I may be fourteen, but shit happens.
Hisashi Midoriya died. Inko Midoriya was unfit to work. Izuku Midoriya couldn’t get a job. Inko had many health problems which resulted in her being unable to get a job for her own safety. Izuku was not only too young to get a well-paying, full-time job, but he was also quirkless. No one would hire a young quirkless teenager, it just wouldn’t happen.
Izuku wasn’t doing well. Aldera Junior High was a nightmare that he couldn’t escape even when he got home. Cyberbullying chased him in his home and terrors flooded his dreams. To top off his horrible life, Izuku’s secret boyfriend disappeared randomly. No letter, no text, no nothing.
In a state of despair, Izuku gave himself up. Izuku applied for a bunch of rich men looking for a husband. Izuku matches with a twenty-three-year-old being pressured by his family to marry. He was kind and well-spoken. Inko refused to allow the marriage to happen at first, not wanting her son to take the bullet for her. Unfortunately, she had to give in when she realized this would be the only outcome. The only difference would be her existence.
Inko says no, gets a job, and dies. Izuku would be left alone and would get married to survive anyways. Inko says yes, doesn’t get a job, and lives. Izuku would have her support and would be in a smartly planned arranged marriage. This was the better outcome.
Inko surprisingly got along well with her son’s fiancé’s family. Izuku and his fiancé had similar interests and easily got along. The pairing wasn’t the end of the world even if it felt horribly wrong deep down. Izuku had been promised they wouldn’t have to do anything sexual. The marriage was to keep the money rolling in and the family's company in good standing.
Izuku got married within a month of the agreement being finalized. The wedding was glamorized. High-profile idols and celebrities were present at the wedding. Izuku was adored by all, considering his innocent and harmless personality. Izuku was energetic yet kind, making him a magnet for people. He was also headstrong yet easy to compromise with so differences could be put aside and deals could be made with ease.
Izuku and Inko moved into his fiancé’s mansion. The entire family lived there considering it was a ginormous home. The family's name was Tominaga. Yuji was the first name of Izuku's husband. As much as Inko and Izuku hated to admit it, the marriage made them happier. They were no longer alone, brought into the high-status lifestyle by the Tominaga family's new and old money.
Inko now had friends and a good support system. While Mitsuki and Masaru were still good friends, neither bothered to keep in touch. Izuku had a person that would be by his side through thick and thin. Izuku was also introduced to popular celebrities and made his way into the hero world through connections. Soon his ex left his mind as he focused on his husband and helping him with his work.
Aldera became more manageable. Izuku's last name changed so it was now Midoriya-Tominaga. They agreed to combine last names. The principal had a meeting about the situation and found Izuku's situation heartbreaking. Teachers also found out about the name change and didn’t know what to think about it. Some teachers were the same age as Izuku’s husband. The thought of Izuku marrying someone as old as them made them uncomfortable on Izuku's behalf. How could Izuku be married to someone their age?
The school year continued, Izuku met All Might, and Izuku continued climbing upwards. Everything came to a standstill when Izuku spotted Gima Iori, his ex. School had just ended and people flooded outside the campus. Gima was standing a bit before the gates, seeming to look around for someone.
Gima's head turned in Izuku's direction and their eyes locked. Izuku felt a wave of emotions wash over him and soon all he saw was red. The world around him disappeared as he stormed forward. His breathing picked up as betrayal struck his gut.
“Izuku.”
Izuku's fist flew out before he even had a chance to think about it. The one word he wanted to say more than anything beautiful slipped from his lips. “Motherfucker!”
Gima’s head snapped from the hard punch, yelping in pain. “Jesus!”
Everyone standing around outside the Aldera building stopped and watched Izuku punch the shit out of this random guy. Katsuki and his two lackeys Aikawa and Ugumori were stunned into silence. They had been following after Izuku to bully him on his way home. They watched as his pace picked up. They watched him approach someone they didn’t know. They watched him punch the guy into oblivion, sounding beyond pissed.
Izuku pushed a hand against Gima’s face and shoulder before shoving him harshly. Izuku's mouth was turned into a deep frown as he yelled, “Where the fuck have you been?”
The group of students took a moment to look at the guy. He was drop-dead gorgeous. He had stylish black hair that fit the fashion trends. His uniform was red and grey, consisting of a blazer, undershirt, tie, and some slacks. Izuku's punch did some damage as the guy's hair was roughed up. The guy's nose was broken and his lips were busted so some blood decorated his face.
No one knew who he was, but they wanted to.
“I’m bleeding!” complained Gima, touching his face in slight disbelief.
“You disappear! You don’t return my calls!” screamed Izuku as he smacks Gima’s head. Without missing a beat Izuku continues. “My texts—!”
“I had something come up,” grunted Gima in defense, remaining vague about what the problem was.
Izuku visibly didn’t like that answer and wore a pissed smile on his lips as he back-hand-slapped Gima. Gima stumbled, nearly falling from the force of the blow. “Oh! Fuck!”
Katsuki stiffened, watching Izuku attack this stranger with the anger of a thousand gods. He exchanged a look with his two pals and they all looked equally as bewildered. Izuku was cursing, fighting, and making a scene. He never once did these things and avoided them at all costs. To see him doing it so mindlessly made them weary. Whoever this was really crossed Izuku. From the sounds of it, it seems like they’re a backstabber of some sort.
Izuku cried in anguish at Gima. “Fuck!”
Gima ducks away, shouting at Izuku. “Stop hitting me!” Gima rubs his face, trying to soothe the pain in his nose and to check if it was broken.
Izuku took his chance and kicked Gima from behind in his ass.
“Ah! God damn it, enough!”
Izuku kicked him again, resulting in Gima backing away more. “Enough! With the hitting.”
Izuku's fists were clenched, staring at Gima like he was scum. Gima was nothing more than gum on the bottom of Izuku's shoe. Gima swallowed hard and stared at Izuku as he anticipated another attack. Students stood around, whispering and murmuring about what was happening. Some recorded the fight to send it to their friends.
The guy held up a finger, signaling Izuku to wait. “Are you done?”
“Where Gima? Where?” shouted Izuku, anger still visible, but a mix of hurt and confusion is just as present as he searched for an answer.
Gima nodded his head, coming up with a stream of lies. Their conversation died down and wasn’t very easy to hear so some people left, not interested anymore. Many remained, wanting to see what would happen.
Izuku raised his hands to emphasize his point. “For weeks for months?”
Gima nodded, stepping forward. “About a year. On a boat, on a cruise actually.”
“And not a call? Not a text?” accused Izuku, his voice raising again at the bullshit explanation he was being handed.
Gima grew angry upon seeing Izuku wasn't buying his lies. He started yelling nonsense, something about being handcuffed and having a bucket or something to piss in. No one present was buying his elaborate story as well.
Katsuki scoffed, pointing at Gima. “This extra is a fucking idiot. Who would buy that pathetic story?"
“Yeah man. Seems like this Gima dude ghosted Midoriya and is trying to come back like nothing happened,” agreed Ugumori, enjoying the sight of Izuku holding his own.
Aikawa sighed, looking at Izuku. “You’re onto something… but it’s not adding up. Why would Midoriya be so angry about something like that? There has to be more to it. Midoriya never gets angry like this.”
Midoriya lip trembled in anger, getting in Gima’s face. “For a year?”
“For a while, yeah,” spat back Gima, trying to sound convincing as he continued to ramble.
