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Chapter Text

By the time Midoriya Izuku realized who he was-where he was- he was pulling up in front of a castle that dwarved his home. Like. From his elementary school to his high school and his entire apartment complex could have fit into that giant hulking mass of a castle.

His first thought, staring at that, was that a lot of Tax-Payer money went into the construction of that building, didn't it?

God, he was marrying into this?

-

He said that, but he ended up waiting four hours in a waiting room before being told that his fiancé wouldn't be meeting with him today. The day pretty much came to a close, and he pretended that the maids and butlers weren't whispering about him. 

Dinner was a small affair. It was just him and guards standing along the room’s perimeter. The spread was modest, but definitely more than he would have ever gotten back at home in the country-side. It didn’t taste as good as anything he had (a lifetime ago), but in comparison to the empty table, the food was tasteless.

His culinary clicked too much next to the plate, and he saw someone’s scornful look from the corner of his eye. Oh, he realized, he wasn’t royalty. He never had the training, in any lifetime, that could teach him how to work around this. This wasn’t something that he read about in the books. How annoying.

He stared at the plate, swore that he could see his reflection in its shine, and thought that it was absolutely tragic that the Todorokis’ had a large family and yet no one ate together. He thought about how, even though his table back at home was always set for three, he and his mother never felt this isolated. Once or twice, he fantasized about what it would be like to have siblings, but he never thought that it would be so cold. In this world or the last, he wasn't alone until he came to the house he was supposed to be wed into.

Not here, in this life, but in another one, he remembered reading about aristocrats who tore themselves apart trying to climb higher. He remembered hearing his classmates gossip about how awful that kind of like would be, to be married off to someone much older than them, knowing that they weren’t wanted. To some extent, he knew that there were people who still lived like that. It wasn't something that he was intimately familiar with, but he remembered some of the things the old ladies used to say when the Takemura's daughter next door got hitched.

The person who was being married in would be alone.

Even though he had a temporary knight, a guard, to walk him from place to place so he didn't get lost, and there were people stationed every hallway and a half, Deku felt alone in a way he never did before. Somehow, having people here that he didn't (couldn't, really) talk to made it even more suffocating.

The thought swirled in his head as he was excused from dinner.

But as he was leaving the dining area, he was suddenly confronted with the first son of the Duke, Dabi. His fiancé. One of the Boss's in a game.

“...Hm…? The little sacrifice has finally shown itself?” His voice was criminally low and it did things to his gut.

And he didn’t know why he didn’t recognize it before, but he remembered now. Maybe it was the food, the crushing realization of how alone he was here, or how long he had spent coped up in the library, but he suddenly remembered it.

He was the Duke’s Eldest Son’s fiancé. In the game, he was someone that died within the Heroine’s First Year. In the game, he didn't even have a name. Just. Some nameless sap that's casually mentioned in the long list of people that Dabi killed. It was just some throwaway line, because he was an insignificant character to the plot. 

Poor, pitiful Midoriya Izuku, Dabi’s first victim when he reveals himself as one of the villains. He died a painful, agonizing death where the only thing that remained of him were some ashes. 

He continued to close the distance between them, and Midoriya’s eyes widened in realization. This was him. This was the man that would kill him in about four years. The scars on his face was unmistakable. This was him. This was it.

Todoroki Touya, or more commonly known as Dabi the Cremator. Fourth to Last Boss. 

Oh fuck, Midoriya realized, if he didn’t get his act together, he was going to die in a very painful, pitiful way. In this life or the last, he wasn’t going to live to thirty? Seriously? He didn't even remember how he died from his lifetime, that's how boring it must have been. And now, here he was.

Locked in a loveless marriage with one of the most violent and trigger-happy man, Midoriya Izuku finally met his fiancé about four days after coming to the Todoroki Manor.

“Hello,” he manages to squeak out, “My name is Midoriya Izuku, I am happy to finally meet you.”

“Hah. I’m sure you are. You look absolutely ecstatic,” Dabi, even if he wasn’t Dabi yet, snorted back. He gave an exaggerated shrug, every bit that dangerous and sarcastic energy swirling like a storm. His grin looked far too sharp for him to ever entertain the notion that he was enjoying this moment. “Man, but I wish I could have at least gotten someone cute.”

“I apologize for not living up to expectations. I will do my best to work on it in the future.”

Dabi's eyes widened, just briefly, just for a second.

Had it been anyone else, they might have quailed at the sight of Dabi’s scars and faces. They would have balked at his intimidating demeanor, and any actual child, no matter how tough they pretended to be, would have been putty in the face of Dabi and his face and position and money. 

But Midoriya wasn't anyone. Midoriya didn't spend hours on end looking at Dabi's scarred features twist into a mocking sneer as he lost again and again in that stupid boss battle. Stupid? Yes. But Midoriya wasn't smart. If he was, he wouldn't have needed to look up guide on how to beat a fucking game.

Obviously, this man could decide the fate of Midoriya’s remaining family, village, his life here. It really depended on his mood. He would be dead before anyone came to help. The thought was even more bitter when he understood that no one would even miss him here. 

And yet, it didn’t intimidate Midoriya. No, that was a lie, it intimidated him a ton. In fact, he was currently shaking in fear and was sweating through his clothes. He was terrified. Still, his voice came out even and smooth. His words were concise and polite, like he wasn’t staring his future death in the face. Maybe it was because this wasn’t the first time he feared for his life, whether it was at a playground or in a classroom or right in front of his coworkers.

Midoriya Izuku has always lived in fear. This time was the same as all the other times. So he proceeded along the same way he always did.

“You… are you mocking me?”

Hands loose at his sides, he bowed his head forward and remained there. It was a skill he picked up, since he sucked at everything and everyone picked on him about it from the moment he started walking. 

“Never, Touya-sama,” he said. 

“Don’t ever call me that again!”

Just like that, blue flames painted the corridors, and Midoriya learned about Dabi the Cremator, his fiancé, his future murderer, first-hand.

-

Afterwards, Midoriya woke up later and learned that he received 3rd degree burns on his left arm. He was lucky that it wasn’t his dominant side, only his arm, and that he was still alive and mostly sane.

He was also lucky that he lost consciousness so quickly so that he didn’t need to feel the pain. He was also doubly lucky that people got burned all the time here, and was given adequate medicine for it. He might struggle with the injury for some time, and it’ll scar for life, but it will still be usable. 

Yeah, definitely. Super lucky. He supposed that he should just count his blessings. 

Perhaps, he thought to himself, he wouldn’t die until four years later. So no matter what, he wouldn’t die until then. It was a terrible thought, and he banished it as soon as he thought of it.

The pain must have really ruined his head though. The throbbing didn't haunt him. It didn't pull and it didn't make him frown and twist his guts around. Instead, his thoughts were occupied with how awfully lonely his fiancé looked, laughing at the center of those blue embers like he didn't know how to call for help.

The first time their eyes met, after that incident, Midoriya dropped his eyes. To his defense, it had been literally a day and his arm ached.

He was in bed-rest for about a day, and was well-enough to be up and about again. It had nothing to do with the fact that Midoriya was bored out of his fucking mind in the Doctor’s office. 

Yet, here he was. A run-in with his fiancé. If it wasn’t for the fact that he knew that this was from a game, he would daresay that this was all too conveniently planned. 

Once he realized what he had done, he couldn’t help but shake the fact that this would set up the rest of their relationship for the next four years before it ended in his grisly demise. What a terrible end, yes, but what a terrible life as well. If his life had to end a tragedy, then his life should be about suffering? No. Fuck that.

Was it really a tragedy if it liberated him from his eternal disparity?

The thought sent a shiver down his spine and taking a deep breath, he decided to do what he thought would keep his ass out of trouble and maybe to the age of eighty with a cat on his lap or something. It felt like a pipe-dream so he trashed the thought, no matter how appealing it felt. If he was going to die awfully, he might as well at least try to have a good life before that. And maybe this time, when he died, he would get to rest instead of ending up with his ass in someone else's life. Again.

“Hello, dear,” he said, giving a polite bow, before straightening and giving a smile to Dabi.

Forty would be nice. It would be more what he lived last time. To die at 14 would be too sad, after all. And if at all possible, he would like to have sex once. At least once. He doesn’t know how that will happen, and it wasn’t like he had any prior experience in this field either. But he didn’t want to die a virgin two times in a row. That would be pitiful.

The smile on his face dropped. A fraction of a second later, the corridor filled with that blue flame, and Midoriya was lucid just long enough to think that dying by this fire would be a beautiful death.

-

He woke up again. Another third degree burn, but it was also on top of his left arm. Looks like he threw up his to protect his face just in time, lucky him. His chest was burned, and it seemed like one of his feet was within blast radius as well. 

It was painful, no doubt about it, and the scars would be awful to look at. But, he couldn't squish the giddy feeling bubbling up in his chest.

He wasn’t dead. 

He had encountered the Cremator and his flames, not once, but twice now, and he wasn’t dead. The first time could be chalked up that he momentarily lost control of himself, but the second time? He got burned for greeting him.

Excellent.

He wasn’t going to die from saying hello. Terribly injured, yes, but he wasn’t dead. He wasn’t dead and he would recover. The rumors about the Duke’s Eldest son in the game were wrong. This was revolutionary. This wasn't a waste. He felt almost delirious about this.

The last thing people expected was that, after being burned so badly the first time, Midoriya would continue to actively search out for the Duke’s eldest.

-

“Good morning, darling.”

-

“Good evening, dear.”

-

“Have sweet dreams, sweetheart.”

He hissed when the in-house doctor wrapped his injuries and handed him another ice pack.

“...You know, most people would have just avoided him altogether, if they managed to survive the first fire incident. Actually, there are many people that avoid him altogether.”

The blond guard, Yamada as Midoriya has finally learned his name, told him as he winced and grimaced at the sight of Midoriya and his new assortment of burns. The doctor had left after heaving a big sigh as he got another container of salve out, and Midoriya hoped that the man got a pay-raise for dealing with this so well. One of the maids already broke into tears when she saw how bad the burn by his shoulder was. But he was hopeful that it was just pain and scars.

Hopefully, they'll be able to get a body back to his mom. 

“...I appreciate the concern,” Midoriya said. “But it’s okay.”

Yamada gave him another look, disbelief more obvious than the sun in the sky. “Is it even worth it? It’s enough, isn’t it? Can’t you just go back now? You’re going to actually die at this rate.”

“You know, I never thought that I would live a long life,” Midoriya said suddenly, wincing as the balm came down onto his leg where the newest burn was. “But when I think about it, I’m pretty lucky that his quirk is fire.”

“...I don’t really think ‘lucky’ is the right word for the situation,” the blond replied. 

The green-haired boy, despite how much pain he must be in, managed to give a little chuckle. With every interaction, his theories were getting closer to the truth. Maybe the pain had cornered him into the furthest corners of his sanity, but that was fine. If it meant he lived, it was fine. If it meant that the loneliness ebbed, it was fine. 

“It’s just… The rings we got are chosen for us, and our vows are pre-written. We don’t get to choose what colors we wore or the date or even a partner. But this,” he raised his newly bandaged arm, “this is something that he gave me. For us, this is the closest thing to a wedding gift that I’ll get,” he explained.

His mother’s wedding gift was a son who chased away her husband. In this world or the last, it was like his very existence defined a broken marriage for his mother. 

Maybe it was a Midoriya thing?

It was a huge spin, to say the least. But he needed to say it. He needed everyone to believe it, even if he doesn’t. That it’s okay that this happened, and that to some extent, he wanted it. Even if it’s fake and a lie, because a little bit of pain is nothing when Midoriya just wants to make it past 14. He’ll sacrifice all of it away, and say that he did it for love. 

Not for his fiancé (even though that boy needed help like whoa), but his mom, who he was born to twice now.

And well, if they think he’s crazy, they’ll send him away. After that, he’ll be free. So, either he lived somehow here and never be the same, or he’ll be sent away and also not dead. Win-win, if you ask him.

“There are many people who will call you a fool for that.”

Midoriya blinked to where the Doctor stared at him from between his long bangs. He looked like a ragged kind of guy who has clearly seen too much from the world and could go for an eternal nap, and Midoriya always felt bad asking him to patch him up. His red eyes pierced through him, looking too alert concerning his current disposition. 

And in all honesty, he wasn’t wrong.

Midoriya remembered thinking the same things when he watched all those crazy exaggerated dramas with his mom as a teen, but knowledge from another world is powerful. He had the proper explanation for this, and he knew that, if he wanted to live, he needed to lie. He was a shit-liar, but that was fine. It didn’t need to be a full-faced lie. It just needed to be believable. It just needed to be enough so that they could draw their own conclusions.

It just. 40. Midoriya, just live till you're 40. Or 30. At the very least. 

“Yeah,” Midoriya agreed, “that’s what we call people in love.”

The looks he got, from the black-haired man and the blond, made him think that they thought he was crazy. He probably was. Maybe it was just the pain. Well, it didn't matter why. As long as they didn’t try to kill him for being crazy, he didn't care. He was pretty much harmless, with no special ability of any sort, so surely they’ll just cast him away when they decide he was too crazy to deal with.  Perfect. 

“...Is it really that nice?” Yamada asked quietly, “Being in love?”

Midoriya thought about the people who stabbed their loved ones in a fit of violent passion. Then, he thought about the old lady down the street who died a week after her husband from a broken heart. He thought about his mom who was always waiting for a man and only got a paycheck every month.

He smiled and lied through his teeth.

“Yes.”

And with that, Midoriya was dismissed from the infirmary area in a few days. He ran straight for where he thought the first son would be.

Because he was a fool who wanted to live, but he needed the world to think that he was a fool in love.

