After The Rain [Chapter 6 - White]

[Last Chapter] 

Katsuki squinted under the bright, colourful lights of the store, surrounded by knee-high children excitedly clinging to their parents as they waited in line. It was like something straight out of one of his nightmares – although at least there weren’t any crying ones yet, that would have made him run the other direction immediately.

“You’re not allowed to look while I make your bear,” Izuku said firmly, distracting him – thankfully – from the gross, snotty brats. “It has to be a surprise.”

“Fine.”

“But I wanna go around the store with you, not on our own, so you have to just not look.”

“How the hell is that gonna work?”

“We’ll figure it out!” Izuku insisted, offering up his little finger. “Promise me you’ll do everything in your power to not look.”

“Fine, nerd. I promise.”

Izuku waited stubbornly, and with a suffering sigh, Katsuki linked their little fingers together. Izuku beamed at him for it, and Katsuki just rolled his eyes, pointedly looking away from the stupid face as they shook their hands together. It was like they were just a pair of dumb little kids again, lined up to get new toys or All Might merch, back before Katsuki had become an asshole. Apparently the universe had seen fit to give them a second chance at it, a fresh start, and Katsuki knew he should be grateful for the opportunity. There were so many people in the world who would have been so lucky to have Izuku in their lives, but the universe had chosen him, even though he didn’t deserve it in the slightest.

“It’s almost our turn!” Izuku squeaked, leaning in closer. “I’m so excited!”

“I can tell,” Katsuki snorted, watching him vibrate with the joy he tried to keep in. “Looks like it’s not all bears. What kind of animal do you want?”

“Don’t be silly, Kacchan has to choose!” Izuku grinned. “I’ll love whatever you pick!”

“What if I pick a shitty one?”

“You won’t! I trust you!”

Katsuki huffed quietly, but he didn’t bother to protest, just looked away so Izuku wouldn’t be able to read the emotions in his eyes.

Soon they were standing in front of a wall of furry little animals, lying all sad and floppy in their boxes, stacked in neat rows up and down the aisle. Izuku clung to his sleeve again as they began their slow walk, looking through all their options, occasionally using his grip to drag Katsuki over to look at a particularly cute animal sitting on display, or one with a stupid face that made him laugh.

Izuku picked his out the moment he saw it, quickly whirling to cover Katsuki’s eyes before he could catch a glimpse, and even Katsuki couldn’t help but chuckle as he fought the hand off. He genuinely had no clue which one Izuku had picked up, had only seen a blur of motion as Izuku leapt into action, but he tried his best not to get too nosy – hard as it was. Katsuki was not a fan of surprises.

“Okay, I’m good,” Izuku grinned, hugging it to his chest, carefully shielding it from view with his grip. “Your turn to pick one!”

“Go get yours stuffed,” Katsuki instructed, nodding toward the staff member at a little stuffing station nearby. “You ain’t sitting here watching over my shoulder while I choose.”

“Okay! But no peeking!”

“I won’t if you don’t.”

“Deal!”

He skipped off to the station, and Katsuki continued down the rest of the wall of animals. Whichever one he picked had to be perfect, had to be just the right mix of cute and cuddly and amusing enough to make him smile – no boring bear would do the job, even if Izuku would appreciate it regardless.

It wasn’t until he reached the very last row that he laid eyes on it, the perfect dumb little animal, so perfect that he even smiled to himself as he picked one up from the pile.

He kept it low at his side as he passed Izuku to another staff member, carefully angling himself so Izuku wouldn’t be able to get any stupid ideas about cheating.

“Welcome!” the lady greeted him warmly. “Would you like to add any scents or sounds before we stuff your new friend?”

“Any what?” he asked dumbly, immediately regretting his tone. “Uh, I’ve never... done this whole... thing before.”

“Well we’re happy to have you! We have a choice of scents if you’d like to add one, to make your friend smell nice, and this booth over here has some buttons you can add which will play sounds if you press them. There’s a whole range of sounds, or you can record your own!”

“I can say anything I want?” he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips

“Of course!” she smiled warmly.

“Okay, I wanna do the sound thing.”

“Great! Just take one of the recorders from the booth and record what you want to say, then bring it back here to stuff!”

“Okay, thanks.”

He stepped over to the little booth, contemplating as he picked up the little button. It was a heavy decision, figuring out what to put on it. Damn nerd seemed fun, but wasn’t very exciting. Hug me was more appropriate for a toy, but he didn’t exactly want his voice saying it.

Maybe, if he was quiet enough, while the kids in the store were far enough away...

Yeah, that would work.

He finished up with a grin and carried it back, grateful when the store worker didn’t test it out. He suspected she knew better than that, at least with adults in the store.

“Where would you like it?” she asked, continuing when he stared at her blankly. “In the chest for hugs? Or the wing to keep it in place securely? Maybe the tail to keep it symmetrical?”

