Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya stared at the text on his phone. Over and over, as if the words would somehow shift if he kept looking. As if they could somehow change.
It was a message from his landlord that had just ruined his day, which had been going so well. His morning classes had been great, all of his students actually paying attention for once. On the way back home from U.A. he found an All Might poster he’d been searching for for years, perfect for this one empty spot on his apartment wall that was begging to be filled.
Well. That wouldn’t be happening.
Because the text read: Hello, Midoriya! I’m so sorry, but I have bad news. The apartment building was acquired by developers who are planning to tear it down. They’ve given me 30 days to evict all my tenants. Please give me a call so we can talk about next steps.
His shiny new All Might poster wouldn’t be going on his wall, since it was technically no longer his. And between his teaching and hero work, he had no clue where he would find the time to look for a new place on such short notice.
This really, truly, completely, totally, extremely, sucked. 30 days to pack and find a new place.
Izuku collapsed onto his living room sofa and buried his face into the pillows, groaning. Why, why did this have to happen to him? And why today? Could this not have waited until… tomorrow, maybe?
Izuku decided the best course of action would be to speak to his landlord, a sweet lady named Rin Kimura. Kimura picked up on the first ring, her voice coming in muffled through Izuku’s crappy phone speaker.
“Midoriya? Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. How are you, Kimura?” Even if he was upset, he would still be nice.
“Oh, I’m fine, lovely. And I’m awfully sorry. Those bastards at the construction company just swooped in and ruined everything!” Her voice was heated, even through the phone, and Izuku couldn’t help but smile. Kimura was small and seemed timid at first, but she had a fierce side that tended to come out on occasions that warranted it. “I can’t believe it. Only 30 days, they give me? Absurd! And now I’ve had to break bad news all day. And on such a nice, sunny day no less!” She let out a huff. “If there’s anything I can do to help you find a new place, let me know. I’ve already sent over all the papers you need to look at and sign. Technical stuff, you know.”
“Thanks, Kimura. Are there any places you happen to know of for rent?”
“I have a friend who rents out apartments in Kamino Ward. I know it’s a little far from where you are now, but I can check with her.”
“That would be amazing! Thank you.”
Kimura lowered her voice. “You know… if I told the company I was renting to a pro hero… to the number four hero no less… then I’m sure they might change their minds.”
“Oh, don’t do that.” As tempting as it could be to use his status to his advantage, Izuku never did. A hero wouldn’t do that, wouldn’t take advantage of others. “I appreciate your sentiment, but that’s just wrong.”
A distorted sigh came through the phone. “If you say. Well, I’ll go talk with my friend and update you. Sorry again, Midoriya.”
Izuku sighed. This sucked, but it wasn’t really Kimura’s fault. “It’s OK. Have a good day.”
Izuku hung up and buried his face back into the pillows. His only hope now was Kimura’s friend, and he had a bad feeling about it. It was so hard to find a place to rent these days, it was unlikely she’d have any free spots. Izuku had barely managed to find his current place as it was.
He needed something to cheer him up. He thought instantly of Kacchan, his closest friend, but he was probably busy working. And besides, Kacchan had been… distant, lately. Not like he was avoiding Izuku, but like he was keeping his space. And Izuku didn’t know why. Was it something he had done? Something he said? Perhaps it had something to do with the… incident that happened a couple of months ago.
Sometimes it kept him up at night, his thoughts spiraling. But he managed to convince himself that he was overreacting, that Kacchan was just busy. He was taking something small and blowing it out of proportion.
Izuku picked up his phone and dialed the number of his second closest friend, Shoto Todoroki. But the phone went straight to voicemail. He must have been busy, probably on patrol. Izuku called Ochaco Uraraka next, and she picked up after only a few rings. Her bubbly voice called out, “Deku? Is that you?”
Izuku nodded, as if Uraraka could see him through the speaker somehow, then responded, “Ya. You busy?”
Izuku heard some muffled shouts, which pretty much answered his question. “Ya, I’m sorry. Tsu and I are on patrol. Is something wrong?”
A loud ribbit! broke through the static. “Ya. But it’s not urgent. Can you talk soon?”
“Hey- you there! Sorry Deku. I have to go. I’m free tomorrow- Stop it! I’m talking to you! I- I need to go now. I’ll text you later!” She hung up.