Gima walked around Izuku, causing Izuku to face Katsuki and the others at an angle. Gima was rambling about nonsense and Izuku clearly wasn’t relenting. He looked in a state of disbelief, unable to comprehend Gima’s stupidity. Gima’s performance showed Izuku he thought Izuku was nothing more than a forgiving idiot who had no self-worth. Gima thought Izuku was stupid and that enraged Izuku. Izuku rolled his eyes and scoffed, “That’s bullshit.”
Gima continued talking which was a bad choice as his story got more and more unbelievable. Everything that happened was a stretch and impossible. All it sounded like was an excuse. And that’s all it was: an excuse.
“Then who the hell was that bitch I saw on your account? Yeah, in that post you magically were able to take a picture in the middle of your traumatizing experience?” questioned Izuku, crossing his arms to close himself off. Izuku glared, as he leaned forward in a dominant manner.
“My partner!” yelped Gima. His cheeks heated up as he was caught in a lie.
“Your partner? As in your new play-toy?” remarked Izuku condescendingly, glaring at Gima.
“No, my partner as in crime! And shit, you’re one to talk. You got married!” shouted Gima, spilling the secret Izuku kept in front of everyone.
Conversations halted, cameras stilled, jaws dropped, and breathing stopped. No one believed what had just come out of Gima’s mouth. There was no way Izuku was married, let alone in a relationship. Izuku was a quirkless loser who wasn’t even close to being a legal adult. Gima had been spewing nonsense the entire time so Izuku being married was hard to believe when it came out of Gima's mouth.
Izuku shot back immediately, all his emotions out for the world to see as he bled. He leaned forward, his frown deep as the wrinkles on his forehead appeared from his scowl. His eyes were full of hate, pain, and shame.
“What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to sit on my porch knitting, hoping one day for you to show back up?” yelled Izuku, the resentment in his words sending chills down everyones spines.
Just like that, Izuku had revealed to everyone that what Gima had said was true. Izuku was married. Izuku also revealed Gima was Izuku's ex-boyfriend and that Gima had ghosted him. Gima was an asshole and Izuku somehow got caught up in a marriage in under a year from the sound of it.
Tears were falling down Izuku's face as he yelled, jabbing his hands at Gima. “You disappeared! Gone! Nothing!”
Katsuki watched Izuku lose his shit. Katsuki stood there, seeing the dam of pent-up emotions flooding Izuku's senses. Katsuki saw the destruction that Gima had caused Midoriya. Katsuki stepped forward a bit, finding the power to move again under the tension of the situation.
Gima pinched his nose. Looking at the sky before letting his eyes trail back to Izuku. “I think you deviated my septum.”
Izuku smiled at him in disgust, crossing his arms. “Good. You’re lucky I didn’t have a knife.”
The comment Izuku made caught everyone's attention. Izuku was never one for violence. Izuku was always talking about wanting to save people and become a hero. Mentioning he would’ve stabbed Gima if he had a knife was the very opposite of the Izuku everyone knew.
Izuku raised a hand to his face, wiping the tears that rested on his cheeks before shaking his head. “Oh, Jesus fuck.”
“I know, I know,” sighed Gima, the guilt and disappointment twisted in his sullen expression.
Izuku stepped back, looking away from Gima. “I can’t even look at you right now.”
“Trust me, I didn’t want to see you either. Finding out your boyfriend is married is the last thing you want to hear,” recalled Gima, making Izuku the bad guy.
Katsuki glared at the asshole, feeling blood boil. “No way this bastard is about to pin this all on Deku.”
“Sorry dude but it seems like that is what’s happening,” sighed Aikawa.
Izuku glared at Gima, pointing. “You don’t get to act like a poor little victim. I know you were happily fucking around on the cruise your disgusting job bought you.”
Most people at Aldera got excited, happy Izuku wasn’t going to let Gima step all over him. Even Katsuki found himself smirking.
“I didn’t even want to get married!” revealed Izuku, throwing his hands out.
“Oh really? Then why did you?” sneered Gima, demanding an explanation he didn’t deserve.
“You proved to me that my survival can’t depend on you. You fucking left without a word. While you were gone my father died and we had no money. My mom couldn’t get a job because I’d rather have her live. So I married a rich guy. Yuji can actually take care of me and my mom financially! I can help him with whatever he needs and I get food on the table, a house over my head, and my mother by my side!”
Katsuki let out a defeated sigh. The truth finally hit him. Izuku was married to some random man and was stuck in a loveless marriage. He never heard about the wedding which meant Inko didn’t even tell his mother about it. This meant Izuku and Inko were going through all of this absolutely alone. Izuku had to sacrifice his love for a random marriage. Izuku didn’t even know what dating felt like and suddenly he was dressed in white and told to walk down the aisle for hundreds to see.
While dread overcame Katsuki, he enjoyed Midoriya insulting Gima indirectly. He also was proud of Izuku for saying everything he did for himself and Inko. Izuku made a big sacrifice for him and his mother's safety and health. Izuku made a selfless choice which as result made Gima look like a huge asshole.
Gima stilled, eyes widening at the information dropped on him. Trying to deflect his guilt, Gima scoffed. “So what? Instead of working an actual job, you turned into a whore?”
It was clear Gima and Izuku were still in their own world because many gasps could be heard. People’s phone’s all shook in rage at how big of an asshole Gima was. Katsuki and his lackeys felt themselves get pissed.
“Gima, are you fucking stupid? I’m quirkless.”
Izuku's hostility surprised Katsuki. For Izuku to call Gima stupid for telling him to get a job was shocking. He and the rest of the class had always mocked Izuku for wanting to be a hero. What no one had thought about was his inability being unable to get a job, let alone a position as a police officer.
Gima rolled his eyes. “All I’m hearing is an excuse. Marriage is meant to be out of love, not convince.”
Izuku rolled his eyes back, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve always known I would marry rich. If I marry, might as well be a rich person. Why would I be ashamed of that?”
“Because you’re sleeping around with a grown man for money.”
“There is no “sleeping around” and there isn’t really any love right now. It’s a business exchange.”
Breathes of relief could be heard when Izuku revealed nothing sexual occurred. The marriage was strictly business. Izuku got money for being married to Yuji and Yuji got money because his status as a married man helped the business. Katsuki felt his fists fall and his breathing even.
“Yeah and that business exchange could also be you working a normal job,” argued Gima, showing he was really bitter about Izuku moving on.
“That’s not possible. I’m quirkless… and as a quirkless person, there’s no way for me to make my own money. Not enough to earn a living or to support my family. And if I had my own money—which I don’t, that money would belong to my husband the moment we got married. And if we had children, they would be his, not mine. They would be his property. So don’t stand there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition because it is. May not be for you, but it most certainly is for me.
Gima stood there, failing to come up with anything to say. He had been grasping for straws, but he finally ran out. Gima was fumbling out a bunch of grunts and embarrassed huffs. He had embarrassed himself in front of everyone.
Katsuki immediately found guilt nagging him in the back of his head. He had thought he was the worst of it, but discrimination goes deeper than bullying. Izuku clearly had been thinking about his future for a long time, weighing his options. It was being a hero or nothing at all for Izuku. Suddenly everything made a lot more sense. Marriage was the only other way he could make a living since no one would hire a quirkless person for a well-paying full-time job.
Many of Izuku's peers didn’t realize the marriage situation for a quirkless person was significantly different than anyone with a quirk. While quirk marriages were illegal to protect people with quirks, quirkless people were brushed under the rug. Quirkless people could be sold off, owned, or thrown away and the government wouldn’t blink an eye. Being protected by the rich was the only way to survive. Izuku wanted to live for himself by being a hero.
