Chapter Text
Chirp chirp chirp chirp
Izuku groaned, hand stretching over to his nightstand. He fumbled for a moment before he located his phone and switched off the alarm. Blearily, he opened his eyes, peering at the digital numbers displayed. He prayed that he had imagined it and that he had woken up early enough to sneak in a few more hours of sleep. Nope. 5 am. Just like yesterday.
Why does Kacchan have to wake up so early?
Izuku ran a hand over his face before forcing himself to stand up. He swayed on his feet for a moment before stumbling towards the closet. He had planned ahead, falling asleep in a pair of workout shorts and a long sleeve shirt, so he didn't have to do anything other than slip on a pair of thin pants and his socks and shoes. The thin, windbreaker pants were easy enough to manage but the shoelaces fought against his clumsy fingers this morning. He grumbled as he re-did the knots, before stumbling back to his feet.
He grabbed his room key from his desk and made sure to check that his alarm was off-- and not just snoozed-- before he put it back on his desk. Aoyama and Mineta had laid into him a few times for the phone going off while he was out for his morning workout. He didn't need to find another one of those sticky purple balls on his desk chair again, no thanks.
Remembering how Kacchan had smirked when he'd relayed the story brought a smile to his face. He'd said "Good. Their lazy asses should be up anyway." The fact that Kacchan was actually talking to him these days, joking with him, made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. It was such a precious feeling, one that he thought he'd never experience again after what they went through in middle school.
Izuku closed the door behind him, listening for the firm click. His feet churned underneath him as he fumbled towards the bathroom. Once there, he splashed his face with some cold water and brushed his teeth. Blinking, he took one quick peek at himself in the mirror before he would start the trek downstairs to where Kacchan was undoubtedly waiting for him.
A pair of sleepy, green eyes stared back at him. While he was three years older now, and nearing graduation, Izuku couldn't say that he looked much older than when he started at UA. Sure, his body had filled out and bulked up a bit, thanks to his training. But his cheeks had only lost a bit of his baby fat, and the combination of his wide eyes and spray of freckles made him look startlingly young. Gods, he hoped that would change soon.
No wonder Kacchan says I look like a middle schooler in disguise. He thought grumpily before sticking his tongue out at himself. Better hurry up or he'll yell at me again.
The image of the blonde waiting for him by the front doors of the dormitory made his stomach flip slightly, which he pointedly ignored as he turned away and dried his hands on his pants. Feeling marginally more awake than before, he skipped down the stairs, taking two at a time.
Just as Izuku knew he would be, Kacchan was slumped against the wall, waiting for him. Even this early in the morning, the blonde looked perfect. A pair of black workout shorts hugged his legs, just tight enough to make Izuku's eyes flicker towards them before he could stop himself. He was wearing an old orange hoodie today, which had either been shrunk in the wash or Kacchan was just on the edge of growing out of. Probably the latter. Unlike Izuku, Kacchan's body had flourished with age, lengthening and defining under his strict training regime. His shoulders fit snugly into his hoodie, the cloth falling along the planes of his pectorals and sloping down to his tapered waist. Izuku didn't have to imagine what he looked like underneath-- he'd side-eyed him while changing in the locker rooms enough times-- but still his eyes briefly wandered to the area.
Stop it. He scolded himself, shaking his head slightly as his cheeks warmed. Yes, he and Kacchan were on much better, even friendly terms, these days but if he knew what Izuku was thinking, he'd probably never speak to him again. Imagining his childhood friend's wicked grin shriveling into a sneer of disgust sobered Izuku up quickly. It felt like a cold hand had gripped his spine.
"Good morning, Kacchan!" He greeted the other boy as he bounced down the last step, with far more cheer than he actually felt this early in the morning.
An alert pair of red eyes flicked up to meet his own. For a briefest of moments, Izuku was hit with the full handsomeness that was Kacchan: those sharp angles of his jaw and cheekbones, that pouty mouth twisted into a frown, and those burning eyes that were always so adept at picking him apart. When that mouth twisted into a smirk, and those eyes rolled as he teased, it was like the universe started shifting again. Like Izuku had permission to breathe again. "Finally shitty nerd. I've been waiting forever."
"No way Kacchan!" Izuku choked out. "I only woke up five minutes ago!"
"Tch. Let's go already." Kacchan turned away and opened the door to go outside. He didn't wait for Izuku to follow him, probably knowing the other would follow right on his heels.
Izuku jerked into motion after him, easily falling into step next to him outside. He shivered as the freezing January air cut through his layers of clothes. "Geez, Kacchan, I don't know how you can wear shorts. I'm dying out here!"
"You know I run hot, Deku. This isn't new information." Kacchan's tone dripped with mild annoyance, but the green-haired teen bounced along next to him, nonplussed.
"I wish I was like you Kacchan. You have an amazing body!" He felt his face light on fire, defying the arctic winds that whipped at his face. "I mean.. uh.. you know because of your quirk and how it keeps you heated and-"
"Fuck, shut up." A quick pause. "Please." The blonde ground out as an afterthought.
Izuku's mouth snapped shut immediately, though his face continued to burn as they walked silently. That please was almost nice. Better than anything he would have said to me two years ago. Still, Izuku briefly entertained the idea of firing up his quirk and sprinting about a mile away. Especially since he'd said Kacchan had an amazing body. What, was he twelve? Could he make his crush more obvious?
"I am amazing though."
He turned slightly and saw the smirk tugging at the corner of Kacchan's mouth. The look awakened the butterflies in Izuku's stomach, wings fluttering wildly.
So amazing. Izuku's brain supplied unhelpfully. He clamped down on the thought. Yes, he had been crushing on Katsuki Bakugou-- probably since forever-- but he wouldn't let the buzzing in his head and the squeezing of his heart ruin the relationship he and Kacchan had these days. While they didn't spend much time together outside of training and occasional quirk brainstorming sessions, it was still miles better than when they had literally fought and bickered almost every time they interacted. The boys, well young men really, were more like what they should have always been-- good work colleagues and competitors. And the secret part of Izuku that wanted more than that-- well he just had to bury that part away until it shriveled and died. Because there was no way someone as amazing as Katsuki would ever want to be with someone like him.
Kacchan was smart, strong, determined, fierce and ultimately the most beautiful human specimen he'd ever laid eyes on. He was Izuku's goalposts for almost every aspect of his life, so why not his love life too? If Izuku could end up with someone who challenged him half as much, he'd be incredibly lucky.
Unfortunately, Kacchan would never look at Izuku as anything more than a pebble in his shoe or a pet dog chasing after him: a curiosity mostly or occasionally something that got underfoot, tripped him up on his path to greatness. Kacchan would end up with someone equally as amazing as he was: not plain Izuku who could barely keep up with him.
"So what are we gonna do today, Kacchan?" Izuku asked through slightly chattering teeth, trying to ignore his painful thoughts twisting into him.