“Tail is probably good,” he agreed.

“Tail it is!”

She stuffed the button down the end of the fluffy skin, then slotted it onto the stuffing machine, instructing Katsuki on how to use the little pedal to fill it. Katsuki watched as it began to take shape, began to look like an actual stuffed toy, and he couldn’t help but smile again. The thing looked even dopier as it filled out, and he was weirdly gleeful about it – he really had turned into a little kid again, damn the stupid store.

“All done!” she said, when the little opening was carefully sewn up. “The machine over here will blow air to help fluff up the fur, and then you can take a look around the clothes and accessories if you like.”

“Thanks,” he nodded, tucking the toy under one arm.

“My pleasure!”

Izuku was waiting by the clothing section when Katsuki finished, but Katsuki still took a minute to visit the air machine, fluffing up the soft fur – feathers? – before they ventured into the accessories.

“Did you have fun?” Izuku teased, when they joined back up again, carefully keeping their gazes off of each other’s toy. “I recorded a sound just for you!”

“Me too,” Katsuki smirked, amused when Izuku’s eyes widened. “Told you, ain’t no way I’m letting you win.”

“I can’t wait to see! And hear!”

When Katsuki spotted a red, white and blue yukata, he knew what he had to do. That yukata was gonna fit on his fat little bird whether it liked it or not.

He snatched the one that looked closest to the right shape, marching over to a little dressing table to force it on the dopey thing, relieved to find there was enough velcro in the right spots for him to navigate it over the wings. The end result looked a little weird, with the feet not coming out in quite the right place, but it was good enough for him and it would be more than good enough for Izuku.

Almost the same moment he finished, he spotted a set of square-looking wooden sandals, snorting to himself as he picked a set up and wiggled them over his bird’s thin little claws. They fit surprisingly well, thankfully, and with that he returned to following Izuku through the aisles, letting him peruse his options.

One more item made its way into his hand as they explored, and then they headed for a line of computers, filling out a silly little form that Katsuki knew Izuku would get a kick out of.

Date of birth. He wrote in the date.

Name. Well shit, he hadn’t even thought about that. He’d come back to it.

Height and Weight. The lady hovering nearby measured the derpy bird for him, filling the section in on his behalf, along with Eye Colour and Hair Colour to match.

Owner. He typed out “Deku” in katakana just to spite him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of reading Izuku by accident if he used the proper kanji.

Name. It was back again, ugh. Izuku would have given it some cheesy name like Fluffy or Huggy Bird but there was no way Katsuki was gonna type that shit in. He drummed his fingers on the desk as he contemplated, sneaking a glance over at where Izuku was typing furiously, head down and tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth.

He was such a dork.

Soon they were stepping up to the counter to make their purchases, all their bits and pieces being carefully packed into a bag each. It put more of a dent in Katsuki’s wallet than he’d have expected for a stuffed animal, but as long as it made Izuku smile, he didn’t even care. His parents were covering his day-to-day bills for the time being anyway, thankfully, so he didn’t need to stress too much just yet about spending what little cash he had left.

“Gimme!” Izuku demanded, as soon as they got out of the store. “I want to see my new baby!”

“Calm down,” Katsuki snorted, grabbing his wrist to drag him over to a bench – he blushed when he realised how close he was to gripping Izuku’s warm hand again, but tried his best not to think about it too hard. “A little patience, nerd.”

“But I want iiiiiit.”

“Here.”

He sat down, setting the bag beside him, and Izuku obediently sat down too. They kept a little space between them, enough room for both their bags, and Izuku gave him his best puppy dog eyes as he poked at the bag.

“Okay, go on, you go first.”

“Yay! Thank you Kacchan!”

He reached in with both hands, and when he saw the big, squishy pigeon, Katsuki knew nothing else in the world mattered. All the shit he’d been through to get there, it was all worth it for the way Izuku lit up when he saw the stupid bird.

Well, almost worth it, anyway. It at least helped.

“He’s adorable!” Izuku squeaked, hugging it as tight as he possibly could. “Oh my gosh, look at his All Might yukata! And his little geta! He’s so perfect!”

He took a moment to bury his face in the thing before he reached into the bag again, giggling over the little paintbrush that fitted perfectly over one of the wings.

“Toshitori,” Izuku read from the birth certificate, giggling up a storm. “Oh my gosh Kacchan, I love him so much!”

“I’m glad.”

He reached over, squeezing the little button in the tail, and this time it was Katsuki’s turn to laugh when coo coo, motherfucker echoed out from the speaker.

“Kacchan!” Izuku protested, still giggling all the same. “You said that in a store full of kids?!”

“I did it quietly,” Katsuki assured him, smirking. “He needed a voice.”

Izuku squeezed it again, letting the sound pour out once more, and he muffled his giggles in Toshitori’s back.

