Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shion is the kind of person who doesn’t look back too often. Figuratively, of course. Because he literally looked back just now - over his shoulder - so he could gaze into two very familiar faces, three times their normal sizes, plastered in full color at the side of a famous shoe store.

Next to him, his girlfriend, Ayano, tugs on his sleeve, “Why are we stopping?” Her eyes travel to the store front. “Do you wanna buy shoes?”

He doesn’t reply but instead continues to stare at the unmoving photograph of the two models. One is standing tall, back straight, arms crossed. Both his scowling expression and firm posture scream resolute confidence and stubborn indifference. The other man is the complete opposite. He’s standing right next to the other, but his body is open and tilted towards the camera - as if he’s itching to jump outwards, towards the audience. His expression is bright and happy - full of smiles. One arm is up in the air, flung in a jubilant, joyous pose. The other slung casually across the first man’s shoulder.

It’s this arm that pulls Shion in. Attracts his attention to this advertisement in the first place.

Again, Shion is not one who looks back into his past. Once something is done, he tends to forget and let it go pretty easily. No point in ruminating or drowning oneself in needless nostalgia. Life gets easier this way. And yet, he can’t help the rush of memories upon seeing these two men. A nagging, warm feeling swirls in his stomach as nostalgia hits.

“I know these two,” Shion states suddenly, eyes still on the two models. Ayano, who is just about to pout and sulk in response to being ignored earlier, suddenly perks up.

“Wait... no way. You know pro heroes Deku and Dynamight?”

“Well, I mean-“ Shion rubs the back of his head shiftily, “I used to. We went to school together. Elementary and middle school.”

Ayano squeals excitedly, the sound startles Shion a bit. He wonders why girls like to use that high pitched sound whenever they get too excited. It’s a bit unnerving, really.

“Holy crap! You’re kidding me! I love them! They’re like - so cool! How come you never tell me this?”

Shion shrugs, “Eh. I guess it never crossed my mind before.”

“But this is surreal!” Ayano is still using her high pitched voice. “Hero Deku! And Hero Dynamight! You do realise they’re like in the top 10 Heroes list, right? Oh my god, you actually know some celebrities!”

Shion tries not to roll his eyes. This information brings forth none of the excitement his girlfriend seems to feel. Shion tears his eyes away from the store front - and the beaming/scowling photos of his ex-classmates - and tries to walk ahead, pulling Ayano with him.

“Wait. You have to tell me more details!” Ayano is reluctant to move now, dragging her feet a bit, her sharp nails pinching into his forearm. “Were they good friends back then too? I heard they used to be rivals, but rivals wouldn’t become hero partners if they don’t get along, do they?”

At this, a flash of painful scene pops unbidden in Shion’s mind. One of horrified whimpers, loud explosions, and cackling laughter. A distinct smell of smoke resurfaces from somewhere within his memories.

These are suddenly replaced by a recent image of a well-muscled arm slung casually around broad shoulders. As if to check the accuracy of this picture in his mind, Shion turns his head back to the poster on the store front. From far, the bright red sneakers of Hero Deku and the jarring orange patterns on Hero Dynamight’s black boots stand out starkly among everything else, but yep - the casual arm sling is still there.

Huh.

He faces the front again, and half drags his girlfriend forward, her babbles and excited inquiries mostly ignored.

Chapter Text

The next time Shion thinks about the two heroes is during a late night drinking session a week later with his coworkers. Shion had just finished an extra-long, super exhausting shift and is now slumped on a table in the bar, a cold beer in hand.

“To a weekend of fucking sleeping and nothing else!” His coworker and boss, Matsubara announces loudly, sloshing some vodka martini from his glass as he raises it high.

“Hear, hear!” Another colleague, a pretty, petite redhead who everyone calls by her given name, Chika, raises her glass just as high.

On Shion’s right side, his friend, Hiroki grunts sleepily. Hiroki isn’t actually a part of the bar’s employee, but he’s been around since it first opened and is pretty much part of the family now. He works as a security guard in an office building nearby and comes around at least once a week. And if their day isn’t too hectic, they usually extend the bar’s operating hours a little bit so he could unwind with them.

The night goes on steadily. Shion mostly pretends to listen while Matsubara and Chika chatter. Hiroki spends most of his time scrolling on his phone. At one point, Chika, bored of their silence, leans over and peeks into Hiroki’s phone.

“What the hell, Hiroki-san. It’s our relaxation time! Why are you reading news of all things here?”

Shion personally thinks that relaxation usually does not entail too-loud conversations, bright lights and stiff bar chairs, but he decides to keep that thought to himself. He has the day off tomorrow anyway.

Hiroki shows his phone screen to her, “It’s just - there was a villain attack near my place just now. I’m checking whether it’s safe to go back there now or not.”

“Oh my god. Let me see. What happened?” Chika gasps, sounding almost excited for something as horrible as a villain attack happening.

“Just an attempted jewelry store robbery in a mall. A couple of blocks from my house. The store’s already closed when they broke in”

Matsubara frowns, “Did it get resolved? The criminals got caught?”

Hiroki scrolls down on his phone, “Yeah. They were stopped by - oh wow- the Wonder Duo.”

Both Matsubara and Chika gasp loudly, “What! Seriously?” Chika squeaks excitedly. “Oh my god, if you came home earlier today, you might’ve caught a glimpse of them!”

“Or get caught in the middle of the villain attack,” Shion says pointedly. Everyone ignores that jab.

“I’ve seen Dynamight before,” Hiroki says thoughtfully. “Went to a hero meet up in Nagoya. The line was crazy-“

“You met Dynamight?!!!”
Ugh, not the high pitched squeals again, Shion thinks wearily as he gulps down more beer.

“I just saw him from far. Can’t get too close with the amount of fans he had,” Hiroki explains, sounding just as tired as Shion feels.

Matsubara leans closer to him, his wavy blond hair flopping in front of his too-excited face, “But still, you get to see him in person! He doesn’t do appearances that much. Especially not fan meetings. It’s just not his style.”

