the last month of their stay. Katsuki found himself marking the days off one by one on the calendar on his phone. It was like he couldn’t help himself. Each day he crossed off brought him a little closer to reuniting with Izuku.
He couldn’t deny it anymore – he was undoubtedly romantically attracted to his oldest friend. And he wanted to act on those feelings.
He and Mina had had several more conversations during their time in America, both drunken and sober, and he had eventually caved and accepted his feelings for what they were. Mina had really helped him open up, forced him to look inside himself and examine his heart for what it was trying to tell him. There really was no denying it anymore – he wanted something more than friendship with Izuku.
Their final week in New York arrived without much fanfare. However their friends at the agency threw them a lavish leaving party, using one of the agency’s many conference rooms to set up tables and tables of food and drink. Katsuki had never been wrangled into so many photos, not even at graduation.
It was lovely though. The Americans had really made them feel welcome over the past 12 months, and not even Katsuki could deny he wasn’t going to miss them in some capacity. It had taken some adjustment for sure, but both he and Mina had eventually settled into a comfortable routine in New York, and made several new friends along the way.
They had to take part in several interviews before they left as well. Katsuki cursed and cussed his way through them, making Mina and the interviewers laugh. Although he did have to admit the photoshoot they did for one magazine ended up being quite fun, and he was impressed with the final results.
Finally they clocked out of the New York agency for the final time. They had two days before they were due to fly out – enough time to get everything packed up and the apartment cleaned before handing the keys back.
Katsuki felt like there was a swarm of wasps living in his stomach. He threw that nervous energy into packing his cases with an almost feverish intensity. Every item of clothing was folded just so, and he made sure all the gifts he had bought during their time in America were carefully wrapped and packed. Mina teased him mercilessly for his nitpicking.
“Hey Kats...you realise we’ll be landing home on your birthday right?”
“Yeah. And?”
“Well we’ll have to make sure we celebrate it as soon as we can. Sucks that we’re travelling on the actual day.”
Katsuki shrugged as he zipped up his final case, lugging it over to join the stack near their front door. “S’not that big a deal Pinky. It’s just another day.”
“Pfft.” Mina waved her hand dismissively at him. “Maybe I should’ve gotten our trip delayed by a week. The Americans would’ve thrown you the party to end all parties.”
“Fuck no,” Katsuki told her. “I’ve had enough parties and alcohol over this past year to last me a lifetime. My liver needs a long ass recovery time.”
“Fair point.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment. “Who’s meeting you at the airport?”
“No one.” Katsuki moved forward to wash up their breakfast things. “Gonna get straight in a cab and head back to the apartment. I’ll need a long ass shower and then plan on sleeping for about a week.”
Mina frowned to herself, watching him potter around the kitchen.
Well that won’t do. Hmm...
“Well Ei is picking me up. We can drop you home babes.”
“We won’t fit all our luggage in his car.” He gave her a pointed look. “Unless he’s upgraded from that lunchbox he calls a car.”
“He has actually,” she told him with a grin. “Got himself a jeep last month. There’ll be plenty of room.”
“Tch. Whatever.” He turned back to the sink, missing Mina’s sly grin as she pulled out her phone and started typing.
The following morning they left bright and early to head to the airport. The agency provided them with a car to take them there. Mina had insisted they take one final selfie in the apartment. Katsuki begrudgingly went along with it, standing behind her by the massive floor to ceiling windows that were in the living room so she could get a decent shot. She uploaded it to Instagram straight away with a happy giggle.
Saying our final goodbye to New York. It’s been an absolute blast America – thank you!! Be seeing you soon Japan 💕
Katsuki was beyond relieved to find out he and Mina had their row of seats to themselves. On the flight over he had been stuck with a pompous businessman next to him, the obnoxious bloke spending almost his entire time tapping away on his laptop and taking up much more leg room than was necessary. Katsuki was a goddamn pro hero with long ass legs – he needed every spare inch he could get dammit!
As the plane took off, Katsuki sat back in his seat with a relaxed sigh. Mina flashed him a bright smile as she dug her earbuds out of her bag.
“We’re going home babes.”
“Fuckin’ finally.”
---------------------
Katsuki and Mina spent the 14 hour flight intermittently napping, watching films, and listening to music. Katsuki found himself almost fanatically watching their progress on the little digital map, counting down the minutes until he was back on Japanese soil. He was so glad to finally be heading home, but was also extremely nervous.
He wanted to see Izuku so desperately. Their last video chat had been 3 nights ago, and the nerd had been bouncing with excitement at the thought of seeing Katsuki in the flesh soon. It had made Katsuki smile and turned the tips of his ears pink. It felt good to know Izuku was looking forward to their reunion just as much as he was.
They landed in Tokyo in the early afternoon of April 20th. It was Katsuki’s 26th birthday, and here he was dragging himself off of a stuffy oversized tin can with wings, heavy with jet lag and craving a boiling hot shower.
