Work Text:
“Don’t even look at him, if you look at him,” Amajiki shuddered, “he’ll talk to us.”
Mirio slung an arm around Amajiki’s shoulder with a laugh.
“Come on, Tamaki, Fatgum’s great! Besides, how long have you interned for him now? You’ve already admitted he’s a good boss, so I know you secretly like him.”
Amajiki tugged at the brim of his cap.
“No, you like him. He bribes you with kitkats and turns you against me.”
“Hey now,” Mirio said, squeezing him around the shoulders, “nobody could ever turn me against you!”
If blushes were flames, Amajiki would be on fire. He snapped an arm around Mirio’s waist, clenching a hand in Mirio’s jacket. Mirio was always saying stuff like that in public, and Amajiki was sure one day he’d melt right into the pavement from embarrassment.
To top off the moment, and because he apparently loved causing Amajiki pain, Mirio then pressed a kiss to the side of Amajiki’s head. So sweet, yet so mortifying. Amajiki made the mistake of glancing around to see if anyone on the sidewalk was looking, and saw a woman and her girlfriend smile at them.
Other people acknowledging your existence should be a crime, he thought.
“Sorry, Tamaki,” Mirio said, leaning in to use that soft voice he saved just for Amaijiki, “I had to.”
Amajiki smiled under his cap, but only a little. That quiet voice meant Mirio was feeling sentimental, and Amajiki basked in it, in his own way. He’d spent years coming to terms with the idea that the very incarnation of the sun could truly feel that way about him, but the sincerity in Mirio’s tone… it was enough to convince anybody.
“Liar,” Amajiki mumbled, and Mirio laughed.
“No! Cross my heart and hope to—” Mirio straightened, a shadow overtook them, and Amajiki braced for the inevitable.
“THE SUNSHINE BOYS!”
Massive yellow arms scooped them up in a bearhug, then spun around a few steps to drop them right in front of the door to Fatgum’s agency.
Amajiki stumbled as his feet touched concrete, but Mirio grabbed his hand to steady him.
“Fatgum! Good to see you!” Mirio boomed.
Amaijiki glanced around at the passing crowd, supremely embarrassed at the display, but at least Fatgum had the decency to set them down where he mostly blocked Amajiki from view.
“Great to see ya both as well,” Fatgum replied, and he stuck a hand in his pocket. Amajiki and Mirio exchanged a knowing look.
“Now let me see, I’ve got…” Fatgum popped his hand out like he was doing a magic trick, “one paycheck for Suneater,” he handed over an envelope, “and one kitkat for Lemillion!” and he dropped the candy in Mirio’s waiting palm.
“Yes!” Mirio cried while Amajiki put his check in his backpack. When he finished and looked up, a second kitkat was hovering under his nose.
“I got the green tea kind!” Fatgum said.
Amajiki took it with a small bow. Fatgum might be… A LOT… but he did always have great snacks.
“Were you waiting out here to attack me?” Amajiki asked, peeling open the wrapper as he did.
Fatgum laughed. “Nah, I’m meeting the local police for a prisoner transfer today, I’ll be trading off with another hero any minute now.” He turned to look up the street. “It’s some bigshot villain headed for Tartarus, probably, but their trial is tomorrow, and we gotta get ‘em to the courthouse first.”
“Where’s the trial?” Mirio asked. “Must be far if you pros have to rotate shifts.”
“For sure,” Fatgum said, “it’s up in—”
A scream covered whatever he was going to say. Up the street, cars honked, metal screeched, and a sedan swerved onto the sidewalk. More people screamed, and the sound of brakes squealed over the chaos.
Fatgum took off in a sprint, Mirio and Amajiki right on his heels. Up ahead, a police car smashed into the back of the sidewalk sedan, and a second, larger police vehicle sped through the space it vacated.
“No, no, that’s the transport!” Fatgum yelled, then skidded to a stop. He flung out his arms, and Amajiki barely managed to stop in time. Mirio slipped right through him to avoid a collision, but he finally stopped his sprint a couple meters ahead.
