Chapter Text
The night has been rather quiet, save for the downpour of rain rattling on the roof of the cafe. For the most part, people came in, got their drinks, and sat down only to shove earbuds into their ears. Not much could be heard over the sound of the rain falling anyway, even the music that plays softly over the speakers at all hours is being drowned out. It’s not that Izuku minds, it’s just that the lack of distractions has been getting to him all night. With nothing to really do or listen to, he can’t help but notice the deafening silence of his phone. He sighs, pulling it from his pocket again, only to see that his boyfriend still hasn’t texted him back yet. A disappointed frown settles into place on his face as he pockets the phone again, moving toward the espresso machine to start cleaning it. Maybe he’s just busy. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to walk home in the rain, but I left my umbrella at home. I wonder if he’d be okay with a co-worker giving me a ride home. There’s no way he’d be okay with that. He hardly trusts my family.
The bell at the door chimes, alerting Izuku to someone entering the store. He looks toward the door to see a tall, blond man with crimson eyes throwing his hood back, shaking himself free of the excess rain that clings to his rain jacket. He huffs, turning his attention back to the machinery he started cleaning only moments ago. Certainly, one of his co-workers will see that he’s busy and tend to the incoming customer while he cleans. At least, that would be the case if they all wanted to get out of here in time. Minutes go by with nothing more than the rain to occupy his ears as he cleans. Someone will come along. Someone has definitely noticed him by now. I’m not even a cashier today. Izuku’s shoulders are tense as he adds more pressure to the cloth, wiping vigorously at the machinery. “Hey, is that machine more important than an order, or is the customer service here just that shitty?” a raspy voice beckons from the counter behind him.
Izuku’s shoulders fall, his grip on the cleaning cloth loosening as he sets it down and turns to face the customer. Initially, Izuku hadn’t thought much of the stranger. But, now, with the man so close, Izuku can’t help but notice how striking he is. Despite not being much taller than Izuku himself, he can’t help but feel as if he towers over him. His jacket manages to hide the features of his build fairly well, but Izuku would be willing to bet that his arms and chest are muscular and well-toned. His eyes are observant, never settling on any given thing for more than a moment. Izuku’s thoughts fixate on a small string of thoughts. He wonders how nice his arms would look with some short sleeves hugging them just right, he wishes he’d look at him for more than a second at a time. He gulps, “Sorry, I was distracted.”
The blond scoffs, “Obviously.”
He bites the inside of his cheek, feeling himself grow hot with embarrassment. “Right. Um, what can I get started for you?”
The man grumbles momentarily, seemingly at himself, his eyes redirecting to the floor beneath him. “What would cause you the least amount of trouble?”
“I don’t know,” Izuku shrugs, somewhat puzzled by the question. “I guess a cup of tea. Why?”
“You’re obviously trying to get outta here and I just wanted something warm. It’s chilly out there and I have a long night ahead,” he sighs. “How much for the tea?” He asks digging into his pockets, likely trying to dig out his wallet.
Izuku shakes his head, “Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house tonight. From one person with a long night ahead to another, every little break counts, right?” He reaches for the marker by the register and for a cup, “Green tea okay?” The stranger nods. “And your name?”
“My name?” The man asks, an eyebrow-raising in question.
“Yeah, for your order?” Izuku answers, tilting his head slightly.
“Right. My name. Katsu is fine,” he rushes.
“Katsu got it. I’ll have that out for you in a little bit,” Izuku answers.
The blond nods and turns to walk away. Izuku watches briefly as he makes his way to the table at the very edge of the bar. He sinks into his seat and pulls out his phone and Izuku turns to start making his tea. He walks over to the cabinet where all of the tea is stocked and stops as he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He fishes it out quickly and looks at the screen, quickly answering the call. “Hey, is everything okay, Masashi?” He asks.
There’s a long silence before a taut voice answers, “Everything is absolutely peachy .” He sighs and Izuku feels his stomach tie in knots. He’s irritated. That can’t be good. “Look, I got caught up with some stuff at work. Think you’ll be okay walking home?”
Izuku’s eyes wander toward the front of the cafe to the large window that offers him a clear view of the world outside. The rain is still pouring mercilessly and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. He bites his lip nervously at the thought of braving the storm. His jacket can only handle and cover so much, he’ll be drenched by the time he makes it home. Not to mention, he has no doubts he’ll catch a cold with the temperatures as low as they are. Even so, that’s got to be better than interrupting Masashi’s work. If he were to do that, he likely wouldn’t hear the end of it for weeks. “Yeah, I can walk. No problem.”