At this, Shion has to agree. The Katsuki Bakugou he remembers tend to compartmentalize people into two categories; lackeys he could order around (and also have them worship him) - and insignificant, annoying people whose existence has no meaning to him whatsoever. Shion happened to fall into the first category - mostly because back then, he was always taller than most other kids, giving him a rather intimidating persona. It also helped that his quirk is pretty powerful. He could immobilize small parts of another person’s body through skin contact. His parents had tried encouraging him towards the hero path with his quirk’s potential, but Shion has no interest in such a dangerous lifestyle. He feels no inclination to use his quirk to others as well.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Shion could suddenly recall, with exact clarity, the feel of a certain someone’s small body, pinned underneath him, scrawny arms twisted at the back, unable to move, green hair matted in sweat and dirt. The memory makes him shiver and he tries his best to expel that from his thoughts. He tries instead to focus to the conversation that is still happening right now. Chika chirping excitedly, Matsubara smiling interestedly, chin over his palms, and Hiroki talking in low, gravelly voice, over sips of his beer.

Unfortunately, they are still talking about Dynamight and the Hero fan meeting.

“-I mean, it’s kind of weird to not see pro hero Deku with his partner at a fan meeting now, but back then-“

“Wait, so Midoriya wasn’t at the fan meeting?”

Everyone turns to look at Shion. He realizes too late that he just used the hero’s real name instead of his designated title, but before he could add something more, perhaps to clarify that he ‘kinda’ knew the guy, Chika cuts in, “Yes, that’s what I’ve been saying. He wasn’t there at the time because they weren’t partners yet. Back then, I’ve always thought Dynamight would pair up with Red Riot. They were pretty inseparable -“

Shion drifts off again into his own thoughts, tuning out the others’ voices. So when did Bakugou and Midoriya become partners? He never bothers to listen to hero news, even of the ones he personally knew. But he supposes he could find that answer easily in the internet, or he could just ask Chika here. She sounds knowledgeable enough hero-wise to know that kind of stuff. But Shion couldn’t really be bothered. What really intrigues him though, is when did they start to get along with each other? And at what extent is their relationship now?

His elementary school memories are blurry, although he can remember Midoriya following along to their playtimes sometimes. Shion wasn’t that close to Bakugou then. But middle school was when the boy personally ‘scouted’ him, having known him in elementary school and acknowledging his quirk. Shion is rather ashamed of this period of his life, although, again, he doesn’t bother spending too much time pondering about them. Now though, he can’t help but remember again, in light of his newfound curiosity about his two old schoolmates’ current friendship.

Because they must be friends now, right? How could they work together as a duo if they’re not friends? Or at least, get along well enough with each other. Bakugou would never willingly agree on the partnership if the presence of the other man bothers him. Back then, if you annoy him in the slightest way possible, then you’ll immediately be thrown into Bakugou’s personal disposable trash bin almost immediately. It’s part of the reason why Shion did all those horrible things in middle school in the first place - because he wanted Bakugou’s approval - the approval of one of the most powerful, most respected individual in the school. And in order to gain his recognition, Shion had to try his best not to annoy the explosive boy.

And of all the people who annoyed him, no one irked Bakugou more than Midoriya Izuku himself. Shion could no longer remember why exactly the green-haired boy annoyed him so much. The reason is there - somewhere at the back of Shion’s mind - a niggling, itching fact that he can’t seem to remember now (this is what happens when you tend not to dwell on the past too much). All Shion could recall however, is how quiet and timid Midoriya was back then. He was like an anxious little mouse, twitchy and jumpy and far from imposing.

And yet, now, he’s a hero. And just on cue, Hiroki’s phone (which is now in the hands of a noisy Chika) stops at a full screen picture of Deku, in his complete hero outfit - all muscles and strength. No longer a scared mouse. When did that happen?

Shion’s mind would’ve dwindled into a haze of self-existential crisis (Midoriya changed a lot, but what have I done instead? Oh no), if not for Chika suddenly calling his name.

“-Shion? What do you think?”
“Huh?” Shion splutters.
“Which one do you think is hotter? Deku or Dynamight?”
“Hah?! Why’d you have to ask me that?” Shion yells in disgust, while Hiroki tries to hide his laughter.
Matsubara, however bats his eyelashes and flips his long hair, “It’s gotta be Dynamight for me, those pecs, gurl-“
“But Deku’s got ass to last!” Chika retaliates.
Shion has had enough.
“Okay, I am out of here. Call me back once you’re done talking.” He gets up and moves away from the table, while his colleagues laugh and try to call him back.

Yeah, that’s not a conversation he wants to be a part of.

Chapter Text

By the next month, Shion has already completely forgotten about his two former classmates. He must’ve passed by other posters and advertisements of the two (they are pretty popular after all), but his brain made no particular effort to recognize or acknowledge them. After the first few times, Ayano had also ceased to question him any further about his past relationship with them, and so Shion’s life sailed normally just like it always does. He goes to work on most days, comes home late almost every time, lingers to drink again every other night with his coworkers, spends his day offs with Ayano, and occasionally, with his family.

It happens during one of his weekends back in his hometown - his first unexpected brush with a villain. Later, Shion would claim that the guy was more a petty criminal than a villain. In fact, in typical circumstances, the whole situation would’ve been easily handled by normal police forces. No need for heroes to step in. But luckily for them, (and unluckily for the criminal), pro hero Deku just happened to be passing by.

In retrospect, Shion thinks it’s not that surprising. Midoriya’s family does live in his neighborhood after all. Or at least they used to. Shion, of course, has no actual idea whether the Midoriyas have moved out of the town or not. He could faintly remember the neighborhood park they used to frequent during their early childhood, back when he, Bakugou and Midoriya were still young enough to play together, unsullied and innocent.

The criminal’s quirk is some kind of sound wave emission. Not strong enough to cause any physical impact, but effective to stop people in their tracks, repelling them away from him. It’s a kind of high pitched ringing frequency that grates into Shion’s ears, making his skin crawl. Everyone within Shion’s vicinity scream and slap their palms over their ears. Shion himself is almost bent double, sweaty palms grinding over his ears, trying his best not to grit his teeth too much over the annoying sound. He is so preoccupied; he doesn’t even realize the appearance of Midoriya amidst the other frozen passers-by. The next thing he knows, a loud smash reverberates around the area, almost toppling him off his feet, and when he opens his eyes and straightens out, it’s to a view of a broad back, dark green hair and (yes, even if he’s rather disgusted to admit this) a decent backside bending low over the criminal, who appears to be unconscious.

An elderly woman standing next to Shion on the pavement, falters on her legs, probably due to shock. Shion quickly leans over and grabs her arm, trying to steady her body over his own wobbly legs.

“Are you okay?” he manages to splutter this out.

Upon hearing his voice, and before the woman could answer back, Midoriya swivels around to look at them, and for the first time in years, Shion is staring straight back into his large green eyes – the only thing in his appearance that doesn’t seem to change from the Midoriya in Shion’s vague memories.

