Chapter Text
If Shouto expected anything as he was walking home after a long day of hero work, it was definitely not this. A hero was never really off-duty, that was a given. Even days off might turn into full-blown battles if it just so happened that he was in the vicinity of such an incident. He couldn’t just ignore what was happening and walk the other way because he wasn’t technically working, after all being a hero meant always trying to save lives that were in danger and helping those who needed it.
Shouto might expect what looked like a robber to push past him on the street, nearly knocking him sideways in their haste to get away, clutching a bag to their chest like their life depended on it. He might have been ready to regain his balance and shoot some ice at their feet so they didn’t manage to get very far. But someone crashing into his back and actually making him fall flat on his face while missing his target entirely, now that was new.
Whoever it was that wasn’t paying attention to where they were going quickly dusted themselves off with a half-hearted apology before continuing after the petty thief. Shouto stared after them for a few seconds, momentarily dumbstruck, then jumping back to his feet and following them as well, aiding his speed by covering the pavement in a thin sheet of ice and sliding along it.
When he finally arrived at the scene, he saw the person who knocked him over sitting on the robber’s back and pulling their leg painfully to immobilise them. The stolen bag had fallen off to the side, its contents spilling onto the sidewalk as the mugger tried to reach for it and get out of the other’s tight hold. Shouto could see that the thief’s skin was quickly covering with a faint orange glow and suddenly reports of a certain low-class villain causing some deaths due to his explosion quirk sprung to the forefront of his mind.
He reacted on instinct, pulling the other person from the villain’s back and covering them both with a protective wall of ice just as the blast went off, shattering the makeshift shield with its force but leaving them otherwise unscathed. When they turned back to where the villain previously was, there was nothing there but for a few scattered jewels he must have not managed to get and they had no idea which way he went.
“Well great. Now he’s gone.”
Shouto turned to them, eyes narrowed. “A thank you for saving your life would only be polite…”
“I can handle myself, thank you very much.” They pulled off their hood, revealing a messy head of wild green hair, faint scars painted over freckled cheeks below bright green eyes and Shouto’s breath hitched at the sight. “Sorry, sorry. It’s not your fault. I’ve just been chasing that jerk all over town and now he got away and all that running was for nothing. I’m annoyed. Thanks though…” The guy mumbled, sheepish.
Shouto considered him for a few heartbeats, taking in his appearance and growing suspicious, even if his own outfit didn’t really scream ‘hero’, what with his turtleneck sweater and faded jeans. “Which agency do you work for?”
He saw his body tense almost imperceptibly before putting on a smile that hardly reached his eyes. “Idaten.”
“I think I’d remember you.”
Shouto muttered with a small smirk, crossing his arms over his chest after taking off the hat that hid most of his hair and face until then. The other’s eyes widened and he cursed under his breath, turning on his heel to leave and realising his feet were stuck to the ground by two large blocks of ice.
“I’m going to guess you don’t have a permit to use your quirk.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. “What quirk?”
Shouto’s expression morphed to one of confusion and he was about to question him further when he noticed the growing dark red stain on the side of his arm and quickly moved towards him. He saw the tear on his hoodie, figuring that an ice shard must have cut him at the time of the explosion. He was already reaching for his belt to get the first aid supplies when he remembered again he wasn’t in costume and started getting his phone to call the police. He’d have to turn him in anyway, vigilante work was still illegal, whether or not he was using his quirk.
“Wait! Please, don’t!” He flinched when he lifted his hands up defensively and apparently finally felt the pain. “Don’t turn me in… I’m on my last warning…” Shouto paused at his desperate yet determined tone, moving to hold his arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding. “I just want to help people, okay? I know it’s wrong and dangerous and illegal, but it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I remember you, from Yuuei, you had that same look in your eyes. If you were born quirkless, wouldn’t you still want to keep trying? Didn’t you ever want to be a hero this badly? I just want to make my mother proud.”
Jaw dropping slightly to speak, but no words really coming out, Shouto looked into those bright eyes, an unwavering resolve shining in them. He knew that he should be calling the police, he was required to do so by law. But this guy was staring at him like this meant the world to him, his words having hit way too close to home, and Shouto hesitated with his thumb hovering over the call button.
And suddenly, that shine in his eyes shifted, his lips quirked upwards in a mischievous grin and he bolted, worn red shoes left behind as he took off completely barefoot. Shouto sputtered, running after him as soon as he recovered from the shock and trying to capture him again. Yet the guy was quick on his feet, jumping left and right and avoiding all of his attempts now that he was expecting them.
He disappeared around a corner and when Shouto caught up he was nowhere to be found. He scanned the whole street, looking for him but there were no traces of him ever even being there.
Shouto rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling exhausted. Why did he have to fall for that guy’s stupid story? Quirkless and doing vigilante work? As if that was even feasible. He walked back to where he’d left the shoes behind, hoping that could at least help him get a lead on who he was. Yet when he got there, the shoes were gone, his chipped ice the only evidence that they’d been there at all and he sighed heavily.
A little white piece of paper was resting on the floor, beside the scorch mark the villain’s quirk had created and Shouto picked it up, noticing it came from a regular notebook, and read the little rushed scrawl.
‘You need to stop wearing your heart on your sleeve, you’re way too easy to manipulate, Hero Shouto.’
With a huff, Shouto crumpled the piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket. He was supposed to be calmly going home after another tiring day at work, not chasing a villain and an annoying vigilante and losing them both in the span of a few minutes. He picked up his phone and called it in, then dragging his feet the rest of the way to his apartment and slumping on his couch, his cat’s purrs rumbling through him as she laid down on his lap and started rubbing her head against his hand to beg for affection.
Shouto absentmindedly scratched behind her ears, the vigilante’s face lingering in his thoughts. That look in his eyes was far too genuine for what he said to just be a lie. He covered his face with his arm, sighing. Maybe he was right, Shouto was just too easily manipulated, yet that was likely why he worked so hard to keep his emotions hidden. How was it that a complete stranger knew just which buttons to push?
Shouto started to drift off, his exhaustion finally catching up to him, and green was all he saw in his dreams.