Archive of Our Own ^beta

The world was covered in whites and grays, snow flurries drifting in the wind every time it blew. A clean slate, the death of decay before the rebirth of young life—it was appropriate for what they just did. They freed the brother of a demon lord; they’d freed a lifelong slave. Bruce regarded Yoichi while the man stared off into the distance. It must have been jarring to be out of his prison cell after living in captivity for so long. 

Toshitsugu Kudo and Bruce Lee, leaders of The Resistance, had found All for One’s hiding place, the location where he’d lured several desperate individuals who’d given up their life for a quirk–or their quirk for a life. The mission was to be a quick in and out, one meticulously planned to infiltrate and free prisoners. However, they did not think that one of the captives would be the man’s own brother, nor that such a powerful being’s brother would be quirkless.

At first, Bruce was sure they’d simply leave the door open and let the man figure it out himself—the plan was to destroy all close to All for One. But his captain had extended a hand to help the man up, and for a split second, Bruce could have sworn he saw a connection form between them, a slight spark of electricity. Under the pressure of persecution, he did not dare stop and examine it, but once things calmed down, his mind urged him to.

Since they’d settled into the base, they learned that Yoichi was extremely soft spoken and that, though fiercely opinionated, he would only speak up in defense of others or when needed. On his second day there, Captain Kudo was the one to notice the man had not eaten. During meal times, the green-eyed man would wait until everyone had finished eating, only, the ones cooking did not notice him and would put the food away. Yoichi did not stop them. He would smile weakly and go back to his spot, as if he believed it was what he deserved.

It struck a chord with him, bringing memories of a past life. Bruce was about to do something about it, but Kudo beat him to it. He watched in befuddled awe as his surly friend requested extra rations and brought food to the man, sitting by his side with a serious expression until the food was gone.

It was unlike the captain to take this sort of initiative.

But the strangeness in Bruce’s long-term friend continued. As the days passed, more and more, he would catch Kudo watching their new comrade, making sure he was comfortable and fed. When Yoichi stayed in his room, Kudo would check in, staying to talk—Kudo hated unnecessary talk! 

When the captain went to town, he bought books for the green-eyed man. When he spent long nights out, he would visit their guest in the morning. He knew the captain was the indirectly caring type, so seeing him directly interact was definitely raising some flags. Even Kudo himself did not seem aware of his actions.

Their other fellow soldiers noticed too. Eventually, half of their squad was placing bets as to when the two would get their heads out of their asses and admit they had feelings for each other. Most were cheering them on; some were put off by the fact that they were men (but Bruce made sure they saw reason). In a life so short, any love and happiness was meant to be celebrated.

However, his captain was dense. Mission after mission, the interactions between the two were closer, yet the men were not anywhere near confessing. They learned to expertly walk the tightrope between friendship and romance, always toeing the line but never crossing it. Were they both going to pine until they died?

Luckily, an opportunity arose one day after Kudo and Bruce returned from getting provisions.

“It is winter,” Kudo remarked. “Most will visit their family now.”

Bruce hummed, nodding. “That they will. I already told you I’m going to pay a visit to my sister. Are you going to—”

Clearing his throat, the captain interrupted. “I’m not sure it’s safe to leave Yoichi alone,” the man muttered.

A single look was all Bruce needed to see the pinkening ears on his captain’s face. With a smirk, he replied, “Perhaps you should stay with him. You’ve nowhere to be anyway.” He had a feeling Yoichi would be a part of their team for a long time, and he refused to face this pining forever.

Kudo grunted, his face somewhat conflicted. “But—”

“But what?”

The man shook his head. “Forget it. Forget I mentioned anything.”

With an amused smile, Bruce grabbed Kudo’s shoulder. “Nah, I refuse.” Turning the man around, Bruce said, “I know the rest will feel more at ease if you stay with him too.” 

“ Perhaps , you should even get him a sweet,” he added, nodding over to one of the stalls. “Who knows? The man probably hasn’t tasted one in his life.”

Kudo grumbled and freed himself from Bruce’s grasp, but based on his expression, the second-in-command knew the remark had done its job.

XXX

Toshitsugu was not an idiot; he realized he’d drawn the attention of his comrades. He was not acting himself, but every time he thought to let Yoichi be, the vision of his light-green eyes in that cell, the expression of relief when they escaped, haunted him.

