The days that followed etched by like the scrawlings of children laden down with chalk too big for their hands; some evenings passed quickly with little interruption, smooth and saturated with color, while others jumped over pebbles or were jostled by a change in direction or purpose. But without fail a picture emerged every time, situated neatly in the stack of memories. Some stuck out at odd angles like a moment pulled for a glimpse and a smile before sliding back into the pile while others sat at the bottom of the stack, still important but not significant enough to reach for with frequency.
This is how you remembered and savored your evenings with Bakugou after that first swimming lesson.
The realization of what transpired didn't really hit you until you got home, Pearl meeting you happily and eagerly at the door while your cat lazed around on the kitchen counter. Your clothes were still damp and smelled heavily of salt and seaweed, so you tossed them into the washing machine and hopped into a warm shower, letting the water rinse off any goosebumps still lingering on your skin. Swimming for so long had left you exhausted, and you were positive your legs would be sore tomorrow from the unusual amount of exercise. That, coupled with the fact you'd accidentally skipped dinner with the rush of excitement and nerves made your stomach echo in your kitchen as you rummaged around for left-overs and hot tea now that you were warm and clean. As the microwave hummed in the otherwise silent apartment, Katsuki's words finally rang back in your head with surprising clarity.
"I love you…" you muttered to no one, letting the words spill from your chapped lips. "Oh my god that happened, all that actually happened!"
Your hands came up to slap against your cheeks as your knees almost buckled beneath you before you leaned against the counter for a bit of stability. As if hearing the rapid beating of your heart like a whistle Pearl trotted over and looked up at you curiously; she was far smarter than you'd ever thought a dog could be. Maybe that was Katsuki's doing since he could talk to her in a very basic sense...or maybe she was just a damn smart dog who could discern when you were anxious or stressed. Either way you were grateful for her companionship.
She barked just as the microwave beeped, pulling your attention back to reality. "Right, food…" Grabbing a napkin you sandwiched it between your hand and the hot plate before walking it to the kitchen table, plopping down into the chair, and digging into the hot food. "Holy shit I'm so hungry."
You turned on the TV to let some kind of sound drone on in the background as you ate. Now that all the fresh memories of the evening with Katsuki were flooding back with the aid of food and warmth you couldn't keep the sappy smile from your face. Still, all this was extremely new and unknown territory.
"So I guess we'll just see what happens from here. Maybe it was too soon to ask him to visit his home at least one more time to settle things with everything else we talked about...but still, I dunno, he needs to move past this so he can really move forward." Letting your thoughts air aloud in your kitchen helped organize them easier than if they remained muddled around in your brain. "I won't push it, but I'll bring it up again in a week or so and see what happens. What do you think? Will he go for it?"
Pearl sat back on her haunches while staring up at you - or your plate of food, you weren't sure - with intensity. She barked as if to answer your question, and took her response as confirmation that maybe with a bit more time he wouldn't react so viscerally to the suggestion of visiting his home.
"I wonder if he'd fit in the bathtub…mmhm, probably not, his tail's too long." Glancing over at your bathroom you wondered if one day it might be possible to bring him here in the dead of night, if only to experience somewhere away from the ocean and pier for a day or two. It would be a huge risk to carry him here and risk someone catching a glimpse of someone suspicious running around, attempting to look sneaky. Could you even carry him? He was was built with lean muscle, and his tail must be heavy with how long it was so he definitely weighed more than you...maybe a wheelbarrow could work? Or a truck?
Exhaustion and an overworked brain caused you to completely miss your mouth with the next bite of food and instead smear sauce and rice all over your cheek. With a sigh you grabbed a napkin and wiped yourself clean. "I think that means it's time for sleep…" After finishing your late dinner and tossing your bathing suit and towel in the dryer you trudged through your nighttime routine until you finally fell into the familiar sheets of your bed.
Pearl climbed up and made herself comfortable at the end of the bed near your feet while your cat padded silently into your bedroom where he'd eventually make his way next to your pillow at some point during the night. Groaning you set your alarm, genuinely hating the idea of going into work tomorrow. Adjusting back into an everyday routine after agreeing to be the romantic partner of a merman would make concentrating on anything important a difficult task.
As your eyes drifted shut you thought of Katsuki, of him opening up his vulnerabilities and insecurities to you, of you accepting him as he is and setting aside differences to try and make this work to the best of your ability. You weren't sure where all of this would lead, and never in your wildest imagination pictured yourself in this kind of situation a year ago. But the two of you were in the same boat, so you wouldn't have to figure things out alone. The only detail you were certain of was the least concrete and also the most significant: the two of you were in love, and maybe that would be enough.
Work the next morning trudged by agonizingly slowly, your feet feeling as though they were trapped in drying concrete with how heavy they felt with your sore muscles. A couple of coworkers asked if you were alright, and you told a half-truth about exercising a bit too intensely the previous evening. Treading water for hours was more of a workout than you'd anticipated. As soon as the clock told you it was time to leave everything seemed to speed up when you grabbed your things and made your way through the building and out the door to wait for the bus.
When you stepped through the threshold of your apartment Pearl greeted you eagerly like she always did. It seemed more like fate rather than sheer chance that you'd found her weeks ago, dirty and hungry and starved for affection and attention on the outskirts of well-worn sidewalks and roads. You loved your cat, of course, but Pearl's energy and happiness often rubbed off on you.
"You hungry? Yeah, I know," you said as her paws tippy-tapped up and down on the cool tile of your kitchen while you fixed food for both her and your cat. As they ate you prepared your own dinner alongside Katsuki's. You had no plans to swim today, instead wanting a break to just sit on the pier and enjoy a peaceful meal together. You also wondered how the dynamic between the two of you would change with everything out in the open. Holding back physical affection shouldn't be an issue now, but any special customs specific to merpeople were out of your immediate expertise.
Pearl, who always ate her food at lightning speed, whined as you grabbed your things and walked towards the front door. "No, sorry, can't come with me today. Tomorrow, I promise." You leaned down and scratched her behind the ears before locking the door and heading down the familiar route to the pier.
It had been ages since you'd last visited the hashimaki vendor on the beach, usually referring to fix your own meals and head straight down to the pier; but today felt a bit special. The very first time you properly met Katsuki you'd exchanged some hashimaki for your phone that you'd nearly dropped into the water, and that simple trade ignited a wild and unexpected journey. Grabbing the snack that first led him to you sounded like an excellent idea.
The food vendor looked over to you after serving another customer, familiarity sparkling in his eyes. "Aha! It's been a while, hasn't it."
"Yeah, I know. I started learning how to cook and things took off after that," you said with a half-truth. Cooking and experimenting now occupied your afternoon agenda, and you'd gotten better as a result, which in turn limited the amount of cooked food you bought unless you were feeling particularly lazy. "Two hashimaki, please."
"Coming right up!" The vendor quickly got to work, hands jumping from one step to the next, years of expertise showing with his easy and memorized movements that would trip you up if attempted at the same pace.
Nodding, you thanked him and paid for the meal before walking down the beach to the pier, cool sand digging between your toes. As you closed in on the familiar wooden walkway you scanned the area to make sure no prying eyes threatened to ruin your nightly routine. There had been a few close calls in the past where Katsuki had to quickly hide and you had to bullshit up an excuse as to why you were on the pier to late by yourself. While you'd become acutely aware of your surroundings during the months coming here, it was still a calculated risk that he might be seen. To you, the reward far outweighed the danger.
