A Clear Explanation [NSFW]

“You new here, sweetie?”

The woman had to yell to be heard over the pumping, pounding music that filled the room. Izuku felt too awkward to yell back in a crowded entrance, so he just smiled sheepishly, nodding.

“You’re gonna love it!” she assured him, holding his bicep lightly to lead him through the crowd. “I’m Nomi, everyone here is super friendly, we’re here every weekend if you want to join us!”

When they got closer to the bar, the music was slightly less deafening, and Izuku caved.

“I’m Izuku. I’m just in the area for work,” Izuku answered, forced to yell back despite his best intentions. “I had a long week!”

“Aww honey! Let me buy you a drink.”

“You don’t have to do that!”

“I insist!”

She waved to the bartender, and immediately he was standing in front of them, grinning at Izuku and his apparent new friend.

“You angling for a referral bonus, Nomi?” he teased. “Welcome, it’s good to have you here.”

“Just being friendly to the newbies!” she laughed. “First one’s on me. What do you drink, sweetie?”

“You really don’t have to!” he assured her.

All he’d done was walk in the door, but apparently he’d looked just as lost as he’d felt, because Nomi had immediately spotted him and taken him under her wing, before he’d even gotten three steps inside.

“I want to!” Nomi insisted. “Saka makes amazing cocktails, if you’re into those – or are you a plain ol’ beer man?”

“I actually don’t drink much, so I’m not sure.”

“Oh! He does mocktails too, if you prefer!”

“That’s okay, but thank you! A cocktail would be great, what do you recommend?”

He glanced between the two of them, relieved when the bartender – Saka? – immediately spoke up.

“If you’re new to the scene, I can make you a Taste the Rainbow to make you feel included,” he offered, with a little smile. “It comes with rainbow stripes. But looking at you, a Green Fairy might be more appropriate?”

“Not new to the scene,” Izuku assured him. “Just the city. That does sound really cool, though. I’ll leave it to your discretion, I’m up for anything.”

Saka raised an eyebrow, smirking, and Izuku felt himself turn red. He barely resisted the urge to stumble out some half-baked excuse about how it wasn’t what he’d meant – they probably wouldn’t believe him anyway, and it wasn’t like it really mattered. He just laughed nervously, instead, and hoped his blush wasn’t too obvious under the colourful flashing lights.

Besides, Saka was... kinda cute. What harm could come from a little flirting? He was all shoulders, broad and muscular, with thick biceps that strained the seams of his shirt – which had the top two buttons undone, to give people a peek at his toned pecs; his hair was short and blond, carefully styled to look effortless and casual, even though it clearly wasn’t; and his eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, like the ocean on a sunny day.

Izuku had been planning on someone a little easier to grab and go than the bartender, but hell, Saka could probably change his mind if he wanted to. Was it too soon to ask what time he finished?

Yeah, definitely.

“Oooo,” Izuku gushed, when Saka poured a pretty pink cocktail into a glass in front of him. “I love the colour!”

“You just wait,” Saka said, winking at him. “It gets better.”

He dropped in a couple of small blue ice cubes, and as they hit the drink, colours began to form. Brilliant shades of pink, purple and blue all mixed together in the glass, encouraged by the tiny swirl Saka gave it as he handed it over for Izuku to try, and for a moment Izuku just watched, mesmerised.

“This is why I work in a gay bar,” Saka said, a little teasingly. “Straight dudes don’t get excited about me giving them colourful drinks.”

“It’s so neat though!” Izuku insisted, taking his first sip. “Oh! And delicious, too! Thank you!”

Nomi reached for her wallet, but Saka brushed her off, shooting Izuku another little smile.

“On the house,” he said. “Excuse me a second.”

He headed over to his next customer, and Izuku took another sip, hoping it might cover up how red he knew his face still was.

“So what brings you in?” Nomi asked, when they were left alone together. “You said you had a long week?”

