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Originally, Katsuki had only applied to the advert for a flatmate because he wasn't home enough to justify paying rent for an entire apartment that was barely ever used.
It was in a nice part of town, close enough to downtown to reach it in no time flat for emergencies, but far enough that it didn't feel like he lived at his agency. Which, for a while, he had considered doing.
Eijiro had argued with him about it until he threatened to go to Hawks. Eventually Katsuki gave in.
He had also offered to have Katsuki move into his place, but they had lived in the same dorms for years - and if he had to pick up after his best friend's mess one more time, he was liable for murder.And so, there he was, at the door of his…new apartment. Fifth floor, high enough that he could land safely, he noted. Always thinking of emergencies, even now. Especially now - new routes to memorize, new doors to look behind, new people to avoid. He was getting a headache just thinking about it.Knuckles had barely met door before it swung open, big eyes and your welcoming smile suddenly taking up his entire view."Morning!"Oh god no. During his back and forth with his soon to be flatmate, he did not get the impression that you were this…chipper.
The cringe must have made it onto his face, judging by your laughter."Nah don't worry dude, I won't be in your way much - but I am shit at waiting and had to at least welcome you, since we're going to be living together." You waved their hand as if brushing away the issue. "I'm gunna get some coffee or something while you get your shit in place. An extra body will just get in the way and there's no way in hell I'm moving boxes for you!"
Without waiting for a response, you folded his fingers around the key you had shoved into his hand and squeezed past him and into the hall.
"If you want me to bring anything back for you or the movers let me know! Text me when you're done and I'm welcome back into my own home!" With one last grin you were off, swinging into the stairwell and out of his view.Well. That had gone better than planned. Maybe this will actually work, he thought. That'd be nice, for a change. Being around someone who wasn't fucking annoying as hell.In the days and weeks and months following, the two of you had gotten used to each other. Katsuki got used to having a roommate that would cackle as they played video games and you got used to a roommate that yelled everytime he got a phone call. He'd say it was even.You almost always ate that shitty microwave crap, so Katsuki had taken to making extra portions when he cooked. It wasn't always - he didn't have nearly enough time to make every meal. He barely had time to make one, and not even daily. But every once in a while there would be an extra container in the fridge.
In thanks, You had taken to learning his favorite coffee order, and bringing it back after your Saturday "Treat Trip" as you called it. You laughed once you realized he didn't actually drink coffee "as black as his soul", but typed his cafe mocha order into the notes app on your phone so that you could remember it.You even interacted in person, from time to time. When he invited his friends over, you were there, friendly and bright with laughter as a foil for his frankly shit hosting skills. Never once did you fawn over his friends as pro heroes, just normal - rowdy - guests. More than once you had popped your head out of your bedroom door to shout at them to be quiet before they got another noise complaint. As if shouting wasn't also loud as hell.Then one night, things tilted.It was late, but not late enough that you were already tucked away in bed like he had hoped. As he unlocked and shouldered open the door, he winced - both at the pain in his arm and the bright lights of the apartment."Welcome ba-KAT! Holy shit!"Katsuki winced at that too. God you were loud as fuck.In seconds you were in his face, turning it this way and that, eyeing the bruises and scratches covering him from top to toe."Jesus man, you good? Should I get ice?""Whiskey""I am not serving you a drink, I am not your maid." You scowled"You're not my nurse either" he grumbled as he brushed you aside."Maybe I'm just appreciating the work of whoever got to give you a black eye before I did" you countered."Whatever."He really, really didn't have the energy for someone buzzing around him, fretting and trying to tend to him, and so he simply collapsed on the couch, thankful that the TV was already on, playing some god awful horror movie you so enjoyed.He heard a door creak - presumably the bathroom as the medkit was retrieved, and he groaned. He really wasn't up for a nursemaid.Instead, there was a heavy plop beside him as you made yourself comfortable on the couch to continue your movie. A pack of bandaids and an ice pack were placed on the coffee table, but there was no added commentary.The "let me know if you need help" went unsaid.It was nice, being around someone who wasn't annoying as hell.After that, late shifts changed.You were always up when he got home. You'd greet him with a wave and a smile, and then go back to whatever you were doing for the cursory amount of time to make it not obvious you were waiting up for him.(It was obvious.)Eventually he had to call you out."You don't gotta stay up," he groused.You shrugged. "I don't mind, and I'd rather know you got back safe."He sighed as if the task was his to shoulder, not yours - waiting up until god knows when, each shift running hours, often running later than expected. Villains loved their nighttime getaways. Fucking ingrates."You got a normal-ass job" he pointed out, "with normal-ass hours. Staying up til fuck knows when is gunna get you fired for sleepin on the job."You could only shrug again. "Yeah, I know.""The fuck you doin it for then?!" he argued."Dude", your flat expression perfectly matched the unimpressed tone of your voice. "You can't expect me to not worry you got home in one piece after you got back looking like a truck ran you over and then went in reverse to do it again. We may not be besties but unfortunately I do give a shit."You stuck your tongue out at him, like a fucking child, for emphasis."Gotta make sure rent gets paid." you tacked on."Fuck - whatever. Fine. Go the fuck to bed. I'll fucking go wake you up when I get back so you know I didn't die overnight."You blinked, completely blindsided by the offer."Are you su-""Yes" he complained. "Now Go. The Fuck. To Sleep."With your hands raised in surrender, you trudged your way to your room, slippered feet sliding across the wood floors as you shuffled to bed.It became his new routine. Late shifts he would trudge home, thankful there was an elevator to avoid the five-floor walkup. He'd shoulder the front door open, kick off his sneakers, drop his work bag on the couch and nudge your bedroom door open.He was sort of amazed at how quiet you were when you were sleeping. You were always so noisy, vibrant. A running commentary of sarcastic comebacks and amused cackles. But asleep, you didn't even so much as snore.A little drool, though.Every late shift, he would kick your mattress gently, rousing you. It felt strange to touch you like this, cozy and tucked in, so he just didn't."Welc'm back" you'd slur out, eyes barely open and a yawn stuck in your throat. Honestly you were so far into dreamland that he doubted you even realized why you were woken up, and simply greeted him out of habit. But the morning after you would smile at him in thanks, a genuine softness before sarcasm and jokes would bury it below.It was his new normal, and it was…nice. Actually. He got to avoid all the worry and noise if he came back in a less than plus ultra state, but he still..had someone to welcome him back. He was surprised at how warm his chest started to feel after the first few sleepy greetings.But nothing stays the same. It had been two years now of the two of you sharing an apartment. A year or so of sleepy 'welcome back's.When he got home that night, shoving his sneakers off with his toe and hanging up his winter jacket, he did a cursory glance around the room. Not even being at home would break him out of the habit of looking for threats. Your door was closed.
