The Finest KFC Money Can Buy [Chapter 1]

Katsuki had just collapsed onto his bed when the phone began to ring, and he pinched at the bridge of his nose, grimacing. He’d had three parties that day, he was exhausted both physically and mentally – his friends like to joke about how easy his job was, but hanging off some old dude’s arm acting sociable all night was the worst. If he hadn’t gotten used to a certain kind of lifestyle, he’d have gotten a nine-to-five at a gas station years ago.

With the holiday season upon them, he knew he’d probably have a solid week of free time, while everyone was off with their families and not in need of a date to anything. Occasionally he got a New Year’s Eve party or something, but his clients tended to be of a more advanced age, where they no longer went out to drink and dance until midnight like people Katsuki’s age did.

Most people, anyway. Katsuki, personally, hated that shit.

But despite all of that, despite his fatigue and short-term freedom, his phone was ringing, and that usually meant business. Which meant sitting back up and putting on a mask, pretending he wasn’t dreading just picking up the phone, let alone answering it.

“Bakugou speaking,” he answered, trying his best to sound awake.

“Hi Kacchan!” the bright voice answered, ever the enthusiastic ball of sunshine. “Sorry to call so late, I know you probably have a big day planned tomorrow.”

“S’fine,” Katsuki assured him, relaxing a little. “What’s up?”

“Well... I wasn’t going to ask you, because I’d hate to interfere with your plans, but I’ve been invited to this big corporate party, and everyone else is bringing a date, and I just... I’d feel a lot better about it if you were with me, you know? It’s at lunchtime, so I thought maybe if your plans are for later, you might be able to squeeze it in? You can even take off early, if you want! I’ll make some kind of excuse for you! And I’ll pay extra, for the inconvenience and the late notice and everything. I know you have your late fees, I’m more than happy to pay them, and a bonus on top!”

“Deku,” Katsuki cut in, before the babble could continue any further. “It’s fine, I’ll do it.”

“Really?! Oh my gosh! That’s amazing! Thank you so much!”

“No big deal,” Katsuki shrugged, reaching for the notebook beside his bed. “Gimme the details. Time, place, what to wear.”

“I’ll handle it all,” he promised. “I’ll pick you up at eleven, and I’ll bring you a nice suit to wear, you can keep it afterward. Are your measurements still the same?”

“Should be,” Katsuki agreed, setting his book back down. “Hasn’t been that long.”

“You never know!” he laughed. “Maybe you took up a new hobby and lost weight, or you’ve been spending extra time in the gym so your arms got thicker, or-”

“I get the point,” Katsuki huffed. “No, should be the same.”

“Great! Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Yeah. See you then.”

“Thanks again!”

“No problem.”

“Have a good night!”

“I will. You too.”

“Thank you! Take care!”

“I will. You too.”

“And get some rest!”

“I will. You too.”

“Okay, sorry.” Another laugh, a little sheepish this time. “I’m hanging up. Bye!”

“Bye.”

He set his phone down with a sigh, turning his head to see the three expensive suits already hanging in his open closet. Midoriya Izuku was one of his most regular clients, and honestly, probably the most fun. He was still pretty young, compared to most – older than Katsuki, but not old enough to be his father like some of his clients were – and was the owner of some huge engineering company, but Katsuki didn’t even know which one. He didn’t brag about it like most rich dudes Katsuki knew, he just happily bought Katsuki fancy clothes to wear on their fancy dates to fancy restaurants, then brought him home in his fancy car with his fancy driver – sorry, his chauffeur, fancy prick.

Still, Izuku treated him like a real person – something a lot of his clients didn’t do. He was eye candy, a piece of meat for people to ogle at as he walked by on some wealthy dude’s arm – or wealthy woman’s arm, occasionally, but he’d become kind of known for the gay thing. A lot of people in his industry shied away from the same-sex relationships side of things, but Katsuki was more than happy to feign interest in a dude who at least had the right anatomy for him, rather than a woman who was all the wrong shapes and bits.

Izuku, though, actually spoke to him. They had conversations, sometimes interesting ones, and Katsuki actually found himself enjoying their time together. Some old men made him feel like he was pulling teeth, but Izuku was fascinated by him, always wanted to hear his thoughts and opinions on everything.

It was kind of nice to be heard instead of just seen.

As he lay back on his bed again, letting his head hit the pillow, he couldn’t help but smile to himself. He was gonna go out with arguably his favourite client, get spoiled half to death because Izuku never failed to deliver on that, eat a ton of good food, and when it was over, and he had cash in hand, he’d get to come back home and eat pizza in his pyjamas.

It was gonna be a hell of a Christmas Eve.

─────

Izuku showed up at exactly eleven o’clock – another reason Katsuki liked him, to be honest. Punctuality seemed to be rare in people with money. He knocked on the door right as Katsuki’s designer watch ticked over to the hour, and Katsuki couldn’t help but roll his eyes a little – nerd had absolutely been standing outside waiting for the right time.

“Hey,” he said in greeting, as he pulled the door open. “Come in.”

“Hi Kacchan!”

He stepped inside when Katsuki waved him in, and Katsuki closed the door behind him, stepping aside to let Izuku kick off his shoes and step inside in his bright red socks. Despite having a brand-new designer suit on every time Katsuki saw him, with thousand-dollar shoes always shined to perfection, the nerd always had some kind of goofy socks on underneath. Bright colours, silly patterns, even little animal pictures sometimes. Just one of those little things that set him apart from the rest.

“I brought you something new,” Izuku said needlessly, gesturing with the garment bag hanging from his hand. “I picked it out myself!”

“Don’t you always?” Katsuki snorted, holding his hands out to accept. “You say that every time.”

“Yeah!” Izuku laughed. “I like picking things for you to wear. I have people to pick mine, but I always pick yours myself!”

“Well, thanks,” he said awkwardly, rising to his tiptoes to plant an awkward kiss on Izuku’s cheek. “I’ll go put it on?”

Izuku beamed at him for the affection, and Katsuki felt his cheeks turn warm. Most of his clients didn’t care about that kind of thing, just wanted him to look pretty, but Izuku loved it when Katsuki held his hand or allowed him a hug. Katsuki did his best to learn exactly what his clients liked best from him, so his long-term customers could get some kind of perk for coming back.

“New watch?” Izuku asked, catching a glimpse as Katsuki adjusted the bag to carry it comfortably. “It looks good on you.”

“It’s so stupid,” Katsuki snorted, holding it up for him to see. “Instead of numbers it has gemstones.”

