Work Text:
There was a time when I would have believed them
If they told me, you could not come true
Just love's illusion
But then you found me and everything changed
And I believe in something again
"If you propose to me on Valentine's Day, I'm leaving you." Izuku joked when the holiday approached back in the first year of their budding relationship. Dabi had laughed it off, snarking back;
"I won't propose at all, brat. I don't want to be stuck with you forever."
Keigo hadn't put much thought into it. He'd never been in a relationship before and he didn't consider they would be long-term. The three of them were unconventional, weird, and more than just a little crazy. It would take a miracle to make them last long enough to consider marriage. At least, that's what he had thought that first year.
Six years later, his mind had changed drastically. Somehow, they worked, they lasted. Their little group of parent issues and chaos had stuck together despite all logic saying otherwise. Those two were his people now, he didn't want to live his life without them.
He still remembered their first Valentine's together. Back then, Izuku was steeped in a permanent state of exhaustion and injuries, carrying the world on his shoulders at only sixteen. The League was still around and Dabi was a part of them. They had been a shamed hero, a high school dropout vigilante, and a high-ranked villain. Keigo wondered if that was the day that cemented them together.
Nowadays, all three worked together in one agency. Dabi, now Touya, got released into Hawks' custody in an attempt to try rehabilitation. He had to wear a quirk-cancelling tracking bracelet at all times but he wasn't locked up in a max-security prison. Nedzu taking over the Hero Commission after the war made some interesting changes. Most villains were given a second chance with willing heroes. Many former League members took the offer. He wished Jin was still around to have gotten that chance, but he couldn't erase his past actions as much as he wanted to.
Izuku went back to school after winning a war and killing All for One and still managed to graduate on time. It was no surprise that at the tender age of nineteen, he became the Number One Hero. Keigo was more than happy to give up his short-lived title to his love and fall back to Number Two. Instead of forming his own agency, Izuku joined him and Touya at his, claiming that the three had to stick together. He wasn't about to argue, happy to work with his two favourite people.
Every year when Valentine's was right around the corner, Izuku would repeat the words he said all those years ago. Not exact copies of the original sentence, but carrying the sentiment. Every year, Touya would joke back. Every year, Keigo would say nothing. He had commitment issues, he knew that, while his boys both had abandonment issues. Sometimes he wondered if he accidentally started dating the same person twice with how often Izuku and Touya aligned. Rumi once joked that he was a golden retriever boy with black cat boyfriends, and well, she wasn't wrong. The first week of February always went the same.
"I love you. If you want that to continue, you won't propose to me on Valentine's Day." That was the first time Izuku ever told them he loved them. Touya had been so shocked that instead of snarking back he started smoking. It took Izuku an hour afterwards to realize what he had said.
"If you propose on Valentine's Day, you won't have a Valentine anymore."
"What if I propose to you the day before?"
After the third year, Keigo got curious enough to ask. Izuku was like a puzzle box and he was terrible at solving regular puzzles. Neither he nor Touya knew much about their lover's past or even his present. The youngest of the three was remarkably good at talking a lot without actually saying anything. He would answer any questions honestly, they just rarely asked the right questions.
Izuku's problem with proposals on Valentine's day stemmed from his birth father proposing to his mother on the holiday. Apparently, his parent's marriage wasn't a loving one and most of his memories of his mother and father together just consisted of fighting. They didn't have a happy union and the young hero had somehow got it into his head that it was because Hisashi proposed on a holiday.
"Don't you dare propose on Valentine's Day."
"What happens if I do?"
"I'll say no if you propose to me on Valentine's Day."
"What if I just forgot what day it was?"
"In this household, we don't support Valentine's proposals. Just a reminder."
"But we do support arson? Hmm, suspicious."
"Propose to me on Valentine's Day this year and next year, I'll be a widow."
"So you'll marry us just to kill us? Are you just in it for the money? I knew it!"
This year was different from all the others. It marked seven years of chaos, sex, love, fire, and the most happiness he'd ever had. Keigo would be thirty in December and Touya had just turned thirty a couple of weeks prior. Not that he was in any rush, but he loved his boys more than anything and wanted to make it even more official than it already was. He wanted them to wear matching rings and share his last name and have a huge reception with all of their close friends there to celebrate their love for each other.
He rotated the box containing three custom-made rings. They just came in, ironic given the date. He wouldn't propose right away, just because they came in on Valentine's day didn't mean he had to pop the question that same day. Holding them in his hand made it seem so real but not real enough. He had to wait just a little while longer. The sound of the front door opening had Keigo scrambling to hide the box. He shoved it in his sock drawer, planning to hide them better once he had more time.
