Archive of Our Own

When Izuku woke up, he didn't recognize his atmosphere. 

He expected to wake up in his room. Or even a hospital bed at U.A. again. The last thing he remembered was walking to that prestigious school and suddenly feeling like he had been stabbed in the stomach. Luminous energy surrounded him, and his vision went blindingly white. All of his senses dulled, and he blacked out before he could even activate the embers of One For All and fight against this peculiar energy.

Now he's in this strange room, in this soft bed, feeling warm in an unfamiliar way. He expected to sense Recovery Girl's presence as she healed him. He hoped to see the concerned face of All-Might or the exasperated look on Aizawa's face as he called him a problem child once again.

Yet none of those adults were in this room, suggesting he wasn't in U.A. at all. Maybe some stranger found him lying on the streets, unconscious, and decided to take him in to help him? Or... what if he got kidnapped?! He was utterly defenseless, and maybe they used their quirk to knock him down before abducting him! 

He forced himself to take deep breaths. He could do this. Now that he was alert, he could get out of this easily. And even if he wasn't strong enough, he could still stall for time, and his teachers at UA would notice his absence and make plans to rescue him. But what if that person was too powerful and their intent to kidnap him was too malicious? How will he get out of this situation unharmed then? 

At that moment, even he was aware that he was starting to overthink more than usual. He hadn't even observed his surroundings, yet he was already jumping to drastic conclusions. He was going nowhere this way.

Izuku blinked several times, his vision bleary from sleep. He felt that comforting ache from sleeping too long and too well. That was odd. He was sure he had only fainted for a short time, not for that long. He looked around, taking in the bedroom. It was pretty plain, with a dressing table in front of him and a mini study area beside him. The bed he was in was massive with gray covers. There was a serene morning silence, which wasn't the weirdest thing about the whole predicament, but it still unsettled him. 

He felt light throbbing in his arms, and he glanced at them, gasping as he did so. His arms were, like, ten times heavier and buff than he remembered them being. Of course, in his few years at U.A., he gained quite a lot of muscle, but it was nothing compared to what he was seeing right now. He felt strangely... big? The scars Izuku had before were lighter, as if they were slowly disappearing because of time. The lines of the scars were faint, trailing down his arms. On top of that, his skin was more tanned than usual, like he had spent too many days out in the sun. 

He traced the scars down his upper arm, observing the way his blood veins pulsated. His arms didn't look like this at all a few hours earlier. He was sure of that. 

There was only one explanation for this whole situation. Someone must've hit him with a quirk that changed his arms and kidnapped him. 

When will these kidnappers check on him then? When will they directly attack him? 

He sat up, feeling the bedsheets shift. At that moment, he became acutely aware of someone else's arm wrapped around his waist. 

A cold sense of horror sank into his bones as he slowly turned his head to the person beside him. Holy crap, there was someone next to him! In the bed. There was someone next to him on the bed! 

It was a man. Not someone his age, but a man. A man he had never seen before in his whole life. 

His face was buried in the blanket, but his blond hair peeked out, sticking all over the place. His arms were as big as Izuku's, tightly clutching onto the boy's waist. Izuku felt the weight of one of the blond's legs over his, and for some reason, he didn't feel any intense pressure from it. In fact, despite a man who was supposed to be five times his size in Izuku's current state clinging to him, he didn't feel like he was getting crushed by it all.

One of his kidnappers was freaking cuddling him. 

Was this a way to catch him off guard so that they could attack? He couldn't afford to be vulnerable!

But what could he do? His morals were too good to attack a sleeping man. He didn't want to wake him up, either!

His only option was to escape. Get out of here as stealthily as possible, without getting hurt in any way. 

Izuku attempted to remove the man's arm. It didn't work.

Then he tried to slip out of his grasp, wiggling away to the best of his abilities.

The man's grip was too firm.

After so many failed attempts at escaping, the man finally shifted, making Izuku freeze. He knew it would be wise not to wake him up. He didn't yet know how powerful he was. 

He stayed dead, still as the blond groaned, clinging even closer to him. Then he mumbled hoarsely, "God, Izuku..."

Izuku almost jumped.

The man knew his name. The man knew his name. 

He had to get out, right now. 

As he panicked internally, the man only calmly turned onto his side so his face would be revealed. That was when everything in Izuku's mind stopped functioning, and he went completely still.

Because the man was absolutely, utterly gorgeous.

Izuku has seen his fair share of good-looking people in his life, both boys and girls. He wasn't sure if that said anything about his sexuality, but he never let himself think too much about it. There were many good-looking classmates and pro heroes he had seen over his eighteen years of living. He never formed any long-standing crushes on them, but he did let himself admire them for a while before analyzing their quirks.

Yet this man, who was in the bed next to him, with his whole body clinging to Izuku? He somehow beat every hot person he had ever seen in his life, and he was just sleeping! Izuku wondered how he would look if he was actually trying to look good or...

He snapped himself out of his thinking. He was getting completely sidetracked. He was supposed to focus on escaping, not goggle at the gorgeous specimen next to him. 

The blond man seemed dangerously close to consciousness, and Izuku desperately hoped he would only tread close to being awake before going back to sleep. It would only make his grand escapade ten times more difficult if this strong man were alert.

When he didn't make another move, Izuku let out a sigh of relief. 

Which was a mistake because at that moment, the man's eyes fluttered open, and all of Izuku's plans went to dust. 

The most beautiful pair of red eyes greeted him, and then he freaking smiled. 

Smiled. 

It wasn't a full-on grin, but it was soft and subtle. It melted Izuku's insides. How did he come to this point? How did he collapse from a strange quirk, wake up in a strange place, and now a strange man was smiling at him? What was going on? Was this some twisted, confusing dream? If Izuku closed his eyes, would he wind up back at the threshold of U.A.? Did he want to? 

"Mornin'," the man said huskily. His hand finally left Izuku's waist, but the green-haired boy barely noticed his opening to escape. 

"Good morning," Izuku answered automatically, hypnotized until he remembered he was talking to an absolute stranger. He couldn't afford to relax! "No, stop! Who are you? Why am I here? What do you want with me?"

The blond only stared at him blankly before scoffing, yet the smile didn't dissipate from his face. "Is this another test?"

"What?"

"I mean, just a week ago, you fucking lunged at me out of nowhere to test how I would react to a sneak attack because you were worried or something like that…"

Izuku couldn't even pay attention as he gazed at this stranger's face. His red eyes were sharp, but they were soft when they looked at him. All of his features were perfectly crafted, from his straight nose to his full lips. What was this, a sick trick to seduce Izuku into submission, so he wouldn't focus on escaping? And why was it working? He had to get out of here!

Was the man even aware that they had never seen each other in their whole lives? Why was he so comfortable around him, talking like there was nothing wrong? Was he just a victim in this kidnapping situation, not one of the attackers? 

Should he test how much freedom he has before actually escaping? 

Izuku decided not to let out any more outbursts as he tried to say in his calmest voice, "Uh… I'm not really sure of much right now…." 

