Archive of Our Own

The castle stretched overhead, towers climbing into the sky. The castle of Thallamore was a sight, standing on the highest hill of the city, overlooking the sea. It was impressive. As he approached the castle, Katsuki couldn’t help the nerves that started to twist in his gut. He was called by King All Might himself, Yagi Toshinori. Something was happening in the kingdom, and whatever it was wasn’t good. 

Katsuki Bakugou was born in a small fishing town on the coast of a military island. His mother enrolled him into the local Marine academy to turn him into something he wasn’t, a noble protector of the land. He was reckless and problematic, more likely to go out and cause issues than to actually take his training seriously. He hated the academy. 

However, against his will, he was forced into the Marine Bootcamp. He learned how to fight using any weapon available; swords, bows, axes, crossbows, great swords; you name it, he could fuck you up with it. He spent most of his time cutting class and ignoring his parents pleas to take it seriously. Despite his best(or worst) attempts, he rocketed up in the class, becoming one of the top students. 

He was cutting class one day when a huge pirate ship docked at the shore. He looked around at the civilians running, cackling as the pirates ransacked his shitty town. One of them approached him, challenging him. He laughed and caught a fist to the man’s gut, but the pirate looked unphased. 

He was hit then, punched in the face, and knocked off his feet. He groaned and pushed himself up to his elbows, but soon the man was on him, aiming punches at his head. He shielded his face, but it did little to save him. He was hit, hearing cutting out and feeling dizzy. He passed out not long after. 

He awoke tied to a large wooden mast. All around him was the ocean, no land in sight. The pirates he had fought were surrounding him. Someone yelled that he was awake, and soon the man who had knocked him out was standing in front of him once more. 

“You got a lot of nerve taking on the Captain of a pirate crew, kid. What’s your name?” He asked, smiling. 

“Bakugou Katsuki.” He spat, glaring at the man. 

“You have personality, kid, I like it.” He said with a laugh. “Well, Bakugou Katsuki, you lost a fight with a pirate. That means you owe the crew. Usually, we would just kill you.” The man pressed his sword underneath his chin, pressing it towards his throat. Katsuki felt panic bubble up in his throat, releasing in a sort of a whimper. “But you have promise. So, here are your options. Die, or join the crew of the Frozen Ocean Corsairs.” 

“Fuck, not much of a choice there.” He spat, breathing out as the man retracted his sword. 

“Good choice, son.” The man said. He hadn’t even realized he was shaking now. “Calm down, kid. We’re not going to torture you or make you do chores for the rest of your life. Once you’re a part of the crew, you’re family.” 

He was untied then. He rubbed his wrists from the rope burn and put on his strongest face. 

“Raise your right hand.” He obliged. “Do you solemnly swear your life to this crew, to the pursuit of equality, and to the life that comes with being a pirate?” 

“I do.” 

That happened almost 5 years ago. He was a young 14, the youngest on the crew, running around on a huge ship with men who treated him as one of their own. A lot of things had changed since then. Here he was now, the right hand to his captain, and being called on by the King. His Captain gave him the orders to come to the meeting, which was the only reason he was actually here. He had matching rapiers hanging at his sides, swaying as he walked. He didn’t wear a top, the rose tattoo that stretched from his wrist to shoulder on full display. His pants were similar to those he used to wear in bootcamp, dark grey, with pockets running up either side, his black boots loudly announcing his prescence everywhere he went. 

He marched into the hall, two people already standing around waiting for him. There was a girl dressed in fancy clothing, fabric hanging around her waist and arms. Her hair was cut short, hanging around her face as she smiled at him, cheeks infuriatingly pink. 

The other was a tall man with bi-colored hair. He had a cloth tied around his eyes, but Katsuki could see twin scars peeking out from underneath the black fabric. He had a huge sword strapped to his back, moving his head around as if he could see even with his eyes covered. 

“Hi!” Pink Cheeks said, smiling widely at him. “I’m Uraraka Ochacko! It’s nice to meet you!” Bakugou rolled his eyes. She was far too perky. 

“Fucking whatever.” He said, arms crossed around his chest. 

“I am Todoroki Shouto.” The man said, looking in his direction. 

“Ooh, I like your rapiers.” Pink Cheeks said, taking a step closer, despite Katsuki glaring at her. “What do you do? Wait, don’t tell me, fighter? Bard?” 

“None of your fucking business.” He growled, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh, well I think we’re going to be an adventuring party! So it’s important to understand what everyone can do! Like, I’m a fate-weaver.” She said, silver thread dancing between her fingers in a show of magic. 

“I’m a seer.” The half-n-half man said. 

“What does that even mean?” Katsuki asked, not looking at the man. 

“I can see things.” He said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“What, like everyone else in the world?” 

“I’m blind.” He said, waving his hand in front of his face. “I can see the future.” 

“Holy shit, really?” The man nodded. Katsuki hummed curiously. The door swung open then, wood banging against the wall. In walked two men. One was dressed in a nice suit, gold swirling around the fabric. He was carrying a huge axe that was painted with flowers from the bottom to top. He had bright green, curly hair that bounced as he walked and the brightest green eyes Katsuki had ever seen. Next to him was a tall man with red hair, spiked up. He was carrying a sword in full silver armor. He had a huge smile on his face. 

“Sorry we’re late.” The green-haired man said, scampering towards them. “I’m Izuku Midoriya.” He smiled brightly. This was the Prince. The adopted son of Yagi Toshinori, the King. 

“Kirishima Eijirou.” The other man waved, smiling brightly alongside him. They must have been friends. 

The other two introduced themselves again. Katsuki rolled his eyes. 

“Uraraka! You’re a fate-weaver, right? How does that even work with everything?” Izuku asked, but before she could answer, he was launching into another question, “And, Shouto, you can see the future! But you’re blind. I wonder how that all works. It will be interesting to see how you work with us. Eijirou is a paladin and I’m a barbarian so we’ve always just been front lines, so it will be cool to see what different dynamics we can achieve.” He took a deep breath. “Oh, you must be Bakugou Katsuki! You’re a fighter/monk! Trained by pirates and the military. I’m interested to see how your skills translate to the battlefield and-” 

“Why the fuck are we here?” Katsuki interrupted. 

“Oh! My dad didn’t tell you.” Izuku said, snapping out of his reverie. “We heard from a few sources that there may be something going down with the Nine Hells. There have been imp sightings around and he wants us to investigate. We’ve been chosen from nominations from various leaders.” He explained. 

“Well, what the hell are we waiting for?” 

~

~

~ 

Katsuki walked into the tavern, holding a bandage to his cheek with a frown. Izuku and Eijirou were already inside, leaning against the bar. He was entering with Uraraka and Shouto. Izuku was leaning across the bar, winking at the bartender with a wide smile. He was slid two drinks, and he handed one to Eijirou as he waved to the other three. 

“Thanks for fucking waiting, Deku.” Katsuki rolled his eyes as he approached. 

“Aww, you’re welcome, Kacchan.” The green-haired man fired back, winking at him. The damn nickname pissed him off. 

“Two ales please!” Uraraka cheered to the bartender. Izuku sent him a wink again and both drinks were passed without payment. The girl handed the drink to Shouto. 

“Oh, yeah, fuck you too.” Katsuki said, leaning over and ordering one of his own. Izuku gave him a look and launched into a conversation with Uraraka. He sighed and took the drink, tossing a few coins onto the bar. 

The group headed over to a table, everyone launching into conversation. Katsuki sat on the edge of the booth they had all packed into, scowling out at the drunk people around the bar. 

“Do you want to learn?” He tuned into the conversation just to hear Uraraka say. 

“Yeah! Will you teach me?” Deku cheered, holding his hands out for the yarn that the girl was holding. 

“I’m going back to the inn.” He muttered, downing the rest of his drink. 

“Watch out for that rock on the way out!” Shouto yelled after him. 

As he walked across the street, he tripped over a rock. Damnit Half-n-Half. 

~
~
~

Katsuki panted, looking out over the field of bodies. Imp bodies, but bodies nonetheless. He was dripping blood across his exposed chest, bruises littering his torso. He and Deku had taken the frontlines, fighting alongside each other when Eijirou fell.