“Yeah, I’ve been in town for a job this week and it’s been a bit of a nightmare. I just needed to disappear into a crowd and let the drinking and dancing and music drown out my thoughts. And, you know, hopefully find someone to blow off some steam with.”

“Saka has a husband, for the record.”

“Damn,” Izuku said, grinning all the same. “Lucky man.”

“He’s a beauty too, they’re both pretty damn lucky. We can definitely find you someone just as cute though, I promise. Is he pretty close to your type?”

“More than you know,” Izuku answered, immediately regretting it. “Sorry, that came out weird.”

“Got your eye on someone in particular?” she asked knowingly.

“Not anymore.”

Izuku hadn’t seen him in years, after all. They’d been so close for a little while, and life had been so good, but then things had... changed. He still wasn’t sure exactly why, whether he’d done something wrong, or life had just gotten in the way, but he tried not to dwell on it too often.

“Tall, strong, handsome,” Izuku offered, before Nomi could question him further. “I have a soft spot for blonds, too. Men, if that didn’t go without saying.”

“Oh honey, I could tell,” Nomi said with a chuckle. “Everyone can tell.”

Izuku wasn’t sure if he should be proud or insulted. He took another long sip from his cocktail, rather than decide.

“What do you do for work, anyway?” Nomi asked. “What’s kept you so busy?”

Izuku froze. Somehow, he hadn’t expected that question, even though he really should have.

“I, um,” he began awkwardly, mentally debating whether he could get away with just lying. “I... teach. Uh, high schoolers.”

Nomi raised an eyebrow at him, and Izuku couldn’t blame her – his stuttering made it pretty damn obvious something was going on.

“At... U.A.” he finished.

“Oh. Oh.” Nomi glanced around, then lowered her voice a little, leaning in closer so he could still hear her. “Are you a hero?”

Izuku nodded, face burning, and Nomi grinned.

“That’s amazing, thank you for protecting us! But I get it, your secret is safe with me.”

She mimed zipping her lips, and Izuku breathed a sigh of relief – he’d never be able to express exactly how grateful he was for that moment of discretion.

“One of our locals hangs out here a lot,” she informed him. “He’s not, like, secretive about his sexuality, but I don’t think he actively tells people, either. I know what the world can be like, as sad as it is. But you’re always welcome here, I promise!”

“Thank you,” Izuku answered, smiling softly. “I’m the same. It’s not a secret, but I only really talk about it with my friends. The media is invasive enough without sexuality getting involved.”

“You’d probably like him, come to think of it,” Nomi mused. “He’s a good looking guy, I wonder if you’ve met.”

“Probably not, it’s my first time working in this area. I just got called up to help clean up the town that was hit by the earthquake a few days ago.”

“Oh, that makes sense! That must have been a tiring job.”

“It was,” Izuku agreed, sighing. “But it’s over and everyone is safe, that’s the important thing.”

“You did a good job!”

She held up her glass, and Izuku laughed as he clinked it with his own, taking another long sip of his pretty, swirly cocktail. It was a life he could get used to, he thought; just hanging out in a bright, loud, colourful bar, surrounded by people who didn’t recognise him, but accepted him inherently as part of their little community. He loved the bars and clubs back home, too, but they were so much smaller, and most of the people there knew him by name and face these days; he kind of liked the little bit of anonymity.

“Oh, speak of the devil!”

Nomi pointed at someone in the distance, and Izuku glanced over, admittedly curious. Hooking up with a gay pro-hero who was apparently attractive and who probably understood the importance of keeping things quiet seemed liked a good way to end his night.

The man was facing away, talking to the bouncer, so Izuku couldn’t see his face, but at first glance? Yeah, he was sold. He downed the rest of his drink in one go, hoping it might give him a little courage, but his eyes were still locked on the biceps the size of his head, only further emphasised by the tight, dark singlet that left them exposed for everyone to perv at – erm, to see.

