Under The City Lights
Katsuki and Izuku.
He has loved him since they were fourteen.
He now loves the feeling of coming home to a tired Izuku-sensei, with eyebags and soft fluffy hair and warm hands. And he loves the feeling of his boyfriend's head in his lap as he falls asleep, even though he should be grading papers. He loves cooking dinners and breakfasts, and even though Izuku has contemplated quitting hero work, he still trains with Katsuki every now and then, and Katsuki loves seeing the fire in his eyes– Izuku is competitive. They both know that.
He loves being his.
But he feels like something is missing.
Izuku has been busy with work, and lately, whenever him and Katsuki are alone– the only thing that stems from it is sex. Hands on each other's bodies, rough intimacy and hickies in spots only each other can reach. Katsuki can’t remember the last time they hung out with friends or went out for ice cream or did practically anything as a couple. The blame isn’t just on Izuku— Katsuki is busy too, with long nights patrolling and stacks of paperwork that just keeps piling up in his office. He gets home late, hot and sweaty, drowning it out in the shower, letting the boiling water hit his skin and fade away his messy eyeliner. He lets the water dance around his scars, and he hopes Izuku will hear the showering running and join him, but almost every single time he stays in the bedroom, reading, or already passed out.
After his showers, Katsuki will eat the leftovers in the fridge, even though his appetite isn’t strong. He finishes his night routine and slips into bed next to Izuku.
“Goodnight.” He whispers, planting a kiss on Izuku’s forehead. Izuku will do the same if he's awake, but if not, he shuffles closer to Katsuki subconsciously, their bodies intertwining. They’ve been sleeping in the same bed since they got together, but it still causes Katsuki’s stomach to flutter.
-=+=-
“Hi,” Izuku rubs his eyes, his voice still groggy from just waking up. He messes with Katsuki’s hair, planting kisses on his face. Katsuki groans, sitting up. “We both slept in a little late,”
“What time is it?” Katsuki says, yawning.
“Nine.”
“What the fuck?”
“Kacchan. It’s Sunday.”
“Oh, shit. I forgot.” Katsuki mumbled, and his heart stopped racing as fast. “Do you have plans for today? We haven’t done anything in a while.”
“Is this you asking me on a date, Kacchan?” Izuku teases, his body closer to Katsukis. Both of their faces are warm. Katsuki bites his bottom lip slightly, before tackling Izuku playfully. He tickles his ribs and plants kisses on his neck and face, causing him to laugh uncontrollably. Katsuki loves it– the softness of Izuku’s laugh and the saltiness of his skin. His body now hovers over Izuku, both of them breathing. “You didn’t answer my question!”
“What do you think, nerd?” Katsuki says. “Yes. I’m asking you on a date! That's what people do when they’re in a relationship, Izuku.”
“Well we haven’t in a long time.”
“I know. We’re just busy.”
“Yeah.” Izuku mumbles. Then it's silent for a few seconds. “Are you gonna get off of me now?” Izuku teases, Katsuki still hovering over him. “Cause I don’t think this really counts as a date– unless sex was what you had planned.”
Katsuki’s face turns red. He pulls away, letting Izuku sit up. “Obviously not, idiot. I was thinking that crepe place you like.”
“Oh, that sounds good! I wonder if they still have that melon one your sister likes. I remember she let me try it once and it was really good– the cheese foam mixed with the melon balls was so good, and it wasn’t too cold compared to the actual crepe base,” Izuku rambles as he gets out of bed, looking through his dresser to find an outfit to wear. Katsuki does the same, not interrupting as Izuku talks.
“I’m sure they still have it.” Katsuki replies. “If not, I could learn to make it for you.”
“I think you’re the nerd, Kacchan.”
“I’m not the damn nerd! I’m just saying–,” Izuku cuts him off with laughter, planting a kiss on his cheek. Katsuki shuts up.
-=+=-
Ochako and Himiko.
