5

Chapter Text

2532

Izuku knew how fast time passed, how minutes and hours and days went by in a blur. 

Before, he saw every day as either a Saturday or not one. When he was alone, with his training, thoughts, and books, the weeks just happened as he looked forward to the next time he got to see Aurora. 

Now, everything was different.

Izuku hadn't lived with anyone in centuries, and it was a pleasant change. He was used to silence. But it was so much better having someone at the otherwise empty table, to share his cooking with and relate to. The old ache of loneliness lessened like a healing scar. 

Izuku set up his guest room for her. It must have been smaller than what she was used to in Heaven(what were godly homes like?), but she bundled into the green blankets happily. Neither of them mentioned the room next to Izuku's; empty but waiting.

Izuku didn't go shopping very often, mostly out of guilt at essentially stealing- it wasn't like there was anyone there to give money to. But decorating Aurora's room was a worthy cause, he decided.

What surprised Izuku though, was the color. Everything was a soft green, from the painted walls to the pillows. He should ask if that color was her favorite.

They often spent nights on movie marathons, passing out on the couch when it got late. Izuku always fell asleep first, not used to having anyone to stay up for. Every time, he woke up to her asleep on the couch too.

They travelled, starting small at first; long walks together around Musutafu to museums and mountains. Aurora took in his home with pure curiosity, excited in a way that made showing her places like seeing them for the first time. Eventually, they moved onto the world, staying in hotels and exploring before Aurora's magic teleported them to the next spot.

Aurora still had her role as a goddess. Izuku definitely wasn't complaining, but it was surprising how they let her work from Earth.

Sekhmet visited every few months. She brought news from Heaven, but mostly trained Izuku and became sort of a (terrifying) mentor figure. Sparring against her, Izuku improved immensely. It did wonders for his pain tolerance especially. 

Sekhmet came off as cold, at first. If Izuku was doing something terribly, she'd tell him. Her compliments were extremely rare, but this just made them more valuable. 

When she was with her sister, the facade broke slightly. Sekhmet was protective of Aurora, yet didn't limit her actions. Izuku recognized that her vouch was probably the main reason Aurora could stay on Earth. 

While her sister's magic was a warm, free presence, Sekhmet's was tightly controlled. Sekhmet possessed two types of magic, her mana becoming an enchanting mix. Sekhmet healed him often(since he was injured every time they sparred), and he was familiar with the green mana fixing him. 

Her enhancement magic was different, the red surrounding her like a cloak. It multiplied her physical strength, already at ridiculous levels, to unstoppable. 

Izuku and Aurora were currently in a popular hotel in America, surrounded by grassy fields. Aurora usually preferred to sleep in, so Izuku trained the most in the morning.

Izuku swung his staff a final time, feeling the air burst around him from the pressure. He let the violet sparkling from his staff fade, and slung the cool metal onto his back. Izuku brushed back the hair that had been pushed in his eyes as he looked up at the parted clouds. 

His hair was completely white now, but to his relief didn't show any signs of falling out. Izuku remembered when it was green, a shade of emerald matching his eyes. He knew what his mom looked like, and the fact that they wouldn't match anymore felt like he lost something. The white suited him better though, long hair falling almost to his shoulders like snow.

Maybe he needed to cut it?

Izuku was pulled out of his musing by something nudging his foot. Looking down, he was surprised to see a cat pawing him.

There were no animals around the paused Earth, and he had assumed they were gone with everything else. But in front of him was a small, pitch black creature proving that otherwise. The cat stared at him with yellow eyes curiously as he bent down to it, but didn't move away. 

"Hello" Izuku whispered softly. "Do you have a name?"

The cat stared at him. 

"I'll just call you Kuro then. Do you want to come with me?"

There was no response, but when Izuku started walking away Kuro followed him, tail swishing in the grass.

Izuku walked into town, wandering he picked up pet food that Kuro had stared at along with other things he could think of needing for a cat before leaving the store. He had stopped feeling guilty about taking items long ago, it wasn't like there was anyone around to complain about it. 

At some point, Kuro had climbed up to his shoulder as he returned to the hotel The weight was nice, and Izuku didn't need to worry about losing him. 

Aurora opened her eyes when he shook her awake. 

"What?" she murmured, sitting up. Her purple hair fell to her shoulders now, 

He lifted Kuro off his shoulder, holding him out in front of her..

"This is Kuro. Can we adopt him?" 

Aurora blinked slowly, an adorable motion that gave him a familiar twinge.

"I don't see why not. Do you know how to take care of him?"

Izuku shrugged. "I can probably figure it out. Have you ever had a pet before?"

Aurora tilted her head. "Mother gave me a dragon when I was young. They are extremely smart though, so it wasn't much work for me. This...".

"Cat." Izuku supplied.

