Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the rooftop of the dorms. He smiled sadly at the warmth of the sun on his face. This was most likely the last time he would ever feel it. Just as he was about to take his shoes off, he spotted a very familiar brunette. Despite himself, he screamed.

"Hey! Don't do it! Please!"

As he watched Ochaco Uraraka turn to face him, he processed what he said and what this meant for him. He realized that her being on the roof meant this was a perfect opportunity missed and he was somewhat pissed about it. She smiled sadly at him as she told him her woes.

“You’ve probably heard it all before; I really thought that he may be the one but then he told me he was done.”

He knew exactly who she was talking about. Her and their other classmate, Katsuki Bakugou, just broke up not that long ago. It was hitting them both hard but was obviously affecting her harder. He couldn’t believe it though. He couldn’t believe that for some stupid reason she was able to got up here before him. She was really upset ‘cause she could have everything she wanted with the explosive teen? She was really lucky that she’s never actually been robbed of anything!

“I’m feeling better. Thank you for listening!”

She smiled at him before heading back downstairs, grabbing her shoes as she did. He sighed looking out over the campus before sliding his shoes back on and heading down stairs.

~~~~~

‘Alright, today’s the day’

Or so he thought about a week later. He had just looked up from slipping both of his shoes when he noticed another person on the roof as well. He couldn’t help the sigh that passed over his lips.

Toru Hagakure was sitting on the railing and heard him come out onto the roof. She turned towards him and he can’t tell the expression on her face but he can tell she is upset.

“You’re probably heard this all before. Everyone ignores me. Everyone steals. I don’t fit in with anyone here.”

He knew what she meant. She was literally invisibile all the time. As much as it sucked, it made since that she was ignored. He couldn’t believe it regardless. He couldn’t believe that for some stupid reason she was able to get up here before him. Even so she was still loved by everyone  downstairs and at home! Didn’t she know that there will always be dinner waiting on the table?

“I’m hungry.”

A few tears slipped down her face as she set her feet back on the roof and headed downstairs. He huffed at another opportunity missed before following her down.

~~~~~

It’s been nearly two months since that first day, and everytime he went up to the roof there was already someone up there. He just felt worse every time he talked another person down. Not that anyone would do it for him. There wasn’t a way he could let out all of this pain and sorrow he felt. Not that he thought anyone would care enough. Didn’t matter anyway. He wouldn’t tell anyone because he didn’t want to be a burden to any of his friends.

~~~~~

Today was the very first time he saw someone with the same pains as him, as he slipped his shoes off.

Shouto Todoroki was leaning against the railing looking out over the campus until he heard Izuku behind him and turned to face him.

Izuku has done this again and again so it should be easy to talk Shouto down.

“I just wanna stop the scars that grow every time that I go home. That’s why I came up here instead.”

Whoa what did he just say? Izuku couldn’t care less either way. In the moment, he just screamed something he didn’t believe.

“Hey! Don’t do it! Please!”

He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t think he could stop this one. It was new and he finally thought he might have bitten off more than he could chew. Even so he just wanted him to go away so he didn’t have to look at that pitiful expression anymore. It’s almost too much for him to bear.

“I guess today is just not my day.”

Shouto looked out over his shoulder at the campus before he disappeared back down the stairs.

Izuku waited a long moment before he sighed to himself and followed.

~~~~~

The next time Izuku went to the roof, no one was there, so he guessed it was finally time. He knew it was just him and no one else. He stepped closer to the edge. No one could interfere. He climbed over the railing. No one could get in his way this time. He closed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sun against the back of his head and the cool feeling of the metal railing under his palms. He took a deep breath before jumping, eyes still closed. He reveled in the feeling of the air whipping around him until a solid mass rams into him. He gasped from shock and his eyes flew open. He knew he wasn’t close enough to the ground for it to be what hit him. It only took him another moment to register what - more like who - slammed into him.

Bright, red, unstyled hair whipped around his face, twisting in the rush of air along with his own. Incredibly strong arms wrapped completely around him with his own tucked in between their chests. That was all he needed to know that Kirishima had literally jumped to save him. The redhead had flipped them so his back was towards the ground and Izuku couldn’t bear to look at the ground rapidly approaching, so he buried his face into Kirishima’s shoulder.

He couldn’t believe that the other had literally jumped after him. To save him . Why him? He wasn’t anything special even if he was All Might’s successor. Without One for All and All might, he was just a Quirkless and weak deku. Katsuki told him as much most of their lives. So he couldn’t understand why the redhead would risk his own life for him.