“Oh no. Is everyone alright? I might’ve put too much force just now. Is anyone injured?” the hero’s voice is laced with heavy concern. Around them, people start to pick themselves up, some shaking their heads and murmuring ‘no, we’re fine’. A few even starts to make their way closer to the hero.

“Ah! Please don’t come any closer. Not until the suspect has been properly apprehended,” Midoriya says urgently. Shion realizes that he still has the criminal pinned securely underneath his body - although the guy doesn’t seem to have any ability or awareness anyway to move a single muscle. Did Midoriya really punch him or something? What was with that loud smash? How is the guy not dead yet? Shion wishes he was actually watching earlier when Midoriya delivered his hit.
As if aware of his thoughts, Midoriya’s eyes suddenly focus themselves in his direction.

“Are you really alright, ma’am? Do you feel any pain anywhere?” he asks the elder woman whose arm is still in Shion’s hands. Midoriya’s tone is calm and gentle, and immediately, Shion could feel the woman’s body relax slightly.

“Oh no, I’m fine, dear. Thank you so much for your help!” she gushes warmly.
Midoriya smiles brightly, “Of course! It’s my pleasure.” His eyes travel to Shion next, “And how about you, si – Ah!” Shion immediately knows that the man recognizes him, judging by the way his eyes widen, or how his mouth falls open almost comically.

“Ito-kun! Aren’t you Ito Shio- “

“DEKU!!!!!!”

All three of them jump in surprise. Shion gawks. He’s not the only one who does.

Behind Midoriya, stands the imposing figure of pro hero Dynamight himself. He seems to have landed out of nowhere, a small cloud of dust and dirt circling around his boots. He seems even larger than Shion thought he’d be, although that’s probably mostly due to rage. He’s shaking a little bit as he comes closer to Midoriya and jabs him hard on the side of his head.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Running off of me like that!”

Midoriya seems to shrink into himself slightly, although he still keeps a firm grip on the bonked-out criminal. “Ah no, Kacchan. I was waiting for you outside the store, just like we agreed, but then I saw this person snatch a bag and run right in front of me! I didn’t have time to tell you so I just – “

“Ugh, I get it. Just shut up already!”

Shion stares. He had expected explosions at the very least. But Bakugou merely rubs his hand over his face in a tired gesture and bends low over the criminal to inspect him.“You called the cops?”

“Ah no – “

“You idiot,” Bakugou retorts, although there was an obvious lack of heat behind the words.

“I was thinking of just carrying him to the nearest station.”

“Uh, I could call for them if you want,” Shion suddenly cuts in, his phone already in his hands.

Both heroes turn to look at him. Midoriya’s eyes suddenly light up in excitement. “Ah, Ito-kun! That’s right! Kacchan, do you remember Ito-kun? We went to Aldera together!”

“Is that so.” Bakugou throws Shion a rather uninterested look. “Well, no need to call the cops anymore. They’re here.” He shrugs towards something in the general direction behind Shion.

And sure enough, from the distance, they could hear hurried footsteps and calls for order, followed by the appearance of two harried-looking policemen. The next series of events are what Shion supposes are a normal procedure for scenes like this; criminals handcuffed and transported away via the police car, statement-taking from some of the witnesses.

Unfortunately, Shion is among the few who had to be interviewed. It doesn’t take long though, and after its’s over, Shion hovers awkwardly at the background wondering what the hell he should do now.

He eyes Midoriya and Bakugou across the road from him. They had also finished giving their statements to the police and are now being surrounded by grateful civilians. Midoriya is beaming and bowing, his hands clasped in front of his body as he accepts thanks and praises. Bakugou’s stance is a stark contrast from him – he slouches next to Midoriya, hands in his pocket, avoiding everyone’s eyes, looking both bored and sullen. Still, he does not leave Midoriya’s side or make any effort to extricate himself from the adoring crowd.

Just as Shion decides to just leave, Bakugou’s eyes wanders to him and he frowns a little bit. Then, he tilts his head and murmurs something to Midoriya, who instantly looks up in Shion’s direction. Shion watches as those eyes sparkle in excitement, before Midoriya turns back to the crowd and bows deeply one last time. Then, together, the Wonder Duo walks away, crosses the road and holy hell, they’re walking towards Shion!

Shion is honestly a little starstruck. Sure, he definitely still thinks of them as his somewhat childhood friends (or acquaintances?), but now that he’s watched them in action and sees the admiring reception they receive by the public, he suddenly can’t help feeling a little nervous and apprehensive.

“Ito-kun, it’s been too long!” Midoriya says pleasantly.

Well yeah, last time we interacted, I think I was holding you down by your neck while the guy next to you pummeled you on the stomach, Shion thinks, then quickly shakes that thought out of his head. He doesn’t need the acidic feeling of guilt curling in his stomach right now. It’s almost impossible to compare that Midoriya with this one over here anyway.

Shion nods and gives him a polite smile, “Yeah, it’s good to see you guys in person.”

As if pulled in by some kind of coincidental magic, a city bus with a toothpaste advertisement plastered on its side, featuring a beaming Midoriya doing a victory pose, passes by on the road next to them. Midoriya sees the advertisement too and giggles loudly. Bakugou snorts, “You look so stupid in that one. No one has teeth that white.”

Shion focuses his attention on Bakugou now. He had never seen that expression on the man. He looks almost...playful? Huh. Time really changes people.

“Are you guys on patrol?” Shion asks suddenly. Midoriya shakes his head, “No, we’re actually going home to see our parents. See - We’re even wearing our casual clothes.” He gestures to himself and yes, now that Shion looks at them, he realizes that they are not wearing their hero costumes - Midoriya’s in dark purple hoodie and camo shorts, Bakugou’s wearing a red tank top underneath a black jacket. They were also both wearing caps and he could see Bakugou holding a clinical face mask in one hand. Must be for privacy, Shion thinks.

“So, Ito-kun! Do you live around here?” Midoriya asks, startling Shion out of his thoughts.

“Ah. No. Actually, I’m the same as you. I’m visiting my parents today.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. So where do you live now?”

“I live near Tokyo station.” Shion wonders whether it’s a breach of privacy to ask where the two heroes live.

“Isn’t rent expensive there?” Bakugou grunts. Shion stares at him. This is the first time the guy actually initiates something akin to a conversation to him.

“Yeah, I guess. But I live on top of the bar I work in. My boss is pretty nice so he doesn’t charge me much.”

