Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe neither of you thought to inform us,” Kageyama Hiroto, the director of the press-relations department, fumed; his fingers tapped across his tablet at a speed Midoriya couldn’t hope to follow. “Of all the training—ugh, I want to bludgeon you both. To death.”

A nervous laugh bubbled out of Midoriya’s throat. “Th-That’s a little extreme, isn’t it, K-Kageyama-san?”

Kageyama’s fingers paused before he pointed to the TV, almost constantly locked on the news channel. For the past two hours, the only thing the news anchors—even, at one point, the weatherwoman—discussed was Pro Heroes Deku and Siren’s Engagement.

“To.” Kageyama then pointed his tablet at Midoriya, who tried to look like he wasn’t cowering. “Death.”

Beside Midoriya sat Shinsou, the other half of the current problem. He looked wholly bored and unimpressed at the entire scene. Although they were somewhat secluded in a meeting room, the glass-paneled walls did nothing to hide the way the rest of the department scrambled about in an attempt to soften the rising media storm.

Picking at a half-eaten bagel, Shinsou said, “Are you done badgering us or are you going to finally explain our next steps?”

Kageyama rolled his eyes, though his newest assistant looked particularly scandalized by Shinsou’s brisk speech. “Yes, yes, you’re both so busy.” Kageyama took a steadying breath. “You’ll need to make a statement—both verbal and written—about your relationship,”—Kageyama looked back down at his tablet, therefore missing Shinsou’s darkening expression and Midoriya’s nervous, guilt-tinged smile— “and engagement. I’ll set up a press conference in the following week, so be on the lookout for that information.”

“Okay.” Midoriya had no choice to agree. What else could he do in this situation? “Um. Should we – I – put out a statement on my twitter?”

“Send me a few drafts and we’ll go from there,” Kageyama instructed. His assistant scribbled a note in her notepad. “Siren-san, you don’t have to worry about written statements as you don’t have social media.”

Shinsou tilted his head. “Fortunately.”

Kageyama snorted. “There’s nothing fortunate about this entire mess.”

Midoriya shrunk in his seat and spared a glance at Shinsou, who remained utterly unimpressed at Kageyama’s attempt at intimidation and guilt.

“This entire situation was out of our control,” Shinsou reminded Kageyama, voice even and soft. Midoriya swallowed. “Someone recorded a private conversation between us while . . . Izuku was in the hospital.”

And took a mile with it, Midoriya thought to himself, somehow breathing as his first name slipped out of Shinsou’s mouth. “Have we . . . heard back from the hospital?” He managed to ask. “About the, um, security breach?”

“We have not, as far as I’m aware,” Kageyama said and scowled after a pause. “That’s a question for our lawyers, who are currently writing up a lawsuit as we speak.”

Midoriya picked at a loose thread on his hoodie. Technically, neither he or Shinsou were supposed to be in the office. It was their day off, and with the media storm, well—it had been best, for all involved, if they laid low. But this was an important meeting.

“I don’t think we need a lawsuit,” he said to the loose thread.

Kageyama made a thoughtful sound. “From my understanding, it’s basically an open threat right now. Your safety had been compromised while you were injured, Deku-san—who knows what would’ve happened to you in recovery—and what the hospital staff did was not only a breach of secrecy, it’s also illegal.”

Midoriya grimaced.

Back in school, Aizawa and the rest of U.A.’s staff had all but brained them with the aptly named Hero Protection Laws (and By-Laws) of their current legislature. Iida kept everyone updated on any changes and newly processed bills. The security and privacy of heroes currently recovering in a hospital spanned majority of the bills, created after previous cases where the hero had been compromised by the hospital staff and—well.

“I don’t know if I want to lawsuit to go through either,” Shinsou said, though to Midoriya rather than Kageyama. “But we have a meeting with the agency lawyers in a few days.”

Midoriya nodded at the reminder, though they were both aware that Shinsou would be sending him a text message the morning of the appointment. He didn’t have the best time management skills, and it was something that had frustrated Shinsou to no end.

“I know you don’t need me to tell you this,” Kageyama said as he turned his tablet toward them. “But you’ll need to be seen together in public more. I know you two have your – date night thing or whatever you call it,”—a part of Midoriya wanted to protest, but he was mostly horrified that everyone in the agency thought he and Shinsou regularly did a date night when, in reality, they just liked to try different local restaurants for dinner— “but it won’t be seen as . . . enough, to the rest of the public.”

“And PDA,” Kageyama’s assistant burst out. When the room at large stared at her, she flushed but continued: “I’m aware you two are p-private, but, um, your fans will, um, appreciate . . . seeing you affectionate.”

Midoriya shared a glance with Shinsou as Kageyama gave his assistant an approving nod. “I agree,” Kageyama said. “It would definitely calm the more – loud voices of the public.”

Is it too late to change careers? Midoriya thought to himself as Kageyama’s group of assistants shyly murmured suggestions. Shinsou looked like he’d rather be elsewhere. Can I crawl into a hole now or . . .?

“Also, I’m aware neither of you live together right now,” Kageyama continued, “but I’d start making back-up plans.”

Shinsou raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Someone might leak your address,” Midoriya found himself explaining. Under Shinsou’s gaze, he momentarily floundered, but added, gently, “I know you like to ignore their existence, but, uh, we both have our fair share of . . . enthusiastic fans.”

Kageyama snorted. “Now that’s an understatement, if I ever heard one.”

For the course of the hour, they hash out the bare bones of what Midoriya can say on his twitter account. He mostly had free reign on his social media, but this was a storm he wasn’t willing to weather through by himself. It wasn’t just him on the line, anymore. They also discussed ideas for outings, public but not enough that it’d make people accuse it of being staged.

Before Kageyama left the room, he paused and looked at them over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth,” he started, “I’m sorry you were both outed without your consent, especially in a place of healing—but regardless, you have the wholehearted support of the agency.”

Midoriya smiled. “Thank you, Kageyama-san.”

Shinsou hummed in response.

Silence befell the room once Kageyama and his, rather intimidating, entourage of assistants and interns left. Midoriya played with his fingers, a nervous habit he never outgrew, while Shinsou’s silence grew more and more foreboding. Midoriya hoped he’d live through the aftermath.

“Have you spoken with anyone?” The sudden question made him squeak, but Shinsou’s eye-roll and huff was less caustic than Midoriya expected. More—dare he say it—fond? “About all . . . this.” Shinsou waved his hand in the air, somehow encompassing the entire situation with a single gesture.

“No.” Midoriya spared a glance at the TV. Based on the subtitles, they were still talking about their . . . relationship. His phone, and all his unread messages, sent a foreboding shiver down Midoriya’s spine. “I, um, wanted to talk to you about it first.”

“I see.”

Shinsou ran his fingers through his hair. Midoriya tried not to stare too obviously at how Shinsou’s frustrated expression was – well – cute. Before he could stop himself, Midoriya’s eyes soaked in Shinsou’s features. Although they worked at the same agency, Midoriya seldom saw Shinsou except for when they were assigned the same case. It made sense, given that Midoriya mostly worked in the spotlight and Shinsou delved deep in the underground world, taken after their teacher, Aizawa.

The bags under Shinsou’s eyes were prominent, but they weren’t as deep as they used to be. Midoriya could point out the light freckles dotting the bridge of Shinsou’s nose and cheekbones—unlike Midoriya’s freckles, which were all over the place—fading from lack of sunlight. His lips were slightly chapped, and a healing bruise poked out from his collarbone, disappearing beneath—

“Let’s get lunch.” Shinsou’s abrupt movement caused a mini cardiac arrest. Midoriya hoped to god that Shinsou didn’t realize he was being stared at; and if he remained as oblivious as he used to be, Midoriya knew he didn’t. “You’re paying.”

“Lunch sounds great,” Midoriya chirped, rising from his seat and following Shinsou out of the meeting room. He resolutely ignored the way half the department paused to stare at their exit. “Where do you want to go?”

