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Chapter Text

Izuku stares up at the inky sky as he waits for his hero partner Katsuki to pick at the locks. The stars are barely visible through the clouds. After a few minutes of jiggling the thin piece of metal in the lock, Katsuki successfully unlocks the door.

"Fucking bingo." He smirks, pushing the door open to reveal a large and seemingly empty warehouse.

He steps inside, and pats the wall for a light switch. The room is engulfed in a bright light, a stark contrast to the black of night outside. Tables upon tables and shelves after shelves are revealed, all stocked with jars of oddly coloured liquids and powders. They had been tasked with a stealth mission to help uncover an illegal drug lab, their job was to break in, take notes of anything and everything contained inside, and leave again. Seemed easy enough, there was minimal chance of a villain attack, and well Izuku was known for his note-taking abilities.

The two wandered around the room for a while, jotting down the different labels and jars they saw. So far, everything they had seen matched up with the files they had been given before accepting the mission.

"Hey Kacchan, come look at this." Izuku called. He stood at a low table, notepad in one hand and pencil in the other, looking at a small unlabelled vial of dodger blue liquid. The vial itself couldn't have been longer that Katsuki's own pinky finger, and it was only half filled. "Nothing like this was on the files, at least I don't think. Do you recognise it?"

"Nah, shits new."

Izuku hummed in response, writing down a detailed description in the chicken scratch he never quite grew out of.

They continued their search, the goddamn place was huge. Too huge for a simple drug import/export business to be going on, there had to be something more.

Light footsteps that are surely far to delicate to be created from the clunky boots of Izuku's stealth costume tat tat in the background, but Izuku is too far away to be warned. Katsuki takes a breath in and gets ready for an attack, which comes in the form of small dagger - that really just looked more like a downsized sword - flying towards him from the left.

He skilfully dodges, tucking low to the floor and trying to get a grasp on where the enemy is. When a green blur shoots off to the side, Katsuki knows Izuku has seen them too, and knows where they are. He follows the light of one for all to the villain, it's a woman around the same age as them, dressed in what was probably more suitable for an office job than attacking heroes in a drug lab.

She rises to her feet, not looking phased in the slightest as she dusted her skirt off and played around with a second identical dagger. She dodges to the side to avoid an attack from Izuku, and now its clear that she's not a very experienced fighter. Her attacks are too offset, her dodges make her wobble on her heels. That, and along with the fact there's two of them and one of her, Katsuki is sure they can win. Izuku seems to think so too, his blows are confident and determined.

Neither Izuku nor Katsuki have the opportunity to go all out, what with being in a building and all. That doesn't stop them from disarming her from every side. Her quirk must have something to do with creation or weapon creation, and unfortunately for her it seems to be far too similar to Yaoyorozu's quirk, which they know the ins and outs of.

The villain comes to realise her chance at a win is becoming slimmer. she kicks her heels off and sprints to that strange low table with the vial of blue that Izuku had found earlier. The two heroes glance at each other from across the warehouse, unsure what she's about to do and too far apart to create a plan without alerting her.

She picks up the vial of dodger blue and throws it as hard as she can into the cold cement floor.

A puff of pink smoke fills the room, hiding the villain from view - hiding everything from view.

Katsuki covers his mouth with the fabric of his costume and squints around for Izuku, the villain completely removed from his mind.

"DEKU!"

"KACCHAN? WHERE ARE YOU?"

They wander to each others voices, coughing through the fog that's only growing thicker. Seriously, how could that tiny amount of liquid create this much smoke? There has to be something more than just illegal drug exportation going on down here.

"KACCHAN!" Izuku calls out again, trying to find his hero partner.

"OVER HERE DEKU."

Katsuki swears he sees the familiar glow of Izuku's full cowling green, it thankfully contrasts heavily against the taffy pink fog. He runs towards it, trying not to breathe in too much smoke.

"Deku!" He pants, gripping Izuku shoulders.

"Don't breathe it in, we don't know what it does." Izuku says, his voice muffled behind his mask. "Are you okay? If we get to a wall I think we can make it to he exit. We have to prioritise evacuation over the arrest." He rattles on, leading Katsuki to one of the walls.

The warehouse seems to go on forever, though it might just be the fog messing with Katsuki's head.

Izuku stumbles slightly and steadies himself by holding onto Katsuki's arm. Fuck, they needed to get out of there quick. Katsuki can feel his own vision blurring at the edges.

They hit a wall, both leaning against it as their breathing grows laboured.

"I think we need.. to head this.. way.." Izuku's voice trails off as he slumps to the floor, still holding onto Katsuki's arm.

"Fuck- Deku?" Katsuki asks worriedly. He kneels down to Izuku's side and shakes him a little roughly, hoping for a response.

Instead, his eyelids grow heavy, and he joins his unconscious hero partner on the floor.

***

Katsuki blinks his eyes open sluggishly, squinting at the sudden bright light around them.

"Acchan- hey Kacchan! Are you awake?" Izuku asks. Concern fills those wide green eyes Katsuki has grown so fond of.

"Yeah I'm awake damn nerd." He grumbles, standing up and taking a better look at their surroundings. "Are we in a forest?"

"Yeah, I don't remember how we got here. Maybe someone helped us out?"

"The drug lab was in the middle of the damn city Deku, this is a forest. No one helped us out." Katsuki scoffs.

"Lets go look around, maybe we can figure out where we are and how to get back."

They walk out of the trees, and find themselves near an awfully familiar park.

Chapter Text

"Are we in Musutafu?" Izuku asks. His jaw hangs slack as he takes in the environment. He takes a tentative step forward, then a few more, until he stands in front of the gate into the park he had practically grown up in. He places a hesitant hand on the edge and pushes. The metal creaks with the movement.

"Nerd." Katsuki calls, stopping him before he steps inside. "Have you tried to contact anyone?"

Izuku shakes his head, closing the gate with a soft thud and stepping back over to Katsuki. The sun shines down on them, it must be around early afternoon.

"I'll try calling All Might." He says, patting around for his phone. "Huh..? Kacchan I can't find my phone."

"Hah? You probably dropped it when we fought that shitty villain. I'll do it."

Katsuki checks his pockets for his phone, but alas, it is gone also.

"What if we try his agency?" Izuku suggests, already heading out to the street when he pauses at the sound of eerily familiar voices.

"Kacchan wait up!"

The two heroes snap their heads in the direction the sound came from, only to find a five year old Izuku chasing after a just as young Katsuki.

"What the fuck?!" Katsuki exclaims, grabbing onto Izuku. "Deku why are you over there?! Why am I over there?? What's going on?"

"I don't know Kacchan! Let's just go to All Might, okay? He'll know what to do." He says through shock, staring open mouthed at their former selves.

It's not a short trek to the train station. Izuku looks up into the clear sky as they walk, squinting as the suns heat blazes onto his skin, making his freckles glow.

By the time they get there the both of them are sweating buckets. Katsuki sheds his gauntlets and hood, fanning his face while Izuku checks what time the next train is coming, but freezes for the third time that day.

However, because this crazy nightmare of a dream apparently has it out for them, no trains seem to be coming. In fact, according to this sign, no trains ever have or ever will come.

"Kacchan come look at this." He says, reaching out to touch the sign to check if it's really there.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Katsuki yells, completely done with this shit. He huffs off in the direction of the map, and punches the wall beside it once he sees that everywhere outside of Musutafu is blurred, faded, or just gone completely. "WHAT IS THIS SHIT!? WHERE ARE WE?"

Izuku pulls his gloves and guard off and places them next to Katsuki's abandoned costume parts, panting slightly with the heat as he wipes a sheen layer of sweat off of his forehead. He tries to use the payphone standing at the station, but no answer comes. He hits the phone back into the holder maybe a little too aggressively and leans his head against the glass, letting out a groan.

The two explore more of the station, desperate to find something - anything - that could help them contact someone or that would make everything make sense. Katsuki would even take damn Grape Guy if it meant getting out of this shitty version of purgatory. He's walking past some ads when he notices the date on one of them is marked.. twenty years ago?

"Deku! Take a look." He calls, jabbing a finger onto the numbers. Izuku walks over from where he was laid in the shade trying to avoid getting heatstroke, and tilts his head in confusion.

"So we time travelled?" Katsuki shrugs in response. "Maybe we're just dreaming."

"Tch. Both of us? In the same dream? Sure Deku, if that's what you wanna believe." He tsks, crossing his arms. Izuku rolls his eyes.

"What do we do now? just.. go home? we can't leave Musutafu."

"No damn nerd, we obviously have to do something with our younger selves to fix the timeline or whatever."

"Fix? Kacchan that's gonna mess the timeline up! Have you even seen any time travelling films? You can't interact with your past selves!"

"Well do you have a better idea? Besides, if this is all a dream like you say, then it shouldn't matter."

Izuku halts at his words. He brings a hand to his chin with a pensive expression on his face as he thinks it over. His tongue slips through his teeth just slightly as he does, a habit he's never knocked off since childhood.

When he sighs and brings his hand back down, Katsuki knows he's won him over and smirks. He slings his arm over Izuku's neck, having to pull him down a little to make up for their height difference and ruffle his hair with much more force than necessary, but Izuku just laughs.

They make their way back to the park, trying to find their younger selves. It doesn't take too long, Katsuki had always been the loudest in the playground.

Younger Katsuki stands proudly as he shows off his quirk again for his newly found friends. A wide grin is plastered across his face, all the praise coming from his peers going straight to his ego. Out of all of them though, Izuku was by far clearly the most amazed. He stood in front of his friend with awe glistening in his round eyes that he has yet to grow into.

"You're amazing Kacchan!" He says, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Damn right Deku! I don't need a quirkless loser to tell me!" Katsuki answers smugly. "I'm gonna be the bestest hero in the world! I'm gonna beat All Might!" He shoves the younger Izuku to the floor harshly, ignoring the pained noise that it receives from the boy.

The adult Izuku and Katsuki visibly tense, so maybe this would be a little harder than just walking up to the two. Not that that was ever going to be easy in the first place. Katsuki glances at Izuku, trying to gauge what he felt by the way his brows knitted together and his mouth sets into a line.

Izuku sighs and looks back up at the sky, not having to squint as much this time. If he was really truly here in the past, then he should do something, right? He should try and stop Katsuki and save himself from the worst of the bullying, even if he knows that it would never do much. But, without Katsuki, where would he be? It's because of Katsuki that he wanted to be a hero in the first place. It's because of him he had the drive to ignore what everyone said and aim for UA. And really, it was because of Katsuki that he got one for all. If he had never saved him that day, All might would never have seen his bravery or selflessness.

Besides, he had never felt whole without Katsuki by his side, even if they weren't friends. What right did he have to take that away from his younger self? In fact, Izuku doesn't think he could if he tried. He had always stuck around, chasing after the explosive blond even after being pushed away again and again.

"Deku.. you good?" Katsuki asks, nudging the man gently and jolting him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry." He says with a sheepish smile, looking back at Katsuki. He then moves his gaze back to where their younger selves were, only to find them gone.

"They- We- Damn this shit is confusing." Katsuki says, running a hand through his hair. "Baby us went into the forest."

"Baby us?" Izuku chuckles.

"They're us as babies!"

"We were like, five Kacchan."

"Yeah, babies. That's what I damn said." He huffs, but can't help the small upturn of his lips as he watches Izuku's expression get lighter. "C'mon, let's go look for 'em."

They walk around the forest for a while, noting some details they remember from long ago, and pointing out new ones they had never noticed.

"You're seriously telling me you've never given a reporter more than three answers?" Izuku snorts.

"Course I fuckin haven't. Reporters are just too damn nosy. Plus, I thought you were a Dynamight know it all?" He smirks.

"You get it wrong, I'm a Kacchan know it all."

"Is that right?" Katsuki says, leaning in a little closer to be somewhat intimidating. It isn't working. "Then say my name right."

