Chapter 1
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Chapter Text
Izuku gave Katsuki another odd look after he leaned on him, not noticing the kiss in his hair. "You sure you're okay?" He paused just in front of the steps to his house to look at Katsuki. "You've been acting kinda off since we left the arcade."
Katsuki couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped in his tracks, pulling Izuku around to face him. “You really want to know what I was mumbling before?” He asked, not quite as aggressive as usual, his gaze intently focused on Izuku’s. He really hoped this wouldn’t ruin their friendship, but he also didn’t want to get his hopes up. He let go of Izuku long enough to pop the nervous sweat off of his hands.
He returned one hand to Izuku’s shoulder and placed the other on the back of his head, before pulling him into a very deliberate kiss.
Izuku's eyes went wide as he made a surprised noise, freezing once again from it. His plushies fell to the ground and as soon as Katsuki broke from the kiss Izuku's breathing picked up and he started stammering nonsense noises. A few of the noises started sounding like Katsuki's name as Izuku started tearing up.
He had just… kissed him. Intentionally. Did he really like him that way too? It was too good to be true. And he hadn't told him about their being soulmates yet. How was he going to handle that? Izuku didn't know what to do .
Katsuki pulled back from the kiss, and pinched Izuku’s side again to reboot him faster, not wanting to wait in case it was a rejection. He moved his hand from the back of his head to cup his cheek. “Izuku. Breathe. In for three, hold, out for three.”
" K-Kacchan! Not again!" Izuku yelped after getting pinched. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe and calm down. But even once he'd done that he couldn't get his words to cooperate with him. Why did his body have to react that way to kissing. He bit his lip looking Katsuki in the eyes, knowing he must be looking for some sort of reaction one way or another to see if he reciprocated. Which, he most definitely did.
He groaned in frustration of himself before deciding he wanted to kiss him at least once without freezing before he made him mad that he hadn't told him about them being soulmates. So, Izuku copied what Katsuki had just done and clumsily pulled Katsuki in for another kiss. This time not freezing from it so he could actually participate.
Katsuki blushed brightly when Izuku kissed him back, but thankfully didn’t freeze, instead returning the kiss. It felt right to be standing here with Izuku like this. Katsuki wasn’t sure why it felt like that, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was how they were meant to be. Far be it from him to argue with a feeling like that, especially when Izuku kissed him back .
When Izuku pulled away his face was bright red and he smiled up at him before it turned into something sadder. "K-Kacchan… I need to tell you s-something." He looked away at the ground, "It's… er… well… I um… we…" Izuku held onto Katsuki, growing more and more frustrated with himself the more filler words he put out. Why couldn't he just say it.
Katsuki blinked, leaning down to pick up the dropped plushies, but otherwise waiting, uncharacteristically patiently, for Izuku to speak. “Come on, ‘Zuku. Spit it out already. If it’s you wanting to say you like me or something, I think we already established that.”
"N-No it's… well I do but that's- It's..." Izuku groaned in frustration at himself again. And for once his palms becoming sweaty with nitroglycerin from it was actually useful. He backed away from Katsuki a good distance, just in case - since he didn't have a good handle on this particular quirk yet - before lifting his hands up. His breathing picked up from the fear of not knowing how Katsuki would react as he screwed his eyes shut and let his palms spark off, making tiny explosions like firecrackers right in his hands.
If nothing else, Katsuki definitely recognized his own quirk. He stared at Izuku for a long moment, before taking a few steps forward pulling Izuku into a tight hug. “I told you whoever it was would accept you.” He whispered into Izuku’s ear, before kissing his cheek lightly. “We’ll have to work on your control of it, obviously, and I’ll teach you how to handle it safely and get it out of your clothes either tonight or tomorrow after school, since it’s a bit late.”
Izuku stammered for a few moments before he got choked up and started sobbing into Katsuki's chest for the second time that day, muttering apologies for taking so long all the while. His palms stopped sparking quickly, thankfully. So Izuku was able to reciprocate the hug and hold him close.
Now it made sense why being close with Izuku felt so normal, so right .
They were soulmates.
Katsuki used to be sure that he didn’t need fate to tell him who to love. He still didn’t, but it was nice to have occasional confirmation that, by some nonhuman metric, he was right. He said the same to Izuku. “ I still say I don’t need something stupid like fate telling me who I’m going to be with, but if it’s what kept us as friends, I’m glad for it. If just because we’ve finally gotten to this point.”
He smirked when he finally let Izuku go. “I guess that explains why I didn’t like your friend. He has a crush on you, and even fate says you’re supposed to be with me, not him.”
Izuku genuinely smiled at Katsuki brightly despite the tears in his eyes before freezing again and looking at Katsuki in surprise, "Wait. What?! You're joking right?" Izuku scanned his face trying to look for any hint that he was joking around. "Oakamura wouldn't… Nobody would… Why… That doesn't make any sense. "
Katsuki snorted at his friend's obliviousness. “Of course you didn’t notice. I didn’t figure it out until the arcade. Oakamura has a huge crush on you. Like, it’s almost embarrassing how obvious he is about it. He even asked me what our relationship was when you ran off to the bathroom.” Katsuki snorted. “Why do you think he left so fast when I kissed you accidentally? He was jealous.”
Izuku put his face in his hands, "I'm so stupid . I've probably made him feel so bad having to skip out on hangouts with him!" He mumbled, "I'm going to have to apologize now. I don't really like him like that... Well…" Izuku started rambling, "I did for like a week. He is kinda cute. But… not anymore. I didn't think anyone would ever have a crush on me. Why didn't he say anything!? Though I guess he'd feel as awkward as I would trying to say it. Agh!"
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh, kissing Izuku to stop his ranting. “I think all those outings were him trying to tell you. Did he ever mention anyone else, or was it always just you and him?” He asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer. “If it was just you two, he was probably asking you on dates. He just never realized that you need things spelled out for you.” Katsuki pinched his side again to reboot him if he needed it. “His loss.” He wrapped his arms around Izuku’s waist, pulling him close. “I’m definitely never letting you go now.”
Izuku froze again from the kiss, and was quickly realizing that was just a thing with him apparently. Something Katsuki would use against him on plenty of occasions in the future he was sure.
As soon as he rebooted he yelped out Katsuki's name again before pouting at him, "That hurts. Stop that." He put his forehead on Katsuki's chest. "He totally was asking me out wasn't he. He never mentioned anyone else coming, I just assumed." Izuku blushed again looking up at Katsuki, "I- I- never want to let you go either Kacchan."
Katsuki snickered. “Well, how else do you suggest I reboot you?” He paused for a moment. “I suppose I could always pinch here,” he offered, sneaking a quick squeeze to Izuku’s butt to demonstrate where he meant. He was sure Izuku would like that even less, but the squeak he predicted it would produce would be interesting.
Just as Katsuki predicted Izuku squeaked, though what he couldn't have predicted was Izuku shoving away from him quickly as the left side of his face lit on fire. " Kacchan!" Izuku whined, his face still bright red from his blushing, "You can't just do that!" He quickly tried to pat his face out, thoroughly embarrassed both from Katsuki touching him like that and the fact that he had that reaction.
Katsuki blinked at that response, before bursting out laughing. "A fire quirk, huh?" He laughed, then tried to call on it himself, surprised when ice formed over the back of his right hand instead. "Ice? I wonder if it's a dual quirk? That would be interesting."
Katsuki's laughter caused Izuku to laugh as well, it was kind of funny he literally burst into flames from what Katsuki did. Izuku nodded in response, "It is. When you use it… er… well here I'll just show you." He closed his eyes and focused on using both halves at once to a small degree causing his body to literally steam from the two different temperatures hitting each other. He opened his eyes, "Fire from the left, ice from the right. It's really cool honestly." Izuku snorted at his unintended joke, "No pun intended."
"I'm better at the fire. Though… not in huge amounts, I haven't been able to practice that…" Izuku was starting to smile and talk faster as he got excited trying to explain the quirk now that Katsuki knew. "But I've been able to fine tune the small amount a lot. Here look!" He summoned a small ball of flame in his hand sticking his tongue out in concentration. As he brought his hand up it swirled around his arm before returning to his palm, now looking similar to Calcifer as he made it peek over his fingers for a moment before reeling back and jumping towards Katsuki, snuffing itself out before it reached him.
Katsuki watched Izuku's trick, looking amazed. He's kinda glad it didn't reach him, it'd probably set off a few fireworks. "I think I might like the ice better. Cold nitroglycerin makes bigger explosions than room temperature, or even heated. Though we'll both have to find somewhere relatively safe to practice. There's an old quarry not too far from here. It's where I practice with my quirk. I found it when I was exploring, on one of the days you couldn't make it out. Nothing to hurt there but rocks. You should start coming out with me in the morning. Get some practice in."
"O-oh, really? Uhm…" Izuku bit his lip and thought for a moment before responding, "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." He let out a breath and looked Katsuki in the eye as he got closer again. "S-So… just to clarify. Um… you're… not mad at me?" Izuku fidgeted with his hands a bit, "W-where do we go from here?"
Katsuki let out a slow breath. “I'm not ...not mad. I know you've known for a lot longer than this, but… I can understand why you didn't. I don't like it, but I get it." He fixed Izuku with a stern look. "No more hiding."
He paused to consider the next question. "Well, I guess we should start with actually dating. So, Midoriya Izuku, will you be my actual boyfriend?" He asked, smiling.
Izuku let the tension he didn't know he had in his shoulders drop. A tension that had been there for a long time at that point. He gave Katsuki a small nod, "No more hiding."
He grinned back at Katsuki, tearing up just a bit. "I would love to be your boyfriend, Bakugou Katsuki." Izuku giggled with happiness quietly as he pulled Katsuki in for another hug. He leaned up and kissed Katsuki on the cheek before putting his head on Katsuki's shoulder, smiling wider than he may have in his entire life.
Giggling quietly again he whispered, "This is going to be fun explaining to my mom. She thought I just had the one soulmate too." Izuku squeezed him gently, "I can't say she'll be surprised though. I think she's known I was going to be your soulmate since we were kids."
Katsuki hugged him back, burying his face in the crook of Izuku’s neck for a minute. He brought his head back up when Izuku kissed his cheek, turning his head to return the gesture.
“Honestly, I think Dad thought the same thing. Supposedly, you’re automatically drawn towards your soulmate, and our moms didn’t exactly force us to hang out as kids. Dad used to tell me he was surprised by how quickly we clicked. Apparently our moms didn’t even become friends that fast.”
Izuku hummed in response, "We guessed it too though. I don't know if you remember it… but uhm..." He started blushing when the memory popped into his head, "You kind of proposed to me? And said we'd be soulmates and get married when we got older. Neither of us really knew what that meant obviously but…" Izuku nuzzled closer to him, "I did keep the ring."
Katsuki blinked, thinking back for a moment before the memory came to him. “I...I’d almost forgotten that. We found that small clearing in the woods. I begged Dad for weeks to buy that ugly, gaudy thing because it had green and it had to have green in it, for whatever reason. You really still have it?” He snorted. “I’ll have to get you a better one, then. If we’re going to be married someday, you’ll need a ring that doesn’t make people cringe just looking at it.”
Izuku fake gasped, "You thought I'd throw away my engagement ring? Who do you take me for?" He laughed again, "It's been in a little ring box in my desk drawer since it got too small for me to wear. And I don't cringe looking at it. It's not that ugly." He hummed, "I'd like that though. I'll have to get you one then too."
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh at Izuku’s dramatics. “You might not find it ugly, but you also have no fashion sense, mister-I-wear-shirts-that-say-shirt. I’m sorry, but it’s true. We’ll have to go ring shopping together at some point.” He pulled back enough to kiss Izuku on the nose, his mind wandering to how on earth he was going to get enough money to buy a ring. He pushed the thought from his mind. There had to be somewhere hiring middle schoolers, right? He’d find it.
Izuku scrunched up his nose, smiling at Katsuki and sticking his tongue out, "I'll have you know those shirts are popular in the US." He smiled genuinely, "We will. It'll probably be a while before we have enough money to get there, but we will." Izuku quietly mumbled something into Katsuki's shoulder before pulling away a bit, "We should… probably head inside yeah? Instead of just standing out here kissing each other." He hummed, "How… do we want to tell my mom?"
Katsuki hummed, refocusing on the present. “Aunty Inko will probably know the second we walk through that door. If she doesn’t bring it up, just tell her you told me?” He shrugged, before leading them towards the door. “It’s not like she’ll disapprove or something.”
Izuku nodded slightly, "Yeah… you're right. I just feel like I'm dumping a lot on her at once now I guess." He took a breath and unlocked the door, rapping on the frame to announce his presence as he called out holding Katsuki's hand with his other hand, "Mom, I'm home. Kacchan is with me."
There were a few noises from the kitchen - Inko must have been starting dinner - before she popped her head out to see him, "Welcome back Izu! Did you have a fun first…" She apparently noticed the arm brace because she stepped out of the kitchen and came to look at him, "Oh dear… What happened?! Are you alright?" She paused looking between them for a moment, her eyes catching on them holding hands before looking up at Izuku with an odd look. She apparently noticed something had changed with them. Even just from the way they were holding hands.
Katsuki stepped in, offering Inko an excuse for Izuku’s injury that left out the fact that Izuku was alone when it happened, especially given his suspicions about it. He offered to help with dinner, up to and including running to the store to get more to make up for the unexpected addition.
After dinner, he went up to where the spare bedding was, but hesitated. He knew they’d end up snuggled together at some point, but did they want to make it official from the start and have him just grab an extra pillow?
Izuku was currently taking to following Katsuki around like a duckling, unsure of what he wanted to do at that moment. Sleeping would be good, but he wasn't sure if he wanted that just yet. So, Izuku saw the hesitation from Katsuki to grab the spare bedding.
He walked up behind him and put his head on Katsuki's shoulder, only going up on his tip toes slightly to do it. "Something wrong, Kacchan?"
Katsuki looked over his shoulder, and hummed noncommittally. “Just thinking.” He finally just grabbed the spare pillow and closed the closet. “We’re going to end up curled up together anyway. Might as well just start out that way.” He said simply. “Got something for you, by the way.” He grabbed the notebook, and his rabbit plush from his bag, tossing them both onto Izuku’s bed. He changed into a comfortable shirt to sleep in, hoping Izuku would assume he wasn’t planning to sleep right away.
"That makes sense." Izuku agreed. When Katsuki threw the new notebook onto the bed Izuku went over to it and held onto it with tears in his eyes. "Y-you got me a new… Th-thank you Kacchan. You didn't have to do that." He went over and placed it on his desk for the morning, and took his loose notes out of his bag to place with it. He wasn't planning on bringing it to school again anytime soon.
Once Katsuki had changed and Izuku turned around to look at him he frowned, "Kacchan. You didn't take your binder off. Even if we're not going to bed yet, you've been wearing it all day. You need to take it off before you accidentally fall asleep in it."
Katsuki gave him a blank look. “What, do you really think I’d forget?” He wouldn’t, it’d be entirely purposeful if he fell asleep in it, but Izuku didn’t need to know that.
He doubted getting defensive like this would throw Izuku off for long, but it was worth a try. He sat on the futon, arranging the blankets into a comfortable nest for the pair of them, picking the thinnest one to go on top since he ran hot. He was very aware he was being stupidly spiteful right now, but he was willing to try at least once if it let him sleep without waking up with a dysphoria-induced punch to the gut.
Izuku pouted, " Kacchan. Please? It hurts you when you do that." He went over and wrapped his arms around Katsuki and placed a kiss on the back of his neck without thinking about it.
Right as Inko came in the room to say goodnight.
"Goodnight b-" Inko started before freezing seeing Izuku kiss Katsuki on his neck. "Um…"
Izuku's eyes went wide hearing his mother come in the room as he turned to face her, now blushing from embarrassment, "Uh… H-hi… mom. G-goodnight."
"... I'm going to assume this is a new thing?" Inko asked.
Katsuki blushed bright red, the blush spreading down the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh. Just today, actually.” He admitted. He had no problem with the show of affection, but he was suddenly nervous about how she would react.
“Alright then. Goodnight. Be safe, boys.” She remarked, turning to leave.
“Goodnight Aunty Inko.” Katsuki practically squeaked, his voice breaking.
As soon as Inko closed the door Izuku put his face in his hands and let out a muffled scream. "I can't believe she just caught me red handed like that." He dragged his hands down his face, "She's never going to let me forget this. Heck, she's probably going to text Dad about it right now." He put his head up against Katsuki again, "Kill me now. Put me out of my misery."
Katsuki cackled, falling face first into one of the pillows. “Isn’t that what moms are supposed to do? Embarrass the shit out of their kids?” He asked between bouts of laughter. His mother certainly did, though not in quite the harmless teasing way Aunty did.
He sat back up slowly, leaning in to sneak a kiss from Izuku. “At least it was just a kiss and not something worse?”
Izuku froze from the kiss again, but managed to reboot on his own quicker this time. " What could be worse than-" He blinked, before turning beet red and smacking Katsuki on the arm, "Kacchan oh my god! No! We just started middle school. We're not even in high school yet!" Izuku was getting extremely flustered now and gently shoved Katsuki, "Get out of your binder, I want to go to sleep and forget this ever happened thank you very much. "
That sent Katsuki into a renewed bout of laughter. “Gross, ‘Zuku! Now who’s got the dirty mind?!” He teased, trying and failing to catch his breath. “You freeze up at a kiss, what the hell could you possibly manage beyond that without imploding?” All things considered, he’s shocked that Aunty Inko is so lax. He suspected it might be different if they were actually trying something, but she was probably teasing them as much as she was serious.
"You're the one who brought it up you jerk!" Izuku said smiling slightly and trying not to join in on the laughing fit. "And you're right I probably couldn't so let's move on. " He got up quickly to go grab his sleep clothes, waiting for Katsuki not to look before changing so he wouldn't see his scars.
Katsuki blinked, unsure what Izuku had to hide, but obligingly looking away so Izuku could change. He curled up under the blanket, closing his eyes and debating on pretending to have fallen asleep that quickly. It was worth a try, he supposed, forcing his breathing to even out like it might if he were asleep.
Izuku quickly got changed once Katsuki looked away, making sure he didn't look back over until his shoulders and thighs were covered before coming back over to Katsuki and poking him, "Nuh uh. Binder off. Then we can both sleep."
Katsuki pretended to be asleep for a little bit longer, but finally sighed and gave up, taking off his binder before throwing it over by his bag in irritation. “There. Happy?” He grumped, before laying back down.
"Very." Izuku replied with a smile before going over to click off the light. He then crawled up carefully into the bed to snuggle under the covers with Katsuki. "G'Night, Kacchan." Izuku placed a kiss on Katsuki's cheek before closing his eyes so he could sleep.
Katsuki grumbled, wrapping an arm around Izuku, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling for a while after Izuku had fallen asleep. He did a lot of shit he never thought he’d do when it came to Izuku. He couldn’t say he regretted it, though. Eventually he drifted off, helped by Izuku’s even breathing.
//////////
Izuku ended up having the most restful sleep of his life that night. The stress and anxiety of not telling Katsuki was gone, and Katsuki was at his side curled up with him. In that moment he had nothing to worry about. He even dreamt that night, and not nightmares. Actual dreams that would make sense during it, but were completely ridiculous once he thought about it upon waking. If he remembered at all. Katsuki was a recurring person in his dreams that night, never far from his side. Even when he was out of sight, Izuku knew he was there.
Katsuki had… a much less restful sleep. The recurring theme of his dreams was being just a little too far away from Izuku to reach him, only something unseen kept dragging one or both of them away. He jolted awake a few times, and had to remind himself each time that Izuku was safe, and tucked into his arms, and no one was going to change that, before he could go back to sleep.
Eventually, though Katsuki's jolting awake didn't wake Izuku, the subtle twitching from yet another nightmare did. He didn't know what was causing his distress, but he snuggled up closer and made quiet shushing noises nonetheless whilst running his fingers through Katsuki's hair. It was softer than he expected. "Hey, shh shh shh. Kacchan, it's just a dream. It's okay." He whispered. "You're safe. We're safe. It's okay. Shh."
Katsuki didn’t wake up to Izuku’s soothing, but it changed the course of that particular dream he was having. In it, he was able to escape the unseen thing, reach Izuku and protect him from it. In his sleep, Katsuki curled closer to Izuku, holding him tighter. Having him there calmed Katsuki down enough for the nightmare to go away, at least for a little while. He was able to spend most of the rest of the night sleeping peacefully.
Once Katsuki relaxed, Izuku nuzzled back into his neck and dozed back off. Not awakening until either the sun woke him, or Katsuki did, or both. If it wasn't for them having class that day Izuku would have slept through it all just to stay with Katsuki and cuddle. Unfortunately, they did however, so he couldn't do that. It wouldn't stop him from acting like a duckling and following Katsuki when they woke up until he got his morning cuddle quota filled though.
//////////////
Katsuki woke up at 5, like he usually did, though he spent a few minutes curled up with Izuku, just enjoying the quiet morning. It’d be the first of many if he had anything to say about it. Eventually though, they had to get up. Katsuki kissed Izuku on the cheek to try to wake him. “It’s morning. Time to wake up.”
Izuku grumbled and pulled Katsuki somehow even closer, peeking an eye open at him, "'S too early. I don't wanna get up yet." He replied before kissing Katsuki back sleepily on his jaw, not really paying attention to where he actually went for. "G'morning though, Kacchan."
Katsuki grinned, curling around Izuku more. “Good morning.” He kissed the top of Izuku’s head. “The sooner we head out to the quarry, the more practice we can get in.” He pointed out. “Gotta start drilling those good habits into your skull early, and keep practicing. You’re getting a bit of a late start, so we’ve got to make up for that.”
"Oh. Right. That." Izuku pulled a hand up to rub at his eyes with a yawn, "'M not starting that late. You're just nuts and started super early. Most kids don't start really training their own quirks until now. Up until our age it's usually just…" His eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he jolted and kept himself from falling back to sleep. "Just to keep them in check. Practical uses and testing and training of them starts around the first year of middle school on average."
Izuku blinked as something clicked in his head. "Oh. That's why she was agitated. She'd never used her quirk in a subtle way like that before and was probably having trouble doing it. Especially in that condensed area." He mumbled, "Also explains the subtle heat fluctuations as she tried to heat up more without causing flames when I didn't show a reaction from getting burned. Or the heat affecting me at all since I was using the cold half of the dual quirk..." His arm reached over automatically towards his desk to grab a notebook to write the information down on, but was perturbed to find he couldn't reach it or a pen in their current position. Which put him in a difficult position since he didn't particularly want to separate from Katsuki, but he wanted to take down his notes.
Katsuki snorted. “Yeah, but how many of them are actually getting into UA, if they’re not seriously learning to use and control their quirk before they’re told to? Be honest.” He cupped Izuku’s chin and tipped it up to kiss his nose. “One thing I learned early is that nothing I want is going to be handed to me. Yeah, people will praise my quirk, because it’s a strong physical one, but if I don’t know how to control it, I’m more likely to hurt someone with it that I’m not intending to. Same with you now that you have access to it, and the dual fire and ice quirk we can access. That could easily hurt someone, or we could hurt ourselves, if we don’t have control over them. Control is earned. It’s not just going to be handed to us. So yes, I started early, but for a damn good reason. And I’m not about to let you slack off either.”
He let Izuku go so he could go get his notebook and take notes. “Another reason for you to learn control. She’s in a different seat for one class of six. The other five, she can still try to hurt you. But she can’t if you have better control of your quirks and can protect yourself with them.”
"That's… a fair point." Izuku admitted as he sat up and grabbed his new notebook and a pen and started to write. It still would look like gibberish to anyone else, but Izuku could read it just fine and that's all that really mattered.
He settled back against Katsuki now that it was in his hands. "I learned control over them out of necessity, though my habits probably wouldn't be considered healthy . I still learned some control. So that makes sense. It's just another, healthier way I have to learn now that doesn't hurt…" Izuku paused in his writing to tap his pen on his lip looking up into the air absently like he was reading something before scribbling down more notes. He was a little more neat and careful with it than with his loose notes but he always was. He could read his code later, but if he scribbled too quick and made spelling mistakes or anything like that it'd bug him for eternity, and he hated scribbling out words just as much.
Absently he rubbed at his nose where Katsuki had kissed gently. Muttering quietly to himself, "Kissing feels nice…" He shook his head for a moment and went back to finishing his notes in that notebook as something else occurred to him. That required a different notebook though. As soon as that thought was down Izuku got up again, this time going across to the other side of his desk and pulling out a drawer. Instead of grabbing anything inside it, he reached underneath it and pulled out a different notebook before sitting back down with Katsuki.
Instead of 'Hero Analysis for the Future' written on the front, Izuku had written 'Soulbond Analysis' on the front. This particular notebook was the 4th in its series.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at the new notebook, curling around Izuku and half debating going back to sleep for a while. "What are you writing about?" He rested his chin on Izuku's shoulder to watch, even though he couldn't read a word of it.
"Soulbond Analysis. Of course you would." He teased, wrapping his arms back around Izuku, content to simply watch him write for now.
Izuku cleared his throat and blushed slightly, "Kissing feels different from normal touches between us. And I don't mean just because it's a kiss . I'm trying to figure out why that may be. And just noting it as something for the moment." He hummed and leaned his head back on Katsuki's shoulder turning to kiss his face again with a grin, "Further testing is needed before any conclusions though."
He laughed when he realized Katsuki was "reading" over his shoulder. "You can't even read my writing, or have a clue to what it says. What are you watching me for?"
"What else am I supposed to do? Besides, you're adorable when you're concentrating on something." He grinned, tilting his head to kiss Izuku on the corner of his mouth. "Might be because kissing is generally considered a more intimate act?" He suggested, noticing the slight difference as well now that Izuku had pointed it out.
"Maybe." Izuku said, blushing a little bit more from Katsuki calling him adorable. He blinked at Katsuki for a moment tilting his head slightly, "Maybe that's where the whole 'true love's kiss' thing came from in all those old fairy tales." He scribbled that down as a note. "Kissing between soulmates could possibly transfer more energy between us? Touching in general has a healing property to it… maybe it's accelerated even more to a small degree with kissing but we can still sense even that slight difference?"
Izuku snapped his fingers, "Like Recovery Girl's quirk. Her kiss could temporarily tap into bond healing to hyper accelerate healing functions, with the downside of draining your energy instead of rejuvenating it because of the distance between you and your soulmate. It may not be as effective that way either." He reached over to grab his hero notebook again to write that down as well.
Katsuki hummed, considering what Izuku had said. "So you think her quirk might be more effective when combined with proximity to a soulmate, or touch? It would be interesting to test that, or even ask if she has." He thought about it a bit longer, before adding "but what about people whose soulmates haven't been born yet, or kids whose bonds haven't manifested yet, or the rare cases of people who don't have them at all?"
"I think there's a chance yeah." Izuku replied before considering Katsuki's point. "Hm, well… the bond not having manifested fully yet or the other half not being alive yet could possibly have other complications? Like the healing is even less effective than normal, since the bond is still in a sort of limbo state. Same with them not being born yet. Healing quirks are rare , specifically the kind that heal others. And in high demand when you have one. It could be a common thread..." Izuku made another few quick notes as he spoke, "Hm… Since they'd be younger kids if the bond hadn't manifested yet the quirk could compensate by pulling more on the person's stamina. Older people it'd be more complicated. Plus, there is no real scientific way of finding if you don't have a soulmate. Their soulmate could just be quirkless like me."
"The bond is still there obviously but there's no real sign of it forming.” Izuku explained, "Your soul may try to call on something, but it wouldn't receive anything back. And it'd seem like nothing was on the other end at all." He hummed tapping his pen on his face again, "I wonder if you tried focusing on calling on my 'quirk' that doesn't exist, what would happen? If you're actually focusing on it instead of it happening naturally in different situations and not getting a ping if you'd feel it? That something was there but returned empty."
He looked at Katsuki again, "Don't let me ramble too long if you do want to get up and go out. I could go on tangents like this forever."
Katsuki shook his head. "We've got time, and listening to you is interesting." He considered for a moment, focusing on his bond with Izuku, and pulling on whatever was there. There was a flash of something , and when he looked around the room there was suddenly so much information to process that he let go of whatever it was with a hiss of pain. He shaded his eyes with his hand, feeling the sharp stab of a headache. "Well, there's definitely something there." He muttered, contact with Izuku easing the pain away.
Izuku smiled sheepishly, "Okay… If you say so…" When Katsuki hissed in pain Izuku immediately put down his notebook and looked at him. "Are you okay? What do you mean something?" He tilted his head at him, "Did you just try to test the bond like I mentioned?"
Katsuki nodded, burying his face in Izuku's shoulder. "I did. And I was focusing on you specifically, so it's definitely from you. Give me a minute for this headache to go away and I'll try again." He concentrated on taking deep breaths, and after a few moments, the pain faded to a full ache. Realizing that was probably the best he was going to get, he did the same thing, but this time focused whatever it was on Izuku's desk, quickly identifying all the hiding places for notebooks and other things that were there before letting it go. He stared at the spots in amazement. "Would you look at that. I was fucking right about you having a mental quirk!"
Izuku looked at Katsuki in shock. "Wh- Kacchan that's not funny. There's no way." He looked over Katsuki's face for any signs of him joking around, even though he knew Katsuki wouldn't joke with him about that. He knew how sensitive of a topic that was for him. "That shouldn't have…" Izuku bit his lip and focused harder on Katsuki looking for any of his ticks anything to show he was pranking him or something .
He focused a little too hard though and came up with nothing showing it was a lie or a prank, as well as an instant headache for himself from drawing too much information at once. Something he hadn't done to himself since he was really little, completely without realizing the cause. Izuku clutched his head hissing in pain and screwing his eyes shut to stop the flow of information. Still holding his head he blinked up at Katsuki with tears in his eyes, "I- I- I... t-this whole time? I haven't been..?" The tears started flowing down his face, "B-but I've always been able to… Was I born with mine? Is that why I never..?" He took in shuddering breaths as his hands started to shake and his mind started racing. This whole time . This whole time. He hasn't been quirkless?
Katsuki hummed, not really knowing the answer, but knowing that cuddles and lack of light helped headaches, he laid back into their little nest, pulling the blanket over both of their heads and wrapping around Izuku as best as he could. “It certainly looks that way. My guess is you were either born with it or got it really early. And since there were no obvious physical signs that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else…” he trailed off. He pulled Izuku as close as physically possible, resting his chin on top of his head to try to comfort him. How did one handle the revelation that their best friend and soulmate was suddenly not quirkless, after even they had believed it for years?
Izuku whimpered against Katsuki's chest, thankful for the lack of light with the headache he had now. "How did I not know though? I- I- should have realized. I should have realized I had this quirk. That I'm not smart and observant. It was a quirk. My quirk. " Izuku muttered quietly to Katsuki, speaking between shaky breaths. "This whole time. All of my problems could have been avoided. I might've been able to make friends at school. Instead of being a burdensome presence to everyone around me."
Katsuki pulled back slightly, gripping Izuku’s chin and tilting in up so they made eye contact. “First of all, you are both smart and observant. This quirk only enhanced that. Sure, some people will assume it’s all the quirk, but you and I both know it’s not. You were like this without even actively using it. Just imagine how much better you’ll get once you have a handle on it and can add it to how observant you already are.” He leaned their foreheads together. “You not knowing is not your fault . You had an idiot doctor, who clearly didn’t know or care what he was doing, who gave you and Aunty Inko bad information.” He took a deep breath to control his irritation at the world, before kissing Izuku as gently as he could. “You aren’t a burden. Not to anyone that matters. Not to Aunty Inko and certainly not to me. Anyone who says otherwise can go suck an egg.”
Izuku took in a shuddering breath listening to what Katsuki had to say. He froze again at the kiss, which he'd really have to find a way around somehow, but once he rebooted he returned the gentle kiss. Izuku pulled back to nuzzle into Katsuki's neck and think. "S-Still… had I known… this could have happened sooner. I wouldn't have waited to tell you for as long. I thought I'd..." Izuku mumbled, "I wouldn't have tried to-" He cut himself off before whimpering into Katsuki's shoulder again. "Th-This all almost d-didn't happen at all. Th-This whole d-day."
"I'm so sorry Kacchan. I'm so sorry." Izuku cried quietly, "I- I almost made you… Because I thought..." whatever he said next was not only muffled by Katsuki's shoulder, but also made more difficult to understand because of his crying.
Katsuki stroked Izuku’s hair, concerned about the crying. “Why are you sorry? Izuku, what’s wrong?” He tried to decipher words through the crying. “You almost made me what?” He had a suspicion of what he meant, left over from his suspicions about his arm. “It’s okay, cry it out first if you need to.”
Izuku spent a full minute crying and shaking against Katsuki before it finally started to subside. "I never want to leave you Kacchan." He whispered, "I don't want to leave you alone. I'm- I'm sorry I almost did." He took another shaky breath, "If… if it wasn't for our soulmate with the hardening quirk… I- I'll have to thank them one day for this." He leaned up and kissed Katsuki's cheek again, "K-Kacchan. This is probably a bad time… but I- I love you. I hope you know that. I always have."
Katsuki was sure his expression showed his confusion, at least for a short amount of time. He pulled his head back enough to make eye contact with Izuku. “Izuku… what are you saying?” He asked slowly. “...I was right about the tree, wasn’t I?”
He closed his eyes for a moment, before pulling Izuku into a tight hug. “I… don’t know if I can say I love you just yet, but I can say that I never want to lose you. And I’m glad you’re still here.”
Izuku laughed sadly, "Yeah. You were. You wanted to know how high I climbed before? I broke the tree line. I got as high as I could possibly get. My body was fully hardened when I hit the ground, that's how hard I hit. It cracked it, or... snapped it really. My arm had a full breakage, I was lucky it didn't break through my skin." He breathed slowly against Katsuki as he hugged him back, "You don't have to say it back. I know it's early for that. I wasn't expecting you to. But… thank you. I'm glad I am too."
Katsuki exhaled shakily. He could feel his anger bubble just underneath the surface. He took a deep breath, trying to keep it down. “Promise me something, Izuku.” He said. “If you feel like that, come to me. Talk to me about it. Don’t do something like that again.” He waited for Izuku to agree to that before speaking again. “But I know you. That didn’t occur to you by yourself. You’re the type to hold yourself back because you don’t want to hurt Aunty. Someone said something to push you past that. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but if they say anything about it again, I want to know. You don’t have to put up with that by yourself anymore, I promise.”
Izuku agreed without hesitation, "I promise Kacchan." He looked away when Katsuki pointed out that someone must have said something, laying his cheek on Katsuki's chest. He wasn't wrong. "O-okay. If… If they say something again I'll tell you." They weren't exactly the type to hide what they said either, so if Katsuki stuck by his side there was a good chance he'd hear it whenever he ran into them next anyway. Or at least a comment that would tip Katsuki off to who it was now that he knew.
He sighed, "I didn't want you to have to take care of that for me. But… I know there's going to be no stopping you, especially now that you know we're soulmates." Izuku smiled lightly, though Katsuki couldn't see it, "Since I won't have to shove down your quirk anymore though… They might actually back off a bit? At least if I get cornered again. It's pretty intimidating."
Katsuki snorted. “You could call it that. Just be careful with it. Obviously I already have special permission to use it in public because it’s more dangerous if I don’t spark it off frequently. You, on the other hand, don’t have that. If you use it, be careful they don’t turn around and get you in trouble for using it.” He snorted. “That’s why I’d rather take care of it, because I have permission to use it.”
He couldn’t promise he wouldn’t lash out when he heard whoever it was. There was no way he could let people off for hurting the greenet, even before he knew. Now that he knew they were soulmates, that would ramp up even more.
"I didn't say it'd happen intentionally I just said I'd stop shoving it down and letting it hurt me just so people don't see it." Izuku replied turning his head to look at Katsuki again. "There's laws protecting you for public unintentional soulmate quirk use too, since for most people it just happens as a protective measure." He hummed and squeezed Katsuki gently with a smile, "This all still feels like a dream. I only realized I liked you this way yesterday and then yesterday we started dating ." He giggled quietly, "You're my boyfriend. Kacchan. Is my boyfriend. Bakugou Katsuki. Is my boyfriend."
Katsuki snorted, squeezing him back. “And some people will still try to use that against you. Remember yesterday? The girl with the fire quirk tried to say I had burned you, despite evidence to the contrary?”
He buried his face in Izuku’s shoulder to hide the fact that he was now blushing. “ Staaaaahp .” He whined, embarrassed. He snorted at the ridiculousness of his own reaction after a minute, rolling them over so he was looming over Izuku. Grinning, he bent his elbows to lean in and kiss Izuku. “I’m in the same boat, though. I started figuring out that I might like you as a little more than a friend yesterday, and look where we are now.”
Izuku, initially, didn't freeze from the kiss since Katsuki rolling them over and leaning in gave him enough time to prep his mind so that wouldn't happen. However… Inko seemed to have a knack for walking in at just the wrong time as she opened the door to wake them, not realizing they were already up.
"Time to wake-" Inko cut herself off looking at the two boys on the bed. She cleared her throat, "...Good morning Katsuki. Izuku."
Izuku froze against Katsuki, full body blushing as he realized what position they were in as she walked in. "M-Mom… hi." Izuku said, his voice cracking and going high pitched.
Katsuki blinked, glancing over at Inko, then back down at Izuku. He sat up quickly, blushing lightly. “Good morning Aunty Inko.” He offered, embarrassed mostly because Izuku was. Kissing his soulmate wasn’t… a bad thing, right? Though, this was the second time Aunty had walked in on them kissing in some form. Was that why Izuku was so embarrassed? Mentally shrugging it off, he glanced at the clock. Had they really been cuddling and talking for a whole hour? Well shit, there went their morning training.
"I'm not going to have to start separating you two at night am I?" Inko asked, more teasing than anything. She knew Izuku wouldn't be trying anything like that yet, especially with how embarrassed he got when she brought up things like that.
"N-No. N-Nothing like that was happening Mom." Izuku replied, "We uh… no plans for…" He cleared his throat, " That any time soon."
Inko laughed quietly, "That's good. I would hope not, at least until high school." She hummed and put her hand on the door, "Breakfast in fifteen minutes you two." She then closed it behind her.
Izuku put his face in his hands and slapped Katsuki on the arm the moment the door was closed. " You just had to roll me over and kiss me like that didn't you?"
Katsuki blinked again. Separating them? But why? It occurred to him that she was teasing, but he took a minute to get what that could have been misconstrued as. He blushed a little more deeply once he did, not saying anything until the door closed.
When Izuku smacked his arm, he retaliated by sliding his arms around Izuku’s waist. “Kiss you like how. Like this?” He teased, leaning in for another kiss. “Or like this?” He asked, kissing him on the cheek this time. He grinned. “I happen to like doing both of those. Do you not?” He was still smiling, but his gaze was serious. Just because they were soulmates didn’t mean Katsuki was going to pressure him. If Izuku was uncomfortable, he’d stop, no questions asked.
Izuku froze yet again from the first kiss, not having yet recovered from his mom walking in on them. He recovered after the cheek kiss however. "I do. " Izuku replied, "Just not when my mom walks in on us doing that! Especially in that kind of position." He let out a huff of air, "I swear if that happens one more time I'm not going to kiss you for like a month just out of embarrassment."
He blinked, "Wait. Mom doesn't know we're soulmates yet. Or about my quirk. Shoot. "
Katsuki snorted, “well, you could try that. I’d just keep surprise kissing you anyway.” He said simply. He leaned in again, this time just resting his forehead against Izuku’s. “I don’t know if it’s a soulmate thing, or it’s just because it’s you , but kissing you is fucking addicting. I could sit here for hours just doing this.” He connected their lips once more, pressing a little harder this time, and lingering as long as Izuku would let him.
Izuku's blush didn't die down one bit as he froze once again. Recovering quickly he let his eyes fall shut and brought a hand up to cradle Katsuki's face, eventually pulling away. "Yeah, I'd say it's pretty addicting too." Izuku replied with a hum. He then pulled himself out of the bed and away from Katsuki. "C'mon. Let's go get breakfast before we get too distracted at least." He smirked back over his shoulder, "Race you downstairs!" Izuku then took off running, using the little bit of a head start to his advantage.
Katsuki cackled at the dirty trick, appreciating its effectiveness as he raced after Izuku. His near-daily runs and swims were paying off, as he caught up at the stairs, ducking between Izuku’s legs to get ahead, but lingering for a second to make sure Izuku wouldn’t fall because of that, and ready to catch him if he did.
Izuku wobbled on the stairs for a moment but managed to catch himself and keep going. "Kacchan what the heck!" He giggled smiling widely, "I could have fallen!"
Katsuki let out a genuine laugh at that. “Could have, but you didn’t, now did you?” He teased, taking the remaining steps three at a time and speedwalking to the kitchen so Aunty wouldn’t get after them for running. Before entering the kitchen, Katsuki whirled around to steal another kiss from Izuku, smirking. “I win.”
Izuku froze from the sudden kiss yet again, man was short circuiting everytime annoying. As soon as he rebooted enough to move Izuku pinched Katsuki's side and stuck his tongue out at him before walking into the kitchen.
Inko was just finishing up the last of breakfast, which that morning happened to be Tamagoyaki. She sliced it up and put it in plates for them before turning around and smiling."Well aren't you two energetic this morning. Come here and grab yourself a plate."
Izuku walked over and did so after giving Inko a quick side hug as a thank you for breakfast.
"Your father wants to give Katsuki the shovel talk at some point now." Inko commented offhandedly. "More as a joke of course."
Izuku choked and almost dropped his plate, "Seriously? We've only been dating a day, mom."
"Still qualifies for needing one." Inko teased. She looked over at Katsuki, "You never mentioned how that happened by the way. What brought that on? I don't disapprove obviously, you two have always been close. I'm just curious."
Katsuki can’t not snicker at Izuku short circuiting. Again. He hesitantly grabbed the plate that looked like it had less on it, muttering a quick thank you and moving away before Inko could comment on it. Thankfully he had a good grip on it, or he might have also dropped his food at the idea of a shovel talk from Izuku’s dad.
“Ah, well, because of how close we are, some of our classmates were gossiping about us being a couple. I suggested that we just roll with it to make them get bored and move on faster, but we both kinda realized that we… well we wouldn’t be opposed to those rumors being true, instead of just pretending they were and brushing them off. It didn’t seem like too much of a stretch to go from best friends to actually dating.” Katsuki realized it sounded a bit dumb when explained that way, but also knew that ‘well Izuku told me we were soulmates’ isn’t an answer he would accept, so he’s not going to use it on Aunty without some other explanation.
Inko smiled amusedly at Katsuki's explanation, "Well that's one way to realize your feelings for each other."
Izuku blushed from Katsuki's explanation, it sounded so dumb when it was laid out like that. "We may have er… accidentally kissed too." Izuku added before clearing his throat and muttering quietly, "I think it helped that we realized we'd want to do that on purpose too…"
Inko snickered from behind her hand as she went to sit down to eat her food.
"Um… uh… we made it official after I- I um…" Izuku stumbled over his words, before taking a breath and saying it all at once,"AfterItoldKacchanweweresoulmates."
Inko dropped her chopsticks and looked at Izuku in shock, "Wha- after you told him what?"
Katsuki couldn’t help but snicker at Izuku’s rushed sentence. For Aunty’s sake, he repeated it. “Shortly after the accidental kiss, Izuku told me… well, used my quirk to show me, since he couldn’t actually say it, that we’re soulmates. Apparently, we have two in common whose quirks we can access.” He sat down in the same seat as the night before, watching Inko for a reaction, good or bad.
"I-Izuku… it's been two years ." Inko said looking at her son with concern clear on her face, "Why didn't… why didn't you say anything? If not to him, to me? H-have you been dealing… w-with soul sickness this whole time and I hadn't noticed?"
"I…" Izuku looked down at his plate ashamed of himself. You were always so sure of your actions until you had to explain it to your mother. "I was. Yeah. I knew pretty quick but… but I didn't um… I didn't know how to break the news and there was already a lot going on at the time so I just…" He bit his lip, "I kept putting it off… and I wanted to be the one to say it if he found out s-so… I didn't tell anyone."
"Break the..?" Inko looked at him sadly, "Oh Izu…" She stood up from her seat to go around the table and hugged him. Almost immediately causing Izuku to break and let tears flow down his face.
Inko pulled back to rub the tears out of his eyes for him, "Izuku I'm not mad. I wish you had told me but I'm not mad. I just wish I could have helped you." She cradled his face ,"And if you think I'm upset that you both are soulmates, I'm not. Fate put you two together for a reason. You two were always close, nearly from the minute you met you acted like you had always known each other. I saw it coming in a sense that way." Inko hummed and ran her fingers through his hair to try and soothe him. "You just got bad cards that put all the burden of saying it on you, and I'm sorry I dealt them to you."
Izuku sniffled, "Y-You didn't give me bad cards mom."
Katsuki wondered to himself if now was a good time to mention that Izuku wasn’t as quirkless as they had thought he was. While he would normally leave it up to Izuku to decide, he also didn’t have the best track record with these kinds of decisions. At the same time, this was a lot to dump on Aunty Inko all at once.
He watched the pair, smiling softly. Whenever Izuku told his mother about his quirk, he’d be there to support his best friend, soulmate or not.
"I'm…" Izuku took a breath, he didn't want to stress her out too much. Finding this out was already so much. "We should talk more after school mom. I- I need to tell you something else but… not yet. I'm not quite ready and I need to figure it out first."
Inko frowned but nodded, giving Izuku one last quick hug before returning to her seat.
Under the table Izuku reached out to take Katsuki's hand smiling softly back at him. Breakfast officially began as they dug in, and all the while Izuku rubbed circles into Katsuki's hand. Occasionally Izuku snuck glances at Katsuki when he thought Katsuki wasn't looking, just studying his expressions and movements and committing every detail to his memory as something important and precious.
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand back, eating his breakfast well enough with one hand. Occasionally he caught Izuku looking at him, and made a silly face every time. After about the tenth time, he used their joined hands to tug Izuku in close enough to kiss him. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” He teased, squeezing Izuku’s hand again with a smile.
Everytime Katsuki made a silly face at him, Izuku giggled quietly before returning to his food again for a little bit. Then Katsuki tugged them close.
" Kacchan ." Izuku whined, blush coming to his face due to Katsuki's close proximity, "My mom is right there. "
"You're soulmates. And boyfriends. You're allowed to kiss Izu." Inko commented before sipping her tea with a small smile. "I was only teasing before."
Taking the permission at face value, Katsuki kissed Izuku. He didn’t try to deepen the kiss, just rested their lips together. He pulled away so they could keep eating, wishing he didn’t have to.
After the kiss, which he somehow managed not to freeze from, Izuku completely avoided eye contact with his mother. He finished eating quickly, and found himself leaning gently on Katsuki once he did. Him knowing about their being soulmates took so much stress off of his mind he could hardly believe it. He hummed happily from the contact, waiting patiently for Katsuki to finish since he knew they'd have to separate while they got ready for school. Izuku absently wondered if their classmates and teachers would notice the change, but for once he couldn't find it in him to care if they did.
Katsuki glanced at the clock. They had time. He ate a bit slower than Izuku, but still finished his food relatively quickly. They didn’t have enough time to start practicing with quirks this morning, But Katsuki would be more than happy to just curl back up with Izuku until they had to leave for school. That seemed unusual, being so willing to do that, but for the time being, Katsuki would roll with it.
It took a moment for Izuku to realize the time, and when he did his eyes went wide, "Oh, Kacchan I took up all the practice time talking this morning. I'm sorry!" His shoulders slumped looking up at Katsuki apologetically, "We can do it tomorrow for sure though, right? Or after school?"
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand reassuringly. “We can, yes. Don’t be sorry. I liked spending the morning cuddling with you. It’s a nice change of pace.” He rested his head gently on Izuku’s, plotting how to make it happen more often.
"I- I did too Kacchan." Izuku replied, a small smile coming to his face, "It… felt right, if that makes sense?" His eyes absently scanned the air for the words to describe it, "Like… part of a puzzle fitting into place. There's… still pieces missing of the whole, but a section of it is finally coming together."
Katsuki hummed. “Yeah, it does. I...am happy we get to do this now. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” He admitted.
Reluctantly pulling away from Izuku, he stood, grabbing his empty plate and chopsticks. “We should at least get ready for school, so we don’t have to rush out the door.” Unspoken was the fact that they could cuddle a bit more in the privacy of Izuku’s room.
Izuku grabbed his own plate and chopsticks, quickly bringing it to the sink and washing them both before his mother could protest. His arm wasn't even aching anymore, and neither was his shoulder really. Katsuki probably healed him overnight, he was fine.
He hummed in response, "That's a good idea. We don't want to be late." Izuku ran a hand through his hair and made a face when it got stuck on a knot. He gently started pulling it apart with his fingers recognizing it as one he have issues with if he tried a brush. "I'm gonna need a shower so I can deal with this. It's easier when it's wet." He said with a huff.
Katsuki followed Izuku into the kitchen, likewise washing his own dishes. He looked over at Izuku, observing the tangles. “Do you at least have some detangling spray?” He asked, realizing it would be easier if he brushed it out for Izuku.
"I do ." Izuku replied, "But it makes my hair feel weird with the amount I have to use to actually get it to do anything. Curls are a pain." He sighed, "Brushing it while I'm actually in the shower and using a bunch of conditioner is usually the safest bet." Izuku groaned as he found a particularly large knot near his scalp on the back of his head, "Dang it. Why couldn't I have gotten mom's hair."
He started walking towards the stairs with his hands at the back of his head picking at his hair to pull the knots out a bit. "I'm going to have to get started on this now. It's going to take a while and I want to relax before we have to go."
Katsuki rolled his eyes and followed Izuku. “Let me help you with brushing it, at least. I can see it a bit better, plus you’d be surprised how much easier it gets when someone brushes it for you.” He realized that could be construed as him showering with Izuku, and backtracked quickly. “Not while you’re in the shower, obviously. Before and after.”
Izuku snorted, "Obviously." He stopped picking at it once he was at the top of the stairs to look at Katsuki with a smile, "You can help if you really want to, I definitely don't mind."
He quickly gathered up his uniform from his room and brought it to the bathroom where he started pulling out products he put in his hair. The biggest thing that Katsuki might take note of, was that only one was actually labeled for curly hair and all of them were on the low end if you looked at pricing. Izuku looked over his things and sighed before grabbing a brush so he could start trying to detangle it a bit before he got in the shower. As he did so, mostly focusing on getting that big one at the back of his head apart, he walked over to the shower to grab a different brush he had and handed it to Katsuki.
Katsuki took the brush, and ran some hot water over it, starting from the bottom of the tangle and gently brushing from the bottom. He eyed the detangler suspiciously, but took it and sprayed a little in Izuku’s hair right before he started working on that section. It came out easier when someone else helped, just like Katsuki thought.
“Have you tried braiding it after a shower and sleeping that way? Might make it a little easier to deal with.”
Izuku looked at Katsuki in the mirror, "Oh… er, no. Not since I was little. I don't know how to do it myself and I don't like bugging mom with it." He explained. Izuku caught too much off the knot in his brush making him tug his hair, but instead of wincing in pain he just sighed and pulled the brush out of his hair gently before trying again.
Katsuki snuck a kiss to Izuku’s cheek, continuing to gently brush out the knots, adding detangler and hot water as needed. “Well, you can just ask me if you want. I’ll braid it, brush it, whatever you need help with. Curly hair can be gorgeous, especially when it’s cared for. Yours is already beautiful, so I can’t wait to see how much better it will get.”
Izuku blushed from the compliment, "O-Okay Kacchan." He ran his brush through another knot before looking at how they had done. Deciding that was probably enough work before he got in the shower he set his brush down and held a hand out for the one he had given Katsuki, "I'll go take my shower now, you can go do something else while you wait and I'll tell you when I'm done."
Katsuki handed over the brush and set down the detangler, heading back into Izuku’s room. He picked up some of Izuku’s loose notes and decided to amuse himself by trying to crack the code. He didn’t make much progress, since he didn’t want to mark the notes, but it was interesting to try.
Once Katsuki was out of the bathroom Izuku got undressed, frowning at the mirror when he spotted his scars. How long would he be able to keep those a secret? He'd promised not to hide anymore. And Katsuki knew about them being soulmates, and now the tree. He should probably tell him about them, shouldn't he?
He sighed and hopped into the shower, quickly washing his body before washing his hair with shampoo and conditioner while running the brush through it. Their previous work made it a whole lot easier, so Izuku finished quicker than he normally would and started towelling himself off. As he got dressed, the thought of leaving his shirt off and just biting the bullet crossed his mind causing his stomach to twist up in knots. No. That was a bad idea.
Izuku buttoned up his shirt and leaned out the door to call Katsuki over before going back to brushing his hair out. Now it was more just a case of getting it looking decent since most of the knots were out of his hair now.
Katsuki put down the papers he’d been looking at when he heard Izuku call him. He headed back into the bathroom. Picking the brush back up, he started from the bottom and worked his way back up towards Izuku’s scalp. When he was done, he held onto the brush. “Up or down?” He asked.
"Oh um…" Izuku thought for a moment, "Up? I don't really do that often." More since all he could do was a ponytail at most by himself, and that was usually just to cover up when he didn't brush his hair that day. Either because he didn't have time or just didn't feel like dealing with it that day.
Katsuki nodded, running the brush through his hair a couple times, before starting to braid it. He started around the middle of the back of Izuku’s hair, raising it up like a ponytail before starting so it would stay up. He finished the braid quickly, before stepping back So Izuku could take a look. “What do you think?”
Izuku turned his head in the mirror a few times before smiling, "It's different, but I think I like it." He turned around to hug Katsuki and give him a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Kacchan." He pulled away now gently holding onto his hands, "You want to take a shower before we cuddle?" He looked away and blushed again scratching at his face, "Er… if you want to that is."
Katsuki snorted, returning the hug. “Yeah, that sounds awesome.” He kissed Izuku on the nose. “Let me just grab my clothes first.”
Inko chose then to knock on the doorframe. Peeking in, she smiled. “I saw that your uniform and binder were dirty last night, Katsuki, so I washed them with the rest of our laundry. I have it right here if you’re planning to shower. Just leave the clothes you slept in in the hamper with Izuku’s.”
Katsuki blinked. “Yeah, that’s…..thanks, M-Aunty.” He turned bright red, realizing what he’d almost said, and took his uniform and binder when she offered them.
Izuku snickered catching what Katsuki almost said, "Alright. I'll wait for you to change and cuddle Katsuki until you're done."
Inko tilted her head confused at Izuku, "Katsuki?"
"Oh uh…" Izuku laughed awkwardly, "I got a Pomeranian plush yesterday and named it Katsuki." He shuffled off quickly to his bed so he could hold his plush as Inko started to giggle.
"You two are too cute." Inko said looking at Katsuki, "Let me know if you need anything else, alright?"
Katsuki nodded, setting his uniform aside and shutting the bathroom door behind Inko. He took a quick shower, since he hadn’t been expecting to spend the night and didn’t have any of his shower stuff. He dried off quickly and dressed before returning to Izuku’s room. He kept quiet, sneaking up behind Izuku and kissing him without warning. “I’m still not used to how damn short my hair is.” He remarked.
Izuku short circuited from the kiss yet again. Once he rebooted he sighed at himself before looking at Katsuki, "I'm still getting used to it too. But it's cute." He paused realizing he called it cute out loud and awkwardly brought his plush up to hide his face. "Can we cuddle now?" Izuku asked, his voice slightly muffled from the plush toy.
Katsuki grinned, sitting down by Izuku and pulling him into his lap. “Well I’m glad my boyfriend of all people thinks it’s cute.” He teased, wrapping his arms around Izuku’s waist.
He sighed. “I don’t particularly want to go, and it’s only the second day. The rest of this year is going to suck .” He nuzzled Izuku’s neck. “At least I’ll have my adorable boyfriend there to make it more tolerable.”
Izuku hummed and closed his eyes, "We'll get through it together. One day at a time." He smiled lightly, a faint blush coming to his cheeks, "And stop calling me adorable. You're making me get all flustered." He relaxed into Katsuki's hold with his breathing starting to even out, "If I'm not careful I'm gonna fall back to sleep like this… you might want to set an alarm so we can get to class on time."
Katsuki grinned. “Not gonna stop calling you that, ‘cause it’s true.” He kissed Izuku’s cheek. “Wait…..aren’t we forgetting something?” He was sure there was something that they weren’t thinking of, that they should have done the night before. “Did we have a homework assignment?”
Izuku's eyes shot open, " Shoot. Yeah we did, from the teacher that burned my notebook." He leaned forward again and started rustling through his bag to find the worksheet and his textbook so they could work on it. "We should probably do that now then. I can't believe I'm getting that distracted by kisses and cuddles. I'm usually so good about this…" Izuku said, the stress from it immediately evident in his voice.
Katsuki snorted. “It wasn’t just you. I forgot too.” He reached for his bag for his own school supplies. Glancing at the worksheet, he scowled. “The most time-consuming part about this will be writing out the answers. I don’t get it. Why assign this? It’s stupidly easy. We could have done this assignment flawlessly when we were, like, five.”
Izuku looked the sheet over himself, "You have a point… maybe they're trying to figure out who in the class even tries doing the assignment? Because it'd be obvious who actually tried and who is just making excuses for not finishing it?" He hummed and started writing down the first answer, "Plus, nobody expects homework the first day. We're probably not the only ones to forget."
Katsuki considered that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense.” He started writing down the answers as well, but leaning against Izuku as he did so. It had only been a day but having physical contact was already more comfortable than not. Katsuki wasn’t quite sure how he felt about this yet.
Izuku was a little bit more used to the awareness and want to keep in contact with Katsuki all the time, so he wasn’t too bothered by it. It did make him feel extremely happy that he was actually getting the contact he craved however. And more than just their usual friendly affection. It was really nice.
It took no time at all to get their homework done, so as soon as Izuku put it and his textbook back in his back he scooted up and fit himself up against Katsuki, relishing in the amount of contact for now since he knew they’d have to chill out with the cuddling a bit once they were at school. He hummed and closed his eyes again, “How long till we should leave?”
Katsuki checked the time when Izuku asked. “Classes start around 7:30. As long as we leave here by 7:15, we should make it with time to spare. It’s 6:55 now, so about 20 minutes? Probably not enough time for a nap.” He reached for his phone, setting an alarm just in case they did fall asleep. He put his school things away as well, before wrapping his arms around Izuku’s waist, and resting his chin on the shorter boy’s shoulder.
“Alright.” Izuku replied. He hummed with a smile as he leaned his head back towards Katsuki, “I feel like our classmates are going to notice the change between us. Even on the second day. But…” He snuggled in a bit more against Katsuki to get extra comfy, “For once, I don’t really care what they’ll think about it. It’s kinda weird.”
Katsuki snickered. “I’m already rubbing off on you, I guess.” He teased. He snickered lightly. “I think you overestimate the intelligence of most of them. I’d be surprised if more than two of them noticed anything beyond the same gossip fodder from yesterday.”
“Really? You think they’re that unobservant?” Izuku asked, cracking an eye open to look at Katsuki, still smiling at him. “I think it’ll be more obvious than they can let pass without questions. Especially since I’m probably going to be able to get this brace off by the end of the week max. It might even be fully healed already? That pinched nerve in my shoulder is at least.” He hummed and placed a kiss on the side of Katsuki’s face, “The wonders having my soulmate here with me can do…”
Katsuki rolled his eyes and turned to return the gesture. “Well, as far as we know, the only one who even realized you were injured at all was your friend, and that’s because he saw the brace. Besides, they already thought we were dating because we held hands for a grand total of five minutes in the hallway. That isn’t what I’d call intelligent.” He hummed. “We also need to go get our records updated. Both of us. That way your use of my quirk in public is covered by the same exemptions I already have.”
“That’s a fair point… There’s probably some regulations on my type of quirk I’ll have to look into too… It could affect my school standing.” Izuku sighed, “Well at least I know I’m not quirkless now. Even if it makes things a pain for school since you’re not usually supposed to use them there… I’ll have to see if analysis quirks or even general intelligence quirks are exempt from that for my first bit of research.” He hummed, as he thought through other things he’d have to check as a thought crossed his mind.
“I… I wonder how many of my crazy theories are actually right if I was using my quirk to come up with them.” Izuku thought out loud. “It’s probably good I encoded everything because if it is right and that info got out…”
“It’s probably good you encoded them anyway .” Katsuki rebutted. “I’ve heard some of your muttering tangents. You can pick apart fighting styles and quirks better than the Hero Commission’s best analysts. If anyone got a hold of those and they weren’t encoded, they could probably easily take down any pro you wrote about, just using your notes.” He hummed in consideration. “If anything, they’ll probably just make your assignments and tests tougher. They can’t exactly stop you from using it unless they forcibly suppressed it during tests or something. And that would cause a huge amount of outrage if it ever got out that a school was doing that.”
Izuku cringed at those thoughts, “Glad that’s not going to happen then. Though I should still probably think about locking up my completed notebooks… Who knew discovering a quirk this late would cause so many issues.”
He smiled at the thought of harder course work though, “Only bonus here is getting assigned work that is actually at my level in a bunch of classes.” He smiled wider, “And that teacher who wants to give us homework after every class is going to have to take up more of his own free time making me harder things to work on. Then it’ll be more even if they actually decide to continue that.”
Katsuki snickers at the thought. “Though that may backfire. Asshole or not, he seems to know what he’s talking about, and he might actually enjoy coming up with more difficult assignments. Especially since he doesn’t seem to like either of us.” Blinking, he realized something else. “That will probably apply to me too, since we don’t really know how much access to it I have. And if we don’t know, no one else will either.”
“Oh… That’s true too. They’ll have to bump up all your assignments too. Who knows how often we both use it. It seems like a passive ability. I’m going to have to play around now that I know about it and figure out the trigger, but since there’s no sign. It doesn’t matter that much for anyone else.” Izuku frowned and looked at Katsuki apologetically, “I’m sorry if this ends up making things hard for you with us being connected… depending on how much access you have. It… could make my level of work just more average difficulty for me, but really hard for you. We won’t know until that all starts.”
Katsuki grins. “Hey, you know me, I love a challenge. And the fact that we both have harder schoolwork will just make us being the top students that much more impressive. UA is bound to take notice of that.” He wraps his arms a little tighter around Izuku. “We’ll handle this as a team, like we have everything else. Okay?”
Izuku sighed and nodded putting his face up against Katsuki's neck, "Okay." Izuku hummed for a moment before pulling back and looking at Katsuki with a grin, "I just now realized why I love cinnamon and burnt sugar so much." He put his face back up against Katsuki, "I'm gonna have to get some cinnamon sticks to put in Katsuki now. Then he'll be even more like you."
Katsuki snorted in amusement. “So now you understand why I mentioned putting mint leaves in Zuzu.” He teased. “Burnt sugar, huh? That’s probably at least partly due to the nitroglycerin, I would be my guess. It does smell kind of sweet, after all.”
He leaned his head against Izuku’s. He could probably hear the faint crackle from Katsuki’s hearing aids at this range if he listened. “I…” He started. “Izuku, promise me something?”
Izuku looked up to Katsuki with an odd glance, "Sure? What is it?"
Katsuki hummed, considering the best way to phrase the request. “I… you know some of how bad my parents’ relationship is. The last thing I want is for us to end up like that. I want you to promise me that if you ever catch me acting like her, you’ll call me out for it. Even if I get mad about it. I can’t stand the idea of… what we have.. Turning into anything like that .”
Izuku smiled at Katsuki softly, "Of course. I promise." He closed his eyes for a moment, "I doubt I'll ever have to do it, since you're nothing like her." He opened his eyes again to look at him seriously, "But, I promise. I'll call you out on it. I don't want us going that direction either."
Izuku booped Katsuki on the nose, "Means you'll have to actually listen when I ask you to do something though." Izuku teased.
Katsuki snorted. "As long as it doesn't involve ignoring your mental or physical health, I think I can handle that." He replied honestly. "And yes that may include threatening idiots at school."
Izuku grumbled, "That's not necessary Kacchan. I can handle all the stuff they throw at me. You don't need to threaten them." He frowned and muttered under his breath, "I don't want you getting hurt for me… you can protect me. But how am I going to protect you if you do that?"
Katsuki, well-versed in Izuku-mumble, sighs. "If you want to protect me, there are three things you need to do first." He replied. "One, you need to learn how to properly and safely use all the quirks we have access to. Mine, yours, the hardening, and the dual quirk. Two, you need to learn how to fight. And by that I mean how to throw a punch, how to kick without causing more harm to yourself than the person you are kicking, and how to defend yourself in general. Three, you need to build up some muscle, and work on that endurance. I'll be learning some of these things with you. Once you've mastered those three, I won't need to protect you anymore. We'll be able to fight together, and watch each other's backs. Until then, it's my job as your friend, boyfriend and soulmate to keep you safe."
"I…" Izuku let out a breath, "Okay. Okay Kacchan. I can do that." He shifted himself so his left side was mostly up against Katsuki, "I'll work super hard to get there then. That way it won't just be on you." For the time they had left cuddled up together, Izuku thought he might as well start and get some practice in so he called upon the dual quirk, only outwardly shown as the right side of his body shivered from his temperature change, and started subtly warming his left side as they cuddled. Just to a comfortable warmth for them both to relax with till they had to leave.
Katsuki grinned. "Good. I expect nothing less from you." He noticed the slight increase in temperature, and grinned, curling up closer to Izuku to enjoy the warmth.
Sooner than he would have liked, his alarm went off. He groaned. "Day two of way-too-fucking-many, here we come."
Izuku reluctantly pulled away from Katsuki and grabbed his bag before taking Katsuki's hand. "Look on the bright side, it's day two of us dating and being soulmates. With plenty more days to come." He said with a grin, "School is just a minor annoyance we have to deal with at the same time."
Katsuki blinked. "Well, aren't you the eternal optimist." He teased, grabbing his own bag and popping the sweat off of his palms before letting Izuku take his hand. He headed towards the stairs, trying to look at it like Izuku suggested, and finding his mood improving ever so slightly because of it.
Izuku grinned, "Yep! That's the only reason I can still get out of bed in the morning." He squeezed Katsuki's hand and leaned against him for a moment once they were at the bottom of the stairs, "Besides the fact that it means I get to see you when I do."
Inko came around the corner then to see them off as they made it to the door, "Bye you two, have a nice day at school!" She opened her arms slightly, "Hug before you go?"
Izuku continued to grin and let go of Katsuki for a moment to give his mom a hug, "Of course I want a hug, mom." He pulled away, "Love you."
She smiled in response, "Love you too Izu."
Katsuki waited for Izuku, internally debating with himself. Once Izuku pulled away, he decided 'fuck it' and moved closer to Inko, unsure if he was allowed to give her a hug, but wanting to try.
Inko looked over at him and opened her arms slightly towards him as well. Careful not to touch her with his palms, Katsuki gave her a quick hug.
"You have a good day at school too, Katsuki." She said warmly.
"Thanks Aunty." Katsuki replied, grateful he didn't slip up and almost call her mom again. He pulled away and headed towards the door, reaching a hand out for Izuku as he went.
Izuku took Katsuki's hand immediately, smiling softly at the fact that he went for the hug with his mom on his own. As soon as they were out in the open air and walking Izuku took a deep breath and smiled genuinely at the sky. Everything felt like it was going right for once. As they walked, Izuku rubbed circles into Katsuki's hand and oddly had to keep himself from giggling. He felt lighter on his feet, like a huge weight had been taken from him he hardly remembered was there anymore because he had gotten so used to the burden. Though Izuku usually had an air of happiness around him, that was usually forced, this however was not. And the difference was as clear as night and day to anyone who knew him.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him, but otherwise let him be. It was rare to see him so happy anymore without Katsuki doing something to prompt it. It was definitely a good change. Katsuki swore to himself he'd do whatever it took to keep him this happy. He leaned over to kiss Izuku on the cheek, before squeezing his hand lightly.
Izuku couldn't hold back the giggle of happiness Katsuki kissing him on the cheek caused. He leaned into Katsuki as they walked the rest of the way to school. Izuku scanned his eyes over the crowd entering the building with them as they went, just trying to figure out what familiar faces were there and what new ones were there.
Chapter 2
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Notes:
Shippy: Chapter 2 is here! Even fucking longer than the first! Ah, warning for shitty classmates, I guess. We made their middle school...pretty bad, if you hadn't already figured that out. And Shouto's quirk makes its first official appearance! As well as the one we gave Izuku.
Also, one of our original characters is a dick (he gets worse in the actual sequel fic), but he gets better this time! Also, hi Kirishima!
Chapter Text
A particularly good looking boy with black hair and red eyes hurried past them and Izuku's heart skipped a beat. He was really cute. Izuku almost stumbled in his steps for a moment as he watched him go past. Then it occurred to him, could he still look at people that way and get crushes on them if he was dating Katsuki? Was that allowed?
Izuku stammered for a moment before quietly asking, "K-Kacchan… is it bad if I get crushes when we're dating now? Shouldn't I not do that?"
Katsuki gave him an odd look at that question. "What do you mean? Why should you not?" He asked, spotting the same boy. "As long as you don't act on it, you can crush on anyone you want. I don't mind."
He watched said boy disappear into the school building. "Sucks that that one isn't in our class. He's pretty cute."
"Oh. Okay." Izuku replied, "I've never acted on them anyway since they usually go away pretty quick. That shouldn't be a problem. I'll… tell you if I ever feel like I'd want to though, okay? J-Just to get it out of my head. I probably won't just… hypothetical." He let that slight nervousness fade away and laughed quietly, "You thought so too, huh? The black hair and red eyes really look nice together…" Izuku smiled up at Katsuki, "Red eyes in general I think are my favorite."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow, before smirking at Izuku. "Flattery will get you everywhere, bunny." He responded, sliding an arm around Izuku's waist and pulling him close. "Who knows. Maybe it'll be someone we both have a crush on. As long as they don't mind that we're already a pair."
Izuku blushed and put his face in his hands, "You just called me bunny. Oh my god." He laughed quietly, "This is going to take some getting used to." Izuku rested his head on Katsuki's shoulder the rest of their walk to the classroom. Quietly he said just for Katsuki to hear, "Don't expect too many pet names from me I am… not the greatest at coming up with that sort of thing."
Katsuki snickered. "Oh I know. You're just so easy to fluster, my gorgeous little bunny, I can't resist." He kissed the top of Izuku's head, smiling like a little kid. He hummed when they reached their classroom door. "Think the teacher would say anything if you sat on my lap for homeroom?" He wondered aloud, not expecting Izuku to go for it at all.
" Kaaacchan." Izuku whined, his face was completely red now and it was travelling down his neck and shoulders. A few people in the hall took notice and turned their heads towards the two causing Izuku to get even more flustered. "I- I- don't know but…" He whined again, "The class will stare at us. I can't handle that yet." He opened the door to the class and started pulling Katsuki inside, "Let's just sit…"
Katsuki blinked. “Wait, were you actually considering it?” He asked, dumbfounded. “Does that mean I might be able to convince you to do it in the future?” He wanted to know, now that the idea was firmly in his head.
"Maybe…" Izuku responded quietly, thoroughly embarrassed that he really was considering it. Even if Katsuki said it as a joke. He liked being close with him like that. He just couldn't handle doing it in front of people yet. Izuku realized their classmates would probably see them kissing each other at some point and that just made him more flustered.
He went and quickly sat down in his seat, giving Katsuki's hand a quick squeeze as he went.
Katsuki grinned at Izuku’s admission. Squeezing Izuku’s hand back, he took his seat. Being separated from Izuku, if only by the few feet between their desks, felt wrong . Katsuki didn’t like it. He realized he’d have to get used to it, but it still sucked. He wasn’t used to the soulbond yet, wasn’t used to knowing who was on the other end. It probably had to do with the bond being newly completed too, but all Katsuki could focus on was wanting his soulmate back in his arms. He paid no mind whatsoever to their homeroom teacher as a result. Now it made sense why newly discovered bondmates were usually permitted a few days off from obligations, so the bond could solidify.
Izuku wasn't having quite as much of an issue, having resisted the need to be with his soulmate for around two years at that point. He noticed Katsuki's discomfort however and signed to him, Are you okay? What's wrong?
Katsuki gave him a look that clearly said what the problem was. When their homeroom teacher entered the room, Katsuki got to his feet, going to the front of the class to speak to him. A quiet conversation ensued, and the teacher nodded, before approaching the girl with the fire quirk and telling her to take Katsuki’s seat, and to consider that hers for the rest of the year. When she looked like she was about to protest, he shook his head. She looked crestfallen, glancing back at the boy who’d rammed his bag into Izuku the day before, before moving seats. Katsuki took her seat with a whispered thanks to the teacher. He nodded and returned to the front of the class.
Katsuki grinned over at Izuku, before reaching over to take his hand. “Problem solved.”
Izuku grinned back, "Can't handle just a little distance, huh?" He shook his head and kept smiling, "Guess I'm going to be practicing my ability to write with my left hand for a while."
There were murmurs around the class from the interaction, but the homeroom teacher quickly shushed them all without giving an explanation before moving on.
Izuku sighed, and deciding he'd 'bore them' further by giving them exactly what they expected like Katsuki had suggested when they were going to fake date, Izuku brought up their intertwined hands and gave a quick kiss to Katsuki's knuckles before letting their hands rest between them again. Surprisingly, it worked and less eyes paid attention to them. Huh. Who would have thought.
Katsuki blushed lightly at Izuku’s show of affection, but grinned and squeezed his hand. Using his index finger, he wrote on Izuku’s wrist ‘why should I if I don’t have to? Besides, all of our teachers will probably be informed once we register the bond anyway. Might as well beat them to the punch.’ For now, he resisted the urge to lean over and kiss him on the cheek. Holding hands would have to do.
Izuku hummed in response, getting a warm fuzzy feeling at the thought of other people finding out instead of the fear he normally felt at the idea. Simply telling Katsuki changed so much for the better. He was excited to see what the day held, instead of being terrified of when the next attempt to hurt him would be. Homeroom passed quickly with Katsuki at his side.
Then his heart dropped when a familiar face came to say hello between classes. The same kid who had more or less nudged him out of the tree came up to Izuku's desk to say hello.
"Hey Midoriya, I didn't get a chance to say hello yesterday." He said, smiling with his hands in his pockets, "I see you didn't take my advice though. I was surprised to see you."
"Oh, uh h-hi." Izuku responded quietly, pulling the arm with the brace into his lap so it was hidden under the desk. "Nice to see you."
Katsuki kept his hold on Izuku’s hand, though his grip tightened a little bit. “Why would you be surprised to see him?” Katsuki asked. The conversation with Izuku from earlier about the tree came to mind, and the answer to his own question was suddenly plain as day. He made a fist with his other hand, but forced himself not to punch the other kid just yet. Depending on what he said in response to Katsuki’s question, that’s when Katsuki would deck him.
"Eh, just part of the advice I gave him. But I told him the reasoning and since well… he's apparently got a quirk and a boyfriend, it's not like it would have worked." The boy replied nonchalantly, "That's assuming you two are connected though since…" He snorted, "Honestly there's no fucking way he'd get a date otherwise."
Izuku's shoulders slumped and he stared blankly at his desk, remembering the exact words he had been told. If he did it, maybe then he'd get a quirk. Maybe then, he wouldn't be a useless disappointment. Maybe then, his bonded would love him and want him. Maybe then… but all those things Katsuki either told him wasn't true or they had found weren't true that morning. So, the guilt of attempting settled in his stomach again, momentarily making him forget about the comforting presence beside him.
Katsuki realized what the advice must have been, and saw red. Keeping a hold of Izuku’s hand, he stood, and turned to face the other boy, thankful for his resting bitchface. “Well, I guess a loser like you would know all about not being able to get a date.” Katsuki taunted.
The boy’s face turned an ugly shade of red as the insult sank in. He opened his mouth to respond, but Katsuki wasn’t interested. He moved to turn away and sit back down, a clear sign of dismissal. The boy, not having it, grabbed his shoulder to try to stop him. That was exactly what Katsuki was waiting for. He drew back his right hand, thankful that it was the unoccupied one, and slugged him, full force, right in the face.
He stumbled back from the blow, releasing Katsuki as he did so.
The sound from the blow startled Izuku out of the state he was in and he jumped out of his seat to put himself between the two. "Kacchan, what the heck!" He yelled, still keeping their hands intertwined and using his free arm to try and block Katsuki's view of behind him. Inadvertently showing off his arm brace to the class as he did so, but they were all focused on other things.
"Son of a bitch!" The boy yelled clutching his face before glaring at Katsuki. He recovered his balance and moved towards them again, "What the fuck was that for you-" He reached forward and grabbed Izuku on his left shoulder to move him out of the way before letting out a yelp and pulling his hand back to his chest like he had been burned. Which he had, minorly.
The dual quirk of their soulmate had pushed itself out to protect Izuku, giving the skin of his right side a slight frost and making his left scalding to the touch. A slight steam rose off of him from the two opposing temperatures as he stared down his bonded, not wanting this to escalate any further.
Katsuki gave the other boy a dismissive glare. “Maybe you shouldn’t talk about shit you don’t have the brain cells to comprehend.” He replied, raising an eyebrow at the steam and turning his attention back to Izuku, utterly unbothered by the frost on Izuku’s hand under his. “What the heck what?” He asked back. “I have a general idea of what he said based on that comment, and like hell he’s going to get away with saying that to you. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
"Let's just leave it for now though, please?" Izuku asked, "The next teacher will be here any time now. I talked to you about it, and it's not going to happen again, okay? He won't get in my head like that again."
The boy behind Izuku finally seemed to notice his arm brace and with the words Izuku said clicked in his head. And he actually had the gall to laugh , "Oh… oh holy shit he actually tried it didn't he?" He brought a hand up try and muffle his laughter, "Of course the idiot wouldn't actually be able to get the job done. What was I thinking?"
Izuku cringed at the words, more steam rising off of him as he continued to stand between the two of them. "Don't let him get in your head too, Kacchan." Izuku simply said, "He's trying to pick a fight. Don't let him have it."
Katsuki’s already angry expression twisted into a snarl, his own right hand growing a layer of frost on the back. “He’ll have to be a lot less pathetic for it to be a fight. Right now it’d just be a slaughter. It’s almost laughable, honestly.” He answered softly, willing for the idiot to be quiet.
The ice responded, creeping across the floor and up the boy’s uniform, creating a thin layer over his lips, and freezing them together when he closed his mouth. Katsuki blinked, as startled as anyone else. Something like that required a precise level of control, something he certainly didn’t have yet. Though the ice was quickly broken, just for that reason alone. The ice along the floor faded as well, not thick enough to be maintained in room temperature by itself. Katsuki blinked rapidly, fairly certain he couldn’t pull that off again if he tried, but grateful for the temporary reprieve nonetheless.
The steam slowly dissipated from Izuku as he put his arm down, sure if he moved that at least Katsuki wouldn't be the one to jump on the other. He heard the boy go to speak again once the ice on his lips had broken, but honestly Izuku had enough already. Katsuki didn't need any more goading.
Izuku turned around and let go of Katsuki's hand for a moment, knowing full well what usually followed his own annoyance and anger. Sure enough, once he faced the boy his palms started to spark. "Don't say another word. Leave him be. This isn't a fight you'll win, and I can only hold him back for so long."
The boy's eyes went wide seeing Izuku's palms spark, and immediately shut his mouth before turning and going back to his desk. The rest of the class only stared, seeing Izuku stand up against the person, even that small amount. Izuku was known for getting between people in fights and becoming the target instead, but he'd never put the target on himself by making even a vague threat.
Izuku closed his eyes, calming his anger and making his palms stop sparking before taking Katsuki's hand again and whispering, "I told you it looks threatening."
Katsuki snorted. “I think it was more the fact of it being the sweet cinnamon roll being the one to issue the threat that scared them, bunny.” He whispered back. “Warning you now so you don’t freeze up that I am absolutely intending to kiss you in the next two seconds.” True to his word, he leaned in and kissed Izuku directly on the lips.
“I have to say, though,” Katsuki whispered against Izuku’s mouth, “seeing you be intimidating is equal parts adorable and attractive as fuck. Just so you know. Also, yes, I just kissed you in front of our entire class, and no, I’m not even a little bit sorry.”
He waited until Izuku was ready to sit before he did, just in case he ended up freezing up after all.
The warning actually worked and Izuku managed not to freeze up from the initial kiss and was able to kiss him back. Then Katsuki reminded him there were people in the room with him and his face turned red as he froze with a delayed reaction. He stammered for a few moments as he rebooted before he shut his mouth and sat down in his seat, still holding Katsuki's hand. Izuku put his head on his desk covering his head with his arm whispering half-heartedly, "Jerk."
Katsuki couldn’t help but cackle, retaking his seat and squeezing Izuku’s hand. Was it a bit mean to laugh at his boyfriend’s embarrassment? Yeah, probably. Was he doing it anyway? Absolutely. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t pretend you won’t do the exact same thing when you finally find whatever my off switch is. Because if you say that, I’m preemptively calling bullshit.”
"What the heck would your off switch even be?" Izuku replied quietly, not denying he would in the slightest. It'd be revenge for everytime he did that sort of thing to him. He managed to focus more on Katsuki's voice and touch, instead of the eyes that were now on them both so he didn't start getting anxious.
Katsuki squeezed his hand reassuringly again. He grinned broadly. “I have no idea. Guess you’ll have to find it the same way I found yours.”
Before Katsuki could come up with another way to mess with Izuku, their next teacher walked in the room. Katsuki turned his attention forward, but refused to let go of Izuku’s hand.
Their classmates seemed to be really put off by the fact that Izuku of all people issued a threat, that none of them actually tried anything for that class period. It was weird to say the least for him. The teacher didn't comment on the seat change, or them holding hands the entire class period either. Seemingly having been informed by the homeroom teacher about what was going on with the two of them.
It wasn't until the class after that, one person apparently decided to test their luck. Clearly, they’d needed the second class perion to process what had happened, and had forgotten that their third period teacher didn’t take any crap from anyone. Very subtly, Kawasaki thinned out the oxygen around Izuku's face. She was likely expecting him to ignore it or try to hide it from Katsuki so he wouldn't be a target too even as he started having difficulty getting enough oxygen.
Izuku did something he never had in the past though. He signaled for help. Squeezing Katsuki's hand gently as he noticed the fact that it was getting hard to breathe and writing on his palm, help .
Katsuki became instantly alert when Izuku squeezed his hand. Not like they hadn’t been doing it the whole class period, but this one was different. Then Izuku wrote on his palm, so he knew for sure something was wrong. He turned in his chair, attention on Izuku. “‘Zuku? What is it?” He asked, concerned. It looked somewhat like an anxiety attack, though, so Katsuki had an idea of how to handle it.
He glanced briefly around the room, and spotted Kawasaki watching Izuku fairly intently. Katsuki turned his attention back to Izuku, pulling him over onto his lap, hoping the sudden move would be enough to break the concentration of whoever was messing with him, or, if it was an anxiety attack, that the proximity would help him calm down.
The move was enough to break Kawasaki's focus, with Izuku moving too quick for her to correct. Izuku immediately sucked in a deep breath of air, before panting heavily against Katsuki's chest whispering a quiet, "Thank you."
The teacher noticed the move, and almost immediately stopped what they were doing to ask, "Bakugou, Midoriya, what are you two doing? Hand holding is fine for your situation but that is… excessive." This was the same teacher who had actually told Katsuki to put his chair down before so the reaction wasn't all that surprising.
Katsuki gave Izuku a look, unsure exactly what had happened, and not exactly willing to call it an anxiety attack if it wasn’t. He had his suspicions, but he knew he couldn’t just say them without proof. He squeezed Izuku’s hand lightly, both asking for an explanation and for what he wanted to tell the teacher.
The teacher raised an eyebrow, waiting (mostly) patiently for some sort of explanation.
"It's n-" Izuku started, going to make his usual excuses before pausing and looking up at Katsuki. He took a breath. Katsuki could handle himself. He had to stop hiding. "... I- I- think Kawasaki was trying to suffocate me. Kacchan was trying to help."
The whole class went dead silent at Izuku's admission.
"She was trying to… suffocate you?" The teacher asked, looking between Izuku and Kawasaki. "Why would-"
"I- I was doing no such thing!" Kawasaki yelled, immediately going on the defensive. "You looked like you were having an anxiety attack. Don't blame that on me!"
"Kawasaki. They're a row behind you, why were you looking back at him in the first place?"
Izuku answered for her, looking over his shoulder and letting his mouth say what he figured out about her quirk just from looking at her. "Her quirk requires line of sight wherever she's trying to effect. She can minorly manipulate the currents of air, but her strong suit is actually moving the oxygen itself. Which means she can thin the air, or condense a large amount of oxygen in an area. But only an area within her range of sight within a foot radius sphere maximum at a time."
Katsuki blinked, eyes narrowing at Kawasaki. So that was why she had been staring at Izuku. And since his chair was at the border of the radius Izuku mentioned, he’d basically been hauled outside the area she’d chosen, and she couldn’t adjust it before the teacher had intervened. He added his explanation to Izuku’s. “Izuku asked me for help. We’ve had a distress signal in place ever since we were kids just in case one of us couldn’t talk. I knew it was either someone trying to hurt him with their quirk or him having an anxiety attack. Either way, closer proximity would help. Pulling him over also had the added effect of pulling him out of her range, and getting your attention so she didn’t have time to adjust.”
Silently, he squeezed Izuku’s hand, writing ‘proud of you’ into his palm.
Izuku smiled at Katsuki sheepishly from the praise as the teacher spoke again, "Kawasaki, I'll see you in the principal's office after class. Quirk use on school grounds is strictly forbidden without explicit permissions, especially on another student."
"What!?" Kawasaki yelled, standing up at her desk, "But I didn't do anything! You have no proof!"
Izuku spoke up again, "Um… actually… aren't there security cameras outside? By law there's supposed to be camera footage going 24/7 around the outside of school properties in the case of a villain targeting campus. That way a student can report suspicious activity and the footage can be reviewed in case there's a credible threat." His eyes nervously flicked to Kawasaki before going to the teacher, "If you review the footage from yesterday, you'll see me grab at my throat when I was out in the courtyard with her."
Kawasaki's face immediately went pale, realizing she had been caught.
Katsuki had to briefly hide his face in Izuku’s shoulder to hide his smirk. Good, the bitch was getting what she deserved. He hoped she got expelled, but he was prepared to take care of the problem himself if she didn’t. Attacking another student, especially in full view of their soulmate, was probably the dumbest thing she’d ever done. Well, attacking Izuku in general was just dumb, but that aside.
Katsuki was hesitant about letting Izuku return to his seat, but he also didn’t want to test this teacher’s patience, given that it was one of the two they actually liked. He loosened his grip so Izuku could move, but let him do the moving.
Izuku took a shaky breath before moving to his seat. He was worried about Kawasaki trying again if she felt she had nothing to lose, but he knew he had Katsuki by his side now. Everything would be okay. Anxiously Izuku brought Katsuki's hand up to his lips again to say a silent 'Thank you.'
/////////////////
The rest of the class time passed by, and as soon as it ended the teacher called Kawasaki to follow them out. No matter what happened Kawasaki definitely wasn't getting her lunch break like the rest of them.
Katsuki stood immediately when class ended, pulling Izuku against him by their joined hands and kissing his forehead. “Are you alright? No lasting effects?” He wanted to know, wrapping his arms around his upper body and pulling him into a hug. Quietly, he added, “I meant it. I’m proud of you for speaking up. It was the right thing to do. I know it was hard for you to be put on the spot like that, but you were amazing.”
"No, no lasting effects. I- I'm okay." Izuku responded immediately, "Shaken up. But I'll be okay." He squeezed Katsuki gently as he let out a shaky breath, "Why is saying something so hard? I talk all the time but when it comes to saying something's wrong… I…" He sighed, "Thank you for helping."
Katsuki pulls him close for the walk to the cafeteria. “Because you don’t want to get anyone in trouble, even when they’re saying or doing villainous things. You always see their future potential over their current or past actions, and don’t want to do anything to harm that. It’s… admirable, if sometimes a bit misplaced.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand again.
Izuku sighed, watching the floor as they walked. "That's true. Though…" His face scrunched up with confusion, "I started seeing her quirk as villainous . That's… that's never happened before. You've always had to point out the bad uses to me." He scratched at the brace on his arm, "And that's only after one day… but… but quirks aren't inherently heroic or villainous so I don't know why my head started going there."
Katsuki hummed. “Quirks might not be, but sometimes people are. It just takes a while to see, occasionally. You saw it because she could have easily killed you, and she acted like she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Some other things can be passed off as childish bullshit, but playing with someone’s life like that… it isn’t something anyone can just pass off. Not even you.”
He watched where they were going, steering them to avoid collisions, so Izuku could process in peace. “Do you want to eat lunch inside or outside today?”
Izuku blinked at the floor, processing what Katsuki said. "Um… outside. I… I don't want to deal with reflex checks or anything like that right now…" He responded quietly.
Katsuki nodded. “Outside it is.” He steered them to the line for food, on the lookout for anyone deciding to try anything. He didn’t think they would when they were around other students like this, especially after earlier, but it never hurt to be cautious.
Izuku bit his lip looking over the food ahead of them, trying to make a decision before they got there so he wouldn't hold up the line and make people mad at him. Then, he heard a familiar voice.
"Oh hey, Midoriya, Bakugou, how are you two doing?" Oakamura asked, coming up behind them in the lunch line, "Were you planning on eating together again? I was wondering if I could join you."
Katsuki blinked, looking over at Oakamura. Confident that even if Oakamura tried something, Izuku would tell him, Katsuki shrugged, before glancing down at Izuku. The idiot with the crush was Izuku’s friend, so it made sense for him to get the final say.
"Um… We were going to eat outside if you're okay with joining us out there." Izuku replied, not looking as happy to see Oakamura as he had the previous day. If anything he looked nervous. "It'll um… give us a chance to talk about uh… things."
"Things?" Oakamura asked, tilting his head at Izuku, "What things? Are you okay?"
Izuku blushed and looked away, "Y-Yeah. Fine. Just got a lot on my mind right now. I don't want to talk about it here though. Not with everyone listening." He glanced up at Katsuki, "I know I'll need Kacchan there so I can… uhm… actually well… speak anyway so..."
"Okay. I guess I'll find out soon then." Oakamura replied, "Line is moving Midoriya."
Izuku yelped and moved forward again, starting to ask for what he wanted to eat.
Oakamura looked at Katsuki curiously, "Any idea what he's talking about?"
Katsuki hummed, considering for a moment, then nodding. “If he wants me there when he tells you it’s probably to make sure he doesn’t chicken out saying it.” He offered, as a half-assed explanation. He had a feeling Izuku’s going to break the news about them being soulmates to Oakamura. That, or tell him that he doesn’t return his feelings. Once Izuku had moved forward, Katsuki stepped up, ordering his own food, the same simple (and cheap) dishes he’d gotten the day before. Once he paid, he waited with Izuku for Oakamura to finish as well.
Once he had joined them, Katsuki headed outside, finding a bench that could seat all of them comfortably. He sat down on the far right, leaving space for the other two.
Izuku sat down so that he was closer to Katsuki so they could touch if Katsuki needed it again since he was seemingly still getting used to being soulmates. Oakamura sat down on his other side and Izuku took a deep breath, "U-Uhm… s-so…" Izuku closed his eyes, he needed to do this for his friend. He couldn't keep leading him on now that he knew what Oakamura wanted.
"So?" Oakamura asked, "Nobody but us three are out here Midoriya. You can talk to me."
"Kacchan… Kacchan told me you have a crush on me." Izuku peeked an eye open at Oakamura, "Is… is that true?"
Oakamura stared at Izuku dumbfounded, looking between him and Katsuki, "I- I- uh. Y-Yeah."
Izuku sighed and put his face in his hands. God he was so oblivious.
Oakamura reached out a hand towards Izuku, "I… do you not?"
Izuku turned to face him and shook his head, "I- I- don't like you that way. I'm sorry. I… you're… you're cute and I did have a crush on you at one point but…"
"Not anymore…" Oakamura finished for him. "What… I- did you really not know I liked you? This whole time?" He asked looking at him confused, and his tone getting a bit angry, "Or did you...? ...did you know and just wanted to play with my heart like that?"
"Oakamura I-"
"How long have you two been dating?" He asked, staring Izuku down.
"What?"
"How. Long. " Oakamura repeated, visibly angry now, "He told me yesterday you were dating. So how long. How long have you been leading me to think there was a chance. "
Katsuki blinked. He couldn’t have asked that yesterday? He just had to ask Izuku, apparently. He cut in, knowing Izuku would get flustered, and possibly unable to come up with an answer. “Yesterday. I impulsively asked him out during lunch yesterday. That’s why we were holding hands in the cafeteria.” He lied easily. He glared at Oakamura. “How long have you known Izuku? And you honestly think he’s capable of leading anyone on? I had to tell him about your crush because he had no idea.”
"Fucking yesterday!?" Oakamura yelled, "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I've been asking him out practically since we met and you ask him once and he says yes?" The grass around them started moving like it was in a strong wind, and the bushes rustled around them. The bracelet around Izuku's wrist tightened slightly.
Izuku squeaked, not knowing how to respond to his friend's anger or how to correct Katsuki's lie without making it worse.
"What the fucking hell does he have that I don't Midoriya?" Oakamura said getting closer to Izuku, "Why him and not me. " The bracelet tightened even more around Izuku's wrist.
Izuku whimpered, "I- I- didn't… Oak-Oakamura he's… he's my…" He let out a whine as he had to harden his wrist because of the pressure, "Oakamura you're hurting me. Stop please ."
Katsuki moved quickly, getting out of his seat and pushing Izuku back to where he had been, to make space between them. He slipped his fingers underneath the bracelet and called on the ignition portion of his quirk, snapping the bracelet. He turned to Oakamura with a snarl. “First of all, back the fuck off before I make you, asshole . Second, he accepted from me because I literally asked him to be my boyfriend , rather than asking him to hang out, or whatever you did.” Katsuki kept an arm out between the two, so Izuku could duck behind him if he wanted. “Third, we’ve been friends since we were in diapers. Why would he pick you over me ?”
"Maybe because he'd know what an ass you apparently are!" Oakamura snarled back, reaching forward and grabbing Katsuki's shirt, "I may not have said the words 'Let's go on a date' explicitly. But it was pretty fucking obvious. "
"Guys stop!" Izuku yelled from behind Katsuki, he noticed the vine from the bracelet wriggle on the ground for a moment before moving to wrap itself around Katsuki. "Oakamura he's my soulmate. "
All the plants around them suddenly stopped moving, an eerie silence around them after all the rustling.
"What?"
"Kacchan... is my soulmate." Izuku stated again. "We've known each other since we were babies. But he didn't find out till yesterday. After the arcade. After we started walking home. We were going to pretend to date to get the rumors that started after lunch to go away faster. The kiss you saw was accidental." Izuku moved in front of Katsuki again, "He didn't know. And it's been around two years since I knew."
"I- I- but… we met… and…" Oakamura stammered, his eyes surprisingly getting wet with tears.
"I'm sorry I'm an oblivious asshole, Oakamura." Izuku said, pulling Oakamura into a hug to try and calm him. He was Izuku's friend after all. "I had to have things pointed out to me. I didn't even think Kacchan would ever want someone like me until yesterday."
Oakamura hugged Izuku tightly as he started crying into his shoulder. "S-someone like you? B-But you're amazing…"
Izuku laughed, "You both keep saying stuff like that… I'm starting to believe it."
Katsuki stayed quiet, letting the two of them talk it out, but ready to react at the slightest hint of Oakamura getting aggressive again.
He couldn’t help but snort at Oakamura calling Izuku amazing. “Look at that, something we can agree on,” he muttered under his breath. Otherwise, he kept quiet. Izuku’s crying, he could handle. Mostly because he’d had years of practice. Anyone else? Haha, yeah right.
"Oh shut it Kacchan." Izuku teased before turning his attention back on Oakamura, rubbing small circles on his back. "Funnily enough, when we were at the clinic for my arm, Kacchan figured out soulmate healing helped me. He just didn't realize it was healing from him. He thought I would have told him , but if it was someone else I'd be too anxious to say." He hummed with a smile, "Guess who he thought it could be?"
Oakamura's face scrunched up in confusion, "W-Who?"
"You."
Oakamura pulled back to look at Izuku's face, even with the tears still rolling down his face. "W-What? No way."
"Yes way." Izuku laughed. "You're like… the only other person who has been even vaguely nice to me. That's why he thought that."
"And we're not, right? Soulmates?"
"No."
"Okay. Okay cool." Oakamura replied, fully pulling away from Izuku now. He looked sadly at Izuku's wrist. "I- I didn't hurt you too bad did I? I just… I got so angry I didn't even know what I was doing."
"No, Kacchan got it off before it could crack the hardening." Izuku replied, "It might bruise from the pressure before I hardened it, but it should be fine. No lasting damage. Soulmate cuddles will fix me right up."
"Good. Good…" Oakamura sighed scratching at his hair, "That's good. Uh…" He looked up at Izuku, "Can we… still be friends after this?"
Izuku went to immediately answer before shutting his mouth and thinking about it a moment. "I… I think so? I don't see why not, as long as you don't do something like that again."
Katsuki groaned. He was never going to live that down, was he? He grumbled good-naturedly, not too bothered by it, especially since it lightened the mood. When Oakamura asked if they could still be friends, Katsuki’s immediate reaction was a ‘no, absolutely not’. He held his tongue, though. It wasn’t his decision to make.
He kept all signs of displeasure to himself at Izuku’s answer. He knew he and Oakamura would never get along, but that didn’t mean Izuku couldn’t have friends apart from Katsuki. He wasn’t that kind of asshole.
Oakamura looked over Izuku's shoulder at Katsuki, "Is… Is he going to be alright with that?"
Izuku looked over at Katsuki and squinted at him before turning back to Oakamura, "If he's not, too bad. He's not my keeper. He can protect me but he doesn't make my decisions for me."
Oakamura looked confused, "Even though he's your boyfriend? And soulmate? Isn't that how that works?"
Izuku blinked at Oakamura for a moment, "Uh… no. Something tells me if we had dated it probably wouldn't have worked out if that's how you think…"
Oakamura frowned, "Yeah, I guess you have a point. I am sorry by the way. For acting like that."
"Apology accepted." Izuku replied with a nod before sitting down with his food, "C'mon, we gotta eat before all our food gets cold."
Katsuki blinked rapidly, shaking his head. “Our friendship wouldn’t last very long if I tried that, much less our relationship. I look out for him as well as I can, but I’m not going to make decisions for him, unless it’s something that could get him seriously hurt, or it involves his well-being.” Katsuki gave the brace on his arm a significant look as he said this.
That aside, he knew that squint. Izuku knew he wasn’t going to approve, and was checking to make sure he wasn’t pulling any faces or anything. He stuck his tongue out at the back of Izuku’s head before retaking his original seat, and picking his food back up. “We don’t have a lot of time left before class, so eat fast, ‘Zuku.”
Izuku nodded to Katsuki and started shoveling his food down quickly. "Mhm. Kacchan may not like my decisions but he respects them. For the most part anyway." Izuku said in between bites."Acting like he could override it would be a fast track to snapping the bond, probably. So I would not recommend it." He shoveled some more food in his mouth then went to talk again and choked on a bit of food. Sending himself straight into a coughing fit. "Oops." He said before coughing again.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and pulled a bottle of water out of his bag, opening it and handing it to Izuku. He ate his food quickly and quietly, then waited for Izuku to finish.
Oakamura, now that he wasn’t being jealous, watched the easy way they interacted with no small amount of awe. It was easy to tell they were soulmates if you sat and watched them for a moment. Bakugou was still an asshole, but somehow he softened for Izuku. He wondered if Bakugou really realized how lucky he was to have someone like Izuku so devoted to him, soulmate or not.
Izuku took the water gratefully and took a big swig to clear his throat, "Thanks, Kacchan." He leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before returning to finishing off his food. Once he was done he sighed and stood up, "Alright. Let's go get the rest of the day over with. Hopefully it's not too draining… I do want to make up for missing morning training this afternoon."
"Morning… Training?" Oakamura asked.
"I er… well… I have four quirks I need to train with now and really get used to." Izuku explained, "I still want to be a hero, and I'm going to need to practice to do that. Kacchan is already way ahead of the game but…" He shrugged.
"Four soulmates huh? You're really lucky Midoriya, and so are they." Oakamura replied with a smile.
"Oh uh… I only have three as far as I know…" Izuku said quietly as he turned his back, "Turns out I have a mental quirk?"
"Oh." Oakamura blinked. "Really?"
Izuku laughed sadly, "Yep… Found out this morning. I had one this whole time."
Katsuki grinned, standing up as well. Returning the kiss on the cheek, he couldn’t help but add in his opinion. “That aside, he’s right. We are lucky. All three of us.” He was mildly tempted to invite Oakamura, just to give them an excuse to kick each other’s ass, but he realized that was probably a bad idea. The more people knew about the quarry, the less privacy he and Izuku would have there. He grabbed his tray and moved to head inside, waiting at the door for Izuku, at least.
Izuku ducked his head down with a blush as he followed Katsuki inside. " Stop iiit. " Izuku whined, "If anything I'm the lucky one here. I'm connected to three powerhouses over here, and at least one of them is ridiculously handsome and is someone I'd trust with basically anything." He held up his tray with one hand and gestured to himself, "Whereas there's just me . Who looks meh and has a mental quirk doesn't even fully know how it works yet."
"Okay. You do not look meh ." Oakamura argued, falling in line behind them, "You're cute as hell."
Katsuki gestured back at Oakamura to indicate his agreement. “I wouldn’t call myself handsome, but you , on the other hand, little bunny, definitely are. And you have a giant heart to go with it.” He turned to walk backwards, and kissed Izuku playfully on the nose.
Izuku pouted at Katsuki as his blush got darker, "You are so handsome, Kacchan. I've got messy curly hair, chubby cheeks, and freckles with four darker ones in a diamond shape on each cheek, symmetrically . I look weird . You've got the chiseled face structure and everything and we're in middle school ." He huffed as he put his tray away, "It's not fair how handsome you are."
Oakamura chimed in again, "You know symmetry in your face is supposedly more attractive, right? Your freckles are cute. The rest is even more so." He grinned, "And don't think I didn't notice how you didn't argue about your giant heart. Even you can't deny it."
Izuku whined, "Oakamura not you too. How could you betray me like this."
Katsuki cackled, amused by his soulmate’s suffering. “Just accept it already, Izuku.” He teased, setting his tray up and pulling Izuku into a side hug. “You’re adorable.”
He started back in the direction of the first year classrooms, switching to just holding Izuku’s hand so he could still talk to Oakamura comfortably.
" Never. " Izuku said squinting at Katsuki, trying to keep himself from smiling. "You'd have to admit you're the handsome one first."
Oakamura smiled and clicked his tongue, "So, what you're saying is he just has to admit he's the handsome one, and you're the adorable one? That's not too difficult there Midoriya."
Izuku gasped, "Oakamura, you jerk! Do not point out loopholes to him!" He pouted again, "I'm not handsome."
"Correct." Oakamura teased, "You're adorable."
Katsuki shrugged. “Well if it’s that easy, then sure, I’ll be the handsome one.” He said breezily. “Your turn now, I~Zu~Ku~.” He teased the greenet. “You’re the adorable one.”
The crowd in the halls was thinning, signalling to Katsuki that they needed to get moving, but teasing Izuku was too much fun.
Izuku's blush became a full body blush hearing his name said like that. "I- f-fine. I'm the adorable one. Just shut up now. "
Oakamura laughed and stopped in his tracks, "This is my class. See you two around."
Izuku waved him goodbye before turning and glaring at Katsuki, "You're lucky I like you." He leaned over and kissed the side of Katsuki's neck, just because that was the easiest thing he could reach at that moment. "Jerk."
Katsuki laughed even harder, waving Oakamura off absently. He grinned and bent over to give Izuku a proper kiss, using their joined hands to ensure Izuku kept walking after. “Pretty sure I already said that. I’m very lucky, and I know it. I’m lucky to have you at all, much less as a soulmate.”
He wrapped his arm around Izuku’s shoulders just before they entered the classroom, and headed quickly for their seats. Thankfully the teacher wasn’t there yet. Kawasaki’s chair was still empty, though. And that was the only one besides theirs.
Izuku let out a sigh of relief, thankfully they weren't late. Walking in late would have been super awkward, and would have put a mark on their records more than likely. He noticed Kawasaki's chair was still empty, which meant either she was still being reprimanded or… had Izuku gotten her expelled? Even she didn’t deserve that, did she? Izuku squeezed Katsuki's hand for reassurance as he sat back down and started pulling out his things with one hand.
