#deaf!katsuki

Part 1: the forecast calls for tears

"Where's Kacchan?" Izuku was sitting up in his hospital bed, pillows piled up behind him to keep him from straining his back. His eyes were flat, lacking all their usual light as they stared blankly at the empty bed to his side. He couldn't have known Katsuki had occupied that bed for the better part of a week, no logical reason anyway, but he did. He could still smell him there even though the sheets were new and crisp and untouched. He and his alpha mourned the distance.

Ochako and Kirishima glanced at each other while the rest of his classmates shuffled meaningfully.

When they didn't speak, Izuku turned those unnervingly blank eyes towards them. "How long was I asleep?"

Ochako chaffed her hands against her skirt before pressing her fingertips together. "You were in a coma for a month."

Izuku's eyes traveled over his classmates. Ex-classmates. Graduated classmates. Fellow heroes. They'd been graduated for a year now, but still, they came running when they heard he'd woken up. Tenderness bubbled quietly up in his chest. He could always count on them. Except for when they thought they were protecting him from something.

Even now, a month after the final battle with the League, the one where everyone had gotten hurt and some killed, he could see their wounds. Not physically. All of that had been healed long before he'd woken up, but in the way they stood. Straighter. Stiffer. Favoring arms or legs. In the way they looked at him.

"Where's Kacchan?" he asked again, and this time, he saw the looks that passed between them. The downcast eyes. The shuffling. It was uncomfortably reminiscent of the way they'd acted after the training camp when he'd failed to save Katsuki. "Where. Is. He?"

Kirishima swallowed, eyes wet. "Best Jeanist took him to America."

The words dropped into his head with a hollow 'plink'. It took him several minutes of slow blinking to understand. Too long. His mind felt drug slow. So much slower than his usual thoughts. Out of the confusion, he pulled only one thought. 'He left me. He left before I woke up. He left me.'

"I don't understand," he whispered slowly. 'He left me. He left me. He left me.'

"He- During the battle- He-" Kirishima couldn't get the words out, tears tracking down his cheeks. He wouldn't meet Izuku's eyes. No one would.

Anger bubbled up slowly, but there was no heat to it. No substance. It was just there like the affection. But they were separate from him. He felt empty. Like he could grab the emotions and study them, but not truly feel them.

Todoroki was the one to speak, voice affectless and calm. At least Izuku could always trust him to never hold back. Never tempered by affection or frustration. "During the battle after you'd been taken out, he was protecting you. He'd gone feral and went to far. He lost an arm and a leg."

A rush of emotion punched Izuku in the chest. He looked away as a keening cry burst from him, staring at the empty bed. He didn't want to imagine how Katsuki had felt, lying in that bed, crippled with the knowledge that his career as a hero had been stolen from him. Stolen by Izuku. The person who was supposed to protect him. Katsuki was right to leave. Right to never make that mating bond Izuku had desperately wanted.

Todoroki continued despite the others hissing for him to stop. "Best Jeanist took him to America to seek out someone who could make him prostheses. Originally, they were going to find someone in Japan, but the Americans have more advanced prostheses currently. There's rumors that their prosthetic engineers can return a hero to service without much difference in their previous performance."

Lifting trembling hands, Izuku covered his face. His tears. His shame. He was broken, and he didn't want them to see that. A broken, useless hero. "Did we at least win?" he asked instead of the other question that urged to be asked. 'Is he going to come back?'

"Yes," Yaoyorozu said, but her voice was softer than it would normally be. It was unthinkable that she was unhappy about winning.

'But at what cost?' No one voiced the thought, but it hung in the room like a haze. 'But at what cost?'

Izuku sobbed, unable to curl in on himself because of the stiff bandaging still around his torso.

Ochako reached for him, hand resting on his forearm. "He told us to tell you that he's sorry."

Izuku let out a unrestrained wail. Everyone crowded around his bed, but their proximity wasn't a comfort. Only one person would be, but if he were there, Izuku wouldn't need comfort.

.....

When Katsuki stepped off the plane, he was greeted with the familiar heat of Musutafu in summer. Humidity like he was sitting in a sauna. He'd been all over America in the past five and a half years, but nothing was quite like the weather of home. It could be similar, primarily along the east coast, but just not quite the same. Just similar.

Breathing in deeply, he gripped the small hand in his and started down the ramp to where he could see Best Jeanist leaning against a car with illegally blacked out windows. Katsuki idly wondered if he was absolutely roasting in his hero uniform.

"Your hand is sweaty, Papa."

"Your's isn't much better, little monster," he told the little girl. They held tight to each other to keep her from falling if she slipped. She was clumsy on the best of days, but anxiety made it worse. And she was a very anxious child as it was. At the bottom of the steps, he dried his hand on his pants. "Hold on. Let me put your hair up. You're going to sweat to death in this humidity otherwise. Here, drink some water." He handed her a bottle in exchange for her bright red scrunchy, and swept her mane of green curls into a high ponytail.

He watched her closely as she carefully sipped water before taking the bottle for a drink of his own. He wiped away a trickled of water from her chin.

"Thank you," she mumbled, eyes down as she surveyed Best Jeanist from beneath her lashes. Ever observant. "Who is that hero?"

"My boss." Taking her hand again, he led her towards the hero in question. "His hero name is Best Jeanist."

"I would think we're at least friends by this point, Bakugou." Best Jeanist's blue eyes were sharp as they watched the little girl at Katsuki's side. He hadn't seen her since she was a newborn squalling in Katsuki's arms, and he honestly hadn't been expecting to see her again. Katsuki was forever full of surprises. But that had been one of the reasons he'd hired Katsuki after he'd graduated, hadn't it? "I know you don't remember me, but I've known you since you were only a few minutes old. It's good to see you again. You can call me Best Jeanist or Tsunagu." He held out a hand expecting her to be more accustomed to American manners and forms of greeting, but she didn't take.

The little girl turned her eyes up to Katsuki.

"She won't take your hand. She hasn't gotten her quirk under control just yet, and it goes off when she's nervous." He turned soft eyes down to her. "Give him your elbow instead, Sumi."

Nodding, she held out her elbow, and Best Jeanist touched it gently before pulling his hand back. She bowed and stood straight. "My name is Bakugou Katsumi. Can I call you Tsu, Mr. Best Jeanist?"

Taken aback by her formality and forwardness, Best Jeanist nodded. "Whatever you like."

She smiled brightly, and now he could see her complete parentage. He smiled back, the only indication a crinkle at the corners of his eyes. He could never resist that smile as he'd found out from working with her father, the father she hadn't met yet. He wondered if Katsuki had told her about him.

"We should get going, Bakugou," he said, meeting Katsuki's eyes. "The media hasn't caught wind that you're back yet, but I'll warn you, your parents organized a party for you. They haven't left me alone." As if to prove his point, his phone chimed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he showed Katsuki the onslaught of impatient texts from Mitsuki and the inquisitive texts from Masaru. The only difference was that Masaru had stopped several hours before while Mitsuki never had.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, and accepted the small hand that slipped back into his. Sweat slicked palm pressed against sweat slicked palm. "We need to shower first. We've been travelling for almost a day, and Katsumi needs to take a nap beforehand."

"I'll let them now." Best Jeanist was already tapping away. "But the first thing we're doing before the party is getting your phone reactivated. I'm not going to play messenger pigeon forever. Get in." Without another word, he climbed into the driver's seat.

Opening the back door, Katsuki took a moment to secure Katsumi's booster seat. He threw their backs onto the opposite seat. "Alright, in you go." He lifted Katsumi into the car. "Can you buckle yourself like a big girl?"