"Honey, I'm home!" Touya's voice rang out in its usual teasing tone as he announced his arrival like he did every day he didn't come home first. Keigo wondered if he'd ever get tired of saying it. He never got tired of hearing it. His boyfriend, in their home, because they lived together and loved each other. He loved them so much.
"Welcome home, love." Keigo greeted him, exiting his room. They each had their own, private rooms and one room with a huge bed for all three of them. It was honestly the best thing ever. He had no idea how couples could only have one shared room and no personal space when they needed time apart. Plus, how would they manage to fit three people's worth of clothes in one closet? He could barely fit only his things in his closet.
"Do you know if we are doing anything today?" The white-haired man wondered, shifting the box in his grasp. Keigo walked forward to take it from him and placed it on the table next to the vase of sunflowers and gift basket he had received in the middle of work. The box was labelled with the logo of the fire user's favourite bakery. Izuku's dislike of flowers showed in his gifts to his partners, which was ironic given both loved flowers.
"We aren't going out, if that's what you're asking." Touya sighed in relief, setting his own vase of flowers next to his boyfriend's. He snagged a piece of candy from the hero's basket and tugged at the wrapper.
"I visited my family before coming home." The reformed villain explained, popping the piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Shouto is going to propose soon, showed me the ring and everything."
Touya looked at his boyfriend meaningfully, chewing slowly while playing with the wrapper. He had been hinting that he wanted to get married for over two years. Keigo felt bad for forcing the man to wait. The rings in his sock drawer burned the back of his mind as he put on a fake grimace. It was difficult to have two boyfriends sometimes. Izuku never mentioned marriage unless it was to warn them not to propose on Valentine's day while Touya dropped hints every chance he could. He knew they should all sit down and discuss it like adults, but they never got the time.
"How long have they been together?" He asked instead, opening Touya's cake box. The man hadn't even bothered cutting it, instead just taking a fork straight to the thing. He wanted to marry an animal, good lord.
"Four years, Keigo." His voice was sharp but not mad. He understood the man's frustration. His youngest sibling was about to get engaged to his boyfriend of four years while he didn't have a ring in his relationship of seven. Their eighth anniversary was in the fall.
"We should talk about it with Izuku. Not today, obviously, but soon." Keigo attempted to soothe, picking up a piece of cake with the icing-covered fork left in the box. "We've all got to be on board and we don't know how Zu feels about it."
"Saturday maybe? I mean, at this point, there's no rush but we are all off Saturday and I'd rather know sooner rather than later." The winged hero agreed easily, holding the fork of cake out to his boyfriend who accepted it with a smile.
"We'll talk to him Saturday, then." He really hoped Izuku wasn't averse to marriage. They both wanted to marry him terribly. "Where is he, anyway?"
Touya shrugged, plopping down onto the dining chair with his cheeks stuffed with cake. He was going to ruin his appetite. "No clue. You know how he is." He scratched at the scar line searing his face from the corner of his mouth to his ear.
Thanks to many healing quirks and not being able to overuse his quirk, Touya's once-deep purple scarring was almost non-existent. The only thing that could be fixed was his jaw which had been replaced all those years ago. The most noticeable scars were the ones bisecting his face, where silver staples used to be. Touya once admitted that some days he missed them, the scars that made him Dabi. He enjoyed being able to move, eat, sleep, exist without pain a lot more. He just had difficulty staring in the mirror sometimes. Those same quirks made it possible for Keigo to fly again after the same flames that destroyed his lover took away his quirk. They also removed the nerve damage in Izuku's right hand.
"I'm gonna hop in the shower, get comfortable." Touya informed, swallowing another mouthful of cake. Keigo was already in his loungewear, clean and cozy after a long patrol. He nodded to his boyfriend who disappeared up the stairs and snuck one last bite of cake before closing up the box.
While Touya showered, Keigo placed an order to one of their favourite restaurants for delivery. He also chanced a text to their youngest partner, hoping it wouldn't distract him if he was in the middle of something. He didn't get a response, making an uneasy feeling build up in his stomach. Izuku probably just broke his phone again, or the battery died, or something else simple and explainable and not bad at all.
Izuku still wasn't home when Touya came back downstairs, dressed in his coziest not-sleep clothes, hair damp and missing all of his piercings. Nor was he home when their food arrived. The uneasy feeling bubbled and burned into dread. Izuku was often home late, but he never forgot to text or call to let them know he was okay, just busy. The sun was no longer in the sky when the front door finally slammed open with a concerning amount of force.
