Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Katsuki hops off the ship last, grinning wildly as the villagers scream while his crew raids the village that has sent disgusting threats to the Bakugou Village for months now. It’s another raid, just as usual as the other ones he’s led since he was fourteen. But as he reaches his idiot friends, catching the smirks on their lips as they face a space where it looks like a stage has been set up. His eyes narrow, his face twisting into a grimace as he looks at them.

“There’s a person over there, and they’re advertising a person.” says Denki with a knowing glint in his eyes as he nods towards the stage-like space.

“The sign says it’s 50 penningar for a slave. They say they aren’t moving because they’re trying to get rid of a “useless slave”. Said if we want to take anything from them without injuring them, we have to take the slave first.” adds Eijirou with a lazy smile, but Katsuki knows his best friends better than anyone else. They know something more, and they want Katsuki to figure it out.

“You two are trying to play me, but I want to get the fuck out of here. So, I’ll play into your hands this once. Round up the earnings and put them on the ships. We leave in twenty.” huffs Katsuki gruffly before he’s turning and stomping his way over to the hut with the stage partially sticking out of it.

He’s stepping in front of it when a yell of “Chief, watch out!” has him ducking instantly mid-step.

“Get a fuckin handle on that idiot!” snaps Katsuki harshly as he twists around, eyes locked on the ground to find the flying club that headed his way.

“I got it, Chief!” hollers that same voice, it’s a newbie raider, Max, and he’s not very good yet. This happens to be his first official raid, so Katsuki will give him the benefit of the doubt on two official raids before sending him back to the armory.

“Ka-Kacchan?” whispers a voice that has Katsuki freezing, hands latching onto the club just in front of what appears to be a wooden pallet being used as a stage. “Kacchan, you- y-you h-have t-to g-go.”

“Do I hear your voice, slave? I thought I told you no talking! Don’t make me use my knife again, plaything.” calls a sickly, sweet voice with devious undertones, a female voice.

Katsuki raises his eyes, disbelief filling him until his red eyes lock onto green eyes, freckles, and messy curls. Katsuki just looks at him for a moment, unable to believe that it’s truly him. The boy who saved him all those years ago, the one whose mother gave him a loaf of bread to take with him, nursed his wounds while his own mother hunted down the wolf that stuck its claws in him. Katsuki would know those green eyes and curls anywhere; those freckles that Katsuki spent the entire time counting while he got the stitches in his forearm and under his kneecap.

It’s him, it’s Deku, Izuku Midoriya.

He’s bruised from head to toe, slices on his hands, arms, and dirt mangled into his clothes, if you can even call them that. It looks like he’s just got on rags, clothes too big for him and frayed at the ends. His jeans have holes around the knees from where he’s kneeling on the stage, sitting back on his legs. His hair is a mess, aside from two braids that look like they were properly done by an experienced hand. But what has Katsuki almost gasping aloud is the ropes tying his neck to his hands to the chain-link drilled into the pallet.

“Deku-” starts Katsuki as Izuku’s eyes fill with fear, that pale face somehow paling further.

“You have to go.” whispers Izuku pleadingly, fearful as he tries to wave Katsuki away.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stupid plaything. What have we told you about fraternizing with potential buyers? You don’t look like a good slave when you talk.” says a cheery voice, and Katsuki looks up to find a brunette woman glaring at Izuku. She’s cinched into a tight corset, and she’s got a whip in her hands, the tail of it trailing after her.

Izuku’s head tilts forward, and Katsuki’s eyes frantically search for the price that he’d have to pay to save him. His idiot friends are never right on the money.

There on a golden sheet nailed into the wooden post, it reads, “Buy a slave for 18 penningar.”

“Eighteen penningar, or I’ll kill you and your loudmouth woman.” sneers Katsuki as the brunette holds the whip up, ready to let it sting against Izuku’s body.

“He’s talked, so the price goes up to 25. Pay it or watch him scream.” replies the brunette with an evil twitch of her eye, and Katsuki gets the bad feeling that he might have to kill them to get Deku to safety.

“I’ll pay it. Touch him, and you’re both dead.” sneers Katsuki harshly, narrowing his eyes when she tries to glare at him, to intimidate him.

He’s Katsuki Bakugou, chief of the Bakugou clan and leader of raids since he was 14 years old. No chance in hell some wench is going to intimidate him, especially not when it’s something he wants.

“Pay it then, or he’s screaming while she slices your head off your shoulders, sweetie.” sneers a blonde woman as she steps out onto the stage, Izuku whimpering at the sound of her voice as she steps up and grabs his hair, wrenching his head back. “Twenty-Five penningar, pay up or die.”

Katsuki sneers at the girls before his eyes find his idiot friends watching, Denki’s stuffing his face while Eijirou is sipping something.

“Dumbasses, twenty-five penningar, now!” growls Katsuki, not letting his eyes drift from glaring at the women outside of checking on Izuku.

“Yes Chief!” “Coming Chief!”

His hands go for his own dagger on his belt when the blonde licks Izuku’s neck.

“You really want this worthless little thing? I promise, he’s not as much fun as you think he will be. He’s constantly disobeying us, and he’s never earned us good money when others wanted to have fun with him. I’m sure we could offer a handsome thing like you something better.” The brunette is speaking to him while she lightly smacks Izuku’s cheek, voice sly and almost sensual. If Katsuki was actually interested, he’d fall for it, but he’s always had a thing for green.

“Touch him again, and you won’t have any limbs to use again.” snaps Katsuki as he pulls his dagger out, cutting the ropes holding Izuku, and yanking him off the stand. He smirks as the blonde falls forward, landing on her hands and knees. “He’s mine, wenches!”

“Not until you-”

Katsuki nods slightly, and Eijirou tosses the money onto the stage. “There’s your fuckin’ money. Tie the wenches up and take them to the middle of the village. It looks like I have some shit to fucking do. Eijirou, you get him on the ship and take him to my quarters. When I’m done, I’ll come talk to you, Izuku.”

Izuku doesn’t look at him, head leaned down so those green eyes can’t be seen, and Katsuki feels unbridled anger curl through him like a long-lost friend, this is what he’s been searching for.

A reason.

Katsuki takes no time following Denki to the middle of the village where the inhabitants have been tied up and attached to different posts holding their village symbol.

“The chief will hear from me in one hour. Here is what I will tell the chief, and he’d better tell you as well. You have one chance now, once chance to save your village from being burned to the ground in one month. These two wenches are to be banned from ever returning for any reason, including trade.” Katsuki demands their attention as he speaks, loud, formal, and clearly in charge. There’s no chance they will go against his word, but he knows those two women will try because while they cry out in half-hearted attempts to argue, they’re both wearing smirks that promise revenge. “Come after me, wenches, and I will kill you both with no mercy. Come after Izuku, and I will deliver your heads to him on silver platters. You two will die by my hand if you try anything, or if I decide you just don’t deserve to live any longer!”

Katsuki turns from the group, leaving his raiders to watch over the villagers while Katsuki stomps his way to the Village Chief’s house just past the back of the village, on a slight hill. He storms the house with his sword out and ready, only to find the old man sitting on a chair in the kitchen, sipping something that has steam curling off of it.

“I was waiting for you to arrive. Have you trapped my villagers in the center? Are you going to burn my village down, you barbarian?” asks the Chief as he pointedly looks away from him, not giving him the time of day.

“You have one month, but if you don’t abide by my rules, I’ll be back to burn you all in whatever way is necessary, death, fire, and ashes will be all that is left when I am through. You ready to listen instead of being an arrogant piece of shit that sent letter after letter of threats to my village but never made a move?” replies Katsuki lowly, walking forward until he presses the sword to the well-groomed man’s neck, daring him to try anything.

“Katsuki, trust me, child, I am no arrogant man. I am just very well aware of my skills, and I am aware that nobody weaves the way that I do. I sent those death threats in hopes you would get rid of those two women who have been torturing that poor green haired boy with the kind eyes. What are your rules?” asks the man with an eye roll as he meets Katsuki’s eyes, letting the end of the sword press harsher against his own skin, catching Katsuki off guard.

“Those women are to be banned from the village, they are to be unallowed to come back for any reasons or be communicated with for any reasons. And those reasons will include trade.” explains Katsuki seriously, harshly as he makes his threats clear before laying down the last of his rules, leaving no room for arguments. “If they come back, you are to get a hold of my village as soon as possible. If you hear that they have another person in their possession, you are to reach out to me immediately. If your allies mention them, I want word sent to me. I will be back in a month, and if you lie to me, if any of your people lie to me, I will know, and it will be game over.”

“You have my word, they will be banned, and anything that I hear about them from my allies, will be sent to you as soon as I hear them. I will inform my allies about the situation, warn them, and send you the names of allying villages to do with what you wish. I will have them gone before nightfall.” replies the man easily, no hesitation, no arguments, nothing but ease and agreement, and Katsuki narrows his eyes at how easily he agreed to his decisive rules.

“That was too fucking easy.” says Katsuki lowly, bringing his sword back, but still glaring at the man.

“I’ve been allied to your village for a very long time. I was trying to get your attention for six months before your mom informed me that you handle the raids, not the trade. So, I took that information, and decided to make my village seem like a threat so as to get your attention like I needed. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. You want those pests gone? So, do I. Therefore, I have no problem getting rid of them, and ensuring they never show their faces here again.” replies the man calmly as he continues to sip from his drink before setting the blue mug down on the table that he’s sat himself at. “And the name your parents know me by is Best Jeanist. Ask them if you don’t believe my words, and if they tell you otherwise, do go ahead and return. I won’t mind it at all.”

“Fucking whatever, just get rid of the two vile wenches, follow the other rules, and we’ll see each other again in a month.” replies Katsuki gruffly before he’s turning and marching his way out of the hut and back towards the center of the village.

Once he arrives, he glares at the two women, anger fueling the growl that leaves him at their smirks, but then he turns to his crew and announces, “It’s time to return home. In a month, we shall see whether this village will burn or not. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

He follows his crew to their ship as the Chief of this village announces, “... You heard the man, Toga and Ochako, you two are banished from our village!”

As soon as they board the ship, Katsuki is barking orders, “Sero, you and Todoroki need to get this ship sailing! Everyone else, get to loading everything below deck, and I do mean everything! But, and this will get you kicked off the raid team, if you see the Emerald haired man, don’t even think about treating him like you do the crew! He’s not to be disturbed! Kaminari, Kirishima, make sure I’m not disturbed, I’m going to check on Izuku.”

“Yes Chief!” the crew hollers at him in unison before they all get moving while Katsuki makes his way down to their quarters, heading straight for the last room that he’d named as his when they finished constructing their newest ship. He slips straight inside as Kirishima and Kaminari come to stand guard, and he finds Izuku kneeling on the ground, head facing the ground, arms in front of him like before.

“Izuku, you- you don’t have to kneel. This isn’t- You’re not- Don’t kneel, please, I want you to be comfortable.” says Katsuki a bit harshly as the sight of Izuku on his knees like a slave has him wanting to barf.

“You’re my master, are you not?” asks Izuku quietly as he looks up at Katsuki, those beautiful eyes melted into the dullest green Katsuki has ever seen.