"Yes," Katsumi chirped and proceeded to do so. She locked the belt in place and tugged on the strap for his inspection.

"Good job." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before closing her door, and rounding the car to the passenger side. After securing his own belt, he rested his elbow on the center console and offered her his hand. She took it happily.

Best Jeanist passed him a set of keys. "I found an apartment close to the agency. Your things arrived yesterday, but you'll have to unpack. Figured you would prefer to do that yourself over someone touching your things."

Katsuki nodded, and pocketed the keys.

.....

Izuku nearly dropped his phone down a storm drain when the text from Kirishima came through. From a stream of dirty water, a picture of Kirishima and Mina's smiling faces with a reluctantly frowning Katsuki squished between them stared up at him. He didn't retrieve the cell until two messages buzzed through in quick succession, sending his phone closer to the yawning opening of the drain. The first text was an address he didn't recognize, and the other was, 'When do you get off? The party's in full swing!'

What party? No one had ever told him about a party. No one had told him about Katsuki coming back. Annoyance reared its head, but he completely obliterated it with the burning desire to see Katsuki again. He couldn't blame them after the state he'd been in the year Katsuki had left. It took him a long time to return to some form of normalcy, and even then, he'd never been the same. He didn't want to admit or imagine what he would have been like with the knowledge of Katsuki's return. Insufferable probably.

More pictures buzzed in from all of his other friends at the party before he found it in him to reply. 'Soon. I'll be there soon.' It took him a moment to realize that maybe that didn't sound like a real reply, and that actually he didn't get off soon. But maybe-

At his side, Burnin suddenly snarled.

Swiftly, he tucked the phone away lest she break that one too. At least four phones had been sacrificed to her wrath in all the years he'd been working with her. "Sorry, Burnin. I'll turn it off."

"Don't fucking bother, just go."

"What?" Burnin wasn't one for kindness and this seemed very closely related to kindness. "We've still got four hours left."

"I don't give a shit. You're fucking useless when you're distracted, and I don't want to look at your face. You look like a kicked puppy. It's irritating. You'll take my next shift with Shouto. I hate working with that little fuck." She pushed her hair off her shoulder self-importantly, glaring at the passersby. "Ugh. Whatever. Let me call the boss."

Before she could reach for her ear-piece, Endeavor's voice roared across the line. "Deku!"

The pair flinched, and Izuku pressed his fingers to his own ear-piece. "Go for Deku."

"Go home! Coals is taking your spot! Tell Shouto to leave me alone, I'm trying to work!"

Izuku and Burnin exchanged a look. Todoroki wasn't someone who took to bothering people on purpose, and he wasn't someone who willingly interacted with Endeavor. There was a first for everything, Izuku guessed. "How far out is Coals?"

"Doesn't matter! Just got the fuck home! And call Shouto!"

"Copy," Izuku said, and the network went silent again. "Your shift with Shouto is tomorrow, right? I'll be there. Have a good day off."

Burnin huffed, but didn't say anything as he launched himself into the air. He typed in Todoroki's number, grinning.

.....

Katsuki was exhausted. He hadn't taken a nap when Katsumi had, and he'd been at the party for hours. The appearance of Izuku and then the nerd's subsequent avoidance of him had only made him irritable and turn down his hearing aids to a dull buzz in his ears. Alcohol might have made it easier, but not while Katsumi was there.

She was keeping herself occupied with Kaminari, Ochako and some brats that he still wasn't sure belonged to who. But he didn't drink if his daughter was around. Realistically, he didn't want anyone to drink around her, but that would have been more unreasonable than he was nowadays.

He stared pointedly at Izuku across the coffee table from him, and with his hearing aids down, didn't hear Katsumi's quiet voice. She tugged on his sleeve, startling him out of his reverie. Turning up his hearing aid, he asked, "What is it, little monster? Do you need to use the bathroom? I know they don't have a stool."

Katsumi shook her head, freed curls bouncing all around her. Mina had braided her hair, but didn't know how to trap all her curls so there were more than a few that had popped out all over her head. She looked aggrieved and a little apologetic as she glanced at Izuku. She motioned Katsuki down until she could cup her hands around his ear. "My legs hurt, Papa. And... I'm too scared to talk to Daddy. I don't know if you want him to know. I know he doesn't."

Now, Katsuki was aggrieved. Shamed as he caught Izuku's eyes on them. He hadn't wanted Katsumi to grow up without knowing who her father was, so he'd fed her stories and news feeds of Izuku, but the person the media portrayed was very different from the fact of him. The person Katsuki's own biased betrayed was different.

Standing, Katsuki lifted her into his arms. She was light and small, but still, she was getting big. Soon, he wouldn't be able to hold her like that. She laid her head on his shoulder, and his heart clenched with the knowledge of the impending loss.

"We're gonna head out, Mom, Dad. We've got a long day tomorrow," he said as everyone looked up at him.

Activity swirled around them as people stood to gather belongings and spouses and brats, shoving trash in bags that they took as they said their goodbyes. Katsuki was hugged more times than he could almost stand.

When Izuku stood and made to follow Ochako, Iida and Todoroki, Katsuki caught his eye.

"Lend me your ear and a hand," Katsuki said, shoving Katsumi's car seat into his arms to prevent him from protesting.

Izuku followed Katsuki home silently, a feat he didn't know Izuku could accomplish. He remained silent when they got back to the apartment as Katsuki shepherded Katsumi through their nightly routine; wash face, brush teeth, tie back hair, file nails, glass of water. Then he set her in front of Izuku as she fidgeted with the edge of her nightshirt, a piece of Deku merchandise.

Izuku smiled gently. "Hi. I didn't get to meet you at the party. My name is Midoriya Izuku."

"I know," she mumbled, but didn't say anymore.

Katsuki swallowed, uncomfortably nervous. He stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. After a moment of tense silence, he sighed shakily. Izuku glanced up at him questioningly. God, Izuku was still so fucking oblivious. Couldn't he see himself in her? Didn't he understand? "Deku, don't freak out. This is Katsumi."

"Okay? Why would I freak out?" Izuku asked cautiously.

He repressed a growl, and tried to keep his voice as even as possible. He knew this day would eventually come. He didn't want her to grow up fatherless, but he could have planned better. Sent him pictures, letters, a text, anything. But he'd been freaked out after finding out that he was pregnant, especially right after loosing his arm and leg. Leaving for America had been as much to get replacements as to run away from Izuku. "This is Bakugou-Midoriya Katsumi."

Izuku went stock still, pleasant smile plastered to his face.

When he didn't move and Katsumi kept shuffling, he sighed. "Come on, baby, let's finish getting you ready. Bathroom and then chair." Katsumi peed and then Katsuki set her in her wheel chair. "Legs," he instructed, but she'd already lifted them.

Pushing up the hem of her shirt, he found the edge of the synthetic skin that covered her prostheses and peeled the fabric away. One and then the other. Titanium glinted at them, and she looked away, jaw clenched. Despite his best efforts, he knew she hated looking at them. Knew they made her different from all of the others kids, kids who had been her friends before she'd lost her legs.

There was a sharp inhale at their side, but he ignored Izuku.

"Sumi," Katsuki said gently, waiting until she looked at him, "You're beautiful and strong, little monster. Do you want to hold my hand?"

She nodded emphatically, and Katsuki positioned her legs so they'd slide into his lap instead of dropping to the floor before holding out a hand. She gripped it tightly.

"On three," he said, maintaining eye contact, "One... two... three." He disengaged her legs in quick succession, and she flinched. Her eyes slammed shut, fingers tightening in his, but remained quiet. "All done. You did amazing, baby."

She nodded, but didn't let go of his hand or open her eyes.

