Two Idiots, One Train [NSFW]

Happy belated new year! I got busy at work which in turn made me ridiculously exhausted, so I only just got around to finishing this. Sorry!

─────


Katsuki shoved his hands deep in his pockets, shivering a little as a cold breeze blew through the platform. He huddled down low in his jacket, shrugging his shoulders up around his ears to keep them warm, and quietly cursed the stupid weather for making his life a misery.

“Kacchan!”

He looked up reluctantly, watching as Izuku’s scarred hand raised in a wave, hurrying over to stand beside him at the edge of the track. Even with a mask over his face, Katsuki could see the beaming smile he wore, and he huffed quietly as he adjusted his own.

“You’re heading home today too?” he asked – a little pointlessly, Katsuki thought. “I thought I was the only one sticking around work so late in the year.”

“Clearly not,” Katsuki snorted, nodding toward the packed station around them. “Don’t wanna be away any longer than necessary.”

“I know the feeling!”

“Tickets were expensive as hell,” he huffed. “Couldn’t even get a seat for half the trip.”

“You got a seat?” Izuku asked, laughing. “I’m in standing room the whole way, the seats were all booked out!”

“Good luck. I have no seat for the first three and half hours, that’s bad enough.”

“I didn’t book early enough,” Izuku sighed. “Next year I need to be online the moment the reservations open.”

“You plan on still being here next year?”

Izuku looked around knowingly, at the snow-covered landscape beyond the station, the ice-cold winds coursing through.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I do like it here, and I love the agency and everything, and I feel like I’m actually making a difference here, compared to somewhere like Tokyo where they’re so oversaturated with heroes. But it would be really nice to be closer to Mom, and I doubt she’ll want to leave home.”

“I just want to be somewhere fucking warmer.”

Izuku laughed brightly, and Katsuki cracked a little smile of his own, allowing it when Izuku leaned in to shove him lightly with a shoulder.

“It’s winter, Kacchan,” Izuku reminded him. “Nowhere is warm.”

“Okinawa would be bearable, I bet.”

“To fight what villains? You’re retiring already?” Izuku teased “I didn’t know it’d be so easy to beat you.”

“Like hell, shut up.”

“I guess you could go be a hero in Australia or something for the winter, it’s summer down there.”

“There’s an option.”

“Let me take number one without you, while you’re gone.”

“Yeah right.”

He shot Izuku a weak glare, even knowing the effect was completely ruined by him huddling inside thick layers of clothing to keep from dying of hypothermia. Izuku would probably call him a walking marshmallow, or whatever that weird mascot from Mie was called.

“At least it’ll be warm on the train,” Izuku pointed out. “Maybe next year we’ll be earning enough to book the expensive seats. Those almost never sell out.”

“True. If we’re lucky.”

“If we work hard, you mean.”

“We always work hard,” Katsuki objected. “Sometimes you need luck, too.”

“I didn’t know your whole ten-years-to-number-one plan involved luck.”

“And I didn’t know you were so damn annoying but here we are.”

“You absolutely knew that, you tell me constantly.”

“Shut up.”

With a sweet little chime, the train began to pull in, and Izuku chuckled faintly, turning to brace himself against the gust of wind it brought with it. It took Katsuki far too long to realise that in the process, he was angling himself to shield Katsuki from the worst of it, and he wasn’t sure if he was grateful or just embarrassed.

“Can we stand together?” Izuku asked awkwardly. “Or is that too long to stand next to me?”

“S’fine,” Katsuki shrugged. “Probably marginally better than having some random perv next to me for over three hours.”

“Probably,” Izuku echoed, chuckling. “I guess we’ll find out.”

A handful of people filed neatly off the train, and Katsuki took a deep breath as they followed their queue inside to take their places. It felt like the entire population of the city was there, trying to cram themselves into a tiny little train car, and Katsuki felt a tentative hand curl into his coat, keeping them close together.

Despite all the people around him, and the heating the trains usually had going all winter, Katsuki was still freezing. Maybe it was the thin layer of snow that had settled on him, working its way through his clothes, or maybe it was the breeze still floating through the car with all the doors open, but no matter what it was, he was mad about it.

The crowd jolted, shoved by some last minute passenger trying to force their way into the masses, and Katsuki stumbled. The hand in his coat tightened, steadying him, and when he glanced back he found a knowing look on Izuku’s face, shaking his head faintly when Katsuki opened his mouth to choke out a ‘thanks’. Izuku reached for one of the straps hanging from the roof, managing to worm his free hand up close enough to grab it, and when the doors slid closed, he held Katsuki a little tighter, keeping him balanced as the train began to move.

“C’mere,” he instructed, as the train rattled and rocked – getting out of the city in bad weather was always a nightmare for motion sickness. “Turn around.”

Katsuki obeyed, carefully turning his back on the people around them, trying his best to keep from whacking them all with his backpack as he moved. Izuku reached for him, hand sliding over his shoulder, and took a grip on the top of his bag where it wouldn’t slip away in the midst of a sudden sharp turn.

“Thanks,” Katsuki mumbled, cheeks flaming.

“No problem.”

It was one thing Katsuki had always hated about packed trains. Other than the lack of personal space and all the germs hanging around, that was. In the middle of winter, when everyone was riddled by colds and flu, it just seemed like a stupid place to be in general. At least most of the passengers wore masks, he supposed, but it was usually the sick ones who didn’t bother. But no, what he really hated was the way he got jostled around at every little bump or turn, unable to navigate his way to a strap or a bar to hold on to. No one really minded if he bumped into him, they all relied on the pack to keep them all upright, but he hated it, he never wanted to slam into people even if they were slamming into other people at the same time.

One of the few benefits of stupid Deku’s growth spurt, he supposed, was that it was easy for him to reach something to hold.

“Relax,” Izuku mumbled. “I’ve got you.”

Sure enough, the next time the train lurched, while everyone else stumbled and swayed, Izuku just tightened his grip a little at both ends, easily taking Katsuki’s weight and keeping him steady.

Fuck, maybe it was gonna be nice standing with him for three and a half hours.

He even managed to keep his mouth shut, for most of it. They talked a little here and there, and Katsuki regularly angled his phone to let them both read an article or watch a muted video together, since Izuku’s hands were occupied, and Katsuki couldn’t help but notice how much warmer he felt, with Izuku holding on to him.

“I need to piss,” he grumbled, glancing at the time on his phone. “We better arrive on time, I don’t want to miss my connection because of a toilet queue.”

