Housemate Wanted [Eventual NSFW] - Chapter 1

A quick warning that it will probably be a while before I manage to get this fic completed, so if you'd prefer to wait for more chapters before reading, I totally understand!

That said, if you're as in love as I am with Sugar Baby Kacchan, have fun!

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Despite being born and raised in the middle of god-damn nowhere, Katsuki had always known he was a city kid. His parents liked the greenery and calm lakes, the neighbourhoods where they could leave their front door unlocked, the tiny schools with only one class in each year group, where everyone knew each other and their families.

Katsuki hated it.

Ever since he was a toddler, he’d been staring at the tall towers on TV, the sprawling cities full of strangers, where you could walk down the street without anyone looking twice at you or stopping to ask after your grandparents.

For his thirteenth birthday, he’d begged his father to take him into the city, to let him stand atop the tallest building and look out at the expanse of endless buildings. It had taken months for him to cave, even longer for his mother to begrudgingly agree, and finally Katsuki had gotten to see the beauty of the city lights, only to have them torn away from him to take the three-hour train ride back home.

Since that moment, his only goal in life had been to get out of the stupid rural town where he’d grown up and to live in one of those masterpieces of human technology and evolution.

It was no secret to anyone that he spent his free time looking through job listings and real estate websites, planning out his future budget. He knew his parents and teachers expected him to grow out of the dream, that was no secret either. If anything, that just made him more determined to make it happen.

His best option seemed to be one of the big universities – an education, for a future career that would fund his lifestyle in the middle of the city. But therein lay the problem – his shitty small-town school still used textbooks where he’d literally found his grandmother’s name in the rental list, the teachers were just as old and freakin’ useless, the shitty clubs never went to any worthwhile events or tournaments where he could get scouted for scholarships, and all his time studying to even come close to being prepared for the entrance exams left him no room to get a part-time job, no way to save up to get to the city, let alone live there.

From birthday and new year gifts over the past five years he’d managed to save up just enough cash to get to the university for the exam, but he had frankly no idea where he was going to go from there. For someone so pedantic and organised, it was a hell full of anxiety.

And his parents were no help, of course. In their tiny town, they were one of the rich families – living in a nice, big, modern house, their fridge always full of food, both parents working good jobs – but he knew all too well that their income would leave them homeless in the city he’d visited at thirteen, let alone Tokyo where he’d ideally like to be.

But still, when the time came, he’d thrown on a backpack with a few changes of clothes inside, waved goodbye to his parents (carefully ignoring his father’s tears), and paid a ridiculous amount of money to travel thirteen hours on a bus to sit the exam he’d been working toward for his entire high school career, even when all his classmates were content being farmers.

The entire town had thrown a party for him when he'd gotten his acceptance letter, and for a brief moment he’d felt a little bad – he didn’t exactly have the best reputation, always talking back and being a dick to his classmates, and yet here they all were, celebrating for him, marvelling that bratty little Kacchan was all grown up, heading off to make a name for himself in the big city. They’d even pitched in to pay for his bus ticket, this time one-way, which he was… actually really grateful for, considering he was now officially broke.

So for the second time, Katsuki packed his bag, setting off from the tiny little farming town to find his fortune in the city.

The bus arrived early on a Saturday morning, giving Katsuki all day to find someone looking for a housemate and maybe even a part-time job. He’d been browsing a few different student-housing websites during the bus ride, but they all seemed to require payment upfront, which he supposed was good for students with parents paying their way, but was the opposite for himself.

He had it all planned out, though – the university was holding plenty of getting-to-know-you events for the week leading up to their first classes, most of which were bound to have snacks on hand, so he could snatch a bite to eat. And the library would be open, giving him somewhere to get indoors when needed, to use the bathroom and keep his studies up. He was pretty sure the gym was free to students, too, so he had somewhere to shower. No doubt he’d be able to find some twenty-four hour facilities where he could hang out for the night, and if worst came to worst, he could snatch some sleep around campus during the day – overtired students were nothing new, after all. And it would only be for a few days, until he could establish himself in the area.