-

An entire week of being in and out of the infirmary, abandoning his studies, and running on adrenaline and pain, finally resulted in something changing. Dabi, as soon as he saw Midoriya turn the corner, set the corridor ablaze. 

He gave a shocked cry, because he usually gets a word in before this happens. But, finally, finally, finally, Midoriya managed to dodge the first shot of fire. He wanted to cry, he was so happy, but he also wanted to cry, because his leg fucking ached and the heat was making his other wounds rather unbearable. The tears were already in his eyes, ready to go.

“Do you understand now?!" the voice rang louder than the crackle of the fire. "This fire-not even I can control it! This is a fire only brought forth to destroy! Nothing will remain when I use it! Why haven’t you learned this yet?! Everyone knows this! I only hurt people! I was brought into this world only to hurt people around me!” Dabi yelled out, eyes wild and wide as the fire danced along the side of his arm.

Midoriya stood there, and could feel the fire licking at his skin, devouring it in its entirety. The place where his skin had yet to heal properly still stung, and yet, he took a step forward to the man. His expression pensive. 

Did… That Dabi, the Cremator, did he really think that?

Then, all the times that he used his flames on Midoriya, were they all warning shots? Is that why he didn’t die from the get-go? In the games, it was pretty clear that anything Dabi’s flames touched would incinerate into ash within seconds, but all Midoriya had were some bad burns. He thought that it was because this Dabi was much younger than Game-Dabi, or that it was because he didn’t want to kill him (yet).

But maybe it was something else altogether. 

He kept stepping forward. The fire climbed the corridor walls, and while the heat was tough and uncomfortable, Midoriya could only focus on those blue eyes, the same shade as his fire. A thousand degrees cooler- as though trying to freeze Midoriya where he was.

“Go away! I said, go the fuck away! You fucking idiot, are you trying to die?! This fire-it’ll consume me, so it’ll definitely consume some little thing like you-”

Ah, who was he kidding. He was an idiot. It wasn’t something as honorable and respectable as surviving for his mom. It wasn’t for love. It wasn’t anything as beautiful or poetic like that.

Midoriya just didn't think that Dabi should be lonely.

“It’s your flame,” Midoriya said, forging forward. “So, if you, with your flame, decide to cremate me away,” he opened his arms as he spoke, “then go ahead.”

And maybe it was because it was such a shocking proclamation, Dabi’s flames calmed down for a second. The whites of his eyes created a ring around that ice-blue.

“...Are you crazy?" he asked, a raspy whisper before the heat returned to his eyes and his voice, "Do you not understand that you can die? I could kill you with this. We wouldn’t even have a body left.”

Midoriya nodded, “Then I wasn’t strong enough to stay by your side. You are my fiancé. If I can’t be by your side, then I might as well be dead.”

And then, after a moment of absolute agony at the center of a sweltering heat, Dabi started to laugh. It sounded awkward, like it wasn’t something that he was used to, but the more that he began to do it, the better it sounded. The sound bounced off the walls and overtook the crackle of the blue flames around them.

Dabi hunched forward, clutching his stomach as though he heard the funniest thing ever, but the longer he went, the less he was convinced of that. Dabi laughed like he couldn't do anything else. Dabi laughed like this was the only way he could emote. He couldn't cry. He couldn't wail. But he could laugh. Because, villain.

While he was pondering it, however, Dabi began to calm down.

“What a crazy guy,” he said, shaking his head, “Where did they even find you?”

“Some street corner,” Midoriya replied back, “It was always cold there, so I wasn’t prepared for how warm the castle could be.”

The older man snorted loudly at that, but the smile stretching across his lips was unmistakable. It was an expression that Midoriya knew. The same expression that his mom got whenever he asked about his dad when he was a kid and didn't know better. 

The fire began to die down, or perhaps Midoriya was losing consciousness. Well, regardless, he saw Dabi’s face. Now that he wasn’t laughing, the fact that Midoriya had managed to close the gap between them from the entire corridor to four feet was sinking in.

More than that, Midoriya could clearly see his future fiancé better now. The older man looked so lost and confused, with a twisted grin on his face like he was looking at something that was equal parts fascinating and infuriating, and Midoriya thought that it was, at the center of that blue inferno…

“...beautiful…”

-

When Midoriya woke up, and felt a numbing pain running all up and down his arms and legs and chest and neck, he took a deep breath and then choked on it.

Nothing was going his way, from the moment he woke up in a fucking game to now.

He coughed violently, each one making his chest cramp awfully and his throat clench. He gasped between coughs and it served to make the situation worse for him. What a way to wake up. Without a doubt, this wasn’t a dream though, if only because there was no way this pain could be a dream.

He wheezed a little, and a cup was handed to him. He nodded his thanks, and tried to drink the liquid in an attempt to stop the coughing.

“You know, that could have been poisoned.”

Midoriya thought about it, stifling his coughs to the best of his ability, and then shrugged.

“Then, I die by poison and not because I’m coughing,” he managed to wheeze out and downed the rest of the water. It was delicious, as delicious as water could be, and soothed his throat all the way down. He gave a satisfied sigh when he finished it and then handed it back to the man who gave it to him, “Thank you for not poisoning me.”

The man stared at him pensively. It wasn’t the usual in-house doctor in front of him. This man had dark hair that came down like wild grass, and it reminded him of seaweed. He gave a little chuckle at the thought.

“...For an idiot, I’m surprised that you have any manners.”

“...For a doctor, you can be quite rude. Isn’t your… bedside manner supposed to be..." he made a wild motion with the arm that he could still feel, "kinder?”

The man stared at him for another moment before he snorted. “The reports were wrong. They said that you were a pushover and just stupid, but I guess there is still a fire inside there somewhere.”

Midoriya frowned back, not enjoying how this situation was playing out, but was also grateful to focus on something that wasn’t how itchy his bandages were. He gave an irritated sigh, wondering which was the better option and gave in.

“...My name is Midori…. Midoriya Izuku. The first son’s fiancé.”

The older man yawned back, he leaned back into his seat, “I know. I don’t think there’s anyone here who doesn’t know by now.”

“It was an invitation for you to introduce yourself,” Midoriya narrowed his eyes, “Sir.”

The scruffy looking man’s lip twitched and he stood up from his seat. He gave a proper bow, not one of nobility, but one that the soldiers did, with their right fist on their heart and their left hand behind them as he bowed at the waist. It was something that Midoriya had always seen but never up close.

“Wait-” Realization dawned on him. 

“Aizawa Shota, a humble night-guard, at your service, Not a doctor, but out of all of us, I’m the only one that knows how to deal with patients,” he said. He straightened back up, “I will be your immediate guard for the foreseeable future. Let’s get along.”

And Midoriya knew guys like this. He spent a lifetime running from people like him, who looked at him as nothing more than a stepping stone, as a current scum that they have resigned themselves to deal with in their life. They were the kids that thought he would make their team lose in sporting events. They were the adults who didn't think he would be anything in life. He knew guys like him, with no life in their eyes, and the only time they managed to have anything resembling a smile was when someone else was suffering.

More importantly, Midoriya knew who this was, and felt the bone-deep chill run through his veins.

“But,” the man said, eyes lingering on the bandages on him, “It looks like I won’t be stationed here for long, will I? Hm, do me a favor and just stay in bed for now while I go on my break, alright?”

And with that, the man left through the window, like a fucking ninja, and left Midoriya to sit in the bed in his shock. A thousand different things ran through his head at that moment, ranging from how bad his arms were itching to wondering if this was okay and if the plot of the original game wouldn’t be diverted.

...No way, Dabi’s heart would only flutter when the Heroine entered the scene. Right now, Midoriya just managed to pull a fast one on him. He did something that no one else would do right now, since the Heroine had yet to enter the scenario. Nothing else has changed. Which was bad because that meant he was still on the fast-track to death. But it was good because Midoriya really did enjoy Dabi's route in the original game.

But, he still came to one conclusion. For all these injuries, pains, and itches, he had proven himself in someone’s eyes, because they had given him Aizawa Shota as a guard. 

And in the games, Aizawa Shota was Eraserhead, someone with unprecedented use and would eventually play a huge role in the games by becoming a teacher and one of the Heroine’s closest allies. This was good.

Midoriya looked at his hands. He made a fist, relaxed it, then made sure each and every single moved. This was good too.

He was alive.  He can keep going.

“...What are you doing?”

“I was informed that I cannot meet with Lord Dabi for a couple of weeks,” Midoriya said. “I guess it’s because he had to go out on the subjugation to the Northeastern border. So, I figured that I’ll just train instead. I need to catch up on my schooling, but I figured it would be better to train while I still had daylight.”

Midoriya said that, but he imagined how pathetic he looks. His bandages have come off, but the sight of his burns were so grotesque that no one could look at him, and he made one of the maids cry when they saw him. Since then, he kept his sleeves long, collar high, and gloves on. Luckily, it was cold up here at the northern front, so it wasn’t too bad altogether. 

However, it made training considerably itchier. Luckily, his clothes weren’t caked in puss and dirt anymore, but he figured that he would do his own laundry since none of the maids came close to him. And Dabi’s too, since they really didn’t want to do his. Something about being turned to ash if the clothes weren't done in a specific way but whatever. In Midoriya’s humble opinion, doing one person’s laundry was the same as doing two. 

Which was fine, he thought it was a little weird to have someone else do his laundry.

Besides, doing manual labor like this, making a little schedule for himself to follow, it made him think that he’s really working for his stay here. He’s not just someone who is here to indulge himself on taxpayer money, and he’s not going to lay in the infirmary all the time. The repetition of the work helped clear his mind, and it also served to make sure that he didn’t kill himself in his boredom or thinking himself into circles. Yes, that was it. It wasn't about the whispering. It wasn't about those pitying eyes. 

“...Train…?”

He stopped doing push-ups and moved to stand up properly. He turned to Aizawa, his new guard who looked at him the same way people eyed office drones back at him, equal parts-disgust and worry, and tilted his head.

“Yeah. Training.” 

“...You are marrying into one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom, possibly the world. There’s no need for you to… train,” Aizawa said, slowly, like he wasn't sure if he was even pronouncing the word correctly.

“A strong body houses a strong mind,” Midoriya recited back, remembering a time when his mother told him that so that he would go to sleep before ten pm, “And besides, in a place like this, ‘powerful’ just means ‘lots of enemies’.”

Aizawa arched an eyebrow at him for that, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Oh? Is that your way of saying that you also don’t want guards?”

Midoriya thought about it, and nodded.

“Yeah, then, all the guards would be available to protect the Todoroki’s, right? More so than me, aren’t they more important?”

“...Nine times out of ten, having guards would just get in their way,” Aizawa replied back.

Thinking about it logically, that made no sense. Because, after all, the Todoroki’s are all human. However, thinking about how ridiculously OP the Todoroki family was made, he’s inclined to believe that statement. But he knew better. Soon enough, there will be a long list of awful circumstances and terrible story-writing that will, in the worst case-scenario, lead to all of their deaths.

“I am young and ignorant of the world,” Midoriya blurted out. “But even I know that the thought of ‘I could have helped’ is one of the worst ones in the world.”

The dark-haired man stared at him, “And what, are you going to ask me to train you?”

Midoriya’s eyes shined as he turned his head to face him, “Will you say yes?”

“No. I don’t do pointless things.”

The green-haired male sighed back, a little disappointed at the easy rejection, but then perked right up. The look on Aizawa's face turned wary.

“Then, this isn’t a pointless conversation?” he asked, tilting his head.

It was the wrong thing to say. The look on Aizawa’s face was absolutely thunderous and Midoriya shrunk in on himself.

“Ahaha,” he forced a laugh, trying his hardest not to cry and wail at the expression on the older man’s face. “I was a fool, sorry about that, oops haha. Better go and put away the laundry, haha.”

Later, he would realize that he didn’t really do any training and would do it while he waited for the laundry to dry instead. 

When Dabi returned, it took two whole days of aimlessly wandering through the castle before they ran into each other. At the sight of him, Dabi took a step back and Midoriya frowned.

“Don’t run away!” he called out.

“I’m not running!”

He turned around to say that, and realizing that he fell for it, scowled at Midoriya’s grin.

“Good,” he said, “Because I caught you.”

Dabi stared at him, but before he said anything, dropped his gaze to the ground.

“... I wanted to say, ‘Welcome Back’, but it took me some time to find you,” Midoriya said, even though both of them knew that Dabi was actively trying to avoid him. “So welcome back, dear beloved.”

Dabi’s eyes dragged from the ground to his face and then back down.

“Whatever. Leave me alone.”

Midoriya frowned, wanting to say something else, but the older man was already walking away.

“I heard that the subjugation was a success, but more than that,” the young man called out to his backside, “I’m glad that you returned safely, my Lord.”

The first son of the Duke stopped. For a moment, Midoriya thought that the corridor would be painted that beautiful blue and he would have to deal with Aizawa’s impassive stare and Yamada’s teasing again. Instead, the man just kept walking forward.

He probably didn’t hear him, and it was clear that he didn’t want to talk.

Midoriya sighed deeply through his nose. Even though he didn’t get burned this time, it didn’t feel like a victory either. If it took a few months to achieve an almost victory, then maybe he's on his way to living past four more years.

Maybe.

Reality is a harsh thing. And for Midoriya, being at the castle was a constant reminder of his reality. With that in mind, he worked hard. He studied hard, trained hard, and never let a day without Dabi pass by. Of course, his fiancé had other plans, but Midoriya left notes for him at the end of every day if he didn’t physically see him.

But if he went on subjugation, he placed a small pile of love letters on his desk. 