The night air was cool and the waves fairly calm as the strong smell of salt and fish tickled the inside of your nose; despite coming down here countless times, you never tired of the sights and smells of the coast. Flipping off your shoes you let your feet dangle over the edge, rapping your knuckles against the wood. After a few minutes the familiar sensation of cool, wet fingers slid across the bottom of your foot making you smile.
Leaning over the edge of the pier you saw Katsuki bobbing expertly in the water, and as those crimson eyes looked up into your own you felt your heart accelerate in your chest as your smile widened. You motioned with your finger for him to come up, and without hesitation he dipped back under the water for momentum before leaping up and hooking his arms on the edge and pulling himself up effortlessly...and immediately grabbed the collar of your hoodie and pulled you to him in a kiss that tasted heavily of salt water.
The sudden gesture left you breathless and flustered, but you weren't exactly planning to complain when he pulled away smirking as if he knew exactly the type of reaction he'd get from you; but you didn't miss the tinge of pink in his cheeks, either.
"Missed you," Katsuki whispered across your skin, making you shudder. You knew he always missed you, but hearing him say it aloud was a newly inviting experience.
"I missed you, too...Katsuki," you mirrored, making sure to use the name he'd told you to call him from now on. His eyes lit up, as if he'd totally forgotten that he'd released that bit of information to you. Just for that he kissed you again, but this time you were ready for it and eagerly reciprocated.
After handing Katsuki his dinner - he enjoyed the hashimaki and sentiment behind it, of course - the two of you ate and talked, exchanging the events of the day and reminiscing briefly on the previous evening and all that it entailed. Katsuki kept noticeably closer to you, either leaning on your shoulder or keeping a hand grasped firmly around your fingers or clothing, as if you might slip away if he let go for too long.
The physical affection was new, as well. Apparently merpeople had their own customs and ways of demonstrating the love and tenderness between mates and partners. He would nuzzle up against your neck and emit that familiar purring that was usually only reserved for when you ran your fingers through his hair. At one point he brushed a particularly ticklish spot that made you laugh, and when he pulled back to look at your smile it was like he was looking into happiness made concrete.
Something nagged at the back of your mind, despite the feeling of giddiness and newfound sense of ease at no longer holding back how you truly felt. It was a sensitive topic, one that he'd reacted to badly the previous night...but you still needed to try again.
"Katsuki." He quirked his head to the side a bit to look at you from his position seated in your lap, his back against your front, and your arms wrapped securely around the cool, damp skin of his torso. "Did you think about what I asked yesterday?"
The drumming of his fingers on top of your forearm stilled as the words left your mouth. For a moment he didn't speak, but you knew he definitely heard you. "I thought about it."
"And?"
"And I not know yet. Not now." His stern expression told you to drop the subject; you didn't want to push too far, not two days in a row. If Katsuki didn't want to think about going back home for now, you weren't going to force him. Instead you pulled him closer and nuzzled against his hair similar to his own actions earlier. Eventually his muscles relaxed into the touch as the two of you lulled back into easier conversation.
The heaviness of your eyelids and the late hour displayed on your phone told you it was time to head home. The merman in your arms was nearly asleep as well, and despite how adorable he looked you pinched his cheek before he weakly slapped your hand away with a pout.
"Time for sleep, I think," you whispered through a yawn. Pearl no doubt had to go outside one last time before settling at the foot of your bed like she always did now, so you couldn't drag things out too long.
"Sleep...come back tomorrow?" he asked with a tired voice. You nodded against his soft hair.
"Always," you replied, telling him what he wanted to hear; that you'd return to him, to this spot, without fail. There was a promise between the two of you now, and breaking it wasn't even remotely on the table.
Katsuki kissed you goodnight, a sensation that still sent shivers down your spine that had little to do with the chilly late night air or the contrast of his cool hands compared to the warmth of his lips. Despite the late hour he was still eager to revel in the newness of it all, pulling you close as if to keep you safe and within reach.
"I love you, and you're mine." It was a statement filled with unwavering confidence and steadfastness, words stated as fact and nothing less.
"And I love you, and you are mine," you repeated, feeling as though echoing him was the appropriate thing to do; judging by his tired smile and the way he pressed his forehead against yours, you were proved right.
After the final goodbyes of the night rang in the ocean breeze you finally started your journey home. It was tough - tougher than you'd anticipated - to leave him behind. Maybe you could think more on a way to transport him without drawing too much attention, but your brain was too fuzzy and your eyes too bleary to think of a clear and detailed plan.
Your pets were attended to and your things put away before you crawled into bed like you did every night. Despite the bed empty of all but you and your pets, the lullaby of the memorized ocean and blurred visions of Katsuki soothed you into sleep with the promise of waking up to see him again.
Over the course of the next week you avoided asking him again about visiting his home. He'd made it clear that the idea wasn't completely abandoned, that he just needed more time to think. Confronting the faces of those he'd left behind wouldn't be an easy decision, after all.
It was on an evening full of laughter that he told you his answer.
"I've decided," Katsuki declared as he lay on top of you with your back against knotted wood, his webbed hands lazily picking at the collar of your shirt.
The sudden change in subject left you with furrowed brows. "Hm? Decided what?"
"I've decided...to go back. Back home," he said with less certainty, as if he'd rehearsed the words outside of your earshot, looping them on his tongue with false confidence.
At that your fingers trailing invisible shapes on his back stilled as your eyes trained on Katsuki. "Are you sure?"
"You ask me to decide, and I did." Katsuki hovered over you, the dark sky against his blonde hair a jarring yet beautiful contrast. "To move forward, right? The bad in the past, to focus on the good, on you."
Your hands came up to wind gingerly around his fin-like ears and cup his face in your palms. "To move forward. I don't think it'll be as bad as you assume, and when you come back, the weight will be gone. When do you plan on leaving?"
The thought of separating from you turned his expression somber. "Tomorrow."
A thin line formed on your lips at the idea that tonight would be the last night you'd see him for a while, but there was no getting around it. "How long will you be gone?"
Katsuki shrugged before flopping back down onto your chest, burying his face in the warmth of your skin. "Don't know. Home is far away. A week, maybe more." You could tell that, despite making his decision to leave and resolve his personal issues, separating from you and his routine of coming here would be difficult. The impression that mates were supposed to be accessible to one another and spend time together frequently wasn't lost on you. That's how it was with human relationships, too, but you both sacrificed normalcy in the name of making his bizarre courtship of love between you work.
"Will you be alone?" you inquired, hoping he might have at least a little support on his journey.
"Kirishima knows, moron will swim with me." You hoped his red-headed friend might help him out, and sure enough you were proven right. One friend was better than none in this situation.
"Will you be safe?"
"Always," he said, now sitting up a bit to look up at you through damp bangs with glittering ruby eyes.
"Will you return to me?"
"Always."
You hummed with contentment at his steadfast answers. "If things do go badly - I don't think they will, but I can't say for sure - come back, and you won't have to return again. No one will make you. I won't make you."
A smirk graced his handsome face before he leaned forward and kissed the juncture between your jaw and neck, his breath cool and his mouth balmy in a delicious combination that you'd already grown accustomed to.
"You not make me do anything I don't want," he mouthed against your neck, making you shudder.
He could turn on his smug attitude at the drop of a pin, but you wanted to ease the last bit of tension: so you did. Digging your fingers quickly into his sides you tickled him, making him echo a deep a reverberating sound the bounced around in your chest. After finding out he was ticklish through the photo exchange you took advantage of most open opportunities, but he quickly learned your game and started tickling you back while also keeping his ticklish spots guarded. It was only during moments of sloppiness that you now managed to catch him unawares, but you took every opening you could get.