“I think that’s a neat idea!”

“That’s not the stupid part. You can turn a dial to change what type of stone.”

“Wait, really?” Izuku asked, laughing brightly as he leaned in to look closer. “This dial?”

“Yeah, just twist it.”

Izuku turned it carefully, and each little white stone shifted, replaced with jet black ones instead.

“Oh my god you weren’t kidding,” Izuku chuckled. “So there are just twelve little diamonds sitting out of sight constantly until you call them up again?!”

“Worse,” Katsuki couldn’t help but grin. “There are three sets.”

“Oh my god.”

“Rich people are idiots,” Katsuki said with a smirk. “But hey, I’m not gonna turn it down.”

“Of course not!” Izuku laughed. “Besides, it’s good publicity for the guy. I mean, it’s from the guy who owns the brand, right? So he’s got this pretty young thing hanging off his arm, the newspapers are all snapping photos, and someone notices you aren’t wearing his product? Bad for business!”

“Oh,” Katsuki mumbled, glancing down at it again. “I never thought about that.”

“Plus, I bet he likes seeing it on you anyway. It’s always nice to see people appreciate the gifts you give them, after all!”

“Are you telling me you own a suit company?” Katsuki smirked.

“No!” Izuku laughed. “You know I work in engineering. I just think you look handsome in a suit!”

“Shut up,” Katsuki snorted. “Alright, let me go change.”

“Okay!”

He left Izuku to his own devices, heading into his bedroom, and couldn’t help but notice the hint of a smile lingering on his lips when he glanced in the mirror. Izuku was always so casual, treating him like an old friend that he’d known forever, unlike the stiff formality of some of the older men. Not to mention he always paid generously, that certainly inclined him toward liking the guy.

He hung the garment bag on the outside of the closet, unzipping the bag, and took a moment to run his eyes over the contents. Izuku usually favoured plain colours and shiny fabrics, but the new one had a pattern to it, a little bit of variation in the colour to keep it interesting. The material was thick and smooth, and Katsuki had to admit it looked pleasantly warm. Thankfully. He despised the cold.

There were far too many pieces to the suit, it took him a solid ten minutes to dress himself, starting with the slim-cut pants in that shades-of-grey pattern, then up to a perfectly tailored shirt, all white and untouched. There was a dark tie that he took a couple of tries to tie – he’d avoided them most of his life, after all – and a waistcoat that perfectly matched his pants, all nipped in at the sides to hug his waist. He wasn’t an idiot, he’d seen Izuku eyeing him up even on day one, those emerald eyes lingering on his slim waist. It was no secret that every suit he’d been gifted since had been tailored to show it off.

For exactly that reason, he didn’t put the jacket over top right away. He fixed his hair first, checked his teeth, his face, his fingernails, then when he was satisfied he was looking hot, he carried the jacket out to the living room with him.

“Well?” he asked, as soon as Izuku looked up. “Look okay?”

Izuku let out a low whistle, and a smirk twisted across Katsuki’s lips. As much as he wouldn’t say it out loud, sometimes it was his favourite part of the job – seeing that thirsty look in a man’s eyes when they looked him over, knowing they would eat him alive given half the chance.

“Perfect,” Izuku said softly, reverently. “Wow.”

“Good answer,” Katsuki chuckled. “So, what’s this super important party, hm?”

“It’s kind of a ‘Thank You’ lunch by a charity I work with a lot, they just want to say thanks to people who give them money and encourage us to keep doing it and stuff.”

“Oh,” Katsuki answered, blinking at him. “That’s... Cool.”

“It’s a bit boring, I know, not like the drunken company parties I’m sure you’ve been at lately.”

“Those suck,” Katsuki snorted. “This is a good cause.”

“Yeah!” Izuku beamed, his whole posture changing as the excitement flowed through him. “I got to meet some of the kids they benefit recently, my PR team just wanted me to do a quick photo shoot with them or something, but they were all so sweet and I just had to stop and chat with them all! I have a little collection of drawings at home that they made for me, it was the sweetest thing ever!”

“Sounds fun,” Katsuki smiled faintly. “Sounds like you had a good time.”

“Sorry, I was rambling again.”

“I don’t mind.”

“You have to say that,” Izuku laughed.

“I mean it, I don’t mind listening.” Katsuki shrugged slightly, eyes darting away as he gathered his thoughts. “I’m not a huge talker, you know that. So if you wanna talk, I’m happy to just listen.”

“Thank you, that’s sweet of you,” Izuku said warmly. “This is why I keep coming back to you!”

“You mean it’s not my devilishly good looks?”

“That too, of course,” Izuku grinned, placing his hand on the small of Katsuki’s back. “Shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

He took the jacket from Katsuki’s arm, holding it out, and Katsuki stepped into it obediently, watching as Izuku insisted on buttoning it up for him too. It was nice and warm, just like he’d hoped, and coupled with his thick socks, he felt nice and toasty from both ends – perfect for the walk in the snow he was about to subject himself to.

“Gorgeous,” Izuku teased, eyeing him from head to toe. “No one will even glance my way with you at my side.”

“Good,” Katsuki smirked. “Isn’t that what I’m here for?”

“And the good company, of course!”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I know! You always do!”

Katsuki tucked his phone and keys into his pockets, and Izuku opened the front door, holding it for Katsuki to step out into the hall first. Soon they were stepping out into the snow, heading for Izuku’s fancy car with the driver still waiting inside, and Izuku hurried ahead to open the door for him once more.

“Warm,” he mumbled, as he slid into the back seat.

“Thanks for waiting for us!” Izuku grinned, hopping in beside him. “We’re all set!”

Katsuki had never owned a car of his own, and even for work, he spent a lot more time on the trains. Usually he met his clients at their own homes, or wherever they were going together – it was only his long-term un-creepy clients who were allowed to know his address, to either send a car for him or pick him up themselves.

“I got you a Christmas present,” Izuku told him, as they sat at a traffic light. “I hope you don’t mind. I just saw it while I was out of town and thought of you!”

He pulled out a neatly-wrapped box from under the seat, a big square package only an inch tall, and slid it into Katsuki’s lap. Katsuki’s first thought was that won’t fit in my pocket, but he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to let it slip out.

“You can leave it here,” Izuku said all the same. “We’ll drop you off later and you can get it then! Even if you have to take off early, Kurumazaki will drive you if I have to stay!”

“I’m good,” Katsuki assured him. “I don’t need to rush off in a hurry.”

“Great! Even better!”

“Should I open it now?”