“Thanks, dear. You’re the best. I’ll see you when I get home,” he answers.
“See you then,” Izuku answers softly before hanging up. He puts his phone away, his nerves finally settling now that he’s heard from his boyfriend, and finishes Katsu’s order. He walks over to the edge of the bar and looks up to see that he’s moved from his seat so that he’s leaning against the counter. Izuku slides the cup of tea across the counter to Katsu. “Here’s your tea. I made it extra hot so it’ll keep you warmer a little longer.”
Katsu takes the tea and nods, “Thanks.” At this point, the customer would quickly scurry from the area to carry on with their routine, but Katsu stays propped against the edge of the bar. He sighs, “I don’t mean to overstep, but I heard you were having to walk home. I can give you a ride if you’d like.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Izuku answers quickly, his hands swinging from side to side. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
Katsu nods toward the window, “The nearest residential area is at least a kilometer away. Come on, it’s just a ride. Every little break counts, isn’t that what you said?”
Izuku’s hands clench and unclench at his sides, trying to expel the jittery feeling that seems to be rattling his bones. What’s with this guy? What’s with me? Am I actually considering this? Masashi would be pissed if he found out I got a ride home from a stranger. But it is freezing cold outside and there’s no chance I’d make it home without getting drenched and catching a cold. He wouldn’t want me sick, right? It’s just a harmless ride. Just accept the offer.
“You do this often?” Katsu asks.
Izuku’s eyes widen as he looks back at Katsu, “Do what?”
“Mutter to yourself like that,” Katsu replies.
“Oh, sorry. I do that sometimes when I’m thinking too much. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it,” Izuku shrugs.
Katsu chuckles, “Damn, you’re a nerd, aren’t ya?” Izuku simply stares back, unsure of what to say. He’d been called a nerd his whole life, but this felt different somehow. The blond clears his throat, “Come on, it’s a simple yes or no. It’s just a ride, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Izuku could name a list of things that could go wrong, not including the potential that Katsu himself could be a maniac with some kind of ill intent. Nonetheless, he dismisses the thought of each and everyone, at least for now. “You’re sure it won’t be a problem?”
“It will be if you take too long to get out of here,” he shrugs. “I’ll let you get back to work. No point in making the night any longer for both of us,” he explains, turning to walk away and waving his hand dismissively. “I’ll wait for you over here.”
“Okay,” Izuku answers, returning to his closing routine. He has since moved on from the espresso machine to ensure that the blenders are in tip-top shape. Most of them are already clean, but there’s a couple that has yet to be properly cleaned from the set of frappuccinos that were made a few minutes before Katsu walked in. He starts to walk the pitchers to the sink so that he can wash them. Upon turning on the water someone walks up to his side and leans against the basin of the sink. Izuku looks up to see his co-worker standing before him. “Hey, where were you earlier?” he inquires.
Ena shrugs, “Akasuki needed some help taking the trash out,” she states plainly. “Why? Did something happen?”
He shakes his head, “Not really. We got a customer is all. I didn’t want to mess with the till so I gave him his drink for free.”
“Oh, really? What’d he get?” she asks.
“I gave him a green tea,” Izuku answers. “Are you able to--” Izuku is cut off by the sound of thunder rumbling from outside. He swears he can feel the ground shaking and the walls rattling.
Ena frowns, “Is Masashi on his way?”
He shakes his head, his shoulders falling, “No, he got caught up at work.”
“You’re not walking in this are you?” Ena asks.
“No. I’m not,” Izuku says. “I got a ride.”
Ena visibly relaxes, “Good. Who’s coming for you?”
Izuku stands up straight and wipes his hands on his apron. “A customer offered me a ride,” he shrugs. “He was a bit persistent, so I accepted it.”
Her eyes grow wide, “Who? Is he still in here?” She starts to look around the room at all of the faces in the area trying to figure out who it could be.
“He’s in the corner. He’s the one I gave the tea to,” Izuku explains matter-of-factly.
She immediately walks to the counter and leans so that she can catch a good glimpse of the stranger. Her eyes befall the blond and she stares him down for a moment, a smirk creeping its way across her face. She moves away and walks to the back, returning with their co-worker, Akasuki. They both lean over the counter and stare a while before Izuku moves from where he’s standing. “You two need to stop staring, you’ll make him uncomfortable,” he tries.
They both move away from the counter, still smirking. Ena crosses her arms in front of her chest, “Tell me, Izu. Did you really give him the drink for free because you didn’t want to mess with the register or do you think he’s just that cute?”
