Archive of Our Own

“Hey Little Riot, great job during patrol today!”

Eijirou looked up from stuffing his shoulder gears in his locker; Fat Gum entered the agency’s changing rooms, a proud grin on his face that never failed to draw out a smile of Eijirou’s own. “That was a pretty tense situation at the bank, but you managed to defuse it without even lifting a finger against the criminal! I’m impressed!”

Eijirou’s face warmed at the praise. He rubbed the back of his neck; no matter how many years he’s had Fat Gum showering him with compliments, he’d never figured out how to handle them. “Aw, it was nothing, just doing my job.”

“And you’re good at it!” Fat Gum gave a good-natured but hard slap to Eijirou’s back, enough to make him stumble a bit from the force, and he grinned wider. “Probably fit to go pro, eh? I’m sure you’d do amazing work in your own agency or with one of your friends. Maybe you and Bakugou could team up! He’s still a sidekick too, right?”

“Yeah, he is.” Eijirou’s smile faltered some. This was also something that came up a lot over the years. But unlike the praise, Eijirou knew how to handle this. 

He forced a full smile back onto his face, more cheerful than before. “And I love being your sidekick, Fat, you’re great! I’m doing good work here too, like today. I’m helping keep the people of Esuha safe, so there’s no need for me to go off and change things.”

Fat Gum’s smile became strained. He opened his mouth, about to say something else, but he closed it again. Eijirou’s heart twinged at the sad smile on his mentor’s face as he patted him on the head, much gentler this time. ”You’ve got a point there, big changes can be pretty scary, both for civilians and us heroes. Just keep up the good work, Kirishima.” He headed for the door, only to stop before he went through. “Oh, by the way! The new work studies will be coming next week and I’ll need help showing them the ropes. I’m sure the kiddos will be excited to have Red Riot as a mentor!” And then he left without giving Eijirou a chance to respond.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the smile dropped from Eijirou’s face. A sigh breezed past his lips as he stuffed the rest of his accessories into his locker and gathered his change of clothes and toiletries and headed for the showers.

Maybe the hero hopefuls would be excited to be learning under Red Riot. In Eijirou’s opinion, he didn’t see what there was to be excited about.

He was doing good work as Fat Gum’s sidekick. He hadn’t been lying about that. But he didn’t have much else going for him beyond that, not like his past classmates who had already been doing great things since before they’d even graduated from U.A.

He still remembered everybody gathered in the dorms after everything had started to go back to some kind of normal after the wars, where they filled in the blanks on what had happened to each of them in their respective battles when messages over comms failed to convey it all.

Kaminari and Yaoyorozu, cut off from the rest of the fights due to the downed comms and trapped inside the flying UA structure—or flying when it wasn’t threatening to fall to the ground—still doing everything they could to keep it afloat, all while helping protect the support and business course kids from invading Toga-fueled Twice clones.

Jirou, going head-to-head against All For One himself, Eijirou only able to see a speck of the encounter at the time from his corner of the battle, and fortunately only losing an earjack for it.

Midoriya, Uraraka, and Todoroki going up against their own villains, the people they resolved to save at all costs, and managing to succeed, even if they all walked away with their own share of injuries.

And Mina…

Eijirou cringed. Now in the shower, he sudsed up his washcloth and scrubbed at his body, like if he rubbed hard enough he could erase his failure against the sludge villain, and the shame that lingered at Mina once again having to swoop in and save somebody in his stead.

Of course Eijirou was still a sidekick five years after graduation. It’s not like he could measure up to what everybody else was doing. Kaminari and Jirou had opened their own agencies ages ago and they were thriving now, with some of their classmates working out of them as pros; Shigaraki, Dabi, and Toga were well on the way to healing and rehabilitation with their heroes’ support; and Mina’s charisma was as contagious as ever, netting her high marks in the popularity polls. What kind of lasting impact did Eijirou have compared to all of that?

It was the middle of rush hour by the time Eijirou stepped out of the agency, the sidewalks crowded with students and adults heading home or running errands for the evening. He pulled his cap lower over his slightly-wet hair, fixed his mask to hide his teeth, and stepped into the flow of foot traffic. Nobody gave a second look as he melded into the crowd. 

Some days he didn’t mind somebody doing a double-take when they realized they were walking side-by-side with Red Riot and stopping him for a photo or autograph. It felt affirming that he was doing at least something right. Today though, he didn’t feel like donning the sunshine mask people have come to expect.

To be a hero who puts himself on the line to protect others, to live a life without regrets. He’s failed at the first, and it only made him fail at the second even worse. Maybe he’s getting better at them if Fat keeps praising him, though? Maybe he could consider going pro next year.

(He ignored the fact that he’s had that same thought for the last several years.)

The walk to the train station and the ride home were a blur. He kept his head down, avoiding any wandering eyes in the crowd, as well as the advertisements and billboards with the faces of his friends and classmates that he knew were plastered in every available space, highlighting their latest achievements and the fact that there wasn’t a single one for Red Riot. 

He only looked up when he arrived at his apartment building, the tension unspooling from his shoulders with every step toward home.

“Kats?” he called as he opened the door.

“Kitchen,” came the gruff reply. Unlike most evenings, no scents of food accompanied the call. He was likely working on something else instead.

Swapping sneakers for slippers and disposing of his mask and hat, Eijirou padded deeper into the apartment; sure enough, Katsuki was sitting at the dining table, squinting through the glasses perched on his nose as he typed away at his laptop. Just the sight of him had his insecurities falling away, a smile unconsciously pulling at his lips.

Katsuki looked up as he got closer, his own smile growing. “Hey.”

“Hey, love.” Eijirou leaned down to kiss his forehead, and he glanced at the laptop screen. It wasn’t an incident report like he’d been expecting, but a spreadsheet with what looked like financial information. “Oh no, I didn’t forget to pay a bill, did I?”

“Huh? Oh, no, this is other shit. Izuku’s suit is almost paid off so I can finally start putting money toward the agency.”

