Archive of Our Own

Life is strange. Life is horrible. Life is beautiful. Life is complicated. Is all (y/n) can think as she lifts another set of weights and lets it clank against the metal rest with a heavy noise. Using a towel she wipes the sweat from her brow. (H/C) is drawn back into a bun to let the cool air in the room hit her neck’s nape. A loose shirt hangs from her shoulders and shorts hug her thighs as she sits up and looks around the room.

Life is strange indeed. She stands slowly and looks around at her surroundings. The small personal gym is neat and clean. Light blue walls and gray tile floors with gym mats laid around for support. With a sigh passing from her lips she pushes the bench away from the cold gray that holds the weights. Carefully she grips the edge of the bar and rests it on her shoulders. With slow movements she starts her squats as she looks at her own reflection. 

It’s not that she isn’t grateful for everything she has gained in life but rather that she feels unworthy of it. Life has always been a struggle. So this stretch of luck has been strange. It was a rush at first but now it seems hard to wrap her head around.

No one in this world is created equal. And yet, it’s not what we are born with that determines our worth. Someone who is born with everything and does nothing is less than the person born with nothing that does everything. Green light taught her that and yet...she was never at the bottom.

The reflection in the mirror stares at her with scrutinizing (E/C) eyes.

“You’re grades are so good. Do you really want to take this path?” The female teacher holds her the papers in front of her. “With your quirk you’d be better at something involving data usage. Try for finances.” She points to the paper with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t care what my quirk is. This is the path I want to follow!” You smile brightly.

The teacher sighs and reaches under her desk to retrieve a stack of papers. She hands them over to you. “You should really reconsider. Take a look at these and think this over. You should really pick a job field that fits your quirk.” She sighs. 

(E/C) eye narrow at the reflection. She did think about it and she thought this was the best way to move forward. Even if her desired job didn’t fit her quirk it resonated in her soul with a deep desire. Something she couldn’t explain but reached for non the less. But that was her down fall.

You’re mom stands before you pacing in the kitchen as your dad sits at the front of the table. “I just don’t understand this!” Your mom cries as she looks over the things you had written down for your career counselling. Apparently your teacher called them to help convenience you other wise.

Your dad grit his teeth as he looked at you. Working on keeping his voice calm. “You know this kind of work doesn’t pay well. With your grades and your quirk you could really rise up in the business world. You could be making a lot of money.” He tries to reason.

You tilt your head. “Is money really that important?” You question him.

Your mom shakes her head, “It’s just too dangerous dear. You really shouldn’t do something like this. It’s a job meant for people with strong bodies and quirks. Let the men handle this.” Her worry evident on her face.

Yet the words cause something to twist in your stomach. Do you really seem so helpless. “I want to help people.” You state sternly. “I don’t see why I need to justify this to you. It’s my future.” You try to keep calm but you really don’t understand why everyone has such a problem with it.

A chair falls to the ground with a loud clanking as your dad stands “You’ll waste all of your talent! What was the point cultivating your skills for all these years only to ruin it with a job that doesn’t need it! You’d just be holding other people back!” His eyes are hard as he points out the holes in your logic.

You argue for hours before finally relenting with a compromise. Something that fits your quirk more.

(Y/F/N)(Y/L/N) Quirk: Analysis:  the ability to quickly look at all data points and connect them. It requires a large amount of sugar to fuel the brain with the necessary energy.

Data. Numbers. Figures. People only see the surface of what your quirk can do but he saw more than that. He understood. He encouraged you. Data is more then numbers on a spread sheet. Data is people. Data is the world around us. He understood that fact.

“It’s not like I wanted to be a hero. I just wanted to be on the search and rescue teams. Disaster relief. That was my goal. To save people when the fighting is done.” You speak softly to your self as you finish your work out. A weak hand can’t save anyone after all. You need to be able to carry people to safety, not just find them.

You check the time on your phone as you down a bottle of water. The screen lights up to reveal a picture of Deku, the number 5 hero and symbol of hope.

Your field is that of research. You sit in an office and look over cases and data to help pinpoint the location of villains. Basically intelligence. You also look at maps and weather diagrams to pin point possible disaster areas and plan for evacuations. You plan.

Yet to quell your own desires you volunteer with local groups to help people. It was during this time you had first met Deku.

Buildings had fallen over and people were trapped inside the rubble. The earthquakes had been more devastating than you predicted. 

Heroes were everywhere on the scene. Red Riot was holding up rubble so that Cellophane could pull people out. Uravity was moving the rubble to clear a path for emergency vehicles and people. And green light flew by in the sky as Deku jumped around on the lookout. Carrying anyone who needed his strength. 

You speak into a walkie as you watch everyone around you. " (Y/N) here, sector two is in need of more medical personnel but the buildings have a low chance of further damage." 

The voice on the other end gives the go ahead and you get back to helping people get to the evacuation area. Your yellow vest claiming you as a volunteer. 

Once back at the open area you lay the man you were helping down on a free mat for first responders to look at. As you turn green streaks the sky as Deku lands near by carrying an injured woman. 

"He's so handsome." A woman to your left whispers to her friend.

"I wish I could be saved by him. Lucky woman." The other replies as they watch the young hero rush to an ambulance. 

'Lucky?' Is all you can think in confusion as you watch the woman in his arms barely hang on to life. Blood poured from her head and side where she was most likely crushed. 

You shake your head in disgust. You've never understood people's obsession with heroes. They're just doing their job like everyone else. 

It wasn't until close to the end of the day as the sun was setting did the world tilt for you for the first time.

As you were cleaning up you saw Deku talking with a medic before he nodded and turned away with tears sliding down his face. The woman from earlier didn't make it. Too much blood loss. 

But he saved so many others. Yet he cried for the one he couldn't reach in time. You watched silently as he hung around and talked to anyone still left. Making sure everything was okay and even helped pack up the area.