Uraraka was kneeling over Eijirou, who had been knocked unconscious due to his wounds. He had some nasty wounds, including one across his face. Izuku was kneeling next to him at the moment, holding his hand tightly. 

Silvery thread was weaving around his body, stitching up his wounds and healing his body. After a while, Eijirou took a deep breath, sitting up and groaning at the pain. Katsuki let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He had developed a bit of a soft spot for these people. If anything happened to them he would inevitably blame himself. 

If any of them found out he would deny it with everything he had. 

Izuku marched up to him then. For a moment, he was sure he was going to punch him in the face. Katsuki braced himself. Deku hit hard. 

The green-haired man wrapped his hand in the front of his shirt and tugged him down to his level, as he was much shorter than the pirate. They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Deku tugged him again, smashing their lips together. Katsuki was stunned for a moment, freezing, before he melted into it, wrapping his arms around Izuku’s waist. He pulled the other close, pulling away only to breathe. 

His lips tasted like honey. They were softer than anything, albeit a little chapped from the fighting. 

“What was that for?” He asked, vision focused on Deku, and only Deku. 

“We almost died.” The smaller man said, leaning his forehead against Katsuki’s. “I didn’t want to die without doing that.” He whispered. 

“You should do it again.” He pressed his lips against the others again, pulling their sore bodies flush together. 

“Get a room!” Shouto yelled from across the battlefield. Katsuki pulled away and glared at him. 

“You’re fucking blind!” He shouted back. 

“I can tell you’re being gross from here!” 

“Fuck off!” He yelled, pulling Deku into another kiss.

~
~
~

Katsuki laughed drunkenly as the bards they paid started up the song. They were all thoroughly drunk, stumbling over their own words. Katsuki pulled Izuku into his arms as the bards began. 

“The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief.” 

“He was brought up like a sailor, a pirate of the streets, stealing food and booze and dirty magazines!” Izuku sang, pointing at Katsuki. 

“The rainy days go, the rainy days go, The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief.” 

“He was coddled like a Prince and promised as a bride, Lord Jekyll had a secret life to hyde.” Katsuki sang back, fingers fumbling at Izuku’s sides. 

“Through the window he’d creep when his father fell asleep!” Eijirou added, laughing at their antics. 

“The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief.” 

“He bats his eyes and lies about his age!” Katsuki sang. 

“He used the coin he stole to buy the drinks!” Izuku matched. 

“Never thought they’d find love drowning sorrows at the pub!” The band sang, pulling other people in the crowd into the song. “The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief!”

“He never made an honest buck.” 

“He only borrowed from the truth.” 

“They were the greatest match that Hell had ever seen!” Uraraka yelled, dancing to the music. 

“But if you reap what you sow, it doesn’t matter where you go.” Shouto sang, spinning the girl around expertly. 

“The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief!”

“He bats his eyes and lies about his age!” Katsuki repeated. 

“The coin he stole is buying all the drinks!” Izuku sang. 

“It’s the devils first man and a drunken runaway!” Eijirou wrapped an arm around them before being whisked off to dance. 

“The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief!” Katsuki pulled Izuku up to dance around everyone, stumbling over his own feet as the graceful man spun around him. 

“A round for our two lovers, in this barstool fairytale.” The bards sang, holding cups out towards them. “Givin’ something for us bastards to believe.” 

“You never think you’ll find love drowning sorrows at the pub!” The crowd sang, holding their own cups out. “With Whiskey, and Liars, and Thieves!” Katsuki laughed, head tipping back. “A toast to those who stole another day!” 

“One more day!” Izuku yelled.  

“A round to those who lied to get away!” 

“One more drink?” Katsuki asked, leaning close to Izuku. 

“And to those who found love drowning sorrows at the pub! Someday you’ll find love drowning sorrows at the pub! Never thought they’d find love drowning sorrows at the pub! The Whiskey, The Liar, The Thief!”

The crowd erupted into applause as the next song started, another request, people in the crowd adding their own lyrics to the shanty. Katsuki laughed into the drunken kiss Izuku pulled him into. 

~
~
~

“You’re an arrogant asshole!” Izuku yelled, throwing his dagger at the wall behind Katsuki. Look, he had messed up, he deserved it. He had ignored Izuku’s plan and had almost gotten Shouto and himself killed in the process. It was iffy there for a while. 

“I’m sorry, ‘Zuku, I already said it.” He said quietly, not moving from where he was on the other side of the room. 

“You thinking a fucking sorry can fix this?” He shouted, hands pulling at his hair. “Not only did you almost get Shouto killed, but you almost died in your attempt to fix it all.” His breathing was picking up. Katsuki needed to subdue the situation quickly. 

“I know, bunny. I know, I messed up.” He said, taking a few steps forward. Izuku brandished his axe toward him and Katsuki raised his arms in surrender. 

“Why couldn’t you just follow the plan?” He yelled. “The plan was simple! In and out. And you fucked it up!” 

“I know.” He muttered. 

“That’s all you can fucking say?” Izuku took a shaky breath. “You almost died and that’s all you can say? ‘I know’?” 

“What do you want me to do?” He asked, eyes pleading. 

“Stop putting yourself in danger!” 

“That’s-”

“Stop it! Stop throwing yourself in danger because you want to be some self-sacrificial idiot! We can work things out better as a team.” 

“It’s kind of in the job description, Deku.” 

“Stop being an asshole.” Izuku said, crossing his arms. He took a long, deep breath. 

“I don’t get why it matters so much-” 

“Because I love you!” Izuku yelled, glaring at him. “I love you so fucking much it hurts and you go out there like you want to die and I just…” He tugged at his hair again. “It feels like you’re ripping a part of me to shreds.” 

It was silent for a long moment. 

“You… you love me?” 

“I love you.” Izuku whispered, sitting down on the bed and burying his face in his hands. Katsuki slowly climbed on behind him, wrapping his arms around the smaller man from behind. 

“I love you, too.” He whispered, pressing a few kisses across the mans freckled neck. “I can’t promise I’ll never make a mistake again.” He said. “But I’ll try harder next time, okay?” 

Izuku relaxed into his hold and Katsuki knew he was forgiven, this time. 

~
~
~

Katsuki was grinning. He had just been ambushed, a huge devil dropped on him when he was on his way to meet back up with the group, and he had taken him down. 

He wasn’t off scot-free, of course. Scratches, bruises, and a random assortment of injuries littered his skin, normally smooth, tan skin now adorned in dirt and blood. But he was fucking proud of himself, alright? He had grown a lot. 

He was supposed to meet his party at the local tavern, so that’s where he headed. Who cared that he needed medical attention? He wanted Deku’s attention more. 

He walked up to Izuku, who was flirting with a drunk man at a bar. It wasn’t something he didn’t expect. His boyfriend tended to do that to mess with people. It was funny, honestly. He wasn’t jealous. At the end of the night, Izuku always returned to him.

It was when the guys got too handsy that Katsuki had a problem with it. 

He marched up behind his boyfriend, when the man grabbed his arm. He pulled Izuku’s back to his chest, leaning his head on the other’s shoulder. 

“Oh! Have you met my boyfriend, Bakugou Katsuki?” Izuku asked, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Katsuki smiled at the man, who’s expression had shifted from suggestive to terrified. He backed away and ran off into the tavern. Izuku turned in his grasp then and gasped at the state of his body. “What the hell did you get into?” He asked, eyes spanning the injuries. 

“Just a low level devil. Come on, Izuku, let’s go back to our room.” He purred, pulling his boyfriend close. 

“You fucking…” The green-haired man let out a sigh and grabbed Katsuki’s hand, pulling him off towards the stairs up to their room at the inn. As soon as they were in the room, he pushed him down onto the bed. 

“What the hell were you thinking?” Izuku asked, digging through his bag for something. He sighed as he pulled out a med kit. “You don’t want more scars, do you? Honestly, Kacchan, you’re going to die of an infection one of these days.” He grumbled, taking his time to clean each wound and bandage it properly, applying salve to the deeper cuts. 