“No, Izuku, I’m not. I- What exactly do you think you’re going to be doing?” asks Katsuki in confusion, anger swimming in his veins, light but ready to explode out of him at a moment’s notice.

“Cleaning for you, cooking for you… I am your slave, sir, you bought me.” replies Izuku in a blank tone as he looks at him, still unmoving from his place on the ground.

“We are going to discuss this more later, but for now, I would like it if you’d sleep on my bed, please. It’s going to be a long trip home, and I’d prefer if you were well rested because the hag is going to lose her shit when she sees you. Sleep, I’ll bring dinner in a few hours.” replies Katsuki as the anger swells in him, trying his best to not come off demanding or bossy because he doesn’t want Izuku to think he’s in charge of him.

He leaves the room without letting Izuku speak, and the moment he’s out, he’s punching their wooden wall.

“Those wenches took his autonomy, his dreams, his fucking freedom. I want them dead; I want them hanged for their bullshit. I want the assholes that took him because I know he didn’t just wander into their care, especially because they were auctioning him off. I want every slave holder killed goddamnit. When he’s ready, we are going to hunt every single person he’s ever been enslaved by down, and we are going to bring him their fucking heads.” snarls Katsuki angrily as he turns to look at his friends, his best crew members, with the look of the pure rage he feels as he thirsts for revenge on Izuku’s behalf.

This is going to take some time, to get these names from Izuku, to get his story, but hopefully, once he knows he’s safe to be whoever he wants in their village, he’ll tell Katsuki everything. And when he’s ready, Katsuki will give him the choice of revenge, but those two wenches for sure, they will die at Katsuki’s hands unless Izuku wants to end them himself.

Katsuki goes to the top deck and darts into his office space to start drafting letters to mail to their allies and neighboring villages, warnings and expectations to be met or threats and raids soon would follow. Once those letters are done, he takes a plate of dinner down to Izuku before returning upstairs to take control of steering the ship.

He’s taking Izuku home, and maybe, hopefully, Izuku will see that he is free to simply be whoever he wants to be. Maybe he’ll even find a place in Katsuki’s village, maybe he and Katsuki can truly be friends this time around instead of acquaintances seen maybe once a year. But all Katsuki truly wants to do… All he wants is to give Izuku his freedom and autonomy back.

Chapter Text

As they anchor off at the docks of their village, Katsuki can’t help but feel happy and worried at the same time. He’s got a plan that he needs to put into play before he can get Izuku, so while Denki and Eijirou go back down to guard Katsuki’s room where Izuku is hopefully resting again, his eyes search for the best horseback riders of their raid team.

“Half and Half, Tape Arms, get yer asses over here!” hollers Katsuki when he catches sight of them starting to help offload their earnings.

He meets them on the deck, and Tape Arms has his arm looped around Half and Half’s waist with a sweet smile as Half and Half just cocks a brow at him.

“We’re trying to offload, Captain, so what is it you needed so urgently to holler for us while we were doing our jobs?” asks Half and Half with an unimpressed tone of voice as he leans into Tape Arms hold.

“Come on, Sho, don’t get an attitude with him. You got kicked from last month’s raid for the backtalk, and it was the worst raid because I didn’t have you princess.” whines Tape Arms as he fully wraps around him, pressing his chin lightly into his shoulder as he pouts.

“Don’t start badmouthing me half and half and stop with the fuckin’ lovey dovey. I have a job for the two of you that I can only trust with you two. But, if you’re not up for it, I guess I can figure something else out.” replies Katsuki with an eye roll as he crosses his arms over his chest and waits because he knew the challenge would get the reaction he wanted.

“Nobody’s going to do better than us, so of course we’ll take the job, jerk. Just stop with the nicknames. You know I hate being called half and half, it’s not my fault that my parents’ genes split down the middle with me!” grumbles Half and Half as he twists his head to glare out at the water.

“Alright, pouty ass Shouto. Stop. This is really important, I need you two on this, so seriously… Will you two do this for me?” asks Katsuki seriously, rolling his eyes as they both turn to look at him, straightening up and nodding diligently as always. “I need you to ride out to the Village that houses Midoriya Bakes. It’s a three-day ride by horseback, but I need you to find Inko Midoriya and bring her here. That’s Izuku’s mom. I don’t know how long they’ve been separated, but a reunion is needed. The hag will have a map, she loved Midoriya Bakes. This is important, so I need to know you two won’t fuck this up. Hanta, I’m trusting you to not let Shouto attack any assholes, and Shouto, I’m trusting you to safely bring her here.”

“What if- What if she’s not there, or she’s not anywhere?” asks Shouto hesitantly, he hates talking about family member’s passing ever since he lost his mom.

“Sho…” Hanta trails off, clearly not wanting him to bring it up, but Katsuki knows he agrees with the worry.

“Just- Just bring her back if she’s alive, find out where she is if she moved, and if she’s gone… If she’s gone, I need you to make sure she got a proper burial, headstone and everything. I don’t care if you have to make her a headstone before you leave, just make sure it’s proper.” growls Katsuki with worry lacing his seriousness as he looks between them, holding their attention as Shouto nods and Hanta sighs.

“We got it, Kats. We’ll talk to your mom while you go check on Midoriya, and then we’ll take off after the ship has been completely offloaded.” sighs Hanta understandingly, lightly teasing Katsuki by mentioning Midoriya, but he doesn’t do anything to erase the seriousness drowning them.

“We’ll do what we can, you know that. If she needs a headstone, we’ll make it, and we’ll hold a proper funeral with the town. If she left, we’ll message you and take off to find her. We’ll bring her back if we can.” replies Shouto openly, sadness tinging his voice as he pats Katsuki on the shoulder before leaving the two of them to go find Mitsuki.

“Thank you, Hanta. Seriously, I know you wanted to work more on fixing up your house when we got back.” says Katsuki quietly as Hanta hugs him, letting the hug hold for a few minutes because he needs it before he’s lightly shoving his idiot friend off. “Go do what you need to do, I have to go check on Deku.”

“Sir yes sir!” Hanta teasingly salutes him before meandering off.

“Fucking assholes.” mumbles Katsuki with a snort before he’s heading down to the room level and heading for the door where Denki and Eijirou are leaning against the walls of the hall, facing each other, and making faces. “Alright, assholes, get outta here and help offload. I got him.”

“Got it, Kats!” says Eijirou happily as he takes off, probably ready to see Mina.

“He had a nightmare, Kats… And he was mumbling a name, Tomura. Whatever happened to him… take it easy.” offers Denki quietly, patting Katsuki’s shoulder before he follows after Eijirou, leaving Katsuki to his own thoughts in front of the room he was supposed to sleep in.

Katsuki takes a deep breath before cautiously pushing the door open, furrowing his brows when the bed is empty. He pushes the door completely open, and Izuku is kneeling again in the middle of the room, his entire body trembling.

“I-Izuku… Izuku, why are you kneeling in the middle of the room again?” asks Katsuki tensely, his voice is calm, slightly strained because his anger is building at the sight.

“Waiting for my chains, master.” murmurs Izuku hesitantly, flinching after the words leave him like he’s expecting a punishment.

“I- Izuku,” Katsuki’s voice is strained as he slowly walks over to him, and he kneels down in front of the man who showed him what true bravery was, what protecting people meant. “Izuku, can I touch you?”

“Of course, master.” murmurs Izuku quietly, but he flinches as soon as Katsuki’s hand rests on his cheek, making a questioning nose in his throat.

Katsuki lifts his face, and rubies meet emeralds for a moment that feels so charged he’s not entirely sure what to do with himself at first. But then he’s trying to smile, wanting to reassure Izuku because this may take some time for him to get used to, but he is free.

“Please call me Katsuki, or Kacchan, Izuku. I am not your master. I am freeing you because I want you to live, not survive.” says Katsuki genuinely as he looks at him, soft and kind in a way he’s not with anyone else.

“The last person who told me they wanted me to live trapped me in chains and made sure I’d be a slave for the rest of my life. I cannot believe your words, Kacchan.” murmurs Izuku quietly, brokenly as he turns his face away from this supposed savior from his past.

“In due time, you will. I don’t say things I don’t mean, that’s one thing that’s not changed since the last time you and I met.” replies Katsuki softly as he stands and offers his hands to Izuku, relief surging through him when he hesitantly takes them and stands too. “As for that lying piece of shit, eventually I would like to know who trapped you in this life. For now, my home awaits our arrival, and I know the hag and old man are already waiting for me. Are you ready to meet my mother again?”

“You still call your mother a hag, Kacchan? You really haven’t changed much, huh? Although, the you now would never have gotten stuck with that beast then.” murmurs Izuku with a soft chuckle that he quickly cuts off, ducking his head and mouthing insults to himself in response.

“Don’t do that, Izuku. You’re allowed to chuckle, to giggle, hell ramble like you used to. I want you to do all the things you haven’t been able to since the day those chains were wrapped around you. Someday you’ll believe me, and I’ll watch you become the best in our town, even challenging me for my title probably.” says Katsuki as he guides Izuku from the room, up the stairs, and onto the deck of the boat.

He watches Izuku’s eyes light up as he takes in the view of the sea and their village they’d built and protected since long before Katsuki was a thought in their heads. His chest puffs with a pride he’s only seen his idiot friends do with the ones they courted as he sees how genuinely excited, happy, and free Izuku looks, their hands tangled together as they stand and watch the people come to get what they’d taken on this raid.

The Bakugou village is a little town of people the Bakugou’s knew they could trust with their lives. It’s not as big as the Todoroki village, or even the Yueii village, but it’s never lost people in battle like they have either. Losses become wins, and Katsuki doesn’t lose anymore, allies or his own raiders, his wins are unmatched and unstoppable.

“Hey, brat! Who d’ya got there?” calls his mother’s voice, Mitsuki Bakugou.

“Izuku Midoriya, old hag.” replies Katsuki with an eye roll as Izuku giggles beside him, it’s cut off, but he heard it.

And it was beautiful.

“Laugh it up, she’s going to squeeze the hell outta yer freckled cheeks though.” grumbles Katsuki lightly as he guides them off the ship, meeting his parents as soon as their feet land on the dock.

“Izuku, oh you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you! Look at you, such a handsome young man. Oh, we’ll have to get you the most comfortable clothes around! Brat, you found him in Jeanists’ town?” Mitsuki squeezes Izuku’s cheeks as soon as she takes his hands, and Katsuki pouts at the loss of Izuku’s warmth for a moment before he’s reluctantly taking the offered hug from his father.

“I see the raid went well. But Izuku doesn’t look the best. Something you need to tell us?” asks Masaru quietly to Katsuki before he can respond to Mitsuki’s question, and Katsuki drops his eyes at the observation.

“Yes, and how I found him, we can discuss later. Be careful with him, hag, he’s been through some shit, and he needs to fuckin adjust. That idiot's town is still standing though, so don’t get huffy.” grumbles Katsuki with an eye roll as he lightly tugs Izuku back to his side and away from Mitsuki’s searching eyes and pinching fingers. “I’m going to give him a quick tour, then I’ll see you two at dinner.”

