Chapter Text
The sun rises and falls, replaced by the moon every night before the sun would once again peek out from the horizon and illuminate the sky with a bright light. Seasons change and luscious greens turn into bright reds and yellows before they darken and shrivel up from the cold winter. Leaves pluck off loosely from weak branches and flowers disintegrate into nothing, only to bloom beautifully again from its slumber and bring life back to earth once more when spring comes around. The cycle repeats itself and soon enough days turn into months then to years and before Bakugou knows it, he’s graduated from college and makes a step towards advancing in his ambitious endeavors.
After many years of studying under distinguished chefs and achieving outstanding awards in numerous competitions, the blonde was able to quickly make a name for himself and create his own restaurant. It’s been seven years since the day Bakugou’s come to truly accept his feelings for Kirishima and that day marked a special meaning in his life to the point that he even dedicated his first restaurant to his lover.
Everything from the food served to the design of the building was created to represent the marvelous features of the ocean deep. The outside of the restaurant was tall and rectangular with large scales pressed onto the concrete walls, layering over each other and covering the entire restaurant’s outer walls. The scales were a mosaic of colors with majority of the darker ones starting at the bottom of the building, a gradient that became lighter as it climbed higher up the walls. In the daylight, they shone brightly from their iridescent trademark quality and at night, it glimmered romantically in the moonlight. However, inside the restaurant was even more of a sight to behold.
Every entrance was shaped as an arched doorway with a texture like stone and a wooden door was attached to it. It was as though you were going through a stone opening like one of a mermaid’s home. Colorful arrays of sculpted coral reefs and fishes decorated large pillars and stones that were placed around the entirety of the restaurant to enhance the underwater concept the restaurant held. The ceiling was high above the ground and had a wavy appearance and texture of sand. Hanging installations of clear, glass blown sculptures twisted into the shape of auger seashells hung from wires attached to the sandy ceiling and were absolutely stunning to look at while one would enjoy their meal down below it. Blue fluorescent lights installed in the ceiling brightened the otherwise dim restaurant and the light bounced off the glass beautifully. The same fluorescent lights were also placed along the edges of the many aquariums inside the building, making the waters glow majestically. The entire inner wall of the restaurant was an aquarium filled with many plants and a variety of fishes swimming merrily amongst each other as children and adults alike watch on the opposite side of the thick glass in amusement and awe at their fluidity and beauty in the water. Circular tanks were also imbedded into the pillars of the restaurant and were filled with vibrant plants and fishes, almost like a tower of water was protruding from the ground up.
Aside from the extravagant aquariums built into the restaurant, everything else was kept simple and sophisticated. Classical music played in the overhead speakers and it brought in a sense of tranquility and peace. Pearly white table cloths draped over each table and its thick material ruffled at the ends elegantly, much like how a mermaid’s tail fin was like. Silver scales were sewn meticulously onto the edges of the cloth and they climbed up, getting smaller and smaller until it transitioned smoothly into the white fabric flat against the tabletop. Black napkins folded into a resemblance of seashells were placed delicately in front of each seat available to a table and every dish served in the restaurant was done so on white, circular plates. And last but certainly not least, in the middle of each table sat a clear vase with a bouquet of flowers – all an arrangement of scarlet, maroon, and black roses with white filler flowers to complete the look.
About a year ago, Bakugou had the privilege to cut the red ribbon for the grand opening of his restaurant and for the entirety of this past year, it blew up and became one of the best restaurants in all of Japan. People around the world visited and he’s met as well as seen plenty of tourists enjoying their meals and beaming in fascination at all of the aspects the restaurant had to offer. From the food to the educational influence about merpeople and the underwater world, Bakugou’s restaurant was becoming a huge sensation.
It was called Treasures of the Ocean.
More commonly known as Treasures, Bakugou received much praise for the entrées served there, including the drinks and dessert options. The restaurant’s high ratings came from the aesthetics but also because of their delicious aroma and taste complimenting the beautifully crafted meals. In a short span of time, Treasures rapidly gained popularity but Bakugou was also just as equally a subject of interest because of his seemingly absurd infatuation he had towards merpeople.
Rumors spread like wildfire without Bakugou having to say a word and all of them consisted of him having apparently met a mermaid and the supposed quick moment with one had caused him to become obsessive. Though many journalists and curious strangers would ask him about it, he would simply walk away and leave their questions unanswered and they would only persist a little longer before they finally quit and left the man alone in peace. Bakugou remained tight-lipped when the topic of rumors came up, but he was also known for being short-tempered and his already intimidating demeanor he possessed helped scare off plenty of nosey people. It was times like these that he was extremely grateful for having a reputation of being quite a demon, turning people away before they even thought to speak a word to him. Fortunately for the blonde, his food more than made up for his lack of an approachable personality and people still visited Treasures despite him being the rude asshole he’s always been.
As per usual, another journalist tried to ask Bakugou questions today but he only answered the ones pertaining to the restaurant and none regarding his own personal life. As soon as she asked him if he had ever met a mermaid before, he swiftly spun around on a heel and waltzed back into the kitchen without sparing even a glance back at the lady. In general, the blonde wouldn’t have answered the questions to begin with but today in particular, he couldn’t afford to waste time on an interview when it was one of the busiest days Treasures was going to have from here on out.
It’s the beginning of summer which also meant heat week was arriving and much like how the entirety of the restaurant was dedicated to merpeople, Treasures also took the week off in respect to their culture. Today was the last day they were open before they took their holiday and business was booming, more than Bakugou was expecting and he was becoming slightly stressed under the pressure.
The sun was blazing hot outside and the thick humidity of the air had left people’s skin remaining sticky and uncomfortable. Customers were lined up outside of Treasures with umbrellas above their heads and they were fanning themselves with random books or papers they could find in their bags. Waiters and waitresses alike plaster on their best smiles and they wait their tables with great endurance while those in the kitchen were screaming and yelling at each other to move faster. Reminiscent memories of working in Plus Ultra years ago flood into Bakugou’s mind and he couldn’t help but smile largely at the good ole days before he lifts up a strong fist and shouts at no one in particular to bring him the next order.
After many long hours of serving customers, politely asking them to leave as soon as they could, and passing out cold water bottles to weary people lined up outside the main entrance, the day finally ended. Of course, it couldn’t end without the inevitably impatient and rude people of whom Bakugou had to personally confront with, but overall the day was a success and the blonde was able to have one of the last remaining three employees put up a sign that read “Closed – Heat Week Holiday” followed by the date they would return.
The music playing from the speakers overhead was cut silent and slowly but surely Treasures was finally closing for the night. Bakugou punches at his lower back from a hard day of work and a heavy sigh escapes his parted lips as he wipes the last area of the kitchen countertops clean. In the silence of the restaurant, he could hear the three teenagers at the front entrance chatting loudly amongst each other, getting ready to head home now that their shift was over.
“Ah~ I’m so tired… There were so many customers today.”
“Well what’d you expect? It’s the last day Treasures is open before heat week holiday, you know.”
“I mean~ of course I know, but it’s still a pain to deal with a ton of customers all at once. Ugh! Especially the impatient ones-”
“Ah whatever! We have the rest of this week off! Let’s stop talking about work and talk about our plans for the break!”
“Hell yeah. I think I’ll finally get some time to watch TV.”
“I know right! Thank god Treasures has an entire week’s worth of a holiday. No other place does this! We’re so lucky!”
“Yup! I’m going on vacation~”
“No fucking way. I wish I could go on a trip-”
“You can start by hurrying on out of here.” Bakugou scowls as he approaches the three teenaged employees standing beside the main entrance as he wipes his hands dry with a towel, arching a brow at them in mild annoyance. They turn to him in surprise with wide eyes but exclaim loudly and greet him once they meet eyes with the blonde. Bakugou grumbles under his breath about how much noise they were making but continues to step forward nonetheless to say his goodbye for the week.