“Are you on the twelve-fifty?”

“Yeah, got about twenty minutes if we’re on time.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, then!”

“I was gonna grab food and all that shit, make sure I could have a comfortable trip. The stuff they sell on board is always so disappointing. I guess if all else fails, the toilets on the train probably won’t have much of a queue.”

“Can you hold it for that long?”

“I’m trying not to think about it.”

“You could try to get through now,” Izuku suggested, eyeing the crowd between them and the toilets at the back of the train. “You could probably get there before we stop.”

“Doubt it,” Katsuki grumbled. “There’s probably a queue anyway.”

“Okay, well... I guess run and line up when we get off, then? If I pass any others that don’t have a huge queue, on my way through, I’ll send you a text.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“No problem,” Izuku chuckled. “I’m just gonna head straight for the platform, if I’m at the front of the line I might be able to get a decent spot.”

“Yeah, might even get an unreserved seat if you’re super lucky.”

“Sadly no,” he laughed. “All the seats are reserved on this line, they don’t even allow standing room except over busy periods.”

“Huh. That sucks.”

Soon the train was pulling to a stop, and Katsuki turned around again, following a small procession of people who wove their way out the doors. Izuku still kept hold of his backpack, letting Katsuki navigate him through the throngs, but as soon as they hit solid ground he let go again, grinning as he set Katsuki free.

“Go!” he instructed, giving him a last little pat on the back. “Good luck!”

“See you at the next platform, probably.”

“Yup! I’ll be there!”

He took off toward the escalators, speed-walking to weave through slow-moving people, and Izuku watched fondly as he disappeared. They’d spent a lot more time together since they’d been hired by the same agency, a significant way north of all their family and friends, and it was the happiest Izuku had been in a long time. As much as he missed his mother, and All Might, and all his high school friends who had scattered across the country after graduation, being able to have Katsuki with him, being able to actually hang out with him, had made everything so much better.

As he reached the end of the escalators, he caught a glimpse of Katsuki waiting outside the bathrooms, thankfully only a short line ahead of him – though it was growing quickly behind him. He raised one hand in a little wave, but Katsuki was facing the other way, oblivious to Izuku waving at his back.

In all honesty, he should probably have talked to Katsuki a month ago about heading back home, so they could have collaborated and gotten seats together. He was pretty sure Katsuki would have said yes – after everything they’d been through together, he was pretty sure he could finally call them friends again, instead of the slightly-loaded childhood friends he’d used for a lot of his life. He’d kind of just let it slip his mind, though, in the chaos of work, and had been fumbling for a ticket at the last minute instead. He was lucky he’d even gotten one for the unreserved section, honestly.

Maybe next year he would just ask Katsuki to book him a ticket whenever he did his own.

He found his platform quickly, figuring out exactly where his train car would pull up and hovering nearby. There was one more train to go through before his, but if he was lucky, he’d be first in line after that one took off. He could find a corner to lean in, to take some weight off his feet – a smart man would have taken the chance to sit on one of the platform benches until his train arrived, but Izuku was quickly learning that he was not a smart man. Or, rather, the intelligence he had was outweighed by his fear that he’d miss the train because it got too crowded. There was no way he’d be able to get a train either direction on the day of travel, he’d just be stranded in a random city, unable to get to either of his homes.

He took out his phone when the train before his arrived, sending a quick text to Katsuki while the passengers filed out the doors.

“Train arriving soon!” he sent. “Don’t miss it!”

“Already on my way.”

“Did you get to pee?”

“Yeah.”

“Great!”

He tucked it away again when the queue cleared out, taking one last glance around for people hurrying to get on board, then shifting himself into the queueing area. Sure enough, he was first in line, and when his own train pulled in only minutes later, he was the first to climb on board, finding a little spot in a corner, near the bathrooms in case he ran into Katsuki’s problem, and shedding his backpack to the ground with a sigh of relief. It felt good to get it off his shoulders for a little while, and even though he couldn’t sit down entirely, having a spot to lean was a small relief.

“On board!” he sent Katsuki. “Did you make it?”

“In my seat.”

“I’m glad!”

When a woman and her two kids climbed on board, the mother already looking exhausted, Izuku knew exactly what he was going to have to do. The train was nowhere near as crowded as the first, but it was certainly not empty either, and he did his best to shoot her a smile when he caught her gaze.

A little reluctantly, he picked up his backpack again, stepping away from his precious corner, and she stared at him as he gestured toward it, toward the perfect space for her and her kids to keep out of the way of people who might trample them by accident if any sudden stops or lurches happened.

“Thank you so much,” she said quietly, as she nudged the kids over toward him. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Not at all,” he assured her, making sure his bag was tight to the wall where it wouldn’t fall on the kids by accident. “I’m happy to help.”

The train took off, rattling and shaking all the way, and Izuku repressed the urge to groan. It was gonna be another long trip of trying to keep his balance as they travelled through rough weather – although this time he didn’t need to keep Katsuki balanced along with himself, but still.

By the time they got two hours into the trip, he really just wanted to sleep. Travelling was always so exhausting, he’d never understood why. Then again, he’d also worked until after midnight, and then been on his first train by eight. Next time he took a job and rented out an apartment for it, he was going to pay more attention to exactly how many trains it would take to visit home – five and a half hours was already too much, and he wasn’t anywhere near done yet.

“Izuku.”

His head darted up, eyes widening as he was knocked out of his tired daze. Familiar red eyes were looking at him, from the little corridor he could almost touch, if he tried hard enough, and for a second he just stared.

“What’s wrong?” he asked finally. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing,” Katsuki assured him, nodding his thanks to people who moved aside as he squeezed through the group. “Here, go sit down for a bit.”

“What?”

Katsuki gestured with his hand, and Izuku looked down to see a little train ticket in it, looking up again at strangely concerned eyes.

“Why?” he blurted out.

“You could use a break,” he shrugged. “Rest your feet or whatever.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a seat again for the last train, so you may as well take a turn for a couple of hours.”

“You’re amazing,” Izuku gushed, hugging him tightly despite his protests. “Here, take mine just in case.”

They exchanged tickets, and Izuku picked up his backpack, giving the woman with the kids one last smile before he headed off to find Katsuki’s seat. With any luck, he could even buy some food from the onboard service – Katsuki had been right when he said the train food wasn’t great, but it was certainly better than nothing, which was what Izuku was running on as it stood. He knew he should have grabbed a snack in the station, even if he wouldn’t have been able to eat in his little standing space, but he’d been far more concerned with finding a good spot to stand.