“See you then, Katsuki.” replies his dad as he holds Mitsuki back from tugging at them both again.

Katsuki guides Izuku away from the lot of them as the villagers start separating items alongside his raider group. He doesn’t see Shouto or Hanta in sight, so he’s glad to know they quickly left. Hopefully, they’d make it to a safe ally village before nightfall.

“Alright, Izuku, let’s show you around.” says Katsuki softly as he guides him to the Center of the village, and he starts pointing out the major spots in his close-knit home.

The armory where his mother works, the bakery, and the kitchen for events, the healing hut, the stables for the horses, the cloth-making hut, and the storing hut for everything from hunts to raids to trades that are to be separated into their vaults. He also showed him where their stride market gets set up closer to the forest than the sea as it’s typically set up when horse riders come to trade as any boats coming to dock trade their payments rather than trading for items and/or bargaining for penningars.

“Kacchan… where am I going to sleep? Will it be in a barn, on a porch, umm, in a shed? Will I have hay to soften the harshness of the ground?” asks Izuku meekly once Katsuki finishes pointing out the different spaces, including his own hut that he’d finished building a few years back.

Katsuki looks at him, paling at the words coming from his mouth, and he says, “I cannot believe you just fuckin’- nope. Can’t get angry with you, this is a long process. Just come with me. When I said you were free, I meant it, and eventually, when you’re ready, we can talk about getting you a hut built. For now, I know two people who always have a room set up for visitors or guests.”

Katsuki walks down a path to a hut on the outskirts of town nearest the stables because they take care of the horses, a pastime they enjoy greatly. He walks up to the door and knocks loudly, harshly.

“The hell do you- Oh. Katsuki, and a friend? What can we do for you, problem child and co?” asks Shota Aizawa, one of the best hunters in their town, their area truly.

“This is Izuku Midoriya, he is my guest, and I was wondering if you would be okay with giving him the spare room for a while?” asks Katsuki gruffly as is expected.

“Of course, we will! Let me see the guest of honor!” calls a loud voice that is Hizashi Yamada, the loudest blonde he’s ever met, and he’s met his own mom.

Shota snorts before he’s stepping back with the door and gesturing for them to come in. Katsuki guides Izuku into the hut with a hand in the middle of his back, careful, light, but there.

“Oh, sweetie…” says Hizashi as soon as he gets a look at Izuku, and Izuku flinches at the words that feel more like pity than anything. Katsuki glares at him, knowing he should tell them about how Izuku was found, but seriously, Hizashi would’ve reacted this way either fuckin’ way cause that’s just who he is. It’s not pity, it’s care, but it’s hard to tell. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Hizashi, and the gruff, tired one is my husband, Shota. I apologize for my reaction, but I couldn’t help but notice that you have cuts and bruises… We should take you to Chiyo, she’s the town’s healer.”

Izuku looks to Katsuki, and Katsuki sighs, “Do you want to go alone, with just me, with just them, or all of us? That was our next stop to get you patched up, but I figured we should do this first since you asked about your sleeping arrangements, Izuku.”

“I- what do you want to-" starts Izuku like he’s uncertain how to respond other than to ask him to decide.

“This is up to you, Izuku.” says Katsuki firmly, red eyes locked on emeralds to convey the seriousness of his words.

“A-all of y-you c-can c-come t-then.” mumbles Izuku hesitantly as though it could be the wrong choice, as though a punishment is waiting.

“Then let’s get you to Chiyo. Zashi, turn the stove off. We can finish this when we get back.” says Shota tiredly, but there’s that softness in his voice that helped Katsuki the first time he was in this position.

He’d found Eri during a raid, and she was scared. He didn’t know how to talk to her, but then Denki scared her into a corner. And Katsuki emulated Shota’s response when Katsuki himself had been backed into a corner when his mom and dad got hurt after a three-day raid and a hunt, their arrivals home met with enemies and swords that left them severely injured when Katsuki found them.

“Let’s go then listeners!” shouts Hizashi happily as he turns the burner off, and then Shota is leading their walk out of the hut.

“Is this really okay? Am I really going to stay with them?” asks Izuku quietly, whispering as he leans into Katsuki.

“Yes, and yes. I told you this is where you can be free, and I meant it.” promises Katsuki genuinely as his eyes survey everyone around them as they reach the Center of town.

He sees three people that he’s not impressed with, sees them gawking at Izuku, leering at him, and Katsuki knows he’s going to have to set some boundaries to protect Izuku from the ones in his home that don’t know how to back off.

Izuku stays tense, head bowed forward, hands locked together in front of him. This position irks Katsuki for multiple reasons, but the one pissing him off the most is that this seems to be Izuku’s normal. It seems like Izuku is used to this, used to being paraded around like this, and as they finally step into Chiyo’s hut, he has a lot more on his mind than he wants.

“Chiyo, we need you to look over our new guest, Izuku. Do you have a moment to do so?” asks Shota as Katsuki stands protectively in the doorway to block anyone trying to get in.

“Of course, come here dearie. You can take a seat right here on the bed.” calls Chiyo as she pats the bed, not looking as she grabs a couple of things from the dresser across the hut.

Izuku goes and sits there, head bowed, body completely tensed like he’s scared, and Katsuki bites the inside of his cheek to keep from trying to help him.

“Dearie, do you want to do this alone, or do you want them in here? You can pick if you only want one of them to stay, otherwise they can leave if you want to do this alone. What would you like to do?” asks Chiyo kindly, caring as always, but stern because she’s big on boundaries, they all are, but she takes them even more serious because of her own past.

Izuku’s eyes are filled with tears, and Katsuki knows this because he turns to look at Katsuki. He’s searching for an answer.

“This is your body. It’s up to you, and we will respect your decision.” says Katsuki simply, nodding at Izuku as his lips press into a line to keep from smiling at the way he seems to relax in response.

“Alone, please.” murmurs Izuku, his voice loud in the silent hut, but then Chiyo is smiling before pointedly looking between them and the door.

Katsuki, Hizashi, and Shota duck out of the hut silently, and two of them are wearing smiles while the other wears a permanent scowl.

It takes several minutes for Chiyo to guide Izuku out of the hunt, and in this short amount of time, Katsuki can feel something in him demanding to get Izuku back in his sights at once. When Izuku stands in front of them in new clothes that Katsuki knows Chiyo made herself, Katsuki feels something in his body ease up.

The clothes are big on him, enough so that they do a decent job at hiding the bulky bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, even his abdomen it seems.

“He’s okay. I’ll need to change his bandages twice a day, and yes that means he comes to my hut twice a day for me to change his bandages and apply the salves. He comes inside alone. But he’s safe, and nothing looked too bad, a couple cuts were infected, but nothing that gives reason for concern.” says Chiyo as she pats Izuku’s back softly, firm and clear with her instructions as she meets their eyes.

“Well, then we should get Izuku settled into our home and get dinner done. Katsuki, you’re more than welcome to join us, if you’d like.” announces Hizashi with a soft clap of his hands as he turns to Shota for a moment before they’re both looking at Katsuki.

“I have to discuss the raid with my parents, but maybe another time. I’ll see you all in the morning though, I’d like to come with you to take Izuku to Chiyo… if that’s okay.” replies Katsuki as he turns to Izuku, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he poses the question as a statement.

“Of course, it’s okay, Kacchan.” replies Izuku in a bewildered tone as he looks at him with wide emerald eyes.

“If you didn’t want me to go, I wouldn’t go, Izuku.” says Katsuki quietly as he looks at him.

“I want you there, Kacchan.” whispers Izuku hesitantly, but Katsuki smirks proudly at the honesty and the choice of wording.

“Then I’ll be there. Go get some food in ya and get some rest. See you all in the morning.” replies Katsuki with a nod to each of them before he’s turning and heading for the armory.

He hears Hizashi trying to make small talk with Izuku, and he hopes Izuku will open up some with them. He knows this will take time, but he also really wants Izuku to be okay now. Katsuki shakes his head, healing isn’t linear, and he’s just got to support Izuku and keep reminding him that he’s free now until he believes it. There are no wool, no insidious plan, just freedom and friendship if everything goes well.

But right now… right now Katsuki wants to find out who those women are and where they came from, and he wants to know where they’re going.

“Hag, Old Man, we gotta talk about Izuku and who we need to kill to protect him.” Katsuki’s voice is loud, coming out in a chilling growl as he slams the armory door shut and goes in search of his parents in the back room where the molds and designs are.

“Then let’s talk, brat.” replies Mitsuki when he steps into the room, and she’s grinning dangerously.

Chapter Text

Katsuki is up bright and early the next morning.

He didn’t sleep very well with how much whirled through his mind from talking to his mom and dad about killing the people who hurt his Deku, Izuku.

*******

Katsuki finished explaining how he found Izuku and the two women who had him in the first place, and he watched his parents take in the information. He wasn’t surprised at all to find glares merging over their faces, and the angry fire in their eyes that he knew was reflected in his own.

“Do you know who brought him into this life, brat?” asked Mitsuki as she pulled out maps and marked down the village that the Midoriyas lived in before and where Jeanist’s village is now. “This is where they started at, so how did Izuku end up a slave in Jeanist’s village when it’s two weeks of traveling to get there.”

“All I know is that the women are Toga Himiko and Ochako Himiko. I have another name, Tomura, but I don’t know anything about them. It came from Denki who heard Izuku say it during a nightmare.” explained Katsuki with a huff of annoyance because not having information makes this so much harder, but at least he knows that he has the feelers out there for what he needs them out there for. “Hanta and Shouto are going to see if they can track down Inko, so I am going to do my best to ease Izuku into life here at the village until I know what happened to his mom. But I want to work on a battle plan, and hopefully while easing him into life here, Izuku will give me more information to work with. I want to avenge him, protect him, and give him the autonomy he was robbed of.”

“Well, we’ll need more information to figure out how to handle this. However, I will send out a letter to get an idea of which direction the women went after they were kicked from Jeanist’s village. That way we can get an idea of who lives where out there too. For now, try to get some sleep. We’ll talk more after Izuku gets checked over by Chiyo again in the morning.” said Masaru in that fatherly tone of voice with a protective edge to it that makes Katsuki shiver because it’s promising the spill of blood.

Katsuki didn’t say anything else, he just nodded at his parents and headed for his hut.

**********

He heads out of his hut, and he sees Chiyo as soon as he takes a few steps away from his hut. She’s watering her plants that she’s growing around her hut. These ones aren’t for medicinal purposes, but Katsuki watched Denki find out the hard way a few years ago that she will still beat you over the head with her cane if you trample them.

“Young Bakugou, come here for a moment, would you?” calls Chiyo after glancing at him momentarily before turning back to her plants.

Katsuki doesn’t bother answering her, instead choosing to just jog over to her and adjust his furred mantle after he stops a few steps away to avoid getting into her way.

“Did you need help with anything, Chiyo?” asks Katsuki softly as soon as he reaches her, being respectful, but also having a suspicion this won’t have anything to do with him.

“I need you to go and tell young Izuku that it’s time to change his bandages. I’ll be waiting inside for him.” replies Chiyo without looking at him as she finishes watering the tall plant that sits up against her hut.

