Why Pirates Hate Water

Valentines Special

⚠️This will not affect the timeline, characters, plot, or events of the story. This takes place after the ending of the book.⚠️

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"Hey, where did you learn how to make chocolate?" Denki asked as he peered over Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku smiled a bit to himself, "My mom was a baker." He continued to stir the melted homemade chocolate batter.

"Man, I wanted to make something for Eiji, but I can't cook at all!" Denki whined, slouching over and resting his forehead on Izuku's shoulder.

"Hmm, have you tried making some kind of jewelry or something?" Izuku grabbed at the molds and began pouring the mixture into each one carefully.

"Nooo, it's too hard to get good supplies for those here." Denki replied, maneuvering around as Izuku worked so he wouldn't be in the way.

"Just use shells and sea glass with some fishing line." Izuku suggested as he moved onto the next tray, making sure to make each chocolate with love. Denki seemed to like the idea because he quickly rose off of Izuku's shoulder and ran out of the kitchen, shouting a quick 'thanks' behind him.

Izuku just chuckled to himself before looking back to the chocolates. His baking skill had certainly diminished over the many years at sea, and he suddenly felt disappointed at his sloppy work. He sighed, carrying the trays to the small 'freezer' cooler. He had just managed to step away in time.

"Hey, what are ya up to?" Katsuki asked as he swung open the door.

"Uhm, I was deciding what to make everyone for dinner." Izuku lied through his teeth.

"Let me cook tonight." Katsuki said softly as he wrapped his arms around the back of Izuku's waist, nestling his face into Izuku's neck.

"Okay.." Izuku blushed a bit as he stiffly stood in the same spot for a few minutes. He began to relax a little bit when the door swung open to reveal a very tired and disoriented looking Shoto.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Katsuki gawked at the mismatch male. Izuku offered a nod and a big cheesy smile.

"Hmm, my turn, move." Shoto said, trying to push Katsuki off Izuku so he could relish in the smaller males' warmth. Katsuki let out a 'hmph' and held tighter.

"Fine, Zuku, do you want something to drink?" Shoto asked, searching the drink cabinet for something to wake him up.

"I'm alright, Sho, thank you, though." Izuku attempted to remove Katsuki from himself as well so he could move. He loved how caring his lovers could be and wondered if he had done enough for them as well. Izuku knew it was an awful and degrading thought, but he felt that his partners were too good, that he didn't deserve them. He would never tell them that, though.

Izuku thought back to the chocolates for a minute, just another representation of how he couldn't seem to do anything right for his boyfriends. Even Denki would manage to make some amazing piece of jewelry for his boyfriend. Izuku shook the thought from his head quickly, opting to begin operation Day of Love.

Valentines Day was one of Izuku's favorite holidays, but this was the first year he had a lover to spend it with, in his case two. His mother loved Valentines Day when she was around, too. She would decorate their little bakery with paper hearts and make special themed desserts. Then, after the shop was closed up, they would go upstairs to their little 'apartment' and make chocolate covered strawberries.

Izuku didn't have pink paper to cut into little heart chains or red frosting and ingredients for cupcakes, and he definitely didn't have fresh strawberries, but he would do what he could for Valentines Day. That was Operation Day of Love, to show his wonderful and caring boyfriends just how much he appreciated them.

He began with gifts. Luckily, he had bought them a few small things at their last pit stop. He wrapped them carefully, making small bows and using Mina's bedazzling kit that he would have to thank her for later. The gifts weren't anything special, for Katsuki, he had gotten him some cookbooks and herbs, for Shoto he had found some gears and tinkering gadgets along with some new mystery novels. Izuku hoped that these would be nearly good enough for them. He knew they weren't, though.

So, phase three began. Flowers were a tough one on a boat, but there was plenty of coral that he could make as a bouquet. Izuku walked the plank, literally. He took off his shirt and pants to only leave him in his boxers before diving into the water. He felt the familiar feeling of his legs becoming a tail and popped up to the surface to see how fast the wind was carrying the ship. He didn't want to stray too far away. Denki waved at Izuku from the boat.

"Grab any pearls if you find 'em, will ya?" Denki called out to Izuku.

"Yeah, on it!" Izuku called back with a grin before diving down again.

The sea floor was littered with creatures, corals, and sea grass, but finding the true diamonds in the rough was a difficult task. Izuku scanned and searched the entire floor near the ship, coming up with only one pearl filled oyster for Denki. He grabbed the best, but not greatest, coral he could find and returned to the ladder on the side of the boat.

As soon as he got up to the deck, Denki was standing there with his clothes outstretched towards him. They had surprisingly grown an unlikely friendship that only got stronger as time passed. Izuku thanked him and got dressed, handing over the oyster.

"What do you think about these?" Izuku showed Denki the coral.

"For what?" Denki asked, inspecting the turquoise spongey tubes.

"For a bouquet for Kacchan and Shoto." Izuku replied, looking down at the coral with a frown.

"I think that it's beautiful." Denki said reassuringly with a hopeful gleam, "Well good luck, and thanks for the pearl!" Denki ran off again, back to making his jewelry.

Izuku sighed, trudging back to his menagerie of items for his lovers. He set down the coral 'bouquet' on the table in the kitchen and opened the cooler. He had failed to remember that they were on a boat. The chocolates had all spilled over the sides of the mold and frozen in miscellaneous splatter shapes. Izuku wanted to cry, so he did.

He slid down against the table, slamming the chocolates down by the bouquet. He let the first tears slide down his cheeks, making a path for the following ones to roll down in suit. He knew that he didn't deserve them. He couldn't even manage to make this day special for them. But still, like always, they came to the rescue.

"Hey, you alright?" Katsuki asked, walking closer to Izuku, stopping right in front of him. It was only when he stopped walking that Izuku noticed the second set of following footsteps. Those also stopped, but instead, he was met by a crouching Shoto. Shoto reached a gentle hand out, cupping Izuku's face and wiping away the streak of tears with his thumb.

"What's all this?" Katsuki asked, motioning to the coral, chocolates, and wrapped gifts.

"Well- I- it was supposed to be for you guys, but..." Izuku sniffled, barely managing to get his words out. "But I just never do enough, and you guys should just be together without me!" He pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, letting sobs of sadness overcome him.

"What are you talking about? You're perfect!" Katsuki said gruffly, sitting down next to Izuku. "I don't know why on Olympus you would think that you're not or that you need to do something like this for us, but we love you. We'll always love you." Katsuki pulled Izuku in, so his head rested on his chest. Shoto hummed in agreement, taking one of Izuku's hands and one of Katsuki's hands into each of his own. He brought each hand to his lips and gave them each a kiss, interlocking their fingers with his.

Izuku smiled a bit, his eyes still watery and puffy, "I'm sorry for ruining Valentines Day." Izuku apologized.

"Wait." Katsuki looked at him dead serious, "It's Valentines Day?!"

The three of them burst out laughing, sharing a sweet glance before morphing into a cuddle pile and exchanging sweet and chaste kisses to each others lips.

It truly was a Valentines Day to remember.

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☆Hello, I'm sorry that this is late, again! I spent forever writing a Valentines Day special and forgot to hit publish! I hope you lovely people enjoyed the glimpse into the lives of future Katsuki, Izuku, and Shoto. As usual, come back next week for more (an actual chapter this time)♡☆