Chapter Text
Eijirou paced the roof of the dorms later that night. He had already dropped off Izuku with Shinso along with their dinner and was now waiting on the "squad" to finish their own food and arrive on the roof. He was really trying to get his head on right, so he doesn't immediately throw Bakugou off the roof the second he saw the ash blonde.
After another ten minutes, he finally heard the door to the rooftop open and only a couple sets of footsteps. He turns to see both Denki and Mina walking towards him. His brows knitted together at the lack of Bakugou and Sero.
Mina seemed to understand the look on his face because she answered his unasked question. “They’re coming. Sero is making sure Bakugou doesn’t try to sneak off before coming up here.”
Denki nodded in agreement. “What’s going on, dude?” The concern and confusion were clear in the electric blonde’s voice and Eijirou hated to hear him sound like that. Hated when any of his friends sounded down.
The redhead took a deep breath before slowly pushing it out through his nose. “I talked to Izuku about some shit that happened between him and Bakugou. I think you guys need to know about it. I’ll explain more when Sero and Bakugou get here.”
“Damn, dude. That’s like the fourth time you used his family name. And the cussing? What the hell did he do?” Denki asked, seeming to start and understand the severity of how bad this actually was.
“Like I said I’ll explain more when they get up here.” Eijirou said as he moved to sit on the edge of the roof looking out over the campus. It was weird being there for him. From where he sat, he could see the crater he and Izuku dug through the ground when they landed. It was directly in front of him. He must be sitting in the same exact spot that Izuku stood before he jumped. It was a weird realization that hit him like a steel boulder rolling over him old school adventure movie style. He was broken out of his weird trance by the rooftop door slamming open, followed by the loud stomping that was very familiar to them all. He sighed as he turned and stood up locking eyes with the explosive blonde. Just seeing him set his anger a flame again.
“Let’s get this shit over with. I want to go fucking bed.” Bakugou growled out keeping his eyes on the redhead.
Eijirou ground his teeth together trying to bite back the urge to launch the blonde off the roof and onto the ground below. “I hope you know that you’re the reason why Izuku nearly killed himself yesterday. It’s all your fault, asshole.”
“What do you mean it’s Bakugou’s fault?” Sero asked, looking between the two of them. Both acted as if he didn’t speak at all though.
“How the fuck is it my fault the nerd decided to off his fucking self?” Bakugou spit back at him.
“You’re the one that told him to do it. ‘If you think you’ll be born with a Quirk in your next life, why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof of the building.’ Does that ring any bells?”
The wide eye look he received in response let him know he hit the nail right on the head. He was also momentarily distracted by the gasps he heard from the other three there. He had almost forgotten that they were even there.
“You don’t fucking know shit about that. That was fucking middle school. We were different people back then.” Those few sentences cemented the fact that the blonde had actually said that to Izuku. Not that Eijirou didn’t believe the greenette. It just made it just that much truer.
“It doesn’t fucking matter. You still said that shit to him. You still tried suicide baiting him. You still told him to fucking off himself because you thought he didn’t have a Quirk. What kind of fucking person does that?” The redhead snapped back, trying not to spill the greenette’s secret about his quirk. He could feel his own Quirk ripple down his fingers and up his arms with his anger. He needed to get a grip, but it was so hard to do with the way Bakugou was trying to
defend
himself and his heinous actions. “It isn’t fucking cool, Bakugou. You’re the reason he hates himself, and thinks he is fucking useless. The fucking reason why he thinks he is nothing, and stupid. He told me about all the shit you put him through just because you didn’t think he had a Quirk. Only fucking assholes and villains do the shit you did.”
“You think I’m a fucking villain? If you fucking think that then why the hell did you save me back in Kamino?” The hurt was clear in the scarlet eyes in front of Eijirou, but he didn’t care.
The thought from earlier comes back as actual words. “I shouldn't have. I should have left you there. I already feel bad about dragging Izuku and everyone else out there.”
A rush of emotions flashed across the blonde’s face before he finally schooled it with a scowl. “Tch. Whatever. I don’t need you. Any of you.” He snapped, adding the last part to the other three there. “I’ll fucking prove it to you that I’ve changed and will become the best fucking hero any of you have fucking seen.” With that he turned and stopped off the roof, slamming the door behind him.
Eijirou sighed, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Well, I guess he can’t be called the ‘Bakusquad’ anymore.” Sero said quietly as he glanced between the door and his redheaded friend.
“Guess not.” Denki agreed, keeping his eyes on Eijirou before carefully approaching him. “You alright man?”
Eijirou nodded after a moment. “Yea. I’m good. I knew you guys would stand with me, especially Mina.”
“Yea. Fuck that noise. You know I don’t like bullying in any form.” The pink girl responded. “You sure you’re good though? You were like best friends with him.”
“Yea. It hurts because he did and said that stuff, and then tried to defend himself and those actions. I’ll be fine.” The redhead said with a small smile at them. “We have to come up with a new group name.”