Izuku cleared his throat, wiping his face to erase any hint of care he had for Gima’s existence. “You treated me like shit. I’m happy you ran away because I want nothing to do with you. If wanting to keep my mom healthy and alive makes me a whore, so be it. You’re nothing more than a douchebag who thinks with his dick more than he does with his brain. Get the hell away from my school and stay the hell away for me. Next time I’ll have a knife.”
Gima swallowed hard, frozen under Izuku's glare. Izuku stepped up and sighed, staring at Gima before sending a final blow. The crack managed to echo outside when Izuku's fist made contact with Gima's face. Gima collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Izuku stood over him, looking down at his body with disgust.
“That’s what you get for calling me a whore,” murmured Izuku, rubbing his knuckles.
Stepping on his body before walking, Izuku fixed his hair before disappearing. Katsuki clapped his hands before laughing. “That’s what I like to see.”
Months passed and Izuku got into U.A. flawlessly. Izuku took the recommendation exam. Yuji’s work friend was married to a pro-hero that had attended U.A. and happily recommended Izuku. Izuku remained married to Yuji upon finding the stable relationship comforting. That meant he could easily reject people, avoid worrying about love, and focus on his training.
Katsuki and Izuku had gotten along well after Izuku's stunt at school. People respected Izuku after seeing what he was capable of. Inko reconnected with Mitsuki and Masaru after Katsuki told them about Izuku. That resulted in the duo hanging out whenever Mitsuki and Masaru would visit or Inko would visit.
Katsuki met Yuji and deemed him a respectable figure. He was protective, understanding, and compassionate. They were traits that matched Izuku's needs and the two worked well together. Neither was sexually attracted to the other for many reasons so their marriage seemed more like a dumb marriage pact two friends would have.
Things would work out in the end. Izuku would become a pro-hero. Yuji would find another suitable husband he fell in love with. Izuku and Yuji would divorce. Izuku would buy a place for him and Inko to live that was close to Mitsuki and Masaru’s.
Izuku would finally let himself fall in love. Katsuki would happily let Izuku love him. They’d get together and take things slow. Izuku would finally experience something he’s deprived himself of and grow addicted.
The End.
Inspired by Fiona and Jimmy's fight in Shameless and the conversation between Amy and Laurie in Little Women. They matched up perfectly with the plot I came up with two days ago in the shower.
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
Midoriya knew the saying all too well. After all, it was said to him whenever his haircut came out too short or didn’t look right. He knew it didn’t make anything better, yet people constantly said it.
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
In junior high, his bullies decided it would be hilarious to drench Midoriya head to toe during lunch. They carelessly picked up a bucket of what they assumed was water and threw it on Midoriya. The whole lunchroom was laughing or ignoring the show when things went south.
Midoriya started screaming, wiping his eyes, and struggling to stand.
“It burns! It burns!”
Soon everyone realized that what Midoriya was been splashed with was not water. While the dumb bullies that pulled the prank were freaking out, others jumped into action. Bakugo had been in the lunch line and getting his food when Midoriya started screaming. Despite everyone assuming he couldn’t care less, he was the one to scoop Midoriya up.
While one of the students called 119 out of fear, a couple others had been trying to get handkerchiefs and napkins to help. Bakugo forced them away and rushed Midoriya to the nurse, freaking out that Midoriya was still wailing and struggling to keep his breathing calm. The nurse explained if the chemicals were harmful enough, Midoriya needed to be stripped down and thoroughly rinsed.
The curtain was drawn and Bakugo had to help Midoriya undress and get under the shower. Midoriya tilted his head upwards, more concerned with flushing his eyes. Bakugo was huffing and puffing. He was a bully, but this kind of physical violence was horrible. Whatever chemical that was been poured on Midoriya was already showing clear effects. His skin was enflamed and bright red.
Midoriya could barely stand, getting a bit wobbly. Bakugo was doing everything in his power to support Midoriya’s body weight and keep him stable. Bakugo also tried to help Midoriya control his breathing.
Once the ambulance arrived, Midoriya was taken off to the hospital as well as Bakugo. Bakugo only had mild pain in his arms and hands from where he’d been touching Midoriya and his clothes. He was still treated considering how bad Midoirya’s condition was.
Midoriya left Aldrea Junior High after the incident. Aldera Junior High in return got a bad reputation after the event occurred. Many students uploaded the video causing news stations to report the crime. The Midoriya family refused to respond to the reporters trying to get details on what went down or Midoriya’s current status.
The Bakugo family had visited Izuku many times. Inko was devastated, but beyond happy her pride and joy was alive and safe. Katsuki was still beyond pissed that his peers were so stupid and reckless. Mitsuki and Masaru kept bringing him really amazing meals in secret since the hospital food didn’t really have much he liked.
Izuku had permanent scarring from the intense 2nd-degree chemical burns. While most of his body had the bucket of strong chemicals splashed on him, there were some miracle spots where there was close to no damage. Of course, there still was a lot. The majority of his body was affected due to the chemicals seeping into his clothes.
Izuku was grateful for Katsuki. If he hadn’t stepped in, who knows what would’ve happened. Everyone in that school was a coward so they probably would’ve ran away out of the fear of being burned. Mitsuki and Inko both transferred their sons to a new school, giving them a fresh start.
Everyone left Izuku alone at the new school when people found out he was quirkless. That meant no bullies. He even made a could of “friends” but he saw them more as acquaintances. Bakugo of course rose to the top for his powerful quirk and being a new kid. Midoriya hid in the crowd, doing what he had to do.
Through the rest of Junior High and into his first year at U.A. High, the phrase that once didn’t hold any weight now felt like a punch to the gut.
“Don’t worry, I think you're handsome.”
“Your scars look so cool!”
“They are your battle scars!”
“They show you survived!”
“Oh, you’re still so pretty.”
Izuku hated people bringing up his scars just to tell him that it wasn’t too bad. It didn’t change anything. It didn't make his scars magically disappear. It didn’t change how he felt about his scars or what happened to him. It didn’t make him feel any better. If anything it made him feel worse.
The constant reminder of what Midoriya now had to deal with and that he was considered "flawed" to a certain extent was counterproductive. Why would a person point out what makes Midoriya different only to try and explain how he wasn't different? It was unnecessary and cruel to a degree. Constantly bringing up a topic and memory he didn’t want to always think about soon made Midoriya turn cold the moment people even started talking about appearance or whenever someone started their usual ramble.
Midoriya's arms were now littered with scars from using his quirk and he found some comfort in them. He may not have wanted them, but they stemmed from a place he could look back at fondly. His fingers were bent and scared from the sports festival when he helped Todoroki. His large and bright purple scar from fighting Muscular and saving Koota. Still, someone always found a way to bring up his chemical burns.
Whenever the dorms were built and the interviewer came to write a report, he took an interest in Midoriya. Not only because of his close relationship with All Might, but because of his past. After talking to the boy about it, Midoriya agreed to do a really small interview.
Soon after the man left and the article came to life, many were surprised to find out about Midoriya getting a personal interview. When the class all read through his experience and recovery journey, they stilled at one small section.
“I get so frustrated because rather than having a normal conversation with me, everyone brings up my scars. They point them out or make a comment only to immediately tell me something to try and make me feel better about a topic they brought up.”
“Oh? So it’s bugging you that people only see you for your scars. I understand how that may be frustrating, especially if they are one bringing up something you’d prefer to keep in the past,” agreed the reporter.