It seemed so easy, so doable – at least, it had, until he’d officially been at it for a week, with no luck in finding a home or a job, barely three hours of sleep a night, and zero cash left to his name. He was considering selling off his phone for a little food money and maybe a capsule hotel, resorting to the library computers instead for all his research and communication just like he planned to for his studies, but then a new listing caught his eye.

Housemate wanted. Central Tokyo. Young adult male. Low rent in exchange for services.

Katsuki knew what “services” likely meant, but at this point… He wasn’t entirely sure that he cared. He knew he was a good-looking dude, maybe this was a blessing in disguise – hell, maybe by being cute he’d be able to get the rent really low.

He called the number immediately, before any other desperate students could take advantage of it, and a low voice answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Um, hi,” Katsuki mumbled, suddenly awkward as he spoke. “I uh, I saw your ad, for the room? I uh, I’m interested.”

“Oh!” the voice brightened considerably, as if a weight were lifted off the man’s shoulders at the words. “Great, um- Do you want to come and- Ah, actually, why don’t we meet for coffee before I invite you to come take a look? Are you free today some time?”

“Yeah, whenever. You just might have to… Give me directions.”

“Where are you staying currently? I can come pick you up, if you like? Oh, I mean, if you’re comfortable with that! I know getting in a stranger’s car is- Not that I’m strange! I swear! But-”

“Sure,” Katsuki cut him off, before he could continue the weird mumbling. “I’m at school. University of Tokyo.”

“Oh! You’re a student? That’s so neat! Okay, I’m about five minutes away. Which building are you at?”

“I’m around the law school right now. Is there somewhere it’s easy for you to pick me up?”

“Okay! There should be a gate right near you, head out there and cross the street at the crossing. I’ll meet you by the convenience store, the one next door to the post office. Oh, um, I’ll be in a black car, I’ll text you my license plate number so you know it’s me!”

Cool,” Katsuki agreed, glancing around to find the gate in question. “I’ll see you soon, then.”

“I can’t wait!”

With that, he hung up, and Katsuki waited a moment for his phone to ping with the license number. He realised too late that he’d never thought to ask the guy’s name, had nothing to save the contact under, so instead he just locked his phone to do it later, and set off to find their meeting spot.

Sure enough, directly opposite a pedestrian crossing was a bright green sign advertising the little store, where no doubt thousands of students bought their lunch and dinner each day. Maybe they’d be desperate enough for staff that they’d accept him with no experience? He’d have to look into it later, after his meeting with the mystery man he might be about to sell himself to.

He leaned against the wall to wait, in front of an empty space on the road where the no-parking lines had ended, giving the man space to pull over for him.

Sure enough, in barely five minutes a black car was pulling over in front of him, and for a moment Katsuki could only stare. With all the mumbling and stumbling the guy had done, Katsuki had been expecting him to be a weirdo in his mom’s old minivan or something, but here was a sleek, dark sports car, with a license plate that inexplicably matched the text in his hand.

“Um, hi,” he said awkwardly, when the window rolled down on his side. “I uh, I talked to you on the phone.”

He held up the text as proof, and the freckled face inside split into a beaming smile.

“It’s nice to meet you! Hop in!”

“Thanks,” he nodded, opening the door and sliding nervously into the plush leather seat. “And uh, for picking me up, too. Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure!”

He watched as Katsuki buckled himself in, then pulled out smoothly into the street again, switching the radio off when they stopped at a traffic light.

“I’m Izuku, by the way.”

“Katsuki,” he answered. “It’s uh, nice to meet you.”

“Tell me about yourself!”

“Sure. I’m not gonna distract you from driving?”

“Nope, not at all!”

“I guess you’re a better driver than me,” Katsuki huffed. “I can’t talk and drive.”

“You’re young,” Izuku grinned. “It just takes practice!”

“I guess so. Um, what do you want to know?”

“Hmm… What are you studying? Do you like it? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Grow up?” Katsuki snorted. “I’m an adult.”

“Sure,” Izuku laughed. “Go on, tell me about school.”

“Um… I haven’t… Exactly started…”

“What?” Izuku blinked, snatching a glance across at him. “You’re starting this year?”

“Mm-hm. I got here a week ago.”

“Why aren’t you living with other students? I thought you must be a few years in and tired of the partying and everything.”

