Greetings and welcome back to the final installment of Marks on My Heart! It's been one hell of a journey and I'm so glad I've had you all with me to share it. Whether you have been here from the beginning or you are just joining us now; welcome! I'm glad you're here, and I hope you enjoy what happens next!
Epilogue: Ours
Shouto slipped the ends of his scarf through the loop he'd made in the fabric and pulled the material snug against his neck. It would be Christmas soon and winter weather had invaded with a vengeance. He secured the buttons of his coat but didn't bother with gloves.
"Are you leaving fucking early?" Aia's voice was a mix of incredulity and amusement. "I need to mark this day on my fucking calendar."
"I came in a little early. We talked about it, remember?" Shouto didn't stop or slow his preparations. It was too cold to keep Izuku waiting.
"I remember, I just can't believe it's happening." Her grin was wide and unrepentant. "Love looks good on you, Shouto."
Shouto jerked on his collar and was mildly horrified when a puff of steam escaped. "I'm not going to miss your holiday party if that's what you're worried about."
"You better not; the boys are counting on meeting your boyfriends."
"Izuku and Katsuki will be with me." Shouto assured her. "They're looking forward to it." He paused at the edge of the locker room. "Katsuki wanted to know if anyone has any food allergies, preferences, or restrictions?"
"He doesn't have to bring anything," Aia protested. Shouto maintained eye contact until Aia broke it with a groan. "No. No allergies, restrictions, or strong preferences. Well, maybe not something sweet. Everyone overdoes sugar for holiday potlucks."
"You might get something spicy, then," Shouto warned.
"I can handle spicy. Now get," she nodded toward the door. "I've kept you long enough. See you in a few days, Shouto."
He nodded. "Have a good night Aia."
The air in the hallway was considerably cooler than the locker room had been. Izuku was waiting for him at the edge of the lobby, his cheeks glowing a bright pink from the cold. He straightened and beamed across the space between them as soon as his eyes landed on Shouto.
"Hey. How was your day?" Izuku's eyes glistened with the reflected glow of the holiday lights strung up everywhere around them, and Shouto wanted to kiss him.
"No disasters on the unit, one successful discharge, and Aia's looking forward to spending time with you and Katsuki at her holiday party." Shouto plucked off one of Izuku's gloves and threaded their fingers together.
Izuku's smile softened when Shouto ferreted their joined hands into his coat pocket. "Kacchan's looking forward to the party too. He's been trying out new recipes all week."
"Are you drowning in leftovers? You know Fuyumi will always take snacks to her classroom if you want."
"I know." Izuku squeezed his hand as they stepped out into the bitter chill of late December air. "I've managed to keep him contained at our place. He might just use that as an excuse to go nuts at yours though." It had been almost four months since the night that had changed Shouto's life forever, and he still had trouble believing it. They were taking it slow, but every moment together still felt stolen, surreal.
"I'm hosting the next family dinner, correct?" Shouto asked. Izuku nodded. "If he leaves too many leftovers, I'll use them as appetizers."
Izuku chuckled and pushed against Shouto's side as they walked. "Don't tempt him or he'll leave you enough for the whole meal." They still lived separately, and while sleepovers were becoming more common, Shouto wasn't lonely on his nights alone. Whether Izuku and Katsuki were on patrol together or having a date night just for them, he still felt connected, important to their lives. That, it turned out, mattered more than anything else. Knowing he belonged brought Shouto peace of mind on a level he hadn't known existed.
The streets around them bustled with people, but it still felt like an intimate moment, just the two of them, the frosty air, and the holiday lights as they walked. "How was your day?" Shouto asked.
"Is it wrong that I hope it stays quiet through the new year?" Izuku asked, freckles glowing under his blush.
"Is it wrong for the number one hero to hope the citizens don't have to be attacked or traumatized? Is that what you're asking me?"
Izuku's smile turned sheepish. "I don't want to slack off, but it's been nice just going on patrols with Kacchan these last few weeks." The autumn had given rise to another dangerous villain: Compulsion. He had used a devastating hypnotizing quirk to conscript citizens to assist with his crimes and form a human shield between him and the pros trying to take him down. Izuku and Katsuki and joined forces with Shinsou-san and Kaminari-san in late November. Through their combined efforts, and several very long nights, they manage to subdue him.
Shouto squeezed Izuku's hand where it was nestled in his coat pocket. "You work harder than any hero I've ever met, except maybe Katsuki. Of course you deserve a break."
