Chapter Text
"This is stupid."
"Lighten up. He's enjoying himself."
"It's a waste of time! I could be training! Kicking Kirishima's ass! Sleeping! Doing literally anything else!"
Bakugo growled in frustration as he shoved past a cosplayer who was poorly dressed as what he could only recognize as Mt. Lady. Said cosplayer shot him a glare of protest, to which he nonchalantly flipped the bird over his shoulder to. "These people suck at it anyway." He added as he watched Midoriya walking excitedly ahead of them both.
Unlike Deku and Todoroki who had decided to embrace the nerd culture, Bakugo had decided to wear nothing more than his skull shirt and cargos. Normal as he had called it earlier when Deku was trying to convince him to dress up.
Todoroki walked by his side, adjusting the wrist supporters he'd received from Hatsume's inventions. He didn't mind cosplays, but he couldn't figure out anyone he'd truly wanted to dress up as, and so he resorted with the next best thing: himself.
"People do this for fun. Not everything has to be a competition." Todoroki retorted back to Bakugo who scowled at him over a smug look. "Can't you just shut up?!" Without breaking his stride, Bakugo smacked his shoulder in a comical provocation, and Todoroki took the chance to smack the other's arm away in annoyance.
But as the two faced towards Deku's direction, they realized they made a mistake. The boy turned, revealing himself to be someone else! Someone that just so happened to be wearing the same thing as Deku.
"Fuck." Bakugo deadpanned.
Deku's eyes were glowing the second he stepped inside that convention center. Someone immediately complimented his All Might cosplay and he beamed a merry ”Thank you!" The pride in his voice was unmatched. He was surrounded by like minded nerds and actual heroes! The guest list was insane and he knew exactly who he wanted to see first.
While he was happy Kacchan and Todoroki joined him, they weren't exactly able to relate to him on this level. He barely got Kacchan to even come and now he "owed him one." Todoroki was a lot easier and he even got him to cosplay -- er, sort of. Well, it's the thought that counts and at least they actually came!
Deku went all out though, ready to have the time of his life. There was just so much to see and do as he started making his way through the crowds, big green eyes wide with wonder. He wished he had more money to buy stuff with but he decided what little he had he'd spend later so he wouldn't have to carry around too much-- unless he saw something he really really wanted that ran the risk of getting picked off by another fan.
Deku's game plan for maneuvering through this con was activated and just like that, he got lost in the crowd, distancing himself from Bakugo and Todoroki without even realizing it as one cool thing led him to another, while also trying to figure out where the guest booths might be. It seemed that the vendor hall and autograph section were all in one giant location.
It was while winding around a person that Midoriya noticed from the corner of his eye a really cool 3d print out of Ryukyu in her dragon-like form. Because he was focused on that, he wasn't able to see the person he bumped into next. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He immediately reacted, stumbling back and looking apologetically to whoever he just ran into... and that's when his jaw dropped.
Kuro, having just left his booth it seemed (Deku could see his booth in the background with a glorious stand-up poster by it) was standing before him now in all his 6 foot glory, and he had just bumped into him! Kuro must have just finished a signing and had said goodbye to the dispersing fans. Where was he going now? Maybe to get food? To wander around the con too?
"K-Kuro!" Deku choked out, eyes wide in panic as he knew time was of the essence. "I-- autograph-- please--?" He was palming all over himself trying to figure out where his pen and paper was. It didn't matter he had fought alongside his favorite heroes at this point. He still occasionally slipped into fanboy mode over someone he liked. He had never met Kuro in person before so of course he was excited. He wasn't even in the top ten of pro heroes but he was SO cool. And being in an environment like this really fed into Deku's fanboy persona.
He’s seen plenty of videos of Kuro’s heroics and interviews online. He seemed so kind and docile despite his edgy appearance. The man had a lot of tattoos. In fact, they had a lot to do with his quirk. Kuro had the ability to manifest anything etched onto his skin, whether it be with a marker, pen or tattoo, he can manipulate part of his molecular structure to bring the art to life. The more integrated the art, the more realistic and powerful the creation could be.
The crowd was particularly heavy as Kuro’s booth closed, leaving people to scatter and wander off. Kuro could had slipped behind the tall curtains around the booths and exited without dealing with the masses, but he was looking for someone.
"It's Kuro--! Aaa!"
