Chapter Text
They met almost two years ago. Both fairly new to the inside worlds of heroes and villains. The hero, Deku, was sent out to patrol an area where a new uprising villain was spotted the most. His job was to keep the people in the area safe and if he spots the villain, apprehend them, alive or dead.
Two hours had passed and he was starting to get antsy because nothing had happened yet. Nothing out of the ordinary; photographs, autographs, saving a kitten from a tree. Those were normal. No burglary or thefts or break-ins. The little voice in his head told him maybe he should be happy that no villains were out causing trouble. But the hero in him told him that no villains most likely meant something deeper was happening, someone was planning something and he had enough villain encounters in his life to get some trustworthy intuition and paranoia. He was just about to call in with an update before the flutter of something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention- he turned his head to find himself face-to-face with the person he's been sent out here for. He doesn't know what he was expecting but the smug smirk on their face certainly wasn’t supposed to affect him the way it did. Or the ruby-red eyes peeking out from behind a mask that was looking at him like some meal. Or that voice.
“Hello hero, you’re new around here, aren’t you? You here for little old’ me?”
“Yeah, Ground Zero, so are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?”
The tip of their finger was brought up to their chin. “Hm... hero, let us try the hard way.” And they were off, running back into the alleyway and up the building.
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HERO NEWS WEEKLY
DEKU AND GROUND ZERO NEW RIVALS?!
October XX, 2XXX
Two days ago hero Deku and villain Ground Zero running across rooftops with Deku chasing after Ground Zero. Insight from Deku’s agencysay, Deku was sent out into the area where Ground Zero has been spotted recently. With Deku as the next symbol of pro hero's after late All Mights retirement, and Ground Zero quickly climbing the ranks in the underworld, it’s predicted by some that these two will become rivals like All for One and All Might almost a decade ago...
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“Good afternoon Deku. How are you this fine day?” The blonde-haired villain dropped down in front of Deku. Stopping him in his trek through a dark alleyway. It brings him DeJa'Vu from when they first met. That was a couple of months ago now. They’ve created a sort of ritual at this point. Some banter. Then a chase that ended up as more of a race recently to Ground Zero’s place. Where they shed their personas and hang out as...friends you could say.
“Oh, you know, just spending my day saying the citizens. Now I’ve sent out to find and try to apprehend my new rival, have you seen him?
“The villain Ground Zero? Around here? You better get on that?”
“Yeah, I will,” Deku smirked and started his full cowling. Lighting up the alleyway in green. And the race began. They ended at the apartment with Ground Zero winning just like he always has. Entering the house in the woods where no one can spot them they took off the masks and found each other to smile at freely.
“So Katsuki they say were going to end up as rivals like All for One and All Might.”
“Those old men? Comparing us to them? They don’t see you and me at the end of the day where you end up in my bed. Wonder what they would say if they saw their golden boy cuddling up a villain.”
Izuku turned from where he was stripping out of his hero costume and threw his clothes at Katsuki, “Idiot.” The smirk he got in return did nothing to him. Nope, no butterflies or flush to his cheeks. “I’m going to go raid your closet, you making dinner?”
Katsuki walked into the kitchen as Izuku walked into his room. “Yeah Izuku, you can’t cook for shit.” The offended squeak he got in return did nothing to deter the smile on his face.
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HERO NEWS WEEKLY
AFTERMATH OF LATEST DEKU AND GROUND ZERO FIGHT
January XX, 2XXX
Early this morning Deku and Ground Zero had another encounter. This time they seemed to be fighting instead of their usual chasings. We congratulate Deku in his close win. Ground Zero was seen heavily injured after distracting Deku and blasting off to most likely deal with his injuries. Below are pictures from the fight, shown is Deku...
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Deku knew he messed up. He was pissed off by the hero commission bitching about how he hasn’t caught Ground Zero yet. He wasn’t paying attention when someone sneaked up behind him, he attacked. By then Ground Zero attacked back to keep from getting injured. It ended up in them dueling it out and destroying blocks. After he escaped the paramedics and the paparazzi, he snuck out to go apologize and explain. Entering the house he noticed the blood drips leading to the bathroom and Ground Zero’s clothes strewn about. The blood scared him. At least the amount did. He was expecting some but not a lot. He didn’t think he injured him that bad, did he?
“...Kacchan?”
“In here nerd.” The bathroom, he was right.
He walked and softly knocked and then opened the door to find Kacchan sitting on the bathtub cleaning a wound in his side. He winced. He didn’t remember doing that.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It's fine.” The gruff reply was weird.
“No Kacchan, I took out my anger on you and you got hurt." Izuku got on his knees in from of him and grabbed the rag out of his hands and began dabbing at the wound.
“Zuku...” Izuku ignored him and kept his eyes on the wound in front of him. The bleeding had stopped so he reached to the side to grab bandages. Before he could start gentle hands grabbed his face and pulled it up. His eyes met those same ruby red ones he first looked into all those months ago. “It’s fine. Really. I’ll be okay.” A thumb caressed under his eye. Caressed a scratch a piece of flyaway rubble caused in the same fight. “We’re both okay.”
