Chapter Text
It was a rainy evening. The empty streets were covered in a hazy fog, and the old street lamps flickered slightly every second. The only sounds came from the speeding cars and taxis, crashing into puddles as they went to their next destination.
It was this quiet night that Toshinori Yagi decided was the perfect time to walk back to his flat.
His work day at Might Tower had been completely uneventful for once. No bad guys needed to be stopped. No schools needed to be visited. Just a slow, average work day. He couldn't even think of the last time he went a full day without suiting up once. Ever since he became All Might, it seemed like there was always something to do. Even if there were no villains robbing banks, there were always cats stuck in trees or old ladies needing to cross the street. But even today, there didn't seem to be any in his neighborhood. And when he thought to look elsewhere, Sir Nighteye put his foot down and forced him to take it easy for the day. In his all-seeing eye, nothing was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.
Therefore, he spent the entire day not as the Symbol of Peace, but as his mild-mannered agent. One of the many anonymous secretaries that worked under him. As much as he felt like he needed to be out doing something, the easy-going day was a nice change of pace. So much so that he accidentally stayed past his work hours and missed the last bus back to his apartment. Luckily, it was only a half-hour walk, so he skipped hailing a cab and walked the rest of the way, breathing in the crisp night air.
Quickly, he dug his phone out of his pocket - Nighteye made him keep it off for the day and he'd forgotten to check it when he left the office. He flipped it open and scrolled through some of the missed calls and messages.
One was from a clothing brand that reached out to collab.
Another came from a school who wanted to bring him in for an assembly.
Far too many came from telemarketers he swore he blocked.
And one from Enji Todoroki.
Toshinori smiled, his heart feeling lighter as he read his name. The two of them had been dating since the new year started, and he never felt happier. Sure, it was hard making connections with the #2 hero, even without taking his duties as All Might into account. But they still did their best to make time with each other. Even if it didn't amount to more than one of them sneaking off to meet the other on their lunch break.
No one else knew about their relationship. At least not yet. With how gossip-hungry the press got, they'd jump on a story about the Flame Hero dating one of the Symbol of Peace's underlings. Plus, that attention brought nothing but trouble. Therefore, they both agreed to keep their relationship private. When they managed to go on dates, they picked quiet, secluded places. Like little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that weren't on any maps. Or old parks on evenings where no one visited them. Truthfully, Toshinori preferred these over any extravagant date. Being with Enji made him happy without all of that.
As he thought more, his smile faded. He still had no idea how to address the elephant in the room - his secret identity. Eventually, he would have to tell Enji the truth. He just didn't know how. It took years for him to work up the nerve to tell Nighteye, and he didn't even get to tell him before he revealed he already knew. What would Enji say when he found out? Would he be mad at him for keeping it from him? Disappointed that he and All Might were the same person? Would he even believe him in the first place? Toshinori had no idea.
Toshinori wiped the raindrops off the screen, closed the phone, and slipped it back into his pocket. Until he figured out how to broach the subject, there was no point in worrying. For now, he'd just focus on their relationship and being the best man he could be for Enji. As far as he was concerned, that was most important.
A car horn brought him back to reality. He quickly stumbled back onto the sidewalk as a car sped through the street. He shook his head. His mind was getting away from him - he needed to get back home for the night. He hadn't even noticed how late it was getting.
As he walked through the rainy streets, a funny feeling formed in his gut. A sense of unease began to overtake him, like he was being watched. Yet when he glanced behind him, he was all alone. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. Once he got back to his flat, everything would be okay. He kept walking, trying to ignore his building anxiety.
His walking gradually grew faster until it turned into a jog. His jogging turned into a run. His run turned into a sprint. As the uneasy feeling refused to subside, he was close to hiding behind an alley and turning into All Might for the rest of the way home.
Wham!
His forward motion was suddenly stopped when he was suddenly hit in the gut. His breath was suddenly knocked out of him, and he clutched his stomach as he stumbled backwards. But before he could regain his footing, his back was suddenly slammed up against a brick wall.
He winced in pain. Even in his relaxed form, that rarely happened. As he tried to move, he felt like his legs and arms were restrained. When he looked down, there where dark red ropes holding him against the wall.
Then, someone laughed. "Well, well, well," said a high-pitched, nasally voice. "What's a nice boy like you doing out at this time of night? Don't you know how dangerous that is? You could run into all kinds of freaks!"
Toshinori looked around, trying to find where that voice was coming from. Soon, his eyes became fixed on a shadowy figure perched on top of a street lamp. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated him for a split second, but it was too fast for him to make out any features.
His eyes narrowed as a roll of thunder crashed in the air. His mind raced, trying to recall the rules and advice he always gave in his 'what to do if you get confronted by a villain' classes.
