The Morning Routine [White Day 2020]

This was for Pepper as part of my server's exchange event!  We share a love of fluff and sap, so hopefully she'll enjoy this domestic fluff!

─────

4:00

Katsuki yawned and stretched, rolling over to glance at the glowing numbers on his bedside table. Growing up, he always got annoyed when he woke up in the middle of the night, wasting his precious sleep time. Then again, he got annoyed at a lot of things, growing up. Maybe he'd calmed down a little in his adulthood.

Or maybe he was just a big sap.

With the tiniest of smiles, he rolled back to his other side, rubbing at his eyes and watching the man sleeping next to him. He lay sprawled across far more than his fair share of the bed, mouth hanging open to drool on his pillow, green curls tousled into the worst disarray he'd ever seen in his life.

Fuck, he loved the guy so damn much.

He wriggled a little closer, sliding in under Izuku's strong arm. He was so warm, and somehow so soft, even though his body was all lean muscle. If anyone dared to call Katsuki “cuddly” he would punch them in the face with no hesitation, but in the dark hours of the early morning, with his favourite person beside him, he didn't mind betraying his self-image a little.

“Fuck it,” he mumbled, moving closer again and draping himself over the warm, strong body. It wasn't like the nerd would mind.

He laid his cheek on a freckled chest, hooked his leg over a pair of strong thighs, and slung his arms around broad shoulders, as if he might be able to merge their frames into one blob of lumpy love. Without waking, Izuku smiled softly, and Katsuki sighed as he closed his eyes.

He was definitely a sap.

5:00

Izuku cracked his eyes open on the earliest rays of sunrise, yawning and blinking sleepily as he turned his head to check the clock. A heavy weight pressed down on his chest, keeping him trapped against the mattress, and Izuku smiled when he looked down at it. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to waking up in Katsuki's bed – in their bed – together. He wasn't sure he wanted to get used to it; the buzz of waking up and finding him all snuggled up to Izuku's side was too addictive.

He still had another half hour before their alarm went off, but just like every morning before, he didn't go back to sleep. An extra half hour to snooze was tempting, sure, but not as tempting as the idea of half an hour of uninterrupted cuddles.

One hand smoothed down Katsuki's spine, enjoying the feel of the soft skin covering taut muscles, until it reached his hip to hold him close. The other, he hooked beneath Katsuki's clutches, just barely reaching to tangle in blond spikes. Katsuki hummed in his sleep, pressing into Izuku's touch, and Izuku felt his eyes watering as he rubbed light circles against Katsuki's scalp. It wasn't like Katsuki didn't touch him when he was awake – he was more than happy to share sweet kisses and a thousand hugs, but he was never quite so clingy. During the night, though, Katsuki gave in to those adorable urges, clinging to him like a massive koala without fear of what people might say or think.

When they'd first started dating, he'd blushed and pouted over every little touch – not that Izuku was much better. They'd both been a mess of awkward shyness, struggling to even reach out and hold hands without freaking out and running away. They'd known each other forever, though – it wasn't like they needed all those cheesy things to understand how each other felt. They knew from the way they waited for each other to walk home after school, standing shoulder to shoulder on the little stone paths through campus. They knew from the way they visited each other's parents on the weekends, welcomed into both homes like one big happy family, without ever having to invite each other with words. They knew from the matching charms that hung on their school bags, the first of hundreds of merch items they collected together over the years, with each other's hero costume standing out bright and bold and public.

The tiny figures were a lot more battered these days, retired to sit on their bedroom bookshelf, watching over them as they slept in each other's arms.

With the quietest little whine in the world, which Izuku knew he'd deny if it ever came up in conversation, Katsuki rubbed his cheek against Izuku's chest. He didn't wake, his eyes never opened, but like a happy kitten nuzzling its owner, he sighed his content.

Izuku had never been happier.

5:30

A grating alarm blared from Katsuki's bedside table, and Izuku groaned. Katsuki was awake in a heartbeat, untangling himself to hit the off-switch, and Izuku pouted as he felt the comfortable warmth leave him. Katsuki yawned, rolling over again to finally meet Izuku's eyes, leaning against his elbow as they took a moment to just take it all in. Katsuki's eyelids drooped, and his blond spikes were smushed down flat on one side, where he'd been pressed into Izuku's skin. All the same, though, he was the prettiest sight Izuku had ever seen.

“Morning, nerd,” Katsuki sighed finally. “You taking the bathroom first or am I?”