“If you want to!”

Katsuki scratched at the tape, neatly peeling it off to unveil a polished wooden box within. He glanced up again, at Izuku’s eager face, then flipped open the lid carefully to take a look.

“Oh wow,” he said softly, lost for words. “They’re... Beautiful.”

“Yeah?” Izuku asked, giving him a lop-sided smile. “I don’t know anything about cooking, but the people in the store assured me that this was the best brand. I’m happy to exchange them if there’s another you’d prefer!”

“Don’t you dare,” Katsuki blurted out, blushing when Izuku laughed at him. “They’re perfect, thank you.”

“Merry Christmas!” Izuku grinned. “Thanks for all your help this year, you make all these social events so much easier. And more fun!”

“I’m glad I can help.”

He ran his hand lightly across the handles, exploring all six of the sharp, shiny chef’s knives, each branded with the mark of the most prestigious manufacturer in the entire country.

“You’re spoiling me,” he grumbled, as he closed the lid carefully to keep them safe. “You’re already paying me to be here, you don’t need to give me presents too.”

“But I wanted to! You always go above and beyond just being here, so I want to go above and beyond for you occasionally too!”

“Well... Thank you. They’re amazing.”

He leaned over, planting a shy peck on Izuku’s cheek, and Izuku’s face lit up with his delight.

“I can leave them here until after?” Katsuki confirmed, running his hand across the box. “They’ll be safe here?”

“Absolutely,” Izuku assured him. “Kurumazaki will protect them with his life.”

“Don’t do that,” Katsuki huffed, when the driver looked back at them with a little chuckle. “Use them to stab a bitch, if it comes to that.”

“Noted, Sir.”

The moment they pulled up outside the fancy hotel, Katsuki felt his heart sink. There were so many people around, so many news outlets posted up outside to take photos and ask questions, so many important-looking people pulling up to the entrance.

“Ready?” Izuku asked, eyes crinkling a little at the corners. “There’ll be good food, I promise.”

“There better be,” Katsuki said with a tiny smile. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

They pulled up near the entrance, and a man in a dark suit opened the door for them, letting Izuku slide out first and reach a hand back to help Katsuki along.

Cameras began flashing the moment he got out, taking photos of the pair together, and Katsuki forced himself to put a smile on his face. It was the one part of his job that was still so difficult, schooling his features into something that looked like he was enjoying himself instead of the resting bitch face his friends liked to make fun of. But somehow he managed to smile up at Izuku as he stepped out of the car, ignoring the bright, flashing lights all around them, and stand tall at his side as they headed for the front doors.

The moment they got inside, Izuku was mobbed by people. It had always been that way, right from the first time they’d met. Owners of other companies wanted to shake his hand and talk deals; employees there on their bosses’ behalf wanted to find out about what opportunities might be available on the other side; charity workers wanted to thank him for his contributions, or hint for more; and worst of all – the main reason Katsuki was there in the first place – women, young and old, wanted to flirt with him, to try their luck with a wealthy company owner.

In those first moments, Katsuki never had to do much. Just stand there, hand wrapped around Izuku’s bicep, making it clear that there was no point in flirting, to hopefully keep away some of the triers. He smirked at the women who glared at him, nodded at the few onlookers who acknowledged him, and accepted countless little flutes of champagne from the trays carried around by waiters.

“Bakugou Katsuki,” he spoke up in a hurry, when Izuku gestured toward him. “Nice to meet you.”

“A pleasure,” the woman nodded curtly, eyes locking on the hand that held Izuku’s arm. “How do you... know each other?”

Izuku giggled nervously, and Katsuki just smirked, shifting his gaze to glance up at Izuku’s flushed cheeks.

“Kacchan was kind enough to come as my date tonight,” he answered, his voice oddly high-pitched.

“Just like at every other event,” Katsuki chuckled, squeezing him gently. “He seems to like parading me around at these things.”

“How could I not?” Izuku laughed again. “Look at you, you deserve to be shown off!”

The woman quickly excused herself, and Izuku’s smile wobbled a little, his shoulders sagging with relief.

“Thanks,” he whispered. “You’re good at that.”

“I do what I can.”

Eventually, the hosts of the event began to shepherd everyone through to a pretty ballroom, full for the night with little tables covered by fancy tablecloths, each one with candles and fresh flowers set out in the middle. Izuku’s table was surrounded by six chairs, each with a little card in front, their names written out in golden calligraphy.

“Iida is my right-hand man,” Izuku explained in a whisper, gesturing to one of the cards they passed. “His wife was one of my best friends in high school.”

“Cool,” Katsuki noted, glancing at the still-vacant seats. “And these two?”

“The heads of the charity this is for, I meet with them a couple of times a year to make donations and stuff. They work with kids who have disabilities or medical conditions that require assistance, and they recently started a division working with kids who lose their parents too.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I mean, that they’re helping.”

“Yeah,” Izuku grinned. “It’s one of my favourite causes to work with, so I couldn’t say no when they asked me to this thing to say thanks.”

“Makes sense.”

It didn’t take long for the seats to fill up, Katsuki nodding at people as introductions were shared, and then finally he got to just sit back and watch as Izuku did all his schmoozing. Occasionally he had to answer some kind of small talk, or smile at someone’s terrible joke, but for the most part he got to sit back, sipping on wine and munching on little canapés the waiters brought around.

A little presentation started up at the front of the room, thanking various people for all their efforts and all that boring stuff, but Katsuki sat up a little straighter when someone pulled out a big wooden plaque. He could see eyes darting Izuku’s way, could see the little smiles they all exchanged even though Izuku seemed none the wiser, and he found himself slowly slipping his phone out of his pocket, pulling up the camera.

“In honour of his continued and extensive support of our organisation,” the presenter spoke, while Izuku still smiled obliviously. “We’d like to ask Mister Midoriya to accept this token of our appreciation.”

Izuku just blinked at them, shell-shocked as every head in the room turned his way, his normally sunny face draining of all its colour. Katsuki leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek in congratulations, whispering in his ear as he pulled away again.

“You got this,” he said firmly. “Go.”

On wobbly legs, Izuku stood up, limping his way to the front of the room as people cheered and applauded for him. Katsuki snapped a bunch of photos as Izuku bowed and accepted the award, his face burning bright red the whole way through. He stuttered his thanks into the microphone, completely unprepared for any of it, and Katsuki couldn’t help but smile faintly when their eyes met across the room.