“Okay, sorry, you can have your turn too!” Izuku prompted, nudging the bag toward him. “I got all caught up in how perfect he is.”

“I told you he would be.”

“Yeah,” Izuku grinned, peeking up at him from grey fluff. “Thank you, Kacchan. He really is.”

Katsuki took the bag obediently, bracing himself as he reached inside, watching Izuku’s shining eyes as he waited for it to emerge. When he looked down, a floppy little donkey was in his hands, made of the softest material Katsuki had ever felt.

“I got you a little-” Izuku paused, glancing around quickly before he lowered his voice to finish: “Ass.”

Katsuki couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing, clapping a hand over his mouth to stifle it just a little, and Izuku watched him with a surprisingly soft expression on his face, silent as he let Katsuki get it all out.

It felt good to laugh like that, to laugh so much, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done it.

“But wait,” Izuku said quietly, when he started getting himself under control. “She has... A hat.”

He pulled a little striped party hat from the bag, setting it carefully on top of the donkey’s head, and grinned up at Katsuki cheekily.

“An asshat.”

Katsuki lost it.

If Izuku spoke in the next few minutes, Katsuki didn’t notice. He knew tears were pouring down his cheeks like a big sentimental idiot, but he just couldn’t seem to stop it – didn’t even care about stopping it. The donkey sat in the crook of his elbow, with big black eyes and a pair of red overalls, a little hole in the back for the tail to poke out. His hat was red and white to match, pointy and shiny like they’d worn at their birthday parties when they were innocent little kids, and everything about it was just so damn great.

“I’m glad you like her,” Izuku smiled softly, when Katsuki began to calm down. “I thought she was cute. Perfect for you.”

“She is,” he admitted. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” he answered, eyes wide with surprise. “Thank you for Toshitori, he’s perfect too. I love him.”

Katsuki reached into his bag again, fishing out the little paper certificate, but Izuku beat him to the punch.

“Her name is Ana,” he said. “She’s very excited to see her new home.”

“Of course she is,” Katsuki snorted. “She’s gonna look great in my room.”

“On your bed,” Izuku insisted. “She needs cuddles at night, it’s scary being in a new home.”

“What are you, twelve?”

“On your bed,” Izuku repeated, pouting. “Don’t be mean.”

“Whatever, nerd.”

Izuku chose to keep his fat little pigeon in his arms when they headed for the doors, but Katsuki tucked his donkey carefully back into the bag, letting its – her – head poke out just a little, so Izuku wouldn’t complain about her being able to see where they were going.

“This was really fun,” Izuku said, as they stepped into the street, bathed in the glow of streetlights above. “Thank you for humouring me, I know this isn’t your style.”

“I had fun,” Katsuki admitted. “Felt good to... I don’t know, do something dumb?”

He cringed a little, regretting the words immediately, but Izuku just smiled.

“I get it,” he answered, before Katsuki could explain. “It’s inconsequential and a little silly, it doesn’t risk anything, and sometimes it’s nice to not have that pressure. Even if we did call it a competition. Which you totally won, by the way. Look at this little boy, he’s amazing.”

“My ass is great,” Katsuki objected.

“I know that,” Izuku huffed a laugh. “But what about Ana?”

“I hate you,” Katsuki snorted, clapping a hand over his mouth to stifle it as they passed a gross couple holding hands in the middle of a public place. “You know what I meant.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Izuku grinned, stepping in to bump their shoulders together lightly. “You knew exactly what you were saying.”

“Shut up, you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Suuuuure it isn’t.”

“Jerk.”

Despite his complaints, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips again – his jaw was starting to ache with it, damn the nerd making him happy and shit.

All too soon they were at Katsuki’s front door, and Katsuki’s smile morphed quickly into a grimace. He hadn’t even realised Izuku was walking him home until it was too late to complain about it.

“Thanks for coming,” Izuku said softly, when they stopped at the front gate. “I hope you really did have a good time. You don’t have to pretend for my sake, you know.”

“I did,” he admitted. “If you... want to hang out again. I’d be cool with it. To do stuff, I mean.”

“Actually,” Izuku smiled faintly. “I was wondering if you’d take me hiking. Maybe that trail you were gonna do the day we met up? Before I distracted you. Do you think I could handle it?”

“You want to?” Katsuki asked, blinking at him. “We can go slow, you could do it.”

“I thought it would be nice to go together,” he explained. “And maybe I can bring a canvas and we can hang out at the top for a bit, do some painting, even have a picnic?”

“Sure,” Katsuki nodded, still a little stunned. “Um, maybe during the week? Weekends get crowded sometimes. Unless you need to work?”

“I can work whenever!” Izuku assured him. “I have no problem fitting around times that suit you to do stuff!”

“Okay, then um... Monday?”

“Perfect!”

“I’ll make food. For lunch at the top.”

