Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Nemuri was reluctant and completely jaded by all the things that were piling up inside her traps. She was in a lousy mood at the moment and the only thing that was helping to bring her mood down was the wine she was drinking, even though it wasn't really making her throat or her insides tingle.

Too much had happened since the mother goddess had tried to bring the god of love and her deformed son together in nuptials, and there was nothing in his gut at the moment but a relentless worry that all his plans to bring Shoto and Izuku together would be undermined by Katsuki's interference.

Oh yes, she knew there was something strange between the two of them. She was no fool, but both gods had done their part to confuse her in a way. However, that information that one of her Odas had given her the day the god was kidnapped had put her feet on the ground of how important it was to stop her ashen-haired son long before her plans were overturned.

The goddess, while not liking to be made a fool of, let alone have the truth hidden from her in such a way, desisted from making a magnanimous drama. All Might was so bad that on one occasion when they were arguing, she had raised her voice and warned her that she would lock her up in Tartarus for an eternity.

While the goddess was not afraid of many things, she was afraid of her husband. All Might was calm, permissive and collected most of the time, even in most of their arguments; however, the king god's wrath was a soulless legend, one that Nemuri had rarely had occasion to see. The first time when they confronted her father Cronus, and the last time when she conspired against him to become the sole ruler of Olympus.

She knew that when Yagi was consumed by moodiness and anger, she had to be calm, quiet and loving towards him. Yagi's anger was quite fickle, making him cold, stern, calculating and even cruel if he set his mind to it. So he stopped himself from making the problem at hand even bigger.

Her musings kept her distant for a moment, but a throat clearing brought her back to her senses, raising her august gaze to the one who interrupted her thoughts. But she was surprised to find in front of her throne the one goddess she might never see in her palace even if she had to: Ochako.

The goddess of hearth and hearth stood grimly in front of the queen mother, with a determined countenance and standing tall on her feet, accompanied by one of the many Odes that Nemuri had scattered around the palace.

The goddess straightened her position on the throne and set her burnished goblet filled with wine on a small table beside the throne.

"Oh, Ochako, I didn't expect to see you here... until..."

"I know, Nemuri-san" replied the brown-stranded goddess serenely "I know my presence here is very.... unexpected."

"Always taking the words out of my mouth, my dear," agreed the jet-stranded woman, "but what intrigues me most about all this is to know what are the reasons that have you here in front of me."

Ochako was silent for a moment and then let out a sigh, watched closely by the implacable eyes of the queen mother of Olympus.

"Nemuri, as a woman I come before you to ask a favour."

"A favour?" questioned the queen in surprise "it is very strange even for you, my dear."

"I would never dare ask this of you if I were not so desperate."

"Desperate?"

Nemuri watched the young goddess' syrupy eyes closely and this time the queen mother felt that tingle she may have thought long forgotten: curiosity. Nevertheless, she gave the brown-haired girl a motherly smile.

"You have my undivided attention my dear" said the mother goddess taking the wine cup in her hands and ready to listen to the young goddess "so tell me what is this favour?"

*************************************************

He felt in a strange emptiness. A calm, comforting, ethereal void. He could feel absolutely nothing but that longed-for sense of calm that he had lost long ago, though he couldn't really remember why he had lost it.

Peace was close at hand, though it was combined with a familiar scent of forest, flowers and....

Izuku tried to regain his sight. Yet everything looked so blurred and the pain of his numb body made him wince and stop his sudden movement.

"Izuku," they called his name.

The call of his name made him blink his eyes to better focus on the silhouette that had mentioned his name. When he could better appreciate the specks of colour in front of his eyes, he watched as the image of Inko materialised, her long greenish hair and wet eyes.

"Mother," whispered Izuku audibly.

"Here I am, my child," replied the nymph's voice, touching the god's freckled face with her motherly hands.

The young god felt the sweet touch of his mother like a balm and then he became aware of everything around him. The sunlight coming through the slits in the treetops, the sound of the birds, the rushing of the water. He was home.

