Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

Izuku stared up at U.A. It wasn't the first time he'd looked upon the school, and now that he was a student, it wouldn't be the last. It would be easy to keep moving forward, but Izuku wouldn't be where he was without the choices he'd made to get there. Those choices... they shaped him, made him, and would help him along the way to the future he would pave. Those choices... started... when he was, ah, he was seven.

(Seven Years Old)

Kaachan has been particularly pushy lately. More so than when they were five, he was starting to leave bruises from how hard he hit. Izuku didn't like lying to his mom, but she always worried. Watching some Hero videos that had come out earlier that day, he was doodling in a notebook as he drew a picture of All Might. He couldn't be a Hero like All Might, not really. Not the way he could have if he had a cool quirk like Kaachan's. He could learn to fight, though. Not all Heroes had physical quirks; they needed more than a quirk, right? Right.

Rubbing at his newest bruise, it was hidden under his school blazer. It hurt more than the others. A little bit of oomph had been added to this hit, and Kaachan looked really cool but also kind of scary. Technically, Izuku was a massive fan of anything Kaachan did. His best friend was the most amazing, and he wanted to be there when Kaachan became a Hero because he would be! Though Izuku also wanted to be a Hero, he just hoped he'd be a good one, even if he weren't up there like Kaachan.

"Mama!" Izuku said, Placing his backpack on the hook as he closed his door. He ran inside to the kitchen, where his mother was already cooking. "Mama! I want to learn how to fight!"

A clatter of the spoon she'd been using had Izuku ducking down behind the counter before peering around it as he watched his mom flounder for a towel. "Fight? Izuku, won't you get hurt?"

"But, if I learn to fight, I can protect myself, like the Heroes do!"

"Yes, yes, that's true, but-" she paused and looked over her shoulder at her son. "You still want to be a Hero?"

"Of course! Kaachan and I, we promised we'd be Heroes together!"

Inko smiled, charmed by her son. "I'll research, and we can look into different styles. See what you want to do, and go from there."

"Really!? Really, really!?"

"Really, but first, go shower. Dinner will be ready when you finish."

Choices were plentiful, and Izuku had watched hundreds of videos of different forms of martial arts by now.

Muay Thai emphasizes powerful strikes using fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Taekwondo was known for its high and fast kicks, discipline, respect, and mental strength. Tai Chi consisted of slow, graceful movements that promoted relaxation, balance, and inner harmony. Kickboxing was a hybrid form of martial arts that combined punches and kicks, emphasizing agility and rapid strikes. Karate focuses on powerful strikes, kicks, knee strikes, and open-handed techniques. Kung Fu uses a variety of martial arts styles, including strikes, kicks, acrobatics, and elaborate forms. Aikido was about redirection and harmonizing an opponent's energy through joint locks, throws, and immobilization techniques. Judo focused more on throws and ground-based techniques. Kendo utilized bamboo swords and protective armor, emphasizing discipline and mental focus. Krav Maga was all about practical self-defense, prioritizing real-world scenarios. Wing Chun is known for its close-range combat and quick strikes. Jeet Kun Do was all about minimal movement and maximum efficiency. Hapkido utilized joint locks, throws, and striking to redirect the opponent's energy. Capoeira combined elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. Jiu-Jitsu emphasized grappling techniques and submission.

Only five of those styles were Japanese styles that could be found in almost all districts of Japan. Some of the rest were spread out and much less common, though still present. Izuku did find that he kept going back to one particular style. He was obsessed with the one-kick knockouts that he found online. The compilation videos of Capoeira knockouts were his most watched video after All Might's debut video.

"I don't know, Izuku. This seems pretty difficult."

"I wanna do it! I wanna do it! Please, mama?"

Inko wouldn't tell her son "no" after so many people had already told him he couldn't be a Hero. If he was so desperate to be a Hero... well, she trusted he'd find a way. So, without further delay, Inko found a school that taught Capoeira. He would take classes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after school let out. Since it was a slight distance to get there, Inko did get him a bus card to cover faire, making sure to have dinner in the fridge ready for when he got home. This new schedule took away much of her time with her son, but she was pleased so long as he was happy. For that, Izuku was thankful.

His first lesson in Capoeira was a history of the style and a show of its basics and movements. Capoeira's origins go back to the 16th century when enslaved Africans incorporated traditional combat and dance forms to disguise martial arts training from enslavers. This was all pre-quirked, but the martial arts style had survived the ages and had advanced to something that could be considered a combination of Capoeira and Parkour Gymnastics. Capoeira focused on fluid, rhythmic movements, acrobatic moves, and music. It incorporated strikes, kicks, sweeps, and takedowns, blending them smoothly with evasive maneuvers, spins, and flips. Partnered with Parkour Gymnastics, a discipline of physical training focused on developing the ability to move freely and efficiently through any environment, using only the human body. It was the practice of traversing obstacles in a man-made or natural environment through running, vaulting, jumping, climbing, rolling, and other movements to travel from one point to another most quickly and efficiently possible without using equipment.

So, with that, Izuku began his lessons in Capoeira. Training involved a combination of physical conditioning, enhanced skill, and musical practices. He worked on partner drills, where they practiced a sequence of attacks, defenses, and evasive moves. A few months later, Izuku would start running to school with his mom rather than driving. His mom had made an effort to fix her schedule, so now, she would go in at five in the evening, get off at five in the morning, make breakfast and a lunch bento for Izuku, go running with Izuku in the morning, where he would come home, take a quick shower, and then walk to school. The two were working together to make substantial changes to their lives. She slept from seven till two in the afternoon, giving her a little more than two hours to get things done, both before sleep and after. This worked for them.