“I can help!”

“Nah, I’ve got it.”

“Is that our little Izuku?!”

Katsuki’s head shot up at the voice, cringing when Mitsuki leaned out the window to wave at them, but Izuku only laughed and waved back.

“Nice to see you!” he called. “Thanks for letting me steal Kacchan away so much lately! I know you must be missing him, but I really appreciate his company!”

Katsuki snorted, but Izuku’s smile never once wavered – was he actually serious??

“Come in and catch up!” Mitsuki insisted, waving him over. “Masaru is making tea, I’ll grab another mug! Do you want to stay for dinner?”

“Actually I’ve gotta get going,” Izuku said apologetically. “But thank you so much for the offer! Maybe another time, though?”

“Any time you like,” Mitsuki assured him. “Alright brat, kiss him goodnight and get in here, I need your help with dinner.”

“Haaah?! What did you say to me, hag?!”

“I said get your ass in the kitchen!”

She called a sweet goodnight to Izuku and slammed the window shut behind her, leaving Izuku gaping and blushing while Katsuki fumed silently.

“Sorry about her,” he choked out. “She’s... You know. A dick.”

“Aww, don’t be mean! She loves you, she just shows it like you do!”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing!” Izuku laughed. “I hope you have a yummy dinner!”

“You sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked awkwardly. “I know the old hag is a pain, but she likes you, and Dad would like to see you too.”

“I’m having dinner with Mom tonight,” Izuku explained. “But thank you, really. Another time, I promise.”

“No big deal,” Katsuki shrugged. “Say hi for me.”

“I will!”

He bent down to pet Ana on the head, then straightened up to do the same to Katsuki’s hair, only grinning once again when Katsuki growled at him for it.

“Goodnight, Kacchan,” Izuku said softly. “Take care.”

“You too.”

Katsuki stepped through the gate, watching Izuku start down the street and giving him a tiny wave when he glanced back. Izuku grinned back, waving enthusiastically before he disappeared around the corner, and Katsuki stared after him a minute longer.

“You have a good date?” Mitsuki asked, the moment he stepped inside. “Didn’t scare him off, did you?”

“What the fuck,” Katsuki growled. “It wasn’t a date.”

“Uh-huh. What’s in the bag?”

“Shut up.”

He stalked off up the stairs, slamming the bedroom door behind him, and paused for a moment to take a deep breath before he slid his fluffy donkey out of the bag. He stared at her for a moment, into the big, black eyes, shaking his head fondly at the shiny party hat atop her little head.

“She needs cuddles at night, it’s scary being in a new home.”

Katsuki set her on the bed.

─────

Despite Katsuki arriving fifteen minutes early in an effort to be first, Izuku beat him to the park. When Katsuki arrived, he was already sitting on the same bench where they’d hung out that first day, not even playing on his phone or something, but staring up at the clear sky, smiling to himself as he swung his feet contentedly. Katsuki stopped for a minute to stare at him, at the dorky brown overalls he’d picked out for himself, and the big bag strung across his back that Katsuki could only assume was full of painting supplies.

“Hey,” he said simply, when Izuku spotted him watching. “Been waiting long?”

“Nope!” Izuku grinned, jumping to his feet. “I just sat down! You’re early!”

“So are you.”

“Well, yeah,” Izuku smiled sheepishly. “To be honest I wanted to make sure I wasn’t already out of breath when we started.”

“We can rest whenever,” Katsuki shrugged. “Even if it’s every five minutes, I don’t care.”

“I don’t want to make it take forever, though! You’ll get bored!”

“I won’t. Just tell me if you want a break.”

“Promise you’ll say no if I’m pissing you off?”

“You know I would,” Katsuki snorted. “But you won’t piss me off. I’m out of shape right now anyway.”

“Okay, let’s do our best together then!”

“Dork.”

Izuku adjusted his bag to sit more comfortably, and sure enough, Katsuki saw the telltale square-shaped lump of a palette outlined within, the top of a rolled canvas poking out the top where the drawstrings couldn't quite contain it. He was actually kind of curious to see it all happen – Izuku was always so preoccupied with chatting when Katsuki was around, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Izuku actually in the act of painting. He suspected it would be nice to just sit back and watch it happen, maybe take a nap in the grass if it took a while, or just screw around on his phone a bit in the fresh air. As long as Izuku was happy, after all his time spent trying to cheer Katsuki up, that was all that really mattered.

“First part is single-file,” Katsuki told him, as they headed for the entrance. “There’s a bigger entrance on the other side where a lot of families go for walks and shit, but I like this one since it’s quieter.”

“Okay! Do you wanna lead the way?”

“No, you go,” Katsuki instructed. “Take your time, set the pace, keep an eye out for anything you might whack your head on.”

“Okay! I’ll do my best!”

“Just don’t trip, nerd.”

“No promises!”

