Chapter Text
When Katsuki finally got to be back on the field with Izuku, he expected the waterworks from the nerd - and came to accept that his eyes may be occasionally watery throughout their shift. They fell into routine with each other seamlessly, with endless conversation as they patrolled their designated area: Izuku, with his thoughts and dreams based on the newest advances of hero suit technology, and Katsuki, sharing more details of his fights within the past eight years (extra info he had held back as to not make Izuku feel too left-out during his temporary early-onstage retirement). Katsuki did feel a bit bad about not-so-subtly withholding information he knew Izuku would find interesting, but his current responses of “No way!”s and “I thought so!”s made Katsuki forget his guilt and moved him to feed Izuku’s enthusiasm even more. It was nothing special, just the occasional comment about how a villain’s attack that had landed on Katsuki could’ve been avoided with developed technique or the right technological advancement, and Izuku soaked in all the new information with bright interest. It was as if the loser had gotten his true spark back, and, well…
Katsuki was happy.
They both knew it could never truly be the same with the embers of OFA gone, after they’ve killed people (and even themselves), after all that’s been lost then rebuilt, and really it shouldn’t be the same. Acknowledge the past or re-fuck history, or however that quote goes.
Their shift goes by smoothly, and even without an action-packed day, Izuku is beaming. Oh, and reporters are swarming.
“Pro Hero Deku! It’s so amazing to see you back on the scene!”
“That’s right folks! See it first now: Deku Is Here!”
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”
“HOLY FUCK HE GOT BI-”
“Reporting from the scene, live with Pro Heroes Dynamight and - with great excitement - Deku! We’re grateful for you both giving your all out here, thanks for your hard work!”
Katsuki nods politely as Izuku babbles out some sort of thanks. In reality Katsuki would’ve told the reporters off and blasted out of here, but he’s making an attempt to stick around for Izuku. The nerd’s return to the big screen.
Some things don’t change.
“So, Deku! How is it being back on the field?”
“O-oh! It’s super fun! I-I mean, I’m very happy to be here to help again!”
Smooth.
“Oh, and we’re all so happy to see you! Ah, I’m seeing an interesting new costume you’ve got on! What’s the deal, a prototype? A re-branding?”
Izuku gathers himself at the topic change. He seems taller with his confident posture despite only growing a few inches since highschool, still shorter than Katsuki himself. Seeing the broadness of his shoulders, the weight in his stance, and the way he clasps his hands, Katsuki knows whatever the nerd says next will actually go smoothly.
“This suit, well,” He smiles, charming and boyish, and Katsuki can’t tell if he’s annoyed or happy he can only catch the corner of the other’s face. One of the civilians swoons and he huffs, returning his focus to Izuku. “It was a surprise from my classmates and mentor! But really…” Izuku glances at Katsuki from over his shoulder and the blonde meets his gaze. The greenette offers a small smile. “It was really Ka- Dynamight who was behind all of it. So,” Izuku brightens his smile towards him before turning back towards the reporter. “A prototype? A re-brand? Maybe.. But I consider it to be a gift.”
Katsuki’s heart flips.
Of course Izuku thanked him countless times. He thanked all of them. Of course Katsuki knew it would be the best surprise ever, that Izuku would love it. He knew, they all knew. That’s why Katsuki spent 8 long years doing side jobs, saving, starving, and white-lying to his best friend. It wasn’t easy, but Katsuki never backed down from a challenge. And Izuku’s happiness is what motivated him to continue. To keep going. So, yeah, Katsuki knew it was a damn perfect gift.
But to see it?
To see the way Izuku stands so fucking proud, so fucking happy, in the techsuit Katsuki harbored over for nearly a decade. To see the tan and pink colors seep into freckled skin after being stuck inside a classroom for so long. To see tears of absolute happiness prickle at those overactive eyes, some falling down into a smile that rivals the sun? Fuck.
It really was worth it.
The reporter coos. “You’re always such a sweetheart, aren’t you! Well, I’m sure all of Japan wants you to know we’re rooting for you! Do your best!”
Izuku nods and raises his fist halfway. “Thank you! I’ll be sure to work hard!”
The interview ends with that (the reporters know better than to try and get a statement from Dynamight unless it’s actually serious), and Katsuki and Izuku find themselves walking back to Might’s Agency, side by side. Katsuki’s mask is working as a makeshift headband, and Izuku’s gloves hung stuffed into his utility belt. It was a warm evening, and the occasional cool breeze refreshed their tired bodies. The two didn’t mind their fatigue, however, and continued to bicker as usual.
“No way you think Mirio could beat Iida in a race. Are you fucking stupid?”
“Think about it, Kacchan! If Mirio has the ability to phase through matter, he has no sort of friction to slow him down! You’ve seen his fights, he’s fast!”
“Sure, but friction can also boost momentum. That means every time Iida takes a step, he gets a speed boost! Mirio would be at a constant speed!”