“I love it when you get all protective.” Katsuki said, pulling him away when he moved onto the smallest scratches. 

Izuku sighed. “You’re lucky you look hot with scars.” 

~
~
~

Katsuki was hiding behind a pillar as Izuku spoke with some former colleagues. He would be taking over as King, one day. He needed to keep up appearances, even while they were putting themselves in danger. 

These assholes, some Duke and Duchess of an irrelevant city, were trying to push their ideals on the prince. Deku was having none of it. 

"Izumi, you should not be prancing around with some dirty pirate."

"He's not dirty, we don't prance, and I've told you, my name is Izuku."

Katsuki snickered. /That’s my boy/. 

Izuku apologized over and over for the rest of the night. He really was embarrassed by how some nobles acted. Katsuki just laughed and shook his head. "Don’t apologize. I knew it was going to be a disaster as much as you did, Prince Izuku.” He took Izuku’s face in his hands. “Look at me, I love you. I don’t care what any noble assholes think. I’m your Dirty Pirate Boy, and you're my Badass Warrior Prince, okay?"

“Alright, alright fine, Mr.Pirate.” Izuku laughed and pressed a kiss to the mans cheek. “If you ever call me Prince Izuku again I will kill you myself.”

“I won’t, I won’t.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “But it sounds like a badass name for a ship, though, don’t you think?” 

“Do not name your ship anything with my name. I will hurt you. I’m not joking, Kacchan. You will be a dead pirate.”

“You’re hot when you’re threatening me.” Katsuki laughed. 

“I will murder you in cold blood.” 

~

~
~

They were in the boat back to the Capital City. Something was happening there, but they wouldn’t arrive for another day. Katsuki carried two plates of food towards their room, kicking open the door. 

Izuku was on the floor, hands in his hair, curled in on himself. Katsuki immediately set the plates down and kneelt next to him. He gently pulled his hands away from his hair, taking both hands in his own. 

“What’s going on, ‘Zuku?” He asked softly, massaging his hands slowly. 

“I-I just… We-we almost died yesterday.” He whispered. The fight they had been in yesterday turned out to be an ambush. He had been knocked unconscious. He had almost died, and Izuku had fallen trying to get to him. Uraraka was the only reason they were still alive. “I can’t… I don’t want to live in a world without you.” He cried. 

“You won’t, I promise.” He said, wiping the tears off of his cheeks. “I’m tougher than that, right? And Cheeks wouldn’t let you or me die.” He said, pressing a kiss to Izuku’s head.

“But you can’t promise me that!” He said, looking up at the larger man. “You can’t. You don’t know what we’re walking into! We’re going to fight All For One’s generals, if not All For One himself. You can’t… you can’t promise you’ll be okay.” 

“Well then, I promise I won’t go down without a fight.” He said, pulling Izuku close to his chest. “We’ll be together, at least.” 

Izuku took a few deep breaths and leaned into Katsuki’s chest. “Just… promise you’ll be safer than you usually are.” 

“You know I can’t promise that.” He whispered, squeezing him once. “But I won’t do anything that would put me into more danger than usual.” 

“I… can live with that.” Izuku said, taking a few more minutes to calm down. “You brought dinner?” 

Katsuki laughed and grabbed the plates, handing Izuku his. ‘’Course I did.” 

~
~
~

It wasn’t often that they got a break. But sometimes, they would have a day or two to relax between risking their lives. Katsuki liked to spend as much of that time as he could on the sea, missing his former lifestyle. 

Izuku begged and begged to be brought out on a ship. So, on one of the off days, he rented a small sailboat. Just to take around the bay and show Izuku how to sail. 

His boyfriend looked like a dream on the water. Sitting at the front of the small boat, looking out in front of him. Katsuki couldn’t help but think he looked better than those statues that pirates tended to mount at the bow of their ships. 

Izuku leaned down over the edge, feeling the water across his fingers. They were slowing to a stop far out into the bay. 

The green-haired man leaned a bit too far and slipped right over the side. Katsuki laughed for a moment before realizing Izuku wasn’t coming back up. He cursed, panicking, and dove in after him. He managed to get his arms around Izuku and pull him back up to the surface. 

As soon as they crested the surface, Izuku was laughing. He shoved Katsuki’s hands away and swam like a pro, perfectly treading water. 

“Oh, you asshole!” Katsuki said, splashing water in his face. Izuku was giggling, cheeks tinted red. 

“You really thought I couldn’t swim.” He cackled, head tipping back. 

“Shut the fuck up.” Katsuki rolled his eyes and made his way back to the boat, pulling himself up over the side. “I was worried about you.” 

“Aww, big bad Kacchan cares for something, after all.” 

“Fuck off.” 

~
~
~

Katsuki smiled as he heard the music start playing. They were all dressed up, a single night before they headed off to what might be the end. They would take down Shigaraki and All For One, or die trying. 

Izuku turned to him, eyes sparkling, and grabbed his hand, leading him through the crowd towards the band. He was dressed beautifully; ornate green top with swirling gold accents around his chest. Katsuki was dressed nicer than he had ever been before. 

Izuku turned to him with a wide smile. 

“May I have this dance?” He asked, holding his hand out. 

“Of course, my love.” Katsuki said, taking it. “This one and every dance after that.” He added, wrapping his arm around Izuku’s waist. He was happy, for the first time in his life, truly happy. 

The music picked up then, turning into a jovial song made for dancing. Izuku giggled as Katsuki swung him around, spinning him in his arms. 

“Let’s give them a show, yeah?” Katsuki whispered into his ear, pushing him away from his body in a spin before grasping his hand again and spinning him close. 

“You lead, Mr.Bakugou.” Izuku teased, laughing as the taller man lifted him into the air, setting him on his shoulder. Izuku bent backwards, flipping off of his shoulder, meeting Katsuki again with a flourish. 

They had perfected this. Dancing. It was something Izuku forced Katsuki to do for years before he finally got the hang of it. They implemented it into their fighting styles now. Oftentimes, Izuku would be thrown through the air before landing a hit on the enemy. They were known for it by now.

One last dance before they fought the hardest battle of their lives, but somehow, none of it seemed to matter as they stared into each other’s eyes. 

~
~
~

They were standing around a field, imps and devils surrounding them. Shigaraki, All for One’s general, was staring down Izuku. He was tall with black wings stretching out behind her. His horns stretched up from his head, piercing red eyes matching his red skin. The incantation circle was behind Izuku, he was blocking Shigaraki from getting to it. 

Izuku was currently swaying on his feet, large red gash in his side. Katsuki was fighting to get to him, but the devils kept standing in his way. He was still a good 60 feet from him. 

Shigaraki made a break for the incantation circle with the Amulet of Infernum. It was the last thing they needed to open the portal. Izuku swung at him, but just barely missed, stumbling off balance. He managed to place the amulet in the center, the archway beginning to shimmer with magical light. A rift began to rip through space. 

Katsuki saw the idea cross Izuku’s mind before he started moving. 

“Don’t you fucking dare, Deku!” He screamed, slicing through a devil. His boyfriend of two years turned to him, tears in his eyes, and had the audacity to smile at him. 

“I love you!” Izuku yelled. Everything happened in the sliver of a second. He dropped his axe and sprinted forward, throwing himself at the portal. He managed to knock the amulet out of the circle as Shigaraki jumped on top of him. Both of them disappeared into the portal. 

Katsuki screamed and rushed forward, the rift closing in space. Eijirou sliced down the last devil in the field, leaving them alone. Katsuki was standing where the portal had just been, staring at the space where Izuku just was. 

“You… need healing, Katsuki.” Uraraka said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t fucking touch me.” He said, shrugging her hand off of him. “Take care of the other two, I’m fine.” He said, dropping to his knees when he heard her footsteps leave him. He grabbed the amulet and put it around his neck, letting out a shaky breath. 

He felt numb.