Defeated, Izuku opened his food delivery app and placed an order for his favourite katsudon. If he was going to be miserable and alone, he could at least have good food.
*
On his way to U.A. the next morning Izuku’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He was exhausted from a night of hero work, stumbling along the sidewalk. He fumbled for his phone, almost dropping it twice, before he managed to accept the call. It was Kimura.
“Hi Midoriya. Is this a good time?”
Not really. But her voice sounded urgent. Izuku ducked down a quiet side street and pressed his back to the cool wall. “Ya. What is it?”
“I’m sorry. My friend has no rooms available right now. And her wait list is closed.”
Izuku figured as much. “That’s OK, I’m not too shocked.”
“I feel so bad. Have you found a place to stay?”
Not yet, but Izuku had lunch plans with Uraraka today, and he knew she would help him figure things out. “Not yet, but I’m sure I will!”
“Oh Midoriya, how do you manage to stay so positive?”
Izuku exchanged a few more words with Kimura before wishing her a lovely day and hanging up. He now just had to get through his morning classes before he could vent about everything to Uraraka and finally relax.
Unfortunately, his morning was not as great as yesterday. His students were buzzing over their upcoming internships and would not. Stop. Talking. But despite how annoying it was, Izuku couldn’t bring himself to be mad. It reminded him of his school days, and how alight with excitement he had been over every opportunity. He could barely contain himself the day before his internship with Gran Torino.
Finally, the lunch bell rang and his students filed out. Izuku was meeting Uraraka at a little cafe close to campus, and he had just over an hour.
Uraraka was already waiting for him in a corner booth, sipping on some pink concoction in a fancy glass cup. When she spotted him, she jumped to her feet, raising her arms above her head and shouting, “Dekuuu!”
Izuku ran to embrace her before relaxing into the cozy booth. “It’s so good to see you. I feel like it’s been forever!”
Uraraka smiled and closed her eyes tight, laughing like she did when she was excited. “I know! We and all of Class 1-A need to see each other more!”
Izuku agreed, taking a sip of the water that had been waiting at his spot. “What’s that drink you have?”
“It’s the Uravity special! Named after me!”
Now that he inspected it, Izuku saw the resemblance. It was a creamy pink drink topped with white spun sugar, and little black pearls that had sunk to the bottom.
“It looks delicious. Can I have a sip?”
“Mmm!” She slid the glass toward him, and Izuku took a small sip, sighing when the strawberry flavour coated his tongue. Sweet, just like his friend.
“Well, I hate to spoil the mood, but I have unfortunate news.”
“Oh no! Is everything OK?” Concern painted Uraraka’s usually sunny features.
“Well…” everything spilled out at once; the eviction, his struggle to find somewhere new to stay, the All Might poster he couldn’t hang.
Uraraka listened intently, nodding along and gasping when appropriate. “That’s awful. They can’t just do that!”
“They can. And they did.”
Uraraka huffed. “It’s not fair. Do you want to stay with Tsu and I until you can find a new place?”
Izuku had considered it, but he didn’t want to impose on them. Uraraka and Tsu had only just moved in together, and Izuku didn’t want to be in the way of what they had. “Thanks for the offer, really. But you and Tsu deserve your own space.”
Uraraka took his hand, her grip warm and comforting. “Oh, Deku. We’re your friends. We’re willing to help you, no matter what. Don’t ever forget that.”
Izuku felt his eyes burning a little. Don’t cry. “Thank you, Uraraka. I’ll consider it. But it will be a last resort.”
“Of course. You said you had 30 days, right?”
“Ya. 29 now, I guess.”
Uraraka let go of his hand to wave the waiter over. “Ok. If you still don’t have a place by the end of that, you move in with Tsu and I. Deal?”
Smiling, Izuku said, “Deal.”
*
The next couple of weeks passed in a blur. Between teaching, hero work, and his apartment search, Izuku had barely any time to relax.
So far, he had only managed to find one place. It was a back alley apartment, and the last tenants had left public reviews of ‘Loud noises from the butcher next door and concerning amounts of suspicious stains.’ It was also way out of his budget.
Not exactly ideal.
