Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya sat at the police station, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a warm cup of tea nestled in between the palms of his hands. Today had been like any other day. Well, until he came back to his apartment ransacked and a threatening message painted in red on his wall.

S T O P

Criticism was something Izuku was familiar with. He was a journalist after all and not everyone shared the same opinions as him. However, this was the first time someone had gone so far as to break into his home. A strongly worded letter, hell; even a threatening letter weren’t out of his realm of possibilities. Destroying his apartment was an extreme Izuku never expected.

“Midoriya,” the police detective, Tsukauchi said, an edge to his voice. He was a tall, plain looking man, with black hair and matching eyes. Izuku would probably be unable to find the detective in a crowd, his appearance was ideal for undercover work. “I apologize for the wait. We’ve decided to place you in a hotel for the night and will have an officer stationed outside your door.”

Izuku blinked, trying to process the news. “I-Is that really necessary? It seems a bit extreme.”

Tsukauchi pulled a chair around from an empty desk to sit in front of Izuku. “It’s for your safety. This person could be dangerous. They could very well be a villain for all we know.”

“A villain?” Izuku’s head shot up, his eyes wide with panic. “Why would a villain show any interest in me? I write about heroes!”

“Precisely,” Tsukauchi replied. “You write about the villains’ enemy. You are a trusted voice the public looks to when wanting to know about the people who protect them. You instill hope, Midoriya. That’s reason enough to silence you.”

Izuku felt dizzy. Growing up he had always dreamed of being a hero. Unfortunately, he was part of the twenty percent in the entire world that didn’t have a quirk. As a child if someone had told him a villain would be after him, Izuku would’ve been downright giddy over the idea. Now all he could feel was a cold dread seeping through his entire body, as if he were being lowered into a tub of ice.

“And tomorrow?” Izuku managed to rasp out.

“We’re working on it,” Tsukauchi answered. “For now, why don’t you go rest.”

While phrased as a suggestion, Izuku knew an order when he heard it. A police officer with feline features escorted him to a patrol car before taking Izuku to a nearby hotel. Izuku felt as if he were having an outer body experience the entire time. He trailed along through the check-in process and mumbled a quick thank you before hearing the door to his took click shut.

For a moment he stood, staring at nothing as he continued to process what had happened. Izuku muttered theories to himself as he unpacked the meager belonging he had on his person. He had his backpack that continued his laptop, and a few other non-essential items. He hadn’t even been allowed back into his apartment due to it still being considered an active crime scene. Thankfully the hotel had provided him with a pair of pajamas and toiletries.

This had to be a prank.

A prank that went horribly wrong. He’d go into the office tomorrow and someone would apologize for the misunderstanding. That had to be it.

Izuku flopped down onto the bed. He should text his mother and let her know he was okay. Digging his phone from his pocket, Izuku noticed a recent text from one of the heroes he had recently interviewed.

Kirishima:

Thxs again man! I jumped in the popularity polls bc of U! My agency is stoked. Let’s grab food together soon! On me!

Izuku smiled softly. It was his job to write about heroes, but it wasn’t the first time he had accidentally ended up befriending one post-interview. He was close with Ochako Uraraka, better known as Uravity and Tenya Iida who took on the family mantle of Ingenium. The three of them could often be spotted out having drinks to de-stress after a long day of work.

Eijirou Kirishima had been Izuku’s most recently featured hero. He went by Red Riot and was inspired by the hero Crimson Riot. As his marker claimed, he had flashy red hair and was an easy-going guy that was hard not to like.

Izuku:

I’m glad! Your hard work really paid off. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get together. Maybe next week? You don’t have to treat me! I enjoyed writing your story. Thank you for allowing me to share it.

Izuku could see Kirishima was typing and let his fingers hover over the keyboard.

Kirishima:

U R the best Midoriya! C U later dude!

A grin spread across Izuku’s face, causing his freckles to crinkle. Growing up he didn’t have too many friends. Due to being quirkless he was often the target of bullies and he had been shy and soft-spoken growing up. Now that he was in his twenties it seemed like he had more friends than he had time to hang out with. Quickly, he texted his mom he was okay but that she shouldn’t come to his apartment for awhile. She was notorious for stopping by with food and the last thing Izuku wanted was for her to see what had happened. Staring at his phone screen, his eyes grew heavy and Izuku fell into a restless sleep.

. . .

A knock on the door jolted Izuku awake. He scattered from his bed and became entangled in the sheets. For a moment Izuku forgets where is is, his mind still trying to catch up with his body. Then last night comes flooding back. Coming home to his apartment destroyed and defaced and spending hours at the police station only to be moved to a hotel.

“Yes?” Izuku asked, doing his best to smooth down his curly green hair so it appeared somewhat presentable.

Tsukauchi stood in the doorway with a grim aura radiating from him, his lip pressed into a thin line. “I’m sorry to wake you like this Midoriya, but I’m afraid there’s been a development.”

Izuku stepped aside to give the detective room to pass. He wrung his hands and took a seat on the edge of the bed. It was clear whatever news Tsukauchi was about to deliver was not good.

“I’m sorry to say that sometime between your apartment being targeted and early this morning, your office was also vandalized.” said Tsukauchi while he stood across from Izuku. “Midoriya, your work has been notified that you will need to take a leave of absence and go into our hero protection program.”

Izuku was at a loss for words. This couldn’t be happening. Why was this happening. “Was anyone hurt?” He asked as soon as he found his voice.

“No. Besides some property damage no one was harmed, but you have to understand that I’m concerned about you, as is your employer. These are credible threats against you and it is clear someone means to do you harm,” Tsukauchi continued, his voice even. “We will be having heroes guard you while my department progresses with the investigation. Your boss has assured me that you are welcome to paid time off, or you can work remote if you truly desire.”

Izuku could only nod his head as Tsukauchi explained the situation. The numbness from last night was creeping back and Izuku again felt as if he were watching this misfortune unfold upon someone else rather than himself.

“W-What is this hero program you mentioned?” Izuku had never heard of heroes and the police working on such a project together before.

Tsukauchi’s face seemed to lighten, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. “Glad you asked! It’s a newer program to help the working relationship between heroes and the police. Hero agencies are loaning their newer heroes to help the police with cases. Since you’ll require constant surveillance the heroes will rotate, but I believe they’ll all benefit greatly from the experience. Speaking of, the first hero should be arriving shortly. They’ll escort you to recover any personal items from your residence.”

Izuku’s mind began to race. There were so many possibilities of who could be showing up in the days to come, let alone this morning. He quickly reached for his phone that was on the nightstand. No texts from Ochako or Iida, so that eliminated them for today. Unknowingly, Izuku was muttering under his breath the entire time and was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t hear the knocking or the door open.

“Where’s the loser I’m suppose to babysit?” A voice barked.

Izuku’s head shot up, the voice sounded familiar yet different. Green eyes met red and Izuku fell off the bed. “K-Kacchan?!”

“The fuck? Deku?” The blonde growled his spiky locks practically bristling.

Tsukauchi’s eyes darted between the two. “It seems as if you know one another. Ground Zero, another hero will arrive later before your shift ends. Please take care of Midoriya today and remember your actions reflect upon the police department as well as your agency. Have a good day.”

The door clicked shut, the silence in the room deafening.

Ground Zero clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. “What the hell did you do now useless, Deku? Good to know some things haven’t changed. Once a nerd always a nerd.”

Izuku bit his tongue. No one had called him Deku in years. He hadn’t seen Katsuki Bakugou since middle school. The last time they had spoke the boy had cruelly told Izuku to jump off the roof and pray he be reborn with a quirk. He’d followed Bakugou’s career and knew everything about the hero. Yet, Izuku had never once reached to interview Ground Zero, despite the hero quickly climbing the ranks.

“Hey, are you deaf or just stupid?” Bakugou snapped as he stomped his foot. The blonde was fully-suited in his hero uniform. Izuku knew the design was popular with Ground Zero fans, but he thought there could be improvement. Usually Izuku would gladly share his ideas with agencies and many were thankful for the suggestions, but he had yet to comment regarding Ground Zero.

“I heard you,” Izuku replied tersely. “Like Detective Tsukauchi said, please remember that you’re here to represent not only yourself, but the police. I just need you to take me to my apartment so I can get my things.”

Bakugou advanced upon Izuku again, towering over the green haired man who had managed to pull himself off the floor and back onto the bed. “Figures you got yourself in over your head. Whatever, let’s hurry up and get this over with.”

Izuku doesn’t say anything, but finds himself agreeing with Bakugou. This day could not come to an end soon enough.

Chapter Text

Izuku went to take a drink from his beer only to find the glass was already empty.

“I still can’t believe you got stuck with Bakugou for the day!” Uraraka said a bit too loudly, her cheeks more pink than normal. Her brown hair kept getting in her face so she had tied it back into a small ponytail. “Lemme get you another. Super Dry, right?”

“You don’t have to do that!” Izuku tried to stop the woman from getting the attention of their waiter, but it was too late. “Can we please get two more Asahi Super Dry and a glass of orange juice?”

“What? How come Iida gets juice?” Izuku looked over to his friend, his glasses perched on his forehead due to them getting fogged up from the warm room. It was happy hour so the restaurant was at full capacity.

Iida chopped the air with his hand as he spoke. “I have a meeting in the morning so I’m cutting myself off!”

Uraraka clapped her hands, her drink floating for a moment before she turned off her quirk. “We told the detective we would get you back to the hotel safely. One of us has to take one for the team and that isn’t me.”

Iida leaned in, his dark blue hair tickling the side of Izuku’s face. “She’s upset. One of the gossip magazine made fun of her costume. I’ll get you a water when she’s not looking.”

“Izuku I’m gonna pretend to go to the bathroom, but I’m getting us a bottle of sake. Don’t tell Iida!” said Uraraka in what she thought was a whisper, but probably the table next to them heard. Iida definitely heard her.

Sandwiched between the two heroes, Izuku couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up. Maybe it was the beer or maybe it was just his friends were funny, but Izuku could not stop snickering. Laughing was better than the alternative, though. Izuku wore his emotions on his sleeve and it was fairly easy to get the waterworks going, especially after a drink or two.

“That’s the spirit, Midoriya! All of this will be resolved soon. Hold your head high! Don’t let Bakugou get you down!” Iida’s hands sliced through the air as he continued in tirade. A glass of beer was pushed in front of Izuku, followed by a small cup filled to the brim with warmed sake.

“Yeah!” Uraraka pumped her fist in the air. “Forget that guy! He didn’t even pass his provisional license test the first time because of his anger issues.” She took a large gulp from her drink, the beer so cold that sweat dribbled down the glass. “Tell us what happened at your apartment. I bet he was a total asshole about it!”

“Well-" Izuku drank again, trying to buy time before having to relive his afternoon with Bakugou.

“Let it out, Midoriya!” Iida chimed in. “You’ll feel better once you talk about what occurred.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish when it came to talking about his childhood friend. “Uh, okay, so he showed up to my hotel room...”

. . .

“Are you unable to dress yourself without your mom?” Bakugou sneered when Izuku emerged from the bathroom wearing his wrinkled clothes from the previous day.

Normally he would bite his tongue and not say anything, but Izuku hadn’t had coffee yet and the words came out before he could stop himself. “Shut up. Why do you think I’m going to my apartment? Obviously these are the only clothes I have right now.”

Bakugou blinked before his face twisted in rage, his nostrils flaring. “The fuck did you just say to me, nerd?”

“You heard me!” Izuku stood his ground. He wasn’t the same little kid that was going to be pushed around by a bully. “And we’re stopping at Starbucks because I need caffeine if I’m going to be stuck with you today.”

Izuku felt something crash into his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto the bed. He sat up and glared at Bakugou. “What the hell, Kacchan?!”

“Just cause I gotta watch your sorry ass doesn’t mean I won’t knock you the hell out. Don’t give me your shitty attitude, Deku. Hurry up! Don’t fucking dawdle or a crowd will gather.” Bakugou wrenched open the hotel door and slammed it, leaving Izuku to silently stew in his frustration.

There was practically steam coming out of Bakugou’s ears when Izuku exited the coffee shop. A small crowd had gathered and several people had approached for photos and autographs. “Bastard! It doesn’t take that long to pick up a mobile order!” He seethed while someone stood next to him and took a selfie.

“I decided I wanted food, too,” Izuku said, unapologetically. He removed the pastry from the paper bag and took a large bite, chewing with a smirk. Everyone knew Ground Zero hated public appearances. Unlike most agencies that made their heroes hold signings and other fan meet-ups, Bakugou rarely obliged. Most likely due to the fact that a majority of his public appearances ended up being a public relations disaster for his agency. It seems the agency was making up for the lack of public events with Ground Zero merchandise. Everywhere Izuku looked he was bound to find something Ground Zero related. His favorite so far had been the Ground Zero fireworks, Izuku thought that was a clever of the agency's marketing team.

“Why you little-"

Izuku cleared his throat as a small child waddled over to Bakugou. It was clear the hero was keeping his rage almost completely internalized, which was impressive for Bakugou.

A tap on Izuku’s shoulder caught his attention. He turned and came face-to-face with a pair of large golden eyes and blonde hair pulled into two high, messy buns. “Are you Izuku Midoriya the hero writer?” She asked, leaning in close to Izuku’s personal space.

“Y-Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?” Izuku unconsciously took a step back, only for the girl to follow him.

Her hands were pulled close to her chest, her fists clenched in excitement. “WOW! You’re even cuter in person!” Without warning her hand shot out and brushed Izuku’s hair. “Just like broccoli, so fluffy! My name’s Himiko Toga and it’s totally amazing to meet you. I’m such a big fan!”

“Oh, uh, thanks. It’s nice to meet a fan.” Izuku was aware he had fans, but it wasn’t like a hero who had fans. Bakugou had a team maintaining his public image and fans would flock to him any time he went out; most of Izuku’s fans didn’t even know what he looked like. Occasionally, he’d appear on television, but he’d been told he was easily forgettable throughout his life.

A warm hand wrapped around Izuku’s wrist and he stumbled as he was pulled forward. “Idiot! It’s dangerous for you to talk with anyone alone.” Bakugou grumbled.

Izuku said a quick goodbye to the girl over his shoulder and noticed she was taking a photo. He quickly turned away, knowing his face was bright red. “You’re so rude, Kacchan! She was just saying hello.”

“Stop fucking calling me that! We aren’t kids anymore.” Bakugou whipped around and released his hold on Izuku’s wrist.

“If you’re calling me Deku then you’re still Kacchan!” Izuku retorted, only for Bakugou to snatch the cup in Izuku’s hand and drain the remaining coffee.

Bakugou smirked, throwing the cup into the nearest trash can. “That’s what you get for keeping me waiting you shitty nerd. Hurry the fuck up!”

Izuku watched while Bakugou stormed ahead, trailing behind the blonde much like he did when they were children. Tonight he was going to need a strong drink.

When they arrived at Izuku’s apartment there were still several police officers present. His doorway was plastered in yellow caution tape and the same cat officer from the other night was standing guard.

Once inside, Izuku tried not to look at the foreboding message scrawled on his wall. Instead he went directly to his bedroom to pack before Bakugou could start yelling at him. He froze, his breath leaving him as he took in the scene before him. All his All Might posters were slashed, his figures scattered in broken pieces along with other unrecognizable pieces of All Might memorabilia. Izuku sunk to the floor. It had taken him his entire life to collect these pieces and now they were all gone.

“Hey...” Bakugou’s voice came from the doorway. Izuku wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there, but he quickly rose to his feet and went to his closet to get his duffel bag.

“Sorry, I’ll need a few more minutes.” Izuku couldn’t look at Bakugou right now. His eyes were brimming with unshed tears and his throat felt tight as he held back from sobbing. Mechanically he packed his bag, being sure to carefully step over the remains of his All Might collection when he left.

The rest of the day was a blur. Bakugou had been strangely silent. Only talking when needed until his shift ended.

. . .

“And that’s it,” Izuku finished. “Now that I think about it he wasn’t too bad. I didn’t get burned, at least.”

“I’ll fight him!” Uraraka roared while she finished off her glass of sake.

Iida moved the bottle away from her and signaled for their check. “You will do no such thing.”

The three of them walked back to the hotel, well Iida walked; Izuku and Ochako staggered. Now that Izuku thought about Iida rarely drank enough to lose control of himself. The only night he’d ever seen the man completely wasted was the anniversary of his brother’s injury which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

“Midoriya!” A jubilant voice called.

Izuku looked up and sure enough Kirishima was waving as he lightly jogged to him.

“I heard what happened, man. I’m so sorry. I signed up to watch you this week, but if there’s anything else I can do, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here for you, bro!” Kirishima slapped Izuku on the back, making him pitch forward and almost fall.

“Thanks, Kirishima. I’m okay.” Izuku could see the hotel off in the distance. He was ready for a good night’s rest. “Who told you?”

“Oh, Bakugou!” The redhead answered nonchalantly. “You just missed him. We grabbed some drinks together. Seems like you had a few as well.”

Izuku’s face wrinkled, his brow creased in confusion. Why would Kacchan be talking about him? Unless it was to make fun of him. Kacchan probably saw him crying even though he did his best to hide it.

“Uh, Midoriya you’re muttering a lot,” Kirishima pointed out while he backed away.

“S-Sorry,” said Izuku, his already flushed face turning a deeper shade of red.

Kirishima threw his head back, a boisterous laugh filling the cool night air. “No worries, dude. Do you want me to walk you back? I think those guys are a bit occupied.”

Izuku turned around, eyes growing wide when he saw Uraraka floating in the air, the only thing anchoring her was Iida’s hold on her leg.

“Apologies, Midoriya! I must be getting home soon so I can prepare for work in the morning. Do not worry, I will make sure Uraraka gets home safely.” Iida waved goodbye, pulling a giggling Uraraka through the air as if she were a balloon.

Izuku couldn’t help but laugh. The past 48 hours had been so absurd that if he didn’t laugh surely he would cry. He felt himself being guided, Kirishima reassuring him every time Izuku stumbled over his own feet.

“Ah, didn’t expect to see you here,” said Kirishima. “Want help getting him upstairs?”

Izuku had been too busy looking at his feet so as not to fall down, but the moment he heard the other person speak he glanced up.

“No...I think I can manage,” Todoroki hummed in reply, his trademark expression of disinterest on full display. “Yeah...been awhile since I’ve seen Midoriya as well.”

Of all the heroes Izuku could have predicted showing up tonight Shoto Todoroki was not one of them. Beside being a top hero, Todoroki was also the son of the once number one hero, Endeavor. The hero was popular, not to mention he neck and neck with Bakugou for the number one spot.

Izuku backpedalled somehow managing to tangle his feet, falling to the floor in an uncomposed heap. He attempted to apologize, but all that come out was gibberish. While he didn’t hear what Kirishima and Todoroki said to one another, Izuku felt himself being lifted to his feet.

“Hold on,” Todoroki instructed as Kirishima hefted Izuku onto the heterochromia man’s back.  Izuku did as he was told, admiring how Todoroki’s hair was perfectly split down the middle; the left side red and the right side white.

“I can walk.” Izuku pressed his face into the hero’s hair. Okay, so maybe he was a little drunk.

Todoroki chuckled lightly. “We’re already almost there. Get your key out.”

Gently, Izuku was placed on his feet. He dug out his keycard from his wallet and as soon as the door opened he headed for the bed. “Why are you here?” he asked, his voice muffled by the blankets he had wrapped himself in.

