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“Oi, Izuku, we’re getting married.”
At Katsuki’s loud declaration, Izuku paused his construction of the tallest, most awesome Might Tower ever. He looked up from the sandbox to see Katsuki standing over him, hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face.
“Married? Isn’t that for old people?” Izuku asked, nose crinkling in confusion. He turned back to his tower, patting a bit more sand around the bottom to stabilize it. Perfect. This was one of the best Might Towers he had made so far!
Katsuki plopped down next to Izuku, careful not to mess anything up. He started to pick up Izuku’s All Might figures from where they were half-buried in the sand, arranging them around the agency as he explained, “Don’t you want to play longer? It’s annoying to stop every day when we get called in for dinner. We’re never gonna get strong enough to defeat villains if our parents keep interrupting us.”
Izuku tilted his head, chewing on his lip as he worked through Katsuki’s words. “And we can play longer…if we get married?”
Katsuki let out a loud sigh, waving around the Silver Age All Might gripped in his fist as he spoke. “Of course. If we’re married, we’ll live together. We can play whenever we want!”
Oh! Kacchan was so smart! That made so much sense!
“Okay, yeah!” Izuku dropped his sand shovel and brushed his hands on his shorts. “How do we get married?”
“I got it.” Izuku’s eyes sparkled as Katsuki puffed out his chest. Of course Kacchan would know how to get married, he was the smartest kid Izuku knew! “My parents showed me videos of their wedding. It’s mostly a bunch of boring stuff. But we just have to say what we like about each other, promise we’ll do stuff for each other, and then kiss, and then we can live together!”
Izuku’s eyes widened. “Kiss? Are we allowed to kiss?
“Duh, we’ll be married! Married people kiss all the time, like my parents.” Katsuki made a face, the same face he made when presented with broccoli. He often got caught trying sneak it onto Izuku’s plate when they shared meals, and Izuku realized that living together would make it much easier to eat all of Katsuki’s broccoli for him.
Izuku would have to take Katsuki’s word for it about the kissing. His dad hadn’t been home in a while, and even when he was home Izuku didn’t remember seeing his mom and dad kiss much.
“Okay, so we tell each other nice things and we kiss,” Izuku repeated, nodding firmly. “Is there anything else?”
“Yeah.” Katsuki tugged his backpack over from where he had dropped it outside the sandbox. He unzipped it and pulled out two ties. “I took these from my old man’s closet. We should be wearing fancier clothes, like suits, but I don’t want to. This should be good enough. Here.”
Katsuki gestured for Izuku to lean closer. When he did, Katsuki wrapped one of the ties around Izuku’s neck, tying it in a loose bow. Izuku reached up to brush the messy knot as Katsuki wrapped the other tie around his own neck. Kacchan was amazing. He could already tie ties like a grown-up!
“And rings, we gotta give each other rings.” Katsuki next pulled out two gacha balls, handing one to Izuku. “I used my birthday money to get these.”
Izuku popped open the ball, carefully dumping a shiny gold ring with a green gem into his palm. It was so pretty! He smiled brightly, looking up to see Katsuki holding a similar ring, except with an orange gem instead of a green one.
“Kacchan thought of everything!” Izuku exclaimed.
“Of course I did.” Katsuki stood, shoving the ring into his pocket and extending a hand to Izuku. “Now come on. We have to hurry and get married before dinnertime.”
✧✦✧
Katsuki stood in the shade of a large tree at the edge of the playground. Izuku’s All Mights were lined up in front of him, facing Katsuki, leaving an aisle clear for Izuku. The sound of cicadas buzzing filled the air in a sweet summer song as Izuku slowly walked towards Katsuki, just like he had instructed.
Katsuki looked so cool and grown-up, wearing his crooked tie and watching Izuku’s approach with such a serious expression. Izuku couldn’t stop the grin growing on his face.
Once Izuku was in front of him, Katsuki nodded firmly and grasped Izuku’s hands in his own.
“Okay, now we say what we like about each other,” Katsuki explained. “Like, I like that sometimes you have good plans to defeat villains.” Katsuki’s cheeks turned pink and he glanced away from Izuku’s eyes. “And I like your freckles and how soft your hair is.”
Izuku’s smile widened. “Thanks, Kacchan! I like how strong you are! And how you aren’t afraid to stand up to anyone, even if it’s a bigger kid! And how you always hold my hand when we cross the street or when I get scared when we’re in the woods collecting bugs! And—”
“Okay, that’s enough!” Katsuki was very pink now, but he looked back at Izuku. “Now the promises. I promise to always be your hero partner. And defeat all the villains with you. And be the number one hero!”
“Same!” Izuku nodded. “You’re the best hero partner ever. I don’t want anyone else!”
“Okay, good.” Katsuki dropped Izuku’s hands, digging into his pockets to pull out the ring. “Now we put the rings on each other.”