“Ohh~ It’s the head chef.” The girl announces before waving her hands in a lazy manner to say goodbye. “Have a good holiday~ Maybe you’ll get to meet a mermaid in heat during the break.”
The three of them snicker amongst each other and watch in amusement as the slightest of blushes begins to bloom onto Bakugou’s cheeks. They’ve always enjoyed teasing the blonde because of his volatile personality and explosive reactions to pretty much everything. Even now, they stare back at him expectantly with smug smirks and a full attention on him. It irked him and the blonde was extremely tempted to kick them out and send them flying a million miles away from the restaurant, but instead he takes in a deep, calming breath and resorts to glaring in their direction.
“I’m not interested in a mermaid.” Bakugou growls out from behind gritted teeth and his face scrunches up in irritation as he crosses his strong arms over his broad chest.
“What a shame, Mr. Bakugou~ Why are you single when you’re so hot?” Her expression turns dramatically into a sad pout and the boy beside her shakes his head at her constant need to provoke the man.
“Let him be.” He pulls her back with a hand around her upper arm but the other shorter female steps up to Bakugou with eyes full of curiosity.
“Have you ever met one before? We’ve seen the necklace you wear under your shirt! It’s a mermaid’s scale, right? Or are they fake?” At her questions, Bakugou’s eyes widen slightly and his hand reflexively shoots up to touch the outline of the scales underneath the collar of his t-shirt. The metal of the chained necklace was warm from his body heat but the scales were cool against his skin. Thoughts of his lover slowly cloud his mind and his body feels lighter and less tense from the day’s labor – the image of Kirishima a remedy to his soul. The distraction turns the voices of the three to become a muffle but they continue talking, discussing whether Bakugou had truly met a mermaid or not.
“… Or maybe he’s just obsessed, you know.”
“It would explain all of this and even closing the restaurant for an entire week despite losing income~”
“Well, Treasures makes enough money to allow this break to happen anyways.”
In unison, all heads turn to Bakugou for an answer but the blonde’s not really paying attention to them anymore. He had tuned them out ever since the first image of the merman crept into his mind. It’s been months since the two separated for Kirishima to join his herd for migration and Bakugou’s been waiting… and all that patience was going to be rewarded soon.
He would see him tomorrow.
In the middle of the night.
In just a few hours from now…
They would meet each other.
… Eijirou…
“… I can’t wait to see him again…” Bakugou spoke in a soft, quiet voice but in the silence of the restaurant, his words were as clear as day. He hadn’t realized until it was too late that he had accidentally let his words flow out of his mouth and he sharply looks up at the three in slight panic. They’re silent and stare in a mixture of awe, fascination, and curiosity as they witness for the first time in their lives at how the blonde’s expression was capable of softening into something like… infatuation. Bakugou could feel the heat rising from his neck up to his cheeks and the blonde hurriedly waves a hand at them, shooing them away in embarrassment. “Get the fuck out already!”
“S-sorry! We’ll leave right away, Mr. Bakugou!” The shortest girl scrambles backwards, away from the blonde and tugs at the other two’s clothing for them to get the hint that they should go but they don’t appear fazed even a little bit.
“I hope you meet him again soon.” The boy says with ease and begins to turn away when the other female stops him with sparkles in her eyes and a hand raised to her lips.
“Oho~ I wonder which one of them is-”
“Eek! Stop trying to make him angry-!”
“I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!” At this point, Bakugou’s face was a fiery red and he takes a hold of his towel with an iron grip and pulls his arm back, ready to chuck it at any moment.
“M-mr. Bakugou! Wait-!”
“Watch out or Blasty McSplodes is gonna get ya~!”
“He’ll explodokill you if you keep teasing him.”
“Stop it you two!” The shorter female does her best to shove the other two out the door and it swings shut behind them, right before Bakugou had thrown the towel and it smacks onto the wooden door with a dull thump.
Through the window beside the main entrance, he could see the teenagers laughing together and waving their hands goodbye once more and the blonde waves back noncommittally, muttering under his breath with a sigh, “Stay safe kids…”
“Oh…?” A soft chuckle is heard following after the questioning noise and Bakugou rolls his eyes before turning around to face the tall man sauntering over to him. Stepping into the moonlight shining through the window, the blonde could see the man’s unique hair color of red and white trimmed neatly above the start of his neck and his heterochromia eyes meet with his own red ones. Todoroki raises a brow with a small smirk and Bakugou’s already grumbling before the man speaks with a tone full of incredulity, “You’re so nice now. You purposely threw the towel late so it’d hit the door.”
“Fuck off. I’m not going to fucking hurt them, I’m a grown-ass adult.”
“You sure acted like a child earlier. Yelling at them with a blush as red as Kiri-”
“I said fuck off, half-and-half!”
“Okay, calm down. They’re not too far off from the truth, you know.” The man raises his hands in defeat before passing by the blonde to wrap a hand around the handle of the door in front of them, gesturing to the other man to start heading out. “Ready for tomorrow? It’s a special day for you.”
“Ugh… I know… I’m fucking nervous.” Bakugou groans aloud in distress but quickly moves on to nod his head once in the direction of the door. “Let’s go.”
As soon as they step outside into the warm night, Bakugou locks the restaurant’s door securely and the two of them walk in amicable silence towards the blonde’s car. Todoroki had come to lend a hand at Treasures for the day and was accompanying Bakugou to meet Kirishima tomorrow. Normally, the redhead was the one to come visit the blonde before heat week starts but tomorrow things were going to be a little different… a bit more special. Since merpeople lived discretely in order to avoid human contact, it was very difficult to locate exactly where they were but with Todoroki here, they would be able to find them through his instincts.
The ride to the blonde’s house was mostly silent aside from the radio playing classical music and Bakugou tries to enjoy the empty streets while Todoroki fell asleep in the passenger seat. It’s not until the blonde pulls into his garage that the man opens his eyes and grumbles lightly about how they were only going to be able to have a couple of hours to sleep tonight and Bakugou grunts in response, too tired to start an argument and he agreed with what the man said.
The two of them quietly shuffle their way inside Bakugou’s house that was about half a mile away from the beach where he had saved Kirishima’s life on that fateful day they met. He’d only have to go down the grassy hill his house sat upon and meet a wooden trail before it led its way down to the sandy beach. This made it easy and simple for the blonde to do his morning runs but it also served as a means of allowing Kirishima to go swimming in the ocean whenever he wanted to since the distance wasn’t too difficult to carry said man from their house.
It took about half a year to build the beach house and Bakugou’s only been living here for about a month now and Kirishima was finally going to be able to see their new home very soon. For the past month the blonde’s been a resident, he’s brought in a variety of furniture and colorful decorations like the sea to help personalize it for the two of them. The overall designs he chose were very modern with geometric shapes and the house had a very neutral yet refreshing color scheme. Dark browns, grays, and whites were majority of the house’s palette choice but the decorations were of vibrant greens and blues with a touch of sunshine reds and oranges in it. Bakugou was equally as excited as he was elated to finally have a place for just the two of them because soon after they meet tomorrow, they are going to live together forever without Kirishima needing to migrate with his herd anymore.
In order for the merman to easily adjust into the new environment, the blonde made sure to have plenty of features catered to make things more convenient for the redhead. The entire house had wood and tile floorings as well as waterways that ran throughout the whole building and connected to each main room. It was two and a half feet deep and three feet wide and was built in to help Kirishima maneuver from place to place without having to constantly drag his body along the ground, but it wasn’t necessarily there for him to swim either. The waterways were there for him to just swiftly flick his tail a few times and he’d already be in the next room – just like how Bakugou is able to walk freely on ground, Kirishima should be allowed to move fluidly without an issue. It was also there for the merman to moisturize or sleep whenever he needed to. He could simply lie in there and he’d immediately be submerged in the water without him needing to curl up to fit in a bathtub like the redhead has been doing for the past nearly eight years they’ve been together. The water was pumped in directly from the ocean and pushed straight back out into it and the natural circulation of the new water was good for cleanliness and Kirishima’s health. Because of this, the waterways were made from a heavy-duty material along with having an extra special coating over it to help keep it from deteriorating and damaging the building.
