Omake: Keeping Warm (Christmas Special)

The chilly December air bit at Katsumi’s cheeks as she stuffed her hands deeper into her jacket pockets. Despite her annoyance with the cold, she stayed close to Izuku as the two strolled through the snow-dusted streets near the Musutafu mall. Twinkling lights decorated the storefronts, and the faint sounds of holiday music drifted through the air. Katsumi’s grumbling broke through the festive ambiance.

“Why the hell did I agree to this? It’s freezing out here,” she muttered, her breath visible in the cold. She kicked a small pile of snow for emphasis. “Can’t sweat for shit out here.”

Izuku chuckled, casting her a sidelong glance. “I doubt you’ll need to explode anything Kacchan. It’s Christmas Eve! The decorations, the music… it’s a nice atmosphere, don’t you think?”

Katsumi huffed but didn’t disagree. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Doesn’t change the fact that my toes are going numb.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of a way to cheer her up. As they passed by the mall, something caught his eye: a small ice skating rink set up just outside, surrounded by strings of colorful lights. A few families and couples were already gliding across the ice, laughter and cheers filling the air. Izuku’s face lit up. ‘What a perfect way to get her warmed up!’

“Kacchan!” he said, pointing toward the rink. “Let’s go ice skating!”

Katsumi raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Seriously? Last time I checked, neither of us know how to skate. Unless Yagi-Sensei got you on another weird American training thing again.”

“No, no, he doesn’t.” Izuku chuckled, reminded of his girlfriend's mixed feelings about All Might’s training regime. “But isn’t that the point!” Izuku replied, grinning. “We’ll learn together. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Before she could protest, Izuku gently grabbed her arm and led her toward the rink. Katsumi groaned but followed, a small smirk tugging at her lips despite her feigned annoyance.

After renting their skates and awkwardly lacing them up, the two shuffled toward the edge of the rink. Katsumi looked down at the glistening ice with a skeptical expression.

“This is really dumb,” she muttered.

Izuku, trying to emulate his girlfriend's normal bravado, stepped onto the ice first. He immediately wobbled, his arms flailing for balance. Katsumi snorted, stepping onto the rink with slightly more grace, though her movements were stiff and cautious.

“We’ll get the hang of it,” Izuku said, trying to steady himself. “It’s all about balance.”

“Yeah, sure,” Katsumi replied dryly, taking a tentative glide forward.

Thirty minutes later, Katsumi was skating circles around Izuku, her earlier hesitation long forgotten. She moved across the ice with ease, a triumphant grin on her face as she watched her boyfriend struggle to stay upright.

“Whoa-ah!” Izuku yelped as his skates wobbled beneath him. Arms flailing, he toppled forward, landing unceremoniously on his knees. The aspiring hero had fallen on the ice more times than he cared to admit. His green scarf, damp from the snow, was proof of that.

“Balance, huh?” Katsumi teased as she gracefully skated past him, smirking. “Looks like you’re the one who needs lessons, nerd.”

“How are you this good already?” Izuku groaned, attempting to push himself back up. “I-I’m getting better! Just… need more practice.”

“I'm just that good, obviously,” Katsumi smirked before skating over to him and extending her hand. “Come on, dork. I can’t have my boyfriend looking like a total idiot out here.”

He took her hand, his cheeks red as she helped him to his feet. Once he was on his feet again, Katsumi kept a firm grip on his hand, guiding him slowly across the ice. His legs wobbled, but Katsumi steadied him, her hands firm on his arms. “You good?”

“Yeah,” he said, exhaling slowly. “Thanks, Katsumi.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, standing beside him and grabbing his hand. “Let’s see if you can keep up this time.”

With Katsumi guiding him, Izuku managed a few shaky laps around the rink. Her grip was strong and steady, and her teasing remarks, though relentless, motivated him to keep trying. Eventually, his balance improved, and he even managed to skate on his own for a few minutes.

“Not bad, nerd,” Katsumi said as they came to a stop near the edge of the rink. “You might not completely suck at this.”

Izuku grinned at her, his chest swelling with pride. “Well, I did have a really good teacher. A cute one at that.”

“Gross.” Katsumi rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips.

As they glided around the rink, Katsumi looked over at Izuku with a mischievous grin. “So, think you’re ready to let go of my hand yet? Or are you gonna cling to me forever?”

