Work Text:
The sun dipped lazily behind the U.A. campus, scattering gold across the fields where laughter echoed. A cluster of wide-eyed kids, their training uniforms smudged with grass and dust, they were still buzzing after a day of drills. Some darted around, others sprawled on the ground like melted popsicles.
Izuku Midoriya, now twenty-five, taller, broader, and scarred but still with the same warm smile, clapped his hands to gather their attention.
“Alright, everyone! That’s it for today! Remember, hydration, stretches, and rest are just as important as training!”
The kids groaned in unison, but he could see the sparks of admiration in their eyes. They looked at him the way he once looked at All Might. It made his chest swell with pride and ache with the weight of responsibility.
“Mr. Midoriya, you said you’d tell us how you beat Muscular the first time!” a boy with tiny horns shouted.
Izuku chuckled nervously. “Well… maybe later. Let’s save bedtime stories for bedtime, okay?”
As the campers shuffled off toward the dorms, Izuku stood under the fading light, letting the breeze cool the sweat on his neck. This summer camp program was his brainchild, a way to give back, to help the next generation before they were thrust into the harsh world of real heroics.
But today, as he checked his watch and realized the date glowing on the screen, he couldn’t ignore the personal milestone.
Twenty-five.
Quarter of a century.
Once, he wasn’t sure he’d even live this long. The thought sent a pang through him, followed quickly by gratitude. He had friends. He had peace, at least for now. And most importantly…
He had Katsuki.
The corners of Izuku’s mouth curved up. Just as he was about to pack up his notes and head out, his phone buzzed.
The screen lit up with Kacchan 💥🔥.
Izuku’s heart jumped. He swiped to answer. “Hey, Kacchan.”
“Deku,” Katsuki’s voice rasped, that same roughness from their childhood but softened by the years.
“You done babysitting those brats yet?”
Izuku laughed. “They’re students, Kacchan. Not brats.”
“Whatever. You’re done, right?”
“Yeah, I’m heading out now. Why?”
A pause. Then Katsuki’s voice dropped, laced with something smug and mischievous. “Because I’ve got a surprise waiting at home for your dumb birthday.”
Izuku’s cheeks warmed instantly. “K-Kacchan, you didn’t have to!”
“I know I didn’t. But I did. Now hurry the hell up.” Click.
The line went dead, leaving Izuku’s heart hammering and his brain short circuiting. Katsuki wasn’t exactly… subtle when it came to affection, but when he wasn’t yelling, it usually meant trouble.
Izuku’s walk home was filled with daydreams. Would it be a cake? A candlelit dinner? Maybe Katsuki had invited their friends for a quiet party?
As he turned the corner toward their apartment building, still buzzing with anticipation, he almost collided with a tall figure in a familiar hoodie.
“All Might?”
The retired Symbol of Peace froze, equally surprised, then broke into a wide grin. Beside him, clutching his arm, was a woman Izuku knew better than anyone.
“Mom?!”
Inko Midoriya beamed, cheeks flushed with excitement. “Surprise, baby!”
Izuku blinked. “What are you two doing here?”
“We couldn’t just let your twenty-fifth slip by, my boy,” All Might said warmly, his gaunt features glowing in the evening light. “We thought we’d drop by to celebrate!”
Izuku’s heart swelled. Seeing his mother so happy, and with All Might, who was now not just his mentor but her partner, filled him with warmth.
“That’s… that’s wonderful. I was actually heading home now. Why don’t you two join us for dinner? Kacchan’s probably cooking something.”
Inko’s eyes sparkled. “I’d love that. Oh, I hope Katsuki doesn’t mind us barging in!”
Izuku chuckled nervously. He’ll be fine… right?
He led them toward the apartment, already imagining the cozy scene: Katsuki cooking katsudon, maybe some wine, laughter around the table. Perfect.
The lights inside were dim, warm, almost romantic. At first Izuku thought Katsuki had gone all out with the atmosphere. Then his eyes landed on the kitchen counter.
Katsuki Bakugo, Dynamight, pro hero, his husband, lay sprawled across it like some risqué centrefold in Playboy. One arm propped under his head, the other holding a chilled bottle of champagne. He wore a skin-tight Silver Age All Might costume that clung to every muscle, complete with a ridiculous headband sprouting All Might’s signature tufts of hair.
Beside him, glowing candles crowned a birthday cake. Around him floated balloons printed with chibi All Might, Dynamight, and Deku faces.
