Tall Order - Chapter 8

Katsuki was not impressed. He'd been so damn triumphant when Izuku had agreed to swim with them. The sun was shining, the rain and cold of the day prior all but forgotten – they'd run an extra lap to enjoy the weather, laughing and teasing each other as they moved, and when the topic had come up, when Katsuki had stubbornly reminded Izuku that he'd agreed to swim with them, Izuku had smiled and nodded enthusiastically. 

“I can't wait, Kacchan!”

All of that bullshit just to end up in the ocean with a fucking t-shirt on. Katsuki could have sworn the nerd was trying to deliberately antagonise him. And okay, he was willing to admit it was still a pretty damn good view. The cotton stuck to every curve, highlighting his pecs where they poked out of the water, occasionally even giving him a glimpse of hard nipples beneath. His hair was floppy, constantly falling across his eyes, and every time he flicked his head a little to get it out of the way, he looked like a damn shampoo commercial. 

Well, maybe it was time to take Mina's advice after all. If he couldn't coax Izuku into letting Katsuki check him out, he'd just have to turn up the sexy for himself.

God, he never would have imagined he would even think those words.

The first step was easy. It wasn't hard to flex while they were in the water, occasionally stretching as he yawned, squeezing his biceps when Izuku glanced over.

“Tired still, Kacchan? Did you not sleep well again?”

“Slept way better,” Katsuki assured him, reaching one hand over his shoulder to scratch his back in a carefully leisurely way. “Hot out today, huh?”

“Yeah! It's a nice change from yesterday!”

When they all took a break for lunch, Katsuki laid out his towel, stretching out to relax in the sun with his hands behind his head. He knew he'd been caught out when he saw Eijirou and Mina whispering, but Mina clearly talked him into staying quiet, letting it play out. 

“Sunscreen, Kacchan!” Izuku reminded him, offering him a bottle of it.

He accepted it with a little smirk, taking his time running his hands slowly up and down his own arms and over his chest and abs, sneaking a peek at Izuku and winking when he caught the nerd watching. It was all he could do to keep from blushing as he did it, but when Izuku's eyes widened, he knew he'd made his point.

“Let me do your back,” Izuku offered, plopping into the sand behind him. “Lean forward, Kacchan.”

Katsuki handed the bottle over, leaning forward obediently and letting the scarred, callused hands work their way up and down his spine. He took his sweet time about it, making sure to cover every inch of skin so he wouldn't burn, and the way his thumbs pressed lightly into Katsuki's shoulder blades was stupidly enticing. He almost moaned, but managed to bite it back, settling for a faint hum that made Izuku giggle. 

He could see all his old friends rolling their eyes at him, but in that moment he couldn't care less. All that mattered was that Izuku's massive hands were on his bare back, feeling every taut, trained muscle that Katsuki had worked so hard on building up. 

“Does that feel good?” Izuku asked, trailing his thumbs a little lower, rubbing gentle circles either side of his spine. “You're super tense, when did you last get a massage or see a physio or something?”

“Mmm, been a while.”

“Lie down, Kacchan.”

Katsuki slid onto his stomach, turning his head to peek up at Izuku's smile, and when the strong hands kneaded at his back, he let the quiet moan run free.

“Been too long, huh?” Izuku teased. “Relax for me, Kacchan, let me take care of it.”

“Mm, take care of me,” he mumbled, eyes sinking closed. 

Izuku leaned over him, pressing the heels of his hands into Katsuki's back muscles, and Katsuki sighed contentedly again. He kneaded firmly at the knots in Katsuki's back, his hands warm against bare skin, and Katsuki couldn't resist a little smirk.

“Comfy, Kacchan?”

“Shhh, sleeping now.”

Izuku laughed at him, making Katsuki smile a little wider at the cheerful sound, and then his hands were on the back of Katsuki's neck, making him squirm.

“Does that tickle?”

“Uh-huh,” he grumbled, twisting to pull his head away, thwarted by Izuku's gigantic hand. “Cut it out.”