Knowing this would be your last evening together for a while the two of you savored the time together, limited though it may be by circumstance. Without thinking too much about it your thumb trailed discreetly against one of the scars on his tail, memorizing his imperfections and bringing silent comfort to the visual representations of his past. Katsuki watched as you moved, your eyes now focused on his own as you realized your gesture caused him to still. Taking it one step further you leaned forward and - barely, just barely - kissed the scar to show him you found all of him beautiful. His scales were smooth to the touch and shone brilliantly even under the cloudy moonlight overhead.
You would see him again briefly the next night before he left, but the goodbye was no less tender than you expected.
"I'll be here tomorrow to see you off safely," you said while gathering up your bag and empty food containers. "Sleep well, and dream good dreams."
He kissed you once more before pulling back; you would always get lost in those eyes of his, an absolute certainty that never failed whenever he looked at you like he was looking at you now. "I love you, and you are mine." It had become a proper goodbye at this point, so you assumed it was a mermaid custom between mates.
"I love you, and you are mine," you mimed back before bidding Katsuki a final goodnight and disappearing into the low fog settling in across the beach.
The next day you were anxious, a bottle of nerves ready to pop at the slightest provocation as you sat in your uncomfortable desk chair and thought of Katsuki's journey home. You wanted it to go well, for him to find solace and move forward without the subconscious nagging of angry faces and misplaced guilt.
The slow trudge of work didn't help keeping your mind occupied, making you immensely glad for the tick of the clock when it told you it was time to head home. Someone stopped you on the way out and asked if you were free to join them and some other coworkers for drinks later, but you declined on the grounds of already-made plans. You'd become more confident in yourself since meeting Katsuki, and as a result met some people at work that weren't complete assholes who set you up on bum dates. Maybe you could join them later this week, though. With Katsuki gone your nights were now free, at least for a little while. Maybe getting out and venturing beyond the office, your apartment, and the pier might not be so bad.
With only a day to prepare you packed some of his favorite foods, skipping a few things that would've made a better going away dinner since stopping by the store was a time waste you couldn't afford on this night in particular. If Katsuki was going to be gone for at least a week, then you wanted to send him off with something good to eat since all he'd have on the journey was his usual diet of fish with no rice, seasonings, or sauces that he'd gotten used to. Grabbing up your things you started to head for the door before Pearl barked at your heel.
"What's wrong? I already let you out. I'll be back soon," you said, bending down to scratch behind her ears. She barked again, this time more insistently, as if- oh, of course. Sometimes you could be so dense. "You want to come with me, don't you? You know he's leaving somehow, right?"
Pearl sat at your feet and barked once more as if in answer to your questions. Maybe she could sense your anxiety of the past day knowing that he would be gone and you wouldn't be there to help him through it this time...or maybe she was just a dog who missed her other owner. Probably both.
"Alright, alright, you can come," you laughed while grabbing up her leash patterned with colorful seashells and clipping it onto her collar. As soon as you opened up the door she nearly bolted past the threshold, but you managed to hold her back while you locked it behind you before being led quickly down the stairs. It was only fair that she see him off, too.
When you made it to the pier several people were sitting down at your normal spot, but luckily it didn't take long for them to pack up their own things and leave. Most people didn't want to deal with the cool air and low visibility that came with the beach at night, despite the breathtaking view of shifting, watery darkness lit only by the moon and stars. Once the strangers were gone - they stopped to pet Pearl, but who wouldn't - you walked down to the edge of the pier. Unfortunately you found food wrappers and trash left by the group that just passed, making you sigh through your nose.
"Can't people clean up their shit?" you mumbled, grabbing the garbage and stuffing it into the trash bag you kept in your pack for occasions when Katsuki would bring you something he found to discard of properly. Pearl's tapping claws on the wood echoed within the space between the murky water beneath you and old, creaky wood, and the extra noise plus a bark or two must've alerted Katsuki to your presence. A touch on your bare foot, followed by your response, told him it was safe.
"Pearl! Nice collar," Katsuki said while hopping up onto the pier next to you as the dog licked at the merman with enthusiasm. Her collar was bright orange, the same color as his tail.
"She wanted to see you off, I think. She could tell something was going to happen." Katsuki glanced at you while his hands were busy scratching the space behind Pearl's ears, making her leg thump up and down on the wood.
He just smirked as Pearl rolled over for tummy rubs. "Of course she's smart." You noticed how he avoided elaborating on him leaving. He'd wait until the last moment to say goodbye.
Instead you focused on enjoying your time together, eating and catching up and keeping the excited dog occupied. Eventually, though, you could tell his positive energy was starting to wane as he leaned against you for support, maybe mental as well as physical.
"Katsuki," you echoed into the otherwise silent evening air. He hummed in acknowledgement. "When do you need to leave?"
The answer came after a full minute of silence. "Soon...Kirishima is waiting." He gripped the sleeve of your jacket like a vice, pulling the windproof fabric taut against your arm - an anchor keeping him grounded. You buried your nose in his hair, the strong scent of salt, fish, and seaweed tickling your nostrils. They were familiar smells by now, ones that no longer bothered you and instead brought comfort along with the familiarity.
"It'll be alright," you soothed. "Even if I'm not with you, I'll be with you… understand?" Your palm lay flat across his chest, in the same place you touched one week prior, the place where his heart hung strong and steady in his broad chest. "Think of me, of coming back to me if you're scared-"
"I'm not scared," he interrupted, trying to sound resolute despite the muscles tensing beneath his damp skin.
You smirked from an angle he couldn't see. "Of course you're not. Sorry." It was probably best not to put extra undue fear into his mind with the journey ahead. He took your hand from his chest and kissed your palm before turning around to look at you properly.
"I'll come back."
"I know you will."
"No dumb shark or anyone else will stand in my way." His words rang with honest courage, or about as much as he could muster while staring at you with eyes that told a silent story of apprehension.
"No, they won't." Continuing to drag things would only make it harder. "You should go...your friend's waiting, right?"
After only a week of being emotionally raw and open with each other you could tell the last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he'd come to his own decision that this was something he needed to do. And you knew he didn't back down from anything.
Katsuki lurched forward and wrapped his arms around your shoulders in a tight grip, burying his face in your neck to breathe in your scent, to memorize it, to hold it dear. He wouldn't be gone forever - just a week or so - but confronting his fears directly made the journey seem precarious. You returned the embrace as you felt his tail entwine around one of your ankles.
Pearl wanted to get in on the affection, too, and managed to squeeze between the two of you, effectively licking both of your faces at once. It was an odd little family you'd gathered up, that was for sure, but you wouldn't switch it out for anything.
Katsuki's goodbye kiss was as tender as it was breathless, lips moving far more expertly compared to one week ago sending shivers down your spine and making the hair on your arms stand up with goosebumps. He'd made it a point to practice on you whenever he got the chance, and if he didn't feel like you were flustered enough he tried again. There were no more unintentional bites, at least.
A splash out in the water caught his attention and, just like the first time you'd met, a pair of red eyes nearly identical to Katsuki's poked out of the water. On reflex he growled, obviously not wanting to be rushed, but you grabbed his chin and kissed him again knowing full well his friend was watching. "I love you, and you are mine," you ghosted across his mouth.
"And I love you...and you are mine." He gave Pearl one last scratch behind the ears before whispering something to her not unlike when they met. You knew better than to ask what it was at this point.
Katsuki hung off the pier, his strong arms supporting him on the edge and his face an expression of bold tenacity. "Wait for me."
