My Father's Son - Chapter 31

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Izuku found himself staring in the mirror at his own nervous face, trying and failing to tame his uncooperative hair. It had been doing so well, since Katsuki replaced his bottle of three-in-one soap with six times as many bottles and demanded he use them all, but it seemed like any time he actually cared how he looked, it went into full rebellion.

“It's just a stupid reunion,” Katsuki told him knowingly, leaning against the door frame with an already exasperated look on his face. “I don't care about it, why should you?'

“Because they're heroes, Kacchan!” Izuku insisted. “I finally get to meet them all!”

“They don't give a shit what you look like. I mean, other than looking like Hiroki.”

“Have they all met him?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah? That's... a very sure answer.”

“And?” Katsuki challenged. “I am sure, idiot.”

“Have they met him a lot?”

“Most of them.”

“Oh. Wow. I guess I didn't realise you were still in touch with them all.”

“We work together,” he shrugged, pointedly ignoring the fact that their class had scattered across the country immediately after graduation. “Can we go now? I want to get an appearance in before they all get drunk, then leave before the trains stop.”

“Come on, Kacchan, they're your friends. You can't spend one night hanging out with them all?”

“Nope.”

“I didn't know you were such a coward.”

“That doesn't work on me, shithead. I have two sons who try it every day.”

“Yuuto does not.”

“He does,” Katsuki snorted. “He's not the sweet little angel you think he is; he knows how to get his way.”

“He learned it from Hiroki!”

“Fine by me. Takes a smart kid to manipulate adults.”

“You just said it doesn't work!”

“On me,” Katsuki smirked, straightening up and stepping out of the room. “Plays you like a damn fiddle.”

“He does not!”

“Keep telling yourself that, nerd.”

Izuku followed him in a hurry, straightening his suit jacket as they walked down to the door. The boys were with Mitsuki and Masaru for the night, Inko out with All Might once again (Izuku tried not to think too hard about that), so the house was oddly quiet behind them as they locked up to leave.

“How many people will be there?” Izuku asked awkwardly, as he followed Katsuki toward the train station. “A lot?”

“Few hundred. Maybe a thousand.”

“What?!”

“Like sixty,” Katsuki snorted. “Just our graduating year from the hero program. Two classes, around twenty people in each, plus dates or whatever. Some won't show up.”

“You're so mean,” Izuku pouted. “I was scared!”

“Why? Your nerd ass would be running around trying to get all their autographs. Don't pretend there's no stupid notebook in your pocket.”

Izuku touched his jacket self-consciously, feeling the hardback notebook and marker carefully tucked into his inside pocket, and Katsuki rolled his eyes.

“Just try not to hyperventilate or some shit, alright? I don't want to have to find out who's been keeping up with their first aid requirements.”

“I'll do my best!”

“None of them are as impressive as me, anyway.”

“Of course not, Kacchan,” Izuku smiled warmly, making Katsuki's eyes dart away quickly. “You're number one! You're amazing! But so are your friends.”

“No they're not.”

“If you hadn't spent years with them, you'd be a fanboy too.”

“Whatever.”

Izuku raised a hand to his hair when the train pulled in, all his efforts gone to waste as the rush of wind destroyed what little progress he'd made with it. They squeezed into a crowded train car, and while a few eyes darted Katsuki's way curiously, no one said a word or even really looked at him for long. When he wasn't in costume, no one ever seemed to recognise him – that seemed unthinkable to Izuku, now, but he still vaguely recalled a whirlwind meeting in a rundown hospital, recognising a name but failing to put it together with a hero identity.

“Will I be the only civilian there?” he asked instead, his voice just a whisper to keep from disturbing the passengers around them.

“Doubt it.”

“You aren't sure?”

“Bunch of 'em married civilians,” he shrugged. “And a few... Retired early.”

Izuku cringed, gaze dropping to his shiny shoes in a heartbeat. He'd forgotten those important words, spoken evasively at a little dining room table.

Friends.

“Sorry,” Izuku mumbled. “That was a stupid question.”

“It's whatever,” Katsuki shrugged again, looking away. “They might not show, so it's an okay question.”

Izuku stepped aside when the train stopped, letting a huge crowd of people file off at a much bigger station, and when Katsuki nodded to an empty row of seats, he followed.

“Just don't ask any stupid questions,” Katsuki instructed, as he fell into an empty spot. “You'll be fine.”

“S-Stupid? Like what?”

“Don't walk up to everyone and ask if they still have their damn quirks, for one.”

“I would never!”

“I wouldn't be surprised if it slipped out your dumb mouth.”

“I wouldn't,” Izuku pouted. “I'm not you, I have manners.”

“Could've fooled me.”

“Rude!”

When the train began to fill up again, Izuku found himself crammed into his seat, people surrounding him from every direction. No matter how hard he tried to keep at least a little distance, to keep from touching everybody, he just couldn't find an inch of room.

“Relax,” Katsuki muttered, dragging him a little closer. “C'mere.”

While it didn't exactly solve the space issue, knowing it was okay to lean into Katsuki a little made Izuku feel significantly better. Instead of awkwardly avoiding the crotches of people standing in the aisle, he pressed his shoulder gently into Katsuki's, his head tilted toward the scowling blond instead of the sweaty fabrics.

Passengers left, others squeezed their way in, and finally, as they got closer to their destination, the train began to empty out once more.

Izuku didn't move.

─────

Katsuki couldn't help but smile faintly when he saw Izuku's cheeks flush bright red, bowing low as he repeated his thanks, over and over and over. Shouto seemed unphased by it all, bowing back once as he signed the rapidly-filling notebook, but his eyes widened a little when Izuku stood up again and their eyes met for the first time.

