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Pro Heroes Deku and Dynamight were all over the hero tabloids a year ago when their dramatic divorce went public. Fans had caught them screaming at each other. Another fan somehow leaked the fact that Deku got to keep the cat.
People took sides. It got out of hand. In efforts to save both of their reputations, each of their management teams had suggested that they split up. They shouldn't work together, shouldn't see each other, shouldn't even think about each other.
A clean break. Distance.
And after a while it blew over. Things were going well for both of them as far as any news outlets were concerned. But one day, as Katsuki pushes open the door to the conference room for debriefing, he lays eyes on the man he once called his husband.
He's sitting in a chair like a stupid motherfucker.
"What the hell is he doing here?" he mutters to his boss as he takes his seat. He won't cause a scene. Maybe he wants to lurch across the table and strangle the other man, but he won't.
What he will do is glare at him the entire time. Eyes narrowed in, sending darts his way. And fucking Deku glares right back. His lips are pursed so tight they look like a butthole.
That asshole.
"Team up mission," his boss mutters. "Just try to behave."
"He's the one that needs to fucking behave."
The dirty looks don't stop even as the meeting starts. Katsuki should probably be paying attention, but he's not. His brain is full of entirely too many angry, bitter thoughts. About how Deku left him. Claimed he stopped loving Katsuki a long time ago.
Like he had any right to go and break Katsuki's heart like that. Instead of letting him know how hurt he felt back then, he had resorted to acting like he didn't give a shit. To hurling insults and starting yelling matches.
It wasn't long before Deku had slapped the divorce papers down in front of him. He signed them and flipped him off. What Deku doesn't know is that he cried himself to sleep that night.
He hoped that maybe something would work out, that Deku would fucking apologize for being an asshole, but it never happened.
It was really over.
And now they're in the same room together after a year. Deku looks good and Katsuki hates it. He should be a mess. As much of a mess as Katsuki was. Still is.
"And that's where Deku and Dynamight come in," the presenter says, snatching up Katsuki's attention immediately.
"What?" he says, scowling. Why the hell would they-
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Deku says, evenly.
"It's a fucking terrible idea," he scoffs. Whatever the idea is, if it involves them working together it's terrible.
"It's our best option," she sighs. "Your quirks work well together, you're an unstoppable force."
Katsuki's nostrils flare. This asshole better not say a damn thing about -
"The Wonder Duo was great, you know," she says, smiling. Katsuki groans loudly. "It will be quick. And after it's over you can go your separate ways again."
"No." They both say.
"There's a bonus."After a few more rounds of haggling, Katsuki finally ends up forced into an agreement. That he has to go on this stupid ass mission with his ex husband.
As soon as the meeting adjourns, he storms out. He needs to get as far away from there as possible so he can think. He makes it just outside the agency building before someone follows after him.
"Katsuki!"
Oh fuck no.
"Go away," he grumbles, wondering why he's even bothering him. "I'll do that stupid mission shit, but I'm not gonna just chat with you."
He has the audacity to look hurt.
"I just . . . I wanted to ask how you've been," he says. Katsuki's frown stays harsh and rigid.
"You don't get to ask how I've been," he snaps.
Just as he says it, someone flies past them on a bicycle, catching Katsuki off guard and knocking him over. As fate would have it, he trips right into Deku's arms.
And as the other man catches him, Katsuki swears he notices the flash of a nearby camera.
Katsuki immediately picks himself up and shoves Deku away. He fucking hates the way that Deku's chest feels just as warm and familiar as he remembers it.
"Get the fuck off of me!" he huffs, straightening himself up. Deku looks shocked, but just shakes his head.
"Accident."
Yeah, whatever.
"Sorry, Kacch- Katsuki, I just um, wanted to say hi I guess," he says. Katsuki pretends not to hear the way he almost lets that old nickname slip.
"Well you said it, so get off my ass already."
And then he storms away.
______
Seeing Kacchan again is jarring. He had been expecting it, but it still shook him to his core to see the way that the other man stared him down like he hated him.
Back when they first separated, Izuku wasn't really sure what he wanted. Things were really hard between them. They hardly saw each other outside of hero work and it was hard to never bring things home.
He had been running on over 24 hours of no sleep when he had told Kacchan he didn't love him anymore. He didn't mean it, he was just upset and cranky. He could have taken it back immediately. Kissed him and apologized.
But then Kacchan had to go and say that he felt the same way. It was soul-crushing, earth-shattering.
Easily the worst night of Izuku's life.
They argued non-stop until they made the divorce official. The second worst day of Izuku's life.
But now, he's here, and he's ready to just be mature and get this mission over with.