Katsuki blinked, squeezing Izuku’s hand back. That felt more like a nervous squeeze, so Katsuki looked over at him to sign, everything alright? He absently pulled his things out for class, not even giving Kawasaki’s empty seat a second glance.
You don't think I got her expelled, do you? Izuku asked. That kind of thing could make her future super difficult. Once he got his things out he bit his lip and started scratching at his shoulder with his free hand. He'd never spoken up like that before, and the idea that if he did such drastic measures would be taken… he didn't like that. It wasn’t like she had a record of such extreme behavior to justify such a thing. Was it really deserved after one incident?
Now Katsuki looked over at the empty seat. He shrugged one shoulder. Going through footage takes time. And they have to go all the way back to lunch yesterday. It might take a while. He tried to be reassuring. The problem with that was, he really hoped she did get expelled for attacking Izuku like that. Even if she does get expelled, it will be something she did to herself. You didn’t make her attack you. No one did. She chose to do that, and she’ll face the consequences of that choice whether she likes it or not.
Yeah but… Izuku sighed, No, you have a point. His current level of anxiousness over Kawasaki was enough to make the dual quirk want to return to him. The teacher hadn't walked in yet, so Izuku allowed it for a few moments. Bringing flame to his fingertips to watch dance for only a few moments before he closed his eyes again and snuffed the flame.
Just in time for their next teacher to walk in. This was the teacher who treated Izuku like glass before, and was also the class where the fire-quirked girl had been told she would need to move in the first place. Of course, due to the new development between him and Katsuki they wanted to check in.
"Hey Midoriya." The teacher whispered coming to kneel in front of him to whisper, "Just wanted to make sure everything was alright with you. I heard about Kawasaki and…" They glanced at Katsuki for a moment, "Soulmates huh? Everything good on that front?"
Izuku knew they were asking to make sure Katsuki was treating him nicely since as far as they knew, he was quirkless, and rates of all the bad stuff with soulmates including soulmate abuse were significantly higher. He smiled genuinely however, bringing Katsuki's hand up to the side of his face before giving another small kiss on his knuckles.
The teacher seemed happy with his response, and then moved to the front of the class to get the lesson started. Though, they seemed to keep a close eye on Katsuki and Izuku's interactions, as close as they had been watching just Izuku the day before.
Katsuki blinked at the teacher, now that he could actually hear what was being said. As much as it annoyed Izuku to be treated like glass, Katsuki was a bit relieved. It had solved at least one problem yesterday, and as much as it irked him to be assumed capable of treating his soulmate poorly, he knew the statistics as well as Izuku did. Quirkless people got screwed over in a lot of ways. Mostly because everyone else sucked.
Izuku caught himself glancing at Kawasaki's empty desk more than a few times throughout the class. He'd almost immediately bring his attention back to his notebook or the teacher, but it was distracting to say the least. Izuku was worried about what had happened. And what if Kawasaki came after him for ratting her out now? If she got expelled she'd have nothing to lose.
Thoughts like that plagued him throughout the class period, and the only upside was that it kept him from worrying about if their classmates were going to try anything.
Katsuki was able to avoid thinking about Kawasaki for the most part. No one seemed interested in pushing their luck in this class, especially since the last person who tried still hadn’t come back. Katsuki had to at least be grateful for that.
/////////////
Otherwise, the class passed relatively quickly. Next up, asshole teacher. Joy. Though Katsuki suspected he’d try to separate himself and Izuku, and Katsuki was going to be amused as hell throwing it in his face that he couldn’t do that.
Izuku blew out a slow breath, it was the second to last class next. And they just had to deal with the next teacher for the most part, then they could relax more since their last teacher seemed nice. Izuku rubbed his thumb over Katsuki's absentmindedly as he scratched at his shoulder again. "Do you think he'll try and separate us? We've been touching all day, if we separate now it's going to feel… off." Izuku whispered.
"Our bodies are still getting used to the connection being completely solidified. And we didn't exactly go slow with it since we slept in the same bed…" He continued, "I'm more used to not touching because of…" Izuku trailed off, "But it'd be hard for you if earlier didn't make that obvious."
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “He can try, but he’s not going to succeed. It might not be an official rule that soulmates are allowed to sit near each other, but it isn’t something he can write either of us up for either if we refuse to move. The news seems to have made its way to all of our teachers, so there’s no way he doesn’t know. He may be an ass, but I don’t think he’s dumb enough to pick a battle he knows he can’t actually win.”
Izuku gave Katsuki a small nod and squeezed his hand back gently, just before the teacher came in.
The teacher went to the front of the class squinting slightly at the two of them before he set down his things and addressed the class. "Alright, first order of business. Any and all homework is due first thing at the top of the class. No exceptions, no excuses." They looked around the room, "I would assume every single one of you completed your worksheets then, yes?"
Around the room there were a few quiet curses and mutterings. It sounded like over half the class had completely forgotten about the assignment.
Izuku let out a relieved breath, glad both of them had remembered it. He quickly pulled said assignment out of his bag and gently placed it on his desk, ready to hand it in once the teacher came around.
The teacher tutted. “Not a very good first impression, failing to complete your first assignment in middle school.” All of the students who hadn’t hung their heads, embarrassed. “Nonetheless, all assignments will be collected and graded, completed or not. If you have an acceptable reason why the assignment was not completed, discuss it with me before class and I may allow you an extra day. This will be on an entirely case-by-case basis. Those who regularly complete their assignments may find that I am a bit more lenient with failure to do so.”
Katsuki grinned at Izuku as he pulled out his own worksheet, both relieved that they had remembered and amused that so many others hadn’t. He hummed in consideration at the next part of the lecture. Leave a good impression with your schoolwork, and he’d be more understanding if something happened. It made sense, and showed the teacher as maybe a little less of an asshole.
The teacher eyed Katsuki and Izuku for a moment, before moving on to collect assignments.
Izuku's shoulders relaxed the second the teacher moved on without saying anything to them. As soon as he passed and stopped weaving around their desks, Izuku took Katsuki's hand back in his with a small smile. Then he put his full attention on the teacher, according to him doing better on your studies would make him more lenient. Which was good for them considering they'd both likely be getting harder work once Izuku was officially able to report the discovery of his quirk.
Katsuki waited until the teacher wasn’t looking, then raised Izuku’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. He squeezed Izuku’s hand shortly after that. Maybe this class wouldn’t be so bad after all? Especially once Izuku’s quirk was officially registered. He still wanted to punch that damn fucking doctor in his stupid, smug face, though.
Izuku's face flushed from Katsuki kissing his knuckles. How in the heck had Katsuki barely reacted to that before? Izuku was starting to think there was practically nothing that'd fluster him. Though if there was, Izuku was determined to find it.
The teacher seemed to want to comment on Izuku's getting flustered when he noticed it, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. It wasn't like Katsuki wouldn't just tell him why Izuku had gotten flustered. They were bonded and that sort of thing was apparently normal. Izuku was just having a hard time handling it. So long without getting what his soul wanted made it feel like a dream turned reality. And even the other classmates seemed either too hesitant to try anything with Kawasaki's still being gone, or too confused as to what was even happening with them to think about messing with him.
Once the class ended and the teacher started to pack up Izuku looked to Katsuki with a soft smile. He hadn't let his gaze wander from the teacher during class due to the fear of getting called out for not paying attention. Now he was making up for that time looking at him fondly.
Katsuki grinned back at Izuku, grabbing his chair to pull him over. He pressed a soft kiss to Izuku’s cheek. “You doing okay?” He asked. He slid his arms around Izuku, pulling him into a hug. “After school today I voted we go home and sleep. All night.”
Izuku blushed, but returned the hug. " Kacchan we're still in class. People can see us. " He whispered, "But yes, I'm doing okay. Just wanted to look at you for a bit." He hummed and smiled up at him, "No after school training then? Guess we'll make up for it tomorrow. Sleeping sounds nice."
"Homework first though. And food. Then sleep." Izuku clarified.
Katsuki grumbled. “ I don’t know. I suppose training can wait another day. Just...this morning was nice. Making up for it tomorrow… doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.” Katsuki knew there were people watching them, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had no idea why he was such a damn sap when it came to Izuku, but he was. He always had been. It was the one thing he wouldn’t trade, though.
"Means less cuddle time tomorrow morning though." Izuku pointed out. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Alright, we should probably separate before our classmates start-"
There was a flash and a clicking noise.
"...Taking pictures." Izuku said pulling away from Katsuki now. The person who left their flash on got a smack on the arm from the other students who had their phones up. His face flushed as he realized probably everyone at the school had seen how affectionate they were now. Which got a few laughs from the people who were probably filming them.
Did they really have nothing better to do? Had they never seen two bonded together before? What was with their classmates?
Katsuki had to hide his mouth in the crook of his elbow to muffle his laughter. Fucking middle school. It was elementary school with fucking hormones. Between bouts of laughter, he guessed and answered Izuku’s questions. “No, they don’t have anything better to do, besides most of their parents, probably not, and a lot of stupid bullshit.” He looked around the room. “I’d better get a copy of every single picture that just got taken. I will find out if you don’t.”
Several of their classmates made startled noises. They’d probably thought he’d get angry over the pictures.
Katsuki's laughter at their situation made Izuku want to laugh too if it wasn't for how embarrassed he felt. He managed to look grumpily at Katsuki as he crossed his arms but it was obvious he was hiding a smile. "Stop laughing you jerk this is embarrassing. " He said with a somewhat fond glare, "Why would you want so many pictures of us anyway?"
He glanced towards the group of people and realized some of them were still filming and started blushing harder. Izuku tried hiding his face with his arms. " Kacchan. " Izuku whined, "This is going to make my face light on fire again."
Katsuki eyed the cameras, before pulling Izuku onto his lap. “I want pictures because you are absolutely adorable.” He responded. “Though if these idiots don’t cut it out in the next few seconds, I really will be angry.”
There was a rush of sound as many hurried to put their phones away. Katsuki nodded approvingly.
"Could've told them to do that before you pulled me in your lap, but thanks." Izuku mumbled quietly, though he knew Katsuki would understand him. He almost always did.
He wanted to kiss him in that moment, but decided to wait. Too many eyes were on them in that moment, but he knew he'd have plenty more chances in the future. Which was a really nice thought.
Katsuki grinned. “Sure, I could have. I didn’t though. You’re just too damn cute. And you’re all mine. At least until we meet the other two.” Katsuki kissed Izuku on the cheek.
Before he could embarrass his partner further, their last period teacher entered the room. Katsuki, though he wanted to hold on longer, opened his arms so Izuku could return to his seat.
Izuku quickly hopped out of Katsuki's arms and returned to his seat before reaching out and taking his hand again for the remainder of the class.
The teacher smiled at the two of them before walking to the front of the class and beginning the lesson. Mid lesson, as Izuku was taking his diligent notes, the teacher frowned looking behind him. They lifted up their hand, and suddenly a cell phone was there.
They frowned at it and tapped the screen a few times. "No cell phones in class. And especially not for taking 'snaps' of your classmates without their permission." They waved it in the air and placed in on their desk. "You'll get that at the end of the day." They then continued the class as normal.
Katsuki blinked, glancing behind him to figure out whose phone got swiped. Rolling his eyes, he returned to paying attention to his notes, giving Izuku’s hand a light squeeze. As much as he enjoyed teasing Izuku, why was someone taking pictures in class? They had been much more affectionate earlier, so why when they were just holding hands? Though, as with all shiny new things to talk about, Katsuki was fairly certain that they’d get bored of it soon enough.
//////////
As soon as the bell rang for the end of the day Izuku squeezed Katsuki's hand quickly before starting to pack up his things with a smile. "Finally…" He sighed, "Now the sooner we get home and get everything done… the sooner we can sleep."
Katsuki nodded, mirroring Izuku’s actions with his own school things. "I have to admit, I’m not really sure how to go about registering a new bond. Which isn’t surprising, I suppose. Maybe Aunty would know?”
Izuku scrunched up his face, "Maybe? I'm not sure if she'd know either since she's never done it but… maybe?" As soon as he finished packing up his things he put his bag on his back and reached out for Katsuki again once he was done. "All I know is you're supposed to do it as soon as you find it usually… so uh… if something were to happen and you end up in the hospital you don't end up separated for too long. And so your bonded can help with healing."
Katsuki hefted his bag over his shoulder with his right hand, and slid his left arm around Izuku’s shoulders. “There’s probably a way to do it online. There usually is.” Katsuki shook his head at the idea of going in the hospital. “Hopefully that won’t happen, at least for a long time.” Both of them, or even just one of them, working as pro heroes was risky, and increased their chances of ending up in the hospital.
Katsuki shrugged it off. “I’ve gotta get some clean clothes from my folks’ house if we’re doing training in the morning, so let’s stop there first, okay? Plus, hopefully dad left me some extra money for lunch this week since they aren’t home.”
Izuku blushed slightly, expecting a hand hold and not what Katsuki was currently doing. As they started walking, Izuku hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arm around Katsuki's waist. "Sounds good." He hummed. Izuku had the urge to say he loved Katsuki again, but it was still way too early. The fact that he had already said it once in the first place was a lot. He didn't want to pressure Katsuki into feeling like he needed to say it back.
Katsuki snickered, surprisingly comfortable walking that way. Maybe since Izuku was shorter, and it was easier to get an arm around his shoulders, rather than trying for his waist. He headed for the doors of the school, keeping Izuku close so they wouldn’t be separated by the rush of everyone else also leaving for the day.
Izuku giggled quietly, "We really look like a couple right now, don't we?" He grinned up at Katsuki before looking around at the crowd of peers. Just as they were about to make their way outside, Izuku noticed a kid getting pushed around and before he even thought about it he suddenly separated from Katsuki and went running in that direction.
He immediately placed himself between the red haired boy and his attackers, arms hardened and knees braced incase one of them tried to take a swing.
"Out of the way Midoriya." One of them growled, "Unless you want to take his beating for him."
Katsuki blinked as Izuku took off and followed him, realizing what was going on before he even caught up. He paused by the red-haired kid- their classmate, Katsuki realized idly- and crossed his arms, decidedly not amused by anything that was happening right now.
"L-Leave him be." Izuku replied back, still keeping his stance at the ready. He wasn't exactly a fighter, but he knew how to protect his body for the most part through plenty of trial and error.
"Guess you're getting your ass whooped then too Mr-I-have-a-mental-quirk." Another one said before they noticed Katsuki, someone who they hadn't run into in the past and thus had no idea what he was capable of. "You too blondie if you don't move."
Instead of swinging, one of them tried to grab Izuku. Unfortunately for them, Izuku wasn't shoving down the dual-quirk anymore and the fire half really liked pushing to protect him. Burning the hands of anyone who tried to put a hand on him.
The attacker reeled their hand back and glared at Izuku, "What the fuck was that!?"
"I said. Leave him be." Izuku repeated, not elaborating on the fact that his skin was now scalding to the touch on one side.
Katsuki gave the aggressor an annoyed look, before silently turning to their classmate to check on him. Since he didn’t seem too badly hurt, Katsuki returned his attention to Izuku. He snickered at Izuku’s trick with the fire, giving it a moment before he intervened and knocked all these idiots on their asses.
The red haired boy looked confused, waving off Katsuki’s concern and watching Izuku. He looked between them once or twice, blinking rapidly.
Izuku held his position, steam starting to rise off of him again as he had to compensate for the amount of heat he was putting out. The dual quirk seemed to need balance to continue working effectively without causing issues with the user.
"Since fucking when has the nerd had access to a heat quirk?" One of the bullies asked, taking a step back. Izuku remembered that their quirk made them have a sensitivity to heat, so he supposed that would be why he had an almost scared expression.
The others didn't back off immediately, but didn't push again yet. Seemingly deciding how they'd get Izuku out of their way.
"Back off. Soon preferably because you're starting to anger me and that tends to cause some issues." Izuku said simply keeping his face as neutral as he could. He was scared despite what his face was showing, but he knew he had Katsuki backing him up if something went wrong here. "What did he ever do to make you want to try this? Nobody deserves this."
"He's quirkless. " One of them sneered. "We're putting him in his place. The little idiot thinks he's tough."
That one word was enough to set Izuku over the edge for Katsuki's quirk to start pushing to be used. Even though he knew he himself wasn't quirkless now, he knew what it was like. And he still stood by his statement. Nobody deserved to be treated like they were treating the red haired boy. Izuku pulled his arms from their defensive position in front of his chest with his palms facing towards him, to at his side with his hands facing forwards as small sparks started in his palms.
The bullies were taken off guard and all of them stepped back now. "Fuck this. It's not worth it right now." The seeming leader of the group said before pushing the rest of them to move away.
Once they were out of sight Izuku let out a breath of relief and kneeled on the ground hanging his head. The sparks on his palms didn't stop however as Izuku had them laid at his side. "Kacchan." He whispered, "I need some help."
Katsuki’s expression twisted into an amused sneer when they backed off at the sight of his quirk coming from Izuku. Obviously they didn’t know it was his, but that made it even funnier. When Izuku said he needed help, the amusement vanished. He walked over to Izuku, sparking his own sweat off before kneeling himself and pulling Izuku into a hug. “Deep breaths, ‘Zuku. Focus on me, okay? Take a minute to calm down, and the sparks will go away on their own. Just breath. You’re okay.”
Their classmate stared at them both, stunned. “Why… why did you get involved? I didn’t ask for your help!” He snapped.
Izuku nodded against Katsuki, focusing on his breathing and calming himself down to make his palms stop sparking. Katsuki's presence helped accelerate the process, and as soon as they stopped sparking and Izuku was sure the nitroglycerin sweat was off his hands he returned the hug.
"Feet moved on their own. Again." Izuku replied quietly, "You didn't ask. But it looked like you needed some help."
Katsuki sighed. Of course Izuku acted without thinking. He was a doofus like that. Katsuki gave him a tight hug, before standing up and pulling Izuku up with him. “You’re such a dork.” Katsuki muttered fondly.
Their classmate did not look happy with that answer. “Well next time, tell your feet to move the other way.” He shot back. “You interfering is just going to make it worse later.”
Izuku frowned and looked over his shoulder at their classmate, "I've tried. Trust me. Um… they… usually corner me for interfering after the fact too." He bit his lip, "At least they stopped for now?" Izuku's eyes dropped to the floor, "Um… sorry. I can't say I wouldn't do it again. But… I know where you're coming from."
The boy gave Izuku a sour look, but didn’t comment further. He walked away from them, likely headed home.
Katsuki, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. “Oh they would, hm?” He asked. “Well, hopefully the fire and my quirk made them less interested in doing that, but I’ll be happy to teach them a lesson if it didn’t.” He ruffles Izuku’s hair playfully. “Let’s get out of here, huh?”
Izuku watched their classmate leave sadly before smiling gently up at Katsuki. "Yeah. Let's go." He glanced in the direction the group of bullies had gone, "I hope that's not needed too…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts before pulling himself closer to Katsuki as they walked.
Katsuki kept an eye out for anyone looking to start something as they left. Thankfully no one seemed interested in that, but Katsuki knew he’d probably be on alert for the next few days, just in case. He curled his arm back around Izuku’s shoulders, enjoying the contact like he had been all day.
////////////////////
Once they had left the school grounds and nobody was around, Izuku leaned up and gave Katsuki a chaste kiss. He'd been wanting to but hadn't felt brave enough to do it in front of other people on his own yet. He hummed for a moment before he pulled away from Katsuki and sighed, "I just remembered my quirk again. Our bond isn't the only thing to register." He chewed on his lip again, "You'll help me tell my mom, right?"
Katsuki hummed, returning the kiss. “Yeah, there’s that too. What do you want to call it? You’ll have to come up with a cool name for it before you register it.” He commented. He kissed Izuku lightly. “Of course. How do you want to tell her?”
Izuku grumbled, "I'm so bad with names though! I can never decide on something. And I don't even know that much about my quirk yet like… I think it might be analysis-based? It seemed like a data dump of information all at once when I got that headache. But that's all I know right now. And even then there's a bunch of name options to work with, Data Stream, Data Pull, Info Dump… I could go on."
He sighed, "And I don't know about that either! How the heck do I tell my mom that the doctor was wrong. That she gave up on my dreams for no reason. That she's been worried for nothing this whole time over me not being able to get anywhere in life because she had me with dad even though he's not her soulmate." Izuku made a face as he started getting himself worked up, "And just everything! Me having a quirk almost complicates things more with everything I have to catch up on now. God how are we going to tell Dad too?"
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a good start already. Besides, that doctor was an idiot and clearly didn’t know what he was talking about. He ran one test, did an x-ray , of all things, and decided you were quirkless. Any doctor worth their degree knows that the toe joint thing is bullshit. Start there?”
Izuku sighed, "Yeah, I guess that's as good of a starting point as anything. Maybe bring up how you have the toe joint too?" He shook his head, "I don't know. Planning the whole conversation isn't going to do much more than make me more anxious about it since I'm sure the conversation will go off the rails the second I open my mouth…"
Snorting, Katsuki nodded. “Most big conversations tend to do that. I’m sure everything will be fine, though.” He started them moving again, headed towards his house.
///////////
Once they got there, Katsuki headed upstairs to switch out his clothes, including grabbing some workout clothes for the morning. He grabbed a more comfortable outfit that he could sleep in, and retreated to the bathroom so he could change, before putting a clean uniform in his bag. He checked to back sure his stuffed rabbit was still secure, before heading back downstairs, and into the kitchen.
The kitchen was clean. Too clean. And there was no note. Katsuki’s heart sank, and he checked all the usual hiding places, including the “junk drawer” that was the bane of his mother’s existence. Nothing. He checked the pantry and the refrigerator, knowing what he’d find but hoping he was wrong. Nope. She’d cleared out the fridge and not gone shopping. Fantastic.
Izuku's heart sank right alongside Katsuki's as he realized what was going on. "Kacchan?" He said softly, reaching out to try and reassure him everything would be fine. "You okay?"
Katsuki took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions under control. Mostly, he was angry. Obviously, she expected him to rely on Aunty Inko for meals this week, seeing as his other option was to fucking starve. He poked around a bit, realizing that, thankfully, there was enough ingredients for him to make himself miso soup and rice for lunch. Simple, but it would have to do, since his dad hadn’t been able to get away with leaving him any money for food. He couldn’t get over the fact that she clearly thought nothing of making her own son rely on another adult to feed him, when she could easily afford to have gotten more food, or left him money to do so himself. It was aggravating, and Katsuki hated it, especially since he knew (and knew she knew) that Aunty Inko occasionally struggled financially. There was a reason he’d been so insistent on going to get more for dinner the other night and paying for it himself.
He exhaled slowly, losing the fight with his temper. “I should have expected she’d do this.”
"You think she did it on purpose?" Izuku asked coming up to give him a hug. He hummed, "It's okay though Kacchan. We'll help you with food this week. I'm not letting you starve."
“Oh, I’m sure she did. She doesn’t think anything of making other people spend money to feed her child, but god forbid she have to do the same. Her money’s too good to be wasted on an ungrateful brat.” He was only partially serious when he said the last sentence, but the way he said it would probably tip off Izuku to just how often he heard it.
"You are not ungrateful, nor a brat." Izuku stated seriously. Looking grumpily at Katsuki, though the look wasn't directed at him. "Should report her for child neglect…" He mumbled under his breath as he squeezed Katsuki gently.
"Mom was probably planning on you being there for dinner tonight at the very least anyway. If you've got everything, we can go over to my house now and get homework done before dinner?" He said looking at Katsuki with a slight smile. "We can deal with getting you money for food after."
Katsuki sagged against Izuku as the fact that he had no food (or money) for a week really started to sink in. He sighed, resting like that for a moment before straightening up. “I can at least make some miso soup and rice for lunch tomorrow.” He said simply, pulling away from Izuku to do that. “Shouldn’t take too long to make.”
He glanced over at Izuku, trying to keep himself semi-calm. “There’s enough here for at least lunches, if I did my mental math right. Should be able to find something for breakfast, too. Don’t want you or Aunty to worry about me.”
"Since you know now, I can officially make this excuse: You're my soulmate Kacchan. That's kind of my job." Izuku said, crossing his arms but giving Katsuki a soft smile. "I'm buying you eggs at the very least. And you're getting one treat at minimum from my tray at lunch. No exceptions."
Katsuki would never admit to whining, but the sound he made was pretty damn close. “Not fair. You’re not allowed to use my logic against me.” He gave Izuku a look. “I mean, you can give me one, but that doesn’t mean I’ll eat it, so…” he trailed off, knowing he was just being stubborn at this point, but he had to at least make a show of pride.
He quickly finished making his lunch, packing it in containers and putting them in a paper bag. “Think your mom will mind if I put this in the fridge?” He asked, fairly certain she wouldn’t, but still wanting to ask.
"You don't eat it, the food goes to waste because I won't eat it either. And I know you won't let that happen." Izuku replied, smirking slightly at the fact that Katsuki practically whined at him using his logic against him. He shook his head, "Of course not, we've got room and it saves the trip back and forth if you're staying over to grab it."
Katsuki made a face at Izuku using logic again. “Alright, fine . Let’s go, then.” He responded, grabbing his bag on their way out the door. He grinned at Izuku, letting him know he was just teasing.
The walk home was short, as usual. Katsuki was grateful for that. It meant food soon, and Katsuki was, unsurprisingly, hungry. He let Izuku lead the way in, since he had the key.
Izuku hopped up to the door and quickly opened it up with his key. As usual he announced his presence to his mother as he headed towards his room to drop off his things. Quickly gesturing towards the kitchen for Katsuki to go drop off his food.
"Dinner won't be too long now, we're having ramen tonight. So you can wash up." Inko called back.
Katsuki hummed happily at the idea of ramen. He hadn’t had that in a while.He went into the kitchen to stick his lunch in the fridge before heading upstairs. He set his bag in Izuku’s room. “Do you think we’ll have time to do that reading before food is ready?” He asked quietly. “Or should we just wait until after?”
As soon as he’d left, Inko checked what was in his lunch. Clicking her tongue, she slipped a cup of chocolate pudding in the bag before returning to making dinner.
Izuku hummed in response, "Probably won't get all of it done if we start now though…" He went and pulled his textbook out nonetheless, "I want to test something. I kinda… speed read sometimes when I get really focused on learning something. But I always retain everything like normal… I want to see if that's my quirk when I do that." He opened the textbook to the pages they were assigned and started reading over it. At first he was reading at a normal pace, but just a little bit into it Izuku quickly focused and started reading at a faster pace than one normally would when studying. It almost looked like he was just skimming the pages as he went through them.
Katsuki blinked, watching him go. Once he’d finished, Katsuki hummed. “Yeah, I’d say that’s probably your quirk helping out with that. I don’t think I can even read that fast and retain everything. It’s certainly useful, though, if nothing else.”
"Yeah…" Izuku said as he closed the book and set it off to the side with a sigh. "I'm realizing how weird it is that I never thought anything of that before now. It seems so obvious in hindsight." He laughed slightly and scratched the back of his head, "I think the trigger is focus? Like… specifically telling myself to focus on something with it. Or at least that's how I make myself do it now..." Izuku smacked the side of his head, "Sensory overload! I got overloaded a bunch when I was really little even sometimes when it wasn't that big of a place or there were that many people around. I'd start crying and mom would take me somewhere quiet and hold me against her till I calmed down."
Izuku looked at Katsuki, "I was totally using my quirk then, just not on anything in particular. Which probably gave me a massive headache like this morning, so I figured out not to do that to the point of it becoming natural." He shook his head and brushed a few hairs that had come loose from his braid out of his face, "I just naturally started limiting myself without consciously being aware of it to prevent the constant headaches."
"That does make sense. You figured out what was causing the pain, even if you couldn't put words to it, and stopped doing it." Katsuki reasoned. "And it didn't occur to you as you got older that it could be a quirk, so you didn't think to mention anything to Aunty." Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku. "Fuck, now I'm really pissed at that fuckin' doctor."
He sighed. "A lot of things do seem obvious in hindsight that weren't at the time. That's why it's hindsight."
Izuku laid his head against Katsuki, "You can be mad all you want but it's not like we can do much about it now. It's better to let it go." He hummed, "At least we found out now."
"I wonder if I could be a detective with my quirk, as a fall back plan…" Izuku thought out loud. A lot more job options seemed open to him now that he knew. Something still close to hero work would be preferred if he didn't make it. Though, as Izuku thought about it in light of having a quirk… that dream didn't seem so unattainable. He could probably learn to use his own quirk mid-combat, and just use his soulmates’ quirks to help him execute the plans he came up with on the spot. That didn't seem like cheating to him.
A gentle smile rested on Izuku's face as he thought about it and he leaned up to kiss Katsuki's face. "The doctor was wrong. But unlike everyone else, including me, you didn't give up on me because of what he told us. You kept telling me I could become a hero alongside you." Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki in return and nuzzled into his shoulder, "Thank you for that."
Katsuki hummed in response, hugging Izuku a little tighter. “Giving up’s not in my personality.” He teased. “Especially not on my best friend.” He could smell the ramen from downstairs now. “Alright, let’s go eat before we both get distracted cuddling again.” He teased, knowing it was absolutely a possibility with them.
“Alright. You have a point.” Izuku replied with a slight laugh as he pulled away from Katsuki and took his hand. He led him downstairs to the table, and just before his mom came in he whispered, “Don’t let me chicken out on telling her.”
Inko entered a few moments later with the food and set it down in front of them. Izuku and Katsuki both thanked her for the food and started eating as he debated how to bring it up. Katsuki gave him a starting point, but what was he supposed to do, just blurt that out?
Inko, thankfully, remembered Izuku wanted to talk to her after school and brought it up for him. “So, Izuku… What was it you wanted to talk with me about this morning? You said you needed to figure it out first?”
“Um… yeah so…” Izuku started, glancing at Katsuki for a moment, “You know how… when I was four you took me to a doctor and um… we got the diagnosis that I was q-quirkless? He told us that… the toe joint in my foot was basically definitive proof I didn’t have one. And if I did it’d likely develop as an invisible quirk of sorts?”
“Yes..?” Inko said, looking oddly at her son.
“D-Did you know Kacchan actually has that toe joint too?”
Inko blinked at them both, “R-Really?”
Katsuki took Izuku’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Looking over at Inko, he nodded. “Yeah. Broke my ankle falling out of a tree when we were younger, before my quirk manifested. The doctor made a joke about it, which is why I remember. Mom didn’t approve, so the doctor stopped to explain that the toe joint doesn’t actually mean someone’s quirkless. It’s ‘about as connected as being left handed and having a mental illness’, is how he explained it.”
“So, considering that’s practically the only test he did, it’s not surprising that he would have missed a non-physical quirk. Specifically… an analysation quirk. Which… I apparently have?” Izuku said, going slowly and watching for his mother’s reaction. “We found it this morning. Kacchan… Kacchan figured it out.”
Inko stared at Izuku in shock, tears forming at the corners of her eyes from all the emotion she wasn’t sure what to do with from Izuku’s statement. “Y-You’re… Y-You’re sure?”
Katsuki rubbed small circles into the back of Izuku’s hand with his thumb. “Yeah. We were talking about being able to use soulmate’s quirks, and what would happen if you pulled on a bond with someone who was. So I tried it, and… he’s not.”
“It gave Kacchan a massive headache this morning because he wasn’t focusing on anything. Then me one when I focused a little too hard on him… I thought he was playing a prank on me or something for a minute.” Izuku continued to explain, giving a gentle squeeze to Katsuki’s hand for a moment. “I… I think that’s what happened when I was little. You thought it was me getting overstimulated, which was sort of the case… but it was just me drawing too much information at once because I wasn’t focusing on one specific thing. And… obviously as a baby I couldn’t explain what was happening properly.”
“I- I- I don’t know what to say Izu…” Inko stammered, tears now running down her cheeks. “I’m… I’m so sorry I didn’t realize. I-”
“No, mom, please don’t apologize.” Izuku said, reaching a hand out towards her, “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known, I didn’t know either. I wouldn’t have even realized if Kacchan hadn’t tested my random theory. My quirk is pretty subtle, I’m only starting to notice when I’m using it now because I know what to look for sort of… please don’t cry.”
Katsuki couldn’t help but feel kind of useless here. Izuku discovering he had a quirk should be a good thing, right? Clearly Aunty had been blaming herself for him not having one for a long time. He squeezed Izuku’s hand, before writing on his palm ‘ go give her a hug, nerd ’.
Izuku took a breath and squeezed Katsuki’s hand before getting up and going around to hug his mom. Inko hugged him back tightly, and Izuku’s own tears started to fall silently as he rubbed his mother’s back. “I told you before mom. You didn’t give me bad cards.” He said quietly, “I have a quirk. And- And- I think I can be a hero with it too.”
“I’m sorry I gave up looking for your quirk Izuku.” Inko said between sobs, “I’m so sorry. So, so sorry.”
“Mom. Stop apologizing. It’s okay.” Izuku replied gently, “It’s okay really. The apologies are never what I wanted to hear from you. I just… I just wanted to hear you tell me I could still do it. Even if it was impossible. I just wanted to hear I could be a hero. That was it. You didn’t have to apologize all those times for not giving me a quirk to do it with.” He pulled away from her gently to look at her, “My quirk isn’t exactly battle oriented but…”
Inko took a shaky breath, “I know you’ll figure something out Izu. You always have. I'm sure you’ll become a great hero. I’m sorry I didn’t see that before. I’ll support you in any way I can now.”
Izuku’s breath hitched and a fresh wave of tears fell down his face as he hugged his mother tightly again. This time Inko being the one to soothe him. She looked up at Katsuki with teary eyes and gestured him over to join the hug. Knowing Izuku needed all the support he could get at that moment.
Katsuki gladly got up to join the hug, leaning his forehead against the back of Izuku’s neck. He’d insisted that Izuku could still be a hero even without a quirk, and he’d meant it. Knowing Izuku had a quirk, even if it wasn’t battle-oriented, only increased that confidence. It would still be an uphill battle for a long while, but it never stopped being one worth fighting to Katsuki. Now, though, he could get Izuku to focus on fighting right alongside him, like they should have been from the start.
Chapter 3
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Notes:
Shippy: Chapter 3! I was on a roll today, clearly. Also, *please heed the tags*. Mitsuki very deliberately deadnames her son this chapter, and forces him into a dress. Also (in character) physically abusive behavior. If that squicks you, I'm sorry. It squicked us *writing* it. You've been warned!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Eventually Izuku stopped crying, pulling away gently for his mother to turn in Katsuki’s grasp and embrace him, nuzzling into his neck for a moment. He pulled away from him too, taking his hand to bring them back to their seats. “Let’s finish eating before our ramen gets cold, yeah?”
Katsuki returned the hug, smiling softly. When Izuku mentioned their food, Katsuki snorted. “Yeah, that’d probably be a good idea.” He sat back down, but didn’t let go of Izuku’s hand the whole time. Now, instead of going to separate schools, like Katsuki had figured, they could both go to UA together.
He brought it up when Izuku was between bites. “You know what I just realized?” He asked softly.
Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki, confused, “What?”
Katsuki grinned at him, squeezing his hand lightly. “Granted, you’ve got a bit of catching up to do, but…” He brought Izuku’s hand up to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. “...we can actually go to UA together. I was worried before because UA’s entrance exam is supposed to be one of the most dangerous, but… it could happen.”
Izuku smiled softly at him, “With your help? I’m sure it will Kacchan.” He brought their hands up so he could lean his face against Katsuki’s hand, “Don’t worry about it being too dangerous though. We’ve got a nearly unbreakable quirk, and plenty of healing between us even without Recovery Girl’s help. We’ll be just fine” He hummed and took another bite of his food before speaking again, “And we’ll have to study obviously, but we’ve got three years to practice my quirk to help prepare for the written portion. Then with yours in the practical portion, I’m sure we’ll get in. Together.”
Katsuki blinked, then grinned. "Damn right we will." He agreed. "Though you've got to build up your endurance, especially if you want to rely on my quirk. It's hell on your arm muscles if you overuse it and you're not prepared. I don't mean lifting weights or anything. I lift my own weight with it when I'm boosting my speed, so that won't be a problem. Best way to up your endurance quickly is running and swimming. And I know the perfect place to do both."
Izuku tilted his head with a smile, "You know a place to swim too? I'm going to hope you don't just mean the beach, because I'm not quite a strong enough swimmer to really deal with the waves there yet." He took another bite of his food before humming at Katsuki, "I'm really excited to train with you now Kacchan. To train with my handsome boyfriend." He leaned over and snuggled into Katsuki's shoulder for a moment before pulling away.
Inko smiled fondly, seeing her son so happy and getting comfortable with his soulmate. She knew they'd take care of each other.
Katsuki grinned. “Well, we’ll eventually upgrade to the beach, but not right now, no.” He thought of the perfect way to tease Izuku, but refrained since Aunty Inko was sitting with them. He took a few bites of his ramen, before declaring, “We can try again before school in the morning. See if it works any better than it did this morning.”
"Try what again?" Izuku asked confused, "You…" He laughed slightly, "You mean actually pulling away from each other long enough to go do it? Or something else?"
Katsuki smirked back. “Yeah, actually getting up instead of laying in bed cuddling. What did you think I meant?” He teased. “Where’d your mind go on that one, ‘Zuku?”
Izuku squeaked and smacked Katsuki on the arm, "It went nowhere you jerk!" He blushed, "I was just asking for clarification. That's why I was confused."
Katsuki cracked up laughing at Izuku’s reaction. He had to stop before his next bite so he wouldn’t choke on his food from laughing. Once he’d finally calmed down, he managed “I love you, Izuku, but you are so easy to tease.”
Izuku froze for a moment before he grinned widely, happy tears coming to his eyes. He pulled Katsuki in for a hug, "I love you too, Kacchan."
Katsuki blinked, before he registered what he’d said. He smiled brightly, and leaned in to kiss Izuku. “Good.”
Izuku blushed lightly, knowing they were going to kiss in front of his mom, but she did give permission before. He leaned in the rest of the way so he wouldn't freeze, kissing Katsuki gently. Humming as he smiled against his lips. "You're amazing." He whispered.
Katsuki blushed bright red at the compliment. What. He wasn’t amazing. What was Izuku talking about? He pulled back from the kiss, stammering in shock. “I….I’m not amazing, what do you mean. You’re amazing.”
Izuku gasped slightly and smirked at Katsuki, "Did I just fluster you?" He leaned in close again, "You're the amazing one here Kacchan. You're brave…" He kissed Katsuki's face, "Talented..." And kissed his face again, "Smart." And again, "Confident."
Katsuki flailed slightly, face red from embarrassment. Great, Izuku found his off switch. Who would have guessed the proud Bakugou Katsuki would be weak to other people’s compliments . What kind of cosmic bullshit was that. “Well, if I’m all those things, then that means you are...” Here Katsuki used Izuku’s trick against him, instead going for his lips for each kiss. “Sweet… Adorable… Sensitive… Amazing… Stunning.”
Izuku short circuited from Katsuki's kisses, and though he saw them coming after the second one Katsuki didn't give him enough time to recover. So, Izuku was frozen and blushing for a good amount of time before he managed to recover. He put his face in his hands and started to giggle quietly for a few moments. Izuku looked up at Katsuki with a smile before leaning over and kissing him on the nose before he then turned to finish his food.
"You're in trouble now Kacchan." Izuku said between bites, "Your off switch is compliments. So… guess what's coming your way a lot more often."
Katsuki groaned, burying his face in his free hand, before returning to eating. "Of course you would." He grumbled between bites. "Though it's not like I haven't been doing the same thing to you, so I guess I can't complain too much."
Izuku hummed happily kicking his feet under the table as he finished his food. Hearing quiet snickering he caught eyes with his mother before blushing and staring down into his ramen. He quickly finished his food and after giving a quick squeeze to Katsuki's hand he got up to clean his dishes.
Inko went to protest again and Izuku shook his head, "Mom, the brace is still there but after sleeping with Katsuki last night and almost never breaking contact today I am 100% sure I'm completely healed. I can help out and do the dishes." He looked over at Katsuki, "Bring yours here when you're done too. I want to be helpful right now."
Katsuki shrugged, finishing his food and giving Inko a quick hug as he passed her to take his dishes into the kitchen. "I'll make sure he doesn't push himself too much." He promised quietly, before walking into the kitchen. He set his dishes by the sink and grabbed a towel to dry the dishes Izuku finished washing.
Izuku hummed a quiet song as he washed the dishes, once he finished his and Katsuki's he leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I could've dried them too, but thank you Kacchan."
Inko laughed quietly as she came in the kitchen and handed her dishes over. "You know. I'm not sure even myself and Hisashi have ever kissed this much in such a short period." She teased, "You two going for some sort of record?"
Katsuki grinned. "I know you could have, but I wanted to help." He blinked, surprised, at Inko's comment. "That's a thing we could do?" He asked seriously. "Is there a world record for it or something?" There was a mischievous glint in his eye, which would probably tip Inko off that he was just messing with Izuku, more than actually thinking about setting a world record.
Izuku's face flushed. " Kaaacchan. " He whined, "Even if there is we're not doing that." He ducked his head down and started cleaning Inko's dishes. "That'd be so embarrassing. They take pictures and video evidence of that sort of thing. Our classmates taking pictures of us hugging and stuff is bad enough."
Inko raised an eyebrow at this admission. "Your classmates were taking pictures of you?" She repeated, curious.
Katsuki snickered, leaning over to kiss Izuku's cheek. "Now I'm curious, though. We'll have to look that up. Even if we don't actually do it."
Izuku grumbled, "Fine. We can look it up. That won't hurt anything." He looked over his shoulder at his mom and shrugged, "Yeah, they were. I guess they haven't seen two bonded interacting before besides their parents maybe? We were hugging and holding hands and stuff. They took pictures of it." He gestured to Katsuki with his thumb, "This one was fine with it for some reason. Even told them to send him all the pictures they took."
Katsuki leaned over, pretending to bite Izuku's thumb. "Well yeah. They're going to take pictures anyway. That way I get pictures of you being adorable and affectionate without actually getting you to pose for a picture. Plus if they knew it bothered us they'd probably just do it more. Sounds like a win-win to me."
Izuku shot Katsuki a half hearted glare as he finished washing the dishes. He then moved to put them away with a sigh, "You really don't need that many pictures of us. But… pick out a couple good ones when they send them. I'll see about printing them out for us, how's that?"
Katsuki blinked, before smiling widely. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll show them to you as I get them, too, so you can help pick.” He offered, drying the last of the dishes before helping to put them away. This whole thing felt stupidly domestic, but… it was kinda nice. He definitely could say he wouldn’t mind this being part of their lives. He waited until Izuku moved closed, then snuck a kiss on his cheek.
Inko snickered, "There you two go again."
"Mooom." Izuku whined.
Inko shook her head with a smile, "I'm off to bed now. Don't stay up too late, alright? Good night, love you."
"Night, mom. Love you too." Izuku replied before turning to Katsuki, "I really don't want to look at that many pictures with me in it, but I guess it balances out since you'll be in them too. So sure." He walked up close and embraced Katsuki, putting his head on his shoulder with a hum. "You've got your reading to do yet since I finished mine. You do that then we can cuddle for the rest of the night. I'll do the research on how to register our stuff in the meantime. That sound good?"
“Night Aunty!” Katsuki replied with a grin. He rested his head on top of Izuku’s. “Sounds like a plan.” He sighed. “I’m not sure if this addiction to cuddles is a side effect of figuring out who your soulmate is, or if part of it is because you knew for two years and didn’t tell me, and the need for cuddling is to make up for that, but I hope it dies down a bit soon. Not that I don’t like it, but the discomfort that comes with not being in physical contact is annoying.The sooner that goes away, the happier I’ll be.”
He considered for a minute. “Even if it doesn’t we’ll have to practice being separate. Well, I will, at least. Since we’ll be applying from the same school, I doubt they’ll let us take the practical part of the exam together, soulmates or not.”
"I didn't think about it before, but not letting myself latch onto you when I first figured it out is probably why I need more physical affection in general… huh." Izuku thought out loud, "It is supposed to die down after a while though. I've looked that up before. There's a chance we might still be super cuddly, but it won't feel like we need to all the time." He shrugged, "Or you'll learn to ignore it and just deal with it through practice like me. For now though, giving in and touching is probably a good plan."
Katsuki wrapped an arm around Izuku’s waist and started to head upstairs, turning off lights as they went. “Well, I guess I can handle a few weeks of constant cuddles. Though by then it’ll probably be a habit, which is probably the point of feeling uncomfortable being apart to begin with.” He snorted. “You’ve always been pretty physically affectionate, so I’m surprised you didn’t. It’s not like it would have been anything out of the ordinary for either of us.”
"I'm pretty sure latching onto you like an octopus and not letting you go anywhere like I wanted to would have been weird even for us Kacchan." Izuku said with a slight squint. He hummed and snuggled into Katsuki's shoulder slightly as they walked, "Being able to do what my heart keeps telling me to do after so long is nice though." He blinked at him for a moment as they made it to his room. "Uh… speaking of… can I… touch your hair? Would that be weird?"
Katsuki stared at him for a minute. “No, why would it be weird? You can touch it if you want.” He pulled away long enough to grab his textbook and flop on Izuku’s bed so he could read while Izuku… probably ended up playing with his short hair. He always hated his mom messing with his hair, since that usually meant it was going up in some ridiculous, girly style. He didn’t have enough hair to do that with now, though.
Izuku smiled sheepishly at Katsuki and sat on the bed when he pulled away from him. He pulled out his phone and started working on the research for them. When Katsuki flopped onto his bed, Izuku gently pulled Katsuki more into his lap so he could run his fingers in his hair and play with it, gently scratching his scalp on occasion absently as he looked at his phone.
Katsuki hummed happily, tilting his head back so Izuku had easier access. It was distracting him a little from the reading, but he was still absorbing enough of the information to pass any quiz the teacher decided to give on it.
After he finished the reading, he leaned back a little further into Izuku, setting the book aside and enjoying the scalp massage. “Find anything useful?”
"Yeah. Apparently you're able to update your quirk files a few times in your life in case you realize it works a different way that you initially thought. I just have to submit one of those forms and turn it in, it works for late discovered quirks too. As long as the change isn't terribly drastic." Izuku replied, still scrolling through his phone. "And…" He clicked through a few things for a moment, "We have to go to a doctor to get the bond records set up. Show off using the quirks, get it confirmed from both parties. Then submit more forms to make sure I'm covered for public use of your quirk. Probably the other two quirks too since my anxiety likes to set them off and it's a literal pain to not use them in public sometimes."
“I wonder how they’ll ask us to show off your quirk, since it’s mostly passive.” Katsuki responded, curious. “And we’ll both want to register the other two, especially since the dual quirk seems to do what it wants most of the time.” After a moment, he gave a ‘hmm’. “While we’re there, I want to ask the doctor to check to make sure suppressing them hasn’t hurt you at all. Since one of them is pretty extreme temperatures and another is fucking nitroglycerin .”
"It shouldn't have. I don't think shoving the bond down works like you suppressing your own does. Otherwise I'd probably know from the permanent nerve damage…" Izuku paused, "I mean… er… yeah. That wouldn't hurt to check?" He laughed awkwardly.
Katsuki made a face at Izuku’s sudden change of heart, but didn’t comment otherwise. They’d find out one way or the other. And Katsuki was going to be pissed if Izuku had caused damage to himself out of his need to hide from Katsuki. He just wasn’t sure if he’d be madder at Izuku or himself.
Izuku stopped giving Katsuki a scalp massage for a moment so he could play with his fingers. Would now be a good time to bring up what he'd done to himself? He'd have to eventually. He knew that. "Um… K-Kacchan…" Izuku started before his stomach started to twist up and he looked away, setting his hand gently back in Katsuki's hair, "Uh… N-Nevermind."
Katsuki glanced over when Izuku stopped moving his hand. “What is it?” He asked. He sat up, turning around to face Izuku. “Is something wrong?” He pressed, leaning to the side so he could make eye contact. “What? Talk to me.”
"I um…" Izuku bit his lip, tears picking the corners of his eyes. He needed to get it over with. Just rip the band-aid off. "I- I- need to show you something. Please… please don't be mad."
“Show me... what?” Katsuki asked, not sure he liked where this was going. He waited for Izuku to continue, though. Whatever it was, they could figure it out. That much Katsuki knew for sure.
Izuku gulped and pulled away from Katsuki so he had a bit of room. He shut his eyes tightly, and before he could back out of it he pulled his shirt off in one quick move. Completely exposing the scars on his shoulders for Katsuki to see.
Katsuki stared silently for a long few minutes. He realized those were marks from his quirk, but he knew he hadn’t caused them. “Did you…?” He asked, trailing off. Had Izuku done that to himself? Why?
"I…" Izuku tried, his voice breaking and giving out on him before he could get a proper word out. Tears flowed down his face despite the fact that his eyes were closed and he gave Katsuki a slow nod, knowing exactly what Katsuki meant by that question.
Katsuki exhaled slowly, his breath stuttering. He pulled Izuku into a tight hug, feeling like he was going to cry, but his body wasn’t really cooperating and letting him. He didn’t say anything, no matter how badly he wanted to repeat his unanswered question of ‘why’, opting to just hold Izuku close instead. The questions could come later.
Izuku cried quietly into Katsuki's chest, doing plenty of crying for the both of them in that moment. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." Izuku repeated over and over again in a string of muttered apologies.
Katsuki held Izuku until he’d cried himself out. “Just, promise me one thing.” He said quietly. “Don’t do it anymore. If you feel like you need to, come to me.”
Izuku nodded gently against Katsuki's chest, "O-Okay Kacchan. I promise. I'm going to try really really hard to do that for you."
Katsuki grinned when he said that. “Thank you.” He pulled back enough to rest their foreheads together. “I’ll text dad about setting up an appointment for us with a doctor in the morning. The sooner we get it done, the better. Is there an option for redoing your quirk paperwork online or do we have to go to an office to do it?”
"There is… but it's something for tomorrow or a few days from now. It'll take a bit to fill out and I need to find out some of my info from mom." Izuku explained, "Plus I need to play around with my quirk for a bit and figure out what it actually does and decide on a name. You might be able to help figure out what it does exactly too since you use it." Izuku looked into Katsuki's eyes and smiled sadly, "Thank you… thank you for not being mad at me about this." He lifted up one of Katsuki's hands to place it where his scars were, leaning into the touch. He felt oddly relieved having shown Katsuki what he had done. Especially since he didn't get a terrible reaction to it.
Katsuki knew everything Izuku could think of that he'd been hiding from him now. Now Izuku could just try and be his normal self, no secrets, no hiding.
Katsuki hummed. “It will be an interesting one to name, for sure. We could always go with something like ‘Future Sight’ or ‘All Sight’, just to screw with people.” Katsuki suggested, not really serious. He rubbed small circles over the scars with his thumbs. “Of course. No point in being mad. That’s not going to help anything.”
Izuku snickered quietly, "All Sight huh? You're as bad at names as I am apparently. Though I guess that one wouldn't be terrible. We can workshop it." He sighed happily, "Can we try and sleep now? I’m definitely going to fall asleep if you keep doing that. It feels nice."
“I named my quirk Explosion . What did you expect about my ability to name things?” Katsuki responded easily. “Yeah, sleep sounds good.” He got up, grabbing his sleep clothes from his bag and heading to the bathroom to change, lingering a moment So Izuku could also change while he was out of the room.
"Don't forget to take your binder off this time Kacchan." Izuku reminded as Katsuki left. While Katsuki was out of the room Izuku changed quickly before laying back on his bed waiting for Katsuki to return. It was an odd thought, but now that Katsuki had seen the scars he didn't really have anything to hide as far as that went. So… he'd probably be a bit embarrassed but the idea of Katsuki seeing him change didn't scare him anymore.
Once Katsuki entered the room again, Izuku made grabby hands towards him with a tired smile.
Katsuki re-entered the room, and rolled his eyes, setting his uniform down on his bag- binder on top, so Izuku could see that he didn’t forget. He made sure his stuffed rabbit was on the bed, then flopped down next to Izuku. He rolled towards him and kissed him lightly on the nose. “Sleep well. Early start tomorrow.”
Izuku hummed happily as he pulled Katsuki close to snuggle up against him. "You too Kacchan." He gave Katsuki a quick kiss on the nose in return, "I love you. Good night." He then closed his eyes and focused on Katsuki's breathing and the faint sound of his heartbeat to lull him to sleep.
Katsuki grinned, wrapping his arms around Izuku and drifting off himself, content to just snuggle the greenet.
/////////////////
The next morning, the two of them made their way to the quarry after Izuku forced himself to get up that morning. He slept well, but he wasn't exactly a morning person, so he was grumbling a bit as they got ready.
Izuku set his bag down next to where Katsuki did as they got there and turned to him, "So… how do we start?" He asked.
Katsuki started with stretches to warm up. He did them slowly so Izuku could copy them, though. “Let’s start with a run.” He suggested. “Let’s see how many laps you can do around the quarry with me, and then we can move on, either to some simple exercises, or to working with quirks.Today’s going to be mostly to see where you’re starting off, to figure out the best way to improve, so don’t worry if you have trouble keeping up.”
"Alright." Izuku replied as he did some stretches. He followed Katsuki as they started the run, keeping up as best as he could. At one point he tripped on a rock, but instead of falling on his face Izuku just hardened his body and threw himself into a practiced roll, keeping his momentum to go right back into the run.
Izuku sighed as he caught back up, "That roll is useful. But the amount of times I've had to do it because I tripped on something is ridiculous."
Katsuki snickered. “Well, you’ve got that going for you, at least. It’s a solid evasive tactic.” He said simply. “So in a fight you’ll probably want to consider coming out of that swinging, especially if it’s against someone who’s never seen you do it before. And I’ll definitely teach you how to throw a punch, too. Last thing we want is you breaking your thumb because you did it wrong.”
Katsuki kept going for as long as Izuku could hold out, then led him back to where they were, grabbing two water bottles out of his bag and handing one to Izuku. “Also important is staying hydrated. The rule to remember is drink before you feel thirsty. If you feel thirsty during a workout, you’re already dehydrated.”
Izuku took the water bottle gratefully and sipped it slowly. "I didn't know that. That's good to know." He tilted his head in thought, "I never thought about using the roll and going on the offensive after it. I usually just used it to keep running. It'd probably take people off guard though, huh?"
He smiled at Katsuki, "What now?"
“That it would. Come out of a roll and pop someone in the nose. Bet they’d back off real quick.” Katsuki showed him five basic cardio and muscle building exercises, then watched him do them to correct his form if need be. “Between the run and quirk practice, we’ll do five sets of each of those. We don’t have to today unless you want to get the practice in.”
"Um… I think I want to get the quirk practice in? I've only ever used yours and the dual one in small amounts. Purposefully at least, and that's kind of hard for me to do." Izuku replied, panting slightly from the workout. He wasn't used to this kind of exercise whatsoever but he knew he needed to do it so he pushed on.
Nodding, Katsuki stepped back a decent amount, to give Izuku space. “Well, Let’s see what you can do. Which do you want to start with? The fire, ice, or mine?” Noticing Izuku struggle slightly, he added, “if you need to take a break, we can. It’s important not to push yourself too far.”
"No, it's okay I can handle it." Izuku replied quickly. "Um… Yours maybe? Since you know how to handle it." He bit his lip and turned himself so he wasn't facing Katsuki, before he called on the quirk he tried to put himself in a position to brace for whatever blast came out. He had no idea how strong it was going to be. "Um… is this a good position to brace myself for it? You'd know better than me. I… I have no idea how big it's going to be if I use it. It could be tiny or huge. I have no clue."
Katsuki walked back over to physically reposition Izuku’s stance. “With my quirk, there’s going to be recoil. There’s no way to avoid it, you can only minimize the damage it can cause. Never lock your joints. If they can’t move, that means they’re what’s taking the force of the recoil. You don’t want that. It also helps when you need to maneuver quickly like I do. The recoil is what makes you move faster. Keep your knees slightly bent, too.” He instructed. “Alright, let’s see what you can do.” He said, stepping back and turning his hearing aids off.
Izuku nodded to Katsuki's instruction. Once he stepped back, Izuku took a breath and summoned Katsuki's quirk to use it himself. This being the first time he ever purposefully summoned it, he didn't know how much was enough or too much. Izuku ended up sending off a massive blast that sent him stumbling backwards and caused his ears to ring. He winced and covered his ears, speaking at what he thought was normal volume but was actually quite loud, "Remind me to buy some military grade earplugs or something. Ow. That was loud."
Katsuki, just from seeing the blast, could guess how badly Izuku’s ears were ringing. He circled so Izuku could see him, and signed Sorry. I’m so used to my hearing being shot I forgot yours isn’t at that point yet. Let’s hold off practicing mine until you’ve got some earplugs. He looked sheepish at his mistake, turning his hearing aids back on.
Izuku nodded and walked over to Katsuki and brought his hands up to his ears. Hoping the soulmate healing would help stop the ringing faster. He took a breath once it did stop, "Yeah… that's probably a good idea. We probably should have thought of that huh?" He smiled gently at Katsuki before pulling away.
"Okay uh… I should probably do a test run with the dual quirk too right?" Izuku asked, "I've got the hardening one down pretty good, it's just the dual quirk I'm not sure about now."
Katsuki nodded, reaching up and rubbing his thumbs over Izuku’s temples. “No headache?” He asked, checking in. He nodded after that. “Fire or ice first? I know they balance each other, but we’ll also need to check how far you can push with each before the side effects set in.
"No headache." Izuku confirmed. He thought for a moment, "Uh… ice first? That way I can melt it with the fire when I'm balancing back out."
Katsuki bent down and kissed Izuku’s forehead. “Good.” He responded before releasing Izuku. “Sounds good. I’ll back up and give you some space.” He did just that, watching carefully.
Izuku closed his eyes once Katsuki backed up again. He took in a slow breath and called upon the dual quirk, focusing on the biting cold half of it as he shifted his foot forward. In the area he had blown up before, plus some of the lake, he sent out a massive glacier. When he opened his eyes back up he let out the breath, seeing it in front of him from the temperature difference. He started shaking from how cold his body felt and the light frost he created on his skin now as he looked at the glacier, "Oh. U-uh g-g-guess it's g-good I n-never tried this a-at h-h-home."
Katsuki stared, wide-eyed. He could feel the fire, so similar to his own quirk, yet still completely different, underneath his own skin. Clearly, the other half of the quirk had come to him, just in case the ice got too close. “Uh, yeah , I’d say so. Alright, now try and melt all that ice with the fire, then we’ll start on more precise control. Sound good?”
Izuku nodded shakily before going over to the ice and putting his left hand up and summoning it like he had the fire. His left side went up in a large blaze of fire, half the size of the explosion he created before but a large amount nonetheless. It created a huge blast of steam as it started to melt the ice. Izuku grit his teeth and did his best to reel the fire back so he could melt the ice he had made in a more controlled fashion. He tried that for a bit until he felt the balance between the fire and ice get upset as he started to overheat before pulling back completely on the fire and shutting it down.
He took a few steps back and panted for a moment, looking down at what was left of his shirt and sighing before taking it off and tossing it to the side. "Okay. So I'm going to need earplugs and practice shirtless for that quirk. That's great… at least that was a shirt I have multiples of."
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright. So far, it looks like you can go longer with the ice than with the fire. However, your control with the fire is a bit better, probably because of the trick you do to calm yourself down. I’m not sure if your ability to go big with the fire is less because of your level of control, but it’s something to work on.” He gets closer again, checking how much ice is left. He hums in thought. “Alright, so, before we melt the rest of this ice, I want you to try summoning the fire to a single fingertip and drawing a pattern in the ice. Doesn’t matter what. And I’m going to try and guess what pattern you drew. If I guess before you finish, you do ten squats. If I don’t, I do ten squats.”
Izuku sighed, "Alright. Putting a flame on my finger is easy enough at least." He snapped his fingers and made a flame appear. Using it he started to make a simple pattern of a dot and three dashes before repeating it.
Katsuki blinked. “Is that…morse code..?” He asked, staring at the dots and dashes. The hell if he knew what it said, as he had never thought to learn it. “It’s a repeating pattern. A letter? The same letter?” That seemed too simple, but the couldn’t think of anything else.
Izuku shrugged, "I guess technically? You said pattern so I just did the first thing that came to mind. I haven't learned morse code… though that's a good idea probably, so I have no idea if it actually says something." He looked at what he had done and frowned, "I was going to add another dot there to finish it off… so… I do squats now I guess?"
Katsuki grinned. “Ten squats, yeah. I’ll count for you.” He quickly demonstrated the proper technique and posture for doing squats safely, figuring Izuku probably wouldn’t know.
Izuku grumbled and did the squats like Katsuki said before going back and doing another pattern. This time he decided to do one that started with a dot and a dash, before doing an increasing pattern that would add from the previous two sets of dashes, hoping to confuse Katsuki.
Katsuki watched, a bit confused. He knew Izuku wouldn’t just do more Morse code, so what the hell was this? It was a building pattern, and that idea sounded familiar, but the hell if Katsuki could remember what it was called. He made a face, trying to remember the name of the thing.
Izuku quickly ended off his pattern and turned around with a small sly grin. "I didn't hear any guesses. So I think that's ten squats for you Kacchan." Izuku said, "That's called a Fibonacci sequence by the way. An increasing pattern that adds from the previous two sets of numbers."
Katsuki grumbled good-naturedly, before doing his penalty squats. “I knew there was a name for it, I just couldn’t remember what it was.” He grinned. “Ready for something more challenging?” He asked, encouraged by Izuku’s control over the fire half of the quirk.
Izuku grinned back, snuffing the flame in his hand for now. "Sure! What'cha got?"
“Same challenge, but creating the pattern on the ground with the ice instead. Or you can even do shapes or something like that if you’re feeling creative.” Katsuki answered. The last thing they needed was for Izuku to create a huge glacier every time he needed to use the ice half of the quirk.
Izuku hummed, "Okay… let me see what I can do." He thought for a moment looking at the ground as he continued to hum the first song that popped into his head. If Katsuki knew what it was from and was paying attention he may have gotten a hint but they were just having fun while they practiced. It didn't matter too much if he stumped him.
He focused on the ground, calling on the ice half of the quirk. He focused on controlling it in a similar manner that he did the flame, though the ice was much more rigid in its use. It didn't flow as freely as the fire did. So, it took him a moment but he started writing out a cheat code from a musical using symbols. Up up down down left right A. If Katsuki knew the musical (which would surprise him) he might guess it easier, but it was also a common cheat code so it wouldn't be impossible to guess.
Katsuki listened to the song for a minute, before humming along. “Up up down down left right A.” He guessed. “Cheat code, huh? Good one.” He stuck his tongue out. “Your turn for squats.”
Izuku stuck his tongue out right back at him and started going the squats, "I'm just surprised you know the song honestly." He continued the song for a bit, singing for a moment, "It's not only school that's rough… being lonely is stupid tough." He grinned at Katsuki, "Now I think I've had enough. Of being the loser, the geek, or whatever." Izuku stood and walked over to start another round before stopping and snorting.
"Sorry." He snickered covering his mouth with his hand, "I just thought of the bullies writing 'Boyf' on my backpack and trying to write 'reinds' on yours to match. That would end so poorly for them."
Katsuki cackled at the idea. “I dunno. I might let them do it first, then kick their asses after.” He replied. “Can’t hurt to let some of the harmless stuff slide. Or maybe we could even do that ourselves. Anyone who understood the reference would probably be amused by it.”
"They sell patches as merch online." Izuku offered, "It'd look less goofy if you actually wanted to do it. I might just buy patches anyway… sounds like it'd be fun to decorate my bag." He looked down at the ground, "Annnyway… hrm. I'm running out of pattern ideas here..."
Katsuki though for a minute. “We could always spar, if you want? We still have to make sure you know how to throw a punch properly.” At that moment, his alarm went off. “Tomorrow we can try sparring. We’ve got to head to school soon.” He walked back over to Izuku and kissed his cheek. “Not bad for someone who’s never exercised a day in his life before,” he teased.
"That sounds good to me Kacchan." Izuku replied with a smile. "And yeah. I know, at least I'm doing it now alright?" He looked down at his still bare chest and blushed slightly covering it with his arms before going over to his bag to get his uniform shirt or at the very least a jacket to cover up with if they didn't fully change there.
Katsuki whistled softly when Izuku covered himself. He grinned to let Izuku know he was only teasing, though he did appreciate the view. “Do you want to change here or head home and shower first? We’ve got about an hour before classes start.”
Izuku grabbed a jacket out of his bag and quickly pulled it on himself blushing profusely from Katsuki whistling at him. "Shower. I'm all sweaty and gross. I'd rather not deal with that all day if we've got time for it."
////////// Timeskip fweeeeee //////////
The week went by too damn fast for Katsuki’s liking. All too soon it was the day his parents were due home. Saturday. Katsuki wore a beanie to school that day, taking it off once he was on campus, and pulling it back on before he and Izuku started their walk home.
He knew his mother would throw an absolute fit at his now-short hair. If he had his way, he’d face it alone, then head to Izuku’s after, but he already knew that would never happen
"You think they're back home already?" Izuku asked, walking hand in hand with Katsuki as they headed home. "We're probably going to want to tell them about us as soon as possible." He looked up at Katsuki's hat and adjusted it for him so it was harder to tell his hair was short at a glance. "Especially since it'll be hard to explain us not separating otherwise."
Katsuki nodded slightly. “They probably got home a bit after we left for school, if I had to guess.” He replied. “Yeah, dad will be happy, but mom will probably throw a fit. I’m sure she probably hoped I’d end up with someone she could use to influence me to act more like a girl.” He rolled his eyes. “Obviously that wasn’t going to happen, but I’m sure she was still hoping.”
Once they reached his place, Katsuki searched for the spare key and unlocked the door before putting it back. He opened the door slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. “I’m back…”
Masaru poked his head out of his study, smiling at the sight of them, and waving them upstairs. “Did you have a good first week at school, Katsuki?”
Izuku smiled seeing Masaru and waved happily, staying quiet since Katsuki seemed to be trying to make as little noise as possible. An almost funny parallel since his house was the quiet one, but he always announced his presence loudly when he got back. He kept his hand gently intertwined with Katsuki's, rubbing his hand gently with his thumb to try and help his nerves a bit.
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand back, heading upstairs before Mitsuki could spot them. “School was alright, I guess.”
Masaru made an amused sound. “And what about for you, Izuku? Anything more interesting than ‘alright’?” He asked, looking down at their joined hands. “Is there something you’d like to tell me, Katsuki?”
"Plenty of embarrassing stuff has happened already, but it's going better than elementary already so that's nice." Izuku replied. When Masaru noticed their joined hands Izuku bit his tongue and looked at Katsuki as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Masaru asked him, so Izuku would let Katsuki handle saying everything unless Katsuki wanted him to help. He was there to support him like he had done when they told his mom.
Katsuki blushed darker, and looked down at their joined hands. Now he kinda got how Izuku felt telling his mom. “Ah. We, uh.” He looked up at his dad. “Izuku and I are… we’re soulmates. I found out… after the first day of school, actually.”
Masaru blinked. “I see. Is that why you were asking me about doctors the second time?” Katsuki nodded, and Masaru smiled at them both. “Well, I see that congratulations are in order for both of you. I had a suspicion that you two might be, with how close you always were. Plus that ring Katsuki insisted on getting.”
Katsuki made another noise that sounded like a whine. Was no one going to let him forget that ugly-ass ring?
Masaru ruffled their hair affectionately- Katsuki’s through his hat. “Does Inko already know, then?”
Izuku smiled and scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah. She knows. So does my dad. I told her the morning after we started…" He blushed, "Started dating."
"Um…" He looped a finger around the chain around his neck, subtly pulling said ring out from under his shirt. "That's why Kacchan was at my house most of the week. Separating has felt… uncomfortable."
Masaru hid a slightly wistful smile. “I remember those days. The bond should settle in another week or so. Then being apart won’t be as difficult. He spotted the ring and laughed. “You kept it? How big of a fit did Katsuki throw when he realized you still had it?”
Katsuki blinked, looking over and spotting the ring. “..why the hell?” He groaned, rolling his eyes skyward. Masaru’s amusement quelled his temper a bit, but he still grumbled, “can’t wait to get an actual ring to replace that thing.”
Masaru raised an eyebrow. “You’re both a bit young to be talking about engagement, ring or no.”
Katsuki fixed Masaru with the most serious look he could. “I decided I was going to marry him when we were 4 years old, dad.” He leaned over to kiss Izuku, before continuing his thought. “And he accepted, so he’s stuck with me.”
Masaru smiled again, watching them interact. “Wait until at least your third year of middle school. If you still feel this strongly about each other, I’ll help pay for the rings myself. Deal?”
Izuku froze for a moment from the unexpected kiss before leaning over and kissing Katsuki's cheek to make up for it. He smiled sheepishly at Masaru, "A-Alright Uncle Masaru…" His sheepish smile turned more into a smirk, "Kacchan will just have to deal with me wearing this ring around sometimes till then. And no you can't toss it out. I've kept it this long, it's staying with me." Izuku said teasingly. He kissed Katsuki's hand where their real rings would eventually be, "You'll have to deal."
Katsuki made an exaggerated face of displeasure at the idea of Izuku keeping that ring, grinning afterwards so Izuku knew he wasn’t serious. He stared blankly at his father for a minute at his offer. “Really?” He asked. At Masaru’s nod, he beamed. “You’re the best, dad!” He crowed, smiling broadly.
Masaru chuckled, and Katsuki threw his arms around him to hug him. Masaru’s approval of his relationship with Izuku was all Katsuki cared about. He knew his mother would disapprove, and was (mostly) prepared for that. However, he was much closer to his father, so his opinion on the subject meant more.
Katsuki pulled back from the hug when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He’d hoped to spend a bit more time with his dad, but, no such luck.
Izuku smiled fondly at Katsuki as he hugged his dad. Glad at least Masaru approved. Hearing the footsteps from the stairs Izuku took a breath to prepare himself as Mitsuki joined them, "Oh hi Aunty! Nice to see you. How was your trip?"
Mitsuki blinked. “I thought I heard voices.” She remarked. Glancing over at Izuku, she smiled slightly. “Hello, Izuku-kun. It went...about as well as expected. Business trips can be fairly dull at times.”
Katsuki had to remind himself not to call attention to his hat by fidgeting with it. That would only make her notice faster. He was already dreading her figuring out what he’d done, even though he still didn’t regret it.
If Mitsuki noticed the hat, she didn’t say anything at first. “Will you be staying over for dinner, Izuku-kun? I’d love to hear all about yours and Kaede’s first week of middle school.”
Katsuki winced at his mother’s use of his deadname, but didn’t comment. It wasn’t a battle he’d win, no matter how uncomfortable it made him.
"Um… if that's alright?" Izuku replied awkwardly. He noticed the wince from the deadname and moved closer to him just to be a comforting presence. Under her gaze it felt harder to do the more romantic things they had the past week. He figured either Katsuki would know how to tell Mitsuki it was hard for them to separate at the moment, or Masaru would slip it into conversation. He hoped.
"Of course dear. You're always welcome here." She turned to Masaru. "Dear, Hana-chan just called. Her husband can make it tonight after all." Mitsuki sounded happy about this. Masaru looked less so.
Katsuki gave his mother a confused look. Mitsuki turned her attention to her child. "We will have a little extra company for dinner tonight. Please at least attempt to dress appropriately, Kaede. Come with me and let me fix your hair before they get here." She said quickly, grabbing Katsuki's wrist and leading him to her bathroom.
Izuku sucked in a slow breath hearing Mitsuki say she was going to 'fix' Katsuki's hair. Well… this was going to go well. He turned so he was facing Masaru more and bit his lip while anxiously tugging at his necklace slightly. Trying to give Masaru at least a little warning if he paid attention that there was likely about to be some yelling.
Masaru raised an eyebrow, exhaling slowly. Sighing as his wife pulled their son away, he signed what did he do to his hair that she won't like?
Katsuki submitted himself to being dragged away. Best to get it over with quickly. Mitsuki turned to have him once they were in the bathroom. "Alright, hat off. Do you want it curled or put up?"
Izuku half smiled at Masaru and signed back, She's not going to be able to do anything to it. It's short. He chopped most of it off. He scrunched his shoulders up, I think it looks good at least? And it helps Katsuki pass. So he hasn't been misgendered at school thankfully.
Masaru looked like he couldn’t decide whether to be amused or concerned, his expression flipping between the two rapidly. He knew his wife wouldn’t appreciate that. Styling Katsuki’s hair was something she loved to do, when Katsuki would actually let her.
Katsuki resisted taking his hat off. He knew she would get mad when she saw it, and he was feeling a lot less brave about it without Izuku nearby. Which didn’t really make a lot of sense, but neither did his body and brain not matching up, so.
Mitsuki got impatient after a moment, and snatched his hat. She stared blankly for a moment, before yelling “WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!”
Izuku sighed and whispered under his breath, "There it is." He looked up at Masaru, Katsuki is going to need me for this I feel like. Izuku slowly made his way over to the bathroom and leaned in the doorway, not announcing his presence yet but making himself visible for Katsuki.
Katsuki growled back. “I cut it off, ya old hag! What does it look like?!”
“It looks like a mess ! Why did you cut it? I swear, Kaede, if this is more of that tomboy phase nonsense…” Mistuki snarled.
“I cut it because I felt like it! It’s my hair, I’ll do what I damn well want with it!”
“Not while you live under my roof, you won’t!”
“Well maybe I won’t, then!” Katsuki snapped.
“And where will you go?! Inko’s? You’ll expect her to feed and clothe you, in addition to her own child?!”
“Well you certainly expected her to do part of that while you were gone!”
“You watch that tone, young lady!”
“Why don’t you make me .” Katsuki challenged.
SMACK! Katsuki’s head snapped to the side, his cheek already red. He glared at Mitsuki, who glared right back.
Izuku's eyes went wide, and like he always did, without thinking about it his feet moved and he put himself between Katsuki and Mitsuki. As a reaction, his soul called on the hardening quirk so he could better protect his soulmate as he stared at Mitsuki. "Aunty what was that for!?" He took a shaky breath as he looked her over. Was this normal for them? When did this start happening?
Mother and son both stared at Izuku standing between them. Katsuki recovered first, used to having to follow Izuku into trouble to get him out of it. “‘Zuku….don’t. Don’t get involved.”
Mitsuki looked unamused. “Backtalk doesn’t go unpunished in this house. Get out of the way, Izuku-kun. Clearly I need to do a better job of teaching my daughter respect.”
“I- I-I- don’t...” Izuku stammered, his heart rate picking up, “By hitting Kacchan? How- how is that going to solve anything?” His feet were stuck in place at that point, And with the vague threat telling him to get out of the way another soulmates quirk decided to join the mix and Izuku’s eyes went wide. “U-uh… shoot um. D-Don’t touch me right now. It’s going to hurt. Uhm…”
Katsuki reacted before Mitsuki could, knowing she would just get angrier at being “ordered around”. Trusting that Izuku wouldn’t hurt him, Katsuki placed his hands on his shoulders and physically moved him out of the way. “Izuku, I appreciate that you’re trying to help. But right now you’re only making things worse. Go back to my room or dad’s study. Please .” The last thing Katsuki wanted was for his mother to take her anger out on Izuku. Her hitting him, he could handle. That wasn’t new. Plus spending time with Izuku between now and dinner would fix him right up. Izuku getting hit, though, that would set him off. Which was the last thing he needed.
When Katsuki was the one to touch him, the dual quirk immediately shut off before it could hurt him. Izuku looked worriedly over his shoulder at Katsuki and swallowed thickly before making himself move on his own. He didn’t want to make things worse on him. Izuku moved quickly back to Masaru’s study and immediately put himself in a corner and shut his eyes. He was on the verge of a panic attack seeing Katsuki’s own mother hit him like that. And he couldn’t do anything about it. Curled up in a ball he started doing breathing exercises so he didn’t accidentally set off a quirk again.
Masaru glanced up when Izuku came back in, concerned. He wasn’t sure what was going on, or what had set Izuku off, but whatever it was couldn’t be good. He noticed Izuku’s eyes were closed. Sign was out, then. He tried speaking instead. “Izuku-kun…?” He asked softly.
Mitsuki waited until Izuku was out of the room, then pulled her arm back like she was going to slap Katsuki again. However, midway through, she seemed to decide that that was a bad idea, and relaxed her arm. Katsuki eyed her open palm suspiciously.
Mitsuki gestured to the bathtub. “Sit down. I don’t have much to work with but it can at least be straightened. And you will be wearing makeup and a dress tonight, whether you like it or not.”
Izuku pulled his knees a little bit closer to his chest before slowly opening his eyes to look at Masaru. His throat was tight and tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. He wasn’t crying yet, but he was close to it. He bit his lip nervously and watched Masaru carefully. Surely he wasn’t like that too, right? Mitsuki always set him on edge, though he never fully knew why. Masaru was always the more calming one to be around. And Katsuki seemed to trust him. So he was fine, right?
Masaru waited camly for Izuku to respond, knowing that, if nothing else, rushing someone who was that panicked was a very bad idea.
Katsuki sat, letting her attack his now-short hair with a straightener. He wasn’t keen on giving her more reasons to hit him. Izuku was already going to be freaked out enough once Katsuki managed to get away.
It took a moment for Izuku to collect himself enough to respond, and even then he could only manage to sign to Masaru. She hit him. Does that happen often? Izuku asked, visibly worried for Katsuki. Katsuki sent me out. Quirks going off without me saying to. Was making it worse. Could’ve hurt Aunty.
Masaru's expression darkened. He was clearly trying to hide it for Izuku's benefit, but his normally relaxed demeanor turned quietly menacing. Though it probably would feel more protective than anything towards Izuku, he would still be able to feel it if he paid attention.
She did what? He signed, not wanting to possibly frighten Izuku more. You saw her do this? And Katsuki sent you out of the room? Masaru wasn't sure if Katsuki had been hoping Izuku would go back to his study or not, but sending him out of the room must have been for the more timid boy's own safety. Masaru knew his son. If it was just a matter of getting between Izuku and his mother, he would do it. Masaru could only conclude that something about what had happened scared Katsuki enough that he was no longer confident in his ability to protect the smaller one, which was worrying indeed.
Izuku nodded minutely in response, Katsuki and Aunty were arguing about his hair. He told her it's his hair so he'll do what he wants with it. She said not under her roof. He explained, Katsuki got madder and threatened to leave and brought up how she didn't leave food in the house for him. Aunty got angry about his tone. Katsuki said to make him stop then. And she slapped him.
He took a shaky breath, My feet moved on their own. I ended up between them. Aunty told me to move. I think Katsuki thought she was going to hit me next.
Masaru looked… furious. There was really no other way to describe it. He knew his wife's tendencies, and her temper (Katsuki had definitely inherited that from her). Goodness knew he'd been on the receiving end of it more than once. But to strike their son? That was unacceptable. He stood, motioning for Izuku to stay where he was, and headed towards the bathroom.
Katsuki, who had been sitting through his mother trying to make his hair look "presentable" with much more patience than he thought he had, took one look at his dad's face and knew shit was about to go down and that he should get out of the way. Mitsuki noticed her husband and set the straightener down. Katsuki quickly scooted past him, the pair only exchanging a quick glance.
Katsuki had zero desire to be around this particular fight, so headed to his dad's study to look for Izuku.
Izuku stayed curled up in the corner where Masaru told him to stay. He put his head against his knees and used his arms to further cover him. Making himself as small as he possibly could. He couldn't do anything else in that moment. Izuku was only just starting his training with Katsuki. He couldn't protect Katsuki like he could him. He especially didn't know what to do when it was Mitsuki he'd be protecting him from. He hoped he hadn't made things worse by telling Masaru what happened honestly.
Katsuki spotted Izuku, and tapped lightly on the doorframe to get his attention. The safest place for them to be was probably out of the house, but they couldn't do that at the moment. Mitsuki would just get even madder. They would probably be better off hanging out in his room. It was the furthest from the upcoming explosion.
Katsuki had never seen his dad that angry before. Judging from his mother's reaction, she hadn't either. Katsuki had no idea how any of this would go.
Izuku jumped slightly from the sound of the knock before looking up towards where the sound came from. Seeing Katsuki there he uncurled himself slowly before standing up and looking him over. Are you… okay? He signed, before gently coming over to take his hand. He shakily lifted a hand to touch Katsuki’s face, but hesitated and kept his hand away.
Katsuki let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Izuku took his hand. He took Izuku's other hand and gently pressed it to the spot where Mitsuki had hit him. "I'm okay. Or at least, I will be." He took his hand away from Izuku's hand on his face to wrap that arm around his waist. "What about you? Are you okay? I'm sorry you had to see that."
Izuku let out a breath and nodded. “Mhm.” He leaned his forehead against Katsuki and took a few slow breaths. “If you’re okay. I’m okay.” He said quietly, “I got worried, that’s all.”
Katsuki tilted his head into Izuku's hand. "I know. I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't want you to see her reaction to the haircut." He said softly, essentially admitting that he knew being hit was a possible outcome.
Izuku sighed and gently rubbed Katsuki’s cheek, “That’s not the first time that’s happened. Is it?” He leaned up and kissed the other side of Katsuki’s face. “Don’t worry about worrying me Kacchan. You remember what you told me? No more hiding? You have to work with me and not hide things either.” Izuku closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, “Had I not made that promise, I wouldn’t have told you what Kawasaki was trying. And we both know what could have happened if I brushed you off and didn’t speak up. As much as I hate to admit it.” He looked into Katsuki’s eyes, “So please, just tell me about this kind of thing in the future. Alright?”
Katsuki flushed slightly at being called out. He met Izuku's gaze and nodded seriously. "I'll work on it." He promised. His mother-hen nature when it came to Izuku would prove a challenge to overcome, but he would give it his best effort. He relaxed more against Izuku. "No, that's not the first time it's happened." He admitted.
"Thank you." Izuku said, giving him a fond smile. His face became more worried at Katsuki's admittance of being hit by his mother before. "I'm assuming your Dad has never seen or heard about you getting hit either? He… seemed visibly furious when I told him. I don't think I've ever seen him get like that."
He bit his lip, "You know, as soon as we get those soulbond claiming forms all the way through… if we needed to you could come live with me and mom. Aunty… Mitsuki wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Izuku smiled faintly, "I guess that's one good thing for those laws? Even if they can make it hell in other situations."
Katsuki sighed. "I could. But that just puts more of a burden on Aunty. I can't… I couldn't do that to her. It's not… it's not bad enough where I need to run away with my tail between my legs."
He blinked. "No, I would guess Mom wouldn't want him to know. For all the fights they get into, he's always done his best to shield me from them."
“We’d make it work if we had to.” Izuku replied, “Just because we have some bad spots, doesn’t mean we’re still not saving for when it gets really bad. Mom doesn’t like me being the one to give her money. So I’ve got a stash that I’ve saved up from birthday gifts and loose change I find.” He pulled Katsuki in for a gentle hug, “I know you want to stand strong for as long as you can, but don’t wait if it gets too much alright? The second you feel like you should leave, just tell me. Like I said, we’d make it work.”
Katsuki curled into Izuku, rather than around, for once. He squeezed Izuku's hand, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "If I left, dad could finally let go. He's been holding on to his and Mom's broken bond for so long. Pretty sure it's just his willpower holding it together at this point. I shouldn't know that, I'm sure, but Dad would really be better off without her. Even with the stigma of a broken soulbond," he said softly.
Izuku gently rubbed Katsuki's back. "If he did, he could come live with us too. We do have the one guest room, it's just more storage at the moment." Izuku offered, "The second my mom finds out about this, even if they're friends now, that's not going to hold up with that new info. But my mom has always liked Uncle Masaru. She trusts him, and you, and me. Au-" He paused, Mitsuki didn't really deserve to be called his Aunty if she treated Katsuki like that, did she? "Mitsuki wouldn't be able to twist it."
Katsuki paused, considering the idea. Dad had his own job anyway, right? And it wasn't dependent on Mitsuki's, so she couldn't take it away if he left her. He was quiet, trying to figure out if he could persuade Masaru to leave with him. "I'd… have to talk to Dad. I don't know if he'd be willing to go along with it without talking to Aunty first." Katsuki knew Masaru would likely encourage him to go, though.
"Alright." Izuku replied quietly. He knew full well his mother would take them both in without question. Them asking first would be more courtesy, but Katsuki already had practically lived at his house the past week and Inko didn't bat an eye.
Katsuki hugged Izuku tightly for a moment. How did he get so damn lucky? The sound of footsteps coming down the hall caused him to mostly pull away, just keeping an arm around Izuku. He wasn't sure which parent it was, especially since he hadn't heard any sign of Masaru approaching before. So that could mean it was his mother looking for him.
It turned out to be Mitsuki, like Katsuki had worried. "Hurry up Kaede. We still need to do your makeup, and you need to get dressed."
Katsuki hesitated, not sure he wanted to go, but knowing he had no choice.
"Um… could I sit in while you do Kacchan's makeup?" Izuku asked, not particularly wanting to separate from him. "I… I could maybe help too? Mom taught me how."
Mitsuki looked at Izuku for a moment, before shrugging. "If that's what you want to do." She said carelessly.
Katsuki knew that look. She was probably feeling like all the things she said about Izuku were right, if he was a boy into makeup . Katsuki squeezed Izuku's hand and shot him a grateful look, before following Mitsuki back to his bathroom, so she could attempt to make him look feminine.
Izuku followed along silently, if he could help it he'd do his best to steer the makeup they were putting him on into a more masculine or at least androgynous direction. Izuku had been practicing more masculine and feminine contour on himself for cosplay reasons, so he'd do his best. Though he knew it'd be good to please Mitsuki at least a little bit, so he looked at the makeup options for eyeshadow and pointed to the oranges and reds on the pallet, "What about one or two of these for Kacchan's eyeshadow? It'd show off the red of Kacchan's eyes, don't you think?"
Katsuki blinked, keeping his expression neutral. He wouldn't put it past his mom to refuse if he showed a positive reaction, so he just didn't show any.
Mitsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku's choice. She had to admit, it would do just that. "Why don't you help her put that on, then, Izuku-kun." Mitsuki responded, looking for a shade of blush that would complement it.
Izuku smiled faintly and nodded to Mitsuki before starting. He grabbed the pallet and brushes he needed and in slow practiced motion, did a gradient from a small amount of yellow to orange to red. Izuku pulled back, satisfied with his work, to let Mitsuki and Katsuki have a look. "How's that?" He asked.
Mitsuki looked mildly impressed. Clearly she hadn't expected him to be able to do it. "It looks fine." She replied, first carefully applying concealer to the still-red part of his face. She then pulled out an orange-pink blush that went with that eyeshadow and applied it so it would highlight Katsuki's more feminine features.
Katsuki said nothing, not even looking in the mirror until his mother was done. He didn't normally hate makeup, but he knew he was going to look like a girl if his mother had anything to say about it. And of course, he was right.
Izuku hummed looking at the makeup. It looked good, but it was definitely too feminine for Katsuki. When Mitsuki wasn't paying too much attention to him, he signed to Katsuki, I'll either do, or fix your contour once she's gone. I can work with this.
Mitsuki saw the sign out of the corner of her eye. Though she couldn't read it, the way Katsuki relaxed, she could guess. Finishing the look with some mascara, she ushered Katsuki out of the bathroom before Izuku could make an excuse for them to stay. "I found the perfect dress to go with this look while we were gone."
Knowing he couldn't follow them if Katsuki was getting changed, Izuku stayed in the bathroom a few moments longer and grabbed the contour pallet and the brushes he'd need. If they were headed to Katsuki's room to change, Izuku would put it in Masaru's study for a bit. He also quickly grabbed a small mirror, feeling like he might as well do his while he waited for fun.
Katsuki stared at his bedroom door like it was an executioner's block. And it felt like that too.
Mitsuki laid out a small strapless bra and got out the dress she mentioned. It was short, with straps instead of full sleeves, which explained the bra. It was orange, matching her- his makeup, with lace on it that would be tasteful, if Katsuki didn’t want to throw up just looking at it. He knew that there was no way out of wearing it, though he still stayed away from it for as long as he could. Mitsuki glared at him. "It's not going to bite you, Kaede. Put it on."
Knowing he had no other choice but to comply, he slowly undressed. When it came time to take his binder off, he hesitated, but finally did so and set it on his dresser.
Once he had the dress on, Mitsuki was satisfied enough to leave him alone in his room.
/////////
Izuku waited for Mitsuki to leave Katsuki’s room, once she passed Masaru’s study Izuku waited a few more moments before leaning out to check that she was going to leave Katsuki alone before taking the makeup and making his way over to his room and rapping gently on the door. “Kacchan?” Izuku whispered, “Can I come in?”
Katsuki blinked, looking up at the door. "Yeah." He said softly, holding his own forearms and sitting on his bed. Thankfully, Mitsuki hadn't made a big deal about his binder, possibly assuming it was just another bra.
Katsuki sat on his bed, looking like he wanted to cry. There was a pair of matching high heels by his closet, one on its side and one upside down, like they’d been thrown there. The dress was intact, which was surprising considering the ridiculous amount of lace on it.
Izuku opened the door and gently closed it behind him. “Oh… Kacchan.” He immediately set the makeup down to the side and gently pulled him into a hug. He stayed there for a few moments before pulling back to look at his face, “It’s going to be alright. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable right now?” He gestured to the makeup, “I can at least do your contour, bring out your more masculine features counteract all… this a bit..”
Katsuki curled up into Izuku, grateful that he at least wasn't by himself. When Izuku offered to fix his makeup, Katsuki relaxed noticeably. "Anything's better than this." He responded quietly. He frowned at the dress. "I keep telling myself it's only for a little bit, but the fact that I have to meet one of my mother's friends, and hear how pretty you look is just going to make everything that much worse. Plus apparently the friend has a kid our age, which means I'm going to actually have to entertain someone looking like this ." He forced himself to take a deep breath. "Pretty much the only reason I'm not panicking right now is that afterwards I can rip this damn thing off and blow it up if I want to and she can't stop me ."
Izuku smiled softly at him, “Yeah. There is that.” He pulled the palette up into his lap along with the brushes, “I’m glad I learned how to do this now. For multiple reasons.” Izuku chewed on his lip for a moment trying to choose what to use and almost went to scratch his face before stopping himself. Not wanting to mess up what he already did on himself. Once he chose what he needed, he got to work right away since he didn’t know how long it would be until Mitsuki called them out for dinner.
Katsuki let him work quietly for a minute. Curious, he had to ask. "How do you learn to do makeup?" He wanted to know. "Did you do it just because, or…?"
“Oh um…” Izuku blushed lightly, “N-No I had a reason to learn.” He cleared his throat, “I… Uh… Do my makeup for conventions and that kind of thing when I get the chance to go. I- I-…” He muttered just barely audibly,”I go in cosplay most of the time…”
Katsuki blinked, "You cosplay?" He asked, unsure if he heard correctly, sounding interested. "Who as?" He wanted to know. He grinned at Izuku. "That's certainly one reason to learn."
Izuku nodded minutely, “Um… Toph from Avatar, Hinata from Haikyuu also Nishinoya, and a few from some podcasts? I don’t think I’ve told you about them so I doubt you’d know who they are…” He pointed at Katsuki’s eyeshadow, “I know how to do that because of one of them. Aubrey Little. She’s super cool.”
Katsuki looked surprised at the list. "Huh. It sounds like fun. I might have to go with you to one. Don't know about cosplay, but a convention might be interesting. Worth a try, at least." He sat patiently while Izuku made his makeup look a bit less feminine, glad to have something else to think about.
“Y-Yeah… It’s really fun. You wouldn’t have to cosplay if you came, though I’m sure you’d want to be my sort of bodyguard either way. Most of the time it’s fine, but there’s people who don’t ask before they run up and give you a hug that kind of thing.” Izuku said as he finished up Katsuki’s makeup. He smiled looking at his work, “There we go.” Izuku handed the small mirror to him, “Better?”
Katsuki ruffled his hair lightly. “I’ll think about cosplaying with you. Okay?” He offered, grinning. He took the mirror when it was offered, and stared for a moment. It was subtle, but he definitely looked a lot more like himself now. That alone made the dress more bearable.
Izuku laughed lightly, “Okay.” He rubbed his arm lightly, “Um… Yeah. I’d like that.” Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki, “I do good?”
Katsuki looked at himself in the mirror again. There was still far too much makeup on his face for his liking, but he could deal with that. “Yeah. Yeah ya did.” He reached for Izuku’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”
Mitsuki’s voice came from downstairs. “Kaede! Izuku-kun! Dear, come downstairs. Dinner is almost ready!”
Katsuki took a deep breath, then glared at the heels his mother clearly expected him to wear. He was seriously tempted to go downstairs without them. She wouldn’t freak out immediately, not with company. Then he and Izuku could leave before Mitsuki had a chance to corner him over the shoes.
Izuku leaned over and gave Katsuki a kiss behind his ear, “Anytime, Kacchan, I love you.” He took a breath and looked at the heels, “You don’t have to put them on, she’ll get mad i’m sure but you don’t have to. If you do though, just think murder thoughts. It helps the walk and sends more ‘don’t mess with me’ vibes.” He gave Katsuki a small smile, “I do it for some of the cosplays when I need a break. It keeps most people from walking up.”
Katsuki pulled him into a hug. “Love you too.” He snickered. “Murder thoughts? You?” He asked, grinning. “I never would have thought you had it in you,” he teased. He sighed, grabbing the shoes and putting one on. He hated the feeling of it, but it would make him significantly taller, so that was something. He slid the other on, and secured the straps, standing up. “On the bright side, I could probably stab someone with these if I wanted to.”
“You haven’t seen me in full costume with heavy makeup and heels after three hours.” Izuku said back, “I do get annoyed and angry, contrary to what a lot of people may think by looking at me.” He snickered, “That you could.”
Izuku held his hand out for Katsuki to take, “If she says anything about us holding hands, just blame it on not wanting to trip and fall in those.”
Katsuki took Izuku’s hand. “I know you can , it’s just difficult to do. Unless I’m purposely being irritating.” He made a face. “Or we could just tell her that you and I are soulmates. Especially since she probably wants to set her “daughter” up with whoever this kid is.” Katsuki grumbled. “Us knowing we’re soulmates would certainly put a dent in that plan.”
“That’s true too.” Izuku replied with a nod, “With company I doubt she’d make too big of a scene.” He sighed, “Let’s just see what happens I guess. We don’t want to take too long anyway.”
Katsuki made a face. “Or we could always escape out the window. I’d just have to get this stupid dress off first. Hide at Aunty’s for a few days.” He frowned. “I wish, anyway.” He stood up and headed for the door, more graceful in the heels than he’d ever admit to being. They reached the stairs just as Mitsuki approached to call for them again.
Katsuki took the stairs slowly. More graceful wasn’t saying much in three-inch heels on stairs. When they reached the bottom, Mitsuki raised an eyebrow at their joined hands. “It was nice of you to help her down the stairs, Izuku-kun. But she can walk on her own on level ground.”
"U-Uhm… Y-Yeah, I know." Izuku replied ducking his head down slightly and giving Katsuki's hand a quick squeeze out of anxiousness.
Katsuki, already sick of looking like a girl, snapped. “Buzz off, ya old hag! I’m holding his hand ‘cause I want to!”
Mitsuki glared at Katsuki, who glared right back. The battle of wills was averted by Masaru coming down the stairs. “Leave them be, Mitsuki.” He said simply. Whatever had happened between them left Mitsuki shaken enough that she turned and returned to the kitchen, dropping the subject.
Izuku let out a breath and gave Masaru a grateful look. He was surprised Mitsuki backed off so easily, but glad she did nonetheless. Thank you. Izuku signed simply. He then gently rubbed circles into Katsuki's hand, not planning on letting go unless Katsuki himself wanted him to.
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand back, and smiled lightly at Masaru. Masaru ruffled both of their hair. Katsuki snickered, knowing Mitsuki wouldn’t appreciate that, and all the happier for it.
“You look...nice, Katsuki. A bit girly, though.” Masaru teased, getting a splutter from his son.
Izuku snickered lightly at Katsuki's reaction. "A bit girly." Izuku agreed, "But still stunningly handsome."
Katsuki grumbled at both of them. “‘M in a dress. How is that handsome? I look like a friggin girl.” He made a face. “At least it’s not pink .”
Masaru laughed out loud at that. “You really hated that pink dress, didn’t you?” He asked, amused.
“It was ugly !” Katsuki protested.
Masaru rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen to check on the progress of the food.
"The dress has nothing to do with you being handsome Kacchan. You just are." Izuku said smiling softly, "Mitsuki can try and cover it up, but it'll never work. Not on me at the very least, because I only see you behind all of that." He looked in the direction of the kitchen, "You don't think the guests are here yet, do you?"
Katsuki grumbled. “Whatever, you big sap.” He sighed. “I hope not. Means we have to talk to people .” He replied disdainfully. “Wouldn’t want to be rude , after all.” He headed towards the living room, knowing that if they were here, that’s where they’d be.
Notes:
Shippy: Well, there's that. Also, the timeskip thing was me while we were initially writing it, and I left it in while editing because it made me giggle when I saw it. As a side note, the references to Katsuki being kicked out before... they'll come up again.
Frozen: Izuku has gotten a lot of weights off his shoulders in this fic, which clears up space for him to help Katsuki with his issues. The only issue is getting Katsuki to let him lol. Also, yes, Izuku cosplays. You can't tell me he wouldn't XD He does some hero cosplays too, but I couldn't resist the idea of Izuku doing stuff from fandoms that I'm in. So... yes, Izuku has cosplayed Aubrey Little in the past, and 100% used Shouto's quirk to do special effects for pictures because he's a nerd like that.
Chapter 4
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Summary:
Dinner at the Bakugou house.
(Fair warning, there is quite a bit of misgendering and deadnaming this chapter on account of Mitsuki and the friends she invited over.)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Unfortunately, they were already here, if the three unfamiliar blond people in the living room were any indication. Katsuki frowned deeply. The woman, his mother’s friend Hana, must be, noticed them first. “Ah! You must be Mitsuki’s daughter, Kaede!”
Katsuki forced his expression to look at least mildly pleasant, despite being deadnamed. “That’s me.” He said dully, hating every second of this interaction already.
Izuku took a breath and smiled at the guests. He'd almost forgotten about the fact that he'd be hearing Katsuki's deadname repeatedly through the night because of them. Wonderful. "Um, hello." Izuku said with a small wave, "I'm Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you all."
The woman smiled pleasantly. “This is my husband, Yutaka, and my son, Yūga. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Katsuki forced himself to smile and return the greeting. The boy, Yūga, was staring at them both curiously. Katsuki didn’t like it, but kept his thoughts to himself. Best not to offend his mother’s friend immediately , after all.
Yūga seemed extremely interested in the fact that they were holding hands, though he didn’t speak.
Izuku noticed how Yūga was looking at them holding hands and blushed faintly. Especially once he got a good look at him. He was good looking that was for sure. Almost princely in appearance. Izuku inwardly cursed himself, now was not the time to be having gay thoughts. He gently pulled Katsuki in the direction of the seats, not wanting to just be awkwardly standing there with them watching.
Katsuki grinned, sitting next to Izuku. Probably too close, in his mother’s opinion. Katsuki, of course, didn’t give a shit what his mother thought.
Hana either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Yūga studied them both, curious. When he looked at his mother, she motioned for him to go over to them. He looked unsure, but moved to sit closer to them.
Katsuki could tell the kid was nervous, but really didn’t want to talk to him anyway, so he didn't comment.
Izuku looked at Yūga with understanding. Being nervous was a constant for him. Maybe he should try and break the ice? "Um, do you like heroes?" Izuku asked, it sounded like a question two four year olds would ask each other but it was the best he had, "Any favorites?"
Katsuki gave his friend a fond, if exasperated, look. It wasn’t necessarily a bad question, just a bit out of nowhere.
Yuga appeared to share his opinion, if his startled expression was anything to go by. “W-well, yes, I do. Doesn’t everyone?” He asked quietly. “It may be cliche… b-but I like All Might. He’s very flashy, but he s-still...seems to be a kind person who helps others because he genuinely cares.”
Katsuki snorted. Yūga looked… almost offended. And hurt. Katsuki raised a hand in defense. “No, I’m not laughing at what you said. Just… Izuku here is the biggest All Might fanboy I’ve ever met. It’s almost ridiculous.”
Yūga’s expression softened. “Truly?”
Izuku nodded quickly with a grin, "Yeah! All Might is a lot of people's favorite but it's for good reason. All Might is the number one hero for so many reasons. He's saved so many people and he always does it with a reassuring smile on his face, no matter how tough the situation is. He's amazing. " He had to force himself not to go on a whole tangent, he could go on and on about All Might if someone didn't stop him.
Izuku bumped Katsuki's shoulder slightly, "He's Kacchan's favorite too. We're both big fans I just er…" He rubbed his neck anxiously, "I tend to horde every bit of info about him. His debut video I practically make up like half the views on. I watched it on loop when I was little, and I uh… still watch it on occasion."
"'On occasion', he says." Katsuki teased. "Try at least five times a week."
Yūga looked amused by the byplay, if nothing else.
Katsuki bumped Izuku's shoulder back and squeezed his hand. The dress was still at the back of his mind, reminding him that he wasn't who he said he was.
“ Kacchan.” Izuku pouted, “You didn’t have to say that . And it’s not five times a week… It’s more like... three times usually. I just got excited this week because of us starting training. I was daydreaming about our future debuts and if we’d ever get to help that many people.” He said with a wistful smile, “I hope there’s never so much destruction again obviously, but… just the thought of helping that many people. Not leaving anyone behind. It’s amazing.”
Yūga looked excited. "You two are planning to become heroes as well? Father… father says such things are foolish…" He dropped his voice in a conspiratorial manner, "but I hope to become one anyway. It makes fashion seem dull. Although… don't tell Mother I said that."
Katsuki grinned. He liked this kid already. "Yeah. We're both going to be heroes. Going to go to UA and everything."
Izuku grinned as well, “I’m sure you'd be able to do both if you wanted to though. I know Best Jeanist is trying in his own way. Heroes get to help come up with their own costume designs, so I’m sure you’d come up with something amazing for your own.” He replied quietly, before his face lit up. “Oh! I haven’t made any costume designs yet! I wasn’t even thinking about it before since I didn’t think I had a quirk.” Izuku turned to Katsuki talking quickly, “It’s still probably going to be a simple design for the most part since, well, mental quirk, but I’ll have to have support items for all the soulmate quirks. You think you could help me with that?” Izuku bounced in place excitedly for a few moments, “We could both probably ask Uncle Masaru to critique them too and get a third pair of eyes. It’ll be so fun!”
Katsuki grinned. "Well of course I'll help. I'm sure Dad will be happy to as well." He leaned in and gave Izuku a side hug. “And support items…" he gave Yūga a side-eye. "We can start planning tonight, hah?" He offered. He still didn't quite trust the other blond boy just yet.
Just outside the room, Mitsuki and Hana were chatting, excited about how well their children were getting along.
Izuku nodded to Katsuki, “Alright, Kacchan.” He hummed looking at Katsuki fondly before turning back to Yūga, “Speaking of support items…” He pointed at Yūga’s belt, “That is one, right? I think I recognize the style of the company.”
Yūga looked mildly embarrassed. "Oui, it is. My body is…ill-suited for my quirk. I need this belt otherwise it leaks out. Which… isn't the most pleasant thing."
Katsuki looked skeptical, but let it go for the time being. Unless a new quirk had mutated, one's family tree usually left the body at least prepared for any number of combinations.
Izuku tilted his head at Yūga, “Yeah, that doesn’t sound pleasant at all. And dangerous depending on what it is.” He focused on the belt for a moment to try and figure out what the capabilities of the belt were and how it was connected to Yuga’s quirk, as well as what his quirk could be and winced. Izuku still needed some practice consciously activating it, and he focused on too many elements at the same time. Letting his mind wander was not a good idea when he activated his quirk.
“Headache…” Izuku said, rubbing his temples as he scooted a little closer to Katsuki. “I really need to practice this more. The headaches are super annoying though.” He sighed, keeping his eyes closed for the moment, just until the headache started to dull from Katsuki’s touch.
Katsuki rolled his eyes at Izuku, gently massaging his temples for him. "Yes, yes you do. What were you focusing on this time?" He asked, curious as to what Izuku's current limit was. Just like the others, they needed a baseline before they could improve.
Yūga gave them both a confused look. "My quirk is called Navel Laser. I can emit a sparkling laser beam from my navel. You could have just asked, instead of… whatever that was."