“No, um… I grew up in a really small town,” he explained. “So I don’t exactly… Have the money for it.”

“And you just came to Tokyo with no money, no plans, nothing?”

“Pretty much? I thought I could find a job and an apartment in the first day or two, but-”

“But that’s not how cities work,” Izuku finished for him, cracking a smile. “So what have you been doing the past couple of nights?”

“The library is open late, so I can sleep a bit there, and then the convenience stores and some of the malls are open after that so I can kinda… drift between places.”

“Oh Katsuki, you must be exhausted!” Izuku pouted, reaching over to touch his forehead lightly. “You poor thing, you’ll make yourself sick! I have a spare room all ready for a housemate, so you’re welcome to come stay a while even if you decide not to move in!”

“Um, th-thanks.”

“My pleasure! It’s uh… Well, we’ll talk about that over coffee.”

He pulled into a little parking lot, shutting off the car, and Katsuki’s hand trembled a little as he unfastened his seatbelt. His brain seemed to be torn straight down the middle, half of him convinced it was a damn good deal, the other half questioning if he really wanted to sell himself just for a bed to sleep in.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Um, coffee. Black.”

“Need the caffeine, huh?” Izuku smiled, a hint of teasing sneaking in. “And to eat?”

“Huh?”

Izuku nodded toward a glass display case, full of gorgeous sandwiches and muffins, but Katsuki shook his head quickly.

“I’m good.”

“My treat,” Izuku assured him. “Please, I’ll feel bad if I’m eating in front of you.”

Katsuki’s stomach betrayed him with a growl, and Izuku just grinned at Katsuki’s blush, gesturing to the case once more.

“What would you like?”

“I’m fine, really.”

With a long sigh, Izuku turned to the cashier, digging his wallet from his pocket as he spoke.

“One hot single origin, large; one peach frappe, large as well; one of the chicken salad wraps; a ham and cheese foccacia; and a slice of that gorgeous cheesecake. Please!”

With a smile she handed over a table number, getting started on their drinks, and Izuku ushered Katsuki over to a little table near the window. He knew his cheeks were burning when Izuku pulled the chair out for him, but Izuku pretended not to notice, just smiling at him as he sat down opposite.

“So, you’re about to start university,” Izuku prompted. “Studying law?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a tough career. What got you interested in it?”

“I like a challenge,” Katsuki shrugged. “My Dad thought I should be a politician, but I’m too blunt and honest, so since I argue a lot my Mother joked that I was made to be a lawyer. I was the smartest kid in my school, not that that was difficult, so I had to pick something good, that would earn me a lot of money. Law seemed to fit the bill.“

“So you’re not passionate about it?”

“I’m not passionate about anything, the only thing you can be passionate about in my hometown is when to plant your new season of crops.”

“You seem like a passionate person to me,” Izuku objected. “You gave up everything and spent every dollar just to get here, so why here?”

“I like cities. Endless buildings, not a farm in sight.”

“You’ve been before?”

“Not here,” Katsuki admitted. “Except for the entrance exam, but I didn’t do anything except sit the test. I convinced my parents to take me to the nearest big city when I was thirteen, so I could see what it was like. I went up to the top of a skyscraper and looked at the view, and that was all I needed.”

“You haven’t seen the view of Tokyo yet?”

“No, been too busy with… Everything else.”

“Hmmm,” Izuku hummed thoughtfully, lighting up when the waitress arrived. “Ah, it looks so good! Thank you!”

He slid Katsuki his big mug of coffee, watching him take a sip before he touched anything else, and giving him another big smile when he nodded his approval. That settled, he cut the wrap and the sandwich each in two, picking out the bigger piece of each and sliding them across the table to Katsuki.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Katsuki,” Izuku chuckled. “You’re too skinny, you need to eat something.”

“I’m not skinny.”

“You are. Look at your waist, I could practically wrap my hands around you!”

“I’m athletic. I have muscle mass!”

“Sure you do,” Izuku teased, nudging the plate toward him again. “Then you need to keep your energy up so you can stay fit.”

Katsuki’s stomach betrayed him once again, growling loudly, and Izuku picked up the piece of focaccia to poke at his mouth playfully.