The blonde seemed to consider for a moment as they trailed down the sidewalk, path lit up by the overhead streetlights. It was a familiar route, one they had taken every morning for the past two semesters to the outdoor track.
"We'll start with an eight mile run-" Kacchan ignored Izuku's groan. "-since we did a shorter one yesterday. And then the usual body work until it's time for breakfast."
Izuku groaned again. Kacchan's idea of "usual" body work meant sit-ups, push-ups, squats and burpees among whatever other tortuous activities the blonde could think of. They always resulted in Izuku collapsing into a boneless pile of achy muscles.
"What? Can't handle this shit, Deku? Do I need to make it even easier for you?" Kacchan asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he glared at his green-haired training partner. The challenge in his words couldn't be clearer if he wrote it out on the sidewalk in front of them.
"Psh!" Izuku waved Katsuki's words away while they finished their last few steps onto the track. "Whatever Kacchan can do, I can do too!"
"We'll see about that." The blonde replied breezily as he turned to begin his warmup stretches.
Izuku allowed himself a quick once over of the blonde while his back was turned to him. Once he bent over to stretch his hamstrings, the muscles of his legs shifting, he had to turn away quickly before he started imagining the way they'd feel under his fingertips.
Izuku, seriously. He scolded himself, focusing on stretching out his own form. The frigid morning air scraped at his bones and made his muscles feel as though they were made out of hard clay. He wished he had dressed in more layers but he knew that once he started to run he'd feel fine. He chanced a peek at Kacchan out of the corner of his eye, but other than the hoodie and the puff of steam coming out from between his lips, the blonde looked like it might as well have been summer.
Izuku shivered, pretending it was just the cold and not the desire to press those lips against his own. Stop it already. Just make it through this and you'll be able to relieve some of this... tension in the shower in a few hours. He gulped, embarrassed.
"Hey, Deku. What's wrong with your face? You need to take a shit or something?" Kacchan growled. Izuku jumped as if the other had peeked right into his unclean thoughts. "I'm telling you right now, nerd, that you better not stop in the middle of this to-"
"Ahh! Please Kacchan, it's nothing like that!" Izuku waved frantically in front of himself, wishing there was a hole nearby for him to dive into.
"Good, asshole." Kacchan closed the few feet of space between them, slapping Izuku's flailing arms away. He poked him firmly in the chest, emphasizing each word. "Eight. Miles. No. Slacking. Deku."
That last poke almost hurt. "R-right!" Izuku stuttered as Kacchan turned away from him, the blonde's feet falling between the parallel white lines of the track.
The blonde took off then, at half speed, easing into his morning jog. He casually tossed a "Try to keep up, nerd" over his shoulder.
It took a full two seconds before Izuku realized what was happening. The greedy part of his brain had been too busy trying to memorize the feeling of Kacchan's touch when it should have been focusing.
"Ah, geez!" Izuku gasped out as his brain sputtered back to life. He leapt into a sprint, trying to close the gap.
----
The morning workout routine flowed smoothly after that, Izuku and Katsuki falling into their normal ebb and flow. They bantered for a bit, pushing each other through the run and into the other exercises until they were too red-faced and out of breath to say anything. Izuku used quiet encouragement most of the time, punctuated with loud bursts of excitement when Kacchan passed his daily goals. The latter he could only pull off because afterwards the blonde was usually too out of breath to snap at him.
Kacchan's motivation techniques were wholly different. "Sad, Deku. Only 200 sit-ups? I did 215." He grinned from where he held Izuku's feet flat while the other boy pulled himself up again, shakily. "I wonder what All Might could do at your age."
We're the same age, Kacchan. Izuku only grunted out loud, slowly pulling himself back up. He wasn't stopping until he hit at least 215. I probably should ask All Might, though.
The last few sit-ups took almost five minutes to complete, Izuku was shaking so badly. He even tried to get one more than Kacchan but felt his abs and legs give out as he collapsed backwards on the cold turf.
"H-ha ha!" He gasped. "T-tied ya."
"Mm-hm." Kacchan hummed. "You gonna be able to get back up for cool down stretches?" Izuku couldn't see his face but the amusement in his tone was obvious.
"Sure thing." Izuku grunted. His eyes took in the streaks of pinks, yellows and oranges that spilled across the morning sky like a canvas. It was a pretty view, one that he would have to enjoy since he literally couldn't move. "I might miss breakfast but I'm sure I'll be in class only a few minutes late."
"Get up, ya fucking wimp." Kacchan bit out, but the amusement hadn't left his tone. A hand appeared in front of his eyes, reaching out to help him to his feet.
Izuku groaned one last time, allowing his fingers to grab onto Kacchan's for a second. He hobbled to his feet, most of his muscles protesting. He dropped the other boys hand right away and tried not to think of how warm it had felt in his own.
They stretched in silence for a few minutes after, the blonde's critical eye never leaving Izuku's form. The green-haired boy knew that if he rushed or barely put any effort during this part that Katsuki wouldn't hesitate to lay into him.
He's like a mini-Aizawa. Izuku thought with a shudder. He turned a disarming smile on Kacchan as they finished up. "You know, Kacchan, you would make an excellent teacher," he suggested brightly.
"Fucking what?" Kacchan shot him a quick scowl as he collected his discarded hoodie from the ground. Izuku watched as steam spiraled off of him into the morning air. As he started walking back towards the dorms, the green-haired teen fell in step next to him.
"Well, of course after you've been a pro for a while. You're a really good trainer and you don't let anyone get away with slacking. I mean-- uh, you used to really only focus on your own strengths and weaknesses-"
"What weaknesses?!"
"--but I've noticed how you go after everyone's now and try to help and suggest different things--"
"Alright, shit, stop already." Kacchan's face was red, scowl deep. "Not gonna happen. I'd probably kill some idiot asshole student like you."
Izuku hooked his hands behind his head, taking a deep breath and looking up at the sun-streaked sky once more. The few birds that dared remain for the winter chirped friendly greetings to each other. He smiled mischievously. "Yeah, you're probably right Kacchan. Besides, they probably shouldn't be taking the number two hero off the streets."
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku watched Kacchan's head snap around to glare at him. A second later his fist snapped out towards Izuku's shoulder. He tried to dance out of the way in time, but it caught him anyway. There was no real power behind it though, and Izuku briefly snickered, reveling in their friendly back-and-forth before holding up his hands in surrender.
"Fucking Deku." Kacchan huffed out, as he opened the door to the dorms. "Work on your form. Half-ass work equals half-ass results." He bit out before stomping away to the stairs. He never said goodbye.
Izuku sighed as he lingered by the door, knowing that Kacchan didn't want him to walk next to him anymore. His eyes watched as the blonde's back retreated up the stairs before he started moving towards them. He didn't know if Kacchan was embarrassed about their workout sessions or if he just didn't want anyone else to think they could join the two of them. Definitely the former, though Izuku wished it wasn't.