"Always. Be safe," you said with one final kiss before you watch him drop into the nearly pitch-black water below. Your heart was beating and your palms felt sweaty as you watched the surface still below you...before looking out where you saw Kirishima, and sure enough a blonde silhouette breached the surface in the same spot to look back at you one last time before disappearing once more under the gently curling waves.
"Keep him safe, Kirishima. Be there when I can't. He needs a friend like you…" you whispered into the lonely night with now only Pearl for company as you wiped away an unfallen tear that blurred your vision at the edge like rain collecting in a windowsill.
Note: this is now told from Bakugou's POV. "Katsuki" is used only by Reader at this point, so to everyone else he's still Bakugou.
"Not gonna lie, but that was pretty darn cute- ow!" Kirishima smile didn't leave his face when Bakugou punched him in the arm as they swam deeper and deeper into the murky green water.
"Shut up. I said I wouldn't be long. Can't fucking be patient, can you?" Bakugou growled out as his tail beat with rhythmic strength against the current. His lips still tasted of you despite the water filling his mouth and gills as they siphoned oxygen expertly. The journey was long, and traveling at night posed fewer risks of being spotted by adventurous divers or any other unwanted observers. It would take them two full days with rest to get back. Bakugou didn't ask about the excuse Kirishima undoubtedly made up to pardon himself of his duties; he'd offered to help when Bakugou told him what he wanted to do, and honestly it had been so long since he'd been home that if he veered off-track even a little he could wind up lost, so he grudgingly accepted Kirishima as a guide.
They'd met four days prior for their scheduled reunion to exchange update information when Bakugou told him about you accepting him as his mate. Normally he'd keep this information to himself - it wasn't anyone else's business, after all - but with literally no one else to tell besides the fish and turtles that swam in the nearby ecosystem he was nearly buzzing out of his scales to brag about having, in his words, "the best mate ever, idiot."
Now they swam what was, at least for Kirishima, a familiar path back towards the home Bakugou left behind. They kept close to the seafloor since swimming in open water, especially in low visibility, wasn't exactly the smartest decision while Kirishima tried to keep conversation going. They slept during the day so they could travel through the night, taking period breaks for rest and food before they found a safe place to sleep when it was daylight again. However, the deeper they swam the more difficult it was to differentiate between night and day since sunlight could only permeate so far before it dissipated completely. It reminded Bakugou of his search for the perfect pearl-filled oyster when he lost track of time, but with Kirishima they could keep on track to their destination.
The entire journey Bakugou was on high-alert of anything following them. The worst thing that could happen would be a repeat of the incident that caused all this in the first place, so he kept his head on a vigilant swivel and his ears wide open for predators that might find them appetizing.
Eat, rest, swim. Eat, rest, swim. The journey felt longer than he anticipated, and after at least a day and a half had passed the anxiety of drawing closer and closer to his now-abandoned home bubbled up once more inside Bakugou. He was also unexpectedly tired; his time spent closer to shore rather than swimming long distances in deeper water had slowed his stamina, causing them to rest more than he wanted. Bakugou had speed, but now Kirishima carried more endurance. He'd work on correcting that when he got back.
"I'm fine, keep going," Bakugou insisted multiple times despite the muscles in his strong tale aching from hours and hours of constant use. Kirishima indulged his stubborn friend at first, but eventually forced Bakugou to rest by sheer force of annoying him into submission.
Bakugou also missed your cooking. Raw fish still made up a majority of his diet, but he'd grown used to the seasonings and extra toppings that accompanied human food. Kirishima occasionally bugged him about bringing some more for him to try, but a "find your own food source!" shut him up until he asked again next time.
Eventually familiar flora started popping up and Kirishima had them slow down, the muscles in Bakugou's arms and neck tensing on reflex. "We're getting close...what's your plan?"
Bakugou grunted, his fists clenched tightly as his claws dug into the calloused skin on his palms. "Yeah, I got a plan. Don't worry about it."
"Uh, well, what is it? Should I just wait here for you or-"
"If I'm not back within an hour, come and find me," Bakugou interrupted. There was no going back now; he'd come too far and left too much behind not to face whatever lay ahead. Without another moment of hesitation he swam forward, the path now recognizable that led towards the city of merpeople hidden within a large underwater cave system, far too deep for any normal diver to wander into by accident. Even if someone did come across it, they had measures of dealing with situations that threatened the colony.
Bioluminescent plants littered the walls, giving light where none would normally shine. Hues of lavender, magenta, and aqua patterned themselves across man-made (or mer-made) buildings, planted in appealing ways that lit the way through every node within the city. Massive underwater mushrooms grew up from the cave floor like street lamps, their tops like jellyfish swaying with the current. It was exactly how he left it - beautiful and mysterious to anyone who'd never seen it before, but ordinary and mundane to those who made it their home - and for a moment it seemed like no time passed at all between his leaving and his return, that this whole ordeal had been a dream, that he'd escaped only to be forced back to face his own self-inflicted shame, that-
"Bakugou-kid?"
A voice behind him made Bakugou turn around quickly, bubbles lifting towards the ceiling with the swish of his tail as he was jarred from his thoughts. The figure before him was...recognizable, but different. His blond hair hung limply around his face, which was horribly haunt and angular with deep-set eyes. A body of lean muscle, definitely a bit on the skinny side- wound down into a pattern of spotted greys and ended in a vertical fin. Bakugou knew who this was, he would recognize the tail and those startling cyan eyes anywhere...but it couldn't be him, right? His body was different, he was so much smaller than he should be. Where were his muscles? His endless confidence? His smile that set all those around him at ease? And there was one more noticeable addition, one that made Bakugou's insides twist as if wrapped in constricting seaweed.
A large scar took up a large portion of the left side of his torso, rigged and horrible-looking. That had to be from-
"Hey, kid. It's alright, didn't mean to scare you. I know who you are," the man said, and again his voice gave away exactly who he was, even if it didn't have the same powerful cadence it once held.
"All Might?" Bakugou asked in a voice far too shaky for his liking. "You're…I did this."
All Might moved forward slowly, as if creeping up on a cornered animal ready to flee. "No, no you're wrong. You fled so quickly after the incident that I didn't have a chance to talk to you. No one could find you, not even that red-haired friend of yours. But you're here, and you have to hear it from me. What happened was not your fault."
Bakugou was too frozen to move away as All Might continued closing the distance between them. "I was a coward. I was weak," was all he could manage as he backed up against the cave wall. "And now you're this." He wasn't supposed to face this so soon. He was going to grab some things from his home, deal with his parents and people with invasive questions, and then he'd find All Might on his own terms. But things never worked out exactly as planned, did they?
"You're strong, and you have so much potential," All Might said, now close enough to place a hand on Bakugou's scaled shoulder. Even with his diminished stature All Might created an imposing silhouette. "I was sick before all this happened...but I didn't tell anyone. The work of a Hero doesn't stop, and our people depended on me to be the face of victory. The Symbol of Peace. The incident was not your fault. I was hurt the most, and my life is inconsequential compared to the lives of those I protect; that heroes protect."
The long-winded speech wasn't something Bakugou expected; no, he hadn't expected this kind of reaction at all. A scolding, a punishment seemed far more predictable than the exchange currently happening in one of the shadowy entrances to the city.
Forgiveness hadn't been on his radar at all.
Before he could respond Bakugou was pulled into All Might's chest, a secure and comforting hold. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you felt the need to escape from a responsibility that wasn't yours to bear. You're strong, Bakugou kid...never forget that."