The shock of hitting the ground pulled him from his thoughts. He clenched his jaw and pressed his face farther into Kirishima’s shoulder as they slid across the ground, digging a large crater behind them as they did. He barely noticed when they finally stopped and Kirishima loosened his grip slightly to check on him. He only wrapped his arms around him and held on tightly as he started to sob.

~~~~~

Eijirou tightened his grip again and ran his fingers through Midoriya's hair, letting him cry for a while even as he heard people’s voices and footsteps rushing towards them. He quietly shushed him as he looked to see who was coming. Aizawa-sensei was expected as was Hizashi-sensei. Denki, Mina and Hanta were as well seeing as he was with them before he jumped yelling for them to get Aizawa. The one person he didn’t expect was Katsuki. He also didn’t expect him to look absolutely terrified as he approached. He looked like he saw a ghost and it was kind of freaking him out. Why was this so terrifying to him? He would have to ask Katsuki later if he got a chance.

“Are you okay, little listeners?” Hizashi-sensei asked as he knelt down. Aizawa-sensei was a little ways away, keeping our classmates back.

“I think so. I took the brunt of the impact with my hardened back.” Eijirou responded as he sat up, causing Midoriya to curl up in his lap still crying.

"Alright. Let's get you two to Recovery Girl's office so she can check you two out and make sure you don't have any serious injuries." Eijirou nodded and Hizashi-sensei helped them up which was harder said than done considering how tightly Midoriya was still clinging to him. It was hard for them to walk so Eijirou just picked Midoriya up and carried him. He couldn't help but notice Katsuki's eyes glued to the greenette as he passed. They definitely had to talk once they were checked out.

The walk didn’t take long and neither did being looked at by Recovery Girl. Well for the most part. Midoriya was still clinging to him and refused to not be touching him in some way. It was almost like he thought he would be thrown back into his free fall if he didn't hold on to his literal savor. So Eijirou was content to hold his hand and sit next to him while they checked out. 

It turned out that neither of them were severely injured. They just had minor scrapes and bruises. Eijirou's injuries were mostly on his back, which was to be expected. Meanwhile Midoriya had a bruise across his chest where Eijirou had slammed into him and a few scrapes on his knees.

Once Recovery Girl was finished, she healed them, gave them a little bit of food, and sent them back to the dorms to rest. Neither complained and just walked in silence, still hand in hand. Eijirou knew that Midoriya just needed some comfort and he was determined to give it, despite how the feeling of their hands intertwined caused his heart to skip a beat and flutter at the same time. He could push aside his feelings for the greenette and just be there for him as a friend.

By the time they got back to the dorms, everyone was downstairs. Well, almost everyone. Eijirou noticed that Katsuki wasn't present. He hoped the ash blonde was in his room. He still had to ask about earlier. He shook his head at their classmates, before leading Midoriya to the elevator.

Once the elevator door closed, Eijirou opened his mouth to ask whose room Midoriya wanted to go to, when the greenette spoke first. He was so quiet that he almost didn’t hear him.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t have to do this." He pulled his hand away to mess with the hem of his shirt. "I don’t even know why you even decided I was worth saving. I’m not. You should have just left me and let me die. I’m nothing to you. I’m nothing in general. There was no reason for you to risk yourself for me. No reason at all. I’m just-”

He slammed his fist into the wall, cutting Midoriya off. “Stop! Just stop!” He couldn’t listen to the self-deprecation that was coming from the other male. “I can’t just stand here and listen to you spout lies about yourself. You’re the class sunshine. You know what to say to make someone feel better. You're one of the smartest kids in class. You say you're nothing to me, that your life wasn't worth risking my own, but you don't have a right to assume how I feel." He needed to stop talking before he actually said how he felt. This wasn't the right time to be confessing his stupid crush. You don't just drop that on someone a mere hour and a half after they tried killing themselves.  It wasn't manly. He shook his head to clear it. "Let's just get you to your room." 

"Actually, can we go to your room? Mine is kinda trashed." Midoriya asked not looking at Eijirou at all.

"Yea. We can rest in my room today and I'll help you fix your room tomorrow." Eijirou said, pushing the button on the elevator for his floor.

"Y-you don't have to do that." Midoriya stuttered, waving his hands in front of his face as he shook his head as well.

Eijirou gently took one of the greenette's hands back in his own. "I want to." It was just three simple words but he knew that there was hidden meaning to them. There were a lot of things that he wanted to do with the shorter male but he needed to be his friend first and foremost. He can't let his feelings get in the way here.

"Okay. I'll let you help me." Midoriya answered after a moment of silence.

Eijirou smiled slightly as the elevator stopped and the door slid open. As he turned to step out, he was once again met with something he didn’t expect. That something happened to be Katsuki himself standing just outside the elevator. He noticed the explosive male's face shift from worry to realization and then finally his signature scowl. He also noticed that Katsuki didn't even glance at Midoriya. He didn’t really look at Eijirou either. Just more or less around him.

"Are you stupid or something, Shitty Hair? You must be to voluntarily jump from a building for no reason. Why take a swan dive and risk your quirk not activating in time for something stupid?"