“Yes. It doesn’t do anything for me. It doesn’t make me feel better. It doesn’t erase what happened to me. It doesn’t change the fact I’d rather not have these burns all over my body. People don’t understand that “oh you're still so pretty” is a meaningless consolation. Just don’t mention my scars and I’ll be satisfied. They don't realize their "validation" is just them letting me know that all they see when they look at me is my scars.”
“Preach kid. I hope that your message will help remind people to be conscious of what they say to others who are experiencing something similar to you. Also, I’m sure everyone will be happy to hear you’re safe and healthy; Even though I’m sure everyone already knows you are doing well after seeing your performance at the sports festival.”
“I’m honestly doubtful. The sports festival is such a thrilling event! Everyone that participated was so hardworking to show their worth and had such amazing quirks! Something that happened years in the past wasn’t the focus,” rambled Midoriya, trying to deny his importance.
“You got me there kid. You and your classmates sure have gone through a lot since then,” noted the reporter.
“We sure have. I’m very proud of them and I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made. They’re incredible and I hope that the world can see that,” declared Midoriya, clearly passionate about lifting up his classmates.
U.A. staff and students found themselves reading the article and being surprised. They didn't know Midoriya’s injury had been a big topic in the past. While they didn’t recall hearing about it, they probably had seen something about it before. It was easy to find. All you had to do was search up Midoriya’s name and it was all you saw.
News article after news article. News reports after news reports. Gossip channels posted video after video. The clip of Midoriya being assaulted was easy to find as well. So almost everyone watched as their close friend, student, or peer was drenched in chemicals. His screams would haunt them. Fortunately, some of the videos showed Bakugo running over revealing he had been the one to help.
Nonetheless, Midoriya made it very clear he did want people to form an opinion of him based on his appearance. He didn’t want pity. He made it very clear he didn’t want it brought up at all. They had all been meaninglessly consoling him on something he didn’t need to be consoled for. If anything it was a backhanded compliment at best.
They had been bringing up a topic that made Midoriya feel uncomfortable. They did all of that just to try and make him feel better about something he didn’t need to feel better about. Not once had they thought of how it would affect Midoriya. They had good intentions, but they should’ve minded their business unless he brought it up. They overstepped his boundaries and they felt beyond guilty about it.
Uraraka, Kirishima, Iida, Mina, Sato, Kaminari, Sero, and Ojiro were most guilty. Shoji, Tokoyami, and Kota knew better than to bring it up. Their situations were completely different considering their body alterations were from their quirk, but they still were very aware of how they felt when their mutations were brought up. They knew how painful hearing that mindless consolation was.
Aoyama, Tsuyu, Jiro, Hagakure, and Mineta had only ever consoled Midoriya when someone else around them had brought attention to it. They didn’t see where it was their business to bring it up, but then they felt obligated to say something when it was brought up. Momo on the other hand never once discussed it. She had noticed the scars, but just like how she was with Todoroki, she just kinda ignored them afterward. It was just how Midoriya looked. It didn’t warrant her input.
Todoroki and Midoriya had actually talked about their scars in private. Todoroki’s came from abuse. Midoriya’s came from bullying. They found a lot of peace from talking to someone else who'd gotten their scar in a similar situation. While the situation wasn’t able to be compared, not like it should be, they were still violent in nature. Todoroki’s mom gave him a freeze burn in an attempt to fix her pouring boiling water on his face. Midoriya’s bullies were stupid and didn’t think to make sure the bucket they grabbed was filled with water. No matter what lead to them being hurt, they still came out with scars.
Bakugo came to Midoriya’s dorm later to discuss what he said in the newspaper. He was irritated to find out that no one saw an issue in pointing out something that could possibly trigger Midoriya. After all, the scars clearly came from a traumatic experience and even the mention of the scars could make him relieve it.
Midoriya ranted a bit, getting worked up once thinking about it critically. The way Bakugo phrased things really put everyone’s behavior at face value. Bakugo enjoyed watching Midoriya get angry. Midoriya finally was doing something for himself; which was getting angry on his own behalf.
Midoriya received a lot of apologies. He wasn’t petty like Bakugo, so he accepted everyone’s apologies. All that mattered to him was that they learned their lesson and he wouldn’t have to hear them bring up his scars again.
Besides, he didn't need their pity or words of affirmation to know he was still beautiful. His scars had him look badass.
Pianist! Deku (Contains MonoDeku and Hisashi Midoriya is dead)
Midoriya knew his dream was unrealistic. He knew that his brains alone wouldn’t assure a spot in UA. Still, it wasn’t impossible. He easily could have it all with a support system and a mentor. Yet, he was absolutely alone. He’d train his mind, pushing his mental and emotional awareness to it’s peak. He understood how the world worked and why people acted the way they do.
He found a peace in violence. He found a feeing of what it was like to be a hero through being bullied. He understood the fight or flight response, the adrenaline rush, the fear, and the impulse of immediately knowing what to do. He understood pain and remaining calm despite his depression, anxiety, and possible ADD issues.
Midoriya found contentment in a random store he saw on his way home through the quiet part of town. The doors were wide open as the sound of a grand piano rang through the bright streets. Midoriya found himself walking right into a beautiful music shop. A lovely woman, soft features with a look of passion, poured her whole body and soul into the chords and notes the piano possessed if touched just right.
Mesmerized, Midoriya stood in the doorway with his fists tightly gripping his book-bag straps. The woman felt his stare and quickly finished her piece and welcomed him.
“Hello! Welcome! How my I help you today?”
Midoriya immediately flushed red, waving his hands urgently. “Sorry! I just heard your playing and I came over here! I’m so sorry if I disrupted you or interrupted your peace! I just thought it was amazing and—!”
The woman let out a airy laugh, motioning for him to sit down. “Nonsense! I barely get any people to enter simply from my music. I’m more than happy to have someone who has a taste for piano.”
Midoriya wilted slightly, looking for the sheet music only to see there was none. “How’d you do that? Play without music?”
“My quirk! I call it Natural Touch! Basically, I’m a natural piano player. I can make a whole piece simply by moving my fingers to however I’m feeling!”
“Wow! Incredible!”
“Indeed it is. I have a feeling the fate brought you here. Now, sit. Let’s find your calling.”
———————————————————————
Two years passed and Midoriya was finally in his third year of junior high. Unfortunately the school year had just started and Midoriya was no where close to having his interaction with the sludge villain and All Might.
Midoriya was quick to clean his desk, wiping off the marker-written graffiti that was nothing more than unoriginal and overused insults with the new cleaner he purchased online. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Midoriya rushed out of the school in a hurry. He had told the woman who he now called Sae-san he had finished his newest piece.
He had based the entire piece off of the overwhelming intoxication of needing to be perfect. It was like chasing after your dreams and seeing how far away it was but still rushing forward, wonderfully out of breath as you panted. It was almost as if you were running in a endless open field of beautiful flowers and lively green grass as the wind twirled and tugged at your hair. It was the struggle, the fight and pride bubbling in your stomach as you find a motivation inside your gut. It was a long and beautifully painfully journey. Short and swift moments that switched to tedious and serious clashes, the anxiety, and then the run. It was the home stretch where you admire the world around as you make it to the end.
Midoriya saw the beauty. He saw it all. Now he has put it into a beautiful piece to tell the story, to covey the emotions.