(Nine Years Old)

"Gymnastics?" Izuku asked, stretching forward with his head resting almost flesh against his knees.

"It's just an idea. I think it could help you along the way, though."

"When?"

"Well," Inko floated her iPad over to her, tapping the screen and drawing up a calendar. "You've got Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday dedicated to Capoeira, and you do your own workouts on Sundays; I'd rather not take that day from you. What about Mondays and Wednesdays? It would leave Friday for you to rest some..."

"If I'm going to do it, I'd rather commit to the same number of classes as Capoeira. I can do my workouts whenever and take Sunday as my rest day unless I'm feeling restless or something."

"That would be fine, and I'll adjust your diet to account for the extra carbs and protein you'll need. Speaking of, I'm running to the store today, we need more milk. Would you like me to pick anything specific up?"

"Can you pick up a case of the S-15 Sports Water, if they have the red or the blue one, and some fruit? Uh, bananas for potassium, watermelon, oranges, or anything with a high water content." Izuku stood up and shook out his arms, walking into the kitchen as his mom took down everything in her notepad, his eyes on the counter above the sink. "We both need more Vitamin D and almonds and Acai Juice!"

"...got it, anything else?"

"Whatever else you can think of, I don't have anything else I can think of at the top of my head."

"Hmm... what are you hungry for tonight?"

"Probably chicken...I'd say Katsudon, but I'm supposed to cut back on my fried food."

"Nonsense. You'll end up working it all off anyway; it's fine occasionally."

Blushing, Izuku nodded before heading into the bathroom. Looking at his arms and legs in the mirror's reflection, he could see the definition that had started forming from his classes in Capoeira. It was Sunday, and he planned to spend most of his day out and about Musutafu, working on his endurance, grip, and agility, with some good old-fashioned climbing of walls and roof hopping near and around the alleys. Grabbing his shoes, he glared at their wear and tear before shaking his head and running to his room to grab cash from his All Might bank. Tilting the bust of All Might over, he dug around and pulled out all he could. 'Ten thousand yen should be enough...right?' He tilted his head, "hey mom?"

"Yes, baby?"

"How much are shoes?"

"Shoes?" Inko glanced around the corner of his door and took in the shoes he wore. "For yours, they run around twelve thousand yen. Are you going to pick a pair up?"

Izuku nodded as he fished another five thousand yen out of his All Might bust. "Yeah, I might as well."

Inko nodded, "Be careful while you're out! I know you're working out, but it terrifies me to know what you're doing."

"That's why I try not to tell you everything I'm doing."

"Which only makes me worry more. I'd rather you share your day than hide it from me."

Izuku smiled, "I know. I won't hide these things from you. One day, I'll be a Hero, and it's because you've done so much to help me on the way that I can say that confidently now." Grabbing his bag, he tightened it before leaving through the door, closing it tightly behind him.

It was a nice day. Cool, but the sun was up, cloudy, with a light breeze. Not too bright, not too busy. It was great.

Izuku ducked behind a tree and leaned against it to catch his breath. No one outran Katsuki. He was yelling somewhere behind him and sounded seriously upset. He was sure if Katsuki managed to catch up to him, he'd have to pay the hefty toll of his quirk popping in his ear or a couple of punches to his ribcage. Katsuki was still pretty volatile, but Izuku was hopeful that he still was his friend. He had to be, right? After all, they couldn't very well be Heroes together if they weren't even friends. No, Katsuki was going through things, and Izuku had to deal with changes that Katsuki wasn't aware of. It made sense that they wouldn't be privileged to some things, but it didn't hurt any less.

"DEKU!"

He had reacted without meaning to. Izuku cringed, knowing he wasn't supposed to use his Capoeira outside of classes unless he had his Hero License, or so Izuku assumed. Twisting and bending out of the way, he brought his foot up and adjusted so that he didn't actually kick Kaachan. "S-sorry, Kaachan!"

Katsuki looked at Izuku in confusion. He blinked, looked down at his fist, looked back up at Izuku, and then raised his fist again. "What was that, Deku?"

"I-it was Capoeira. I started two years ago?"

"Why haven't you used it before to dodge me?"

"I don't know. I'm not supposed to use it outside of classes. So I just—uh, it's fine, though! I know you don't really mean it, so...so it's fine..." Izuku's eyes dropped to his worn-out shoes. "I should go. Sorry for bothering you, Kaachan. Um, unless you want to train with me? "

"Tch, like hell! I don't need to train with some useless Deku!" He raised his hand in a fist but didn't throw it. " Get lost, loser!"

Katsuki let him walk away that day. He stayed and watched Izuku until he was no longer there. Izuku would never know what went through Katsuki's mind that day; he didn't ask, and part of him was too afraid to hear it.

(Fourteen Years Old)

Faster. Faster than yesterday's time! He is much faster than when he started. Izuku brought his hands to his knees, taking a breather as he stood before his school. He'd slip into the gym showers and change into his uniform before school started, but it was all he could do to breathe right now.

"Out of the way, Deku!"

Izuku stepped out of Katsuki's way, not noticing how his eyes lingered on his muscles with a glare and a look of bewilderment. "Sorry, Kaachan." Izuku left him there at the front entrance. Running around back, he came in on the other side, where the Gym was closest, and slipped into the showers. After a quick wash, dry, and change, Izuku stepped inside the classroom, where most of his class was already waiting.

