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“Come on, brat, introduce yourself,” Mitsuki said, putting her hand on Kacchan’s shoulder.
The small boy puffed his chest out. “My name is Katsuki and I’m going to be the greatest hero!”
Izuku blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He checked the alarm on his nightstand and was relieved to see he still had 40 minutes until he had to get up and get ready for school. He buried himself deeper into the blanket.
There was this dream again. The memory had popped up from the depths of his mind shortly after his seventeenth birthday almost a year ago and continued to plague him in irregular intervals ever since.
They must have been around three years old at the time, he thought. Both boys were at the local park with their parents. Izuku was too shy to just join the playing children, so his mother approached Kacchan’s parents and got their son to introduce himself.
“My name is Katsuki and I’m going to be the greatest hero!”
Izuku remembered being immediately drawn to the boy who looked like he was made of sunshine. So he had stepped out from behind his mother’s leg and said, “My name is Izuku and I want to be a hero too!”
He didn’t remember much from these early days, but he knew they had been inseparable until Kacchan’s attitude started to change for worse after Izuku was declared quirkless. Izuku sighed. They had mended their friendship in recent years, but he often wondered how different their relationship would be now if some things hadn’t happened the way they did.
“Hey, Deku, you’re coming on Saturday, right?” Katsuki turned in his seat as soon as the bell signaled for the end of class.
“What? Where?” Izuku asked confused.
“My mom’s birthday party? Didn’t your mom tell you about it?”
Izuku shook his head. “No, she didn’t.”
“Well, it’s my mom’s 50th birthday and she invited some people over. You wanna come?”
“Am I invited?”
Katsuki huffed impatiently. “I just invited you.”
Izuku rolled his eyes. “Why would I want to go to some boring party?”
“Aw, come on. You’d let me spend Saturday evening alone with some old geezers?” Katsuki shook his head in a disapproving manner. “How can you call yourself my sidekick if you abandon me in dire situations?”
Izuku couldn’t help the exasperated smile that appeared on his face. “This joke is really not getting any funnier the more you repeat it, Katsuki. I’m not your sidekick.”
“We’ll see about that,” Katsuki said with pointedly raised eyebrows. “You should at least want to support the future number one hero.”
“I will be the number one hero. Don’t even start.” It’s not that Izuku didn’t want to go to the party. He was a masochist after all and chased every opportunity to spend time with Katsuki. It was a bittersweet kind of pain. But he enjoyed the easy banter they grew into over the last couple of years too much to give in quickly.
“Okay,” Katsuki said slowly, “what do you want?”
“You want to bribe me?” Izuku laughed. It flattered him that Katsuki apparently wanted to have him there so badly.
“Yeah, if that’s what it takes. What do you want?”
Izuku thought for a second. “You cook for me next week.”
Katsuki’s brows furrowed. “Once.”
“Deal!” Izuku grinned.
“Good.” Katsuki nodded with a small smile. “Come over around seven.”
Saturday morning Izuku said goodbye to Ochako and Tsuyu, who were eating cornflakes in front of the TV in the common room, and left the dorm to spend some time with his mother before they would go to the Bakugou’s. The train ride home wasn’t very long and Izuku spend the whole time overthinking. He didn’t know why he was this nervous. He had fussed over his outfit way too long. He had a bad hair day and that meant his curls were even more out of control than usually. And he was absolutely certain he had forgotten something important in his room. He tried to distract himself by browsing his social media on his phone, but his mind drifted to the dream from a couple of days ago.
To say Izuku was shocked to discover little Kacchan’s declaration on his chest the morning of his seventeenth birthday would be an understatement. He did admit – to himself at least – to having a crush on his friend, but with the history they shared, he didn’t think it was anything more than temporary infatuation. Long-term admiration, if you will. Now he tried not to look at the words too often. He tried not to think too hard about the reason why Kacchan hadn’t said anything about it yet.
Soulmarks appeared on the chest and most people decided to hide them – especially if they hadn’t found their Soulmate yet. It was a private matter and Izuku couldn’t find an excuse to ask Katsuki about it. He didn’t even dare to peek in the locker rooms, no matter how much he wished for a confirmation.
Izuku thought back to Katsuki’s seventeenth birthday – the day he got his Soulmark. Izuku had been very curious, but it wasn’t something you just asked. At the time, he would have never thought that his words were written on the other’s skin. Jealousy was not something Izuku admitted to easily.
He thought about the day he got his Soulmark, a few months after Katsuki. How it was clear who his Soulmate was as soon as he saw it. The moment Izuku stepped into class that morning, his and Katsuki’s eyes met and the world around them froze for a long second. He was about to say something but then Kirishima asked Katsuki a question and the blond boy broke eye contact. Izuku sat down silently in his seat. He remembered how he waited for Katsuki to say something. He waited during their shared classes. He waited the whole evening. He waited the whole night. No one came. And Izuku never spoke of it again.
