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What you didn’t know, is that he had been arranged to be married since the first year of high school. They’ve kept it top secret for fear of what his to-be- husband's father might do. It only came out when the old man mellowed out and accepted the arranged marriage that had been orchestrated by the mothers of both men of the coupling.
What you do know, is that arranged marriages are the standard, and love didn’t exist. It wasn’t a norm, and no one ever spoke of it after the age of 6 where-prior to this age- bedtime stories full of fictional creatures and concepts existed just to quieten down the overactive children.
What you do know , is that your arranged marriage had ended at your own decision at an early age right when you began to lead and decide who was worthy of a follower and who wasn’t. He clearly wasn’t worthy to follow you and you clearly didn’t need him in your life in any means or forms. Convincing your mother was tough at first, she was his mother’s best friend after all, and they had been so sure you would suit each other perfectly. But you showed her how wrong they were. You disliked him; wanted him so far from you, you could hurt him no matter how much he would smile at you through his tears.
Your mother was convinced, but what you are unsure of is whether she ended it for your sake or his.
What you don’t know , Katsuki , is whether love was a fictional concept as you were taught to believe, or if it is so real that it consumes your very being and burns at your heart whenever you see Izuku and Shouto together. It causes your heart to skip around ruthlessly when those green eyes meet yours and the man you once knew as your fiancé smiles at you only to turn away towards his husband. His eyes full of admiration and love.
~~~
What you didn’t know , is that it was never your fault you suffered at the hands of your father. The fear to become something great in order to please him and keep him from hurting your mother was immense, but it was never your fault. He never arranged a marriage for you, not because you were as weak as he said but because he was as selfish as they come. What he instilled in you was what led you to become seemingly reserved but truly awkward among your peers.
What you do know , is that high school was such a turning point, that it even surprised you when you heart did a flip at the first person to ever keep trying to become your friend. His determination flared when all you could do was feel competitive against him. You believed he was to be beaten so that you could prove to your father that you were better than he had worked you out to be and it was all by your own ability and not his.
What you do know , is that your mother expressed happiness at your telling of the boy who you considered your friend. She expressed wanting to meet him and wanting to meet his parents. Her smile diminished when you told her it was only his mother involved and you could see the sadness in her eyes as she looked at you. You understood what her thoughts were, and you agreed. You and he were alike in ways that it could only be the work of fate that put you together.
When the mothers met with their sons at their sides, an arrangement was made, and you felt as happy as you always felt with him at your side.
What you don’t know, Shouto , is how life could have been so cruel to you only to be so gracious as to bring the only thing, the only person, that could bring so much happiness to you and your life that it made up for everything it threw at you in the beginning. How could Izuku , the kindest man be at your side his eyes full of mirth and admiration for you with a knowledge that fate was correct in putting you together, and a promise in both your souls to always be together. Honestly, how anyone could doubt love was as real as the wedding ring on Izuku’s finger?
~~~
What you didn’t know, is that the years of loneliness didn’t account for how much admiration you would gain from just being yourself. Years of being beat down to believe you were useless because of your stature and because of your gentle being had convinced you that being alone was your fate. The man that you once would have called father didn’t leave you because you were worthless but because he was a coward. Your mother’s tears weren’t because you drove your father away but because she only wanted to protect you and felt she was failing to do so. Your childhood fiancé didn’t break it off because of you but because he didn’t know any better.
What you do know , is that you are a man surrounded by friends who you would do anything for and who would do the same for you. You haven’t changed the essence that is you and yet they admire you for it. That makes you happy. It brings a feeling in you that you don’t have a word for, but you know you enjoy it just the same. The feeling of your soul bursting from everyday interactions with your classmates is one of the new things you are thankful for. The other, is that Shouto is a part of your life.
What you do know, is that your mom knew what you wanted the most just by looking at you two interact. Out of all your friends, you could say that he was the closest to you, the one that you could just sit around with and be content. Your mother met his mother, and fate had finished its job. You were arranged to marry this man who whispered thanks to you for helping him become more than just a shell, and you couldn’t help but tell him that that was not your doing but his. You both inspired one another to keep changing for the better.
When he looked at you, nervousness in his eyes at the arrangement announcement, you smile the biggest smile and threw yourself in his arms.
What you don’t know , Izuku , is that while you are happily walking around, greeting everyone, with your new husband beside you. There is a slither of questioning in everyone’s minds. How, they ask themselves, is it that love could be called fictional when it was right in front of their eyes?