Man is always prey to his truths. Once he has admitted them, he cannot free himself from them.
-Albert Camus, "The Myth of Sisyphus"
Hat pulled low over his hair, Todoroki skulks in the shadows of a narrow alleyway. He checks his phone, the message on the throwaway email still staring back at him.
He goes to the Ito-Yokado in Block 6 between 10:20 and 11 most Sundays. Has been taking back streets to and from, most often an alleyway with two sets of dumpsters and the cartoon graffiti of Stain halfway down it. Usually wears a green or black pullover with the hood drawn.
Looking over his shoulder, he glares at the ridiculous depiction of Hero-Killer Stain wearing a white robe and a halo that has been spray-painted on the dingy gray concrete of the building. It has to be here.
He tucks his phone away and shuffles back into the deeper shadows of the dumpsters.
The sun climbs higher as he waits, the darkness creeping away by degrees. Todoroki fidgets impatiently, trying to resist the impulse to peek out of the alley. He's not used to this - this waiting.
He's been here for nearly forty minutes. He arrived at 10, twenty minutes before the window of time his informant gave. In that time he's scared off a pack of kids coming to take selfies with the graffiti, a vagrant intent on digging through the dumpsters, and some guy looking to sell street drugs. The latter's face he memorizes.
Damn All Might for reducing me to this.
He feels the familiar anger bubbling up as time stretches on. All Might, the great and powerful hero who swept onto the scene like a hurricane. Who blew out like dynamite, leaving wreckage in his wake.
Wreckage all the other heroes have to clean up.
Wreckage Endeavor must clean up.
When he saw the news of All Might's retirement scrolling across the screen he was suddenly twenty years old again, watching the hero's retreating back, helpless fury tearing him up inside like a thousand gnashing teeth.
That had been bad, what had followed had been worse. The accolades. The headlines.
"Flame Hero Endeavor - the New #1 Hero!"
"Endeavor's Ascent - All Might's next Successor?"
The pats on the back from other heroes, from his employees. The sudden boost in business. Everywhere companies were now looking to plaster his colors on their merchandise.
The anger was too much to be borne. He had destroyed his training room in a fit of rage, hammering his fists into the walls and machines until his knuckles bled and everything smoldered around him.
It had barely taken the edge off.
The anger is like a living thing inside him now. It harries him endlessly, disturbing his concentration, his sleep. He can't get rid of it. Sometimes he thinks he might die from the intensity of it; there's no way a human being can be so full of rage and live.
But he is. His heart keeps beating, his lungs keep breathing. Even when he feels like he's slowly being driven insane, he clings to his duties and soldiers on.
Or, tries to. It would be so much easier if it weren't for the damn publicity. At first the press had all been positive, bolstering the general attitude in the wake of the Hero Killer Stain's arrest and All For One's attack. But gradually doubts had crept in.
The public doesn't trust him to take the role. He's heard it all; speculations from the newscasters, quips from the radio hosts, the whispers on the street.
Endeavor is number one hero, but he's not All Might.
Endeavor? He's the new number one?
No way Endeavor can fill All Might's shoes.
He flexes his fingers, digging white crescents into his palms, scarcely aware that he's doing it.
They loved All Might. They loved him because he was fucking inefficient. Doing interviews, making all kinds of public appearances, doting on the people like he was some kind of mother hen. Todoroki doesn't have time for that shit, he isn't called Endeavor for no reason. Don't people realize that he's solved more cases than any Pro hero, even All Might?
Approval ratings are what matter in this hero game, Number One. That's why I keep up appearances. People place their faith in those they like.
He remembers the lazy grin curling up at him with those words, the shrug of red wings from across the table.
Sometimes he hates that little shits like Hawks are right.
No matter though. It isn't his approval ratings that bother him or the flagging faith of the public. It's All Might.
All Might, whose back he was always chasing.
All Might, who he was finally within a hairsbreadth of eclipsing.
All Might, who hid his weakness from the world and thinks he can just up and retire because he's fucking embarrassed.
