Work Text
I’m Coming Home
The air was still, and so was the figure sat outside. They wrapped their arms around themselves and shivered, tightening their coat around them. It wasn’t made of the warmest material, but it wasn’t about the design or insulation that mattered to them; it was whom it belonged to that was important. If they focused, reminisced, they could almost smell the lingering caramel scent of their partner clinging desperately to their coat.
Izuku sighed and cast his glance towards his apartment door desolately. He watched his breath turn to soft mist and dissipate dispassionately. His heart was so full of sorrow and longing, and he had no idea what to do with himself. He shook his arm and glanced down, looking at the watch on his arm. It was 11am, and soon his partner would be finished with work. It wasn’t important, really. It gave him some small comfort to know what his partner was doing, and it made him feel better knowing that he at least had a regular schedule. A part of him wanted to skype with his partner, but he knew he shouldn’t demand all of his time.
A soft sob threatened to tear its way out of his chest but he suppressed it. His gaze was blank and his heart was constricted. Izuku’s breathing was shallow and barely there; a microcosm of himself. Here, in this foreign land, he was but a husk of himself. How did he ever believe he would flourish and grow here? He was a fool. I never should have left, he thought, I never should have followed what I thought my dreams were. This was the worst idea of his life, but it was necessary. He realised this, now; he needed to do this to grow and to figure out his life plan. Before this journey he was lost in a way he didn’t recognise, and now his life had regained purpose. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t ashamed any more to admit it.
Izuku Midoriya: pro hero, boy genius, and irrevocably in love with none other than Katsuki Bakugou, wanted a life of simple domesticity with the aforementioned man. He felt as if he were worlds apart from his lover; seven thousand miles was no short distance, after all.
He shivered again and tightened his coat around him. All of the clothes he wore were stolen, and they reminded him of his favourite person. It was bittersweet. He couldn’t quite find it in him to cast off the clothes of the one he loved, even if it did cause him more grief.
Only one more day, he reminded himself. All he had to do is get through the final day, and he would be free to love again. Tomorrow, he would board a plane and be reunited with his boyfriend. But... why was this last day the hardest to get through? He knew he should be excited, and yet he was desolate. A hand slipped into his pocket, retrieving his lighter automatically. He was on autopilot, barely functioning. He had only woken up two hours ago, yet those two hours felt like the longest of his life.
A soft hiss pierced the silence of the morning air, and a small flame flickered into being. He lit the cigarette and inhaled, wincing as his lungs burned slightly. Why does he do this to himself?
As he exhaled, he watched the smoke permeate the air. It was a terrible habit he had picked up. To cope, he told himself. The smoke curled up towards the horizon and he managed a broken smile. He glanced down at the brand morosely; the same brand Bakugou uses. The smoke clung to his clothes like his sorrow clung to his very being. He felt a tear slip down his face and did nothing to halt its path; he simply let it exist, and splash down onto the pavement below. He took a deep breath in.
One more day, Izuku. You can do this.
——————
Izuku ran a hand through his messy hair and grinned widely. He looked up at the departure board and laughed slightly. It shocked him; he hadn’t heard himself laugh in months. Although truthfully, it felt like years.
He startled as he heard the announcement over the tannoy, taking a few moments to process the heavily accented English. The boy’s soul leapt in elation as he made a beeline for the security gates. Finally, he was going to be free! He could return and know what joy was. He had missed them so much, it was a physical pain he carried with him every day.
Izuku dashed through the security gate, handing over his passport and engaging the woman behind the desk in idle chatter excitedly. His happy future was so close, he could almost taste the joy. He felt his eyes begin to water with the sheer joy but he suppressed it. The woman handed him his passport back with a bright smile and wished him a safe journey, but the words simply faded into the background. He could feel the adrenaline spike in his veins. He was going to need it, he grimly noted; thirty hours of journeying was really going to take it out of him.
He tapped his foot against the ground as he surveyed the airport curiously. It would only be a few minutes and he would be allowed on the aircraft. He could barely contain his excitement, and made the executive decision to walk steadfastly towards the boarding point. Soon, very soon, he would be leaping into the arms of his lover.
The cigarette box fell from his pocket and landed on the airport floor, crumpled and forgotten. Izuku didn’t notice, nor did he spare them a second thought. Soon, he wouldn’t need them anymore.
——————
Izuku glanced down at his watch impatiently. He was on the last leg of his journey, travelling from China to Japan. The five hour layover had been hell from start to finish. Firstly, he wasn’t able to contact his loved ones because of the internet restrictions, so he had spent the entire time plagued with guilt and worry. Worse still, he couldn’t access google or such likes, so he hadn’t been able to read the news. To say he was frantic would be an understatement.