For a brief moment he let himself succumb to the luxury of being pardoned by All Might, but then Bakugou swatted the hands away from him, gaining back his courage and remembering who he truly was.
"I know, All Might. That's why I came back, to make shit right. I'll get stronger, so strong that no one will get hurt again if I'm around," he grit out while meeting All Might's blue eyes with his own crimson pair. The Hero seemed to accept his response, nodding before backing away and giving him a bit of space. Bakugou thought of you as the words left his mouth. He thought of your confidence in him, of the support you provided when he had no one. He thought of going back to you with the certainty that he'd no longer be plagued with nightmares and a fear of rejection. He thought of you, and that gave him strength.
"I can see that. You've been away a long time, far longer than anyone thought you'd be gone. So I have to ask, where have you been?" All Might inquired. It was a valid question, but it was also and intimately personal one that he didn't want to delve too far into.
"Far away, closer to where humans live. And yeah, I know that's dangerous. But I learned my damn lesson about that the hard way." Everyone, including you, knew humans were a threat. That's why you were so careful to make sure no one ever saw him, always going out of your way to protect this small slice of happiness the two of you now shared.
All Might's eyes glanced down briefly to the bracelet around his wrist, and when Bakugou noticed he slid his hand behind his back and away from view, but All Might's small smile made his cheeks glow with the knowledge that his hero, his idol, now knew he'd found a mate somewhere far away from here. Luckily he wasn't so inquisitive as to break down all boundaries at once.
"I assume you can't stay." Bakugou's silence gave All Might his answer, so he continued. "But you should at least say hello to your parents, tell them you're alright. You have friends that were worried about you as well. And despite what you may think, most everyone understood after I spoke to the city after the incident."
"Most, huh?" All Might's mouth slimmed down into a tight line of disappointment.
"Mmhm, there are still a few who harbor resentment, despite my best efforts to tell them otherwise. Even though I can't protect like I used to, many others stepped up to the burden. I think the city is safer now than it's ever been," he said. The hand behind Bakugou's back clenched. After fleeing, others took up the mantle of hero, even if they weren't ready. He could have done the same, could have stepped up...but he can't change the past, and now there was someone new he had to protect. It was his job to keep his mate safe, that was the responsibility he bore now - a promise he would never break.
"So? What do you say?" All Might quirked his head towards the glowing city, signaling for Bakugou to finally make amends the ones he left behind.
He was ready, but he wasn't one to follow behind others, so instead Bakugou led the way with All Might in tow. It wasn't long before his unanticipated reappearance started turning heads and causing whispers as he swam towards his family home. Although he had no siblings, the home he grew up in was fairly large and situated in an area with easy access to most of the amenities the city offered. It wasn't until he was at the threshold of the structure that he started feeling his nerves come back. His dad he could handle, a pushover really. His mom? Well, they were far more alike than Bakugou would ever openly admit to.
A comforting hand wrapped around his shoulder in a silent "it's alright, for I am here." Bakugou huffed through his nose, a stream of bubbles following before floating up to the surface, and knocked.
The distinct, familiar yelling inside made Bakugou brace for whatever awaited him when that door opened.
"...Masaru, get the door! Ugh, fine, I'll get it-" A mermaid with hair almost exactly like Bakugou's opened the door, red eyes resting squarely on the figure of All Might first...before drifting down to look into the eyes of her son whom she hadn't seen or heard from in months.
Mitsuki Bakugou was nearly the spitting image of her son. Her own tail was a deep orange speckled in with gold and white scales, but her fins, rather than dipped in an inky black, faded into a sparkling lavender. She adorned herself in layers of jewelry from her neck down to her wrists, handmade beads and glass of every color mixed in with a string of pearls sitting neatly on her collar bones. Mitsuki was the head of the household, and dressing the part was just as important to her as executing it.
"Ah, hello! I ran into your boy and-" He was interrupted as the mermaid roughly smacked Bakugou on the back of the head.
"You moron! How long have you been gone?! Don't visit your mother at all, run off to who-knows-where and now you're dragged home by All Might! You brat!"
Bakugou rounded on his mother with a face contorted in frustration at the welcome he knew he'd get. "Old hag! Maybe I needed some time away from this dump!"
All Might watched the display awkwardly as Bakugou and his mother duked it out right in front of their home. Eventually a merman who All Might assumed to be Bakugou's father - a man with brown hair and glasses made from clear, polished seaglass and coral - invited them all inside with a much calmer attitude than his wife and son. Masaru's tail was more plain than his wife's, a mix of desaturated orange mixed with black.
"Can't believe this kid...where the hell have you been this whole time?" Despite her biting tone Bakugou could see a glint of actual concern behind his mother's eyes. Of course she'd been worried about her only child. He'd secretly been hoping for a warmer welcome, but "warm" wasn't really a word that properly described his mother. They'd always had a rough relationship, and now that he was older and a bit wiser he realized that remaining here might just hold him back from his true potential. The support his parents gave differed greatly from the support of you, his mate, and that gap between them grew wider now that he was back home listening to his mother's frustrated anger.
"Far away from here, near where the humans live," Bakugou muttered while taking in the surroundings and re-familiarizing himself with his childhood home. Most everything was the same, with a few minor exceptions such as new decorations scattered about, or furniture shifted to create a more open space in the main living area. Where he really wanted to go was his room; there was something in there he had to get before leaving. No exceptions.
"Humans?" Masaru said with raised eyebrows as he prepared a snack for All Might, who hovered nearby. "Katsuki that's dangerous."
"And everything else I've done isn't?" he bit out in response. "I know the risks, I've kept myself safe." You helped keep him safe, too, but he'd only bring that up if-
"What in the hell is that?" Mitsuki swam forward and grabbed his wrist, holding it up to the light of a glowing mushroom for her to properly look at the bracelet floating on his skin. "Is this...Katsuki, did you get a mate while you were away?"
This was not something he wanted to talk about now, or ever, really. Not that he was ashamed of being with you, but the drama caused by choosing a human for a mate would surely give him a headache. Bakugou yanked his arm out of his mother's grip, eyes darting briefly to All Might who looked a bit apologetic. "So what if I did?"
His mother scoffed. "No wonder you've been away so long. Found someone new to keep you in line, huh? Well, you don't look much worse for wear," he said while eying the scars on his tail, "and if they can beat some sense into you and actually agreed to stick around then I can't complain much."
The unexpected acceptance caught him off-guard. Maybe he could play off that you were another merperson that just happened to live far away rather than tell them you were a human...at least for now, anyway. His father clapped him on the back and brought him into a hug which Bakugou found unexpectedly comforting.
"Katsuki, we're just glad you're home and safe. When you left we went out searching for you and were so worried that something happened...but eventually that odd friend of yours? Kirishima? He found you and gave us a few small updates and told us you were alright, but wouldn't reveal more than that. We're just glad you're here, Katsuki." His mother came over and scrubbed her claws through his hair, echoing his father's words in her own subdued way. It was here that his dam broke, that the boy who'd grown into a man felt once again like a boy being enveloped by his parents. And he cried, and did not hide it. All Might smiled softly at the scene while standing off to the side so as not to disturb the moment.
He didn't let his emotions overcome him for long, however, and wiped his tears before pulling away from his mom and dad. "Get off you weirdos," he said, but the words had no bite to them.
"So, kiddo, how long ya staying?" Mitsuki asked while pulling on his fin-like ear. Even though he was an adult, his hag of a mom would always treat him like a kid no doubt, or maybe that was just a commonality between all parents. "And when do we meet this mate of yours? If they put up with you then you better treat 'em with some damn courtesy!"