Katsuki grabbed Izuku’s left hand and gently slid the ring onto the finger next to his pinky. The ring was a bit big, but it was still perfect. Izuku stared at it, admiring the way the bold orange gem sparkled. He couldn’t stop a giggle bursting from his lips.
“Hey! My turn!” Katsuki held out his own hand, waiting for Izuku to give him his ring.
Oh, right! They couldn’t finish getting married until they both had rings! Izuku tried to become as serious as Katsuki. He squished his lips together, smothering his smile as he tugged the ring from his pocket and grabbed Katsuki’s outstretched hand. He slid the ring on, making sure it was on the same finger Katsuki had put his own ring on, the one next to his pinky.
Katsuki stared at it for a moment before looking back at Izuku and declaring, “And now, the kiss.”
Izuku tried to remember the kissing he’d seen on shows his mom watched. He never really paid attention; it seemed gross to him. His mom had told him not to share drinks with people because of germs, so why would you let someone’s mouth touch yours?
But…he did share drinks with Kacchan. That was different. So maybe kissing him was okay.
Izuku closed his eyes, pushed his lips out, and leaned in close. He didn’t know what else to do, but he trusted Katsuki to lead him through this step just like he had with the rest of the wedding.
It wasn’t long. Their lips touched for a brief moment before Katsuki pulled away. Izuku opened his eyes to see Katsuki staring back at him, face bright red but kiss complete.
Izuku started to vibrate with excitement. They did it!
“So, we’re married now?” he asked, just to make sure.
“Yup.” Katsuki shoved both hands in his pockets. He looked so cool, even with his cheeks still stained pink. And now he was Izuku’s husband!
Izuku gave a few excited hops. He and Kacchan were married! No one could keep them apart now! They could play together as long as they wanted and they were going to be the greatest heroes ever!
But…
“…So, whose house do we live at?” Izuku asked, coming to a stop. “I think my mom might be sad if I leave her alone.”
“Then we can live at yours,” Katsuki replied quickly. “My parents have each other, and I won’t miss them or their stupid kissing.”
Izuku grinned as he leaped forward, crushing Katsuki into a tight hug. After a moment, Katsuki returned it, wrapping his arms softly around Izuku and burying his face in Izuku’s shoulder.
Izuku couldn’t believe he and Katsuki would be together forever!
✧✦✧
Their marriage lasted two days.
Katsuki was able to beg his way into sleeping over at Izuku’s for two straight nights before his mom appeared to drag him home.
He didn’t go quietly.
Katsuki flopped bonelessly on the floor and screeched that it was illegal to separate him from his husband, while Izuku watched tearfully from beside Inko, unsure how to protect his husband from Auntie Mitsuki while staying on the good side of his new mother-in-law.
The marriage announcement was a surprise to both of their moms, who then had to gently explain that the two boys couldn’t live together or get married until they were much older. Which resulted in more screaming (from Katsuki) and crying (from Izuku) and ended with a concession for one more sleepover, in order to get the two to stop disturbing the neighbors.
Almost two decades passed before the two shared their second kiss with each other.
The second kiss—packed with emotions, conveying a whole lifetime of heartbreak, forgiveness, pining, love—lasted a bit longer and was a bit deeper than that one on the playground all those years ago.
“If I had to rank,” Izuku murmured as he pulled away, “I’d say this kiss was better than our first.”
Katsuki’s eyes were still closed, his face soft, tilted towards Izuku. Izuku’s stomach swooped and his chest warmed with the knowledge that he made Katsuki look like that, yearn like that.
But after a moment of processing Izuku’s words, Katsuki’s eyes shot open and he pulled back. “You don’t remember that.”
Izuku giggled. “Of course I do! It’s one of my favorite memories!”
Katsuki groaned, a bright flush crawling up his face. “We were stupid brats, thinking we could get married so we could play together all the time.”
“Mmm, yes,” Izuku agreed. “But it was the first time you told me out loud how much you cared for me. When things…changed, I still had those words to hang on to. I knew that that Kacchan still existed.”
Katsuki looked down at their entwined hands. “I was a stupid brat.”
“You’ve already apologized, and I forgave you a long time ago.” Izuku gently squeezed Katsuki’s hand. “C’mon, I wanna see how our third kiss will rank.”
“Are you gonna keep notes on all our kisses, nerd?” Katsuki teased, though he obligingly leaned in close, close enough that their noses brushed and breaths entangled.
“Maybe.” Izuku closed his eyes, but just before their lips touched, he added, “I’m expecting our second wedding to rank a bit higher than the first.”
Then Izuku swiftly swooped in, capturing Katsuki’s lips with his own and swallowing the embarrassed exclamation Katsuki made at Izuku’s statement.
The third kiss didn’t last as long as the second. Izuku was smiling too much and Katsuki was too distracted by what Izuku had just implied. But, despite the many kisses that filled the years to come, it remained near the top of Izuku’s list, purely for the hopeful, longing look on Katsuki’s face when they pulled away.
Izuku knew their next marriage would last much, much longer than two days.