That is a true hero. Not just there in the heat of everything but also in the aftermath. You smile softly as you pick up a few boxes of blankets that need to be disinfected. You couldn't see over the top but you knew where you were going.

As you step closer to the van your foot hits a rock and rolls. You find yourself stumbling forward as you try to regain your balance. 

Suddenly a hand is on your shoulders steadying your movement. And then the boxes are no longer in your hands. 

"Thanks, I didn't realize how tired I was. Guess I overdid it. Thanks again." You mumble out in embarrassment.

When you look up all you see is smiling green eyes. "I'm happy to help!" Deku replies as he sets down the boxes for you. 

Standing there covered in dirt and sweat, with torn clothes, is Deku. A gentle smile on his lips. "Thanks for all of your help today!" He grins as his eyes light up before rushing off to help someone else.

That moment is forever engraved in your mind mostly because no one had ever thanked you before but also because he was honest and kind. 

All you saw was kind green eyes and later that night you would look more into this hero and find yourself understanding the attraction people feel for him. Lean body of all muscle, unkempt ruly hair. The right balance of capable and innocent. It made your heart throb for a moment before you shook your head and reminded yourself that you'd never speak again. At least that is what you thought. Logically, it should have been true.

You laugh to yourself in the empty room as you walk away from the gym and head upstairs for a shower. How many years ago was that now? Feels like a lifetime when it was only two. Deku the strong. Deku the kind. Deku the loving. 

Hot water runs down your body as it removes all the sweat and grime from the day. Thinking back to when everything really got started.

The sun was bright and the day warm as you walked to work. Your eyes scanned the area to keep everything in check. When tires screeched  behind you. With a quick motion you activate your quirk out of habit and look to the car and surrounding areas. With the speed and trajectory you realized it would hit a child walking down the road. Before you even know what was going on your feet carried you as fast as they could to the kid. You wouldn't have time to move out of the way but with the right angle you can avoid the impact. 

Your hands gripped the child as you move back five steps and twist your body. The wind that followed as the car crashed into the building beside you pushed all the air out of your lungs. Fear only hit you after everything was said and done. The world became numb as you hit your knees and shook. Whispering comfort to the child as people surrounded you. 

"Are you okay?" Green eyes bit through the panic and gentle hands warmed your skin. 

“I..I-I just moved.” You mumbled out as you shook your head. Hands move to take the child but your limbs feel heavy as you try to keep them safe.

Deku’s hand gently grips your arm. “It’s okay. They’re safe. You can let go now.” Your (E/C) look into his green eyes as you nod numbly and let go of the child. Once your space is empty you just look at your hands as you continue to shake.

“I just moved. I don’t know why. I don’t remember getting here.” You mumble out to yourself as you feel yourself start to hyperventilate. Looking up you see the car’s front end ruined as Red Riot pulls the man out of the car. His red eyes look at you in worry from time to time. If you’d been off even a bit in your calculations you’d be dead. The child would be dead. 

Green eyes stare into you as hands grip your shoulders. He’s kneeling. Staying at your level. Not pushing for you to move. “Look at me. Miss look at me. Breath.” You follow him as he does some deep breaths and just nod your head. 

Red appears in the corner of your eyes but you don’t turn away from Deku, from the comfort his presence brings you. He told you to look at him. The freckles on his cheeks are like stars. The vast night sky that holds hope and mystery. His eyes drift over your shoulder. “She’s going into shock now that the adrenalin has worn off.”  Mumbled words above you speak but the only clear thing in your mind is Deku. “I’ll stay here. It’s fine.” He nods before turning his eyes and his smile back to you.

Your breathing has calmed. He didn’t have to stay with you. You were taking up his time. His time is precious and equates to other lives being saved. But his hand running gently up and down your arm has you grounded and you don’t want it to leave. He nods at seeing your breathing normal. “What’s your name?” He questions you.

For a split second you wonder why this man would want to know your name. Your eyes drift to the car again but a hand gently takes your head and directs it back to green. “Don’t look at the car. Look at me. Everything is okay. Everyone is safe. You are safe.” At a nod he continues with a patient smile.  “What is your name? Is there anyone I should call for you?”

Oh. Right. He doesn’t want to know your name because of interest but because of his job. You shake your head quickly and take a deep breath. Your eyes hold more strength in them as you look back to the man before you. “I’m (Y/F/N)(Y/L/N) and I’m fine. I just need to get to work now.” With a shaky nod you stand. Deku stands with you, his hand stays on your arm, warmth radiating from the single contact. Logic can't stop the dopamine's rushing through your body.

His green eyes scan you for any injuries before he looks to the road and to the car and frowns lightly. “Your movements were very percies. How did you know to move backwards? Most people would have moved forward.” He keeps mumbling about statistics and speed for a few minutes before looking back at you with a blush on his face. “Oh I’m sorry! That’s..I-I didn’t mean any offense. I-I just wasn’t sure-”

“My quirk.” You answer simply as you reach into your pocket and pull out a license that allows you to use your quirk. It’s not the same as a hero license but it helps. You hand it to him. “My ability is called analysis. I can look at any form of data and quickly understand it. I just saw the trajectory and calculated the impact zone. The margin for error leaned more on the car moving forward so moving back had the lowest error rate.” You state simply.

“Oh wow!” His eyes light up as he thinks through all of this. “You must be a lot of help during disasters where you can calculate the risk of falling buildings, the probability of people being inside them.” He mumbled on about its use.

You find yourself laughing. “I’m sorry, it’s not you.” You tell him as you raise a hand and wipe a tear from your eye. “It’s just most people think I’m only good for spreed sheets and finances. You’re the first person who didn’t assume that. Thank you.” You bow your head to him as you smile.