“Aww, but it's so much fun,” Izuku teased, running a finger over the back of his neck with the lightest of touches. It made every hair stand on end, made him whine quietly despite the way he blushed and cursed himself for it, but Izuku only giggled again. “Say please, Kacchan!”

“Shut up.”

“Does Kacchan want more tickles?”

“Shut up!”

He leaned a little weight on Katsuki's back to keep him in place, one hand still tickling his neck lightly.

“Fucking fine! Please cut the shit!”

“Aww, you can say it nicer than that, I know you can!”

Katsuki could feel his shorts growing a little tight in the crotch area, and his face flooded bright red in response, thankfully hidden in his towel by Izuku's firm grip.

“Fuck,” he hissed, shoving an elbow back in a weak attempt at hitting Izuku. “Please, okay?! Please stop tickling me!”

“Was that so hard?” Izuku grinned. “Isn't life so much easier when we ask nicely?”

“Idiot,” Katsuki grumbled, scrunching his arms in a little tighter to hide his flushed face. “Taking a nap now. Be quiet, loser.”

“Please?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Izuku lay down next to him, humming contentedly, and after a moment Katsuki cracked an eye open to look. His freckled cheeks were kissed by the sunlight, his shirt still sodden and clinging to his chest, and Katsuki found himself smiling faintly when Izuku glanced his way.

“It's been good spending time with you,” he admitted, when Izuku raised an eyebrow at him. “Been a while, you know? Guess I forgot that we actually get along, these days.”

“Aww, thanks Kacchan,” Izuku grinned, ruffling blond spikes playfully. “I've had fun with you, too. We've got a couple more days before we go back to the real world, let's make the most of it, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded, smile wavering a little. “The real world, huh? Yeah, I guess that's a good name for it.”

“We could hang out,” Izuku offered nervously, eyes darting away. “Like, if you have time? And if I have time? We should, um, at least talk, you know? If you want to keep in touch, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded, closing his eyes when he blushed again. “We can text and stuff.”

“Cool! Your number is still the same, right?”

“Yeah. Since, like, middle school.”

“Okay! I'll send you a text next time I go up the hill, so you can have mine too!”

“Okay.”

“Then I can send you all my favourite emojis!”

“Ugh, I take it back, no texting,” Katsuki grumbled, hiding his smile in his arms. “I knew there had to be a reason we fell out of touch in the first place.”

“You're so mean! You don't want to see my little bunnies and penguins?”

“Is that a euphemism?”

Izuku cracked up, laughing way too hard for a joke that honestly wasn't all that funny, but Katsuki smiled at him all the same.

“Yeah, you can send me bunnies.”

“And penguins?”

“And penguins.”

“Yay!”

Katsuki sighed as he rolled over, draping a hand across his eyes to keep the glare of the afternoon sun out of them, but his peace was short-lived. Just as he was beginning to really relax, to think maybe he could doze off for a little while, he heard voices yelling and felt Izuku nudge him in the ribs.

“You wanna be on my team this time?”

“Huh?”

Slowly, grumbling a little as he moved, Katsuki sat up to look. Out in the ocean, just beyond the pier, people were gathering to wrestle again, and Katsuki was nodding before he'd even thought about it. Izuku's head between his thighs? Hell yeah.

“Good thing I'm not scared of heights,” he mumbled, as he let Izuku haul him up to his feet. 

“I'm not that tall,” Izuku laughed. “Am I?”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes, giving Izuku a once over, ignoring the wobbly smile that took over his lips under a critical crimson gaze.

“You're alright,” he conceded finally, shrugging as Izuku laughed. “Not seven feet yet.”

“I tried!”

“Don't.”

“Huh?”

Katsuki paused, staring at the sand as Izuku took a few more steps toward the water, only stopping when he noticed Katsuki's absence. He turned to look, bur Katsuki couldn't meet his eyes.

“You don't want me to grow more?” Izuku clarified. “Why, are you still trying to catch up?”

“You're a good height now. You don't need to get taller.”

His eyes darted up briefly, meeting Izuku's shimmering green, watching them crinkle as he smiled widely.

“Okay! I'll do my best!”

“Stupid nerd,” he grumbled, taking a few long paces and shoving Izuku with his shoulder. “Come on, let's go kick their asses.”

