Archive of Our Own

When Katsuki got into the backseat of Eijirou’s truck, he’d expected to find the redhead in the front seat, flashing him a shark-toothed smile. Thus, it was rather peculiar for him to look around and discover that he was the only person in the back of the car. The driver’s side door popped open and he watched as Izuku hopped inside—behind the wheel—and closed the door. Izuku looked to the side, noticed the passenger’s seat was vacant and furrowed his brow as he turned his gaze to the back seat. “What are you doing back there?”

“I-I thought Eijirou drove you here,” he explained. “And that me and you were gonna cozy up in the back together.”

Izuku grinned, shook his head so that his curly locks bounced around his face. “No, I drove!”

“You can drive now?”

The other boy nodded. “Mom and dad let me get my license a year ago. It was a reward for ‘not doing anything with complete disregard for my own well-being.’” He added air-quotes for emphasis. “Which was great, because I got to surprise you!”

Katsuki flashed him a toothy grin, genuinely happy about that particular fact. He hadn’t expected to see Izuku Midoriya again. He truly believed that their last interaction would forever be the moments they spent kidnapped together. He didn’t expect to get a second chance much less for him to show up on his release date to confess that he’d never stopped loving him.

But it had happened and Katsuki couldn’t be more ecstatic to watch the man of his dreams smile at him from the front seat, reminding him just how in love he was. “And I’m happier than a fat pig in the sunshine!”

Izuku snorted, scrunched his nose at the metaphor. “That’s so gross!” He commented, before asking: “So are you going to come join me up here? Or do you want me to be all alone?”

“Fuck no!” Katsuki discarded his paper bag on the backseat floor, hurried to squeeze through the gap in the seats to get up into the front of the vehicle. He put one leg through the gap, stopped for a moment upon reaching the center-console and turned to smile at the freckled face distanced only centimeters from his own. Izuku looked back at him with the biggest, greenest, brightest eyes that the blond had ever seen and he was gone. “You gonna let me kiss you?”

Izuku’s eyes flashed down to the other’s parted lips. “You don’t have to ask me anymore. You can kiss me anytime you want.”

“Really?”

“Mhm,” he hummed and Katsuki took a hand and cupped his jaw, gliding his thumb across his freckled cheek. “I’ll use that against you, y’know? You say that now and you ain’t gonna get out of it.”

“Who says I want to?”

He snorted, shook his head and bent down to place a chaste kiss on the other’s lips. It was soft, loving. Katsuki wanted to do it for hours.

“Mm,” the other mumbled against the kiss and pulled away. “We’re going to be late. Get up front.”

The blond pursed his lips, sighed and squeezed himself through the small space and into the front seat. He situated himself so that his back was against the window. He was going to watch Izuku the entire time that they were in that car. “Late for what?” He asked as the other set the truck in drive and began their exit from the prison’s parking lot.

“Your ‘Welcome Home’ party.”

Katsuki groaned. “Why we havin’ a party?” he asked, crossing his arms as he rested the back of his head against the glass.

“Cause you’ve been in police custody and prison for nearly three years, Katsuki,” he told him, not looking away from the road in front. “Your family and friends miss you. Besides, I haven’t met all of them yet, and I’d like to.”

“But,” he argued, bending forward to get closer to Izuku. “I got a better idea.”

“Oh?”

“How’s about you and me go to a Waffle House and eat all the fuckin’ pancakes we can? I missed you. I wanna catch up on everythin’ I missed.” He bit his lip, looked at the boy staring out at the Georgia backroads. He was so beautiful, his curls as bright and bouncy as ever, encircled by a halo of sunlight. The freckles that adorned his body were darker than he remembered. But that was okay because it just made it easier for him to count them. That’s all he wanted, to lie down with Izuku and count his freckles, relishing in the fact that he got to see him again after nearly three years.

Izuku glanced away from the road, caught sight of Katsuki’s hand on the center console. He removed one of his hands from the wheel, sat it on top of his hand, and rubbed at it with his thumb. “I missed you too, Katsuki.” He released a breathy laugh. “You have no idea how tortured I was with the thought of you hating me… I-I was only just starting to do better. And then-“

“You got my letter?”

The boy grinned. “Yeah, I got it. And just learning the fact that you didn’t actually hate me was good enough, but then you had to go on and say you loved me. Well, I couldn’t move on after that. I mean, I’ve been in love with you since that summer.”

“Izuku,” the blond muttered, moving his hand so that he could properly hold the one placed on top of his. “I- I shoulda told you back then, but-“

“It’s fine, Katsuki,” he assured him. “Honestly. I know you weren’t ready then. It’s really okay.”

“I was just-“ He stopped, shook his head. “Fuck, hun, you deserved so much better than I coulda given you. I was mean, angry, violent. I didn’t treat ya the way you deserved. I-I’m so sorry,” he choked, looking down at his scarred knuckles.

He felt the car swerve. When he looked up, he noticed Izuku had stilled the car on the side of a winding, canopied backroad. Flower buds were only just blooming on the trees. Magnolia leaves shined near the top, where the sun hit them just right. He shifted in his seat to look at him, face both pained and serious. “Please, Katsuki. Stop blaming yourself, okay? I-I know you’ve worked so hard. Eijirou told me all about prison and how you kept saying you were going to make me proud.”

Katsuki felt hot blood rise to his face, burning his cheeks, his neck, and his ears. He glanced to the side, too embarrassed to look his love in the eyes. “Well, I am proud,” Izuku added, grabbing Katsuki’s chin and guiding him back to look into bright green eyes. “Katsuki, you worked so hard and I’m so, unbelievably proud.” A tear trailed down his round cheek and the blond wiped it away with his free hand. “We deserve each other, and I’m not going anywhere. So, please, humor me and go to the party. We can get Waffle House later.”

“Promise?”

Izuku chuckled. “Yeah, I promise.”

“Nervous?” Izuku asked, pulling up to the Kirishima Family’s Ranch. It was sat in the center of their wide—and expanding—peach orchard. Katsuki peeked out the window at the large log walls, varnished in a deep brown and adorned with pots after pots of hanging flowers and diverse herbs. There was a German Shepherd on the porch, digging his nose into the soil of a Lavender pot. Discarded balls of yarn sat on a rocking chair in the corner; a cat basked in the sun, asleep. It was so homey, despite its relatively large size. It had always interested the blond how the Kirishima family could live on such massive property and, yet, always be strapped for cash.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. It’d been awhile since he’d been back on this farm. He’d spent a lot of his childhood here, dirt-biking, fishing, and coming up with terrible plans with his group that would inevitably get them all in trouble with their school or the law.

Good memories.

“It’s going to be alright,” Izuku assured him, squeezing his hand. “Everyone is so excited to see you.”

Katsuki furrowed his brow and turned his back on the window to address him. “I thought you said you ain’t met no one yet.”

“I haven’t,” he smiled. “Eijirou said he wanted it to be a surprise or something. I’ve been staying here until you got out and he’s been planning for this non-stop, so I’ve gotten filled in on everything.”

“Oh.”

“You okay?”

Katsuki shrugged. He didn’t really want to talk about how scared he was. He didn’t know what to do now that he was out of prison, how people would take him and his new found need to be good. He was pretty certain that his teachers, the church ladies who sat in the front pew every Sunday to gossip, his old employers, his old classmates… He was pretty sure they all expected him to fail. After all, that’s what he typically did.

And now he was here, fresh out of jail and nervous about where he was supposed to fit in. He hoped it would be by Izuku’s side, but even he wasn’t sure he actually deserved the second chance. He’d been horrible, and what if he messed up again? Worse this time…

“Katsuki, you’re going to hurt yourself thinking that hard,” Izuku snorted from the driver’s seat. He seemed to know what he was thinking, know that he was nervous despite doing his very best to hide it. Katsuki, even after years of therapy, did not like showing his worry in his features. “It’s going to be okay. Your family and friends are excited to see you. Besides,” he squeezed the other’s hand. “You got me with you.”