It was a nice addition to the house and even Todoroki was particularly excited to sleep in the waterways tonight despite only being able to spend a short amount of time in there. Bakugou had extra futons in his closet for overnight guests but he refrains from offering one to the man because it was evident that Todoroki wanted to spend the night in the waterways and the blonde was also interested in seeing him in his merman form. It wasn’t his first time seeing him like this but it was always difficult not to watch in amusement whenever the man transformed into a majestic mythical being. However, after staring for an uncomfortable amount of time and eliciting an annoyed remark from Todoroki, Bakugou tears his gaze away and jumps into his own king-sized bed to try and get some rest.
The couple of hours they slept felt like a mere few minutes and they woke up with red eyes and heavy bodies. They were slightly behind on time but they managed to rush out the door and start their journey with Todoroki driving a boat out into the vast blue ocean ahead of them. Stars glimmer beautifully above their heads and the moon lights up the night sky with an illuminating glow. The ocean was steady and made the trip an easy one but opposite to the calming waters, Bakugou was a wreck of emotions. He was incredibly nervous and he constantly found himself pacing back and forth the length of the boat before sitting down only to get right back up and repeat his actions. Todoroki told him to take a nap for the several hours it was going to take to arrive at their destination because of the lack of sleep the blonde had after a long day of work at Treasures, but it was like asking Bakugou to do the impossible.
Today marks a special day because Bakugou was finally going to meet Kirishima’s parents. Over the years, Kirishima proved their relationship was a strong one by coming back home safely after each visit to meet the blonde and telling them stories about their interactions, eventually gaining his parents’ trust. Kirishima always told Bakugou they were very curious about him and continuously suggested they should meet one day, but the blonde shook his head and said to wait. Part of the reason was because he wanted Kirishima to come home to a house that belonged to the both of them and the other reason was because he was afraid. He was scared that Kirishima’s parents would come to realize Bakugou was nothing like they expected him to be, like any of the lovely stories the redhead had told them.
“We’re here.” Todoroki’s voice breaks through his train of thoughts and the blonde jolts in surprise at how fast time had gone by.
“Wait- what the fuck…?!” Bakugou gasps and drops down onto the sleek floor, hiding behind the safety of the boat’s wall and Todoroki gives him a funny look.
“We’re approaching them right now. You should come see this. Kirishima really looks like his parents.” Todoroki looks out with an expression of slight interest and out of curiosity, Bakugou decides to have a look for himself. With a careful hand on the edge of the boat, he slowly peaks up but as soon as he’s able to have just a glance at the three merpeople, a shock runs through his body and he ducks down immediately when he saw how much closer they were than he initially thought.
Bakugou was only able to get a glimpse of Kirishima before his eyes flashed over to the other two and the image of the parents blurred from his quick movements of freaking out and hiding. The blonde wasn’t able to see the parents properly but he couldn’t care less when they were right there… just outside the boat. His mind was going in circles like his stupid redhead-of-a-husband swimming round and round out in the ocean from excitement at his arrival. As much as Bakugou was also glad to see his husband again, he was more nervous than anything at the moment. Slowly, he raises his red eyes up to the man standing before him with a pitiful smile directed towards the blonde and Bakugou whispers urgently, “Holy shit…! I’m not ready.”
“… Relax.” Todoroki takes a seat beside the other male and pats him by his shoulder in an attempt to be encouraging, “Kirishima’s parents already accept you so you’ll be fine… Well, as long as you don’t make a bad first impression.”
“Right. Thanks a-fucking-lot. That was so helpful…” The blonde seethes at Todoroki with narrow eyes but suddenly hears a familiar chirp and a few successive sharp whistles just outside of the boat and Bakugou’s heart drops down to his balls. Cold sweat starts to form on his back and he’s not sure he can do this anymore. He wasn’t confident he could face Kirishima’s parents without somehow disappointing them in one way or another. Clammy hands move to cover his face and a heavy sigh escapes his lips followed by an inaudible mumble, “Right… Because making a bad impression sure isn’t the least of my worries…”
“Here, put this on.” A blue and gray life jacket with red decorative stripes on it enters the blonde’s vision and Bakugou leans over to the side to give Todoroki a raised brow in question so the man explains, “I don’t want to see you get stiff and sink down to the bottom of the ocean anytime soon.”
“What the hell? Shut the fuck up half-and-half. I don’t need this shit.” Bakugou scowls and tries to push the jacket away but Todoroki moves it before he could lay a finger on it and offers it to the blonde again.
“No seriously, put it on. I know you can swim but you’re about to be in the middle of the ocean. Don’t underestimate it.” Todoroki’s expression remains serious and his eyes don’t waver so Bakugou begrudgingly decides to obey but still gives a show of irritation by letting out an exasperated grumble before stripping his t-shirt off and leaving himself bare with just his swimming trunks on.
“I look stupid…” The blonde mumbles in protest of having to wear something so ridiculous in front of the three most important merpeople he’ll ever have to face, but he continues to clip the last buckle around his torso and begins to stand up.
“I bet they’ll think you look cute.” Todoroki chuckles lightly at his own remark and Bakugou tries to swing at him when suddenly, the man’s foot connects with his stomach and Todoroki kicks the blonde straight off the boat, “Hurry up and get out!”
Bakugou shouts in a mixture of surprise, anger, and dread and the back of his leg hits the edge of the boat, causing him to flip backwards in the air before crashing through the surface of the water and plummeting a few feet down into the salty ocean. Some of it enters his mouth and when the blonde resurfaces, he coughs and gasps for air whilst shaking the excess water out of his hair. After a few seconds of hacking his lungs, Bakugou looks around himself and he immediately locks eyes with Kirishima’s parents giving him a surprised yet odd look and his face instantaneously blows up into a mad red. He felt so embarrassed at how he pathetically flopped into the ocean and in a life jacket of all things and he just so happened to also be their precious son’s beloved husband.
Great. His first impression on Kirishima’s parents was already an amazing one.
Infuriated with Todoroki’s ridiculous actions of getting him out of the boat, Bakugou rips off the life jacket and swings his arm back, channeling all of his anger into his throw and he chucks the object back into the boat. A satisfying thump against what seems like Todoroki’s backside and a small grunt following after it brings a manic grin to spread across Bakugou’s face when a strong body tackles him in a warm hug.
“Katsuki!” Kirishima shouts in joy and embraces the man tightly with the blonde reciprocating it by winding his arms around the merman’s neck. Bakugou expected the hug to be a short one so he begins to pull away but the redhead suddenly surges forward and plants a wet kiss on his lips.
“Wha-what the hell do you think you’re doing…?!” Bakugou repulses backwards and half-whispers at Kirishima all the while taking careful glances at his parents. He was worried that their interactions were too intimate in front of them and possibly making the two feel awkward about it.
“I missed you a lot, Katsuki.” The merman leans into him and his expression is full of adoration towards his lover. It was as clear as day how infatuated Kirishima was with the blonde and it made his heart skip a beat at the attention he was receiving.
“I… I missed you too…” Bakugou mumbles out with a fierce blush that didn’t seem to want to leave ever since Todoroki had Sparta kicked him out of the boat. The blonde lowers his head in embarrassment and tries to will his blush away when he catches sight of the kitten plushie Yaoyorozu gave years ago in Kirishima’s webbed hand.
Surprisingly, the toy’s material still held up well together despite going through wear and tear over the past several years. The sewn eyes and whiskers were beginning to fray and the nose went missing a long time ago, causing the merman to whine incessantly about it until Bakugou reluctantly sewed a nose back on it. However, since the material he used was different from the high-quality one of the plushie’s, the blonde has to sew a new nose back on every year when the merman came back from migration because it would always go missing.
