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Chapter Text

A harsh knock on his door drew Izuku from his spiraling. He knew exactly who was on the other side of his door, and he did not want to face him. Izuku curled into himself, trying to wrap himself in Blackwhip, but quickly realized that he couldn't do that anymore. The tears streamed sideways off his face, dampening his pillow. The knocking grew more insistent. 

"Oi nerd! I know you're in there. Let me the fuck in!" Katsuki's voice might have seemed angry to anyone else, but Izuku could hear the concern and anxiety laced in it. Right now, Izuku just wanted to be left alone. He needed to mourn his last ember by himself. The smile he plastered on his face since he left the training room was a facade. Only the four walls of his dorm room were privy to the panic attack and existential crisis Izuku was having.

The knocking had turned into a ceaseless banging, and Izuku knew Aizawa would be unhappy if there was any more property damage from either of them. He sighed. The cold water bottle he grabbed after his training came in handy to splash water on his face and roll over any remaining redness. After throwing on his ratty All Might hoodie he opened the door. 

"Sorry Kacchan I was out on the balcony and had my headphones in," Izuku mumbled, looking up at his friend. Katsuki had two hands on his doorframe and was stretching his arms as he leaned into Izuku's space. Izuku's heart jumped into his throat as Katsuki's eyes examined him closely. Katsuki had only grown taller and stronger since the War. His old black tanktop did nothing to hide the muscles flexing in his chest and arms. 

Katsuki was the boy he had admired as a kid, his most precious person, and now the one he wanted to hold close. After the War, he uncovered the feelings he had buried for so long. But he knew he could never deserve Katsuki, and now that his last ember was gone, that was especially true. 

"You're a fucking liar, Izuku," Katsuki barked out as he flopped onto Izuku's bed, leaning back against the wall. Katsuki had softened considerably since the War. Dying tended to have that effect. He had told Izuku that he thought of Izuku in his moments of death, and Izuku had tried not to overthink what that could mean. He knew that Katsuki saw him as a rival and a friend, but to ask for anything more was just plain greedy. 

"What do you mean Kacchan?" Izuku bit down on his lip hard, almost drawing blood. He had never been that good at lying, but he was especially bad at lying to Katsuki. He could keep his feelings a secret because he had always looked at Katsuki like he hung the stars and sun in the sky. But Izuku knew that he wouldn't be able to keep his current secret for long.

Katsuki lay on his bed and patted for Izuku to lay beside him. This was how they had their late night chats in the hospital. Katsuki had showed up one night and demanded that Izuku scoot over. They talked about Katsuki's apology, Shigaraki leaving Katsuki as a present for Izuku, and Katsuki's final thoughts before dying. 

Those nights were the true start of their friendship. 

"You never keep shit from me. I fucking know all your tricks, idiot. You've been crying. Do you really think a cheap ass trick with your water bottle is enough to fool me?" Katsuki pinched his nose and took deep breaths. It was a testament to the anger management he had taken to make sure he didn't stress his heart out that he could even have this conversation. 

Izuku tossed the water bottle between his hands, avoiding eye contact. Katsuki saw through every defense Izuku had. But he couldn't tell Katsuki about the last ember. The last time he'd told Katsuki he was quirkless, he'd lost their friendship. He'd spent so long building it back these past few years and it was the only thing he cherished more than the embers.

"I'm a big crybaby, Kacchan. You tell me that all the time. It's really not a big deal," Izuku feigned nonchalance, getting up and moving to his desk. He pulled out some melon pan and tossed it to Katsuki. The other boy tossed it back at him, and kept his eyes on Izuku. His gaze softened imperceptibly. 

"This was a big deal though, right? I was cooking in the kitchen and I could hear you sobbing over the exhaust fan, And that shit was set on high, Izuku," Katsuki shuffled forward on the bed so his knees were on the outside of Izuku's knees. There was a moment of indecision before he reached out and put his hands on Izuku's thighs. The warmth of Katsuki's hand centered him in his body. He didn't realize he had been dissociating since his last training earlier today.  

Izuku opened his mouth but no words came out. He felt a lump in his throat and the tears began to fall again. He heard Katsuki swear under his breath and use one hand to brush away his tears. But the tears kept coming. He was reminded of the time he had first told Katsuki that he had lost One For All and he had started crying. Back then, Izuku had been much better at controlling his heart. But his restraint weakened over the years. As the embers diminished, and he watched his friends move forward, Izuku found it harder to pretend. 