"#1 - if they want your money or your valuables, give it to them. Nothing you have is worth more than your life. Then, report whatever was stolen from you to your local hero agency, the police, and your insurance company!"
"What do you want," he shouted at the shadowy figure. "If you want money, I only have a couple hundred yen on me. But if you let me go, it's yours."
The villain laughed, again. "You think I care about your money?! Hardly!"
He jumped down from the light pole, crouching like a cat. He slowly sauntered into the light. And to Toshinori's surprise, he looked completely ordinary. He was only a few centimeters shorter than him, dressed in all black with a black surgical mask over his mouth. He had long burgundy hair that flowed freely behind his head, moving as if it had a mind of its own. It was almost the same color as the ropes around him.
It didn't take long for Toshinori to put two and two together. "A hair quirk, huh? Pretty clever."
He put his hand on his chest. "Thank you, but flattery won't get you anywhere."
There went rule #2 - some villains just want attention, so compliment them and they might let you go. "Then what do you want?"
The end of his hair reached out towards him, then suddenly whipped into his open coat and snatched something off of his shirt, before returning to the villain. He read it, before tossing it to the ground and sauntering up to him. "Well, Toshinori Yagi, I was going to just ask you where you thought you were going at this time of night. But then I saw that little emblem on your badge. How on Earth could the Symbol of Peace let one of his own walk around this late completely unprotected?"
Toshinori huffed. He knew he should've left his badge at the office. "All Might doesn't have time to escort every single one of his workers home."
"Really, now? But surely he would care if one of them wound up getting hurt along the way?"
The ropes around him grew tighter, making him wince. So this villain just wanted to hurt him. Great. He skipped through the steps in his head, trying to remember what to do.
"Rule #5 - it it turns out the villain is only wanting to do harm, don't panic! If you think you can slip away without them noticing, then hide and call for help!"
He steadied his breathing. He hated using it as Toshinori, but he'd have to call upon One for All. If he just used it for a split second, he could break free, hide, and quickly turn into All Might. Hopefully the villain wouldn't notice he didn't have his suit on.
"So," Toshinori started, talking in a strained voice, "if you don't want money or attention, what do you want?"
"How kind of you to ask! Well, it all started when I was a boy. My father and mother were both proud villains just like me..."
He continued rattling on his backstory. Good. That'd keep him distracted. Toshinori closed his eyes and concentrated One for All across his whole body. Then, in a flash, he threw his arms out, breaking the binds of the rope and jumped into an alley way. He heard the villain cry out as he fell backwards into a puddle with a splash. The impact from the sudden power was enough to set off some car alarms.
That worked out even better than he thought. Now, he needed to concentrate so he could turn into All Might. It would only take one more second.
But just as he was about to power up, he was suddenly pulled down onto his back. A sopping wet rope weaved around his ankles dragged him across the pavement. And before he could process what had happened, another rope wrapped around his body, winding around his torso, arms, and neck.
A foot stomped down next to his head. The villain glowered down with him, looking especially mad now. Lightning flashed behind his head and another roll of thunder erupted in the sky. "Nice try, Toshinori Yagi! But not good enough! I was gonna go easy on you, but you've left me no choice but to kill you!"
The rope around his neck tightened. Not enough to cut off his oxygen, but enough to really hurt. At this point, he was past any rules that were taught to him. Now, he was left with a huge dilemma. Either he could turn into All Might now and hope the villain didn't spread the word about his secret identity, or he could just wait it out on the off-chance a hero was nearby to save him. There probably weren't any that were out this late.
"What, don't have any commentary to add? Are you beginning to understand how helpless you really are? Wanna start begging for mercy? Sorry, but it's a bit too late for that!"
The villain slammed his boot into his shoulder, making him cry out in pain. Toshinori let out a loud curse, as he bit his bottom lip. His entire arm stung and his shoulder felt like it was on fire.
And right as he let out a breath, the rope tightened around his neck again, completely cutting off his oxygen.
Another flash of lightning colored the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder. The villain paid no heed to it, staring down at him with a crazed look in his eyes. "What a shame your beloved boss couldn't come in to save you, Toshinori Yagi. Guess the Symbol of Peace has his limits after all. Oh well! You can never win them all, I suppose!" He laughed to himself.
As his lungs began to burn, Toshinori shut his eyes tightly. Looks like he didn't have a choice. Maybe if he hit him hard enough, he'd think this next part was a dream. As his face turned red and purple, he concentrated all of his energy into himself, about to release it in one burst.
But right before he could, he was suddenly freed. He rolled onto his side, taking a huge gasp of air, grabbing his sore shoulder and coughing as he tried to catch his breath.