Amajiki sent a brief mental thank you to the UA Support Department for finally providing Mirio with clothes in the same material as his hero costume.
“You two stay back!” Fatgum said, interrupting his thoughts. “The prisoner’s got a malice quirk! We can’t let her infect you with it!”
“But we can help—” Mirio started.
“Not without proper equipment!” Fatgum cut him off. “I’m sorry, boys, but you don’t understand. Her quirk induces severe aggression in anyone within a ten foot radius of her body. I’m talkin’ murder-level aggression. They sent me some protective equipment…” he pulled out a mask to press over his face, “...but I only have the one!”
“We’ll stay out of range... get the civilians to safety,” Amajiki said, “we can handle this, Fatgum!”
“Alright,” he said grudgingly, “but stay back, no matter what! Untrained civilians I can restrain no problem, but youse two would be an issue. You get me, Suneater?”
“I got you,” he replied.
Fatgum turned.
“You too, Lemillion, you g—”
Mirio’s fist slammed into Fatgum’s stomach, and the pro hero flew back from the force of it.
“Fatgum!” Amajkii cried. “Toogata, what are you—”
Mirio looked at him then, and Amajiki’s blood was ice.
Behind Mirio, a woman with broken handcuffs on her wrists held both arms outstretched, bright white light pulsing in her hands.
And inside Mirio’s eyes, white light consumed the dark blue of Amajiki’s kindest dreams.
“Toogata,” he whispered. Mirio tensed, and he stalked forward, malice literally in his eyes.
“Stop,” Amajiki tried, “it’s me, Toogata! It’s Tamaki!”
A heavy fist whooshed past his face, but he dodged.
“Toogata, stop!”
Mirio didn’t seem to hear him. He reared back to swing again, and Amajiki prepared to dodge. But then an arm ripped him backward, and Mirio’s punch landed on yellow cloth.
“Ya caught me while I was turnin’ around,” Fatgum said, “but I’m ready for ya this time!”
He grabbed Mirio’s wrists to twist him into a hold, but Mirio permeated right through, then leapt back, grabbing at his head.
“Was hopin’ he’d forget to do that,” Fatgum grumbled.
“Toogata!” Amajiki tried again. Mirio shook his head violently, like he was trying to dislodge whatever was controlling him.
Meanwhile, the villain had her eyes on Fatgum.
“Planning to take me in, hero?” she yelled. “Your little mask won’t last forever, you know! Just ask my guards!” With that, she began striding their direction, and Amajiki scrambled out of range. Fatgum stood firm, his hands up in a ready position.
“Come quietly,” he said to her, “and I'll tell them you cooperated.”
The villain laughed.
“I’m done cooperating,” she said, “this is an escape, moron.” She stopped next to Mirio, dropping a purposeful hand on his shoulder. He gasped under her palm, and Amajiki barely stopped himself from running forward. He felt his quirk twitching under his skin, and in response began sliding his shoes off as inconspicuously as possible. He’d need to set it free any minute now.
White radiated from her palm, and Mirio jerked under her grip.
"Get away from him!" Amajiki screamed.
Her eyes lit up, and she clenched her fingers tighter on Mirio's shoulder.
She leaned close to whisper in his ear: "that hero is in your way."
Mirio's head snapped up. When he spoke, his voice was furious.
"He's in my way."
“Who does he think he is?” she whispered.
Mirio’ shoulders tensed under her hand, his torso rolling and twisting under the strain. His legs shook, and he dropped to one knee. It wasn’t enough to dislodge her grip.
“He’s my… my…” Mirio grabbed his head, “…Suneater…” he said, breathless, and she clenched her hand tighter.
“Who does he think he is,” she ground out. White pulsed from her fingers, and Mirio’s body lost the fight. He froze in place.
“He’s…”
His hands clenched into fists.
“...my enemy.”
With that, Mirio charged forward, permeating straight through Fatgum’s arms in their block to land another, stronger, hit directly on his belly. Fatgum’s feet scraped against the sidewalk as the blow pushed him back an inch, but then Mirio was permeating through him.