They had started this daily training in the morning at the start of the year. It had been Izuku's idea, though he had to be sneaky about it. The only way he had been able to get Kacchan to interact with him in a semi-pleasant way was by issuing some kind of challenge. So he had bet him that he could finally beat him in a run.
"Yeah, fucking right Deku. What drugs are you on?" He snorted in Izuku's face.
"Oh, you don't think you can do it then?" Izuku had asked innocently back, making sure to blink his eyes like a startled deer. He had almost put his finger to his chin like Tyusu but changed his mind so it wasn't too obvious that he was rattling Katsuki's cage.
The blonde snarled. "Fine, shitty Deku. Tomorrow morning, 5 am. Meet me downstairs, fucker."
It had been a standard Katsuki Bakugou butt-whipping the following day, but Izuku had performed surprisingly well. It must have been challenging enough that Kacchan had snapped at him that afternoon in the locker room, once everyone else had cleared out, to meet him the next day. And then the day after that. And then every day. Of course, when pushed, Kacchan's only reason had been to "make sure All-Might's successor isn't a shitty embarrassment". Izuku would take whatever time he could get. Any time that Kacchan acknowledged him was like precious oxygen to Izuku.
Pathetic. His mind supplied while he quietly turned his room key home. He slipped inside, taking a brief moment to savor this morning's session, before he shrugged out of his shirt and started getting ready for class.
----
The school morning flowed the same as it usually did. After showering, dressing and snapping up a quick bite to eat in the common area, he met up with Ochako outside of the dorm for a their stroll to class. They always arrived with a few minutes to spare; plenty of time to say good morning to Iida and Todoroki or chat with them for longer if they were up to it. Most mornings were filled with idle talk about school work or the latest hero news. Lately though, most conversations revolved around which pro agencies his classmates hoped to join.
The decision gnawed at Izuku, a quiet yet unceasing demand on him. In middle school, he hadn't spared much thought over which school he'd wanted to go to. The moment he had learned where All Might had attended, UA had been the number one spot in his mind. Also, Kaachan had his mind set on going there, too. After that, no other school could even come close in Izuku's mind. They might as well have not existed. Granted, he had no idea at the time how he planned on actually passing the entrance exam, but everything had worked out for him.
Now? He was a boat adrift at sea, no idea which way the tide would take him. What was he supposed to do next? Which agency would take him on the swiftest path towards becoming the Symbol of Peace? Would going to the wrong one set him back? Would it be alright to work with his friends or should he branch out? Every day, he ruminated and delayed, but the time was fast approaching where he'd have to decide.
"Good morning, Kacchan. Kirishima," he greeted, sweeping that unsure feeling behind his usual grin. "Ahh, excuse me, Kirishma."
The red haired boy looked down, noticing he had unwittingly blocked Izuku from his desk chair. "Good morning, Midoriya! Sorry about that, man." He scooted around the side of Kacchan’s desk, turning his attention back to the blonde. "Anyway, Bakugou, you should definitely think about it. We'd work great together!"
Izuku's eyes locked in on the back of the blonde's head, a painful twinge in his heart. They had to be talking about agencies. It's all anyone did these days. Had Kacchan chosen one already?
"Shitty Hair, I'm not picking an agency just because you're there. I'm gonna work at the one that's getting me to the top, the quickest. So if you wanna work with me, you better earn your way there." Kacchan answered curtly, almost bored. It seemed as if they'd circled around this topic before.
"Yeah, I know! But you gotta tell me which one you're thinking about so I can see if they'd offer it to me too!" Kirishima blew past the blonde's sharp words, determination evident in his tone.
"Kirishima," Izuku broke in without thinking, curiosity getting the better of him. "You're not thinking about working with Fat Gum?"
The red-haired teen whipped his head towards Izuku. "Huh? Oh yeah, I mean that would be awesome." Kirishima grinned. "But, Bakugou and I make a great team. Gotta try to turn this friendship into a partnership! Don't you think?"
Kacchan's turned around in his seat suddenly, his red eyes chipping into Izuku. His body went rigid under the blonde's piercing gaze. "Why does it matter to you, Deku?" He sneered.
"U-uh.." Izuku licked his lips, mouth instantly dry. Gone was the Kacchan from this morning, the one who tolerated him with only mild annoyance. The one who glared at him now looked about ready to attack. Why couldn't Kacchan ever treat him nicely? Izuku's eyebrows drew together as irritation flushed through him. "Geez, Kacchan. Just asking a question. I think you'd two would make a great team." He finished lamely.
"See?" Kirishima continued to try to explain, and the blonde's attention switched back to him. Once his eyes drifted away from Izuku's, his breath returned back to his lungs. The green-eyed boy sank into his chair, irritation still prickling at him. The rest of Kirishma's words were a cascade of a distant waterfall, a meaningless wash of words as he tried to pry information out of their classmate.
Why did Izuku's heart squeeze when he heard Kirishima mention partnernship? Had Izuku secretly hoped that Kacchan would want to partner with him? They did mesh well together in hero training... well, when they weren't snapping at each other.
Of course, Kacchan would partner with someone like Kirishima over himself. Despite the nickname and the occasional gruffness, the two were clearly best friends. Out of Kacchan's small, tight-knit group of friends that flitted around him, the red-head was the one he tolerated the most. They hung out during free time, trained in the gym, and studied together. Izuku even saw Kirishima tease out a genuine laugh from the blonde from time to time.
Those hurt the worse. When the aggressive lines on Kacchan's face smoothed out, faded away to allow an actual, joyous smile to take over, the blonde transformed into an otherworldly beauty. It was like a punch to the face, he was so stunning, quickly followed by a jab to the gut because it always made Izuku so sick with jealousy. He could barely remember a time when he had been able to make Kacchan laugh like that.
Yeah. When we were four. He thought sadly, clamping down on the dark emotions fluttering in his chest. It wasn't Kirishima's fault. It just the ways things were.
Izuku had eaves dropped on whatever snatches of conversation he could for the past month, hoping he could figure out which agency Kacchan planned on applying to. But, if he had made a decision, he guarded the secret like a dragon with his treasure.
Of course, Izuku had pictured himself as Kacchan's partner. He had imagined it ever since he picked up a crayon as a preschooler and drew himself and Kacchan as heroes. But, with everything that had happened between them since that moment, he very much doubted that the blonde had the same dream in mind. He would probably kill him if useless Izuku ended up together with him again.
Maybe the explosive hero wouldn't mind if they were located in the same city, though.
The sound of the door clicking shut as Aizawa's slinking frame paced across the front of the room broke Izuku from his train of thought. He sighed, pulling out his notebook as the other students all filed into their seats.
