Work Text:
~A morning, somewhere in Musutafu~
The quiet sizzle of eggs in a pan and the clink of dishes being washed mingle well with the soft music floating up from a radio.
Katsuki stands patiently in front of a pan, tending eggs and watching the rice while Izuku washes dishes in the sink behind him. Izuku hums quietly as he works, scrubbing the bowls they would use for their breakfast. Katsuki sways slowly along to the rhythm, one arm solidly holding their adopted daughter up on his chest. Young Sora has her arms wrapped around his neck and is passed out, sleeping with her head resting in the curve between his shoulder and neck.
Izuku sighs, satisfied. “Okay, I’ve got the dishes done. Are the eggs ready?”
Katsuki turns off the burner with a click. “Yep. Rice is ready too.”
Izuku turns from the sink with three clean, dry bowls ready to be filled with food but he stops. His heart swells and he sucks in an emotional breath.
“Oh my goodness…,” He whispers under his breath, stunned.
In front of him, is an absolutely perfect picture. His husband is standing in front of their stove in his pajamas with their daughter asleep in his arms, with the soft morning sun coming in from the window behind him and creating a halo of light around him. The light glints off of his wedding band.
Izuku gulps and releases a shaky breath. Even after so many years, the love of his life still makes his heart turn into a puddle.
He places the bowls down on the counter quietly and reaches into his pocket for his phone. He has to capture this moment.
His phone snaps and as soon as he checks how the photos came out, he grins.
As he’s flicking through the results, he hears his husband speak.
“What’cha smiling at?,” Katsuki asks.
Izuku glances up at him from his phone. “You.”
“Show me?”
Izuku pads over to his side and shows the pictures, resting his head on Katsuki’s shoulder.
“These are nice,” Katsuki hums.
Izuku nuzzles into his shoulder, heart full. “Mm, glad you think so.” Words rise in his throat.
“Love you, Kacchan…”
Katsuki tilts his head over and rests a cheek on Izuku’s green curls. “Love you too, nerd.”
Izuku scoffs playfully. “You are just as much a nerd as me.”
“What? No way,” he get a snip back.
“You totally are, you can’t deny it. I have too much proof against you.”
Katsuki doesn’t respond for a long moment. When he does, it's in the form of a challenge. “Name at least one example off of the top of your head.”
Izuku hums. He loves these little games, teasing and testing each other. “You knew the number of cats Mr. Aizawa had just based on the fur that was always on his clothes in class, that the best way to study is to study for thirty minutes and take a five to ten minute break between, and may I remind you that you that the whole time we were in high school you went to bed at 8:00pm sharp? Also, I have seen you watching videos of our old classmates and studying their strategies and technique.”
Ha, got him.
His husband grumbles. “Ok, so maybe a little. Being around you so much has made your nerdiness rub off on me. How dare you.”
Izuku grins against Katsuki’s neck. “You love it.”
Katsuki huffs. He isn’t disagreeing though, so Izuku takes it as agreement.
He plants a chaste kiss to his neck before moving away to dish up the steaming rice. Katsuki puts the finished eggs on top and shoves chopsticks and spoons into each bowl.
They carry their food over to the table and set it down, getting ready to sit and eat when suddenly, coming from the living room, are purple crackles of lightning.
Izuku immediately widens his stance and raises his fists into fighting position. Katsuki has a protective arm across Sora’s back and hand on the back of her head.
The house is protected, so no villains should be able to teleport in...but they can never be too careful.
The dark bolts erupt with a burst of purple dust that immediately evaporates.
Something- or someone- drops onto the carpeted floor with a groan.
Green curls, and a black uniform. Slim arms, leaning into scrawny, hug their small torso.
Izuku’s eyes widen.
The person in their living room is….him. But him as a child, before UA or All Might. Maybe thirteen years old.
He blinks. This was absolutely the last person he expected.
Young Midoriya shakes his head, groaning. “Ow….” His eyes are closed and he starts muttering, not realizing where he is. “First Kacchan throws me in a fountain…”
Izuku hears Katsuki suck in a short breath at the word ‘Kacchan’.
Midoriya continues muttering. “Of course that isn’t enough….when is it ever enough…”
Izuku lowers his raised fists a bit and leans forward. While he is very confused, he’s also intrigued. He remembers that day with the fountain. Something had changed in him after that….maybe this was it?