Kuro glanced to see a few of his younger female fans squealing over the fact he was lingering now, but far too shy to approach. He flashed them a smile but his attention was clearly on the nervous boy that had bumped into him. “No no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.” The white haired man tried to dismiss while Deku was still fumbling around his suit for an autograph. His voice was silky and smooth as his apologetic smile. The smile was strained, however. He could puke if he heard that word again - autograph. Kuro couldn't say no to a kid who seemed to be a fan of his, however. So he watched in amusement as the younger, flustered and desperate, finally took out an autograph booklet. Deku fretted so much so that the hoodie to his costume fell over his shoulders and suddenly the mysterious kid caught Kuro’s full attention. "Hey, you're that kid, uh..." He snapped his fingers as he thought, "Mizu...Mir... Deku! Right?"
Being in the outfit Deku was in, he probably appeared even younger than he actually was, making it hard to recognize him too, especially with how he was presenting himself. But he just couldn't contain his excitement! He was pretty sure his soul just left his body when Kuro seemed to actually know him by name. Deku tried to remind himself to get a grip. The guy's gonna think he's a complete fanatic if he didn't calm down a little! Even if Deku was a complete fanatic, he didn't want to weird him out. "You know me?" He wondered if it was the Sports Festival. It could have been a number of things at this point since he's found himself in a lot of hero conflict lately.
"Sure I do," Kuro’s demeanor changed. He relaxed as he slid his hands into his pockets and gave Midoriya his full attention. At second glance, Deku really did not look like a high schooler. He still bared his baby cheeks, and his big expressive eyes were stunningly bright and enthusiastic while most teenage boys tried to fit cooler personas. The outfit definitely didn't do him justice either. "You've made a name for yourself since the Sports Festival at UA, and it's not in the news yet, but most of us pro heroes have heard of your encounter with Overhaul. Pretty impressive, I have to say," Kuro winked at him, "I should be the one asking for your autograph, little Deku.”
Deku took in his every movement from his hands sliding coolly into his pocket to the expressions on his face and the way his short layered locks danced around his sharp jawline. He was studying him and burning his image into his head for all eternity. The videos and photos really didn't do Kuro's level of attractiveness justice; he felt so lucky to be able to meet him like this and to be recognized by him too felt like a dream.
Impressive?? He wants MY autograph?? Deku's excitement didn't know how to pour out anymore. He was feeling faint and also the pressure in his eyes were starting to increase to an embarrassing level.
No.
He would not cry.
"No!" Deku's eyes widened in horror, not wanting him to think he was being rude; he had to explain his outburst quickly. "I-I mean you're you, I'm nobody!" No matter how many times the greenette has been recognized at this point, he had yet to grow a big head, or fully allow it to sink in that he was already gaining a name for himself too.
Kuro's public image was interesting as he had some controversy surrounding it due to the tattoos on his body. Tattoos were heavily looked down upon in Japan because they are linked to Yakuza, but they were all part of his quirk, and Deku admired them and him for being able to sway the public image through his patience and gentle attitude towards civilians. He was very unique and that intrigued him.
Much like Midoriya, Kuro was intrigued with the real Deku too. The Midoriya he'd seen on nationals was nothing like what he was witnessing: sweet, humble, nerdy, and so very expressive. He could have been fooled, certainly would have thought he was just another dotting shy fan, had he not seen the boy's potential on TV.
Then, as if a switch flipped, Midoriya was staring at him almost horrified at the suggestion he get his autograph causing Kuro to laugh whole heartedly. "Don't put yourself down, kid. You're, what? Second year? First year?" One hand pulled out a solid black pen he often used in fights. While it looked rather ordinary, the pen had a secret compartment with a razor sharp knife he used on his skin in case the pen ran out of ink, "Your name's been poppin' up in conversations. If you ask me..." How short was Deku? He had to bend just slightly to take one of Midoriya's hands and place the pen into it, "...I think you're a big deal." He rolled up the black sleeve to his button up, exposing one of his freshly new tattoos. The details of the scales and the sharp fangs of the snake embedded around his arm would just be a future weapon he'd use against a villain, but just below the tattoo there was a patch of clear skin over his wrist. Kuro smiled, "So I'll cut you a deal. Sign your name on my arm, and I'll show you around. I know a few pro heroes who would love to meet you."