Something wasn't right with Katsuki and between them. Eijirou knew that but before he could start to ask questions about it, the hand in his slipped free and a body quickly brushed past him. His eyes immediately snapped to Midoriya who was rushing towards the redhead's dorm. He sighed before looking back at Katsuki. "That was totally unmanly, Bakugou." The surname felt sour and foreign but using his given one didn't feel right either. "I wanna talk about whatever that was but it will have to wait until later. Right now my friend needs me." He walked past Katsuki, shoulder checking him as he did.

Eijirou expected to be yelled at. To hear the all too familiar popping of explosions. To hear the familiar insult nickname followed by swears and more insults. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprising because that is how his day had been, he didn't hear anything but the elevator door slide shut once again. He sighed and continued on to his room.

When he entered, Izuku was already curled up on his bed. It was obvious that he wasn’t asleep but Eijirou wasn’t going to say anything. He kicked off his shoes and laid down. He curled protectively around him and closed his eyes. He would help him get better if it was the last thing he did. He had to help. He couldn’t just sit by while the other hurt. Honestly, they both needed to get better. Maybe they could help each other get better.

Chapter Text

Eijirou yawned as he woke up. He glanced over to the clock on his desk to find that it was already almost noon. He sighed and looked at Midoriya who was curled against him with his head buried in his chest. As much as he hated to wake the greenette up, he had too. They both needed to get up and eat something before going to deal with the mess in the other’s room. He also needed to have conversations with both Midoriya and Katsuki. He took a deep breath before gently shaking the greenette. “Hey, Mido. Wake up. We have stuff we have to do.”

The other groaned before yawning. “What time is it?”

“Almost noon."

That caused the other to jerk up and rush to get up. “Oh crap! We’re late for class! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you late too.”

Eijirou shook his head as he stood. “No. We’re fine. Aizawa-sensei said that we didn’t have to go to class for a few days, so it’s just us in the dorms for a while. He just wants to make sure that we are mentally alright before going back.”

Midoriya sighed and sat back down on the bed. “Okay. That was nice of him.”

Eijirou smiled slightly. “Yea. We should talk and eat something. I’ll cook whatever you want.”

“You don’t have to do that, Kirishima-kun.”

“You can call me Eijirou if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

Eijirou nodded, still smiling.“Yea. I’m sure. It’s fine.”

Midoriya looked at him for a long moment before nodding. “Alright. You can call me Izuku as well then.”

Eijirou’s smile widened. “I can do that. Now come on. We got to eat something.”

“Okay.” Izuku stood back up and followed him to the elevator.

They were both silent the whole way down to the common room. Eijirou went to the kitchen and immediately started pulling out everything he would need to make an Western breakfast which included pancakes, and bacon.

Izuku on the other hand went and curled up on the couch. He didn’t really want to be alone but the sounds from the kitchen kept him grounded in the present instead of slipping back into those negative thoughts and memories.

After a little while, Eijirou called for Izuku to come eat. The greenette joined the redhead at the table and they both ate in silence. Once they both were done, Eijirou decided to start questioning Izuku while he cleaned up. “Why is your room a mess?” He asked, staying focused on the dishes in front of him. He figured that was the easiest question to start with.

Izuku was quiet for a long moment looking into his coffee mug seemingly lost in thought. “I got frustrated, and took it out on some stuff in my room.”

“Frustrated? Why were you frustrated? I mean I know there’s been a lot going on this year but what made you so frustrated that you felt the need to take it out on your room?”

Izuku sighed and pushed the mug away from him to wrap his arms around himself. “I had been trying to off myself for months now, but every time I went up to the roof there was someone from our class up there. I got frustrated that I couldn’t just do it, and I couldn’t stand looking at all the figures and things anymore.”

Izuku “Hero Fanboy” Midoriya couldn’t stand the collection of figures and stuff he had in his dorm room? Eijirou couldn't believe it. “Does this… thing have anything to do with the kinda tense relationship between you and Bakugou?" He was hesitant to ask but he needed to know.

"Yea…" The answer was whispered and he almost missed it. He would have if he hadn't been listening for one.

“Mind if I ask about it?” Eijirou asked turning to take Izuku’s mug and make them both some tea. He pulled out his special tea blend that his mothers sent him. He only ever makes it if he is missing them or very upset. At the moment he is just upset for his friend, wanting to help in his time of need.

The greenette was quiet for a while. The redhead expected him to say no and leave it at that. What he didn’t expect when he turned around to face him with two steaming cups of tea was for the shorter male to nod and speak. “I’ll tell you about it but not down here.”

Eijirou was quick to nod and hand him one of the cups. “That’s fine. Let’s go up to your room and talk there.” Maybe cleaning the dormroom will be a good distraction while they talk about the greenette’s relationship with the explosive blonde.

Izuku took the cup and took a sip from it before nodding. “Okay.” He stood and started towards the elevator, cup of tea still in his hands. The redhead was quick to follow him, grabbing a couple of trash bags just in case they needed them.

