Chapter 2 - To Tether Time
Katsuki woke up earlier than usual judging by the first light that peered through the blinds. He stared at the ceiling in deep thought. His mind was still reeling from yesterday's events. To say that what happened was exhausting was an understatement. Myriad of emotions came all at once clamoring inside and forcing them to release it. It was numbing really - to feel it all at once, hope and despair, brimming laughter then bereft. It took a toll on them, especially on his other half, causing an invisible injury that persists to fester.
And then, there was Chikako who willingly omitted the fact that she is using her quirk again to send people to the past. Katsuki would rather fight multiple villains on his own while suffering an injury than deal with this.
He laid on his side draped with sheets covering the three of them with Kazuki sleeping between him and Izuku. He looked at the two sleeping freckled faces on his right finding peace when he assured himself that they were safe and fine. He reached out and brushed the curls that fell on the six-year-old's forehead. Then he looked at Izuku, finding their similar sleeping faces slightly funny. "Ugly." He grumbled, lightly pinching the exposed cheek of his son. "Kacchan." The boy murmured as he snuggled closer to him for warmth.
The blond male gazed at them content with how the way things are for the moment. He sat up on the bed but not after leaving a light kiss on top of his son's head and Izuku's. He noticed the plushies underneath the sheets near the boy's feet and put it on the boy's arms to replace him. Almost instantly, Kazuki hugged the stuffed toys as if on instinct.
His feet padded across the room heading toward the small bathroom to perform his morning routine. When he got back, face still damp and water trickling down his bangs, Kazuki was sitting up but slightly nodding his head off.
"Morning, Kacchan." The boy yawned and stretched rather lazily like a cat. The boy was clearly struggling to keep himself awake since his eyes kept on closing. Katsuki approached the bed and put a hand on the boy's head to ruffle his bed hair. "Morning, brat. What are you doing up?"
The boy softly whined as he sluggishly removed the huge hand on top of his head. "I wanna help Kacchan make breakfast." He said looking up at him while holding his father's hand with his small ones.
Katsuki didn't have the heart to refuse - not with the boy staring at him with those large round eyes he inherited from Izuku accompanied by his red eye color. "Ne Kacchan." The boy pleaded and gently tugged on his hand, thinking that the adult might refuse and make him go back to sleep. "Fine." He caved in, charmed by the adorable look on the six-year-old's face. "But go wash your face first and brush your teeth." The boy hopped off the bed and did what he was told before going to the agency's kitchen with his father.
After a while, Izuku slowly woke up, eyes still closed and his arm extended across the bed in an attempt to reach out for his son. As if freezing water was poured all over his body, he jolted awake when he felt no one, not even Katsuki. "Kacchan! Kazuchan! Where are you?" When his cries were left unanswered, dread took over his body losing all sense of rationality. His eyes frantically searched around the room for signs of any forced entry or a struggle whilst calling out their names.
"Kacchan! Kazuchan!" He yelled again thinking that they might be taken. They may be at the agency but with so much unknown information about the enemy, they could be capable of slipping in without anyone noticing. The underground organization may have someone that has a quirk capable of infiltration or transportation.
Katsuki was walking in the hallway to go to their room when he heard his significant other's desperate cries. He rushed to the room slightly propelling himself and gaining more speed with his minimum usage of quirk. He kicked the door open only to find Izuku tackling him into a tight hug. "Kacchan!" Izuku cried out then repeated his name over and over. "Kazuchan? Kacchan, where's Kazuchan?"
Izuku was a worried mess. Katsuki knew he would not be able to get through him being like this. The blond cupped the sides of the younger male's face forcing him to look at him. To focus on him. His hands were warm from the use of his quirk. Izuku leaned; he wanted to relish in that heat wishing that it would stay. Wishing that it wasn't a dream or a quirk. Katsuki's warm breath faintly tickled his neck as he called out his name softly. "Deku."
"Kacchan." The green-haired hero whimpered, eyes softening, tears pooling and threatening to spill down his freckled cheeks. Katsuki hated the sorrow reflected in his viridian eyes but he did notice the small plea in his tone to help him find Kazuki.
