Archive of Our Own

"There you go!" Izuku cheerily says as he settles the last of the wood logs on the ground. He spent a good chunk of the morning cutting enough firewood for himself and his parents. At least enough to last the week; it's expected to be one of the coldest winters in years.

He'd been crazy busy with work for the last few days, and he honestly feels a little guilty for not stopping by to greet them sooner. He hopes the firewood makes up for it.

"Thank you, baby," his mother says with a smile. The expression lines in her face make Izuku's throat feel slightly tight — it's not easy to watch your parents growing old. He smiles back at her regardless.

"How's Dad today?"

"Oh, you know Toshinori," she waves her hand dismissively. "His spirit is stronger than any sickness. It helps him stay as healthy as he can be."

When his mom remarried the retired ex-soldier who arrived in their village with a terrible injury one winter, little 6-year-old Izuku was skeptical at best. His mother nursed the man back to health, and eventually they fell in love (much to little Izuku's dismay). It wasn't long before Toshi's noble heart shone through, though, and he won him over. He raised Izuku as his own, telling him stories of his golden days as the brave soldier of the crown, alias All Might, and teaching him everything about how to be a good man.

They didn't have much back then, but Izuku grew up in a loving home that always had food on the table. And that was more than enough.

"Is he taking the medicines I got him?" Izuku questions, dusting the snow off his gloved hands on his pants.

"Every day," his mom nods. "His cough is much less scary now."

Toshinori won't ever be completely healthy again. A rough life collects many bills for old age. But Izuku will do everything in his power to make sure he's as comfortable as possible.

"I'll bring more next month," he promises. His mother gives him a bittersweet look. He tilts his head to the side. "What?"

"You know we deeply appreciate everything you do for us," she starts, and she's twisting her hands in that way she does when she's uneasy. It makes Izuku nervous by proxy. "But don't you think you're working too hard, son?"

"The business won't keep itself, Mom," he gently replies. "Dad can't hunt anymore, much less chop wood or clean the leather. And I don't mind—"

"I know you don't," she cuts in. She leaves her hands alone for the sake of grabbing Izuku's. She stares at him with a worried crease on her forehead and the eyes of a mother that's as stubborn as her son. "But don't you want to start thinking about yourself a little more, sweetie? You're of the age to find someone to settle down with, make your own life. Toshi and I can manage, we have savings and—"

"Mom, I'm fine," Izuku interrupts. He smiles at her as soothingly as he can, and gives her small hands a reassuring squeeze. "I don't really care about all that stuff. I'm happy taking care of the business and looking after you, guys."

Part of that was a big fat lie, and he suspects his know-it-all mother already knows that he buried himself in work not to think about what the village is gossiping about. And the reason why Izuku isn't precisely interested in anyone to settle down with, too.

At least not anyone he can have.

She looks like she's debating between letting Izuku get away with avoidance or insisting. She chooses soft violence.

"Will you at least consider it?"

No, he wouldn't. There is only one person he wanted. But he won't tell his mother that.

"I'll try," he finally says. The words taste bitter on his tongue, but it's worth it because his mom sighs and lets the subject go.

She stands on her tiptoes, and Izuku leans down to let her kiss his cold cheek.

"Be careful on your way back, honey."

"I'll pass by Shouto's first. I need to pick up some tools he borrowed last week. But I'm heading straight home after, don't worry."

His mother chuckles. "Is he still trying to learn how to craft bows?"

"He's moved to knife carving now. He couldn't get the string tension right."

"Oh my, Todoroki-San must be fuming."

"You know Shouto. Everything that can piss off his dad has the potential to be a hobby." Izuku chuckles. "He wants to help me at the store. I love teaching him, but I still think he'll end up going back to his dad. He might hate him, but he loves what the family does. He is a greatly talented blacksmith."

"I know, Toshi said his work in swords was magnificent."

"He'll come around," Izuku agrees. "Until then, I'm happy to be the friend who feeds him during rebellion."

His mom laughs again and then waves as she retreats into the house. "All right, you get going. It's getting late, and the wolves are hungry too."

The way to Shouto's is covered in treacherous black ice. Thankfully, his boots can withstand it, but he's still overly cautious as he goes up the stairs of Shouto's fancy two-storey home.

Shouto comes out at the second knock, and he's already carrying everything he borrowed.

"I hate knife carving," it's the first thing he says.

Izuku didn't expect anything different. He takes the stuff and puts it away in the baggie he brought for it. He looks back at Shouto with a smile and asks, "Wanna try making traps next?"

His normally impassive face brightens. "Will you teach me?"

"You know I will."

"I could marry you right now."

Izuku wrinkles his nose. "I'm not into half redheads."

"What if I were blonde?" he mischievously says. "Would you marry me then, or do I need the bad temper and the pouty mouth?"

"Shouto! Shh," Izuku shushes him, paranoically looking around. "Anyone could hear you!"

"Everyone knows," he deadpans.

"That's not true," Izuku argues. His friends are just nosy as hell. "Besides, he dislikes me enough as it is. I don't wanna make it worse."

Shouto blinks and makes a strange face. "You two should just… talk."

"Talk," Izuku repeats, incredulous. "Because Kacchan is known to be so open and accessible."

"Why did you even fight in the first place?" Shouto questions. "I never knew the reason."

The truth is… neither did Izuku.

Their relationship is complicated.

Katsuki was as bright as a comet passing by in the night sky, leaving a speck of light wherever he went. Izuku was irrevocably dazzled from the very first time they met at the village's summer harvest celebrations many years ago, when all the kids got together and played around the tribute altars as the adults danced the night away. Izuku was too shy to join them back then, and Katsuki thought he was beyond childish games. They met by the river, where Katsuki went to find something more interesting to do by his exigent standards, but found Izuku chasing down frogs instead.

They grew up together and explored every corner of the village in the name of adventure. Izuku has hardly any memories of his childhood without Kacchan in them, and he treasures every single one of them. For a child who barely knew anything about the world, their friendship was Izuku's most beloved possession.

Izuku always admired how strong-willed and independent Kacchan seemed to be. Never scared to do anything regardless of the consequences, and always so sure of himself as if he weren't just a kid, too. They got into a lot of trouble as children, but the fun was always worth it. — Honestly, Izuku didn't care much for what they did as long as it was with Kacchan, and that pretty much sums up how hooked he's been on him from the start.

Call it a coincidence or call it fate, but as they grew, something else started flourishing between them. At the beginning of their teen years, their innocent friendship gradually transformed into butterflies in their stomachs and flushed cheeks. An unspoken affection that was reserved only for each other. They never named it; they never thought they'd run out of time. But the gentle touches late at night, the whispered words, the fond looks… they couldn't lie.

He knew it would be Kacchan or no one from a very early age.

But Kacchan…

Kacchan came from one of the founding families of the village. Their wealth was partially generational; his parents were excellent traders, and they conducted a textile business throughout the kingdom. The differences in their upbringing didn't seem to matter when they were kids. But the older they grew, the heavier they became.

They were both the sole heirs to their families. The difference was that Kacchan had much more to inherit than Izuku, in terms of wealth and responsibilities. As a result, his burdens weighed heavily on him much earlier than they did on Izuku. The business faced a difficult period that caused Kacchan to withdraw into himself, and tensions rose. He argued a lot with his parents and gave the village plenty to talk about, but he didn't care much about his reputation.

Izuku knew Kacchan liked what his parents did, and he had an innate talent that was hard to miss. Yet, the pressure threatened to bend him each day more and more.

Izuku was patient and as understanding as he could be. Having so many expectations set on you so early on couldn't be easy.

But one day, nearly a year ago, late at night, Kacchan appeared on his doorstep with an unsettling look in his eyes and the face of someone who wasn't in his right mind. He wanted to run away. Flee from the village and leave everything behind. And he wanted Izuku to come with him.

Izuku struggled to reply right away; what Kacchan was proposing was utterly insane. They both had obligations they couldn't turn their backs on. Their whole lives were there. Izuku had his parents to take care of and his own business to inherit. Leaving all that for reasons Kacchan wouldn't give him was not something they could do.

Yet, that wasn't why Izuku said no.

For Kacchan, Izuku would have left that very night, packed his bags to start a new life in any corner of the world with the love of his life.

But Izuku knew that Kacchan would regret it. Whatever the reason he wanted to take such drastic measures for, this wasn't the man Izuku knew. Kacchan would hate himself if he quit like that, if he left what he loved so much despite how challenging it was at the moment. And Izuku couldn't indulge in something he knew would hurt Kacchan in the future.

Kacchan never forgave him.

Izuku's heart has been permanently broken since then.

"We grew up," Izuku shrugs, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. Shouto quirks an eyebrow like he doesn't buy it. "You know Kacchan has a lot to deal with."

Shouto keeps quiet for a moment. And Izuku knows what he's about to ask before he even opens his mouth.

"Have you heard about Shindo? The village won't talk about anything else."

Izuku has not slept since he heard about it for the first time. It's all he thinks about, all he fears. He doesn't reply, just purses his lips together into a tense line and clenches his fists.

"He's going to propose to Bakugou soon. He already officially asked for his parents' permission," Shouto prods. "You're not going to do anything?"

"What can I do?" Izuku snaps. As if he's not thought of a thousand ways to stop it. Of searching for Kacchan and begging on his knees for a second chance; of laying his heart bare for him to do as he pleases. But none of it matters if Kacchan doesn't want him. "Kacchan doesn't even talk to me. He wants nothing to do with me! If he wants to marry Shindo, then—"

"How do you know he wants to?"

“Why else would he?”

“Duty?” he inquires. “Everyone knows it would be an advantageous marriage. And Shindo is an asshole, I doubt Bakugou wants to be anywhere near him."

It would undoubtedly be very convenient for both families. The Bakugou's traded; they had the connections and the knowledge of the textile market, and the Yo's had access to all sorts of related merchandise because they came from the prolific lands of the south. If two families were to join to achieve an obscene amount of success, it would be them.

Izuku had nothing to offer but a small shop and his sincere feelings. Perhaps Katsuki always knew it wouldn't work out, and he cut all ties before it got any more serious.

And Shindo… yeah. He is an asshole. He's the typical spoiled child who grew up having everything he wanted and doesn't know how to behave like a tolerable human being. And in case that the situation wasn't bad enough for the poor peasant Izuku, Shindo has had his stupid eyes set on Katsuki from the second they moved to the village almost two years ago.

Just perfect.

"Well," Izuku bites the inside of his cheek. He hates it. "It's still his choice."

"What if he's waiting for you to say something?" Shouto has a special ability to cut Izuku open and zero in on the one thing Izuku doesn't want to hear. Bastard.

"Kacchan turns the other way when he sees me coming!" Izuku hisses. It doesn't make sense. Shouto has no idea of anything. He reads too many romance novels, and it's ruining Izuku's life. Izuku takes a deep breath, lets his lungs expand real nice and big, and then sighs — the condensation blows in Shouto's face as if it were cigar smoke. "It's been a long time, Shouto. Whatever we had… It's in the past."

"But you love him." Shouto isn't asking, so Izuku doesn't reply. He just stares at him with all the sulkiness he usually keeps to himself, momentarily sheltered in his friend's genuine worry.

"It wasn't enough," it's all he says.

Shouto's brows knit together, but he nods. "If Bakugou does something as stupid as marrying Shindo, I just don't want you to suffer because of it."

The mere thought makes Izuku's insides churn.

"If it happens, I guess I'll deal with it when the time comes."

Shouto is not at all convinced, but he has mercy on Izuku and, just as his mother did earlier, lets him off the hook.

"My home is always open for you."

Izuku smiles. "I know."

Shouto looks around before leaning closer. "And if you need to hide something no one else can know about, I'm also always available for you."

Izuku's eyes narrow. "Something like what?"

"A Shindo-shaped sack, maybe."

"Oh my God, goodnight, you psycho."

Snow is beginning to fall, so Izuku takes a shortcut. He has to cross a small patchwork of trees, but he's done it so many times by now that just the moonlight is enough to show him the way.

He enjoys the cold. It clears his mind and keeps him aware in moments like this, when all he wants to do is jump into the frozen lake and become food for the ecosystem. As his boots make their way through the freshly fallen snow and the wolves howl in the distance, his mind torments him.

Did he make a mistake by refusing Kacchan that night?

No matter how hard he thinks about it, at the bottom of his heart, he knows that's not what Kacchan truly wanted. Izuku wishes he could have known what happened to make Kacchan think he needed to abandon everything like that, but all his attempts to talk since then have been in vain.

Maybe time was just cruel to them, as it was to all. Childish dreams and feelings that turned into ash from a dying fire. But sorrows heal more slowly in the cold, and Izuku's heart is still an open wound.

Kacchan was so beautifully stubborn. So infuriating and magnificent and prideful and clever. No one could get under Izuku's skin like him. With his furtive glances and arrogant red eyes that drove him mad whenever they crossed paths in the village—

Izuku stops abruptly when he hears voices echoing not far away from him.

Familiar voices.

He stands motionless for a second, trying to figure out where they're coming from. It sounds like they're close to the outskirts where the lake is, just a few meters from there. It's a good spot to watch the stars, since the canopy of trees splits open for a bit before stretching forward. But everyone knows wolves roam around this time of the year, famished by the winter, so it's unusual.

He doesn't mean to follow them, but he does. It's not safe to be wandering out here so late. Maybe they're looking for someone, or got stuck in the ice, or—

His blood drains from his body when he sees who's standing behind the wall of trees that separates them, and he starts seriously thinking that the universe is out to get him to pay for a horrible crime he must have committed in his past life.

It's Shindo. And he's not alone.

Kacchan is standing in front of him.