“Say ‘ahhhhh’!”

Burning red, Katsuki caved, taking a bite from the corner of the sandwich. Izuku looked far too satisfied with himself, waiting patiently for Katsuki to swallow before he spoke again.

“Good, right? I love this place.”

“Good,” Katsuki admitted.

“Have some more, then!”

He poked it at Katsuki’s lips again, waiting for him to open, and Katsuki obediently bit off another chunk.

“Good boy!” Izuku praised, almost making Katsuki choke on his bread. “You gonna be good and eat it yourself now?”

Katsuki nodded awkwardly, and Izuku grinned as he set the food back on the plate, reaching for his bright pink concoction to take a sip.

“So you’re what, eighteen? And about to start studying to be a lawyer,” he continued, as if nothing had even happened. “You come from a little town full of farmers, you’re smart, blunt, stubborn. Anything else I should know?”

“I’m a perfectionist,” Katsuki shrugged, taking a sip from his mug – he had to admit, the coffee was damn good. “I don’t like getting shit wrong.”

“Super clean and organised?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re perfect,” Izuku grinned. “Move in with me!”

“W-What?!” Katsuki coughed, barely managing to swallow his coffee before he spat it all over the table. “That’s what you’re in to?”

“I spend super long hours at work,” Izuku explained. “My apartment is a mess and I can’t cook to save my life. People keep joking that I should find a wife to take care of me, but that wouldn’t be fair when I don’t have any time for her, so I thought maybe I could let someone stay in my spare room in exchange for a little cooking and cleaning. Are you interested?”

“That’s what you meant by ‘services’?!”

“Yeah? What did you think I meant?”

“You specified young adult male so I thought…”

“Oh! God! No! I meant me! Someone to live with a young adult male! I mean, maybe young was pushing it a little, but it’s not like I’m old!”

Katsuki breathed a long sigh of relief, slumping in his seat a little as he reached for the sandwich, tearing off a chunk to gnaw on.

“I’m mortified,” Izuku mumbled, covering his face with his hands. “This whole time, you thought I was some kind of sleazy old man! I’m twenty-five, I don’t need to buy a date!”

“Old as fuck.”

“Don’t be mean!”

Katsuki smirked, enjoying the moment. The guy had made him so weirdly anxious, in the short time they’d been together, it was nice to see him be the one squirming.

“So how bad is it?” he asked, when Izuku seemed to get his breathing under control. “The mess.”

“Last week I bought new socks because I couldn’t find any clean ones.”

“And the cooking?”

“I have a brand new oven you can use!”

“How long has it been brand new?”

“About two years.”

“You’ve never used your oven in two years.”

“I’m not even sure I know how to turn it on.”

“Okay, that’s pretty bad,” Katsuki sighed. “Do you like spicy food?”

“I’m sure I can get used to it!”

“So no, then,” Katsuki snorted. “Alright, I can work with it.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, nerd. I’m here, aren’t I? Even though I thought…”

“Oh!” Izuku flooded bright red, quickly hiding his face in his hands again. “You were going to.”

“I was considering it,” Katsuki corrected him. “So where do you live, anyway? How far is it?”

“Um… From here? About another ten minutes. By train its about half an hour to the university, no line changes.”

“Anywhere around there that might be hiring?”

“Hiring? Why? You should be focusing on school!”

“Gotta pay the bills somehow, nerd.”

“What bills? You don’t need to pay rent!”

“Phone plan, trains, groceries, clothes?”

“Don’t be silly, I can cover those for you. You’re working for me, after all!”

“Hah? You’re already covering rent, you don’t need to pay me shit as well.”

“I own the place, Katsuki, it’s not like I’m paying rent without you! Do you have an IC card for the trains yet?”

“No, um, they don’t really use them where I came from.”

“Okay, we’ll get you a card and I’ll put some money on it for your transport, consider it a hiring bonus! I’ll pay for the groceries, so you don’t need to worry about that, and I’ll add you to my phone plan too, I get a good deal. We’ll sort out your wages tonight, I’ve gotta head back to work soon.”

“I don’t need wages.”

“But-”

“No, don’t be ridiculous.”