And there went Eijirou’s insecurities again, a sharp pang in his heart, a twist to his stomach. He tried not to let it show as he pressed another kiss to Katsuki’s cheek; this had been his dream for his entire life after all. “That’s great, man! I’m sure Midoriya will be excited when he gets the suit too.” He pulled away and moved to sort through the fridge to distract himself from the inadequacy itching at his insides. Leftover rice and pork cutlets not cooked from dinner the other night; he could probably make fried rice out of that. Hands washed, he pulled them out and the other ingredients he’d need, as well as the wok and cutting board. Dicing veggies was easy work, and he moved on to preparing the pork.

“We still need to figure out where the agency is gonna be,” Katsuki continued, typing more at the keyboard. “That way we can finalize how much we need to put toward the down payment.”

“Maybe Midoriya would wanna have it in Musutafu?” Eijirou suggested, keeping his attention on the pork, one slice at a time. Ignore the itch. “Could give back to your hometown.”

Behind him, the typing stopped. “The fuck does Izuku’s opinion matter? I’m asking you.”

Eijirou stopped mid-slice. He looked over his shoulder at Katsuki; his boyfriend’s face was scrunched up, looking as confused as Eijirou felt. “Me?”

“Uh, yeah?” Katsuki cocked an eyebrow at him. “Who else would be good enough to run an agency with me?”

Eijirou could only blink, his brain struggling to process. Katsuki wanted to open an agency with him? And why was he making it out like this was old news? Eijirou would’ve remembered if they’d had this kind of conversation before now.

He shook his brain back online. He had to put out this fire before it exploded into a disaster.

Eijirou put on a crooked smile. “I’m sure Midoriya would be a better option, he’s got those natural-born leader vibes that would help you guys get the agency up and running in no time. You two had wanted to make an agency together when you were kids too, right? It’ll be a dream come true!”

Katsuki opened his mouth, but Eijirou plowed over whatever he had to say and the growing itch, the tightness forming at his throat, and the tingling in his eyes. He forced his smile wider. “He’ll be the best choice for you, trust me. You don’t really want me there, I wouldn’t do you any good. I’ll be there to help you move in though, don’t worry!”

Katsuki’s mouth clicked shut, his jaw tight enough that Eijirou could see it flexing through his skin. His gaze was piercing as he stared at him, red eyes alight with anger, yet the subtle squint almost looked…hurt? Eijirou didn’t get a chance to analyze the look further before Katsuki turned back to his computer. “Fine,” he said, his voice tight like it was anything but fine.

Eijirou watched him for another moment; he couldn’t imagine why it wouldn’t be fine. “Are you sure?”

“Yep. Positive.” Tone clipped, each peck at the keyboard a final point that the conversation was over. 

So Eijirou turned and went back to cutting up the pork.

Tension hung in the air throughout dinner and the rest of the evening. Eijirou’s bids to start a conversation only received clipped answers or grunts, Katsuki’s attention still on his laptop. Their individual stubbornness clashed with Eijirou trying, but failing, to piece together why Katsuki was emanating standoffish pissed energy to rival pre-Kamino times. He still let himself be pulled into Eijirou’s arms as they sat on the couch, but at 8 PM on the dot he closed his laptop and squirmed out of his grasp.

“I’m going to bed,” he said, not even entertaining Eijirou’s attempts to get him to stay when he usually didn’t even try to go to bed that early anymore. He just walked off, the bedroom door slamming behind him.

Eijirou only lasted an hour before following after him. 

Typically spread across the bed, leaving Eijirou to find a spot in the available space left (that spot usually being on top of Katsuki), now Katsuki was solely on his side of the bed, not a single toe straying over to Eijirou’s side, and he faced the window, his back to the rest of the bed and room.

“Katsuki?” Eijirou whispered. No response, nor to the fingers that ghosted along his back through the blankets. Already asleep.

Sighing, Eijirou slipped in next to him, wishing he could close the gap that stretched between them like a chasm.

Instead he closed his eyes, falling into a fitful sleep that he didn’t feel rested from at all by the time his alarm woke him up the next morning. He was greeted by the sun shining through the open curtains onto the empty space in the bed next to him, the covers pulled up neatly like nobody had ever been there, as well as the scent of coffee floating through the air.

As Eijirou stumbled into the kitchen, Katsuki was standing at the stove, and Eijirou’s shark mug sat on the table. The steaming contents reeled him in, and he swiped it up and inhaled half of it in a couple gulps. Cream and too much sugar, just how he liked it, cloyed on his tongue and the heat burned on the way down, but he didn’t give a single shit about it right now. Gods knew he’d need the energy boost today after his terrible sleep.

When he resurfaced from his sugary savior, Katsuki was watching him with an amused smirk. “Just because you can turn into a rock doesn’t mean you should make a habit of pouring molten liquid down your throat.”

Eijirou flushed, both from the jab and from this being so different from the cold shoulder he got last night. It was like it hadn’t happened at all.

“I can’t help it, I didn’t sleep very well…” He took a more appropriate sip.

Katsuki seemed to look guilty at the admission, and his smirk and eyes fell away. “Yeah. That was on me.” He turned back to the stove, continuing to make what looked like tamagoyaki, with a lot of bacon bits. Not at all how it was traditionally made, but exactly how Eijirou liked it. “I’ll make you another coffee to take with you.”

Eijirou nodded slowly as he drained his mug, eyes trained on Katsuki’s bare back. The shift back to normal was sudden. Too sudden. They hadn’t even fully talked about…whatever this was. Eijirou still didn’t know. Katsuki didn’t seem keen on sharing with the class, then or now.

He moved to put his empty mug in the sink, and on the way back to the table, his fingers trailed along Katsuki’s back as he hugged him from behind. Katsuki didn’t pull away or remain stiff, instead leaning into Eijirou’s chest. Just like normal.

Eijirou took the invitation to tuck his head into the crook of Katsuki’s neck, nuzzling against his skin; Eijirou’s cedar body wash melded with Katsuki’s natural burnt caramel. “So…we’re good?”

“...yeah.” Fingers under his chin lifted Eijirou’s head up, and the kiss pressed to his lips was sweeter than the coffee. “We’re good.”

“Awesome job on patrol you guys, you’re a natural! You’ll be top-tier heroes in no time!”