Izuku can't see him clearly. Between the angle, the snow, and the thick branches of the trees, it's difficult to have a clear picture. But he would recognize Kacchan anywhere. He moves to get a better view, avoiding anything that could tell on his position, and finds an opening between tree trunks.

Shindo's voice chills his spine when he tunes into the conversation. "—know I've been stricken by you since the very first day I came to this village," Shindo says, and Izuku can hear the cocky smile in his voice. He sort of wants to punch him in the face. "A strong, beautiful, and capable man such as you deserves nothing but the best."

Kacchan doesn't reply, nor move. He just stands still, with his hands by his sides, as the snowflakes fall on his red scarf and paint it white. Izuku is unexpectedly stricken by how beautiful he looks under the silver moon beams, and envy fills his bones like poison.

Shindo drops to the ground on one knee.

Izuku's head jerks forward, and he almost slips when he tumbles backwards.

"And I can give it to you, Katsuki." Shindo pulls a small box from his pocket, and Izuku doesn't need to see what's inside when he presents it to Kacchan to know. "Will you marry me?"

Izuku feels as if his heart is going to make a hole through his chest and kill him. And considering what he's witnessing, it's an endearing thought. He rears back, with his ears ringing and his eyes blurry. His heart pounds violently, painfully, and every breath feels like a jab to his lungs.

Izuku turns around and runs.

His home isn't far, but the trek seems endless.

When he finally reaches the inside, the walls are suffocating. He slides against the door as he presses the back of his hand to his mouth. His breathing refuses to even out, and he's so appalled that he cannot move.

Shindo proposed to Kacchan.

The love of his life is going to marry someone else.

He tugs at his hair by the roots and lets out a horrid, helpless sound. Did he lose Kacchan? Was he stupid enough to let him slip through his fingers so easily?

He thought that, maybe, time would turn the tables and stop being so cruel, give him a chance. No matter what he told Shouto, Izuku never once indulged the thought of their separation being permanent. But marriage? That's as permanent as it fucking gets.

Deep down, he believed that Kacchan still loved him. Izuku gave him space, respectful of his wishes, as painful as they were. But the space lengthened into weeks, and months, and then a year.

It couldn't be. It couldn't end like this. He refused.

Shouto's words repeat in his brain like a broken record. "What if he's waiting for you to say something?"

Kacchan would never marry someone like Shindo. An insufferable braggart that's as shallow as a puddle, who only cares about appearances and sees him as a pretty bird that would look well in a golden cage. So why…?

It comes to his mind like a flash. Kacchan's stiff posture, the hardness of his eyes as Shindo spoke. Not a trace of happiness or excitement on his face, nor a word from his mouth.

Izuku doesn't like this. His skin is crawling, and his heart hasn't stopped its frantic beating. His gut is screaming at him. Something isn't right. Something isn't right.

He snatches the bow and arrows from he wall and hangs them over his shoulder. When his mind catches up, he's already outside.

He doesn't even notice the strain of running again; he has tunnel vision, like a racehorse with a blinder. The trip goes by quickly, unlike before. As he approaches, he hears heavy breathing, snarls, and many footsteps making a dry sound in the snow. What the hell?

Izuku swats the branches out of his way and nearly skids when he reaches the spot where he last saw Kacchan.

And Kacchan is still there.

Cornered by a pack of wolves.

The three animals keep him trapped between the frozen lake and a rock wall. He's brandishing his small dagger with his right hand, and keeping his left arm to his chest as if it were hurt. He seems to be limping as he tries to dodge the wolves that take turns to throw bites at him. The large scratch on the left side of his snarling face is bleeding fat drops of crimson that slip down his chin into the snow at his feet, adding to the pool of blood that drips from his arm.

Izuku doesn't think twice before reaching for an arrow and pressing it to the string of his bow. He hunts for a living. This is what he excels at. Izuku has been shooting arrows ever since he was a kid, though by his skillful father who saw the potential in him and spent countless days training him to make sure he could fend for himself when the time came. He can't fail now. He won't. Izuku takes a deep breath, aims for the wolf that seems to be ready to jump at Kacchan next, and lets go of the arrow with a prayer lingering on his lips. He hits it in the back leg, and the wolf whines a painful howl.

When the arrow strikes the wolf, Kacchan's head immediately jerks in the direction from which it came, and he spots Izuku behind the trees. His eyes widen, and then his whole face unravels in unspoken relief.

"Deku!" he screams.

The wolves growl, and he sees the exact moment in which another one rears back to jump. "Kacchan, get down!" Kacchan does. He shoots another arrow, and this time it hits the animal on the side.

The wolves turn, and their vicious eyes train on Izuku like a death omen. They growl, baring their sharp fangs in a display of intimidation, and then take off running in his direction. Izuku rushes to grab another arrow from his back, quick, trained fingers working fast to press them to the string and keep shooting as the two remaining wolves charge at him at full speed.

When he hunts, the animals are usually still. He's used to waiting long hours by the bushes, hidden in the foliage, anticipating the perfect opportunity for the killing blow. He hates watching animals suffer, so he tries to make his strikes deadly. Hitting moving targets it's a different story. Once the animal starts running, it's pretty much a loss.

Yet, perhaps it's the adrenaline pumping in his veins or the searing need to protect what's his, but Izuku doesn't even stop to think whether he's got the skills to achieve the impossible or not. He just knows he has to.

So he does.

He takes down the next wolf with two arrows, one to its front leg and the other to its chest. Wolves are pack hunters, very rarely attacking big prey when alone. When the last wolf realizes the rest of his pack is off the game and it's now outnumbered, at the same time that Izuku shoots another arrow, it stops dead in his tracks and changes direction. As a result, the arrow buries itself in its loin as it disappears among the thickness of the forest, out of their line of vision.

Izuku keeps aiming until he's sure the animal isn't coming back, only lowering his bow when he hears a grunt from the other side of the snowed space. His attention snaps back to Kacchan, who's struggling to keep upright. Izuku gets to him just in time before he collapses.

"Kacchan, what happened?" Izuku worriedly asks, holding Kacchan to his chest. From up close, he looks even worse.

"One of them… bit me on the arm. Ankle m—ight be broken." Kacchan struggles to say. The words slur together, and he's heavily breathing through his mouth. Izuku's eyes drop to the arm he's still cradling close, and oh shit. That can't be good. His whole sleeve is soaked in blood, the fabric is brutally torn, and his glove is missing.

"We need to get you to the doctor." Izuku stands with Kacchan in his arms. Kacchan automatically wraps his uninjured arm around his neck.

"Too far," Kacchan shakes his head. Every word seems to fight its way out. "Your house is closer."

"Kacchan, you need to see a doctor!"

"Wound's not too deep," he says, licking his lips. They're pale, which could be due to the blood loss or the cold. "You can stitch it."

Izuku almost chokes. "What?

"I know you know how," Katsuki grunts.

"Only in emergencies!"

"And what the hell do you think this is?!"

Izuku snaps his mouth shut and eyes at Katsuki's arm with skepticism.

"Take your time. It's not l— like I'm bleeding out or anything," Kacchan manages to be sarcastic still, and it's somehow incredibly reassuring for Izuku.

He fights against the sense of reason that screams at him that he is not qualified for this. Sure, he's stitched wounds before, but never this big. He could do a poor job and leave a nasty scar, or get the bite infected. There are so many things at stake that his mind starts spinning. At his concerned muttering, Katsuki sighs and kisses his teeth, as if he's hesitant about something. Finally, he talks.

"Please," he softly pleads, his tone takes Izuku by surprise. Izuku searches for his eyes, and he's taken aback by the distress in them. "I don't want my parents to know."

Izuku stares, uncertain, and Kacchan holds the stare as if it were a competition. And the same blind complicity that they've shared since they were snotty kids is what makes Izuku finally give in.

He stands, with Kacchan secured in his arms.

"Don't blame me if the scar is ugly after."

"I'll fucking kill you."

The water on the stove boils as Izuku gathers all the supplies he'll need. His hands slightly shake when he fetches the thread and needle, but he keeps his anxiety to himself for Kacchan's sake. The cabin is warm with the fireplace's blaze, and the snow continues to steadily fall outside the window. Kacchan is resting on the couch with his fluffy head propped back and his eyes closed, bruised ankle high on a tower of pillows. There's an empty glass of the only bottle of alcohol Izuku could find in his kitchen — lacking anesthesia, they had to get creative.

They have not spoken a word since they got there.

Izuku puts the clean cloths inside a basket and carries a bucket of warm water to the living room, where Kacchan seems to be dozing off. He drags a nearby footrest and sits on it, facing the man on his couch. He clears his throat.

"Can I see your arm?"

Kacchan slowly pops one eye open and looks at him. It looks like a softer shade of red in the fire's light, almost pink. He doesn't say anything, just extends his arm to him in response.

Izuku carefully takes it and meticulously assesses the severity of the situation before continuing. He took all of the upper layers of clothing off, revealing the bloody patch of skin underneath — he's not gonna lie, it looks fucked up. The teeth marks are uneven, as if Kacchan acted quickly and ripped it away from the wolf's jaws, tearing the skin in the process. But, likely because of the same reason, the wound isn't significantly profound, which means that no vital elements are compromised besides the excessive blood loss due to the jagged wound.

Izuku checked his ankle earlier, and thankfully, it doesn't seem to be broken. Just a little sprained. Considering the nature of the situation it happened in, it's not too bad. Nothing is too bad. Because if Izuku hadn't come back, Kacchan could be dead. So any injuries are a blessing in his book.

He grabs one of the cloths and dips it in the water, then squeezes the excess off and uses it to clean the wound. Kacchan winces at the first touch, but he presses his lips together and leaves Izuku to it. Izuku takes his time sanitizing the area and making sure no infection will happen under his watch. When he finally gets to the scary part (stick the thread through the needle and stop playing around), Kacchan's jaw tightens, but he doesn't cower under the image of Izuku positioning the needle at the beginning of the bite to start stitching.

Once the sharp tip pierces the skin, he lets out a heavy breath that sounds a lot like a whimper, but he's fast to turn his face away from Izuku and bite his fist to keep quiet. Izuku's heart clenches, and he's tempted to throw the towel. He gazes at Kacchan, who's ready to take the pain no matter what. And he decides that if Kacchan is this brave, then he'll have to be, too.

Nearly an hour later, Izuku groans as he slumps in his chair. He wipes the sweat off his brow and stares at his handiwork. Kacchan is all stitched up, completely exhausted, and also covered in sweat. His chest goes up and down, and his body is still trembling from the effort. He endured it all like a champ. Izuku is so ridiculously proud that he wants to kiss his temple and tell him what a great job he did, but he contains himself. They're not like that anymore. Kacchan could be engaged to another man for all he knows. Izuku's chest stings, and his mouth sours.

He wants to ask about Shindo. About the proposal. About them. What the hell happened? What kind of man leaves his fiancée alone right after proposing? Why wasn't Shindo with Kacchan when the wolves attacked? He knows Kacchan is close to his parents, so it's highly worrying that he wants to hide this from them. Izuku can't make up a good enough reason for Kacchan's secretive intentions, it throws him off that it almost looks like Kacchan feels guilty or something about having been attacked. He wants to swarm Kacchan with so many questions, but…

Another part of him is just happy that Kacchan accepted his help. Knowing him, for a hot second, Izuku feared that his aid could be rejected in the name of Kacchan's unshakable grudge. For a moment there, despite the scenario they found themselves in, Izuku was transported back in time. Before the earth cracked a rift between them, and they could no longer reach each other's hands.

He missed him. He missed Kacchan so much.

Soft snores pull him out of his thoughts. Kacchan's lips are half-open, and his breathing has evened out. He's knocked out on pain and alcohol. Izuku silently leans closer and uses the opportunity to stare at the man his heart has been crying out for so much, and it feels like staring at the sun after a long time in the dark. Temptation wins, ever so slightly. He gently brushes the hair off his face. Half of it is covered by a bandage that Izuku placed after taking care of the scratch, and even then, tired, sweaty, and injured, Kacchan is the most handsome man Izuku has ever seen. The sharpness of his cheekbones rivals the cutting edge of his jaw. His pale eyelashes brush his cheeks with the very breath he lets out, and his parted lips have gained back their natural cerise color. If he didn't know any better, he'd think an angel passed out on his couch when he wasn't looking.

Kacchan stirs, and Izuku's surprise, he leans into his hand. And suddenly, it's too much. Izuku pulls his hand away as if the contact burned him. He stands and stares at Kacchan with something restless turning his stomach.

He can't do this. Not right now, when Kacchan doesn't know whose touch he's dreaming under.

Izuku grabs a wool blanket from the couch's armrest and gently drapes it over Kacchan's body. He extinguishes the fire and lets the embers keep Kacchan warm during the night; dawn is around the corner, anyway. Izuku only glances at Kacchan one more time before retreating to his room with a heavy heart and blood on his hands.

He can only pray that Kacchan is still there in the morning.

Izuku wakes to the sun on his face. He slowly blinks to consciousness, and it takes him a few seconds to remember he might have a guest on his couch.

He all but jumps out of the bed, tripping with the blankets he was wrapped in as he rushes out of the room. Knowing Kacchan, it was highly unlikely that he didn't leave as soon as his eyes opened. Petty jerk. Can't he give Izuku a damn break? He just wants a chance to talk! And if Kacchan ran away…

Please be there, please be there, please—

Finding Kacchan's sleeping figure still peacefully resting on his couch is so unexpected that he thinks for a moment that he might still be dreaming.

Kacchan stayed.

That, or he has been passed out cold since last night, which wouldn't be surprising. Either way, Izuku feels relief wash over him like the soft snow blanketing the mountains, and a mindless smile faintly curves his lips.