Shinsou’s shoulders hunched a bit at the attention, which made Midoriya remember, almost fondly, that the other had never really liked being in the spotlight for anything. “. . . Can we go to that cat café two streets away?”

“Of course.” Midoriya smiled like the lovestruck fool he was. “I bet you have a membership card there, huh?”

Shinsou snorted and the edge of his lips quirked into what could resemble a smirk. “Obviously.”

Halfway into their elevator ride, Midoriya sputtered, “Wait, I’m what?” and was regaled with Shinsou’s bright, unbridled laughter.

The local cat café had private rooms, and they were a saving grace for their conversation. Midoriya did not want anyone overhearing (and recording) what they would be discussing as a third-party eavesdropping on his private conversation was what got Midoriya embroiled in this mess. Once they ordered their food and received their drinks, Shinsou lathered one of the cats—an Egyptian Mau—in attention, but Midoriya didn’t feel ignored.

He took a few calming sips of his tea. “What are you . . . thinking?”

“This entire situation is ridiculous,” Shinsou said, almost immediately, and the scowl on his face didn’t belong to someone who had a cat clinging to his shoulders, one lounging on his lap, and another rubbing their face against his knee. “And I hate how sycophantic people become over pro hero relationships.”

Midoriya grimaced but nodded in agreement. It was one of the reasons why they had kept their relationship completely private to themselves, back when they still dated. While Midoriya informed his parents, and Shinsou informed his, he didn’t really tell his friends about his relationship. It wasn’t that he was ashamed or anything, but his friends could definitely get intense—and Midoriya, who had been fumbling through his relationship and life in general as he debuted as a pro hero far earlier than he expected, just wanted to have something that was both his and safe from public scrutiny.

“What are you thinking?”

Midoriya blinked slow in Shinsou’s direction. “I . . .,” he paused for a moment, eyebrows pinched in though, before he said, “I’m . . . sorry.”

Shinsou’s hands paused, causing a rise of disgruntled noises from the cats. “Sorry?” Shinsou echoed. “For what?”

“We could’ve made a statement about the misconception,” Midoriya said into his tea. “But I decided a convoluted plan and—.”

“Do you think anyone would believe you?” Shinsou interrupted quietly and looked amused at Midoriya’s expression. “I don’t know if you’ve been on your timelines lately, but even if we did make a statement saying we weren’t together, absolutely no one would believe us.” Shinsou wrapped a hand around his mug and sighed. “At best, they’d think we were trying to keep our lives private. At worst, they’d accuse us . . . of being ashamed or whatever,” at that, Shinsou’s lips twisted into a frown.

“You’re getting a lot of press,” Midoriya pointed out quietly.

Shinsou hummed around a mouthful of tea. “It would’ve happened sooner or later,” he said. “I’m close friends with most of the Top 50—while my name had been mostly kept out of the media, people were certainly aware that I existed in the background of things.”

“Still,” Midoriya frowned. “I don’t want this to hurt your career, you know?”

I don’t want to force you into an early retirement.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” said Shinsou, and it seemed the end of that line of conversation. The reappearance of their waitress helped, in that regard.

Conversation halted as they dug into their food. Shinsou pulled out his phone at some point, scrolling through his private accounts and looking utterly finished with society as a whole. Midoriya could relate. Once he scraped through half of his meal, Midoriya paused and looked up to lock gaze with Shinsou.

His face heated, immediately, and Midoriya hated that he blushed so easily. “W-What?”

“Nothing,” Shinsou said after a pause, expression flat and unreadable. Midoriya shouldn’t find that so cute. “Have any date ideas rolling about in that brain of yours.”

Midoriya, despite the tension, pouted. “You love my brain!”

“Sure,” Shinsou teased, but he smiled, so Midoriya counted that as a win. “But, seriously, I can’t think of anything.”

Midoriya set his chopsticks down and hummed in thought. “Well . . . we could go to that aquarium exhibit you were talking about a few days ago,” Midoriya said, almost as an afterthought, and then gave a nervous smile at Shinsou’s stare. “Bad idea?”

“No, it’s not that bad,” Shinsou replied, and tilted his head. “But . . . how’d you know I wanted to go to that exhibit?”

“You mentioned it, like, a week ago,” Midoriya said and tried not to look as anxious as he felt when Shinsou took another bite of his food in lieu of a reply. “A-Anyway—what else?”

“We can do a date once a week,” Shinsou suggested. “Maybe twice.”

“Sounds good.” Midoriya smiled. His food was probably going cold, but that was fine. “It won’t be seen as too much from the media, as we aren’t really seen together . . . except for our, ah, Friday night dinners.”

“Let’s not just stick to dates, though,” Shinsou said once he chewed through a good portion of his ramen. “You know how people are with domesticity.”

Midoriya paused and then narrowed his eyes at Shinsou’s innocent smile. “You just want me to carry your groceries, don’t you?”

Shinsou chuckled. “Guilty as charged.”

Their conversation cut off by Shinsou’s buzzing phone. It lit up with messages from their group chat with friends and made Midoriya think of his own phone. Shinsou stared at the incoming barrage of messages with an eye-roll.

“We should respond to our friends before they start thinking somethings’ wrong.”

“Something is wrong,” Midoriya grumbled into his food, and Shinsou snorted.

“There is,” he agreed, ignorant of the way Midoriya’s heart twinged. “But they don’t know that. As far as they’re aware, two of their friends have been in a secret relationship for years and were outed to the rest of the world because some asshole decided to videotape them while one was in the hospital.”

Midoriya blew a raspberry.

“Midoriya,” Shinsou said, but not unkindly. “They’re worried—.”

“Izuku.”

Shinsou gave Midoriya a look similar to that of a startled cat. “What?”

“It’ll look weird if we use our family names with each other,” Midoriya explained his abrupt reasonings, even though, in reality, he just wanted to hear Shinsou use his first name again. “And it’ll make people ask questions that we don’t want, you know? So . . . call me Izuku.”

“We’re in private.” Shinsou pointed his chopsticks at Midoriya. “We don’t need to use our first names here.”

“Practice,” Midoriya said, weakly. He wanted to sew his mouth together. If he did, then there wasn’t a chance of screwing everything up.

Shinsou quirked an eyebrow and then shook his head in amusement. “Whatever you say,” he said after a pause. Then, with a budding smile, added, “Izuku.”

Midoriya made a half-choked noise in the back of his throat. Shinsou snickered into his ramen as a response.

From the phone records of —

Today at 2:15 P.M.

LETS REVOLT AGAINST THE MEDIA

#general

infinity girl
it’s been almost 48 hours
is @(bakugou voice) DEKU and @CATS okay??

free phone charger
ye
we’re worried!! n we’re here for y’all!

ALIEN QUEEN [crown emoji]
same but also
mido’s handle has me CACKLING

local conspiracy theorist
as far as im aware
they haven’t contacted anyone

spotted [eye emoji]
hero spotter saw them @ a cat café
the one by their agency

CATS
We’re alive.
Calm down.

(bakugou voice) DEKU
adfadfgjkldf
thanks for your support tho!!!
sorry for being awol uh
it’s been a mess

CATS
That, in Kageyama’s words, is an understatement.

momo’s wife
im coming to ur house
we’re gonna have movies n hot cocoa

infinity girl
OMG YES
only if u want tho

CATS
No offense, but I’ll pass.
I have some paperwork to do for a case.

ALIEN QUEEN [crown emoji]
boo u whore

(bakugou voice) DEKU
ok! uh
im gonna be at hitoshi’s tho

free phone charger
OH??

spotted [eye emoji]
[eye emoji][eye emoji]

infinity girl
that’s fine, we’ll just go to shinsou’s!

CATS
No.

momo’s wife
[devilish smiling emoji]

Midoriya chewed on his bottom lip, casting Shinsou worried glances every other minute, as they left the cat café. After a few more hesitant pauses, he reached over and entwined their fingers. Shinsou blinked, surprised at the movement, but made no move to shake Midoriya off.

