Deku had realized he struck a nerve when Shouto never answered back. He pulled the cup of ramen noddles out and stirred it with his fork. Maybe Sara was right. He wanted to bond with someone who was almost the same as him. Who knew his pain in a way... maybe because he wanted to feel like he still mattered.

"So stupid."

He leaned back in his computer chair staring at the commotion from the other day when he saved Shouto.

I'm tired of them going after me already.

"I wonder how much more I can compile about them? I have so much already and it's not like I know more after these few years of going after them secretly. I wonder if I should send these in to All Might after all."

Izuku slurped some of his noodles down.

"I could make copies just in case they throw them away and didn't believe me. I am a villain after all. I highly doubt they would trust me anyways."

He spent the next hour going over the footage but he didn't see anything new. He groaned bored and angry with himself. His brain wasn't thinking right because he had the dual user on his mind. The thought of his giving up his promising life as a hero almost made him sick.

Maybe he was jealous because he wanted that life at one point. He wanted to be a pro hero too.

I am so stupid. Kacchan was always right... Even with a quirk now, I can't do anything...

X

X

Shouto wandered the streets aimlessly. He didn't want to face Izuku again but he felt himself being pulled there.

I don't know why I'm going back after this morning. I don't like being vulnerable but there's something there. Something that draws me to him. There's more to him. More behind that smile.

That night... Now that he knew the real reason... He felt horrible. Absolutely horrible knowing he called him a villain when he was in the middle of a mental break down, a suicide attempt then saving someone. Shouto didn't feel like a hero now, he felt like a piece of shit. He wanted to make up for it.

I feel guilty. I'm a horrible person.

The hero found him standing in front of Izuku's home. His heart was pounding in his ears. Maybe he felt like if Deku saved him, that would make the guilt go away. He just felt worse after that text message. His hands balled up into fists as he started shaking. He hadn't had to face anything this whole time like this.

He reached out for the door and turned the knob. It opened right up but only slightly. His eyes started to water up and his breath was coming out uneven. Shouto never heard the light footsteps coming for the door. The door swung open and he was face to face with Izuku.

Deku stood there seeing the emotion running through Shouto's eyes. He had never seen someone look like they were in that much distress besides himself but it wasn't like he ever looked into a mirror while crying. He grabbed Shouto's hand and pulled him in then slammed the door shut.

He locked the door up and held out his arms to Shouto. The hero shook his head at first and hid his face with his hair.

"I'm not here to judge you."

Shouto stumbled forward into his arms before he started crying. He had no idea what made him break down like he did. He never cried in front of anyone but his mom. Deku was a lot stronger than he looked since he held Shouto up. The hero was a few inches taller than him too but he held him up.

"Maybe I don't understand what you went through but I'm sorry it happened. You didn't deserve that," Izuku whispered.

"How do you know that?" Shouto snapped through grinding teeth.

"Because I can see it for myself."

The two of them stood there in the run room for a while before Shouto managed to pull himself together fully. They headed down the ladder into his home. Shouto sat on Deku's bed wiping his tear stained face. The villain reached into his fridge and pulled out a cold tea then handed it to Shouto.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't think you're selfish," Shouto said.

Deku's expression softened.

"I am."

"Then we both are."

He smiled, saying nothing.

"I'm sorry you have to see me that way," Shouto said, "A hero shouldn't do that."

"Hiding behind an expressionless mask is not the way to go though. It hurts you too."

"Is that so?"

Izuku nodded.

"You might feel better though. I can tell you, whatever you tell me will remain between us... even if you drag into the police station to have me arrested."

The hero looked upward.

"I don't think I could do that."

Deku smiled. Shouto looked up to see he definitely had those soft, green eyes even in the alley covered in blood. He could tell what kind of person someone was just from glancing into their eyes. Oddly enough, he reminded him of his mother a long time ago.

"If you think about it... I could've ended up the villain," Shouto said quietly, "I just wonder why I never did it."

