Welcome Home [Chapter 4]

[Previous Chapter]

Izuku swiped away another article he’d been mentioned in, sighing to himself as he set his phone aside. Katsuki had turned off the alerts by the time the third article came out, but Izuku couldn’t bring himself to do it – there were nice things being said, too! Not many, admittedly, with everything being overshadowed by his court battle. But it wasn’t the day to deal with those, it was meant to be a happy day, and that was why Izuku chose to swipe everything away without reading it too closely.

Truth be told, he’d planned on delaying everything, and he was pretty sure Katsuki had too. But their parents had stepped in and assured them that everything was under control, that they didn’t have to lift a single finger, because everything was taken care of already – who was he to say no to all of their parents teaming up together?

Besides, Akuji had insisted he wanted to come, and Izuku was hardly gonna turn that down.

“You’re gonna make me cry,” Inko whined, when she peeked through the doorway. “Look at you!”

Izuku laughed, a little proud of himself for how genuine it came out. He’d managed to put everything aside, just for a little while, to focus on being happy.

“Akuji is such a sweetheart,” Inko continued, as she fussed with Izuku’s jacket. “He looks very handsome in his little suit.”

“Of course he does, he’s mine.”

Inko laughed, and Izuku grinned at her in the mirror, reaching back to pull her into a hug.

“Thanks for taking care of everything,” he said fondly. “It means a lot.”

“Of course we did, Izuku! It was our pleasure! Honestly, though, the Bakugous did so much more than me – they really have a knack for this kind of thing.”

“They told me you did all the admin and checklists!” he argued. “I bet they would’ve forgotten a bunch of things without you.”

“I’m sure they would have figured it out in time! But for now, you should get out there.”

Izuku hugged her one more time, and Inko valiantly held back her tears as she returned it, quickly turning to ushering him out the door to keep him from noticing. Their friends and family were already seated in the little hall, a gentle hum of conversation reaching out to the corridor, but they went silent when Izuku walked in with his mother at his side, walking him up to the front. Katsuki was already waiting for him, with the softest, fondest expression in the world waiting on his face, and Inko paused to squeeze his hand, too, before she left them alone with the officiant.

The room looked beautiful, the walls and seats draped artfully with filmy fabric and fresh flowers, and all Izuku’s favourite people filled it up – Akuji in the front row with Inko and All Might and the Bakugous, Eri and Kouta sitting off to one side with Aizawa, and all his old friends and classmates filling in the gaps between. Even Melissa and Rody had flown in to be there, and he was oddly touched that they would make such long trips just to watch him and Katsuki say some words.

They’d chosen to keep the ceremony short, for everyone’s sake, so all too soon Katsuki was taking a cue card from his pocket, and Izuku was steeling himself to not sob like a baby as he listened.

“You are the person I never dared to dream of; yet here you are, choosing me. You challenge me, support me, and love me in ways I never knew I needed. I promise to build a life with you that is full of laughter, patience, and most of all, love.”

Izuku was pretty sure he was failing at the holding-back-tears thing.

“Thank you for loving me, and more than that, for trusting me. Trusting me to treat you right, despite the mistakes I’ve made in the past. Trusting me to help build a life with you, even though I’m figuring it all out as we go along. And trusting me with your son, to love him and help take care of him, as part of our family. From this day forward, no matter what comes, we face it together.”

“Kacchaaan,” Izuku sobbed, throwing tradition to the wind and wrapping his arms around Katsuki tightly. “Kacchan you’re so amaziiiing.”

He could hear their audience chuckling at him, but he didn’t even care – especially when Katsuki hugged him back, tilting his head up a little to whisper in his ear.

“I love you, nerd – good luck getting rid of me now.”

Steeling himself, Izuku let go, sniffling as he reached for his own notes. Truth be told, he’d practiced them so many times that he didn’t think he needed the notes anymore, but he didn’t want to risk anything going wrong, that day.

"We’ve known each other for as long as I can remember, and you’ve always been there—my constant in life.” He paused, taking a shaky breath, barely managing to meet Katsuki’s beautiful, love-filled gaze. “You’re my favourite person, my best friend, and I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”

Katsuki reached for him, squeezing his hand encouragingly, and Izuku swallowed down the sob welling up inside him – he just had to keep it back for a few more minutes.

“I promise to love you through every adventure and every quiet moment, through every celebration and every storm. I used to think that falling in love was something I just wasn’t wired for, until I realised that I’ve loved you forever, in ways I had just never understood.”

“I love you too,” Katsuki whispered – he never could let Izuku say it without responding, the damn sappy sweetheart that he was.