"That's not fair!" Izuku whines, though a smile still spreads his lips, as it always does around Katsuki.

"C'mon nerd, do it and you'll officially be Kacchan's biggest fan." Katsuki says, making sure to put extra emphasis on Izuku's special nickname for him.

"Katch- Katchuki-" He struggles. "Wait don't laugh I can do it!"

"Sure nerd."

"If I say it right you have to say my name!" Izuku proposes.

"I say Deku all the damn time."

"My real name!"

"I can say Izuku just fine nerd." Katsuki smirks, and tries not to notice the faint blush creeping up Izuku's ears as he says it.

"You're so mean Katchuki-"

"It's Katsuki." He corrects with a smug grin.

"I know! Katch- Ka..tsu..ki. There."

"Ew." Katsuki grimaces. "Never do that again."

"Yeah that was gross." Izuku sticks his tongue out and makes a disgusted face. "I like Kacchan much better."

"Damn nerd." Katsuki mumbles, nudging Izuku in the side. He can't help but agree.

Izuku looks up into the tree canopy, thinking about how weird this whole situation is. He had been (supposedly, it could still be a dream. He hasn't crossed off the option.) catapulted twenty years into the past with his best friend since childhood minus the years they weren't. Izuku thinks if it were anyone else he wouldn't be enjoying it as much as he is now. He'd probably even be a little embarrassed to have his entire life on display to someone like this.

He's pulled out of his thoughts by a tug on his leg.

"Excuse me sir, I'm lost." A young Izuku sniffles. Turns out if you're looking for something hard enough it will come right to you. "Can you help me?"

Izuku kneels down to his self. "Are you trying to get back to the park?" He asks gently.

Young Izuku shakes his head. "I was following my ..friend.. to the stream, but we got separated."

Katsuki and Izuku share a glance, they both know damn well the 'friend' is a younger Katsuki, and that he had been pushed away, not separated. Izuku sighs.

"I think me and my friend know the way, wanna come with us?" He offers, holding out a hand to the smaller him, who takes it gratefully with a nod.

The stream isn't too far away, and when Young Izuku spies the other kids he runs off, shouting a thank you behind him. Izuku waves with a smile.

"Well, we talked to me. It didn't do anything." Izuku says smugly. "So clearly, we're in a dream."

"Hey, we haven't talked to me yet!" Katsuki protests, jaw dropping in offence. It earns a laugh from Izuku, who tilts his head back and clutches his stomach with both arms.

"I still think we're dreaming." He says as his laughter dies down and he regains his breath.

"Sure nerd, tell me that when we're back." Katsuki smiles, ruffling Izuku's hair and shoving his head down.

They take a slow walk back through the forest, the birds singing a backing tune as they wander through the greenery. They're both unsure of what to do next, yet feel completely relaxed at each others side. Whatever is happening, wherever they are, they're there together. So it will be okay.

"Deku! Come look at this shit!" Katsuki calls, jogging a few steps ahead. Izuku's eyes involuntarily travel down Katsuki's back and- no! Eyes up Izuku!

He shakes the thought away and follows Katsuki to find out what he's so excited about. It turns out to be carvings in a tree trunk, so low down only a child could've made them. They create K + I in scratchy writing.

"I remember that!" Izuku says. He crouches down and runs his hand over the bark, feeling ever crevice of the wood under his skin. "We got ice cream that day."

"That was only because I made you cry because I was 'hurting the tree'." Katsuki tsks, yet smiles anyways.

Izuku chuckles, standing up and leaning against the tree. He looks at Katsuki with a soft smile. "I'm a hero Kacchan, I gotta save the trees too." He jokes.

"Yeah yeah. At least we got ice cream." Katsuki replies with a light-hearted scoff.

They continue their journey through the memories of the past with each step, eventually making it out the other side of the forest. At some point their younger selves must have returned, since they were very loudly bickering while their parents tried to put their jackets back on.

Inko spots them, and leaves her son with Mitsuki for a moment to approach them. She looks younger, slimmer, its eerie to see her like this.

"Were you the two who helped my son?" Izuku nods in response. "Thank you! He told me you led him back to his friend. He isn't uh.. the nicest person to my dear boy, not many people are since he's quirkless you see. So I'm forever grateful for your kindness." She bows slightly to exaggerate her appreciativeness.

"It's nothing!" Izuku says, struggling to treat his mother as a stranger. "I was quirkless until high school, so I understand what your son is going through."

Katsuki stands to the side, trying to push the frown on his face away. He knows he's one of the main reasons Izuku's life had been so awful since he was five years old, and he knows no matter how much he regrets it he can't change the past. Evidently so.

"Hey Kacchan, what's wrong?" It's Izuku's turn to break Katsuki out of his thoughts with a worried expression. Inko must have left already, she isn't there when he snaps back to earth.

"Nothing, don't worry about it nerd." Katsuki attempts a smile, ruffling Izuku's hair. He doesn't fall for it.

"Kacchan what's wrong?" He repeats, putting his hand on Katsuki's arm.

Katsuki sighs and drops his gaze. "I fucked your damn life up Deku- I took away your childhood!" He picks his gaze back up to look at Izuku, who's trying to attempt an angry face and doing it awfully.

"You're different Kacchan." He says as if its an undeniable truth. "You've changed. And besides, I was still a kid and I still got my childhood. I just didn't get to spend time with you." He adds on softly, gently squeezing Katsuki's arm. "But we get to make new memories now. We have time, time to spend together."

Katsuki lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Yeah, together."

"Together." Izuku repeats, holding out his pinky.

"Tch. You're such a damn nerd." Katsuki scoffs. He smiles and interlocks their fingers, shaking once.

The moment seems to only include them, the whole world fading around them- that's when they realise it is. Everything melts into a white void, causing the ground beneath them to give way and send them falling.

"Kacchan what's happening?" Izuku calls.

"I don't know! Just- don't let go!" Katsuki says, gripping onto Izuku's arms as they fall endlessly.

Chapter Text

The two crash unusually painlessly into grass as the world reforms into a ravine scene. They sit up and look around, only to realise they're at the river they had been at just moments ago.

"Are we still dreaming?"

"We never were damn nerd." Katsuki tuts.

Izuku rolls his eyes. "Are we still in the past then?"

A child's call answers that for them, and they look up to see their younger selves climbing across a log that connects the ravine's edges. Young Izuku falls behind and calls for Katsuki to wait up, only to receive no response.

"Is this real? I don't remember this." Izuku frowns, tilting his head.

"HAH?! YOU DON'T?!" Katsuki asks, dumbfounded. Izuku laughs.

"I don't." He confirms. "So it is real then?"

"Course it fuckin is." Katsuki huffs, leaning back on the grass to watch the scene that's plagued his consciousness since it happened.

Younger Katsuki leads the small group across the log, the four of them chanting a rhyme about Bakugou being the best when he slips, falling down into the stream below.

"Kacchan!" A young Izuku asks, perfectly timed with the adult Izuku's worried whisper of 'Kacchan..!'

Katsuki gives a soft smile as he watches not the memory play out but the concerned furrow of his hero partner's brows. He nudges him gently, with a murmur of 'it's okay' in an attempt to reassure him. It works, Izuku smiles back and he visibly relaxes, running his hands through the blades of grass under them and returning his gaze to their younger selves.

Young Izuku skids down the hill to Katsuki's side, reaching out a hand. "Kacchan, are you okay?" He asks worriedly.

Katsuki scoffs, batting his hand away. "I don't need your shitty help Deku!" He snaps, bringing himself to his feet and shoving Izuku down. A smirk covers his face as he turns away from the hurt on Izuku's face and climbs back up to his 'friends'.

Shame engulfs adult Katsuki's being, soul, and consciousness. He looks down at the grass, unwilling to risk looking at Izuku and see the hurt he once ignored. Instead, Izuku gently places a hand to his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay." He says gently. "We've grown up now, we've both changed." He squeezes his shoulder, encouraging Katsuki to look at him. He does.

"I had a lot of growing up to do." Katsuki chuckles.

"I don't think we ever stop growing up." Izuku says simply, looking up into the clear cornflower blue sky. They watch their past selves play around in the sun for sweet moments of time, listening in to the chirping of the birds and the light rustle of leaves in the wind.

"You were so cute when you were small." Izuku says, breaking the not quite silence.

"Me? Cute?" Katsuki snorts. "I was a little menace."

"A cute menace! Do you remember those matching All Might onesies we had?"

"Course I fuckin do, You're the one who has damn memory problems!" Katsuki jabs Izuku's side.

"Are you upset I don't remember when you fell into a river when you were five?" Izuku snorts, (barely) trying to push his hand away.

"And what if I am?" Katsuki asks, going full in to the tickling. He tries not to think too hard about the butterflies arising in his stomach that arrive with the sound of Izuku's giggles.

"I'm sorry-!" Izuku gasps through laughter. Katsuki pushes Izuku onto the grass and leans above him, aiming for a full attack. He's so damn glad they left their hero costume parts back in the last memory, the hood hides Izuku's face away.

But now, in the crystal of daylight, his freckles shine like a thousand suns and cover his face like Katsuki's own brilliant galaxy. His hair falls back onto the grass. It usually looks so dark it could be mistaken for a dark liquorice colour, but with the beams of light that shine on him the india green is more evident than ever, lighting up the one Katsuki loves like golden treasure in a video game.

Wait.. the one he loves? Since when did he love the damn nerd?

For a while, he thinks. Maybe even forever. He knows Izuku loves him back, he's been saying so since they were five for fucks sake. The real question is if Katsuki is deserving or worthy of it.

Izuku notices the change of expression on his hero partner's face, and the way he seems to zone out of semi-reality and into his own thoughts. He lay beneath him with a frown and gently pokes his cheek, snapping him from his study session.

"Kacchan, you good?"

Katsuki jerks back to earth, and climbs off of Izuku. "Yeah, sorry." He mumbles, a little too quiet for the typically obnoxious blond.

Izuku sits back up, concern evident in his bright shamrock eyes. He tilts his head, the mop of curls atop it bouncing a little as he does. Katsuki looks at him, at Izuku Midoriya, the worlds greatest hero- Katsuki's hero, and can see everything he couldn't when he was younger. Everything heroic about him, his selflessness - standing up for Katsuki's other victims, his bravery - attacking a villain while quirkless just for a chance at saving Katsuki, his compassion - always making sure Katsuki is okay, regardless of how he's treated by him, and his determination - despite how Katsuki had always been there to put him down and crush Izuku's dreams under his heel.

"What's wrong?" Izuku prods.

What is wrong? How can Katsuki put into words the ineffable feeling of adoration and awe he holds for the man in front of him, when his entire life he's repeatedly shunned him, bullied him, abused him? How is it fair that he should ask for forgiveness that's already been served because he feels inadequate? He is inadequate. This is just what he gets for being such an arsehole growing up.

"Kacchan?" Izuku attempts again, growing more uneasy with Katsuki's lack of response. He reaches out and places a caring hand on the other's arm.

"I said I'm alright nerd." Katsuki tries, and fails, to dismiss it. How can Izuku still be so worried about someone like him?

Izuku frown only grows. "Talk to me Kacchan." He says, sitting into a more comfortable position and shuffle closer to him.

Katsuki sighs. He opens his mouth, struggling to find the words.

"How are you still so nice to me?" He lands on, voice quiet. Izuku's gaze softens.

"You're amazing Kacchan." Izuku says simply, absolutely, undeniably.

"I was.. awful.." His voice strains. He accidentally rips some of the grass out of the soil from how hard he was gripping the blades.

Izuku smiles. "You aren't anymore. You grew up. Were you even listening to me earlier?" He teases.

Katsuki snorts, the reassurance seeps into his bones like the warmth of hot milk on a glacial winters day. Izuku relaxes as he feels the other unwind, and holds out his pinky yet again.

"I promise we'll keep growing."