“Well, what if Mirio could advance to the point where he could minutely make the bottoms of his feet - and maybe even his hands! - unaffected by his phasing so that he could apply pressure without needing to pause for going off-track for air? If he could do that he probably wouldn’t even need to come up for air, he’d be so fast! And he could train for repeated speed boosts, almost like if you were crawling through the air with explosions from your hands and feet! An explosive spider! But he’d be underground-”
“Okay, one - that is a ridiculous image of me, never imagine that again. Two - do you know how fucking unbelieveable you sound?! That sort of training would take YEARS, if not DECADES! Unless he manifests an immortality quirk, it’s unrealistic to think he’d be able to manage that in his lifetime! Leave it to his offspring, quirk-evolution and all that.”
Izuku laughs. “Kacchan, Mirio is with Tamaki. I don’t think they’ll be having offspring.”
Katsuki thinks for a moment. “Wait, ain’t that the transform-guy? Couldn’t he just.. Y’know?”
There's a pause in conversation as Izuku processes Katsuki’s words. Then he yells, and Katsuki bursts out laughing. “KACCHAN! NO! I DON”T WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT!” Izuku is flushed completely, lips wobbling in embarrassment, and Katsuki can’t even look at him without doubling over again. They’ve both grown up, and Izuku may have been a teacher for a good while, but he’ll always be a damn dork.
Katsuki huffs a few more laughs before composing himself, raising his hands in surrender. “Okay, jeez, sorry for thinking about quirk theories.”
Izuku rolls his eyes but then places his hand on his chin. They keep walking and Katsuki watches him as the silence goes on, maintaining a look that says ‘I know some dumb shit is coming’.
“...Well, when you really think about it, Suneater’s quirk is kinda self-explanatory - y'know, ‘sun’ ‘eater’? - so we have to remember that his abilities come from eating a specimen, and then he exaggerates their capabilities. So, would he have to consume an animal capable of getting pregnant, say, any female, and focus on channeling his quirk in his, uh, reproductive region..? Or does it have to be more specific, like an already-pregnant specimen? But then does that transfer the baby? Would he have some sort of lizard womb? Or would his body reject that? …I don’t want to bring up the subject of cannibalism, but it is an interesting concept with his quirk-”
“Okay, stopping you now.” Katsuki flicks him in the temple and Izuku whines. “No, shut up. I listened to you ramble about - what did you say again - lizard wombs, and ya got a little too close to cannibalism there. You deserved that.” Izuku grumbles and Katsuki rolls his eyes. They’re both smiling.
When they finally arrive in front of the agency, they stay standing side by side in silence, just looking up. Katsuki has seen this view for years now, but sharing it with Izuku is something he dreamed of since highschool. He expects to maybe feel something more, something that tells him he’s made it, but nothing like that comes. It’s calm, quiet, and the cool breeze keeps blowing. He knows a chill is about to come in as the sun nearly settles down. Somewhere in his heart he aches to look towards Izuku, to see what expression the other is wearing. Katsuki keeps looking up.
“You know, you deserve this.”
Katsuki hears the techsuit ruffle as Izuku turns to look at him. He braces himself and angles his head a bit to look into emotional green eyes. “You do. And I don’t think you know it.”
Katsuki doesn’t really know why he’s saying what he’s saying. He just feels the need to. He can’t decipher the emotions flying through the eyes that hold his gaze. He spots an inkling of happiness, bright and familiar, and holds onto it to ensure he’s doing something right.
“I-I don’t know what you mean, Kacchan. I’m very grateful to be back-”
“That, Deku. The gratitude. You don’t think you should’ve been out here with us day one after graduation? You should’ve been stressing with me and Icy-Hot over agency applications, instead you were getting measurements for fucking suits.” Katsuki growls in frustration and removes one of his gloves, pinching the fabric of the techsuit on Izuku’s collar. “This? This gift? It ain’t no gift, it’s what you’re owed. What you’ve been owed, Izuku. You saved the fucking world, and you’re grateful people serve you the bare minimum?”
Izuku is silent as he listens, never breaking eye contact despite the watering of his eyes. Katsuki finishes his rant and stays where he is. They just look at each other for a while, some sort of silent communication or search when Katsuki doesn’t even know what he’s searching for. When Izuku finally speaks, he releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“I… Thank you, Kacchan.” He speaks softly, offering a small, sad smile. “I won’t lie, I’ve had some.. negative emotions regarding the way everything has gone. And, uh, everyone just seems to think I’m unaffected! But ah, yeah, it’s… it just hasn’t been fair. Y’know?”
Katsuki pulls on his collar, imagining it was the other’s cheek. “I know. But you’re here, and you’re gonna know you deserve to be. You need to be more selfish, you fuck.”
“Kacchan! It’s not good to be selfish.”
“When it comes to you, Mr. Sacrifice-Himself-To-The-Greater-Good with NO reciprocation? It is good.”