"...cat seems easy to care for." She glanced at the creature, docile in his hands, purple eyes meeting yellow.

"But Kuro ? Really?" 

"What? It's a good name." Izuku defended. Maybe naming a black cat black was a little unoriginal. Kuro didn't seem to mind though. 

Aurora shook her head with an impossibly fond sigh. Izuku put Kuro down, and they watched him explore the hotel room before leaping onto the bed. Aurora gently stroked his black fur.

"You know, you didn't have to ask me if you could have a pet, right?" 

"Why wouldn't I ask if someone could join our family?" Izuku asked, confused.

Aurora's purple eyes widened, and she stared at him for a moment. When she spoke, it was quiet.

"You think of me as family?"

Izuku paused, feeling the weight behind those words. He was probably overstepping, but when he thought about Aurora, who had always been there-

"Of course I do."

Aurora smiled, small and genuine and soft, and Izuku felt like he was still outside in the sun.

2536

"How does courtship work in Heaven?"

The fist stopped inches from his face, the wind rushing by him and rippling through his hair. 

"What." Sekhmet asked flatly.

Izuku felt a bit of heat rise in his cheeks. "You know...dating wi-"

"Yes, I know what courting is." Sekhmet interrupted, then let out a sigh. The park was silent for a moment.

"This is about Aurora, isn't it?" she asked.

Izuku's eyes widened, shocked. "H-How did you know?"

"You just confirmed it. Also, you are acquainted with exactly two people. One of which is me."

He winced. "It kind of hurts when you put it like that."

"Do I look like someone you should come to for romantic advice?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"No, but as you so nicely mentioned, I don't really have any other options." Izuku replied dryly. 

"Fair point." Sekhmet paused, in thought. "For gods, it's pretty much the same as with humans. Meet someone, date them, marriage. Your dating, right?"

Izuku stared at her. "No? That's what I wanted to ask you for advice on."

Sekhmet looked up at the sky.

"I never thought I would meet someone more dense than I am..." she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Haven't you been basically dating for the past few centuries? You're so clearly in love that I could see it."

Izuku didn't know what to say to that. He knew that, the thought bugging him for decades, but had it really been that obvious?

"Anyway, I was in your position once, a long time ago. When I got married-"

"You're married ?" Izuku broke in, completely shocked. 

Sekhmet glared at him, mana flaring, and he fell into silence instantly. " When I got married, I really didn't know how it happened. I'm terrible at this kind of thing, so it took that idiot a long time to get it through to me." She smiled. "So you should tell her. I mean, my sister has more emotional knowledge than both of us put together, anyway."

Izuku laughed. 

"You know, you seem really tough and closed off. But you're actually super soft and supportive!"

"I'm not soft. " Sekhmet shot back, but the anger wasn't there. 

"You're like a tsundere."

" What the hell is a tsundere ?"

Sekhmet glared at the blonde girl on screen. "I am nothing like this."

The blonde got flustered by the main character, and covered it up by yelling at him.

"Nothing."

Aurora tilted her head. "But what about that one time Kensei-san got you flowers and you got so embarrassed you-"

"That was centuries ago." 

"When you mentioned your husband, you called him a 'baka'" Izuku noted.

"I'll make your next training session twice as hard." Sekhmet promised.

"W-What? Why?" 

"Three times."

Izuku looked to Aurora for help, but she just laughed.

Betrayal. 

"Don't worry Nee-san, you aren't a normal tsundere. You're evolved ."

"Like a Pokémon?" Izuku asked.

"Like a Pokémon." Aurora agreed.

Sekhmet glanced between them, lost. "What's a 'Pokémon'?"

"So basically, a young child is given a familiar and is sent out to fight monsters, and strangers, given zero training?"

Izuku shrugged. "I guess."

"The creatures are cute though." Aurora piped up from the couch.

Sekhmet looked down at the device.

"It still seems stupid though. I don't know why anyone would ever play this."

"..."

"..."

"So which starter do I pick?"

"I can't believe you're addicted to Pokémon." 

"I'm not 'addicted'. I don't know why you two think that."

"Nee-san, it's been 6 hours."

"This is a masterpiece of tactical warfare, with a deceptively adorable art style. The strategy required is extraordinary. Me and my Bulbosaur will fight on forever."

"Look at what you did Izuku, she's corrupted." 

"It's not that bad." 

Sekhmet grinned as she completed yet another Gym on the first try.

"I'm a gamer now."

"Oh gods."

"Yes?" Aurora asked.

"Yes?" Sekhmet asked, face buried in the game.

Izuku sighed. He had brought this upon himself.

2537

A date in Paris(where their first date was, though he doubted she remembered), then a confession on top of the tower. Yes, that was the culmination of Izuku and Sekhmet's romantic knowledge.

The plan was incredibly simple, and there was no way it could go wrong.