He puts water for tea on the stove, and brings out honey and the loaf of bread he bought yesterday morning. He lays everything on the table and quietly begins to eat breakfast, with his eyes trained on the lump in the living room like a hawk. By the time Kacchan starts to stir, Izuku has already washed the dishes, heated water for the bath in the caldron, rekindled the fire, and made a hot mug of tea that's waiting for Kacchan on the counter.

Kacchan grunts a sleepy sound and rolls around on the couch, hissing when he accidentally puts the weight on his bad arm. He blinks his eyes open, sits up, looks around, and narrows his puffy eyes on Izuku when he spots him. Izuku awkwardly waves from where he's standing in the kitchen, and Kacchan rolls his eyes.

"Good morning?" Izuku tries.

"What's good about having part of your arm chomped off."

Ah, He must feel better. "C'mon, it wasn't that bad," Izuku says as he prepares a tray of food for his patient. He takes it to the couch, and Kacchan stares at it as if it's poisoned. "I need to make sure it's not infected." Izuku gestures at his arm, patiently waiting for permission.

"Doesn't feel like it," Kacchan mutters, reluctantly extending his arm to him. "My ankle feels better, too. Whatever crap you used on it worked."

Kacchan is right. The wound doesn't show any signs of infection, and it seems like, miraculously, Izuku did a good job with the stitches. It's still red, but much less swollen, and there is no more blood to clean.

"Don't look all smug, it's gonna look like shit when the stitches are off. You have the pulse of a drunkard."

"Hey! It looks great for someone who has zero medical experience," Izuku defends himself. He pouts. "And it's your fault. We could have gone to see the doctor, but—"

"I told you I couldn't," Katsuki interrupts, suddenly stern. Izuku gawks at him with a million questions swimming in his eyes, but he's still too scared to ask. — And a little bit stuck between a rock and a hard place, because doing it so would be admitting that he saw what he saw, and he has a feeling that Kacchan wouldn't be too happy about it.

"Yeah," Izuku says with a dry mouth. "I know."

Silence engulfs them. And it's more awkward than not. Kacchan brings himself to put honey on a slice of bread and take a bite, then sips the black tea without making any sound despite how hot it is, as the well-educated boy he is. Izuku does his best to look away, as if he's afraid to scare a stray cat, pretending the fire is not something he sees every day and that the snow falling out of the window is not as familiar as his face in the mirror.

Kacchan, on the other hand, is burning holes in the side of his face. Izuku can almost hear his smart little head working, and he knows then he's in imminent danger.

"How did you find me?"

Yeah, he's dead meat.

Izuku thickly swallows. He's so bad at lying, especially to Kacchan. There is no way he's getting out of this in one piece. "I was going back from Shouto's when I heard you." It's partially true, but…

"You never go out with your bow unless it's for hunting," Kacchan sneers, eyes narrowed. "And you never hunt so close to nightfall, especially in the winter."

If Kacchan is asking, it's because he already knows. Izuku never had a chance.

Izuku forces himself to lift his gaze and stare at Kacchan under guilty, knitted brows. They might have been living separate lives for a while, but they still know each other from the inside out. One look into Izuku's green eyes, and Katsuki knows the answer.

"You were spying on me?" Kacchan snarls, the red in his eyes molten with anger.

Izuku folds like a leaf. "I didn't mean to!" He shrieks. Katsuki's gaze is so heated that he feels like he's going to catch on fire at any moment.

"What did you see?!" He demands.

The words leave his mouth before he has any chance to stop them, like a horrible creature of jealousy that claws its way out of the ugliest part of him. "Are you going to marry Shindo?"

Kacchan's eyes broaden so big with shock that Izuku can almost see his panicked expression reflected in them. Then Kacchan's face twists in a furious grimace that has Izuku shrinking in place. Cornered in his own house, like a mouse in a trap.

"That's none of your fucking business!" Kacchan spits. He attempts to sit half-sitting on the couch to properly glare at Izuku as hard as he can. Despite how groggy and hungover he must be, he's still unbelievably intimidating. "How dare you—"

None of his business? Is Kacchan freaking serious? The irony strikes a tender string inside him. One that he's been trying to ignore for the longest time at the expense of his mental well-being, just because Kacchan decided to have a year-long tantrum that he wouldn't give Izuku any explanation for. He drifted away, ignored him, and tortured him with his damn indifference that had Izuku burying himself under tons of work, only to cope with the knowledge that the love of his life wouldn't forgive him for something that never made sense to begin with!

And then, he appears in the middle of the woods alone with fucking butt-faced Shindo, from all people, —whom he had sworn hated, by the way— and doing what? Getting engaged! Only to be almost eaten by a pack of wolves 10 minutes later!

He's not putting up with this crap anymore. Whatever the outcome, he's getting the truth today.

"I think it's very much of my fucking business when, if it wasn't for me, you would be dog food!"

"I didn't ask for you to come save me on your white horse!" Kacchan yells. "Damn nerd with a stupid savior complex. Always butting your nose into other people's business," he growls, nose flaring. Izuku can sense the anger oozing out of him, and he suspects it has little to do with his near-death experience. Kacchan sneers, and he can see it in his eyes that the next comment is meant to be mean. "Except when it counts."

Izuku's mouth falls open. Ouch.

"That's a lot of nerve for someone who just ran off instead of talking like a real adult," Izuku says through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, well. I knew what I needed to know. I wasn't going to force you to support me."

"Support you in what?!" Izuku exasperatedly hollers. "You never told me why! You just materialized on my door in the middle of the night and told me we had to leave!" Izuku walks forward, and Kacchan sinks into the cushions as he watches him approach. "Why were you so desperate to leave that night? You know I was right, and I stand by it. You would've never forgiven yourself if you went away like that, you're not that kind of person. You know you're not. So why the hell are you acting as if I'm the devil? It's not fair!"

Kacchan springs from the couch, limping, and Izuku has half a mind to not immediately scream at him to be careful. His fists are tightly clenched, like his jaw, and his eyes are a dichotomy: angrily blameful and guilt-ridden at the same time. "Nothing about life is fucking fair, grow up and accept it!"

"You grow up and take some accountability for breaking my heart!" Izuku's voice is raw. The old wound that was barely sewn together has been violently ripped apart. And now that Izuku has spilled the contents of his wounded soul, he needs to finally speak his truth now that Kacchan is forced to listen."I couldn't stop thinking about how such an impulsive decision would affect you in the future; that's the only reason I said no. I wasn't going to let you ruin your life over something you wouldn't even tell me about."

Kacchan looks like he's about to combust, a vein threatening to pop on the side of his neck. "If we had left that night, this wouldn't be fucking happening."

"Why?! You're still not telling me anything!" Izuku hisses. "You're so frustrating, I swear to God—"

"You should have left me out there to die if I'm so insufferable."

Izuku is going to scream. This feels like talking to a brick wall, except the wall would be reasonable. "Kacchan, please."

"Why do you even want to know?" Katsuki retorts. "What would change?"

"I want to know why you suddenly stopped loving me," Izuku says. The statement seems to leave Kacchan cold for a second. "And why you never seemed to care."

Kacchan presses his lips into a tense line as his eyes drag all over him. He dodges the question like a bullet. “You broke my heart, too."

"By looking after you?"

"By not letting me pretend I could be someone else for once in my goddam life."

That… what?

"You don't have to be anyone else," Izuku says, confused. "Why… why would you want that?"

Kacchan's face hardens, blank like a wall, yet so telling to Izuku. He knows him enough to know his apathy translates to overwhelm. Soon enough, his eyes swell with stubborn tears that go as quickly as they came. Izuku momentarily forgets the situation they're in and wants nothing more than to comfort him.

"Because then," his voice is surprisingly quiet, almost as if he spoke any louder, it would break. "I wouldn't have to marry someone I don't love."

Izuku sucks in a sharp breath. "Kacchan."

Kacchan's tense stance doesn't loosen, but at least his eyes lose some of the anger in them, revealing a hint of vulnerability. He seems like he'd rather stay quiet, be anywhere but here — Izuku must truly look as desperate and wrecked as he feels, because Kacchan takes one cryptic look at him, and ends up sagging.

"That night, my parents told me the business was going through a crisis," he starts. "Ware prices were going up since the kingdom raised tariffs at ports, and my parents weren't able to keep up. Sales declined, and clients started seeking alternative options. We needed a solution, fast, before the damage was permanent. But we didn't have many options besides selling the business to someone who could keep it running. Until…” He pauses, stares at the wooden floor, and faintly shakes his head. When he looks up again, it's bordering on shame. “There was someone who had access to a different type of exportation in the south, and conveniently for us, they were interested in doing business. They had only one condition."

Izuku isn't sure he's even breathing.

"I had to marry their son."

A sudden coldness hits his core and paralyzes him, eyes nearly bulging out of his head as he freezes in place.

He'd heard a thing or two about the Bakugous' business having trouble getting up after the customs tariffs were raised. He knew it worried Kacchan, it weighed on his shoulders and showed on his face, yet he refused to talk about it. Izuku was undoubtedly concerned. He hated knowing there was nothing he could do to help, hated feeling so powerless in the face of trouble. But he loathed even more how much it was affecting Kacchan.

He thought about a few solutions, even. Spoke with his dad and asked if he could use his old connections to the crown to help them. He didn't hesitate to agree and said that he could send a letter first thing in the morning. But he also wisely advised him not to intervene if he wasn't asked to. The Bakugous were known for their pride. Well-founded and earned, but a shortcoming all the same.

Izuku tried prying the information out of Kacchan several times, to at least tell his dad what to write in the letter. But it was useless. Each time he prodded, Kacchan closed up even more.

Ultimately, Izuku relented and told himself that Kacchan would come to him when he was ready.

And it was a mistake.

“Your parents wouldn't force you,” Izuku says under his breath, trying to make sense of what he's hearing. “They'd never do something like that to you.”

“They told me I didn't have to. I wasn't gonna do it because my folks made me. ”

The same sorrow that had gradually started to weigh him down when they were younger was laced through every word. People didn't care about seeing beyond Kacchan's rough exterior. The smoke screen of hostility and abrasiveness he created so no one would really know how he felt inside kept everyone far away at a safe distance.

Izuku spent all his life taking his sweet time to get to know him, learn all the soft ways around him, and educate himself in how to gently pry him open so he could love all parts of him.

Izuku knew how much he really cared about those he loved. About all the hard work he put into the business, the time he spent looking after every detail, trying to be the best in every possible aspect.

Because Kacchan is not one for words, but actions. He doesn't do things halfway. And Izuku can perfectly see him agreeing to tie himself forever to Shindo if it meant saving his family's hard-earned legacy. Doing what he thought was best and sacrificing himself for it.

And Izuku was willing to accept it, as long as it was something Kacchan wanted.

“You can't marry Shindo," He holds Kacchan by the shoulders and stares down. Kacchan never got over those few centimeters Izuku gained in his last growth spurt. Izuku loved them. "Kacchan. Tell me you're not going to marry him."

Kacchan stares up at him as a myriad of emotions cross his face. Anger, shock, and shame — they wrench his beautiful features as he heavily breathes in a way that seems painful. His shoulders start shaking under Izuku's hands. His nose scrunches up, and his effusive eyes redden with restrained tears.

"I couldn't do it," he whispers, voice tight. He never once tears his eyes away from Izuku's. "Izuku, I couldn't do it. I told him to go to hell."

Izuku's hands go from his shoulders to his face, gently holding it in place. His body feels light with relief. All the restraint he previously had evaporates like water in the heat, overpowered by the need for nearness that his yearning heart begs for so effusively. The forbidden fruit rests in his hands, and Izuku is not strong enough not to take a bite.

He leans down enough for their lips to barely brush. "Thank you," He whispers, "Baby, thank you, thank you—"

"I ruined it." Kacchan mutters, shaking his head. His hands clench Izuku's sleep shirt, and he could swear hes trying to bring him closer.

"No, you just avoided committing the biggest mistake of your life." Izuku kisses him on the cheek, slowly dragging his lips on porcelain skin. Kacchan trembles. Ah, how he has missed this. "I can help."

“How?”

“I spoke to my dad, he says he can send a letter to one of his contacts from when he worked for the crown,” he explains. “The man is called Dave, they were friends. He can send out your family name, and put you in a list of low-charged buyers. They pay less than half the tariffs.”

“But… that would be even less than what we paid before,” Kacchan mumbles in disbelief.

Izuku nods. “I know. Perks of having friends in powerful places, I guess.”

Kacchan's eyes drop. He wipes a hand across his face and chuffs hot air out of his nose. He gets lost inside his head for a moment, as if he's seeing all the possible outcomes in his head.

“We can't,” he suddenly says, “That would put Toshinori in debt, and we can't do that to him.”

“Dave owes him,” Izuku knew he'd say that, so he investigated beforehand. “Dad saved his life more than once. I'm sure it won't hurt.”

He can see how hard Kacchan is fighting against himself. He's being presented with a perfectly logical solution, efficient and viable. But implies admitting weakness, to put himself in a position of vulnerability. The Bakugous don't ask for favors, because they don't wanna owe them.

This time, they might not have a choice.

“Kacchan, let us help you,” Izuku pleads. “You know dad won't mind, he adores you. This is not a problem for him.”

“We don't ask for favors,” he tightly grits out.

“You know it's not that,” Izuku softly says. He pets the underside of his jaw. “Not with us.”

Kacchan inflates like a hot air balloon before all the fight leaves his body.

“Damn you,” he whispers.

Izuku huffs a laugh and drops his forehead into his, feeling his hair tickle.

“Is that a yes?”