Himiko has loved Ochako the moment her eyes saw her short brown hair and big pink eyes. She has loved her since their first official crepe date and first official kiss. It has never decreased. She feels her heart beat over and over again when they exchange glances. They’ve been busier– with Ochako running her own hero agency aside Tsuyu, and Himiko opening the first therapist office for proper quirk counseling, licensed therapists that don’t shove unhelpful treatment down kids' throats.
Himiko works late nights, coming home to a sleepy Ochako already in bed. They both have weekends off and tend to spend Saturday relaxing, and plan an activity for sunday. It’s a stable routine– a reliable one they both adore. They’re comfortable, and while others find that life to be boring, It isn’t for them. Himiko still drinks blood, but she’s learned to control it almost perfectly. She doesn’t consider herself to be a hero anymore– trying to avoid the work entirely. She’s scared of falling into it again. The smell of blood and scraped knees. She knows Ochako would be there for her, rubbing her back and planting soft kisses on her face for comfort, but the thought of hurting someone on accident makes Himiko feel lightheaded.
Sometimes, she falls asleep in her office after hours, surrounded by darkness and silence. Her phone has missed texts and calls from Ochako, letting her know food is in the fridge for when she gets home. And Himiko walks back to their tiny apartment, the lights from the city suddenly relieving any anxiety she might’ve had. The thoughts of drinking blood and failing herself fade away, and suddenly her body is next to Ochakos, her arms wrapped around her warm body.
“I love you, Ochako-chan.” she whispers into her neck. A Sleeping Ochako doesn’t reply, but the hairs on her neck stand up. Himiko kisses them softly, falling asleep with her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck.
“Hi Himiko,” Ochako whispers, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. Himiko sits up slightly, yawning, trying her best to wake up. “I’m gonna go grab us coffee. Do you want your usual? Or something different?”
“Can I come with you?” Himiko asks, lugging herself out of bed. “Honestly, I dunno what I want. And I want to spend time with you.”
“You know the place is right around the corner, right?” Ochako giggles, facing the opposite direction. She takes off her pajamas and changes into a pink shirt and jeans. Himiko watches, analyzing her subtle back muscles and pink lace bra. “Am I distracting you?” her girlfriend teases, putting her shirt on extra slow.
“Yes,” Himiko mutters. “And maybe.” she changes as well, slipping on a black hoodie.
Himiko ended up getting the same thing she always does, a strawberry matcha with extra strawberry syrup. Ochako got an iced mocha, and a pastry for them to share. They decide to go on a short walk, finding a bench to sit at.
“I miss you.” Himiko says. Ochako looks over, her eyebrows furrowed. “I know we’re besides each other right now– but just in general, ya know? I miss you when I’m at work, and when I see a client trying their best. The little things just make me think of you. I even miss you when I sleep. You’re silly, haunting me in my dreams forever.”
“Well I always miss you back. Your soft kisses and wittiness.” Ochako replies, leaning her head on Himiko’s shoulder. “We should take a vacation soon. Hero work is tiring.”
Himiko doesn’t reply. She just squeezes her girlfriend's hand, stealing a sip of her coffee.
-=+=-
Izuku can’t sleep. He tosses and turns, waiting for Katsuki to come home. He ends up staring at the ceiling for an hour before hearing his keys turn in the door. He’d usually wait— even pretend to fall asleep and feel Katsuki’s arms around him in around thirty minutes. But he can’t– not tonight. He rushes out of bed, heading to the living room. Katsuki is taking off his shoes, and god does he look pretty. His eyeliner was running down his face just slightly, and his hair is wet from sweat. You can see the outlines of his muscles, hard and toned, the way his hero costume is covered in particles from his quirk. Izuku just wants to kiss him. His stomach flutters.
“Hi,” Izuku says, shyly, as if they’re in high school again.
“Hey, you.” Katsuki mutters, walking towards him, pulling Izuku towards him with one arm. He plants a kiss on his lips, wet and soft. “Why’re you out of bed?”