Clenching his jaw, he twisted off one leg and then the other and set them off to the side. He grabbed her other hand, rubbing circles into the backs of her hands until her grip relaxed. She squinted crimson eyes at him. "Time for bed. How about I carry you? Deku can bring your legs and chair. Do you want a story?" She shook her head no, but raised her arms when he stood. He bundled her against his chest, much lighter without the weight of her legs. Again, she laid her head on his shoulder.

When he turned, he was happy Katsumi couldn't see Izuku's expression. Unfiltered horror. Anger. Need. Pain. But also, pure unconditional love of the kind only Izuku could possess. His face cycled through emotion after emotion. He was completely unable to settle on one.

Katsuki was happier than he could express to know the Izuku was still the same old Izuku, at least in the emotions department. "Deku," he said when Izuku remained still.

Izuku jumped to his feet like there was a fire under his ass. Prostheses in one arm -they looked so tiny when he held them- and hand on a handle of the wheelchair, he followed after them.

"Can I call you Daddy, Mr. Deku? I know you don't know me, but..." Katsumi trailed off timidly as Izuku watched Katsuki lay her down and tuck her in.

Her bed was one of the few things besides her prostheses that Katsuki hadn't worried about the cost of. Soft enough to engulf her with all the bells and whistles needed to make life easier for a little girl when she didn't have her legs on. There was a bookcase attached to the bed frame, filled with books, notebooks, knickknacks, and hero merch. The mattress top was exactly the height of her wheelchair. No one would ever believe him about how long it took him to find a bed that exact height.

Katsuki closed his eyes against the warmth that built in them at her words.

Behind him, Izuku fought off his own tears. He sniffled and grinned as he said, "You're my daughter. You can call me anything you want. I'm... sorry I haven't been here."

Her smile was blinding, a carbon copy of Izuku's. "It's okay. You're here now."

Katsuki pressed a kiss to her forehead before sliding her chair next to her bed and standing her legs in their stands. "Love you, little monster. Sleep tight."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams, Papa. Goodnight, Daddy."

"Goodnight," Izuku said, his voice just a chocked whisper as Katsuki guided him back into the living room.

.....

They sat in silence for hours. Katsuki unpacked box after box, fighting sleep with an ironclad fist. Izuku flipped through photo albums of Katsumi that Katsuki had unearthed. Newborn pictures. The quintessential month by month progress pictures Negative had insisted he take. Her at daycare and in pre-school. When she was four and meeting her favorite Disney characters; Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Merida, Winnie the Pooh. One of her kicking the costumed Gaston in the shin, and Katsuki cracking up as he pulled her away. Another of her holding a baby alligator when she was three, the animal nearly as big as she was. Birthdays and friends and everything Izuku had missed.

He cried all the while, smiling through the tears like a love-struck fool. When he reached the section of pictures of Katsumi trying out her prostheses for the first time, he sobbed and dropped his head into his hands. "How did it happen?" he choked out.

Katsuki stepped up behind him, staring down at the stretch of pictures. Katsumi in a hospital bed, grinning despite the bandages while Katsuki was knocked out in his hero uniform at her side. Katsumi frowning determinedly as she pushed herself around in a wheel chair. Katsumi with a smile wider than the horizon as she hung from Katsuki's arms with her new prostheses.

Katsuki's throat tightened, and he swallowed thickly. "Her pre-school was attacked. Her legs were completely destroyed, crushed beneath part of the ceiling. They couldn't save her legs, but they saved her." He fought to keep his voice steady, but no matter what he did, it wavered. "That was the day her quirk manifested. Her teacher told me that if it hadn't and if she hadn't used it, more of the kids would have gotten hurt. Might have died. She blasted away the ceiling when it started to fall."

He watched Izuku's shoulders shake. He wanted to reach out, comfort him, but even all these years later, he didn't really know how to do that. So, instead, he continued talking. "She's a lot like you. She's so fucking strong, Deku. She's been through more in five years than most people go through in their entire lives, but she still keeps smiling. I was really relieved the first time I realized she was like you. If she were more like me-" He couldn't say it, wouldn't. There was a universe out there somewhere where she didn't survive, and he hoped someone had taken pity and put him out of his misery.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you come back? Why did you leave before I woke up?" Izuku sobbed, curled in on himself, voice muffled against his hands and legs. "No one has heard from you in over five years! What happened, Kacchan?"

Rounding the couch, Katsuki sat on the coffee table close enough that their knees were just a hair's breadth from touching. He hated admitting weakness. In all their years apart, that hadn't changed. But Izuku was the exception to that rule, wasn't he? Always had been. And he felt that familiar prying feeling in his chest, every emotion he'd bottled up and stored away to ignore clawing out. Out of everyone he trusted, he trusted Izuku the most even when he'd hated him. "I was scared," he whispered, staring down at his palms, at the slightly different colors of them.

Izuku's shoulders slowed, and after a breath, he lifted his head.

Katsuki couldn't look at him, even though he could feel Izuku's eyes boring into him. "I was scared about being pregnant. I was scared I wouldn't be able to be a hero anymore. I was scared you wouldn't want me anymore with only one arm and one leg and most of my hearing lost and my career in shambles. I was scared you wouldn't want to have a baby with me, especially since I was too far along if you wanted me to terminate. I was scared I wouldn't be a good dad. I was scared I wouldn't be able to provide for her." He swallowed thickly, drying his palms obsessively against his pants. "I was scared. I am scared. Every day. I'm not who I used to be, and I am scared you won't want me because I'm not the same person."

A quiet laugh. "You're still the same old you." Katsuki jerked his head up, and Izuku was smiling now. "You're still the most emotionally stupid person I know." He slid to the edge of the couch, pressing a knee between Katsuki's. "It's you, Kacchan, it's always been you and no one else. Ever since we were kids. Only you. Nothing can change that. I thought you would have known that when I asked for your mating bite."

"That was before everything happened. How was I supposed to know that? You're the one who just said I'm emotionally inept."

"Because I love you, and I told you I did every day after we started dating."

Katsuki pointed to himself. "Emotionally inept."

Laughing, Izuku leaned forward. His eyes flicked to Katsuki's mouth. "Can I..." He trailed off, looking into Katsuki's eyes and finding hunger there.

Katsuki nodded, and they fell back into each other as if they hadn't been apart for five years.

.....

"The pre-school was attacked! Who attacks a pre-school?" Negative shouted into her phone, rage billowing from her in sepia toned clouds.

"Pre-school?" Cold fear dumped into Katsuki's veins. "What pre-school? Which one!" Not Katsumi's pre-school. Any other, but his daughter's. There were ten just in the city limits. The odds were in his favor here. Right? Yes. Definitely. It wouldn't be-

"Sunrise. Corner of Sunrise and Palm," Negative said quickly, eyes darting to him, "Where did you say your daughter goes?"

He took off, blasting away from the ground like a rocket. Negative raced after him, propelling herself into the air to catch up. As in all of his dreams, it was as though he was moving through molasses, every movement agonizingly slow. No matter how badly he wanted to go faster, he never could.

As they landed on the street just a block away, a giant explosion blew the roof off the pre-school. Flames billowed into the sky. Windows shattered all along the street. Debris and ash rained. The screams and cries of trapped children pierced through the explosion deafened air.

.....

"Katsumi!" Katsuki croaked breathlessly, clawing at the fabric beneath his fingers. Or trying to. Whenever he woke from a nightmare so suddenly, he could never move, incapacitated by a crushing force on his back that left his lungs empty. Just like he'd been in that moment. Breathless, silent, terrified, motionless. In the time right after waking, he was subject to his own memories. They flashed through his mind, a disturbing reel of destruction. The collapsed in ceiling. Blood and dusk covered children. Katsumi's small, unconscious face. Bloody palms and bloodier skirt.