Izuku huffed, but conceded a nod all the same.

“Fine, but I’m paying for your transport and phone!”

“You don’t need-”

“I want to!”

“Ugh.”

“Then it’s settled!” Izuku grinned. “Are you heading back to school or are you done for the day?”

“I’m done, paperwork is all sorted and no classes until Monday. I can just hang around somewhere until you finish work.”

“Don’t be silly! I’ll take you home, then head back to work while you get settled in. You could probably use a nap by now!”

Katsuki hated to admit it, but a nap did sound pretty damn good.

Izuku took the last bite of his food, and Katsuki reached for the piece of wrap in front of him, biting into fresh, crisp lettuce and juicy chicken.

“You don’t have to rush,” Izuku giggled, when Katsuki took another bite quickly. “I have a little time still!”

“You still gotta drive both ways.”

“I know, it’s okay!”

Katsuki finished the food quickly regardless – partly because he didn’t believe it, but mostly because the wrap was really good.

“Alright nerd,” he sighed, draining the last of his coffee. “Let’s see this apartment of yours.”

Katsuki froze in the doorway, jaw hanging open as he stared into the apartment. Izuku gave him a sheepish smile, an apology waiting on his lips, but Katsuki beat him to the punch.

“This place is huge,” he marvelled, kicking off his shoes and stepping into the spacious hallway.

“Oh,” Izuku said awkwardly. “I thought you were staring at the mess.”

“Fuck the mess, look at this place!”

He stepped over old boxes and discarded clothes as if he hadn’t even noticed, walking straight to the wide windows that curved around the living room, and Izuku couldn’t help but smile fondly as he watched.

“It’s huge,” Katsuki said again, oddly breathless this time, as he looked out over the city beyond. “Wow.”

“I’m gonna head back to work,” Izuku said softly. “Make yourself at home, okay? There’s a key by the door for you, in case you want to go out, and some cash for dinner. I’ll be home late, so order something in, alright?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded, barely hearing the words. “Thanks.”

“Oh, and your bedroom is just down the hall here, the first door on the left, opposite the toilet! Mine is down the end, and the middle one is my home office. It’s a mess but you can use the computer if you want.”

“Thanks.”

“Alright, I’m off,” Izuku grinned. “See you in the morning.”

“Yeah. Wait, morning?”

“Oh, yeah, you’ll be asleep by the time I get home. Get some rest, okay?”

“Oh. Um, okay. I’ll save you dinner.”

“Thanks! Have a good night!”

“You too.”

Katsuki only tore his eyes away from the view when the front door closed, the apartment eerily quiet around him. The whole place was so new and modern, a world away from anything he was used to – even his parents’ home looked old and rundown in comparison.

Izuku was right, though. It was a mess. The bookshelves were covered in a layer of dust, there were piles of clothes and towels everywhere that looked like they’d been there for a year, and despite the appliances being brand new, the whole kitchen looked like it hadn’t been scrubbed. Ever.

He decided on investigating his bedroom before he worried about it too much, to put away his meagre collection of clothes and toiletries. It was just about empty, only a bed with a thick, puffy mattress in the middle of the room, and a closed closet off to one side. He pulled the doors open to investigate, finding it just as dusty as the rest of the house, a set of sheets and blankets neatly folded on the top shelf.

That was his first job, then. He could throw on a load of laundry, dust and vacuum the room, and by then, he should be ready to make the bed and take a nap.

He plugged his phone in to charge beside the bed, starting his music playing and turning it up nice and loud while he worked. It wasn’t hard to lose himself in menial labour when he had good music going, and he’d long since gotten used to the tasks.

His mother had insisted on him doing his own laundry once he’d become a teenager, had told him he was more than old enough to wash his own sweaty underpants, but even before that he’d been in the kitchen with his Dad, learning how to chop and boil and fry, and as he got older, progressively more complex tasks. He’d mostly been irritated by it all, at first, though he’d gotten used to it as he got older – and with his Dad’s bad back, he didn’t really mind doing the heavier tasks anyway. Now, he was grateful he’d learned. Who would have thought it would get him into a central-Tokyo apartment with massive windows that gave him a perfect view of the city?