“I’ll walk you home,” Midoriya said, though he made sure to speak quietly. He didn’t want anyone getting ideas and following them. “We could – uh, get your groceries.”

Shinsou looked up from his phone, but he didn’t look annoyed. Almost fond. Maybe. Midoriya was known to project his feelings onto others. “Fine with me.”

They were left unbothered for most of the journey. A few times they were intercepted by nervous fans who wanted to express their support or ask for an autograph.

A street away from Shinsou’s apartment was a small, mom-and-pop grocer. It was the only place Shinsou shopped for his food as he disliked the chaos involved in larger grocery stores. There was also the benefit of supporting local businesses. Employees greeted them both by name, not because they were practically the only subject of news lately, but because of how much time they’ve spent in the place.

Midoriya, for the most part, trailed after Shinsou as he shopped for what he needed. He was vaguely aware that someone snapped a photo of them while they were deciding what apples Shinsou should purchase, but he shoved that thought in the back of his mind.

His hand burned at Shinsou’s touch. They never stopped holding hands.

“Hey.” Almost impatiently, Shinsou tugged Midoriya’s hand. “Which ice cream should I get for the menaces?”

Midoriya snorted at Shinsou’s nickname for their friends. “Chocolate? Cookies and Cream?”

“I’ll just get vanilla,” Shinsou said after a contemplative hum. “I’m not spending money on them.”

“I think Uraraka’s bringing snacks,” Midoriya offered.

Shinsou grimaced. “Great.”

Checkout went smoothly, and Midoriya was not helping himself as the entire store got a front row seat to him giving Shinsou fond looks as the man amiably conversed with their cashier, catching up on her life and making her feel less bored with the slow day.

They had to stop holding hands to hold the grocery bags. Midoriya tried to ignore how disappointed he felt at the sudden lack of warmth.

Shinsou opened his front door and breathed a sigh of relief. Once Midoriya slipped his shoes off in the genkan, he followed Shinsou into the kitchen. The cold from the frozen items seeped through his pants leg.

“Thanks for helping,” Shinsou said, and Midoriya smiled.

“No problem,” he said. “You know I would’ve done it anyway.”

Shinsou huffed quietly and smiled to himself as he began unpacking his groceries. Midoriya stared for a moment, almost lost, before he hurried to do the same less Shinsou start getting suspicious. The rustle of grocery bags roused interest from Shinsou’s two cats. The smallest—aptly named Button—weaved through Shinsou’s legs while the oldest, Present Meow, stayed true to her name and greeted Midoriya loudly.

Packing the groceries went quickly with two people. Shinsou disappeared in his bedroom and reappeared in soft pajama pants and an oversized sweater, holding a manila folder of papers. He settled beside Midoriya on the couch in the living room, where he had been sitting on the couch and blankly listening to the news.

“Hitoshi . . . What are we doing?”

Shinsou tapped a pen against his lips. “We’re making the best out of a shitty situation.”

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Midoriya worried his bottom lip. “I mean—we’re, like, lying to everyone—.”

“I can’t say if we’re doing the right thing or not,” Shinsou interrupted. “But we’re doing what we can with the cards . . . stacked against us, so to speak. Like I said earlier, we tell the truth and people will just think we’re lying.”

Midoriya groaned. “We just can’t win, can we?”

Shinsou snorted. “Nope.”

Enthusiastic knocks on the front door paused their conversation, and they shared an amused glance. Shinsou set the folder on the coffee table and rose to his feet. “Ready to face the cavalry?”

Midoriya made a face, and Shinsou laughed again. He’d never get tired of that sound. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

As his friends’ voices floated in the air at their entry, Midoriya breathed. Whatever happened from now, he won’t be alone.

All we can do, he thought, is move forward.

And they would.

Chapter Text

ROMANCE BLOOMS FOR PROS

A Surprising Engagement for Our Number Three Pro!

By Yoshikawa Hana | February 12, 2XX5

In an unexpected turn of events, the last villain attack left Pro Hero Deku recovering at the nearest hospital. Despite the various by-laws and protections in place for heroes in recovery, a member of the hospital staff recorded a private conversation between Deku and a man later revealed to be the notorious underground Pro Hero, Siren, and posted said video online.

Tokyo General Hospital has not commented on this severe disregard of both the law and Deku’s privacy. Deku and Siren’s agency (Dreamweaver Agency) have released an online statement, which can be read on their website, as well as information for an upcoming press conference.

Nonetheless, although the video has been removed on all social media sites, the aftershocks remain.

Support for the Pro’s relationship have exceeded expectations, both in person and online. A dedicated fan club, lovingly calling themselves the . . . [READ MORE]

TRENDING

1. #dekuandsiren
2. #herohusbands
3. #siren
4. #dreamweaver
5. #hospitalgate

Pro Hero Deku @OfficialDeku • 6h

although the circumstances were less than ideal, i do want to confirm that i am in a relationship with pro hero #siren! thank you for your support!

17M Retweets 20M Likes

kittens are love, ochako is life, who let me adult, and 16 others liked:

elephants rule the world @ELPHABAA • 5h

listen. listen i love #dekuandsiren as much as the next person but can yall get some brain cells PLEASE. they were literally OUTED bc some asshole violated their privacy WHILE DEKU WAS HOSPITALIZED HELLO #hospitalgate

16K Retweets 58k Likes

Hero Spotter @HeroSpotter • 3h

Our favorite couple, #dekuandsiren, were spotted at a local cat café on their lunch break [eye emoji]. They’re quite the couple!

[Attached Image: A still of Pro Heroes Deku and Siren standing in front of a hostess; she’s greeting them with menus and a bright smile. Both heroes are dressed in casual clothing, blending in seamlessly with the lunch crowd despite their notoriety. Other patrons are a blur, and there is a focus on their linked hands.]

51k Retweets 60k Likes

ready to fight @chickeeen 
Replying to @HeroSpotter
full offense but i don’t think deku and siren need y’all stalking them after everything that’s going on so like. chill. 

let uravity curse! @URABEAN
Replying to @HeroSpotter, @chickeeen
deku and siren protection squad, rise. 

There are times in Midoriya’s life where he wished he chose another career. He could’ve been a quirk analyst. A doctor. An accountant. Case in point: Midoriya woke to find various missed calls and messages from his parents, and he winced at the rising thought of having to face them. Last night with just a small portion of his friends were more than enough.

Although they hadn’t touched upon Midoriya’s (fake) relationship with Shinsou, as they rightfully sensed that it wasn’t a topic either of them wished to talk about, there had been various mutters and hints about retribution toward the one who had outed the both of them in the first place. And there was still a meeting with the agency lawyer Midoriya and Shinsou had to attend.

Back to the present, though.

After Midoriya showered and ate something that resembled breakfast, he made himself comfortable on his couch and called his parents. His mom picked up after the first ring and, thankfully, didn’t sound as upset as Midoriya thought she would’ve. His dad, on the other hand—

“Izuku,” wailed one Midoriya Hisashi, for what felt like the hundredth time. “I didn’t know you and Hitoshi-kun got engaged!”

Midoriya wanted to correct their belief, but in order for his plan to work, well—it depended on exactly two people being aware of the truth, and no one else. He rubbed his temples, sensing a rising headache that probably won’t go away, and said, “I’m sorry we didn’t keep you updated—and we were going to tell everyone, we just . . ..”

Despite their previous (understandable) parental outrage at learning of their son’s engagement through a news channel, his mom laughed and said, ever the warm figure of comfort and safety, “We understand, Izuku. Hisashi is just pulling your leg,”—his dads’ squawk made Midoriya smile— “You and Hitoshi should come over for lunch this weekend.”

“Of course,” Midoriya agreed. “We’ve both been given a few days off because of . . ..” He trailed off, and both of his parents made similar noises of understanding. “A-Anyway, I’ll, um, let Hitoshi know.”

“Wonderful,” his mom chirped. “Well, I’m sure you’re busy right now, so we’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay!”

