Beginnings
Sweat beaded across a pale forehead, messy, dirty blonde hair sticking to his skin. Captain Katsuki Bakugou sat folded over his desk, a single lantern lighting the humid room. Red and black ink covered many sheets of parchment, lines crossing over each other as if drawn by a child. A frustrated groan left his lips as he looked between the maps and the cold compass he kept around his neck. Katsuki felt familiar and comforting swaying, almost daring him to fall asleep in its security. He allowed himself to shut his eyes for a moment, listening to his own breathing and the calls from outside the cabin. He heard seagulls and smelt the ocean, for just a second the tension melted from his body as he lay the quill on the desk.
Until the heat started to spread, and images of the past flashed through his mind. A boy with green eyes. Seashells. Gold. A shipwreck. People screaming. He lurched forward, panicked and gripping the wood of his chair tight. The sudden movement caused the light to go out, his breathing ragged as he focused on feeling the soft tears in his baggy pants. For a moment he wanted to sit in the dark forever, but he struck a match and relit the candle. The lines on the paper were fuzzy, he dragged fingers over them to follow along, ink bleeding onto his calloused fingertips. Pain started to course through his palms as he felt sweat drip down his biceps and down his chest.
Katsuki rose from his chair, the room felt too small, too humid. He needed to get out for a bit. He slid on his sturdy brown leather boots, finding his signature coat thrown lazily on the bed and donning that as well. He took the lantern in hand as he checked his appearance in the mirror, searching his appearance for a shred of weakness. His hair was shaggy, covering his face slightly and sticking out in all angles. There was a scar down his right cheek, faded from an old battle. Red eyes glowed as he scowled at his reflection, the mark of demons colouring his irises. The scars and sweat continued down his chest, an old white shirt with plenty of tears pressed against his skin to show off the muscle underneath.
His coat was black and had trims of gold and purple. It was an item he was very proud of; the soft material pressed against his skin and offered a reminder. A reminder that he was not a man to be reckoned with, a reminder that he could take whatever he wanted from whomever he wanted, including noblemen. Even on the hottest days, Katsuki was never seen without it. His gold compass hung from his neck, the metal offering cool relief in the centre of his chest. He checked his belt was fitting correctly, the gold buckle and expensive leather tightening ever so slightly around his waist. His hand grazed over the long sword that hung from his belt, sheathed and always within reach. He released a deep breath as he felt the metal, checking under his baggy brown trousers for his concealed dagger. It was always strapped to his calf, and time had proven both weapons priceless in his travels.
Pain continued to throb, like a heatwave starting in his palms and spreading up his arms and towards his heart. He let out a growl and threw on his hat, the final signature item of the most feared pirate in the world. It was as lavish as his coat and matched handsomely, enhancing the menace and anger in his eyes. He was a tall man, and while hardly anyone had seen him and lived to speak of it, the rumours spread across the seas; towns knew who he was before he even arrived. Katsuki didn’t mind, he took the chance to gloat to the common people and snarled at them to keep their distance. He had no time to spare on peasants, and noblemen were only valuable if they were handing over possessions.
He placed the lantern back down, blowing out the light as he made his way to the deck. He stomped up the wooden stairs, holding back growls as he felt the pressure grow in his hands. He turned the handle and immediately covered his eyes, stepping forward into blinding light and holding onto the doorframe while he adjusted. Colours danced around his vision as he slowly attempted to open his eyes, squinting at the shapes and colours that were too familiar. Pink. Yellow. Black. He growled once more, turning towards the ledge of his small ship and walking, barking orders before he could fully acknowledge his crew. The pressure was building more than ever, old wounds and scars on his hands beginning to reopen.
“Anchors down! Sero, start fishing! Mina, prepare to cook while it’s still light! If you need to expel, do it now!”
His voice was loud, especially in the open waters, and the urgency was present. His ears started ringing, the pain spread across his entire body as if he was being burnt alive from the inside. His vision blurred as he felt his knees press against the wooden ledge, but he couldn’t tell how hard he had walked into it. Perhaps it was like the kiss of a fairy, or more likely it was enough to cause splinters through his worn-down pants. The swaying of the ship felt too intense, his eyes squeezed shut to prevent the nausea from building upwards. His palms couldn’t take any more and he could feel smoke starting from the centre and working its way out.
He threw his arms over the side of his ship, shifting his right leg backwards for support as explosions left his hands. He yelled out in pain, hearing nothing but a deafening chime in his ears and feeling nothing but the burn of reminders. His body slumped over the ledge, the urge to throw up ever present as the movements of the ship continued; something that lulled him to sleep moments ago turning into vicious movement. He felt as though he was tumbling, his breathing seemed to halt. And he saw more. Green eyes. Green hair. Green tail. Emeralds. Gold. Freckles.
Katsuki vaguely felt himself falling backwards, the thump of wood against his back and head pushing him closer to the memories, closer to the boy who haunted every second of his existence.
Izuku.
Shimmering green eyes, dark and curly green hair, red cheeks, and tears streaming over freckled skin. Katsuki was 6 years old, spiteful brown eyes frozen with wonder as he watched the boy desperately flop on the sand. He had no legs, instead a long and beautiful green tail wiggled as he tried to move. Katsuki was born and raised on Krypt; an island infamous for merfolk sightings but he never believed the stories until that very moment. Despite his age, Katsuki had been working in the mines by the shore every day for 2 years, he knew the rules for spotting a mermaid. The head of the island would be notified, and in this case, there wouldn’t even need to be a team of people to grab it.
But Katsuki never really liked the adults on his island, and he thought it was stupid how much control the old woman in charge had. He would always speak to his parents about how they could just kill the old hag and he wouldn’t have to work anymore; every time his mother was quick to shut him down with a firm slap to the face.