It was another silent ride in the elevator. Eijirou didn’t mind though. He knew this was going to be tough for the shorter male. It was hard to talk about past trauma. He should know. He wasn't really open about his own issues. Mina didn't even know the full story, and she was one of his closest friends.

Izuku kept his eyes down on his cup of tea as they stepped off the elevator and down the hall to the greenette's dorm room. He still didn't say a word.

Eijirou thought it was strange being the only ones in the dorm. It was way too quiet. He was used to there always being some kind of noise happening. It was also strange to not have the shorter male talking his ears off. Something really bad must have happened to him. He watched as the greenette paused at his door before pushing it open and stepping back to let the redhead enter first. He didn't know what he had expected but it certainly wasn't the absolute war zone that used to be a dorm room.

There were torn posters, broken figures, and ripped clothes everywhere. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the room and the redhead didn’t know where to start. He mentally shook himself before stepping into the room, careful not to break something worse or hurt himself.

Izuku, on the other hand, seemed to not care about his once prized positions as he crossed the room, kicking stray pieces of figures out of his way as he headed to his bed after shutting his door. The greenette sat on the stripped mattress while the redhead moved to start throwing away what was obviously unsalvageable.

Most of what was completely destroyed was All Might related. Anything related to their classmates or other pros was, for the most part, untouched. The only exceptions were a Dynamight figure that was smashed far beyond repair and what appeared to have used to have been a hoodie. Eijirou couldn't tell whose merch it was but the pieces of orange and black fabric lead him to believe that it was another piece of Dynamight's merch.

Izuku was quiet for a while before he finally started talking, and once he started he couldn't stop. "Ka-,” he cutoff the nickname and shook his head slightly, “Bakugou and I grew up together. Our moms were close friends so we were around each other a lot. We used to talk about getting our quirks and becoming heroes together. Then he actually got his. That was when all the number one talk started. A year passed and I still hadn’t gotten mine so my mom took me to the doctor and he diagnosed me as quirkless. Extra pinky toe joint and all.”

The redhead floundered a bit at that. Quirkless? How was he here with a quirk if he was diagnosed as quirkless.

“That was when the bullying started. Some other kids bullied me, but Bakugou was always my biggest tormentor, and it only got worse as the years went on. The same day the sludge villain attacked, he told me to hope for a quirk in my next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the school.”

What?!? Bakugou did what?!?! He almost couldn’t believe it and had to sit down in the chair at the greenette’s desk. He was gonna have to ask about that when he talked to the explosive blonde later.

“That same day All Might offered to train me and give his quirk which had been passed down to him by his own mentor. I had One for All for just a few hours when I got to the entrance exam. That was why I kept breaking my bones and stuff until our internships after the sports festival. My body wasn’t used to having such a powerful quirk.”

He supposed that made sense. If he was quirkless and then had a super powerful quirk handed down to him, it would only make sense that his body couldn’t handle the raw power.

“Bakugou was still mean and rude to me but it never got to the point that it used to be. Maybe because I actually have friends now. I don’t know. I try to avoid him as much as I can but it’s like the universe is against me, or just out to get me. Putting us in the same class. Sitting me right behind him. Being matched against him and him trying to actually kill me during that first class with All Might. He has gotten better since the Kamino stuff but he still hates me."

Eijirou didn’t have anything to say except for the fact that he was absolutely livid at his supposedly best friend. How could someone be so cruel to someone who they were childhood best friends with all because of them not getting a quirk. I should have left him there in Kamino to rot with Shigaraki and those other low lives. He hated himself for thinking like that but he was mad. Mad at the blonde for all the horrible things he has done to Izuku. Mad at himself for dragging the greenette out to rescue his tormentor. Mad for not realizing something was really off with Izuku and Bakugou’s relationship.

He shook his head as he felt tears of frustration start to well up in his eyes. It wasn’t his place to start crying right now. He took a deep breath and moved before he really understood what he was doing. He walked over the bed and sat down before pulling the greenette into a tight hug.

Izuku froze for a moment before melting into the strong and comforting hold on him. After another moment Eijirou could feel the shorter male wrap his own arms around him and bury his face into one of the redhead’s broad shoulders. He knew by the dampness that soon soaked through his shirt that Izuku was crying. He hummed lowly and rubbed the other’s back for a while before reaching for his phone in his pocket, keeping one arm around the sobbing greenette. Once he had retrieved the object he quickly sent a message to the “squad” group chat.


Sharky: Squad meeting tonight on the roof after dinner. No exceptions, Bakugou. This involves you. You have a lot of explaining to do.


He knew the ash blonde would either bitch about the meeting or try and weasel his way out of even attending. It wasn’t long before he started getting confused responses from the others.