They link their pinkies for the second time that dream and shake once.

The world fades away from them, melting into that almost familiar void.

"Again!?" Izuku says, more exasperated than anything.

They hold onto each other, never letting go of their pinky promise as they wait for the next memory.

Neither were expecting it to be one so awful.

"Is this Aldera..?" Izuku thinks out loud, taking in his new surroundings. They had been planted in a hallway of their middle school, which had since long been shut down due to consistent bullying and quirkism coming from students and staff alike. To think that Katsuki had once been part of the problem..

"I hate this place." Katsuki grumbles, sighing and leaning onto a locker, running a hand through his hair.

"At least we're in the shade now!" Izuku tries to look at the bright side, but Katsuki knows in the way his ears twitch at every noise and the way he pulls at his fingers that he's not happy to be here either. Katsuki will be damned if he forces the nerd to spend one more minute in a place he hates, and grabs his arm, ready to pull him out. Crackles and pops stop them both in their tracks.

They look towards the nearest classroom and peek into the door's window.

A fourteen-year-old Katsuki Bakugou slams his palm onto the edge of Izuku's desk. He jumps in surprise, but just mumbles a greeting and continues putting his items into his beaten backpack. Katsuki won't have that.

"What's this Deku?" He sneers, snatching the notebook Izuku was about to place away. "'Hero analysis for the future'? You're still doing this crap? Face it Deku, a quirkless loser like you won't amount to anything special, let alone a hero. Just give up." He scoffs, opening the window and dropping the notebook out, much to Izuku's dismay.

Adult Katsuki can feel Izuku cringe next to him, and has to fight back the urge to go inside and beat the shit out of his younger self. In fact, he probably would've if it weren't for the soothing grip on his arm coming from Izuku. The two duck away to the side as they see the students come to leave.

The cronies Katsuki used to call friends snicker as they watch teenage Katsuki shove Izuku to the floor. Just before they leave the classroom Katsuki turns to middle school Izuku.

"You know if you really want to be a hero that badly, there might be another way. Just pray you'll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the building."

Izuku grimaces and turns to Katsuki, but he interrupts him.

"Something wrong?" He asks condescendingly, explosions pop threateningly in his hand. Izuku falters and looks away.

Their adult selves stand in silence, this was such a pivotal event in their relationship, an awful one.

Teenaged Katsuki and his cronies leave the classroom, smug looks on their faces at just having put down a quirkless loser.

"I'm sorry." Katsuki says quietly. "That was shitty of me."

"It was." Izuku wasn't about to deny that, it was indeed shitty. "It's okay though, I forgive you." He says easily.

Katsuki knows he doesn't deserve it, but he's grateful nonetheless. He goes to respond when middle school Izuku leaves the classroom. He stands in the middle of the hallway with a contemplative look on his face, staring at the stairs. Adult Izuku looks away.

Katsuki can feel his heart breaking in guilt and concern. Izuku had actually thought of taking his advice? He had never known how close he was to living in a world without Izuku in it. And it was all his fault. How stupid could he be? Why did he feel the need to say that?

He feels his breath catch in his throat as he watches the younger Izuku walk away from the stairs, shaking his head. He turns to Izuku.

"You.. were going too?" He asks, voice revealing the shatters in his heart. Izuku shifts his gaze away from his hero partner. Katsuki hesitates, but speaks anyway.

"Thank you. For not.. um.. you know." He says awkwardly, unsure of how to fix the damage he caused. "I'm sorry." Izuku risks a glance back at him, guilt festering as he sees how distraught the blond is at the discovery.

The door opens again, Katsuki returning back to the hall.

"You came back?" Izuku whispers.

"I had to make sure.." Katsuki confirms.

***

Younger Katsuki climbs the stairs with purpose. He isn't quite sure why, but this nagging feeling in his stomach won't go away after he said that damn swan dive comment. Deku wouldn't take it seriously.. right?

The door to the roof opens with a creak and he steps onto the concrete with a scowl on his face. The damn nerd wasn't here. He could leave now, so why didn't he want to?

He told himself he'd wait just twenty minutes more, just to check. Then it would be fine.

***

"I'm going to talk to him." Izuku says earnestly.

"Are you sure?" Katsuki questions in hesitance. Is it the best idea to let him go towards the worst version of himself? The look on Izuku's face told him he would do it with or without Katsuki's acceptance though, and Katsuki was done with trying to dictate Izuku's life years ago. He nods, watching as Izuku climbs the stairs and disappears from view.

***

Katsuki is done with this shit. It's cold out here and he needs to get home to finish his work and train. He can't become the number one hero without training after all. He's just about to call his spontaneous stakeout quits when he hears the door open, and a voice that sounds uncannily familiar yet unrecognisable.

"Hello Kacchan." It says. Who the fuck does he think he is? Only Deku calls him that- and only Deku will call him that! He turns to face the stranger with a glare, but pauses. He looks like Deku. Why does he look like Deku?

"Who the fuck are you?" He spits.

The stranger sighs. "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

Katsuki scoffs. "You expect me to believe that? Who are you? I'll call the cops."

He sighs again. "I'm Izuku Midoriya, from the future." He pauses a little after he speaks, realising just how crazy that sounds. He does a small head shake to get himself back on track, Deku does that. Is he telling the truth? He can't be, he's in a hero costume. That would mean Deku is a hero. But he's quirkless, so therefore this isn't Deku and just a crazy guy. Yeah.

"What you just said was really shitty of you." The stranger says. He must be mad- Katsuki hadn't said anything!

Though he knew what he meant.

The stranger sighs again in exasperation, he walks over to the railing and leans against it, looking out at the city. Katsuki hesitantly joins him. Maybe there was a small, crazy chance that it really was him.

"You're.. old." He starts, unsure of what to say. Izuku chuckles.

"I'm only twenty-four!"

Katsuki tsks. "You're a hero." He says incredulously.

"I'm a hero." Izuku confirms. "We're hero partners."

No way. Now that was impossible. Him? Partnering with DEKU? No, absolutely not.

Izuku seems to understand his disbelieving silence, and confirms it.

"Its true. You change a lot as you get older."

"Tch. Why would I change? I'm the best." He huffs, though an involuntary tone of self doubt sneaks through.

"You really are amazing Kacchan, I won't deny that." He starts with a smile. "But you have a long way to go. You'll get there."

Katsuki thinks about his words. It's such a stupid Deku thing to say. He huffs and looks away, crossing his arms.

"What you said today was really mean." Izuku brings it up again, sounding earnest. He looks at Katsuki, trying to gauge an ounce of information on what's happening in his head. He takes a seat on the cold concrete and pats the space beside him, hoping Katsuki will follow. He does.

"Were you worried I would take your advice? Is that why you're up here?" Izuku asks gently, even if he knows the answer. When he gets no response, he continues. "What if I did, would you want that?"

"What? No!" Katsuki quickly defends. He may hate the damn nerd, but he didn't want him to die.

"I almost did." He admits, and Katsuki can feel his heartbeat quicken in a bout of anxiety. "I thought about it. But I didn't. You know why?"

Katsuki shakes his head.

"I wanted to see you become a hero." He smiles, glancing down at his hands for a moment before looking back to see Katsuki's shocked face. "Even if I never became a hero, even if I never got a quirk. I knew you would be the best hero the world has seen. I wanted to live to see that. To see you succeed."

Izuku takes his stunned silence as a cue to continue.

"You're a dick, I won't sugarcoat it. But, I forgive you."

"You forgive me?" Katsuki stammers out. "Why?"

"I've seen you grow, I know how far you come. I can say with absolute certainty that you become one of the best heroes Japan has ever seen. But you also become my best friend. I know you, the older you I mean," Izuku chuckles. "He's pretty awesome. But more importantly, he's a good person." He jabs a finger into Katsuki's chest. "So I know you can be too."

Katsuki just stares at the man in front of him with his jaw clenched. He looks like Deku, he sounds like Deku, He talks like Deku. He should be angry, right? Angry that damn Deku is trying to tell him how to live his life, as if he knows any shit at all!

But.. as much as he tries to ignore it, Deku does know him. He's been there every step of the way, whether he accepts it or not. So maybe he's right? Maybe he can change, maybe he does change. Is that really the worst thing in the world? Katsuki almost lost Izuku today, if him changing can stop that, then damn right he's gonna change. Even if he isn't entirely sure why yet.

He's snapped out of his thoughts by Izuku pulling him into a hug. He hangs his arms by his sides, unsure of what to do, but it seems like Deku needs this, so he lets it happen. It's a little nice, but fuck if he'll let anyone else know.

Izuku pulls away, keeping his hands on Katsuki's shoulders.

"I promise it's going to be okay." He says, putting his pinky up. Katsuki stares at it for a moment before rolling his eyes and hooking his own around Izuku's.

"You're such a sap." He says, shaking once.

Chapter Text

Katsuki watches Izuku walk up the stairs, waiting until he hears the door to the rooftop open and close to look away.

The hallway seems so quiet now, with just him in it. Everything is a lot smaller than he remembers, the lockers on the walls, the seats and desks he can spy through the cracks in the classroom doors.

He lets out a tight breath. He hates it in here. It brings back hideous memories that plague his mind without the physical reminder of being there.

The door sits invitingly at the end of the hallway, beckoning Katsuki to leave. He does. He needs to talk to the teenaged Izuku.

It isn't too hard to find the boy, he's crouched near a pond gently reaching into it. He pulls out a saturated notebook and attempts to dry it off with little success.

Katsuki tentatively approaches him, he hadn't thought this through in the slightest. What is he meant to say? He's sorry, of course, but will he believe him? He sucks in a breath, apparently a little louder than he expected because Izuku jolts, whizzing his head up to see who's watching him.

"Sorry sir! I didn't see you.. there.." He trails off, tilting his head in curiosity. "Kacchan?" He asks, disbelieving and quiet. He has always been perceptive.

"That's right nerd." Katsuki confirms, crossing his arms.

Izuku instinctively stands up, hunching his shoulders and trying to make himself seem smaller. Katsuki's heart clenches. This is all his fault. He sighs, running a hand through his hair and holding his head as his anxiety increases. Why is he anxious in the first place? It's just fourteen-year-old Izuku Midoriya. Arguably one of the least threatening creatures on the planet. This is fine. Calm down.

"Is something wrong?" Izuku asks, clearly worried for the man in front of him yet scared to do anything. Katsuki had fucked him up bad, huh?

He removes his hand from his head and kneels to Izuku's level, trying to make himself seem as unintimidating as he can. He takes another breath. Calm down damnit!

"I'm sorry." He says. His voice wavers and he sounds a little unsure. "I'm sorry." He repeats, clearer and more certain this time. He looks at Izuku as he says it, hoping the younger boy can tell he means it.

Izuku has never been more confused in his life. Not even when his dad bought him an endeavour birthday gift when he was four. (That was the first and last gift he ever received from him).

"You're sorry?" He asks, shocked still. Katsuki nods.

"I fucked up really badly. I treated you like shit and-" His voice wobbles. "And I shouldn't've. I'm really sorry Izuku." He looks down, unable to look at him any longer yet making sure that he hears him use his real name. "I always looked down on you, just because you were quirkless. You were always so far behind me, and yet I felt like you were still somehow miles ahead of me. I hated that. I didn't want to feel like that and I didn't want to recognise that. It's why I always pushed you away and beat you down. I spent all my days trying to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. It probably doesn't mean anything telling you all of this.. but, that's what I think Izuku. I'm sorry for everything I've done."

He looks back up to find Izuku just staring at him, open mouthed, with tears running down his face. He finds some on his own too.

"You don't have to forgive me." He adds on the end, even if he knows Izuku will.

His gaze returns to the pavement, unable to bring his voice out of the heavy block in his throat any longer. He doesn't predict what happens next.

Izuku lurches forward and wraps his arms around Katsuki's torso, squeezing him tight and as close as he can. Katsuki hesitantly returns it, holding the boy he let down in his arms.