Midoriya sniffles, sitting up a little. “Then I have to stop by the convenience store for a towel….a convenience store that conveniently- ha- ends up being robbed before I can check out. Stupid Deku can’t even walk home right...what do I even-”
He opens his eyes and looks up. “Expect.”
They all freeze as the situation sinks in.
Izuku’s eyebrows raise up high. Katsuki is behind him, still holding Sora close.
Midoriya and Izuku make direct eye contact, green meeting twin green.
Midoriya is frozen until he blinks.
Izuku’s jaw drops. “Uh.”
Midoriya starts shuffling backwards on his knees, looking somewhere in between scared and guilty. “I-I-what-”
Something in Izuku clicks back awake and he reaches a hand forward out of instinct to comfort. Only, it’s himself he’s comforting this time….but also not.
“It's- it's ok, Izuku.”
Midoriya stops moving in shock. “Wha- who- how do you-”
Izuku pauses. “Ah, it's…..”
Complicated.
He glances sideways and backs up to Katsuki’s side. “My name is Izuku Bakugou. This is my husband, Katsuki Bakugou.”
Midoriya’s eyes just about pop out of his head. “You- what??”
Izuku decides to treat this situation like rescuing a victim in a mission. Fear wouldn’t help communication, so he would have to calm down….himself. Jeez, this situation was all kinds of messy. But then again, many missions are too. So he’s used to it.
Kinda. He’s never rescued himself.
“I’m going to come closer, ok?”
Midoriya is still frozen, so Izuku goes closer and kneels in front of him. “Can you breath for me?”
Midoriya sucks in a breath. “You’re-” his breath catches.
Izuku nods as calmly as he can. “Yes. I am.”
Midoriya mutters, “Am I drugged?”
Izuku chuckles dryly. “No, you aren’t. Here, can you get up? You can sit on the couch.”
Midoriya nods numbly, but his eyes travel past Izuku. Izuku looks back as well. Katsuki is still holding Sora, with an eyebrow raised in nonverbal question. Izuku smiles and waves him over. Midoriya flinches and Izuku turn back to him holding up his hands placatingly.
“It's ok. We aren’t going to hurt you.”
Katsuki sits down slowly on one of the two couches, and Sora shuffles a little, miraculously still asleep. Midoriya’s eyes lock on her.
“You- I- what the heck….”
Izuku stands up from where he’s been kneeling in front of Midoriya, and offers a hand to help him up. Midoriya accepts the help with a shaking hand, and stands up on wobbly legs. He makes his way to the opposite couch on legs of jello and sits. Izuku sits down beside Katsuki.
Izuku lets out a breath and faces his younger self. “I’m sure you have questions….”
Midoriya looks back at him with wide eyes. “Um.” He looks down to his hands, which are curled in his lap and twisting together nervously. “Well...you said...you’re Izuku? Izuku Bakugou ?”
Izuku nods. “Yes, I did.”
Midoriya continues, though he sounds like he’s been told the world is about to end. Dazed. “And...you look a lot like me. Just….bigger. And older. So. Uh.”
Izuku nods again. “You’re right. You are me. Or- I’m you. I’m future you.”
How he knows that he’s right, he’s not sure….but something in his head is making this feel familiar. He’s got trust his gut.
Midoriya gulps. “You-” His eyes flick sideways to Katsuki, who has Sora in his lap, still asleep. “You’re married to….”
Izuku reaches sideways and finds Katsuki’s hand. “Yes. I am.”
“You’re married to Kacchan. I’m-??”
Izuku smiles, kind. He needs to make sure that his younger self isn’t sent into panic. They can’t go anywhere with that. “It’s alright, take it slow. We still need to talk about what happened before you got here- or, maybe were sent here…”
Midoriya breathes shakily in. “Just- hold on-”
Izuku nods, but before he can say anything else, Katsuki speaks up from beside him. “Hey, just so you know. Whatever happened, or is happening, we’ll fix it. Everything will end up fine.”
Midoriya stares wide eyed at him. “T-thanks, uh. Kach-Bakugou…..”
Katsuki snorts. “Now that’s a weird thing to hear.”
Sora stirs in his lap again and Midoriya sucks in a breath. “You- I-?”
Izuku hums. “Can I tell you?”
Midoriya nods. “Please.”