That won't be how this works. It can't be how this works. He's slaved for years for this, for the sweet moment when his power surpasses All Might's, and he won't be denied!
That's what had driven him to this final conclusion. One way or another, it'll all be finished today.
Todoroki is working himself up into a rage now, so distracted that he almost misses his opportunity. A tall figure in baggy clothes passes the dumpsters, a sack of groceries in hand. Olive-green cargo pants and a baggy black sweater drawn low - he may be hunching, but Todoroki knows that's All Might.
Snatching the wrist closest to him, he pulls All Might out of the triangle of light spilling from the street and into the shadows with him.
"What -" startled, All Might drops his groceries and swings, but Todoroki expects that. He blocks the hit easily and readies himself for another punch before All Might falters.
"Enji?"
Goddamn, that's irritating. Enji, he says, like they're familiar enough to be friends. He doesn't want All Might to know how much it gets to him though, so he keeps his mouth shut. It doesn't help much; the anger in him is still mounting. The stupid look on All Might's face just fans the flames of his rage. Those sharp cheekbones, the bruised shadows under those hollow eyes – just seeing his rival like this is enough to piss him off royally.
"What are you doing?"
He doesn't even sound like All Might. All Might has never spoken with that soft, meek tone. No, he's always got that stupid grin on his face, blowing hot air like a gale from between perfect, even teeth.
All Might, grocery shopping and walking home. Pretending he's retired, playing at civilian life. Like he can just turn his back on it all.
Everything he wanted to say is swept out of his head at the sight of that frail visage. In its place the anger bubbles in his throat, choking his eloquence from him. He clutches at one of All Might's bony wrists. "You - how dare you – I refuse to accept it-"
Todoroki can't decide what he wants to say first. All of it wants to come tumbling out at once, and his own inarticulate fumbling only makes him madder. He grips the flesh in his hand tightly, using the touch as an anchor to keep himself grounded.
"Enji?" All Might reaches out and touches his shoulder. Bizarrely he looks concerned. "Enji, are you okay?"
Who the hell is he to be asking if I'm okay?!
Suddenly, he finds the words he was looking for all along.
"You can't retire! I will beat you – I will earn my place as the number one hero!"
He squeezes All Might's bony arms. The man feels as frail as a grasshopper, and that's infuriating. That's not him. That's not All Might.
"What is with this weak form, All Might?! Why are you hiding?! You have no right-"
All Might's casting nervous looks around, but Todoroki could care less. That is until All Might brings one long finger to his lips, actually shushing him!
With one more quick glance over his shoulder, he abruptly twists his hand out of Todoroki's grasp and snatches his groceries back up. He twitches his hand at him in a come-hither gesture and steps away. "Come on."
Todoroki grabs his wrist again, half-expecting All Might to bound away. "Where do you think you're going?"
All Might gives him a look. "Home. Follow me, and I'll tell you everything."
Home. He's never known where All Might lives. Intrigue dampens his ire just enough to allow him to shove his hands into his pockets and hurry after.
Todoroki stays hot on All Might's heels, ready to tackle him in case the hero gets any funny ideas about running away. He squares his shoulders, glaring imperiously down at anyone who looks at them too closely and is pleased to see that most people give them a wide berth.
When at last they turn up a series of apartment complexes, he is baffled when All Might bypasses the luxury accommodations and turns into a run-down green building.
All Might lives here?
Perhaps it's a front. Maybe he owns the whole building and has it disguised; he wouldn't be the first hero to do something like that.
All Might slides his key into the lock and pushes open the door, kicking a scattering of shoes to the edge of the genkan and toeing his own off. Todoroki follows suit. He's momentarily distracted from his objective by sheer curiosity, looking around All Might's apartment with increasing incredulity.
The whole place is sparse, looking barely lived-in aside from a scattering of clothes that All Might hustles to sweep away. His furnishings are minimal, the couch has mismatched cushions, and his kotatsu - it looks cheap and flimsy.
This is it?
Annoyingly, while he was looking All Might has disappeared again. He rounds into the kitchen to find him fingers-deep in a bowl of eggs, the picture of domesticity. It's like he's totally forgotten Todoroki is here.