“Hiroki,” he said stupidly, making Katsuki snort from across the room. “Oh, uh, you just-”

“He's my son!” Izuku smiled knowingly. “I mean, one of my sons. It's uh- A long story?”

Green eyes darted back to Katsuki awkwardly, watching one hand raise in a little wave when Shouto looked over.

“Oh, he came,” Shouto said flatly. “That's unusual.”

“Ah, y-yeah, he says he doesn't want to be here but no one made him. He invited me to come meet everyone, it was actually kind of sweet.”

“Don't make me come over there,” Katsuki spoke up, glaring at the pair. “Shut the hell up, shitty nerd.”

Shouto rolled his eyes, but Izuku just laughed, smiling wider when Shouto led the way toward Katsuki's little table.

“Long time no see.”

“Just when I was beginning to enjoy it, too.”

Despite the words, Katsuki was the first to extend his hand. They bumped fists lightly as Shouto sat down, and quickly Izuku was joining them, grinning stupidly as they exchanged a nod.

“So what's all this about finding Leftie a new father?”

“He has a name.”

“He has multiple,” Shouto countered, shrugging as he looked back to Izuku. “I didn't catch your name.”

“Oh! Sorry! I'm Izuku, Midoriya Izuku! Um, Hiroki is my birth-son but they got mixed up in the hospital, now we're all living together for as long as Kacchan can put up with me!”

“Kacchan, huh?” Shouto asked, completely straight-faced. “That's a new one.”

“I hate both of you,” Katsuki growled, chair scraping on the wooden floor as he stood up. “I need a drink.”

“A drink would be lovely, thank you Bakugou,” Shouto dead-panned. “I'm sure Midoriya would like something too.”

“I'm okay!” Izuku squeaked, a little concerned by the deep crease in Katsuki's forehead as he scowled. “I can go get them if you want?”

“Bakugou's got it,” Shouto said dismissively, turning his chair a little to see Izuku easier. “So you must have been raising Bakugou's kid, then? That must have been a nightmare.”

With a last little grumble, Katsuki turned away, stomping over to the bar and watching the staff exchange nervous looks, silently arguing over who was going to bite the bullet and take his order.

“Shot of whiskey, two rum and cokes, and a white wine.”

“Right away, Sir!”

They poured the shot first, and Katsuki slammed it down before they'd even picked up glasses for the rest, pushing it back across the counter with a little sigh.

“Another, Sir?”

“No, I'm... Actually, yeah, why not.”

Another staff member took over with the rum and coke, letting his nervous bartender pour another shot and reach for the wine shelf. He sighed with satisfaction when he'd downed it, and this time he shook his head when they began to offer him a third, wrangling all the glasses into his hands and weaving his way back to the table instead.

To his horror, he found a much bigger group waiting for him on his return, half of his high school squad gathering to chat with Izuku. In a weird way he was a little jealous of how quickly they'd all fallen in love with the guy – it had taken so long for Izuku and Katsuki to really get comfortable with each other, they still struggled sometimes as it was, and yet he slotted so easily into Katsuki's friends.

Maddening.

“Move it, extras,” Katsuki scowled, nudging his way through to his thankfully-still-empty seat. “Don't you have better things to do?”

“Better than hearing your dirty little secrets from Midoriya?” Denki grinned, leaning on the edge of the table with a smug smile. “Mind giving us two minutes to finish the story?”

“He wouldn't,” Katsuki snorted, sliding the wine glass across to Izuku and shoving his spare rum and coke at Shouto. “The nerd is an idiot, yeah, but he doesn't have a death wish.”

“I told you he wouldn't believe you,” Izuku giggled. “I would never betray Kacchan's trust after he brought us into his home!”

“You're too good!” Eijirou praised, clapping him on the back fondly. “The rest of us can't help but tease the guy, do you know how easy it is to rile him up? He's already got a stick up his ass, you just need to give it a little kick.”

“But he's so nice!” Izuku pouted. “I can't be mean to him when I've seen how sweet he is to our boys!”

“Awww, Blasty is such a good Daddy,” Mina teased, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “If you can get someone as cute as Izuku on your side, you must be good!”

“Shut up.”

He squirmed away, ignoring the way she laughed at him, but when he saw the apologetic look on Izuku's face it was almost as bad. Dumb nerd was always taking the blame for everything, he should have figured out by now that his friends were just assholes.

"Leave the nerd alone," he instructed, glaring at Denki in particular. "He's too pure for your dumb bullshit, don't ruin him."

"Aww, Kacchan cares!" Denki teased, ruffling Katsuki's hair and darting away in a hurry when hot sparks popped at him. "He must really like you, Midoriya. Make the most of it!"

"I do," Izuku smiled shyly. "I'm very grateful for how nice he is to me."

"Shut up, nerd," Katsuki grumbled, flushing bright red as he took a sip from his drink. "Just entertain the assholes so I don't have to."

He caught a glimpse of Shouto eyeing him up, considering the sudden tint to his face carefully, and returned the look with a stern glare. Shouto smiled, a maddening little smile like he'd worked out some big secret Katsuki had been hiding, but he turned away before Katsuki could yell at him for it.

"Is that Real Steel?" Izuku squawked, chair scraping loudly on the floor as he leapt up and grabbed his notebook. "Excuse me, I need to go get an autograph!"

"Oh, Tetsu made it!" Eijirou laughed. "Come on, Izuku, I'll introduce you!"

"Really?! Thank you so much!"

Katsuki found himself staring after them as they left, and Mina shot him a knowing little smile when he finally tore his eyes away.

"He's lovely," she grinned. "You've found a good one."

"Shut up."


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