"Calm down, Deku. He's fine. He's safe." The blond comforted as Izuku sniffled trying to gain a sense of clarity amidst the tumultuous state of his mind. Slowly, he raised his hand to hold on to the blond male's wrist. He found himself leaning closer to him like a moth drawn to a flame yearning for light.
Katsuki caressed his skin, brushing away the tears that trickled down his cheeks. He removed his other hand from Izuku's face and rested it on his lower back. Bringing their foreheads together still establishing eye contact, he whispered, "He's downstairs setting the table with the extras." "Okay." The smaller male hummed in response taking small breaths to slow his pounding heart.
Izuku felt so helpless as if he was stripped of his quirk and left alone to deal with losing everything he cherished due to his incompetence. He felt so bare and defenseless almost like a child making him remember the time where he couldn't save Katsuki from being kidnapped by the league, when he couldn't do anything sooner to save Nighteye or the time where he had to watch and endure another loss of another mentor, Gran Torino. So much for being the symbol of peace when he could not even keep going without faltering when someone is out there threatening his family.
For once, Izuku wanted some time out from his spiraling thoughts. "Kacchan, will you-" The younger male's voice broke but Katsuki knew what he wanted to say. He didn't waste any second and titled Izuku's face before slotting their mouths together, pulling him in for a searing kiss.
Izuku's eyes closed when he felt his lover's lips mold against his. The warmth he felt before was back again tenfold and he found himself leaning and yearning for more. Discerning that it was real. That Katsuki and Kazuki were safe. All of his troubling thoughts were brushed away the minute the blond's lips brushed against his. His fears and anxiety vanished making way for new feelings to stir within.
His arms rested around the taller male's neck with his fingers burying in his blond hair. Katsuki retreated his hand from Izuku's face, finding his nape to deepen the kiss. And when Izuku felt his bottom lip being nibbled on by the explosive male demanding entrance, he gladly succumbed and gave it to him.
Katsuki's tongue entered and started exploring Izuku's mouth, instigating the green-haired male's tongue to play with his. The smaller male moaned inside Katsuki's mouth, relishing into the kiss he requested. Katsuki hummed in satisfaction going even deeper than what he intended to do.
They clung to each other like lost men finally finding a place to belong to. Supple fingers fleetingly danced, stroked, and teased. Skin against skin, and breath for another breath. Nips, licks, and kisses were exchanged. Each action was done with a hidden purpose but none at the same time. They behaved as if the act itself didn't matter, only the exchange of ardor and comfort. Stealing each other's breath away, intrepid fingers went and stayed, feeling up the taut muscles on their back and shoulders.
They reluctantly disconnected their lips for another time opening their eyes to study each other's reactions. Izuku looked away first and went to hug him; his face growing hotter every second with Katsuki's intense gaze. He rested his ear directly at the blond's heart hearing it beating rhythmically in sync with his. Katsuki rested his chin at the top of his curly green hair wrapping his arms around the younger male.
For a moment, his thoughts did not linger on their current predicament but about the numerous times they triumphed against their enemies whilst saving countless and standing as symbols of peace and victory. This moment, they weren't plagued by their worries for they were chased away by their blinding trust for each other. They relished in their warmth finding solace in each other's arms and strengthening their safe haven that was from the family they had together.
Their moment didn't last long though. Doused from their carnal haze, the two instantly separated instantly when they heard footsteps closing in on their room.
"Papa! Kacchan! I saw Chikako-nee who told me to get you. What took you so long? And why is the door broken?" Their son greeted them, only realizing the broken door. Inquisitive red eyes gazed at them from below as he tugged on the hem of his parents' shirt with both of his hands when he approached them.
"Is there a villain? Why are Papa's clothes messy? Was Papa attacked? Is that why Kacchan used his quirk?" His parents looked at each other. Unnerved by Katsuki's knowing look, Izuku broke eye contact first and blushed, widening Katuski's condescending smirk; their son none the wiser as to what happened prior to his entrance.
Like a criminal caught red-handed, Izuku fixed his own creased shirt and tousled hair erasing any evidence of what they did before their son showed up even if it was already too late. "Yeah Deku's attacked, bakuchiku. Don't worry I already took care of it." Katsuki declared brimming with pride in his work when he saw Izuku's flustered face.