“I'll… talk with my parents.”

And somehow, getting Kacchan to even think about it feels like Izuku's biggest accomplishment. Izuku is so damn happy he could float into the stratosphere.

He kisses the corner of his eye and ignores the moisture in there, then moves his lips to his cheekbone, then the corner of his lips, and his chin. Kacchan has closed his eyes, and he's slightly pushing against him in a way that makes Izuku believe he's the luckiest bastard alive.

"Idiot," Kacchan sniffs, endearingly obstinate. "It's all your damn fault."

Izuku nods, and they're so close that his nose rubs against his cheek. "Why didn't you tell me? About the Yo's?”

“Your dad had just relapsed. I didn't want to stress you out anymore."

Ah. Toshinori had a nasty winter last year. The cold didn't help his weak lungs; Izuku spent months working in everything he could to afford all the medicine and doctors. He even had to travel for some months in order to get them.

"I thought…" he takes a sharp breath and squeezes his eyes shut. "I thought I could do it when the time came. But — oh my God, Izuku, I fucking hate him so much. He's nothing like you. Every second I spend with Shindo is like having my balls tied to a goddamn brick. Just thinking about spending the rest of my life with that dickhead made me believe that it was better to starve."

"And you said no," Izuku finishes.

"Yeah. That's why the bastard threw me to the wolves."

Izuku stills, and the world dulls around him. He must have heard wrong. There is no way. He didn't.

His voice drops several octaves when he says, "He did what?"

Kacchan stares at him in warning. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Better to know what I'm going to jail for."

"Deku, I'm serious," Kacchan pushes his shoulder. Izuku doesn't move.

"Kacchan."

He clicks his jaw, resigned. "I rejected him, and the idiot started screaming at me. He went crazy, threw in my face all the expensive crap he'd given me, and what his family had been doing for the business. Told me I was nothing but a gold digger whore," he bitterly scoffs. "The wolves were on us in less than a minute. They led us to a dead end, and I tried to keep them away with the dagger." Izuku made it for him as a gift for his 18th birthday. Kacchan carried with him everywhere ever since. "I sprained my ankle when one of them tackled me. I stabbed it then, but it barely made any difference; the wolf bit my arm in return. Shindo took advantage of the fact that they were distracted with me and fucking ran away. He knew I couldn't run; he saw when I fell. Fucker must think I'm dead by now."

Izuku is shaking with blind rage. Scorching repugnance burns inside him, and he's so revolted by what he's hearing that bile comes up his throat like a vicious fire. The motherfucker left Kacchan there to be eaten alive by wolves. He knew Kacchan couldn't make it on his own. No man could escape a hungry pack of wolves with a busted ankle.

That son of a bitch took revenge into his own hands and decided it was fair to let Kacchan be torn apart by wolves for rejecting him.

"I'm gonna kill him," Izuku hoarsely growls. He has every intention to leave in that very moment, hunt down the bastard who dared to abandon his precious Kacchan in death's jaws, and skin him alive with his knife. "He left you. He— He,"

"Izuku, where the fuck are you going?" Kacchan yells, grabbing him by the back of his sweater. He was already walking to the door. "Don't you dare leave me right now."

"I will kill him," Izuku repeats in a snarl, more as a promise to himself than a threat. He feels like he's losing all sense of reason as his judgment clouds with the thirst for a neck to snap in his hands. Just thinking about what could've happened— all because a low-life jerk such as Shindo thought his ego being bruised was good enough reason to turn off Kacchan's light with his selfishness. As if his life were worthless. His beloved Kacchan's life, which Izuku cherished more than his own. "How dare he leave you? Doesn't he know that if something ever happens to you, I'll die? He needs to pay, I need to—"

Kacchan's lips on his are what finally bring him back from the realm of wrath, and it's like someone pours liquid warmth all over him. It reaches every part of his body, filling him with an idyllic calm that makes his shoulders drop, and his eyes close until Kacchan pulls apart and takes the delicious sensation with him.

It's not the first time they kiss, but it feels like the start of something entirely new.

"Stay with me," Kacchan softly mutters against his lips.

“But—”

“Izuku,” Kacchan locks eyes with him. They're so demanding, so strong and beautiful. Izuku wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life lost in them. “I need you here.”

"Okay," he eloquently replies, brain half turned off. "Later…"

"Stay," he repeats, petting the curls on his nape.

"Why didn't you want your parents to know what he did?" Izuku manages to ask what bugs him the most.

Kacchan groans, displeased by Izuku's stubbornness. "It's not about what he did. I couldn't care less about what happens to that idiot when the word about how much of a piece of shit he is gets out. I just…" His lips contort with unease, and Izuku can tell he tries to conceal how much it stresses him out. He soon accepts it's useless when Izuku gently kisses between his furrowed brows. "My parents will know I fucked up."

Izuku frowns in utter disbelief. "Kacchan, he might as well have tried to kill you!" he exclaims. "There is no universe in which that coward deserved you. Your parents will never hold it against you."

"I know that!" Kacchan shouts, frustration written all over his face. "Ugh, fuck. But still…” He fidgets with his slender fingers, and that's bad enough as it is because Kacchan never fidgets. “It still feels like I failed."

On one hand, Izuku wants to shake him like a rag doll to make him understand that he didn't do anything wrong. But, on the other hand (the other traitorous, empathetic hand), he understands. As much as he doesn't like it, he knows what Kacchan's feeling and why. He intimately knows how strong his sense of responsibility is. That's part of why he admires him so much, after all. Kacchan never gives up, and he gets what he wants no matter the cost.

His eyes soften, and he tilts Kacchan's face up by the chin. Kacchan blinks up at him, and he looks so cute that Izuku can't help but lean down to capture his plump lips in another kiss.

"You're the bravest man I know," he whispers mid-kiss, "My amazing Kacchan, I admire you so much. But please, don't put your happiness aside like this. It breaks my heart." Kacchan melts on him, and Izuku holds him by his sinfully tiny waist —yeah, that's so good. Kacchan can relax knowing Izuku's got him. Their lips move together like they were meant to fit, and finally, after so long, everything is right within the world. "Tell me what would make you happy. I'll do everything to give it to you."

Fuck Shindo, Izuku can take care of Kacchan better than he could ever have.

“You,” he's looking at him straight in the eye when he says it. Without a hint of doubt, as if it had already been on his mind. As if he'd been waiting an eternity for Izuku to ask.

He cannot believe Shouto was right.

“Marry me, then,” Izuku mumbles into his mouth. “So no other man ever thinks he can have you.”

Kacchan's eyes go big. He stares at him up and down as if he's making sure he's not imagining it, and then he grins widely. He looks like the cat who got the cream.

“About fucking time you asked.” He kisses him again, but throws himself at him so hard that Izuku stumbles backwards and falls into the couch, knocking off the tray of breakfast and spilling its contents all over himself. He winces as he feels the stickiness of the honey on his legs and the tea wetting his thick sweater.

Kacchan's stops the ridiculous sight, and he giggles into his hand.

Izuku deadpans. "Thanks."

"It's all part of my plan," Kacchan says mockingly, but not completely unserious.

"Your plan to make me look dumb?"

"To finally make you take off your clothes."

Izuku chokes on his spit and stares at Kacchan like a deer in headlights.

Katsuki chuckles again, but his eyes become half-lidded and his gaze heavy as he stares back. He extends his good arm towards the gaping man covered in honey, crumbs, and tea, and smirks.

“Take me to the bath?” He asks, biting his lip.

Oh.

Okay. Yeah.

Izuku is on his feet faster than he can think. Kacchan squeaks as he scoops him back into his arms, and Izuku is delighted to feel his body close to him again.

“Are you sure?"

“Please,” Kacchan scoffs. “I've been waiting for this since I was 15.”

Izuku feels his face getting hot, which is ridiculous. It's not like they're strangers to, um, intimate physical activities. They've done some stuff (of course they have, the raging teenage hormones were no joke), but being as young and busy as they were, they never went beyond some heavy petting.

But the hungry look Kacchan is giving him right now tells Izuku that he has no intention of holding back. Izuku's neglected cock twitches in his pants at the thought. It's been so long.

"But, your arm—"

"We'll be careful," Kacchan urges. "Don't you want me?"

Izuku kisses him stupid in response. Hard and fast, needy, with his tongue molding itself at the roof of his mouth, and a groan reverberating in his throat.

Somehow, despite being the one in worse shape between the two of them, it still feels like Kacchan has the lead. But that's just how it's always been between them, hasn't it? The delicate balance of their relationship falls into place again as Kacchan loops his arm around his neck and brings their mouths together. Izuku sighs into the kiss, and Kacchan reciprocates by sucking his bottom lip in that way that drives Izuku crazy. Izuku clumsily stumbles upon furniture around the house as he tries to get to the bathroom, too distracted by Kacchan's sweet mouth to care about future bruises (but still careful not to hurt Kacchan's ankle or arm in the process). He kicks the door open and feels Kacchan snicker.

"Eager much?"

"Shut up," Izuku grunts. He gently lowers Kacchan on the edge of the bathtub and helps him sit. He sets up the pump to pour the heated water he prepared earlier, and it starts steadily filling the tub. "As you said, I've been wanting this since we were 15."

Kacchan grins. "Shouldn't have chickened out then." And Izuku hates that he knows exactly what he means by that.

"That was one time!" Izuku defends. "Your parents were in the house!"

Maybe, just maybe, they were doing some inappropriate things in Kacchan's room that day. Izuku was kindly invited over for dinner by Mitsuki after Kacchan and he were out hunting the whole day; she offered to cook part of the deer they brought and help store the rest. And how did he repay her? By sticking his tongue down his son's throat just a few rooms away.

Things got so heated, he seriously considered the possibility of losing his virginity right then and there. Thankfully, the non-horny rotted part of his brain kicked in the moment his fingers brushed Kacchan's hole, and he made a sound so sinful Izuku knew there was no way they could be discreet about it.

"You blue-balled us both."

"I wasn't fucking you with your mom in the next room, Kacchan."

"But you'll do it now?"

The shy hopefulness in Kacchan's voice catches him off guard. It prompts him to analyze the man sitting in front of him, and his heart swells when it reminds him of all the times Kacchan has allowed himself to be vulnerable for him, and only him. The most tender part of him has always been reserved for Izuku, and Izuku's fiercest part has always belonged to Kacchan. They were each other's most ideal complement, and that's what makes them strong together.

Kacchan's ears are slightly dusted pink, and he's biting the inside of his cheek like he does when he's nervous about something but doesn't want people to notice. As if Izuku wouldn't know. As if their bodies don't share a single heart. He smiles and places his hands on the edge of the tub on each side of Katsuki's body, caging him.

"If it's what you want," Izuku mutters, close enough to feel his shaky breath but not quite kissing. "Your wishes are my commands."

"I want to suck your dick first," Kacchan bluntly blurts out.

Izuku's eyes go big.

"You… you do?"

"Well, yeah," Kacchan husks, looking anywhere but him. "I never had the chance before, and every time I touched it, I thought that… it would feel good in my mouth."

The admission momentarily winds the air out of his lungs. Kacchan had always been brutally direct, and to be honest, it had always made Izuku a little hard. This just happens to be the perfect scenario for him.

Izuku takes enough distance so he can grab Kacchan's hands and slowly set them on his belt. "Take it, baby. I'm all yours."

Kacchan's spine straightens when he hears the pet name, and his eyes glint with what can only be pure excitement. It reminds Izuku of a ruby under the sun. He's letting Izuku's honey-sticky pants drop not even a minute later, and licks his lips when he sees the bulge forming underneath his underwear. He hooks his fingers on the waistband and orders, "Take off your shirt."

When his underwear hits the floor, his shirt does too, discarded somewhere in the small space.

Katsuki is not unfamiliar with Izuku's dick, but judging by how hard he's staring at it, Izuku could think it's the first time he sees one at all.

"Is something wrong?" He anxiously asks.

"Did you get… bigger?" Kacchan questions, eyes still fixed on his half-hard cock. "I thought you were a grower."

"I— um, maybe?" Izuku frowns. "I don't — ah!"

Kacchan's hands on him savagely derail all other thoughts from his head. He holds it as if he's determining how much it weighs, then brushes his thumb over the mushroom tip, making Izuku's knees buckle forward.

"You're so thick," Kacchan marvels. His eyes travel upwards to Izuku's exposed stomach, and his slender hand grazes the trail of dark-green hair that leads to his pubes. Izuku feels his blunt nails scratch there, and he has to suppress the pathetic sound that begs to come out of him.

He lowers his injured arm and lets the healthy one do the job of slowly pulling the foreskin down to smooth him out. He circles the under head with curiosity, and smiles to himself when it twitches, hardening completely in his hand. Kacchan tentatively strokes him, watching each of Izuku's reactions with the utmost attention, relearning him and repeating everything that makes him whine and squirm.

When his cock starts drooling, Kacchan catches the pearly drops of pre cum with his pink tongue. He initially wrinkles his nose at the taste, but it mustn't be so bad because he goes back for another lick. And another. And another. Izuku is going to die.

Izuku buries his fingers in ash-blonde strands, but doesn't push down, just rests his clenching hand there. Kacchan looks him up through long eyelashes, and while making eye contact, attempts to take all of Izuku in his mouth in one go. Izuku's eyes roll to the back of his head, and his mouth drops open in a silent moan. He'd never experienced anything quite like this. When Kacchan jerked him off in the past, his hand was the closest thing to heaven Izuku had ever experienced, but his mouth? It's a whole other type of paradise, one that has Izuku seriously worrying about not lasting enough to not completely embarrass himself.