“Got a call from Tsukauchi, but more importantly I wanted to see if you were all right, Midoriya,” Todoroki answered, his eyes sweeping the room to look for anything suspicious. “Go to sleep. We can talk about it more in the morning.”

“But-”

“Sleep,” Todoroki repeated, turning the lights off. “I’m outside if you need anything.”

Izuku heard the door close and sighed. The last time Todoroki had been so standoffish was when they first met a few years back. He knew it was because the hero was worried, but Izuku disliked when his friend pushed him away.

Chapter Text

Katsuki could not believe his awful luck. His agency had forced him to volunteer for a new program with the police and of course his first case was watching over Izuku Midoriya, better know as his useless childhood friend, Deku. He hadn’t seen the twerp since middle school. Reflecting back on his final words, they had been unnecessarily cruel even by his standards. Then there was the slime monster incident that Katsuki tried to block from his mind. Out of all the heroes at the scene, quirkless Deku had been the one to save him. He’d thought for sure it would’ve been enough to get the nerd scouted for U.A.’s General Studies program, but Katsuki had never found out if an offer was made or if the school missed the opportunity.

His training at U.A. not only helped him grow as a hero, but as a person. While his temper was still an issue, it was genetic and wouldn’t ever cease to exist. At least he did have better control over his emotions now. His mother still remained friends with Inko Midoriya and while Katsuki hadn’t spoken to Deku in years, he generally knew what the nerd was up to thanks to his mother not shutting about what the man was up to.

Despite being quirkless, Deku had still ended up in the same circle of work as Katsuki. Ever since they were kids, Deku had excelled in observing and analyzing heroes, so it only made sense he’d capitalize on his skill. Thinking back to Deku’s crushed face earlier reminded him of their final days of middle school took when he’d crossed the line in his bullying. The expression was identical to the time he’d burned one of Deku’s hero analysis notebooks.

“Hello? Earth to Bakugou?” Kirishima waved his hand in front of Katsuki’s face, only to have it slapped away.

“What, Shitty Hair?!” he growled.

Kirishima laughed, more than use to Bakugou’s outbursts. “I asked if you were gonna drink your beer.”

“Have it.” Katsuki pushed the glass across the table with too much force.

“Really?” Kirishima gratefully took the glass. “You’re acting weird, bro. What’s up? You usually don’t like going out.”

Katsuki scowled. His friend was making him sound like a hermit. “I got assigned to that stupid program with the police and my first job was with an old classmate.”

“Oh, the partnership program, right? I told my agency I’d volunteer. You gotta give back, bro. That’s what we’re here for.” Kirishima replied.

“I know,” Katsuki groused. “I just don’t like being told what to do and now I gotta be near that lame-ass Deku all the fucking time.”

Kirishima arched his brow. “Deku?”

“It’s what I called him as a kid.” Katsuki left out that he clearly still called Izuku by that name.

“Dude that seems kinda mean. You mad because you were a jerk to this guy and now you feel bad about it?” said Kirishima after he casually sipped from his glass.

Katsuki banged his fist against the table with a snarl, his lip curled to expose his teeth. He forgot how insulting the name could come across. That was exactly the reason, but hearing Kirishima say it out loud made the situation all the more real.

Kirishima let a moment pass, letting Katsuki reign in his frustration before speaking again. “Why don’t you start with calling this guy by his name while we talk. Baby steps, bro.”

“Midoriya Izuku,” Katsuki ground out, the name foreign yet familiar on his tongue.

“What?! Dude, no way! What about Midoriya? Is he okay?” Kirishima questions came in rapid succession, leaving Katsuki stunned. Since when did his friend know Deku?

“He’s fine,” Katsuki answered, even more annoyed now that Kirishima knew who he was venting about. “Shaken up, but physically De-Izuku is fine. Someone broke into his apartment and tore the place up good.”

“Poor Midoriya! I was just texting him the other night and - aw, man! It makes so much sense now. He was acting kinda weird, but I thought he was just busy with work or something.”

“Is that how you know him?” Katsuki ground his teeth together. What were the chances that Kirishima and Deku were friends? That any of this nonsense was happening?

“Yeah, dude! If you get featured by Midoriya you’re guaranteed to jump in the rankings. I went up a few spaces and even got sent a fruit basket by Crimson Riot! Dude’s an awesome hero writer. My agency wants to hire him as a consultant to see where we can improve.” Kirishima enthusiastically explained.

Katsuki vaguely recalled his agent mentioning being featured by some hero writer could help turn his image around, but he despised interviews. His work should be more than enough to speak for his skills. Who cares if he smiles or touts some stupid product. Katsuki wanted to be the best hero and save people, the rest was irrelevant. Still, how dare that nerd not ask him? He was in the top ten right now and had been there awhile.

“Why don’t you try doing something nice for him? Then maybe you can be friends again.” Kirishima offered before finishing his beer.

Katsuki clucked his tongue. What the hell could he possibly do for Deku?

Kirishima sighed, it was clear the other hero was struggling with the concept of doing something nice. “You said Midoriya’s apartment got trashed, yeah? Maybe you can get him a replacement of something? Even just stopping by with some food would be thoughtful of you, dude. I know you can do it! You brought me soup when I was sick a few months back.”

“Cause you wouldn’t fucking shut up about your throat hurting!” Katsuki snapped.

“If you say so, bro!” Kirishima gave a knowing grin.

The two parted ways, Katsuki wanting to get to bed at a decent hour. As he walked back to his apartment he noticed a stationary store that was still open and went inside.

. . .

Izuku woke up with a severe headache. He groaned as he sat up, his eyes squinting as he adjusted to the sunlight that streamed through the window.

“There’s painkillers on the nightstand,” Todoroki’s voice came from beside Izuku, causing the green haired man to fall out of the bed.

“H-How long have you been there?!” Izuku yelled, his heart beating so fast he thought it would burst from his chest.

Todoroki shrugged. “Don’t know, maybe a half hour. I came in to check on you and figured you’d be waking up soon.”

Izuku collected himself, feeling embarrassed for his behavior last night. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, moving across the room to dig through his duffel bag. He picked out a change of clothes and grabbed his glasses he wore when he spent long hours in front of the computer. Izuku really needed to check his work emails today and maybe get some writing done.

Todoroki was at Izuku’s side. “For?”

“For being difficult last night. I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

“You didn’t. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t want to. I...I’m glad you’re okay. When I heard what happened, I assumed the worst.” Todoroki said, his lips stretched into a thin line afterwards.

Izuku waved his hands as he spoke, “I’m sorry! I should’ve called. I just-I-I’m kinda freaked out right now. I keep trying to act like everything is normal but-”

“Midoriya, slow down,” Todoroki guided Izuku to sit in a nearby chair, taking the clothes from his friend’s hand and setting them aside. “It’s okay. You have every right to feel upset. You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“But-" Izuku protested only to be interrupted.

“No. I won’t let you blame yourself. What happened isn’t your fault and it will never be your fault. Whoever did this will be caught, I promise.” Todoroki’s hand rested on Izuku’s shoulder and he pulled the shorter man into a hug. “When I got the call last night . . . I thought I had lost my best friend.”

“Shouto...” Midoriya hugged back, not used to his friend showing physical affection. “Thanks.”

Todoroki didn’t say anything. He was the first to pull away and glanced over at the clock near the bed. “The next shift should be here soon,” Todoroki yawned. “I’m sleepy.”

“When aren’t you?” Izuku chuckled. Ever since he’d known Todoroki, the hero was the type to nap whenever the chance arose. The two had met when Todoroki was still a U.A. student and Izuku had been a simple fanboy with a semi-popular hero blog.

There had been a forum discussing the U.A. Sports Festival battles and Izuku was the only one to mention that Todoroki should use his fire side more as it was just as much a part of him as his ice side. Going into detail as to how he’d one day surpass Endeavor if he stopped holding himself back. To this day, Izuku isn’t sure how Todoroki stumbled upon his post, but it ended up with the boy ambushing him on the way home one evening - leading to them being life-long friends.

And yes, it absolutely pissed off Todoroki’s father.

A knock on the door signaled the next hero had arrived. Todoroki motioned for Izuku to stay back, and peered through the peephole in the door to see who was outside. Izuku could hear Todoroki undo both locks and peered through the hallway to see who it was.

“Yo! Whaddup, dude? Wasn’t expecting to see you. It’s been awhile.” A blonde man with a black lightning bolt streak in his hair grinned. “Is this the guy? It’s nice to meet you, I’m Chargebolt!”

Todoroki yawned again and waved his hand as he headed for the door. “Text me if you need anything. I’m going to sleep.”

“Woah! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so casual since our dorm days. Are you guys friends?” Chargebolt, also known as Denki Kaminari, asked the moment the door closed.

Izuku nodded his head. “Yeah, it’s a long story. It’s nice to meet you, too. Sorry, but it’s gonna be pretty boring. Uh...” he looked around the room, eyes lighting up as he spotted the television. “Feel free to watch anything you want. I’m gonna shower and get changed.”

Izuku grabbed his clothes and ducked into the bathroom; turning the hot water on and letting the steam fill the small room. It was too early to be with someone so chatty. Thankfully his room had a hot water dispenser and some instant coffee packets.

Pulling his shirt over his head, Izuku jumped when the sound of frantic knocking echoed in the bathroom. He dressed in haste, pulling his jeans on and smoothing out his t-shirt before opening the door; his hair still wet. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“You’re on the TV!” Kaminari yelled as he pointed to the screen.

Izuku rushed by the hero, eyes going wide at the story currently running. His office was in the background with Izuku’s photo from his employee ID in the top right corner.

“It’s scary. We’re only doing our jobs and to be targeted like this is outrageous. I don’t know the writer very well, but he’s a hard worker who shouldn’t have to go through this.” The voice of a co-worker filtered through the speaker. Blood rushed in his ears, his heart pounding while he watched the screen.

Seeing his office and frightened co-workers was another blow Izuku hadn’t been ready to comprehend. It must have been a slow news day as the event had happened almost 24 hours ago, but this hadn’t been something he’d calculated for.

“Majorly not cool,” Kaminari commented, removing his blue shaded glasses. “Tsukauchi wasn’t able to get the story pulled afterall, huh. You okay, Midoriya?”

Izuku nodded again. So much for hiding and keeping a low profile. His cell phone began to ring and Izuku’s stomach sank. Without having to look at the caller ID he answered. “Hi, Mom,”

His eyes scrunched shut as his mother sobbed hysterically over the phone. This is exactly what Izuku did not want to happen. “Mom, I’m okay. I promise I’m safe. Please don’t come out here. I’m not even at my apartment.” Izuku shot Kaminari a side-eyed glance. The hero waved his hand and gave Izuku a thumbs-up. Even though the two had just met and led very different lives the one thing they both had in common was worried mothers. “Mom, please. How about I come over today? You can see for yourself that I’m alive and well. Yes, I promise I’ll be careful. Love you, too. Bye.”

Izuku ended the call with a weary sigh. “Do you mind going with me to check on my mom?”

“Sure thing, dude! Let me just tell the guys back at the station what’s up. I’m sure they’re busy tearing that news station a new one right about now.” Kaminari pulled out his phone, searching his contacts before hitting the call button.

. . .

The train ride was uneventful. Izuku had run into a shop and bought a simple black baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses to avoid drawing attention to himself. Chargebolt also went incognito and removed his signature hero apparel.

Walking from the station, Izuku was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was like he was a kid again, walking home from school only to go home and eat with his mother. 

“Izuku, my boy!”

Izuku turned at the familiar voice, his eyes lighting up when he saw a willowy figure lumbering toward him.

“Yagi!” Izuku walked to meet the man halfway. “It’s so nice to see you. How have you been?”

Yagi wheezed a bit, a small cough racking his slight frame. “Good, good! I should be asking you. I heard about your situation from my friend down at the station. I see you’re in good hands. Good to see you Kaminari.”

“S-Sir!” Kaminari bowed. Yagi Toshinori did not appear to be much, but a majority of the population knew him as the former number one hero, All Might. His face was sallow and his blonde hair lay limp; to the average person he’d be unrecognizable as All Might who had been the definition of what a hero should look like. When the man retired years ago his condition was revealed to the world and had been shocking for Izuku. To Izuku he was the local man who had helped him train and get in shape. Even though he was quirkless, Izuku was determined to stay fit. Back then he had toyed with the idea of becoming a vigilante, but in the end had decided to use his words to help others.

“Your mother is probably worried sick. Come back more often, the beach could always use some clean up.” Yagi said, coughing up a little blood.

Izuku scrambled to get his handkerchief and handed it to the man. “You worry about others too much.”

Yagi laughed, wiping the blood from his mouth. “The same could be said of you, my boy. I’ll see you around. They police have asked some of us to analyze your case. I may not be able to fight anymore, but I know a villain with a grudge when I see one.”

Izuku’s expression hardened. He’d been hoping it was a disgruntled reader, but if Yagi thought a villain was behind the attack then it was likely true.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s visit home went much longer than he anticipated. His mother insisted on feeding them lunch and as more time passed she persuaded the two to stay for dinner. By the time the sun was setting Izuku was practically dragging Kaminari out the door before his mother could come up with another excuse for Izuku to stay any longer.

“Your mom is so nice!” Kaminari grinned, his arms loaded with bags of leftover food.

Izuku blushed. His loved his mother, but having her be so overprotective when he was a grown man was embarrassing. “I’m an only child so she’s very … involved.”

“It’s nice! I can’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal.” said Kaminari.

In that moment it occured to Izuku that most heroes rarely had a day off. When was the last time Kaminari had the time to visit his own family? “You can have most of the leftovers. I don’t have a fridge in the hotel so they’ll just go bad.”

“Dude, I couldn’t!” Kaminari protested, but Izuku dismissively waved his hand before the hero could argue.

The two made small talk on their way back to the hotel. Izuku didn’t know who was next up to watch him for the evening; he could only hope whoever was waiting wouldn’t mind him returning so late.

“You’re late, asshole!” Bakugou screamed as soon as Izuku and Kaminari were in his line of  sight. Unlike last time, Bakugou was dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt, allowing the hero to easily blend into crowd of people milling about.

Izuku bit the inside of his cheek. Of course it would be Kacchan of all people. Just his luck.

“Chill, dude. We were having dinner at his mom’s.” Kaminari rolled his eyes. “What crawled up your butt? Haven’t seen you this pissy in awhile.”

Before Bakugou could cause a commotion on the street, Izuku walked into the hotel lobby and waited for the elevator.

“Hey!” Bakugou snarled, his hand clenching Izuku’s shoulder. “I was talking to you.”

Izuku sighed, the elevator door opening with a ding. “I know, but if you make a scene down here the hotel will kick us out. Wait until we’re in the room.”

Kaminari was behind Bakugou, but the fiery blonde was sure to close the door before the other hero could join them.

“Look, I’m sorry for being late, but you didn’t have to take it out on him. My mom was worried and wanted me to stay.” Izuku explained, trying to keep his voice as even as possible, least Bakugou think he was being insincere.

Bakugou snorted. “I told my mom to check in on Auntie Inko. Next time you need to let Tsukauchi know.”

The elevator opened onto Izuku’s floor, the door almost closing on him as his thoughts began to spiral. Bakugou had asked Auntie Mitski to look after his mother? He actually thought of someone other than himself?

“Hurry up, nerd!” Bakugou pushed Izuku through the doors, but not hard enough to make the green haired man fall.

“You haven’t changed at all.” Izuku muttered to himself. If Bakugou heard him, the hero didn’t say anything. He unlocked the door to his room and removed his shoes before placing his bag by the desk.

Izuku noted Bakugou was oddly quiet and turned to see if he had followed. Right as Izuku was about to ask what was wrong the hero spoke. “This room is a disaster!”

“E-Excuse me?” Izuku had not been expecting Bakugou to be concerned about the cleanliness of his room. Sure, it was a little messy, but after being in the hotel a few days the trash and his dirty clothes were starting to pile up.

“You heard me!” Bakugou stormed into the room and started forcing the take-out containers into the already full trash bins. “Screw this I’m calling housekeeping.”

“K-Kacchan, it’s late! Don’t bother them!” Izuku argued, moving to block Bakugou from the phone that sat on the nearby desk.

The hero barreled past Izuku, not even muttering a hello into the receiver before demanding housekeeping be sent up.

“Stupid, Deku!” Bakugou roared as he slammed the phone down. “It’s their job to clean the room, let them!”

“I know that! I just haven’t had the chance to ask while someone was here with me. Don’t yell at me for a stupid rule the police asked me to follow.” Izuku huffed, doing his best to consolidate his garbage for the cleaning staff that was on their way.

“If you weren’t so useless and could take care of yourself, you wouldn’t be wasting everyone’s time!” Bakugou snapped back.

Izuku stopped sorting through the trash, his hands clenched into fists. “You know, just because I don’t have a quirk doesn’t mean I can’t defend myself.”

Bakugou burst into laughter. “Okay, Deku keep telling yourself that. Just because you started lifting weights or whatever it is you do doesn’t mean you’re anywhere close to my level.”

In that moment Izuku surged forward, wrapping his arms around Bakugou’s waist before throwing the hero onto the bed and pinning him. “What was that? Pretty sure you’re supposed to be ready for surprise attacks, Ground Zero.”

Izuku felt one of Bakugou’s hands wrench itself free from his grasp moments before a warm palm slammed into his face. The two struggled, Bakugou managing to flip their positions with his knee digging into the small of Izuku’s back and his hand firmly grasping the green haired man’s nape. “You got lucky, nerd. I fucking dare you to try that again. I’ll-”

The door opened after a knock, only to be followed by a yelp and a rushed apology. Both men heard the door slam shut as they scrambled away from one another.

“Good going, asswipe!” Bakugou threw a pillow at Izuku, his chest heaving while he caught his breath.

“You started it! I told you not to call them!” Izuku’s face was bright red. He’d have to apologize to whoever walked in on them and explain it hadn’t been what they thought. How was he supposed to show his face to any of the staff now?

. . .

Uraraka had tears streaming down her face while she laughed. Izuku had just finished telling her about what had happened with Bakugou, his face burning the entire time. Whether out of embarrassment or anger, Izuku still wasn’t able to decide.

“It’s not funny! The staff probably think I’m a pervert now!” Izuku buried his face in his hands.

“Sorry,” Uraraka carefully wiped her eyes so her makeup didn’t smear. “I just pictured it and couldn’t stop myself. Bakugou must’ve been furious! I wish I had been there. Do you know how much money his fans would pay to see pictures of him like that? Talk about perverts!”

“T-They wouldn’t care. I’m a nobody! Besides, most like him with Red Riot.” Izuku muttered the last part.

“Do I even want to know why you know that?” Uraraka asked as she went to take a drink from her coffee.

Izuku’s face flushed and he attempted to hide behind his coffee cup. “Occupational hazard. I’ve found some...uh...you know how obsessive fans can be.”

Uraraka nodded. “Like you with All Might?”

“N-No! I admire him, but all my merch is...was official. I never bought the more adult items some fans produced.” Izuku was quick to correct her. He didn’t want people thinking he had body pillows or any other weird merchandise.

“I’m just giving you a hard time.” Uraraka said, her fingers pushing a stray piece of hair from her face. “I’m sorry, I forgot what happened to your collection.”

“It’s okay. I guess it was kinda silly. It was about time I stopped being so eccentric and grow up.” replied Izuku as he forced a smile.