"Come on, up you go!" He bent down and picked Kazuki up carrying him with a single arm. "Let's go get breakfast before those extras eat it." "Okay. Bye Papa. See you downstairs." The boy waved enthusiastically at him with a smile.
The blond turned, approaching the doorframe but before they left he decided to call out the green-haired male, "Deku." Izuku stuttered a yes. Katsuki intensely stared at him grinning, "Your fucking breath stinks." He nonchalantly said as if he wasn't sticking his tongue down the younger male's throat a while ago. He pocketed his hand chatting with Kazuki leaving Izuku to wallow in his own embarrassment.
Tiny arms wrapped around his legs when Izuku reached the agency's cafeteria. "Papa, what took you so long?" The chirpy boy asked looking at him with eyes brimming with wonder and curiosity. Izuku bent down and picked him up carrying him with a single arm. He apologized to the boy which his son quickly accepted before rambling on about the dishes he and his father prepared for today's breakfast.
"And then, Kacchan scolded Uncle Hanta for almost eating one of the fishes he saved for you. He used his quirk on him and the egg hanging on his mouth exploded on his face." The six-year-old laughed recalling the scorched food scattered all over the hero's face. "Have you eaten Kazuchan?" Izuku asked, taking a seat near Katsuki who was drinking coffee.
The boy shook his head as he occupied the seat between his two parents, "I wanted to eat breakfast with Papa and Kacchan together."
"Aww, how can such a sweet child be your kid Katsuki?" Denki who had just arrived teased cooing at the boy and mimicking him who was about to bring an octopus wiener to his mouth. Inheriting the blond male's short temper, Kazuki was easily irked and baited by his uncle's words. It wasn't long that the weiner he was about to eat hit Denki square on his forehead before it imploded, imitating his father's actions earlier.
Izuku whipped his head at Kazuki ready to scold him. "Kazuchan you're not supposed to play with your food." "But he was teasing Kacchan." Izuku glared at Katsuki who was grinning proudly of his son's actions. The younger male kicked him on his shin under the table.
"He can take care of himself. You, on the other, shouldn't waste your food like that. You did not want to waste the effort you and Kacchan put when you prepared this, right?" Kazuki winced when he saw it in Izuku's perspective. "Fine." He grumbled then turned to look at Katsuki. "Sorry, Kacchan. I didn't mean to waste tako-san like that."
Katsuki snickered when his son apologized to him instead of Denki. Izuku just sighed in defeat when the older male patted the boy's head saying that it's fine as long as he won't do it again. "It's fine Izuku. It's my fault anyway." Denki said, trying his best not to laugh. Kazuki agreed with his statement demanding an apology from the pro hero. "That's why Uncle Denki has to apologize to Kacchan as well."
Breakfast went on normally. Well, normally as it could be with their usual foolish behavior around. Friendly conversations were made as morning greetings were exchanged between the pro heroes, sidekicks, and interns present in the cafeteria. Halfway through their meal, Chikako showed up sporting another cup of coffee, greeting them before taking a seat on their table to eat. Then she gave them a smile as if knowing what happened in the room earlier. Despite her cheery behavior, Izuku could not help but recall yesterday's discussion.
"How long will you be able to keep him in the past, Chikako-chan?"
Izuku's eyes were determined void of the reluctance he was showing earlier. Chikako couldn't blame their hesitancy though. They were talking about sending their only child, their six-year-old son, to the past to keep him safe from the villain's clutches. She could not begin to imagine the pain they must be feeling to be separated from him to keep him safe.
Chikako remembered the time when she volunteered to be their gestational surrogate. A logical decision on her part. She may be a pro hero but she wasn't required to be on the field all the time. Her quirk wasn't suitable for battling villains or saving civilians from harm. Hence, she was less exposed to the occupational hazard their job has.
Though, that didn't mean her work at the agency was less important. In fact, it was her work that enabled them to perform better. The female pro hero's hacking skills and quirk analysis made their agency rank first in solving cold cases and apprehending villains with even less collateral damage despite Ground Zero's explosive nature. Aside from that, she kind of kept their boss in line. Kind of.
