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He always had his hero notebook on him, the one that All Might signed for him that is also the same one Kacchan blew up and threw into the small pond of their middle school. But that never stopped him from journaling everything, analysing every pro hero and his classmates.
Even now, while all his classmates are pro heroes, he sits at his desk in class 1-A, his pen scratching against the paper, taking note of his students' quirks and how they can improve. His heart yearned for what they had, keeping people safe while using One For All, the comforting voices of all the past wielders rocking though his mind.
But that’s just not how things are. He defeated Shigaraki, he saved Japan, but he couldn’t help but want more. The comforting power. The pride in his teachers' faces (and Kacchans) as he grew stronger.
“It wasn’t fair”, his brain pumped throughout his body, "you should be out there with them.” He picked up his pen from the paper and gazed out the large windows, his mind wandering, thinking about how things could be different.
“Izuku.” A voice called from his door and Izuku snapped his head up, meeting crimson eyes soft with affection.
“Kacchan.”
“Why are you still here? School let out an hour ago.” He walked into the room, his thin gauntlets knocking into the wooden door. He changed since their first year in UA, but he couldn’t let his brain wander that far.
Izuku closed the notebook and stood from his desk, his arms stretching over his head. “I was just finishing a few entries about my students' quirks.” He watched Katsuki walk through the classroom and paused at their old seats, his gloved fingers grazing the back of his seat.
“You don’t have to do that ya know ‘Zuku.” He pushed his head back up to look into Izuku’s eyes, a thin smile on his lips.
He smiled and tidied up the small mess on his desk, his eyes getting caught on the picture class 1-A took on graduation, Izuku’s hair still half shaved from his scar that ran up his skull. “I know Kacchan, I just want them to succeed and for me to help them I need to understand their quirks.”
“Don’t get yourself too tied up in that, I don’t want you to be stressed about your students while you still need to take care of yourself.” Katsuki stepped up to his desk, his fingers drumming into the wood.
“Why are you still in full uniform?” Izuku looked him up and down, his eyes staying at his face, analysing the scar on his cheek.
Katsuki hummed. “I wanted to see you and I knew you were here, I didn’t want to run all the way home just for you to not be there.”
Izuku grinned. “Well we can head home together now.” He leaned down and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Katsuki reached for his hand and Izuku swatted him away. “Not with those gauntlets on.”
So they walked back to their house that was right across the street of the UA alliance dorms, Katsuki sulking until he pulled the iron off of his wrists and Izuku let him wrap his arms around him again.
“How was work today?” Izuku asked after Katsuki pulled him into a short kiss, his arms slung around his shoulders as they swayed back and forth in their living room.
“It was okay.” He sighed. “I would have been better if you were there with me.” Izuki snorted but continued to rock them in a slow dance. Ever since Izuku lost his quirk, Kacchan always complained about how boring his co-workers are and how they are not as strong as Izuku was.
“You know that I can’t just jump back into hero work without a quirk.” Izuku frowned. “As much as I want to.”
Katsuki shook his head and removed his arms from his body. “I need a shower.” He left the room abruptly, his teeth biting into his bottom lip as he walked to their bathroom.
Izuku pulled his hands back down to his side and frowned. Kacchan was acting weird. It’s not like Izuku could blame him though. Imagine being in the top 10 heroes, strong and independent, while your husband is useless because he was never as gifted or strong as yourself.
He didn’t like thinking about that too much because he knew that Kacchan loved him, with or without his quirk. It was just hard to think of why his husband has been distant. He could never worry about him cheating on him, Kacchan loved him too much for that. But he could be disappointed in him.
Why couldn’t he be strong like his husband? Strong like his friends? Strong like his students? Because he wasn’t gifted like they were. Because he would never be like them again because he didn’t have a quirk. Because he couldn’t save Shigaraki. Because he was never strong enough.
He needed to sit down.
“Izuku?” Kacchan asked as he walked out from their room, his hair still damp from the warm shower, a white tank top pulled over his shoulders and loose shorts over his waist.
Izuku looked up from where he sat on the couch, his hand tangled in his hair as he mumbled to himself. “Oh, Kacchan. Sorry.” He came back to his senses and stood up, his breath still shaky.
“Sorry for what.” He mumbled and pushed Izuku back on the couch gently. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Izuku looked at Katsuki who sat next to him, his hand running down his back, his button up from his suit still on his body. “Are you disappointed in me?”
“The fuck?” Katsuki paused and shook his head. “I don’t know where you got that from, but that’s a bunch of shit.”
“Well you’re ranked in the top ten, I bet people are surprised when they find out your husband is weak and quirkless.”