Even now, the nose was gone and Bakugou grumbles about how he would have to fix it again before making a grabbing motion for the redhead to give it to him. As soon as Kirishima hands him the toy, the blonde pulls his arm back and swings the plushie into the boat, much like how he did with the life jacket, and he hears another satisfying wet smack connecting to Todoroki’s body. A surprised noise is heard from the boat and Bakugou smirks in delight before returning his attention back to the redhead who was now swimming in circles around him. The merman chirps happily to himself and he hugs the blonde again, rubbing their necks together and allowing his scent to slowly leak out to mark his lover. The smell is familiar and comforting but the masculine musk to it makes the blonde whimper submissively and Bakugou lightly pushes at Kirishima’s broad chest, causing the redhead to tilt his head in confusion with a brief, questioning trill.
“What’s wrong, Katsuki?”
“Uh… Is it okay to be acting this way in front of your parents? Isn’t that… weird?” Bakugou points subtly with a thumb in the direction of the two parents waiting patiently a few feet away from them and the blonde anxiously looks to Kirishima for a response but the merman just smiles sweetly at him.
“Oh, no it’s fine.” The redhead brushes the topic off with a shrug before he tugs Bakugou towards his parents and the blonde allows his body to be pulled by the motion. Kirishima begins to introduce Bakugou to his parents with enthusiastic chirps and whistles with an occasional click of his tongue and the blonde does his best to stay silent and let the redhead handle everything. The parents smile awkwardly at the blonde and Bakugou returns it with a small smile and a slight bow of his head forward in respect.
The older two merpeople nod in acknowledgement at the blonde’s actions and Bakugou lifts his head back up to take his opportunity to look at Kirishima’s parents a little more than just a nervous glimpse while his husband was still introducing him. Todoroki was certainly right in that the redhead looks very similar to his parents and is also just as majestic and beautiful as they are. He had the same strong build as his father and by the color gradation of the scales on the father’s forearms, Bakugou could tell the two alphas’ scales were identical in color – scarlet blending into maroon and then pitch black. However, Kirishima had his mother’s brilliant red hair and her kind appearance that felt warm and inviting. Bakugou’s eyes lower into the water and with the illuminating moon shining above them, he could see her scales were a mosaic of sunshine reds, oranges, and yellows with some royal blues and bright greens mixed in there. It was his first time seeing an omega mermaid and she looked exactly like the mermaid he saw in Yaoyorozu’s notes the day she informed the blonde about merfolk’s culture.
Her iridescent scales shimmer in the bright moonlight and it glistens and starts to move closer to the blonde and it doesn’t occur to him until she’s only a feet away that the mother had made the first move to approach him. Bakugou’s breath hitches and his body tenses ever so slightly at the close proximity the mermaid was to him, but he tries his best to focus on staying afloat in the ocean and not make a fool of himself for the second time today by drowning. The mother studies his face carefully and Bakugou looks up to match her eyes and he notices that they were of an amber color like the glow of a blazing flame, vibrant and filled with curiosity and hope within them. They were captivating and enticing… just like Kirishima’s own red eyes.
Gingerly, the mermaid leans in and swipes his neck briefly with her own and Bakugou reciprocates the action, understanding that it was a greeting and in that short moment, he could smell a sweet fragrance from her scent glands. The mother pulls away with a smile as bright as Kirishima’s and the blonde feels proud of himself for proving to her that he knew some body language merpeople used on a daily basis. She then begins to stroke his hair with both of her webbed hands and moves down to gently cup his face in her wet palms, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs and cooing in a soft, delicate voice. Suddenly, the mother begins to well up and slowly her smile fades away and her brows furrow as she starts to sob in front of him. The odd change of expressions made Bakugou unsure of what to do but she hugs him tightly and after an initial shock from the sudden embrace, the blonde wraps his arms around her too. He listens to the way the mother’s voice quivers as she coos low and slow with a tinge of pain in there yet it wasn’t entirely something of sorrow. She pats the back of his head in a motherly way and Bakugou looks towards Kirishima in hopes for a translation.
“She said thank you for being faithful…” A dust of pink spreads across the redhead’s face and he scratches his cheek sheepishly as he continues, “She was really worried you would leave me.”
The redhead gives him a small smile and it hurt Bakugou to even think about a life without Kirishima after all the years they’ve spent together in each other’s presence. His life wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is today without the merman and the thought of one without him made the blonde’s own expression turn into something along the lines of worrisome yet serious and Bakugou speaks with confidence, “I would never leave you.”
“I know.” A bright grin spreads wide across Kirishima’s handsome face and it shines like a thousand suns, contrasting to the luminous moon hanging high above their heads. Bakugou was enraptured by his sun-shining smile all over again and he wants to swim the small distance between them to kiss the merman, but the blonde refrains from doing that when Kirishima’s mother starts to pull away from their hug.
She smiles sweetly at him with tear-filled eyes and coos delicately, wiping her tears away with one webbed hand and gently patting Bakugou’s cheek with the other. Watching her become so vulnerable and open to the blonde with her emotions made his heart ache, but he was extremely appreciative towards her for expressing them. He understood that as a mother, she tried her best to support Kirishima as much as possible despite knowing his lover was someone she’s never met before and on top of that, a human. To finally meet the man her son loves so much and not be disappointed over the blonde must have been a huge relief for her and Bakugou’s own heart became heavy with emotions. He was truly happy to hear that she was thankful towards him for being faithful and to prove it to her even further, the blonde clasps the mother’s webbed hands between his own and speaks with purpose.
“I… I really, really love Eijirou and I will never abandon him.” Bakugou tries to convey his feelings through his facial expressions and tone, much like how he communicated with Kirishima through body languages before the merman learned how to speak and it seemed to work for the mother as well. The mermaid nods her head frantically out of acknowledgement to his message and wipes the last of her tears away before she smiles sweetly and chirps in delight at the blonde.
“She said you look like a merman submerged in the water.” Kirishima says just as the blonde turned to him for a translation, but Bakugou wasn’t particularly expecting to hear what the redhead just said. It would make more sense if it was along the lines of thanks or a compliment, but for the mother to say a rather random thing like that was a bit odd… unless…
… Wait. Was she- did she just…? Is this maybe a… a show of…
Bakugou blinks dumbly at the redhead in shock but the merman smiles largely at his reaction and opens his mouth to continue speaking and the blonde’s heart starts to beat faster in anticipation of what Kirishima was going to say, “You look like one of us, Katsuki.”
… A show of… acceptance?
“…What? Me? Like one of… D-does that mean…?” Bakugou’s words caught in his throat and an overwhelming amount of emotions came flooding into his body. Relief and peace finally settle comfortably in his being and the inside of his chest felt as though it was fluttering from how unreal everything was right now. For the most part, he had been afraid of the possibility of Kirishima’s parents rejecting him and it was hard to ignore that haunting thought in the back of his mind, but Bakugou knew deep down in his heart that they already accepted him. After all, they allowed Kirishima to visit the blonde every year but also welcomed their son back home after each trip despite their whole family risking the chance of being banished from their herd because they were interacting with a human. However, the blonde couldn’t help but still feel self-conscious and insecure about what Kirishima’s parents thought of him even though everything was generally in his favor. And now that it was actually happening and real, Bakugou wasn’t sure how to handle it and he became a wreck of emotions all over again. His body shook lightly, unable to contain his emotions and the blonde squeezes the mother’s body firmly in a tight embrace to show her his appreciation and tears blur out his vision when he feels her warm arms wrap around him.
I can’t believe this… Oh my god, finally… Finally…!
Eight long years of being in an intimate relationship with Kirishima and working hard for seven of those years to graduate college, work, save money, and buy a house for the two of them was an arduous time for Bakugou. Those years were filled with moments of confidence that the parents would accept him just fine to suddenly days of worry and anxiety that maybe, once they met, he would be told to stay away from Kirishima because of how dangerous humans were to merpeople. But now that the day had come for them to meet, it was a lot easier to deal with once Bakugou was able to face it head on instead of wallowing in negative thoughts.