"Alright, settle down everyone." Aizawa sighed, looking at his class with weary, bloodshot eyes. As usual, his tone held a barely repressed desire to be anywhere else. The buzz of the class faded quickly as they waited for his usual announcements before the start of the morning lectures. He worked his way through the class roster, twenty names rolling off his tongue with either a "here" or a chippy "present" called back to him.
"Today's hero training will be outside--" The class collectively groaned. "--at Ground Beta, starting at 7 pm. Yes, it'll be cold and dark." His eyes roved over his students. "Are you telling me you only plan on working during the work day, in the middle of summer?"
"No, sensei." They responded, without enthusiasm.
"Good. No afternoon training, so use the time to catch up on homework. Midoriya." The sudden focus on Izuku as the attention of the class zeroed in on him was momentarily stifling. "Meet me outside for a moment. The rest of you get out your English homework or books or whatever."
He swept out of the room, Izuku half-stumbling out of his desk to trail after him. What had he forgotten to do now? He'd turned in all his homework these past few days. He hadn't bombed any tests that he was aware of. Izuku's hands twitched by his side. Maybe Aizawa wanted to talk about their combat training yesterday? Ojiro had landed a pretty good kick before Izuku was able to block and maybe there were some pointers he forgot-
"Relax, problem child, you're not in trouble." Aizawa cut him off as Izuku opened his mouth as soon as they stepped outside the classroom. The teacher's voice had lowered to a slight grumble, quiet enough that Izuku had to lean in slightly to hear him. He bent forward slightly looking past Izuku to glare into the classroom, probably to make sure no one was trying to listen.
"What is it, sensei?"
"Principal Nezu wants to see you in his office--"
"I thought you said I wasn't in trouble!" Izuku squeaked.
Aizawa rolled his eyes. "--if you'd let me finish. Principal Nezu wants to see you in his office this afternoon during your free period. Now--" he held up a finger to silence Izuku before he started to speak. "--don't ask me why, I have no earthly idea. One thirty, right after lunch, got it?"
Izuku nodded, biting down the questions threatening to spill out of his mouth as Aizawa shot him a warning look.
"Don't worry, kid, I think it'll be a good opportunity for you." He patted Izuku dismissively on the shoulder as he turned to walk towards the teachers lounge, passing Present Mic in the hallway.
"Hey, wait, didn't you say you didn't know what this is about?" Izuku's question chased after his teachers retreating back. Aizawa stuffed his hands in his pocket and shrugged.
----
Despite his best efforts, Izuku only managed to keep his focus during class half the time. His notes were the usual scribbled mess, but dotted with more question marks and trailing sentences than normal. He sighed as the last class came to a close, jotting in the margin "ask Iida or Todo for notes", then tucked the notebook in his backpack. Before he had a chance to do anything else, Ochako skidded to a stop next to his desk.
"I don't know about you, Deku, but that History lesson has my head spinning. So many dates..." she rubbed her temples, button nose scrunching up.
He grinned as he finished packing and fell in step next to her, leaving the classroom behind. A few others from Class 3-A filed out with them, familiar voices buzzling with conversation. "I'm not very good with those either. Now if you want to talk about the history of heroes, I can do that all day."
She laughed, nudging his shoulder with her own. "Yeah, we've noticed, Deku." He liked how sweet she said his nickname. If felt like she erased a bad memory from middle school whenever she did. Like he was a decent human being after all. "So, do you want to try to study a bit after lunch? They say it helps lock it in if you work on memorizing right away. Probably won't help. Maybe we can get Iida and Todoroki to join us?"
Izuku watched as her eyes glassed over with a dreamy expression when she mentioned Iida. Blushing whenever they spoke, trying to squeeze in extra time with him when she could-- his best friend had it bad for the class rep. "I wish I could, but I'm supposed to meet with Principal Nezu after lunch. Maybe later though?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot about you and sensei's chat!" Her auburn eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're not in trouble are you? Been fighting with Bakugou after curfew?"
"That was one time!" He yelped. "Two years ago!"
"Yeah, but you know you want to do it again." She waggled her eyebrows at him as they passed through the doors to the cafeteria. "Except maybe less hitting and more kissing. Unless that's what you're into."
"OCHAKO!" He shouted, slapping a hand over his mouth after the eyes of the students nearby swooped towards them. "Sorry."
She poked his cheek, experimentally, leaning in with a smile that bordered on evil. "You're as red as a tomato!"
He knocked her hand aside, huffing. "You better be careful. Your boyfriend is watching, and he doesn't look too happy."
Well, Iida was watching them from their usual table, but that last part certainly wasn't true. In fact, as soon as his eyes lit on Ochako, he beamed and waved at them. Izuku's words had their desired effect on his friend, however, as her face quickly lit up and she scurried to her seat, dropping her bag next to Iida.
"Hi, wow the fish looks good today, okay, Deku and I are just going to get our food now, okay, bye!" She rushed out, her eyes refusing to meet Iida's as she shuffled off, pulling Izuku with her. He shrugged as Iida looked at him, questioning.
"Man, you have got to work on your flirting." He ribbed her gently as they queued up in line for food. "I thought I was terrible."
Ochako glared at him, though a determine smile quickly bloomed on her face. She tapped her fist animatedly into her palm. "Ha! I've got a plan Deku. By the end of this year, I'll tell him how I feel. I just hope it goes well." The smile faded a touch.
He bent close to her ear so that no one else could hear him. "Even if he does reject you, which he'd have to be crazy to do, you know he'll still be your friend. I'll still punch him though. If you want."
"You don't have to do that," she giggled, grabbing her tray of food. "Your punches are a little much sometimes."
Izuku eyed their table, noting that Iida gaze was on them, yet again. "I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry."
She looked at him, an expression of worry, or maybe embarrassment, flitting across her features. She patted his arm once before they turned back towards the table, "Thanks though."
By the time they settled in, Todoroki made his usual appearance, sliding silently into the chair next to Izuku. The green-haired boy smiled at his friend, who nodded neutrally back. As usual, his face was a blank slate, betraying none of his inner thoughts. Happy today? Gloomy? Father involved in a tragic, deforming accident? You could almost never tell.
Before he could ask either him or Iida about the mornings notes, Todoroki spoke. "Are you and Bakugou fighting again?"
"Ex-excuse me?" Izuku's chopsticks fell from his fingers, clattering on his tray.
"It's why Aizawa pulled you aside." He stated, a fact, not a question.
"It is not!" Izuku collected the chopsticks, before adding, "Actually, I don't know why I'm meeting with the principal."
"The principal?" Todoroki asked. At the same time, Iida gasped, scandalized.
Dang. Forgot they didn't know. Izuku slowly took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. Maybe if he didn't say anything, they would magically drop the topic.
"So you have been fighting. Not very smart, Midoriya." Todoroki concluded, though Izuku sensed an underlying teasing tone.