Deku's eyes lit up about a couple of things. For one, he recognized that pen! In fact, he's memorized his whole pen set. Kuro rarely lost 'em during a fight which was interesting. Here he was, struggling moments before to find his own writing utensil and notebook, and Kuro was able to retrieve his so smoothly. Under pressure was no different, since he had to be careful and ready in a fight; but his drawings were always such masterful pieces of art no matter what predicament he was in. Even in a rush, his scribbles were better than anything he could accomplish.The idea that Kuro wanted him to taint his skin now with his shoddy handwriting was horrifying.
Of course, Deku was touched though by the gesture, teeth tightening together as Kuro's hand placed the pen in his. He swallowed hard, tucking away his notebook back into an inside pocket to focus on the task at hand. His whole body began to shake now as he stared at the pen, trying to digest everything that was going on. With a hesitant nod, because how could he possibly say no to him, Deku's arm moved slowly, inching towards Kuro's arm with the awe-striking snake tattoo that was definitely new. As the pen hovered just above the skin, Deku had to use his other arm to grab his own forearm in hopes of keeping himself from shaking too much. He had to steady himself much like when he was about to flick an opponent with his finger. It was a real struggle to write right now but he did his absolute best and managed to write "Deku" right where Kuro suggested.
When he was finished, he offered the pen back to Kuro, still shaking just as much. His heart was pounding and the best was still to come! He was actually going to get to hang out with him now. "I-I hope it's alright."
If he was trying to hide his fanboy side, Deku was certainly failing at it. He could barely hold the weighted pen without fanning over it, and it was then Kuro realized that Deku knew exactly what he was holding. Most people would just assume he carried it to sign their posters, but the sharpie he used for posters were in his other pocket. He made note of how Deku eyed his tattoo though. Did he notice it's new too? Kuro had fans, but none really paid any attention to who he really was, and now he couldn't help but look at Deku differently, wondering just how long the boy had been watching his hero arc. He remained silent, allowing Midoriya to truly experience what it meant to give his autograph to a fan. He watched with amusement, his skin soaking in every drop of ink.
As soon as his nervous fingers stopped, Kuro placed a hand over Midoriya's, applying just enough pressure to stop him from moving any further. "You noticed, didn't you? My pen." His fingers pointed at the opposite side of the ink where the smooth curve of the pen met the latch. "Then you know you used the wrong end."
"Ah--" Deku seemed bewildered, not sure how to take that. He was joking, right? Surely he was. Did he mean he wanted it permanent? "I...did...?" Deku was feeling nerves he didn't quite recognize now. The way Kuro looked at him felt like butterflies had started to migrate through his stomach. "I.. I couldn't..." Even so, cutting him felt like a bit much, and he didn't want to hurt him like that.
"You won't hurt me," It wasn't that Kuro could read minds. It was that look that he'd seen many times over. The kind that separated him from the rest of the more stereotypical quirks and placed him on this controversial reputation he'd grown to embrace, despite his good intentions. "You know better than most of these fans that I have grown accustomed to these extremes. I've adapted to be the hero I wanted to be," Bright red hues glanced into Midoriya's green ones, "You're no different than me, Deku. I've seen what you've put yourself through just to rise where you are." His hand eased his grip on his, but before he could say anything else, he began to realize that his presence, along with Deku's exposed profile, was starting to attract a crowd.
Kuro sighed as he straightened himself and made distance between the two, purposefully allowing Deku to keep the pen. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled down at the younger boy, "Ah, looks like we've been caught. Guess we should get going, hm? Wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea."
"Is that Deku??"
"It's really them...!"
"I-I can't believe how close they are!"
"Are they teaming up?! How cool!"
Amongst them, there were some young females watching with wide eyes, cheeks flushed at the rare scene. They were obviously fawning over them, while others watched in surprise to see not only Deku himself, but Kuro interacting with the new rising hero.
Kuro really knew how to draw someone in with that smooth voice and debonair twinkle in his eye. It didn’t matter he was older, in his twenties, Deku found himself smitten. A harmless, celebrity crush if you will, that was never meant to go anywhere. He was grateful for the interruption, however. While he didn't want to offend Kuro by insinuating he was weak or something by not using that side of the pen on him, it just felt like he was stepping over a line here that he shouldn’t. He quickly found he wasn't comfortable being ogled at either so he looked at Kuro. "Take the lead?" The green haired boy subconsciously kept a protective hold over the pen he still had in his hand without thinking he needed to give it back yet, now too focused on what Kuro was interested in seeing first at the convention. It was intriguing to him that someone like him would want to actually mix and mingle with the crowds and be interested in the displays.