"Thank you." Izuku says sincerely. He doesn't really know where this strange version of Kacchan came from, or what he's doing here apologising to him - he doesn't even think it's necessary- (even if it is), but he's thankful anyway. This straightforward honesty is uncharacteristic of the boy, so much so Izuku is halfway convinced he's gone insane from breathing in too much lead dust from note taking.

"You're not insane nerd." Katsuki chuckles softly. Oops-! Izuku did not mean to mutter, he really needs to get that in check. He hopes he doesn't still mutter too much when he's older. Speaking of-

"Where did you come from?" Izuku asks cautiously, like he shouldn't be asking at all. He leans back just enough to look up at the blond but makes sure to still be close to touching the man and wipes at the remaining tears.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself." Katsuki laughs, his arm coming to Izuku's shoulder as if he's scared of him leaving. "I guess I come from the future."

"Is that your hero costume? Are you number one?" He continues, the questions spilling out faster than he can think of them. This is a one in a lifetime opportunity! He has to find out what he can!

Katsuki snorts in endearment. He hadn't much changed since then, still the same old fanboy.

"It's my stealth costume kid." He ruffles his hair, a lot more gentle than he would with the adult Izuku. "And no way, I'm number fifteen."

"Whoaa!" Izuku exclaims, looking excited nonetheless at the news. He almost buzzes.

Katsuki hesitates, unsure if he should tell him the news.

"You're my hero partner ya know."

Izuku does buzz.

"Really? You're not joking or anything? We're hero partners?"

"I'm serious kid-nerd. We both get into UA and become hero partners."

Katsuki can't help but find Izuku's fanboying over themselves adorable. How could he ever had hurt him? He looks at the boy in front of him. He's skinnier than he is now, there's faint bruising on his cheeks - presumably from Katsuki's last beating, and his hair is somehow wilder than it's ever been and dark enough to pass as the night sky.

There's a strange expression on his face, as if he wants to ask more.

"What is it nerd?" Katsuki asks gently.

"It's nothing! Don't worry about it.." Izuku trails off, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Katsuki frowns.

"You can ask anything." He reassures, gently nudging his shoulder. Izuku studies him for a moment before responding, not with his question, but something else.

"What's something only the real Kacchan knows?" It's a little late to be double checking, but it's better safe than sorry Katsuki supposes. He chuckles.

"Let's see.." He puts a finger to his chin in pretend thought. "You had to sleep with an all might nightlight because you were scared of the dark." He smirks triumphantly, then falls as he hears Izuku's next words.

"Actually, I only put it on when we had sleepovers because I heard auntie tell mum that you were scared of the dark." He corrects shyly. "And my mum knew that so it doesn't count! What's something only Kacchan knows?"

Katsuki stares in shock at the kid, but quickly thinks of something else. Something only he knows.

"One time, when we were swimming in the stream, you accidentally breathed in a bunch of water and snorted a tadpole and you wouldn't stop crying so we went to get ice cream but there was a tadpole mascot on the sign and you cried so hard you threw up and told auntie I gave you a stomach bug because you didn't want to admit to killing a baby fr-"

"Okay okay! It's really you!" Izuku gasps, shoving his hands over Katsuki's mouth.

Katsuki snorts, and gently peels the kid's hands away from his face. "You gonna tell me what's going on in that nerd brain of yours now?" He asks, poking Izuku's forehead.

Izuku takes a slow breath in and out to prepare himself and pulls on his fingers.

"Do I ever get a quirk?"

Ah. He isn't surprised really, any quirkless kid would want to know. And Katsuki did say he was a hero.

"You do. A damn cool one at that." He supplies. Izuku beams, his india green eyes glistening with hope.

"What is it?"

"That I can't tell you kid. You'll have to wait and find out."

Izuku doesn't look offended, he just found out he gets a quirk! That's enough to keep his spirits high for years! Dare he say - it's better than meeting All Might. Though he would actually have to meet All Might to be able to say that for sure.

"You do meet All Might. He becomes a teacher at UA." Katsuki says. Damnit, Izuku really needs to get his muttering in check. Wait- ALL MIGHT IS HIS TEACHER?

He's close to bouncing with joy at this point. Everything he's ever dreamed of comes true, how could he not? He looks up as Katsuki puts his hands on his shoulders.

"You're gonna be amazing Izuku.. you are amazing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"... Even you?" He asks quietly.

Katsuki's heart squeezes uncomfortably in his chest.

"Especially me."

He sucks in a breath and tries to keep himself composed.

"I was blind towards your potential.. towards you. Don't let that stop you from becoming the greatest hero in the world."

Izuku smiles. He knows this doesn't fix everything, fuck, it barely fixes anything. But it still means the world to him that Kacchan is here now, apologising to him sincerely. He doesn't even think he could be upset or hold a grudge if he tried anyway, to be honest. He always believed Kacchan has good in him, this is just proof of that.

"I forgive you." He says earnestly.

Katsuki seems thankful, yet wary to accept it that easily. "You don't have to say that-"

"I'm sure future me forgives you, and so I do too." He says, cutting him off.

Katsuki can't help but smile at the kid. How could he be so nice to him even after everything?

A loud ringing interrupts their saccharine moment, followed by 'A CALL IS HERE!'

"Is that seriously your ringtone?" Katsuki snorts.

Izuku looks suitably mortified as his phone betrays him, and fishes it out of his pocket to discover who could have possibly interrupted the moment.

"It's mum." He reads aloud.

"Take the call nerd, tell auntie I say hi."

He accepts the call and turns away from Katsuki for some semblance of privacy, though he can still hear Izuku's side of the conversation.

"Hi mum! What's up?" He waits for his mother's response before continuing. "I'm just hanging with.." He trails off, unsure of how much he can say. "Kacchan. He says hello." He decides.

Katsuki snorts from where he's crouching, and stands back up with his arms crossed over his chest. If he strains his ears, he can hear Inko's confused yet polite response. They talk for a moment before Izuku puts his phone back in his pocket and readjusts his backpack straps.

"I need to go to the shops before I go home, so I should really go now.." He says a little sadly, Katsuki feels the same.

"Alright nerd, I'll see you around." He says, even if the both of them are clueless as to how true it is.

Izuku nods his head in agreement and turns around, but before he can take a step Katsuki puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Kid.. look.." He sighs, trying to find the words. "You're gonna go through some tough shit. No matter how hard it gets, never give up, okay?" He squeezes Izuku's shoulder, though he can't quite tell if it's to encourage him or ground himself.

"I won't." Izuku responds eventually with a smile, and holds out a pinky. "Promise."

This kid..

Katsuki smiles, a little softer than he intended, and hooks his own pinky around the boy's. They shake once.

***

Izuku watches middle school Katsuki leave through the back of the building and heads out the front doors, where he watches his younger self walking away. He turns to Katsuki to find a rare endearing smile on his face.

"Good chat?" He teases, smirking when Katsuki jumps to face him.

"I'd say it was pretty successful." He says, trying to act casual. "What about you? Get anything through to baby me?"

"Kacchan you were fourteen. And yes, I think I actually got something into that little shithead's thick skull."

Katsuki snorts.

"Yeah that's what I said, baby me." He scoffs. "What'd you say to him?"

"I told him he was amazing and then called him a dick." Izuku shrugs, leaning against the slowly cooling bricks. Katsuki is a little stunned for a moment, then splutters out:

"Wanna go into more detail nerd?"

"hmm.. nahh." Izuku shakes his head, still grinning at Katsuki.

"What are you so happy about?" He asks, leaning next to him, a little closer than what's socially normalised.

"Well, since we've interacted with 'baby us', we should've been put back in our real world by now. According to you at least."

Katsuki pauses. Damn, the nerd is right. So they are in a dream? He had been too caught up in trying to talk to young Izuku that he completely failed to recall the fact they're in an alternate reality or something kindred.

"So you think I'm convinced we're in a dream now? Fat chance nerd, We need to interact with ourselves duh." He says, scraping at the bottom of the barrel for something to prove himself.

Izuku thinks about this, it seems fairly reasonable.

"So we'll do that in the next memory, then you'll see I'm right." He says with a complacent smile. Then frowns. "Why aren't we going to the next memory?"

"We didn't pinky promise anything?" Katsuki suggests.

"What would we promise?"

They think for a moment.

"What about something basic, to be number one - or the best. Or something like that?" Katsuki says. Izuku shrugs.

They join their pinkies together, and promise to be the best heroes. Nothing happens.

Izuku looks around, expecting to see the familiar fading white appear to transport them somewhen else, it doesn't come. Only the faint chirping of birds and whistling of wind can be heard in the otherwise hushed world.

"It didn't work." Katsuki says, nonplussed. "Why didn't it work?"

"Maybe we have to interact with ourselves in this memory?" Izuku asks, just as confused.

"I thought that was it?" He asks, then comes to the realisation at the same time Izuku does.

"The sludge villain!" They say in unison.

Chapter Text

"It shouldn't be too far from here, right?" Izuku asks, getting ready to power up full cowling and jump across the rooftops.

"Race you nerd!" Katsuki makes a feral grin, blasting himself into the sky.

"Hey!"

Izuku chases after him, matching his speed to catch up with him quickly.

The wind whistles past their ears as they soar, needing fewer breaks on rooftops than they did years ago. (Even if they both miss the moments they shared as they caught their breath)

Katsuki could have sworn he was going in the right direction, but almost slams into a building as he gets distracted by Izuku taking a sharp turn.

"Izuku..? It's this way!" He calls out to him while using a few blasts to slow himself down, ensuring he doesn't break his nose on the brick.

"Just trust me!" Izuku yells back, already jumping across a few more streets. Katsuki follows without hesitation.

The afternoon sun shines on them as Katsuki follows Izuku towards an unknown destination, which turns out to be a seemingly mundane street. Basic houses, basic plant life, nothing really special about it. The same as every other street in Musutafu.

Teenage Izuku appears around the corner and starts to walk under a bridge, looking a little happier than when Izuku had last seen him. A soft smile appears on his face, he's glad Katsuki had the chance to talk to him.

Katsuki raises an eyebrow.

"Aren't you just going to the store? Why do we need to follow your baby ass?"

"Did I not tell you?" Izuku says with a tilt of his head, Katsuki tries not to spend too much time staring at the way his curls sway.

"Tell me wh-"

He's cut off by a viscid creature surfacing from the drains. It's taller than the two of them, barely fitting under the bridge. It's a hideous green colour that accurately portrays the rancid smell it emits.

"You'll make a perfect skin suit for me to hide in kid."

It fully emerges, engulfing young Izuku into its putrid sludge.

Katsuki steps forward decisively, but Izuku's hand stalls him.

Izuku shakes his head, to which Katsuki gives him a look as if to mean 'are you crazy?!', but he seems sure in his decision. Katsuki takes a look back at the other Izuku, wincing at the desperate and anguished expression on his face. His struggle is so hopeless Katsuki gags.

"Don't worry.. I'm just taking over your body. It'll be easier for both of us if you don't fight back. It'll only hurt for a minute, you'll feel better soon!"

Izuku's fraught grasps at the slime in his throat are hideous, the villain laughs in his face.

"Grab all you want, my body's made of fluid. Thanks for the help, You're a real hero to me kid." The villain snarls, smirking with the lopsided mouth it had around Izuku.

Katsuki turns back to Izuku, but he stays firm in his decision, even as his younger self is lifted up into the air and close to unconsciousness.

"I didn't realise he was in the city.. I gotta get out of here fast before he tracks me down."

Izuku has seen scarier things in his lifetime. He's seen stain up close, watched loved ones die, fought the most dangerous villains on the planet, had his arms decayed.. maybe the list is a little worse than he thought.. but the point is, he can't help but grip Katsuki a little tighter and grit his teeth together as the memories become present in front of him.