“And you’re gonna stay?”

He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? Why would I leave?”

“If they invited the whole town, which I’m pretty fuckin’ sure they did,” Katsuki explained. “There’re gonna be lots of people there who don’t got a sweet spot for me like you do. They’re probably here to feed the rumor mill and all that shit. I just- I don’t want you hearin’ all their shit talk and decidin’ you don’t really want to be here after all.”

“Do you really think I’d do that?”

“Well, no…”

“Katsuki, I already hear that shit all the time back home,” he sighed, leaned over to the passenger’s seat to look his lover in the eyes more closely. “My mom isn’t really enthusiastic about this, you know. She knew I wasn’t over you and she’s been trying to remind me over and over again that you’re a criminal. But after nearly three years of that, nothing has changed. I’m on your side, Katsuki. I was with you when shit hit the fan and I’m with you now. Okay?”

Katsuki smiled. “Okay,” he agreed. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Izuku’s lips. The other moaned into it, let go of Katsuki’s hand so that he could wrap his arms around his neck. The blond used that as a sign to snake his arms around the other’s waist and try to hoist him over to his seat. It didn’t really work, but he still held on tight, massaging the other’s lips with his own. Izuku swiped his tongue across his lips, silently begging for entrance into his mouth.

Katsuki obliged, opening it wide for Izuku’s tongue to enter and explore while he attempted to do the same. Izuku moved a hand up into his hair, pulled lightly. Katsuki squeezed him hard, pulled away so that the other’s tongue left his mouth and he could lean forward and nip at his lower lip. Izuku grinned.

“Wow, guys, y’all were really gonna keep us waiting for this?” Izuku and Katsuki jerked their heads towards the driver’s side door. Eijirou was leaning against the side of it, arms crossed and smirking at the two. Meanwhile, Mina stood a little behind him, bouncing in place.

“Um, sorry,” Izuku winced, turning red. He made to escape Katsuki’s grasp and flee the car, but the blond held him tight.

“Don’t apologize to them, hun,” Katsuki assured him before turning his attention to his friends. “You ain’t gonna stand there and criticize me for kissin’ my man after being in prison for years. I’m gonna do whatever the hell I wanna!”

There was a moments silence as the blond shot a dagger glare at Kirishima, who returned it in equal strength. Izuku wasn’t sure if they were actually arguing, or this was one of the quips that best friends--like he and Ochako--always had.

But then Eijirou broke into a grin and Katsuki followed. He released his grip on Izuku and opened the passenger side door to exit. The moment his feet planted on the dirt beneath him, Eijirou had him in a rock-hard grip. “I missed ya, man!”

“Same here, buddy!” Katsuki laughed, waiting for the redhead to plant his feet back on the ground. And when he did, his eyes first looked for Izuku, who was standing on the opposite side the truck, talking with a rather lively Mina.

“So, you’re from New York City, ain’tcha? You ever been shoppin’ up on Fifth Avenue? They got some real nice shit up there and I’d wanted to go all my life, but I couldn’t buy me some socks from Gucci without losin’ all the money in my checkin’ account.” She laughed, smacking Izuku on the arm as she did so.

Izuku winced slightly, probably surprised by the strength Mina packed in one of her playful hits. After all, it had always surprised the rest of the squad too. Eijirou and Katsuki walked over to them, the blond shouting at the pink haired girl all the while. “Mina, be careful with ‘em. I only got ‘em back an hour ago.”

“I’m fine!” Izuku assured them, waving his hands dismissively. “You might’ve noticed, but I work out now!” He flexed his arms, which stretched to show bulky biceps.

Eijriou whistled. “Damn, Izuku. You ain’t kiddin’. Now that I think about it, you were a string bean last time we all saw ya.”

“Yeah, well, when someone takes a bullet for you, you kinda don’t want it to happen again,” he said, turning to smile at Katsuki affectionately. “I want to be strong too.”

Katsuki smirked down at him, grabbed him by a shoulder and pulled him into his chest. “You’re already the strongest sonofabitch I ever met,” he told him, dropping his chin to rest in the other boy’s curls. “But I ain’t gonna lie, you definitely fills those jeans a lot nicer now.”

“Katsuki!”

“Oh c’mon,” he argued. “It’s funny and it’s true.”

“Ain’t y’all just the cutest,” Mina commented, placing a hand on her hip as she watched the two. “Eiji, you remember when we were that stinkin’ cute?”

The redhead furrowed his brow, looked down at his girlfriend with a confused expression as he slung an arm across her shoulders. “What the hell are you gettin’ on about, sweetheart? We still are that stinkin’ cute.”

“You wish,” Katsuki butted in and the redhead responded by sticking out his tongue.

“Anyways, there’s a party goin’ on in the back already so we shouldn’t keep ‘em waitin’ any longer,” Mina mentioned. “Whadd’ya say, Katsuki? Ready for a welcomin’?”

Katsuki hugged Izuku tighter. “Yeah, I guess so.”

The moment he and Katsuki stepped into the backyard, there were so many screams that Izuku couldn’t focus on just one. Before he knew it, the blond had been torn from his side and smothered in the clutches of several men and women. He looked on, shocked and a little concerned as Eijirou through an arm around him. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine.”

“You sure? It seems like-”

“KATSUKI BAKUGOU, YOU DUMBASS!” A woman shouted and Izuku’s eyes darted towards the yard, where a busty, blond woman had started strutting towards them with fervor in her expression.

“Oh god,” Eijirou whispered and the crowd that had smothered Katsuki parted like the Red Sea, backing far away as the woman approached him. Everything had gone quiet, including the onlookers who had halted games and conversations to watch what appeared to be the start of an altercation.

The woman--who Izuku had to admit looked eerily like Katsuki himself--was stomping forward with her hands on her hips and Izuku quickly glanced at him, noticed his eyes widen as he gulped down a lump in his throat, and turned back to watch the woman. “You’ve been outta prison for two fuckin’ hours and you’re just now showin’ up? You think I made all this fuckin’ food to let it get cold while we waited for your sorry ass!”

She’d reached him now, standing about a head shorter, but chest swelled up so that she still held a rather intimidating stance. Katsuki had a look on his face that Izuku couldn’t easily read. He looked angry--obvious from the furrow of his brow and the tightness of his jaw--but also a little nervous in the way his eyes widened a fraction. “Lady, I was fuckin’ busy!”

“Yeah?” She sneered.

“Fuckin’ yeah!”

The two stared the other down for what seemed like hours--but was really only less than a minute--before the woman’s scowl quickly morphed into a mischievous smile and she raised a hand to slap at the back of the man’s head, dragging him down and into a hug. “I’m glad you’re home, dumbass,” she breathed and Izuku watched as Katsuki’s stiff shoulders relaxed in her grip.

 “I’m glad to be home, old hag,” he muttered back, before pulling away. The woman smirked up at him as his attention shifted to the side, where Izuku was watching on. Katsuki grinned, held out his scarred hand to him and he obliged.

He pulled him to his side and turned back to the woman. “Uh, this is Izuku,” he muttered quietly, only for the woman to respond with a smirk.

She turned to take him in. “So, you’re the boy who’s got Katsuki all smitten, huh?”

“Um, I guess so?” He responded, holding out his hand for the woman to shake. “Nice to meet you. Are you- Are you Katsuki’s sister?”

The woman’s eyes grew wide as she looked down at his hand and back up to his polite expression. It was silent for the moment before she broke out into laughter, clutching at her stomach with one hand while she wiped tears from her eyes with the other. “Oh, bless your heart, sugar!” She grabbed his hand and yanked him away from Katsuki’s arm, pulling him into a hug. “I’m his mama. You can call me Mitsuki.”