Despite himself, Katsuki cracked a smile at that. Izuku was such a huge dork, and somehow Katsuki had gone from hating it as a kid to finding it amusing, even endearing, as an adult.

It wasn’t long at all before Izuku began to slow down, and Katsuki was actually a little grateful. He hadn’t expected his thighs to hurt so much from the steep climb – they never had in the past. While he wasn’t out of breath, thankfully, his legs were killing him, and he knew they could both use a break.

“Water break,” he declared, when they finally reached level ground. “Good job nerd, the hard bit is over for a while.”

“Oh good,” Izuku laughed breathlessly, falling back against a tree trunk and sliding down until he sat in the dirt. “My legs are aching.”

“Mine too,” he admitted, sitting down a lot more gently than Izuku and digging his water bottle out of his backpack. “Been a while.”

“Is it often that steep?”

“Nah.” Katsuki shook his head, amused by the relief visible in Izuku’s expression. “In patches, sure, but not heaps. The other path is a lot more winding and shallow, the main path, but this way has a few climb-y patches. We can rest before them, or after them, or both.”

“How many patches?”

“Half a dozen?”

“Oh, that’s not so bad.”

Katsuki tossed a little chocolate bar into Izuku’s lap, smiling faintly when Izuku’s face lit up. The nerd would do anything if someone offered him a bite of chocolate in return. Katsuki, as someone who wasn’t big on sweet things even as a child, had used that to his advantage a lot.

“You won the first climb,” Katsuki explained, when Izuku tore through the wrapper, his eyes shining. “Only a few more to go.”

“We won!” Izuku agreed, laughing. “I never turn down a victory!”

“I know.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind if we sit here for a minute?”

“Not in the slightest. We have all day.”

“Can I maybe draw a bit then?”

“Already?”

“Just sketches, I mean! It’s so hard drawing forest-y backgrounds, this is good reference material!”

“Whatever, be my guest.” Katsuki shook his head faintly. “Always seeing the world as art.”

“The world is art!” he objected. “Just look at all the shades of green in here! And the way these plants twist and grow around each other in all these perfect shapes and patterns.”

Katsuki just shook his head, and Izuku sneaked a glance over at him.

“When we were kids,” he said softly. “You told me you didn’t get it. It was all just lines and colours, you didn’t get why I was so obsessed with it.”

“I stand by that,” Katsuki snorted. “Lines, shapes and colours.”

“But so is the forest,” Izuku explained – poorly, Katsuki couldn’t help but think. “The curve of each leaf, the texture of the bark, the lines of branches against the sky, the shadows that stretch and discolour and make even more shades of the rainbow that’s already waiting there. It’s amazing, and beautiful!”

His pencil moved along the paper as he spoke, confident and poised, leaving dark strokes that slowly began to take shape.

Katsuki felt like that one sketch explained so much about Izuku’s brain. If Katsuki had tried, he’d have outlined the shape of every tree first and tried to add some kind of shadow after, but Izuku just worked in colours. He took all the dark spaces, shading them out in vague shapes, then worked around them a little lighter, and lighter again, until all the different shapes of the forest began to form. There were no awkward outlines between objects, just a variety of different greys and a myriad of strokes – little circular motions in the bushes, to give them their bounce; short, sharp strokes in the bark, to give it a roughness Katsuki couldn’t have imitated if he tried; even little dots, like the pointillism Izuku had enthusiastically explained to him one day at their massive experimentation canvas, mapping out leaves too small to properly define. It came together so quickly that Katsuki almost thought there was a trick involved – had Izuku just been practicing that exact sketch in that exact spot over and over again, preparing for that one moment to show off?

“I love the way you can show so much with just texture,” Izuku continued, when the silence stretched out between them. “Lines and colours can just be shades of grey, too, with different types of line.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki said quietly. “You just... See the world differently.”

Izuku looked up, surprised at first, but when he met Katsuki’s gaze his face broke into the familiar grin.

“Thank you,” he said knowingly. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Shut up,” Katsuki huffed, cheeks burning. “Drink water, don’t go passing out on me.”

“Okay, Kacchan!”

He gulped down a few mouthfuls obediently before he put his bottle back in his bag, closing up his sketchbook for later – Katsuki was sure it would come out the next time they stopped for a break, and surprisingly, he had no problem with it. He had a world of patience for that, apparently.

Who was he?

It helped that as they walked the narrow little path, the forest felt so... calm. It was like being on that path had lifted a weight off his chest that he hadn’t even realised was there, that he’d been carrying for so long that he’d just gotten used to not being able to breathe quite right. But those trees surrounding them, protecting them, had lifted that weight away, had swept it off into the leaves where it couldn’t hurt them anymore.

“I started taking the meds,” Katsuki mumbled, when they’d been silent a little too long again. “I don’t know if they’re helping or not, yet.”