It was hard to try and hold back his tears after being alleviated of the burden and pressure he had to carry up to this point from being a human mate and as soon as one tear fell over his cheek, the rest came streaming down. Bakugou felt like a fool but Kirishima’s mother was so compassionate and comforts him with her sweet voice cooing softly to him. He lifts his eyes up to the night sky to prevent more tears from falling down, but the stars never looked so beautiful and the moon was so bright tonight… It was a good day, an incredibly blessed day.
Oh, what the hell…
He couldn’t help himself from lowering his head and sobbing silently against the mother’s shoulder and he could see Kirishima was shocked to see him cry but was also becoming teary-eyed because he understood how important this moment was for Bakugou. To hear Kirishima’s mother tell him he looked like one of them was the best way imaginable for him to feel accepted into their family and the blonde wouldn’t have it any other way.
With several deep calming breaths, Bakugou finally pulls himself together and the mother tenderly wipes at his tears and he lets her. At this time, Kirishima’s father makes his move to approach the two and greets the blonde in the same manner the mother did and Bakugou reciprocates the action just as equally. The father scrubs at the blonde’s hair in approval of his behavior and grins widely as he places a heavy hand over Bakugou’s shoulder. His other webbed hand closes into a tight fist and thumps against the blonde’s chest, over his heart, and Bakugou looks up to the father curiously. Red eyes meet another pair of red and Kirishima’s father puffs his chest out and squares his shoulders, as though he was telling the blonde to be a strong man and to take care of his lover as one.
Bakugou immediately straightens up as best as he could in the ocean while staying afloat and looks to the father with determination and acknowledgement to his message and they stare deep into each other’s eyes with purpose. Aside from the blonde’s pink eyes and nose from crying, he was very serious about taking good care of Kirishima and the father’s expression softens to a sincere smile and he nods in approval. The merman scrubs at his blonde hair again and Bakugou lets out a small laugh, both now a bit more relaxed and comfortable with each other.
For the last few minutes they stayed out in the middle of the ocean, Kirishima speaks with his parents and Bakugou climbs the short ladder on the side of their boat and sits there patiently for the three to say their goodbyes. Their visit needed to generally be a short one because Kirishima had to be in their new house before the sun would rise and expose him to civilians wandering around, which would be all sorts of problems if they accidentally saw the merman. His parents understood and were prepared for this moment, so they hug their son one last time and quickly exchange their scales. Lastly, before the blonde hefts the redhead up into the boat, they all promise each other they would one day spend time together at the couple’s new beach house to just get to know one another a bit more than what today provided.
With the two lovers now in the boat, Kirishima’s parents wave them goodbye with bright smiles and Todoroki begins to drive the boat back to their new house. From the looks of the parents, Bakugou could sense that they weren’t sad to see their beloved son leave them, but were rather instead overjoyed to see him go off to a good man’s care. The blonde felt compelled to wave them goodbye and kept his arm raised until he couldn’t see them anymore and the parents also waited until the boat was nearly out of sight before they submerged back into the waters.
“… That was… nice.” Bakugou says as he looks off into the distance of where they were just a moment ago and it felt like a fleeting dream that he had the opportunity to meet Kirishima’s beautiful parents.
“I told you it would go well.” Todoroki side-glances the blonde with a small smirk and the smugness directed towards him made Bakugou’s brow twitch in slight annoyance.
“Sure whatever, but I fucking wish you never made me wear the goddamn lifejacket! You made me look stupid in front of them, bitch!”
“I was genuinely doing it out of cautionary purposes, but you just had to go and hit me with it. Way to show your appreciation, Bakugou.” Todoroki complains and hurls the said life jacket at the man with a free hand, but the blonde smacks it away with his fast reflexes.
“I never fucking needed it! Besides, Eijirou wouldn’t allow me to drown and if anything, he probably would enjoy giving me CPR. The fuck.” Bakugou flicks the man off and Todoroki only rolls his eyes in response before focusing on driving the boat now that their objective for the night was complete. Bakugou allows Todoroki to have his peace of mind and refrains from bothering the man any longer and instead walks over to where Kirishima was sitting to join him. As soon as the blonde sat beside the merman, the redhead perks up and immediately strikes up a conversation with him.
“You know, Katsuki. My parents said you look like this.” Kirishima smiles brightly as he holds out a hand towards Bakugou and he looks down to see what the merman meant but grumbles the moment he lays eyes on the soaked kitty plushie in his webbed hand.
“You still carry that shitty thing around with you?” Bakugou scowls at Kirishima who was now gently stroking the toy’s fur, but the redhead pauses to blink owlishly at the blonde in slight confusion.
“Huh…? But you’re the one who always gives it to me before I leave for migration.”
“Wh-whatever… It’s because you’ll cry if you forget it.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Of what? The stupid toy?” Bakugou leans forward into the redhead’s personal space and growls a deep guttural noise, but Kirishima only blinks twice and nods at his question, not even fazed in the slightest. At the lack of reaction the blonde received, he pulls back a little and pouts angrily as he speaks under his breath, “… Just a little bit…”
The merman’s eyes widen in delightful shock and he laughs wholeheartedly in his usual angelic way Bakugou always loved to hear before Kirishima sets the toy off to the side and clings to the blonde in a tight embrace. “There, there Katsuki~ I’ll give you all the love you so desperately need from me-“
“Fuck off, dipshit! Don’t touch me!” Bakugou protests loudly but he doesn’t move a single muscle to push the merman away. If anything, his body automatically leans into the redhead when Kirishima pulls him closer to his chest and he whines with his large, puppy eyes the blonde could never get tired of.
“Aw… Katsuki, don’t be like this. I missed you a lot.”
“… M-me too.” Bakugou mutters to himself but Kirishima heard it as clear as day and presses into the blonde, settling down comfortably against his lover and purring in bliss. The wind blowing against them felt cool and the soft, calming noise of the ocean made everything feel like a dream but the warmth of the merman in his arms was all too real. It only took one look at the parents’ scales wedged securely between the spaces of Kirishima’s own scales on his hips for Bakugou to know that they really did just meet a while ago.
With Kirishima by his side and the nervous feeling in his stomach now gone, Bakugou was more than able to finally take the nap Todoroki tried to make him take earlier on their boat ride out into the ocean. Time flew a lot faster this time from being asleep for most of the trip back and before Bakugou knew it, he was already carrying the merman in his arms to their new place. Along the way of passing the beach and crossing a wooden trail, Kirishima takes in the unfamiliar sight of his new surroundings and suddenly gasps loudly when his eyes set on their beach house standing proudly atop a grassy hill.
A smile breaks loose on Bakugou’s face and he’s just about to ask the redhead what he thinks of it when the merman starts to struggle in the blonde’s arms in an attempt to rush over to the house. He wouldn’t stop chirping in excitement and Bakugou had to sprint the rest of the way there to keep from dropping the redhead on the grass because of the way the merman was fidgeting and trying to jump out of his arms. Even while the blonde was trying to unlock the front door, Kirishima whines loudly against his leg and Bakugou bonks him on his head to shut him up but the redhead doesn’t even flinch and continues to whine incessantly. Todoroki chuckles at their interaction and begins to contribute in annoying the blonde further by also griping about how long he was taking.
“I hope you two go die in a fucking fire!” Bakugou shouts as he kicks the door open and Kirishima practically lunges inside and begins to wander around his new home. He spots the waterways first and immediately makes use of it, roaming from place to place and getting lost. Bakugou shakes his head at the merman whenever he somehow came back to the front door and Kirishima tilts his head in confusion before trilling loudly and turning back around to continue figuring out the floorplan of the house. He was like a child at a candy store and a little too excited for Bakugou’s taste but the blonde allows the redhead to enjoy himself because after all, it was their home now.
While Kirishima was busying himself with swirling around in the waterways and minding his own business, Bakugou helps Todoroki gather his belongings before meeting up at the front entrance. Tired and more than ready to leave now, Todoroki plops down heavily on the wooden floor and starts to slowly slip his shoes on. Bakugou leans against the wall with his hands in his pockets and silently watches the man before deciding to speak his gratitude towards him, “… Thanks for everything.”
