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Toxic green eyes shone brightly in the dark alley way. The only part of them that was visible to Hypnos. He had only been assigned the Stachybotrys case for a month but he had seen Aizawa struggle with this case for the last four years. The year before Hypnos graduated with his hero license is when Stachybotrys entered the playing field. They have lived up to their name in every manner. Heroes never realize they’re there until Stachybotrys’ is leaving and villains fear a run in with the vigilante. They had earned their name and even though he should have been scared, Pro-hero Hypnos, was relaxed. Those eyes were distantly familiar to Hitoshi. If only he could remember how?
—
He had raced home after Kaachan had said those words. Those words that played on repeat over an over. How could Kaachan be so stupid? What if Izuku actually did it? He had raced home so he was already seated in front of the T.V. when the news began showing a hostage situation. A hostage situation with Kacchan as the hostage. Where none of the heroes were doing anything. Izuku was at his home, tears streaming down his face, those words on repeat in his head. He was watching as the heroes failed to save Kaachan. As Kaachan died on the news.
—
Sitting in the General Education classroom at U.A. wasn’t a dream come true. It wasn’t everything Izuku had ever wanted but it was something. After Izuku had watched as the heroes did nothing to save Kaachan Izuku decided that maybe, just maybe, being a hero wasn’t a good thing. Maybe they didn’t actually know what they were doing. His mom was really happy when Izuku pulled his hero course application. She was thrilled when he made it into the general department. She was happy he had given up. Izuku didn’t know what happy felt like.
—
One of the Hero course kids died. She died in the villian attack on the USJ. Izuku was hiding in a closet crying about her, and Kaachan and broken dreams of heroes who save the day. When the door was yanked open and a lanky, pale kid that was in Izuku’s class slipped inside Izuku immediately tensed. He hadn’t ever spoken to the kid but he was very pretty and Izuku didn’t do well around pretty people. They stared at each other for a moment before Izuku started crying again. His classmate held him through the sobs. They didn’t say a word.
—
After that first encounter Izuku met with his classmate frequently in the same closet. Right before the sports festival was the first and last time they spoke. Even with all of their…. Activities in that closet neither teen felt the need to use words. Violet eyes would meet burning green and they would fall together. Melt into each other’s embrace. Izuku had never felt better than when Shinsou was with him. He had never felt more alive than when thin, pale, artist hands were skimming his shoulders and carding through his hair. Breath’s matched and shared. They didn’t meet again after Shinsou won the sports festival. They only spoke the once and sometimes Izuku found that his soft, husky voice could drown out the last words Kacchan ever said.
—
Hitoshi trained hard. Day and night. He never gave up even when others in his class did. When villains kept attacking and parents pulled students. When graduation came and only five students remained in class A. Hitoshi didn’t leave because this was his dream. He would be a hero, he would save people. Denki, Ojirou, Shouji and Tokoyami were the only ones to graduate with him. They thought Todoroki was going to make it until his fathers pressure became too much. A general education student had found him. After Ayoyama’s betrayal and subsequent death many students dropped out of the hero course. Their faith shattered and broken. Hitoshi never wavered though because he already knew the dark parts. He grew up in the rough and dirty. Sometimes though he would see green and remember closets and warmth and feeling like home.
—
Hitoshi had moved in with Aizawa and Yamada during his last year of highschool. After his parents had kicked him out because he refused to leave the hero course they took him in with open arms. Hitoshi watched as Aizawa got more and more upset with himself. He watched as Yamada comforted his husband when everyone began leaving his class. Hitoshi watched as a new vigilante took to the streets and seemed to be doing better than most of the newest heroes. He watched as Aizawa learned more and more about Stachybotrys. He also watched as Aizawa gave up on saving the vigilante.
—
During Hitoshi’s first year as a Pro-hero he met an actual analyst for the first time. Something about him seemed familiar but Hitoshi didn’t really have the time or energy to figure out why. What he did know was that everyone wanted this analyst on their side. People were vying for his attention like hounds on a bone. The air was practically drenched in lusting want every time he entered a building. No one knew his name, well, his real name. No one knew his quirk, there were even a few bets. All they knew was that if he was on the assignment then the heroes were going to win. They also knew that underground heroes had a much higher chance of getting his help than spotlight did.
—
When Aizawa finally handed over the Stachybotrys vigilante case Hitoshi immediately put in a request for Paradigm’s help. This wouldn’t be the first time they worked together but it would be the first time that Hypnos was point on an investigation with Paradigm. That changed a few things, namely that Hitoshi and Paradigm would have to actually speak. For the first time in a long time Hitoshi was nervous about a case. He was used to jitters, fear and confusion on cases but he wasn’t usually nervous. Maybe it was because Stachybotrys had been evading and saving heroes for years. Maybe it was because Paradigm was involved. Maybe it was because this was Aizawa’s personal case. Whatever the reason Hitoshi was prepared to give this case his all.
—
The first meeting with Paradigm was odd. He wouldn’t meet Hitoshi’s eyes and seemed incredibly tense the entire time. Just before they left the office though Hitoshi met jaded green eyes straight on. For the rest of the week he was reminded of closets and warmth and what it felt like to be a home. Shaking away the thoughts again Hitoshi poured another cup of coffee. He was just tired and lonely. He never even exchanged names with the boy in the closet. Hitoshi had only ever said four words to him.
—
It took months for Hitoshi and Paradigm to make a break in the vigilante case. Months of meet ups and coffee and remembering a boy with soft lips and sad eyes from so long ago. Hitoshi was too scared to ask though. It probably wasn’t the same person and then if Hitoshi said anything he’d look crazy. Now, though, now they made a break and Hitoshi was going out tonight with the hopes of finally meeting the vigilante. He wouldn’t arrest him, Hitoshi wanted to help him. Stachybotrys had saved so many people and even the ones he wasn’t able to save he still helped. All of Hitoshi’s old classmates had come across the vigilante at one point or another and said only good things. Well, all of them bar Denki who was still missing after a mission gone wrong three months ago.
—
Toxic green met burning violet. Stachybotrys was face to face with Hypnos and neither of them moved. This was the first time Hitoshi could see all of the vigilante and not just his eyes. A split second hesitation and Stachybotrys was cupping Hypnos’ face in his hands tenderly. Calluses and scars marred what was once smooth flesh. Leaning forward Stachybotrys brought his lips gently, oh so gently, onto Hypnos’. Frozen in place Hypnos savoured the contact. He hadn’t felt something so tender since the boy in the closet. Pulling back Stachybotrys was across the roof in a matter of moments. Turning around before leaping away and the toxic green of his eyes radiated a deep, soul scarring sadness. Four words were uttered and Hitoshi knew he would have to find Stachybotrys again. Thank you, my flower. The same words he said to the boy in the closet.