He slowly sat up, the pavement beneath him slick from the rain. When he turned around to see his rescuer, he gasped. Standing in front of him, flames ablazing despite the rain, was Endeavor.
"Enji," he breathed out in relief, a smile on his face despite the pain.
The villain was lying down across the street, snarling as he jumped back up. The impact from his fall had destroyed part of the road's pavement. He still tried to play it off, putting on a cool facade. "How lucky for you, Toshinori Yagi," he shouted. "I mean, he's no Symbol of Peace, but I guess the second best hero isn't so bad either!"
Toshinori didn't need to see his face to tell that comment had struck a nerve. Endeavor's flames fanned out wildly, lighting the entire street. It was so bright that he couldn't look directly at it.
"Oh, did that upset you, Endeavor," the villain taunted. "Are you so fragile that a comment from a nobody like me will set you off? You know how the old saying goes - if the shoe fits, wear it! I bet All Might wouldn't have cared in the slightest!" He laughed at his own words.
Endeavor slowly walked up towards him. "For your sake, you should've wished All Might had come, instead," he said, his voice simmering with anger.
The villain stopped laughing. As he stared up at the flame hero, his body froze and his eyes widened in terror. As if he had just realized what a foolish mistake he had made in taunting him.
"He would've gone easy on you."
The villain's hair whipped around his head, shooting towards his opponent. However, he quickly incinerated his attacks without even flinching. The villain screamed, quickly dismembering the strands of hair before the flames could reach his hair. The pouring rain had no effect on Endeavor's quirk. In fact, it only seemed to fan the fires even further.
He tried to run away, but then a wall of flames suddenly appeared before him. When he tried to run the other way, another wall of fire stopped him once again. Leaving him nowhere to run as Endeavor continued to approach him, the fire of fury in his eyes just as intense as the ones that burned around him.
Finally, he collapsed onto his knees, holding his hands together above his head. "Okay, okay! You win! I'm sorry for insulting you! You're clearly superior in every aspect! I didn't even mean it - I was just trying to be funny and get a rise out of you! Please don't kill me!"
Endeavor crossed his arms over his chest as he stood in front of him. "You can explain all of that to the authorities when they get here."
He glanced back at Toshinori, who had been staring slack-jawed with a bewildered look on his face the entire time. He quickly regained himself and nodded, fishing his phone out of his pocket and dialing for the police.
The villain laughed. "Yeah, go ahead, Toshinori Yagi! Call the cops! Since you couldn't even defend yourself without a hero! When I get out of jail, you're gonna be sorry, you little-!"
His ravings were quickly cut off by a white hot kick in the groin.
It didn't take long for the authorities to arrive. The offending villain was cuffed and hauled off into a police car. He'd be taken to a medical ward to heal the injuries he'd sustained in the fight before being taken to a jail cell. He turned out to be wanted in another district on four counts of third-degree assault and one count of robbery. If found guilty, he'd be imprisoned for several years.
Toshinori was sitting in a closed coffee shop. The owner had heard the commotion and invited him and the police so they could finish their business inside. He had a towel hanging over his shoulders, being soaked down to his socks from all the rain, and held a small mug of piping hot tea. It was supposed to be complimentary from the owner, but Toshinori insisted on paying full price for it.
"It was real risky of you to walk home this late, Yagi," said Naomasa Tsukauchi, a detective working in the local police precinct. "If you called, one of us could've given you a ride."
He laughed, running his hand up and down his sore forearm. "Guess I wasn't thinking too hard about it. Sorry."
He rolled his eyes but smiled, as he tapped the tip of his pen against the table. "So after the villain caught you, you said you got free for a second. How?"
He put his hand on his chin. What was the best way to put this that didn't involve lying to the police? "I don't know," he said. "I just had so much pent up adrenaline that it all just came out at once, I guess. I only got away for a couple of seconds before he caught up with me, though, and he was about a hundred times more pissed off. Might've actually killed me."
"If not for Endeavor showing up, right?"
"Exactly."
He looked out the door window. His boyfriend was still outside, giving his statements to the police. He couldn't help but smile.
Tsukauchi finished scribbling down notes before he spoke again. "You're very lucky to have a friend like him. Well, I think we have enough from you for tonight, Yagi. We'll get in touch if we need any follow-ups."
"Thanks, Tsukauchi," he said, as he finished the last of his tea.
"Of course. You should probably stop by a doctor sometime in the next couple days. From your description, it sounded like you got roughed up a little. Want to make sure you don't have any serious injuries. And I'd also recommend taking at least a day off of work while you recover."
"Yeah," he said, as he set his mug down. He grabbed his shoulder - he could barely move it without hurting. He hoped nothing was broken. "I know if I tried to come in tomorrow like this, Sir Nighteye would chew me out to hell and back."