“I missed you. More than usual.” Izuku says. “I just wanted to see you.”
“I was coming straight to bed,” Katsuki laughs. “I missed you too.”
“Are you really tired?” Izuku asks, his hands tracing along Katsuki’s chest. “Cause, y’know, you’ve been working late recently, and we haven’t got the chance to do anything, and I just,”
“You just what?” Katsuki mutters, “What do you need?”
“You,” Izuku says after a brief moment of silence. “I need you, Katsuki.”
Katsuki’s face heats up a light pink color. He wants Izuku closer to him, closer than he already is. He can hear Izuku’s heart racing and he watches as he bites his lip softly, waiting for Katsuki’s reply. He kisses him, his hands digging deep into his sides, Izuku groaning slightly. He breaks away, their breaths hot and heavy. “Bed, now,” he mutters.
“Yep. Yeah. I know.” Izuku stutters, messily making his way back to the bedroom, Katsuki following.
-=+=-
Ochako and Himiko lay in bed, Ochakos head on her girlfriend's chest. Himiko plays with her hair, twirling it in between her fingers. Their TV plays in the background, some documentary about cats. Himiko’s not really paying attention. She's trying hard not to fall asleep.
“Have you talked to your brother lately?” Ochako asks, her voice quiet.
“A few days ago. He’s an idiot and never replies to his texts, why?” Himiko replies.
“I haven’t talked to Izuku in a while. Just didn’t know if Katsuki mentioned anything. Like, him being busy or something.” Ochako says. “It’s not a big deal! Just making sure that he's not overworking himself.”
“He said Izuku usually sleeps way before he gets home. He’s probably okay. Maybe you could visit him at work to check up on him?”
“Yeah. That's true.” Ochako yawns. “Maybe tomorrow.”
-=+=-
Izuku sits in his classroom, yawning, reviewing papers his class just turned in. They had to write a two page essay on ways they could use their quirk to help society, and why they’d want to be a hero someday. He wants to get through grading all of them– but his hand is resting on his face, holding it up from falling straight onto the desk and falling asleep. He keeps yawning, and his eyebags are getting worse. He tries to cover them up in the morning because Katsuki gets upset, but he didn’t have time today. It’s sunset now– and he was supposed to leave two hours ago. Just three more papers. He thinks. Over and over. Eventually, a knock arises at his door. He looks up, opening it.
“Hey, ‘Zuku.” Ochako smiles. She’s holding a pastry bag and two iced coffees. She walks over to his desk, putting down everything that she's holding. “I thought this might be a bust and you’d be at home already. Why’re you still here?”
“Oh! I’m just finishing up some grades. I’ll be done in around an hour or so. Thanks for the coffee. I’m surprised you still remember my order.” Izuku smiles, taking a sip.
“Can I help you finish up?” Ochako offers, hovering over him. “If you don’t mind.” Izuku has a feeling that Ochako wouldn’t leave even if he said she doesn’t have to, so he smiles, sliding over two of the papers.
“It’s an essay that talks about how they can incorporate their quirk into hero work, and why they want to be a hero one day.” Izuku says. “So far, all of them have done great. I’m actually surprised.”
“Why? You’re a great teacher.” Ochako says, one bite into her pastry. “And no, ‘Zuku, I’m not just saying that because you’re my friend. I’ve seen you teach your students. You do great. Minus the overworking part.”
“Yeah. thank you.” Izuku replies. “I’m trying to spend more time outside of work, but I get so worked up over it, class plans– exercises and training sessions to do, certain students feeling stuck in their progress, It’s all a lot, and I want to be there for them the best I can.”
“When did you assign these papers?”
“Hm, around a week ago. They were due yesterday. I told them grades would be in by monday.”
“It’s Friday evening. You have two more days to work on grading these.” Ochako says. “You don’t need to finish it all right now.”