The two work-study students Fat Gum had taken in, one from U.A.—one of Midoriya’s students if Eijirou remembered right—and the other from Ketsubutsu, practically glowed under Eijirou’s praise, wide smiles and everything as they high-fived each other. Huh, is this what Fat Gum had seen when he’d given praise to Eijirou and Amajiki back in the day? Or more from Eijirou, Amajiki would sooner bury himself under a mound of blankets in his room than excitedly high five anybody.

The thought of him even attempting it—hand raising shakily, barely above his head, shying away from the boisterousness of Eijirou’s youth—had Eijirou biting back a grin as he waved the students toward the changing rooms. “Go ahead and switch back into your uniforms, Fat Gum will be with you soon to help you with your reports.”

They hurried off, and Eijirou pulled off his face guard and sighed as the pressure from it released. A peek at his phone showed he had an hour left of his shift. He could probably get his own reports done in that time, then he could head out and grab the stuff Katsuki needed for-

“Oh good, Kirishima, you’re back!”

Eijirou blinked, looking over to see Fat Gum approaching him from the direction of the agency’s offices. He looked excited. “Come with me, I need to talk to you for a minute.”

Frowning but curious, Eijirou followed him to his office. The takoyaki hot plate built into Fat Gum’s desk was full to the brim, always available to take from without asking. Eijirou snagged a ball with a skewer, if only to occupy himself and ignore the anxiety growing in his stomach. “Is everything okay, sir?” he asked as he chewed.

“Yep, more than okay!” Fat Gum sat behind his desk, smile brighter than ever as he looked at Eijirou. “Earlier today, I got a call asking for you to be transferred to the DynaRiot agency! It’s not up and running yet, still a few more months yet, but they asked for you by name so I figured I’d go ahead and tell you now!”

Fat Gum’s excitement was bubbling over as he ate a takoyaki ball himself, but Eijirou was still trying to process what he’d said. Fat Gum was sending Eijirou off to work for somebody else, somebody who actually wanted him? And what was the DynaRiot agency? Part of Eijirou’s job was to be in the know about the other agencies in Japan, at the very least so he could be ready for collaborations that might come up. Fat said it wasn’t open so maybe it wasn’t in the agency database yet? Could Eijirou even trust to go—

Wait.

DynaRiot.

Red Riot and Dynamight.

Katsuki.

Eijirou’s brows immediately furrowed. “Hang on—”

“I know you already said that you’re happy here and don’t want to change things up,” Fat Gum continued, making Eijirou close his mouth with a frustrated huff, “but this could be a good opportunity for you! You’re still new to the hero business, haven’t gotten your foundation settled yet, so exploring around can—”

“Except it’s Katsuki,” Eijirou finally cut in. His hands in his lap were clenched tightly, hardening rippling over the knuckles. “This was all his idea, wasn’t it?”

Fat Gum paused, before he nodded. He at least had the decency to look sheepish about it. “Yes, it was all him. Didn’t even know he was gonna call until he did.”

“And you still went along with him? Why?!”

“Bakugou did make a pretty convincing case. That man definitely knows how to get what he wants,” Fat chuckled, before his golden eyes fell back onto Eijirou. “But even if he hadn’t tried to convince me, I would’ve let him take you anyway. You’re a good hero, Kirishima, I mean that. But sticking here with me, you’re only holding yourself back.”

Eijirou frowned. “I’m not—”

“You are,” Fat Gum cut in. “I see the look on your face whenever you hear about your U.A. buddies. You wanna be out there doing big things like them.”

It was true; Eijirou knew it was. But the truth of who he was was greater than the truth of who he wanted to be, and it swallowed up the dream whole. “I’m not good enough to be where they are…what would I even have that compares to them?”

Fat Gum smiled. He stood and rounded the desk so he could squeeze Eijirou’s shoulder. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you that you have so much potential to go places. I’ve known that ever since you stepped into this office back during your first year.” His smile burned with pride as he spoke, and the growing stinging in Eijirou’s eyes forced him to look away and hide the forming tears. “Every bird’s gotta leave the nest, Little Riot. Tamaki did, and you remember how scared he was to move on to form a team with Mirio and Nejire.”

Eijirou huffed wetly. Yeah, he did remember. Amajiki had hugged onto Fat for a good ten minutes at least on his last day here. Eijirou still had photos of it.

“And he turned out perfectly fine,” Fat Gum continued. “And now it’s your turn. Get out there and see what you can do, and if it turns out that it doesn’t work out, you always have a spot here.”

Eijirou peeked up at his mentor. “Can’t I just say it didn’t work out now and stay?” he asked weakly, hopeful, but Fat Gum just laughed.

“‘Fraid not, kiddo, that’s the easy route.” He gave his shoulder one more squeeze before letting go. “I’ll let you get back to your paperwork now. Don’t worry if you’re not able to finish it all today. And take some takoyaki with you!”

As Eijirou shuffled out of the office with a wrapped platter of takoyaki, he knew he wouldn’t be completing a single report today. He didn’t even try. He just left the platter with the work-study students with a quickly-mumbled “help yourself” before heading for the changing rooms.

In the showers, through the grocery store, and on the walk home, Eijirou’s frustration simmered, festering and melding with his confusion and growing anger. Why would Katsuki go behind his back like this just to get Eijirou to partner with him? He already said no! And for good reason too! Eijirou already didn’t feel confident enough as-is to go pro, but to also be the co-head of a new agency alongside Dynamight? There was no way he could measure up to that high of a standard, and it only infuriated him even more that Katsuki would make him try.

The warring emotions roiled in his stomach, like he’d drank a bunch of Diet Coke and poured a mountain of Mentos on top of it, bubbling away, only a matter of time before the eruption.

And the eruption came as soon as he stepped into the apartment, Katsuki’s voice floating down the hall from the kitchen. “Hey Ei, did you get the stuff I needed from the store?”

Eijirou’s hand clenched around said bag of stuff. He stomped to the kitchen, slamming the bag onto the table. “You went over my head and called Fat to get him to transfer me?”

Katsuki only sent a short glance over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the saucepan on the stove. “Obviously. Somebody’s gotta have the brain cells in this relationship.”

Eijirou’s jaw creaked from how hard he clenched it. He went over and flicked off the stove, causing Katsuki to turn to him with a glare. “Oi—”

“You can’t just go off and make decisions on your own like that, especially when you’re toying with my career.”