"Cutting it a little close, are we Midoriya?"

"Sorry, Sensei." Izuku sat down, ignoring the look Katsuki gave him. His friend still needed space, he hesitantly thought to himself. Best to keep his eyes forward and let these things pass. One day, maybe, they'd be on better terms. However, he wasn't foolish enough to think Katsuki wasn't a bully. Friend, yes; bully, yes. In Izuku's mind, a very shoddily made line blurred the two, and he would never stop referring to Katsuki as his friend so long as he lived, never.

"It's around that time of the year that you kids should be putting some serious thought into your futures."

Izuku counted himself lucky. When their teacher brought up U.A., Katsuki hadn't immediately latched onto Izuku in some painful death grip. Instead, he'd turned an annoyed glare at Izuku, but something in his eyes had made Izuku doubletake. It gave him pause to see the look of begrudging consideration that had settled there. It was as if Katsuki had come to expect Izuku to be attending U.A. with him, something that Izuku had never believed would happen, but there it was. Did he miss something!? Did the apocalypse hit while he was asleep last night, and this is an alternate universe? Was the sky falling?! Izuku shook his head. No, no, stop it. He's being ridiculous now.

The class ended, and one of Katsuki's cronies stepped up before Izuku's desk, badgering him about the U.A. entrance exam. This time, it wasn't Katsuki who ridiculed him. Though Katsuki glanced at him from where he was bagging his school books, he didn't say anything about the exam. When Katsuki finally did step up to Izuku, he snatched up his notebook, Hero Analysis for the Future #13. "Kaachan!" Why did Izuku think, even for a second, that Katsuki might have changed? Listening to the other two laugh at his misfortune, Izuku tried to reach for it, but Katsuki held it out of his reach.

"Take it," Katsuki said. He didn't yell or growl; he just calmly said it like talking to a kid.

Izuku dropped his hand only slightly, looking at Katsuki thoughtfully, before twisting and extending his leg up to snap the book out of Katsuki's hand. The two on either side of Katsuki stopped laughing, their eyes on the notebook kicked out of Katsuki's hand and slammed into the floor.

"If he can fight, he can take the fucking exam. He's still not in my league, but at least he's not so fucking useless anymore."

Izuku felt his heart swell. Biting his lip to keep the tears at bay. Those wretched tears he'd spent the last few years refusing to give into. His eyes became glassy, and Katsuki turned and walked off with the other two behind him. It wasn't until the classroom was empty that Izuku glanced down at the notebook on the ground and finally gave in to the tears burning at the edges of his eyes. It wasn't an apology by any means, yet it spoke volumes. A language that Izuku and Katsuki understood. He could be patient. He would be.

The trip home was slow, and Izuku thought deeply as he walked idly home. He wasn't in any hurry today. Usually, he was running, jumping, flipping all over the place. Anything to stretch his legs, learn another trick, better his reflexes, but he was so lost in his mind that he just ambled quietly home. It's a shame he wasn't paying attention, or else he may have noticed the Sludge Villain that had appeared behind him. Or, maybe it was better he hadn't noticed. Izuku would never know what would have happened if this moment hadn't occurred. He will never know what might have been. What he did know was that he'd been nearly strangled, almost suffocated, where... for just the briefest moment, Izuku thought he was going to die—before darkness had claimed him. He had passed out under a bridge on the way home, his body succumbing to Death's surprisingly vile and slimy grasp—how grossly violating! It was perhaps luck or fate that All Might would be the one to save him. It was something else entirely that he signed Izuku's Analysis Notebook... because, yeah, that's great, really! But Izuku would have preferred the autograph be on literally anything other than his Analysis Notebook.

Follow that by leaping up and latching onto the man. He should have thought that through better.

Discovering All Might Secret. Izuku didn't really care about his secret.

Izuku asked that always-gnawing question that he felt he absolutely needed an answer for. Come to think of it, Izuku hadn't cared much about All Might's answer back then, either—not since what happened between him and Katsuki back in the classroom. Perhaps if things had gone differently, perhaps if Katsuki had said something else. However, Izuku did wonder why it had mattered so much to him what others thought.

It was a telling sign for a Hero to leave an assumably vulnerable child on the roof of a building thirteen stories tall. Heh, lucky thirteen. Had he been of a weaker mind, that ledge would have looked awfully inviting, too, but no. He was still adamant. Actually, he was more determined than ever.

With a quirk, or without one, he would become a Hero.

After that fateful meeting, Izuku took the long way home. He zig-zagged through the darkened alleys, and a shock of explosions he'd recognize anywhere echoed along the stone walls.

Izuku ran.

He ran fast.

Faster than his feet had ever carried him before, he slid to a stop.

"Kaachan."

Katsuki Bakugo, his childhood friend. Despite all the bullshit bullying, Izuku could still see his childhood friend smiling, grinning, laughing, and... suffocating? He knew that feeling well. Hopelessness. Desperation. Manic struggling to catch even the slightest breath of air.

"Gg-AHHHH!" Katsuki yelled, enraged. "You picked the wrong guy to mess with! I'm going to send you back to whatever sewer you crawled out of!"

BOOM! BOOOM!

"LET ME GO!"

Why was no one helping him?!

Katsuki's eyes latched onto Izuku's. In that crimson gaze, Izuku saw an array of emotions flash before his eyes.

Rage.

Dread.

Revulsion.

Uncertainty.

Madness.

