The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

5

Katsuki's mind starts wandering to the emerald-eyed man sitting in the other room. He's a friend , he'd said so casually earlier. He wonders how Izuku felt about it. He wonders how he felt when the word fiancée was brought into the mix too. He sighs, "Yeah, he really is just a friend. I met him my first night in town. He's, uh, he's a careful person."

"Friend, huh? You sure?"

"Well, technically, we're just co-workers, but I didn't know what else to tell you to make you understand he's good," he explains. "You can be yourself around him. He's not a threat."

She sighs, "You and I both know being a threat and being a threat to the mission are two different things. Is he a distraction or is there any way he could cause you to slip up?"

"No. Not a chance," Katsuki answers quickly. "We're just co-workers, friends. He won't be a problem."

Kyoka's eyes remain fixed on him for a while, trying to read him. She raises an eyebrow, "You were a little quick to answer that if you ask me. Are you saying that because you know or because you don't want to run the risk of losing your friend ?"

"What are you getting at here?" Katsuki murmurs.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," she answers, waving her hands in front of her. "Just know that if you're lying and he turns out to be a threat to the mission, it won't be just us getting hurt. It could very well mean your friend's life too. Be careful, dumbass."

"I'm always careful."

"Whatever you say, Katsu," Kyoka replies. "And one more thing, you might want to reconsider your alias. Using the first part of your name isn't a good move. And if the need arises, you can call me Rin."

"Sure," Katsuki answers, standing to his feet. "I'll see you around, dear. "

Kyoka laughs, "I can't wait, hon. "

Katsuki and Kyoka walk out of the bedroom to find Izuku sitting on the couch watching the tv. "Hey, nerd, you ready to get moving?" He asks.

Izuku looks away from the screen and nods, "Yeah. Did you two have enough time to talk?"

Kyoka smiles and rests her hand on Katsuki's shoulder. "Plenty of time. Thanks for giving us a moment."

"Of course," Izuku smiles. "It was really nice meeting you."

"Same to you," Kyoka nods. "I look forward to seeing you again."

Izuku seems hesitant to answer, his hands fidgeting in front of him. "Thank you. I look forward to it as well."

Katsuki motions toward the door. "Come on, nerd. We need to wrap this up," he announces.

Izuku nods and makes his way to the door, stepping out and making his way down the stairs. Katsuki waves to Kyoka and steps out after, making his way to the car. Once they've both settled into their seats and started moving Izuku looks at him, his eyes wide and curious. "So how long have you and your fiancee been together?" he asks.

Katsuki feels himself choke. The word makes him cringe. Not so much because the thought of being engaged to Kyoka is such a terrible thing, but more so because he doesn't like the idea of Izuku thinking he actually has a fiancee, to begin with. As things stand, though, it's something he has to keep up with now, whether he likes it or not. "A couple of years," Katsuki says, plainly trying to avoid going into too much imaginative detail.

"That's so sweet. If you don't mind me asking, how did you know she was the one?" Izuku asks.

There it is again. That imaginary lump in his throat, choking him up . He hates it. He's never felt like someone would fit into his life seamlessly. He's never even remotely entertained the idea of a serious relationship with someone until a few days ago. He tries to pin the exact thing that pulls him to Izuku like the sea pulling the sands from the shores, slowly eroding away its strength in numbers. Nothing too noticeable, but subtle enough to change even the most rigid edges of the earth over time. Katsuki smiles, remembering the night he met Izuku. He hadn't thought much of it that night, but he's always radiated an atmosphere of comfort. His kindness and selflessness glow faintly, but he can feel it growing stronger even now. "When I knew she was my comfort," he answers.