Was that the right thing to say, or did he just reveal his vulnerability, making his situation ten times worse?

The man only chuckled, and Izuku might just go insane. "Not really sure, huh? Was last night that good you have to play dumb today?"

Last night? There was no way. "Uh… what happened last night?"

The blond grinned, looking absolutely delighted. "Do you want me to demonstrate right now?"

"N-no…" Izuku wasn't sure if he could handle any more of this. "Do you know where the bathroom is?" If he could only wash his face, his mind would be less muddled, and he could come up with a better plan out of here. 

The man sat up, the blanket falling off him and into his lap. When Izuku realized he was shirtless, his face flushed, and he looked away. He might combust if he looked at the blonde again. 

"Right there, dumbass," he pointed at the nearest door.

"Uh, thanks," Izuku scrambled to get off the bed, dashing to the bathroom, avoiding the man's gaze. When he closed the door behind him, he saw himself in the mirror and gasped.

Because there was no way that it was him who was looking back at him in the mirror.

First of all, he was hella tall. Izuku knew he wasn't as tall as other boys his age (ahem... Kacchan), but it never really bothered him. Now he was nearly towering over the sink, in a weird, natural way. His skin was way tanner, and any baby fat on his face was long gone. His eyes were sharper and less wide. Smile lines (not wrinkles, thank God) were practically plastered on his face, even when he was frowning. The scars that Izuku were famliar with, over his eye and on his cheek, was now barely noticeable unless you look closely. His hair looked the same, but it was more grown-out than he remembered it being. And the thing was, that was only his face. His body in the reflection made him let out a strangled yelp.

He was fit. Like really, really fit. Of course, he has been having abs and everything, but he looked plainly muscular. 

He looked like an adult. A real, legitimate adult. Sure, he was eighteen now, but he didn't always feel like it. Now, he looked like a grown-up, well into his twenties. 

"WHY DO I LOOK LIKE THIS?" he blurted out. Instantly, he noticed how even his voice was deeper. He stepped even closer to the mirror, blinking so many times to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. Yet each second confirmed he wasn't imagining this. 

He examined his face closely, checking whether it was at risk of peeling. Did face masks this detailed even exist? Did the kidnappers put him in some bodysuit?

"Look like what? Perfect?"

Izuku jumped, bumping into the shirtless blond who was somehow behind him. He stared at him, horrified, as the man smoothly grabbed one of the toothbrushes and started brushing his teeth, muttering aggressively about germs. He couldn't believe how natural he acted, like they had lived like this forever. Or maybe... that was what the blond genuinely believed. Maybe the kidnappers somehow shape-shifted Izuku into someone this man knew as a sick sort of joke. How could he ever change back to his usual self?

Once the stranger was finished, he washed his face before looking at the green-haired with raised eyebrows. "Are you just going to stand there?"

"Uh- no- I mean- no... no, not at all- no, that wasn't what I was trying to say- I'm obviously going to do something but uh..."

"Hey, I haven't heard you stammer in so long," the man said, amused. Before Izuku formulated another response, maybe tell the man how he didn't know him at all, the blond wrapped his arms around his waist, hugging him from behind. Izuku's brain short-circuited as the stranger just tucked his chin into the crook of the shorter boy's neck (yet, not that much shorter anymore, in fact, he was almost this strange man's height!). His face was pressed into Izuku's shirt, the warmth sinking into the boy's bones. Izuku's arms hung awkwardly at his sides, and he could see how red his face was in the reflection. The man didn't look up, causing him to not discern the panicked expression on Izuku's face.

Yet despite a literal stranger hugging him with no hesitation, Izuku didn't feel creeped out the way he thought he would. He actually felt... comforted. His heart felt lighter in his chest. For the first time, he felt like he knew this man from somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. 

As Izuku stared into the mirror at a perplexed green-haired boy standing still as a gorgeous blond male embraced him from behind, he noticed how perfect they looked together. The way the stranger's face fit in the crook of the neck, the way their bodies fit together like a beautiful puzzle. They looked like they belonged together, as if it was their destiny to have the kind of intimacy only the two of them could understand. 

He realized he didn't mind staying like this forever.

Finally, the man let him go, and the loss of his touch made Izuku shiver. He could see the blonde rolling his eyes as he said, "I'm gonna go make breakfast, so I hope you stop acting stupid by the time I finish, okay?"

The man slapped Izuku's ass as he went, making the boy squeak in surprise. When he was out of sight, Izuku's knees went weak, and he sank to the ground.

Izuku brushed his teeth and washed his face thoroughly as he finally came up with some kind of plan in his head. He was going to accept this stranger's hospitality, eating breakfast before he told the man how he didn't really know him, and that he was probably confusing him with someone else. He was sure the man was clueless about the whole situation, so he was confident he would understand when he explained it. At least, he hoped.

If he ended up having to fight him, he was going to have to get the upper hand quickly, so he wouldn't get easily overpowered. 

Once Izuku left the bathroom, he walked into the empty bedroom. He glanced around one more time, feeling a weird kind of comfort, like he actually knew this room. Was it possible he was just in someone else's body? Someone else who looked strangely like the older version of him?

Maybe when he finally eats breakfast, he'll stop having such crazy ideas in his head.

He opened the only other door in the room, to a living room. Compared to the bedroom, the living room was way more lively. Next to the TV were shelves of every single All-Might figurine in existence, along with numerous comic books. Izuku's eyes widened in wonder as he rushed over to the shelves, admiring each detail of every figure. 

"DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY MORNING, IZUKU?" a voice yelled from the kitchen. 

Izuku flinched, forgetting that the stranger was still there, seeing every one of his moves. He turned to see the man in an apron cooking in the kitchen. Izuku was glad that he had a shirt on now because he was sure his mind would malfunction otherwise. 

The green-haired boy slowly made his way to the kitchen counter, sitting on the first stool he could find. Delicious aroma filled the air, making Izuku feel as if this was how he always spent his mornings. Which was wrong because he always woke up to a crowded kitchen, with his classmates chattering. He never woke up to this!

After a few seconds of watching the man cook, he slid a plate of French toast to Izuku before giving himself some as well. He poured juice for both of them before sitting next to him.

Izuku took one bite of the French toast, topped with fruit, and let the heavenly flavor melt on his tongue. "Wow! This is so good!"

The man only smirked. "You tell me that every morning."

Every morning?

Izuku was positive, even though not many things were clear right now, the man definitely thought he knew him. 

They ate in silence, at least, giving Izuku time to ruminate. Unfortunately, the food was so good that Izuku was distracted once again. 

When Izuku was nearly done with his food, the man spoke up again, "Since we don't have any work today, do you want to do something? Or do you still need to grade those tests for your damn students?"

Grade? Tests? Students? Was he in a teacher's body? He wasn't sure it helped much, since he now knew his occupation, but at least it was one more piece of information.

"Uh, no. No grading today," Izuku said hesitantly. 

"Good, then. Do you want to... watch a movie or something? Another All-Might documentary? Maybe something different?"