He never saw the letters in the trash or ever again, so he assumed that the man burned them on contact. The thought makes him a little more giddier than he thought. The image of Dabi burning the paper because he was embarrassed was just too much, and although Midoriya knew that it would never happen, it was an entertaining prospect. As a result, he wrote even more incredibly mushy-gushy things down. 

Should anyone see it and read it, he would probably die from embarrassment, but at the time, it was just funny.

All in all, he felt better. Like he was progressing. 

It was a slow progress. But sometimes, he felt like he was really making progress.

And then, one day, he came across a corridor he had never been to before. 

Despite what other people may say, he wasn’t actually a noisy person. And he wasn’t especially unlucky either. It’s just that when he runs into misfortune, it was just that much worse than anyone else’s unlucky days and landed him in the infirmary for a couple of days. He was, before all this marry-a-noble business, was very good at keeping to himself and far away from other people. 

Still, his steps took him to a place where he's never been before. An unsettling feeling came onto him, feeling his heart dip from how it felt. Something was wrong, something was fucking wrong, and when he opened the door, found a sickly woman in a dark room.

“...Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

She laid on the bed, unmoving, staring blankly at the ceiling, and despite himself, he crept closer. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman needed help. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

One of the maids found him. Apparently, even though they used to be fine with ignoring him and his entire existence, this was more important. Two hands grabbed him by his shoulder, and with little regard for his level of comfort or former injuries, and forcefully dragged him out of the room.

“Who was that?”

“It’s none of your business! You should have known better than to come to this wing!”

“How am I supposed to know anything when no one speaks to me?!” Midoriya snapped back, because while he was glad that the maids were (sorta) talking to him, he was too frustrated and confused to deal with it. More importantly. That lady... it couldn't be...

The maid stared back at him, and she must be a kind woman, because her eyes turned pitying. She sighed back.

“That’s the Lady of the house. She has lost her mind. You will do well to leave her alone.”

And Midoriya wanted to scoff at that, of course she would lose her mind. She was stuck in a dark room and everyone that could talk to her was apparently chased away. Of course she would lose her mind-have they even seen the state of the Todoroki Dukedom?

But Midoriya was a good kid, and he didn’t want to cause any more trouble so he stayed away. Or so he wanted to. But no matter how hard he tried to make himself a better, stronger person, his thoughts trailed back to that thin woman in that dark room. 

The Lady of the house…

She’s Dabi’s mom, right? Vaguely, he could remember his mom telling him about how important it was for the daughter-in-law to get along with the son’s parents. If they didn’t move out immediately, they would have to be living with the son’s family, as was tradition. He remember her telling him that she’s certain that any girl Midoriya brings will be kind-hearted and easy to get along with, since she would be an incredible sensible person to see the gift that Midoriya was. The thought made him ache because that could be his mom.

His mom could be, just, laying in bed, sick and lonely out of her mind and Midoriya would be here and wouldn't even know so-

Midoriya made a decision.

-

He came back, bright and early after his usual training stint. He had to wait for Aizawa to let him be. And then, he rushed for the kitchen as the others were leaving to deliver food around the castle. With that, he managed to beg one of the chef’s to let him cook.

Lunch-Rush hesitated a little, but ultimately relented. What a great guy.

It wasn’t much, but he didn’t think that the thin woman could eat much. So with the knowledge of what his mom would like, he cooked something from his childhood. He was so focused on the creation that he missed the contemplative look on the chef’s face.

He filled a bowl, grabbed a spoon, and headed for the corridor. As he thought, the soup that she didn’t eat today was this cold and murky thing. He hid behind a wall, barely managing to hear some of the maids complain about how the Lady didn’t eat anything today too, and he felt a little sad.

He though about his mom. The one he left behind, and wondered if she’s doing okay. Was her food warm? Was her food fresh? With the money she got as compensation for him and his marriage, was she managing okay?

“Good morning!” he cheered brightly as he walked in, “I hope you slept well!” He placed the tray to her side as he walked around the bed to open the window. It was clear that it hadn’t been open for a long time, and he had to put in a lot more strength than he thought he would need. 

He nearly fell out of the window as a response but swung right back to his feet. He turned over, a nervous laugh on his lips, but she didn’t even look at him. Her eyes remained locked onto the soup next to her.

She must have been starving. Not for food, although she was definitely hungry, but for something else.

He just hoped that he could help with that. 

Chapter Text

Midoriya made changes. The maids in charge of that area hated him. The guards belittled him. Aizawa looked more and more increasingly frustrated with every passing day he blew by him. But at least, they will be spared even if he wasn't so he wisely kept his distance. He was secretly glad about that.

If he saw Dabi, the man didn’t want to see him. He didn’t know if this was normal, but sometimes it felt like he was always out on a subjugation of this or that sort.  

He didn’t dare slack off on his other self-given duties either. He did all of his and Dabi’s chores. He kept up with the readings at until late at night and woke up early to make sure his body was getting stronger. His wounds were healing, except the ones on his hands and arms because of how hard it had been to do all of the chores.

But, with the window open so that fresh air came in, and fresh, hot soup made by himself with the memories of a mother who always had time for her son, Midoriya made the first step in progress when the sickly woman finally looked at him and spoke.

“...Thank you.”

He looked at her, felt his eyes tear up but held it all in and grinned back instead.

“No problem!”

It was so obvious. Of course she never got better. Her food was stale and cold at best. She was in a dark room coated in a thin layer of dust, and the maids went out of their way to chase away anyone that got to close. No visitors. Cold and stale food. Dark and stuffy room. She was withering away and no one cared. Her death, painful and lonely, crept closer by the second, mocking her every moment of agony.

If he had been in her situation. Midoriya was certain that he would have already lost his mind and died. Without a doubt, he would have never been cured, from whatever it was that she had.

She’s not cured or anything. Not even close. But she finally spoke, she finally looked at him, she was finally feeding herself the warm soup that he brought her, and he thought that his efforts are bearing fruit. Todoroki Rei was much stronger than he could ever be. The strength seeped into his heart, and bloomed into courage.

“...It’s unbecoming of a Lord’s Fiancé to be doing laundry. We have maids for this.”

Midoriya felt his heart nearly stop when he heard the voice come up behind him. He wheezed, surprised and shocked all in one, but somehow managed to keep his hands moving. To think that Dabi would be the one to close the distance between the two of them. He couldn’t believe it.

And he wasn’t burned yet. They have really come a long way, huh? This was... This was progress, right? He could refer to this as progress, right?

“Ahahaha,” he laughed robotically, hoping that he didn’t sound nearly as shocked and as startled as he felt. “Beloved, isn’t it obvious that I would be the one to handle your laundry?”

Dabi frowned at that, and Midoriya continued to scrub his Lord’s clothing. This was awkward and awful beyond belief, so he must quickly say something that will make him leave. Would it have been better to just get burned and tossed into the infirmary? No, that would be awful. He had to go visit Rei after this. Hopefully, with how much better control Dabi has now than before, it will result in minimal burns.

Maybe the subjugations were really just helping him get in control of his flames. It was an interesting theory, but that would imply that Dabi is actively not trying to burn him and Midoriya didn’t know if he bought that. 

“I don’t like the idea of anyone else touching the clothes that you have worn,” he said, and not for the first time, wished that he was at least cute. 

Then, it’ll feel good, right? It’s always better when a cute girl says something like this, not someone like him. It would also result in minimal burns, but Midoriya really doesn’t think he’s in any place to complain about pain anymore.

He did spare a glance up to the Duke’s Eldest son, and gave a little smile before looking down at his work.

“I don’t look like it, but I get jealous pretty easily.”

“Even though you know that we are to be wed? In the end, isn’t that what matters?”

Midoriya gave an outright laugh at that, probably still high off the adrenaline since he was still alive, unburned, and talking to Dabi.

“What’s so funny.” It wasn’t a question. 

Okay, not really, but Midoriya couldn’t help it.

He stopped washing the clothes, hoping that he appeared a little more humble and modest instead of some crazy man cackling at his pyromaniac fiancé's laundry, and looked up to the older man. Older in body, but in Midoriya’s eyes, Dabi often looked like a child experiencing the world for the first time.

So, he apologized for lying to him in advance, in his head, and proceeded on.

“...My dear, you overestimate me. Besides, marriage is not the end,” Midoriya said, “People can still get divorced, after all.”

The older man snorted at that, “With my shitty old man? Doubtful.”

The green-haired man stared at him. And gave a little chuckle. He couldn’t help it. Dabi's True End was rated as one of the favorite ones for a reason, and that being because he was the most Dere-Dere character in all of the epilogues. None of the other routes would ever reach the teeth-rotting fluff that came from Dabi’s Ending. Midoriya would know, he played the games hundreds of times.

“...You, are you mocking me?”

The younger man shook his head, “You’ll get it one day, beloved,” he said. He returned to the laundry, something light in his chest. “One day, you’ll fall in love with someone. They’ll be the first thing you think about when you wake up, and the last thing you think about when you sleep. They’ll encroach on you, snag your heart, and the world will only be bright when you see them. You’ll see the world only in terms of them.”

“...Are you cursing me?”

“It sounds like a curse, doesn’t it?” Midoriya chuckled at the thought, a little more somber.

His eyes fell back to the shirt and he lifted it out of the water. He shook it a little, and thought to himself that although he didn’t really ship the Heroine with Dabi, he thought that it would be wonderful if the man could get a happy ending without the world being burned down or him dying. 

“But I think a life without love is much worse,” he said. “It’s far too lonely.”

“...This is pointless,” Dabi decided.

With that, the man left. Midoriya could have cried in joy.

Look at that, not a single new burn, and Dabi was the one that had initiated conversation.

He was moving up in the world. 

He must have looked crazy, if the way the maids were whispering behind his back was any indication, but he was okay with that. 

He was still alive. 

“Good morning, My Lady!” Midoriya cheered with the same amount of energy as he always did. “We got a new shipment of tomatoes last night, so I sneaked a couple today!” he said. “This morning’s soup is a little bland and the same as always, but prepare yourself to be wowed for lunch-”

He cut himself off, nearly biting his tongue in his shock, as the only daughter of Duke Todoroki looked up at him in surprise.

“...Lady Fuyumi,” he whispered, and immediately ducked his head, “G-Good morning. Please excuse me.”

“...No need for that, Izuku-kun,” Rei said, her voice warm like the morning sun, gentle like dawn's rays, “This is Fuyumi, my daughter.” She must have loved her daughter, because Rei looked like she was glowing in her joy.

“Good morning, Izuku-kun,” Fuyumi greeted gently, “I… I have heard you have been looking after my mother while I was out studying. Thank you.”

Oh fuck, Midoriya thought to himself. How had he fucking missed out that the other Todoroki Children have finally returned to the estate? They were only talking about it all fucking week, and like an idiot high off the fact that Dabi still hadn’t burned him once this week, he completely forgot about it. 

Wow, and he expected to live to 80? Ha!

“Not at all,” Midoriya replied back, keeping his head down like a good, lowly peasant, “I am humbled that you could give me such kind words.”

“None of that,” Fuyumi said, “You are going to be married into this family soon enough.”

“Oh?”

Rei spoke up, looking genuinely shocked. Fuyumi turned to her in confusion. And now that Midoriya thought about it, did he ever properly and formally introduce himself to her?

“...You’re… going to be wed into the family?” Rei asked, and there was a hint of something in her voice that made him wonder if he did something very, very bad.

“Ah,” Midoriya said, out of turn and then ducked his head again when they turned to him, “Uhm, it has come to my attention that I may have neglected to tell you about myself.”

Which was fake as fuck, because for the longest time, all he talked about was himself. He had thought that speaking in general in the same vicinity as Rei would help her get used to some human interaction, but to think he had forgotten something as vital as this. He felt his face burn with embarrassment. 

“I uhm… I am but a lowly peasant that has the highest honor of marrying your First Son,” he said. He nervously looked between the soup in his hands and her before the words caught up to his mind and he blurted out, “But this-this isn’t like, a bribe or anything to make you like me or whatever! I did really want you to like me, Izuku! And not just by extension of Lord Dabi but it would be sort of super amazing…” he stared at the cold shock on her face and finished rather lamely, “...if you could accept someone like me as your son-in-law eventually.”

Fuyumi looked hopelessly endeared, her hands coming up to cover her mouth, but Rei looked so incurably sad.

“...Touya’s…?” she asked quietly. “That... monster?”

Midoriya’s whole world slowed to a halt. Excuse me, what? His eyes widened. He placed the food down, in fear that he would drop it and he took a deep breath.

“Mom,” Fuyumi whispered back, “He goes by Dabi now.”

Midoriya took a moment to digest this. Someone had… had just referred to her own son as a fucking monster and her other kid’s only concern is that she’s using his name instead of his Battle Title. What? Where did he even begin with this? This whole family, top to bottom and inside out, was fucked. He was so glad he was never rich, because it felt like it didn't matter the time-period or the magic or whatever it was that people had. The rich and powerful were fucked.

“...I will be marrying… a young man with a fire as blue as the seas, as bright as the stars, and as hot as the desert,” he said quietly. His eyes flashed protectively and he took a step forward. “So no, not a monster. But a man who speaks honestly and has gotten far too used to being alone. His name is Touya. I will be marrying him.”

Fuyumi’s jaw dropped, and Rei’s eyes widened. Midoriya squared his shoulders and looked at her straight on.

Fuck formalities and being a good in-law.

While he wasn’t telling the whole truth, he doesn’t think that this is something that he should be letting go. Everyone, each and every single one of them, carried a scar that he couldn’t hope to fix or even attempt to help. There were scars that he couldn't see, didn't even know existed, but they were there, left open and gaping to fester. He knew that, but causing more wounds on each other because of their own pain was something that he had no intention of sitting back and letting be.

