The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

15

"Not even close. I guess he was right in some respects. His job is providing for our way of life and I don't really contribute much. And I know that there are a lot of things that are out of his control, but he kind of scared me tonight," he murmurs. "I don't know, maybe if I'd been more considerate, things would've been different."

The blond's teeth grind against one another as he tries to keep a lid on his anger. He can't lose his temper, not when Izuku is right next to him. His job isn't to be angry anyway, it's to listen. His job is to be there for Izuku, to be a good friend . "Your feelings are not to blame for his anger," Katsuki chides. "I don't need to know the details, but if you felt hurt by his actions and you told him that, it's not your fault that he didn't take that into consideration."

"But, if I'd just listened to him, maybe I could've understood," he answers.

"You listened a little too much if you ask me," Katsuki grumbles. "I mean it. He could've been hurt or upset by something you'd said, and it would've been fine so long as he'd kept his cool. But, by the sound of it, he didn't keep it together too well. His anger is in no way your fault. It's his. Your feelings are valid, and so are his, I guess. Thing is, you can't communicate those feelings in a healthy way if you come to the table predisposed to the idea that the other person is wrong. He lost all credibility when he got angry."

He tries to keep from sounding too invested or biased concerning the matter. He has his own opinions of Masashi, and Izuku has his. It's not his place to sway those, but to make him understand that what happened shouldn't have. As much as he loves being around Izuku, neither one of them should be here. Izuku should be at home in bed with a caring and thoughtful boyfriend, and Katsuki should be at home writing a report on what happened the other night. But as things stand, Izuku is heartbroken and Katsuki is pissed.

The green-haired man remains silent, his eyes now watching as Katsuki places the last cookie on the baking sheet. He places the cookies in the preheated oven and he stands back up, crossing his arms. Those stupid marks on Izuku's cheeks have started to turn a deeper shade of red. "Izuku, did he hurt you by chance?"

Izuku jolts with near unnoticeable subtlety, "No. Why do you ask?"

Naturally.

He forces himself to look away from those damned marks. I'm not going to push him, but I will make that bastard pay. "No reason," he lies. "The cookies will be baking for a few minutes and then they have to cool. We can get started on the first episode if you want."

"That sounds nice," Izuku answers. "I'll go get the TV set up. What's the name of the show? I'll look it up for us."

Katsuki starts to clean up the kitchen a little so that he has less of a mess to deal with later. "Oh, uh, Fruits Basket."

He nods and makes his way into the living room to turn on the tv. Katsuki finishes with his quick tidying and pulls the cookies from the oven and sets them onto a cookie rack to cool. He makes his way into the living room to find Izuku sitting on the loveseat, scrolling through his phone. He smiles softly making his way to the couch and taking a seat. "Ready whenever you are. We'll have cookies after we finish the first episode," he announces.

"Right," Izuku acknowledges. He hits play and the show begins. Katsuki pays some attention to the tv throughout the duration of the episode, but most of his attention is focused on Izuku and listening for anything out of the ordinary. He likes watching the slow progression of Izuku beginning to relax as the show plays. He pulls out his phone, sending Ena one more message for the night. //I think he'll be fine for the rest of the night. I'll fill you in completely later, but you can rest sure that he's okay. Izuku is incredibly lucky to have such great friends.//

//That's a relief. Thanks for everything, Katsu. Goodnight.//

The credits for the first episode begin to play and Katsuki walks to the kitchen, grabbing a plate of cookies and bringing them back for Izuku. He holds the plate out in front of him, allowing him to take what he wants before grabbing a couple for himself and setting the rest on the table. Izuku takes a bite, his weak attempt at a smile becoming something genuine in an instant. "You never fail to amaze me," he praises.

Katsuki smirks, "There you go again, stoking the embers of my ego. Better be careful."

"Wait, should I do something to extinguish these embers?" Izuku teases.

He shrugs, "You can try. Can't promise it'll do you much good at this point."

"Hmm," Izuku hums. "I guess I could say you didn't seem like the type to be into romance anime."

A fit of laughter takes Katsuki completely. Most people make the same assumption more often than not. "It's not just a romance," he explains, his laughter settling down. "It's slice of life and supernatural too. I guess it's about time I show you my manga collection."

"So, you're a bigger softie than you appear to be?" He asks, amused.

"I guess you could say that," Katsuki reasons. "Is that surprising for you?"

Izuku shakes his head, "Not really. I could tell before I ever saw the show. The show just happened to set it in stone for me."

"Hmph," he grins. "I guess I've got to step up my hard ass game a little. Can't have too many people catching onto my soft side that easily."

"If you think so, but I'm really glad I get to see this side of you," Izuku muses.

Katsuki turns away, trying to hide the sudden blush that threatens to color his cheeks, though he's sure that the tips of his ears are going to give him away. He huffs, "You're lucky that I like you."

Izuku laughs, it's soft but genuine. "I guess I really am lucky, then."