“Eh?? You work in a bar? Are you a bartender? What’s the bar called? Can we come visit?” Midoriya’s rapid questions catches Shion off guard. Bakugou obviously senses this because he grabs the back of Midoriya’s hoodie and pulls him back gently. Shion has a sudden flashback of the same motion done by the same guy ten years ago, but with ten times more strength and brutality.

None of that brutality is present now. Instead, Bakugou’s face softens as he looks down into the other (he's slightly taller than Midoriya) and says gruffly, “Oi nerd. Give the guy some space to breathe.”

“Ah right. Sorry, Ito-kun” Midoriya grins sheepishly. He takes a step back and leans slightly into Bakugou’s side, their shoulders touching. This simple gesture makes Shion feels somewhat detached from the situation. For some reason, everything feels kind of bizarre - like a drip of bitters into a finished concoction of a Moscow Mule - reality gradually distorts, Shion’s new perception seeping slowly over his old memories. He wonders whether the adrenaline from witnessing the attack earlier is making him woozy.

In the end, they part ways right there, but not after Midoriya asks for more details about the bar, promising to come later when he has time. When they leave, Shion watches as they both tuck their face masks back on. Bakugou tugs down on Midoriya’s hoodie to better conceal his green curls, and Midoriya adjusts Bakugou’s cap slightly, covering his sharp crimson eyes from view.

Shion turns around and walks away.

Chapter Text

Midoriya makes good on his promise to visit the bar. He comes over with Bakugou at around midnight a week later, coincidentally on a day that Shion has his shift.

They are both in civilian clothes but don’t linger long. Midoriya explains that they had just finished a night shift and are actually pretty tired. “But we were passing by and we wanted to check out the place. It’s so nice in here! I like the ambience!”

Shion glances at Bakugou. Again, he doesn’t speak much, but he appraises the interior slowly, running his eyes over the dark walls, the modern but cozy furniture, and the other patrons in the bar, before leaning back and relaxes. Ah, he approves, Shion thinks, a twinge of pride and relief in his chest. It seems that even after all these years, it’s still natural for him to seek the approval of this intimidating man.

Speaking of approval, Shion again wonders how the heck Midoriya gained them. Perhaps because of his powerful quirk? Hang on. If that’s so, then why wasn’t he part of Bakugou’s circle in middle school? And now that he thinks about it, Shion doesn’t remember ever seeing Midoriya showcase his quirk back then. Was he simply unobservant enough? No, that’s not it...

Before he could further ponder on this, a voice interrupts him, almost making him drop his shaker.

“Are those who I think they are??” Matsubara appears by his shoulder, eyes wide in excitement. Uh-right.

After introducing his boss to his former classmates, the two heroes are told that they could come over anytime, “-even after hours!” Matsubara chirps happily. Shion quietly sighs. This means he not only has to entertain Hiroki, but possibly two others long after his shift.

He doesn’t really expect them to come again though, but they do. Sometimes together, other times alone. Midoriya chats a lot regardless whether he comes alone or not. Bakugou rarely talks even when Midoriya’s around and doesn’t talk at all when he’s on his own. Shion entertains them well enough, learning their preferred drinks and topics of conversations. They come during nights that he’s not on shift as well but Matsubara whispers that they usually don’t linger long if they do.

After a while, they even bring other heroes with them. Chika stops breathing for ten seconds when she first meets the handsome Shoto. And Hiroki stammers stupidly when he approaches Red Riot for an autograph. Apparently he’s a huge fan.

It’s around two months after Midoriya and Bakugou first came in when it happens. Shion is working behind the bars like usual. It’s a pretty slow night and he’s wiping the counter for the fifth time that hour, when Midoriya enters. Alone.

“Hey Midoriya. What’ll it be tonig-“
Shion pauses. He’s peering into Midoriya’s face and notices immediately that something is wrong. And not in the banged up, injured kind of wrong. He’s gotten used to the heroes coming in with gruesome-colored bruises and bandages wrapped around limbs to question that anymore. He supposes it’s an inevitable part of the job.

Right now, though, Midoriya doesn’t look hurt or injured, but he has an expression on his face that screams pain. It’s all grimace and droopy eyes - the effect on what is usually a cheerful and bright countenance is startling in Shion’s eyes.

Midoriya falls into one of the bar stools, slumping down immediately. Upon closer inspection, Shion realizes that his eyes are blood shot and red rimmed. He’s been crying. A lot.

“Uh... Midoriya? Are you okay?” He usually only asks this type of questions once he’s in the middle of preparing the drink, but Midoriya looks absolutely miserable now.

“Yeah,” Midoriya sniffs and tries to grin unsuccessfully, “Yeah. I’m alright.” Shion decides not to ask any further.

As the night goes on, Midoriya keeps on drinking. He’s taking shots of vodka now - a rarity. Midoriya likes his drink sugary and sweet. Shion remembers Bakugou once laughing and teasing him about this. The mere recollection of Bakugou laughing makes Shion frown a bit. He glances at the green-haired man. He’s slumping lower and lower on his seat, occasionally muttering softly under his breath. Shion wonders where Bakugou is right now. Is he alright? Is that why Midoriya’s upset? Is it work-related? Can Shion even ask?

As he wonders about the confidentiality of hero work, Midoriya suddenly asks him in a quiet, sad voice, “Hey Ito-kun? You have a girlfriend, right?”

Shion nods and says yes. He mentions Ayano once before when Midoriya asked him what he usually does on his day offs.

“How long have you been dating her?”

“About 5 months now.”

“5 months huh,” Midoriya frowns thoughtfully at his hands.

“Have you guys said ‘I love you’ yet?”

“What?” Shion whips his head up from the bottle he was arranging so fast he feels a bit dizzy.

“I love you. Did you say it?”

“Uh...”

“Oh maybe 5 months is a little too early for that. Or is it?” Midoriya is talking more to himself now, clasping and wringing his fingers together. “I mean, it’s not like it’s years, you know? Years. I mean I understand not saying it in public or whatever. But in private, that’s to be expected isn’t it?”

Years? Shion’s mind is spinning. He wants to ask ‘who is it? Is it...him?’

Shion’s not entirely stupid. He knows it’s only been two months since they started frequenting the bar, but he hasn’t missed the tender looks, the gentle touches, the way affection spills from each of them as they lock eyes, talk in quiet voices. Whenever Shion catches them at these moments, he pretends not to see and pushes the thought away, to the ‘don’t-focus-ignore-this’ pile in his head. He couldn’t acknowledge it, because the possibility is a little too jarring for him to consider. He knows he shouldn’t be judgmental over these kind of things, but he knew them in the past, for god’s sake! And he knew how they were.

