CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
'returns'
future.
The villain. They got away.
He saw her face, a faint outline.
She managed to break an entire city, property that cannot be restored or searched. There was barely anything left to see.
Katsuki was the only one conscious.
He saw you, paralysed by the collapsed bricks and wooden scaffolding and his breathing stilled.
"[name]..." he breathed out, his first steps slow then gradually speeding up to reach you. His knees skidded on the floor, his thighs becoming a pillow for you bleeding head. His red eyes also caught onto your final gesture, an arm covering your stomach. "Fuck.. fuck... no..."
Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes even if he did his very best to stop it. He felt light headed, dazed and dizzy.
Images flashed through his head like a reel of film.
You saved him.
You healed his wounds.
You pushed him to the side.
You said the final I love you.
He began to notice the fading of your beings, your bodies dissipating into the air. Katsuki slipped on the ring he was meant to give you after you and him won this battle with victory. It hurt him. So much.
"You would've said yes, wouldn't you?"
He wanted to hear your voice, feel your touch, see your smile.
But the one left on your lifeless body was the one he remembered. And it stuck.
"I love you."
No reply. He was just sat where he last saw you after all. Dynamight snapped out of his thoughts, the sight of only green, purple and yellow flowers now that he was alive decorated the remains of the area.
He thought he was alone. He was too distracted to notice someone had sat next to him. That person was his mom.
Mitsuki leant her head onto her son's shoulder. "Katsuki. You can't keep going here every day and skip your work. You're a mess."
"I know," he said, staring at the flower he had in his hand. "I just... ugh. I don't know. I don't know how to focus on things. You all got time to get used to everything while I'm still living like it was October."
As a mother, Mitsuki was heartbroken. She didn't know what to do. She has thoughts her not being the best mother she thought she could be. She was strict to build up the strong walls for her family. That was how she was taught.
But Mitsuki realised that that wasn't the best thing to do a long time ago because now, her son found it difficult to open up and didn't tell her about his struggles leading to where he was now— That was until you showed up and she couldn't be anymore thankful.
Mitsuki found out the other day that the two of you got together sooner than before the whole déjà vu thing. She got to see the reason why Katsuki missed you more. You were with him all that time and you just being taken away must've left a big hole in his life.
She felt the same. Mitsuki had gained a close bond with you. You didn't have a motherly figure and when she met you, you were just like her when she met Masaru's parents. You also had Katsuro quite young, resulting in her spending a lot of time with you to teach you everything you needed to know.
Having felt what it was like to loose a child— when Katsuki disappeared after the fight— she felt as though she could feel the same.
She couldn't, though. It was incomparable.
And the news she was going to tell him was going to break her son even more. She just couldn't hide it any longer. Her, Masaru and all of his friends knew something he didn't.
"I know you're hiding something from me, Ma," Katsuki said, tossing the flower. "I can tell everyone is. I'm not blind. Say it now so I can get over it sooner."
"I... I can't."
"You can," he smiled melancholically. "I'm already far from being fixed right now. There's no harm."
Mitsuki saw a tear fall from her son's eye. She hugged him, tightly. It was like when he was younger, but for a different reason. Mitsuki stoked her son's hair, cooed him that it was alright for him to cry. "[name]-chan. She and all the girls planned to surprise you and Katsuro when you came back... funny because you were planning to surprise her too..."
"The proposal?" He asked. "Yeah right. As if I'd led all of you hear my speech. It's better than Kaminari's."
"Brat," Mitsuki joked, "Katsuro stole it and showed us. It was better than mine for your father." Looking up to the sky, tearing up too. "Her surprise was... she was going to surprise you... W-with a baby. She was pregnant."
Katsuki began to suddenly sob, his throat drying despite the river falling down his cheeks. "She was? Haha... why did she go with me to battle... what a dumbass... I-I hate it when she does that."
Mitsuki let go of her son and wiped his tear away from his face. "I'm here for you even if I don't say it. I'm... we're so sorry for hiding it from you all this time..."
"It's okay. It's fine. I'm fine..." Katsuki assured himself, clearing his throat. "Katsuro and I planned it all out. We planned on bringing her back. She's meant to be alive. Because... because I know who killed us, who's fault it really was. It wasn't her fault, Ma... she's probably thinking it is... but it's not and I want to tell her that... I can't. She's not here."
present.
From the edge of the horizon, the people who all of you had been waiting for appeared and ran towards all injured and affected. Doctors and rescue teams also arrived and their helicopters landed on the beach below the mountain where there was a clearing.
Endeavour and Hawks arrive in the same vehicle, the former rushing to search for his son and the latter making his way towards you via his red wings.
You didn't see him approach.
The moment you caught a glimpse of your son hugging your feet, you fell to the ground, hugging the child lovingly. Soon after, the adrenaline wore off and the pain started to hit you along with the fatigue.