Izuku scurried back to his seat the first opportunity he got, and Katsuki leaned against him lightly, smirking as he showed him his phone screen. The deer-in-headlights look on Izuku’s face was one of the funniest things Katsuki had ever seen, let alone captured, and he wondered if it would be too much to get it printed as a poster for his living room wall.

“You’re so mean,” Izuku chuckled weakly. “You took pictures of me?”

“Of course,” Katsuki grinned back. “Need to torment you for the rest of your life.”

“So mean!”

“You love it.”

Izuku reached an arm around his waist, hugging him lightly, and Katsuki allowed it. He’d never been a very touchy person, and Izuku knew that – they’d talked about it on their very first meeting – but Izuku also knew that Katsuki would allow it as long as it wasn’t too constant. He picked his moments, and so far, Katsuki had never had to shut him down.

“Proud of you,” he mumbled, when Izuku leaned his head on Katsuki’s for a second. “Good work.”

“Aww,” Izuku smiled softly. “Thanks, Kacchan.”

When the presentation ended, Izuku was once again swarmed by people, this time wanting to share in their well wishes and congratulations and thanks, depending who was speaking. Izuku was oddly tense, compared to his usual chattiness, and Katsuki found himself reaching out, lacing his fingers through Izuku’s lightly. He hoped it brought some kind of comfort to Izuku’s frayed nerves, hoped it at least reminded him that Katsuki was there to support him.

It took hours before things began to die down, before people began to trickle out of the building, and finally Izuku gave him that look he’d come to know so well, the look that said get me out of here in the politest way possible.

Katsuki glanced at his watch pointedly, at the shiny black stones that denoted each hour, and Izuku followed suit, checking his own fancy gold band that honestly didn’t suit him at all.

“Wow, time flew by,” he said softly, smiling. “I’d better get you home, huh?”

“Thanks for bringing me,” Katsuki smiled back, a little more forced than Izuku’s. “I’m glad I got to see you accept your reward.”

“It was great to have you both!” one of the charity directors added, thankfully taking the hint. “Thank you again for all your help this year, I hope we can count on you in the new year too!”

“Of course,” Izuku assured her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

With a few last bows and goodbyes, Izuku led the way back to the front doors, his car already pulling up by the time they reached the street. Izuku waved at a few lingering reporters as he opened the car door, waving Katsuki in first, and gave them all one last smile over his fancy plaque before he slid in too.

“I’m exhausted,” Izuku sighed, the moment they pulled away from the curb. “I can’t believe they made me go up there!”

“I can’t believe everyone was in on it except you,” Katsuki snorted. “Even your supposed best friend knew it was coming.”

“Ochako did?! No! She would have told me!”

“Absolutely she did.”

“How could she do that to me?!”

He slumped in his seat, loosening his tie, and Katsuki smiled at him a lot more genuinely than his last few efforts. It was this moment that he always enjoyed, when the fancy businessman persona slipped away a little in Izuku’s relief to be done with it. Every other client Katsuki went out with seemed to just live that persona, but on Izuku it was so clearly fake, put on for the sake of the people around him.

“What are your plans tonight, anyway?” Izuku asked. “Taking some cute guy your own age on a date, I assume?”

Katsuki snorted again, shaking his head faintly, but he didn’t answer right away.

“No?” Izuku asked, a little surprised. “Big party with your friends?”

“Nothing like that,” Katsuki answered quietly. “Nothing big.”

“No? Small party?”

“Not what I meant,” Katsuki huffed, a little amused all the same. “I’m not going anywhere, don’t have anyone to take out or whatever. I’m just... gonna chill at home. Gonna eat pizza. In my pyjamas.”

He knew it sounded stupid, especially when Izuku had been expecting him to have some smoking hot date waiting for him, but Izuku just smiled fondly at him.

“As much as I love pyjama pizza,” he chuckled. “It’s Christmas Eve. You can’t just eat cheap pizza in your living room!”

“Sure I can.”

“Let me take you somewhere nice,” Izuku insisted. “You’ve done so much for me today, the least I can do is buy you a decent dinner. We can even go to an Italian place and get fancy pizza!”

“I do like gourmet pizza,” Katsuki admitted, smirking. “But I can’t go to a restaurant in my pyjamas.”

“I bet I could find somewhere that would allow it.”

“No way.”

“Well then...” Izuku trailed off, humming to himself thoughtfully. “You’re sure you don’t have a hot date?”

“I’m sure.”

“You can tell me if you do, I know this isn’t an exclusive thing.”

“My only date is with a cheap pizza.”

“But you’re so...” He trailed off again, eyeing Katsuki over. “Look at you! You should be the most popular guy in the city!”

Katsuki chuckled quietly, but he shook his head.

“People my age are shitty,” he shrugged. “They’re all just obsessed with getting drunk or laid or both. I really don’t give a shit about any of them, it’s all stupid.”

“Do you... Want to come to my place?” Izuku suggested, his voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re more than welcome to say no, I won’t be offended! But I don’t have plans either, so... If you want...?”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes slightly, but Izuku’s face was the picture of innocence, his cheeks burning like he’d just asked his crush to a school dance.

“I’ve never seen your house,” Katsuki mused. “You got a massive cinema in your basement?”

“No, sorry.”

“Indoor pool?”

“No,” he smiled awkwardly. “Nothing like that, sorry.”

“I wanna see it.”

“I don’t have a-”

“Your house,” Katsuki clarified quickly. “I wanna see where you live.”

“Oh! Then yeah! Absolutely! Kurumazaki, Kacchan is gonna come over! So take us to my place, okay?”

“Of course, Sir.”

Katsuki kept his eyes trained out the window as they drove, wondering if he’d be able to pick out Izuku’s house before they arrived. Maybe there would be some mansion set in the hills that they could see from down below, or a sprawling complex that took up an entire city block. Katsuki had long suspected that Izuku was the richest of all his clients, just from the way he didn’t feel the need to show off about it. While other people made a big deal out of buying him expensive gifts, or paying for fancy meals, Izuku just treated it like it was nothing.

If he really did have a mansion in the hills, he was gonna have to ask for a raise.

But before Katsuki spotted anything, they were turning into a driveway, and Katsuki was blinking up at a house he could almost call modest.

It was brand-new, yes. Perfectly maintained and cleaned, definitely. Big, sure, but it certainly wasn’t a mansion. More like a large family home, where someone might raise their six middle-class children and let their ageing parents stick around to help out.

“No pool,” Izuku reiterated with a tiny smile. “Sorry.”