Her two pro hero friends needed a surrogate and a surrogate they will get. Chikako didn't even hesitate to volunteer. Besides, it wasn't like she was using her uterus. Might as well put it to use. Despite the chaos their jobs bring on their doorstep, her friends were the ones that gave her a place to belong to. They gave her a family. To repay their kindness, she decided to help them build their own. And secretly, she just wanted nine months of freedom from terrible dysmenorrhea even if she had to carry a baby.
Kazuki is purely Katsuki's and Izuku's with the help of a quirk. One that transforms the sex cells of a person into its counterpart - sperm to egg and vice versa - without changing the genetic information it carries. So they only needed a surrogate to carry the baby.
Throughout the process, it was like she had two doting parents. Their protectiveness was slightly overbearing at first. Yet, it was understandable. They hovered around constantly checking if she and the baby were fine. Both of them were always accompanying her during prenatal care check-ups.
Izuku was attentive to her needs but he was mostly overthinking it and giving more attention than he should without it affecting his job. There was a time when he scolded Katsuki about why she had to come into the agency despite going there of her own volition. Her boss blamed her for that.
After that, Ground Zero started lessening her workload as each term passed by. And there was this huge thing she'll never forget. Color her surprised when her explosive boss started cooking her meals. Though the blond would not admit it if it was ever mentioned. She wanted to hold it over his head but she had a few moments during the pregnancy which Katsuki threatened to tell such as very weird cravings among others.
If that was only before Kazuki was born, then all the more their love and protectiveness grew fiercer now that these two pro heroes met and raised their biological son to the sunny yet sassy little boy that he is.
She didn't have a concrete answer to his question so she carefully chose her words. Chikako thought about it for a while but ended up blank. She didn't want to give them a baseless answer. In the end, she decided to gauge their understanding of how her quirk functions. "I'm sure you're both familiar with how my quirk works, right?" She asked, earning a curt nod from the two males.
"Chikako-chan's quirk is Time Tethering. It allows you to tie yourself or someone to time, whether it be the past or the future, with the help of another tether. Going forth in time is easy because that's what we always do. Every second, bit by bit, we uncover and establish our future."
"With your quirk, the person's consciousness will switch places with their future counterpart. To send someone to the future, you'll tether that person to an object in the present that likely exists in the future. But, sending yourself or someone farther into the future doesn't necessarily guarantee that it will occur due to the principles of causation."
Katsuki remained silent and listened. Though there was a slight hint of impatience in his eyes. He didn't know why Chikako asked for such an obvious answer yet he had no choice but to go along with her plan. It was probably to let Izuku release the stress he had been feeling since they saw the box. The green-haired hero went on as he put his other hand on his chin letting the information flow in his mind and out of his mouth.
"You described before that going back in time is tricky. It's difficult but not impossible. And unlike sending someone to the future, you'll tie that person to someone's memories. There are two conditions that need to be fulfilled."
"First, there must be someone that exists in the past who has a strong relationship with the one traveling in time. It can be their family, blood relative or not, lover, friend, and possibly an enemy. Second, they must stay with that person to keep them from being lost in time since they are tied to that person's time and memories." Izuku looked at Chikako for affirmation who was putting her thumbs up.
"That's right. It's kind of amazing yet creepy how you know so much but that would make me a hypocrite if I called you out. Anyway, there's more to that. It is possible to tether a person, in this case, Kazuki, to the memories of two people. That's the most that I can do. And, keep in mind that I cannot send someone to the past if they are already alive during that certain point. If it happens, they'll be immediately sent back to their current time." She crossed her legs and leaned back to the chair resisting the urge to swivel the chair around to dispel the serious ambiance.
"And that's all you need? People's memories?" Katsuki gruffed in dull apprehension. "Well, a detailed description of a particular memory is fine. But having pictures is very helpful. It makes the visualization of a specific point in the past easy. That's why I prefer to draw these things." She clarified and took the drawing tablet beside her laptop. Chikako figured that drawing it will make things easier to comprehend.