“When I learned about Akuji, I was scared of what it would mean for us. But you didn’t hesitate. You simply showed me, once again, that love – your love – is the safest place I will ever know. I’m so grateful that you’re willing to share that with him, too. Thank you, Kacchan, for accepting and loving me, and for accepting and loving my son just as readily."

He nodded slightly, putting his notes away again, and Katsuki squeezed his hand extra tightly.

Katsuki glanced over at the audience – Izuku had almost forgotten they were there – and nodded to Akuji, watching him stand up shakily and carry his little pillow up to the front. Katsuki picked up the ring on his side first, slipping it onto Izuku’s finger, and Izuku returned the gesture with trembling hands, eternally grateful that he managed to keep from dropping it entirely. The officiant took the ring pillow, and Akuji was left with a long red-and-white cord in his hands, taking a deep breath as he carefully wrapped it around Izuku’s and Katsuki’s joined hands. He’d been practicing for days, with help from Masaru and the internet, determined to get it right, and Izuku loved him all the more for how determined he was.

The officiant was speaking again, but Izuku couldn’t even make out what he was saying, only broken out of his daze when Katsuki said those magical words: I do.

The officiant spoke again, and when he paused, looking at Izuku, Izuku swallowed nervously.

“I do,” he echoed.

Akuji tied the last knot in the cord, looking proudly at his work, and as the officiant declared them husband and husband, Katsuki lifted their joined hands, reaching to absorb Akuji into the hold. Akuji blinked at him, stunned, but when Izuku gripped him too, holding his tiny hand between their bigger, stronger, far more scarred ones, his eyes filled with tears.

Katsuki had always said that his crying was genetic.

───

It was late in the night when Akuji disappeared for a little too long, immediately making Izuku antsy. He’d been in and out of sight all night, grabbing food or making bathroom trips, but it was the first time Izuku hadn’t seen him come back within a couple of minutes.

“Kacchan, do you know where he went?” Izuku asked quietly, when they were left alone for a moment. “He’s been gone a while.”

“He was talking to my dad a little while ago.”

Katsuki caught Masaru’s eye, waving him over, and Izuku was relieved to see him still smiling as he approached. He’d always adored Masaru; he’d been like a father to Izuku, as a kid growing up without one, and Izuku had been delighted to see Akuji bond with him from day one – he was happy beyond belief that Akuji would have that same presence in his life as he and Katsuki had.

“He’s fine,” Masaru said knowingly. “He was getting tired, so he’s taking a nap in the other room. Us old folks will head off soon anyway, so we’ll take him back to our place for the night and let you two have fun with your friends.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Izuku insisted.

“Don’t worry about it, I had a chat with him earlier and he was happy with it. We’re gonna drop your mother and Toshinori off at her place, then take Akuji home with us, and tomorrow you can give us a call whenever you wake up and we’ll come drop him off. Take your time.”

“Are you sure?”

“Izuku, it’s your wedding night,” Masaru reminded him, smiling to himself. “Stay and party, then get plenty of sleep. Let us spend time with our grandson.”

The word made Izuku tear up, and Masaru chuckled, leaning over to pat Izuku on the shoulder.

“I would say ‘welcome to the family’, but you’ve always been a part of our family, and I hope you know that.”

“Thank you, that means so much to me.”

Together the trio slipped out of the room, finding the rest of their parents already waiting in the hallway, ready to say their goodbyes. Izuku hugged them all, even though it still felt a little weird to hug All Might of all people, and even Katsuki conceded a few awkward, reluctant ones that made Inko and All Might tear up.

“It was beautiful,” Inko told them, for the eighth time that night. “You two are so perfect together, I’m so happy for you. And a son, my goodness.”

“Yeah, we’re all grown up,” Katsuki said with a chuckle. “Thanks for all your hard work, today was perfect.”

Tears began spilling down Inko’s cheeks, but this time All Might was the one to hug her for it, and Izuku could tell that Katsuki was relieved – poor guy still wasn’t used to all the affection the Midoriyas dished out.

“We’re gonna leave you boys to it,” Mitsuki said, giving her son a fond shove in the arm. “Behave yourself, brat. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“You’d do literally anything if you felt like it.”

“Don’t do anything your father wouldn’t do!”

“Boring.”

Despite the complaint, Katsuki smiled, and Izuku reached for his hand again – he’d always like holding hands with his Kacchan, but feeling that little ring on his finger made it even sweeter. Hands intertwined, they watched as Masaru gently woke Akuji up, letting him sit up and rub at his eyes for a second. He could only have gotten ten minutes of sleep, but considering how drowsy he looked, Izuku suspected he’d needed it just to get him home.

“Come here, young man,” All Might offered, holding out his arms.