“It’s pretty,” Katsuki said, and meant it. Despite being a lot more modest than he’d expected, it was a very nice-looking home. “And you uh, live here alone?”

“Yeah,” Izuku smiled faintly. “My mom lives back in my home town still, she had too much of a life there to move just for my work. So I visit her a lot, and she visits me sometimes too, but I live here by myself.”

“What about, uh... You know. Is servants a weird term?”

“None of those,” Izuku laughed. “I’m not sure what the right word is. But not, Kurumazaki here drives me around then goes home to his wife, and I have a cleaner come in a couple of times a week, but I don’t have a live-in butler or anything like that!”

“Cool.”

“You’re not disappointed?”

“Nah, that shit is creepy,” Katsuki huffed, opening his own door when the car stopped. “I guess I’ve always known you were more down to Earth than most of the creeps I hang out with.”

“Uh... Thanks?”

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re clearly loaded as fuck, but you don’t seem to care about showing that off like a lot of them do.”

“I don’t need much,” Izuku shrugged, following him out of the car and watching him survey the snowy lawn. “I like this place because it’s quiet, I don’t have neighbours close enough to touch from my windows, but honestly it’s a little big for me.”

“This lawn is shit, though.”

“What? What’s wrong with my lawn?” Izuku pouted, looking around frantically. “I know it’s not all fountains and topiaries, but-”

“You have so much room,” Katsuki explained, cutting off the babbling before it could really set in.

“That’s... A bad thing?”

“It’s so... Sterile.”

Izuku laughed finally, and Katsuki cracked a little smile of his own, allowing it when Izuku hugged him lightly again.

“Okay, humour me,” he began. “What would you do with it?”

“Plants. Trees. Flowers. Grass is so shit.”

“It’s low maintenance, though!”

“Why do you care? You’d just hire a gardener anyway!”

“Well... Okay, point taken. You like plants and stuff?”

“Mm.”

“Is that why you hike?”

Katsuki blinked at him. He didn’t even remember telling Izuku that, let alone expect him to remember it.

“I like nature,” he agreed, choosing his words carefully. “How do you...?”

“You showed me photos,” Izuku answered, before he could choke out the rest of the question. “On our first date! From uhh... I don’t remember the name, but there were all those terrifying-looking vine bridges!”

“Oh,” Katsuki said dumbly, blinking at him. “Yeah, I... I guess I did. You remember that? It was... a year ago, at least.”

“Of course! I liked getting to know you, instead of just being the old guy you hung out with for money. I mean, I know I am, but I like to think we’re kinda friends too? Maybe?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki agreed, watching the tension seep out of him immediately. “You’re alright.”

“I’m glad!”

Katsuki hesitated again, and Izuku just waited patiently, letting him look over the grounds.

“I bet that front area gets a lot of sun,” he mumbled, nodding toward a patch near the fence. “It wouldn’t get blocked by much.”

“It does! It’s always nice to look out and see the sunny yard in the mornings.”

“It would be a good spot for a garden,” Katsuki continued quietly. “I would grow vegetables there, if it was my house. I wish I had this much room for gardens.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm.”

“You like to garden?”

Katsuki nodded faintly. He hadn’t gotten an opportunity in a long time, but as a kid, he and his Dad had spent every weekend planting things. He’d long suspected that his Dad didn’t really care for it, but it made Katsuki happy, and he’d been more than happy to join in just to spend some time together.

“You’ll have to come back and plant it for me, then,” Izuku said warmly. “I’ll get someone in to dig up a patch of the lawn for us.”

“You don’t have to do that for me.”

“I want to! I bet home-grown vegetables taste so much better than supermarket ones.”

“They do,” Katsuki confirmed. “But it’s a lot of work just for me to grow you some carrots or whatever.”

“But it would make you happy, to work in it,” Izuku said – a statement through and through, not a hint of a question in it. “And I’d like that.”

“If you want, then, I guess,” Katsuki shrugged, his face burning. “But uh, don’t dig it up, just do it above ground. Buy soil, it’ll be better than the stuff you’ve got, probably.”

“Okay! I’ll call someone as soon as Christmas is over, see what they can do. You promise you’ll come back and plant for me?”

“Promise.”

“Perfect!”

Izuku froze when he saw the car still waiting in the driveway, cringing as he dug his wallet out and hurried over to the driver’s window.

“Sorry! I got distracted, you know me!” He laughed sheepishly. “Me and Kacchan are just gonna hang out here for the night, so take some time off! Maybe you still have time for a nice dinner with your wife. Here!”

He dug out a stack of cash as he spoke, thrusting it through the window into Kurumazaki’s hands, backing away before he had a chance to protest.

“Christmas bonus!” he explained. “Do something nice with her! I’ll get Kacchan home safely myself, don’t worry about us!”

Katsuki couldn’t hear the reply, but he heard Izuku laugh brightly, and couldn’t help but smile softly at it.

“I promise, but we’ll be fine, I swear! I have security on speed dial if anything goes wrong, we’ve got it all under control! Merry Christmas!”

Katsuki waved as the driver began to pull away again, standing awkwardly on the front path as they watched him go. Finally, with a huge smile on his face, Izuku put one hand on the small of Katsuki’s back again and led him up the front path.

“Make yourself at home,” Izuku told him, as he unlocked the front door. “My home is your home.”

─────

Katsuki was used to Izuku getting distracted by business calls, it had never been a big deal. The guy cared a ton about his work, if anything it was kind of admirable. He could easily have paid someone else to do his job and just sat back to reap the rewards of a job well done, but he was still out there, actively involved, making sure he solved every problem that came his way.

And that night, it meant Katsuki got a chance to snoop.

They’d stripped off their suit jackets and ties at the door, Katsuki hanging up his waistcoat to match, and for a solid hour they’d sat in a cozy living room at Izuku’s kotatsu. He was sure the house had central heating, there was no way a house so new and nice wouldn’t, but the kotatsu was so much more comforting, Katsuki couldn’t help but think.

After that first hour, Izuku’s phone had started to ring, and he’d given Katsuki an apologetic smile as he ducked out of the room. Katsuki paused the movie, lying back for a few minutes to just relax, but when Izuku didn’t come back, he decided it was time to snoop around.

Izuku had shown him a few things, when they arrived. The nearest bathroom (right beside their little living room), where to find drinks (the kitchen across the hall, attached to a fancy dining room that Katsuki definitely could not wear his pyjamas in), and even the slightly more formal-looking second living room, that led out to a big balcony wrapping around half the building. There was another closed door on the same level, and a flight of curling stairs that rose up to the second floor, where Izuku had disappeared with his phone.