As he turned around, Nomi raised a hand in a wave, and Izuku’s world came to a grinding halt. His brain filled with a dull fog, deaf to his surroundings, eyes seeing nothing but the piercing red eyes that were suddenly pointed his direction.

“Kacchan?” he whispered.

A small part of him expected Katsuki to just turn around and walk straight back out, or to maybe give him a polite nod and walk the other direction, leaving him just staring like an idiot. Instead, though, Katsuki walked toward them, and if Izuku wasn’t imagining things, he would have sworn there was a hint of a smile on his face, as he did.

“You out adopting nerds now?” he asked fondly, when Nomi slung an arm around him in greeting.

“Don’t be mean!”

“It’s okay,” Izuku said, smiling sheepishly. “Hi, Kacchan.”

“Hey, Izuku. Long time no see.”

“So you have met?” Nomi asked, a knowing grin quickly taking over her expression. “On a job?”

“We went to school together,” Izuku explained. “We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“Oh my gosh, what a weird coincidence!”

Katsuki looked up, and Izuku saw Saka joining them again, holding out a fist across the bar and giving Katsuki a grin. Katsuki bumped it without hesitation, grinning back in a much sharper, more Katsuki way, and Izuku felt his heart beat a little harder in his chest. For a brief moment he caught himself wondering if Katsuki was the husband, but he knew that made no sense – Nomi would have said so, after all, and she wouldn’t have made the comment about how Izuku would probably like him, if he was taken – right?

“I’ve got a new one for you,” Saka said, already reaching for bottles. “It’s based on a Firecracker, but with orange and mango instead of watermelon, and I bought these cute little grenade-shaped ice trays, I’m thinking lime juice.”

“You’re going way too deep on this,” Katsuki snorted. “But it sounds good.”

It only took a minute for Saka to mix it up effortlessly, pouring three glasses and adding a squeeze of lime juice at the end, in lieu of the ice he hadn’t yet made. Izuku took a little sip, eyes widening when the hint of spice hit him, glancing back at Saka and finding him laughing.

“Should’ve warned you,” he said, a little apologetically.

“No, it’s delicious!” Izuku assured him, taking another sip. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“That’s really good,” Nomi agreed.

“I think you’ve done it,” Katsuki said approvingly. “I’ll put my name on this one.”

“So you’re here often enough to have a drink named after you?” Izuku asked. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Shut up,” Katsuki huffed, smiling a little all the same. “What about you, huh? You don’t even live here.”

Izuku paused, and Katsuki seemed to realise his mistake far too late, his smile fading away quickly.

“He’s been here cleaning up after the earthquake,” Nomi explained, when Izuku didn’t speak. “You must be relieved!”

“Yeah,” Katsuki said, nodding just once. “That’s, uh... Thanks. For coming. I wanted to do it myself, but there’s been too much other shit going on.”

“I’m glad I could help!”

“Well,” Nomi said fondly, standing up and clapping Katsuki on the back. “It looks like my work here is done, I’ve found our Izuku a friend; you two have fun, I’m off to meet some more newbies!”

“Oh, you don’t have to-” Izuku began.

“Thanks,” Katsuki cut him off. “See you next time.”

She grinned knowingly as she hurried off, and Saka winked at them as he disappeared to serve another customer, leaving Izuku and Katsuki sitting silently together, sipping their matching cocktails. Not that it was really silent, with the pounding music, but it still felt awkward as hell.

“So how long have you been here?” Izuku asked finally.

“Just over three years.”

“That explains a lot.”

“Sorry.”

Izuku blinked at him, but Katsuki looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

“So what about you?” he asked instead. “You always go out drinking after a job?”

“It was a long week. People trapped and missing, and all that. I just needed...”

He trailed off, but Katsuki nodded his understanding. He’d worked jobs like that too, after all.