Izuku felt comforted for a moment, until he tried to get up and a twinge in his right arm stopped him. The emerald-eyed god stifled a groan and clung to one of the smooth walls of the waterfall they were on.

"Don't move too much sweetheart" said Inko reaching over and wiping a damp cloth across the god's forehead "you're still healing..."

"What..."

"Your father came for you" replied the nymph calmly "he was desperately trying to find you when you disappeared from Olympus. He along with other gods saved you."

"Where are they?"

"On Olympus" she said calmly "I begged your father to let me take care of you enough so you could get back up there safely. But the only one who disagreed was that strange-haired god."

"Shoto" whispered the god.

"Is that his name? Well you should be careful with him if he's going to become your husband, my boy..."

Izuku not knowing what to say at the word husband, fell silent and looked away. Inko noticed.

"Honey... Is he really...?"

"Not yet mum" whispered the god in reply "but he wants very much for me to be his husband, but..."

"You don't love him" the nymph finished.

Izuku stared into his mother's bright green eyes, shaking his head at her.

"But do you intend to marry him? Izuku, that's... unheard of."

"I wouldn't want to marry him mother, if I wasn't bound by a promise."

"Promise?" Inko narrowed her eyes and set her implements aside "Izuku, what the hell did you do?"

Izuku watched the menacing, worried glow that flared behind his mother's emeralds. Izuku settled in place, keeping the bandages on his right arm from spoiling.

"Please, listen to me. I don't want you to judge what I've done."

"Far beyond you being a god, I am your mother, Izuku. It is my duty to judge your decisions and more so when they do not lead to happiness."

His mother's hands took his left hand with affection.

"Tell me everything."

*************************************************

Katsuki was completely nervous, anxious, in a lousy mood - though normally that was his bread and butter - and was pacing back and forth in his palace.

The god of war had occupied himself long enough to take his mind off the beautiful god of love, who had been passed out for at least some time and was being cared for by his mother and sisters in Cythera.

It had been difficult for him to leave the care of the god of love in their hands. However, the fact that it was his mother who was taking close care of the beautiful milky-skinned god had calmed his nerves a little. Nevertheless, that pressing feeling of worry had not left him in peace since his father had returned them to Olympus.

To say that his father was without care was an understatement. And in truth it was all the fault of the half-fucking-half's annoying, tireless insistence that he could go and stay with his Deku, tormenting the old man. His father was tired, jaded and, like him and the two-coloured bastard, worried about the health of the enigma-scented god.

They had not heard a single word from the god since, by All Might's compulsion, they had all retreated to Olympus. However, the god king had assured them that he was keeping a close eye on the freckled one's progress and that, in the event of any mishap, he would summon them so as not to make the problem even bigger than it already was.

Katsuki stood pensively on his arranged throne and waved his leg frantically in anxiety. He wished with all his might that he could escape to the island and closely accompany the recovery of the god of love, wanting to know if he had woken up, if he was recovering.

His need to feel, to be and to witness the closeness of the god of love next to him, his warmth, his face, was driving him crazy. The simple sensation of being away from that beautiful boy with the infinite freckles was making him delirious, his stomach was shrinking and the urge to know about the god was gnawing at his thoughts in a relentless way.

"My lord" whispered barely audible to him.

The ashen-haired god looked at his protégé, rousing himself from the torrent of musings that were drowning him at the moment.

"Is something wrong, sheep's eyes?" the god asked.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but the god of forging has come."

Katsuki didn't bother to react. However, he found it very strange that the half-half bastard showed up at his castle as if it was nothing, he had never come near his home since he had earnestly asked him for an arrangement many eons ago.

"What's that bastard doing here?" he questioned his protégé.

"I haven't the faintest idea, my lord. I'm as confused as you are."

"Didn't you even ask what the hell he was doing here?"

"Yes I did, my lord. He had no intention of telling me even though I insisted, he just told me it was matters between you and him."

