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Mina was devilishly tapping her fingers together as she stared at Midoriya. “Sorry, but you lost the bet.”
“I didn’t even agree to the bet,” argued Midoriya nervously, not recalling Mina even stating it was a bet.
“Nonsense,” hushed Mina, rising from where she was sitting to grab her phone that was currently charging.
Midoriya groaned from where he was sitting. The sound caught the attention of Uraraka who was returning to the common room from filling up her water bottle. “Deku? What’s wrong?”
Midoriya looked up at Uraraka in despair. “It’s Mina.”
“What is she up to this time,” remarked Uraraka with an amused grin.
“She’s forcing me to do something because I lost a bet I never agreed to,” explained Midoriya weakly, sinking into the couch in despair. When it came to Mina, nothing could be done once she had an idea.
Uraraka nodded, sitting down next to Midoriya. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad. Besides, it’s not like she can force you to do anything outside the dorms.”
Relaxing a bit at the reminder it was storming outside, Midoriya took a sip out of his water bottle. “You’re right. It can’t be that bad right? She’ll probably force me to play a little prank on someone or something.”
“Probably, either that or she’ll make you do her homework,” laughed Uraraka, recalling how Mina once tried getting Momo to do her work but was forced to have a tutoring session instead.
Mina rushed back in with her phone and a bright smile. “I want you to recreate this!”
Midoriya raised a brow, letting Mina squish onto the couch with him and Uraraka. Mina had a video pulled up and it was some guy standing in heavy rain strutting, doing air splits, and backflips over music.
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her laugh. Mina immediately proved the both of them wrong when they assumed the dare would be her usual silly antics.
“I can’t do that! I’m going to fall! Besides, if anyone sees me out there-!” argued Midoriya in a panic, trying to do whatever it took to get out of this.
Mina shook her head and pressed a finger against Midoriya’s lips to silence him. “Nope. Look, I’ll be nice, and I won’t force you to wear the big fluffy coat and ripped jeans.”
Midoriya sighed in defeat, not seeing much harm in the dare when no lightning was outside. The only risk was him getting sick and he decided to set down some conditions of his own.
“Have a towel and warm tea prepared for me. If I end up getting sick you owe me katsudon until I’m recovered,” ordered Midoriya, willing to do the dare, but wanting to have some say in what happened.
Mina extended her deal with a wide smile. “Deal! Uraraka, would you be an angel and grab that stuff? I’m going to go out to record this!”
Midoriya wilted, forgetting that Mina loved having everything on her phone. He couldn’t blame her though, some of these simple funny moments were nice to look back on when things got rough. Uraraka smirked and threw herself up. “Fine, but I’m going to need that video for myself.”
Kirishima was curious about what was going on and approached Uraraka. “Hey, where are Mina and Midoriya heading off to?”
Uraraka crossed her arms with a grin. “Mina is forcing Midoriya to recreate some video out in the storm.”
“No way! I gotta see this!” laughed Kirishima, immediately pulling out his phone and texting one of his multiple group chats. He sent the quick message “Come down to the common room immediately, it's important,” to Kaminari, Sero, Bakugo, and Jiro.
Kaminari and Sero came down along with Sato, Ojiro, and Tokoyami. Jiro came down with Momo and Hagakure, and Bakugo came down alone. It seemed that Bakugo thought it was something serious because he practically exploded when he saw the rest of the class wasn’t there.
“What the hell Shitty Hair?” shouted Bakugo, immediately sending off some small explosions.
“Woah man, calm down! Everyone, follow me to the window!” instructed Kirishima, not trying to set Bakugo off even more.
It only took seconds for the group to understand why Kirishima told them to come down urgently. Mina and Midoriya were standing in the open field as rain was crashing down. Mina had her phone held up while Midoriya was doing mind-boggling flips toward her.
While Midoriya could do a perfect split, he had trained kicking enough that he could fake it. If he did an air split fast enough, no one would be able to tell his left leg didn’t perfectly come up all the way. When Midoriya reached Mina he managed to land his last flip without falling and went straight into a backflip.
Once Midoriya stuck the landing of his back flip he took in a quick breath, jumped into the air and shot his legs out, faking the split like a pro.
Mina collapsed to the ground, cackling. Midoriya crossed his arms and looked up at the sky that was dark and pouring down rain. Midoriya then looked down at Mina, said something, and suddenly Mina was sprinting back toward the dorm building.
Uraraka was already standing by the door with towels and warm tea waiting for them in the kitchen. Mina launched herself inside, the rain covering her face and mixing with her tears. “My phone!”
“Yeah, that’s my bad,” chuckled Midoriya, knowing that they had to retake the dance at least ten times before he got it right.
Walking further into the dorm, planning on going to the kitchen, the two froze when they saw the large group standing near the windows. Only the group was staring at them in disbelief and glee.
Midoriya bolted off before anyone could even ask him where he learned how to do any of that. Mina on the other hand didn’t stick around because she had to make sure her phone was okay. She couldn’t lose the video after just getting it!
Midoriya was fresh out of the shower when he texted Uraraka that he was sorry for not sticking around for the tea she made him. It seemed that Uraraka didn’t mind too much, even going as far as to say she’d reheat it and send someone up to deliver it to him.
Feeling bad and not wanting her to go out of her way to do something she didn’t have to, Midoriya frantically typed it wasn’t necessary and it was no big deal. A knock interrupted Midoriya’s guilt as he stared at the typing bubble from Uraraka. Rising from where he was sitting, Midoriya approached his door and pulled it open.
Bakugo stood in the doorway with a wide smirk. “So Izuku. Care to explain?”
Midoriya yelped, backing into his room. “Kacchan! What are you doing here?”
“Pink Cheeks. Now, tell me why you were out there performing like a goddamn acrobat,” demanded Bakugo, inviting himself in with two cups of tea.
“It’s really not as interesting as you may think. Mina told me I lost a bet and she dared me to recreate a video,” elaborate Midoriya swiftly, not wanting to beat around the bush when it came to Bakugo.
“Go figure. Why do you always manage to get wrapped up in her dumb schemes,” grumbled Bakugo, crashing onto Midoriya's bed.
Midoriya smiled a bit, looking at his desk where Bakugo managed to put down the tea without him noticing. “If I knew how, I wouldn't have been out there.”
Bakugo scoffed, staring at Midoriya where he was standing. “Where the hell did you learn how to do a split?”
“I can’t really do a split, but after using my legs so much I guess I got more flexible,” assumed Midoriya. He didn’t know how he managed to get so limber. He did his usual stretches to avoid injuries but didn’t go out of his way to work on flexibility.
“It sure as hell looked like a split to me,” argued Bakugo. It didn’t take a genius to see a true split.
Midoriya smiled, sitting next to Bakugo on the bed. “When the rain clears up we can head to the gym and see for sure.”
“Alright, just don’t cry when you find out I’m right,” professed Bakugo confidently, making a home on Midoriya’s bed.
“You’re an idiot,” laughed Midoriya, finally lying down next to Bakugo.
“Shut up!”
It all seemed so sudden.
Midoriya had been trying to pick up the pieces of his life after the war. After losing his quirk, he’d been trying to find his place in UA. Midoriya was so focused on trying to find himself again, he failed to see what was forming between his classmates.
Class 2-A was nearing the end of the school year when it came out that Todoroki and Bakugo had begun dating. Midoriya, who had loved Bakugo since childhood, was devastated.
Uraraka seemed worried for Midoriya because she was the only one aware of Midoriya’s crush on Bakugo. Rather than congratulating the new couple, Uraraka quickly rushed Midoriya off to her room.
“How could I have not seen it?” cried Midoriya, tightly squeezing Uraraka’s pillow.
Uraraka let out a shallow breath. “I knew they were getting closer, but I didn’t think they’d be getting closer romantically.”
Midoriya tried his best to speak, but sobs came out instead. Uraraka gently rubbed Midoriya’s back, pity in her eyes.
“It’s all my fault. If I wasn’t so worthless Kacchan would have noticed me,” wept Midoriya, his back hunching forward as he began hyperventilating.
“Never say that again. You are the greatest hero that’s ever existed. You are beautiful. You’ve done an amazing job despite the shit thrown your way. Never amount your worth to a boy’s attention,” lectured Uraraka, cupping Midoriya's face and shooting Midoriya a warning stare.
Midoriya wilted a bit, his lips wobbling. “I’m a horrible friend.”
Uraraka’s frown deepened, her concern getting worse. “Why would you ever say that? You’re an amazing friend. I couldn’t imagine anyone filling the space you have in my heart.”
“I should be happy for them. I should be down in the common room congratulating them. I should be laughing and doing something dumb with you, not crying in your room about heartbreak. I’ve been a crappy friend since the war,” revealed Midoriya, staring up at the ceiling.
Uraraka crashed beside Midoriya, grabbing his hand gently. “I’d rather be here to support you at your low points like you always did for me. While I hate to see you upset, I’m happy I can be here for you. There’s always another day to do something stupid and fun.”
Midoriya remained quiet for a bit, taking deep breaths as he gathered his thoughts. “I want to get away from here.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Uraraka, curious as to what Midoriya was thinking.
“I want to see the world, maybe transfer schools. I don’t want to be some hero sidekick. I think that would hurt more than not being a hero at all,” confessed Midoriya, finally opening up about the thoughts he’s had since the war ended.
Uraraka sat up, looking down at Midoriya. “Really? You want to leave?”
Midoriya sat up, quickly grabbing tissues to wipe his runny nose. “Honestly… yeah. I just don’t feel like this is the place for me anymore. I feel isolated and trapped. I’m only here because of you all.”
“I don’t want you to leave, but I understand why you want to. Sometimes it’s hard to be here without all the reminders of the past. We used to be so youthful and happy,” reminisced Uraraka, recalling how innocent it all used to be.
“Now everything is so… so ugly,” commented Midoriya, picking at one of his dozens of scars.
Uraraka hesitated a bit before responding, “Yeah. I don’t know if you feel the same, but it also seems empty.”
“Mhm. Maybe it makes me childish, but I think Kacchan and Shoto getting together was my final straw,” mumbled Midoriya.
“Whatever you decide, just know I will support you and be there with you through every step,” reassured Uraraka, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose.
The rest of class 2-A were shocked by the sudden news of a relationship. Kirishima was beyond confused. He had thought that Bakugo and Midoriya were in a secret relationship. There was this oddly electric tension between the duo.
Iida was supportive of Todoroki and Bakugo’s relationship, but he was extremely concerned for Midoriya. It was clear he didn’t take the news well and Uraraka was quick to drag him off. It was clear there was something he didn’t know.
Kaminari and Jiro were supportive, cheering on Bakugo for making a move. Many students decided to confess their love after the war, worried about the possibility of never being able to get the chance to. Kaminari and Jiro were one of the couples and they were going strong.
Many others in the class were surprised and happy. It was always fun to have a new couple to tease and pick on.
When Todoroki and Bakugo decided to tell the class that they were dating, they were the most excited to see Midoriya’s reaction. They couldn’t wait to see his shocked expression and hear his happy analysis mumbling which was rare since the war.
They did not get the reaction they expected. Midoriya’s eyes widened in shock, but a smile didn’t accompany it. His pained expression came as fast as it left, but both Todoroki and Bakugo saw the hurt in his face.
Midoriya was quick to cover up whatever he was truly feeling and offer a smile. Except his smile was nothing in comparison to the blinding, toothy smile we wore day in and day out when they were first years.
Before they could reach out to him or even look to one another to make sure the other saw his reaction too, Uraraka made a move. Uraraka wasn’t smiling as she snuck her hand into Midoriya’s and guided him away.