Kuro smiled his way through pictures and autographs before leading the way, allowing the crowd to ease rather than leave his fans hanging with a bitter taste. And as they lingered, the fans began to take interest in Deku. Younger kids and adults asked for his picture, others asked for his autograph and the boy fumbled around and did his best to pacify them. It was nerve wracking at first but the energy around them was contagious and soon enough he found himself having fun, enjoying the crowd's smiles.
As soon as most of the people who had surrounded them seemed to be contented, Kuro took the opportunity to guide them passed the guest booths, and with one quick wave, he pressed a hand to the small of Midoriya's back to lead them to the exit. Deku was still reeling, admiring how Kuro had handled that crowd and feeling overwhelmed himself. Everything he did though seemed to carry an artistic appeal that one couldn’t help but swoon over. From his body language to his inflections… He had such a way with people that truly helped them see passed those tattoos. Though Deku thought the tattoos just added to the man’s beauty anyway and he blushed for thinking that.
After a moment of just walking through the dealer’s room, Kuro was waved down by other heroes to which he politely rejected with an apologetic wave as he kept walking alongside Midoriya, and although he felt bad for not taking the time to introduce Deku to everyone, he knew he'd be able to make it up later. "My friends are waiting at the east wing. Remi'll probably kill me since I'm already late, but I'm bringing such a cute snack with me. I think he'll understand.” He flashed Deku a teasing glance and comfortably slid his hands back into his pockets, "Kidding, kidding!" He chuckled at the look the boy gave him.The greenette felt a little weird from the joke but let it slide. Rather, he smiled back as if he was in on the joke too. He wasn’t used to a pro hero giving off this kind of vibe towards him but he accepted it in wholesome stride. Letting himself get swept up in his own childlike wonder. Besides, he was just “kidding” after all. He wondered who Remi was and if he was a superhero he'd recognize later since the name didn't ring any bells. He hoped to get more autographs though which reminded him of the fact he still had Kuro's pen. A part of him wanted to ask if he could keep it, another part didn't want to say anything at all-- rather, he let himself get distracted by where they were going as they exited the vendor hall.
While Deku was getting the VIP treatment, Bakugo was getting increasingly pissed off the longer it took to find the little turd. He was going to give him a real piece of his mind whenever he did— “Watch it!” Bakugo scowled as someone bumped into him. They looked scared and apologized but seemed distracted by whatever it was they were talking about with a group of friends.
“Did you see the way Deku looked at him?”
“Oh! That’s a team up I need! Kuro and Deku? Ahh!” One of the teens squealed at the thought. They looked like they were all wearing sailor scout uniforms.
Kuro? Bakugo exchanged a look with Todoroki, certain he heard their annoyingly high voices too.
“Which way did they go!?” Bakugo interrupted the teens, baring his teeth like an impatient animal as he held one of the girls in place by her shoulders from behind.
“Cosplay is not consent!!” She yelped.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Please s-s-sir!” One of her friends with blue hair piped up. “They went towards the east wing!” She pointed towards the direction and sighed in relief when Bakugo backed off to turn to Todoroki.
“He forces me to come here only to ditch our asses? I’m going to kill him.”
"None of my messages are going through..." Todoroki had been trying to send messages since they had lost Midoriya into the crowd, but it kept returning with 'no signal'. With one last futile glance at his phone, and the rejected messages bouncing back, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and focused on following Bakugo to avoid losing one another. Almost as if conditioned to respond at any time Midoriya's name was brought up, Todoroki's ears had picked up at the squeals from the other fans, and it seemed like Bakugo heard it too as they exchanged those knowing looks. The moment the girl yelled though, it may have not shown on his expression, but he was internally elated at the blonde's luck. "He must be really enjoying himself if he's already gone this far." He mumbled. Unlike Bakugo, he wasn't as riled up about Deku's disappearance, but he couldn't help but worry. Midoriya was rather wholesome in his own way, and could hold himself against a villain, but whose to say someone wouldn't pull at his heartstrings?