“...Multiple things.” Izuku mumbled in reply, “What his quirk could be, the capabilities of the belt, and how it relates to the quirk. Too much info at once… All connected, but I think I needed to take it in parts. Brain wandered too much...” He kept his eyes closed as he replied to Yuga, “That was my quirk… Haven’t come up with a name yet since I only discovered it this week. But it’s analysation based. A mental quirk.”
Yūga looked mildly impressed. "If we weren't both going to be heroes I'd want to work with you in fashion. That quirk would be so useful for picking out matching colors and patterns for designs for clothes!" He gushed.
Katsuki blinked, having not seen it in that light before. "He's got a point. That would be ridiculously useful in our parents' line of work." He continued to rub Izuku's temples, hoping to encourage the headache to go away faster.
Izuku let out a low hum, relaxing into Katsuki’s touch as the headache started to fade. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open to look at them. “Huh, yeah I guess it would, wouldn’t it?” He let out a small laugh, “Guess that’s yet another thing to add to the list of possible backup plans if something happens. Still think detective would be cool though, even as a desk job.”
Katsuki grinned. "A real life Sherlock Holmes." He teased. He seriously wanted to kiss Izuku, but best not to right now. Fuck knew how his mother would take that . Not well would be putting it nicely .
Yūga gave them a strange look. "You two are more than just childhood friends, aren't you?" He asked quietly.
“That make you my Watson, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, teasing right back. He choked on air at Yūga’s question, looking to Katsuki for help on how to answer that. Izuku wasn’t sure they wanted to broadcast their being soulmates and boyfriends with Mitsuki in the house. Even quietly just to Yūga. They had no idea how he’d react.
Katsuki snorted. "What if I want to be Moriarty?" He teased. "Though Watson is pretty cool, so, maybe." At Yūga's question, he frowned. Our mothers are likely trying to set us up. I don't want him to get his hopes up. He signed. Out loud, he confirmed it. "We are. We're dating. Haven't told my mother yet."
Yūga heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh thank heavens. I'm sure you're a wonderful person but… call me a jealous personality type, but I wouldn’t be able to handle dating someone who was so openly intimate with another person. Even a best friend. And I’m sure you’ve noticed what our mothers are up to.”
Izuku let out a relieved breath of his own. “We guessed what they were up to yeah.” He tilted his head with a smile, “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you have one soulmate, right?” Izuku shrugged, “We haven’t really talked about it yet, but… we’ve got multiples so it’s almost kind of assumed sharing is going to happen for us? At least in some form. Who knows if it’ll be romantic, but… touches are going to have to happen if we find them. And I’m a cuddly person regardless so...”
Yūga nodded. “Just one, yes. Their quirk is… interesting, to say the least.” He blinked at them. “Multiples, huh? Good luck. I know I would not be able to do it.”
Katsuki grinned back. “Hey, it takes a stronger person than most people are to admit to your weaknesses like that. I also might be weird, but if one of mine objected to the level of intimacy between ‘Zuku and me, well. That’d be a one-way ticket to an either platonic or broken bond.”
Izuku blinked at Katsuki and stammered for a moment, "You'd… you'd break a bond over… Me?" He wanted to curl up into Katsuki's chest, but he doubted he'd get that much contact without Mitsuki noticing and throwing a fit. Izuku smiled softly at him, trying not to cry happy tears at the thought that Katsuki cared about their connection that much. I don't know how I got so lucky. I love you so much.
Katsuki blinked at Izuku's reaction and smiled at him. "Of course I would. You mean more to me than some person I've never met." He leaned against Izuku, writing into his back "Love you too."
Izuku let out a tiny happy laugh smiling at Katsuki. After a few moments of looking at him lovingly he asked, “How long do you think until dinner actually starts now?” Signing he added, I want to hold you and kiss you right now. But I don’t think that’s a good idea with Mitsuki here watching.
Yūga watched their hands with no small amount of confusion. "What are those motions you two keep making with your hands. Is it a code of some kind?"
Katsuki pulled Izuku closer still, and wrote into his back, 'I'm starting to not care if she sees.'
Izuku blushed lightly from Katsuki pulling him closer. He laughed slightly at Yūga not knowing what sign language was. “Well, sort of? It’s sign language.” Izuku explained, “I learned it along with Kacchan when they got their quirk. But it’s pretty handy either way. We can talk even if one of us can’t speak for some reason, or if we just want to keep it private since most people don’t understand it. Or at least more than the basics.”
Yūga looked intrigued. "Sign language? I see. Why when sh-they got their quirk? Is that just how timing worked out?" He didn't seem to think anything of mirroring Izuku's pronoun use.
Katsuki blinked at the blond boy changing the pronouns he used to mirror Izuku. He had to take a minute to focus on his breathing so he didn't start to tear up.
Izuku smiled at Yūga changing the pronouns he was using and gave a small squeeze to Katsuki's hand. "It was more a safety precaution because of their quirk. Kacchan's quirk is very… loud to put it lightly." Izuku explained, "There's a good chance using it could eventually cause Kacchan to go deaf. It already hurt their hearing a lot."
Yūga made an ‘oh’ face as he processed Izuku’s explanation. “I suppose all quirks have drawbacks.” He replied. “I hadn’t thought of it that way before.”
Katsuki blinked. “That they do. I suppose the perfect quirk wouldn’t have them, but I haven’t heard of one of those.”
Just then, Mitsuki poked her head in the room. “Dinner’s ready.”
Izuku nodded to Mitsuki and moved to stand up, still keeping hold of Katsuki's hand gently so that he could pull away if he wanted. "Even All Might's has a drawback I'm sure. Most heroes just don't make them obvious." Izuku said, "It makes it seem like nothing could really touch them."
Katsuki took a minute to get his feet beneath him, scowling at the heels he was wearing. “True. If a hero’s weakness was broadcast, it wouldn’t take long for villains to take advantage of that. The better hidden it is, the better off they are.”
Yūga motioned for the pair of them to walk ahead of him. “Though, some drawbacks are harder to take advantage of, though. Like yours, for example,” he said, motioning to Katsuki. “It would be difficult to take advantage of your difficulty hearing if you know sign language.”
Katsuki shrugged. “Catch me without my hearing aids and there might be a problem.” He admitted. “Though I do my damndest to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
"Or if they were to break and or short circuit them there would be a problem." Izuku pointed out, "For me… it'd probably be a case of them overloading me with information somehow. The headaches make it hard to think and refocus."
He hummed as his mind started to drift, and remembered how he had written about a lot of said weaknesses in his notebooks. "Kacchan… Remind me to look into getting a safe for my notebooks. Seriously." Izuku said as he made sure to help Katsuki keep his balance as they walked, "I'd rather they not get stolen and be the cause of a hero's downfall… which I'm increasingly realizing would be rather easy with what's in them."
Katsuki snorted. “Oh, you think so?” He teased. “Luckily you encrypted them, so there’s at least that.” He kept a hold of Izuku’s hand. He didn’t really need it for balance, but it was a decent excuse to keep up contact. “So, you mentioned your soulmate had an ‘interesting’ quirk? What is it, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Yūga blinked. “Oh, it allows me to copy someone’s quirk for up to five minutes after touching them.” He explained. “You can probably imagine how difficult that was to pin down as to exactly what it was.”
Izuku's eyes lit up with interest. "A copy quirk? That's amazing!" He said with a grin, "I'm sure it was difficult but… that kind of quirk has so many uses! Especially if you or they team up with someone with a strong quirk. You'd be able to cover more ground. I'm assuming you'd get used to quickly figuring out how to properly use whatever quirk you'd copy, but teaming up with someone-" He started going into a muttering storm, only half paying attention to his surroundings as they walked. Izuku had never heard of a quirk like that before, it excited him.
Yūga listened to Izuku go with a bemused look on his face. “It is a useful quirk indeed. Much more useful than my own.” He admitted easily. “Could you imagine being able to copy Best Jeanists’ quirk? That would be fantastic.”
Katsuki snickered at Izuku’s muttering, using their joined hands to make sure he didn’t run into a wall or anything. He hummed thoughtfully at Yūga’s comment about Best Jeanist. “Yeah, his quirk is pretty amazing.”
"-and imagine a villain's surprise if you kept quiet about your soulmates quirk. You'd be able to pull that trick out on occasion and take them off guard using their own quirk against them when they could have planned to use it to counter your own. And yours sounds super cool too it's just hard to think of uses when I don't know how much damaging power it has. Though it sounds like it'd be definitely useful for hero work. An-" Izuku paused in his mutterings when they reached the dining area and noticed the stares of Yūga's parents and Mitsuki. Mitsuki and Masaru had heard it before on plenty of occasions, it had just been a long time since he let himself do it in front of Mitsuki.
Izuku's face flushed, "Oh… um… sorry. I went on a tangent again. I-I'll shut up now…"
Yūga blinked when Izuku switched for talking about his quirk. The green-haired one thought his quirk would be useful for hero work? How? He asked quietly, "Useful how?"
Katsuki signed with one hand, You're adorable when you do that .
On one side of the table there were three chairs, and on the other there were two. Mitsuki looked like she wanted to ‘encourage’ Katsuki and Yūga to take the two, but both of them immediately went for the side with three.
"Oh uh… well for one depending on the brightness of the laser you could temporarily blind the villains? And take advantage of that." Izuku replied quietly to Yūga. He blushed lightly at Katsuki calling his muttering cute before taking the seat on the opposite side of Katsuki. That way Yūga and him were still next to each other but they could touch more easily.
Katsuki hummed in thought. "You could also use it to signal if you find trapped civilians, or blast rubble off of people, or you could use it to fly."
"Fly?!" Yuga gasped excitedly.
Katsuki grinned. "Yeah, maybe. If you shoot it with enough force you could propel yourself through the air."
Izuku’s eyes widened at that thought, “Kacchan, your quirk can do that too!” He giggled excitedly, realizing that meant he could too. “That sounds fun. It’d be something to practice and experiment with for sure. Even if you can’t fully fly with it, if there’s any recoil at all using it, you could still use it to launch yourself backwards. Figure out the timing and you could probably keep going like that for a while even without a continuous blast.”
Katsuki had a momentary look of 'aw shit' when Izuku mentioned that. Yūga spotted it and snickered at it. Katsuki's expression turned defeated. "Yes, I can. And you are only doing it when I'm supervising, Mister-Accident-Prone. Got it?" He gave Izuku a stern look, pointedly failing to mention how many times he'd injured himself learning how.
Yūga looked thoughtful. "It might be interesting to test, indeed." He said softly.
Izuku giggled quietly at Katsuki’s reaction. “Of course Kacchan.” He replied with a large grin, “Only under your supervision. I’m not practicing any of that without you just in case remember? That fact that you have is a bit worrying but you’re still alive so there’s that.”
Katsuki snorted at that. Him practicing by himself was different. That was the only way he was going to get any better, before.
Mitsuki paused mid-conversation when Katsuki said the bit about Izuku not flying without supervision. "Kaede. What are you talking about?"
Katsuki startled at the sound of his mother's voice. 'Oh shit, she was paying attention?!' He swore at himself. Outwardly, he remained calm. "One of 'Zuku's soulmates' quirks lets him fly. We both just happened to remember that at the same time when the subject came up," He lied easily. It would do more harm than good to let Mitsuki in on him and Izuku being soulmates right now. That would more than likely get him slapped for 'embarrassing her' later.
Izuku nodded in agreement to what Katsuki said. "And Kacchan started helping me train with all the quirks I can use this week. That way I don't hurt myself practicing, or if I do Kacchan is there to help." Izuku added, "Some of them are pretty powerful, so it's probably pretty good I'm getting started now. Otherwise I could hurt someone else too once we take the UA entrance exams."
Mitsuki hummed doubtfully. “UA? That’s supposed to be a difficult exam. Are you sure you shouldn’t aim for a different school?” She offered lightly, as though trying to spare his feelings.
Katsuki stared at his mother. Seriously? That was her response? He knew she didn’t think highly of Izuku due to his being ‘quirkless’, but that was a new low, even for her.
Izuku frowned and shrunk into himself slightly, "W-Well yes. But… but I think I can do it. Though it's not like that's the only one I'll apply to." He sighed, "I… I just need to practice. My soulmates quirks… a-and…" Izuku took a breath, if there was ever going to be a good moment to bring it up it'd probably be now. And he could do it without outing Katsuki as his soulmate if he worded it right when Mitsuki asked how he figured it out, if she asked at all. "And m-my own quirk. It'll be hard. But I'm going to do it."
Mitsuki seemed stunned by the admission that Izuku had a quirk. Yūga’s mother piped in at this point. “Well, it’s good to have a backup plan. Are you both planning to apply to UA?”
Katsuki turned his attention to her. “Yeah, we are. It’s a difficult test, but nothing really worth it comes easily, right?”
Hana blinked, before smiling. “That’s a smart philosophy.”
Mitsuki scoffed quietly. “You certainly picked an interesting school if you still plan to go to UA, Kaede.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Then I guess it’ll just be all the more impressive when I get in anyway, won’t it?”
"There will be a lot of applicants from other schools that are higher ranking, but statistically… although their education is great there, that doesn't have a huge effect on them getting in." Izuku pointed out, "There's more that try, so more get in, but a lot of those applicants underestimate how hard the exam is because of their previous schooling. We know it'll be hard, and we're prepping for that. Our middle school won't hold us back if we don't let it."
Yūga looked at Izuku like he’d never seen anyone quite like him before.
That made Katsuki grin. “That too. A lot of them won’t do well because they’ll expect to be able to put in the same amount of effort they did at their previous school and still do well, when it doesn’t work like that. Meanwhile we’re going through with, for us, easy coursework to keep our grades high, and studying independently to the standards UA will have for their entrance exam.”
"Yep, exactly!" Izuku agreed with a grin, "We're going to do everything we can to get into UA, and in a way our middle school will actually help us more than hinder us. I kind of doubt a lot of our classmates will try for it, but if they really wanted to go and work for it I'm sure they would too. They just can't give up because of the middle school they go to."
"Plus…" Izuku added, "We're going to train and practice with our soulmates’ quirks, most kids our age can't even consciously summon them for practicing. And even if they can they don't start really trying to use them until a little but before or during high school. It'll give us the upper hand." He lifted his hand and smiled as he hardened it for a moment, "Me being able to do that at will is super unusual at my age. So, being able to practice now will make everything a lot easier later on. Instead of waiting for the couple months before to try and figure it out."
Hana looked at his hand with no small amount of wonder. “You can access your soulmate’s quirks so easily at your age? I can see why you’re so confident, then.”
Kaede snorted. “Yeah, but just accessing them isn’t everything. We’ve got to be able to use them to our advantage in multiple situations. Which is why we’re practicing with them. Them and our own, both.” He gave Izuku an amused look at this, which no one else would probably get.
“Those are some fine dreams and all, but what happens when you don’t make it?” Yuga’s father questioned.
Katsuki tilted his head, giving him a curious look back. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He shot back.
“What it means is that there are hundreds of pro ‘heroes’. Some well known, most not. Every year more aspiring ‘heroes’ graduate and join that number, including those from UA. Most will never even crack the top 200 as far as rankings. What makes you two any different from the thousands just like you?”
"That's true, and we do want to be top heroes, but that's not really why we want to do it? At least I don't." Izuku replied, "I could care less if I cracked the top 200 in rankings, as long as I get to help people. Even if getting that high of a ranking would be cool." He shrugged, "I may not get famous or anything, but I'll know I've helped people, kept them safe, and even just made them smile. And that's all I really want from that job."
"A lot of people are in it for the money or the fame now, but helping people is really what matters. If we don't 'make it' that's fine by me." Izuku explained, "Even if I only ever save one person. That's worth it to me."
Katsuki had to hold himself from kissing Izuku in that moment. How had he gotten so lucky? He squeezed his hand and wrote on his palm ‘ wanna kiss you right now ’. He wasn’t exactly so virtuous, he just wanted to defeat villains, but that was why he and Izuku matched so well.
The next one to speak was Masaru, ever the supportive one. “Well said, Izuku.” He said calmly.
“That’s all well and good, but how do you plan to support yourself? ‘Helping people’ doesn’t pay the bills.” Yuga’s father countered, with the air of someone who’d found this out the hard way.
"Helping people as a pro hero does pay the bills considering the pay even low ranking heroes get from simple patrols, but that's besides the point." Izuku replied, squeezing Katsuki's hand back with a small smile. "If that ever gets to be a problem I have ideas for backup jobs I'd enjoy just as much and would pay bills." He tapped his face thinking about it for a moment, "Actually… at least one of them I could do at the same time too I think. I'd have to check the laws again, but that'd be an option... Plus, once I figure out how to trigger my quirk reliably without giving myself headaches I could freelance where I'm needed."
"It turns out I have an analysis quirk." Izuku explained, "And the uses for it… are pretty broad. I could probably get a job as an analyst for the hero commission with it. Or as a Detective. Or as Kacchan and Yuga pointed out, even something in fashion. I've got plenty of backups."
Yuga’s father turned to Katsuki. “And you, young lady. You’re throwing away a guaranteed career in fashion to be a ‘hero’.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Pretty much, yeah. Someone’s gotta drag this idiot’s ass outta the fire.” He jabbed his free thumb at Izuku, grinning at him teasingly. “Besides, it’s not like that’s my only plan either. There are several backups for me too, if being a Pro doesn’t work. Fashion’s just not one of ‘em.” He said easily.
Izuku stuck his tongue out playfully at Katsuki. "I handle myself just fine Kacchan." Izuku said, bumping his shoulder lightly, "Though you helping me out is appreciated."
Katsuki snickered. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” He teased.
Yūga’s father didn’t look overly impressed with Izuku needing to be backed up by a girl, but also wasn’t willing to say anything to that effect.
Katsuki turned his attention back to his food, even more anxious than before to get out of there and be done wearing this dress and playing along with his mother’s bullshit. Yūga was nice enough, but they’d already mutually agreed they weren’t really interested in each other, so what was the point?
Izuku hummed and turned his attention back to his food as well. The sooner they could get away from that dinner the better. Under the table where he still held Katsuki's hand he rubbed small circles into his hand. It was meant to be comforting for Katsuki, but got rid of his own nervous energy at the same time.
Katsuki tapped the heel of his ridiculous shoe against the floor. He squeezed Izuku’s hand again lightly, appreciating the circles being rubbed into the back of his hand. He forced himself to clear his plate, before looking over at Masaru.
Before he could say anything, Mitsuki spoke up. “Kaede. Stop tapping your foot.”
Katsuki’s grip on Izuku’s hand became painfully tight for a moment. He stopped tapping, only to push his chair back and stand. “Stop calling me that.”
Mitsuki raised an eyebrow. “What, your name?” She seemed to be daring him to continue.
“That. Is. Not. My. Name.” Katsuki hissed. “I’ve told you this, you know this, you’re just being a bitch .” Before Mitsuki could react, Katsuki continued. “I don’t understand how it is so difficult to understand. I have dysphoria . I’m not a girl , yet you continue to dress me up in this shit . I’m done pretending.” He snapped, turning and storming away, letting go of Izuku’s hand in the process. He retreated up the stairs, sure she’d make him regret that outburst later but unable to really care at the moment.
Izuku's eyes went wide seeing Katsuki storm away, and he quickly finished what was left of his own food so he could follow. "Thank you for the food." He said quickly, before he pushed his chair back and ran up the stairs to follow him.
Mitsuki watched her son go, gaping after him. Before she could build up the steam to really get mad, Masaru cut in, explaining what Katsuki had meant, and that it was a bit of a difficult adjustment process, for both mother and son. Hana, of course, looked suitably horrified given that she’d been trying to set her son up with Katsuki thinking he was a girl. Yūga blinked, Izuku’s pronoun and the nickname now beginning to make sense. Yutaka’s expression remained blank. Mitsuki, realizing she didn’t have much of a choice, went along with her husband’s explanation.
Katsuki, on the other hand, didn’t really think about what he’d just done until he was in his room, and had firmly shut the door behind him (slamming the door was a one-way ticket to getting his ass handed to him). He sank down on his bed, belatedly realizing that his mother may actually kill him for that outburst.
Once Izuku made it to the door he quietly knocked to let Katsuki know he was coming in. "It's just me." He said opening the door slowly before going in and shutting it gently behind him. "What do you need right now? Because I'm pretty sure asking if you're okay is redundant after that."
Katsuki snorted. “Well right now I want to be out of this dress, so I can at least be comfortable when I inevitably panic about the fact that I’m going to die for pulling that stunt . Possibly literally.” He stood back up. “Can you help me with the zipper?”
"I'm not going to let her kill you, or even hit you, that's not happening again." Izuku said seriously before he nodded, "Yeah, of course." He moved over to Katsuki and went looking for the zipper on his dress. It took a moment since with dresses like that the zipper was purposefully hidden, but he managed to find it and pull it down. "There you go."
Katsuki snorted dryly, pulling the dress off and putting his binder back on, along with jeans and a button-up shirt, with an audible sigh of relief. “I don’t… know why I did that. I’ve been just going along with the girly shit for so long. I don’t know what made tonight different.” He muttered, sitting back down.
"Maybe because I'm here?" Izuku asked, "Either way, it happened and I'm pretty sure Hana was freaking out a bit because she was setting her son up with another boy." He said with a small laugh. "Which, can't say for sure, but Yūga was setting off my gaydar so I'm sure that'll be fun for them in the future."
Katsuki choked on a laugh. “Oh, so it wasn’t just me? Good.” He rolled his eyes. “I have a feeling that she’s trying to set him up with girls because she at least suspects, if he’s not out to her. Which, I’ll feel bad if she manages to find a girl who doesn’t care and is willing to marry him anyway.”
Izuku made a face, "Ugh, yeah that's true. That'd suck. He could be Bi too, but the thought of marrying him 'anyway' as if they don't like the fact that he's gay…" He shifted uncomfortably as he sat on Katsuki's bed, "Don't like that at all."
"Um… would it be a good idea for you to sleep over at my house again tonight?" Izuku asked, "I feel like Mitsuki is going to be super mad. So she might try to object to me staying over here, and I don't know if telling her we have to stick together because we're soulmates would help, or make things worse."
Katsuki sighed, before standing up and hunting down all of his even vaguely masculine clothes, folding them carefully and putting them in a bag. “That… I don’t even know how she’d react to finding out we’re soulmates right now. Mad is going to be one hell of an understatement at this point, though. Especially since she’s got the rest of that visit downstairs to stew about just how angry she is.” Done packing, he set the bag on his bed. “I also wouldn’t put it past her to burn all my masculine everything if I leave any of it here.”
"Anything else you want to keep and bring to my house? I'll carry a bag too if I need to." Izuku said, "She could burn or break something else if your clothes aren't here." He sighed and ran a hand through his curls, "I didn't think she was this bad before. Makes sense why I always was uncomfortable around her though." Izuku muttered under his breath looking down at the floor as he remembered all the things he overheard her saying about him, "Should have seen it coming with everything she says about me and mom and dad when she thinks I can't hear I guess."
Katsuki thought for a moment, before digging around several places in his room to retrieve a handful of pictures. Mostly of him with his dad or Izuku. Only one featured Mitsuki at all. He went into his bathroom to get any other toiletries, and put them all in the bag. “That’s… pretty much it.” He paused for a moment, before retrieving a few pieces of All Might and Best Jeanist merch from under his bed. “Okay. That is it.”
Izuku snickered slightly, "Alright, if you're sure that's it." He let out a slow breath before asking, "Should we try and leave now? She might be less likely to completely explode if we leave while the Aoyama's are still here."
Katsuki took a deep breath. “That would probably be a good idea. I’ll text dad later, but I would like to try to sneak out without her seeing us. Less likely to explode if we’re gone before she can.”
Izuku nodded and stood to take Katsuki's hand. "Okay. Let's go then." He replied.
Katsuki popped off his sweat before taking Izuku’s hand. He grabbed his bag and his school bag and headed towards the door of his bedroom. He took a breath, exhaling slowly. “Let’s fuckin’ do this.” He said softly, opening his door and heading towards the stairs, avoiding all the squeaky spots in the hall.
Izuku followed along silently, making sure to step exactly where Katsuki did as they made their way through the hall and down the stairs.
Katsuki breathed a sigh of relief when they got to the door- too soon, clearly, as his mother stepped out of the kitchen right then. Katsuki tensed up, staying still and quiet and hoping she wouldn’t see them, but no luck there either.
“And just where do you think you ’re going?” Mitsuki snapped.
“Out.” Katsuki snapped back, his anger from before returning.
“If you step out that door, Kaede, don’t even think of coming back.”
Katsuki was stunned into silence for a moment. Was she (Officially? Finally?) kicking him out? What was going on?
Izuku tensed up as well, clenching his jaw. Mitsuki was threatening to kick him out? Well, it was good they had already talked about getting him out of that house then. Because he was done. "Maybe that's the plan, Mitsuki. " He said turning to look at her, emphasizing his lack of honorific usage on her name. "If I have anything to say about it, you're not getting him back here."
Katsuki did a double take at how clearly pissed off Izuku was. That was… unexpected. Also, focusing on that let him ignore the fact that his own mother was kicking him out for being angry over being misgendered, when she’d been doing it for years . So that was a thing too.
Mitsuki blinked, but recovered her composure quickly enough. “Is that so? I doubt her pride will let her mooch off you and your mother forever.” She snapped.
Katsuki winced. She wasn’t wrong either. It would feel like he was mooching off of them if he went to stay with them.
"If Kacchan ever does feel that way, he can just pitch in for things. My mom doesn't have time to do chores around the house all the time, he can help with that. Or even do odd jobs like I do sometimes and help pay for food or whatever." Izuku replied, staring her down. "Either way though, even if you try? You're. Not. Getting. Him. Back."
Izuku gave a small squeeze to Katsuki's hand before letting him go as he felt his anger build. Everything he'd learned that day, and everything that had happened in the past with her, all that anger he'd pushed away bubbled up at once. He took a step towards her hands flexing at his side. "He protects me, and I'm going to do my damndest to protect him too." Izuku said giving her a glare, "Because that's what soulmates are supposed to do." His hands let off several pops of tiny explosions. "So good luck trying to get him back. Because you've got no hold over him anymore."
Katsuki could have sworn he had at least one coherent thought in his head. It wasn’t anything special, but it was coherent and it was just there a second ago . Now it was gone. Completely absent. Poof. He stared at Izuku, trying to remember what the thought was, but it didn’t seem to be coming back anytime soon. The sight of Izuku, his nerdy little cinnamon roll Izuku staring down his mother like this was incredible.
Mitsuki seemed as lost for words as her son. “You. You are her soulmate?” She scoffed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve dragged her down from the start. I wouldn’t be surprised if she started trying to be more like a boy because of you.”
"Yes. I am. One of three. " Izuku replied through gritted teeth. "Are you..? You're trying to say Kacchan is trans because of me? Why would..?" He said, his hands continuing to spark. Then her reasoning clicked in his mind, though he was so angry he couldn't tell if it was from using his quirk " Oh my god are you… you've got to be kidding me. "
He was literally fuming now as the dual quirk joined the mix and started putting off steam from him. "You've thought I was gay since I was four . Calling me names when you think I couldn't hear. And so you think Kacchan is trans, in an attempt to get me to like him romantically?!" Izuku growled, "Well I'll tell you how that logic fails right now Mitsuki. I'm not just gay. I'm bisexual. I like girls too. And Kacchan knows this. "
Katsuki stared at his mother, dumbfounded. What kind of logic was that? Did she honestly think he was trans so his best friend would be interested in him? Why ?! He opened his mouth, trying to make words go, but he couldn’t think of a way to respond to such stupidity. He forced himself to exhale slowly, reaching to take Izuku’s hand. “‘Zuku. Stop. It’s not worth it.”
Mitsuki stared at them both with a mixture of dismissal and contempt. Ignoring what Izuku had said, she rolled her eyes. “Well, I was right, wasn’t I. Congratulations, you’ve corrupted my daughter.”
"I didn't-" Izuku cut himself off, slowly exhaling as he felt Katsuki's presence near him. His palms stopped sparking and the steam slowly started to dissipate. "You're right Kacchan… It's not worth it." He turned his back towards Mitsuki for a moment so he could face his soulmate, "Let's just go. She can deal with whatever comes next on her own." He gestured behind him to where the Aoyama's were not so subtly watching what was going on. Along with Masaru behind them.
Katsuki pulled Izuku into a quick hug, before turning for the door. For once, the idea of never being able to come back here didn’t scare him. Izuku was right. He could pick up odd jobs, help around the house, all sorts of different things. It wouldn’t be like he was expecting Aunty to take him in for nothing, like his mother liked to imply.
Masaru watched the boys walk out the door with a sense of pride. They were good for each other. They always had been. Maybe that was why they were together.
Izuku followed along easily. Not letting himself look back, as that'd only serve to make him mad again. Once they got to the bottom of the steps, Izuku leaned into him and pecked a kiss on his cheek, still not looking back. The kiss wasn't meant for Mitsuki to see and get mad or anything like that. Both of them had just been really wanting to kiss before, so now that they were out of the house Izuku was making up for the missed ones.
Katsuki grinned, setting down his bags and pulling Izuku close to pull him into a proper kiss. He’d gotten so used to near-constant contact that only holding hands while they’d been there had been weird. The constant need to be touching seemed to be wearing off, now he was just used to it. Which was probably the point to begin with.
Mitsuki could see them kiss, and it irked her in the same way it always did to see them being affectionate. However, she had a night to attempt to salvage from the trainwreck her selfish, ungrateful brat of a daughter had caused.
Izuku hummed happily, wrapping an arm around Katsuki and leaning into him after the kiss. He picked up one of Katsuki's bags to help carry the weight of his things a bit. "Let's get home ." Izuku whispered, "We've got some unpacking and organizing to do."
Katsuki grinned. “That we do.” He agreed, keeping an arm around Izuku but reaching down to pick up his other bag. “Hope Aunty won’t mind how late it is…”
Izuku snuggled into his shoulder as they walked, "She won't mind. Stop worrying so much, that's my thing." He hummed, "Don't forget to text your dad too tonight. If their bond does snap I want to make sure he knows he has a place to go."
Katsuki snickered. “You must be rubbing off on me.” His humor faded at the reminder of his dad. “I’m not sure what to feel about that. On one hand, I hope it does, so he can finally leave her, but on the other hand… people whose bonds have snapped have a whole new set of problems. Ones I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Especially not dad.”
Izuku nodded solemnly, "Yeah. It definitely wouldn't be easy on him. But, unlike the stigma says, he can still find love again if he really looks. Especially since he wouldn't be the cause of the strain and snap." He sighed, "Mitsuki is… probably was now, my mom's friend. This… is going to be tough explaining to her. But I think she'll get it." He started rubbing circles into Katsuki's hand as they got closer to his house. "For everything she's done and my mom has forgiven her for… this is far past forgiveness."
“I think she hit that point a long time ago. Aunty’s too nice for her own good sometimes. If someone I considered a friend said even half of the crap I’ve heard her say about me I’d have dropped ‘em like a hot potato a while ago. I just hope it’s not another case of someone hanging on to a harmful relationship for me . Dad doing that for all this time is bad enough.” Katsuki frowned. “How did they even become friends in the first place…?”
"I'm… not sure actually?" Izuku replied, "I think they met in high school though." He scrunched up his face slightly, "Makes me wonder when she got this bad honestly, she couldn't have been this way when they met. Otherwise they wouldn't have become friends like that… did… wait do you know when she met your dad?" Izuku asked, "She's got some weird ideas about bonds, probably something close to how Oakamura thought. I wonder if that changed things? She definitely thinks their bond is unbreakable with how she acts with people and him."
Katsuki blinked. “I’m pretty sure they met as adults. I don’t know how established either of them were, but they both worked in the fashion industry. I think they met at a party or something?” He blinked. “If she thinks like that, then her leap in logic about me changing myself for you, while still stupid, makes a little more sense. I guess she thinks you must be the dominant one in our relationship,” He teased.
Izuku snorted before laughing into his hand, "M-Me? No. Seriously. She's got to be blind if she thinks that. " He bumped Katsuki's shoulder lightly, "If it's anyone it's you. Though, I'd like to think we're on equal footing here."
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Yeah, I don’t think either one of us really is. Maybe in certain circumstances? But otherwise no.” He bumped Izuku’s shoulder back as Aunty’s house came into view. “...I wonder if the other two will mind...”
Izuku shrugged and smiled lightly at him, "If they do then that's too bad." He started pulling his key out of his pocket, "To be perfectly honest though… I didn't think even one of you would accept me there for a bit. So, I'm already doing better than I thought I'd be." Izuku played with the key in his hands for a moment, "If they mind, or turn out to be someone like her, we just move on. We can't worry about that now."
Katsuki rolled his eyes, elbowing Izuku lightly. “Not sure why you thought that, of all things. I still say anyone would be lucky to have you as a soulmate. I just happened to be one of the lucky ones.” He sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. As long as we have each other we’ll be okay. No matter what else happens.” He stopped at the door, so Izuku could unlock it.
"You've heard the spiraling tangents I go on. And I'm anxious, self conscious, and uh… generally don't like myself. Those things don't mix well Kacchan." Izuku said with a slight shrug as he unlocked the door and opened it quietly. "Plus, getting told that repeatedly from other people didn't help. It's not a fun place in my head sometimes." He moved to the side and gestured inside, "It's later than normal, I don't know if my mom went to bed early or not so let's keep quiet."
Katsuki nodded, stepping inside and removing his shoes. He waited for Izuku to shut the door before pulling him into a hug. “Is the inside of anyone’s head ever really fun? That’s where all the insecurities we don’t tell anyone about hide.” He made a noise. “People are idiots.”
Izuku hummed, resting his forehead on Katsuki's chest. "That's true…" He laughed quietly, "That is also true. But we're also people, Kacchan. Humans are all collectively… a bunch of idiots."
Katsuki snickered again at that. “That’s true. Some are more idiotic than others, though.” He replied. “Like the idiots who only saw your lack of a physical quirk and not every other thing about you that’s amazing.”
Izuku smiled, tilting his head up to look Katsuki in the eyes. "You see me though." He said bringing his hands up to hold Katsuki's face gently, "That's all that matters to me."
Katsuki blushed a dark red. He leaned his forehead against Izuku’s, smiling sadly. “We both see each other, I guess.” He pulled back after a few minutes. “I don’t know about you but I could use some sleep. After I get this makeup off my face.”
"Alright." Izuku replied, "I've got some makeup remover and stuff in my bathroom. I need it too I did a bit on myself." He picked up their bags and started bringing them upstairs, "Probably want to do a face scrub or something too. Mitsuki went pretty heavy on the concealer and stuff."
He smiled at Katsuki over his shoulder, "You know… this means we get to cuddle every night. Even when we're not dealing with the uncomfortableness of separating after a fully solidified bond."
Following Izuku up the stairs, Katsuki snorted. “I’m honestly hoping Aunty is asleep. Otherwise this mark is gonna be hard to hide.”
Just as he said that, Inko opened her bedroom door. “You two are back late.” She noted. “And what mark are you planning to hide, Katsuki?”
Swallowing, Katsuki tried to distract her. “Sorry about that, Aunty. Mom had some guests for dinner, and it turned into… a bit of a thing.”
"You're going to have to tell her Kacchan." Izuku whispered, quiet enough that Inko couldn't hear. "She should know. At least tell her you got kicked out."
"A… thing?" Inko asked, eyeing her son slightly as she saw him whisper. "Is something wrong?"
“I… “ Katsuki hesitated. “I know I am.” He looked over at Inko. “Mom and I got in a fight… she kicked me out.” He started. “Well, I tried to leave before it got bad , but she said that if I walked out the door I shouldn’t bother coming back.”
"She… She kicked you out? Why would..?" Inko asked, stepping fully out of her room to gently approach him. "You're welcome to stay here of course. I'm sure that was the plan… what do you mean before it got bad?"
Izuku gently took Katsuki's hand in his to reassure him. Rubbing circles on it gently as he watched the conversation between him and his mom.
Katsuki hesitated again, squeezing Izuku’s hand lightly. “I… her friend has a son around our age. It was pretty obvious she had told them I was female. Which included forcing me into a dress and makeup.” He indicated his face. “‘Zuku was able to make it look… somewhat less feminine, but it’s still a bit much.” He took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage for the next part. “I… she… I blew up at her over it. I don’t know what about tonight did it, but I just… couldn’t take it anymore. And she never takes having her authority questioned well. Especially in front of people she wants to impress.”
Inko furrowed her brows slightly, "She still hasn't realized this isn't a phase? Even then she shouldn't force you into all that."
"She blamed Kacchan 'acting like a boy' on me actually. I told her we're soulmates just before we left." Izuku chimed in, a slight bit of anger creeping into his voice, "Apparently she's convinced me liking boys means Kacchan would want to change himself so I'd like him. Which is ridiculous. Especially since I like girls too."
Inko blinked at Izuku. Taken off guard by the slight edge of anger in his voice. "Wh- I don't… she really said that?"
Katsuki gave Izuku’s hand another squeeze. “She did. I could barely believe it when I heard her say it, honestly.” That had probably been the most amusing thing that happened all night, which said a lot about the rest of it. “...On the bright side, my dad doesn’t have to stay anymore, since I’m gone.”
Izuku took a breath and squeezed Katsuki's hand back. He didn't need to be getting mad over this again. That wasn't going to help anything. To explain what Katsuki meant in case Inko didn't know he added, "Uncle Masaru's bond with Mitsuki is extremely strained. Has been for a while. It's not that hard to tell even from the outside of it. We… Think it might snap now that he's safe and out of her hands."
Inko nodded slowly, the fact that Izuku dropped Mitsuki's honorifics altogether making it even clearer this was serious. "Well… I hope he knows my door is open to him as well if that happens." She let out a breath, "I… didn't know things had gotten this bad over there. I'm sorry you had to deal with that Katsuki." Inko smiled gently at him, "You're home now though. Go get some sleep. You boys can unpack those bags in the morning."
"Oh! And do make me a list of your favorite foods tomorrow too. I know a few, but I want to make sure I put them in the rotation now." Inko added.
Katsuki blinked, his vision unexpectedly blurring. He let go of Izuku's hand long enough to give Inko a hug. He had been mostly sure Aunty would be alright with him staying, but to hear it confirmed just made it more real. He couldn't help but silently wonder if this was what a mother's affection was supposed to feel like.
Inko immediately returned the hug, rubbing his back gently. Completely undeterred by Katsuki's tears.
Izuku smiled softly at the exchange. He knew his mom would take Katsuki in without a question. He adjusted the bag he already had from Katsuki and quietly picked up the other one and backed up slowly to put them in his room. As soon as he set them down, Izuku started making the bed for them. He knew they were both ready to pass out the moment they could so he wanted that done. That way they could both get in their pajamas and hop in bed right after they cleaned their faces.
After the trying evening, actually crying a bit was a relief. He knew it would probably make his makeup run, so he tried to angle his face so it wouldn't get on Inko's clothes.
After a little while, he pulled away. "...Thank you." He said quietly. It wasn't nearly enough to express how much her actions meant, but it was a start, at least.
"It's the least I can do, Katsuki." Inko replied, smiling gently at him. She looked over his shoulder and reached out, taking a tissue from the box Izuku had brought out after making the bed and handing it to Katsuki.
Katsuki took the tissue, wiping his eyes with it, and looking embarrassed when it had makeup on it. "I should probably...wash this off." He muttered, checking to make sure he hadn't gotten any on Inko, now that he could see again. He hadn't, thankfully.
His first instinct would normally be to be embarrassed about showing emotions like this, but with only Aunty and Izuku around to see it, the expected shame didn't make an appearance.
"I'll show you where my stuff is. I kinda hid that stuff while you were over here." Izuku said walking to the bathroom. Similarly to his notebooks, his makeup pallets were actually underneath the drawers. Though what didn't fit in there… Izuku had put false bottoms in the drawers to put those things in. Like his makeup wipes which he pulled out of the drawer for Katsuki to use.
Inko snickered slightly seeing Izuku do this through the door. "I should have figured letting you watch all those spy movies when you were little would give you ideas." She teased.
Izuku blushed lightly, "I mostly do this so you or guests don't accidentally find my fake blood or other cosplay stuff again mom. I don't want you fainting again."
"In my defense, I can normally handle blood. I am a nurse. I just wasn't expecting so much of it in the medicine cabinet of all places." Inko replied.
Katsuki eyed the drawers with fake bottoms with a mixture of concern and amusement. He used the wipes to clean his face, though he was honestly tempted to leave the contour on. He knew he'd get a lecture for that, though, so he didn't. The downside to removing the makeup is that the red mark on his face- which he had realized would probably bruise- was now visible. The bruising had already started where Mitsuki's ring had impacted his cheekbone. He kept his head ducked down, hoping Inko wouldn't notice that just yet. Sleeping in the same bed with Izuku meant it would be gone by morning.
Izuku wiped off his own makeup before pulling out his face scrub. He tried to make it a habit whenever he took his makeup off. It was also a habit he tried to do before bed anyways, but he forgot more often than not. Izuku looked over at Katsuki once he'd done that and saw the bruise forming since he was mostly hiding it from Inko at that moment. He frowned and gently held Katsuki's face again as he placed a kiss as gently as possible where the bruise was forming.
"Let's finish getting ready for bed so I can help that heal, yeah?" Izuku whispered as he pulled away. He smiled sadly, "I'm… I'm really glad you're out of that house now."
Blinking at Izuku kissing the bruise, Katsuki blushed lightly. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." He agreed. "I'm not sure if it will be nice or weird to be able to sleep without worrying about needing to go back in the morning. Just don't let me forget to text Dad before we fall asleep."
Unfortunately, he'd forgotten he was standing in front of a mirror that Inko could see his reflection in.
"I won't let you forget, don't worry." Izuku replied.
Just as Inko was about to turn and go back to bed, she caught sight of Katsuki's bruise in his reflection and gasped. "Oh dear! Katsuki, what happened? Are you alright?"
Katsuki's hand shot up to cover the mark on instinct, but he stopped himself and forced his hand back down. Trying to hide it would likely only alarm her more. "I'm fine now, Aunty. It was n-" he cut himself off, looking at Izuku. He'd been able to speak up about Kawasaki before, Katsuki could certainly do it now.
He let out a slow breath. "...mom wasn't happy about the haircut, and then I gave her an attitude about it." He admitted, phrasing it to make himself sound at fault.
Izuku smiled faintly at Katsuki for admitting what happened. He intertwined their hands again so he could reassure him and back him up. He was very aware of how hard it was to speak up, but Katsuki was there for him when did it. So, Izuku would be there for him.
Inko's face fell, " Mitsuki did that? Katsuki… even if you gave her an attitude, that doesn't give her the right to strike you. Hitting someone, especially your own child is never okay." Inko looked his face over, "Has this happened before?"
Taking a breath to steel himself, Katsuki nodded. "A few times. Always when dad wasn't home, though." He hadn't understood why that was until he'd seen how furious Masaru became when he found out what was going on.
Inko took on a more neutral expression. One Izuku hadn't seen in a long time, and one only he and his dad would recognize. Inko was pissed. She ran a hand through her hair and muttered under her breath, " Fuck. How did I not…"
Izuku's eyebrows shot up hearing his mother swear. She was really pissed off.
Inko looked at Katsuki seriously, "Katsuki, I want you to know you never ever have to see her again alright? Once you get your bond paperwork through, we can even get a restraining order if that's what it takes. But she's not coming anywhere near this house again, okay?" She let out a breath, trying to curb her anger. "This place is safe. This can be your home now if you want it to. You don't ever have to be hurt again."
Hearing Aunty Inko swear was not something that happened often, and Katsuki wasn't exactly sure what to make of it. He leaned ever so slightly against Izuku, processing that he would never have to see his mother again if he didn't want to.
Until he remembered that his mom and Aunty Inko used to be friends. She was basically banning her own friend from the house over this. Which meant it was his fault. Just like his dad staying with his mom for so long was his fault. He couldn't do anything right, could he? Damn it.
Izuku squeezed Katsuki's hand lightly, Izuku blamed himself for a lot of things like this, and he could tell Katsuki was doing the same. "Kacchan, remember what I said before? What she did is unforgivable." He said gently, "We've forgiven her for a lot, but this is far past that. It is not your fault this is happening. Mitsuki did this to herself." Izuku gently rubbed Katsuki's arm, "Was it my fault Kawasaki got expelled?"
Katsuki frowned, Izuku comparing the two situations knocking him out of his depressive spiral, at least for now. He wanted to say that was different, but he couldn't really think of a way it was different. It still felt like his fault, but maybe it wasn't? He looked up at Izuku. "That was definitely not your fault." He knew what Izuku would respond with, but it still had to be said.
"And this definitely isn't your fault. It's the same situation." Izuku replied easily. "You know that." He hummed and pulled Katsuki close, "Apparently I am rubbing off on you if you're thinking like that. We can't blame ourselves for everything, that only makes it worse."
Katsuki couldn't even argue that, no matter how much he wanted to. He hummed quietly. "Maybe you are." He sighed, hugging Izuku back. "You're probably right. It's just... easier to think of ourselves being at fault."
"I know it is. But we can always point it out for each other when we do it." Izuku replied, "You call me out on it, and I'll call you out." He pulled away from him gently, "Bedtime?"
"Sleep sounds good right now." Katsuki agreed, making sure he was still holding Izuku's hand. He hugged Aunty Inko again with his free arm, wanting to express how much her support meant, but not sure of the words to do so.
Inko returned the hug, understanding the gesture. "Good night Katsuki. Good night Izuku. I love you both. Sleep well."
"Love you too mom." Izuku responded with a smile.
"Goodnight Aunty." Katsuki responded. He lingered a bit longer in the hug than he normally would, but finally pulling back so they could all go to sleep. Hopefully some of this emotional exhaustion would fade by morning.
Once they were in Izuku's room, he pulled out a large shirt that probably belonged to Masaru at some point and a pair of shorts to sleep in. He waited until Izuku turned away to change, making sure to take his binder off, no matter how much he wanted to keep it on. He knew very well that if he didn't take it off now he'd fall asleep in it.
Izuku turned his back so Katsuki could change as he got undressed himself. When he opened his drawer, he noticed an old tank top his mom had gotten him for sleeping in that he had never used because of his scars. After a moment's hesitation, he changed into that along with some shorts. It felt… weird having his scars out in the open. Even if Katsuki had already seen them, he was just so used to keeping them covered at that point. Unconsciously he scratched at it without meaning to as he waited for Katsuki to be done changing.
"You should probably text your dad before we get in bed. Otherwise we'll pass right out." Izuku said, knowing both of them were completely exhausted.
Katsuki turned back around when they were both done changing, fishing his phone out of his bag. He spotted Izuku scratching at his scars and gently took Izuku's hand, pulling it away. He used his grip on Izuku's hand to pull him into a hug and kissed his cheek. "Medical grade nitroglycerin is supposed to help heal scars. It might be worth looking into seeing if my quirk can be safely diluted to medical grade. What do you think?
"O-Oh um… yeah. Yeah that'd probably be worth looking into." Izuku replied quietly, "Sorry… I didn't… I didn't realize I was scratching. Um..."
Katsuki snorted. "I figured as much. Habits can be hard to break if you don't notice them. Which is why I took your hand." He flopped back on the bed, pulling Izuku down with him. Pulling out his phone, he sent a short message to Masaru, letting him know he was safe, and that he should come talk to Aunty at some point. He didn't say anything about leaving, since he was fairly sure his mother hadn't figured that out yet. He figured his dad would realize what he meant, though.
Izuku immediately curled into Katsuki once they were on the bed. "Thanks then, Kacchan. I have no idea how long that's been a habit..." He leaned up to kiss Katsuki before getting comfortable, "I love you Kacchan. Good night."
Notes:
So, Katsuki is finally out of that house. And for GOOD. When we were planning out things for this fluffier version of our AU, we knew Katsuki getting away from Mitsuki was one of the first things on the priority list to really get us on a good track. Which is where these past two chapters came from. A little bit of angst, but it all leads into more fluff for later :3 -Frozen
Chapter 5
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Summary:
A timeskip, proposal prep, and meeting a pro hero. And as usual, a whole lot of fluff.
Notes:
Was having a good day so you guys get an update only a day after the last one haha -Frozen
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Katsuki had, unsurprisingly, been right about his parents' bond snapping as soon as he was out of the picture. His mother had been a mixture of stunned and furious when her husband and son had left within a week of each other. And while she had tried to spin what had happened, Masaru's reputation as a fair and honest person from before they had even met ensured that his career remained mostly untarnished by the break and subsequent divorce. The fact that Katsuki was still willing to be seen in public with his father, but not his mother, also spoke volumes.
Mitsuki's career had fallen into a downward spiral that she'd been unable to get out of since then. Of course, she blamed her (now ex) husband and her "rebellious daughter" for this.
Inko had immediately reached out and made sure Masaru had somewhere to stay during the transition, and for as long as he wanted. Inko was perfectly fine with Masaru staying permanently if he wanted.
Izuku kept up with his training with Katsuki in the mornings. And had even gotten used to the early morning schedule, to the point that sometimes he woke even before Katsuki did. The biggest benefit Izuku which had gotten extremely happy about with his increase in strength was the fact that he could now pick up his boyfriend. He didn't do it too often. But Izuku took great joy in the fact that he could.
Through middle school, Izuku actually was bullied less and less. His quirk being registered meant that himself and Katsuki actually had coursework more their level, and even still kept at the top of the class. And with the fact that Izuku had learned to defend himself, that became a big deterrent for the bullies who tried to hurt him.
They'd get burned by the dual quirk if they touched him, and after a certain point it was harder to actually do even that. Izuku didn't cower and take the punches. Katsuki had taught him to dodge. Izuku didn't retaliate and hit back much either, much more preferring to wear the other people out. Though his punches tended to really hurt when he did take a swing as his fist was more often than not hardened when he did so.
Them making it to their third year meant two things. One, the entrance exam for UA was fast approaching. Two, they were allowed to get engaged and buy rings for each other. Since their bond had only gotten stronger, and they loved each other just as much as they did when they first started dating.
Katsuki took pride in just how far he and his bonded had come in two years. They had both gotten so much stronger in just that time. Learning to use their own quirks and each other's had only improved how in sync they were. The UA entrance exam didn't stand a chance against them.
He was extremely nervous about entering their third year in middle school. Not because of any worry about the coursework, or about applying for UA, but about his bond with Izuku. The deal he'd made with his dad was that this year he could buy a ring. And he'd saved up enough to pay for part of it. Now the only thing left was to pick out the ring. He planned to take Izuku out ring shopping on Sunday, so they could get sizes and such, and then he'd get his dad to take him back to buy the ring without Izuku the next Sunday.
Masaru, of course, found his son's plan to be equal parts hilarious and adorable, and had kept Inko updated as Katsuki came up with continuously more elaborate and romantic ways to propose.
What both parents found hilarious especially, was the fact that both Katsuki and Izuku were planning on proposing. They'd been talking about it for a long time, and Izuku was extremely nervous, but he wanted to do it. His plans were… also extremely elaborate. And Inko had to tell him to reel back once he spiraled too far and started thinking about ways that were either extremely dangerous, extremely expensive, or both. Inko told him to go more simple with it, since Katsuki would still appreciate it. And it wouldn't make him quite as nervous to actually do it.
Going for ring sizing and figuring out what Katsuki liked was the first step. Then once he bought it, he'd be able to plan from there. And one thing Izuku realized based on timing, was the fact that the anniversary of when Katsuki had originally proposed to him when they were kids was coming up. Izuku had memorized the date, so upon seeing that. He realized if the timing worked out, he could even do it in the same spot.
Katsuki hadn't even considered the date. He knew he wanted to do it in their spot in the woods, but he hadn't given it a whole lot of thought- aside from his crazy ideas- beyond that. The idea of proposing in the same spot he had when they were kids had stuck with him, though.
He had a whole bunch of sappy shit he could probably say when he was down on a knee, but Izuku was better at all that than him. He figured the best way was the simplest. Down on one knee and just ask the question. Leave all the sappy shit for the wedding vows. His dad and Aunty Inko would like that better anyway.
He had the shops he wanted to stop at picked out. One of them was bound to have something Izuku liked.
Izuku was both nervous and excited the morning they went to the mall. Shops to get rings are common at malls, which meant Izuku could start putting his plans in motion. If he bought the ring by the next weekend, he'd be on track to the date he wanted to do it.
"Kaaachan." Izuku called from their room as he put the necklace with his old ring on. "You ready to go? The closer to opening time we get there, the less people we'll have to maneuver around."
"'Zuuuuku." Katsuki called back mockingly from the bathroom. "You can't rush perfection." Truth be told Katsuki was nervous as fuck about going ring shopping today. What if Izuku didn't like anything? What if nothing was good enough for him? Not just any ring would do. Katsuki took a breath, popped the sweat off of his palms and walked back into the bedroom, adjusting his shirt as he went. "Alright, let's go then."
Izuku grinned at Katsuki, walking over to give him a chaste kiss before taking his hand. "Let's." He played with the ring around his neck as they started down the stairs, "You remember your wallet?" Izuku asked as he patted his own pocket to double check that, yes, he did in fact still have his. He didn't drop it in the last 30 seconds since he last double checked.
"Yes, I have my wallet, oh forgetful one." Katsuki teased. "Though I wonder if I shouldn't hold on to yours too, so you don't blow all your money on All Might merch again ." Katsuki led the way to the mall, plotting how to draw Izuku's attention to the first ring shop without being overly obvious about what he was up to. Though he might be in luck, since his soulmate had to be one of the most oblivious people on the planet. Katsuki would probably have to be overly obvious about it in order to make him suspicious.
" Hey , I know how to save! I just… happened to spend all my cosplay budget on new merch that month. A few times…" Izuku said pouting slightly, "But in my defense, there was a sale, and I saved almost as much as I spent last time. And you can't tell me you didn't like the jacket I got you as a present." He added, bumping Katsuki's shoulder slightly.
Izuku was also worried he'd be too obvious when he pulled Katsuki into the ring shop. Especially since they both needed to find out what their rings sizes were. The only excuse he could come up with for sizing was for cosplay reasons, but he wasn't sure Katsuki would buy that.
Katsuki snorted, bumping Izuku’s shoulder back. “Yeah, yeah, so you say. All I hear is ‘I have poor impulse control when it comes to sales of cute shit’. And you can’t even say I’m wrong either.”
Too soon, they were approaching the first ring shop Katsuki wanted to go to. He bumped Izuku’s shoulder and pointed at the shop window. “Hey, if we cosplayed as a married couple, what style of ring would you want to go for?” He asked, keeping his tone light, like it didn’t matter to him how Izuku answered.
Izuku blinked and stammered at Katsuki for a second, "I- It uh… would depend on what couple probably?" He wasn't expecting Katsuki to point out the ring shop. That gave him a way to get them in the door though possibly? "Oh! Uh… that reminds me, I did actually want to get my ring size. And yours if that's okay? I might order some rings soon for casual cosplay stuff." Izuku said gesturing to the shop, "Think they'd do our sizing in there?"
Katsuki shrugged. “Well, unless we go for fake rings or inexpensive crap like the one you’ve got around your neck, we should probably pick a set and stick with it.” He blinked. “ Yeah, sure. It’s not like we had a real agenda for the day.” He replied, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief that Izuku had brought up the idea of ring sizes for him.
Izuku snickered lightly, "This ring isn't crap Kacchan. I like it. But you make a fair point. It'd probably be ones we like then, and we just make it work from there. Though silicone rings are also a thing for cosplay stuff too. They're cheaper and they don't look too bad. They have cool designs sometimes." He gently pulled Katsuki into the store signaling to a person at the counter they needed some help. Izuku looked at Katsuki with a small smile, "So, it'd probably just be whatever we like if we wanted actual rings… I'm not too sure what I like though honestly. I'd have to look. You have any preferences?"
“Okay, I said inexpensive crap. It’s mostly plastic. Yes, you still keep it for the memories or whatever, but still. That’s about the only value it has,” he argued. They’d had some variation of this argument so many times it had become more banter than actually arguing. Katsuki rolled his eyes and squeezed Izuku’s hand. “Honestly, I think we’d probably get more out of looking at the different styles the store has and picking something from those.” He wasn’t about to admit that he’d been researching different styles, looking for the perfect ring for months now. Maybe if he’d actually come up with something, but he hadn’t.
"Okay. Might as well look while we're here, yeah." Izuku said, trying to sound nonchalant about it even as he was internally screaming and hoping Katsuki went along with it since he sort of suggested it. It'd be way harder getting him into any other stores to look if he didn't want to look in that one. He turned and awkwardly talked to the person working there for a few moments, asking if they could get their ring sizes once they had finished what they were doing.
The worker smiled faintly seeing their intertwined hands, "Sure thing, kiddos. We're not too busy yet anyway." They ducked underneath the counter to get the ring gauge out from under there.
Izuku had them get his ring size first, since he had suggested it, and since he was currently holding the hand Katsuki needed to get sized for anyway.
Katsuki looked around at the different display cases, looking for anything that caught his eye to check out first. Nothing stood out to him right away, but maybe something would to Izuku. Whatever happened, at least he’d know Izuku’s ring size, so he could make sure he got it right and would but one that would fit him when he came back later.
The worker got Izuku's ring size, and wrote it down on a slip of paper for him. Izuku let Katsuki's hand go so he could get his ring size done too. He didn't seem terribly interested in the ones he had looked at. But maybe he'd start getting ideas of what Katsuki liked if he pointed out ones he did? Katsuki had always been pretty vocal about how bad his fashion choices were in his opinion.
He hummed looking around before pointing to one, "What do you think of that one, Kacchan?" Izuku thought it looked pretty nice and wouldn't mind wearing something like it, so maybe Katsuki would like it? He didn't know. He had no clue what he was doing. Izuku having learned how to better use his quirk actively without getting headaches would come in handy though. He could watch Katsuki's face for subtle signals to see which rings he liked better.
Katsuki blinked at the one Izuku pointed out. It was pretty, but not something he would choose for Izuku. He held out his hand to get his ring size checked, taking note of what the employee said Izuku’s was. He considered that Izuku might be doing something similar for him. They’d only been talking about this for two years now. It was possible.Who knew, maybe they’d end up with similar tastes in rings.
Izuku took note of Katsuki's reaction, and the ring size the employee said Katsuki's was before taking the paper. It was just a slip of paper, so if he lost it somehow he wanted to be sure he remembered the information anyway.
He looked around at the displays a little more, some of the rings were a bit… out there in their design. Others were simple, and nice, but a little too plain for what he'd want to get Katsuki. Why was this so hard? Izuku scanned his eyes over the display for a few moments before his eyes caught another one. He crouched down to get a better look at it, smiling faintly. It was definitely closer to something he'd pick for Katsuki, or even himself. He pointed it out, looking at Katsuki questioningly and using his quirk to watch for his reaction again.
Nothing here really stood out to him, Katsuki realized. Fortunately, there were more jewelry stores in the mall, but the first one having next to nothing didn't bode well for the rest of the trip. He glanced at the one Izuku pointed at, but had to do a double take. Okay, that was pretty. Nothing too ostentatious, which was a plus, but also not so simple as to not be recognized for what it was meant to be.
He hummed softly. "It's pretty." He wasn't quite willing to settle on the first one he liked. Izuku deserved better than that. It had to be perfect.
Izuku smiled at Katsuki's reaction for a moment before turning and looking at the ring again. "It sure is…" He hummed. Izuku stood up and took Katsuki's hand again, now he definitely had a better idea of what Katsuki seemed to like. Which means he can work from there to point out similar ones. Though this store didn't seem to have anymore like that ring.
"Let's keep going. There's plenty more shops to browse today, Kacchan." Izuku said, gently tugging him towards the door with a quick thank you to the employee that had helped them.
Katsuki blinked at Izuku. He wanted to keep looking at rings? Well hell, Katsuki would take that. It meant he didn't have to risk making Izuku suspicious by wanting to keep looking.
He squeezed Izuku's hand lightly as they left. "Indeed there are." He leaned in to kiss Izuku's cheek, ready to continue the search for the perfect ring.
Izuku hummed happily and kissed Katsuki back on the cheek. "Kisses from you never get old." Izuku said with a slight giggle as he leaned his head on Katsuki's shoulder. "I love you so much."
In order to not draw suspicion to the fact that his main goal that day, and just because he could never resist, when a hero merchandise store came up in their path Izuku looked towards Katsuki asking silently if they could go look around that store a bit.
Seeing where Izuku wanted to go next, Katsuki rolled his eyes fondly. He wrapped an arm around Izuku and rested his head lightly on the shorter boy's. "Can't miss that stop, now can we?" He remarked.
Izuku stuck his tongue out at Katsuki playfully before pulling them in the store. The employee working at the register greeted them, but after recognizing Izuku they didn't bother telling them to ask for help if they needed it. They knew Izuku knew his way around the shelves. He browsed for a little bit, and knowing exactly what he liked and what he already had narrowed down what he'd buy if anything.
He went around for a bit, before noticing a new item. Enamel pin blind bags. That... could get him in trouble. Izuku went over and inspected which ones were available on the packaging to see if he liked the designs, before glancing towards Katsuki and grabbing five. Before Katsuki could tease him about it, and before he could find something else to buy he went straight to the cashier to pay for them leaving Katsuki to look around some more if he wanted. The cashier bagged them up quickly making small talk with Izuku about new merchandise that was supposed to be coming out soon for several pro heroes that had recently gone up in rating.
Katsuki wandered the shelves, himself. He knew Izuku would know exactly what he'd say, so he didn't. Tucked away in a corner near the Present Mic merch, he saw something interesting. Walking over to it, he pulled out a pair of yellow goggles with bars over the eyes. Raising an eyebrow, he called over his shoulder. "Hey 'Zuku! Does this look at all familiar to you?!"
Izuku blinked and looked over at the goggles. It felt familiar… "I think so? Definitely not something from a high ranking hero… let me have a look." He went over to take a closer look, using his quirk to hopefully jog his memory a big faster.
"Oh! These are from an underground hero! That's why." Izuku said with a smile once he placed where he'd seen them before, "His name is… Eraserhead I think? I have an entry on him in one of my notebooks but it's pretty short. There's not much info or video available of him." He searched his memory for a second, "I think… from what I remember he actually fights quirkless. His quirk isn't physical. Like mine."
Katsuki blinked, before turning towards the register with the goggles, grabbing a bag of pins at random on the way up. Well, there was Izuku's Christmas present taken care of. He was surprised Izuku didn't fanboy harder over merch from an actual underground hero. Very little of it was ever made, so finding some like this was pretty rare. Who knew how long it had sat there for before Katsuki had spotted it.
Once Katsuki had paid, he turned to Izuku with a grin. "Do you want to check the pins now or later?"
"Uh… now? If we can find a bench to sit at. I don't want to just do it in the middle of the walkway." Izuku replied. He thought out loud for a moment, "Since when do they make merch of underground heroes though? The point is kind of to be on the down low. I don't think… no, I'm sure I've never seen merch for one." The only reason Izuku hadn't switched to fanboy mode was because he was focusing too much on the fact that it existed and they found it in a store with no advertising done. "Was it a limited run or something? Even then…"
Katsuki blinked. "Judging from the placement, it had probably been there for a long time. Maybe a cosplayer ordered it and never picked it up, so they put it on the shelf to try to get some profit from it?" He suggested. "From a business perspective, that seems more likely than letting it collect dust in the back, especially if it was a custom order." He found a bench and plopped down, fishing out his blind bag.
"That's true… maybe. I don't remember them doing custom orders though. Might be something they just don't advertise. Who knows. " Izuku replied before sitting down next to Katsuki. Before Katsuki could open his Izuku asked, "Hey, why don't we do a bit of quirk training with these? See if you can figure out what's in yours before you open it." He pulled his own blind bags out and set four of them next to him and held the last one in his lap, waiting for Katsuki to go first.
Katsuki looked over at Izuku, before humming in amusement. "Sure, why not." He looked at his bag, pulling at Izuku's quirk and focusing on it. There were a good number of top pros pictured on the bag. The way these bags worked, the top hero's were rarer, to encourage people to buy more in order to get that one rare one. Out of Best Jeanist, Endeavor, All Might, and a few lower ranked pros, the lower ranked ones were more likely to show up. And of course the bag was completely whited out to prevent most people from guessing. He pressed the pin against the plastic of the bag, hoping to get a hint from the shading on it. Was that a hint of blue? Katsuki was sure it was. "I'm gonna guess… Jeanist." Katsuki said finally, before tearing the bag open. Surprisingly (or maybe not) he was right.
"Nice!" Izuku exclaimed with a grin. "Okay. My turn." He pulled the first bag up closer to his face to inspect it. Instead of looking for colors at first Izuku felt the general shape of it. Some of them were similar but… "I think this might be… the Kamui Woods one?" Opening it up Izuku found that, sure enough, he was right.
"Heck yeah." Izuku said looking at it with a smile, "He's new on the scene, but I think he's going to climb fast. His moves are all super cool." He put the trash from it in his bag, along with Katsuki's, before pulling up the next one into his lap. Izuku correctly guessed using his quirk each time, it was almost too easy when he used his quirk to do it. The other four ended up being Present Mic, Hawks, Midnight (which was thankfully for Izuku, a very tame pin compared to a lot of her normal merch), and finally…
Izuku squealed excitedly before he even opened the last bag, "I think I got the ultra rare All Might one!" He opened it up quickly and sure enough, Izuku had snagged the rarest of all the pins. He giggled out of pure joy and put it on his jacket before turning so Katsuki could see wearing a grin that came out often when it came to anything related to All Might. "Look! It's so cool!"
Katsuki laughed at Izuku's excitement. "That's some pretty good luck to get that one." He noted. "There was probably only one or two in their entire stock of that one." He ruffled Izuku's hair. "It's a cool design too, which is awesome." Izuku's excitement was infectious, and where Katsuki might feel a twinge of jealousy over someone else getting that pin, he didn't over Izuku, mostly because he got so genuinely excited over any little bit of All Might merch he got. "And you didn't spend a fortune this time, look at that."
Izuku snickered and bumped Katsuki's shoulder. "Only 'cause I already own all the things I'd want that they had in stock anyway." He replied jokingly. Izuku carefully put the rest of the pins on his jacket, making sure the clasp properly latched so they wouldn't fall off before standing and tossing his trash in the nearest garbage bin.
"Alright. We should probably continue on now right? Or you want to stop for snacks first?" Izuku asked reaching out to take Katsuki's hand again.
Katsuki adjusted his hand so Izuku could hold it easier, using his other hand to fasten his new pin to his own jacket. "I'm good to keep going," he answered, scanning the mall for the next closest jewelry shop. "Let's go… that way." He pointed in the general direction the shop was in, hoping Izuku wouldn't question him.
Izuku shrugged, "Yeah sure. We're probably going to go around the whole mall anyway, might as well just pick a direction." Once they started heading in that direction, Izuku then noticed the jewelry shop. How in the heck was he going to get him in this one? He was able to get him in the last one, but now they had their sizes. Izuku wasn't entirely sure how to get Katsuki in there this time.
Katsuki bumped Izuku's shoulder. "Want to go look at more ring ideas for the married couple cosplay?" He asked. ' Please say yes please say yes ,' he thought to himself. If this didn't work he didn't know how he was going to get Izuku into any of these shops.
Izuku blinked at Katsuki before nodding, "Y-Yeah! Sure!" He squeezed Katsuki's hand lightly trying not to let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. Katsuki wanted to go in there anyway. As they walked through the doorway he asked, "What married couple were you thinking of by the way? Or are you just wanting to make what we've already got the stuff for subtly shippy?"
Humming in thought, Katsuki took a moment to look around the store. “I was thinking something from FullMetal Alchemist. Mustang and Hawkeye? Or we could do Edward and Winry.” He bumped Izuku’s shoulder again. “You’re short enough to be Edward.”
"Hey! He's 149 centimeters. I'm 166! I'm not that short." Izuku pouted, bumping his shoulder back. "That's not a bad idea though. I'd have fun making his arm." He started looking around the displays, trying to find a ring similar in style to the one he had found before to show Katsuki. Or even one Izuku thought looked just as good.
Katsuki grinned. “It’d be funny for pictures as Mustang to use real fire, too.” He noted. Still looking around the store. He spotted a ring that didn’t quite look like the one Izuku had pointed out, but was a similarly simple design. So far, neither of them had been fans of anything overly elaborate, which was nice. It also meant the rings would be easier to afford.
Katsuki’s phone chimed, and Katsuki started walking towards that case while he pulled it out. Reading the text from his dad, he froze for a moment. Luckily they were close enough to the case that he could use their joined hands to indicate the ring he’d spotted and make it look a bit more deliberate. He tapped out a response with one hand, then slid his phone back in his pocket, grinning.
Izuku crouched down to take a closer look at the ring Katsuki pointed out. "Ooo pretty. I like that one..." He smiled looking at it, he could honestly see either one of them wearing it. Apparently they seemed to have similar tastes, at least from what he was finding so far. Izuku looked over his shoulder at Katsuki, "What are you grinning about Kacchan?"
Still grinning, Katsuki eyed the ring. He wanted something unique for Izuku, and had an idea as to how to make that happen with the ring he was looking at. Unless they found something better, Katsuki was fairly confident he’d found the one he wanted to give Izuku. He considered how to answer without giving it away. “We don’t have anything planned after classes tomorrow but homework, right?” He asked, realizing Izuku would probably geek out just as hard as he was internally now.
Izuku looked at Katsuki confused, "Yeah, just homework. Why?" He glanced towards the display again. They had a few other very similar rings with only a few differences. After Katsuki answered him he pointed them out so they could get a closer look.
Katsuki looked at the other rings. They were all pretty, but he had his idea in mind. His phone chimed again, and he checked the reply from Masaru before replying. “Oh, dad’s offering to let us tag along to his office tomorrow after school, is all. I haven’t been for a while, so it sounded like fun.” He shrugged. “Apparently he’s working on a new project with another company, which will be cool to see.”
"Oh! Okay, yeah that sounds fun." Izuku replied, eyeing the rings, there were some good ones there definitely, but that first one they found in this store was Izuku's first choice. Though he knew he could definitely work with the other ones too.
His stomach growled for a moment and he looked up at Katsuki sheepishly, "Snack time?"
Katsuki snorted. “Well we did skip breakfast, so we should probably eat,” he admitted. “See anything else in here you like or is this case it?” He hadn’t known how long it would take to find rings they would both be happy with, but they seemed to have done so, so there went his agenda for the rest of the day. “Food court?”
"I think that's it…" Izuku replied before nodding, "Food court." As they made their way there, Izuku rubbed circles into Katsuki's hand as he leaned on him. Trying to distract his mind so he couldn't get anxious about his stomach growling again in front of more people. Why that made him anxious? He had no clue. But it did. Katsuki was enough of a calming and comforting presence to distract him from it for the most part however.
Katsuki noticed Izuku’s anxiety spiking and pulled him in for a quick kiss on the cheek. “Breathe, ‘Zuku,” he reminded him quietly. He could almost picture the look on Izuku’s face when he got to meet who Masaru was working with on this project. It was going to be awesome.
Once they got to the food court, Katsuki picked a restaurant at random and walked them over to it. “Any places you want to stop at after this?”
Izuku took a deep breath after Katsuki's reminder and snuggled into his shoulder when they got in line for food. "Um… Nowhere in particular no." He replied quietly. "That hero merch store is the main reason I usually come. I don't think I really need anything right now."
Resting his head against Izuku’s briefly, Katsuki is content to curl up like that until they get to the front of the line. He studied the menu for a moment, then ordered his food, before elbowing Izuku to do the same. Once he did that, Katsuki asked, “Do you want to just keep walking around for a bit, then? Just in case we see something?”
Izuku elbowed him back gently as he ordered his food before looking back up at him. "Yeah sure, we're here we might as well." He replied, smiling gently at him.
Once they got their food, Katsuki headed towards the tables, picking one that was at least slightly away from people so they could have a little space. He set down his food and waited for Izuku to do the same before turning to face him. He placed two fingers under Izuku’s chin and tilted his head up, in what would normally be telegraphing his intent to kiss the shorter boy without making him short-circuit.
Izuku blinked at Katsuki for a half second before blushing slightly as he recognized what Katsuki was doing. Him short-circuiting everytime he was taken off-guard by a kiss had gotten annoying for Izuku really fast, so they'd come up with this to get around it. He leaned into the touch slightly, letting Katsuki know he wouldn't short-circuit from kissing him at that moment.
Katsuki smiled slightly when Izuku leaned into his hand. While he had planned to kiss Izuku, he also wanted to tease him. He leaned forward, for all intents and purposes looking like he was going to kiss him, then switched to kiss his forehead at the last minute. He pulled away just enough afterwards to see Izuku’s reaction to the last-minute change.
Izuku looked at Katsuki disbelievingly for pulling that trick. He scoffed slightly before glancing just for his own anxieties sake to make sure nobody was staring and grabbed the back of Katsuki's neck before he could pull away further to pull him into an actual kiss. After he pulled away he squinted at Katsuki, "You can't just tell me you're going to kiss me then back out Kacchan. That's mean."
Katsuki returned the kiss, moving his hand from Izuku’s chin to wrap his arm around the greenet’s waist. Once Izuku pulled away, he pressed their foreheads together briefly. “Maybe, but you still got a kiss, didn’t you?” He teased, sneaking another kiss to make up for it.
Izuku short-circuited, grumbling at himself for it happening once he rebooted. "Yeah. But it's still mean. Don't do that again, please?" He let out a huff of air and turned his attention to his food, pushing Katsuki's closer to him to tell him to eat too.
Katsuki reluctantly released Izuku to eat his food. He attempted to resist making any such promise- Izuku’s reaction had been unexplainably cute- but knew the second Izuku aimed his puppy eyes at him he’d have no choice. Sometimes he wondered if Izuku’s cuteness was as much of a curse as it was a blessing.
"Kacchan, promise? Please?" Izuku asked looking at him pleadingly, he didn't want to have to worry about if Katsuki was going to trick him again. That would defeat the purpose of the warning and he'd start short-circuiting again. He didn't want that. Izuku liked being able to return the kisses.
Katsuki huffed, leaning over to peck Izuku on the nose. “Fine, I won’t do it again.” He promised, bumping Izuku’s shoulder lightly. He ate his food slowly, trying to figure out a plan for the rest of the day.They could check more jewelry shops, or just wander around the mall, or even go to the arcade. Frankly Katsuki was alright with any of those.
Izuku let out a small relieved sigh, "Thank you." He ate his food a little bit faster than Katsuki, just watching him for a bit as he did so. Katsuki tended to tease him about it but he genuinely enjoyed watching him. Even after two years sometimes it was hard to believe they were dating. They'd be dating for longer than Izuku had hidden himself from Katsuki soon. And Izuku was extremely thankful everyday that their relationship went that way. If Katsuki hadn't kissed him… he had no idea where their lives could have gone. And now Izuku was getting ready to propose . It was a lot.
Katsuki had the feeling Izuku was watching him, and looking over proved him right. Rolling his eyes, he stuck his tongue out at him. Squeezing his hand, he smiled softly. “Anyone else might find that creepy.” He joked. Maybe it was the fact that they were soulmates that made Katsuki more amused than anything else by some of the weirder shit his soulmate pulled. Maybe if they weren’t bonded, then he might find it annoying and not want anything to do with Izuku. Maybe he’d still find it cute. Who the hell knew. All Katsuki knew for sure on that subject was that he wouldn’t trade where they were now for anything in the world. Even if they had the option to go back and start their relationship when the soulbond had first manifested, he couldn’t say for sure that he would.
Izuku blushed from being caught red handed. "Guess it's good I don't stare at anyone else like that then." He responded quietly, gently squeezing his hand back. "I love you."
“Love you too,” Katsuki responded honestly, “More than I ever thought possible.” He looked at Izuku seriously. “I know I’ve said it before but I’m ridiculously grateful I had you in my life. There’s so many different ways things could have gone between us, I’m glad this is how they ended up going.”
"I am too." Izuku responded easily, "I really don't know how I would have gotten by without you." He brought his free hand up to touch the side of Katsuki's face. "Without my perfect, wonderful, amazing boyfriend I don't know where I'd be. And I'm so grateful to have you in my life, to have you at my side to back me up." Izuku teared up slightly as he made himself emotional, "I wouldn't trade this for anything."
"Well, luckily for both of us, we'll never have to find that out." Katsuki's face turned red with a blush. "I don't know about perfect. At least not by myself. The two of us together, though, that seems pretty close to perfect to me."
Izuku smiled lovingly at Katsuki, running his fingers through his hair for a moment before pulling back and rubbing the tears out of his eyes. "I can agree to that." He said with a hum before turning back to his food. Izuku snickered slightly as all the reasons he loved Katsuki played in his head, "We are so gay and sappy. It's great." He squeezed Katsuki's hand gently.
Katsuki snickered, leaning over closer to Izuku. "Seems only fitting to continue the sap by kissing my boyfriend again." He teased, giving Izuku a moment to react before kissing him again.
Izuku smiled before leaning in so they could kiss. He hummed happily with his eyes closed for a moment after they pulled away. Izuku blinked his eyes open, and nudged Katsuki’s food again. “You know, it’s easier to eat your food when we’re not kissing. You should really finish that.” He teased as he went to take a bite of his own food which he had almost finished at that point. “Then more kisses.” He added with a tiny smirk.
"Well I suppose that will do for dessert," Katsuki shot back, finishing his own meal quickly. "Kissing you is as addictive as ever. Though I'll be glad if that never changes, because I'll never get tired of it." He let go of Izuku's hand so he could wrap his arm around his waist instead, pulling him closer with a flirty grin.
Izuku finished his own food, thankfully before Katsuki made the comment about dessert. Otherwise he would have choked on it. He blushed deeply as Katsuki pulled him closer, deciding to nuzzle into his neck for the moment to hide his face while still getting as close as he could. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it either.” He hummed in agreement, “Might annoy literally everyone else in the room with how much we do it. But... “ Izuku kissed Katsuki on the jaw, “I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”
"If someone else gets annoyed by it, that's their problem." Katsuki responded. He tilted his head slightly when Izuku kissed his jaw, before tilting his head back down to return the gesture. "As long as you are okay with it, I don't care what anyone else thinks."
Izuku hummed contentedly, "I wonder if we'll get to do this sort of thing with the other two. That'd be nice." He closed his eyes so he could just focus on Katsuki, ignoring the fact that they were in a public place for the time being. "If not though… that just means more kisses and cuddles for you. Which I don't mind." Izuku wrapped one arm around Katsuki, "You deserve everything I have to give and more."
Katsuki blushed darker at that. "Oh, is that so?" He teased, kissing Izuku on the nose. "If I never had to let you go, I don't know if I'd even complain. Though I suppose I can share you with the other two. You have more than enough love to go around."
Izuku peeked an eye open to look at Katsuki, smiling sheepishly, "I guess I can't argue with that. I'd cuddle with you 24/7 if I could." He bit his lip for a moment before hiding his face in Katsuki's neck again and muttered quietly, "It's cute when you blush…"
Katsuki sputtered, considering protesting being called cute. "If I'm cute, what does that make you?" He responded instead. "Adorable? Amazing? Stunning?" He kissed the top of Izuku's head. He was vaguely aware of the looks they were getting from people passing by, but most of them were harmless. He overheard a few whispered comments about 'cute young soulmates', and 'new bond' which made him blush harder.
" Kaaachan. " Izuku whined curling up closer into Katsuki, "Stop thaaat . You're embarrassing me..." He muttered under his breath, "'M not stunning. You're the stunning one."
Snickering, Katsuki decided to go with it. "Me? But I thought we decided I was the handsome one, and you were the adorable one. I think stunning goes better with adorable."
Izuku grumbled but let Katsuki have at least that. Even though he didn't agree. "You're handsome, amazing, strong, protective, and cute. " He muttered before looking up at him, "Not to mention you're just a big 'ol teddy bear. Even if you try and call yourself 'Lord Explosion Murder'. Which by the way, is totally not going to be accepted as a hero name. Or any of the other ones I saw on that list. You're just a big Pomeranian that tries to look scary."
Well now that he'd brought that up. "Yeah, like yours are much better. 'All Might Jr.'? If I have to come up with a different hero name, so do you." Katsuki huffed at being called a Pomeranian again. "I guess that means we still match, because you're an adorable bunny rabbit. And your costume even has bunny ears."
Izuku pulled away from him a bit and pouted, "I know they're bad. I was trying to come up with something. I know I need to come up with a different one. There's no way I'd live up to those ones..." He huffed, "I guess that's what I get for not switching up my code even after you figured it out." Izuku made a face, "They're not supposed to be bunny ears. Is that really what it looks like?"
Katsuki blinked. "Oh, I know you'd live up to them, but they just sound dumb," He countered. He snuck another kiss before he continued. "Yeah, they really do. I think they're adorable, but I don't think that's what you were going for, was it?"
Izuku froze for a moment before he rebooted and sighed, "No, no that was not at all what I was going for." He shook his head with a slight smile, "I guess you got in my head calling me bunny all the time. Must've done it subconsciously." He rubbed his arm self consciously, "Maybe I should just run with that then? I could probably come up with a rabbit related name somehow…"
Katsuki couldn't help but snicker. "The Innocent Hero: Usagi-chan," he teased. He hardly expected Izuku to take him seriously with that. "So if I can't use King Explosion Murder…" he trailed off, looking around, before spotting a mannequin in a shop window. The shirt it had on had a pattern of stars on it, which gave Katsuki an idea. "…SuperNova." He offered. "Since they're basically just stars exploding."
Izuku scoffed and shoved Katsuki's shoulder lightly, "Kacchan, don't be mean. I'm serious." He blinked before smiling at Katsuki's name choice, "That… sounds really cool. I like that. That'd be perfect for you." He hummed tapping his chin slightly, "I wouldn't want to do just Usagi… Maybe like… Zuusagi? Zu is the first part of cunning…" Izuku sighed and shrugged, "I don't know."
"Cunning rabbit. I like it." Katsuki said after a moment's thought. "You should go with it." Katsuki ruffled Izuku's hair playfully. "Zuusagi and Supernova. The best hero team that ever was or will be."
Izuku smiled at Katsuki lightly, "You really like it?" He let out a tiny laugh, "Yeah, the best hero team. We'll take down all the villains, together." Izuku leaned forward and kissed Katsuki on the nose. "We just have to survive high school together first. You think we'll be in the same class at UA?"
"I hope so. We can certainly apply for it, being soulmates and all." Katsuki responded, pulling Izuku back for another kiss. "Besides, anything's tolerable as long as I have you with me. Well. Almost anything." He happily took a turn back into sappy gay territory. "What about the other two. Do you think we'll meet them there?"
After rebooting Izuku pouted slightly, "Warning, please." He moved to snuggle into Katsuki's side again, "I hope so. I mean… their quirks would definitely go well for hero work. Even on their own. If they try to get in too, I'm sure they'll make it." Izuku sighed, "They probably only think they have two soulmates instead of three though so… I'll be a surprise. You'll be with me to explain it though this time." He looked at Katsuki seriously, "Don't let me panic and hide the connection, okay? I don't want a repeat."
Katsuki hummed in agreement. "Yeah, you're not allowed to pull that again. Though with how much we tend to snuggle and be physically affectionate, they might realize the two of us are before we even say anything. That will be interesting to explain if that's how it happens."
Katsuki put two fingers under Izuku's chin to warn him of an incoming kiss. "You'll be the best kind of surprise."
Izuku leaned into the kiss, resting his forehead against Katsuki's instead of pulling away completely afterwards. "My brain is telling me the opposite, but I'll trust you on that." He hummed, "It is pretty obvious we're soulmates with how we act. People always think we just found each other because we're so cuddly… Hopefully we won't have a repeat of our classmates acting like they've never seen two bonded again. That was kind of annoying." Izuku laughed slightly, "I don't think we could hide the bond between us if we tried at this point."
"I think there will be a handful of people in or class also finding their soulmates for the first time, especially since training with your own quirk and that of your soulmates is usually only heavily emphasized this year and into high school. Plus, there are stories of being drawn to a certain high school because that's where your soulmate either is going, wants to go, or did go. So with the two of us putting our hopes on UA, maybe that will draw the other two to it, even if they aren't planning on being heroes themselves?" Katsuki pondered out loud. "Well, the last thing I'd want to do is to hide it, no matter what anyone else thinks."
"UA does have courses in support and business. And a gen-ed course that's supposed to be good. So, that's a good point." Izuku replied, "And meeting your soulmate is supposed to be more common in high school so… yeah. I guess they probably wouldn't focus on us being bonded huh?" He hummed, "They might bug us with questions just because we've known each other before then though, but we can probably deal with that."
Also questions about them being engaged more than likely, but Izuku obviously wasn't going to mention that since they were not in fact engaged yet. Even if they'd been talking about it since they started dating.
"They might, yeah. What do you want to tell them?" Katsuki asked. Realizing he might need to clarify, he continued. "I mean, obviously we've been friends since we were in diapers, but what do you want to tell them about being bonded? Just that we figured it out our first year of middle school? Or more detail?"
Izuku's anxiety spiked, realizing their classmates would probably have a few words if they realized Izuku had hidden their bond. After all, what kind of person did something like that? Especially with someone who was your best friend. Someone he'd claimed would be his soulmate even when they were little. "I… I don't know? E-Either way they'll probably ask questions if they knew that much. I'm not sure if more or less detail would be better…" Izuku said, taking a breath to try and calm himself down before it got bad. "I mean… your quirk is pretty distinctive. Even if mine is subtle… they'd probably catch onto what I did."
"You forgave me but… but what if they hate me for that? For being able to do that to you." Izuku said, pulling away from Katsuki somewhat. "I want to make actual friends but… they're all going to think I'm terrible, won't they? They won't want anything to do with me."
His instinct was to hide these kinds of thoughts from Katsuki and everyone else in the past. But Katsuki helped him ground himself. He'd tell him the flaws in that kind of thinking and reassure him. It was part of the deal he made to make sure his thoughts never got too dark again. To tell Katsuki before things got there, and make sure he knew when it did go in that direction.
Katsuki, realizing where that particular spiral was headed, pulled Izuku in for a hug. "'Zuku. Focus on me, match my breathing, okay?" He took several deep breaths, making sure Izuku could hear them. Once he was calmer, Katsuki continued. "Yes, my quirk is distinctive, but the topic also never came up. People don't just go around asking anyone with a similar quirk if they're that person's soulmate. It's rude. No one is going to think twice that it took us a while to figure it out, especially with your quirk being so passive. If they do, and want to have an issue with it, then we'll deal with that if it happens, and I will happily kick their ass for being a judgemental douchebag. We figured it out in the end, and that's all that matters."
Izuku matched Katsuki's breathing as best as he could."Y-You're right…" He said shakily, "Sorry, I don't know why my anxiety is so bad today. Keeps spiking for no reason." Izuku supposed it could be from him being on edge trying to get things together for him proposing, but it wasn't like Katsuki was going to say no right? Not when they've been talking about it for so long.
He nuzzled closer to Katsuki, putting his ear up against his chest so he could hear his heartbeat. Izuku hummed relaxing from the contact and the sound of Katsuki's heartbeat, "You know… by the time we start at UA, we'll have been dating longer than I did that for."
Katsuki couldn't help the small smile at the reminder. "Yeah, we will have. And we'll be together far longer than that, too." He reminded Izuku, running a hand through his hair to help him calm back down.
"Yeah." Izuku muttered in response. After a few moments he asked, "Do you want to wander the mall now again or go do something, Kacchan? We… probably shouldn't keep just kissing in the food court."
Deciding to be flirty again, if only just to fluster Izuku, Katsuki gave him their typical warning before he kissed him, pausing with just a centimeter of space between their lips. "We could always go back home and keep kissing there instead…" he whispered teasingly before he kissed him for real. Snickering, he released Izuku long enough to stand up. "Let's wander, I suppose."
Izuku blushed deeply, hiding his face in his hands for a moment as he let out a small whine. Standing up he quickly took their trash to throw it out and put their trays away before coming back to Katsuki, his face still extremely red. He took Katsuki's hand and started to walk, muttering, "You just love flustering me, don't you?"
Katsuki cackled in answer to Izuku's question. "Yes. Yes I do. It doesn't hurt that you make it so easy to do, either." He gave Izuku's hand a light squeeze as they walked. "You're even more adorable when you're blushing."
"That's not helping. " Izuku grumbled covering part of his face with one hand. "I'm trying to stop blushing here." He huffed and squeezed Katsuki's hand back. "You better not embarrass me like this our first day at UA. At least wait a bit. It's hard enough not embarrassing myself ." He said, bumping Katsuki's shoulder lightly.
Katsuki snorted. "Second day's fair game, then?" He asked. "Or I can fluster you, I just get to keep the sight of this gorgeous dark blush to myself." He continued. "I think I can live with that option."
" Kacchan. " Izuku whined, now hiding his face in Katsuki's shoulder as he threw up the hood to his jacket to obscure his face more. "'M not gorgeous. Shut up." He grumbled.
"You are to me," countered Katsuki. "Gorgeous, stunning, wonderful, perfect, amazing, adorable, kind, caring, beautiful. My angel." Katsuki returned his arm to around Izuku's waist. "If you don't believe me, I'll tell you every day until you do."
"... You've got me in a box here, Kacchan." Izuku muttered quietly in response. "I'm an angel to you?" He asked, "I can't say you're the same… but you are my hero and my protector. You just curse a bit too much for me to call you an angel." Izuku teased.
Katsuki smirked at that, blushing lightly, but not quite flustered enough to not come up with a response. "The protector of an angel. I think I can handle that." He went along with it.
Izuku hummed happily, a smile coming to his face as that sparked an idea for the ring he was getting Katsuki in his head. He brought Katsuki's left hand up so he could kiss his ring finger before looking around. He hadn't been paying attention to where they were going or the shops around them at all. He wasn't even sure what part of the mall they were in. Izuku was completely distracted by Katsuki, so now he was disoriented and not sure where to wander next.
Katsuki had been paying attention to where they were going (mostly so they didn't crash into anything), but wasn't seeing anything interesting. There was a Build-A-Bear, but they already had their plushies. There was a Hot Topic near them too, but Katsuki had no reason to be interested in that.
When Izuku kissed his ring finger specifically, Katsuki gave him a look. Why had he done that? Could he be planning the same thing Katsuki was? Or was he just being sappy?
Izuku hummed looking at their options, "Not really much else to do today huh? I'm fine with Hot Topic to just browse but unless you want to try chokers I doubt you'll really find much…" He looked back at Katsuki, noticing the look on his face. Izuku raised an eyebrow at him, "What's that look for? What'd I do?"
Katsuki blinked the look away. If he said something, he risked giving away his own plans. It wasn't necessary to keep them a secret, but he wanted to do something nice that Izuku didn't already expect. Of course, if he used his quirk he'd figure it out immediately, probably. Best not to arouse suspicion to begin with. "Nothing, just. Thinking about how lucky I am to have you."
Izuku tilted his head slightly at Katsuki before blushing lightly and looking away. Was he doing the same thing Izuku tended to do, and he'd caught him in the act? It didn't even cross his mind to use his quirk to check. "Um… since we're not really finding anything, do you just want to head home?" Izuku asked, changing the subject. He didn't really feel like Katsuki making him a complete blushing mess again, so he tried to move on.
Katsuki hummed softly. "I suppose. Was there anything else you wanted to do today? Maybe his the arcade? Or just go home and snuggle?"
"Um… snuggle time sounds good." Izuku replied, rubbing his thumb over Katsuki's knuckles. "We can binge watch some anime or something if you want too. Your pick this time."
////////////
The next morning, Katsuki waited for Izuku to be out of the room to get the notebook with Izuku’s costume design in it from where it was hidden and slipped it into his bag. He couldn’t wait to see Izuku’s reaction to who was going to be in his dad’s office today. He had his phone set to record and everything.
School seemed to fly by, Katsuki getting more excited the closer it got to the end of the day. He passed it off as just being excited to go to his dad’s office, though. No way was he spoiling the surprise. He had his own designs in his bag as well, eager for Jeanist’s opinion on them.
Izuku was a little suspicious with just how excited Katsuki was that day, but he let it go. He was just happy to see Katsuki like that. Walking hand in hand with Katsuki after school he asked, "We heading straight to your dad's office then?"
Katsuki nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand, and headed towards the office. The building had a bit more security than normal, but they were to get in easily enough given that Katsuki was Masaru’s son and Izuku was his soulmate.
Katsuki didn’t comment on the increased security, heading to his dad’s office instead. Their timing was apparently perfect, as his dad was wrapping up a meeting with a familiar head of blond hair.
Izuku blinked at the increased security, they got in easy enough though. He wondered if it had to do with the company that Katsuki's dad was working for, and his question was answered when they saw who Masaru was finishing his meeting with.
Izuku froze. Completely starstruck as he had to blink to make sure he wasn't mistaking him for someone else. His jaw dropped slightly as he realized he was actually there. Best Jeanist was working with Masaru. No wonder Katsuki had been so excited!
Katsuki snickered at Izuku’s reaction. He had already gotten most of his fanboy out the day before, but it was still exciting to actually get to meet one of his favorite heroes. He knocked lightly on the door, and Masaru waved them in. Katsuki was prepared to drag Izuku if need be.
“And these are the two I told you about. My son, Katsuki, and his soulmate, Izuku.” Masaru introduced.
"H-Hi." Izuku stammered with a small wave. "I… um… H-Hi. It's n-nice to meet you sir." His movements were stiff and he didn't quite know what to do. Izuku was standing face to face with Best Jeanist, how was he supposed to react? He glanced towards his soulmate looking for help on what to do. How was he so calm right now?
Katsuki snickered, squeezing Izuku’s hand. “Hello.” He greeted calmly. He noticed Jeanists’ eye flicker down for a moment, before back up to his face. It was only for a split second, easy to miss. Remembering what Jeanists quirk was, Katsuki realized he must have noticed Katsuki’s binder. Katsuki did his best to keep his breathing even. He was definitely outed to the #4 hero, whether he liked it or not.
Izuku gently squeezed Katsuki's hand back, taking a breath and closing his eyes for a moment to calm himself. Completely freaking out in front of Best Jeanist wouldn't be great. Especially if he found him weird because of it. He did tend to get a little over the top when talking about heroes.
Noticing Katsuki's anxiety jump a bit, Izuku squeezed his hand again and rubbed circles into his palm. Katsuki? You okay? He signed with one hand.
Katsuki squeezed his hand back, smiling softly. I’m fine . Don’t worry . He signed back.
Jeanist hummed. “Hello.” He greeted them, warmly, but still polite and distant.
Katsuki grinned, glancing at his dad. “ So do I get to ask about this mystery project, then?”
Masaru snorted. “You can ask .” He replied.
Used to that answer, Katsuki rolled his eyes.
Izuku shook his head lightly, smiling fondly at Katsuki. "I don't know why you bother asking Kacchan. It's always the same answer." He caught himself as he spoke, glancing at Best Jeanist before shutting up. Izuku didn't want to let his mouth run off. Katsuki thought it was cute, but Izuku was very aware that his talking was annoying. He probably shouldn't speak unless he has to, right? That way he can't make a fool of himself.
Sign would possibly work instead, but who knew if Best Jeanist could read it. And even worse if he felt it was rude to be having a side conversation in sign like that.
Katsuki snorted, reaching into his bag to pull out the notebook he snagged of Izuku’s. He held it out to his soulmate. “Show him your designs.” He offered, teasing. He half expected embarrassed stuttering, but it would give Izuku something to talk about.
Jeanist raised an eyebrow. “Designs?” He repeated, curious.
Izuku's face flushed and he looked wide eyed at his bonded. "K-Kacchan! W-Why'd y-you I-" He stuttered, shakily taking the notebook into his hands before using it to cover his face somewhat as he looked at Best Jeanist. Inadvertently showing off the title of his analysis notebook which he had written it in. "I- I- um… H-Have some h-hero costume d-designs for m-myself in here."
He glanced at Katsuki for a moment, feeling completely embarrassed, before looking back at Best Jeanist. "Y-You don't have to look. I-It's… t-they're not great. I- I just… um…" He trailed off.
Judging from the look on his face, Jeanist wasn't entirely used to normal fans wanting to show him designs. He glanced over at Masaru. "Your son is a lot like you." He remarked with a small smile.
Katsuki and Masaru both snorted at that. Jeanist turned back to Izuku. Seemingly used to nervous stuttering, he replied normally. "I certainly wouldn't mind taking a look. The design of a costume is just as important as the potential hero wearing it, after all."
Izuku's blush got darker, "O-Oh… O-Okay um… That's true." He pulled the notebook away from his face and flipped through to the pages with his designs and notes on it. He then handed it over, "I- I know the writing looks l-like gibberish. I can… I can translate it for you i-if you want though." Izuku rubbed his neck anxiously, "I e-encoded it out of habit."
Jeanist gently took the notebook, glancing over the design. “A jumpsuit. That’s a good starting point. I assume the notes have something to do with the design?” He inquired. “Do the… ear-like appendages hold any significant purpose?”
"Mhm. The notes are mostly on what it needs to made made out of. Technical notes. It needs to be able to handle fire without burning away completely, and also be kinda stretchy and handle sharp things without puncturing. A support item that can help regulate my body temperature would be good. Then the gloves on it have to be able to handle nitroglycerin going through them and me still being able to set it off… er… all stuff for my soulmates quirks basically." Izuku explained trying to keep himself from talking too fast.
He scratched at his face anxiously. "Um… no at the moment. It was more… a- a reference in the costume. Kacchan said they looked like bunny ears so… I went off of that for my hero name. And… just because Kacchan calls me a bunny all the time anyway." He said with a small awkward laugh.
Jeanist listened to Izuku talk without changing his expression. “A bunny? I see. From your design the ears appear to be functionally useless, however. They’d also be a good way to get caught on something or by someone if you have the hood down. I would suggest, at the very least, making them shorter, or removing them entirely. However, if you do make them shorter, there is the possibility of adding support items to them that allow you to hear things you wouldn’t normally, as rabbits are supposed to have sensitive ears.” He offered neutrally. “You mention your soulmates’ quirks, what is yours, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Izuku blinked, "Oh, that's a good idea! I didn't think about that." He cleared his throat when his own quirk was brought up. "Oh, right of course um… My quirk is called Data Stream, it's an analysis quirk. Basically… I can look at anyone or anything using it and gather info just by looking. It helps me take in information super fast, and come up with answers I wouldn't be able to get normally. If I take too much info at once I get a massive headache though, so I have to limit myself to one who, what, when, where, why, or how question at a time when I'm using it actively. Though I can process pretty quickly so it’s not a huge hindrance."
Jeanist considered that for a moment. “In that case, another support item to consider would be a pair of goggles, either built into the hood or that can fit through, that allow you to see greater distances with higher clarity. If a situation comes up where you can’t get close enough to see something, you would already have a solution ready to go. Aside from that, goggles would also prevent you from being blinded as easily, as your quirk depends on you being able to see something.”
Izuku nodded to Jeanist's suggestion, making a mental note to add that. "That's a good idea too. Thank you." He laughed quietly and muttered looking down at his sketches, "I guess I still forget I have a quirk sometimes. I didn't even think about items for my quirk specifically."
Jeanist raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment, instead handing the notebook back to Izuku. “Overall it’s a fairly solid design. Assuming you’re applying for a hero school, your time there will give you ideas for any sort of personalization you might need, and plenty of time to learn how to function in situations both with and without your gear.”
Izuku nodded again, "Y-Yeah. We're going to try for UA together. That's the plan right now. Thank you again." He looked to Katsuki, holding his notebook close to his chest. "Um… Kacchan? Did you bring yours too? Or did you just want to embarrass me specifically." He asked quietly.
Katsuki grinned. “I brought mine too.” He answered, fishing his out of his bag. They weren’t coded like Izuku’s but they were divided into different parts on different pages, with several pages devoted to his gauntlets, and mini grenades he could fill that other people could use. He offered his notes, looking slightly nervous. Hopefully he wouldn’t make a big deal over the compression built in to the top part of his suit.
Best Jeanist took the notebook carefully from Katsuki and looked over it with the same expression he held throughout looking at Izuku's. He slightly raised an eyebrow at all the notes of the gauntlets, seeing how well they were thought through and designed. Almost like it was straight out of a support student's notebook. Seeing the explosive theme throughout he commented, "I'm going to assume your quirk is the one he mentioned that has to do with nitroglycerin, yes? How does it work exactly if you don't mind?"
"These gauntlet designs are very well thought out…" He said offhandedly before turning to the page with the actual costume design. His eyes skimmed over the note on the compression aspect to the top before moving on while waiting for Katsuki to respond.
Katsuki’s eyes widened, blushing lightly at the praise from one of his favorite heroes, especially on his design. Now it was his turn to be a stuttering mess, apparently. “Ah, th-thanks.” He managed, turning redder from the fact that he stuttered. “Yeah, that’s mine. Basically, I sweat nitroglycerin from my palms, which I can then ignite to make an explosion. The gauntlets will store that too, so I can make a bigger blast without hurting myself. If I make too big of one without them, the recoil can strain or burst the muscles in my arms, depending on how far I push it.”
Best Jeanist flipped back to the gauntlet page for a moment and nodded, "You're thinking about how to make up for your weaknesses then. Good." Looking at the actual costume design he pointed to the flares on it, "I don't really see much note on these. What's the purpose of them?"
Katsuki blinked. Originally he’d just thought they looked cool, sort of like butterfly wings, and just never edited them out. And then he’d been fitted for hearing aids and noticed having things on his ears drew attention away from the devices helping him hear. “It… might sound weird, but they draw attention, and make these…” He turned his head so Jeanist could see one of his hearing aids, “..more difficult to see.”
Best Jeanist tilted his head for a moment, "Ah, I see. I suppose it makes sense to have hearing damage from your quirk…" He looked back down at the design, "I'd suggest adding a similar function to what I suggested to his to enhance your hearing for what those miss then. And a way to turn them into noise cancellation headphones of some sort. To avoid damaging your hearing further when you create a large blast." He looked up at Izuku, "For you as well, especially if you don't need hearing aids yet."
Izuku looked up from where he was already making corrections to his own design, "Oh! Yeah. I forgot to write that down. Kacchan had me get military grade earplugs when we started practicing. I'm just used to putting them in before I use his quirk now. That should probably be included in here." He looked back down to his notes, continuing to scribble away. "Adding that now… Thank you."
Katsuki blinked. “Noise cancelling… huh. That would be useful.” He made a mental note to redesign the flares to include that. “Thanks.” If he wasn’t glad he’d thought to bring their design notes before meeting the Pro, he certainly was now.
"One last note… Do your explosions create any smoke?" Best Jeanist asked, "I know many fire or heat based quirks don't, but if yours does, you really should include a bandana or something to cover your nose and mouth with. Inhaling smoke isn't good for you."
Behind Katsuki, Izuku made a face remembering the main reason his dad didn't come to visit much. His quirk did create smoke. And if he didn't vent it every so often it just sits in his lungs and causes issues. His dad coughed a lot now just from the few times he had done it for flights already. Before Best Jeanist could even comment telling Izuku to do the same, he added a note to his mask to make it so he'd be able to breathe fine with the smoke.
Katsuki blinked. Another thing he hadn’t thought of. Stupid, considering how he knew what Uncle Hisashi’s quirk was and what its drawbacks were. He nodded, acknowledging Jeanist’s advice. “It does, especially with the bigger explosions. Blinking, he realized something else he and Izuku could do. Looking over at Izuku, he offered, “Maybe we could find a way to link our support items, so we can each hear what the other is hearing too if we want to. Also a way to record audio for surveillance purposes.”
Izuku's eyes lit up, "That'd be so cool! Obviously we'd have to only use it in certain circumstances but…" Izuku flipped to another page and started making notes on how something like that could work, muttering as he went.
Jeanist's face was mostly hidden at that moment, as it often was, but if Katsuki was paying attention his eyes would give away the slight smile he was hiding. "Try not to get too ahead of yourselves. Put that on the optional equipment list, it can be put into upgrades later since it's not a thing you have to have. You'll only have so big of a budget starting out, so make sure whatever support company makes it knows what's most important for you to have." He said as he went to hand Katsuki's notebook back, "Equipment is all well and good until you start relying on it more than your own skills and abilities."
Katsuki listened to Izuku go off on a tangent with a grin. He’d probably be embarrassed about going on one in front of Jeanist later, but for now it was super cute. He took his notebook back, flipping to the correct page to make notes next to the flares. He made no effort to stop Izuku just yet, knowing that sometimes he got something they hadn’t even been considering out of those tangents. He listened for it to start spiraling, just in case he really did need to intervene, though. He gave Jeanist a grateful smile. “We’ll keep that in mind.”