He went for the rooms he’d already seen, first, just in case Izuku came back and caught him out. The second living room was bigger than their one, but had no kotatsu, just a fireplace that Katsuki suspected was actually electrical. It had a huge couch though, curling around the room, covered in decorative cushions each positioned just-so, like Izuku hadn’t touched them since it was first set up.

The kitchen, too, seemed well taken care of. He suspected Izuku just ate out most nights, that he rarely set foot in the frankly beautiful kitchen. Katsuki’s box of new knives sat on the counter there, beside Izuku’s keys and wallet – hell, he kind of wanted to snoop in that too – and a small part of him wondered if Izuku would let him use them in his kitchen instead of the crappy one in Katsuki’s apartment.

He knew it wasn’t a good idea to get himself intertwined with someone’s home life, it would start giving his clients ideas about their relationship that didn’t involve Katsuki going home at the end of the night with a wad of cash in his hand. Or, occasionally, did involve him going home with a lot of cash, but for entirely the wrong services.

Izuku had never seemed like the type, though. If anything he just seemed like a man too absorbed in his work to make any real friends to hang out with. Katsuki kinda felt bad for him – or, would have felt bad for him, if not for all the money he spent his days throwing around. Friends were fine and all, but Katsuki would happily choose the money instead.

Running his fingertips over the knife box lightly on his way through, he headed back toward the smaller living room, pausing by the stairs to listen. Izuku was still talking, though he couldn’t make out the words, and Katsuki took that as a sign it was safe to continue.

Through a closed door sat the first of the bedrooms – a guest room, Katsuki suspected. Half the room was floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful and bright despite their sunlight beginning to fade for the day, looking out over snowy grass. There was a thick rug on the floor, off-white just like the bedcovers, and all the furnishings were a rich, dark wood. It looked far too plain and clean to be Izuku’s bedroom, though a few photos and knick-knacks on the shelves seemed to say otherwise.

His mother’s room, then. She didn’t live there, but she did visit, so the ground-floor bedroom belonged to her. Made sense. It needed more colour, though. Even old ladies deserved some fun in their rooms.

He shut the door quietly behind himself, then tiptoed up the stairs to look around some more, Izuku’s low voice coming from behind another closed door. The rest, thankfully, stood open, and Katsuki grinned to himself. Izuku was practically asking Katsuki to look through all his stuff.

The actual guest room was even plainer than his mother’s room, and Katsuki pulled a face at it. Boring, sterile, just like his stupid lawn. Nerd needed better taste.

Across the hall, on the other hand, right next to where Izuku took his call, Katsuki made the best discovery of all: Izuku had a library.

Sure, it wasn’t huge, only a good-sized bedroom, but the walls were lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves, all of them packed full of novels, half of them familiar from Katsuki’s public library excursions. Other than books, the only piece of furniture in the room was a ridiculously comfy-looking armchair in the middle of the room. Other than books, it was only decorated by a few figurines of old comic book heroes. Other than books, it-

Fuck it, Katsuki only cared about the books.

He wondered if Izuku would care, if he just curled up and started reading while the phone call was going on. He’d be able to hear it when Izuku hung up, if he didn’t get too absorbed, so it couldn’t hurt, right?

As if the universe had heard him, Izuku let out a long sigh, the talking falling silent. Footsteps moved toward the hall, and Katsuki jumped, not sure if he should run into the library to hide, or back toward the stairs.

“Sorry,” was all Izuku said, when he found a stunned Katsuki waiting for him. “I didn’t expect that to take so long.”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki assured him. “I um, wasn’t... Looking for you.”

Izuku caught on immediately, laughing, and Katsuki gave him what he hoped was a sheepish look.

“Sorry,” he repeated. “I should have offered you a tour. I see you found my library.”

“You didn’t mention this when you said no pool, no movie theatre.”

“You didn’t ask!”

“I shouldn’t have had to! You say no pool, no movie theatre, but I have a library. That’s just common sense!”

“Okay, okay! Hey Kacchan, guess what I have?”

“Shut up,” Katsuki snorted, smiling all the same. “Really though, this is so cool.”

“You think? Most people just say it’s nerdy.”

“It is, but it’s cool too.”

“Do you want to borrow some books?”

Katsuki hesitated, staring at the hundreds on display.

“I just finished this one,” Izuku said knowingly, pulling one off a table that was yet to make it back to a shelf. “I bet you’d like it. Aaaaand... This one! Take these two, and let me know what you think later!”

“You sure?”

“Yeah! You have to come back to garden anyway, we can talk books and find you some new ones to borrow when you do!”

“Thank you.”

“Wow, that actually sounded genuine.”

“Shut up,” Katsuki said again, laughing. “I like books.”

“Me too.”

Katsuki held them carefully in his arms, cradling them like a baby – except he’d have been a lot less protective of a baby. Fuck babies, books were way better.

“This one is my home office,” Izuku explained, leading him into the next room. “It’s nothing special, just somewhere to put my computer that isn’t close enough to my bed for me to be tempted.”

“Workaholic.”

“I’ve been called worse,” he chuckled. “You probably saw the guest room on your way past, it’s super boring, and this one is my room, but it’s a mess.”

“Perfect,” Katsuki grinned, shoving past him to see it. “Everything else is too perfect and picky.”

“I know,” Izuku laughed. “I really only use two rooms.”

“I can tell.”

Sure enough, Izuku’s bedroom was much more him. Full of more old heroes and nerdy merch, a gigantic bed covered in blankets and pillows, more books, and a big balcony with a hammock strung from the wall to the railings.

“Better,” Katsuki confirmed, when Izuku caught his eye. “More human.”

“Oh good, I’m fooling you into thinking I’m a person.”

“I’m leaning toward cyborg, currently.”

“I’ll take it.”

The last stop on their little impromptu tour made Katsuki freeze in his tracks, staring open-mouthed at a huge bathtub made of dark stone, set next to a massive window that gave him a view of the snowy trees at the back of the property.

“I guess this is kind of like a pool,” Izuku hummed faintly. “Should I have told you about this too?”

“Fuck yes. Learn to sell your lifestyle.”

“But then I wouldn’t have gotten to see this cute face of yours.”

“Shut up, nerd.”

The words had no bite to them, especially with the way Katsuki’s cheeks flushed all pink, but Izuku didn’t dare to point it out. He just watched as Katsuki ran his fingers over smooth stone, looking down into the deep bath.