“No problem.” Todoroki yawns for the millionth time this morning and is just about nearly done tying his shoes, so the blonde quickly turns his head to yell into the house for the redheaded merman.
“Eijirou! Get your ass over here!” Within just a few seconds after Bakugou calls for the redhead, the sound of water sloshing around is heard and Kirishima swiftly arrives through the waterways before smoothly jumping out and grabbing a towel that was readily hung up nearby on the wall. He lightly pats away the excess water on his body and quickly scoots over to them with an innocent smile, chirping in delight at their new home. Purring softly to himself, the redhead leans against Bakugou’s leg and looks up to him with his large red eyes and the blonde blushes a soft pink at how adorable Kirishima can be sometimes. He still felt giddy that the redhead was here after being separated from migration for months, but Bakugou tries his best to ignore the fluttering in his chest by clearing his throat and looking expectantly towards Todoroki who was now standing patiently by the doorway.
“Enjoy your heat week,” Todoroki comments drowsily as he straightens out his t-shirt and taps the toe of his shoe against the floor.
“Same to you- uh… Sorry… I guess not anymore.” Bakugou cuts himself short in his thoughtless reply and offers a slanted smile in apology, but the man shrugs it off without a problem.
“Heat week is a pain anyways and it’s not like that’ll stop us from having sex any other day.” Todoroki easily replies but Bakugou’s expression drops in mild disgust.
“I still don’t like hearing about you two fucking, okay?” The blonde’s face scrunches up into a disturbed scowl but it doesn’t affect the other male after all these years of hanging around the short tempered man and being married to his childhood friend.
“We’re too young to stop-”
“OKAY! No more, bitch.” Bakugou roughly shoves Todoroki towards the main entrance and the man barks out a laugh, full of genuine sincerity and the blonde couldn’t help but smile largely at their casual interaction. He then punches the man’s upper arm and nods in the direction of the front door, “Get the fuck out of here already and get some sleep.”
“Yeah.” Todoroki agrees as he comes down from his fit of laughter and then proceeds to kneel down onto the floor to say his goodbye to the redhead. Kirishima trills in excitement from finally receiving some attention and the two mermen speak to each other in low coos with a few clicks and whistles here and there.
“Come by and visit after heat week?” Kirishima questions with a face full of hope and he beams when Todoroki gently pats his scarlet red hair.
“Sure.” A smile graces over the man’s handsome features and his brows soften into a relaxed position, “See you later then.”
“Bye bye!” Kirishima waves his webbed hand in the air fervently and Todoroki waves back in a small gesture before Bakugou shoos the man out the door and closes it shut behind him.
The sun was now beginning to rise above the ocean horizon but unlike the rousing city around him, Bakugou heads straight to bed and flops onto the silk blankets with Kirishima following closely behind and joining him in a sweet slumber. He was still heavily sleep-deprived after a long day at Treasures and from only being able to catch a short nap on the boat. Several peaceful hours pass by before the blonde is abruptly woken by a horny merman grinding up against him and Bakugou automatically welcomes Kirishima in with legs spread open wide.
Despite dealing with the troublesome nature of heat week for years, the two of them were still going strong and fortunately for the blonde, it’s become easier to deal with now that he’s figured out most of Kirishima’s turn-ons, which in turn helped reduce the number of waves occurring in a day. The merman was extraordinarily into lewd things and he admitted it was like receiving a present from Bakugou because of how uncharacteristic it was of him to be committing such erotic behaviors. For the most part, the blonde was still reluctant to a certain degree in indulging in risqué acts, but ‘boundaries’ were pretty much nonexistent during heat week and it wasn’t as though he necessarily disliked doing such things. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It made the blonde feel sexy, dirty, and achieve this sort of freedom from being exposed in more ways than just being stripped of his clothes. Heat week was a convenient excuse to cover up Bakugou’s own pleasures of being a little naughty and it was also entertaining to see the way it made Kirishima grovel before him. It was empowering to be able to bend the redhead to his will and make him uncontrollably hungry for more.
The blonde would arch his back sensually and scream out his lover’s name with abandon, moaning loudly for anyone nearby to hear and unabashed at how vocal he was being. Almost every session of theirs start off with a lap dance and the merman never once refused an offer in getting a show from the man. Shamelessly, Bakugou would roll his hips in a provocative motion and press his ass down against Kirishima’s slit. Strong muscles ripple deliciously at every circle his hips make and the blonde grinds into the merman’s pelvis until he feels a large boner start to slip out from the slit. And just to add a little plus to the whole experience, Bakugou would gasp against his lover’s ear in a voice filled with a sex-driven desire before spreading his legs apart in a suggestive manner, his ass all reserved for the redhead to claim as his own. Times like these had Kirishima ogling with his mouth hanging loosely by just the hinges of his jaw and the blonde loved watching the merman’s face gradually turn into a deep red at how sexual Bakugou was being. He was so easy to please… or maybe, the blonde was just really good at begging for Kirishima’s dick and whimpering submissively under the alpha’s powerful demeanor.
Seeing Bakugou act so docile and obedient towards the merman often induced a primal instinct of his and Kirishima would start to bite and suck hickeys on the blonde’s body all the while releasing his masculine scent to the max. Anything in combination with his scent was amazing and it made Bakugou feel weak to his knees, but it was such an erotic experience that he didn’t care about how vulnerable he was being. The initial sting of the bites and hickeys always hurt but it felt so good at the same time. He yearns for the dull ache that follows after and basks in the way it made him feel marked and belonging to his lover. It was addicting and Bakugou would also bite him but the merman preferred it when he left scratch marks on his back and it wasn’t particularly a hard request to accomplish since Kirishima never fails to give him a good time.
Now if the blonde was really feeling up for it and was extra horny, he would let the redhead play around with him like as though Bakugou was a hopeless little prey waiting for a strong predator to come hunt him down and pounce on him. Occasionally, when the blonde was willing to have sex in the waterways, he would wait patiently in there until Kirishima found his way over to him. While the merman slowly approaches the blonde, Bakugou attempts to seduce him by running the palms of his hands along the curves and edges of his body. Things then start to get a little steamy and after the redhead does his share of flirting, they fuck each other senseless. Sex was a million times better in the waters than on land when it came to the merman, despite the water washing away their lube, but it was a small price to pay now as compared to when he couldn’t handle it in the past.
Bakugou also didn’t have a problem in showering Kirishima with affection anymore and it was a no brainer that the redhead loved making out, cuddling, and nuzzling into each other regardless of the fact that they were both sweaty and tired from fucking. But all these extra efforts the blonde had to put in were saved moments specifically for heat week so that they were special and significant enough to reduce the number of waves they had in a day and sure enough, it works. Kirishima’s even discovered plenty of Bakugou’s own weaknesses, but really anything the redhead did made the blonde feel like he was going to cum at any moment all thanks to the merman’s relentless scent bombarding his nose, but it was always a good fuck so Bakugou had no intentions nor had he any reason to complain. It was to the point that he was pretty much blacking out during almost every single heat wave up until the week was over.
Seven long days of sex finally pass by and based on the dwindling number of heat waves they’ve dealt with today, it was evident that the week was coming to an end. The two lovebirds’ last wave had consisted of a simple blowjob and they were both now lying peacefully beside each other in their king-sized bed. Extremely burnt out and ready to fall asleep, Kirishima nuzzles into Bakugou’s body and his eyelids flutter closed in exhaustion, but the blonde had other plans for the night even though it was extremely tempting to take a quick nap instead.
“Hey, Eijirou… don’t sleep just yet.” Bakugou speaks softly into the space between them and Kirishima makes a small questioning noise in response. The redhead opens his eyes slightly and slowly blinks at the blonde before almost immediately attempting to go back to sleep when Bakugou shakes him by the shoulder to prevent that from happening, “Come on. Get up.”