“Well I wouldn’t have to if you’d stop being a dumbass and just run the agency with me.”

“But I already told you that Midoriya is the better option! I know you know that’s true!”

“I don’t give a flying fuck who you think would be a better partner, I want you.”

Eijirou threw his arms up in exasperation. “But why?! Why can’t you realize that I’m not good enough for this? I’m not a pro hero yet, I can’t just go from sidekick to agency head like you. That’s your dream, and I’m gonna ruin it if you pull me into it. I don’t have the determination you and Midoriya have to fight for what you want. I don’t have Mina’s charisma and ability to act fast on her feet. I haven’t had the partnerships, or the fancy brand deals, or the ads, or the societal changes, or anything! I don’t have anything but myself.”

His chest was heaving, and he collapsed onto a chair at the table as the anger and frustration left him, until he just felt empty, exposed, the scab he’s been protecting for so many years picked at so much today that it was now raw. His chest and throat constricted, and he rubbed at the moisture that finally spilled past his eyelashes onto his cheeks. “All I have is myself,” he croaked. His hands trembled where they hung in his lap. “What use is that to anybody?”

Silence reigned between them, then there was a sigh. “You really are a dumbass.”

A hiccup escaped Eijirou’s lips, and the tears flowed faster, dripping to the floor between his legs.

But then slippered feet entered his field of view, sweatpant-clad legs moving between his own. Calloused hands came up to gently cradle his face, tilting it so he looked up. Katsuki’s expression was firm, but it softened some as he took in Eijirou’s bloodshot eyes. Tears pooled around his thumbs on his cheeks, which he brushed away just as gently. “I didn’t mean to make you upset with all of this,” he said, softer than Eijirou had ever heard him. “It’s just infuriating that you can’t see how incredible you already are to me. You say all you have is yourself, but that’s exactly what I want.”

Eijirou’s face scrunched up, the lump in his throat swelling. “But—”

Katsuki shushed him with a kiss to his forehead. “My turn. Just listen, okay?”

Eijirou sniffed but nodded.

“Good.” Another light kiss, then he pulled back to look Eijirou in the eye again. “You say you don’t have shit, yet who was the one to risk everything to rescue my ass only months into being at U.A.?”

Eijirou balked. Katsuki’s hands on his face kept him from ducking his head, so he averted his gaze, looking over his shoulder. “That’s different…”

“How? You busted your ass to get me back, even at the possible cost of your own safety and hero career, and you were able to talk the others into helping.” Katsuki’s thumbs pressing into Eijirou’s cheeks drew his gaze back, and when their eyes met Katsuki cocked an eyebrow, challenging. “Sounds like determination and charisma to me.”

Eijirou didn’t have a response to that beyond another sniffle and more tears rolling down his cheeks.

Katsuki swiped them away with more dedication than he’s given to his entire hero career, and it made Eijirou’s vision blur anew.

“You’re so fucking obsessed with making sure that you become the hero that you wanna be, yet you’re so focused on everything that you haven’t done that you don’t even see the stuff that you have accomplished.” Katsuki grinned. “Lucky for you I’ve been watching you for the last eight years so I’ve seen everything.”

Eijirou huffed, his smile wry. “Betcha that’s a short list.”

Katsuki gave him a look. “Just the stuff you did in first year alone is more impressive than any brand deal you could get nowadays. You were one of the first in our class to debut. Do you know how pissed I was when that article dropped?”

Eijirou’s lips quirked up higher into a real smile. Katsuki had been seething for at least a week after Eijirou’s debut fight went public. Poor Todoroki had been snapped at more than usual during that time, but he’d taken it in stride.

“And then you got recruited to help storm a whole-ass yakuza base,” Katsuki continued. Despite his tone, pride shone in his eyes as he met Eijirou’s, just like Fat Gum’s had earlier. “You helped rescue a kid so she could have a better life. Your armor shattered, but you still jumped back into the fray to save Fat, built your armor back up stronger than before, and you won, because you’re fucking resilient.

“You hated how you froze when Gigantomachia came after your classmates back in middle school, but when you faced him again you didn’t hesitate to jump in to protect Ashido. You moved when you needed to most, and you helped to save the day.

“You always keep trying to push past your limits, do better than you did before, and you always succeed. Remember the earthquake a few years back?”

Eijirou’s face scrunched up. The stress and dread from that day curled in his chest just at the thought of it, phantom aches crawling up his arms.

Japan was great about fortifying its buildings against the shifting plates, but every now and then some slipped between the cracks due to faulty management and construction.

It was really a case of Eijirou being in the right place at the right time when the buildings across an older neighborhood crumbled amidst the quake.

“Eight hours, you kept up your hardening while you waited for other heroes that weren’t roped into that mission to get there,” Katsuki said. His hands drifted from his face to run across his shoulders and down his arms, reverent, fingertips ghosting over old cracks from straining his quirk, now faded white streaks. Eijirou shuddered under the touch. “You passed out from exhaustion as soon as the load was lifted off of you, and I waited almost as long for you to wake up, but not once did you think to drop your load sooner. Not while that restaurant owner and her kid were in danger of being crushed.

“And the time that you and Fat dealt with those League wannabes, they overpowered your quirk and got some nasty hits in.” Fingers brushed over Eijirou’s stomach. “A lesser hero would’ve tapped out, saying they’re the wrong fit, but you kept fighting to protect the civilians nearby.”

Then Katsuki flicked his forehead, the complaint rising up Eijirou’s throat swallowed by the kiss Katsuki placed there next. “Ain’t nothing to scoff at, but call for backup next time you pull a stunt like that. I still want you home alive at the end of the day.”

“Sorry,” Eijirou mumbled.

“Don’t be. Just shows that you care a ton. Doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, you do whatever you can to help, even for something as simple as scaling a tree to get a ball.”

A grin tugged at Eijirou’s lips. “Those kids were really grateful for that.”

Katsuki met his grin with a fuller one. “You made their fucking day. You’ve got a heart of gold in here.” He tapped a finger against Eijirou’s chest, where his heart beat at a rapid pace. “You’ve gotta to be able to put up with me.”

