Chapter Text
Deku wakes up early, hearing the floorboards creak. His hands are under his pillow, ready to snatch out at the knives there until– there are no knives. There is no danger, probably. He clicks on the bedside light, and feels himself calm at the sight of the clean but undecorated room. He lets himself look around, takes stock of all the items in the room as he gets himself under control, and then goes out to the living room. Just outside his door, laying in wait, is Sora. The other cats have yet to warm up to him – understandable, he supposes – but Sora has been a surprisingly dependable ally. After nearly tripping over the ball of fluff, he coaxes it to follow him to the sofa. It’s only once he’s there that he pauses and checks the clock.
04:34.
He sighs. He’s still exhausted. He’s used to being up at odd hours, to working hard through the night but the last days have been jam packed with entirely unfamiliar situations. He’s been in overdrive, trying to play catch up with his own life– or maybe what his life might have been, if things had been different.
Sora purrs loudly. His hand is buried in her thick fur, and she’s so warm beneath his fingertips. He keeps his hand moving in slow, repeated strokes down her spine while he gathers himself. There’s an odd disconnect between his life here and his life before. It’s almost impossible to compare the two, to consider them as only a few days difference in the same life. Being here feels like he’s living out his wildest dreams. A dying fantasy, like maybe he’s lying, bleeding out on some scuffed up floor in the League bar. It would explain why everyone’s been so nice, at least.
There were no more new memories last night. He can hardly tell if he’s disappointed or relieved, at this point. If being with the League feels like a lifetime ago, the memories from before seem impossibly far away, like they belong to someone else entirely. He can feel what he felt, he can see what he must have seen, but it feels like stealing a peak into someone else’s life, like he’s spying on things that should be private. But there’s the sick curiosity of wanting to see how it plays out, like watching a train wreck in slow motion. There’s the part of him that wants to try and link it together, understand how someone so seemingly innocent managed to become what he is now. And more… he wants to see Kacchan. Piece together what he knows of him now, and what he must have seen then, to try and get the complete picture. It’s a bizarre feeling, having someone he trusts so fully that he’d give up his life if he had to, and barely knowing anything about him.
He hears the footsteps before he sees anything.
“Good morning, Izuku.”
The name still has his skin crawling, like it doesn’t quite fit right, but he nods.
“Good morning, Eraser.”
Aizawa seems less surprised than the morning before. Probably because he turned the light on this morning, at least. The footsteps recede a little, and are quickly replaced the whistle of the kettle. It must only be about five minutes later that Aizawa comes back, a cup of coffee in each hand.
“Here. Drink it or don’t, I don’t mind.” Aizawa says, in an apathetic tone that Deku is increasingly appreciative of. It’s not a lack of care, but the lack of pressure that he likes about it. Everyone always expects something of him, or requires something of him– and Aizawa certainly does too, but he at least makes it clear when he does or does not expect Deku to be on form.
“Thanks,” He says, forcibly ignoring the mild discomfort that comes from implying a debt. Aizawa is kind, and Deku won’t do him the disservice of pretending otherwise by refusing to thank him out of the chance of it being used against him.
Aizawa sips slowly through his cup, and Deku does the same. He looks just as tired as the night before, and Deku feels a pang of sympathy. He’s well aware that for all the trouble he’s been going to, that Aizawa must be going through at least as much. His case can’t be easy to deal with, and even if he’s frustrated at being kept in the dark, he’s still grateful to be helped at all. He keeps his fingers buried deep in the fur of the cat on his lap, making small repeated strokes up and down her body. It’s only once they’re both finished with their coffee that they start talking again.
“Would you like me to go through the plans for today?”
He looks up. The dark smudges beneath Aizawa’s eyes are just as prominent, but he looks more alert now the caffeine is kicking in.
“Yes, please.”
Aizawa sighs, and Deku gently holds the cat into his body as he shuffles to sit more upright.
“So I figure you probably have some work to catch up on, still?”
Deku nods an affirmative. Even his studying with Kacchan last night wasn’t enough to finish the mountain of papers Nezu had sent him.
“Right. So I figure you can get that done while Yamada and I do some marking, and then we’ll head to the gym at about…” He pauses while he checks his watch. Deku glances at the clock on the wall. 05:03.
“9? That gives a chance for Midnight to get up. God , she hates waking up early, she says it ‘ruins her image’, whatever that means.” Aizawa says, shaking his head, his irritation barely covering for an obvious fondness. He realises he doesn’t know any information on either hero about how they might know each other, whether they’d overlapped during their respective time at UA, or if they’d only met as teachers.
He doesn’t ask.
“Is that okay? Or do you need more time to finish your work? You can always do some after, I suppose.”
Deku considers. He should be able to finish off his maths by then, at least, but definitely not his science. Still, it wouldn’t be too much trouble to finish off whatever was left afterwards. Not like he has much else to do, until his request for a computer gets approved.