"We haven't fought since first year," Izuku stated, willing the subject finished, dead, and buried.
Iida pounded his fist on the table. Great. "I, for one, believe you, Midoriya! Though you should still remember that fighting, especially after curfew and without adult supervision, is strictly off limits."
"Iida. Todoroki. Please." Izuku groaned, glaring at the noodles he was stirring rapidly in his bowl. "Listen, I don't know what this is about. I haven't missed any assignments or bombed any tests. Not totally bombed, anyway. I'm doing well in hero training..." he trailed off, shrugging.
"Interesting." Todoroki stared at him. Izuku resisted the urge to shrink under his analyzing gaze.
"Well, in that case, maybe Principal Nezu wants to tell you what a good job you've been doing." Iida supplied.
"Can't be that." Todoroki drawled. Why did his verbal burns hurt the most? Maybe it had something to do with the fire half of his quirk.
"Well whatever it is, I'm sure Deku will let us know. Now, who wants to study History after lunch? I can make popcorn," Ochako expertly steered the attention away from her friend, giving him a much needed breather.
Izuku gratefully chimed in as the conversation drifted away from focusing on him. He tried to ignore the niggling in his brain and the urge to glance at the clock as the upcoming meeting weighed on his mind.
Izuku knocked tentatively on the principal's door, heart hammering in his chest. He brought his hands back to his sides, wiping his sweaty palms on his uniform pants. Now that he was by himself, without a class lecture or friends to distract him, the nerves had settled in, making a home in his gut.
A call to the Principal's Office wasn't good at a regular school, and only spelled out the worst at UA. Despite all that had happened: the attack at USJ, Kacchan's kidnapping and rescue, their subsequent fight at Ground Beta, and all the other drama that had followed, Izuku had never actually been called into the small mammal's office before. Met up outside during training? Sure. Summoned for a private meeting? Never. A sense of doom clouded his mind.
"Come on in, Midoriya," the principal's gentle voice called out to him. Izuku gulped and turned the door knob.
The office was plain enough, no guillotines set up or swinging axes he had to duck to avoid. In fact, it looked about as ordinary as you could expect: somewhat spacious with a large bookcase set up against a wall. There was a window to look out of and even a large potted plant. It almost calmed Izuku's nerves until he saw who was sitting on the sofa.
All Might smiled softly as Izuku blinked at him, waving one skeletal arm. Maybe this was some kind of ambush after all. He hoped his mentor would have warned him, at least. "My boy, it's good to see you."
"H-hi All Might," his greeting lacked enthusiasm, anxiety creeping in its place.
"Please, take a seat." Principal Nezu waved towards the open space next to All Might. Izuku's body automatically sank into the seat, though he sat ramrod straight, fingers gripping the knees of his pants firmly. "Would you like something to drink?"
Izuku's eyes traveled past the principal's small form, locking onto the person standing behind him. She was a tall woman, serious looking with her hair tied back in a bun. Loose brown tendrils framed a mouth that had many frown lines etched around it. He saw a police badge dangling from a metal necklace around her neck.
A detective?
"That's right," she supplied, gray eyes watching him with interest.
"Oh no, I said that out loud." He flushed.
She laughed, a sharp sound that startled him. "Detective Tanaka Hina, at your service. Principal Nezu has been very gracious, allowing me to speak with you today." She leaned forward slightly, eyes running over Izuku, analyzing. His skin crawled.
Izuku had only interacted with the principal a few times, but he got the impression that the mammal was annoyed with her, shooting her a cool look as he spoke. "Detective Tanaka has come all the way from Tokyo to speak with a few of our students today. Though she won't give us too many details."
"Sorry about that." She looked about as apologetic as a serial killer.
Principal Nezu nodded, continuing diplomatically, "As I'm sure you're aware of by now, Midoriya, UA is very protective of its students. Granted, you'll only be here for a few more months, but still, it is our responsibility to look out for you. We have allowed Detective Tanaka to come here today, but whatever she says to you, she must say in front of us." He finished what sounded like a prepared speech, sitting back in his chair and taking a deep breath. "Detective Tanaka, you may begin."
Izuku's eye flicked momentarily towards All Might, trying to get a bead on his thoughts. But, his face was schooled into a neutral expression, focus solely on the detective. His presence signaled something-- maybe it was just as Izuku's mentor. Maybe it was something more.
"Right." She rocked back on her heels slightly, her hands slipping into the pockets of her crisp gray pants suit. "Again, I'd like to thank you, Principal Nezu, All Might, for giving me access to your student today. Hopefully he'll be the only one I have to bother." Her eyes turned to land on Izuku. "It's nice to meet one of the Top Three UA students."
The blush that settled on to Izuku's cheeks as unbidden. Whenever anyone mentioned this fact, the first wave of emotion was always embarrassment, although pride quickly rose up as well. Frankly, he believed many of his classmates were on par with Todoroki, Kacchan, and himself. They all worked hard. "Thank you," he muttered weakly as All Might squeezed his shoulder fondly.
The detective barreled onwards. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time, and unfortunately there isn't much that I can reveal to you until after you graduate. Which hero agency do you plan on working for?"
The sudden question took Izuku off guard. "Uhh.. I'm not sure yet. I have a few offers already but I'm waiting..." It sounded so simple, summed up like that. Not as if he had spent hours in his room, agonizing over the decision.
"Well I'm here today to extend to you another offer. I'd like to know if you'd be opposed to working for the Tokyo Police Department."
Izuku stared at her dumbly. Had he heard her correctly? Pro Heroes worked with the police all the time, but not for them. With all the strict regulations that heroes had to adhere to, it was impossible for them to do anything without the training, guidance and legal protections that an agency could provide. "Is that legal?"
"For you it will be," she supplied. "Alright, so... guess I'll just dive in. The Tokyo Police Department is currently running a classified investigation on a group of criminals. Who they are and what they are doing, I can't divulge yet, but what I can say is that we needed to lock them away, years ago. Unfortunately, we're short of evidence even though we have a few inside sources. We've been trying for over six months to get an undercover agent inside the organization with no luck. So now, we're turning to you.
"What I'm going to ask of you won't be easy, Izuku Midoriya. There is no glory or fame attached to this. And it will be a hinderance in your early career, holding you back from progressing like your peers. It's potentially a long assignment, too. But I wouldn't ask if we weren't desperate. And of course, if your teachers hadn't recommended you to us, we wouldn't even be talking right now."
Izuku's mind raced as she paused, trying to piece everything together. What kind of criminals were they dealing with? How would it hold back his career? Why do they want him, Izuku, and not a more experienced pro? What did she expect him to do?
As if she could read his thoughts, she leaned towards him, sharp gray eyes locking into mossy green. "We need you to go undercover for us, Midoriya."