It was a brief hug and, when Izuku pulled away, he looked at her in surprise. “Mom? But- but you look so young!”

“It’s her Quirk. She sweats moisturizer,” Katsuki explained.

“What?”

Another chuckle escaped Mitsuki’s lips as she turned to look at her son. “Oh, hun, I like this one! He’s as sweet as a peach and makes you wanna keep out of trouble,” she explained, turning back to him. “Say, sweetheart, you think you can keep my son from goin’ back to prison? I really don’t need any more of them church ladies comin’ into my salon to gossip about my son bein’ a criminal.”

“Um, I-”

“Mama, shut the hell up about that!” The blond barked, hardly any bite in the demand. “His job ain’t to keep me out of trouble!”

“Well, it should, cause I can’t manage another one of your stunts!”

“Ma’am,” Izuku cut in. “I don’t think Katsuki needs me to keep him out of trouble. He’s a good man and a good friend. His only interest is taking care of his friends and family, so I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t ever do something to hurt them, whether that be intentional or by accident. I trust him to keep himself out of trouble. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Darlin’...” Katsuki breathed from behind him, and Izuku went red, from neck to ears, to cheeks, as he jerked around to look up at the blond, who was looking back at him in a haze. He was motionless while hooded red eyes bore into him with the most intense amount of love and longing. That, along with being called Darling, was enough to make Izuku nearly melt into the patio floor.

“Darling?” He choked out and Katsuki’s eyes expanded as his cheeks painted a healthy shade of pink and he opened his mouth to stutter out a response.

His mother cut him off, though, letting out a light chuckle. The boys’ turned to her while she shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. “Y’all are just so fuckin’ cute together. Izuku, you’re welcome in our home anytime. Just say the word!”

“Um, thank you, ma’am.”

“Well, I gotta go get your dad some food,” the woman told the blond. “He’s sittin’ over by the fire, so he ain’t seen y’all yet, but I suggest y’all get over there directly. He’s missed you more than anythin’, Katsuki. Plus, I’m sure he’d like to meet the guy who stole that firecracker heart of yours!”

Katsuki chewed his lip as his mother walked off towards the buffet tables set up near the grill. He looked off into the yard, saw his dad sitting near the fire pit. He was talking to someone--someone with an unforgettable mop of black hair--and the blond gulped loudly. Izuku furrowed his brow at him. “You nervous?”

He shrugged. “I miss my dad too. He came to visit all the time after he got out of treatment… I just ain’t too sure he’s entirely forgiven me for puttin’ are family through all that shit.”

“Katsuki, stop.” Izuku turned himself completely to face him, holding his hands up to cup both sides of his face. “Your parents are happy to have you home. Your friends are happy to have you home. I’m happy to have you home. You are forgiven. Living in regret isn’t going to help you build a better future.”

The blond snorted. “You sound like my therapist.”

“Well, you have a smart therapist, then,” he smiled. “Look, I regret so much of what I said to you before we were, well-”

“Kidnapped?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “But once I got your letter and realized my regret had been pointless, I realized just how much time I lost worrying over the consequences of my actions. And, sure, we’re supposed to think about it-- cause that stops us from doing it again--but you can’t let that hold you back from moving forward, okay?”

“But-”

 “And I’m going to be there with you,” Izuku added. “So if he gives you shit, then I’ll fight him.”

Katsuki snorted. “You know a lot about fightin’ now, huh?”

He nodded. “I’ve been taking boxing lessons for the past two years. I’m small but I bet I could give you a run for your money.”

“Yeah?” Katsuki asked, swinging an arm around the shorter man’s waist and pulling him closer. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You can hold me to anything you want.”

Katsuki’s eyes expanded as he let out a snort. “You’re a helluva lot cheekier than I remember.”

He shrugged. “Three years can do a lot to a person.”

“Yeah? What can it do to feelings?”

Izuku smirked up at the blond and pushed up on his toes to lay a quick kiss on his lips. “Not change them. That’s for sure.”

The blond smirked, shook his head. “Aright, alright. C’mon darlin’, you can meet my dad.”

Katsuki approached the fire pit with a firm grip around Izuku’s waist, using him to steady his anxiety. He was excited to see his dad, of course, but the knowledge that the stress of his crime-spree had catalyzed the effects of his dad’s illness had never really left him. It may have been three years, but he still felt guilty for it. Seeing his dad outside of the prison visiting room reminded him he was no longer being punished for what he did.

And he still felt guilty.

The man was sat by the fire, his feet propped up against the stones surrounding the pit. The heat radiating from the fire warmed the soles of his feet and he seemed content talking to the person beside him.

Shouta Aizawa.

Both men looked up when the two approached, Aizawa sending them an ambiguous nod and Katsuki’s dad grinning toothily at the two. He got up from his seat, met the boys halfway. He looked at his son with tear filled eyes and Katsuki clenched his jaw. “Son.”

“Dad,” he responded. “How’re you holdin’ up?”

The man smirked. “Well, I ain’t dyin’ anymore, so pretty damn good I think.” He then looked over to Izuku, one of Katsuki arms wrapped around him. His smile grew. “And you must be Izuku?”

Izuku gave him a weary smile. “Guilty.”

“Well, son, you can call me Masaru. I wanna thank you for all you did for my family,” he told him. “We were in quite a mess o’ trouble before you showed up!”

“I-Sir, I was only doing what’s right,” Izuku explained, looking a little uncomfortable under such praise. “Your family didn’t deserve being put in that position. You don’t need to thank me.”

“No, no, don’t be like that!” He dismissed his protests with a wave of his hand before gesturing to the folding chairs surrounding the pit. “C’mon, boys. Sit a spell.”

He turned on his heels to go back to his own seat and Katsuki guided the both of them over to the seats on his father’s left. Izuku got comfortable before reaching his hand over to Katsuki and holding it still, palm up. Katsuki looked at it curiously for a second, not immediately realizing Izuku wanted him to take it. However, he was quick to rectify the matter: interlacing their fingers and squeezing tightly. He heard a little chuckle from across the fire and turned to see Aizawa with one of his freaky, subtle smiles.

Katsuki fixed a curious gaze on him. Asked: “What?”

“Nothin’, nothin’,” he told him, shaking his head. “Just happy to see you boys reconnected.”

“Me too.”

“Ain’t no hard feelings, right boys?” He asked them. “I want y’all to know I had a job to do. The truth is, though, you didn’t deserve that harsh of a punishment.”

Katsuki shook his head, his blond hair shining in the hot, Georgia sun. “Don’t gotta apologize. I-” He squeezed Izuku’s hand. “I needed to figure some stuff out. Prison actually ain’t half-bad of a place to think through your mistakes.”

“Well,” Masaru interrupted. “We’re just glad to have you home. And-”

“Hey, baby!” a woman shouted across the lawn and all eyes turned to the porch where Mitsuki Bakugou was standing with one hand on her hip and the other holding a pair of tongs. “You want any collards?”

“Yeah, hun,” Masaru shouted back. “Thank ya much!”

“What about you Izuku? You gotta eat somethin’,” The woman told him. “Why don’t you come up here and check out some good ol’ southern food.”

“Oh, um, you sure?”

Mitsuki snorted. “Am I sure? Honey, the closest thing you’ve come to southern fried chicken is probably KFC. You’re gonna come try some real food.”

“Ummm,” he looked over at Katsuki. “You okay if I go get some food?”       

Katsuki smirked. “Of course. You gotta lot of catchin’ up to do if you’re gonna date a southerner. Go try some food.”

“Yeah, okay.” He got up from his seat, still holding onto Katsuki’s hand. “You want me to get you anything?”

“Yeah get me a bit of everythin’,” he told him. “I’ve been in prison for three fuckin’ years. I forgot what good food tastes like.”      