Everything about it is perfect. The syrupy warmth that envelops his dick, the moisture making the slide easy, the smooth walls that close around him. Kacchan is perfect. Izuku doesn't know when he closed his eyes, but he's so glad he could crack them back open enough to see Kacchan's pretty lips stretched around his cock. They're glossed with spit, a little red, too. Kacchan looks unexpectedly innocent like this, looking at him from below. His eyes are slightly glazed over as he looks up at him, watery with how far Izuku's dick is down his throat. He does a good job of relaxing it, although he chokes a little when his nose nuzzles the pubes at the base.

"You're doing great, Kacchan," Izuku praises, petting his head, "you look so beautiful like this."

Kacchan's eyes sparkle at the praise, and it seems that is exactly what he needed to be confident enough to try bobbing his head. Izuku has to grab onto something (the poor wooden cabinet that creaks when part of his weight relies on it) to avoid collapsing. It feels so damn amazing. His hand is never going to be the same after this, he's doomed.

The water keeps pouring, and Kacchan finds a rhythm, which will probably be Izuku's cause of premature death. It's not too fast but not too slow either, ideal to fry his nerves and keep him on edge.

Then, Kacchan experimentally hollows his cheeks and sucks.

Izuku throatily moans from the bottom of his chest, and Kacchan takes it as an encouragement to keep going, which Izuku gladly accepts. His hips start to automatically thrust each time Kacchan suctions, but he uses the little sanity he has left to be careful not to choke him.

After one particular rough thrust, his dick slips off his mouth, and Kacchan takes the opportunity to go back to licking. Izuku whimpers when he laps at the length from top to bottom, then whimpers some more when Kacchan starts tracing the protruding veins at the sides and fondling his balls, carefully rolling them in his fingers, grazing the nerves of the sensitive part underneath.

How is Kacchan so damn good at this? A dark thought crosses his head, and suddenly, he's not so thrilled anymore.

“You've done this before?” Izuku ominously asks through gritted teeth.

Kacchan stops his licking to glare at him in question. “What? Sucking dick?”

Izuku doesn't answer, just glares right back.

“Jeez, are you asking if I blew Shindo?”

He doesn't even want to think about it. But he already did because he's not thinking straight right now. His brain is closer to a caveman's than a proper human's right now, and Kacchan's dick-sucking abilities are so good that he can't keep the offending idea from attacking him. Perhaps it's just that this is his first-ever blowjob, but he can't think so far ahead in this state.

Kacchan nips at his dick hard enough for Izuku's head to clear a bit. Izuku yelps, and finds Kacchan's offended stare.

“I never even let him kiss me,” he says. “And if you ever imply anything so stupid again, I'll bite your dick off.”

Izuku doesn't hear the threat because he focused on the important stuff, and that's that he's the only one who's ever had Kacchan like this. Who has tasted his lips and seen them stretched around a cock, heard the sweet sounds his mouth makes, and seen his eyes half-lidded with pleasure. His, his, his, his lizard brain chants inside him. He already feels like a winner.

“You're mine,” it's what he attains to reply. His voice is husky, and his face must be all red and sweaty.

He lovingly strokes his hair, then traces the shape of his ear before brushing the hair off his eyes. Kacchan stares up, and whatever he was going to say dies in his mouth when their lustful eyes clash. Izuku wipes the spit off his chin with his thumb. Kacchan slowly blinks up at him and chases the swollen tip of his lip with his mouth. Izuku doesn't let go of his face as he seals his lips around the tip and swirls his tongue around it. And between Kacchan's intense gaze and the hot pleasure building in his belly, Izuku is not sure which one will be the last straw.

Kacchan sucks at the tip, unexpectedly ripping a loud moan out of Izuku. His grip on Katsuki's hair tightens as a reflex. To his surprise, and before he can worry about it, Kacchan moans around his dick, not at all bothered by the rough treatment and sending the vibrations straight through his sensitive cock.

Izuku feels his balls clench.

He pulls back, his hard dick wetly slapping his stomach when it springs free from Kacchan's mouth. Kacchan sadly chases it with his mouth like a kid with a lollipop.

Kacchan glares, scowling. “I wasn't done.”

“Kacchan, I don't want to cum yet.”

“Then don't!”

“It's hard when you're suctioning my soul through my dick!”

“Just hold it!”

Izuku groans. He takes Kacchan by the chin, squishing his cheeks and making him form a pout with his lips. Izuku leans in and sternly says, “Here's what's going to happen. We're going into the tub, having a warm, nice bath, and you're going to shut your pretty little mouth as I prep you.”

Blond eyebrows twitch into a frown, and when he starts to argue, Izuku tightens his grip and kisses him quiet.

“Do you want me to fuck you?” Izuku asks with his brows raised.

Kacchan wants to be difficult about it, Izuku can tell by the way the words keep getting stuck in his throat as he angrily looks up at him. But he must want to be fucked more, because he ends up pursing his lips and nodding, cheeks getting red.

Izuku smiles. “My good boy.”

Kacchan's eyes dilate, and his mean scowl falls for a second. Izuku thinks he might have found his prize.

“Shut up," Kacchan murmurs, averting his gaze.

Izuku knowingly rubs his thumb on the apple of his cheek. Kacchan needs to learn who's really in charge here.

Izuku kneels down.

"What are you doing?"

"Up," Izuku says, tugging at Kacchan's pants and patting him on the leg. He's already shirtless, thankfully. "We need these off for the bath."

Kacchan, for once, complies without arguing and hovers over the tub for Izuku to slide his pants and underwear down. The milky skin of his thighs is too much of a temptation for a weak man, so Izuku leans down to trace soft kisses on every inch of skin that gets exposed. He leaves worshiping kisses on his thighs, his knees, his chins, and his calves, refusing to neglect any part of him. He holds his naked foot between his hands and delicately brushes his lips on the blooming purple on the bone of his ankle, flicking his eyes up to find that Kacchan has not looked away.

He carefully deposits his foot back on the floor. Wordlessly, Izuku stands up and gathers Kacchan back into his arms. The tub is filled to the brim with hot water, and it feels heavenly when he swings one leg over and steps inside before bringing in the other one. He sits down on the water with the utmost care not to hurt Kacchan. The water spills a little when he manhandles Kacchan to sit him on his legs under the water, and hes mindful to keep his stitched arm on the edge of the tub. It wouldn't be good if it got wet this soon.

Kacchan settles against his chest with a contented sigh, and for two people who have barely spoken in a year, it feels like time has not passed at all.

"Does it hurt?" Izuku murmurs into his hair, shamefully inhaling his scent. Mh, smells like rosemary and bergamot. Like home.

"Like a bitch," Katsuki says, "nothing I can't handle."

Izuku lazily kisses behind his ear and his nape. He feels the goosebumps rise under his lips. "Maybe I can distract you."

"Mh, dunno," he teasingly replies. "Pain runs through my entire arm. You think you can beat that?"

"I'm sure I can find a way to make you forget it."

"You're terrible at this," Kacchan says, but Izuku can hear the smirk in his voice. "You're lucky you're hot. If you depended on your shitty flirting abilities, you'd die a virgin."

Izuku reaches for the bath bottles he keeps on the corner of the bathroom, and grabs the one in the middle. He pops the cap open and pours the unscented oil he usually uses to massage his achy joints after work on his fingers.

"I don't have to romance you, then?" Izuku inquires as he dips his hand back in the water. He pries Kacchan's legs open to wiggle his fingers in between his ass cheeks.

Kacchan's voice comes out a little strained, "Of course you fucking do. You owe me a date after this."

"What do you wanna do, baby?"

Kacchan's response gets stuck in his throat when Izuku's finger pets over this puckered hole.

“I wanna— go hunting with you again,” he shakily says.

Izuku fondly smiles. Going hunting meant spending the whole day together, sometimes more, traveling further into the mountains, and patiently waiting for the animals to come. It might not be the most conventional way to spend time with your loved one, but it has always been how they spent quality time together. Away from everyone, only enjoying each other's company in the peacefulness of nature.

Izuku nods and kisses his shoulder. “As soon as you're recovered, I'll take you wherever you wanna go.”

He doesn't really give him a chance to respond because his finger starts gently pushing into his hole. Kacchan tenses up in his arms, and he instantly clams up. When they were younger, they never got to this part; they always stopped before getting this far. He doesn't know if Kacchan ever played with himself here alone, but judging by how he's responding to the touch, he doesn't think so. Something possessive curls in his gut.

“Have you touched yourself here?” Izuku rumbles, drawing slow circles around the tight muscle.

He sees how Kacchan’s nape and ears flush red. He shakes his head. “I've tried a few times, but I never— after we split up, it wasn't the same. I wanted it to be you.”

Hot charcoal ignites under his skin. His Kacchan waited for him. He never even wanted to use his fingers on himself because he wanted Izuku's. His perfect, beautiful Kacchan. What else could he ask for, if not for this divine man who has graced him with his loyalty?

Izuku groans, sound reverberating around the wooden walls. He tightens his hold around Kacchan's middle and buries his face in the crook of his shoulder.

“You're going to kill me.”

”That thing between your legs will kill me,” Kacchan retorts.

Izuku chuckles. He knows he wasn't small by any means. He was stockier and thicker than most, which would be quite a stretch for a virgin hole. “That's why I have to make sure you're ready for me.”

As he says this, and while Kacchan is distracted by hearing him talk, he manages to relax him enough for the tip of his finger to slip inside. Kacchan stills and sucks in a gritty breath. Izuku shushes him, peppering kisses everywhere he can reach. He doesn't want him to tense up again, he needs him nice and loose.

“Shh, it's okay,” he whispers into his neck. The only sound in the room being the water splashing as he moves his hand, his voice, and Kacchan's shallow breathing.

He gingerly wiggles his finger inside him, marveling at the velvety walls that welcome his finger. Kacchan's stomach starts to go up and down quickly under this securing arm, and he tries to close his legs with Izuku's hand still between them.

“Are you okay? Am I hurting you?” If Kacchan is feeling any pain or is too uncomfortable, he'll stop immediately.

“Feels weird,” Kacchan murmurs. “Not what I expected it'd feel like.”

“It's not going to feel good right away, baby,” Izuku explains. “That's why I gotta loosen you up first, so you can enjoy yourself without any discomfort.”

“I know that, I ain't a damn kid,” Kacchan snaps. Izuku wants to laugh. He's so feisty, he loves it. “Keep doing that.”

“You sure?”

Kacchan nods.

Izuku complies and continues his exploration. He's met with resistance at first, the muscle around his knuckle refusing to cooperate. He needs to make Kacchan unwind; as long as he's this tense, Izuku is only bound to hurt him as soon as he tries to go further inside or add another finger. He starts kissing behind his ear in an attempt to make him forget about what's happening down there, lapping at his earlobe and gently biting the soft skin, licking at his gold earring. His mouth makes a path down his back, where he gives open-mouthed kisses and grazes his front teeth on the bones of his spine. They seem more visible than before. Izuku spreads his hands across Kacchan's thorax, and is not pleased to find he can count his ribs. It's nothing too bad, but it's still not Kacchan's normal complexion. Is he eating well? Is he too stressed to properly feed himself?

“Have you lost weight?” Izuku can't help himself, he's worried.

“A little,” Kacchan mutters.

“Why?”

“The whole business and Shindo thing had me a little anxious. I wasn't hungry,” he admits.

Izuku can't see his own face, but he's sure he's nothing pleasant to look at with how murderous he feels. He can't believe this happened under his nose, that he allowed it, somehow. He should've tried harder, watched over him closer. It's hard to notice these things in the winter, when everyone's so bundled up in so many layers. It's not that strange he didn't realize until now, in such an intimate setting. Yet, it only makes Izuku beat himself up more over it.

It won't ever happen again.

“I'm sorry, baby,” he whispers between kisses. “I'm sorry I wasn't there.”

His finger has not stopped moving, either, so Kacchan struggles to say, “It's my fault. I was the one who —oh, pushed you away.”

“Shouldn't have let you,” Izuku grouses, tremendously disappointed in himself. “You're mine. And I'm going to take care of you until the day I die.”

It's funny how Izuku feels Kacchan's hole automatically and noticeably loosen in response. Kacchan makes a sound close to a restrained moan and lets himself fall over Izuku's chest behind him. Oh wow, that's amazing. He tries it again.

“I'll make sure you're well taken care of, with your belly full and everything you could ever want at just a snap of your fingers,” he promises. His finger slips past the second knuckle, and he takes it as an opportunity to start delicately dragging his finger in and out of him. “So perfect, you deserve everything you want. You work so hard, don't you? Poor thing. So much on your pretty shoulders. Let me ease some weight off you, yeah? I won't let you go through that alone again. I take care of what's mine; you don't have to worry anymore. You're so pretty, so smart, I'm so lucky.”

It's like they're the magic words, because the refusal Kacchan's body presented dissolves like ink on water. His whole is no longer impossibly tight around his finger, and Kacchan's head drops back into Izuku's shoulder. His beautiful eyes are squeezed shut, and his knuckles are turning white around the tub edge.

Izuku doesn't waste the opportunity to slip another finger in, and even though it's not entirely easy to get in, it takes much less effort for Kacchan's body to accept it. In a matter of minutes, he's loose enough for Izuku to rhythmically push his fingers in and out, and it's like the blonde finally starts feeling good instead of weird, because he melts against him like warm butter on bread.

“That's all you wanted, right, baby?” Izuku continues cooing. “Someone to look after you.”

Izuku feels his throat tighten when he sees salty tears leak from the corners of his closed eyes. Oh, his poor Kacchan. He's been through so much. Izuku has this nearly animalistic urge to protect him, to make sure he never faces any hardships again. And as impossible as he knows that is, he's willing to try.