He came out the other side to lock eyes with Amajiki.
“You take out your little friend,” the villain yelled. She fixed her eyes on Fatgum. “Leave the hero to me.”
Fatgum settled his feet as she stalked forward, and behind his back, Mirio shook with rage, his eyes never leaving Amajiki.
“Suneater!” Fatgum called. “Can you do it?”
Amajiki didn’t have to ask what he meant. Could he fight off Mirio until Fatgum had the villain contained? Could he fight off Lemillion, the untouchable hero, the love of his life?
No, he couldn’t, he thought. Nobody could.
But he’d be damned if he let anyone else try.
“Nobody has sparred him more than me,” Amajiki said out loud. “I’m the only one who stands half a chance.”
Mirio scoffed.
“Get out of my way, Tamaki,” he said, and Amajiki had never heard this voice from him before. It was twisted, cold, horrible.
“Toogata,” Amajiki said in his calmest voice, “remember what you tell me when I’m anxious — just breathe, it’ll pass, just breathe, ok?”
Mirio’s jaw clenched.
“I said, get out of my way!” He sprang forward, and Amajiki dipped sideways to dodge. Mirio let his swing carry him into the sidewalk, and he disappeared below the concrete.
Amajiki took the pause to rip off his shoes, but he was too slow. Mirio shot out of the ground behind him to careen off the building wall and right for Amajiki. Mirio was aimed for his head, but Amaijiki tilted to the side just enough for the blow to hit his shoulder instead. It spun him in a freefall, and Mirio used his imbalance to smash him into the nearest window.
Amajiki threw his arms up as he crashed through the glass of Fatgum’s building. Office workers screamed as the shards fell, they ran as Amajiki rolled painfully across the glass-covered floor.
Mirio leapt through the window, letting his feet sink a few inches below the floor to avoid the glass. He waded forward with purpose, never looking around at the chaos.
Amajiki scrambled for his backpack. He’d barely eaten anything useful today, but he had dried octopus in his bag—
A shard of window glass sliced through the straps of his backpack while a fist yanked it off his back. Mirio had clearly used his permeation to aid the glass, and Amajiki flung a tentacle after the bag when Mirio tossed it.
The glass shard sliced down at his tentacle as it stretched across the room, and Amajiki had to bounce it like a jump rope to avoid the strikes.
He tried to remember his breakfast - leftover red bean onigiri, then three takoyaki he and Mirio got from a food stand on their way over - he dodged another slash of glass. He was never this careless about his meals, but it was a Saturday, they were just supposed to have a nice day off school together, this wasn’t supposed to happen!
He yanked the backpack towards him, and Mirio abandoned the glass. He sank into the floor, and Amajiki jumped up. He managed to manifest cow hoof along the bottom of his feet thanks to last night’s beef dinner, but there was barely enough to cover his soles. He should have left his shoes on, he hadn’t eaten his usual egg this morning. And he was so focused on dodging the glass he hadn’t paid attention to the direction Mirio aimed—
Mirio exploded out of the ground, smashing Amajiki’s backpack into the ceiling. He snatched the tentacle holding it, then yanked. Amajiki flew forward, and Mirio flung him around like a whip.
He landed with a crash into a nearby desk. It hurt, obviously, and the thin clam shell he manifested barely shielded him at all.
He retracted his tentacles, and pulled himself out of the wreckage. Across the room, Mirio was ripping out the contents of his backpack. He found the food, and Amajiki watched as he tore it in half with his bare hands.
“Toogata!” he yelled, and Mirio’s head snapped up. He flung the shreds of fabric and food to the side, then leapt off the desk to stride over.
“You!” Mirio yelled. “You’re in my way!”
“I’m not,” Amajiki said, “I promise, please calm down!”
Mirio ripped a lamp off a desk he passed just to smash it into the tile.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” he snarled, then disappeared into the ground.