Eijirou frowned. “I don’t put up with you. Katsuki, you’re amazing.”

“And you’re the one who made me amazing. I could only go so far with my quirk and good grades. It was you who showed me that I should care about people as well. It was you who refused to leave me alone and strong-armed yourself into being my friend, not taking any of my shit. It was you who decided to love me, no matter how much of a mess I was and still am. It’s you who always has my back, whether we’re fighting a villain together or you’re helping me when the bullshit of the past decides to be a bitch. You say I’m amazing, but I’m nothing compared to you. And if you’re already that amazing as my partner in life, imagine how fucking phenomenal you’ll be as my hero partner too.”

Katsuki almost sounded out of breath by the time he finished, and for good reason. It was probably the most Eijirou had ever heard him willingly speak, and it was all for him. To help paint the picture of everything he saw in Eijirou, that Eijirou admittedly failed to see in himself, or simply wave off. Katsuki’s gaze made Eijirou’s skin prickle where it burned into him, honesty, determination, and specks of desperation in his eyes as he waited for Eijirou to just get it.

It cut deep, each statement, each word, making tears spring anew into his eyes, the rawness growing.

Eijirou knew Katsuki wasn’t lying. He never lied about anything, especially when it came to Eijirou. Yet the doubt still remained, and he sniffled as his gaze dropped.

Katsuki must’ve sensed the hesitation, because hands cupping Eijirou’s cheeks again drew his eyes back up to desperate red that softened a bit at the edges. “Just—think about it, yeah?” Katsuki asked—begged, which twisted Eijirou’s heart because Katsuki shouldn’t have to beg for anything. “If you really don’t wanna do it, I’ll call Fat back and have him keep you on, just…I really want you with me, Ei. It’s gotta be you.”

Eijirou’s breath caught in his throat. His grip where his hands rested on Katsuki’s hips tightened.

(art by Honeysun_art, posted with permission)

Those same words Midoriya had spoken to him on that terrifying night almost eight years ago now, echoed back by the same person they had originally been meant for. Katsuki likely didn’t know the correlation—Eijirou had never found a time to tell him the details of his side of that night, and he didn’t know if Midoriya had either. But those few words seemed to hit harder than Katsuki’s entire speech.

“Y-Yeah,” Eijirou said, halfway in a daze. “Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

A smile broke across Katsuki’s face, small but there. He brushed away the last of Eijirou’s tears, kissed his forehead again, then pulled away completely to sort through the things Eijirou had bought for dinner.

Eijirou was only partially aware throughout the meal and the rest of the evening. He registered the taste of gyudon on his tongue as he robotically ate—the ingredients he’d gotten today definitely hadn’t aligned with this dish; Katsuki must’ve changed course after their conversation to make Eijirou’s favorite. He barely paid attention to the movie Katsuki had put on either before he’d plastered himself on top of Eijirou on the couch, a familiar weight draped over him that Eijirou automatically held back.

His mind was occupied with looping Katsuki’s speech over and over, it’s gotta be you rotating in his head like his brain was a microwave, steadily cooking the words as he slowly warmed up to the thought.

Eijirou still didn’t feel ready to co-own an agency. Just the thought sent his heart tripping into an anxious tumble as he thought of every little thing that could go wrong that could lead to the failure of the agency and his and Katsuki’s careers.

But Katsuki thought he could do it, the praise he’d showered upon him was proof of that. He chose him, just like he’d chosen Eijirou back at Kamino without an ounce of hesitation, and with a refusal to let go.

Maybe Katsuki was right. When it came to one’s skills, there were very few times when Katuski’s judgment of capabilities was wrong. He knew what he was talking about. And when he had chosen Eijirou at Kamino, everything had worked out. Maybe things would work out here as well?

The muscle clock read just after 10 PM by the time Eijirou blinked back to the present. There was still a movie playing on the TV, some pre-quirk American action film, and Katsuki’s eyes were closed where he still laid across Eijirou’s chest.

He lifted a hand to thread through blond strands, and Katsuki hummed, his head shifting to lean into the contact. Just dozing, not fully asleep yet.

“Katsuki,” he whispered.

Another hum as he cracked his eyes open to squint at Eijirou.

“I’ll do it.”

Katsuki’s eyes opened wider, looking more awake and surprised, and he lifted his head to properly look at Eijirou. “Yer gonna join the agency with me?”

Eijirou nodded, his growing smile feeling lopsided and awkward. “It’s worth a shot, right?”

Katsuki’s resulting smile was blinding, wide enough to almost make his eyes shut completely. He wormed his arms out from between them so he could grab Eijirou’s face and pull him forward to kiss him firmly on the lips. And when Katsuki’s smile ultimately broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against Eijirou’s, the air from his laughter fanning over Eijirou’s face. “We are gonna have the best damn agency.”

As Eijirou stared at that smile in wonder, for a moment, he didn’t have a reason to refute the claim.

The next six months went by faster than Eijirou could process.

He was so lucky that Katsuki’s been planning to open an agency since he was practically a baby, because his detailed notes and research were the only things keeping Eijirou from throwing in the towel and sticking with Fat Gum just for the sheer amount of stuff they needed to consider.

Finding an agency location and upgrading their licenses to pro status were obvious things to do, but there was so much more that Eijirou hadn’t even thought about. Wherever they put their agency, they had to consider the need in relation to other agencies nearby and the volume of villain activity. Then came all the forms and licenses and contracts once a place was pinned down, and working with Hawks to get DynaRiot incorporated into the Hero Network so they’d be able to get to work on their projected opening day, and all these other little things that he had no clue were needed to ensure a hero agency ran efficiently.

Eijirou felt like he was drowning in these new responsibilities. His throat closed up from stress from even glancing at Katsuki’s carefully constructed spreadsheet, complete with projected expenses and timelines and all those little nitpicky details that would drive a man insane.

Except this was Bakugou Katsuki, who’s faced death and demons alike with a manic grin and took every conversation with realtors, lawyers, and financial assistants in stride. Eijirou was content to let Katsuki handle everything, to fade into the background and follow along, but at every stop Katsuki always nudged Eijirou for his opinion, even if it was clear Eijirou had no clue what he was doing.