At first, he thought it was some form of trauma, but the only way to get over it would be to get used to man’s presence. So, Toshitsugu made it his mission to make contact with the man at least once a day. In the mornings, he would bring breakfast. Yoichi had been locked up for so long, the man looked sickly.

“It is because my body was born weak,” Yoichi tried explaining one day, but he was not having that.

“No one who survives that long is considered weak in my books.” 

That was the first time Toshitsugu had seen the man’s smile, small as it was. Feeling somewhat ill, Toshitsugu excused himself and left.

It was only in later interactions that he began questioning if Yoichi truly did have a quirk after all, one related to intensifying emotions perhaps. First, it was the sense of concern. Whenever Yoichi slipped or stumbled, Toshitsugu’s heart nearly left its chest in worry. Had it been anyone else, he wouldn’t have reacted at all.

Then, it was the sense of achievement. When the squad returned from a mission or a scouting trip, Yoichi said, “Congratulations,” and his ego soared like it had done when he was recognized for his prowess in the military. It was no such commendation, there was no prize, yet his chest puffed with pride as he strode to his quarters.

But lately…his mind had become dependent on the man’s acknowledgement, on his presence. Toshitsugu did not like that. His plan had failed. In an attempt to ameliorate his irrational behaviors, he tried distancing himself. He was unsuccessful. Living in the same compound made withdrawing difficult, more so when his second-in-command was being annoyingly fixated on his interactions with the green-eyed man. 

Clearly, he didn’t dislike Yoichi. But that was a problem. Caring for a specific person made that person a target for All for One, and Toshitsugu could not risk it. 

Did he have a choice, though?

Yoichi was entrenched in his daily life, in his dreams, in his nightmares. Such was the case that when deep winter came around, he found himself concerned over what would happen in his absence. During winters, Toshitsugu would train and focus on readying their plans for when their squad came back together. This time, however, his mind drifted to Yoichi, and after Bruce’s words, it became riddled with guilt. 

Here he was, trying to create distance with a man that had been alone for most of his life, that had probably never had sweets or walked in the snow simply for the beauty of it. Toshitsugu remembered Yoichi’s confused expression when he ducked into his office instead of visiting in the evening, or how the man’s smile dimmed when Toshitsugu rejected his offering of tea during a particularly cold morning.

That night, his dreams and nightmares overlapped, his long lost memories surfacing.

/ Toshitsug u’s mother held him in her lap, stroking his unruly hair as she told the tale of their ancestors. “One day, my boy, you will meet the person that fills your world, and you must cherish them for however long the gods decide you are to be together.”

Toshitsugu tried to see her face, but it was blurred. Suddenly, the world was ablaze in orange and white and red, fire. One for All stood atop a tower of bodies.

“I will destroy everything you love and watch you abandon all hope before I end your pathetic life,” the demon lord spoke.

Looking down at his now adult hands, Toshitsugu clenched his fist and activated his quirk. He was covered in blood, the blood of enemies and the blood of innocents that he failed to save. Channeling his rage, he attacked his foe, ready to kill, but he was too weak. He was defeated.

A bright light shone, banishing the villain that had slain him and healing all his wounds.

“You do not need to do this alone, my hero,” a calming voice said. 

Confused, he readied himself lest the demon lord attack again, but they were alone. Tenderly, Yoichi appeared before him and smiled—a real, fond smile he’d never seen on the man—and cupped his cheek. Unwittingly, Toshitsugu leaned into the soft touch. It brought tears to his eyes. Why was he crying? Why did the weight on his shoulders vanish? Before he could voice anything, the space around them shifted, and visions of the future, or so he assumed, flashed around him so fast he did not make sense of it. 

Bruce, Yoichi, Kameko, Lee…so many of the resistance members worked together to create a better future. Blood, darkness, triumph, smiles. Yoichi in his arms, moments with stolen kisses, and then the beauty died. There was a man with a facial scar, training in the forest, Yoichi and Toshitsugu as his guides. There was a reckless blond who aged in a blink, a dark-haired woman guiding him. This faded and his boots crunched against metal and broken glass. On the battleground, young teens in ridiculous clothing, all surrounded by decay. Then, there was rain and there was silence. A villain blown away by the dust. Finally, Yoichi, grinning ethereally, eyes filled to the brim with relieved tears whispered, “Thank You.”/

Toshitsugu woke up with a start, chest heaving, his lashes moist with tears. His heart was firing away like a blasted assault rifle, feeling like it would become stronger and stronger until it managed to escape his chest. He closed his eyes and fell back to his cot. He normally forgot dreams as soon as he woke, but this one remained vivid, his lips and limbs tingling with the ghost of something that never happened.