Izuku perked up. "All-Might!"

The stranger groaned, but he didn't look that annoyed. He looked like he found Izuku very endearing.

The blond got up to wash their dishes, and Izuku decided to head to their couch. Maybe they can watch one All-Might movie before Izuku confronts him...

No! That can't happen! He can't be entirely sure that this man was completely innocent. In fact, for most of the morning, the man was basically winning his favor, and it had worked significantly.

As soon as the man finished washing the dishes and sat next to him, Izuku would only demand answers, and his main priority was to get out of here and nothing else. That was all he was going to do from now on. 

The water from the sink stopped running, and Izuku prepared himself to concentrate on the goal. The man approached the couch, and Izuku could feel the confrontation rising in his throat.

All of his plans went to a screeching halt when the blonde grabbed Izuku's arms, pushed him down to the couch, and got on top of him. 

Oh my God, he screamed in his head. He couldn't even think properly. He opened his mouth, but all he made were weak, stammering noises. He had no experience with getting pinned to the couch by the hottest man he had ever seen. He had to be dreaming. This was just a weird hormonal dream that will go away any second. Any freaking second. 

The man only smiled at him as if this was completely normal. He lowered himself down, pressing his mouth to the crook of his neck, the same place where he had nuzzled his face earlier. That was when he started kissing his neck, his open mouth creating wet spots on Izuku's throat. Izuku couldn't even breathe. 

This can't be real. This can't be real. He had to be dreaming. This can't be real. He hasn't even had his first kiss yet! 

He could feel the teeth on his skin, smooth and weirdly tender. The blonde's breath was so close to him that he could smell the sweet French toast. Izuku was well aware of the man sitting on his lap, and he felt heat rush throughout his whole body. His mouth moved to the sides of his neck, and the green-haired boy let out a shaky whimper. 

A few seconds later, the blonde finally lifted his face, gazing at him. Izuku swallowed, feeling the aftermath of his mouth on his neck, feeling like his stomach was doing a hundred cartwheels at once. He couldn't even think straight; he wasn't even sure if any part of him was straight anymore.

"You damn nerd," the stranger said affectionately.

That was when something clicked in Izuku's brain, something that should have been clear from the start. The vibrant blonde hair, the sharp red eyes, the deep voice. 

Damn nerd. He heard that many times in his life, but it was never said with such tenderness or after making Izuku unable to function. It was only said after a brash retort or with furiousness, unlike anything else.

Despite the doubt in his mind, Izuku sputtered out, "K- Kacchan?"

"Yeah?" the blonde answered automatically, finally getting off of him and sitting next to his legs on the couch. 

Izuku gaped at him, barely managing to sit up. He could still feel the wetness of his mouth— Katsuki's mouth against his neck. 

This had to be Katsuki. Even though he was way too friendly and touchy, he still looked the same but had aged up. Also, there was something familiar in his moments, sharp but precise as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. 

This wasn't a stranger. He had known this man for most of his life. 

The only thing different was that he was an adult, just like Izuku. 

“Uh, I’m Izuku Midoriya, right?” Izuku asked, his voice cracking a little as he spoke. He still hasn't fully recovered from that… gesture. 

The blonde had a weird expression on his face. "No, dumbass, you're some random extra," Katsuki rolled his eyes. 

"And you're Katsuki Bakugou?"

Katsuki hesitated. "Take a wild guess?" he said. "Do you want to watch this movie?"

"Uh, sure," Izuku said, without looking at the TV. He only stared at Katsuki.

That settled it. The quirk he was hit with made him go to the future. Apparently, in this future, he was a teacher, and he lived with Kacchan, who was ten times nicer to him. Then again, it must've been like five-ish years into the future, so a lot could change in half a decade, right?

It was so strange. Some things did make sense; after all, Katsuki has always been good-looking, and growing up sure did wonders for him. He still had that arrogance to him, being so sure that Izuku would like certain things about him.

Maybe his newfound maturity caused his excess kindness. Although he was weirdly affectionate, hugging him out of nowhere, kissing him on the neck, and even sleeping in the same bed as him. 

They were childhood friends, though. That could be the reason why Katsuki was so touchy. 

Izuku couldn't lie about how much he loved this treatment, even more now that he knew who it was. 

Once the movie started, Katsuki slung an arm around Izuku's shoulder, and Izuku's brain malfunctioned once again. 

Izuku knew he was supposed to confront the man- ahem, Kacchan about his current situation. It was evident that the blonde was unaware that the past Izuku was in his body, treating him as he would treat future Izuku. He couldn't help but think about how lucky his future self was, getting to have the thoughtful, caring version of Katsuki. He loved his friend either way, even when he was at his meanest, but it would be nice to experience this special kind of kindness from him. Although, Katsuki was already nice to him, but this was different.

He decided to only savor this movie time with Katsuki before focusing on dire matters. The All-Might movie was relatively old; it came out when Izuku was barely a teenager. It was barely an hour long, so it was only an hour of sitting next to his adult childhood friend, his arm over Izuku's shoulder, their legs touching. Katsuki didn't talk to him at all; in fact, he seemed pretty engaged in the movie. He was always a huge All-Might admirer anyway, even though he hated admitting it.

Izuku was glad of the silence. He wasn't sure if he could form proper words for a while now.

Once the movie was over, Izuku watched nervously as Katsuki turned off the TV and checked his phone. He hoped the man wouldn't do anything strange again, something like hugging him and kissing his neck. Of course, there was a forbidden part of him that wanted it to happen again, but nothing good would come out of listening to those thoughts.

"Kacchan?" Izuku started, making the man's gaze flit to him immediately.

"Hm, Izuku?"

Now that his red eyes were on him, Izuku stumbled over his words as he kept talking, "Uh- y'know... well, there's- there's something you need to know."

"What is it? Spit it out already."

He could hear the impatience in his voice, and he almost smiled. It definitely proved that this was really Kacchan he was talking to. "I'm not the Izuku you know. I'm still Izuku, obviously! But I'm not your current Izuku."

The blonde narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't demand anything else as he pulled him closer, putting his face close to his. Izuku's face flushed at their proximity. 

Izuku scrambled to say what he really needed to say: "I'm from the past."

Katsuki went still. The man stared at him, a mix of horror and confusion on his face. He didn't seem to doubt him, though, which gave Izuku the courage to keep going.

"I didn't come here voluntarily, though! I was walking to U.A. when a quirk somehow hit me, and I woke up in bed with you, and all this happened... so I'm pretty sure I'm in my future self's body," Izuku explained.

His stomach soured when Katsuki's arm let go of his shoulder, a clear distance between them now.

They stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to speak first. Each was feeling a disaster of conflicting emotions.

"How far into the past?"

"Well... I just turned eighteen, I mean."

All the confusion cleared from Katsuki's face, and he only looked purely horrified, his eyes widening, his jaw slack. 

"I know, I know, I should have told you earlier-"

"Why didn't you!?" he demanded, the gentleness from earlier long gone.