“We’re partners,” Katsuki had said, the layers of the statement evident as he pulled up his godforsaken spreadsheet. “You get a say in shit, too.” And he walked Eijirou through each and every detail with the most patience Eijirou’s ever seen from him. He fought back the tears welling in his eyes from the gesture as he pulled out his phone to take notes.

And it all steadily started to make sense. Eijirou wasn’t just around for the heavy lifting and helping with payments. 

(Katsuki had tried to refute his money at first, wanting finances to be the only thing he carried alone, but Eijirou had insisted. “We’re partners, yeah?” he’d parroted, making Katsuki roll his eyes before he’d relented.)

Things went a lot more smoothly now that Eijirou knew what he was doing, and he and Katsuki really were a good team, the two of them able to work efficiently and fast to get every detail squared away as the agency opening date inched closer. They had a lot of late nights as a result, as they still had to balance their respective sidekick responsibilities before the transfer. Meals together became rare, being in bed at the same time even more so, but Eijirou treasured the moments they were able to snag together, even if it was just for an hour or two.

But it was all worth it. They had barely had a chance to rest from the triple gauntlet that was the winter solstice, Christmas, and New Years before they were having yet another party, this time to celebrate the opening of their agency the day before.

“‘M not gonna have a damn party on the day-of,” Katsuki had said when they were planning it. “I wanna be kicking villain ass on my first day as a full pro.”

Even on weekends heroes were still busy, but they still had a decent turnout. Fat Gum had been the first to show up; apparently he had shut down his own agency for the evening just so he could be there, and he’d brought the biggest pot for hot pot Eijirou had ever seen, as well as enough ingredients to cook in it to feed an army three times over.

Even bigger than the mass of food he’d brought was the hug he gave Eijirou. Fat Gum had been super encouraging in the months leading up to the agency opening, but now that it was actually happening the BMI Hero was reduced to tears, squeezing Eijirou so hard that he almost got absorbed into his body. He had to slap Fat Gum’s stomach like he was tapping out of a wrestling match, but the tears streaming down his own face matched.

Amajiki showed up too, as well as several of their old classmates and a few members of Class B, and other older heroes that Eijirou knew but hadn’t interacted with much. Some had even brought gifts! It was way more support than Eijirou had been expecting, and he fought to keep from crying the entire time, even if it was a losing battle.

He was accepting an entire box of stationery from Midoriya when the agency doors swung open, and he looked over, smiling as he was met with all-too-familiar pink.

“There’s my favorite boys!”

Katsuki barely let Mina cling onto him for two seconds before shrugging her off, but she made up for it by nearly squeezing the life out of Eijirou, even with her smaller frame. “Finally getting your own agency, I’m so happy for you two!”

“Thanks, Mina.” Eijirou started to pull away from the hug, but Mina’s arms tightened around his neck, keeping him in place.

“I really am happy for you, Ei,” she whispered. “You deserve this way more than you think.” She pulled back enough to look him in the eye, a teasing grin reminiscent of their first day of U.A. growing on her lips. “Don’t let your emo side tell you otherwise.”

Eijirou’s responding smile was wobbly. He was gonna be dehydrated by the time the party was over.

The agency opened, they got their new patrol routes, then…nothing. The big explosion of change Eijirou had been expecting didn’t happen at all. Sure, he had more administrative responsibilities to attend to now that he was a co-owner and pro instead of a sidekick, and he had to memorize the new routes. But on a day-to-day basis, it felt the same as when he was working with Fat Gum.

He still walked the streets, the winter breeze biting but not terribly uncomfortable. He still smiled and waved at civilians, some of whom stopped him for photos or autographs. It was new paths, new businesses, new faces, but all of the motions were the same.

Eijirou found himself chuckling to himself one day as he walked. All the stress and fear of opening an agency had almost been for nothing, even if the prep was a lot. It almost felt anticlimactic. 

As the days turned into a month, then two, however, the relief at the ease gave way to the familiar inadequacy. This couldn’t be it, right? Eijirou had expected things to change now that he was a pro, for all the changes he would make to society to begin to happen, but he was still doing nothing more than a sidekick. It just brought back that same nagging question of what did he have to offer?

It was another day of him rolling the question over in his mind as he patrolled, the weather warming and the cherry blossoms starting to bloom, when his comm crackled to life in his ear, previously silent for the first couple hours of his shift.

“Villain incident in the downtown shopping district! They’re causing a lot of damage, requesting backup for detainment and civilian evacuation.”

Only a couple blocks from where Eijirou was now. Taking off at a run and pressing the button on his ear piece, “This is Red Riot, heading to your location now. ETA five minutes.”

Several other heroes were already on the scene by the time Eijirou got there, but it was easy to see why help was called in. The villain had some kind of quirk that let them rubberize their body, allowing them to ricochet off of any nearby surface they hit at high speed, whether it be the stores that lined the narrow street, Eijirou spotting the fearful faces of civilians through the windows, or the heroes themselves, who got completely mowed down upon impact, the villain gleefully cackling all the way.

Clearly just somebody who wanted to cause chaos and destruction without a deep motive. Difficult for others to stop, but Eijirou could take him. He’s been training himself to be a sturdy wall for years.

“Incoming!” Hardening rippled up his body as he rushed through an opening in the police line. His vision split and cracked like a kaleidoscope as he turned Unbreakable, but his focus stayed on the villain now flying toward him. He stopped and braced himself as he raised his arms, and the force as he caught the villain almost felt like the first punch Rappa had delivered during their fight in the Shie Hassaikai hideout.

Eijirou didn’t even get blown back this time, didn’t even falter. His boots slid a couple inches across the asphalt before he stabilized, and before the villain recovered from the shock of being stopped, Eijirou full-body flipped and slammed the guy into the ground.

“Good job, Red Riot!” Eijirou looked up as his hardening fell away to see Uravity hurrying toward him, quirk-canceling cuffs in hand. “We’re pretty lucky you were in the area, I don’t know if we would’ve been able to stop him without you!”

Eijirou grinned. “Just doing my job!” He then frowned contemplatively as he looked over the surrounding buildings. “What’s the progress on evacuation?”