Though really... it was the fear in Katsuki's eyes that had Izuku's feet moving before he recognized what was happening. Izuku threw his bag; Heroes be damned, he wasn't going to let Kaachan die!?

"Why...?" His voice came out broken. He was jumping and kicking off a wall. "Why!?" he yelled out in boiling frustration. He slammed his foot so hard into the disgusting face of the Villain, whether it would take or not. Izuku didn't know; he didn't care! "WHY ARE NONE OF YOU DOING ANYTHING!?" He was pissed. Izuku couldn't be sure, but had he ever felt so scared? So enraged? These Pro Heroes were all standing by and watching Katsuki die. Why? They didn't have the right quirk? "If this is what it means to be a Hero, then I don't want it!"  His shout reverberated through the alley as the Villain was forced to release Katsuki when an arm wrapped around Izuku's waist, leaving Izuku with just enough time to wrap his arms around Katsuki's shoulders as a fist slammed into the Villain.

It was quiet.

He could hear Katsuki's heaving drags as he breathed, desperate for fresh, if not polluted, air.

Izuku didn't let go of Katsuki.

Tears burned as he clung to his friend. Even if he had been in the right mind, he wouldn't have been able to stop them this time.

Izuku pulled back, turning on Katsuki to face the Heroes who stood by watching. No one moved. "Standing aside while a kid is dying, suffocating to death, blaming it on your quirks like you don't have anything else to use!? Hands, feet, your surroundings! A Hero does everything he can to save those who need help, but every one of you stood by watching! ALL OF YOU! YOU'RE ALL COWARDS!"

Izuku felt a hand take his elbow. A tight grip. He recognized it. Katsuki had grabbed him and turned him into his chest. Izuku was crying, hyperventilating into the familiar spice and acrid smokiness of Katsuki's quirk. His hands were fisted into the blond's uniform. That's right. His friend. His bully. His friend. His bully...his friend...his best friend. He really ought to go to therapy for this kind of thing. It didn't matter though. Bully, friend, best friend, he would never abandon Katsuki.

His friend silently walked him home, handing him over to his mom before leaving just as quietly. They didn't speak of the event. Now, the next day, and not the week that followed.

On one of Izuku's morning runs, he was accosted by All Might. Now, suddenly, he could be a Hero! ...though, still, apparently not a quirkless Hero. What a load of bullshit that was. Still... Izuku wasn't going to turn down the training. He could use that to his advantage. So he resigned himself to agree but with the mindset of letting All Might down gently when the time came to transfer his quirk to him. Izuku was sure that he didn't want it. Not now, not ever.

So many months later, Katsuki stumbled upon Izuku at the Beach. Cleaning up as per his All Might Workout, just as he'd been told to do.

Katsuki joined him.

In their downtime, they sparred. Katsuki met him in front of his apartment in the mornings, joining him in his morning jogs. It became the start of a new routine—one that Katsuki seemed to enjoy immensely. Izuku did, too.

Come the day of the Exam, Izuku thought All Might had changed his mind and was fine with that. No, he hadn't. Showing up in the chill of the morning, he handed him a strand of hair... Izuku took it curiously, "I changed my mind. I still won't tell anyone your secret, but... I can't take One for All."

"What? Wait, you don't want to be a Hero any longer?" All Might seemed genuinely confused.

"That isn't what I said. Really, I just want to make it on my own, with my own strengths. I may not have a Quirk, but I have other assets. You're an amazing Hero, All Might, but you don't take into consideration everyone, do you? Which is fine! Everyone, that's a lot of people to look after, you know? I just... I want to ensure that the Quirkless don't go ignored any longer than they already have, and...not...just them. Others dream of becoming heroes, but society shuts them down before they have the chance. They, too, deserve a Hero. So, I'm going to become the kind of Hero that inspires. You can keep on being the Symbol of Peace. I have a new dream now. I will be the Symbol of Hope."

"I see..." All Might nodded, clenching his fist at his side. Then, he held his hand out to Izuku. "Give it your all, kid."

Izuku took his hand...he never should have taken his hand.

(Present Day)

Heaving a breath, Izuku walked through the halls, busy with excitement and energy.

That was the normal stuff that had happened over the years. The things he could mostly share. Katsuki knew about it all. He'd needed to vent, actually... so Katsuki was one out of two people who knew about the shit show life he'd led, with emphasis on the shit that came up towards the end. Mostly. There were some things he couldn't even tell Katsuki.

(Fourteen Years Old)

Around the time All Might started training him, and when things got annoyingly complex in a not-all-complex way, Izuku had the fortune of running into another Hero. It all started with the idea of getting more experience on the streets. This was not something he ever told All Might about. From start to finish, he kept it a secret. Of course, he thought better of using any names he'd considered for his Hero name; instead, he went by Echo sometimes and Trace others. He never used the same name consecutively, wanting to keep himself as invisible as possible when confronted.

Oh, but that was hardly the problem. The problem was Eraser... wait! Jumping too far ahead!

Izuku stretched, dressed in his Trace getup. Black martial arts pants, the ones he would typically wear when training, and a black tank top with a zip-front crop sweater that he was extremely fond of. It was very clearly three sizes too large, and the hood covered his whole head, not a lock of curly green to be seen. He wore a plain, solid leather mask with a single eyehole. No other markings. No symbols. Nothing. His shoes were plain sneakers, red because, well, what else would he wear?