Izuku scooted closer to the bed.

'Tragic hero?"

"More like stubborn hero..." he said sighing.

"Hmmm... I can see both."

Shouto gave him a half smile before taking a drink of his tea.

"My father had this idea in his head he wanted to beat All Might and married my mother because of her quirk. He had fire and she had ice. So, there was four of us. I was the only one he was interested in and when my quirk came... It was hell on Earth."

"Quirk marriage."

"Yes. I got beat up, hurt and humiliated because he felt like he had to train me from the start. I don't even really know my siblings at all and one of them is gone because he ran away. I can't remember how old I was but I heard my mother talking to my grandma about how she couldn't stand to look at me. I didn't understand then like I do now.

"She didn't hate me. She hated him. My mother was abused and treated like crap because he had the stupid idea in his head that he could beat All Might. When I had walked into that kitchen, she dumped scolding hot water onto my father's side of my face. He sent her away because she hurt me."

Izuku wiped at his eyes.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," he whispered.

"Why do you cry for me though? You didn't do it to me."

He looked up.

"You didn't deserve that and I don't know what makes you think you did."

Shouto hung his head, "I guess I was ok with it because she no longer was under his force. The abuse was there but he didn't hurt her as much. I just wanted her to be happy."

"Do you go see her?" Deku asked quietly.

"Once a year. I haven't seen her this year yet."

He nodded in understanding.

"I hate using the fire."

Izuku tilted his head, "Why?"

"It reminds me of him."

He leaned back in his chair humming to himself.

"I don't see it."

Shouto arched his eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yea. I mean... That fire I see isn't him at all... It's all you. Endeavor could never be as strong as you. The power you display even if it is a bit wild... It's all you. None of it is him."

Shouto hung his head, "I wish you would've been there to tell me that at the Sports Festival. I barely made it and still got beat because I gave up."

Izuku gripped onto Shouto's shoulder firmly, "I did see it. I may not have been there to see your struggle but I did cheer you on."

The hero looked upward.

"What?"

"I kind of liked you when I saw you. You were strong but the way you use your power... It's amazing. I was so excited to see what kind of hero you would be."

He let his hand drop to his own lap.

"I never expected you to be the one who found me in that alley."

"You think I can still be a hero as damaged as I am?" Shouto whispered.

"Yes."

Shouto leaned forward placing his face against Izuku's shoulder as his eyes began to water up. Without saying another word, Deku wrapped his arms around Shouto as he cried softly.

Sara, I just wanted someone to bond with... not someone who suffered as much as I did.

"I think you need a little more than a cure for cancer," Izuku whispered, "I'm here to talk to if you need me to listen."

Shouto nodded into his shoulder. Izuku began stroking his hair softly trying to ease him from the rampage of emotion he was feeling. His heart hurt for the young hero.

"If you want, I can make you dinner."

Shouto looked upward.

"I'm not great but if you love ramen noodles and grilled cheese, I'm your man."

A goofy grin spread across Shouto's pink face before he drowned a snicker into the man's shoulder.

"Hey! I'm poor and I don't have patience for cooking big meals!"

Shouto let a short laugh.

What a beautiful laugh.

"I think I'll be ok. Thank you for listening to me."

Deku smiled softly, "Anything for you darling."

HealSlut: I love your username by the way! I love him too! Such a sweet boy!

Treecko360: I can't imagine having no to talk too. My group of friends is small itself but damn... being that lonely would suck.

AmbetheCat: I'm always glad to give you a good morning when I can : )

Garnet168: I've caught up on the manga myself but on my Izuku X Shigaraki fic I have stuff in there anime watchers don't know about yet. When I go to post it, I'll have to warn them lol I'm glad you jumped over to this story too! I hope you have a great week too : )Welcome back!

When I first posted this I was a little nervous and it's picked up faster than I thought. I have resist the urge to post it all at once because I am that excited lol I'll probably post tomorrow and I'm not sure about Thursday yet. Have a great day!