"... If we got used to using equipment like that on occasion it could help us get even more in sync than we already are too. Reacting to movement of a villain we shouldn't be able to hear that kind of thing. Plus if we did it while say… talking to two seperate villains who were working together, we'd be able to keep track of both conversations at once and know enough to recognize when one or both was lying. Which with my quirk could be extremely useful… knowing when to look for a lie like that means less likelihood of headaches…" Izuku continued into his muttering starting to spiral and go in loops. Completely forgetting there were other people in the room as he scribbled away.
Best Jeanist raised an eyebrow at Izuku. "Does he do that often?" He asked Katsuki.
Katsuki glanced at the page Izuku was writing on, completely used to this sort of thing. “He does.” Katsuki confirmed. “As far as I can tell, it’s most likely a side effect of his quirk, since it’s mostly passive and it means he takes in a lot of information at once. Muttering fits like this help him process it so he doesn’t get overloaded.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand lightly, hoping to pull him out of it without resorting to drastic measures.
Izuku blinked feeling the squeeze on his hand, hesitating for just a moment in his writing but continuing to mutter. Out of habit more than anything he squeezed back as he flipped to the next page with one hand to keep writing.
"Ah. I suppose that makes sense." Jeanist remarked, "Speaking one's thoughts aloud tends to make you slow down your thinking, even a small amount." He tilted his head at Izuku, seeing him continue. "He's making some good points but… he doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. Do you know how to break him out of it? I'd hope this isn't something that could happen while on a patrol if you have to wait for it to pass."
Katsuki made a face. “I do know a few ways. He’s… not overly fond of them but they work.” He grins and yanks Izuku’s notebook out of his hands, kissing him when he (predictably) tries to get it back. After that it’s just a matter of waiting for him to reboot. “It’s… a work in progress.”
Izuku froze and stammered for a few moments from the kiss before blinking and blushing deeply. "K-Kacchan! You just- in front of- and I was-" He let out a whine of embarrassment, both from having been kissed in front of Best Jeanist and having gone into a muttering fit in front of him. Izuku hid his face in his hands, silently wishing to be struck dead instead of having to live with that kind of embarrassment.
Best Jeanist held back a laugh at seeing Katsuki's method of breaking him out of his muttering fit. At least they had that part handled.
Katsuki grinned, amused as always at Izuku’s reaction to being unexpectedly kissed. “Admit it, that’s your favorite way to be broken out of one of those muttering fits, ‘Zuku.” He teased, unrepentant. “You’ll have plenty of time to finish that thought train later, anyway.” He reminded Izuku, handing his notebook back to him.
Izuku grumbled, not able to say any of the other ways Katsuki had used in the past were any better. He at least got a kiss out of it, even if he couldn't return it. Izuku kept his eyes to the floor, holding his notebook to his chest. He really hated that he even had those kinds of fits. It was embarrassing.
"Quirks all have their odd side effects. Nothing to be ashamed about." Best Jeanist commented, seeing how ashamed of himself Izuku looked. "You don't see Hawks apologizing for his frequent fried chicken cravings. Though he really should, the amount of times I've seen him send one of his sidekicks out on a run is ridiculous."
Izuku blinked up at him with a small smile, "He does that?"
Best Jeanist gave a nod, "That he does. I myself get irritated from the feeling of some fabrics. The fibers don't feel right on my skin."
Izuku tilted his head, "Huh. I hadn't thought about that kind of side effect before." He glanced down at his notebook, "Something to think about I guess." Looking at Katsuki he smirked slightly, "Maybe that's why Kacchan gets spicy food cravings so much. You definitely didn't get that from your parents."
Katsuki opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Masaru chuckled. Damn it, he couldn’t even say it was a lie when his dad was right there . “No fair. I can’t blame it on Dad because he’s in the room to call bullshit.” Katsuki grumbled. He grinned at Izuku, pulling him in for a hug by their joined hands. “See? Nothing to be ashamed of.” He remarked, with the air of someone who was used to this conversation.
Izuku laughed quietly, humming when Katsuki pulled him in for a hug. He nuzzled his face into Katsuki's neck, wanting the comfort from it and hoping Best Jeanist didn't find it weird. "Yeah… You might be right." He whispered. "I'm not apologizing for calling you out on your cravings though. Because I have to eat it too when mom makes it for you. I'm just lucky I started building up a tolerance. I'm surprised you can even taste the food with how spicy you like it."
Katsuki grinned. “You get used to it eventually. Spice makes life… more interesting. Even just in food.” He replied. “Besides, it brings out the flavor of the food better. At least, I think it does.”
Masaru resisted commenting on that particular statement, preferring to watch the two interact, mostly fond but with a tinge of sadness and regret. All he can do is hope his son’s bonds don’t strain like his own did.
Izuku giggled lightly, sneaking a kiss to Katsuki's jaw, "You're such a goof. I love you." He pulled himself away from Katsuki and cleared his throat looking at Jeanist and blushing faintly, "Um… sorry if that seemed weird. I know we're pretty touchy even for soulmates. Um…" He said, still holding onto Katsuki's hand.
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand, unbothered. He knew they were what would be considered overly touchy, but he didn’t mind it, nor did he particularly care if someone else did. But that was just how he was.
Even though Jeanist’s face was hidden, his eyes gave away that he was amused. “It’s hardly weird. Some people are simply more physically affectionate than others. That’s life.”
Izuku scrunched up his shoulders slightly, squeezing Katsuki's hand back. "I guess that's true… uh… th-thank you for talking with us. I'm sure you've got a ton of things to do. I… I don't want to hold you up anymore than we already have..."
Jeanist nodded slightly. “Not at all. It’s always a pleasure to discuss designs with such talented young people. It gives me hope for the future.” He looked over at Masaru. “I look forward to working on this project with you. Perhaps we could meet again next week?” He offered, almost… shyly?
Masaru nodded. “That sounds like an excellent idea.” Ignoring the growing smirk on his son’s face, Masaru continued. “What day would work best for you? I’m sure you’re much busier than I am.”
Katsuki watched the two hammer out details with a small smirk and no small amount of awe. Did his father… have a crush on the Pro Hero?
Izuku blinked and tilted his head at the Pro Hero, why did he say that almost shyly? They're doing business aren't they? Shouldn't they have to meet up regardless? Looking between them both, the answer to why that could be on both ends clicked in his brain. Izuku silently mouthed 'Oh.' Before hiding his face up against Katsuki, realizing that was most definitely an invasion of privacy. Even when he hadn't meant to be using his quirk just then. He shouldn't interfere.
When Izuku hid against him again, it clicked for Katsuki Oh shit . He… wasn’t sure what to think, honestly. On one hand, seeing his father be willing to move on was nice, and he’d never seen this from him before. It was… almost cute. On the other hand, it was so weird to see his dad making eyes at anyone. It was his dad, for fuck’s sake.
He wrote his question into Izuku’s back. What did you see?
Knowing Katsuki would pester him about it if he didn't answer, he bit his lip and wrote back. Best Jeanist has feelings for your dad… And it's mutual. He sighed nuzzling closer to Katsuki, That's apparently a thing I can tell with my quirk. I shouldn't know that.
Katsuki snorted, turning his head to watch the pair interact. That’s kinda cute . He wrote back. If we’re ignoring the fact that it’s my dad. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that, if he was being honest. It’s not like either of them were successfully hiding it, though, he added, focusing on reassuring Izuku over sorting out his conflicted feelings for now.
Izuku nodded minutely, "True…" He whispered, only loud enough for Katsuki to hear. He blinked for a minute before writing on Katsuki, Wait… Doesn't that mean… Your dad is bi too? Or maybe pan?
Katsuki shrugged. No idea. He replied. I guess it doesn’t matter. As long as he’s happy. Though, my mother’s reaction is either going to be rage-inducing or hilarious when she figures it out . He reached up with one hand to run his fingers through Izuku’s hair. Times like these he was extremely grateful that he and Izuku could communicate without actually speaking.
Once the details for their next meeting were figured out, Jeanist left quietly. Masaru looked like he was about to have a very undignified reaction, but held it in since the boys were still in the office with him.
Izuku hummed happily, leaning into Katsuki's hand as he wrote. Only brought it up since that means there's someone like me closer to our family than I thought. It's kinda nice to have the reminder I'm not the only one is all. The fact that Mitsuki probably won't like that is only a bonus. Especially since she can't do anything about it. Once Jeanist had left Izuku gave Katsuki a quick kiss before looking over at Masaru and holding back a snicker. Should we leave now?
Katsuki wrote back, I n a minute. Gotta tease Dad first. He looked over at Masaru, grinning broadly. “Gay panic, much, Dad?” He asked, amused.
Masaru shot him a distinctly unamused look in return. “So says the one who hasn’t stopped cuddling his soulmate the entire visit.” Masaru poked back.
Katsuki’s grin broadened. “If he makes you happy, I say go for it.”
“I’m oh so happy to have my kids’ approval to be interested in someone.” Masaru replied sarcastically. However, his eyes gave away how touched he was that Katsuki was willing to say that without being prompted.
Izuku couldn't hold back his snickering anymore and muffled the sound in Katsuki's shoulder. "I'm aware we don't really have an excuse for cuddling so much Uncle Masaru… but you did look like you wanted to squeal there for a second. I'm not judging though." He paused for a moment, looking up at Katsuki and debating if he should also tell Masaru to give it a shot, but kept quiet. He shouldn't know for sure that both of them are interested anyway. He didn't want to interfere and make things weird for them. Best to let it happen more naturally.
He leaned into Katsuki a bit more and yawned slightly, "Think I need a nap…" Izuku mumbled, "Wore out from training and classes."
Katsuki snickered. “He’s not wrong, Dad,” he added. He poked Izuku. “You know you wanna say it, ‘Zuku.” He teased. When Izuku yawned, his smirk softened into a smile. “I’m sure it had nothing whatsoever to do with meeting the current #4 hero, right?”
Masaru gave both of them a mildly annoyed look, though it was ruined by the underlying fondness. “Go on, both of you. I have some more work I need to get done.”
Izuku shook his head at Katsuki, he didn't want to say it. "No, that's probably part of it. You almost gave me a heart attack when you pulled out my notebook to show him." He replied. "Um… Kacchan… we have a lot of homework to do. So… I won't really have time for a nap once we get home." Izuku said quietly, looking somewhat embarrassed for what he was about to ask, "Can I um… Can you… Can you carry me?"
Katsuki blinked, not sure why Izuku didn’t want to say it. Sighing, he let go of Izuku and turned around, kneeling so Izuku could climb on his back. “Sure, why not. Climb on, nerd.” He offered, dropping his bag to put both of their notebooks in it, and also to support Izuku’s weight better.
Izuku blushed lightly and wrapped his arms around Katsuki so he could carry him. "Thanks Kacchan." He whispered, "You're the best."
Looking at Masaru somewhat sheepishly Izuku waved goodbye, "Bye, Uncle Masaru. Thank you for inviting us." He then nuzzled into Katsuki and got comfortable so he could nap for the walk home.
Katsuki stood back up, humming softly. “See you later, Dad.” He said simply.
Masaru waved the pair off, a slight flush to his cheeks as Katsuki left.
Katsuki grinned, grabbing his bag and heading home. Oh this was too good. He’d have to tell Aunty Inko about this.
Notes:
So... If you couldn't tell from that last scene, myself and my co-author have a bit of a rarepair haha. The designer dads would just be too cute together honestly. I'm pretty sure we're the first to use it as a relationship tag on AO3 too which is fun XD. We gotta make all the content ourselves over here. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! It was one of my personal favorites. -Frozen
Chapter 6
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Summary:
A proposal, a villain attack, meeting a hero, nightmares, awkward attempts at kissing, and lots of fluffy conversation.
Notes:
Longer chapter for you all, seeing as I couldn't find a good cut off point I was happy with that would have made it shorter haha. Hope you enjoy! - Frozen
Chapter Text
Katsuki was nervous. He’d gone back the following Sunday with his dad to buy the ring for Izuku, and kept it on him at all times, waiting for the perfect moment. So far, it hadn’t happened yet. The ring was in its box, in his back pocket. He had no idea when he would find the opportunity to ask, but they had planned to head out to their spot in the woods today. Maybe this would be a good time?
Izuku was forcing himself not to visibly fidget as they walked out to their spot. The ring he had bought Katsuki felt like a weight in his jacket pocket as he fiddled with it slightly. He had told Katsuki he wanted to go out that day, and Katsuki seemed none the wiser to the date. At least as far as Izuku could tell. Which meant he could go through with the surprise.
The ring he had gotten Katsuki wasn't the first one he had thought to get Katsuki, only because that one had been purchased before he got there. Izuku almost panicked, but his mom was able to keep him calm and rational as he found another one Izuku almost liked better than the first. That one he was able to purchase and quickly get engraved for him.
As they approached their spot, Izuku stopped walking just as they passed a particular tree. He took a breath, deciding it was now or never and he may as well just get on with it before he worked himself up so much that he'd cry while saying everything. "H-Hey Kacchan?" He started, yelling 'don't fuck this up' over and over in his head, "Do you know th-the…" Izuku cleared his throat, "Significance of today's date?"
Katsuki turned to face Izuku, raising an eyebrow. He blinked when Izuku asked about the date. Confused, he shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind, no. But I have a feeling you’re going to tell me why you asked that question in a minute.” He stepped closer to Izuku, partly curious and partly concerned. “What is it?”
Izuku smiled at him lightly, "Well… um… E-Eleven years ago, to the day, next to that tree right there." He gestured over to one specific tree, "You proposed to me." Izuku took a deep breath closing his eyes for a moment before looking at Katsuki, "We were really young, and didn't know exactly what that entailed at all. We just knew we wanted to be together forever."
He shakily grabbed the box in his pocket, waiting for a moment as he continued. He had a general idea of what he wanted to say but he was entirely winging it. "I said yes, and technically that means we've been engaged since then if you really want to count it. But… But I wanted to make that promise official. And…" He laughed slightly, "And not with some cheap plastic ring either."
"S-So…" Izuku cleared his throat one more time. "Bakugou Katsuki…" He pulled the box out from his pocket and opened it as he got down on one knee, "Will you marry me?"
Katsuki blinked as Izuku brought up the memory, staring at the tree as though watching the memory play out. He made a sound that vaguely resembled a laugh. "Well damn. I don't know how you remembered the exact date after so long, but…" he turned back to face Izuku, only to see him down on a knee. He covered his eyes with a disbelieving noise. Sitting that way for a moment, he opened his mouth to be an absolutely petty asshole, but something stopped him.
He looked at Izuku again, seeing the expression in his eyes, and sighed. "No wonder we match so well. Jesus." He groaned, pulling out his matching ring box. "I was waiting for the right time to fucking ask you the same damn thing."
Izuku's heart was pounding out of his chest as he waited for Katsuki's response. Seeing Katsuki pull out his own ring box, he couldn't hold back all his emotions any longer as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. Izuku let out the smallest laugh, "S-So is that a y-yes then?"
Katsuki gave Izuku a flat look. Being his usual sarcastic little shit self, he deadpanned, "No, I just bought you a ring so I could look at it. Of course it's a yes you absolute dork ." He tilted Izuku's chin up and kissed him, keeping a hold on his ring box in his other hand. "Now the real question is, will you marry me ?" He asked when they parted.
Izuku giggled and wiped the tears from his eyes, "Yes, of course." He moved to stand up bringing Katsuki in for another kiss. "I love you so, so much Kacchan." Izuku sniffled slightly as they parted, looking at Katsuki with a loving smile. "I think we're supposed to actually put on the rings now, right?" He asked jokingly.
Katuki rolled his eyes fondly. “Yes, yes we are.” He pulled Izuku into a hug before opening the box to show him the ring he’d bought, knowing it would probably look familiar.
Izuku blinked seeing the ring Katsuki had gotten him before a new wave of tears hit. "It was you that got that ring." Izuku laughed, "I guess we really do have similar taste. I should've known." He let out a shaky breath as he pulled the ring for Katsuki out of its box for him, "Hopefully you're okay with the ring I found afterwards, considering you snagged the first one."
Katsuki held out his hand to let Izuku put the ring on his finger. “Honestly, as long as the ring is from you, and you didn’t make the same mistake I did the first time, I don’t really care what it looks like. All that matters to me is that it’s from you, and that it means we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.” Katsuki was being uncharacteristically sappy, but he didn’t care right then.
Izuku grinned lovingly at Katsuki, "Well, I don't think plastic would have been so expensive or taken an engraving. So I think I'm in the clear." He carefully slipped Katsuki's ring on him, "Um… the engraving on the inside says 'My Hero'." Izuku said biting his lip and looking up at Katsuki, "'Cause… no matter where you end up on the rankings. Y-You're my number one hero. So…"
Katsuki swore he stopped breathing for a moment. He inhaled sharply after that, unable to find the words to respond to that. “I-....I….” He could feel the tears that wanted to fall gathering in his eyes. He tried to take a deep breath, but the exhale came out shaky. He stopped trying to speak for the moment. There was no use when he was this worked up. He took Izuku’s left hand, taking his own ring out of the box. “W-w…We both got engravings apparently.” Instead of trying to say it, he showed the inside of the ring to Izuku. Inside the band was written ‘My Guiding Light’.
Izuku tried and failed to keep more tears from falling down his face. He mouthed the words on the engraving before sniffling and wiping the tears out of Katsuki's eyes for him. "I- I l-love it. I love you. I-" He took a shaky breath and let Katsuki put the ring on him before pulling him into another hug. "Thank you, Kacchan. It's perfect. Just like the person who gave it to me."
Katsuki stifled a laugh. “I don’t know where you keep getting this idea that I’m perfect. I could hardly be further from that.” Katsuki gave him a small, fond smile, and leaned in to kiss him. “I love you.”
Izuku brought up a hand to cradle Katsuki's face as they kissed. Pulling away he smiled at him, "You are perfect though, Kacchan. And not because you're flawless. Everyone has flaws. But because you're perfect for me." Izuku rested his forehead against Katsuki's, "You're my perfect person."
Katsuki stared blankly, trying to process what Izuku had just said. He stared blankly at Izuku, trying to figure out a way to process that without sabotaging his dignity any more than he already had. “I… you….you’re so ri-r-ridiculous, I swear!” He tried to snap, but his voice cracked, leaving him with a low croak instead. He hid his face behind his hands, not sure if he was blushing, almost crying or what.
Izuku giggled seeing Katsuki's reaction. He hummed holding Katsuki close, letting him recover on his own for the most part. "I'm only saying the truth, Kacchan." He replied softly with a small smirk.
Katsuki stuttered and stammered for a long while, trying to reboot his brain and not turn into a blubbering mess. Giving up on that, he glanced at Izuku between his fingers. Seeing the smirk, he huffed. ‘Well if you want to play like that,’ Katsuki mused, pulling away. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to spend the rest of our lives living up to that for you, won’t I?”
Izuku shook his head, smiling lightly, "You already do, Kacchan. Don't think of it as a weight to carry, it's an accomplishment you've already achieved." He stuck his tongue out at him slightly, "You done rebooting there?" Izuku teased.
Katsuki made an unamused noise.”Is this revenge for all the times I short-circuited you?” He grumbled, mentally hauling his brain back online. Now he got why it bugged Izuku. Also it took forever to recover from.
Izuku couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when Katsuki brought up 'revenge'. "Maybe just a little. I don't think I've ever gotten you before, at least as much as you usually get me." He replied with a slight laugh, " Now do you get why I hate it?"
Katsuki grumbled. “Yeah. But at least I know you’ll be right here while I reboot this time.” He shot back, putting his fingers under Izuku’s chin and pulling him into a kiss. Realizing he was still holding Izuku’s ring he shook his head slightly to clear the last of the cobwebs and slid it on his finger. “There. Now it’s where it belongs.”
Izuku hummed and rested his head on Katsuki's chest as he brought up his hand to inspect the ring some more. Like Katsuki, he would have been fine with anything as long as it was from him, but the fact that the ring he got was really pretty was nice. A small smile came to his face as he looked back up at Katsuki fondly, "So… What would you like to do now, my fiancé ?"
Katsuki snorted, wrapping his arms around Izuku. “I don’t know, future husband . We’ve got all day. Want to spend some time out here like we did when we were younger? Then maybe eat lunch out here?” Yes, Katsuki had totally packed a lunch for the pair of them, since he wasn’t sure how long they’d be out for. Along with a few offerings for the shrines dotting the forest. “We could always head over to the quarry, too, and go swimming.”
Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki, keeping that fond smile on his face. "You brought lunch?" He asked before shaking his head gently and then looking back at Katsuki, "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I really do love this spot. We've got so many memories here…" He sighed reminiscing a bit, "Might as well make some more while we're here today, yeah?"
Katsuki grinned. “Well of course I brought lunch. I wasn’t about to be unprepared for a day of possible exploring.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand lightly. “There’s still plenty around here we haven’t seen yet, I’m sure. And no one but us around.”
Izuku grinned back as he squeezed Katsuki's hand in return, "Let's get exploring then."
////////
Ten months before the two of them were set to take the UA entrance exam, Katsuki and Izuku walked home together as usual. That day, taking the bridge route just so they could talk a little while longer on the way home than usual. Izuku was shaken up from a… comment one of their fellow classmates had made. Katsuki had been out of the room when it happened, and something told Izuku that was on purpose.
Nothing physical happened thankfully, the bullies were all too wary of trying to touch him now. And he could dodge any swings they sent his way anyway. So, insults and threats were usually what happened with what little bullying had continued. Izuku didn't want it to escalate into something physical, so once Katsuki returned only a few moments too late to catch what had happened or who shook him up so bad Izuku told him he'd explain on the walk home.
He knew Katsuki would be pissed. But they could just report the kids. There wasn't anything else to be done about them. Izuku just needed the time to talk it out and get those dark thoughts they had brought back out of his head, and Katsuki could help him do that.
Katsuki had a feeling someone had said something. They rarely needed to take this route anymore, and the fact that Izuku hadn’t wanted to explain told him more surely than anything that that was exactly what had happened. Still, he went along with Izuku, not wanting to start anything at school. He kept a hold of Izuku’s hand, hoping that would provide at least some comfort .
Izuku anxiously ran his thumb over Katsuki's knuckles till they were a good distance from the school and any other people. He took a shaky breath before starting, "U-Um… so… w-while you were out of the room, because our homeroom teacher announced that we were both going to try for UA…" Izuku cleared his throat, "Some of our classmates made a few comments. I've heard all of it before, and you've helped me get it out of my head but… one of them told me I should…" His breath hitched and he put his free hand on his shoulder, shutting his eyes tight as tears started to escape and run down his face. "And I don't want to. I really don't want to but… The thoughts a-are back again… A-and I- I- just it… it…"
Katsuki listened to Izuku try to explain what had been said. As soon as he mentioned the thoughts, Katsuki realized what it must have been. And hoo boy had he forgotten what it felt like to see red but he was definitely doing it now. He could feel their soulmate's dual quirk pushing to be used. He let the fire raise his body temperature slightly, knowing the risks of pushing it down too much. He stopped in his tracks, pulling Izuku into a tight hug. He wanted to find out who it was and make them pay for it, but Izuku came first. "It's going to be okay, Izuku. Whoever said that is just a jealous idiot who let their mouth outrun the few brain cells they have."
Izuku whimpered up against Katsuki, trying to calm down. "It's… I…B-But K-Kacchan, m-my quirk i-isn't useless t-to you right?" He said shakily, "I- I- know it's just a m-mental quirk b-but…" Izuku squeezed Katsuki back, "Y-You give me s-so much th-through our bond a-and so d-do our other s-soulmates… I- I don't want to be u-useless…"
Katsuki shook his head quickly. "Useless? No, never. Your quirk is amazing, just like you. It doesn't matter that it isn't physical. Besides, I'm still here for more than just your quirk. I didn't put a ring on your finger just because of that. I love you for your personality too. Even if you were still quirkless I'd still be here with you."
Izuku took a few shaky breaths before looking up at Katsuki for a moment. He loosened his grip and set his forehead on Katsuki's shoulder, "I… I know you would be. I know that." Izuku let out a slow breath, "S-So why…" He nuzzled into Katsuki, "One stupid comment a-and I feel like I-I'm back at square one. I hate thinking like this. It… It hurts you too… I'm sorry, Kacchan."
"Don't be sorry. You didn't ask for those thoughts. It's not your fault they're there." Katsuki assured him, leaving a soft peck on the top of his head. "Some days might be harder than others, but that's why I'm here. To help you make those thoughts pipe down." He switched the fire for the ice to cool himself back down. "Sometimes you just need a little reassurance from outside your own head. There's no shame in that."
Izuku nodded slowly, "Th-Thank you. For being here for me. I… I really do need the help sometimes." He sighed and gently pulled himself away from Katsuki, going back to holding his hand. "Don't um… Don't pick a fight w-with the person that said it, okay? I just want to report him so nobody else hears that from him." Izuku squeezed his hand gently, "You could stop the comment from coming to me again but… not everyone has you to reassure them."
That line reminds Katsuki heavily of their quirkless classmate that Izuku defended their first year, who was killed their second. He remembered Izuku mentioning that the kid didn't have anyone like Katsuki, and look how that had turned out.
Katsuki sighed softly. "We will. But I need to know who said it if we're going to do that." Katsuki hugged Izuku a little tighter. "If I hear them say something else like that, I can't promise I won't deck them. But I won't do anything just yet."
Izuku let himself melt into Katsuki's arms, since he obviously wasn't done hugging him and he could use it anyway. "I suppose that's fair… it uhm… it was Kirin. The one with the long neck quirk." He replied.
Katsuki let out a silent snarl. That son of a bitch. And to think at one point Katsuki considered him something of a friend. And now he pulled this shit? Sighing, Katsuki slowly loosened his hold on Izuku. "That's a problem for tomorrow. Let's just get home for right now."
Izuku nodded and took Katsuki's hand in his as they continued their walk home. He leaned against him gently, needing the comfort as a distraction from his drifting thoughts. As they reached the bridge that was the reason they referred to the route as 'the bridge route' Izuku noticed his shoelace came untied.
"Oops. One second." He said letting go of Katsuki's hand for a moment before kneeling down, "Shoes came untied. I'm clumsy enough as is, I don't want to trip and take us both down."
Katsuki snorted. "Need new laces or something?" He teased. He stopped by Izuku, waiting for him to tie his shoe. He heard an odd noise, but didn't see anything. He narrowed his eyes, something telling him that that was not a good noise.
"No, just need to learn to tie these better I guess." Izuku replied with a small smile as he laced his shoes back up. Hearing the same noise Katsuki did, he looked up towards the bridge. He didn't really see much by himself, but feeling uneasy he activated his quirk and noticed something shift if the dark almost imperceptibly. Right towards Katsuki.
His eyes went wide and Izuku immediately stood and shoved Katsuki out of the way without a thought, only to be enveloped a moment later by slime. A villain. This was an actual villain, and they were trying to suffocate him.
"I was goin' for the other kid. But you'll do just fine." The villain gurgled, "Gotta hide from a hero, you know how it is. Stop struggling and it'll be over faster, kid."
Katsuki hit the ground and rolled, shoving himself back to his feet. He called on his own quirk, building explosions in his palms. "Let. Him. Go. " He snarled, hands out and ready to blast him. He let loose a warning blast into the villain's side, being careful to avoid Izuku with it.
Regardless of what the villain wanted him to do Izuku kept struggling, even as his lungs burned from the slime being shoved down his throat. He couldn't breathe and his heart was pounding out of his chest, but he focused on Katsuki. He'd get out of this. It'd be okay. He just couldn't give up.
"Oho strong quirk you got there kid, scary, but I'm running from a big time hero so that's not scary enough. Go run home before I kill you too blondie." The villain replied, unfazed by the explosions. "Your attacks aren't going to hurt me. My body is made of liquid, and heat doesn't bother me one bit. "
Izuku blinked, still struggling even as he felt his vision going dark. Heat wouldn't work. But what about cold? He called on the dual quirk, and specifically the ice portion to help him. The slime villain shifted, taken off guard from it. It wasn't working fast, but he was freezing the slime making it harder for the villain to move at all. He hoped Katsuki would get the hint. He was losing consciousness quick, he couldn't freeze him himself.
Where were the heroes? The villain said he was running from someone, so who? And where were they?
Katsuki spotted the ice coming from Izuku, and got the idea quickly. He switched to the ice part of the dual quirk, letting the explosions fade from his right hand. He touched one finger to the slime villain and let the ice spread, keeping his own quirk in his left hand to blast away chunks of ice. "Well if heat doesn't bother you, what about cold, asshole?!" Katsuki snarled, determined to reach Izuku.
The slime villain tried to pull away from Katsuki's attacks, as freezing it before blowing him up was extremely effective.
Just then, the manhole cover from the sewer launched upwards as none other than All Might came out. "Fear not children! For I am here!" He called out. Seeing Katsuki trying to save Izuku, he quickly pulled Katsuki behind him in the same move as he punched towards the slime villain, the air pressure from the punch scattering the villains body and even knocking some of it out of Izuku's throat and lungs with it.
Just in time too, as Izuku lost consciousness from the lack of oxygen.
Katsuki kept the pair of quirks up even as he was moved, fully in fight mode. Once the slime creature's body was dispersed, Katsuki released his hold on the two quirks and raced over to Izuku, kneeling in the street and checking to make sure he was still breathing, before assessing for other injuries. "Izuku! Oi, answer me! Come on, wake up!"
As Katsuki was checking on Izuku, All Might turned and gathered up the main parts of the slime villain to trap him in a bottle. That way he wasn't a problem anymore and he could check on the civilians.
Izuku didn't move at first, but after a few moments (probably much longer than Katsuki would have liked), Izuku lunged forward and started coughing the last of the slime out of his lungs. Taking in heaving breaths he wrapped his arms around Katsuki, and the first words he managed to get out were, "K-Kacchan, a-are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."
Katsuki coughed on a disbelieving laugh. "Me? You're the one who got caught and nearly suffocated! Why are you worrying about me?!" He turned it back on Izuku. "Are you okay?"
"T-They were going to do that to you though Kacchan. If my body hadn't moved before I could think-"
All Might froze for a moment as he was screwing the cap on the bottle.
"That would have been you. I want to make sure they didn't hurt you after they caught me." Izuku replied before coughing again, "My lungs burn and my throat and jaw are sore but I'll be fine." He ran his left hand through his hair before freezing and pulling away from Katsuki to look at his hand. Something felt off. His engagement ring was gone. "My ring! I-It's gone! What- Where'd-"
Izuku looked around for a moment, which is when he noticed All Might standing there. His eyes went wide, "A-All Might?!"
Katsuki snorted, pulling Izuku close. "How did you expect to protect me if it killed you?" He snapped back. He tucked his fingers under Izuku's chin and kissed him. When he pulled back, he looked down at Izuku's hand. He shook his head. "The ring can be replaced. You can't." He said sharply.
When Izuku reacted to the sight of the hero that had helped them, Katsuki turned his head slowly to look. "Wh-what? A-All Might?!?!"
All Might chuckled lightly, "Seems you both are alright. Thank goodness. Apologies for you both getting caught up in my villain hunt." He lifted the bottle with the villain contained in it for them to see. "I usually don't make such careless mistakes like that."
Izuku gaped at him, his brain going a million miles an hour. All Might was right in front of them! What was he doing in town?! He had so much to say, but couldn't find the words to say it.
All Might tilted his head as the pair of them, "What was that about you moving before you could think?"
Katsuki eyed the bottle with the monster in it. It was easier to focus on than the actual #1 Hero standing in front of them. He was confused as to why All Might was in their town, but he supposed that it was good that he was there.
"O-Oh um… I have a tendency to run in without thinking when I think someone needs help or is in danger." Izuku responded sheepishly, "I- I- get in trouble for it all the time…" He shook his hands in front of himself talking quickly, "I-It's not on purpose though! My feet just move. I-I'm not trying to be a vigilante or anything."
Izuku scratched at his neck and ducked his head down. All Might seemed so intimidating in person, it was hard to get his thoughts out right. "It's been happening since I was a kid a-and I've tried stopping I just can't. I want to help people. Even when I thought I was quirkless and completely defenseless I still-" He cut himself off, he'd just admitted he discovered his quirk late to All Might. Izuku put his face in his hands letting out an embarrassed whine.
All Might blinked, processing all this information. "I see…" He thought for a moment, "What… is your name young man?"
"M-Midoriya Izuku." Izuku stammered in reply.
All Might looked to Katsuki, "And yours?"
Katsuki kept his arm around Izuku, as though to assure himself that the greenet was still there. He looked back at All Might when the hero asked his name. “It’s… Bakugou Katsuki” He managed, holding off going into fanboy mode just yet. One of them has to maintain their sanity, after all.
All Might looked at them both for a moment, seeing how close they acted and assumed (correctly) they were soulmates. "Well, young Midoriya and young Bakugou I'm glad you're both alright. I-" He cut himself off as he coughed into his hand, only to find blood there. And unbeknownst to him left some visible on his chin. " Shit. " He muttered under his breath.
Izuku's eyes lit up hearing his favourite hero say his name, though his face quickly switched to worry seeing the blood. Was All Might injured? Why was he coughing up blood? Though he probably shouldn't have, Izuku used his quirk to try and figure out what was wrong. Instantly honing in on the injury on his side. All Might was severely injured. And old injury, but a severe one nonetheless.
"Y-You're injured." Izuku whispered.
Katsuki couldn’t help but be startled when Izuku mentioned All Might being injured. He called on Izuku’s quirk to study All Might as well, confirming what Izuku had said. “If it’s that bad now how bad was it when he got it..?” Katsuki muttered, mostly to Izuku. That did not look like a pleasant injury to live with. “It looks, I’d say… about six years old?” He added. “What villains were big around then…?”
Izuku blinked, muttering back. "Toxic Chainsaw would have been his big fight around then but…" He focused again, "No. It wasn't from him. Some other villain..? But in that case it was never broadcast. But why?" Izuku's eyes went wide, "He's losing power. They hid the fight because he didn't want his injury to be recorded." He gasped quietly, "It's a stockpile quirk. I was right. He's getting too weak to hold onto the energy anymore."
All Might froze in shock, picking up on their mutterings to each other, "What? How'd… What?"
Katsuki stared at Izuku for a long minute. “Wait, what. Your crackpot theory was right ?” He looked over at All Might, before making a shocked noise. “Holy shit your crackpot theory was right .” He continued to study All Might. “How bad is the injury?” He directed that question at a still-stunned All Might.
All Might blinked at Katsuki for a moment, debating what to do. He was running out of energy, and if he didn't detransform and save it there was a chance he wouldn't make it to the police station before the slime villain woke up and found a way to break out. But if he left now… somehow these kids knew and they could tell someone. He was debating looking into Izuku and Katsuki possibly by bond connection to see if he'd be trustworthy enough to be his successor just before that… he couldn't just leave.
Looking around for nearby people and finding none, All Might ducked under the bridge so he could detransform. Doing so, steam surrounded him before he coughed up more blood. "I don't know how you both figured this out… but…" He wiped the blood from his mouth, "Let's put it this way. My stomach was removed and my respiratory system was nearly destroyed. Not to mention this is what I actually look like."
Izuku blinked several times looking at All Might, he was so thin.
All Might gave them both a serious look, "Don't go putting any of this on the internet."
"W-We won't." Izuku replied seriously before looking between Katsuki and All Might. "But… Wait. Stockpile quirk…" He muttered quietly, still stuck in analysis mode."There's no way no matter how old he is that he could have stockpiled that much power. There's no way."
Katsuki gave the man a deadpan look when he mentioned not telling anyone. “Who would believe us anyway?” He shot back, ever the cynical one of the pair of them. He frowned when All Might’s admission of how bad his injury truly was sunk in. “But how… how do you even… you have no signs of taking nutrients via IV, so you must eat, but how do you break down the food with no stomach? That must give you some serious intestinal issues, unless the food is like...mushed before you eat it? But that sounds so gross.”
Realizing he was going on a tangent similar to Izuku, he put a hand over his mouth to shut himself up. Then he looked at Izuku. “That’s true. ….could it be passed on, maybe?”
"A quirk that can be passed on?" Izuku asked, "It sounds impossible but…" He looked at All Might again and his jaw dropped slightly, "You're not wrong. "
All Might coughed up more blood out of shock, "How in the- would you mind telling me how you're figuring this out?"
"A-Analysis quirk. Mine." Izuku replied, realizing how much of an invasion of his privacy this was. They literally just looked at him and uncovered his biggest secrets. "I-I'm sorry. We won't tell anyone, like Kacchan said nobody would believe us if we…" He looked wide eyed at Katsuki, "I need to redact my notebooks. I guessed this in my first one! That one was mostly about All Might. Still encoded but… if anyone broke the code. I thought about the chance that it was a stockpile quirk. That it could be passed on. I- I thought that was just me hoping something like that could happen back when I thought I was quirkless but this… if anyone found out it could be passed on what if they tried to take it forcibly? A villain with that kind of power it'd be-" Izuku started hyperventilating as he started to panic.
He had freaked out about the possibility of his notebooks being used to take down heroes in the past, but this was All Might . If someone got a hold of it they could take down the symbol of peace! That'd send crime levels way up. It'd be anarchy . And it'd be his fault!
Katsuki turned his attention totally on Izuku. “‘Zuku. ‘Zuku, calm down. Breathe, okay?” He rested a hand on Izuku’s cheek to encourage him to make eye contact. “Take some deep breaths, okay? You’re spiraling a bit. Take a minute, just focus on your breathing, okay? Lean against me and listen to mine if you need to.” Katsuki used his other hand to stroke Izuku’s hair. “It’s alright. We can worry about your notebooks when we get home, okay?”
He still kinda wanted some answers to his questions, but that could all wait until Izuku wasn’t on track to making himself pass out again from anxiety.
All Might gave them both a stunned look. “An analysis quirk? But what information are you analyzing?”
It made Izuku feel worse that he was doing this in front of All Might, but he knew that focusing on that would only make it worse. He leaned up against Katsuki like he suggested to make it easier on himself to calm his breathing. It took a good minute before Izuku relaxed fully. "S-Sorry. I'm sorry." He whispered.
He blinked up at All Might, still holding himself close to Katsuki. "The info from you and what I already k-know to be true. You um… your breathing is a little off, probably from the respiratory damage and your constant coughing for one. That was a clue to your injury." Izuku replied. "When I'm reading a person a lot of it is body language though. You give away more than you realize. And my quirk gives me the info I'm looking for based on what questions I ask. For active use anyway." He nuzzled into Katsuki, hiding his face made it easier to talk at that moment. "We have to put the pieces together on our own though. But I haven't been wrong yet apparently. With all the pieces in front of me, it's not that hard."
"Um… a simpler way of putting it would be that my quirk lets me notice the things everyone else glazes over. Mainly just because it's too much information to take in." Izuku added.
Katsuki moved his hand from Izuku’s face and wrapped that arm around his waist when he moved to lean against him. He didn’t respond to Izuku’s apology, instead continuing to stroke Izuku’s hair to calm him.
“But the breathing and coughing could have indicated an illness, not necessarily an injury.” All Might countered.
Katsuki nodded. “It could have, yes, but your body shape also indicated an injury. On your right side there’s muscle mass, and it’s visible through your shirt. There’s something there. On your left side, there’s a distinct absence. It’s not just you being thin, because then it would be on both sides. Therefore, there’s likely an injury and scar tissue to go with it.”
All Might blinked. “And you got all of this from just looking at me.”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Katsuki answered easily.
“Then what gave away about my quirk?”
Katsuki hummed softly. “For the last six years, specifically since your injury but we didn’t realize that at the time. You’ve been showing up up public less often. Now, if it was an injury you were recovering from, that amount of time would have gone back up at least a little bit once you had recovered. But it hasn’t. Therefore either something is keeping you from recovering or the injury was so bad that you’re now trying to slowly work your way out of the public eye to re-ti…..are you planning to pass your quirk on and retire? Is that what you’ve been doing?”
Izuku blinked at Katsuki, peeking his head up to look at him. "That's why he's here then." He looked up at All Might, "UA isn't that far from here. Are you going to look for a successor there?"
"Ah… uh… yes, you'd be correct again." All Might replied, "And yes, that had been the plan."
Izuku smiled faintly, "I'm sure you'll find someone perfect. UA… UA seems amazing."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean that ‘had been’ the plan…?” He asked, staring at All Might. Something seemed oddly familiar about the man, and he couldn’t, for the life of him, pinpoint what it was, even with Izuku’s quirk, and it was driving him mad.
All Might cleared his throat and gestured down to the bottle in his pocket, "I really need to drop this guy off before he wakes up." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and quickly wrote down some information. All Might then handed it to Katsuki, "Contact me with this. I'd like to speak more when I'm not pressed for time."
He quickly transformed back into the form he was known for, but before he could jump away Izuku called out.
"Wait!"
All Might took pause and looked over his shoulder.
Izuku pointed sheepishly at the bottle, "I found my ring."
All Might glanced at the bottle, and sure enough there was a ring floating in the slime. He chuckled, "I suppose I have two reasons to meet again now. I'll return your ring to you then." He then leaped off towards the police station to get the villain properly locked away.
Katsuki took the piece of paper, and stuck it in his pocket. He snorted. “You would get your ring stolen by a slime, ‘Zuku.” He teased. He ruffled Izuku’s hair. He stared after All Might, still trying to figure out how and why he looked familiar.
Izuku rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Katsuki. "It's not like it was on purpose Kacchan. I think between the slime and the wind pressure it took it off my hand when I passed out." His eyes flicked to the paper in Katsuki's pocket, "D-Did… Did he just give you the number for his agency or..?" Izuku laughed disbelievingly, "Why does he want to talk to us again?"
Katsuki blinked, pulling the paper back out and looking at it. He stared at it for a minute. “This doesn’t look like his agency number…” He trailed off, continuing to stare at the number on the paper. “I- I- I think this is… I think this is his personal cell number .”
Izuku's eyes went wide, "H-h-he g-gave us… his personal cell!?" He flailed his arms, "Why w-would All Might -" Izuku let out an odd noise somewhere between a whine and a squeal before taking a few deep breaths so he didn't pass out again.
"W-we probably shouldn't text immediately or anything then right?" Izuku asked, "B-but not too long, we don't want to keep him waiting…" He looked around, "We need to go h-home. I should probably take a shower… then text? I don't…" Izuku ran his hands down his face before letting out a muffled yell, "What is happening!?"
Katsuki made a strangled noise of disbelief. "I… don't know. I mean, it probably has something to do with how much we figured out, but… this doesn't make sense? Shouldn't he be annoyed by how much we know now? But he didn't seem to be. I don't get it." He put the paper back in his pocket so he wouldn't lose it. Standing up, he offered a hand to Izuku. "Well I know I want a shower, but you need one. You smell like sewage." He remarked bluntly.
He paused for a minute. "What are we going to tell Aunty and Dad? They're going to to notice the smell if nothing else."
"I mean I'd be at least a little annoyed if a pair of teenagers figured out what are probably my biggest secrets." Izuku said with a sigh, "I don't get it either."
Izuku scrunched up his face, "I'm very aware of the smell Kacchan. Some got in my nose. It's gross. And he did come out of the sewer… I really hope I don't get sick from it." He visibly cringed at the idea of telling Inko and Masaru, "We shouldn't lie to them… but bringing it up isn't great either."
"Especially since I almost…" He trailed off. The fact that had All Might been just a bit slower he could have died wasn't lost on him. Especially since that would have killed Katsuki too more than likely. They're super close, and death by heartbreak from a soulmate dying is an actual thing, even before soul sickness kicks in.
Ignoring the smell, Katsuki barely remembers to give Izuku their warning before kissing him fiercely. "No. You wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have let you. I was almost to you. You would have been fine even if he hadn't shown up, you got that?" Katsuki pulled Izuku into a tight hug. "Fuck, seeing you struggle like that… I should have just frozen the fucker to death, then blasted you out. But you're okay now."
"Yeah… I'm okay now." Izuku took a deep breath up against Katsuki, trying to get the scent of the slime out of his system. It was making him anxious, especially since he didn't know how that particular mutant quirk worked. For all he knew that small amount of slime could be enough for him to reform somewhere else, he doubted it, but it was a possibility.
"I- I- I don't think I'll be able to explain if they ask. I don't even really want to think about it. That feeling…" Izuku shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Everything that day was setting him up for multiple full blown panic attacks. Spiraling again would not be good. "C-Can you distract me somehow as we walk I can't- I need something else to focus on right now." He asked quietly, repressing it completely probably wasn't a good idea. But trying to process it so soon after the event wasn't great either. "My head is going bad places again."
Katsuki hummed in acknowledgement. "Let's start walking again. The smell is all over this place, the smell of clean air will probably help." He started walking towards home again, keeping an arm around Izuku's waist. "So what kind of successor do you think All Might is looking for? What sort of qualities should they have to take over for the Symbol of Peace?"
"Hm… well… a good starting point would probably be someone with a strong quirk in the first place, but that's not really most important since they'd be getting his quirk anyway. Though it'd probably make theirs even stronger." Izuku started, thankful for Katsuki giving him a topic to ramble about. "Probably someone who's kind, not afraid to put themselves in danger, and knows how to smile like him even when they're scared."
'So you.' Katsuki thought to himself, before blinking. All Might had been interested in Izuku's 'reacting before he could think'. Was he thinking along the same lines? He didn't want to say anything about that thought just then, in case he was wrong, but it was an interesting one. He looked to make sure no one was around before he spoke again. "A stockpile quirk that can be passed on. That opens up a whole new realm of possibility for quirks."
"It really does." Izuku agreed, "Like… if a quirk can be passed on… could a quirk be taken? Could someone have multiple quirks just on their own? Would their soulmates be able to access it? How would your body even handle having a new quirk you weren't born with?" He smiled down at the ground, "It's… there's almost too many things this kind of quirk opens up the possibility of. I've got so many questions. "
"Well don't give yourself a headache just yet. Write down a list of questions for next time we talk to him," Suggested Katsuki. "That way you have something to focus on rather than how nervous you are to be talking to All Might." He teased.
Izuku snorted, "Okay. That's fair. He's just so intimidating face to face. He's amazing!" He nudged Katsuki gently, "I'm not sure how you held together so well honestly."
Katsuki shrugged. "Honestly I think it was mostly the fact that I was more worried about you, and then just launched directly into using your quirk. I didn't really have time to process that it was him." His face was slowly turning red, though. "Until now ." He managed. " Oh my god I sassed All Might what the hell was I thinking ."
Izuku snorted, "You weren't ." He nudged Katsuki again,"Your default mode is sass . That and anger. At least you didn't yell at him, there's that."
The left side of Katsuki's face promptly burst into flame at the thought of him yelling at All Might . "I think I might have died on the spot from embarrassment if I had done that !" He yelped, then focused on trying to put his face out. "At least he took the sass well?" He said when he finally got the fire to go away. He was still bright red, though, as the house came into view.
Izuku had a mini giggle fit at Katsuki bursting into flames. "He didn't seem to be bothered by our muttering other than the shock of what we were saying too so there's that too." He hummed and leaned on Katsuki to comfort him a bit, "He probably doesn't get sassed much either anyway. He was probably impressed if anything." As they came up to the house Izuku pulled his key out to unlock the door before gesturing inside.
He didn't know if Masaru was working from home today or not so he decided not to yell to announce their arrival so as not to disturb him if he was home.
As it turned out, neither of their parents were home, as evidenced by a pair of notes in the entryway of the house. Katsuki took the one from Masaru, letting Izuku get the one from Inko, opening it and choking on his laughter as he read it. " Dad's on a date !" He crowed between bouts of laughter. "Says he'll 'be home late'. Three guesses who with." He grinned. "That's awesome!" He held out the note for Izuku to read if he wanted to.
His mood significantly improved by the news, he offered, "You want to take a shower first and then after we both stink less like the sewer, we can make dinner?"
His gaze caught on a family portrait from when Izuku was smaller. Normally he never thought twice about it, but today the sight made him stop dead. That was why All Might's smaller form looked familiar!
"That's is awesome! I'm happy for him!" Izuku replied with a grin. Opening the note from Inko he told Katsuki, "Mom is out late too. Emergency at work." He snorted reading the bottom of the note, "Mom says 'you're on your own for dinner. Katsuki, don't let Izuku near the stove. I don't want more scorch marks.'"
"So sure, as soon as I'm done getting the stench off me. We'll probably want to do laundry too." Izuku replied setting down the note before looking at Katsuki dead stopping in his tracks. "Kacchan? What's wrong?"
Snorting half-heartedly at Aunty Inko's note, Katsuki couldn't take his eyes off the picture, specifically, of Uncle Hisashi. He glanced over at Izuku. "'Zuku, this is going to sound crazy, but you remember what All Might looked like smaller, right? I want you to think about that. Focus on how he looked like that . Tell me when you've got it."
"I remember…" Izuku moved closer to Katsuki, entirely confused, "Okay… I've got it… why?"
Katsuki covered up the part of the picture that was Izuku and Inko. "Okay, now look here." He pointed at the image of Uncle Hisashi.
Izuku raised an eyebrow, "Why are you pointing at my dad? What does he have to do with All Might?"
Katsuki waited a beat. When Izuku didn't seem to get it, Katsuki tried again. "All Might looks like your dad like that. How are you not seeing it?"
Izuku blinked at Katsuki, "What? No he doesn't. What are you talking about? My dad's got freckles and he doesn't have All Might's bang thingies."
Sighing, Katsuki tried again. "That aside, look at the face shape. They both have the same prominent cheekbones. Granted All Might is a little more skeletal but they have the same point to their chin, too. The hair that isn't those bang things is spiky, just like Uncle Hisashi's. They're both lanky and thin, but still have decent muscle mass. Try to imagine your dad with the same shade of blond hair as All Might, see if that helps."
Izuku squinted at the picture for a few moments, "... Nope. Still not seeing it."
Katsuki grumbled. "Where's a dry erase marker, let me try something."
"Okaaay?" Izuku replied, not sure why Katsuki was getting so grumpy over it. He seriously didn't see whatever similarity he was trying to point out. He went over to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out their rainbow set of whiteboard markers before showing Katsuki, "Take your pick."
Irritably, Katsuki picked out a yellow one, quickly coloring Hisashi's hair on the glass of the frame and drawing in Small Might's bangs. "See it yet?" He asked.
Izuku blinked at the photo a few times, "Wait. What the heck?!" Why did All Might look like his dad?!
Katsuki wiped the marker away, grinning. " Now you see it!" He grinned, putting the marker away. "Took you long enough!" He teased, laughing.
"B-But how? Why does he look like my dad?!" Izuku asked.
"Who knows. Maybe they're cousins or something?" Katsuki answered. Now that Izuku saw it too, he realized that that was indeed a very good question. "Add it to the list?"
"I- I guess?!" Izuku said, throwing up his arms. "But that means that… that I'm related to All Might if he's my dad's cousin or something?" Izuku stood there for a few moments flapping his hands and opening his mouth and closing it without any words. After tilting his head up and doing a silent yell Izuku let out a huff of air. "Okay. I'm going to go take a shower. I can't- I just can't even right now."
Katsuki smirked at Izuku's reaction. When he did the silent yell, Katsuki couldn't help the laughter that spilled out. He doubled over, clutching his sides. "I-I-I'm s-sorry," he choked out. "I-it really sh-shouldn't be this f-f-funny but I-" he started cackling again.
Izuku sighed, only mildly annoyed by how funny Katsuki found this situation as he was freaking out internally and externally somewhat. "At least you find this funny." He started heading up the stairs, pulling out his phone as he went so he could play music and distract himself. Calling back down the stairs, he said, "I'm putting on my vent playlist so I can belt and distract myself, so don't freak out alright?"
Katsuki nodded, then realizing Izuku couldn’t see him, shoved down his laughter for long enough to call back. “I’ll get stuff out for dinner, so you can prep while I take a shower!” Still chuckling quietly, he headed into the kitchen to do just that, mildly unsure about letting Izuku out of his sight after what had just happened, but keeping an ear out for him singing. If it stopped before the water did, then he’d be concerned.
"Alrighty!" Izuku called back again before shutting the door to the bathroom and hitting shuffle on his playlist. He started belting almost immediately as he got undressed and started his shower. His vent playlist consisted of some songs that were definitely concerning if someone overheard him, and just ones that Izuku liked to belt. He used plenty of body wash and brushed his hair through several times to try and make sure there was no slime or traces of the stench left on him. He continued singing throughout, not letting his mind drift from the music.
Eventually he turned off the water and went to get in his comfy clothing, as well he grabbed his Pomeranian plush to keep with him while Katsuki was taking his shower if he needed the comfort.
"Alright, your turn Kacchan." Izuku said as he came down the steps holding the plush close to him as his playlist continued quietly from his pocket.
Katsuki washed his hands and wrists quickly once in the kitchen, before getting all the ingredients out to make katsudon. He didn’t chop or prep anything, leaving that for Izuku to do when he came back downstairs. Though it should be obvious what he’s planning just from the spread of ingredients. He left the recipe out too, just in case.
Once Izuku came back down, Katsuki washed his hands again quickly, before giving Izuku the usual pre-kiss warning, and kissed him lightly. “Remember, no touching the stove. Aunty’s orders.” Katsuki teased. “I’ll be back down in a bit.” He headed upstairs himself to take a shower, choosing to grab two sports bras to wear after his shower instead of a binder, since it’s not been an awful day as far as his dysphoria. He’s willing to put up with it for a few hours.
Izuku playfully rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. I remember." He hummed as they kissed, "Love you. See you in a bit." Setting his plushie away from the workspace for now, but leaving it within reach if he needed it. Seeing the ingredients out, and double checking with the recipe a happy smile rested on his face. Katsuki always knew what to do to help boost his mood when he was having a bad day.
He quickly went about preparing the ingredients, though he had it basically memorized at that point anyway he made sure to double check as he went to make sure he was doing it correctly. To his credit, though he couldn't go anywhere near a stove he was pretty good with a knife and preparing ingredients.
Katsuki was fairly grossed out when he discovered a small chunk of slime stuck in his hair. It caused him to rewash his hair a few more times, to make sure it was all out. He could still faintly hear Izuku’s music, which he appreciated.
His shower was fairly brief, considering all he wanted to do was snuggle his soulmate until the villain encounter was nothing more than a bad memory. He dressed and headed downstairs. Now that the adrenaline had faded, he was becoming aware of his stomach’s demand for food. He walked back into the kitchen, pulling Izuku into a hug from behind, after making sure he didn’t have any sharp objects in his hands.
Izuku jumped slightly from Katsuki pulling him into a hug when he wasn't paying attention before humming and leaning his head back. "Hi Kacchan. I've almost got everything prepared now for you." He looked at him fondly, "That was a quick shower."
Katsuki grinned, kissing Izuku on the cheek. “Yeah, it was. But I also had less gunk on me, so it makes sense.” He answered. He took over cooking, getting a pot of water to cook with and turning on the stove.
Once dinner was getting close to done, he looked over to Izuku. “Set the table for me?”
Izuku nodded, "Can do, Kacchan." He went and set things up at the table for them, setting his plushie in it's own seat nearby where he'd be sitting. Katsuki was there now but it was always good to have that extra bit of comfort nearby if he needed it.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at the placement of the plush when he noticed it, but just snickered to himself rather than commenting. As he finished dinner, Kasuki softly hummed to himself, just the melody, without any lyrics. Once the food was done, Katsuki filled two bowls before bringing them to the table. If he’s done his math right, there should be enough for Aunty Inko to have some as well when she got back. On the other hand, in the back of his mind, he wasn’t really expecting to see his dad until the next morning. He sat down at the table, still humming softly.
It took Izuku a moment to recognize the song, but when he did he smiled fondly at him before leaning over and kissing Katsuki. He then pulled his bowl close to him so he could start eating. Katsudon being his favorite, he usually wasn't very talkative when they ate it. Izuku leaned gently into Katsuki as he ate, happy and content in the moment.
Katsuki grinned, leaning back into Izuku. Even with the villain attack, everything turned out alright. Izuku was alive and safe, and the villain had been defeated. Everything was as it should be. Leaning his head against Izuku’s he realized he was still humming as he ate, but it was more effort than he felt like expending to do so.
Once they were both done eating, Katsuki cleared his dishes and put them in the sink. “You wash, I’ll dry? Then we can figure out what the heck we want to say to All Might of all people. We still have to contact him for your ring back, after all.”
Izuku let out a breath remembering they still needed to text All Might, "Yeah, I'll wash." He sighed before starting to wash their dishes, "I want to get my ring back as soon as possible. It… feels weird not wearing it now. Like something is off."
“At least we know who has it and have a way to get it back.” Katsuki answered, grabbing a towel and drying the dishes as Izuku finished them. Once the dishes were done, Katsuki put the leftovers in a tupperware, but put some in a bowl in the microwave for Aunty Inko when she got home. After that, he set the pot in the sink. “Probably best to let that soak. I’ll come back down and get it later.” He noted, before filling the pot with warm, soapy water. “Upstairs?” He suggested.
Izuku nodded, going over to quickly grab his plush again and burying his nose in its fur. "We don't know how long it'll take for him to respond, so I want to snuggle when we're waiting." He said quietly. "I think I need it."
Katsuki instinctively pulled Izuku into a hug. “Snuggles are always good,” he agreed, heading towards the stairs. He checked his pocket to make sure he’d switched the phone number to the pants he was wearing. He had. Good.
Once they were upstairs, Katsuki pulled out the paper and handed it to Izuku. “So what do you want to say?” He asked.
"Um… Probably saying who is texting would be good to start?" Izuku replied looking down at the paper, "I don't want to say too much, but I also don't want to just say like 'Hi' or something for the first text. That'd be weird. And who know how many people he's given the number to and he's probably weary of just answering texts like that…" He took a few deep breaths, realising his anxiety was kicking up and he was talking quickly. He moved to their bed, putting his back up towards the corner of where the headboard met the wall.
"Starting conversations over text is hard… or just talking. Especially when we're sending a message to All Might." Izuku said, curling up with the plush as he waited for Katsuki to join him.
Katsuki listened to him go, flopping down on the bed. “C’mere.” He said simply, leaning against the headboard and holding out an arm for Izuku to curl up against him. Thinking for a moment, he continued. “Yeah, probably a good idea to say who it is. Maybe include a reminder of how we got that number, or that he hopefully has your ring?”
Izuku scooted himself over so he could curl into Katsuki, resting his head gently on his shoulder. "Y-Yeah. That'd work." Izuku replied, "Can you be the one to write it out? Even if you use my phone. My hands are kinda shaky 'cause I'm so nervous. I don't want to make a typo accidentally."
Katsuki agreed easily, picking up Izuku’s phone and typing the number in. He switched over to the message box, hesitating for a moment. Slowly, he started to type out the message, like they’d talked about. He typed that it was both of them sending the message, since it was, and then offered the phone to Izuku to approve it before he sent it.
Izuku let out a slow breath, reading over the message carefully a few times before nodding to Katsuki. "That works. Go ahead and send it." He pulled his plush up closer to his face again, needing the extra comfort. After all the events of that day and how anxious he'd been because of it, he was pretty exhausted, but he knew it would be a while before he'd be able to fall asleep. Even with Katsuki there.
On top of the worry of missing a reply, Izuku had a feeling he'd end up having nightmares that night for the first time in a while. Which he was not looking forward to.
Katsuki hit send, then set the phone to the side. They’d hear it go off if, or when, there was a reply, but for now, Katsuki had more important things to worry about. He pulled Izuku as close as he could, burying his face in his hair. “...I ...I could have lost you today. If I hadn’t had our soulmate’s ice quirk… if All Might had been just a few minutes later…” The only thing Katsuki regretted about going on hormones was how much it sucked trying to cry. Very few resources he’d looked up had really mentioned that. But if Katsuki ever needed to cry, it would be now. He continued, “And the really shitty thing is, that there’s nothing I could have done differently to change that. Sure I could have grabbed you and pulled you away with me, but that probably would have lead to both of us being caught.” He exhaled shakily. He couldn’t continue speaking. Even the thought of trying to live without Izuku was unbearable. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, before finding he could continue. “I think I get why our parents are so anxious about us both being heroes. That… won’t be the last time something like that happens.”
Izuku wrapped his arms around Katsuki making quiet shushing noises, "Hey Kacchan, it's okay. It's all right. That could have happened, but it didn't. You did everything right, and I'm okay. We're both okay." He put a hand in Katsuki's hair to start gently running his fingers through it, "And you're right. It's probably not going to be the last time, but we're going to go to UA together right? We'll get training and get better so that it's easier for us to handle situations like that. We'll have each others backs."
"It was scary. And I'm still plenty freaked out, but you're safe. I'm safe. And that's all that matters right now, right?" Izuku said, trying to reassure him.
Katsuki took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. Getting worked up like this wouldn’t change anything. If anything, it only fueled his determination. He would get better, faster, stronger, so they’d never be taken off guard like that again. But it wouldn’t just be him anymore. Izuku was more than capable of holding his own. Today had proved that. He wasn’t the little tagalong that needed protection anymore, though Katsuki was sure some part of him would continue to view him that way for a while. After all, that was what soulmates did, wasn’t it? They protected each other. Now, though. Izuku was right. They’d be going to UA together . They’d learn how to watch each other’s backs so that something like this never happened again.
“You’re right.” Katsuki said softly. “We’re okay. We’re both alive, and that’s what matters.”
Izuku hummed and held Katsuki close trying to calm him as much as he could. Katsuki had seemed much calmer about it all earlier, probably because he was focused on keeping him calm, but knowing he wasn't alone in being shaken up about it was oddly comforting.
He held onto him for a while, until he heard his text tone go off. His eyes immediately locked onto the phone, "D-Did A-All Might just respond?"
Katsuki blindly reached for the phone, and handed it to Izuku, not exactly willing to detach just yet. It was strangely comforting to realize he didn’t always have to be the strong one. He could show weakness, and Izuku would look after him. It was odd that he’d never considered that before, but now that he had, it seemed obvious. He wasn’t sure why he’d ever doubted that.
Izuku maneuvered the phone to where he could see it and read it but could still stay wrapped around Katsuki, not particularly wanting to detach from him yet either. His eyes widened, " Holy crap . He did! Uh… okay… um…" Izuku quickly unlocked his phone so he could read the message to Katsuki, "Okay so he said… 'Hello! I'm happy to say your ring was retrieved from the slime villain easily enough! I sent it to a friend to get cleaned and polished to get the bits of it out for you so it'll be like new!' That was nice of him…" He said, continuing to read, "He uses a lot of exclamation points too, wow. 'I'd like to meet up with you sooner rather than later to return your ring, as well as speak with you about possible matters that I'd rather not say through the phone! When would you both be free to meet?'"
Katsuki snorted, glancing up to see the screen. “Wh- Jeez, he types like he talks. That’s entertaining.” He hummed in thought. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, right? We don’t have school, and no other plans, as far as I can think of.” He offered. “Sometime tomorrow? Probably after noon if we want to sleep in a bit.”
"Yeah. That'd work. Plus I'm sure you're going to want to pester your dad tomorrow morning about his date and how that went." Izuku replied. "I'll tell him that." He carefully typed out their response, triple checking for typos before sending it.
It only took a few moments for a text to come back, "'That works for me! I shall let you know exactly where and when to meet up as soon as I can! Speaking about this will be best if done sooner!'"
Izuku looked confused at the screen, "Possible matters… best if done sooner… what the heck does that mean?"
Katsuki blinked, still eyeing the screen. “Probably has something to do with the shit we figured out earlier. We didn’t exactly promise not to tell anyone, I just pointed out that no one would believe us if we did. Maybe he knows of people who would, and so he’s worried?” Katsuki shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow either way.”
Izuku frowned, "Maybe? I mean he just met us. He probably doesn't trust us that much." He sighed and reached over to set his phone down before getting into a more comfortable position for both of them. Though that wasn't saying much, considering when they were touching what would normally be uncomfortable sleeping positions didn't seem to faze them.
He sighed, "I guess we will find out tomorrow… right now I just want to snuggle and try to sleep though. I'm exhausted."
Katsuki couldn’t help but agree, staying curled around Izuku as closely as he could, snagging the phone to set an alarm- 10 am- and then set it to the side. Neither of them would likely sleep well, at least at first, and could definitely use a few extra hours. “We’re both safe, ‘Zuku. Nothing will happen to us here.” He said softly, unsure if he was more trying to reassure Izuku or himself.
"I know… we're safe." Izuku repeated. He just hoped his subconscious got the message. Izuku closed his eyes, listening for Katsuki's breathing and heartbeat to he help soothe and reassure himself that Katsuki was okay.
"I love you, Kacchan, good night." He whispered.
Katsuki snuggled just that much closer to Izuku. "Love you, 'Zuku. Sleep well."
It took Izuku a bit of time to drift off to sleep, and then what seemed like no time at all for his dreams to begin. Everything was fine for a bit, then of course his brain decided to supply himself not with the images of himself getting held hostage by the slime villain, but Katsuki. And unlike Katsuki, Izuku wasn't able to do anything to help him. He tried and tried but nothing was working. Then Katsuki was on the ground. He wasn't breathing. What was he supposed to do? Nobody was around, and nothing he was trying was helping.
Outside of his own mind Izuku was whimpering and twitching, whispering Katsuki's name and pleading quietly as he held him.
Katsuki didn't fall asleep right away either. Just as he was beginning to drift off, Izuku started to whimper, which woke him right back up.
He ran his fingers through Izuku's hair, trying to soothe him. "It's alright, Izuku. It's just a dream. I'm right here with you. We're both okay." He said softly. "It's okay, you're safe."
Izuku whimpered again in his sleep before he jolted slightly and opened his eyes. "K-Kacchan?" He whispered, searching his face for a moment, "You're okay… you're okay." He took a deep breath, "S-Sorry. I probably woke you... Nightmare." He nuzzled into Katsuki for a moment, "Go back to sleep. I'll be okay."
Katsuki kept his fingers going through Izuku's hair. "Nah, I hadn't even fallen asleep yet." He answered easily. "Even if I had, it wouldn't bother me to wake up to help you with a nightmare."
Izuku sighed, "That's fair I guess. Still…" He leaned into Katsuki's hand, "Try and sleep. It'll help me doze off again too."
Katsuki adjusted how he was laying to get a bit more comfortable, closing his eyes and trying to drift off. Faintly, he heard the door open downstairs. Hearing whoever it was head into the kitchen, he realized Aunty must be home. The realization that they weren't alone in the house anymore was what finally let him relax enough to sleep.
It wasn't a restful sleep, and he jolted awake more than once, but he didn't remember what caused him to wake after. He did his best to try not to disturb Izuku every time, simply adjusting to stay close and trying to sleep again.
Izuku's sleep wasn't very restful either. After the first time he stopped whimpering and crying out, but the nightmares didn't stop. Similarly to Katsuki he'd try not to disturb him and adjust then drift off again only to have another nightmare. He remembered his for the most part, but instantly tried to forget the disturbing things his brain had supplied.
By the time the alarm went off, Izuku was still tired but not exhausted at the very least. He couldn't reach the phone without moving away from Katsuki either, so Katsuki would have to wake up and grab it. Grumbling Izuku whispered, "Kacchan. Alarm. Can you get it?"
Katsuki was jerked awake by the alarm playing into his dream, translating into the beep of a hospital heart monitor flatlining in his nightmare. He woke with a gasp, his breathing erratic. "Izu- 'Zuku no please-" he gasped, voice breaking.
Izuku's eyes went wide seeing Katsuki panic. "Kacchan. I'm okay. It's okay." He said softly, taking one of Katsuki's hands and holding it to his chest. "Breathe. It was just a nightmare."
Slowly, Katsuki calmed down, his breathing evening out. He reached over to switch the alarm off, before returning to curl up with Izuku, resting his ear against the other's chest to listen to his heartbeat. Hearing it going strong reminded him that Izuku hadn't died, that he was alive and well. Everything was okay.
He stayed like that for a few minutes. "Sorry. Nightmare. Is it really 10 already? Feels like I barely slept at all."
"Same here. I'm not exhausted anymore but I'm still tired." Izuku replied, running his fingers through Katsuki's hair again to soothe him. "Don't worry about it, Kacchan. I think we both had our share last night."
He hummed, looking at Katsuki with a calm smile, "You want to get up and get some food? If your dad's not busy you can pester him for details about his date too."
Katsuki hummed. "We should, but I kinda just wanna lay here for another minute or two first." He kept his ear pressed to Izuku's chest, content to listen to all the signs he was alive and well. That nightmare clearly rattled him more than he expected.
After a few minutes of that, he sighed. "I guess we should get up. Wonder what time Dad got back."
Izuku nodded, but before he tried to move away to do so he asked, "Um… er… do you want me to carry you for a bit so you can keep listening to my heart and stuff? You seem kinda shaken up still." He smiled gently at Katsuki, "I'm plenty strong enough now. Which is probably the biggest bonus to our workouts." He didn't particularly want to separate at all at the moment, but he was also hungry so he knew he had to get up either way.
Katsuki blinked, surprised. "Oh yeah. You can now, can't you." He noted. It didn't take him very long to decide that yeah, he was pretty okay with being carried at the moment. "I… yeah. That sounds… like a good plan."
"Okay. Let's do that then." Izuku replied simply, giving Katsuki a quick kiss on the nose before he shifted to sit up. He let Katsuki stay wrapped around him, scooting to the edge of the bed. Izuku then gave Katsuki a quick warning before he stood up, making sure he wouldn't fall. He adjusted his hold so it was easier for him as he stood there before asking, "You comfy? Or you need to move a bit?"
Katsuki moved with Izuku when he sat up. He wrapped his arms and legs around Izuku's midsection, rather like a koala. He rested his head against Izuku's chest. "I'm good here." He answered quietly. It was odd, being the one being carried, for once, but he could see why Izuku liked it so much.
"Good." Izuku replied with a small hum, kissing the top of his head before making his way out of their room. He had to be extra careful going down the stairs, but made it down without an issue. Once he made it there, the two of them were spotted by Inko.
"Good morning you two." Inko said before blinking and realizing that Izuku was the one carrying Katsuki this time around. "Everything all right?"
He could probably fall asleep like this, Katsuki realized. He had never realized how comfortable being carried could be. It was nice, and he almost wanted to do it more often. Ideally without the villain encounter and the near-death experience.
Masaru looked up from the paper he was reading when Inko spoke. The sight of his son curled up in his soulmate's arms like that brought a smile to his face.
Katsuki muttered a sleepy 'good morning' to the two adults. He blinked, bringing his brain back online to answer Auntie. "Didn't… sleep the best last night. Still tired." He wasn't sure how much of what happened the day before Izuku wanted to share. He'd likely end up telling his father the whole story later if Izuku didn't want to tell Inko. Well, most of it, anyway.
Izuku gently rubbed Katsuki's back, giving a nod of agreement to his statement. He wasn't going to outright lie to his mom, but he also didn't want to worry her so he'd rather put off saying anything for as long as possible. That was the only bonus to the fact that the attack happened somewhere with nobody else around, it wasn't broadcast or recorded for Inko to find and see.
"You two going to have a lazy day then?" Inko asked, sipping on some tea.
"A little, we've got plans this afternoon though." Izuku replied before looking down and whispering to Katsuki, "What do you want to eat? Something like cereal, or you want some food food?"
Katsuki grumbled. Honestly, he wasn't really hungry at all, but he knew he needed to eat something, no matter how little the idea appealed to him. "Cereal, I guess." He said finally. It was easy enough to get and wouldn't require him to let go of Izuku like actually making food might.
"M'kay." Izuku replied simply before going to the cabinets to get cereal for the two of them. It was a bit difficult to maneuver around the kitchen with Katsuki hanging off of him but he managed. Once he had put both their bowls at the table he scratched Katsuki's scalp gently. "You fine taking your own seat or do you want to just sit on my lap?" He asked, completely genuine. He'd done it in the past, and Katsuki had teased him lightly about it; but, after the night they had both had and with Katsuki being so shaken up he wasn't about to tease him however.
Katsuki hesitated for a moment. Sitting on Izuku's lap was tempting, but he was still taller and that might impede Izuku being able to eat. "I'll sit next to you." He decided. When they approached the table, Katsuki let go of Izuku, supporting himself on his own two feet, and moving two of the unoccupied chairs to be side by side. He waited for Izuku to pick one before sitting in the other, promptly leaning against him so they could stay in contact.
There was a little voice in the back of his head, one that sounded suspiciously like his mother, nagging at him to have at least a little dignity. He was supposed to be the strong one, shape up! He wasn't allowed to be weak!
Izuku hummed happily when Katsuki leaned against him. He leaned over and gave Katsuki a quick kiss and a soft smile. "Carrying you was nice, I'm okay with doing it more in the future if you want Kacchan." He whispered, "It's nice knowing I can support you like you've supported me now. I think I've finally started to catch up enough to do that now."
He pulled away, looking lovingly at Katsuki for a few moments before starting to eat his cereal. It used to be pretty one sided between them, with Katsuki always protecting him but Izuku never being strong enough to return the favor. He was still getting there, but at the very least he was able to keep the slime villain from getting Katsuki the previous day, and comforting him emotionally -if Katsuki let him know he needed it- he could do too. Though that part he always could have done, it's just taken him a long time to even put cracks in the walls blocking the parts he considers 'weak' that were put up in an effort to protect himself. Izuku just wanted Katsuki to eventually figure out all those things weren't weakness. Especially the things he'd turn around and call strengths when it came to Izuku.
The little voice continued to nag at Katsuki, but Izuku’s words made it easier to ignore. He didn’t realize Izuku saw it that way. The little voice insisted that Izuku was allowed to be weak, since Katsuki had always taken on the role of the protector, as he should. However, considering it from Izuku’s perspective made him wonder. How much less would he have slept if he’d only been focused on reassuring Izuku? If he hadn’t let those walls crack, even just for a moment?
Izuku poked Katsuki in the side lightly, "You should eat before that gets soggy and gross, Kacchan." He tilted his head at him, "What are you thinking about?"
Katsuki grudgingly ate his cereal, still not particularly hungry, but that might also be because his body hadn’t really woken up yet. He paused, looking over at Izuku and smiling softly. “Nothing too strenuous. Just about how much I love you.” He replied, taking Izuku’s hand and squeezing. There was no reason to concern anyone else with the ignorable voice.
Izuku squinted at him for a moment before squeezing his hand back and kissing him on the cheek. Even without using his quirk he could tell that wasn't what he had been thinking about, but he wasn't going to press it. "Love you too Kacchan."
Masaru shot Inko an amused look over the top of the newspaper. He was certain something had occurred the day before, either at school or after. Whatever it was, he knew Katsuki would tell him in his own time, so he wasn’t overly concerned with asking questions.
Katsuki looked over at his dad. “So how did your date go, Dad? We went to sleep before you got home.”
Izuku grinned up at Masaru, also wanting to hear how it went. One, because he was happy for him and that he was moving on. Two, because both him and Katsuki were pretty sure they knew who he'd gone on a date with.
Masaru hid his face behind his paper for a few moments, before answering their questions. “The date went very well, thank you for asking.” He informed them.
“And? What did you do?” Katsuki wanted to know next.
“We went out for dinner, and saw that new mystery film that came out recently.”
Knowing asking outright wouldn’t get them the answers they wanted, Katsuki opted for a different approach. “So did the pair of you get hounded by the press at all?”
Masaru snorted, seeing right through Katsuki’s attempt. “No. Surprisingly, the gossip rags aren’t very interested in a magazine editor’s romantic ventures.”
“Daaaad,” Katsuki groaned, a slight whine in his voice. Frowning, he tried again. “Were you out with Best Jeanist again?”
Masaru snickered. “Possibly.”
Izuku snickered along with Masaru at Katsuki's whine. He smiled at Masaru, "I'm glad it went well! Any plans for more dates in the future then or..?" Izuku knew from the first time he saw the two of them in Masaru's office that they both really liked each other, he just hoped it'd go well for the two of them. Masaru honestly deserved it after being stuck with Mitsuki. Though, Izuku had the feeling Masaru would get more than a little stressed sometimes, what with Jeanist and Katsuki being pro heroes (eventually in Katsuki's case).
Masaru, having had his share of amusement teasing the boys (mostly Katsuki, admittedly), excused himself to go get some work done. He had forgone work for the date the night before, and now needed to catch up.
Grinning broadly, Katsuki nudged Izuku’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but feel that his dad and the #4 hero made for quite the pair. It was also nice to see his dad so happy, something that had been rare when they still lived with his mother. Finishing his cereal, he waited for Izuku to be done as well so he didn’t have to lose contact to take his dishes to the sink.
Izuku grinned and nudged Katsuki back, finishing his cereal fairly quick. "More snuggle time till we have to leave?" Izuku asked. "We should have a while."
Katsuki nodded, standing to take his bowl to the sink.He kept hold of Izuku’s hand while they walked over, and turned his head to look at Izuku. “Couch, so we have a lower risk of falling asleep while we wait?”
Izuku nodded in response, "Yeah, that works." He smirked lightly, "We're snuggling though… so we should probably set an alarm just incase anyway. Especially since we're both tired."
Katsuki grumbled. “I suppose so. We should probably go get our phones, then, and get dressed while we’re at it.” He headed towards the stairs to do just that, contemplating flopping back into bed as they went. It sounded like a magnificent idea.
Izuku went over to check his phone before he got dressed once they made it back to their room. He blinked a few times at the screen, " Shoot , he sent me a text with the time and place he wants to meet. He sent it just after we went downstairs I think." Izuku groaned quietly, "Why did I not bring my phone?! I can't believe I left him waiting..."
He sighed opening up the message to actually read it, "'Does two o'clock at…'" Izuku raised an eyebrow at his phone, "'Dagobah beach work for you?' Why would he want to meet at Dagobah? Isn't that place like… a garbage dump at this point?"
Katsuki gently poked Izuku on the forehead. “We were distracted by other things. I’m sure he doesn’t expect immediate responses.” If he did, Katsuki was not going to be very happy, to say the least.
He blinked at the location. “....yeah, it’s not much of a beach anymore. Which is a shame, because according to Dad, it used to be a nice place.” He hummed. “It’s a bit weird, but if that’s where he wants to meet, it’s as good a place as any. And two o’clock means we have time to take a nap.” He grabbed his phone and set an alarm for 1 pm, which would leave them plenty of time to get ready and head out.
Izuku sighed, "I'll give him a confirmation then real quick…" He did just that, triple checking the text for typos once again before sending it. After that Izuku set about getting his clothes and changing, automatically turning his back as he did so so Katsuki could do the same. They might be fiancés… but they hadn't even started high school yet and Izuku had no need to see Katsuki naked thank you very much.
The idea just made him flustered. Katsuki had seen him shirtless plenty of times at this point due to him training with the fire quirk… but past that? Izuku would instantly start to full-body blush.
Katsuki noticed the slight blush Izuku started to get, raising an eyebrow as he turned to change clothes. He eyed his binder for a moment, but stuck with the double sports bra for now, since they planned to curl up and nap for a few hours and he knew he’d be nagged if he tried to put it on now.
He finished changing, a bit slower than usual due to how tired he was. All he wanted to do today was sleep. But they could only nap for now.
After Izuku finished changing as well he plopped himself down on the bed, "If we are going to nap, we might as well get comfy." He made grabby hands towards Katsuki, "Cuddle tiiime."
Snickering, Katsuki flopped on the bed, on top of Izuku. He knew it would get at least a squeak or squawk, but they both needed a little humor. If that came in the form of him flopping onto Izuku, so be it.
Izuku let out a tiny squeak when Katsuki flopped on top of him like he had predicted. Izuku giggled pushing on him playfully, " Kacchan, I said cuddle not crush you goof."
Katsuki snickered, then pretended to attempt to get up, only to flop back again. “Oh no… can’t… move. Gravity… increasing…” He said slowly, acting as though it were a struggle to speak, and snuggling down against Izuku to squish him more. He threw his arms out to either side, and relaxed back, resting his full weight back on his bonded, smirking all the while.
Izuku let out a tiny squeal, " K-Kacchan! You're doing this on purpose!" He half heartedly pushed up against him before putting his arms to the side and accepting his fate.
Katsuki snorted. Yes, yes I am.” When he realized Izuku was done struggling, he rolled off to the side, coming to rest on his side, facing Izuku. “Hopefully we sleep a little easier this time.”
"Mhm. Hopefully." Izuku agreed. He pulled Katsuki closer to him, giving him a soft kiss and staying there for a few moments longer than he normally would. "Just have to remind myself that you're safe." He smiled sadly at Katsuki, "From… From what I remember in all of my nightmares… I wasn't the one caught. It was you. And I was always too slow. Not strong enough. I couldn't even move sometimes…" He shut his eyes for a few moments before opening them again and cradling Katsuki's face, "But that didn't happen. You're okay, and I'm so thankful you are."
Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku almost immediately. He let out a sound somewhere between a scoff and a sigh. “That’s the opposite from me. The ones I remember… I couldn’t get to you in time. Some of them you died… some of them… that thing took over your body and tried to pretend to be you. And I had to go along with it. I don’t remember why , but it… it felt wrong . Because it was you, but it wasn’t you .” He admitted quietly. He leaned in, barely remembering to give the usual warning, and kissed him. “But that didn’t happen either. You’re still you.”
Izuku hummed and nuzzled into Katsuki's neck. "Yeah. I'm still me." Izuku repeated before giggling slightly, "If I wasn't I'm sure you'd have figured that out pretty quick. With the amount of affection we give each other we're pretty in sync most of the time." He smiled lightly at Katsuki, "Plus I don't think that guy would let you try and crush him to death. " Izuku teased, trying to keep the mood lighter.
Katsuki shuddered. “Yeah, that would have been… hard to miss, to say the least.” He snorted. “No, probably not.” He sighed. “I love you, Izuku. I swear I’ll never be taken off guard like that again. Not by any villain.”
"I love you too." Izuku replied, holding Katsuki as close as he physically could. "I know you won't Kacchan. We have each others backs, so that goes for me too." He sighed, "Maybe one of these days I'll be able to consciously react though. My feet moving before I can think helps sometimes, but it'll be a problem sometimes too I'm sure."
Nodding, Katsuki practically wrapped himself around Izuku. “Aside from scaring the crap out of me, yeah. It could land you in trouble I can’t get you out of. I would generally prefer not to have that happen. But we’ll get stronger, both of us, so we can handle what comes after your reacting without thinking.”
Izuku nodded, letting out a slow breath, "I am sorry for that. For scaring you. I don't mean to do it. I don't like making you worried." He placed a gentle kiss on Katsuki's neck, "You've got enough to worry about. I'm trying not to give you more."
Katsuki responded with a teasing grin. “I know. You did what you thought was the right thing. You always do.” He brushed some of Izuku’s hair behind his ear. “We’re both going to become Pro Heroes, so I’m going to have more to worry about whether I like it or not.”
"I know Kacchan… but still." Izuku sighed, "If I can manage to control the worry you get from me, that's still less of a burden for you." He hummed happily, his breathing starting to even out as he relaxed. Clearing the air like this would hopefully help keep their nightmares at bay.
Katsuki curled as close as he possibly could to Izuku as he slowly relaxed. “Don’t worry so much about that. We worry about each other. It’s just how we operate. I doubt anything will ever change that.” He let his eyes close, comforted by the sound of Izuku’s breathing and his own heartbeat.
Izuku let out a quiet sound of acknowledgement before he let his eyes flutter closed. Talking it out had definitely seemed to work, because once Izuku drifted off he didn't have any nightmares as he laid there cuddled up with him.
Katsuki took a bit longer to fall asleep, unsurprisingly. He couldn’t seem to fall asleep, but he wasn’t sure why. He lay there, letting his mind wander, until he finally dozed off.
1 pm came sooner than he would have liked, and he was woken by his alarm. He reached his phone and quickly snoozed it. Dagobah wasn’t far, Izuku could sleep for a little longer.
Izuku stirred minutely when the alarm went off, but Katsuki managed to turn it off before he had fully registered the noise. He snuggled up into Katsuki again, a peaceful smile resting on his face.
Katsuki knew there was no way he’d fall back asleep now, so he settled for watching Izuku sleep, a dopey, lovestruck grin on his face. How had he gotten so lucky? For all Izuku’s talk about being a burden, nothing could be further from the truth. He was the one thing that kept Katsuki sane. The engraving on his ring was the truth. Izuku was his guiding light, always positive, always trying to help people, always trying to do the right thing. It was one of the reasons Katsuki had decided, even at a young age, to protect him at any cost.
Izuku eventually woke on his own a little bit later, blinking his eyes open to catch Katsuki's lovestruck grin. "Who's the creepy one now, watching me sleep." Izuku teased, grinning sleepily at him. He reached a hand up to rub at his eyes as he yawned, "What time is it?"
Katsuki checked his phone at Izuku’s inquiry. “1:15.” He answered softly. “About time to get up and head to the beach, I guess.” He smiled slightly, kissing Izuku on the nose. “Is it so wrong of me to be so ridiculously awestruck by my good luck at having such an amazing soulmate?” He snarked back. He sat up slowly, disentangling himself from Izuku.
Izuku blushed and looked away, scratching at his neck awkwardly, "Y-Yeah. It'd probably be better to be early instead of late if anything too. I don't want to keep him waiting." He let out a slow breath as he pulled away from Katsuki and muttered under his breath, "You're the amazing one. 'M the lucky one in this situation…"
Katsuki hummed in disagreement, but continued the process of getting up. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Izuku's cheek. "Love you."
"Love you too Kacchan." Izuku replied before scooting out of the bed. He went over and quickly put on his shoes, then went to at least sort of fix his hair after their nap. That way it wasn't quite as poofy. Once that was done, he returned to Katsuki.
"Ready?" Izuku asked, "I don't think we need anything other than our phones, right?"
Katsuki shook his head. "Not that I can think of, no." He ran his fingers briefly through his hair, knowing it was basically as pointless as Izuku's effort to wrangle his own hair. He held out his hand for Izuku's, and headed towards the stairs. Now that it was less than an hour away, Katsuki was realizing he was kind of nervous about what All Might would want to talk with them about.
Izuku rubbed circles into Katsuki's hand as they walked, both to soothe his own anxiousness and help Katsuki. They made their way there quickly enough with time to spare, but seeing the familiar blond hair of their favorite hero in his smaller form standing there, he panicked for a moment thinking they were late. He pulled out his phone to check quickly, and let out a breath seeing they were fine before approaching.
"H-hi All M-" Izuku started, trying to greet the hero and let him know they had arrived.
All Might's eyes went wide for a moment, "Wait! Don't…" He eyed some people that were going past on the other side of the street, "I'd… prefer you not call me by my hero name when I'm in this form. Call me Yagi."
Izuku's face flushed slightly. All Might wanted them to call him by his actual name?! "O-Oh. Right o-of course. S-Sorry, Y-Yagi."
Yagi let out a breath, "It's quite alright, young Midoriya. That name just draws too much attention. I'd rather keep our conversation private."
Katsuki squeezed Izuku's hand back. Clearly he was going to be the one who kept his composure again.
When All Might told them not to call him by his hero name, he made an understanding noise. It made sense to do that, given his level of fame. He glanced over the beach-turned-trash-dump, and then back to All Might. "Er. Not to question your judgement or anything, sir, but… why meet here?"
Yagi actually managed to look somewhat sheepish, "Well… Sentimental reasons mostly, and it factors into what I need to talk to you about. But first…" He pulled out a small ring box and handed it to Izuku, "You'd like this back, yes?"
Izuku nodded and grinned before opening the box to see his ring. Just like Yagi had said, it looked like new. Izuku took it out of the box, smiling lovingly at the engraving before putting the ring back on and letting out a relieved sigh. "Thank you."
"It's the least I could do." Yagi replied with a faint smile. "Are those… promise rings of some sort by the way? They seem rather expensive for that."
"Oh um… no. I s-suppose we could have done promise rings instead but…" Izuku cleared his throat with a blush, "Th-They're our engagement rings actually. Kacchan is my fiancé."
Yagi blinked, "I see. Well, congratulations on your engagement then."
Katsuki smiled brightly. "Thank you!" He responded to All Might congratulating them on their engagement. That was one to remember. He leaned slightly against Izuku, glad they had that back.
'Sentimental reasons?' Katsuki thought to himself. 'I suppose he might be old enough to remember what this place looked like before being overrun by trash,' he allowed to himself. 'That would make sense.'
Izuku smiled brightly, similar to Katsuki, when All Might congratulated them on their engagement. Izuku definitely wouldn't forget that.
"Now…" Yagi cleared his throat, "The other reason I wanted to meet up… Young Midoriya… What are your plans for the future? What do you want to be?"
Izuku blinked at Yagi, "Oh, um well… I- I- want to be a hero. L-Like you. I- We-" He squeezed Katsuki's hand gently, "We both do. I- I want to save people with a smile like you do."
Yagi gave Izuku a small nod, his face not giving anything away, "You both held out long enough for me to be able to help, and from what I saw in you both possess the qualities of fine young heroes. I believe you both will become great heroes together."
Izuku let out a small noise of surprise, tears instantly coming to his eyes.
"I've given it some thought…" Yagi continued, "And I have a proposal for you, young Midoriya." He held a hand out towards him, "I would like to give you my power, and for you to become my successor. I want to help you on that path."
Izuku sucked in a shaky breath, tears flowing down his face as he started to stammer. Unable to get a coherent word out. All Might. The Symbol of Peace. Wanted him to be his successor. But why? Weren't there so many better candidates than him? His eyes flicked between Yagi and Katsuki, trying to make sure he had heard correctly.
Katsuki had to take a minute to process All Might of all people saying he thought they both would make good heroes. He blinked rapidly for a moment, then stopped outright when he said he wanted to make Izuku his successor. Izuku would become the next Symbol of Peace. He looked over at Izuku, in just as much shock as he was. Where at one point there might have been jealousy, all he felt now was an extreme sense of pride in his soulmate. It would be a huge responsibility, but he wouldn’t have to do it alone.
"I- I- but… me? Y-you want… me? Why… I don't…" Izuku let out a choked sob. "W-Why not someone else? K-Kacchan. S-Someone from UA. W-Why me?"
Yagi looked at him sincerely, "You said your feet have a tendency to move when someone needs help before you can think, correct? That exact thing is one common thread between some of the greatest heroes we've ever seen. They all had stories in their youth of that exact thing happening to them." He crouched down to be on Izuku's level. "That… And I just had a feeling that you were supposed to be next. None of the other people I've thought of as candidates have given me that feeling."
"So, what is your answer, young Midoriya?" Yagi asked.
Izuku let out another sob, wiping his tears with his sleeve. He sucked in another shaky breath, looking to Katsuki for a moment for confirmation he should accept before looking back at Yagi. "I… Yes. Yes, I a-accept."
Katsuki grinned broadly, squeezing Izuku’s hand. There weren’t really any words he could think of right now to add to the situation, but he could at least support Izuku this way. His workload and the amount of responsibility he’d be expected to bear had just gone up exponentially, but it would hopefully be worth it.
He hesitated briefly when a thought occurred to him. “So...the villain you fought that gave you that injury… are they going to come after Izuku now?” Katsuki asked, staring at All Might with a look that said he would accept no deflection whatsoever.
Yagi blinked at Katsuki, "If he is somehow still alive… That is a possibility, yes. Though it would be Midoriya's responsibility to go after him anyway… er that's another conversation. I'm pretty sure I killed him though." He sighed, "Midoriya actually has to possess the quirk first for that however and…" He looked Izuku over, "You are in fairly good physical shape… but I think you'll still need to build some more muscle before I can give it to you."
Izuku sniffled and tilted his head at Yagi, "W-Why is that? I'm… I'm pretty strong now."
Yagi coughed up some blood for a moment, "Well… if we tried to give it to you now before you body was ready for it… your limbs could explode?"
Izuku choked, "W-What?!"
Katsuki did a double take. Exploding limbs?! What the hell kind of quirk was this, then?! He wasn’t overly thrilled about the ‘that’s another conversation’ thing. Why the hell would it be Izuku’s responsibility to hunt this person down? Who was it and what had they even done? He made a mental note to add that to the list of questions they had.
That could be answered later, though. “So how much muscle do you mean? What method of gaining it? We both already have a diet and workout plan in place, so it would have to change gradually. Changing something our bodies have gotten used to over three years too quickly isn’t exactly healthy.” Katsuki had talked to his fair share of people who worked for his father, including the models, and had heavily researched how to get in shape and stay that way, so this was a subject he took very seriously.
"It shouldn't be too much more for base use depending on how much Midoriya can lift at the moment… I'd just rather be safe with this. I had a few ideas for building more muscle based off the workouts I did to prepare but well…" Yagi looked over towards the beach, "One of them will be much more difficult than it had been for me. I used to clean this beach when people dumped things here. Clear the heavy items and train here with my predecessor." He frowned looking at the state of the beach, "It seems it's just gotten worse and worse since I stopped coming around to do it. And with my injury I'm in no shape to do it anyway…" He sighed.
"My quirk, which is called One For All, like you figured out is a stockpile quirk. Midoriya would be the ninth holder. So, it's gained quite a lot of energy since it's beginning." Yagi explained, "That energy would be difficult to control to start. So… if you weren't able to expel the energy correctly…"
Izuku cringed, remembering how all or nothing he always had been when calling on quirks to start. He'd probably seriously injure himself like Yagi was describing. Izuku looked to the beach, "That's… a lot… but I wouldn't mind trying to clear it. That'd be a way I can help people before we even start at UA."
Katsuki looked out at the beach, considering. It made sense, as there were a lot of heavy things on the beach, and if they weren’t able to successfully clear them, they’d gain that ability lifting slightly less heavy things.
“What’s this 'I' business?” He raised an eyebrow at Izuku. “For one thing, you’re nuts if you think I’m about to let you tackle all of this on your own. For two, someone’s going to have to make sure you don’t overdo it, like always.” He looked back over at Yagi, “So, how does the transfer aspect work, exactly? Izuku would be the ninth, you said. Does it take power from the people who have it or does it build up its own?”
Izuku smiled sheepishly at Katsuki, "I- I guess you have a point. I just didn't want to make you do it too."
"The transfer is a little… odd to say the least. Midoriya will have to ingest a bit of my DNA. As in…" Yagi cleared his throat, "Eat some hair? I had to do the same… It's not pleasant but it works."
"And to answer your other question, each user cultivates and builds more power from itself. The stronger you get, and the more you use the power, the more energy you gain. At this point, it's near infinite already." Yagi explained, "So, you won't have to worry about running out. It's more a case of it being possibly too much to handle now."
Izuku grimaced lightly at the thought of eating hair. That sounded gross. A thought crossed his mind, "I-If the transfer works like that… Doesn't that mean I'd give it to Kacchan if we kissed?"
Yagi chuckled quietly, "No, you have to consciously want to transfer the ability. Otherwise it won't work."
Katsuki’s expression was an interesting cross between amused and grossed out. Amused because it wasn’t him having to swallow the hair. Grossed out because swallowing someone’s hair, yuck .
Katsuki made a face. “Well, so much for going home and going back to sleep, I suppose. We’ll likely need to add more protein to our diet as well.” There were other questions on the list, but if All Might was serious about making Izuku his successor, then there would be plenty of time to ask them.
"Sleeping some more sounds so nice right now though, Kacchan." Izuku muttered, "I'm tired already again from crying and anxiety."
Yagi smiled faintly at Izuku, before blinking. "Oh, another thing I wanted to ask. If you're planning on getting into UA, have you both practiced using your quirks in sparring situations at all? If not you should probably think about that the exam will be difficult even with One For All if you don't play your cards right."
"Oh, we've got that handled Yagi-san." Izuku replied with a grin before letting go of Katsuki for a moment and smashing his fists together after hardening them. "We've uhm… been practicing with all the quirks we have access to for what… three years now? Sparring included."
Yagi grinned, "So you've thought about that already then. That's good." He raised an eyebrow at Izuku's hardened fists, "Multiple soulmates I assume?"
Katsuki made a face. Sleeping did sound wonderful, but they should probably at least get started on the mess in front of them. Besides, this might tire them both out enough to sleep soundly tonight, and goodness knew they’d need it to deal with the idiots in their class the next day.
Katsuki nodded in answer to Yagi’s question. “Two more,” he answered calmly. “We’re hoping to meet them at UA, assuming they’re close to our age.” He had the passing inclination to ask Yagi about other Pros kids, just in case that could give them a lead on one or both of them, but dismissed it for the moment. He was likely to ask about the other two’s quirks, since Izuku had only displayed one, and he may or may not have noticed Katsuki using the ice the day before.
"Um… if you want you could probably join us one morning to watch us spar?" Izuku offered, "We have a spot nobody comes around to so we can practice safely since we need room." He paused for a moment, "Oh… and bring earplugs if you did want to? We both like using the explosions, especially since we can't really hurt each other when we harden up."
"Perhaps, that'd be a good idea. I would like to see what your fighting style is like, the both of you." Yagi responded.
Katsuki grinned. “We might have to show you where it is, rather than telling you. All the old paths to it are overgrown. We only found it by accident.” Well, Katsuki had. But it was the perfect place for practically everything they wanted to do, even just being alone if they wanted.
Katsuki looked at Izuku. “So do you want to start on this mess now, or after school tomorrow?”
Izuku sighed, "Tomorrow honestly. Plus we should probably bring water and stuff while we do it. You're the one that always gets on me about dehydration."
"Tomorrow would be best." Yagi chimed in, "I'll have some crates brought over for you to put the garbage in. That way it can be hauled to a proper dump. Right now there's nowhere to actually bring things."
Katsuki shrugged. That worked for him. That way they could actually get a solid meal in before doing any heavy lifting. He’d also have to plan for upping their calorie count to compensate. They were operation in stasis, or around there currently, but they were about to start expending one hell of a lot more calories, so they’d have to take in more as well if they wanted to build muscle. He let his mind wander down that path for a few minutes, considering meal planning and other things, when a thought occurred to him. “So is that all we’d be adding to our schedules? Just clearing this beach?”
Yagi thought for a moment, "Start with that yes, I'd have to know your current diet and workout to see if anything needs adding. But the main thing is just to focus on building muscle with whatever you're doing."
Izuku giggled slightly and nudged Katsuki lightly, "Were you just using my quirk to do meal and workout planning Kacchan? You were doing the face you do when you use it."
“Maybe.” Katsuki admitted, grinning. “One of us has to keep track of this stuff, and it’s probably not going to be you. You’d get distracted too easily by katsudon.” He teased. Izuku’s weakness for the stuff was practically a running joke at this point.
Izuku pouted slightly and crossed his arms, unable to really retort. Katsudon was his biggest weakness, and setting up their diet himself would only lead to bad things.
"Well, I should be going now." Yagi said, "Goodbye young Midoriya, young Bakugou. Be safe on your walk home."
Izuku gave Yagi a nod, "We will, thank you. Bye Yagi-san."
Katsuki nodded in agreement to Izuku’s statement. They’d certainly try. As long as they didn’t run into any cats stuck in trees, they should be okay. But Izuku had a point about sleep and cuddles sounding amazing. He pulled Izuku into a hug. “Can’t even argue with that, huh?”
Izuku hummed and smiled up at Katsuki, looking into his eyes, "What can I say? I love my Katsu."
Katsuki looked utterly dumbstruck for a minute. That was pretty forward and suggestive for Izuku, given how shy he usually was. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his brain back online. Once he was thinking clearly again, he smirked. “So, does that mean I’m your favorite thing to taste, I~Zu~Ku?” He shot back.
Izuku squeaked, instantly blushing as he put his face in his hands. "I- I- I didn't mean it like that, Kacchan!" He whined. "I just…" Izuku closed his eyes tightly for a moment, feeling his dark blush spread over his body, "Can we go home now?"
Katsuki tried to muffle his laughter, probably unsuccessfully given that Izuku was still up against him and could likely feel the suppressed laughter. He buried his face in Izuku’s hair, amused as hell that he could fluster Izuku this badly even after three years. He pulled back a bit once he trusted himself to be able to speak, and tucked two fingers under his chin, trying to tilt his head up so he could kiss him. “You blushing like this if still adorable. I don’t think it ever will not be.” He commented, before a thought occurs to him. He grins like a cat that’s cornered a canary. “You want to go home , right after a comment like that ? Oh dear, I~Zu~Ku, where has your mind gone? I thought I was the perverted one.”
Izuku's eyes widened, his blush somehow getting even darker as he stammered. "K-Ka-Kacchan!" He let out a whine again, trying to push away only to stumble slightly. " N-No!"
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh at Izuku’s reaction, though he still tried to muffle it. “Protesting an awful lot for the one that started this particular chain, ‘Zuku.” He remarked calmly, somehow managing to not be blushing. He caught Izuku when he stumbled, giving him the usual warning before a kiss, but giving him time to say no if he wanted to.
Izuku let out a shaky breath, hesitating for only a moment before he leaned up so they could kiss. He was so flustered he could barely think straight, though there was the thought in the back of his head that maybe kissing Katsuki would shut him up long enough for him to recover. Though he doubted that. At least Katsuki was nice enough to give him a warning and a chance to back out after how flustered he had just gotten him.
Katsuki grinned, kissing Izuku with a bit more passion than usual. Apparently teasing the shorter one had gotten him more worked up than he realized. He brushed Izuku’s lower lip with his tongue, curious as to how he’d react.
Izuku's breath hitched, and he looked at Katsuki wide eyed. Frozen, but not short-circuited, trying to figure out if Katsuki had just done what he thought he just had.
Katsuki wasn’t sure how to take Izuku freezing, so he pulled back from the kiss. “You okay?” He asked quietly, hoping he hadn’t freaked Izuku out too much.
"Y-Yeah? Y-Yeah, I th-think so just wasn't expecting…" Izuku replied, breathing slightly harder than normal. "Wasn't expecting you to… to um… 'S a lot all at once. Give me a second." He put his hand on his chest, closing his eyes and trying to relax his breathing a bit along with his erratic heartbeat.
Katsuki pulled Izuku a bit closer at that, resting his chin on top of Izuku’s head so the greenet could hear his heartbeat. He made sure to keep his breathing steady as well. Flustering Izuku was fun, but him freaking out was a sure sign to pull back and knock it off, even if he didn’t say anything. He waited like that until Izuku had taken the time he needed to calm down.
Izuku took his time recovering, keeping his head against Katsuki's chest as he took deep breaths. Had Katsuki tried doing that at any other time, Izuku would have gotten flustered, but he'd have been able to go along with it a little easier. At that moment though, he was already so flustered he didn't know how to handle it. Once he'd relaxed and his blush went down he looked up at Katsuki, letting him know he was okay. He just needed the break.
Katsuki loosened his hold a little, so he could meet Izuku’s gaze. “Do you want to try that again, or just head home?” He asked quietly, letting Izuku take the lead.
"U-uhm…" Izuku smiled sheepishly at him, "W-We can… we can try that again, Kacchan."
Katsuki nodded, giving him the usual pre-kiss warning, even though Izuku knew this one was coming. He leaned in, starting off lightly. Rushing into this would probably freak Izuku out again.
Izuku appreciated the fact that Katsuki was going slow with him. This was… a bit different than what they usually did. Izuku had no idea if it'd make him short circuit or not. He gently pulled Katsuki a little closer, having no idea what he was doing.
Katsuki didn’t really have much of a clue what he was doing either. He’d read about tongue-kisses on the internet, but nothing he’d seen really explained what they were or what you were supposed to do. He tried the same thing as before, gently brushing Izuku’s lower lip with his tongue.
Izuku closed his eyes so he could concentrate, try and figure out what they were doing. Was he supposed to copy him? Or let him take the lead and follow along? He tilted his head to the side slightly before deciding to try and copy Katsuki and doing the same as he had just done.
Was this weird? Definitely. But they were figuring it out together at least. In the middle of a mostly deserted street next to a beach turned garbage dump, but they were figuring it out.
The same thought about location occured to Katsuki a moment later, and he had to suppress a snort. Still not having the foggiest idea what he was doing, he gently brushed Izuku’s tongue with his own. Since Izuku had chosen the ‘copy what he did’ route, he didn’t go any further, not yet. If the other was comfortable enough to copy that, then he might.
Izuku's face scrunched up in slight confusion, not sure if he liked this or not yet. It was hard to tell. Izuku brought a hand up to rest on Katsuki's neck as he copied him again.
Katsuki relaxed a bit when Izuku’s hand ended up on the back of his neck. Fuck if he knew why that was relaxing, but clearly it was, so he supposed he’d take it. He repeated the same move, lingering a bit longer this time. This whole concept was just weird to him, but it did feel kinda nice, so there was that.