“I’m glad,” Izuku smiled back at him. “It’s worth giving them a chance, after all.”

“I should give more stuff a chance.”

“Maybe you should,” Izuku agreed, despite the surprise in his eyes. “You gave me a chance, too, and that seems to be going okay.”

“Don’t push your luck.”

Izuku laughed brightly, and Katsuki cracked a smile of his own, looking up at where their next steep section was coming into view. He was actually kind of looking forward to feel his thighs burn again, to feeling that dull ache of his body working. Maybe his mother had been right, that day she’d kicked him out of the house. Maybe his dad had been on to something, when he suggested Katsuki go hiking.

Not that he’d ever tell them that.

After seven breaks, five sketches, and two empty water bottles, Katsuki saw the light of the afternoon sun begin to peek through the trees, and he smiled to himself when Izuku’s eyes grew wide. They’d made it, despite Izuku doubting himself the entire time, but just as Katsuki thought they were done, a desperate hand grabbed his shirt.

“Don’t move,” he insisted, reaching for his bag. “This light is so pretty.”

“Are you serious?”

“I want to draw the lights on the trees!” Izuku pouted. “It’ll take me two minutes, just wait!”

“Fine,” Katsuki huffed, leaning against a tree to wait. “I take it back, this art shit is stupid again.”

“Noted! I’m still drawing the pretty light!”

“Whatever.”

He rolled his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut all the same, even when it took eight minutes for the nerd to be satisfied. Katsuki leaned over to peek, when Izuku finally relaxed his arms a little, and he saw the freckled cheeks flood fire engine red before he'd even laid eyes on the page.

“Haah?” Katsuki demanded, leaning in a little closer to squint at the page. “What the fuck, nerd?”

“Sorry!” he squeaked, though Katsuki could tell there was zero regret in the apology. “You just looked so...”

“Sexy? I know, but it ain’t an excuse.”

“That is not what I meant,” Izuku huffed. “You were off in your own little world, like I was in mine, and I just... wanted to capture it. Do you... want me to tear it up?”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes, and Izuku waited patiently.

“Would you do it? If I said yes?” he asked finally.

“Well, no, but I also know you wouldn’t say yes, so it’s okay.”

“I hate you.”

“I know,” Izuku laughed. “Come on, let’s go see the view!”

“Fucking finally.”

Izuku ran toward the light, giggling, and Katsuki rolled his eyes but followed all the same – at a jog, because he wasn’t a child.

“Wow!” Izuku gasped, looking out at the view of their town, all the tiny rooftops in a thousand different colours. “Look! That’s the park where we used to play as kids!”

He pointed out at it, so close to them and yet so far below; attached to the same forest, but somehow a world away.

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded, gently guiding Izuku’s outstretched hand a few centimetres to the right. “And our old school is down there.”

“Oh! Yeah!”

“You can’t see our houses,” Katsuki answered, before he could even form the question. “The trees are too tall, they block them out.”

“Aww,” Izuku pouted. “But still! It’s so pretty!”

“Yeah, I thought you’d like it,” Katsuki said quietly. “It’s not all dirt and bugs like your sketches, but the colours and stuff...”

“Lots of things are pretty,” Izuku grinned. “They don’t all have to be the same kind of pretty!”

“True.”

“Will you paint with me?”

“With you?” Katsuki frowned. “I thought you were gonna do the painting.”

“I wanna do it together! You’ve had lots of practice now, you’re practically an expert!”

“Don’t patronise me.”

“I’m not!” Izuku insisted, setting his bag down to pull out a wooden contraption that he quickly began unfolding. “Even just a little bit? I want Kacchan’s help.”

Katsuki huffed, and Izuku knew he’d won. The end of an argument was as good a concession as he was gonna get.

“You’ve gotta give me instructions,” Katsuki grumbled. “Don’t let me fuck it up.”

“You could never.”

“I’m serious.”

“Me too!” Izuku grinned, carefully clipping and taping a sheet of canvas to his easel. “We should start with the sky, so it can dry for us to put clouds and stuff over. Do you wanna pick out a sky colour?”

“Blue.”

“You know what I mean, Kacchan,” Izuku whined, chuckling despite himself. “Come on, grab my bag. Help yourself!”

Katsuki grumbled a bit, but he pulled out a handful of blue tubes, holding them up over his head to compare to the sky. The ones he decided against got thrown back in the bag, the rest continuing to bask in the sunlight as Katsuki debated. He knew Izuku was laughing at him silently for his methods, but he didn’t bother to stop and glare, just threw a tube at him lightly and watched him fumble to catch it.

“It’s too dark,” he said. “But I like that one.”

“If Kacchan likes it, it’s not too dark!”

“Shut up. I meant put white in it or whatever it is you do.”

“There’s white in the bag too, you can mix up the perfect colour!”

“I knew you were gonna say that.”