He was so happy to be finally able to call Katsuki his best friend again that he was too scared to change anything. Not all Soulmate pairs entered a romantic relationship after all. It was fine.
Izuku spent the day helping Inko with stuff she couldn’t do on her own. They didn’t see each other often enough and Izuku felt guilty every time he went back to his childhood home. They swept the floor behind cupboards and under the couch. Izuku felt a bit bad he had to use one percent of One for All for such mundane tasks, but he wanted to make his mother happy above everything else. They ate a light lunch and went for big grocery shopping in the afternoon. Izuku was happy to help his mother carry the heavy bags.
“You’re so quiet today, Izuchan. Is something on your mind?” Inko asked on their way home.
“No, nothing!” Izuku was quick to assure. “Just… stuff.” He looked at Inko out of the corner of his eye. “Soulmates are like… They stay in your life in some way or another, right?”
Inko threw a curious glance Izuku's way. “Well, it depends. It’s not magic, just compatibility. You have to work for it if you want it to happen. Look at your father and me.”
Izuku nodded, deeply in thought.
Izuku and Inko walked over to the Bakugou’s house shortly after seven and were greeted by Mitsuki and Katsuki in the entryway.
“Thank fuck, you’re finally here,” Katsuki said taking hold of Izuku’s biceps. “I was about to blow this whole place up.”
“Kacchan, that’s your house.”
“Yeah, so? If one more lady touches me, I’m going to lose it.” His frown turned into a mean grin. “But you have much cuter squeezable cheeks. I bet you will steal all the attention.”
Izuku gasped in mock indignation. “That was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Making me the decoy?”
“Damn right.”
As soon as the group entered the living room they were ambushed by an elderly pair.
“My dear Inko! I haven’t seen you in ages! And look at how big the boys have gotten! I can still remember you being this tiny, catching frogs in our backyard!” The lady giggled into her hand and turned to Izuku’s mother. “My, I can’t believe this is our sweet little Izuku!”
“Who the fuck is this?” Katsuki asked out the corner of his mouth.
“No clue,” Izuku whispered without losing his polite smile.
An hour later found them at the buffet. They had managed to greet all guests and Izuku was tired and hungry. His cheeks hurt from all the affectionate squeezes and pats and constant smiling. It seemed like everyone here knew them, but Izuku had no idea who most of the people were. It was even worse with Katsuki, who at one point simply stopped pretending to know who he was talking to.
Three tables had been pushed together, full of plates and bowls filled with different salads, meats, vegetables and desserts. Izuku wondered if Mitsuki had prepared all of them herself of if she had just called catering.
“Here, I made you a sandwich.”
He turned to the blonde. Katsuki was holding a plate in his outstretched hand and looked at him expectantly. Izuku blinked in surprise but couldn’t help the happy sigh that escaped his lips. He took the plate with a grateful smile.
“Kacchan, that’s so nice! Thank y-…” he looked at the sandwich, holding the plate up to his face. “Katsuki, what the fuck.”
Katsuki’s neutral mask cracked and he snorted. “I dare you to eat it.”
The sandwich could be called one only because of outer appearances. Between two slices of bread Izuku could see some ham peeking out. There were tomato slices on top of what looked like tiramisu. Pickles covered in either honey or jam, Izuku couldn’t tell. The longer he looked at it, the more disgusting it got.
“Okay, but.” Izuku raised his eyes to look up at his friend. “If I do, I get to take a picture of you kissing Grandma on the cheek.”
Katsuki’s look was calculating. He nodded slowly. “Alright. If you eat it in under a minute.”
“If I eat it in half a minute, you’ll post the picture on your Instagram.”
“Are you insane? I have a reputation to uphold!”
“Scared?” Izuku grinned at his friend.
Katsuki dragged his hands down his face. “No way you’ll finish the Devil’s Sandwich in half a minute. I’ll stop the time.”
Izuku didn’t let his upset stomach distract him from looking over Katsuki’s shoulder as he was uploading the cute picture on his Instagram. It showed the blonde hugging an elderly woman in a lavender dress from the side and kissing her pink cheek. Both put up the peace sign at Izuku’s suggestion. Hashtag ‘missed my grandma’. Izuku was happy. Grandma was happy. Katsuki was miserable. It was a 100% win.
“Striking a pose – Smiling in photos without any reason – With people that I'll never know,” Izuku sang under his breath.
They didn’t think taking a cute picture with Grandma would result in taking many more pictures with eager aunts and uncles and Mitsuki’s acquaintances, who all wanted a photo with future top heroes. They had opened the box of pandora with that stunt, really.
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You’ve been doing too much karaoke with Uraraka again.”