"Somebody! Help!" The young boy cries out, although the words are more of a pained noise than an actual shout.

Then- All Might appears?! He hurls a manhole cover at the sludge villain. He unusually isn't in his hero costume.

"Have no fear, you are safe. Now that I am here that is!"

The villain tries to land a hit on the hero, but misses and receives a Texas smash to the face in return.

So this must have been when they first met, Katsuki had heard vaguely from Izuku that they had met before, but he had never known the exact details. He's finding out now, he supposes.

The sludge villain struggles to hold itself together, and erupts into slime chunks that splat against the walls and ceiling of the bridge.

Izuku's undersized self gets thrown aside onto the floor.

"Is that.. All Might..?" His lips stumble out before he falls fully unconscious

Katsuki clenches his fist and bites his cheek as he watches the number one hero bottle up the villain and walk over to Izuku and slap at his face to wake him up.

"Hey, wake up! hey!"

Izuku blinks his eyes open sluggishly, gasping loudly when he sees the All Might leaning over him.

"Thought we lost you there!"

"AAAAAAGHH?!?" Izuku screams, crawling backwards. Katsuki snorts quietly in an attempt to hold back a laugh.

"Looks like you're moving around alright. Sorry about that back there, I didn't mean to get you caught up in my justice-ing! Usually I pay more attention to keeping bystanders safe, but it turns out the city's sewer system is pretty difficult to navigate." All Might laughs and places a hand to his head. "Anyway, you were a big help, thank you! I have captured the evil-doer!"

The younger Izuku flusters, completely starstruck by his second biggest hero standing right in front of him.

"Crap! I gotta get an autograph.. I got a pen around here somewhere!" He mumbles aloud, patting around for a pen.

"Please sign my notebook!" He asks, reaching forward for it only to realise it already contains a signature. "AH! HE ALREADY DID?"

Izuku bows gratefully, trying not to fanboy too hard and utterly failing.

"Thank you so much! This will be an heirloom! A family treasure passed down for generations to come!"

All Might flashes him a thumbs up and Katsuki covers his mouth with his hand to stifle the laughter that's begging to come out.

"Welp, I've gotta get this guy to the police so they can take care of him." The number one hero says, patting the bottles of slime in his pockets. "Stay out of trouble, see you around!"

Katsuki frowns a little, giving Izuku a look that is returned with confusion.

"wait- you're leaving? Already?"

"Pro heroes are constantly fighting time as well as enemies!" All Might declares, getting ready to jump away. "Now stand back, I'm taking off! Thanks for your continued support!"

Katsuki watches with a stunned expression as younger Izuku clings to All Might's leg and the two fly away.

"You- I- You- He-" He stumbles, clearly unsure of where to begin, so Izuku starts instead.

"I'm sorry I never told you the exact story on how I met All Might!"

Katsuki's mouth only widens at that.

"Zuku.. I'm not upset you never told me, I'm worried because you got attacked and almost died!" he says sternly.

Izuku.. smiles?

"Zuku?" He asks, a light blush tinting the tips of his ears.

"Shit.." Katsuki grumbles, his face turning a little red. "I didn't mean to say that-"

"I.. I liked it." Izuku says shyly, rubbing at the back of his neck and looking down as his ears get redder.

Katsuki tries to hide his mantling face behind his hands, before remembering that he was trying to be serious here.

"C'mon Zuku, you almost died!" He said worriedly, looking at Izuku with a frown. He was met with a guilty glance. "I'm gonna go after him." He decides, getting ready to blast off in the direction that All Might had headed.

"Huh?! What- why?!" Izuku stammers, watching Katsuki rolls his shoulders and stretch and trying his hardest not to get too distracted.. He looks away and up at the clouds.

"Wanna hear what All Might has to say. He broke like, three separate Health and Safety codes."

He powers off into the sky, scanning the buildings until he finds who he's looking for and lowers himself onto a rooftop nearby. Izuku follows closely behind and the two listen in, albeit Izuku reluctantly.

"Kacchan- are you sure? Maybe we should head to the spot the villain attacks again.."

"Yes I'm sure!" He snaps, before thinking. "Hold on a fucking minute.. If All Might captured the sludge villain, then why did it attack me?"

Izuku sucks in a guilty breath.

"It kind of.. fell out? When I grabbed onto All Might.." He admits meekly.

Katsuki pauses. He isn't quite sure how to feel about that. Izuku is the reason he got attacked, and almost died? But he's also the reason he was saved, so that makes up for it. He thinks. And also, if All Might had done his job properly, and taken Izuku to the hospital after he almost died, then Izuku would never have grabbed onto All Might's leg. So it's All Might's fault. But if the villain never attacked Izuku in the first place he would never have grabbed All Might, then the villain never would have attacked Katsuki.

But if the villain never attacked Katsuki, Izuku would never have gotten one for all. Would have never become the world greatest hero, never defeated Shigaraki and All For One. He would never have become his hero partner. His hero. And Katsuki doesn't know how to feel about that even more. So he'll just decide to blame the sludge villain for being a dick and attacking children, and All Might for being too fucking clumsy. Yeah.

He blasts into the sky, leaving Izuku without a response. The latter just sighs to himself and follows him across the rooftops.

When they arrive, Izuku quietly watches his younger self and All Might talk, they must have missed the first part of the conversation.

Katsuki watches him for a moment, bewitched but the way his freckles shone like stars under the crystal of daylight for not the first time. He zones back in to listen to them too to find that All Might is walking away, to the edge of the building.

"I have to know!" Young Izuku calls with an outstretched hand, that slowly retreats back to his side. Almost as if he's giving up, but there's something akin to determination in his features.

"Sometimes I do feel like I'm a failure. Like there's no hope for me. But even so- I'm not gonna give up! Ever!"

Damn right. Katsuki smiles proudly at his hero partner's younger self.

"Is it possible to become a hero, even if I don't have a quirk?" Young Izuku asks with his hands gripped into fists by his sides as he ducks into his uniform.

All Might stops.

"I'm a normal kid, without any powers. Could I ever hope to be someone like you?" Izuku continues, desperate to hear the validation from his (second) greatest hero.

The hero turns to the kid behind him. The quirkless, fragile, innocent kid.

"Without a quirk?"

His words are cut off as he grunts and begins to steam.

Izuku just looks away with a defeated look. "People think I don't have a chance - that not having any powers makes me some sort of weakling. My classmates like to make fun of me." He fidgets with his thumbs. "But you know what? That makes me want to prove them wrong. Ever since I was a kid I've thought that saving people is the coolest thing you can do." Katsuki can't help but feel bittersweet at the words.

Izuku smiles, despite everything.

"I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe, and be the kind of hero everyone in the world can look up to. Just like you!"

He looks up at All Might - only to yelp as he sees him in his true form for the first time - then screams.

"I- wait- who? What happened? You deflated! Ah? Where'd All Might go? You-! You're not him! You're a fake! An imposter!"

Katsuki snorts at the boy's reaction, and adult Izuku elbows him (albeit without much force) in the ribs.

"I assure you that I am All Mi-" Blood drips out of his mouth, cutting his sentence off. Izuku screams.

"IMPOSSIBLE-!"

All Might sighs. "You know how guys at the pool are always suckin' in and flexin', and tryna look buff? I'm like that."

"This can't be real-!?"

Katsuki does a double take.

"Did he seriously say that?" He whispers. Izuku nods, trying to stifle a giggle as he watches not All Might, but Katsuki's reactions.

"No- I'm dreaming." Young Izuku decides. "All Might's a giant of a man who saves everyone. He defeats all obstacles and wins the day with a fearless smile!"

All Might lets out a tired sigh. "There's plenty of fear behind that smile." He sits down, clearly intending to stay there a while. "I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut. Don't go talking about this online or to your friends." He starts.

He lifts up his wife-pleaser to reveal a large and frankly hideous purple scar that stretches across his body from the side of his torso. Izuku gasps at the sight. The future adult's wince, even now.

"It looked so different back then." Katsuki said. He had seen it before, a few times, but it was still so strange to see it like this. Izuku nodded in agreement.

"Pretty gross right? I got this in a big fight five years back. My raspatory system was basically destroyed. I lost my whole stomach, all the surgeries have pretty much worn me out - and it can't be fixed."

He puts his shirt back down and looks up at the boy.

"Right now I can only do hero work for about three hours a day, rest of the time, this is what I look like."

"No way.." Izuku says in disbelief. "Five years ago? So does that mean it was the fight with Toxic Chainsaw?"

"Nerd." Katsuki smirks, nudging Izuku in the shoulder.

"Hey! Don't act like you didn't know that too!" He grumbles in return, nudging him back and accidentally pushing him over.

"Wow, you know your stuff." All Might praised, causing Izuku to blush in embarrassment. "But no, the punk may have landed some hits but he couldn't bring me down. Most of the world has never heard of this fight - I did everything I could to keep it under wraps." He sighs. "I'm supposed to be the guy that's always smiling, right? I'm the symbol of peace. People everywhere have to think that I'm never afraid. But honestly, I smile to hide the fear inside. It's just a brave face I put on when the pressure is high. This job isn't easy."

He looks dead straight into Izuku's eyes.

"Pro heroes are always having to risk their lives. Some villains just can't be beaten without powers. So, can you be a hero? Not without a quirk."

"WHAT?!" Katsuki yells, jumping up from where they were hidden only to be yanked down again by Izuku. They topple to the floor, with Izuku leaning over the other and his hands at either side of his head.

"Kacchan ssh!" He scolds. "You're gonna give us away!"

"Sorry.." He mumbles, desperately trying not to look at his lips and failing miserably. He almost can't hear young Izuku's depressed mutter of 'I see'. Almost.

"Why would he say that? Is he a fucking idiot?" Katsuki grumbled, making no move to remove Izuku from above him. The view is quite nice down here anyway.

"Kacchan you can't say that about All Might!" Izuku says, mortified.

The door to the rooftop opens and closes, bracketing All Might's suggestion to join the police force and have attainable dreams.

Chapter Text

Katsuki gives Izuku a look. Why won't he understand that All Might fucked up?

"Why the fuck not? He's being a god damn idiot!" Katsuki protests. "Why would he say that? Did that really happen?"

The sun starts to feel unbearably hot on the back of Katsuki's neck, he can feel the droplets of sweat begin to form and trickle down his back.

Young Izuku sighs, mumbling to himself as he leaves; something about never giving up. The creaking of the door open and closing sounds like nails on a chalkboard as Katsuki looks up at Izuku, trying desperately to get him to understand.

Izuku looks away, finally standing up (much to Katsuki's disappointment).

"He was just trying to protect me." Izuku defends. Couldn't Katsuki see that? All Might didn't mean it, he was just trying to stop a quirkless kid running off to their death!

"He told a kid to give up on their dream, Zuku. Isn't he supposed to be encouraging or whatever?"

"Being a hero is dangerous! Especially a quirkless hero!"

The silence in the atmosphere is painful. Katsuki wipes at his neck, missing his summer costume.

"He doesn't know shit! He retired when he lost his quirk!" He says, ignoring the clingy thought in the back of his mind that screams it's his own fault All Might retired.

"He was trying to help!"

"He was being quirkist!" Katsuki starts to yell, no longer caring about being discovered or seen now that the younger Izuku had left.

It might've sounded a little quirkist, sure, but he had a good reason! Izuku was just a useless deku back then. If All Might had never given him one for all, he would still be useless deku. He owed his entire career to him - his entire life.

"Because you would know all about that wouldn't you?!" Izuku bites back without thinking. He slaps a hand over his mouth with a small gasp and wide eyes. Why would he say that? Stupid stupid stupid! He's finally getting the friendship he's always wanted with Katsuki - his hero - but now he's just had to go and fuck it all up! Stupid!