Midoriya didn’t put up a fight and mindlessly followed. They watched as Kirishima turned to ask Midoriya and Uraraka what was up, but quickly shut his mouth after seeing something.
Kirishima shot Uraraka a thumbs up with a sympathetic frown and Uraraka nodded her head in response.
Todoroki and Bakugo quickly felt concern bubble to the surface. The first thing that came to mind was that something was going on with Midoriya that they weren’t aware of. The second thought they both shared was that something was going on with Midoriya that they should have been aware of and completely forgotten.
“We’ll talk to Izuku later,” whispered Bakugo, resting a hand on Todoroki’s shoulder.
Todoroki nodded, raising a hand to rest on top of Bakugo’s. “Okay, good. I’m worried.”
Midoriya spent a lot of time with Toshinori after the war. When all of class 2-A tried avoiding Midoriya to avoid their feelings, Toshinori was the one Midoriya could open up to.
The mentor-student, father-son duo bonded deeply over the loss of One for All. Toshinori was nearing the end of his mental recovery and Midoriya was in the beginning of his. They lost it within a year of each other so they could bond over something they miss. They could bond over being quirkless, gaining a quirk, and being quirkless again.
After Midoriya could maintain his composure for longer than five minutes, Uraraka suggested that Midoriya talks to All Might. “I think All Might would be a great person to talk to about wanting to get away. Maybe he could offer some advice or wisdom,” offered Uraraka, flashing a gentle smile.
“You’re right. I’ll go talk to him now,” agreed Midoriya, feeling a lot better with Uraraka guiding him in the right direction. Right now, he needed someone he admired and someone who would want the best for him.
Uraraka rose from her bed and tightly hugged Midoriya. “I just want you to know… no matter what you decide to do, I’ll always want you to be a part of my life. You are the best friend I could have asked for and I don’t plan on letting you escape our friendship.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” laughed Midoriya, carefully hugging Uraraka.
Midoriya stood by the elevator and called Toshinori. “All Might.”
“Young Midoriya!” cheered Toshinori from the other side of the phone.
“Can we talk?” asked Midoriya shyly, suddenly feeling nervous that Toshinori might reject.
“Of course. Is something wrong?” inquired Toshinori, concern laced in his tone.
Midoriya panicked, not wanting to worry Toshinori. “Not necessarily! It’s just I have a lot on my mind, and I wanted to talk about it with you.”
“Well, perfect you called me now! I’m going on my afternoon stroll. I can meet you in front of the 2-A alliance and you can join me,” invited Toshinori, practically beaming where he was standing.
“Okay, I’ll be down quickly.”
“See you soon, Young Midoriya.”
“See you, All Might.”
Midoriya quickly took the elevator down to the ground floor and quickly made a beeline for the entrance. Most of class 2-A was still down in the common room and watched Midoriya make his way out.
Kirishima jumped up from his seat and rushed over. “Hey Midoriya!”
Midoriya quickly turned to face Kirishima with a kind smile. “Hi Kirishima, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” revealed Kirishima, lowering his voice to keep people from hearing.
Midoriya couldn’t stop the surprise from showing on his face. “Oh, uh,” stammered Midoriya before taking a deep breath and smiling. “I’m okay. I just needed a moment. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Kirishima shook his head with a toothy smile. “Nonsense! You have nothing to apologize for! But seriously… I thought you are Bakugo were dating and just hiding it from everyone.”
“Well, I can’t lie… I thought Kacchan felt the same way. Guess I was naive and too blind to notice the truth,” chuckled Midoriya bitterly.
“If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you. I actually wanted to ask you to go to a hero convention with me. I bought two tickets, but Kaminari ditched me at the last minute,” wined Kirishima, throwing his head back dramatically.
Midoriya clapped his hands together, excited that hero conventions were still happening. He hadn’t had the time to think about silly things like that in a while. “I’d love to go with you!”
Kirishima perked up, beyond relieved. “Really? Great! I’ll text you the details later. Anyways, where are you going?”
“Oh— crap! I am going to have a talk with All Might! Sorry! I really must go! He’s probably waiting on me!” rambled Midoriya, backing away quickly to the doorway.
“It’s alright man! See you later!”
Midoriya threw on his shoes and ran out. Most of the class had heard the part that Midoriya was going to talk with All Might. His panic was loud enough for everyone to eavesdrop. Looking out the window, they watched as Midoriya approached All Might who was standing by the bottom of the stairs.
Toshinori naturally opened his arms and Midoriya quickly rushed into the embrace. After a quick, but tight hug, Toshinori appeared to ask Midoriya a question. Whatever Midoriya said stunned Toshinori, but Toshinori didn’t appear to be completely surprised by whatever was said.
“So, what did you want to talk about, Young Midoriya?”
“I think I want to move away from here,” confessed Midoriya, a bit worried about Toshinori’s response.
Toshinori took a moment to compose himself and respond, but he smiled. “That’s understandable. May I ask why?”
“I don’t think I want to become a hero just to be a sidekick. That may make me a selfish person, but I don’t think I can mentally handle being so close yet so far from my dream,” explained Midoriya, beginning to walk.
“That doesn’t make you selfish. I understand why you’d rather just scrap it all than be a sidekick. What would you rather do than be a hero? Have you thought of that?” questioned Toshinori, wanting to make sure Midoriya had mapped out his plan thoughtfully.
Midoriya nodded, looking up at the sky. “Yes… I was thinking about going to the US and becoming a support item developer with Melissa Shield. Since we are both quirkless and interested in heroes, it would be cool to work together.”
Toshinori perked up at that. He was very fond of Melissa despite the betrayal of her father, David Shield, who had been his sidekick. “That’s a great idea. I’m sure you’d easily be able to transfer to a school in the States. I’d even accompany you since I’m familiar with California.”
“Really? You don’t think I’d be making a mistake?” questioned Midoriya, feeling a bit uneasy.
“If leaving Japan for a couple of years would make you happier and allow you to try something new that would bring joy to your life, I don’t think you’d be making a mistake,” rationalized Toshinori, providing Midoriya with a new outlook on leaving UA High.
Midoriya smiled, feeling a bit relieved. “Yeah. I think I’ll finish this school year and transfer over for my third year.”
Toshinori grinned, holding a thumbs up. “You could even do a student exchange program. You could remain a hero student and try out different things.”
“Yeah… I’ll talk to Aizawa and Nezu about it. I think leaving for a bit would be for the best. I was already on the fence, but today pushed me over the edge,” sighed Midoriya, looking down at his scarred hands.
“What happened?” questioned Toshinori worriedly.
Midoriya’s face glowed a bright red as he realized he’d never really talked about his love life before. “Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say out loud but, I like Kacchan… romantically.”
“Ah, I figured something more was going on between you too,” chuckled Toshinori, happy to hear Midoriya wasn’t afraid to love.
“Kacchan… is dating Todoroki,” whispered Midoriya, feeling his throat tighten from having to say it out loud. The wound was still too fresh.
Toshinori stopped walking, feeling his heart break as he watched Midoriya crumble before him. “Oh, my boy, I’m so sorry.”
Midoriya didn’t fight it when Toshinori wrapped him up in his arms and gently rubbed his back. Midoriya rather melted into the touch as he began to cry again. “I feel so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid, you're far from it,” argued Toshinori, refusing to let Midoriya talk badly about himself.
“I should have confessed when I had the chance. I should have noticed that Kacchan had his eyes on someone else. I was just delusional,” cried Midoriya, tightly squeezing Toshinori’s shirt.
Toshinori frowned as Midoriya cried into his chest. He hated to see Midoriya cry. Watching your kid experience his first heartbreak was devastating. There was nothing you could do to help.
Toshinori took a deep breath before pulling back. “I may not know what it’s like to fall in love with my best friend and they fall in love with another. But I do know what it’s like to never confess and regret it later. As the number one hero, I was never able to keep a long-term relationship. Whether it was out of my control, or I was scared.”
“Really?”
“Really. So never feel bad for not confessing but take it as a lesson. Many people experience what you are going through. Take this moment and never hesitate when it comes to love,” encouraged Toshinori, offering Midoriya a heroic smile as he wiped away Midoriya’s tears.
The rest of their walk was peaceful. The sun was shining brightly, and the air was warm. Midoriya cherished moments like these. The war seemed like a faint memory when the world was so beautiful, and he was spending his time beside the man he grew up admiring.
Uraraka and Midoriya agreed to meet after dinner to talk. It just so happened that Todoroki and Bakugo chose that time to approach Midoriya to check up on him.
“I’m really worried about Midoriya,” sighed Todoroki, wishing the elevator would move faster despite Midoriya’s dorm only being on the second floor.
“I’m sure Izuku’s fine. We are probably being paranoid,” guessed Bakugo, going against his better judgment.
By the time they reached Midoriya’s floor, they could faintly hear him talking. The couple paused, carefully inching closer to Midoriya’s dorm room door. They could hear Uraraka's voice as well.
Todoroki and Bakugo exchanged a wary glance. They thought Uraraka and Midoriya had already talked today. They were curious when Uraraka and Midoriya got close again considering the two had distanced themselves after the war.
“See, I told you he’d be the best person for you to talk to!” gloated Uraraka for being right.
“Yeah, he was supportive of my plans and ideas,” noted Midoriya, his voice upbeat.
The shifting of sheets could be heard from inside the room before Uraraka asked, “What is your plan? I don’t think you ever told me exactly what your ideas were.”
Todoroki and Bakugo were equally lost. Midoriya hadn't mentioned plans or ideas recently. The last serious conversation Midoriya had with either of them was about how his training was going. Even then, he didn’t have much to say.
Neither Todoroki nor Bakugo realized how little they knew about Midoriya anymore.
Midoriya was quick to respond to Uraraka. “I was planning on moving to the United States. Specifically, California to work with Melissa Shield. Since we are both quirkless, it would be nice to work with her.”
Bakugo felt his heart momentarily stop, horrified to hear Midoriya wanted to leave. After the last time Midoriya left UA, he’d never heard Midoriya entertain the thought of leaving again. It would be an understatement to say Bakugo didn’t want Midoriya to leave. He dreaded the mere thought of not seeing Midoriya each day. He couldn’t imagine not being able to see Midoriya smile and hear him say Kacchan.
Todoroki felt sick, unable to imagine not having Midoriya at arm’s reach. After having Midoriya there at every stage of his life, he didn’t want to lose someone so important. Still, Midoriya has been nothing but supportive to him, so he wanted to return the same support.
“That’s actually a really good idea! Are you planning on continuing your hero education or are you going to change your goal?” questioned Uraraka with excitement in her voice.
“All Might said he'd set me up with a foreign exchange student program if I wanted. That way I could get the best of both worlds. Still, I think I may just go into support gear with Melissa,” answered Midoriya, still leaning more toward giving up on being a hero.
It was quiet for a bit. Todoroki and Bakugo remained frozen in place, waiting for Midoriya and Uraraka to finish their conversation before fully panicking.
“You sure you don’t want to be my sidekick? We’d be one hell of a team,” teased Uraraka, even though there was a trace of sorrow in her voice.
“No… I wouldn’t even want to be Kacchan's sidekick,” opposed Midoriya quickly.
“Damn. Is that just because you don’t want to be a sidekick that bad or is it because of your unreciprocated feelings?” interrogated Uraraka, struggling to make light of the entire situation.
Bakugo felt his entire world stop. Izuku Midoriya had a crush on him. Midoriya, his childhood friend, loved him. Deku, the boy he fought next to during a war, wanted to be with him. Midoriya liked him the entire time.