Izuku winced. "I was going to! But I wasn't really sure what was going on, or whether you'd kidnapped me. I only found out I was in the future after I found out you were Kacchan and that was when you said, 'damn nerd' because that's what my present Kacchan says all the time and I have been wanting to confront you, before the movie started, but you distracted me and you just kept distracting me the whole time and that's why it took me this long to explain and I'm sorry, but-"

"You're telling me," Katsuki said in a strangled voice. "That I flirted with and kissed the neck of a eighteen-year-old?"

"It's not that bad! You didn't know, and you were technically doing that with my adult body, so it doesn't mean you're a creep-"

"Izuku, I'm fucking twenty-four," Katsuki snapped. "You're also supposed to be twenty-four, too. Plus, you're still mentally a child! God, if you didn't tell me now, then shit that wasn't supposed to happen would have happened!"

"Uh... like what?" Izuku felt strange that the blonde thought of the eighteen-year-old version of him as child. 

For the first time, Katsuki didn't look confident as he looked away, and his face flushed. He looked adorable like that, but Izuku knew it was the wrong time to say that. 

"I'll go alert the other Pro Heroes about this situation," Katsuki got up, grabbing his phone as he walked away. "Just stay there."

He disappeared into the bedroom, and Izuku was left on the couch, wondering if he had made a mistake telling the blonde the truth. Does that mean he would keep a distance from him from now on? Izuku hated that, but it was necessary if he ever wanted to get out.

At least he wasn't kidnapped.

It felt like ages when Katsuki came out of the bedroom, the easiness in his face gone, replaced with something sharper. His gaze locked onto Izuku, and he kept a solid distance from him as he spoke, "There's a Pro Hero whose specialty is time travel and things like that. He told me that quirks like this usually last for twenty-four hours. If you're still in your future body tomorrow, we'll just consult him once again and figure things out from there."

Izuku nodded. 

Katsuki's face was grim as he took a singular step closer, taking a deep breath. "For today, I'll have to set down some ground rules."

Before Izuku could protest, the man kept talking, "One, no leaving this place at all. Don't even think of stepping a single fucking foot outside. You have everything you need here. Two, no accessing technology of any sort, except for the exception of watching shows. Three, I won't answer any of your damn questions because I know you have a lot of them in your head, right now. You can't know anything about the future besides the fact that we live together, and we're- y'know. Just stay put and wait this day away."

"Okay, Kacchan," Izuku said slowly. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

"It's okay, Izuku. Just... play with those All-Might figurines and watch whatever you want. Don't look at the news, though."

"Okay," Izuku pressed his lips together. "Is it okay if I just ask you one question?"

Katsuki hesitated before he sighed. "Just one. And I have the right not to answer it."

Izuku knew his curiosity would never be entirely sated, but he was glad that Kacchan was willing to hear him out. "So, are we still really good friends now? Maybe even better than before?"

"Friends?" Katsuki scoffed. "You think we're friends?"

Izuku sputtered, feeling embarrassed that his question elicited an unpleasant reaction. "I mean... in my present, we have been getting along, so now we live together, and you hug me and stuff, which you didn't do before, so... are we close like, uh, best friends? Roommates?"

The blonde stared at him in disbelief. "You don't seriously think-" he stopped himself. "No, never mind, it's better this way." 

"Huh?"

"Yeah, we're still good friends," Katsuki said. "That's the only thing you can know about this future."

Izuku had a slight smile on his face as he looked up at his future childhood friend. "I'm really, really glad to hear that, Kacchan."

"Good. I'll go and do some work now. I was going to put them off until tomorrow, but I don't think we should spend too much time together," Katsuki said. Izuku's heart was pierced, but he nodded, trying to remain understanding. Obviously, Katsuki would be shocked by the revelation that he was being friendly to the past version of his roommate. 

When the man disappeared into the bedroom once again, Izuku drew a shaky breath, staring at the dark TV in front of him. At the organized collection of figurines next to them.

Well, there's probably a lot of future movies to watch, right? 

It was terribly boring in the future without Kacchan's presence. 

At first, as Izuku watched an All-Might documentary that hadn't yet been released, he was gleeful to be in the future. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, getting to know specific details about his future that no one else would know. It should be very thrilling. 

Yet this experience was very restricted, and even though it was reasonable, Izuku still didn't like it. And the one person he could talk to shut himself off, practically hiding in the bedroom. He didn't want to push boundaries by interrupting whatever he was doing, but after watching so many movies, he started to get terribly bored.

When it was long past noon, his stomach grumbled, and he realized he was famished. He could make his own food, but he wasn't sure what he could use and how things worked. He'd better ask Katsuki first, then. He only hoped he wouldn't get annoyed at his questions.

Izuku stood up and headed to the door of the bedroom. He hears voices on the other side and wonders whether Katsuki was on a call. He'd better wait then.

Without intending to, he listened in on the conversation.

"How the hell do you even know that?" Katsuki's voice was distant, but the irritation in it was evident. 

There was a brief pause before the man snapped, "It's really none of your fucking business. He shouldn't see anyone right now."

Izuku frowned, wondering if he was talking about him. 

"Whatever, whatever. Sure, I'll talk to him about it."

There was silence after those words, and Izuku deemed it safe to interrupt him. He knocked carefully before opening the door.

The blonde was sitting at the desk in the bedroom, mounds of paperwork in front of him. He doesn't seem that concentrated on them, his gaze distant, almost staring out into the distance. He didn't even seem to notice Izuku.

He took one step into the bedroom, saying in a hesitant voice, "Uh, Kacchan?"

Katsuki blinked, his head whipping quickly to look at him. Then instantly, he was on guard once again, his lips set in a thin line.

"So, I'm a little hungry, and I'm capable of making food on my own, but I also want to know where everything is at and what I can-"

"Shit, I didn't realize how late it has gotten," Katsuki got up. "Don't even touch the kitchen. Your older self can barely make noodles without burning the water; I can't imagine the disaster you would create."

Izuku frowned as the man started putting the papers away. "I'm not that bad at cooking."

Katsuki only chuckled as he left the desk and walked to where Izuku was. He paused hesitantly, lifted his hand as if to touch his face. He must've remembered Izuku's present state, so he vouched for ruffling his hair. 

Izuku wished Kacchan didn't feel so inclined to be so distant from him. Sure, he was six years younger, but he was still Izuku. Not to mention, he was in his future self's body, so Katsuki could easily pretend that he wasn't from the past.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he followed Katsuki into the kitchen, sitting on the same stool he chose earlier. He watched as the blonde whipped up a quick sandwich. His movements were smooth as always, and his eyebrows were scrunched in concentration. Izuku takes note of the blonde hair in his eyes, his eyes, which still look distant. The muscles in his arm twitched as he reached over to grab a plate.  The edges of Katsuki's mouth tugged as if he were thinking of a pleasant memory. Izuku wondered if he would always be bound to admire his childhood friend from afar. 

When he was finished, he slid the plate to Izuku. 

"Are you going to eat, too?" Izuku asked him.