Izuku leaned against him and Shouto gave into the impulse to press a kiss into Izuku's wild green curls.
"Have you given any thought to going on vacation with us in the new year?" Izuku murmured.
"Are you sure you don't want the time just to spend with Katsuki? You've been waiting for that since before all of us got together."
Izuku shrugged. "I have time alone with him here whenever I want it." His fingers tightened around Shouto's. "I know no one's keeping score, but it feels like we're balancing time together pretty well."
Shouto nodded. "I agree." It was oddly exhilarating navigating their different relationships, his and Izuku's, his and Katsuki's, and also making space for Izuku and Katsuki. It felt like a unique privilege to watch from the inside, how each relationship worked individually and came together as a unit. "I don't want either of you to feel short-changed, or like you have to make concessions you weren't planning on just because I'm part of the picture."
"I promise you, I don't feel that way," Izuku pressed close, sandwiching their joined hands as he invaded Shouto's personal space in the best way possible. "I don't think Katsuki does either, but the best way to confirm that is to ask him yourself."
A giddy, somewhat nauseous feeling swam around Shouto's middle. "I'll try to remember that." It was still hard to believe that he could talk so freely about his emotions. As much as he loved the result, Shouto wasn't sure he'd ever be used to it. The way they communicated, although it varied between all three of them, felt like the most intimate part of their relationship. It was thrilling and intimidating at the same time. It was difficult, but it also made Shouto want to try this with his non-romantic relationships; it might help heal some of the lingering hurt caused by his father.
"I'll remind you," Izuku promised with a sweet smile. Then he stopped short. Oh!" He pulled his phone from his pocket with an infectious grin. "I've been meaning to show you this; I didn't want to text you, because I wanted to see your reaction in person."
The phone glowed with a candid snapshot of Katsuki leaning against the wall of his and Izuku's entranceway. Katsuki's face was flushed a deep pink and his eyes, pointed somewhere near the ceiling, shone with a smitten expression.
"This was just after your date on Wednesday."
Shouto traced his fingers across the screen, bringing Katsuki's face into sharper focus. He looked exactly as besotted as Shouto had felt that night. "You've become quite the photographer in this relationship."
A slight frown rippled Izuku's lovely features. "Does it bother you?"
"No." Shouto leaned forward through the fog of their breath and pressed a lingering kiss into Izuku's chilled lips. "I think it's adorable."
Izuku's mouth curved into a smile against his before Shouto pulled away and they both started walking again. "I don't want to pressure you for an answer about going on vacation," Izuku murmured, returning to their previous topic. "And whatever you decide will be fine. I just want to know what you're thinking."
Shouto rubbed slow circles into the palm of Izuku's hand while he gathered his thoughts. "I keep waiting for the catch." Izuku's fingers held his tighter and Shouto pressed their joined hands against his hip through the pocket of his coat. "I know that neither of you would be cruel…"
"But it doesn't stop the doubts that bastard put in your head."
Izuku's face was flushed with obvious anger as well as the cold, and the set of his jaw broadcasted a determination the public only saw when Izuku went head to head against a villain. Shouto lifted their joined hands from the warmth of his pocket and pressed a slow series of kisses across Izuku's knuckles.
The effect was immediate. The anger evaporated and was instantly replaced with an expression that was one part confusion and two parts affectionate.
"Whenever we talk about him you start to look like you want to find wherever he fucked off to and fight him." Shouto pressed their joined hands against his chest, just over his heart. "I love it."
Izuku's sighed and leaned against Shoto as they walked. "I know you don't need me to fight your battles. I just hate how badly he treated your family."
Shouto felt his cheeks lift as his lips curved into a reserved smile. "My hero." He also kind of loved how Izuku never referred to Endeavor by any name or title beyond various insults. When Izuku really despised someone, he point-blank refused to dignify their existence by using their name, like he could strip them of the right to a name by sheer force of will. It was a rare occurrence, and Shouto felt he saw it more than most, both because of his relationship with Izuku and because Izuku was very protective of everyone he loved.
"Would somewhere more local be a better choice for a trip?" Izuku asked. "Again, I don't want to put any pressure on you. You don't ever have to come away with Katsuki and I if you don't want to. I'm just trying to figure out what kinds of situations would make you more comfortable if you did want to vacation with us."