She turns and hobbles her way into the hut without looking at him, not even giving him time to respond to her, and Katsuki huffs through his nose and rolls his eyes before twisting around to head for the Aizawa-Yamada hut.

There’s a smirk on his face as he steps up to the door of the Aizawa-Yamada hut because it’s too early for this, and yet, he knocks loudly on the door anyways. He doesn’t care about the pain that is promised of knocking on Aizawa’s door before midday after a hunt or a raid.

He knocks and the smirk curves harder at the low growl that reaches his ears from inside the Aizawa-Yamada hut.

“It’s barely past sunrise, so what the hell are you doing knocking on my door right now?” growls Shota harshly, yawning as he yanks the door open, scowling at Katsuki.

“Came to check on Deku and let him know that Chiyo’s ready for him.” replies Katsuki as he shoulders his way inside.

“Kid’s been up all night. Breakfast is on the table, and Zashi is obsessed with how clean the hut is. He’s also upset because when he asked the kid why, he was told that “it's his responsibility to serve.” What don’t we know?” asks Shota quietly as they step in view of the kitchen where Hizashi is quietly talking to Izuku.

“He was a slave. I don’t know for how long, but I met him when we were ten. He lived with his mom running a bakery shop in a town three days away. I’ll talk to him today, but for now, Chiyo said to come by.” explains Katsuki quietly even as he watches Izuku shy away from the clear concern that Hizashi is showing.

“That explains it… I could’ve used a heads-up to ease him into this better.” replies Shota quietly before he’s clearing his throat and waiting until they look at him. “Katsuki says that Chiyo is ready to change your bandages, Izuku. Would you like all of us to come along, would you prefer just Katsuki, or do you want to go alone?”

Hizashi looked ready to argue, but Izuku quietly says, “I don’t want to go alone, but I don’t mind either of the other two options.”

“Alright, then let’s get you over to Chiyo’s to get your bandages changed.” says Hizashi with a soft clap of his hands as he stands and walks towards Shota and Katsuki.

When they leave the hut, Katsuki follows Izuku out, and is unsurprised when he stands beside Katsuki, hand in his shirt. As they get closer to Chiyo’s hut, Katsuki is gritting his teeth as anger rips through him at the sight of Camie, Shindo, and Monoma all winking and waving at Izuku flirtatiously. He’s not the least bit surprised by them trying to garner attention from the only other non-courted person in their age group, but the way Izuku curls more firmly into his side and grips his shirt like a lifeline makes him feel a visceral anger towards them.

Izuku is clearly uncomfortable with their distanced flirting, and Katsuki is ready to snap on tehm.

“It’s okay, Izuku, they’ll leave you alone. They’re harmless, just single and uncourted, but I’ll handle them while you’re with Chiyo.” says Katsuki quietly as he loosely wraps an arm around Izuku’s waist, glaring daggers at the three as they linger.

“Thank you, Kacchan.” whispers Izuku as he clings to Katsuki up until they reach the hut.

“We’ll be right here when you’re done, kid.” says Shota comfortingly as Izuku glances at them with uncertainty in his eyes.

When Izuku disappears into Chiyo’s hut, Katsuki turns on the three lingering pests with a snarl, “He’s not to be flirted with, fuckers!”

“He’s not being courted, Katsuki.” leers Shindo with a smirk as Camie nods in agreement.

“Yeah, I didn’t see anything that said he was unavailable.” adds Camie in a sing-song voice as she trails her fingers up his chest.

“I’ll cut your fucking fingers off, wench.” sneers Katsuki as he forcefully removes her fingers from his body.

“It’s not like you’d want him, chief. He’s clearly been used, so it’s obvious that he’d be a housewife. You’ve made it quite clear that you’re interested in more than that.” Monoma gets under Katsuki’s skin in the worst way with this comment, but Katsuki couldn’t tell anyone why.

All he knows is one moment he’s glaring at the other blonde and the next, he’s throwing a punch and clocking Monoma across the jaw.

“He’s under my protection, asshole. Go near him again, and I’ll ship all of you off. Any one of you approaches, and you’re all gone!” growls Katsuki as he’s held back by Shota while Monoma holds his face.

“Kacchan?” Izuku’s voice comes out timid and when he turns around, Izuku’s standing uncertainly in the doorway of Chiyo’s hut.

“Hey, Zu- I- I’m sorry you had to hear and see that.” says Katsuki quietly, somber and upset with himself because Izuku looks scared again.

“Thank you for standing up for me…” Izuku trails off as he steps outside and Hizashi and Shota step into the hut, leaving them together.

It’s awkward for a moment, but then Katsuki decides now is the best time to pose the question.

“Izuku, why did you clean the hut and make breakfast? Why did you say it was your job?” asks Katsuki quietly as his eyes drift from the open door to Izuku again.

“Because it’s my job.” replies Izuku evenly, his eyes locked on their feet.

“It’s not your job though, Izuku.” says Katsuki tentatively, ruby eyes locked on that freckled face.

“I- K-Ka-Kacchan? D-do you not want me as your slave? Th-That’s wh-what I a-am. B-but y-you bought m-me a-and h-handed me o-off… I-I promise I’ll be good, just g-give m-me one m-more chance, please.” exclaims Izuku quietly as his face goes from shock to distraught and emerald eyes fill with tears.

“Izuku, I didn’t buy you to enslave you. I bought you to save you. You’re free here because I bought you. We don’t allow it here.” explains Katsuki quietly, calm and trying to keep his frustration away as he talks to Izuku, trying to give him back his life. “That’s why I am sending you to the two people who have the room, and have dealt with this before. Shota and Hizashi have taken in two other kids from similar predicaments. If you’d like your own hut, we will work that out for you as well, but it will take time.”

“Oh.” says Izuku quietly, almost as though his breath has been punched out of him, but then his eyes lighten as a ghost of a smile crosses his lips. “I’d like to learn the customs of the village before living on my own, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine, there aren’t many customs for you to learn though. The main one is that we work together, there are hunting parties, raid parties, and we have an armory and material hunters as well.” explains Katsuki easily as Izuku nods along, simple explanations, nothing too outlandish for them.

“Can you explain the parties to me? What do they do, what occurs during them, who leads them?” asks Izuku studiously as he was back then when he told Katsuki how to fight off that beast.

“Hunting parties bring back food for the entire village. Raid parties bring back materials for armory, for the seamstresses, and coins to be used for trade with our allies.” replies Katsuki easily, pointing a few things out that he could see, their armory hut, the horses used for hunting raids, the boats used for distance raids, and the people from said raids carrying their winnings into the village. “We have our healer, who has yet to choose the next village healer, my parents haven’t chosen who will take over the armory, their hunting parties, and the village dinners. Hizashi and Shota are part of the hunting parties that go out often, so they could teach you about that if you’re interested. Raiding is rough and bloody, but you could go on some practice raids with us. Chiyo will gladly take you under her wing, seeing as she’s patched you up and given you her own woven clothes.”

“And romance? Courting? In my village, we gave a piece of handmade jewelry, or something of the sort, useful and/or wearable, that resembled the person we were courting. I still have the necklace I was given by Rody, before I was sold.” whispers Izuku tentatively, nervous as he pulls the necklace out of his pocket, a beautiful purple stone sitting in the middle of a crystal enclosure hung on a green band with metal clasps at the ends.

“And this Rody? What became of him?” asks Katsuki a bit harshly, not meaning to, but feeling a rage he’s never felt before at the mention of Izuku being betrothed.

“He married Ochako before she killed him and married Toga. They were together while Tomura had me. Ochako came to the village Tomura held me, and publicly executed Rody in front of me, burning his courting gift to her, a bracelet with a gorgeous pink stone and a silver band.” whispers Izuku brokenly, the grief still weighing heavy on his chest. “She waltzed right up to Toga and kissed her while Rody was hung, and then she took the knife that Toga held out to her, and she beheaded him before burning him as well.”

“Those evil bitches. I should have killed them when I had the chance.” growls Katsuki lowly before he takes a deep breath, shaking off his anger at the sight of fear in those emerald eyes. “I’m sorry for the loss of your first love. Thank you for telling me his story, and a piece of yours.”

“He wasn’t my first love, Kacchan, he was just who my mother chose to try to save me from Tomura. He was simply my friend.” whispers Izuku as he wipes the tears from his freckles cheeks.

“Why are you making my baby cry, Katsuki?” asks Hizashi loudly, already fiercely protective.

“I-“ starts Katsuki defensively, but Izuku is already being welcomed into a hug and giggling to himself. “What the fuck ever. Take care of him, cockatoo. I’ll be by to visit him in the morning, and he had questions about courting in our village. You two are the best to explain seeing as you helped my parents figure out the law for that. Tell him what he wants to know and protect him with everything, please.”

Katsuki ignores the shock that washes over their faces, the gratefulness that glosses over those emerald eyes, as he turns and walks towards the armoury with purpose, head held high as his red, and white fur, mantle floats behind him on the soft breeze.

Chapter Text

Katsuki is sitting in the armory, something he’s done a lot over the course of the past three days, spending his time designing, crafting, and painting the pin he’s been agonizing over. He wants to help Izuku be safe, to help him heal rather than worry about those uncourted in the village pushing him into something he’s not ready for. So, he’s been creating a simple pin with an explosion as his mark that will allow Izuku to heal with the silent claim until he’s ready to take the pin off.

“You’re really making him a courting gift without actually planning on courting him?” asks Mina for the fifth time in three days, voice full of disbelief because she doesn’t get it.

“I already fuckin’ told you I was doin’ it because those three assholes were trying to make moves when Izuku isn’t even fuckin’ ready.” huffs Katsuki as he heats up the courting gift that is only coming to life because Izuku needs time to heal without being annoyed by people who wanna court him when he’s not ready yet. “What the hell are you three even doin’ here? I thought you were supposed to be doin’ shit.”

“Well, I’m here because I’m on break right now.” replies Mina with a grin as she swings her legs from her spot on the high stool.

“I’m here because you wanted company, and I’ve finished my major hut chores.” says Eijirou with a cheeky grin as he sits on the bench next to Mina, holding her hand tightly in his own.

“And I’m here because Hitoshi is doing some repairs on the hut and told me to go do something, but I’m not needed at the trading wagon since I already did the trades check after you guys got back home.” adds Denki as he settles on the counter, leaning back on his hands as he looks at Katsuki.

“You’re all fuckin’ annoying and the hag is gonna be pissed if she sees you lot in here behind the counter again.” snorts Katsuki with an eye roll as he tugs the courting pin out of the heat to look at it for a moment with the tongs.

“You’re right, I am. Get the hell outta my armory if you can’t follow the rules, ya brats!” Mitsuki’s voice booms through the armory, startling Katsuki’s friends enough that they all jump in place. “Brat, Hanta and Shouto are looking for you. Go find your friends!”

“Bye!” “See ya, man!” “Later bro!” comes the chorus of voices before his three idiots escape to avoid any more of Mitsuki’s wrath.