“Do you think there are any original emotions, Kacchan? Something no one has ever felt before you?”
Katsuki just groaned. “Please spare me. It’s only,” he looked at his bare wrist, “too fucking early for that kinda conversations. I can’t even drink here.”
They were hiding in the kitchen for a brief reprieve. Izuku hoped the aunties wouldn’t follow them here. Katsuki was sitting on the last chair in the room, leaving the countertop for Izuku.
“Katsuki, the trash will not take itself out,” Mitsuki said in passing, taking a bowl of marinated cucumbers out of the fridge and headed back into the living room.
“Why not?” Katsuki yelled after her. “Since fucking when?”
He banged his head twice on the wall behind him and straightened with a sigh. “Come on, nerd.”
“What?”
“Help me with the trash?”
“Why would I do that?” Izuku asked, furrowing his brows. “It’s your trash in your house at your mother’s party. Am I not a guest?”
Katsuki scoffed. “You’re not some guest, you’re my partner.” Hadn’t Izuku been looking, he would’ve missed the way Katsuki stilled for a second, his eyes widening. “My sidekick. You need to share my responsibilities.”
Izuku’s brain short-circuited for a moment, the words ‘partner’ echoing in his mind.
In the meanwhile, Katsuki got up and gathered the trash bags, holding one out for Izuku. “You coming?”
Izuku broke out of his trance and jumped off the counter, taking the bag with a sigh.
"Boy, oh boy I love it when I fall for that..."
“Stop mumbling, nerd.”
Their trash run did not go undetected and they had to take some more pictures with increasingly drunk people and even had to give their first few autographs. “They will be worth a fortune when you’re finally on top!”
They eventually fell on the couch in a hidden corner of the room, utterly exhausted. Izuku tried not to think about the fact that it probably would get only worse when they entered the professional ranks and got more recognizable.
He was pulled from his musings by Katsuki lightly pushing his shoulder.
“Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Emotional support, I guess,” Katsuki snorted and looked over at Izuku. “No, seriously. Thank you for coming today.”
Izuku loved it when Kacchan looked at him like that. His intense gazed focused only on Izuku. It fed his daydreams in a dangerous way.
His eyes softened. “Always.”
“Oh my god, I hate you.” Katsuki rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop his grin.
Half an hour later they were still chilling on the couch, Izuku’s legs thrown over Katsuki’s lap.
“But could it be considered a quirk?” Izuku asked.
“That’s stupid. Everyone would have the same quirk then. And all the fucking spells you have to learn before you can even use it?”
“We have to train our quirks too, though. And there is accidental magic. Especially in children.”
Katsuki scoffed. “Just means you’re not only useless in battle but also a hazard to your teammates. Give up, you shitty nerd, wizards are not quirk users.”
“Now you’re being a hypocrite. I clearly remember the day you blew your own eyebrows off because you dropped your ice cream.”
“Shut up, that never happened!” Katsuki growled and launched himself at Izuku with a round of well-aimed tickles.
Izuku’s laughter and desperate cries for help drew Mitsuki’s attention, who found the boys in a heap on the couch, the pillows thrown onto the floor and chips spilled all around them.
“Stop making an even bigger mess, you two, and come help with the clean up!”
The last guests had already left, only Izuku and Inko staying behind to help.
The living room and kitchen were in a horrible state. Discarded plates and glasses littering every surface.
Izuku and Katsuki were carrying a table from the living room back to the kitchen, when Mitsuki appeared in the doorway.
“Inko, look what I found! All the people talking about how big our boys got, it made me remember the old VHS tapes we have!”
“Oh! How wonderful!” Inko’s face lit up. “That’s right, Masaru had a new camera back then.”
“Do you want to watch them and cry over our sweet little boys?” Mitsuki asked with a laugh.
“Yes, let’s!” Inko clapped her hands enthusiastically.
“No!” Izuku and Katsuki yelled at the same time.
“Oh, don’t be like that, boys,” Mitsuki said, “Let us old women enjoy some memories.” She put the VHS cassette into the player and started fussing with the remote control.
“Does that old thing even work?” Katsuki asked skeptically.
“It better! Stop complaining, brat, and help me out here.”
Izuku watched Katsuki sigh and give him a defeated look. “Come on, nerd.”
They put the table down and walked over to the TV. Izuku and Inko sat down on the couch.
“Give me that,” Katsuki said, snatching the remote out of Mitsuki’s hands. After unsuccessfully pressing a few buttons he leaned over the TV and plugged the player in. “Really, woman, that’s the first thing one should check.”
He pressed play and the video started.
“Oh look!” Inko said with a smile, “that’s the park we always went to!”
“Katsuki!” They heard a younger Mitsuki yell. “Katsuki, come here!”
“Oh my god, I hate hearing my voice,” Mitsuki laughed.