Katsuki stalls. He did know, didn't he? He had hurt Izuku hundreds of times before. What right does he have to get mad at All Might? If Izuku chose to ignore All Might's words just like he had ignored Katsuki's, he really couldn't get mad at the nerd for it. After all, he had done worse things than tell Izuku he couldn't be a hero. He had done worse things while telling Izuku he couldn't be a hero.

"Stupid! stupid stupid stupid!"

A frown of concern knits itself into Katsuki's brows, the uncomfortable feeling of the droplets on his neck insignificant now. He can't help the nagging guilt at his stomach. Izuku was right. He was a piece of shit when he was younger. He knew all about being quirkist. So why was Izuku calling himself stupid? He was right. Izuku was right.

He wraps his arms around Izuku, holding onto him tightly in an attempt to squeeze any sadness out. And maybe some of his own rue.

"I'm sorry." Katsuki says quietly, the fabric of Izuku's costume muffling the already faint sound.

There's no hesitation in Izuku's movement to return the hug. He's so stupid. Kacchan has changed now, He's not the quirkist bully he used to be.

"You're not stupid." Izuku hears Katsuki say, and lets out a breath. He needed to get his mumbling under control.

"No you don't." Katsuki reassures, holding him a little tighter.

He can't help but smile. Yeah. Kacchan has changed. He could definitely stop trying to actively break his ribs though.

"Kacchan I can't breathe-"

Katsuki obeys, resorting to holding the nerds shoulders instead.

"I still think he was stupi-"

A loud crashing noise interrupts him. The two heroes snap their heads to the source to discover a tower of smoke forming a few streets away.

"Jesus christ.." Katsuki mutters. "Is that me?!"

"Let's go." Izuku says, already at the edge of the rooftop, crouching down and ready to jump.

***

They poke their heads around a corner, low to the floor and grimacing as they see the sludge villain engulf Katsuki. There's already severe damage to the surrounding street. Buildings have their windows broken in, some are even on fire from Katsuki's quirk.

Backdraft and Kamui Woods try their best to evacuate everyone and keep destruction to a minimum, but other than that.. not much is being done. They've all decided they couldn't do it. Just waiting for someone else to take over.

Izuku doesn't really understand. How could they watch this teenager- this child being killed and just stand by? They were heroes, trained for this. Could they not see the pain and fear in his eyes? How could they even bear to watch? If he looks into the crowd, he can see All Might in his true form. Even if he knows the truth now, Izuku doesn't think he'll ever really understand how All Might didn't step in either. All Might. The symbol of peace. Was just going to let Katsuki die. His Kacchan. die.

Katsuki doesn't understand either. But he doesn't blame anyone. It was mostly his fault for setting off so many explosions anyway.

He takes a step forward. He might not understand, but he couldn't watch. He could almost feel slime sliding into his throat and blocking his oxygen flow, covering his skin and taunting him. Talking about how amazing a skin suit like Katsuki would be. It sent shivers down his spine. He had been through worse. He had died for fucks sake. This was just.. something else. Something he couldn't quite put into words. But whatever it was, it was awful. And he didn't want to feel it anymore.

And he could feel Izuku staring at the scene from behind him, his breath catching a little. Fuck if he was gonna let anything scare Izuku.

So he takes a step forward, ready to blow this sludge villain to fucking hell. And then fuck it up some more.

But Izuku stops him. Why the fuck would he do that?!

"There are camera's, we can't let anyone from the past see us." He whispers, tugging Katsuki back.

"We literally talked to baby us." He whispers back, returning to crouch at Izuku's side despite the protest.

"That's different! It's us!"

"Tch. Well I thought you said it was a dream, so why would it matter?"

Izuku smirks.

"So you're agreeing with me? You think it's a dream?"

Damn nerd. Katsuki can't help the upward twitch of his lips, despite the anxiety pooling in his stomach.

"I never said that. We're definitely back in time."

"I'm pretty sure that's not even possible Kacchan."

"Yeah? Really?"

"Really."

Izuku crosses his arms, a look of certainty on his face.

"I'm pretty sure multiple people in the same dream isn't possible either Zuku."

Katsuki copies his movement, standing up straight and looking at Izuku with a smirk.

So does Izuku, reminding the other of the fact he's a few inches taller.

"Neither of us know what that mist is supposed to do. It could be made from a quirk, which are just getting even more powerful nowadays." He says with a shrug, putting his hands on his hips and feigning nonchalance.

Katsuki can feel his face grow red. Fucking hell- his younger self was actively dying just a few meters away and he was blushing! At his best friend of all people!

"I still think a time travelling quirk is more believable than a shared dream, nerd." He responded, trying to keep his voice from cracking. Izuku was probably right - or at least more right than Katsuki is - but now that they've started their little game he's gonna damn win it.

Izuku goes into analyser mode, and fuck if the face he made wasn't the cutest thing Katsuki's ever seen.

"It would make sense really - all of the memories have been about us. I don't think time travelling mist - or quirks - put you in different, specific, memories."

That would check out, but it didn't explain one thing:

"Then how come we don't remember the same stuff? I didn't remember you getting lost, and you didn't remember me falling into the river. Shouldn't it be stuff we both remember?"

Izuku thought for a moment, looking up into the smoke filled sky and sticking his tongue out subconsciously as his mind worked.

"Our memories could be mixing. Or- or it's just me dreaming."

Katsuki gave him a look of offence. Did he just suggest he was a dream illusion?!

"Hey! I'm damn fucking real!"

Izuku giggles at Katsuki's reaction. The way his eyes squeezed shut preventing him from seeing Katsuki's reddening face.

"It would make sense though, wouldn't it-"

A window nearby shatters, fire billowing out of it like wet washing on a windy day.

The dislodged air pushes the two over, Izuku crashing onto Katsuki with a rough thud.

"Are- are you okay?" Izuku asks, trying to recatch his breath. "Kacchan you're hurt!"

He knew that, he felt the glass slice into his cheek. It was only small though, and he wasn't paying attention to it anyway. Not when Izuku was leaning over him like this, with the fire nearby illuminating his face with a clementine glow. His eyes shone, the destruction around them reflecting in green irises. They looked down at Katsuki in worry as he didn't respond, the man too captivated by his very own galaxy of freckles.

"Kacchan can you say something? Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

Katsuki just stared at the man above him. He's gorgeous. curls framed his face in just the right way, putting his eyes in view, and his freckles, and eyelashes.. Katsuki could name maybe 30 things pretty about Izuku just on his face.

"Kacchan..?" Izuku asked again, poking him in the face.

"You're so beautiful.."

Fuck- did he say that out loud?!

Chapter Text

Izuku froze.

Huh? Did he hear that right? Maybe Kacchan really did hit his head..

"My heads just fine nerd." Katsuki said, face turning red as he realises what just happened. Izuku leaning over him mere inches from his face isn't helping either - not that he's complaining. He turns away in a shitty attempt at hiding it.

Izuku is suddenly noticing every detail on Katsuki's face - everything he has been looking at for two decades, but only now really seeing.

Like the moles that punctuate his eye and lip, the small indents on his nose from his reading glasses, the faint tan lines from his mask. There are small scars littered on his skin from his years as a hero too, looking almost like nostalgic small nicks in a tree trunk from years ago.

He traces the outline of Katsuki's nose with his eyes, his profile being defined by the glow surrounding them. He follows the line down from his eyebrows to his lips, where his gaze lingers. Izuku could've sworn they didn't always look like that.

So..

He doesn't know how to put it.

Just so..

Mesmerising.

Katsuki snaps his head towards Izuku with a furious blush covering his face, and that's how he knows he had been mumbling again - and that they were way closer than before.

He watches Katsuki's gaze dart around, realising that he's trying not to look at Izuku. Which is weird on it's own, but it gets even weirder when Izuku realises he's failing at not looking at Izuku. And specifically failing at not looking at Izuku's lips. What? Is this real?

Katsuki was aware of how obvious he was being - no matter how hard he tries not to be - and he was definitely aware of how the nerds nose was almost brushing his from their close proximity. It's all so intoxicating, making Katsuki's blood pump harder through his veins, as if the feeling itself wants to inebriate him even further.

The fire flickering around them became fuzzy, merging into the background along with the noises of civilians and heroes, leaving each other the only thing in focus. isn't that how it's always been?

Izuku grew ever closer, if it was because his arms were growing tired or to close the distance, Katsuki didn't know. But the way his eyes involuntarily flickered shut just ever so slightly told him what he really wanted it to be. What he was hoping it was.

His heart stuttered in his chest, threatening to explode all over again. Was he feeling the same way? Does he really want this? Does Katsuki deserve it? Deserve him?

His pupils peeked through his lids in an attempt to try and gauge how Izuku was feeling, the nerd could never truly hide what he felt, his eyes always betrayed him. Eyes are the window to the soul or something like that.

The view he was met with was almost ethereal. Magical. Otherworldly even. His hero partner had his eyes closed and lips parted, with his head tilted in a way that made his curls sway and Katsuki's face flush.

Just one movement from either of them would change the course of their lives, change their relationship- their dynamic- forever.

"DETROIT SMASH!"

Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku as a huge gust of wind threw them into the neighbouring building with a thud.

***

The rain had cleared, the sky returning to its previous shade of blue. The villain had been arrested, piled up in bags and thrown into the back of police cars. No-one was hurt too badly, though the property damages were likely to be expensive, Katsuki's quirk had done a number on the street and surrounding buildings.

Izuku kneels on the floor, his bag laying somewhere behind him, listening as the heroes scolded him. His uniform is soggy, his hair dripping droplets of water only making it worse.

"You moron! Do you have a death wish?"

"There was absolutely no reason to put yourself in danger like that!"

The heroes scolded him, but for the first time in his life, he didn't agree with them. No reason? Kacchan was being killed and no one was doing anything! He understood somewhat that some peoples quirks aren't suited for some things, but if he - a fourteen year old quirkless kid with no real talents - could at least try, then surely the actual pro heroes could too.. right?

He sat there, being chewed out by the heroes while his clothes began to dry and only half listening, as Katsuki was praised.

Isn't that how it's always been? Izuku gets scolded. Katsuki gets praised. That's just what happens to quirkless people, they get scolded for trying to help. It isn't a quirkless persons job to help. It's their job to stay out of the way and make no trouble. Maybe Kamui Woods was right, he did have a death wish. Why else would he have run headfirst into danger? For a boy who doesn't care about him no less.

Cameras pointed at Katsuki, who sat with a scowl. That was usual for him of course, but this one looked a little different. It wasn't prideful or mocking, it seemed more pensive than anything. Usually he loved attention - what was so different this time? ... Whatever, it doesn't matter. He won't let this get him down or distract him. The older version of Kacchan told him to never give up, and he wasn't planning to.

***

He trudged home, most of his clothes dry by now, aside from his shoes, which squelched with every step. The sky shines a honey gold colour as the sun makes it's descent. Some footsteps ran up behind him, Kacchan's footsteps. Despite how the boy treats him, he doesn't think he'll ever stop feeling a little better when he's around him. So he turns to face him, face whatever insult he might throw, but when he turns, he sees not only Katsuki, but his older version too.

"Wha-"

"Shut up for a minute Deku-" He's cut off with an elbow to the side from the older Kacchan, who really doesn't look happy to be there. "Izuku. I came here to tell you not to look down on me and that I can take care of myself, but I met these two idiots on the way instead. They said they needed to talk to us."

"About what? Wait, two?"

A man stepped out from behind the older Kacchan. A man with curly green hair and freckles. He waves shyly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously just like he always does.

"Hi.."

Izuku just stares, jaw slack and hands by his side. This was him. Him from the future. He's wearing a hero costume, probably his stealth one since it seemed similar to Kacchan's. He has scars on every visible part of his skin, but the most prominent one is the one on his face. It covers nearly an entire side of his face, starting under his eye and going down in a thick line with jagged edges. This is what older Katsuki meant by the 'tough shit' he goes through. He hopes it doesn't hurt too bad.

"I think this is the longest he's gone without talking.. aside from sleeping"

"Nah, he talks in his sleep too."

