Let’s turn this Monday into a sweet one. ♥
It’s the third day of December and we hope you guys enjoy the content just as much as we do! Shoutout to @hollyandvice and @rokulinarts for the beautiful writing and art!
Have a good start into this week. ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶
Look at these dorks watching the “snow” - it’s super adoring, Roku!!
Click here to get to the art ~
Holly’s writing will make your heart squeeze! The prompt used this time was “Ice Skating.”
"You realize this is a terrible idea right?"
Deku just laughs. "Come on, Kacchan, it'll be fun!"
"My Quirk makes fire, Deku, and you really want to put me on a sheet of ice?"
"So, what, you'd rather I took Todoroki-kun?"
"No," Katsuki snaps. "If you're going, of course I'm coming with you, just. Ice skating?"
Deku smiles his best smile. "Come on. It'll be fun!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If Katsuki's being completely honest, the only reason he agreed to go ice skating is to see the look on Deku's face. The light in his eyes, the warmth in his expression, it makes the whole thing worth it.
But not quite worth it enough to agree without some griping.
"You're fuckin sure this place is safe?"
"Safe as any other rink, Kacchan. I promise."
Katsuki narrows his eyes. "That doesn't sound like you actually think it's safe."
Deku laughs. "Come on, Kacchan. Don't chicken out on me now!"
"I'm not chickening out, I just... I don't know what the big deal is about ice skating."
"It's tradition!"
"Not for us."
Deku pauses. "No, not for us. And it doesn't have to be. I just... I thought maybe, now that it's you and me, it's time for us to make our own traditions. Just for the two of us."
Katsuki's chest goes tight at that. "That's... that's why you wanted to do this?"
Deku nods, small and shy.
Well, really, what is Katsuki supposed to do with that? "Alright you damn nerd. Let's go get the damn skates."
The way Deku's face lights up is enough to quiet the worry in Katsuki's chest that this is a really, really bad idea.
It takes two tries to get him the right size skates, mostly because he refuses to accept anything less than perfection. By the time he gets his skates on, Deku's already done about half a dozen laps around the rink. Katsuki makes his way over to the entrance to the rink with as much grace as he can, wobbling like a baby fawn. Deku's waiting for him right by the door, leaning against the boards around the rink.
"You ready, Kacchan?"
"As I'll ever be," he mutters.
Deku smiles and holds a glove-covered hand out to him. Katsuki takes it.
It takes about half a lap around the rink for Katsuki to realize that he is really bad at this, two for him to realize he doesn't really care, and two more for his competitive side to kick in and give him all the motivation he needs to get damn good at this before he leaves.
Deku laughs as Katsuki tries and fails repeatedly to get around the rink without Deku's hand in his, holding him steady. "Come on, Kacchan," he says from above where Katsuki's sprawled out on the ice, "it's really okay to not be that good on the first go-round."
Katsuki glares up him. "Not in my book."
Deku's eyes are glinting with mirth and relief. "Alright. You want some pointers?"
"How the fuck did you learn to skate, anyway?"
Deku's ears go pink. "Todoroki-kun took me skating once when we were together."
Katsuki looks away. The errors of his youth are an old wound, one that's long since scarred over, but not enough that the reminders don't still sting. "I see. At the holidays?"
"No," Deku says with fondness. "In July."
Katsuki turns back to Deku. "In July?"
"Yeah. He said it was too hot and he needed to get back to his natural habitat."
Katsuki rolls his eyes. "I thought he and his old man settled their shit."
Deku shrugs. "They were still working on it back then."
"I guess that makes sense." Katsuki levers himself to his feet. "Well then?"
"Well what?"
"Are you gonna teach me how to skate, then?"
"Kacchan--"
"If this is gonna be our tradition, I have to be at least as good at it as you are."
"I...." Deku smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll teach you."
He starts out skating next to Katsuki, one arm around the small of his back, holding him upright as they skate around the rink.
"You want to push at five and seven."
"The fuck does that mean?"
"Like on a clock. When you push, don't push straight back. Push a little to the side so you get the full length of the blade." It takes a couple passes for that to become natural. "That's good. Okay, now bend your knees a little bit, but keep your head level as you skate. If you bob up and down, you're wasting a lot of energy. Use your thighs to move you forward, still pushing at five and seven."
By the time Katsuki's gotten that down, it's gone dark around them. Katsuki doesn't know when they put the lights on and when the stars started appearing in the sky. He's been too focused on Deku's instructions and the ease and focus that comes from learning something new. When he gets used to keeping his head level, Katsuki looks up at Deku, ready for the next instruction. Deku's eyes are glinting in the Christmas lights strung up around them, red and white reflecting in his green eyes. Katsuki's breath stills in his chest.
"Kacchan?" Deku asks.
"I love you."
Deku's step stutters slightly at Katsuki's words. "What?"
"I love you."
"No, I heard you the first time, I just... why now?"
Katsuki shrugs and looks away. "It's the holidays. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Remind you how much I love you?"
Deku laughs, shaking his head. "You will never cease to amaze me, Kacchan. You really are a wonder."
Katsuki fels the flush rise up his neck. "Is that a good thing?"
Deku grabs him by the wrist, slowing him down and reeling him in, almost sending them both toppling to the ice. "The best, Kacchan. You're the best."
Katsuki smiles, leaning his forehead against Deku's. "Yeah?"
Deku nods. "Uh huh."
Katsuki tips his head up the tiniest bit that he needs to in order to press his lips to Deku's. "Good." He pulls back, a smile on his lips. "That's all I needed to hear."
- Mod Neko