Alien Queen: Meeting on such late notice? It must be serious. What did you do, Blasty?

Human Pikachu: Must be bad and a big deal if Kiri is the one calling the meeting. He doesn't ever call for a squad meeting.

Alien Queen: For real. I wonder if this has anything to do with what happened yesterday?

Flex Tape: I bet it does. You know Aizawa-sensei let him and Mido off of school for a few days. They probably talked about why.

Blasty Bitch: QUIT BLOWING MY PHONE UP YOU FUCKS AND GET BACK TO TRAINING BEFORE I BLOW YOUR HEADS OFF!! ALSO THE FUCK YOU MEAN I HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO? I DIDN’T DO SHIT TO THAT BITCH ASS NERD!!

Sharky: I’m sure you didn’t but do the words “swan dive” mean anything to you?

Human Pikachu: Why would swan dive mean anything to anyone?

Blasty Bitch: SHUT THE FUCK UP SHITTY HAIR!! YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT ANYTHING!!

Sharky: I think I know enough, Bakugou. You can explain at the meeting. In the meantime I have a sweet boy to comfort and help, no thanks to your ass.

Alien Queen: Oh shit. Kiri just cussed. Shit just got real. He doesn’t ever cuss unless he is really mad.

Flex Tape: Damn Bakubro. What the hell did you to piss off our murderous cinomon roll?

Human Pikachu: Murderous cinomon roll?

Alien Queen: Yes. Kiri looks like a cinnamon roll but could kill someone if it came to it. So murderous cinomon roll.


It was about then Eijirou ignored the rest of the messages bouncing around between three of his friends and hummed softly as he turned his head slightly to speak quietly to the greenette, whose sobs had quietened to soft sniffles. “Hey Izu. I’ve got to talk to the squad later and don’t want to leave you by yourself. Who do you want to stay with until I’m done?”

“S-shinso.H-he knows about B-bakugou.” The stuttering and muffed reply was almost so quiet he would have missed it if he wasn’t so close to the other.

He nodded slightly. “Alright. I’ll text him and give him a heads up.” He just got a slight nod in response, which could have easily been mistaken for him burying his face farther into the redhead’s shoulder.


Kirishima: Hey, Shin. I have to talk to Bakugou and the rest of the squad about some stuff after dinner. Izu said he wanted to stay with you while I did. It would probably be best to keep him away from everyone until he feels better.

Shinso: It’s so weird to see you call Izuku by his given name and not Bakugou, but yea. I got you, Riot. I’ll get him before dinner. He and I can eat in my room while you do what you gotta do. It’s safe to assume that he told you about it.

Kirishima: Yea. He did. That’s why I want to talk to him. I want the rest of the squad there to back me up. They won’t like it as much as I don’t. I’m such an idiot.

Shinsou: Look if you are beating yourself up about Kamino, don’t. Izuku went because he wanted to. And because… That doesn’t matter right now. Just know he went with you guys because he wanted to. Not because of anything else.

Kirishima: Thanks, Shin. I still like it’s my fault. Like I dragged him and everyone else out to save someone who didn’t really deserve to be saved.

Shinsou: I get it, but that is what being a hero is all about, Riot. Even if you personally don’t feel like he should have been saved, Izu did. Despite everything that asshole has done to him he still believed that he needed to be saved from the League, Now quit texting me and go back to comforting him. I know this is rough on him.


Eijirou smiled a little as he set his phone down and wrapped both arms back around Izuku. He felt a little better about things but he knew this meeting wasn’t going to be fun in any sense of the word.

Chapter Text

Eijirou paced the roof of the dorms later that night. He had already dropped off Izuku with Shinso along with their dinner and was now waiting on the "squad" to finish their own food and arrive on the roof. He was really trying to get his head on right, so he doesn't immediately throw Bakugou off the roof the second he saw the ash blonde.

After another ten minutes, he finally heard the door to the rooftop open and only a couple sets of footsteps. He turns to see both Denki and Mina walking towards him. His brows knitted together at the lack of Bakugou and Sero.

Mina seemed to understand the look on his face because she answered his unasked question. “They’re coming. Sero is making sure Bakugou doesn’t try to sneak off before coming up here.”

Denki nodded in agreement. “What’s going on, dude?” The concern and confusion were clear in the electric blonde’s voice and Eijirou hated to hear him sound like that. Hated when any of his friends sounded down.

The redhead took a deep breath before slowly pushing it out through his nose. “I talked to Izuku about some shit that happened between him and Bakugou. I think you guys need to know about it. I’ll explain more when Sero and Bakugou get here.”

“Damn, dude. That’s like the fourth time you used his family name. And the cussing? What the hell did he do?” Denki asked, seeming to start and understand the severity of how bad this actually was.

“Like I said I’ll explain more when they get up here.” Eijirou said as he moved to sit on the edge of the roof looking out over the campus. It was weird being there for him. From where he sat, he could see the crater he and Izuku dug through the ground when they landed. It was directly in front of him. He must be sitting in the same exact spot that Izuku stood before he jumped. It was a weird realization that hit him like a steel boulder rolling over him old school adventure movie style. He was broken out of his weird trance by the rooftop door slamming open, followed by the loud stomping that was very familiar to them all. He sighed as he turned and stood up locking eyes with the explosive blonde. Just seeing him set his anger a flame again.

“Let’s get this shit over with. I want to go fucking bed.” Bakugou growled out keeping his eyes on the redhead.