“You can use it,” Izuku promised him. “Tonight if you want, or any other time you come over. I love sharing what I have with people, it makes it so much better to own things if you can share them.”

“I’m gonna use it,” Katsuki confirmed. “I’ll sit in here for hours.”

“You can bring a book,” Izuku grinned. “I do sometimes.”

“Perfect.”

When he was finally satisfied, Izuku led him back downstairs, grinning when he found a woman in his dining room – weird, Katsuki thought. Most people didn’t like finding people in their homes unannounced.

“You’re amazing!” Izuku grinned, and Katsuki started to catch on when he saw her set a bag down on the counter. “Thank you so much, I’m sorry it was so last minute!”

“My pleasure,” she assured him, sparing a nod for Katsuki too. “Have a great night.”

“And you!”

She wasn’t even out the door again before Izuku was digging into the bag, beaming as he shoved a set of fluffy, bright-red pyjamas into Katsuki’s hands.

“Merry Christmas!” he beamed. “Go change!”

Katsuki cracked a smile, letting Izuku put the soft-as-fuck pyjamas in his arms, and finally conceded a nod.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “They look great.”

─────

Izuku didn’t seem at all surprised when the doorbell rang, giving Katsuki a quick smile as he clambered out from under the blanket to answer it. Katsuki paused the movie again, listening, and watched as the little group walked by, heading for the kitchen.

“The oven is pretty much new,” Izuku was explaining, “and you can use anything you want from the fridge and the cupboards. How much do I owe you for the groceries?”

Curiosity got the better of Katsuki, and he crept out to the hallway to watch, finding Izuku with a receipt and his wallet in hand, counting out notes.

“Okay, so that should cover the stuff you bought and the time you spent doing it,” Izuku mumbled, more to himself than the man exploring his kitchen. “And that’s three hours of work each, I’ll add another if it takes longer than expected, and a bonus for coming out on Christmas Eve...”

By the time he handed the stack over, Katsuki wasn’t sure where it all had come from. It certainly hadn’t come from the slim wallet Izuku carried around – it would have been too thick to even fit in his wallet.

“I think that should cover it!” Izuku said brightly, beaming at the men who turned to look. “If I’ve forgotten anything, please let me know!”

“Ah, th-thank you,” the older man stumbled, wide-eyed as he accepted the thick wad. “It looks good, but I’ll... let you know.”

“Thank you,” Izuku beamed. “We’re so excited!”

“My pleasure.”

Izuku turned around, grin stretching even wider when he saw Katsuki watching.

“Kacchan! This is Chef Nagashi, he owns my favourite Italian restaurant – they have two Michelin stars! He’s gonna make us dinner tonight.”

Of course he is.

“Thank you,” Katsuki stumbled out instead. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Thank you for having me.”

“And this is Hakobi, he’s going to be our waiter while Chef Nagashi works his magic!”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded faintly. “Uh, you too. Thanks for coming.”

“We’d better leave you guys to it!”

Katsuki glanced at the shiny glass table and impeccable place settings laid out beside him, the golden candlesticks and fresh flowers serving as centrepieces, and when Izuku came closer, he lowered his voice.

“I can’t eat Michelin-quality food at that table in my pyjamas,” he whispered. “Maybe you can, but I’m not-”

“Kacchan,” Izuku cut him off quickly. “We’re gonna eat at the kotatsu and watch our stupid movies.”

“Oh.”

“Hakobi promised he’ll bring it out to us, and tell us what everything is, and bring us drinks to match, so we can just relax!”

“Oh,” he said again.

“Coming?”

He offered up a hand, giving Katsuki the most affectionate look he’d ever seen, and slowly Katsuki accepted, letting himself be led back to the little living room. He sat down again, and Izuku tucked the blanket up over his lap protectively before joining him. A nervous hand moved behind his back, settling on his waist to hug him lightly, and Katsuki found himself leaning into it, resting his head on Izuku’s warm shoulder and getting comfortable.

“Do you think we could do this again?” Izuku asked quietly, tilting his head to rest against Katsuki’s. “Hanging out like this, I mean. Instead of just for parties. I’ll still pay for your time, I promise.”

“We can,” Katsuki agreed. “And you... don’t have to.”

“Don’t have to what?”

“Pay me. To just hang out.”

“Don’t be silly, I’d never ask you to give me your time for free.”

“We’re friends. Friends don’t pay each other to watch movies and eat pizza.”

Izuku sniffled a little, and Katsuki rolled his eyes. Damn nerd was always crying about shit.

“Just let me borrow your books,” he continued. “And use your garden. And... cook in your kitchen, sometimes.”

“I’d love that.”

“And use your bathtub.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They didn’t part until footsteps began to approach, when Izuku shifted to pause the movie, and Katsuki stretched a little as he sat up straighter. The waiter set a plate down between them, then two glasses, disappearing again for a few seconds and returning with a bottle of wine to pour.

“This is a ravioli stuffed with basil, ricotta and pine nuts; chargrilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto; and crumbed courgette flowers. I recommend enjoying it with this bold white wine.”

“It looks delicious!” Izuku gushed, leaning in to smell the food. “My mouth is watering. Thank you so much!”

“Thank you,” Katsuki agreed, accepting the small glass of wine the man offered him. “It looks great.”

With a little bow, the waiter retreated again, and Izuku immediately stabbed into a piece of pasta with his fork. Katsuki cracked a smile at the enthusiasm, watching as Izuku lifted it to inspect, but instead of shoving it in his mouth to finally try it, he poked it at Katsuki’s lips lightly.

“You first,” he insisted, when Katsuki stared at him. “Say ‘ahhh’ Kacchan!”

Katsuki opened his mouth obediently, letting Izuku feed it in, and as he bit down he couldn’t help but moan quietly.

“Really good,” he explained needlessly. “Try it.”

Izuku grinned at him, but took a piece for himself too, eyes falling closed as he chewed.

“So damn good,” he agreed, surprisingly Katsuki a little with the language. “Gosh, I love Italian food so much.”

“Same,” Katsuki admitted, sneaking another piece from the small selection on the plate. “I could eat this every day and never get bored.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Izuku teased. “You’d be bored in a week, with your taste.”

“Nah, I’d be happy for months, at least.”

“Mm-hm,” Izuku smiled wryly. “Okay, Kacchan.”

“Shut up.”

Izuku went for the asparagus next, thankfully feeding himself first since Katsuki was still occupied by the pasta, but a noise of pleasure like nothing Katsuki had ever heard before came out of him, and Katsuki could only stare as the freckled cheeks turned pink.