The only thing Izuku took with him was his notebook, pen, and a bag to toss his shit in and take off at the drop of a dime. That dime didn't drop nearly fast enough the first time, and a captured weapon nearly snatched him up. Izuku dropped down and spun back out of the way, flipping a second later to avoid another attempt to grab him. His mind raced as he watched how Eraser had moved around the Villain he'd captured moments ago. Careful not to step on or hit him, he leaped forward, eyes active, hair flaring, and Izuku...Izuku smiled. Today, he was thankful he was Quirkless. He could have laughed outright.

Izuku ran to the emergency fire escape ladder, not wasting another second, swinging up to grab the rooftop side. He swung his leg up and over as he heard Eraser curse and chase after him. He'd slipped away into the darkness and back into his bedroom window before Eraser could see where exactly he'd vanished, too. It was risky, probably, but it had worked—the first time, at least.

Izuku ran into Eraser again, this time not but four streets away from his house. Taking to the streets in what would be known as his Echo outfit. Far more fashionable than Trace, Echo wore baggy cargo pants that were loose enough to allow freedom of movement but fitted with straps to tighten them if needed. A long-sleeved, tunic length, black, asymmetric hem top that was fitted and made of a soft and stretchy material. Izuku loved this shirt and would forever hold Eraser accountable for the fate that would befall it that night. His red sneakers because, again, what else would he wear? Taking a page from Eraser's book, he had wrapped a silvery gray scarf around his neck several times and adjusted it to hide his face before grabbing a dark green beanie.

Izuku laughed, adjusting his stance by moving his right foot back as he leaned out of the way of the capture weapon Eraser was using. It probably wouldn't have been this easy to avoid or dodge the weapon without his Capoeira experience. The fact that he could dance these steps around Eraser made him giddy with excitement, and Izuku couldn't help but enjoy himself as he moved and maneuvered. It was doing a number for his self-confidence that he could evade the underground Hero's choice of weapon.

'How does it move, though?!'

When Eraser shifted his weight on his left foot and pivoted, he finally caught Izuku by his wrist, yanking him forward where Izuku tried to catch himself on the black uniform sweater Eraser wore. The Hero shifted his weight a second time and adjusted his hold on Izuku. With nothing more than a black med-mask on, the boy stared up awkwardly at Eraser.

"A bit small for a Vigilante, aren't you?"

'...Vigilante? Me? And what's this about me being small!?' Izuku grinned, closing his eyes. Even though Eraser couldn't see him smile, he could still tell that that was precisely what he was doing by how his eyes crinkled with mirth. "I like to think I'm compact size ."

Eraser raised a brow, snapping his capture weapon. He glanced back past Izuku at the notebook lying alone on the roof. "Analysis, huh?" Stepping past Izuku, he stopped in front of the book.

"Hey, wait, that's private!" Even as he said this, Eraser was already leaning over and picking up the notebook. Izuku could take it back, probably...maybe? Well, no way he wasn't going to try, at least. Darting forward, he attempted to step lightly and move quickly but silently. A shame he hadn't mastered silent steps yet. He got right up behind Eraser when the older man moved out of the way and held the notebook over his head, just out of his reach, eyes bearing down on him from behind those yellow goggles. Izuku jumped, and his fingers could barely graze the edge of the book. Was he really this short!? He narrowed his eyes as Eraser smirked and chuckled at his failed attempt. If that was how it was going to be... Izuku jumped and latched his legs around the man's waist. Unrelenting, he tightened his legs when Eraser tried to push him off.

"What are you-!? Hey, g-get off! Damn it!"

"My notebook, give it over and-ah!" Izuku winced as his back met the wall of the emergency exit. He dropped his arms and rubbed his elbow, "that hurt."

"Off." Eraser glared.

"Book." Izuku leveled him with an equally intense look. He held his hand out, not paying any attention to his position, waiting for his book. "The last Hero who picked it up autographed it and threw off the aesthetics."

"I'm not going to autograph your book. Let me see what you're analyzing, and if I deem it safe to return it to you, I'll hand it over."

"How about you return it, and if I deem you trustworthy, I'll hand it over and let you read it?"

This back-and-forth continued until they were nose to nose. Izuku could barely pick up the scent of coffee through the material of his facemask. Eraser hadn't noticed how his arm had dropped some, but Izuku had. While stuck in a staring match and trying to ignore the heat pooling in his gut, Izuku snatched the book from the underground Hero's hand and dropped his legs around his waist. Twisting quickly out of his reach, he darted off the roof and out of Eraser's line of sight—gone again.

Eraser was... dangerous. He was definitely dangerous. When Izuku got home, he was tired, sweaty, hot, and hormonal. Flushed cheeks burned from behind his mask as he yanked it off and tossed it onto his desk. This was a problem. This was a not-so-big-but-very-troubling problem. Sitting on his bed, he stared lost at the window, now closed, still heaving breaths of air as he tried to calm his nerves down.

*

Laying back on his bed, he clenched his eyes shut before bringing a hand to the growing bulge in his pants. "Mmn," he'd touched himself before, of course. Though never had he had someone in mind while doing that type of thing, it was typically masturbating to some Hero porn. Pornstars these days had incredible quirks and could change their voices to sound like the pros or their looks, even. The most popular ones were Mount Lady, Midnight, and Best Jeanest. There wasn't enough P.R. in the world to keep your likeness out of porn once you reached a certain point in notoriety.