“...What do you even mean by ‘selfish’? Robbery?”
“No, you idiot. Say what you wanna say - don’t try to fit into some cherub fuckin’ image these people make of you. You’ve got opinions, feelings n’ shit!” Katsuki releases his hold on Izuku’s collar. He throws his arms out. “People thinks it’s ‘selfish’ when you’ve got an opinion and don’t allow ‘em to walk all over ya, so fuck it! Be selfish!”
When Izuku doesn’t say anything for a few more moments, Katsuki lowers his arms, turns, and begins walking forward. After ten seconds of hearing only one set of footsteps, Katsuki, annoyed, pauses to look behind him. Izuku is stood there, freckles brightening in the sun, green eyes glowing as they bore into Katsuki. Had he not been there when they vanished, Katsuki would’ve thought OFA was flowing within those irises. But no, that power is gone. This is entirely Izuku.
“I can be selfish.”
He says it so confidently that Katsuki can’t help but scoff. “Oh, really nerd? I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Izuku smirks, a fire beginning to burn in those eyes. Katsuki knows the challenge is on.
“Okay, Kacchan.”
They go about their business separately within the agency but still somehow manage to make their way to the parking lot at the same time.
Katsuki walks with him quietly before becoming bored. “You heading home?”
Izuku takes a moment to respond. Katsuki turns to him, raising an eyebrow. Izuku is sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks for words. “Well, yes? A little too yes?”
Katsuki lowers and re-raises his eyebrow with more emphasis. “The hell are you talking about now?”
He taps the button to open the elevator and they enter, Izuku pressing the floor for the lot. He’s groaning. “It’s embarrassing, Kacchan.”
Katsuki just stares at him, and Izuku tries to avoid his gaze. Fortunately, Might Agency has way too many damn floors, so Izuku cracks before they even reach the halfway point. “Okay, fine! I just.. still live with my mom…”
The blonde rolls his eyes. “Really? That’s it? You just stay with Auntie still?”
“Exactly! ‘Stay’! ‘Still’! I’m a grown man, what if I want to bring a partner home!? To my mother? To my childhood bedroom?”
“Oh jeez, that All Might mess? Yeah, that’s a turn-off.”
“NOT HELPING! BUT EXACTLY!”
The elevator dings and opens as Katsuki’s snickering and Izuku’s pouting. They make their way into the garage, each fishing out their keys and trying to remember where they parked. Despite it being after hours, multiple vehicles remained in the garage.
“So, what? Teacher salary wasn’t cutting it?
Izuku huffs. “Not exactly. I technically could afford to move out, but only if I lived with about 7 roommates. That also had roommates. Room-roommates?”
Katsuki smacks Izuku’s keys out of his hand, resulting in a harsh clang that echoed throughout the garage. Izuku yelps and scurries after his projected belonging, nearly bashing his head into a car mirror in the process. Katsuki swears he sees the idiot apologize to the mirror out of habit before jogging to meet the blonde’s undeterred pace. “Sorry. Anyways, yeah, not the easiest market to dive into, personally.”
Katsuki shrugs. “..Y’know, I have a spare bedroom. And, uh, rent can be flexible, or whatever, if you really wanted somewh-”
“KACCHAN!” Is all the warning Katsuki gets before he’s being engulfed in a hug that is way too tight and also wait lifting him off the ground?
“IZUKU! DOWN!”
“SORRY!” Izuku sets Katsuki back on the floor but doesn’t release him, squeezing his waist and shoving his snotty smiling face into Katsuki’s. “But Kacchan! Do you mean it!? Really!?”
Katsuki sighs.
I may really regret this.
He pats one of Izuku’s arms with his ungloved hand. “Yeah, nerd. Since when do I say shit I don’t mean?”
Izuku sniffles and Katsuki cringes, but the greenette just laughs and sticks his (gross) face closer. “Sorry, Kacchan, sounds like you’re gonna have to get used to my germs!”
Katsuki wills his heart so slow down, wills his face to not heat up. He feels the back of his neck sweat. Izuku is so close, and he is so gross, and Katsuki’s stomach swirls.
Katsuki figured out a good while ago that he felt something different for Izuku, something he never knew how to describe. It drove him to do good and bad things, but he can at least be glad it didn’t make him drive Izuku away for good. After the war with Shigaraki, Katsuki came to find a closer name to what it was. It felt foreign to write out, to see, to think of it in the context of his own, current life. But yeah, maybe that’s what it was. And maybe the past few years haven’t been filled with that. Maybe the voids had been filled in other ways, with other people. But there’s something about that feeling Izuku gives him that feels like home.
He’s known. He had maybe tricked himself into thinking he was past it, but when truly facing it, there’s no denying it.
“I guess so. Fucking gross.”
“Boo hoo! Let’s go home, Kacchan!”
“You don’t live with me yet, fucker! Go home to mommy!”
“Mean, Kacchan! I’ll send you my budget!”