Once the standard goodbyes and I-love-you’s were complete, Midoriya slumped back against his couch and sighed. His phone slipped from his hands, dejectedly falling to the ground with a muted clatter, and Midoriya made no move to rescue it from its’ fate of carpeted doom. He had a few blissful minutes of quiet before his phone chimed in rapid succession.

The couch muffled his groan. Kageyama texted him. People had posted photos of his and Shinsou’s grocery visit. Someone from an online magazine had already written an article about it, with quotes from the workers who explained that “Deku and Siren have been shopping here for years.”

Midoriya doesn’t know how long he stayed on the couch, but it was long enough that Shinsou returned from his apartment, with two bags full of his things. “Pretty sure some of the press saw me come in here,” Shinsou commented as he shut the front door behind him. “Expect some questions or pictures about that.”

While they discussed the risk of someone leaking Shinsou’s address, instead of Shinsou immediately moving in (or, rather, back in) to Midoriya’s apartment, he’d spend every few nights with Midoriya and vice versa. Originally, they thought of switching it every couple of days, but came to conclusion that Midoriya’s presence at Shinsou’s apartment complex would bring too much attention. The goal was for the public to not know where Shinsou lived, so Midoriya being there all of a sudden would compromise that.

At the knowledge of the photo, Midoriya’s response was another groan.

Shinsou laughed, and its’ lovely sound grew slightly muffled as he shuffled deeper into Midoriya’s apartment. Midoriya opened an eye to see that Shinsou had made his way for the bedroom, and his heart seized in his throat when he remembered that he only had one bed.

Oh no, he thought to himself. Oh, fuck.

“My life is fanfiction,” said Midoriya, to no one in particular. After a moment of listening to Shinsou putter around Midoriya’s bedroom like it was his own, Midoriya rolled off the couch and decided to face the music.

When he entered his bedroom, Shinsou finished packing the last of his folded clothes in the dresser. Midoriya had cleared a row out that morning as well as some space in his closet. Present Meow napped on Midoriya’s pillow, and Button brushed past his ankle and disappeared down the hall to explore.

“You still sleep on the left side, right?” Shinsou closed the dresser drawer with a hip-check. “I don’t care either way.”

Midoriya nodded, dumbly. “Are you . . . okay with sharing?”

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Shinsou replied and then, after a pause, raised an eyebrow, eyes gauging Midoriya’s expressions. “Do you have a problem with it?”

Midoriya didn’t trust his voice not to crack and give away his feelings, so he shook his head. Shinsou smiled, and Midoriya tried not to stare too long at how it brightened his features. I’m so gone, he thought to himself, but he wasn’t all that upset, really.

“Good.” Shinsou’s phone buzzed with an incoming message, and Shinsou grabbed it before it buzzed off Midoriya’s dresser. “By the way, the ‘rents want to have dinner sometime soon—unless you want one of them knocking your door down.”

Midoriya snorted at the image of one of Shinsou’s parents barreling through the front door, and then remembered what his parents requested. “Mom invited us to brunch this Saturday.”

“I’ll put it on the calendar,” Shinsou said with a non-committal hum, fingers tapping away on his phone. “As for dinner . . . how about tomorrow?”

Midoriya rolled the idea around in his head. The only thing on his—well, their, really—schedule was a meeting with Dreamweaver’s lawyers, a follow-up with Kageyama on the current atmosphere of the press, and a brief meeting with his two sidekicks. All of those would be ending by three, so . . . “I’m okay with that,” Midoriya confirmed. “All my meetings end at three.”

“I know,” Shinsou said, a little dry, considering he was the one who helped make Midoriya’s schedule (it was a fact as well as a running joke within the agency that if you wanted Midoriya for something, you had to tell Shinsou, too, because Midoriya would forget at some point). He rolled his eyes, though not unkindly, at Midoriya’s sheepish smile. “I’m hungry. What do you have to eat here?”

“Not much,” Midoriya said as he tried to remember how much he had in his fridge and pantry. “I think I have enough for katsudon, though.”

Shinsou snorted. “I’m not surprised.”

Midoriya stuck out his tongue. “There’s nothing wrong with katsudon, Sh—Hitoshi.”

“Whatever you say, Izu,” Shinsou replied with a hint of laughter in his mouth. Midoriya’s mind short-circuited at the old nickname, warmth curling up his sides. “But I think katsudon is a bit too heavy for lunch, you know?”

“ . . . I guess,” Midoriya pouted, briefly, and then suggested, “How about we order takeout?”

Shinsou arched an eyebrow. “And have the delivery person leak your address the minute they leave the building?”

Midoriya gave a weakening defense. “They wouldn’t do that.”

“Uh huh.”

Midoriya placed his hands on his hips and said, “Well, O’ Great One, what do you suggest we have for lunch?”

Shinsou gave him a blank stare. From his pillow, Present Meow yawned. Midoriya then realized just where Shinsou wanted to eat and sighed.

“We went to a cat café yesterday,” he protested, but knew very well how he folded when Shinsou came into the equation. Thankfully, no one else has noticed it—probably. Hopefully. Everyone probably does see it, aside from the one in question, and feigned ignorance for the sake of Midoriya’s pride.

“A new one opened a few streets away,” Shinsou said, instead, and pulled up a picture of the flyer on his phone, showing it to Midoriya. “I want to try their strawberry cake.”

“I’m going to protest,” Midoriya said blankly, and smiled at Shinsou’s snickering. “Let me change out of my pajamas, first.”

“I mean, you could go just like that.”

“Kageyama would murder me.” There were at least two holes in his pants from time—and don’t get Midoriya started on all the sweater stains. “Literally.”

“Don’t worry.” Shinsou patted his head. “I’d stop him.”

So Many Cats @OfficialDeku • 15m

petition to ban hitoshi from cat cafes or else he’ll keep dragging me to them all the time

17.3k Retweets 21k Likes

So Many Cats @Official Deku 
Replying to @OfficialDeku
hitoshi wants me to tell y’all that my petition has been denied :( 

uravity for number four @Uravity
Replying to @OfficialDeku
LMAO

“Present Mic and Earphone Jack want to interview you both,” was Kageyama’s greeting as he strolled inside the meeting room. “I think it’s a good idea—good press and all that, plus it’s less stressful than a press conference because they know you personally. Thoughts?”

Midoriya shared a glance with Shinsou. They had a quiet conversation with one glance before Midoriya said, “We’ll split it between us—I’ll interview with Present Mic, and Hitoshi can interview with Earphone Jack.”

Kageyama raised an eyebrow but didn’t object to the decision. “Can I ask . . . why?”

“While she’s rising in popularity, Earphone Jack’s radio show isn’t as well-known as Present Mic’s,” Shinsou took over the explanation. “There’s less risk involved if I interview with her than with Present Mic.”

“I’ve been a regular on Mic’s show for years,” Midoriya offered next. “Even before I started high school, I was a regular caller—so the audience is more familiar with me, and there’d be increased, ah, traffic.” Then, to Shinsou, he murmured, “Did I say that right?”

The corner of Shinsou’s lips twitched with amusement, but he gave a short approving nod. Midoriya turned his attention back to Kageyama, pleased.

“Well . . .,” Kageyama hummed in thought. “I don’t see a problem with that plan. Yukimura, could you send an email to the Pros in question with what we’ve planned. Deku-san, your interview will be next Tuesday at 5; Siren-san, you’ll be on Earphone Jack’s show that same day, but in the morning. Her manager suggested 11.”

Shinsou jotted that down on his phone. “Got it.”

Kageyama then narrowed his eyes at Midoriya, who tried to look unbothered by the stare. “You. Don’t forget this.”

“He won’t,” said Shinsou, in a tone that suggested danger if Midoriya did, in fact, forget.

Midoriya cleared his throat. “I won’t.”

Kageyama looked unimpressed. “Other than that,” he said after a few more moments. “You’ve both gathered an impressive amount of good press. Of course, there are small handfuls of people who aren’t supportive and the like, but they are easily drowned out by the majority. Your increased appearances together have also been noticed, but, thankfully, no one has accused you of doing it for publicity.”