Yeah, it was a damn good deal – and a hell of a lot better than selling himself, even if Izuku was kind of cute.

Izuku tiptoed into the apartment, softly closing the door and sliding the bolt across to secure it. He knew Katsuki would have crashed hours ago, after his sporadic and lacking sleep schedule the past week – really, what kind of kid just showed up to a new city with no money, no job, and nowhere to stay? He was an interesting one, that was for sure.

It wasn’t until Izuku had slipped out of his shoes that he noticed the floors, shining clean and cleared of all his junk, not even a trash bag in sight.

“Wow,” he whispered. “That was quick.”

When he stepped into the living room he almost yelped, caught by surprise when he saw the little lump of duvet sitting in front of the massive windows. He’d loved those windows when he moved in, but it seemed like he never paid them any attention anymore – he’d gotten used to them. It was nice to see someone else enchanted by them the way he had been a couple of years ago.

“Katsuki?” he whispered.

The lump didn’t stir, and Izuku cracked a smile again. After a week without a bed, he would have relished the opportunity to sleep in one. But here was Katsuki, napping on the cold marble floors, sitting upright, only a duvet draped around his shoulders for comfort.

“Come here,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around the boy and scooping him up carefully. “You worked hard today, I’m impressed.”

Katsuki stirred, but his eyes didn’t open, so Izuku held him close.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Sleep, Katsuki. You did so good.”

He tucked Katsuki into the freshly made bed – at least he’d gotten that far – and draped the duvet over him carefully. Katsuki snuggled in immediately, arms wrapping around his pillow, and Izuku stopped for a moment to watch, to smile at his soft expression.

He closed the door behind him, to hopefully keep out any noise Izuku made as he got ready for bed, and when he headed into the kitchen in search of the promised leftovers, he once again froze. Just like the hallway, the kitchen was scrubbed to perfection, shining clean on every surface. The only thing that disrupted the modern black-and-white aesthetic was a small yellow sticky note on the refrigerator door, and Izuku found himself smiling again as he stepped closer to investigate.

Dinner in here, nerd. Eat it.

He pulled the door open obediently, but instead of finding bare shelves and take-out boxes, the fridge was stocked with a collection of fresh fruit and vegetables, a few packages of meat, and some bottles of sauce tucked in the fridge door. Katsuki really had gone all-out.

Right in the middle was another post-it note, this time stuck to a cloth-covered plate. He pulled it out to investigate, taking note of the heating instructions hastily scribbled on the piece of paper.

“He cooked for me,” Izuku mumbled, disbelieving, when he unwrapped the meal. “Already.”

He stuck it in the microwave to heat, stomach growling when the smell began to fill the room, practically drooling by the time he stopped it – right before the dings, he wasn’t sure yet how light of a sleeper Katsuki was.

His first mouthful made him tear up, taking a moment to just stare at the plate of food. It had taken until that exact moment to realise he hadn’t had a home-cooked meal since his mother passed, and suddenly it was all too overwhelming, tears pouring down his face as he shovelled food into his mouth.

He’d relied on her so much, when she was around. Had never stopped to consider that maybe she’d be gone too soon. So he’d gone all those years without learning anything, content to let her insist on doing things for him, just laughing and thanking her for her hard work. He should have taken the time to stop and help, to learn, but he supposed that came from the benefit of hindsight.

“Are you okay?”

Izuku’s head snapped up to see a sleepy little blond in his doorway, rubbing at his tired eyes, and he quickly swallowed his mouthful of steak.

“It’s so good!” he praised, by way of an explanation. “Thank you so much, Katsuki!”

“Why are you crying over food, nerd? It’s not even spicy. Don’t tell me you think black pepper is spicy.”

“No! No, it’s perfect! I just-” he paused, swallowing hard. “It’s been a long time since I had a meal like this.”

“Ex-girlfriend or some shit?”

“Mother.”

“Oh,” Katsuki paused, slipping slowly into the chair opposite. “Um, do you- Do you want to talk about it or something?”

“I’m okay,” Izuku smiled, wiping his tears on his sleeve. “Really. Thank you, though. You should go back to bed, it’s late.”

“Mm, needed to pee. Did you uh, did you put me in bed?”