“We got the street cleared out pretty fast after the attack started, and we managed to corral him into this immediate area so that the outer shops could be evacuated,” Uravity explained as she hauled the dazed villain to his feet. “There aren’t too many people still in these buildings I think, but without somebody to stop him until now, we were more focused on damage control to prevent anymore civilian injuries.”

Eijirou nodded. “Then we better help them out now that the coast is clear.”

Evacuation was slow-going. The impacts to the exteriors of the shops had blasted open the fronts of some and dented others, but there wasn’t a single business that didn’t have its interior destabilized, leading to walls and ceilings inside caving in even if the building itself was still standing. Stable for now, but it could become catastrophic with one wrong move. Eijirou was at least grateful that there weren’t any fatalities so far, only some injured.

He stuck with Uravity, helping stabilize fallen structures that she lifted with her quirk, creating openings for civilians to crawl through to get outside to safety. It was a repetitive process, combing the buildings, hardened body bracketing supports, smiling reassuringly at frazzled civilians as one by one they were rescued.

Eventually they reached a toy and game store, where they found a couple, the woman in distress. “Our son is still in there!” she cried as Uravity helped her out. “He ran to the back of the store before the attack started, and then the ceiling collapsed and we couldn’t reach him…!”

“I’ll find him,” Eijirou promised, and once they were out he moved deeper into the store. The collapsed ceiling had taken part of the upper floor with it, and Eijirou found a gap and carefully carved it wider so he could look through. “Is anybody still in here?!” he called, squinting through the dust and faint sunlight filtering inside.

“Over here!”

A boy was huddled in the corner of the shop that hadn’t been touched. “Don’t worry, I’m coming to get you out!” Eijirou squeezed through the gap, eyeing the part of the ceiling that still remained as he inched toward the kid.

He’d made it about halfway before a low groan echoed overhead. A spiderweb of cracks formed across the chunk of ceiling over the boy, and Eijirou could already see it starting to bow, ready to dump what it was holding onto the kid at any second.

He darted forward before his brain thought to do so, hardening forming over his body and arms raising over his head just as a loud crash echoed through the building as the ceiling finally caved in. The boy yelped, ducking and shielding his head against the falling debris, but it didn’t have a chance to hit as Eijirou slid into place, hardened claws catching the weight. His knees buckled as the debris piled on, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to be solid, pushing his hardening until the crashing finally quieted, and the weight above him stabilized.

He didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes until he opened them. He and the boy were in a small pocket within the rubble, Eijirou bracing the ceiling the only thing keeping it open. It was only as tall as him and just as wide, and besides a few stray beams of sunlight that peeked through some cracks it was dark.

There was enough light to see that the boy was untouched, save for dust that had fallen over him, turning his black hair a dull gray.

“Are you alright?” Eijirou gasped out around the strain and the hardening around his throat.

The boy’s eyes were wide, and Eijirou could see the minute tremor of his hands, but he still gave a tiny nod.

His earpiece crackled to life then. “Uravity to Red Riot, do you copy?!” Her voice came through more staticky than usual, but they still had a solid connection.

It took a couple tries, but Eijirou got the button of his earpiece pressed against his shoulder. “I’m here. I found the kid too. The ceiling collapsed but we’re safe at the moment, trapped somewhere near the back of the building.”

A sigh of relief breezed through the earpiece. “We’ll get you two out as soon as we can, just hang tight!”

“Got it.” He could already feel the quirk exhaustion creeping up on him as he released the button. He kept his hardening up in strategic places—his ankles, knees, and hips for extra stability in his joints, along his back, around his elbows and hands—and released it everywhere else, air rushing out of him as his airways softened and cleared. Then he smiled down at the boy, ignoring the sweat beading on his forehead. “Help will be coming soon, we just gotta wait a little longer.”

By then the boy had curled in on himself, his arms hugging his bent legs, and he nodded again, keeping his head ducked. His fingers still trembled.

“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to be scared! You’re in safe hands, I’m not gonna let any of this hurt you. What’s your name?”

“...Reiji. Masukawa Reiji,” he answered shakily. He then looked up at Eijirou with what was probably supposed to be a glare, but looked more like a petulant pout. “And I’m not scared! I’m just waiting to get out of here.” He uncurled from his ball to prove it, crossing his arms as he continued to glare-pout at Eijirou.

He calmly looked back, taking Reiji in. He didn’t look to be any older than middle school aged, maybe second year. He looked a lot like Eijirou himself had in middle school—without the sharp teeth, and brown eyes instead of red, and his dark hair was cut shorter so it didn’t hang in his face, but Eijirou recognized the front, the want to be brave, and the fear peeking through the cracks anyway.

“It’s okay to be scared,” Eijirou said, carefully but easily.

Reiji’s face twisted, the pout giving way to confusion. “But being scared isn’t manly.”

Eijirou blinked. “Who told you that?”

“The other guys at school.” Reiji looked down, drawing a finger through the dust and pebbles by his leg. “They said that you’re not manly if you’re scared, or if you cry, and if you do then you’re a baby.” His face scrunched up in determination as he looked back up at Eijirou. “And I’m not a baby so I’m not gonna act like one, especially not in front of you. You talk about manliness all the time and you never look scared!”

A tiny part of Eijirou wanted to laugh at how endearing Reiji’s resolve was. The rest of him could only stare at the boy, horror creeping into his heart.

Is that really what people thought he meant when he talked about manliness? Toxic notions of stifling their emotions?

He did laugh, but it was hollow. “Reiji, I get scared all the time.”

Reiji’s eyes widened, his front dropping. “You do…?”

Eijirou nodded, his smile crooked. “I’m scared right now.” He glanced up at his fingers buried into the concrete above their heads, listened to the smaller pieces of rubble falling to the ground somewhere out of sight. The sharp lines of his body burned. “I’m scared that my hardening will give out and all of this will fall. I’m scared that you’ll get hurt. I get scared every time that I stand between danger and somebody that I want to protect.” He looked back at Reiji, meeting his shock with a widening smile. “That fear is just what keeps me going.”

“Like an adrenaline junkie?”