Katsuki poked the mer-boy with a stick he found nearby, frowning in annoyance as the tears increased and he started to wail loudly. He never thought about the consequences his actions would have, always jumping towards the first idea with utter confidence. So, for 10 minutes he dragged the crying boy towards the water, arms and legs aching but too stubborn to quit. The boy struggled and cried, but at some point, settled as if he realised what Katsuki was doing. The closer to the water they got, the more the cries turned to pleasant chirping sounds. Had the roles been reversed, Katsuki was certain he would have swam away and never returned.
But the merman wasn’t very bright, or maybe he was just too trusting of Katsuki. But they became best friends very quickly, growing up together and visiting each other as often as possible. They would play whenever no one was around to see them, Izuku learned very quickly how to speak Katsuki’s language. They wrote in the sand and swam together, racing each other and competing whenever the opportunity arose. Izuku was kind and very affectionate, giving sweet nicknames and gifts from the ocean. Katsuki was brash and confident, insulting his friend in a way only they would see as loving. Kacchan and Deku, 2 boys who were the perfect halves of each other’s lives. They spent 10 years hiding each other from families and communities, swearing to stay by each other’s side and protect each other at all costs.
That promise left a bitter taste in Katsuki’s mouth every day.
He jolted upwards at the feeling of a wet rag being placed upon his head, the pain was gone but he still felt out of place and dizzy. A gentle voice shushed him, strong arms laying him back down and calloused hands running through his messy hair. Katsuki could feel his hat and boots were missing, he wondered how long he had been passed out. It wasn’t like him to faint like that, even under immense pain and stress; he wasn’t some delicate girl.
“It’s ok Captain, you weren’t out long. It’s still noon.”
He felt his first mate, Eijirou Kirishima, gently wipe tears and pat at the sweat that seemed to coat Katsuki all over. Eijirou was muscular, a tall and well-built man with bright red hair kept in a ponytail and glowing red eyes that swam with compassion. He wore only baggy and extremely damaged pants, regularly joking about being allergic to shoes and shirts. Katsuki felt himself relax, comforted by the close feeling of his first mate as he adjusted to where he was. He felt the gentle swaying and heard the bed beneath him match its tempo. The lantern on the desk had been lit, the familiarity of the cabin sinking in as his head rested against his friend.
Katsuki had been sailing with Eijirou for 5 years, both boys and the other crew members being Krypt locals before being cursed and outlawed. Abena Krypt, the dictator of their home, had taken control before they could talk. Despite her age and feeble appearance, it was well known she possessed powerful abilities, and everyone warned not to anger her. Each crewmate had reasons for being outlawed, and despite their time together they hardly shared their secrets. The reminders of being forced out were almost as painful as the curses that accompanied them.
Katsuki pulled his arm suddenly, hissing as the cold rag was moved to his palms. Eijirou pressed their foreheads together in silent reassurance, tension slowly being relieved as the wounds on his palms stopped bleeding. Katsuki let his hands wander over the exposed skin of Eijirou, rubbing circles over the jagged edges from his own curse. Eijirou never showed the pain he was in, the 2 were very alike in that way. But the curses were more painful each time, and the dim lighting couldn’t hide the tears of his first mate. He gently massaged until the skin relaxed, comfortable silence wrapped around them as they embraced each other. Their moment lasted only a second longer before Katsuki shrugged the man off.
“It’s too hot to be touching idiot.”
“Maybe, but it’s never stopped us before” Eijirou grinned, laying on the captain’s bed carelessly as Katsuki rolled his eyes. Katsuki still couldn’t believe how well the 2 got along, Eijirou was always friendly and never took things too seriously; Katsuki always teased him about having bricks where a brain should be. Even through his worst tempers and cruellest words, his first mate was always dependable and by his side. They didn’t hide how close they were from the rest of the crew, the others were stupid but not dense enough to realize how they de-stressed.
What they did hide were moments like this, the comforting moments and gentle touches. Katsuki could never be described as soft, he was always sneering and glaring, the pain and anger he felt almost never went away. He had to be strict, he had to lead the way and keep everyone focused on what they were after, it was his responsibility to get everyone back home. So he cherished the moments with Eijirou in private, the gentle touches and meaningless rambles, the soft kisses and comfortable silence. This was his safe space, laying next to Eijirou with the gentle rocking of the ship.
“Hey- “Eijirou broke the silence, sounding unusually serious as Katsuki looked into his eyes. His first mate looked nervous, and Katsuki’s mind started racing about what it was. Perhaps he was hurt, maybe he wanted to quit the crew, was he about to reveal something dark about himself? Katsuki didn’t like any of it, scowl returning as he waited for Eijirou to continue. But as he opened his mouth, the cabin door slammed open.
“Captain! We caught one!” Denki yelled, barging in and making Katsuki jump off the bed and away from Eijirou. Denki shrank under the glare he received, Katsuki hoping he didn’t notice the tenderness the 2 men shared.
“Ever fucking heard of knocking?!” He yelled, barely hearing the muttered apology from his crewmate. He didn’t wait for Eijirou to say what he wanted; he didn’t even wait for him to get up before storming out onto the deck. Eijirou was clearly upset as he followed, but he couldn’t care less in that moment. 5 years at sea looking for a mermaid had been 5 years too long,
When Katsuki ran to the deck his jaw dropped upon seeing the flailing body, trapped in a net and too tangled to dream of escaping. The tail was long and green, his hair curly and freckles dotted along his skin. His crew were celebrating the capture, but Katsuki was frozen and knelt down beside him, reaching for his dagger in case the merman fought back. But as scared green eyes met angry red ones, Katsuki knew there was no need. The boy was crying, and a whirlwind of emotion spun as Katsuki searched for the right words.
“Deku.”