"Let me give an example. Baku, the orange one, is the person who wants to go back in time. And Deku is their tether, the green one whose memories he needs to go back." Katsuki glared at the names she gave the stick figures yet Chikako went on and even added a face until it became more detailed chibi versions of them.
"Here." She pointed at the triangle drawn over a horizontal line below the chibis, "Let's say that this is the present. And the continuous line on its left is the past." The two males looked at her doodle and listened attentively. "Baku wants to go back in time but he needs a point somewhere in time to land on. And that's what the memories or pictures are for."
She drew a circle on the farther left. "This one is that memory. That's why it has to be as accurate as possible or else Baku might end up somewhere farther. When he gets there, the rest of the time continues and he will move along with it since he is now tethered to past Deku. A day in the past is equivalent to a day in here. Baku has to be around Deku all the time so that he'll remain in his respective timeline. The fresher the memory, the better control I have on keeping them tethered to that time. "
"You still haven't answered Deku's question." The explosive male interrupted in an exasperated sigh. "I'm getting there, boss. To answer your question, I don't know." She confessed internally wincing when she saw how instantly Izuku's face pale and became crestfallen. Katsuki immediately stood up almost bellowing in anger but with Izuku's hand still in his, he could only go so far before he decided to let go. "Wait, boss. Wait!" Chikako panicked, waving her arms in the air as a means to surrender.
Maybe, being too honest wasn't the right answer either. "It's not that I don't exactly know. I'm just not sure. I can keep him there and I can bring him back. I'm just not sure how long I can keep him in the past. There might be a possibility where he comes back earlier than we expected. Or he comes back late. It's just that it's too far back in the past." She closed her eyes silently praying that she would die quickly and most probably painlessly as she braced for Katsuki's finishing blow.
The explosive male reigned his anger in. He tried not to focus on the searing sensation of anger coursing through his body telling him to just let go and holler at the female pro hero. He tried not to explode there and then putting all of their plans to waste.
He wasn't going to harm Chikako though. She was always blowing things out of proportion. And that was his job. To blow things up. He snapped out of his wrath when he heard Izuku speak in a somber tone.
"But you are confident that you can bring him back, right? Back here to us?" Struggling to keep his voice from breaking down, Izuku tried to swallow the hopelessness he felt. The female pro hero brought her arms down and relaxed on her seat. While Katsuki retreated to his and placed his hand on Izuku's back, rubbing circles to comfort him.
Chikako looked at them directly in their eyes and proudly declared, "Yes, I am. I can and I will bring him back. I promise. Besides, I've recently done this before." The two male pro heroes quickly whipped their heads in her direction; their trepidation slowly dissipating after she assured them but also because of what she just divulged. Perhaps, she said too much.
"What do you mean you've done this recently? I thought you didn't use your quirk for something like this anymore because of what happened with-" "Please don't mention his name, boss." She pleaded; her voice barely heard in the room.
For someone frolicsome like Chikako, it was a rare sight to see her eyes look so dreary instantaneously. And there was only one person capable of dimming the light in her eyes and killing her mischievous personality. Her father.
She plastered a fake smile on her face shaking her head and said, "Let's not talk about him. Moving on, when I said that I've done this before, it means exactly what it means. I sent someone to the past."
The two males exchanged looks concerned for Chikako who dismissed her childhood trauma as if it didn't affect her anymore when it still did. Of course, they didn't buy her smile for a second but they decided to humor her. They have their own problems to deal with after all. However, it doesn't mean that they will let it slide.
"Explain." Katsuki said, infuriated that she didn't think to tell them something so important like that. She fidgeted on her seat like a child scolded by her parents as she looked anywhere in the room aside from their eyes. There was no use in hiding it because of a Freudian slip.
"I'm not going to tell you any specific details though." She acquiesced with a sigh. "There was this kid who wanted to meet his deceased father. He didn't have any chances to meet him since he was dead before he was even born. So his mom made arrangements and asked me. Barely 8 years old and he was asking if he could see his dad for the first and last time."
"You didn't have the heart to say no?" Izuku asked, observing her reactions. Chikako shook her head. "If you were in my position, would you? He looked at me with those puppy-dog eyes that I ended up caving. I sent him back a month before his father died and he stayed there for a week posing as a lost relative. That's all you need to know."