Todoroki on the other hand felt incredible guilt. While it wasn’t his fault and Bakugo had been the one to ask him out, he couldn’t help but feel like he stole Bakugo from Midoriya. He couldn’t help but feel like he was inconsiderate of Midoriya’s feelings. If he had known Midoriya liked Bakugo, he would have never accepted the confession.
“A mixture of both. It may sound stupid but after the war… I fought with my mother so hard to let me stay here. At that point in time, you all were ignoring me. Kacchan was all I had, and I didn’t even know how to talk to him… but I stayed because of him. Now that he’s with Todoroki, I don’t have anything to stay for. They have each other now,” lamented Midoriya, feeling a bit empty now that he was saying it out loud.
“It’s not stupid. It makes a lot of sense. Besides, an upside to you going to the United States for a bit is you’ll have the opportunity to move on,” offered Uraraka, feeling bad for Midoriya.
Midoriya seemed a bit happy as he announced, “All Might said he’d even go with me! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Uraraka gasped, clapping her hands. “That would be perfect! I think having him around would be good for you. Since you’ll be experiencing a lot of changes by moving.”
“I’m a bit nervous to move because of that. Making new friends while learning a new language and picking up a new career goal is a lot,” sighed Midoriya loudly.
“You’ll have no problem making friends!” refuted Uraraka, offended Midoriya was nervous about having to make new friends.
Midoriya was quiet in response. Bakugo and Todoroki shared a concerned glance. Uraraka's voice greeted them first. “Deku? What’s wrong?”
“What if they think I’m worthless or ugly? I’m covered head to toe in scars, my hair is uneven, I’m quirkless, I’ll be the UA High dropout,” listed Midoriya, not bothering to downplay his concerns.
“Listen to me very carefully. I said this earlier, but I think you need the reminder. You became the greatest hero to ever exist. Those scars are reminders of the blood, sweat, and tears you sacrificed for the safety of others. Your hair will finish growing out by the time fall comes around.”
Midoriya opened his mouth only for Uraraka to shush him violently. “Silence! You won’t be known as a UA dropout. You fought in a war that many pro heroes didn’t survive. Everyone will be super excited to be in a class with you! Besides, who cares if you’re quirkless? You could probably lift this entire building with your pinky.”
Midoriya couldn’t help but laugh at that last comment. “I guess you’re right. Still, I just don’t think I’ll ever be the same. I don’t want to give up on being a hero, but the world is unfair.”
“Why don’t you take up Toshinori’s offer? Be a foreign exchange student in the hero program. Work with Melissa and have her develop support gear for you. You can still be a powerful hero! You still have all your combat knowledge under your belt,” suggested Uraraka, trying to motivate Midoriya to not give up on his dreams.
“I’ll talk to Aizawa about it. I’m not even sure if I’ll end up moving to America. I just think I’d be a lot happier if I got away from this place,” admitted Midoriya.
Bakugo and Todoroki rose to their feet and tried to gather their thoughts. Todoroki whispered to Bakugo. “What if we pretend to get off the elevator? That way he won’t know we overheard.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” agreed Bakugo, sneaking into the elevator before closing and opening the door.
The duo was talking at a normal volume and immediately noticed Uraraka and Midoriya stopped talking.
Bakugo knocked on the door, trying to remain calm. “Izuku? It’s me and Todoroki. Can we come in?”
“Yeah, Uraraka is here too,” answered Midoriya calmly.
Bakugo opened the door and walked in. Todoroki followed close behind, stopping to slowly close the door. The first thing both noticed was that Midoriya’s room lacked its usual amount of All Might merchandise.
Bakugo nodded at Uraraka before confronting Midoriya. “What’s going on Izuku? You’ve been off today.”
“It’s just been a weird day,” answered Midoriya shortly, not even sure how to speak to Bakugo anymore.
Todoroki frowned, sitting in Midoriya’s desk chair. “Are you sure that’s it? You seemed off this morning and even seemed a bit off when talking to Kirishima.”
Uraraka turned to Midoriya, curious. “You talked to Kirishima earlier?”
“Yeah, Kirishima approached me earlier. He just invited me to a hero convention. I was super excited and agreed to go, but I guess I just started thinking about how different everything is now and how I haven’t had time to go to one,” rambled Midoriya, quickly coming up with an excuse.
Todoroki nodded, knowing that wasn’t the truth, but took it. “Oh, that makes sense.”
Bakugo narrowed his eyes, wanting Midoriya to be honest. “What about this morning? You were acting strange. Pink Cheeks here dragged you off.”
“It was a rough morning, that’s all. I’m fine,” dismissed Midoriya, not planning on telling Bakugo or Todoroki anything.
“Okay, as long as you’re okay. I was worried,” replied Todoroki, not wanting Midoriya to withdraw any further.
The rest of the talk was bland and awkward. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo were aware of how broken their friendship was, but there was no easy way of mending it. The war changed each of them so much and they never took the time to talk about everything that happened. They seemed to dodge the touchy subjects and handle them on their own.
Bakugo had to deal with the trauma of dying on the battlefield and the effort it took to rehabilitate his arm and strengthen his heart while also being careful. Todoroki was busy dealing with mending his broken family and the physical recovery of each person. Toya was the worst and Enji was in close second. Still, Todoroki didn’t have any desire to open up about what was going on or how he was feeling about the situation.
Midoriya was dealing with something else entirely. Midoriya was still trying to recover from the events that occurred early in the year. The large number of near-death encounters he had provided his nightmares with unlimited fuel. The backlash from countless civilians in the fallout of the first war made him scared to show his face in public. Seeing all his friends and idols injured and fatally wounded on the battleground was horrifying and those moments would forever be imprinted in his mind. Those were just some of the things Midoriya had to deal with. He also had things like losing both of his arms, feeling like he failed to save Tenko, missing the past users of One for All, and being quirkless again.
There was so much Midoriya held inside and struggled to cope with. Midoriya knew his friends needed just as much help as he did, but he never truly bounced back after initially feeling ignored. It was very similar to the isolation he felt when he was young and quirkless.
Bakugo and Todoroki never reached out and Midoriya was too depressed to put energy into maintaining relationships. Now Bakugo and Todoroki were happily dating and finally seeing just how badly they failed Midoriya.
Midoriya completed his second year at U.A. High before quickly leaving for America. Toshinori and Inko followed closely behind, ready to give Izuku the future he deserved. Class 2-A, now 3-A missed Midoriya's presence, realizing too late just how much he needed their attention and support. They had to watch Midoriya mentally and physically recover through news articles, reports, and social media posts.
Todoroki, Bakugo, and Uraraka never told anyone the reason why Midoriya left Japan and U.A. High. Even though Todoroki and Bakugo broke up shortly after five months of being together, they’d forever remember they were the final nudge Midoriya needed to leave.
Confidence was one hell of a drug. Izuku Midoriya was used to helplessly hoping for a brighter future even though he never had the confidence to back up his desire. Suddenly he had the body he had always dreamed of having, met his idol, gained a quirk, got into his dream school, and had more friends than he could count with his fingers.
It was safe to say Midoriya gained confidence. Where he’d usually stay on the sidelines and try to make himself as small as possible, he was now running face-first into the limelight. There was something exhilarating about showing off his abilities as a hero and how he was the best at what he did.
His ex-bully, Katsuki Bakugo, tried to break down Midoriya’s confidence in the beginning. It was only a matter of time until he realized just how much he liked seeing Midoriya all confident and empowered. It took some time to get used to, but Bakugo was quick to learn from his mistakes and atone for them.
For the young heroes in training, their third year came around before class 3-A could comprehend how fast time was passing. Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki were the notorious big three. It only made sense after they fought the most dangerous villains in the war.
Midoriya didn’t realize how great it could feel to be on top. He was already a villain magnet before they figured out his quirk, so not much was going to change.
Imagine Midoriya’s shock when some random, first year, hero-in-training nobody tried starting a feud with him. Of course, it was all one-sided.
Uraraka, Midoriya, and Bakugo were having their weekly spa day when Mina rushed in holding her phone. “Oh my god! Guys, you gotta read this!”
Midoriya sat up, removing his head from Uraraka’s lap. Midoriya’s face was only half-done and Uraraka was holding a container of clay face mask.
Bakugo was already finished, his spiky bangs held back with an Edge Shot-themed headband. Bakugo rolled his eyes, not thrilled that their quiet time was interrupted.
“What’s up, Mina?” questioned Midoriya, slightly worried by Mina’s tone.
“Some random first-year at Ketsubutsu Academy was attacking you online!” revealed Mina in anger, not appreciating some random person trying to defame Midoriya.
Bakugo and Uraraka’s attention was captured, heads snapping to watch Midoriya’s reaction to see if they needed to attack this fool. Midoriya was frozen momentarily, considering how he wanted to respond to this news. Knowing this first-year was already going to be reprimanded by a majority of Japan, he didn’t worry too much. He did defeat Shigaraki on live television after all. Picking a fight with the person who saved the world is a stupid move.
Throwing an apple slice into his mouth, Midoriya shrugged. “Eagles don’t fly with chickens.”
Uraraka and Bakugo’s heads snapped away from Midoriya to each other. While they knew Midoriya could get sassy, they didn’t realize he was capable of throwing out insults that would put a chronically-online jerk to shame.
“You are so right about that Midoriya. They said that your quirk wasn’t even that good because of your scars. They said something about them making you look old,” groaned Mina, not bothering to read the post out loud to Midoriya.
“What? I’m so timeless and sexy though!” gasped Midoriya, well aware he was anything but sexy at the moment. He had on an AllMight headband, a hot-sauce-stained tee shirt, and a pair of Bakugo’s old baggy sweatpants.
Bakugo smirked, looking at Midoriya. “Damn right Izuku!”
Uraraka laughed to herself, happy to be surrounded by people who would never let something so childish get to them. It gave her the courage to take every insult or unsolicited comment and return it with nothing but the brutal truth. She felt a sense of ease around them and knew that they felt the same way with her.
“When did you get so sassy Deku?” questioned Uraraka, amused by this sudden wave of iconic clap-backs.
“After dealing with the past users of One for All for so long, you learn to return their energy,” revealed Midoriya, remaining vague about the reason why he’s sassy with them.
Bakugo didn’t say anything as he got up from his seat and joined Uraraka and Midoriya on the carpet. “This little shit had been acting all innocent around you and the rest of our class, but he’s a brat as soon as he’s alone with me.”
Midoriya feigned hurt, not enjoying this personal attack. “How dare you make these accusations about me Kacchan?”
“Accuse? No, I’m exposing you,” corrected Bakugo, his smirk wide and threatening.
“Sorry Deku, but I’m with Bakugo on this one,” chuckled Uraraka, more than happy to fluster Midoriya for no specific reason.
In response Midoriya huffed and began messing with his hair. Mina was holding back laughter, secretly recording the entire exchange. “What are you doing?”
Midoriya looked over to Mina with an oddly calm expression, “Huh? Oh, I’m just pulling out the grey hairs this experience has given me.”
Mina could no longer contain her laughter, loving how witty Midoriya truly was. It seemed the Uraraka was on the same boat and fell into laughter as well. Bakugo smiled, looking at Midoriya before sneak attacking him and giving him a noogie.
After the four calmed down, Mina seemed to remember her whole point of coming in. “Are you going to do anything about it?”
Bakugo cracked his knuckles. “Well, I’m going to blast that extra into outer space for taking shit about Izuku like that. The idiot wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for him saving the fucking world.”
Midoriya smiled, letting his hand rest on Bakugo’s back to feel his heartbeat. “No need. I’m not going to do anything. Me ignoring him is letting him know that he is irrelevant to me. Giving him attention would only give him power.”