Izuku reaches over and rubs a hand on his daughters back. She huffs in her sleep, rubbing her face on Katsuki’s stomach. “This is Sora, our daughter. We found her and rescued her on one of our missions. We were part of the team that worked with her in therapy and by the end...neither of us wanted to leave her. And she didn’t want us to leave either.”
Midoriya gawks. “Wait. Missions?!”
Katsuki nods this time. “Yes. We’re heroes. Number one and number two.”
Midoriya blinks and looks faint. “I- I do it? I become a hero?”
Izuku nods, smiling faintly. It literally is like talking to himself, talking to his mind’s voice that is still in disbelief that he actually made it. Only, this is really happening. He gets the chance to tell his past self that it will be ok. He can’t do anything but pour positivity over him, hoping it will end up being carried back to his own time when young Midoriya has to go.
Until then, he’ll try to say the right things.
“Yes. It's a long journey. But you do. We do.”
Midoriya is breathing fast, causing him to cough the next words around his breaths. “But I’m- I’m quirkless-”
Izuku has no memory of this happening when he was a kid, but this is in his past so he assumes that young Midoriya will forget after he goes back. However, he does remember the fountain and the convenience store. He also remembers feeling dazed that day, but motivated and happy. Something must have stuck, if only the feeling of optimism.
He can tell him at least the basics of what will happen, and the feelings will be enough to send him forward with hope.
“That’s ok. You’ll meet someone very special and they’ll help you.”
Midoriya starts tearing up. “I-” His breath comes in gasps and he wraps his arms around himself.
Izuku leans forward. Did he push it too far? “Do you want a hug?”
Midoriya nods, blinking around tears. “They’re happy tears, I think. It’s just...this is a lot to take in….”
Izuku goes over to the other couch and scoops his young self into his own arms. “It is, yeah.”
He feels Midoriya swallow against his shoulder. “This- this is my future? Kacchan? And- and Sora? And being a hero?”
Izuku hugs him tighter. “ Yes. ” He pulls back and holds Midoriya out by the shoulders. “The journey is going to be long, but keep pushing through it. Use that courageous heart of yours to feel the fear, but then keep going anyway. It's all worth it.”
Midoriya nods, tears still falling. “Thank you,” He whispers.
Izuku rubs his thumbs across his shoulders. “You will do great, Izuku Midoriya.”
Midoriya grins crookedly. There’s a purple hue around him so Izuku lets go of him. It's time for him to return to his own time.
“I’ll do my best.”
Izuku smiles softly. He knows he will: he certainly did.
The purple crackling lightning returns and Midoriya closes his eyes before disappearing with a pop of purple. Izuku coughs a laugh. “That…”
“Was weird,” His husband finishes. “But I’m glad. I...I remember that day. I was an asshole, of course, but the next day you seemed to have a more determined smile than ever. Guess that’s- or, this is- what happened back then.”
Izuku looks back over his shoulder with a smile. “Yep, you’re probably right.” He gets up and joins Katsuki again. “I couldn’t remember why I felt that way….so I’m assuming that my younger self won’t remember anything I just told him...but he’ll remember the feeling. That’s what counts.”
Katsuki huffs. “Time travel is fuckin’ weird.”
“Kacchan, don’t swear around Sora!”
“She’s asleep, its fine….”
“She can probably hear you in her sleep.”
“Anyway, our breakfast is still on the table...let’s go eat.”
“Right.”
They get up and go to the table. Katsuki gently wakes Sora up so she can eat. They laugh and joke and tease and are happy. The three Bakugou’s.
Strong together.
Meanwhile, about 20 years in the past….
Midoriya blinks awake. He’s on the floor of the convenience store….what just happened? Was he knocked out? He remembers that the store was robbed, so maybe he got hit or something.
Products litter the floor and the glass window in front has been broken. The old lady running the store is going about helping people who were affected by the robbery.
“Uh...miss? What just happened?”
The old lady gasps and rushes to his side. “Oh, I’m sorry, young man. Are you ok?”
Midoriya nods. “Yes, thank you….I…”
Something in his mind is just out of his grasp. Something warm and strong….he can’t remember. All he can remember is the feeling of blinding determination. A slow grin crosses his face as something blooms in his chest, fierce and steady.
“Yes, I’m doing great. Thank you.”
The old lady smiles like she knows exactly what he’s talking about. “I’m glad. Hold onto that feeling.”
Midoriya nods and takes a deep breath.
He would hold tight, and stay strong, keep fighting.
He just knows that it will all be worth it.