“...And I thought that I would be happy with his family, who blessed this world and myself by bringing him into the world, but it would appear that I have yet to meet them,” he concluded. He could be put to death for his words, for this upfront rude behavior, and he was fine with that. He would rather die young than die without anything to stand for. 

Fuck living to 80.

He gave a polite bow.

“Excuse me.”

-

Outside the doors, however, he ran into the third child, the second son, Natsuo. He gave a polite bow, really not in the mood to deal with anyone at the moment, when the man spoke up.

“You’re the little peasant doll that we bought for Dabi, right?” he asked.

He froze where he was, in the middle of a bow.

“Don’t try to develop a heart. You’ll just burn to a crisp. You’re not really much to look at either, so why don’t you just keep hidden in Dabi’s bed or something?”

Today, Midoriya decided, is not his day.

“...I will be happy to do so,” Midoriya said, straightening to meet Natsuo’s eyes, “since it appears that there are no one here with the heart to converse.”

“Don’t get cocky just because they let you run free for a little bit. At the end of the day, it’s not Dabi that’s going to be taking the seat of a duke. Know your place.”

“My dearest apologies for concerning you. I am so incredibly fortunate to know that someone of your level is willing to look after my insignificant self with your carefully articulated words. Truly, you are living up to your name as the “summer of the Todorokis,” Natsuo-sama. I will put forth further effort in order to be a stronger person worthy of serving under the Todoroki name.”

He gave another bow.

“Excuse me.”

Natsuo narrowed his eyes after him, but Midoriya didn’t think about it. He grumbled and muttered under his breath as he kept walking forward. How dare all these people say and do things like this? No wonder their entire family is a shitshow mess by the time the Heroine comes out. And…

And Midoriya is going to have to live with these people for the foreseeable future.

Fuck.

There he was, the number one most popular guy on any forum, Todoroki Shoto.

He was sitting against the wall, curled up in a tight ball, crying.

And it was amazing how much Midoriya related to him with just a single action.

Why was this whole family like this? Why was this his life?

"...Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The young boy jolted, and quickly rubbed at his eyes. He turned, about to hiss and Midoriya smiled back.

"If you would like, there's some cookies in the kitchen. You wanna... eat some with me?"

"...Really?"

His voice was a little higher in pitch than Midoriya remembered him being, but this was him. 

"Yeah," Midoriya nodded, "But only if you can keep a secret."

Heterochromatic eyes shined back. His eyes dropped to Midoriya, and more importantly, the bandages on him. Did he find kin? He nodded his head and slowly made his way closer. The young man smiled back.

They made their quiet trek to the kitchen. They plopped down with a batch of cookies that Midoriya had been planning on sharing with Rei. Those plans all got neatly tossed aside when he realized who came home, so he figured he'd eat them now to feel better about his lfie.

"Does it... hurt?" Shouto asked, pointing at his bandages.

"Not anymore," Midoriya said. "Cookies are good."

Shouto nodded, "They're really good."

"... It does hurt sometimes," Midoriya said, "But it's not too bad."

"...Really?"

Midoriya looked back, to the burn scar over Shouto's eye and then back forward. The rage from before came back in full force. He swallowed it down with a mouthful of sugar cookie. It was a shame they didn't have any milk. 

"...There's something that I want," the young man said, "More than anything else. When I think about it, it doesn't hurt. This doesn't hurt at all. I just..." he gritted his teeth, "If it means I can get what I want, I think I can handle anything."

"W-What... do you want?" Shouto asked.

To live to 80 Midoriya almost said. But instead, because he had a reputation and he needed to enforce it and maybe even teach Shouto from a young age that love wasn't as glamorous as people wanted it to be. If the heroine chose Shouto's route (also a great choice, fantastic BGM and beautiful CGs), that would be fine too. He would be fine. Midoriya had way too much on his damn plate to do much else.

"I don't want Dabi-sama to be alone anymore," he said. 

"...Me too," Shouto said quietly. "I don't... want my mom to be alone anymore."

Midoriya felt his heart ache.

"Yeah?"

"But I don't... I don't know what to do," he said quietly. His eyes watered, "What if... What if she sees me and," he touched his burn wound, "Doesn't see me anymore?"

And what the fuck was Midoriya supposed to say to that? If he was the heroine, he would be able to assure him that he was fine. If he was meaningful and powerful or at least successful in anything in any life, he might have some method or word of advice to give a child. But as it was, Midoriya sat there like an idiot because he didn't know what to do.

He tried to think about it. He really did. There was a period of time where his grandma looked at him and only saw the man that left his mom and spewed words at him. He didn't know what they meant and he didn't remember what she said, but it was scary and it was awful. He thought to that moment, what did his mom say, after she pulled him away?

"Then we make her see you," he said. "It will be hard. It will be difficult. But this... The longer you wait, the worse it's going to get. So I... And this might not work but you know, I think that Rei-sama is really nice." He took a deep breath and turned back to Shouto. "And I think she wants to get better as much as you want her to get better."

The look in his eyes was hopeful. If this fails, Midoriya knew that he would have to suffer a fate worse than death-if he had to watch that hope drain out of Shoto's eyes.

“This, this is easy,” Midoriya said, pointing at his arms. “Spit on it, eat well, and sleep well. It’s all gone in days.”

“No, that’s not how the human body works-”

Midoriya cut him off and forged forward.

“But injuries to the heart?” he placed his hand over his chest, as though to help make his point, “No one else can even see the damage. That’s not something you can just hope it gets better. It’s a long journey and a long, uphill battle.”

“...Then what should I do?”

“When you do something wrong, the first thing you do is apologize. And then you wait for the other person to accept it. Then you can do something about it.”

“And if she doesn’t accept it?”

Midoriya shook his head. “She will."

She did.

If Midoriya Izuku had to pinpoint a single moment where his heart started to falter, it would have been the moment he saw Dabi smile.

It was a terrifying thing. Dabi’s smile was a cruel thing that twisted his lips. It brought a light into his eyes that made him look absolutely horrifying. Truly, he was befitting of the role < Villain >.

But, when he saw the way his lips quirk up, the way his eyes met the ground, the way his shoulders slouched just a little bit, Midoriya didn’t think he would ever go back to who he was before.

No CG could ever come close to ever matching the sheer magnitude of power Dabi’s smile had over him now. And these days, Dabi smiled noticeably more, and Midoriya is just glad that he has found his smile again.  His heart ached at the sight of something so tender, and he prayed that he would be strong enough to protect it. 

He will apologize to the Heroine at a later day, but he doesn’t think it’s a bad thing that he has started to smile more, a little earlier. 

“...The First Son?” Aizawa frowned, “He only smiles when something dies.”

"Yeah," Midoriya nodded back, because he used to think that too. However, there he was, standing in the garden with his little brother and his little sister and his mother as Shouto ran to them, a flower in his hand.

The Todoroki's almost looked peaceful, like they belong in a picture frame. 

Midoriya could only imagine how awful this must have seemed. The unloved eldest, skipped for his younger brother, with a deadly quirk he couldn’t control very well, was going to be married to some commoner’s brat, quirkless and male (and stupid and worthless and...).

It was clear to anyone with eyes that it was beyond cruel. It was literally telling Dabi that he will never be loved, that his life will never bear fruit, and had no importance at all in the world. The only people who would marry him had to be bought to do so. The only person at his side would be someone that would never match his intellect and statue. 

And yet, Midoriya couldn’t help but think that this was also a kindness. For someone like Dabi, who traces the horizon with his eyes at every opportunity, he thinks that this is the closest way for Enji to give him freedom.

Of course, Midoriya is also probably the only person that thinks like that, for good reason. 

(He would never tell anyone, but he's a little sad that the one time he managed to get married in two lifetimes, it's a loveless marriage. At the very least, however, he's comfortable with the thought that they are indifferent to each other and together, then in love with a memory.)

-

But as expected of people in their title and wealth, (and adding to the list of reasons why Midoriya thought that rich and powerful people were fucked in the head), they get a shared bedroom, about a year after Midoriya's been here.

He was extremely shocked that Dabi even showed up at all, in their new, shared bedroom.

Midoriya sat down on the bed, with his legs swinging off the side. In his pajamas, a simple white-button-up and some silky pants, he wondered what would happen. If he slept tonight, would he wake up? Will Dabi be kind enough to make his death instantaneous and courteous enough to make sure the ashes don’t stray so that the maids will have an easy time cleaning the mess?

No, no, no, there’s no way.

“...You’re not going to cry?”

Midoriya blinked out of his surprise and turned to Dabi. He was still standing at the door. 

“...I’m sure that, if you beg that Man, he would make an exception. You could just return back to that shithole you crawled out of.”

“...Why… would I do that?” Midoriya probably sounded as dumb as he felt when he said that, if the look on Dabi's face was anything to go off of.

“Do you understand your position here? From now on, do you understand what will be expected of us? Even if we don’t do anything, they’ll label you a certain way,” he said, voice dark and eyes hard.

In Midoriya's honest opinion, Dabi looked like he was the one who was going to cry.

“...We are wed now,” he said slowly. “It’s okay if you don’t believe me or trust me. If you, one day, were to decide to throw me okay, that’s alright too.”

“Wh-what?”

The look of surprise on his face never failed to make him look so young.

“I am yours. Your ally, your shield, your tool, or whatever. Please use me as you see fit. From the moment I came here, there was no other place for me. This is where I belong, by your side.”

Did he sound genuine? These days, he didn't know if he was pretending anymore.

“...So, if I gave you a knife and told you to kill Shoto, would you?”

Izuku’s heart twisted painfully. He was certain it showed on his face.

“Of course not. I'm not your servant," he tried to clarify. “But if it meant your happiness and well-being, I’d..." Shouto's bright face as he took a bite into a sugar cookie crossed his mind, "...consider it."

When Dabi hesitated, Midoriya smiled back. He knew that, one day, Dabi would understand love. It would be a vicious and terrible thing that ends with him losing his mind, his life, and his heart, but until that moment, he would do his absolute best to stay by his side.

“But you know, I’m pretty weak. I'm not good in a fight and I’m not that smart. I don’t have any assets, connections, or a penny to my name. My life is meaningless, my worth doesn’t exist,” he continued, and gave a big grin to Dabi, “and I’m so carved up that no one would ever want me anymore!”

Saying it aloud like that made him really feel like shit, but this was important. He wanted them to be on the same page. He wanted someone, anyone, to say this to Dabi and mean it, so it might as well be him. He got off the bed and kneeled down in front of him, like a knight to their king, and offered everything.

“So all I have is my word. I swear to you, with all that I am, that I am yours.”

“...You’re an idiot.”

And just like that, he turned on his heel and left. 

The first night of room-sharing, Midoriya was as alone as when he first came here.

These kinds of things happened a lot more frequently than they used to. But, what has changed is probably the way other people react to it.

“Thanks again for accompanying me out to the town, my Lord,” Midoriya said, because it was required from him to. “I am truly blessed that you are taking time out of your busy schedule to spend it with me.”

Next to him, Dabi looked on impassively. His eyes slid over to the younger man and then back down to his lap. Around them, the townspeople didn't bat them an eye. A young, peasant-like boy and an older boy. Both of them were bundled up from head to toe, with the recent evidence of snow piling up to their knees as they made their way around the town.

“There’s no need to be so formal while we are out,” Dabi said. 

“...I would never dare to be so disrespectful to you in that manner,” Midoriya said, looking at his hands.

He missed the look that was shot his way. Everything was lost to Midoriya when his eyes laid on the bookstore.

-

“...Izuku,” Dabi said suddenly. Just the sound of his voice saying his name was enough to set his face on fire. He didn’t dare look at the older man, fearful that his face had already given him away.

“Yes, my Lord?” he asked, hoping that he could keep the surprise out of his voice. 

The day, their... date, if it could even be called that when they had the guards called on them twice before they decided to just call quits and head back in a carriage. A new book sat in Midoriya's lap, the only one he managed to buy in the confusion.

“...If I said I wanted to be king, what would you do?”

Midoriya's heart stopped in his chest for a moment, and his mind raced. He thought about the current state of affairs, and thought that for someone who was as respected as Dabi in the guard force, it might just be possible. It would really depend on Enji though. Even if Dabi could win in a fair fight against him, it would not be without great casualty. When he thought about the might he would need to fend off the Royal House and the entire kingdom, he thinks that guerrilla tactics would be what matters.

It was then that he realized that he was muttering his thoughts away and flushed. Had anyone heard him, he could be hung for treason for this. That would be the ultimate shame to bring upon Dabi, and he had no wish for it.

“I mean, I… If that…” Midoriya paused and took a deep breath. He needed to calm down.

Dabi waited for a coherent response.

“...I would say that we should start with the corruption among the nobles who are unsatisfied with the current reign. Then, we should move for the uncertain ones. Once we have secured the flight risks, we should come in through the north and shut down the water supplies before winter. The battle during the winter will be harsh but the most rewarding, if we would like to have a harvest that year,” he slowly. This would be the way to do it while minimizing casualties for both sides."

He knows, because there will be an outbreak of disease in the crops and famine will be rampant in the summer. There’s a hundred other ways to do this as well, and if he had a few days to think and plan, he’s certain that he can iron out better details.

"...If I did become king, I could grant you a favor," Dabi said quietly. "In that hypothetical situation, what would you wish for?"

Finding his mind calming down, he isolated all the facts and reasons away from his feelings and prioritized what he wanted to say over everything else. “And more than anything else, I wish to stay by your side,” he said. 

“...Then, why are you so loyal to me? I have done nothing to deserve it.”

“...You do not need to deserve love,” Midoriya said, frowning. “We do not choose who we fall in love with, but we do choose who we decide to give it to.”