Katsuki tensed the muscles on his armour and frowned more pronouncedly. That message that two-coloured bastard had sent with his protégé had alerted his warrior instinct, that instinct he only used when he was in the middle of a war, where his intelligence and innate talent for battle came into play.

Alectrion saw up close how his master's grimace had relaxed into a countenance the young man had rarely seen on his master. A countenance permeated with focus, resolve and fierceness. It was the countenance of a true warrior about to launch himself into battle and that alone made the young man feel two contradictory feelings: pride and concern.

"My lord?"

"I'll go see him out there" said the god of war with such seriousness that the young man gave an imperceptible gasp "just one thing, sheep's eyes..."

"What my lord?"

"Bring my spear and only react when I tell you is that alright?"

The crimson eyes looked straight into the syrupy ones of his protégé, who nodded rather insistently and disappeared down the corridors of his palace. Then the god of war briefly stretched his body as he rattled a few bones and began to psych himself up for what would happen next.
If his instincts told him right, the half-half bastard surely already had a sneaking suspicion of how he felt about Deku and, even if he cared one hell of a lot about the scumbag, he had to come face to face with the idiot to make him leave him alone for once.

Who did that jerk think he was, going to the outskirts of his palace and leaving bellicose messages like that, knowing his agility in war. While Katsuki didn't care what anyone said about him, his pride as a god of war had prompted him to take that message as a call to fight. And he was absolutely certain that he would kick that bastard's ass.

As he stepped through the entrance gates, imposing, haughty and calm, he looked closely at the grimace that oozed the ill-contained anger of the god of the forge. His knuckles were clenched, teeth biting his lips and fire blazing in his heterochromatic eyes.

"What the hell do you want now you bastard?"

"I've come to have you tell me to my face what you know, Katsuki," the forge god replied dismissively, gritting his teeth.

"Know what? I'm not the fucking know-it-all witch to be answering you bullshit."

"Don't tease me Katsuki" replied the god angrily, walking up to him and angrily facing him "we both know what I'm talking about."

"Not really" the ashen-haired one replied coldly, pretending to be oblivious "I'm not a fucking fortune teller to be guessing what the fuck you're thinking."

"Just to make it clearer, Katsuki. I want you to stay away from Izuku."

Katsuki's eyes lingered intently on the heterochromatic, narrowing and observing the steely annoyance that nestled in the forge god's eyes. He watched as the gleam of his hammer glinted from the wrathful god's girdle, but didn't think much of it.

"Drive me away for what?" the god questioned mockingly.

"Because he is..."

"Your husband? Oh, come on, you bastard. He hasn't even had his fucking procession yet and you're already claiming him like he's a fucking prize."

"Katsuki, I'm warning you..."

"Don't warn me about anything, you bastard. He's the one who has the right to demand that I stay away from him here, not you."

"How dare you challenge me, you bastard?"

"Challenge you? Stop talking rubbish. You are no challenge to me and Deku is not yours," said the god of war slowly and savagely.

"Deku?" questioned the two-coloured one, feeling his heart disfigure and his anger scorch him, "You are fucked"

"No, you're the fuked one here. Wanting to see fucking Deku as a prize, well, I'll tell you this once and for all, you bastard: he belongs to no one. If he wants to come to me, it will be by his own choice."

"I've had enough of you," the forge god shrieked in anger.

With a nimble movement, Shoto grabbed the handle of his hammer at his belt and lunged at the god of war. Before the weapon could graze him, Katsuki rolled on the ground and, with a distinctive hiss, caused Alectrion, hidden between one of the columns, to hurl one of his spears at him.

Shoto's two-coloured eyes glared wildly at him, not really caring if the ashen-haired god clutched that spear of iron and bronze in his hands. He lunged again, watching as the god of war also lunged at him.

Weapons rammed into each other, maintaining the strength of the two gods, one gnashing his teeth in fury and the other glaring earnestly at his opponent. The metallic, crackling sound of the weapons had set Alectrion on edge, and he was watching the clash off the radar of the two gods.

«Oh god, a fight between my lord and a god, come on my lord.»