“Whatever, I’ll go deal with those idiots, but I’ll be back to check on this in a bit.” mutters Katsuki as he drops the pin in the cooler so that everything sets and hardens enough to be wearable.

Then Katsuki heads out of the armory as his mother heads to the back to look through the stack of letters in her arms.

Stepping out of the armory, his eyes search for Hanta and Shouto only to find them standing in front of Izuku who’s looking a little fearful even as he is making conversation with them. He starts walking that way, waving when Shouto catches his eye and nods towards him, making Izuku look his way with a relieved smile.

“Hi again, gorgeous Izuku!” calls Camie loudly, her voice taking on a sickly-sweet tone that pulls a growl from Katsuki as he sees her making her way towards Izuku.

“Don’t even think about it, glam bitch.” snarls Katsuki as he jogs to get to Izuku first, blocking him from view as he turns and glares at her.

“I’m not doing anything other than saying hi on my way to the accessories wagon!” whines Camie even as she steps closer and stands on her tiptoes to look at Izuku and wink.

“That’s it. Hag!” bellows Katsuki, turning his head to look at the Armory and smirking dangerously when his mom steps out at his call. “The bitch, the asshole, and the hammer dickwad are to be sent the fuck off! Send the bitch to Todoroki, the asshole to his parents, and the hammer dickwad to Jeanist!”

“I’ll get that set-up right now and send the letters off. Camie, get your idiots and come to my armory now or be tied up if you choose to defy orders.” sneers Mitsuki viciously as her voice calls out to the uncourted woman.

“That was a little harsh.” says Shouto softly, sounding more amused than upset.

“It’s probably deserved though. You know how they can be, Sho.” says Hanta in reply as he wraps an arm around Shouto’s waist.

“Definitely deserved.” says Katsuki with a scowl as he glares after them before turning to look at Izuku. “Sorry, I tried to go easy because I know you wouldn’t fuckin’ want me to be worse. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Kacchan, I promise, and thank you. Though I am curious about the nicknames.” replies Izuku in amusement as he ducks his head to hide the grin that Katsuki barely caught sight of before it was hidden away.

“Glam bitch because she’s always buying make-up when we do trades. Asshole because Monoma is an asshole. Hammer dickwad because he’s a dickwad and he hit himself in the dick with a hammer when we were working around the village patching things up after a bad storm a few months ago. Thus, the nicknames were born.” explains Katsuki with a half-smirk when he pulls a soft, almost silent, chuckle from Izuku at his nicknames and reasons.

“You and your nicknames, Kacchan… Oh! I need to go see Chiyo, I’ll talk to you before I go home for dinner! Bye Kacchan, Todoroki, and Sero!” says Izuku quickly as he turns and starts jogging towards the healer’s hut where Chiyo is standing on the steps waving at him.

“Nerd.” mutters Katsuki with a snort as he watches Izuku follow Chiyo back into her hut, but then he turns to Hanta and Shouto. “Alright, let’s discuss this in the armory seeing as you don’t have who I sent you to get.”

Shouto and Hanta nod, grim looks on their faces that leaves Katsuki with a sinking feeling that he’s going to have to give Izuku bad news that could set him back.

When they reach the armory, Katsuki shuts the door and leads them behind the desk. He gives his mom a look when she goes to say something as she leads the three problems out of the armory, their wrists tied up to show that they’d clearly given her some trouble.

“Woah, did they really try to give Mitsuki trouble?” murmurs Hanta in surprise as he stares after them with wide eyes.

“Clearly, which is why their asses are tied the fuck up. Idiots.” sneers Katsuki with a victorious feeling surging through him.

“But you said it was deserved, so I guess there’s no need to feel bad for them, huh. Okay, we don’t have good news, at least not the kind that you want to hear.” says Shouto solemnly as he pulls them back on track, the shiftiness in his heterochromatic eyes has fear and guilt surging through Katsuki’s veins.

Izuku’s going to break because of this.

“Fuckin’ lay it on me then.” says Katsuki quietly as he sits on the stool next to the cooler, fingers twitching to look at the pin, to distract himself from what’s about to happen.

“When we got there, the Bakery was completely boarded up. The villagers didn’t really want to talk to us, but there was a man there with green hair that answered our questions. He took us over to their cemetery and showed us the headstone. According to what he was told from the villagers when he’d arrived, she died a few weeks after Izuku was taken by Tomura.” starts Shouto quietly, the weight of the conversation quenching his blankness until there are tears in his eyes, unshed yet bright.

“The man said that the villagers made her headstone, that they gave her a proper burial as best they could, but he also said that he’d found out a few weeks later when he returned, preparing to give her information about Izuku. It seems he was searching for Izuku, though I don’t know how much I believe his words because he also said he was Izuku’s uncle when he looked far too much like Izuku.” finishes Hanta softly, suspicion in his eyes even as he wraps an arm around Shouto’s shoulders to comfort him.

“It wasn’t his uncle. Auntie didn’t have siblings, and Izuku’s dad only had a sister that died when they were younger. It was his dad.” murmurs Katsuki as the shock settles over him, focusing on the only thing he can as he realizes that Inko is dead, actually dead. “I’m going to have to break this to Izuku, but I don’t fuckin’ know if I can. Fuck!”

Katsuki stands, slamming his hand against the cooler that holds his pin, panic surging through him because Izuku has been doing so much better already, learning the way of this village and how to be free again. 

“Katsuki, it’s going to be okay.” tries Hanta, but even he seems uncertain of how to handle all of this.

“It’s not though! It’s not going to be okay! Izuku, he- He’s starting to heal, and he’s starting to understand what it means to have freedom again! This- it’s going to- it’s going to fucking break him!” exclaims Katsuki with wide eyes as he looks at Hanta.

“You’re right. It’s not going to be okay, but that’s not a forever thing. It’s going to be okay eventually, just not yet. Look, I get that you’re panicking and everything, it’s a completely understandable reaction. However, he will heal from this too. He will, and it’ll go a lot smoother if you’re with him. So, stop panicking and freaking out. Just be there for him and everything will be fine as time passes and he grieves. Just- just remind him that he’s allowed to.” Shouto cuts in, sounding more emotional than Katsuki’s heard in a long time, but he’s got that understanding in his voice. Katsuki knows as well as Hanta does that Shouto lost his own mother and found out about it two years later. “Just be there for him and help him grieve, and things will turn out just fine. Now, if you don’t mind, Hanta and I promised Mina that we’d visit her as soon as we got back.”

“What’s with the yelling out- kid, what’s wrong?” asks Masaru as he walks out of the back office, tilting his head to the side as he meets Katsuki’s eyes, ignoring Hanta and Shouto as they look at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“Inko is dead, old man, and now I have to break the fuckin’ news to Izuku.” says Katsuki with wild eyes as he looks at his dad, hands pressing into the cooler lid.

“Okay, that- okay, your mom is going to be heartbroken, but Izuku’s going to struggle. You need to offer to stay with him, support him, and remind him that he can grieve. But the sooner you tell him, the sooner Aizawa and Yamada will be able to help you help him grieve.” says Masaru gently, calm and steady as always, looking at his son openly but not touching him because he knows that Katsuki doesn’t need touch, not yet. “Take a breath, collect yourself, then show your friends out and go find Izuku.”

Katsuki swallows hard, looking away from his father for a moment as he takes it all in, then he nods, “Yeah, yeah okay… I’ll- we’ll get the fuck outta here. I- give the hag a hug for me when you break the news to her. Let’s- Come on you two idiots, let’s get outta the armory before the hag gets back, she already was pissed you two were behind the damn counter.”

“Alright, man, let’s go.” says Hanta easily as he and Shouto move towards him, not moving past him because they know he needs to be in front.

“Whenever you’re ready.” murmurs Shouto quietly as he leans into Hanta, nodding at Katsuki.

“Fuckin’ whatever.” huffs Katsuki before he grabs the pin from the cooler and twists around to lead them out of the armory with anger written all over his face.

He can feel the way the anger is furrowing his brows and narrowing his eyes, it’s there, but he knows why. It’s a reflex to get angry in order to protect himself from showing any other emotion. It’s easier to be angry than to be sad or upset, it’s just his way of dealing with emotions that he’s not ready to face yet… or at least, not ready to face in front of others.

Katsuki doesn’t say anything when Hanta and Shouto step past him, waving and promising to come by for lunch tomorrow with the whole gang as usual, he just watches them leave. But then his eyes are trailing around their village, searching for green hair and freckles.

“What the actual fuck is that dumbass doing?” mutters Katsuki to himself as his eyes lock on one of the newest raiders touching Izuku’s waist while the other looks extremely uncomfortable and panicked.

Katsuki grips the pin in his hand, feeling the needle dig uncomfortably in his palm as anger sparks through him, an anger he’d previously been unfamiliar with until Izuku came back into his life. He steps away from the armory and walks towards the two men, glaring at the raider who hasn’t noticed his approach at all, unlike Izuku whose eyes get wide at the sight of him. As Katsuki gets closer, he sees relief in those emerald eyes, and he almost smirks, almost.

He telegraphs his movements, when he’s within reaching distance, as he quickly settles the pin on Izuku’s shirt, just under his collar. Then Katsuki knocks the raider’s arm away from Izuku and glares at the newbie.

“You come near him again, and I’ll make sure you never raid with us again.” sneers Katsuki lowly as he glares at the raider, the threat clear that it’s not just raiding he won’t do again. “Get. Away. From. Him.”

The raider is literally trembling as he stares at Katsuki in surprise, his eyes switching from Katsuki’s glare to the pin that’s hanging on Izuku’s shirt and back again, but then he’s twisting around and taking off. When Katsuki no longer sees the brat, he turns around and winces at the confusion and nervousness written on the man’s face. 

“Kacchan, this- you- this is a courting claim… You-” stutters Izuku as he shakes his head, thumb rubbing hesitantly across the pin.

“Yeah, it is, but I- it’s not- I just-” Katsuki’s stumbling over his words as he watches Izuku try to make things make sense, the happiness he feels at seeing Izuku wearing his claim making him stumble. “It’s not… You need to heal, and everybody that hasn’t put out a claim yet has been coming after you. This- uh- this way the dumbasses won’t bother you. Just take it off when you think- when you think you’re ready.” 

“So, this is just for… for my protection while I heal? There’s- there’s nothing else?” asks Izuku curiously, voice soft as he tilts his head and looks at Katsuki as his hands drop to his sides.

Katsuki feels his chest cave in a way he doesn’t quite understand at the question, but he has to stay focused. He has to break the news to Izuku, not worry about this feeling.

“Yeah, it’s- Whenever you’re ready to start courting or to be courted, you can just- just give the thing back. But don’t fuckin’ give it back unless you’re ready for that because I don’t want you to be uncomfortable while you’re healing.” replies Katsuki tensely, uncertain at why the words leave him with an uncomfortable feeling of cottonmouth and a heavy weight on his chest.

“Mmm, okay, thank you for this, Kacchan. I really appreciate that you’ve tied yourself to me so I can heal… I’ll try not to take too long.” says Izuku quietly, but his eyes won’t meet Katsuki’s anymore.