Normally, Toshitsugu would be a bit more cynical, a bit more objective about the situation. It was a dream, and dreams were not life. Dreams could bring back those lost or make you lose everything, only for the illusory emotions to vanish as soon as one’s conscience took control. This vision, though…it felt more of a premonition than a dream, and despite his earlier concerns, he decided to take a chance.

If their lives were truly so entwined, if joining forces would truly bring about the end of All for One, then…entertaining this notion, as uncharacteristic as it was, could be a risk worth taking. He ran a hand through his hair in crazed disbelief at what he concluded. The remainder of his restless night was near unbearable. 

Now that he had (albeit reluctantly) accepted his desire to care about Yoichi, his mind took it as permission to wonder about what it would be like to entwine their fingers. Would his touch be too rough for the fragile man, or would those long, thin fingers be stronger? Would it be too perverted to want to caress those snow-white strands of hair as the man’s head rests upon Toshitsugu’s lap?

His face heat up. He’d never entertained the idea of a partner, much less a man! All he knew was how to protect, how to kill. 

He shivered, though the blankets over his body were thick enough to make him sweat. Despite his fears, he thought of one of the last conversations he’d had with Bruce. The man had been confident that Yoichi enjoyed his presence, that the man viewed them as his “saviors”. His second-in-command had told Yoichi about much of what they did every day, and the green-eyed man had even come to help them in devising some of the strategies.

Toshitsugu sighed. He had no time for such frivolous emotions: they had a mission to accomplish.

Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was almost time to wake up. Perhaps he could go over the plans for the next raid before the others woke up. Though exhausted, he looked forward to burning off the anxious energy. He used the leftover water in his bottle to dampen a towel and wash himself free of sweat. Languidly, Toshitsugu descended to the ground floor, only to find someone sitting in the darkness by the window. 

“Oi, get some rest,” Toshitsugu said in a whisper to avoid waking up the others.

He didn’t expect to see Yoichi awake at this hour.

“I apologize.” The man smiled, but it did not reach its eyes. 

“Nightmares?”

“They are inevitable yet vital reminders of the past.”

Toshitsugu hummed. He decided not to pry further and go into his office. He wouldn’t avoid the man, simply not spend more time than needed. 

The day passed by without much issue, and by nightfall, most left to be with their families. He, Yoichi, and a handful of others would be the only ones in their camp; the rest would be gone until the following Monday. After that, they had one more month before they relocated to a new, hopefully warmer, base. 

As he came back from accompanying Bruce to the train, he remembered the sweets shop he’d seen before. He groaned, already annoyed with himself for being so easily manipulated by his second in command. Regardless, he still purchased a piece of yuzu and mandarin jelly cake. He didn’t want something overly sweet to overwhelm the green-eyed man, though it was hard to determine what wouldn’t be overwhelming.

It should have been easy to march over to Yoichi and shove the cake in his hands, but Toshitsugu found himself struggling to breathe.

He needed a physician, surely something was wrong.

The closer he got, the more his palms sweat, so he decided to go to his cot first and wipe off the sweat. It would be disgusting to hand over a cake with moist hands.

It was there that he found a bundle of winter clothes with a note.

“ Captain, if happiness has found you, embrace it. Life is short, and we shouldn’t waste the changes it gives us.

In case you’re being purposefully dense, you have a crush, you ass. Pursue it. Your squad can’t take the tension. -B

Yan said to take Yoichi to the waterfall; it looks beautiful when frozen.”

Rolling his eyes, Toshitsugu threw the note out and grabbed the bundle.

A crush, huh?

Idiots.

Taking the bundle, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to get out of the depressing hunk of metal and concrete they’d made a base. 

“Oi, Yoichi,” he called when he saw the man reading on one of the cushions in the communal area. “Here,” he threw the coat and pants, “Put that on and meet me outside.”

Yoichi startled, barely catching the clothes, but smiled and quickly went to the nearest washroom to change.