“I won't let you down!”

─

With bags of groceries littering the counter, brought up from the pier by a bunch of noisy and stupidly slow hands, Katsuki shooed everyone out of the kitchen. It was his turn to make dinner, he said, and that meant no assholes getting in the way while he was busy. Even Izuku had been sent out of the room, though he still occasionally showed up to hover in the doorway and offer his useless help.

“You're helping by keeping the assholes away,” Katsuki claimed. “Just keep them all outside or some shit, I need some peace and quiet for once in their damn lives.”

“Okay, Kacchan! Just call me if you need anything else!”

With rice already in cooking, he set to work on a mountain of meat, debating just how much he needed per person and how much in the way of leftovers he wanted to have for the next day. Once he settled into his rhythm, though, he forgot about all the people in the next room, giggling and yelling and never quitting it with the whole talking thing. Instead he just focussed on the smooth feeling of his knife through pork, neatly slicing and pounding and tossing them into a pile.

It wasn't until he finished the meat that he looked up and saw the figure watching him from the doorway, his lips curving into a scowl when he saw the mismatched eyes watching his every move.

“Do you need a hand?”

“From you?” Katsuki snorted. “Fuck off, half and half.”

“Are you hitting on Izuku?”

Katsuki froze, and he wasn't sure if it was from the blatancy of the question or just the sheer shock of hearing Shouto use his first name so easily.

“What's it to you?” he sneered. “You want him for yourself or some shit? He's a big boy, he can make his own decisions.”

“No, just curious,” he shrugged, glancing toward the doorway where the others were laughing again, no doubt over something stupid. “Was getting loud in there, thought I'd ask while I was escaping.”

“You two hang out?”

“Sometimes, we're both busy. More than you do.”

Katsuki waved toward the rice cooker, cursing himself even as the words came from his lips.

“Rice is almost done, wash the next batch.”

Shouto gave him a wide berth as he passed, making sure he couldn't be accused of invading Katsuki's personal space, and without a word he set to work measuring out rice and pouring it into a sieve.

“At least you don't need step by step instructions,” Katsuki muttered. 

“I cooked dinner the first night.”

“Oh.”

They fell silent again, and somehow Katsuki didn't mind the company. Even if it was the asshole who threw their match at the first sports festival.

“He talks about you,” Shouto said quietly, when Katsuki turned away to switch on the stove. “A lot. Even before we came here.”

“You think I care what the nerd talks to his friends about?”

“Yes.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes and didn't justify it with an answer, instead throwing a bag of onions at his head.

“Cut those,” he demanded, when Shouto caught it with no effort wasted. “Thin.”

“Sure.”

For another twenty minutes they held a peaceful silence, but once again Shouto felt the need to break it with his dumbass comments.

“He hasn't dated anyone, you know.”

“Why the fuck do you suddenly care so much?” Katsuki demanded, rounding on him with a scowl. “I let you in here to get away from the noisy shit, when I could have just told you to fuck off, but you feel the need to keep bringing this shit up as if it matters instead of just being some dumbass crush that'll pass in a week.”

“Is that all it is?”

“Fuck off, get out of my kitchen.”

Shouto didn't speak, but he didn't leave either, and Katsuki didn't repeat the demand. Soon Shouto was collecting bowls from the cupboard, counting them as he laid stacks on the bench, and Katsuki began filling them up with steaming hot food. Shouto took them out to the table as he finished, getting them out of his way, and when he got down to the last two he found himself hesitating. He took extra care with those ones, making sure everything was perfectly laid out, that there was exactly the right ratio of meat to egg to rice to sauce, and with one in each hand he scowled at Shouto.

“Tell him I'm waiting for him.”

“Okay.”

Shouto headed back down the hallway to tell everyone dinner was ready for them, and Katsuki ducked out through the sliding doors, settling himself in the little nook in the trees where Izuku had first approached him with cocktails. Thinking about it, he realised he really should have brought a drink of some sort with him, but he really didn't want to return to the madness to get one. 