“Nngh… but I’m tired…” Kirishima mumbles and starts to turn over to avoid having to talk anymore, but Bakugou pinches his side and the merman jolts at the sudden stinging pain, “Agh…! Stop it. I’m seriously tired and I really want to sleep…”
“I know, but it’s important.” Bakugou says as he pushes himself upright and slides off their bed. Swiftly, the blonde grabs ahold of his pajamas that were thrown haphazardly on the ground and quickly slips them back on before opening his nightstand drawer to pull out a small black leather object and shoving it in his pants pocket. When he turns around to check on the redhead, Kirishima had his eyes closed again but this time his mouth was slack and open ajar. The blonde’s brow twitches in slight irritation and he speaks slowly and punctually before he ends up shouting at the merman when he wasn’t responding, “I said. Wake. The fuck. Up… EIJIROU, WAKE UP-!”
“Mmnghh…! Leave me alone…” Kirishima groans against their silk blankets and Bakugou lets out a huff at the redhead’s reluctance to move and he couldn’t blame him for feeling drowsy, but… this was worth losing an extra ten minutes of sleep.
“Eijirou please… Come here. I have something special for you.” Just having to say those words made his heart skip a beat and Bakugou was starting to get nervous for what was to come, but he tries his best to push the emotion aside because right now all he wants and needs is confidence.
“… Special? What is it? … Oh! I-is it because I’ve been a good boy?” Kirishima’s eyes suddenly light up and he begins to get excited over his own imagination of what the blonde’s prepared for him. The redhead hurriedly scoots to the edge of their bed and outstretches his arms to the man who was readily there to pick the merman up bridal style. Bakugou then takes them to their indoor pool area and on the way, Kirishima quietly mumbles to himself over what this special thing was about, “… Is it maybe another plushie? I’d like another one. Maybe this time it will look like me and I’ll complete the pair… but can you customize one? That’d be nice. Can you make that happen for me, Katsuki?”
“Hmph… You’re such a child.” Bakugou grumbles at the idea of having to deal with another plushie he’d have to win the merman’s attention over, but he decides to give in to Kirishima’s adorable fanatics and indulges in the redhead’s desire, “… I’ll ask Yaoyorozu about it later then. Happy?”
“Yes!” Kirishima lifts a fist up in triumph and he giggles lightly as they enter the room to their indoor pool and Bakugou gently sets the redhead down onto a stool that was beside their ceiling to floor windows. They took up an entire wall of the room and were conveniently facing the beach, giving the pair a perfect view of the ocean and more. The night sky was dark but the moon and the stars provide more than enough light and it reflects off the waters beautifully. The ocean shimmers and glistens at every wave, crashing softly against the beach shore before receding back to join the large mass of water. The mood was quite romantic and they found themselves enraptured by the moment and they start to make out in a slow pace. Their lips slot perfectly together and Kirishima moves to wrap his arms around Bakugou’s neck while the blonde tenderly places his hands on the redhead’s hips. The merman was enjoying himself but was still slightly perplexed as to why this was happening and he pulls away from their kiss for an answer, “So… What are we doing out here when we could be doing this in our bedroom and maybe more?”
Bakugou chuckles at Kirishima’s rather suggestive tone even though he was complaining earlier about how tired he was and the blonde arches an unimpressed brow at the merman before opting to continue their kiss instead of answering his question. At some point, they stop to appreciate the scenic view outside their windows and while the redhead did exactly that, Bakugou couldn’t take his eyes off of the merman. Even after all these years of being together, just seeing Kirishima beside the windows showing the vast ocean in the distance sparkling under the moonlight took Bakugou’s breath away.
It was still hard to believe that he was in an intimate relationship with such a fine guy and the blonde hadn’t even started talking, yet his heart was already pounding in his chest from just his thoughts alone. He could hear it thumping in his ears and Bakugou’s hands were starting to get sweaty as well, causing his fingers to slip over the object he was fiddling with in his pocket. More than he would’ve liked, the blonde was very nervous but he’s been preparing his heart and mind for this moment for months now, so he had to do it… There was no turning back at this point.
“H-hey, do you remember... when we first met? You were washed up on the shore.” Bakugou curses himself for stuttering but Kirishima doesn’t seem to care and instead of pointing it out, he casually nods as a response but it throws the blonde off and he blurts out, “You hit me really fucking hard, you know.”
The redhead’s attentive expression towards the man slowly changes into a funny look and he laughs at Bakugou’s random remark but still responds in kind to his topic, “Sorry. I barely remember it, but I do recall some jackass pushing me into the sand.”
“Oh… Right…” Bakugou blinks dumbly at the redhead and judging by the way he was raising his brows at the blonde with expectation written all over his face, it was clear that Kirishima was wondering why they were suddenly talking about this. Bakugou scowls at himself for screwing up already and tries to remedy it, but he still ends up being a stuttering mess, “W-whatever! Anyways, I still remember the day we were out on the beach in the dark, just like how it is right now... though it’s not raining-”
“Katsuki. What the hell are you trying to get at?” Kirishima chuckles lightly at the blonde’s odd behavior and offers him a curious expression with a gentle smile, “What are you mumbling to yourself about? Is everything alright?”
“Goddammit! Okay fine, uh… I- Fucking hell! Let me start over!” Bakugou shouts loudly while flailing his arms out in frustration and Kirishima bursts out laughing at the blonde’s flustered state, but it causes the man to pout angrily at the merman with a blush as red as his hair. “L-let me start over...”
“Sure.” Kirishima nods with a sweet smile gracing over his lips and returns to dedicating all of his attention to the blonde standing before him. In hopes of not stumbling over his words again, Bakugou flicks his eyes down to the tip of the merman’s tail to avoid eye contact and takes a deep calming breath before trying to speak once more.
“I… I remember when I first saw you, I almost just left you out on the beach for someone else to take care of, but I’m glad I ran over to you or else nothing in our lives would be the same. I also remember the moment you opened your eyes and I... I-I couldn’t look away.” Bakugou slowly raises his head up to meet Kirishima’s eyes and he does his best to hold the contact as he continues with a little more confidence now that he has some control over the conversation, “You were so beautiful and I knew from that moment on that there was something about you I couldn’t resist, more than just your pretty face.”
“Really…?” The corners of Kirishima’s lips upturn into a sheepish smile and he begins to twiddle his thumbs together as the blonde nods to his question.
“Yeah… And you know, when Todoroki and Yaoyorozu first told me about how merpeople’s instincts were really sharp and usually right… I thought it was stupid. But then everything about you was…” Bakugou’s words trail off and he scratches the back of his head as a nervous gesture. He could feel his cheeks and the tips of his ears burning from embarrassment and the blonde bites his bottom lip to try and calm his nerves. Silence ensues between them and though it helped Bakugou to relax a bit, it made Kirishima fidget shyly and he coos in a soft voice to grab the blonde’s attention.
“E-everything about me was…?”
“… Perfect.” Bakugou breathes out the word and Kirishima bashfully averts his eyes but the blonde takes a step forward and lifts the merman’s redden face up to kiss him sweetly. Lips move on their own accord and Bakugou grabs a hold of one of Kirishima’s webbed hands while his other runs its fingers through red hair. “I think you’re really nice and cool… Though sometimes you’re annoying as all hell, but I also kind of like it.”
Bakugou grumbles lightly at the end of his sentence and it makes the redhead laugh into their kiss before he pulls back and stares up at his lover with adoration. A soft purring can be heard and Kirishima nuzzles into the blonde’s hand stroking his hair before Bakugou brings it over to cup his face and brush his thumb gently beneath the merman’s eye. “Your eyes are so big and cute. They’re red just like mine and the rest of your face is… Well, it’s nice to look at. You’re hot.”