“I don’t give two shits about how they feel about you. I know you’re strong, and that I love you. I think that’s all you need to know.”
“So why have you been running away?”
Katsuki looked confused then shook his head. “Just listen to me, Izuku. I don’t want to ruin anything you’ve worked hard for, but just wait and see.”
Izuku shook his head. “How is that supposed to help me?”
“Let's get you a bath.” Katsuki stood up and pulled Izuku up with the help of his hands and led them to their bathroom, his hold tight and reassuring as he squeezed his hand gently.
-
Katsuki fucked up. Badly. He made Izuku worry about his love for him, about the way he feels. But he couldn’t be more wrong. The reason why he ran away is not because he’s ashamed, it’s because he couldn’t hold his tongue. He almost just spoiled everything they’ve been working hard for.
That’s why he ran away. Because he wanted to show up to one of Izuku’s classes before they were about to spar and hand him his suit, the suit that will change his life. The suit that gave him all of his abilities back.
So he waited until All Might handed him the suit and pushed it into the depths of his closet at the agency and talked with Aizawa about when Izuku’s class will be sparring next.
That’s where Katsuki is now, waiting outside at the bus where students started spilling out the building and into the bus, exclaiming when they see Dynamight waiting for their teacher who was the last person, carefully counting his students.
“Kacchan!” Izuku smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be here!”
“Yeah Aizawa told me you were taking your students out today so I figured I’d come watch.” Katsuki nodded, the excuse pushing past his lips.
Izuku nodded and loaded the bus, his fingers tapping against the seats as he counted their heads again. “Alright, we’re ready to go.” He smiled at the bus driver who closed the doors and started the short drive to the USJ.
Katsuki and Izuku sat in the same seat, their knees tapping against each other as they hit small bumps in the road, making small talk until the bus came to a stop.
“Alright everyone get off and wait for us before you start running around.” Izuku smiled and watched his students stand up and push their way out of the bus, their eyebrows wiggling as they watched Dynamite hold Izuku’s shoulder to keep him from falling.
“Before we get off.” Katsuki huffed and took in a deep breath of air. “I have a gift, if that’s what you wanna call it.” He shuffled behind his back and pulled out a small briefcase. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a bit. I think you’ll like it.”
Izuku blinked and took hold of the case, his eyes trailing the buttons that unlocked the case and back to Katsuki’s. He babbeled lightly and opened the case, taking a deep intake of air as he looked at the dark green suit. “Kacchan.”
Katsuki huffed and folded his arms over his chest. “I’ve been working on it since graduation, everyone helped with the funds.” Izuku pulled the suit out the case and shook his head, tears filling up in his eyes. “It’s a suit like All Mights, I made sure that each quirk you had was built in and functionted like it did.”
Izuku placed the suit back inside the case and pulled him into a hug, his hands tugging against the fabric of his suit. “Thank you Kacchan, but why today.”
“I want you to take it for a spin.” Katsuki rubbed his back and looked at the kids talking amongst themselves, some smiling, pointing at their teacher and his spouse. “And I thought it would be good if you had a pro to watch the kids while you tried this out.”
Izuku looked out the door and shook his head. “The kids.” He took a deep intake of breath and picked up the case. “I’ll let them in and start their training, then I’ll try it out.”
Katsuki nodded and let Izuku walk out the bus doors with a small smile, leading his students into the large building, trailing slowly behind them with a smile as he explained what they were going to do, his fingers tapping against the metal, itching to touch the suit again.
He watched his students scatter off to where Izuku instructed then rocked on his heels, a grin stretching past his lips. “Wanna watch them while I get changed?” Katsuku nodded as he watched Izuku jog away, a skip in his step.
Izuku never tore off his suit quicker, his tie tangled on the floor next to his dress shoes that he slipped off as soon as he entered the large bathroom. He pulled the suit over his head and ran his hand down the sleeve, the soft fabric making him smile.
He walked infront of the mirror his eyes trailing down his body, checking out the suit with a smile. It wasn’t bulkly like All Mights was, it was sleek and soft, like his suit in highschool. He neatly arranged his clothes and ran out the door, his legs feeling lighter, his lips splitting into a grin.
“So how does it feel?” Katsuki asked once Izuku stepped next to him, his eyes looking up and down his body. “I looks good.”
Izuku smiled. “I feel like me again.”
“Well, I just wanna see those quirks in use.” Katsuki grinned as Izuku grabbed hold of his arm, tugging him down the stairs to check on his students.
“Just watch me.”
“I never stopped looking, Deku.”