He floundered in his mind, scrambling to find the most pressing question he needed to ask. Finally he chose one. "Why me? Why not a police officer?"
She sighed, pacing towards the wall and back towards Principal Nezu's desk. "We've tried. We've got young guys, old guys, experienced UCs but they've always been able to sniff us out immediately, slipping through our fingers before we've really got a handle on anything. We need someone new: a fresh, young face, with no police experience to pull this off. You might know about hero work, but you haven't been tainted by bad habits yet that would give you away."
"Oh." He guessed that made sense.
She held out her hand, ticking off one finger as she spoke. Looked as though she'd practiced this speech before. "Honestly, we need someone with the right kind of quirk to pull this off. No offense to your classmates, but some of their abilities are recognizable from miles away." She ticked off another finger. "My understanding is that your quirk has evolved a bit since the sports festival two years ago?"
After Kacchan's kidnapping and the rising influence of the League of Villains, UA had canceled the sports festival, much to the chagrin of almost the entire nation as a whole. The students had been devastated but the school had emphasized their safety, and they hadn't been seen on television, except only by chance, since. If anyone still remembered the young green-haired student, it was as the boy who broke his own body with his incredible power. They didn't know about Full Cowling or the rest. Izuku nodded at the detective's statement.
"Good," she continued, almost as if she was talking to herself. "With a few changes to your appearance, they would hardly recognize you. It's one of the reasons we can't ask a more experienced pro: recognizability. Especially since you finished eighth and not at the very top. If I recall, the final battle was between Endeavor's kid and that shouting, blasty gremlin. I barely remember you!" She gushed, as if it was a compliment.
I was supposed to be debuting as the Symbol of Peace. He mentally grumbled.
"Ahh, sorry," she seemed to read his expression. "It was two years ago, and I remember you damaged yourself quite a bit. You did well. It's just good news that you have modified your Quirk since then. All Might says you don't even hurt yourself anymore."
Izuku turned to look at his mentor who beamed proudly at him. "You've made lots of progress since then Young Midoriya. You've truly earned your place in the Top Three."
"Thanks," Izuku smiled somewhat shakily before turning back to the detective. He'd take what she said as a compliment, even if it didn't sound like it.
"As far as diguising your quirk goes, you won't have to. And having a strong one to defend yourself is a must in this situation." She moved onto her next point, ticking another finger. "Through what your teachers have told me, you have a smart, level head on your shoulders. An undercover officer, well agent, in your case, needs a certain type of personality for this. You need to be cautious, aware, and most of all, cool under pressure to deal with what you'll be up against. These are all traits your teachers say you have in spades."
"Oh." Pride washed over him. His teachers thought of him like that? All Might? Aizawa?
She wasn't looking at him anymore, her pacing back and forth picking up speed. Izuku wondered if she could wear a hole in the carpet. She stopped suddenly, arms crossing in front of her as she turned to face Izuku once more. "Finally, I have it on good authority that you've worked with police before. In a real situation, with real consequences. I understand that you did excellently, even though you were only a first year at the time."
The Shie Hassaikai. That mission still haunted his dreams some nights, the image of Chisaki fused with his subordinate, a hulking monster reaching for him, taking Eri, killing Nighteye. He repressed a shiver. "I was lucky."
"Sometimes, that's what's needed more than anything." Her expression twisted into something gravely serious, the lines around her mouth deepening. "Listen, I know this isn't something you ever dreamt about or planned. And I'm not asking you to answer today... unless you're sure you won't want to do it. And kid, I don't want you to feel guilty for saying 'no' either. It's a big ask."
The couch shifted slightly under Izuku as All Might leaned forward. When his mentor spoke, his tone was reassuring. "Principal Nezu and I have a few of your classmates in mind who the good detective could ask."
Izuku cleared his throat, wetting dry lips. "How many have you talked to so far?"
"You're the first Detective Hanaka has spoken to," Principal Nezu replied. The sentence fell like a weight on Izuku's shoulders. He was the first one they recommended, the top of the list. They expected him to handle it the best....probably.
His head spun for a few moments as the detective's words rattled around inside. He had so many questions, but they all seemed to run together, keeping his mouth pinned shut. After a minute of heavy silence, the detective finally spoke.
Her voice was suprisingly tender. "Please, just think about it for now. I'm in town for the next week or so while we try to sort this thing out. Do you think you could get an answer back to me in two days? It'd give me some more time to line up another candidate if you say no." She didn't sound very hopeful.
Two days? He didn't even know if he'd have answer if she gave him two weeks. Izuku nodded mutely.
Detective Tanaka crossed from behind the desk, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a business card. His fingers brushed over the shiny golden star embossed on the card as he took it. As his eyes traced over her name, his thoughts raced.
"My cell phone is there if you have any questions. I won't be able to say much more than I already have, though." She explained. "Let me assure you that you would have the full support of my department if you choose to accept. We would keep you as safe as humanly possible."
Principal Nezu politely chimed in, "Thank you for your time, Detective, but we're going to have to ask Mr. Midoriya to communicate through us first. He's still our charge."
"Of course. Well then, I hope to hear from you soon, Principal Nezu." She did not reach for the card in Izuku's hand. Instead, she bowed to the principal and then Izuku's mentor. "It's been a delight to meet you, All Might. Maybe next time, I can get an autograph."
All Might chuckled next to him. "Thank you for taking your time to visit with us today. And also thank you for everything you do to keep the community safe."
As her hand turned on the door knob, an image of Eri running out an alleyway, bumping into him with terror etched on his face popped up in his mind. He jumped to his feet, shaking off his haze for a moment. "Wait! I have a question!"
She turned, eyebrow quirked upwards as she waited for him to speak.
"Is this a drug thing? Like with the Hassaikai?" Eri, alone and helpless. He had to know. "Are there innocent people in trouble?"
She looked down at him, eyes saddening. "I can't say much about your first question, kid. But yeah, people are getting hurt."
----
The subsequent meeting with All Might and the principal after that had passed with a blur. They had relayed to Izuku that they only knew as much as he did. They had also advised Izuku to keep the information about the detective's request to himself. He had figured as much.
"Young Midoriya, if your friends ask, what are you going to tell them this meeting was about?" All Might had asked.
Pressed at the time, Izuku hadn't been able to come up with any answer. Probably not a great sign that he would be successful in an undercover mission if he couldn't come up with a simple, believable lie on the spot.
"Don't worry about it." All Might had cheered him up by ruffling his hair affectionately after Izuku told him as much. "My head is spinning right now too."
"Mr. Midoriya, if I may." Principal Nezu had broken in, paws steepled together. "If any of your fellow students inquire, why not just tell them an opportunity to work abroad, in the United States, has come up?"
"Hey, that's not a bad idea." All Might agreed. "You could say that my old agency reached out to you. Would make sense why you would be called in here, to meet with us, and discuss your future career."