Izuku grinned, and Katsuki just sighed in defeat, picking up a tube of white and the little square palette where Izuku mixed his paints.

It was gonna be a long day.

─────

“Do you... Want some help?” Katsuki asked awkwardly, nodding toward the stack of prints waiting to be packaged up. “I mean, because you said you had a lot to do. And I kept you out all day.”

“I’m pretty sure I was the one who asked you to take me hiking,” Izuku laughed. “You don’t have to, it’s my own fault for putting it off for so long.”

Katsuki hesitated, and Izuku eyed him curiously. He was always so damn patient, never asked the questions he wanted to ask, always waited for Katsuki to find the words instead.

“I want to.”

Izuku blinked at him, and Katsuki felt his cheeks burning.

“I want to help,” he clarified. “If I’m not going to be in the way.”

“You would never be in the way!” Izuku assured him, eyes shining. “Thank you, Kacchan! It’s so nice of you to offer!”

He led Katsuki over to the table where they often ate lunch together, now piled high with prints and merch and business cards and small cardboard boxes. There was tape everywhere, an unholy mess of shoddy sealing, and Katsuki grimaced when he saw the boxes already stacked to send out.

“You were rushing,” he said, interrupting Izuku’s babble. “These look like shit.”

He expected indignance, expected the puffy-cheeked look Izuku liked to give him when he was being stubborn about something stupid – as usual – but instead Izuku just smiled sheepishly, looking down at them with resignation in his expression.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I couldn’t get them right, and then I got frustrated, and I have a bunch of commissions and stuff to do too, so I just... Gave up, kinda.”

“I’ll do it,” Katsuki mumbled, picking the boxes up and setting to work tearing the tape back off. “You got something to protect the stuff? Bubble wrap?”

“Um... Not really? I was just kinda putting the prints between scrap cardboard and wrapping everything else in newspaper or something.”

“Go work on your commissions,” Katsuki huffed, shoving him away lightly. “I’ll do this.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to, really.”

“S’fine, go draw.”

“Well... Okay, but when you get sick of it, stop! Don’t force yourself!”

“I’ve got it. I’m gonna go buy some stuff, you draw.”

“You don’t have to do that!”

“I’m gonna.”

“At least take my wallet, then! Use my money!”

“S’fine.”

“No! Kacchan! It’s my job, you can’t pay for stuff.” Izuku dug his wallet out, shoving it in Katsuki’s hands insistently. “Buy whatever you need.”

“I don’t need much.”

“Then you don’t have to feel bad about using my money.”

“Ugh. Fine. But I’m buying us dinner with my money.”

“Deal!” Izuku laughed, eyes lighting up again finally.

Good. Katsuki had hated that resigned look.

“I’ll be back,” Katsuki said firmly, kicking his shoes on.

“I’ll be waiting! Come back safe!”

Katsuki hurried out the door before Izuku could see the flush in his cheeks. Damn nerd was so sappy and gross.

The nearest stationery store was only a couple of blocks away, somewhere he had frequented during his high school days, always running low on notebooks or pens or god knows what else. It was a decent size, though, and Katsuki was sure he’d be able to find what he wanted.

Within twenty minutes he was back on Izuku’s doorstep, knocking lightly as he barged in anyway, an armful of bags hanging heavily from one forearm.

“Welcome back!” Izuku called, as soon as the door swung closed behind him. “Did you find what you wanted?”

“Uh-huh,” Katsuki answered, through the mouthful of bag that freed his hands up for shoes. “You hungry?”

“Yeah!”

He set his supplies down on the table and headed for the living room, kicking his feet up on the table and setting out two bowls of curry and rice by the time Izuku joined him. Izuku grinned when he saw the contents, practically dancing in his seat as he picked it up, and Katsuki huffed quietly as he looked away.

“They didn’t have the katsudon,” he explained. “Figured katsu-curry was probably fine too.”

“It looks delicious!” Izuku beamed. “Thanks, Kacchan!”

“Mm, it’s whatever.”

He picked up his own bowl, and together they ate in a companionable silence. Izuku was probably dying to fill it, he knew, but he stayed quiet for Katsuki’s sake, letting him get lost in his own thoughts as he ate.

“You good?” Izuku asked, taking Katsuki’s empty bowl from his hands. “That was yummy, thanks Kacchan.”

“Mine is better.”

“You can cook for me when you feel like it, then!” Izuku grinned. “I’m always happy to eat, especially if it’s made with love!”

“Stick with the konbini then,” Katsuki snorted, elbowing him sharply. “I’m gonna go pack your boxes, get back to work.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Katsuki sat himself down at the dining table, while Izuku got back to his studio area, and dragged over the list of orders Izuku had printed off. He was relieved to see the spreadsheet was decent, at least. Well-organised, clear, thought-out, and thankfully, had a column to tally up all the totals to make his life a little easier. He knew exactly how many of each item he needed, could prepare them to be packed safely in the boxes, and then focus on the individual orders afterward. Simple.