And then immediately giving it away, but that was beside the point.

When he reached Katsuki’s seat, for a moment he just stared, checking the number a dozen times to make sure he was in the right spot. The little tray table was flipped down, and on top sat a little bento box full of food, a can of drink sitting right beside it.

He slid into the seat, careful not to dislodge anything and send it flying, then picked up a little note stuck under the edge of the box, covered in Katsuki’s familiar handwriting.

Figured you’d be hungry. Was gonna give you this on the platform, but ran out of time. Eat so you don’t pass out before we make it home.

He smiled to himself, tucking the note into his bag to keep as a souvenir, and carefully removed the lid of the plastic box. Inside was a tray of sticky rice, topped with pieces of breaded chicken that smelled deliciously garlicky, his mouth already watering before he’d even entirely figured out what was going on.

Rather than overthink it, he grabbed the packaged chopsticks from the lid of the box, took off his mask, and got stuck in. The urge to moan was almost irresistible as it filled his aching stomach. He hadn’t realised exactly how hungry he was until he began eating, and in all honesty, Katsuki might have been right – if he hadn’t eaten, he probably would have gotten dizzy soon enough.

It probably didn’t help that he’d been too tired to eat breakfast.

As he chowed down on soft, fluffy rice and tender pieces of chicken, he cracked open the can of melon soda sitting beside it. That can meant Katsuki really had bought it with him in mind – Katsuki despised anything fizzy – and somehow that thought made the drink taste that much sweeter. He hadn’t just bought too much and passed on his leftovers, he’d genuinely thought about what Izuku would want to eat, and had bought it for him as a surprise.

They really were friends.

When his lunch was devoured, he took a photo of the empty trash, sending it to Katsuki with a bunch of hearts and happy faces for good measure. It wouldn’t go through right away, not until they passed through an area with better cell service, but he knew eventually Katsuki would get it and hopefully smile, knowing his gift was enjoyed.

“Let me know if you want to switch back!” he sent as a follow up, packing away his trash and folding the table back up. “Or just come get me!”

He knew Katsuki wouldn’t do it right away, he’d been too determined to give Izuku a break – sweet thing that he was, underneath his scowls and brash comments. By the time he got the message, though, he might have had enough of standing in the crowd, and then he could fetch Izuku to switch back again. Izuku wouldn’t even mind in the slightest, not after how nice it had been just to sit and eat for a bit.

Until then, though...

Izuku fished a clean mask out of his backpack, putting it on to help keep himself and the other passengers safe from each other’s germs, then tilted his seat back a little, settling in with a sigh. His phone remained on his thigh where he’d set it down, rather than tucked away in his pocket where he wouldn’t hear it, and with a hand over top for good measure, he closed his eyes.

Even if it was just for an hour, a nap sounded amazing.

─────

“I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.” She bowed low, ducking her head. “I assure you that we will get you on another train as soon as possible.”

“When do you expect them to run again?” Katsuki asked, sighing. “Tonight?”

“I’m sorry Sir, it will likely not be until the morning. The snow has been much heavier than anyone anticipated, and it will take time to clear, especially with more continuing to fall.”

“But you expect tomorrow morning to be okay, right?” Izuku butted in, gnawing on his lip. “It’s not going to continue?”

“Yes, Sir, the storm has mostly passed now, so it shouldn’t be an extended issue.”

“And all the trains tomorrow are booked up, I expect,” Katsuki grumbled. “Are we better off just turning around?”

“We’ve added extra services to allow for the demand. We have other routes which are unable to run tomorrow, as well as trains which were not in use due to the decreased New Year timetable, so we are putting all our resources into getting all possible affected passengers to their destinations. Would you like to see a timetable of our added routes?”

“That would be great,” Izuku agreed. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” she assured them. “If you’d like to show me your ID, I can start the process of refunding your ticket and booking you a new one.”

They both reached for their wallets, producing the shiny hero licenses that rarely had to come out of their pockets, and for a moment Katsuki caught her eyes widening at them.

“Thank you for protecting us,” she said quietly, handing them back with a reverent touch. “Please read this timetable at your own leisure, and excuse me for one moment.”

“Of course,” Izuku answered easily, already looking at the list. “Thank you.”

She hurried off to talk to someone, speaking in low whispers, and Katsuki propped an arm on Izuku’s shoulder as he leaned in to take a look – as difficult as it was to reach.

“There’s probably no point getting the earliest one,” Izuku mumbled. “Our parents wouldn’t even be awake yet. And if anything does go wrong with clearing the tracks, we’ll be rescheduling all over again.”

“We’re gonna have to find hotel rooms for the night,” Katsuki pointed out, grimacing. “Check out is usually around ten, so maybe one around then?”

“There’s a ten-thirty on here, that would get us home for lunch.”

“Yeah, that would work.”

They looked up when the lady returned, and this time there was an older man at her side, dressed in a nice suit rather than the standard company uniforms.

“Mister Dynamite, Mister Deku, it’s a pleasure to have you both here.”

“Oh, thank you,” Izuku smiled warmly. “The staff have all been lovely.”

“I’m glad to hear that. If you don’t mind my asking, how much flexibility do you have in your travel time tomorrow?”

“Um, a little bit?” Izuku answered awkwardly, glancing at Katsuki. “We’re heading home to spend the new year with our parents, so we don’t need to be there ridiculously early or anything. We were thinking maybe the ten-thirty train? Can I ask why? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, not at all!” he assured them, and Izuku felt tension seep out of his shoulders. “Actually, we were hoping we could offer you a small upgrade, as an apology for the delay and a thank you for your service. If you’d be willing to travel on the nine o’clock or the twelve o’clock instead, we could upgrade you to a Gran Class seat, our most comfortable travel class.”

“Really?” Katsuki asked, eyes widening. “I’m fine with nine.”

“Yeah!” Izuku beamed. “Nine o’clock sounds great!”

“Wonderful! And please tell me, will you be needing a hotel for tonight? As you can imagine the vacancies are in short supply right now, but we have deals with a few of our partner hotels, and I’m sure we could find something for you both. With a nice discount, of course.”

“That would be amazing,” Izuku nodded, before Katsuki could stop to consider it. “If there’s something local that we don’t have to call around to find, it would make our lives so much easier.”