~
~
~

They tried to find him. There was a powerful mage who was able to cast Plane Shift on them. Even after 8 hours in the Nine Hells, finding hints of Izuku, they never found him. His dagger was stuck in the ground at one point, a piece of his clothing at another, and a necklace that he used to wear. 

Izuku was there, somewhere. Fighting. 

Katsuki crumpled into himself when they were transported back to the mortal plane, crying out. Eijirou had hugged him, which was the first time any of them had seen Katsuki accept comfort. 

He needed it. 

~
~
~

They next met in a cemetery. The new gravestone sat in front of them. King All Might was standing beside it, in a black suit. Katsuki was matching him, eyes red from crying. 

“This day is a somber one. Today, we laid Izuku Midoriya to rest for the final time. He was a strong fighter, and is the reason we are all still here. Today, we remember what we lost, but we also celebrate what we have gained. What Izuku has given us. A life. A new life. A life that we can be safe and secure here, without the threat of All for One over us. Today, we grieve Izuku, but we also thank him for what he has given all of us.” He said. 

The gravestone beside him read; 

Izuku Midoriya

Son, best friend, lover

Hero of the World

They buried an empty casket that day. 

~
~
~

Katsuki left the party first, not even a year after Izuku died. Without his boyfriend, he wasn’t able to keep himself there. He couldn’t do it without him. It just didn’t feel right. Like something was missing.

He started his own Armada, named the Black Skull Armada. He slowly built himself up over the course of four years, becoming one of the largest crews that sailed the oceans. They stole from the rich to give to the poor. 

Katsuki was never really the same after Izuku died. The soft persona he had developed was all but obliterated the moment they buried the empty casket. The only times he showed even a glimpse of his former self was around members of his Armada. In particular, it was the kids that he was the most himself around. 

He was known to take in kids who didn’t have a goal in life, or had bad homes, and give them a purpose. He raised them as though they were his own. 

He would tell them stories about Izuku. Everything that he could remember about the man. From his dancing, to his smile, the way he wanted to save everyone, the way he died. They knew every story by the second year, but they let him tell it every time. The sparkle in his eyes was worth it. 

He received the letter while on a trip to his hometown. He tried to visit one a year now. His parents appreciated it. The letter was from Eijirou. 

Katsuki,

There’s an issue. I can get into it more when you arrive, but I need you to come back to

Thallamore. Please, I’ll explain later, there's not much time. I need your help. 

Thank you, 

Eijirou

They kept in contact, once a year on the anniversary of Izuku’s death, but didn’t speak much after that. If Eijirou was sending him a letter and took the time to find where he was docked, it must be important. 

He sailed back to Thallamore after a quick stop in his hometown. He met the other three on the dock, allowing Uraraka and Kirishima to hug him. Shouto didn’t usually enjoy physical contact. 

The scars that littered his friends’ skin still made him flinch. Shouto had stopped wearing his blindfold long ago, but the scars that covered the ones he already had were jagged and ugly. Uraraka’s once porcelain skin was painted in dark discoloration from one too many encounters with fire. Eijirou had a bad habit of not wearing his helmet when they entered battle, his face now dotted with curved lines across an eye, his nose, and his lips. When he smiled, his skin pulled taut at one side, smile becoming lopsided. 

It wasn’t like he looked any better. He didn’t wear armor at all, and his outfits usually consisted of not wearing a shirt. His torso was covered in thin white lines, bubbled skin from heat exposure, and the few scars that had never healed right. He could trace the places Uraraka stitched him up after a particularly bad battle. 

Izuku used to run his hands over them before they slept, they never mattered before.

Now he couldn’t help but notice them. 

“Hey, man, thanks for coming on such short notice.” Eijirou said, smiling at him. 

“Whatever.” He muttered, nodding to his right hand, who gave commands to his crew. They headed into the city together. 

As they headed to town square, he looked up to see a large statue standing in the square. The statue used to be of King Yagi, who founded the city 2000 years ago. It had changed 5 years ago. Now, towering over the buildings, stood a large statue of Izuku. His arms were stretched out as if he’s waiting for a hug, eyes crinkled in a laugh. 

Katsuki remembered this pose. It was a picture that Uraraka had taken. Izuku was holding his arms out for a hug from Katsuki after a night at the tavern. He had ignored the man for a few moments, causing him to laugh, before sweeping him up into a tight hug. He remembered it like it was yesterday. 

“So, what’s going on?” Shouto asked, sitting on a park bench. 

“As if you don’t already know, Shouto, you can literally see the future.” Eijirou teased, sitting next to him. 

“I do. But changing the future is dangerous. So tell us.” He said, leaning back. 

“Okay, so, I’ve been in contact with King Mirio.” 

Mirio Togata. All Mights named successor. He was two years older than Izuku, but he wasn’t technically his son. That was supposed to be Izuku. Katsuki clenched his jaw and continued listening. 

“He thinks there might be something going on with the Nine Hells again. He wants us to investigate. Mina had someone break in and steal some things recently. Things that could be used for the portal.” Eijirou explained. 

“Are you fucking serious?” Katsuki asked angrily. “Izuku fucking died to stop this shit and it’s happening again?” 

“Katsuki, calm down.” Uraraka said, placing a hand on his bicep. “We’re just looking into it. It might just be nothing.” He took a deep breath. 

“We wouldn’t be here if it was nothing.” He crossed his arms, letting out a long sigh. “I think we all know that.” 

“Let’s just look into it, okay? No need to get all worked up if nothing is happening.” 

Katsuki looked around the town he had known for so long. There are a few large shops in the center of the town, centered around the statue. There was a clothing store with a brown-haired elf and a tiefling with bright purple skin standing outside, a flower shop with red and white roses in the boxes outside, with a very young child with long blonde hair running around outside, a magic component shop with a black pseudodragon flying out, carrying a letter, and a tavern, which sounds full, even in the middle of the day. There are lots of people milling about the town square, shopping or meeting with friends. It was peaceful. 

Izuku should have been here. He would have loved what this town turned into.

He allowed his friends to lead him off towards Mina’s spell component shop. He knew that Eijirou was fast friends with the girl. They entered the shop, looking around as a few people perused the aisles. 

“Eiji!” Mina squealed, wrapping her arms around the man. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Hey, Mina. Just business today I’m afraid.” He said, hugging her before motioning to everyone behind him. “These are my friends. You remember them, right? Heroes of the World.” He said with a laugh. 

“Of course. Everyone knows you guys.” She said with a smile, waving. 

“Whatever.” Katsuki said, stalking off into the shop.

“Have you seen anything weird going on?” Eijirou asked, turning to Mina. 

“Well, other than the imp sightings,” she started, “my employee, Mineta, he’s gone missing. He was a great employee, though he was a bit of a pervert. He knew a lot about spell components and magic, but all of the sudden it was like he forgot everything he knew. And then he stopped showing up for work.” 

“Weird. Have you tried getting in contact with him?” Uraraka wondered. 

“Yeah, he lives on the outskirts of Thallamore. I checked his house but it was empty. No one answered when I knocked.” Mina explained. 

Katsuki caught a glimpse of Shouto sneaking into a back room and started to follow him back. 

“Hey! Whoa, what do you think you’re doing?” Mina asked, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. 

“Looking in your fucking back room.” He said, attempting to move passed her. 

“Look, asshole, you may have saved the world, but this is my business. You can’t just barge in here like you own the place.” She said, glaring up at him. “I will take you back there if you ask nicely.” 

“Will you take us back to the back room, please, Mina?” Eijirou asked from behind him. Katsuki rolled his eyes. They didn’t have time for this shit. 

“Of course, Eijirou. Let’s go.” She said, giving Katsuki a look before walking into the back with the other three following behind. 

“So what’s missing?” Uraraka asked as they walked. 

“It’s weird. They didn’t take much. I have a lot of valuables back here.” Mina said, leading them down a staircase. “Just two feathers.” She opened a wooden door, where Shouto was already standing, shifting through a mess of boxes. “Shouto! What did I say about coming back here without me?” 

“Sorry.” The blind man said, continuing his search. He pulled back from a barrel with a small mechanical salamander in his hands. The automaton, which Shouto called Shoucchan, which was Izuku’s nickname for him, smiled in his hands. You know, as much as a metal salamander could smile. 