Rising back up you a see his cheeks have a pink hue to them. You look at your watch and sigh. “I must be on my way or I’ll be late for work.”

“I could walk you.” The words are out of his mouth before even he seemed to realize it as he blushes even more. “I mean that your boss is less likely to be mad if I explain everything to him.” You just laugh at him again.

“Only if you have the time.” You mumble out as he grins and directs you to the police for your statement.

It took an extra thirty minutes to get to work that day. Deku grilled you on your quirk and what you do. You laughed and talked and the angry face of your boss at the door just blinked in surprise when you came walking in with The Deku. The green haired man bowed and explained everything and then he was off on his way. You refused to answer anyone’s questions as you worked for the rest of the day.

Later that night you went to the bar to relax. Everyone had been on your case today and when the story hit the news it was even worse. You just wanted to hide in the shadows. “Give me something strong.” You tell the bartender as you sit down. He nods and appears again with a shot of something. The liquid burns as it travels down your throat. You sigh as you set it on the table and tap your finger on the rim of the damp glass. The man just smiles and pours you another glass. As you down this a tap on your shoulder brings you back to the present.

“Rough day?” The man questions as he signals the bartender to bring two drinks over. A tall glass of red liquid now sits in front of you. You internally roll your eyes and suppress a scoff before turning to tell the guy off but the words get stuck in your throat as you meet green eyes. No one could forget those green eyes. “Midoriya.” He quickly sticks his hand out.

“(Y/L/N)” You take his hand but still feel surprised.

Midoryia grins as he takes a sip from his drink and his knee bumps yours just barely as he sits down. “So hard day at work?” He questions again with that easy going smile.

You just duck your head down a bit and wonder if he saw you down those two shots like someone who hadn’t had water in a week. “J-just long.” You mumble out. “I’m not normally the center of attention. I just deal with numbers so I’m forgotten easily. I’m not use to it.” She shrugs and sips her drink.

Green eyes widen in surprise. “Really?” He blinks owlishly at you and shakes his head. “You seem rather memorable to me.” A small half smirk graces his lips. Not the kind you'd normally associate with an asshole like Bakugo but cute, childish, innocent. His smirk is the kind of warmth that radiates off a child that knows they did something amazing but doesn't really want to brag about it.

“Well you saw me beside a crashed car with a kid in my arms.” You draw out sarcastically with a laugh. 

Izuku just shakes his head. “I saw you a few months back when the earthquakes hit. You were there all day helping people. Lost your footing on a rock though.” He grins, a small chuckle leaves him because he knows he is bringing up an embarrassing moment for you.

A blush overtakes your face. “You remember that?!” You cry out as you hide behind your hands. How could he even remember that. He had met hundreds of people that day and thousands after that and yet he remembers you.

A soft look takes over his face as he glances into his drink. “You looked so earnest and were trying so hard. That kind of effort isn’t something I see from people a lot. So yeah. Your effort is hard to forget.” He looks up to you with those shining gems, the constellations on his face, the forest in his hair and the sky in his scent. This man is everything good in the world rolled together and he remembered you because of your effort? Did you really even try that hard though? You yourself can’t remember. 

You blush as you take a large gulp of your drink.  You remember how last time you only talked about your quirk and now you are focused on yourself as well. Maybe you can learn more about this man. “We just keep talking about me. Sorry. So how did your day go?” You turn to face him. He has your full attention and like earlier in the day the rest of the world fades away.

Midoryia laughs. “I talk about myself with others and the media so it’s nice to talk about someone else.” He grins down at you. Suddenly you realize this man is a whole head taller than you. This whole time he has been slouching to keep you comfortable?  For a split second your eyes glow as you activate your quirk to think back on everything you’ve been shown.

Deku always stays close to the height of the people around him. Be by slouching or squatting. This man really is too considerate and caring. You smile at him. “I don’t want to know about your job. I want to know about you. I can read up on how Deku’s day went but I want to know how your day went, Midoriya.” You state simply, his name a soft and sweet taste, like cotton candy on a cool fall day. You are no fool. You’ve worked with heroes enough to know they have a hero personality they use and it helps to separate their private lives when they get home.

Midoryia blinks at you again before grinning. He goes into a speech about this new quirk he learned about and how he was looking into some research that is to help people who have hard to handle quirks.

“Plus I read online that research has found out that when we think our voice boxes move to form those words, even if just a little a bit. This could help people with sleep issues and trauma! They are hesitant though to move forward because of what the marketing groups would do if they got a hold of this technology.” He rambles on. You listen. Happy to hear his thoughts on the world.

He grins at you. “I also met this amazing woman today with a really interesting quirk. Someone who puts in all this effort but also seems a little lost. I find her to be fascinating. Her eyes hold a story I really hope to learn one day if she lets me.”

You just nod along and smile. A feeling of loss hits you, because in this small moment that you held this man to yourself, you only wished to stay with him longer. Of course he would already have a love interest in mind. You could never be the main heroine in the story. “You should ask them. Approaching someone is the hardest part.” You nod and finish your drink. He has been kind to you so some sound advice is the least you could offer in return.

He scratches the back of his head. “I thought I just did.” He smiles, his eyes averting contact to yours. A soft red hue over takes his cheeks

The world seems frozen as red creeps up your face. “W-what? M-me?” You shake your head in disbelief. Maybe the liquor has fogged your judgement.

Midoryia tilts his head slightly in a cute way. “Why are you so surprised?” His innocent face and voice doesn’t  match the mischief in his eyes.

“I just mean. You know...You’re you! And and and I’m me.” You point to him and then yourself, as if that little stunt equates to a sound sentence with logical reasoning.