“Thought maybe I could blow off some steam,” Izuku finished, changing tracks. “Like hooking up with someone might take my mind off things, you know?”

Katsuki pulled a face, but he didn’t argue. Instead they returned to their relative silence, finishing off their cocktails and setting their empty glasses back on the bar.

“Want to see my place?” Katsuki offered, jerking his head toward the doors.

“Sure!”

Katsuki threw some money on the bar, ignoring Saka’s mouthed protests and stern gestures from the other end, and put a warm, strong hand on Izuku’s back, guiding him toward the exit. Izuku’s heart fluttered – he wasn’t used to Katsuki touching him, let alone so gently, and apparently that was all it took for his stupid crush to rear its dumb head again.

“We don’t have to hook up,” Katsuki said casually, as they stepped out into much quieter streets. “But we can, if you want.”

“Really?”

“F’you want,” he repeated.

“Hell yeah.”

Katsuki laughed, but Izuku couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed. He’d spent years thinking about Katsuki, maybe his entire life, and it wasn’t like none of those thoughts had ever involved a bedroom and a bottle of lube. Or, well, some much less sensible situations.

Throwing caution to the wind, and internally blaming the alcohol that he knew wasn’t really the culprit, he slung an arm around Katsuki’s neck, leaning in. Despite a brief moment of surprise, Katsuki never pulled away. His hand slid a little lower, settling on the small of Izuku’s back, and he met Izuku’s kiss with no hesitation. It was everything Izuku had ever dreamed of – well, a lot of things he’d dreamed of – and Izuku never wanted to let go, but Katsuki’s teeth grazed his lip, biting him just a little, and when Izuku gasped, Katsuki chuckled.

“It’s not far, I promise,” he said, his voice low. “Can you hold on another five minutes?”

“I’ll try my best.”

Katsuki’s apartment was in a high-rise building, and the elevator trip felt like one of the hardest waits Izuku had ever had to endure. He knew the view out Katsuki’s windows had to be beautiful, especially with all the night lights, but he couldn’t even bring himself to spare the thirty seconds it would take to look – he was already planning to figure out where Katsuki’s bedroom was immediately and head straight there. His jeans were already feeling too tight just thinking about it, and he felt like one for all was buzzing through his veins with how excited and nervous and everything else it made him.

“This one,” Katsuki said, unlocking a door and waving Izuku inside. “Need a drink or anything?”

Izuku didn’t bother to answer him, instead grabbing him in another kiss the moment they were both inside. This time, he didn’t let go so easily, keeping Katsuki’s lips locked with his, even as they kicked off their shoes and locked the door behind them. Katsuki guided him in, and Izuku followed without question, trusting Katsuki to keep him safe and upright. Katsuki’s hands roamed down Izuku’s body, landing on his thighs, and Izuku gasped when his feet left the ground, hitched up into Katsuki’s arms.

“I’ve gotcha,” Katsuki murmured in his ear. “You wanna do this?”

“Fuck yes.”

He carried Izuku to a soft bed, looming over him on all fours, pressing him into the mattress with another deep kiss. Izuku was pretty sure he was going to wake up in his hotel bed at any second, to sit and stare at his phone contacts and wonder if he should reach out – until then, though, he was going to make the most of it.

He slid his hands up Katsuki’s shirt, hitching it up to let him get a good look at Katsuki’s abs and chest. Katsuki pulled back with a little smirk on his face, shedding the shirt obediently and letting Izuku explore. Everything about him was perfection, from the strong pecs to the faint scars to the abs that were clearly defined even without him having to flex.

“You’re so gay,” Katsuki teased, tossing his pants aside to match. “You wanna take yours off too?”

Izuku lifted his legs up, hands never leaving Katsuki’s body, and Katsuki snorted as he pulled them off for him obediently. He stole the boxers, too, finally giving Izuku’s dick some room to breathe, and Katsuki wrapped a hand around it, smirking as he leaned in and licked across the head. Izuku hissed, back arching, and Katsuki just stroked him slowly, torturously, watching his chest heave with the effort it took to keep breathing.