It was… a sight.
Izuku froze in the doorway, every neuron in his brain short-circuiting.
Behind him, Inko gasped. “Oh my.”
All Might himself, the real one, let out a strangled, “Young Bakugo?!”
Katsuki’s smug expression shattered. His crimson eyes darted from Izuku to the towering figure of All Might, then to Inko, who was trying desperately not to cover her eyes.
The silence was unbearable.
Then Izuku slammed the door shut with both hands, his face burning scarlet.
“OUT! You two can’t be here right now!” he squeaked.
From behind the door came Inko’s muffled voice, torn between laughter and horror. “W-we’ll… come back later, sweetie!”
All Might added awkwardly, “Happy birthday, my boy!”
Their retreating footsteps echoed down the hall.
Inside, Izuku turned slowly to Katsuki, who was still frozen mid pose, champagne bottle in hand.
“…Kacchan.”
Katsuki groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “This was not how this was supposed to go.”
Izuku buried his face in his hands, muffled laughter spilling out despite his embarrassment. “Kacchan… what… what were you thinking?!”
Katsuki sat up, the All Might headband slipping to the side. “I was thinking I’d give my nerd husband a birthday surprise he’d never forget! Not that we’d walk into a damn parental meet and greet!”
Izuku couldn’t stop laughing now, tears streaking his face. The ridiculousness of it all, the balloons, the costume, Katsuki’s deadpan humiliation, it was too much.
“You looked… so silly,” he wheezed, clutching his stomach.
“Shut up,” Katsuki grumbled, cheeks bright red. “I went through hell tracking down this costume! You know how hard it is to find something this tight in my size?!”
Izuku staggered over, cupping Katsuki’s face gently. His laughter softened into something tender. “You did all this… for me?”
Katsuki’s scowl wavered. “Of course I did, idiot. You’ve been busting your ass with those kids, with work, with everything. You don’t stop. So I wanted tonight to be about you. Just you.”
Izuku’s chest ached with affection. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against Katsuki’s. “I love you, Kacchan.”
“Tch. Damn right you do.” Katsuki smirked, finally recovering his usual fire. “Now shut up and blow out your candles before the cake melts.”
Izuku laughed again, pulling him into a kiss that tasted faintly of champagne and sugar.
Later, when they were curled on the couch, plates of katsudon and cake balanced on their laps, Izuku sent a quick text to his mom:
Sorry, bad timing. Love you both. Let’s do lunch tomorrow.
The reply came almost instantly, full of hearts and confetti emojis.
Izuku set the phone aside, leaning back against Katsuki’s shoulder. The All Might balloons bobbed gently in the corner, a ridiculous reminder of the earlier chaos.
Katsuki snorted. “Those stupid balloons are staring at me. Creepy as hell.”
Izuku laughed, warm and low. “I think they’re cute. You went through so much trouble for me today, Kacchan. Even if it didn’t go exactly as planned.”
“‘Exactly as planned,’ my ass,” Katsuki muttered, but his arm tightened around Izuku’s waist. “You still smiled, didn’t you? Mission accomplished.”
Izuku turned, meeting those fierce crimson eyes, and something shifted in the air, softer, heavier. The laughter between them melted into quiet. His pulse picked up, the warmth of katsudon replaced by another kind of heat.
“You know…” Izuku whispered, brushing his thumb over Katsuki’s jaw. “I can think of a better way to end my birthday.”
Katsuki raised a brow, smirk tugging at his lips. “Oh yeah? Finally gonna admit you liked my getup?”
Izuku flushed, shaking his head. “I liked you. Always you.”
Before Katsuki could fire back, Izuku leaned in and kissed him, slow at first, then hungry, full of all the affection and desire he’d been holding back. Katsuki responded instantly, hands gripping his shirt, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.
The champagne bottle tipped forgotten onto the counter. The cake candles had long been blown out. The balloons bobbed silently overhead.
And in the midst of it all, Izuku’s world narrowed to Katsuki’s warmth, Katsuki’s fire, Katsuki’s everything.
Breathless, Katsuki broke the kiss just enough to murmur against his lips, “Bedroom. Now.”
Izuku laughed, cheeks pink, eyes shining. “Yes, Kacchan.”
Hand in hand, they stumbled down the hall, their laughter and whispered promises trailing behind them. The door shut, the lights dimmed, and the night ended not with chaos, but with love, heat, and the quiet certainty that twenty-five was only the beginning.