Katsuki felt the same, he didn't fall asleep like you did, however. Once the Shimanos were safe with All Might, the blond ran towards the two of you and joined the embrace. Katsuki had his arms around the both of you in a somewhat protective manner and he only looked at the number two hero.
If he didn't know what was going on behind the facade, he would've been excited to see him.
"Not now, Hawks," Katsuki murmured, laying on his back, taking you and his son with him. "She's not ready for whatever you're going to tell her. Leave us alone."
Hawks' eyebrows raised at his confidence. "Alright, kid. Tell her when she wakes up I've come by."
"Sure," he said, groaning when the medics lifted you and Katsuki from the ground onto the stretcher. Katsuro crawled out of your arms and held onto one of the nurse's as he led the way to the hero office on the main island. "Don't separate me and [name]."
"Okay," the doctor replied, setting up two spaces in the truck. "Lay them here and I'll tend to their wounds."
Katsuki started to shut his eyes, resting and Katsuro sat between him and you, holding both your hands.
"Firecracker. You're back," Katsuki smiled, eyes still closed. "What happened that didn't go the way you wanted?"
"I can't say, Dad." Katsuro squeezed his dad's hand, sniffling. "But I have a better master plan now. We can call this part three."
—
Katsuki took the broken watch out of his pocket. It was broken, but he'd still kept it near him.
It reminded him of you, how the item symbolised something special to you, how you treasured it so much when it was yours. A sign of your trust in him.
A simple pocket watch with the picture that used to be there gone. He had to tell you about that later— as well as the fact the glass broke. He was sweating from the negative anticipation of your reaction.
You'd be annoyed for sure.
"Hey, Katsuro-kun!" He heard a high-pitched voice say.
Katsuki looked outside the window, seeing his son and the children your class protected sit on the grass, talking to each other with smiles on their faces.
His lips tugged up too. It was heartwarming to see his son happy like that, truly something no one would experience in his class yet. He huffed lightly, looking down to his lap where your head laid, sleeping soundly.
Then your eyes fluttered open, blinking to gain your senses. It took you a few seconds and then you poked at his face.
"What?" He said, looking down at you. "You need anything?"
"No, thank you," You still laid down, just staring at the ceiling. "Are your injuries bad?"
"Not as bad as yours, dumbass." His fingers lightly traced over the bandages that wrapped around you. "Don't move. Recovery girl ain't here yet."
"I'm fine. You sound so worried. What happened?"
Katsuki didn't expect your memory to be so hazy to the point you didn't remember. He didn't want to tell you anything that would've stressed you out so he left the part out that you could've been crushed under a chunk of the mountain.
What annoyed him about the situation was that he watched it happen. He couldn't make it in time to help.
"I just... whatever. Never mind," he looked away, out the windows to the children.
You sat up, wincing a little, but faced him nonetheless. "No. Tell me."
"Go away."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Your feet are on both sides of the blanket. I can't lift it."
He shifted to the side a little, allowing you to get out. You didn't. You stayed where you were and placed your arms around his neck, hugging him.
"You need to stop not telling me things... ah. Like I'm one to talk. Still. Tell me."
Katsuki chuckled lowly and placed his arms on your waist. Then you saw his arms wrapped in bandages too. "You..." he stammered, gripping onto the side of your shirt— actually his shirt. He changed you into it. Your costume was ripped. "You're always in trouble. And I'm never the one that's able to save you."
"Wait. You're upset about that?" You asked, a hand on his cheek. "No, Katsuki. There's no need for you to feel like that. There's no more trouble, no more villains. Relax with me for now. Just while everything is okay."
Hearing you say that made his shoulders loosen. He smiled at you, pecking your forehead. "Yeah? Look outside."
You look over to where Katsuki nodded to, there you saw your son, Katsuma and Mahoro chasing each other, playing tag.
Sitting back down, your back against Katsuki's chest, you held his hand under the blanket. He squeezed it and kissed your shoulder. "I told you three would be nice in the future."
"I don't think my cervix will handle that."
"Mhm. We'll see."
Knock. Knock.
Your boyfriend let out a long exhale and cleared his raspy throat. "Who the hell is it?" He called out. "Better be important."
The door opened and Mitsuki poked her head through the door as well as Masaru's just above hers— just like in those cartoons.
"Bakugou Katsuki!" She said, quieter and softer than usual. "Why the fuck did you scare us like that?" But the language was still there.
"Not my fault you get scared like that, old hag." You could practically feel Katsuki roll his eyes from behind you. You pinched his leg. "Ow! Annoying little stopwatch."
"Not that again," you grumbled, rubbing where you pinched him. "Purple-eyes is better."
Katsuki ignored you and looked at his parents, pouting almost when they went to hug him on either side.
You were in their hug too, the parents asking little questions such as 'how are you feeling?' or 'are your injuries going to heal soon?' It made you feel like a part of their family.