“You can't get up yet,” Izuku pouted, reaching for him pathetically. “It's bad for the baby.”

“What baby?”

“Me.”

“Don't meme at me this early in the morning, dork.”

Katsuki cracked a smile all the same, admiring the way Izuku broke into a bright grin in return, his sleep-filled eyes squinting a little in its wake. For someone who just woke up, with a head of knotty hair and a little patch of drool on his pillowcase, he was too damn gorgeous.

“Alright, five minutes,” Katsuki conceded, falling into Izuku's outstretched arms.

Izuku giggled, leaning on Katsuki's hair fondly, and Katsuki smiled to himself as he nuzzled into Izuku's neck. Izuku took a deep breath, relishing Katsuki's sweet scent, and in a moment of sweetness, Katsuki planted a little kiss on Izuku's jaw.

“I love you,” he whispered, cheeks a little warmer than they really had any right to be.

“I love you too, Kacchan! More than anything!”

Katsuki nodded, closing his eyes again as he snuggled in closer, letting Izuku squeeze him tightly in his grip. He hated to admit how good it felt to be in his arms, to feel Izuku's surprisingly thick biceps holding him securely – he would never say the words out loud, that was for certain. He suspected Izuku knew anyway, given the way he squeezed just a little tighter when Katsuki got sappy or whiny, and sure enough when he hummed quietly into Izuku's skin, he felt the grip tighten.

“Comfy,” he admitted, blushing brighter, glad that Izuku couldn't see his stupidly red face. “I... I wish we didn't have to work.”

“Work not going well?”

“Work is great, I just...”

“Don't wanna get up?” Izuku smiled. “Me too, Kacchan. I could stay here with you all day.”

“Wanna call in sick?”

“Both of us?” Izuku laughed. “We shouldn't, Kacchan. Gotta go save the world!”

“Yeah. You're right, for once.”

“For once,” Izuku humoured him, ignoring the almost-identical conversations they'd been having twice a week for as long as he could remember. “We'll be back tonight, and tomorrow, and the next day, for the rest of our lives.”

“Yeah. Don't let me down, nerd.”

“I would never.”

5:45

The alarm rang again, and the pair pried themselves apart reluctantly. It was like the strongest magnets kept them connected, refusing to let them part and get out of the bed, and Izuku whined quietly to himself. Katsuki had been right, it would have been a perfect day to just stay in bed and snuggle, but the villains didn't seem to take rest days, so nor did the heroes.

Izuku swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing at his eyes one more time before he clambered up, glancing back just in time to see Katsuki pull a familiar t-shirt over his head. Izuku smiled, and Katsuki gave him a weak glare, folding his arms over his chest. He almost managed to conceal the words printed beneath, but Izuku was more than familiar with the dark “sheets” that was written there.

The shirt was at least two sizes too big, practically hanging off one shoulder, the hem so low it concealed most of his boxers. It made him look so little and cute, Izuku wanted to just pick him up and smother him in kisses, but already Katsuki was stepping into the hall. Izuku hurried to throw a shirt on and follow, watching for a moment as Katsuki began pulling ingredients from the fridge and putting their lunches together in pretty matching boxes.

He stepped past, accepting the carton of eggs Katsuki offered him and grabbing a frying pan. Side by side they worked, occasionally pausing to share a little touch or a smile, but never treading on each other's toes or bumping into each other as they passed – they'd had too much practice for that. Izuku chopped meat and vegetables, throwing them into the pan to make an omelette for two, and right by his side, Katsuki cut the crusts off of sandwiches. Not because Izuku didn't like them – Izuku wasn't that picky – but because he'd made one offhand comment when someone did it on tv, about it being cute that people went to that effort for the person they loved.

Katsuki hadn't given him a single crust since.

Katsuki cut the crustless sandwiches into triangles, arranging them prettily in the lunchbox with their layers of fresh lettuce and cheese and chicken, along with a bunch of brightly coloured fruit. He even sneaked two heart-shaped chocolates into a corner for him to find later, to put a smile on his face and make him think of his Kacchan during his afternoon patrol.

He'd never say it out loud, but Katsuki liked to know his Deku was thinking of him.

As he put the lids on the boxes, he looked back at their little kitchen table, watching Izuku with his frying pan. His tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth in concentration, rolling omelette out onto two plates like it was the most precise task in the world. He squinted at the two servings, scrutinising them, then pushed the slightly bigger, slightly prettier helping toward Katsuki's chair.

Katsuki's heart pounded extra hard.