At that, one of Kageyama’s assistants snorted and muttered, “They look too domestic for that.”

Midoriya wished he could crawl beneath the floor to die.

“Right,” said Kageyama. “Do you two have anything planned?” Date-wise besides your Friday date nights?"

“We’re going to the aquarium in Musutafu,” Midoriya said, a bit quick, if only for everyone to attach to something else besides how clearly lovesick and gone he was on Shinsou. “There’s a, uh, exhibit that’s opening that Hitoshi’s wanted to see, so—.”

“I got it,” Kageyama interrupted Midoriya’s spiraling ramble with a raised palm. “That’s . . . good.”

“Very romantic,” agreed another assistant.

From the corner of Midoriya’s eye, he saw Shinsou’s expression twist briefly. His stomach churned uncomfortably at the sight. Of course, Shinsou would have a problem with people calling their actions and outings romantic, even if they were in a fake engagement. They weren’t together. They weren’t partners anymore. That train had left the station a few weeks after their twenty-first year and hasn’t returned since.

“Well. That’s all I have for the two of you,” Kageyama said as he closed his tablets’ case. “I believe you have a meeting with our lawyers, correct?”

“We do,” Shinsou said, rising from his seat. “Thank you for having us, Kageyama-san.”

“It’s my job.” Kageyama waved a dismissive hand. “Literally.”

The lawyers and attorneys for Dreamweaver Agency were on the fourth floor of the building. Midoriya didn’t interact with them that much. He never had much of a reason to, except for when he signed his contract with Dreamweaver when he was nineteen as a fresh-faced sidekick. Unlike some of his fellow colleagues, Midoriya had the least amount of civilian and building casualties with his quirk—a fact that made everyone surprised, considering how devastating Midoriya’s attacks could be.

Shinsou, likewise, rarely interacted with the fourth floor.

When they reached the elevator, Midoriya realized he’d subconsciously linked their hands together. Shinsou hadn’t said a word about the action, and even squeezed Midoriya’s fingers when he started muttering about all the ways their upcoming meeting could go disastrously wrong.

“A villain is not going to crash through the window, Izuku,” Shinsou said as the doors opened to the fourth floor. “We’re going to be fine.”

“I – yeah,” Midoriya blew a raspberry. “I’m just . . . nervous.”

“I noticed,” Shinsou deadpanned.

Heat scrawled over the bridge of Midoriya’s nose. “S-So are you.”

Shinsou hummed and pulled Midoriya out of the elevator. For someone who spent as much time as Midoriya on the fourth floor, he seemed to know his way around all the cubicles. No one stared at them as they passed, more focused on their cases than on the two pro heroes. Shinsou paused in front of another meeting room, eyes scanning the plaque stating the room number, and entered after a brief knock.

“Deku and Siren, here, for our meeting,” Shinsou announced to the room at large as he crossed the threshold. Midoriya shuffled behind and knew he somewhat looked ridiculous considering their height difference. Nearing the end of high school, Midoriya experienced quite the growth spurt, exceeding his previous 5’4 height to nearly 6 feet. By the time he reached twenty, he was a decent 6’1, a height that mirrored his fathers.

Shinsou, on the other hand, only grew a few inches and stubbornly remained at 5’10. His parents joked that all the coffee and time spent napping had stunted his growth, considering both of his parents were over six feet.

“Please take a seat,” one of the lawyers said with a considerate smile. “I’m Sakamata Rio, and this is my partner, Mizaki Yuuko. We’ll be working with you throughout the entire case. It is a pleasure to meet you, Deku-san, Siren-san.”

Mizaki echoed the sentiment from where she sat.

“Likewise,” Shinsou said and took a seat across from them. Midoriya sat beside him and gave the two lawyers a shaky smile in lieu of a verbal greeting. “So. What are our options?”

Sakamata smiled, and a shiver trailed down Midoriya’s spine.

From the phone records of Shinsou Hitoshi.

DM @urabean [IDLE]

urabean
get ready

where are the CATS
why

urabean
bc i said so

where are the CATS
but i wanna nap

urabean
nope 
we’re going out

where are the CATS
hell no

urabean has added (all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN to the chat.

where are the CATS
this is a coup
betrayal
i cant believe you have done this to me, carol.

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
um

urabean
u n shinsou are coming out for drinks w me todo n Yoarashi

where are the CATS
[Image: A character from an American show, sitting on a bus with the caption: I’m in danger.]

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
Oh!!!
Sounds fun!!!
We’ll be there :)

urabean
:D

where are the CATS
im starting a revolution

“I’M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND,” said one Yoarashi Inasa. People often thought he was constantly angry and aggressive, but, as Todoroki once said, yelling was his way of showing affection. “I can’t BELIEVE you two were betrayed by the staff like that—IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH THINGS.”

Midoriya winced at the increase in volume, but Todoroki only took a sip of his drink, nonplussed and very used to the way Yoarashi spoke. Shinsou bristled beside him, either at the volume or the eyes on their small corner table. Heads have turned in their direction since they piled into the bar for drinks after their dinner with Shinsou’s parents, and despite the knowledge that they regularly haunted this bar, many people stared at them—specifically, at Midoriya and Shinsou—as if they had never seen them before.

“Shut him up,” Shinsou hissed, and Midoriya was struck by his resemblance to a startled and annoyed kitten. He would’ve cooed, but he wasn’t that drunk yet. Nonetheless, Uraraka gave him a knowing smile over the rim of her cup, most likely at how much he resembled a lovestruck idiot. “Or I will.”

“MY APOLOGIES,” Yoarashi said, wholly oblivious to Shinsou’s glower of death. In the soft lighting of the restaurant, Shinsou looked about as threatening as a sleeping infant. Todoroki took another calm sip of his drink. “I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“You’re just being loud,” Shinsou said if only because Yoarashi began to look like a kicked puppy. “And you’re making people stare at us.”

“People always stare at you,” said Uraraka and Shinsou sent her a betrayed look that stated you are now dead to me. Midoriya hid his laugh into his cup. “I know we didn’t talk much about it before – but, really, you guys were being obvi – obvious.”

“Very,” agreed Yoarashi, thankfully with an inside voice. “And the rumors helped!”

Midoriya shared a glance with Shinsou. Rumors?

“I’m surprised you two weren’t married already,” Todoroki said. “You act so much like a married old couple.”

Midoriya’s eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. Shinsou partly choked on his drink when the trio discussed the various times they acted like a couple and a few of the more well-known rumors. At one point, Todoroki mentioned an entire reddit community dedicated to them.

“And don’t forget the, ah, Dekuren fan club,” Uraraka added with drunken enthusiasm. It took Midoriya a good minute or so to decode her speech. “And – and the conspiracy theories!”

“I enjoyed those,” Todoroki agreed. Midoriya wanted to scream—or cry. Maybe both. He did find everyone’s enthusiasm and support just a little bit weird and unnerving. No one seemed surprised at the reveal of Midoriya’s relationship to Shinsou. Someone on twitter said “it was about time” when Midoriya did his tweet about the situation.

“What.” Both Shinsou’s tone and expression were flat. “Are you talking about?”

Uraraka burst into alcohol-fueled giggles. “You didn’t know?”

“I DON’T THINK THEY DID,” Yoarashi responded.

“It started as a random conspiracy theory a couple years ago, back in high school,” Todoroki explained, and then tilted his head in thought. “And a rumor. People saw a connection between the two of you, and it went from there. But then – well, it was confirmed when . . ..” He trailed off, but Midoriya knew what he referred to.

The hospital. The video. Midoriya hadn’t seen it yet, but Kageyama sent them a copy of it before it had been taken down.

Shinsou downed the rest of his drink. “I’m too sober for this.”

Uraraka raised her finished cup with a cheer. “That’s the spirit, Shinsou-kun!”