"Hey- Kacchan!"

"Still?"

"Course, he's the biggest nerd I know."

"He doesn't change much huh?"

"Not when it comes to rambling"

"At least you two are getting along now.."

He watches them talk, confused out of his mind at what was happening.

"I'm taller than you?" He cuts their teasing session off, and older Katsuki just laughs. The younger version looks between the adults multiple times before a look of utter disbelief washes over his face.

"No way.."

"Yes way! finally grew into my brains." Adult Izuku ruffles his hero partner's hair, to which he receives a playful grin.

"Oh my god that was the nerdiest thing you could've said.." Katsuki groans and rubs his face with his hand, the other sitting on his hip in disappointment.

***

They're back where they started, in the park they grew up in. The trees sway gently in the breeze that whistles through the leaves, singing an evening melody to hum along to under the clouds.

That's exactly what Izuku's doing as he watches his younger self ramble on and on about anything and everything. Katsuki listens attentively and answers every question, and Izuku can see how desperate he is to show the boy how much he cares, show him that he's worthy of affection.

"Wait so how did you two get here again?" Younger Katsuki speaks up from where he's sat next to Izuku. He hasn't said much, mostly just argues with his older self, but he seems to have taken a liking to Izuku.

"Well.. it started on a wet and stormy night.." Katsuki begins dramatically.

"No it didn't."

"Alright it didn't, but it was night time! Anyways- it started on a cold night, Zuku and I were sneaking into a top secret drug lab.." He continued to give his rip-roaring retelling of how they got to where they are now (though choosing to skip past the part where they almost kissed), and the kids hung onto his every word. Over the years he had definitely improved with children, he even volunteered at UA a few times, to get to know the next generation of heroes.

"So, if it's a dream, would we be dreaming too? Or are we just like.. figments of your imagination?" Katsuki asks with a puzzled expression.

"Wha- don't side with him! We time travelled!" His old self looks at him in betrayal.

"No duh I side with Deku, time travel isn't real!"

"Time travelling sounds cooler, and you know the quirk doomsday theory Kacchan, you never know, maybe one day there is a quirk that can play with time!" Izuku points out, making him pause.

Quick thoughts of Eri pass through their minds, only brief enough to remember the moment a girl learnt to smile.

"Doesn't matter what sounds cooler if time. Travel. Isn't. Real."

"It makes more sense than dreaming! Do you think they're just dreaming us arguing?"

"I like you kid-nerd." Katsuki grins, ruffling the boy's hair.

"It checks out, seeing as all we do is argue! Wait- what are our hero names?" Katsuki interrupted himself.

"Wait yeah tell us our hero names!"

Izuku turned red. Never in his life would he ever think he would have to tell pre-UA Bakugo Katsuki what his hero name is.

"It's Deku." Katsuki helps out with a smug grin, which Izuku repaid with a light-hearted glare.

...

Silence.

"Please tell me mine isn't Kacchan.."

"Hey what's wrong with Kacchan?" Both Izuku's said in sync.

"It's so... cutesy.. and besides, do you really want all of Japan to call me that?"

"No!"

"See?"

The Katsukis give eachother a knowing glance and laugh.

"Wait so what is your hero name?" Izuku asks, and now it's Katsuki's turn to be embarrassed. He doesn't exactly regret choosing what he chose, but he definitely lets people believe it's just 'Dynamite'.

"It's Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight- Dynamight is spelt DYNA-M-I-G-H-T by the way. As a reference to All Might of course." Izuku supplies, returning the smugness tenfold.

"Wait that's kinda sick though"

"It's kinda.. violent?"

"I'm surprised they even let him have 'murder' in his official hero name to be honest." Izuku says with a shrug.

Playful banter fills the evening air, laughter all around. This isn't so bad, Izuku thinks. He leans back on his hands and looks up into the sky, it's getting late, they should probably take the kids home soon. He goes back to humming the winds tune, harmonising with the late night breeze and feeling it flow against his face. It's.. nice.

Chapter Text

The sun sinks low in the horizon, the orange glow once surrounding them darkening into a deep blue. Wind whistles quiet lullabies through their hair, and maybe that's the reason the teens had fallen asleep, curled into their future hero partner's sides. Or maybe it was the innocent ramblings between Izuku and his younger self, causing Katsuki to fall into adult Izuku's side and let his eyes fall closed. Well, whatever the reason, the two heroes now had two sleeping teenagers to deal with.

fortunately, neither awoke when they were pulled onto their elder selves backs and headed in the direction of their homes.

It didn't take long to get there, even with only the light of streetlamps to guide their way. With idle chatter and blushing cheeks, they made the bitter cold toasty.

The door opened to reveal a worried and much younger looking Mitsuki, she opened her mouth as if to scold, but stopped and left her jaw hanging open as she set eyes on the four outside her home.

"Masaru honey... come here.." she called hesitantly, her eyes flicking between the adult versions of her son and his best friend. Masaru wasn't slow to be at her side, having almost the same reaction as his wife.

"This.. Inko- we thought she was crazy.." He mumbled.

"Hi" Izuku says shyly, with the same smile he's worn since he was a kid. "They uhm.. fell asleep? Sorry for keeping them out so long, we had a lot to talk about."

"What the nerd said."

Mitsuki just.. laughs. Laughs at how her boys really hadn't changed. Inko had told her and Masaru a few years ago now about how Izuku had gotten lost in the forest bordering the park, and how the two men who had returned him had looked eerily similar to their boys. They had just laughed and told her she must've been seeing things, maybe just similar hair colours or face shapes. But now.. well now, they saw for themselves.

"Come on in, it's freezing out there." Masaru said, pulling himself and his wife aside to let them in, thankfully somehow finding words to utter when she couldn't.

Bakugo felt a little more stiff than usual as he climbed his childhood home's staircase and walked into his bedroom. He didn't want to know what his parents think of him, yet at the same time he couldn't wait to prove to him how he's different now. And he can't do that without acknowledging how he was before. He knew how awful he was, he knew his parents knew too. It wasn't their fault they didn't know how to fix him.

He places his younger self in his bed, next to Izuku. He watches as he immediately curls up into a ball, tucked right into Katsuki's side, who's starfished across the mattress and taking up all the space Izuku isn't. Just like how it was when they were younger- even younger than then.

"C'mon Kacchan, we'll need to talk to them eventually.." Izuku says softly, not wanting to wake the kids up. He takes his hand and runs his thumb over his knuckles soothingly. (as much as Katsuki hates to admit it, it worked in calming him down)

***

Sat on the sofa of his childhood home, with Izuku by his side and his parents in front of him, the four of them nursing a cup of tea each, Katsuki had never been more scared in his life. He was scared of how they would see him. Would they think he was still an entitled brat? Would they believe him if he told them he had changed?

"You both look so grown up" Masaru started when the silence had stretched on for a few minutes too long. "How old are you now? Twenty?"

"Twenty-four" Izuku answered with a warm smile, taking a sip of his tea. His nose twitched slightly as the liquid burnt his tongue. Cute.

Mitsuki sighed softly, a smile stretching her lips.

"I couldn't have been more wrong about you both, you're not the same at all."

This made everyone stop and turn to her, that was the last thing any of them had been expecting her to say. With the way their facial expression had remained the same. How they carried themselves, how they sat, all of it was the same as when they were kids.

But a mother knows when their child falls in love. It doesn't matter if she had never quite understood her son, or if he had never quite understood her. A mother can see when their child looks at someone else like they would give up everything for them. Mitsuki can see that in Katsuki. It's never been more clear. She's seen the same look thousands of times in her husband's eyes when he looked at her.

She couldn't stop herself from placing her tea down and pulling her boys into a hug, almost crying when they both hugged her back. Katsuki hid his face in her neck, feeling his eyes burn with unshed tears while Izuku smiled and offered a hand to Masaru.

This is nothing like Katsuki had expected. Not at all. But he can't say there's much to complain about, as the four of them form a cuddle pile on the sofa.

"So, are those your hero costumes?" Masaru asked, so proud of the two and wanting to know every single detail of the lives that led them to this point.

"Stealth costumes yeah, minus a few parts." Katsuki grunted, or, what would've been a grunt if he wasn't too emotional for his voice to not be soft right now.

"Minus a few parts? How'd you lose them?"

"The first memory was in the middle of the day in the peak of summer. Not fun to be wearing thick black hero costumes and masks and gloves."

"I wish you could see Kacchan's gauntlets though, they're so cool! I remember seeing them used for the first time in combat when we were at UA, it was awesome!"

"Zuku.. I almost blasted you through the wall back then.."

"Yeah.. but it was awesome!"

"You still call him Kacchan?" Mitsuki chuckled, so they hadn't completely changed then.

Izuku's face mantled at the words and he hid behind a pillow. He knows the nickname is cutesy, and he really should've grown out of it decades ago, but he just never had. Probably never will.

"You know, he calls me that because he can't pro-"

A quick hand to the face, clamping over Katsuki's mouth shut him up real quick.

"No point in hiding it Izuku, I remember why you call him that." Mitsuki chuckles. "It was way back when you first met. Me and Inko arranged to meet up, and for you two to meet, since we hadn't seen each other since.. well since before you were born. It had been raining that morning, so Katsuki was already in a bad mood, and when you couldn't pronounce his name right it just seemed to set him off even further. You just blurted out Kacchan, he agreed on it, and it stuck. For longer than just school years it seems." She smiles at the memory, sipping her tea.

Izuku just smiles. It seems so silly looking back. Such a simple solution to a simple problem. Nothing like the things they go through in the future..

"Zuku? What's wrong?"

He looks up to see everyone looking at him with worry, he doesn't understand why until he realises there are salty tears falling down his face. Wetting his skin like rainfall on his heart.

"oh" He wipes them away quickly with a laugh. "sorry, I was just remembering something"

Mitsuki and Masaru share a worried glance while their son pulls Izuku into a hug, holding him close and tight. They don't miss the way he brings Izuku's hand to his chest. They gently wrap their arms around the two, they're sure life as heroes is tough, they're sure their boys have suffered loss in ways they don't understand - and probably won't ever understand. There's an innocence that doesn't remain in them any more.

"Boys.. I'm not going to pretend to know what you've been through. And I don't doubt that I haven't been the best mother in the world, not like I could've- should've been." She sniffles and laughs to herself, like she was telling a funny story. "but even when I, or Masaru, or even Inko, can't be here for you.. I feel certain that you'll be there for each other."

She holds each of the boys in her hands, wiping tears away with her thumb as she plants a gentle kiss on their heads.

"What made you get so sappy?" Katsuki mumbled with no real heat; in fact, he leant into his mothers touch, not hating the physical affection he rarely receives from her.

"Kacchan be nice!" Izuku scolded. "And yeah, auntie, I always make sure to remind Kacchan to tie his shoes before we leave the agency." He smirks and giggles at the offended gasp his words pull from Katsuki.

As laughter fills the room, tears are swept away with the light and airy feeling of love.

***

It's late into the night as they stand at Inko's doorstep. Mitsuki had already warned her that her son was staying over, and to expect some visitors. Although she never specified who, her cryptic messages gave Inko a sufficiently decent idea.

The door opens with a low creak, Inko's face poking around the side. She shows a look of soft knowing, and a strange lack of surprise or shock. She doesn't say anything, just steps aside with a gentle, motherly, smile.

The boys walk inside the familiar warmth of the Midoriya home, feeling the glow of the lamp in the living room warm their cold souls from the darkness outside. There's already two mugs set out on the coffee table - not tea this time, but hot chocolate - topped with whipped cream and marshmallows and grated chocolate. (Not that they counted, but they had the exact same amount of marshmallows. A habit Inko developed from the two arguing so much over it when they were smaller.)

It tasted the same as they remember too. Like grazed knees and kisses better.