"Let go!" he yelled while attempting to yank away his mother's grip with little success. "Just a few days then I gotta get back. And you'll meet them when I want you to!" Although they could see no sunlight from this depth, merpeople had developed ways to tell time and differentiate between seasons by following the flow of currents and measuring small temperature shifts.
Honestly Bakugou had no desire to let you meet his family; if he could keep them separate, that would be far preferable to hearing them complain about how dangerous or reckless it was, or how they wouldn't approve of his relationship. It wasn't really any of their business, anyway. Once a merperson chose a mate, they started a new life providing for and taking care of their new family, though it was usually custom for the parents of each individual to at least meet them at some point. But you obviously couldn't come down here, and his parents would be hard-pressed to swim the long journey towards shore.
"I'm sure that whoever young Bakugou has chosen treats him well. Maybe they even influenced his decision to come back," All Might spoke up for the first time in a while with a curiously knowing glint towards Bakugou. The gaze of his parents shifted between All Might and their son, but didn't want to question or inquire too much from the former hero lest they be considered rude. Even his mother knew when to keep her trap shut, sometimes.
"Alright, enough chit-chat! Masaru, get started on a feast. Even if you swim away from us again I'm not gonna let you out of my sight for the rest of the night, brat." Mitsuki wrapped a surprisingly strong arm around Bakugou's neck, effectively pinning him in a headlock which, try as he might, he couldn't escape.
They insisted that All Might stay for dinner, and eventually Kirishima came knocking as well since Bakugou didn't return to their meeting spot. Dinner was boisterous, a familiar affair in his home that he honestly missed on those nights that felt particularly solitary and quiet, laying alone in the sand with only the fish that made the nearby coral their home for company. He wondered if there was a way he could be wherever you slept...maybe he could bring it up at some point and you could figure out a way to transport him to your home, even for just a few days? There was a lot he needed to tell you when he got back, so that point was added to his mental list.
After making it through dinner his parents ushered Kirishima and All might out, the two of them waving goodbye as Mitsuki closed the door.
"Go to bed." Bakugou's mouth hung open at his mother's demand. He was exhausted from the long journey, sure, and sleeping in his old bed sounded decently comfortable, yes, but he'd always put up a fight with her demanding tone. He'd inherited more than her good looks.
"What?! Don't tell me what to do, you old hag," he argued while his father tried to calm things down between them once more. But she practically shoved him up to the second story of their home - no need for stairs when everyone could swim - and slammed his bedroom door with him inside. He knew she'd probably be watching to make sure he didn't steal away into the night, so it was useless to think about escaping.
His room was exactly as he'd left it, from what he could remember. His bed, a large off-white shell carved out to leave a convex indent in the middle was littered with soft, durable mushrooms used as pillows. Glowing mushrooms and spores grew on the corners of the room, giving it enough light to see It was sparsely decorated with a couple of sculpted pieces of furniture used to hold various personal items and trinkets. Most of these weren't essential, things he could live without.
Bakugou swam over to one of the makeshift cabinets and dug through a drawer that hadn't been opened in many years. Buried behind various ceremonial garments and jewelry sat a small, intricately carved box. It measured no longer than from his wrist to the tip of his fingers, excluding the claws, and was decorated with engravings of merpeople and embedded seaglass of various colors and silhouettes. It was a box given to every merperson when they were young, a box to keep and hold onto until a mate accepted their offer, or they accepted the offer of another. From what he understood humans didn't have this same custom, at least not around your location. The books you read him and the stories you told of faraway land masses made him assume other human colonies might have different rituals or languages. But this box was his, and as he pulled it free from the drawer the weight in his hands felt heavier than expected, like the expectations that he'd placed on himself hid themselves neatly within this unopened box.
As exhaustion finally caught up to him Bakugou sunk down into his bed, and for the first time since leaving this place his heart and mind were unusually clear, free of guilt and the internal ache of self-inflicted displacement from the only thing he'd ever known. All Might forgave him, and that resolution gave him clarity while the box nestled in his arms and thoughts of you brought him back down, but not to a place of burden; no, this weight he could handle, and he would do so gladly with a confident smile of victory.
The next day was spent re-familiarizing himself with everything with All Might's insistence that the merfolk within the colony see him and recognize his return. Word traveled quickly from the previous evening, it seemed. He expected stares and whispered points from afar, but instead was greeted by welcoming words and claps on the back. Just like All Might said, a majority of the population forgave him and understood that the incident was a lesson to be learned from, and that was that. A small number of merfolk kept their distance, however, eyes sharp and suspicious of his unannounced arrival. But All Might accompanied him through the city, and his presence kept any rude spectators at bay. Bakugou would never openly admit to appreciating everything All Might was doing, so he didn't protest too much at the suggestion.
There was someone who Bakugou had a very strong opinion on seeing, however. And that was-
"Kacchan!" A springy voice bobbed in from somewhere off to his right, and crimson eyes cut quickly to the source of the noise. Bakugou knew the voice well, and his mouth turned into a scowl almost immediately as a poof of dark green hair and the blur of a green and red tail skidded to a stop before him.
"Deku," Bakugou grit out to the figure standing before him. Deku looked exactly the same, too. It was like hardly anything had changed - All Might being the main exception - since he'd been away. His bright demeanor and dedication to annoying the literal fuck out of Bakugou without even trying made his stomach churn. All Might chose Deku to be his successor, to inherit the obligation of keeping the city and its citizens safe.
Ever since he was a child Bakugou looked up to All Might, the way his boundless confidence set everyone at ease with that toothy grin seeping of success and hard work. Deku was a part of the All Might fanclub, too, much to Bakugou's chagrin. He followed the blonde merman around like a guppy looking for a leader to follow, and Bakugou filled that role perfectly. Being in front, being at the top, being the strongest and the fastest? Those were Bakugou's goals, and he wasn't going to accept help from anyone, he'd win and succeed on his own merit; but of course Deku would offer a hand if he fell, or would comment on his technique, or just do anything that made Bakugou feel like he was being looked down on like he was weak.
Then All Might picked that green-haired moron to be his successor as he started getting older, not Bakugou, and that shattered his dream like a dropped shell. It just meant he had to work harder, to swim faster, to explore further...in order to find some kind of purpose outside of trying to be exactly like someone else. Bakugou was his own person, and now he had his own life separate from All Might, Deku, his parents, and the whole rest of the city. He'd gone farther than any of them, and found where he belonged in the process. Coming back here was a reminder of what he left behind. Deku could be in All Might's shadow, but Bakugou bathe in the warmth of the sun and the reflection of the moon. He'd make his own light without their help.
"We heard you were back yesterday but didn't see you and we figured you might be visiting your family and-" Deku was suddenly shoved aside by a merman with bright yellow hair and a tail to match.
"Bakugou! You're not dead!" Kaminari tried to tackle him but Bakugou shoved a hand in his face to keep his friend at bay.
"Don't touch me, moron!" A long pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind as he felt himself slowly being crushed. "The hell?! Let go!"
The familiar laugh of Sero rang in his ears. "Nah. You've been gone too long so you have to put up with at least a few minutes of affection." Bakugou struggled against Sero's grip like a cat not wanting to be held. All Might looked on with a small smile as Midoriya swam next to him, catching up on the events of the past day without getting too far into personal details.
"You explained everything to him, then?" Midoriya asked in a whispered tone to his mentor. All might gave a slight nod.