Midoriya wondered if it were too late to make an escape, but Shinsou had an ironclad grip on his wrist and a fierce expression. “If I have to suffer through this,” Shinsou said lowly. “So. Will. You.”

Midoriya tried not to think about the warmth of Shinsou’s fingers. He probably failed, and he’ll definitely blame the influence of alcohol later on for his actions. Once he pulled his wrist out of Shinsou’s grip—not like it was difficult, really—he laced their fingers together, squeezed, and then pecked Shinsou’s cheek before he said, fondness and affection spilling onto the table form his mouth, “I’m not going to leave, don’t worry—do you want your regular drink?”

Midoriya was distantly aware of Uraraka aw’ing at them and Yoarashi saying something, loudly, about their love. He raised an eyebrow, pausing at Shinsou’s silence. Either Midoriya was hallucinating, the light was playing tricks on his tipsy mind, or Shinsou was . . . blushing.

He blinked.

What.

“Regular,” Shinsou said after a heartbeat, and looked unimpressed with everything. Just my imagination, Midoriya thought, a little rueful, a little hopeful. “Can you ask for water, too?”

“Sure!”

Uraraka patted the table. “Oh, oh—get some, some, some of those, um, thingies!”

Midoriya snorted. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

She blew a raspberry. “An appetetetizer. I’m going to start eating this table soon, that’s – that’s how hungry I am!”

“Please don’t do that,” said Todoroki. “I’m not dealing with that press storm if you do.”

Uraraka pouted. “Support my dreams, Todo!”

“No.”

Midoriya laughed and rose from their little booth, heading to the bar amid stares from other patrons. Once he ordered Shinsou’s regular, the waters, and an appetizer they always ordered when they piled into the corner booth, Midoriya considered ordering himself another drink.

“I didn’t say it earlier,” Todoroki spoke as he approached, raising his glass a bit to signal a refill from one of the bartenders. “And while the entire – situation isn’t the best, I’m glad you and Shinsou feel comfortable around us to be more open, now.”

“Um.” Midoriya blinked slowly before he gave a quiet smile. “Th-Thanks.”

Todoroki gave a small shrug. “You’re both private people, so no one was surprised that you kept your relationship so hushed.” Then he paused and smiled. “But anyone who knew how to look can see how much you love each other; you know?”

Midoriya’s mouth dried. He didn’t want to drink anymore. If it were that obvious, then . . . did Shinsou—? “I was . . . it was that obvious?”

“Like I said before, only if you knew what to look for,” Todoroki explained, a quiet smile as he stared down his empty glass. “Besides the few of us who figured it out, everyone just thought you two were pining after each other. And your fans had that whole conspiracy theory going on and their own . . . what do they call it? . . . headcanons or whatever about your relationship.”

Midoriya’s voice was soft when he spoke. “Oh.”

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” Todoroki was quick to assure before he reached over and patted Midoriya’s shoulder. “And I know everyone has said this to you already, but I’m here if you need someone to listen.”

Midoriya smiled. “Thanks, Todoroki-kun. I . . . I appreciate it.”

They returned to their booth with drinks and food a few minutes later. Shinsou looked flushed as Midoriya came into view, cheeks pink under the golden lights when he slid back into his seat. Midoriya knew it was the alcohol and thus ignored it. Shinsou was always a bit more tactile and open with his expressions whenever Uraraka coaxed him to a drink.

After Uraraka swallowed a few bites of the appetizer, she launched into a retell of her latest rescue mission. Yoarashi, who had also been there, added his own perspective every once in a while.

Shinsou’s warmth seeped into his side, all the way down to the white of his bone, as Midoriya cuddled closer. He could do this now because the world believed they were in a relationship. They believed they were going to be married. Despite the truth that weighs heavy in Midoriya’s heart, he could, at the very least, pretend that he was in a relationship with Shinsou, that they were engaged, that Shinsou loved him the way he loved Shinsou.

The alcohol warmed his throat and Midoriya ignored the small voice in his mind that wondered when everything would blow up in his face.

Chapter Text

notpresentmic reblogged alolanvulpix

alolanvulpix

[A collage of pictures. Upper left is a screenshot of a recent tweet from Deku, confirming his relationship with Siren. Upper right is of a deleted tweet with a video, captioned: “deku and siren are engaged”. The middle left photo is of Deku and Siren a few years younger, recent high school graduates, dressed in traditional yukatas at a summer festival; Siren is eating a candied apple and Deku has a flower crown in his hair. The middle right photo is another picture of them, though in casual dress, in a grocery store. The bottom left photo is a meme of a man surrounded by a wall of blurred photos connecting to one another with red string; he looks stressed and like he hasn’t slept in twelve days. The last photo is a screenshot of an article about Deku and Siren’s engagement.]

dekuren starter pack.

18,569 notes

source: alolanvulpix #dekuren #deku #siren #hero husbands #YO I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THE VIDEO!! AND DEKU’S TWEET!!! #the dekuren chat is losing their MINDS

“We forgot something very integral to our plan,” was what Shinsou greeted Midoriya with when he stumbled into the kitchen that morning. A cup of coffee, steaming hot with just enough sugar and milk, waited on the table alongside a plate of bacon, miso, and a boiled egg. “I’ve told the interested parties that neither of us want it to be destroyed during hero work—but those’ll only work for so long, you know?”

Midoriya garbled something that sounded like words in response. His brain trudged forth to catch up with what Shinsou told him. Shinsou huffed under his breath in amusement, and Sleepy Midoriya thought he saw Shinsou’s eyes crinkle in fondness. Awake Midoriya told it to be quiet. Once Midoriya swallowed enough coffee to wake up, he blinked at Shinsou.

“. . . What?”

“A ring, Izuku,” Shinsou continued in a patient tone and took another sip of coffee. “Despite our quote-unquote engagement, we don’t have a ring to show for it.”

Ah.

Midoriya hoped to last the entire plan without thinking about his supposed engagement ring—and, well. Fool’s hope, and all that. “It’d be better if we ordered it online, decreasing the risk of being seen in the store,” Midoriya managed to say after his mind whirled. “If anyone asks, we can . . . we can say that we sent it back because of sizing issues.”

“Good plan,” Shinsou nodded in agreement before he swiped a piece of Midoriya’s bacon despite his own plate of food. Midoriya made a wounded noise in protest. “We’ll put it under my name—it’s less well-known than yours, even with all this going on.”

Midoriya inhaled the rest of his coffee, awareness sinking into his bones, and muttered, “Eat your own bacon.”

Shinsou, ever the little shit (that Midoriya loved even though, by all accounts, he shouldn’t because they were exes despite the fake engagement), swiped another piece. A grin wide on his lips before he took a bite. He blew a kiss when Midoriya glared at him over his empty mug.

Silence floated in the air, but Midoriya didn’t feel uncomfortable. He wasn’t stifled. Back when their relationship had been crumbling, when they both fell into their default habit of silence and unspoken words in the face of problems, Midoriya hated the quiet. Along with the palpable tension between them, it had almost made Midoriya tear his own hair out from sheer frustration.

Things were different now, however cliché that sounded. They were older, if only by a few years; wiser, hopefully, and settled into their skins and careers. Midoriya wasn’t the insecure twenty-year-old that he used to be, anxiety almost violently burrowing deep in his skin to where he once thought his very breath would choke him.

Shinsou cleared his throat once Midoriya polished a good portion of his breakfast and waited until he had Midoriya’s attention to speak. “Our . . . leave ends around six tonight,” Shinsou said, almost too nonchalant. “While we aren’t scheduled, we have the option of a short patrol until midnight if we wanted.” Shinsou fell quiet for a moment and Midoriya waited, knowing there was more to be said. His younger self hadn’t known that and would nervously fill the air with babble and questions, unknowingly making Shinsou shut down and feel like he’d never be listened to. “I know how . . . restless you are when you’re homebound for too long, so you’re free to join me if you’d like.”

Midoriya brightened. “I’d love to join you, Hitoshi!”