“Still, with a choice like me… your loyalties and affection would be better used somewhere else,” Dabi said.

What was he trying so hard to prove? What was with this conversation? Midoriya couldn't figure it out.

“Perhaps,” Midoriya nodded, “but I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Dabi met his eyes at that, and his lips quirked upwards, like he didn’t know what else to do, but smile like he was going to gut someone alive. And then, after thinking about it, he stopped and frowned.

“...Isn’t that regrettable? To live only as an extension of someone else?”

“...My Lord, one day, you will fall in love, and I think you’ll understand it a little better than.”

Dabi, so shocked that his fiancé could speak of him falling in love without any form of jealousy or possessiveness, forgot his words. He didn’t question how this much-younger boy could speak with such finality and wisdom. 

By this point, Dabi had already long-forgotten how to question this man, but neither of them knew it at the time.

“...Sing me something,” Dabi said.

Midoriya blinked back and titled his head, “Pardon?”

The older man stared at him and then looked away. “...Whatever, it was a dumb request-”

“No, no,” Midoriya shook his head, “It’s not a dumb request. I was just… caught off-guard?”

“You’re asking me?”

The corner of his lips titled up and Midoriya's heart nearly leapt out of his chest in an effort to get closer. He scoffed and closed his book.

“I’m not much of a singer,” he said, and Dabi shrugged back.

He didn’t leave yet so Midoriya leaned back into his seat. He sighed and thought about all the songs he could sing and sang the one that he missed the most. 

The Hero Theme song from his favorite show as a kid.

“...What was that.”

He stopped singing, not sure when he started to dance along and strike poses, but felt all the blood rush out of his face at the look on Dabi’s face.

“...You said … a song?” he tilted his head, did he… offend him? Embarrass him? He felt embarrassed too but Dabi asked for this. 

“You can’t actually be that bad at singing,” Dabi said, squinting at him, “Forget lullabies, I will only have nightmares now.”

“H-How rude!” Midoriya gasped, his face flushing. With how much all the blood rushes to his face and out of it, it’s no wonder he’s sick so often. As it was, he tried his best not to pout and turned back to his book instead. 

And with how deliberately he was trying not to look at Dabi, missed the smile on his face.

Dabi didn't stay the night and was gone in the morning like a ghost, but when Midoriya found a book on music on his pillow the following day, spluttered. 

"I am going to the frontlines," Dabi announced right when he was about to come to bed.

Midoriya looked up from his book, from where he was already in bed. It was still a little strange to think that he was going to get married, but even stranger than that was that Dabi was here too. The man rarely actually comes to "share the bed", and most of their interactions are short or painful or both.

He hoped that today will be neither. But if he had to choose, short would be great. It was better for his anxiety levels too.

"Yes," Midoriya said, "uh… have a nice trip?"

Dabi, who had been leaning against the window frame, turned his head to stare at Midoriya in shock. His arms remained crossed over his chest but his legs were positioned as though he was ready to run at any given moment.

Midoriya didn't really get it. There was no way in hell that someone as weak and powerless as Midoriya could ever hurt Dabi. He would never want to either, the man has clearly suffered enough as it was. 

"Your husband is going to battle barbarians in the north," Dabi deadpanned, "And that's all you have to say?"

The green-haired boy frowned back,  "What did you want me to say?" 

Dabi hesitated, but before he could continue, Midoriya began to list things on his fingers.

"I mean I guess there's a lot of things I could say… I could ask for a souvenir but I think that's a little inappropriate for the occasion. I'll miss you, but to ask someone going out to protect our borders to return quickly just feels wrong. I would rather you take your time to completely and cleanly win rather than rush the process and return injured. At the same time, wishing for your safe return is just dumb, since I already know you’ll come back, safe and sound."

Dabi stared at him with enough shock that his mouth was agape, but right as Midoriya opened his book up again, found what he wanted to say.

“...How… How can you be so certain that I will return?” 

“Of course you will,” Midoriya replied back, surprised that Dabi would say that, “There’s nothing in the world right now that you can lose to. And then, because this is you we are talking about, you’ll come back to rub it in everyone’s face and let them know that you won’t lose against anything. Like come on, you? Lose? The sun would sooner rise from the west."

The way he spoke was certain, like he was explaining how the moon turned the tides. It was obvious and simple, and Dabi honestly and truly had no idea where this confidence even came from. He wanted to write it off as an ignorant child making a big claim, or that Midoriya trying hard to get into his good graces, but neither one of those made any sense. He was too… flippant about this entire situation.

Like how Midoriya had this questionable but unshakable belief that Dabi would return alive, well, and successful, Dabi had this strange amount of belief that Midoriya wouldn’t lie to him.

“...Anything? You don’t think I’d ever lose, ever?”

Midoriya paused, as though thinking really hard about it. And he tilted his head to the side. “...You’re right, I can think of only one way you would lose,” he said. 

After all, everyone knew why Dabi was so taken by the heroine. It was something that the fandom clutched and raved about. There were analysis essays and Midoriya was certain someone wrote a thesis about the and now that Midoriya had seen and been with Dabi in the day-to-day for years now, he felt like he understand it.

“The only person that you could lose to is yourself,” he said. “But I can’t imagine you losing to anyone else ever.”

Dabi was, in the game at the very least, ridiculously and almost godly powerful. In the mobile game, he ranked at the top of the tier list for a long time and had to be nerfed twice.

Right now, however, it was a little early for that. Dabi was staring at him like he had never seen Izuku before and couldn’t fathom why he was on his bed. And then, he looked away, back outside, and Midoriya took this chance to continue reading his book. 

Dabi didn’t talk to him for the rest of the time. But, when they were marching out, Midoriya swears that he saw a green handkerchief in his breast pocket instead of Dabi’s regular blue one. 

...Nah, no way. 

(Later, he would realize that he was missing a handkerchief. He wondered where he left it and hoped that no one noticed.)

Chapter Text

“...Do you want to dance?”

Izuku’s head snapped over to where Dabi had approached him from the other side. He blinked owlishly at him and crystal blue eyes stared back.

“What?”

“...Do you… want to dance?” Dabi repeated himself, slowly.

“...Uh… with you?”

“...Yes, that was the idea.”

“You… want to dance with… me?”

The man readjusted his stance, looking progressively more and more annoyed by this entire ordeal, and sighed in frustration.

“Yes. Will you, Izuku, dance with me, your fiancé who returned from the Battle in the North after eight grueling months?”

“...But why?”

Dabi arched his eyebrow back, “You always watch other people dance all the time. Did you think that I wouldn’t notice?”

Yes, Midoriya thought to himself as he stared at Dabi in shock. He knew that Dabi could be attentive, he was a popular route for a reason, but Midoriya didn’t realize that he would count as ‘someone important enough to be attentive to’. 

“...Don’t look at me like that. If you don’t want to dance, then just say no.”

He turned around, fully intent on abandoning this conversation so that he could go curl up somewhere with alcohol and pretend he didn’t try to make a massive fool out of himself.

“And if I said yes?”

Dabi stopped cold, and turned around. His eyes wandered from the ground up to Midoriya's eyes and he stepped forward.

“Then, come with me.”

-

They walked to the center of the garden, and in the brisk winter air, were alone. The fountain wasn’t even running, because of how cold it was. Midoriya absentmindedly rubbed his hands together, eyes boring into the back of Dabi’s head as they made their way to the empty garden. 

Dabi reached over, placing his hand onto the inside wall of the fountain, and released his fire.

In an instant, the blue fire flooded the fountain, illuminating them and providing a much needed warmth. The blue light licked up the sides of the fountain, and it looked as though it was mimicking the pull of ocean waves. Midoriya stared in awe as he stepped forward to the warmth, and stood close enough so that their sides were brushing against each other.

“...Most people step away from a burning fire,” Dabi said. He didn’t pull away from Midoriya though. 

“Why? It won’t hurt me,” Midoriya said, tilting his head in confusion as he looked up at Dabi. He gave a little smile as his the war general gave him a blank stare in response. He looked back towards the fire, letting it warm his face evenly. 

It was strange, to be able to see his breath even though he felt so warm, and he giggled.

“Izuku,” he heard. He turned his head where Dabi gave a polite bow with his hand extended out towards him, “...May I have this dance?” For a moment, he looked like a normal man, and nothing like the villain he was supposed to be. 

“Yes, I would enjoy that greatly,” Midoriya teased back as he took the hand. This much was okay, right? They were like almost friends, right? Comfortable and happy with each other? There was nothing wrong about Dabi having practice before he met the Heroine, right? It was okay to be happy even though this wasn’t his, right?

They stepped just a little bit further from the fountain to have the proper space to dance. 

With the crackle of fire as their only music, Dabi took him into a slow rhythm. He tapped out the rhythm against the small of Midoriya 's back, and the younger man bit his lip in a poor attempt to hide his smile. In front of him, the handsome Dabi was quietly counting out the beats underneath his breath, and it was a rather adorable sight.

One day, Dabi will be a phenomenal dancer. He would be graceful and smooth. He will be the apple of everyone’s eyes and people will line up for the opportunity to dance with someone as proficient as him. The people who can’t will stand to the side, biting their handkerchief out of pure jealousy when they are unable to dance with him.

Today, Dabi was a beginner dancer who made jerky movements and couldn’t quite keep the beat despite how hard he tried. The hand at his waist strayed often, like he didn’t know how to make a firm grasp around someone, and he occasionally made a misstep here and there so that there was too much space between them and then they awkwardly bumped into each other. His brow was creased in an unusual show of nervous concentration. No wonder Midoriya was brought here, Dabi probably hated the idea that someone could see him do something he wasn’t good at.

It made him wonder why he was here.

“What’s so funny?” the older man said suddenly.

“Ah, nothing,” Midoriya said and seeing the dark expression cross Dabi’s face, conceded defeat. “I just… thought it was a little strange that you’re not a good dancer,” he said. 

“...I’ve never done this before,” Dabi replied back after a moment, “And with my face like this, most people steer clear from me to begin with. With how long I am gone at the borders, it never felt like there was a good reason to practice either.”

Midoriya looked up at him, gazed into his face, and wondered why.

“...You know, you’re the weird one for thinking that,” the man said, and Midoriya turned pink at the thought that he was heard. The older man stopped the dance and stepped back. He gave a proper bow that Midoriya returned in the name of tradition, and the two straightened to stare at each other.

Like a phantom, he could feel the remains of Dabi’s heat through his clothes, and he wondered if Dabi would continue to leave scars on him like this. It didn’t sound too bad. After all these years, he couldn't believe he missed it.

“I… I really enjoyed the dance, My Lord,” Midoriya said. “You don’t have to be a good dancer to be a good partner, you know?”

The older man stared at him, and the blue light from the fountain danced across his features.

“...Yeah,” he said. “I wanted to be your partner. So I learned.”

“...Really?”

The older man scowled back.

“Of course,” he said. He took a step back, half turned away as though that could stop Midoriya from seeing the uncharacteristically impatient look on his face, “And I’ll get better at it too. So you don’t ever have to look like that again.”

“...Like what?” Midoriya blinked back. He thought he did a good job keeping most of his feelings off his face, but it appeared that he had a lot to work on if even Dabi noticed. If someone who didn’t care about people as much as Dabi noticed, he really messed up. 

“Like you want something you can’t have,” Dabi said, frustrated. “You don’t have to hide anything from me. If there is something you want, tell me and I will get it for you.” 

There was a short pause. The younger man felt his heart race, his eyes widening comically at the older man, who was doing everything possible not to stare at him.

“...Anything?” Midoriya asked quietly.

Dabi gave a short nod.

“Wh-whatever I want?”

He finally brought his eyes up to meet his, and shook his head, “Everything,” he corrected.

Midoriya felt the weight of tears begin to weigh in his eyes. To think that, after all this time, Dabi would be able to say something like that. He couldn’t believe it. Dabi, that Dabi that once burned buildings to the ground if anyone just looked at him funny, was offering to get him whatever it was that he wished. This Dabi had learned how to reward people, and he was going to be one of the first people to be presented with this opportunity. Even if Dabi probably recognized his loyalty like people noticed their dogs, that was fine.

Midoriya pursed his lips as his throat tightened painfully. He was so happy and so sad all at the same time. So happy that he would be the first to be given this, but so, so, so infuriatingly sad because this wasn’t his.

Why? He wondered. Why did he have to fall in love with someone who would never be happy with him? 

“...Why are you crying?” Dabi almost sounded exasperated. “It’s not that surprising that I would do this for you, is it?”

Midoriya took a deep breath, trying to calm down and instead smiled. He scrubbed his eye with his gloves to keep anything from spilling out. 

“Then, my request, My Lord … will you please hear it?”

“...I suppose I could,” Dabi replied back, entering a faux professional tone, “Speak freely.”

Under his tender gaze, Midoriya choked on his words. There was so much that he wanted, but he couldn’t get them out of his chest. He wanted Dabi to join him for dinners now, and come home for the nights. He wanted Dabi to live selfishly and far away from all of this mess, free and healthy as he chased the wind. He wanted Dabi to be happy and content for the rest of his days. He had a thousand more requests too. Instead, what came out was a request that he would have never been able to even dream of asking for.

“...Could I have another dance?”

Dabi looked a little disappointed, and Midoriya wondered what he was expecting. As it was, Dabi’s hand extended to him again and Midoriya took it.

“Of course,” he said. “As many times as you want, for as long as you want.” 

They danced together again, content to think and believe that Dabi’s words were about dancing and that Midoriya only wanted this dance. 

It wasn’t though. Of course not. But Midoriya was scared to dream and terrified to hope. And so, he will be satisfied with this and only this.