Hours had passed since they had left the autograph section and the fan incident. Kuro had eventually slipped his own badge onto Deku, calling him his little assistant as they encountered security at the Guest and VIP halls. As promised, he took Deku through multiple rooms, all of which had heroes, sidekicks, and agencies alike socializing and enjoying their exclusivity without the fear of fans bombarding them. Kuro introduced Deku to his peers, some of which weren't all that popular, but worked heavily behind the scenes, while others were flashier role models who worked on social networking for brands. Among them, there were also pro-heroes as well. Kuro couldn't help but watch Deku fidget in nervousness, at first too shy to wander on his own, but it didn't take long to warm him up. In fact, it was easy setting the kid up in conversation, and for the most part, Deku carried on once he was able to find a topic of common interest to take off in conversation. Before he knew it, it was nearing evening and the group was starting to disperse for the nightly events; though, it wasn't easy to tell given that there weren't any windows to see the sun setting.
After convincing the bartender that he did, in fact, need a drink even though they had just closed, Kuro turned to find the little hero who seemed to be bidding his farewells with a lovely female hero. Once she left, Kuro took the chance to regroup with him. "Well?" He flopped down on the couch, arms splayed out over the couch behind Deku. "How do you like it? I was worried you weren't enjoying it, but you've managed to strike a conversation with nearly anyone."
It was scary being in a room with so many admirable people but this was a dream come true for Deku. Todoroki’s instinct was right, he was definitely having the time of his life. Fitting in with other heroes, hearing them talk about things they liked, or stories of adventures they’ve been on - he was learning so much! Sure, he came off as a fanboy and totally made you uncomfortable at first (he managed to squeeze in a few autographs after all), but he was so open and warm that it was hard not to adjust to Deku’s own unique charm. He honestly was exhausted by the end of it. The social butterfly had shook off his nerves and had definitely made it a point to try to talk to every person he could and the genuine excitement barely wore off until it neared evening. He perked up when he heard Kuro’s voice and turned and smiled at him gratefully. “Are you kidding? This has been great! Thank you so much!” He moved to sit on the couch, his feet hurting from being on them all day. “Do you get to go to a lot of conventions like this?” Getting to see the VIP areas was such a treat. Sure, he would have had a blast being a general attendee too but WOW. He had to wonder if Kuro got the chance to attend these a lot during his downtime. It really must have been an experience to swoon over. Kuro did enjoy the casual gathering behind the curtains and the artist gallery, but he thought over the question for a moment before answering: "Most of the time. After a while we all just hole-up in here. It's few in between that we can all gather and not be bothered."
Kuro swirled the ice around in his drink and smiled back at Midoriya, "We aren't done here though, I was just keeping my end of the deal. We have one last stop for the day. Only pro-heroes get to come to the VIP event with the exception of guests." With one last swirl, he brought the cup up to his lips only to nearly choke on the drink. He pulled it away with a crinkle to his nose and a sour glare towards the drink. "Argh, that's strong." Despite the complaint, he took another gulp of the drink with, yet again, another twisted face. "Fuck. I mean, granted, this is exactly what I wanted, but it tastes like absolute garbage."
Deku realized that there was one other element to his experience that added to the intimidation factor — he was definitely the youngest person hanging out with everyone. No one seemed to question it or mind though so he almost forgot himself until he watched Kuro choking down some apparently strong alcohol. He didn’t understand the appeal since he’s never had any alcohol before nor has he had an interest to drink with his mind focused so much on just being a good hero but he didn’t judge either. Even now, his mind was swirling with thoughts about the VIP event Kuro was inviting him to. “A private VIP event?” Deku’s eyes swelled with wonder but paused when something finally clicked in his head. “Wh-What time is it??” He fished around for his phone, eyes wide. He had been with Kuro and hanging out behind the scenes for hours on end; he lost all sense of time and realized that Todoroki and Bakugo were probably freaking out about where he must have gone. He tried texting them to check in, honestly surprised he didn’t see any messages already. Maybe they weren’t that concerned after al—
…And that might be the reason. Deku frowned: no service.
“I came here with a couple of people who’re probably worried about where I’ve gone… Do you know if there’s any WiFi I could connect to or something? I should probably check in.” He cringed at what Bakugo and Todoroki must think of him — and don’t get him wrong, he was genuinely excited about spending time with them here, and sharing this experience with them, but he had no idea things were going to go in this direction!
Todoroki would probably be understanding but Kacchan?
"WiFi?" Kuro echoed. It wasn't something he really bothered with at an event that was meant to completely disconnect, but he could understand Deku's concern, except he was unsure how to answer. "Have you tried connecting to a guest network?" Kuro leaned over to look at Midoriya's phone in hopes of helping him find a solution.