Izuku just chuckles in a more husky tone, the difference makes your blood run cold for the best and worst reason. Such a cute man shouldn’t sound so seductive. “That’s exactly why I’m asking. Give me your phone.” The confidence in his voice leaves you numbly following his orders. You expected stuttering or hiestation from this man but no. Now he is all confident and slightly cocky. He slides the phone back to you and inside is now a new number. You swallow thickly. “Well it needs a picture.” You state sternly even though you think you may faint. This must be a joke. He just nods as he leans in and you raise your phone to snap a picture of you two together.

Shortly after this he gets dragged back to his table by some drunk friends. He offers for you to come with but meeting a bunch of heroes let alone the friend group of a man you just met seemed like imposing and so you declined and went home instead, holding on to the warm feeling that is swelling in your chest. 

The water turns cold and you find yourself quickly stepping out and drying off as you get changed into sleep clothes. You head down stairs and sit on the couch. After a few minutes you look to the clock and count in your head until the door opens. “(Y/N) I’m here~” A sing song voice calls out. In steps the very man you met that night. The hero you shouldn’t have known.

“Welcome back!” You smile at him as he comes to lay on the couch. Fitted jeans and green muscle shirt adorn his body as he wraps his arms around your stomach and buries his head into you. Holding tight.

“I’m so happy to see you.” He snuggles even deeper, curling into your lap. You run your fingers through his hair and marvel at how soft they feel despite the hard day of work. He groans as your fingers scratch his scalp. “You’re so amazing.” He mumbles in a half asleep voice.

“That’s you silly.” You nod. 

“Let’s watch the new documentary that came out!” He jumps up with excitement.

To which you point to the tv where it’s already pulled up and ready. He just grins and runs off around the apartment. He drops an arm full of blankets on the couch and works to place them along your body. “I know you get cold!” He grins as he squeezes in behind you and pulls you into his lap. His arms resting around your body like a protective cage. 

Your head rests on his shoulder. Such a perfect fit. His body is warm and you can tell by the way the tension leaves his shoulders that he is beyond exhausted and yet he always makes time for you. Do the things you like. Spend time with you. He nuzzles the side of your head with a happy sigh and leaves a kiss on your temple. “I’m so happy I'm getting to spend time with you like this.” and then you settled in and started the documentary on hero society and how it came to be.

It’s the little things that make you fall so in love with him. He gave supplemental commentary through out the documentary. Pausing it to explain something with quirks with excitement or to say how the quirks could be used differently if people had just thought of it longer. It was something you loved though because Izuku is far more fascinating to listen to than the bored voice on the screen.

“You should do the voice overs for these.” You state in a lull as the world slows and his heart beat starts to make your mind drift to sleep.

“Why?” He questions before blushing. “I’m sorry, am I going on too much? I don’t mean to ramble on about this stuff. If you just want to watch it then I’ll be quiet.” He assures you.

A giggle escapes your lips in a light and airy way. “No, No. I just think listening to you is far more entertaining and educational than listening to this guy.” You motion to the tv with a lazy hand as you turn on your side and snuggle into his side.

“Oh.” He mumbles and grins brightly. “Thank you. I’m happy that I can entertain you.” His fingers curl into your hair. Gently stroking through it. He mumbles on with more enthusiasm but a lower voice. You hum in content. Slowly the world falls to darkness. His voice, the vibration of his chest. The warmth of his arms around you. It’s perfect for sleep.

It’s dark outside when your eyes flutter open. Your hand moves around the empty space behind you to find your warmth is missing. As you sit up you notice the blankets are nicely tucked in around you and the pillow under your head is placed with a lot of care. Especially if doing so didn’t wake you.

Once fully up you fumble for the light. The onslaught of light makes you blink and rub your eyes, even though you were mentally prepared for the burden your optical nerves were not, peering out you see a note  by the lamp.

Dear, (Y/N)

     Sorry I had to leave. I got called in to work.

             PS.

                        You look so adorable asleep on top of me it was really hard to leave you. I hope I didn’t wake you.

 -Izuku

            PSS

                        I should have put the first PS after my name. :P Whoops.

You laugh as you read the last part. A frown a moment later hits your face. He didn’t get any sleep since he came over here straight from work. You hope he is okay. He’s capable you know and he would tell you if he needed sleep. He’s good about being upfront and honest with you. He’s one of the few people you know you can rely on and he relies on you too. You remember the first time he really asked you for help.

It’s already been a long day at work and the sun has set hours ago but you need to finish this report before you can go home. It was another thirty minutes when someone came knocking on your door. “Miss (Y/N)” they called out in a hurry. “You're needed in the briefing room.”

You open the door and nod as you walk past the young woman without a word. Your mind runs a mile a minute. The briefing room is where heroes and police go to talk out missions. There is really no need for them to call upon you and they never have before.

As you get to the door you hear arguing. “Look I’m just saying she won’t be of any help. She’s good for numbers but not much else. We should be calling a specialist and not some random stranger. This is a waste of time and we don’t have any to spare.” Ah, your boss is always such a pleasure, his voice fills your nightmares.

“The fact that we don’t have time is why I asked for her! You have to look at more than the surface and she is a necessary asset right now.” You jump in surprise at hearing Izuku’s voice, though much more stern than your use to… not that you don't like it. Your heart warms at the thought of him defending you. You’ll do whatever they need to make Izuku proud and prove your boss wrong.

Without another thought you open the door instead of knocking, acting as if you own the place and have done this a thousand times before. You know what they say, fake it till you make it. “You called for me.” You bow to the group. Not even bothering to see who is all there. For a split second you wonder what you are supposed to call Izuku since he is here on the job. You’ll stick with his hero name then.

“(Y/N)” Izuku grins at you before bowing slightly to you. “We could really use your quirk right now.” He lets you know what you have already overheard.

“Hey extra!” Bakugou stands in the corner with his arms crossed. “This is a time senstive matter so don’t fuck it up.” Ever the pleasure to see him as well. Your boss is sweating and fidgeting with his sleeve. Probably worried about losing such  high ranking clients.