“Take all the time you need, Deku. I’m not planning on courting anyone at all, and the hag very well fuckin’ knows that. She might be an ass about it later, but she knows that I’m not interested in that shit. Not until I find someone to love, then I’ll do the damn courting.” replies Katsuki seriously, reaching out slowly to pinch Izuku’s chin between his fingers and lifting his face until he can see those emerald eyes again. Then he softens his voice, eases out of the serious and annoyed tone because Izuku needs reassurances too because otherwise he really will rush himself. “You need to heal, and that’s all I want out of this. For you to heal and be okay enough to be ready to consider courting someone or letting yourself be courted by someone. Don’t rush yourself because healing isn’t linear, and you deserve to take your time.”

“Okay, Kacchan, I’ll heal. I’ll keep it until I’m ready, and I’ll give it back when I am… I think this time.. This time I wanna court someone instead of being courted.” says Izuku meaningfully as he looks into Katsuki’s ruby eyes, a small but soft smile curving his lips as he steps forward, getting closer to him. “Will you- will you walk me home, Kacchan?”

“Fuckin’ good… And uh, yeah, I- yeah, I’ll walk your ass home, lets go.” huffs Katsuki as something uncomfortable settles inside him, though he tries to smirk at Izuku to hide that because he’s definitely not about to deal with it when he’s in front of Izuku.

He’ll deal with that later, much fucking later.

Izuku takes Katsuki’s arm as his hand drops, and they head in the direction of the Aizawa-Yamada hut.

“What’d you do with Chiyo?” asks Katsuki curiously as he attempts to crush the silence because it’s making it harder for him to ignore the feelings he’s having.

“Well, we were going over a few things so that I can start working with her to learn because I think that’s where I wanna go. She was also double checking my bandages and things, ya know. Oh, and she told me about how Aizawa knows some healing things too. I get to bother him with some questions now because she gave me some things to look over, and some plants to start looking out for when we go on our own foraging.” Izuku starts rambling, and Katsuki almost feels like melting as Izuku leans into him, hand tightening around his arm because it feels like old times, like Izuku is beginning to see a future that doesn’t end with pure pain.

Izuku talks the whole way to the hut with Katsuki humming and chiming in here and there, but otherwise, he just listens as Izuku tells him everything he can about wanting to learn from Chiyo and Mitsuki and Katsuki. He wants to learn everything he can so that he can help out where he may be needed, and Katsuki feels his heart swell in happiness at that because that’s the Izuku he knows.

But as soon as they step into the hut, Katsuki feels his mood drop, feels panic fill him because now he has to break the news. He has to tell Izuku about his mom.

“Oh, Kacchan, do you think you can spare some time for me tomorrow? I want to learn more about raiding... oh, maybe we could check in on my village… Could we do that? I wonder how everybody is.” says Izuku excitedly, quieter than before as Shota and Hizashi take notice of their entrance.

“Yeah, I can spare a little bit of time for you, but uh… I gotta- I gotta talk to you about your village, Izuku.” says Katsuki softly, wincing at himself but there’s no way to make this any easier to talk about.

“Is everything okay?” asks Hizashi as he steps towards the couch from the kitchen.

“This has something to do with why Hanta and Shouto left right after the raid and returned from a trip that nobody knew anything about, doesn’t it?” asks Shota with a knowing tone despite clearly not knowing what the trip was for.

“Yeah, it… I sent them to see if they could find someone.” says Katsuki shortly, but his eyes are locked on Izuku whose eyes have gone wide.

“My mom… You sent them to find her, didn’t you? She- she’d never leave the village, you know that as well as I do.” Izuku connected the dots, but he hasn’t connected all of them. Katsuki’s heart is breaking in his chest because he doesn’t want to say this.

“Your mom… I- Izuku, it… There’s no easy way to say this, but I want you to know everything that they told me. I- She- Auntie is- Fuck! This is too goddamn hard!” stutters Katsuki as he tries, tries to figure out how to say what needs to be said, tries to break the news to Izuku, but he can’t get the goddamn words out.

“Kacchan, please- please tell me you’re not trying to say what I think you’re trying to say. Please, I- tell me she’s not dead, tell me she’s not dead, please.” Izuku’s shaking his head, eyes filling with tears that Katsuki doesn’t want to see fall, but Katsuki presses his back firmly against the door and drops his eyes.

“Izuku, I- I’m so fucking sorry. I really- I really thought they’d bring her back, or at least pass on the message that you were safe and would come visit soon. I- I-” Katsuki cuts himself off as a sob leaves Izuku, as he watches Izuku start cracking, then Izuku’s stepping forward and falling against him, wrapping his arms around him as he starts to sob into Katsuki’s chest. “Shouto said that she passed not long after you were taken, that she was buried in the cemetery as soon as they realized what happened and given a headstone. Hanta said that a man with an uncanny resemblance to you was in the village, apparently the man had been coming with news about you, searching for you. I’m positive it was your father, Izuku. But I am so fucking sorry about this, about all of this. I swear I will take you to the village, I will take you there so you can see everything, visit your mom’s grave and everything I fucking swear it on my title, my raids, my life.”

Izuku whimpers, tears drenching Katsuki’s shirt as he cries into Katsuki’s chest, and Katsuki holds him, loosely enough to be comfortable without being restrictive, as he cries.

“Do you know how it happened?” asks Shota softly as he and Hizashi approach them, still keeping their distance because Izuku chose Katsuki to comfort him and not them.

Katsuki shakes his head as a loud, heartbreaking sob leaves Izuku.

“Is there anything either of you need right now? You can move to the couch or his bed to make things more comfortable, if the two of you want to.” adds Hizashi quietly, understanding and worry in his voice as he looks at them.

“Zu, is there anything you need right now? Do you wanna sit down somewhere?” whispers Katsuki softly as Izuku trembles in his arms, sobs quieting down but still shaking through him like an earthquake.

“Need you, just you, don’t- I can’t-” Izuku tries, he tries to keep his composure long enough to answer the question, but then a high-pitched sob cuts him off. “My mom- I want- My- she- No!”

“I’m so sorry, Zu, so sorry.” whispers Katsuki as soothingly as he can as he holds Izuku in his arms, trying to be comforting without overstepping anything.

Izuku sobs against his chest, and Katsuki has to tighten his hold when Izuku’s legs seem to give out. Shota and Hizashi jolt forward, but he lifts his head and shakes it when he meets their eyes. Katsuki slips himself and Izuku carefully down to the ground, letting Izuku rearrange himself in his lap, and he holds him close.

“Let it all out, Zu, you’re safe. It’s okay to grieve, let yourself grieve. I’m so sorry, Zu. Let it out, you’re safe to drive here. I got you, we got you, it’s okay.” murmurs Katsuki as he continues to try to comfort the other man, holding him close as Izuku clenches his hands in his shirt, crying into his neck. “I’ve got you, Izuku, I’ve got you.”

They stay there on the floor long enough that Katsuki’s ass goes numb, but he doesn’t stop murmuring reassuring words, comforting Izuku as his sobs start to cut down and the shakes start to soothe. Sobs turn into whimpers that turn into stuttering breaths and tears stop leaving red streaks down freckled cheeks, but hands don’t unclench from Katsuki’s shirt, they tighten more instead.

“Please- please don’t leave me tonight. I- I don’t- I don’t think I can be alone, not tonight.” whispers Izuku without raising his face from Katsuki’s neck, but he’s still trembling. They're light but very noticeable when there’s not any space between Izuku and Katsuki.

“Okay, I- Okay.” replies Katsuki softly as he holds Izuku.

“You two should move to his room. It’s going to be far more comfortable there than on the floor here. I’ll get the extra cot set up on the floor for you, but if you two aren’t hungry, then you should go lay down. He’s bound to be drained and have a splitting headache alongside his grief.” says Hizashi quietly, not wanting to disturb the softness of their bubble even though his worry forces the words to fall from his lips.

“You hungry, Zu? Do you think you can eat a little bit before we go lay down?” asks Katsuki softly into his ear, while looking up at Shota and Hizashi.

“I don’t- I’m not very hungry right now, but I appreciate them asking.” whispers Izuku almost silently, and Katsuki knows that if they weren’t so close, he would’ve missed the words despite them being pressed into his own skin.

“We’ll heat something up later if we’re hungry, but I do think we’ll take you up on going to his room. I can sleep on the floor though, no point in tugging out a cot.” replies Katsuki softly as Izuku starts to move so they can get up.

“The cot is right in the hall, problem child. You’ll sleep on the damn thing.” replies Shota tiredly as he twists around and heads for the hallway to tug a cot from its place under the hall table.

“Use the cot, Kacchan, don’t argue.” sighs Izuku as they stand, and he leans into Katsuki’s side.

“Fine, but it really isn’t that big of a damn deal.” grumbles Katsuki as he wraps his arm around Izuku.

“I’ll pack up two bowls of dinner for if you two get hungry sometime in the night! Get some rest, and we’ll talk more in the morning at breakfast.” calls Hizashi kindly as Katsuki and Izuku follow Shota to Izuku’s bedroom.

Shota walks into the room before them and has the cot all laid out by the time Katsuki leads Izuku into it after quietly thanking Hizashi.

“We’ll be in the living room if either of you need anything, so don’t hesitate to holler. Get some rest, and Izuku… I’m very sorry for your loss.” says Shota quietly as he nods to both of them, not reaching out but showing his support in the only other way he knows how.

“Thank you, Shota… I really appreciate it.” replies Izuku quietly, solemn as he nods back, fingers twitching like they did when he thanked Hizashi moments ago.

Shota nods before disappearing out of the room, and Izuku wanders over to his bed, separating entirely from Katsuki as he falls onto his bed.

“It’s going to be okay, Izuku, and we can go visit your mother’s grave whenever you’re ready. I fuckin’ promise.” says Katsuki as he moves and settles on his cot, eyes locked on Izuku as he stares up at the roof.

“I know, I just- I guess I didn’t- I can’t believe she’s gone.” whispers Izuku as he forcibly keeps his eyes on the roof while a tear slips down the side of his face again.

“I’m sorry, Izuku, I really am.” whispers Katsuki because there’s nothing else he can say.

There’s no way he could ever make this better, but hopefully, he can still be here for Izuku in whatever way he needs to get through this.

Katsuki lays down properly, getting comfortable, and Izuku curls onto his side, finally looking at him again as one of his hands falls off the edge of the bed, fingers twitching in the air. Katsuki moves himself closer, but he doesn’t actively try to close the space, even if his own fingers are twitching.

“Can you hold my hand, Kacchan?” asks Izuku almost silently, green eyes being quickly hidden by pale eyelids as the question hangs in the air solemnly.

Katsuki doesn’t respond, he just lifts his hand and tangles their fingers together loosely in a way that somehow isn’t uncomfortable despite the angle. Their only saving grace is that Izuku’s bed is already close to the ground. Katsuki watches as Izuku’s chest rises and falls, stuttering breaths still working on evening out despite the catches that are still very much there, but he watches as sleep tugs Izuku under after all of the grief he’d let out. Only when he’s certain Izuku is asleep, certain that he’s out like a light and at peace in his dreams, does Katsuki let himself be lulled to sleep by the noisy breaths of a sleepy Izuku.