Kacchan seems so angry still, and Izuku doesn't know why. Does he really hate him that much? What else would he be so angry for?
"Stop with your moping, Izuku," Ochako says, pushing a teacup into his hands before sitting down next to him on her couch. "I know this sucks, but it'll be over before you know it and you can move on."
"I know, it just brings up so many memories and I don't think I ever realized how sad I was about it."
"About what?" she asks.
"Um, the divorce? At the time I thought . . . this is what we both want, it's for the best. But I don't think I've felt okay with that decision for one second since it happened."
"Aw, Izuku," she coos, sympathetically. Being able to see old friends like Ochako again is one upside of being back in town. She had been there through the thick of it with him, always giving him a couch to crash on when Kacchan would kick him out.
"I wish I knew what to say," she says, sadly. Izuku nods.
"I don't think there is anything to say," he says. She sighs and picks up her phone to start scrolling. "I guess I just have to get it out of my head that there's still something there between us."
"Oh," she says. "Well, that might be a little harder than you think."
"What? Why?" He blinks, giving her an odd look as she shifts over on the couch and shows him her phone screen.
He tries not to pass out as he reads the headline:
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE HERO COUPLE BACK TOGETHER???
"What the fuck," Izuku mutters in disbelief, eyes scanning frantically over a picture of what looks like him and Kacchan embracing in front of the agency building.
"When was that?" Ochako asks
"Yesterday? It was an accident," Izuku says. He feels his heart squeeze a little.
"Doesn't look like an accident," she says, shaking her head. "Those media vultures really like to dig their claws in when it comes to you two."
"Ugh, don't remind me," he groans, shaking his head to rid himself of bad memories.
"So um, do you think he knows?"
_________
Katsuki is at a loss.
He had been minding his own damn business at the corner store when he saw the magazine.
In a fit of rage he purchased the entire stack and took it home with the intent of burning them all.
But as soon as he takes the first copy in his hands he stops. The picture makes his chest ache worse than he could have imagined.
But there's something about the way he can see Deku's hands pressing against his back. And the way his face is so soft, no wrinkles of anger or sadness.
Just. That face.
The face he fell in love with. It must be photoshopped, he thinks. No way Deku would ever look at him like that again.
Deku said he hated him. He said it and Katsuki heard it.
He would never unhear it.
But still, he opens the magazine and reads the disgustingly fake story about how they're back together. Soon, he's in a relaxed state, living in the fantasy land that the magazine has provided.
And then it hits him like a freight train.
He still loves that fucking asshole.
He shouldn't, but he does, and he hates it so much.
After several minutes, he's distracted by his phone ringing. A private number. He stares for a moment but answers anyway.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Hey, Kach-Katsuki," a too familiar voice says. Katsuki blinks, and the heavy realization of everything he had been fantasizing about for the past twenty minutes sets in.
He tries not to tear up.
"What the fuck do you want?" He asks, masking his pain with venom.
"I just, so, I just wanted to warn you about the pap photo that leaked," he says, sounding oddly nervous.
Katsuki eyes the stack of magazines.
"I've seen it," he says, evenly.
"Oh! Okay."
Silence. This shit is fucking awkward. Deku was clearly expecting him to be mad. Shit.
"What are we gonna do about it?" Deku asks.
"We? Sounds like a you problem," he shrugs.
"Wha- Kacchan, this involves both of us!" Deku shouts. Katsuki nearly drops the phone.
Kacchan.
Katsuki's mouth feels dry as he tries to process the nickname. Why would someone who stopped loving him a long time ago still be calling him by such a cheesy nickname?
And why does hearing it make Katsuki want to burst into tears?
"Sorry, um, crap," Deku mumbles.
"You don't get to call me that and act like everything's fine," he rasps, trying his hardest not to show weakness.
But Deku's on the phone and not right in front of him, so it's easier to just let everything out.
He's not sure why he slips. But he does. "You don't get to break my fucking heart and then waltz back into my life like everything's fine!"
Silence again. Katsuki's heart pounds as he waits for Deku to fucking say something. Maybe even apologize.
"I don't. . . What are you talking about?" He scoffs. Katsuki's nostrils flare.
"You fucking told me you didn't love me anymore? Was our marriage that fucking meaningless that you don't even remember that you were the one who ended it?!"
He's shouting. Shaking. Tears are streaming down his face before he can stop them.
"What the- you said you felt the same way immediately! I didn't even mean to say it and you agreed. What the hell, Kacchan?!"
Deku is shouting too. It takes him right back to the final week of their marriage. They never fucking listened to each other.
"You . . . What?"
"I didn't mean to say it," Deku says. Blood pulses in his ears.