Running out the school doors, he failed to see his bullies waiting for him outside. For the group to see Midoriya run, it brought a smirk among their faces as they assumed he was trying to escape a beating. Midoriya was swift on his feet, somewhat similar to a beautiful fox. The group was surprised at his speed and agility. At some points they lost him and could only spot him when he was rushing through a long open area.
About three corners away from his destination, the bullies lost Midoriya. Frustrated, they settled on beating him up first thing the next time they saw him. Deciding that they could just hang out since they were all together, the group wandered around the area seeing all the small shops.
Soon, they arrived on the same block as the music shop, Midoriya’s location. Unaware of Midoriya’s presence, they mindlessly bought some snacks at a small convince store. As soon as they left the store, they sat down on a bench right outside the music store.
The bully with hideous long grey hair almost spat out his drink when he looked into the window only to see Midoriya. This, of course, caught the attention of Bakugo and the black haired douchebag. The other two looked just as surprised to see Midoriya.
Bakugo smirked as he went to get up. “Found you, worthless fucker!”
Holding Bakugo back by his arm, the black haired bully didn’t even spare a glance to the blond. “Hold up. Deku is fucking going to play the piano?”
“No fucking way,” snorted the grey haired idiot.
Bakugo lowered himself back onto the bench, a psychotic smile worn on his face. “Oh, this is gonna be pathetic!”
The two nodded in agreement watching. Suddenly a beautiful woman rushed over with a chair. Midoriya seemed surprised by her excitement, letting out a squeaking noise. The woman let out an airy laugh as he clapped.
Just like on the fateful day Midoriya met her, the windows were wide open along with the front door. The sun was shining bright as the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. Fluffy, lively clouds offered periodic moments of shade that came and went as they pleased.
Midoriya seemed to realize something as he shot up from where he was sitting and rushed behind the counter. The woman watched with a patient smile, unbothered. Midoriya returned holding a stack of papers.
The woman looked up at him in amazement. “Is... is this the sheet music?”
Midoriya eagerly nodded, handing the sheets to her. The woman was quickly to pull the pages apart and lay them out. He paused when she was dividing post-it notes. She gasped harshly as she stared at the nervous boy standing over her.
“Are these overlapping one another?”
Midoriya shyly nodded, motioning to the post-its. “Yes. Using a layering device, each of these chords will be overlapping and progressively being played over one another. After so many counts, the new layer will be able to be taken.”
The woman gasped, scooping up all the papers and cheering out in pure joy. “Genius! You’re amazing! Adding and removing layers to create a passionate and climaxing piece! The “building-up” style will be a moving one!”
Midoriya shook his head, waving his hands. “Well— yes! That was the whole goal but I wouldn’t call it genius! Besides, I wouldn’t ever be as amazing as you!”
“Having a quirk has absolutely nothing to do with talent and skill. You are a wonderful person and I’m grateful to have you be a part of my life. Now... play,” the woman nudged, resting a hand on Midoriya’s shoulder.
Midoriya nodded sitting down onto the bench. The woman looked at the papers before extending them out. “Do you need these?”
Midoriya offered a warm smile. “Nope. I actually printed them off just for you.”
The lady chuckled, holding them close. “Of course, I shouldn’t have expected any less of you than to memorize the piece by heart.”
Midoriya connected his device to piano and made sure it was working. After quickly changing a setting, Midoriya finally nodded and started the countdown. Nodding his head to the tempo he prepared his hands.
Taking a quick breath he started to play.
Simply tapping one note before randomly throwing in another for a while almost brought the bystanders to laughter. Midoriya picked up his hands as the notes continued the play while he quickly moved his fingers to add a layer. The process repeated, and repeated, and repeated.
The woman seemed just as stunned as his bullies. Their jaws hung low as Midoriya passionately played, eyes occasionally opening as he smiled. The wind picked up as the sun almost magically came out from the clouds, blinding everyone with Midoriya’s beauty and power.
The woman closed her eyes, body swaying to the music as he allowed herself to feel. She felt the struggles, the fear, the flight, and the childish excitement of his existence.
Midoriya suddenly cut off multiple layers with the single tap of his foot on an electronic pedal and was beginning to relayer all over again. It was a beautiful mess of emotion invoking chords and jumbles of notes.
The group of bullies hadn’t moved an inch, too entranced to do much of anything. They felt his music, his mind, his passion. It was oddly uplifting yet leaving them in a drowning feeling. The way Midoriya’s messy curly hair was picked up and tossed in the wind as his eyes were gently closed as his body pushed and occasionally ground forward with power. His head bowed and rolled to the music as every ounce of himself was the piece.
Finally he came to a stop before taking a deep breath and opening his eyes. Suddenly a present voice caught everyone off guard.
“Can I please take you out on a date?” a voice desperately asked.
Midoriya jumped, his whole body turning to see who had said such a thing to him even he already knew who. An average looking guy with short blond hair and blue eyes stood in the doorway with a smirk. He was wearing a stylish polo with some black ripped jeans. In his hand was a plastic bag.
Midoriya sighed, excusing himself from the shop owner. “Neito, why bother? I already told you—!”
“That I can’t like you because you’re quirkless. Unfortunately you can’t tell me who I can like. So I’m here to forcefully take you out on a date. First, I have some offerings.”
Midoriya couldn’t help but smile as he made his way over to Monoma. “What is it now?”
Monoma opened the bag and first pulled out a small object. “Hold out your hands.”
Midoriya raised a brow, hesitantly holding out his hands. Monoma quickly put the object in Midoriya’s hands only to reveal a beautiful crystal. Looking at it, Midoriya suddenly made the connection.
“Are you trying to woo me like penguins do?”
“Yes. Next.”
Midoriya waited patiently as Monoma carefully reached a hand into the plastic bag. Midoriya found himself growing nervous when Monoma started pulling his hand up, out of the bag. Holding a box he quickly got down on one knee and revealed a ring.
“Marry me!”
Midoriya stared at the boy blankly, watching the eager look in Monoma’s eyes as he looked as if he was about to shatter the box in his hand. Midoriya’s moment of shock passed and genuine embarrassment and joy rushed through him.
“Neito! We are 14! We can’t get married!”
Neito stood up, still holding the ring. “I don’t care! You’re a goddess and I’d be damned if I didn’t claim you!”
Midoriya couldn’t help but roll his head back as he was gasping for air. “Oh my god! You’re like a possessive puppy, that’s so cute!”
“Hey! It’s romantic and I won you over with the crystal!” Monoma declared as he took the ring out of the box.
The shop owner walked over with a large smile. “Consider it a promise ring if engagement ring doesn’t suit your fancy. Monoma, tell him the ring is a symbol of your love for him and your plans to marry him."
Midoriya gasped in betrayal, looking at the woman. “Nagisa! How could you!”
The woman, now known as Nagisa, laughed, “You need a boyfriend, girlfriend, anyone. Besides, I like this one, he’s a bit of a brat but isn’t scared to show his affection. You need someone like that.”
Midoriya crossed his arms, looking at Monoma stubbornly. “Well, I don’t know why you keep coming back. I’ve turned you down every time for the about the past half year. Why would you waste so much time on trying to win someone like me over?”
Bakugo was officially broken, his eyes wide as he was about to explode the soda tightly gripped in his hands. His lackeys on the other hand were trying to hide their guilt due to seeing the effect their actions have had on Midoriya. By hiding their guilt, it was more like stuffing their face with chips while watching the scene before them as if this was the best entertainment they’ve ever seen in years.
Honestly, it was unsettling for them all to see Midoriya be the one rejecting advances. They were especially surprised to see him openly say he was quirkless and Monoma ignore Midoriya’s explanations.