You give a soft smile. “How can I help Deku, Ground Zero?” You question as you start to take in the wall to the side that is covered in maps and notes.

Deku’s face goes serious as he lays out what's going on. “We have a kidnapping. The criminals want a ransom by midnight but from what we’ve gotten so far they aren’t just going to let the kid go. We’ve been trying to pinpoint their location with the data we have but we just seem to be missing something. With your quirk we should be able to find them though.” A tall order honestly but you’ll do your best for Izuku. 

You nod in understanding before sighing. This will mean prolonged use of your quirk. The side effects can be dire which is why you don’t really talk about it with people. You’ll just silently bare the weight for now though. “Get all of the information laid out in a way that is easy and efficient to access. I’ll need something from my office if I’m going to use my quirk for an extended amount of time. Every little detail matters. It might seem small to you but make it known to me.” You turn sharply and head up to your office.

Honestly you normally need as little extra information as possible seeing how that can draw the wrong lines and waste time by following a useless connection.  The thing is though, your quirk uses a lot of water and energy, basically your metabolism becomes really high as your brain burns all of your caleriores. If you aren’t careful it’ll even take from bones and muscles. 

Once in your office you grab a bag that’s full of water and snacks high in sugar and vitamins.  You walk with heavy feet as you head back to the room. You can’t show weakness. Not now that someone is relying on you. And not just anyone, Midoryia is relying on you.

As you step through the door you see that they piled all the information in front of a chair. You take a seat silently and set your bag up beside you. You gulp down  an entire bottle of water in silence before sighing. You reach a hand out in front of you “Data Analyses:  Activate” as you open your eyes a purple light spills out. You take a sheet and place it down. It only takes a mere second for you to read and understand each paper.

The place they were kidnapped. The amount they want. What you can get with that amount. Police reports near that area. Every drop of information and anything that stood out you wrote notes on to further look into later. 

As the minutes went by you could feel your body becoming faint so as you read you reach a hand into your bag and pull out a pill bottle. With ease you open it with one hand and pop a few into your mouth. Due to not needing needless information you forget everyone is inside and ignore the green form as he reaches for the bottle and reads the label.

“These are some high dose vitamins. It would be unhealthy to take these.” Izuku mumbles as he speaks and turns the bottle over in his hand.

Your pudgy boss scoffs as he watches everything. “You asked for her quirk and you don’t even know how it works? I’m calling in my team so get started. This is a waste of time.” As he says this you put down the last paper and start to listen to the recordings, speeding up the sounds so it goes by faster. Your brain takes it all in. The sounds, tone, emotions, background. Everything that is to offer, you see. 

As the sounds play along in your brain a pounding slowly starts to take over. You can feel the room slowly getting hotter as you overuse your quirk. As the last note plays in your ear you feel a wetness drip down your nose. You quickly wipe it away as it appears. Hiding the blood that now smears your hand.  You stand suddenly, knocking over your chair and startling the people around you. You move to the map of the city on the far wall, stumbling past Ground Zero. With a red pin in your hand you look over the map and use the information you learned  to narrow down the area. In your head the map grays out where you don’t need it. You use more information to narrow it down further to a single town. With your right hand you pick up the red marker and circle this area.

“Due to the place in which they were kidnapped and the amount asked for this is the town they will be in. I figured this out by looking at the economic factor of this area and the fact that income has slowly been lowering here for the last five years.” You place a pin from your left hand into a building near the edge of the circle. “Go figure that the noise in the background of the calls matches the noise from this factory, which I toured a few years ago. They specialize in manufacturing phones but have been losing popularity in the last five years, they hit their maturity stage too fast and didn't put enough into research and development causing a rapid decline in stability . Go figure the amount they asked for is the exact amount needed to pull this company out of debt.” You turn and smile to the room. “With my analyses I’d say there is a 98% chance this is where the victim is being held and only a 1.80 % chance of error. The last .20% means that the victim is already dead.”

The heroes nod and start preparing to leave. Your boss scoffs from the side. “I thought your quirk was only good for data?” He huffs in disbelief. 

You tilt your head with a soft smile on your lips. “Everything is data.” You say simply and giggle into your hand. A few coughs come out but your laughter hides it well. As you glance down at your hand to see more blood. 

Deku jumps on the window nearby and flings it open. He gives you a worried glance as green light dances off his skin and he is gone. You stagger back to your office and fall asleep on your desk. Rest is all you need now.

Your mind is hazy as you wake up to see green eyes and then the world goes dark again to mumbled words. “(Y/N)....(y/n)...”

You sigh thinking back on that. Izuku had stayed by your side all night at the hospital. His coworker with the attitude had told you “that dumbass jumped straight out of the window as soon as we got back and didn’t even take a shower first. It was some gross shit.”  as he grumbled about the idiot crying and the snot hanging on his nose. When you got out Izuku was there, all smiles, and walked you home. He stayed with you all day and was so insistent about doing everything for you. It was sweet...at least until it was annoying. But the mission was a success and you started to get called into to help with more cases like that.

This is how you started to really be able to follow your dreams. Because some hero...because Izuku saw your quirk as more than spreadsheet data. He gave you the opening and second chance you needed to really follow down the first path you had desired. The one where you can help people in the worst of times.

With a long stretch your bones pop and you smile as you go to put on some fleeces under clothes and throw on your uniform for the day. You peer at yourself in the mirror and laugh. You look ridiculous. Your orange, baggy pants that crinkle when you walk because of the weird plastic like material it's made of. A heavy orange jacket that resembles a firefighter jacket, of which it engulfs your body, with the words Rescue Team in bright red on the back. Your large gloves that are so thick you can barely move your fingers. Your boots laced tight and high. Yeah, you look ridiculous but you’ve never been happier.