“Of course, Sir. Please come have a seat in the waiting room – where it’s heated, of course – and I’ll make a few calls, then come find you when we’re sorted.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Thank you,” Katsuki agreed, nodding. “This is a huge help.”

“My pleasure, Sirs. Please, come have a seat.”

Izuku fell heavily into a chair in the waiting area, and Katsuki joined him quickly, sighing quietly as he got comfortable. As much as they both hated using their hero status to their advantage, there was definitely something nice about someone taking charge to sort out an annoying situation on their behalf. And if they offered – no, insisted on doing it, then surely there was no harm done, right?

“Thanks for letting me use your seat earlier,” Izuku said softly. “And for the lunch, too. It was all amazing.”

“It was nothing,” he shrugged. “You looked pretty exhausted.”

“I still am,” he admitted. “I’d love to just lie down and take a nap right now.”

“Soon,” Katsuki pointed out. “As soon as we have a hotel room.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait.”

Soon enough, the man was back, greeting them again warmly and inviting them to come back to the ticketing office. Awaiting them there was a lady with a hotel logo emblazoned on her shirt, and two tickets tucked into a little cardboard sleeve.

“My boss is a huge fan of you both,” the man explained, as he handed them the tickets with a bow. “Unfortunately he can’t be here to say hello, but he wishes for you to receive these tickets free of charge, and to enjoy our best services.”

“That’s so generous,” Izuku marvelled, accepting them with slightly shaky hands. “Kacchan, we should sign something, right?”

“Oh,” Katsuki said stupidly, blinking at him. “Right, that would be... Yeah, hold on.”

He opened up his backpack, kneeling on the carpet right there in the little office to search, and finally pulled out a t-shirt wrapped carefully in plastic. It was the first design ever to come out with his face on it – and Izuku’s too – at their boss’s behest, determined to have an “agency rookies” shirt for them to look back on in years to come.

“You brought one?!” Izuku gushed, catching on immediately. “That’s perfect!”

“It might not be the right size,” Katsuki said awkwardly. “But do you think he’d like it to display, or something? We’ll sign it for him. It’s one of only about a dozen that exist, right now, they’re still working on production.”

“It would make his year,” the man said sincerely. “Are you sure you can part with it?”

“Yeah, ‘course. No big deal.”

He’d brought a few extras home anyway – his parents would want as many as possible to begin their collection.

They took turns signing it carefully, then Izuku handed it over with a little bow, exchanging too many sappy sentiments that Katsuki couldn’t be less interested in.

“Pass on our thanks to your boss,” Katsuki requested, as the hotel worker began to usher them out the door. “And thank you again for all your help.”

“My pleasure!”

The hotel, Katsuki quickly learned, was actually attached to the station – not a long walk at all, and he barely even had to step outside, where it was still snowing harder than he’d even seen it in that part of the country. The lobby warmth was a welcome relief, especially knowing he’d be able to bask in that heating for hours, instead of the brief five-minute stint at the station.

Despite a queue of people at the front desk trying to arrange rooms for the night, Izuku and Katsuki were shown straight to the elevator, the lady bowing again as she offered them two room keys.

“You’ll find all our hotel and room information waiting for you upstairs,” she informed them, as Izuku accepted the keys. “If you have any questions or concerns, please call us from the room phone, or come down and see us. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you!” Izuku beamed. “I’m sure we will, it looks beautiful.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

They stepped into the elevator, and Izuku scanned one of the cards to take them up, grimacing when he saw the numbers printed on each card.

“It looks like we’re sharing a room,” he explained apologetically. “I didn’t think to ask.”

“We’ll cope,” Katsuki shrugged. “It’s only one night, anyway.”

“And we’ll mostly just be sleeping anyway!”

“Yeah, exactly.”

Izuku hunted down the door with their number on the front, scanning his little card, and the moment the door swung open, his jaw dropped. The carpet was admittedly a little kitschy, but the room was huge, all wood-panelled walls with heavy curtains and thick, plush chairs with matching cushions. A dark wooden table sat off to one side, with a mirror over top and a matching closet beside it, to create a little dressing area for the occupants. A single door led off to one side, and Izuku paused for a second to take a peek at their bathroom, marvelling at the huge bath and marbled counter-tops, turning around to gush to Katsuki only to find him missing.

“Kacchan?” he called, leaning back to look. “Did you see this bath? It’s amazing!”

When Katsuki reappeared, he had a tiny bottle of wine in his hand, and Izuku couldn’t help but laugh at him as he took a sip right from the bottle.

“You know that bottle is gonna cost you like thirty bucks, right?”

“Fifteen,” Katsuki corrected him, taking another swig. “They’re paying for the train, I can buy some wine.”

“They didn’t have any vodka or whiskey?” Izuku teased.

“Gross.” Katsuki pulled a face, shaking his head. “The wine tastes better.”

“Fair enough.”

The fancy bathroom abandoned, Izuku followed Katsuki up a narrow flight of stairs that curled around the wall, up to what he could only assume was the bedroom area. Ordinarily he would have been concerned about the lack of a door between the rooms, about keeping Katsuki up with his night owl habits, and being woken in turn by Katsuki’s ridiculous ability to function at five o’clock in the morning. That night, though, he suspected they would both be in bed incredibly early. There was just something about long train rides and snowstorms that was exhausting.

“Um, Kacchan?” he started awkwardly, fingers curling around the stair rail. “Did you... See another room, somewhere?”

“Fuck.”

“They must have made a mistake, I should-”

“Why the fuck did they assume we were going to share a bed?”

“Well... We do spend a lot of time together, Kacchan. We’re partners. We were travelling home for the holidays together. We even have duo-merch!”

“Hero partners, not fucking romantic partners!”

“I know that! I just... Can see why someone would think it, I guess?”

“I guess you do run around town yelling ‘Kacchan sugoi!’ all the time, it’s probably pretty clear that you have a big fat crush on me by now.”

“Sure, Kacchan,” Izuku chuckled. “That’s what did it, I’m sure.”

Katsuki sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose like he suddenly had the worst headache in the world, then took another swig from his tiny wine bottle.

“We’ll arm wrestle for it,” he suggested finally. “Loser sleeps on the couch.”

“Fine.”

“No quirks.”

“That’s not fair!”

“And you think using your shitty quirk to win is fair?!”

“You would use yours if you had the chance!”

“Fine! I’ll blow up your damn arm and then you’ll have nothing left to wrestle with!”

“That would get you arrested.”

“That is not the point.”

“Just... pick something fair!”

“Like what?! Freakin’ janken?”