He had retreated into himself, slowly closing himself off from the ones who cared. And they became so preoccupied with their internships and training that they didn't notice how often Izuku was alone in his room. The only one who consistently knocked on his door was sitting in front of him, and he couldn't lose that connection. 

"I—can't. I can't—Kacchan please!" Izuku sobbed into his sleeves, trying to make himself small. He hoped he could disappear. He didn't matter anymore. He wasn't the hero who saved Japan. He was a crybaby quirkless nobody. 

"Izuku!" Katsuki's voice sounded alarmed. He gently removed Izuku's sleeves so he could take his face into his hands and Izuku couldn't turn away. "I told you that you never have to carry your burdens alone," Izuku hated how much he yearned for Katsuki to comfort him. He couldn't keep hoarding his affection, no matter how much he wanted to. "I can be there for you, idiot. You just have to let me,"

The familiar ache returns. He knew how it felt to fall into Katsuki's arms and be caught. It had happened when he had finally come home after being a vigilante. Since then he often found himself wanting to fall into Katsuki's arms over and over again.

But what if Katsuki wouldn't be there to catch him now?

"I'm sorry, Kacchan," Izuku stood up and went out onto the balcony, sitting down and pulling his knees to his chest. Katsuki followed him and sat down cross-legged beside him. They sat in silence, watching the sunset. Izuku's mind kept racing with all the fears and doubts for his future. Through it all, Katsuki sat beside him, occasionally turning worriedly to study his face. 

"Keep your door unlocked. I'll be back nerd," Katsuki got up, and when he returned with two bowls of Katsudon, Izuku realized how hungry he was. Izuku accepted the bowl, and they ate in silence as the stars appeared in the night sky. 

Izuku kept waiting for Katsuki to leave, but he forgot how stubborn they were about each other. 

And suddenly, Izuku felt very ashamed. Out of everyone, he should have kept in mind how much Katsuki had changed since childhood. He wasn't the middle school bully who told Izuku to jump off the roof anymore. He was the friend who saved his life, who cooked him Katsudon, who knocked on his door when he isolated himself, who cried because they wouldn't get to live out their dreams together, and who thought of him in his last moments. 

He was underestimating Katsuki, and no one, not even Izuku, should ever do that. 

So Izuku gathered all his courage and turned to face his oldest friend. Katsuki had been looking up at the night sky, but he immediately turned to face Izuku. If anyone could be strong for Izuku in this moment, it was Katsuki. If Izuku fell, Katsuki would catch him every single time. 

"It's gone," Izuku was finally clear-headed. This time he didn't cry or spiral. He just watched Katsuki's face go from a look of confusion to understanding. Katsuki was silent for a moment before he rocked forward and enveloped Izuku in a tight embrace. Izuku froze in shock. Katsuki didn't offer hugs. Despite his growth, he was still not one to initiate physical affection with people. When he pulled back, he found an unwavering look of resolve on Katsuki's face. 

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Katsuki asked softly, so softly and gently like he was speaking to a small child. But Katsuki didn't even speak to small children that tenderly. Izuku shook his head. That was the most he could talk about the embers tonight without having a breakdown. "I'll just say that your quirk didn't make you a hero. The last time you were quirkless, you ran to save me from the sludge villain. You were my hero then and you are still my hero now. I will be by your side for as long as you'll have me," Katsuki stood up and offered his hand.

Izuku gasped, Katsuki's words sounded like a marriage proposal. He reached up and took Katsuki's hand, and was immediately pulled up into another hug. Izuku worried that he had been hit by a quirk and dropped into an alternate dimension. 

"Thanks Kacchan," Izuku responded shyly, feeling a brush creeping up on his face and neck. Katsuki smirked at him, but then the smirk turned into a small genuine smile. Izuku almost forgot about the ember as the smile was burned into his memory instead.

As he headed back to his bed, he felt a tightness in his chest at the thought of being alone. He glanced at Katsuki who was hovering near the door. 

"Fuck it," Katsuki turned back and looked at Izuku with steely determination, "I'm staying here tonight, nerd. Let me go get changed and I'll be back. Don't you dare lock me out, Izuku. I will blast your door open this time," Katsuki nodded awkwardly before shuffling out the door. 