When he heard the sliding door open and close again, he sneaked a glance up at the familiar smile approaching him, huffing a short laugh when he saw the mugs in each hand.

“You know me too damn well, you know,” he grumbled, exchanging the mug of hot coffee for his extra perfect katsudon. “Here, eat.”

“Did you make this just for me?”

“They're all eating it, dumbass.”

“You know what I mean, Kacchan!”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I guess. Was thinking about what I could make, figured you'd appreciate it.”

“Thanks, Kacchan! I love it! It smells so good!”

He took a long breath in, savouring the smell, then finally grabbed his chopsticks to dig in. Katsuki balanced his bowl in his lap, resting his mug on the knee of his jeans, and paused for a moment to watch as Izuku took his first bite. The moan that came from him was so lewd it made Katsuki blush, stupidly overdramatic – although he supposed that was just Izuku, in a lot of ways.

“So good Kacchan!” he praised. “This might be the best katsudon I've ever tasted!”

“Yeah right.”

“I'm serious! Oh my god!”

He gave up on speaking in favour of taking another huge bite, stuffing his mouth so full that his cheeks puffed out like a weird katsudon chipmunk, and Katsuki cracked a smile. Even with age and height and a decent haircut, the nerd never really changed at all.

─

Katsuki knew he'd had too much to drink when he found himself sitting in a big group of people, laughing along with their dumb jokes as if they were the peak of all humour. Ochako had been mixing cocktails again, feeding Katsuki a steady stream of the bright orange things Mina had said he would like. He still didn't know what they were or what was in them, but they tasted good, and they gave him a pleasant buzz that made it less unbearable to socialise. He'd wound up sitting next to Izuku, though he couldn't actually remember how. Had he been there first, or Izuku? Was someone else sitting there first? Did they leave or did he make them move for him? He couldn't recall, but no one seemed mad at him, so he figured it must have been okay.

“Nooo, my cookie!” Izuku pouted, watching half of his dessert crumble off and fall to the ground. “Cookie noooo.”

He leaned forward to mourn over the mess, and Katsuki didn't realise his arm was moving until it was too late to stop it. He reached over, swatting Izuku lightly on his ass, cackling when wide eyes looked back at him in shock.

Most of their friends were distracted, but Eijirou's eyes honed right in on the interaction, and immediately Katsuki was cursing himself.

“I was trying to push him over!” he insisted, when Eijirou opened his mouth. “Shut your damn face!”

No one bought it in the slightest, but Katsuki quickly pulled his hand back, folding his arms stubbornly as he burned bright red. His payback came swiftly, though, when tiredness began to overrun him. He yawned, long and loud, stretching as it came out, and immediately the hand was on his side, digging at his ribs. He squirmed, a hiccuping laugh escaping him, and Izuku grinned as he leaned over a little closer.

“Cut it out!” he whined, struggling in an attempt to wriggle away but failing miserably. “Deku, stop it!”

Before long, the pair of them were both a mess of drunken giggles, curious eyes watching on as they swatted at each other clumsily. Ochako leaned over to whisper in Eijirou's ear, receiving zero subtlety in response – not a single ounce of consideration for his company.

“Oh, you don't know about Katsuki's big dumb crush?”

Katsuki wanted to throw something at him, wanted to yell at him, but he was too busy fending off tickles from Izuku. He managed to worm his way across the couch, getting his feet up to hold him off, but Izuku's long arms still continued to get the occasional jab in when he hit just the right angle.

“You know what I want, Kacchan!”

“No fuckin' way!”

“Say it, Kacchan!”

They fought back and forth for another minute, then Izuku was pinning Katsuki's legs down, leaning over him triumphantly.

“Okay, okay!” he conceded, before the hands could make their merciless attack. “Please, Deku! Please stop!”

“There's my good boy!” Izuku praised, ruffling his hair clumsily as he sat back in his seat. “It's never too late to learn your manners!”

“Shut up, asshole.”

“Nuh-uh, I won.”

“Fuck you.”

“Where's my prize, Kacchan?”

“No one said there were fuckin' prizes involved!”

“Gimme my prize,” Izuku demanded, grabbing Katsuki's arm and dragging him in. “Prize time.”