“How is that so good?” he asked in a whisper, reaching for another piece. “It’s only two ingredients!”

“Two good ingredients,” Katsuki corrected. “And cooked well, probably in other ingredients.”

“Okay, point taken,” Izuku chuckled. “This is why I don’t cook.”

“I’ll figure it out for you,” Katsuki offered, refusing to look at him. “I’ll make it next time.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll try.”

“That sounds fun,” Izuku grinned, only stretching wider when Katsuki finally looked at him again. “I bet everything Kacchan makes is amazing.”

Together they finished off the plate of appetisers, Izuku ensuring Katsuki got the last piece of ravioli, and by the time they finished sipping at their wine, the waiter was on his way back with the next course for them.

“We have four flavours here for you,” Hakobi informed them, setting down a huge plate of steaming pizza. “Up here is a tomato base with chilli, olives, and spicy salami; this one is an eggplant base with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted almonds; down here is a tomato base with smoked ham, mushrooms, artichokes and olives; and finally, this one is a mix of four of the finest cheeses and a touch of garlic. This beautiful red wine here should pair perfectly with the flavours of each.”

“Amazing,” Izuku gushed, accepting a glass. “Thank you very much.”

“Thank you,” Katsuki echoed. “It looks great.”

“My pleasure.”

He disappeared back to the kitchen, and Katsuki opened his mouth pointedly, watching Izuku giggle as he picked up a slice to feed him. A smile tugged at Katsuki’s lips, too, as he bit off a piece, and Izuku watched him eagerly for a reaction.

“Perfect,” he mumbled, taking the slice from Izuku’s fingertips to take another bite. “Best pizza I’ve ever eaten.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hm,” he nodded. “And I get to eat it in my pyjamas.”

“That always makes it taste better,” Izuku laughed, taking a slice for himself. “I’m glad you came, it’s nice to spend Christmas Eve with someone.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki admitted. “It’s been fun.”

When the pizza was gone, Katsuki’s stomach pleasantly full, he lay back to sprawl on the soft carpet. The ceiling above them was plain white, just as boring and sterile as the rest of the house, and Katsuki huffed quietly as he stared at it.

“You okay?” Izuku asked, smiling down at him. “Eat too much?”

“Ate the perfect amount, just comfy.”

“So you don’t want dessert?”

“There’s dessert?” he asked, sitting up in a hurry. “I always want dessert.”

Izuku laughed at him, but Katsuki just looked up with wide eyes, watching as the waiter returned with one last plate for them to share.

“This is my personal favourite, Chef Nagashi’s signature tiramisu. Then we have a scoop of pistachio gelato, a cannoli with chocolate chip filling, and a bite-sized vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries. And this wine is a wonderful sweet one with notes of caramel and cinnamon, it’s a staff favourite at the restaurant. Please enjoy.”

“Thank you so much! I’ll come see you before you head home, just give me a few minutes!”

“Take your time, Sir,” Hakobi insisted. “We’re not in a hurry.”

“Thank you!”

As soon as he took his leave, Izuku took a small spoonful of gelato, offering it up for Katsuki to taste before he could complain about it taking too long. Katsuki licked it off with a little smirk, making Izuku blush, and hummed quietly as he swallowed it.

“Delicious,” he said, eyeing the plate again. “Dibs.”

“You don’t get to call dibs on the whole plate!” Izuku laughed, elbowing him lightly. “We’re sharing, that’s the whole point!”

“Nah, dibs.”

“You suck,” Izuku chuckled, taking another spoonful and offering it to him all the same. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Mm-hm, never had pistachio flavour before, it’s good.”

“I’ll keep it in mind!”

“I don’t think you’ve ever fed me without making me try something new,” Katsuki mused. “There’s always something interesting.”

“Good! I like helping to broaden your horizons!”

“You trying to fix me or something?”

“How could I when you’re already perfect?” Izuku teased, getting a little snort in return. “It’s just nice to be able to offer you something in return for your company.”

“You literally pay me.”

“But that’s just money,” Izuku huffed. “That just keeps a roof over your head. I like offering you something more special, too.”

“And yet you won’t let me call dibs on the gelato.”

“Kacchan.”

Katsuki just grinned, and Izuku sighed fondly, turning the plate around and sliding it a little closer to him.

“Go on, then,” he said fondly. “Eat it.”

“Seriously?”

“If it’ll make you happy, I’ll let you call dibs.”

Katsuki took a spoonful, pausing for a moment, then with his cheeks tinted a pretty shade of pink, he held it out to Izuku.

“You’re making me feel bad,” he huffed, shoving it at Izuku’s mouth. “It’s good, try some.”

“Thanks, Kacchan,” he giggled. “It must be really good, if you like it so much.”

Katsuki watched as he ate it, watched those emerald eyes dart open a little wider as it hit his tongue, then nodded understandingly when he met Katsuki’s eyes.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “That’s amazing.”

“See?” Katsuki smirked. “That’s why I have dibs.”

“You’re such a spoiled brat,” Izuku laughed.

“Whose fault is that?”

“I’m gonna have to stop buying you so many shiny things.”

“That’s fine. Gelato isn’t shiny.

“Smart-ass.”

When the plate was clear, Izuku excused himself to the kitchen again, giving the pair the most genuine smile he could muster.

“Thank you again,” he said softly. “That was perfect. Everything tasted amazing, we had such a good time, you two were wonderful.”

“Our pleasure, Mister Midoriya. And thank you for the more than generous compensation.”

“Feel free to call again any time!” Hakobi added. “It was an honour.”

He showed them out with another smile and a wave, then returned to the kitchen for a glass of water, huffing when he saw the carefully-wrapped leftovers sitting in the fridge. If he’d know, he’d have slipped them a few more bills on their way out – maybe he could convince Katsuki to take them home for his Christmas lunch.

When he returned to the living room, though, he found Katsuki laying back on the carpet again, a content, peaceful look on his face as his chest rose and fell at a slow, steady pace.

“Kacchan?” he whispered.

No response.

With a little smile, Izuku crouched down beside him, tucking the kotatsu blanket up over his pyjama-clad arms and shoulders. He didn’t dare try to slide it into place, but he left a nice, squishy cushion beside his head, in case he woke in the night and wanted a pillow. Then, in a moment of weakness, he planted a feather-light kiss on Katsuki’s temple, smiling to himself as he switched out the lights.

“Sweet dreams, Kacchan,” he whispered. “Thanks for humouring an old man on Christmas Eve.”