Eijirou ground his teeth together trying to bite back the urge to launch the blonde off the roof and onto the ground below. “I hope you know that you’re the reason why Izuku nearly killed himself yesterday. It’s all your fault, asshole.”

“What do you mean it’s Bakugou’s fault?” Sero asked, looking between the two of them. Both acted as if he didn’t speak at all though.

“How the fuck is it my fault the nerd decided to off his fucking self?” Bakugou spit back at him.

“You’re the one that told him to do it. ‘If you think you’ll be born with a Quirk in your next life, why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof of the building.’ Does that ring any bells?”

The wide eye look he received in response let him know he hit the nail right on the head. He was also momentarily distracted by the gasps he heard from the other three there. He had almost forgotten that they were even there.

“You don’t fucking know shit about that. That was fucking middle school. We were different people back then.” Those few sentences cemented the fact that the blonde had actually said that to Izuku. Not that Eijirou didn’t believe the greenette. It just made it just that much truer.

“It doesn’t fucking matter. You still said that shit to him. You still tried suicide baiting him. You still told him to fucking off himself because you thought he didn’t have a Quirk. What kind of fucking person does that?” The redhead snapped back, trying not to spill the greenette’s secret about his quirk. He could feel his own Quirk ripple down his fingers and up his arms with his anger. He needed to get a grip, but it was so hard to do with the way Bakugou was trying to defend himself and his heinous actions. “It isn’t fucking cool, Bakugou. You’re the reason he hates himself, and thinks he is fucking useless. The fucking reason why he thinks he is nothing, and stupid. He told me about all the shit you put him through just because you didn’t think he had a Quirk. Only fucking assholes and villains do the shit you did.”

“You think I’m a fucking villain? If you fucking think that then why the hell did you save me back in Kamino?” The hurt was clear in the scarlet eyes in front of Eijirou, but he didn’t care.

The thought from earlier comes back as actual words. “I shouldn't have. I should have left you there. I already feel bad about dragging Izuku and everyone else out there.”

A rush of emotions flashed across the blonde’s face before he finally schooled it with a scowl. “Tch. Whatever. I don’t need you. Any of you.” He snapped, adding the last part to the other three there. “I’ll fucking prove it to you that I’ve changed and will become the best fucking hero any of you have fucking seen.” With that he turned and stopped off the roof, slamming the door behind him.

Eijirou sighed, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Well, I guess he can’t be called the ‘Bakusquad’ anymore.” Sero said quietly as he glanced between the door and his redheaded friend.

“Guess not.” Denki agreed, keeping his eyes on Eijirou before carefully approaching him. “You alright man?”

Eijirou nodded after a moment. “Yea. I’m good. I knew you guys would stand with me, especially Mina.”

“Yea. Fuck that noise. You know I don’t like bullying in any form.” The pink girl responded. “You sure you’re good though? You were like best friends with him.”

“Yea. It hurts because he did and said that stuff, and then tried to defend himself and those actions. I’ll be fine.” The redhead said with a small smile at them. “We have to come up with a new group name.”

“We could always just go with ‘Kirisquad’, if you want.” The electric blonde suggests.

“I would rather not. I’d rather stay away from names like that.” Eijirou answered, shaking his head.

“What about ‘Rooftop Gang’? We’re always up here and eating on the rooftop of the cafeteria.” Sero reasoned.

“I like that a lot better. We can add in Izuku and Shinso.”

“I understand why Midobro but why Shinso?” Denki asked.

“Shin knew about the whole Bakugou situation before I did.”

“That makes sense. It’s also understandable that Midoriya told him before anyone else. They have been close since the sports fest.” Mina hummed slightly. “I guess I’m more surprised that they haven’t fixed that crater you two made.” She said, glancing down at the ground.

“I am too. Like you would think that would have been the first thing to cover up. Like you can tell something hit the ground and hit hard, and the way it’s dragged out away from the dorms doesn’t look good.” Sero added.

“Wonder if they are trying to use it as a statement about all of this. It was an attempted suicide after.” Denki suggested. “It’s kind of a big deal.”

Eijirou glanced down to look at it as well. The electric blonde was right. “Aizawa is going to make a big deal about suicide and bullying once we’re all back in class. He is going to especially want to talk to me and Izuku. When I talk to him, I’m going to see if Shoji can switch dorms with me. I would request moving floors completely but the only floor that has an extra dorm is one floor up and I don’t feel like that is safe for Izuku.”

“Agreed. Though Tokoyami or Aoyama would probably be more than willing to trade with you if you explained the situation to them.” Mina added.

The redhead shook his head. “I want to be close so I can keep an eye on Bakugou. I don’t trust him not to try and pull something.”

“That’s understandable.” Sero hummed. “Though the next question is what are you going to do about your crush on Mido?”

“I’m not going to do anything about it right now. He just needs a friend. He doesn't need me dumping my feelings out on him right now. Between this and the recent raid, it will look like I’m trying to take advantage of the situation, and I don’t want that. I don't want to mislead him like that.”

The others all gave him an understanding nod. He was fine with being another shoulder for the greenette to cry on for now. He would bring it up when he was ready. Not a moment sooner.