“Yeah, and I don’t think we have to worry about teaching him a lesson. Midoriya is too popular for his fans to not attack this guy,” reminded Uraraka, aware of how crazy some of Midoriya’s fans could be.
Midoriya grinned, looking at his hands in thought before looking over to the three. “I want to see if I can convince Nezu to bring his class over to train. That way I can make an appearance. I know the moment he spots me he’ll start to panic.”
Bakugo nodded, meeting Midoriya’s gaze. “All bark, no bite.”
“Just like you,” commented Midoriya with sly wit.
In an instant, Bakugo was after Midoriya. Explosions filling the room. Spa day was ruined.
Izuku was minding his business, scrolling through his phone as he tried to blend into the background. After all, he was the laughingstock of Aldera Junior High. There wasn’t a day when insults weren’t thrown at his face.
The school day hadn’t yet started so Izuku got to relax before the wrath of his peers was unleashed upon him. Katsuki came in and didn’t immediately come to ruin Izuku’s day, signaling that Izuku would be attacked later in the day when something mildly inconvenienced him.
“Everyone, take your seats,” instructed the teacher, entering the room with a stack of papers.
Izuku sighed, putting his phone away. The hero news blogs were dry this week anyway.
The teacher began calling attendance as usual. When the adult reached Izuku, he perked up a bit. “Midoriya, someone is waiting for you outside.”
The entire room faced Izuku with a stunned expression. Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah right! No one would waste their time to visit this quirkless loser.”
Hifumi never took his eyes off Izuku as he laughed, “Totally! It’s probably the nurse coming by to tell him to stop bothering her.”
The classroom was filled with sickening and ignorant laughing. Izuku was more than happy to get out of the room, heading to the door without much thought of who could be waiting for him.
Sliding open the door, Izuku’s jaw dropped as instantly saw a tall man with white fluffy hair and freckles.
“Darling! Guess whose back from jail!” cheered the man with open arms and a bright smile.
Izuku blinked slowly, feeling the burning gaze of all his classmates. The teacher was frozen in shock, beyond uneasy about leaving this ex-inmate with his student in the hallway.
Izuku shook his head, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the classroom. Izuku slid the door shut behind him and moved closer to his father. The teacher held up a finger to the class and approached the door. While they couldn’t care less about what happens between Izuku and his classmates, they did care about Izuku possibly being left alone with someone who could be a potential threat.
“Dude, what the fuck?” questioned Hifumi.
“Hell if I know!” seethed Katsuki, unaware Hisashi was in jail. From what Mitsuki told him, Hisashi was overseas for business.
Meanwhile, in the hallway, Izuku had to deal with his fresh-out-of-jail father.
“Dad, did you really have to shout like that,” groaned Izuku, crossing his arms.
“Of course, I heard what those little shits said about you in there. Had to send them a message,” huffed Hisashi, unremorseful as ever.
Izuku smiled, finally reaching out to his father. “I missed you.”
Hisashi smiled, pulling Midoriya into a tight embrace. “Not as much as I missed you!”
Izuku couldn’t help but laugh, missing moments like these. “So why did you come to my school?”
“Well, Inko went to pick me up from the prison early and left you a note telling you to stay home,” commented Hisashi, not sure about what the note said considering he only found out about it when they returned to the apartment and Izuku wasn’t there.
“Oh! Mom’s barely home so I usually skim the letters she leaves. I read “don’t leave” and figured she meant for me to not leave my notes at home. It’s happened before,” chuckled Izuku sheepishly.
Hisashi grinned brushing Izuku’s bangs out of his face and caressing his freckles. “You’ve bulked up since I’ve last seen you.”
Izuku smirked, flexing his arm. “Yeah, I’m trying to be as strong as you.”
“Can’t wait to have arm wrestles with you,” remarked Hisashi fondly, ruffling Izuku’s hair. “Now go on and grab your belongings. I’m taking you home.”
“Oh thank god. I was not in the mood to waste away here today,” celebrated Izuku, letting his entire body hunch over dramatically.
Entering the room again Midoriya soon realized that the entire class had been eavesdropping considering all the teens who sat in the back of the classroom weren’t in their seats. Katsuki and his lackeys stared at Midoriya in disbelief.
Izuku sheepishly announced. “Sorry for my Dad’s shouting. He’s just excited to be back.”
The entire school was filled with rumors that Izuku had a super dangerous father associated with the mafia. The only part of the rumors that was true was that Hisashi had been in jail and that he would happily destroy the lives of anyone who dared to lay a hand on his son.
It was safe to say the worst Katsuki did for a while was call Izuku “Deku”.
There were the random moments where Midoriya was confrontational. He wasn’t necessarily trying to push anyone into a corner or be an asshole, but his mouth would run faster than his brain.
Many days Midoriya functioned on auto-pilot. It was just how things were when exams were coming up and training difficulty increased at the same rate. The majority of class 1-A never picked up on Midoriya’s “confrontations” as they were so quick and mindless.
Uraraka and Todoroki were the two people who experienced them the most but took it as constructive criticism or a gentle correction. Midoriya was known to be helpful and was one of the smartest people in class.
It was a lazy Sunday in the 1-A alliance. Saturday was full of studying and exams so it was safe to say everyone was enjoying their weekend. Midoriya on the other hand was sleep-deprived as he trained for three hours extra once classes ended.
Lunchtime crept up and Momo walked into the common room holding up some packages of food. She and Tokoyami were going to prepare the food for lunch. “Who all wants pork in their hot pot?”
Before anyone could say anything, Aoyama perked up. “No thanks, I’m vegan!”
It seemed that no one really paid much attention to what he said except for Momo and Tokoyami.
Midoriya had been lying on the couch, aggressively typing on his phone. It had been a couple of days since he’d been on his All Might fan account and needed to fend off the anti’s.
The moment Aoyama said he was vegan, Midoriya’s mind quickly recalled the traumatizing experience of Aoyama shoving cheese in his mouth.
Shooting up from his seat and pointing a finger, Midoriya rebutted. “You had a cheeseburger from McDonald’s last night!”
The entire room when silent as they watched Midoriya confront Aoyama with the most un-present gaze. Midoriya’s head and eyes were trained in Aoyama’s direction, but he appeared to be looking through Aoyama.
Aoyama couldn’t even react to what he was hearing before Midoriya fired off again. “And you have a gallon of milk in the fridge with your name on it.”
Aoyama’s mouth fell open in offense, unable to do anything but get exposed for lying about going vegan in front of the majority of his class.
Kaminari was watching in amazement with an open-mouthed smile, recording the entire event. Kirishima’s jaw was touching the floor, never expecting Midoriya to be so blunt with Aoyama. Meanwhile, Mina was covering her mouth and falling on Hagakure who was also suppressing her laughter. The sight before them was too good.
Uraraka and Iida were watching with wide eyes as their gut was sinking. They were extremely impressed with how Midoriya was calling out Aoyama’s new stunt, but they were extremely concerned.
Todoroki was on the same page as the duo but didn’t show it. He was mainly worried something was upsetting Midoriya to the point he snapped at someone he was usually friendly to.
Bakugo on the other hand was doing his best to not make any noise as he tried to stop choking on water. Never once in his life had he seen Midoriya act like that. Part of him was way too entertained to be uneasy or concerned about others seeing his reaction.
Momo and Tokoyami on the other hand were frozen in fear. They didn’t want to get involved in whatever was happening with Midoriya and Aoyama.
Midoriya wasn’t finished and quickly sent a final blow. “And you had eggs with mozzarella cheese for breakfast!”
Aoyama had a hand to his chest like he’d be physically wounded before letting out an awkward noise, “euh!” that was the mixture between a gasp and scoff.
Aoyama’s face scrunched up as if he was trying to make Midoriya explode as he was dying from embarrassment. Suddenly he jolted backward with a gasp as he stared at Midoriya, waiting for more or someone to come to his defense.
As the group turned their attention back to Midoriya to see what he was doing, he was busy typing on his phone aggressively. Sure, he heard Aoyama lie and quickly called him out for lying, but he had more important matters to attend to.
An Endeavor fan just responded to Midoriya’s recent post and was trying to spread misinformation. All Might’s reputation would never be tarnished on Midoriya’s watch. If the account decides to try and spin lies again, Midoriya may just have to doxx the account user.
Aoyama deflated when he was Midoriya was already unengaged. “I’ll have pork in my hot pot.”
Momo and Tokoyami booked it out of the room as soon as they got a response from everyone. They were more than happy to make hotpot if that meant they didn’t have to address whatever that scene was.
Todoroki peeked over Midoriya’s shoulder to see what he was typing. Catching up to speed, Todoroki’s concerns diminished. Midoriya was in a heated battle with an Endeavor fan who was an All Might anti.
“Mention how he put my mother into a mental hospital, that will get them,” offered Todoroki, leaning his head on Midoriya’s shoulder.
Midoriya nodded as a smile appeared on his face. “Perfect idea Todoroki-kun.”
Uraraka and Iida shivered, very distraught by the entire situation.
Uraraka sighed, “We are going to need an intervention.”
“We may need more than that,” claimed Iida wearily, not prepared for whatever is going on with Midoriya.
Kaminari and Mina were busy cracking up at the fact that Midoriya was secretly a menace. Who would have thought their super smart and nice classmate would have a dark side?
Bakugo on the other hand knew he’d never let Midoriya live this down. Midoriya tore into Aoyama for lying about being vegan. What a lame way to finally be abrasive.
It was safe to say Aoyama was scared of Midoriya for a week.
Izuku never knew a life without his mother. It was always Inko and Izuku against the world. Izuku never once met his father Hisashi and he couldn’t bring himself to care.
Inko was everything Izuku needed and without her being at the forefront of his life, he’d never become the person he was. It was all thanks to his mother.
Inko died at the age of sixty. It was out of the blue and she had died of a heart attack. Izuku was only thirty-five. The day he got the call his mother had died was the worst day of his life.
His hero work kept him busy and he rarely got days off. Whenever Izuku managed to get the time, he’d always have dinner dates with his mother. It was clear Inko had appreciated those little moments together.
They’d cook together, catch up on life, and just cuddle for hours. They felt like the time they shared always slipped away and those moments felt so short even if they spent the whole day together.
Izuku and Katsuki got married at the young age of 20. They didn’t want to waste a moment and desired to experience all life had to offer.
When they were sixteen, they watched the other die. They knew how fragile and short life could be. Death was promised and they wanted to enjoy the life they had left.
Holidays and celebrations were always a grand event. Inko and Mitsuki would often hang out together, but having their family members join them for a party was an exhilarating experience. Every day, every moment, was lived to the fullest.
Izuku could say there was so much more he wished he could have experienced with his mother, but he was satisfied with the time he did have with his mother.
It didn’t make things any better, but having no regrets was something that made Izuku grieve his loss without any guilt laced with it. Izuku could miss the amazing woman Inko was and miss his perfect mother.
For months, Izuku was inconsolable. Katsuki did everything in his power to help Izuku through Inko’s death, but he couldn’t imagine the pain Izuku was going through. Katsuki loved Inko dearly, but he didn’t know what it was like to lose his mother. Katsuki didn’t even want to imagine a life without Mitsuki.
It was a random Friday when Mitsuki had invited Izuku over to have some tea and talk. It was nice to just talk to someone who cherished Inko just as much.
Mitsuki was crying, hugging Izuku. “I ran out of her pickled daikon radish! I don’t know what to do!”
Izuku paused, feeling something click in his mind. Even if Inko was no longer with him, there was something she did that no random person in the world could mimic. Inko’s cooking and baking were inimitable. The only person on the planet who could make Inko’s recipe was Izuku.
Izuku pulled back, his hands resting on Mitsuki’s shoulders. “I’ll make you some!”