Izuku smiled back, nodded as he let go of his boyfriend’s hand. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Hang on, Izuku,” Aizawa called, hoisting himself up from his seat and walking towards him. “I’ll come too. I’m so fuckin’ hungry I could eat the north end of a south-bound horse.”

“What does that even mean?” Izuku asked, scrunching his nose in distaste. Aizawa offered him a jovial smile--the closest thing to a laugh that he was capable of--as  they turned their back on the men at the pit and went to meet Mitsuki at the porch. Katsuki watched Izuku leave, admiring how his curls bounced as he walked. His short sleeves wrapped tightly against his new biceps, and his posture had improved. Overall, Katsuki could see new confidence in him.

Fuck, did he love it. Somehow, some way, Izuku had gotten even more attractive during their time apart. He was so lucky.

“He seems like good people,” Masaru said, breaking Katsuki from his musing. He turned back to look at his dad, grinned in a way so unlike the man he used to be.

 “He is good people,” Katsuki confirmed. “He-” It felt embarrassing saying this to his dad. “He makes me so fuckin’ happy. He makes me want to be a better person.”

But his dad simply chuckled and leaned over to smack his hand on Katsuki’s knee. “That’s all that matters. I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy. It’s all I want for you, son.”

Katsuki strongly exhaled. “Thanks, dad. I just- I’m so happy I met him, but you got hurt worse in the process.”

“Boy, do you got cotton in your ears?” Masaru asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his legs and hands clasped tightly in between them. “I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what happened to me. You did what you thought was best for our family, for your friends. Somehow, it all turned out in your favor. And You were lucky enough to find someone that gives you joy.”

Katsuki didn’t know if it was from years of intense therapy, or if he was always secretly this emotional, but he had to press his lips into a firm line and breathe deeply to refrain from letting tears fall down his cheeks. “Dad…”

“You’ve got a fresh start now,” he continued. “You got your family, your friends, and Izuku. Eijirou told me that they were givin’ you a job at the Orchard. You gotta let the past go. No one’s holdin’ it against you any longer.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, a smile growing across his lips as his fears withered and died. He was beginning to feel free.

Izuku scrunched his nose. “What are those?”

Mitsuki looked over to where he was pointing, smirked as she grabbed a spoonful of the dark greens and smacked them down on his plate. “Collards, hun.”

“What is it?”

“They’re boiled greens,” she explained, moving on to the dish of cornbread. “Though we like addin’ a mess of bacon, onions, and vinegar. Real healthy too.”

“Oh,” he responded, looking down at his plate questioningly. Some of these foods were not what he had expected to be served at a party. While he knew about the easy stuff, like fried chicken, BBQ, and cornbread, he’d never had most of the things that scattered across the buffet tables. Mitsuki had to point out the corn pudding, the shrimp and grits, collards and okra, coleslaw, boiled peanuts, and jambalaya. She also helped herself to dishing a small serving of most of them onto his plate.

“You’re a part of the family now, hun,” she told him. “You gotta start eatin’ like a southerner.”

Izuku smiled back at her. It was nice being accepted by Katsuki’s family. If he was being entirely honest, he hadn’t expected it to be that easy. His own mother was so against him having anything to do with him, so he’d imagined that Katsuki’s parents might not be so thrilled with him staying in a relationship with the guy he was accused of kidnapping. Not to mention, this was the south. He expected more nasty looks or some show of disgust from the other party-goers. And yet, there’d been none so far.

Something flashed in the corner of his vision, between him and Mitsuki, and the both of them followed it with a curious expression. It looked like a headphone jack and it shot itself straight into a slice of cornbread before flying back over their shoulders. The two turned their heads to see none other than Kyouka Jirou picking the piece off of her headphone. “Hi, Izuku,” she grinned.

“Good lord, sugar. Please don’t tell me you gonna eat that?” Mitsuki groaned. “Did your mama raise you in a barn?”

“Close,” she smirked. “Next to your house.”

“Very funny,” Mitsuki fake laughed. “Use your hands! You’re gonna make Izuku here think we’re uncivilized!”

“He spent a week with Eijirou and Katsuki. He already thinks that.”

Izuku snorted and Mitsuki turned to look at him humorously. “Okay, okay. Honey, finish gettin’ your food and come back to the fire. I wanna hound you and Katsuki ‘bout your relationship.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “Thank you Mrs. Bakugou.”

“Mitsuki.”

“Mitsuki,” he repeated and the woman nodded in approval, passing them both to go meet her husband and son. Kyouka and him watched her leave, until she was far enough away that Kyouka felt comfortable starting a new conversation.

“So, it’s been awhile.”

“Yeah,” Izuku agreed. “Haven’t seen you since-”

“I asked you to stop Katsuki from ruining his life?” She finished. “Yeah. Good job by the way.”

Izuku winced. “Sorry, I did my best.”

 “Oh, no.” She shook her head. “No, I’m being serious. You really saved him, y’know. I mean, he got shot and went to prison, but he’s happy now. He got you, which is what he really wanted. His dad is in remission, everyone’s moved passed what happened. He’s got a fresh start ‘cause of you. I’m grateful.”

“Oh, um,” He ruffled his hair with a free hand. “Thanks, Kyouka.”

She shrugged. “No biggie. You’re happy too, right?”

“Huh?”

“With Katsuki,” she clarified. “You make him really happy, I can tell. So, does he make you just as happy? It means nothin’ if you’re not in the relationship the same way he is.”

Izuku knew the answer, but he couldn’t help but look over at him, sitting around the fire with his mother and father. Eijirou, Mina, and Sero had joined them. Katsuki looks so happy as he smiled and laughed at something stupid Eijirou said. Izuku hadn’t realized how unfamiliar Katsuki’s happy face was until he’d picked him up at the prison. He guessed there wasn’t much to be happy about during their time together that summer. But now there was and he loved it; Izuku couldn’t get enough. “God, I love him.”

Kyouka grinned. “Good,” she affirmed, throwing up an arm to rest on his shoulder. “Now all of us are in happy, stable relationships… besides Sero. That son of a bitch ain’t never gonna find a girl.”

Izuku furrowed his brow. “How come?” He asked, looking down at her smirking face.

“Boy’s too focused on work,” she shrugged. “He’s gotta take care of his mom, the shop, and three siblings knee high to a grasshopper. We try, but he’s focused.” She turned away from Izuku, looked off to the yard to see Denki had arrived, wielding her guitar and waving aggressively towards them. She smirked. “But anyways, there’s a party goin’ on and we’re missin’ it!.”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there!” Izuku told her. “Just got to get Katsuki a plate really quick.”

She nodded to him in understanding and removed her arm from his shoulder, hopping down the stairs of the porch and heading over to the fire pit. Izuku smiled to himself and turned around to dish up a plate for Katsuki.

He made his way down the buffet line, adding a bit of everything because he wasn’t sure what Katsuki liked. He realized that they never got the chance to talk about superficial things during their time together. Things like favorite foods and favorite movies didn’t really mean much when you’re running from the cops and trying to appease some psychotic criminals. He made a note to ask Katsuki what his favorite color was when he got back to the group.

He was finishing the plate with a piece of cornbread when he heard someone cough beside him. He casually glanced over, finding a middle aged woman smiling back at him with a tight-lipped smile. She was dressed rather formally, a set of pearls adorned her neck and greying hair tied in a bun atop her head. “Hello, there.”

“Hello?”

 “I’m Katsuki’s middle school home room teacher,” she informed him, holding out her hand for him to shake.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he apologized, dropping the tongs back on the tray and reaching out to shake her hand. “I’m Izuku. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, I thought so.”

Izuku smiled curiously, quirking an eyebrow and tilting his head slightly to the side. “Huh?”