Well. Unless Aurora rejected him, and then he would die inside and she would leave and then he would be alone-

Izuku paused in his spiral. Aurora was the kindest person he knew. If she said no, it would be gentle, and there was no way she would abandon him for something like this.

Izuku stood in his black and green suit, probably the most formal thing he had, a white scarf hugging his neck. Petting Kuro for good luck, he walked out the door, ready.

Aurora was already in the hotel lobby when he came down, greeting him with a smile. She was wearing a gorgeous purple dress, a fabric he couldn't name making it seem ethereal with swirling blue designs. Her hair was styled differently today, making her look like a queen. 

Nevermind, he might just die here.

"You look beautiful. " Izuku said breathlessly. 

Aurora smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "You look great too, Izuku."

"So where are we going?" Aurora asked.

Gods had the ability to teleport long distances, using up stamina to travel across worlds in an instant. However, this meant that Izuku couldn't surprise Aurora unless it was within walking distance. 

Right on cue, Sekhmet arrived behind them and put a hand on their backs, warping them away. 

They landed with a snap, travelling from America to France in an instant. Sekhmet immediately vanished, though with a last glance at Izuku( you better not mess this up ). Aurora's eyes widened, and Izuku grinned. 

"This is...Paris? How did you get Sekhmet to help?"

Izuku shrugged.

He really did owe her one for helping him. Or three. 

Izuku smiled, offering Aurora his hand. She took it, and they walked.

The winter air was chilly, and Izuku was happy he brought his scarf. Sometimes he wished he was immune to the cold, like Aurora was; Izuku could remember watching her walk through the snow in a t-shirt.

Aurora's hand was warm in his though.

They hadn't been in Paris in decades, and Izuku was questioning that now. The city was amazing, bright lights illuminating the streets. They spent the evening like that, pointing out sights to each other. 

They ate a bento on the bridge, watching the river. The conversation flowed, and they talked about anything and everything. He was spending time with her, but now the atmosphere was charged. 

She laughed, and instead of laughing with her Izuku's breath caught watching her. When Aurora realized they were going to the tower she grinned and he almost fell. 

Gods he was a mess.

There was a peaceful silence on top of the tower, and Izuku remembered that date centuries ago. He had given himself time, time to see if it was a mistake, if he was just latching onto the first person he had met who was kind to him. Time to see if Izuku had a chance. That time had passed though. It was easy to push it off for months and years and decades and centuries . 

Izuku looked at her. 

Aurora was radiant, a wide smile still on her face as she watched the city below. 

He loved her.

"Hey Aurora?"

Aurora turned to him. 

"Marry me." 

Wait. Wait. Wait that wasn't what-

And then she was kissing him, something impossibly soft and an answer all on it's own.

"Sure." Aurora replied, breathlessly, seconds later.

Well then.

"So? How did it go?" 

"It went amazing. But then we got on the tower, and I didn't tell her I loved her-"

"You actual idiot. You had one job. One."

"-but instead asked her to marry me-"

"What."

"-and then she said yes-"

Sekhmet blinked. " What?"

"-and then we kissed." 

Sekhmet stared at him.

"I owe you like five favors." Izuku said.

"This is what happens when you send an overachiever on a date, isn't it."

Izuku shrugged.

Sekhmet's eyes hardened, and Izuku suddenly felt an immense amount of pressure bearing down on him. It was like gravity was multiplied. Her red eyes glowed, and mana flooded the area.

"You know that if you hurt her, I'll destroy you right? Then I'll heal you, and crush you again."

Izuku nodded. "Of course."

The killing intent vanished, and Izuku took a deep breath. 

"Good answer."

There was a pause.

"You have to teach me that someday."

"Teach you what?"

2540

"Are you sure?" Aurora asked.

Izuku nodded. "I want to meet her."

Aurora bit her lip. "We don't have to get her blessing. We have Sekhmet as a witness, and Kensei-san can legally marry us."

"Aurora, did she raise you? Do you care about her?" 

"Yes?"

"Then I have to meet her, right?" Izuku asked.

Aurora sighed. "I do love her, but she's a lot , and she's scary-"

She was worried about him, Izuku realized. Her eyes were wide, and hands shaking so slightly he wouldn't have noticed if he didn't look for it. Aurora was so strong, yet she was scared of losing him. 

He knew how that felt.

Izuku smiled, gently picking up both her hands, holding them in his own.

"Your mother is probably terrifying. But I'll survive. And she could never scare me off from you."

"Izuku, my mother is the Queen of Heaven."

"Oh, fuck."

"Sekhmet, out of curiosity, what are my chances of beating the Queen of Heaven?"

"0%" She answered immediately.

Izuku winced. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll delete your internet browsing history if you die."

"Thanks, Sekhmet."

Notes:

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