Mitsuki’s eyes widen, blinking away her tears in surprise. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
“Yes, I’d love to make it for you,” reassured Izuku, his face filled with an excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Mitsuki seemed to melt, relief flooding her. “Thank you, Izuku. I can’t wait to taste it!”
Izuku grinned, quickly hugging Mitsuki again. “You won’t be able to tell I made it, trust me.”
The next day rolled around and a beautiful Saturday greeted Izuku. Izuku threw himself up and took over the kitchen. The windows were opened and the morning breeze lulled Izuku into a peaceful rhythm.
The sunlight warmed his skin, matching the warmth his heart felt while making the same food Inko happily prepared him when he was a child.
Katsuki walked over and instantly spotted the mess. Shaking his head with a small smile, Katuski made his way over. Wrapping his arms around Izuku’s waist, Katsuki pressed a tender kiss to Izuku’s temple. “What are you getting into?”
“Just cleaning out the fridge,” fibbed Izuku, knowing Katsuki wasn’t going to buy it.
“Sure and I’m not your husband,” remarked Katsuki, giving Izuku a gentle squeeze.
Izuku sat down the knife before turning around to hug Katsuki. “I’m making some pickled radish for your mother.”
Katsuki paused before a look of recognition crossed his face. “She’s probably over the moon knowing you can keep supplying her addiction. She’s obsessed with Inko’s pickled food for as long as I remember.”
“Yeah, I can’t believe I was so depressed I forgot that I can remake all the foods my mom made by heart,” chuckled Izuku, snuggling into Katsuki’s secure hold.
“Anything I can do to help?” questioned Katsuki, knowing the answer was going to be no, but he wanted to check anyway.
Izuku shook his head before pecking Katsuki on the lips. “Nope. This is quick and easy to make.”
Katsuki nodded before releasing Izuku. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Within thirty minutes, Katsuki heard a loud thumping in the kitchen. Rushing out, Katsuki watched as Izuku jumped in place, filled with excitement as he was chewing. Katsuki sank in relief upon witnessing the childlike joy written in Izuku’s expression and bouncing.
Izuku spotted Katsuki staring and quickly shoved the pickled radish into Katsuki’s mouth. Katsuki immediately could tell why Izuku was so excited. The crunchy yellow radish tasted exactly like the kind he had eaten his entire life. It was identical to Inko’s.
Izuku knew that if he kept making food that tasted identical to his mother’s, he’d never stop eating. If food was how he planned to keep his mother alive, he’d happily eat each meal like it would be his last.
“Good job, Izuku. It’s perfect,” complimented Katsuki, diving in for more.
“It’s so wonderful,” cried Izuku, following his husband's lead and eating more.
Inko may be gone, but for the rest of Izuku’s life, he’d never have to live a day without her beautiful, one-of-a-kind meals. Inko showed her love through food and Izuku would forever be grateful that homemade meals will forever be their thing. Even after death.
Midoriya was thrilled to take Katsuma under his wing once he passed the UA entrance exam. UA High offered housing for those who didn’t have a place to stay, but anyone living at home could commute if they desired. Katsuma had no problem staying at the dorms, but his father had his reservations.
Katsuma's father recalled the young hero who saved his son. Reaching out to Midoriya, the father asked if Midoriya would be okay with hosting Katsuma while he attended UA High. Midoriya already had Kota staying in his place since he lived right next to UA and had no problem having another kid stay.
His apartment had felt very empty alone, so he appreciated the company.
Katsuma and Kota got along much to Midoriya’s joy. Kota saw a lot of Midoriya in Katsuma and took it upon himself to protect Katsuma no matter the costs. Katsuma was introduced to Eri through Kota and boom, a friend group was formed.
It wasn’t until a couple of months before their first year ended that Kota approached Midoriya to explain his worries about Katsuma’s girlfriend. The girl was from the business department.
According to Kota, the chick was trying to keep Katsuma away from him and Eri. That information wouldn’t be as concerning if it weren’t for the fact the girl would get angry if Katsuma talked to them.
Midoriya wasn't inexperienced in the dating world. Midoriya knew what kinds of people to stay away from romantically. He had been in many failed relationships, but most of the time it was because he knew his worth and what he wanted out of life.
Midoriya knew that the red light was blinking and the warning sirens were blaring. Kota's explanation was enough to concern Midoriya. Midoriya would kill for his children. There was no way he was going to let some grubby future Hero Commission worker hurt his baby.
Kota knew just how far Midoriya would go for those he cared about and was more than happy to throw the emotionally and verbally abusive girlfriend under the bus.
Unfortunately, Midoriya didn’t have to initiate the conversation because the following day Katsuma came home crying. Midoriya told Kota to give them a moment, not wanting to risk Katsuma hiding information because Kota was with them.
Kota and Katsuma got along, but sometimes embarrassing things happen in a relationship. Midoriya wasn't naive. After all, he went to UA High and his classmates were less than innocent when their third year at the school rolled around.
“Katsuma? What happened?” cooed Midoriya, letting the young teen rush into his arms.
“It’s Okamura," wept Katsuki, hiding his face in Midoriya's baggy shirt.
Midoriya tried to not sound aware of what was going on to get a full explanation. “Okamura? Your girlfriend? What did she do?”
“I was just talking to Shoji-sensei with Kota and Eri about your upcoming patrol. Okamura must have been watching and started screaming in my face about how I was hiding stuff from her and that I was a horrible boyfriend,” cried Katsuma, clearly distressed that he was screamed at for no reason.
Midoriya did everything in his power to not walk out of the home, tell the kid’s parents everything, and then tell Nezu to expel her. No one made his son cry, especially for no reason.
Midoriya let out a soft sigh before pulling back and cupping Katsuma’s wet face and using his thumbs to wipe away tears. “Has she done stuff like this before?”
“Yes, all the time. She won’t let me have any friends. She’s constantly trying to make me sneak out and spend the night,” revealed Katsuma, making it clear that Okamura isn’t respecting his boundaries or what he cares about.
Midoriya was becoming more worried than anything else. It was clear what Okamura was trying to pressure Katsuma into doing. Midoriya understood Katsuma was getting older and it wouldn’t be shocking if he was curious about sex. But, if Katsuma wasn’t interested in doing it and Okamura was trying to get Katsuma to do dangerous things even if he wasn’t interested, that was a serious problem.
“If she gets this angry at the little things, she will only get worse as time passes. This girl doesn’t respect the people you care about. She doesn’t value your space or privacy. She doesn’t care about your comfort. I’ll support whatever decision you make, but don’t expect me to allow her to step foot in this house because if I see her, she’ll be too scared to even look your way once I’m done talking to her,” said Midoriya in a scarily calm voice.
Katsuka weakly smiled, simply sinking into Midoriya’s touch and hiding his face into Midoriya's puffy sweater. “I’m scared to end things with her.”
“Don’t be. She’d be stupid to try messing with you. Having you under my wing, every hero in the school would be willing to die for you. Okamura would be expelled immediately as well. She's not fit to be a hero if she lashed out at you," reassured Midoriya, brushing Katsuma's bangs around to fluff them.
"You're right. I'll ask Eri and Kota to be nearby when I do it!" chirped Katsuma, feeling a lot better about getting himself out of a bad relationship.
Three days have passed since Katsuma ended his relationship with Okamura. The breakup was far from easy and peaceful. Eri had to step in when it sounded like Okamura was preparing to strike Katsuma. Kota had been waiting for the moment Okamura tried anything so he had permission to physically intervene.
After the breakup, Okamura wasn't backing down. It was clear she wasn't when Kota and Eri couldn't find Katsuma one day. When they were looking around, they soon realized they couldn't find Okamura either. Kota and Eri's calls went to voicemail when they attempted to call Katsuma.
Panicking, the duo ran to the teacher's lounge to help them find Katsuma. Nezu caught the drift of what was happening and quickly checked the cameras only to find Okamura forcefully dragging Katsuma to a vacant classroom.
Kota tried to beat the heroes to Okamura, but they got to the empty classroom first. Katsuma was unconscious and Okamura was caught red-handed restraining a beaten-up Katsuma to a chair. Heroes were sent to capture and restrain the teen.
None of the adults knew what to do. When it came to Midoriya, no one messed with his kids. When it came to children in general, Midoriya would happily destroy anyone who even tried to put a child in harm's way.
The adults were evenly split about telling Midoriya. Half wanted to fix the problem in privacy knowing Midoriya would raise hell. The other half wanted to immediately tell him so hell wasn’t raised upon them, there was no stopping Midoriya and he would find out any moment now.
While the adults were deciding what to do, Kota urgently called Midoriya.
"Izuku! Izuku!" shouted Kota, not waiting for Midoriya to greet him.
Deku, who was currently in the middle of capturing a villain alongside his hero partner Dynamight, froze at Kota's frantic tone. "Kota? What happened? What's going on?"
"It's Katsuma! Okamura-," started Kota, only to be cut off.
"I'm on my way," announced Midoriya in an eerily calm tone.
All Kota could do was smile as Midoriya ended the call abruptly. His dad was pissed and Okamura was going to wish she never met Katsuma when Midoriya was done with him.
Bakugo blasted the villain, watching the police force rush to capture the unconscious villain. Turning to Midoriya, Bakugo froze when he saw Midoriya's dark expression.
"Izuku? What the hell?" yelled Bakugo over the sirens.
"Something happened. I'm heading to UA. Right. Now," seethed Midoriya, shooting his gaze to his best friend.
"I'm coming with. You look like you're going to kill someone," remarked Bakugo, eager to see what was about to go down.
Midoriya chuckled to himself, freaking out Bakugo. "Oh, once I know what that dumb girl did, I just might."
Katsuma was in the nurse's office, currently getting his vitals checked since no one knew exactly what Okamura did to knock someone as strong as Katsuma out. The adults were still discussing their mode of action when Nezu revealed that Midoriya was here.
The adults were panicking, trying to figure out what they were going to tell the number one hero. Their panic only doubled when they found out the number two hero, Midoriya's hero partner, the one and only Bakugo Katsuki, was with him.
Kota and Eri were beside Bakugo as Midoriya took the lead. Midoriya entered the nurse's office, immediately tending to Katsuma. "I'm going to kill that little punk. I guess she is stupid enough to hurt one of my precious jewels."
Katsuma silently cried into Midoriya's chest, feeling safe in the presence of his guardian. "She... she."
Midoriya shushed Katsuma, seeing that Katsuma was not ready to talk about what happened. Turning to the new nurse, the pro-hero Healflame, Midoriya tried to remain kind.
"What did Okamura do?"
"From what I can tell, she failed to properly inject Katsuma with an unknown substance I'm getting tested now. Okamura also physically attacked Katsuma once she injected the substance into him, most likely the way Katsuma ended up unconscious. There will be some bruising on his head, wrists, and legs, but is fine otherwise."
Midoriya screamed at Nezu, Katsuma's teacher, and Okamura's teacher. The fact that Okamura wasn't in handcuffs only enhanced his rage.
"So you failed to protect my child, but you are now protecting a criminal? That monster practically kidnapped and assaulted my child in this school and you all are protecting her?" shrieked Midoriya, his face growing red from how angry he was.
Nezu bowed his head and sighed, "We can't do anything. Okamura's case depends on Katsuma."
"And you wanna know why you can't do anything? My son was knocked un-fucking-conscious!" Midoriya couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "You know, after all the shit my class went through in our time here, you still manage to fail to protect children Nezu."
Nezu remained silent, staring at Midoriya in shock and hurt. Everyone in the room knew Midoriya hit where it hurt. No one could blame Midoriya because what he said was true.