Both boys were up and running toward the foyer at the sound. Keigo made it first, obviously, taking in his little love and making sure he was okay. He didn't look injured, not even a little scraped up. The only noticeable, out-of-place thing was black whip wrapped around his mouth and jaw, rendering him unable to talk. Izuku nodded toward him, signing an apology and moving to walk around him.
"You okay, bunny?" He asked, following the younger. He received a quick nod and frowned. He watched Izuku's hands, waiting for him to sign an explanation since he clearly wasn't going to speak, but the boy shoved both deep into his pockets.
"What's going on, where were you?" Touya called from the staircase. He only made it halfway down them by the time the blonde flew to and exited the foyer. Damn speed quirks.
Izuku climbed the stairs in silence, withdrawing his hands to sign a quick 'shower' . He shoved them back into his pockets as they started moving to sign something else after. He flashed them a pleading look, asking with his eyes not to push just yet and they both relented. The shortest of the three disappeared into his bedroom leaving Touya and Keigo on the staircase. A single white eyebrow rose and the bird shrugged.
"No clue." The pair walked back to their 'nest' which was just a conversation pit filled with cushions, pillows, blankets, and plushies. They strung fairy lights and sheer curtains around the area to give a blanket fort illusion and it was probably Keigo's favourite place in their home.
"Should we heat up the food or just wait?"
"Let's wait for now." They stepped down into the cozy goodness of their nest and waited for their third. Soft sounds of classical music filled the silence so it wasn't unbearable. Keigo flopped onto his stomach, flaring his wings out as far as they could go. Touya fiddled with the bright red feathers now splayed out on his lap, a nervous habit he picked up in their many years together. The dread that sat in their stomachs from not knowing where their partner was had dissipated, leaving a discomfiting curiosity in its place. What was up with Izuku?
It felt like an eternity had passed when the youngest emerged from his bedroom clean and shoulder-length curls damp. Black whip was still curled around his mouth like some fantasy-horror horse bit. Hands tugged at the hem of his oversized tee, stretching it out past the fabric of his shorts. He stepped down into their nest and curled up in his favourite corner, tugging a blanket over his bare legs.
"Baby, are you okay?" Touya asked with a soft tone he only used with his boys. He tilted forward, clearly wanting to embrace the younger but not wanting to crowd him. They'd been together long enough to know when to do or not do certain things without words.
Izuku shook his head, looking annoyed that he had done that. His quirk retreated, untangling fast and zipping back into his body. The skin at the corners of his mouth was red and his lips were chewed bloody. His sharper-than-average canine poked at the abused flesh, drawing the corner of it in. Keigo zipped a feather to poke the boy in the cheek. Green eyes glanced over at the pair with an almost scared look in them. Or, not scared, but definitely nervous.
"Bunny, you know this is a safe place for you. Whatever it is, it's okay." Keigo attempted to soothe, grabbing Touya's hand and intertwining their fingers together. The fire user's other hand stayed grasped around several feathers, squeezing them in a pattern that helped calm him.
"I may have gotten hit with a quirk while on patrol, well not may have, definitely, and it's super annoying, a real bitch of a quirk. Actually, the quirk itself is really amazing and has so many uses if it were in the hands of the police or heroes or something and the user is just a kid, they didn't know what they were doing or even mean to hit me with it but it is still super annoying and I can't lie, like at all. Also, I can't stop talking or I can but only when I've run out of things to say and I never run out of things to say and I can't stop myself from literally saying everything that is going through my head! It transfers over into sign, writing, texting, and even body movements. I cannot lie right now and I really don't want to be annoying or say my every thought. Some of those thoughts are in my head for a reason, you know."
Izuku took a deep breath, eyes watering and chest heaving. Keigo and Touya exchanged a glance. Their boyfriend was a very private person, this quirk must feel like a curse to him. They released their hold on each other and reached out for the distressed hero who practically dove into their embrace.
"I'm so tired of talking, guys. It's one thing when it's quirk analysis or whatever but these are my personal thoughts and that detective definitely never needed nor wanted to hear anything I said in my statement which wasn't even a statement because I could barely stay on topic." Izuku ran his fingers over Keigo's wing, twisting in their hold to be able to play with feathers. "Your wings are so pretty, babe, I love them so much. They're such a nice colour. Red's my favourite colour, did'ya know that? Has been since forever and then I met you and I was right, it is a perfect colour but now I have two favourite colours when before I only had one. Touya's eyes are also my favourite colour and they match his fire with is so strong and pretty and you guys are just so beautiful, I love you so much."