He wound his arms around Katsuki's waist, pulling him in close, and Katsuki flooded pink again as he squirmed.

“Stay, Kacchan. Gimme my prize.”

“What fuckin' prize?!”

“Cuddle prize!”

Katsuki froze, too stunned to even keep up his protest – but it wasn't Izuku's demands for cuddles, nor even the warmth of Izuku against his side, that caused it. No, it was the words Ochako said from across the group, hushed but somehow loud and clear at the same time.

“Deku-kun too.”

He slowly turned his head to see Izuku's oblivious smile, any thought of their surroundings having left him three drinks ago. He snuggled happily into Katsuki's back, holding him tight, and after a moment Katsuki slowly softened. 

“Sleepy Kacchan?” he teased, when Katsuki stifled another yawn.

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna sleep in your tent again?” Izuku asked, leaning his cheek on Katsuki's soft hair. “It was better, right?”

“Y-Yeah. I am.”

“Were you warm enough?”

“Mm... Could be warmer.”

“Do you want me to find you more blankets?”

“You could stay with me.”

“You want me to?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay!”

“You wanna go now?”

“Uh-huh. I'll take good care of sleepy Kacchan.”

“Yeah.”

He levered himself up, holding out a hand in a moment of boldness that Izuku happily accepted. As they walked away, Izuku still blissfully unaware of the eyes watching them, Katsuki shot a smirk at Shouto. He got a straight-faced thumbs up in return, completely deadpan, and Katsuki snorted as he turned away again.

“Kacchan?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we snuggle?”

“Yeah, idiot, how else are you gonna keep me warm?”

“Okay! You'll be the warmest, snuggliest Kacchan ever. I promise!”

“I better be, nerd.”

He opened two zips - first the raincover, then the tent itself - and shoved Izuku inside. He fell into the pile of blankets and pillows with another happy, slightly tipsy giggle, holding his arms out impatiently.

“Would you still have said yes if we hadn't been drinking?” Katsuki asked, as he closed up both zips again. “If you were sober?”

“Uh-huh! I've always loved Kacchan!”

Katsuki blushed, and Izuku dragged him in demandingly for a tight hug, rubbing his cheek on Katsuki's hair. 

“I always thought Kacchan was amazing, you know that! And now Kacchan is all grown up and super handsome, it's the best!”

“Y-Yeah,” Katsuki nodded, swallowing hard as he braced himself on Izuku's chest and looked into his shining eyes. “I like you, as well. Um, maybe I always did, a little? But mostly... You're really, really hot, and I was... I didn't expect that.”

“You think I'm hot?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?!” Izuku asked, lighting up in his excitement. “Why?! How come?! Which bit?!”

“Haaah?!”

“Why am I hot, Kacchan?!”

Katsuki froze, still flushed red right down his neck, looking away with a little pout.

“I like tall guys,” he admitted. “I guess I always did, even as a dumb kid, but I really like tall guys. And, um, buff guys. Tall and strong, who can... Hold...? I don't know, shut up!”

“Kacchan likes being pushed around,” Izuku grinned, not bothering to even attempt to make the words sound like a question.

“Maybe.”

“I'm drunk, not dumb, Kacchan,” Izuku giggled. “Not tonight, okay? But I will, if you want.”

“Okay. We, um, we can try it.”

“Has Kacchan been with other guys?”

“Mm... Only for a night each. Not... Like, a relationship.”

“But you want me to be your boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Izuku grinned, pulling him in close again and nuzzling at his neck. “Boyfriend snuggles. But Kacchan?”

“Yeah?”

“I really need to pee.”

“Why the fuck didn't you go before now?!”

“I didn't notice! I'll be back, okay? Don't change your mind while I'm gone!”

“Whatever, nerd. Bring pillows.”

“And blankets and pyjamas!” he agreed, opening the tent and crawling out carefully. “Wait for me, Kacchan.”

“I will.”

“Even if I take a little while?”

“Haven't we been waiting our whole lives already?”

Izuku smiled softly, nodding once as their eyes lingered.

“Wait for me.”

“As long as it takes.”