"Ah!" He palmed harder over the material, his eyes snapping open as he moved to sit up and remove his shoes and pants. He kicked them both off in frustration. Leaning over, he ran his thumb over the dampened spot of his underwear, rubbing into the pleasure; he moaned, biting his lip hard as he moved the fabric aside. Letting out a breathy gasp as he closed his eyes once more, his fingers tightening and relaxing, sliding desperately along his hard-on. He bucked into his hand, mentally cursing, screaming; Izuku groaned into his release as he came all over the front of his top.

Heaving heavy breaths, he ran tentative fingers over the angry red head of his dick; a tightening in his gut was felt every time his fingers grazed the velvety skin. "Ah, uhng!" He moaned louder, dropping his head in shame as he jerked his hand one, two, three more times, watching the last juts of cum splurt onto his clothes. "...shit. Oh man... " He stared down at his top as he collected himself.

*

After that second time, he actively tried to avoid Eraser. Not that it would help him! Oh, ho ho ho...no. Izuku had jerked off at the thought of Eraser's hard body slamming him into that hard wall multiple times now. He'd dreamed of pulling on that long black hair, yanking his head back, stealing a kiss or two, nipping at his neck — oh, look at that, he was turned on...again.

Yeah, Izuku didn't need help. Well, at least, not that kind of help. Honestly, he wasn't even sure which part of this he should concern himself with most at the moment.

a. Being attracted to a guy. (Alright, fine, I'm into dudes! I guess that makes sense. It's not like I've ever batted an eye at any girls in school. I only ever watched Kaachan, so... yeah, dudes. That's cool. That's okay. I- I don't even know where to start. Do I just tell my mom? Would she care? Should I say something to Kaachan? We seriously only just started to talk like friends again... would that be a weird conversation starter? Oh, hey Kaachan, how's your day been? Really? Oh, that's cool. By the way, I'm gay! I think I'll wait before saying anything to Kaachan...)

b. Older...man... (I don't need to look up the law to know it would be really, really bad if a fourteen-year-old and ...whatever-year-old, hooked up in any definition of the word. It would not be good. It would be so, very, very, very bad. Like, super, mega, ultra, absolutely terribly, very bad! Oh gosh, can I get in trouble just for thinking dirty thoughts about an older man!? Wait, no, what the hell am I thinking? It's only bad if I act on it... which, let's be honest, that could never happen. What would Eraser see in some scrawny, quirkless kid like me? Nothing...)

"So you're out and about again?"

'Shit!' He hadn't been paying attention. He was just sitting on the roof, looking out at a pair of delinquents across the street, notebook in his bag, hands in his lap, zoned completely-the-fuck-out. He placed a hand on the roof to stand when that blasted capture weapon wrapped around it, and Izuku was yanked backward.

*

"Caught you."

With his back pressed against Eraser's chest, Izuku stared up at Eraser. "Y-yeah, you did. And now that you have me, what are you gonna do to me?" His voice came out breathier than he meant. His words were probably...maybe...taken the wrong way. Or not. He couldn't be sure, especially when he felt a sharp nip along his neck and let out a sharp squeal of surprise.

He had not been expecting that! He had zero sex appeal. None what-so-ever! Yet, tall, dark, and swoll-as-fuck had his arms in a death-defying grip and his nose buried in his neck. That fucking tongue trailed along his collarbone, then back up to the shell of his ear. Izuku began trembling, his legs seriously about to give out from beneath him as his dick came to life. Mumbling... he was fucking mumbling! He wasn't even sure what the fuck he was saying, just that his mouth was moving a hundred miles a second, and words were tumbling out without remorse!

On his knees, wait...when did he get on his knees? "AHE! E-Eraser! Please, please!" The hand that was cupping his cock through his pants was working him over, a layer of material between them or not. He felt the heat of that hand, how large it was in comparison to his...well.. he was still growing, after all. "oh! God, so good, so good! I can't believe that the Underground Pro Hero Eraserhead is actually touching me like this. What in the world? I must be dreaming; this is insane! So totally, fu-fucking insane! Unbelievable! Wild! Oh! Mm-ah!" The two fingers that resided in his mouth now gave him something to suck on. Oh, and if that wasn't a thought. Sucking harder, his eyes glazed over in a lusty haze, hungry, desirous, hormonal, definitely hormonal. Saliva seeped out past those fingers as they trusted back into his mouth; something about the action caused Izuku's hips to jerk a bit.

At one point, Eraser asked him a question, and he nodded his head because, yeah... anything, fucking anything, he would do it; he wanted it! Feeling that hand on his cock disappear moments after he'd moaned his frantic approval, an Izuku whined his want, wiggling around for something. Oh, and that hand came to his bottoms, undoing the belts around his waist. He felt them tugging along his hips before those fingers of that free hand hooked beneath the pants waistband and pulled them down and over his ass. The air was cold, and he shivered at the sudden bite against his flushed and hot skin.

Izuku was so sensitive and very much aware of everything around him now. The clatter of the goggles on the ground as Eraser set them down. The hot breath of air that puffed along his puckering and twitching asshole, the tongue that slipped between wet lips, tasting what Izuku was desperately reaching to cover up, only for that damn capture weapon to activate and restrain his hands tightly behind his back. Groaning, his face against the roof surface, his hips bucking, moving, wiggling, and —AHH! His hand was back. FUCK! HIS HAND WAS BACK! Oh, god! Izuku cried out as Eraser stroked his cock in motion with his tongue fucking his pulsating hole, so fucking go-ooood! SHIT!