That was new.If Katsuki wasn't home by the time you went to bed, you always left your bedroom door ajar so that he could come in without the door creaking. It was part of the routine. You liked routine. He liked routine. This was not routine.Immediately he was laser focused. Did a villain find out where he lived? Did they have you tied up in the room to threaten him with? Was his roommate suddenly a hostage?In seconds he was across the living room, inches from your bedroom door, listening hard. For once he was annoyed you didn't snore, since it meant he couldn't hear that you were safely asleep.He did hear sniffling - like you, or whoever was in there, had been crying.His nails dug into his palms as he shoved down the desire to ask if you were ok. If there really was a threat, he needed to know what he was walking into before it put you in the crosshairs.But besides the sniffling, it was silent. Not a peep of other voices, or the shifting of movement. Eventually his adrenaline drained from his veins as he came to the conclusion that you were alone. Alone, but upset.Shit - what now? Did he just…knock, and tell you he was home? Did he ask if you were ok? Did he want to?Eventually his own indecision irritated him enough that he just moved. He rapped the back of his knuckles gently on your door, saying nothing.His usual "welcome home" didn't sound anything like he was used to. What he had come to look forward to.You sounded…flat. No emotion to your voice at all - none of the sleepy affectionate mumbling or bright welcomes that were recognizable to him.He stayed at the door, completely off-kilter."You can leave, Katsuki" the same lifeless voice muttered out after a few moments. He supposed you could see his feet from the crack at the bottom of the door.
You sounded exhausted. Not sleepy, or tired, but exhausted. Like you had been worn down to the bone."'M coming in," he muttered as he opened the door.He had…never seen this before.You were sitting on the floor, back leaning against your bed as you stared at the wall - eyes tired and red and utterly...expressionless. You didn't even glance at him as he walked into the darkened space of your bedroom.He had seen this sort of thing before, of course, from other pros after a loss they could have prevented, on civilians before realizing help was coming, but never on you. It didn't even look like you, and he had the wild thought that perhaps there was a villain here after all, a half-baked shapeshifter that only vaguely looked like you.You didn't acknowledge him in any way as he stood there, completely at a loss. It was like he didn't exist. He badly wished he could text Eijiro, ask him what to do. The redhead was always the emotionally intelligent one - not that Katsuki was hard to beat in that category. So instead, he did what you had done, those months ago.He stepped further into your darkened room and picked up the glass of water you kept on your bedside table. With it in hand, he settled onto the floor next to you, placing the water at his side within your reach.The "let me know if I can help" went unsaid.The two of you sat there in silence, Katsuki counting time in the one-twos of your inhales and exhales between sniffles."I had a nightmare" you croaked. The sound wasn't enough to startle him, but he twitched despite himself. He stayed silent, encouraging you to say, or not say, whatever you needed to."Not a nightmare, really" you amended. "A memory. A bad one." You struggled to swallow around the ball of emotion in your throat and he silently offered you the glass of water. You took it gratefully, looking at him for the first time of the night. It was like you could barely recognize him, still halfway in whatever memory had cornered you into a ball on the floor at god knows what time of night."I moved here in a rush" you continued. Katsuki didn't think you were talking to him, really. Just…talking. But that was fine. He'd listen."I pretty much ran, honestly. I was lucky to find such a nice apartment with such short notice."You ran out of words, silently continuing to stare at the wall. He didn't understand what you were telling him, a story left unfinished. But he was fine to leave it there. If you wanted to tell him, he'd be there, but he wasn't going to push, especially when you were more zombie than person at the moment."You're home now" he said instead. Once again you looked at him, a little more clarity in your eyes."So are you." you responded in wonderment, as if you were only just now waking from your bad dream. "Welcome home, Kat". Your greeting was exhausted,your body long since out of energy, but the weak, embarrassed smile you gave him felt like a warm blanket."Welcome home to you too, dumbass."