"Katsumi!" he croaked out again, louder than before, but still nearly silent. Finally -finally- he could curl his fingers into fists. Spell broke, he shoved himself to his feet, frantic. Katsumi. He had to get to Katsumi. She was-

Strong fingers wrapped around his wrists, pulling him to a stop as his palms popped violently. "Kacchan? Are you okay? What's going on?"

"K-Katsumi! I need to- I- Katsumi-" His breath came in quick, staccato pants. Dizziness settled over him, and distantly, he knew he was hyperventilating. "Katsumi! I need to go to her!"

Izuku hushed him quietly, green eyes luminous in the moonlight peeking through parted curtains. "Katsumi's fine, Kacchan, she's sleeping in her room. It's okay. She's okay. She's safe. Kacchan, breath, you're panicking."

He was panicking. He knew that, but he couldn't calm down until until he saw her safe and whole. Free from blood on her skin. "I need to see her!" he gasped. On nights like this, when nightmares chased him out of sleep, he slept in her bed. He cradled her against his chest, heart racing until her soft all-spice and mint scent lulled him back to sleep. It was desperately embarrassing. What kind of father needed his daughter to help him get back to sleep instead of the other way around?

Under Izuku's scrutiny, he felt the ugly, disgusting truth on his skin. The shame of how weak he'd gotten. He was supposed to be her protector and rock, not the body that needed her as a crutch. He couldn't put his truth into words, he could only whisper, "I need to see her."

Without another question, Izuku silently stood and led Katsuki to their daughter's room. They silently slipped into her room, and Katsuki immediately went to her bedside, pushing her chair out of the way to kneel close to her head. He stroked her hair, already feeling himself calm.

Izuku watched, scent held close and in-check against his body.

Katsuki wished he would let go of his control. Let his scent mingle. All of their scents belonged together. They should permeate the entire apartment, drive out the weird smell all apartments that had sat empty for any amount of time possessed.

"Papa?" Katsumi whispered sleepily, eyes remaining closed, "Did you have a bad dream again?"

Katsuki hummed, heat pressing in at his eyes as he held her tiny hand between his.

"It's okay. I'm safe. Go back to sleep." She reached out her other hand, stroking his hair in return and quietly hummed a familiar tune. "Daddy's here now. Nothing can go wrong anymore."

Tears trickled down his face, and he pressed it into her blanket until her hand stilled and fell away. With a sniffle, he stood, laid her hands across her stomach, and left.

Izuku was slow to follow, but eventually, his weight sunk down onto the edge of the mattress in Katsuki's empty bedroom. The room was darker than the living room, but he felt every single aspect of Izuku there at his side like a fire on a cloudy night.

"Are you okay?" Izuku's whisper sounded like a shout in the silence. Somewhere beyond the room, wood sighed and settled.

"Yes. We're used to it. Happens all the time." He didn't turn to look at Izuku, simply staring into the dark.

Izuku paused meaningfully. "That doesn't mean you're alright."

He was right, Katsuki knew he was. He was always right. So, Katsuki couldn't stop himself as he spilled all of his secrets. Eviscerated himself for Izuku's inspection. He told him everything. From the time he was a teenager to now. Every nightmare where he woke terrified Izuku had actually heeded his words and thrown himself from the school roof. Every sleepless night, gasping into the darkness when the weight pressed down just as soon as he started to fall asleep. Every worry, every shame, every regret he'd ever harbored. All those bottle feelings in his chest tipping forward to spread like an oil spill. He cried like he hadn't allowed himself to since the fight they'd had right after the Provisional Licensing exam all the way back in their first year at UA. Nearly nine years of tears burst passed carefully maintained dams in hot, fat droplets.

Izuku was a silent strength beside him, a hand on his knee.

When he was done, he was rung dry and exhausted.

Izuku drew him into his chest, lips pressed to his temple and then into the crown of his head. Instead of saying anything about what Katsuki had spilled -a blessing if there were any- he asked, "Do you need to take off your prostheses too?" Katsuki nodded tiredly and started to pull away, but Izuku stopped him. "Can I do it?"

Katsuki hadn't let anyone intimately touch him or his prostheses since he'd recovered enough to do it himself. And the removal of his prostheses felt like a very intimate situation. Only Katsumi had been allowed to help him, and only with oiling and cleaning, but never to remove or install them. Sheer need at the mere suggestion of familiar hands on him punched him right in the chest. Right in the gaping wound where his secrets used to be held. "Yes," he whispered, voice desperate with longing.

He stretched out his left leg and right arm, staring at Izuku as he moved to crouch between his thighs. Such easy intimacy. Intimacy he could never bring himself to find with anyone else because he didn't want anyone else. If it wasn't Izuku, he didn't want nor need it. He didn't realize how much he'd really missed his best friend.

Izuku slid his hands up his arm, and Katsuki imagined he could feel the sensation again. Skin against skin. Warmth against warmth. But it was just that, his imagination. Only driven home when Izuku found the edge of the synthetic skin sleeve and peeled it back to reveal the titanium beneath.

"This is amazing. It's beautiful." He ran his fingers over the arm, studying every screw, every joint, every fiber. "Where do I-" But he found the switch without Katsuki's instructions, a slender flush piece that had to be pulled up with the edge of a fingernail. Meant to prevent accidental or purposeful disengaging during battle. He flipped it without warning.

Katsuki grit his teeth against the cry of pain as the nerves disengaged, digging his heel into the hardwood beneath him. Panting, it took him several breaths to realize Izuku was peppering kisses across his shoulder and the crook of his neck. When his breath finally slowed again, jaw unclenching, Izuku moved down to his leg.

He lifted the leg over his shoulder, pressing kiss after kiss in the wake of his hands until he met Katsuki's skin close to the crease of his hip beneath his shorts. A shorter expanse of skin than Izuku had been expecting that he worshiped almost reverentially before finally moving to the leg sleeve. He repeated the same process as the arm; sleeve, inspect, memorize, switch.

Pain. Katsuki would never get used to the pain. Everyday, it was like he was experiencing the pain of connecting and disconnecting nerve endings for the first time. It was necessary though. He could sleep with the prostheses installed, but eventually without proper disconnection once a day, the artificial nerves would burn out. Prostheses were expensive, more expensive than even a hero's salary could cover if he didn't take care of them. Engineers could fix metal, add plates for strength, replace screws, but artificial nerves required a whole new unit. They were cultivated from samples of already existing nerves from the patient to promote optimum assimilation and mobility. They were infused and grown into the metal and wiring. That took time, money, and massive amounts of quirk energy. All of which were scarce for Katsuki, especially with two other prostheses to add to the bill that had to be modified every couple of months to keep up with Katsumi's growth. Not to mention upkeep, oil, and the cleaning solutions to keep them operating properly. At least they never had to worry about corrosion.

Izuku stayed between Katsuki's thighs, laying the prosthesis carefully to the side. He rested his head against Katsuki's leg, eyes closed. "I missed you, Kacchan. I don't want you to leave again."

"'s not part of my plans."

"Good." Izuku smiled then, opening his eyes. "Let's go to bed. You've got a long day, and I've got a shift with Todoroki to take for Burnin."

Katsuki groaned. "Fuck, that hag is still around?" He allowed himself to be pushed back into the bed, Izuku blanketing him with his body. They were both bigger now, bodies more filled out and different from before, but they still fit together perfectly. Just like they always had. Like they were two halves of a single whole.

"She's going to live longer than any of us."

Another groan. "God, you're right. Can't believe I'd ever say I'm thankful for working for Best Jeanist. I'd take that Levi's wearing motherfucker any day over her."