They hadn’t shared a patrol in months. Midoriya typically stayed aboveground, beneath the shining spotlight, and generally being a rising beacon of hope and safety to the general public while he was on patrol, caught villains he came across, and interacted with the locals. Shinsou, like any other underground hero, worked under the cover of the night, though there were brief moments in his career where he had a case that needed his presence during the day.

Despite the history between them, Midoriya and Shinsou were a formidable duo when they worked together. Aizawa and the rest of U.A. capitalized on that chemistry when they discovered it near the end of their first year once Shinsou officially transferred into the class. They had paired up during a mock battle and decimated a good portion of the class until Yaoyorozu and Jirou took them out. Dreamweaver Agency, likewise, didn’t hesitate to push them together on certain cases when the need was high.

Shinsou smiled back, the relief in his eyes clear for Midoriya to see. Which made him pause a little—because there wasn’t much reason for Shinsou to be relieved for them to work together. Maybe he thought he’d be a little rusty since we’ve been off for a while? He wanted the company? Extra backup? Maybe he thought I’d reject the offer? Yeah, that’s it—I don’t know why else he’d be relieved—

“Breathe, Izuku.” Shinsou’s voice washed over him and Midoriya clamped his mouth shut. He hadn’t even noticed he opened it. “Take a breath or you’ll pass out. Again.”

“That was one time,” Midoriya protested. Shinsou’s only response was a quirked eyebrow. Nonetheless, he followed Shinsou’s order and focused on breathing. Quiet floated in the air again, still peaceful but filed with a tension that Midoriya didn’t dare name out of fear of overthinking and getting it wrong.

“You okay?” asked Shinsou after he observed Midoriya’s breathing. Midoriya didn’t trust his voice enough, pinned under Shinsou’s (pretty) lilac gaze, and nodded. “Don’t forget to take your medicine, ‘kay?”

“You too,” Midoriya said, mock-sternly pointing a finger at Shinsou.

“Already took it,” Shinsou replied. “Been up since four.”

“Four?” Midoriya repeated, eyebrows pinched in concern. “Are your insomnia pills not working anymore?”

“It’s fifty-fifty, to be honest,” Shinsou sighed, lightly twirling his chopsticks. “It’s a new prescription, and Doc said it’s normal. They want me to stay on it for at least a couple months before we see if we need to switch it again.”

Midoriya nodded and made a quiet note to himself to stock up on Shinsou’s favorite tea.

Shinsou rose from the table and stretched. His shirt rode up and revealed a strip of skin, and Midoriya needed to pinch himself twice to stop staring. “I’m going to work on a report in the living room,” Shinsou announced as he picked up his dishes. He was quiet as he approached the sink and grabbed the sponge. His back to Midoriya, Shinsou added,  “And it might sound difficult to believe—but I missed doing hero work with you.”

With that being said, Shinsou started washing the dishes. The running water swallowed the noise Midoriya made, but it did nothing to cease the heat that warmed his cheeks. At least, Midoriya thought, Shinsou can’t see me . . . His thoughts trailed as he stared at Shinsou. Midoriya blinked twice and squinted, in disbelief at what he saw.

Either Midoriya experienced a caffeine-induced hallucination or the tips of Shinsou’s ears were red. Hope burrowed deep in his heart, but Midoriya quieted the whispers that spoke of requited feelings. He was just seeing things.

Right?

pls help <<DEKUREN FANCLUB>>

THIS THREAD HAS BEEN ARCHIVED

Click HERE to understand why

u/applepi (applepi) wrote:

y’all im cryin g. my sis got me into hero ships n why is dekuren so CUTE n PRECIOUS!!! someone pls explain the mystery surrounding these two good boys, tho! im a little confused about what’s like ‘fanon’ n what’s, like, a rumor lol

12 May 2XX4

createa:

so basically dekuren started in their second yr of high school! they paired up during the sports festival n basically everyone noticed how well they fought n planned together n it just snowballed from there

edit 13/05/X4: also present mic called them the “destiny duo of 2A”

eggs.are.life

tbh just blame present mic LOL he fueled the flames for the dekuren fandom; he’s like the true dekuren shipper

dekukukuku

UMM besides the 2A Sports Festival thing, Deku always had a public presence in socmedia ever since his first year (w. that 8 precepts thingy) n he had a growing fanbase then, n they noticed how much he interacted w/ siren (tho no one knew who it was yet until the sports festival, they just though he was a friend) n basically they’ve just acted like a married couple LOL

But I do admit that the dekuren fandom kinda takes things a mile if theyre given an inch

REDRIOT!

  im just as lost as you bby

Midoriya wanted to know what he did in a previous life to deserve this—what deity he’d pissed off to end in these situations. Said situation being: his newest occupation as a humanoid pillow for one Shinsou Hitoshi. He wasn’t sure how, exactly, it happened, but once he finished breakfast, he made himself comfortable beside Shinsou by the coffee table.

At Shinsou’s questioning look, Midoriya had explained, “Um – well, since we’re expected to be, you know, even more tactile with one another, I thought it’d be a good uh . . . practice . . .?”

Midoriya trailed off at Shinsou’s unimpressed, though amused, stare. “You just want to cuddle, don’t you?” Shinsou had asked.

Midoriya had cleared his throat and stared at a spot on his rug. “Maybe.”

Much to Midoriya’s relief, Shinsou hadn’t run away at the prospect of cuddling. Midoriya knew, rationally, that he wouldn’t have a problem with affection. People liked to assume Shinsou was standoffish with touch, but Midoriya knew the truth. He once called Shinsou a “cuddle monster,” back in high school, as he was extremely tactile and affectionate with people that he was comfortable with.

Midoriya had flipped through the channels idly while Shinsou worked on his reports. They settled into a comfortable silence as Midoriya watched TV and Shinsou worked. There were moments when Shinsou asked for an opinion or a different perspective, but other than that, his home was quiet. Midoriya noticed, a good hour later, that Shinsou leaned on him heavier than before, but wrote it off as the other getting more comfortable.

Shinsou’s quiet snore made Midoriya realize he had fallen asleep. On Midoriya.

He managed to wiggle his phone out of his pocket and clicked on one of his messaging apps. Someone needed to know how adorable Shinsou was or else Midoriya would explode right then and there.

DM @shoutototo [ONLINE]

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
hes so cteu im gona die

shoutototo
bold of u to assume i can read that shit
oh, are you talking about shinsou

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
ye
hes so cute im adkfjaldfjgdfjg 
AHHHHHHH

shoutototo
lol

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
[Attached Image: A slightly blurry selfie of Midoriya, capturing the slumbering form of one Shinsou Hitoshi as he slouches against Midoriya’s side. What looks to be a stack of papers is on Shinsou’s lap.]
hes drooling
help me

shoutototo
young love
im screenshotting this btw

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
todoroki :( 

shoutototo
im making a ppt for your wedding 

(all might voice) MIDORIYA SHOUNEN
LJDKFADLFAKF TODOROKI

Midoriya flushed. That’s right – people will start asking about wedding plans.

He swallowed; hopefully, everyone would accept the excuse of “not being in a rush.” He knew it was one thing to pretend to be engaged, but it was something else to plan a wedding with his fake fiancé. Shinsou’s kindness toward this mess would only go so far.

Once Todoroki teased him a bit more about the situation, heat seeped into Midoriya’s side. Shinsou’s hair, a mess of curls that trailed to his shoulders, brushed against and tickled Midoriya’s chin. Midoriya moved his arm slowly, feeling a familiar numbness in his forearm at Shinsou’s weight, and nonchalantly (not really) placed it around Shinsou’s waist in a loose, featherlight manner.  

Shinsou shuffled closer, sinking against Midoriya’s side, once he removed his arm. Midoriya couldn’t breathe—didn’t, out of fear that his breath would disturb Shinsou’s sleep. An old, pre-quirk anime played on the screen—something about magical girls and the moon—but Midoriya wasn’t paying attention.