"Yes, and he accepted it far better than I'd anticipated. I think that, wherever he's been, has been a benefit to his mental state and helping him come to terms with things," he answered. "Outside influences and new perspectives aren't always a bad thing. Sometimes I feel we're so sheltered here there may be others who can provide a more open-minded understanding of certain situations. Our homogenous city might feel stifling for someone like Bakugou who works so hard for everything he wants."
Midoriya hummed at All Might's musings on his childhood friend. "Kacchan is complicated, always has been. There are a lot of different ways someone can flourish, and for a long time I think he saw you, All Might, as the epitome of success. But whatever he went through after leaving, and whoever he met along the way, has shown him that winning and protecting doesn't just have to happen here. He's a natural leader, he would've been so great at protecting the merpeople here… but I think he has something bigger to protect now." Memories flooded with nostalgia of their childhood flooded Midoriya as he thought back to when he used to follow behind the trail of bubbles left behind as he swam. Now they were on different, but no less important, paths. No doubt Bakugou has experienced things and has gained knowledge Midoriya never will. Dreams, even unexpected ones, can't be achieved without some form of sacrifice.
Soon enough a group was gathered around Bakugou of other merpeople who went into a similar training regimen to help protect the city. Some, like Shouji and Tsuyu, had sharp eyes and senses and used their abilities to keep watch around the perimeter for curious predators or human technology that veered a little too close for comfort. Others trained physically, honing their muscles and physique to ward off anything that got past the first line of defenses. Finally, some figured out that hero work wasn't really what suited them best, and those like Ashido, Yaoyorozu, and Sato went off into their own personal endeavors like dancing or food preparation.
"Everyone was so worried!," Ashido screeched behind Tsuyu.
Bakugou just scoffed at their lack of confidence in his own survival skills. "Tch, why? I can take care of myself just fine on my own."
"Doesn't diminish the fact that, until Kirishima found you, lots of us thought you'd gotten lost or something," Ochaco chimed in while Bakugou growled.
"Lost?! I never get lost!"
"Oh my GOSH is that what I think it is?!" With Bakugou's arms flailing around trying to escape the onslaught of encroaching hugs and plutonic touches, Ashido noticed the bracelet on his wrist. Swimming forward she grabbed his arm and held it up for everyone to see, much to his embarrassed horror. "Did you get a mate while you were away?! You sneaky thing!"
"T-that's none of your damn business!" he argued, but now everyone's attention sat squarely on his bracelet. Kirishima finally managed to wrangle Bakugou away from Sero knowing he wasn't exactly partial to a lot of close physical contact or intimate prying.
Everyone in the group gained a sly, curious expression which made Bakugou's ears burn. "You mean to tell me Bakugou got a mate before me?! Agh!" Kaminari ran his hands down his face in despair while Sero gave him a pat on the back and several others rolled their eyes at his dramatics.
"The hell is that supposed to mean? I'm likeable!" The antics were familiar to him, and proved that coming back here wasn't nearly as dreadful a decision as he'd originally anticipated. Despite everyone's prying questions about his mate, Bakugou kept his lips sealed on where you were, how you met, and the distinct fact that you were human.
Eventually he broke away from the group and made his way to the other side of the square. "Deku," Bakugou called as he swam closer. His ruby eyes looked up at All Might, and the older merman understood, placing a hand on his shoulder before swimming away to let them have a conversation in private.
They squared up evenly, Deku holding his ground against Bakugou, each waiting for the other to speak first. They were rivals before he left, and even though Bakugou knew All Might had already chosen his successor, he kept going and kept improving. Despite not longer living within the city, Bakugou never felt more at ease with himself than he did right now. "You better get strong, hear me? If you slack up, I'll come back to take your place and show 'em what a real hero can do."
Emerald eyes widened a fraction before hardening into a challenging stare. "I know you will. I'll become worthy of All Might's place. Wait and see!" His hand came up into a fist of triumph, but Bakugou scoffed at the ridiculousness of it all. A year ago he wouldn't have dreamed of this outcome, of challenging his rival to succeed while he was away.
"Nerd, don't say it just do it!"
The bickering wore on until Kirishima pulled him aside. "Hey man, when you wanna leave? Not rushing or anything but-"
"Tonight. Don't wanna waste any more time here."
"I wouldn't really say it's wasted...does this mean you'll come back at some point?" Kirishima asked with furrowed brows. Bakugou glanced over his shoulder at the crowd he could now call friends, and thought it might not kill him to see them again at some point.
"Yeah...eventually. I have other places to be now, though." With that Bakugou made his way back to his family home to pack up anything he wanted to take with him. Despite her nagging that he was leaving too soon, his mom loaded him down with some prepared food his dad cooked earlier for the journey. Begrudgingly taking the sack made of hearty seaweed - he'd never openly admit to appreciating the gesture - Bakugou went back to his room to grab the small box he knew couldn't be left behind.
The bag would slow him down on his way back towards the shore, which meant he was right to overestimate how long he'd be gone, but with enough determined swimming he'd make it back within a week like he promised.
As he made his way back towards his parents waiting below, Bakugou considered the vastly different circumstances between leaving the first time and leaving now. His fears had dissipated and his confidence was restored, and rather than swimming aimlessly and leaving something behind, there was now someone waiting for him, someone he couldn't disappoint.
"Katsuki," his mother called, making him wince on reflex while expecting a blow to the head. But it didn't come. "Be safe, and don't do anything stupid. You better not wait so damn long next time to come back, brat."
He scoffed as his dad attempted to ruffle his hair before being pushed away with no real effort behind it. "I'll come back when I'm good and ready, old hag."
"What'd you call me?!"
"You heard me!"
"Please, calm down you two.."
A knock at the door brought them out of their bickering as Masaru opened it, revealing All Might.
"Ah, hello. I was wondering if I could escort Bakugou back towards the edge of the city," the merman with the gaunt face and whale shark-like tail explained at the threshold of their home.
Bakugou felt a distinct slap in the back of his head, making him growl and grit his teeth. "Yeah, go ahead. Make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
"Yeah, yeah, fine." With that he waved his parents off with a flick of his free wrist, his mom and dad watching as All Might swam beside their son until they disappeared from sight.
Silence accompanied the two of them as they swam towards the same entrance Bakugou appeared from. Kirishima was already there waiting, his red hair unmistakeable against the dimly-lit area just out of reach of the glowing mushrooms farther in.
"Bakugou," All Might started as he slowed down, prompting the blonde merman to do the same. "I think you already know this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I'm proud of you, for everything you've accomplished. You've done so much, more than most merpeople here will ever do. Never stop fighting for your dreams." A webbed hand came up between them, and Bakugou took it with little hesitation in a sign of mutual respect for one another.
"As if I'd do anything less," he replied with a grin. "Thanks...for...ya know…" Sheepishness crept up since words of appreciation were rarely within Bakugou's everyday vocabulary, but All Might pulled him in for a hug - too quick for him to pull away from - before letting him go.
"Anytime, young Bakugou. Be safe on your journey. You have a good friend in that one," he said, gesturing over to Kirishima in the distance. "Keep him close."
Kirishima noticed the two of him looking his way, so he waved while Bakugou groaned. "He bugs the hell outta me half the time, but yeah he's not so bad I guess. Also," he continued, eyes hardening. "Don't let Deku half-ass his duties. I'll know."
"Of course." With that final exchange of words Bakugou bid goodbye to the city and All Might, swimming towards then right past Kirishima.
"Hey! Wait up!"
"I'm not slowing down this time so keep up!" Bakugou yelled over his shoulder as Kirishima sped after him.