Part 2: what’s in the box?

Katsuki woke with a sudden start to cool sheets and aching ears. The events of the night trickled back slowly as he lay there, blinking into the sunlight peaking in at him around the edges of his curtains. No, not his curtains. They were a disgusting pea green color that had been left there by the owner who had rented the place to them. He'd have to remedy that as soon as possible.

In the confusion of the first good night's sleep he'd gotten in a long time, he could convince himself that everything had been a dream. He was still in America, miserable save for the time he spent with Katsumi. But with a rustle of sheets, Izuku's lightning storm and mint scent misted the air.

Katsuki buried his nose in the pillow Izuku had used, inhaling his scent for several long moments. He'd spent years without his mate's scent. Or he should say, the scent of the person he'd like to be his mate eventually. His alpha's scent. His Deku's scent. If scents could be made into perfumes, he would carry around a bottle of Izuku's scent just to pull out when he missed him. And he did miss him. Katsuki had gotten over the knee jerk reaction to deny any soft feeling towards the other hero a long time ago. It was hard to keep hold of them when he adored their daughter who was the spitting image of her father.

A crash and resounding laughter from the kitchen jerked him from his reverie. His hearing aids squealed, and he flinched before snapping his prostheses into place with a grunt. The palm of his prosthetic arm sparked feebly, but there was no sweat in the arm's tubes to light off. They'd be filled soon enough as he started to move around, collected from ports hooked into his armpit's sweat glands.

He took a moment to let the pain settle, running through his pre-operational checks before pushing to his feet.

His hearing aids squealed again, and with a grunt, he pulled them off. The world around him hushed into silence. He should have thought of taking them out before going to bed that night. He hadn't though, not with Izuku's hands on him. There was the very real chance he wouldn't be able to use them for the rest of the day, not with the way his ears were aching. The ringing built slowly until it was filling his head with static. Tinnitus, the worse part of anything he'd done to himself. Even worse than the prostheses. It would fade in and out throughout the day, leaving him in silence or giving him a splitting headache. There was never an in between.

In the kitchen, the counters were dusted with pancake or waffle mix. Fruit and vegetables sweat by the sink, begging for him to save them from a terrible butchering. Smoke rose damningly from a pan on the stove.

Standing over it, Izuku stood with Sumi on his hip and a spatula in his hand. They laughed in unison as Izuku failed to flip the pancake. 'I'm so bad at this. Your papa is a way better cook than me.' They looked so natural together. Izuku's curls against Sumi's. Izuku's smile matching the one of Sumi's face perfectly. Their freckles vibrant and an identical map across their faces. There was no mistaking what they were.

Katsuki couldn't hear them, obviously, but in five years, he had become passable at reading lips. And reading Izuku's had never been a problem.

'Me too,' Sumi confided, trying just as unsuccessfully to flip the pancake. When she finally got it over, they cheered together with hands raised high above their heads.

Katsuki leaned against his doorjamb, watching the pair interact until Izuku caught sight of him.

Red bloomed in his cheeks as he grinned. 'Kacchan! Good morning!' What Katsuki wouldn't have given to see those lips form his name on his worst days in America.

'Morning, Papa! We're making breakfast!' Sumi frowned down at the pan before turning serious eyes on him. 'Trying to. We burned the pancake.' When she looked back up at him, she frowned and pointed to her ear. She pointed the tips of her index fingers at each other, jerking them towards each other twice. 'Hurt?' the sign asked.

Nodding and stepping away from his room, Katsuki surveyed the destruction of his kitchen. He sighed. Raising his hands to sign to Sumi, 'That's because you two can't be trusted in the kitchen. The heat is way too high. How have you already managed to destroy my kitchen in only a day?'

Sumi grinned and translated for Izuku, but didn't actually answer. Izuku scrubbed at the back of his head, eyes darting over the area. 'We were hungry and didn't want to wake you up, so we thought we'd give it a shot. I'm going to clean up. Don't worry.'

Sighing and rounding the counter, Katsuki pulled on the apron he'd hung up the night before and bumped Izuku out of the way with his hip. 'Well, we have to finish breakfast first. Tell Deku he's eating that burnt monstrosity. Also, can you ask him to wash the dishes so you can set the table?'

Sumi nodded, and turned in Izuku's arms to hold his cheeks between her hands. As the three of them got to work, Katsuki fell into the ease of it all. Their scents mixing together in a harmonious chorus. Katsuki and Izuku orbiting around each other as if they'd never stopped. Sumi incorporated seamlessly into the movement as she worked with Izuku.

Katsuki was, fundamentally, happy for the first time in a long time. Even the usual self consciousness of his bare prostheses and deaf ears couldn't find its way into his body. When he was with Izuku, he was the most confident version of himself.

Breakfast went off without a hitch as Sumi did her best to teach Izuku a few basic ASL signs.

Across the table from them, Katsuki smiled and proceeded to say everything dirty he possibly could. He did them while Sumi's eyes were turned away, and was so lewd that Izuku didn't need to know sign language to know what he was saying.

Face red at a strawberry, he cried, 'Kacchan, stop!'

'Never.'

'Papa, stop teasing Daddy!' Sumi signed as she spoke, glaring at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her in challenge. “I do what I want, punk,” Katsuki said aloud, and though he couldn't hear himself, he knew they had come out correctly when Izuku's shoulders began to shake with laughter.

They were finishing breakfast when Katsuki's eye was caught by a light flashing by the couch. He'd completely forgotten that he'd left his phone out in the living room at the end of the night, and he stood to grab it. He groaned when he saw the name for the video chat request. Accepting the call, he held up a finger without looking at the screen as he returned to the kitchen to find something to stand his phone against. When he had it set up, he stepped back to greet his now ex-boss.

Negative was an imposing woman to say the least. Her eyes were inkwells, blending almost perfectly with her black skin. Her outrageously large Afro was starkly white and just barely being restrained with a Ground Zero themed bandanna she'd bought for the sole purpose of annoying him, but had ended up using often. She was tall and broad shouldered and took up space in a room with her mere presence. Every day he saw her, he thanked the stars that they were both gay. He'd met her wife, a teeny tiny beta woman who was the reason for the term 'lipstick lesbian', and still didn't understand their union.

'What?'

Negative signed as she spoke, mouth tight with consternation, 'You didn't call me, you punk ass bitch. I told you to call as soon as you landed no matter what time it was.'

Katsuki sighed, rolling his eyes. 'Stuff came up.'

'You're a dirty liar. Where's my goddaughter?' she demanded. Cynthia, her wife, appeared in the frame with the widest smile in the world. Her long rainbow dreads swayed as she waved at him and blew him a kiss.

“Hi, Cynthia.” He glanced away from the screen towards the table where Katsumi was waving wildly.

'Is that Shonetta? Aunt Shonetta, I'm over here! I'm over here!' Sumi was yelling, ready to crawl straight across the table to him, but Izuku had an arm around her waist to keep her in place.

Rolling his eyes back to the camera, Katsuki picked up the phone and switched the camera to show Izuku with his still rather sleep-mussed hair and Sumi look just like him. “Shonetta, Cynthia, Deku. Deku, Shonetta and Cynthia.”

Izuku waved at the camera. 'Actually, my name is Izuku. It's nice to meet you.'

Cynthia had crowded in next to Shonetta, staring intently at the screen with wide eyes. Katsuki scrambled to mute the call before she said anything that he was going to regret. 'Holy shit, that's baby daddy, isn't it!' They had always been good at talking while signing for his sake, but sometimes, he wished he couldn't understand them at all.