“Shirt,” he instructed, reaching for it with the free hand. “Gimme.”

Izuku sat up a little, letting Katsuki pull it up, but pouting when he had to let go of Katsuki’s biceps to rid himself of it fully. He’d already thought Katsuki was hot in high school, let alone the years after graduation when they’d still managed to hang out regularly, as he settled into his pro-hero routine. Something about his move, though, had apparently triggered everything in Katsuki’s body to just develop, and Izuku couldn’t get enough of it.

“You look so sexy,” Izuku explained, when Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah?” Katsuki teased, leaning in and biting Izuku’s neck playfully. “Good to know.”

“Conceited fucker,” Izuku laughed breathlessly, turning his head and dragging Katsuki into another hot kiss. “I like this side of you.”

“Naked?”

“That too. Playful and stuff.”

Katsuki just hummed his acknowledgment, trailing kisses down Izuku’s chest, and Izuku tangled his fingers in Katsuki’s hair, feeling him move lower and lower. He paused just below Izuku’s belly button, glancing up at him with those sharp red eyes, then skipped ahead to his thighs, making him groan.

“Needy,” Katsuki said with a smirk. “So impatient, Deku.”

“Can you blame me?” Izuku whined, tugging lightly to encourage Katsuki back to where he wanted him. “We could have done this years ago, you know. I can’t believe you never told me you were gay.”

He regretted the words immediately, biting his lip too late to hold them back.

“I’m not,” Katsuki said, perfectly level and uncaring about it, pausing to bite Izuku’s thigh gently.

“Sorry. Bi?”

“Ace.”

Izuku froze, sitting up a little to stare, his rock-hard dick immediately forgotten.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurted out. “I shouldn’t have assumed we were gonna...”

“Gonna what?”

“Have sex.”

“Are we not?” Katsuki snorted, glancing at Izuku’s leaking cock pointedly. “And here I was, thinking you were into it.”

“What? I am! But I’m not gonna make you do something you don’t want to do, I should’ve asked.”

“I don’t do shit—”

“—shit you don’t wanna do, I know, I know. Can we uh, keep making out and stuff? Or should we... I don’t know. Go order a pizza?”

“I swear to God, nerd. What the fuck do you think we’re doing here?”

“I don’t know!”

“Ace people have sex too, dumbass,” Katsuki informed him, biting his thigh again, a little harder this time. “Are you really gonna make me give you a whole stupid lesson about asexuality instead of fucking you?”

“No! Well, unless— I don’t know, Kacchan, just tell me the answer!”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, shifting back up the bed to hover over him. He grabbed one of Izuku’s hands, dragging it up to his crotch, letting him feel the warm, wet spot in his underwear, the hard bulge beneath.

“I want to fuck you so bad right now,” Katsuki said bluntly, hips shifting to rub himself against Izuku’s hand. “Just because I don’t feel sexual attraction doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy sex, alright? Now stop fucking blue-balling me and spread those damn legs.”

Izuku’s legs flew apart before he could even think about it, and Katsuki gave him the smuggest look Izuku had ever seen on him – and that was saying something, considering their history. Katsuki reached for the side table, taking a moment to find the right bottle, then dropping it on Izuku’s stomach lightly to make him twitch.

“You wanna do it yourself, or want me to do it?” Katsuki asked. “Before you get all flustered again, I’m fine either way.”

“Ah, y-you do it?” he answered, much more question than real answer. “Can we, um... multitask?”

“You wanna keep making out?” Katsuki asked knowingly, picking the bottle back up and flipping it open. “Sure, I can manage that.”