Izuku’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, and he looked at her with a soft smile. “Maybe I don’t want to let go.”

Katsumi’s eyes widened slightly, her cheeks turning rosy. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Then, her usual confidence returned, though her voice was quieter.

“Dumbass,” she muttered, looking away. But she didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she intertwined her fingers with his, a small smile tugging at her lips. For the rest of their date, the young and in-love couple let the world fade around them, sharing in one another's warmth.

The walk back to Izuku’s apartment was quiet, the kind of peaceful silence that came with a snowy night. Katsumi stuck close to Izuku, their hands brushing against each other before she grabbed his, lacing their fingers together without a word. The snow crunched beneath their boots, and Izuku glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

“Thanks for coming out tonight,” he said as they approached the apartment building. “I know the cold’s not your favorite.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Katsumi muttered, pulling her scarf up to cover her face. “Don’t make a big deal out of it, nerd. It was... fun.”

Izuku chuckled as they reached the building's entrance, but before he could unlock the door, Katsumi suddenly grabbed his jacket and pushed him against the wall. His eyes widened in surprise, but before he could ask what she was doing, her lips crashed into his.

The cold vanished in an instant, replaced by the warmth of her kiss and the electricity in the air between them. Izuku's heart raced as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Katsumi's hands gripped his scarf, keeping him anchored to her as they lost themselves in the moment.

Time seemed to blur, and Izuku wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. All he knew was the way her lips moved against his, fierce yet tender, and the way her presence overwhelmed his senses. It wasn’t until the sound of a door opening broke the spell that they pulled apart.

“Ah, Inko, thank you again for-Oh!”

Izuku froze, his eyes snapping open to see none other than his own idol, All Might, in his scrawny, civilian form, standing in the doorway to the apartment. His eyes widened at the sight of Izuku and Katsumi pressed against the wall, their faces flushed and their hair slightly tousled.

“Y-Yagi-Sensei?” Izuku stammered, still pinned to the wall by Katsumi, who looked more annoyed than embarrassed.

Yagi’s face turned red, and he coughed into his hand. “I… uh… didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just heading out.” He glanced back toward the apartment, clearly hoping to make a swift exit.

Before either Izuku or Katsumi could comment, Inko stepped out, her expression bright and cheerful. “Oh! Izuku, you’re back! And Katsumi, so lovely to see you. Did you two have a good time?”

Katsumi folded her arms, her smirk returning. “We were just fine, Mrs. Midoriya. Didn’t know you had company tonight, though.”

“Oh, yes!” Inko said, clasping her hands together. “Toshi was kind enough to stop by and help me wrap some gifts for tomorrow. He’s so good at making the bows look perfect!” She beamed at Yagi, who looked like he wanted to melt into the snow.

“Toshi… That’s… thoughtful of him,” Izuku said, glancing at Katsumi, who raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, well, I should be going now,” Yagi said quickly, stepping down the stairs. “Merry Christmas, everyone!” He gave them a hurried wave and disappeared into the night before they could say anything else.

“He’s such a kind man,” Inko said, sighing happily. “It’s so nice to have good friends during the holidays. Now, come inside, you two. It’s freezing out here!”

Izuku and Katsumi exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. They weren’t buying the “just friends” excuse for a second, but they decided to let it slide. This time. As they followed Inko into the warm apartment, Katsumi leaned closer to Izuku and whispered, “Guess we’re not the only ones with a holiday romance, huh?”

Izuku’s face turned as red as Katsumi’s scarf, but he couldn’t help smiling. “Let’s just... not tease them too much.”

“Whatever you say, nerd,” Katsumi said with a smirk, her fingers brushing against his again as they closed the door behind them, leaving the cold night and any further questions outside.

**********

AN: Howdy Howdy, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! He's a quick little fluffy Katsumi/Izuku Omake for you all taking place before the entrance exam. I hope you all enjoy!

I can't express how much it means to me to have the support you all have given me this year. Whether it's been writing Harem Hotel, Uniting the Nations with Love, or All Quirked Up, I've had a blast creating and adapting these works into something my own. Thank you all so much!

As always, thank you all for reading, and be sure to check us out on my Discord for behind-the-scenes looks at all my writing. Lastly, a special thanks to the amazing Zephyr0F8 for beta-ing this chapter and for all the folks on the Discord for being instrumental in making sure this story is as amazing as it is! Love you guys! <3