Which was, of course, a dirty lie. Shonetta and Cythia had singlehandedly kept him sane in America. He had a lot to thank them for. The biggest reason them guiding him through his pregnancy which had been more difficult than most for many reasons. It would take an act of god for him to give them up. Katsuki returned to the counter, glaring at the two women as they continued speculating together.

'Thought you had better taste than that, Kat. Isn't he kind of plain looking?' Shonetta asked.

Cynthia slapped at her wife's arm. 'Be nice! He's adorable! Sumi looks exactly like him! Take us off mute really quick.' Katsuki complied with her request as Shonetta squawked indignantly at not realizing he had muted them in the first place. With a roll of her eyes, Cynthia waves at the camera again. 'Good to know you made it back alright, Kat, Sumi. I've got to get to work, but hope to talk to you soon! Don't be strangers. Bye, Sumi! I love you both!'

Katsuki doesn't turn to catch Sumi's reply, just nodded to Cynthia. "Bye."

When Cynthia seemed to be completely gone, Shonetta turned a wicked grin toward him. 'So, is he... stuff? Have you already-' she signed. By the end, she wasn't even using actual words, just making hand gestures that were so lewd they even made Katsuki's face heat. She was the one he'd learned all of his sign language from, after all.

'No!' he signed aggressively, 'God, you are a menace to society! Leave my mate out of this!'

'Oooooh, mate already?' she crowed, flapping her hands instead of signing. She wrapped her arms around her belly as she began to chortle, and he could almost hear the exact sound of her laughter in his head.

He wanted to strangle every last breath out of her as he peaked at Izuku's red cheeks through the gaps in his fingers. Growling, he reached for the phone. “That's enough out of you. We're alive. You've seen us. Bye. Go die in a ditch.”

Shonetta only continued to laugh as he ended the call, and turned to the table. Without so much as he beat, he pointed at Sumi. 'Breakfast is over. You know the drill. Yoga and then a run. Chop chop. Go get changed. We've got a lot to do today, and not a lot of time to do it.'

Sumi nodded once before turning to Izuku to explain.

'I've got to start heading over to the agency anyway for patrol.' Izuku stood, smiling.

Without missing a beat, Sumi jumped from her chair to wrap her arms around his body and pressed her face into his stomach.

Izuku was taken aback, arms raised to shoulder level as his eyes flicked between Katsuki and Sumi. After a still moment, he let his arms drop around her. He lowered his head, his mouth obscured from Katsuki's views. Sumi grinned up at him before bounding off toward her room.

Izuku turned to look at Katsuki, scrubbing at the back of his head. 'Can I... see you guys again? Tonight maybe?'

“Whatever.” Katsuki pulled Izuku into his body. They tangled together, hips pressed flush, tongues twined, hands on waists and hands in hair. When they parted again, he said, “Gotta make up for five years.” He stared into Izuku's green eyes, brushing a thumb across his cheek. He dropped his eyes to Izuku's lips when he felt them brush against his, pulling back enough just to see what he said.

'Of what?'

“Everything.”

…..

Weeks passed, and things changed. Sumi started going to school. It was weird for her starting Kindergarten in the middle of the school year, but she adjusted well enough.

Katsuki started going back to work. He had more than enough to keep him busy. Relearning the streets and districts of his home city. Figuring out who was still in the city, who was new, and who he would work best with. Reestablishing himself in Japan, and painfully crawling his way up the ranks. Adjusting back to his old hero uniform with the minor adjustments he had made. When he'd gone to America, he hadn't been expecting to stay there for five and a half years, so he hadn't thought to bring his uniform. It wasn't particularly suitable for America anyway, so a uniform had to be made for him while he was there. But just like his original uniform wasn't suitable for America, his overseas uniform wasn't suitable for home.

Izuku became a constant fixture in his and Sumi's life. Every afternoon they came home, it was to Izuku standing on their doorstep. Every night when he fell asleep, it was with Izuku in his arms to soothe the nightmares. Every morning when they left, it was with Izuku beside them. He was around so often and frequently that Katsuki eventually gave him a key, a drawer in his wardrobe and a chunk of space in his closet.

After starting late night patrols again, Izuku was the only one he trusted to watch Sumi. Eventually, he started to let him take over more and more parental responsibilities until they were sharing them as equals instead of Katsuki remaining in his steadfast single parent routine.

He trusted Izuku implicitly, but even that trust was under scrutiny when it came to Sumi.

So, when Katsuki returned home one night with his heat building beneath his skin to Izuku curled on the couch alone, knees pulled to his chest while he watched hero videos, the slightest sliver of betrayal lodge in his chest. “Where's Katsumi? You were supposed to pick her up,” he growled dangerously as he stood behind Izuku, all protective omega father in his voice and stance.

Izuku tilted his head back to look at Katsuki, expression smooth and his scent doing a passable job of being calming. “With your parents and my mother.”

“Why?” Ever so slowly, he began to deflate. He wasn't exactly happy that his daughter was with her grandparents without his knowledge, but happier than if Izuku had forgotten to get her from school.

Blinking slowly, Izuku lifted his head and turned to patiently gaze at him. “We talked about this, remember? When the time came for your heat, Katsumi would stay with your parents and my mom. I know you'll start tomorrow, I could smell it on you every time I passed you on the streets today, but I thought it'd be nice to have a night for ourselves. I wanted to have a date night. Watch a movie, eat some take out, cuddle on the couch. Date nights don't normally include being accompanied by five-year-old daughters.” His expression remained pleasant, but longing crept into his voice. “We haven't spent any time alone together as a couple since you got back. I thought it'd be nice.”

Katsuki stared at him, silent for a long moment while he let his words settle in. Breathing out the spike of betrayal and anger that had stabbed him, he nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I'm going to bathe first. Did you order something already?”

Beaming, Izuku stood on his knees and beckoned Katsuki in for a chaste kiss. “I picked up food from that weird restaurant you like. That one place that has your favorite extra spicy California Roll.”

“Did you get me an extra spicy California Roll?” Katsuki asked, hands resting lightly on Izuku's hips.

Izuku scoffed. “Of course, I did. Do I look stupid to you?” When Katsuki started to open his mouth for a snarky reply, he slapped a hand over his lips. “Don't answer that. Jerk. Just go take your shower.”

Growling low and suggestively in his throat, Katsuki nipped at the soft pads of his fingers, sucking a digit into his mouth for the briefest of moments. When he pulled away, Izuku's face was flaming and he was smirking in satisfaction. “Keep it in your pants for now, Deku. You've got me for three whole days.”

Izuku whined pitifully before slumping back onto the couch in a boneless heap. He pressed his hands over his burning face. “You can't just do stuff like that, Kacchan. I'm not used to it anymore. Especially since we haven't done anything yet.”

Katsuki leaned over the couch, tugging a few fingers away from Izuku's face to look him in the eye. “Yeah, because we were waiting for my first heat together again. Well, it's here now. Prepare yourself because I've got five years of pent up sexual frustration to get out over the next three days.” He grinned viciously.

Again, Izuku whined. “Oh my god, I'm gonna have to go jerk-off or something so I don't cum the moment you touch me.”

Katsuki's smile only grew more vicious. “Do it or don't. You're going to have to figure out a way to satisfy me anyway.”

Izuku squeezed his eyes shut. “Thank god for ruts,” he whispered because when Katsuki's heat hit, Izuku would be catapulted into a rut.

Forty-five minutes later found take-out containers empty and Izuku leaned back against Katsuki's chest while they watched video after video of highlights from All Might's career. They hadn't been able to find a decent movie that they both wanted to watch, and settled for something they were always okay with. Fifteen minutes later though, Izuku turned in Katsuki's arms to face him.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him, but remained silent in the face of Izuku's determination.