Monoma dramatically took Midoriya’s wrist and held the ring close to Midoriya’s face. “This ring is a symbol of my love for you and my plans to marry you. Whether or not you accept it, I want you to know that you are a dream. God, I couldn’t even imagine someone as perfect as you. Pretty, yet talented and dedicated. Shameless per say.”
Midoriya was breathless as the ring was slipped onto his finger. The words gently but sternly spoken to him seemed to sink deep. Midoriya felt relief wash over him as tears just started falling down his face. The two watching him sudden burst into tears freaked out, worried they upset him or went too far.
Midoriya laughed as he cried, ignoring the fact Monoma hadn’t been able to fully slip on the ring. “You idiot! Don’t talk like that.”
Monoma realized it was tears of... not a negative emotion and smirked. “Oh? But it’s true. I will marry you!”
Midoriya rolled his eyes, wiping his tears. “Alright. Then you’re willing to meet my parents then?”
Nagisa, who was now cackling, lowered herself to the ground. “Oh my god! This is why I love you Izuku!”
Monoma took a deep breath before standing in a “power pose”.
“Yes! I will do it! I will get their blessing.”
Midoriya nodded, walking to his book bag and digging inside it. Walking back over he held up a necklace with an odd shaped charm on it.
“Neito, meet my dad. Dad, meet Neito.”
Nagisa must have seen it coming as she started blasting disco music. Neito looked horrified while Midoriya smugly held up a necklace containing his fathers ashes.
Bakugo and the bullies felt their hearts stop as they’ve bullied someone who’s lost their father. To make it worse, they probably bullied him the day he found out his father died and throughout the course of him trying to cope with it.
Neito immediately panicked. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know that—!”
Midoriya waved his hand, ignoring the apology. “Lighten up. It was last year and I never met the asshole. We just got permission to have him buried over here after being cremated so me and mom just took some ashes to keep.”
Nagisa walked back over, holding a water bottle. “Yeah, I remember you coming in one day with a disappointed face. All you ever said was “my dad died before I even got to meet him. He just died. I’m literally thirteen.”
Neito seemed to chipper up, a genuine smile on his face as he looked as the necklace Midoriya was holding. “Just wondering... why don’t you wear it? You have it on a necklace.”
Midoriya shrugged, putting it into his bookbag. “Well, my bullies would probably take it from me and destroy it. They don’t really consider what I posses, they just want to ruin it.”
“How? Why? You’re amazing! What is wrong with those assholes?” Neito gasped harshly, his hands gesturing to sculpt Midoriya’s body.
Midoriya shrugged, finally admiring the ring. “I don’t know. They’ve all just treated me that way after I came out quirkless. I just don’t carry anything important on with me anymore.”
“So you won’t be wearing my ring?” Neito frowned, looking at the ring.
Midoriya smiled, taking his necklace and adding ring to the chain. Clasping the back of the necklace, Midoriya cheerfully held it up to show Monoma.
“See! I’ll always have it. Although, I will probably wear it all the time outside of school,” Midoriya suggested his plan.
Monoma smugly put his hands on his hips, pleased. Midoriya got nervous at that look, preparing himself. Monoma lunged at Midoriya, swooping the boy up and hauling him up bridal style.
“Bye, Nagisa! Im taking my fiancé out on a date.”
Midoriya shouted, reaching out for Nagisa. “We aren’t engaged!”
“You didn’t refuse my date proposal,” Monoma proudly pointed out.
Midoriya deflated, allowing himself to be carried out the store by Monoma. Nagisa happily escorted the two out before quickly telling Midoriya to play the piece for her again later. Midoriya rolled his eyes, agreeing to it as he was taken out of the store.
Midoriya sighed, looking up at Monoma. “Could you set me down?”
Monoma stopped walking, looking at Midoriya, “As long as you let me hold your hand.”
Midoriya couldn’t help but smile, looking up at Monoma. “Deal.”
Once Midoriya was back on his feet, he took off his uniform shirt to reveal a slim-fit solid red bishop long-sleeve tee. It was tucked into his pants and matched his res shoes. Throwing the uniform top into his bag, he turned to smile at Monoma.
“I just had to get off that uniform top. I wish I had planned on going out, otherwise I would’ve brought a full change of clothes. Anyway, lead the way!” Midoriya turned to flash a warm smile at the boy he was now dating.
Monoma couldn’t help but stare at Midoriya momentarily, grateful for the boy he finally achieved winning over. Taking the boys hand, Monoma smirked.
“Alright, you better get prepared. I’m about to take you out on the best first date ever.”
Midoriya smugly raised a brow, slightly squeezing back Monoma’s hand before walking forward to signal it was time to move. “Well, I’m waiting.”
Midoriya officially had caught each of his bullies by surprised. In more ways than one. All three felt anger. The problem about that was that they weren’t sure who it was directed at. Either way, Midoriya scored a sexy boyfriend and the envy of his stubborn bullies that refused to accept his success.
Shinsou and Midoriya had noticeably gotten closer. No one knew what happened to get Shinsou to suddenly open up to Midoriya and accept his kindness. All they knew was something happened between the two and it triggered them to become friends.
Midoriya and Shinsou would occasionally disappear during lunch. That drew some attention and even stirred up some rumors about their relationship. Some believed they simply wandered off to eat lunch together or to spend time alone to talk. Other people believed they were dating and wanted to keep it a secret so they’d sneak off to be lovey-dovey.
Uraraka couldn’t lie, she got a little nervous at the thought of Midoriya being in a relationship. If he was, she'd accept it. It would take her a while to move on but she’d never risk losing Midoriya because of jealousy. Iida didn’t care at all, as long as it didn’t interfere with Midoriya's learning and training, then there was nothing wrong. Tsuyu was, of course, rooting Midoriya on. She was one of the people who believed Midoriya and Shinsou were dating or moving towards that. Todoroki was confused, he didn’t understand his jealousy and he didn’t know what to do with it. He planned on talking to Midoriya about it, he would be the most understanding out of the group about this. Besides, Midoriya helped him before, he could help Todoroki again.
Shinsou and Midoriya were the talk of the hero department and the general department. The General Department knew better than to stick their noses into Shinsou’s affairs. Class 1-A was another story, they had no boundaries and were ignorant when it came to knowing when to keep out of other people's business. Hence, why Midoriya considered himself the number one secret keeper in the class.
Midoriya managed to keep his relationship with All Might secret and the secret of his quirk even though it was so obvious. Like, it was kinda embarrassing. Although, passing down quirks was unheard of, and they don’t even really know about the depth of All for One and One for All. Either way, they didn’t even really care to understand Midoriya’s quirk, and they didn’t even flash an eye at the fact he shattered his bones every time he used it. No one knew anything about his past, such as the bullying. No one knew that Bakugo, the rising star of U.A., had bullied him. No one knew about the fact he never met his father and has no relationship with him. No one knows what All Might had said to him. No one knows he fought the sludge villain to save his back-stabbing childhood friend. No one knew anything. All they knew were the basics and Midoriya’s mannerisms. Yet, secrets only stay secret for so long when you tell someone them.
Todoroki finished up his soba quickly, quicker than usual. He stood up and turned to the others, “I’ll be taking my leave. I’m going to go look for Midoriya.”
Uraraka looked up at the dual-colored boy and immediately agreed to join him, “I’ll come too! I’ve been wondering where Midoriya disappears off to.”