But people change, Shion reminds himself. Heck, he himself definitely changed. So he puts down his washcloth and decides to face Midoriya. Acknowledge that piece of information that he tries not to acknowledge. He opens his mouth and then stops. What if Midoriya doesn’t want him to know? He says they can’t say it public, so it’s a secret, isn’t it? Shion himself has never heard about this particular rumor about them among the hero world (not that he’s that well-versed in it in the first place).

Shion clears his throat and tries to get Midoriya’s attention, “Uh, is that why you’re here? You argued over this?”

Midoriya looks up. His eyes are rather unfocused and even more bloodshot than when he first came in.

“Actually no. We argued over something else.” A pause while the man contemplates his empty glass. “It’s just - It’s nice to be told in words, you know. I’m aware that different people expresses it in different ways. All that love language crap. But- “ his lips wobble, “I’m just so tired of waiting. And I know we might have to wait longer because of this whole stuff. So I just wanted a little bit more confirmation, you know-“

Midoriya gives in and lets his tears fall. He doesn’t bother wiping them. Shion watches as one tear drips down his chin and onto his white shirt.

“When you say you have to wait because of this whole stuff - do you mean your hero work?”

“Hero life,” Midoriya corrects him. “And I know I’m being selfish. And I know I’m a hypocrite as well, because in the end, I do care a lot about my career. My whole life revolves around it. And I - we want to be the best.”

Shion nods in understanding. “I don’t think you’re being a hypocrite. You can care about multiple things in the same quantity, at the same time. It’s hard sometimes to prioritize one over the other because they’re all equally important to you. And it’s alright if you feel sad that you can’t balance them all together in your hands.”

Midoriya gazes at him, “So - so, what should I do?”

Shion thinks about it for a bit, “Well, the way I see it - you can either accept that you can’t juggle everything perfectly all the time. Or you have to compromise.”

“Wha- I can’t give up one over the other!” Midoriya exclaims in anguish.

“Midoriya, compromising doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice one of them completely-” Shion sighs and looks around him. No one is paying them any attention. “Look- this isn’t something you have to solve on your own. Go to Ba- your partner and discuss about what you guys can do together. The goal is not to get the fairy tale happy ending, that’s just unrealistic. But at least, try to reach a point where you can be satisfied with what you can have.”

Midoriya continues to gaze at him. Shion wonders if he is sober enough to actually understand his long-winded lecture, but at last, Midoriya nods and puts his chin on his knuckles. “You’re right, Ito-kun. Thanks.”

Shion nods back and turns around to wash his washcloth under the sink.

For the next hour, Shion keeps Midoriya’s glass full, under the latter’s insistence.
“My quirk makes my tolerance high,” Midoriya slurs, his eyelids flickering as he tries to keep them open. Shion pretends not to see that.

“Ito-kun?”

“Hmm?”

“How come you never ask me why I’m no longer quirkless?”

“Huh?” Shion’s eyes widen as the full comprehension of that question hits him. He instantly turns around, only to be faced with a completely passed out Midoriya.

Shion has to call Bakugou’s phone number (Midoriya gave them their hero business cards a while ago), to have him collect Midoriya. The hero is completely dead to the world, and doesn’t even stir when Bakugou reaches over and carries him bridal-style to his car.

Bakugou mutters his thanks before driving away.

Chapter Text

The next time Shion sees the green-clad hero, he doesn’t bring up the whole ranting thing, but Midoriya bows low and thanks him profusely for entertaining him while he was drunk. Shion waves it off but doesn’t probe any further, especially since Bakugou is there too this time. The two certainly look and act as normal as they do with each other, so Shion thinks that all is well in the end.

But all is not well in Shion’s mind. Because he can’t get Midoriya’s last drunken question out of his thoughts.

“How come you never ask me why I’m no longer quirkless?”

Because now, Shion finally remembers it - why they started bullying Midoriya all those years ago.

He was quirkless.

At least, that’s what everyone said. Because he can’t really be quirkless, can he? He obviously has a quirk now. An extremely powerful and super flashy one, even. Shion can’t understand how such an accusation could take place. Was he hiding it? Was it just kids being kids? Spreading inaccurate, ridiculous rumors, picking on little kids on the playground who fall and cry easily?

And Bakugou. He was the ringleader too. Shion is sure of that. He certainly never had any real reason to hurt Midoriya. He simply did it because he followed Bakugou. The moment Shion thinks of this, he feels awfully bad and guilty. Sure, Bakugou was at fault but the blame can’t fall entirely on him. Shion might not be the initiator, but he still took part in the bullying and the torment. And he couldn’t exactly remember feeling bad either. Not when he was holding Midoriya down, or forcing his head to stop moving, just so Bakugou could let out an explosion right in front of his face, scaring the poor boy to death.

Shion couldn’t sleep for days after this revelation. He breaks his own principle, and drowns in memories of his past, falling into an endless abyss of guilt and regret. He wants to apologize to Midoriya, but every time he sees him in the bar, he’s usually with someone and seems always in high spirits. Shion doesn’t feel like intruding and breaking his happy bubble, especially not after his breakdown last week.

After two weeks, Shion still couldn’t find the right time to carry out his apology. He’s also not quite sure how to phrase it when he actually does. ‘I’m sorry I was such a horrible person when we were in school? I’m sorry I thought you were quirkless and judged you because of that?’ Shion wonders sometimes if Midoriya even remembers what he did, and if he mentions it, what if he’ll suddenly remember and decides he doesn’t want to talk to him again? Shion likes the guy. And he tips good too.

On a Thursday night, around 10 pm, Shion is serving a couple of customers when Chika, who is wiping down a table nearby, gasps and points him towards the TV screen on the adjacent wall. There, on the screen was a clip of Bakugou- no, Dynamight, in the middle of a battle. Shion isn’t sure what the villain’s quirk is but he looks quite normal, except that he’s rampaging around, throwing random large objects with ease towards civilians and Bakugou alike. Bakugou onscreen was trying hard to evacuate the citizens while also throwing explosions towards the villain’s direction, trying to maneuver him away.