Despite his long-ago retirement, All Might had stayed physically strong throughout the years. While Inko took elevators instead of stairs, these days, and Masaru and Mitsuki often got help loading their groceries into the car, All Might still seemed effortless about anything based in strength or movement. Izuku hoped it would continue to last – and also hoped he’d be the same, at that age, rather than beaten down by all the scars and injuries he’d already succumbed to.

Akuji didn’t object, just lifting up his arms for All Might to get a decent grip, and letting himself be picked up by those strong arms. He wrapped himself around All Might’s side, balanced on his hip the same way he did when Katsuki carried him around, and All Might seemed perfectly content to hold him there as they started toward the door.

“Get home safe,” Katsuki instructed. “Let us know when you get home.”

“Thank you all for coming,” Izuku added. “Get some rest. See you tomorrow, Akuji, thank you for being here with us.”

Akuji just nodded, eyes falling closed again already, and Izuku watched until they’d all made it safely to the car. He was pretty sure Akuji was asleep again by the time he had his seatbelt on, but he’d seemed happy to be included, so Izuku supposed there was no real harm done.

When the car was out of sight, they finally headed back into the big, loud hall, absorbed into the masses of all their best and oldest friends. There was a little cluster at the bar who Izuku immediately felt the urge to tell off, to snatch the drinks away from, but Katsuki squeezed his hand knowingly when he caught him looking.

“They’re all grown up, too,” Katsuki teased. “Even Katsuma is old enough to use his real ID.”

“Oh my god I’m old,” Izuku whined, amused all the same when Katsuki burst out laughing. “I’m serious! I still think of them as children!”

Eri spotted them first, immediately hurrying over to give them each a hug that Katsuki reluctantly returned, and then they were being dragged to the bar, handed glasses of pretty green-and-orange cocktails, and shoved onto the last remaining stools.

“How did it happen?” Mahoro asked, despite a glare from her brother. “You know we’re all thinking it!”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Eri assured him, Katsuma nodding along. “It must be so hard dealing with all the media attention!”

“Fuck the media attention,” Mahoro insisted. “We’re not gonna sell his secrets!”

Most of their guests had tactfully avoided the subject, had let them decide what they did and didn’t want to share, but Izuku knew it was bound to come up eventually.

“It’s okay, it’s not a secret,” Izuku assured them all, sipping at his drink. “It’s just still pretty new and everything, so it’s not like we’ve been sending out New Year cards about it.”

“Then hurry up and spill,” Kouta said flatly. “We’re waiting.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but Izuku didn’t notice, too busy smiling faintly to himself. Despite all the drama, he couldn’t help but be a little happy any time he thought about their newest family member.

“He’s eight years old,” Izuku began. “And his name is Akuji, but we’ve managed to keep his name out of the media so far.”

“They don’t care about that part,” Katsuki grumbled, taking a sip from his drink. “They want to know about her.”

“He has a shitty mother?” Kouta asked bluntly.

“Yeah,” Izuku admitted. “She’s an addict, and from what we can tell, she’s been spending her government assistance on drugs instead of buying him food and things. They were living in old, abandoned houses, moving between them a bunch so people wouldn’t get suspicious.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Izuku said again. “She got arrested in a drug raid but they couldn’t provide any physical evidence she’d been using, so she got released pretty quickly.”

“Akuji ran out of food while she was gone,” Katsuki said, fuming all over again at the thought of it.

“He phoned me because he was starving,” Izuku agreed. “We got thirty days of custody to start with, we have about a week left before we go back to court and fight her for him.”

“Physically?” Mahoro asked, making Katsuki crack a smile. “That seems like an unfair fight.”

“If only,” Katsuki chuckled. “Maybe courts should put in a fight to the death option.”

“I’ll start a petition tomorrow.”

Curiosity apparently sated, the not-kids went back to drinking and chatting, catching the newlyweds up on everything they’d been up to, but soon there were other guests clamouring for their attention, and with a long sigh, Katsuki excused them. Melissa and Rody were both hovering, trying to get Izuku’s attention, and Katsuki’s old high school friend-group were starting to get rowdy, trying to trick him into going over to calm them down, which he was unfortunately going to walk right into, even though he knew. Then there were Izuku’s high school friends, too, and the teachers and mentors who were getting old and would probably want to head home soon – it was gonna be a long night.

“Ready to get started, nerd?” Katsuki asked, offering him a hand.

Izuku beamed up at him, accepting the grip and letting Katsuki pull him to his feet, stepping all the way in to give him a quick hug that made the not-kids tease. They were married now and still getting shit for hugging? Bunch of weirdos.

“Ready,” Izuku agreed, his smile not wavering even for a moment. “I can’t wait.”