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago. I was worried you’d wake up sore, otherwise. I guess I woke you, instead. Sorry.”

“Um, thanks. You uh, you must be stronger than you look.”

“I told you, you’re too skinny.”

“Shut up.”

Katsuki swiped at him sleepily, and Izuku grinned as he ducked away, dodging the blow easily.

“There’s a gym downstairs, by the way. If you want it. You made that whole fuss about being muscular, thought it might matter to you.”

“Thanks. Got a pool and a sauna and shit too, no doubt?”

“Yeah, just use the room key.”

“Wh- I was kidding, asshole. You’re rich as fuck.”

“Maybe a little,” Izuku giggled. “But it’s nice, right? That’s the important thing!”

“This apartment is worth more than the entire town I came from.”

“Speaking of which, did you call your parents today?”

“Haaah?”

“They’re probably worried about you! Call them tomorrow, okay? Send them pictures of your new room! We need to go shopping, though, it’s really empty right now. Are you warm enough? That duvet isn’t very thick. I can turn on the heater, if you want?”

“Enough,” Katsuki growled. “It’s too late at night for all this mumbling shit.”

“Oh, right, sorry. You should go back to sleep, I’m just gonna grab a shower then get some rest myself. Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay. Goodnight, then. Thank you again for dinner, it was delicious.”

“It’s fine. I’m cleaning your office tomorrow afternoon, so make sure you hide your porn when you get up.”

“Katsuki! Don’t say things like that! I don’t have porn in my office!”

“So porn is in the bedroom then, got it. So I can clean in there?”

“Yes, you can,” Izuku pouted. “And I don’t have porn!”

“Sure you don’t, nerd. Single dude living alone for at least two years? Bound to be some porn lying around.”

“You’re the worst,” Izuku huffed, reaching over to mess up Katsuki’s blond spikes. “Go to bed, I mean it.”

“Gotta watch what you do with your dishes first.”

“I know how to do dishes!”

“And I know you’re not gonna,” Katsuki snorted, leaning against the counter to watch as Izuku stepped into the kitchen area. “Rinse it off then stick it straight in the dishwasher, nerd. Don’t mess up my hard work.”

“As you wish, Sir.”

“Shut up.”

Izuku slotted his plate away obediently, rinsing off his cutlery to join it, then closed the dishwasher with a proud smile.

“Got it under control, see?” he grinned. “Now seriously, come on, it’s bedtime. You’ve barely slept lately, and then you did all this amazing cleaning today, it’s time for you to get some sleep.”

He nudged Katsuki gently down the hall, pausing at the bedroom doorway and pointing across to the bathroom.

“This is yours, by the way. I use the washroom down the end, and I have a bath off my bedroom. So feel free to leave your stuff in here. I use both of the toilets, but if you’re picky about-”

“I’m not,” Katsuki assured him. “I can handle sharing toilets.”

“Cool,” Izuku grinned. “Now get your little butt in bed, do I need to tuck you in?”

“Fuck off, nerd.”

Despite the protest, Izuku followed Katsuki into the room, pulling the blankets up to his chin when he lay down and tucking him in fondly. Despite having met only twelve hours ago, Izuku already felt so much fondness for the boy, and it was all he could do to keep himself from kissing the flushed forehead as Katsuki hid his blush under the sheets.

“What did your parents call you when you were little?” Izuku asked quietly, checking that Katsuki’s phone was charging on the table beside him.

“Why do you care?”

“Oh Katsuki, I think you know why,” he grinned. “Was it… Katsuki-chan? No that’s too long, that would be a pain. Hmm… Katsu-kun? That could work.”

“Kacchan,” Katsuki admitted, cursing his tongue for it even as the word came out.

“Oh! That’s cute! Okay, goodnight Kacchan!”

“I fucking hate you.”

“Uh-huh, okay Kacchan.”

“Screw you, you… Deku.”

“Deku? What, because I suck at cooking and cleaning?”

“And taking care of yourself in general,” Katsuki snorted, rolling over to get comfortable. “Night Deku.”

“Okay,” Izuku laughed brightly. “Goodnight Kacchan!”


[Chapter 2]