Tuesday

What a Lost Cause

"Baby."

"Hm?"

Katsuki hums, chest to chest with Izuku as they lay in bed for a lazy morning. He's barely awake, tiny kisses pressed into freckled skin as scarred hands rub and massage at his back and sides.

"You and Shouto ran away like...what, four years ago?"

"Mm. I was sixteen, yeah."

Izuku's grip unintentionally tightens and he quickly has to catch his breath and calm himself. Sixteen years old. Which meant that Katsuki was just fifteen when his parents...

"What are you thinkin', Izuku? I don't like it when you're like this and I know that somethin' bad is going through your head." Katsuki moves to wrap his arms around Izuku's neck and hold him closer. Izuku relaxes with a sigh, wrapping his own arms around Katsuki's much smaller frame. As much as the blonde would rather die than admit it, he's so small and fragile. And after what happened, he understands better why Shouto was out for his head in the beginning and why he was so adamant about keeping Katsuki safe.

"I just...I wanna know who hurt my baby." He says, damn near a whisper but by the way Katsuki chuckles against his ear, he hears it anyway. "I wasn't your baby back then, you know."

Izuku sits up so fast that Katsuki damn near rolls off of the bed, startled when the older man turns on him with a glare.

"You keep making jokes and laughing this shit off but this isn't something that should just be taken for shits and giggles, Katsuki!"

"Oh, would you have rather I gave into crippling depression and anxiety and killed myself instead? Cause that's where I was headed." Katsuki points flatly and Izuku blanches, stomach churning. Katsuki wipes a hand over his face with a sigh.

"Baby. I know how shitty it is. I am the one that it happened to after all, so you don't have to tell me twice how seriously fucked up it is. And it hurts. And I still have fucking nightmares about it sometimes. Your concerns mean so much to me, baby, and I'm so glad that you care enough about me to even be this upset but if I'm ever gonna be okay, I have to try and move on. You know?"

And...welll, shit, Izuku doesn't have a damn thing to object to because Katsuki is absolutely fucking right.

"...I'm sorry, kitten. I must sound like such an asshole to even keep talking about it---"

"You're fine, baby. Just promise me you're not gonna bring this up to my parents right now, please. Not only is it fucking embarrassing but it's not gonna end well for anyone involved---most importantly you and my folks." He requests and Izuku let's out a frustrated huffs. "Why do you keep protecting them after everything they've done?" He doesn't understand.

Katsuki shrugs, a solemn smile pulled at his lips.

"Cause they're my parents. Only ones I've got. Even if...even if they don't love me? I don't think I can ever really stop loving them. Resent them, maybe. But I'll never really hate them."

Izuku snaps his mouth shut. He probably shouldn't mention the conversation that he's had with Masaru just yesterday. As much as he wants to shatter whatever ties Katsuki has left to those monsters, his baby has been through enough.

Izuku sighs.

"Alright. Okay, baby. Whatever you want."

Katsuki's smile spreads as he climbs into Izuku's lap to steal a kiss.

"Thank you, daddy. C'mon, I'll make you breakfast before you have to go to work."

"Sure, Kitty. You're staying here while I'm working today?"