His traitorous heart prayed that this frozen night would never end. That this fire would remain his. Even if it was only this night, he wanted to pretend that this was his.

The look in Dabi’s eyes was so warm, like he was looking at something truly wonderful when in reality, all he was looking at was Izuku. 

-

“...Sorry,” Dabi said.

Midoriya , panting hard as he laid in their bed with a fever, managed to give a smile back. Spending the night outside in the blistering cold for so long without anything over his suit and tie did bad things to him. As a result, he was bedridden with a fever from hell.

“It’s okay,” he wheezed out. “This… This doesn’t even … bother me…”

How could it? This time, he wasn’t alone. 

“What did the… ahaha,” Midoriya tried to calm his laughter as he tried to get the joke out. “This is…” he heaved, “very clever!”

Dabi stared at him, very tired.

As it was, Midoriya had brought out a joke book of all things. He told him that it would be good for him to laugh more, and so, here was Midoriya , trying to read a funny joke for him. Needless to say, Midoriya was not good at reading aloud to people.

He stumbled over his words. Sometimes he missed a couple of words. On occasion, he got absorbed in the material on his own. Other times, he’s giggling too much and forgot about Dabi until the older man clears his throat and he flusters in an attempt to try and then reads the punchline before the joke…

Honestly, he doesn’t know how reading a joke book could be so much trouble. 

“I guess that one was really funny, huh?” Midoriya asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“What makes you say that?” he replied back, because honestly, Midoriya had yet to even say a full joke, so he’s really curious about what he’ll say about this.

“Because you’re finally smiling.”

Dabi stared at him. The whole world seemed to stop just for a moment and in a fit of an emotion he couldn’t name, stormed out of the room.

-

"Lord Dabi?” Midoriya tilted his head and then smiled back, “He smiles all the time.”

With the way the other Todorokis looked at him, he didn’t think they believed him. When they all shared the same expression like that, the family resemblance is staggering. 

“Truly,” Izuku nodded back, eyes shining, “In fact, he has a stack of joke books.”

“Joke books,” Shoto repeated.

“My brother?” Natsuo tried.

“Huh.” Fuyumi tilted her head.

They tried really hard to think about their blood-stained brother, someone that they only saw when he was going out to battle, and tried to add a joke-book to that scene. Needless to say, as soon as the Imaginary Dabi began to read through the book, their imagination could not keep up and mosiac’d his features out.

“I can’t imagine it,” Shoto blurted out.

-

“What are these?” Dabi asked, frowning at the stacks of books that Yamada were carrying in. “You’re kidding me, right? There’s no way that Izuku would have bought all of these from one trip.” 

Right? Midoriya wasn't the type to splurge like that, was he?

“These are gifts from your brothers and sister, My Lord,” Yamada said. “Where would you like me to put them?”

Dabi took one of the books off the stack and ignored the comment. He stared blankly at the book.

...Joke books?

He rubbed his temples. 

"Oh wow! They got you so many joke books!" 

Blue eyes fell onto the green-haired man next to him. He stared as the young man's eyes brightened as he lifted titles he hadn't even heard of before and he sighed deeply. Tipping his head back, he figured that all of his problems and confusion would all circle back to the same guy over and over again.

“And starting next year, you and Shoto both will be attending the academy,” Enji reminded them over lunch.

“...What?” Midoriya blurted out, forgetting himself. When Enji’s sharp gaze fell onto him, he flustered and drop his head, “Excuse me, that was inappropriate of me.”

“Not at all,” Enji said, and then added with some difficulty, “I was just surprised. Please, share with me your concerns and I will…” he paused, as though searching for the proper words to say, “I will try my best to alleviate it.”

Natsuo, who never got used to the sight of his father showing kindness, went slack-jawed while drinking. Needless to say, the juice poured right into his mouth and onto his lap. 

“No, no, I guess I was just surprised that I would also be in attendance,” Midoriya said as Fuyumi and one of the other maids rushed to the still frozen Natsuo’s side.

“Of course you will,” Shoto replied back, completely oblivious to what was going on with one of his brothers across the way. “It’s… like a rite of passage of some sort. While we most definitely have the proper education, we attend the school more for political reasons, like seeing the world and interacting with other people.”

Midoriya smiled back, but that wasn’t his concern at all.

“...You won’t be a stain on the family,” Dabi said suddenly from his left, “Don’t think that, just because you’re quirkless or can’t use magic, that you are inferior to anyone. You’re a Todoroki now, hold your head up high. Unlike us, you earned your place here.”

Which uhm. Ow. That was a low blow for most of the family, but they looked oddly pleased at the words. They were all kind fools, if they think that Midoriya wouldn’t drag their name through the mud.

“Thank you for your kind words,” Midoriya said, but that wasn’t even a worry and now it was. While he knew that Dabi, like everyone else in the family, was doing their absolute best to be more supportive and positive, Midoriya didn’t even consider that.

He… He would be a fucking disgrace, wouldn’t he? And to begin with, the thought that he would be alive to the start of the semester was a shock, wasn’t it? In the original game, Midoriya Izuku was just some poor sacrificial pawn that didn’t even have his own sprite. In fact, he died as a side-mention. Would it be different? Had he made a difference at all? 

Lunch passed by in a blur after that. He knew that he shouldn’t be absent-minded, but he couldn’t help it.

With the Heroine’s entrance, everything will really be put to the test. He spared a glance at Dabi over his book and then back down to the text. He wasn’t reading, but he didn’t know how to stop his heart from aching. 

Would… Would Dabi still kill him? No way, right? They were pretty good almost friends now, right? And more importantly, Shoto and Rei wouldn’t let that happen, right? At the very least, someone would try to protect him, right? Or at least help him escape? 

He thought a little harder about it and shook his head. No way. In the game, the Game-Changer is the heroine. Always has been and always will be. So short of helping the heroine stop an entire rebellion before Dabi turns him into ash, he’s going to die.

Midoriya suppressed the urge to just start crying. How had he missed this?

Fuck, had anything changed?

Yeah, the Todorokis’ eat together now and they stopped a couple of human-trafficking circles, but it wasn’t anything that he did. He made some pushes and gave them some words of encouragement, but that was something that anyone would have done. Those were all things that the Heroine would do for them anyways. It was inevitable. It would have happened anyways, it was just a little earlier because he cheated. 

He spared another look at Dabi, who flipped through his book and looked incredibly handsome doing it.

His death… it was inevitable, wasn’t it? That ridiculous handsome man was going to kill him. He didn’t do it when they were strangers, but he was going to do it now that they were married. 

His eyes watered at the thought and he sighed. To be killed by Dabi, someone who laughed at his shitty jokes and teased him about his singing prowess, that was too sad. Of course, someone as gentle and handsome as Dabi would have no problem getting another person who loves and cares for him, and if all else fails, Dabi would get together with the Heroine for the happiest possible ending…

Oh.

Midoriya felt so stupid. Just thinking about it made his heart ache in a terrible way, but there was only one answer.

If he was going to die anyways, he needed to make sure that Dabi will be well-taken care of in return. If he was going to leave Dabi, then he needed to ensure that the Heroine was on his route. 

It was selfish. He didn’t even know who the heroine was. But, he had to do it.

For Dabi, who finally smiled, who made banter with the other guards, who the maids don’t run from anymore, who had a squad of people fiercely loyal to him and him alone, Midoriya would do it.

“...What are you thinking about?”

“Huh?”

“You keep looking at me,” Dabi said, closing the book, and looking at him, “and you look like you’re going to start crying. What are you thinking about?”

Midoriya stared at him, his casual posture, and thought that Dabi was so kind, to care about the husband he’s going to kill.

“...My Lord,” he started and a million things raced through his head. It started with blurting out that he wasn’t actually <Midoriya Izuku> and it extended all the way to begging and pleading with the man to not kill him or to just kill him now and be done with it. Instead, he found the right words, “I… I think you look very handsome today.”

It held the desired effect. No matter who it was, if they were truly unloved and unwanted, a genuine comment like that had people flustering. Dabi was no exception. He dropped his eyes, a blush spreading across his face as he turned away. It was a low blow. It never failed him.

“Shut up.”

Midoriya would treasure this moment, and use it as a reminder of what he wanted to protect. He prayed that the Heroine would do the same.

“Hm…I only have two years left, huh?” Midoriya sighed, completely oblivious to how Aizawa was rounding the corner. 

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I hope I can get this done in time,” he muttered, squinting at the cloak in his lap.

It was for Dabi. This was long overdue, because this was something he should have had ready for his coronation. He missed that since he wasn’t even at the Dukedom at the time, and right when he appeared, he was too burnt to hold a needle. And when Izuku thought he could have it prepared for their wedding, he got injured. And well. 

Well, now it was different. He clearly had slacked, and wanted it to be prepared for the day he became an <adult> here, but that wasn’t possible anymore. He did want to at least do the proper duty, and embroider this cloak with Dabi’s color and the Todoroki dragon. 

When Dabi married a beautiful girl, he’s certain that this will be trashed and that wonderful girl that Dabi fell in love with will create something a thousand times more beautiful.

No matter how much that thought prickled his heart, he embroidered on.

He would really like it if he did something right for Lord Dabi, for once.

Today was an exceptionally beautiful day. 

The first flowers of spring were in full bloom, but because of the sudden drop in temperature the previous night, they had frozen just like that. It was beautiful.

Today was a rare day. Not only in its unfathomable beauty, but because the entire Todoroki Family had assembled together at the table before he had gotten there, including Dabi. And Dabi was talking about something or another, and it must have been interesting, because he was nodding along to what the others were saying and even talking back.

Rei giggled behind her hand at something he said, and even Enji looked vaguely amused at the entire conversation. Natsuo buried his head in his hands and Fuyumi gave him a pitying stare while Shoto laughed, bright and open.

It was such a beautiful sight, and Midoriya couldn’t help but think that they would be okay. No, he realized, they were already okay. They had reached something comfortable and content. He’s certain that one day, they would even love each other, like a family should. 

Standing right at the edge of the garden, he stopped behind a bush. Next to him, Aizawa noticed that he had stopped a moment too late, and had already stepped out from behind the bush and onto the main path for them to walk in. He stopped and turned to Midoriya, his eyes narrowing.

“...Are you alright, Izuku-sama?”

Midoriya nodded his head, even though his heart stuttered, and he gave a shaky smile.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly,  “Just a little light-headed.”

Aizawa frowned and he turned around to fully face him, “...If you would like, I can arrange you lunch to be inside,” he said. “Assuming you are actually feeling unwell.”

“...What makes you say that?” Midoriya asked, voice sharper than he intended.

“...I don’t know what you’re thinking right now,” Aizawa said, “But you stopped now, only when you saw them. I didn’t think that you had gotten into any trouble with anyone else, and if I let you go without due reason, the good atmosphere they share now will dissipate into nothing.”

“...What are you talking about?” Midoriya frowned back, feeling cold and exposed as the older man read right through him. “They’re plenty happy and peaceful without me. I don’t think that they would notice if I take my leave.”

“Nonsense,” the older man snapped back. His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what scheming rat put that notion into your head, but you’re not dumb enough to fall for that. You, moreso than anyone else in this kingdom, belong at that table.”

His head snapped up, and his eyes traced the way Aizawa looked at the table. 

“To think otherwise would be to deny the truth, and there’s no merit in that.”

He took another moment and turned back to the younger man.

“So? What’s your answer?”

“...I’ll eat.”

-

“What made you hesitate?”

Midoriya looked to where Dabi was staring back at him.

Again, they were just sitting around in Dabi’s office. While the older man looked through some of the reports at his desk, Midoriya was sitting at the chair with a book in his lap. 

“...Huh?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice when you were standing around the bushes?” he asked, arching one of his eyebrows at him. “It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me, but I’m going to be upset. So I ask again, what made you hesitate?”

Midoriya looked like he swallowed a toad whole. His eyes darted left to right and then they settled back into his lap. 

“I just… I thought that you-”

“Don’t deflect.”

Midoriya pouted a little.

“I…I just thought that everyone looks a little happier than they did before.”

“Yeah,” Dabi nodded, “It’s a result of your hard work. Good job. Now, why did you hesitate.”

He hesitated again, and the temperature dropped. He pursed his lips and dropped his gaze.

“Uh.”

“...Am… I unreliable?”

His head snapped back, “Of course not, sir.”

“Really, because I can’t even get my fiancé to talk to me,” he deadpanned.

And well, hearing the word <fiancé > from Dabi’s lips sort of felt like a dream come true and he could feel his heart fluttering away. He flushed at the words and the other man gave an exasperated sigh.

“We’ve been engaged for years, why are you still flustering over that?”

“I-I can’t help it!” Midoriya blurted back out. Abandoning his book in his laps as he covered his face with his hands, “It… It still makes me really, uhm… warm, sir.”

“...Then, will you tell me why you hesitated?”

“...Is it that big of a deal?”

“It must be, if you aren’t telling me.”

Dabi talked without looking at him, but his eyes weren’t moving across the paper anymore. He was just staring at them like he didn’t want to stare at Midoriya and pressure him or make him run away with a glance. 

“I…” he fell silent, as he tried to find the best way to say it, “...I just thought that you all looked peaceful and happy enough, even if I wasn’t there.” His hands held each other tightly in his lap, like a prayer. He doesn’t even know who he was praying to or what he’s praying for. 

The silence was deafening.

“I-I’ll take my leave-”

“...Izuku, come here.”

He grimaced, but deciding that running now and getting caught later would be a thousand times worse, he walked over to the man to stand in front of his desk like a chastised child. In the meantime, Dabi stood up from his seat and walked around the desk to stand in front of Midoriya. Midoriya didn’t dare lift his eyes.