He pecks his temple. “I'm here now. You won't ever be alone again.”

Kacchan sniffs and lets out a choked sob when Izuku scrapes a soft, spongy spot inside him. The fingers of his good hand dig into Izuku's thigh with enough force to bruise, but he doesn't care. He presses on the spot again, and Kacchan downright spasms around him, moaning in a desperate way that he'd never heard from him before.

He's found his sweet spot.

“Feels good?”

“Yes,” Kacchan breathes, “It's… I've never—”

“That's your sweet spot,” Izuku says. “The only way to find it is this one.”

To illustrate his words, he rubs his prostate again, this time repeatedly instead of stopping after one time. Kacchan arches against him, and he cries out so lewdly that Izuku's still-hard dick uselessly jumps against his thigh.

“Izuku, please,” Kacchan begs. “Don't stop!”

Izuku doesn't stop. He, instead, adds a third finger that Kacchan's asshole gladly receives. Now he's got three fingers working in and out at a fast pace, and he knows it won't be long before Kacchan cums when he starts frantically twisting and moving in his hold. His voice becomes high-pitched and whiny, and he forms half words that sound a lot like some distorted shape of Izuku's name. His hips jump up, so Izuku has to hold him down for his fingers not to slip out. He kisses his cheek, muttering sweet praises on his rosy skin, careful of the cut there. Kacchan smells so strongly of himself, Izuku feels drunk.

When he looks down, Kacchan's neglected cock is twitching in tandem with Izuku's fingers as the swollen head sadly drools. Izuku wants him as mellow and pliant as possible, so he reaches out for Kacchan's lovely dick to pump him and help him find his release.

Kacchan cries out when he feels the pressure on his cock, and it's not long before he's cumming across Izuku's fingers with thick ropes that land into his heaving stomach and get lost in the lukewarm water. As he comes, his hole squeezes around Izuku's fingers, and the walls contract around them for a while before he can pull his fingers out.

He lets Kacchan catch his breath for a little bit, and it's impossible for him to detach his mouth from him, apparently.

“You did so good,” Izuku mutters, smooching the side of his sweaty face. “How are you feeling?”

“Like we should've done this way sooner,” he breezily replies. “But now it's good, too.”

“Do you want to rest?”

“I want you to take me to bed and do what you promised me.”

Izuku feels a wild grin spread across his face. That's his Kacchan.

“Yeah?”

Kacchan elbows him softly on the ribs. “Are you going to make me beg?”

“Mh, maybe. That'd be hot.”

“Earn it,” Kacchan replies, a faint hint of embarrassment in his tone, “and maybe I will.”

And that, that is enough to get Izuku's engine going. He kisses the top of Kacchan's head before standing up. The hot water had washed the honey away. Izuku figures they could take a real bath later. He stands up and steps out of the tub, fetches the towels, and superficially dries himself before turning back to Kacchan.

Izuku uses all of his willpower not to smile like a fool in love when Kacchan sees him and stretches his arms up, practically asking to be picked up. Perhaps he's too dazed in his post orgasm haze to realize what he's doing, and taking into account that Izuku has been carrying him everywhere since yesterday, it's nothing too weird. Still, it's not something a completely lucid Kacchan would do. But damn if he isn't freaking adorable. Izuku's heart soars.

Without a word, Izuku lifts him from the water and wraps him in a dry towel. And okay, this is too much for Izuku. He's going to explode with how cute Kacchan is being.

As if reading his mind, Kacchan barks, “Don't baby me.”

“I'm not!”

He hits him in the chest. “Yes, you are, and you're enjoying it.”

And, well, Izuku's never been a good liar. He pads his way to the bedroom and gently deposits the blonde on his bed, on top of the wool covers and furs. Kacchan half-sits up, supporting himself with his good arm and leg, and stares up at Izuku with an anticipating look in those entrancing carmine eyes that try to undress Izuku to his very core.

Izuku doesn't move for a solid minute. He can't. He's glued to the floor, feeling as if he takes his eyes off Kacchan now, all of this would disappear, and he'd wake up from the loveliest dream he's ever had, one he longed for for more than half of his life.

To see Kacchan like this in his bed, with his attention only on him, pretty cock soft and spent on his thigh, tousled golden hair that frames hazy eyes — it's everything he's ever wanted. There's a blush still high on his cheeks, and he looks a delicious kind of tired.

Izuku did that.

And he wants more.

He lets his knee sink into the mattress as he climbs on top of him, and preens at how Kacchan allows himself to be trapped underneath. Eagerness is visible all over his face, his scowl melting away as he has no reason to pretend. Izuku is surprised when Kacchan tilts his head up and captures his lips in a kiss, pulling him closer.

Mindful of all the injuries, Izuku rolls them to the side so he can fully wrap his limbs around Kacchan without fear of crushing him. Kacchan shrieks into his mouth, and for a second, Izuku thinks he's going to push him away, but he doesn't. He reciprocates by throwing his leg over his hip and cupping the side of his face to deepen the kiss, putting his tongue inside.

Izuku groans when he feels their interested dicks rubbing against one another each time they move, first meeting on accident as a result of their desperate need to be as close as possible, and then on purpose when they find a delightful rhythm that they can keep without stopping their kissing.

Everything about Kacchan drives him to the abyss of madness. He's never been normal about him, not a day in his life. He never thought feeling another guy's fuzzy legs tangled between yours would be so incredibly arousing, but here he is. Every part where their naked bodies touch is on fire, and Izuku can't have enough of him to save his life. He smooths his hands down his sides, his lean but muscled back, and his ass. And Kacchan takes the opportunity to do the same, shamelessly feeling him up with a freedom he'd never shown before.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, they say.

“Your body is fucking ridiculous,” Kacchan growls as he squeezes a handful of his ass.

“Why do you sound mad about it?”

“Because you're a fucking tease,” he hisses. His hands go back to his back, and he traces the shape of his shoulder blades. “Working all summer without a fucking shirt on, going around like that for all your stupid admirers to see you.”

“Admirers?” Izuku laughs, lifting a brow that quickly falls when Kacchan hikes his knee further in between his legs, adding a mouth-watering pressure.

“As if you don't know you're the number one bachelor around here,” he grunts, a small mischievous smirk curling his lips when he realizes how Izuku has started humping him like a dog. “Village's sweetheart and all that crap. Always so kind to everyone with that dazzling smile of yours and those dumb doe eyes that somehow match your face. A strong, responsible worker, reliable, and honest. A charming nerd with a face and body carved by the gods, who wouldn't want that?”

Izuku is a bit dizzy from the praise and the building pleasure (Kacchan had never said any of that before, holy crap?), but manages to flick his eyes to Kacchan; he's stunned to see how fond his gaze is.

“I don't care about any of them,” Izuku breathes. “I only want you. Always— it's only been you.”

“I know,” Kacchan mutters, with an almost imperceptible smile on his lips. “That's why you have me.”

So Izuku takes what's his.

He leaves everything else to cup Kacchan's face and bring their lips together in a ravenous kiss, claiming him once and for all. As if his mouth cast a spell, Kacchan goes completely limp against him, letting himself be devoured by the insatiable man greedily drinking him in. Contrary to Izuku, Kacchan's skin is creamy and pale. Izuku works long hours under the sun, doing mostly physical jobs that have littered his skin with scars and left him with a golden tan that never seems to fade. It's marvelous to be able to see how quickly the red blooms on Kacchan's body after he sucks on his skin, sometimes scraping his teeth across the most tempting parts of him and loving the way the shape of his teeth glows pink.

His scarred hand slips between their hot bodies to settle between his legs again, and this time, when he pushes his middle finger in, he meets no resistance.

Kacchan moans into his mouth, and Izuku wastes no time making sure he's still nice and stretched as he pumps three fingers in and out of him at the same time he drags his lips across his neck and shoulder, biting into his clavicle and enjoying the saltiness of his skin.

"Izuku, 'm ready," he begs, "Please."

"You sure?" Izuku asks in a whisper, looking at him. He's not even inside him yet, and Kacchan already looks beautifully fucked out.

Kacchan nods, eyes a little unfocused. He decidedly fumbles back, dragging himself across the bed the best he can until he's propped against the pillows and lying right in front of Izuku, like an enticing gift waiting to be unwrapped. He stares at Izuku with his face slightly tilted down, locking their eyes together as he gazes at him through his clumped lashes. Izuku's jaw goes slack when Kacchan slowly opens his legs, offering him an obscene view of his fluttering pink hole and his twitching cock.

"Are you going to come, or do I gotta do everything around here?" He grouses in a raspy voice, staring straight into mossy green eyes, challenging and inviting.

Izuku feels as if everything around them fades away, and it's only the two of them in the vast expanse of the universe. Which is good, really, because he doesn't want anyone else to see what he's seeing. He might go mad with jealousy at the mere thought. He wants — no, needs — to have Kacchan all to himself. To mark him up so good that no one would ever dare to think again they could possess him.

Izuku draws himself close, finds a home between Kacchan's spread-out legs, and takes his cock into his hand to pump it a few times. He's rock hard, almost painfully so. How could he not be? When he has the most gorgeous man in the universe offering himself to him like a feast. A god could descend from the sky, and Izuku wouldn't even spare a look at it.

Izuku hikes Kacchan's leg onto his hip and teases the head of his cock into his entrance. He hears Kacchan sigh, and his hands anchor themselves in his broad back.

"Is this only for me?" He hoarsely asks.

"I love you," Kacchan earnestly says. "In this lifetime, and the next hundred. It's always going to be for you."

Izuku is sure the world stops spinning for a second. The moment it moves again, he groans as he pushes his cock inside, finally becoming one with the other half of his soul.

If Izuku thought Kacchan's mouth was divine, he cannot even grasp how mind-mindbogglingly good his ass feels. Inch by inch, the pressure engulfing his dick makes his eyes flutter close as he tries not to slam in in a single go, using all of his control to keep slowly pushing until he bottoms out.

“Oh my God,” Kacchan whines, head falling into the pillows. “You fucking huge-dicked nerd,” he pants, leg curling around his hip as if trying to pull him closer.

“Too much?” Izuku stops, intending to give Kacchan time to adjust to him.

“No, fuck, no,” he shakes his head. “Perfect. You— Izuku,” Kacchan lifts his head to command, “I'm done waiting. Been waiting for years. Now move.”

Fair enough. “Yeah, okay,” Izuku eloquently replies. He's done waiting too.

Izuku pulls back until only the tip of his cock kisses Kacchan's hole. He stares down, and Kacchan is already looking at him. It's only when their eyes seal into each other that Izuku slams back in. And it's almost as pleasing to see Kacchan's face sweetly scrunch up as he starts steadily thrusting, brows knitting together under his sweaty bangs as his mouth parts open and his eyes glaze over with sheer pleasure, completely blissed out. He lets out a breathy whimper that tickles the most primal part of Izuku's brain and causes his hips to buckle, and the little control he still has slips through his fingers like sand.

He rocks again and again, hips flush together as humanly possible, and somehow each thrust feels better than the last. He searches for his lips as a way to keep him grounded in reality, but they're so lost in the pleasure that it's impossible to just kiss. They end up panting in each other's mouths, breaths mingling and spit combining. Izuku can see his reflection in half-lidded scarlet eyes, and it's no surprise to find he looks everything but human. He feels like a beast, hogging his precious treasure all to himself and trying to erase any space between their molecules.

“Izuku,” Kacchan suddenly whines, scratching his nails across his back. “I need to… oh, fuck — please, like in the bath—

“What do you need, baby?”

“The spot!”

Ah.

Izuku doesn't need to be told twice. He mentally slaps himself for not looking for it sooner, but honestly, he's so overwhelmed and is feeling so good that he's surprised that he can even think at any level.

He recalls what he did in the bath and tries to angle his hips at the same angle. It takes a few attempts, but when he finds it, there is no doubt. He knows because he's watching Kacchan like a hawk, and he sees the exact moment in which his eyes roll to the back of his skull and his head lolls limply to the side.

“Oh my god,” Kacchan cries out.

Now that Izuku knows where it is, he firmly drills the head of his fat cock into his prostate time and time again, repeatedly making hot white pleasure explode behind Kacchan's eyelids and causing his mouth to drop open as drool spills down his chin. Izuku half-growls with determination and half-whimpers as the pleasure builds up, and his thighs start to tremble with the force of his movements. But he won't stop. He can't. The sounds Kacchan is making are like his own personal drug, and watching him squirm and cry because Izuku is the one making him feel good is like fuel to a greedy fire.

Kacchan's belly spasms every time his cock bullies its way back in, and Izuku can't help but possessively spread his hand on top of the soft piece of flesh, pressing down and hoping to feel himself inside him. Kacchan squirms under him, but it only makes Izuku hungrier.

“You're mine,” he gutturally says, fingers digging into his belly, “Only mine.”

“Yes!” Kacchan had never agreed to anything as fast or as easily in his life.

“Say it,” he demands, and it sounds like the words are being punched out of him.

“I'm yours,” he sobs, like a complete mess, face wet with tears and sweat, “Forever. Only yours —ah!”

Izuku wouldn't dream of it. Pleasure starts fogging his brain as his hips pick up in rhythm and speed, mercilessly fucking into the tight heat that Kacchan so kindly provides. Kacchan goes ah ah ah each time Izuku sinks in, sharper and higher each time, desperately holding onto Izuku the rougher he gets, as if he would fall into the void if he didn't.

“Careful —mhhh, with your arm,” Izuku exhales.

“Don't give a shit 'bout my arm right now,” Kacchan grunts, but the words get lost in a moan.

Izuku glares disapprovingly and forces his hips to slow down. “I will stop.”