“So, you’re missing feathers?” Katsuki asked, looking around. 

“Yeah.” 

“What kind?” 

“Celestial.” 

“Fuck.” 

~
~
~

They met back up in the inn they had spent way too many nights in, back when they were an adventuring party. They had two rooms. Eijirou and Katsuki were sharing, while Shouto and Uraraka had the other one. It was a room arrangement they were used to. Except, Izuku was usually in the first room too. The three men shared a bed often on their adventure. 

“I’ll be back, Shitty Hair.” Katsuki said, heading out of the room. The redhead just nodded, turning back to his papers. He was trying to figure something out. Katsuki headed down into the tavern and made his way passed the thralls of drunks. 

He headed out into the square, where the sun was already beginning to set. He walked directly towards the flower shop, where there were a few kids playing outside. He smiled as one, a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes, waved at him. He pushed open the door and glanced around. 

At the front desk was a man with bright purple hair and matching purple eyes. He looked tired and glanced over at him, bored. 

“Welcome to the White Rose.” He said, yawning. “I’m Shinsou Hitoshi. How can I help you?” 

“You got any lilacs?” They were Izuku’s favorite. He used to paint them on his axe, on the walls of their ship, and once, on Katsuki’s bicep. He had gotten it tattooed a year after Izuku died. 

“Plenty.” Shinsou nodded, motioning to an entire wall of the flowers. “Pick your poison.”

Katsuki nodded and grabbed enough to make a bouquet. He handed them over and paid, asking the man to wrap them for him. They were tied with a bow and handed back. 

“Thanks.” He muttered. 

“You’re welcome.” Shinsou nodded. Katsuki turned to leave before turning back again. 

“You own this place?” He asked. 

“No. I just work here. The owner is out for the moment but I can take a message?” He asked. 

“What’s the owner’s name? Just for future reference.” Katsuki wondered. 

“Isao.” Shinsou said. “I’ll let him know you dropped by.” 

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” Katsuki rolled his eyes and walked out. He didn’t know anyone in this town named Isao. He wondered if they moved here recently. He shrugged and headed off to the front of the statue, looking up at the steel face of his lover. Izuku Midoriya, the love of his life. The reason he had worked so hard to be a monk. 

There were legends of monks who were granted physical immortality. Izuku couldn’t die unless he was stricken down in battle, being an elf. Katsuki wanted to spend his entire life with him. 

He got his wish just before the final battle. Now, he would have to live forever without Izuku, age never shifting his appearance. He would forever look the way he did now.

He placed the bouquet at the feet of the statue, where there were other flowers planted, gifts laid, and coins thrown. 

“Hey, Izuku.” He muttered, looking up at the face he missed. “I… I just want to say that I miss you. I miss you and it fucking hurts to be here without you. You would fucking love it now.” He felt the wetness on his face before he realized he was crying. “You would be proud of me too, I think. I’m the captain of my own pirate crew. We take in kids… kids like how I was.” He was whispering now. “I honestly don’t know how I’m doing it without you.” 

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and turned to see Shouto, face turned up towards the statue like he could see it. 

“Not all is lost.” He said softly, a smile playing at his lips. “He is still with you, even if you don’t see him.” 

“Why the fuck do you insist on sneaking up on people?” Katsuki asked after a moment, thankful that the man couldn’t see his tear-streaked cheeks. 

Shouto shrugged. “It’s funny.” He stated simply. “He would have been so proud of you.” He added after a moment, looking towards Katsuki now. “I just know he would.” 

“Right.” Katsuki said quietly, wiping the tears from his face. “I’m gonna head back to the inn. You coming?” 

“In a minute.” Shouto nodded and turned his face back up towards the statue. Katsuki nodded and turned to walk away. “Oh, Katsuki? Watch out for the rock on your way in.” 

“God fucking dammit, Half-n-Half.” He cursed. 

Katsuki stumbled on a stone on the way in towards the inn. He could hear Shouto laughing from his spot next to the statue. 

~
~
~

Shouto burst into their room in the morning, panting hard like he had run from somewhere. 

“Imps. Let’s go.” He said, before running out of the room again. Eijirou and Katsuki shared a look before grabbing their weapons and running out after him. They met up in an alleyway, where four oversized spiders skittered into a sewer grate. 

Shouto managed to grab one, stomping on it and pulling it’s soul towards itself. It was a normal occurrence to the rest of the group now. 

Katsuki marched up to the sewer and kicked as hard as he could, the metal caving under the pressure and falling down. 

“Alright, let’s go.” He muttered, climbing down the ladder. The rest of the group followed quickly. It was dark down there, far too dark for him to see anything. The rest of the group seemed to be fine(fucking elves). 

He reached out and grabbed Eijirou’s arm, letting him lead him through the twists and turns of the smelly sewer. Shouto turned into a hallway, where there was a fire crackling to life. 

Katsuki remembered the first time they had been down here. Izuku had shoved him into the sewer water, laughing as he grumbled on his way back out. Despite how disgusting it was, he looked back on the memory fondly. 

They took down the imps easily. One swing and they were popping back to the Nine Hells, bodies falling limp. 

“Wait, don’t walk so quickly, this could be a trap.” Uraraka said, finishing up the last of the little devils. They were like pawns to do All For One’s bidding. 

“It’s not.” Shouto said. “Shigaraki wants to have a talk with us.” He said, confidently, pushing his way into the next room. 

Sure enough, lounging in the middle of the room, Shigaraki was watching them. He smiled menacingly, standing up from the couch he had been sitting on. 

“I see the heroes of the world have come back to play.” He laughed. “Too bad you’re down one. Little Izuku isn’t at your side, now, is he? Such a shame, that one. He could have made a delicious archdevil. If he had taken that route, he could have been the most powerful thing walking the earth. No, he’s just pathetic, isn’t he?” 

“Don’t you fucking talk about him!” Katsuki yelled, readying his swords. He took a few steps forward. 

“I see you haven’t changed a bit, Bakugou Katsuki.” Shigaraki laughed. “You’d make a great devil too. That anger.” He sighed. 

“What are you doing here, Shigaraki? You have nothing on us.” Eijirou said, placing a hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. “You lost.” 

“I did. But I didn’t die, did I?” He smiled and held out his hand, four celestial feathers tucked between his fingers. “Poor Mineta, to be honest, he’s a nice guy. A bit of a creep, but oh well. So nice to let a poor old woman into his home.” His face shifts into wrinkles and a sweet smile. “Too bad he didn’t survive the night.” His face then shifts into the picture of a young man, purple hair styled in tight buns on his head, eyes wide. 

“You’re sick.” Uraraka yelled. 

“Congratulations, Uraraka Ochacco. You can state the obvious.” Shigaraki laughed and shifted back into his own form. “Well, I must be off, but have fun down here.” He said, waving. He disappeared then, form fading into the black. 

“Fuck!” Katsuki yelled, a horde of imps coming down on him immediately. He swung wildly, feeling the rest of his party fighting too. These weren’t the run-of-the-mill imps, they were a bit stronger. Probably just slightly farther up the chain of command. 

He elbowed one in the stomach as it bit down on his shoulder, catching another one in the air when it tried to sting him. 

“You fucker, get off.” He yelled, three more attaching themselves to his body. 

Shouto fired off a spell, all three exploding into dust. 

“Thanks.” Katsuki said, slicing another one that went after the blind man. 

It wasn’t a terribly long or hard fight. All things considered, they took care of the devils quite quickly. They had done this hundreds of times before. 

“Why the fuck did he bring up Izuku?” Katsuki asked as soon as the last devil fell. 

“He’s probably just trying to get under our skin.” Eijirou said. 

“He fell into the portal with him. He knows what happened to him. He-he-” Katsuki sucked in quick breaths, heart hammering in his chest. He felt stong arms wrap around his shoulders, keeping him from falling. 

“Shigaraki isn’t worth it, man.” Eijirou said softly. Katsuki sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t give him the satisfaction of getting to you.” The blonde nodded and took a few more moments to steady himself. 