"Stay away from him Katsuki, he's mine" whispered the god angrily.

"You really are annoying and stubborn, you bastard."

"I just want you to stay away from him."

Shoto pushed Katsuki backwards, trying to take advantage of the stumble. However, Katsuki avoided the blows the god threw with his hammer and, some, countered with the haft or tip of his spear. Shoto clicked his tongue.

In one of those, he almost hit the god's face, but Katsuki jumped back by the hair. Watching from the imposed distance as Shoto breathed erratically in anger.

Both gazes met, sparkling, proud and angry, waiting for his opponent's next move.

"Listen to me, you bastard. I will only walk away from Deku, when he asks me outright, not when you wish it."

"That's my husband you're talking about, Bakugo! My husband," Shoto shouted again in annoyance.

"Well, I don't care what you think. Deku has the power to decide what to do with his life, not you."

"You're a fucking bastard," he gnashed his teeth.

"Tell me something I don't know, asshole, besides the fact that you played tricks to get his hand."

That comment blew all the forge god's sanity caps off. The two-eyed god let out a war cry and rushed at the god of war, who reacted and was able to counter his opponent's relentless blow.

"How dare you, you're not one to judge me, if you're a bloody monster."

Katsuki clicked his tongue and slammed his elbow into the god's face, causing the god to stagger and took advantage, dizzily sweeping his body over the forge god's legs and sending him tumbling. Before the god could react, the blade of the spear was thrust into the forge god's jugular vein, leaving him with no way out.

The god of the forge wanted to scream in frustration and the god of war wanted to find a way to destroy the god. The heterochromatic-eyed jerk made him lose what little patience he had left and he really wanted to find a way to dislocate his muscles for pretending that the god of love would stop seeing him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, you bastard?" the god of war shouted at him, "coming here demanding me as if you were our father."

"Don't be reckless and vain, Katsuki. It's my right as his future husband, I don't want you anywhere near him, he belongs to me, he's mine."

"Stop seeing him as a damn thing, you bastard. He's a god and his decisions are his, not yours."

The weapon pressed even tighter against the flesh of the forge god's neck, but the flame of anger was undaunted in the face of Katsuki's crimson eyes. Shoto, despite being reduced to a body on the ground, was completely confident and willing to keep fighting for the animal god to leave his god alone, after one of the Odas confessed the war god's visit to his future consort.

"Fuck off, you and everything you think."

"You think that's going to stop me from scarring your fucking throat, you half-half bastard?"

"All right! Enough!" was heard all around.

The ground vibrated in erratic movements, while the sky was tinged with dark clouds. Katsuki staggered backwards thanks to the ground and pushed the weapon away from the forge god. Thunder rumbled like celestial trumpets, lightning bathed the entire Pantheon in lightning, and suddenly, the appearance of All Might's silhouette froze both gods in their tracks.

All Might's eyes glowed, his scowl was so pronounced that his very grimace caused the hairs to stand on end, both hands were clenched, and the halo of lightning around him made him look more intimidating.

"Father," whispered the god of the forge, looking for a way to excuse himself.

"Do not speak!" the god commanded.

Shoto had to bite his tongue in sheer frustration. He rose from the ground and both young gods faced the cyan gaze of the king god, waiting for him to speak or say something about it.

All at once the black clouds dissipated like mist and the lightning subsided. Yagi looked from one to the other of his sons, noting how Shoto did not meet his gaze and Katsuki looked at him circumspectly. The god king did not want to get involved in such trouble, for his sons were cool and rational enough not to stoop so low, but they had fallen into the dispute and he would not conceive of it within the pantheon.

"What the hell did you think you were doing that for?"

Neither of them answered anything.

"Huh? Now won't you say anything?"

"I want you to stay away from Izuku" Shoto replied between teeth and annoyance "it has come to my ears that he has forced himself on you."

While Katsuki wanted to yell at the deformed fucker that everything he had heard was all lies and gossip, he didn't force himself to speak, knowing that if his father didn't urge him to talk, he would earn his wrath.