He coated his finger in lube, and repositioned himself a little, gently stroking at Izuku’s hole to get him to open up. He leaned in, and Izuku’s eyes fluttered closed, moaning quietly when Katsuki’s tongue ran across his lips. Izuku wanted to do something, contribute something, but his mind went completely blank, lost in the feel of Katsuki’s lips against his, and his finger in his ass.

Honestly, the second one wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was worth it, knowing where it was leading. Despite everything Izuku had assumed, in that one jarring moment, Katsuki seemed entirely comfortable about the motion, like he’d practiced it far more times than Izuku himself had.

He tried not to dwell on that thought.

Katsuki’s hand brushed against Izuku’s dick when he reached for the lube again, and Izuku’s back arched, chasing the touch. It was almost painful how hard he was, and a part of him wanted to just wrap a hand around it and give himself some relief, but he knew Katsuki would never stand for it – not to mention it would put a damper on their immediate plans.

“Won’t be long,” Katsuki assured him. “Bear with me.”

Izuku nodded, a little frantically, and Katsuki returned, slipping two fingers inside this time to stretch him a little wider. His other hand shifted, from leaning on the mattress to resting on Izuku’s hip, holding him down and making him whine again. He hadn’t realised how much he was moving until he couldn’t anymore, trying and failing to squirm, while Katsuki worked his way up to a third finger.

“Ready?” he asked, his breath tickling Izuku’s ear. “I wanna feel you.”

“Fuck,” Izuku whispered. “Do it.”

The fingers left him, and he heard the telltale sound of a bottle running low on liquid, cracking an eye open, relieved to see Katsuki lubing himself up without issue – he wasn’t sure how he was going to cope, if they suddenly couldn’t continue. He just had to hope Katsuki was into it, like he claimed he was.

His legs shifted as Katsuki hitched them up a little to get a good angle, completely unphased by moving Izuku’s weight around, and something about that was insanely hot, even though he knew it was no big deal for any pro-hero. Maybe he needed to fuck more of his work friends.

He felt Katsuki begin to slide into him, and despite the prep, he still felt himself stretching to accommodate him. But Katsuki’s hand was still on his hip, his thumb stroking lightly, comfortingly, and he moved slowly, making sure Izuku was okay at every step. For how brash and loud his personality had been, growing up, Katsuki had become such a kind and caring lover, and it made Izuku tear up a little, behind his squeezed-shut eyelids.

“Okay?” Katsuki asked quietly, kissing away a stray tear.

“So good.”

Izuku forced his eyes open, and despite how difficult it was to keep them that way, and how blurry his vision was from the tears, he didn’t regret it. Katsuki’s face was so soft, so full of warmth and kindness. Izuku had only seen that face a few times in his life, and he felt so blessed to see it once more, aimed his way.

“Please keep going,” he whined. “Why did you stop?”

Katsuki chuckled, but he kept moving, seating himself fully inside Izuku’s ass and letting out a long breath. Izuku reached for him, and Katsuki allowed it, giving Izuku his clean hand to cling to and reaching for a tissue box with the lubed one.

“Should’ve grabbed towels,” Katsuki lamented, as he wiped his hand off a little. “Wasn’t exactly planning this.”

“Sorry,” Izuku laughed breathlessly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, but I was absolutely planning to get fucked tonight.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” Katsuki teased, leaning in to kiss him again lightly. “You were undressing me with your eyes from the moment I walked in.”

“Damn right.”

Katsuki began to move again, slowly sliding out this time, and Izuku did his best to relax and let it happen. He squeezed a little harder at Katsuki’s hand, and Katsuki responded with a quick thrust, making them both gasp. Neither of them bothered to speak, Katsuki immediately repeating the motion, and Izuku’s head fell back, moaning as he let it happen, feeling every beautiful moment of Katsuki inside him. He whined a little when Katsuki let go of his hand, but then Katsuki was lifting Izuku’s legs up over his shoulders, pushing them back to go harder and deeper. Izuku helped as best as he could, pushing his hips down into Katsuki’s thrusts, heels digging into Katsuki’s back.