“Ready!” Izuku grinned, looking up with his usual brightness. “Come and get it, Kacchan!”

“Y-Yeah, coming.”

He tucked their lunches into his bag and set it aside, and with a quick little kiss to Izuku's cheek, he sat down.

6:00

Katsuki stepped to the side, making room for Izuku to join him at the sink. He held out an old mug painted with messy colours, a gift from one of the kids Izuku had rescued and practically adopted in their early years as heroes, and with his same ever-present smile, Izuku accepted. Side by side they stared in the mirror, brushing their teeth and washing their faces, fiddling with hair that was equally messy in two totally different ways, standing in silent comfort as they prepared for their day. Together.

When Katsuki stripped his shirt off, tossing it at the laundry basket, Izuku cracked a smile. He reached out, pinching at a pert nipple, and Katsuki squawked as he slapped the hand away. Izuku giggled, ducking when Katsuki reached to pull his hair, and soon they were engaged in a familiar battle of pathetic pinches and pushes as they worked their way back to the bedroom.

“Damn,” Katsuki snorted, slapping Izuku's bare ass when he bent over to change his boxers. “Showing off that little booty, nerd?”

“Like you can talk,” Izuku laughed, grabbing muscular biceps in his hands. “I see you walking around with no shirt on!”

Katsuki hated the chuckles that came from him as he pulled away, fighting their way out no matter how he tried to stop them, and Izuku lit up when he heard the sound. He cupped Katsuki's cheeks in his hands, watching them flood with pink, and quickly Katsuki retaliated with a little pinch on a sensitive inner thigh.

“I'm not gonna be late on your account, nerd.”

“I won't lose to you!”

“Haaah?! Like hell if I'm gonna let you beat me!”

Katsuki turned away with a huff, grabbing his clean costume from the closet door to get dressed for his patrol, and Izuku watched him fondly for another minute admiring the way his lean muscles stretched and tensed as he moved.

“Get dressed, asshole,” Katsuki said flatly, not bothering to look back. “Round-Face will get worried if you're late.”

“I won't be!”

He reached for his jumpsuit all the same, tugging it up over his legs and sliding his arms into the sleeves, smiling to himself when the warm hand touched his back. It pulled his zipper up without a word, sealing him in, and Izuku flashed another smile over his shoulder, amused to see Katsuki soften under his gaze.

6:30

When they reached the usual corner, Katsuki stopped walking, feeling more than seeing Izuku stop at his side. He reached into his bag, handing over a shiny lunchbox, and Izuku leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“Thanks, Kacchan. I can't wait to eat it!”

“Make sure you don't forget,” Katsuki warned him. “Don't go passing out in the middle of a fight because you forgot to eat your damn food.”

“I could never!”

“You have.”

“That was before I had lunches from Kacchan!” Izuku giggled. “I'll never forget Kacchan's lunch, I promise!”

Katsuki nodded once, looking away for a second before he could be blinded by that damn smile, then with a hint of awkwardness that he could never quite seem to shake, he returned the kiss. Izuku turned his head, catching his lips with his own, and for a moment they lingered.

“Come back safe,” Izuku instructed, when their faces parted and their expressions softened a little.

“I will if you do.”

With a last little wave, Izuku turned to head for the agency headquarters, and Katsuki watched his back for a moment longer. He had a dark hoodie pulled tight over his jumpsuit, to deal with the morning chill that would quickly wear away under the sun's warm rays, and Katsuki sighed fondly when he saw the sleeves that were nearer his elbows than his wrists. Izuku was way too bulky to share clothes these days, but he somehow found a way to do it anyway – always insisting that he “liked the smell” when Katsuki called him out on it.

Weird nerd.

He continued on ahead, toward the spot where he and Eijirou met for morning patrols, but before he could sit down to wait, his phone was buzzing in his pocket.

Miss you already, Kacchan! Take care!

He smiled to himself, shaking his head fondly, jumping when a strong hand landed on his shoulder.

“Something funny?” Eijirou asked, with a grin almost as bright as the one Katsuki saw at home.

“Just the nerd being cute.”

“Nothing new, then!”

“Nah, the usual.”

7:00

Izuku pushed open a heavy glass door, breathing in the clean, new smell of his pretty agency lobby. They'd been there for a couple of years now, but somehow it always smelt like their first day, so fresh and full of promise.

“There he is, right on schedule!” Uraraka smiled, handing him a folder of paperwork from their night relief. “Did you have a good morning?”

“The best!”