“We should go make sure the Amulet is safe.” Uraraka suggested once he had calmed down. “Just to make sure we cover all of our bases.” 

~
~
~

Shouto grabbed their arms, teleporting them all to just inside the castle walls. They used to do this all the time, back when they were on their first adventure. It was a norm at this point. 

“Ugh, I’ll never get used to that.” Katsuki said, stomach pitching as his feet landed on solid ground again. 

“Shouto! Eiji!” Eri yelled from where he had been sitting, running up to the group. She had tossed a book that was in her lap to the ground, opting for approaching the group of heroes. This was Mirios daughter, Princess Eri. She had two siblings, an older sister named Princess Emiko. She would be Queen one day. And Prince Kota, her younger brother. 

Eijirou knelt down and wrapped her in a hug, before Shouto did the same. They were close with her. Izuku was too. He was her favorite Uncle, she used to say. 

“Uncle Katsu!” She exclaimed, marching up to him. He knelt down with a wide smile. 

“Hi pipsqueak.” He said, gathering her in a hug. 

“I didn’t see you there.” She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“Yeah, well, I’m good at hiding.” He said, covering his face. 

“I can still see you.” She laughed. 

“No you can’t.” He said, shaking his head. He peeked from behind his fingers and sighed dramatically. “Aw, man. How did you find me?” He laughed and ruffled her hair. 

“Why are you guys here?” She wondered, smiling at him. 

“We need to talk to you dad. About the Amulet, do you remember it?” Katsuki explained. 

“The amulet? Yeah, I can do it. I’ll go talk to dad for you!” She cheered, turning and running off towards the castle. Katsuki cursed under his breath and ran after her, the rest of the group doing the same. 

They were led through the castle halls, following after the young girl. Eri was only 8, but she was almost a genius. She was intelligent and wise for her age. Katsuki loved her for it. There was a guard standing at one part, sticking his hand out before the party could follow her. 

“These are the Royal family’s private chambers. You may not continue.” He said, staring down the group. 

“We’re just following Princess Eri. Escorting her.” Shouto stepped up to say. Katsuki caught a glimpse of the girl as she swung open a door and headed into it, loudly slamming it behind her. 

“She is perfectly safe within the walls of the castle. You may wait for her here.” The guard said, hand on his sword. 

“Okay, alright, we’ll wait.” Eijirou nodded, leaning against the wall. Katsuki let out a long sigh and joined him, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back. 

They didn’t have to wait long before the door opened again. Out ran the oldest daughter, Princess Emiko, tears running down her face. She ran past them without so much as a glance. Uraraka looked like she wanted to follow her. 

“Don’t even think about it, Cheeks. We have a mission.” Katsuki muttered, staring at the woman. She looked like she wanted to protest for a moment before nodding and continuing to wait with the rest of them. Not long after, the door opened again, and Eri reamerged. 

“Dad says I can’t tell you where it is, but it’s safe.” She said. 

“Fucking great.” Katsuki muttered, groaning. “Did you tell him it was us?” Eri nodded. “Alright. Both of your dads were in there?” Eri shook her head. 

“That was dad. Papa’s in the library.” She explained. “I can take you guys there too!” She cheered. 

“Alright, pump the breaks, squirt.” Katsuki said, catching her before she ran off again. “We know where the library is. You can come with us if you want.” Eri smiled. 

“Okay!” She agreed, grabbing his hand to walk. 

They headed off toward the library. They had visited it many times before, many meeting about the initial adventure took place here. It was a place they were familiar with. It made it all a bit more eerie when they entered and it was empty, save for King Mirio, pouring over books and maps. 

Shouto sat outside with Eri, board games appearing out of thin air to distract the young girl. 

“Ah, good to see you all.” Mirio says, glancing up from his books quickly before getting distracted once more. “What can I help you with?” 

“King Mirio. It’s wonderful to see you again.” Uraraka said with a smile. “Are you overworking yourself again?” The young king looked up. 

“I… there are just so many things to be done. Nations threatening war and Emiko… she’s having a hard time right now.” He explained. “I don’t have much time to talk. How can I help you?” 

“We just need to know who has the amulet.” Katsuki said, arms crossed. “We need to make sure it’s safe.” 

“Oh! Yes, it’s being held by a man named Isao. He owns a shop in town.” Mirio said, turning back to his papers. 

“Hold on, you gave the fucking Amulet of Infernum to a flower shop owner?” Katsuki asked angrily. “You don’t even have it locked down?” 

“Don’t worry. He is quite protective of it.” Mirio said, waving his hand. “You can go see for yourself. I am very busy.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” Katsuki muttered, stalking out of the room. 

~
~
~

They met once more in the tavern. Katsuki was still pissed, drinking an ale as the anger slowly dissipated. The king trusted this man, so he was clearly capable. Although keeping it with Eijirou would be better. He was part of the team that collected it, for fuck’s sake!

The party joined him after a while, everyone crowding into the small table Katsuki had sat down at. 

“So, you’ve been to the flower shop, then? You seemed to know who this Isao guy was.” Uraraka said. Katsuki sent a glare to her, taking a swig of his ale and crossing his arms.

Shinsou, the man who worked at the flower shop, walked in, looking panicked. He bolted for their table, grabbing Eijirou’s arm and dragging him to the corner of the bar. Katsuki hadn’t known they were close. 

He only caught bits and pieces of the conversation over the noise of the tavern. 

“What do you mean-” 

“-help.”

“-do you know-”

The last sentence was the one that truly caught his attention. It had come from Shinsou. 

“Either you tell them, or I will.” 

He turned his head to see the two men walking towards them. Katsuki glared at them, suspicious. Something was going on. 

“Eijirou has something to tell you.” Shinsou said, sitting down in the spot previously occupied by his friend. The party turned their attention to the redhead. 

Eijirou cleared his throat. “Well, uh, you guys have to promise to hear me out.” He started, fidgeting nervously. 

“Spit it out, Shitty Hair.” 

“Izuku is alive. But he’s missing.” 

It was like he had been dunked underwater. His ears were ringing, sight going blurry as he stared at his friend. Izuku, the love of his life, his everything, was still alive, and Eijirou knew. How the fuck did Eijirou know? 

Soon, the shock was replaced with anger. 

“What the fuck, Eijirou?” Katsuki shouted, standing from his spot. “You better be fucking joking, because if you’re not, I will kill you.” 

“I’m not joking.” Eijirou said softly. “Please, let me explain. Let’s go to the flower shop and-” His sentence was cut off with a sharp crack. Katsuki had just punched his best friend. In the nose. Which was now pouring blood. 

“Katsuki, please take a breath.” Shouto said, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Like you’re any fucking better, Half-n-Half?” He yelled, whipping around to the blind man. “You fucking knew too. There’s no way you didn’t.” He accused. 

“I knew he was on the mortal plane. That’s all.” Shouto said, though his tone was filled with remorse. “You know I can’t mess with the future. If I told you-” 

“Yeah, yeah, fabric of the universe, blah, blah, blah. Who fucking cares.” He turned back to Eijirou. “At least he has a good fucking excuse.” 

“Let him explain.” Shinsou spoke up. “Just… it will all make sense if you let us explain.” 

~
~
~

Katsuki didn’t remember walking from the tavern to the flower shop. Knowing this whole time that Izuku was across the street. He was /in Thallamore/ this whole time. For 5 years. 

They were led into the back, where there was a small apartment. Katsuki was gently pushed onto the couch in the middle of the common living space. There were two bedrooms here. One, a large double bed, cleanly made, with a closet slightly open to reveal Izuku’s battle axe balanced inside. The other, a child’s bedroom. Katsuki could make out the edge of a toddler bed and another small twin bed in there. It was a mess. 

“Okay. Story time.” Eijirou said, settling on the other side of the living room. His nose had stopped bleeding by now, but the evidence of Katsuki’s fist in his face was enough to deduce what had happened. 

Katsuki was trying to listen. He really, really was. But his eyes were drawn to the child’s bedroom. He could see a photograph from here, although he couldn’t really make it out. There were three figures. Two adults and a baby. Eijirou was saying something, but he couldn’t help but stand and walk into the room. 

