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XVI: Sideline Watching

Third POV

Izuku laid motionlessly on the bed.

His naked form only being covered by the soft off-white duvet sheets, subconsciously pulling it closer to his chest as he watched Katsuki emerge from the bathroom.

Billowing smoke exited the room, as Katsuki stepped out with a white towel draped low on his waist, little water droplets sliding down his toned body.

A faint blush formed on Izuku's face, finding it strange seeing Katsuki like this after a year or more.

Tad bits of guilt also washed over him when he realized he just had sex with Katsuki knowing he'd yet to break things off with his fiancée Maina Furasu.

But damn, he felt really good.

"...How's Haru?" Izuku's voice sounded in the otherwise quiet bedroom, looking at Katsuki who gave him a blank stare for a second before he shrugged.

"Put him down for a nap, he should still be asleep." Katsuki answered, drying himself before putting on his clothes, "I got a confirmation call from Todoroki about our possible suspicions."

"He and Kirishima are flying out here to figure things out."

Izuku looked away for a second, picking his phone from his nightstand to see it was getting to be late afternoon.

No new notifications, except for one text message.

From an unknown number, reading,

"It's been quite some time, Izuku. I heard you were in Japan as well and I was hoping we could talk?"

He chose not to respond just yet, watching as Katsuki slipped on his black tank top, before going to the drawer and pulling out some clothes for Izuku.

"...I want to handle this one." Izuku softly requested, observing how Katsuki's body suddenly went rigid as his head turned to look at the omega, "Shinsou, I mean."

He watched as the articles of clothing were tossed to the pillow beside them, and one by one he placed them on.

"I mean, I was the one who led him on initially, even if I didn't know the truth about why he went along with me," Izuku tried to reason with, avoiding the unsure gaze on Katsuki's face, "I'll come up with a plan, and he won't need to figure out you to Haru is here, that's my end goal."

Katsuki tapped his chin, taking a seat at the foot of the bed, "Are you already forgetting how quickly you started to cry at the news?"

"Better yet, what if he's trying to go after you and not me as we assumed?"

Izuku let out a sigh, "Well he's already texted and asked to talk." Watching how Katsuki's eyes snapped wide like saucers before creasing exponentially.

Handing over his phone, no longer caring about Katsuki knowing about what he and Shinsou talked about during their rendezvous period, he watched as the alpha's eyebrows creased with what looked to be brazen jealousy.

It then shifted to something a bit more unrecognizable.

"He's after you, for sure." Katsuki bluntly stated, turning off Izuku's phone and tossing it to him, "He doesn't know I'm here, and is in Japan same time as you and wants to talk."

"He needs to get closer to you to do what he's trying to accomplish."

"You seem so sure," Izuku hummed, looking at his bare hands, "What precisely then is he trying to do."

"He's using you to get to me." Katsuki answered solemnly, "It makes sense, he cares for his money and business, Juzo Honenuki cares about his pride, and I..."

He cast a gaze on Izuku, "I care about you and Haru."

Izuku raised his brows, about to speak when they unexpectedly heard a knock at the door.

Katsuki got up, opening it to reveal a still sleepy Haru, waddling in and with the strong desire to lay by his parent's side.

"Little stinker," Katsuki hummed, finding his heart lighten up a bit as he observed how Haru instinctually crawled to his dam and made himself comfortable beside Izuku's body, "Comfortable?"

A nod came from Haru, as his little eyes looked towards Izuku who gave him a smile and pressed little kisses to his face, adjusting the blanket so it covered his little body.

The two of them observed in silence as Haru went right back to sleep, Izuku whispered,

"A meeting, remember."

"That meeting was to protect both of you." Katsuki simpered, "I don't know if in your mind you still think I only cared for business or something along those lines, but I swear I'd give it all up if I had to for the both of you."

Izuku's eyes wandered back to Katsuki's face, noticing the calm look on it.

"I'm going to meet him," Izuku expressed, brushing his bangs back and giving Katsuki a firm look, "If he wants to see and talk to me, then he'll do so."

Despite the look of disapproval on Katsuki's face, Izuku pushed on,

"Unlike nearly two years ago, I don't plan on sitting on the sidelines, wondering and stressing myself out figuring out what's going on, and only to get tidbits of information."

He then twiddled his thumbs, finding the plans he had conjured in his mind were getting better and better, "Besides, I already need to 'apologize' to him."

"It's the perfect cover."

Katsuki eyed Izuku from bottom to top, understanding that he really couldn't try to talk him out of it despite his better judgment.

"You aren't doing it alone," Katsuki urges, "Over my dead body."

Izuku adjusted himself in bed, getting comfortable as he nodded, "Let's just wait for Kirishima and Todoroki to get here before we handle that extra stuff."

With a silent nod, Katsuki got off the bed again, wandering towards the door to get something to drink.

"And if you're headed out on me again, be sure to bring back some Katsudon," Izuku's voice sounded from under the blanket, as a small laugh erupted, "and do me a favor and make it spicy."

"I thought you hated it spicy?" Katsuki hummed out in amusement, finding this pattern of Izuku wanting spicy to be oddly familiar.

Familiarity as in when he was still with Haru.

"My tastebuds have changed since I dropped the alcohol, now I want something else to liven them up," Izuku brushed off, hoping Katsuki wasn't making any connections with his sudden hankering for spicy food, "Now, I suggest you get a move on before Haru wakes up and tries to cling onto you."

"You'll need that energy for planning."

Katsuki barked out a laugh, choosing to just let it go, and headed out of the bedroom.

Whatever Izuku wanted, he got.