He pressed close, nipping at Katsuki's lips, coaxing him into a slow make-out session as he crawled his way into Katsuki's laps. Knees on either side of the other hero's hips, he ground languidly down into him.

Hissing, Katsuki ripped their mouths apart as he bucked up into Izuku. “Jesus fuck, Deku, are you trying to make me come in my pants?” He could feel Izuku's smirk against his pulse point rather than see it, and shivered.

“No. But I want you to know I'm going to ride you before anything else. I haven't been filled with anything other than toys in five years. It's all I've been able to think about when we're alone since you got back,” Izuku whispered, breath husky as it ghosted across the exposed skin of Katsuki's ear around his hearing aid, “No one wants to top an alpha. Either way, no one could ever live up to you. You're the best, you always have been. I want you to fill me up. I want you to pin me down and dominate me like only you know how, Kacchan.”

Katsuki groaned deep in his throat, biting shallowly into Izuku's collar bone, fingers bruising against his hips. “And no one wants to be topped by an omega. God,” he breathed, “I've missed you. You're the only alpha I'd waste my time on. No one else could ever compare.” Once upon a time, the admission would have made him embarrassed and then angry at his own embarrassment, but now, it was simply the truth.

“I've never been able to look at anyone else,” Izuku whispered, ducking his head to catch Katsuki's lips again, “You're my only. You're my forever even if I'm not yours.”

Katsuki didn't get the chance to reply as Izuku sealed their mouths together again. They were teeth and tongues and sharp canines and blood mixed with saliva. They were rolling hips and heat and moans and needy pleasure.

“Deku-” Katsuki gasped, but Izuku swallowed down his own name.

“Bedroom, Kacchan, please. I need you,” Izuku gasped between kisses and panted breaths. He moaned into Katsuki's mouth when Katsuki gripped his ass and effortlessly lifted them from the couch. Arms twined around shoulders, legs wrapped around that ever so slender waist.

They tumbled into bed with foreheads pressed together and gasped laughter.

It was hours later, after Katsuki had taken Izuku, allowed Izuku to manhandle his protheses off and his heat had fully set in that Izuku said anything. “I want to exchange mating bites.”

Katsuki was panting, face pressed into the sheets as his body wound back up for another cresting wave of his heat. His mind was hazed with lust, muzzy and indistinct, but he understood that clearly enough. “Still?” He was just curious, but he couldn't tell what his voice sounded like. Sarcastic? Accusatory? Interested?

“I never stopped wanting to,” Izuku whispered while he gently guided Katsuki onto his back and then to sit up so he could press a water bottle to his mouth. “I've only ever wanted to be with you, Kacchan. Ever since we were little. Even when we weren't anything more than rivals.”

Katsuki accepted the water gratefully while Izuku proceeded to wipe his body down with a warm, damp cloth. “I thought you would have stopped after I disappeared without even a text. For keeping Katsumi from you. All of it.”

Leaving the cloth in the bathroom sink, Izuku climbed back onto the bed behind him. He pulled Katsuki flush against his chest, hooking his chin over his shoulder. “No, I'm a stubborn as you are.”

Katsuki pressed back into Izuku, tilting his head so their temples were pressed together. “I don't think I'm ready,” he whispered, eyes closed as he tried to think through his jumbled thoughts.

“There's no rush. You don't ever have to accept. I'll wait for a long as you need even if that means waiting forever. I'm very patient.”

“It won't be forever, idiot. Just... not yet.” Turning his head more completely towards Izuku, he growled, “Now, less talking, more kissing.”

“Needy,” Izuku said with a giggle, but gave him what he wanted all the same.

…..

Katsuki was just walking into the office after his shift -nine in the morning, no coffee since midnight, no Katsumi since the morning before- and he was frustrated. The night hadn't been a good one, and with blood still drying in crusty patches all over his uniform, he was as unhappy as they could come. He just wanted to see his daughter for the first time in what felt like days and cuddle with her and his alpha on the couch.

“Kat! Thank god!” Kirishima shouted, running towards him. He wrapped strong fingers around his bicep, dragging him towards his office. “Come with me. Have you heard?”

“Good fucking morning to you too,” Katsuki snarled, but out of pure mental exhaustion, allowed himself to be dragged into his best friend's office. The door slammed shut behind them, and Katsuki went to raid Kirishima's coffee counter when he was released. “What the fuck's up with you anyway? It's too early in your shift to be acting like a jackass.”

Standing by his door, Kirishima rung his hands, staring out the clouded glass window instead of looking at Katsuki.

When he remained silent, Katsuki snarled and stepped into his space. “What the fuck is going on, Eiji?”

Kirishima jolted, head dropping in submission.

Katsuki stomach curdled with a sudden rush of nausea. It had been a long time since he'd seen Kirishima bare the back of his neck to him, and the last time he had, Izuku had been in a coma with no chance of recovering anytime in his immediate future. He gripped Kirishima's shoulder tightly, positive that his anxiety was being transferred through every pore. “What the fuck is going on?”

Whining, Kirishima covered his hand with his own, “I'm not supposed to tell you. The boss told me to just keep you out of the way so they can handle it.”

“If you don't fucking tell me, I'm just going to go out there and find out what the fuck is going on myself!”

“The- Uh- Your-” Kirishima groaned, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Some villains have taken a kindergarten school hostage. The call just came through a few minutes ago. The boss and some of the others have already gone-”

Shoving Kirishima aside, Katsuki tore through the door, heart beating a million miles an hour. 'Not again! Not again! Not again!' He burst into the sky towards Katsumi's school, sun bright and hot overhead. He could see the specks of other heroes moving in the same direction, then he saw a flash of green lightning disappear between the buildings.

He wanted to call out. He wanted Katsumi to be safe. He wanted Izuku to be safe. He wanted them both in his arms, and for none of this to be happening. He stumbled to a stop down the street from the school, just like he had the first time. When he saw the flames, his vision went black.

…..

When he came to, it was to the feeling of his breath wheezing in and out, warm familiar weight pressed against his chest, and Izuku staring straight at the ceiling with a far away expression. His fingers worked over something in his palm. His eyes were red, cheeks tear stained. His uniform was bloody and torn, but for once, he was whole. It felt like the first time Katsuki had ever seen him completely unbroken after a battle. Only thing was, he couldn't actually remember what had happened in this battle.

Agonizingly slow, he turned his head to look down at his chest. Katsumi laid there curled in the smallest ball possible, her own face tear stained and her legs removed. Her mane of green hair was tangled and dusted with dirt and ash.

He went to lift his arm, the one she wasn't sleeping on, but found only his stump. Frowning, he turned to glare at it. His mind was what he suspected was drug slow, and he couldn't really understand why his prostheses and hearing aids had been removed. He hadn't gotten that hurt, there was no way.

Lifting his eyes, Izuku was staring at him with a mouth all misshapen like a soft noodle and tears pouring down his face.

'Don't cry, idiot,' he wanted to say, but his hand was held captive and he wasn't sure if his voice was audible. He only knew that when he tried to speak, pain bloomed in his throat. Closing his eyes, his throat vibrated with a groan.

Fingers balled up the front of his gown, pulling the neckline taught against the back of his neck. A hard line pressed into his chest, and Izuku's fists shook against him.

'Don't. Cry. Izuku,' Katsuki tried again, and again, there was pain. He'd been expecting it this time so he was able to crack his eyes open despite the pain.

Izuku was sobbing against his body, forehead pressed to his chest. Head so close to Sumi's that their hair mingled, dirty and green and beautifully curly.