Shoji rushed to bow before Midoriya. "I sincerely apologize for the harm I have caused Katsuma and I'm planning on apologizing to him personally. He mentioned Okamura was a bit on the crazy side, but I didn't know to the extent. I have failed your son and I promise to make it up to the both of you."
Midoriya smiled, patting Shoji's shoulder before giving it a tight squeeze. "The first thing you can do to make it up to me is to get that brat's parents here... now."
Shoji nodded, leaving the room to make the calls. Bakugo marched over and crossed his arms. "This is why you can't even break the top ten. If you paid attention and cared about your students, none of this shit would've happened."
Kota scoffed, "They didn't even seem to hurry when I told them to find Katsuma!"
"Yeah, they tried to tell us that we were being dramatic," ranted Eri, happy to call out the teacher's neglect.
Midoriya looked at Bakugo. "Kacchan."
"What nerd?"
"I need you to stop me if I can't hold back anymore."
Bakugo nodded, the only one equipped to stop Midoriya if he lost his cool. It wasn't often that Midoriya lost control of his emotions, but then again, Midoriya always struggled to control his heart when those he loved were hurt.
When Okamura's parents finally arrived, Midoriya guided them to a private room to discuss what happened. Midoriya genuinely believed that if he talked to the parents, they'd come to a resolution.
It didn't take long for Midoriya and Okamur's parents to disagree.
"Our precious daughter would never do that!" cried the girl's mother.
Midoriya narrowed his eyes, getting suspiciously calm. "Oh? So you want to play that game."
The woman wasn't having any of it. "How dare you insinuate our child was capable of harming Katsuma! She loves that boy with all her heart!"
"You're daughter may have loved my kid, but she had a horrible way of showing it. Your daughter is the reason why they broke up, she made my son cry. Your child is a demented lunatic! She assaulted my kid!" argued Midoriya, his composure slipping.
The woman gasped, pointing a finger at Midoriya. "You're crazy! I don't care if you're some hot-shot hero, you're the crazy one!"
"I don't care if protecting my son makes me crazy. And... just so you know, parent to parent, I don't care what you say anymore. I was willing to come to some kind of resolution, but that's over now. I won't let your criminal of a child get away with what she did and she will not be getting away with a lousy slap on the wrist. Her future is over," promised Midoriya heartlessly.
"You can't do this!" exploded the woman, her face bright red as panic settled in her gut.
"Oh, but I can, and I am more than happy to let you know that your daughter will never become a hero because I am going to get her banned from this school and all other hero schools. Your child is a villain and if she does manage to get away with this... I will make sure that the rest of her life is a hell she can't escape,” vowed Midoriya, his smile anything but welcoming.
Midoriya happily got up and left the horrified mom and neglectful dad in the room. Opening the door, Midoriya was met with Bakugo and Kota eavesdropping. Midoriya rolled his eyes at Bakugo's stunned expression.
"Damn Izuku. You should date me," suggested Bakugo, shooting his shot.
Kota fake gagged, offended. "Back off old man!"
Midoriya patted Bakugo's bicep. "Ask me later Kacchan. I'm in the middle of something."
"The middle of being a badass," complimented Kota, smiling at the memory of Midoriya giving those parents a piece of his mind.
Thankfully with Midoriya's power and status, Okamura was expelled and charged with assault even though most children don't ever get serious charges. The substance Okamura tried to inject Katsuma with was another piece of evidence that made it easy for Midoriya to get his way.
Katsuma had a quick recovery and his bond with Midoriya somehow managed to get even stronger. Kota and Eri also managed to get even closer to Katsuma, growing even more overprotective. Midoriya was happy to shelter and defend the kids who were put under his care.
No one fucked with Midoriya’s kids.
There was never a dull moment with class 2A. Sure, sometimes a normal day would be nice, but realistically all the teens were used to it. With everything that happened in their first year of UA and the first couple of months of their second year, most days were eventful in a non-life-threatening way.
There was a giant shift in the class dynamic. Sure, everyone was close, but the bond was incredibly close. It was safe to say class 2A turned into one giant family.
There were also new developments. For instance, romantic relationships bloomed. Kirishima and Mina were the first to announce their relationship. After seeing how fast their life can come to an end, they didn’t want to waste another moment worrying about being rejected or ruining a friendship.
Kaminari and Jiro followed shortly after. Kaminari had a revelation during the first war that the mere thought of Jiro brought him strength. They had been tip-toeing around their feelings, too wrapped up in the chaos surrounding them to address their feelings for one another.
The most anticipated relationship was between Bakugo and Midoriya. They went through hell together, both dying during the war. Only with a miracle did they both get successfully resuscitated and recover fully. Bakugo’s heart exploded and Deku suffocated from Gearshift. Both of their hearts completely stopped. Midoriya saw Bakugo’s dead body after being dragged away. Bakugo watched as Midoriya dropped dead when the fight was over.
The duo was in recovery for months, their bodies struggling to recover from overexerting their quirks to the point of death. Similar to the others, they soon realized that with the time they had left, they wanted to spend it together. They lived in a world where the other no longer existed, no matter how long or short they were dead. They never wanted to live in a world where the other didn’t exist.
The relationship was kept between the class and the teachers. No one else in the entire world knew. They were able to love one another in the privacy of the school.
Outside of UA, the entire class was celebrities for their part in the war. Society fell apart and was built back up again. Midoriya and Bakugo were recognized as the wonder duo. Deku Midoriya and Kacchan Bakugo. Hero Deku and Hero Dynamight.
Unfortunately, some adults should never be around kids, but they were. It was an average interview, but of course, things didn’t go to plan. The wonder duo was at another interview to discuss their lives and the aftermath of the war. Reporters were notorious for either being amazing or horrible. Unfortunately, the one the duo was dealing with was a bad one.
The girl was very clearly flirting with Midoriya and at one point tried feeling his abs underneath his hero suit. Midoriya froze, feeling beyond violated. Bakugo was fuming, not only pissed but jealous that some woman was touching Midoriya. One glance at Bakugo’s face was all it took for Midoriya to have the strength to defend himself on live television.
Slapping the woman's hand away while shoving her away, Midoriya spat, “Touch me again and I’ll put you through the fucking floor.”
Bakugo grabbed Midoriya by the forearm and pulled him away. “We are leaving nerd. This pervert isn’t to be trusted to keep her hands to herself.”
“Wait, please don’t go!” begged the woman, rushing over.
Midoriya turned his attention to her and did his best to not have a visible reaction. “Why would I stay?”
“I didn’t expect you to get upset. Let’s restart!” insisted the woman, bowing her head.
“As if hag,” scoffed Bakugo, pulling Midoriya impossible closer. “You haven’t even bothered to try and apologize and you’re blaming Deku for being uncomfortable when you are the one who tried to touch him like a freak.”
“You’re weird and I’d rather not answer any questions you have for me. Let’s go Kacchan,” agreed Midoriya, finally sending a glare to the entire crew.
As the adult was begging for them to say, the duo was rushing out of the room. They’d rather relax at the dorms than worry about the stupid interview. Bakugo pulled Midoriya close and bit his cheek as soon as they were on campus.
Midoriya yelped, but let Bakugo hold him close. “Kacchan?”
“That was hot as fuck Izuku,” complimented Bakugo, happy to watch Midoriya tell someone off.
Midoriya grinned, sinking his face into Bakugo’s chest, breathing in the familiar scent of caramel mixed with the faint smell of his cologne. “Only for Kacchan.”
Bakugo barked a laugh, fondly smacking the back of Midoriya’s head. “Hey! Save it for later.”
“Okay.” Midoriya bashfully grinned, releasing Bakugo. Suddenly recalling something, Midoriya cheered, “Let’s have Katsudon!”
Bakugo rolled his eyes but wasn’t going to argue. Midoriya surprised him with super spicy mapo tofu earlier that week. Midoriya even paid a visit to Fuyumi Todoroki to make it perfect. Their love language was every kind of love language. Acts of service, physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, and receiving gifts.
When they entered the dorms, Aizawa was already waiting for them as the rest of their classmates were gathered in the common room. The duo were happily holding hands, excited about lunch. The sight of Aizawa waiting for them initially scared them, but soon relaxed remembering the interview happened.
“Are you okay Midoriya?” questioned Aizawa, hearing about what happened on the news.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” sighed Midoriya, letting go of Bakugo’s hand to get closer to Aizawa. “Just a bit shaken up.”
Aizawa nodded, fist-bumping Midoriya’s chest. “Don’t worry kid. I already have Nezu working with the company about what occurred. We are making sure that woman never has a job dealing with minors ever again.”
Bakugo grinned, stepping forward. “Good. Extra needs to learn her place. If Midoriya hadn’t done something I would’ve blasted her ass to space.”
Midoriya grinned, never feeling safer as Aizawa and Bakugo talked about the ways they wanted to keep him safe. Aizawa ended up following class 1A throughout the years with Nezu’s permission. Sure, Aizawa was the best at raising young heroes, but he needed his kids and his kids needed him.
Aizawa simply nodded at what Bakugo said and turned his attention back to Midoriya. “As long as you're okay kid. I’m proud of you for setting your boundaries.”
Midoriya grinned, feeling a secure hand on his waist. “Thank you. I was happy to make it clear I don’t tolerate unsolicited touch.”
Bakugo guided Midoriya to the kitchen attached to the common room only to hear the crowd rushing over. Uraraka practically tackled Midoriya as she screamed, “I’m so proud of you!”
Kaminari laughed, his arm hanging around Jiro’s shoulder. “Yeah, that was really fun to watch.”
Jiro grinned, nodding at the duo. “Watching Bakugo get all huffy and overprotective was hilarious.”
“I thought it was rather adorable. Besides, we were all freaking out when she touched Midoriya,” chuckled Momo with a nod and a fond smile on her face as she looked at an irritated Bakugo.
Todoroki held up his phone, pointing to where Aizawa was napping. “I told Aizawa about what happened so he could get the lady in trouble.”
Midoriya couldn’t help but laugh from where he and Uraraka were lying on the ground. “You guys are crazy.”
“Nah bro, what that lady did was unacceptable. We were all excited to watch the interview, but we were more excited to see you two put her in her place,” complimented Kirishima as he shook his head, walking over to where the group was starting to congregate.
“Honestly, what a nightmare,” sighed Mina, disgusted that a grown adult thought it was okay to touch a teenager like that on live television.
Midoriya nodded, allowing Bakugo to pull him up onto his feet. “Sure I was irritated, but honestly I wouldn’t have stood up for myself if it wasn’t for the fact I’m madly in love with Kacchan.”
Bakugo elbowed Midoriya, eyes narrowed despite the way his face was flushed a beautiful red. “You better be! I’m the best.”
“Kacchan is the best,” declared Midoriya, wearing a happy smile. “I’ll happily destroy anyone who tries to pull us apart.”
“Okay, calm down Freckles,” grumbled Bakugo, still flushed. He couldn’t deny that he liked it when Midoriya was all possessive. After a moment of silence, he mumbled, “Love you Izuku.”
Midoriya turned his body to crush Bakugo in a hug. “I love you too Kacchan!”
Class 2A was never going to let Bakugo hear the end of it.
ALSO HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! SLAY TO ALL THE FELLOW BKDK'S OUT THERE <3 <3 <3
Manga spoilers and Dark themes
Sometimes you can’t escape your inner demons no matter how much time has passed. Four amazing years may pass, but that darkness is only one storm away.
Midoriya struggled a lot with depression growing up. Despite having a loving mother and a safe home environment, the torture he suffered through the day was too much.
Midoriya loved everything about the hero world and how he could escape into fantastic fantasies. He was constantly diving deep, imagining alternate universes where he was respected by his peers. Midoriya craved positive attention or for the hollow feeling inside him to vanish.