Kacchan looks like a kid whose candy got taken away. He wraps both of his legs around Izuku's hips and whines, “Nooooo, shit, I'm being careful!”

Izuku rumbles, pleased, and resumes his pace, “Good boy.”

He buries his face in the crook of Kacchan's neck and drags his lips all the way down to his pec, where he closes his mouth around a perky nipple and sucks, making Kacchan hiss and arch beneath him — and of course, Izuku can only reach for the other nipple to twist it around his fingers as he laps and nuzzles at the quickly reddening nub, moving from one to another to pay equal attention to both. Kacchan seems torn between enjoying it and suffering from the abuse, but the debate it's soon displaced when Izuku's hips seem to acquire a mind of their own accord, frantically buckling forward in deep, powerful thrusts, needing that tightness in his belly that has been steadily building to burst.

Kacchan cries out when Izuku picks up on mercilessly hitting his prostate again. And he doesn't know what he needs more, to see Kacchan tumble over again or to reach the high himself.

“C'mon, baby, give it to me,” Izuku purrs, “Give me another one.”

Kacchan whines, incapable of words. He just stares at Izuku with wet eyes that beg him to please, help him get what he needs. Izuku reaches down for his weeping cock, and feels how badly it drools. He uses it to lubricate Kacchan's length and create a wet slide for his cock, pumping him in tandem with his pounding, so hard and so desperate that the bed started to creak.

Izuku feels his orgasm approaching in his whole body, curling his toes, cramping his legs, and contracting his abdomen. He digs his knees into he bed, wraps his free arm around Kacchan's tiny waist, and fucks into him like there is no tomorrow. He's glad he lives away-ish from the village, because he's sure that whoever went by the cabin would hear them loud and clear, either the squeaking wood of the bed, the bed head hitting the wall, his growls, or Kacchan's needy moans.

Kacchan must feel how close he is, because he bites his shoulder and cries out, “Inside! Izuku— please, inside, inside, inside.”

God, yes.

Kacchan arches off the bed completely and screams. His hole clenches impossibly hard, practically milking the orgasm out of Izuku as he spills over in his hand, cum spurting between their bellies, balls tight. That sends Izuku straight to his climax too, and it's a life-changing experience to fill Kacchan up with his hot cum, marking him up from the inside out.

Kacchan pants underneath him as Izuku chases the aftershocks of the orgasm, now grinding more than thrusting, persistently dragging his cock in and out of his abused hole until the grinding gradually becomes lazy and slow. Izuku feels Kacchan spasm around him, momentarily trapping him in before releasing him. He groans every time Kacchan squeezes down.

“Can't help it,” Kacchan says, out of breath and appearing thoroughly ruined. He's absolutely gorgeous.

“I know,” Izuku replies, “Glad to know I did a good job.” His tone is inquiring, partially looking for a confirmation.

Kacchan tiredly chuckles, and it's such a sweet sound. He searches for Izuku's head and threads his fingers through his sweaty curls. Izuku nearly purrs when he feels his nails scratching his scalp.

“You weren't half bad for a virgin, nerd.”

He smiles. He's getting soft inside Kacchan, and he mourns having to pull out and feeling his cum drip out. Kacchan squirms, probably uncomfortable, too. Izuku presses his lips to his temple. “Not a virgin anymore.”

“You're welcome,” Kacchan teases, fingers still working on unraveling green hair.

Izuku breathes out a laugh, collapses on the side, and brings Kacchan with him; then, quiet prevails. They stay like that for a moment, with their limbs intertwined and their breaths evening out, feeling their hearts beat together as they lie face to face.

Kacchan stares, brings his hand to his face, and softly brushes his thumb over his cheek. He makes shapes, and later Izuku realizes he's tracing his freckles as if he's learning their patterns. He just watches him, heart racing up again just because Kacchan is touching him so blatantly. Izuku wants to think he's being so openly affectionate not only because they're swimming in the post orgasm glow, but because he missed him too.

Despite seeing him so often around the village (it was a small place, not much room for successful avoidance), having Kacchan so close, looking at him at such a little distance that he can see the faint scar on his chin from when they were kids and the spaces between his eyelashes, makes Izuku feel like he's part of his longing imagination. He yearned for him like this for so long that now that he has him, it's like he doesn't know what to do.

“You're thinking so loudly,” Kacchan complains, pinching his cheek.

“I just missed you,” Admits Izuku, shrugging a bit. “You made me think for a second that you were really done with me.”

Kacchan grimaces, and briefly averts his eyes. “I was hurt that you didn't want to come with me.”

Now that he knows the reason, he can understand how Kacchan must have been feeling then.

Izuku covers the hand that's touching his cheek with his own. “I'm sorry,” he murmurs, observing him with sad eyes. “You needed me, and I—”

“No, you were right,” Katsuki cuts in, shaking his head. “I would have fucking hated myself. I couldn't leave, but I was so scared. I shouldn't have put you in that position.”

“I would have gone with you,” Izuku affirms. Kacchan needs to know that for him, Izuku would have left everything behind.

“I know,” Kacchan mutters, and Izuku hates how heavyhearted he looks with his eyes downcast like that. “But I wouldn't have forgiven myself either if you did. I wasn't thinking straight. I just — I needed to know I still had you. Us.”

“Oh, baby,” Izuku squirms closer and kisses Kacchan's nose, then his cheeks, his eyes (that are suspiciously moist at the corners), and lastly, his mouth. “There's nothing you could do that can make me stop loving you. You know I've belonged to you since the second we met at the river.”

“You asked me to marry you,” Kacchan quietly reminds him. “Were you— do you want that? With me?”

Izuku would've never let go of him in that moment if it wasn't to turn around and open his nightstand drawer to pull out one of his best-kept secrets. Over the course of last year, Izuku truly feared the secret would never come to light, that it would stay hidden and burning a hole in his drawer, forever reminding him of what he lost. Of what could've been.

There are no words to describe how it feels to present the little box in his hand to the person it was meant for all along.

Katsuki isn't a man easily persuaded by words, anyway. It's better if he sees how much Izuku really meant what he said.

His eyes dart between the box and Izuku several times, narrowed, before his lips part and he says, “You're joking.”

Izuku shakes his head, almost vibrating in his place, and slowly takes the lid off to show him how not joking he is.

The ring is neatly resting on the little pillow inside the box. The sapphire catches the morning light coming through the window, sparkling like the ocean on a sunny day.

Izuku heard how Katsuki's breath catches in his throat. He can't seem to tear his eyes away from the ring, intently staring down as if he can't believe what's in front of him, rendered speechless.

As usual, silence in situations like this makes Izuku anxious out of his mind, pushing him to speak. “I know you had always liked your mom's wedding ring,” Izuku starts nervously explaining. “I tried to make the shape as similar as possible while still making it unique.”

Katsuki still says nothing, owlishly blinking at him as his mouth runs a mile per minute.

Was it too much? Had Izuku messed up? Oh, God. They've been separated for a year, and he comes and pulls out a wedding ring out of thin air! Of course, Kacchan would be freaked out!

“I— I stumbled upon the sapphire last year when I traveled west to look for dad's medicines. I saw it when I was trading for them. The vendor was showing it to a couple next to me, but when I saw it… I knew it had to be yours. It belonged on your finger.”

“How much was this?” Kacchan whispers.

Ah, that. Maybe he had to trade some weeks of hard work along half his remaining savings and his best knives and bows, but Kacchan didn't have to know that. He'd recovered everything already, so it was alright. Screw Shindo, Izuku could get nice things for Kacchan, too.

“Doesn't matter. It was for you, I didn't even think about it,” he admits." Shouto helped me make the gold band and attach the stone to it. I think he outdid himself this time. ”

“You… you were planning on proposing to me since then?”

“I was 6 when I knew I was going to marry you,” Izuku replies matter-of-factly, “But I wanted to propose since last year — before, you know.”

Seeing how tears form in real time in his precious Kacchan's eyes is mortifying. Izuku nearly drops the ring to hurry and hold Kacchan's face and wipe his tears. Kacchan leans into his touch, breath jagged and nose snotty. His brow creases, and Izuku kisses between his eyebrows to smooth them down.

“I was so goddam stupid,” he grunts, frustration written all over his voice. “I could've saved us so much if I hadn't been so fucking unreasonable.”

“Kacchan, I don't hold anything against you,” Izuku softly says. “You were overwhelmed. I don't know how I would have reacted if I were in your shoes.” He presses a kiss to his temple again, and this time he lets his lips linger. The brush against his skin when he says, “We're here now, aren't we? That's what matters.”

“We have to communicate better,” Kacchan grumbles.

Izuku chuckles. Yeah. “We have all the time in the world to do that.”

Kacchan stares at the box again, and his eyes glint. “Put it on me,” he urges, placing his hand up and wiggling his fingers. “C'mon.”

A smirk plays on his lips. He's so cute when he's impatient.

“Will you, then?”

“Will what?”

“Marry me.”

Kacchan's face flares red. He rolls his eyes and scowls, kissing his teeth.

“Of course I will, idiot. Now put it on!”

Izuku can't stop smiling. He doesn't make him wait any longer, taking the ring with all the care in the world and gently sliding it down his slender finger, careful with his arm, watching in awe how perfect it looks.

Kacchan observes his hand with conspicuous amazement overflowing his gaze. He tilts his hand to the side to watch the stone gleam under the sunbeams, and his mouth breaks into a wide smile when he flicks his gaze to Izuku.

And he looks so breathtaking like this. Nearly glowing with happiness, with no worries burdening his shoulders and no sadness glooming on his face. With his pale hair sticking in all directions and his cheeks dusted in a healthy blush, his lips kissed-red and eyes wrinkled with glee. The sight of the person he loves the most like this pulls at the most sensible of Izuku's heartstrings, all with Kacchan's name written on them, and makes his chest warm with gentle heat.

“I love you,” Izuku whispers, like a prayer. Amazed by the dazzling creature who seems to have the key to his heart.

Kacchan tosses himself at him to kiss him on the lips as a response, pushing him back into the mattress — his smile contagious, because Izuku is smiling into his mouth too before he knows it, grabbing him by the waist and pressing his naked body close to him with tangible necessity.

Kacchan groans and lets himself be manhandled as Izuku pleases, kiss-drunk and too happy to care about how he seems to want to eat him alive. Their tongues meet, and it makes everything wetter, the slide of their lips smooth. Izuku relishes every gasp Kacchan makes, and feeling the cold press of the gold band on the hot skin of his back each time Kacchan presses his hand down feels like a victory in itself.

It's a miracle they hear the frantic knocking on the front door, and it nearly makes them jump out of their skin.

They stare at each other with big, questioning eyes.

“Stay here,” Izuku says, trying to catch his breath.

“But—”

Izuku kisses him again. “Don't worry. I'll handle it.”

Kacchan nods, a bit reluctant but choosing not to fight him on this.

Izuku surveys the room to find a pair of forgotten pants on the floor. He puts them on and spares a last glance at Kacchan before walking to the door. The knocking gets louder and insistent as he approaches, and Izuku gets an idea of who it could be.

When he opens it, a set of two very worried faces greet him.

“Izuku!” Mitsuki says, voice loud and talking somewhat fast, “I'm sorry to bother you so early, honey, but Katsuki didn't come home last night and we can't find him.”

Masaru, who's standing behind her, pushes his glasses up his nose — they keep sliding down because of how frown his face is with concern.

“He went out with Shindo last night, but he said that they had a small argument, and Katsuki didn't want to walk home with him. That's the last time he saw him.”

Oh, that son of a bitch.

“There are a lot of wolves around this time,” Masaru purses his lips, afraid of even suggesting something as horrific as that. “He knows that. We don't know why he would want to expose himself like that— but maybe he was upset about the argument? You know how Katsuki is, he needs space when he gets mad. We thought he might have stayed over at Kirishima's or Sero's, but when we went looking for him this morning and he wasn't there…”

“We know you and the brat aren't in the best of terms right now,” Mitsuki cuts in, blunt as always, “But we still thought he could've ended up here, somehow. Have you seen him?” she asks, hopeful.

Izuku opens his mouth, ready to tell them that, yes, Kacchan is here, he's safe, and that they need to tie Shindo to a rock and push him into the lake. But he has no opportunity to reply, because someone behind him chokes.

Izuku whips his head around. Kacchan has limped his way out of bed, wearing nothing but his underwear, and he's standing with the help of supporting himself on the wall.

“Katsuki?” His mom yelps, eyes wide as he watches her not-longer-missing son.

“Hag?” Kacchan croaks out.

“Katsuki,” his dad mutters, scrutinizing his… questionable state.

Okay, without the proper context, it was an extremely worrying picture. Kacchan looked like he was attacked by a wild animal — which he was, but most of his disastrous appearance is Izuku's fault. His hair was disheveled, his mouth puffy from kissing, and the underside of his eyes was slightly darkened by the lack of sleep. And there was the scratch on his cheek, too, that honestly didn't look so bad compared to the mess of bruises and love bites scattered down his neck, shoulders, and chest. Then his arm… that didn't look good. It was nowhere near as swollen as yesterday, but still red and, uh, stitched. And to make matters worse, his ankle had bloomed a rich dark purple, and he was holding it up in the air to avoid stepping on it more than necessary.

“Who— what…” Masaru fails to find the words.

“What the hell happened to you?” Mitsuki snarls, looking ready to murder. “Who did this?!”

“Mom, calm the fuck down—”

"We thought you were dead!" She yells. "And it looks like you nearly were!"

"Son, what happened?" Poor Masaru looks stressed beyond his mind. "What's that on your arm? And your ankle!"

"Oh my god, are those stitches?"