You stare into your glass with shaking hands and a slight frown. The night wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be fun. Laughter and small talk not hesitant silence and a struggle to hold back tears. Izuku had asked to hang out but the bar wasn’t a place either of you had wanted to go. After walking around an outdoor mall for a while you found a card game. Conversation . Where each person draws a card and answers the question. It’s like 20 questions but in card form and with different levels of intimacy. Izuku had said it looked interesting and so you bought it and asked if he wanted to come over and play.

His smile lit up the night to you so you rushed home a little and set up the game. Green cards were easy. Favorite colors, deserts, and basic questions. Blue was interesting with questions like a funny story from childhood, favorite memory of a parent, and questions that really show you a person's best past. But...but red...Red is the deepest intimacy level and now you feel like you’ve rushed into it. Maybe we should have stopped once we finished all of the blue cards, but now...

“I’ll start!” Izuku grins as he pulls a red card, all that’s left, and leans back into the couch opposite of you. His smile twitches into a frown. “What was the hardest lesson you learned as a child?” He read out loud.

At seeing his face twitch you tried to recover the atmosphere of before. “We can stop here.” You smile at him. “I’m sure I have some movies we’d both like.”

Izuku shakes his head, hair bouncing as he does so. “Nah, it’s fine.” He tilts his head and looks away from you. “I guess the hardest lesson I learned when  I was little would be,” He pauses as his finger lightly runs along the edge of the card. A sad smile stretches on his face. “All men are not created equal. Some of us are just born better than others.” He blinks like remembering a found memory that while sweet leaves you hollow.

You look away from him, not liking the sadness in his eyes. “Yes,” you say softly, “But,” you meet his eyes for a moment and quickly look away. “Even those who are born inferior can accomplish more with hard work. Effort means more than natural ability in the end.” You shrug slightly.

Izuku smiles at you and nods. “And a little luck.” He mumbles out.

You blink at him and blush as you cough into your hand. “My turn,” your voice comes out a little higher than you meant it too but you reach for the card anyways. As you read the card the small pieces of cardboard seems a lot heavier. You swallow thickly. “I see why these cards are red now.” You chuckle but it sounds forced even to your ears. “What is your biggest regret?” You speak clearly. You set down the card and reach for your drink, the hot tea is now lukewarm, kind of like the way you feel about yourself in this moment. You sigh as you look into it. “I guess,” it’s only fair that you answer when he did the same. “That I threw away my deepest desire all so I could please a teacher I never saw again and parents I barely speak to.”

“What’s your deepest desire?” The man’s voice is low and soft, tender like if he spoke to loud he’d lose the answer within the sound.

You laugh bitterly. “It’ll probably seem silly to you.” At his earnest look you cave and glance away from him. “I always wanted to help people. To reach out my hand and pull them up after they’ve fallen.” Your turn completely away from the man before and speak quickly. “Not like a hero or anything. I never had the desire for any type of spot light to be put on me.” You quickly look up and shake your head frantically. “I’m not saying you're a hero for the attention or anything like that, just you know...media and all that.” 

Izuku’s laughter makes you pause and clear your throat as you continue. “Well anyway, I wanted to be the person that helped but was also forgotten. My quirk….It’s actually pretty good for search and rescue missions, disaster relief, and things like that. But everyone thought I was wasting my talent...my quirk, by heading in that direction. Cause I could make so much money in the business world. Money means too much to people.” You shrug your shoulders. Looking up you smile at him. “I still get a bit of what I want by volunteering but I’d like to be more than a volunteer.”

The silence fills the room as Izuku appears to be in thought. His voice breaks the silence a few moments later. “My best friend was born with an amazing quirk. We both talked about being heroes together but...my quirk never came. Everyone told me I should quit my dream because a quirkless boy can’t do anything. That’s how I learned that we are not created equal. It wasn’t until the end of middle school that I got my quirk. Thinking back on it, while I still wanted to be a hero and talked about it, I didn’t train or anything so I basically gave up on myself until someone else pushed me to really try.” 

And so you learned of each other's fears, hopes, regrets, and things that you shouldn’t have talked about yet. You honestly feel closer now.

Two weeks later Izuku introduced you to a hero who specializes in Rescue missions. Not Hostage rescue but everyday things that go wrong. He was well known and his agency goes unnoticed most of the time but your heart raced with possibilities. You started out as part time. All of your free time was spent at this agency. But Izuku still found time to stop by with take out and hang out.

He’s always putting in this ungodly amount of effort. You think to yourself as you walk down the street to your agency. You had even brought it up to him one day, a late night for you and probably him too.

The clock strikes 23 hundred as you finish up some paperwork and planning. You may only be part time with this agency but they’ve taken a liking to your abilities. You’ve been looking over earth quake readings from the past and current tectonic movement. Weather patterns and things alike, all so you can plan for the possibility of a disaster. You mark the high risk area and where the most people will be and plan out escape routes for people.  Looking over the numbers of responders you speak out loud to yourself. “To be the most efficient everyone should split into smaller teams with each individual specializing in different areas. A well rounded team. That means some people will need to cross train. Who’s stats look the best for this?” You chew on your pen as you look over all the numbers and try to figure out who works best with who. 

A knock startles you. Your (e/c) eyes widen at seeing Izuku standing in the door with a smile. “Hard at work huh?” He grins as he raises a white bag of mexican take out. “Got time to eat?” He walks over to your desk and helps to move things out of the way. Pulling a seat from someone else's desk he sits near you. “What are you doing?” He questions as he peers at your paperwork.

“Figuring out disaster relief plans for the next five years.” You mumble as you take the white container from him. It’s filled with chicken, cheese, beans, and a lot of other high nutritional value foods. He’s too considerate sometimes.  “How was your day?” You question as you start eating.