~~~~~

It had been a long and crazy six months. The only good things were the school festival, and the work studies, even though it was mandatory this time around. Eijirou always enjoyed working with Fatgum and Amajiki. He even convinced Tesu to join him there. Fatgum was more than happy to let the steel hero in training join them. They all knew something big was going to happen in the months to come afterwards. He didn’t expect a full-on war though. They barely had time to mourn the recently fallen before the school turned into a refuge for their families and regular civilians alike. They all worked to the bone helping those within the safety of their school. Though they also had to convince the principal to let them go after Izuku.

The greenette had mysteriously disappeared from the hospital after waking up. He had written notes to all of us, confessing the true nature of his quirk, and explaining that was why he had to leave. Apparently, All for One and Shigaraki were trying to steal it from him and didn’t want them to target the school. None of them were going to let that stand.

If heroes saved people in need, then who saved the heroes when they needed help?

It was a thought that constantly ran through his mind since before they went to bring their friend back. As they stood at the front gate of the school and tried to convince the people to let Izuku come back and rest, he couldn’t help but think back to the letter he received from said greenette. He carried it with him currently and practically was burning a hole in his pocket. He could clearly remember what was written in that familiar messy script.

Eijirou,
I can never express my thanks enough. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t. Thank you for being my rock these last few months. Thank you for everything.
I am writing these letters to let everyone know about the truth of my Quirk. I know you already know about it, but I have to leave. I have to leave to protect everyone. As long as I’m around you all are in danger. Shigaraki and All for One are hunting me down for my quirk, One for All. They want to take it and use it for evil. I can’t let them do that. I can’t put you all at risk.
Especially not you. You mean too much to me for me to put you at risk. Have for a while now. Probably the sports festival, if I had to pick an exact time. I know you probably don’t feel the same, don’t like me the way I like you. I know it sounds selfish to want you always by my side no matter what. No matter what happens between us. Even if you don’t like me the same way. I deserve to be a little selfish, don’t you think? I’m so selfless and give everything to everyone else. I deserve to be selfish about one thing, and I‘m choosing you to be selfish over.
Don’t come after me, Ei. If we see each other again, I don’t expect an answer. You don’t have to tell me either way. I just want us to continue to be friends after all of this is over. If this ever ends.
Love,
Izuku

The words all of them used to get to him still rang in his skull. His own was the loudest. He remembered seeing the sludge villain attack on the news after Izuku had mentioned it. Remembered the way it made him kick his ass into gear to be ready for the entrance exams. Bakugou’s were also ringing loudly in his head. He blatantly admitted to being harsh to the greenette, and apologized for it. Apologized for being mean. The blonde even bowed and used his first name. Izuku forgave him, but that didn’t mean Eijirou trusted him again.

After Uraraka’s speech, everyone seemed to be in agreement and allowed him back. A bath and rest were what they all needed but he didn’t have long before they had to be on the ready to finally end this chaos the villains had created.