A forehead dropped to rest on his. Their eyes still locked on each other. Looking at each other with softness no ‘moral rivals’ should be looking at each other with. But here they weren’t Deku and Ground Zero. They were Zuku and Kacchan. Their eyes conveyed what they wanted without looking down. Katsuki dipped down and they met in a soft kiss.
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HERO NEWS WEEKLY
WHEN IS IT GOING TO END?
August XX, 2XXX
It’s been almost two years since Deku and Ground Zero started their rivalry. People are starting to ask when these two rivals are going to have their final battle. With Ground Zero being one the most wanted villains out there today. Deku has recently reached number one in the charts. That brings us the question, when is it going to end?...
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“People are starting to ask questions Kacchan.” Izuku was laying on Katsuki’s chest. Wrapped in a blanket to protect the cold reaching their bare skin. He was tracing old scars. Watching his fingers move with the ridges. Feeling the heartbeat, that lay beneath the skin.
“Let them Zuku.” Katsuki watched this strong hero lay unguarded against him. Showing him absolute trust. His green curls are a tousled mess. But still so easy to run his hands through. Those green eyes looking at him with so much love, he knew they were, even if they currently weren’t looking at his own.
“The hero commission is getting suspicious. They’re wondering what’s taking so long. They’ll start searching for other ways for you to stop being a thorn in their side.” Izuku looked up when Katsuki huffed and stop running his hands through his hair. The hands now come to wrap around his waist.
“I’ll always be a thorn in their side. I hate them. That’s why I do what I do.”
“I know.” Izuku smiled up at him. “I’m just worried.”
Kacchan smiled down at him and kissed his nose. “You’re allowed too. Nothing's going to happen. Now let's go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow during our daily chase love.”
Right, he did have to leave early in the morning. A meeting and all that with some other heroes. But right now, he relaxed in his lovers' arms and staved off the worry to get some sleep.
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For two whole years. They bantered and slowly became some sort of friends. Then more. All against their projected morals but it happened. They shared moments no one could ever find out about while working up in their opposite ways of life. They became big. Their names became known. Their rivalry and battles were broadcasted on the news every day. They should’ve known it would have to end someday. But they ignored it, precious moments were the priority. So, the day it came to a head, just the next day after they talked about it, they had the right to be dismayed.
He wished he would’ve pushed the other to understand his worry more. He was right to be worried. The hero commission wanted it to end. So, they manipulated things around them to force the final battle. It was hard. Heroes and Villains surrounded them fighting. They had to fight each other. They couldn’t escape. Deku had to serve his people.
“Go on,” Ground Zero rasped.
Blood spilled around him and painted his lips. He stared up at those shaking hands, ones that used to hold him with such certainty, but now held the object that would finish him off, if blood loss didn’t do it first. He chuckled at the thought, causing more blood to spill past his lips. The gun he stared down was aimed at his heart. Such a shot would surely kill him at point-blank range. Deku wouldn’t kill him with his bare hands. He loved him too much to do that.
“Finish it.”
The hero’s hands wavered hearing those words. Surely this had to be a joke. The man he stood above would surely make this another part of his elaborate schemes. His head was spinning. Adrenaline coursing nauseously throughout his body. The scene reminded him of meetings before. Less blood. Fewer tears. This was all a part of the chase. Maybe, maybe it was time to put that to an end.
“Zuku,” There was no more mask to obstruct his view from those eyes he used to lose himself in, they stared up at him with love and determination. “You need to finish it.”
A choked sob, the world turned into a blur as well as the sounds, the taste, the smell, the people surrounding them.
He reached up and repositioned their hands where they were once loose, pressing the gun into his own chest. “You’ll be a hero they remember. Everyone will love you and thank you for this day. This world will be yours. You’ve grown so much since we met. You’ve fought so hard. I know you can do it. It’s alright. I trust you. I love you.”
“Do you want to die? You promised me forever, Kacchan!”
“I know what I promised. A lie for a temporary truth. Look at what it cost us.”
A gentle caress of the cheek, one last true smile before-
“It’s not bad, getting caught that is, as long as it’s you who does the job.”
-his forever pulled the trigger and forever became no more.
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HERO NEWS WEEKLY
DEKU WINS
October XX, 2XXX
It’s been two years since the rivalry started between Ground Zero and Deku. And it’s over! In a battle between multiple villains and heroes Deku and Ground Zero meet for their final battle. Deku finishes the rivalry with his win. In this interview with Duality...
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Two days later when Izuku’s out of the hospital he rushes to Katsuki’s house. He had to be there right now. He rushed in and into the bedroom finding it just like he left it that morning but with a sleeping Katsuki gone out of the bed. He collapses on the bed in tears and screams into the blankets.
“You were right Kacchan. They speak of me as the true hero that day. But right now, I would much rather be a villain if it means I get back to having forever with you.”