Izuku stares down at the paper, underlining mistakes with a red pen. He understands what Ochako is saying. And he knows deep down that she’s not wrong. But he doesn’t say anything. They finish grading in silence, the only noise being blue and red pens underlining mistakes. He feels a bit better after the coffee and pastry– not as lightheaded, and his headache is slowly disappearing. He looks out the window, hues of dark red and orange now gone, instead, stars fill the sky. He collects all of the essays scattered around his desk, putting them into a neat pile in the corner. He decides to listen to Ochako. He’ll input the grades on Sunday evening.
“Do you want to get ramen? Like old times?” Izuku asks. Ochako looks up, smiling.
“Sure. let's do it!” She smiles.
-=+=-
“I’m kind of worried about Izuku.” Ochako says. She’s been poking around her dinner plate for awhile now, only taking small bites of rice, moving chunks of fish around slowly. Himiko rests her hand on her face, staring at Ochako, listening to her talk. “He’s clearly overworking himself, y’know? When I went to his classroom last night, his eyebags were ginormous, and he kept yawning and rubbing his temples, clearly a headache or something. God, I’m glad that he’s a teacher– that he’s doing what he loves, but sometimes I wish he would’ve pursued hero work. I know it’s hard and he’d still be stressed but,”
“I think that might’ve been worse.” Himiko cuts her off. “You know how he was. Constantly covered in injuries, constantly taking on more than he can bear. Now he does it through his teaching. If he was a hero, it could affect him even more, with more scars to prove it.”
Ochako gets quiet, taking a bite of her food. “Yeah. I know. I guess I just miss when we’d all go on training routes together. When he’d come help us out at the agency. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but we barely see him anymore.” Himiko reaches out, tucking hair behind Ochakos ear. “When Katsuki gave him that suit, I thought maybe things would turn out different.”
“Yeah. Katsu was sad about that. The outcome.” Himiko replies. “I think we all wanted things to go differently. But it’s not like things will stay like this forever. Maybe he will pick up hero work again. Maybe he just needs time.”
“Yeah.” Ochako smiles, faintly. “Yeah. I know. Sorry. I don’t want to talk about this too much. Let's eat.”
-=+=-
Quirkless– That's what he always was,
Useless, idiotic, not good for anything . It was a cycle that repeated in his head, over and over again, it never went away, it never dulled until he obtained One For All. he tried to look past the wretched feeling that crept at his veins, and he tried to swallow it and forget the burden, but it always lurked. During training sessions and being yelled at by Katsuki to be better, it just always bothered him, over and over again. But he got better, he got stronger, he felt happy with the way he was wielding his new quirk. He felt like he finally meant something. That all his notetaking on heroes would finally be useful.
Now, that reality is real again, quirkless. The suit Katsuki worked to provide for him sits in the back of his closet, untouched, unworn. He stares at it sometimes, standing in the closet, holding it in his hands, fingers running over all the details. Sometimes, when Katsuki isn’t home, he’ll try it on, feeling it out for what it is– and he hopes that maybe he’d have the confidence to return to what he once was. But it’s terrifying. The feeling of being useless pokes at him again. Would he be a good hero? Could his body handle it all? Would he live up to what everyone expects? So he buries himself in work and grades, he forces himself into being the best teacher at UA.
It’s two a.m, and Izuku can’t sleep. He unravels himself from his lover's arms, heading up to the rooftop of their apartment complex. He looks down at all of the buildings and lights, and late night lingerers hanging around the convenience store and restaurants. He waits for the wind to kiss his skin, sending chills down his spine, and he waits for his eyes to hurt from all of the brightness surrounding him, but it doesn't— not really. So he sits on the roof for a long time until he feels sleepy again. He falls asleep on his couch, wrapped in a giant green blanket.
He wonders what All Might would think, if he’d be disappointed.
Izuku wakes up to the smell of Omurice. He sits up and tries to fix his bedhead, Katsuki, in the kitchen. He gets up, walking up behind him. “Boo.” Izuku whispers. Katsuki turns around, trying to act like it didn’t startle him.