Now, looking back on what they had advised, Izuku thought it was easier to imagine than actually pulling it off. He had never been the best liar, and isn't that what he'd be doing to his friends? Lying?
Izuku had serious doubts that the detective had picked the right student to ask. And why his teachers had such glowing recommendations, he couldn't begin to understand.
Shit. He swore mentally again. He was back in his dorm, laying in bed, staring at the ceiling as he had been for the past two hours, trying to will himself to sleep. The afternoon had flown by after his meeting and before knew it, he was stumbling through his worst performance at hero training of the entire year. He had fumbled, made easy mental errors, misjudged his aim on a few of his Air Force Smashes, and even gotten a hostage "killed". His partners had sent more than a few questioning looks during. Aizawa had given him a dressing down in their reviews, and Kacchan had yelled at him afterwards, even though they hadn't been on the same team.
"What in the ever-loving fuck is up with you, Deku?" He asked as he smacked Izuku in the back of the head.
Izuku groaned, reaching under his head, hand covering the phantom touch that Kacchan had left there. He wished he could tell someone. Any of his friends, really, but especially Kacchan. A good yelling match with him always shook Izuku's thoughts into order.
Silently, Izuku thanked the gods that no one had actually asked him about the meeting yet. They had been too busy studying to notice his quiet return during free time, and then too swept up in training. Based off the looks they had shot him before he had limped off to bed early, he wouldn't be so lucky tomorrow.
Izuku tossed in his bed, eyes flicking over to the digital clock on his night stand. The green numbers glowed mockingly in the darkness. 1:33 A.M. Great, he'd have to be up to meet Kacchan for their workout in less than four hours.
All that time in bed and he felt no closer to making a decision than he had when he had first walked out of the principal's office. For some reason, in his mind, he could only picture Chisaki's bird-like mask and the haunted look on Eri's face. Maybe it was because the Yakuza had been the only "gang" he had dealt with.
Uh, what about the League of Villains? He questioned himself. They doggedly attacked his class, trying to get at All Might over and over again. Their absence in his thoughts now was curious, since the damage they caused continued to effect him today, even though they no longer existed. The League was different though. They hurt people, sure, just as all villains did. But they targeted heroes mostly, either to kill them or embarrass them. When he thought about involving innocent people in nefarious plans, the Yakuza rung more true in his mind.
Eri.
She was older now; genuine smiles came more frequently. But every once in a while, he could see the shadows of her past, in the way she jumped when someone touched her or the way she frowned when no one was watching. But what if they'd never found her? What if Izuku and the others hadn't been there to save her? Would she still be alive or still trapped in that hellish nightmare?
Some other hero would have saved her. But Izuku wasn't so sure about that. Even LeMillion had lost in the end.
Memories and concerns continued to swirl in Izuku's mind until his alarm blared in his ear. At some point, his brain must have slipped into an exhausted sleep because he woke up with a start, wiping away a trail of drool from his cheek as he looked blearily around in confusion.
"Wha? Uh... the time. Uh..." It took a minute for his mind to remember where he was, what he was supposed to be doing. Early morning training. Every day. "Kacchan ."
Barely opening his eyes, he toed on his shoes and threw on a clean shirt. He almost forgot the key to his room, but caught his foot in the door at the last second. His trip to the bathroom was short and sweet as well, only just brushing his teeth until his breath didn't smell like death. Same routine as the day before but gods did he feel a thousand times worse today.
He even managed to beat Kacchan to the door, but only by just a few seconds. Before he even had time to turn around, he heard the other's footsteps behind him.
"About time you showed up when you are supposed to-- whoa," the blonde cut himself, getting an eyeful of Izuku's face. His nose wrinkled. "You look like shit."
"Ah," Izuku responded intelligently. He scratched his cheek absently. Guess the lack of sleep showed.
Kacchan's red eyes flicked over his face, his mouth twisting into a frown. "What, did you stay up late reading some shitty hero magazine? Or did Midnight's quiz give you a hard time? It was open book, damn."
"Uhh..."
Kacchan rolled his eyes, huffing in obvious annoyance. "Whatever. It's raining outside this morning so we're going to the gym." He brushed past Izuku, nearly shoulder checking him as he left the building.
Izuku watched him go for a moment before his body switched back on and he started to follow. The ice cold rain dripping down his face, neck and back helped slap him into wakefulness. Still, his brain felt like it was merely fizzling as they jogged to the nearby gym.
It was a small, basic one that had all the standard weights needed for non-quirk training. The one most people used was further away and had state-of-the art equipment that could handle most quirks. The upside to the small one that they were heading to was that it was open 24 hours to anyone who wanted to use it. Not many people did, especially this early in the morning. Izuku was surprised to see three other faces when they walked in. He recognized them as first year students and his brain supplied a half-fried memory of him, Todoroki and Kacchan speaking with the class during the first semester.
They seemed to recognize them too, a hushed, reverent whisper of "Midoriya and Bakugou" filling the silence of the gym momentarily.
"Yeah, yeah. Get back to work you lazy shits." Kacchan barked at them, and put on his 'stay the fuck away from me' scowl. Izuku knew that look well, having been on the receiving end of it many times.
"How lazy can they be? They're here training at ass o'clock," Izuku muttered, earning a strange, bemused look from Kacchan.
Despite the lack of blood flow in his head, Izuku did a decent enough job of following Kacchan's instructions. Well, that's what he thought anyway. But, he could tell the blonde was frustrated with him, his tone clipped and angry as he growled out corrections. 'Higher, fuck face', 'Why are you using your back? It's supposed to be your biceps, dipshit,' and 'Fucking what is that form supposed to be?' were a few things he hurled in Izuku's direction. Fortunately, Izuku's low functioning brain meant he could barely feel the sting of Kacchan's insults, which made the blonde even more agitated. At some point, he became so incensed that the first years quickly ducked out of the room before he started throwing things.
"Deku. I swear-" Kacchan's face was red as he leaned down into Izuku's after one particularly bad set of squats. "-if you don't fucking pay attention to what you are doing, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that your nose will start bleeding."
Izuku couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of his mouth, knowing it was the wrong answer and half expecting Kacchan to start throttling him. He winced as Kaachan's eyes narrowed dangerously, his mouth opening to shout at him, but then all the tension fell away and the blonde simply stepped back.
"S-sorry Kacchan," Izuku muttered as he watched the other warily. "I'll do better during the bench press."
"Like hell we're doing bench. You think I'd let you spot me when you're...?" He gestured to all of Izuku who blinked back in confusion.
"So we're done already? We've only been here for an hour." Izuku frowned.
"Shitty Hair and I can knock it out later. Besides, he can spot more anyway." Kacchan sat down, slow easing into a groin stretch, both legs going wide. The gym shorts he had on rode up a few inches, hugging around his sculpted inner thighs.