Tsuyu grinned, shooting back her chair, turning her attention to Iida, “Let’s go Iida! I’ve been dying to know if the rumors are true! Besides, Midoriya deserves a relationship, and Shinsou is definitely worthy in my opinion.”
Iida shot up out of his seat after finishing up what was left on the tray, “Let’s go. I would like to congratulate Midoriya on his relationship status with Shinsou!”
Their lunch shift was 50 minutes and they had around 20 minutes remaining. It offered them a nice chunk of time to look for Midoriya. They stopped and checked 1-A, and then 1-C only to find they weren’t there. They then checked the rooftop where Midoriya often was found thinking or studying. He wasn’t there oddly enough. The only spot they could think of where food was allowed was the library. Making their way into the library there were a couple of students there, all studying or just relaxing. As soon as they were about to give up they heard speaking. Peeping through the openings between books, they spotted them.
Midoriya was aggressively flipping through pages frustrated. Shinsou was scanning through books and sitting them on a pile for them to list.
“Why are they covering this up? Everything from All for One to discrimination on the quirkless is being covered up! It doesn’t make sense!” ranted Midoriya, growing frustrated.
Shinsou stood up, staring at Midoriya with a soft stare. “Well, when we become heroes, we could use our platform to finally spread information.”
Midoriya bit his lip, closing the book. “See, uhm. We may not have enough time for that. All for One can literally attack at any given moment, and the public needs to be aware of him! He’s the mastermind behind all villains and there will be a panic. It just doesn’t make sense on why they-.”
Shinsou waved his hand in front of Midoriya’s face. “Hello? You good?”
Midoriya slapped the book closed, rubbing his face. “I’m an idiot. I just realized why they are covering up that he’s still alive, but what I don’t get is why they refuse to tell the story of how he rose to power.”
Shinsou paused, thinking to himself before an idea struck him. “His power was associated with the sudden appearances of quirks, right? So since there is the discrimination of the quirkless currently they try to not talk about him since he was the one stealing people’s quirks from them?”
Midoriya nodded, picking out a book. “Yes. All Might had told me when quirk started to appear some people couldn’t handle it, and it resulted in people shutting down and becoming zombies.”
Shinsou raised a brow, asking a question softly. “Why are you and All Might so close? Like— no offense but why would he sit down and tell you about hidden information?”
“Well, as you know I was a late bloomer. Quirkless up until entrance exams. All Might basically trained me after an incident we encountered together. Between you and me, I think All Might is preparing to fight All for One. I think he’s preparing for me to realize his career is coming to an end,” revealed Midoriya, his shoulders sagging as he finally vented.
“That’s... rough. I mean! It’s amazing he trained you and all but, now you’re in the middle of all of this. How long have you been keeping all of this to yourself?” questioned Shinsou, slowly worried for Midoriya’s mental health.
Midoriya grinned, sitting back down. “I never told anyone anything before. I trust you Shinsou. I know I can relate to you about discrimination and bullying. I know you’ll be an incredible hero and you’ve worked so hard for everything.”
Shinsou leaned on Midoriya, offering some comfort. “Still, you’re incredible. You managed to rise to the top with only what a measly 3 or four months of having a quirk? You literally shatter your bones and don’t complain while others in your class act like babies.”
“I think everyone in my class is great! They all have their strong suits built differently! They’ve all had different experiences and they all have different needs. Since I was physically abused growing up, my pain tolerance is a lot higher than others.”
Shinsou narrowed his eyes, taking Midoriya’s hand and tightly gripping it in a protective manner, “I swear—.”
Midoriya squeezed back, opening his mouth and then closing it. Taking a small breath he finally spoke out. “Kacchan once told me back in junior high... to take a swan dive off the roof of the building. He said hopefully I’d get a quirk in my next life. I then got attacked by a sludge villain under a bridge when heading home from school. I almost died, but right as I was about to tap out All Might saved me. We ended up on the roof of a building and All Might told me I’d never be a hero without a quirk. I was so close to jumping, I had stood there for maybe ten minutes contemplating whether I was going to jump or not. I chose not to. I loved my mother too much to hurt her. Yet, Bakugo was attacked by the sludge villain. No heroes on-site even tried to help. So I did. Quirkless little Deku saving a boy who would beat me up and belittle me every second of every day. The hero’s shunned me while they praised Bakugo. Yet, All Might caught me on my way home. My bravery and impulse won him to train me, to help me become the best hero in his image.”
Shinsou suddenly turned Midoriya to face him, before Midoriya could even process what was happening. Cold lips pressed against his warm ones, covered in drugstore chapstick. Yet, Midoriya leaned into the kiss with a relaxed smile, his hands creeping up to wrap around Shinsou’s neck. Shinsou rested his hands on Midoriya’s hips, pulling him closer. After a couple more seconds they pulled back. Midoriya flushed a light pink.
Midoriya was too happy to be flustered or panicked. Midoriya felt so loved, flooded with passion and new excitement. His high school sweetheart, his first boyfriend, and his first relationship: Shinsou. Shinsou seemed just as happy, content with the minty flavor left on his lips.
“Midoriya, I’m so grateful you're here right now. I’m so thankful to feel your touch and taste your lips covered in mint chapstick. You’re so badass and powerful and smart and optimistic and I don’t think All Might could’ve chosen a better person to train. I have vowed to hate Bakugo even more now, and I definitely will be brainwashing All Might into doing the chicken dance the next time I see him,” joked Shinsou, a tired smile on his face.
Midoriya, picking up some books while rising to his feet, sighed, “I’m glad I didn’t give up. Your lips are cold… it sent lightening bolts down my spine in the best way possible. You're very hardworking Shinsou! Getting into UA is an incredible achievement! Besides, you’ll most definitely be in Class 1-A in no time. Mineta is definitely going to get expelled for his disgusting behavior sooner or later.”
Shinsou remained quiet for a while, trying to remember who Mineta was. “Oh, is he the one who sexually harasses any girl that breaths right?”
“Yeah, I may or may not have punted him once in the hallway because he was going to take a pic under Momo and Jiro’s skirt while they were distracted.”
“Nice! Well, we can train together until that happens! Thanks again for helping me strengthen my quirk.”
“You're welcome! It’s fun to try and break out of it. Sadly I’m just too talented for you to lock me in.”
“Yeah! I don’t even know how you access your quirk in the first place!”
“I have people that live in my head and kinda just send all the power I possess through me till I’m so overwhelmed that I release it through my fingers. Thankfully I don’t break them anymore.”
“Woah— wait, what? You’re like... possessed? Cool, do you think…like… I could get some and have them use my quirk to send me to sleep?”
“Alright Mr. Insomniac. Why don’t we try and get you a sleeping bag? It seems to get Aizawa through the day,” laughed Midoriya, putting the books away and slipping a couple into his bookbag.
“A... sleeping bag?”
“Yeah! And we can get you a purple one!”
“You know what? Alright. It’s worth a shot.”
“Yes! We can go after my personal training with All Might tonight!”
“Sweet, let’s head to the cafeteria! I wanna buy some green tea. Tea somehow keeps me awake more than coffee does.”
Shinsou hummed, taking some books himself. “I’m probably going to get a cold coffee. I really enjoy my double shot of expresso.”
Midoriya sighed walking out of the aisle with Shinsou, content, “You really are crazy Hitoshi!”
The two passed by, Midoriya going deathly still as he stared back at his friends that all looked at him with horrified stares.
Shinsou mutters under his breath only to look at Midoriya and notice him panicking and dissociating. “Shit. God, why can’t you respect people’s privacy. I knew 1-A was known for being noses but jeez you really take the cake.”