Katsuki’s hand moved again, this time wrapping around Izuku’s cock, bringing him a world of relief before he even began to stroke. It was almost too much when he did, Izuku couldn’t decide whether to buck into his fist harder or pull away entirely, but then he was coming, and his ass was filling with heat, and Katsuki was slowing down, both of them breathing hard as it slowly came to an end.

“Fuck,” Katsuki said breathlessly, as he pulled out and let cum trickle all over his duvet. “So good.”

“Yeah?” Izuku asked, voice a little squeaky. “You’re... okay?”

“I told you, dickwad, Ace people can have sex too,” Katsuki said knowingly. “Just because I don’t look at someone and think I want to fuck that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it when I do.”

“Okay,” Izuku acquiesced. “Um, thanks.”

“Thanks?” Katsuki snorted. “God, you’re still such a nerd.”

“Shut up,” Izuku objected, laughing all the same. “What else am I meant to say?!”

“Knowing you? Probably Daddy more or some weird shit like that.”

“Kacchan!” Izuku squawked, kicking at him and trying not to cave to his infectious laughter. “You’re awful!”

“Hey, I don’t judge. You Allos are all weirdos anyway, no matter what dumb kinks you have.”

“You’re never gonna let this go, are you? I’m so glad you live in a different city.”

He froze, regretting the words immediately, but Katsuki just continued to laugh, apparently unoffended.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said, when his laughter calmed down a little. “I shouldn’t have just disappeared on you like that.”

“It’s okay,” Izuku said, more out of reflex than anything else. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

Katsuki shuffled over, lying down beside him on the bed, and Izuku rolled over to look at him, despite the way it further spread lube and cum around them both.

“I was worried you’d stop me,” Katsuki admitted.

“I would never!”

“Not on purpose,” Katsuki acknowledged. “But the moment you got all teary-eyed or something, I knew I’d have caved and cancelled it all.”

“Why?”

Katsuki didn’t answer right away, and Izuku reached for his hand again, linking their fingers.

“Why, Kacchan?”

“I’m pretty sure you can guess why,” Katsuki huffed, dropping his head to Izuku’s shoulder to break their gaze. “We had a good thing going.”

“We did,” Izuku agreed. “It took us a long time to get there, and I was worried I’d screwed it up.”

“No, it wasn’t you, I promise. I just... needed to do this. For me.”

“I’m glad you did, it seems like you’re doing well. I just wish you’d talked to me.”

“I wish I had too, but I was being a coward.”

“And now?’

Katsuki didn’t answer right away, and Izuku let him have it, stroking his hair lightly where it tickled his cheek.

“I missed you,” Katsuki mumbled. “I want you back in my life.”

Izuku had no hope of stopping the tears that came out over that, hugging Katsuki tighter than he’d ever held anyone before, his body wracked with sobs. Katsuki hugged him back, neither of them speaking for a while, just holding each other close and savouring the touch, as sticky and wet as it was.

“I want that too,” Izuku finally choked out, when he’d managed to calm himself down. “I’ve missed you so much, Kacchan.”

“I’ll come visit you, and you can come here whenever you want. And we can talk – text and call and whatever. I won’t be here forever, probably. We’ll make it work.”

“Every school holidays, I’ll be here,” Izuku informed him. “Whenever I’m not teaching.”

“I’ll take some long weekends in between,” Katsuki offered. “It’s only a few hours.”

“You know how Ace people have sex sometimes?”

“Yes?” Katsuki asked, humouring him. “And?”

“They date people, too, right?”

“What the fuck did you think we were talking about?” Katsuki snorted. “You think I’m making all these plans for a friend?”

“Maybe.”

“Yeah right. You’re mine now, you hear me? Deal with it.”

Izuku smiled softly, nodding as he squeezed Katsuki a little tighter.

“Sounds good, Kacchan.”

“Damn right it does.”