Keigo glanced at the former villain who both loved praise and could not take a compliment. A pretty red flush took over his face as his body tried to curl up and hide away in embarrassment. He placed his forehead on the blonde's shoulder and whined softly. Izuku was babbling in the background about how awesome their quirks were and how much he loved them. The people or the quirks, he wasn't exactly sure.
"We didn't have plans for Valentine's Day, did we? I know we didn't talk about it but I wasn't sure if it had changed. Oh no! I'm ruining Valentine's Day, aren't I? Stupid Deku, ruining everything. I haven't even thanked you for your gifts which I left at my office! And I made you wait for me and I never texted or called to let you know where I was. Did you guys even eat dinner? Did I keep you from eating too? I'm such a rotten boyfriend."
"Shut up!" Touya growled, lifting his head and glaring down at their boyfriend curled on their laps. "You are an amazing boyfriend, you haven't ruined anything. We chose to wait for you to come home. That's our decision, not yours. Don't talk bad about yourself."
Izuku stared up at them with watery green eyes. He blinked a couple of times, rolling up onto his knees, straddling one of their legs each. "I love you so much, Touya." The softest smile fell onto his face as he stared at the oldest with fond eyes. Every inch of his body was completely and utterly honest. He placed both hands on either side of Touya's face, leaned forward, and kissed the tip of the former villain's nose which scrunched up in embarrassment. Keigo watched the two with an affectionate smile, his heart so full of adoration for his boys.
"I love you too, Keigo," serious green eyes turned their attention to him, one hand moving to rest on his cheek. "I love you both so much, I don't know how to handle it. I would do anything for you, I would die for you, hell, I would kill for you. You two are my entire world. I literally have the world in my hands right now. I adore you."
Keigo could feel his face burning under the weight of his lover's words and Touya was no better. It wasn't as if Izuku never told them he loved them, but it was few and far between. The three of them didn't feel the need to constantly tell each other that they loved each other. Touya implied it every day with soft looks and softer words. Keigo showed through the time he spent with them. Izuku said it through actions and simple praises that meant the world. This truth quirk made him wonder how often the youngest thought the words but never said them out loud.
"Why aren't we married?" Touya let out a long whine at Izuku's question, falling onto his back and grabbing the closest pillow to hide his face away. The green-eyed man's hand hovered in the air, no longer against flushed skin, before falling onto Touya's hip. "Seriously, why haven't we gotten married yet? We should be married by now, sharing a last name and wearing rings. We've been together for so long! Do you not want to get married?"
Touya groaned into his hideaway pillow. He took it off, pushing himself up onto his elbows to look the pro in the eyes. "Izuku, I want to marry you both so fucking much."
"Me too, I do too," Keigo admitted. Green eyes looked back and forth between the two older men before scrunching in confusion.
"Then, why aren't we married? Or at least engaged? I'd like to be your husband. I want to get married, let's get married!"
"That sounds an awful lot like a proposal." The blonde warned his boyfriend who just flopped on top of Touya, making him collapse on his back.
"Maybe it is. I wanna marry you guys. I've been thinking about it for a while now. An indoor wedding and reception because Touya hates nature, all our friends and whatever family we actually like enough to invite, a colour scheme of green, turquoise, and red, an open bar, matching rings, fancy outfits, saying 'I do'. I even wrote my vows, wanna hear them?"
"Izuku, if I kiss you, will you shut up?" Touya whined, face red and clearly overwhelmed. He received an aggressive nod, so he maneuvered the boy on top of him until he could press his lips against mutilated ones. Izuku hummed happily, slowly moving his mouth against his boyfriend's.
Keigo watched them fondly, moving his hand to play with green and black curls. He thought about the custom rings poorly hidden in his sock drawer and smiled. They could revisit this conversation at a later date when Izuku wasn't under the influence of a quirk. For now, he was happy with the knowledge that both his boys wanted to marry him. Also, he really wanted to eat dinner and cuddle with the loves of his life. Mostly the eat part, he was starving.
"Marry me?" Izuku whispered against Touya's lips with a grin, one hand grasping Keigo's and the other brushing the fire user's jaw. Wide blue eyes glanced over at the other hero who smiled back.
"Fuck yes!" Touya exclaimed into their boyfriend's mouth, kissing him deeply.
Or Keigo would just give them the rings in the morning. Proposing was overrated anyway. This was much more them. "Of course."
We are not perfect
We'll learn from our mistakes
And as long as it takes
I will prove my love to you