"You stupid fuck," Katsuki hisses. It's probably not helping the situation but it's the only thing he can bring himself to verbalize.
"Seriously?! I was, I was tired and irritable and I lashed out."
"And you said-"
"I know what I said. And I'm sorry. It lives in my mind every day and there isn't a second that goes by that I don't regret it!" He says, with a sniffle.
Katsuki opens his mouth but no words come out.
"And then you said you felt the same way."
"What the fuck else was I supposed to say? You dropped a fucking bomb on me and I was angry and hurt and fuck, how was I supposed to react?"
He swallows over a hard lump in his throat.
"So what you're saying is . . ."
"That I didn't mean it either," he finishes.
Oh man.
_______
Izuku is stunned to say the least. After being angry at Kacchan for so long, it's almost disorienting to be given a reason to not be mad anymore.
Kacchan is very quiet for a long time. They both are.
What do they say? What is there to say?
"Do you-"
"We should-"
Another pause.
"I feel like we should talk," Deku finally says. "In person."
"Fuck," Kacchan breathes. "You're probably right."
"Where are you staying these days?"
"You're not coming to my apartment."
"So you'd rather go somewhere public and get caught by paps again?"
"Shit," Kacchan mutters. "Fine, but don't be an idiot and get caught coming over here either."
"I'm not an idiot," he mumbles back. He jots down the address that Katsuki gives him.
He tells Ochako a brief summary of what's going on before bolting. He's not sure what to expect. On one hand . . . What if they're able to make up and move forward? Fall in love again? Do everything right this time around?
But on the other hand.
What if they really are too broken to fix and Izuku is letting himself be hopeful over nothing?
It could go either way. When he arrives at Kacchan's door it almost feels surreal. He had dreamt of something very similar to this once.
Kacchan answers quickly and Izuku has to catch his breath.
It's a version of Kacchan he hasn't seen in so long. Not Dynamight in his hero costume. Or styled for the press.
Just Kacchan. Wearing a hooded sweatshirt and pajama pants. Domestic and simple.
A side of Kacchan that only Izuku used to see. The Kacchan he used to wake up to every morning. If only he had realized how lucky he had been while he still had him.
"Come on," Kacchan grumbles, motioning for him to hurry up.
It's weird walking into Kacchan's apartment. It's small and practical. So authentic to Kacchan that Izuku almost laughs.
"So, um," he says, looking around. "Talking?"
Kacchan sighs and sits down on the couch.
"Yeah. But if you start pissing me off you're out of here," he snaps. Izuku nods and sits down next to Kacchan.
"Where do we even start?" He sighs, staring down at his lap.
"You can start by telling me why the fuck you stopped loving me."
The way his voice cracks hurts.
Katsuki's jaw trembles as he waits for his ex-husband's response. His fists clench in his lap as he tries his best to keep it together.
"I never did," Deku says, quietly, staring down at his feet.
"You never loved me?"
"What? No, I never stopped," he says, adding a bit of an exasperated chuckle. Katsuki just stares, not sure how to react. "I think . . . I didn't really handle things well. I didn't talk to you like I should have, and things escalated."
"That's an understatement," Katsuki scoffs, still processing Deku's confession.
It doesn't feel real. Month after month he had been trying to deal with the pain of accepting that Deku didn't love him anymore. And now he's telling him that it was all for nothing.
"And what about you? You said you felt the same way," Deku says. He's crying, too. Never was very good at hiding his tears.
"I was shocked," he grumbles. "You came home drunk and bitching at me for something."
Funny how he can't even remember what set them off that night.
"I know," Deku sighs, guilt clear in his voice. "I was working nights and you were working days and I was so angry with how things were going for us."
"So you took it out on me?"
"I guess so," he says. "I'm sorry, Kacchan."
Katsuki swallows hard. He presses his lips together into a firm line, thinking.
"You know . . . I spent this whole time trying to pretend like I hated you," Katsuki admits. He bites down on the inside of his cheek. "But . . . "
"But?"
"I don't think I could ever fucking hate you."
Stupid Deku. He's the one asshole that's always been able to get under his skin, take over his thoughts and hold onto his heart.
"I miss you," Deku says, voice hushed.
Katsuki must be fucking losing his mind, because all he can do is laugh.
"It's not funny!" But he's laughing too.
"Shit," Katsuki mutters.
"Yeah," Deku says.
For the first time during their entire conversation, Katsuki turns to look at Deku. His hair is a little longer than he remembers. But his eyes and his freckles are the same.
God, he's handsome. Handsome fucking heartbreaker. Deku blinks as he stares back at Katsuki. His expression is soft, his eyes red and puffy.
Mistakenly, Katsuki's eyes flicker down to his lips. Pink. Wet. He remembers what they taste like.