"I'm not that hungry," Katsuki answered. "If you need another one, just ask me."

"I can make myself a sandwich, though!"

"Shut up," Katsuki scoffed, but it wasn't as sharp as it would have been if it were past Katsuki saying it. Izuku notices this, but focuses on eating his sandwich. Katsuki busied himself by tidying up the kitchen before taking some fruits out of the fridge. Once he washed them, he placed them on a separate plate and shoved them to Izuku as well.

Izuku swallowed his bite of the sandwich. "You're treating me like a kid, Kacchan. You don't have to do all this."

"You are a kid, idiot," Katsuki growled. "Just don't complain."

Izuku obeyed, eating his sandwich in silence. The man's red eyes watched him, his face unreadable. Awkward silence stretched between them as Izuku's mind raced with so many more questions. Was he a teacher now? How did his first few years at a job go? Who was the current number one hero? Which pro heroes from the past are still working now? How did he and Kacchan end up living together?

So many questions that will never be answered. Izuku just ate his sandwich faster, to make up for the unanswered inquiries spinning in his head.

Finally, he decided not to completely restrain himself. "Uh, who were you on the call with earlier?" 

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him. "You were eavesdropping on me?" Before Izuku could panic and make up an excuse, the blonde just sighed, resigning to something unspoken. "Whatever, I deserve it anyway since I listen to every conversation you have with other boys."

"You spy on my conversations?" Izuku asked in a shrill voice.

"Unintentionally," Katsuki said dryly. "I was talking to Kirishima.”

Izuku waited for him to continue.

"He somehow heard that a eighteen-year-old version of you was in your body, so he really wants to visit you, along with our other friends, so that's really fucking annoying."

"We're still close with our past classmates?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Even if I wanted to get away from them, I wouldn't be able to."

"Why can't they visit me? I want to see the future version of them."

Katsuki scoffed. "Are you shitting me? Do you know how disastrous that'll be? You have to stay away from all outside influences, which includes people besides me. No one is allowed to see you right now, except for me."

"Do you know how possessive that sounds?" Izuku teased him. "Come on, Kacchan."

Katsuki sputtered in disbelief, "You know that's not what I meant, you little shit! This is reasonable, and you know that."

"How can I be sure that you don't just want me all to yourself?"

"Are you seriously flirting with me right now?"

"And if I was?"

Katsuki looked like he wanted to explode. "Fucking whatever. Do you really want our friends to come over?"

"Well, who exactly?"

The man sounded exasperated as he said, "Shitty Hair, Dunce Face-"

"Their actual names, please?"

"Kirishima told me he told Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, and I'm pretty sure Kaminari would tell Jirou, and I'm sure Icy- I mean, Todoroki would somehow figure out and fucking Four- Iida and Ochaco would find out from him."

"Wow," Izuku said. "I'm still close with them?"

"Everyone loves you, so I guess so."

Izuku nodded. "I want them to come."

"Whatever," Katsuki mumbled under his breath, but he went back to the bedroom to make the call, anyway. 

"Get ready, Izuku, unless you want to wear those ratty pajamas in front of them."

"Uh... where are my clothes?"

Katsuki sighed and went into the bedroom without another word. Izuku followed him, all the way into a walk-in closet that was in their bathroom. There were various types of clothes, all neatly folded and organized. 

"That side is mine, and the other side is yours," Katsuki told him. "Although you wear all of my clothes, anyway."

"Uh, okay," Izuku said, going to the side where the blonde said it belonged to him. He picked up the first shirt he saw, which was plain blue. Sensing that the man didn't leave yet, the boy hesitantly said, "I don't know if I'm overthinking, but... don't you think we're awfully too close to just be roommates?"

Katsuki became still.

"I mean, sharing a bed and closet is... something I didn't expect, I guess. And you're really affectionate with your future Izuku. Does that mean something?"

"I told you we're... we're friends."

"Oh, okay," the green-haired boy nodded a little too quickly, as he grabbed some jeans as well. Then he turned to Katsuki, who was still standing there, his gaze distant. "So, do I just change... here?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Are you... Are you just going to stand there?" Izuku was sure his face was red. They have changed in the same room, but it was different, with no one else around. It felt more intimate. 

Katsuki's face flushed, realization dawning on him. He quickly turned on his heel and walked out of the closet. 

Izuku wondered exactly how many times future Katsuki watched future Izuku change out of his clothes. He wondered how many times Katsuki helped Izuku out of his clothes.

He immediately felt like slapping himself. This wasn't some friends with benefits thing they were having. They were just roommates and Katsuki was clear about it. 

When Izuku walked into the bedroom, Katsuki was lying leisurely on the couch, his legs on top of the coffee table as he surfed through channels. Izuku hesitated before heading over to sit next to him, hoping he wouldn't move away. 

Without looking at him, the blonde said, "They should be here in thirty minutes or so." he narrowed his eyes at the TV. "They better not stay after eight o'clock like last time."

"You still sleep at eight, Kacchan?"

"No! It's nine now! Sometimes I have to stay up even later because of my stupid work."

Izuku decided not to say that he found his strict bedtime very endearing. 

Only a few minutes had passed when the doorbell rang, and Katsuki got up to answer it. As soon as he opened the door, Izuku could hear an uprising of chatter, voices blending together, and lots of footsteps. Laughter rang out immediately, and somehow, Izuku could pick out Kacchan's annoyed voice from the crowd. 

Izuku's heart thumped, half from nerves and uneasiness. He wasn't sure what to expect from the future versions of his friends.

The first one to pop their head into the living room was Kirishima, who had grown out his bright red hair and was way taller than the last time Izuku saw him. Following behind him were Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, Jirou, Ochaco, and Todoroki. There were fewer people than Izuku expected, but he was still elated and amazed by their appearances. 

They were all way taller, and even in casual outfits, they looked like true heroes. 

Instantly, Kirishima grinned at him and rushed to sit on the couch next to him. "Yo, Midoriya, I can't believe you're eighteen years old again! You still looked like your usual self; it would be impossible to tell!" 

Before Izuku could answer, Sero called out, "Hey, Bakugou, where can I put the booze?"

"YOU BROUGHT BOOZE? What's wrong with you, you bastard? I told you never again!"

"Oh, come on, it's just a little bit! With all nine of us, we won't even be able to get that tipsy!"

As Katsuki continued to yell at Sero, Todoroki stepped in front of Izuku. 

"Iida is busy with hero work, and he's really sorry he couldn't make it," Todoroki informed him. "How are you?"

"Uh, good," Izuku said before remembering to answer Kirishima's question. "And yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm eighteen. The last thing I remember was walking to U.A."

"Do you know us, though?" Kaminari skipped over to sit next to Kirishima. 

"Obviously, dumbass, he's in his third year of U.A.; why wouldn't he?" Jirou rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe Bakugou actually let us come over," Ashido said. "He's usually really protective when it comes to you."

"How did you even get hit by that quirk, Deku?" Ochaco asked. 

"I was just walking to school, and it suddenly hit me," Izuku explained. "Next thing you know, I woke up in my future self's body," next to a shirtless Kacchan.