“Sure!”

“Haah?! No, that was a joke you damn nerd!”

“But it would be fairer!”

Katsuki sighed, exhaustion crashing down on him again, his brief second-wind from the argument gone as quickly as it came.

“Whatever,” he groaned. “I just want a nap, I hate crowded trains.”

Izuku felt guilt well in his chest, his stomach swirling as he stared at the huge, pretty, enticing bed.

“I’ve known you since we were toddlers,” he mumbled. “I want the bed, but I don’t want you to miss out either.”

“So what, we’re gonna take shifts or some shit?”

Izuku gave him a scathing look, and Katsuki’s eyes slowly widened, darting again toward the bed.

“What the fuck.”

“Kacchan,” Izuku sighed. “It’s not a big deal, right? It’s only one night. We’re two adults, friends, who have known each other our whole lives. Let’s just...”

“Share the damn bed and never speak of it again?”

“Sure,” Izuku nodded, cracking the tiniest, most tired smile. “We can never speak of it again.”

Katsuki was stripping his shirt off before Izuku even finished his sentence, falling face-first across the bed, and Izuku laughed as he sank in, indenting himself in the mattress.

“I’m gonna call my mother and explain, so she doesn’t worry,” Izuku said softly.

Katsuki groaned, long and drawn out, muffled by soft duvet.

“Want me to call yours too?” he offered. “Gimme your phone, they’ll panic if I use mine.”

Katsuki fumbled at his pocket, tossing it onto the mattress beside him, and Izuku picked it up with a little chuckle.

“You should at least put your head on a pillow if you’re gonna nap.”

Katsuki grumbled something wordlessly, but made no move to change position, and Izuku just shook his head fondly, turning toward the stairs.

“Okay, I’ll try to keep it down.”

He tiptoed back down the stairs, debating whether he should step into the hallway outside, but quickly deciding against it. For one thing, Katsuki’s parents were sure to have some question or other that he’d need Katsuki to answer. And for another, he wanted sleep too, Katsuki could suffer a little longer while he valiantly sacrificed his sleep to keep their parents updated.

“About time, brat!” Mitsuki answered, not giving Izuku a moment to explain. “We’ve been hearing all this shit about snowstorms, how far away are you? Your Dad insists on picking you up from the station but I don’t want him driving if it gets worse, so hurry it up, would you?”

“Hi!” Izuku squeaked finally, when she paused to take a breath. “It’s Izuku here, Kacchan and I were heading home together today!”

“Oh! Izuku! I’m so sorry, hun! How are you?”

“It’s okay! I know it’s confusing with me using Kacchan’s phone. He’s fine, by the way! We both are! Just tired. Both of us. Um, about those storms...”

“Oh no, what happened?”

“The trains have been cancelled while they clear the tracks,” he explained apologetically. “We’ve got a hotel for the night and we’re heading home in the morning, our train is due to leave at nine. So we should be there about... Ten thirty?”

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Mitsuki said, surprisingly gently. “Were the trains awfully crowded?”

“Very! And we worked late last night, so I don’t think either of us slept very well. We’re both more than ready for some sleep. Kacchan just sort of flopped into bed, so I said I’d call you for him so you wouldn’t worry. He’s fine though, I promise!”

“I believe you,” she assured him. “Masaru will pick you both up in the morning, I wouldn’t want you walking in this weather if it keeps up! Thank you for calling, Izuku! Take care of my brat, would you?”

“Of course!” Izuku beamed. “And thank you! Have a great night!”

“You too, hun. Get some rest!”

He hung up the phone and switched back to his own, smiling at the little selfie beside his mother’s contact information.

“Hi Mom!” he said brightly, when the call connected. “How are you?”

“I’m great, sweetie! How are you? Safe? This snow has been awful!”

“I’m safe!” he assured her. “I’m in Tokyo, but the trains from here onward have been cancelled for the night. Me and Kacchan are in a hotel, so I’m not even on my own! We’re both exhausted though, the trains are just so long. We worked late last night, and got up early for the first train, it’s just been a long day. I think we’re both gonna take a nap, I’ll probably get up for dinner then go straight back to bed.”

“Stay safe, sweetie. Give my love to Katsuki, too! Let me know if you need anything, do you need me to send you money for the hotel? Or a new train ticket?”

“I’m fine, Mom!” Izuku assured her, chuckling. “I’m an adult now! With a job! And actually there’s someone at the train company who loves heroes, so he took care of us anyway!”

“Okay, I’m glad. Feel free to call if you need anything, though, I swear! I’m still your mom, no matter how old you are!”

“I know,” he said softly, smiling to himself. “Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey. See you tomorrow!”

“Looking forward to it.”

He stared at his phone in his hand for a minute, after hanging up, and from up above he heard a quiet sigh.

“Thanks,” Katsuki grumbled into a pillow. “M’tired.”

“Me too,” Izuku chuckled, making sure the door was locked before he headed back up to the bed. “Mind if I join you?”

“Knock yourself out, nerd.”

Katsuki still hadn’t managed to work his way under the blankets, was still lying on top in his baggy old jeans and socks, and Izuku shook his head faintly as he sat down to change.

“Do you need anything?” he offered, as he changed into a comfy pair of sweatpants. “Are you gonna sleep in your jeans?”

Katsuki grumbled faintly, but he shimmied out of his pants all the same, barely even lifting himself off the mattress to kick them aside. Izuku had thought he was the exhausted one, but looking at Katsuki...

“Did you get much sleep last night?” he asked tentatively. “I know I had a bit of trouble.”

Katsuki hummed faintly, and it took a Izuku a moment to realise it was meant to be a question.

“Just thinking about being away and all, things could go wrong while we aren’t there to help, and all that. We’ve been so busy lately, I’d hate for something bad to happen.”

“Mm-hm.”

“You too?”

Katsuki nodded slightly, and Izuku cracked a smile.

“I’m sure they can handle it without us,” he said quietly. “We’re still only rookies, even if we put way too many hours in.”

“I know.”

Izuku carefully wiggled the blankets out from under Katsuki, grimacing when he saw the goosebumps raised all over Katsuki’s arms, and pulled them up to tuck him underneath. Katsuki settled in quickly, curling up under the soft, squishy duvet, and Izuku smiled as he switched out the lights.

“Get some good rest, Kacchan,” he whispered, sliding in beside him. “See you later.”

“G’night, nerd.”