“Oh, well,” she started, scooting in a bit closer. “Ya’see, me and the other ladies over there.” She nodded her head back to a table off in the lawn where a group of old women in hats were talking amongst themselves and eyeing the two of them. “Just weren’t sure who you were exactly. Well, you could just say we were all taken by shock to see you walk through those doors, bless your little heart.”

“Why?”

The woman stretched her smile. “Well, honey, we know Katsuki got off the charge for kidnappin’ you and all, but we didn’t expect you to be happy about that, let alone come to his release party!”

Izuku snorted a little in disbelief. “Why wouldn’t I come? He didn’t kidnap me and of course I’d come to celebrate. He’s my boyfriend, afterall.”

Shock momentarily flashed across the woman’s eyes before returning to normal. She tilted her head in a show of confusion. “Oh? Boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

She shook her head, tutting to herself. “I was afraid of him doin’ somethin’ like that.”

“Excuse me?”

“Listen, hun,” she started, moving to wrap an arm around him in consolation. “That boy’s got a habit of ruinin’ people’s lives. He gets his friends suspended, on the run from the cops… And now he’s drivin’ a younger boy into his devilish ways, convertin’ you to sin.”

“Excuse me?” He gawked, furious as he shrugged out of her grip and turned around to face her head on. “He hasn’t done anything wrong! He’s a good guy and-and if you’re talking about being gay, he didn’t convert me to anything! I’ve always been gay. If he’s guilty of anything, it’s of pushing himself too hard to take care of everyone else!”

“Oh, sweetheart…”

“Don’t you fucking sweetheart me!” He snapped. “How were you even invited to this party if you don’t like him?”

“Excuse me? It’s a small town. Anyone was allowed to come.”

“Yeah?” Izuku feigned curiosity before turning vicious. “Well, as his fucking boyfriend, I’m uninviting you.”

“What?”

“GET THE HELL OUT,” He shouted. “YOU EGOTISTICAL, PSYCHOTIC BITCH!”

“What’s goin’ on here?” A welcoming voice asked from their side and both Izuku and the horrible woman turned their heads to watch Katsuki strut up the porch’s stairs. He wore a hard look on his face, clearly unhappy.

The woman tried to smile, pass this off easily, but Izuku was pissed. “This bitch just said you were ‘converting me to sin’.”

Katsuki got close, wrapped his arm tightly around Izuku’s shoulders and looked at the woman with a quirk of an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Katsuki, I think this boy is far too naïve about you, and-“

“Get out.” Izuku blanched, his voice cold and calm. “Get the fuck out of here.”

She gasped, looked over at Katsuki in hopes that he’d come to her aid. “Control him!” She demanded.

Katsuki smirked. “Nah, this is my party and I give him banishin’ powers. He says you gotta go, you gotta go.”

“But-“

“Bye, bitch,” Izuku smirked and the woman looked faint. She switched her gaze between the two a couple times before finally letting out a humph!  And storming off into the house. Katsuki let out a breathy laugh, turned to face Izuku head on and grab both his shoulders.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he assured him, though anger was still visible on his face. Katsuki bit his lip.

“Look, she’s always been a nasty person,” Katsuki told him. “But please, I’m beggin’ ya, don’t judge us all like that.”

“Huh?”

 “People are always sayin’ that we’re all as horrible as that bitch,” he explained. “Accordin’ to most of the country, we’re just a bunch of inbred, racist, homophobic, quirk supremacists. No one ever wants to give us a chance. It’s… hard. And we’re good people down here. I don’t want you thinkin’ that that woman’s the face of the south, cause it ain’t.”

There was a pained, worried look on his face and Izuku softened at the sight of it. He looked genuinely worried over it. “People really give you crap about that?”

Katsuki clenched his jaw. “Yeah. You know how hard it is talkin’ to people when they hear your voice for the first time and think you’re some dumb, slow hick? They laugh, they copy your voice thinkin’ they’re funny, and treat you like you’re from some third world country…” He sighed, looked down at the porch’s paneling. “I don’t want you thinkin’ that.”

Izuku lifted his hand to Katsuki’s chin, forced him to look back up at his face. “I think it’s pretty nice down here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Izuku smiled. “And I think it’s about time we go try some of this food. C’mon.”

Katsuki spent the rest of the night by Izuku’s side, establishing contact in any way he could: Holding hands, stroking his arm or rubbing his cheek with a thumb. Once or twice he was able to sneak a kiss when everyone’s attention was on one of Eijirou’s stupid stunts or Kyouka’s singing. Denki had arrived a little late, apologizing and explaining that after his shift at the power plant—who so kindly welcomed him back to work after his brief stint in prison—had gone to Kyouka’s parent’s home to pick up her guitar for the party.

Everyone was grateful, honestly, because as day transitioned to night and the less important people slowly exited the party, as the lightning bugs sparked to life and the fire crackled around the group, the flames illuminated happy faces, they all sat back and enjoyed the sound of Kyouka’s soft voice. She was singing the Eagles, a song that Katsuki had heard a million times but Izuku seemed new to. He watched with intrigue while Katsuki kept his gaze straight on him, eyes sparkling with the fire and his smile toothy and wide. He could almost bet that Izuku would earn laugh lines as he aged.

Katsuki wanted to be there for that.

When Kyouka finished her song, a chorus of clapping echoed around the fire, followed by cheers and Denki’s comments of, “That’s my girlfriend!”

Katsuki looked over to his parents, saw his mother sitting in his father’s lap, her head rested on his shoulder and her eyes closed tight.

He loved his parents.

They were good people. They did what they had to do to support each other, not giving up when the going gets tough. Ever since he was little, they’d made it clear how much they loved each other. And while his mom had bouts of anger where she could lash out anyone and everyone, while his dad didn’t like to speak up and never tried to bring much attention to himself—even when he got sick—they still made it work. They were icons.

And he wanted to be that way with Izuku.

His mother yawned, lifted her head and rubbed a hand at her eyes. She smiled at Masaru. “You ready to head home?”

He sighed. “Yeah, I think so.” He turned to face the group. “I wanna thank y’all for everything you did for my son, y’know. All of you are family as far as I’m concerned.” He shifted to smile at Izuku directly. “Even you, son.”

Izuku blushed, stuttered out a thank you as Mitsuki got off Masaru and the two got situated to leave.

“We’ll be leavin’ now,” Masaru told them. “Both of y’all can stay at our house now that Katsuki’s home. We’ll leave the door unlocked so y’all can just come on in when you’re done here. Got it?”

“Thanks, dad,” Katsuki told him. Masaru simply nodded and grabbed Mitsuki’s hand, leading her towards the porch.

“Your parents are as sweet as honeysuckle, Katsuki,” Mina sighed and all eyes turned to her. “Eiji, are we gonna be that sweet when we’re older?”

Eijirou smirked, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “Course we are.”

“What about us?” Denki asked, nudging Kyouka with his elbow. “You think we gonna be together that long?”

Kyouka blushed, dropping her gaze to the grass. “I, uh,” she gulped. “I hope so.” And Denki grinned like he’d won the lottery, laying his head on Kyouka’s shoulder and reaching up a hand to play with her hair.

Sero gagged, rolling his eyes as he propped his feet up on a chair. “Y’all are gross as fuck! Yo, Katsuki, Izuku. You better not end up like that. I need some normal people in this group still.”

Katsuki snorted. “Hate to break it to ya, bud. I’m about to woo the fuck out of Izuku,” he told them, squeezing Izuku’s hand tight.

Izuku blushed and Sero gagged once more. “You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

“How you gonna do it, Katsuki?” Mina asked, snickering to herself. “How you gonna woo Izuku?”

Katsuki looked over at him, the man grinning beside him, completely mesmerized by this group of people he never would have guessed he’d come to join. He knew Izuku was already wooed, that he was just as in love with Katsuki as he was with him. That being said, he wasn’t going to take a backseat in this relationship. He was taking his new role seriously. “Imma take him to Kamino.”