When he came out, Toshitsugu’s breath stuttered. Yoichi looked like he was made to live in the winter, his snow-white hair and skin made ethereal with the plush, dark fabric and headband; his face a delicate canvas for the compassionate smile that bloomed despite the horrors he’d lived. 

“Captain, are you ready to leave?” the man asked, blissfully oblivious to the revelations inside the leader’s head.

Fuck , maybe he did have a crush.

Mouth dry, Toshitsugu only nodded and extended his elbow for Yoichi to grab, whilst the other hand tightened around the box of sweets he’d bought. The man’s incredulous stare bored into the side of Toshitsugu’s face, so to draw attention away from his reddening ears, he muttered, “Snow’s getting deep. If you don’t want help, then you can walk on your own too.”

He was already lowering his arm, dejectedly turning to lead the way, when Yoichi looped his arm around his. With pinkened cheeks of his own, he said, “Thank you for being such a gentleman, my hero.”

Toshitsugu felt his blush deepen. He’d been called “hero” many times, but when Yoichi said it, it held a different sort of weight. He sighed when the cold air hit them and led them toward the waterfall. 

They walked in a comfortable silence. Yoichi was enthralled with every detail, and Toshitsugu was once again reminded that the man had been indoors for most of his life. It sobered him enough to snap him out of his more…irrational thoughts.

“Whoa…” the emerald-eyed man whispered, releasing Toshitsugu’s arm to venture forth in wonder. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, figured you might like this sort of thing.”

Those kind eyes darted to him, now lined with tears. Toshitsugu balled his fists to avoid wiping them himself, and for the first time in a long time, he felt himself doubt. 

Is this foolish? Is this a mistake? Will I scare him?

Before he could back out, he shoved the cake into Yoichi’s hands. “For you, from that bakery in town.”

Unsteadily, Yoichi walked to a nearby boulder to open it. “W-why?” he asked. “Why are you doing all this?”

Toshitsugu bit his lip, his heart beating much too rapidly, wanting to join another. He wanted to join Yoichi, wanted them to be…different. 

But he couldn’t bring himself to say the words, so instead, he replied, “No one deserves to be alone on the holidays, and I figured,” he trailed off, hoping to word things more eloquently, but he couldn’t, so he continued. “I didn’t have a gift but, maybe since you’d been with your brother—” Why did all his intellect vanish when he needed it most?

Carefully, Yoichi set the box down and quickly walked over to close the distance between them, embracing Toshitsugu warmly. He had a faint scent of pears, from one of the shampoos one of the girls had lent him, and Toshitsugu allowed himself to sink into the man’s arms and attempt to memorize the feel of it. 

Hell, he did have a crush.

All too soon, Yoichi backed away, but not enough to slip from Toshitsugu’s grasp. “Thank you,” he whispered breathlessly. “This is beyond any kindness I deserve.”

Greedily, Toshitsugu stole another touch, another memory. He pushed the man’s stray hairs back into the headband with his gloved hands and fixed it so Yoichi’s ears were covered, slowly, to preserve the moment in his mind’s eye. “You deserve so much more,” he whispered back, as if speaking the words any louder would tarnish the sanctity of that space.

For a few seconds they stood there, looking at each other. There were no words, no touches, simply a want that grew within them. Then, Yoichi lifted his hand to Toshitsugu’s face.The brusque man jolted from the surprise, but he did not dare move.

“Not this,” the gentle man muttered before standing on the tips of his toes to brush a featherlight kiss to Toshitsugu’s lips. 

The leader’s brain was filled with static, his body acted on its own. He knew it wasn’t wise or rational, but at that moment, he did not care. He couldn’t let Yoichi think this was something out of his reach, that Toshitsugu was the best he could do when it was, in fact, the opposite. 

Fiercely, he deepened the kiss, his tongue licking into the man’s mouth, savoring each jolt of pleasure, hoping to convey his feelings through it. His hands remained on the man’s hips for fear that he might cross a line otherwise, but for once, he felt completely fulfilled, like this was what he had been missing every day. Again and again they kissed, tears streaming down both faces now, but neither seemed willing to part.

They might face Yoichi’s evil brother soon, a confrontation that would surely lead to Toshitsugu’s demise. Yet, from that very moment—surrounded by the frozen grays and blues, by the majestic whites that glistened in the sun—a new chapter would begin, marking the start of their best days before the inevitable worst.