“Don’t we all?” Katsuki muttered as he sat down on the floor and was rewarded with a slap on the back of his head.
The camera was pointed a much younger Inko now and they could see a tiny green mop of hair peek out from behind her leg.
“Oh no,” Izuku whispered, covering his mouth with his hand. He broke out in cold sweat. This was bad. He was not ready for this. He didn’t know how to stop the inevitable. If they watched this together, they wouldn’t be able to ignore the issue any longer.
“Oh hey! Isn’t this the first time we met?” Mitsuki asked delighted.
Yes, it certainly was, Izuku thought. It was so much like his dream. The trees didn’t seem as big now and the sun didn’t shine like he remembered. Kacchan held a ball in his hands that he had forgotten. But the words spoken were the same.
They saw a tiny Katsuki run over to the group and stop in front of Inko, who smiled gently at the boy.
“These are Mrs. Midoriya and her son,” they heard Mitsuki say. “They just moved into our neighborhood. Come on, brat, introduce yourself.”
Their moms cooed as they watched little Katsuki step forward and puff his chest out.
“My name is Katsuki and I’m going to be the greatest hero!”
Izuku felt a shiver run down his back.
On screen little Izuku jumped into view.
“I want to be a hero too!”
Izuku froze at the same time he heard Katsuki gasp.
He hadn’t said his name. He hadn’t said his name. Katsuki hadn’t known. Izuku’s thoughts were racing.
He could feel the other look at him but couldn’t bring himself to turn his head. His eyes were glued to the TV as he watched young Inko chastise her son softly.
“Izuchan, introduce yourself properly.”
“Sorry...” Little Izuku shifted to mirror Katsuki’s broad stance. “My name is Izuku and I want to be a hero too!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Izuku’s heart jumped when he heard Katsuki’s low voice.
He finally turned to look at his friend and instantly wished he hadn’t. Katsuki’s features seemed stony and cold but his eyes were glassy, so unlike the explosive boy he was used to.
“Kacchan, I- I didn’t remember…” Izuku stumbled over his words, his brain still busy studying Katsuki’s face.
“You didn’t remember? Holy shit, Izuku, my fucking name is written on your chest. What is there to remember?”
And Izuku’s eyes slowly filled with tears because Katsuki sounded devastated. He didn’t want to hurt his friend like this.
“Oh crap,” Mitsuki whispered, her eyes wide with realization. “Inko, be a dear and help me out in the kitchen?”
“Oh! Yes, yes let’s- let’s go,” Inko said, and the two women hurried out of the living room, leaving Izuku and Katsuki quiet and motionless.
“Kacchan, I’m sorry-”
“No, I- I am sorry. I shouldn’t have. It’s your decision and I will respect it. I just wish-” Katsuki buried his face in his hands and let out a wet sigh that broke Izuku’s heart. “Look, I get it. I’d be happy if we could stay friends. Just… Give me some time, okay?”
Izuku jumped to the floor and kneeled down next to Katsuki, shaking his head frantically.
“No no no, Kacchan, no- I’m sorry, I-”
“You don’t need to apologize, I understand. With everything I’d done-”
Izuku took a deep breath. “Katsuki, shut up. Look at me,” he interrupted, steadying his voice as much as he could in this situation. After a second of hesitation he put a tentative hand on Katsuki’s shoulder.
The blonde slowly raised his head, locking his eyes with Izuku’s.
“I thought you knew.” He ignored Katsuki’s confused look and continued. “After I got my Mark, I dreamt of the first time we met. But the memory was wrong.” He shifted to sit down more comfortably on the floor but kept his arm on Katsuki. Their connection assured him in a way. This was his chance. He could fix this. “I was sure that my first words to you were ‘My name is Izuku and I want to be a hero too’. I was sure you knew and… I thought you didn’t want me.”
“What?! Deku, that’s insane! We were three fucking years old. How could you remember anything?”
“To my defense, I almost got it right,” Izuku felt the need to point out. “It doesn’t matter now. I thought you wanted to keep things platonic and I was so happy to have you back as my best friend that I didn’t want to risk that.”
“What about now?” Katsuki asked quietly.
Izuku cracked a smile. “Now, I wanna ruin our friendship.”
Katsuki barked out a laugh. “You’re horrible!”
“We should be lovers instead,” Izuku sing-songed.
“Yeah?” Katsuki asked, a rare soft smile dancing on his lips.
“Yeah,” Izuku whispered and leaned in to kiss them. He could feel Katsuki’s smile against his lips and everything was good.
“I always hoped it was you,” Katsuki murmured into Izuku’s hair.
“Really?”
“Mhm. ‘I want to be a hero too’? Sounds like your nerdy ass.”
Izuku chuckled and buried himself deeper into Katsuki’s arms.