Izuku giggled to himself like an idiot. This was the first smile he hadn't faked in a while. As promised, Katsuki returned. Unexpectedly, he was wearing the All Might onesie Izuku bought him as a gag gift for his birthday. Izuku giggled some more and made Katsuki close his eyes as he changed into the matching onesie he had. 

After they lay down side by side under the covers, Izuku felt brave enough to respond to what Katsuki had said to him earlier. 

"I want to stay by your side too, Kacchan," Izuku played the frayed ends of his comforter and stared at the ceiling instead of the gorgeous boy in his bed. "I just got so scared that you wouldn't want that anymore if I can't be a Pro-Hero with you," 

Katsuki wasn't a scaredy-cat like Izuku so he turned onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. He reached over on hand to gently cup Izuku's cheek and turn his face toward him. Izuku's eyes grew impossibly wide and he nuzzled into Katsuki's palm instinctively.

"You were brave enough to tell me about your embers so I'm going to be even more brave. Are you ready to hear my biggest secret? It's one I've been keeping from you for years," Katsuki looked at Izuku fondly as Izuku sat up quickly, giving himself a head rush. 

"Did All Might give you a secret plan to give me my quirk back?" Izuku half-joked, but his heart was beating fast. He only had one guess for what this secret could be based on how tenderly Katsuki held his face, but he couldn't get his hopes up.

"You know I would if I could," Katsuki became lost in thought for a moment, but then he snapped back with a blazing intensity, "I'm fucking shit at words. I'm just gonna end up messing shit up if I try to speak. Can I just show you?" Izuku nodded quickly. Katsuki leaned in slowly. "Punch me if you don't want this Izuku," Katsuki murmured as his eyes closed. His soft lips hovered close to Izuku's chapped ones, and Izuku worried his bottom lip. He had dreamt of this for so long, but now that it was happening, he didn't know what to do.

Before Izuku could overthink, Katsuki's lips pressed firmly against Izuku's and it felt like coming home. It felt like falling into his arms after sleepless nights spent as a vigilante. It felt like the warmth and the sweet caramel smell after one of Katsuki's blasts. Their lips fit together like they were meant to be. Izuku bit down on Katsuki's lower lip and heard Katsuki sigh. Izuku squinted one eye open and found that Katsuki was openly staring at him in awe so he pulled back. 

" Oh —" Izuku drew in a shaky breath and brought a scarred hand to his mouth. He had never really thought much about what would happen if Katsuki wanted him like he wanted Katsuki. But that kiss was so gentle and sweet. There was no question that Katsuki loved him. He didn't need the words when it was written all over his face. 

"Shit," The tips of Katsuki's ears were bright pink, "S'okay?" Izuku scrambled forward, deciding to take the reins and be even braver for Katsuki. He placed his hands on Katsuki's shoulders and sat in his lap. Katsuki's pupils dilated and he looked out of his depth. Izuku couldn't make it too easy for the love of his life though. 

"Why'd you kiss me Kacchan?" Izuku wrapped his legs around Katsuki's tiny waist and watched Katsuki get increasingly flustered. He clearly didn't expect this forwardness from Izuku. Katsuki leaned back a little and Izuku leaned forward. They played like this until their lips were dangerously close again. Izuku closed the distance and gave Katsuki two quick hard kisses. Katsuki looked dazed, like Izuku had smooched the brain cells out of his head.

"Uh. Well, you know, because..." Katsuki fiddled with the loose hem of Izuku's hoodie looking uncharacteristically bashful. Izuku decided to have mercy on the poor boy. 

"I'll tell you why I kissed you Kacchan if you want," Izuku yanked Katsuki forward by the nape of his neck and whispered in his ear. "I love you, Kacchan. You don't have to say it because I know you do. That's why you'll stay by my side, right?" Katsuki's face grew redder than his eyes. Izuku giggled and traced the curve of Katsuki's lips with his tongue. Katsuki sunk his hands into Izuku's green curls and their mouths crashed together with a hunger that had simmered for years. Izuku mouthed down his jaw and sucked on the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

"You're a menace, Deku," Katsuki pushed Izuku off of him and jumped under the covers, peeking up at Izuku adorably. Izuku curled into Kacchan. A muscular arm wrapped around his middle and secured him against Katsuki's toned torso. Izuku chomped down on his bicep and Katsuki groaned, hiding his face in the crook of Izuku's neck timidly. "You're all mine, okay? I'm not as much of an asshole but I'm still selfish and I need you to be mine," 

"Oh Kacchan I've always been yours," Izuku whispered. He knew that in the morning he'd have to have a real conversation about his embers and their relationship, but for now he could fall into Katsuki's arms and know that everything would turn out okay.