“...I… I know that I was a piece of shit to you at first. And that… that’s probably the reason why your self-esteem is a fucking mess,” he said quietly. He reached out to take one of Midoriya's hands in his and lifted it so that he could hold it against his heart as he looked into Midoriya;s eyes. “...But I swear to you that I am becoming a new man. So you… So I don’t want you to think like that anymore.”

He dipped down then, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, and smiled against them when he saw the bright blush crawling up Midoriya's face.

It was okay, right? Midoriya's wondered.

It was okay if he thought that something was different, right?

Here it was. Everything that he has done so far has been for this moment. All he needed to do now was make sure that the main heroine ended up with Dabi. Somehow. Someway.

Then, the world won’t end, this kingdom won’t plunge into despair, and most importantly, someone can actually give Dabi the help, love and support he needs.

Midoriya wasn’t certain when it had happened, but at this point, all of his plans aligned with Dabi’s happy ending. He is certain that this is the way. The heroine’s love, true and pure, can heal everything and anything. And with all the support that Dabi now gets from his family and even the other castle guards, he knew that it’s just a matter of time.

So when he met the Heroine, he felt his heart hollow out. He saw her, how beautiful she looked, how radiant she was when she smiled, and felt so dam stupid.

How could he ever even dream of robbing Dabi of this?

Chapter Text

The fifth time Dabi catches Midoriya staring at him, he sighs and finally puts the report down.

“Yes, what is it?”

“What’s what?”

His eyes narrowed and he pinned Midoriya with a stare. The young man dropped his eyes, and Dabi wished they didn’t play this game. He's been like this since he had gotten back from school. 

“...Sorry, I just… I was just thinking about something.”

“Like what?” Dabi asked, and lifted the report up again.

Augh, he wished that, if Natsuo was going to go through the arduous process of writing a report, he would have the decency to write bigger if he won’t fix his chicken-scratch handwriting. The report itself was about the findings of the last subjugation, and how well the water-pump system has been treating the situation. It was a report that he had already filed and processed, but he pretends to read again anyways, and hopefully, his patience will last long enough for the young man to just spill the beans already.

Funny, just five years ago, he wouldn’t think that he or Natsuo would be hauling ass for the betterment of the dukedom.

“...I uhm…” Midoriya stammered out. His fingers take a white-knuckled grip on the tax reports in his hands, and he finally sets them down on the table, “I… I have something to tell you.”

“Go ahead,” Dabi said, all but leaping at the opportunity to hold a conversation with him.

“...You know, I’m really happy,” he said, despite his paling features as he gnawed down on his bottom lip. Dabi frowns, but thinks it’s too early to put the report down just yet. “And I think that… that everyone here has gotten much nicer and friendlier these days. It’s very… very warm.”

The older man patiently waited. It was the least he could do for the man who can thaw out his heart.

“And I would never, ever, ever do anything to disgrace you. And I often feel that it’s… you’re a little dazzling. Sometimes, when I walk around, I’m honestly shocked that I’m still here and uhm welcomed.”

Dabi, who had patiently waited for his fiancé to return from school for the breaks, had worked doubly hard these last couple of weeks so that he wouldn’t have to go subjugating during his time at home. He knows he’s not the only one. Their corruption, crime rates, and scandals were at an all time low, and there should be no problem for the coming winter.

They worked for this peace.

With that, Dabi wanted to take Midoriya for a walk through the ice gardens further north. He wanted to watch Midoriya's face when he saw the Northern Lights for the first time. He wanted to wake up next to this man, snoring and drooling onto their pillows, starting from now until they were old and wrinkly. He waited and he waited.

If at all possible, he would like to hear what his name sounds like from Midoriya's lips.

“It’s just that… should you ever uhm… fall in love with someone. It’s definitely and totally okay and I’ll get out of the way. You just… just have to let me know and I’ll get out of the way, okay? So just let me know, if you want to uh… divorce me.”

For the first time in years, Dabi lost control of his fire. 

The sudden burst of flames destroyed his desk, all the reports he had painstakingly set aside, the windows shattered open and he stood up in his absolute shock. No sound could come out of his mouth, and he didn’t understand why Midoriya looked so surprised.

He’s the one who’s surprised.

“My Lord, are you alright-”

“Wha-What the fuck have they been teaching you at that school?!” he shouted out, finally finding his voice. He felt his heart waver, cracking in all the places Midoriya had touched, and wondered if there would be anything left if this man were to leave him. “Where the hell did you even get this idea?! That’s fucking bullshit! I would never-”

“You can’t say that! Don't say that about the academy!” Midoriya snapped back, turning around, and he hated how these were the moments where Midoriya could stand up and fight back. He couldn’t do it for himself, and he couldn’t do it for little things, but he never failed to stand up for someone else. “A-And you don’t know what could happen in the future! Things can change! If you want to inherit the dukedom or if-if you get your own land, then it’s only right that you get someone who you love and can have your children!”

“I have you!” Dabi shouted back. His fire flinging out, and everything on the wall to his left was ash. Midoriya didn’t even flinch at the sight. “You- you swore to me! That you will be with me! My ally, my shield, my tool! You gave your word!”

“And I will!” Midoriya shouted back, “There is nothing more that I want than your longevity, blessed with prosperity and happiness! So I don’t want to become an obstacle! So I’m just saying, if there is someone who truly makes you happy, then please choose them!”

“Then why would you say this to me?!” the other man said. And at the peak of his emotions, swung his hand out, “If you think that this would make me happy, then get out!” 

And thus, winter break began with the door to his office quietly clicking shut behind Midoriya.

“Good morning, darling.”

Some time ago, when Dabi was still more confused than anything else, he learned something about his supposed fiancé.

Midoriya probably didn’t know it, but he cried in his sleep often.

The first time it happened, Dabi thought he was hallucinating. That bright, almost dopey-always-smiling guy? Crying? It sounded like a set up for a bad joke.

He reached over, ready to wake him up, and then stopped himself. What was he going to do? Comfort him? The thought made him sick to the bone. He wasn’t the type to do things like that, and first of all, wouldn’t waking up and seeing a face like his make things worse? Dabi's face gave the maids' here nightmares, and that was in broad daylight.

No, it was better for Dabi to lay there and listen to the kid cry. He didn’t know why he did it. But every night he couldn’t fall asleep or woke up in their middle of the night, he would hear the soft cries.

And without fail, every morning, Midoriya would be all smiles and joys again anyways. He didn't get it. He didn't really understand anything about Midoriya, but the more he learned, the less he knew. 

But tonight was a little different.

Tonight, Dabi came in late, and he didn’t know why he came in at all, but while he was distracted wondering why his feet led him here, the door clicked shut behind him. While it wasn’t loud enough to bring guards, it was loud enough for Midoriya wake up enough to sit up.

He stared for a moment, and Dabi didn’t know what kind of expression he must have shown.

However, Dabi never thought that someone could look at his face, his scarred, hideous face, and relax. His own mother shied from his face. It was such a distant idea that he never even considered the notion. The least anyone has ever felt when they saw his face was discomfort. And even then, it was just thinly veiled disgust and pity.

So obviously, he wanted to claim that Midoriya just didn’t know who he was. It was dark. It was in the middle of the night. Midoriya was clearly not in the right state of mind when he but when he leaned back to his pillow saw him. But when Midoriya laid back down, deciding that there was no threat, Dabi's name was on his lips as he wished him a good and quiet night. 

It was a sweet sound. It wormed its way into his heart. 

“Good evening, dear.”

Midoriya laughed like he was choking.

The first time he heard it, Dabi honestly thought that this was it. His flame didn't kill his fiancé because his fiancé was going to off himself on the air he breathed. He would leave and everything, from the temperature of his home to the temperament of his family, would return back to what he remembered them to be.

Instead, his eyes caught on the way the light hit Midoriya's face. He watched as Midoriya's hand came up to his mouth, eyes wide as he asked Shouto to repeat what he had just said. Dabi didn't really hear much of their conversation (he regretted it, much, much later, because he wanted to know what could bring such a light to Midoriya's eyes). He didn't understand. He didn't get it. Hearing that wheezing-sound from Midoriya, it was obvious that Midoriya wasn't the type to laugh much either.

But he could laugh. 

Dabi didn't get it. 

In a desert, having water was a gift. In an ocean, the sight of land was a blessing. Having light, even something as small as a candle, in total darkness could be phenomenal. These were all things that were scarce, and so, people latched onto them. Supply-demand and all that. The less someone had, the more valuable it was to that person (people) in general. The more that they had of it, the less it mattered. It didn't matter if it was money or food or love or resources. If they had a lot of it, the value for it degraded.

Which was why Dabi didn't understand it. Midoriya was about as special as the pebbles on the ground, but he was starting to look for him now. Midoriya was about as graceful as a drowning pig, but Dabi wanted to hear his voice. Midoriya was as strong as a baby kitten, scarred like the moon's surface, but Dabi...

His fingers reached for Midoriya.

“Have sweet dreams, sweetheart.”

Rei, his mother, was out in the garden today. He hadn't seen her in so long, that he honestly thought his mother had passed away and no one fucking told him. He thought it was something that only the family was allowed to mourn for, and since Dabi was... well, Dabi, he didn't count. It didn't count.

His steps took him to her. The person that gave him his (cursed) life. 

It wasn't a great distance. He spent a lot of time training (murder machines aren't made overnight, no matter what people said about the Todorokis). This wasn't a great distance. But his heart, even though he thought he had burned it all away into ash too, was stuck in his throat. The air stretched in this lungs, making sure that he was out-of-breath as he came to the outdoor courtyard area.

(Legend says it that Todoroki the First proposed to his wife here. The rumors of the household was that the First Todoroki had a life and love was so prosperous and amazing that it sucked out all possibilities for any Todoroki to be happy afterwards.)

"...Touya," she said quietly.

"Mom, he goes by Dabi now," Fuyumi, who flinched when she saw his scars and couldn't meet his eyes, whispered quietly to his mom.

"...No, it's Touya," Rei said. "The man that young Izuku talks so fondly of. He's my son."

Dabi's eyes, a summer blue that looked like it might spill from how much emotions he felt in that second, widened as he stared at her.

"...Mother," he tried, "I-"

"You're not going to clutch to my dress and call me 'mama' anymore?"

He flinched, the memory came so clear and crisply that he thought he was burning. He stared at her, and thinking about it, the last time that they talked was ten years ago, right? In ten years, had anything changed? Did he change? Did he grow up the way she wanted him to, back when he was in her belly and contained all the hopes for all the land? 

"...I'm not a kid anymore," Dabi said, like he was a kid. 

She laughed, a quiet sound that would make birds stop and stare because it was such a pleasant sound. Her hand came up to her mouth and she reached the other one to him.

"You're right," she said, "I've missed much. Come, join me."

And Touya did.

"welcome back, dear beloved"

"Ni-sama," Natsuo said as he walking into the room, "Are you going to go to the ball?" he asked.

Dabi made a face. It was courtesy to have a ball after battle. It was to remember the dead and celebrate the living. More importantly, it was a political event that was used to curry favor. Now that they got off the battlefield, they had to get on another one. The very thought of it, of all those people and their awful games, had his skin crawling.

And, as much as he loathed to admit it, there were some good men that fell. Men that would have been something amazing, with a life filled with roses and sunlight in front of them. But now, they were going to use them and their names as an excuse to throw a charity ball and create some more political standing. It was dirty and disgusting. It was politics.

"Since mom is coming with us, Father said that it would be good for Izuku to come too," Natsuo said. "But if you don't go, then I'll have to escort him."

No. He didn't want Midoriya going. And he definitely didn't want Natsuo to take him.

"...Fine," Dabi said, even though he knew full well that he was played. 

"Yes!" Natsuo let out a loud whoop, proving to Dabi once again that the Natsuo that once followed him through the woods was still alive and well. He shook his head, and wondered the last time they talked like this. "Alright, I'll leave the explaining to you then, bye!"

The ball was going to be annoying. Their whole family will be under the scrutiny of every pair of eyes, the topic of every whispered gossip, and normally, Dabi wouldn't care. Dabi spent his entire life not caring. It was fine, he didn't care.

But Midoriya smiled when he got burned and when people spewed curses at him-to his face. Midoriya smiled sweetly and responded politely, and then went to his bed and cried himself to sleep. Dabi knew. Of course Dabi knew.

He titled his head to the side. It didn't matter to him. It shouldn't matter to him. Nothing about this really meant anything to him. Nothing about this would be recorded in history-or even remembered once he kicked the bucket in two or twenty years (see, even that didn't matter). He didn't even know how to dance so, who cared?

-

Midoriya cared.

Of course Midoriya cared. Dabi felt stupid for ever thinking that Midoriya wouldn't care. Just because literally everyone else in his life (including himself) didn't give any shits, that didn't mean Midoriya wouldn't care. 

From the corner of his eyes, he watched Midoriya lean over the balcony ledge, eyes tracing after the way gowns flourished outwards. Midoriya stared, something a little more somber and nothing at all like the Midoriya he remembered seeing, the kid who sang off-key about saving the world from mass destruction or the kid that hummed while doing the laundry, and he took a deep breath.

"Slacking off?" he asked, coming closer.

Midoriya flinched, because everyone flinched when he came close, and then turned to stare at him.

"...My Lord," he said, the slope of his shoulders turning gentle when their eyes met. He gave a polite bow, relaxed and shy, because Midoriya was the only one that dropped his guard so much when he saw him. "Of course not. I'm just," his eyes returned to the dance floor, his smile dropped a tad, and Dabi hated it, "enjoying the view. It's good to see some peace."

"What, you don't think our life is peaceful?"