"Deku stitched me up," Katsuki says.

"Deku—" Mitsuki repeats, looking at Izuku. He just smiles awkwardly. "Wait, how long have you been here? Why did you need stitches? Katsuki, what's going on?"

Izuku and Kacchan share a look. Kacchan shifts anxiously in his place, lips tight as he eyes Izuku with clear unease. He will have to tell his parents. And he should, even more now that Izuku knows the lies Shindo has been spreading around.

"It's okay, Kacchan," Izuku whispers to him, offering him a reassuring curve of his lips. "I'm here, alright?"

Kacchan's eyes dart between him and his parents a few times, who are at sixes and sevens, and finally, he sighs in acceptance.

“I—”

“Mitsuki-San, Masaru-San!”

Suddenly, the voice of Izuku's nightmares comes booming behind them. They all turn around to look, and to their surprise and Izuku's abhorrence, Shindo is jogging to where they are, waving something in his hand.

Kacchan's lost glove.

“I found it by the lake!” The disgusting little rat says, holding the glove up, “There was blood on the snow, I don't want to assume the worst but—”

He spots Izuku, but he doesn't see Kacchan behind him.

His face twists into surprise, then annoyance, then carefully calculated anguish. “Midoriya-San, I'm sure the Bakugou's already told you that my dear Katsuki is missing. I'm afraid he must have encountered the wolves while he was walking alone at night, but I don't want to fall into despair yet. We won't lose hope!” He declares, looking at Kacchan's parents, then back at him, “Will you join our search?”

What a clown.

Izuku scoffs. He cracks his neck and rolls his shoulders as he steps out of the porch and into the snow, where Shindo stands. The jerk smiles at him, and Izuku says, “Sure.”

Then Izuku breaks his nose.

The sound of the bridge of his nose breaking is like music to Izuku's ears, but his blood lust isn't sated yet. Mitsuki screams, and Shindo falls to the snow with a shriek. Izuku sits on top of him, keeping him from running away, and keeps pouncing at him without mercy. This filthy piece of trash needs to be fucking unrecognizable after Izuku is done with him. He needs to suffer and wish he were dead instead of in Izuku's hands. He barely registers the commotion around him. He doesn't think about how Kacchan will never forgive him if he ends up locked up in a cell for the rest of his life. He sees nothing but red, vision narrowed on the man under him as his fist connects with his face over and over again, hearing the cracking of his bones with sick satisfaction and basking in his cries for help with barbaric delight in the violence he's inflicting. He's panting, teeth bared and pupils dark, blood splashed all over him. To anyone watching, he must look like a monster.

He doesn't care.

“Deku!”

“You're going to kill him!”

Someone grabs him by the shoulders, and he's about to swing at whoever is getting in his way until he recognizes it's Masaru.

“Izuku, stop, oh my god!”

Masaru violently shakes him, and it's like someone turns off his killing switch. Izuku snaps out of it.

“What's gotten into you?!” Masaru shouts, wide-eyed. “Let go of him!”

“Izuku, what on earth are you doing!” Mitsuki squeals, running to kneel next to Shindo and pressing her fingers to his neck. She sighs in relief when she finds a pulse. “Have you gone mad?!”

Shindo groans then, and Izuku can't help thinking he didn't hit hard enough.

“It's his fault that Kacchan almost got killed,” he declares, heavily breathing through his nose. “It's the least he deserves,” he growls.

“What?” Mitsuki frowns. “Izuku, you can't be—”

“It's true,” Kacchan interjects from the porch. He glances at Izuku, bloodied and short-winded. “Mom, Dad, I need you to listen to me. I know this is insane, but you know I ain't a fucking liar.”

Mitsuki seems way too appalled to do anything but gape at him. Her mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. Her eyes are big, and she looks seconds away from exploding.

Masaru stands up, and puts a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder. “Let's hear him out, dear.” He looks at Kacchan and nods. “We're listening, son.”

And Masaru's always had this magic ability to soothe everyone around him with his presence alone. That's why he was the fundamental pillar of the Bakugou household; without him, Kacchan and his mom would possibly have killed each other a long time ago.

Encouraged by his father, Katsuki speaks up. As always, he's as straightforward as he can. “Last night, Shindo asked me to marry him.” His parents' mouths drop open. They exchange glances, but don't say anything. “And I couldn't say yes. I don't love him, and it felt so wrong. I know it was meant to help us, but if I had accepted, I would've been miserable for the rest of my days. I'm sorry, I couldn't do it,” he starts sounding distressed, and it breaks Izuku's heart.

“Katsuki,” his mother mutters, eyes softening at her son's dejection.

“He got angry and started yelling, and that's how the wolves found us. They attacked me first. One of them bit my arm, and in the midst of trying to protect myself, I twisted my ankle.” He glares at Shindo, who's still groaning and moaning on the floor, regaining consciousness little by little, “Mom, he knew I couldn't run and left me there at the first chance he got to escape. He wanted them to kill me.”

Mitsuki covers his mouth with his hand as she shoots a bewildered look at her husband, who seems like he can't believe what he hears.

“Izuku found me. He saved me. He brought me to his cabin yesterday and stitched the bite.”

“My goodness,” Masaru whispers. “Izuku,” he stares at him with a pained expression. “Is that true?”

“The wolves were seconds away from mauling him when I found him,” he says. “We were truly lucky.”

It takes them a while to digest the information. Starting into nothing with pale faces. They almost lost their only son, and partially because the man he was nearly engaged to ended up being a scumbag with no honor.

It takes them long enough for Shindo to begin to stir. He tries to sit up, and all heads turn toward him when he hisses in pain. He's bathed in blood and surely concussed.

“Wha— what hap— pened?” he slurs out.

Mitsuki's aura turns deadly, and just when she's about to bark some profanity at him, Masaru takes care of the situation and knocks him back out with a clean blow.

Their jaws collectively fall onto the floor. Masaru shakes his hand in the air and pulls out a handkerchief from the pocket of his coat to clean the blood from his knuckles.

He pushes his glasses back up and sees all the shocked faces.

“Let's go get the sheriff and a doctor.”

No one argues with him.

An hour later, they've talked to the Sheriff and explained the situation. And while Sheriff Tsunagu doesn't condone the use of violence, after hearing what Shindo did, he decides that he can turn a blind eye to how Shindo's injuries happened.

Unfortunately, Shindo will live. But as the doctors take him away to treat him, Izuku hears them say that his face will have some changes after it heals, which fills him with a gratification he can't find the will to feel guilty about at all.

They also check on Kacchan's arm and ankle inside the cabin as Masaru talks to the Sheriff, and congratulate Izuku for doing such a good job with the stitching. Izuku explains that his father taught him how to do it as he puffs out his chest, wiggling his eyebrows at Kacchan. He rolls his eyes and slaps him on the shoulder.

“What is that?” Mitsuki questions, aggressively frowning.

“What?”

“That damn thing on your finger, Bakugou Katsuki.”

Kacchan stiffens, but it's too late to try to hide the ring now. His breath stutters at first, but he seems to ultimately decide that he won't deny it. What's to lose now, anyway?

“I'm marrying Izuku, hag,” he states with his chin up. “He proposed this morning.”

Mitsuki pointedly raises an eyebrow at them.

“Auntie,” Izuku nervously says, “I'm sorry I didn't ask for his hand first! It all happened too quickly. After being so close to losing him, I couldn't wait any longer to ask him. Auntie, you know I've loved Kacchan my whole life. I promise I'm going to make him so happy and—”

“Izuku, stop your mouth,” she says, then pinches the bridge of her nose. The nurse who is splinting Kacchan's ankle giggles before going back to miserably pretending she isn't listening. “If Katsuki should marry anyone, it should be you. You're part of the family already, so shut up. I'm just trying to understand how you went from not talking to each other to being engaged in a single day.”

“Uh, we… um, figured stuff out?” Izuku weakly offers.

“It was all a misunderstanding,” Katsuki says. “We were stupid. It's all good now, and we're getting married in the spring.”

“In the spring?” Izuku parrots. Not that he's complaining, but this is news to him.

“I want a spring wedding,” Kacchan proclaims. “So I won't be freezing or sweating my balls off. Besides, I like the cherry blossoms.”

Izuku pictures it. Kacchan walking towards the altar through the petal-covered floor, holding his father by the arm and looking like the most breathtaking groom in the world, staring ahead at Izuku, who's waiting for him to start the rest of their lives together. Finally.

Yeah, a spring wedding would be amazing.

“Okay, Kacchan,” Izuku easily agrees, heart happy and full. He momentarily forgets they're not alone when he leans to lovingly kiss Kacchan's temple. The blond blushes, but allows the kiss nonetheless. “We'll have a spring wedding if that's what you want.”

Mitsuki studies them as if they were under a magnifying glass, and Izuku is reminded of where Kacchan's gaze got its intensity from.

She eyes Kacchan, and then Izuku, and repeats the process. The moment in which the puzzle pieces fit inside her head is clear as day.

“Oh my God, those bruises have nothing to do with the wolves, don't they?” she berates, pointing at them. And yeah, maybe Izuku didn't take into account that Kacchan wasn't the only one covered in suspicious marks.

Kacchan's hand flies to his neck (not that it's useful, the hickeys go all the way down to his pecs and belly). Izuku is boiling alive in shame.

“Stay out of it, hag!”

“You almost died! Couldn't you two wait a little longer!”

“Auntie,” Izuku whines. He's defenseless. He did fucked her son into oblivion while he was freshly injured, after all. “We were careful, I swear!”

“Izuku, shut up!” Kacchan now snaps at him.

“I should've known, you two have been fooling around since your hormones developed.”

“You knew?” Izuku shrieks, completely horrified.

“Please, as if I haven't been hearing you attempting to keep quiet for years. I know everything that happens under my roof.”

“I should've died.”

“Kacchan! Don't say that!”

“Can't you just be happy for me like a normal mom?” Kacchan groans.

“Oh, I'm ecstatic for you two,” she grins. “You think your father and I wanted you to marry Shindo? We made it very clear it was your decision from the start, but no matter how beneficial it would have been to us, we weren't thrilled. We hated that snobby jerk, and we mourned the loss of Izuku as our son-in-law every day.”

“You… are you serious?”

“We tried to talk you out of it so many times! But you're so goddamn stubborn,” she clicked her tongue. Kacchan glares at her, as if to say and where do you think I got it from. “I'm so happy you came to your senses.”

“We're actually pretty relieved you're not marrying Shindo,” Masaru chimes in, coming to stand next to his wife. He must be done with all the formalities. “Imagine how badly it would've turned out, especially now that we know how much of a horrible person he is. If I'm being honest, I always felt like the marriage was like trying to fix a mistake with another mistake. I'm so glad you and Izuku are back together now.”

Masaru has always been something close to a father figure to Izuku, predominantly before Toshinori arrived in his life. His opinion has always been important to him. Izuku feels proud of being a man that Masaru approves of being with his only son.

“And don't worry about the business,” Mitsuki says, waving her hand around. “We will work out something that doesn't have to ruin your life to fix it.”

"Actually, hag… Izuku might have gotten ahead of us already."

"What do you mean?" She asks, confused, gaze shifting to him. He's also gotten Masaru's full attention.

Izuku needs to be very smart with his words if he doesn't want them to turn him down right away. Fortunately, Kacchan helps him explain everything, and Izuku knows he's won half the battle when he realizes Kacchan is already on board with the idea as he diligently tells them about Dave and the possible lower tariff payments. His parents look reluctant at first, but Izuku gets an idea of how bad the situation must truly be when they don't refuse as soon as they're done talking. They seem to be considering it, even.

"We don't want to cause Toshinori any problems," Masaru says. But it's not a no.

"Dave and he are very close. He told me it wasn't something particularly hard to do, it's actually more about politics, really," Izuku assures. "Dad appreciates you a lot, you know. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to write that letter for you."

And he would. When Izuku's dad left the village and never came back, the Bakugous offered his mom and him all the support they could. They were never hungry or cold, and more times than not, it was thanks to them. His dad always tells him how grateful he is to them for taking care of his family before he could.

"We… we'd like to personally talk to him, if it's possible. Does his health allow it?" Masaru asks.

"He's been feeling better lately, so it's the perfect time!"

Masaru glances briefly at Mitsuki. She wordlessly nods, and then they beam at him. "Thank you, Izuku. This means a lot to us."

"You see, brat? This is the kind of man you need," Mitsuki scolds. "Can't believe you were going to let him get away."

"Oi! I was trying to be helpful, you ungrateful hag!"

"Yes, but if you talked to us more, we could have thought of something else!"

"Dad," he growls, head snapping to where his dad is watching them bark to each other, "tell your woman to stop busting my balls."

"Katsuki, don't call your mother that," his father sighs. "And honey, please, stop picking on him. You were just as worried as I was."

“Sorry, honey, I'm just teasing him." She bats her long lashes at her husband before looking over at her son, "Now gimme, let me see the ring,” Mitsuki orders. Kacchan rolls his eyes, but proudly lends his hand to her. She marvels at it, mouth open in an 'o' shape. “It looks like mine! And look at how gorgeous the sapphire is,” she whistles. “My, my, brat, you're spoiled already,” she sends a knowing glance at Izuku. “Let's see if the boy can put up with your stubborn ass for an eternity.”

Izuku eyes Katsuki, and as always, he's already watching him— familiar fondness shining in his eyes as they lose themselves in each other. This is the family he's going to marry into, all because he's madly in love with the stubborn blonde with pretty red eyes and a virtuous heart.

Izuku smiles.

There's nothing he wants more in the world.

Kacchan stares at his ring, thoughtful. His lips twitch upwards.

"He better."