But first – luggage claim.
Mina leant against him as they waited for their bags and cases to cycle round. They’d both managed to sleep a bit on the plane, but it would take a good while for their bodies to catch up with Japanese time again.
Luggage collected, they joined the throng of people heading towards the exit. Katsuki had a black baseball cap pulled down low over his head, dark tinted sunglasses helping to hide his recognisable eyes. Mina had her hoody pulled up over her head and was also wearing sunglasses in an effort to remain undetected by the public. The last thing they wanted was to be ambushed by zealous fans excited to have their heroes back in the country.
Katsuki spotted Eijirou waiting for them first. He grinned widely at the sight of his friend anxiously scanning the crowd. He nudged Mina, indicating with a jerk of his head to where her boyfriend was. The pink-haired woman squealed, immediately dropping her bags and launching herself across the room. Eijirou caught her with a cheer, wrapping his arms tightly around her as they embraced for the first time in a year.
Katsuki chuckled to himself, holding back to let them have the moment. He dug his phone out of bag, scanning through the plethora of messages that had come through whilst they had been in the air. Several birthday wishes and welcome backs had already been sent, and he opted to wait until he was home and comfortable before replying to anyone. He needed a shower and some decent food before he would even consider talking to people.
“Kacchan?”
His head whipped up at the sound of his childhood nickname. Standing just a few feet away was Izuku, dressed in a nondescript hoody and jeans with a beanie pulled low over his green curls. He was smiling nervously at Katsuki, wringing his hands in front of his body.
“Welcome home! An...and Happy Birthday.”
Katsuki shoved his phone and sunglasses away, dropping his bags and reaching Izuku in a few quick strides. Izuku barely had time to react before he found himself swept up into strong arms, Katsuki’s face buried against the side of his head. He returned the embrace, fingers clenching into the back of Katsuki’s jacket.
“Izuku…” Katsuki whispered, squeezing his nerd as tight as he dared. “Wha...what are you doin’ here?”
“Came to pick you up,” Izuku replied, grinning into Katsuki’s shoulder. “You really think we were going to let you get a cab home on your own? Dream on Kacchan.”
Katsuki choked out a laugh, pulling back slightly to look Izuku in the eye. The greenette beamed up at him, viridian orbs already tearing up. Katsuki felt his own eyes watering as he closed them and pressed his forehead to Izuku’s, willing his racing heart to calm down before his monitor started screaming at him. He felt Izuku’s hands travel up to cup his face, a slight tremor running through his limbs.
“Thank you,” Katsuki whispered, his own hands fisting into the fabric of Izuku’s hoody. He bumped his nose gently against Izuku’s, hearing and feeling the other man’s breath hitch as he did so.
He forgot they were stood in the middle of an arrivals lounge. He didn’t care that they were surrounded by strangers and other people making their way home. He didn’t even register the fact Mina and Eijirou were slyly watching them from a distance.
All that mattered was the man in his arms.
Izuku giggled softly, returning the eskimo kiss with one of his own. “I had so much I was going to say,” Izuku told him. “But now my brain seems to have fried and I can’t remember any of it.”
Katsuki hummed in agreement, crimson eyes opening to look at Izuku again. His heart was still pounding in his chest, his hands shaking where he held tightly onto Izuku. There was so much he wanted to say as well, but his voice seemed to have completely deserted him in the moment. His brain was mush, completely unable to form complete sentences.
Katsuki had never really been a man of words anyway. He was more the action type.
“Fuck it,” he murmured before closing the distance and pressing his lips to Izuku’s. The nerd before him gasped before returning the kiss in kind, hands sliding back down to hold the back of his head as the kiss deepened.
Faintly Katsuki heard Mina and Eijirou cheering in the background, and dimly registered the fact that they were actually still in the airport. But fuck it – if this was to be the only time he willingly gave a PDA, then so be it.
The fact he was having his first kiss with Izuku was much more important.
They eventually parted for air, both their cheeks flushed and wide smiles plastered on their faces. Izuku giggled again before tucking himself in tight against Katsuki, arms wrapped tightly around him as he sighed happily. Katsuki kissed the top of his head, one hand running fondly up and down Izuku’s back.
“Let’s go home ‘Zuku,” he said softly.
Izuku nodded. “I got you a cake. It’s in the fridge at your apartment.”
Katsuki chuckled. “You didn’t need to do that. You’ve already made this the best birthday ever.”
Izuku pulled back, grinning up at him before tugging the blonde back over to his discarded luggage. “You can’t have a birthday without cake Kacchan. It’s against the rules!”
Katsuki merely rolled his eyes, greeting Eijirou with a hug when the redhead bounded over to him. He casually flicked a middle finger up at a smirking Mina, already dreading the bombardment of gushing she was sure to unleash.
He would deal with that tomorrow. For now, he had cake to eat and an Izuku to cuddle.
Yeah...best birthday ever.