Chapter Text
Dabi hated mornings.
Midoriya Izuku loved them.
This was one of the many reasons their friendship should never have survived.
"You look terrible."
Dabi didn't even look up from his coffee.
"You look enthusiastic."
"I am."
"Disgusting."
Izuku smiled.
They were sitting in the private lounge of one of their company's headquarters, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and an unnecessarily expensive view of the city.
Neither of them was working.
That was the important part.
For once, there were no contracts.
No meetings.
No investors.
No lawyers.
No employees waiting outside the door.
Just the two of them.
And coffee.
Well.
Izuku had coffee.
Dabi had what could generously be called coffee.
Izuku looked at his cup.
"That's black."
"Yes."
"There's no sugar."
"I know."
"No milk."
"I know."
"Do you actually enjoy drinking that?"
Dabi finally looked at him.
"It's coffee."
"It's punishment."
"It's efficient."
"Coffee isn't supposed to be efficient."
"Everything is efficient when you're miserable enough."
Izuku stared at him.
"That was depressing."
Dabi took another sip.
"Thank you."
Izuku laughed.
This was normal.
They had been doing this for years.
Business partners.
Best friends.
Occasional enemies.
Professional men who could sit in a boardroom and dismantle a multimillion-dollar deal without raising their voices.
And two idiots who could spend twenty minutes arguing about coffee.
The door opened.
"Dabi."
Dabi looked over.
His mother walked in.
Rei Todoroki was carrying a tray of food.
Izuku immediately straightened.
"Good morning, Mrs. Todoroki."
"Don't call me that."
She smiled.
"You've known me for years."
Dabi sighed.
"He's trying to be polite."
"He's failing."
Izuku laughed.
Rei placed the tray on the table.
"Have either of you eaten?"
Dabi answered immediately.
"Yes."
Izuku looked at him.
"You haven't."
"I had coffee."
Rei slowly turned toward Dabi.
"Dabi."
He sighed.
"...I'm going to eat."
"Good."
She looked at Izuku.
"And you?"
"I ate."
"What?"
"Toast."
Rei stared.
"That's not breakfast."
Dabi pointed at Izuku.
"See?"
Izuku frowned.
"Don't take her side."
"I'm not taking anyone's side."
"You literally just agreed with her."
"Because she's right."
Rei smiled.
"This is why I like you more."
Dabi looked offended.
"Seriously?"
"Eat."
Dabi muttered something under his breath.
Izuku grinned.
This was another thing he liked about the Todoroki family.
There was always someone willing to tell Dabi what to do.
Usually Shoto.
Sometimes Rei.
Occasionally Endeavor.
And, when absolutely necessary...
Izuku.
Dabi hated all of them.
---
The door opened again.
Shoto walked in.
He looked at Dabi.
Then Izuku.
Then the food.
"Mother."
"Shoto."
He sat down.
Dabi looked at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting."
"Why?"
"I wanted to see everyone."
Dabi raised an eyebrow.
"That's suspicious."
Shoto ignored him.
Izuku smiled.
"How's university?"
"Fine."
"Classes?"
"Fine."
"Friends?"
"Fine."
Dabi sighed.
"You're a terrible conversationalist."
Shoto looked at him.
"You're worse."
Izuku laughed.
Dabi looked offended.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because he's right."
"Whose side are you on?"
"His."
"Traitor."
Shoto calmly started eating.
---
A few minutes later, the conversation shifted to family.
Rei asked about Shoto's classes.
Then about his living situation.
Then—
"How's your roommate?"
Shoto looked up.
"Katsuki?"
Dabi glanced over.
"That's his name?"
"Yes."
"What kind of person is he?"
Shoto thought for a moment.
"Angry."
Dabi snorted.
"That narrows it down."
"He gets irritated easily."
"That narrows it down even less."
Izuku smiled.
"Do you two get along?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Shoto nodded.
"He's loud."
Dabi laughed.
"You like him."
"Yes."
Dabi looked at Izuku.
"Shoto likes him."
Izuku nodded solemnly.
"Remarkable."
Shoto frowned.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
---
The conversation moved on.
Neither Dabi nor Izuku mentioned work.
Neither mentioned the endless meetings waiting for them.
Neither mentioned the upcoming merger.
They were simply friends having breakfast.
That was rare.
And they both appreciated it.
Eventually, Shoto stood.
"I should go."
Dabi looked at him.
"You're leaving already?"
"I have class."
Izuku checked the time.
"You still have an hour."
"I know."
"Then why leave?"
Shoto shrugged.
"I want coffee."
Dabi stared at him.
"There's coffee here."
"I want the coffee near campus."
"That's twenty minutes away."
"Yes."
Dabi looked at Izuku.
"He's weird."
Izuku nodded.
"Definitely."
Shoto walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
"Oh."
Dabi looked up.
"What?"
"Mom."
Rei looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Katsuki said he might come by later."
Dabi nodded.
"Fine."
Shoto left.
Dabi turned toward Izuku.
"So that's the roommate."
"Apparently."
"You've never met him?"
"No."
Dabi shrugged.
"Maybe later."
Neither of them gave it another thought.
---
That afternoon, Izuku and Dabi finally left the office.
No meetings.
No assistants.
No drivers.
Just the two of them walking through a quiet shopping district like ordinary people.
Izuku stopped outside a restaurant.
"Food?"
Dabi looked at him.
"You ate breakfast."
"So?"
"You ate an hour ago."
"I'm hungry again."
"You're always hungry."
"I'm growing."
"You're twenty-five."
"People can grow at twenty-five."
"No."
"You're not a doctor."
"I don't need to be."
Izuku sighed.
"Fine."
They went inside.
By the time they sat down, Dabi's phone buzzed.
He looked at it.
His expression changed for half a second.
Izuku noticed.
"You got a message."
Dabi locked his phone.
"Yeah."
"Important?"
"No."
Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"Then why are you smiling?"
"I'm not."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
Izuku grinned.
"Interesting."
Dabi glared at him.
"Don't."
"I'm not doing anything."
"You are."
"I haven't even asked who it is."
"Exactly."
Izuku laughed.
His own phone buzzed.
He looked down.
A message.
His expression softened.
Dabi immediately noticed.
"...You too?"
Izuku looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You said 'you too.'"
"I did."
Izuku narrowed his eyes.
"You're hiding something."
"So are you."
They stared at each other.
Then both looked away.
Neither asked.
Not because they didn't want to know.
Because, for once, they understood something without needing to say it.
Some things were private.
Some conversations belonged only to the people having them.
And neither man had any idea that their private conversations were slowly leading them toward the same person.
A person who, at that very moment, was probably sitting somewhere complaining about both of them.
---
That evening, Dabi's phone buzzed again.
He looked down.
A familiar username.
A familiar conversation.
Aiko had sent something sarcastic.
He smiled.
Across the table, Izuku was doing the same thing.
Neither noticed.
Neither knew.
And neither had any reason to suspect that the mysterious woman they'd each been enjoying talking to...
was the same person.
For now, their friendship remained untouched.
Their secret conversations remained separate.
And somewhere between business meetings, family dinners, and stupid arguments about coffee...
two men were unknowingly walking into the same disaster.