An airy laugh pushes out of Kirishima’s chest at Bakugou’s last comment and he lightly shakes his head at the lack of recognition there was on the blonde’s end, “So are you-“
“No, stop.” Bakugou quickly interrupts the redhead and squeezes his webbed hand to emphasize his objection and Kirishima blinks at him, curious as to why the blonde had stopped him. “… I want this to be about you Eijirou, so let me tell you what I love about you.”
“O-okay…” A dust of pink spreads across Kirishima’s cheeks and though he feels shy under all of the compliments directed towards him, he doesn’t break eye contact with the blonde and offers him a small smile to which Bakugou swiftly uses as a cue to carry on with his speech.
“You never get bothered by me, even though I can be an ass sometimes- I-I mean… most of the time… A-anyways…! You never get scared of me when I yell at you or just… just look at you. Normally, people get intimidated or annoyed by my personality but your expression doesn’t change. You look at me… like there’s nothing wrong with me.” Bakugou brushes his thumb underneath the merman’s eye again and it seems to sparkle and dilate lovingly under his touch, focusing only on the blonde and nothing else.
“I love it when you look at me like I’m the only one in the world. Like as if I am everything to you. Special. You make me feel like I matter and it makes me all giddy inside… like a fucking idiot.” Bakugou gripes at the end and gently pinches Kirishima’s cheek, making an angelic laugh bubble out of the merman and the blonde feels much more confident now that they’re both fairly relaxed. He takes a step back and lets his eyes wander around Kirishima’s body and the blonde makes it a point to be obvious that he was checking him out. The merman’s blush deepens under his gaze and a smug smirk plays on Bakugou’s lips before he smoothly moves in to Kirishima’s personal space to whisper into his ear, “I love it when you hold me, kiss me, and touch me with that strong body of yours. Especially when you use it to pin me down and fuck me hard.”
“Uh-uhm… Katsuki…” Kirishima starts to pull and tug at the hem of Bakugou’s shirt in his flustered state and he fidgets uncomfortably on the stool chair he sat upon, but the redhead was so irresistibly adorable that Bakugou couldn’t hold back his laugh.
“And you can be extremely cute sometimes, if not all the time.”
“Hey…” Kirishima’s tone changes to a tinge of annoyance and his bashful expression turns into an angry pout. He probably would have preferred to hear how manly he was rather than how cute he supposedly was all the time, but it was the truth. Bakugou was even tempted to say he looked more adorable by pouting, but the blonde stops himself and instead takes his opportunity to do what he’s been building up this moment for.
Bakugou pulls away to create a reasonable distance between the two of them before digging into his pocket to pull out a small black leather box. His hands were shaking ever so slightly and his heart was beating slow and heavy, time moving at the speed of a turtle. He knew deep down that Kirishima loved him back just as much as the blonde did for the redhead, but he still couldn’t help feeling nervous as he kneels down on one knee in front of the merman. “Eijirou... I’ve been waiting for this day to come for a really long time…”
“W-wait... What are you doing?” Kirishima flicks his eyes around the blonde and gasps largely when Bakugou opens the box and reveals its content. In it was a simple silver tungsten wedding band with a necklace chain that went through the ring hole and it was absolutely beautiful. The redhead’s mouth opens in shock and he presses his webbed hands on either side of his head in disbelief, “No way…”
“I want to be with you forever, so Eijirou… will you marry me?”
“W-what...?”
“I-I know we’re already together, but I’m a man too! I wouldn’t be able to call myself one if I don’t fucking get down on one knee and propose to the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with!” Bakugou shouts with a fierce blush blazing on his cheeks and though he wants to toss the ring out the window and run for his life, the blonde bravely holds eye contact with Kirishima to finish what he started like the man he is. “If we’re talking for humans, then I’m a goddamn alpha male too!”
“Katsuki...” Kirishima’s eyes were wide with sparkles of joy in them and a large smile starts to form on his lips, ready to give the blonde an answer but Bakugou wasn’t done just yet.
He swallows the lump forming in his throat from being nervous and he does his best to ignore the hammering noise in his ears from his heartbeat resonating throughout his body. Bakugou knew Kirishima’s answer, after all he was the one to propose first, but the blonde had to do this. It wasn’t just about his own pride in being a man, but Kirishima deserved to hear everything he meant to Bakugou and more.
“Your parents accept me now and I’ve been waiting for us to be able to live together under the same roof and not one of a temporary place like my apartment. We’ll finally be like a real married couple… We’ll get to wake up next to each other and stay in one another’s presence every single waking day and I’ll make you meals for as long as you want me to. I want to take care of you and provide for you, love you for eternity and give you everything you want. I won’t ever endanger you either and I’ll always protect you because you mean the world to me.”
“You’re fucking crazy… I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Kirishima says as he rubs his webbed hands against his redden cheeks and moves to cover his mouth in incredulity at what was happening.
“It’s your fault that I’m crazy in love with you.” Bakugou grins in his manic way before softening his expression to be a bit more serious. “You’re my everything Eijirou and you’re the only one for me so… will you give me an answer?”
“You stupid idiot...!” Kirishima shouts and lunges at him with open arms, ready to capture the blonde in a tight embrace. “Of course it’s a yes!”
“Thank you.” Bakugou says as he laughs and squeezes the redhead back before carefully pulling the necklace out of its container and clipping it around Kirishima’s neck. The merman chirps in delight before gasping when he sees a matching ring readily hung on the chain of the blonde’s own necklace he pulls out from under the collar of his t-shirt that had Kirishima’s three scales on it. The redhead’s pupils dilate largely and he presses into Bakugou’s chest, purring loudly against him and overjoyed with how special this truly ended up being. Kirishima giggles to himself as he begins to fiddle with both of their rings and Bakugou watches him with tranquility in his heart, taking in the moment unfolding between them. The merman was all his now and it seems so unreal to him but when the blonde places his forehead on Kirishima’s and feels the redhead push back, he knew the warmth was real and their future was going to be as well. “I love you so much, baby.”
“I love you too. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am, Katsuki.” Kirishima sighs affectionately and it makes the blonde blush but it doesn’t bother him anymore and he plants a kiss on the redhead’s cheek. The merman lets out a gentle laugh as he continues to inspect their rings before making a noise of interest that catches Bakugou’s attention. On the inside of both of their rings, familiar writing was etched into the tungsten material and Kirishima looks up to him with a questioning tilt of his head. “It’s got our names engraved on it?”
“W-well, yeah… It’s just for the two of us…” The blonde says shyly and looks away while scratching the back of his head and Kirishima snickers at Bakugou’s bashful behavior.
“Aw~ why do you have to be so cute? Why are you so perfect?” Kirishima squeals in delight and hugs the man again in a firm embrace.
“Same goes to you, dumbass.” Bakugou laughs at the redhead before leaning in for a kiss and they linger against each other’s lips for a moment that feels like it could last forever.
The blonde’s never thought a day like this would come. He always imagined himself to be a lone wolf, trudging through life all by himself and with no one else involved. Never once had he been in a relationship and never once did he believe he would get down on one knee to propose to someone, yet he did it today with the only person he wants to share the rest of his life with from here on out.
They slowly kiss a few more times and cherish the soft touch before the redhead pulls back slightly to whisper into the small space between them, “Hey, Katsuki?”
“Hn?”
“Will we be together forever now?” Kirishima looks up to the blonde with a serene smile and a fond look in his eyes that made Bakugou’s chest flush with unexplainable emotions.
“… Is that really a question?” With the one and only redheaded merman Bakugou’s ever wanted in his life in his arms right now and a dream house and restaurant he now owns, it was an easy answer…
Foreheads press warmly together with large piercing red eyes gazing into sharp fierce ones, equally infatuated with one another…
Passionate kisses and sweet whispers of each other’s first names share in the space between them…
Warm necks rub against each other down to the shoulder and up again repetitively…
A single searing yet exhilarating bite mark decorates snow-white skin…
Firm webbed hands grip securely on hips and calloused hands run through scarlet red hair…
It was certainly an easy answer, but nowhere near attainable to express in words. At a time like this, it was much more suited to communicate with your body when words fail to convey your feelings.