Chapter Text

The day Katsuki told him he loved him had been the happiest day of his life. He had just lost his embers and now when he remembered that day all he pictured was Kacchan's soft smile. He thought nothing could tear them apart back then. Katsuki kept him grounded as he transitioned into working as a teacher at UA. There were days when Izuku could barely put one foot in front of the other, but Katsuki was always there. If he fell, Katsuki would catch him. He had believed that. 

But the years didn't go like Izuku expected. He spent yet another day curled up on their old couch in their studio apartment, waiting for Katsuki to return from his night patrol. He hadn't seen Katsuki in three days because he seemed to take every patrol shift. It was as if he was avoiding Izuku.

Izuku trusted Katsuki with his whole heart. He knew that Katsuki was just working hard to climb the polls, but he missed his boyfriend. He missed the cuddles, and the gentle kisses and the not-so-gentle kisses. So he decided to stay up this time and wait. He could at least get one kiss. 

The door opened and a very tired Dynamight trudged in, still in his hero costume. He sagged in the doorway before he noticed Izuku. 

"What are you doing staying up so late, nerd?" Katsuki dropped his gauntlets and collapsed onto the couch. Their little futon was so close, shoved into the corner, but Izuku often ended up falling asleep on the couch so Katsuki would take the futon when he got home. 

"I miss you, Kacchan." Izuku leaned over for his kiss and tasted blood. "Did you get checked by the medics before you came home?" 

"Yeah, just a tooth got knocked out. I didn't stay to let them clean up any blood. Don't worry your pretty little head, Izuku," Katsuki leaned his head on Izuku's shoulder. Moments like this were few and far between, but they reassured Izuku that being Katsuki's boyfriend was helpful to him in some way. He wasn't useless. He could be the shoulder Katsuki leaned on.

The next morning, Katsuki was already gone when Izuku got up to go to UA. He had really come to love his job. He missed hero work, but he was so far removed from it now, other than the fact that he taught future heroes. He never saw his friends from high school, and he rarely saw Katsuki. At least Katsuki saw them at work. He never invited them over because, despite the fact that Katsuki had been on a Pro Hero salary for eight years, they lived in one of the oldest smallest properties in the area. 

That was another mystery Izuku continued to live with. He never knew where Katsuki's money was going. Any time he asked, Katsuki would get worked up and Izuku didn't want to stress him out even more. He wanted to be helpful, not useless. 

Izuku trusted Katsuki with his whole heart, but sometimes in his loneliest moments, he wondered if Katsuki even needed him. He wondered if he would be better off with another hero- someone he could spend time with during patrol and who could contribute more than a teacher's salary. And in his worst moments, he wondered if Katsuki already had found someone and it was just a matter of time before Katsuki left Izuku. 

When his students' work studies started, they gave the class Friday afternoons off for travel time. Izuku was ecstatic. He went to see Fuyumi and learned how to make her spicy mapo tofu and raced to Katsuki's agency. He saw that all of his class is in a meeting and suddenly Izuku felt strange. He ducked into a corridor. He was once part of their group, but as soon as he lost his quirk, he wasn't. 

Then he remembered the mapo tofu in his hands. He wanted to be helpful, not useless. So he walked over to Katsuki's office and sat there waiting for him. When Katsuki walked in and saw Izuku, his face paled like he had been caught. 

"What the fuck are you doing here Deku?" Katsuki hissed, and Izuku wanted to believe he wasn't angry to see his boyfriend, but the signs all pointed there. 

"Hey man, do you need me to send you the money now?" Kaminari waltzed in, and Katsuki pushed him out and shut the door. 

"Why is Kaminari sending you money, Katsuki?" Katsuki sat down at his desk, putting papers into cabinets and glaring down at his phone. He was ignoring Izuku. 

"Why did you come here Izuku? We're all really fucking busy right now. I can't deal with you right now." Katsuki ran his hands frustratedly through his blonde spikes. Izuku's heart broke. He had wanted to be helpful, but he was useless. Katsuki didn't need him at all. 

"So you're just not going to tell me why Kaminari is sending you money? Why do you keep taking every patrol shift? Why is your ranking so low when you're working yourself to the bone?" Izuku was frantic. He didn't want to believe that Katsuki would go behind his back with someone because Katsuki was a straightforward person. 