You both talk for  a few minutes and finish your food in comfortable silence  “Izuku.” You mumble as you drain the rest of your drink.

“Hmm?” He tilts his head and looks at you with those wide and innocent eyes. You’d never guess all of the horrible things that have happened to him.

You run your finger over the rim of your empty cup and peer at him through your eyelashes. “Why are you putting in so much effort for me?” At the confusion on his face you look away “You got me this job, helping me fulfill my dream, late nights with dinner. You keep helping me...why go through all the effort?” Your voice tapers off into a whisper. Not even you heard the words...maybe you didn’t speak them.

“It’s not a lot of effort.” Your head snaps to look at him. He laughs into his hand as he smiles at you, soft and sincere.  “I knew someone who could benefit from your quirk and it lined up that you wanted to work there too. You just didn’t know each other yet.” He sets his glass down  and stares deep into your eyes. “My shifts tend to end late so I would be eating this late anyways. All I did was make a detour so I could eat with someone instead of alone.” He reaches out and takes your hand. Callused from hard work, rough, from scars. His finger rubs your hand with gentle emotions, pure just like him. 

“I’m not going out of my way or even putting in that much effort.” He speaks with confidence as he smiles. “Honestly I’m just doing what any decent person would. You shouldn’t expect anything less from anyone.” A slight shade of pink dust his cheeks as his smile turns sheepish. “But if it needs to be more then maybe it’s just because I like you.”

You quickly look away with your cheeks burning. “You jest. Thank you.” You mumble out, flustered by his declaration. 

“I’m not joking,” He squeezes your hand. “I really like you (Y/F/N). I would have thought that’d be obvious by now.” He gives a sideways smile at his joke as you look at him.

“I like you too Izuku….I just… I don’t feel worthy of that affection.” You pull your hand away from him and turn away.

He tilts his head to the side, “Worthy?” He uses his hands to force you to face him. “(Y/N), There is no worthy or not worthy when it comes to love. My heart feels at ease with you. Will you really turn me down because of a false notion of prestige? Won’t you at least try?” He questions.

“You really have a way with words Mr. Midoriya.” You chew on your lip and look at him out of the corner of your eye. This all seems like a dream but he does have a point. The reason you hesitate is because of societal placed values and Izuku has proven to be more than that. “If you truly feel that way. I’ll happily give this a try.” It almost feels anticlimactic to you and you question if there were some better words to use. 

Izuku just smiles all the same. “I’m glad.” His voice is breathy like a gentle wind in the trees. “Then...C-can I kiss you?” Again that innocent blush spreads on his cheeks but his eyes never drift away from yours. Truly the beauty of nature resides in this man. 

You simply nod with a blush and he leans over to gently run a finger along your cheek as your lips meet in a melody of spring. It’s not rushed, or heated, or forced. It’s a simple kiss that only lasts a few seconds but it's soft and full of a pure emotion. Izuku just grins with closed eyes. “I’m so happy.” He tells you with tears in the corners of his eyes. You giggle at his childish joy to a small kiss.

Walking down the street you grin as you make your way to your building. It’s a small two story building squished in between two larger ones. A small agency that is over looked by many and easily forgotten, that is until we are needed. Opening the door a small bell chimes and your heart fills with joy as you smile wide and wave to the few people inside. “Good morning!” You call as you walk past them and to your station.

“(Y/N) is in a good mood.” You hear one of your male coworkers mumble out with a grin.

“Must be the boyfriend.” A female mumbles out.

You just roll your eyes as you start reading over paperwork and files.

A red light flashes in the building. Everyone is standing as they gather their things and prepare for the day.

“A boat off the coast has started taking on water. We need everyone ready to ship out and start rescue operations.” A voice over the intercom informs.

“Hey. Hey, Hey!” A male voice yells out childishly as your coworker, Yuso, points at the ceiling. “That’s not enough information!” His short blonde hair is fluffy but he is short. 

You step beside him and nod. “Since we weren’t given the exact location it must be the coast closest to us. Just a boat and not a fishing boat so it must be one of the more tourist areas. Let’s head to that spot we found last week on the rocks. I’ll start calculating the best route to take everyone.” You smile gently at him.

Yuso crosses his arms and pouts, “Whatever.” He mumbles as he takes your hand and you close your eyes.  You feel the world tilt before it right itself again. The sound of crashing waves thrums in your ears. Now before you stands the ocean in it’s vast unknown world. The blue sparkles in the sun as your eyes start to glow and you lookout at the world of blue. Your eyes and ears focus on everything around you as you internalize all the information it has to offer. You point to the right in the distance.

“Over there should be the boat. Get Shiryoku to verify the location with his extended sight.” You inform the blonde boy next to you. In the blink of an eye he is gone and then reappears with said woman beside him. Her long blue hair covers her eyes as she sits down beside you.

“Boring.” She mumbles as her delicate hand pushes her bangs back to reveal deep blue eyes. “It’s there. About fifteen miles out.” You blink and the board woman is gone. Again you close your eyes as hand grips your wrist. Nausea and then nothing. You can see the boat now.

“Tuskuru.” You mumble out. The blonde is gone again. You sigh as you wait and analyze the area. The first few missions you did Yuso’s quirk, transport, had you in a panic and you puked all over him. He was kind enough to laugh  it off and say it was normal but you didn’t feel any better. It’s been a few months now and you definitely feel more comfortable with these….unique people. 

“Here.” A large man kneels with his fist in the ground. Tuskuru is a rugged man with dark skin. Strong and reliable. Quirk: Imagination. Anything he focuses on in his mind he can bring to reality. But it’s not permanent matter so he has to focus wholly on whatever he creates and can only maintain one thing at a time.

“We need a boat big enough for two or three of our people and two or three victims to lay down.” You state.