"Ah- I got it!" Kuro chimed as an idea struck his thoughts, "Remi's party is at the top floor of the hotel, they might have better signal there and..." As he spoke, he suddenly came to the realization that Deku was, in fact, still young. "Hm... It seems I've taken up a lot of your time already, doesn't it?" He relaxed, hoping to ease the boy. If Midoriya felt trapped in anyway, then he would be sure to fix that. Kuro purposefully made some distance between them, instead opting to giving Deku a light pat on his head, soft hair threading through his fingers. "I don't want to make you feel obligated to be here so, why don't we go back? You'll also have your chance to go to a VIP party someday, it doesn't have to be today."
"Oh! No! That's not it!" Deku was quick to respond as he didn't want Kuro to think he had done anything wrong. He turned red a little from the pat on the head and tried to look reassuring. Who knows when he'd ever even get to see Kuro again so it was nice getting to know him and his friends. In his eyes, Kuro had nothing to feel guilty over. With a look of panic, torn as to what to do, Deku glanced down at the badge Kuro gave him, having worn it like a prize. This was a golden opportunity still. A once in a lifetime thing! Even if he got to go to these types of events in the future, he'd still be missing out now and would always wonder what it would have been like.
He felt bad about Kacchan and Todoroki... but maybe Kuro had a solution after all.
"...you said there might be better signal near the event, yeah? Yeah, I'm sure I can get a hold of them there." He tried to sound a little more confident. It's not like he'd have an easy way to find them otherwise. The convention center was huge. It was much better to get a hold of them there and just have them meet him in the lobby or at their room than wandering aimlessly around.
Despite Midoriya's assurance, Kuro didn't look all that convinced, and even less so the moment Midoriya stared at his phone as if his life depended on it, only to put up airs again. He stood up abruptly and faced the teen, "Deku," his voice was low and careful as he spoke, "if you're going to force yourself through this, then let's part ways here. I have no interest in entertaining kids who just want to pretend to be something they're not, and don't get me wrong, you don't strike me as the guy to do that, but if this is as far as you are able to go, then don't force yourself to come along just to blend in." Kuro paused for a moment as he studied Midoriya's expressions. He took another taste of his drink, this time long and drawn to finish the cup.
"I like you. You're cute, you're fun, and walking away from this won't make me think any less of you. We'll eventually meet again, hopefully in the field, but I won't allow you to come unless you truly want to." He placed the cup on the low table next to the couch before sliding his hands back into the pockets of his black dress pants and waited. Waited for Deku's response, and ready to leave if he saw any sign of deception or hesitation from the teenage hero.
Deku was surprised, looking up, dumb founded at Kuro as he called him out. He didn't want to say anything at first, he listened, trying to understand where Kuro was coming from and why he'd think he was pretending to want to hang out with him. That wasn't how he meant to come across at all! This had so much more to do with his partners than anything else. "Kuro..." Deku liked that he was able to speak what he was thinking and he hoped he could reassure him. "I want to go, really. The more I thought about it, I mean... It will probably be best I reach out to them at the hotel because they're probably having the same problem as me. I'm sure they will go somewhere they can get WiFi too. It works better this way." He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to think I didn't want to go." He lowered his arm and smiled, less nervous, more genuine. "I appreciate you going out of your way to be so nice to me."
Kuro rose a brow as Midoriya spoke, challenging him, but the words and his demeanor showed their true colors, and for a moment, Deku looked that much older than he really was. "Okay." He answered, allowing himself to relax, "If at any moment you feel like you need to leave, I'll escort you back." He reached over to pat his head again and finally let out a relieved smile. "You almost had me going there for a moment." He said as he let his arm fall over Deku's shoulders to lead them out of the lounge and towards the hall. Unlike before, there were less people wandering around, and those that were, had either their hero costumes on, or a rather provocative outfit to fit the nightlife of the adults who were eager to find parties to attend.
Kuro followed the crowd towards the path to the skybridge leading over into the hotel, taking them to one of the elevators where he pressed the button to go to the top floor.
At this point, Deku felt like he had moreinsight on what type of person Kuro was in that short exchange. Kuro didn't want to come across as the pushy type so he took what he said to heart. When he felt he needed to go, he’d see himself out and it was nice to think Kuro wouldn’t take offense. Except Deku felt stiff under his arm because that wasn’t something he anticipated. It made his heart race and for a second he passed it off as nerves and tried not to overthink it.