"Fuck you! I'm number fifteen, Izuku. Is that not good enough for you? Whatever. There's a mission to America for a week I'm about to leave on. I'll see you—" Katsuki was getting up but Izuku grabbed his arm. He may not have One For All anymore, but he had nothing to do but work out when Katsuki was absent. He could bench and squat more than he could in high school. Even Katsuki seemed surprised by his grip strength. 

"I came here because I had the afternoon off so I went to see Fuyumi and learned how to make her spicy mapo tofu the way you like. I keep trying to be helpful, but I feel useless to you. I really did end up a deku." Izuku laughed bitterly. "We never see each other, you keep secrets from me, you spend all your time away from me, and when I try to talk to you, you always deflect. I love you so much, but this isn't a relationship Kacchan. I can't be with you if you can't tell me what's going on. If you leave that door and go to America, we're over."

Katsuki sighed and looked at Izuku with tired eyes. There wasn't any sadness or fear in his expression. 

"I love you, Izuku. You're not useless at all. You're my everything. I'm doing it all for you." 

Izuku sat down numbly in Katsuki's office as he watched him leave. He didn't expect it to end like this. He hadn't expected it to end at all. And Katsuki didn't even fight for him. He didn't want to go back to their little studio apartment so he went to his mother's house and cried in her arms. 

'How could he say that he loved me and then just leave me?" Izuku whined. His mother rubbed circles into his back. 

"Are you really ready to give up on Katsuki?" His mother asked gently. 

There were too many unspoken words between them, mostly on Katsuki's end. He stubbornly never answered why he took every shift or where his money went. Despite asking Katsuki repeatedly, Izuku had never done the digging himself. He respected Katsuki's privacy, even if the analytical part of his brain was putting together so many different theories. 

Twenty-six years together, as friends, enemies, or lovers,  and he was finally not with his Kacchan anymore. 

Izuku handled the week better than he thought. He was sad, but he had gotten used to being lonely for the last few years. He had internalized and compartmentalized so well that he could even convince himself that he was okay. He enjoyed his teaching, he didn't miss hero work, and he didn't miss Katsuki. 

Then All Might called and offered his dream on a platter again.

He didn't have to be told. He knew who had funded most of the suit. He knew who had worked three patrol shifts a day to do it. He knew who lived in a run down studio apartment with his useless boyfriend. He knew who sacrificed his own dream of being at the top of the rankings.

He knew Katsuki like the back of his hand. Katsuki didn't want to tell Izuku until he had the hero suit ready and fully functional. He wouldn't let Izuku's hopes get crushed. So instead he let Izuku break up with him so Izuku could have a chance at being a hero again.

He didn't deserve Katsuki.

He never had. 

"Deku-kun I've missed you!" Uraraka hugged him warmly. Then she frowned and looked back at him. "Are you okay? You don't look so well." 

"I turned down Kacchan's offer to join his agency," Izuku said, covering his face with his hands. He'd been feeling so guilty and ashamed for breaking up with Katsuki when Katsuki had been working on the suit the whole time. He didn't deserve to work at Katsuki's agency. Only heroes who didn't break their partner's hearts deserved to work there. 

"Oh Deku-kun! I heard that he wants to start an agency with you as partners!" Uraraka floated over two drinks for them, and Izuku couldn't hold it in anymore. All the pain and all the grief he'd been compartmentalizing since the War came rushing out. The guilt for murdering Tenko, the guilt for not being there in time and being the reason why Katsuki died, losing One For All, and having to pretend like he didn't miss hero work these past eight years. 

"I'm so sorry, Uraraka. I don't know what's happening," He was openly sobbing, and to her credit, Uraraka quickly rushed him out of the izakaya. She got on the phone. 

"Bakugou? Can you come to the address I text you? Deku-kun is not doing well. He needs you," 

Izuku sobbed his heart out. Everyone had been so happy to give him the hero suit. But Izuku had spent so long becoming okay with the fact that he'd never be a hero again. Now he had a chance and he was just supposed to take it like this couldn't just be ripped away from him again. 

Warm hands held him and he was pulled into a princess carry. Soon he was back on that godforsaken couch. Katsuki didn't say anything as he ran a warm bath for Izuku. He massaged Izuku's scalp just the way he liked it. 