Amajiki tried to manifest wings, but his chicken snacks from yesterday were digested. Amajiki made his best guess on the angle Mirio went, then jumped to what he hoped was a clear spot. He’d gotten better over the years at reading Mirio’s angles, but it still wasn’t easy. And the window to land a hit on Mirio, assuming he didn’t see it coming, was nearly impossible to find. Amajiki might know how to fight Mirio, but that didn’t mean it was easy.
Mirio reappeared, zinging off the nearest wall. Amajiki had moved just out of his aim, but he course corrected at the last second. Amajiki’s experience paid off, though, and he slipped out of reach. He brought his tentacles down for a knockout, but Mirio saw them coming. They slid through him, unresisted, and Mirio bared his teeth.
“You think you can beat me?!” he said in that voice that wasn’t his. “You’re in the way, Tamaki!”
He dipped to the side, and Amajiki dodged. But it was just a feint, and Mirio’s fist slammed into Amajiki’s stomach. He doubled over, and Mirio jabbed out with his palm. Amajiki saw it moving, but his tentacles couldn’t save him. Mirio permeated right through them, and his palm slammed into Amajiki’s windpipe.
Just like that, this fight was over.
Amajiki dropped to the ground gasping for air. He tried to claw himself backwards, but Mirio pursued him.
This was the worst possible outcome — the only way to win a fight against Mirio was staying mobile, dodging hits until someone called a timeout. Amajiki could sometimes land an extremely lucky hit while Mirio solidified before a strike, but now wasn’t one of those times. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move, and he couldn’t save Mirio.
Now, when it mattered, Amajiki was useless. He told Fatgum he could take care of Mirio, that he’d be the one to stave him off until the quirk disappeared, and yet here he was. Helpless on the ground, too weak to stop Mirio from doing something he’d regret forever.
“Tooga...ta,” Amajiki gasped, and Mirio’s eyes flashed. He snapped out a hand to grab Amajiki by the collar, and dragged him up to eye level.
Amajiki gripped Mirio’s wrists with both hands. His tentacles squeezed Mirio’s wrist, but he permeated again to let Amajiki fall.
Glass crunched into Amajiki’s knees as he landed, and he pitched forward from the shock of pain. He bashed into Mirio’s shins, and Mirio flung out his leg to dislodge him. The kick sent him back a few feet, scraping across the scattered glass. Amajiki sent his tentacles flying forward, but Mirio dove through them to land straddling Amajiki.
“Lemillion…” Amajiki tried, but Mirio grabbed him by the collar again. His other hand raised into a punch.
“Shut up!” Mirio screamed in his face, and his fist made contact.
The punch slammed Amajiki back against the ground, and a cry ripped out of his throat from the impact.
“You should have stayed out of my way!” Mirio screamed, and there was no time to recover. He punched straight down, and Amajiki twisted blindly to the side. Hot blood poured into his eye, and his vision was blacking out at the corners.
Pathetic, he thought through the pain. Useless. Worthless.
“Toogata,” he said again, “please,” but another fist slammed down. Amajiki threw himself sideways just enough to dodge it, but he couldn’t keep this up. He dodged again, then dodged to the other side.
“Shut up!” Mirio screamed.
Another punch, another dodge.
“Toogata,” Amajiki cried, “stop!”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Mirio’s veins bulged on his neck and forehead, and the white burning in his eyes glowed brighter. What looked like cracks spread out from his eyes, little white veins breaking through the skin of his cheeks.
“Why should I—” another punch, “ —listen—” another, “ —to you?!”
Amajiki didn’t quite manage to dodge the last punch, and it snapped his neck sideways when it grazed his cheek.
Mirio had always been formidable. Just one punch could render nearly anyone helpless. Amajiki’s head swam as Mirio snatched him up by the collar.
His eyes were watering, blood poured from multiple gashes, and all Amajiki could see was smudged yellow hair above burning eyes.
He lifted his arm, and Mirio’s grip tightened. It squeezed his shirt collar uncomfortably tight, but Amajiki didn’t stop. His hand landed on Mirio’s cheek.
Mirio jerked away, but he wasn’t permeating. Amajiki extended one of his fingers into a tentacle to keep his hand in place, the little suction cups attaching to feverish skin keeping Amajiki grounded.