“We could always just go with ‘Kirisquad’, if you want.” The electric blonde suggests.
“I would rather not. I’d rather stay away from names like that.” Eijirou answered, shaking his head.
“What about ‘Rooftop Gang’? We’re always up here and eating on the rooftop of the cafeteria.” Sero reasoned.
“I like that a lot better. We can add in Izuku and Shinso.”
“I understand why Midobro but why Shinso?” Denki asked.
“Shin knew about the whole Bakugou situation before I did.”
“That makes sense. It’s also understandable that Midoriya told him before anyone else. They have been close since the sports fest.” Mina hummed slightly. “I guess I’m more surprised that they haven’t fixed that crater you two made.” She said, glancing down at the ground.
“I am too. Like you would think that would have been the first thing to cover up. Like you can tell something hit the ground and hit hard, and the way it’s dragged out away from the dorms doesn’t look good.” Sero added.
“Wonder if they are trying to use it as a statement about all of this. It was an attempted suicide after.” Denki suggested. “It’s kind of a big deal.”
Eijirou glanced down to look at it as well. The electric blonde was right. “Aizawa is going to make a big deal about suicide and bullying once we’re all back in class. He is going to especially want to talk to me and Izuku. When I talk to him, I’m going to see if Shoji can switch dorms with me. I would request moving floors completely but the only floor that has an extra dorm is one floor up and I don’t feel like that is safe for Izuku.”
“Agreed. Though Tokoyami or Aoyama would probably be more than willing to trade with you if you explained the situation to them.” Mina added.
The redhead shook his head. “I want to be close so I can keep an eye on Bakugou. I don’t trust him not to try and pull something.”
“That’s understandable.” Sero hummed. “Though the next question is what are you going to do about your crush on Mido?”
“I’m not going to do anything about it right now. He just needs a friend. He doesn't need me dumping my feelings out on him right now. Between this and the recent raid, it will look like I’m trying to take advantage of the situation, and I don’t want that. I don't want to mislead him like that.”
The others all gave him an understanding nod. He was fine with being another shoulder for the greenette to cry on for now. He would bring it up when he was ready. Not a moment sooner.
~~~~~
It had been a long and crazy six months. The only good things were the school festival, and the work studies, even though it was mandatory this time around. Eijirou always enjoyed working with Fatgum and Amajiki. He even convinced Tesu to join him there. Fatgum was more than happy to let the steel hero in training join them. They all knew something big was going to happen in the months to come afterwards. He didn’t expect a full-on war though. They barely had time to mourn the recently fallen before the school turned into a refuge for their families and regular civilians alike. They all worked to the bone helping those within the safety of their school. Though they also had to convince the principal to let them go after Izuku.
The greenette had mysteriously disappeared from the hospital after waking up. He had written notes to all of us, confessing the true nature of his quirk, and explaining that was why he had to leave. Apparently, All for One and Shigaraki were trying to steal it from him and didn’t want them to target the school. None of them were going to let that stand.
If heroes saved people in need, then who saved the heroes when they needed help?
It was a thought that constantly ran through his mind since before they went to bring their friend back. As they stood at the front gate of the school and tried to convince the people to let Izuku come back and rest, he couldn’t help but think back to the letter he received from said greenette. He carried it with him currently and practically was burning a hole in his pocket. He could clearly remember what was written in that familiar messy script.
Eijirou,
I can never express my thanks enough. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t. Thank you for being my rock these last few months. Thank you for everything.
I am writing these letters to let everyone know about the truth of my Quirk. I know you already know about it, but I have to leave. I have to leave to protect everyone. As long as I’m around you all are in danger. Shigaraki and All for One are hunting me down for my quirk, One for All. They want to take it and use it for evil. I can’t let them do that. I can’t put you all at risk.
Especially not you. You mean too much to me for me to put you at risk. Have for a while now. Probably the sports festival, if I had to pick an exact time. I know you probably don’t feel the same, don’t like me the way I like you. I know it sounds selfish to want you always by my side no matter what. No matter what happens between us. Even if you don’t like me the same way. I deserve to be a little selfish, don’t you think? I’m so selfless and give everything to everyone else. I deserve to be selfish about one thing, and I‘m choosing you to be selfish over.
Don’t come after me, Ei. If we see each other again, I don’t expect an answer. You don’t have to tell me either way. I just want us to continue to be friends after all of this is over. If this ever ends.
Love,
Izuku
The words all of them used to get to him still rang in his skull. His own was the loudest. He remembered seeing the sludge villain attack on the news after Izuku had mentioned it. Remembered the way it made him kick his ass into gear to be ready for the entrance exams. Bakugou’s were also ringing loudly in his head. He blatantly admitted to being harsh to the greenette, and apologized for it. Apologized for being mean. The blonde even bowed and used his first name. Izuku forgave him, but that didn’t mean Eijirou trusted him again.
After Uraraka’s speech, everyone seemed to be in agreement and allowed him back. A bath and rest were what they all needed but he didn’t have long before they had to be on the ready to finally end this chaos the villains had created.