"There's a lot we need to talk about," Katsuki said. "I had a plan and I wanted to stick to it, but I went about this the wrong way. You seemed okay all these years, but you've just been hiding it all away, Izuku. So forget about the suit and forget about the agency for now. I took one month off and I'm going to be here for you however you want me," 

"I want you so much, Katsuki. But I don't deserve you. I broke up with you when you were just making me that suit." Izuku sniffled and Katsuki leaned in to kiss him, but then leaned back. 

"I was an idiot. I hurt you even if my intentions were good. I made you go through an unnecessary breakup when I knew we'd get back together. I neglected you and lied to you and made you feel like you were useless. You're not useless, Izuku, with or without a hero suit," 

"But I broke up with you!" Izuku whined. 

"I don't want you to be my boyfriend anymore anyways," Katsuki said plainly. Izuku's heart sank. He was about to run out of the house butt naked, but Katsuki pulled out the briefcase that housed the hero suit. "Press this button," When Izuku did, a little ring appeared. He gasped. 

"Kacchan!" Izuku looked between Katsuki and the ring. 

"Shit went way out of order so I'm going to lay it down for you. I want you to be my hero partner and partner in life. My dream was never number one. My dream was chasing you and being by your side. So let's start an agency together when you're ready. I know you, Izuku. You're meant to be a hero. So even if you want to teach on the side, don't give up being a hero because of your fear or guilt,"

"Kacchan!" Izuku hung onto his name like a lifeline.

"Shit. I messed up again. Marry me?" Katsuki smirked.

It was the perfect proposal. 

The month that Katsuki took off from hero work healed a lot of the wounds in their relationship. Katsuki came with Izuku to therapy to make sure he was talking through everything that had been festering below the surface. He fully mourned Tenko and stopped mourning a very alive Katsuki. When he told Katsuki how he was scared he would lose his ability to be a hero again, he suggested that Izuku talk to Hawks. After all, Hawks lost his quirk and became the president of the hero commission.

More importantly, they got to spend time with each other again. They went to the All Might museum and cuddled under an umbrella at the beach. Katsuki kissed him so many times to make up for all the missed kisses. It was like a honeymoon before their wedding next year.

Healing was a slow journey though and it took Izuku two months before he could start training with the hero suit. He had already been helping with administrative work for the agency they were both starting together though, All the dreams that had seemed out of reach for so long were closer than ever. They had even finally moved out of their apartment and bought a house in their childhood neighborhood. It was a real full circle moment. 

"Kacchan, will you go on a date with me?" Izuku asked as he was packing all the paperwork he needed.

"Fuck yes! I've missed you!" 

"It's been three hours..." 

"Get off my fucking back Izuku, you fucking idiot," Katsuki grumbled. 

"Anyways, it's a surprise! Bring your hero license!" Izuku smiled widely, making Katsuki blush.

Izuku walked hand in hand with Katsuki until they reached a familiar building. 

"Izuku, why are we at the hero commission?" 

"It's a surprise!" Izuku pulled Katsuki into the building and Hawks was waiting at the front desk like a secretary. 

"What the fuck..." Katsuki craned his head as Izuku slid some paperwork into Hawks' hands.

"Do you Bakugou Katsuki take Midoriya Izuku to be your hero partner? Will you fight villains with him and protect him from harm's way?" Hawks said in a sing-songy voice. 

Katsuki burst out laughing and then wiped away his tears as he looked at Izuku. "Yes!" 

"Do you Midoriya Izuku take Bakugou Katsuki to be your hero partner? Will you fight villains with him and protect him from harm's way?" Hawks was having way too much fun with this.

"Yes, always!" Izuku said with a smile in Katsuki's direction. Katsuki looked back in awe.

"By the power vested in me as president of the hero commission, I now pronounce you hero partners. Please sign here, and here, and initial here. And hand me your hero licenses. Hold on. Initial here, Bakugou. I will have updated ones ready by the end of the business day," Hawks grinned, "I'm really happy for you two,"

"That was a really good surprise," Katsuki murmured as he leaned in to kiss Izuku. 

"I have an even better one," Izuku winked at him. "I'm coming to work at the agency as a hero part-time after school. We have every evening patrol together this week," 

Katsuki hugged Izuku so tightly and lifted him in the air, grinning triumphantly. 

"This is all I ever wanted," Katsuki whispered. 

"You're all I ever wanted," Izuku whispered back, holding Katsuki in his arms. For so long, he kept wanting Katsuki to catch him when he fell, but it felt so much better to hold each other up together.