Izuku was starting to build up to a full mumble. Shouto had always thought Izuku's mumbling was endearing—he still did—but now he was starting to see the anxiety that fueled it. Being the number one hero took its toll, no matter how suited Izuku was to carry that burden.
A quick sidestep moved Shouto in front of Izuku instead of beside, and he stopped their forward momentum with a soft collision of bodies. Wide green eyes refocused on Shouto's face, an expression of confusion that melted into contentment when Shouto slid his fingers across the curve of Izuku's cheek. "You mean like an onsen?"
Shouto felt Izuku's smile brush his fingertips. "Yeah, like an onsen." Izuku's free hand settled around Shouto's waist and pulled him closer. "One it would be easy for you to go home from if you wanted to or needed some space."
"Hmmm." Shouto buried his face in the curve of Izuku's neck, holding him close. "I'll think about it."
Izuku's fingers smoothed through Shouto's bicolored hair. "Thank you."
It was a tempting offer. …More than tempting. Shouto might have to look at prices and book something. Christmas wasn't too far away, but there was still time…
They began to ease back from their cuddle and Shouto was struck by the flushed smile on Izuku's face. The holiday lights danced in Izuku's brilliant green eyes creating a kaleidoscope of color that pulled Shouto in for another kiss.
"Are you two idiots actually going to come inside?"
Shouto jumped and Izuku laughed. "Sorry, Kacchan!"
"I, uh, didn't realize we were here already," Shouto murmured.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and smiled. "Geeze. It's your apartment, Half and Half. Come on." He snatched up Shouto's other hand and led them, in a chain of linked hands, up the stairs to Shouto's apartment.
The air on the other side of the door was warm and fragrant with different appetizing smells. As usual when Katsuki came to visit, he'd been busy in the kitchen. They stood together in the entranceway of Shouto's apartment, toeing off winter boots and leaning against each other. Shouto leaned a bit more heavily against Katsuki than was strictly necessary. "What's for dinner?"
Katsuki's hand crept around Shouto's hip, holding him in place. "Cold Soba. It's chilling in the fridge now."
The easy way he said it knocked something loose inside Shouto's it was a given he would make one of Shouto's favorite meals just because it brought Shouto joy.
Katsuki's eyes were soft and relaxed in the warm light of Shouto's apartment, drawing Shouto in for a kiss like a magnet. The heat and slide of the kiss pulled at the loose something that trembled inside Shouto's heart. A heady rush of sensation coxed a whispered confession against Katsuki's lips. "I love you."
When Katsuki's grip on his waist tightened and red eyes grew fractionally wider the reality and the weight of the words washed over him. Heat swelled up from his neck and across both cheeks, but he wasn't about to take it back, because it was the truth. "I love you, Katsuki."
Katsuki's lips and tongue pressed against Shouto, stealing his breath for a long moment. When Katsuki eased back he dragged his palm across Shouto's cheek, caressing the skin there. "I love you too, Shouto."
A tell-tale sniffle caught their attention, and they both reached to pull Izuku into their embrace. "I love you too, Izuku," Shouto murmured, pressing a trail of kisses across Izuku's cheek and temple. "I've loved you for a long time."
Izuku nodded and tightened his arms around both of them. "I love you, Shouto. I love you, Kacchan." Kisses pressed against cheeks, lips, jaws, any patch of skin within reach. Izuku's fingers twined with Shouto's and he squeezed tightly. "I'm—I'm sorry it took me so long to see what was right in front of me."
Shouto pressed a kiss against scarred knuckles. "Don't be. This isn't at all what I pictured when I saw your name on my arm, Izuku, but I love it." He glanced to Katsuki who smiled back at him. "I love you both."
Katsuki's arms tightened around them, pulling them deeper into the hug. "I'm sorry you can't see your mark anymore," he murmured.
Shouto glanced down and saw his hand, still tangled with Izuku's was pressed between them, wrist up. The mottled scar was as prominent as ever; there would never be a visible name there again. "I don't need to see it." Shouto pressed a kiss to first Katsuki's lips, then Izuku's. "I can feel it."
At the risk of making a Stanley Parable reference: The end is never the end. I put Shouto (and to some extent Izuku and Katsuki) through too much to end it here. Marks on My Heart is finished, yes, but I have four more one-shots headed your way in the coming weeks! I'm going to post them to this account as part of the "My Heart" series, and I will continue to update every Friday afternoon/evening PST. I hope to see you there! ^_^