However, he was grateful to his past self for downloading the kindle app. Somehow, this app managed to bypass the laws and he was able to read to stave off the negative feelings. He read an enchanting tale about a woman who connects with a man and they end up falling in love, getting married and having a family. The sorrow tugging at his heart prevented him from finishing it; it reminded him too much of what he didn’t have. That, and it was an awful piece of literature. The boy felt awful thinking that about a creative piece that someone had put their heart and soul in, but it was truly dreadful.
Secondly, everyone was terrifying. Izuku did his best to communicate in Chinese, but the staff were completely unwilling to engage him in conversation. They did full body scans and frisked him; it made him feel like a criminal, and reminded him that he was a foreigner. He was shaken to the core. He’d never seen such rigorous security measures before. Despite knowing it wasn’t personal, he still felt fear leak into his veins insidiously.
Although, none of that mattered now. In a matter of tens of minutes, he would land at the airport and he would be able to see the man he so desperately missed. He sighed in frustration and tried desperately to focus on the music he was listening to. The airline he was flying with has Fall Out Boy’s Mania, and he hadn’t listened to the full album yet. Admittedly it wasn’t their best album, but he was enjoying it. Well, as much as his impatience would allow him to enjoy it.
All of a sudden, the flight attendant announced that they were preparing to land. Izuku’s heart leapt erratically in his chest and it was almost as if his world burst into technicolour. The plane was landing! He could feel it, quite literally. His head felt as if it would split in two from the change in pressure but couldn’t care less. Izuku plastered his face against the window eagerly and watched as they dropped below the clouds. Fields gave way to industrialism, small rural houses gave way to skyscrapers as Tokyo came into view. He gasped in amazement and glee.
He was finally home!
————-
As soon as he was allowed, he dashed off of the plane. The next few moments were a complete blur. He passed through security easily, grabbed his luggage and opened the door to the entry hall. His eyes scanned the foyer, his heart completely thundering in his chest. The sound of his pulse drowned out every other sound. Vaguely, he heard his name being called. The smell of a familiar caramel scent mixed with the husky scent of cigarette smoke assaulted his senses and he turned on his heel. His eyes welled with tears as he saw the visage of the man he loved the most.
“Izuku!” Bakugou seemed completely incapable of saying anything else, his eyes widened in incredulous awe.
“Kacchan!” Izuku’s voice broke in elation and he threw his arms around the taller man desperately, tears flowing freely from his closed lids. He held onto the other man as if he would disappear, tears seeping into his clothes. Bakugou said nothing, wrapping his arms around the boy tightly.
Izuku revelled in the sound of his erratic heartbeat and hitched breaths. They stood there for what felt like eternity, but even standing there forever would be too soon to let go. Izuku swore he heard his lover sniffle once or twice, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t want to break the tender moment they were sharing. Izuku felt warmth permeate his entire being as he pressed as much of himself against the other man as he could. His hands clenched around the fabric of the other’s coat almost desperately, twisting the fabric in his palms. He held him so tightly, and was held equally as tightly in return.
Soon, the tears began to ebb and gave way to joyous, elated grins. A few heartbeats later the couple released each other, choosing instead to stare lovingly at each other. Izuku had never seen Bakugou act so openly loving, or quite so soft. He cherished this moment in his heart, and vowed never to forget it. It was a reminder that love is the most powerful weapon known to man.
Bakugou held his hand out to the shorter man, who took it in earnest. They stood there for a moment, their silly grins matching one another. Bakugou squeezed his hand softly, almost incredulously; as if he couldn’t believe that Izuku was real. Izuku used his other hand and wiped away his tears, taking in a shuddering breath. Bakugou smiled softly, endearingly. All public facades were vanquished; Izuku was grateful that Bakugou was showing him just how much he loved him. Bakugou moistened his lips with his tongue and spoke in a soft, small voice, laced with love.
“Are you okay? I can’t believe you’re real.”
Izuku nodded his head eagerly and squeezed the other man’s hand. He was finally home, where he belonged. Home is where the heart is, and his heart belonged with this man. He knew in that instant that he could live anywhere, as long as this man was by his side. He vowed in that moment to never leave him for that long ever again.
“I love you, Katsuki.” His voice was hoarse from crying, and was thick with sentimentality, but he was still understandable. Bakugou looked deep into his eyes and allowed himself another small smile, barely restraining his feelings.
“I love you too, Izuku. Let’s go home.”