The door creaked open again and Katsuro jumped through— the other person part of the family. "Surprise!"
"What the— Katsuro-kun!" Mitsuki gasped loudly, squealing and running in small steps to her grandson. "You're back? I thought you left!"
"Nono! Hi Mama Mitsuki! Papa Masaru!" He squealing too, running to his grandma, jumping in her arms as she twirled him around. "I missed you!"
Masaru joined in with the hug, leading the two to sit next to you and Katsuki on the blanket. "So he's back? I'm guessing the future isn't what we hoped it would be."
Wrapping his arm around your shoulder, Katsuki nuzzled into the crook of your neck, nodding to his dad.
"Yeah. That's the most he can tell us."
"Knowing would make us aware of how to plan to do something better to improve. It would be easier, but I understand the situation." Masaru turned to Katsuro. "You're not stressing us out in the future are you?" He asked playfully.
Katsuro pursed his lips, looking away and fiddled with his fingers. "Um... I left a neater note and we planned what to do. So... um... not sure."
He laughed and ruffled the blond hair on his grandson's head. "Ah. Kiddo, you're such a trouble maker! You've definitely got Katsuki's genetics."
"Genetics? What's that?"
"Too much for your growing brain to understand right now."
You conversed with Masaru with your son and Katsuki talked to his mom, tapping her arm to talk quietly— Something they didn't do often.
"You know a place when I can get this fixed?" He asked her in a quiet tone, holding out your pocket watch. "I don't want to go anywhere when it's broken."
"Course. I'll get it done."
—
The next morning, Your class, the teachers and the parents unanimously agreed to help out restore the main establishments and infrastructure of the Nabu town, hoping that through this they'd be able to get back into businesses.
Katsuma and Mahoro's dad also arrived, their reunion almost making you cry.
You had Katsuki to tease you about being a sap and you proceeded to challenge him to a marathon of super sad movies on the ferry back to U.A..
Of course, he didn't want to back down to prove his point, he said yes to it.
You and Shoji were walking together, the silver-haired boy helping you carry a few scaffolding bars to a restaurant at the beach facing the front while you had the back.
"We're turning left, Sasaki-chan," he said, moving in that direction. "Careful."
"I keep saying [name]-chan is good, Shoji-kun," you told I'm again, stepping over some bricks. "It's okay to use my first name."
"Okay," he mumbled shyly, placing the metal down. "Is that the last of them?"
"I think so," you said back, turning to face the ocean. "Sato-kun and Kirishima-kun have got the rest on the way."
Shoji nodded and looked up, his eyes widening and he froze when another figure stood in front of the alleyway. "Hawks?"
"Hey guys. Nice work. I've got the rest of the stuff needed coming here by my feathers so Class 1-A can get the day off," the blond man said, seeming to only talk to your classmate.
So no break for me? You thought sarcastically.
Hawks looked at you smiling after Shoji left. "I got you a new pair of visors. All Might-san has got them so you can take it off him next time you see him."
Nodding, you kept your eye on him as you arranged the placing of the planks for flooring inside the building. "Thank you. And what are you here for?"
"Was just asking how were your... you know. Chips? Pres and I, mostly me, want to know how you're dealing with it."
"A warning about how strong the shocks were would've been nice." Shrugging, you faced him properly. "Nine mentioned something about my mother. Do you know what he meant?"
He declined, handing you a set of photographs. "No. Sorry, kid. We can't ask him either."
"Why not? I need to ask him about her."
A picture of Nine.
A picture of the new Paranormal Liberation base.
A picture of Gigantomachia and the League together.
"He's dead."
Your breath hitched. "Did Katsuki and Midoriya-kun kill him?"
"Shigaraki did." The number two hero put his hand on your shoulder, but you knocked his arm away. "Woah. What's gotten into you? You got stressed or something?"
"My training," you walked onto the empty road. "Did I kill those three villains from Tartarus in the lab?"
"So Doctor Hirahara's quirk didn't work fully on you. They were going to die in Tartarus anyway, Sasaki-chan. Don't dwell on it too much. It's not your fault."
"The memory back came to me mid-battle," you commented, "I want their family, if they have any, to know what happened. Send them flowers and whatever else you send as condolences. Make it anonymous. Also..."
Hawks glanced at you. He saw a different person. You were different to what you were like when you got out of that tank, during training or even before he met you.
You seemed more mature, if that was possible and he felt a shiver from the cold intonation of your voice as you requested things from him and the commission.
"... I need the files on All for One and the League. I'm still coming with you to investigate."
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a/n
chapters 72 onwards r crazyyy...
here are the titles for them:
72| day off
73| Shoto's (BLEEP) *winks*
74| dorm chefs, part two
75| infiltrate
that's all I'm giving you guys for now...
hehe
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