Mirio twisted his hands, and the cloth cut deeper into Amajiki’s throat.
“Because…” he gasped with what little air he had left, “...because I’m… Suneater,” he managed.
Mirio blinked.
“I’m Suneater,” Amajiki said again.
“Shut up,” Mirio replied, but it was a whisper. The white flickered in his eyes. Mirio’s grip loosened, and Amajiki raised his other hand. It was covered in scrapes, but he placed it on Mirio’s other cheek. Mirio flinched, just like the first time, but he still didn’t permeate. His face twisted, and his hands clenched.
“I’m Suneater,” Amajiki repeated, “and you’re Lemillion.”
Mirio slammed his eyes closed, white leaking out at the corners.
Amajiki gripped him tighter.
“My Lemillion.”
Mirio’s whole body shook. His head quivered in Amajiki’s hands, white spiderwebs flickering on his cheeks.
“Your…” Mirio gasped, and his voice sounded almost like Mirio again.
“My Lemillion,” Amajiki repeated, firmer. Mirio was still shaking, but he let Amajiki pull him closer, their foreheads pressing against the other. Blood smeared on Mirio’s skin where they touched, but neither of them noticed.
“Say...” Mirio tensed, cutting off his sentence. “Say it… again.”
Amajiki’s heart pounded in his chest. Mirio’s eyes opened a sliver, and white light had faded to a dull glow.
“You’re my Lemillion.”
Dark blue swirled, and white faded into nothing. Mirio collapsed into Amajiki’s arms, the rage leaving him in a rush. Amajiki stroked blond hair off a clammy forehead, and Mirio groaned.
“Tamaki?” he whispered against Amajiki’s chest.
A loud CRASH interrupted the moment, the malice villain smashing through the front windows. She rolled to a stop among the glass, her hands still glowing white.
Fatgum leapt through the opening she made in the wall while she scrambled to her feet.
“Get back!” she screamed. “I’ll tear this city apart!”
“Lady, you’re not tearin' nothin’ apart!” Fatgum swung at her, and she swiped at the mask still secure on his face. She missed, but jumped up again to grab at it. Her feet left the ground, and a tentacle slapped her out of the air.
Fatgum had her pinned in a moment, snapping quirk-suppressant cuffs around her wrists. The white glow extinguished, and the sounds of fighting outside stopped.
“Nice assist, Suneater!” Fatgum called across the room. “You alright?”
“Yeah,” Amajiki said, “we’re alright.”
Mirio shifted in his arms. He pulled himself up straight, rubbing at his head with one hand. He looked at Amajiki, and the last few minutes seemed to register. Remorse poured over his face, and he raised his hands like he didn’t know where to put them.
“Tamaki,” he said, “oh my god, I was—I couldn’t stop, I… Tamaki, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, Tamaki!”
Amajiki shook his head.
“It’s ok, really,” he said.
“It’s not ok!” Mirio had tears in his eyes. He placed a tentative hand along Amajiki’s jaw, his thumb swiping across Amajiki’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, Tamaki, I would never… I didn’t…”
Amajiki placed his hand on top of Mirio’s.
“I know,” he said. Mirio bit his lip to keep from crying.
Amajiki shut his eyes. He’d definitely need to see Recovery Girl; his whole body ached. But Mirio was Mirio again, so the world could keep spinning.
He opened his eyes. Mirio was staring at the gash on his forehead.
“Hey,” he said, and blue eyes snapped to his. “Who am I?”
Those blue eyes clouded in confusion for a moment, but then Mirio was smiling a watery smile. A rush of air pushed past his teeth in a kind of laugh. Relief made real in a release of air.
“You’re Suneater,” Mirio said, and he spread his arms wide. Amajiki let his body sink into the embrace, warm arms surrounding him gently, careful not to squeeze too hard. This wasn’t how he expected to spend his day, but in Mirio’s arms was exactly how he’d expected to end it.
Mirio’s breath ruffled his hair.
“My Suneater.”