Chapter Text

Katsuki leaves the hut after breakfast when Kirishima comes by to tell him that his mom is looking for him and seems to be in a really bad mood. So, he goes to her to attempt to figure out what her fuckin’ deal is.

“-tear his fucking village apart!” exclaims Mitsuki as she slams her hands on her desk where several disgusting letters pertaining to human trading and slave trading sit.

“Tomura, hm? Sure, we can handle him in a few days.” replies Katsuki in an almost bored tone despite the way anger licks at him because he remembers that Tomura started all of this with Izuku.

He’s the cause, and Katsuki will kill him for Izuku.

But Izuku is still getting comfortable, and after how badly yesterday went, he cannot afford to leave the other’s side just yet. Grief can be a dangerous thing, and Izuku is definitely grieving.

“No, you will handle it in three days when you arrive there!” demands Mitsuki harshly as she glares at her son.

“I can’t leave Izuku yet! We have everything we need here, and there isn’t supposed to be another scheduled raid for at least a week!” snaps Katsuki as he stands, meeting his mother’s glare with one of his own because even though he craves the blood of the bastard that brought Izuku into this mess, Izuku needs him.

“Our village needs its Chief to do his fucking job! Tomura has been sending threats longer than these letters have been coming about him. I was preparing that for your next raid before Jeanist made it clear he needed our help. But you have to go and handle this bastard, and you have to leave tonight because it’s a three day travel!” demands Mitsuki, her voice is harsh and cold, uncaring at his excuse.

“But Izuku-”

“Will be safe here until you return, but you have responsibilities. If you intend to continue being Chief then you’d better handle the bastards out there that think they can claim intentions to wipe out our village and sell us into slave trade.” says Mitsuki softly as she interrupts Katsuki, sitting back in her seat solemnly as she folds her hands together on the desk. “You need to leave by sundown.”

“Fucking- Fine!” snaps Katsuki as he struggles to hold back his anger at being told what to fucking do.

He leaves the armory with a scowl, huffing as he leaves the backroom, ignoring his father and some others from the hunting party as he goes. Instead he goes looking for his raiders, calling them to the square with a harsh ring of the bell, and he explains the deal, “We leave at sundown to go raid and end the village held by Tomura! It’s a three day sail, and we will come up with our plan as we move! Get packing and get the boat ready!”

Shouto was giving him an important look, but Katsuki catches sight of Izuku looking nervous in the doorway of Chiyo’s hut. He ignores Shouto for now, nodding so he knows that he understands they need to talk about something, and heads for the nervous green curly haired man.

“Izuku, are you okay?” asks Katsuki softly once he reaches Izuku, tilting his head as he tries to check him over even though he knows his injuries have been mostly healed.

His eyes lock on the streaks of red curling down his freckled cheeks.

“I’m fine, just- just upset. But you sounded the raiding alarm… Are you leaving again, Kacchan?” asks Izuku as he plays with the bottom of his shirt, looking down at his feet as his voice takes on this sad tone.

“I- I have to, I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t. I tried to argue to stay a little longer until you were okay, but the hag needs me to go handle some fuckin’ business. As chief, I have to protect our village from threats, and this raid is going to have us going after a shitty village that happens to currently be our biggest threat.” explains Katsuki apologetically, hooking his fingers under the other’s chin to pull those gorgeous green eyes up to meet his. “I will only be gone for six days, and when I return, I’ll have a gift for you.”

“Oh, Kacchan, you don’t-” starts Izuku in an attempt to decline Katsuki’s words even though his cheeks flush.

“Nonsense, you deserve it. Just give me six days, okay? I’ll bring home a gift and a victory.” murmurs Katsuki as he lightly shakes the other’s head to knock his words back.

“Okay, Kacchan, but- Be safe for me, okay?” asks Izuku almost pleadingly as his green eyes stare deep into Katsuki’s.

“Always, Izuku. But I gotta go prep the ship. I’ll stop in again before I leave though, I fuckin’ promise.” replies Katsuki with a slightly cocky smirk before he nods, drops his hands and twists around.

He has things to do before he can leave, including picking which weapon he’s going to use to behead the prick that took Izuku from his mother. He finds his raiders at the armory, and he gets to business. The quick thing to do is pick weapons and start gathering what they’ll need for the six days that they’ll be gone. He doles out assignments quickly, watching proudly as his raiders get to work gathering everything they need with the plan to load weapons last because they all tend to get distracted by picking the perfect weapon to spread blood with.

“Bakugou, we need to talk,” Shouto’s voice is serious as he calls out to him after the assignments have been shared.

“I know you have something important that we need to discuss, but unless it’s do or die, it needs to wait until we set out. I have to make sure we get everything gathered and check in on the rations we need to stock up on for the trip,” says Katsuki stiffly as he turns to the man, narrowing his eyes when he catches a wince because Shouto doesn’t wince, not unless he’s having a bad day. “What is it?”

“If you’d prefer to wait, then we can, but I do think it’s important. What do you want me to do?” asks Shouto with a tilt of his head, quickly deferring the decision making to Katsuki which means it’s going to be impactful and something he can’t make an unbiased decision on.

Which means it has to do with his family.

“Grab your dumbass and meet me at the kitchens,” says Katsuki lowly before he turns and starts walking.

If things are about to get more complicated, it can happen while he’s gathering the ingredients they’ll need for meals on their raid.

He ducks into the bakery to call for his father to come assist him in gathering everything he needs, then he slips into the kitchens and kicks everyone out of their cooler. When Katsuki hears the door open again, he also hears his father speaking softly.

“-sure it’s going to be okay, Shouto,” says Masarau gently, sounding almost concerned in a way that worries Katsuki immediately.

He turns with a scowl and says, “Alright, tell me what the fuck is going on.”

“My brother is in that village,” says Shouto quickly, the words leaving him in a rush that seems to end with him deflating into Hanta’s side.

“Natsuo? I thought that dumbass was still in Endeavor,” says Katsuki as his brows furrow with confusion.

“No, not- not Nats,” says Shouto, his voice cracking as he speaks.

“It’s okay, Sho,” murmurs Hanta encouragingly as he holds Shouto against his side, thumb rubbing comfortingly into his side.

“There’s no judgement here, Shouto,” adds Masaru gently as he settles a firm hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Just fuckin’ say it, dumbass,” huffs Katsuki as he tries to hide the worry he’s starting to feel for the idiot.

“My oldest brother, Touya, is the one that’s in that village. I only know about it because I received a letter from him two months ago. He- He’ll be a formidable opponent, and he’ll be on the outskirts of the village. It’s- It’ll be bad,” explains Shouto as he sucks in a breath and forces the words out. It’s almost like they physically hurt to say aloud.

“You’re not going anywhere near that jackass,” Katsuki’s voice is harsh, probably harsher than is necessary, but seeing Shouto like this has him feeling like he needs to protect the man. “You’ll tell us everything you can about his fighting style, and we’ll plan accordingly. But you will not have any interaction with him as long as I can help it, and if you even think of fucking arguing, I will make you stay here.”

“I won’t- I won’t argue,” murmurs Shouto with an almost grateful tone, relief sagging through him.

“Fuckin’ good, then get yer ass to work. You got your shitty assignments,” says Katsuki with a wave of his hand as he turns around and makes the conversation drop.

He hears the door open and thud closed again, and he sighs.

“You did good, Katsuki,” His father’s voice is soft and filled with pride, and Katsuki wants to roll his eyes at the way his own chest puffs up at the words. “Now, what did you need my help with?”

“I’m on cooking duty for this trip, so fuckin’ help me pick out what I need for the typical hunting trips,” says Katsuki with a scowl before he dives right into his own self-inflicted assignment.

His father chuckles before jumping in to help gather everything he’d normally use for meals when he’s on cooking duty for the hunting parties. Gathering all of the ingredients he’ll need takes a bit longer than he wanted, but he doesn’t sweat it because he knows they have time. Instead, he and his father cart everything over to the ship, and he puts some raiders to work helping him get it properly stored away below the deck. He loses sight of his father after that, but he finds him again when he returns with his raiders to the armory to choose their weapons. He finds a gorgeous, orange sword with a green handle, and he knows it’ll look amazing painted in the blood of the man that hurt his Izuku.

“Alright, say your goodbyes and meet at the ship before the moon rises above the shore!” announces Katsuki as he sees the raiders packing the weapons away that weren’t chosen.

Murmurs spread around him as they disperse, but he ignores them as he makes his own way out because he has his own goodbye to say. He waves to his parents, not bothering with saying goodbye because he knows they’ll come to see him off like they always do. Instead, Katsuki jogs towards the Aizawa-Yamada hut. He slams his knuckles against the door and grins when Izuku is the one to answer it.

“Kacchan, you- are you already preparing to leave?” asks Izuku in surprise, those green eyes dampening with sadness.

“I am, nerd, but I obviously wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye,” replies Katsuki with an arched brow, tilting his head as Izuku’s smile wobbles. “It’s only going to be six days, Izuku. Six days, and I’ll be back here to fuck with you throughout the day again and help you grieve. But, while I’m gone, I fully expect you to check on the hag and the old man because they get fuckin’ weird when I’m gone for longer than three days according to the two dumbasses you’re staying with.”

“You have to stop calling Auntie Mitsuki an old hag. You know she’s not one,” says Izuku with a chuckle that seems to have been yanked out of him without his permission as he rolls his eyes. “You better come back in one piece, don’t take unnecessary risks, and don’t let whoever the jerks are get away with their crimes. I know this one is bad, Uncle Masaru was talking about it with Aizawa a little bit ago, so be safe, Kacchan.”

“I’m always safe, Izuku,” replies Katsuki with a wink before a smirk curves his lips. “I just always land on top as well.”

“I’ll see you in six days, I’ll be waiting on the shore for you to step off that ship with a victorious smirk and goodies for the village,” whispers Izuku as he throws his arms over Katsuki’s shoulders, voice cracking with the tears he saw building in the man’s emerald eyes before they disappeared from view. 

Katsuki wraps him in a hug, surprise swirling through him as his hands interlock against Izuku’s lower back.

“Six days, Izuku, and I’ll be back by your side again,” murmurs Katsuki as he holds him tightly.

“I’m holding you to that, Kacchan,” whispers Izuku as a horn blows, the loading horn that Masaru blows ahead of every raid to call everyone to the ship. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Soon,” replies Katsuki quietly before he lets the other go and turns to leave.

He doesn’t know why his chest hurts at the thought of leaving, doesn’t know why his stomach feels like it’s riddled with knots as he starts walking towards the ship. All he knows is that he hates that he’s leaving Izuku behind.

Katsuki has to shake it off though as he reaches the shore, he lets his father pull him into a hug, lets his mom rub her hand into his hair until he bats it away with a scowl. Then he climbs onto the ship and does a quick roll call before they’re off.

“Alright, today is easy, as you know. I will start the planning stage now with my five leaders, and I will call the rest of you below deck tomorrow to discuss the plan. For now, get your assignments from the updated list hanging on my office door and get your asses to work!” announces Katsuki as he steers them away from their village and towards a place that will soon be filled with violence and bloodshed.