There was a chorus of Ooooo’s and Aaaaaaa’s and Izuku snickered, looking around the group. “What’s, uh- What’s Kamino?”

“Want me to show you?”        

Izuku looked around the group, saw them all give him encouraging expression and he shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

“Great,” Katsuki grinned before turning to Eijirou. “Can we borrow your truck?”

“Yeah, dude,” he nodded, taking a sip from his drink and rubbing his cheek against Mina’s curly hair. “Just have it back in the mornin’. And if you take any blankets, I want them washed!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Katsuki responded, hoisting himself up from his seat and pulling Izuku with him. “We’ll see y’all tomorrow.” He told them, and the group exchanged their goodbyes. Everyone offered up hugs to the two of them, Izuku’s with a welcoming theme and Katsuki’s with one of relief and reassurance. It was good to know his friends still loved him after everything.

“Ready to go?” Katsuki asked Izuku, smiling down at him as he stroked his cheek with a thumb.

“Yeah,” Izuku nodded. “Let me just go grab my things from the guest room. I’ll meet you out front!” Katsuki nodded to him and he rushed off towards the house, turning around to offer one last goodbye to his new friends.

Katsuki sighed contentedly and turned back to face his friends. They all stared back knowingly, Mina, Sero, Eijirou giving him a prideful look, while Kyouka and Denki simply seemed smug. Kyouka was the one to break the silence. “So, what’re y’all gonna do at Kamino?”

“Whatever Izuku wants to do.”

“Oh, good answer,” Mina nodded. “He knows how to treat someone.”

 “You sayin’ I ain’t good at wooin’ you?”

“No, sweetie,” Mina shook her head. “You’re perfect. I love you very, very much.” She turned back to Katsuki. “But anyways, y’all have fun. And be nice! This boy’s good for ya! Don’t blow it!”

Denki smirked. “Oh, he’s gonna blow it.”

“I swear to god, Denki…”

“Anyways,” Sero cut in. “We all chipped in to get you and Izuku something. It’s in the glove compartment of Eiji’s truck, so have fun with it.”

“If it’s-“

Mina waved him off. “It’s fine, Katsuki. Just go enjoy yourself with your man.”

Katsuki watched them all for a good minute, taking in the friends he’d been separated from for so long. He was so grateful for each and every one of them, thankful for the shit they did for him and the shit they put up with. Maybe the old Katsuki wouldn’t vocalize it, but he loved them. And he’d let them know.

It was embarrassing because it was new. He wasn’t used to telling people how he felt. Sure, he’d do it with Izuku but they had something special. His friends were the joking type, not the ones who did good with serious conversations. Still…

“I’m,” he started, clenching his jaw and looking down at the fire. “I’m really grateful for y’all.”

“Katsuki…”    

He sniffed. “You’re my family and I know I haven’t always had your best interest at heart, but I’m not gonna make that mistake again. I just want all y’all to know that-“ he sighed, glanced up to look each of them in the eyes. “I love you guys.”

It took a moment, but a chorus of Aww’s broke out amongst them. Mina and Kyouka ran first to wrap him in a hug, closely followed by Sero, Eijirou, and Denki. Eventually, he was wrapped in the heaviest, warmest group hug he was pretty sure they’d ever had.

Of course, Eijirou had to ruin that.

“Hey, Katsuki?”

“Hm?”

“Please don’t ruin my upholstery.”

Izuku drove. Katsuki wanted to, but his parole didn’t allow him to drive and no matter what, he didn’t want to break that. He’d been given a second chance, and he was going to use it to prove he could be someone worthy of Izuku’s love.

So, he directed him, pointing to the left or the right, which backroad streets and which trails to take. Eventually, they’d gotten so deep in the thicket of a Georgia forest that Izuku joked Katsuki had taken him there to kill him.

Katsuki told him not to count his chickens before they hatched.

But he was definitely pleased when they got there, when they carefully squeezed the truck between sapling branches and entered a whole new world. They both marveled at the sight, Katsuki not having seen the place in years.

The lake was massive, black in the night. Perfectly still, with the only movement being the small ripples that formed when bugs rested on its surface. It would be hard to see the landscape at any other time than now, late spring when the fireflies lit up the night in a peaceful glow. Their sparks mirrored in the reflection of the pool, combining with the stars that turned the lake into an astronomer’s map. The trees swayed in the gentle wind, all sides of the body surrounded by a thicket of silent, peaceful forest. The only sound  heard was the sweet song of cicadas, joined by the crickets in a harmony that defined the Georgia Spring.

“This is Kamino,” Katsuki whispered, fearing that talking any louder would break the peace of the night. “D’ya like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” Izuku gaped, eyes wide as he watched the landscape from the driver’s seat. They glistened, brighter than any star or firefly. They were the only thing on Katsuki’s mind.

“You’re more beautiful.”

A healthy blush painted Izuku’s cheeks as he turned to look at Katsuki in the passenger’s seat. “Katsuki…”

“I figured we could turn the truck around and watch the lake and the stars from the bed?” He explained. “But that’s only if you wanna.”

Izuku leaned over his seat, reached for Katsuki and pulled him closer to lay a chaste kiss on his lips. Katsuki shut his eyes, savored their softness before Izuku pulled away to smile softly at him. “I’d love to.”

Izuku put the truck in reverse, messily changing the vehicles position so that the bed lay just near the edge of the lake. Katsuki got out first, hopped in the back of the truck and started situating blankets and pillows around the space. He wanted it to be warm, comforting: he wanted the perfect place to hold Izuku in his arms and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist.

“Hey, Katsuki,” Izuku called, still in the front seat of the truck. “Do you think Eijirou has a flashlight in the-“ He stopped abruptly, causing Katsuki’s brow to furrow.

“Izuku?” He asked, climbing down from the bed to go around to the driver’s seat. He could see his feet dangling out the door, was curious what he was doing. His face was red—exceptionally so—and his mouth was bobbing, like he was debating on whether to say something or not. Katsuki got close, noticed his eyes wide and staring down at his lap.

Katsuki followed the direction, guided his eyes down to Izuku’s lap and-

Oh...

“Are these for us?” He asked, looking up from his lap at an equally flustered Katsuki. Izuku’s grip on the lube and box of condoms was making his knuckles turn white.

“Um, yeah,” Katsuki admitted, clearing his throat. “The guys said they got a gift in the center console.”

“Oh, okay.”

“But we don’t gotta use them,” He added.

 Izuku furrowed his brow and cocked his head to the side. “You don’t want to have sex with me?”

“What, no! ” Katsuki backtracked, stepping closer to the other boy. “Are you kiddin’ me? Do you have any idea how much I dreamed about you in prison? I just-“ he averted his gaze. “I just don’t want you feelin’ obligated to do nothin’ just cause you feel like you gotta prove somethin’ to me.”

“Prove something?”

“You said you felt guilty about me gettin’ shot,” Katsuki explained. “And you blame yourself for a ton of shit that don’t concern you. I admire your big heart, but I just don’t want you thinkin’ you owe me anythin’. ‘Cause you don’t. You get to make the calls.”

“Hey, Katsuki?”

“Hmm?” He responded, looking back up at Izuku’s flushed face.

“Get in the fucking bed.”

Katsuki hovered over Izuku, his palm cupping Izuku’s jaw and guiding him into a soft kiss. It wasn’t anything too rough; Katsuki wanted him to feel good, feel comfortable underneath his touch. When he touched him, it was no more than skin barely grazing skin, his fingers shaking as they glided over Izuku’s bare chest. He was so scared. His breath was short, heavy with longing and fear. He couldn’t help but worry that he’d screw it up, that it would end in Izuku no longer wanting whatever this was.