Akasuki bites her lip, her finger twirling around a piece of her hair. “I’d give him the drink for free too. Think you’ll make a move?” She teases.
The heat in Izuku’s cheeks feels nearly unbearable. Of course, he’s cute. He’s more than cute. He’s mesmerizing, gravitating, but Izuku couldn’t admit that. Not out loud at least. “Of course not. I have a boyfriend, in case you forgot,” he growls.
Ena rolls her eyes, “You mean the asshole that asked you to walk home in this storm? Oh, give me a break, Izu. We all know you can do so much better.”
Izuku turns on his heel, facing away from his friends. Ena, although she means well, always left a sour taste in his mouth when it came to her opinions on Masashi. For as long as he’s known her, she’s always been very vocal about her opinions on his boyfriend, none of which are very kind. Akasuki doesn’t seem to care much for him either, but she’s much more soft-spoken on the matter. “He’s not an asshole for doing his job,” he murmurs.
“I heard that,” Ena sighs. “And you’re right, but he is an asshole for choosing his job over you.”
“Can we just drop it?” He groans.
“Sure, but let us know when you get home, m’kay? Blondie may be cute but we have no way of knowing if he’s a psycho or not,” Ena observes.
Izuku grabs the pitchers from the sink and carries them back to where the blenders are stationed. “Deal, now, can we finish closing so we can get out of here?”
Akasuki giggles, “Someone’s in a tizzy.” She starts to head to the back, “Yeah, we’ll get outta here in no time.”
Several minutes later Izuku sighs and takes off his apron for the night, wrapping it up and tucking it away for the next day. He walks around the counter after saying goodbye to Akasuki and Ena to find Katsu lazily scrolling through his phone. He walks to his table and waves, “I’m ready if you are.”
Katsu looks up from his phone, his expression stoic. He stands and shoves the phone into his back pocket. “That was a little quicker than I expected,” he announces.
Izuku rubs his eyes and yawns, “Yeah, Ena, Suki, and I are usually pretty fast when we all pitch in.”
For a moment, Izuku swears he saw Katsu tense his body. He’s not sure why he would, he’s not even sure that’s what happened. I’m just tired. One way or the other, the pinkish hue that colors his cheeks makes him seem so much sweeter. Katsu sighs, “Come on, we should get going.” Katsu walks past him and toward him and Izuku follows behind at a distance he feels is comfortable. Upon stepping into the storm, Katsu quickens his pace, rushing to a car parked on the curb not far from the door. Not far behind, Izuku makes it to the car with only wet shoes and shoulders. Katsu huffs as he starts the car and turns the heat on, “So, where to?”
“Oh, you can just go this way. My street is the fourth on the right from here,” Izuku explains. He watches as Katsu’s hands confidently shift the car into gear and start to work the steering wheel. He tears his eyes away and looks out the window, trying to distract himself from the unnamed sense of unease he has. He clears his throat, “Thanks for the ride.”
The car slows to a stop at a light as Katsu begins to reply. “Don’t sweat it,” he shrugs. Izuku watches as Katsu’s eyes flicker toward him and back to the road. “So, you got a name, or do I just keep calling you nerd?”
“Oh, right, my name is Izuku,” he answers plainly.
“ Izuku, ” Katsu says as if trying to see the way the name feels coming from his mouth. Izuku hates what the sound does to him, he wishes he could untie the knots in his stomach and shove his face in a bucket of ice. Why did I like the way he said my name? Katsu smirks, “Nice name, but I think ‘nerd’ rolls off the tongue a little more smoothly.”
He frowns, “Why?”
“Couldn’t say. What, you don't like your nickname?”
It’s not so much he disliked “nerd,” it’s more that he liked the way Katsu said his real name. He doesn’t believe he said it any certain way, but the way it sounded felt similar to listening to the laughter of your favorite person, it sounded bright. “No. That’s not it. Do you give nicknames to every stranger you meet or just the ones you offer rides to?”
He flips the turn signal on before turning onto Izuku’s street. “It depends,” he replies. Izuku watches as Katsu’s expression changes from casual to something more thoughtful as his eyes scan the area around the car the best he can. His lips form into a slight pout, “I think we might be neighbors. Which one’s yours?”
“End of the street, on the left,” Izuku replies. “What makes you think we might be neighbors?”
“This area looks familiar,” he murmurs, looking around as if for a tell-tale sign. “But I ran into a similar predicament on the other side of town too. Doesn’t matter. Looks like we made it.” He shifts the car into park and sits back into his seat seemingly more relaxed.