Sweet fuzzy words passed between the three through teeth-bearing grins and mellow laughter, until a easy sigh slipped from Inko's lips as she smiled into her tea.

"I don't think there could be anyone better to love my son, Katsuki. I'm glad it's you."

To say Izuku's face was as red as a tomato would be an understatement. It was more akin to a freshly painted fire-truck.

"Mum I don't think he-"

"Thank you, Auntie, I promise I won't let you down.. I'm-" He takes a deep breath and taps his fingers along the side of his mug as his hero partner stares at him with his jaw dropped. There was no way- right? Kacchan didn't- couldn't- love him. Could he?

"The way I treated Izuku was.. awful. And that's to put it lightly. I was afraid of falling behind him because he was quirkless, when really he was miles ahead of me the whole time. I'm sorry for putting him through what I did, and I'm sorry for not doing anything when the world was against him. I think he forgives a little too easily, he gets it from you I'm sure, but you deserve an apology too, Auntie."

Katsuki looks up to find that Inko's warm smile never faded, it stayed sturdy on her face like it hadn't even crossed her mind to not forgive him.

"There really isn't anyone better Katsuki. I forgive you, god.. how could I not?"

"Wha- can we backtrack a moment please? Kacchan that was super sweet of you but I think we need to talk about tha-"

"Zip it, nerd."

He pulls the Midoriyas into a hug, holding them both with soft calloused hands that no longer hurt, just protect.

***

Inko was asleep by now, they're sure, and the moon was high in the sky, showering them in a tender blue glow as they walked down the street with no real destination in mind.

"I still think we should talk about what my mum sai-"

"I love you, Izuku."

Even the wind seemed to still as time paused, leaving them in only the moment of four spoken words.

"I love you too Kacchan, I always have" He holds out his pinky with a laugh that tastes like warm milk and honey to Katsuki's ears.

He hooked his pinky around his partner's, and with one shake the world faded. For once, though, they weren't focused one where they'll end up next, safe in the net blanket of love in their hearts and promises.

Katsuki keeps his finger interlocked with Izuku's, using his free arm to pull him closer as they float in the white void. He let his hand find his face and ran his thumb over freckled and scarred skin, shimmering green eyes looking right at him. Izuku's breathy laughter flows against his lips like wind kissing the leaves good morning, just one movement would bring them together and remove the only space left between them.

Katsuki moves.

Chapter Text

At first there's only black, then Izuku figures out how to open his eyes. Only for a second though, the blinding white hospital lights too much for his fuzzy mind to handle. With a few more attempts, and a staring contest with the air in front of him that he definitely did not win, he manages to piece together his surroundings.

Hospital bed, hospital walls, hospital windows, a green-leaved tree outside, Kacchan, hospital floors, wait- Kacchan!

Katsuki is lying in a bed next to him, an oxygen mask sat on his face but no visible bandages, bruises, or wounds. He finds the same on himself, no injuries minus a minor ache in his muscles - but nothing more than after an intense workout.. Huh? Izuku's been in the hospital many times, but rarely has he ever woken up uninjured and in no pain.

He sits up, pulling his own oxygen mask off, and rushes over to Katsuki, who seems to be in a similar state Izuku was in just moments ago, blinking sluggishly as he wakes and tries to figure out where the fuck he is. Once his eyes land on Izuku, who's hovering over his bed like an excited kid on their birthday, the corners of his lips quirk up into a smile.

"Hey Zuku- should you be out of bed?"

"No- at least I don't think.. I just woke up, and I'm not hurt anywhere-"

"Wait actually?" He asks as if he's genuinely in shock (he is), and checks over himself, finding that neither is he. In a single swift motion, the oxygen mask is gone and he's sat up, switching his focus over to Izuku to make sure he isn't lying. It's not that he doesn't trust the nerd, it's just that he's the biggest liar Katsuki knows when it comes to his health.

"Yes, actually, now get off- I have to tell you about the weird-ass dream I had while we were out-"

"Wait, nerd. Hold your horses. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Kacchan, this is unnecessary, I'm a grown adult and a hero, I would know if I was concussed." He crosses his arms and looks at Katsuki, who copies him and raises his eyebrows. Izuku sighs, telling himself it's just to ease Kacchan's worry, and not because he's maybe more than a little weak to a certain shade of crimson.

"We were in the warehouse, a villain attacked and threw that vial on the floor, the whole room filled up with pink gas, then I passed out."

The story checks out, though Katsuki hits the call button anyway, because why the fuck are they both sat in hospital beds if neither of them are injured? It's bullshit.

"Okay, continue." He approves with a nod and a vague gesture of his hands to let Izuku know he can speak.

"So we were like.. in the past? In Musutafu at the park, you know the one, and we we're super confused and then we saw our younger selves- we we're like five or something and you called them 'baby us'," He laughs as he speaks, "and then we pinky promised to spend our time together and everything faded to white and-"

"Shut up a moment." Katsuki cut him off, a weird look on his face. Izuku just groaned with a frown, why won't Katsuki believe he isn't hurt when he isn't either?

"I'm not hurt Kacchan-"

"No, Zuku. Shut up a moment. I was there too."

... What? How would that work? Did they dream.. together? Was it that weird pink fog? Izuku has so many questions and not nearly enough answers.

"Huh? Are you saying it wasn't a dream?"

"Course not, dumbass, we time travelled." He smirks and snorts at his own joke, his chest feeling light and airy at the sight of the grin that spreads across Izuku's face. It almost hides the pink of his cheeks. Almost. "What's wrong with you?"

"I- do you.. remember.. what my mum said?"

Oh. That. Oh god he confessed his love. He meant it of course, he loves Izuku with every ounce of his sewn up heart, but he didn't realise the nerd would remember it!

"Yeah" His voice is quiet, nothing more than a breathy whisper, almost synonymous with the wind against the window pane. He can't bring himself to tear his eyes from Izuku, his face in shadows from the morning light entering the room behind him. The birds sung a backing track for their little silence, just gazing into each others eyes with their lips slightly parted in either surprise or relief - neither were quite sure.

Calloused hands find their way to Izuku's hips as his scarred ones rest on Katsuki's shoulders. Time seems to move in slow motion as their faces inch closer together, 3 inches, 2 inches, one..

The door flies open as a nurse walks in, and the two jump away from each other with faces redder than beetroot and staring at the floor like children holding baseball bats next to a broken vase.

"Seems you two are up already! That's awesome, just a few more things and you'll both be free to get discharged." She explains, checking their basic ability to do different things, and that was pretty much it.

"Oi" Katsuki calls as she's about to leave. "Do we get to know what the fuck happened?"

"Pro hero Shoto is outside, should I send him in?"

"Yeah, do that" He grumbles, he can barely put up with Icyhot on the best of days, and he's more than a little pissed off at being kissblocked for what feels like the gazillionth time.

The nurse nods and walks out, her presence shortly replaced by Shoto Todoroki, wearing a look of indifference like always.

"Hey Shoto!" Izuku spoke at the same time Katsuki mumbles a half-arsed greeting of 'Icyhot better have answers'. Shoto just nods politely, taking a seat on Izuku's now vacant bed.

"How are you two holding up?"

"Quit the small talk, refrigerator, and tell us what goddamn happened." He snaps, his hand reaching out to pull Izuku beside him, and if he happened to place his hand on his waist and rest his head on his shoulder, well that's no ones business but his.

"Only one villain was found in the warehouse, she was in the same state as you two; passed out and unresponsive. She woke up before you though, almost the moment we got to the hospital actually. She was taken in for questioning and there's another mission being planned to take apart another base of theirs. They call themselves.. Canvass..?" He speaks as though he's trying (and failing) to hide the disapproval in his voice. "They're a small and relatively undangerous villain group who plan to 'question heroes' true intentions by sending them into their memories'."

Izuku and Katsuki share a glance, so they were sent into their memories? That checks out, everything that happened at least one of them remembered, and everything was exactly how it used to be. The only confusing thing is why Izuku is looking at him with that fucking smug grin of his.

"What." Katsuki says, a little less gruff than he'd like to admit.

"That means we were dreaming, AKA, I'mm righttt!" The giggle that accompanies his words causes blood to rise to Katsuki's cheeks, making him feel like a little schoolkid with a playground crush. It certainly wasn't aided by the fact Izuku leaned closer just to stick his tongue out in his face.

Shoto regains both of the men's attention with a cough.

"Uraraka, and Iida are on their way."

Izuku's smile contrasted Katsuki's groan to the information. He doesn't hate the idiots, he just really didn't want to deal with any idiot other than his idiot. Not right now. Not ever.

***

Unfortunately, his wishes weren't granted, because as the three left the building, not only did pink cheeks and engine show up, but sparkplug and shitty hair too. Kaminari crashed into his front, not at all looking where he was going and only not falling flat on his face because Katsuki's reflexes allowed him to grab the front of the tacky anime shirt he was wearing in time.

"Kacchan of the Bakugos!" Denki called with a smile without even bothering to right himself.

"Hey Deku!" Ochaco waved, jumping up and down to see over Kirishima's and Iida's shoulders.

"Dumbasses." Katsuki said, almost affectionately, as he dropped Denki in favour of ducking out of the hug Kirishima tried to give him.

The four knocked them into the floor, only Shoto being fast enough to step out of the way. A soft smile lifted his lips as he watched his former-classmates get up to the same antics they always have, the early morning sunlight engulfing them all in a warm feeling of home. His eyes met Katsuki's, and in just a look he thought he understood everything running through his head.

He had always known, really, that there was something going on between the two, and he can't help but be a little thankful of this bizarre villain group for helping them figure it out too.

"They only just woke up." He reminds the group, who scramble to get off the two and help them up. Katsuki sends a thankful nod Shoto's way.

Yeah, he's always known.

***

Izuku's front door closed behind them, shutting behind everything that happened that day and leaving it on the doorstep. It was now early afternoon, their time being spent on mission reports, updates, future mission planning, and calling their parents.

Before he could even think, Katsuki was pushed against the door and kissed. It was quick, faint, barely memorable in the least. Still it made his face heat up and his lips smile.

"You dick. I've been trying to do that all day!"

"Well I got there first Kacchann!" Izuku laughs, bright and airy and so damn beautiful. Katsuki just admired him for a moment, admired the way his eyes scrunched up and teeth showed as he laughed. He couldn't help himself from pulling him closer by the hips and kissing him. (So what if he had to go on his tiptoes? no one saw)

The kiss is soft and gentle then rough and hard, yet somehow still teasing and snarky. It's full of decade-long yearning and fights that taste like rubber soles on asphalt. It's everything they've ever wanted.

Izuku's hands find their way too Katsuki's shoulders, resting there for a moment before they snaked around the back of his head and sat at the nape of his neck. His hair is a little grimy from heading from place to place all day, but it's nothing Izuku isn't used to. He holds Katsuki's jaw like he's a most precious shimmering gem and Izuku is a lost wanderer in a cave. He tilts his head up to make up for their height difference.

Katsuki knows Izuku is taller than him, he's knows since he had that random growth spurt in their third year of UA. Yet the way he's craning his head to reach his lips has to be unnecessary. He opens one eye, looking down only to find that Izuku isn't on the ground at all. Float had activated, and Izuku was slowly drifting away to the ceiling, tethered only by his hold on Katsuki's face.

"Zuku-" Katsuki chuckled, pulling him back down by his hips and holding him in place.

"Oops.. sorry?" He just laughs that sweet laugh Katsuki could never grow sick of.

He picks him up, causing Izuku to yelp and hold onto his shoulders. It's only a few strides before he ends up in the living room and with a plop Izuku is dropped onto the sofa, Katsuki quickly climbing on top of him and connecting their lips once more.

After all the shit they've gone through, it's about time they got their happy ending. No more miscommunication, no more wars, just green and red. Side by side, as they're meant to be. No longer just hero partners.

They look into each other's eyes with smiles so wide their cheeks ache, and they wouldn't have it any other way.