“Hi,” he says, turning back to plate their food. “Good Morning to you too.”
“It smells good.” Izuku says, Katsuki doesn’t reply, only slightly smiling, his reply simply being mhm? noise. Izuku lays his head in the crook of his neck, placing soft kisses, pulling away gently.
After breakfast, Izuku cleans up the dishes, putting the tiny bit of leftovers in the fridge. He likes the warm water against his skin and the smell of dish soap. He turns up the water even warmer, his hands a light red color in result. He lets the dishes dry, putting them back in the cabinet. Katsuki comes back into the kitchen after his shower.
“Why were you sleeping on the couch?” He asks.
“Oh, I couldn’t sleep. I just went up to the roof to think, and I didn’t want to wake you when I came back inside. So I slept on the couch instead.” Izuku replies, putting the last plate away. “Why? Did you miss me?” he teases.
“Yeah.” Katsuki admits. “What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing really.” Izuku lies.
“But you had to go to the roof, so obviously it was something.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Izuku says defensively.
“But I want to know Izuku.” Katsuki snaps back. “Did I do something?”
“No– I– it’s not about you. It’s just teacher stuff, okay?” he looks at Katsuki, his heart racing and wrists fuzzy. He could spill it all right now, the anxieties around the suit, the thoughts in his head that result in lack of sleep and eyebags, but he doesn’t. He shovels it down once again, swallowing it. “I just spent a lot of time grading yesterday, and I want to make sure it was all fair and stuff. Sorry.”
Katsukis eyes narrow. He comes closer to Izuku, his hands on his waist. “Is that all?” He bites his lower lip. Izuku kisses him softly– messing up his hair. “Yes. that’s all.” he whispers to Katsuki, pulling away from the gentle embrace.
“Izuku,”
“Kacchan.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
-=+=-
Mondays are Himiko's least favorite day. The coffee shop she loves is always busy, which means she can’t go because she doesn’t want to be late for work. The subway is extra crowded, smells of perfume and cologne and loud teenagers surround her. Ochako leaves earlier in the mornings so she wakes up to an empty bed, and as much as she loves her job, the responsibility of it can be tough on her. But she goes into the office and keeps tracks of all of the kids coming in, and she talks to Ochako during her lunch break, and she tries her best to be the silliest counselor– to make struggling parents feel at ease, and to make scared kids feel less alone.
Today in particular, she had a new client. Her name is Stormy. Young, around thirteen, and she has a quirk called Spider. She has the abilities of one, but it mostly focuses on spider webs, wielding them, and wall climbing. She has an extra eye. Her classmates have been making fun of her for having a ‘bug' quirk, and she lashed out on one of them, (by sticking them to the roof of the school with webs.) Her parents don’t understand how she got a quirk like this.
“Hi, your name is Stormy, correct?” Himiko asks. The girl nods, looking down at the floor. “So, from the form your parents filled out, it seems like they’re kind of worried about recent behaviors. Do you mind telling me what happened?”
“I stuck someone to the roof of my school because they were an idiot.” She says. “I know it was a dumb idea. But I’m so sick of being treated like my quirk is stupid.”
“I understand. I know how frustrating,--”
“No, no one gets it. I feel useless! Like I won't be a real hero. Like– Like I'm not cool enough to be one. My parents are ashamed of me, at least, it feels that way, and It makes me angry.”
“Well, I understand. I genuinely do. My whole childhood, I was given cold stares and laughed at because of my quirk. But one thing I learned is that in reality, those people have other issues in their life. By saying negative things about someone else, they project all of it onto you. I love your quirk. I think it would be awesome to see it in action.”
“You’re just saying that.” Stormy mumbles.
“I’m not. I promise.” Himiko smiles.