They swam through the night, following the same route as before with Bakugou memorizing landmarks so that he wouldn't need Kirishima the next time he decided to come back. Just the idea of willingly coming back made Bakugou's head spin, but he'd focus on that idea some other time. Rather than swimming the whole way, they stopped at their usual meeting spot and decided to separate there.
"You gonna be alright?" Kirishima asked as they slowed down, gills tired from siphoning oxygen from the water as quickly as they took it in, and the muscles in their tails tired from little rest.
Bakugou stared at him like he was crazy to ask such a stupid question. "No shit. I'm better now than I've ever been. Better get back before that half-n-half bastard gets pissed when you don't show up to take over his shift."
Kirishima shook his head, mouth quivering before he brought Bakugou into a crushing hug. He'd dealt with far too many hugs today and was pretty much done with physical contact from anyone that wasn't you.
"I'm gonna miss you, man!" Kirishima sniffled into Bakugou's shoulder before the blonde managed to pull himself away.
"Idiot, I'm not leaving for good! Unless you're sick of my shit we're keeping our meetings, got it?" The merman with the bright red tail wiped at his face to compose himself before looking at his friend with that stupid friendly face that no one could resist.
"I know, I know...it's just a lot's happened in the past couple of days, feels like longer than it was. But you have a mate to get back to, yeah? Oh! When can I visit again for food? Oh it was so good-"
"You'll have to eat it before I do. And find your own mate to cook for you, huh?!" Bakugou interrupted before swimming off towards human civilization, the path now familiar and littered with milestones he knew by heart. Kirishima stared after him, silently wishing him luck before heading back on his own journey home.
Despite being exhausted and incredibly sore from overworking his muscles yet again, Bakugou sped through the water, the seaweed sack trailing over his shoulder. He needed to see you, to tell you everything that happened, to thank you for encouraging him to face his stupid fears. Eventually he knew he was close enough to shore for sunlight to brighten the sand and rock formations beneath him, but everything sat under a dim blue telling him that it must be night.
When he made it back to the cave that he called "home" he dropped the sack - now mostly empty from he and Kirishima eating the contents, though a few morsels remained for later - but not before taking out the delicately carved box and swimming as fast as he could towards the pier.
"Please still be there...don't wanna fucking wait another day," he said to himself as he finally broke through the water's surface, looking around quickly to find the pier and familiar hanging lights after being disoriented from fatigue. There! The pier, now where were…"No...shit, maybe it's too-"
There, a figure highlighted just enough by the yellow glowing lights to be visible in the darkness, walking down the pier back towards the streets and man-made buildings. He couldn't tell immediately if it was you, so he ducked under quickly and swam closer before popping back up for a better look.
He'd watched you walk away from him enough times at this point to memorize the silhouette of your hair, the slope of your shoulders, the gait of your walk. It was you, it had to be. "(Y/N!)" he called out in a bold move, and when the figure turned around to find the source of the voice he saw your face highlighted by the buzzing lamps overhead.
You started running, and Bakugou started swimming until the two of you met at the end of the pier.
"Katsuki?! You're back? Shit, I was waiting and it was getting late so I figured you might not be back today," you said while leaning over the edge of the splintered wood down into the water where he hovered, looking behind you quickly to make sure no one else was around. You looked so relieved and happy to see him again that he wanted to yank you into the water with him, but knew you probably wouldn't appreciate that right now. Instead he held his hands up, the box sitting in his palms.
"Take it," he said. You looked confused but reached down as far as you could and grabbed the box, hoisting it up onto the pier before extending your hand once again for him to take, obvious to the fact he looked drained of energy.
With a bit of maneuvering you helped pull him up onto the pier where he flopped down eagerly, tail hanging limp over the pier's edge. You leaned over him with a look of concern while a gentle hand stroked his cheek in comfort. "You didn't have to swim so hard if you'd be this tired...but I'm glad you're back-"
He interrupted you with a jolt, pulling you down for a kiss that he desperately needed to feel in that moment. You were so warm and light and filled his chest with butterflies before pulling away with a smirk to look at your blushing face. "Sorry if I taste like fish."
Shaking your head you laughed. "You always taste like fish. So? What happened? Or are you too tired to tell me now?"
As much as he wanted to tell you everything, the idea of spending hours recalling the story of the past several days made him groan. "Tomorrow. The box," he said, pointing over to where you sat it down. Understanding, you picked it up and sat next to Katsuki who still lay prone on the hard wood. Swinging your legs over the side you placed his head on your thigh, not caring if your pants got wet from his hair and skin. You made a good pillow.
"Open it." You examined the details of the box, running your fingers over the carved sea glass and shells and merperson silhouettes.
"What is it?"
"Open it first," he sighed, making himself more comfortable on your legs as he watched you carefully pry it open.
Your mouth hung open and eyes went wide at the contents, making Katski smirk in satisfaction. Without a word he knew you liked it, but he never doubted you would. "Katsuki...what is all this?"
Delicately you pulled out several of the contents: strings of jewelry and adornments like you'd never seen before filled the box. Pearls, polished stones, coral, glass, handmade beads, and many other types of decorations wove between your fingers and you looked between Katsuki and the box like a deer caught in headlights.
"These chests are kept when we're small, until we find a mate. It's yours, my gift to you." He could see your eyes welling up with tears, but he reached up and wiped them away before they could fall; there was a difference between tears of sadness and tears of happiness, and he could tell you weren't upset at the gift.
"I can't...this is so much! My bracelet feels really small and shitty compared to this…" you said, replacing the contents carefully before closing the lid to focus your full attention on him.
"Shut up, bracelet is good. You made it," he said with a tired sigh, fingering the weft of the pattern for emphasis. "I love you, and you're mine."
You sniffled, cupping your hand on top of his placed on your cheek. "I love you, and you're mine. I missed you, Katsuki. I'm guessing things went well? You said you'd explain tomorrow...but just say 'no' or 'yes' to if the journey was worth it."
He hummed while looking up at you, the hazy yellow light from the bulbs overhead mixing with the deep, inky black sky speckled with stars that became more visible the farther out to sea they drifted. Here with you now was where he was supposed to be, where he was destined to be. "Yeah," he said, eyes starting to close with the weary heaviness brought on by days of exerted effort with little rest. "It was."
"I'm glad," you whispered as he started to drift off to the quiet hum of your voice that danced with the waves beating against the columns of the pier like a siren's song. "Rest for a moment...you're home, now."
The beating of your heart echoed in his ears as comfort enveloped him, your fingers weaving softly into his hair like a breeze. The solitude that weighed him down like an anchor had lifted at last, a cumbersome regret now lost in the wind like a gust caught under the wing of a soaring seagull, lifting it higher and higher until it disappeared from view. He struggled no more and instead eased into your touch and voice as sleep enveloped him.
There would be no more nightmares. No more screams, no more ink, no more bitterness. He'd worked so hard to be strong, to overcome, to conquer. And he succeeded. Bakugou didn't win you, for you were not a prize to be won. Instead he gained a new opportunity, a new chance to triumph, and it led him to you, to a place called 'home."
An overflow of contentment
of something budding from below
a flower in the open sea
petals drifting in the flow
the sun has set across the line
though orange can still be seen
it shifts and sinks, a dancing blaze
a fire in the spectral green
and in the vastness of the blue
a spark inside my heart
a warm embrace, from me to you
Eyes of red to bridge the gap whenever we must part
you are, to me, an overflow
of everything profound
to push away the loneliness
and emptiness abound
shapeless on the water's edge
melding seamless as you go
it fills my chest to the brim
as I breathe in the taste of 'home'