All of the boys helped Izuku bathe. We all tried to take the time to relax for a bit afterward, and Eijirou ended up staying with Izuku on the couch. He kept watch while the other rested. Though it was hard for him to take his eyes off of the greenette. So much had changed in the few weeks that he was gone. He looked different. His hair was slightly longer and had deep purple bags under his eyes that put Hitoshi’s to shame. It was hard to look at, but it was also hard to look away. His mind went back to the letter for a moment.
Izuku liked him. Loved him even. He didn’t expect an answer but how could Eijirou not give him one? He had put off confessing his feelings for months because he was worried about Izuku not feeling the same. Worried because he had a lot on his plate because of everything. He had to tell him how he felt, and he would the moment he got the chance. He pulled the letter from his pocket to reread it for what had to be the millionth time since receiving it. He had it memorized by this point, but he still read regardless. It still pulled his chest into an uncomfortable knot every time. Still made his stomach twist like it was the first time all over again. He hadn’t realized Izuku had woken up until soft spoken words broke through his thoughts.
“You still read that? I figured everyone would have just read it once and thrown it away.”
Eijirou jerked his head up at the sound of the other’s voice, looking a bit wide-eyed. “It’s hard not to reread it. I have memorized it but I still reread it for some reason.”
Izuku gave him a sad but understanding smile. “I get it, and I meant when I said you don’t have to give me an answer. I just want to keep you by my side no matter what.”
“But I do. I have to give you an answer. If I don't, I think I will die.” He put the letter back in his pocket as he moved closer to the shorter male.
“If you’re going to tell me that you don’t feel the same, I would rather not hear it.” Izuku’s voice cracked as he dropped his gaze down to the floor.
“What if I say that I do feel the same? Would you rather want to hear it or would you still not want me to say anything?”
It was Izuku’s turn to jerk his head up with wide eyes. “I- You-” He took a moment to try and compose himself. “I would want to hear it.” His voice was nearly a whisper
“I like you, Izu. Have for a while. You inspired me to get my ass in gear and become a hero. I saved you not just because I wanted to, but because I would have hated myself for not manning up and just telling you how I felt. I honestly was going to before you jumped. I was in the middle of trying to come up with an idea before I noticed. If I had been a moment too late or miss calculated the jump…” He shook his head to clear that train of thought. “After that, I pushed my feelings down. I hid them away because you didn’t need that. Didn’t need it to seem like I was taking advantage of a serious situation. So, I decided to wait and keep it all to myself. I decided that you need a friend and shoulder to cry on more than you need a boyfriend.”
It was a long quiet minute after he finished talking. He expected a response but what he didn’t expect was for Izuku to slam into him and hold on tightly to him. He could feel him sobbing against him, but he knew that this was a happy sob and one of the depressed ones he used to let out late into the night. He wrapped his arms around him and held on just as tightly. “I love you. Ei.”
“I love you too, Izu.” He hummed, swaying them slightly just like had done many times before letting the other get all of his feelings out. “When this is all over, I’ll take you on a nice date. I promise.” That just made the other cry harder. They stayed like that for a while. Just holding each other and letting their emotions spill over. They eventually worked everything out of their systems and laid down on the couch to get some more rest. They both needed it.
~~~~~
Eijirou held tight onto Izuku. They were getting ready to head out and finish this mess once and for all. He knew that his greenette was going with Bakugou and a few pros to take Shigaraki head on, and he was worried. “You better come to me alive.”
“I will, Ei. I promise.” Izuku muttered into his shoulder, squeezing him just as tightly as he was being held. “You still have to take me on a date, so you better come back to me alive as well.”
“Of course, I will. It will be the best date you’ve ever been on.” He promised his boyfriend. He leaned back from the hug to cup that freckled face he loves so much. “I love you so much Izu.”
“I love you so much too, Ei.” He smiled up at the redhead in front of him and cupped his own hands over the large one on his face.
“You have to come back to be alive. You just have to. I can’t do this without you anymore.”
“I know. I can’t either.” He leaned up into his personal space more.
Eijirou happily leaned down to meet him in the middle for a kiss. They melted against each other as they shared the last few kisses they would be able to for a while.
“Deku. Red Riot.” The sound of their teacher’s voice cut the sweet moment and brought them both back to reality. “It’s time to go.”
“Yes, Sensei.” Eijirou gave Izuku one last kiss before letting him go. “Go save the country and come back to me.”
“Of course. Please be careful out there and come back to me.”
“I will.”
Izuku gave him one more kiss before turning to join their teacher and the others that were going to lure All for One out to them. He glanced around at everyone gathered around. He caught sight of all of his friends and Fatgum. He didn't want to lose any of them, but he knew they had to do this. They had to bring All for One, Shigaraki, and the rest of the villains down and stop the chaos they were trying to release on the world. They could do this. He knew they were more than capable. He just hoped they didn’t lose anyone in the process.