Life had never been simple, not for him and certainly not for Izuku. From childhood rivalry to reluctant friendship, to something deeper than either of them could have imagined, their journey had been a mess of emotions—anger, devotion, fear, love. It had taken years to get to where they were, but when they finally let themselves have each other, it felt inevitable.

Izuku was his mate, his partner in every sense of the word. It had scared the hell out of him at first, the weight of it, the vulnerability it forced him to face. But he’d sworn to himself that he would protect Izuku, keep him safe no matter what. And when Izuku told him they were going to have a baby, that promise only deepened.

Five months in, and their world felt... good. Better than he thought it ever could be. Izuku’s pregnancy was a shift neither of them had been fully prepared for, but they adapted. The morning sickness had been brutal, and Izuku’s stubbornness to keep pushing himself had been a constant battle, but Katsuki had taken care of him. He cut back on his hours at the agency, attended every doctor’s appointment, and did his best to make sure Izuku wasn’t overexerting himself.

It was the first time in his life he’d felt truly settled. Not in the sense of slowing down—because, hell, that wasn’t in either of their natures—but in knowing what he wanted, what really mattered.

Izuku. Their baby. Their future together.

That morning had been normal, even peaceful. A routine check-up, nothing out of the ordinary. He had taken the day off just to be there, to hear the doctor confirm that their daughter was growing just fine. Izuku had been glowing, one hand resting on his belly the entire time. Katsuki had teased him for it, but he couldn’t deny that the sight of it did something to him.

After the appointment, they decided to grab lunch—one of those rare moments where their lives weren’t dictated by hero work, just the two of them existing together. A simple meal, quiet conversation, Katsuki reminding Izuku (again) to take it easy. Izuku rolling his eyes but smiling like he always did. It was normal. It was good.

And then it all fell apart.

The screams started first. People running, the sharp, electric crackle of destruction in the distance. Katsuki didn’t hesitate—he was a pro hero, this was his job—but he wasn’t just a hero anymore. He was a mate. He was going to be a father. His instinct told him to get Izuku out of there, to take him somewhere safe before even thinking about charging in.

But Izuku had looked at him, green eyes unwavering, and told him to go.

“I’ll be fine, Kacchan. Go help them.”

He hated it. He hated leaving him there, but he trusted Izuku to be smart, to stay put. So he went, taking off toward the fight, his mind already analyzing the situation, preparing to take down whatever idiot villain was making a mess of his city.

It had barely taken him five minutes to subdue the bastard. An insignificant, no-name villain who wasn’t worth the time he wasted on him. He should have felt relieved that it had been dealt with so quickly, that he could get back to Izuku without worry.

But when he returned to where he had left him, Izuku wasn’t there.

His stomach twisted, his heart pounding against his ribs as he pulled out his phone to call him. Before he could dial, a woman ran up to him, frantic, pleading.

“Please—you’re a hero, right? There’s someone trapped in the rubble! The building collapsed—he tried to help—”