On the days Midoriya didn’t have school, he’d curl up in his bed and never move. Unless his mother sweetly called him for dinner or suggested some bonding time, the day was spent wasting away underneath a comforter.
Midoriya was lucky to have met Toshinori. The man gave Midoriya a sense of purpose that he had been missing. Toshinori saw something in Midoriya that Midoriya never saw in himself. It was like he was reborn, suddenly showered in affection, and given a list of things to do to better himself.
Midoriya trained his mind and body every day. Midoriya was eating healthy and filling meals three times a day. By the end of the day, Midoriya was ready to sleep. With getting proper sleep, intake of nutrients, and producing endorphins through intense training, Midoriya was feeling much better.
Despite the upward climb, there were times Midoriya gave into the gloom. He’d skip showering, not study, ignore the tangles in his hair, never change out his uniform at the end of the day, sleep the day away, not sleep at all, and a plethora of other things he did when things were getting bad.
Neglecting his needs was one thing, but he’d harm himself in more direct ways. He never thought much about it, simply seeing it as a way to relieve the tension in his head and the tightness in his chest. He did it in places he knew would never see the light of day.
In a short two years, Midoriya was seventeen and dealing with mountains of trauma he didn’t know how to digest. Midoriya was surrounded by people who brought out the best in him, but he could feel himself slipping.
“I’m not hungry, sorry.”
“I really needed to catch up on sleep.”
“Can we reschedule? I’m so sorry something came up.”
“Sorry, I’m a bit behind on my studies.”
“Maybe some other time?”
Midoriya slowly withdrew himself from his peers. With the door locked, lights off, and the silence of the soundproof walls made it easy for the sickening sweet voice in the back of his mind to grow louder.
“Was this all worth it?”
“You served your purpose, you aren’t needed anymore.”
“They probably are happy you aren’t around as much.”
“That sounds like so much work.”
“You really can’t amount to anything.”
“A lazy hero is good for nothing.”
With an empty stomach and an ache in his heart, Midoriya closed his eyes and slept the dark thoughts away. When an alarm broke him out of his nightmare, he slept through his usual morning run.
It didn’t take long for everyone to notice something was off. Todoroki, worried and unsure of what to do in this situation, practically fed Midoriya lunch, not giving him a chance to skip a meal. If he had to guilt-trip Midoriya into it he would.
“I got this just for you,” revealed Todoroki, extending out the warm bowl of katsudon.
Midoriya would softly smile, sitting next to his best friend and enjoying the warm meal. The perfect crunch of the breading and the juiciness of the pork nearly brought him to tears. It didn’t matter what meal it was, Midoriya would swallow every last bite to respect his friend's kindness.
Bakugo talked with Toshinori and Aizawa, knowing that they may no longer be Midoriya’s teachers, but they were parental figures. He knew something was wrong and this was bigger than him and his classmates. Aizawa and Toshinori weren’t constants in Midoriya’s life, but their value remained. Their assistance would mean so much more than the nineteen people who are constantly around him.
During the war, Midoriya never once reached out for help when he was working himself to death. If Midoriya was experiencing something that was troubling him or he couldn’t save himself from whatever he was going through, Bakugo would pull him out.
It seemed that Toshinori and Aizawa had a hunch that something like what was happening would happen soon enough. Aizawa knew very well that the trauma Midoriya refused to acknowledge would come back tenfold.
Toshinori knew the psychological damage he experienced over the years by dealing with his demons. Being the number one hero and having the entire world on his shoulders was a burden he wouldn’t wish on anyone. That’s why he originally gave Midoriya the quirk. He believed he was simply passing on a powerful quirk.
When it came out that All for One was not dead and that he had a successor, Toshinori felt guilt consume him. He put Midoriya in a situation far worse than the one he’d lived through.
Midoriya watched nearly all the people he cared about die and/or be on the brink of death. Midoriya watched thousands of innocent people die, unable to do anything. There was an evil far worse than any the world had seen before and Midoriya had to face it himself.
Midoriya had to shove all his emotions deep down as he was forced to see the corpse of someone he cherished dearly. Midoriya was a kid but wasn't in a position to handle the situation as one.
Midoriya was struggling with the trauma of the war and the pressure he was put under. Midoriya would forever be scarred from the responsibility placed in his hand. Yet, deep down, Midoriya was ashamed of the itch he had to be important.
There was this craving for chaos and the fight to the death. Suddenly nothing was going on and the feeling of worthlessness settled in. Midoriya didn't want innocent people to die again or for the world to be in danger, but he felt like something was missing without the danger.
The guilt of missing something so horrible killed him more than what he was put through. Maybe they were interconnected in some way but, in Midoriya's mind, wanting it to happen again was a different trauma response than his episode of depression.
Sometimes, Midoriya's brain filled itself with noise when the world was too quiet. The earth-shattering sounds of the battle and his scream mixing with the screams of the rest of the world would haunt him. The rare spots on his wall where there was no All Might merchandise, Midoriya's eyes would focus on the white wall and let the rest of his room fade away.
Midoriya could fall into a staring contest with his wall while standing, sitting, or lying down. There were no limits and he usually would catch himself doing it whenever he was in the security of his room. These moments of pure disassociation could last from anywhere of a couple of seconds to over an hour.
It was Saturday night and Bakugo was going to drag Midoriya down to study with the class. He figured surrounding him with everyone would help get him out of his head a bit. He always liked to think he knew Midoriya the best, but he didn't know the first thing to do to help Midoriya snap out of whatever mental decline he was trapped in.
"Izuku, I'm coming in," announced Bakugo, hand already turning the door handle.
Bakugo didn't think much about not receiving any response and opened the door. Midoriya was on his bed, lying on his side as he stared at his wall motionlessly.
"Nerd?"
Midoriya didn't seem to notice Bakugo or even signal he heard Bakugo address him. Bakugo started panicking, worried Midoriya was unresponsive. Bakugo started looking over Midoriya after dropping to his knees beside the bed.
"Shit, Izuku. Look at me!" begged Bakugo, reaching to check for a pulse. He cursed himself for not paying closer attention to Midoriya's health. It took seconds for Bakugo to feel the steady thumping of Midoriya's pulse under his fingers.
Midoriya blinked, feeling the warm touch and wanting to lean into it. His vision of the wall was blocked by Bakugo's worried expression and he couldn't help but feel like everything was okay for this split second in time.
Tears started falling and Midoriya couldn't find the strength in himself to stop. Midoriya let his whole body shake with each sob he let rip through his body. He hated feeling so hopeless and feeling stuck in such a horrible mindset. It was a scary feeling to have no control over.
Bakugo didn't need to hear anything to know that Midoriya needed him at that moment. Bakugo reached for Midoriya's hand and took it securely in his own before resting his forehead against Midoriya's. Rough and crooked fingers intertwined and squeezed soft and powerful fingers.
"I don't know what to do Kacchan," wept Midoriya, feeling safe to express himself.
Bakugo remained quiet momentarily before letting his gut do the talking. "You don't have to know what to do all the time. Sometimes life sucks and you have to let others make it less shitty."
Midoriya cried harder, pulling out his other hand to gently wrap it against Bakugo's wrist. "I can't do this anymore."
"And you don't have to. I'm here. If you can't handle burdens on your own, I'm here. Let me help, Izuku," stressed Bakugo, brushing Midoriya's bangs out of his forehead. "I'll be there to save you every time you need a hero."
Midoriya felt like the room was no longer caving in on him and that the world finally had air to spare. His grip on Bakugo momentarily tightened before he took a deep breath. There was something so incredible about Bakugo and how he never failed to be Midoriya's anchor. Bakugo never failed to reach his hand out to lift Midoriya out of the pit he was trapped in.
“Let’s go take a shower, grab you something to eat, and how about we go study? You don’t need to be alone and if you get overwhelmed we can ditch,” guided Bakugo as he removed his one hand from Midoriya’s bangs to poke his freckles.
Still feeling vulnerable, Midoriya let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, can you just stay here with me for a bit?”
Bakugo rose from his uncomfortable position and crashed beside Midoriya on his bed. “You could ask me to destroy the world and I’d do it.”
Midoriya smiled, feeling his cheeks heat up by the powerful confession. “You sure know how to make a boy feel special.”
“After existing in a world without you… I never wanted to experience it again.”
Midoriya suddenly realized he had something he could use to anchor himself down. He remembered seeing Bakugo lying in the crumbling field of injured heroes. He remembered the dread that filled him upon seeing the sickeningly beautiful sight of Bakugo’s peaceful resting expression. The crushing horror of seeing his unbreathing, bloodied body would forever haunt his dreams.
Why would he give up a life where Bakugo was right next to him?
“I never want to experience it either,” professed Midoriya, feeling a warmth fill his chest, seeing the scars that littered Bakugo’s body. Those scars were proof that this boy before him would always defy and twist fate to come back to him.
The downward spiral ended when he was forced to remember every wonderful thing he had to live for. He had to live for Bakugo, Todoroki, Uraraka, Eri, Aizawa, Toshinori, his mother, and the surplus of people whom he never wanted to live without.
Overcoming depression wasn’t easy and his recovery wasn’t going to be fast. There would be those moments when the exhaustion that filled him was too much or the pressure of outside expectations killed his appetite and kept him up at night. The battle was a lot easier being surrounded by people who never failed to bring a smile to his face.
Freshly cleaned and fed, Midoriya had his bookbag filled with unfinished homework and study guides. Bakugo was right next to him, wearing an accomplished grin as he plopped down next to Midoriya. The excited greetings of his classmates washed away any bits of anxiety that he may have had left.
“Ready to get this study game on?” questioned Kirishima happily upon seeing two of his best buds appear together.
“Yeah! I’ll admit I’m a bit behind,” admitted Midoriya meekly.
Iida seemed to not care about the fact that Midoriya got behind on schoolwork and smiled warmly. “Well let’s get you caught up!”
Midoriya eagerly nodded, feeling the buzz of his classmate's excitement rub off on him. They were all gathered together to study, but Midoriya couldn’t help but be overjoyed to be with them at that moment.
Things would be okay.
Morning sunshine. Soft blankets overlapping. Tender touches of love affirmation. Red eyes that are as vibrant as rubies. Blond hair that is soft to the touch. Strong muscles that served as a fortress of unwavering safety.
Izuku Midoriya was not a morning person. Don’t be mistaken, he does wake up early every day nonetheless. The chill of the morning and the struggle to go on that morning run was a daily battle. Then Katsuki Bakugo flipped Izuku’s relationship with the morning upside down like a sunny-side-up egg.
The first time Izuku woke up with Katsuki by his side, he cried. The scene was so surreal. It surpassed perfection. Izuku was overwhelmed by the simplicity of waking up beside the love of his life. The warm palms and static fingertips that grazed his waist and pulled him close were addicting.
Izuku would do the same thing every morning. Katsuki would remain asleep with his mind in a foreign state of peace. Izuku would kiss Katsuki’s forehead softly. Rubbing Katsuki’s cheek softly, Izuku would admire his beauty. Izuku would snuggle closer and bask in the warmth capturing him.
The chill of the morning didn’t phase Izuku anymore. Warm and fulfilling, breakfast would be prepared and eaten when he returned. Izuku and Katsuki would sit together and have a private, domestic moment in the sanctuary their home was.
Izuku would be showered in love and reciprocate the affection without a second thought.
Katsuki adored Izuku. Katsuki couldn't imagine a world without Izuku in it. Even if he could, he'd rather die than live a life without him. After everything they'd been through, they constantly tend to each other.