All of the boys helped Izuku bathe. We all tried to take the time to relax for a bit afterward, and Eijirou ended up staying with Izuku on the couch. He kept watch while the other rested. Though it was hard for him to take his eyes off of the greenette. So much had changed in the few weeks that he was gone. He looked different. His hair was slightly longer and had deep purple bags under his eyes that put Hitoshi’s to shame. It was hard to look at, but it was also hard to look away. His mind went back to the letter for a moment.

Izuku liked him. Loved him even. He didn’t expect an answer but how could Eijirou not give him one? He had put off confessing his feelings for months because he was worried about Izuku not feeling the same. Worried because he had a lot on his plate because of everything. He had to tell him how he felt, and he would the moment he got the chance. He pulled the letter from his pocket to reread it for what had to be the millionth time since receiving it. He had it memorized by this point, but he still read regardless. It still pulled his chest into an uncomfortable knot every time. Still made his stomach twist like it was the first time all over again. He hadn’t realized Izuku had woken up until soft spoken words broke through his thoughts.

“You still read that? I figured everyone would have just read it once and thrown it away.”

Eijirou jerked his head up at the sound of the other’s voice, looking a bit wide-eyed. “It’s hard not to reread it. I have memorized it but I still reread it for some reason.”

Izuku gave him a sad but understanding smile. “I get it, and I meant when I said you don’t have to give me an answer. I just want to keep you by my side no matter what.”

“But I do. I have to give you an answer. If I don't, I think I will die.” He put the letter back in his pocket as he moved closer to the shorter male.

“If you’re going to tell me that you don’t feel the same, I would rather not hear it.” Izuku’s voice cracked as he dropped his gaze down to the floor.

“What if I say that I do feel the same? Would you rather want to hear it or would you still not want me to say anything?”

It was Izuku’s turn to jerk his head up with wide eyes. “I- You-” He took a moment to try and compose himself. “I would want to hear it.” His voice was nearly a whisper

“I like you, Izu. Have for a while. You inspired me to get my ass in gear and become a hero. I saved you not just because I wanted to, but because I would have hated myself for not manning up and just telling you how I felt. I honestly was going to before you jumped. I was in the middle of trying to come up with an idea before I noticed. If I had been a moment too late or miss calculated the jump…” He shook his head to clear that train of thought. “After that, I pushed my feelings down. I hid them away because you didn’t need that. Didn’t need it to seem like I was taking advantage of a serious situation. So, I decided to wait and keep it all to myself. I decided that you need a friend and shoulder to cry on more than you need a boyfriend.”

It was a long quiet minute after he finished talking. He expected a response but what he didn’t expect was for Izuku to slam into him and hold on tightly to him. He could feel him sobbing against him, but he knew that this was a happy sob and one of the depressed ones he used to let out late into the night. He wrapped his arms around him and held on just as tightly. “I love you. Ei.”

“I love you too, Izu.” He hummed, swaying them slightly just like had done many times before letting the other get all of his feelings out. “When this is all over, I’ll take you on a nice date. I promise.” That just made the other cry harder. They stayed like that for a while. Just holding each other and letting their emotions spill over. They eventually worked everything out of their systems and laid down on the couch to get some more rest. They both needed it.

~~~~~

Eijirou held tight onto Izuku. They were getting ready to head out and finish this mess once and for all. He knew that his greenette was going with Bakugou and a few pros to take Shigaraki head on, and he was worried. “You better come to me alive.”

“I will, Ei. I promise.” Izuku muttered into his shoulder, squeezing him just as tightly as he was being held. “You still have to take me on a date, so you better come back to me alive as well.”

“Of course, I will. It will be the best date you’ve ever been on.” He promised his boyfriend. He leaned back from the hug to cup that freckled face he loves so much. “I love you so much Izu.”

“I love you so much too, Ei.” He smiled up at the redhead in front of him and cupped his own hands over the large one on his face.

“You have to come back to be alive. You just have to. I can’t do this without you anymore.”

“I know. I can’t either.” He leaned up into his personal space more.

Eijirou happily leaned down to meet him in the middle for a kiss. They melted against each other as they shared the last few kisses they would be able to for a while.

“Deku. Red Riot.” The sound of their teacher’s voice cut the sweet moment and brought them both back to reality. “It’s time to go.”

“Yes, Sensei.” Eijirou gave Izuku one last kiss before letting him go. “Go save the country and come back to me.”

“Of course. Please be careful out there and come back to me.”

“I will.”

Izuku gave him one more kiss before turning to join their teacher and the others that were going to lure All for One out to them. He glanced around at everyone gathered around. He caught sight of all of his friends and Fatgum. He didn't want to lose any of them, but he knew they had to do this. They had to bring All for One, Shigaraki, and the rest of the villains down and stop the chaos they were trying to release on the world. They could do this. He knew they were more than capable. He just hoped they didn’t lose anyone in the process.