He thought about asking Todoroki, since he lived alone. But Todoroki lived in a cramped one bedroom, and Izuku knew how he valued personal space. And the rest of his friends had either settled down with partners or had similar small living arrangements.
His mind drifted to Kacchan, who had a spare bedroom. Izuku could ask… but living with Kacchan would be interesting, to say the least. In the times when Izuku had visited his friend, Kacchan’s apartment was always a mess, and he seemed to fully occupy the space. The spare room had a drum set and an impressive collection of All Might merch.
Izuku knew Kacchan would let him stay, but it was another last resort. He just had to hope for the best; that he would miraculously find somewhere wonderful to rent.
Except he did not. Before he knew it, he had three days left to leave. Uraraka had been texting him every day for the past week, reminding him he could come stay with her and Tsu. But it just felt wrong to intrude on them. Which meant…
He would have to ask Kacchan.
On his way to Kacchan’s apartment, Izuku assured himself it would be fine. Kacchan would say yes, and it would only be temporary. Izuku would find a place of his own soon enough.
Kacchan usually had Friday evenings off, and Izuku did too. In the past, they’d often met up for dinner, Kirishima or Todoroki occasionally joining them. But these past couple months, Kacchan always seemed to be busy.
Now, standing on the steps of Kacchan’s apartment, Izuku found himself shaking with nerves. Which was ridiculous. Kacchan was his best friend. Someone who’d risked his life for him on numerous occasions.
His thoughts flashed to the incident. The more Izuku had thought about it, the more he could pinpoint it as being the thing that made Kacchan keep his distance. That day, they had been so close, and ever since…
He knocked on the door before he could talk himself out of it.
A minute elapsed in silence. Izuku knocked again.
An audible groan was heard from inside the apartment, followed by angry stomps. The door jostled open a crack, and Kacchan stared back at him, form swallowed by a massive hoodie, hair mussed around his handsome face. Handsome? That thought came out of nowhere…
Of course, Kacchan was objectively attractive. You had to be blind not to notice it. And Izuku saw the way people’s eyes followed him.
Knock it off, focus!
Kacchan pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped out to greet him. “Izuku. What are you doing here?”
Steeling his nerves, Izuku held his head high and said, “I need your help.”
Kacchan arched a blonde eyebrow. “With what exactly?”
“Well. I’m kind of being kicked out of my apartment in three days and don’t have anywhere to stay so I was wondering if I could maybe stay with you?” Izuku blurted. “Please?”
Crossing his arms, Kacchan responded, “You, want to come live with me?”
Izuku nodded. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go.” Which wasn’t entirely true. But Kacchan didn’t need to know that. Izuku stared at him pleadingly, not caring how pathetic he looked. “I’ll pay rent, and help with groceries, anything you need. I could even sleep on the couch!”
Kacchan rolled his eyes. “You’re not sleeping on the couch, dummy. I have a spare room.”
Izuku lit up instantly. “So I can stay?”
“Of course, you idiot. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t let you?”
Maybe all the weird tension that had been swirling between them recently was completely made up in Izuku’s mind. Kacchan seemed relaxed, at ease, utterly normal.
Izuku threw himself at his best friend, wrapping his arms around Kacchan’s wide shoulders. “Thank you, thank you! This means so much to me. I-”
“Ya, ya. Whatever, nerd. You need help bringing your stuff over?”
“I should be fine on my own. I know how busy you are.” Izuku only then realized he was still holding on to his friend, his fingers bunched in the soft fabric of Kacchan’s hoodie. He didn’t want to let go, the heat from Kacchan’s body radiating into his. But he felt Kacchan tense suddenly, so Izuku pulled back. “I still have a little left to pack so I’ll come over tomorrow. What time works for you?"
Kacchan turned to head back into his apartment. “I should be home by 5:00 p.m. Bring your stuff over then.”
That worked for him. Kacchan began to close the door and Izuku shouted, “Awesome! See you tomorrow! Bye-”
The door shut with a bang. Izuku let out a silent yipee. He had a place to stay, and him and Kacchan seemed to be back to normal. Also, since they would be living together, Izuku would get to spend lots of time with his best friend, something he hadn’t been able to do in ages. Maybe his eviction was a blessing in disguise.
Triumphant, Izuku skipped all the way home.