Work Text:
The sun was just beginning to peak through the windows of a certain rickety old trailer, but its resident inside was already shuffling in his bed, trying to rub the sleep off his eyes.
Rody Soul isn’t really the type to set a strict routine. The only non-negotiable he had to do was make sure his younger siblings, Roro and Lala, are taken care of, finish his hours at the bar, and the rest of the day is entirely up to him.
But for some reason, he found himself waking up at an unusual time every morning, never missing a beat. He brushed Pino off his side so he could check the clock on his bedside.
5 A.M.
It should be 2 P.M. there by now.
His work involved a lot of either borderline or straight-up illegal handiwork in the past, so he’d end up in multiple sticky situations here and there, but never risked his or anyone’s life over the jobs he’d take. As a provider and caregiver, high-paying assignments at the cost of his safety wouldn’t be worthwhile if it meant endangering the safety of his siblings as well.
However, such "high-paying assignments" couldn't be helped sometimes, so he'd find himself doing all sorts of dangerous stuff: hiding from the police, lying to dangerous criminals, or parkouring around tall buildings. He believed that this was the only way for him to make ends meet, as he views the world as a distrustful place, so he decided to give in to its cruelty to survive.
And in one of these risky situations, he happened to stumble across someone that will take everything he believed, and turn all of it upside down.
There was a polaroid picture right next to his clock, and he reached out for it. It was a selfie taken by the guy he was with, who was a green-haired foreigner claiming to be studying for his dream to be a hero.
His phone started to ping continuously from multiple messages. Just what he was waiting to hear.
Deku:
“Good morning! How are you, Rody?”
Izuku has been improving a lot in English through messaging with Rody, which also helped to avoid failing marks in English class. Although he would sound *too* formal for Rody's liking, he lets it slide, as it's harder to teach him informal chat and typing slang for some reason.
Rody:
“hey, not much. just got out of bed”
It’s easy to seem you’ve got your cool when talking online, because Izuku wouldn’t possibly be able to see the flush on his cheeks, and Pino’s happy dance when he received his text.
This has been their routine almost every morning ever since Izuku went back to Japan. He just got out of his class, and started talking about everything he did today: what he ate during lunch, when something funny happened in class, or when he'd pass a test he thought he’d fail at. He’d also update him on what he’ll do for the afternoon, like combat training, or simply going out with his classmates. He’d flood Rody with messages and pictures.
Deku:
“The karaage I ate today was so good! You’d love this!”
[attached image]
”I just gave the wrong answer during Math when I got called… it was so embarrassing…”
“I just lifted 200 pounds without breaking a sweat or activating my Quirk!”
And Rody would read them all with a melancholic smile on his face.
Why? Because it’s unfair. Life is so unfair.
You don’t really have the power to control who you are when you’re brought into this world. You could be raised in a luxurious apartment, or you could be left to survive in a lowly city. You could have a powerful Quirk, or none at all. And you wouldn’t be able to change it.
Fate just works that way. And Fate could be cruel when it makes you like someone you’ll only ever meet once.
He’d stare at the ceiling, thinking of what could have been if he lived in Japan. Had a different Quirk, a more powerful one. Had a different life compared to what he has now. Would he be able to have someone to provide for him in that life, unlike this one, where he had to sacrifice so much just so that his siblings would be able to see food on the table? Would he have had a better upbringing in that life, wherein he’d actually reach his dreams more easily?
Hell, would it have been easier to be with Izuku in that universe? Would he be able to be in the same school as him? Would he be able to sit next to him during lunch, laugh with him while walking home, study with him during exams, and reach his dreams alongside him? Would that all have been possible in another life?
He snapped up from his thoughts when he saw another message pop up from Izuku.
Deku:
“I wish you were here.”
His heart stopped for a second.
I.
I miss you too.
I miss you so damn much.
Izuku doesn’t know how hard it was for Rody to get by when every quiet moment dragged his thoughts back to him, ever since he left. He was the only one who lifted him up from the ugliness of the world that he had learned to accept, and it killed him inside that fate brought them into two totally different worlds.
But maybe, he shouldn’t have blamed it all on fate. Maybe he should be a bit more grateful. Without fate, he would have never realized how true heroes really do exist in a world where he had to shield his family from darkness. He would have never learned how to trust others, and learn how you don't have to rely on yourself all the time.
If Fate didn't exist, he wouldn't have met Izuku at all. He would've never felt what it was like exploring the world in a different light. He would've never had the chance to look at the purest eyes he'd ever seen, hold hands that were both rough and soft at the same time, and stare at a smile that warmed something in him, and realize that such a genuine connection with someone was actually possible.
Rody:
“haha, u just left like a month ago and you miss me already. XD”
I miss you.
I miss you so much.
Another message.
Deku:
“Yes.”
“I miss you.”
Damn.
Life really is so unfair.
Rody:
“yeah alright lol. i miss you too”