Izuku looks out the window to see his home at the end of the driveway. He frowns upon noticing the light spilling out of the windows in the living room. He could’ve sworn he’d turned the lights off when he left earlier. Did he imagine that? Or has someone been home since then? “That’s weird,” he pouts.
“What?”
“The lights are on,” Izuku unbuckles his seat belt and grabs his stuff from between his feet. “Thanks for the ride, Katsu. It was nice meeting you.” His hands reach for the handle, prepared to brave the rain on his way to the door. He stops short upon hearing the doors lock. He turns to look back at Katsu. His eyes look intense, focused. “Is something wrong?”
“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” Katsu answers. “You gonna be alright on your own?”
Izuku nods, if anything, he’s probably better off that way. If anything, he probably just forgot to turn off the lights, and there is the possibility that Masashi came home at some point, just as he’d figured earlier. Either way, there’s just no point in having somebody accompany him inside just to make sure things are okay. “I’ll be fine. Thanks again,” Izuku rushes unlocking the door and exiting the car. He jogs to the door and quickly unlocks it to rush inside. He sighs, relieved, as he waves back at Katsu. It doesn’t take long for Katsu to pull away and disappear somewhere down the street. He gently pushes the door shut and locks it before setting his things down on the table. He walks into the living room and freezes upon seeing a man with dark brown hair rifling through a drawer on one of the end tables. “Masa?” Izuku breathes. “What are you doing home?”
Masashi turns to look back at Izuku, his red eyes glaring daggers in his direction. “You made it home awful quick. Care to explain whose car you were just getting out of?”
Izuku swallows the lump in his throat. Masashi said he couldn’t go home and pick me up, so I got a ride, and of course, it’s going to bite me in the ass. That’s not what I need to bring up right now. I just need to make sure I don’t make it worse. “It was Ena,” he lies.
Masashi slides the drawer on the end table closed, “Izuku, you know better than to lie to me.”
“I’m not.”
“So, you think I’m stupid, is that it? Do you not think I know enough about your little friends to know that Ena drives a beat-up Toyota Camry and not a sports car?” Masashi retorts. “Now, I’m going to ask again, whose car was it?”
Izuku can’t help but keep his eyes on Masashi. He’s hated this side of Masashi since it first became apparent, the side of him that seems so protective it sometimes scares Izuku. “It was a friend of Ena’s, but Ena was the one who brought me home. Her friend was nice enough to let her borrow the car while her car was in the shop.”
A harsh laugh escapes Masashi’s lips before he strides across the room. He stands directly in front of Izuku, towering over him. His eyes bare down on him as if calculating his next move. “So, Ena’s suddenly a man?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not blind, I know Ena wasn’t in that car,” Masashi snarls.
“She was, I—“
“Stop lying to me, dammit!” his boyfriend bellurs. “Ena wasn’t in that car and you’re going to tell me who was. ”
Izuku stumbles back a step or two, trying to put some distance between himself and the man in front of him. All the heat has drained from his body and his hands are shaking at his sides. He bites the inside of his cheek, trying not to let Masashi get the best of him. “Fine, it was a customer from the cafe. He overheard our phone call and offered me a ride.”
“And you accepted it!?” Masashi shouts. “Are you crazy? That man could’ve been anyone!”
“What else was I supposed to do? It’s not like it’s exactly ideal walking weather outside! Not to mention I left my umbrella and my good raincoat at home because my boyfriend said he’d be there to pick me up when I got off!” Izuku replies.
“Are you blaming me? Seriously? Izuku, you knew it was going to rain tonight. Regardless of what I said, you should’ve taken the damn rain gear with you,” Masashi starts. “And it’s not like it’s exactly easy for me to step away from work to pick you up every night. I’d say I do a damn good job most of the time.”
“You managed to pull it off after I’d already agreed to walk home,” Izuku counters.
Masashi’s eyes flash with rage and indignation, his fists clenching at his sides. “I had to come and find some important paperwork for the caseload they gave me. I was supposed to be in and out, but thanks to this bullshit, I’m going to have to stay even later tonight. I told you to make sure you had your things, but because somebody couldn’t listen, I’m arguing at home. I mean, come on, a stranger . A customer from the store? Do you like seeing me worry?”
Izuku’s will falters. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it?” Izuku remains silent. He’s scared that if he speaks his voice will crack and it’ll only make things worse. He hangs his head between his shoulders, trying to avoid looking at Masashi. He watches as Masashi’s feet begin to move away, “Whatever. This is fucking ridiculous. I have better ways to spend my time than this.” He quickly grabs his things and makes for the door. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again!” He calls out before slamming the door shut, leaving Izuku alone in the living room.