─────

When Izuku woke up, he felt a warm weight against his side, cracking his eyes open to see fluffy blond spikes tucked under his chin. For a moment he just stared in horror, ready to pull away and pretend it never happened, but the moment he moved even slightly he felt a rush of cold air shoot over them, Katsuki shivering in his sleep.

“Oh,” he murmured to himself. “You’re cold.”

He thought about getting up to turn the heating on, but the way Katsuki clung to him made it feel impossible. He couldn’t bring himself to pull away, to see those hands reach for him fruitlessly, to see him shiver alone under the blankets. Instead, he found himself shifting slowly, rolling onto his side to let Katsuki snuggle in closer. Tentatively, he wrapped one arm around Katsuki’s waist, holding him close, and Katsuki hummed contentedly as he curled in.

“Stay warm,” Izuku whispered, stroking his back lightly. “Get some good rest.”

Katsuki snuggled in when he felt Izuku’s grip, and Izuku couldn’t help but hold him a little tighter, enveloping him in warmth. If anything, Izuku would have slept pretty comfortably in the cool room covered in soft blankets, he didn’t need the extra warmth of another body beside him, but Katsuki was a heat-seeking missile turned human, searching for any source of warmth he could obtain to add it to his own stock.

He didn’t know he’d dozed off again until he woke to Katsuki squirming, eyes quickly shooting open to see Katsuki bright red in the face, wriggling his way out of Izuku’s arms.

“Sorry,” he said, more reflex than anything.

“Hah?” Katsuki demanded, eyebrows knitting together. “Why are you apologising?”

“W-Well, I woke up earlier, and you had moved closer to share my body heat, and I probably should have woken you up or turned the heater up, but you were so comfortable, so I just... Let you stay.”

“And you’re apologising for that.” Katsuki snorted. “I’m the one who got all... Whatever. Forget it.”

“It’s okay, Kacchan. Really.”

“I need to piss,” Katsuki grumbled, rolling out of bed. “Just don’t- Fuck it’s cold as shit in here.”

“Are you hungry?” Izuku asked, climbing out his own side and grabbing a hoodie from his bag. “I’ll check out the room service while you pee.”

“Yeah.”

Katsuki shivered as he dug through his backpack, and before he could think twice about it, Izuku threw his own hoodie across the bed, watching the moment of hesitation in Katsuki’s eyes before he quickly caved. It dwarfed him, when he pulled it on, the sleeves hanging down over his hands like little paws, and Izuku couldn’t help but smile at his back as he hurried down the stairs.

He turned on the lights at the little console beside the bed, giving Katsuki some guidance to get to the bathroom without tripping over something stupid, then grabbed a t-shirt to replace his absent hoodie. A folder full of hotel information sat beside the bed, so he took that next, flipping through the pages to hunt for food options.

“What are you in the mood to eat?” he called, making his way down to the heater controls. “I can order just a whole basket of fried chicken, that sounds pretty good.”

“You know what I like,” Katsuki answered simply.

“Curry rice?” Izuku suggested, still skimming through the menu. “Or some kind of pasta?”

“Curry rice,” Katsuki confirmed. “And something good to drink.”

“What, more wine?”

“Juice or something.”

“Got it!”

He picked up the room phone, calling through to place their order, and by the time he finished Katsuki was back, looking cozy inside Izuku’s giant hoodie.

“Should warm up soon,” he said, waving toward the humming heater. “And the food is on its way!”

“Thanks.”

“My pleasure!”

Katsuki sat down heavily on one of the plush chairs, bouncing slightly on the thick cushions, and for a moment Izuku just stared at him, watching him rub his hands together slowly.

“Warm enough?” Izuku asked, taking a few steps closer. “It got cold in here real quick, I was surprised.”

“Me too,” Katsuki mumbled, avoiding Izuku’s eyes. “Um, thanks. For... Keeping me warm.”

“I was happy to do it,” Izuku assured him, smiling softly. “You know me, I’m not shy with my affection! I’m happy to give you hugs any time you want!”

“It wasn’t hugs,” Katsuki protested. “We were just...”

“Cuddling.”

“Shut up.”

“All snuggled up warm and comfy in my arms.”

“Shut up.”

“Relax, Kacchan,” Izuku laughed brightly. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, it’s okay.”

Katsuki hesitated, and Izuku’s smile faded, eyebrows sinking a little as he contemplated. He’d seen something like that look on Katsuki’s face before, had seen him second guess himself plenty of times with that same sort of expression, but never like that. Never with so much pain in his eyes.

“What?” he asked finally. “Kacchan, talk to me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

Katsuki shrugged slightly, still silent, and Izuku sat down in the chair opposite him – he would figure out what was going on, there was no doubt about it. He wouldn’t let his best friend hold something in that he so clearly wanted to get off his chest.

“I kind of liked it,” Katsuki admitted, cheeks flushed pink. “Being... Like that. With you.”

“With me?”

“With you.”

Izuku paused again, contemplating him, and Katsuki looked everywhere except his eyes.

“Just with me?” he asked.

“Mm.”

“Because... you haven’t tried it before?”

“No.”

“Because it was cold?”

“Mm... That too.”

“Then, because... it was me?”

Katsuki cringed, and Izuku cracked a little smile.

“Kacchan, do you like me?” he asked, unable to resist a little teasing sneaking into his tone. “Do you have... What did you call it? A big fat crush on me?”

“Shut up,” Katsuki hissed, his face flaming hot. “You’re seriously gonna make a joke out of this shit?”

“Kacchan,” Izuku sighed, smiling all the same. “You know I’ve loved you since we were children, right?”

“Like a brother or whatever, I know, I get it.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Katsuki’s gaze rose, still not quite meeting Izuku’s, but inching closer.

“If you think you’d like to... cuddle more. I would be... happy to assist.”

“God you’re such a nerd,” Katsuki huffed. “What do I even see in you?”

“Warmth and cozy hoodies?”

“I’m keeping this.”

He wrapped his arms around himself, hugging it lightly, and Izuku couldn’t resist another laugh.

“Okay,” he agreed. “But only if you tell people your boyfriend gave it to you.”

Katsuki finally met his eyes, searching for any hint of mocking that might be in Izuku’s gaze, but Izuku knew he would find none.

“Fine,” Katsuki agreed. “As long as you don’t tell anyone I was being a sappy piece of shit.”

“No deal,” Izuku teased, leaning in a little closer. “I’m gonna tell everyone how adorable you are, especially when you’re being sappy.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too, Kacchan!”