"If you have any questions about the future, you can ask us!" Kirishima said cheerily.

"Fuck no!" Katsuki yelled from the kitchen. "He is not allowed to learn anything about the future besides what I already accidentally revealed to him." 

"Hey, dude, don't be so boring," Kaminari teased. "What else can we do?"

"Just entertain him!" Katsuki glanced at Izuku. "Tell me if these idiots bother you too much." With those words, he disappeared into another room. 

"Awwww," Ashido, Jirou, and Ochaco said in unison. 

"You can tell he barely changed," Kirishima said.

"Still wouldn't let us drink the damn booze," Sero commented.

Izuku stayed silent, smiling nervously at them all. Sure, they were friendly enough and acted comfortable around him, but he felt uneasy. He was still a teenager, surrounded by a bunch of adults who had experience with booze and other things that always seemed too foreign for him. It was strange, as if he was trying to get along with his mom's friends, even though they were supposed to be his friends. 

He shoved his thoughts aside and tried to enjoy it instead. He reminded himself he'll never get another opportunity like this again. 

They got settled in. Katsuki bought in some extra chairs, so everyone had somewhere to sit. After getting snacks and drinks out of the (with a limited amount of booze that Izuku was absolutely forbidden from touching, even though he was only two years away from legally drinking!), everyone was chatting instantly. They told Izuku stories about their hero work and routines. When Sero got too close to revealing too much, Katsuki slapped his knee. Although they were annoyingly cautious, Izuku slowly found himself freely enjoying it.

After an hour, Katsuki announced his leave. Kaminari teased him about his early bedtime, and the blonde just flipped him off as he walked away. 

The group's loudness didn't shift, however, and stories were still endless. 

That was until Kaminari, with his arm around Jirou, slurred, "Y'know, Midoriya, you really are a catch in the future."

Izuku blinked. "What does that mean?"

"Hey, did you manage to drink too much even under Bakugou's watchful eyes?" Jirou narrowed her eyes at the electric blonde.

"No, of course not," Kaminari smiled nervously at her.

"Don't say too much," Ochaco warned him. "Not only would Bakugou murder you, but it could also affect the future." 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kaminari waved a hand mindlessly. His eyes were fixated on Izuku as he said his following words, "I know I shouldn't be saying it, but people still love you, even though you're just a teacher now. Wait, that wasn't supposed to sound insulting- did it sound insulting-"

"It's okay, I'm not offended," Izuku reassured the drunk man. 

"Maybe you should get your ass back home," Ashido piped up. 

"Even if I'm not that drunk and I'm the one who brought alcohol," Sero added. 

"Oh, come on, guys," Kaminari whined. "I'm conscious enough to know what I should and shouldn't say! And it's only, like, seven o'clock."

"It's eight forty-five," Todoroki corrected. 

"It's okay, Kami already said he's drunk enough to be aware of certain things," Kirishima said.

"I really love you, bro."

"Love you, too, man."

"Yuck," Ashido wrinkled her nose. "You guys act worse than Deku and Bakugou."

"Huh?" Izuku furrowed his eyebrows. "We don't say 'I love yous' to each other?"

"Well, you know, Bakugou is all over you, or I mean, your future self, every time we hang out," Ashido explained. "It's cute, but gosh, holy PDA."

Izuku blinked at the pink-haired girl, confusion sprawled on his face. All over him? What did that even mean? Izuku could only think of the blonde excess affection for him before he found out that he wasn't doing that to future Izuku.

"Why would he be all over me?" Izuku asked.

"I mean, what else do married people do?" Kaminari snorted.

Married!?

Married??????

Izuku's brain went completely blank at those words. Was Kaminari possibly talking about him and Kacchan?! There was no way. Why would he be married to him? It's one thing for Katsuki to like him as a friend, but to like him more than that, enough for them to get married? That was impossible. Kaminari was just drunk; he was bound to say things that made no sense.

"Married?" Izuku laughed nervously. "Uh, who's married? I guess it's normal if one of you guys is married since you are twenty-four, but wow, I didn't realize-"

"You and Bakugou," Sero said slowly. "You're married to him, obviously. Well, your future self is. Did he not tell you?"

"I didn't expect him to lie to you about that," Jirou commented. "Usually, he's very confrontational."

"WHAT?" Izuku's heart was beating a million miles an hour as he slowly processed this. He was married to... "I'm married to Kacchan?!"

"Usually, he's really proud about it," Todoroki stated. "I'm surprised he kept this from you."

"Deku, are you okay? You look really red." Ochaco asked, concerned.

"Well, obviously, he just found out who he would get married to in the future," Kaminari rolled his eyes. 

"But h- how are we married?" Izuku stammered. "He only thinks of me as friend!"

"That was such a long time ago," Kirishima said. "I never saw him love anyone like that besides you." 

Izuku stared at the red-haired boy in shock.

"I need some water!" Izuku finally said, jumping from the couch and practically running to the kitchen. 

He didn't even end up getting water, as he stood there, staring at the stove. He could hear the chatters begin again, already recovering from the recent events. He could hear the topic of humorous hero accidents, which Izuku would usually be interested in, but he could barely focus on that right now.

He was married to Kacchan. He was married to Kacchan. Not just friends, not just dating, but married. It should make sense. It should have been horribly obvious. They slept in the same bed and had their clothes in the same closet. Katsuki was used to hugging him, flirting with him, and probably kissing him. It should have been obvious.

But Katsuki didn't tell him the truth, for whatever reason. He let Izuku believe that they were just friends and later discouraged him from thinking otherwise. And given their history, it made no absolute sense. Katsuki bullied him, and although he stopped, he's mildly tolerated him right now Although they were friends, he never thought Katsuki would think of him as more than that. 

Now, in the distant future, all the blonde did was show affection. What changed? Six years is a lot, but the way their relationship changed was even more so. 

Izuku tried to breathe evenly. Okay, he's married to Kacchan. He's married to him. There. He thought about it normally. They're married.

Did that mean Kacchan loved him?

Was that even possible?

And now that Izuku was really thinking about it, he never thought he would get married to a man. Sure, he never thought about his sexuality much, and his crushes were diverse in gender, but it was still strange to think about it. He was aware of the increasing presence of homosexuality around him, and he supported it, but he never thought he would be part of it. 

At first, it was hard for him to imagine himself being with a boy for life, but the events of today changed his mind. Remembering the perfect picture of Katsuki hugging him from behind made him think he was really just made for the blonde. Knowing what it was like to be married to him, Izuku couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

He felt so content, he realized. Now he knew: at the end, he'd become a great hero, have amazing friends, and end up with a husband who... loved him? Did he? Did Kacchan actually love him?

He had to find out. 

He finally left the kitchen, his eyes traveling to the group of friends who were full of nonstop chatter. He looked at the couch, noticing that Kirishima was missing from it. Maybe he went to the bathroom. 

Izuku was initially going to join them, but he realized he would just burst with questions. And the only person who could answer his questions was isolated in the bedroom, right now.