"So the kid came back fine. What makes it so different from sending bakuchiku to the past?"
"For starters, the time. The two of you decided that the safest timeline for him is back when you two were in second year at UA where both of you aren't burdened by internships. Plus, there are lots of pro heroes present on the campus. Even if you two weren't together back then, Kazuki has lots of protection. You guys are 34 years old now so you want me to send him back 17 years ago. That's too big of a difference. As I said, I need vivid memories. That's why I always ask for detailed descriptions and pictures. I'm not that confident to bring him back immediately when everything is fine."
Chikako did not want to make any excuses but for her to use an aspect of her quirk she rarely activates, there was room for uncertainty. She could bring back Kazuki just not on their terms. Despondency pooled in her system, ridding her of the conviction she expressed earlier. Right now, she wished she could do more for her friends aside from offering an unreliable way to keep their son safe from harm. The guilt from not training that facet of her quirk due to her fear chipped her confidence bit by bit.
"I still want to do it." Izuku declared out of the blue, making Chikako look at him incredulously. "Deku-san, did you not hear what I just said? Now that I'm saying it out loud, I don't think that we should do this." Katsuki smirked at the female's display of skepticism. "We heard you right, Timefreak. And we don't give a damn about that. As long as our brat will come back fine."
"We believe in you Chikako-chan. Just like that little boy did. He would not have asked you if he felt that you aren't capable of doing it. Kids are like that sometimes. They're highly perceptive. He believed that you could unite him with his father. And now, we are believing in you to keep Kazuki safe and bring him back."
Chikako slapped her forehead rather loudly and shook her head in disbelief. "You're too bright sometimes Deku-san. Really blinding." She sighed in her wrist trying not to fall prey on the green-haired hero's contagious optimism. The way his eyes sparkled as if he was not sending his son away revealed no signs of anxiety. And the curved smile on his face was comforting. Truly befitting the current symbol of peace.
And Katsuki, her boss, wasn't any less different. He didn't have to say anything. That lopsided smirk of his and his intense red eyes were enough to convey what he knows. His expression said it all. That she would not have been in this agency and appointed as his second in command if he didn't have faith in her abilities. And that he would not have been the symbol of victory if she didn't oversee their missions. The two male pro heroes' actions slowly coaxed to go with their decision.
Chikako bit her bottom lip already succumbing to their wish. "Fine." She whispered then she raised her arms in the air in defeat. "Fine! I'll do it. The two of you are so unfair. You freaking both deserve each other." She broke out of her silliness then glared at them. "Just don't blame me when Kazuki goes back earlier or later than we anticipated. I already warned you two about it." Izuku nodded with vigor while Katsuki just hummed as a reply.
"I'll give you two time to decide when to send Kazuki to the past. The sooner, the better so that we can catch Yakeru and end all of this mess. Now, where are those pictures from your second year? There better be some pictures here that I can use as blackmail."
Izuku snapped out of his stupor when he saw a tiny hand constantly waving directly in front of his face. "Papa, how long are you gonna stare at that fish? It's not going to finish eating itself you know." He shook his head and stuttered out an apology smiling at the kid to make sure that he isn't showing any signs of worry.
They finished their meal and went to Interval's lair bringing Kazuki with them. This time, the other pro heroes were present like Chargebolt, Cellophane, Frostburn, and Froppy. The six-year-old was drunk in elation to be in a room filled with pro heroes that he was trying his best not to happily skip as they went to the room. He acted quite mature for his age fueled by the desire to be an impressive pro hero like his parents.
"Are you sure you want him present in the meeting?" Katsuki eyed their son who was walking ahead and gaping at the pro heroes they were passing by. "He'll insist on coming whether we want him to or not. Besides, he knows something's up. He just won't ask until we decide to tell him. One way or another, he'll find a way to sneak in." Izuku explained earning Katsuki's agreement.
The heroes pooled inside the room filling it with chatter asking about each other's welfare and work. "Everyone here?" Chikako asked standing in front of the huge screen to begin the briefing. The heroes nodded in reply focusing their gaze on the screen before them. "Alright then. Let's start."