I’m going to die, he thought as Shinsou did a half-snort, half-snore in his sleep, but Midoriya found that he was at peace with a Shinsou-induced death. However, Midoriya needed to use the bathroom and it was with a regretful sigh that he woke Shinsou in the only way he knew how: by poking where he was most ticklish.

Shinsou sputtered awake, laughter spilling out of his mouth as he wiggled out of reach from Midoriya’s fingers. “Rude,” Shinsou said, a pout forming on his lips as he rubbed his sides. Midoriya pinched himself so that he wouldn’t give in to his urge to kiss it away. “S’what was that for, Izu? I was comfy.”

“Bathroom,” croaked Midoriya.

Beneath the soft beams of the early afternoon sun, softened and rumpled by sleep and the dredges of laughter from Midoriya tickling him, Shinsou looked like a dream and a vision wrapped in one silhouette. He tilted his head, quirking an eyebrow, concerned, most likely, at the flush currently rising up the curve of Midoriya’s neck.

“—okay?” Shinsou was asking, and Midoriya jolted back to the present, briefly, before his mind latched onto the way Shinsou’s hair fell around his face, soft curls that Midoriya wanted to play with; purple eyes wide and soulful as he inched closer. “Izuku?”

Nope, Midoriya thought as he rose to his feet, all but tripping over himself to get to the bathroom. An excuse stumbled out of his mouth as he made his escape. NOPE.

Shinsou’s inability to recognize just how cute he was would be the cause of Midoriya’s death. He could see his tombstone now. Here lies Midoriya Izuku, who died because his fake fiancé was just too attractive.

[Text is on the top center of the screen labeled “POV ur my computer watching me FLIP MY SHIT over dekuren” as the person in question, a late teen, currently “flips their shit,” fake screaming, jumping up and down, pointing at the camera with an excited (or crazed) expression. The camera then flips to a computer screen, and it’s photographs and fanart of pro heroes deku and siren, before it ends.]

@dekuren • 3 HOURS AGO
my fbi agent has had enough,,
song: sunflower 

DEKUREN CANON!!!! @subblu • 12h
IM STILL SCREAMING
WHO ELSE IS STILL SCREAMING 
2k Retweets 14k Likes 

DEKUREN CANON @DEKURENCLUB • 11h
Replying to @subblu
GIRL IM SCREAMING TOO TF

chats going wild @chuwu • 10h
sis doesn’t know about #dekuren yet
streamin her reaction in five,,
[LINK: BABY SIS REACTS TO DEKUREN (ft. EXASPERATED MOM ]
12k Retweets 365k Likes

bbabey @rikuwus • 8h
Replying to @chuwu
your poor mother

Peace existed beneath the moon. Despite his awareness of the crime that blossomed once the moon rose above the skyline, Midoriya would always find the nighttime pleasant. Though, he could do without the villains and crime bosses that seemingly crawl out of the underground. The first hour or so was uneventful, save for a lost tourist that they helped guide back toward the rest of civilization; all Midoriya had done so far was parkour over various rooftops with Shinsou.

Not, however, that he was complaining. A slow night was good, in his opinion—less of a risk of hospitalization, after all. You couldn’t get broken bones if you didn’t get into a fight.

“Seems pretty slow, tonight,” Midoriya murmured as he eyed the inky sky above. Shinsou hummed noncommittally beside him, tense and prepared to leap into battle at any moment. Midoriya was as well, but he hid his behind a deceptive calmness that lulled villains into a false sense of security, letting them think they had caught the number one pro off guard.

Then, a few spaces away from where they were: a faint scream.

He spoke too soon.

They moved in sync, quiet steps that eat up the distance within seconds. It looked like it could either be a robbery or a kidnapping. It’d end now, regardless.

“I’d hate to crash the party, boys,” Shinsou said as he crouched on the roof, a hard glint in his expression as his capture tape rose in the air. “But something tells me you’re not the typical good Samaritans, are you?”

One of them stared up at Shinsou. “Who the fuck—?”

Midoriya hid a smile as, one by one, they were ensnared beneath Shinsou’s quirk. He focused on the small, trembling figure that had darted by the trashcans when they’d entered the scene. The little boy stared up at him, a starry gaze that made Midoriya’s heart ache (and a small voice pointed out, this scene is familiar—), and whispered, “. . . Deku . . .?”

“Hey there,” Midoriya said quietly; crouched in front of the child so that he couldn’t see the slight violence that came with capturing villains. He quickly glanced behind him to check up on Shinsou, but given the fact that Shinsou used to get into regular brawls with the members of the ‘Bakusquad’ back in high school, and, for the most part, come out successful, he was doing well and didn’t need interference. “It’s alright. You know why?”

The boy swallowed, tears clinging to his eyes, and the hope was almost too much for Midoriya to see. “Why . . .?”

Midoriya gentled his smile and heard the echo of Shinsou informing the police of their whereabouts and the situation, as he reached out a hand for the child to take.

“Because I’m here now.”

Soft tears wracked the boys’ shoulders as Midoriya gathered him up. Bandages were wrapped around the child’s arms and legs (just like—), and there were bruises lining his throat that Midoriya resolutely didn’t want to think about.

“And who’s this?” Shinsou appeared at Midoriya’s shoulder and smiled when the boy shyly hid his face in the crevice of Midoriya’s neck. “I’m a friend of Deku’s.”

“I know,” the boy whispered. “You’re – you’re his boyfriend. I saw on the TV.”

Midoriya shared a glance with Shinsou.

“That’s right,” Shinsou murmured, even though it wasn’t, even though Midoriya wanted it to be the truth. “Could I get your name? I think it’s only fair.”

The distant howl of sirens and an ambulance trailed down the street. Midoriya fixed his grip on the child, even though it wasn’t needed. Shinsou had knocked the villains’ unconscious—and they were all securely tied down with Hatsume Mei-patented capture gear. They wouldn’t be moving unless Shinsou wanted them to.

“Ren,” the boy said.

“That’s a cute name,” Midoriya smiled, and then shared an amused glance with Shinsou when Ren hid his face again.

Cars skidded in front of the alley entrance, the ambulance not too far behind. Ren gripped the front of Midoriya’s suit and mumbled, “I’ goin’ with them?”

“Yeah, kiddo,” said Midoriya, and he ignored the tilt to Shinsou’s lips. “But don’t worry—they’ll keep you safe, okay? And I’ll check up on you, too!”

Ren’s eyes brightened, and then, possibly shyer than he’d been so far, he rose a shaking pinky. Midoriya did his best not to think of the paperlike cuts on the appendage. “Do you promise?”

Midoriya wrapped his pinky around Ren’s. “I promise,” and then, he winked at Shinsou and added, “Hitoshi promises, too.”

Ren giggled.

None of the press were around, thankfully. It made sense given that they were never notified when Shinsou would be on patrol, as that’d sacrifice the need for anonymity. Ren was given to the practiced hands of EMTs, Tsukauchi climbing into the ambulance behind him after he wrangled a statement from Midoriya that they’d be at the station first thing in the morning.

“Best thing Eraserhead ever taught you kids,” the detective had sighed out. “Filing out paperwork with the police.”

The villains were dragged off to the station in chains, and Midoriya and Shinsou, once again, gave promises to show up to the station when they could for the paperwork.

“That was eventful,” Midoriya said once an oddly peaceful quiet had settled over the area. His side tingled with warmth as Shinsou had yet to leave his side. Does this mean something . . .? No. it doesn’t.

“Yeah, Yeah.” Shinsou stretched his arms above his head. Although Midoriya couldn’t see most of his face due to his mask, he knew a satisfied smile danced on Shinsou’s lips. “Come on, weather boy—I’m hungry.”

Midoriya sputtered at the nickname. Shinsou only laughed at his expression. Their fingertips ghosted against one another as they walked side-by-side. “Let’s get a drink or two,” Shinsou suggested, the adrenaline of their patrol coursing through his veins. “I’m feeling celebratory.”

“Sure,” said Midoriya.

No had never been an option.