Izuku was sure that anyone out and about right now could hear him, and he didn't care. His mind went blank for a moment, and he saw a white flash behind his eyes before cumming all across the ground and those fingers still moving mesmerizingly along his body. His voice came out in soft whispers, repeating the name "Eraser" over and over again as if it were a prayer. His hands were released, and Izuku felt his full weight fall forward as his arms dropped.

Carefully, he pushed himself up, shuddering at the feel of his top falling against his belly and sticking there, messy, wet, gross... and then it occurred to him that this would be the second time this shirt was messed up because of something dirty concerning Eraser. He turned to see the man standing there, a smug smirk on his lips as he took in Izuku's satisfied gaze.

*

Eraser crouched before Izuku, dark eyes catching green, "You look spent..."

"I, I mean-" Izuku was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Let's have some more fun next time. How does that sound?"

"I don't like the idea of fooling around with people I don't know."

Eraser nodded, understanding in his eyes. Which Izuku thought was weird, all things considered. "That makes sense. To be honest, I don't much care for it either." He turned his eyes downcast to the goggles next to them. He'd taken them and his scarf off during their activities. "I guess I'll just have to keep you unless you're against that as well."

'Keep?' Izuku floundered with that word. 'Keep? Keep!?' He was stuck on repeat, his eyes widened in complete disbelief. He wasn't even fully aware when the man leaned forward and captured his lips in a hard kiss, tongue snaking out and tracing along Izuku's lips before slipping in between as they parted. Izuku had never kissed before. Well, there were many things he'd never done before tonight, but unlike the other, this was a bit more of a hands-on reciprocation, and he had no idea what to do.

Tentatively, he let his own tongue touch along Eraser's, nervous and yet eager to learn. It was... strange... and yet, this could quite possibly be the closest comparison he had to what it might be like to be intoxicated on something. Be it the man's scent, taste, and how he felt? Izuku wasn't sure. Perhaps a conglomeration of all of it. Whatever the case, Izuku knew one thing... he honestly didn't mind the idea of Eraser "keeping" him.

Eraser pulled back, "Shouta,"

"Izuku..."

(Fifteen Years Old)

The number of times Izuku had met up with Shouta outnumbered the times he'd met up with All Might easily. Even though All Might was training Izuku on the Beach nearly every other day, Shouta had taken to training him at night. However, Shouta's manner of training him depended on how busy the night was. Sometimes...lessons could be a bit more gratifying. Others came across as more rewarding for his future aspirations.

To Izuku's utter surprise, Shouta didn't pressure him into anything. They hadn't gone further than what happened the first time...and blowjobs...which, Izuku was quite fond of giving. The taste and smell of Shouta was intoxicating, and he would be damned if he turned away the opportunity to get down on his knees for his man. His man. Calling him "his" made Izuku positively giddy! When things weren't "like that," Shouta would seriously train, spar, or even patrol with him.

It took Izuku a bit to recognize what triggered the man. When he was dressed in his Trace outfit, it seemed to be all work, no play. However, when he wore his Echo wardrobe, Izuku often found himself needing to do laundry and damage control on his beloved top.

It hit Izuku like a meteorite one day; he'd never told Shouta his age. He didn't consider that the man thought he might be older, which would be a logical conclusion. Taking into consideration what he was out doing every night... and yet, Izuku had been quiet for, well, it had been almost four months of blowjobs, shared masturbation, rimming, and nipple play. Izuku leaned back against the ledge of the building, dressed in his Echo-wear... Izuku could see Shouta approaching from the distance, jumping from roof to roof before landing across from him. "Hey,"

Shouta stepped into his space, leaning down, and greeted Izuku with a kiss. "Hey."

Already slipping into that fuzzy haze that Izuku found so lovely, he quickly raised his hand and carefully pushed. Watching, pleased, when Shouta took a step back and acknowledged Izuku wanted space. Izuku watched him take his goggles off; it always surprised Izuku with just how quickly the man had dropped his guard and revealed himself to him, but...well...the circumstances had been a...a thing.

"Something wrong?"

"Things are always wrong, but I typically work through them. I actually wanted to talk to you... and I mean, really talk. I think a lot has gone unsaid, unasked, really. You know nothing about me, and I know only a little about you."

"Ah," Shouta moved into a more relaxed stance, hands in his pockets as he looked thoughtfully at Izuku. "I'm a cat person, not a dog person. I live on coffee and jelly pouches, like salty licorice, and work two jobs. One is an Underground Pro Hero, and the other is a U.A. Teacher. Between the two jobs, only one makes me want to take a sledgehammer to my skull daily; I'll leave you to guess which one is which. I have a poor sleeping schedule and hate paparazzi and journalists equally. I'm twenty-nine, and I own two cats, a tabby named Chairman Meow and a Siamese named Senator Purr...your turn."

Izuku was itching to drag out his notebook from his bag and take all of that down, but sadly, it had nothing to do with Shouta as a Hero, and honestly, he wanted to keep all that safely tucked away in his head. "Oh, um...my turn, huh?" He thought about the man's age. 'Twenty-nine? He's going to freak when I tell him I'm fifteen...well, at least it's not fourteen anymore.' Thankful that his birthday had come and gone a month ago, still. "I- I'm also a cat person. I have very little free time as I spend almost all my time training in Capoeira, Parkour, or Gymnastics. My favorite food is Katsudon, but my diet doesn't allow me to enjoy it as much as I wish, and my favorite color is red. Despite all the training I do, my hobby is studying and observing Heroes and their Quirks, strategizing battles and their outcomes alike. If I had to pick a candy, I would say cherry blow pops. Recently, I've taken to cleaning Dagobah Beach in my free time to gain more muscle. Currently... I-I'm fifteen...no pets..."