“Don’t put yourself down! There was nothing wrong with your hobby.” Uraraka leaned across the table, her hands playfully patting Izuku on his face. “Cheer up! Rumor is you’re going to be allowed back into your apartment. You’ll still have guards for a bit, but at least you’ll be home. Hey, we should go shopping to celebrate! You have lots to replace. It can be like a new start!” She pumped her fist in the air, her positive outlook contagious.

Izuku smiled at the good news. He was glad this whole ordeal was blowing over and he could return to his normal life soon.

. . .

“He’s so dreamy!” Toga exclaimed, her feet swinging wild with glee as she sat on the bar stool. “Izuku has the cutest freckles. Photos don’t do him justice, Kurogiri. I just want to cut them off his face so no one else can see, but me!”

“You mentioned he’s guarded, correct?" Kurogiri asked from behind the bar, his hands robotically cleaning the dirty glasses. The man’s body consisted mainly of a dark mist, but that didn’t hinder him from wearing a nice dress shirt paired with finely pressed slacks and a vest.

Toga shook her head. “Ground Zero was with him. I think they’re friends, they have such cute nicknames for each other. Izuku calls him ‘Kacchan’ like a little kid. He’s so popular with the heroes.”

“That could be problematic.” Kurogiri replied, pausing while he dried a glass.

“What’s problematic?” Shigaraki’s voice rasped as he entered the bar. “Toga, what have you got for us?”

Toga leaped from her seat, eagerly shoving a packet into Shigaraki’s hands. His pale skin was almost translucent and when paired with his pale greyish-blue hair, Tomura Shigaraki looked as if he were a ghost.

“I got so many photos! You should meet him in person, Tomura. Izuku is so sweet! I would’ve talked to him longer if it wasn’t for Ground Zero.” She said the name as if it burned her tongue.

Shigaraki took the packet and dumped the photos onto the bar, his hand clawing at his neck anxiously. “Maybe I will. He could be useful.” Shigaraki spread out the photos of Izuku over the past few days, his red eyes shining with interest. “Keep watching him. Kurogiri, I want to know when he starts writing again.”

“Of course, Tomura Shigaraki,” Kurogiri answered. “May I ask why you don’t kill him?”

Shigaraki scratched at his neck, red lines stark against his pale skin. “I want to see if he’ll consider changing his views. We’ll wait to see what he does next.”

. . .

Izuku shivered, a sudden chill running through his body.

“Something the matter, Midoriya?” Todoroki asked while he continued to mindlessly flip through the television channels from the edge of the bed.

“No, just a little cold is all.” Izuku had finally worked up the courage to ask housekeeping to come up. After telling Todoroki what had happened, the hero had been impressed to hear Izuku had managed to surprise Bakugou. If anyone knew how strong Izuku was it was Todoroki. The two exchanged their training regimens and even sparred every once in awhile.

Izuku was making sure he had most of his belongings packed. Uraraka was right and Tsukauchi had informed Izuku that he was cleared to go back to his home. “Did you bring this? I don’t remember buying a new notebook.”

“No. I got you a nice plant for your apartment, though.” Todoroki moved to see what Izuku was talking about, but froze when something slipped from the notebook’s pages. “Be careful, Midoriya.”

“It’s okay,” Izuku bent down to retrieve what had fallen. “It’s just an All Might trading card.” He held the card up for Todoroki to see, the holographic print glittering in the light. “I had this same one as a kid. So did -” Izuku stopped himself. Kacchan had this same exact card. The two of them had gone to the convenience store as children and purchased candy with their allowance; and somehow both had managed to pick out the candy with the same ultra rare All Might trading card.

“Midoriya?” Todoroki questioned, concerned.

“Sorry,” Izuku tucked the card back into the notebook and placed it into his backpack. “Guess I forgot I bought this. Don’t worry about it.”

Later, when Izuku had a rare moment to himself in the bathroom; he turned on the shower so as not to rouse suspicion and pulled out his cell phone from his pant’s pocket.

To Kacchan:

Thank you.

I’m having a housewarming party.

Feel free to stop by if you aren’t working.

Chapter Text

Katsuki grit his teeth. He’d somehow managed to lose Kirishima in the store. This seemed to happen almost every time the two went shopping together. Even with the hero’s bright red hair, one moment Katsuki would turn to look at something and the next thing he knew Kirishima was gone.

“Hey, do you think Midoriya would like this?” Kirishima asked, holding up a calligraphy set.   

Bakugou glared at his friend, doing his best to mask that someone had managed to startle him. “That’s for old people!”

“Dude, all the gifts you’re suppose to give are so boring, but I don’t want to offend him.” Kirishima said, sounding genuinely distraught.

“You won’t offend him! Just stick with your manly theme.”

Kirishima grinned. “You’re a genius, bro! I’m gonna get him some weights.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes. So much had changed since he last saw his childhood friend. Izuku had filled out since their time together in middle school. While loathed to admit it, Katsuki couldn’t help but think Deku looked good. Besides being in shape and actually doing some styling to that mop of hair; Deku’s entire demeanor had changed. Katsuki noticed the man walked with more confidence now. Deku didn’t slouch or try to curl in on himself in order to appear smaller. Of all the changes, the one Katsuki was struggling to deal with was Deku’s confidence. It was rare back then for Deku to talk back to him, and even when the nerd did he tended to cry. Katsuki had always called Deku a cry baby, because the boy cried at the littlest thing. Whether it be out of joy or sadness, chances were Deku would cry and it pissed Katsuki off.

It pissed him off because when a Deku cried he couldn’t help but think it was kinda cute.

“I’m all set, bro!” Kirishima reappeared with a set of small weights in his hand.

Katsuki visibly stiffened, not expecting Kirishima to return so soon. “Shut up!” he barked as he quickly turned on his heel and stomped away. There was no way in hell he had just thought Deku’s stupid cry baby face was cute!

“Woah! Wait up!” Kirishima jogged to catch up. “I still need to check out. Aren’t you getting something?”

“I said shut it! I’ll look somewhere else!” Katsuki growled.

Kirishima’s brow furrowed. “Yeesh! What’s got you in such a mood?

Katsuki rounded to face Kirishima, his face twisted in annoyance. “Nothing. This whole thing is stupid. It’s not even like shitty Deku got a new place. All he’s doing is cleaning it up!”

Kirishima sighed. “No ones making you go, man. Actually, Iida and a few of us are sneaking in to repaint and help the police tidy it up. Midoriya’s done a lot for all of us and we wanna repay him.”

“Why the fuck wasn’t I invited?” Katsuki snapped. He’s was just as involved in this mess as the rest of them. Who were they to make plans like this behind his back.

“We didn’t think you’d be interested.” Kirishima said with a shrug. “Look, we have more than enough people coming in to get the place cleaned up. Why don’t you go with Uraraka and help her distract Midoriya?”

“Maybe I will!” Katsuki answered before he could really think what that task would entail.

. . .

“Uh, maybe we should go some place else. Kacchan seems...well, like his usual self, but you know what I mean,” Izuku whispered to Uraraka as Bakugou silently seethed while he trailed behind them.

Uraraka glanced back. “No way! I’m sure he just needs some coffee and he’ll cheer up. C’mon! We came to shop and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.” She stopped at a nearby bench, the food court in sight. “Wait here, I’ll take care of Bakugou.”

Before Izuku could protest Uraraka was dragging Bakugou away.

The morning had been interesting, to say the least. He’d packed up everything in his hotel room and was about to head back to his apartment so he could get ready for his party when Uraraka showed up with Bakugou. Not wanting to cause a scene at the hotel, Izuku agreed to join the two on a shopping trip.

An hour or so out wouldn’t set him back too much, and it was better than the alternative of Bakugou shouting. Izuku took out his phone from his pocket and sat on the bench. He thumbed threw his emails to see if there were any pressing work issues. Just because Izuku wasn’t publishing new stories didn’t mean he was slacking. He was emailing his editor daily with ideas and even offered to help out some junior reporters on stories he’d already started. Izuku wasn’t one to care if his name was attached to something. He’d already made a name for himself so if a newbie wanted take some of his work and run with it he was happy the story would be getting out.

“Aren’t you that writer guy that was on the news?” a raspy voice next to Izuku asked, causing him to jump in his seat.

“Y-Yeah,” he laughed nervously. “That’s me. I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” Izuku looked over to the man in a black hoodie seated next to him. He’d been in his own world and felt embarrassed someone had managed to catch him off guard.

“I’m fan of you work. Your writing is inspirational,” The man continued.

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. “Thank you, you’re too kind,”

“But it must get old writing about the same thing over and over.”

“Not at all! I’ve loved analyzing quirks since I was a kid.” Izuku said while he waved both his hands in a dismissive manner.

“Yeah, but you only analyze hero quirks. What about villains? It’s not exactly fair to just cover the heroes.”

Izuku smile was strained as the man’s arm wrapped around his shoulder. He had come to realize many people thought they knew him since he was in the public eye often, and as a result many would invade his personal space. Izuku tried to scoot away when the grip on his shoulder tightened.

“I wouldn’t cause a scene if I were you. My quirk only requires my entire hand to be touching something to fully disintegrate it.”

Izuku’s eyes went wide as they shifted to the hand on his shoulder. Sure enough one finger was slightly lifted in the air, preventing the man’s quirk from rotting his shoulder off. He tried to examine the hooded man’s face, but the only features standing out were red eyes and chapped lips. “If you did anything in such a public place a hero would catch you.”

The man chuckled under his breath. “You’re right, but I could take out a good twenty or thirty people before they could stop me. So let’s finish our chat and I won’t hurt anyone.”

“Was it you?” Izuku whispered.

“You never answered my question. Why are people so obsessed with hero quirks? They’re not that different from a villain’s? Help me understand.”

Izuku swallowed thickly, taking a moment to find his voice.“Because heroes exist to help people. No matter how dangerous they help people with a smile on their face while villains use their quirks only for themselves. If a villain emerged with strong conviction similar to a hero’s then the media would be covering them non-stop.”

“I see,” the man laughed, his lifted finger twitching as if it were going to touch Izuku.

Izuku swallowed again, his throat feeling dry. “We may not have a Symbol of Peace anymore, but heroes work together. Heroes have a goal. The public won’t ever rally behind a villain who attacks mindlessly for their own gain.”

“I knew talking to you would help!” The man’s shoulders shook with gleeful laughter. “I understand how the game is played now.”

Izuku wanted to ask what the man meant by game, but Uraraka called out to him as she approached.

“Bakugou is getting his coffee, but I got us dri-“ Uraraka stopped a few feet from Izuku, her face shifting from confused to concerned as she held a cup in each of her hands. “Is this a friend of yours?”

Izuku wanted to answer, but he couldn’t seem to find his voice now that Uraraka was within the man’s deadly reach.

Suddenly the man stood, holding both his hands up in a peaceful gesture as he chuckled. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had come with friends. Thanks for talking with me, Izuku. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Izuku didn’t move while the man walked away.

“Hey!” Uraraka shouted after the man, moving to give chase. Izuku leaped from his seat, his hand latching on to her arm.

“Uraraka, don’t!” Izuku couldn’t stop the tremor that ran through his body. “He...his quirk is too strong, please don’t.”

“What the hell are you two dumbasses doing?” Bakugou questioned.

“Nothing!” Izuku answered quickly. “I...uh....a fan was getting a bit too friendly so I  was gonna pretended Uraraka and I are dating, but it’s okay they left. See?” He blushed, taking his drink away from her as he intertwined his fingers with Uraraka’s, holding their hands up for Bakugou.

“Whatever...” Bakugou shoved past Izuku.

“Um...you can let go now.” Uraraka said softly, her cheeks a brighter pink than normal.

Izuku yanked his hand away. “S-Sorry!”

Uraraka leaned in, making sure Bakugou was far enough away. “Izuku, why didn’t you tell him?”

“I just got the chance to go back home. I’m tired of living in a hotel. I want things to go back to normal is all.” Izuku replied, his eyes trained on Bakugou’s back.

“Still...I think we should tell the detective.” Uraraka glanced around until she spotted a black dome on the ceiling. “The must’ve caught that man on tape. We could bring him in for questioning. Did he give you a name?”

Izuku shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. “No. I barely got a good look at him. He has red eyes, and his skins is pale and dry. There was a beauty mark on his chin.”

“It’s a start. Just...be careful, okay?” Uraraka pleaded.

“Promise,” Izuku replied. “So, what was it you wanted to shop for?”

“O-Oh, uh right - shopping. Um, I need a new jacket. I lost mine while on patrol one night.”

Izuku accepted his friend’s response, chalking her anxiousness up to all that had transpired. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be. How about Kacc - I mean Bakugou and I go get stuff for the party while you do that?”

Uraraka glanced at Bakugou before looking back to Izuku. “Are you sure? I can help you. It’s just a jacket.”

“Yeah, go ahead. Don’t worry, I won’t wander off on my own.” Izuku waved goodbye to Uraraka, an lightly jogged to catch up to Bakugou.  

Bakugou bristled when Izuku approached. “Done making goo-goo eyes at Round Face?”

“What?!” Izuku face turned red. “N-No, I told you a fan-”

“Like that other girl that was all over you? Sure are popular now, Deku.” Bakugou groused, his feet kicking the air aggressively as they walked.  

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Izuku asked.

Bakugou kept his eyes forward. “Maybe you’re more like your dad than you thought is all.”

Izuku stopped in his tracks. “Wow, Kacchan. I knew you were an asshole, but that was just low. Good to know you’re still as immature as ever.”

“Deku, I -”

“I don’t care,” Izuku interrupted. “You know I thought maybe you had changed. When I found that journal and trading card I took that as a peace offering, but clearly I misinterpreted. Let’s just get the shopping done. Don’t force yourself to hang out with me.”

Instead of looking at Bakugou, Izuku got out his phone and texted Uraraka what store he was going to so they could meet up. He managed to get a few paces in front of the hero and missed how Bakugou’s face had fallen.

Chapter Text

Izuku couldn’t get what Bakugou had said out of his mind. He knew it was only said to be hurtful, but that didn’t ease the sting at all. His father had been absent for a majority of his life and when Izuku got older he understood that work wasn’t the sole reason Hisashi Midoriya wasn’t home. Izuku couldn’t comprehend how his mother could stand it, but she would always smile softly when Izuku asked why she didn’t move on and say “I have you and that’s all the matters”. His mother Inko was a strong woman and Izuku didn’t know if he would be capable of loving someone so much that he could overlook them being unfaithful.

Behind him, Uraraka and Bakugou were furiously whispering at one another. No doubt she had picked up on the tension between the two of them. The sudden silent treatment was a bit obvious, after all.

“Way to go!” Izuku overheard Uraraka hiss at Bakugou. The explosion hero said nothing, and that was probably for the best; or at least Izuku thought so. Just the idea of Bakugou’s voice grated on his nerves right now.

“You guys can relax while I set up,” said Izuku as he retrieved his keys from his pants pocket. “You’re my guests, so make yourselves at ho-" the door opened and soft pops exploded in Izuku’s ears, colorful confetti momentarily blinding him.

“Welcome home!” a chorus of voices cheered.

Izuku teared up, both his hands flying to cover his mouth. His apartment had been cleaned and the wall had a fresh paint of coat on it. “Thank you. You all didn’t have to do this. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate this.”

“It was our pleasure,” Iida replied, offering Izuku a beverage.

“It’s what friends are for,” Kirishima chimed in.

Izuku was ushered into his apartment and shown all the repairs his friends had made.

“We saved the best for last!” Izuku heard someone say, but was so overwhelmed he wasn’t able to pinpoint who. Maybe Todoroki? No, it sounded too enthusiastic. Probably Kaminari.

The door opened and Izuku gasped. Sitting in a chair was Yagi surrounded by All Might merchandise meticulously staged on the walls and new shelving units.

“I am here!” he said proudly before having a small coughing fit.

Izuku could only look around in awe. Almost all of his collection had been replaced and there were definitely some new editions he had been eyeing to purchase. The tears he had been holding back came pouring out, but thankfully no one said anything. In the past few years Izuku has gotten better at controlling his tears, however, if there was any time to cry in joy then this was the moment to do so.

“T-Thank you all,” he sniffed, “I really can’t thank you enough this is all too much.” Izuku bowed and wiped his eyes, trying to get his tears under control.

. . .

Katsuki hovered toward the back of the crowd, lingering near the wall. He should probably leave, yet his feet didn’t seem to want to cooperate. He kept trailing behind everyone else and took in the repairs to Deku’s apartment. It still faintly smelled like paint, but otherwise the apartment appeared how Katsuki assumed how it would before it was torn apart.

Seeing all the All Might memorabilia caused Katsuki’s heart to sink. His dinky trading card was minuscule in comparison. Some of the items were so rare there was no way someone other than All Might could have gotten their hands on them.

“You’re being quite, bro,” Kirishima said, offering Katsuki a cup of what looked to be soda. “Something wrong?”

“Yeah, I said something stupid to Deku...Izuku,” Katsuki took the cup and drank. He knew some people had gifted Deku sake and would much rather be drinking anything alcoholic at the moment.

“Dude...you have to stop pushing people away. I thought you grew out of this,” sighed Kirishima.

“Shut up!” Katsuki snapped. “I...it was an accident. He and Round Face started it. Holding hands and shit. If they’re dating they should say so.”

Kirishima burst into laughter. “They’re not dating. Look, I don’t know what you think you saw, but I promise you they aren’t dating. They tried once and it just did not work out. They’re friends.”

Katsuki scowled as he took another drink. “And how the fuck do you know that?”

“Uh, well...I maybe helped set them up. They just decided being friends was for the best. So if they were holding hands it probably wasn’t because they wanted to. Does that make sense?” Kirishima explained.

Katsuki swore under his breath. He had overreacted and made things awkward for no reason.

“Why do you care?” Kirishima asked, interrupting Katsuki’s brooding. “Do you like Midoriya or something?”

“No! Shut the hell up!” Katsuki growled, looking around to make sure no one heard them.

Kirishima put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, sheesh. Chill, I was just asking. Midoriya is a catch, but he works so much he doesn’t date. Super relatable.”

“Yeah well you sound dumber than usual so shut it!” Katsuki huffed and moved to leave. It was clear he wasn’t wanted here.

He yanked open the door and noticed a familiar head of purple hair near the ground. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

Katsuki hadn’t seen Shinsou Hitoshi since they graduated from U.A. years ago. Not much had changed, the brainwashing hero still looked tired and menacing.

“Someone has to stand guard while you all enjoy yourselves.” Shinsou answered dully as he sat outside the door.

“Trade me,” Katsuki ordered. “It’s too loud in there.”

Shinsou arched his brow. “You sure?”

“Are you fucking deaf? Go!” Katsuki all but pushed Shinsou through the door and settled down to sit on the floor as the other hero had been doing.

If he couldn’t make Izuku happy, the least Katsuki could do was protect him.

. . .

“No way!” Izuku eye’s lit up when Shinsou entered his apartment. The mind control hero was elusive to the public eye. Izuku hadn’t seen the hero’s quirk in action since the U.A. Sports Festival from years ago. He eagerly weaved through the crowd and stopped face-to-face with Shinsou. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Midoriya Izuku,”

“Shinsou Hitoshi.” He extended his hand to Izuku, who firmly shook Shinsou’s hand.

Before Izuku could ask the hero any questions Yagi cleared his throat. “Did you need something? You’re schedule to watch the door for the night.”