“Hey!” Someone shouted, grabbing his arm. He shrugged them off and walked in, grabbing the photograph. 

Izuku was the first thing he saw. He was smiling widely. He looked… just like Katsuki remembered. Although his face was now littered with scars. One stretched from his forehead to his chin, diagonally. It was jagged and dark. His hair was much longer now, where he used to keep it cut short on the sides and long on the top. 

Behind him stood Shinsou, who had a soft smile on his face too. In Izuku’s arms was a tiny figure. Blonde hair and bright green eyes, a spattering of freckles across her face. Her short hair was tied with two small green bows, and she looked like she was giggling. 

She looked similarly to the little girl he had seen playing outside of the flower shop. 

He heard footsteps approach behind him. The room he had left had fallen silent. He assumed they were all watching him. 

“Izuku insisted we get that picture taken.” Shinsou said from behind him. “Said he wanted something to commemorate the moment or something like that. That was the day I moved in here with them.” 

“Who is she?” Katsuki asked, turning to look at him. 

“Kazumi.” Shinsou said. “She’s just like you.” He added after a moment of silence. 

“Why… why didn’t he… he never looked for me?” 

“He couldn’t.” Shinsou said. Katsuki watched him curiously. “He was pregnant when he jumped through the portal, but he didn’t know. He fought with Shigaraki in the Nine Hells, but he eventually got away. He ran and hid in a city down there. That’s where he discovered he was pregnant.” He explained. “There was a church down there, I guess. For the Lady of Penance. She is a benevolent lower deity, he said.” 

“He made a deal.” Katsuki realized, arm dropping to his side. 

“He did. He would be granted safe passage back to the mortal plane. But he could not contact anyone from his former adventuring party, and he couldn’t ask anyone to contact them for him. He was to have his child and fulfill the rest of the contract. He needed to kill those who have been deemed a danger in her name, so she would be able to grant them penance and a chance to change. The contract was only fulfilled once he took revenge on the person who sent him to the Nine Hells and sent their soul to her.” Shinsou explained. “Izuku explains it better.” He sighed. 

“And you’re… what? His new boyfriend?” 

“What?” Shinsou exclaimed. “No, no no.” She shook his head quickly. “Izuku is like my brother. Like, yes, I love him. But not like that. I’m Kazumi’s uncle.” He said quickly. “Izuku never moved on from you.” 

“He…” Katsuki swallowed, hard. Good to know he wasn’t the only one. “Okay, enough talking. We need to go save him… we need to make sure he’s safe.” He said, marching back out to the group. “Sorry for punching you, Eij.” He said, before turning to the group. “Let’s talk strategy.” 

~
~
~

The group was able to use the spell dimension door to get to the old incantation circle, where they assumed Izuku would be. From the description of events from Shinsou, they realized that Izuku was taken by Shigaraki. Shinsou had heard Izuku scream and made it to the other room to see a figure with large wings carry him and Kazumi out of the building, both limp in his arms. 

The Amulet of Infernum was still safe in a false bottom of the closet, where Izuku was able to protect it. 

They were able to teleport just outside of the area, in the densely populated forest that surrounded the clearing. Shinsou came along, carrying Izuku’s axe and promising to get Kazumi to safety as soon as he could. 

They slowly crept closer, keeping out of sight as long as they could. They managed to hide in some bushes to take in the scene. 

Directly across the clearing stood five posts. The first was a small, crying child. She had long blonde hair that was tied up in a braid. She was sobbing quietly, eyes scrunched up. Katsuki assumed this was Kazumi, his daughter. Beside that, Izuku Midoriya was tied up. He was standing, looking pissed off. His hair was longer than it used to be, falling around his face. The scars that had collected on his face looked darker in person. Katsuki felt like he couldn’t breathe, staring at the man he had been in love with for so long. He was alive, breathing, and right there. 

Next to Izuku was someone else Katsuki recognized. Denki Kaminari, one of Izuku’s friends back when they were kids. They had met him on one of the trips back to Thallamore. He was unconscious. Next to him was a man Katsuki didn’t recognize. The first one was a man with dark blue hair, glasses crooked on his face. 

Uraraka, from beside him, whispered, “Tenya…” 

Beside who he assumed was ‘Tenya’ was someone else he recognized. Mina Ashido, the woman who owned the magic components shop. She was conscious and looking around, confused and scared.  Eijirou had a controlled rage set on his face. 

Izuku was staring directly ahead, his arms tied tightly behind his back. The others were tied kneeling on the ground or sitting. Izuku, however, has been tied so his feet barely touch the ground. Not only was he screaming at Shigaraki and his goons, he was also struggling to stand. Katsuki quelled the anger that began to stir in his body, resisting the urge to run towards him immediately. Izuku had blood dripping down his face already. Upon closer inspection, Katsuki realized that his bonds were different than the rest of theirs. His bonds were made of ghostly chains. 

“Let my daughter go right now. I will rip you to shreds if you even place a hand on her!” He yelled as a demon approached them. “Get away from her! You are fucking dead!” The devil that was approaching was tall and made purely of bone. Kazumi was screaming as he approached. 

Shigaraki, who was standing in the center of the clearing, turned to the devil 

“Shut him up.” He said, rolling his eyes. 

The devil hit Izuku over the head. He slumped forward, limply hanging against the ropes. Kazumi whimpered softly, watching Izuku, but she got quiet. Katsuki took a deep breath to calm his anger, watching Izuku as the rest of the party discussed the plan. 

It was faint. Barely noticeable. But Izuku lifted his head a fraction of an inch. He was still conscious. 

“Okay. Got that, Katsuki?” Uraraka asked, looking at him. 

“Uhh…” 

“You’re going with Shinsou to get Izuku free. He’ll grab everyone else. We’ll distract Shigaraki and the rest of the devils long enough for you to get him out.” Katsuki nodded. He could deal with that. 

He and Shinsou began the slow creep towards the poles, making their way around the huge clearing. As soon as they gave the signal, the other three jumped into battle with Shigaraki and the rest of the devils. The bone devil, who had been standing guard beside the posts, rambled over towards the group of them. Shinsou ran forward, quickly cutting each rope of the other unconscious people and lifting Kazumi into his arms. 

Mina helped him carry the other two unconscious people as Katsuki swung the axe against the chains. It took a few tries, maybe 5 swings, before he got the chain to fall. Izuku stumbled forward and turned back, making eye contact with Katsuki. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. 

“Later.” He said, tossing the man his axe. “Now let’s kick some devil ass.” He ran towards the battle already happening. 

~
~
~

Shigaraki ran away once more, though he promised to bring an army to Thallamore in two days’ time. Katsuki had tried to chase him, but couldn’t keep up with the flying creature. 

As soon as the fighting was over, Izuku was rushing toward Shinsou and Kazumi. He took the small girl into his arms quickly, hugging her tightly. Eijirou rushed to Mina and swept her up in their own hug. Shinsou had an arm wrapped around Denki, who had recently come to. Uraraka was kneeling beside ‘Tenya’. 

Shouto spoke to Mina as soon as their embrace was released, and soon it was just Katsuki, standing alone. He was watching Izuku and Kazumi. That was… it was his daughter. And she was right there. Katsuki was already in love. 

Izuku turned to him then, letting out a shaky breath, before approaching. 

“Hi.” The green-haired man said softly. 

“H-hi.” Katsuki stuttered, unsure what to do. Shinsou walked up beside Izuku and pulled Kazumi out of his arms, cradling her close to his chest. Izuku smiled at him and then turned back to Katsuki. 

“I’m sor-”

“Don’t,” Katsuki said, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize.” He took a step forward, crowding into Izuku’s space. “You… you fought through the Nine Hells while pregnant. You did everything you could to get yourself and… and your… and /our/ daughter safe. So don’t you dare apologize.” 

“I- okay.” He whispered, staring up at him. “I-”

“Stop talking and kiss me.” Katsuki said, wrapping his arms around Izuku’s waist and pulling him in close, kissing him. 