“That’s okay. Is there anything else I should do before then? To prepare or anything?” He asks. He wants to have it set out, fully planned before he leaves. The thought of anything less is uncomfortable, and Aizawa has told him to ask questions when he wants to. It’s not routine yet, it couldn’t be, but it’s getting easier every time.
Aizawa pauses, clearly thinking it through. Deku’s grateful to be taken seriously, like that. He’s not dense enough to miss how… intensive his desire to have his schedules and boundaries set out right now can be, but if Aizawa is bothered by it he doesn’t show it. Instead, he considers each of Deku’s questions, answering them in full.
“You’ll need to be in sports clothes, you should have some in your closet but any issues let me know. Maybe get stretched and warmed up some, although we can do more when we get to ground gamma if you run out of time. Otherwise there’s nothing else you have to do. The morning is your own, although of course you’re advised to get your school work done.”
Deku nods, despite how weird it still feels to be assigned school work like this. He did some learning, here and there, but after spending years living a whole life, independent as a villain, doing something as benign as school work is almost laughable. But it’s the condition he agreed to, and it is interesting. It’s nice, if a little boring, to have something so harmless to be spending his days doing. Something that is solely for himself, really, even if it’s not his own choice.
“Breakfast and a shower are non-negotiable, too. Hizashi will have something up and running once he’s awake.”
A laugh bubbles up out of him at that. Yamada and Aizawa truly balance each other out. Aizawa looks at him, wide-eyed, but his lips quickly quirk into a smile of their own.
He gently shifts Sora off his lap, and makes his way to the shower.
“Thanks again for the coffee, Aizawa.” He says before retreating to get clean. He doesn’t miss the way Aizawa mumbles a ‘ no problem’ as he leaves.
***
By the time 10am rolls around, Deku feels like he’s going to vibrate out of his skin. He’s equal parts nervous and excited to be getting out of the dorms and out into the campus and burning off some energy. He can feel the eyes following him as he, Aizawa, Yamada, Midnight and Mr Yagi make their way towards the training grounds, and the attention is uncomfortable, but the idea of being able to let loose some and finally get moving is driving him.
Mr Yagi is still by far the most awkward of them around him. Aizawa and Yamada have quickly brought him under their wing, treating him like one of their own, and Midnight seems relaxed enough, though mostly uninterested in him. She keeps him in the corner of her eye, though, not letting him fully out of her sight while they walk. Yagi, though, just seems… uncomfortable. He doesn’t talk to him like Aizawa or Yamada do– which is fine – but instead he just seems constantly aware of him. Every time he goes to speak, he looks at Deku first. Every time Deku speaks, Yagi is watching him too, very clearly paying attention, even if he doesn’t interact. Of all the people Aizawa and Nezu could have asked to join them, Deku isn’t sure why he’s here. He looks frail, cheeks gaunt and eyes shaded under his bony brow. His blond hair hangs limp, and when surprised by something Yamada says he even doubles over and coughs up blood. It’s almost gruesome, except the man quickly laughs it off with a kind smile. If it weren’t for the obvious well-meaning face he wears, Deku would be suspicious. Instead, he’s just a little on edge. Other than acting as a set of eyes for Nezu, he can’t imagine why he’d be here.
He’s noticed the cameras shifting to follow them as they head towards the grounds. He’s under no illusion that just because Nezu isn’t here in person(? animal?), that he isn’t watching. He can feel the extra layer of observation easily, in the way the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It’s not a bother. He’d have expected nothing less.
He still hasn’t drawn a full conclusion on how he feels about Nezu. He’s far too aware that Nezu is more than smart enough to hide what he wants to trust what he sees and feels at a first glance, and he doesn’t know enough to even guess at his intentions. So for now, his feelings about Nezu are tentatively neutral.
They get to an open square in the middle of an urban area, set up to look like a parking lot. It’s an impressive build, far bigger than he’d realised UA had. The lack of mats suggest it won’t be an entirely casual sparring occasion, and Deku can feel the adrenaline thrumming in his veins as he feels himself preparing.
“We’re here.” Aizawa’s low drone breaks through his thoughts. Yamada lets out a Eeeeyyyaaa that Deku is certain would have burst their eardrums if not for Aizawa’s instinctive dampening of the sound with his quirk.
“Quiet down, Hizashi.” He says, and Hizashi looks a little sheepish. Midnight stares at the two of them, an eyebrow quirked up.
“We’ll start simply. You and I will spar, and you will gain a point if you pin me. We will stop if one of us says stop , taps out, or is bleeding or otherwise harmed. We are aiming to assess your skills, so do not feel like you have to hold back beyond reason, but we are not aiming to injure one another. That would not be a productive use of either of our time.”