Izuku took a breath through his nose before blinking up at Katsuki for a moment and copying him again. He wasn't quite sure of himself every time he copied him, but Katsuki hadn't pulled away yet so there was at least that.
Katsuki was almost certain that his expression gave away how unsure he was about this new development. He pulled away slowly, blinking, but kept Izuku close. “So, what do you think?” He asked. “Was it okay?” Or was it just as weird for you as it was for me?, went unasked, but Izuku could probably read it in his face.
"Um… I… It… It was kind of weird? But not bad. I… I dunno… Not really sure." Izuku replied, blushing faintly. "We've never really done that before s-so…" It was weird and confusing, but oddly Izuku didn't mind the thought of trying that again? It was like they were figuring out how to kiss each other all over again. Though this definitely seemed more difficult.
“Might be worth trying again at some point,” Katsuki offered, still not exactly sure himself. “Just, not right now, maybe.” He moved to rest his forehead against Izuku’s. While the whole thing was definitely weird, and he wasn’t sure what had pressed him to do that in the first place, at least neither of them regretted it.
"Mhm." Izuku agreed with a quiet hum. He let the two of them stay there for a bit before pulling away slightly, "We should probably head home now, right? I really am tired."
Katsuki nodded, starting the walk home, and kept at least one arm around Izuku to both guide him and keep him close. He actively decided not to think more about the tongue- kiss in that particular moment, leaving that for future Katsuki to worry about. Instead he focused on the path they’re travelling, sure that Izuku will be the one to overthink it first, and determined to be able to guide him so he can if he wants to. It’s how the pair of them function, and it’s worked so far.
Izuku happily rested his head on Katsuki's shoulder as they walked. He let his thoughts drift for a while, but kept coming back to that kiss. Katsuki could probably pick up on when his thoughts went back that way too, considering he kept unconsciously poking his tongue out when he thought about it. Like Katsuki said it'd be worth trying again at some point, Izuku was just trying to figure out how it even worked in the first place. And considering Katsuki was the only one he'd ever kissed, and he had a tendency to cover his eyes whenever there was any sort of kissing scene on tv, Izuku didn't really have anything to go off of. He was just confused about it, and most definitely overthinking it.
Katsuki couldn’t help but look every time Izuku’s tongue poked out. Now that he knew the other was okay with it, each one seemed like an opportunity to kiss him again. He resisted for now, as they still had to get home.
Once home came into view, Katsuki separated from Izuku long enough to kiss him again (warning included). He didn’t involve their tongues this time, but wouldn’t exactly decline if Izuku tried.
Izuku hummed and relaxed into the kiss at first. They brought it up on occasion but kissing really was addicting between them. After a moment though, he pressed his lips against Katsuki's firmer than he normally tried, using his hand on the back of Katsuki's neck to make it easier on himself to do so. Since they were apparently trying new things that day he thought he might as well.
Katsuki blinked, startled at how forward Izuku was being. A day for firsts, clearly. Katsuki returned the kiss, but refrained from taking the lead like he normally did. Instead he simply matched the pressure his bonded put in. He was admittedly curious as to how far Izuku would go when given free reign to do so.
Izuku held there for a bit, just kissing Katsuki firmly before he pulled away ever so slightly. Only to go back for three more feather-light kisses before he pulled away to nuzzle into his neck for a bit. Katsuki, his soulmate, his fiancé was such a calming presence for him. Izuku liked taking moments to appreciate that fact to remind himself that not only was Katsuki there with him, he wanted to be with him.
Katsuki smiled softly, returning each kiss as it came. He held his hands away from Izuku long enough to pop off the sweat from his palms, before wrapping his arms back around Izuku, including a hand on the back of his head. He played with Izuku’s hair for a little bit, resting his head on top of Izuku’s. Where Izuku had, at one point in their childhoods, held the unique ability to make him irrationally angry, somewhere along the line that had changed. Being around Izuku made him think more clearly now, instead of less. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d learned not to question it, either.
Izuku sighed contentedly, relaxing completely into Katsuki's touch. They were still out in the street again, but if their neighbors saw them they probably wouldn't bat an eye. They'd done this sort of thing way too often for anyone to question it. "Love you, Kacchan." Izuku muttered.
Katsuki took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly, his gaze flickering around them, as always, watchful for any threats, especially after the day before. “Love you too, ‘Zuku.” He said softly. Anyone watching them might be enough to set off his temper right now, and he knew it. Better not to let them surprise him. That would just make it worse.
"Let's get inside so we can relax, yeah?" Izuku asked, looking over at their house which really wasn't that far at all. They just hadn't quite managed to make it there before they kissed again. Which is probably why both their parents liked to tease them about their 'new bond' attitude with each other.
Because if people didn't know the two of them, that's always exactly what they'd think. They were a bonded pair that had recently met. Not two people who had been best friends since they were in diapers, and now had been together romantically for almost three full years. That was just the vibe they gave off.
Katsuki loosened his hold enough so that they could both walk. Amused, he took the teasing route again. “Still eager to get me alone, I see,” he remarked, entertained. He steered them the rest of the way to the door, letting them in with his own copy of the key. Slipping his shoes off inside, he raised an eyebrow at Izuku as he pushed the door shut behind them. “Lunch first or later?”
" Kacchan stop iiit. " Izuku whined as he started blushing again. He liked being alone with him but not like that. He let out a small huff of air, "It's going to be a late lunch, but food sounds good right now."
Katsuki couldn’t help but chuckle. Teasing his soulmate was so much fun. He led the way into the kitchen, only to see his dad.
Masaru blinked at them. “Back so soon? I was just about to reheat some leftovers for myself. Are you two hungry?”
Izuku nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, we were gonna get some lunch then go cuddle some more. And try and sleep if we can manage it." He looked to Katsuki, silently asking if they should tell him what they had been doing. They couldn't reveal All Might's secret, obviously, but they could probably explain a little bit. Just so long as they didn't make it sound really weird. After all, out of context, they did just go meet up in a low traffic area with an older man without telling their parents first or consulting them. Which, though it was All Might … probably wasn't the smartest idea in hindsight.
Masaru smiled softly, adding two more bowls of leftover katsudon to his own to heat up without questioning them. He trusted them both to be mature and responsible about whatever they were up to. Even if he was curious.
Katsuki blinked at the silent question. He had been planning to tell some of the story to his dad. He just wasn’t sure how much. Though the question seemed to answer itself when he opened his mouth. “We were …” he hesitated momentarily. “We were cornered by a villain yesterday. We were… able to fight them off, with the assistance of a Pro, but Izuku lost his ring during the fight. We just went to get it back.”
Masaru blinked, setting down what he’d been holding in favor of checking them for injuries. “Are you both alright? No wonder you didn’t sleep well last night.”
"Mhm. We're okay Uncle Masaru. Just shaken up." Izuku replied, "Neither of us are really hurt. I… I might get sick from it? The villain um..." Izuku screwed his eyes shut and took a deep breath squeezing Katsuki's hand gently. "They were made of slime and came out of the sewer. Tried to… um… S-suffocate me. But it's okay now. J-Just a bit shaken up from it is all."
Masaru pulled both of them into a hug. “I’m glad you’re alright.” He spent a moment just hugging both of them, the idea that he could have lost one or both of them sinking in. He was grateful he didn’t, but it was far too close for comfort.
Izuku melted into the hug. He really needed it, for multiple reasons. Times like this really made him miss his own dad. He sighed, "I'm glad we are too."
Katsuki slowly melted into the hug too. Masaru, noticing this, let them stay like that for as long as they wanted to. He’d wait to point out that he would probably end up telling Inko for after that.
It took a while, but Izuku eventually pulled away from the hug. "Thanks, Uncle Masaru." He said quietly. Masaru was easier to tell things to than his mom sometimes. When it came to the emotional stuff with his own problems, he could go to her. But when it was stuff like this, he didn't like making her worried. Old habits die hard, and even though he didn't hide injuries or things that scared him from Katsuki anymore, he still tended to do it with Inko.
Katsuki lingered in the hug for a few seconds longer. Hugs from his dad had always made him feel safer, even when they still lived with his mother. He pulled back, then wrapped an arm back around Izuku.
Masaru grinned at them, returning to the leftovers he was heating up. Once that was done, he handed a bowl and hot pad to each of them. Katsuki took his with a soft ‘thanks’. Masaru took a moment to ruffle Izuku’s hair. “It’s good that you two have each other. You look out for each other.”
Whether that was commentary on past behavior, or encouragement to keep doing so, Katsuki wasn’t sure. He’d take it as both, though.
Izuku thanked Masaru for the food as well, smiling up at him when he ruffled his hair. "Yeah. We definitely do." Izuku replied with a hum, "And I plan to continue." He leaned over and gave Katsuki a quick peck on the cheek.
Katsuki smiled softly, leading them both to the table. He sat down, positioning himself so Izuku could sit on his lap if he so chose. Today was a day for cuddles. He set his bowl down, just in case.
Seeing Katsuki position himself so Izuku could sit on his lap, he hesitated for just a moment as he didn't want to be teased about it right then, before he curled up in his lap. He'd offered in the first place after all, and Izuku wasn't one to turn down cuddle time. Especially after what had happened the previous day. So what if he felt a little clingier than normal? He'd had a near death experience, it was to be expected.
Izuku quietly started eating his food, thankful for the closeness to his bonded. He needed the reminder Katsuki was there and safe. Izuku likely wouldn't have been as freaked out had he gone through that alone, as odd as that was. A hard thought for Izuku to shake was the fact that when it came to bad things happening to him, it didn't matter because he didn't, right? But when other people got put in danger because of him, that's what really scared him. Katsuki could have been the one in his position and that terrified him.
Katsuki wrapped an arm around Izuku and used the other hand to eat. He rested his head against Izuku’s back, listening to his heartbeat that way. He loved being able to sit and cuddle with Izuku like this. The idea that he could have lost that was terrifying to him. He knew Izuku placed a low value on his own life, but if Izuku died, he wouldn’t have the will to even try to survive the soul sickness that would follow. Even the knowledge that the other two were out there would mean nothing if he lost Izuku. Though he wasn’t sure Izuku saw that. He’d have to say it eventually. But first, they needed to eat.
Some people described soulmates as their missing piece. Others described them as their better half. The common thread of it usually just meant that you were incomplete without them. Izuku didn't quite feel that was the case with them, but he knew they complemented each other. They were complete beings on their own, but they made up for each others weaknesses and helped each others strengths become even stronger. That being said, Izuku loved having Katsuki close. It felt wrong not having him there, and being close the way they were was comforting. But he could technically go without being cuddled up like this, he could survive on light touches alone. He didn't want to though. Katsuki was a luxury, one he felt he didn't deserve more often than not, but one he somehow had anyway. He wanted to enjoy Katsuki's presence for as long as fate allowed him.
If that came in the form of near constant touching and cuddles so be it. He was going to enjoy having his bonded there damn it. Izuku sighed happily, quietly eating his food and relaxing into Katsuki's touch.
Katsuki finished his bowl quickly, then wrapped his other arm around Izuku. He didn’t know what he’d do without him. Yeah the cuddles and kisses were fantastic, but just having Izuku in his life, and knowing he was there made everything so much better. His outlook was usually negative, but somehow Izuku managed to turn it around without really trying.
He was sure, going by how physically affectionate they’d always been, that they were meant to be like this. Hugs, cuddles, even holding hands had always been normal to them, even as little kids. Maybe that was a sign that they’d end up here someday.
He waited for Izuku to finish eating so they could head upstairs, not wanting to be too sappy in front of either of their parents.
Izuku rested his free hand over Katsuki's arms as he ate, occasionally rubbing his arm with his thumb absentmindedly. Once he was done eating he leaned back so he could nuzzle into his bonded's neck a bit letting out a slow breath. Though he'd usually get more flustered out of the two of them being super affectionate and sappy in front of their parents, there were some things he did that he didn't think we're bad enough to get flustered over unless someone said something. Like nuzzling into Katsuki for example, he was just getting close and comfy was all. That shouldn't be a big thing.
Katsuki smiled fondly and tightened his grip slightly. Little things like this made everything else bearable. Just being able to wrap his arms around another person and have them respond like this. He wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Adjusting his grip to support Izuku, he stood up. “Hope you don’t mind being carried, future husband.” He teased, kissing Izuku on the cheek.
Izuku giggled quietly in response hiding his face up against Katsuki. "It's you, so I'll allow it my dearest fiancé. I don't mind at all." He teased back. "Where you taking me?"
Katsuki turned to used his free hand to grab their dishes, but Masaru spoke up first. “Why don’t you two go upstairs and get some sleep. I’ll get the dishes.”
Katsuki blinked, setting down the bowl he’d already picked up. “Thanks Dad.” He replied, before turning his attention back to Izuku. “Sleep sounds like a good idea, I think. I’m still worn out even after that nap we had.”
He headed upstairs, tossing Izuku onto the mattress with a snicker.
Izuku let out a small 'oof' when he landed on the mattress. Looking at Katsuki he rolled his eyes before scooting over so Katsuki could get in bed next to him, "How romantic Kacchan. Tossing me on the bed like a sack of potatoes." He said jokingly.
Katsuki flopped on the space Izuku left for him. “Well, if you want grand romantic gestures, you’ll probably want one of the other two. I’m better at the little things, like kissing you breathless just because I can.” He turned to face Izuku. “Like right now for example.” He leaned over and kissed Izuku fiercely.
Izuku's face flushed as Katsuki kissed him, the verbal warning just barely enough to keep him from short circuiting. He reciprocated the kiss as best he could, but he was mostly at Katsuki's mercy here.
Katsuki grinned into the kiss, taking breaths through his nose to extend it. He knew full well he could make Izuku beg for mercy just from kissing him, and fully intended to do just that. He cupped Izuku’s cheek with one hand, keeping tongues out of it for now.
When Katsuki said he was going to kiss him breathless he wasn't kidding. As much as Izuku tried to catch his breath it really wasn't working very well. He put one hand over Katsuki's and the other on his chest, letting out a small whine when it seemed like Katsuki wasn't planning on stopping. Izuku needed air at some point.
Katsuki let up shortly after Izuku whined. He didn’t want to be too mean when he knew Izuku had trouble keeping up. “I love you.” Katsuki said softly, brushing his thumb over Izuku’s cheekbone. “I don’t know that I could live without you. I doubt I’d even want to.”
Izuku panted trying to catch his breath, looking slightly dazed from the kiss. "Love… Love you too, Kacchan." He replied, leaning gently into Katsuki's hand. "I… I don't think I could live without…" He sucked in a deep breath, "Without you either. With or without soulsickness being a thing. I don't ever want to be without you. You're… You're my perfect person, remember?" Izuku smiled fondly at him.
Katsuki rested their foreheads together gently. “And you’re mine. I couldn’t imagine life without you, even before our bond solidified. I know… you don’t think much of putting yourself in danger, but please at least try? If not for your own sake, then for mine?”
Izuku sighed, "Alright Kacchan, I'll try for you. I promise." He gently kissed him, "I'd do anything for you. When you need me, for anything, just say the word and I'll come running." Izuku looked into his bonded's eyes, "And that includes even when you think you're weak for needing it. Because you're not. You're so, so strong. But everyone needs a little help sometimes."
Katsuki kissed back softly, “I know you would.” He answered. “We would both do anything for each other, and something tells me we never needed to be soulmates for that.” He sighed. “I may be strong, but you are too. You just needed a little help realizing it.”
Izuku hummed and wrapped his arms around Katsuki. "I think you're right. Bond or not I still would. Bond or not I'd still love you too." He smiled softly, "It just would have been harder to get where we are now probably."
"And as far as strength goes for me… you helped me realize what strength I had, sure." Izuku said, closing his eyes, "But you helped me get even stronger too. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you. I'm finally finally feeling like I can really make a difference, and that's because of everything you've done for me." He pulled himself closer to Katsuki, "So thank you, Kacchan. Thank you for everything. I couldn't have asked for someone better to be in my life."
Katsuki curled up around Izuku, burying his face in the crook of his bonded's neck. "I'm sure I would too. It would have taken longer for me to realize it, but we would have gotten here eventually. No matter what something like fate had to say on the subject."
His voice cracked slightly when he tried to respond to the next statement. "Thank you , 'Zuku. You've done just as much for me. Staying patient with me when I lost my temper, grounding me when I got too full of myself, reminding me that there's good in the world when I got too lost in the negative. Showing me that it's not weak to show my emotions. I'm glad I'll never have to find out what I would have been like without you."
Izuku smiled tearing up slightly, "Same here, Kacchan. I love you. I love you so much and I know I say it a lot, probably way too often, but I really do." He hummed happily, "We're so entwined in each others lives that one small turn could have changed our whole path. And I'm thankful this is the one we ended up on. I mean… even just the way you first told me that you liked me romantically could have changed things."
He frowned slightly thinking about it, "Had you not shown me through action and used words… I may not have believed you. I've… I've talked to you about what used to happen before. Why I'm scared of people finding out when I have crushes on them." Izuku pressed his face a little more into Katsuki, "Why I can't imagine the thought of anyone confessing for real sometimes. It just sounds like a joke."
"But you showed me what you felt. Left no room in my mind for false assumptions." Izuku said before sighing, "What I'm trying to say is that there are infinite ways our lives could have gone. But the fact that we both made the choices we did, and it somehow led us here is incredible." He bit his lip, "I still regret not telling you right away. But… But I still wouldn't change anything all the same. Even if someone told me they could go back and change things with a 99.999% certainty nothing in the now would change, I wouldn't take that chance."
Izuku smiled again up against Katsuki, pushing the thoughts about the what ifs away. He had all he needed and could ever want right then in his arms already. Katsuki was there, they were bonded and engaged. Happy together. Having whoever their other bonded were with them now would be nice too, but right now, Izuku was perfectly content.
Katsuki pulled back just enough to kiss Izuku again, pouring all the feelings into it that he couldn't find the words to express. How much he loved Izuku, how much the greenet meant to him, how he would do anything for him, even die to protect him.
He broke the kiss after a few moments. "You know me. I've never been great with words anyway. I'm sure I would have fucked it all up somehow if I'd tried to tell you. But even that stupid little voice in your head can't argue against a kiss."
He curled back towards Izuku. "Do you ever wonder… if maybe our decision as kids that we would be soulmates… do you think that influenced how everything turned out?"
Izuku laughed quietly, "Yeah, I highly doubt any of the people that did that to me would have tried to kiss me." He blinked. "To be honest… I think maybe? Everyone kept saying we couldn't choose, but I was so sure I could. And… well we did end up bonded after all. Maybe we were so stubborn we changed things for ourselves?" He hummed happily holding Katsuki close. "If we really did choose, I think we chose right."
Katsuki kissed Izuku's cheek lightly. "I think it helped that neither of us doubted for a minute that we would end up together. Plus we're both stubborn as hell." He grinned. "If we did choose, I know we chose right. I wouldn't trade this bond with you for anything." He hesitated for a moment. "I'd… I'd trade my quirk to keep it, if I had to."
Izuku blinked at Katsuki for a moment before tears started running down his face. "I- I'd do the same K-Kacchan." He said with a tiny laugh and a smile before pulling their foreheads together once again. He knew Katsuki loved him. That wasn't hard to see. But sometimes when Katsuki told him just how much, he got more than a bit emotional over it.
Katsuki blinked when Izuku started crying. He wasn't quite sure why. Though Izuku did have a tendency to get emotional. He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the feeling of being so close to the love of his life. He couldn't be happier to be where he was, and he honestly didn't think there were enough words in Japanese or English to properly express that. So instead of trying, he focused on the bond between them, on sending even just a fraction of the love he felt through it.
Izuku gasped quietly, feeling a weird sensation from their bond. He wasn't sure how to describe it, or even if he could. He put his hand on his own chest, trying to focus on whatever that was. "A-Are you..?" He asked, hoping Katsuki had some clue of what was going on.
"Oh, it works?" Katsuki looked surprised. "I read somewhere that it was possible to send emotions through a soul bond, and I can't quite make words go at the moment, so I thought I'd try it. What does it feel like to you?"
"Yeah I-I'd say it works… it's hard to describe." Izuku replied. "How… How are you doing that? I could try doing it back? That's… wow."
Katsuki considered for a moment. "I just focused on our bond, and tried to visualize sending you how I felt. Something like sending a message through a pipe, I guess?" It was surprisingly difficult to put it into words. He'd just kinda… wanted it done and it happened.
"Huh. Okay. Let me…" Izuku replied, shutting his eyes so he could concentrate. He took a breath, focusing on their bond so he could do the same Katsuki had done to him. Since it'd be hard to explain anyway, he tried sending that feeling of joy and contentment he got when Katsuki had told him just how much he loved him and was willing to sacrifice to stay together.
Katsuki inhaled sharply when he felt Izuku’s attempt to send emotions back. He understood what Izuku had meant by difficult to describe. It felt like being curled up in a blanket nest with Izuku sleeping half next to him, half on top of him. It felt like a calm morning when they had nothing to do but exist in the same space. So caught up in the feeling, he didn’t notice the tears pooling in his eyes. It was one of the most calming sensations, but also made him feel almost the happiest he’d ever been, comparable to moments like when Izuku had accepted his proposal.
When Katsuki inhaled sharply Izuku opened his eyes to see the tears pooling in Katsuki's eyes. Not sure if that was a bad thing he stopped projecting the feeling and brought his hands up to clear the tears out of his bonded's eyes. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, did I mess up?" He asked, "W-was it just too much? I didn't mean to make you cry."
Katsuki blinked,taking notice of the fact that he was actually crying . He swallowed noisily. “No, no… it’s….they’re good tears. I… you didn’t mess up. That was… amazing.” He pulled Izuku into a hug, words failing him once more.
"Oh... okay." Izuku replied, a smile coming to his face. He relaxed into the hug. "I… didn't think I'd ever see you happy cry. Not with how hard that is for you. I'm glad you liked that."
Katsuki pressed a soft kiss to the top of Izuku’s head, and for once didn’t try to stop himself from crying. The idea of happy tears was foreign to him, but he wasn’t exactly opposed to it. “Love you, ‘Zuku.” He whispered.
"Love you too Kacchan." Izuku replied with a hum. He let Katsuki cry, wiping his tears away for him on occasion. "Guess my emotions are a little strong… or whatever you ended up feeling. You want to sleep now? That is what we were planning on when we came up here." He asked.
Katsuki snorted. “You did always go 100% on everything,” he teased. “Quirk training, regular training, now apparently emotions too.” He grinned. “Just one more thing that makes you so amazing. Or annoying, on some days.” He snuggled a bit closer, starting to yawn. “Yeah… sleep… sounds really good.”
Izuku laughed, "Hey, we're going to UA right? Plus Ultra." He snuggled up and got comfy with Katsuki, yawning along with him. "Probably why I cry a lot if that's the case… too much emotion. Only way to get it out fast enough."
Snickering, Katsuki ruffled Izuku’s hair. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it,” he noted. “Or it could just be an excuse for you being a crybaby.” He teased. “I don’t mind it, though.” He hummed in consideration. “Maybe, if emotions can pass through the bond… maybe it really is you crying for both of us. Wouldn’t that be something.”
Izuku hummed, "Well, I'm happy to do it for you either way, Kacchan." He leaned up to give Katsuki one last gentle kiss before curling into him so he could sleep. "I don't like crying, but if it's for you, I'll do it. Besides, holding the tears back is hard and it sucks because I'm just holding it till later. I'll cry all you need."
Katsuki gave Izuku a slightly watery smile back. “As much as I’ll feel bad about it later if that is the case, it’s probably healthier for it to have some kind of outlet.” He sighed. “I never thought I’d miss not being able to cry. It wasn’t something that even crossed my mind until recently. But getting that back means going off T, and… I know I’d never be able to do that.”
Izuku hummed, "Yeah… but with this new thing we can do… if my emotions are really that strong…" He looked up at Katsuki, "We could maybe use it as a way to help you do it when you need to do it yourself? It's obviously not impossible…" He said, putting a hand up to rub Katsuki's cheek, "You just need a nudge now because it's more difficult."
Blinking rapidly, Katsuki considered that for a moment. “That might work…” he admitted. “Might be worth a shot anyway, even if it doesn’t work. Never know until you try, right?” He said, tone purposely light. “Though there would definitely be some logistical things to figure out if we did that…” he shook his head. “I’m turning into you. Gotta shelve that thought for later.”
Izuku giggled lightly, "Yeah. Sleep time now. Think later." He brushed a stray hair out Katsuki's face before nuzzling as close as physically possible.
Katsuki adjusted his positioning slightly, sliding both arms around Izuku. He was mildly surprised that Izuku hadn’t noticed that he was still wearing his two sports bras, but he wasn’t about to make him move to take them off if he didn’t have to. He’d slept this way before, he’d do it again.
Izuku grinned sleepily at Katsuki wrapping his arms around him. Sleeping like this together never got old. He was pretty exhausted, so he barely noticed something was off. He made a confused face, not opening his eyes, and put a hand on Katsuki's chest before tapping it and grumbling quietly. He didn't like when Katsuki Left his bras or sports binder on because it hurt him, and Izuku could only heal so much overnight.
Just when he thought it hadn’t been noticed. Grumbling, Katsuki sat up and removed both sports bras. Adjusting to not having them sucked, but he tried to ignore it and laid back down. He returned to his previous position, snuggling against Izuku, but grabbed the blanket this time and pulled it over them both. Even though he ran hot, he preferred to sleep as covered as possible when he didn’t have any sort of binding up top. It helped him feel a bit less anxious, which was helpful.
Izuku hummed happily once again when Katsuki laid back down. Even though Izuku tended to overheat a bit between the blankets and Katsuki, he didn't mind it because he knew it was easier for his soulmate. It was the compromise for them. Now that they had their rings, the next thing Izuku had in mind to save up for was top surgery for Katsuki, so he could feel more comfortable in his own skin. Unfortunately that was likely a way off.
Slowly but surely, Izuku drifted off to sleep. Comforted by the embrace of his soulmate which he knew he'd barely be able to sleep without if they ever separated again.
Katsuki knew he ran a bit warm, especially when it was time to sleep. He wondered about maybe getting a fan for the bedroom since Izuku sometimes would overheat. That might be a workable solution for them both.
He slowly drifted off to sleep, knowing Izuku was safe in his arms.
Chapter 7
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Summary:
Morning training, soulmate discovery, new soulmate abilities, fluffy conversations (as usual), talk about scars, and a grocery shopping trip.
Notes:
Like mentioned in the summary there's some talk about scars, specifically Izuku's self harm scars during this chapter. So be warned abut that, though it doesn't get too bad. - Frozen
Chapter Text
Waking up the next morning, Izuku got started on their normal routine before they went out for their morning workout and sparring. Remembering what he said to Yagi, Izuku sent a text letting him know that they usually headed out around then to spar on school days so if he ever wanted to join to let them know. Not expecting the response to be that he was actually free that morning to come see.
They were going to see All Might three days in a row. Izuku did his best not to squeal and made sure Katsuki was okay with it before telling Yagi where to meet so they could lead him to the spot. He was just a bit taller than them which made the overgrown path harder to traverse, but they managed by using their hardening to cut a few old branches away to make it easier.
After setting down their bags, Izuku out of habit immediately went to put his hearing protection in, with Yagi following suit. Izuku bounced in place a bit, now having plenty of energy to use for their spar as he stretched.
"How do you want to start this morning, Kacchan?" Izuku asked, "Quirkless, focusing on one or two quirks, or do you want to go all out right away?"
Katsuki couldn't help but be amused at Izuku's enthusiasm. He was a mixture of excited and nervous himself as they approached the quarry.
Katsuki left his hearing aids on for now. It would probably be a giveaway for when he planned to use his quirk, but it was a trade-off he was comfortable making. "Let's start off quirkless." He answered, "Gotta make sure our basic form gets practice too."
Izuku nodded and smiled, going up to give Katsuki a quick kiss before running off a small distance. If they were doing training with quirks Izuku usually took off his shirt to avoid at least that getting burned, but since they were starting quirkless he left it on for now. He got in a defensive position like they had practiced a thousand times at this point and waited. They didn't really do countdowns, just waited for the other to say go. Or in the case of what Izuku had done, gave a quick kiss and went on the defensive to signal he was ready to start.He had a smile on his face, but the moment he went into a defensive position his eyes went serious.
Yagi watched them curiously from by their bags.
Katsuki grinned as Izuku got into a ready position. He knew he tended to lead with a right hook- even if he hadn’t, Izuku pointed it out often enough. Though he rarely changed that, so he was fairly sure Izuku just expected it by now. Deciding to change it up, he charged, leading with his usual right hook, only it was a feint this time, and he planned to hit Izuku in the back or side with a left hook as soon as he moved to react to the right.
Seeing Katsuki seemingly go for a right hook to start again he sighed and went to deflect, only for it to be a feint. He supposed he should have seen that coming even without his quirk. Getting hit, Izuku didn't let out any sound of pain, as that was still a habit he never managed to shake even with Katsuki. Though he knew to let him know when he was actually hurt now. Their sparring could get a little rough at times but they always tried not to seriously injure one another.
Izuku grabbed Katsuki's right wrist in retaliation trying to twist his arm so he had no choice but to turn around.
Katsuki went with Izuku twisting his wrist, having no desire to test the limits of his flexibility at that particular moment. Instead he reached behind him with his left hand, reaching for his upper arm or his shoulder, then stepped back to get a better grip to throw him over his shoulder.
Katsuki trying to grab him back took Izuku a bit by surprise. Making a split second decision Izuku decided to crouch down so he couldn't be thrown as easy and tried to pull Katsuki down lower with him.
Katsuki was a bit startled by Izuku’s reaction, but decided to go with it. Once his top half was low enough, he kicked off the ground hard, intending to flip himself over Izuku so he’d be behind him.
Izuku didn't particularly want to take a turn being grappled from behind, so once Katsuki started to flip over him he released his grasp so he could attempt to throw himself forward and roll away before standing back up.
Katsuki grinned when Izuku released him, that result being just as good as any other. He kicked forward as Izuku rolled, aiming to catch him in the stomach before he could stand back up.
Izuku narrowly rolled out of the way, just barely too fast for Katsuki's kick to really hit him. Standing back up, Izuku went back on the defensive watching Katsuki's movements intently to try and predict them so he could deflect and block, albeit without the use of his quirk.
Smirking, Katsuki took up a defensive stance himself, wanting to get Izuku to go on the offensive, just to show what he could do. He feinted taking a step forward a few times too, remembering that All Might was watching and this was supposed to be showing off what Izuku was capable of.
Izuku squinted at Katsuki not making any real moves at him. He normally preferred to react instead of making the first move, but apparently Katsuki wanted him to. The next time Katsuki feinted taking a step forward, instead of moving back, Izuku suddenly charged forward with the intention of spinning and kicking Katsuki in the ribs.
Katsuki smiled at Izuku charging forward, taking several steps backwards, at least one with a slight stumble due to the sudden change in momentum. He reached up to catch Izuku by the ankle, not particularly wanting to get kicked in the chest.
Izuku let Katsuki catch his ankle, just so he had an excuse to grab his shoulders while bending his knee to try and throw Katsuki. Basically, doing a sacrifice throw.
Katsuki wondered if Izuku might do that, and waited until his feet were off the ground to deadweight on Izuku so he would (hopefully) overbalance and fall. If that happened, he’d probably land right on top of him, but he was keeping an eye out, ready to react and put his hands out to catch himself so he wouldn’t squish Izuku.
Izuku wasn't expecting Katsuki to deadweight on him and fell knocking the wind out of himself.
Katsuki reacted quickly, catching himself and grinning. “You okay there?” He asked teasingly. He still seemed conscious, which was always a plus. Just to mess with him further, he leaned down and kissed him.
Izuku short-circuited from the kiss, gasping in a lung full of air as he attempted to reboot. Once he'd done that he glared playfully at Katsuki, "Yeah, I'm fine you jerk. Could you get off me now?"
Katsuki smirked down at him. “Well, I could. Don’t know if I want to , though. I could always just kiss you again instead,” he teased. He was mildly curious to see if Izuku could make him move.
Izuku rolled his eyes, leaning up for another kiss. Though just before their lips met he moved quickly and wrapped his arms and legs around Katsuki, attempting to roll the two of them over so he wasn't the one pinned anymore.
Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh at Izuku’s move. It definitely wasn’t one he expected. Because of that, Izuku was able to successfully pin him. He grinned up at Izuku. “Well, you pinned me. Now what are you going to do?” He teased.
Izuku stuck his tongue out at Katsuki before kissing his nose, “That. Now let’s get some water before our next-” He turned to look at where their bags were to see an amused Yagi, still watching them. Izuku started blushing, realizing he had just done that in front of the Symbol of Peace! He’d gotten so in the zone he had completely forgotten they had an audience. He cleared his throat, “Our next round of sparring.”
“You both seem… quite familiar with each other's movements.” Yagi commented. “Unique fighting styles for the both of you though. Young Midoriya seems more defensive, perhaps prone to kicks… While you Young Bakugou tend towards a more offensive approach, with more punches likely considering how exasperated Midoriya seemed with you starting off with a right hook. A bit odd if you both have only trained and practiced together. Do you practice quirkless often too then?”
Katsuki hummed, standing up before offering a hand to Izuku. “We do. I do a bit more, ah… weightlifting, I suppose, than Izuku, but he’s getting there.” He didn’t want to give away that he figured out how to fly with his quirk quite yet. It would be interesting to see the look on All Might’s face if he was surprised by that. “Which quirks did you want to practice with first?” He asked Izuku.
Izuku smirked lightly, realizing what he meant by ‘more weightlifting’, as Katsuki was still heavier than him by a good amount. He wanted to keep their flight a surprise then, he could work with that. “Well, hardening obviously if we’re using any other than mine first off.” Izuku said, taking Katsuki’s hand as they went over to get some water. “We could start with yours too, do the dual quirk, then... Maybe end with some fun? We haven’t done our impact grenade fights in a bit.”
“Dual quirk?” Yagi asked before blinking, “Wait, did you just say impact grenade fight ? Isn’t that a bit dangerous? Where did you even get..?”
Katsuki snorted. “One of our soulmates has a dual quirk. Fire and ice. Cold nitroglycerin, from my quirk, is more likely to explode on impact. Also makes a bigger blast.” He formed a small ball of ice in his right hand and threw it away from them. It exploded when it hit the ground, sending pieces of ice everywhere. “That’s where our other soulmate’s quirk, the hardening, comes in. Small blasts like that are easy to avoid damage from that way.” It had been a small blast by their standards, anyway.
Izuku grinned, slamming his fists together and hardening his whole body at once to show off. “Especially when we do this. Though it’s hard to hold for a long time. We’ve been working on extending our time limits though.” He released the hardening to go to their bags and take out their water, handing one to Katsuki before he took a sip of his own.
Yagi blinked at the spot where the ice ball had exploded. “I see…” Hearing the bit about the dual quirk, recognition seemed to flash in his eyes for just a moment before he seemed to shrug it off as a coincidence.
Katsuki happened to have been looking at All Might when he got the look of recognition. “Do you know someone like that?” He asked slowly, wondering if he might actually know one of their soulmates. That would be amazing if he did. He took the water bottle and snuck a kiss to Izuku’s cheek before taking a sip.
Izuku blushed, rubbing his cheek where Katsuki kissed him before watching Yagi as he responded. If he knew who one of their soulmates was, that could mean they could meet them!
“Oh, well, yes actually. Though it may be a coincidence. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.” Yagi replied, “But… Endeavour’s son does have a dual quirk if I’m remembering correctly. Fire from his left, ice from his right. He’s around your ages as well.”
Izuku choked on his water for a moment, “Wait, Endeavour? As in the number two hero? His son has a dual quirk?”
Yagi nodded, “Correct. I believe his name was Shouto. Todoroki Shouto.”
Katsuki looked hopeful. “Is there any way we could meet him..?” He wanted to know, the thought of quirk training shoved to the back of his mind. Todoroki Shouto, huh? He wondered what the son of the #2 Hero would be like.
“I could try and set up a meeting, though… Enji has never really been inclined to meet with me outside of business. And I’ve only met his son once when he was younger.” Yagi explained, “Though, he will be going to UA from what I understand as long as he passes the tests for the recommendation students. And knowing Enji, I’m sure his son is ready for it.”
Izuku looked at Katsuki happily “So our soulmates really could be trying for UA too! We could even be in the same class Kacchan!” He said bouncing in place excitedly.
Katsuki smiled broadly. “Hopefully. Even if we’re not, we’ll be in the same year, so we can see each other at school. Though… his name sounds familiar… and not just because of who his father is.” He snickered at Izuku. “Alright, Energizer Bunny,” he teased, “Let’s try to get some more practice in.”
Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki, “It does, doesn’t it? Maybe we met before?” He suggested before stopping his bouncing and sticking his tongue out at Katsuki. “Just because I accepted the bunny title doesn’t mean you can call me the energizer bunny, you goofy Pomeranian.” He teased back, “But yeah, let’s get back to practice.” Izuku ran off a ways quickly so Katsuki couldn’t get him back for calling him a Pomeranian in front of All Might right away.
Katsuki snorted. “Not my fault you were bouncing like that pink rabbit just then.” He snarked back, before giving chase. He formed another ball of ice in his right hand and lobbed it at Izuku.
Izuku turned back in time to harden his arms and protect himself from the explosion. “Hey! I thought we’re just using the hardening and yours right now. Cheater!” Izuku yelled playfully. He looked down at himself, realizing he’d left this shirt on. “Oh, oops.” As quick as he could, Izuku shucked off his shirt and lobbed it over towards their bags and out of the way so it wouldn’t get burned away from any of Katsuki’s attacks.
Katsuki cackled. “I was using mine, though!” He called back, still grinning. He used his own to propel himself forward towards Izuku. He didn’t keep his feet off the ground for much longer than the length of a single jump just yet, wanting to save the flying for when it would be the most effective. He ducked under Izuku’s shirt, and yelled, “oi, projectile clothing is definitely cheating!”
“I wasn’t aiming for you! I was just getting it out of the way!” Izuku yelled back with a grin. Seeing Katsuki launch towards him with his explosions, he set his feet up so he could move quickly and dodge the brunt of the explosions when he got closer. “Hey Kacchan, don’t forget to harden this time! No more ER visits for burns remember?” Izuku teased, letting off some small explosions in his own palms.
Katsuki snorted. “So says the klutz,” He shot back. When he was close enough, he lurched forward into a handstand, planting his right hand and swinging his leg down in an overhead kick towards Izuku. He’d clearly been preparing for an explosion, so this might take him off-guard.
“That’s why I’m warning you! Don’t be me!” Izuku laughed. He raised his arms up with the hardening quirk activated initially to defend from an explosion, but corrected quickly to block the overhead kick. Izuku pushed Katsuki’s leg off away from him, sending off a decent size explosion at the same time directly at him to separate them both again.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, blasting himself off the ground with his right hand, then letting off another one with his left to send him over Izuku’s head. Just before he hit the ground, he called on the hardening quirk to cover his back, then aimed both palms forward, blasting himself backwards towards Izuku.
Izuku let out a yelp seeing Katsuki fly himself at him with a hardened back and sent a larger explosion off to his side specifically to move himself out of the way faster. He was quick on his feet, but Katsuki was faster when he used his explosions like this.
Making a face when he missed, it occured to Katsuki that he should probably turn his hearing aids off, so he did that quickly while he caught his feet. He sent out a sheet of ice under his own feet to Izuku’s, using that and his explosions to increase his speed even more, ducking down and sticking a foot out to trip Izuku, a wide grin- just short of his bloodthirsty grins he got when he was really enjoying a spar- on his face.
Izuku clicked his tongue and threw himself into a roll when Katsuki tripped him. “So, we are going all out then? Fun.” Izuku grinned even wider, his eyes going entirely serious as he stood back up and called on the fire portion of the dual quirk, making a ball of flame circle around his feet at the ready and melting the ice around him. Just because he could, Izuku got into a defensive position again, now throwing his own quirk into the mix to try and read Katsuki’s moves mid fight easier.
Katsuki snickered at the fireball. “I see the practice paid off on that one,” he taunted. He studied Izuku’s stance, defensive as always. He tried to freeze the ground under Izuku’s feet again, sending more ice to make Izuku’s fireball work to keep up.
Izuku only grinned at Katsuki, sending another ball of flame out to help keep up with the increase in ice. “It sure did Kacchan.” He waved Katsuki towards him, taunting him back. “You gonna try and hit me or not?!”
Katsuki grinned back, not bothering to read Izuku’s lips, since he knew it’d be a taunt. He took an offensive stance, before jumping off the ground and blasting himself into the air. Once he was high enough, he formed and threw several more “snowballs” at Izuku, though not all aimed at the same place.
Izuku laughed happily seeing Katsuki launch himself up in the air and started to run serpentine to avoid the 'snowballs' which exploded the moment they hit the ground. He kept his upper body hardened as he ran just incase, but after a few moments launched himself up into the air to join Katsuki. He kept above the water for now just incase but started to attempt aerial combat with Katsuki. If either of them ever started to drop they'd pull back, but Izuku's goal was to force him back to the ground.
Katsuki burst out laughing when Izuku went airborne too. They hadn’t practiced this as often as the rest, since Katsuki was paranoid about attempting to fight in the air. Though it was something they both needed to practice, so might as well. He used explosions to charge at Izuku while in midair, shoulder first, aiming to tackle him.
Izuku blinked seeing Katsuki charge him, but seeing as they were high enough for it, Izuku lifted his hands up to push himself downwards faster and hopefully out of the way of Katsuki's tackle. He'd have to get higher than Katsuki more than likely, then try and tire him out to force him down. He had less weight so there was a chance he wouldn't tire as quickly since his explosions didn't have to be as big to keep him airborne.
While it was true that Izuku didn’t have to make as big of blasts to keep himself airborne, Katsuki had one advantage over Izuku in this type of combat. He has more years of experience and practice doing just this. He just missed tackling Izuku, but instead he reached down, arms and torso hardened, to grab for Izuku’s wrists, intending to toss him further out over the water.
It was good Katsuki hardened his arms and torso, considering Izuku kept up with the explosions in his palms, but wasn't able to keep Katsuki from grabbing him and tossing him farther out above water. It took a moment for Izuku to stabilize from that, and afterwards he launched himself even higher in the air keeping careful track of his height to make sure he didn't go too far up. Like there was an invisible barrier in the sky he couldn't pass.
Katsuki launched himself up after Izuku, shooting up past him with a whoop of joy. He twisted in the air, coming to a stop and looking down at Izuku. He opened his mouth, a taunt about being scared of heights on his lips, and then he remembered the tree. Izuku would have a reason to dislike heights after that. He closed his mouth, instead choosing to divebomb his soulmate.
Izuku squeaked, unsure of how best to dodge Katsuki's divebomb and not having enough time to make a decision. He definitely needed more aerial practice for this.
Katsuki snickered, adjusting so he was able to wrap his arms around Izuku rather than tackling him. He kissed Izuku on the nose once he’d captured him, just because he could. He moved one hand to keep them both airborne, but slowly started to drop them lower, towards the water.
Izuku grumbled, letting Katsuki lower them without a fight as he hid his face in his shoulder. He wrapped himself around Katsuki to make it easier for him to do so, that way he wasn't having to hold onto him at the same time.
Once they were down low enough, Katsuki grinned. He didn’t have his phone on him, but he wasn’t sure about Izuku. He halted their descent. “You don’t have your phone on you, do you, I~Zu~Ku?”
Izuku blinked at Katsuki, blushing from the way he said his name. "What? No it's in my bag." Realization dawned on him, and his eyes got a bit wider. "Kacchan no."
Katsuki’s smirk only got bigger. “Good.” He tried to resist laughing when Izuku figured out what he was planning. He’d used the time Izuku spent answering to attempt to subtly lower the temperature of the water directly beneath them. His body temperature had dropped a bit as a result, but it was worth it.
He had to bite his lip to try to contain his amusement when Izuku protested. “Kacchan yes,” He countered, before letting them fall the rest of the (short) distance into the freezing cold wateHe
Izuku squealed as they hit the water and pushed off of Katsuki the moment they went under so they could both swim. He was shivering from the cold water now, and if he wasn't awake before he definitely was now. "K-K-Kacchan! Why!?" Izuku whined. "Why'd you make it colder?!"
Katsuki surfaced, cackling. He was shivering himself, but it was so worth it . Hell, he was laughing so hard he could barely swim to the shore. Once he had, though, he held out his arms for Izuku, using the fire side of the dual quirk to warm himself back up. “What better way to cool off after a spar? And you unintentionally put us in the perfect position to do it, too.” He teased. Unfortunately for him, his wet shirt was clinging to him in all of his least favorite ways, and they had an audience for his screwup.
Izuku went up to Katsuki to hug him, letting his use of the fire part of the dual quirk warm the both of them. "I did that on purpose incase either of us fell Kacchan. Not for you to dunk me."
Yagi walked up closer to the pair, coughing up a small amount of blood as he walked. "Do you both… fly like that often? It seems quite dangerous, but it seems you both have a good handle on young Bakugou's quirk. Hers is quite powerful from what I've seen."
Izuku froze for just a moment before holding Katsuki closer. Despite Yagi being his favorite hero and the Symbol of Peace he fixed him with a glare, " His is yeah. And we do when we get the chance. Though my future husband here doesn't particularly like doing it often with me because of the higher likelihood of getting hurt."
Katsuki snorted at Izuku’s response, “That would be why I said unintentional , ‘Zuku.” He countered. When Yagi used ‘she’ in reference to him, Katsuki froze up for half a second, looking down at his shirt, and realizing that it was, in fact, clinging to him and showing off that he had boobs. Though he was startled into looking back up when Izuku reacted like that. He wrapped his arms around Izuku, reassuringly. “Izuku. Calm down. It’s okay.” Though it really didn’t feel like it was, he chose to pretend, for Izuku’s sake, and give the man the benefit of the doubt. He wasn’t like Mitsuki. He couldn’t be.
Izuku took a breath and nuzzled into Katsuki. He wanted to give his favorite hero the benefit of the doubt too, but there was no way he wasn't going to correct him or even fight him on it if he continued to refer to Katsuki as 'she'. Izuku wasn't going to deal with another Mitsuki situation. Never again.
Yagi looked surprised at the reaction. "My apologies, his quirk." He corrected, though he seemed slightly confused. "You boys definitely seem to have a better handle on your quirks and combat than most your age. I think you'll do fine in the entrance exam, with or without One for All. Which is good, so we won't have to rush too much in preparing young Midoriya for it."
Katsuki gave Izuku a ‘see, told you so’ look when Yagi mentioned having a better handle on their quirks, and thus not needing to rush to prepare for the exams. The benefit of having a regular workout and sparring routine already in place, and being used to it paid off in the long run, just like Katsuki had known it would.
He grabbed his shirt and pulled it away from his skin slightly. His increased body temperature meant it was a bit drier now, so it hung straight down rather than clinging. He raised an eyebrow at Yagi. “You’ve… not met a trans person before, have you?” He guessed.
Izuku hummed and looked at Katsuki, still holding onto him. "Yeah yeah, training early was a good idea and I should have joined you sooner. I know."
Yagi laughed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, "As far as I know, I have not no. You would be the first. I am sorry for referring to you incorrectly. I suppose I just assumed I had gotten it wrong to start with."
Katsuki ruffled Izuku’s hair, amused. He normally didn’t rub that in, but the fact that it was All Might saying it… well, Katsuki certainly felt that was worth rubbing in at least once. As far as the pronouns went, Katsuki was inclined to be a bit more forgiving with that explanation. “Well, most people will probably just correct you and move on.” He shrugged. “Bit stupid of me to pull the dunking move, in hindsight. There was no way you would have known to expect… that.”
Izuku looked a bit sheepish at the fact that he glared at Yagi for that. "Yeah… I probably shouldn't have been so aggressive with my correction. Sorry. It's been a while since someone did that and… it wasn't too pleasant for either of us last time." Izuku apologized.
Yagi nodded, "It's fine." He checked the time quickly before looking back up at them, "While I'm here and have time, would you like me to see anything else? Or do you have any questions about anything at the moment? I've still got some time."
Katsuki knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but he was sure the question about Izuku being expected to fight this big bad villain would be asked eventually . There were more pressing things to ask now. He looked at Izuku, letting him ask a question first.
"Oh! I… yeah. Hold on I've got so many it's hard to pick one to start um…" Izuku said, starting to run through his list in his head. Should he ask more about One for All first? Or some of the more personal questions he's been wondering and never found answers for? After a few moments he decided to go with the latter. "Um… you don't have to answer, but I've kind of been wondering for a long time what your soulmates quirk is if anything?" Izuku asked. "It's just you've never seemed to show use of one in any of your fights that have been recorded, and pro heroes are usually pretty closed off about it to the general public…"
Yagi shook his head amused, "No it's alright, I can tell you." He looked over at their bags and held a hand out towards one of their water bottles and started pulling it towards him. "Limited telekinesis. I haven't been able to pull things that are very heavy towards me without using a bit of One for All in the mix to boost it, and it doesn't come into use very often during battles otherwise.
"L-Limited T-Tele-" Izuku stammered, freezing in place. Seeing Yagi use it, it looked extremely familiar considering he'd seen his own mom do that millions of times.
Katsuki was silent for all of three seconds, before he released Izuku to fall backward laughing. He threw his arm over his mouth, trying to muffle his hysterical giggles. He failed, miserably.
Yagi looked confused by their reactions, but also looked like he wasn’t sure how to address them either.
Katsuki continued to cackle. Between laughs, he managed, “Guess… Aunty has… has a type… huh?” before dissolving into breathless laughter once more.
Izuku blinked and snapped to look over at Katsuki, "K-Kacchan! Shut up!" He looked lost for words trying to search his memory for any time at all he'd seen his mom use her soulmate's quirk. "I don't think I've ever seen her use… what if…" Izuku gripped the sides of his head and yelled.
Yagi looked between the two of them, still extremely confused by the reaction as Izuku started muttering to himself trying to remember. "I don't- is the quirk that odd?"
Katsuki laughed soundlessly for a minute or so when he ran out of air. Taking a glance at Izuku caused him to start laughing again, but he tried to control his breathing long enough to actually give an answer. It took him a few more minutes, but he finally managed. “H-his mom…” Katsuki stuttered, trying his damndest not to crack up again. “That’s Aunty’s quirk. You literally just described Izuku’s mom’s quirk.”
Yagi looked between the two of them again, "Wait. Seriously?"
Izuku yelled again coming up blank. He'd never seen his mom use her soulmate's quirk, or heard her say what it was. They just didn't talk about it. He took a breath and looked at Yagi, "My mom's quirk is that." Izuku confirmed, "You even did the hand thing she does to use it! It only works on small objects and… how in the heck did I never realize I haven't seen her use her soulmate's quirk!"
"So… your mother… may be my soulmate?" Yagi asked.
"Apparently!" Izuku yelled, mid existential crisis.
Katsuki sighed, sitting up and kissing Izuku square on the mouth to force him to stop spiraling. “‘Zuku. Calm down. Breathe. Stop yelling. There could have been a million different reasons you never saw Aunty use her soulmate’s quirk. She might not have been able to control it, or she just never had a reason to. And you never asked, because it never occurred to you to do so. Stop freaking out over it.” He wrapped his arms around Izuku, pulling him in for a hug. “I never saw my parents use each other’s quirks either. There was never a need, not in their profession. Our parents aren’t like us. We need to know how to use our soulmate’s quirks. They didn’t.”
Izuku short-circuited from the kiss, effectively cutting off his spiral. He melted into the hug, calming down his breathing. "Sorry. Sorry, I just… that's... that's a lot. I was already so confused with my dad looking like him and…" Izuku whispered, "Sorry for yelling."
Yagi blinked, "Don't worry about the yelling... I… I look like your father?"
Katsuki kept his hold on Izuku, hoping the contact would help him work through whatever else was going through his head. When Hisashi was brought up, Katsuki nodded in agreement. “You do. It’s kind of surprising. Give Uncle Hisashi long hair and the little...” He indicated Yagi’s bangs, “And you two could almost be twins.”
Izuku nuzzled into Katsuki's chest. Taking slow deep breaths as he sorted through his thoughts.
At the idea of twins being brought up Yagi choked and coughed up some blood. "I… well that would be quite the coincidence if so. I er… if I'm remembering right I think I was a twin?"
Izuku blinked and looked up at Yagi, "You… think?"
Yagi rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, yes. I've never seen the papers myself but… I was given up for adoption when I was a child." He sighed, "Before… Before I obtained One for All I was quirkless. I assume that was why. I don't remember it much."
Katsuki sucked in a sharp breath, putting his chin on top of Izuku’s head and cradling him closer. No wonder he’d never heard anything about Uncle Hisashi’s parents. If they’d given up a son for adoption for being quirkless, it stood to reason they’d want nothing to do with a quirkless grandson. Didn’t make it suck any less to realize, but it did make an infuriating amount of sense.
He’d never thought he’d actually hate someone, but fuck was he coming close right now.
Izuku let out a choked laugh, starting to sniffle against Katsuki. "Guess that's why I've never talked to my grandparents. Or even heard about them."
"If I may ask… your father, what's his quirk?" Yagi asked.
"Fire breathing." Izuku replied.
Yagi sucked in a breath, "That… does sound familiar. The only thing I remember from them is fire."
Katsuki made a face. “Uncle Hisashi might not remember anything either. If it was your grandparents… we’d have to talk to them directly, most likely. I imagine they wouldn’t want to talk about their quirkless child if they were that ashamed of having one.” It reminded him of how their former classmate had been treated. Like being born quirkless was the worst thing that could have possibly happened to him. Katsuki’s hold tightened slightly at the memory. They knew what happened to quirkless people more often than not. It was the sad reality of the time they lived in, whether they liked it or not.
"I'm not sure if mom or dad have talked to them. I still haven't heard from them even after we figured out I had a quirk so…" Izuku sighed, rubbing circles into Katsuki's skin to try and relax him. "Even if… Even if you're not my mom's soulmate this is still worth looking into. I'm sure my dad would want to meet you. Not just as All Might, just you." He made a face, "Even if he has to suffer from his quirk's downside to get here from the states."
"Do you… think we could set up a meeting for me to talk to your mother and father then?" Yagi asked, sounding a little hopeful.
Izuku nodded, "Time zones are a bit wonky. But yeah, he'd call in whenever you talk with her."
Katsuki buried his face in Izuku’s hair briefly. Things like this just reminded him how lucky he was to have Izuku. He’d beaten the odds, growing up quirkless. Well, assumed quirkless. Cutting off that mental tangent before it started, Katsuki lifted his head enough to offer, “We could go now...? Aunty has the day off today, I think.” He wasn’t sure if he was speaking loud enough for Yagi to hear him, as he could barely hear himself. Remembering why that was with a start, he reached up to turn his hearing aids back on.
Izuku blinked, "She does, that's right. I completely forgot." He looked up at Yagi waiting for an answer.
"I er… I don't want to intrude on her day off or your training time." Yagi replied, obviously not expecting the chance to see her so soon.
Izuku shook his head with a smile in response, "It's not a bother. And I'll text her to make sure it's okay first too."
"Oh… okay." Yagi said quietly in response.
Katsuki snickered, some of his good humor returning. “No time like the present, anyway.” He noted. Now all that was left was to actually unlatch from Izuku long enough to get his phone. Which… might be a problem.
Izuku noticed Katsuki's hesitance to part from him and curled up close so it was easier to whisper without Yagi hearing, "Do you want me to carry you? Or the other way around? We don't have to separate yet." They both probably needed a bit of comfort after learning all that, but Izuku wasn't sure Katsuki would be alright with being carried around Yagi. It'd be different from them doing it at home.
Katsuki hesitated. While separating didn’t sound at all appealing at that moment, his pride (still sounding suspiciously like his mother’s voice) was nagging at him not to appear weak in front of the #1 Hero. Though, was it really weakness to depend on your soulmate? That’s what they were there for, right? Also, hadn’t Izuku just said he liked being able to support Katsuki? He just needed to give him the opportunity to do it. Quietly, he mumbled, “You can.” He figured Izuku would understand what he meant.
Izuku nodded and pulled away just enough to be able to properly pick Katsuki up after putting his shirt back on. He waited a moment for Katsuki to get comfortable before starting to walk over to their bags.
If Yagi found the interaction odd, he didn't say anything, he just handed Izuku's bag to him so he wouldn't have to bend over with Katsuki in his arms.
Izuku quickly sent a text off to his mom asking if it was okay to bring someone they met over to meet and talk with her. It didn't take too long for Inko to respond saying yes, albeit a bit confused about why.
"Mom says we can bring you over. She's not busy right now." Izuku said.
Katsuki mentally yelled at his mother’s nagging voice to pipe down. He was comfortable, damnit. He reached down to grab his own bag, but otherwise stayed settled where he was. Damn his pride. It had been part of what kept him and his father both in the situation they’d been in for so long. It hadn’t helped his relationship with Izuku, either, only damaged it. Maybe it needed to play a smaller part in his life.
He huffed lightly. “Bet she’ll spot the similarity faster than you did, Izuku,” he teased his fiance. “Freaking had to draw on the glasses before you got it.”
Izuku scoffed, "Did you just- Kacchan it wasn't that obvious. I…" He let out a huff, "Okay. Maybe it was…"
Yagi looked like he wanted to ask what that meant, but left it for now as he followed behind Izuku as they started making their way home.
Katsuki grinned when Izuku corrected himself. It absolutely was that obvious and if Izuku had tried to deny it seriously Katsuki would have had another fit of laughter. It might have resulted in him getting dropped, but once again it was a case of ‘was the humor worth the pain’, and in this case, the answer was absolutely yes . He snorted, spotting the look of confusion on Yagi’s face. To out Izuku, or not to out Izuku, that was the question. Maybe he’d wait, and let Aunty’s reaction rub it in for him. Yeah, that sounded good.
Katsuki’s phone went off just then. It was a text from his dad, about “An extra face at dinner tonight”. Katsuki blinked, then looked up at Izuku, eyes wide. Resorting to sign, he tapped Izuku’s chest to get Izuku’s attention. Guess who’s coming home with Dad for dinner tonight .
Izuku blinked at Katsuki before smiling at the sign, since his hands were full he simply whispered, "That'll be interesting if Yagi sticks around long enough for dinner. Should we give him a warning about it? Or let it be awkward if it comes around?"
Katsuki considers that for a moment. Awkward. 100% awkward. That’s going to be hilarious to watch them interact . He hesitated for a moment. Though...that is kind of mean...which is a lesson in not giving two fourteen-year-olds that kind of power. Especially not when one has a sadistic streak .
Katsuki snickered quietly at the mental image of the two interacting with varying levels of knowing (or not knowing) who the other person is.
Izuku snickered at what Katsuki said before nodding, he'd go along with that. As much as he admired the Symbol of Peace, it'd be fun to see him interact in his true form with someone who didn't know. Izuku led them back to the house fairly quickly, knowing the path by heart made it so even carrying Katsuki didn't really slow him down.
Once he got to the door he looked at Yagi, "Could you knock for me, please? I've got my hands full."
Yagi nodded and took a breath before knocking on the door. It only took a few moments for Inko to come open it and come face to face with Yagi.
She blinked at him for a moment, immediately recognizing the similarities to her husband. "Are you… who my son said he was bringing over for me to meet?"
"Uh… yes. I'm…" Yagi cleared his throat, obviously trying not to cough up blood in front of her just yet, "I'm Yagi Toshinori."
Katsuki spotted the look on Aunty Inko’s face and gave Izuku the biggest shit-eating grin he could manage. That was too perfect, in his opinion. He looked back over at Aunty Inko, figuring he’d have to reassure her that he wasn’t injured since he was so rarely the one being carried.
"Shut up Kacchan." Izuku whined quietly, hiding his face in Katsuki's hair.
"You two alright?" Inko asked, looking at the two boys.
"Just fine mom. No injuries." Izuku replied before a thought crossed his mind, "We… might need the day off from school for this though."
Inko blinked, "Oh? This must be important then. Come on inside." She stepped back from the door gesturing inside, "I was making some tea, would you like some?"
"Tea would be nice." Yagi replied, looking somewhat nervous.
Once they made it into the kitchen Inko asked, "Izuku didn't explain who you were or why you were coming over in his text. Why did you need to speak with me?"
Katsuki snickered, but took pity on Izuku. He curled up closer so that Izuku could make it through the door without difficulty. Once they were in the kitchen, Katsuki eyed Yagi. He wasn’t sure if the man even knew how to start a conversation like this.
Yagi hesitated for a moment, deciding on an approach, before plunging right ahead. “I was speaking with your son and his soulmate, and the subject of soulmate quirks came up. I told them about mine, and was promptly informed, by both of them, that it matched your quirk.”
Inko froze for a moment looking at Yagi before looking at Izuku and Katsuki. "Your… soulmate quirk matches mine." She took a slow breath in, "What is your quirk?"
Izuku knew she was being careful with this. None of them knew what her soulmates quirk was. To be perfectly honest she was probably a bit scared of finding her soulmate after so many people told her for so long that she'd forget about Hisashi the moment she met them. Izuku knew she wouldn't though, and Inko knew that too. Though the fear was still there. Maybe that's why she never told Izuku what hers was?
Yagi hesitated for a moment. “The simplest way to explain it is a strength enhancement quirk. It takes the physical strength the user has and amplifies it to almost superhuman levels.”
Katsuki hummed slightly. If Aunty really was his soulmate, he’d have to tell her the truth eventually. He must be playing it safe too. Who knows how many people over the years had tried to claim to be All Might’s soulmate .
Inko sucked in a sharp breath, "That… That sounds like mine. I…" Tears started rolling down her face, "I- I don't know what to say I- how… how do you even confirm..?" She looked towards Izuku and Katsuki for an answer, her child having more experience in this than her.
Izuku carefully put Katsuki down to stand on his own so he could sign, Hug him. You'll know. It feels right.
Inko looked back to Yagi, hesitating for a moment before getting closer and wrapping her arms around him after checking to make sure he was okay with it. She let out a small laugh in between her tears and Izuku knew immediately just from that, that they were actually soulmates.
Katsuki grinned, leaning against Izuku. They had been right! That was a relief to know. Of course, what was left of their theories was the depressing half. Who was supposed to bring that up? Yagi? Izuku? Was there even a right answer?
Yagi blinked, unsure how to feel about the hug, but relaxing into it automatically. Was this what that was supposed to feel like, then? It felt… odd, but comforting at the same time. Like a warm bath after a long day of work.
Izuku hummed and kissed Katsuki's cheek, happy for his mom. He knew they'd need to bring up the whole bit about Yagi possibly being his dad's twin, but that could wait till after Yagi and Inko got comfortable. "You might be a little attached today now." Izuku reminded them. "But… you two have work and stuff, so maybe don't do what we did? Take it a little slower. I have no idea if it'll help but…" He cleared his throat, "Better than not being able to stop touching for more than a minute or two for two weeks."
Katsuki grumbled. “Also don’t, y’know, find out and hide it for two years , which might have had something to do with why we were so touchy.” He kissed Izuku lightly on the cheek. “Though we still haven’t quite figured out the ‘not touching’ thing, either.” He slid his arm around Izuku’s waist, as though to prove his own point.
Yagi snorted, before Katsuki’s remark registered. “Two years?” He asked, disbelieving.
Izuku pouted and shrunk into himself a bit, "Y-Yeah. Two years. I didn't um… I didn't know how to tell him. Thought he'd be disappointed, I guess? And I only know about my quirk because of him. I thought I was quirkless then." He curled into Katsuki a bit more and sighed, "Yeah, not touching is gonna be a chore." Izuku made a face, "We're probably not going to be able to hold hands in class anymore once we're in high school. That's gonna be weird."
Katsuki made a face. “Yeah, well, they can try and stop us. Though it will probably concern our teachers for a while that we still act like our bond is brand new. But it’s just… comfortable like this. Plus sometimes hugs are the only thing that calm either of us down from an anxiety attack.” He leaned in, making sure to give Izuku their typical warning before kissing him. “Love you,” he said softly.
Izuku hummed, “Love you too, Kacchan.” He pulled back a bit to look at Katsuki’s face and cradle it in one hand, forgetting about Yagi and his mother for a moment. He smiled lightly, “Don’t tell me you’re still going to do the chair test even at UA?” Izuku giggled, “What if that actually gets us in trouble there! Depending on where our seats are set up we could always just keep in contact with our ankles or something instead if we have to.”
Katsuki smiled back. “Nah, I’ll just make you sit on my lap rather than in your assigned seat. That’ll be the UA version of the chair test.”
Yagi blinked several times. “Do they… do that often?”
Inko laughed quietly, “Quite often. They end up in their own little world together. It’s very cute.”
Izuku sputtered and started blushing a deep red. “ Kacchan .” He whined, “We are not doing that first day. That’s embarrassing! Do you really want that to be our first impression?”
“Yes,” Katsuki answered simply. “You’re mine and I want all of them to know it. I’m proud to have you as my soulmate.” He leaned back in to kiss Izuku again, having not moved his hand since they broke apart after the last kiss. “I love you and I want the world to know it.”
Izuku melted into the kiss with a hum, resting their foreheads together after they parted. “I’ll think about it, okay?” He said with a soft, fond smile. “Just keep in mind…” Izuku tapped Katsuki’s ring, “These already make that pretty obvious. I’m yours, and you’re mine.”
Katsuki hummed in agreement. “Always and forever.” He added quietly. He couldn’t help but stare at their rings for a moment. “Still find it hard to believe you said yes.”
Yagi cleared his throat. “As cute as this is…” he hedged.
Katsuki turned bright red at the reminder that they had an audience. He had to remember those sorts of things!
“I asked you first you dork.” Izuku reminded Katsuki quietly, before turning a similar shade of red as Katsuki. Looking at his mother he saw she was calling the school to tell them they’re staying home and saw that even though she stepped away just fine she was gravitating towards him. Maybe it wasn’t as uncomfortable for them? At least not yet. Katsuki and he had slept in a bed together overnight before attempting to really separate fully.
Katsuki supposed that it could have been due to any number of factors that they didn’t do well separated. Hell, maybe the bond even took into account that they didn’t want to separate and so made it difficult for them to do so. That was a thought. He signed that thought out to Izuku. Now that he was thinking that way, it did make a lot of sense. Katsuki would be the first to admit that having Izuku by his side was a calming thing.
Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki’s sign, smiling lightly. “That would be us… changing our own bond like that. I’ll have to write that down.” He mumbled. Izuku looked up at Yagi again, “Uhm… so this is probably a little weird, and our bond seems a little different than yours, but we can probably help if you have any questions? Articles online don’t help much with this stuff.”
Yagi looked… slightly relieved at the offer? “That would be… helpful, I would imagine.” He replied slowly. He was probably newer to this than Inko was. At least she’d had the opportunity to see her child develop and latch onto his own bonds if nothing else.
Katsuki snorted. Of course, they’d be the pair that would change their own bond to suit them. And they must have done, otherwise, why would so many people comment on their clinginess being like that of a new bond. Not a lot of others must be like that. On one hand, Katsuki appreciated their ability to alter their bond. On the other, couldn’t they have at least one normal thing? Just one?
“It was definitely a little weird figuring out most of this stuff on our own, yeah.” Izuku replied, “Uncle Masaru helped a bit though. But every bond is at least a little different I think? We’d known each other since we were babies before our bond, so we kinda knew how each other ticked for the most part already. It won’t be like that for you though. Much bigger learning curve...” He thought for a moment, “Oh! Here’s somewhere to start. How’s the bond feel? You can summon her quirk so you must know what to look for.”
Yagi was quiet for a moment, considering. “...This seems weird, but it feels...warm? I suppose that’s the most apt description.” He said after a few minutes. He looked mildly confused still, but was willing to roll with it.
Katsuki grinned. “Warm sounds about right. It’s Aunty after all.”
Izuku nodded in agreement. "I'm assuming that's a little different than it was before, yeah?" He asked. Izuku cleared his throat, "Because of… the two years... I'm a little more familiar with the differences? It felt different when it first solidified, then when I discovered Kacchan was on the other end, then when I confirmed it, and even once we both had confirmed it." He explained, "The last few steps just happened at basically the same time for you though."
He smiled, "The feeling is a nice reminder of how your relationship is going though. Like, a physical thing you can check if you get anxious about it like I do." Izuku leaned into Katsuki a bit. "Over time you'll feel it get stronger, or weaker I guess depending. But, it's actually easier to pinpoint once it starts getting stronger so it's easier to call on which is nice."
“Doesn’t always stop the anxiety…” Katsuki noted, “But we also never really separate, which helps.” He adjusted how he was satnding to make it easier for Izuku to lean against him.
Yagi seemed… mildly fascinated by everything they’d figured out about bonds. He said as much as well. “The fact that you’ve figured all of this out, mostly by yourselves, is certainly impressive.”
Izuku smiled sheepishly, "Well… we do have three years under our belt of being together now. Which is kind of crazy to think about." He hummed smiling at Katsuki, "We're still figuring out things though. Like… just yesterday we figured out how to send feelings through the bond?"
Izuku looked at Yagi again, "It's emotions… but not quite. There's more to it and you can't really describe it with words. That'd probably be a ways off for you though… we have a lot of experiences together. And those feelings usually correlate with a memory from what we tested I think? Again it's hard to explain."
Yagi offered a small smile. “I would imagine that would, indeed, be a ways off, considering your mother and I just met.” He replied gently.
Katsuki glanced over at Inko. “‘Zuku, maybe we should give them some time alone?” He suggested. “They probably need it as much as we did.”
Izuku nodded to Katsuki. "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea. You both can talk and… just call us down if you need anything?" Izuku said just as Inko finished in the phone. "Questions or even just…" He laughed quietly, remembering, "Not wanting to get up to grab something because you'll have to separate or stop your conversation."
Inko shook her head at her son, "Definitely had to do that a few times during your two weeks for you. We should be fine though Izu, we'll call you down if we do need you though. You've got the day off to help."
"M'kay mom," Izuku replied, taking Katsuki's hand before looking up to him. "Our room then?"
Katsuki nodded, leading the way towards the stairs. Once they were there, he sat down on the bed, and on an impulse, sent the overwhelming love and affection he was feeling towards Izuku through their bond. Reaching out to pull him close, he let their bond show how he felt rather than looking for words.
Izuku laughed happily feeling that rush of love and affection. Wiping away the tears that wanted to fall from it, he sent his own wave of love and affection back as he wrapped himself around Katsuki. Izuku would never get tired of this sort of thing.
Katsuki rested his forehead against Izuku’s chest. It was as overwhelming as it was the first time, to feel what his soulmate felt for him. He wrapped his arms around Izuku’s waist. “Guess we’ll have to practice that some more so we’re a little less likely to cry every time, huh?”
Izuku smiled down at Katsuki, "Maybe. I don't mind it too much like this though. Happy crying is a lot better than crying because I'm sad or upset."
“That’s true,” Katsuki admitted. “Though it all feels the same to me, but that’s probably a me thing, more than anything else.”
"Do you want me to stop?" Izuku asked as he brought up a hand to gently scratch Katsuki's scalp.
If Katsuki could purr, he probably would be right now. “Nah. I just need to get used to it, I think. It actually feels pretty amazing, to be able to directly experience what you’re feeling, instead of relying on words.”
"Definitely." Izuku agreed. "Words can't really describe this sort of feeling." He smiled softly seeing how relaxed and content Katsuki seemed. "You like the scalp massage huh?"
Katsuki ‘hmm’ed in acknowledgment, leaning against Izuku. “Could fall ‘sleep like this.” He muttered, his volume dropping slightly. “Shouldn’t take nap, too early…”
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't. It'll throw off your sleep schedule." Izuku agreed, he leaned back a bit so he could look at Katsuki's face better, "Do you have something you want to do while we're up here? Or I can just keep talking with you to keep you up." He stopped scratching to run his fingers through Katsuki's hair a bit, "Your hair is really soft Kacchan."
Katsuki snorted, waking back up a bit. “I have no idea how, either. It’s spiky as hell, which apparently also means fluffy? I don’t understand it.” He grumbled. “It’s not like I do anything special either, besides brush it regularly.” He tilted his head up, leaning up slightly to kiss Izuku on the chin, too lazy to reach any higher at the moment.
"Maybe it's the nitroglycerin?" Izuku suggested. "Mine's gotten softer and fluffier too with you helping… though that could just be because you make sure I take care of it now." Izuku leaned down to give Katsuki an actual kiss. "I've gone the longest consecutive days without me just throwing it in a ponytail because of you. Just because you're here to complain every morning if I don't actually take care of it."
Katsuki snorted, snuggling more firmly against Izuku. “That’s… possible. I’ll have to do some research on that.” He gave Izuku a stinkeye. “In your case, it’s probably both. Curly hair needs consistent care, and if it takes me nagging you to make sure that happens, I’ll do it.”
"Yeah yeah, I hear you." Izuku replied, looking a bit amused at the stinkeye."Still, you probably will have to until the day I get fed up and just shave it off." He hummed, running a hand through his hair as he did the same to Katsuki. "At least you don't have to nag me about showers or stuff like that? That I do just fine for the most part, even on my bad days.”
Katsuki snorted at the mental image that brought up. "That's one plus. Imagine my having to make you take showers." He rolled his eyes. "You keep threatening to shave it, but I'm not sure I believe you actually will. I think that's going to be an 'I'll believe it when I see it' from me."
Izuku stuck his tongue out at Katsuki with a grin. “Don’t leave the razor out then and you won’t have to.” He joked, “Maybe at this length, I wouldn’t… but if it got much longer I’d probably strongly consider it.” Izuku paused before thinking out loud, “Actually... How long even is it now without my curls? I haven’t been thinking about it much to check before I dry it.”
Katsuki thought for a minute. "Well, next time you shower, we can find out. Curls do make it look shorter, though, so I'd guess almost to your shoulders, at least, at this point."
Izuku nodded. Pulling one of the strands down to look at it he asked, “You think I should try growing it out for a bit? It’d probably get pretty long if I left it. My hair grows quick.” Doing some mental math and mumbling Izuku added, “If the current growth rate is anything to go by… Just a year and it could be down to my mid back. Then I could make a wig or something when I did cut it.”
Katsuki snorted. “Why would you make a wig out of your own hair?” He asked, not even sure he wanted to know the answer to that. “If you wanna grow it out, do it. Just don’t kvetch when it takes more effort to care for the longer it gets.”
“Why not ?” Izuku replied with a small laugh, “Then if I missed it I could just use the wig while it’s short, and I’d have a new wig to add to my arsenal. And yeah caring for it will be a pain, but I’ll know when it cut it then once it gets seriously bad.” He looked at Katsuki’s face for a few moments before snorting, “ I just imagined you with my hair oh my god. That’s such a weird picture. My floof wouldn’t fit your personality at all.”
Katsuki had a moment of what could only be described as a blue screen of death while he attempted to picture himself with Izuku’s hair. “Hell, if you do make the wig I might fucking borrow it just to screw with people,” he remarked with a grin.
Izuku started to giggle, “I really really want to now just for that. It’d be hilarious .” Another thought came to mind and he started to giggle more, “We- We could totally ‘switch’ for a day and cosplay each other. Pretend it was a quirk mishap or something. It’d be so weird and funny.”
Katsuki snorted, then cracked up after a minute. “We should totally do it. First day at UA that’s how we walk in the door.” He offered, amused as hell at the idea. “Hell, the whole first week we do that, then go back to normal the second week. They’ll be so confused.”
Izuku went into a full blown giggle fit, “I don’t even know what they’d say . Especially if we acted like nothing was different!” He leaned into Katsuki to try and prevent himself from giggling right off the bed, “This is the best idea we’ve ever had.”
Katsuki leaned against Izuku, breathless with laughter. “There’s only a couple inches difference between us. It’ll be a test. Which of our classmates notice the change.” He continued to snicker for a minute, then made an ‘o’ when an idea struck him. “We could mix it up even more.”
“H-How so?” Izuku asked, slowly coming down from his giggle fit.
Katsuki grinned. “Our quirks. We could just use each others. Or! We could use our soulmates’. Like, one of us uses ice, the other fire. And then rotate what quirk we use each day that week and pretend we don’t know what anyone’s talking about when they ask about the other quirks.” He offered. “With the obvious exceptions being our soulmates when we meet them.”
Izuku shook his head with a snort, “Now you’re making it too complicated. We could just use them all. And not answer when they ask what ours is. Or say it’s each other’s for that week like you suggested which…” He snorted, “Makes no sense with how your costume is themed. I could get away with it. You? Not so much. It’s heavily explosion themed.”
Katsuki hummed in thought. “True. We could use our own dressed as each other and wear out own costumes, then keep using our own quirks and costumes after we switch back?” He offered instead. Damn his costume choice, ruining a perfectly good prank. “This is why two fourteen-year-olds should not have any sort of power.”
Izuku hummed, “Maybe.” He laughed quietly again, “Yeah that’s true. We’ve got way too much power right now. It’s fun though.” Izuku pulled himself close with Katsuki again, resting his head on him. “I really like moments like this with you Kacchan. I love you so much.”
Katsuki smiled stupidly at his soulmate. “I like any sort of time spent with you. I never knew it was possible to be this in love with someone, but here we are. I only wish I could have proposed sooner. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.” He wrapped around Izuku like an octopus. “Speaking of which, how long do we need to be engaged before Dad and Aunty will let us marry, do you think?”
“Probably not till we’re 18 at least for one...” Izuku replied, “Even if we could marry earlier because of laws. But… we’d have been engaged longer than we were just dating for at that point so… I don’t think my mom would try and make us wait much longer than that.” He hummed and nuzzled as close as physically possible to Katsuki, “You don’t have to wait for us to spend the rest of our lives together though. We’re kind of already doing that.”
Katsuki stuck his tongue out at Izuku. “That’s true, we are.” He admitted. “I don’t think anything, or anyone, could make me happier than you do.” He told him honestly. “You’re everything I ever dreamed of, and more, even.”
That got Izuku to tear up again, “It’s the same for me Kacchan. You… You’ve always been amazing to me. And somehow my love for you just keeps growing. I’ve never been able to see myself without you near me.” He wiped the tears away, “You mean everything to me. You make me so happy all the time, and you know just how to help me when I’m not feeling happy. It’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
Katsuki made a sound very close to a squeak and turned bright red. He mumbled a quiet “Stahp,” burying his face in Izuku’s hair. “How do you come up with all these words when I’m tripping over my own tongue trying to get out a single romantic line? It’s not fair.” As revenge, he flooded the bond with how elated hearing the last bit Izuku said made him feel. “I promise, I’ll spend the rest of our lives trying to make you as happy as you make me.”
Izuku rolled his eyes even as tears started streaming down his face from the overwhelming amount of emotion he was feeling, “It’s not a competition Kacchan.” He let out a slow breath, enjoying Katsuki’s presence, “And I honestly don’t know how I come up with the words either. I just… see you and say the first thing that comes to mind. But… the fact that you try so hard to get one of those lines out still means a lot, Kacchan. It’s nice to hear.”
Katsuki tipped Izuku’s chin up, and leaned in to kiss him, pouring as much feeling into it as he could. He wiped Izuku’s tears away as best he could, before pulling him back into a hug. “It might not be a competition, but I don’t intend on ever letting you forget for a second exactly how hard I’ve fallen for you.” The dopey grin returned. “As long as I get to see your stunningly beautiful face every morning for the rest of my life, I don’t need anything else. Of course, I still intend to surpass All Might some day, but it… it’ll mean even more when we do it together.” He realized, as he said it, that it was true. If All Might was retiring, that meant his new goal would be to surpass Izuku. But leaving him behind would never be an option. They’d just have to reach number one together.
Izuku smiled at Katsuki lovingly, “Yeah. Together.” He sighed happily, relaxing into his fiance’s hug. “No matter how hard it is to get there, we’ll do it together. No matter how many bad days either of us have, or how many times we stumble, we’re going to get there. Together.”
Katsuki had to sniffle and hide his face. He wasn’t letting go of his goal. He would still be number one. Only they would be number one. And no matter what the world- or villains, for that matter- threw at them, neither of them would ever have to face it alone. They’d taken on the slime monster together. They’d get even stronger and do that for any villain that dared to challenge them.
“Today is a crying day for us, huh?” Izuku commented before pulling back from the hug so he could kiss Katsuki. “While my anxiety is at an all time low I’m just going to say this, Kacchan. No matter what happens I know you won’t ever stop loving me. My anxiety likes to trick me sometimes, but I know that’s true.” He kissed Katsuki’s forehead, “And I’m never going to stop loving you. My love for you can only grow. Even if we have a fight or something in the future, I know that’ll never stop.”
“Damn right.” Katsuki affirmed. “No matter how angry we might get at each other in the future, we’ll always be there for each other, and ready to smother the other in affection, even when we feel we don’t deserve it. The fact that we were intimately familiar with each other’s bullshit even before the bond solidified only helps that.”
“Mhm.” Izuku replied simply. “Though… um… do you ever wonder if our being so close already… will make things hard for our other bonded?” He asked, “We’re already together, and know each others in and outs by heart. But they won’t have that experience. I…” He nuzzled into Katsuki’s neck, “I just hope they don’t get intimidated by it or something. I’ve got plenty of love to give but… they won’t know that.”
Katsuki was quiet for a moment. “At first, maybe. But I think… once they get to know you, it won’t matter. No one who takes the time to actually get to know you could or would miss how wonderful of a person you are. Fuck knows we’ll both be just as ridiculously clingy with them as we are with each other. It’s just how we operate at this point. I think the only reason we wouldn’t is if one of them was made genuinely uncomfortable by that.”
Izuku nodded slowly, "I… I guess the big thing that's scaring me is… what if they try to hide the bond like I did because of it? I don't want to do that again… but it's not like I'm the only one who could do it."
Katsuki gave that concern the consideration he felt it deserved. It was a valid concern to have. Thankfully, he was confident he had an answer for it. “Well, if they’re ours, they’ll know, probably just from the way we act, that we’re soulmates, even if my quirk is the only one they’ve figured out of the two. Knowing that, they’ll have to get touches from both of us or risk soulsickness. So we keep an eye out for patterns. Who purposely seeks out physical contact with us on a regular basis? If they’re serious about being a hero, they won’t want to debilitate themselves just to avoid us. And if they do push it too far, it should be obvious who is trying to suffer in silence, especially with both of us using your quirk.”
Izuku let out a slow breath, "Yeah, that's a good point. We can do our own part to make sure they don't suffer in silence by watching." He hummed and relaxed fully again, "Thanks Kacchan. Again, you always seem to know what to say."
Katsuki let out a hum. “Not always. Usually I just end up pulling something out of my ass that ends up working.” He responded. He carded his fingers through Izuku’s curls. “It’s the fact that it ends up working that I care about.”
Izuku leaned into Katsuki's hand, "Yeah, but even if you're 'pulling it out of your ass' it still works 99% of the time. That's still you knowing what to say, even if you feel like you're pulling it out of nowhere." He closed his eyes, "Remember that time I got really confused after turning in an essay I completely bs'ed, and got a perfect score on? I may have felt I bs'ed it, but that's only because what I put on paper seemed like the obvious answer. I was running off experience when I was writing it and it just worked. Or at least that's what our teacher said."
Katsuki blinked. “I remember that essay. I still don’t know how the hell you pulled that off. The teacher assigned us two completely different topics so we wouldn’t do the ‘turning in the assignment with both our names on it’ trick as much.” He recalled. “That was confusing at the time, but it’s hilarious now looking back.”
Izuku laughed quietly, "It sure is. But you get my point now?" He pulled back to boop Katsuki on the nose, "You're smarter than you think you are, Kacchan."
Katsuki went slightly cross-eyed to try to follow Izuku’s finger. He twitched his nose slightly. “Was that absolutely necessary?” He asked, before booping Izuku’s nose back.
Izuku snorted, "100% necessary." He leaned forward to rest their foreheads together with a smile, "You didn't answer my question though, Kacchan. I just want to make sure you realize just how intelligent you can be."
Katsuki made a noise that was somewhere between fondly annoyed and exasperated. “Yes, nerd, I realize it.” He gave Izuku a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Love you, you absolute dork .”
"Love you too, Kacchan." Izuku replied, looking extremely happy with himself. He hummed, "You know… people always thought it was weird when we were little and I could be perfectly content doing nothing but cuddling. But honestly there's nothing I feel like doing more right now." Izuku snuggled back into his favorite place, resting his head against Katsuki's neck and shoulder. "All I need is my Kacchan."
Katsuki snorted. “...Yeah, I know how that feels. I could do nothing but cuddle you for a whole day and I’d easily be one of the happiest people in the world, just curled up like this with you.” He rested his head against Izuku’s. “People can think it’s weird all they want. I don’t care about the opinions of extras. The only opinions I care about are yours, Dad’s, Aunty’s, Uncle's and… maybe Yagi’s. I guess.”
Izuku smiled, "I still can't believe you call people extras Kacchan. Like we're the protagonists of some anime. We may be the main characters of our story, but in their story we're the extras." He sighed, "But I know where you're coming from. And I'm not surprised Yagi got added to that list so quick considering who he is."
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You just said it yourself. In our story, of how we become number one, they are all irrelevant side characters. Extras. Their opinions don’t matter to me because, in the long run, they don’t matter to me.” He snorted. “I said maybe . I still value Uncle Hisashi’s opinion more. As it should be.”
Izuku let out an exasperated sigh, "Yeah, alright. I still think it's mean though. I know you'd get pissed hearing someone call you or me an extra." He shook his head, "That maybe is because we barely know him personally yet. But he's still on the list. He's our favorite hero, of course you'd say his opinion matters." Izuku giggled, "And my dad's matters because if he thinks you're hurting me he actually legitimately threatened to come back to Japan just to roast you with his quirk. I still can't believe he actually gave you the shovel talk."
Katsuki snickered. “One, you do realize Uncle Hisashi would be in for the fastest losing battle ever if he tried that, right? Two, his opinion matters more because he’s family. Three, the maybe is because we don’t know yet how he’ll react to Aunty refusing to leave Uncle. Favorite hero or not if he tries to force it you know damn well we’ll both destroy him.”
"He'd still try , I'm completely confident he would. He'd lose but he'd try. I know it’s because he’s family though, that was more of a joke." Izuku replied. He frowned, "Yeah I hope that doesn't happen either. I'd rather not have to kick the Symbol of Peace's ass because he hurt my mom. Hopefully that comes up in conversation soon so we'll know. Plus there's the whole twin thing we need to figure out."
Katsuki laughed remembering that. “That just makes my comment about Aunty having a type even more fitting. Married to her soulmate’s twin seems like the plot to a bad romcom.” A little more seriously, he continued. “Whatever way that plays out, people are not going to look kindly on Aunty for her choice. Society places almost as high a value on soulmates as it does on quirks. Which, while I understand the emphasis, it just sucks that it comes with a side of judgement from idiots who can’t think for themselves.”
Izuku nodded solemnly. "Yeah… people already judged her for marrying my dad. And then having me with him. The fact that she's met her soulmate and is going to stay with him is going to make things worse. No matter how her relationship with Yagi develops." He sighed, "I get it. But at the same time I really don't. Sure it's fate but some bonds are platonic! Some people don't meet their soulmate at all. People act like you can't love outside your bond and it always has to be romantic within it which makes no sense."
"We have a romantic relationship obviously. But we could have platonic ones with one or both of our other soulmates. And even then I'd be cool with them dating outside the bond as long as they don't try and keep it a secret and are honest if it's a romantic one." Izuku continued. "I just…" He groaned, "I really hate people sometimes. Our society can be extremely stupid."
“Besides, our relationship was platonic for years . We grew up together. If we hadn’t had that background, who knows if we ever would have developed a romantic relationship. We both had feelings for each other that developed, at least as far as I can tell, before the bond did, based on the fact that we knew each other so well. So people who try to say ‘oh it’s because you’re soulmates’ are just... wrong. Not to mention stupid.” Katsuki, realizing he was ranting, tried to rein it back. “Soulbonds don’t make romantic connections. They just link us to people who will help us grow.”
Izuku smiled in agreement, "Mhm. I couldn't have put it a better way." He put a hand to his chest, "You've helped me grow a lot. And I think that maybe part of the reason some bonds break is because people refuse to grow. They refuse to change. It's not necessarily that one or both people were bad, they could've just been stubborn in all the worst ways."
Katsuki thought for a moment. That was an easier way to think about it than his mother being a horrible person. She was just stubborn. Like him. Except she didn’t have someone like Izuku. She could have had, in Aunty, but she decided to do something else instead, and it cost her everything in the end. He sighed. “Maybe.” It would probably be obvious to Izuku where his mind went with that.
Izuku put his hands up to cradle Katsuki's face, knowing Katsuki thought of his mother. And just in case he needed the reminder he wasn't her again, he decided to lay it out. "Kacchan, you're stubborn, we both are, but not like that. We're willing to change and grow, she wasn't and that was her choice." He rubbed his thumb over the place he still remembered the bruise had formed before they left Mitsuki behind. "She made her decisions. She was stubborn in all the worst ways and unwilling to change. If she had listened to the things people told her, maybe she wouldn't have gotten so bad, but she crossed a line and there was no going back."
He took a breath before continuing to speak, "Unlike her you actually listen to the people close to you. You've learned and aren't going to make the same mistakes. Sometimes you're too stubborn for your own good, but you always come around when it really counts." Izuku gave him a soft kiss. "I promised you I wouldn't let you turn into her. I promised I'd tell you if you started going there so our bond never got that bad. I haven't had to, because you are good and you've never gone in that direction for even a second."
Izuku smiled softly, "We will fight and have our petty arguments, and there might be times where you stay stubborn. But I know for a fact you'll never cross the line she did. You're not her Kacchan, and you'll never be her."
Katsuki sucked in a sharp breath when Izuku not only predicted where his mind went, but knew he'd need the reminder before he even did. He gave Izuku the softest, sappiest smile he'd never admit crossed his face at the kiss.
When Izuku pointed out that he hadn't had to pull Katsuki back from turning into his mother, he exhaled slowly. When Izuku insisted it was because he was good , Katsuki felt the tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He tried to blink them away, like usual, but to his surprise, they didn't go away. Instead, his vision started to blur. He blinked rapidly, startled when tears slipped out and down his cheeks.
"I always told myself that somehow, it was my fault. That because I was like this, that caused her to be like that. That if I'd just endured being her daughter, she'd… who knows. Something." Katsuki admitted, refusing to vocalize the 'she'd still love me' that had crossed his mind.
Izuku wiped the tears out of Katsuki's eyes for him, "It was never your fault, Kacchan. She could have stopped to at least consider your feelings. To consider changing her view. She could have, but she didn't want to. What she wanted was someone who would do whatever she said and would let her do whatever she wanted to them. She didn't want a daughter. She didn't want a son." He tilted his head slightly, looking meaningfully into Katsuki's eyes. "What she wanted was a pawn, and you didn't let yourself become that. And to be perfectly honest, I think the same thing would have happened had you been born a cis male, or even a cis female."
He pulled Katsuki gently into a hug, "She loved the idea of what she wanted you to be. But she wouldn't have been happy even if that's what you actually were. Her approval, in any way shape or form would have cost you your happiness, your personality, everything. That's not worth the cost. It's not worth losing yourself." Izuku rubbed Katsuki's back softly, "I love you, Kacchan. I love you for who you are. And so does your dad, my dad, my mom, our whole family. That's all that matters." He let out a tiny laugh, "You're the one who keeps saying you don't care what some 'extras' think of you. And if anyone is an extra in our story, it's her."
Katsuki pressed his face into Izuku, not sure what to do or say. The tears weren't stopping, and the fact that pretty much everything Izuku was saying was something Katsuki knew to be true- even if he never wanted to admit to it- was not helping. He wrapped his arms around Izuku, knowing from experience watching him that it was a losing fight to try to stop crying once he'd started.
He snorted at Izuku calling his mother an extra. He knew his soulmate wasn't fond of her, but to hear him use a term he'd complained about being mean told him a lot about how Izuku really felt about her. "If I hadn't had you and my dad, I might have still tried. I'm not even sure I want to think about the effect that would have had on our relationship."
“Yeah… I don’t really want to think about that either.” Izuku replied, continuing to rub circles into Katsuki’s back to help him through his crying. “Let’s not get stuck on what if’s again, alright? I am very aware how bad those spirals can get. You’re here now, and you’re loved. There’s nothing we can do to change the past, even if we want to.”
Still shocked at how much he was actually managing to cry, Katsuki nodded slightly instead of trying to verbalize anything. Though Izuku always being apologetic about crying into Katsuki's shirt was starting to make sense. Crying over his mother who couldn't be bothered to do anything but reject him, how pathetic was that? Yet even thinking that didn't stop the tears.
Izuku leaned his head against Katsuki’s gently. Instead of making shushing sounds, as he wanted to make sure Katsuki knew he wasn’t trying to get him to be quiet and stop crying, Izuku hummed the song Katsuki tended to hum softly. Swaying them side to side slowly and gently as he did so.
Katsuki can’t help but be annoyed with himself. Why won’t the tears stop? He usually has better control over himself than this. What is wrong with him? Why is Izuku so uniquely capable of breaking down every wall and defense he thought he had? It doesn’t make any damn sense. Stop crying already, you weakling! The voice in the back of his mind snapped at him. You want to be a boy so badly, then act like one!
"You really needed this, didn't you?" Izuku commented quietly, seeing how Katsuki was still crying. "Take your time and get it all out, Kacchan. Something tells me you've been bottling up these tears for a while. But they've got to come out eventually." He pulled back from the hug for just a moment to wipe some of the tears away for him again, and to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before going back to holding him and rocking them both back and forth.
Angry at himself, and that voice that still sounds like his damn mother , Katsuki tries to force himself to stop crying. Izuku being so calm and accepting isn’t helping. Finally, the leaks in his face stop, and he pulls back, wiping his eyes to hide the evidence. “Never doing that again.” He grumbles. “It sucks and I hate it, and I get why doing it so much bothers you.” He sighed. “But, weirdly, I feel better after doing that? Is that normal?” He frowns at the wet spot on Izuku’s shirt. More evidence of his lack of control, fantastic.
Izuku nodded, "It sucks while it's happening, but you'll usually feel better afterwards." He smiled lightly at him, "You say never again, but if you ever need to just let me know okay? I'll be there for you. I hate doing it because I do it excessively , but I know I need it sometimes."
He looked down at his shirt, "Don't worry about that. I just have to throw it in the laundry now and it'll be fine." Izuku quickly pulled it over his head, seeing as they were alone in his room anyway and he didn't mind Katsuki seeing him shirtless as much. He quickly tossed it into the hamper on the other side of the room before looking back at Katsuki. "You probably need something to drink after that, do you want me to run down and grab you something or do you want to come with?"
Katsuki blinked, considering for a moment. “I… I’ll come with.” He decided. “Otherwise I’ll probably fall asleep up here, and we just decided it was too early in the day for a nap.” He tried to keep his tone light, to hide what he was thinking, but he was sure Izuku would see right through it.
Izuku sighed and leaned forward to give Katsuki a kiss. He then took Katsuki's hand in his and started to scoot out of the bed. "I didn't really want to leave you alone up here after that anyway Kacchan." He looked at him with a gentle smile, "Your eyes are all puffy though and we're going to probably walk past Yagi, so if you need to, you can hide your face against me, okay? I know you don't like showing that part of yourself."
Katsuki returned the kiss with no hesitation. Afterwards, he followed Izuku off the bed, resting his forehead against his. “Yeah. Thanks.” He heaved a sigh. Emotions were exhausting. Squeezing Izuku’s hand, he started for the stairs, before stopping. “Do you want to grab another shirt? I know people seeing your scars makes you uncomfortable.”
Izuku froze for a moment, putting his free hand over one of his shoulders. "I didn't even… yeah. Yeah, let me grab another shirt real quick." He took a breath, quickly throwing on another shirt before returning to Katsuki. He was so used to taking his shirt off when they trained with the fire so he didn't burn it, he hadn't even thought about the fact that Yagi had been there. Had he noticed the scars? What if he thought Katsuki had caused them? That was always the worst idea that came to mind whenever he thought about the possibility of someone seeing his scars. His scars weren't Katsuki's fault.
Katsuki leaned in, pressing his forehead against Izuku’s. “Fair warning, I’m going to kiss you in about five seconds.” He commented idly, taking his bonded’s hands in his own. He counted to five in his head, before leaning in and kissing him. He let the kiss linger for a moment, so Izuku could respond if he wanted to. When he pulled back, he smiled. “I love you, Midoriya Izuku.” He said softly. He knew they were falling into the trap of being unbearable saps again, but it was worth it.
Izuku smiled against Katsuki's lips as they kissed. "I love you too, Bakugou Katsuki." He gave Katsuki one more quick kiss before pulling him towards the stairs, "We're going to get distracted kissing again, and you need a drink. You're going to be all dehydrated from all that crying otherwise."
Snickering, Katsuki followed without a complaint, only stopping at the top of the stairs to press a quick kiss to Izuku’s cheek. “Yes, self care. The thing I’m always nagging you about,” He teased. When they got downstairs, Katsuki looked for Aunty Inko and Yagi, curious as to how things were going with them. They seem to have migrated to sitting close together on the couch, which is at least progress.
Izuku rolled his eyes fondly at Katsuki, focusing on getting Katsuki some water first before he checked in on his mom and Yagi, and pulled them into the kitchen. He filled a glass up for himself as well after getting Katsuki his, having cried a bit himself, and hopped up to sit on the counter while he drank. Inko didn't exactly appreciate it when Izuku did it, but Izuku never got in trouble for it. Sometimes the counter was just comfier, he didn't know why.
"You make me drink at least two glasses after a cry like that. So, same for you Kacchan." Izuku said, kicking his feet lightly.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, knowing before Izuku even said it that his own tendency to mother hen was going to come back to bite him in the ass. He drained the glass quickly, before refilling it, and leaned against the counter next to Izuku, drinking the second one much slower than the first. He reached up with his free hand to grab hold of Izuku’s, twining their fingers together purely out of habit. The itch under his skin when he and Izuku weren't in contact vanished years ago, but it’s still more comfortable to be in contact than not. Besides, the way Izuku smiles when Katsuki holds his hand would make the gesture worth it even if it wasn’t a habit.
Izuku hummed, smiling fondly at Katsuki. "How are you feeling right now Kacchan?" He asked.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, taking another drink of water. “I feel like I want coffee. Emotions are fucking exhausting.”
"Water first. Then maybe coffee." Izuku replied. Setting his cup down, Izuku reached over to scratch Katsuki's scalp to help him relax a bit. "And they are, but being emotionless wouldn't be exactly fun either now would it." He hummed for a moment looking towards where the living room was. "If you do make coffee we should probably see if Yagi and mom want some."
Katsuki made a face. “Yeah, I know.” He replied tiredly to the comment about water first. He leaned into Izuku’s hand on his scalp. “Sometimes I wonder about that. Then I remember that that would mean giving up this …” He trailed off, bringing their joined hands up and placing a light kiss to Izuku’s knuckles, “And I realize that nothing is worth that. Nothing could ever be worth giving up how I feel for you.” He took another long drink of water.
"I wouldn't give it up either. Even if it meant I'd stop crying all the time." Izuku agreed, placing a light kiss in Katsuki's hair. "Sad times just make us appreciate the happy moments more though, right?"
“That’s also true.” Katsuki replied, nodding slowly. “ As much as the sad times suck.” He hummed softly. Finishing his water, he straightened. “Alright, let’s go see if Aunty wants any coffee.” He waits for Izuku to hop down before heading into the other room.
Izuku nodded, hopping off the counter to follow Katsuki and ask if they wanted some coffee to drink. "Mom? Yagi?" He asked softly, not wanting to disturb their conversation, "Would you guys want some coffee? We were going to make some."
Both adults paused and looked over at the two boys. "Some coffee does sound quite nice young M- er…" Yagi started before looking at Inko, unsure if he should keep referring to him as Midoriya.
Inko shook her head with a faint smile, "I'm sure Izuku wouldn't mind you calling him by his given name, Toshinori." Looking back to the boys she said, "If you're going to make it, I would like a cup too. Though… Izu? Could you come sit and talk with us for a bit after you get that? I need to ask you about something." Inko looked worried as she said the last sentence, and Izuku wasn't sure why she looked worried but he didn't like it.
Katsuki lightly tapped the small of his back. “You go, I’ll make the coffee. I was the one who wanted it to begin with, after all.” His expression didn’t show it, but he was a bit worried, too. He wondered if it had something to do with Izuku being All Might’s successor- if they’d even gotten to that yet. Aunty Inko did worry an awful lot. He kissed Izuku’s cheek lightly. “I’ll be right in the kitchen if you need me, okay?” Katsuki reminded him. With that said, he turned back into the kitchen to make the coffee, letting Izuku go in alone.
Izuku gave Katsuki a small smile and nod before finding a seat across from both adults. Both of them were looking at him slightly worried now as he shifted anxiously in his seat. "W-What did you need to ask me about, mom?"
Inko took a breath to steady herself, looking at Yagi for just a moment before she spoke, "Izuku… We were talking a bit, and Yagi was telling me about how he came to watch you spar this morning. W-When…" She closed her eyes for a moment before watching Izuku's expression, "When he was watching he noticed something… Izuku... Do you have burn scars?"
Izuku's heart dropped into his stomach. Yagi had noticed, and he told his mom.
"I didn't think too much of them at first, seeing how one would expect some scarring or something from the sort of training you both do, however she didn't know about it… and thinking about it the scarring was contained to only your shoulders at the front on both sides." Yagi explained.
Inko obviously noticed his heart drop, which only made her more worried. "He said they looked like they were older scars. Izuku, what happened?"
Izuku's breathing picked up a bit. "I- I- I… it… they're…" He stammered before looking towards the kitchen. He was panicking, he needed help before he sent himself into a panic attack over his mother finding out about the scars. "K-K-Kacchan?" Izuku called out, needing his support.
Katsuki had just started the coffee machine when he was practically bowled over by distress and panic from Izuku. Unsure what was going on, he sent as much affection and calm back as he could, walking towards the doorway. "'Zuku, everything alright?" He replied, poking his head through the doorway, resisting the urge to go right to him.
Izuku's throat locked up and he looked at Katsuki with tears in his eyes. "N-No. I- I… help." He said, shakily reaching out a hand.
Inko and Yagi's expressions grew more worried, giving each other a look of concern before looking back at Izuku. "Izu, you're not in trouble." Inko assured him. "I just want to know what those scars are from. The fact that you've hid them from me is… I'm just worried something happened Izuku."
Katsuki's feet were moving as soon as his brain registered the tears in Izuku's eyes. He moved to sit next to Izuku, wrapping his arms around the other. "Hey, hey. Shh. It's okay. You're alright." He said calmly. Hearing Aunty Inko mention the scars told him exactly what was going on. "Breathe, 'Zuku. It's alright. Everything is going to be alright. I promise."
Izuku whimpered and curled into Katsuki, trying to calm himself down. After taking some deep breaths, he looked back at the adults before hiding his face against Katsuki. It'd be easier to speak if he couldn't see their reactions. "T-They… the scars are…" Izuku started, "T-They're not j-just burns. I- It's… they're e-explosion s-scars. N-Not from Kacchan!" He assured them quickly, before speaking in a much quieter voice and pressing his face against his bonded. "I- I did them. I-It's been years since… b-but I did them."
Katsuki stayed quiet while Izuku explained. He'd seen the flash of suspicion in Yagi's eyes when Izuku said what they were. It was still there, no matter that the man tried to hide it. Admittedly, Katsuki had expected that, since it was his quirk, but seeing it plain as day from a man he'd looked up to since he was small still fucking stung. He didn't dare look at Aunty. He didn't know if he could handle her looking at him like that too.
He stroked Izuku's hair absently, looking down at his soulmate instead of at either adult.
Inko wasn't quite sure what to say. "I… you… Izuku, you hurt yourself? Dear, why didn't you say anyth-" She cut herself off, already knowing the answer to that question. Izuku never wanted to worry her, and he had hid plenty of things from her she was sure. Katsuki being his soulmate and him dealing with soulsickness alone had just been one. "I'm not upset with you, okay Izuku? Can you... tell me why, though?"
Izuku sniffled up against Katsuki, absently putting his hands right above his scars. "I… I um… K-Kacchan's quirk pushes out when I get angry." He explained, "T-The first time I used it… I was c-crying in my room, and I was so angry at myself for… for a lot of things. And… it happened on a-accident at first. But… I… I kept letting it happen, and it became a habit." He squeezed his shoulders and looked up at Katsuki, "Kacchan helped me break from that though after I told him. It's been… t-two and a half years or so since the last time? I didn't… I didn't stop right away. But him almost never leaving my side has helped."