“On it.” He mumbles as a boat appears before you that slowly changes color. 

“Good,” you whisper quietly so not to break his concentration. The rest of your team appears shortly. You take up a place on the first ride out there to asset the situation and give guidance. With Yuso and another member who can extend their fingers like a net.  

After that the mission went smoothly. Yuso teleported people out of the water and to land, then the most injured straight to hospital. A man with a water based quirked held the ship up to stop it from sinking. Givinging more people time to get out and away from the danger zone.

You sat near the further away from the group doing first aid to those with only minor injuries and stare out at the water once again.

A water bottle enters your vision. “Hard at work?” A voice questions you.

You look up to see the forest before you. “I just overused my quirk a bit.” You state as you take the water and smile.

Deku sits down beside you. “Looks like you guys have this mostly handled.” He mumbles as he tilts his head to look at you with a grin. “Let’s go get dinner after this and celebrate a job well done!” A shiver wakes through your body as you stare into his eyes.

“It’s cold.” You state dumbly even though he didn’t ask. Winter...that’s right, christmas is right around the corner. 

Izuku laughs as he nods.  “I should get to work and let the others know your group has this handled.” He stands and waves at a man who just looks tired. His hands in his pockets. Mess brown hair and the start of a beard. He swears he just forgets to shave but you think he does it on purpose to keep the ragged look going. “Meishu!” Izuku calls out as he walks to the man you call boss.

You allow your self a moment to observe the hero walking away from you. His broad back and shoulders flex to show off muscles and strength. Years of training have given him a strong body to protect others with. Muscular thighs and calf that allow him to reach anyone that needs saving. Curly hair that’s probably all knotted right now from the wind and running around.

You sigh as you run a hand through your hair. Quickly you activate your quirk and take in the mission at hand. Maybe another hour and you’ll be done. Ambulance should be around soon and it looks like Yuso is just about out of steam. You stand and walk to him.

“Yuso!” You call out. Said man turns around and grins. “That’s enough. The rest are minor injuries and can wait on the ambulance to arrive. Take a rest.” You inform.

“Thank heavens!” He sighs and falls to the group. “I thought I was going to lose my lunch.” He mumbles out as he closes his eyes.

Again your eyes drift over the team you have here. All of you are so different and your quirks not necessarily useful but Meishu has found a place for all of you. You have been here the shortest amount of time but all of them look to you as a leader. It didn’t even take long.

Just makes since with your quirk. That’s what Tuskuru told you once. They are all so relaxed. And now you have a voice. People listen to you. A year ago you were still at your old company and being ignored. It took being here to realize how much you hated your old job. Izuku really did change your life. You  have to repay him this christmas. Find the perfect gift.

~~~

Paperwork is the worst part of this job. Honestly there is no end to it. Everything has to be filed. Statements made. You stare at the papers to make sure it all gets filed properly and has the right signatures before you turn back to your computer and look at the emails you are sending out to verify the grammar and efficiency of them. 

You sigh as you lean back in your chair and look to the ceiling, green flashes in your mind and you smile as you think about Izuku and all the things he likes. You have everything planned out now. A perfect gift for the fresh air that is your hero. And today you have to make preparations. You pulled an all nighter yesterday to finish all this paperwork so you could go to the market. You grin as you stand from your seat and stretch. “I’m heading out!” You call as you pull on your jacket and rush out the door.

“Bye, (Y/N).” You hear a chorus behind you as the door closes and you rush to the station.

Once on the train you sit down and click through your phone to check what all you’ll need for your surprise that night. You giggle to yourself as you bring your phone to your face. 

It doesn’t take long for your shopping to get done and you rush home, checking the time as you rush through what you need to get done.

It takes a few hours for you to get everything set up and you smile at your work as you sit on your sofa and lean against the arm.

You must have been exhausted because a light shaking of your shoulder causes you to stir. You look around with blurry eyes as you look up to see a sea of green meet your  (E/C) as you blink. “W-wha?” You mumble as the sent of fresh food fills the air. “The Food!!!!” You jump up and rush over to the kitchen to look at your crock pot. Opening the lid steam comes out and you sigh in relief to see it still looks good.

You turn around at the sound of laughing. There stands Izuku leaning on the divider of the kitchen and living room. His eyes shine as he grins at you. “What is all of this?” You look around to see the fresh flowers on the table and the food on the table. In the living room sits a set of All Might documentaries and the fluffiest All Might blanket you could find.

“Merry  Christmas Izuku!” You smile at him with a gentle smile as his features become soft. His eyes show a gentle kind of love.

“You know Christmas isn’t for a few days right?” He mumbles as he walks over to wrap his arms around your waist. “Thank you.” he whispers in your ear and nuzzles against you.

You blush and burry your face into his shoulder. “W-well we are both always so busy and I wanted it to be a surprise. I kept it simple and at home. I just thought it suits you better. To r-relax at home and stuff. I made Katsudon too! Your favorite though I can’t compete with your mom’s cooking.” You joke.

“I love it.” He mumbles out into your hair and kisses the top of your head.

You giggle. “You’re so green.” You laugh.

He pulls away with a look of confusion. “What?” He questions.

Again your face becomes aflame as you look away. “I just mean...colors have meaning and with love green means to be tranquil, compassion, devotions, forgiveness, and sincerity. You’re my green love.” You mumble at the end and look down, realizing how dumb you sound.

Izuku smiles and places his hands on the side of your head to pull you into a kiss. He moves his hand into your hair to further show his deep passion. “I’m happy to be your green love.” He smiles. His eyes show the deep emotions he feels and the honesty behind his words. 

Izuku really is pure and loving in the best way. Green and fresh. Like the trees that give oxygen to the world so freely so everyone can breath. Green love. You’d never give it up for anything. Your forest that helps you breath. Your Izuku.