Their patrols went smoothly, but hero work was harsh on the body no matter how easy their shift was. On this particular day, Izuku stayed in their agency building to catch up on paperwork while Katsuki patroled.
They usually patrolled together, but Izuku knew that if he didn't start on the pile of paperwork that was accumulating, he'd be drowning soon enough. He'd rather keep his shifts as short as possible. Besides, he didn't mind the boring work when he could listen to music or talk with employees.
Katsuki had stopped a robbery, helped a lost kid, and captured two wanted villains by the end of his shift. Izuku finished all the paperwork and fixed up their schedule to accommodate some meetings and interviews.
When their front door clicked behind them, Izuku took Katsuki by the hand and led him to the bathroom. While Katsuki was busy stripping off his hero suit, Izuku was starting the bath.
With one hand, Katsuki could count the times they bathed together. It wasn't that they thought it was gross or they didn't want to do it together, but their bathtub wasn't the biggest for two grown men.
Izuku stripped and the two slipped into the water. After soaking for a bit, Katsuki reached for the shampoo, but Izuku softly took it from his grasp.
"Let me take care of you tonight," breathed Izuku in a soft voice that never failed to turn Katsuki into putty.
Izuku lathered his hands up with shampoo, smiling sweetly at Katsuki who wore an innocent look of surprise. Izuku reached his hands out and raked his fingers through Katsuki's soft, pointy locks of blond hair.
Katsuki couldn't help but close his eyes and lean into the touch. Izuku's scared hands and crooked fingers worked magic for Katsuki's scalp. He couldn't even kid himself, he felt like he was floating.
Izuku then started washing away sweat and grime off of Katsuki, gently kissing the scars that littered his body. This process carried on for minutes. Izuku’s touch was tender as he truly took the time to treasure and care for the love of his life.
Katsuki had never been one to get overwhelmed or to cry, but he couldn't help it. The tears came before he could even process it. Izuku remained silent, simply wiping away the tears or kissing them away.
It was in these moments that the two knew they were soulmates. No words needed to be said. They could read each other like a book. They understood what one another's needs were and they were more than willing to meet the standards.
As Izuku began rinsing Katsuki's body, he also massaged his sweet spots. Katsuki's hero gear put a lot of pressure on his shoulders. It didn't help that to aim his quirk, it wore down his shoulders and back.
Katsuki grunted occasionally whenever Izuku successfully got out a knot of muscle. Izuku would chuckle and move to the next area. This cycle continued until the warm water grew cold.
After a quick second bath for Izuku to get cleaned and for them to rinse off, they finally dried off. Katsuki wrapped Izuku up in his arms and kissed him all over his face. Izuku's soft laughter echoed through their bedroom.
"I love you so fucking much Izuku."
"I love you too, Katsuki."
Aldera - Izuku /// U.A. - Midoriya Aldera - Katsuki /// U.A - Bakugo
Midoriya was signing a little kid's pair of red sneakers when they accidentally hit him with their quirk. Midoriya squeaked as he was suddenly standing in a classroom with no shoes or marker in his hand.
His head immediately shot up, looking at his surroundings. Almost instantly he realized he was in the past. More specifically he was in the classroom that used to haunt his dreams. He was surrounded by the faces of his bullies. Instead of feeling fearful or panicked, his head snapped over to where his desk was.
There sat his past self, bewildered at the sudden appearance of a person in the middle of the classroom. Instead of freaking out, Midoriya clapped happily.
“Mini-me!”
The students were all petrified. The future version of their quirkless classmate looked nothing like they expected. He was still rather short even though he had grown a couple of inches. The crazy part was the clear muscles he possessed along with scars that decorated his body.
There was one thing that captivated everyone in the room. It was the way Midoriya's presence lit up the room with how he was practically glowing.
Their Izuku stared up at Midoriya with a flabbergasted expression. “You’re me?”
Midoriya nodded, chuckling to himself. “Sure am! Although I guess I'm not too far into the future or anything crazy. I’m a third year in high school!”
The teacher suddenly interrupted the two, clueless about what to do in the situation. “How are you here?”
Midoriya turned to the adult and shrugged. “Not too sure. I think I was hit by a quirk. I was giving a kid an autograph when I suddenly was brought here. I guess I either got attacked by a villain or accidentally hit by a civilian.”
“Autograph? Who would want your stupid autograph?” shouted Katsuki, not happy with what was happening.
Midoriya's head snapped over, eyes wide with wonder. “Little Kacchan!”
The class of students was undeniably flabbergasted. There was no way in the future, Midoriya would be happy to see Katsuki. Izuku dreaded Katsuki’s presence. After all, Katsuki was Izuku's bully. It seemed that Katsuki was even taken aback by the sunshiny, happy-go-lucky smile on Midoriya's face.
Midoriya knew his phone probably wouldn’t work considering the service he was using and the account he had didn’t exist in the past. Turning to his past self, he looked a bit sheepish. “May I use your phone to make a call?” asked Midoriya politely.
His younger self squeaked a bit, clearly unprepared for that request. “Sure!” After pulling out his phone, he extended it out to his future self. Midoriya thanked his past self before excusing himself to the hallway.
The class looked at the door where Midoriya disappeared behind before turning their heads to their Izuku. His gaze remained fixed on the door, amazed with his future self. He had so many questions.
Midoriya was currently in a hero costume so Izuku was buzzing. If his future self is wearing what he thinks it is, it didn’t look like the hero costume he had drawn out in his notebook. He had plenty of questions and hoped he’d have the chance to ask them.
Midoriya came in a couple of minutes later, handing the phone back to his younger self. “If you get a random call from the Pro Hero Nezu, just know that was me.”
The silence in the room was heavy. Midoriya looked away from Izuku to see everyone's eyes bulging out of their heads at the mention of Nezu. After all, he was the Principal of U.A. High. How Midoriya knew him was the newest and most important question the group of students had.
Izuku nodded, still in disbelief at the sight of his future self. It wasn’t until lunchtime that the two had a chance to talk. They made their way to the back of the school to talk.
Not too far behind the duo were Katsuki, Tejio, and Hifumi. They were Izuku's notorious bullies. Alongside the bullies were a couple of Izuku's classmates. They weren't going to pass up the chance to hear about the future.
Midoriya knew there was a group of kids snooping. Invading their privacy was nothing the bullies would be concerned about. Besides, Midoirya could care less about their wandering eyes and their eavesdropping. What he cared about was his younger self.
Midoriya stared at Izuku momentarily before being unable to contain his joy. He scooped up his younger self with a breathless laugh. This was honestly the best thing he's ever experienced.
Izuku yelped as he was lifted into his older self's arms. He couldn’t help but cry, clinging to the future version of himself that proved he could be a hero.
“I was— I’m so cute!”
Izuku gasped, looking up at Midoriya in wonder. “And I’m very-very wow!”
“Thank you! Glad to know you approve of the future look,” chuckled Midoriya, looking down at his hero suit.
“So, I’m training to become a hero?” questioned Izuku, picking at his cuticles nervously.
Midoriya nodded with a blinding smile. "Of course we are! Although I can't really disclose much more information. Can't risk throwing off the timeline."
Izuku clapped his hands together, failing to stop himself from crying. "I'm so glad."
Midoriya rested his hands on Izuku's shoulders, looking himself in the eyes. "You got this. Things will get much better, but your journey will be far from easy, but we must work hard for the future we want."
Izuku nodded, taking a deep breath. “That’s the life we live. Nothing I’m not used to.”
Midoriya sighed, pinching those chubby cheeks before him. “Even if things may be rough, we will finally have support systems.”
“That sounds really amazing,” sighed Izuku, wondering what it’s like to have someone or something he can depend on when he falls into the deep end.
“It is… god I wish I could tell you everything! Life has been insane,” groaned Midoriya, running his fingers through his fluffy hair.
“I mean clearly. If you can’t tell me anything about the future because of the possibility of something changing tells me a lot," chuckled Izuku, messing with his hands.
It was quiet for a moment before Izuku gasped and grabbed Midoriya's hand. "Wait! I already met... you know who. You don't have to worry about hiding that."
Midoriya seemed to sink in relief. "Okay, so you know a pretty good amount already. I still can't spoil the juicy details, unfortunately. But I can tell you that training goes well."
Izuku grinned, clapping his hands together. "Well, that's great to hear. All our hard work pays off. What is it like having a, umm."
"It was very strange at first. I think we both know it's a big adjustment. Still, it's more cool than anything else. Still learning more and more about it every day," rambled Midoriya, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Izuku suddenly whispered, leaning up to Midoriya’s ears. “What about our relationship with All Might?”
“Oh! It’s wonderful! He’s like a father to me at this point,” chirped Izuku happily, clearly happy to talk about the hero.
“Do we make a lot of friends?” questioned Izuku hopefully.
Midoriya couldn’t help but let out a beautiful laugh. “Yes, we make many friends. I’d argue that I’m the most popular person in the school.”
Tejio rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Bullshit.”
“Yeah right. No way that stalker nerd is popular. He probably pays people to be his friend,” snickered Hifumi, elbowing Tejio.
Katsuki was doing everything in his power to not storm up to the two and blow them up. Their conversation was seriously pissing him off. Izuku’s training to become a hero and successfully does it. Izuku apparently has a father in the future. All of that was a stretch, but the one thing he was not buying was that the quirkless loser was popular.
Izuku’s face lit up and he let out a loud gasp. “Really? That’s amazing!”
Suddenly they heard a shout from the rooftop.
"I am a turtle!"
Both Midoriya and Izuku pause, their smiles immediately fading. Slowly they turned toward each other with highly judgemental looks. Midoriya shook his head, not removing his eyes from Izuku. "I forgot just how much I hated this school."
"Yeah," drawled out Izuku as he cringed.
"Wanna skip the rest of the day? I can just tell the teacher I need to take you with me to UA or something like that," yawned Midoriya, looking toward the entrance of the school.
Katsuki stepped out glaring at the duo. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Izuku immediately used Midoriya as a shield. Unlike him, Midoriya looked disinterested in whatever angsty mumbo-jumbo Katsuki has going on. "I thought you were there when I was magically transported into the middle of your classroom."
"Shut it Deku! You know what I meant," shouted Katsuki, not happy to be messed with.
"Duh, I knew what you meant. It's just I don't appreciate how you speak to me," remarked Midoriya, not tolerating Katsuki's past behavior. "I miss your future self already."
Katsuki seemed to forget about what Midoriya originally said because of the second part. "I already know I'm the best!"
Midoriya couldn't help but smile, nodding his head. "Of course, Kacchan."
Their conversation was cut off by a portal opening and an older Katsuki popping his head through. Spotting Midoriya, he sighed and stepped the whole way through.
"Thank god that worked. The kid hasn’t stopped crying. He thought he killed you," huffed Bakugo, approaching Midoriya.
"Oh, it was the kid? I guess he got too excited then," chuckled Midoriya stepping closer to Bakugo.
"No kidding, he developed his fucking quirk because of you. Now get your ass through that portal Izuku," ordered Bakugo.
Midoriya flushed a bit, rushing to Bakugo's side. "Don't rush me Kacchan!" freezing, Midoriya turned to his past self and winked. "I wasn't kidding when I said things get better! You got this!"
Bakugo nodded and flashed a charming smirk. "You're still a stupid nerd."
Midoriya swatted at Bakugo, attempting to shove him through the portal. Bakugo had grabbed ahold of Midoriya's wrist and chucked him through the portal instead.
Their fighting was amusing for the young teens watching them. Izuku and Katsuki slowly turned toward each other with stunned expressions.
"What the hell?"
"What just happened?"
When they both made it to their rooms that night, they finally had the chance to smile. They were glad to see they figured things out in the future.