Izuku wrapped his legs around Katsuki’s waist, attempted to buck his hips up into Katsuki and grind against him; And while it didn’t work effectively, it definitely gained Katsuki’s attention. He pulled away from Izuku, smirked down at the sight below him. Izuku was a mess, his curls in disarray, his face red and his breath short. “Eager?”

Izuku shook his head, sat up and stole a quick kiss from Katsuki’s lips. “You’re going so slow.”

Katsuki clenched his jaw, trailed a hand down from his neck, over the clavicle scar  he’d gotten on his birthday almost three years ago. “I wanna make it special.”

“It is special.”

He shook his head. “What if I hurt ya? I wanna make you happy.”

Izuku snorted and wrapped his arm around Katsuki’s neck, pulled him back down to hover over him. “You already do,” he told him, pulling him down for another deep kiss. He was eager, that much Katsuki could tell.

As he deepened the kiss, Izuku’s hands trailed away from Katsuki’s neck, slid down his torso and down to his jeans. He palmed the fabric, felt his lover’s erection beneath it and fuck, Katsuki moaned into their kiss, nearly a breathless pant.

He leaned back, helped Izuku free him from his pants before returning the favor. He threw both pairs off to the side and hoped they hadn’t fallen off the truck and into the tide. Of course, it didn’t matter at this point. The only thing on his mind was pleasuring the beautiful specimen in front of him.

Izuku grinned eagerly at him, held eye contact as he lifted his hand to his mouth and licked his palm before reaching down to grab Katsuki’s throbbing erection and pump it experimentally. He moaned at the touch, at the tightening, hot hand around him. Parted his lips to let out small, breathy gasps and Izuku used the opportunity to lean forward and drown out his moans with the contact of lips on lips.

Katsuki accepted it eagerly, sunk into the kiss and lifted his hands to delicately graze Izuku’s tight, muscular shoulders, his shoulder blades, the small of his back. Eventually, he reached Izuku’s ass, hovered his hands centimeters from the flesh. Izuku released Katsuki’s cock, realizing he’d have to make a move if Katsuki was still unsure of touching him, or of  ruining the moment, reached back and grabbed Katsuki’s hands. He slammed them down on his ass and urged him to squeeze.

Katsuki recalled saying earlier that Izuku filled his jeans better now, but he hadn’t imagined his butt had gotten just so round, smooth and firm. He couldn’t help but rub at the flesh, trace it’s curves and lay a quick smack to the flesh.

That stopped Izuku in his his tracks, stalling their kiss as his eyes widened. He parted from Katsuki’s lips to stare at him. Katsuki flushed, nervous he’d actually fucked this up. “I-I’m so sorry, Izu-”

“Do that again.”

“What?”

“Spank me!” He ordered and Katsuki turned beat red, lifted his hand from Izuku’s ass and slammed it back down. Izuku moaned on impact, his own erection twitching at the sensation.

He smirked, leaned in and grazed his lips against his lovers, his eyelashes tickling Katsuki’s cheeks. “Good job, ‘suki,” he slurred. “You make me feel so good.”

Katsuki felt hot in the face, his body burning and his cock aching for release so badly that precum had begun trailing down the shaft. Izuku’s words, being told he was doing good and making him happy… That’s all he wanted. With the undisputed love of his life in his arms, the desperate need for his validation, for his love to be recognized, overtook him.

The next time he spanked Izuku, it was with both hands, hard enough to leave a print and to pull him forward, into his lap so that thick muscular thighs landed on both sides of him and Izuku straddled his waist.

He buried his face into the crook of Izuku’s neck, bit down and sucked into the flesh. Izuku bucked against him, wrapping both their lengths in his hands. Using mixed precum to slick them up, he pump them against each other. Katsuki hummed into his neck, into the marks he left on his skin and Izuku shivered at the sensation. “F-fuck, Katsuki.”

“Hmmm?”

“I-” Izuku sniffled, bit his lip and Katsuki pulled away to look him in the eyes. “I love you so much.”

Katsuki’s heart skipped. His breath hitched, and the prickling of tears threatened to spill, but he kept strong. He didn’t want to cry during sex. He was supposed to be emotionally strong now. He lifted a palm to Izuku’s cheek, brushed away the first tear to trail down it. He leaned forward, slowly, and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. “More than you’ll ever know,” he added.

“I,” Izuku swallowed. “I want more, okay?”

“Ya sure?” Katsuki asked. “I don’t wanna make you if you don’t wanna?”

“‘Suki,” Izuku cooed, dropping his forehead to Katsuki’s and staring at him with hooded eyes. “I want this. I want you. You-” Izuku smiled lovingly at him, pecked his nose. “You’ll do such a good job…”

“Fuck…” the blond groaned, low and guttural as he wrapped an arm around Izuku’s waist to steady him and reach over to the side to grab the bottle of lube. He popped the cap, removed his hand from Izuku’s waist to slick his fingers in the liquid and toss the bottle to the side.

He guided his hand down to Izuku’s ass, snaked his other arm around Izuku’s waist to steady him. He guided a finger to his hole, massaged the ring of muscle until it was loose enough to insert his index.

Izuku’s breath hitched at the intrusion, a heavy moan escaping his lips as he buried his head in the crook of Katsuki’s neck and warmed to the feeling of Katsuki pumping it inside him, trying to adjust to the feeling before Katsuki slipped a second in. Izuku released a guttural cry out of him as the blond scissored him wide.

“You okay, darlin’?”

“Mmmmm,” he hummed, nuzzling deeper into Katsuki’s neck. “‘S good, ‘suki. Feels good…”

“I’m gonna add another, okay?” He asked and Izuku simply hummed in agreement, sunk himself deeper on Katsuki’s fingers and shifted for comfort. Katsuki slowly added a third finger, paused when Izuku bit his neck to stifle a moan. He pushed deep, curled them and Izuku released a guttural cry. Katsuki’s heart sped, his body shaking as Izuku cried into his shoulder, so scared he’d fucked it up. “‘Zuku, darlin’? Do you need to stop? Are ya-”

“‘S good, that spot” he whined, beginning to rock back and forth, fucking himself on Katsuki’s fingers. “You’re s-so good to me.”

He flushed.

Was that true? Was Izuku really that happy?

“R-Really?”

Izuku’s exhale shook as he removed his head from Katsuki’s neck, looked into sparkling red eyes and a hopeful expression, and smiled softly. He brushed his knuckles over his cheek, leaned in to peck his lips. He parted only a fraction to whisper against his lover’s lips. “You are so good to me, Katsuki. Make me feel so good,” he laughed, bringing up a hand to trail through blond locks. “ My perfect boyfriend…”

Katsuki could feel his heartbeat pounding all the way up in his head, could feel the rush of blood to his cheeks and to his cock, twitching at Izuku’s praise. He wanted more. “ Fuck, darlin’,” he whined. “Give me a sec, okay ‘zuku?”

Izuku smiled, nodded and planted Katsuki with a heated kiss as he searched blindly for the box of condoms. He eventually felt cardboard, grabbed the container and parted from Izuku’s kiss to tear a packet open and slip the rubber over his length. He grabbed the lube, slicked himself up quickly and aligned the head to Izuku’s hole.

He looked up into wild, longing eyes. “Ready, baby?”

Izuku nodded and slowly lowered himself onto Katsuki’s cock, legs shaking steadily as they both sucked in a breath. Izuku was tight, hot and wet, fitting perfectly around his erection. It’d been so long since he’d done something like this--years--and the first time he’d ever done it with someone he loved more dearly than life itself. He wasn’t going to fuck it up. He was going to make Izuku feel amazing.

“Y’okay?” He asked as Izuku neared the base of his cock.

“Mhhm ahhhhh,” he whined, hitting the base and rocking hips forward, grinding against him. “Ka-Katsuki…” He cried and Katsuki reached between them, grabbing Izuku in his hand and pumping him on the downbeat of his next thrust. Izuku clenched down on him, arched his back and Katsuki pumped up into him, leaning forward to suck at his chest. “ Fuck, ‘suki, s-so good. You feel so good.”