The newsman is saying something Shion can’t quite hear, but just as he is about to tell Chika to increase the volume, the door to the bar opens, and Bakugou himself - the real deal - steps in. He looks completely worn out - dressed in normal civilian suit now, but Shion could see fresh battle scars adorning his face and bare arms. There are a couple of bruises and cuts, and Shion could see bandages peeking through his neckline. He walks normally though, and doesn’t flinch when he throws himself on the stool in front of the bar.

“Bakugou-kun! You’re on TV!” Chika squeals as she comes nearer. Bakugou glances once and scoffs, “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Shion starts on making his drink, but he goes ahead and asks whether he’s alright.

“Fuck. Of course I’m alright. Why the fuck would I walk around, drinking in a bar if I’m not alright?”

Shion nods and continues making his drink. On the TV, a new hero, a brown-haired girl with some kind of flying, levitating quirk joins Bakugou’s side. The battle skews towards the heroes’ victory immediately after.

“Midoriya wasn’t with you in that fight?”

“No. He has to help another hero in another town,” Bakugou answers simply.

“You guys aren’t supposed to travel around together? I thought that’s a given for hero partners?”

Bakugou takes a large gulp of his drink, and then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Nah, only for long missions or assignments. For small shits like patrol and small-town villains, we go our own ways.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I mean, hell- can’t imagine having to see that nerdy face every hour of the day. Sounds like a fucking nightmare.” Despite his harsh words, there’s a small grin on Bakugou’s face, as if hiding a secret joke.

Shion glances back to the TV. The reporter is now interviewing the brown-haired hero. The name Uravity is emblazoned at the bottom of the screen.

“Bakugou-kun, Uravity-san was in the same year as you guys in UA, right? Was it true that she dated Midoriya-kun back then?” Chika asks cheerfully, sidling up to the counter to look at Bakugou closer.

Shion freezes. He tries to act nonchalant as he peeks into Bakugou’s face. The man’s face grows dark and dangerous in a single moment, and Shion fears for his life. He considers warning Bakugou that they are in the midst of an establishment filled with flammable alcohol and explosions of any kind could be fatal.

Before he could say anything, however, Bakugou relaxes and his face switches to a neutral, almost bored expression.

“Yeah. They dated in our second year.”

Chika, the ever oblivious, groans dramatically in disappointment, “Aww, what a pity it ended. They look so good together.”

Shion wants to gag her mouth with the dirty rag he’s holding right now, but instead he glances back to check on Bakugou’s expression. To his surprise, Bakugou simply looks sad and almost…resigned.

But he and Midoriya are together now, aren’t they?

The news changes into something about corrupt politicians - again, and Chika prances away to wipe yet another table. Shion is left in silence with a similarly silent Bakugou.

“How can I apologize to him?”

The words come out suddenly, without him meaning to, and Shion wishes he could take them back. This is probably breaching a dangerous zone here, even without taking the explosions into factor.

“What?”

“I- uh.” Shion isn’t sure how to proceed from here, “I just want to...apologize to Midoriya. You know - for what I did to him in middle school.”

Bakugou doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t blow up or throw a tantrum either.

“We – I – was a jerk to him. And I can’t stop thinking about it. And I really want to be his friend now. So I feel like I need to start with a proper apology.”

Bakugou sighs for a long time, and Shion waits. When he finally speaks, it confuses Shion for a bit, thinking he forgot what his original question was.

“After we first met you all those months ago, d’you know what Deku did when we got home?”

Shion shakes his head.

“He rummaged in his old bookshelf, trying to find one of his old notebooks. The fucking hero-analysis notebooks he was always writing in.” Shion doesn’t remember any hero-analysis notebooks, but he does have lots of memories of young Midoriya bending low over his school desk, constantly writing.

“Anyway, in one of those notebooks, was an entry about you.”

Shion is shocked, “Wha- me? But I’m not a hero!”

“Yeah, but you have a pretty decent quirk. And the nerd’s obsessed with quirks - even the not so powerful ones. He writes about them in all those fucking notebooks. Pages and pages of em” Bakugou pauses, his eyes distant, “He showed me a few pages about your quirk. Details about what it is, how it works, your limitations, ways to improve them. Hell, he even drew costumes for you.”

Shion stares open-mouthed at Bakugou. He’s honestly stupefied by this information. Midoriya had been writing about him? Midoriya took notes of his quirk when all he did was use said quirk to hurt the boy?

“Why- Why would-“

“Because that’s how he is,” Bakugou says rather tiredly. “He’s stubborn and determined and so self-sacrificial it would’ve made him so stupid if he isn’t so smart.”

“And most of all,” Bakugou’s voice goes quiet, “He’s too forgiving.”

Shion stares at him. Those crimson eyes stare back, filled with a swirling intense mess of emotion that makes Shion feels as if cracks are running through his body from sheer pressure.

“He’ll forgive you, even if you don’t deserve it. Because you really don’t. None of us does.”

Silence.

“But he’ll forgive you.” Bakugou downs all of his drink and stands up, “I’ll tell him to come see you soon.”

Chapter Text

If finally happens. And it happens in one of the worst ways possible. Shion knows the two of them will not be happy with how things turn out. If he’s in their place, he would’ve felt so cheated, so annoyed.

He hears it by accident; he’s scrolling lazily through his phone after breakfast, skimming through his rather neglected social media, when he sees a post by his old school friend. From middle school.

The caption the person wrote was: Guys! Can’t believe these two heroes are gay! They used to go to my school wtf!

Attached to the post is a news article, featuring two very familiar faces.

Heart racing, Shion taps on the news story, leading him to the official website. The headline is large and imposing- a very recent breaking news.

The Wonder Duo - a Partner in All Sense?
The reveal of a scandalous romantic affair that spans years of deceit and hypocrisy

The headline sounds stupid. Shion still wants to read the article though, but the picture catches his attention first. It’s a very large, high quality image of Midoriya and Bakugou, standing on a beach - the sea as a backdrop. Both men are wearing swimming trunks and are soaked from a recent swim. They are also entwined so closely together, that it’s difficult to figure out which body part belongs to who. The kiss however, is very apparent, and even though only their side profiles are visible, there is no mistake who both of them are.

Shion feels a lump in his throat. This is horrible. He knows about this trip. Just a week ago, Midoriya announced that they will be going to a hero conference in an island in the Philippines, and that they might stay a bit longer there as well to enjoy a little vacation time. This was supposed to be a time for them to unwind and relax - together. Shion still remembers the heavy conversation he had with Midoriya two months ago, when Midoriya lamented about their inability to show affections in public. They wanted to keep it a secret. They deserve to keep it a secret. And now-

Shion reads the rest of the article, and proceeds to throw his phone away in disgust after he finishes. He picks up his phone again after a few minutes because he needs to know more.