As they waited for the elevator door to open, a group of three came tumbling about, giggling and laughing through their tipsy state. The two girls wore a bodysuit similar to Momo's, all skin tight, one piece with a deep v-cut that made any guy do a double-take, and the only guy had nothing but skintight leggings. One of the girls, a redhead, spotted Deku as they waited for the elevator. She smiled toothily with drunken flushed cheeks, "Heyyy... You're kind of cyu-uute. What's your name, darlin'?"
"Yami," The shirtless guy tried to speak through his laughter, pulling her by the waist before she could get any closer to the other two, "Leave them be,"
Kuro didn't seem to mind. He smiled at her, but kept his arm over Deku's shoulders. "Don't mind them. They're just enjoying themselves.” He spoke down to the tense boy under his arm. Deku was so red, he had no choice but to stare at the wall in an attempt to respectfully ignore them. He cleared his throat to speak but knew if he tried he’d sound like a shrill chipmunk so he just nodded at Kuro’s observation of them.
Once they were walking again though, Deku relaxed under his arm. He couldn’t wait to see what type of event it would be, oblivious to the fact he might have just gotten a sample of it, but rather fixated on the idea of who else he might recognize and connect with. He wanted to meet all the heroes he could but he knew he had to do something first…
"He's kidnapped." Todoroki was, at this point, convinced something terrible had happened to Deku. While hours ago he was able to keep his composure, he was now coming up with all kinds of scenarios in his head. He stood by the sliding glass door leading to their room's balcony, his eyes glued to his phone that finally had signal, looking over the messages he had sent already:
We lost you.
Where are you? Bakugo tried to assault a girl.
It's okay though. Call us when you are free. You must be enjoying yourself.
Midoriya?
Bakugo is not happy, but I've managed to distract him. He was hungry after all...
Are you alright?
Izuku??
At this point, Todoroki glanced up at Bakugo who sat on the bed of their shared hotel room. The hotel its self connected to the convention center via sky bridge that added to the convenience for the weekend. Midoriya had convinced them to book it. It was small with a king sized bed, but cozy, except it was missing the very person that had convinced them to come along in the first place.
"We should go back. He could be in trouble..."
"HE'S GONNA WISH HE WAS." Bakugo snapped angrily which was a great cover for any concern he might have actually felt about Deku in this situation, but he wasn't convinced the nerd was in trouble yet. Not after hearing he was with Kuro. The twerp had a way with people sometimes, he was certain wherever he was, it was with him. "You heard those extras. He went off with that walking graffiti wall.” He knew who Kuro was too and didn’t see the appeal. Him and Todoroki tried to locate them though but no matter how many times Bakugo threatened - which actually went against their efforts - the more security or staff refused to give them a clue where any of the VIP areas were; and Kuro had no other things on his schedule so the whole search was a major flop.
Bakugo started to open his mouth to say something more but suddenly a notification alert interrupted him.
A text to Todoroki!
One after another.
😫😫😫 I’m so sorry !!!
I hope youre not too worried. I’m not sure when I lost you guys but I ran into kuro and the mmost amazing thing happened! He invited me to a vip event!
It’s at near the rooftop at our hotel and I’m there right now! It’s the only place I could get service or I would have texted sooner!
At this point Bakugo was looming over Todoroki like a demon. He was seething and even more so that Deku didn’t text him first. But that might be because his earlier texts consisted of:
I’m going to kill you
You’re going to die
And then a gif of someone being murdered that was unnecessarily graphic
Todoroki could feel Bakugo over his shoulder but he ignored him in favor of reading the texts. He quickly became relieved when Midoriya confirmed his safety. It was unsettling, but he had a lot more faith in Midoriya's powers. He's witnessed first hand what his boyfriend could do, and if he didn't ask for help, or send vague location drops, he didn't feel all that worried. "He's okay." Todoroki smiled softly at the texts, for once in the past few hours feeling relieved. Though, he couldn't say the same for Bakugo. "Should we get dinner?" Was all he could suggest considering they had no other option, right? Him and Bakugo weren't all that friendly yet, but they've made amends to work their relationship out-- or more so.. Midoriya had placed them in this position if they wanted to be a part of his life. Either way, Todoroki was trying... somewhat.
Bakugo was already at the door by the time Todoroki asked if he wanted dinner. The fiery blonde paused, looked over his shoulder and with a toothy, vengeful grin said, "We're crashing a party."