“Uh, yeah I was,” Shinsou replied. “But Bakugou insisted on giving me a break. I can go back out.”

“Wait!” Izuku said louder than he anticipated. “I was hoping I could interview you in the future. Your quirk is so unique. I know you prefer to work out of the spotlight, but your story is so inspiring.”

Shinsou blinked, pausing for a moment before he answered. “Can I think about it? I probably have to get permission from my superiors so no missions are compromised.”

“Absolutely!” Izuku said without hesitation, having expected a rejection outright. He fumbled for his wallet and retrieved one of his business cards. “Please feel free to contact me any time.”

Shinsou took the card and smirked as he slipped it into his pocket. “Any time? Might want to limit that to business hours, or people will get ideas.”

Izuku blushed. “T-That wasn’t my intention!”

“Just kidding," Shinsou replied. “I’ll reach out with my decision. Big fan, by the way. You’re one of the few writers that actually knows what they’re talking about when it comes to quirks.”

“Thank you.” Izuku replied while he watched Shinsou return to his post outside.

“Midoriya, my boy,” Yagi placed his hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “Uraraka tells me there was an incident at the mall today. We will need to discuss it later.”

Izuku shuddered at the memory of the man’s hands on him. “Yeah, later. Thank you for doing all this.”

“You’re welcome, but I didn’t do much. You have good friends that care about you.” Yagi smiled and shuffled away to mingle with the others.

Izuku tried to do the same as his mentor, but found his thoughts going back to what had happened at the mall.

“Something the matter?” Todoroki asked, catching Izuku by surprise.

“No,” Izuku was quick to reply. “Sorry, just thinking about some stuff. Thanks, for all of this.”

“Stop thanking everyone. We did it because we wanted to.” Todoroki shrugged, as if he hadn’t spent hours fixing up Izuku’s apartment.

“You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for.” Izuku could feel another round of tears coming on, but managed to suppress them.

Todoroki nodded, his face unreadable as usual. “Why did Bakugou go out in the hall? He wanted to help today, but we already had enough people painting and moving stuff.”

“He did?” Izuku was startled to hear. He thought Bakugou was dragged along and had come to watch over him.

“Yeah,” Todoroki hummed lazily. “He’s been a bit odd lately. I know he had to volunteer due to lack of public events, but he’s already done more than they asked. One of the junior heroes asked me if he was sick.” Todoroki’s lip twitched into the slightest grin before reverting back to a neutral position.

“I’m gonna go check on him,” said Izuku as he walked away. Outside the apartment stood Shinsou, who leaned causally against the wall.

“Where's Kac-Katsuki?” Izuku felt warm, he rarely called Kacchan by his first name.

“Said he was going home,” Shinsou pointed down the hall toward the elevators. “You just missed him.”

“Thanks!” Izuku ran to the stairwell, taking two steps at a time in hopes of catching his childhood friend. He was breathing hard when he reached the lobby and saw the back of Bakugou’s head.

“Kacchan!” Izuku called loudly the moment he opened the lobby door to the street outside. “Wait for me!” he lightly jogged to meet the hero, taking a moment to catch his breath.

“Stupid, nerd. You could’ve called me instead of running all the way down here.” Bakugou scolded.

“I wanted to tell you I forgive you for what you said today,” Izuku wheezed. Even though he was in good shape, he hadn’t run that fast in awhile.

“You shouldn’t,” Bakugou replied, his voice softer.

Izuku smiled and stretched his hand out to grasp. “I am. Friends?”

Wordlessly, Bakugou gripped Izuku’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “Get back inside before everyone comes down here.”

“Goodnight, Kacchan!” Izuku cheerfully replied before going back inside. He opted to take the elevator up and let his thoughts wander while he slowly ascended to his floor. His smile began to waver. It was getting late which meant he would have to sit down and tell Yagi what happened today. The doors to the elevator opened with a ding and Izuku was greeted by Shinsou as his apartment door came into view. Izuku plastered on his usual smile and thanked the hero once more before opening the door. For now he was going to enjoy the evening with his friends.

Chapter Text

The party was beginning to wind down, yet Izuku’s nervousness grew. He couldn’t avoid talking to Yagi about what had happened at the mall earlier that day. Replaying what had happened over in his mind made him queasy. He wished he could blame it on the alcohol, but Izuku knew he hadn’t had enough to make himself sick. Part of him had wished he had. Yagi might have dropped the subject if he started puking.

He bid goodnight to the last of his guests, Iida and Uraraka, insisting he could handle the clean up. The door clicked shut and Izuku started to pace about and pick up a few items of trash.

“Young Midoriya, please have a seat. You’re making me anxious with all your fretting,” Yagi said, already seated at the table in Izuku’s kitchen.

“Sorry,” Izuku sat down, finding it difficult to look his mentor in the eye. A silence fell between them, Yagi clearly waiting for Izuku to recount what had happened at the mall. “I...I went to the mall with Uraraka and Kacchan today, I guess they wanted me out of the apartment so the others could surprise me. I was only alone a moment and a man approached me. He knew me.”

Yagi leaned forward. “More than a fan would?”

“Yeah, I asked if it was him who did it, but he never answered. He went on some rant about villains being misunderstood. That heroes are corrupt and aren’t so different... I didn’t get a good look at his face, but his quirk is dangerous,”

“How so?” Izuku didn’t like worrying people, especially not this man who he considered to be his second father. Well, in actuality Yagi had been there for Izuku more than his actual father who just mailed checks and a birthday card.

“He told me that anything he touches with all his fingers instantly decays. He...” Izuku brought his hand to his throat. “I didn’t challenge him on it.”

Yagi stood from his seat. “Pack a bag, you can’t stay here.”

“No!” Izuku said too loudly.

“Young Mi-”

“I’m tired of running,” Izuku interrupted. “We don’t even know how the person got in. There were no signs of forced entry. I won’t be safer at a hotel or wherever else you take me.” He looked at Yagi with pleading eyes. “If having a hero on guard isn’t enough then nothing will be. Don’t forget I can fight, you taught me how.”

Yagi sighed, his face looking more weary than usual. “Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision. I only wanted you to be safe.”

Izuku’s brow furrowed. He didn’t understand what All Might was talking about. After the slime monster incident back in middle school he had trained to become stronger. His mentor had made sure Izuku would be able to defend himself even without a quirk. Without Yagi, Izuku would never had pursued his passion of analyzing quirks.

“You can stay, but let me have the station install one of those doorbell cameras.” Yagi countered.

Izuku hated the idea of being under more surveillance than he already was, but if he wanted any semblance of freedom he had no choice. “Fine, if that’s what it takes.”

“I’ll arrange it with the police tomorrow then,” Yagi slowly stood from his seat, dismissing Izuku’s hand as he shuffled out of the kitchen. “Check in with me at least once a day, please.”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied like a child who had just been scolded. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and found Yagi smiling at him.

“I’m not upset with you...I’m upset at the situation. Understand, that I’m worried. I don’t want to see you hurt.” Yagi said before he opened the door, closing it with a soft click.

Izuku bit the inside of his cheek, tears welling up. Usually he wasn’t the type to lash out when angry, but in that moment he raised his fist and punched the door.

“Is everything okay?” Shinsou asked from the other side of the door, the knob to door turning back and forth.

Izuku took a deep breath and wiped his eyes before opening the door. “Fine. Sorry, I don’t normally go around punching things.”

Shinsou said nothing, instead staring blankly at Izuku.

“You don’t have to stand outside the whole night. The person who got in probably has a quirk like Lemillion’s.” Izuku stepped aside so the hero could enter. “There’s leftover food if you're hungry.”

Izuku noticed the hero hesitate before entering the apartment. The day was beginning to take its toll, and Izuku knew if he went to bed he’d only lay there unable to sleep.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Shinshou asked, bringing Izuku back to his current situation. He nodded in reply and forced himself to smile. At times like this Izuku preferred to work to take his mind off things.

“Off the record, why did you choose to become a hero?” Izuku asked. He wasn’t expecting the hero to humor him, as underground heroes held their privacy close to their hearts.

Shinsou stared at Izuku, speaking after a long stretch of silence. “Because I wanted to show people anyone can be a hero, even if their quirks seem suited for a villain.”

The answer was simple, yet Izuku found himself strongly relating. Having no quirk, or an ill-suited quirk often placed people like himself and Shinsou as outcasts. Nonetheless, both had managed to defy the odds and go into professions unexpected of them.

“I hope you’ll really consider letting me interview you. I won’t even need a picture or your real name for print. I think the next generation could use someone like you as a role model.” Izuku smiled to himself. People with less favored quirks needed more representation in hero work. While no one who was quirkless had managed to become a certified hero, it was only a matter of time.

Shinsou coughed and looked away, a red tinge to his face. “Someone’s gotta do it. Besides, villain work would’ve been too easy with my quirk.”

The two talked into the night, Izuku’s anxiousness fading. He wasn’t sure when he feel asleep, but when he woke up Shinsou was gone and Kaminari was playing a game on his phone in the chair adjacent to Izuku.

On the table lay a letter from Shinsou with the hero’s cell phone number with the message, ‘Let me know a good day and time for the interview’.

. . .

The knife cracked against the chopping board in rapid succession, Katsuki hands moving so quickly they looked as if they were blurred. He was scheduled to look after Izuku that day and since he had failed to bring a housewarming gift he figured a home cooked meal would suffice. From what he’d gathered Izuku wasn’t functional in the kitchen. He’d overheard his mother quelling Inko Midoriya’s worries over the phone that her son was eating poorly and how she tried to see him a few times a month to make sure he had some good meals.

Katsuki heard the oil crackle in the pan on the stove, and smoothly shifted over to place the strips of battered pork cutlet down. He knew he was being ambitious, making Izuku’s all-time favorite dish, but he was confident in his cooking ability. Most of his friends from U.A. asked him to cook when they got together, so clearly he was doing something right.

He packed the meals into containers and cleaned up before getting ready for his shift. Katsuki generally preferred early mornings or afternoons, but when necessary he wouldn’t say no to a night shift. Today he was scheduled to monitor Izuku through the afternoon until the early evening. A few days had passed since the party, which was probably for the best. There was something about Izuku that brought out the worst in him, while also making him strive to be better.

Katsuki arrived at the apartment a few minutes before he was scheduled and knocked on the door. He repositioned the heavy duffle bag he had slung over his shoulder, and knocked again after a moment. If Izuku left, the hero watching him was suppose to notify the other of the new location. Katsuki dug his phone out of his pocket and saw he hadn’t received any communication of a new meet up place. Just as he was pulling up the schedule, he heard two sets of footsteps approaching.

“Ah, there he is,” Kirishima said, a bit breathless.

Katsuki was ready to chew the other hero out, but the words died in his throat when he turned to look at the pair. Both were glistening with sweat and dressed in shorts with thin workout shirts. For the first time Katsuki was able to get a good look at how Izuku had changed over the years.

“Sorry, Kacchan. We lost track of time down at the gym,” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck and quickly went to unlock the apartment door.

Kirishima reached for Katsuki’s bag and without hesitation the blond smacked the hero’s hand away. “There’s fragile stuff in there, hair for brains,” he growled.

“You mean besides your gear?” Kirishima asked, his head tilted.

Katsuki huffed and went inside to the kitchen area. He ignored the other two as he opened Izuku’s fridge and stacked the premade meals inside. Besides some condiments and a few  drinks, the fridge had been bare. Katsuki ground his teeth, the nerd had moved back in a few days ago and still hadn’t gone grocery shopping.

“K-Kacchan, did you cook all those for me?” Izuku was still in his gym clothes, a fresh towel draped over his shoulders.

“Who else would they be for?” If there was one thing Katsuki despised it was obvious questions. “Don't expect any more, it’s your housewarming gift.” He slammed the door to the fridge close and glared at Izuku and Kirishima. The two were too friendly with one another for Katsuki’s tastes. He knew Izuku had friends in the hero business, but it was odd seeing his childhood friend so close with one of his best friends. How had they been so close to each other yet so far all these years?

He overheard Izuku say he was going to shower, leaving him and Kirishima by themselves.

“Bro, is everything good?” Kirishima asked.

“It’s fine...I just got worried when no one answered the door,” Katsuki answered. The person who had threatened Izuku hadn’t made any contact, but the police having no leads made him uneasy.  

Kirishima held his fist out for Katsuki, who tapped it against his own. “I’m sorry, that was my bad. I should’ve texted you we were going to work out downstairs. Glad you two got over whatever it was, though.”

Katsuki simply grunted in reply.

“And I’m happy you’re still volunteering. Your agency must be thrilled you’re going over your quota.” said Kirishima with a knowing grin.

Katsuki’s felt his eye twitch. “Shut your big, pointy mouth before I do it for you,”

“If you say so, bro,” Kirishima laughed and gathered his things. “Catch ya for drinks later this week.”

The door shut and the shower could be heard running the background. Katsuki hadn’t really looked around since he’d come with Izuku to gather up his stuff. Now that he thought about it being back at the apartment was a bit surreal. Even though Katsuki knew he’d be on duty here, the wave of nostalgia didn’t hit him until now. It was as if he were transported back to grade school and he had been invited over to play.

“You can sit down,” Izuku’s voice came from behind Katsuki, the hero only slightly jumping in surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I wasn’t fucking scared!” Katsuki roared, too upset to notice at first that Izuku’s hair was still wet, or that his shirt seemed to cling to his lightly pinked skin.

Izuku nodded and went to grab a sports drink from the fridge. “You’re welcome to anything you’d like, but I guess you already knew I didn’t have much food.”

“All that working out is gonna do squat if you keep eating shitty instant food, Deku,” Katsuki huffed. He knew that Izuku had mainly been eating convenience store food during the time he stayed at the hotel.

“You’re right,” Izuku sighed before perking up, “I know, why don't we go shopping now? It can be your shot at redemption.”

Katsuki ground his teeth together. He knew Izuku was kidding and that he’d forgiven him, but it still stung. “Fine, and I’ll cook something tonight so your sorry ass has more meals from when I’m not around. No wonder Auntie Inko worries about you, you can’t even feed yourself. Still the same useless Deku.”

Izuku rolled his eyes playfully. “You know your mom is the same way. We’re always gonna be their little boys,”

“Like I care what that old hag thinks,” Katsuki replied. He really did try to visit his mother and father, but a hero’s schedule was hectic.

“You two are so alike,” Izuku laughed. “I can’t really talk, I’m just like my mom, too,”

“It’s a good thing.” Katsuki looked Izuku in the eye as he spoke.

He watched a gentle smile spread across Izuku’s freckled cheeks before jerking his head toward the door. “Let’s get going. It gets busy before dinner time.”

Both were putting their shoes on to leave when Izuku leaped to his feet. “I bet I can beat you downstairs.”

“Huh? In your dreams! I have longer legs than you,” Katsuki smirked, confident in his ability to outrun Izuku.

“Wanna bet?” Izuku locked the door behind the two as they stepped into the hallway. “Loser has to buy the other a drink from the vending machine,”

“You’re on, nerd! You better not cry when you lose.”

As Katsuki predicted, he reached the lobby first, but just barely. Still he felt a strong sense of satisfaction as he downed his soft drink since Izuku had paid for it.

Chapter Text

Going to the supermarket with Izuku had been a mistake. Katsuki could feel his patience thinning as he watched the types of foods Deku picked out. For one, the man was clueless about coupons; let alone daily specials. Half the vegetables and fruit Izuku had chosen were subpar, at least by Katsuki’s standards.

He’d been assembling his own basket, matching what he deemed to be acceptable and making a few healthier substitutions along the way. When they went to check out he’d distract Izuku and switch out the baskets.

“Kacchan, why are you buying the same things as me?” asked Izuku while pointing at the basket hooked on Katsuki’s arm.

Katsuki took the basket from Izuku’s hand and shoved the one he was holding at him. “Because you’re a dumbass who wouldn’t know a fresh piece of produce if it bit you in the ass! All the shit in there is bruised or past being ripe. Most of it’s gonna go bad before you even think of eating it. You’re so fucking useless!”

Of all the responses Katsuki had expected from his outburst, laughter was not one of them. Tears gathered in the corner of Izuku’s eyes, his face rosy from joy.

“Sorry! I’m didn’t mean to laugh at you,” Izuku wiped his eyes. “Let’s go put everything back from what I picked.”

“It’s common fucking sense, Deku!” Katsuki snarled, backtracking through where they had been in the store.

Izuku simply nodded and returned the items from the basket to their proper places. “You always were handy in the kitchen. Your dad taught you well.” It was left unsaid, but Katsuki knew Izuku admired Masaru Bakugou. Besides All Might, Masaru had been one of the only father figures in Izuku’s life.

“That old fart wishes he was as good a cook as me,” huffed Katsuki. His rant was cut short when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. He turned, eyes scanning his surroundings. Nothing appeared out of ordinary, but years of training had taught Katsuki his gut was always right. “Hurry up and check out.” he ordered Izuku without wanting to alarm him.

“Huh? What’s the rush?” Izuku questioned, but still followed the hero’s instructions.

Katsuki grabbed Izuku’s arm. “A feeling is all. C’mon, let’s go.”

While Izuku didn’t resist, Katsuki heard the man mutter, “You all are too paranoid,” Suddenly, Katsuki stopped and felt Izuku crash into him.

“What the hell, Kacchan?!”

“I’m not being paranoid. I’m doing my job and keeping you safe,” for years Katsuki had worked hard to become a hero and he would ultimately be the number one hero if he had anything to do about it. Who was Deku to question him on the matter?

“I’m not totally helpless. I appreciate what you all are doing, but I can defend myself. If their quirks are what I think they are then even you won’t be a match for them,”

“How the fuck do you know it’s a them? Huh?!” Katsuki narrowed his eyes. Izuku was hiding something and he’d be damned if he didn’t uncover the truth.

Izuku’s gaze shifted away to the person at the checkout. How dare this nerd try to avoid the subject? Katsuki ground his teeth, not caring if he frightened the other customers. The second Izuku finished paying he dragged the man out of the store.

“What aren’t you telling me?! You can’t hide shit, Deku! I can’t protect you if you’re keeping things to yourself. You’re just making my job harder,” Katsuki felt Izuku yank his arm away, the bags of groceries crashing onto the pavement. An insult was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it as soon as he saw Izuku’s expression. He was glaring at Katsuki, face heated with anger. It was the first time he’d seen his childhood friend angry without an ounce of fear or hesitation. He was no longer the boy who followed behind Katsuki like a shadow.

“If I make your job so damn hard then stop volunteering for this assignment.” Izuku moved to pick up his bags and Katsuki crouched beside him and helped.

“You’re a pain in the ass...but I’m not gonna stop. Mom and auntie would kill me if anything happened to you. Stop being reckless and think of them.” Katsuki said, his previous harshness gone.

He shouldn’t care about Izuku. After their first meeting he should’ve moved on and shrugged their reunion off as chance, but Katsuki found himself drawn to the man. Izuku wasn’t an extra with no interesting qualities, he’d managed to grow into someone who caught Katsuki’s eye. Besides a few former classmates at U.A. it was rare for people to leave a lasting impression on him.

The real question was why it had taken Katsuki so long to notice.

. . .