He whimpered again and hid his face as the tears started again in full. "I'm so, so sorry mom. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Kacchan, I still… I'm sorry."
Katsuki let out a quiet, but relieved breath when the next words out of Aunty's mouth weren't the ones he was afraid of. When he noticed Izuku's hands on his shoulders, he moved his own to cover them. He pressed a light, comforting kiss into Izuku's hair. "There's nothing for you to apologise for, 'Zuku. Not to me at any rate." He said softly. He chanced a glance at Aunty and Yagi, hoping the suspicion would be gone from the latter's eyes by then.
"I'm… I'm saying sorry to you because I know people's first thought is going to be that I'm lying. That you did it and I'm covering for you because you're my soulmate." Izuku replied, breathing shakily and leaning into his touch. "Even though you'd never ever hurt me like that. Everyone always assumes that because I'm smiling all the time I'm too happy to do that sort of thing." He sighed, "Even though my smile was always fake back then…"
Inko never held suspicion in her eyes for Katsuki. She knew her son was being honest, though the fact that he had struggled so much on his own and she had never noticed broke her heart.
Yagi, only having met the boys in the last few days, had a harder time dropping his suspicion. That is until Izuku continued speaking and said why he was apologizing to Katsuki. The tone of voice he was using was the same it had been earlier when they had fallen into their own little world speaking to each other. And he sounded so upset that anyone would ever accuse Katsuki as Yagi himself had been thinking. And putting on a smile for other people's benefit, even if you were scared or sad, that was something he was extremely familiar with. The suspicion in his eyes fell away to a small amount of guilt for not trusting them both.
Katsuki's protests died momentarily. He knew that as well as Izuku that people would immediately think that. His own behavior towards people who weren't Izuku didn't help matters either.
Still, he curled around Izuku as best he could, guiding Izuku's hands away from his scars, to around his own neck. He buried his nose in Izuku's hair. "If I had really done it, you would think we could come up with a better cover than you doing it to yourself." He remarked dryly. When in doubt, deflect with a bad joke to lighten the mood, or something.
Izuku laughed sadly, "That's a fair point. Even with the placement of where I did it. My shoulders are a weird place to do it but…" He shifted where he was sitting slightly, "Thighs aren't uncommon. It's easier for me to hide that way. And It'd be an odd place for you to have done it if you had. It'd have been an awkward place to grab me. My hips would have been the place for the burns."
He flexed his hands, but kept them where Katsuki placed them. "Why is the urge to scratch so much harder to shake?" Izuku said with a sigh.
"Because they're hopefully healing due to constant contact and probably partially because of my quirk, therefore it itches." Katsuki supplied easily. There was a reason he had so few scars, despite being a risk-taking idiot with low self-preservation when it came to training.
His attention was drawn by the beep of the coffee machine. "Yeah, coffee definitely sounds amazing right about now."
Izuku gently pulled himself away from Katsuki, "Go get your coffee. I feel a bit better now." He smiled lightly at him, "Bring me some more water when you come back?"
Katsuki nodded, disentangling himself from Izuku and kissing his nose, before heading back into the kitchen. He poured three cups of coffee, preparing Aunty's and his own how they liked them. He pulled out some milk and sugar, and set those by the coffee. He got Izuku and himself more water as well, knowing Izuku would probably make him drink more anyway. Pulling out a cookie sheet as a makeshift tray, he put everything on it to carry it out. He already knew it wouldn't end well if he tried to carry everything without one.
Bringing everything out, he handed Aunty her mug before addressing Yagi, "I don't know if you like milk or sugar in yours, so I brought those out too." He took his own mug and Izuku's water and returned to his spot next to his soulmate.
Izuku gently leaned against Katsuki when he returned, taking his water glass and muttering a small thank you.
"Thank you, young Bakugou." Yagi said before making his coffee how he liked it. He still seemed a bit unsure of himself in their home, but had definitely relaxed a bit from his initial arrival. He paused for a moment looking at the two of them, "You really don't separate much do you? Not that that's a bad thing it's just… a bit odd I suppose considering how long you've been together."
Izuku shrugged, "I'm a cuddly person regardless. Even when we were little I was always kind of like this. It's not uncomfortable anymore after those first two weeks, but it's still more comfortable to be in contact. It's probably a bit odd though, yeah."
Katsuki sipped his coffee and shrugged. "I read a theory somewhere that people with multiple soulmates will sometimes be drawn to cuddle with whoever is nearby if one that's not needs help healing but isn't near the others." He said softly. He hadn't wanted to mention it before, because if that did have something to do with it, that meant one of theirs was in seriously bad shape, but he hadn't been able to dismiss it out of hand either.
His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Izuku blinked and looked towards where the door was. He sighed, "I'll go get it. One second." He quickly kissed Katsuki on the cheek before getting up to go answer the door. Once he got there he checked to see who it was and grinned before opening the door to see Oakamura Daiki standing there.
"Daiki hi!" Izuku said with a grin, "You want to come inside? What brings you by?"
Oakamura smiled back with a small laugh at Izuku's enthusiasm, "Hi Izuku. I just came by to bring you your homework for the day. You usually don't miss though. What happened?"
"Oh, we just stayed home to help my mom." Izuku replied, "We have more experience with soulmate stuff."
Daiki tilted his head, "Really? Well congrats to her and her soulmate then for finding each other."
Katsuki looked confused at someone being at the door. His dad had a key, so who was it? He stood up himself, going to see who it was. He knew he made a face when he saw, but hid it in the coffee mug he'd conveniently brought with him.
But if he was here, did that mean school was over already? Had they missed lunch when they were upstairs? What time was it, even?
Seeing Katsuki standing there, Daiki said, "Brought your homework too Bakugou."
"That's really nice of you. Seriously, thanks." Izuku said, still smiling before he looked behind him at Katsuki with a sigh, "Kacchan don't be rude, at least say thanks. Or you know, greet him."
"Eh, it's fine. And it was no trouble, Izuku." Daiki said before pulling their homework out of his bag, accidentally pulling one of his notebooks out with it and making it fall to the ground and open.
Izuku quickly picked it up for him and smiled seeing the support items be had designed within the pages. Daiki had definitely taken off with Izuku's suggestion of making support items. The notebook was almost full already.
Rolling his eyes at Izuku, Katsuki raised his free hand. "Yo." He offered blandly. When the notebook dropped, Katsuki blinked, eyeing the designs over Izuku's shoulder. "Those… aren't half bad." Katsuki offered, before taking another sip of his coffee.
He glanced up in time to catch the utterly shocked look on Oakamura's face before he buried it. 'I say just one not-insulting thing and he reacts like that? Maybe I should do it more. that shocked look… is actually pretty amusing.' Katsuki thought to himself. 'Plus, those designs really aren't half bad, so it's not like I'm lying for my own amusement.'
Izuku traded items with Daiki, handing his notebook back to him and getting their stack of combined homework. Which was, admittedly, thicker than all the other students would have gotten in their class. Some teachers preferred to just give them extra work instead of harder work to make up for Izuku and Katsuki's use of his analysis quirk.
"They all look really cool. Have you gotten the chance to make any prototypes yet?" Izuku asked.
"Working on it." Daiki replied, "I've drained most of my savings trying to buy the supplies I need, so I had to start doing some odd jobs to pay for stuff. I should have a few ready for testing soon though. My room is a mess right now though."
Izuku nodded. "Well, if you need someone to test them. I'd be happy to help when I can. Especially for the ones that could uh… have more explosive failures." Izuku said, "I'd rather test it using the hardening quirk so you don't get hurt in that case."
Daiki smiled, "I might take you up on that. Thanks, Izuku."
Katsuki nearly choked on his coffee when Izuku offered himself as a test subject. Spluttering and trying to find a tactful way to say 'like hell you are', so he didn't start a huge argument in the front hall, Katsuki was coming up fresh out of not only tact, but fucks to give. "Hold up, what ?" He finally managed, giving Izuku a look of 'we are going to be talking about this and at least one of us is not going to like the results of that conversation.' He was honestly hard-pressed not to stomp off, but he felt obligated to stay where he was and make sure Izuku didn't promise anything else dangerous.
Izuku sighed seeing the look from Katsuki, of course he wasn't happy about that. "We both know the limits of the hardening Kacchan. It'd be better if one of us tested it for him safely, and I don't think you'd do it." He said simply before turning back to Daiki, "Did you look into what schools you're going to try for yet?"
Daiki looked hesitant to say anything to Katsuki, seeing how he may not believe him if he said he wouldn't let Izuku test anything he wasn't at least 95% sure was safe. "I did. UA is obviously top of the list, but I found some other good ones too."
"That's great!"
Daiki nodded, "Well, I'll… let you two go. I've got to get home."
"Okay." Izuku replied, before opening his arms, "Hug before you go?"
Daiki shook his head with a smile, "Of course Izuku." He gave Izuku a quick hug, before waving goodbye and heading down the steps.
Katsuki waited for Oakamura to leave, before raising an eyebrow at Izuku. He gave him a mildly exasperated look. "I realize you have a history of speaking before you think, but is there any particular reason you can never seem to warn me before you suggest something that dangerous and mildly stupid?" He asked, shutting the front door with a look of irritation. "Yes, I know you know I would disapprove, but has it occurred to you that that might be for a good reason ?"
Izuku sighed, “Kacchan, it’s not like he’d be handing me a bomb. I just said if he has any prototypes that could have a bad malfunction like that. He wouldn’t be handing something he knew would do that. Just something that has the possibility to.” He crossed his arms and looked away, “I know the hardening quirk isn’t indestructible. But we know it’s limits. It’s better that one of us tests a support item like that.”
"Yes, you said that. I still don't like it any more than I did the first time you said it." Katsuki responded shortly. He opened his mouth to argue further, then deflated slightly, already knowing this was a fight he wasn't going to win without going the asshole route. "I also realize that you're going to do it no matter what I fucking say, so fine. But you don't test any shit for anyone without me there."
“I want to help Kacchan. I’m the one who suggested he try for support instead of plain heroics. I’m not going to be Daiki’s permanent test subject or anything, just for his prototypes that he has to bring in as part of his entrance exam as examples. I don’t want him getting hurt because of my suggestion.” Izuku said looking back at Katsuki. “Alright, no testing without you there, and if you think it’s too dangerous to test, I won’t, okay?”
Katsuki had never been a graceful loser. He'd be the first to admit that. Sure, when it came to Izuku, he was more likely to at least attempt to suppress his natural instincts, but that didn't mean they weren't still there. He knew he could fight longer and harder, and probably win. He knew he could be an unreasonable asshole about it and Izuku would give in. And maybe in another life, that might have been the choice he made. Here and now? There was nothing to gain from it, and pressing the issue ran the risk of damaging Izuku's trust in him. He hadn't been lying when he told the other that nothing was worth that.
"Alright." He agreed quietly.
Izuku smiled faintly at Katsuki, moving to take his hand so they could go sit back down. "Thank you for trusting me on this, Kacchan. I swear, I'm not trying to get hurt. And if I do get hurt even minorly I'll stop helping him immediately too, okay? I love you."
Katsuki took his hand, squeezing lightly. "I know. I love you too." He sighed, leaning over to kiss him. He led Izuku back into the other room and sat back down. "How long were we upstairs for…?"
Inko checked her phone quickly, "Well, it's almost three-thirty now. So… several hours? We didn't end up needing any help so far, but it's probably good you two got a break anyway considering… that's your homework pile. Right? And you boys don't usually take days off."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah. This is actually a small stack for us though." He sighed and looked at Katsuki, "We did it again though. This always happens if we don't set alarms."
Yagi blinked at the stack of papers that Izuku set down at the coffee table. "That's… a small pile for you both? That looks like more paper than I used to get for remedials after missing a week of class at UA. And that's saying something ."
Katsuki snorted. "Thanks to Izuku's quirk, our classwork is supposed to be more difficult, in order to give us a challenge. Some of our teachers prefer to just give us more work to do though. It's still not really challenging, just boring. Most of it we end up just both putting our names on one set to save time. We do have one teacher that gives us each a totally different assignment so we have to actually do our own work."
Izuku nodded, "We work together on it anyway, it'd just be a case of writing it down twice otherwise which is a waste of paper. And so is just giving us more work instead of actually challenging us, but there's nothing we can really do about that. And we're still both top of our class even with the harder work."
Inko tilted her head at Yagi, "You went to UA? That's where the boys are planning to go… did you go through heroics? Is that why you wanted to watch them train?"
Yagi looked a bit nervous again, "Ah, er… yes. I was in heroics. I…" He looked away and coughed up a bit of blood, using a tissue Inko handed him to clean it up. "I work as a pro hero."
Something clicked suddenly in Inko's brain, " That's how they know you. Masaru told me the two of them had a run in with a villain. And they had to go get Izuku's ring back from a pro yesterday." She said, "That was you? You helped them?"
Katsuki wondered how much of what they’d told his dad had been passed on. They didn’t tell him that Izuku had almost died, so Aunty wouldn’t know that. His dad probably assumed he was worn out because he’d fought the villain to protect Izuku, as was their norm. Which wasn’t wrong , but also wasn’t entirely accurate. He really hoped Yagi didn’t mention that part. Izuku’d had enough stress and anxiety for one day.
He slid his arm around Izuku’s shoulders, pulling him close. He had a feeling they’d both need if before this conversation was over.
Izuku curled into Katsuki, his anxiety kicking up just from the fact that Inko knew they had a run in. She didn't even know he almost died. He hated worrying her like this.
Yagi nodded, "That was me yes. And I take full blame for them even having the run in in the first place. I should have been table to take care of the villain faster, but they evaded my grasp and could have seriously harmed them or worse." He sighed, holding a hand over his injured side, "I'm not quite the hero I used to be in terms of power unfortunately."
"Still, you helped them. I thank you for that. I… I don't know what I'd do without either of these boys. They mean a lot to me and our little family." Inko replied, absentmindedly setting a hand on his knee.
Yagi nodded, "I… I plan on helping them both to the best of my ability in their journey to become heroes. Though I suppose I should have asked you first." He smiled, glancing at the two boys, "They're going to be wonderful and amazing heroes, I can already tell. And I want to help make sure they become the best heroes they can be."
Well that wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, Katsuki reasoned. He blushed slightly at the praise coming from his and Izuku’s idol. It still was a lot to process that All Might of all people thought that way about them. Now they both just had to live up to that. Which, personally, Katsuki though that would be the hard part. Though he supposed they would see.
Though the slight shows of affection were somehow still adorable. Katsuki supposed he could finally see what his dad and Aunty Inko always seemed to see when it was him and Izuku.
Izuku blushed from the praise alongside Katsuki, hiding the smile that came to his face against Katsuki's shoulder. He wasn't sure Yagi understood just how much him saying that consistently meant. Even though he was the number one hero, he was also their idol. Both of them had looked up to him since they were babies, and now he was in the living room of their house saying how amazing they are to him.
Inko smiled seeing the reaction of the two boys to Yagi's words. Though she didn't know fully, she knew how much hearing that from a pro would mean to them. "They really will be, and if you can help make that process easier I'd be grateful." She laughed quietly, "The two of them will definitely appreciate the help from someone who actually has experience too. I know both of them were beaming when they told me about meeting…"
Inko blinked, "Oh! I still need to prepare dinner tonight!" She looked at Katsuki and Izuku, "Could You two help me make it? I didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping today so someone needs to make a run… I wanted the dinner to be nice since Masaru is bringing his boyfriend. I completely forgot and-" She took a breath to steady herself and looked to Yagi, "Would you like to stay for dinner too? It's a meet the family sort of night, my husband is going to call in and… well it'd probably be good for you to meet everyone in our little family?"
"I don't want to impose…" Yagi started, before seeing the expression on Inko's face. "I… Yes. I'll stay for dinner. I'm not much use in the kitchen I'm afraid but I'll help you where I can as well."
Izuku blinked, his head popping up at the mention of his father. "Dad is calling in? So I'll get to talk to him?" He asked, looking hopeful.
Inko nodded with a smile, "He might be a bit groggy to start considering it'll be before dawn over there, but yes you'll get to speak with him. I know it's been a bit since he's been busy at work."
Okay, that worked out almost too perfectly. Uncle Hisashi was calling in that night? That was awesome! In had been a while since Izuku (or Katsuki for that matter) had talked to him. Thought there was still a subject they should make sure had been brought up before his dad got home, and before the call happened.
Then Aunty asking for help registered. “Sure, we can help, Aunty. Did you want us to do a quick grocery run?” He guessed, based on what she’d said. Luckily, being able to translate Izuku-mumble came in handy when Aunty’s words got away with her, like what seemed to have just happened.
Inko nodded at Katsuki, "Yes please. I'll write you a list of what we need and I'll start prepping with what we have while you're out." She looked around, "Where's my..?"
"Pen and paper?" Yagi asked handing a pad of paper and a pen over from the side table.
"Yes, thank you." Inko replied, gently taking the pad and quickly writing out everything they'd need on the paper. Then she handed the paper over to Izuku and Katsuki.
Katsuki took the paper and looked it over. Standing, he checked to make sure he had his wallet, then held his hand out to Izuku. He was fairly certain he could identify the dish just by the ingredients written, but it sounded amazing anyway. Unless Izuku wanted to bring up the whole twin thing before they left, then he’d go along with that, but he’d leave that up to Izuku.
Izuku stood and held Katsuki's hand. He looked at his mother and Yagi for a moment, debating bringing up their theory, but decided that could wait till they got back. They could talk it over during meal prep, but if they got too distracted talking about it before they went to get the ingredients that could mess up his mom's whole plan for dinner. He gave Katsuki's hand a gentle squeeze and started to walk towards the door.
Katsuki followed along, debating picking Izuku up and carrying him. They didn't need the extra contact at that moment, but Katsuki kind of wanted it anyway.
He resisted for the time being as they put their shoes on and headed towards the store. He did some mental math on the way over. They needed enough of each ingredient to feed six people. They were going to have their arms full on the walk back home.
Izuku took a deep breath of the fresh air from outside as they made their way to the store. A soft, barely there smile rested on his face as they walked. Forcing smiles seemed pointless now, because even if he wasn't grinning he still felt happy more often than not these days. Which was something he didn't think he'd ever get a few years ago.
"Mom didn't say what we were making, but you know her recipes better than I do." Izuku said, "Any guesses on what we're making?"
Katsuki gently bumped Izuku’s shoulder, before sneaking a quick kiss to his cheek. Even just doing simple errands like this wasn’t really a chore anymore if the two of them were together. He looked at the paper again. “Well, there are going to be six of us, so judging by the list, I’m guessing nabe of some kind.” He grinned widely, nabe was awesome because he could add extra spice to his portion and no one else would be bothered.
"Ooooh yum." Izuku replied, "We haven't had that in a while. That'll be nice." He grinned at Katsuki, "Hey Kacchan… since our training this morning was cut kind of short… wanna sprint to the store?"
Katsuki blinked, before grinning. “Loser has to carry the extra bag, if there is one?” He challenged. If they were going to sprint, might as well make it a race. Plus that way he had an excuse to kiss Izuku after. Not that he ever needed one, but still.
Izuku grinned further, "You're on. Ready? Go!" He said, letting go of Katsuki's hand and taking off running on the sidewalk. Oddly enough, even though when they first started training Izuku had said he didn't get why people liked running, at this point Izuku loved it. He had always been fast, but he had gotten even faster and had the stamina to keep running for a while now. When they had to turn a corner to keep to the path towards the store, Izuku grabbed a light pole and just used it to swing around so he could keep running, letting out a whoop of excitement from getting to run like this.
Katsuki blinked, before running off after Izuku. He kicked off the same light pole to get around the corner, since that’s how he turned in the air using his quirk. In most things they were equal, but Izuku was just a little bit faster without his quirk, since most of his strength was in his upper body due to it. He could still run fast, but in Izuku’s case, being smaller paid off.
Izuku ended up beating him to the store by maybe a second or two. Where at one point he would have gotten mad, instead he just wrapped his arms around Izuku from behind. “Got you.”
Izuku giggled, "Yes, yes you did." He turned around in Katsuki's grasp so he could kiss him. "I still won the race though." He teased.
Katsuki kissed him back, amused by the fact that they’d had the same thought about the kiss. “Barely, but yeah. Just think, three years ago you would have been exhausted by the time you reached the light.”
Izuku hummed in agreement. "You have a point. I'm glad I can now though. It's fun. I didn't think it'd ever be fun but it is." He replied. Izuku gently pulled away from his soulmate, "Let's get shopping now though, we get distracted too easy kissing. Even in public like this."
Katsuki grinned, kissing Izuku again, before taking his hand and walking into the store. He grabbed two baskets, just in case, and handed one to Izuku. “Getting distracted kissing can be fun, though.” He replied with a grin.
Izuku rolled his eyes fondly as he took the basket from Katsuki. "Yes, but we have things to do right now Kacchan. We don't want to set mom behind in making dinner." He smiled lightly at him, "We can kiss more once we've got everything and are back home where it's a little more private."
Katsuki paused, blinking. “There you go again with the suggestive lines, Izuku.” He teased, leering slightly. “We just spent several hours curled up together and you’re still so eager to get me alone.” He playfully bumped Izuku’s shoulder again before looking for the first items on the list.
"K-Kacchan!" Izuku stammered, smacking Katsuki lightly on the arm as his face went red. "Why do you have to go and twist my words all the time! I'm not trying to be suggestive." He let out a huff, "You just keep taking it that way apparently. And we've never even done something even remotely like that." He shook his head and looked over Katsuki's shoulder at the list so he could help look for what they needed.
Katsuki snickered at Izuku. “You react so beautifully, though. How can I resist?” He shot back. “All I have to do is make one thing you said sound slightly sexual and you blush like that. It’s adorable.”
He grinned, grabbing the first thing on the list off the shelf and putting it in his basket. “You’re so pure, it’s ridiculous.”
Izuku pouted, unable to really protest in any way that wouldn't get more "pure" things he does thrown back at him.
He snorted as a random thought crossed his mind, "I'm the cinnamon roll, and you're the sin namon roll who keeps twisting everything." He gave Katsuki a quick kiss on the cheek before moving up ahead of him and crouching down to get another one of the ingredients on their list. "I still love you though. Even if you keep messing with me like that."
Katsuki snorted at Izuku calling him a sinnamon roll. It wasn’t like he could really argue it either. Twisting things into innuendos was fun, and he was pretty good at it if he did say so himself. He watched Izuku crouch down to pick something up. “You may be a cinnamon roll but you’ve got an ass like a porn star,” He commented, just loudly enough for Izuku to hear, and walked a bit away to look for the next ingredients on the list.
Hearing Katsuki's comment, Izuku's head shot up, smacking into the shelf above his head and his blush that had just started to die down came back in full force. He threw the ingredient he had crouched down to grab in his basket before glaring at Katsuki while rubbing the back of his head. "That was uncalled for! Why the heck are you even looking at my butt?!" Izuku whisper shouted at him, not particularly wanting the other people in the store to hear him. "I don't really want to know why you can make that comparison either."
Katsuki had to bite his lip to keep from cracking up. He waited for Izuku to get closer, and then turned to face him, sliding his arms around Izuku’s waist. “Why shouldn’t I look at your ass?” He asked, sliding his hands down to rest on the feature in question. “It’s a perfectly nice ass. It deserves to be admired.” He leaned his forehead against Izuku’s. “It’s not exactly a secret how I could make that comparison. Don’t tell me you’ve never even been curious at all about how sex works?”
Izuku squeaked with Katsuki touching him there in public. Why was he like this? He closed his eyes, "No, I haven't been that curious. My m-mom explained things pretty well and I'd rather not think of it that much. It's not like I'm going to be doing that anytime soon." Izuku replied before pulling back from Katsuki so their foreheads weren't touching and looked away as he muttered. "I- I don't think I could handle that. I can barely handle suggestive fanfics Kacchan. I'm not gonna watch… that. "
Katsuki had to try and hold back his laughter again. He left one hand on Izuku’s ass, putting two fingers from the other under Izuku’s chin to turn his head and kiss him softly. “How are you so adorable and pure, jeez. Just touching your ass gets you this flustered, what happens if I do this?” He squeezed slightly with the hand that wasn’t by Izuku’s face, though he did monitor Izuku’s reaction so he would know if he was pushing too far.
Izuku squeaked again, jumping in place. He covered his face with his arms, though it wasn't exactly covering his blush that well considering he was blushing all over. "Kacchan stop. " He whined, "We're in public. There's cameras. "
Katsuki grinned, moving his hand back to Izuku’s waist. “Alright, alright. Take a minute to calm down and get that blush under control.” He teased. He moved his other hand from Izuku’s chin to the back of his head. “C’mere. I’m done, I promise. No more. At least until we get home.”
Izuku took a deep breath and slowly put his hands back down at his side. "Yeah, please." He replied quietly, "I was about to actually combust. You fluster me way too easy Kacchan."
Katsuki ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair while his bonded took his time calming down. “You don’t exactly make it difficult, my cute bunny.” He noted, still grinning. “Though I stand by what I said before.”
Once Izuku had calmed down, he stepped away and referenced the list for the next item they were looking for.
It didn't take Izuku long to calm down, especially with Katsuki running his fingers through his hair. It gave him something to focus on and relax. He followed behind his bonded, looking sheepishly away from the couple of other shoppers who seemed to have caught that interaction. It wasn't like he was afraid of people seeing them together, but with what Katsuki just did it made him a little more self conscious from the looks. Izuku powered through anyway though, helping Katsuki find what they were looking for so they could leave faster.
Katsuki matched Izuku’s pace as much as he could. He realized he may have pushed a bit more than he should have, but even he didn’t have the balls to say any of this in front of their parents. The opportunity had been there and he’d taken it.
Once they’d gotten everything they needed, Katsuki headed up to the register. Hopefully they’d grabbed enough for whatever recipe Aunty Inko was planning for. He pulled out his wallet to pay for everything, grateful that his dad always made sure to give him extra money just in case things like this happened.
So the cashier didn't have to call over a second hand to bag their items, Izuku went over and did it himself whilst Katsuki paid. He did it almost strategically as he placed everything in the bags so there was no chance of anything getting broken or squished as they walked. Once everything was paid for, Izuku took the bags he was going to carry, then waited for Katsuki to do the same before heading towards the doors.
Putting his wallet away, Katsuki grabbed the bags Izuku hadn’t and headed for the door, nodding to the cashier as they left. He bumped Izuku’s shoulder when he caught up. “Feeling better now? He asked with a grin. “Looks like the blush has finally gone away.”
Izuku gently bumped Katsuki's shoulder back. "Yeah, much better now." He replied smiling fondly, "I can't believe you did that with other people around though."
Katsuki snorted. “It’s really that hard to believe?” He asked. “ Why would I care if some extras are watching? The only one that matters is you.” He leaned in slightly to give Izuku a kiss on the cheek. “Besides, people already think we’re weird for being so cuddly after three years. If they’re gonna think that, might as well give them something new to gawk at.”
Izuku sighed, "Yeah, okay. Still, that feels like… I dunno. It should be a more private thing? I'm not used to you… touching me like that." He said, blushing faintly just from the thought. "It's not… It's not bad exactly. Just new. And I'm not sure how to handle it yet."
Katsuki shot Izuku a decidedly lecherous grin at that. "I don't think we'll have a problem getting you used to that, I~Zu~Ku" He teased, looping an arm around Izuku's waist. "We'll have to agree on a way for you to let me know when you're done, as opposed to just flustered and getting used to it. I know I can usually tell, but the last thing I want is to make the wrong call and make you uncomfortable with anything we're doing."
Izuku blushed a bit harder at that. "That would probably be a good idea… um, it'd probably be motion or action though. Since I might not be able to talk because of it sometimes?" He cleared his throat, "We can figure that out at home."
Katsuki hummed in agreement. "We have time." He remarked. He was tempted to tease Izuku more, but didn't really want to try to push his luck.
The walk home seemed faster than the sprint to the store, strangely enough. Fuck knew why, but soon enough they were back home.
Chapter 8
Chapter by FrozenSeas, MultiShipping_Trash
Summary:
An awkward and tense dinner, Izuku performing, and a whole lot of smooches.
Notes:
Side note from Ship: rereading, Jeanist kinda jumps from 0-100 pretty fast, especially considering he's the logical sort, so I figured I'd give some context! We sort of mention that he has dealings with the Hero Commission. Well (and we get into this later), most of that is him butting heads with them and them being shady bastards. As it is, he's taking a significant jump, meeting his partner's family as a civilian. Face uncovered and everything. The boys know his hero identity because he's dating the parent of one and they met him in his hero persona. At the time it was strictly professional, he didn't have a way to predict that it would become romantic. So as part of the HC being shady bastards, he doesn't trust them *not* to infiltrate his partner's family to fuck with him. And lo and behold, his partner's son's soulmate's mother *just* met her soulmate, the same day he finally relents to meet them officially. So he's already more than a little on edge walking through that door. And I can't say I blame him for it. Hope that clears things up a bit!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Izuku carefully unlocked the door for them before entering the house, calling out, "Mom, we're back!"
"Okay!" Inko called back from the kitchen, "You can bring everything in here then."
He walked into the kitchen, seeing his mother working on prepping things. The kitchen was already smelling amazing even though most of the main ingredients had only just been brought back. Yagi was off to the side, seemingly having just finished setting the table way early for it.
Izuku raised an eyebrow at this with a smile. "Don't tell me Yagi got banned from the stove too, mom." He joked.
Inko laughed, "No, he was just a bit lost with what I was doing so I gave him that to do."
Yagi rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, "The meals I prepare are usually more american style, actually. I don't really know how to make anything like she's making very well."
Katsuki followed Izuku into the kitchen, pulling the ingredients out of the bags and setting them within easy reach for Inko. He snickered at Yagi being practically clueless in the kitchen. Admittedly, he was curious about American food, but that was something for another day.
"Do you need any help, Aunty?" Katsuki asked, like he always did when he was nearby for meal prep.
Inko nodded, "Yes please Katsuki. With the two of us it'll go much faster."
Once all the ingredients were out, Izuku went to join Yagi by the table seeing as his mom specifically said the two of them. Which usually meant if he tried to help he'd just slow things down. He stayed on standby though.
"You said 'banned from the stove too'." Yagi said, looking at Izuku, "Who has been banned from the stove?"
Izuku scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Me and my Dad. We both have a tendency to set fires just by proximity when it's on. For him that makes sense, because if he sneezes sometimes he lets out some fire. But… I really don't know why I do." He replied, pointing at the scorch marks on the wall near the stove. "That's mostly from me when Kacchan attempted a few times to get me to do more than just chop things up."
Katsuki followed Inko's lead, working around her in a way that spoke of years of experience doing that exact thing. Once everything was cooking and was reduced to needing only one pair of hands, Katsuki went about getting drinks for everyone. Glancing over at Inko, he tried to guess what she'd want. "Do you want tea too, Aunty? Or something else?" He was tempted to offer one of his dad's fancier bottles of wine, but he knew he'd be in deep shit if he accidentally grabbed the wrong one, so he'd let Masaru do that.
"Tea is fine for now, thank you." Inko replied.
Seeing as most of the cooking was done now, Izuku thought it was as good a time as any to bring up their last theory. "Um… hey mom?" He said.
"Yes, Izu?"
"When um… when's the last time you talked to my grandparents?" Izuku asked.
Inko froze for a moment before looking over at Izuku. "I haven't talked to either set in a long time dear, why are you asking?"
"Um… well." Izuku cleared his throat, "My grandparents on dad's side used to call a lot before I got diagnosed as quirkless, right?"
"Yes…" Inko replied, "They… stopped returning my calls after that."
"Does dad still talk to them at all?"
"Not…" Inko sighed, "Not since we found out you did have a quirk. They checked in on him from time to time, and when they found out you did have a quirk from him they suddenly wanted to get in touch again. We said no."
Katsuki set the electric kettle on to boil, turning to Yagi. "Tea?" He asked, not wanting to disrupt Izuku and Inko's conversation more than necessary.
Yagi blinked, nodding to Katsuki. "Tea would be fine, thank you, Young Bakugou."
Katsuki nodded, pulling out six mugs for tea, and grabbing a few different flavors for Yagi to pick from. He grabbed some mint tea for himself, and wavered between mint and cinnamon for Izuku. He grabbed a bag of green and one of black tea so Aunty could pick which one she wanted.
"Ah, okay… um, do you know if dad had any siblings? Quirkless siblings specifically." Izuku asked. Looking over at Katsuki he simply said, "Cinnamon tea for me please, Kacchan."
Inko blinked, "Izuku… I know you've been curious about your relatives in the past, but reconnecting with them wouldn't be a good idea." She sighed, "He did though. But he doesn't know what happened to him, but your father did have a quirkless sibling apparently. They gave him up for adoption, simply because they didn't want an extra mouth to feed because of that." Inko had a tinge of rarely brought out anger as she said this, "If they could do that to their child, I don't think they're worth speaking to."
Izuku took a breath, "I know. I didn't want to talk to them, or meet them or something. I was wondering because well… um…"
"I was given up for adoption as a child. I didn't obtain my quirk until late in my life. And with the striking resemblance I apparently have to his father…" Yagi continued for Izuku, "They thought there was a chance I could be related to him. Even his twin. Which… was plausible, given that all I remember from them is fire."
Inko looked between Yagi and Izuku for a moment before laughing in disbelief, "Well… I suppose there is a good chance of that then. That's… quite the coincidence if it's true though." She shook her head at herself, "Falling in love with my soulmate's lost sibling. That sounds like something out of a cheesy romance movie."
Katsuki looked amused, grabbing a cinnamon tea bag for Izuku. Honestly, Izuku was probably better off without that particular set of grandparents. All of them were.
He set out the mugs and tea bags, and the kettle on its stand in the middle of the table. He looked around for anything else needing doing when he heard the front door open. He left the kitchen to go talk to his dad, figuring he ought to head off the awkwardness of interrupting this particular conversation. He saw who was with his dad and grinned broadly. Obviously the polite thing to do would be to pretend he didn't know who it was, but anyone who called Katsuki polite clearly didn't know him all that well .
"Welcome home, dad!" Katsuki greeted, giving the man a hug.
"We'll have to talk to Hisashi about it, but I'm sure he'll be even more excited to meet you now." Inko said with a smile.
Izuku gasped hearing Katsuki's exclamation and grinned broadly, "Uncle Masaru is here! Yay!" He hopped up from where he was sitting so he could greet Masaru and his guest by leaning out from the kitchen. "Hi Uncle Masaru! Welcome back." He said with a wave, then smiled at his guest and waved at him as well.
Seeing Yagi's reaction to Masaru's boyfriend was going to be hilarious.
Masaru returned Katsuki's hug. "Hello boys. Didn't cause too much trouble, did you?"
"Us? Trouble? Never ." Katsuki replied with a bright grin.
Masaru and the date he hadn't introduced yet (even though both of them knew exactly who it was) both snorted at that. Katsuki faked an offended look, rolling his eyes. "Daaaad."
"Katsuki." Masaru shot back in the same fake-whiny tone.
Tsunagu couldn't help but laugh. "I wonder where he gets his sense of humor from?" He asked sarcastically.
Both Bakugous rolled their eyes in unison. "Hello Izuku. Your mother is in the kitchen, I take it?" He adjusted his grip on the white cake box he was holding slightly.
"Of course, dad gets chocolate cake." Katsuki teased.
"Who said anything about chocolate? Maybe it's strawberry." Masaru responded.
Izuku nodded to Masaru. "Yep! She's just about done making dinner too so you all can come sit." He replied. "You can come meet Yagi too. He's already at the table."
Looking back towards the table where Yagi was, Izuku had to keep himself from laughing at the confused look on Yagi's face having heard Tsunagu in the hall.
Masaru headed towards the kitchen, Tsunagu following behind, since he didn't know the layout of the house. He and Katsuki exchanged a glance, acknowledging wordlessly that Katsuki and Izuku both knew his Hero identity, but that they wouldn't say anything about it.
Entering the kitchen, Masaru stopped for a moment, staring blankly at Yagi. After a moment, he looked over at Inko, the grin on his face very reminiscent of the grin Katsuki aimed at Izuku once Izuku had figured out the similarity.
Tsunagu blinked, neglecting to ask, as he was sure it would be explained eventually.
Masaru offered up the cake box, not feeling the need to comment, since the smirk spoke volumes on its own.
Inko took the cake box in her hands and rolled her eyes at Masaru with a smile, "I am aware Masaru. Don't give me that look." She quickly went to put the cake in the fridge for the time being so it would be out of the way. "Thank you for bringing the cake though."
Izuku had to stifle a laugh at the utterly shocked look in Yagi's eyes before he hid it seeing Tsunagu. He almost wanted to pity his favorite hero, but the reaction was too funny.
Yagi coughed into a tissue before greeting Masaru and his date, "Hello, I'm Yagi Toshinori. It's nice to meet you."
Tsunagu looked over at Yagi, his expression utterly devoid of any sort of recognition. He nodded briefly to both Yagi and Inko. "Hakamata Tsunagu. Pleasure to meet you both."
Katsuki snorted, muffling a cough that sounded suspiciously like the word 'glasses' in Izuku's general direction.
Masaru and Tsunagu both glanced over, and then away. Masaru offered a small smile. "Bakugou Masaru. Nice to meet you, Yagi-san." He, too, showed no signs of recognizing the #1 Pro Hero.
Katsuki held in his amusement as well as he could. He imagined that they were supposed to pretend they'd never met his father's date, so they ought to introduce themselves too.
Masaru seemed to have the same thought. To Tsunagu, he offered, "My son, Katsuki, and his soulmate, Inko's son, Izuku."
Tsunagu gave them each a polite nod, acting for all the world like he'd never met either of them before.
Izuku glared at Katsuki for a moment, "Shut it, Kacchan." He sighed going to go sit down at the table as his mother brought the food over. Done right on time. He gave Tsunagu a polite nod back, knowing they were mutually acting as though they hadn't met. Thankfully from Katsuki's warning earlier that morning, and having gotten most of his fanboying that morning out before they had brought Yagi to their training, he was acting relatively normally.
After setting down the food, Inko went and grabbed her tablet and set it up on a stand next to her near the end of the table. "My husband Hisashi should be calling in anytime n-" The screen on her tablet lit up with an incoming call from the person in question and she laughed. "Spoke too soon."
Answering the call, Hisashi appeared on the screen and Izuku grinned brightly as he leaned over a bit to get in frame. "Hi dad!" Aside from the lack of bangs and slight freckles similar to Izuku's on his face, Hisashi looked exactly the same as Yagi.
Yagi blinked at the screen. "Oh, you weren't kidding." He muttered quietly.
Barely managing to swallow back his amusement, Katsuki did something similar to Izuku. "Morning Uncle Hisashi!" He echoed cheerily.
Masaru had no reason to exercise the same level of restraint, snickering into his hand. His boyfriend, as expected, had much more tact, keeping his expression neutral, but his gaze flickering back and forth between Yagi and the screen with no small amount of confusion. Realizing that was probably the joke he'd missed before, he elbowed Masaru. "Behave." He admonished quietly. "Your teenage son is showing more tact than you."
Masaru grinned back unrepentantly. "And? He's just as amused, or did you miss the fake cough earlier?"
Tsunagu sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Honestly. Are you sure you're the adult here?"
"Nope. That's you." Masaru teased. Tsunagu gave him an unreadable look in return. This was clearly an exchange they'd had many times before.
"Hi boys!" Hisashi replied cheerily, despite the fact that you could tell from his voice that he'd just woken up not too long before. "It's nice to see your faces again, it's been a bit." He turned his head away from the camera, coughing up a bit of smoke. "Katsuki is still treating you good, right Izu?"
Izuku laughed, "Yes Dad. We're doing great. Mom would've told you if Kacchan was sleeping on the couch again or something."
"I know I know. Speaking of, Inko my love where's this soulmate of yours? I want to see him." Hisashi asked.
Inko smiled and shook her head fondly, turning the camera so Yagi was in frame. "Right there dear."
Hisashi's eyes went wide and he had a coughing fit. "Holy shit it's like looking in a mirror!"
"Hisashi! Language!" Inko scolded, though she was trying not to laugh at the hilarity or the situation.
Izuku looked over at Katsuki, "Not a word Kacchan."
"Sorry Inko." Hisashi replied sheepishly, "Just… wow. I wasn't sure your soulmate would come anything close to how handsome I am but you did pretty good, huh?" He joked.
Inko snorted, "I suppose."
Katsuki tried . He will swear to his death that he tried to keep from laughing. Unfortunately he was completely unsuccessful. He leaned back in his chair, head tilted back over the top, cackling soundlessly. It was obvious that he was laughing, though. His arms were crossed over his middle, his hands clutching his sides.
Masaru raised an eyebrow at Tsunagu, who just looked very done with both of them. The fact that he accepted Masaru reaching out to hold his hand said clearly that he wasn't actually angry, though. Masaru managed not to laugh as obviously as Katsuki, but he did shoot Inko another grin. "I suppose we know Inko's type, then." He remarked casually.
Inko hummed, "Yes I suppose we do. Though I'm not the only one who apparently has a taste for blonds." She replied smiling into her tea as she took a sip.
Izuku rolled his eyes at his soulmate, quickly jabbing him in the side. He looked pretty done too, but wasn't mad at him or anything. He sighed and looked towards Tsunagu with a shrug. That was just how Katsuki was, and as annoying as it could be sometimes he still loved him with his whole heart.
"It's nice to meet you, even through a screen er…" Yagi started.
"You can call me Hisashi. Makes things simpler. Everyone does here in the states anyway, I'm used to it. I'm sure you're already calling Inko her given name too." Hisashi cut in. "It's nice to meet you too, Yagi I think she said your name was?"
Yagi nodded in response.
"Have you all started eating yet?" Hisashi asked, as he seemingly started walking around his own kitchen.
"Not yet." Inko replied, "Everyone can start taking their servings now though I suppose."
Masaru didn't seem at all embarrassed by Inko calling him out in return. Instead, he winked at Tsunagu, causing the younger man to blush.
Katsuki grinned, leaning over to kiss Izuku, broadcasting his intent through the bond first, mostly to see if it worked. When Inko mentioned everyone could take their servings, Katsuki made sure to get Izuku some before himself, just in case he'd short-circuited. He waited until everyone had some before eating though.
Masaru and Tsunagu each got themselves some, having to let go of each other's hand to do so.
Katsuki leaned over to whisper something to his dad. Whatever it was, it got him poked in the forehead with his father's chopsticks, the man himself also turning red. Katsuki snorted at his reaction, while Tsunagu raised an eyebrow. Masaru shook his head and refused to elaborate.
Though it was something to work with in the future to see if it’d work, Izuku didn’t connect the feeling Katsuki sent fast enough with his intent and short-circuited. He sighed at himself, whispering a thank you to Katsuki for getting his serving for him. He started to eat silently, as his father was seemingly making himself some coffee on the other end of the call.
“Hey Izuku?” Hisashi asked suddenly, “It has been a while, so how’s your impression coming? You said you had it almost perfected last time.”
Izuku suddenly turned bright red as his dad brought up his All Might impression, unknowingly in front of All Might himself. “G-Good. I um… I got it down now I think.”
“Can I see?” Hisashi asked.
“ D-Dad!” Izuku whined, “We have guests though!”
“So?” Hisashi retorted, “It’s impressive! You’ve been working on it since you were four, kiddo. You should show it off.”
Katsuki smiled softly at Izuku's 'thank you'. They'd have to work on that more. When the impression was brought up, he choked on the bite of food in his mouth. He'd forgotten about that!
Masaru and Tsunagu looked over at Katsuki, concerned. Katsuki managed to clear his airway, and took a gulp of tea. Tsunagu just looked curious, now. Masaru grinned, hiding it in his mug of tea.
Katsuki started laughing again, breathlessly encouraging Izuku. "Do it!" He practically squeaked around his own amusement.
Tsunagu turned his curious look on Masaru, mouthing 'Impression?'. Masaru responded with a quiet "You'll see".
Izuku put his face in his hands for a moment, mumbling, “Fine. Fine I’ll do it.” He called on the ice portion of their soulmates quirk to cool down his face and hopefully get rid of his blush faster. If he was blushing it’d ruin the effect. He took a deep breath and looked at the screen, entirely avoiding the gaze of Yagi who looked curious as well.
Izuku ran his hands down his face for a moment, and when he uncovered it. It was the exact look of All Might in his hero form. “I am here!” Izuku said, doing his vocal impression at the same time.
Hisashi looked a combination of amused and amazed, “Woah! Nice job Izu that’s spot on!”
Yagi choked and coughed up some more blood at the sight of Izuku doing this. Surprised, amazed, and amused at the same time.
Tsunagu, Masaru and Katsuki were all varying shades of amused by this impression. Tsunagu at least had the grace to hide his grin. Masaru snorted once, but otherwise hid his laughter. Katsuki, on the other hand, knowing exactly who Yagi was, damn near bit right through his lip to keep from laughing hysterically. The pain did prove distracting enough to cut his amusement short.
Tsunagu offered a few soft claps. "That was very well done." He remarked.
Katsuki smiled at Izuku, though there was noticeable blood on his lower lip. "It was. I'd almost forgotten you used to practice that all the time." Though he was sure Izuku wished he (and Uncle Hisashi) had entirely forgotten.
Izuku blushed again and scrunched up his shoulders in embarrassment. “Th-Thanks.” Looking at Katsuki he sighed and took a napkin to wipe the blood off his lip. “Yeah sure you did. It’s not like you used to try it too before you gave up, Kacchan.” He leaned over and kissed Katsuki on the spot where he cut open his lip. “I’m glad you enjoy my suffering I guess.”
Inko smiled at the two boys before looking over at Masaru and Tsunagu. “So, how has work been going for you both? You met at Masaru’s workplace from what I remember.”
Katsuki returned the kiss, his injury all but instantly vanishing. He didn't even protest the 'giving up' comment, knowing that it was essentially the truth.
Masaru smiled fondly at Tsunagu. "We did, yes."
Tsunagu takes Masaru's hand again. "The collaboration we're doing is going fairly well. We plan to debut the line at New York Fashion Week next year. More than enough time to iron out all the kinks."
Masaru grinned, predicting his son's question before it's even asked. "No, Katsuki, we're still not telling you what it is. I will tell you that you'll like it, though."
Katsuki pouted, but accepted that answer. It had been worth a try. "Can we at least come to Fashion Week with you?"
Masaru and Tsunagu gave each other considering looks. "Possibly. As long as it doesn't interfere with your exams." Masaru said finally.
“That’d be fun!” Izuku said happily. “Seeing even a tiny bit of America in person would be awesome too.”
“If I plan far enough ahead I could possibly come see you there as well if you do go as well. Taking a roadtrip to see you is much more doable than by plane for me.” Hisashi said.
Izuku’s eyes lit up at the idea of seeing his father in person after so long. “We’ll have to let you know then! That’d be even cooler! Uh… no offense.” Izuku said quickly, “Fashion is cool and all but I haven't seen dad in person since I was… three? I’d still want to see Fashion Week though.”
“Balancing all that sort of thing and scheduling it around your life and other responsibilities must be difficult.” Yagi commented, “It must be hard to get free time.”
Tsunagu grinned at Izuku and Katsuki. “I have to admit, when Masaru mentioned teenage boys, I was worried you’d both find it all boring. I’m glad to see I was wrong.” He nodded in understanding at part of Izuku’s motivation being seeing his father. “That’s understandable.” He glanced at Inko. “If you would be interested in coming as well, Miss Inko…?” he trailed off, leaving the invitation open.
When Yagi mentioned ‘other responsibilities’, some of the amusement faded from Tsunagu’s expression, replaced with a hint of suspicion. “I… suppose it would be, yes.” He replied, pretending not to know what Yagi was talking about.
Masaru looked confused for a moment, but quickly hid it. “It helps that we’re both in the same industry,” he offered, trying to diffuse the sudden tension.
Katsuki looked between Yagi and Tsunagu, suddenly worried that the awkward may not have been worth it.
Izuku smiled a bit sheepishly at Tsunagu, "I mean some people would find it boring yeah… but I know how much work goes into that kind of thing." He laughed slightly, "Spending six months on a single, albeit over the top, costume will do that though."
Inko's eyes went wide at the invitation, "Oh no I wouldn't want to impose. The idea is lovely and I'd of course want to see my husband but-"
Looking away from Tsunagu, very much realizing he must've said something wrong Yagi cut in on Inko's rambling. "If you're worried about funds or something, I'd be able to cover costs with no issue for you if you're worried about it."
Inko blinked, "Toshinori I…"
"No really. The funds would be barely anything off my paycheck. Reuniting you would be a perfect use for it." Yagi said, smiling at her softly.
"I… O-Okay." Inko replied, shrinking down a bit with a small smile.
Hisashi seemed a bit surprised Yagi was able to convince her so fast, but was extremely happy at the idea of seeing her in person again.
Katsuki grinned when Aunty gave in. A family vacation sounded amazing! He hadn’t been on one of those since he was… still still referred to as ‘she’, now that he thought about it. Granted, it would be a work-related vacation for his dad, but it’s not like he and Izuku wouldn’t be just as fascinated by that as anything else.
Tsunagu allowed himself to be distracted from his slowly-growing suspicions by Izuku’s comment. “Six months on a costume? You made it yourself, I take it?” He asked.
Masaru snickered when his boyfriend got sidetracked, but he couldn’t help but wonder exactly what Yagi did that would let him be so confident in being able to afford two tickets to New York City during what would likely be one of the most expensive times of the year. He knew how he and Tsunagu would be able to afford it, but he certainly wasn’t in the fashion industry that Masaru knew of.
Izuku nodded with a smile, "Mhm! Aside from the shoes I handmade the whole thing. Most of the time was on the embroidery though, it was a pain." He paused for a moment, "I can show you if you want? Just give me like 10 minutes to change and excuse me not getting in the body paint and makeup."
Katsuki reached out, putting a hand on Izuku’s shoulder to hold him in his seat. “Oh no you don’t. Eat . The costume will be there when you’re done.” He chided.
Tsunagu looked amused. “After dinner, perhaps.” He offered. He was still curious to see it, but that could wait. Especially since he knew he could and would end up talking for hours about whatever it was.
Izuku pouted and stayed seated, "Fine. But I'm breaking out the scimitars too when I put it on. I'll do the whole show, even without the makeup." He started eating slightly faster however, even though he knew he'd have to wait for everyone else to finish now.
Hisashi raised an eyebrow, "Which costume are you talking about Izuku?"
"Uh… one of the ones that kind of freaks mom out when I get in it fully. Sclera contacts, fake scars, body paint, fake tattoos, horns, the whole nine yards." Izuku replied. "No fake blood though... usually at least. Unless I’m doing pictures. I don't think you'll remember the character unless you see me in costume though dad."
Inko shivered slightly, "I'm glad you're not getting in full costume then. It's the demon one you're talking about right? Tea… something?"
"He's a tiefling. So demonic ancestry yeah." Izuku replied with a small laugh.
Katsuki blinked. “I think I’ve seen this one?” He said hesitantly. “I’ve definitely seen you working on that coat.” He snickered. “It does not surprise me one bit that the full thing weirds Aunty out.”
Well now Tsunagu really wanted to see this costume. It sounded very interesting. Masaru seemed to know which one Izuku was talking about as well, judging by the grin on his face.
"Pretty sure you have Kacchan. Even if it wasn't me in full costume. Not sure if I had you help with pictures or not with that one though. Even though those contacts are ridiculous to see out of. I'm practically blind in them." Izuku replied.
"I'm still not entirely sure how you got into doing cosplay, but I will admit it looks pretty impressive. If scary sometimes." Inko said smiling at her son, "You work hard on those costumes, and it pays off."
Izuku grinned, his costumes were actually one of the few things he was really proud of and confident in. Looking at Katsuki he asked, "Do you want to get into one of the costumes too Kacchan? You know where everything is for all of them."
"How many costumes do you have?" Yagi asked, curious.
Izuku blinked, "Uh… I… a lot? I don't even know the exact number anymore. And a lot of pieces I use for multiple characters. It saves money."
Katsuki considered for a moment. “Nah. Maybe some other time.” He almost considered digging out the pieces for Toph, but he wanted to see Izuku in that costume more. He could (and probably would) dress up later, most likely. He did snort at Izuku being asked how many, though. “Well, probably too many, if you ask anyone but Izuku. He has a lot of them.” Katsuki teased.
Izuku went to refute that statement but shut his mouth a moment later. He sighed, "That's fair. I have more costume pieces than actual clothing. It takes up a good amount of space." He looked at Katsuki with a small smirk, "Still not enough wigs though."
"Don't you do tricks related to the characters too Izuku?" Hisashi asked before sipping in some coffee. There was the slight sound of sizzling in the background too which probably meant he was cooking. Hopefully he wouldn't set any fires while they were on the call.
"Shh dad you'll ruin the surprise." Izuku said jokingly.
Yagi shook his head with a smile, "I'm assuming you learned these tricks, whatever they are, as part of your quirk training?"
Izuku nodded, "Yep. Which also meant Kacchan couldn't nag me about practicing it too much, considering it was still training. Well… he does still nag me sometimes. But that's only when I overworked myself."
"Well, that control will certainly pay off for the practical part of your UA entrance exam." Yagi noted.
Katsuki snorted into his tea at the idea of ‘not enough wigs’. He very much disagreed with that sentiment, but wasn’t about to argue the point either. He grinned at the mention of ‘tricks’ though. “Granted, a few of them won’t make a whole lot of sense if you’re not familiar with the character in question.” Katsuki added. “Some of them just seem like Izuku being weird.”
Tsunagu eyed Yagi over the rim of his mug of tea. So he knew about the UA entrance exam. That meant he had either taken it at one point, or had something to do with deciding what went into it. Granted, his being so flippant about money would make sense if he was a Pro, or even part of the Hero Commission. His earlier comment about ‘other obligations’ would also make sense in that context. However, that just left Tsunagu feeling even more uncomfortable, because he’s certain he’s never met a Pro that looked like Yagi before, and his frequent disagreements with the Hero Commission on ethics meant that he was familiar with their voices, if not their faces. He didn’t really seem familiar from there either. The more he thought about it, the less comfortable he was. Here was a complete stranger who not only knew his real name and what he actually looked like, but also seemed to know more about his life than someone he’d never met before should.
Yagi couldn't help but feel like he'd said something wrong yet again, though he didn't know what. He coughed into a tissue yet again, grimacing at seeing blood there and made sure to wipe his face to make sure there wasn't any visible on him. He shrunk into his seat slightly under Tsunagu's gaze.
"That's true. Still, the tricks are fun to do." Izuku said, "Same with copying their character's personality and demeanor. It's much easier to be confident when you're pretending to be someone else." He looked down at his bowl and quickly finished off the last of his food, gently pushing the empty bowl forward.
Katsuki paused in eating his food to watch the quiet interaction between the two Pro Heros. His gaze flickered between the two, observing for now.
Masaru, noting Tsunagu’s unease, could guess what it was at least partially about. Admittedly, he was a little uneasy with how familiar Yagi seemed to be with the boys, himself. “So, Yagi-san, what do you do, exactly?” He asked, keeping his tone light. A harmless question, but hopefully it would help put Tsunagu’s mind at ease.
Yagi coughed into his hand again, "Oh uh… I have a government paid job. It's… stressful but I get to help people so that's a big bonus. I don't really care about the paycheck though."
Izuku bit his lip looking at Yagi, he was definitely nervous. This was funny to start, but he probably needed a distraction to keep Tsunagu from getting too suspicious. Literally anything to take the stress off of him. "Oh! You know what dad? I figured out how to copy your quirk a bit." Izuku said suddenly. "I worked on it a bit as quirk practice."
Hisashi blinked, "You did?"
Izuku nodded, "Here I'll show you." He grabbed an unlit candle from the table and held it in front of him. Calling on the dual quirk, Izuku took a deep breath before blowing on the candle. Causing flame to come out at the same time, it was difficult to do considering the quirk was split directly down the middle, but he managed to light the candle nonetheless.
Tsunagu was not pacified by that answer. Not even a little. A government job? That was ridiculously broad. Besides, heroes' records were sealed to most government officials. Unless he had a ridiculously convenient quirk, he shouldn’t know… no. It was possible he didn’t know, but only suspected. In which case acting suspicious wasn’t going to help. Tsunagu forced himself to turn his attention to Izuku showing off a variation of his father’s quirk.
Masaru blinked. That was a fabulous non-answer. What was he hiding? He glanced over at Inko to gauge her response to that reaction. Maybe he’d given her a better explanation?
Katsuki settled slightly back in his seat. This was more awkward than he’d predicted, at least for Yagi. He almost felt sorry for the man. Maybe they should have given him a warning after all?
Inko scrunched up her eyebrows slightly and tilted her head at Yagi. "Can you not tell them about your job for some reason..?" She asked, "You told me earlier."
"I… well…" Yagi cleared his throat, "It's complicated."
Izuku took a slow breath in through his nose. This was going downhill fast.
Katsuki considered ways to diffuse the situation. There was nothing wrong with admitting to be a Pro, right? Though, admittedly, Katsuki had no idea what had caused this spike in suspicion to begin with, but that should allay it, shouldn’t it? He didn’t have to necessarily say his hero identity along with it, just that he had one.
Tsunagu, in the interest of keeping things from becoming too tense, turned his attention to Izuku. “Is the fire your own quirk or a soulmate’s?” He asked, despite knowing the answer already.
Masaru didn’t press further, but kept an eye on Yagi. If he’d explained to Inko, that was at least something?
"Soulmate's." Izuku replied with a slightly nervous smile, "It's a dual quirk. Half hot and half cold." To balance himself back out, even from the slight use, Izuku lifted his right hand above his empty bowl and dropped a few ice cubes into it. "Mine is a mental quirk. Then there's Kacchan's and also…" Izuku slammed his fists together as he hardened them, smiling just at the sound the impact made. There was something really satisfying about it. "A hardening quirk."
Inko frowned, "If you're worried about them not keeping it secret or something you shouldn't have to worry. They'd get it."
"No, I know. It's… there's a bit more to that though I haven't been able to say yet though." Yagi said quietly. "Knowing can be dangerous I don't… only a handful know and it's better that way."
Katsuki snickered. “You just really like doing that, don’t you? Maybe your next cosplay should be The Thing from the Fantastic Four.” He teased.
Tsunagu smiled half-heartedly, his attention now back on the conversation the adults were having. What on earth could his job entail that needed so much secrecy? Even a pro hero didn’t need quite this much, as evidenced by the fact that Tsunagu was sitting here with his face uncovered. He’d done his damnedest to keep his hero work and his civilian life separate, yet people knowing wasn’t the end of the world. What sort of government work entailed this level of secrecy? Unless he was a secret agent or something?
Izuku made a face, "Doing that and having it not look terrible would require a lot . I'm not even sure how I'd approach that… I'd rather not Kacchan."
He looked between Yagi and Tsunagu again. "Yagi-san?" He asked, whispering, "Do you not trust Hakamata-san? Do other… not know about your..?"
Yagi shook his head at Izuku, "Only four other people know. Two of them are... yes, but they knew the… my mentor." He whispered back.
Izuku cringed lightly, Yagi was apparently in a corner. He seemingly had never told anyone himself other than maybe those other two people. And Izuku and Katsuki had figured it out themselves. Yagi was probably paranoid about it, and for good reason as far as Izuku could tell. But wouldn't his family find out once he inherited it anyway? Or was he expected to keep it a secret from them?
Studying the adults, Katsuki didn’t get it. They weren’t asking his whole life story? And all pros inherently understood the idea of keeping personal and professional separate. If anything, wouldn’t Jeanist be mildly impressed at how well he was able to separate the two? None of this was making sense.
Tsunagu’s fingers twitched slightly out of reflex. It tended to happen when he felt either uncomfortable or unsafe. The fact that this man knew something more than he was saying about who he was, and then was being so evasive about himself in return was not helping anything. Honestly, it was only making him more tense.
Masaru could sense the tension, but wasn’t sure how to help. Was there a way to resolve this without making it worse? He noticed Tsunagu’s fingers twitch with a growing sense of alarm.
Katsuki spotted the same twitch his dad did and knew he had to do something. Izuku had already stuck his foot in it, and both of their parents knew they didn’t keep anything from each other. If Izuku knew, Katsuki automatically knew too. That was how they’d always been. Frustrated, he glanced at Izuku, then back at everyone else. He reached over to take Izuku’s hand, about ready to burst from the pressure and awkwardness.
"Maybe I should just go." Yagi said suddenly. His nerves were getting the better of him and he didn't know what to do other than just leave. Maybe then the tension would fade.
"What?" Inko said blinking at him, "I… Toshinori, don't you think you should just tell them? You don't have to run. He's… he'd get it. And from what I know he's trustworthy."
"I know he's trustworthy." Yagi replied, "I'd trust… I have trusted Jeanist with my life I just-"
That. With the use of his hero name, there was an immediate change in Tsunagu’s demeanor. That confirmed exactly what he was afraid of. Someone knew more than they should and he had no way of defending himself, or the people he cared about, against that. Suspicion fell away, replaced with outright hostility in an instant. “ How do you know that name. ” Jeanist snapped, interrupting him.
Katsuki couldn’t help but notice that his father got more and more distressed the higher the tension in the room climbed. When Tsunagu snapped, Masaru froze. Katsuki recognized that reaction, and he didn’t like it. “He’s a Pro Hero!” Katsuki finally cracked. “That’s how he knows you.” Honestly, he didn’t particularly care about Yagi’s secret, or his dilemma. Anything that made his father react like that was not acceptable. Not anymore.
Tsunagu didn’t exactly relax, but the hostility faded. Okay. Another Pro. He could deal with that. He glanced over at Katsuki, and saw how tense Masaru was, and instantly became concerned. He reached over, placing a hand on Masaru’s arm, definitely noticing the resulting flinch. Guilt immediately overtook his expression. He'd been so focused…
Panic grew in Yagi in a way that hadn't happened in years. He didn't know what was wrong with him. Tsunagu snapping made him cringe, and Katsuki blurting it out for him made him freeze. Starting to float some smaller objects around him. He was so out of his element trying to talk with his soulmate and their family, his stress of trying to figure out what to do since he never thought he'd find his soulmate had gotten to him. And that stress had turned to anxiety.
Izuku took a breath. Okay, this wasn't good. He looked to Katsuki for a moment, hoping he'd know how to help Masaru before scooting out of his seat and going to Yagi. They may not know each other well, but Izuku knew panic attacks well enough. "Yagi." He said softly as he moved in front of him, "You need to breathe." He started coaching Yagi through, trying to get him to relax again. Eventually, he placed Yagi's much-larger-than-his hand on his chest so he could match his breathing easier.
"Yagi-san." Izuku started, "You trusted me with it, right? You put a lot of faith in me for only having met me two days ago. Though granted Kacchan and I figured most of it out just by looking at you." Yagi responded with a small nod, and Izuku smiled faintly, "So, by what you want me to do... Does that make it my secret too?"
Yagi hesitated before nodding again. Izuku looked at Inko for a moment before focusing back on Yagi. "Does that make it my secret to share? Because these people are my family. Including Hakamata-san. I trust them. And they are all going to learn at least a bit of this eventually." Yagi sighed and nodded again, starting to fully relax. "So, by being your successor…" Izuku quickly looked around the table for reactions to this. "I need you to understand these people are eventually going to have to know who you are. Hopefully you planned on telling at least my mom , but everyone else in here is going to have to know at least that too. I may tell them all the other thing too, but they'll need to find out who saved us. Who took one look at me and decided I was next, even though I don't fully understand why you'd pick me yet."
Yagi nodded again, fully starting to relax and Izuku nodded Inko over to help comfort him. Just a bit of soulmate touch would hopefully help that now. Before he wasn't sure if that wouldn't make him panic more before that.
Katsuki met Izuku's eyes for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to his dad. The whole situation reminded them both forcefully of life with Katsuki's mother. Katsuki wrapped his arms around Masaru's neck ever so gently, resting his forehead in the crook of Masaru's neck. "Dad, breathe. It's over."
Slowly, Masaru brought his arms around Katsuki, relaxing noticeably as he registered it was his son.
Tsunagu looked ashamed at what he'd had a part in causing. Katsuki stayed where he was for a moment, before looking up to make eye contact with Tsunagu. He nodded slightly towards his dad. Tsunagu seemed to get the message, as he reached out once more, resting his hand gently on Masaru's upper arm with a whispered apology.
Masaru moved the hand closest to Tsunagu to take the man's hand. He squeezed lightly, that small action doing more to reassure both blonds than anything else.
Katsuki glanced over at Izuku, eyes wide. That had gotten out of control very quickly.
"I'm sorry." Yagi muttered quietly, "I don't know what came over me."
Izuku sighed, "Anxiety. The kind that got me to deal with soulsickness on my own for two years, that's what." He smiled lightly at Yagi, "Makes me wonder if I didn't get double whammied with anxiety from both sides of the family."
Yagi let out a small laugh before looking at Tsunagu and Masaru apologetically. "I apologize for causing so much unnecessary stress. I'm… not used to…" He coughed up a bit of blood into his hand again and quickly grabbed a tissue to clean it up. "Speaking with… other pros when I look like this."
Izuku blinked at Yagi, "Look like… Are you going to..?"
"You said you were going to tell them, yes?" Yagi asked, "If you give me a bit longer to compose myself I will. I... shouldn't have gotten so scared of saying it in the first place."
Izuku nodded and looked at Katsuki, "That's true, but we knew about both of you. We could've given a warning. Should have. Though it's way too late for that."
Katsuki made a muttered comment about 'teenagers' and 'too much power' in response to that.
Tsunagu raised his free hand slightly to interrupt Yagi. "You don't have to say anything you're not comfortable with. All I needed to know was how someone who appeared to be a civilian also knew my hero identity. The fact that you are also a Pro answers that well enough."
"Yes… well, trust me if I could still not look civilian all the time I would. You would have recognized me immediately otherwise." Yagi replied. He sighed, "Something tells me young Izuku is going to have many more people he trusts with this than I ever did. Though, it may come in handy for him. Who knows."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Um… maybe? I don't want to say it to just anyone, obviously. That'd cause issues. But… I honestly don't see how them knowing won't just take more stress off me in keeping it from everyone else. I don't like lying."
"This is true, and it's your call for these things now. My secret is your secret now." Yagi said with a small smile.
Katsuki made a face. All of that, just for this? It wasn't like they were telling everyone about the quirk. Just his hero identity. What the hell was the big deal about that? Katsuki still didn't see it.
Masaru quietly released Katsuki from the hug. Katsuki pulled his chair next to his dad's and sat down by him, still concerned.
Yagi gently pulled away from Izuku and Inko, moving to stand in an area with a little more room. Somewhere which was still in frame for the call with Hisashi, who had been sitting quietly on the other end unsure of what to say. He leaned over into a bow, "Again, my apologies. I hope this doesn't cause too many issues when we work together in the future." Yagi took a deep breath, and with one last glance at Izuku and Inko... He changed into his hero form as he stood back up.
Inko gasped wide eyed seeing All Might standing there. She was shocked into silence, and as was her husband.
Izuku, having already known, just offered a sheepish smile, "Surprise?"
Tsunagu stared for a few minutes. If he’d been wearing glasses they would have slid clear down his nose. Masaru blinked, then snickered at Tsunagu’s expression, which earned him a mix of a frown and a pout.
Katsuki rolled his eyes at both of them, relieved that his dad was relaxed enough to return to semi-normal behavior.
Tsunagu had definitely noticed the ‘successor’ and ‘if I could’ comments, but very quickly decided that this was one of those cases of the less he knew, the better, and didn’t ask.
Yagi smiled sheepishly as he looked at Inko still in hero form. "I uh… wasn't quite sure how to bring it up earlier with you."
Inko stammered for a few moments before standing and walking up towards Yagi. She gently touched him, seemingly confirming what she was seeing was real. "You're… All Might."
Yagi nodded. "I am."
Inko looked back towards Izuku unsure of what to say. Izuku just lifted his arms in a shrug, "Lots of coincidences I know mom. I don't get it either."
Inko looked down to the ground for a moment. Then back up at Izuku, "So when you were talking about being his successor..?"
Izuku cleared his throat, "Uh… yeah. A-All Might um… Yagi… he… wants me to… be the next Symbol of Peace after he retires."
Inko blinked, "Oh."
"Yeah…" Izuku replied with a small laugh, "I'm still not sure why he picked me myself."
Katsuki made a sound that fell somewhere between him laughing and calling bullshit. “You do fit all the criteria you mentioned when I asked before, even if you try to deny it, ‘Zuku.” He countered.
Tsunagu glanced briefly between the boys. This already sounded like one of those arguments they’d probably never stop having, despite it only being a few days old.
Izuku stared at his soulmate, "What? No I don't..?" He then actually thought about what he said and realized he did actually describe himself and facepalmed. "I'm an idiot." He muttered, "I described myself." Izuku sighed, " Still though. He probably could have found someone that fits those things at UA too. I was pretty broad Kacchan."
Katsuki snickered. “Yes, yes you did. Why did you think I was so amused?” He responded. “Could have, sure, but why? What makes them different? Strength? Anyone can become strong. Not just anyone has those personality traits.”
Izuku grumbled, knowing this wasn't going anywhere he liked. He crossed his arms muttering under his breath as he looked away, "'Cause it's me and that makes no sense."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms right back. “How does it not? You just admitted you described yourself.”
Izuku opened and shut his mouth a few times, unable to really come up with a retort. Especially when he noticed the look Yagi and his mother were giving him for his denials. Izuku could tell Yagi was looking at where his scars were too and it made his skin itch again. Rather than scratching at it, which was a bad thing, he simply rubbed at it with his palm to try and will the itch away.
Eventually the only thing he managed to get out was, "Is everyone done eating yet? I want to show my costume." Izuku knew he was deflecting and they'd probably be talking more about it later. But he didn't want to go down that particular spiral in front of the rest of their family.
Katsuki rolled his eyes fondly, crossing the room to Izuku. He moved his hands away from his scars, then pulled him into a hug, using his own arms to block access to the scars. He rested his chin on top of Izuku’s head for a moment, and wrote against his back, ‘Don’t think I didn’t notice that deflection. We’re still talking about this later. ’ He knew Izuku had probably already guessed that would be the case, so he was just confirming it.
Everyone did seem to be done eating, so Katsuki released Izuku after a few minutes. “Alright, go show off.” He grumbled, ruffling the green curls.
Izuku smiled softly at Katsuki. "Alright." He took a breath, "I'm going to go put that costume on. I'll be back down in… 10 to 15 minutes?" Izuku said, just to make sure all the adults knew why he was running off. He fidgeted nervously with his fingers for a moment before scurrying out of the room and heading up towards their bedroom to get his things and change.
Inko shook her head fondly seeing her son run off. Then a thought occurred to her, "I know Toshinori and Hakamata haven't… but have the rest of you seen Izu perform before?"
"What do you mean by perform?" Hisashi asked. "I've seen videos of him in some of his costumes?"
Inko smiled at her husband, "Okay, so you haven't then. You'll see. He gets very into it sometimes." She laughed slightly, "He's pretty private with it, but he's used me as his audience when practicing for conventions."
Katsuki blinked. “I think...maybe once? I know I’ve seen him in a couple different cosplays, though.” He returned to sit by Masaru, leaning against him slightly and getting his hair ruffled in return.
Masaru shook his head. “I’m sure I haven’t. This should be interesting to see.”
A little over 10 minutes later, during which Izuku was definitely rushing, the sound of heels coming down the steps was heard before Izuku came into the room. He'd done the whole costume other than the makeup and contacts, which meant with his confident looking smile he showed off fangs. On his head was a purple curly wig with curled horns adorned with costume jewelry he had fitted that jingled when he walked. His white shirt was loose and hanging low down his front. His striped pants were tight, as were his thigh high brown leather boots. Though they had obviously been designed to do just that. At his sides were two sheathed prop scimitars, and behind him as he walked a purple tail swayed due to the invisible thread connecting it to a pin at his lower back to get the effect. In the same shade of purple as the tail he had fabric gloves that went under the sleeves of the coat, with fake tattoos done on his right arm.
The main piece however was the coat. A red coat covered from top to bottom in hand done embroidery. The entire outfit was loud and gaudy, demanding attention.
Izuku's normally nervous demeanor was completely gone, replaced with a confident smile and a sultry swaying walk as he approached where their family was gathered. He pulled some paper flyers out of his coat moving to hand them to the adults. "Well hello! Isn't this a fine looking group." Izuku said, speaking with an accent that was somewhere between british and scottish. "The name's Mollymauk Tealeaf, at your service. I'm in town tonight with the Fletching and Moondrop carnival." As he handed a flyer to Katsuki he winked before moving on. "If you're looking for some fun, I highly recommend it. And not just because I'm in the show."
Tsunagu’s attention was instantly drawn to the coat. He could easily see most people not having the patience for that level of intricate work. He could also easily see someone with a quirk like his using an item like that for practice. He’d never considered that before, but embroidery clearly had potential to improve his control over his quirk.
Masaru knew exactly where the other’s mind was going, and rolled his eyes fondly. It was good to see Izuku coming out of his shell more, even if that required dressing up to obtain. The costume fit him well, which was a sign that it was well made. He remembered Izuku mentioning that he’d made the whole thing himself, except the shoes. If only the pair had been as interested in fashion as they were in hero work, they would have made a fantastic design powerhouse of a team that any company would have been willing to throw money at to recruit.
For once, Katsuki’s mind was blank. He took in the costume, but wasn’t really thinking about the amount of work that went into it like he might if it was on a hanger. Damn , his soulmate looked hot like that! Katsuki looked him up and down a few times, a small, dopey grin on his face. And of course, the accent just topped the whole thing off. He blinked rapidly, trying to find some form of coherent thought that was more than just one word, but he wasn’t finding any. At all.
Izuku's grin widened seeing the expression on Katsukis face and he absentmindedly ran his tongue over his fangs looking over him for a moment before turning back to the adults. "Now, even if you don't go in to see the actual full carnival, though I don't know why you wouldn't want to, outside the tents we've got plenty of small attractions we do outside until the show. For example..."
He slipped a deck of ornate cards out of another pocket in the coat. He fanned the cards out in one palm to show off the back of them, and to see where the card he was looking for was, before methodically starting to cut the deck. Doing plenty of flourishes as he did so. "Now normally I'd charge for this, but first reading is on me this time. Just for you fine folks." Izuku used his quirk to make sure he got the right card on top with hardly a glance at the back of them before holding out the deck towards Masaru and Tsunagu. "Let's see what fate has to say about you two, hm?"
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku, still having difficulty forming a coherent thought, made more difficult every time Izuku opened his damn mouth with that accent . He was almost tempted to sneak a grope, just to see what happened. Thankfully he still had some sanity left and refrained. Their parents were watching, after all.
Tsunagu looked extremely skeptical. He gave the deck a look that clearly read ‘what is this nonsense’.
Masaru looked a little less skeptical, clearly willing to at least humor Izuku, and drew the top card. Tsunage gave him a look of ‘why’, to which Masaru simply responded with an amused smile.
Looking at the card revealed it to be the lovers card. Izuku gave the pair a knowing smile, "Well, I think that card explains itself now don't you?"
Izuku could see from his mom's tablet that his dad had definitely muted himself as he could see him cackling at Izuku's antics. After taking the card back, he turned his attention back on Katsuki. "By the way… what is your name dear?" He asked, "You don't have to say, but I'm willing to put on another show for you all. Instead of gold that's all I'll ask for payment."
That’s all it took for Katsuki’s entire face to turn dark cherry red, all the way to his ears. His face stuck in a ‘wtf’ expression. He tried to get his brain to actually function instead of being useless gay mush, but it didn’t seem to be working. He looked like he was just short of hiding his face in his own shirt collar.
Tsunagu’s skeptical look didn’t go away, but he had to cover his mouth to try and muffle his amusement at Katsuki’s face at the sudden attention. Masaru wasn’t faring much better. Katsuki shot them both a sideways glare, looking anywhere but at Izuku. Masaru looked at Inko and mimed taking pictures once they made eye contact.
Katsuki opened his mouth to try to respond a few times, only to close it a few seconds later each time. FInally, he managed to actually respond with his name, ignoring his father’s laughter. “Katsuki,” He managed, somehow without stuttering like a complete idiot, but definitely looking anywhere other than Izuku.
Inko nodded to Masaru and brought out her phone to take pictures and video. Just in time too as Izuku grinned flirtatiously at Katsuki, for literally the first time ever. "Katsuki. Quite a handsome name." He brought two fingers to Katsuki's chin to guide him to look at his face. "Shy are we? I won't bite dear… unless you want me to." He said with another wink before backing away.
The only reason Katsuki’s face did not immediately catch on fire was because Izuku’s hand was there. Though there were definitely a few flickers on the left side. When Izuku backed away, Katsuki immediately hid his face behind the collar of his shirt. All the way up to his eyes. Unfortunately for him, his entire face was still a dark red, so his shirt didn’t really hide anything. He kept his eyes on Izuku this time, hoping that if he could see it coming he’d be less likely to get even more flustered.
Masaru found it equally hilarious and adorable that Katsuki, who always prided himself on flustering Izuku, was flustered back so easily. Thankfully Inko was getting pictures because Katsuki was never living this down.
Izuku hummed, "Now for that show I promised you Katsuki darling~" He took a breath and unsheathed his scimitar props, twirling them at his side for a moment. Looking at Inko quickly he said, "Do be warned our shows aren't for the faint of heart." He then brought both blades up to the sides of his neck and 'sliced' into himself. As he flicked his wrists at the end of the movement both swords began to glow as Izuku activated the lights within the props. Though, Izuku called on the ice portion of the dual quirk and covered the right blade in jagged looking ice.
Izuku then began to move fluidly, doing a sword dance of sorts he'd practiced when he got the chance to be alone. As he did so, it showed off the coat he was wearing even more as he twirled. As well, at some point Izuku moved the attachment point of the invisible thread connected to the tip of his tail from his back to his right hand so that it followed the movements he was making better and curled around him.
Katsuki’s eyes went wide as he watched Izuku. How had he never seen him practice this? The blush slowly died down, but Katsuki continued staring blankly at his soulmate. How the…..wh-....that was… Oh great his brain was still fucking mush go figure. Katsuki sat and stared, watching him go. Though the thought did cross his mind of maybe getting their hands on actual swords as support items to fight with, now that he was watching Izuku do this.
Finishing the dance, Izuku took a bow and deactivated the swords. He grinned again at his family, "Well, now I should probably get going…" He looked towards the doorway, "Yasha was supposed to follow me. But I suppose she got called away on god business again." He shrugged, "Nonetheless I hope to see you lot at the carnival. Especially you, Katsuki." He gave Katsuki one last wink before waving and walking out of the room so he could change back into his normal clothing and not mess up his costume.
Tsunagu and Masaru both blinked rapidly. That… was ridiculously impressive. Tsunagu, ever the practical one, hummed. “That must have taken a lot of practice to get down like that. That’s some impressive dedication.”
Masaru couldn’t help but be amused by Katsuki’s total lick of a response. His face was still mostly hidden by his shirt, but Masaru could imagine the open-mouthed stare he sported beneath that.
A little while later Izuku came back down, his hair a bit poofier and messed up after having dealt with everything he had to do to put that wig on. He was blushing faintly as he returned. "Um so… I hope that was good? I didn't go too over the top or anything did I?" Izuku asked, back to his nervous fidgeting self. "I get a bit into it when I'm in costume."
Even Tsunagu snorted in amusement when Izuku came back downstairs. He indicated Katsuki wordlessly. Masaru… hadn’t stopped being amused since Katsuki first started staring. Really, both of them were amused at Katsuki’s expense, especially since him breaking to quite this level was so rare.
Katsuki was still staring at the spot Izuku had been when he was dancing, even though there was no longer anyone standing there. He was sitting very still, and wasn’t making a single noise, except for his breathing. His face was still mostly hidden, and the blush was mostly gone, but his brain hadn’t quite caught up with the rest of the world yet.
Izuku blinked at Katsuki. "Oh. Um…" He paused for a moment, debating on how to reboot Katsuki before he just went over and kissed the side of his face. He ran his fingers through Katsuki's hair for a moment. "You okay Kacchan?" He asked softly.
Katsuki blinked slowly, gradually turning his head to look at Izuku. He stared for a few minutes, not saying a single word. His eyes (which had been a bit glassy before) slowly came back into focus. He blinked again, then raised a hand to settle it on the back of Izuku’s head. Without a word, or any kind of warning whatsoever, he leaned in and kissed him. Hard. He knew Izuku would need to reboot after that, but he held the kiss until Izuku had rebooted, instead of giving him a break to do so like he normally would.
Izuku made a surprised sound as his lips met Katsuki's, short-circuiting as predicted. It was pretty easy to tell when he came back online considering the way he rapidly blinked at the fact that Katsuki was still kissing him, subsequently causing him to let out an odd sounding whine from the back of his throat. He forgot about the adults in the room and took a breath through his nose before kissing Katsuki back just as hard, bringing up his hands for one to find rest at the back of Katsuki's neck and the other in his hair.
Katsuki couldn't say he was thinking much at all, much less about the adults in the room with them. His attention was 100% on Izuku. He kissed Izuku as passionately as he dared, well aware this was new territory for both of them and instinctively not wanting to overwhelm the other. Though he definitely appreciated the noise he'd made after rebooting. He made no move to add tongue to the kiss, though.
When Izuku needed to come up for air, rather than pulling away fully he moved his head to place a few kisses on Katsuki's jaw as he got his oxygen back before whispering, "I love you Kacchan." Izuku then went back to continue the kiss.
Katsuki grinned into the kiss, wrapping his free arm around Izuku's waist. He kept up the kiss, breathing through his nose rather than breaking for air. Rather than verbally responding, he made use of the bond once again, sending love and affection through it.
Tsunagu gave Masaru a look. "Should we… intervene? They seem pretty lost in their own little world."
"Give them just a few more moments." Inko replied quietly. "At least Izuku is going to be thoroughly embarrassed. He always is when this happens. He's usually the one to break away most of the time too."
Izuku hummed happily into the kiss, ignoring the tears that sprung from the overwhelming emotions.
Katsuki slowly became aware of the existence of the world around them, but still couldn't say he particularly cared. Shame had never really been something he had, and he took full advantage of that to kiss Izuku breathless as many times as he could get away with before the latter also remembered that the universe around them was a thing.
It took a bit of time, but just before Inko suggested they try getting them to stop, Izuku blinked open his eyes to look at Katsuki and caught sight of the adults watching them. He immediately turned a dark shade of red and pulled back from their kiss to cover his face. " Kacchan. " He whined, " Every time. Why do you always do this to me."
"Do what?" Katsuki grinned, slowly removing his hand from where it had been partially tangled in Izuku's hair. "Kiss you? You usually like it. Not to mention you were kissing right back." He was surprised Izuku didn't go right into hiding against him.
"Yeah but…" Izuku whined again, "Not in front of people." He was thoroughly embarrassed that he hadn't even noticed the adults in the room after he rebooted. For a minute it seemed like it was just him and Katsuki together.
Yagi and Inko started snickering to themselves, Hisashi doing the same on the other end of the call. Though Hisashi had still muted himself so wasn't exactly subduing his laughter.
Katsuki's grin was entirely smug and unrepentant, and there was no way Izuku wouldn't recognize that expression, assuming he unburied his face long enough to look. He leaned forward to whisper, so only Izuku would hear, "We could always go upstairs, I~Zu~Ku. Then we'd be all alone , and I can kiss you to your heart's content."
Masaru and Tsunagu were quietly snickering as well. Tsunagu leaned forward to whisper something to Masaru. Whatever it was turned him almost as red as Izuku.
Izuku shook his head, keeping his face hidden. "Why do you have to keep saying my name like that. " He said, still whining. "You know what that does to me."
Katsuki snickered. "Yeah, I do know. That's why I do it. You blush so beautifully , I just can't help it." He leaned forward, still grinning, "And I'm going to kiss you again," he said softly, before giving Izuku another kiss, this one brief and light. "I love you."
Izuku let out a slow breath, "I love you too Kacchan." He moved to hide up against Katsuki now. Both embarrassed to do so, so soon after kissing like that in front of their family, but he still wanted the comfort.
Katsuki settled his arms more snugly around Izuku's waist, almost tempted to carry him upstairs and follow through on his promise. Maybe later.
Tsunagu wanted to ask about the coat, but they still seemed a bit lost in each other, and he didn't want to interrupt anything.
Izuku nuzzled against Katsuki, turning his head so he could see their family again. He blinked before pulling his phone out of his pocket, "Um… I almost forgot I was going to show you guys the pictures of that costume with the full makeup done." He unlocked his phone and handed it over to whoever wanted to look, having pulled up the photoset already. "That means the scars and contacts and stuff too mom, so don't faint if you look. The photoset above it has fake blood too so careful." Izuku kept his face hidden, but wanted to watch and see their reactions.
He was pretty proud of that costume after all, even if it was a pain to make and to get into. He worked hard on it.
Tsunagu gently took the phone, flipping through the photos with Masaru. "That's… impressive. Very well done. It's clear you put a lot of effort into the entire outfit."
Katsuki took the opportunity of everyone being distracted to whisper into Izuku's ear. "Can't promise I won't decide to pin you to the nearest wall and kiss you senseless next time I hear you use that accent." He grinned, kissing him on the jaw.
Izuku smiled up against Katsuki, "Th-Thanks. I'm glad my work shows. The coat was a huge challenge. Especially since all the reference photos I could find of it only show the front. I had to come up with the peacock design on the back and all the rest of the stuff myself. All of it hints towards lore around the character though." Hearing what Katsuki said he choked on air and just stared at him for a moment. That would be something to ask about later. It was just an accent, did he really like it that much?
Tsunagu hummed softly in understanding, studying the pictures still. Finally, Masaru pulled the phone out of his hand and held it out to Inko. Tsunagu pouted at him, but didn't try to get it back.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku staring. "What?" He questioned. "Why are you staring for admitting to liking that accent?"
"Just wasn't expecting it I guess. I guess I'm still learning things about you." Izuku replied. He smirked at him lightly, before speaking in another accent he'd been working on. German this time. "I guess I'll have to pull the accents I've practiced out more often then, ja? If you really like them."
Inko took the phone and sucked in a slow breath. "When you do stuff like this I can barely recognize you in your photos. It looks amazing though dear." She said before handing the phone off to Yagi to look at who seemed genuinely amazed.
"Thanks mom." Izuku said normally before switching to another voice, this one higher than his normal speaking voice and with a hard to place accent. "Technically, that's the point though technically. People call cosplayers shape shifters for a reason."
Yagi tilted his head at Izuku, "Do you usually do voices like that for your costumes?"
"Depends." Izuku replied speaking normally again, "For the show Molly is from I try to though. They're played by actual voice actors so it's fun to try and copy whatever voice they do."
"In the case of one of the characters, Fjord…" He added in a texan accent before switching to British, "That means two separate accents though. Depending on what part of the story I'm cosplaying." He grinned going back to his normal voice, "Using my quirk made it a lot easier to figure out the inflections and stuff. Then it's just practice keeping the accent up from there. I'm still working on all the ones other than Molly's though."
Katsuki stiffened when the first accent came out. His pupils started to dilate slightly, and his grip around Izuku's waist tightened. He leaned forward to kiss the corner of Izuku's mouth when the Texan accent came out, his eyes narrowed, with barely any red visible. Once Izuku stopped talking, he spoke, his voice lower than normal. "I warned you what was going to happen." He raised one hand, putting it on the back of Izuku's neck, then crashing their mouths together, biting down lightly on Izuku's lower lip, testing what he could get away with.
Izuku squeaked, inhaling sharply when Katsuki bit his lip. He was trying his best not to make any weird sounds in front of his parents because that was new and he liked it for some reason. Like, really liked that. He gently pushed on Katsuki's chest tilting his head away slightly as his blush started to come back full force. If Katsuki continued that in front of their family he was actually going to combust, especially if he let one of those sounds slip out. He wouldn't be able to to look at his mom for weeks.
Katsuki smirked at Izuku's reaction, filing it away for later as a good thing. He moved his hand back to Izuku's waist so he could pull away more if he wanted. He wrote into Izuku's back, Liked that, did you?
Masaru cleared his throat, far too amused by this whole thing. "There's still the cake…" he noted.
Izuku looked away from everyone and nodded minutely to Katsuki. He let out a breath, "Yeah. Cake. Let's get cake please."
Katsuki snorted, standing up with his arms around Izuku's waist still. He headed over to where Aunty had put the cake, and pulled it out of the box. "Reach and grab some plates, would you 'Zuku?" He requested, getting forks as well as a knife to cut the cake.
Masaru had been about to stand, but shrugged and relaxed back into his chair when Katsuki beat him to it. "Just don't get too distracted!"
Izuku reached up and grabbed the plates like Katsuki asked. “I’ll-” Izuku started, his voice cracking slightly, “Keep us on task Uncle Masaru.” He sighed and gave Katsuki a look. “ Hey Kacchan? Don’t bite my lip in front of our parents ever again please.” He said quietly, his face still red. “I’m pretty sure I almost moaned . I think I actually would have died. I’m very glad I can still force myself to keep quiet right now, even if that came from getting beat up a bunch.”
Katsuki's eyes widened, and his grin widened too. "I'm curious to hear what you moaning sounds like… and we're not in front of our parents right now…" he trailed off. Though he'd already filed that away as something to be done in private, considering that the result would definitely be something he didn't want to share. Teasing Izuku was too much fun sometimes.
“Don’t you dare.” Izuku said, squinting at him and flicking his forehead. “Parents are waiting. Let’s bring back the cake. Then we can discuss the possibility of me ever letting even you hear that later. It’d be embarrassing.”
"Embarrassing? More like hot as hell." Katsuki corrected. He cut six slices of cake, putting one on each plate with a fork before picking up three. "Grab the others, would you?" He requested, waiting for Izuku to do so before heading back to the table. He handed two of the plates he carried to his dad and Tsunagu, leaving Izuku to hand over the other two. "Do you want to separate to eat or stay sitting on my lap?"
Izuku nodded and quickly grabbed the other slices. He handed them over, both Yagi and Inko giving him a quick thank you. He looked back at Katsuki and sighed, “After that? Separate. Less temptation for you to kiss me like that again for you.”
Katsuki couldn't help but snicker. "You say that like I'm not tempted to kiss you every waking moment of the day. A few inches of space won't change that." Nonetheless, he took Izuku's plate and set them both down, before pausing so Izuku could get down.
Izuku snorted and got down, “Fair point. I am usually the one that has to keep us on task.” He sat down in his seat, “Where I just want to cuddle all the time, you just want to kiss me. But I apparently have more willpower than you to be able to stop.” Izuku said teasingly.
Katsuki sat down, not reaching for Izuku's hand right away. "Restraint when it comes to kissing, maybe. Neither of us have that when it comes to hugs and cuddles, though. And don't try to say you do, either, cuddlebug." He teased right back, shooting Izuku a (accidentally) sultry look by glancing up through his eyelashes at his soulmate.
Izuku, who had just finally stopped blushing, started blushing faintly again as he turned his attention to his cake. “Maybe so. But I can still get us out of bed, even if my suggestion of us getting up usually means one of us is carrying the other so we’re still holding each other.” He bumped Katsuki’s shoulder lightly, “Even when we do separate though, you’re still on my mind. Mom can confirm, when we do separate for the day or something half the time I’ll turn to say something to you or reach out only to remember you’re off doing something else.”
Inko laughed, “That you do. But don’t forget how pouty you get if we get delayed in meeting back up. It’s a wonder you both are able to separate at all to get some alone time.”
“To be fair I did the reaching out thing before I even told you about the bond, or before it formed.” Izuku said, “I’m pretty sure I started crying a few times when me and mom went out and you weren't with us when I did it. I would automatically reach for your hand sometimes and got upset when you weren't there.”
“You did.” Inko confirmed, “Had to call Masaru to get Katsuki on the phone a few times to get you to relax. A week without seeing him even before the bond seemed like the end of the world for you.”
Yagi chuckled lightly, “So you’ve always been inseparable. Got it.”
Masaru grinned, remembering that. “Katsuki might not admit it, but he used to do the same thing. He would see something he thought Izuku would like and turn to point it out to him and he wouldn’t be there. The overseas trips were the worst for him. He’d want to take pictures of every little thing, just so he could tell Izuku about them.”
Kasuki flushed slightly, but nodded. “Usually Aunty would call before I could start pestering dad to do it, but there were times when dad would call first. We were hopeless without each other. Still are.”
Izuku smiled fondly at Katsuki, reaching his hand out so they could hold hands while they ate. "It's a wonder I didn't realize I was in love with you sooner Kacchan. I can't imagine myself without you there with me." He laughed at himself, "Took you getting a dang haircut for me to consciously realize how handsome you are. And it's not like even before that people didn't mistake us for a couple."
"Fake dating would have been the worst. " He said, remembering what led to them actually dating in the first place. "Every single time you exaggerated something we did anyway that day to seem more like a couple, my heart was aching wishing it was real." He gave Katsuki's hand a small squeeze, "I'm glad that only lasted a few hours."
Katsuki took Izuku's hand without even thinking about it. "On the bright side, who knows how long it would have taken me to realize my feelings if we hadn't done that." He offered, munching on his cake. "I think I knew I liked you as more than a friend, but admitting it to myself and being willing to actually confess was another issue entirely." He leaned over to kiss Izuku's cheek.
Izuku hummed happily as Katsuki kissed him. "I'm glad you did. You know I wouldn't have been able to. For a lot of reasons." He replied, "And considering all the things that would have happened within the next week had you not told me, I'm extremely glad you did. There's a lot of things we stopped just because of us starting to date and making those promises to each other."
Katsuki snickered. “Cowards. Too afraid of facing someone who’s willing and able to kick their asses.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand tightly, remembering what had resulted from that. Izuku had been safe, but others hadn’t been so fortunate.
He leaned over slightly, bumping Izuku’s shoulder gently. They both had their regrets about what had happened.
Izuku took a few bites of his cake before leaning against Katsuki. He gave a quiet hum, “Yeah… I’m still wondering how they expect to be heroes with them being like that. It’s not like villains will be afraid to fight them.” He took a deep breath against Katsuki before pulling away again. “We should go visit before we go down to the beach whenever we start.” He left it at that knowing Katsuki would know who he was referring to.
Inko blinked at Izuku, “When you start what at the beach?”
Katsuki nodded to Izuku. They hadn’t visited him in a while. It would be… maybe not nice , per say, but certainly a good thing to do. “Well, there are people who go for heroics for the ability to fight others. Though I sincerely doubt they’ll make it far.” He said simply.
When Aunty asked what they were doing at the beach, thankfully Katsuki already had an idea of what to say. “Oh, it’s some extra training Yagi-san suggested, to help us get ready for UA’s entrance exam. No such thing as over prepared and all that.” He replied with a grin.
Izuku nodded in agreement. “It’ll be really helpful I think. Like Kacchan said, no such thing as over prepared.”
“Oh! Alright.” Inko replied with a smile, “You boys have been working hard to get in. As worried as I am about it, you have each other to fall back on. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
Yagi blinked, “You both are aware you won’t be taking the practical portion together yes? There are several testing areas. People from the same schools are separated so that they can accurately test your individual abilities.”
Katsuki nodded. “We had figured as much. It’s one of the reasons why we spar so often. If we’re used to fighting against each other, we aren’t expecting the other to back us up. Plus we learn ways to counter our own abilities so we can be prepared for someone else being able to do the same if it ends up being a combat test.” To be fair, Katsuki felt like he was pulling most of this out of his ass, but it made logical sense as he was saying it. “The sucky part about that will be being separated, but we’ll manage.”
Izuku nodded as well, “It’s why we practice quirkless too. If we ever went up against someone like Eraserhead, or someone whose abilities counter the quirks we have access to we still need to be able to fight. I know we won’t always be able to be next to each other when we fight. We have to be able to stand strong alone, so we can fight better together too.” He shook his head, “Honestly… and Kacchan knows this... Pro heroes who rely on just their quirks kind of annoy me? Like a lot. Specifically for that reason. If they don’t train just their own body, how are they going to save anyone if they can’t use their quirk for whatever reason?”
Yagi raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised Izuku thought of it like that. “You make a fine point young M- Izuku. A lot of heroics training tends to lean more heavily on training your quirks, but training your own body is important too.” He smiled at them both, “Considering you both have already thought of all these things it feels like you’d be on par with the recommendation students prior knowledge. It makes me even happier that I chose you to be perfectly honest.”
Katsuki grinned, squeezing Izuku’s hand again. Every time he thought he couldn’t be prouder of his soulmate, he went and proved him wrong. On par with the students getting in on recommended status? Holy shit. And Izuku couldn’t argue it either, because it was All Might saying it!
Tsunagu hummed softly. “Indeed, there are some ranking Pro Heroes that haven’t seemed to figure that out yet. It doesn’t occur to just anyone, especially with society as a whole’s focus on quirks, and the strength of said quirks.”
Izuku smiled sheepishly from the praise. He looked at Tsunagu and nodded, "That annoys me too for multiple reasons… Here's an example. Yagi-san, do remember how we were talking about the 'chair test' when you first got here?"
Yagi looked confused but nodded.
"The chair test was basically Kacchan leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk. Just going off his records, because he has a strong quirk almost all of our teachers didn't call him out on it." Izuku said. "But, me making the slightest noise or disturbance in class got me called out for it. Always has, at least until the teachers realized I had access to Kacchan's quirk. Then I started getting more of that treatment too. Also probably because I wasn't registered as quirkless anymore." He bit his lip slightly, "I worry Mom and Kacchan a lot sometimes because I started making it a habit not to make any noise or show signs of pain. Because I'd get in trouble. I still do it a lot, even though I don't really have to anymore." Izuku looked down at his arm, "I… broke my arm once and didn't even make a sound. And then I was walking around for the rest of that day and the next with it broken. And not even in a sling. Still didn't wince or make noises from that."
Yagi looked worried for Izuku, but there was a bit of silent anger behind his eyes for the people who made Izuku act that way. Likely because he knew how that felt even a little bit. Quirklessness would have been more common in his generation, but he probably still got picked on.
Izuku cleared his throat. "So, since you both are new I guess that's fair warning? If I get hurt I probably won't show it. And… I'm not likely to say anything to anyone but Kacchan." He said looking between Yagi and Tsunagu.
Katsuki made a face at that. “And sometimes you still don’t tell me, I just know you well enough to guess .” He retorted. “Granted, you do that a lot less than you used to, but still.” His tone wavered between teasing and fond, but annoyed. He made a face. “Yeah. You walked around with a broken arm and then I noticed it and basically told you you were going to a doctor or I was carrying you to one.” He honestly didn’t much like talking about their teachers in middle school, because there were still mostly just the two that he had any form of respect for.
Masaru’s expression was… difficult to read at the reveal of what the chair test was. He had known that school was practically garbage. The only reason he’d agreed to let Katsuki attend was the same reason Katsuki really even wanted to attend. Izuku was there. But the two seemed to have figured everything out by themselves. Though he had offered to pay to transfer Katsuki and Izuku to a different school when their quirkless classmate was found dead. Though Katsuki had been confident in his own ability to defend Izuku, no matter what happened.
Izuku sighed, "Yeah. You did. I still think I would have been fine without going to the doctor, considering we slept in the same bed that night. But I know it was still a good idea since they checked to make sure it was healing properly." He gave Katsuki a small smile, "I know I still do it sometimes with you, but I am really trying to tell you more. I promised no more hiding. It's just… harder with stuff I don't really think is a small thing. Like spraining my wrist or something. That heals fully in like two hours or less when we're cuddling."
"Spraining your wrist is a small thing for you?" Yagi asked, looking concerned.
"Yeah? It's not like I cracked a rib or something. Which I've done." Izuku replied, "I'm pretty clumsy, and I go hard in training."
Katsuki, far too used to Izuku’s attitude on this, rolled his eyes. “Maybe I should start denying cuddles when you injure yourself in a dumb way,” He countered. Not that he actually would, and he knew that he wouldn’t, because he cared far too much about Izuku’s well being, and always wanted to do whatever he could to make the other better. However, it was worth putting out there as a possibility. Izuku would probably call him on it, though.
He sighed. “While we can both tolerate ridiculous levels of pain, admittedly you more so just because you injure yourself so often, we should probably both learn basic first aid in case we can’t reach each other.”
Izuku squinted at Katsuki, "You wouldn't. Besides that'd mean no touching, and our time limit sucks . We get symptoms practically the first day now. I'm pretty sure my time limit has gotten shorter because of that honestly. It wasn't that bad at first." He sighed, "You make a good point though. I know a bit just because… I used to take care of my own wounds. But we should probably get proper training?"
Yagi looked at Izuku again before rubbing his temples. Now he knew how Gran Torino and Recovery Girl felt. "Why would you take care of your wounds yourself?"
"I didn't want to worry anyone?" Izuku replied sheepishly. Especially when he caught the look his mother gave him.
"I can teach you both proper training Izu." Inko said softly, "Only if you promise to tell me when you do from now on though. One, because I'll need to restock our supplies after you use them. Two, because I know you don't want to worry me but I'm a nurse dear. And your mom. I'm always going to worry about you."
Izuku laughed anxiously and rubbed the back of his neck, "O-Okay mom."
Katsuki snorted, trying and failing to conceal his amusement. “Forgot about that, did you?” He teased. “Besides, like I’ve told you multiple times, I’m always going to worry about you too. You’ve even used the logic back on me occasionally. We worry about each other. It’s what we do.”
Masaru and Tsunagu looked at each other, then facepalmed. How do you forget your own mother is a nurse, and decide to treat your injuries yourself to avoid worrying her.
"I didn't forget. " Izuku said with a pout. He sighed, "I know you will. Even if I try to keep you from having to worry more." Izuku tilted his head at Katsuki before leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth. He pulled back with a grin and a slight giggle. "You had cake on your face."
“Totally didn’t forget, of course,” Katsuki teased. “Just neglected to remember.” He narrowed his eyes at Izuku. “Don’t start that. Because I will finish it because we will be going upstairs for privacy.” He used his hold on Izuku’s hand to tug him closer, then let go long enough to wrap his arm around Izuku’s waist. “I think we both know exactly who will win that.”
Izuku blushed and pulled his cake closer to himself to finish it off. "Don't say it like that, Kacchan." He whined, "You made it sound like we'd be… you know what. Which is not gonna happen."
Inko couldn't help but snort at her son. "Dear, you know you can say sex right? I'm pretty sure everyone here knows what that is. Sex isn't a dirty word."
Izuku blushed harder, " Mom."
Katsuki couldn’t help but be amused by that. “Poor, pure little Izuku. Can’t handle saying the big bad three letter s-word .” He grinned, leaning closer to kiss Izuku on the temple. While he was leaned over, he whispered the word into Izuku’s ear. “ Sex. ” He pulled away just enough to speak normally again. “Well, I wasn’t talking about that in particular, but now that you mention it…” he trailed off, wanting to let Izuku get a little more flustered first. He was still a little on edge after finding out that accents were apparently a weak spot of his.
Masaru honestly assumed the two of them had at least experimented with sex by that point. Even if they hadn’t, they were teenagers, and it was normal to be curious. Judging by Izuku’s reaction, though, maybe they hadn’t.
Izuku put his face in his hands, blushing profusely. "Kacchan stop. " He whined. "I'm actually going to light on fire." He pouted and pulled his hands away to look at Katsuki. "Why do you have to tease me so much about this? I just…" Izuku grumbled and put his face in his hands again, "It's so weird to think about."
“I don’t have to tease you. I want to.”Katsuki countered, grinning. “You still make it so easy to do.” He raised an eyebrow. “Weird? Why weird?” He questioned, looking a little confused. He snuck another kiss to Izuku’s temple. “You’re so easily flustered. It’s adorable.”
Izuku pushed his plate away from himself now that he was done. “The whole concept is weird Kacchan.” He muttered, scrunching up his shoulders. “Like… it’s a natural thing but it just… it’s weird . I’m not saying I’ll never… I just… don’t feel comfortable with it yet. We only recently started… doing other things when we kiss. And even that’s a lot to process. So more is just… I dunno I’m being weird.”