And yes, the news has spread rapidly. It has been reported in multiple local and international news chains. Some, even on the front issue. Shion wonders whether today just happens to be a slow, untroubled day, or people have gone insane and believe that a pair of heroes hiding their relationship a much more important story than crimes and disasters.

Shion also reads responses from the more general public on social media. While there are supportive responses from various people and organizations, there are a significant amount of negative and hate comments and posts expressing things from disgust to sadness over the fact that two of the most eligible hero bachelors are not only taken, but also gay!

Shion has to refrain himself from replying to some of the more vulgar and rather imbecile ones, hating the way nausea crawls into his throat in anger. After spending almost the whole evening looking at all the different sites, Shion suddenly remembers that he’s actually friends with Midoriya and Bakugou and should probably reach out to them or something.

But should he? Would they even want to read and respond to messages at this moment? They’re probably incredibly overwhelmed - friends and families who are left in the dark would probably spam them with calls and messages, demanding to be explained, and possibly even berate them for keeping it a secret. Not to mention the more professional side of their lives - their hero agency must be having a terribly hectic day right now.

No - Shion decides not to contact them. He’s not even that close with them even. They never even meet outside of his work-hours, and while he did have rather meaningful conversations with both of them on different occasions, the fact is, they only reconnected with each other a mere five months ago. And yes, Shion might’ve found out about their relationship for a long while, but neither of them had actually opened up to him about it.

So Shion doesn’t text or call them.

When he goes to work later that day, he is faced with a barrage of excitement and energy. Both Matsubara and Chika insist that they already had an inkling of the relationship. Shion doubts Chika a little bit – and when Hiroki comes later in the night, the discussions start afresh. Shion finds it rather wearisome after all; it’s not like he isn’t concerned or interested - he just finds it a little disturbing to speculate about something so private and personal behind the men’s backs.

A few days later, the news is still a hot topic. Shion could hear people talking about it everywhere – in his bar, on the TV, in the radio. His social media newsfeed is filled to the brim with the two heroes’ names. Their hero agency has released a brief press statement explaining the situation – Shion reads it, they’re nothing but vague words with no real confirmations, more towards trying to appease the public and plead for their support than explaining what really happened. And Shion doesn’t blame them. It’s not something the two of them should rush into after all.

He wonders again what they’re doing right now. Midoriya probably cried buckets already, and Bakugou – with a snort, Shion could suddenly imagine heat, smoke and soot emanating from demolished hotel furniture.

Then, he sees a news story featuring another familiar-looking face. It’s not Midoriya or Bakugou this time, but a young man with cropped light grey hair, slanted dark eyes and a perpetual smirk on his face. He hasn’t seen this guy for years, but his name pops in Shion’s mind almost instantly – Sakamoto Kei. He was one of Shion’s friends in middle school – part of the Bakugou lackey gang. Shion can’t quite remember his quirk, but he does remember the boy kicking a writhing student on the stomach while Shion held him down.

Shion feels queasy from this memory, so he focuses on the news article instead. It’s actually a video – the reporter is hidden from view, but their hand protrudes from the screen, holding a voice recorder into Sakamoto’s face.

“Yeah, man. Bakugou and I were pals in middle school,” Sakamoto is grinning lopsidedly at the camera – probably thinks he looks cool or something. “I had to admit, I didn’t like what he was doing. But you can’t really say no to him, ya know. What’s with that explosive quirk and all.”

The reporter’s disembodied voice comes out suddenly, “What did he do?”

“Ah- he bullied poor Midoriya, for real. No real reason even. He just hated the poor guy.”

“What kind of bullying? Physical? Verbal abuse?”

“All types, man. It was horrible.” Despite this claim, Sakamoto’s smirk only gets wider, his eyes twinkling slightly, as if he’s enjoying all this. “Imagine my surprise when the news came out a few days ago. Something’s wrong there, man. I knew the dude. Doubt he changed much since then.”

Shion feels immensely sick, his stomach churning in anger and disgust. He proceeds to watch the rest of the interview. It isn’t that long, but the reporter asks a few more questions, ‘How long did this bullying go on?’ ‘No one else got wind of this?’ ‘Are you in contact with Bakugou now?’

Each time the scum answers the questions, Shion’s restraint from wanting to punch his face gets lower and lower. Holy shit! What an asshole. He made it sound like he wasn’t part of the blame. Shion has been carrying this guilt for months now, and even after he actually did apologize to Midoriya one night, the weight still lingers heavily in his gut. If this is how he feels, Bakugou must’ve felt worse.

Shion wants to do something. That night, he can’t sleep. He tosses and turns in his bed, thinking and pondering, making routes in his mind, fabricating and scratching out words as he goes. The next morning, he wakes up with resolve. He takes a day off from work and starts his research. Once he narrows down the list of potential contacts – ones he thinks are trustworthy and won’t twist his words, he shoots them a couple of emails and even makes some calls, and by the end of the day, he has an interview scheduled for the next day.

He walks into the interview space nervously – though he tries to put on a confident façade. It’s only a conference room with some camera setups. There are minimal artificial lights around, most of the light already provided by the sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall. Shion grips his notes with shaking hands. He has to do this. He needs to help them. He was briefed earlier on what to do, and now he’s being introduced to his interviewer – a friendly looking woman in her mid-30s. She has a set of glittering multicolored horns on her head, and as he looks at them, he suddenly feels calm and confident.

“Now, Ito-kun, are you ready?”

“Yes.”

The interview is released that very evening. The news agency wants to report it as fast as possible, before the rumors die down and the negativity remains as the final aftertaste.

Shion feels weird seeing his own face and hearing his own voice on screens like that. He’s even more perturbed by the sudden mass attention heaped on him, not only by his friends and family (who had no clue he was doing this), but also from the public themselves. It’s bizarre, and usually, Shion would despise this attention. But for once, he’s happy and proud of himself. Especially after he receives a very tearful phone call from a certain green-haired hero, followed by a surprisingly long text message from a former explosive friend...