The boy turned on his heel, making a beeline for the bedroom door. Before he opened it, he could hear muffled voices from inside. For the second time that day, he pressed his ear to the door, shamelessly listening to the conversation.

"But, come on, bro, why didn't you tell him you guys were married?"

The voice was clearly Kirishima's. He didn't even notice that Kirishima had gone inside the bedroom. He was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to. 

"Because!" Katsuki's rough voice rang out. "Why would I? He still thought we were only friends, and I went along with it because I couldn't fucking tell him! In his present, we're just friends! How would he feel if he found out he was married to his former bully, huh?"

"Still. Isn't it very obvious? You're not exactly discreet about your love for him."

"Yeah, but he still didn't get it! And maybe he didn't want to think about us that way."

"Bakugou..."

"Shut up! I'm not sad; don't look at me with those eyes!"

"You seem very distant with him, too."

"It's fucking embarrassing, okay? You know what happened? Before I found out past Izuku was in that body, I fucking went on top of him and kissed his neck. I did that to a eighteen-year-old!" 

Kirishima snorted.

"There's nothing fucking funny about this!"

"It kinda is. Why would you do that, anyway?"

"Because he's my husband? Don't you do that shit with your spouse? Plus, he usually really likes it when I do that, especially when he's in a bad mood."

Izuku could hear stifled giggles, which were definitely from the red-haired man. 

"You didn't do anything wrong, Bakugou. You didn't know he became mentally young."

"Well, it's haunting me, and I can't do anything about it."

"You can! You can just talk to him!"

"God, I'll think about it! I'm going to sleep now, so don't disturb me! In fact, just get out of this room!"

"Geez, geez, I will. Just get better at talking to him, okay?"

"Leave me alone!"

Before Izuku could hear Kirishima's response, he heard a new voice acknowledge him, "Hey."

He turned his head to see the older version of Todoroki standing in front of him. The expression on his face was as stoic as ever, but he was way taller, and he had shorter hair. 

"Uh, Todoroki!" Izuku instantly stepped away from the door. "I was just- just-"

"We're friends in your time, right?" Todoroki asked him. 

Izuku slowly nodded.

"Then, I'll tell you this:" Todoroki paused, and although Izuku was curious, he only waited for the boy to continue. "The thing is, Bakugou was smart to keep you isolated. Even though it's nice meeting the past version of you again, it would have been more logical if you hadn't seen anyone besides him. That's why I feel like even though you're allowed to hate him for any reason, I wouldn't advise you to hate him for not telling you that you guys were married. He had his reasons."

Out of all the things Izuku expected Todoroki to confront him about, he never thought he would defend Katsuki. Maybe they also became closer over the years. 

"I don't hate him," Izuku said quietly. "I never have and I never will. Even if he becomes a whole villain, I will still always adore him."

Todoroki nodded slowly, looking unsurprised by his response. "Well, Midoriya, I also came here to tell you I have to leave now. It was nice seeing you."

"It was nice seeing you, too," Izuku smiled, and the split-dyed hair man hugged him briefly. Izuku watched him walk away, feeling happy that they were still close.

Izuku returned to the couch with the rest of his friends. He hasn't even realized that Kirishima returned to his spot on the couch. 

Shortly after Todoroki left, Ochaco announced her departure as well, giving Izuku a small hug, too. 

"Good luck returning to the past," she told him. 

"Thanks!"

The rest had arrived in the same car, so at around eleven, they were all at the door.

Each one of them hugged Izuku goodbye, wishing him good luck. Jirou had to practically drag Kaminari to the car while Ashido and Sero were laughing at him. Kirishima didn't follow them yet, lingering behind, clearly wanting to talk to Izuku a little more. 

"The biggest shock of all is probably that you're married to Bakugou, right?" Kirishima said knowingly.

Izuku nodded, unsure where the red-haired boy was going with this. 

"From where you came from, it's probably hard to imagine him… uh, caring for you."

Izuku swallowed, nodding once again. 

"I just want to tell you that I can see with my own eyes how much that guy loves you," Kirishima told him. "He's bad with feelings, but honestly, I've never seen someone so devoted to a person. I mean, he literally announced himself as 'Kacchan Bakugou' in national TV before y'all even started dating, and that's just one example."

" Uh, what?" Izuku was struggling to wrap his mind around the whole thing. "He announced it? Willingly?"

Kirishima grinned at him. "Yep, he's definitely murdering me for this. Anyway, just talk to him before you return to your past self. Just so you can understand him."

The green-haired boy was silent as Kirishima finally said his own farewell and walked off. Then he closed the door, turning to a quiet apartment, if you don't count the loud thumping of his heart. 

Izuku retrieved a few fruits from the fridge, quietly munching on them. The quiet in the room was a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere earlier, but, strangely, he was relishing it. He wondered if the only other person in this house was already sleeping. It was late anyway, close to midnight. He wondered if the man in question would mind if he climbed into bed with him, just to feel his warmth one last time. When he returns to the present, he won't feel the closeness of his body in any way for a very long time. 

He sighed out loud before looking around the place. It was a mess. Lots of dishes were in the sink, along with wineglasses and small plates, and the living room was untidy. After everything Katsuki has done for him, the least Izuku could do was return the favor by letting the blonde wake up to a clean house.

He did precisely that, washing the dishes on the lowest setting and putting all the couch cushions in an organized way. He even made sure none of the figurines were tilted or lopsided. As he moved, he became increasingly aware of his body's heaviness, reminding himself he wasn't in his body. He was going to miss being this fit.

Once he was done, he took a step back to admire his handiwork before his eyes traveled to the bedroom door. He was exhausted, but he wasn't sure if he had the right to sleep in the same bed as him, even though they were supposed to be married. Which, by the way, Izuku really wanted to talk to Katsuki about it, but he didn't want to disturb him. 

He was struck by the thought that this was his last chance. 

Finally, he walked to the door, opened it slowly, and closed it behind him. The room was dark, and a figure was lying on the bed, asleep as expected. Izuku hesitated but approached the bed anyway. He vouched for sitting on it before speaking, "Kacchan?"

The boy didn't stir.

Izuku wished he could see how he looked while he slept- which was probably really creepy- because he could barely see the boy's perfect features in the dark. He imagined closed, narrowed eyes and the loose set of his mouth. 

The green-haired boy gave in and touched his face. In the dark, he could see Katsuki's nose twitch. Izuku caressed his face a little more, his fingers splaying to touch his whole cheek. The man's eyes finally fluttered, and the redness in them looked unexpectedly soft.

Izuku's hand left his face, and Katsuki stared at him.

"Did they leave?" the blonde asked groggily, his voice sounding weary from sleep.

Izuku nodded, originally intending to let Katsuki speak before he found himself rambling again, "They all look so good and cool! I always knew they would be great heroes, but they still exceeded my expectations. All the stories they told me made me really excited for the future and-"

"You think they're good-looking?" Katsuki interrupted, more alert than before.