It was like everything that he had been missing for five years came crashing back to him all at once. One of his hands slipped easily into Izuku’s hair, the other wrapped tightly around his waist. Izuku’s hand came to rest on his neck, one playing with the short hair at the bottom of his hairline. Katsuki became overwhelmed with emotion, tears slipping from his closed eyes and onto the cheeks of his lover. 

Izuku pulled away after a moment, the bright smile Katsuki had missed so much aimed straight at him. 

“You don’t know how much I missed you, bunny.” Katsuki said, pulling him close and burying his face in the other’s neck. “I thought about you every fucking day.” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come to find you. I wanted to. You have to know that.” 

“I do, love.” 

~
~
~

Once back in Thallamore, after another casting of Dimension Door to teleport them all back, Izuku woke his daughter up from where she was sleeping on his shoulder. She whined softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. He laughed and spoke softly, pressing a kiss to her temple. 

She slowly blinked her eyes open. Bright green, just like Izuku’s. Katsuki stood at a distance while she was sat on the ground, standing on her own. Izuku moved to stand behind her, knees bracketing her tiny body. He motioned Katsuki over with a small wave. 

The blonde took a deep breath and walked over, kneeling down in front of her. 

“Hi.” She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. 

“Hi.” He smiled at her, extending his hand out. “I’m Katsuki Bakugou.” He said softly. 

“That’s my last name too!” She exclaimed, looking up at him now. “Kazumi Bakugou.” She added, taking his hand in both of hers. Katsuki swallowed the tears that had threatened to collect in his eyes as he looked to Izuku. She had his last name. Izuku just nodded at him happily. 

“Well, there’s a reason for that, you know?” He said carefully, looking back to the face of his daughter. She watched him, confused. “It’s because I’m your dad.” He said quietly. 

“You’re… no, my dad is a superhero. He lives on a big huge boat and he saves people.” She said, crossing her arms. 

“Kazumi, you remember I told you about Kacchan?” Izuku said from behind her, watching her face as she realized; Katsuki was Kacchan, her father. 

“So you’re a superhero?” She asked in a whisper. Katsuki laughed and nodded, tears brimming his eyes now. “I’ve always wanted to meet you!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. 

Katsuki pulled her close, cradling her against him. He was already wrapped around her finger, and he just met her today. 

“Yeah? Me too, baby.” He said quietly. He looked at Izuku from where he was. The green-haired man was crying now, swiping the tears from his cheeks. Katsuki reached a hand out and pulled him close, forcing him to join the hug. 

Their family was just that, a family, for the first time. 

~
~
~

The final battle was not exactly what they were expecting. Maybe it was for there to be an army of imps rushing at them, or Shigaraki on some grand beast. 

No, it was so much worse. 

The royal army took on the imps that were there. But they were quickly overrun with higher level devils and demons alike. Shigaraki was flying towards the middle, flanked by two monstrous beings, also flying. At the front lines, Uraraka was lifted and thrown to the side, knocked unconscious by the impact. Shouto wasn’t faring well either, although he was still standing and getting some good hits on the fire demons, clothing singed and caught on fire in places. Izuku and Katsuki were focused on Shigaraki himself. 

Katsuki chanced a look at Izuku when he made a gargled noise, the mans eyes bright white with magical light. 

“Fucking snap out of it, Deku!” Katsuki yelled, slashing at Shigaraki. They didn’t have time for him to be visited by a celestial being or whatever was happening right now. 

Izuku coughed and fell to the ground, holding his chest. He looked up with determination in his eyes, tossing his axe to the ground. 

“Oh you have to be fucking kidding me-” Katsuki growled, a devil grabbing him from behind and holding him in place. 

Izuku marched forward, anger set in his features. Shigaraki smiled, hand extended outwards. 

“You know, my offer extended in Hell still stands.” 

Izuku’s feet stopped. “I’m not doing this for you.” He spat. 

Shigaraki’s smile dropped. “Fine then.” He growled, glaring at the green-haired man. “Give yourself up and we won’t hurt any of your dear friends here. We will not kill any more in this city. All For One will rule.” 

“And you’ll let them go?” 

“I give you my word.” Shigaraki’s smile returned. 

“He’s lying. Don’t you fucking dare do this again, you asshole!” Katsuki yelled, stabbing a rapier through the devils stomach, turning to Izuku. “I thought we agreed to not be self-sacrificial idiots!” He yelled, marching forward. 

“Dad!” Kazumi yelled. Katsuki turned to see his daughter, his four year old daughter, running towards them across a battlefield. Izuku turned to her, fear filling his eyes. 

Katsuki took off, moving before he had a thought, towards his daughter. He managed to duck out of the way of attacks and attempts to grab him and jumped at her, blocking a sword from hitting her with his own body. 

He cradled her against his chest and looked up at Izuku, who was still turned towards them. Shigaraki, behind him, had a hand raised, black, swirling magic focused in his palm. He extended the hand towards Izuku. 

Like it was in slow motion, Katsuki watched as the beam emitted from Shigaraki’s hand and streaked towards Izuku. The green-haired man was still looking at them, hand outstretched towards him. 

Then, the magic met it’s mark. 

Light filled the battlefield, beaming down from the mess of clouds that was above them, streaking in white light across the city. The light was almost blinding, Katsuki shielded his eyes from it. 

The lower level imps and devils were disintegrated into dust, exploding in the light. The others that were around hissed, skin burning as the light shone directly upon them. 

When it was gone, there was a figure standing in the wake, right behind the body of Izuku Midoriya, still alive, standing, and looking already better than before. He stood a little straighter, less blood leaking from his body. 

When the light disappeared, the figure behind Izuku was clear. Shouto. 

He let out a laugh, glancing around like he tended to do when he wanted to seem like he could see. 

“You got your turn to die, Izuku. Give someone else a turn, yeah?” He said quietly, before his body began to slowly turn to dust. Izuku turned in horror, watching as his former party member was disintegrated into ash, not a single sign of his body left. 

“You’re going to regret letting me live in the Nine Hells.” Izuku spat, launching himself at Shigaraki. 

Katsuki couldn’t do much but watch as he protected his daughter from the scene in front of them. 

By the time the dust settled, there was a littering of bodies across the city. Devil and guard alike strewn around. But it was over. 

~
~
~

It had been a year since that day. Everyone was headed back to Thallamore for a reunion. As they stepped off of the ship, Kazumi set securely on Katsuki’s shoulders, they could see everyone already. 

The statue of Izuku had been replaced with a large park, trees and a garden now occupying the spot. There was a simple placard for Shouto, commemorating him and every other soldier lost in the battle. 

The battle that sealed the gates of the Nine Hells, for now. 

They headed towards the flower shop, where they had promised to meet everyone. Izuku walked beside Katsuki, a small bundle wrapped closely in his arms. Another child, Inki. He had green hair and bright red eyes. Katsuki was in love with him as soon as he laid eyes on him. 

Uraraka had gone on to start her own clothing brand, and eventually married Tenya Iida, who helped manage her business. 

Shinsou and Denki took over the flower shop, and Katsuki heard they were doing great for themselves. They hadn’t seen them in a while. 

Eijirou finally grew the balls to ask Mina out, and they had been dating ever since. They now lived above the magic component shop, and had gotten a cat. 

The end of the world never came for them. Although they thought it would. In the end, all that mattered was that they had each other. 

With them all curled up on two tiny couches, everything felt like it would be alright. Uraraka sat with her legs up on Tenya’s lap, one hand massaging her swollen belly. Izuku curled up right next to her, a tiny newborn fast asleep on his chest. Katsuki runs around the small apartment with Kazumi, throwing her into the air when he caught her. Eijirou and Mina relaxing until the five-year-old calls out to them to come join the game. Shinsou, from his position wrapped up in Denki’s arms, pushed a small glass of wine towards Izuku, who took it with a laugh. 

Despite everything, it didn’t feel like anything was missing. Because Shouto didn’t need to be here physically. He would always be with them. And he would have wanted them to be happy. 

And, oh, how happy they were.