Izuku didn’t say anything and instead silently walked back with Katsuki to the apartment. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from muttering aloud. If Izuku didn’t know any better, he’d think Katsuki was the one with the half-hot half-cold quirk. The hero’s moods fluctuated so much it was difficult for Izuku to gauge how to interact without setting Bakugou off. Sure, Katsuki had a temper when they were children, but that had been years ago. Most people their age now had learned to control their tempers and Izuku was struggling to relearn how to handle himself in Bakugou’s company. Thinking back, Todoroki and Kirishima had mentioned how Bakugou was much better than when they all went to U.A.

One thing Izuku did know was that he would prove he could protect himself. He was tired of people doubting him. 

When they returned to Izuku’s apartment and unloaded the groceries he moved into the living room. “Kacchan, can you please help me move this table?”

Izuku could see the hero was confused by his request, but went to one side to lift the table anyway. They worked together to move the table off to the side, leaving a large space clear.

“I’ll make another bet with you. If you can pin me I’ll tell you whatever you want,” Izuku said with a grin. The last time in the hotel had caught him off guard, but he’d been analyzing Ground Zero’s fights and was confident he could win.

The blonde’s brows lowered, his rage returning. “Hell no! I’m not fighting you.”

“Afraid you’ll lose?” Izuku challenged.

“Ha! As if I’d lose to you, Deku,” Bakugou sneered. “I ain’t gonna fight you because it wouldn’t be fair.”

“And why isn’t it fair?” Izuku was leading Bakugou like he would someone during an interview for one of his articles. He could guess the answer, but he wanted to hear the hero say it.

Bakugou threw his hands in the air. “Because I’m a pro hero and have trained for years. You’re gonna get hurt!”

“Guess you’ll never know then.” Izuku shrugged. He didn't bother reminding Bakugou he also had trained for years. Izuku may not have entered the hero course in high school, but he had been able to take on anyone who bullied him.

“This isn’t a game,” Bakugou hissed. “I can’t do my job if you’re hiding things from me. Tell me!”

“If you needed to know you would’ve been told.” The nonchalant tone would further goad Bakugou and Izuku added a smile to further annoy the hero.

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” Bakugou shouted.

Izuku stepped closer to Bakugou, his arms thrusting forward to push the hero.

“I know you did not just fucking do that.” Bakugou had been forced to take a step back in order to maintain his balance.

“What’re you gonna do about it, Kacchan?” Izuku observed as Bakugou pulled his right fist back and swiftly Izuku moved to throw the hero to the ground. “You always start with the same hand. Leaves you wide open if your opponent is familiar with your techniques.”

The wind had been knocked out from the hero and Izuku crouched over Bakugou to check on him. “Kacchan?”

Izuku shrieked when he felt hands latch onto him, his back slamming against the floor. Bakugou straddled his waist and glared down at him. “We’ll...call it...a draw,” he wheezed.

“Y-Yeah,” Izuku could feel the hero’s breath ghosting across his face and he shifted uncomfortably. Why did he feel like he was some hormonal teenager? Contact while sparring was normal; he shouldn’t be getting so flustered right now.

Izuku felt Bakugou move away from him, only to have the hero’s hand grip his shirt and drag him toward the couch. “Kacchan?”

“Gimmie a minute,” Bakugou replied breathlessly. “Fucking...just one minute.”

Bakugou’s body felt like fire against Izuku’s while they sat on the couch together. Izuku let a few minutes pass without saying a word. He hadn’t meant to use so much force and genuinely felt bad. “Kacchan, are you okay?”

Izuku's head jerked to the side when he felt Bakugou’s head fall onto his shoulder. “K-Kacchan?”

The hero had fallen asleep.

Carefully, Izuku pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. It was past eight. Growing up Bakugou had always gone to bed early, but Izuku had assumed his childhood friend would grow out of that habit. The fatigue of the day was starting to take its toll on Izuku and he let his head rest against the soft couch cushion. Just a minute and he’d wake Bakugou up.

. . .

Todoroki knocked on Izuku’s door, his mind still clouded with sleep. He stopped to get coffee and even grabbed Izuku’s usual, but he still felt tired. “Midoriya?” Panic started to set in and it felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him. Todoroki took out his personal key to his friend’s apartment and charged in. “Midoriya?” he called, his voice raised in urgency.

The coffee cup fell from Todoroki’s hand when he entered the apartment. Midoriya and Bakugou were fast asleep on the couch with each of them using one another as a pillow.

He raised his hand to his cheek to pinch himself, but Todoroki found himself still standing in the middle of Midoriya's apartment. This wasn't a dream. 

As the spilled coffee on the floor cooled, Todoroki's panic subsided and a subtle smirk spread across his face. He quietly approached the two with his phone in hand and snapped several photos. He opened the group chat and sent off his favorites, including one of him blankly staring at the camera with the two men fast asleep in the background. In the next five minutes all their phones would be blowing up. Todoroki made himself comfortable in the chair adjacent to the couch, his phone ready to film the two waking up. 

Chapter Text

Izuku could hear Uraraka giggling and groaned. “Again!” she said through her laughter.

Todoroki hit the play button on his phone and within seconds Bakugou’s screaming started.

“Fucking drooled all over me! Learn to close your dumb mouth, Deku!”

“Kacchan I said I was so rry!”

The video ended and before Uraraka could watch it for what felt like the hundredth time, Izuku lifted his head and silently pleaded with Todoroki to stop.

“Aw, it’s okay don’t be embarrassed,” Uraraka grinned. “Although I doubt you’d ever fall asleep on Todoroki...”

“It was an accident! There is nothing going on between Kac-Katsuki and I.” Izuku protested.

“I dunno you two looked very cozy together. You didn’t even hear me knock,” Todoroki smirked as he put his phone away. “Maybe you should be giving your spare key to Bakugou instead of me.”

Izuku signaled for another beer. It had been days since Todoroki had found him and Bakugou asleep together and his friends had been relentlessly teasing him over it.

“It was cute, really,” Uraraka patted Izuku on his back a bit too roughly. “Besides I’ve been telling you to get a normal sleep schedule for years. I’m glad someone was able to enforce it.”

Izuku lightly banged his head against the table, too embarrassed to say anything else.

“Cheer up! You got you interview with Shinsou coming up, right?” Uraraka asked, her cheeks growing even rosier as she continued to drink.

Izuku hummed in reply, his head pleasantly buzzing from the alcohol. “Yeah, we finally nailed down a date,”

“I think that’s exactly what he wants to do,” Uraraka winked.

“Stop teasing him so much,” Todoroki sighed. “He’s at the point of getting weepy,”

“I am not!” Izuku lifted his head, eyes clearly watering. “And he does not want to do that. It’s a professional interview.”

“Is that what you and Bakugou were doing?” Uraraka questioned.

Todoroki leaned in, trying to talk over the white noise of the crowd while soft enough so those seated near them didn't overhear. “Midoriya...if you want me to have the talk with him I will. A good handshake and he’ll treat you right, I’ll make sure of that.”

“Oh, you’re gonna make a good dad, Todoroki!” Uraraka clapped.

“Thanks, I learned from the worst what not to do.”

Izuku cradled his head in his hands. The buzzing convoluting his thoughts. He and Katsuki were just friends. They’d been friends as kids, so it made sense the two found comfort in one another. There was no way he could be falling for the hero.

“Watch out or the Hand Crusher will get you,” Todoroki said, his face perfectly poised even though he was babbling drunken nonsense to a hysterical Uraraka.

“I-I’m gonna call Iida to get us,” Izuku fumbled for his phone. The engine hero had said to call if they wanted a ride tonight and it was clear they all had a bit too much to drink.

Todoroki nodded, slapping his credit card onto the table. “I got it.”

“No-“ Izuku fought to get his card on the table, only for Uraraka to grab both his hands. “Thank you, Todoroki!”

Izuku knew when had lost and gave up on trying to pay. He’d have to be quicker next time. At least the bar was affordable. The last time he let Todoroki pick the place to eat he had needed to wear a suit to get in.

With their bill squared away the three waited outside, the cool evening air having a sobering effect. They made small talk, the murmurs of conversations and cars passing making a constant hum. Muddling in all the noise was the click of a camera, causing Izuku to look around. He blinked, a bit dazed. No one around them appeared to be taking photos. Just as he was about to ask his friends about the noise, a familiar car pulled up.

“Shotgun!” called Uraraka as she eagerly climbed into the front seat.

Todoroki headed to sit in the back. “Something wrong, Midoriya?”

“Want me to call Bakugou? I bet he’d pick you up on his motorcycle.” Uraraka yelled out the car window.

Izuku shook his head. Clearly he was imagining things.

. . .

The interview with Shinsou was at Izuku’s apartment much to his dismay. With his current circumstances it was understandable, but he felt it was a an unprofessional environment. His doorbell rang, his phone chiming at the same time. The camera had been installed on his door, alerting both Izuku and Yagi of who was visiting.

Briefly before he opened the door, Izuku wondered if this is what his life would’ve been like if he had an overprotective father.

“Hi, thank you so much for coming. There’s tea if you like,” Izuku guided the hero to his kitchen, the table prepared with drinks, snacks, and a tape recorder.

Shinsou followed Izuku and sat down. “Sure thing, sorry it took so long to get my schedule figured out. No babysitter today?”

“Not while you’re here,” Izuku took a seat across from Shinshou. “Got permission since this is for work.”

“Makes me feel special."

Izuku smiled, switching the recording device on. “I try to focus all my attention on the person I’m writing about.”

Shinsou chuckled, causing Izuku to tilt his head in confusion. “It’s nothing, go ahead and ask your questions.”

The interview flowed smoothly. Izuku’s style was to treat his subject as if they were casually talking in order to create a relaxed environment. “So, speaking as someone who grew up quirkless, I imagine having a different quirk led to your peers judging you. How did you handle that stigma?”

Shinsou paused, mulling the question over before answering. “I wasn’t bullied so much as subjected to society’s assumptions around my quirk. I was always told I’d make a great villain and that I couldn’t be a hero with a mind control quirk. Some people definitely avoided me because they feared I would misuse my power around them, but that’s why I worked so hard to become a hero and prove people wrong,”

“I’m glad you persevered. You’ve made tremendous strides in the hero field with your quirk. Any advice you want to offer to upcoming heroes?” Izuku’s pen was flying across the page. Even though he recorded his interviews he liked to take extensive notes.

“Never give up. The hero business prefers standard quirks good for fighting, but with hard work you can be a hero, too.”

Izuku swallowed thickly, trying not to let his emotions show. What he would have given to hear those words growing up. He was about to thank Shinsou for his time when there was knock on the door.

“You expecting anyone?” Shinsou asked, his body moving into a defensive position.

Izuku looked at the door. “No...at least not for another half hour,” His phone was in his hand and he activated the camera outside to see who it was, but a hand was covering the lense.

“I’ll get it,” Shinsou was at the door, cracking it to see who was on the other side. “What the hell...”

“Surprise! Sorry guys, I’m early.” Kaminari’s chipper voice came from the hallway.

Shinsou opened the door and stepped aside to let Kaminari in. The electric hero grinned widely as he entered, eyes looking around as if he had never been there before.

“That’s okay, we just finished up,” Izuku replied, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

“It’s so good to see you, it’s been forever!” Kaminari was suddenly in Izuku’s space, causing the journalist to jump in surprise. “So fluffy!” Hands ran through Izuku’s hair unexpectedly, his eyes glancing over at Shinsou.

“Kaminari are you feeling okay?” Shinsou narrowed his eyes.

“Hm?” Kaminari quirked his brow and stopped touching Izuku’s hair. “Of course, buddy. Why wouldn’t I be? I get to hang out with Izuku.”

Hearing his first name took Izuku by surprise. Not even his close friends used his first name so casually.

“Do you mind if I hang for a bit?” Shinsou asked Izuku. “I’m really interested to see the writing process.”

Izuku’s eyes darted between the two heroes as he nodded. It was brief, but Kaminari looked annoyed at the suggestion. “S-Sure, it’s kinda boring, but you both are welcome.”

The tension eased after awhile, or a least Izuku thought it had. He’d become engrossed in writing that he hadn’t realized the time until Kirishima showed up to relieve Kaminari for the night. Izuku thanked Kaminari and saw him to the door. He noticed Shinsou pull Kirishima aside, purple eyes trained on the electric hero’s back. After Kaminari left, Shinsou and Kirishima remained huddled together, talking quietly. Izuku didn’t want to pry and went back to writing. At some point Shinsou must have slipped out since Izuku felt his phone vibrate and say a text from the hero.

Shinsou:

Thanks for today. Let me or Kirishima know if Kaminari stops by before he’s scheduled again.

Izuku found the message odd. Was it that big of a deal Kaminari came a little early? The hero had been a bit over-friendly, but Izuku chalked that up to hero’s personality. He typed out a reply, noticing Kirishima typing on his phone as well. It wasn’t his business. Instead of fretting over what the heroes were writing about he focused on his article. The deadline was in a few days and Izuku wanted this piece to inspire the next generation. He wanted people to know that they too could become a hero.

Chapter Text

Katsuki slurped his ramen as Kirishima and Shinsou talked. The three were sat around a table in the back corner of some hole in the wall that was known for letting heroes have some privacy.

“I dunno, man. It could just be he needs a day off. We’ve all had our weird moments when we’re overworked,” Kirishima said while picking up a gyoza with his chopsticks.

Shinsou sipped his tea, his lips pulled into a thin line as he set the cup down. “There was still something off...he wasn’t acting like himself. He had an odd look in his eye, I can’t describe it...not glassy-eyed like when I use my quirk on people, but like he’s under an influence maybe?”

“Bakugou a little help?” Kirishima eyed the blonde hero.

Katsuki sighed. “That doofus has always been weird. Maybe he used his electricity too much. That makes him dumber than normal,”

Shinsou slapped his hand against the table, drawing the attention of nearby patrons. “I went to school with him too and I’m telling you guys this was different. I don’t think he should be guarding Midoriya at the moment.”

“I’ll talk to him and see what’s going on,” Kirishima said, his care-free smile disappearing. “I don’t think this is serious enough that we request his agency pull him from the field.”

Without a word Shinsou placed a handful of bills on the table and walked out.

“Jeez,” Kirishima eyes looked at the door. “Talk about overreacting! If Kaminari was under mind-control or something we’d know.”

Katsuki shrugged, taking another bite from his bowl. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Shinsou, but there wasn’t proof Kaminari was being controlled by anyone. “Lemme know if he seems weird to you. I’ll go check in on Deku later.”

“Oh, you gonna nap on the job again?” Kirishima smirked.

Katsuki picked up his bowl and drained the spicy broth. Whether his face was red from the heat of the dish or embarrassment was hard to say. “Shut up! I usually go to bed around then, you know that.”

“And yet, you keep taking those shifts,” Kirishima replied, his face softening. “You’re going to overwork yourself. We can always have other heroes cover if you’re busy. I bet your agency is glad, though. You got talked about in the gossip rags as turning over a new leaf,”

“Like I give a fuck about those trash tabloids.” Katsuki could feel his blood pressure rising. The tabloids had rarely been kind to him. They consistently painted him as a hero who had no control of his emotions and that he should be considered a danger to the public.

Kirishima finished off the rest of his meal. “Bakugou, if it’s any consolation I think you’ve gotten a bit better since getting assigned to this mission. I think it’s great you’re still volunteering even though you met your quota already.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “If they could just catch whoever did this then we could all go back to the field.”

“You wouldn’t want to hang out with Midoriya anymore?” The question caught Katsuki off guard. When this ended he wouldn’t have a reason to hang around Deku anymore. They were one friendlier terms now, but the others actually hung out with the journalist on a regular basis.

“If I had time, I guess.” Katsuki answered.

Kirishima signaled for the bill. “If you have time to hang with me you can make time for Midoriya. I’m going to go check on Kaminari after this. Maybe you should go see Midoriya.”

The two departed; their baseball caps and face masks back on to avoid any fan encounters. It was getting late, but Katsuki knew Deku would still be awake and headed to check in on him.

. . .

The last person Katsuki expected to see outside Deku’s door was Iida. The engine hero was the busiest of them all since he assisted in running his family’s agency while also working in the field.

“Bakugou what are you doing here? You aren’t schedule for a few more days.” Iida asked as he folded the cover to his tablet closed.

“Came to talk to the nerd about something,” Katsuki shuffled his feet a bit, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. He wasn’t worried about Deku. Shinsou was probably just forgot how weird Kaminari could be sometimes. “Can I go in?”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea at the moment. Midoriya has been working nonstop and I finally convinced him to get some rest about two hours ago,” Iida bowed, conveying his sincere apology to Bakugou.

Katsuki felt his heart sink.

Realistically, he knew this might happen. He’d come over unannounced and hadn’t spoken with Izuku in a few days. It was presumptuous of him to assume he’d be welcome with open arms at any time.

“He can come in.” a sleepy voice said causing both heroes to jump. Both stared at the now ajar door and blinked owlishly at a disheveled Izuku.

“Midoriya!” Iida regained his composure and sliced his arm through the air. “You should be resting. I apologize if we woke you,”

Deku yawned. “I was already up. I...I guess I had a bad dream or something and woke up. Both of you are welcome to come in. I made tea.”

“What do you mean you guess you had a bad dream?” Katsuki asked, sidestepping past Iida to follow Deku inside.

Deku poured three cups of tea, leaving them on the table for anyone to take. “I felt as if I was awake, but I couldn’t have been...maybe it was sleep paralysis,”

“Midoriya, please do not overextend yourself,” Iida scolded.

Deku yawned again and waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine. I get a bit anxious right before a piece goes to print so I wouldn’t sleep much more even if I tried.”

“You have sleep paralysis often?” Katsuki wasn’t about to let the subject drop and eyed Deku’s body language closely. The journalist tended to fidget when lying.

Deku shook his head. “No, but what I saw was impossible. I saw someone by my desk,”

Katsuki stood from his chair and immediately began checking every inch of the apartment.

“Kacchan!” Deku cried in protest. “I was still half asleep, it was just a dream.”

“I can attest that no one except for you has entered the apartment since I started my shift, Bakugo.” Iida assured.

The two were right and Katsuki knew it, but he didn’t like the feeling he was getting. First Shinsou saying Kaminari was acting strange and now Deku was seeing people. “Clear,”

“I told you,” Deku sighed. “If the villain had a quirk that allowed teleportation don’t you think they would have used it already?”

“I wouldn’t know since you’re keeping things from me, Deku,” Katsuki bit out. He hadn’t forgotten and he’d be damned if he let it slide.

Iida perked up at the news. “Midoriya, what is Bakugou speaking of? You know full well it is vital you share any details with us.”

“Yagi and Tsukauchi already know. If they haven’t shared the information with you then they’ve deemed it unnecessary.”

“Fuck that!” Katsuki barked. “Whoever broke in is still out there.”

“Kacchan, I’m too tired to fight with you about this. If you two really must know then ask Tsukauchi. His team is doing their best and honestly there are more important crimes that need to be solved.”

Iida pulled out his cell phone and quickly looked through his contacts. “I will call and request more details and why they were not shared. Please excuse me.”

Katsuki heard the door click shut as Iida stepped out into the hall. A silence fell between them until Deku asked when Katsuki was there.

“I wanted to check in. Shinsou mentioned Kaminari was acting weird during his shift,”

Deku’s brow furrowed in thought. “Uh, I’m not sure. I don’t know him too well. He just seemed extra friendly that day. Does he normally touch people’s hair or get kinda close?”

“What the hell,” Katsuki swore under his breath. “No, maybe if he was drunk, but he wouldn’t do that while on the job. Maybe he is working too much...”