Katsuki snorted, but a knock at the door interrupted any further protests that might have come of it, and Izuku hurried to the door to retrieve their dinner. The smell had him all but drooling as he signed for and accepted the dishes, carting them back to the low coffee table Katsuki had quickly cleared off for them, and when Katsuki sat down on the carpet to eat, Izuku sat right by his side.

“I’m gonna be so cheesy and gross,” Izuku said, wrapping an arm around Katsuki’s waist and kissing his temple. “You’re gonna hate me.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki huffed, leaning in a little to allow the touch. “Gimme food.”

“Say ‘ahhhhh’.”

“No.”

“You’re no fun.” Izuku chuckled, sliding the plate over all the same. “Enjoy, babe.”

“If you call me that again I’m literally ending this.”

“You don’t like ‘babe’?”

“Fuck no.”

“Fiiiine.”

Izuku smiled despite the complaint, giving Katsuki another little squeeze before releasing him completely, getting both his hands back to use for dinner.

“After we eat,” Izuku began. “We’re going back to bed.”

“Mm, I’m still tired too.”

“And this time, we’re gonna cuddle consciously.”

“Fine.”

“Really?”

“Obviously.” Katsuki snorted, elbowing him in the ribs. “Whole fuckin’ point of this.”

“Okay!” Izuku grinned. “Eat fast, Kacchan.”

“Desperate nerd.”

Despite the playful ribbing, Katsuki did find himself eating quicker than usual – the food was amazing, for one, but also he really did like the idea of being curled up in that comfy bed, with Izuku’s arms around him, nestled into that warmth.

Also sleep, he was keen for more sleep.

When their dishes were empty and placed at the door for collection, they made their way back up to the big, cozy bed, with the soft blankets and squishy pillows, still holding hints of their body heat from their hours of snuggling together. Katsuki didn’t even wait for Izuku to say the words, just started nudging him lightly toward the mattress, and Izuku grinned knowingly as he cast aside his t-shirt again and slid into the bed. Katsuki joined him quickly, using his toes to tug lightly at Izuku’s baggy sweatpants, until he finally took the hint and shed them as well.

“We’ve been together for like five minutes and you’re already stripping me?” Izuku teased. “I didn’t know you were so bold, Kacchan.”

“Shut up.”

He hooked his leg around Izuku’s, pulling him closer, and when he felt the distinct bulge in Izuku’s boxers, his lips curled into a smirk.

“So you are a pervert,” he murmured, lips right beside Izuku’s ear. “Here you are, making fun of me, when you’re the one who’s fucking hard right now.”

“You know what dicks are like, Kacchan,” Izuku huffed. “They don’t always make sensible choices,  or even make sense in general.”

“So you don’t think it’s hot that we’re here, in a fancy hotel, curled up in the same bed, in nothing but our boxers and your hoodie which I’m wearing?”

“You do look cute in my clothes,” Izuku grinned, unphased. “Look at your cute little sweater paws.”

“I’m not cute.”

“You’re super cute,” Izuku argued, pulling him in until their entire bodies were flush against each other, erection be damned. “You feel so little beside me. And this little pout? And the squishy cheeks that show up when you’re sulking? And your fluffy spikes?”

“None of that is cute, asshole.”

“All of it is cute,” Izuku protested. “Kacchan is adorable.”

“I’m sexy.”

“They can coexist!”

“Fuck you, I’ll show you who’s cute.”

Before Izuku even knew what was happening, Katsuki was on top of him, hands just above his shoulders to cage him in. His blood-red eyes were narrowed, determined, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from smiling or laughing.

That stubborn pout had always been adorable.

He dove in, bringing his mouth to Izuku’s with a little too much vigour, eliciting a little mmph! from Izuku’s probably-bruised lips. Izuku didn’t dare to complain, though – even if it was a little rough and sloppy, he wanted all the kisses he could possibly get from Katsuki, and he knew that wouldn’t happen if he made Katsuki sulk about it.

“Mmm, Kacchan,” he hummed instead, sliding his hand up the back of Katsuki’s – his –hoodie.

“Izuku,” Katsuki whispered back, trailing little bites down the side of Izuku’s neck. “Done calling me shitty things yet?”

“Shitty things?” Izuku snorted. “Cute isn’t shitty, Kacchan, it’s a compliment.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“You’re such a child.”

“Oh yeah, super childish.” He smirked, bucking his hips up to feel Katsuki’s rapidly-growing bulge against his own. “What are you gonna do about it, Kacchan?”

Katsuki dropped his weight, pressing Izuku back into the mattress and smirking when a little squeak came out in response. He slowly shifted his weight, grinding their crotches together, and Izuku’s breaths became quicker, shallower, as he twitched his hips in response.

Confidence growing, Katsuki slipped a hand down the front of Izuku’s boxers, pleased to find that Izuku not only put up no protest, but arched into his touch, moaning long and low as Katsuki’s warm hand cupped around his aching dick.

“Fuck,” he hissed, making Katsuki’s own cock twitch in interest. “Been dreaming about this for years.”

“Hell yeah you have,” Katsuki encouraged him, stroking a little more firmly. “And why?”

“Because I love you.”

“Other than that, dumbass.”

“Because I wanted it?”

“Because I’m hot.”

“Yeah,” Izuku chuckled, the sound strained. “You’re super hot, Kacchan.”

“Damn right I am.”

“And adorable.”

“Don’t make me squeeze.”

“Mmm, kinky.”

“Dork.”

He shifted his hips again, letting Izuku’s clothed cock press between his ass cheeks as he moved, moaning when he felt it stroke so close to his hole, like it was just begging to touch. Katsuki knew that wasn’t an option – no lube, no experience, no talking like actual human beings to figure out what they were both cool with. That conversation would happen in the future, Katsuki had no doubt, but all he cared about right then and there was feeling that thick cock against him, no matter where.

“You’re gonna make me cum,” Izuku huffed, hips trembling as Katsuki continued his steady pace.

“Good, hurry up about it.”

“Wow, charming.”

Despite rolling his eyes, Izuku bucked up into Katsuki’s touch, finding the perfect angle to let Katsuki stroke himself so desperately along Izuku’s shaft, one hand stuffed down his own shorts like it was no big deal.

When Izuku finally came, it shot out the leg of his pants, and Katsuki groaned at the few little droplets which made it onto the sheets. He was going to have to sleep on those sheets. He finished jerking himself with his hand before Izuku could find the coherence to offer, making sure to get a few drops on Izuku’s face just to be a little petty, and then Izuku was dragging him into a clumsy hug, holding him tight and snuggling in all warm and cozy.