Tsukauchi laughed, as he stuck his notepad and pen into his overcoat. "All the more reason to rest! Surely, All Might can get by without his agent for one day, right?"
Toshinori's smile faltered for a moment. If only that were true. He quickly shook his head and faked a smile. "Yeah. Probably."
"The chief also wanted to offer you an escort back to your apartment. Normal protocol when dealing with victims of villain attacks. We can also escort you to and from work for the next week, if you need us to."
"That won't be necessary," said a familiar baritone.
Both men looked towards the door as it swung close and a bell rang through the air.
Endeavor walked up to the table, arms crossed over his chest and fires blazing around his face. "I'm perfectly capable of escorting Toshinori on my own. I'll see to it that he's protected."
Toshinori's heart skipped a beat at his declaration. It might have been the boldest thing he'd ever said about him while others were around. He really hoped Tsukauchi didn't notice his face was flushing.
"Are you sure," the detective asked, a look of surprise on his face. "While we certainly appreciate the gesture, you're a very busy man - you don't have to interrupt your hero work for this."
"Tsukauchi, it's okay," Toshinori said. "I trust Endeavor - he's perfectly capable of keeping me safe."
He looked over at Enji and smiled at him as their eyes met. As he looked back at him, his hardened glare seemed to soften and his flames dwindled around him.
After a moment of deliberation, Tsukauchi chuckled. "If you think that's best, Yagi, then that's fine by me." He stood up and walked towards the door. "Call us if anything else comes up. And thanks for your help tonight, Endeavor." Enji only nodded in response, never taking his eyes off of Toshinori. Soon, Tsukauchi had left the cafe, the door ringing once more as it closed.
The moment they were alone, Enji knelt down next to him, his hellflames dwindling into nothing. He glanced around, as if double-checking that no one was around. Then, he pulled him into an embrace. Toshinori smiled, wrapping his good arm over his shoulders.
"What were you doing here," asked Toshinori.
"We had tracked a villain a few blocks from here. When I heard the commotion, I went to investigate it."
"Lucky that you did." A smile formed on his face.
Enji sighed, pulling back so he could look him in the face. His eyes were stern, yet soft. "Why didn't you just call? I would have accompanied you home if I'd known you had to walk this late."
"I thought you might be busy. And it felt silly. I mean, calling up a pro hero just so you don't have to walk in the dark alone? It didn't feel serious enough."
"Maybe for another hero, but not for a civilian. Agencies have entire departments for escorting them if they feel unsafe. If it keeps them alive and safe, that's all that matters. I thought for sure All Might would tell you that much."
He sighed. "He has. It's just," his voice trailed off, as he tried to find the right words to say without blowing his secret. He eventually shrugged his good shoulder. "I guess I never thought those applied to me, y'know."
Enji was looking at him like he'd sprouted five heads. "Well, it does," he said. "But if you're really that reckless, the next time you get yourself caught by a villain, I'll just let you deal with it on your own."
Toshinori stifled a laugh. "Is that a promise?"
The flame hero's gaze shifted down to his injured shoulder. He laid his hand against it gently. As he moved his shirt collar to get a better look, Toshinori hissed and quickly put his hand on his, stopping his movement.
"Don't," he said, his voice slightly tense. "I'll get it checked out tomorrow."
His shoulders tensed for a moment, before he closed his eyes. "Had I known he'd done this to you, I wouldn't have been so careful."
Toshinori touched his cheek, feeling his stubble pricking against his palm. "Hey, it doesn't matter anymore. He's gone and I'll be okay. I've gotten worse scrapes in my life."
Enji scoffed. "Only you would say that after getting attacked by a villain."
''You think that was my first rodeo with one? When you're in my field, you tend to be an easy target."
He shook his head. "You're such an idiot."
A cheeky grin pulled at his lips. "But don't forget - I'm your idiot, Enji." He gently patted his cheek
He smirked before looking in his eyes. "As long as you don't forget it, either."
Enji helped him to his feet, mindful of his injured shoulder. Toshinori leaned up against him, his good hand resting against his chest. Already, he felt better just being in his arms. His body warmth enveloped him like a burning fireplace - he even smelled like one. He felt the damp towel slide off of his shoulders, replaced by his jacket.
"I also believe this is yours," Enji said, passing something into his good hand.
Toshinori looked down at it - it was the badge the villain had stolen. It was absolutely soaked, the card stock name tag practically swimming in rainwater. He'd probably have to get a new one when he went back into work. But the thought still meant a lot to him.
"Thanks," he whispered to him, before kissing him on the cheek.
"Yeah, yeah," Enji muttered, his face turning a deep red. He put an arm around him. "Let's get out of here before another villain shows up."