Another lull settled between them, but Katsuki didn’t know what to say. He had never felt like this about someone’s safety. Why was he so invested? Deku had some of the best heroes guarding him around the clock, yet it still didn’t feel like it was enough. It would never be enough unless Katsuki was there and could see the journalist with his own eyes.

“My request was denied,” Iida re-entered the apartment, his face twisted with frustration. “They don’t want information leaking in case the person involved catches on.”

“What, like a mole in the force?” Katsuki narrowed his eyes, teeth grinding at the thought of anyone double dealing for their own gain.

“It was left unsaid, but yes that seems to be the reasoning,” Iida replied.

“And you’re okay with that?”

"You know that has no bearing on the decision.” said Iida, curtly.

Deku eyes darted between the two heroes, as he chewed on his lower lip. “Guys, you’re really getting worked up over nothing. It was a suspicious person I reported. That’s all,”

Katsuki scanned Deku from head to toe, taking in the man’s hunched shoulders as his body seemed to curl in on itself. There were shadows under the journalist’s eyes and his freckles seemed even more prominent against sallow skin. Deku was beyond exhausted and it pained the hero to know there wasn’t much he could do.

“I think I’m going to try to sleep.” Deku said as he started to shuffle off to his bedroom.

The two heroes said nothing as the door shut, the sound deafening in the silent apartment. Katsuki’s eyes lingered on the closed door. He wanted to go and talk to Deku more, it didn’t feel right leaving him with Iida.

However, Katsuki didn’t have a choice. Iida was quick to usher him out and go back to whatever he had been working on previously.

Katsuki texted Kirishima on his way home.

Bakugou:

How’s the stupid pikachu doing?

Kirishima:

Not home. Said he’s out on a date. How’s Midoriya?

Bakugou:

Same. Looks tired. Kaminari was being weird tho. Got handsy.

Kirishima:

WHAT?

Bakugou:

Not like that! He touched Deku’s hair and got in his space.

Kirishima:

Not weird if he was off-duty...but that isn’t like him on the job. Maybe he’s just really comfortable around Midoriya? He’s our friend and all.

Bakugou:

Still crossed a line. If you see him before me talk to him about it.

Katsuki slide his phone into his jacket pocket. If he looked at the screen anymore he’d be tempted to text Deku next.

. . .

Izuku scrubbed at his eyes when he shut the door to his room. He wasn’t sure if they were watering because he was stressed or that his feelings were hurt. Bakugou was only doing hanging around him because it was his job. The two may have become friends during their time together, but it wasn’t enough for Izuku anymore. Izuku didn’t know if he’d call it love, but he cared about Bakugou and wanted to spend time with the hero. He liked going grocery shopping with him and Izuku looked forward to the hero’s home cooked meals. Then there was the couch incident.

“Get a hold of yourself.” Izuku muttered to himself. He moved to sit at his desk, his hand freezing over an envelope that he didn't remember putting there. Clearly it was filled with something and Izuku wracked his brain trying to remember what it could be. He carefully opened the flap and gasped, the contents spilling onto the floor.

Dozens of photos were sprawled across the area near his desk and almost all of them were of him and Bakugou.

Chapter Text

Izuku slide to the floor, the photos he’d dropped surrounding him as he kneeled; his body beginning to shake. There were so many. His mind reeled trying to recall when and where the photos took place. One was from his trip out with Bakugou when they went grocery shopping, but the rest were so mundane Izuku had to take a moment and think.

A few photos featured Todoroki and Uraraka out with him, but seeing blonde in almost every photo took Izuku by surprise. Was this why he felt lonely without Bakugou around lately? They had clearly been spending more time together than Izuku thought.

Shakily, he got to his feet and stumbled into his kitchen. He wasn’t safe here. In truth he wasn’t safe anywhere. The person behind all of this was playing games that Izuku didn’t understand or know the rules to. He pulled open a nearby draw and clutched a kitchen knife in his hand.

The person in his room had been smaller than the man from the mall. Meaning there was more than one person involved. “Ganging up on someone isn’t fair,” said Izuku, not sure if they could hear him. “I-I won’t let you hurt my friends. Leave them out of this,”

Izuku waited with bated breath for a reply, only to have silence returned. His hand shook a bit as he reached for his phone. He knew he should called Yagi to inform him of this break in the case. He knew there was zero chance of defeating whoever was doing this alone. More importantly, he knew the heroes were out of their league. How did someone protect themselves against a teleportation quirk?

Feverishly, Izuku began to pace and mutter to himself; trying to figure out the best line of defense, but he couldn’t come up with a solid plan. At times like this Izuku liked to go for a walk outside. He needed to clear his head. If he wasn’t safe in his own home then being outside made no difference.

“Iida,” Izuku opened the door to his apartment, the engine hero standing perfectly poised. “Do you want to get coffee with me?”

“You should be resting, Midoriya! The last thing you should be having is coffee at this hour,” Iida replied, his brow wrinkled in concern.

Izuku felt his shoulder’s sag. Getting Iida to relax was always a difficult task. “Tea, then. I want to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. Please,” 

The plea seemed to sway the hero. “I suppose, but only if you promise me to sleep when we return,”

“I promise. Thank you, I know you’re busy with your agency.” There was sincerity in Izuku’s words. Iida was the only hero their age who assisted in managing heroes while also being active in the field. Guilt crept up on Izuku whenever he saw Iida signed up for a shift to guard him. If anyone needed rest it was Iida.

Iida waited as Izuku grabbed a jacket and put on his shoes, the two setting out to one of the twenty-four hour cafes nearby. He knew he should eat something, but Izuku stomach churned; unable to shake the feeling he was being watched. Even though he desperately wanted coffee, Izuku settled for ordering tea as promised.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Iida inquired once the two took a seat at a corner table in the back.

Izuku nodded, his leg jumping up and down. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Just...nervous,”

“I’m sure your article will be a success, Midoriya,” Iida assured with a smile.

How did Izuku explain that the article was the least of his worries at the moment? He could have easily been killed mere minutes ago, yet here he was still alive and breathing.

“Despite the circumstances, it seems you’ve benefited from your reunion with Bakugou,” Iida continued. “You seem more spirited as of late.”

“Huh?” Izuku hadn’t been expecting this. “What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You two clearly care about one another,” the hero tilted his head slightly, like an intrigued cat who was observing someone and silently passing judgement.

Izuku’s face turned red, his hands moving to hide his embarrassment. “I mean, y-yeah...of course I care about him. I care about all of you,” These weren’t typically the type of conversations Izuku shared with Iida. The other hero had never mentioned anything pertaining to romantic relationships and so Izuku thought the topic to be off the table between the two of them.

“My brother says he thinks you both have a crush on one another,” Iida replied before excusing himself to gather their drinks they had ordered earlier.

Izuku’s mouth dropped open. The statement had been so matter-of-fact he couldn’t compile a defense against it.

Iida returned and set a cup of tea in front of Izuku before taking his seat. “I admit I’m no expert on the topic, but what I’ve witnessed and heard sounds like what my brother describes as a crush. Do you think you two will start dating?”

If it were sociable acceptable to crawl under the table, Izuku would’ve done so. To be confronted on the topic in such a nonchalant manner made Izuku wonder if his life could get any weirder.

“I don’t know...we don’t exactly have the best history. I think he’s just trying to be nice to make up for the past,” Izuku felt as if his body were a boat that was slowly sinking. Saying it out loud made the presumption all the more real. What chance did he have with someone as accomplished with Bakugou?

“And, I’m probably not the best person to date in general. I work odd hours and my home life, well it wasn’t the most conventional. I don’t know how to not worry I’d do something that could hurt the person I care about,” It was the first time Izuku admitted his fear aloud. He didn’t want to turn out like his father who broke his mother’s heart. He may have got his looks from his mother, but like his father Izuku tended to get wrapped up in his own world at times and become borderline obsessive over things. All those hours following heroes growing up had paid off in the long run, but he’d suffered for years because his eccentric behavior tended to ward off friendship.

“Love can cause people to do unexplainable things. I...” Iida clenched his fist and took a deep breath. “When I found out who had nearly killed my brother, my love for him drove me to a dark place. I wanted revenge. I wanted to hurt the person so badly that they too wouldn’t ever walk again,” his eyes made contact with Izuku’s. “I don’t think you’re capable of hurting someone, even for the sake of love; be it romantic or platonic. You’re kind, Midoriya. If anyone interested in you can’t see how much you care, even when you’re focused on yourself then they’re not worthy of you,”

Izuku could feel his mouth hanging open again, but he couldn’t string together a reply. The only other friend he’d had such a deep conversation with had been Todoroki. Each of them had helped one another through difficult times as they grew into adulthood, but having Iida open up to him was nothing short of a miracle.

“Apologies if I said too much,” Iida spoke in order to fill the silence.

Izuku shook his head, still searching for the right words. “You didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting to talk about all this,”

“I consider you one of my best friends, Midoriya,” Iida admitted. “I don’t like to see you troubled. I certainly don’t like you being in danger.”

“Iida...thank you. I-I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have a friend like you,” Izuku’s eyes began to water. Growing up qurikless had made him an outsider in society. At times people acted as if he were diseased and went out of their way to avoid him at all costs. Izuku found that worse than the bullying. He bit the inside of his cheek, stopping himself from spilling everything that was happening to Iida. Izuku couldn’t tell anyone without implicating them as a target for the villains.

“So, have you been asking your brother for dating advice? You seem very knowledgeable all of the sudden,” A genuine smile stretched across Izuku’s face as Iida’s cheeks became inflamed.

“He just happen to be telling me about a date he went on recently, that’s all!” Iida chopped his arms wildly, almost spilling their drinks while Izuku laughed. Iida’s older brother, despite being a retired hero, was consistently ranked as a top eligible bachelor in all the magazines. There had even been rumblings of a dating reality show with him as the star, but nothing had come of it. The Iida family wasn’t one to cater to such sensational coverage.

Time seemed to move at an accelerated rate. Both had been laughing and reminiscing when Iida noted how long the two had been out and that Izuku should get some well deserved rest. The journalist didn’t argue and enjoyed the leisurely stroll back to his apartment. The evening air seemed to carry Izuku's worries away and he felt lighter now that he knew what he had to do.

Izuku feigned a yawn and bid his friend a goodnight, locking the door behind himself. Iida was schedule for a bit longer and Izuku knew the hero would fulfill his shift without error. Iida was rarely wrong in anything he did in life, but the hero was wrong about Izuku. He could hurt people he loved, especially if it meant protecting them.

Chapter Text

Katsuki arrived for his shift, quietly slipping into Izuku’s apartment after being told the journalist was asleep by Kirishima. Originally he wasn’t scheduled, but Todoroki had pulled a double shift and was over his allotted weekly hours. He went directly toward the kitchen, set on having something ready to eat before the journalist woke up when a basket filled with flowers and fruit caught his eye. An open card was set beside the basket on the kitchen table just begging to be read. Katsuki saw the signature at the end of the card and his eyes narrowed when he saw Shinsou’s name. That zombie-looking extra had no business sending such an extravagant gift. He resisted throwing the basket in the trash and went into the kitchen to see what he could throw together. He hadn’t brought over groceries in awhile, meaning Izuku had probably been eating junk food again.

Having been in Izuku’s kitchen before, Katsuki was familiar with were his childhood friend kept everything. While Izuku wasn’t the nearest person, he did tend to keep dangerous items like knives and scissors safely stored. So when Katsuki saw a large knife lay on the otherwise spotless countertop he was taken by surprise. Katsuki shrugged it off. Knowing Izuku, the nerd had attempted to cook something and it didn’t go as planned. He’d have to start meal prepping and have Izuku save the excess for later.

Unlike Katsuki’s mom, Izuku’s mother was extremely doting and tended to do everything for her son. Katsuki’s mom made him help his dad in the kitchen from a young age, giving him a leg up in the kitchen compared to most his age. He knew Izuku wasn’t incapable of cooking, but compared to Inko her son was a disaster. For Katsuki, cooking was one of the few activities that put him at ease. Most of the steps were mindless and in the end he got to enjoy a tasty meal. Like many things, it was something he was naturally good at and he had no issue showing off in the kitchen.

In the middle of preparing the vegetables he’d found, Katsuki heard the door to Izuku’s room open. He was about to jokingly tell the journalist he looked like death, but stopped himself. Izuku had dark circles under his eyes and it was clear the man was jittery with the odd twitch in his hands. The journalist appeared more disheveled than usual, making Katsuki suspicious of how long Izuku had been in the sweatpants and t-shirt he currently wore.

“K-Kacchan? What are you doing here?” Izuku yelped, a panicked look in his eye.

“Schedule change. I thought you’d be well rested since your article went out,” Katsuki replied, his eyes looking Izuku up and down. “But looks like you can’t even handle relaxing right.”

Izuku moved further into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. “I had a lot on my mind and couldn’t fall asleep. Is Todoroki okay?”

A wave of jealousy washed over him. Logically Katsuki knew Izuku would be concerned about his friend, yet he couldn’t control the rage he felt bubbling up. “Icy Hot is fine. He pulled a double and is sleeping. Something you clearly need.”

“I’m fine. Nothing some coffee can’t fix,” Katsuki watched Izuku trip over his own feet and lunged to catch the journalist before he hit the ground.

“You’re not fine, Deku!” Katsuki growled through gritted teeth. “You look like shit.” He glared down at his childhood friend. Deku had always been the selfless type and it pissed Katsuki off to no end. He stupidly thought Izuku was looking down on him when they were kids, causing him to lash out. While he was annoyed, at least now Katsuki knew Izuku was being sincere. Had Izuku become a hero Katsuki had no doubt the man would have gotten himself severely wounded or killed. Thinking back, he recalled how Izuku had run to save him from the slime monster in middle school. The level of disregard Izuku had for his own safety made Katsuki’s blood boil, not purely out of anger but because Katsuki didn’t think he would ever be able to be so altruistic. 

“Uh...Kacchan, you can let me go now,” wide green eyes blinked up at him and Katsuki felt his grip falter for a moment before pulling Izuku to his feet. His heart raced as if he’d just run a marathon and he could feel himself start to break out in a sweat. Without saying a word, Katsuki went back to rummaging around for ingredients and quickly decided on making omelets. Katsuki was thankful his back was to Izuku while he cooked because he wouldn’t be able to explain why his face was flushed if the journalist asked.

Katsuki was nearly done cooking the food when Izuku’s phone started to ring. He turned to look, confused when Izuku didn’t pick up. Not answering a call was unlike the journalist. From Katsuki’s understanding, anonymous tips and calls from unlisted agents were the greatest resource when it came to reporting.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Katsuki asked after the fourth ring.

The hero was surprised when Izuku jumped what seemed like a foot into the air. “N-No, I...I keep getting a call from a wrong number.”

“So why don’t you block it?” He waited for Izuku to answer, finding himself growing agitated by the prolonged silence.

“I said-”

“I heard you.” Katsuki froze, not prepared for Izuku to snap at him.

Izuku pushed away from the table and helped himself to breakfast. “It doesn’t matter. Thanks for cooking, Kacchan.”

Katsuki grunted, his feet rooted to the ground. “Yeah, whatever. Don’t go leaving knives out next time you want food.” He wanted to chalk Izuku’s mood on being tired, but Katsuki caught the briefest furrow of Izuku’s brow before his lips curled into a tight smile. Whatever Izuku was hiding, it was getting worse. Instead of confronting the journalist Katsuki bit his tongue and focused on cleaning up.

. . .

Any other time Izuku would have gladly eaten every morsel of Katsuki’s cooking, but today the thought of eating made him feel queasy. No one had shown up in his apartment since that night, but now he was getting calls. The person never spoke on the other end, no matter what Izuku said. There was only heavy breathing and sometimes laughter before the line went dead.

The article with Shinsou had been the tipping point. Izuku was aware publishing another article could escalate his current situation, but he hadn’t imagined this level of harassment. He felt as if he were living in a horror movie and at any moment someone was going to jump out from the shadows and kill him.

Sleeping was no better. Izuku found himself tossing and turning most nights, only increasing his sense of paranoia. He’d almost screamed when his doorbell rang, startling the delivery man who brought a fruit basket from Shinsou. Despite Shinsou’s identity being kept anonymous, the article had soared to levels of popularity Izuku had not anticipated. His body of work was known to be popular, but the reaction of the underground hero who beat the odds was unlike anything Izuku had seen before.

The article trended for days on several websites and his office was fielding inquiries nonstop. Almost every news station had requested on on-camera interview and Izuku had even been invited to appear on a popular morning talk show. Overwhelming did not even begin to describe how Izuku was feeling right now. To top it all off, Katsuki was in Izuku’s kitchen cooking for him again.

Izuku had thought about requesting Katsuki be limited to one shift a week. He knew cutting the hero off completely would be suspicious, but if Izuku phrased it as a concern for the public’s good, then maybe Katsuki wouldn’t explode in a fit of rage. Not to mention, Izuku was growing sloppy with concealing the danger surrounding him. He didn't even remember leaving the knife out. He’d taken to carrying it around the house with him to have a chance against his tormentors. 

After Izuku’s heart-to-heart with Iida he realize he cared more about Bakugou than just a friend would. Moreover, when Izuku really thought about it, it was clear he’d had a crush on Katsuki since he was a kid. Which is why he needed the hero to stay away from him. If anything happened because of Izuku he would never be able to live with himself.

“Kacchan,” Izuku said as he absently played with his food. “I really appreciate you making me breakfast, but...could you finish your shift outside? I’m fine, but I think I should rest for a bit and I have a few calls to make for work.”

Izuku tensed, prepared for a shouting match. Instead he was met with silence. He had unknowingly directed his gaze to the floor, glancing up in surprise to see a blank expression on Bakugou’s face. Izuku could feel the tension growing in the air, yet neither of them spoke. Just as Izuku was about to apologize and break the silence Bakugou muttered an affirmation and left to finish his shift outside the front door without a word.

The reaction was not one Izuku had calculated for. He was expecting name-calling and yelling before Katsuki...no, Bakugou would agree to stand guard from a distance. If Izuku wanted to push the hero away he couldn’t think of him as Katsuki or Kacchan anymore. Izuku was aware it was strange, but he wanted Bakugou to yell at him. Growing up, being bullied and screamed at by his friend was what he was used to. Izuku knew people could change. If he met his middle school self now he’d cringe at the lack of backbone the boy had. Bakugou had matured since their last meeting as kids, but he still had the fiery temper Izuku knew he could exploit. The only way to keep Bakugou safe was to push the hero away.

If Izuku could get Bakugou to hate him then this would be easier for both of them. 

Chapter Text

The punching bag fell to the floor with a loud thump, the gym going silent. Katsuki’s chest heaved as he caught his breath. The hair on the back of his neck prickling from all the eyes on him. “What are all you lame extras gawking at?” He growled before shifting his attention to an intern. “Set me up another bag.”

Before the intern could remove the broken bag Kirishima slung his arm around Katsuki’s shoulders and guided the explosion hero out of the gym. “I think you should take a break.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Katsuki shrugged Kirishima’s arm off him and shoved the redhead away for good measure. He was in no mood to deal Kirishima and his chipper attitude. 