"Kacchan," Deku says, softly. Katsuki startles and looks up to meet his eyes again.
"What?" he rasps, not willing to think too deeply about how fucked up it would be if he tried to kiss him again. It would be so wrong, so fucking stupid.
"I meant it when I said I still love you. I know I don't deserve to, but it's true."
Katsuki licks his lips.
"I fucking . . ." he trails off. He can't find the right words to say, but he knows what he wants to do. Deku starts rambling again, and Katsuki makes his decision.
He leans across the space between them and crashes his lips into Deku's. He can feel Deku gasp, surprised at the sudden move. But thankfully he leans in, moving his lips slowly.
He tastes the same, but he feels like he's kissing him for the first time all over again. Heat blooms in his chest as one of Deku's hands slides to the back of his neck. The kiss is soft and slow, but it's sweet and it's gentle and it's bringing back so many memories.
Of the good times.
Like when they were just kids and Deku kissed him on the cheek at recess.
Or when they went on their first real date as teenagers.
Their wedding day.
When the kiss finally breaks, Katsuki wants to cry because he doesn't know if it's the last time he'll ever get to do that.
The part just enough to get a good look at each other. They're both flushed pink, flustered and stunned by their own actions.
"I missed that."
"Fuck," Katsuki chokes. "I don't want to stop."
Deku nods in agreement and swoops back in.
This time the kiss isn't nearly as innocent. Their lips move quickly, more desperate. Tongues slide together, teeth graze against lips.
Before his mind can catch up, he's on his back. Deku looms over him, lips hungrily trailing down his jaw and to his neck. Katsuki can't help the moan that escapes.
Deku's body is warm, and just as firm and muscular as he remembers. He lets his arms drape around the other man's shoulders and wonders if it's okay that he's hard.
"Kacchan," Deku breathes, his hips rolling into Katsuki's. He's not the only one aroused.
"Please," he says, not caring how fucking stupid he may be for wanting this. For wanting to be as physically close with Deku as humanly possible.
He's not going to let go again. They fumble with pants and buttons and struggle to find lube, but then they're right back to holding each other close. Their foreheads press together as Deku sinks in.
God, it feels good. It's been a long time since he's had sex. Since... well not since the last time he had with Deku. When they both finish, Deku spoons him on the couch and they lay there for a while. Comfortable in their silence for now.
Thinking.
"Hey, Kacchan?" Deku asks.
"Hmm?"
"I know I said some unforgivable things in the past, and I really am sorry," he begins. Katsuki listens. "But the more I lay here with you, I- I know I don't deserve it, but I don't want to leave you again."
Katsuki holds his breath for a moment. He doesn't want him to leave either.
"Then don't," he says.
"Okay," is all he says, but it holds so much weight.
He's not over what happened. They'll have to put in a lot of fucking work to repair things between them. Maybe see a couples counselor or some shit like that.
But he can't deny the fact that being in Deku's arms again feels right. Like it's where he belongs.
A few minutes pass and one of their phones ring. Katsuki groans out loud and reaches for the offending phone on the coffee table and answers it.
"Kacchan, that's my-"
"Hello?" He says, pressing the phone to his ear.
"Ah, Izuku?" A woman's voice says, sounding mildly confused. Katsuki narrows his eyes, already annoyed with whoever thought it was a good idea to interrupt his time with Deku.
"Who is this?" He asks.
"Kacchan, give me the phone!"
With a scoff, Katsuki rolls his eyes and drops the phone behind him, letting Deku take it.
Katsuki lays back down and listens while Deku starts to speak.
"Ah, sorry about that! . . . Oh, um, yeah that was him . . . Mhmm . . . I guess that's something we'll have to discuss, but I guess it's not technically wrong."
After a few more exchanges, Deku hangs up and snuggles back into him, arms snaking around his torso.
"Who was that?" Katsuki asks
"PR asking about the photo," he replies. "They wanted to know if it was true or just some misunderstanding so they know what to do about it."
"And?"
"I mean, the photo was an accident, but it’s true, isn’t it? They wanted to know if we planned on getting married again."
"Are we?"
"Do you want to?"
"Eventually," Katsuki admits. They have time. All the damn time in the world. They can work on themselves first, make sure their marriage will be solid as ever this time.
"Another wedding?"
"Fuck no, courthouse."
"Oh good," Deku laughs, and presses a kiss behind Katsuki's ear. "I love you. And I'm gonna tell you every day from now on."
"I love you too," he replies, twisting around to kiss his lips again.
They don't have a plan. They only know that they're both still in love and that they have a lot to work on. Also that another media storm is bound to happen.
But they'll be okay this time because they have each other again.