Quickly guiding Midoriya out of the library, Shinsou left Midoriya’s four closest friends crouched by the bookshelf to their thoughts and guilt.
Tsuyu finally broke the silence with an uncalled for statement that was what everyone was thinking, “Fuck.”
(i wrote this 1/22/21 so ignore it if the story line makes no sense)
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.
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.
Slayyy
น้องเด
After the sludge villain incident, All Might waited a second too long and missed Izuku. Izuku never got trained by his hero. Izuku never got into U.A. High. Izuku never became a hero. Shinso was in class 1-A, replacing the spot Izuku should’ve been. Mirio ended up obtaining the One for All quirk and as a result, died shortly after the war.
Katsuki had matured during his time at U.A. High and was riddled with guilt. He wasn’t proud of his past self and the mistakes he made. He knew he was responsible for Izuku giving up on his dream. He knew what he had done was unforgivable, but he wanted to apologize.
Little did Katsuki know, Izuku was a famous hero support gear inventor. He worked for the best of the best and was a hero's favorite.
One day Katsuki, Shoto, and Eijiro were out eating lunch. It was the one day all three were off and they wanted to enjoy having a nice meal in town.
Eijiro had recently returned back from his honeymoon with Mina so he was happy to spend some time with his pals. He wanted to brag about his time with his wife.
Katsuki and Shoto were still single. They hadn’t anticipated hero life would get in the way of having a love life. They knew it would get in the way due to the scheduling conflicts, but there was a list of issues that would arise. The extent of it could them off guard.
Izuku was strolling down the street. He had grabbed some lunch and bought Inko a birthday gift. Now he was on his way back to his studio to wrap up some hero costumes. He spotted the hero trio and got a little excited. Pulling out his phone, Izuku pulled up the contacts app and pulled up the phone number option.
Izuku approached the three with a pokerface. The three had been talking so it took a moment for Izuku’s presence to be noticed. Eijiro was the one to first see Izuku and brightly smiled.
“Oh! Hey Midoriya,” greeted the hero. Mina had been the one to introduce Eijiro to Midoriya.
Izuku turned his phone around to show Shoto his screen, remaining silent. His screen had the number pad on display. Katsuki was staring at Izuku in shock. Izuku was stunning.
Izuku was wearing a white button-up. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows to reveal his muscular arms. The top two buttons were left undone to reveal his fair, freckled skin. He was sporting a long skirt that rested at his ankles. The skirt was recognized as a very pricy piece from one of the most expensive clothing brands. His ears were littered with piercings. He also had a nose piercing. His skin glowed and his lips were a beautiful rosy pink. His eyes were still wide and beautiful, full of emotion despite his poker face. If it wasn’t for his natural beauty, the enchanting jewelry that glimmered in the sunlight would’ve made Katsuki evaporate.
Shoto slowly took the phone, his cheeks heating up and his eyes ever so slightly widening. “Are you asking me for my number?”
Midoriya responded with a single nod and pointed towards the phone.
Eijiro was loving this, covering his mouth to hide his huge smile. The Izuku Midoriya was asking the number two hero Shoto for his number. What an insane couple they’d make. He was so excited for his bro. Katsuki finally let reality settle in his stomach, Izuku was here for one thing and one thing only: Shoto Todoroki.
Shoto put in his number with a small smile. He was clearly flattered and flustered that someone so beautiful would approach him. He typed in his name quickly before handing the phone back to Izuku.
Izuku took the phone, took a good look at the contact information, and then looked directly at Shoto. “Thanks, Shoto-kun,” chirped Izuku, flashing a bashful smile after holding a poker face through the whole interaction.
“Kay, bye guys,” said Izuku sweetly, before pocketing his phone and adjusting his bags. Turning on his heel, Izuku walked off, flawlessly slipping on sunglasses. The three watched him leave, still in a state of disbelief at what they just saw.
Shoto glowed bright red, covering his face as he melted into his seat. Eijiro clapped his hands, laughing. “No way man! You have Midoriya chasing after you! Imagine being the one to give him the hots!”
Katsuki raised a brow, shaking his head. “Wait. Back up. How the hell do you know who he is?”
Eijiro paused momentarily before waving his hand. “Hold up! How do you not know about him? Midoriya is a well-established hero support gear engineer. Mina actually told me to start having my gear made by him. He’s super popular. All the top heroes go to him.”
Katsuki smiled a bit, happy to hear Midoriya didn’t completely give up on the hero world. “Well, that’s good to hear. I guess I should switch to him as well.”
“Totally! You’ll immediately notice a difference in the quality of your costume,” laughed Eijiro, loving how even Katsuki was infatuated with Izuku.
Shoto was still in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend he was approached, remaining happily quiet for a bit.
Shoto spent a lot of time with Izuku. Katsuki tagged along occasionally, trying to rebuild his broken relationship with Izuku. Izuku was apprehensive in the beginning, giving the blond a cold shoulder. Despite his shortness, Izuku accepted Katsuki’s request and would manufacture his costumes.
Eventually, Shoto and Izuku started dating. The two became a popular couple.
Shoto was a serious and mysterious hero, but genuinely a sweetheart. Izuku was smart and known for his sassy attitude, but was also a sweetheart. They were like putty in each other's hands, in love with being in love.
When they eventually did tie the knot, Eijiro revealed he had taken a video of Izuku asking Shoto for his number. Katsuki had displayed it during his speech at their wedding reception. Izuku was bright red, embarrassed that was how he acted.
Izuku hadn't realized Katsuki had been there. He felt a bit stupid for acting so indifferent. After all, that was the first time Katsuki had seen him in years. Still, even if he hadn’t become a hero, he had a wonderful husband and his childhood best friend. He couldn’t have been more grateful.
The end!
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.
Lance had always felt horrible
It was enexplainable and Hunk knew
No one understood why Hunk always kept Lance is his sight
Lance never showed his arms nor changed in front of anyone other than Hunk
And Lance over time stopped talking to most people except for Hunk
He stopped showing up for meals
He trained alone other than team training
He was seen sitting in the observatory most nights if not then he was in his room for almost up to one day
In battles he mutes his helmet and turns on noise canceling to where he’ll just scream
Yet he never fails to comfort and aid anyone in need
Eventually the team saw him with his glasses and curled hair as he couldn’t bother to do it
One day he makes his way to the kitchen to pick up a plate but everyone picked up on the dried blood around the sleeves of his jacket and the bandages around his wrists
Keith chuckled,” Fail in the training simulation?”
Lance laughed relief flooded his face,” Yeah I need to cool it a bit.”
Hunk spoke up,” Tell them.”
Everyone looked at Lance,” What is he saying Lance, tell us what?”
Lances face went pale and Hunk froze,” No I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to push you speak when you’re ready.”
As quick as Lance entered he left everyone looked at Hunk who stood there
Little did they know Lance would be laying in his bed 2 hours later with a bottle of deadly Altean chemicals on the floor and a weak pulse
On his wall it wrote
Hopefully you’ll find someone worth your time next time around, I love you all. It’s none of your faults. It’s mine.
Goodbye
They found him hours later and no one would ever be the same
Giggling, kicking my legs, cutely resting my chin in my hands 🥰🫵💕✨
thing i had in my brain, idk i felt like doodling it. just some post-war bakugo deku fluff don't mind me (i can't write them for shit lol.)
//me totally not nervous about showing shipping doodles of these dorks nope.