“Bro, you’re gonna get pulled from the line if you don’t chill. We’re going for a walk. You can tell me what’s wrong, or don’t.” Kirishima kept his distance and Katsuki was thankful. The more he went over what happened with Izuku, the more his rage intensified. How dare that nerd brush him aside as if he were some nobody! After all they’d been through Katsuki was sure Izuku considered him a friend. They had fun together, didn’t they? Katsuki wasn’t sure when he’d changed his mind about Izuku’s smile annoying him, but that he yearned to see it as much as possible now.

“Bakugou,” Kirishima’s voice cut through Katsuki’s thoughts. “Street food or Family Mart?” 

“Family Mart.” Katsuki replied, his mind wandering back to Izuku who frequented the convenience store. 

The two went to the nearest convenience store and purchased their desired snacks. Kirishima filled a bag with meat buns while Katsuki settled for a katsu sandwich and some spicy chips. Being in their work out clothes granted them the ease of moving about the city without being recognized. They settled on a nearby bench in the park and ate in silence. 

Katsuki felt something soft and warm pressed into his palm, looking down to find a meat bun in his hand. Kirishima smiled widely, his sharp teeth on full display. “Try one! They’re fresh.” 

“...Thanks.” While faint, the reply was loud enough for Kirishima to hear. Katsuki startled when a hand lightly smacked his forehead. On instinct, Katsuki’s arm rose to defend himself, but quickly realized what Kirishima was attempting to do. “I’m not sick. Fuck off.” 

“In all my years of knowing you I can count on one hand the amount of times you’ve thanked me,” said Kirishima, brows pushed together in concern. “What’s going on, Bakugou?” 

Katsuki wasn’t the type to talk about his feelings. He would much rather yell and scream or fight someone over talking about emotions. “Nothing. Deku’s just being a weirdo and I’m annoyed. He made me do my shift in the hall like some extra.”

“Oh, so it’s about Midoriya...you guys have been hanging out an awful lot lately.” Kirishima took a bite of his food and chewed thoughtfully. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Katsuki bristled, finishing his meat bun in two large bites. He hadn’t been hanging out with Izuku that much. It wasn’t his fault the idiot couldn’t take care of himself.

Kirishima shrugged. “You go over more than you have to. Todoroki hasn’t even been by as many times as you have and they’re like best friends. Maybe it’s you that’s being weird. Ever think of that?” 

“Like hell I’m weird!” Katsuki was on his feet, nostrils flaring. “I’m doing my damn job!” 

“Okay, okay! You’re not weird. It’s just not like you to be so invested in a case is all.” Kirishima held his hands up, doing his best to diffuse the situation. “Bakugou, sit down tonight and really think about why you’re upset. I don’t think you’re really mad at him, but you need to figure it out yourself.” 

Katsuki clenched his jaw, tongue clicking with indignation. What was there to think about?

Kirishima sighed. “Anyway, Shinsou and I are gonna visit Kaminari. He’s been out sick for almost a week and I’m starting to get worried. He wouldn't even talk to Jiro.” 

Working for different agencies made it difficult for Katsuki to keep track of his friends in the field. While it wasn’t unheard of for hero agencies to team up or lend available heroes; these instances were few and far between. Instead of going back to the gym, Katuski opted to run so he could clear his head. He parted ways with Kirishima and stopped after a mile and a half to do a cool down. Todoroki and Izuku were what he and Izuku would have been if he hadn’t been such a little shit growing up. 

Against his better judgement he started typing a new message to Todoroki.

Katsuki:

When did you realize you and Deku were close friends? 

Todoroki:

Hi. I’m fine. Thank you for asking. It just happened. We would hang out and talked. Just like you and I do. 

Katsuki:

We aren’t close friends. 

Todoroki:

...We’ve known each other for almost a decade. 

Katsuki:

I don’t care. Don’t tell people we’re close. So you didn't do anything special?

Todoroki:

No. Why are you asking? I’m not dating Midoriya if that’s what you’re worried about. 

Katsuki:

Why the fuck would I be worried about that?! 

Todoroki:

He’s single as far as I know. So go ahead and ask him. Just know I think he could do better and if you make him upset I’ll be showing up at your door. 

Katsuki read Todoroki’s message several times before throwing his phone to the ground. That two-faced loser was just trying to rile him up. He wrote back a quick ‘Eat shit and die’ after picking his phone back up and shoving it in his pocket. Katsuki needed to talk to Izuku. He knew he should call before just showing up, but Katsuki was determined to settle things right now. Screw thinking about it.

Something felt off to Katsuki. The first odd thing he noticed when he arrived at Izuku’s apartment was that no one was outside. Izuku was known to let people hang out in the apartment, but lately that hadn’t been the case. The second was the doorbell camera wasn’t on. The little light around the camera was dark, meaning it was either unplugged or completely broken. 

“Izuku?” Katsuki called as he knocked on the door. He could hear muffled voices, followed by a pair of footsteps. For a brief moment Katsuki felt a wave of relief wash over him when Izuku opened the door, only for his gut to sink when he saw who else was there. Kaminari sat on Izuku’s couch with a cup of tea in his hand. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you were sick.” Katsuki asked, eyes narrowed as he tried to remember who was suppose to be here right now. 

“Huh?” Katsuki watched Izuku tilt his head in confusion from the corner of his eye. “I thought it was Ochako that was sick. Kaminari are you not feeling well?” 

“She is! I uh...I accidentally gave it to her. My bad.” Kaminari clutched his cup tighter, staring at Katsuki as he did so. 

Without thinking Katsuki stepped in front of Izuku. “You act like a baby when you’re sick.” He was speaking from experience. Spending years in a dorm together, Katsuki knew exactly how his former classmates acted when they weren’t at their best and Kaminari was notorious for loudly complaining when he felt so much as an ache.

“I can call Iida to take over. Kacchan, you should take him back home.” Before Izuku could take the phone from his pocket, Kaminari leapt to his feet; the ceramic cup flying through the air. Katsuki shoved Izuku out of the way, hissing as the hot liquid scalded the arm he had raised to block. The cup fell to the floor, shattering into several pieces.

“Kacchan!” 

“Don’t! The cup broke!” Katsuki yelled, throwing his arm out to deter Izuku from getting any closer. The last thing he needed was Izuku cutting his hands or feet. “What the fuck is your problem?” He glared at Kaminari, grinding his teeth to distract himself from the pain. Katsuki had a high tolerance for heat, but even he was weak against boiling water.

“Kacchan!”

Katsuki whipped his head around, seconds away from snapping when he noticed Izuku had gone pale, eyes wide with his phone screen held up for Katsuki to see. 

Kirishima: 

DO NOT LET KAMINARI IN. ON MY WAY WITH BACKUP. REAL KAMINARI AT HOSPITAL.

“Damn, guess the secret’s out. I thought it would take at least another day before anyone went to check on Denki.” The imposter laughed, the tone of their voice moving up a few pitches. “I was really hoping to share some yummy snacks with you before we left, Izuku. Now I’ll have to share with the others. So lame!” Kaminari's double stomped their foot, lower lip jutting out as they pouted.

“He ain’t going anywhere with you.” Katsuki ignited his palms, both of them crackling and ready to blast anyone who got close. 

“It’s cute you think that, Kacchan! But I’m not giving him a choice...unless,” The imposter looked directly at Izuku, splitting Kaminari’s face into a smile so wide almost all his teeth were showing. A darkness emerged in the center of the room, appearing as if on cue. “If you don’t follow me Izuku, I’ll slit Kacchan’s throat. I’ll even be nice and let you stay to watch him bleed out before we go.” 

Katsuki’s mouth opened, ready to call bullshit when a knife flew past his head, causing the words to die in his throat. He hadn’t even seen the imposter reach for a knife, let alone throw it. If he could stall for just a few more minutes then backup would arrive. The old him would have started swinging, not caring about his surroundings - but the old him had never had to protect someone he loved before.

“Decide now. I don’t have all day,” The fake Kaminari impatiently tapped his foot. “Red is Kacchan’s color. Could it be you, you want me to kill him?”

“No!” Katsuki jumped ever so slightly at Izuku’s vehement denial. He latched on to Izuku’s wrist before the journalist could step away from his protection. 

“You’re not going anywhere.” The words came out harsher than Katsuki intended and looking back it would be one of his biggest regrets. 

With practiced ease, Izuku slipped his wrist from Katsuki’s grip. Katsuki reached out for Izuku’s hand once more, only to choke out a broken breath when Izuku slammed his palm into Katsuki’s solar plexus. “I’m sorry, Kac-Katsuki. Please, don’t follow me.” 

Katsuki Bakugou clutched his stomach, knees hitting the floor as he tried to recover his breath. He helplessly watched as Izuku and the imposter walked into the unknown darkness. The portal disappearing just as reinforcements had arrived. 

Chapter Text

The devastated look on Katsuki’s face haunted Izuku. Currently he sat at a bar, the shapeshifter chatting about something Izuku didn’t care about. He stared at nothing, eyes cast downward while he waited for whatever was planned for him. This was for the best, or at least that’s what he kept telling himself. A warp quirk was nearly impossible to fight and mixed with the villain's ability to copy herself into anyone; Izuku made the snap decision to surrender himself before anyone else could get hurt. Even though Izuku tried to tune the girl next to him out, he did manage to catch her describing how her quirk worked. He hoped Kaminari was okay. The shapeshifter had most likely been draining his blood for over a week to keep up appearances. 

“What’s wrong?” Toga leaned in close, resting her head on the bar so she could look into Izuku’s eyes. “Did I get your drink order wrong? You like Super Dry, right? I think it’s nasty, but I made sure Kurogiri got some for you,” 

“I’m not thirsty,” Izuku answered while refusing to look at the shapeshifter beside him. He’d rather die of thirst than drink anything to impair his judgement among these villains. Izuku bit his tongue. He had so many questions. Why him? What were they planning to do to him? Why hadn’t they killed him? Was Katsuki okay?

The villain rolled her eyes. "You don't remember me, do you? That really hurts my feelings, Izuku! After all, I'm such a big fan,"

Izuku felt his mouth grow dry. With his adrenaline running low, Izuku remembered that voice saying almost the exact thing to him before. "You...It's been you the whole time. Hasn't it?" The name popped into his head, their first meeting playing before his eyes as if it were a movie. "Himiko Toga?"

Toga clapped her hands enthusiastically, her feet kicking wildly in the air as they dangled above the floor from her seat. “You remember! Don’t be so sad,” she smiled, sitting up to wrap her arm around Izuku’s shoulders. “Tomura just wants you to write some stuff for him. If you’re good he won’t do anything mean. Right, Kurogiri?"

“Cooperation is preferred. Listen to Tomura Shigaraki.” Izuku heard the deep voice from the villain who appeared to be composed of a dark mist. Even in danger, Izuku couldn’t help but be fascinated by Kurogiri. Not only did the man have a powerful quirk, the makeup of his body was unlike anything Izuku had seen before. 

A door slammed open, causing Izuku to inhale sharply. The once nameless villain appeared and Izuku can’t help but feel tears gather in the corner of his eyes. “What took so long?” The irritation clear in Shigaraki’s voice.

“Kacchan showed up,” Toga chirped. “I didn’t even get a chance to make him bleed.” 

Izuku stood from his seat at the bar, turning to face Shigaraki. “Leave him and my friends out of this.”

Shigaraki threw his head back, a husky laugh filling the bar. “You really aren’t in any position to boss me around. I’m the protagonist in this game and you’re a side quest that’s going to unlock a new weapon.” 

If Izuku recalled, Shigaraki had brought up this being a game the last time they spoke. “l have no incentive to cooperate if safety isn’t guaranteed for my friends and family.” 

“They’re not gonna want anything to do with you after this,” Shigaraki slowly walked closer, until he was mere inches away from Izuku. “Starting today, you’ll be writing some articles for me. Last time we talked you didn’t seem to want to write about quirks villains use, right?”

Izuku nodded his head and let Shigaraki crowd him back into his seat.

“Your first assignment will be writing about your precious Ground Zero or whatever stupid name you call him. I want an analysis on how his quirk isn’t suited for hero work and why he seems to have stagnated in the hero rankings. You did a good job with that underground hero. The public ate that shit up even though the hero has a villainous quirk.”

A pulse of unease coursed throughout Izuku’s body as he started to understand what Shigaraki was doing. This would be a major blow not only to Katsuki’s reputation, but how heroes were viewed. Would Katsuki even talk to him if he wrote something so scathing? 

“Can I pick a different hero?” countered Izuku. There were so many other heroes he could write about. Gang Orca was easily one of the scariest looking heroes and was used to critical analysis. 

Shigaraki gripped Izuku’s chin between his thumb and index finger, his chapped lips cracking as he smiled. “No. I want it in the next twenty-four hours.” He snapped his fingers with his other hand and Kurogiri left; only to shortly return with a battered laptop. “It doesn’t connect to the internet, so don’t even try.”

Just from looking Izuku could tell the laptop was outdated. It was similar to a model he had used in middle school. However, anything was better than staring at Tomura Shigaraki’s face. Izuku hadn’t caught a good view of Shigaraki’s face the first time they met and he wished he could say the same now. The villain was terrifying up close. Bloodshot red eyes and dry, pale skin that showed clear signs of self-mutilation; it made Izuku feel sick. 

At some point Shigaraki had let go of Izuku, but when exactly Izuku couldn’t say. The laptop had been turned on and a white screen with a black bar blinked at him. A cold hand pressed against the back of his neck, causing Izuku to shiver. 

I’m sorry, Kacchan. Izuku apologized mentally before starting to type his new story. 

. . .

Katsuki sat on Izuku’s couch, the police combing through the journalist’s apartment. Despite all the commotion, Katsuki couldn’t hear anything. His brain was buzzing with Izuku’s final words. In some twisted way, Katuski was reminded of one of his first days with Izuku. He’d guided the journalist back to this very apartment, only to let the man slip through his fingers.

The cushion next to Katsuki sunk in, but was surprised when he turned to see All Might next to him.

“Young Bakugou, we have much to discuss,” said the withered man

Words refused to leave Katsuki’s throat, too tight as he held back tears. Katsuki let All Might lead him to Izuku’s bedroom. The door shut behind them softly, breaking the last bit of resolve Katsuki had. He sat at Izuku’s desk and let himself silently cry. 

“It’s not your fault,” Yagi sat across from Katsuki on the edge of Izuku’s bed. “Tsukauchi will be here shortly. Think you’re up for giving a statement?” 

Katsuki nodded his head, not trusting himself to verbally respond. Of course this was his fault. He was feet away from Izuku and didn’t save him. There was no one else to blame except himself. He wiped his eyes, looking to see if Izuku kept tissues on his desk when he noticed a stack of photos. 

“What the...” his voice trailed off. A majority of the photos were of him and Izuku. Katsuki slammed his fist on the desk and screamed in frustration. Izuku had been hiding this from him; from all of them. 

“Oh, Bakugou my boy,” Yagi sighed when he saw what had set Katuski off. “I think it’s time to share all that I know with you. There’s no sense in hiding it now that we know Kaminari's impersonator was behind the information leak,” 

Katsuki stood and rounded on Yagi, his teeth bared. “No shit! You should have told me earlier.” An arsenal of insults were on the tip of Katsuki’s tongue, but he knew they wouldn’t do him any good. Right now he had to focus on finding Izuku. The rage dissipated as he glared down at All Might. Just when had the man become so frail? All Might was the reason he wanted to become the hero. Yet, the former number one hero was just as helpless as Katsuki was right now.

Resigned, Katsuki gathered the photos for the detective; a metallic gleam appearing at the bottom of the pile. The All Might trading card he’d given Izuku stared back at him, the wide smile taunting instead of comforting. He slipped the card into his pants pocket and took a deep breath. 

I’ll find you, Izuku. Wait for me. 

Chapter Text

Time didn’t exist for Katsuki during the first few hours Izuku had disappeared. A hero on patrol had found the journalist’s cellphone in a trash can several cities away, giving them no leads on where the villains were located. A team was forming; already heroes were on the ground combing the streets for any signs of the man Izuku had described. Kaminari had been able to give a description of the woman who had been impersonating him, but Katsuki had yet to see the sketch the police had put together. 

The low rumble of the news played in the background of the conference room. Iida’s voice cut through, ordering someone to turn it off. The same thing had been broadcasted for hours already and it set Katsuki on edge. 

“This was a civilian fully protected by heroes and yet villains still managed to take him.”

“What are the heroes even doing? It’s a disgrace that young man with such a bright future was taken right under their noses.” 

“Already thirty-two hours have passed. The chances of finding Midoriya al-”

A crash echoed throughout the room. Katsuki’s head shot up, eyes widening as he took in a sight he thought he’d never see. Iida had his fist through the television screen, his chest heaving. No one dared to speak. Of all the heroes to lose their temper, Ingenium was the most unlikely. Iida muttered a swift apology before excusing himself; leaving everyone in a tense silence. 

“I’ve never seen him snap like that. Well not since...you know.” Todoroki said nonplussed from Katsuki’s side. “Kaminari can have visitors if you want to go.” 

“Later,” Katsuki knew he should go visit his friend, but the thought of the electric hero’s face made him sick. Logically, he knew the Kaminari that had taken Izuku wasn’t the real one, but it was still hard to wrap his head around. Shape shifting quirks were rare and from what Katsuki had been briefed on, the woman only needed a person’s blood to take on their form. 

“We’ll find him,” Todoroki reassured, his hand squeezing Katsuki’s shoulder. “Shinsou is already using his contacts underground to get information. Every agency has heroes out looking. Go rest.”

“I-"

“You did all you could,” Todoroki interrupted. “We all did.”

Katsuki was tired of hearing people say that. “Sure as hell doesn’t feel like it. I’m gonna go patrol.”

He ignored whatever Todoroki was saying and walked away. He was so sick of everyone telling him it was going to be okay. They all knew the statistics of kidnappings. The longer Izuku stayed with the villains, the less likely he’d be found alive. He knew the villains had a purpose for Izuku, what that purpose is Katsuki doesn’t know. If any of them knew then they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. Even All Might hadn’t been able to explain why Izuku was a sought after target.

Katsuki had looked up to All Might since he was a young child. He’d modeled himself after the Symbol of Peace and owed his success to the man. However, that’s all All Might was. A man.  People made mistakes and now they were all paying for it with Izuku’s kidnapping. The police had a vague notion the villains wanted Izuku in order to get inside information on heroes, but that logic didn't sit right with Katsuki. There was something missing and he was going to figure it out.

His feet had carried him miles away from headquarters. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts, Katuski estimated he’d been walking for just under an hour. Just as Katsuki was about to turn around he overheard a television from an electronics shop announce they had breaking news. 

“Our station took hours to research and confirm our source before bringing forward this breaking news story. Missing journalist, Midoriya Izuku, has released a new article and we are proud to share this exclusive. The article analyzes Ground Zero and is currently up on our website. We sent reporters to speak with former classmates of Midoriya and Ground Zero. We are disheartened to hear how Ground Zero was allowed to become a hero. It appears who we as a society trust to protect us do not always appear as they seem.”

“He was always angry. He bullied Midoriya for years because he’s quirkless and we were all so scared of him we went along with it.” 

“I was afraid I’d be next. His quirk is super scary. I saw him burn Midoriya’s clothes and notebooks. Even the teachers were scared of him.” 

“Bakugou always acted like he was better than everybody else, but if I remember correctly Midoriya saved him from a villain in middle school. It was even on TV.” 

“I’m surprised U.A. took him. His quirk is strong but he’s always had a horrible personality.”

“Good for Midoriya! People need to know the truth. I hope he’s safe wherever he is. Maybe those guys know more secrets of heroes being fake. We don’t need heroes like Ground Zero.” 