That makes sense, he supposes. No point in putting a good hero out of commission, especially one of the ones who is meant to be watching him.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Should I use my quirks?”
Midnight looks incredulous, while Yagi simply stares, looking shocked at how casually he talks about it. But if Aizawa is disconcerted by what he’s said, he doesn’t show it. He, at least, already knows about Overclock, and Deku doesn’t see the point of beating around the bush. If they hadn’t known before today, they’d be finding out soon enough anyway.
“You may try, however I’ll be using mine, which you know is Erasure.”
“I do,” He says, smiling. Erasure is an amazing quirk, really, and he’s excited by a chance to adapt his fight style so substantially. He’s already had some thoughts based on what he knows, but the chance to put it into practice is entirely different.
“Alright then. We won’t be leaving the car park, but Yamada will give us a countdown at a-” He gives Yamada a pointed look, “ reasonable volume. He’ll call for a stop too, if he has any reason to.”
Deku nods along, smile growing on his face.
“Okay.”
“If you’re ready?” He asks.
“I’m ready.” Deku responds, confidently.
“Aaaalriiiight listeners! 3…2…1…Start!”
Aizawa is fast, quirk instantly activated and scarf instantly whipping out at Deku’s arm. He only barely misses it, bringing a hand down and using his momentum to spin on it and get a little closer in. With no option of range, he’ll have to get closer to even the playing field.
Aizawa is faster than even he’d expected, instantly recovering from his miss, barely stumbling despite obviously having expected to catch Deku right then and there. The scarf shoots out again, and Deku dances off to the right to evade it. Aizawa’s hair drops briefly as he brings the scarf back in.
16 seconds.
It was just like Shigaraki had said. He feels dirty using the tricks he’d learned, but Aizawa had told him not to hold back, asides from preventing serious injury.
Aizawa is so much more mobile than the bare scraps of video he’d seen before had suggested. When he realises he won’t catch Deku so easily, he lashes his scarf to a street lamp and uses it to get overhead. It’s wholly unexpected, and Deku has to fight the urge to pause and watch in wonder. Instead, when Aizawa comes at him from above he barrel rolls out of the way, trying to keep Aizawa just out of reach, but close enough he can move in fast.
His hair drops. 14 seconds.
He has a strategy now. He has to keep Aizawa close, but he doesn’t want to take a hit if he can avoid it. They continue another round of cat and mouse, until the hair drops again at 13 seconds. One more round. One more round and then he can do it.
Aizawa swings around the lamppost, slingshotting off it and getting far closer than Deku had planned. He narrowly avoids the fist coming towards his torso, gripping it and pulling Aizawa off balance forward. Aizawa recovers fast, managing to step back from Deku’s sweeping feet that go to knock him off balance.
12 seconds.
The first few strands of hair fall in front of his face, and Deku blinks and activates Overclock. The world slows to a crawl. Aizawa’s feet are flying towards his face as he goes in for a kick. The dark strands gently begin to drop, rippling as the air whips through them. Midnight, Yagi and Yamada are all staring intensely, watching as Aizawa flies through the air towards him. He can hear his own heartbeat, the sound that usually passes in a fraction of a second is instead drawn out across what feels like seconds. The world feels quieter this way, every individual sound isolated and lengthened so he can pick apart and separate them.
Overclock slows down everything. In reality, of course, what happens is his brain, his body can process things far faster. It’s addictively powerful, and the only reason he uses it so sparingly is the wracking headache he gets if he uses it more than twice a day. But the temptation to use it here, to take in and appreciate and solidify his win, is irresistible.
The strands are still falling. He still has time. He lets the energy crackle up inside him like lightning, feeling the way the strength jolts through him in a fraction of what it takes in real time. It sparks all the way to his fingertips, electrifying him down to every cell. He pushes forward off his front foot, reaching an arm out at inhuman speeds and dragging Aizawa’s foot past him. He reaches his metal arm forward, pushing it against Aizawa’s collarbone and slams them both down. The world comes whirring into speed, Aizawa’s glowing red eyes pinned on him, but it’s too late. Deku has him pinned, arms pinned by one leg and one arm, the other arm seated just below his windpipe, at the boundary of what might be threatening.
It’s intoxicating, the feeling of victory. It’s everything. Blood rushes through his ears, his heart pumping loudly in his ears. This win, the feeling of a strategy paying off how he hopes, it’s everything.
“-come on, release or else Midnight’ll use her quirk.”
Aizawa is talking. He hears Yamada now, calling for the end of the match, and clacking-footsteps getting close to them fast. He pulls back, quickly releasing Aizawa. He’s sickened by how quickly he was overtaken by the rush of it all. That’s not- not how he normally is. Normally they keep going ‘til they’re black and blue, stopping from exhaustion rather than just a pin. Normally, by the end, he’s relieved to get to leave and rest, rather than being overwhelmed by the high of beating someone.