He watches as they all move to read their assignments and get to work, then his group comes up to the upper deck, and the planning stages begin as he keeps them on course. Shouto takes over the map and note taking, Hanta starts throwing out ideas, Eijirou works on breaking down teams, and Denki works on the camouflaging technique based on the terrain of the village.

After the moon is high in the sky, and Katsuki has already dished out dinner, he looks at his group and says, “I don’t care who you all go after when it all breaks down, but Tomura’s ass is mine. I will have his head, and if any one gets in my way, their asses will be mine too.”

“Why is having this Tomura such a big deal for you?” asks Hanta with a tilt of his head, sounding more amused than curious. “Typically you don’t care who kills the chiefs of the villages that have sent threats.”

“I know why,” says Denki in a sing-song tone as he grins.

“Because Tomura is the one who brought Izuku into the slave trade, he started that bullshit, therefore, I want his fucking head. He is my kill,” sneers Katsuki as he bares his teeth, blood boiling at the reminder that this bastard ruined Izuku’s life.

“We’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about anyone else getting between you and that bastard,” says Eijirou firmly, red eyes sparking with the need for blood to spill.

“I’d rather enjoy setting his body on fire once you’ve beheaded him, if that’s alright with you,” offers Shouto with a dark grin that makes Katsuki smirk.

“You all can have your turns with his body once his head is on my sword,” says Katsuki with a grin that he knows is bloodthirsty.

He’s so ready to spill that bastard’s blood that this trip feels too long already.

Sleep comes easy when his turn comes, and he dreams of bloodshed and victory.

The rest of the sailing is a breeze between cooking, doling out assignments in regard to their plan, and steering the crew towards the enemy.

When they arrive, they land on the outskirts of the village and find their way to a cave that Denki found. They hide there as it’s too dark to do anything, though groups of two and three go and scout out the guards on the outside of the village to help prepare them for the attack they will launch as soon as the sun rises. Touya is in the forest, there’s a man with a black and grey mask that’s on the beach, and a man with a scale jacket that patrols around the village itself. Katsuki feeds them one last meal as they go over the plan again, Shouto and Hanta will take on the scales guy, Eijirou and Denki will take on Touya, and another team will go after the masked man while Katsuki leads the charge into the village itself. Katsuki plans to make an example of Tomura, beheading him in front of the village and watching the village burn to the ground. Though he does contemplate burning the village to the ground in front of Tomura, forcing him to watch before he beheads him, the idea tastes almost as good as beheading the man in front of his followers.

He decides he’ll do both, start burning the village down and behead him as it burns in front of his people. The only survivors will be limited to Touya, per Shouto’s request, and any slaves that they might find.

When the sun begins to rise, the plan is put into motion. Katsuki reaches the village just as an alarm sounds, and the chaos swells around him as he takes a few hits before finding the pale haired man snarling at him from a huge house in the center of the village.

“Your ass is mine, Tomura!” sneers Katsuki before he charges the man, sword swinging when someone he doesn’t recognize gets in his way.

“Not a fuckin’ chance!” snarls Tomura as he charges after him as well with a sword of his own that looks to be stained a blood red. “You will not ruin my village or free my slaves!”

“I’ll kill you, burn this fuckin’ village to the ground, and free your slaves all at the same motherfuckin’ time you bastard!” snaps Katsuki as their swords clash, their faces coming close as they snarl at each other.

Each blow is deflected as they’re evenly matched. Clashing of metal screeching loudly through the yelps and angered yells. It almost hurts Katsuki’s ears, for once, but 

“Why are you fighting so hard for this when you could walk away and be left in silence?” laughs Tomura sharply as he dances away from Katsuki’s glinting sword with pure, uninhibited glee. “I would even send some of my best slaves with you.”

“I don’t want your fucking slaves! What part of I’m going to free them all, did you fucking miss, you bastard? I won’t let you enslave another person!” snarls Katsuki as he slices the air, just missing Tomura by a sliver, taking his belt with the strike.

“Ah, you’re the one then? The one who stole something of mine? The one who stole something precious? I have to say, I didn’t think we’d meet so soon, but now that we have, I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Tomura’s chuckling. They’re going blow for blow, strike for strike, metal against metal, and he’s chuckling like this is a game. “I’m going to take back what is mine, and when I do, your blood will spill.”

“You bastard!” sneers Katsuki as he strikes down hard, only to get speared through the leg by an arrow milliseconds before Tomura slices through his thin shirt, leaving a deep cut from shoulder to hip. “Fuck!”

“Katsuki!” His name is yelled by familiar voices, but all Katsuki cares about is landing a blow of his own on the bastard smirking down at him.

He forces himself up, pain burning through his veins alongside the anger he feels at the sight of the man that ruined Izuku’s life. He has a reason to fight, and he has a reason to win that goes far beyond his fucking village.

Katsuki has to win for Izuku.

Katsuki is going to win for Izuku.

Katsuki moves faster than should be possible with the arrow still sticking out of his leg, but he snarls against the pain as he lands blow after blow in the face of Tomura’s surprise and slackening grip. Blood is spilling from Tomura’s chest and legs, and Katsuki’s got a few more wounds opened up along his arms.

When Katsuki finally manages to toss Tomura’s sword aside and stab him in the shoulder, they’re both covered in blood, mud, and stained by grass too. The fighting is quiet, flames lick across the village as smoke fills Katsuki’s senses, and Eijirou and Hanta approach him with rope slung across their shoulders.

“We should tie him up because you have to see this,” says Eijirou softly, sounding upset.

Katsuki nods and he pulls his sword out of Tomura’s shoulder before they tie him up and guide him towards a wooden beam in front of his house.

Katsuki limps after Eijirou and Hanta towards a smaller building, so small that it doesn’t seem all that useful, but inside it… inside it is at least twelve people of all ages and all genders, and Katsuki feels like throwing up. They’re all bruised, there are lashes in their skin, and stains dance across their clothes.

Slaves.

In that small ass building are at least a dozen slaves, and Katsuki feels that anger burn even brighter in his gut because Izuku might have been like them, trapped in this tiny fucking building.

“I’m going to fucking kill that bastard!” snarls Katsuki before he steps back as he watches the group flinch. “Help them out, they can come with us, or three groups can help transport them to a nearby allying village.”

“Denki and I can handle this,” says Eijirou before he turns and searches out the other blonde, getting his attention with a whistle. “You two go see what Shouto was hollering about before this, and then get Tomura’s head so we can burn this place to the ground.”

“Wait Shouto was fuckin’ hollering?” asks Katsuki in confusion as he turns to Hanta.

“Yeah, he’s got his brother over by Tomura’s hut,” explains Hanta as he nods towards the building that’s sitting in clear view of the middle of the village, perfectly visible from all around, Katsuki’s certain.

“Then let’s fucking go,” says Katsuki harshly before nodding for Hanta to take the lead.

He’s limping, the pain starting to sear through his veins, but the battle isn’t over yet, it’s not won yet. So, he keeps himself moving until he’s standing in front of Shouto, a taller, dark haired version of Shouto, and a shrunken blonde with gold eyes. He can almost see the ribs of the blonde man, lashes decorating his skin in bloody shapes of feathers, and he’s dressed in a cloth that leaves him bare to view in his shaking, bent form.

“Icy-Hot, tell me what the fuck is going on here,” demands Katsuki quickly as he watches taller Shouto kneel down beside the blonde, quickly giving him his jacket, tying it properly around his waist to give him cover alongside Shouto’s own furs.

“This is my brother Touya and the reason he stayed in this village. The blonde is Keigo Takami, and he’s been Tomura’s personal slave for the last year, but a slave in general for ten years,” explains Shouto seriously as he points them out, giving the strangers their names and sending anger searing through Katsuki’s veins.

“Kats, they need help,” murmurs Hanta as he looks to Katsuki for agreement.

“I can protect him my goddamn self! I don’t need your help!” spits Touya angrily as he glares through cool blue eyes at them.

“Then you’re on your fuckin’ own to get out of here, but if you ever need anything, you can come find the Bakugou’s,” Katsuki’s not mad about the anger he sees in Touya’s eyes, he understands it far too well, and that scares him. He sees the love in Touya’s eyes, a love that he doesn’t think he should understand, but as he watches the way Touya protects Keigo, looks at him, it hits Katsuki.

He’s falling in love with Izuku, maybe he’s already fallen, but he’s definitely too far gone to stop now.

Katsuki’s dizzy with this revelation.

It’s almost hard to believe in his own epiphany.

“Thank you,” mutters Touya before he carefully helps Keigo up and starts moving him away from the hut, towards the forest.

“Touya!” calls Shouto, a need in his voice that makes Katsuki turn away. “Be safe, please, big brother.”

Katsuki’s eyes fall shut for a moment before he stiffens up and he locks his red eyes on Tomura, tied up in the middle of the village and so clearly running his fucking mouth.

“Let’s finish this shit,” says Katsuki in a low tone, anger sharpening his attention until the pain ebbs into the shadows.

“Time to kill the madman,” Hanta’s excitement echoes through his words as Katsuki starts walking.

“Time to burn this shitty ass village to the ground!” spits Katsuki as he lets his sword drag against the ground, lips twisting into a manic grin as he rounds the circle to meet Tomura’s eyes. “But before we do that, we have to cut the head off of this filthy fuckin’ snake.”

“My slave-owners will avenge me! My slaves will never live peacefully without me! You can’t kill me!” raves Tomura as he snaps his teeth at Katsuki, fighting the ropes holding him taut against the chosen beam ahead of the fire that burns brightly behind him. “I will forever hold victory!”

“You will forever burn,” sneers Katsuki before he swings his sword in a slick motion, twisting to stare at the villagers that were gathered. He lets his voice boom out loudly as he stares at the fear-filled faces. “You all lived, had slaves, and supported the snake that is dead behind me. For that, you all shall burn. The slaves will be released, and we will help them get to a safe place. No matter who you are, or why you chose to follow that rat bastard, just know this. Your way of living dies today, and I will burn every slave-owning village that I find to the goddamn ground!”

His crew cheers, swords rising high into the air as the villagers start pleading, start whining, start arguing. Their disagreements are voiced with anger and standing, their pleading starts with their bound hands gripping each other tightly as their heads bow, and their whining is full of them falling over each other to whine about this disruption. But Katsuki’s victory is sitting in the palm of his hand, dripping from his sword in crimson red onto the head of the man who hurt the one he knows that he loves.

“Burn this shitty place to the ground!” snarls Katsuki loudly as he grabs a stick from the ground, thick and burnt on one end. He dips it into the fire and torches the beam holding the body of Tomura. Then he stabs his sword through Tomura’s head. “We’ve won!”

Katsuki’s head swims with visions of Izuku’s relief, of the pain that’s overwhelming his senses as he watches flames erupt through the village, burning around the villagers who worshipped the slave-owning bastard that he’d killed. Victory dampens as his vision turns cloudy, with smoke he’s certain, until the edges darken beyond the burning embers of the orange flames.

Everything goes quiet, like someone plugged his ears shut, as it all goes dark.