The laugh that startled out of Eijirou was real this time, full. “I’ve never thought of it like that, but I guess you could see it that way! It pushes me to be the shield that I need to be for others, because I don’t want them to get hurt. And being scared is totally manly! I wouldn’t say it’s fun, but it’s not a bad thing to feel that way, or to feel any negative emotion, or to feel in general. Once you get out of here, tell your buddies at school that I personally told you that you shouldn’t be ashamed of your feelings, and you shouldn’t stifle them. Being scared doesn’t make you any less manly, you just gotta make sure that you keep going in spite of it.”

(art by Honeysun_art, posted with permission)

And to emphasize his point, Eijirou hefted the weight over his head a little higher. Reiji flinched as it shifted, but when nothing more than a couple pebbles bounced off the top of his head, he looked up at Eijirou in awe. Then his eyes grew glassy, his mouth a wobbly line, and soon Reiji’s small form was being wracked with sobs.

It made tears sting at Eijirou’s own eyes, but at the same time he couldn’t stop smiling. He was able to help Reiji feel better, even just a little bit.

Then the rubble shifted again, the weight above him feeling lighter. Ah shit, did his stunt destabilize the pile? Eijirou tensed, preparing to catch the falling debris, or even throw himself on top of Reiji to protect him, but apart from more dust and pebbles nothing fell. The pile got lighter and lighter, until the chunk Eijirou was holding lifted off of his hands, and his shoulders screamed as he finally lowered them, hardening falling away.

Sunlight suddenly streamed into the pocket, and Eijirou squinted up into it, just making out Uravity’s silhouette as she looked down into the hole, several large chunks of rubble floating around and above her. A relieved, if tired smile grew on her face. “We found them!”

Reiji’s sobs had quieted down to sniffles as Eijirou lifted him out of the hole for Uravity to take, but the boy never attempted to hide the tears still tracking down his cheeks. Not from any of the heroes still around, nor from his parents, who looked just as much of a mess as they pulled their son into a tight hug.

They thanked Eijirou profusely, and as he waved after Reiji as he was escorted to the paramedics nearby, he felt the tingling warmth of a job well done settle into his chest.

“Aaaaaaand welcome to Put Your Hands Up by yours truly, comin’ at you live for the first time on TV!”

The audience in the studio erupted into applause after Present Mic’s introduction, and the older pro hero took it in stride with a wide grin and his usual dramatics. “And that’s not all! For our first broadcast, we’ve got some very special guests! From the new DynaRiot Agency, two of my favorite kiddos from U.A., Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight and Red Riot!”

The crowd got even louder when they were introduced, and it made Eijirou’s nerves even worse as he shyly waved at them all from the couch on stage with a shaky smile. It was his first proper interview, which was exciting but terrifying! Having it conducted by his old teacher had eased his nerves a bit when they’d agreed to do it, but Eijirou hadn’t expected the energy of the audience.

Katsuki seemed to be taking it all in stride next to him, still with his resting grumpy face but giving the audience a wave of his own. Maybe being forced to the center of the spotlight so many times during high school got him accustomed to these settings.

The applause and cheers soon died down, and Present Mic sat in the armchair across from them, turning his smile their way. “It's been about three months since you two opened your doors, yeah? You’re already making some pretty big strides in that time!”

“Obviously. You think we wouldn’t be the best right out the gate?” Katsuki said, rolling his eyes.

Present Mic chuckled. “Trust me, little listener, I wouldn’t expect anything less from you two. Red Riot especially has made people aware of your agency’s skills. There’s been quite a lot of buzz following the Ricochet incident!”

The crowd murmured excitedly, while Eijirou tilted his head in confusion. “There has? I guess I was able to be there at the right time to stop the villain, but I didn’t expect it to be that noteworthy.”

Katsuki jabbed him in the side with his elbow. “Give yourself some more credit, Red. People are right to see how much of an amazing badass you are.”

Even if there hadn’t been a few coos from the audience, Eijirou’s face still would’ve flamed from Katsuki’s blatant compliment, and he mumbled out his gratitude.

“A badass indeed,” Present Mic agreed with a nod. “But also very inspirational!” He pulled out a remote and clicked a button before gesturing wide at the TV that flickered to life over their heads. “You made a pretty big impact on the kid you saved that day.”

Eijirou looked up at the screen, his eyes widening when he saw a collage of social media posts packed onto the screen. Front and center was one by Reiji himself:

Crying is super manly, said by @OfficialRedRiot himself! He saved my life today and showed that you shouldn’t hide how you feel just to look cool 💪 #cryingismanly

And there were more posts like that. From Reiji’s parents, thanking Eijirou for his actions and highlighting how much their son’s behavior had changed for the better after that day. From other young boys who were just as stunned as Reiji had been by the truth behind Eijirou’s claims of manliness. From dozens of other people, dozens of discussions about it that scrolled down the screen, and Eijirou was drowning in how positively everybody was taking it, so many of them even adding #cryingismanly to their own posts. He didn’t even know all of this was being said about him, his social media accounts muted for his own sanity.

The posts on the screen became a blurry mass, and as the first few tears tracked down Eijirou’s cheeks, a tissue box appeared in his periphery. Present Mic held it out to him, his smile dimmed into something more comforting but still proud, his own eyes shining. Eijirou returned the smile as he accepted the box, and a watery laugh slipped out as he wiped his eyes. “I never knew so many people would feel this way about what I had to say.”

“I’m sure they’d be interested to hear more about your view of things.” The answering roar of the crowd agreed with Present Mic’s sentiment and made Eijirou jump at the sudden volume. Once he could be heard without having to use his quirk, Mic’s smile widened. “Care to share a little more with the class?”

Eijirou thought back to his words that day under the rubble, how nobody should be ashamed of themselves or their feelings. He believed in those words with his whole heart, yet at the same time he knew he wasn’t quite following his own advice. He never fully did, not even when he first adopted the mantra before starting at U.A. He simply allowed his bright hair and bright smiles to be the scab over the insecurities he still held in his heart.

Maybe it was time to uncover them for the world to see.

Katsuki leaned across the small space between them on the couch to press their shoulders together, a warm and firm support. Hidden between their thighs, his hand laced with Eijirou’s and squeezed. I’m with you with whatever you decide to say, the contact said.

And Eijirou smiled, squeezed back, and met Present Mic’s eyes. “Well, I guess it all started back in middle school…”