Katsuki turned slightly, setting his fork down. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m not going to push you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He reached up to brush some of Izuku’s hair behind his ear. “Sure, I tease you a lot, but I’ll never try to make you do something you’re not ready for, okay? I care about you way too much for that.” He rested their foreheads together briefly. “If you feel like I’m going too far with teasing you, tell me , okay? Otherwise, just remember it’s just me talking shit, and I’m not actually going to do anything to you.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Izuku replied softly, closing his eyes. “I’ll tell you if you go too far.” He moved so he could hug Katsuki. Putting his face up against his neck. “Once people leave… then we can go upstairs and work on some of the other things some more, okay?” He whispered so only Katsuki could hear. “I want to figure out why I liked you biting my lip. Because it... Felt weirdly good.”
Katsuki played with Izuku’s hair for a moment, hiding his face in it so he could whisper back, “Yeah, we can do that.” He looked at everyone else’s plates to try to figure out how close they were to being done. Though there would probably still be more socialization afterwards, but they also had a pile of homework to get to. That should be an excuse they could use to exit the situation.
There was no desire to kiss Izuku senseless involved. No, not one bit. Not even a little.
Izuku hummed and nuzzled into Katsuki. They all saw that kiss from earlier so nuzzling close wasn’t really that embarrassing comparatively. He looked over to where his dad was having a small conversation with his mom and Yagi before he heard his name and paid more attention to what they were actually saying.
“... Izuku needs a little nudge to get out of his comfort zone most of the time. You’re his favorite hero though so I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to convince him to let you hear him.” Hisashi said.
Izuku blinked at the tablet, though he couldn’t actually see his dad since the screen was facing his mom and Yagi. “What do you mean hear me? What are you talking about?”
“Your singing voice kiddo!” Hisashi replied cheerfully. “I was telling Yagi-san here how good of a performer you are in a lot of things.”
Izuku groaned and hid his face against Katsuki again. “ Dad why. My singing voice isn’t that great.”
“It is and I’m going to boast about your skills till the day I die Izu.” Hizashi replied. Getting more grumbling sounds out of Izuku.
Katsuki kept his arms comfortably around Izuku, but turned his head to talk more about fashion week with his dad and Tsunagu. He might have no plans to work in the fashion industry, but he’d still grown up surrounded by it, and was interested in it. As such, he wasn’t paying any particular attention to the conversation Izuku caught part of. Though it was probably a good thing (at least for Izuku) that he hadn’t, since he loved hearing Izuku sing and would be totally on board with whatever plan they came up with.
“I’m not saying to bust out in song and do a full thing right now. But you could show off a little bit Izuku.” Hisashi said, “I haven’t gotten a singing video from you in forever. Maybe your voice has changed but it was really really good when you were small at the very least. And you never even had lessons.”
Izuku grumbled more, “Are you really going to guilt trip me here dad?”
“Not trying to guilt trip you, I’m just saying.” Hisashi replied, putting his hands up. “I’d like to hear it again whenever you’re comfortable.”
Katsuki glanced down at Izuku, tuning in slightly to what was being said. “What are you being guilt tripped about now?” He asked lightly, trying to divide his attention as much as possible. There was only so much attempting to get information out of his parent he could try in one sitting, and details about almost any fashion line’s plans for fashion week were hard to come by, even for other fashion companies.
“Damn it.” Izuku muttered under his breath. “Dad’s trying to get me to sing.” He replied. “He hasn’t heard me probably since I was like eight.”
Katsuki blinked. “Well why not? Your singing voice is amazing. Remember we did that karaoke duet or first year? You’re an amazing singer.” Katsuki grinned down at his fiance. “Why you don’t show off more is beyond me. Do we need to get you in cosplay for that?”
Izuku groaned, “ Maybe? I feel more confident in some of my cosplays. But...” He sighed and looked back towards the adults, “Fine. Kacchan will pester me otherwise. Any requests I guess? I can do anything, preferably something I’d know with high notes.”
Katsuki fake coughed something that sounded like ‘Death of a Bachelor’, loud enough for the adults to hear him. Whether they would understand what he said or not was a different story, admittedly.
Tsunagu raised an eyebrow. “Death of a Bachelor?” He repeated slowly. The fact that Katsuki had come back so quickly with that likely meant it was something he knew Izuku could do. That already sounded interesting. Especially the fact that Izuku had himself said he could handle high notes. This should be entertaining.
Sometimes, it was hard for Masaru to tell when Katsuki was poking at Izuku to bring his confidence up, and when he was just messing with his fiance. This was one of those times. While he knew Katsuki would never deliberately try to embarrass Izuku, he wasn’t quite sure what the goal was. By all accounts, that was a difficult song. Could Izuku actually do it?
“Did you just say… Death of a Bachelor? Young B- ah er…” Yagi started, before tripping up on Katsuki’s name. Unsure if he’d be fine with him using his given name already.
Izuku let out a long sigh, “Of course, you suggest that Kacchan. Fine. I can do that. Give me my phone and let me up, I need to stand if I’m going to sing properly.”
Katsuki snickered, releasing his hold on Izuku. “Yeah, only because I know he can sing it, and sing it really well .” He gave Izuku a look, daring him to contradict what he’d said. He blinked at All Might tripping on his name. He was fine with him using this given name, but it seemed like such an awkward sentence to say at the same time. Deciding to say it as nonchalantly as possible, he shrugged. “You can call me Katsuki if you want…” he trailed off, cheeks slightly pink.
Yagi smiled at Katsuki, “All right, Katsuki.”
Izuku stuck his tongue out at Katsuki, grabbing his phone and looking for a karaoke version of the song quickly. He didn’t need the lyrics, he just didn’t particularly feel like trying his hand at acapella at the moment. Finding one he took a deep breath. “Alright. Here we go I guess. I’m only doing this the once so make sure you’re listening dad.” He quickly pressed play before setting it on the counter.
Not turning around to face his family yet, he started the song. “Do I look lonely~? I see the shadows on my face. People have told me I don't look the saaame.” He ran a hand nervously through his hair before turning around. “Maybe I lost weight? I'm playing hooky~ with the best of the best, put my heart on my chest. So that you can see it, too~”
Yagi’s eyes were wide hearing his voice the moment it started. Whereas Inko and Hisashi were grinning brightly hearing his voice again.
Tsunagu and Masaru were equally shocked at hearing Izuku sing. Masaru had heard Katsuki sing plenty of times, but never Izuku on his own. They listened, honestly amazed at how good he was.
Katsuki, meanwhile, had grabbed his own phone, and started recording just before the music started. He beamed at hearing Izuku sing. It had been far too long since the last time, and Katsuki definitely needed to make it a priority to get him to sing more often.
Izuku rolled his eyes at Katsuki holding up the camera. Of course he was recording. “I'm walking the long roooad~, watching the sky faaallll ~” He made eye contact with Katsuki knowing he was coming up on the first hard bit, “The lace in your dress tingles my neck… how do I live?”
Izuku smiled hitting the note. Even if he hated doing it in front of people, he did enjoy singing. ”The death of a bachelor~ Oh oh-oh. Letting the water fall~ The death of a bachelooor~ Oh oh-oh.” Izuku closed his eyes swaying a bit, “Seems so fitting for.” He took a quick breath so he could properly hit the next notes, “Happily ever after! Whooo~ How could I ask for more?”
Katsuki held back his cheers, mindful of his own recording, adjusting the volume as the song went on so the recording wouldn’t blow out the speaker on playback. He was so proud of Izuku, but he tried to hold back anything that might distract him until the song was over. Then he’d overwhelm his fiance with well-deserved praise and affection.
“A lifetime of laughter, at the expense of the death of a bachelor~” Izuku opened his eyes now that the chorus was done for the moment. Apparently his father muted himself again because he was definitely clapping loudly and cheering on his end. “I'm cutting my mind off… Feels like my heart is going to burst.” He put his hands in front of his chest and pushed them out at the last word, “Alone at a table for two and I just wanna be served~”
Izuku smiled at Katsuki again. This song was about getting married after all. He made sure to get closer to Katsuki as he sang the next line, “And when you think of me am I the best you've ever had?”
Katsuki sat up a little straighter when Izuku came closer. He’d suggested the song and like hell was he not going to enjoy the performance that went with it. Though he was sure he’d enjoy whatever Izuku chose to sing, given that it was Izuku, and damn Izuku could sing. He found that he was also having to resist humming along, though. That would defeat the purpose of recording Izuku singing.
“Share one more drink with me~” Izuku continued, moving to brush his thumb over Katsuki’s cheek. “Smile even though you're saaad.” He pulled back and started to walk back towards the counter, “I'm walking the long roooad~ , watching the sky faaallll~ The lace in your dress tingles my neck…” He turned back around again and tilted his head up with his eyes closed. “How do I liiive?”
”The death of a bachelor~ Oh oh-oh. Letting the water fall~ The death of a bachelooor~ Oh oh-oh.” Izuku continued to sing, now watching only Katsuki and not bothering to check the rest of their family’s reactions. He swayed his hips a bit more as he sang. Relaxing more now that it was almost done. ”Seems so fitting for…” He took a quick breath again, and seeing how he was supposed to be showing off he went even a bit higher than before as he sung the next line. “Happily ever after! Whooo~ How could I ask for more? A lifetime of laughter, at the expense of the death of a bachelor~”
Izuku grinned as the instrumental part of the song started, dancing in place a bit. Giggling slightly. When he ignored the rest of the audience and just focused on Katsuki it made it a whole lot easier to let loose.
Katsuki had to resist doing something incredibly anime-ish, like heart eyes. Because that was a thing that only happened in tv shows. He sent some of the overwhelming affection he felt watching the greenet perform through the bond. This gigantic dork was his soulmate. And fiance. How did he get so ridiculously lucky?
Izuku grinned as his cue to start singing again happened. ”The death of a bachelor~ Oh oh-oh. Letting the water fall~ The death of a bachelooor~ Oh oh-oh.” He continued to dance as he finished out the song. ”Seems so fitting for… Happily ever after! Whooo~ How could I ask for more? A lifetime of laughter, at the expense of the death of a bachelor~” Izuku finished out with a small spin as the song ended.
As soon as it ended Hisashi unmuted himself, clapping loudly. And Inko and Yagi joined in as well. “Heck yeah Izu!” Hisashi yelled. “I knew you could sing! You got even better since last time!”
Katsuki smiled back at Izuku. He stopped the recording, then set his phone down so he could clap too. “Amazing as always, ‘Zuku.” He said softly, sending through all the pride and positive emotions he was holding back earlier.
Izuku smiled sheepishly as tears started down his face from all the emotion Katsuki was sending him. Izuku's parents and Yagi looked worried seeing Izuku start to cry but he waved his hand. "I'm not upset. Kacchan's showing me what he's feeling through the bond. It's a lot of emotions at once." He wiped some of the tears on his face away. "Thanks for the applause though…"
Yagi seemingly remembered them mentioning sending each other emotions so wasn't as confused as Izuku's parents seemed by the idea. "You said your singing voice isn't that great. But you have quite the amazing voice, young Izuku."
Katsuki nodded in agreement with Yagi. “There are a lot of things that Izuku’s better at than he says he is. Including singing.” He had a thought about the lyrics, but kept it to himself for now. It was something better shared in private, when it was just them. However, it did make his smile widen just a bit. He stood up and pulled Izuku into a tight hug.
Izuku hugged his fiancé back, "I'd fight you on that, but I know we'll just go in circles so there's no point." He nuzzled into Katsuki a bit. "Love you Kacchan."
In response, Katsuki snorted. “Yeah, we would. We usually do. We’re both too stubborn to do anything else.” He nuzzled Izuku back, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “Love you, ‘Zuku.”
Masaru had very little idea what Izuku meant by sending emotions, but assumed it had something to do with why the pair had been so emotionally in tune with each other for most of their lives. Sending emotions through a bond wasn’t something he’d even heard of until recently.
Izuku hummed happily. "We've got things to do tonight… but I just wanna cuddle again."
Katsuki laughed at that. “Me too. Thankfully homework doesn’t take all that long, and then we can spend the rest of the night cuddling. Unless you were referring to more than just homework.”
Izuku choked on air, " Kacchan no. I was just talking about the homework, shut up." He pinched his side. "We will see about the other stuff. That can wait if we need to." He whispered, "Don't bring that up in front of our family. They don't need to know about that."
Katsuki slowly released Izuku from the hug and ruffled his hair playfully. Picking up his and Izuku’s dishes, he pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before heading back to the kitchen with them.
Izuku smiled over his shoulder at Katsuki before going to round up the adults dishes if they were done with them. If they were going to clean up they might as well. Plus that gave time for the adults to talk alone.
Bringing in the pile of dishes, Izuku gave Katsuki a kiss on the cheek in return before starting to help wash up.
Katsuki grinned when Izuku brought in more dishes. It got done faster when it was just the two of them, so he wasn’t going to say no to the help. Once the dishes they had were done, Katsuki put the leftover cake back in its box and dinner in containers and put it all in the fridge, before starting to wash that too. He didn’t want to leave too much for Aunty Inko to do, so she could spend more time with her soulmate.
That done, Katsuki gave Izuku their pre-kiss warning before doing so. “I don’t know how, but I feel like I fall more in love with you every day.”
Izuku practically melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Katsuki when they parted. He gave Katsuki a fond smile, "It's the same for me Kacchan. I've told you, my love for you only grows." He placed a hand on his own chest and felt for the bond between them. Strong as ever, and getting stronger all the time. "The bond just gives evidence of that being true."
Katsuki hummed in agreement, resting his chin on top of Izuku’s head. “Even when we fight about dumb shit, when it really matters I know I can always count on you. And I’ll always be there for you, too. No matter what.”
Izuku rested his cheek on Katsuki's chest with a smile. "I know you will. We're always there for each other. Always have been, always will be." He giggled quietly, "We're so sappy today aren't we? Just a sappy pair of gay fiancés."
Katsuki snorted in amusement. “You say that like it’s not a regular thing with us, and we’re not always being ridiculously sappy with each other,” he replied. Glancing over to the living room, he sighed. “Better get started on that pile, I guess. Though we’ll probably only end up doing half of it, like usual.”
Izuku sighed, "Yeah we should get on that… more quirk practice at least." He reluctantly pulled away from Katsuki and went to let their parents know they were going to start their homework.
Inko nodded to Izuku and as he left he heard Yagi make a comment about how he's ‘pretty sure they'll be able to handle the workload at UA if the pile he saw was small for them.'
He snickered and went to take Katsuki's hand so they could go sit down and get started. Using his quirk it wasn't that hard to get done quickly, just a bit tedious. Izuku genuinely enjoyed the homework they got that was harder instead of just more questions though, it actually made him have to think a little bit more about his answer.
Katsuki got some water for the two of them to drink while Izuku went to tell their parents what they were doing and met him in the living room. He quickly sorted the work into piles. Work they’d both do, extra paper, and work from one teacher that they had to do separately. “Which do you want to do first?” He asked once Izuku sat down.
Izuku hummed. "How about the stuff we do together first? That way we're not holding each other up if one of us finishes first?" He suggested.
Katsuki shrugged. “Sure. Want to take turns writing?” He pulled the first few sheets off the stack. “Math. Fun.”
Izuku nodded, "That works for me." He snorted at Katsuki's sarcasm, "I happen to like math Kacchan. You want to write for this one? I can do most of it in my head."
Katsuki nodded, gathering all the math sheets. “Knock yourself out, I guess.” He grinned, then read off the first problem.
As they predicted, homework didn’t take that long, even the stuff they had to do themselves. Katsuki sorted it by subject and set it to the side to put in their bags later. Turning to Izuku, he buried his face in the crook of his neck. “Now that that’s out of the way...”
Izuku reached up a hand to scratch Katsuki's scalp since he knew he liked that. Blushing faintly he asked, "Do you want to go upstairs and cuddle now..?"
Katsuki melted slightly into the scratches. “Sounds good to me.” He said softly. Pulling away, he stood up. Before offering a hand to Izuku, he made sure to check his palms for sweat, and popped off any that he found.
Izuku took his hand and started towards the stairs. As they passed where the adults were, Izuku called out to his mom, "We're heading to bed, mom! All of our homework is done now."
He heard the sound of Yagi choking on his drink. Evidently surprised they finished that fast. "Alright sweetie!" She called back, and instead of her usual 'sleep well' which Izuku was expecting as they started up the stairs she said something that made Izuku choke. "Use protection!" She called in a teasing tone.
Izuku's entire body turned beet red and he stumbled on the steps, apparently loud enough for his mother to hear since she started to giggle at her son's reaction.
Katsuki reached out to catch Izuku, blushing lightly himself, but also amused. Adding to her remark, he called back with a grin, "Don't worry Aunty, we will! You're too young to be a grandma!" He could hear his dad's laughter join in with Aunty's at that.
Once Izuku managed to compose himself a bit again he swatted Katsuki's arm. " Really Kacchan?." He ran a hand down his face as he took a breath before pulling Katsuki up the stairs, still blushing profusely. "I swear you're going to kill me with comments like that one of these days." He muttered.
Katsuki smirked, following Izuku up the stairs willingly. "Really now, 'Zuku. If I wanted to kill you with a comment I could think of a much better one than that." He argued. Once they'd reached the top of the stairs, he looped an arm around his fiance's waist and headed towards their room. "Now that I have you to myself…" he trailed off, leaning in for a kiss.
Izuku rolled his eyes with a smile before leaning in the rest of the way for the kiss. All whilst using his foot to push the door behind them shut. "Honestly Kacchan, you can't even wait till the door is closed?" He teased.
Katsuki paused for a moment, pretending to consider the question. "Hmm. Nope!" He answered with a broad grin. He snuck another quick kiss. "It's not like anyone is coming upstairs any time soon."
Izuku shook his head fondly at Katsuki with a sigh. "Okay, first things first, I'm getting my pyjamas on. You don't have to, but at least take off one of your sports bras? Just incase we pass out." He pulled away gently from Katsuki, " Then we can kiss or whatever."
Katsuki grumbled, "I suppose I'll change too." He pulled out an oversized shirt to change into, since that's what he usually slept in. He went into the bathroom to change, feeling particularly self-conscious about his body that day after unintentionally revealing his secret to All Might.
Izuku frowned seeing Katsuki head off to the bathroom to change, considering he didn't do that all that often anymore. Usually preferring to make Izuku a blushing mess if he turned around too quick. He quickly put on his pyjama pants and hesitated before putting a sleep shirt on as well. Katsuki wasn't the only one feeling a little self conscious after revealing a secret to All Might unintentionally.
Once he was done getting changed he rubbed at his shoulder for a moment before just hopping onto the bed and grabbing his plush while he waited for Katsuki to return.
It took most of Katsuki's willpower to take his sports bras off. Finally he gave in, compromising with himself and putting one back on. Then he was able to put the shirt on over it. It didn't do quite enough, but he told himself to put up with it. He wasn't allowed to nag Izuku about his health and then turn around and compromise his own. He was many things, but 'hypocrite' was not one of them.
He returned to the bedroom, dropping his dirty clothes in the hamper. Grabbing his own plush, he sat down next to Izuku, leaning against him.
"You don't go change in the other room much anymore. You doing okay?" Izuku asked softly as he rested his head against Katsuki's shoulder.
Katsuki exhaled slowly. "I- I'll be fine. I Just… got reminded of how much I hate my body. Just one of those times that the "’Everything here is wrong ’ punched me in the gut." He admitted. "I could hardly stand to look at myself, much less have someone else look. Even you."
Izuku nodded quietly in understanding. "Because of earlier, right?" He asked. "Everything not lining up sounds like it sucks. I can't completely understand because I don't have dysphoria, but I kinda get it. You know I hate parts of my body too." He sighed and tightened his grip around his plushie to keep his hands busy and away from his shoulders or thighs. "Hence why I put on a shirt to sleep in. I can't believe I forgot about my scars. And now mom knows."
He pulled his knees up closer to his chest. "The scars have started fading… I… guess I kinda hoped the evidence would be gone or almost gone so she wouldn't notice if she saw." He muttered, "She still hasn't seen but she knows what I did which is worse."
Katsuki kissed Izuku on the forehead. " They're getting there. Honestly I think the only reason Yagi noticed them is because he's trained to do just that." He wrapped his arms gingerly around Izuku. There were a million things he could say, but none of them would really help, so he settled for just being there and offering unconditional love and affection.
Izuku hummed quietly. Just enjoying Katsuki's comforting presence before he leaned up and kissed Katsuki softly. "Thanks Kacchan." He whispered, "Just for… I don't know. Being there. Putting up with my bs."
Katsuki returned the kiss happily. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here with you." He said seriously when they parted. He peppered Izuku's face with light, affectionate kisses, going for his lips last.
Izuku giggled as Katsuki kissed all over his face. "Wh-what are you t-trying to do? Kiss all my f-freckles?" He said in between laughs, "I t-think that'd take too long K-Kacchan." Izuku hummed into the kiss when their lips finally met.
"Hmm, that's a thought. Kiss every single freckle on your beautiful face." Katsuki said slowly, genuinely considering the idea. He kissed Izuku again, lingering for a moment this time.
Izuku blushed faintly, and leaned into the kiss. When they pulled back again Izuku looked at Katsuki for a moment and opened his mouth before closing it again. He looked down at the sheets and cleared his throat, "D-Do you want to… should we… um…" He took a breath and looked at Katsuki, "P-Practice the um… other… kiss… things..?"
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Which one? We've found a couple different things recently." He noted. "I wouldn't mind practicing any of them, though." He gently kissed Izuku once more, but didn't press, letting him take the lead with whatever he felt comfortable with.
Izuku took a breath through his nose before pressing a little firmer into the kiss. He really wanted to figure out how to properly do what they had attempted before, and so he lifted a hand to the back of Katsuki's neck before hesitantly running his tongue on Katsuki's bottom lip. Hoping he'd get the gist of what he was attempting. Once again he was a bit lost, and Katsuki was having him take the lead which was all the more confusing for him.
Feeling Izuku's tongue, Katsuki realized what he was going for, and opened his mouth enough to let Izuku explore. He wasn't exactly sure what the point of this kind of kiss was any more than Izuku was, he just knew it was a thing people did . He gently touched the tip of Izuku's tongue with his own, to let him know it was okay to experiment a bit.
Izuku tilted his head a bit to make it easier as he attempted this weird sort of kiss. Still not seeing much of the point after a few moments of attempting and getting a bit frustrated feeling like he wasn't doing it right, he pulled back for air before kissing Katsuki firmly again. This time, instead of using his tongue he thought he'd try gently biting down on Katsuki's lip in the same way he had to him earlier.
Katsuki huffed out a short laugh when Izuku pulled away. He returned the next kiss happily, letting out a low moan into the kiss when Izuku bit his lip. Clearly it wasn’t just Izuku who liked that, then. He returned the favor on Izuku’s lower lip once his own was released. Evidently it was something they both liked, unlike using tongue, which neither of them seemed to be able to figure out the point of.
Izuku's eyes shot open hearing Katsuki moan, before letting out a similar noise of his own when Katsuki responded in kind. He melted a bit from it, though his face was red from the embarrassment of making that noise. He'd never done that before and it was weird hearing it come from him . It seemed Katsuki also liked it as odd as it was though, which meant it was extremely likely to be something that'd continue in the future.
Katsuki pulled back from the kiss. “I think we can both agree that the tongue thing is weird and pointless?” He offered. “The biting thing can stay, though. Don’t know what it is about it, but I definitely like it. And judging from the noise, so do you.”
"Y-Yeah." Izuku said with a small nod as he rubbed the back of his neck. "The tongue thing doesn't make any sense but…" He absentmindedly chewed on his bottom lip, "The biting thing…" Izuku looked at Katsuki with a confused expression, "Why does that feel good though? It's… biting . But we both like it I guess so..?"
Katsuki shrugged. “I have no idea why we both like it. We could do research on it, but I think that would be best saved until morning. He leaned in to kiss Izuku briefly once more, playfully biting his lip again.
Izuku held back the noise this time, still embarrassed from it happening in the first place. He pulled back from the kiss with a smile. "Yeah, we can do research in the morning. Incognito mode though because I do not need that in my search history." He joked. Izuku moved to place a few kisses on Katsuki's jaw and neck. "This all is kind of weird to figure out, but I trust you. So it's okay." He whispered.
Katsuki hummed. “Though, there’s always the chance that Aunty would actually be able to explain it if we ask her.” Katsuki mused. He pouted lightly when Izuku held back the noise. “I do definitely like that noise coming from you. I get that it’s embarrassing for you to make, but to me it’s a sign that you like what I’m doing.” He leaned in and nuzzled the side of Izuku’s neck. “I’m glad you trust me.”
Izuku choked slightly, "We are not asking my mom about it. Because she would explain in extremely vivid detail." He sighed when Katsuki pouted, "I… I'll try not to hold it back next time then I guess. Please don't make me almost do it in front of other people, though. It's such a weird involuntary noise… like… pain noises and that kind of thing I get… that's just… I know I keep saying weird but I have other way to describe all this because it’s new.."
He hummed quietly, "You make it easy for me to trust you Kacchan. I doubt I'd be as comfortable to try this stuff even with our other bonded. I know you, and you won't hurt me. You might tease me, but not when it'd hurt me for you to do so."
“Well if we want information… vivid detail seems like the way to go.” Katsuki countered. He grinned. “I can accept that compromise. That means only I get to hear you make it, and I’m okay with that.” He blinked at what Izuku said next, needing to take a minute to process. “‘Course not.” He said, voice rough. “Hurting you is the last thing I’d ever want to do.” He realized he had an advantage over the other two of a lifetime of them knowing each other to build that sort of trust, but realizing that he had that was definitely going to be a point of pride for him for the next ever .
"Kacchan noooo, she's a nurse ." Izuku whined, "One, I don't really want to fill her in on what we're doing. Two, you realize the reason I know it'd be vivid detail is because when she had the sex talk with me she was very specific on how the mechanics worked. " He made a face, "I get she wants me to be safe, but I did not need those images in my head. I even got a detailed explanation about how pregnancy works."
Katsuki couldn't help but cackle. "Details of why that does what it does to us still doesn't sound like a bad thing." He responded between bouts of laughter. "Also, it's literally just biting my or your lower lip. It's not like we're doing anything really scandalous. It's a step up from kissing, that's all." He pointed out.
Izuku groaned, "Fine, if you really want to ask her go ahead. Just do it when I'm not in the room." He sighed and put his head on Katsuki's chest. "I love my mom, but she likes to make sure I'll be completely prepared for anything she can help me with. Which means giving way too much information. You're going to get more than you bargained for when you ask."
Katsuki hid his discomfort over where Izuku was resting his head as well as he could. He hated when his own issues with his body affected shit like this, so he tried to hide it. He hardly expected it to work, though.
Izuku squinted at Katsuki and lifted up his head, "Kacchan. If you're uncomfortable, tell me. You want me to do the same." He hadn't even thought about it when he put his head there, but he wouldn't do it if Katsuki wasn't feeling okay with it at the moment. He scooted himself down to rest his head on Katsuki's stomach instead. "This better?"
Katsuki sighed, carding his fingers through Izuku’s curls. “Yeah. That is.” He sighed, getting comfortable. “Don’t think you’re off the hook about earlier, either. I know you only stopped protesting because Aunty and Yagi were giving you looks.”
Izuku grumbled, but leaned into Katsuki's hand. "I was hoping you forgot about that."
Katsuki snorted. “Not likely. So talk. Why doesn’t it make sense?”
Izuku sighed, "I don't know… 'cause I'm me? I'm clumsy and a total screw up half the time. Plus if I did get that power, I'll bet I'm barely going to be able to use it. I don't think I'll be nearly strong enough even after the extra training." He put his hands in the air, "He could've picked literally anyone else. And he picks the first kid he finds that generally has traits he's looking for."
Katsuki made a face, stopping playing with Izuku’s hair. He moved his hand under Izuku’s chin to encourage him to make eye contact. “Clumsy, maybe, but you couldn’t be a ‘total screw up’ if you tried . I don’t even know how you could possibly see yourself that way. You’re the nicest person I’ve ever known, and you actually mean it , even when I would rather you didn’t. You’ve got the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met, even your mother. You genuinely want to be a hero to help people, and you’re willing to push your own issues so far down you’re stepping on them to do so. You’re a self-sacrificing pain in my ass, sure, but I wouldn’t change anything about you, even if I could. Except maybe that self-deprecating bullshit.” He sat up, pulling Izuku into a hug. “You’ll be able to use it, I know you will. Maybe not at first while you’re getting used to it, but you’ll get there.”
Izuku frowned, hiding his face against Katsuki. "B-But what if I can't Kacchan? I don't want to disappoint him. He… He's trusting me. Trusting me to become the symbol of peace in his absence. But what if I can't?" He sniffled against his soulmate, "H-How am I ever supposed to live up to that? I can't… I can't be that beacon of hope. I cry so easy. How a-am I going to save people with a smile like he does if I cry at the drop of a hat?" Izuku clenched his fists in Katsuki's night shirt, "Th-There's no way. I'd just have to pass it on again, and hope I don't screw up that too."
Katsuki hugged Izuku a little tighter, letting him get it out. “Hey.” He said, much more calmly than he felt. “What have we been planning to do since we realized it was a thing we could do? Surpass All Might and become the #1 Hero, right? It’s still the same goal. We surpass All Might, or in this case, take his place as #1. It’s the same goal we’ve been working towards. We just have an extra tool in our figurative toolbox to use to accomplish that now. That’s all.” He pointed out. “You have something he didn’t have, though,” He continued. “You have me, and at least the quirks of the other two for now. You’re not alone and you never will be.”
Izuku looked up at Katsuki before looking down again. "I… E-Even… Even if I screw up bad enough that All Might wants me to give the quirk to someone else? Or… Or if I can't keep up with you? I don't want to drag you down with me I…" He shut his eyes tight and took a deep breath. "Anxiety talking. I'm sorry."
Katsuki snorted. “I doubt he will, but if he does try that without at least trying to help fix whatever problem he’s seeing first I’ll kick his ass.” Katsuki resumed playing with Izuku’s hair. “Hey. It helps to just say it, sometimes. Saying it out loud is more helpful than letting it circle in your head.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Izuku’s head. “I’m still here. You’re not alone in dealing with any of this. And you won’t ever be as long as I have something to say about it.” He knew reassuring Izuku that his thoughts were inaccurate would only go so far. Best to get him to say them out loud so he could hear them and realize how wrong they were for himself.
"I'm sorry I'm like this so much." Izuku said quietly, "It's stupid. And I feel like I keep glossing over your issues somehow with my own fears and anxiety. You've got problems too…" He started to chew on his lip again, "I just keep bringing it back to my same old stupid thoughts that won't go away permanently no matter how many logical thoughts we keep throwing at them. I know you won't leave me. I know you won't. And yet the fear that everyone is going to realize they… they made a mistake loving me and finally leave me to be alone forever." Tears sprung in Izuku's eyes, "I can't shake it. It scares me so much, Kacchan. I- I don't want to be alone."
Katsuki responded by squeezing Izuku slightly with an ever tighter hug. “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t ask for these thoughts, you can only deal with them as they come.” He replied calmly. “You’re not glossing over anything. We’re in this together. No matter what.” He rested his forehead against Izuku’s. “I’ll remind you however many times you need me to. I’m not leaving you. I’ll never leave you. ‘Til death do us part, even if we’re not married yet. We’ve been together since we were babies, and that’s not about to change.” Katsuki leaned in slowly, before brushing his lips lightly against Izuku’s, giving him time to back away. “I’ll always be with you. Just like you’ll always be with me.”
Izuku kissed Katsuki softly before pulling away with a small nod. "Intrusive thoughts suck ass. " He said with a small laugh. He let out a slow breath before reaching for Katsuki's hand. He didn't want to hold his hand necessarily, just play with his hand a bit. The skin of his palms was thicker than everywhere else, and Izuku's had started looking similar due to the repetitive training of Katsuki's quirk.
Katsuki let Izuku take his hand, watching him curiously. He kept playing with Izuku’s hair with his other hand, mildly amused by his fascination with… the skin on his palm, apparently? Katusuki smiled softly at him, not even weirded out by it. Izuku could get curious about the weirdest things sometimes.
Izuku let out a quiet hum. He knew this would be considered weird to most people, but it was the first thing he thought of to distract himself and keep from spiralling again. He was basically massaging Katsuki's palm as he looked it over. "How much are you actually feeling from me doing this?" Izuku asked softly. "The skin here is thick. It's kinda odd, but it makes sense.."
Katsuki blinked, considering the question. “I can feel your fingers there, and that they’re moving, but it feels like a super light touch. It almost feels like you’re just brushing your fingertips over it, even though I know you’re not.” He said slowly. He’d never really given much consideration to how the thicker skin on his palms also worked to dull sensation there, but clearly it did. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. It was useful, sure, but it made him wonder how many times he’d squeezed Izuku’s hang too hard without realizing it.
Izuku nodded slightly. "My palms are getting like that too." He replied, "It's from making explosions all the time. Like a callous I think. There's a chance popping off larger explosions would burn otherwise." He hummed inspecting Katsuki's hand a bit more before moving to place a kiss on his palm.
Katsuki curled up his fingers to block Izuku before he could make contact. “Careful.” He admonished. “I haven’t popped the sweat off my hand in a bit. I don’t want you to get sick from ingesting it accidentally.” He leaned forward to give Izuku a gentle kiss on the lips instead. “Nitroglycerin overdose sucks. I’ve done it to myself more than enough times. Don’t want you to do it to yourself.”
Izuku pouted but nodded to what Katsuki said. "Sorry, Kacchan. Wasn't thinking." He replied before yawning. "'M tired."
Katsuki snorted. “We did have a fairly eventful day.” He reached for the special chemical wipes he kept on the nightstand, wiping his palms with one to neutralize his sweat. He tossed it away into a bag near the wipes, keeping it separate from other trash. He then settled in for the night, pulling blankets over both of them. “Go to sleep, nerd,” he teased.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Izuku asked as he snuggled up close, closing his eyes. "I love you Kacchan. Good night." He whispered.
Katsuki rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around Izuku’s shoulders. “Love you, ‘Zuku. Sleep well. See you in the morning.” He closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep himself. It took a while with he- his blasted breasts continuing to remind him that they existed, but eventually he managed to doze off to the sound of Izuku’s even breathing.
Notes:
I write Izuku, and will unashamedly throw all the fandoms I'm in at him, alright? Also, there was no place at all where you could see the back of Molly's coat when this was originally written. But The only place you would see it still is on the limited edition figurine they were selling for a bit. This fic has been in the works for a long time before we even started posting lol - Frozen
Chapter 9
Summary:
Katsuki and Izuku visit Akagami's grave and meet someone important during a bad time.
Notes:
WARNING
First thing that happens in this chapter is Katsuki misgendering himself and having bad dysphoria. If that's going to trigger you, please skip to: Katsuki rested his ear on Izuku’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.
A summary of what you missed will be in the endnotes if you'd like to read it.Side note: added a bit of context to Jeanist's behavior in last chapter's notes, so if you haven't seen that yet please go check it out.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
That Sunday, Katsuki woke up at their usual time. He wasn’t the type to sleep in, usually. He tried to get out of bed without waking Izuku. Once that was seemingly accomplished, he grabbed some clothes and the tightest binder he owned. Sh-no, he, could already tell today wasn’t going to be a good day. ‘What a day to start work at the beach’, he thought irritably, heading to the bathroom. He was going to be sweating up a storm in this thing. He needed to be clear of sweat before he put it on, otherwise he’d just feel gross all day.
Turning on the shower as hot as it would go, he wiped his palms with one of his chemical wipes, before disposing of it. He pulled off his sleep clothes and the sports bra she’d slept in, setting them aside to toss in the hamper in Izuku’s room. He stepped into the shower, his skin turning red almost immediately because of the heat. Good. She cleaned her chest and crotch as quickly and she could while still being thorough. She stared down at his chest, noticing the scars had healed. Sh-he glanced towards the closed bathroom door. The heat of the water was making he-his palms sweat, he could….no. He was wearing his tightest binder today, that would hurt . But didn’t she deserve it for being such a freak? No. No, he couldn’t think like this.
Izuku grumbled and awoke not too long after due to Katsuki not being at his side. He yawned and grabbed his plush before he went over to wait outside the bathroom hearing that the shower was on. "You know you can wake me when you get up Kacchan." Izuku said just loud enough to carry into the bathroom without disturbing the rest of the house. "Don't let me sleep in so much, it throws off my sleep schedule."
Hearing Izuku’s voice thankfully knocked her out of her spiral, and she quickly put her hands under the water to wash away the temptation. Sh-he called back, “But you look so cute when you sleep!” His heart wasn’t really in the teasing, though. He washed his hair and the rest of her body quickly, and turned the water off. He grabbed a towel and dried off, before putting the binder on. Working at the beach was not going to be comfortable in this, but at least his dysphoria had lessened significantly with it on. He’d take that as a win. He finished dressing, then opened the door, attempting to smile like he hadn’t just been sorely tempted to try to burn his-her-his breasts off again.
"You're a dork!" Izuku called back with a small smile and a laugh. When Katsuki opened the door he frowned, noticing immediately that something was off, "Kacchan, what's wrong?"
Katsuki frowned. That had worked… about as well as he honestly should have expected. “I… it’s… just a bad day, that’s all.”
Izuku sighed and smiled calmly, "I figured. Do you want a hug?" He asked moving his plush under one arm and holding one hand out.
Katsuki blinked, realizing that he did, in fact, want a hug. He wrapped his arms around Izuku’s waist, leaning into the other as much as he could without making it even more difficult to breathe. He was taking shallow breaths, since he literally couldn’t breathe too deeply right now. He’d done this often enough that the adjustment was automatic. “We should get some flowers and go visit Akagami before we head to the beach.”
Izuku ran his fingers through Katsuki's hair with a hum, "Sounds like a plan." He gave Katsuki a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good morning by the way, my dearest handsome fiancé."
Katsuki snorted. “Good morning, yourself.” It occurred to him briefly that the reason this binder was so tight was he’d gotten it when he was 13, and he’d grown since then, but it still did its job, so he wasn’t about to say anything. “Your fiancée’s brain is doing a dumb today.” He said softly, not even really registering that he’d audibly referred to himself as female.
He stood upright, grabbing her dirty clothes. “Did you need to take a shower too?”
Izuku made a face at Katsuki referring to himself as a female, "Yeah. I noticed." He went over and kissed Katsuki's forehead, "Stop being mean to my Kacchan you goofy brain." He then nodded, "As usual, yeah. Unless you either want me to have a frizzy afro or not brush my hair at all today." He joked.
Katsuki snickered. He pressed a quick kiss to Izuku’s cheek and went back into their bedroom, dropping his armful into the hamper as he went. He sat gingerly on the bed, picking up his stuffed bunny and cuddling it close while she waited.
Izuku took his shower as quickly as possible, not wanting to leave Katsuki alone too long on one of his bad dysphoria days. It'd be better if he kept him occupied and his mind on other things as much as possible, even if it'd be in the back of his head all day. He'd forgotten to grab his clothes before going to the bathroom, which he probably should have done while he waited for Katsuki in hindsight, so once he was done he came back in their room with his towel tied around his waist as he ran a comb through his hair.
"Forgot my clothes." He explained as he went over to the dresser.
Katsuki snorted, reacting with a comment before he could really think about it. “Sure you didn’t just want to give a show? It’s still pretty early, the flower shop might not even be open yet.” He turned his head to look away so Izuku could have at least some privacy while he dressed. “Want me to brush your hair?” He offered, figuring that would at least mildly distract his brain.
Izuku blushed immediately, "Kacchan no. I just wasn't thinking. I'm not you. " He shook his head and quickly pulled out his clothes after setting down his brush. "Yeah, you can. Just give me a second to get my clothes on."
Katsuki grinned, trying not to laugh too much. He did not have the lung capacity for that today. He kept his head turned away, but still snarked back. “Hardly my fault that my fiancé is so gorgeous that he’s hard to resist.” He huffed out a laugh, waiting for Izuku to be ready before he looked back.
"Well it's not my fault you find me gorgeous for some reason. That's all you. I honestly don't see it." Izuku commented jokingly as he quickly got his clothes on. He then grabbed his brush again before sitting on the bed next to Katsuki.
Katsuki leaned over, giving the usual warning before kissing him. “Well, you are, see it or not. Absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. I have no idea how my dumb bitch ass got so lucky, but I’m indescribably grateful that I did.” He said seriously, before moving back in for another kiss.
"You are not dumb, nor a bitch Kacchan." Izuku said, smiling into the kiss. "You are a bit of an ass on some days though." He teased.
Katsuki laughed-or, tried to. It came out as more of a breathless wheeze, accompanied by a pained grimace. “Glad you at least agree with one descriptor, there, ‘Zuku.”
Izuku squinted at Katsuki, "Kacchan, is your binder hurting you right now when you breathe? Don't lie."
Katsuki hummed. “It doesn’t… hurt , no. Is it comfortable , also no, but it’s not really meant to be.” His pain tolerance was too high for his binder to genuinely hurt him, but he still felt the squeeze on his ribs, and therefore, his lungs. He frowned, knowing damn well Izuku was going to try to convince him to change binders. He really didn’t want to.
"You're more than uncomfortable Kacchan, I can tell by looking even without my quirk." Izuku said, crossing his arms. "Please tell me you're not wearing the binder I told you to throw out. It's too small for you. The extra tightness doesn't even compress your chest more, it just compresses your ribcage and lungs." He frowned worriedly, "I don't want you cracking a rib or something."
Katsuki crossed his arms. “So what if I am? Maybe it was on purpose.” She knew he was getting too defensive, too fast, but he didn’t really want to admit that he wanted to cause herself pain. She deserved it for being a fucking freak of nature.
Izuku's face fell. "Kacchan… please switch binders?" He pleaded, "Hurting yourself isn't good. You don't deserve that. And if you do, that might make it impossible for top surgery later." He took a breath and snatched his phone off the side table. His schedule was going to be crammed for the next year with what he was about to agree to doing, but it'd be worth it in the long run.
Katsuki crossed his arms, intending to be stubborn, but then he brought up the surgery. Which was the one thing even his self-hatred and dysphoria couldn’t argue against. Well, there was a voice in her head telling her that she didn’t deserve to hate herself less, but. Business as usual, there. He eyed the way Izuku grabbed his phone, watching curiously, but still not agreeing to take off the binder yet.
"I wasn't going to accept these offers, just due to how it'd take up all of what little free time I'm going to have left to be with you this year… but I think I'm going to." Izuku muttered, sorting through his emails with a sigh. "I spent plenty long making sure these were legit anyway." He looked at Katsuki, "I want you to be comfortable Kacchan. I want you to feel okay in your own body. If I can speed up the process of getting you there… I'm doing it." He turned his attention back to his phone and started writing out an email response.
Katsuki looked confused. “What the hell are you talking about? What offers?” He watched Izuku type on his phone. It wasn’t adding up. Were they job offers? “Just don’t spread yourself too thin, ‘Zuku.”
"Cosplay is mostly a hobby for me, but it pays too once you get to a certain point. And apparently I'm at that point." Izuku replied, not looking up from his phone he pointed to wear the coat he had made was hanging up after he'd worn it. "That thing, paid for your ring. Well, part of it. I entered a few contests with it. And earned a good amount back on it." He looked up at Katsuki pausing in his writing, "After the contests I did, I started getting offers to be a paid guest at some conventions. Also apparently because the people that follow the account I post my photos to requested me?"
Katsuki exhaled slowly. “‘Zuku…” he trailed off. “It’s gonna take years to save up for that, and that’s not even counting the therapy and years of hormones I’ll have to do before I’ll even be considered. And dad’s insurance fights the blockers as unnecessary already.” Truth be told, he’d begun to resign himself to never getting it. Sure, his dad made a decent living, but he couldn’t possibly ask him to pay for that.
Izuku clenched his hands around his phone, "I know. But… Saving up now is going to help in the long run. Plus the more I do, the more likely the even bigger cons will scout me out." He sighed, and showed Katsuki the email he had almost finished responding to. "Here, look what the pay on this one is. And it's just for 3 days of work. I do that, and the… 6 other legit jobs that contacted me, and it may not be so far off."
He stared at the email disbelieving. “That’s insane . For three days?” He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. For the first time in a while, he allowed himself to hope . Hope that he might actually someday be able to afford to fix at least part of his fucked up body. He inhaled as deeply as he could, emotions getting the better of him again.
"Three days, plus prepping the requested costumes, but yeah." Izuku replied, "And I did check to make sure this isn't some scam either. I got in contact with some cosplayers who have worked with them a few times in the past. It's legit." He bit his lip and started finishing up the email, "I want to do this for you Kacchan. I hate seeing you suffer like this. Seeing you hurt yourself over it."
Katsuki leaned against Izuku without another word, wrapping his arms securely around his soulmate. He didn’t particularly trust his voice, so he tried to show how he felt instead. Hope. Joy. Grateful. Love. Worry. He wasn’t sure what kind of jumbled mess would come out the other end, but as long as it worked, it was fine.
Izuku laughed slightly as tears started down his face yet again. "I'll be okay Kacchan. Grumpy from lack of cuddles during cons, and tired as all hell, but I'll be okay." He said, leaning into the hug. "Let me do this for you? This whole thing started… because I wanted a way to talk to people without immediately getting ridiculed for being quirkless. Because when I'm in costume nobody cares what my quirk is. They just want to take a picture with their favorite character, have a chat." He smiled against Katsuki, "But… it became something more. I can make people smile with my costumes. I can cheer them up. Give them a happy moment where they may not have been able to get one that day."
"So, will you let me do this so I can see you smile too?" Izuku asked.
Katsuki held on just a little tighter. “As long as I can accompany you to a couple of them. I’ll pay for a ticket and everything, but people are weird at cons, and if something happened and I wasn’t there I’d never forgive myself.” He responded. “I know, I know, you can take care of yourself.” He added, feeling the burn from talking so much at once.
"I think admission for my 'handler' is included for most of these actually..? I need to double check that email." Izuku replied, "You're usually supposed to bring your own who is familiar with your costume and your body language so they know when to pull you out, otherwise one is assigned from what I remember…" He pulled his phone back up and used his quirk to speed read the email again. "Yup. Just have to specify who my handler is in this particular email. And you get a free pass to go anywhere as long as you're with me."
"Now…" Izuku looked at Katsuki seriously, " Please. Switch binders for me?"
Katsuki held on to Izuku for a little longer. Then he sighed, sitting back up. “Alright, I’ll change.” He gave in. Now that sh-he was thinking more clearly, he realized it had been a stupid decision in the first place. He stood up, grabbing another binder before retreating into the bathroom to switch them. Once he had, he stared at the too-small one. It would be so easy to just… slip it in the hamper. Just in case a day like this happened again.
He exited the bathroom instead, small binder in hand, and held it out to Izuku. He didn’t need to do that to himself. He didn’t want to hurt himself like that.
Izuku quickly fixed the email to designate Katsuki as his handler before sending it off. He then looked up at Katsuki handing him the binder and smiled softly. "Thank you Kacchan." He got up and pulled Katsuki into a hug again. "Other than it being too small, do you think it's in good condition? And be honest, I can donate this to a place that'll give it to someone who can't afford a binder if so. If not this thing is going in the trash."
Katsuki hummed. “It might need a wash to get any nitroglycerin out of it, but I’ve been taking pretty good care of it.” He replied, practically melting into the hug now that he could breathe properly. He sighed. “I’ll leave getting rid of it to you. I don’t trust myself not to hide it again in a moment of weakness.” Just admitting to that was… difficult. But he felt marginally better after doing so.
Izuku rubbed Katsuki's back gently, "Alright. I'll handle that then. I'm sure it'll make someone else really happy to have though."
Katsuki rested his ear on Izuku’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. No matter what was going through his head, it was a steady reminder that he had someone who loved him no matter what stupid choices he made.
Izuku hummed, "Love you Kacchan. Always have, always will." He placed a kiss in Katsuki's hair before bringing a hand up to scratch his scalp. "Thank you for trusting me."
Katsuki melted even further into the scratches. That was one of his weaknesses, and one that he and Izuku seemed to share. “Love you, ‘Zuku.” He replied softly. “I think I promised to brush your hair for you, didn’t I?”
Izuku snorted, "You did. It's still wet, so you want to do that now while I respond to the rest of those emails?"
Katsuki nodded. “Sure.” He pulled away long enough to grab Izuku’s brush, then sat down on the bed. He made sure to sit far back enough so Izuku could fit between his legs and he could access Izuku’s hair.
Izuku smiled and crawled up to sit between Katsuki's legs before starting to go through his emails again. Stretching himself too thin would be a bad idea, so he started looking through and figuring out if any of them were too close to each other, and if so which to choose over the other. Either way, he needed to respond to all the emails.
Katsuki began brushing out Izuku’s hair, starting from the ends and working his way up. Focusing on that also helped his thoughts not to spiral quite as much. He tried to stay calm and focused on that, and it mostly worked.
"Wording emails in a business like way is really annoying." Izuku commented offhandedly. "I mean I can be respectful easy, but wording this is just… egh." He hummed for a moment, "When is fashion week with your dad? I'm trying to get dates in line here… oh shoot that one conflicts with the UA entrance exam. That's a nope. Going to have to respectfully decline that one."
Katsuki thought quietly. “Late February I think, just after the exams for UA. We might miss our finals, but eh. Throw enough money at that fucking school and they’ll probably let us take ‘em late. Plus the prestige they’ll get for us both having suffered through that shithole for three years.”
"To be fair with our grades, we could probably miss finals and still pass fine. Even though you're right and they probably would if we paid enough." Izuku replied. "That's good to know though."
Katsuki huffed. “I will be so glad to be out of there and heading to a school that’s actually on our level. Even without using your quirk we were, and still are, miles ahead of everyone else there.”
"Yeah. I'd say so… not like I can say otherwise considering…" Izuku made a face, "The grade gap in our class is massive between us. And the classes aren't even hard. "
Katsuki hummed in agreement. “The work is ridiculously tedious, but that’s the only acceptable excuse.” Rolling his eyes, he returned his focus to Izuku’s hair. “Almost done with this. Want me to do anything special?”
"Um… maybe put it up or something today?" Izuku replied. "I don't know, surprise me. As long as it won't get in the way of us cleaning today somehow I'm fine with it."
Katsuki grinned. “Fair enough.” With the ease that comes with practice, he separated the curls into three sections, before braiding Izuku’s hair, twisting the ends into a loose knot to keep it in place.
Izuku hummed and leaned back to kiss Katsuki when he was done. "Thank you Kacchan. You're the best." He then turned his attention back to his phone so he could finish up those emails before they went out for the day.
Katsuki absently wrapped his arms around Izuku and rested his chin on the other’s shoulder. He hummed quietly. “I could almost fall back asleep like this”
Izuku laughed quietly, "Try not to, we've got a full day of garbage hauling ahead of us after we go visit Akagami. I'm almost done with my emails. Just five more minutes."
Katsuki grinned. “What fun.” he noted with an obvious edge of sarcasm to his voice. Not towards visiting their classmate, goodness no. He couldn’t begrudge the kid a few minutes of positive attention.
Izuku rolled his eyes, "We can't keep putting it off. It's got to be a regular thing if we're going to get it done." He looked at Katsuki, "I can still do it myself if you want to complain." He teased.
Katsuki grinned. “Nah, you know me, just complaining to complain,” He joked. Sure, there were things more glamorous than hauling garbage, but that wasn’t the point of being a hero and they both knew it.
Izuku hummed in response before finishing up his emails. "Okay… that's done. So hopefully I'll get confirmations and more info soon." He leaned back into Katsuki for a moment, "You ready to go?"
Katsuki kissed Izuku’s cheek quickly. “Yeah, let’s go” He had to wait for Izuku so stand up first, but it wasn’t like he minded that.
Izuku quickly scooted out of bed before holding his hand out for Katsuki with a soft smile.
Katsuki took Izuku’s hand and stood, setting his brush on the nightstand. He quickly cleaned his palms with another wipe, before leaning over to kiss Izuku on the cheek. “Do you want to grab breakfast here or after we visit the graveyard?”
"After is fine." Izuku replied with a grin, "Though with all the face kisses this morning it sure seems like you were trying to eat here." He teased before kissing Katsuki on his cheek in return.
Katsuki snickered, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go, then.” He made sure he had his wallet, for the flowers and food later, then headed for the door.
Izuku followed along easily. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air and took in his surroundings. Days where they went to visit Akagami he tended to do this, just to appreciate the fact that he was still alive, even if he hadn't been able to save him. He was alive and he could do his best to protect others like Akagami so that nobody would have to go through that torture like he had.
Katsuki disliked days like this. At first, he hadn’t even wanted to visit the grave. It was a constant reminder of his own failure. The kid had been resistant to being helped, but probably would have folded like wet paper if Izuku had insisted. It always felt like his fault Izuku hadn’t, and his own failure in foresight that he hadn’t reacted and found Akagami quickly enough.
The more they visited, the more that guilt ate at him. The school had barely made a token effort to investigate, and the case was still open, as far as police records went, but with nobody really pushing, the case had already been put on the backburner and would likely never be solved. It wasn’t like Katsuki personally could force an investigation, but he could have tried. If he’d been a bit faster, maybe he could have caught at least one face. It would have been something.
His thoughts kept him occupied until they reached the flower shop. He motioned for Izuku to pick out the flowers. He wasn’t very good at it.
Izuku hummed and walked around the flower shop for a few moments before finding a bouquet he thought would work well. He didn't know Akagami well, but he tried to pick flowers that he thought he would have liked as best he could. He brought it to the counter to pay, smiling faintly at the person working there who recognized their faces by now. He grabbed some incense to burn while they were there too, seeing as what he had at home they had used up last time.
Katsuki joined Izuku at the counter to pay for the flowers and incense, offering a slight smile back to the cashier. No sense in being rude, with how often they were here. As they left, Katsuki took Izuku’s hand again, squeezing lightly.
Izuku squeezed Katsuki's hand back gently. "I know this isn't your favorite thing, but it's gotta be done. His family isn't exactly doing it." He rubbed his thumb over Katsuki's knuckles, "I know you feel guilty, and so do I. But if we stopped coming I think that guilt would eat at us even more." Izuku leaned over and kissed Katsuki's cheek, "We've got regrets, but we've just got to keep living for him, yeah? Make up for what he never got to do and make sure this never happens again."
Katsuki nodded slightly. “It still irritates me that his family doesn’t even visit. The kid died when he was barely 13. You would think his parents would care at least a little bit.” He exhaled slowly. “The best way to make sure this never happens again would be to catch the ones that did it, but good luck with that, I guess. There’s nothing stopping whoever it was from finding someone outside of school and doing it again.”
"Yeah…" Izuku sighed. He shook his head lightly, "Let's just pick up the pace a bit and get there. After our visit we can get all our emotions out while cleaning the beach. I'm sure there's plenty of things we can smash into smaller pieces before hauling it up to whatever containers Yagi had brought for us to put the junk in.”
Katsuki nodded in agreement. “At least it hasn’t rained recently, so we don’t have to worry about getting sprayed with trash water when we do that.” He noted with a smirk. Far too soon, in his opinion, the cemetery gates came into view. “Here we are.” He sighed.
Izuku pulled them into the cemetery, grabbing a bucket of water and dipper to clean the grave with as they went through the entrance. He brought gloves for when they would be hauling trash just in case, but it'd work for any weeding as well if needed. He then started walking the path towards Akagami's grave.
Seeing it his vision blurred unexpectedly and he paused to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Damn it. Every time…" He muttered.
Katsuki had pretty much expected Izuku’s tears, along with the punch in the gut he felt every time upon seeing visual evidence that no one had really tended to the grave since they were there last. There were even grass clippings from the last time it was cut still covering it. He knelt down to brush those off the stone, leaving space for Izuku beside him.
Izuku sniffled and knelt down beside Katsuki. "H-Hey Akagami. We're back." He said quietly. Izuku shuffled forward slightly, grabbing what was left of the previous bouquet so they could switch it out. He ran his hand over the stone, feeling a lump forming in his throat before pulling the bucket he'd grabbed close so he could start cleaning the grave.
Katsuki leaned over, pressing a light kiss to Izuku’s temple. “I’m sure if he’s still hanging around, he appreciates the occasional company. It’s gotta be boring here by himself. Unless he hangs out with the other spirits.”
Izuku nodded, pulling out a rag to gently clean the stone with the water from the bucket. "I'm just sorry we didn't really get a chance to hang out before. He… didn't really seem interested but…" He sighed and wiped the tears out of his eyes again. "I really wish I could've gotten to know you better, Akagami."
Katsuki let out a slow breath. “He probably wasn’t interested in much but surviving middle school. Didn’t exactly turn out so well, but still.” He poured a little fresh water from the bucket into the indent left for flowers, before sticking the new bouquet in. He used his fingertips to spread it out a bit, needing to do something with his hands.
Izuku hummed lightly before continuing to clean the grave. Once he was sure it was thoroughly cleaned all the way around, he came back to kneel in front of it and lit some incense before placing it in the holder for it. They'd be there at least until it finished burning. Izuku took a deep breath before closing his eyes and placing his hands flat together in front of him. Quietly, he started to murmur and tell Akagami about anything and everything that had gone on since the last time they had visited.
Katsuki stayed quiet, letting Izuku talk. He wouldn’t know what to say even if he did open his mouth. He had the feeling they were being watched, but he wasn’t sure if it was a person or something else. Whatever it was, it was making Katsuki a bit uncomfortable. He started tapping his foot on the grass behind him, nervous energy building.
Izuku paused in his murmuring and peeked an eye open at Katsuki. "Kacchan… do you need to go take a walk?" He asked softly, "I'm fine here right now."
Katsuki hummed. “Maybe that’d help.” He kissed Izuku on the temple again before standing. “I’ll be back soon.” He offered, walking away.
Izuku nodded, giving Katsuki a soft smile before closing his eyes again and going back to his murmuring. A little bit after Katsuki left, he felt a shiver go up his spine. He blinked open his eyes, confused before going to speak again only for no sound to leave his throat. Izuku's eyes widened and he put a hand to his neck looking down before he felt several hands grab him.
Katsuki hadn’t gotten far when something just felt… off. He was far enough away that Izuku wasn’t in his immediate line of sight anymore. He turned, only to see two teenagers that had graduated the year before in his way. He opened his mouth to tell them to move, but no sound came out. He narrowed his eyes. So they wanted a fight, did they? He got into a ready stance, motioning them to come at him.
Izuku's first reaction was to harden his body in all the places the people were touching him. Even as strong as he was he couldn't exactly fight off four people who had taken him off guard on his own. He couldn't make any noise to alert Katsuki, so as he struggled he sent a wave of distress towards him through the bond.
He tried to heat up his body to get them to release him, but all that earned him was a hard crack to the head for trying.
"Mental quirk kids like you aren't our first priority… but we know you saw us." One of his attackers hissed, though Izuku couldn't tell who with the way his vision was swimming. "Can't have you telling anyone. So too bad for you."
Izuku would've tried Katsuki's quirk next, but even in distress he was aware of where they were. He couldn't just send off blasts like that in a cemetery. The group of kids shoved him up against a nearby tree, making his head hit the wood hard. If the first hit hadn't given him a concussion, that one definitely did.
Whatever quirk he was hit with to silence him apparently wasn't an area of effect, because though he couldn't make a sound the people around him could. And somehow the noises from them hitting him, though not completely silenced, were muffled. Izuku realized this must have been how Akagami had been killed so brutally, but nobody nearby had heard a thing. Akagami hadn't been able to scream for help.
Katsuki was holding his own fairly easily against both older boys. He wasn’t boxed in by gravestones, but he was also being cautious about using his own quirk, just in case. Then he felt the distress through the bond from Izuku and understood. For some reason they were trying to separate them. Were they targeting Izuku?
Katsuki decided he’d had enough screwing around and stepped on the foot of one of them, preventing them from dodging and slammed him with an uppercut to the jaw. He moved his foot, letting him fall right into a gravestone, cracking his head against it and knocking him out.
Katsuki looked over him, looking back at Izuku. When he saw him, he saw red. They had him pinned against a tree. He started making his way back to his soulmate, completely ignoring the one trying to stop him. “Get the fuck away from him!” He yelled, surprised that he could hear himself. He must have knocked out the one keeping him quiet.
Shouto looked up from Harue's grave at the sound of several thuds and a shout. He furrowed his brow. That was the sound of a fight - Shouto knew what that sounded like all too well.
With urgency, Shouto made his way toward the source of the sound. He kept his feet light as he got closer. Seeing a group of four people holding down a kid against a tree and a blond, explosive one fighting against two of the seemingly older kids. A shift of Shouto's foot, and all of the offenders' feet were frozen to the ground.
When Shouto spoke, his voice was irritated and defensive. "Someone mind explaining what the actual fuck is going on?"
Izuku took advantage of the shock of his attackers finding the ice freezing them in place to wiggle out of their grasp and move away from them. He fell into the grass and clutched his head which was bleeding sluggishly but continued to scoot himself away. He wrapped an arm around his aching ribcage and looked towards the person who had come to help, though his vision was still blurred. "They came to…" Izuku coughed a bit, "K-Kill me. Thought I… saw them when they…"
He shut his eyes and gripped his head, "K-Kacchan. Help I… T-Trying not to pass out. Hit my head. Hard."
Katsuki ran over to Izuku, kneeling beside him and pulling him into his lap. “I’ve got you, ‘Zuku.” He ran his fingers through Izuku’s hair, trying to clear some of the blood while it healed. He glared at the ones who pinned him “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you all right now.” He said coldly, no emotion whatsoever in his eyes.
"Not on these grounds," Shouto said. With those two out of the way, he could go all out better. He sent a silent apology to his grandparents, promising to clean up afterward. Moving between the two on the ground and the assaulting group, Shouto glared. "Not only do you attack them on the graves of good people, but you also try to kill one of them, if not both. You can either surrender peacefully or face me."
"D-Don't… just… call the police. Not… our job to deal justice like… that yet." Izuku said, breathing shallowly.
One of the braver of the group snarled at Shouto as he tried to break free from the ice. "Yeah? And who the fuck are you supposed to be? Some wanna-be hero?"
Katsuki's expression remained emotionless. "The one that hit his head is going to need an ambulance." He noted, as though it wasn't important. He leaned over to kiss Izuku's forehead, before addressing the newcomer. "I can handle them. They injured my soulmate. No one will bat an eye if I fight them." He wasn't exactly eager to leave Izuku's side, but the fire was reacting to his anger, and itching to be used.
Shouto glanced over his shoulder. "This is technically private property that's opened up to the public. My family happens to own it. The police will only be able to do so much for the two of you. That means that, with their intent, this can qualify as trespassing. Or so that's what my sister told me."
Turning his attention back to the kids, Shouto took two steps forward. His posture was still relaxed with his hands in his pockets. His expression was a bored glare. "Are you sure you want to do this? Because I'm not so sure you will in a few minutes."
"Are you sure?" Said the same braver person in the group of attackers as he broke himself out of the ice. "Because where I'm standing, there's five of us and maybe two of you if blondie can separate from his precious fiancé for five seconds. You're outnumbered."
Another one of them spoke up, "H-Hey man, if he owns the property… he's gotta be rich. He'll have connections what if-"
" Shut the fuck up. You know as well as I do we're screwed if we let these guys go." The boy snarled at his compatriot.
“You’re screwed either fucking way ” Katsuki snapped at the brave moron, fire flickering to life on the back of his left hand. “You attacked my soulmate. You walk out those gates, you’d better pray it’s to go to jail. Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you . And don’t whine about being threatened, because that’s a fucking promise .”
Shouto took a few steps closer. He glanced down at the guys' feet. The ice was finally melting. He looked back up at the leader, quirking his brow. The guy's face lit up in anger, and he lunged at Shouto.
Shouto dodged to the side, still relaxed. When the guy tried again, Shouto used one hand to stop him. He swept the guy's feet out with his own. Shouto used his free hand to push the kid fully to the ground. He looked up at the guy's lackeys. "So?"
All of the lackeys gave each other a look before raising their hands in surrender.
"Kacchan. No killing. Under any circumstances." Izuku said seriously, even as his breathing was still labored, "No… stooping to their level, understand?" He blinked open his eyes, hardening his whole body for a moment. "Oh yay. No broken bones." He put his head up against Katsuki, "Now... if my vision... would go back to normal and soulmate healing would hurry up."
"I haven't been attacked this much since middle school started. What is with this week." Izuku said with a sigh.
Katsuki gave Izuku an irritated look. “Stay still. You probably have a concussion. Those take a while to heal properly.” He kept working on getting the blood out of Izuku’s hair. “You might have to sit out a minute at the beach and let me carry you on my back to heal.”
Shouto pulled out his phone and dialed the police. He asked for two ambulances - one for the thugs, one for the kid who had been attacked.
After freezing the guys to the ground again, Shouto made his way over to the two soulmates. He crouched down to inspect the greenet's head wound carefully. "That'll cause a concussion. There are paramedics on the way. I'm terribly sorry that this happened. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Izuku laughed lightly. "You didn't do anything though, why…" He turned to look at the dual-haired boy and blushed lightly, he was… really pretty now that he got a good look. "W-Why would you need to make it up to us?"
Katsuki studied the stranger for a moment. A good fighter and attractive, what luck. Judging by Izuku’s blush, he didn’t disagree. His mouth moved before his brain could catch up. “Well if you insist , you could always let us take you out to dinner, as a thank you for your help.”
As soon as Katsuki realized what he’d said, he was surprised that his face didn’t catch fire. Instead it just turned a dark cherry red.
Shouto's ears went red. "As interesting as that would be, I meant something more to do with the graveyard. You must have been here for a reason - maybe I can get their grave renewed." To the greenet, he said, "Can't I do something nice for people who clearly need it? These guys shouldn't have been here. I'll look into some security measures to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Um… I'm not sure if they'd need it renewed? But uhm…" Izuku said, "We're here for someone who… wasn't family. We barely knew them so I'm not too sure. That'd be nice though, so hopefully this doesn't happen again. At least we found who killed him."
He snickered lightly at Katsuki's blush. "You got yourself Kacchan. Good job."
Katsuki snorted. “Yeah sure, but I made him blush too. And that wasn’t a no .” He rebutted. “I consider that a solid win.” He sighed. “I… we don’t know what the status of his grave is. He was our classmate.” Katsuki explained further. He finally cleared most of the blood from Izuku’s hair. Soulmate healing had at least taken care of some of the injury, which was a relief.
Shouto rolled his eyes at the two's teasing. A sad look entered his gaze at their admittance. "Who is it? I'll make sure that their grave is properly tended to." Even if he did it himself - his grandparents didn't have much time or energy to take care of this place anymore, despite their reservations about that.
"A-Akagami, his grave is right there. Still has incense burning…" Izuku replied, making a quiet groaning sound only Katsuki would hear when he tried to move. Which would tip Katsuki off immediately to how hurt he was from that group wailing on him. His ribs really hurt. Though not as much as they initially had.
Katsuki made a noise of irritation, booping Izuku on the nose. “You either stay still until the paramedics get here or so help me I will make you sit in my lap so you have to stay still.” He growled. “Head wound and hurt ribs you’re lucky they didn’t have you pinned for long. I’m never leaving you alone again.” He muttered under his breath.
Shouto glanced over to where the kid had gestured. He made a soft sound of affirmation. He wasn't sure who exactly that was, but he could look up the records. He'd do his best to honor Akagami.
Sirens at the gate caught Shouto's attention. He pushed to his feet and made his way over. He greeted the police and paramedics, then led them to the group. He told the police what he knew as the paramedics worked on getting the wounded into ambulances.
"I'll be okay Kacchan." Izuku whispered, "I'm already feeling a bit better thanks to you." Before the paramedics could even ask Katsuki to release him, or for Katsuki to speak up, Izuku said it for him. "He's my soulmate. Already started healing me. We need to stay touching."
Katsuki gave him the sourest look he could muster. “Izuku on a scale of 1-10 where is your pain right now?” When the paramedics looked at him, Katsuki explained. “He has a very high pain tolerance. We both do. Our 5 is probably close to a normal person’s 8 or 9.” He adjusted his own positioning as necessary so the paramedics could examine Izuku, but made sure to keep in physical contact at all times. It wasn’t cuddling, but it would do.
Shouto kept a close eye on the two as the thugs, for lack of a better term, were unfrozen and tied up. He looked to the detective who had been sent - Tsukauchi.
“Thank you for contacting us, Todoroki,” Tsukauchi said after he finished his questions.
“Of course,” Shouto said. “I realize I should also be arrested for unauthorized quirk use, so I’m glad you’re not doing that.”
“You’re lucky it was on private grounds,” Tsukauchi said. “We’ll get them locked up in juvenile holding, get some confessions, and hopefully give those two some closure.”
Shouto nodded. They spoke for a few more moments before Tsukauchi was called away. The kids Shouto had protected would no doubt be questioned too. He let out a breath. As soon as the police and paramedics were gone, he had to go talk to his grandparents.
"It's uh… for me I'd call this a 4? I might… be bleeding internally though. I can't tell." Izuku replied quietly, "My ribs seriously hurt. It was at a 5 though."
Katsuki stayed by Izuku. When the police started asking questions, Katsuki answered as many as he could so Izuku could focus on what the paramedics were asking. The officer mentioned that they would need to stop touching temporarily so that they could get somewhat accurate images of the injuries received, especially if the pair planned on pressing charges. Katsuki absolutely did, so he squeezed Izuku’s hand briefly before letting go.
Shortly after, Izuku was loaded up into the ambulance, and Katsuki was permitted to ride with him on the condition that they touched as little as possible.
Izuku grumbled about not being able to touch very much, since that numbed his pain a good amount, but he understood why. He knew he was seriously surprising the paramedics with his pain tolerance though, because even though Katsuki told them their pain tolerance was extremely high they didn't seem to get it until they were checking him and he didn't make a sound or flinch. Even when they gently pressed on his very much bruised rib cage when they were checking him. He did however let Katsuki know his pain level was back up to a 5 now that they weren't touching, which he could handle fine, it was just rather annoying.
Katsuki felt awful that he couldn’t do anything to relieve Izuku’s pain. He also understood why, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He grimaced on the ride to the hospital. “Guess we’re not starting on the beach this morning.” He knew Izuku would be on that beach at some point today, and Katsuki agreed with the principle. However, he would be carrying Izuku like a backpack as much as possible so he could recover. He signed as much. You’re carrying nothing bigger than a toaster. I’ll break things into small pieces for you. Accompanied by a Look , to signify that he absolutely meant what he was saying.
Izuku sighed, deciding to verbally respond since signing would probably be too much movement at the moment. "Yeah… fine. As long as we do a little. We've put it off long enough. Probably best to start small anyway." A few moments later he quietly swore, "Did you text or call your dad yet to tell him anything? They're going to find out we had to go to the hospital."
Katsuki blinked, pulling out his phone. “Not yet, why?” He asked, confused. Almost as soon as he asked, the answer clicked. “Aunty’s there today, isn’t she?”
Izuku groaned, " Yeah . And I'm pretty sure we're going to the one she works at right now. Which means her co-workers would tell her we're there."
Katsuki sighed. “Well, she’s going to find out one way or the other. You’ll probably be busy talking to a doctor and getting x-rays when she finally gets to us. I’ll try and calm her down as much as I can.” Katsuki sighed. “That does make getting down to the beach more difficult. We’ll manage, though.”
"M'kay." Izuku replied with a sigh, "Thank you Kacchan. I love you."
Katsuki grinned, blowing him a kiss since he wasn’t allowed to actually kiss him. “Love you too.”
The rest of the ride to the hospital was fairly uneventful, thankfully. Katsuki followed Izuku as far as they’d let him, then was shown to the room Izuku would be brought to when all the tests and crap were done. There he waited for Aunty Inko to inevitably show up.
Izuku felt pretty uncomfortable as the doctors recorded his injuries. He didn't like showing his wounds to anyone, and it was made worse when he had to explain, no those burn scars weren't part of the attack at all. He had to run through breathing exercises several times since he didn't have Katsuki with him to keep him calm through all the recording and tests. The x-rays were the worst part of it. Even though he now knew it was a fluke, x-rays still freaked him out.
Meanwhile, Inko eventually came into the room where Katsuki was waiting with tears in her eyes. "Katsuki! There you are, how is Izu? Any news yet? What happened? I just found out from some of the other nurses that you were here. Are you okay?" She rambled, obviously feeling a bit distressed from them having been brought to the hospital.
Katsuki didn’t feel too comfortable being separated from Izuku either, but he had a job to do. He stood up when Aunty came in, giving her a quick hug. “‘Zuku’s fine, Aunty. Or at least, he will be. The testing and stuff is mostly to gather...well, gather evidence. You… remember our classmate that was killed last year? Well, we went to visit his grave, and apparently the ones who killed him thought Izuku saw their faces so… they came after us and tried to keep us separate. It didn’t work for long but they got… a few good hits in. But he’ll be okay. Just bruises and bumps.
"Oh dear… I'm glad you're okay then, that sounds terrible." Inko replied, fidgeting with her hands, "I just hate seeing you boys get hurt…"
A few moments later Izuku shuffled into the room and without any warning wrapped his arms around Katsuki. "I hate x-rays…" He mumbled into Katsuki's skin. He looked up at his mother, a bit of bandages peeking out from under his bangs. "Hi mom, and before you ask I'm okay. Doctors confirmed I got a concussion but that's pretty much the worst of it, the rest should heal super quick thanks to Kacchan."
Inko bit her lip and nodded, teary eyed, brushing Izuku's hair out of his eyes for him. "I see injuries all the time but I'm never going to get used to seeing you with them…"
Katsuki wrapped an arm around Izuku and kissed the top of his head. “I know you do.” He soothed. “But it’s over now, and even if we can’t nail those assholes for what they did to Akagami, we’ll get them for what they did to you.” Katsuki promised. He reached over to give Aunty another hug. “Well hopefully you won’t have to get too used to it.” He offered.
Izuku nodded a small amount. Had this happened in their first year of middle school, Izuku might've been a little more hesitant to turn those kids in. However, he wasn't turning them in just because they attacked him. They were filing an official report to make sure those people got justice served to them for what they did to Akagami, and to make sure they never did it again.
He hummed quietly as his Mom was brought in to make it a group hug. "I'll try my best to not make this a regular thing, alright? Promise."
Katsuki hummed in agreement. “We’ll try.” He used the arm around Izuku to cradle him close. “Now, you need to rest and recover, mister.” He said sternly.
Izuku laughed quietly, "Yeah I know. What do you think I'm doing right now Kacchan? I don't plan on letting you go till I recover unless absolutely necessary."
Katsuki snorted, releasing Inko long enough to scoop Izuku up and plop him in the hospital bed. “ Rest and recover.” He repeated, before sitting down next to him. “A short nap, at least, to help your concussion.”
Izuku sighed, "Okay, fine." He laid down in the bed, giving his mother enough time to come over and kiss his forehead before she had to go continue her shift. Once she was gone he quietly spoke, "I… Um… I'm sorry I got hurt this much, Kacchan. I tried really hard to defend myself but… when I tried using the fire they hit me in the head really hard and it got hard to focus on using any of the quirks at all. And I couldn't see so my soul wasn't really reacting because I was so disoriented I…" He bit his lip, "It got left to you and that other person to help me… I couldn't do anything. So… I'm sorry."
Katsuki scooted to lay down next to him so they could cuddle. “They took us both off guard. I doubt Akagami was their first victim. They definitely knew what they were doing.” He leaned over and kissed Izuku’s forehead softly. “Don’t be sorry. You protected me, that was just my turn to return the favor. Though I do wish we’d gotten his name.”
"The boy with the red and white hair?" Izuku asked, "Yeah… that would have been nice. He… he was kinda cute." He snuggled up with Katsuki as carefully as he could so as not to aggravate his injuries. Izuku sighed, "You have a point though. At least we both survived, and now they won't be able to hurt anyone else."
“Exactly.” Katsuki responded with a grin. “I’m just glad it’s not worse. If that other guy hadn’t been there…” he trailed off, before carefully wrapping around Izuku. “Sleep now. I’ll set an alarm for a few hours.” He pulled out his phone to do just that.
Izuku nodded gently, closing his eyes before putting his head against Katsuki to help with the slight throbbing headache he had. It didn't take very long for him to fall asleep at all thanks to Katsuki being there.
Katsuki checked the time. 10 am. He set an alarm for four hours. That should be plenty of time for Izuku to heal, and still leave time to get a few good hours in at the beach. He made sure to alert Yagi of what had happened via text, in case Aunty hadn’t, so he didn’t get worried too. He wasn’t really tired, but still closed his eyes, dozing off slightly while still alert, just in case.
Surprisingly, Izuku had an entirely dreamless sleep. Not something particularly common for him, but it happened. He just laid there, then once the alarm went off he awoke feeling much better than he had before he fell asleep. Izuku sleepily kissed Katsuki's neck before whispering, "Kacchan, alarm. Can you turn it off please?"
Katsuki turned it off on autopilot, before opening his eyes. “Good afternoon beautiful. How are you feeling?” He asked softly, kissing Izuku’s forehead.
"Achy, but much better." Izuku replied, rubbing his eyes. "Very hungry now though. We haven't eaten yet." He added, punctuated by his stomach growling.
Katsuki grinned. “No, we haven’t. Let’s go do that, then.” He got up, fixing his hair slightly so it looked less like bedhead, then held his hand out for Izuku.
Izuku took Katsuki's hand happily, leaning his head on his shoulder as they walked. "Hey Kacchan?" He said softly, leaning up to kiss Katsuki when he turned to look at him. "I love you. Thank you for helping me."
Katsuki kissed back happily. “You’re welcome. Love you too.” He replied, sliding his arm around Izuku’s waist. “Anything in particular sound good?” He asked, stopping them at the desk to check Izuku out of the hospital. The perks of being soulmates.
"It's more lunch time… some comfort food maybe? With plenty of protein, since we're going to be lifting things." Izuku replied. "You know what I like, and I don't really have the mental capacity for decisions right now."
Katsuki snickered, before heading to the direction of a Korean-style barbeque place between the hospital and the beach. Once they got there, and were seated, Katsuki ordered mint tea for himself, and cinnamon for Izuku. If it turned out Izuku wanted mint, they could always switch cups.
Izuku appreciatively took his cinnamon tea, humming into the glass as he took a sip. He held Katsuki's hand as he tried looking over the menu, rubbing circles into his palm. After a few moments he grumbled and set his menu aside, "I wasn't kidding about you picking for me. Soulmate healing prioritized my ribs or something, my head still hurts a bit. Either that or it was just a really really bad concussion."
Katsuki kept his arm around Izuku’s waist. “Why don’t I just get a mixed tray of meat for both of us, and you can decide what you like? Teriyaki sauce is the mildest, so some of that, too, probably. Does that sound good?”
Izuku nodded gently before resting his head on Katsuki's shoulder again and closing his eyes. He sighed, "Oh, that's why. Passive quirk use so soon after a head injury is apparently not good." He turned his head so he was hiding his face against Katsuki. "Didn't even realize I was using it till now…"
Katsuki snorted. “That would be why it’s called a passive quirk.” He teased, pressing a light kiss to the top of Izuku’s head and conveying their order. When it came, Katsuki pulled apart two pairs of disposable chopsticks, gently guiding one into Izuku’s hand. He put several pieces on the grill. “They shouldn’t take too long to cook. There’s beef, pork, chicken, crab and shrimp.”
Izuku nodded gently, peeking an eye open and wincing slightly before relaxing against Katsuki. "M'kay… gonna get some pork first…" He muttered before closing his eyes again, trying to will his quirk to just stop with the passive use. It would be helpful to focus, if it wasn't for the fact that even passive use was giving him a headache at the moment.
Katsuki grinned, turning the meat over. Once it was done cooking, he put a few pieces of pork on Izuku’s plate, going for the beef and chicken himself. He guided Izuku’s hand with the chopsticks to his plate, tracing the edges with the chopsticks so he knew where they were. “There are a few pieces of pork on your plate. I’m putting the sauce dish at 12 o’clock, so watch out, okay?” He moved to do so with his other hand as he was saying it. “You don’t need to open your eyes if it hurts, and just tell me when you want more and what kind, okay?”
"Okay Kacchan." Izuku replied, "Thank you. You're the best." He slowly and carefully started to eat, humming appreciatively once he actually got food in his stomach. Once he finished what he had he quietly asked for some crab to try, lazily giving Katsuki a kiss on the jaw while he waited.
Katsuki quietly ate his own food, dipped in one of the spicier sauces, of course. He put some crab meat on the grill to cook when Izuku asked for it, enough for both of them to have some, and a few shrimp for himself. Once they were done, he split the crab between his and Izuku’s plates, and placed the shrimp on his own plate. He dipped one of the shrimp in sauce, then popped it in his mouth. “Food’s on your plate, ‘Zuku.”
"Okay." Izuku replied quietly before going to eat again. "That's really good." He commented after taking a bite. "Thanks for choosing here, Kacchan."
Katski grinned. “You’re welcome, ‘Zuku.” He grinned. He finishes his plate, then put the last few pieces on the grill. “Want anything else?” He asked, sipping his tea.
"Um… just some chicken?" Izuku responded, "Then I think I'm good."
Katsuki put the rest of the chicken on Izuku's plate once it was cooked, the other things on his own. He ate his own food slowly, noticing a slight stomach ache growing. Unsure what it was from, Katsuki ignored it. "Food is on your plate." He said softly. He drank more of his tea, figuring the mint would help soothe his stomach.
Izuku nodded, before slowly finishing up his own food. He carefully reached out for his cup before slowly sipping on that as he waited for Katsuki to finish eating.
Once he finished, he paid the bill, and then tapped Izuku's side lightly. "Can you scoot out of the booth for me? We're ready to head down to the beach.”
"Mhm." Izuku replied with a nod. He held Katsuki's hand as he carefully scooted out of the booth, still keeping his eyes closed for the moment. "Um… should I wait to open my eyes till we're at the beach? And see if it's better by then?" Izuku asked.
Katsuki hummed, following Izuku out of the booth. "It couldn't hurt to try." He responded. "Here, I want to try something." He gently disentangled from Izuku, moving to stand in front of him and squatting down. "Reach down and forward until you touch my back. Then wrap your arms around my shoulders. Once you've done that, stick your leg up and out." He instructed with his arms out to catch whichever leg Izuku led with.
"O-Okay?" Izuku replied, "I hope you're aware how weird this is to do when I can't see." He slowly followed directions, feeling like he missed where Katsuki was only to touch his back a moment later. Then he draped his arms around Katsuki's shoulders and lifted his right leg as instructed.
Katsuki grabbed Izuku's leg and guided it around his waist. He scooted backwards until his back was flush against Izuku and stood, lifting the shorter boy with him. "Now your other leg."
Izuku followed Katsuki's instructions and lifted his other leg. "That good?" He asked.
"Yeah." Katsuki affirmed, securing his other leg. "Now you can relax until we get there." He said with a smile, and started to walk.
"Okay. Thank you Kacchan." Izuku replied, relaxing against his back with a small happy smile.
Katsuki grinned, choosing to walk to the beach instead of take the train. It made the commute a little longer, but it let Izuku relax and heal longer, too, so Katsuki was content with that.
When they got to the beach, Yagi was there, waiting for them.
"You two seem to be danger magnets." He noted.
Izuku slowly blinked open his eyes hearing Yagi's voice. It still caused a bit of pain, but only a mild headache which he could handle fine. "Yeah… it's mostly me though I think." Izuku replied sheepishly, "I had a pro hero call me 'villain catnip' once because I witnessed… I think five villain attacks in a week that they helped with? Apparently that's irregular. Even if I used to hunt down fights to analyze a lot before."
He sighed, "We're both fine though at least."
Katsuki snickered. "I remember you telling me about that. It was entertaining, at least. Gave Aunty a heart attack or twelve." He stopped by Yagi.
Yagi frowned. "You both are still keeping up your exercise routine in the mornings. The beach can wait another day if you need the rest." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Not to mention your mother might actually kill me if I didn't at least attempt to dissuade you from starting today."
Izuku laughed quietly, "That's fair. You haven't even seen my mom mad yet either. Which trust me you don't want to." Izuku rested his head on Katsuki's shoulder, "She swears more than Kacchan when she's really mad. But, I think we'll be okay. Kacchan wasn't injured at all as far as I know. And I feel fine enough to at least start." He kissed Katsuki's cheek, "Kacchan will stop me if I go overboard."
Yagi snorted. “I’ve only known her for a week and I can already confidently say I have no desire to see her angry. Especially not at myself.” He sighed. “Alright then. If you’re sure. I trust Young Katsuki here to know your limits.”
Katsuki snorted at Yagi trusting him to know Izuku’s limits over Izuku himself. Not even a week and he already had Izuku figured out.
"Oh hush you." Izuku said with a smile to Katsuki. "Let me down now? I'm ready to start, and I have our gloves in my pocket."
Katsuki grinned, squatting again and releasing Izuku’s legs so he could stand. “How’s your head feeling?” He asked.
"Slight headache still when I open my eyes, but not too bad." Izuku replied honestly. "Should be fine by tomorrow morning. I'll probably avoid active use of my quirk for a while just to be safe though." He pulled their work gloves out of his pocket and handed Katsuki's to him.
Katsuki pulled on his gloves, before surveying the mess that was supposedly a beach. “I… don’t even know where to start .” He activated Izuku’s quirk to study the trash for a good starting point, before finally pointing to a large pile. “As good a place as any, I guess.”
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, that works."
"So you're aware, I'm not expecting you to finish this whole beach before I give you the quirk." Yagi said, "This is going to be quite the task."
Before Yagi could point out how much would probably be enough for their training Izuku snorted, "You say that like we're not going to get it done. I know you don't know us well yet, but this whole beach is going to be spotless before I'll probably end up receiving it." Izuku quickly put on his own gloves before starting to head where Katsuki had pointed out.
Katsuki groaned. “And the mildly infuriating part is, he will. He would have tried to do it alone, too, if I hadn’t nipped that in the bud immediately.” He followed Izuku, not putting the gloves on quite yet in case he needed to blast something.
Yagi started after the pair in disbelief. The entire beach? That was quite the lofty goal. Somehow, though, he had a feeling they’d manage it before UA’s entrance exam, too.
Izuku started to look for smaller pieces to start with in the pile without using his quirk. He'd be able to find what to grab near instantly with it he was sure, but at the moment it wasn't a good idea for him to use it actively like that. Instead he just took that extra time before grabbing a few smaller objects out of the pile, doing his best not to disturb the integrity of the pile too much. Then started to carry it to the large containers Yagi had brought that would be hauled to the proper dump whenever they were filled.
Katsuki quickly popped his palms clean and pulled his gloves on. He took advantage of his ability to use Izuku’s quirk to climb the pile and remove all of the smaller pieces he could, and drop them into a pile Izuku could carry. He dropped the bigger pieces into a separate pile for himself to carry, and sorted out the huge pile into more manageable chunks that way. Once that was done, he started to transport junk from the piles he’d made for himself to the- what was basically a moving dumpster.
Seeing the pile of smaller items when he returned Izuku smiled, "Thanks Kacchan!" He then started hauling the junk much faster to where it needed to go.
Katsuki worked on his own pile of junk, clearing it as quickly as possible. Once that was done, he moved to the next pile and started to sort it out the same way.
Izuku worked in tandem with Katsuki as best he could. Sorting the piles seemed to work well, and it'd make it easier on them later when they found stuff they couldn't lift easily yet. As much as he wanted to when he finished up his own piles, he started helping sort instead of just taking from the piles Katsuki was obviously making for himself. He had just been injured pretty badly not too long ago, and he knew Katsuki would make him stop for the day if he tried that too many times.
Katsuki noticed Izuku starting to help sort, and began pointing out pieces that were safe for Izuku to grab from where he was standing. He could feel the headache starting to form, but kept working regardless, keeping an eye on Izuku as well for signs of fatigue. Headaches were easy to clear up with a few minutes of contact, as long as he caught it before it became a migraine.
"Should we take a water break soon?" Izuku asked, pausing to wipe away some sweat on his forehead, "We probably shouldn't let ourselves get too dehydrated."
Just as Izuku asked that, Yagi headed over to them, holding two large bottles of water. “Alright boys, break time.”
Katsuki nodded, hopping down and pulling his work gloves off, tucking them into his pocket. He popped his palms clear before taking one of the bottles.
Izuku gratefully took the water bottle from Yagi, "Thanks Yagi-san." He went over to sit on the sidewalk patting next to him for Katsuki to come sit next to him so they could cuddle during their break.
Katsuki grinned, hopping over to sit by Izuku. “Not too bad for a few hours work, eh?”
“A few?” Yagi interjected, looking concerned. “It’s only been one .” He said, sounding both impressed and concerned.
“Shit, that much done in an hour? We’re on fire .” Katsuki laughed, holding up a hand to Izuku for a high five.
Izuku grinned and gave Katsuki a high five. Snickering at Yagi's concern he said, "Time passes super quick with us sometimes. We can spend hours cuddling and talking, and it only feels like an hour. Or in cases like this, it feels like a bunch of time has passed when not much at all has."
Yagi shook his head, laughing softly. “I see. You two are… something else entirely. I pity any villain that gets in your way.”
Katsuki grinned, leaning against Izuku. “We make a pretty damn good team.”
"Yeah, we do." Izuku said, gently kissing his cheek. He leaned his head against Katsuki as he continued to slowly sip his water.
Katsuki grinned, draining about a third of his bottle. “Make sure you drink the whole thing, okay ‘Zuku?” He reminded his fiance lightly. “Once we’ve both done that we can get back to work on more piles.”
Izuku laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm working on it. I figured you wouldn't let me start again till I finished." He continued to drink his water, albeit slowly, fully intending to finish it.
Katsuki snickered, slowly drinking the rest of his own water. He sighed. “We’re both going to be feeling this at school tomorrow. That’ll be fun.”
"Not like I haven't felt something like this before." Izuku said, smirking lightly, "Now you'll understand a bit more how I was feeling that first while when we started training. I was so sore. Even if I didn't show it much."
Katsuki snorted. “Oh when I first started I was the same way. I just didn’t show it because I had someone to impress with the results.” He teased. “My first attempt at flying was the worst . Lifting up your whole body while trying to figure out how to reduce strain mid-flight… I don’t recommend it.”
Izuku giggled slightly, "I still can't believe you attempted that without supervision. Or telling anyone what you were trying. At least you were there for my first attempts." He grinned, "Had you not agreed to supervising we both know I would have done the same though. There's no way I wasn't learning how to fly."
Katsuki snickered. “Yeah, that was pretty much the reason I insisted. There was no one I could really learn from for that, so I wanted to at least make sure you didn’t make the same mistakes I did.
"Fair." Izuku replied, still smiling. "And I managed not to break anything while we were working on it, so that's a plus. I'm not saying I'll never break a bone again, but I'd like to keep my score under 20 at least." He joked.
Katsuki leaned further against Izuku, trying not to burst out laughing. “Please do. I’d rather not have to be even more anxious over you than I already am. I’m sure Aunty feels the same way. Broken bones are not fun. We got lucky that the hardening works the way it does.”
Izuku nodded, "Definitely. The times I have broken something would have been way worse otherwise." He kissed Katsuki's temple, "I'll do my best Kacchan."
Katsuki retaliated with a kiss to Izuku’s jaw. “That’s all I can ask.” He finished the rest of his water and closed the bottle, tossing it (with a little help from his quirk) into the dumpster with the rest of the trash.
Izuku quickly did the same, but went over and put his bottle in the dumpster like you would normally do. He rolled his shoulders, "Alright, time to get back to work."
Katsuki stood up and quickly sparked his palms clean before sliding his gloves back on. Thankfully, there was minimal saturation from nitroglycerin, and that seemed like it was mostly on the inside anyway. That was good. His headache had also faded, so he felt safe enough to activate Izuku’s quirk again as they started on sorting the next pile.
Izuku continued to work as normal, though when he noticed something in one of the piles he paused and sighed loudly. "Hey Kacchan. I found, hopefully, the biggest thing we'll have to move somehow, at some point." He said, pointing to where a car was, under a bunch more trash. "Who the heck thought it was a good idea to dump a car at the beach?"
Katsuki stared blankly, before coming over to look. “A… car? What? How ?” He looked at it, trying to gain any clues, but something about it felt… off. Not to mention it smelled like something died in it. He waved Yagi over and indicated the car, unsure what he would think about it.
Yagi started to walk over, whilst Izuku went to investigate more. How and why would there be a car there? He hopped over to the pile with the car in it, and wiped the window with his sleeve to try and get a better look inside. Izuku's face immediately paled and he took a few steps back before stumbling and falling down stammering and staring at the car.
Katsuki turned back to Izuku, alarmed when he reacted like that. “‘Zuku? What’s wrong?” He asked, looking back at the car. He moved to get a better look at where Izuku had cleared the glass, and took several large steps back. “I-uh...uh….okay yeah I get the reaction now.” he managed to keep his feet, though. When Yagi got over to them, he indicated the cleared glass. “Ah… that looks like a dead body in that car.”
Yagi blinked, moving to look in the car. " Shit. " He muttered under his breath before looking back at the boys. "Take a deep breath, it's going to be okay. You're done for today though, I'll call the police and get this handled."
Izuku swallowed thickly, not taking his eyes off the car and nodded. He took a few deep breaths, before shakily getting up and immediately moving to Katsuki for a hug. "We… have the worst luck." Izuku muttered, hiding his face against Katsuki and clutching his shirt tightly.
Katsuki turned and wrapped his arms around Izuku. “Apparently we do.” He agreed, pulling off his gloves so he could run his fingers through Izuku’s hair to soothe him. “But look at it this way. Someone will finally know why their friend or loved one disappeared.” He pointed out, hoping that would help at least a little, even though it wasn’t the most comforting thing in the world to him.
"I- I guess. Yeah…" Izuku replied, leaning into Katsuki's hand. He put his head against his soulmates chest, letting his heart beat help calm him down. "L-Let's go home. I n-need cuddle time. That… I- It scared me."
Katsuki nodded. “Yeah, that was pretty scary.” He admitted. “Even for me. Do you want me to carry you again so you have a few minutes to calm down?”
Izuku nodded against Katsuki's chest, not pulling away even for that. The image of the body was burned in his mind and he was having trouble thinking of anything else. He needed the extra comfort.
Katsuki complied immediately, lifting him up. “Wrap your legs around me to support yourself a bit.” He could carry Izuku without that, but it would be more comfortable for both of them if he did. He kept his hand moving through Izuku’s hair, glancing over at Yagi, who was on the phone with… someone. He gave a half-wave, which was acknowledged with a nod, before leaving the beach to head for home.
Izuku nodded gently again and carefully brought his legs up to wrap around Katsuki. A bit into the walk he said, "L-Let's maybe not bring this up with our p-parents for now? I don't… I don't w-want to really talk about what just happened."
Katsuki hummed in agreement. “I don’t really either. I won’t say anything, but we can’t necessarily control if Yagi-san will or not.” He responded realistically. “If he does, we can just ask not to talk about it if it gets brought up that we found it.”
"O-Okay." Izuku replied, holding onto Katsuki just a bit tighter as he kept his face hidden.
Katsuki kept one hand in Izuku’s hair, while the other supported him by being wrapped around his middle. “We don’t have any homework. I’m sure Aunty wouldn’t mind watching one of those cheesy romcoms you both like before dinner?” He suggested. He wasn’t fond of those movies, but he knew Izuku was, so he tolerated them.
Izuku laughed slightly, "Y-Yeah, that sounds nice." His grip loosened a bit again and he took a deep breath, "We can bring out the blankets and our plushies and curl up on the couch. Maybe watch a different movie after dinner together? Eat some ice cream and stuff? Just relax?"
Katsuki grinned. “Sounds like a plan. No mysteries or slashers, though. I don’t think those would be a good idea. Maybe an action movie with lots of explosions?” Small wonder Katsuki was fond of those, but he liked to critique their use, sometimes, if an explosion happened where one clearly didn’t belong.
Izuku snorted, "Of course. Now which Michael Bay film were you thinking of?" He joked. "If you sit through one me and my mom's romcoms I'm fine with whatever you want."
Katsuki snickered, stopping to bury his face in Izuku’s shoulder. “Not the Transformers movies. I get too caught up in bitching at those.” He managed to stop laughing long enough to keep walking. “What about that series…Olympus Has Fallen or whatnot? Those aren’t bad.”
"Sure, sounds good to me Kacchan." Izuku replied, smiling against Katsuki's chest before picking his head up to kiss Katsuki on the jaw.
Katsuki grinned. “Sounds like a plan. I wonder if Yagi and Tsunagu are planning on coming over for dinner again tonight? Aunty seems determined to feed them both as often as possible.” He tilted his head down to kiss Izuku lightly on the chin.
"Maybe?" Izuku replied, "At least Yagi apparently eats an abnormal amount of take-out and stuff, so that doesn't surprise me. She was complaining about that being why he's so skinny the other day because he doesn't eat properly with the amount of food he gets."
Katsuki hummed. “There’s also his injury to take into account. I don’t know if soulmate healing can regrow organs, but digesting food can’t be easy with no stomach.” He remarked. “I wonder how he gets around that? I asked, but he never really answered.”
"Maybe it's a weird subject for him? He probably doesn't like to think about it too much." Izuku replied, "The idea of soulmate healing regrowing organs though… that's something to do research on. It definitely doesn't work like normal healing. Even if it was sped up a lot."
“That’s… a fair point.” Katsuki admitted. “If it does manage to do that, that’ll be a big deal. People who need organ transplants could be healed simply by spending time with their soulmates. Who knows now many cases are out there of people who came close to organ failure who avoided that just because they knew their soulmate?”
"That's true! Or like… factor in the weird way soulsickness works." Izuku said, "You could literally be having a heart failure or something from it, but if your soulmate touches you… bam! You're back to normal, completely okay."
Katsuki made a face. “I’m sure there’s some kind of logic to it, but hell if I can figure it out.” He grumbled.
When they got home, Katsuki used his key to let them in. “Looks like no one else is home yet. Guess that’s not super surprising.” He grinned, moving his hand from Izuku’s hair to under his chin. “That means I can do this…” he trailed off before kissing Izuku.
Izuku smiled into the kiss, pulling away after a few moments. "Like you don't when they're here anyway?" He teased before going back in for another kiss.
Katsuki snickered. “True, but now you won’t freeze up if I…. do this, for example.” He returned the kiss, biting Izuku’s lower lip lightly.
As much as he wanted to suppress the noise that came out of him when Katsuki bit his lip, he made a promise, and so let it happen. Even though it felt extremely embarrassing to him. Izuku blushed, then pressed a little firmer into the kiss before returning the favor and biting his fiancé's lip lightly.
Katsuki hummed in appreciation at the noise Izuku made, which spiked into a bit of a whine when he returned to favor. He carefully pulled both of their shoes off, breaking the kiss as little as possible to do so, then headed into the living room.
Izuku laughed a bit at Katsuki's whine, nibbling on his lip a little more before slowly starting to migrate to kissing his neck as he walked them to the living room.
Katsuki’s knees wobbled a bit when Izuku went after his neck, but he flopped back on the couch to hide it. “Oh, you want to try that, huh?” Katsuki challenged, before tilting his head the other way to mimic what Izuku had done.
"Gotta change it up a bit, keeps it interesting." Izuku responded with a hum, breath catching in his throat a bit when Katsuki mimicked him. "Okay… I like that…"
Katsuki snickered. “Well, if you want to try changing it up…” he kept kissing the side of Izuku’s neck. He wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing with his teeth, though, so he blinked in surprise when they scraped across Izuku’s skin as he pulled back from a kiss.
Izuku made a noise somewhere between a whine and a moan before slapping a hand over his mouth. "What the heck. Why that noise." His blush came back full force and started traveling down his neck.
Katsuki blinked. “Damn, ‘Zuku. You really liked that, didn’t you?” He asked, reaching up to move Izuku’s hand so he could kiss him properly. “Do you want me to do that again? Or do you need a break from new things?”
" Shut uuup ." Izuku whined before sighing. "Break from new things for a bit, please." He gently kissed Katsuki again. "I like it, obviously, just not so much at once."
Katsuki snickered, kissing Izuku gently. “Yeah, I know. Too much new at once is your weakness.” He rested their foreheads together. “Love you, ‘Zuku.” He said softly.
"Love you, Kacchan." Izuku replied, a fond smile on his lips. He laughed quietly, "To be honest, if anything is my weakness it's you. You always find just the right buttons to push.
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You’re such a sap.” He teased. “But the same can be said about you being my weakness. In every way.”
Izuku hummed happily, "That I am. But I'm your sap. We're not locked in yet, but I don't think you can return me either way." He joked.
Katsuki snorted. “I wouldn’t, even if I could. I don’t know what I’d even do without you at this point.” He tucked his face under Izuku’s chin. “I’m not sure I’d even be able to function properly without you.”
"I know I wouldn't. I need you." Izuku replied. "Based on what you have to remind me of most days I was probably barely functioning before as a normal human. Apparently getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night is usually required. Who would've thought?"
Katsuki couldn’t help but snort. “Most functioning human beings will tell you that, nerd. Sleep is generally necessary for life.” He held Izuku just a little closer. “Luckily, neither of us do that anymore. Not that I did nearly as much as you, but still. Can you imagine the ridiculous number of fights we probably would have gotten into if we kept going like that?”
Izuku laughed slightly at that, "Yeah, probably quite a few. Though, honestly most of our arguments are ridiculous and pointless." He sighed, "If there's ever a time where we have to sleep separately again, something tells me I'm going to go right back into insomniac mode. As it is I wake up if you leave the bed within 5 minutes. And I can't even really nap without you." He kissed the top of Katsuki's head, "We're extremely codependent, but I can't bring myself to care. I like being with you."
“It’s only codependent if we don’t have anyone else outside of each other. We have our parents. And their soulmates, now, too.” Katsuki countered. “Besides, the whole soulmate thing means we kind of have to be dependent on each other. We’ve just gotten used to being together because we grew up together. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, that’s just how it works for us.”
"Good point." Izuku replied with a hum. "I think that was partially my anxiety talking again. People say stuff like that sometimes." He tapped the side of his own head as a joke, "Stop just repeating things, brain." He sighed, burying his nose in Katsuki's hair as he brought up a hand to scratch his scalp. "Another thing I wouldn't be able to do without you. Poke holes in the logic of the things I repeat in my head from others. You knock me out of a lot of spirals like that."
Katsuki grinned. “For such a smart person your brain can be pretty dumb.” He teased. “You do the same for me, anyway. When my brain is being dumb, or particularly insistent on pointing out what’s wrong about my body.” He curled a little tighter into Izuku. “We’re good for reminding each other when our brains are being weird.
"Yeah, we are. We help each other in a lot of ways." Izuku replied. He grinned at Katsuki curling tighter. "I like when you do that… makes me glad my ribs healed first. And before you panic or loosen your grip, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all anymore." He kissed in his fiancé's hair again, "Give me all the crushing hugs and cuddles you want."
Katsuki was about to let go when Izuku commented. “See? We know each other well enough to cut off each other’s brains before the spiral even starts.” He grinned, placing a light kiss on Izuku’s collarbone, since his mouth was right over it. “I have a feeling… we’d be like this even if we weren’t soulmates.”
"Maybe… I hope so." Izuku said smiling fondly. "I'm sure I'd still want to be with you like this. Just might've taken a lot more courage from both of us to get here if we weren't." He hummed and closed his eyes. "Likely would have been like my parents though with us. Close as soulmates, just without the bond. Which… honestly if they did have one, I may not have even been around to grow up with you. My family might've all gone to live in the states together. As much as I miss my dad all the time, I'm glad it didn't happen that way though."
Katsuki made a face. “It might be mean to say, but I’m glad they didn’t. ‘Cause that means we have each other. I couldn’t pick a better best friend, or fiance, if I tried.” He grinned. “We never needed a bond to be friends. It just worked out that we got one on top of our friendship. Fate is weird like that, but I guess it means we chose right.”
"We 100% did." Izuku said, grinning as well. "I found my perfect person first try. I'm so glad my best friend has been you all this time. Good people like you are hard to find. It would have crushed me if you started treating me differently when we found out I was 'quirkless'." He started running his fingers through Katsuki's hair. "But you didn't. At all. You comforted me, and kept moving. You didn't apologize, and you didn't ridicule me. You were, and are, exactly what I needed."
Katsuki thought about that for a moment. “I’m not sure why, given my mother’s opinion of quirkless people. It would have been all too easy to just parrot what I heard her say until I believed it too.” He said, unsure if it was more to Izuku or himself. “Instead I… realized she was wrong about me, so she couldn’t always be right. So maybe that meant she was wrong about you too.”
Izuku hummed, "Well, I'm glad you didn't parrot her then. Well… you did, but only with swear words. Seriously, a 3 year old should not be able to curse like a sailor. She did not know how to censor apparently. Either way, you knew it was wrong even then and didn't copy her." He squinted slightly at him, "If we… ever… have uhm… kids... Please, please learn how to not swear around them. If you have to, find a creative alternative or something, but just… not around little kids. Please ."