Izuku blinked. He didn't mean for it to sound like that, but it wasn't exactly wrong either. "I mean, I'm sure they're really popular with the people."

"Hm."

"Although, you're the most good-looking one out of all of them, Kacchan" Izuku said quickly before he realized what he said and his face flushed, as he looked away.

The blonde cleared his throat, clearly surprised by the comment as well. "Do you need me to prepare the spare bedroom for you?" he said, changing the subject. "I should have done it before I fell asleep, sorry."

"No," Izuku said. "Can I just sleep here with you?"

Katsuki stiffened, shifting in the bed to sit up. The guard he had on all day was gone now, replaced by a particular kind of vulnerability that Izuku wasn't sure how to handle. "What makes you think we sleep in the same bed?"

"Uh, I woke up in bed with you," Izuku pointed out awkwardly. "I didn't even know we had a spare room."

"It happens sometimes," Katsuki said, his eyes staring out into the distance, as if he wanted to exit this conversation as soon as possible. 

"Kacchan," Izuku said sternly. Katsuki's eyes flitted to him for a split second before he looked away again. "Can you tell me in exact detail what we are to each other? In the future, when we're both twenty-four."

"I told you we live together," the blonde murmured. "And obviously, we get along."

"Really well, right?" Izuku probed. "Well enough that we probably kiss and sleep in the same bed and are all over each other, huh?"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Where are you going with this?" Izuku wasn't sure whether the light was playing tricks on him, but Katsuki's cheeks looked oddly red.

"Why didn't you tell me we're married?"

Katsuki flinched. "I knew I shouldn't have let you meet them." 

"It was good that I did because you would have never told me," Izuku spat out, irritation in his tone that surprised both of them. Izuku never really let himself be mad at Katsuki. He wasn't sure what was different this time. 

"Izuku, it's dangerous for you to learn anything about the future-"

"Well, I'm here anyway," Izuku interrupted him. "And you let me believe we were just friends."

"Would that be so bad? We're just friends in your present anyway," Katsuki said, sounding uncharacteristically indifferent. He would usually be raging with emotions, but right now, he was being calm as if Izuku's irritation didn't bother him the least.

That only made the boy madder. "You know how difficult it is? For years, I have felt something for you, but it was fucking impossible because you hated me, and now we have finally started to be friends, so how can I ruin our friendship by confessing my feelings? And now you're telling me we're actually married and it wasn't all hopeless after all!? You let me think that after so many years, we were still just friends even though you were really, really touchy with me, and I was so confused and-"

"Look, fine, you know it then!" Katsuki snapped, cutting off Izuku's following words. "We're fucking married, okay! I'm Bakugou-Midoriya Katsuki, and you're Midoriya-Bakugou Izuku."

Izuku widened his eyes. "We hyphenated our names?"

"Yeah. You were willing to take my last name, but I didn’t let you."

The boy's anger diminished a little at the pleasing thought of their combined names. Then, his main goal returned, and he frowned at the man who would become his future husband. "I still can't forget you kept this from me." 

"Izuku, why would I tell you? I'm not even sure- wait," Katsuki paused. "Did you just admit to liking me?"

"Yeah, I said it a few sentences back?!" 

"I didn't completely… process that," the blonde squinted, making Izuku remember they were in the dark. "You… have a crush on me? Even as your eighteen-year-old self?"

"That's what I said, Kacchan," Izuku said, exasperated. 

"You little shit! Go and tell the present version of me how you feel!"

"You liked me at age eighteen?"

"I liked you since our first year at UA, idiot! Especially when I got stabbed by Shigaraki for you!"

"I thought that was just a friendly gesture."

"Friendly gesture? Do you want me to smack you?" 

"Maybe I'd like it."

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? STOP FLIRTING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S SIX YEARS OLDER THAN YOU."

"I was joking, Kacchan! I'm not a masochist, obviously."

"I hope not!" 

Izuku laughed, their banter stopping briefly. When the green-haired boy recovered, he could see Katsuki strangely staring at him.

If they were married, was Kacchan really in love with him?

"Hey, Kacchan," the boy murmured, inching closer to him, their knees touching. "If we're married, does that mean you're in love with me?"

Katsuki made a jerky movement, his eyebrows furrowing at him. "What do you think?"

"I want to know!"

"Maybe you should rely on your present Kacchan to tell you!"

"So, you don't love me?"

"DON'T EVER SAY ANYTHING AS STUPID AS THAT! OF COURSE, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU, IDIOT! I LOVE YOU! WHY ELSE WOULD I GET MARRIED TO YOU?"

Izuku grinned so hard that his face hurt, but he never felt happier. "I love you, too, Kacchan. You and the one in my timeline."

Katsuki stopped, staring at him. 

The green-haired boy took that as an opening to grab Katsuki's face and give him a small peck on the lips. It was barely a kiss, just a brush of two lips. Izuku instantly leaned back, his face reddening from his act of courage.

"I'm sleeping here tonight," Izuku announced. "I don't want your Izuku to wake up without you by his side."

"Izuku…"

“No arguments!” The boy interrupted, settling into the bed and pulling the covers over him. "I know you're sleepy, Kacchan."

"I'm sorry," Katsuki whispered, letting himself lie back down next to Izuku. 

"It's okay," Izuku murmured. "I know you were only trying to protect me."

"As soon as you get back, don't make me wait for you, idiot."

"I won't."

They grew into silence, and before he knew it, Katsuki was lightly snoring again. Izuku watched him for a while, relishing the sight of his adult face, the way his features were perfectly put together. They didn't cuddle, but their hands touched. Eventually, Izuku dared to clutch his fingers around his, holding his hand. The blonde didn't shift at all; there was only a twitch in his lips. 

Izuku imagined how they looked from above —a blonde, green-haired boy—well, men, in this case, facing each other. He thought of the way their bodies fit perfectly when Kacchan hugged him, the way the boy easily knew Izuku's habits.

Izuku knew, with all his certainty, that there was no one more perfect for him than the blonde boy next to him. 

A few weeks later, back in his present, Izuku was watching Katsuki as he fought in a mock battle against one of their classmates. It was one of their final class training sessions before they graduated to become pro heroes. Well, that wasn't the plan for Izuku, but he still felt content. 

The explosive boy fired an explosion as a misdirection before he lunged up and blasted his opponent in the face. The explosion echoed throughout the battle area, prompting some of their classmates to cheer, including Izuku. 

He watched as Katsuki proudly stood, while their teacher announced his victory. The chatter around the green-haired boy diminished because to him, all he could see was Kacchan. He thought about his gorgeous adult self sometimes, but he was even more beautiful right now, standing in all his glory. 

Katsuki Bakugou-Midoriya, Izuku thinks in his head. 

Finally, Katsuki looked up, meeting Izuku's gaze, the latter staring right at him, his eyes glazed and a broad smile on his face. The blonde rolled his eyes before his lips twitched, and he walked up to the boy who was constantly staring at him.

Katsuki grabbed him and kissed him in front of everyone, and Izuku was sure that he could actually die happily.