Katsuki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Even with distorted voices and their faces pixelated, he had a vague recollection of who was talking. Those extras were just as guilty as he was. How dare they act as if they were victims who idly stood by and didn’t participate. One of the guys even encouraged Katsuki once. 

“It’s him.” A female voice whispered loud enough for Katsuki to hear. He turned from the television screen and saw a crowd gathering. For years he’d faced adoring fans who gazed at him with admiration, but every face looking at him currently projected fear.

His costume was a determinant in his current situation. Katsuki tried to make it back to the group without incident, but it was difficult to go unnoticed. People either stayed far away from him or yelled at him. He definitely saw people filming on their phones. 

A wall of ice surrounded him, a chill running through his body. Katsuki startled every so slightly when he saw Todoroki standing behind him. How long had the hero been following him?

“I called for backup,” Todoroki said, a burst of frosty air pouring from this mouth. “Good thing I decided to tag along.”

Katsuki can’t deny Todoroki is correct, but he doesn’t mean he’ll acknowledge it. A comfortable silence falls between them until the cracking of ice shatters hushed air.

“All clear!” Kirishima grinned and brushed chunks of ice off him. “I brought you some clothes to change into Bakugou. You probably wanna lay low for awhile...it’s pretty bad.” 

Kirishima was an optimist, so Katsuki knew his reputation was truly shot if Kirishima was saying public opinion was bad right now. 

Both men turned their backs to Katsuki and let him get changed. Kirishima had leant him a pair of jeans, t-shirt, baseball hat and a hoodie. The standard hero incognito uniform. 

“Kaminari really wants to talk to you,” Kirishima said once Katsuki was fully changed. 

“About what?” Katsuki snapped while placing his hero gear into the duffle bag Kirishima had provided.

Kirishima sighed. “He blames himself, you know. I had to talk him out of retiring after they pulled him out of surgery. Stop being a stubborn ass and go see what he has to say. Wouldn’t you rather hear what happened directly from the source over reading some boring report?” 

“Fine.” There was no point in arguing. Katsuki begrudgingly followed Kirishima and Todoroki from a distance. People were so starstruck by the uniformed heroes most didn’t even give Katsuki a second glance. 

Kaminari was in a heavily guarded area of the hospital usually reserved for recovering villains before they were escorted to prison. The heroes had to go through five security checkpoints and have their identities verified in case the woman who did this returned. 

Being a hero made Katsuki no stranger to seeing his friends injured. When he finally arrived at Kaminari’s room, he found it difficult to look at the electric hero. He was the joker of the group, always laughing and smiling, even at his own expense. Katsuki thought Kaminari looked small in the hospital bed. His already pale skin was ghostly and camouflaged against the white bed sheets. 

“H-Hey, guys,” Kaminari weakly lifted his hand, revealing a heavily bruised and cut up arm. 

“You doing okay, buddy? You need anything?” Kirishima asked while taking a seat at Kaminari’s bedside. 

Katsuki thought he saw Kaminari shake his head, but it was hard to tell with the movement being so subtle. 

“I’m sorry, Bakugou,” Kaminari’s eyes filled with tears. “I was so stupid. It’s my-” 

“It ain’t your fault!” Katsuki raised his voice, not caring that he was in a hospital. “We all fucked up, okay? Don’t underestimate that nerd. He can hold out until we find him.” 

“If she’s with him...S-She’s evil. You guys gotta believe me! Lock her up as soon as you can.” Kaminari’s voice trembled, his body starting to shake. 

“Hey, you don’t have to talk about it.” Kirishima said softly. 

“No, I want to. If it helps Midoriya and gets her off the streets I’ll do anything.” Kaminari slowly sat up and reached for a file folder on the bedside table. “She showed me her real face. The police were able to make a sketch. Her name is Himiko Toga...she seemed really cute a-and we went on a date. I...I wish I had never gone on that date.” 

Katsuki took the folder from Kaminari and opened it. The face staring up at him seemed familiar. His mind bounced around as he tried to remember where he’d seen this girl when it suddenly clicked. 

I’m such a big fan. 

The fangirl from when Izuku stopped for coffee on his first day on watch duty. 

“Bakugou, you good? You got really pale...” Kirishima started to stand, his arm outstretched as if to catch Katsuki. 

Katsuki felt a cool hand guiding him to a nearby chair and assumed it was Todoroki. He threw the folder to the floor and let loose an animalistic screech. They’d been watching Izuku all along. The villains had simply been toying with all of them. Izuku could have been taken at any time. The pieces were starting to come together. Having their target watched by top heroes and taken so easily, of course it would lead to the masses questioning a hero’s ability. Not to mention the article. Katsuki still needed to see what Izuku wrote. Was he wrong? Katsuki thought Izuku had forgiven him.

“You don’t deserve forgiveness.” The cruel thought seeped into his mind. 

He needed fresh air. 

He left the hospital room in a daze. All day he had been ignoring his phone and decided to check his messages while he waited for the elevator. Katsuki saw his agency left several voicemails, but the text message that displayed on the lock screen made time stop for him again.

You’re benched until further notice.

Chapter Text

Shigaraki’s laugh was beginning to grate on Izuku’s nerves. He squirmed in his chair, the handcuffs rubbing his wrists raw. Whenever Izuku wasn’t writing, Shigaraki was sure to bind him to prevent the journalist from escaping. He’d already dislocated his wrist trying to escape and the attempt ended with a creepy doctor stopping by to heal him. Izuku swore he’d seen the elderly man before, but he couldn’t place from where. 

“Currently the agency has no comment on Ground Zero. However, inside sources say he has been removed from active duty.” 

Another high pitched laugh filled the room causing Izuku to bite down on the inside of his cheek until the taste of copper coated his tongue.

“Amazing how quickly the people turned on Ground Zero!” Shigaraki said smugly. “Maybe he’ll be the one to take a nice little stroll off the edge of a building. What do you think?” 

Izuku knew the question was directed at him, but chose not to answer. A sharp pain resonated in his shoulder before Izuku lost his balance and tipped over onto the floor. Shigaraki’s heel dug into Izuku’s chest, but the journalist refused to utter a word. 

“It’s your fault, you know. He’ll never be number one on Hero Billboard Charts.” Shigaraki pressed down firmly; a small whimper passing through Izuku’s lips. “You think you’re so clever...I caught your little hidden message. I had Kurogiri make some edits before sending it off to the press.” 

Izuku wanted to cry, but for the first time in his life the tears wouldn’t come. The last time he’d felt so helpless he had been in middle school. Even if he did manage to send for help, he had no idea where he was. His only clues were that the building was clearly dilapidated and most likely in a bad area. Judging from the layout, the place used to be a bar. 

A kick to his stomach caused Izuku to cry out. 

“Good to know your vocal cords work just fine.” Shigaraki hissed. “I have an idea of who you should write about next, but I wanna hear what you have to say. Multiplayer isn’t much fun if I do everything.” 

Izuku refused to move. His entire body felt as if it were burning against the cool concrete floor. At least two days had passed, but it was getting difficult for Izuku to keep track. He could still hear the news talking about Ground Zero. Izuku couldn’t put another hero through this. His mind was sluggish; his ability to keep track of his thoughts was diminishing. 

“...Gentle.” Izuku muttered, not caring if Shigaraki heard him. 

“If you think I’m being rough now-”

“Gentle Criminal. He’s an example of how the hero system works against aspiring heroes.” Izuku cut Shigaraki off. 

Shigaraki lifted his foot. “Interesting....I like it. Have it ready quickly.” 

Izuku waited until he heard feet shuffling away before succumbing to a coughing fit. He looked up and saw Kurogiri looming over him, a key in his mist-like hands. Silently, Izuku raised his hands as far as the handcuffs would allow and sighed in relief when the heavy metal was lifted from his wrists. 

“Do you need assistance getting up? I think you should eat before you start writing.” 

Out of sheer stubbornness Izuku was avoiding eating. Shigaraki had threatened to let Toga force feed him the other day and that was the only time Izuku had caved. Seeing the bags of food from the convenience store at the bar gave Izuku hope they weren’t as far away from civilization as he first thought. 

Izuku heard Kurogiri sigh. “I have been tasked with your care. However, I suggest you take advantage of the luxuries you are being allotted. Most of our guests are not afforded as much lenience and treated to meals as you have experienced.” 

“Does it matter? You should just kill me now. Once he’s used me I’ll be dead. Don’t act as if that isn’t the plan.” Izuku spat. 

A portal opened and one of Kurogiri’s hands appeared in front of him clutching a plastic bag. “Then I suggest you enjoy your time on this earth while you can. Toga was sure to pick out your favorites,” The bag dropped to the floor with a soft clatter. 

Izuku’s stomach growled loudly as the rich scent of fried pork cutlet wafted by him. His hands moved on their own accord and ripped open the bag to get to the food. 

“Slow down or you’ll make yourself sick,” Kurogiri scolded. “I will take the food back if I have to.” 

An unpleasant roiling sensation filled Izuku’s stomach, but he didn’t care. He finished his meal in record time and stared Kurogiri down until the man took the trash away. The familiar gait of Shigaraki’s walk caught Izuku’s attention, his body going rigid as if breathing wrong would set the villain off. 

“Twice wants to bring someone here. Open a portal for him.” Shigaraki ordered before plopping down into a chair, propping his feet up on the table. 

Izuku said nothing. Surely Shigaraki would ask him to leave and stay in his given room that was basically a closet. He’d rarely seen anyone besides Shigaraki, Toga, and Kurogiri. Once by accident he’d caught a glimpse of a man with severe burns; his skin stapled together. Izuku shivered at the memory. 

Kurogiri motioned first Izuku to leave, only for Shigaraki to haul him up to his feet and push him into a nearby chair. “I want him here. The person’s quirk is mimicking voices. Could be useful to have yours copied.” 

The thought of someone impersonating him made Izuku queasy. He couldn’t be certain, but he was fairly sure Toga had taken some of his blood already. His upper arm was bruised and he felt a dull ache for a few days. However, Izuku couldn’t be sure if his aches and pains were new or old. 

A portal opened and a man in a black and white mask appeared; followed shortly by a man with half his face obscured by a piece of black high-tech equipment. The mask reminded Izuku of Present Mic’s speakers, except this mask looked more sinister as it resembled sharp teeth. Izuku was so busy examining the mask, that he failed to immediately notice the familiar purple hair and eyes in front of him. His breath caught in his throat as Izuku met the new villain’s eyes. 

Shinsou stared at Izuku briefly before moving on to introduce himself to Shigaraki. Theories raced through Izuku’s mind and he forced himself to bite on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from mumbling. 

“So, this is the journalist everyone is talking about?” Shinsou asked as he towered over Izuku. 

Shigaraki scratched at his neck. “The one and only. Took down Ground Zero’s career with just a few words.” 

Shinsou said nothing, only stared down at Izuku with an unreadable expression. 

“I want you to copy his voice. If you can read from a script as him I think it’ll sway the public even more. Plus should i have to kill him, no one but us will know.” Shigaraki sat down in the chair next to Izuku. “You’ll be paid, of course.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Shinsou replied. “It’ll work best if we can be alone. If I pick up other voices my impersonation may not be as accurate.” 

“Whatever, I wanted to play some games anyway. Kurogiri, make sure they’re not disturbed.” Shigaraki ordered before he left to what Izuku assumed was the villain’s room. 

Kurogiri ushered the two into a small room just outside of the bar area. “I will be in the room adjacent should you need anything. Knock when you wish for the door to be opened.”

The door closed followed by a click of the lock. 

“We might as well make this enjoyable. What do you like to talk about?” Shinsou took a seat at the small table in the room, reminding Izuku of the time he interviewed the hero. 

Izuku didn’t reply as he knew the true nature of Shinsou’s quirk. He never knew the hero could also mimic voices, though. It made Izuku wonder what else Shinsou had been hiding. 

Shinsou rummaged around his pockets, removing a small notepad and pen. “You’ll have to talk to me eventually, you know.” He flipped open the cover and slid it across the table toward Izuku. 

I am here. 

Izuku read the note again and felt his hands begin to tremble. Shinsou held a finger to his lips, his eyes darting to the closed door in the small concrete room. “Let’s get started.”

Chapter Text

Katsuki had the curtains drawn in his hotel room, the television playing in the background showing reporters staked outside his apartment. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He thought back to his first day on the job guarding Izuku and recalled how anxious the journalist appeared. The slightest sound put Katsuki on edge. What if a reporter managed to find his hotel room? His agency hadn’t sent anyone for backup and Katsuki was relying on the kindness of his friends to bring him food and changes of clothing. 

He should be out there searching for Izuku, but he couldn’t step foot outside without being hounded by the media and treated like a criminal. His benched status also complicated the situation. Legally, Katsuki could not fight with his quirk. If he were to engage a villain right now his hero license would be revoked. 

Paranoia was slowly overcoming Katsuki the more time he spent isolated. No one had managed to apprehend Toga yet. After hearing what happened to Charge Bolt, many heroes were taking precautions. Shape shifting quirks were rare, and posed a danger in the wrong hands. Few knew how to defend against such a powerful quirk and as a result any could be caught off guard. 

A knock on the door startled Katsuki from his thoughts. He checked his phone. No one had said they were coming by at this time. He crept toward the door and used the peep hole to see who was in the hall. The person had obscured their face with a black hoodie, activating Katsuki’s fight or flight instincts. His hand crackled as he ignited his quirk, preparing to open the door and ambush the person on the other side. 

“It’s me. I need to talk to you. Now,” A muffled voice traveled through the door. 

Katsuki recognized the drawl of the tired voice. Toga had no reason to impersonate Shinsou Hitoshi. They weren’t friends and Katsuki only worked with the underground hero in passing now. 

He undid the lock, his arm darting out until his hand clenched a fistful of Shinsou’s hoodie and pulled the man inside. Shinsou stumbled a bit, kicking the door closed behind him. “You could have just opened the door.” 

“I don’t need anyone looking in here right now. The hell you want?” Katsuki hissed.

Shinsou smoothed out his clothing. “You never saw me and if anybody asks how you found out, you didn’t hear it from me. Understand?" He said firmly, pausing as Katsuki nodded. "I found Midoriya.” 

Katsuki must have misheard. “You what?”

“I’ve been infiltrating a group of villains for awhile. It’s the same group who kidnapped Midoriya.” Shinsou continued, moving to sit on the end of Katsuki’s bed. 

“So, he’s back?” Katsuki felt his sense of  hopelessness fade, his stance relaxing slightly.

Shinsou shot Katsuki a pointed look, his lips forming a thin line. “You know it’s not that simple.” The tired hero muttered.

Katsuki stomped forward, looming over the underground hero with a snarl. “You left him there?” He screamed. “How could you do that?” 

“I’m not going to blow my cover and risk Midoriya getting harmed by extracting him without a plan,” Shinsou narrowed his eyes, staring directly at Katsuki.

“Then why bother coming here?” Katsuki clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white, holding himself back from punching Shinsou in the face

Shinsou stood up and stepped toward Katsuki. “Because it’s bullshit how you’re being treated. The hero system needs to be reformed...and I can’t do that alone. I can’t give you the exact location since I was brought to their hideout by a warp gate, but I’ll tell you exactly what I told the police. They’re keeping Midoriya in a run down bar. Find him and prove them wrong.” 

Shinsou told Katsuki all the information he had on the villain’s hideout. While vague, there was enough to narrow it down to a few key areas. Shinsou made his way to the door, but Katsuki grabbed the underground hero’s arm before he could leave. “Are you going back there?” 

“Probably. I’m gaining the leader’s trust, so I’m sure he’ll try to send me out on a job as a test. If I’m able to get a more exact location I’ll let you know, but you need to find him before his next article is released. They had me copy his voice, Bakugou and that girl can change into him. Shigaraki isn’t planning on keeping the original around. I don’t know what he’s planning, but it isn’t good.”  Shinsou finished before silently exiting the room.

Katsuki took a moment to let the new information sink in. He wouldn’t be able to do this alone. He pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a text to Kirishima.

Katsuki:

I need to talk to you and the others. 

. . .

Izuku knew the dangers of underground hero work. Yet, this was his first experience with a hero working undercover to infiltrate a villain organization. These types of missions were kept sealed and only allowed for those at the top to have knowledge of the full details. It had been a few days since Shinsou had showed up. Izuku was close to finishing up his analysis on Gentle Criminal, despite his attempts to drag out the process. The villain was one Izuku didn’t care to linger on. He saw too much of himself in the man, who was ultimately cast aside as a misfit due to the hero system. A part of Izuku wondered if he hadn’t been able to channel his passion into writing, would he have ended up like Gentle Criminal? 

The door to where Izuku was kept slammed open, Shigaraki’s foot hanging in the air before putting it down. “You done yet?” The villain’s voice rasped, his face hidden behind a pale hand. 

Izuku did his best to appear unfazed by the interruption. “Almost...,” he answered, his heart beating so loudly he was sure Shigaraki could hear it. “But what happens next? Do you really expect me to keep me in this room as your personal writer forever?” 

Shigaraki clapped his hands together. “Kurogiri! Bring the doctor up here.”

The shadow man appeared behind Shigaraki, opening a portal with a wave of his hand. The same elderly man from before stepped out from the portal and looked at Izuku with interest.

“Doc, after he finishes this story he’s all yours.” Shigaraki grinned, although Izuku could only see the corners of the villain’s mouth upturned behind the hand.

Izuku’s eyes widened, flitting between the doctor and Shigaraki. The elderly doctor’s googles obscured most of his face, making it difficult for Izuku to read the man. 

“I-I’m not sick, though.” Izuku replied, his voice pitched higher than normal.

“Correct, you are in good health,” the doctor replied as he shuffled closer. “However, quirkless subjects are rare and the data I can get for my research tends to be more reliable if the person has no quirk to skew the results.” 

Izuku held eye contact with Shigaraki, missing the doctor’s swift movements until the man’s hands grasped Izuku’s face. “I’ve had my eye on you for awhile. Your mother hovered, though. I never did find a good time to steal you away.”

The memory from when Izuku was diagnosed as quirkless flashed before his eyes. He’d managed to bury that traumatic day in the recesses of his mind. Izuku always recalled how he and his mother cried that day, but it wasn’t until the same doctor was before did he draw the connection between his past and present. Inko had been overly protective of Izuku after his diagnosis. Izuku vaguely recalled the reports of quirkless people going missing growing up and vaguely attributed it to people leaving due to poor treatment like he had endured. A shiver passed through Izuku’s body as two questions ran through his mind. How long had he been under surveillance and how many people had this doctor been in contact with? 

“Killing you would be a waste,” Shigaraki interjected, his nails clawing at his neck. “I hope you can survive the experiment. Letting you loose to fight the heroes as a Nomu will be the final blow to hero society as we know it.” 

A numbing sensation washed over Izuku. To his knowledge and most around him, the Nomu were just monsters. He swallowed back the bile rising in his throat as his eyes began to burn. Learning the truth was sickening. Izuku could see Shigaraki’s twisted plan clearly now. If Izuku became one of those things and one of his friends killed him, Izuku knew not a single hero would be able to forgive themselves. The public would riot and the system as the world knew would crumble.

Izuku found himself alone again. With shaking legs, he made his way to the door and cried when he couldn’t open it. He pulled and pulled on the handle, his other hand beating against the heavy metal that sealed him away.

He was running out of time.