Katsuki grinned. “The best part about that was she couldn’t say shit because I picked them all up from her. It was kinda fun watching dad’s face change color when I used some of them.” He turned beet red and squeaked at the idea of having kids. “That’s, uh…. That’s far in the future. But. I’ll try .” He offered, muttering incoherently about ‘green eyes and blond hair, or green hair and red eyes, either way they’ll be little shits ’
Izuku had to bite his lip to keep from giggling at the fact that Katsuki squeaked about having kids. He continued to run his fingers through Katsuki's hair, "Sorry if I took you off guard. I know we haven't exactly thought that far ahead with each other yet." He snorted, catching part of Katsuki's muttering, "Oh they would be. But you'd love them all the same. You'd be the best dad."
“Yeah, I would love them. And the first thing we’d teach them is that it doesn’t matter what anyone’s quirk is. That and protecting those that can’t protect themselves.” He hummed in thought. “I… wouldn’t mind having kids with you. Obviously not any time soon, and… the idea of being the one to carry them gives me ridiculous amounts of anxiety, but… if it’s you, I…” he trailed off, unsure how to finish his own thought. “If it’s you… I-... I don’t know. Ignore me.”
Izuku switched to scratching Katsuki's scalp again, "Hey, it's okay. Like you said, this isn't happening anytime soon, but just so you know I'm not expecting you to carry them. Okay? That's not required." He kissed the top of Katsuki's head again. "If you wanted to in the future, I'm okay with that too. Just remember adoption is an option for us too. I love you Kacchan. I wouldn't want to force you into that. It'll be your decision when it comes to it."
"Just be aware… if you did get pregnant. I'm going to be doting over you the whole time. And would probably panic when it came to you going into labor." Izuku said with a soft smile. "Basically, like my dad. My mom was super calm apparently. Though, she's helped with plenty of births so I guess she knew what to expect."
Katsuki snickered quietly. "You and both sets of parents, I'm sure. Just don't be surprised if I start hiding behind Aunty if it gets to be too much." He joked. "I'm sure it does help you stay calm when you know what to expect."
Izuku laughed, "Fair enough. I know you're not the type to really like being doted over like that." He hummed, "I mean, if you're the one going through it. For me… I kinda know how it works too? But I won't know how you're feeling exactly, so it'll probably be harder to deal with for me. I don't know. Again, a long way off. We have to get through school and get our careers going before we really think about if we what kids and all that."
He sighed. "I want us to be well-established as heroes before I consider that. Being able to do that will reveal that was born female, unless I take after my mom and no one can really tell that's what's going on. That's going to be… interesting."
"Yeah, good point." Izuku replied, snuggling even closer to Katsuki. "There will be people who will probably say nasty things, but we both need to remember that there are more supportive people than those that are like that. Same for me having a mental quirk and mostly relying on yours and our other soulmates. It scared me before, and it still kinda does, but people will say what they want to say." He kissed Katsuki's head again, "We'll figure it out when we get there."
"Yeah. It's not a question that needs an answer today. Just something to keep in mind for the future. Though at least thinking about it doesn't make my dysphoria worse, so that's something." He hummed, relaxing slightly the closer Izuku snuggled. They'd be okay, no matter what came their way. "Love you… so much."
"Love you too Kacchan." Izuku replied. "So, so much." He thought for a moment before using their bond to show Katsuki just how much he loved him. How much moments like his meant to him, and how much he truly cared for his soulmate. "Couldn't have picked a better person to spend the rest of my life with."
Katsuki could feel the tears prick at his eyes at the emotions coming through the bond with Izuku. He pulled Izuku as close as physically possible, curling up into him. "I'm sure there's no one better for me than you in the whole world."
"Even our other bonded?" Izuku said jokingly. It was an occasional fear in the back of his head that Katsuki would love their other bonded more when they met, but they had a strong connection forged over years of time. Nothing would break that now. Izuku knew for a fact he'd love all his bonded equally, and so would Katsuki. It would just be a little different for each of them.
"I'm sure I'll love them very much, but it won't be the same. We've been together all our lives. We know practically everything about each other. I… I'll have to come out to them, and tell them about my dysphoria." Katsuki took a breath. "It's always a fear in the back of my mind. What if they're like my mother, and insist I'm a girl because that's how I was born? You're the only one who I know won't do that."
"If they're like her, that's a very fast way of breaking their bond with me." Izuku said seriously, "I'm not doing that again." He moved to kiss Katsuki on the forehead. "If they don't accept you, I'm not going to accept them. You're perfect the way you are."
Katsuki laughed at that. "Well, personally I could do with a bit less dysphoria and maybe for my boobs to fuck off." He countered. "There's our chair tests for them. My dysphoria and your passive quirk. If they can't accept those, we don't need them."
Izuku snorted, "Fair enough." He hummed and smiled, "Yeah, that can be our chair test. As much love as I have to go around, if they can't meet those simple standards they aren't worth it."
Katsuki nodded. "Besides, we know full well that it's possible to love someone romantically without a soulbond. If we meet someone we both like that isn't one of the other two, as long as they pass the chair tests, I know we'd both be more than happy to give them as much love and affection as they can handle."
Izuku giggled a bit and nodded, "Of course." He bit his lip before looking Katsuki in the eye, "You really wanted to take the dual-haired boy on a date, didn't you?" He teased.
"Did you not? He was cute as hell, and I know you thought so too. I just wish we'd gotten his name." Katsuki hummed. "We could look up the family that owns that property. He mentioned his grandparents, didn't he?"
"Kacchan I've never actually asked someone on a date in my life. You should've realized this. I wanted to, sure. But I'm not the type to go for it. That's your thing." Izuku replied. He made a bit of a face, "He did… but wouldn't that be a bit… weird? To go looking him up?"
Katsuki snorted. "I know you haven't, but that's not what I asked. I asked if you wanted to ." Katsuki countered, pulling away slightly to look up at Izuku. "You thought he was cute too, right?" He tilted his head up, wordlessly asking for a kiss. "Maybe not. He did help us. It's only polite to thank him, isn't it?"
"I did. He… he was really pretty looking." Izuku replied before giving him a soft kiss. "This is true though… maybe we could leave a note for him to contact us with the people that tend to the graveyard?" He suggested.
"Maybe. I was thinking more flowers and our phone numbers. And a repeated invitation on that date, since he still didn't say no at any point during that conversation."
"That works." Izuku said, smiling softly before giving Katsuki another kiss. "We do that though, you need to learn a little bit more about flowers. I don't know terribly much, but I do know there's a bit of a language to it. If you have a sort of message you want to send, we could ask the florist about what flowers to make the bouquet out of."
Katsuki returned the kiss happily. "We could ask him on a date through a bouquet, and with a card in case he's as hopeless with flowers as I am?" He suggested. "That way he can't misinterpret what we're asking."
"That we can do." Izuku replied, grinning as he put their foreheads together. "I hope he accepts. A three person date would be fun."
Katsuki grinned and pulled out his phone to look up who owned the graveyard. After a moment, he frowned. "... Izuku. I think I know who he is."
Izuku blinked at Katsuki, "You do? Who?"
Katsuki read from the article he'd found on the property. "The graveyard belongs to the Yukimura family, a formerly prestigious and high-class family. The daughter of the current owners, Todoroki Rei, is married with four children, one of which is presumed deceased. Her three living children are Fuyumi, Natsuo, and Shouto. 'Zuku I think that was the possible soulmate Yagi-san told us about. Todoroki Shouto."
Izuku's jaw dropped, "W-What!? S-So th-that cute boy could be…" His eyes wandered around the room, "H-He did use an ice quirk. Dual hair… sometimes physical appearance can correlate with the quirk in things like that. So… he could have the dual quirk." Izuku took a breath and looked at Katsuki, "Now we really need to ask him on a date! I-If he is… that's… that's amazing. "
Katsuki grinned broadly, leaning up slightly to kiss Izuku again. "We probably shouldn't say anything at first. I want to get to know him without the outside expectations that come with a potential soulbond first."
"True. We didn't have that after all." Izuku replied, then gave Katsuki a soft kiss. "We can wait till we confirm it to tell him. Though, we might want to watch using the quirks we have access to during the date. No need to freak him out and put pressure on him if he notices the connection. So… maybe a night date? Where it's cooler. You sweat less then and won't have to worry about sparking off."
Katsuki nodded. "I can also bring a couple pairs of fingerless gloves to absorb my sweat, and a bag to hold the saturated ones in safely until I can clean or detonate them. Just cheap black ones that look similar to each other." He added. "If he asks about your quirk, what will you say?"
Izuku hummed, "I probably shouldn't lie, whether he is or isn't, so I'll tell him. Just be vague about it if he asks. So I'll say it's a mental quirk." He shrugged, "I still doubt any of our soulmates will have recognized the quirk being there since it's so passive, so it'd probably be safe to say anyway."
Katsuki hummed in agreement. "That will work. Do you want to shower the grime off really quick and head back to the flower shop before it closes? He might still be there if we hurry."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, let's do that." He then somewhat reluctantly got out of Katsuki's lap after one last quick kiss.
Katsuki grinned, returning the kiss. He stood up after Izuku and pulled him close for one last lingering kiss, before starting to head upstairs. It wouldn't do to ask out someone they both thought was cute when they both smelled like they'd been working out, and knowing their luck, probably had sand on them somewhere.
Izuku moved quickly up the stairs so he could take his shower first, since it took longer for him to get his hair looking decent after a shower. He rushed as much as he could, while still getting thoroughly cleaned knowing Katsuki would just send him back in if he wasn't done to his standards. Even if they wanted to go quickly.
Katsuki waited patiently for Izuku. They both would definitely want to look their best to take someone they both liked on a date, potential soulmate or not. While he was waiting, he laid out outfits for them both. Color-coordinated, of course. Couldn’t have them looking like heathens. Izuku’s would bring out his green eyes, Katsuki’s his own red eyes.
Izuku came out of the bathroom, brush in hand, with a sigh. "Forgot cl-" He blinked seeing the outfits laid out. "Oh. You took care of it anyway. Thanks Kacchan! Go take your shower. I'll start getting dressed."
Katsuki kissed him on the cheek as he walked past. “I’ll put your hair in another braid once I’m done if you want.” He hurried into the bathroom, taking his usual cool-but not cold- shower. Once he was done, he made sure to clean his palms with a wipe, before heading back into the bedroom. He always had taken faster showers than Izuku, even when his hair was longer.
"Yes, please." Izuku nodded to Katsuki before quickly getting dressed. When Katsuki returned, he had basically just started brushing out his hair.
Katsuki dressed quickly, before sitting on the bed and holding his hand out for the brush. He’d at least grabbed a hair tie on his way out of the bathroom this time.
Izuku sat down next to Katsuki quickly handing the brush to him before putting his hands on his knees and tapping to get out some of the excited and nervous energy out of his system.
Katsuki snickered, brushing out Izuku’s hair and braiding it, before adding in the hair tie at the bottom. He leaned over to give Izuku a kiss on the cheek when he was done. “There. Now we’re both ready for a date.”
Izuku grinned and kissed Katsuki back on his cheek. Quickly grabbing his phone and wallet, he pulled Katsuki up, "Let's go then!"
Katsuki nodded, standing up and taking Izuku’s hand. “I’ll text dad where we’re going, since he’ll be home first.” He offered, grabbing his phone to do just that. After sending the text, he checked his wallet to make sure he had enough money to take a cute boy on a date, as well as for the bouquet. It might be close, but he did. As long as they didn’t go anywhere ridiculously expensive.
Izuku hopped a bit as they made it outside and started heading towards the flower shop. As they were walking he started mulling over what they should say with the bouquet and card in his head. He'd have to let Katsuki take the lead if they were able to talk to him, but he was excited. As long as he didn't get too flustered, hopefully he'd be fine.
Notes:
For those that skipped the first chunk, here is your summary of what happened.
Katsuki wakes up, immediately realizing that it wasn't going to be a great day for him due to heavy dysphoria. To the point of having to correct himself multiple times in his own head. To try and combat it, he puts on a too-tight binder that makes it hard to breathe. Once Izuku wakes and sees Katsuki, he immediately realizes something is off and hugs him before taking his own shower. When he gets back, they continue to talk, and Izuku makes Katsuki laugh which comes out more of a wheeze, making Izuku realize what Katsuki was wearing.
Izuku tries to convince Katsuki to take it off, to which Katsuki argues with him about. Realizing he's getting nowhere, Izuku grabs his phone to accept a few cosplay job offers, so that he can save that money for future top surgery for Katsuki. Katsuki eventually relents and switches out binders, allowing Izuku to take his old one to donate.Sorry this chapter took so long to get out by the way, having three people writing this story has it's advantages and disadvantages haha. - Frozen
We have a discord for our fics now! Come join us!
https://discord.gg/rgVeCYA3ah
Chapter 10
Summary:
Katsuki and Izuku head out on a date with Shouto.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Katsuki squeezed Izuku’s hand lightly, heading to the same flower shop that they usually went to. “I hope whoever’s there can help us pick out a good bouquet.”
Izuku nodded, walking quietly to the flower shop. Once there, he opened the door, and the person at the counter blinked at the two of them.
"Back again you two? And looking snazzy in those clothes… what's the occasion?" They asked.
"O-Oh… um… we uh… we're going to ask someone out on a date." Izuku explained.
Katsuki grinned. “We were hoping you could help us, actually. How do you ask someone out with flowers? I don’t know the first thing about flower language, and while ‘Zuku’s a bit better than me, we don’t want to mess this up.”
The flower shop employee let out a small laugh. “I can understand why. If you’re wanting something classic, you could always do a bouquet of roses. However, if it’s for someone a little more special there’s an array of choices. My soulmate proposed to me with a bouquet of a white camellia, apple blossoms, white jasmine, calla lilies, morning glories, red tulips, tarragon, ivy, and aloe. If this someone can understand flowers, then you’re in luck. Plus, they look pretty together.”
Izuku blushed, "We're n-not exactly proposing l-like proposing proposing, but something like that could work? You'd probably know better than us…" He cleared his throat, "We don't know if this person will understand the flower meanings? So we wanted to attach a card or something I-just in case… we want this to be special."
Katsuki blinked. “I do like the sound of that bouquet though. I think he might like it. It’s less cliche than roses, which is something, too.”
The flower shop person nodded. “I’ll get you a card and prepare the bouquet then. And trust me, if it’s special you’re looking for, this will be it. Just give me a moment.” They stepped away to grab a card, then went and got the flowers. They arranged it in a way that would be taken well, then returned to the counter. They handed both and a pen over. “Is that everything you boys are going to need?”
"I think that's it?" Izuku replied before looking to Katsuki, "Kacchan?"
Katsuki looked over what they had. “Yeah I think that’s it. How much is it?” They could worry about what to write on the card later. Hopefully Shouto was either still at the cemetary or whoever was there knew where they could find him.
After they got the price and had paid, Izuku started walking them back towards the cemetery. He was fidgeting a little more now, trying to get all that energy out before they saw the dual-haired boy again. He held the bouquet close to his chest, making sure not to mess it up as they walked.
Katsuki, luckily, happened to have a pen with him. “What do you want to write on the card?” He asked as they walked.That might help with the excess energy.
"O-Oh… um… what the flowers are supposed to mean I guess to start? Just in case. And um…" Izuku replied, blushing a bit again at the thought of what they were doing. "Maybe just… why we felt like we should thank him like this or something? I mean… we're both interested. He's cute, and I want to get to know him. Even if it doesn't stay a romantic thing."
Katsuki nodded, considering. “What about something like ‘in case you can’t tell by the flowers, we were serious about taking you out to dinner’?” He offered. “It’s short and to the point. And if he’s confused as to why, then we can tell him we both think he’s cute and want to get to know him better.”
"That'll work." Izuku replied. He took a deep breath, "This is really nerve wracking. But I'm excited at the same time. It's weird."
Katsuki grinned. “Yeah, me too.” He quickly wrote the message down as the cemetery came into view. He spotted the groundskeeper quickly enough, the man was as familiar to them as the flower shop employee at this point. Katsuki waved at him.
“Back so soon, boys?” He asked. “That’s a pretty elaborate bouquet for a grave, considering you just brought a new one this morning.”
“Actually we...ah… we’re looking for Shouto, if he’s still here.”
The groundskeeper squinted at them. “Why are you looking for him?”
“Well, he helped us out earlier, and we wanted to make sure we thanked him properly.” Katsuki explained.
"W-We uh… asked him out to dinner and he never gave us an answer s-so…" Izuku added.
The groundskeeper looked them up and down. “He’s already left.” He said simply. “But… you two are good boys. I trust you won’t cause too much trouble if I tell you where he went.”
"O-Of course not! We won't cause any trouble." Izuku said, "We promise."
Katsuki quickly promised the same, so the groundskeeper gave them an address. “His sister will likely be the one to answer the door. Just tell Miss Fuyumi I sent you.”
Katsuki nodded. “Thank you.” He said, and turned to leave, mentally plotting the best route to the address given. Eventually he had to pull out his phone and use the GPS to find it. “Okay, now I know where we’re going.”
"Lead the way then." Izuku replied, gently squeezing Katsuki's hand.
Katsuki did just that, growing more nervous the closer they got. “This isn’t too far from where Akagami lived, I don’t think.” He said softly. “Holy shit, did the old man give us his home address?”
Izuku's eyes widened slightly, "I-It'd make sense that he was careful about sharing it then." He bit his lip, "I hope this isn't weird then. I really don't want to seem stalker-y with this."
Katsuki shrugged it off as well as he could. “The old man did say to tell his sister that he sent us. Maybe that’s how she knows we’re not trying to be creepy? Maybe he has a quirk or something that tells him people’s intentions when he asks certain questions?” Katsuki theorized. Then, the house itself came into view. “Woah. Rich kid.”
Izuku's jaw dropped slightly upon seeing the house, "U-uh… yeah. I'd say so." He gulped before walking up to the door. After taking a deep breath he knocked on the door after releasing Katsuki's hand to do so, then went back to holding his hand. "C-Can you do the talking..? I'm so nervous now…"
Fuyumi was just exiting the front yard of the house to run some errands when two boys walked up. They didn’t seem like they would cause trouble, but people could be unassuming. Putting a smile on her face, she called out, “You two look a little lost. Do you need some help?”
Katsuki looked over, looking a bit embarrassed. Though, true to form, he brushed it off since he needed to be the one to talk for both of them. “Ah, old man Tanaka, the groundskeeper at the cemetery, sent us this way. We were looking for Shouto? He helped us out earlier and we wanted to thank him properly.” He answered, squeezing Izuku’s hand reassuringly.
Izuku nodded in agreement looking at Fuyumi, hiding his face slightly behind the flowers they had brought.
Fuyumi’s face brightened a bit. “Then please come inside. He’s in the middle of practicing piano, but I’m sure he won’t mind being interrupted.” She reopened the gate and guided them inside. She showed them to the kitchen to sit, then went to the study. She poked her head in and tapped twice to gain Shouto’s attention. Shouto stopped playing to listen to her tap out, ‘You have guests.’
Shouto nodded, then tapped, ‘Be out soon. Get tea?’
Fuyumi tapped back an affirmative, then left Shouto to his playing. She returned to the kitchen shortly. “Can I get you anything to drink? Shouto likes peppermint tea if either of you are interested.”
"U-Uhm… peppermint tea is good if you're making it." Izuku replied, fidgeting a bit in his seat. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the huge house around them. "You d-don't have to make it special o-or anything though."
Katsuki blinked. “If you were already planning on it, sure, that sounds great. Thank you.” He assumed the tapping was a form of communication between the siblings, but he couldn’t understand it at all. He was admittedly curious, though. Before he forgot, he slipped the card he was holding into the bouquet Izuku still held. That way they were just handing him one thing instead of two.
Fuyumi nodded, then went to start the tea. She made it as quickly as possible, then brought out the tray along with the sugar jar and the tea milk. She set it on the table. “Make your teas how you like them. Let me go get Shouto.” She left the kitchen again to go get him.
Izuku nodded a small amount and made his tea. He took a deep breath, trying to relax, before taking a sip and leaning against Katsuki gently.
Katsuki did the same as Izuku. He hoped Shouto wasn’t too put off by them coming to his house. They really did want to thank him for his help, they just also really wanted to ask him on a date, too.
A few moments later, Shouto entered the room. He blinked at seeing the two from the graveyard. He glanced at the bouquet. That was… rather extravagant. Not letting it bother him, he moved forward and prepared his tea. He sat down across from them, taking a sip of the tea. He looked between the two. “Is… everything okay? I hope that nothing happened after you were taken to the hospital. I’ve already talked about getting better security and improving Akagami’s grave. Unless this is something else having to do with the bouquet.”
Izuku chewed on his lip, "E-Everything is okay. Um…" He looked to Katsuki for help explaining before holding the flowers with the card in it out to Shouto. "These are for y-you." He said, offering a small shy smile.
Katsuki offered a sly grin of his own. “We wanted to make sure we thanked you properly for helping us earlier, and it didn’t seem right to come empty-handed.” He offered. He squeezed Izuku’s hand before offering a formal bow. “Thank you for helping us today.”
Shouto hesitantly took the bouquet. At getting a better look at the flowers, his ears and cheeks turned a bright red. “I- um- ah…” He took a deep breath, trying to regain coherency. He kept his eyes on the flowers. He’d probably blush even harder if he looked up. “It’s… thank you. And you’re welcome - but you didn’t need to do this. I… would’ve done it for anyone.” Though, there was definitely something about the two boys that made him more inclined to hearing them out.
Izuku bowed alongside Katsuki when he did so, mildly surprised Katsuki decided to bow. “Th-That may be true, but… but we still thought it was worth saying thank you.” Izuku replied, “A-and um… we um…” He blushed, scrunching up his shoulders and looked to Katsuki to help speak.
Katsuki snorted. “I think he figured out the flowers, if that blush was any indication.” He offered. “You’re somehow even cuter when you blush, by the way.” He realized his mouth was running away with him, but it was true .
Shouto blushed even darker. He brought the flowers up to hide his face, then glanced between the two. Based on all the flowers… “You weren’t joking about taking me out for dinner earlier, were you?”
“W-We weren’t, no. Um… Kacchan kinda offered before by himself after um… seeing my reaction to you but…” Izuku replied, “W-When we went home, we um… talked about it a bit. W-We’d b-both like to take you to dinner? I-If that’s okay.” He squeezed Katsuki’s hand gently.
Katsuki nodded to what Izuku said. “Yeah, we were serious about that. Both of us. And you didn’t exactly say no, so… are you interested?”
Shouto felt his left side dramatically heat up at the confirmation. He took a deep breath to keep himself from bursting into flame. He looked between the two, then nodded minutely. They were genuinely nice - plus Fuyumi deemed them well-meaning enough to let them in. Besides, he could protect himself from them if they weren’t who they seemed to be.
Setting the flowers on the table, Shouto excused himself from the kitchen. They made themselves look nice for him. He’d do the same for them.
Izuku let out a breath, smiling gently at Shouto’s acceptance. The tension he was holding dropped, and he gently leaned against Katsuki when Shouto got up and excused himself.
Katsuki grinned, tilting his head to kiss Izuku’s forehead. “I’m glad he said yes.” He figured he was probably getting up to change, and used the opportunity to switch his gloves. They weren’t too badly soaked, but who knew when he’d get another chance to do so.
Shouto made his change as quickly as possible. Finding the navy blue tux Momo had gotten him for his last birthday, Shouto put it on. He left the jacket unbuttoned without a tie - that felt too formal. He then made his way to the bathroom and found the hair gel. He made quick work of slicking it back, but a stubborn strand of red bangs didn’t stick. Not willing to fight it, he made his way out to the kitchen. He adjusted the jacket cuffs so that the shirt sleeves didn’t stick out. “You two ready to head out?”
Izuku squeaked seeing Shouto dressed up, blushing deeply. He nodded and stood, still holding Katsuki’s hand. Katsuki really might have to do the talking for a bit, because his mind just went completely blank.
Katsuki blinked, looking Shouto up and down a few times before settling on a “Damn, and I thought you looked good before .” His voice had a small teasing note to it, but mostly awe. “You look amazing.” He added, completely serious. Shaking himself mentally, he grinned. “Is there any kind of food you prefer? There were a couple different places we were deciding between.”
Shouto’s ears went red at the blond’s compliment. “I like soba, but I’m okay with whatever you two want.” He realized he didn’t even know their names. “I’m Todoroki Shouto, by the way - but I’m assuming you know that. I never got your names though.”
Izuku blinked, "O-Oh! I-I'm s-sorry. I'm M-Midoriya I-Izuku."
Katsuki blushed lightly for a moment. “Bakugou Katsuki.” He thought for a second. “We’ll have to take the train to get there, but I know a great soba place that’s not ridiculously far from here, actually.” Izuku would probably know which one he meant. It was Katsuki’s favorite because the owners and most of the employees were also hard of hearing, so it had been a great place to practice his sign when he was younger. Plus the food was fantastic.
Bakugou and Midoriya then. Shouto nodded. He glanced at the flowers, then conceded to putting them in his room when he got back. He held his hands out for the two of them to take. “Come on. We should get going if we’re going to beat the dinner rush.”
Izuku smiled, realizing where Katsuki was taking them. That’d be a nice place for a date. It was usually pretty quiet there. He nodded, giving Katsuki’s hand one last squeeze before moving to hold Shouto’s left hand. If they were right, his left side should be warmer so it’d be better for him to go on that side. Sure enough, his left hand felt warm as he gently held it, chewing his lip out of nervousness at the same time.
Katsuki took Shouto’s other hand. It felt a bit cooler than normal body temperature, which should help keep his quirk under control. Since he knew where they were going, he led the way to the train station, then to the restaurant. As they approached the restaurant, Katsuki blinked. “Before I forget. Do you know sign? A lot of the employees at this place are either hard of hearing or deaf, so if you don’t, it’d probably be easier for one of us to order for you.”
“I know some phrases,” Shouto said, following after Bakugou. “I can barely read along to some simple conversations. Other than that, is there anything I should be prepared for?”
“Um… I mean, everyone is fluent there. Like us. So… if you get lost, we can just translate verbally?” Izuku suggested. “I don’t think there’s anything else to be prepared for..? Kacchan?”
Katsuki grinned slightly. “We’ve both been going here for a while, so chances are some of them will know… at least me, if not both of us by name. Otherwise, not really, no.”
Shouto nodded. That wouldn’t be too hard to deal with then. He just hoped there wasn’t anyone from the media that would be there. He preferred to not have to deal with that while he was with these two.
Izuku leaned forward and looked at Katsuki, “If I mess up my signs by signing too quickly, actually correct me instead of just laughing please, Kacchan. I hate screwing it up. Especially with how easy it is to move your hands just a little too much and make it a whole other sign.” He stepped a bit in front of them so he could open the door to the restaurant for their little group. “Not that I do it much anymore. Just when I get too excited or nervous.”
Katsuki snickered. “I’ll probably end up doing both, but I’ll try to correct you first before you get too flustered.” He answered with a grin, letting Shouto enter the restaurant ahead of him. “With how flustered you already are, I wouldn’t be surprised if you signed too fast. Do you want me to just order for all of us?”
Shouto entered the restaurant, interested in Bakugou and Midoriya’s dynamic and interactions. They certainly were an intriguing pair, but if that morning was anything to go by, their feelings were real and they cared for each other. At Bakugou’s question, he blinked. “Yeah, sure. If you want to. I typically have cold soba.”
Izuku nodded, “Yes please, Kacchan. You know what I like.” He looked around the restaurant, smiling when he noticed their usual table was open and started bringing their little group over that way to grab it.
Katsuki grinned, stepping up to the counter to order for them, greeting the older woman at the register with the sign for ‘Granny’. They went back and forth for a few minutes, with the cashier commenting on ‘the cute date Katsu-chan and Izu-chan snagged’. Katsuki blushed brightly, but agreed that he was, indeed, cute. Katsuki proceeded to order for all three of them, with tea to drink, cinnamon and mint for Izuku and himself, and peppermint for Shouto, remembering what his sister had said about peppermint being his favorite. That done, he paid for the food and headed to the table.
Shouto followed after Midoriya. He took note of the matching rings on both Midoriya and Bakugou’s left ring fingers. Engagement rings, probably. One of the thugs had made a comment about them being fiances before. That made Shouto feel ten times more awkward than he already did, but he didn’t say anything or let it show. After all, he’d made a similar promise to Riot all those years ago.
“U-um… so...” Izuku started, clearing his throat slightly. “You play piano?” He asked, trying to start a conversation to learn more about each other. “D-Do you like it? From what little I could hear it sounded pretty good.”
Katsuki sat next to Izuku, more out of habit than anything. “I got peppermint tea for you. I hope you don’t mind, your sister said you liked it.” He offered. He blinked, then grinned. “Definitely, your playing sounded amazing.”
Shouto nodded in thanks to Bakugou. His ears went red at the compliments. “I play, yes. I enjoy it a lot. I was only practicing since my father is away for the week and I have the time for it. I’ve been playing since I was little. What you heard was something that I’m working on for my friend. Her family is hosting a gala soon, and she asked me to provide music. I have that and a few other songs - some I’ve written, some by some old, classical pianists.” He took a sip of the tea, feeling like he had rambled a bit. He was talking more than usual today.
Izuku beamed, “You write songs too? That’s so cool .” He reached out and took Katsuki’s hand automatically once he sat down next to him. “And a gala? That sounds so fancy . I’m sure it’ll be fun for you to play there then. If maybe a little stressful? Having eyes on you does that sometimes.”
Katsuki blinked again. “We’re going to sound like a bit of an echo chamber, so I’ll let Izuku handle most of the compliments for both of us.” He grinned, squeezing Izuku’s hand lightly. “Fancy parties always seemed kind of boring, unless you’re interested in the kind of shop talk that goes on.” He’d been to his fair share with both of his parents, so he knew a bit about them. They couldn’t be too different from the kind Shouto meant.
Shouto hummed, both at Bakugou’s compliment statement and Midoriya’s actual compliment. He sipped his tea again, then sat it down. “When you’re the son of the #2 hero, you get used to being constantly watched.” He glanced over his shoulder as he said this. No one so far. Looking back at his dates, he continued, “I’ve been going to these parties since I was young. My father goes for publicity’s sake. I have to go because I’m his kid - my brother and sister also go to them. They’re better when you have people your age to hang out with, but they’re also some of the best opportunities to take out some of the world’s biggest players.” He took another drink from his tea.
Izuku snickered a bit at Katsuki leaving the compliments up to him. “You just don’t like giving them very often Kacchan.” He kissed Katsuki’s cheek. “Not that I mind. Means more when you give one in that case.” Izuku tilted his head at Shouto, “‘Take out’? What do you mean by that?”
Katsuki snorted, squeezing Izuku’s hand again rather than kissing him back. They both knew how that would go if they started it now. Katsuki’s look echoed Izuku’s question. Apparently the hero parties his dad’s boyfriend went to were far more interesting than he ever gave them credit for. Take out? Like, assassinate? Or something less dangerous?
“Abduct, assassinate, lose businesses, among other things,” Shouto said. “Security at them has increased in the past years though. Almost 5 years ago now, a kid got taken from one of these parties. People thought they were dead until they were offered for ransom. Ransom was paid, though not by their family, and they were able to get out. The place was busted a couple years later.” That was his own story, but they didn’t need to know that.
Shouto glanced at Midoriya and Bakugou’s joined hands. “So what’s with the rings? They look like a matching set.”
Izuku sucked in a breath, “Geez that... “ He closed his eyes and shook his head, “At least they were able to get out.” He blinked at Shouto and blushed, “Oh um… that’s because they are. W-We’re engaged.” He waved his free hand in front of himself, “S-Sorry if that seems w-weird to you s-since we asked you out on a date and all but um… w-we um… we both…” He bit his lip and looked away, “We both really l-like you from what little time we saw y-you and… um…”
Katsuki recalled hearing something about that story. The details were kept hush-hush, for obvious reasons, but Tsunagu had been one of the heroes that had gone after that ring, he knew that much. He was pulled back into the present by Shouto asking about their rings. “Yeah. If that’s something you’re not okay with, we’ll get it, but we had the conversation a while ago that if we both like someone, that we would both try dating them if they were okay with that.” He really hoped Shouto would be okay with that. He was definitely a catch, and it would suck if dating an established couple turned out to be something he couldn’t handle.
Shouto had been right then, and it left him feeling awkward. Again. He didn’t let it show, though. “Engaged, yet you asked someone out on a date. That takes some guts. And you asked at the same time.” A playful smirk fell onto his face. He leaned his cheek on his hand. “Were you planning to fluster me into saying yes? Because I think that half worked. Plus you’re both very pleasing to the eye. From what I can tell you’re good people, but do you have what it takes to date me?”
Izuku squeaked, turning an even darker shade of red. “I- I- um...” He stammered, unable to get an actual word out. They chose another person who likes to fluster other people. Great. Izuku swore he was going to die just from getting flustered if those two teamed up on him.
Katsuki couldn’t help but snicker. “Better to ask than not ask and regret it later.” He remarked. He tucked his hands under his chin, palms down, and laced his fingers together. “Well, it seems we succeeded, both in flustering you, and getting you to say yes, so whatever our plan was, it clearly worked. But now I’m curious, what does it take to date you?”
Shouto’s smirk grew. “Guess we’ll get to find out together, Katsu ~.” He made full eye contact with Bakugou, then let his gaze move to Midoriya. He chuckled at Midoriya’s dark blush. “You’re both so cute. And handsome. And a few other things that I shouldn’t say in a public place.”
Izuku covered his face with his hands, letting out a quiet whine. If he wasn't careful he was literally going to combust.
Katsuki smirked right back, meeting his gaze with only a slight blush, before bumping Izuku’s shoulder slightly. “Breathe, ‘Zuku.” He reminded the greenet. Turning back to Shouto, he raised an eyebrow. “I could say the same to you. You look absolutely stunning , especially with that half-smile you had just a minute ago.”
Shouto’s ears turned red again. He examined Bakugou’s expression. His smirk turned into a shy almost-smile. He turned his face away slightly, keeping eye contact with Bakugou. “You mean like this?”
Izuku took a deep breath, keeping his eyes closed behind his hands as he tried to relax himself. At least Katsuki wasn't adding onto the flirting, he probably realized that would overwhelm him.
Katsuki brushed Izuku’s knee with his own under the table to help calm him down. He blushed slightly at Shouto’s expression, but grinned. “Yeah, like that. And that ear blush is adorable .” He teased, grinning.
“Not as adorable as your cheeks turning pink,” Shouto said, turning his head back to be looking at Bakugou properly again. “It really accents your eyes.”
Izuku hummed quietly, his blush slowly dying down now. He brushed Katsuki's knee back, keeping his hands over his face while he waited for the blush to stop.
Katsuki’s blush darkened at Shouto’s comment. His eye color tended to be a sore spot for him, since he shared it with his mother. No one had ever commented on it in relation to him blushing, though. Not one to back down from a challenge, he grinned wider. “Has anyone ever told you you get dimples when you smile? Now that is what I would call both adorable and stunning.”
“I don’t smile much, so no, but good to know,” Shouto said, cheeks starting to get red. “You’re just so breathtaking. Your texture is so unique, and the color goes well with your skin. Like I said, aesthetically pleasing. I could admire you for hours.” He glanced at Midoriya, wondering if he should turn his affections on the greenet.
After a few moments, Izuku's blush eventually went down. He slowly started lowering his hands, quietly humming in agreement to what Shouto was saying about Katsuki.
Katsuki blushed even brighter, grumbling. Before he could come up with something else to say, their food was delivered. The employee knew Katsuki and Izuku’s usual orders, and so (correctly) assumed, the cold soba was for Shouto, placing the dishes down with three quiet ‘click’s. Katsuki quickly signed, Thank you . The server responded with a cheeky grin and a Found someone who could keep up with your flirting? Katsuki groaned in embarrassment.
Shouto snickered at Bakugou’s groan. He also signed a small thank you before beginning to eat. He hummed, noting that it was some of the better soba he’d had - obviously it didn’t trump Fuyumi’s, but Shouto was probably a bit biased. A few bites in, Shouto looked back at the couple across from him. He considered asking about the length of their relationship, but changed his mind. “So… is there anything you two enjoy doing? You know I like playing the piano. What about you two?”
Izuku signed a quick thank you as well before grinning, That we did. It’s going to kill me, but at least Katsuki will feel what it’s like now. He turned his attention back on Shouto after taking a bite of his food. “Like… hobbies?” Izuku asked, “Um… I do hero analysis in my spare time? And that’s fun for me but um…” He sighed, “I’m not sure that really counts as a hobby. I… er… does doing costume makeup count? I do that for fun sometimes.”
Katsuki snorted. “Yes, it counts if you cosplay for fun, ‘Zuku.” He responded patiently. To Shouto, he offered clarification. “Izuku really likes most heroes. He’ll watch videos of them in action and break down their strategies and how they use their quirk in fights. Villains too, if they’re particularly interesting. It’s all in code, so no one else can read it. He’s on notebook number… 13 now? At least? And he does extremely detailed notes.”
Shouto hummed, nodding along. “Sounds interesting for sure. Maybe you could show me sometime - if you’re okay with it, at least.” He looked toward Bakugou. “And what about you?”
"Notebook number 13, y-yeah." Izuku confirmed, "Um… there's parts in there I can't read to you, just out of safety for the heroes but um… y-yeah I could show you sometime." He replied with a shy smile. Realizing that would mean they'd see each other again, so Shouto was seemingly enjoying the date. That was good.
Katsuki blinked. “Well I like to cook? And I have a small blog where I bitch about stupid clothing choices celebrities make.” He grinned. “My dad and his boyfriend both work in fashion, so I grew up with that sort of thing.” He also looked happy at the idea of a second date, brushing Izuku’s knee under the table again.
Shouto noted them physically brightening at his word choice, which brought something light to his expression. “So you both have your own share of interests. At least you can say you’re not boring. I get enough of bland people in my life as it is. Granted, you have to be eccentric to ask someone like me out on a date, so I’m not sure if I was expecting something else.”
Izuku laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I g-guess you could say that, yeah." He went back to his food for a few moments, studying Katsuki's expression when he wasn't looking at him, and doing the same with Shouto. Izuku wanted to make sure he remembered this date, and how both of them looked. Katsuki was used to that sort of staring from him, but Shouto wouldn't know about it so he tried being extra careful not to get caught.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that? ‘You have to be eccentric to ask someone like me on a date’? That’s the second time you’ve said something like that, so now I’m curious.” He wasn’t angry or defensive over it, just genuinely curious, and it showed in his voice and expression.
Shouto could feel Midoriya’s eyes on him but wasn’t too bothered by it. Like he had said, he was used to people watching him. He smirked at Bakugou. “Just something I say. I’ll let you figure it out on your own.” Sometimes he meant it in a demeaning way. Other times, it meant that he was hard to deal with. He wasn’t sure what he meant by it here.
Izuku tilted his head at Shouto slightly when he said that. He wasn't actively using his quirk because of his injury but… "Huh… you're hard to read." He muttered mostly to himself, smiling softly. Izuku knew for a fact he was passively using his quirk at the moment, but he hadn't been able to catch the meaning one way or another. It excited him a little bit to find someone harder to read.
Rolling his eyes fondly, Katsuki took the opportunity to tease Shouto, “Whatever you say, Mr Mysterious.” He grinned. When Izuku mentioned Shouto being hard to read, Katsuki shrugged. He certainly wasn’t wrong.
Shouto rolled his eyes at Bakugou’s comment. He heard Midoriya’s half-muttered one but didn’t acknowledge it. He went back to eating his food. He wanted to see how the two interacted with each other a bit better.
Izuku continued to eat, before pausing and looking at Katsuki. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a napkin to clean the food off of the corner of his mouth. "You're such a messy eater Kacchan." He teased, "Maybe it has to do with all that spicy food. Is your mouth too numb to actually tell at this point?"
Katsuki made a face and gave Izuku a side-eye at his comment. “Maybe I was hoping you’d kiss it off.” He teased with a wide grin, before leaning over to kiss the corner of Izuku’s mouth, fully expecting a complaint when he tasted the spice.
Shouto had to fight a smile. They were adorable together. He was tempted to say as much, but that’d get them into a compliment war again, and Shouto wanted to finish his food within the hour. He had to admit that he definitely wouldn’t mind hanging out again. Despite his earlier awkwardness, they made him feel welcome and, oddly enough, safe.
"Kacchan nooo , you know I don't really like spicy stuff." Izuku whined, gently pushing Katsuki away with one hand. Tasting the spice he exaggerated a pout before taking a few large sips of his tea. It wasn't too bad. He just felt like being dramatic about it.
Katsuki snorted. “Oh you’re fine you big baby.” He teased. “It’s not going to kill you. It’s not like I’m eating a ghost pepper.” He blinked after he said that. “Though it would be interesting to find out how that tastes. I am admittedly curious.” He admitted, before continuing to eat his food.
Shouto definitely didn't envy Midoriya there, but he noted he couldn't taste very well right now. He warmed up his left side a bit after realizing he was numb. It wouldn't be good if he randomly collapsed somewhere. He pulled himself from his thoughts to take a bite of Bakugou's food. He ate it while making eye contact, half trying to enjoy the taste, half trying to make a show of it.
Izuku stuck his tongue out at Katsuki playfully before squinting at him, "Go right ahead, you're just not kissing me until it's all out of your mouth." He blinked at Shouto taking some of Katsuki's food. "Do you like that stuff too?" He asked, "It doesn't exactly taste bad, it's just hard to taste when it's burning your mouth. He gets his food extra spicy."
Katsuki grinned and took a bite of his noodles, before leaning over and kissing Izuku. He didn’t try to make him eat it. Yet. He swallowed his mouthful and pulled away, before grinning at Shouto. “Well, what do you think, then?” He asked.
Shouto shrugged, putting his chopsticks back into his own food. "I don't usually eat those kinds of things because I can't taste it. Colder food is easier for my tongue - temperature and taste wise. So it's fine, I guess. I just can't taste it."
Izuku glared at Katsuki and took another few big sips of his tea, "You're about to lose your kissing privileges you jerk." He looked at Shouto, "Huh, that makes sense then I guess. Something we'll have to keep in mind."
Katsuki snorted, taking another bite of his noodles. “You can’t taste it at all? That’s interesting.” He remarked, considering. In response to Izuku, he stuck out his tongue. “How you’re not used to that level of spice yet is beyond me.”
Shouto couldn't stop a chuckle rising from his throat at the two interacting. They were just so… cute together. It didn't seem statistically possible. And they had chosen Shouto of all people.
He finished his food quickly and pushed the dish away slightly. He took another drink from his tea, taking the time to analyze the two.
"I can handle a good amount of spice now, I was eating it before we started dating. That is just ridiculous." Izuku replied. Hearing Shouto chuckle at the two of them, he turned to look with a soft loving smile. He really liked the sound of Shouto's laugh, it made him want to hear it again. He shook his head slightly to clear his head, keeping that soft smile on his face as he went to finish his food.
“Ridiculous says you .” Katsuki snarked back, grinning. He finished his own food, sipping his tea slowly. He grinned brightly at the sound of Shouto’s laugh. It was an adorable sound, really. Katsuki would definitely agree with Izuku that he wanted to hear it more.
Shouto’s ears went red again at their reactions to his chuckle. He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. He did another sweep of the restaurant. Good, still no news or media people. If someone published an article about this, Endeavor would not hesitate to make Shouto regret it.
Izuku finished up his own food quickly enough, keeping up that soft smile as he saw the ear blush from Shouto. He was so nice, and handsome. Izuku was really glad he'd accepted, and told him as much. "I-I'm really glad you said yes to coming out on a date with us." He said softly, "You seem really nice. Getting to know you tonight has been fun so far."
Katsuki nodded in agreement with Izuku. “It’s been a lot of fun. Even if we spent most of it just flustering each other.” He paused. “What do you keep looking around for?” He asked quietly.
Shouto’s ears turned darker, and he smiled at them. “You’re both very interesting. I’m definitely enjoying this.” At Bakugou’s question, his smile fell a bit. “Nothing you have to worry about. Just something I need to keep an eye out for.”
Izuku hummed and went to take a sip of his tea, "Okay… But, if you're looking for someone specific, nobody has really paid attention to us so far. Other than the staff, but that's mostly because they're giggling about our date. Everyone else has given us barely a glance. Just let us know if you spot someone and want to lose them." He shrugged, "We've done it before. I did what you keep doing a lot in elementary." Izuku reached over and squeezed Katsuki's hand gently. He was still paranoid sometimes, and some days were worse than others but he knew he was more or less safe when he was with Katsuki. Old habits were hard to break though.
Katsuki had a moment of gratitude that his father’s career didn’t put him as much in the spotlight. Though his parents’ broken soulbond certainly did, and being the only child of a broken bond did that for him. So he still understood. Being the son of the #2 hero couldn’t be easy. “Another reason I like to come here. This place is very lowkey. Media people don’t really know about it, and it helps that the staff don’t respond to most verbal inquiries anyway .” He offered. “Yeah, the staff will gossip among themselves, but mostly because you’re with us, and they know us. Most of them couldn’t care less who you are beyond that.” He turned to Izuku with a frown. “How have we still not found the off switch aside from you closing your eyes.”
Shouto hummed. He decided to keep the fact that he can also shake any unwanted followers to himself. He glanced between the two, taking another sip of tea. “Midoriya, how’s your head? After earlier, I was worried about the two of you.”
Izuku shrugged at Katsuki, "I don't think I have an off switch Kacchan. I could have when I was younger, but it's a subconscious thing. I'm too paranoid of a person now for it to shut off I think."
"Oh um… fine mostly. It's taking its sweet time to heal, but the injury I got should be fine by morning thanks to Kacchan. My ribs are already healed from us touching as it is." Izuku replied to Shouto, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just have a small headache at the moment because of my quirk being on passively. My head is okay though other than that, thanks for asking."
Katsuki muttered something about ‘reflex checks’ and ‘prison uniforms’, but muffled it by taking a sip of his tea. He squeezed Izuku’s hand lightly, leaning over to kiss him on the temple. “Lucky for him we’re both cuddlebugs, so napping together for a few hours fixed most of it right up.” He offered with a sly grin. “...We’d both probably stay in bed cuddling all day if we could get away with it.” It was as good a way as any to figure out where Shouto stood on physical affection.
Shouto nodded, choosing to ignore Midoriya’s comment of being paranoid. He hummed in response to Bakugou’s statement. “That would do it for sure - and I’m sure most people would do that if they could. I would do it, but… training and lessons get in the way. Plus, my sister would get me up every now and then to eat something.”
Izuku laughed slightly, before pausing with a slight blush deciding on if he should make the comment he thought of or not. Eventually he settled on yes. "W-Well… um…" He cleared his throat, saying these sorts of things wasn't as smooth for him as it was for Katsuki. "If you've ever g-got an hour or two to spare… we um… we wouldn't mind you joining our cuddle pile sometimes?" He smiled sheepishly, "Like Kacchan said… we're cuddlebugs."
Katsuki smirked broadly, bumping Izuku’s shoulder in a quiet moment of pride. “He’s not wrong. I know I definitely wouldn’t object, and ‘Zuku wouldn’t offer if he did. Something about spending time like that… makes everything seem a bit brighter afterward.”
“I’ll… consider it,” Shouto said. He honestly wouldn’t mind. He just needed to make some time for it. He glanced at their empty plates. “If we’re done eating, you want to go do something? Maybe walk around, go to a park. Sitting and talking is fun and all, but I need to stretch my legs.”
Izuku smiled softly, giving Shouto a small nod. "That's fine by me. I didn't get as much exercise as I'm used to today. Kacchan carried me a lot. I could use a walk too." He hummed for a moment and looked at Katsuki, "I'd suggest the bridge route just incase to go to that old park but… best not. Any ideas of another park, Kacchan? Or at least a better route that doesn't have much foot traffic."
Katsuki hummed, considering the question for a moment. Finally, he nodded. “There is another park closer than that. It’s a bit in the opposite direction, but I’m pretty sure I remember how to get there."
Shouto glanced between them. He stood up, then had to hide a slight falter as adjusting his shoe. He should’ve taken that morning as a sign. Today wasn’t a day he should be around doing things. He was already here, though. There was no way he was backing out, even if he ended up collapsing with these two. Just another thing they had to be prepared for to date him, he supposed.
Izuku nodded and waited for Katsuki to stand before following suit. He thought he caught a slight falter in Shouto’s movements, but only using his quirk passively at the moment he couldn’t pinpoint the cause, if any. He hesitated for a moment before moving to Shouto’s left and hesitantly holding out his hand for him to hold if he wanted.
Katsuki stood, also eyeing Shouto at the apparent falter. Had he imagined it? No, Izuku had looked at him funny after that too. What was even going on? Katsuki waited for the two of them before heading to the exit. He doubted Shouto needed both of them helping him stand.
Shouto glanced at Midoriya’s outstretched hand. He smirked playfully, then grabbed Midoriya’s fingers instead of his hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed the knuckles gently. “Thank you for the concern, but I’m fine. My shoe was just falling off a little.”
Izuku squeaked, his face turning bright red as he short-circuited. From a hand kiss no less. He just wasn’t expecting Shouto to do that whatsoever. He stood there stammering for a good bit, thoroughly embarrassed that he short-circuited from something like that.
Katsuki blinked, then outright cackled. “From a kiss on your hand , ‘Zuku? Really?” He teased, thoroughly amused. He was almost tempted to pick Izuku up and carry him if he took too long to reboot.
Shouto blinked. He glanced at Bakugou, letting go of Midoriya’s hand. “Oops? Is he okay? Should I be worried?”
After Izuku's brain finally started coming back online he let out a high pitched whine and put his face in his hands. "I did that from a hand kiss. Why. I never do that unless it's my lips usually." He complained. "You… I…" He groaned, keeping his face hidden, "Give me a minute."
Katsuki continued to snicker at his fiance. He nodded to Shouto. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. He does that a lot . That’s the first time I’ve seen him do it from a kiss on the hand, though.”
“Well then,” Shouto said, settling into his heels. He subtly shifted his weight onto his left. It was stable enough for the walk there, then. “Should we go now or wait for Midoriya to cool down?”
"You may not have noticed…" Izuku said, taking deep breaths to try and get his blush under control from behind his hands. "B-But that's why he waits a few extra seconds or puts two fingers under my chin before he kisses me. It's a warning. I short-circuit otherwise. I don't know why." He sighed, "I don't know why that just happened either."
Katsuki snickered. “Well I think it’s adorable. Easy to manipulate, but adorable.” He was tempted to sneak a kiss as soon as Izuku peeked out from behind his hands. “You good to go, ‘Zuku?”
Shouto’s smirk came back, and he leaned in. “A warning? I’ll be sure to keep that in mind for our next date. Does that sound alright, I-zu-ku~ ?” He blew a gentle breath of cool air onto Midoriya’s hands, then straightened, smirk still in place. It’d take the greenet a little while to calm down from that.
Izuku squeaked again. "I was ." He replied with a tiny whine. "Until he did that. " He peeked between his fingers for a moment to look at Shouto, which he immediately regretted seeing the smirk on his face.
Katsuki burst out into laughter again. “At this rate we’ll be here all night!” Still laughing, he stepped forward and scooped Izuku up bridal style. “I’ll put you down when you’ve rebooted.” He told him. He turned to Shouto. “Ready to go?”
Shouto nodded, his smirk relaxing into a smile. He made to hold the door for Bakugou, then looked around once they were both on the street. “So which way? And like Midoriya said earlier, try to go through less populated areas. I don’t exactly have a way to keep my identity hidden out here.”
Izuku grumbled, switching to hiding his face against Katsuki for the moment. Being carried like that in public wasn't exactly helping, but it wasn't as bad. "If… you were serious about there being a next date." He said quietly, "Just remind me to bring you a wig, and maybe my makeup stuff if you want to keep hidden while we're in public. Nobody will recognize you that way."
Katsuki hummed in agreement to Izuku’s suggestion. Less populated… it took him a second, but he figured out a route. “This way.” He said, before heading in that direction. “‘Zuku’s good with makeup, too. He’ll make you completely unrecognizable.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Shouto said. He looked around at the streets. He hadn’t been here before, which was strange considering it wasn’t too far from UA. He glanced back at Bakugou and Midoriya. He took a few moments to admire them - this time in the light of the sunset. “You’re both so… stunning.”
Izuku bit his lip and hid his face against Katsuki again as he blushed. "No fair. You're stunning. So is Kacchan." He said with a pout, "I'm not stunning. But you don't know the thing so…" He grumbled quietly, "Why did I fall for two boys who like giving compliments? This is ridiculous."
Katsuki snickered, waiting for Izuku to part his hands before sneaking a kiss. “You are absolutely stunning, and I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving just that.” He grinned slyly at Shouto. “If I’m stunning, then you are absolutely breathtaking .”
“Midoriya, you’re arguably the most stunning out of the three of us,” Shouto said. He turned his attention onto Bakugou, grinning right back. “I might be breathtaking, but you’re unbelievably handsome. So handsome that I don’t have enough words to describe you.
Izuku short-circuited for a moment before pouting. "Why the compliments?" He whined, "I don't deserve that. Stop iiit."
Katsuki rolled his eyes, sneaking another kiss. “Oh, but you do. Why else would we shower you in them?” He shot back, grinning.
“You deserve that and so much more,” Shouto said, a gentle smile now on his face. “Both of you do.” He couldn’t exactly say the same for himself, but that wasn’t a first date topic choice.
" Nooo. " Izuku whined again, "Kacchan does 'cause he's perfect. Not me."
Katsuki, familiar with that train of thought from Izuku, even if it wasn’t vocalized, had a retort already on the tip of his tongue. “And we both chose you, so obviously you’re just as amazing as you say we are.” He countered. He kissed Izuku on the nose. “You’re amazing and stunning and gorgeous and perfect, ‘Zuku.”
Shouto moved to be in front of Katsuki and Izuku. He looked between the two. “You’re both so mesmerizing and mindblowing. It’s… bewildering, honestly. I’m glad I accepted your invitation.” He paused before saying, “Can I… can I kiss you? Both of you.”
Izuku grumbled quietly for a moment before his breath caught in his throat. He looked back at Shouto, then to Katsuki, then back to Shouto before he nodded gently, "U-Uhm... Y-Yeah." He tapped Katsuki gently, signaling to put him down. If they were going to… it'd be a bit awkward all the way around with him in Katsuki's arms like that.
Katsuki smirked, setting Izuku down, but not before sneaking a quick kiss to the side of his neck. He was prepared to catch Izuku if he short circuited again, though. He looked up at Shouto. “Yes.” He said simply.
Shouto nodded. He looked between both of them, then placed a gentle hand on each of their cheeks. After a few moments, he kissed Izuku, soft and careful. When he pulled away, he turned to Katsuki. He gave him the same kind of kiss, but nipped Katsuki’s bottom lip when he broke it. His ears were red. He swiped his thumbs across their cheekbones. “Was that okay?”
Izuku took a slow breath in looking at Shouto after the kiss, nodding gently in response as he couldn't seem to make words work for the moment. He gently leaned into Shouto's hand and closed his eyes with a quiet hum. Even if Shouto didn't turn out to be his soulmate, he still got the same sort of feeling in his chest from the kiss and him touching his cheek that he did with Katsuki. If nothing else, Izuku felt that was a good sign that they should definitely stay with Shouto.
Katsuki returned the kiss easily enough, blushing a dark red when Shouto bit his lip at the tail end of it. He hadn’t been expecting that , but he certainly wasn’t complaining. He rested his covered palm over Shouto’s hand. “That… was amazing.” He offered. “How did you learn to kiss like that?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman with blonde hair that looked startlingly like his own watching them and his heart sank into his stomach. No, it couldn’t be her. Why was she here?
"Intuition, I guess," Shouto said, rubbing his thumbs across their cheeks again. "I'm glad you both liked it. It'd be a bit of a disaster if you didn't." He noticed a subtle change in Katsuki. "Is everything alright?"
Izuku blinked open his eyes confused to look at Katsuki, seeing his expression he looked around before clenching his jaw and reaching out to hold Katsuki's hand. Setting a glare at the one person Izuku had ever actually hated who was watching them. Just their luck. They hadn't seen her in what… two, three years at that point? And she shows up now of all times?
Katsuki grinned at Shouto’s answer. “Well your intuition is spot on.” He wrapped his arms around one of Izuku and Shouto’s arms. “Let’s keep walking, though. We’re almost there.” He really didn’t want to interact with her at all, and if he acted like he hadn’t seen her maybe she’d go away.
“Kaede, don’t you walk away from me, young lady!” The woman called after them.
Katsuki’s hands balled into fists, but he kept walking, hoping Izuku and Shouto would follow suit.
Shouto furrowed his brow. Kaede? Did that woman mean Katsuki? Shouto glanced back at her. He could see the resemblance, for sure, but there was no way a mother would act like that to their child. He had a vague understanding of what was going on, if uninformed. Shouto looked at Katsuki and Izuku, gauging their reactions.
Izuku kept his eyes forward for the most part, extremely tempted to flip Mitsuki… no, Karei off if she tried following them. He was definitely not in the mood to deal with her when they were supposed to be enjoying a date. His hand stayed clenched at his side and he had to bite his tongue hearing Katsuki's deadname.
Katsuki kept them moving forward, refusing to acknowledge the woman’s existence. He and his soulmate were out on a date and they didn’t need this .
Of course, taking a hint had never been Karei Mitsuki’s strong suit. “Bakugou Kaede, don’t you ignore me ! I know you can hear me.”
Katsuki tried his damndest not to react to his deadname. Maybe he could convince Shouto she was disturbed? He really hadn’t intended to be forced to explain that he was trans on the first date.
Shouto glanced at his dates once more before looking over his shoulder. "I'm sorry, who exactly are you and why are you talking to us? You're nobody important? Great. Come on, you two. Let's go." He quickened his pace, trusting Katsuki and Izuku to match him.
Izuku kept pace with Shouto, a small smile coming to his face at Shouto's words to Karei. He was still tempted to flip her off, but he was sure the way Shouto had said that would piss her off just as much with that show of disrespect.
Katsuki couldn’t help but chuckle at Shouto’s response. That was gold. He could practically hear his mother steaming at the disrespect behind them.That just made his day, though. He grinned at Shouto.
“Kaede, I know I raised you better than to speak to your mother that way.” Mitsuki snapped, not responding directly to Shouto.
"Can you guys hear something?" Shouto said, loud enough for the woman to hear. "The wind just picked up really loudly. Hey there's an ice cream shop over there. Wanna head there to take protection from the wind?"
Izuku snickered a bit, "Sounds good to me. Some ice cream sounds nice."
Katsuki nodded. “Ice cream sounds fantastic.” He agreed, hoping she didn’t decide to follow them into the shop. Which, if she had something she wanted to say, she would.
As it turned out, she apparently did, because she did follow them in. Katsuki resisted the urge to bury his face in Shouto’s shoulder, his anxiety ruining his desire for ice cream.
Shouto rubbed Katsuki's shoulder soothingly. He glanced around and saw someone with the media at a table. Luckily, they were part of a company that didn't like to screw Shouto over.
"I'll be right back - get me a vanilla sundae," Shouto said. He left Katsuki's side to go over to the person. He nodded to them in greeting, then gestured to the woman. "That's Karei Mitsuki. She's a fashion designer. She's harassing me and my dates. Can you please deal with her? I promise I'll make it up to you with an interview." He didn't stop to question how he knew that. He just wanted her gone.
"It's alright, Todoroki," they said, standing. "You've been great in getting our company out there. A favor like this is nothing." They moved over so they were blocking the woman's view. After they said a few things they quickly ushered her out of the shop. She clearly didn't want to go but went anyway.
Shouto returned to his dates. "Sorry about that. I know how to deal with people like her. It's a bit of a pain, but I'll throw my name around in some instances."
Izuku ordered their ice cream for all of them, gently squeezing Katsuki's hand to try and reassure him. Once Karei was gone, Izuku pulled Katsuki into a hug and started scratching his scalp gently to try and soothe him. "You're okay, Kacchan. She's gone." He said softly. "I wasn't going to let her touch you. You did good. You're okay." He gave Shouto a grateful smile, "Thank you."
Katsuki melted a bit against Izuku when he started up with the scratches. That, plus his mother not being in their vicinity anymore helped him relax. Though he probably owed Shouto at least some sort of explanation at that mess, especially given that he and Izuku both reacted like they knew her.
Shouto nodded. “Anytime. Let me know if she bothers you again, though.” He grabbed their ice cream when it was ready, then gently ushered the two over to a booth. He sat them down on one side, putting their ice cream in front of them. “I’ll go get some spoons. Do you want some water?”
"Sure, thanks." Izuku replied. Once he was sitting in the booth with Katsuki, he continued his scratches for the moment. "What do you need right now Kacchan?" He quietly asked.
Katsuki frowned. “Know any quirks that can make her forget I exist?” He grumbled, sitting down with his ice cream and leaning against Izuku. He sighed. “Well, guess it’s time for my chair test.” He muttered, waiting for Shouto to come back. “I hate her.”
Shouto got their spoons and waters, plus some straws, then returned. He sat down opposite Izuku and Katsuki. He looked between them. “You know you don’t have to tell me about that. I’d understand if you didn’t. If you want to tell me, you can, but wait until you’re ready. Please. Things like that can be hard to talk about - trust me, I know. So… don’t stress about it.” He took a bite of his ice cream, going back to silently observing them.
"Unfortunately I don't." Izuku replied, brushing some hair out of Katsuki's face and kissing his temple. "I hate her too. But she's already suffering for what she's done, take at least a little joy in that. She probably just wanted to rant at you, and make her as miserable as she is after everything." Once Shouto returned, Izuku quietly hummed in agreement, trying to reassure Katsuki he could wait in the test if he wanted. If not, Izuku was there to support him.
Katsuki took a bite of his ice cream, sitting up slightly. “Well, that was… is my mother. Unfortunately. It was a bigger story in the gossip rags and the fashion world, but the ‘power couple’ in fashion whose bond snapped because of ‘questionable behavior’ on the part of one of the two, a few years back? That was my parents. Long story short, my mother was an abusive piece of shit, and my dad stayed because he knew if the bond broke he couldn’t protect me from her anymore.” He hesitated on the next part, taking another bite of ice cream while he worked up the courage to say it. “How… how much do you know about transgender people?” He finally asked.
Ah, so that’s why Shouto had at least recognized her. That story had floated around in Endeavor’s hero agency for a while after it came out. It pissed Endeavor off a bit, but not badly enough Shouto had to pay for it. “Parents split up now, I’m assuming? I get how that feels. My mom… left us when I was five.” Not exactly the truth, but it wasn’t totally a lie either.
“I have a vague understanding of what transgender means,” Shouto said. He put his spoon down, making eye contact with Katsuki. “I think your mom is a bitch, if you’re implying what I think you’re implying. If she can’t love or appreciate you for who you are, is she really your mother?” He picked his spoon back up and stabbed his ice cream. “People who treat their kids like that don’t have the right to the title of parent.”
"She birthed you but she's not your mother." Izuku muttered under his breath before eating a spoonful of his ice cream. "She lost that title after what she did to you." He leaned his head on Katsuki's shoulder with a hum, watching Shouto carefully as he spoke. He'd stay out of the conversation for the most part for now, at least until Katsuki needed him to say something.
Katsuki smiled slightly. “They are. It took a while, but my dad found someone that makes him a lot happier than she ever did. I’m guessing that’s why she wanted to talk at me. His now-boyfriend is… pretty big in the fashion industry too, so she’s probably heard about it, and of course pissed off that he’s moved on, if I had to guess.” He leaned his head against Izuku’s briefly, before continuing. “You’re probably right. Kaede… was my birth name. I’ve known since we were small that that name, and being a girl… didn’t really fit me. Dad was super supportive, and helped me do research on it, and that’s how I found out that being transgender is a thing. I’m hoping to start hormones before I start high school, and Izuku and I are both saving money so I can get surgery down the road at some point.”
“I can pay for it,” Shouto blurted. His ears went red, but he didn’t retract his statement. “If you’re okay with me doing that, at least. I don’t mind at all.” He glanced down at his ice cream. “I’m glad your dad found someone else though, and that he supports you. That woman really needs to mind her business. She… feels like a Karen. Is she a Karen?”
Izuku's eyes went wide at Shouto's offer to pay for surgery, it was as hard for him to accept money as much as it was for his mom sometimes, but it was Katsuki's decision if he wanted to accept. Izuku would agree with whatever he decided. He went to take a bite of his ice cream again, almost choking on it when he made the comment about Karei as he started to giggle. "She is definitely a Karen."
Katsuki was glad he hadn’t been attempting to eat his ice cream when Shouto offered to pay for his surgery. He stared for a long minute. “I…” he attempted, still stunned. “I appreciate your offer, but I… I can’t ask you to do that. If you want to help , that’s another thing, but I… I want to be able to pay for most of it myself.” He couldn’t help but snort at Shouto calling his mother a Karen. “Yes, she is definitely a Karen. If her hair wasn’t spiky that she’d probably look the part too.”
“Okay, I understand,” Shouto said. “Just know that the offer is still open for as long as you need or want it to be.” He stirred his sundae, which was starting to melt. “Sorry, it’s a reflex to offer, I think. A few friends of mine are the same way. I just… like to help those who are less able to help themselves. Makes it easier to deal with what I go through if I can see the good I can do.”
"You're fine. We appreciate it." Izuku replied, not wanting to press on what that last sentence meant. "It's nice of you to offer." He ate a bit more of his ice cream, "And…" He looked at Katsuki, "A bit of a relief you'd want to honestly." Izuku looked at Shouto again, "We both like you a lot, but… if you didn't accept that part of Kacchan... This wouldn't work out."
Katsuki smiled softly. “I really do appreciate that you offered, and I’ll keep that in mind.” He grinned at Shouto’s explanation. “Well, you sound like a hero already, at least to us.” He offered, hoping that the compliment would be taken in the spirit it was intended.
Shouto’s ears went red again. He half-mumbled something, putting another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. He kept his gaze on the table and tried to calm down the table. These two knew just what to say to make him feel better about himself. Which led to him realizing what was good about himself. Which led to him blushing. He was a mess.
Izuku smiled softly at Shouto before continuing to eat his ice cream before it melted. He subtly moved his hand to rest on Katsuki's thigh so he could write out, You think I should mention my mental quirk while we're at it? I sort of hinted at it, but there's physical quirks that have to do with eyesight too.
Katsuki took a few more bites of his ice cream, considering Izuku’s question. He decided to give Shouto a bit of space to calm down, realizing that he was probably like Izuku and could get overwhelmed. He was still adorable when he blushed, though. He signed low to the table while Shouto was looking down. If you want to, go ahead. I think he’ll react well to it, though. .
Shouto glanced up at movement but kept his gaze mostly turned down. He took a deep breath, cooling his blush. He ate another bite of ice cream before looking up. “Thank you. For… calling me a hero. And for trusting me with a secret like that. That’s what I said quietly just now. Thought you might want to know.” He held his free hand out, palm up, for either or both of them to take. “I know it’s hard to tell people something like that, and I know there are some people out there that will use information like that against you. I’m sorry you’ll have to deal with that. You won’t have to with me if I can help it, though.”
Izuku reached out to hold Shouto's hand. "Um… while we're at it…" He cleared his throat a bit, "I might as well mention this now… I- I have a mental quirk? It's analysis based. M-Mostly passive, and hard enough for even me to notice I'm using it that… I- I was thought quirkless for most of my life? Till our first year of middle school." He chewed on his lip as he looked at Shouto, "I- I… hope that's not a problem?"
Katsuki also took Shouto’s hand, placing his opposite of Izuku’s, and glad for his gloves covering his palms. “I feel like I ought to be thanking you for taking it so well.” He remarked. “At this point it’s just… part of who I am. I’m not super excited for the day it becomes public knowledge, but I’ll deal with it when that day comes.” He smiled softly. “For the record, I still think your blush is adorable.”
Shouto’s ears went red at Katsuki’s repeated compliment. He looked at Izuku. “I don’t mind. Quirks are quirks, no matter how they come. You can’t exactly help it.” He turned his gaze on Katsuki. “It’s really nothing, but you’re welcome. It’s the humane thing to do. Plus you’re really cool, so I’d like you no matter what you look like on the outside. That fact doesn’t change how I view or know you. You’re still Katsuki to me.”
Izuku let out a relieved breath, "Thank goodness." He smiled at Shouto before turning to Katsuki and kissing his cheek whispering, "He passed. We chose right apparently." Izuku kept smiling as he looked at Shouto again lovingly, now that that worry was gone he was really excited to see how their relationship ended up going. He hesitated a moment before rubbing small circles in Shouto's palm like he often did with Katsuki before he went to finish his ice cream before it fully melted.
Katsuki finished up his ice cream with a huge, goofy grin. He had passed, and Katsuki was ridiculously happy for that. Whether he turned out to be their soulmate or not, Katsuki would be more than happy to see where this relationship would go. He was glad they’d gone through with getting the flowers after all, though their plan had been half-assed at best.
Shouto, noticing Izuku’s ice cream was melting, reached over to ice the bowl. He smirked up at Izuku. “Take your time, Soulshine.” He went back to eating his, then decided to straight up drink the remains of it.
"S-Soulshine?" Izuku stammered, blushing once again. "Ah… Er… Th-Thank you… S-Shouto? Can I call you that? Um..." He scrunched up his shoulders as he took another spoonful of ice cream to stop his flustered stammering.
Katsuki blinked at the nickname, then grinned. “That nickname is adorable.” He noted with a grin. “It fits, too.” He leaned over to kiss Izuku on the cheek. Now he just wanted to come up with a nickname for Shouto. But what should he pick? He was tempted to go with a gemstone, but there were so many to pick from.
“You can if you want to,” Shouto said, setting his now-empty bowl down. “Call me whatever you want.” He glanced at Katsuki. “And you’re going to be Heartpart.”
"O-Okay, S-Shouto." Izuku replied quietly with a small smile. "I'm n-not that good at nicknames so…" He took a breath to try and calm down again. Izuku was genuinely enjoying their date, and based on everything it seemed like they'd have plenty more. It made him extremely happy to think about.
Katsuki blushed at his own nickname. “Heartpart?” He repeated. “They’re cute nicknames, but how did you come up with them?” He questioned, still at a loss for what nickname to give Shouto in return. “ Whatever we want?” He teased. “You probably shouldn’t give us that kind of power, Beautiful.”
“I’m not beautiful, but say what you want,” Shouto said, ears going red again. “I just… thought of them. They fit both of you, I think.”
"You are though…" Izuku said quietly as he continued to eat his ice cream, still rubbing small circles into Shouto's hand absentmindedly.
“You’re beautiful to me.” Katsuki countered. “Your looks, your personality, and just you overall. I think you’re gorgeous.” He said simply. Flustering Shouto seemed like a fun thing to do while they waited for Izuku to finish his ice cream.
Shouto pulled both hands back to cover his face, which was now completely red and getting redder. He shook his head. “I’m really not. You guys don’t even know yet.” He was sure they’d go running once they saw his scars. There were so many scars.
“From what we can see you are, and what we can’t I’m sure is beautiful too. Inside and out.” Izuku said, smiling softly before he went to finish off his ice cream.
Katsuki nodded in agreement with Izuku. “I’m sure we’ll still think so, even as we learn more about you. You’ll still be Shouto to us.” He offered, parroting Shouto’s words from before.
Shouto blushed darker. He was two seconds away from combusting, he could tell. He shook his head. He put one hand on the table to tap out, ‘I love you both,’ fully knowing neither Katsuki or Izuku would understand.
Izuku tilted his head at the tapping. “Is that… Morse code?” He asked. Izuku paused for a moment before thinking out loud, “That’d be useful to learn… we already know sign… I wonder if I could use it alongside my cipher or something…”
Katsuki paused. “It certainly sounds like Morse.” He agreed. “It would be fun to learn that. And a bit less obvious than sign, too. Except against people with sound quirks, but otherwise that would be interesting.” He pinched himself with his free hand before he could go on a tangent.
Shouto flushed further, turning his head away. He had really just said that. It was in Morse, but he still said it. Quietly, he said, “Yeah, it’s Morse. I could, uh, teach you, if you want. I’ve been doing it for a long time now. I practically have codes for everything, and I have it all memorized.”
Izuku nodded happily, “I’d like that.” He looked over at Katsuki when he stopped himself from going on a tangent and leaned on him exaggerating a pout. “Kaaachan, you know I like when you go on tangents with me.” He whined, “You make really good points when you nerd out.”
Katsuki grinned. “That sounds awesome! We can teach you sign in return?” He suggested. He rolled his eyes fondly at Izuku. “Yeah, I know. But we can’t always go on tangents whenever we want. Plus, you can’t use your quirk right now so I’d be nerding out by myself.”
“Yeah, you can do that if you want,” Shouto said. He took a deep breath, cooling his blush with his quirk. He looked back over, leaning his cheek on his hand instead of covering his face with it. “You can go on any tangents you want to around me. Well, outside of certain things like my father, media, and… other unrelated things. If it’s not about that, feel free to talk until your throat hurts. Both of you have very soothing voices. I could listen to them for hours.”
“I can nerd out without using my quirk actively.” Izuku pouted, “It’s my thing .” He started blushing yet again from Shouto and hid his face, “Why am I getting flustered so easy today.” He mumbled.
Katsuki couldn’t help but snort. “Because you fluster easily when it’s someone you like or admire complimenting you?” He answered. He kissed Izuku on the cheek, before blushing at Shouto’s words. Again. “You think his voice is soothing, you should hear him sing. ” Katsuki added with a grin.
“Should I?” Shouto said. “Maybe you two should come over to my house next week. My father’s out of town all week, so you can stay over for multiple days if you want. We can teach each other stuff, and I can hear you sing. Maybe I’ll let you listen to my playing skills a bit.”
Izuku whined, moving his hands so he could put his forehead on the table and hide his head under his arms. " Kacchan why. " He let out a huff of air, "... I wouldn't mind staying over. We're a bit… busy as of recently but I'm sure we can find a way to work around it to stay." He said, muffled from the way he was hiding. "I'd like to hear more of your playing, we only heard a bit."
He picked up his head and gave a look at Katsuki, " You sing really well too. Your voice is just as soothing if not more. You're going to have to show off too."
Katsuki smiled softly. “I don’t mind doing that, as long as you do too.” He answered. He looked over at Shouto. “That sounds… nice. Especially to hear more of your playing.” He smiled a bit wider. “I guess we’ll all be showing off, then?” He poked Izuku. “Finish your ice cream before it melts again.”
“If it’s a bad time for you two, we can reschedule,” Shouto said. “My father always has a lot of trips around this time of the year.” He grabbed a napkin and the pen he carried on him at all times - it made for a good weapon. He wrote down his name and number, then pushed it over to them. “There. Now you can text me about schedule conflicts. And whenever you want to go on a date. Or just talk, really. If you’re sure you can next week, I’ll work on getting stuff ready, but if you can’t make it, that’s okay.”
"Well… it's more we're busy for the next ten months with after school things. So, honestly making time now would be better before con season starts up for me." Izuku replied, smiling as he took the napkin. "Just have to let our parents know where we're staying for the night really. I'll um… probably text you as soon as we split off? But, we did write our numbers in the card with the flowers so you'll have ours regardless." He rolled his eyes at Katsuki before quickly finishing off the last of his ice cream.
Katsuki nodded to what Izuku said. “That and you could probably spend some time at ours if you want. Our parents would be excited to meet you.” Katsuki added. “Especially when your dad’s home, from the sounds of it. I’d gathered that you two don’t particularly get along, but I didn’t realize it was quite that bad.”
Shouto half narrowed his eyes, then relaxed his expression. He wasn’t exactly being secretive about it. “I’m sure they would. I’ll have to see what I can do when he’s home. He’s… on patrol right now, so that’s why I was able to go tonight. I’m sure I’ll figure out something. Spending time at your house sounds nice though.”
Izuku nodded, "Alright. And just let us know, even last minute you could probably come over. If… you couldn't guess, we live together so…" He smiled sheepishly, "I'll probably panic and speed clean our room even if it's not messy but… yeah." He looked at Katsuki, If All Might or Jeanist are over, let's give him warning yeah? And to them. We don't need a repeat of that dinner. We just probably shouldn't dump that on him now.
Katsuki suppressed a snort at that. Might as well warn him now, then . He signed back. “Honestly spending time together at all sounds amazing. Just as a heads up, though, you may or may not recognize my dad’s boyfriend as more than just a big name in the fashion industry. Aunty’s… the chance is a lot smaller, but still there.” Katsuki offered. He wasn’t sure how much he should give away just yet, but that should be a decent warning, right?
“Okay..?” Shouto said, raising a brow. “That’s extremely cryptic, but alright. I’ll take the warning for what I can.” He looked at Izuku, humor in his eyes. “Wow, fiances living together? Who would have guessed?” He chuckled softly at himself. “But seriously, once you see the ‘organized chaos’ that is my bedroom, I’m sure yours will seem spotless.”
Izuku laughed quietly, "That's fair. Ours mainly looks that way because of Kacchan though. I can be pretty messy, especially when I get really into doing something. I forget to take care of myself, or my surroundings and Kacchan has to remind me." He hummed leaning against Katsuki, "He's good at keeping me from being a slob. It drives him nuts when I don't take care of myself and stuff." He sighed, "We did live together before we got engaged though. We haven't really separated for very long since our first year in middle school, and after stuff with…” He trailed off, “Kacchan came to live with me and my mom. His dad came too shortly after."
Katsuki grinned. “We’ll tell you more about who they are before you meet them.” He promised. He sighed. “The price of being a neat person engaged to someone who isn’t, I suppose.” He said in an over dramatic tone. “You wouldn’t believe how often I have to remind him to brush his hair or teeth, or stop what he’s doing to eat.” He added with a smirk. “We’ve known each other since we were in diapers, and Aunty and my dad will probably happily tell stories about how inseparable we were, even at that age.”
“I’m not sure whether to say that it sounds fun or terrifying,” Shouto said. “Not that I’m unwilling to share my life with either of you, but you’d be partially responsible for me, and I’d be partially responsible for you. I can be the same way when I get into certain mindsets. I’m a complete mess. I might not seem like one, but I am.” He glanced at the clock. It was getting close to his curfew. “Do you two want to head somewhere else? Then I can walk you both home.”
Katsuki offered a small smile. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. We’re both messes too. We just got lucky enough to have each other to cover for us early on.” He replied, squeezing Shouto’s hand lightly. “Something tells me you’d fit right in with us.” Maybe it was wishful thinking on Katsuki’s part, but he was gonna roll with it. “I can’t really think of anything either, honestly. Though if you want to walk home with us you can.”
“Um… I can’t think of anywhere at the moment?” Izuku replied, “”And uh… you sure you wouldn’t want us to walk you home? There’s two of us in case anything happens… again.”
“I can take care of myself, don’t worry, you two,” Shouto said, squeezing Katsuki’s hand back. He made to stand, pulling Katsuki with him. “Come on. You know where I live. I think it’s almost fair for me to learn where you live.”
Izuku stood, moving to follow by going on Shouto’s other side. “I- I guess that’s fair yeah... “ He said, laughing a bit anxiously. “We’ll lead the way then I guess.” He reached out as they walked and gently bumped Shouto’s knuckles with his, silently asking to hold hands again.
Katsuki grinned, standing with Shouto. “That sounds fair, I guess.” He replied, waiting for Izuku before heading for the door. He knew the way home easily enough, but still tried to stick to side streets for Shouto’s sake, even though it was getting late and few people would actually be out and about at this hour.
Shouto took Izuku’s hand without any more prompting. He noted the back streets they were taking. He kept an eye for shifty people. As they got closer to a residential area, Shouto could tell his left leg was getting weaker.
After about a block of walking, he took a step and was sent to the ground. He tried to let go of Katsuki and Izuku, not wanting to pull them down too.
Izuku’s eyes went wide when Shouto’s leg suddenly went out from underneath him. For once he had good footing, so when Shouto let go of his hand, Izuku lunged and grabbed his forearm to try and keep him from hitting the ground.
When Shouto started to fall, Katsuki turned, almost on instinct, to catch him. When Shouto let go, he used both hands to brace Shouto to keep him from hitting the ground. “Easy, we’ve got you.” He said, much more calmly than he felt.
Shouto was mildly surprised when he didn’t hit the ground. He put his right foot on the ground to support himself. “Ugh, sorry. That was my fault. I’m fine. I just have bad ankles.” Which… wasn’t a complete lie. Endeavor’s training went really hard on his body sometimes.
Izuku scrunched up his eyebrows. “Somehow I don’t believe that, you faltered a bit earlier too. Is something wrong?” He sighed, “You don’t have to say if you don’t want to, but if there’s anything we can do to help, tell us?”
Katsuki hummed in disbelief. “You don’t have to tell us, just don’t make up shit to tell us. If you don’t want to talk about it, just say that.” Granted, that would annoy the hell out of Katsuki, but much less than Shouto lying to their faces would.
Shouto rolled his eyes. “I really do have bad ankles. But fine. This wasn’t that. If I tell you what it’s from, you would both get pissed. Either at me or… someone else. And you probably wouldn’t let me go home.”
Izuku sighed and moved his hand down to hold Shouto’s again, “We can talk about that later. When you’re ready. If we get pissed it’d be for good reason, though. If it’s a problem at home though...” He glanced at Katsuki for a moment, “We couldn’t just not let you go home. Though I’d try my damndest to do something about whatever it is.”
Katsuki made a face. “I doubt we’d get pissed at you, unless you’re doing something really stupid.” He replied. “Obviously, if something’s going on at home, we’d let you crash with us whenever you wanted. It’s the least we can do. We’d also want to help. Refusing to let you go home… isn’t going to fix the problem, though. Just delay it.”
“Let me rephrase then: you wouldn’t want to let me go home,” Shouto said, gently pulling his arms from their grasps. “And it is something very stupid. Fuyumi even says so. It’s… nerve damage. From not using my quirk properly - which is both my own fault and my father’s. I’ve been dealing with it since I was little.”
“Nerve…” Izuku took a deep breath. He knew exactly what that could be from considering he’d felt that kind of damage before. Like a phantom pain and numbness without any real consequences from shoving down the dual quirk. He cleanched his fits for a moment as he closed his eyes before releasing them. He wasn’t getting mad over it right then.
“Shouto, thank you for telling us.” Izuku said simply. It was their first date. He didn’t even know if they were officially boyfriends or anything. He wasn’t going to push the issue just yet if he didn’t want to talk about it, and he gave Katsuki a look telling him to do the same. That’d be a conversation for another day. A deep conversation. “I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with that, though. It’s gotta be hard sometimes.” He let out a slow breath, “Would you like to keep walking with us?”
Katsuki had been glad for his gloves before, but now he was even more so. They gave him something to explode later. Nerve damage ?! He knew even without Izuku’s look not to press. He also knew where it would have come from, but the difference for him is he’d learned early on with his own quirk not to suppress it. Shouto either hadn’t learned or hadn’t cared. Or something else had happened that overrode that. He let Izuku take the lead, not trusting his voice not to crack like it sometimes did when he was angry. He squeezed Shouto’s hand, carefully monitoring his own strength so he didn’t do it too hard. Hopefully, Shouto didn’t actually think Katsuki was mad at him.
Shouto squeezed Katsuki’s hand back, shrugging. “It’s… fine. I’m used to it - and it makes it so that wounds don’t hurt as much as they should. Makes training easier sometimes.” He kissed Izuku’s temple, then Katsuki’s. “Yeah, let’s keep going. But, uh, first… I have a question.” He took a deep breath. “I know that the conversation was just a bit dark so… to lighten it up… Do both of you want to go out with me? As in be my boyfriends. And I mean this. I know it’s just the first date, so I get if you want to say no, but the offer will remain open.”
Izuku blinked at Shouto, blushing faintly again. “Oh… um...” He looked at Katsuki for a moment and took a deep breath and he scrunched up his shoulders and looked down feeling flustered yet again at the sudden question. “I… I’d want to, y-yeah. I know it’s the first date but… me and Kacchan didn’t even go on a date before we made it official. I just um… told him about… stuff… after he told me his feelings through kissing me and we just uh… immediately decided to date and...” He took a deep breath and cut off his ramble. “I- I like you a lot so… y-yeah.”
Katsuki blushed at the kiss to his temple, before leaning in to kiss Shouto square on the lips, using the same method to show Shouto how he felt that he’d done with Izuku. When they broke apart, he grinned. “Absolutely,” he answered.
Shouto pushed back into Katsuki’s kiss, then smiled happily when he got their acceptance. “I’m glad.” He squeezed both their hands, then smirked at Katsuki. “Wow, stealing my first kiss on the first date. You really have guts.” He placed a teasing kiss onto Katsuki’s forehead, then a gentler one on Izuku’s.
Izuku blinked, blushing a bit darker when Shouto kissed his forehead. “W-Wait… I know that was a joke but… a-are… are you saying I was your first kiss?” His brain shut down for a moment, unable to really process that idea. Why did Katsuki and Shouto both.. With him?
Katsuki snickered. “Well, of the two of us, one of us ought to act first.” He remarked teasingly. “It got us this far, didn’t it?” He added, leaning over to kiss Izuku, then kissed Shouto again, lingering a bit longer this time. “I regret nothing.”
Shouto nodded at Izuku’s question. “Indeed you were. It was nice, too, so thank you.” He managed another kiss on Izuku’s forehead before Katsuki captured his lips. He returned the kiss, lingering even longer than Katsuki. He bit Katsuki’s lip gently as he pulled away, smirking.
Izuku short-circuited fully from Katsuki kissing him suddenly, but it managed to bring his brain back online. “Oh, you’re doing this again then, huh Kacchan?” He joked, trying to keep himself from getting flustered again, even though Shouto’s comment made him blush. “You realize we can’t keep him out on the street kissing, right? You can never wait till we’re behind closed doors it feels like.”
“What’s the point of waiting?” Katsuki challenged, blushing darker at the bite to his lower lip. “You know I’m better with actions than words, and romantic crap is no exception.” He smirked lightly at Shouto. “At least I’m not pinning him to the nearest surface and making him go weak at the knees, no matter how tempting that sounds.”
Shouto smirked back, leaning closer. “How are you sure it wouldn’t be me making your knees weak?” He kissed Katsuki again. “That really should wait until we’re in a less populated area, though.” He made to keep walking, having gotten feeling back in his foot.
“Oh geez…” Izuku muttered as he moved to follow, “I did get two of you. Great. I’m doing to die by getting flustered.”
Katsuki smirked, before continuing to walk. “I guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we?” He shot back, retaking Shouto’s hand before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He snickered at Izuku. “I haven’t killed you yet, I think you’ll survive two of us.”
“I’ll try to fluster Katsuki more than you, Izuku,” Shouto said, gently brushing the greenet’s shoulder. A few blocks down lead them to Izuku and Katsuki’s house. “I believe this is your stop? It seems like it’d be a place that you two live.”
Izuku nodded gently. “Y-Yeah, this is our stop.” He smiled sheepishly and rubbed his arm, “Um… can I give you a hug before you go?” He asked Shouto.
Katsuki snorted. "You'll have to try pretty hard. Izuku's easy to fluster." He teased, grinning at both of them. Given what they suspected about who Shouto was to them, it wasn't overly surprising that he guessed their house. Unconscious use of Izuku's quirk, perhaps?
Shouto nodded at Izuku, wrapping an arm around him. He kissed his forehead, then wrapped his other arm around Katsuki’s waist. He leaned in to kiss Katsuki’s lips thoroughly.
Izuku hummed, closing his eyes and relaxing into the hug as he returned it. He wasn’t bothered by Shouto leaning over to kiss Katsuki, he was content just getting his hug.
Katsuki returned the kiss with a hum. Shouto was pretty damn good at kissing, he had to admit. But he wasn’t about to lose. He tangled the fingers of one hand into Shouto’s hair, and nipped his lower lip lightly.
Shouto let out a soft breath at the hand in his hair. After a few moments, he pulled Katsuki’s upper lip into his mouth and sucked on it. He hummed, gently playing with a bit of chapped skin on the lip.
Izuku peeked an eye open at Shouto and Katsuki and laughed silently. Apparently Shouto was willing and able to kiss Katsuki back like that, which was good. Because it meant he wouldn’t have to try it. He’d have had to take a break at that point already if it was him. He hummed quietly and nuzzled into Shouto's neck, content to wait there until they were either done or Shouto pulled his arm away to continue further.
Katsuki grinned into the kiss, doing the same thing with Shouto’s lower lip that Shouto was doing with his upper. He registered the exhale, but wasn’t quite sure what to do with it yet, so he tugged slightly to experiment.
A small sound came from Shouto’s throat. His ears went red at it, but he kept going with the kiss. He hummed into it, carefully slipping his tongue into Katsuki’s mouth.
Katsuki brushed Shouto’s tongue with his own. Pulling on his hair seemed to get a good response, so he tried it again, a little harder this time.
Shouto let out an almost-moan, entwining his tongue with Katsuki’s before running it along the top of Katsuki’s mouth. He pulled back for air, nipping Katsuki’s lip as he went.
Izuku blinked at the almost-moan from Shouto. Apparently he was definitely tongue kissing with Katsuki wrong before because he seemed to like it with Shouto at least a little? He mentally shrugged, it wasn't something he wanted to try again anyway. Katsuki would be able to do that with Shouto instead now.
Katsuki grinned when Shouto pulled back for air. “That was… definitely an experience.” He grinned. “I don’t think either of us went weak at the knees, though.” He teased. “Do you want to… come inside for a bit?” Katsuki offered.
“No, but an experience for sure,” Shouto said. He kissed both Katsuki and Izuku’s foreheads. “I’d love to stay, but I’m sure you two want to talk about things. Plus I have a curfew that’s in about 45 minutes. I need to get home. Thank you for the offer, though.”
"Okay Shouto." Izuku said before leaning up and giving Shouto a kiss on the cheek in return. He gently pulled away from him, moving back to Katsuki's side almost automatically. "Be safe on your way home. We'll see you. Don't forget to put our numbers from that card in your phone?"
Katsuki released Shouto, humming softly. “We’ll definitely have to have a second date soon.” He said with a grin, reaching for Izuku’s hand instinctively, but also reluctant to let go of Shouto.
“I won’t, Izu, don’t worry,” Shouto said. He stepped back, giving them both a smile. “I’ll make plans for next week. I’ll see you both later.” He gave them another forehead kiss before turning and walking off. He put his hands in his pockets. A dumb half-grin was on his face the whole walk home.
Izuku sighed happily as he watched Shouto leave, giving a small squeeze to Katsuki's hand. When he turned back to look at the house, he noticed a curtain swaying slightly in one of the windows. "Oh my god…" Izuku muttered, "I think our parents were watching that."
Katsuki couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, probably. Guess that means we won't have to explain that we were on a date?" He offered. "That was an amazing way to end the day, despite all the shit that happened."
Izuku let a breath out from his nose with a smile smile, "We'll probably still have to explain who he was, but yeah." He looked back in the direction Shouto left in, "That was really amazing. I… I can't wait to see him again." He turned back to Katsuki and gave him a quick gentle kiss, "Let's go inside."
Katsuki smiled back. "Yeah. Me either. That was a lot of fun." He grinned as he headed inside, giving Izuku's hand a light squeeze.
"We're home!" Izuku called out as they entered the house and took off their shoes. He blinked as he realized there were two extra sets. So Yagi and Tsunagu had come over for dinner that night.
"Welcome back boys!" Inko called from the living room, "You have fun?"
Katsuki grinned. "Yeah, we definitely did." He figured he'd probably bring up seeing his mother to his dad in private, later. Just in case it became a problem for them.
All four adults were in the living room, which didn't exactly strike Katsuki as odd, just a little cramped.
Izuku nodded in agreement. The living room was a bit cramped with everyone, so he stayed standing and gently leaned on Katsuki.
"That's great. I'm glad." Inko said with a soft smile. From her expression Izuku knew she wanted more details, which he'd happily give her later. He'd probably be a total sap recounting the date to her.
She looked towards the group of adults before looking back at the two boys, "Um… there's something we wanted to discuss with you two. You can sit down if you want. We uh..." Inko looked towards Masaru, hoping he'd know how best to start talking about what they needed to. He and Tsunagu had brought it up to her in the first place.
Masaru smiled slightly and picked up where Inko left off. "Judging by the looks on your faces, you've noticed the house is getting a bit… cramped. Tsunagu and I were discussing it, and I thought maybe it might be time to look for a bigger place, since our little family has grown. Plus you boys could probably use some more space for your hobbies." He finished, a teasing tone to his voice.
Izuku blinked, processing what Masaru was saying. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck when he mentioned needing more space for their hobbies. His cosplay things had started overtaking their room a bit. And with him taking cosplay jobs he'd probably need more storage space for new pieces. "So… You're thinking of looking for a new house? We're going to move?"
Inko nodded, watching her son and trying to read his reaction. He was quite a bit of the sentimental type. She wasn't too sure how he'd react to moving. "It'll be a bit before we find a suitable place for the 6 of us I'm sure, but yes. We'd like to move into a bigger home soon if you boys are okay with that."
Izuku's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait… 6? Does that mean..?" He looked at Tsunagu and Yagi. Were they going to live with them too?
Tsunagu seemed to understand Izuku's unasked question first. "I initially asked Masaru to move in with me. But I was hesitant to suggest Katsuki come with us, without you. He suggested that I come live with you, instead, but we ran into the issue of needing more space. Inko-san suggested that Yagi-san move in as well, as he has… less than desirable self-care habits. So it made sense that we simply look for a larger space instead of discussing separate residences, and possibly splitting you two up."
Katsuki blinked rapidly. "Well, more space would definitely be helpful." He agreed, squeezing Izuku's hand and grinning playfully.
Izuku squeezed Katsuki’s hand back and smiled fondly at him, “Yeah, yeah.” He sighed, “As much as I’d miss this house… I’d definitely rather move and stay with Kacchan. And more space and living all together sounds really nice. So moving all together sounds okay… I’m okay with it.”
Inko smiled, “And we’re not moving tomorrow or anything, so you can take all the time you need to say goodbye to the house, alright? We’ve been here since you were a baby, and I know it’s hard for you to let go of things like this.”
“And...” Yagi cleared his throat, “Is there anything you boys want to put on the list of things were looking for in the house? I told Inko that if I would be moving with you, I don’t need much, but I want to make sure you boys get everything you need so that we wouldn’t have to move again until you decide to move out.” He offered a smile, “I want to make sure all of us are comfortable there, and especially you boys. I certainly have the pay to pitch in for anything if we can find it.”
Katsuki hummed in consideration. “Maybe an extra bedroom we could turn into a work area and storage space? Mostly for cosplay stuff, but maybe for our exercise mats and stuff too? That way we actually have space to do homework and whatever in our room.” None of his hobbies really needed the space, though maybe an extra bookshelf or two wouldn’t be an awful idea. He couldn’t really think of anything else.
Tsunagu picked up where he’d left off. “Yagi-san mentioned something about physical therapy, so we would likely be looking for somewhere that has a space for him to do that, which could double as an exercise area as well.” He and Masaru could likely share an office if need be, and Inko would likely need one of her own, that could double as a first aid area for minor injuries.
Katsuki grinned. That would work. He and Izuku would have to plan out their use of space, but other than that, two rooms should be more than enough space for them. They could display their hero merch in there as well.
“It sounds like we’re going to have a lot of space compared to now wherever we go then, huh?” Izuku said. He smiled and leaned his head on Katsuki’s shoulder, “Kacchan basically summed it up. Being able to spread out a bit with my cosplay stuff would be nice. Especially for bigger projects.” He blinked as he felt his phone vibrate with a random notification. It wasn’t anything important, but it reminded him he had wanted to text Shouto.
“Sounds like we have a plan then?” Inko said with a smile. “If you come up with anything else, just let us know.” She blinked at Izuku pulling out a napkin and then starting to write something on his phone. “Are you texting someone?”
Izuku quickly sent off a message to Shouto saying, ‘This is Izuku, hope you got home safe! <3’ adding the heart at the end and sending the message without a thought to delete it before he looked up at his mom, “Hm? Oh, yeah. Just wanted to do it before I forgot. Sorry.”
Katsuki blinked, pulling out his own phone to do the same, sending a quick ‘good night <3’ to Shouto. He figured Shouto would be able to figure out who the two phone numbers belonged to.
Masaru grinned. “Texting him so soon after the date ends? Must have been a good one.” He teased them both.
“Y-Yeah, it was.” Izuku replied, blushing and hiding his face behind his phone somewhat.
“Was he… who I think that was by the way? I uh…” Yagi cleared his throat, “Happened to look out the window… as he was walking off.”
Katsuki grinned. “The one you mentioned to us? Yes, he was. He… helped us out earlier today, and we both thought he was cute, so we did a little investigating to find out who he was.”
Tsunagu raised an eyebrow. “Who…?”
"Um…" Izuku glanced at Katsuki wondering if he should say. They'd meet eventually since they were dating him, but before they weren't officially dating him yet, so they hadn't given names to Shouto. Though they wouldn't have anyway in a public place, just incase someone had a hearing quirk. "T… T-Todoroki Shouto? I'm… assuming you've heard of him, right Hakamata-san? Um…" He chewed on his lip a bit, "We… didn't tell him about you guys yet. And we're… probably going to keep things quiet for his sake too? He was pretty paranoid about media seeing us and I don't think he really wants to mention us to his dad from what I gathered. He also could possibly be our soulmate but we didn't mention any of that to him yet because we didn't want to add expectations on any of us if we were, so we haven't even told him what Kacchan's quirk is yet because we didn't want to stress him out with that and-" Izuku cut his anxious ramble off and took a deep breath, watching for their reactions.
Katsuki snorted at Izuku’s rambling, squeezing his hand lightly when he cut himself off.
“Todoroki?” Tsunagu repeated. He definitely recognized that name. “That doesn’t surprise me that he doesn’t want to tell his father. Todoroki Enji isn’t… the warmest man, despite having a fire quirk.” He blinked rapidly. “You may be soulmates but you haven’t told him? I see.” He looked halfway between concerned and amused.
Yagi laughed slightly before coughing a bit, "He definitely isn't the warmest. As much as I consider him a friend, I highly doubt he feels the same. He's all business."
Izuku nodded gently, "It's just… me and Kacchan didn't have the expectations that tend to come with a bond when we were little. We wanted to get to know him before we confirm anything." He fidgeted with the phone in his hands looking down at it. "He's… really nice though. I like him a lot. Even if we're not bonded I want to be with him too…"
Katsuki grinned. “It helped that we both kinda knew from a young age that Aunty and Uncle Hisashi didn’t have that and were still happy with each other. So we want to build a relationship with him the same way first, even if he does end up being our soulmate. We don’t want him to be with us just because he thinks he should . Hell, I don’t even think we told him Izuku and I were soulmates. He knows we’re engaged, and that we’ve known each other since we were kids, though.”
Tsunagu snorted. “I don’t think the man has any friends, if we’re being honest. Besides you, the closest he has is probably Hawks, who idolizes him more than anything else.”
"That's very true." Yagi replied with a grin. He looked to the boys, "It's nice of you two to think of that, I'm sure he'll appreciate it later. No matter what his stance on what soulmates should be is."
Izuku nodded again, "Mhm. And we won't lie to him either obviously. If he brings it up on his own and asks, we'd tell him about our own suspicions or whatever. It'd just be better for us if we waited a bit for any confirmation one way or another. Locking him in with needing to keep contact right away wouldn't be the nicest thing either, anyway. I don't want to force him to hang out." He let out a breath and smiled, "Though, either way we got a boyfriend so… we're going to have more dates."
Katsuki snickered, remembering the date. “It doesn’t hurt that he can keep up with my flirting either. Izuku turned so red when we ganged up on him, I was amazed he didn’t combust.”
That made Tsunagu laugh. He’d been on the receiving end of Masaru flirting, in addition to seeing how Kasuki and Izuku interacted, so he understood Izuku trying not to combust. He’d thought he was composed until he had someone who was unafraid to say the first thing that came into his mind become determined to make him lose that composure.
Shouto let out a breath, drying his hair. It hadn’t taken him too long to get home, funnily enough. He had decided to hop into the shower after saving Izuku and Katsuki’s contacts to his phone. Now, he had just gotten back to his room. He grabbed his phone and saw that he had gotten a message from each of them. He smiled softly, then made a group text for the three of them. He texted, ‘Yes, I made it home safely. I’m glad you two were concerned about me. <3 <3’ After a second, he followed it up with, ‘I probably won’t be in bed for a bit, but goodnight to you, too, if you’re going the direction.’ He put his phone back on his bed before going toward the study. He wanted to work on his piece some more if Izuku and Katsuki were going to hear it the next week.
"Trust me, I came close a few times." Izuki said, bumping Katsuki's shoulder with a small smile. "I wasn't kidding, I'm pretty sure I'll die from getting flustered because of you two. If he is our soulmate, and then our third is just as bad. I'm definitely dying that way." He felt his phone vibrate in his hands and looked down to read the reply from Shouto, smiling fondly.
This made Inko smile softly at her son, seeing he was just as lovestruck with this boy based on his expression as he was with Katsuki.
Katsuki looked at the message over Izuku’s shoulder and grinned. “We probably should head that way. It’s been a pretty long day for us, and we do have school in the morning.” He pointed out, kissing Izuku on the cheek. He was almost surprised he hadn’t countered with how flustered he and Shouto had made each other.
Izuku hummed and nodded. He looked up at the adults, "We're going to head to bed, that okay?"
Inko nodded, "Of course. Come give me a hug real quick first though." Izuku did, pulling away from Katsuki for a moment to do so with Inko kissing him on the forehead before she let him pull away. "Love you, sweetie. Good night."
"Love you too, mom. Night." Izuku replied.
Katsuki took the opportunity to give his dad a hug goodnight. He hesitated for a moment, and Masaru noticed.
Is something wrong, Katsuki? He signed, rather than asking verbally.
Katsuki blinked, before switching to sign himself. We saw her today. Mo- he stopped mid-sign for mom, instead spelling out her name. Mitsuki. I’m guessing she’d probably heard about you two and wanted to either yell about it or get information. Katsuki informed him.
Masaru’s expression stayed neutral, a trick Katsuki had picked up from him. He pulled Katsuki in for another hug, before responding. We’ll deal with it, don’t worry.
Katsuki grinned. “Alright. Goodnight dad. Love you.” He turned back towards the stairs, holding his hand out for Izuku.
As they went upstairs, Katsuki could vaguely make out his dad telling the other adults what Katsuki had signed about. He tried not to pay attention.
Izuku brought up Katsuki's hand and kissed his knuckles. "Breathe Kacchan. You're safe, relax." He said softly. "Let's get to bed. You can wear one sports bra tonight if you want too. I know it helps sometimes and it doesn't hurt anything." He opened the door to their room and flicked on the light. "A lot happened, let's get all the comfort we can, yeah? Ward off those nightmares together."
Katsuki smiled, gently giving Izuku theri warning before leaning in for a kiss. “I love you, Izuku. You mean the world to me. You make all the shit life throws at us more bearable.” He kissed him again, gently. He let go long enough to pull his gloves off, putting them in the bag with the other pair, then putting the bag in the hamper so the nitroglycerin stayed contained. He was comfortable enough today to not have to retreat to the bathroom, though tomorrow would probably be a different story. He kept the sports bra that had been on top on, as it would be cleaner, before changing into clean clothes to sleep in. He flopped on their bed, finding his rabbit plush without looking.
Izuku quickly got changed into sleeping clothes as well. He went and turned the light back out, before easily maneuvering in the dark to lay by Katsuki and blindly grabbed his own plush. "I love you too Kacchan. You mean the world to me too. I feel like I could handle anything as long as you're with me." He carefully kissed Katsuki again before shuffling under the covers so they could curl up together properly.
Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku, their plushies safely between them. He kissed Izuku on the forehead, smiling softly as they both settled in to sleep. “Sleep well, my beautiful Emerald.” he teased.
Izuku nuzzled close, getting comfortable. He blushed faintly in the dark, taking just a moment to come up with a retort. "You too, my handsome Jasper. Good night."
Notes:
Hey there! So, this fic is not dead. It just took a while for me to get through editing this chapter with how busy I've been irl. We've still got a fairly big backlog of stuff written ahead of time for this fic that just has to be edited, so don't worry, even if it takes a bit this fic will continue updating for some time <3 -Frozen