Corrugated cardboard and clear cellophane made quick work of all the prints, keychains and charms went into shiny little gift bags, stickers were carefully slotted into envelopes to make sure none would get lost, and t-shirts and hoodies were neatly folded and wrapped in white tissue paper to keep them clean.

By the time Izuku sidled back over to check in, he had his whole system figured out, and he narrowed his eyes at the hand Izuku stretched toward the table.

“Don’t you dare,” he huffed, getting a bright laugh in return. “I swear to god, nerd, if you mess this up...”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Izuku assured him, boldly ruffling Katsuki’s hair. “But it’s getting late, do you want to check in with your parents and let them know you’re okay?”

Katsuki glanced at his phone, cursing when he saw the time, eyes darting back to the piles waiting for him.

“Or you could come back tomorrow?” Izuku suggested. “If you want to keep helping. You’re doing a far better job than I did.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki agreed, nodding faintly. “I’ll probably knock everything over if I fall asleep here.”

“Tomorrow, then,” Izuku confirmed. “Thank you, Kacchan, you’re amazing.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a huge deal! It takes so much stress off my job. Do you, um... Want to keep helping? In future, I mean. Just until you figure out what you’re gonna do next?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“I’ll pay you, obviously, I wouldn’t expect you to work for free! As soon as they’re shipped I’ll sort it out, promise!”

“No big deal,” Katsuki shrugged. “I’m not doing anything else, anyway.”

“Doesn’t matter! You deserve to be paid for good work!” Izuku insisted, holding out his little finger. “It might not be much, but I promise I’ll get it to you.”

“Fine, whatever,” Katsuki sighed, accepting the stupid finger. It was amazing how often Izuku insisted on the power of pinky-promises. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Are you okay to get home? It’s dark.”

“I’m fine,” Katsuki assured him. “I’ll let you know when I get home.”

“Thank you!”

Katsuki stood up, reaching for his phone, and when he looked over he saw a slightly awkward look waiting on Izuku’s face, a hint of nerves in his gaze.

“Do you think I could keep our painting?” Izuku asked quietly, glancing over at where he’d laid it out to finish drying. “I know you did a lot of the work on it, but I really like it.”

Katsuki followed his gaze, staring at the fluffy white clouds Izuku had entrusted to him, the blobby green treetops, the little shadows on the grass that he had meticulously inspected a thousand times just to be sure he hadn’t missed anything. Izuku had done the vast majority of the work. Really, he didn’t even need to ask, it was his work. His sketch, his details, his paints and canvas. Katsuki supposed it was nice that he asked, though. Nice of him to pretend Katsuki had had more input than he really had.

“Yeah,” he answered, nodding slightly. “Obviously you can.”

“Really?! Thank you!”

Izuku flung his arms around Katsuki, and Katsuki had no clue how to react. He’d been hugged before, obviously – he’d had a girlfriend, and a bunch of annoying clingy friends – but something about it coming from Izuku was just so unexpected, he had no clue what to say, or do, or think.

“Sorry,” Izuku squeaked, when he released Katsuki from the confines of his surprisingly strong arms. “I’m just really happy, I love it so much!”

“Uh, y-yeah. Sure.”

“I um, I have a little gift for you, though, too? You can think of it as a trade, if you want.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I wanted to!” Izuku insisted, picking up a white paper package tied with a sloppy bow. “It’s nothing much, just something I made for you, but I hope you like it!”

Katsuki blinked at him for a second, stunned. Izuku had made him something. Not just that, but from the look of the shape and size, had painted him something. Something he could have sold for hundreds of dollars, in all likelihood, but instead he was entrusting it to Katsuki?

“Open it?” Izuku requested, pushing it into Katsuki’s arms gently. “You um, really seemed to like that seasons set I did? So I thought maybe you’d like this too.”

Katsuki unwrapped it carefully, huffing when it opened on the back of the canvas, and Izuku chuckled nervously as he reached out to flip it over for him. 

With that, the room fell silent.

There was a beautiful landscape in his arms, a scene he was sure he’d seen before, even though he wasn’t sure exactly where, couldn't quite place it in his head. But instead of the typical shades of green and brown they’d used on their joint effort, the colour scheme shifted, as if Izuku had taken the style of the set he’d liked so much and squished it into one canvas instead of four matching ones.

On one side, the colours were dull and dreary, the rain so real that he almost touched it to see if the paint was still wet. But slowly, as it moved across the canvas, the heavy grey clouds gave way to silver and sunlight, to bright teal-blue skies and emerald grass and wildflowers that matched the rainbow stretching across the sky above.

“To remind you,” Izuku said softly. “That the storm always passes.”

Katsuki kissed him.

[Next Chapter]