After a little bit of back and forth, Himiko helped Stormy grow a little more confidence towards her quirk. She made her smile– if not even just for a second, knowing Stormy felt better after their session made Himiko happy. She hates seeing kids like that, clearly upset and resentment towards “better” quirk users. Anyone can be a hero– even if it’s small. It reminded Himiko of her younger self, naive and angry. She remembers her scars, the laughs, her stressed parents, and sometimes it stings just a little. But she’s happy.
-=+=-
Ochako came home with small cuts and bruises on her legs. She tried to hide it, not wanting Himiko to crave blood– she knows she’s been trying to stop completely. She tried to sneak through the door, but her keys are loud and jangly. Himiko sat on the couch with dinner, watching some sort of reality TV.
“Ochako-chan? Are you okay?” Himiko asks. Her nose tingles, the smell of blood faint. She tries to ignore it, swallowing a piece of broccoli. Himiko calls from the other room, saying that she;s fine, that an accident happened at work and she tore a bit of skin. When she walks through the room, the smell is stronger. Himiko could usually resist it, but when it’s Ochako, something starts inside of her. But she doesn’t want to drink her blood. She wants to patch up her wounds and kiss them better. She puts her plate on the coffee table, standing up. “Let me patch it up for you.”
“Are you sure? I mean– no- It’s really fine–” Ochako panics. Himiko plants a kiss on her forehead, nodding gently.
They go into the bathroom, Ochakos hero suit now off, what's left is her underwear and sports bra. She still gets anxious letting Himiko see her like this. Small, now (dried) bloody cuts are on her thighs and knees. Her hands trace over them, applying an anti-infectant cream, and after letting it dry, cute princess bandaids over the smaller cuts. Her fingers were shaky and her eyes watered from the smell of her blood, and her teeth even started to ache, but she resisted, pressing gentle kisses along Ochako’s skin.
“Thank you.” Ochako whispers.
“Of course.” Himiko smiles, kissing her again. “I made you dinner, by the way. It’s in the fridge. If you want, we can go get ice cream after you’re done.”
“Yeah. that would be nice.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” Ochako smiles.
-=+=-
Another late night from Katsuki. He came home late, coming home to a (not) sleeping Izuku in the living room. It was dark. Only a small lamp on in the corner, and the light from his laptop illuminating his face. He had his glasses on, and it was clear he was focused on something. He closes the door, taking off his shoes, rubbing his eye gently, eyeliner melting into his fingers. Instead of saying anything, he takes a quick shower, changing into pajamas. He’s tired. He wants to go to bed. But he goes back into the living room, sitting next to Izuku.
“You should go to bed.” Katsuki says. “It’s already eleven.”
“I’ll join you in bed.” Izuku replies. ‘Just give me a second.”
Katsuki sighs, closing the laptop. Izuku scoffs, going to open it back up, but Katsuki takes it, putting it behind him. “I miss you, idiot. And I want to talk to you about our boring days and eat dinner together like other couples do. So can you just… finish what you were doing tomorrow?”
Izuku sighs, looking up at his red-eyed lover. “Okay.” he mumbles. “Because I love you.”
They end up rewatching two of the All Might movies, Izuku going out of his way to make popcorn. They shouldn’t have stayed up until three a.m. watching them, but they both did. By the end of the second one, they were both passed out, Izuku in Katsukis arms, breathing in the smell of clean laundry and his boyfriend's cologne. Moments like this remind Izuku of the grief of nostalgia, he remembers the all nighters they pulled in the UA dorms, and the way they both barely fit on a twin sized mattress. He remembers their training sessions when he still had One For All, purposely letting Katsuki pin him to the ground to sneak a secret kiss or two, he remembers the taste of his cherry lips and rough hands. Everything has changed since UA– but they’ve grown together, and Izuku feels sad at the thought that they aren’t doing “normal couple things.”
So he revels in the sweetness of Katsuki for just a little bit longer, letting the sun shine on their skin from the crack in the curtains, and he squeezes him a bit tighter, and he doesn’t dare mention that they’re already both an hour late for work.