It was quiet for a bit.

Izuku tapped his shoe on the rooftop quietly. Theoretically, he wouldn't hold it against Shouta to completely shut down after hearing his age. He'd be more shocked if he didn't panic, yell, leave, or pass out. Okay, maybe that last one was something he was likely to do... especially if Shouta didn't say something soon!

"You're cleaning up Dagobah Beach? Alone?"

. . . Izuku blinked, shaking his head "no... Kaachan has been helping me."

"Ah, at least you have help."

"Shouta...I'm fifteen."

"I heard you."

"And-"

"Let's not talk about that right now. I need to fully wrap my head around that before I say anything stupid. As it stands, I've already fucked up pretty badly, but... also..." he heaved a tired sigh.

Izuku reached up and wrapped his arms around Shouta's neck, the older man leaning into his embrace as Izuku toyed with strands of his hair. He understood where Shouta was going with that sentence. They had both fucked up. Yet somehow, neither of them really...cared. It was wrong. Neither of them would be able to argue morality here. If word got out, society would chew them up and spit them out, not saying what the law would do. The media would have a field day if they found out. What would it likely do to Shouta's career... either one of them. Izuku's mom would freak, probably home-school him, deny him U.A... and, well... a slew of other overprotective mom things. Izuku didn't even think he could tell Katsuki. Oh, right, he still hadn't told him he was gay. That was a talk that he'd need to have, sooner or later, with both his mom and Katsuki. He just...had to...  "Should we patrol tonight?"

Shouta nodded, "Probably a good idea. Technically, you shouldn't be out here doing things like this, but what the hell kind of hypocrite would I be if I told you to go to bed now after four months of encouraging your Vigilantism? Let's change up our route today. As you know, maintaining the same route without occasionally changing it is never a good idea. You don't want to become predictable."

Izuku nodded, pulling a face mask from his pocket. He was about to wear it when Shouta leaned down and stole another kiss.

"I probably should say something like, "Let's put an end to this," but I'm not going to. Not unless you want to stop." Looking into Izuku's eyes, Shouta spoke carefully: "Rather, I propose we set some rules and boundaries before proceeding with this... relationship. Honestly, I think you're adorable in this dorky and amazing way. I am probably going to hell for this, but I still don't want to let you go. So, if you're okay with continuing cautiously, I'd like to try this out at least. What do you say?"

Izuku wasn't sure, but he thought he might be crying. Nodding his head, he wrapped his arms tightly around Shouta's neck and brought his lips up to meet him in a happy kiss. His legs wrapped around the man's waist as he was lifted and settled on the edge of the roof. He broke away and looked into Shouta's eyes, seeing relief, worry, and satisfaction...all rolled into one emotionally exhausted man. Maybe... just maybe... things could work out.

(Present)

Izuku stopped in front of class 1-A. Taking a careful breath, he slid the door open.

"Take your feet off of that desk, now!"

"Huh!?"

"It's the first day, and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property, you cretin!"

"You're kidding me, right? Your old school put a stick up your ass, or were you born with it?"

"Already starting shit, Kaachan?"

Katsuki chuckled, "You expect anything less?"

Izuku shrugged, "frankly, I expected more."

"What was that, Deku!?"

"You heard me." Izuku moved in front of Tenya and placed a hand on his desk, leaning in so that they were eye to eye, "stop being a little bitch and act like the fucking Hero I know you're going to be." Oh, and boy, he felt a chill run up his spine as those words slipped past his lips. Katsuki glared him down.

POP-POP!

Izuku could practically feel the heat from those explosions, small as they were.

"Tch, whatever. Sit the fuck down, nerd."

Nodding, Izuku moved past him and dropped his bag on the desk behind Katsuki's. Tenya looked both alarmed and impressed when Katsuki's foot fell to the floor, and he turned a cold glare to his desk. It was not like he was pouting; it was more like he was thinking. Izuku knew Katsuki had been thinking a lot lately. Izuku probably wasn't helping much either with his personality change over the last few years... though Katsuki hadn't noticed it until this last year.

Once the last of the students arrived, the class sat silently, waiting for their teacher to arrive. Well, mostly silent. A couple of girls in the class were discussing orientation. Three boys were whispering about the skirts under their breath in a huddle. That somewhat worried Izuku, but...well, if it was just whispering about clothes, he supposed that was fine, but if anything else came from that, he wouldn't stand by and just listen. He looked into the window's reflection, Katsuki's eyes looking back at his. Izuku was sure that Katsuki, too, could hear the trio.

The door slid open again. This time, it was Shouta... or rather...

"Hello, I'm Shouta Aizawa. Your teacher." He hadn't even made it into the classroom when he said that.

Izuku watched him thoughtfully. 'Doesn't look like he got much sleep the night before...'

"Let's get to it... put these on, and head outside. I'll leave you all to sort through the sizes." He held the yellow sleeping bag out for someone to grab.

Call Izuku possessive, but he didn't want anyone else touching Shouta's sleeping bag. Really, he just didn't want to smell anyone else on it. Period. So he stood up before anyone else and took the sleeping bag from him, catching Shouta's eye as he did before turning to the class and calling out sizes as he pulled uniforms out. Students stood and took uniforms as their sizes came up, and it worked efficiently enough that there was no crowding or shoving. He was happy with this outcome.