Izuku averted his eyes, trying to hide the embarrassed flush in his face by flopping to the ground and immediately diving forward into a calf stretch. A minute passed before Kacchan broke the silence.
"So what, exactly, is your deal? Started last night with that fuckery at training and now with this joke of a gym session. What the fuck." He added, in case Izuku didn't understand.
Izuku briefly glanced over at him, eyes momentarily grazing along his exposed calf muscle before meeting his crimson eyes. The layer of sweat that the blondehad worked up made him glisten. Izuku eyed a bead that rolled down the side of his neck and dipped into his clavicle. It wasn't fair how good Kacchan looked while working out: like a model posing in a magazine.
Meanwhile, based off of experience, Izuku knew that he looked like a piece of broccoli that had been left out in the sun too long. If broccoli turned red and splotchy in the sun that is. He mopped up the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve and sucked on his bottom lip as he thought about what to say. "Uh.. well I had a meeting yesterday that kinda... threw me off."
He hated this. He didn't want to lie to anyone, but most importantly, he didn't want to lie to Kacchan. Part of him wasn't even sure he could. Even when All Might himself had told him to keep One For All's secret, he couldn't help but blurt it out to his blonde childhood friend.
"Oh yeah? What about?"
Kacchan was interested? Izuku's head snapped up, looking at the other in disbelief. The other skillfully avoided his gaze, twisting to stretch his back.
"Well." Dammit, I don't want to do this. Forgive me, Kacchan. "I got an offer. From an agency in America. All Might and the principal wanted to talk with me about it, that's all."
Kacchan snorted. "Seriously? That's what got you looking like something I stepped in?"
Izuku grimaced, glancing over at himself in one of the full floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Now that he was focused on his face, and not just his form, or lack thereof, he could see the dark circles sunken beneath his lashes. His skin was pale and sickly and his hair knotted up like a wild bush on top of his head. He patted it gently, attempting to detangle it with his fingers.
"I do look a little tired." Izuku's fingers found a knot and tugged at it. He grimaced as pain pricked at his scalp. "Ouch."
"You look like you haven't slept in a hundred years." Kacchan stated plainly, smirking as Izuku pouted at him.
"Yeah, well... I'm just not sure I want to do it or not. I was thinking about it for a bit last night." More like all of last night.
Kacchan frowned, pushing himself to his feet and starting to stretch out his triceps. Izuku tried not to stare, instead focusing on the stubborn knot in his hair that refused to unfurl. "So what's to think about? Don't do it and stay here, bitching and moaning like we all know you'll do. Or go there and try not to fuck up so badly that you get banned for life."
Izuku made a face, then brushed aside Kacchan's comments without rising to the bait. "I'm not sure how long it'll be. Maybe a month or two. Could be longer. No idea."
"So it's, what, a conditional offer?"
Izuku scrunched his nose, climbing to his own feet to finish up his stretches as well. He gave up on his hair entirely, which was now very round and fuzzy. He grimaced and flattened it a few times so he didn't look like an ugly, fluffy puppy. "Yeah, something like that. I don't know if I want to be away from everyone.. from Japan for a long time."
Kacchan's smirk grew wider as he studied Izuku's hair situation. His eyes practically danced with unspoken glee at the embarrassing state Izuku was in. "So what if you're gone. Ever heard of a telephone? Email? Hell, I, for one, won't contact you but you know those dipshits in our class will be all over you."
Izuku nodded, eyes turning back to Kacchan's fiery ones. "Could be dangerous out there by myself. You know me, not the best when it comes to not pushing myself too far. Who's gonna tell me to slow down?"
Kacchan's grin disappeared in an instant, his face drawn and serious. "You're gonna tell yourself. Or you aren't gonna go. Remember, you have a responsibility with One For All. You can't just die on the battlefield like an idiot until you pass that shit on, got it?"
For a moment there, Izuku's heart had fluttered at the idea that Kacchan was worried about him. As soon as he said One For All, the truth clicked in place. Of course, he was concerned about One For All and All Might's legacy. Makes sense, his brain whispered darkly as Izuku sagged slightly.
"I know Kacchan," he replied dutifully, trying to keep the dejection out of his tone. He wasn't sure how successfully he hid it, based off the quick, analyzing glance Kacchan shot him. "I won't. I'll be careful."
"Whatever," the blonde bit out. They slumped into silence for a moment, both taking sips from their water bottles. Izuku wanted to say so many things to him, but the words jumbled in his mouth. After a pregnant pause, Kacchan spoke again. "Listen, even if you're gone for a year or two that ain't gonna stop shit. You're still gonna come back and bust your ass until you're the number two hero."
Izuku was floored.
"Quit looking at me like that, nerd." He growled at Izuku. Kacchan's ears went red as the green-eyed boy stared at him.
Cute. Was all his brain could think while it furiously worked to memorize the other's face. The blonde was scowling, eyebrows drawn and angry. But the faint flush of his cheeks made him look... soft almost. Izuku wanted to kiss the anger right out of those full lips.
"Thanks, Kacchan." Izuku rallied himself, speaking after a moment. "I'm glad you have faith in me."
"Whatever, fuck! Don't take it like that. I just don't wanna waste all this time kicking your ass into gear if you don't come out as one of the best heroes." Kacchan pointed his finger at Izuku. "So go, don't go, whatever. Just don't fuck it up!"
"Okay, Kacchan."
----
Izuku debated about the issue for the rest of the day, although he felt much more settled after his morning workout. The lies flowed easier with his other friends, which made him feel worse, especially since they seemed genuinely excited for him.
"It'll be a great opportunity to learn about heroes from other countries! Think about how you can further international relations!" Leave it to Iida to turn this into some diplomatic mission.
"Wow! It'll be like a vacation! Well, I mean, you've got to do hero work of course, but that doesn't mean you can't take in the sights on your days off." Frankly, Izuku would have said the same thing to Ochako had their positions been reversed.
"Fine either the way." Todoroki, as always, was of little help.
Secretly, Izuku had winced at their responses, silently apologizing for the deception. The detective and his two adult mentors/heroes had sworn him to secrecy. He could only look forward to the day that he could reveal the truth. Then maybe he could explain the real reason he dragged his feet and agonized over the decision. He wasn't worried about himself or his career. He worried that he would mess this mission up. That he wouldn't be able to help. That he would put people in danger.
And ultimately, it was the people in danger part that his mind kept rounding back on. Before he had even been old enough to manifest a quirk, or in his case not manifest one, he had wanted to be the type of hero to save people. He wanted to show up when the world was at its worst, its darkest, and spark hope in people's hearts with his smile. Knowing that there were people in Tokyo, right at this very second, who suffered when Izuku could help them made his stomach knot up. How could he tell these people "no, I'm too scared to try"?
Which is why, right before dinner time, Izuku marched over to the principal's office and told him he would do it.