"Our life is hostile," Midoriya snarked back, the light dancing across his eyes in a way that Dabi was more familiar with. And still, his eyes dropped to the dance floor. "Shouldn't you be dancing?"

Dabi snorted back. How could he ask that? He wouldn't even dance with his mother, or Fuyumi, for that matter. The look on Midoriya's face looked to understand that, to some extent, and he shrugged back.

"Oh, so sorry," Midoriya muttered back.

There was no energy in the words.

The though persevered inside of Dabi, like some wriggling worm that he couldn't quite get a hand on. It slipped through his fingers, and he wasn't adept enough to trick it into his grip. 

"What about you?" Dabi asked, "Why aren't you there?"

Green eyes widened. They don't widen like that when he's burned. They don't widen like that when he's hurt. They don't widen like that when someone tells him that he's nothing and no one. They widen like that when Dabi asked him a question.

"Why would I be down there?" he asked, curious, "You're up here."

And shit, Dabi realized. Oh fuck, he was wrong.

He cared.

Dabi sat in his office. Head in his hands.

"Whoa, this place is a mess. What happened? Are we... being attacked?"

"No," Dabi said, the sound sounding so strangled that he couldn't believe he made it.

Natsuo waved away the guards as he cautiously took a step in.

"What... happened?" he asked, concerned and curious as all his childhood fears came roaring back.

What had happened? 

Todoroki Touya was born into a powerful family, unwanted and unneeded. Todoroki Touya became Dabi, the war-hero who delivered his victims to hell as ash. Dabi, because he was painfully human, cannot handle his own fire. Dabi met Midoriya.

And maybe that was the problem. The problem always stemmed from Midoriya. He didn't believe it, because he knew why this happened. He knew why Midoriya would come to the conclusion he did. The questions that Dabi had asked him over the years, the things that they shared between them over the years, Dabi understood, far and deep in his heart why this had happened. Asking hypothetically about taking over the kingdom or killing the current heir, of course Midoriya would think that Dabi was hellbent on revenge or whatever. 

Because, for a while, he did. He wanted the world to burn the way he did. He wanted that. He wanted to ruin the place that never wanted him. He wanted the answer to his existence to end in a blaze of fire instead of a pitying tragedy. He wanted it, once upon a time, before joke books and outdoor dancing in the blistering cold. He knew, from the moment he saw that confused expression on Midoriya's face when he told him that he would give him anything, if Midoriya just gave the word, and he didn't do anything.

Dabi stood up from his desk and came to a decision.

"...I need some time," he said, walking out. "Take care of this."

Natsuo opened his mouth, looking around the room, and by the time he looked at Dabi, the man was gone.

Because this time, he would be the one that did something. 

Chapter Text

Midoriya saw Dabi a few days later. The man had cornered him in the corridor behind the armory. It was nowhere near any place Dabi would frequent. He saw him, across the way, and the two stopped to just stare at each other.

In this same corridor, Midoriya got his second (and eighth) third-degree burn. In this same corridor, Dabi stood in front of him, slightly out of breath and eyes focused solely on him. There was no fire, but the weight of his gaze made him feel like he was burning. 

“...Izuku, did you know? I spent twenty years in near solitary confinement. Since the day my quirk manifested, I’ve done nothing but hurt and kill. I know that this is long overdue, and I know that it’s my fault for not being clear about it but I...” he said, speaking clearly and slowly. He took a deep breath, and took a step forward. “I want to spend the rest of our days together. You and me.”

“...If we… If we don’t get divorced, you will never have a happy ending,” Midoriya said, his voice breaking. He couldn’t imagine how weak he sounded, with how his shoulders shook as he imagined a future where Dabi was happily in love with someone else. “I don’t want that. I want you, of all people, to have a happy ending. And I… I can’t give that to you.”

Dabi gave this choking laugh, like he still hadn't figured out what he wanted to feel and how to express it. He took a deep breath as he shook his head.

“If I had never met you, I would have kept going on that blazing warpath. I would have kept living never knowing that... that I could be happy. That there was happiness in the world for me,” he said, “Do you understand? I don’t care about getting a happy ending, or having a fulfilling life, because I want you. I want you to be happy. That's it.”

Midoriya's bottom lip trembled, his eyes watering and Dabi reached his hand out.

“...Izuku,” he said, “I love you. Please, believe me.”

This time, when Midoriya agreed, he didn’t really say anything moreso he nodded his head as tears ran down his face. And this time, Dabi was the one to close the distance between them. He was the one who wrapped his arms around Midoriya's body, kneeling down next to him on the ground when he lost feeling in his legs. And he was the one who clutched him close to his chest like he was precious.

In these moments, when Midoriya felt himself curl in and fit into his arms, he felt like he had a home here. The tears didn't still, running down more because he was so happy. Guilty, because he robbed the world of this man because this man was his now, but happy. He was so happy he was scared of it. Under his ear, Dabi's hear thundered in his chest, and it told him more than he ever deserved. 

“Thank you,” Dabi whispered against his ear, like Midoriya was the amazing one here. “I swear I will cherish you.”

Midoriya, sobbing in his elation and in his guilt, nodded his head against Dabi’s shoulder. He was a selfish man. He didn’t want to release Dabi. He didn’t want to see this man marry someone else or watch his fire burn for another. He wanted him and he wanted all of him.

“Dabi, I will make you happy,” Midoriya's whispered against his chest, like a secret promise that he was telling his heart. “I swear that you won’t regret this. I swear that I will protect you.”

“Idiot,” Dabi whispered against his top of his head. “I should be the one saying that.”

From this moment on, Izuku took a promise to his heart. If lies could become reality, if there are truths in his lies, then he will lie and lie and lie.

And make this their reality.

“...Touya,” Dabi said quietly, later at night when it was just them again on their bed. 

His heart fluttered even more, now that Dabi was lounging on the bed and waiting for Midoriya to join him. It was different from before, and Midoriya wondered if the heat in his cheeks would ever subside.

“...Pardon?” 

Midoriya looked up from the book he was reading while his fiancé propped his head onto his fist and stare at him.

“...I want… I want to hear you call me by my name, Touya.”

Midoriya immediately blushed back harder, and his eyes dropped down to the book in his lap, “I-I could never-”

“...Alright,” Dabi said, turning over onto his side so that his back was facing Midoriya. “But one day.”

Green eyes stared at the man in surprise, it wasn’t like him to give up so easily. He wondered what kind of expression he was making as he stared at the wall. He wanted to know what he was thinking, that he would say that, but turn away so shyly. The thought made him giddy, from his toes all the way up.

“Don’t think that I’m giving up,” the older man said, like he could read him without looking at him. “But I won’t do things that you don’t like. So I’ll…" and even without looking at his face, Midoriya knew that this man was grimacing, "I’ll be patient.”

“...Oh?” he said, breathless. 

“Yeah,” Dabi said. “Don’t push it. And I expect rewards.”

Midoriya stared at him and put his book onto the nightstand to his side. He scooted onto the bed, and leaned in to give Dabi a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s not much, but I-”

He paused as Dabi’s head had slowly turned back to him. His eyes were comically wide, so that the whites of his eyes were showing all around those blue eyes, and for a moment the two just stared at each other. There was barely a few inches between them, and this close, Midoriya felt like the sun never set because that's how bright Dabi's summer blue eyes looked. 

“Fuck,” Dabi whispered, “Don’t do that. I won’t have any patience anymore.”

Midoriya blinked back, and gave a small smile.

“It’s fine,” he said, gaze exceedingly warm, “I know you said you won’t do anything that I don’t like anymore, but I don’t think there’s anything about you that I don’t like.”

With that, he laid down next to the man he loved, blissfully ignorant to the flustered mess he made out of him.

The Winter Solstice Ball.

In the game, it marked the first time the Heroine goes to a ball. It’s an incredibly important part of the game that shows her how awful the world is, riddled with corruption and rotting from the inside out, especially when she compared it to her hometown. It ends, if she was on any Todoroki-route, with Dabi's destructive entrance. If she was on Dabi's route, it would be their sweet first meeting that will turn into a bitter memory the she looked back on. In the original game, it ends in the super happy tone. In the second parter that they tossed out, it was something much more ominous, like a temporary rest before ploughing back through the battlefield.

And, if you were gunning for Dabi’s route, like Midoriya was trying to make her do sometime ago, then this is when she would meet Todoroki Touya for the first time.

However, unlike the games, Dabi was dressed sharply, a dark, midnight blue face mask for everything under his eyes, and his proper military uniform. He looks every bit prim and proper, even going as far to style his hair down and back, looking every bit his title of the Duke’s Commander, the First Son of Duke Todoroki Enji. He is on time, greeting people as they come in. He is handsome and confident, quiet and mysterious.

Looking at him, Midoriya can’t imagine anyone not falling in love. When he told this to Shouto, the man grimaced back, which was fine, because Shouto was probably a little young for this kind of thing. 

And when he sees Uraraka, she’s so beautiful that he felt the world slow down as though to treasure the time it has with her.  Every bit the beautiful heroine that could banish any evil with a pure smile, he knew that it’ll be hard for anyone to not crumple under her radiance. 

When Uraraka finally met Touya, it’s after she excitedly power-walked to Midoriya's side. It’s clear that she was uncomfortable and about to jump out of her own skin in her nervousness, and had fled to Midoriya side because he was the only person she knew here aside from Shoto, who was busy doing host-activities. Still, this was their first time meeting. Midoriya could recite back this scene because of how much he played through this part. She stared at Dabi, and despite everything, Midoriya's insides tightened uncomfortably.

After everything, it was okay, right? Even if Uraraka and Touya were to fall in love at first sight right now, it wouldn't-

“Good evening. Shoto is with Mother right now, if he’s who you are looking for,” Dabi said.

“Oh, is he? I’ll make sure to say hello and make my way over,” Uraraka said. “My name is Uraraka Ochako, nice to meet you. I am one of Izuku’s and Todo…er, Shoto’s classmate,” she gave a polite curtesy, and the only word Midoriya had to describe her was beautiful.

Midoriya couldn’t quite bring his eyes up, and his hands tightened into fists at his side. On occasion, the fact that he dared to stand in her beautiful presence and Dabi’s handsome company should be enough to warrent the death penalty. Like seriously. This was criminal.

Suddenly, an arm was draped around him, and he turned to stare in shock as Dabi pulled him right against him. The warmth almost brought tears to his eyes, and he felt the world slow down.

“I see,” he said, like this was normal, “I’m Todoroki Touya. First son of the Duke and presiding Commander,” he said, introducing himself clearly, but a lot more casually than anyone in his position probably should. But a smile began to tug onto his lips, “And Izuku’s fiancé. Thanks for taking care of him at school.”

Unlike most other nobles, Dabi did not ever touch people. During the time of the dance, he did not dance with anyone. If someone brushed into him, they would be burned or cremated within seconds. His reputation ensured that everyone gave him a five-foot berth around him. He didn't touch people. No one touched him. In the game, the Heroine was the only one that broke this rule.

But right now, with Dabi’s arm tight around his shoulders, clear in its claim, Midoriya felt himself fall in love all over again.

“Ah! You’re the Dabi-sama that Izuku talks about all the time at school!" Uraraka said, snapping her fingers.

Touya’s eyes brightened a little at that, surprised and pleased all in one, “...Does he?”

Uraraka beamed back, and Midoriya thought that she’s beautiful, but really hoped she wasn’t going to be saying something embarrassing.

“Yep! He’s always going on and on about how wonderful, cool, handsome and strong you are,” she said. She gave a big grin, “We have a saying in our friend group, ‘If Deku is smiling, he’s thinking of Dabi.'" She continued while Midoriya stared at her in mortification.  Weren't they friends? How could she do this to him? She took a moment to sober up a little and dipped her head forward again, “Please take care of him, he’s my best friend.”

Somehow, the Commander next to him relaxed a little more, “I will,” he said, expression unreadable.

Midoriya would die, chocking on his mortification. 

“Oh, I think I see Tsuyu! Let’s catch up later, okay?”

Midoriya stared as she all but floated away to her other friend, and his eyes fell back to the ground.

“Hm… wonderful, cool, handsome and strong, huh? You think of me that often?” Dabi said, and the smaller man could just hear the smile in his voice. He wanted to bury himself alive. “...I wish you wouldn’t lie to other people like that. It raises their expectati-”

Midoriya straightened suddenly, and raised his head to meet Dabi’s gaze head on. “It’s not a lie,” he said. 

“...You finally looked at me,” Dabi sighed back, moving his arms back to his side. The cold immediately settled where his heat used to be. He looked at Midoriya, a smile growing on his face. For a second, Midoriya felt suckerpunched under his tender gaze. “You look great.”

Midoriya, as though he wasn’t already embarrassed from Uraraka’s words earlier, felt it come back two fold and he dropped his eyes again. He swore that he could feel steam coming out of his ears. 

“I… I know blue isn’t my color,” he said, motioning to the tie he was wearing, “But I wanted to match you. I feel like a fool.”

A hand came out, and Midoriya stared at Dabi’s extended hand, the smile on his face, the joy in his eyes.

“You’re not a fool. You’re my husband-to-be. Come, join me in a dance or two,” he said. “I wanna show you that it’s not just our clothes that match.”

Dabi was a great dancer. They stumbled a little, Midoriya too stiff, but then Dabi laughed. It was a small sound, it reverberated inside of Midoriya. By their third dance, where they were out-of-breath from laughing too much and their feet hurt from moving in ways they weren't trained for, Dabi gave up on the formalities. Arms wrapped around Midoriya, he lifted the smaller man up, spinning him in circles like those lovesick couples everyone always frowned down at but Midoriya-

Midoriya was fine.