“Sorry, I- I didn’t– I don’t know, I didn’t hear. Sorry Eraser, I should have let go.” He says, watching as the hero sits up, unblinking. The footsteps walking up behind him slow. He feels sick right down to the pit of his stomach, the feeling of having disobeyed the very simple instructions he was given making him nauseous.
“It’s fine, Izuku. You let go, with no harm done.”
Deku still breathes hard. One rule: let go when they were done, and he still couldn’t do it. The clacking footsteps continue, getting closer and Deku’s heart only speeds up. The adrenaline of the fight had been thrilling, but now it’s only serving to further the shakiness he feels. The sounds of someone approaching from behind him are setting off alarm bells, but he’s frozen stock-still where he is, some nonsensical part of his brain telling him he’ll fade into irrelevance if only he stays still enough.
The footsteps pause what has to be only a few feet away from him. And then Aizawa is kneeling in front of him, taking up the full span of his vision.
“Oi, kid, drink some water.”
Deku finally moves just enough to look up, and sure enough, Aizawa is holding out an unopened bottle. Aizawa waits where he is until Deku can free his locked muscles and take the bottle from his outstretched hands. He knocks it back, downing it in huge gulps, letting the cool water soak down into his bones. The rest of the world begins to come into stark focus as he settles back into his own body.
“-barely even lasted 3 minutes! You’re getting old, Shou-chan.” Midnight teases from behind him.
“Shut up, Nemuri. That was just the first round.” He says, dryly. Yamada and Yagi have both moved closer, though they’ve got a little distance compared to Eraser and Midnight.
“You’re going again?” Yagi asks, sounding anxious as he wrings his bony hands together. Eraser shoots him a look.
“Yes, Yagi. We’re training together. How often do you stop after the first round?”
And that’s news to Deku. He figured he’d failed whatever test was going on after his delay in releasing, and that he’d be benched for the foreseeable future.
“We’re going again?” He asks, willing away the tremble in his voice.
Aizawa visibly softens in response to the question. It’s becoming clearer and clearer to Deku just how much effort he puts into making him comfortable.
“It’s only logical. I can hardly assess your skills based on a single match, can I?”
Deku smiles a little. “Alright.”
They hang around chatting until Deku stands back up, half the water from the bottle already gone.
“Take two, here we go.”
***
Katsuki wakes up feeling lighter than he has in days. He’s finally slept a whole night, he has at least one friend – or whatever a Todoroki was, anyway – who knew what was going on. He’s getting back in the gym, and he had enough time to catch up on preparing his meals for the coming week. Overall, things feel like they’re looking up. He gets himself out of bed, finally not feeling like he’s having to drag himself through, and manages to near enough finish his breakfast before Kirishima makes it downstairs.
“Bro! What? How do you even get up in time to make a whole breakfast like this?” He exclaims, gesturing wildly at the rice and eggs he’s cooked.
“Shuddup,” He says. “There’s enough for you in the pan. Hurry up and eat so we can train.”
Kirishima thanks him loudly, including an uninvited shoulder punch that he won’t admit to being grateful for, and wolfs down the food in half the time it took Katsuki. It’s only once they’re making their way over to the gym that Kirishima gets onto the conversation that Katsuki’s been expecting.
“So, dude, are you doing okay? With Izuku and everything, that must be rough.”
Katsuki doesn’t answer right away, just letting the breeze blow through his hair while they walk. It’s not so hot while it’s so early, but the sun on his face still feels good.
“Better now, I think.” He says, eventually. “Getting to talk to him yesterday was good. He’s- uh- different than he used to be, but it went well I guess. Looks like we’re gonna be study buddies.”
“Awww shit, does this mean you’re not gonna be tutoring us? How will we survive?!” Kirishima groans dramatically, but he’s still smiling easily.
“Shut up! You’ll just have to get help from Ponytail and Four eyes. Or do your own work for once, maybe!”
Kirishima laughs it off. “Still, shame we can’t all study together. Guess that’d be too overwhelming for the little guy.”
Kirishima is right, he supposes, but maybe if they’re all supervised he might be able to get Icy Hot and Kirishima to come study with Izuku. Icy Hot, at least, already knows the whole situation and seemed to be neutral at worst. Kirishima doesn’t, which might not be the best for Izuku, but Katsuki figures if Kirishima managed to befriend him , he can probably befriend anyone. He’s hit with a twinge of guilt at the thought of keeping Kirishima in the dark through all this. Of everyone, Kirishima’s who he wants on his side through all this. But it doesn’t matter: he’s lucky enough to be allowed to see Izuku at all, and he’s not gonna put that at risk.
Still, maybe he can talk to Aizawa about it. Not like asking can make it any worse, anyway.