Kasuki looked up to Izuku, saw the most erotic expression, the most beautiful face and felt the fire in his gut, the heat of Izuku clenching around his cock and grinding down on him. The sound of his moans, his labored pants and loving praises. He reached for the back of Izuku’s neck, pulled him down and kissed pant-parted lips, hot and passionate. “I’m so close…” Izuku murmured against his lips, quicken the pace at which he bucked against Katsuki.

He helped, pumping Izuku faster, his hand coated in the slick of Izuku’s precum, and thrusting up to meet Izuku. The slap of skin on skin echoed in the night. “Cum for me, darlin’.”

Finally, Izuku pulled out to the head of Katsuki’s cock and slammed back down to meet his thrust at the base. Fire erupted in his gut and he clenched down, his body shaking, toes curled, and came across Katsuki’s hand, splattering across both their stomachs. The clench, Izuku squeezing around him on the final thrust, sent Katsuki over the edge and he stuttered, filling the condom with his seed.

They leaned against each other, Izuku wrapping his arms around Katsuki shoulders and dropping his head in the crook of his neck. He was so quiet, shaking and panting as silently as possible. He couldn’t help but nuzzle into Izuku’s hair and coo. “Y’alright, baby?” He questioned, trailing his hands down his back in soothing circles.

“Mmmm,” he hummed, burrowing deeper. “That was,” he panted. “That was amazing.”

Katsuki chuckled, guided Izuku’s head from his neck and aligned him so that he could lovingly look into those beautiful, mesmerizing green eyes that had grounded him such difficult times. He studied him for a moment, the curvature of his round cheeks, the endless scattering of freckles he wanted to count, the soft, plump lips that felt so perfect against his.

How he was ever so lucky to meet him, to earn his trust and the privilege of loving him, didn’t make sense. His kindness, his beauty, and his mutual love…

It felt like a dream.

The next thing he knew, soft hands were holding either side of his jaw while thumbs stroked away the beginnings of hot tears. Izuku was cooing, hushing him. “Aw, babe! Are you crying? I thought I was the crier. ”

Katsuki averted his gaze and blinked any tears away. He was stronger than this. He might be overwhelmed, filled with a joy he’d never had before, but he didn’t cry. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Izuku combated, forcing Katsuki to look back at him. “And it’s okay! You’re allowed to be happy!”

And he was. “Fuck ‘Zuku, I’m the luckiest man in the goddamn world. C-can’t believe you want me…”

“Katsuk-”

“I’m gonna do my very best, y’hear darlin’?” He asked, pressing himself closer to the man still straddling his lap. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I’m gonna make sure you ain’t never regret this-”

“Baby, stop!” Izuku warned, fresh tears now falling from his eyes as he leaned in to plant a chaste kiss to his lips. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not going anywhere, okay? I am so unbelievably in love with you; You couldn’t get rid of me if you wanted to.”

They cleaned up and curled up on the blanket, watching the stars and the fireflies dance and gleam above them. Katsuki had turned on the radio, filling the quiet with a low, musical background and they both melted in it: the peace and softness it brought to their night. Izuku sighed in contentment, head resting on Katsuki’s chest, strong arms wrapped tightly around him: protective, scared that he’d let go and never get the opportunity again.

Izuku traced the bullet scar on his chest, no longer apologizing but still guiltily quiet on the matter. Katsuki didn’t try to engage him on the subject. He didn’t want him thinking that this was a big deal, that it had any bearing on his feelings. That seemed out of the cards though. “Katsuki?”

“Hm?”

“If it meant you never got hurt,” Izuku whispered, his voice strained. “Would you, um…”

“Would I’ve preferred not meetin’ you?”

“Yeah…”

“Fuck no,” he laughed, trying to articulate how ridiculous that was. He looked down at Izuku’s messy curls, bent his neck to press a gentle kiss to his scalp. “I’d rather take a million bullets than ever live a life without you.”

Izuku stilled, removed his hand from Katsuki’s scar and shuffled to sit up and look down at Katsuki’s content smile. “You’re serious?”

“I don’t think you’re understandin’ the kind of impact you’ve had on me,” he snorted, lifting a hand to brush at Izuku’s curls. “You remember that night in Arizona? I got in a tussle with them sorority bitches and you made me leave early?”

Izuku smiled back, recollecting the memory. “Yeah, you were so pissed off.”

“Yeah and you told me you liked me,” he continued. “You said you liked me and I said there ain’t no possible way that could work. You remember what you said?”

“I pushed you.”

“You fuckin’ pushed me!” He snorted, shaking his head. “And then I asked what got into you and you said that I’d made you wanna be stronger, braver with your thoughts and doin’ what you want… Well, you got that same affect on me.”

“Huh?”

“You made me realize there’s more to life than fightin’ and a piss-poor attitude,” he explained. “You made me want to laugh, and love, and be fuckin’ normal for once in my life. You changed me for the better and I’d rather take a million bullets if it meant I ain’t never lived in a world where I never met you.”

Izuku lunged, pushing Katsuki back onto the truck bed and hitting his head dully against the blankets. He slammed a quick kiss to his lips and pulled back in a crazed smile. “Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“No more regret over the past,” Izuku explained. “We go forward with this relationship without any guilt for what happened before. We start over and be happy. Together.”

Katsuki thought about that and, yeah, he wanted to be happy with Izuku. He didn’t want the endless worry of whether he was making up for his mistakes or not. He wanted to move forward with the love of his life and build something new, not chip away at the past. There was no question, really. “Yeah.”

And Izuku grinned, threw himself over Katsuki’s body and laid his head on his chest, ear over his heart, listening contentedly to the beat. The blond blushed, smiled to himself and ran a hand through Izuku’s curly locks.

“So, how are we gonna do this?” Izuku asked.

“Hm?”

“I live in New York, you live in Georgia,” he explained. “And I gotta go to school and you can’t visit while you’re on parole. So, I guess we’d have to be long distance, but is that really something you want?”

“Is it somethin’ you want?”

Izuku shrugged. “I just wanna be with you.”

Katsuki’s heart skipped a beat and Izuku seemed to notice. He raised his head, propped it on his hand and smiled up at his boyfriend. “Well, darlin’, I’ll do anythin’ I gotta to make this work. I found somethin’ when I found you and if that means endless calls, time differences and missin’ each other, I’ll do it so long as I got the chance to tell anyone and everyone that I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“Katsuki…”

“I’ll be faithful,” he continued. “I’ll do anythin’ you want if that’s what it’ll take.”

“And I’ll come down to visit in the summer, school breaks, and long weekends,” Izuku assured him. “I know it’s not good to waste money, but you’re worth every penny.”

“Darlin’-”

“We’re gonna make this work,” Izuku assures him. “And you and me are gonna be together forever.”

“I hope so,” Katsuki grinned, leaning to meet Izuku for a kiss. Izuku brushed his lips then perked up and pulled back, only for Katsuki to quirk an eyebrow at the action. “‘Zuku?”

“Kyouka was singing this song earlier,” he mentioned, nodding his head towards the radio. “Remember?”

“Yeah, so?”

Izuku shrugged. “It reminds me of you, you know? A man on the run, exhausted but not willing to give up his life of crime. The things you do to make life better, only making it worse. And being begged to let it go and give in to love.”

“Y’really think?”

Izuku smiled, pushed himself up Katsuki’s torso and gripped his head on either side. Instead of answering though, he hovered his lips of his and sang the next lyric.

“You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late.”

And Katsuki swooned, pulled Izuku by the waist and engaged him in a deep kiss. Maybe he was right, maybe he was a desperado--like the song. But he didn’t need to find love.

He’d already found it.

And he was never going to let it go.