“Cute,” he teased, when Izuku sighed contentedly.

“Thanks, Kacchan!” Izuku answered brightly, either not noticing or deliberately ignoring the point. “Sleep with me now, okay?”

“Doesn’t seem like I have a choice,” Katsuki snorted, holding him just as tightly in return despite his words. “Next time I’m bringing lube.”

“Deal.”

─────

Katsuki shoved his hands deep in his pockets, shivering a little as a cold breeze blew through the platform. His ears were quickly turning numb in the stupid icy weather, and he couldn’t wait to get into the stupid train where the heating would be running.

“Kacchan!”

He looked up reluctantly, watching Izuku’s stupid freckled face split into a grin, visible even from beneath his mask. His scarred hands lifted, full of something bright red, and with a little stubborn exertion he pulled it down firmly over Katsuki’s uncooperative hair.

“Stay warm,” Izuku insisted. “We still have a little while to wait.”

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “Thanks, I guess.”

The woolly hat was surprisingly warm, despite how dorky he felt with the stupid pompom on top bouncing every time he turned his head, and he had to admit that it kept his face and ears just a little less wind-bitten, a little less frozen-to-hell.

With a chiming little song that Katsuki felt like he’d spent his entire childhood listening to, a train began to pull into the station, and Izuku didn’t bother to be subtle about shielding Katsuki from the icy wind it brought with it. He wrapped his long arms around Katsuki, pulling him close, and Katsuki felt his cheeks burn as red as the stupid hat as Izuku sheltered him from the cold.

“I can’t wait to sit in Gran Class with you,” Izuku said quietly. “Comfy seats with recliners, fancy food, maybe some tiny bottles of wine...”

Katsuki snorted, but he didn’t object, and Izuku held him just a little bit tighter.

“Could be worse,” he admitted finally, turning his head a little to rest his cheek on Izuku’s chest. “Probably better than sitting next to some random perv for an hour and a half.”

“Just the perv you know and love instead,” Izuku teased.

“The perv I put up with.”

“I’ll take it.”

The train slowed to a stop, and Katsuki watched as a short line of people filed off, quickly scattering toward the different exits from the platform. He didn’t bother following their on queue on board – while other people fought for seats, Izuku’s and Katsuki’s would sit there in the car with the little ‘reserved’ sign at the door, waiting for them to take their place. For now, they could let the others duke it out, could let them all fight their way into the masses without two solid hero bodies making them nervous about space.

“I hear they even have blankets on board, like on a plane.”

“Good,” Katsuki murmured. “I like blankets.”

“I know.”

“We should go.”

“Come on, then.”

Izuku released Katsuki from his clutches, reaching for his hand instead, and carefully twining his fingers through Katsuki’s clumsy wool-clad ones. As the crowds began to thin out, saving them from the jolting and jostling of the squished-in masses, Izuku led the way into their quiet little car, walking ahead to find their seats without once letting their hands part.

The heaters filled the room with a pleasant warmth, and when they stopped at their pair of pristine leather seats, Izuku silently helped Katsuki strip off his damp outer layers to tuck away in the overhead storage. With his gloves and hat and what felt like a thousand heavy layers removed, he felt a little more human again, a little less like he was crammed inside a potato mascot suit just trying to breathe and walk straight without ceasing to function. Izuku still insisted on getting him settled in his seat first, though – even going so far as to tuck the blanket over his lap himself, to make sure he was nice and cozy before sitting down himself.

“Such a sap,” he mumbled, a little more fondly than he’d like to admit. “I can take care of myself, you damn nerd.”

“Of course you can!” Izuku answered, almost painfully genuine. “But I like doing it for you.”

“Hmph.”

Regardless, when Izuku got settled in, it was Katsuki who reached for his hand, who linked them together again atop their comfortable armrests.

“Next year,” he sighed, settling in comfortably and putting up his footrest. “We’re gonna be earning enough to use these seats again.”

“Yeah,” Izuku smiled softly. “Gonna work hard and have a little good luck.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki agreed, cracking a smile of his own. “And we’re gonna book them together, like mature and sensible adults.”

“Oh please, you know I’m not any of those things.”

“Okay, I’m going to book them for both of us, like a mature and sensible adult.”

“You complete me.” Izuku giggled, leaning over to kiss Katsuki’s cheek and make him blush. “I’ll be looking forward to it, Kacchan.”

Katsuki closed his eyes, debating if he was ready for another nap yet – he’d managed to get a decent sleep in the hotel room, in the end, but there was something so nice and cozy about taking a nap next to his new boyfriend, regardless.

“When are you heading back, anyway?” he asked. “Are you staying in town long?”

“Uhhh.”

“What, you don’t remember?”

He cracked an eye open to look, finding a sheepish look on Izuku’s face, and for a moment he just stared, eyebrows knitting together.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t booked a return ticket,” he said finally, the disbelief in his voice obvious even to himself. “You just jumped on a train to head home and never even considered getting back?”

“It won’t be as busy in a few days!” Izuku protested. “It’ll be easy to get a ticket!”

“You know what, you’re right,” Katsuki said firmly, amused by the way Izuku’s eyes widened in his shock at the words. “You aren’t a mature or sensible adult.”

“Rude!”

Despite his complaints, Izuku laughed brightly, and Katsuki cracked a little smile of his own as he reached for his phone.

“Here, my tickets,” he explained, handing it over. “Go take a look online, maybe we can travel back together.”

“Yeah! That sounds perfect! See, this is why I didn’t book, now I can get seats with Kacchan!”

“You’re such a loser.”

“A loser you have a big fat crush on.”

“Whatever, nerd.”

He paused, then sneaked a peek over at Izuku’s face, at the stupid mask that kept him from seeing those dumb freckles – he hated that thing, even if it did help keep the nerd safe.

“Listen up, I’m only gonna say this once.”

“What is it, Kacchan?”

“Three and a half hours is never too much.”

Izuku gave him a confused look, tilting his head like a lost little puppy, and Katsuki felt his cheeks burn.

“To stand next to you,” he clarified, watching Izuku’s eyes widen. “Especially if you’re keeping me warm.”

“I love you too,” Izuku answered simply, his eyes a little watery despite the way they squinted into a smile. “I have a confession too.”

“Yeah?”

“There was absolutely a futon in the closet.”

“You piece of shit.”