Chapter Text

“My name is Ito Shion. I was a former classmate of both Midoriya Izuku, commonly known as the hero Deku, as well as Katsuki Bakugou, now known as the hero Dynamight. I am aware that there are other interviews and reports by our other former classmates, each with their own claims and stories about the two heroes in their youths. However- “

“I’d like to offer my own claims, not only as their former classmate, but as a current friend. Of both of them. I am proud to say that I am not only allowed to be in their lives during childhood, but also now, as adults. I cannot however, claim that I am truly close with the two heroes – for instance, I was also not informed of their relationship with each other- “

“However, I believe that, with my current knowledge of them, my words are truer and more viable within the framework of current circumstances.”

Shion takes a deep breath.

“Hero Deku is genuinely one of the purest, kindest person I’ve ever met. Loyal, smart and unselfish, he never holds a grudge to me for all the hardships I’ve put upon him in our early years. I was one of his bullies. I tormented and held him down. I ignored his tears and his pain. I was a horrible person- “

Shion’s hands shake, his lips trembling.

“-but from the very first time I met Midoriya-san as an adult, he never made me feel like I am. He held me in high regards, talked to me so happily and sincerely, it made me feel like this – this is what friendship is all about.”

Another deep breath.

“Bakugou-san is an amazing person. He inspired me. He still does. Determined, courageous and resilient. He has everything I seem to lack, and I admire him for that. We may have strayed on the wrong path during middle school, but as an adult, there is no question anymore of the righteousness of his current path. Bakugou is and will continue to be a great hero and a good individual.”

Shion sighs heavily.

“I am not going to make excuses on his past wrongdoings – I have no right to do so anyway. But believe me when I say that he has changed. He truly has.”

A small chuckle escapes Shion’s lips.

“I was so shocked when I first met him again. I was even more shocked when I see him and Midoriya interact together-“
Shion smiles softly at the camera, his eyes crinkling.

“-I am truly honored to be able to witness them together. To witness the way they convey such intense trust and tenderness between them. If I hadn’t spent that much time with them, and instead relies solely on my murky memories of our childhood, I would’ve been skeptical as well. I would agree that it’s a sham. An impossibility. No way can two people with such an abrasive past could end up loving each other-“

“-But like I said, they’re both amazing people. If no one else can do it – they can. They grew up and learned from their mistakes - from each other. And although I believe that their personal lives are not really anybody’s business, I can however say with absolute certainty, that they are good for and with each other. I will continue to support and believe in them. Thank you.”

Chapter Text

It has been one month. Shion doesn’t really notice it that much but now that he thinks about it, he can’t believe it has been that long. After the vacation that ultimately outed them ended, the duo never came back into Shion’s bar. He gets texts from Midoriya occasionally and both of them comment regularly on his social media posts (he’s starting to get into them again after his whole interview whirlwind dies down), but he hasn’t seen them in person anymore. He initially thought about asking them this, but then realized that this really was none of his business.

Then one night, he was in the middle of a particularly busy shift, when four familiar-looking heroes walked in. Shion recognizes them, although it took him a while to remember their names. They are friends of the Wonder Duo – particularly Bakugou. The moment they step in; excited murmurs rise in a flurry around the bar. The other patrons turn to look at them in awe. Shion understands why. The heroes are all wearing their hero outfits. None of them even bother to shield their faces. They take seats around one of the tables in the middle of the room and immediately are accosted by some eager fans. After a while, two of them, a large man with spiky red hair, and a pretty girl with pink skin and equally pink hair approach the counter where Shion is mixing his drinks. They exchange greetings and make their orders.

“Sorry for barging in like this-“ the red haired man, who Shion remembers is called Red Riot says, gesturing to his hero costume.

“We just thought we could give you some publicity!” the pink girl, who introduces herself as Mina pipes in.

“Unless you don’t want it, of course!” Red Riot cuts in quickly.

“Oh no, I’m really honored,” Shion answers with a smile.

“What you said in the interview was really nice,” Mina says warmly. “We are super grateful for what you’ve done for our friends.”

Shion feels his cheeks getting warm. He hadn’t expected getting a praise by a bunch of famous heroes so suddenly. “Thank you. I was just doing my part.”

“For real, though,” Red Riot beams, “What you did changed the tides significantly in our favor. Bakugou and Midoriya are incredibly thankful.”

“Speaking of them,” he leans slightly towards Shion, “We actually came here with another mission- ”

“Midoriya and Bakugou wanted you to know they won’t be able to come visit the bar much often anymore. Or probably not at all, for the next couple of months.”

“Why? Did something happen?” Shion wants to know.

“Ah, they moved to America.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be a secret, for now. I mean eventually the public will know obviously, but for now they’re keeping it low-key”

“Makes sense.” Shion agrees.

“It’s not like they’re running away though,” Mina adds in, “They just happened to get an offer to work in a multinational agency in the US a couple of months ago. They originally planned to turn it down, but now that they got laid off from their agency here, in Japan- ”

“Eh? They got fired?” Shion has not heard of this. “Is it because of the whole reveal thing? -”

“Babe, they weren’t fired,” Red Riot interjects, frowning slightly at Mina, “They quit on their own volition. The agency wasn’t being very…supportive of their relationship.”

Mina sighs, “Yeah, being a gay couple in such a ‘progressive country’” Mina makes an air quote gesture with her pink fingers, “-sucks balls.”

Red Riot snorts at these words, but then he turns around to look back at Shion. “Anyway, they’d just wanted you to know where they are, and to let you know that they’re fine.”

“Ooohh, they’re better than fine,” Mina coos, “They’re all happy and lovey-dovey now. Seriously, Ito-kun, you’d better prepare a bottle of bleach for your eyes the next time they come visit you.”

Both Shion and Red Riot laugh. “Anyway, we’ll come visit the bar in their place from now on. So until next time!” The two heroes collect their drinks and walk away to rejoin their friends.

Shion gazes into space for a while, thinking about Midoriya and Bakugou, before he snaps out of it and continues on with his work.

_______________________________________________

Five months later, and Midoriya and Bakugou still haven’t returned to the bar. Shion doesn’t think about them that much either, but his eyes catch some of the advertisements more easily now. There are lesser of them now though, ever since they migrated out of the country, but Shion smiles in reminiscence whenever he sees them.

Then, one day, at the beginning of his shift, Matsubara hands him a cream-colored envelope with his name in front. “Came this morning,” he says simply.

Shion opens it, and an airline ticket falls from within the depths, the words ‘Tokyo -> Los Angeles’ stand out boldly in large letterings, but Shion’s eyes are trained on another content of the letter – a thick cream-colored card, with beautiful golden inks intertwined around the borders –

Heart racing, Shion reads the first sentence -

'You are cordially invited to join us in celebration at the union of-'