In his chest, Katsuki's heart silently swelled and burst when Sumi extracted a hand from beneath her body to pat Izuku's curls. Closing his eyes, a hot tear tracked down Katsuki's cheek with the sheer relief of having them both with him. He couldn't remember the battle, but for the second time, his daughter's school had been attacked. For the second time, he'd been close to losing her. This scene before him could have ended up as a very different one.

Katsuki could feel Izuku's lips moving against his chest, breath rapid fire with words he couldn't hear. He only opened his eyes again when he felt small fingers press to his ear.

Sumi wasn't looking at him, but instead at Izuku, tugging against his hair to get him to lift his head. When he finally complied, eyes blurry with fat tears, she tapped on Katsuki's ears before pointing to her own.

Izuku's eyes darted up to Katsuki's face. After a moment of staring, he scrubbed quickly at his eyes before stepping away towards a table that had four prosthetic limbs and three bags on it. Sitting back down, calmer than before even though his lips were still that same soft noodle shape, he handed Sumi one hearing aid.

Together, they hooked Katsuki back up. Very carefully, Sumi turned them on, staring at his face intently as she turned the volume up.

The beeping of his heart monitor faded into existence followed by Sumi's and Izuku's breathing. “Good,” he said, and his voice was barely a croak passed the pain. Wincing, he lifted his unpinned hand to his throat.

Izuku and Sumi reached for his hand at the same time, stopping him from touching his throat. “The doctor said not to touch,” Sumi told him.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow over at Izuku.

Tears crowded Izuku's eyes immediately again, and tracked down his face. His voice trembled as he whispered, “You were really hurt, Kacchan. The villain got you by the throat. You were fighting her alone while everyone else was either fighting the rest of her gang or rushing to evacuate the kids and staff. I couldn't get to you fast enough. I thought you were going to die. I felt so useless seeing you like that.”

“Now you know how it feels, dumbass.” Gritting his teeth, he breathed through the pain.

“Don't call Daddy that! It's mean!” Katsumi glared at him, lip puckered in a pout and her own big red eyes beginning to fill with tears. Her lip trembled, and then she was sniffling as her tears fell. “I-I was so scared, Papa. I thought you were gonna leave me and Daddy alone. I don't want you to die, Papa.”

Katsuki pulled her in against his chest, pressing as kiss to her forehead and holding her tight. When he looked to Izuku, he held out his stump, motioning him forward.

Izuku crowded in against his side, and the two loves of his life cried against him for long enough that their tears soaked his gown and the hard edge digging into his shoulder from Deku's palm pissed him off. “Deku, what the fuck is in your hand?” he growled through gritted teeth, “It fucking hurts.”

“Papa, you have foul language,” Katsumi whispered, but didn't pull away from him.

Izuku jumped away from him, his tears abruptly stopping as roses bloomed in his cheeks. He stammered and stammered and stammered a whole lot of nonsense until Katsumi's giggles interrupted him. “Sumi!” he cried.

“Just show him, Daddy! You don't have to be nervous!”

“Oh, yes I do!” Izuku argued back, “He could say no!”

Katsumi waved away his concern. “He's not gonna say no.”

“He might! I think I might know him just a little more after knowing him longer than you have!”

“Not in the last five years! I know him the best. He's gonna say yes.”

“How about you let 'him' decide for himself since he's sitting right here,” Katsuki interjected before the banter could continue any further, “Just spill it, Deku. My head's all fuzzy and my throat hurts, and I'm annoyed that my daughter knows more about whatever this is than I do.” Oh. Oh, he was going to regret all that talking later. He already was.

Izuku's eyes flickered between Sumi and Katsuki until he finally swallowed thickly. “Don't try to kill me. The doctors only stitched up the hole in your side a few hours ago.” He closed his eyes tightly.

Katsuki blinked rapidly at his alpha, those words sticking on repeat in his head. There had been a hole in his side? Just how much had the villains fucked him up? Well, clearly enough to land him in the hospital with some very good drugs running through his veins. Drugs that were clearly impairing his thought process.

'Not the point right now, dumbass,' Katsuki silently reprimanded himself.

'Alpha offer. Alpha wants. Give to alpha. Care for alpha,' his omega chanted, nearly prancing from one side to the other, 'Alpha offer family. Alpha offer commitment. Take. Agree.'

Izuku hadn't even opened his hand yet, so Katsuki turned a snarl inward, 'Shut the fuck up, and stop jumping to conclusions.'

'Omega conclusions. Our conclusions. Want. Take. Mate. Alpha. Family.'

Mentally rolling his eyes, Katsuki tried to ignore his omega's constant stream of consciousness in exchange for watching Izuku closely. Slowly, his fingers uncurled, and Katsuki's brain completely shut off. The monitor over his shoulder picked up its pace. His omega began to leap for joy in his chest, each jump punctuated by a beat of his heart.

When Katsuki just continued to stare, Izuku cautiously opened his eyes and with his mouth set in an uncertain line, opened the box. In a cushion of black velvet, a gold ring with two diamonds and a single emerald sat unobtrusively. “I've had it for awhile, but I was trying to get up the courage to actually ask you. I've never really thought about it, but after you came back, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And after the attack, I realized that I don't have the luxury of being afraid.” Inhaling deeply, Izuku finally met Katsuki's eyes. “I want to spend my entire life with you and Katsumi. I want to be your husband, your mate, a father to our daughter and everything in between. If you weren't in a hospital bed right now, I'd get down on one knee, but since you are, I'll just ask. Katsuki Bakugou, will you marry me?”

Completely speechless, Katsuki just continued to stare down at the ring in Izuku's hands. He realized Izuku's hands were shaking about the same time he realized that his eyes were filling with tears.

“K-Kacchan?”

“Papa! Answer Daddy!” Sumi cried, bouncing excitedly beside him on the bed, grinning from ear to ear. “Come on! Come on! Come on!”

Instead of answering aloud, Katsuki just stuck out his hand.

A sigh exploded from Izuku's chest. “Thank god,” he whispered, setting the box off to the side as he took Katsuki's hand in his mangled ones to slip the ring on his finger.

Katsuki dragged him forward, pressing their mouths together while Sumi cheered loud enough that a nurse peaked into the room. “One condition. You stop running headlong into situations that will get you killed,” he said.

“Okay, but only as long as you don't end up in situations that land you in a hospital bed. My heart can't handle it,” Izuku whispered against his lips, eyes still closed even though Katsuki's eyes were open again, “I can't go through this again. I don't want Katsumi to go through it again. You two have been through enough.”

“All three of us, but now you know how I felt every time I saw you in a hospital bed.” Izuku didn't need to open his eyes for Katsuki to see him roll them.

Sumi wiggled her way between them. “Does that mean Daddy is going to come live with us from now on?”

“I wasn't aware that he wasn't already,” Katsuki said snarkily.

“Yay!” Sumi swung around on the bed to face the nurse and Best Jeanist who was now beside her. “My Daddy and Papa are going to get married! And when Papa gets pregnant again, I'm going to have a little brother and maybe even a little sister! And Uncle Eiji is going to be Best Man, and oh! Uncle Tsu! You can be ring bearer! Wait, no! I'm going to be ring bearer, but you can walk with me!”

A thin blonde eyebrow rose, but Best Jeanist didn't say anything as Izuku and Katsuki began to splutter.

“Woah!” Katsuki croaked, pain thrumming through his neck, but he couldn't stop, “Who said I was gonna give you a brother, little monster? You're already enough. Just be happy with your cousins.”

As their banter continued between the three of them around and around, Katsuki couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed with Best Jeanist and the nurse's eyes on them. This was his family. This was his mate and his daughter. When their wedding day came, he was going to scream that truth from the rooftops.