"Well?" he demands, vexed by All Might's indifference. "You said you would tell me everything. Now talk."
All Might rinses his hands and dries them, then opens the fridge to slide the bowl inside. "Would you care for some tea?"
The flat dismissal is like flint striking rock. His anger explodes, the fire flaring momentarily out of his control. Flames lick at his hat, which begins to blacken almost immediately and he snatches it off with a growl, tossing it singed and smoking onto All Might's bare counter.
For once All Might seems to realize who he's dealing with because his eyes widen and his movements become brisk. "Okay, okay."
All Might heads back to the living room and tucks himself under the kotatsu, like he's getting ready for a good long chat. Refusing to take a seat, Todoroki crosses his arms. As All Might takes a long draft from his teacup, he has to resist the urge to tap his foot, choosing instead to squeeze his fists together beneath his arms where his rival can't see.
All Might finally sets his cup down.
"A little over five years ago I fought All For One. When we fought he injured me severely, but I won. I thought I destroyed him. I made it off the battlefield and sought treatment in secret, and when I returned, All For One's body had vanished."
The revelation stuns him. Five years ago All Might had vanished from the public eye for the space of weeks; that, coupled with the fact that crime had fallen dramatically in that space of time lead everyone to believe that there had been a clash between him and some villains. But All Might had returned, smiling and close-mouthed, and eventually, it had been forgotten. To learn that he had fought with the world's most powerful villain not once, but twice…
Todoroki schools his expression into one of indifference, not wanting All Might to see how the news has rocked him.
All Might is staring down at his teacup, eyes shadowed and distant. "I kept the fight a secret, to keep the public from panicking. I didn't want them to know that someone like All For One might still be around." He reaches up, tracing his left side lightly, before tugging the hem of his shirt up.
Todoroki's eye is immediately drawn to the pink spiderweb of scars crisscrossing All Might's left side, which spill like runners of magma from the caldera cratering the left side of his ribcage. Even healed the wound looks painful. He finds himself drawn, horribly fascinated by the mark before his senses come back to him.
Aborting his step, he re-folds his arms and looks away. In the corner of his eye he sees All Might tuck his shirt back down, smoothing the fabric almost tenderly.
"They took out my stomach, part of my small intestine, and a good portion of my left lung. I don't absorb nutrients as well as I should; it's hard to keep my weight up, especially when I use my Quirk."
All Might goes for his tea again, drinking deeply before delivering his verdict. "That last fight really took a lot out of me, and I just... don't think I can keep it up anymore. I had to retire."
Then he shrugs. He shrugs, like that little one-minute explanation absolves him of everything.
Still absorbing the sheer inadequacy of it, Todoroki doesn't stop All Might when he gets up and heads back to the kitchen.
As he understands it, All Might has lived with this handicap for the last five years. Even with it he managed to defeat the most powerful villain in the world in combat, while Todoroki could do nothing but act as a distraction. And now he's stopped because he's tired?
That's an awfully flimsy excuse for the man who calls himself the Symbol of Peace.
It's so transparently weak that it incenses him beyond all words. The Quirk flowing through his veins ignites, curling about his shoulders like a fiery stole. His shirt and pullover stand no chance; they curl and flake into ash, dropping in clumps to the floor. All Might races out of the kitchen.
"Enji! Stop!"
All Might looks torn between panic and fear, a sight so at odds with him that it just makes Todoroki angrier. The fury feels too large for him, like it's being squeezed through a high-pressure tube and refined into something that burns cold instead of hot.
"So, that's it huh?" You quit. It got tough, and you decided you'd retire instead of working to stay at the top," he breathes, rephrasing All Might's explanation to the raw, unvarnished truth.
One of All Might's hands twitches towards him, the one holding the teacup. He half expects it to be thrown at him, but instead All Might lowers his arms and shakes his head, vehement.
"No, Enji. I decided that I should focus more on raising the next generation of heroes than continuing my own work. I've finally decided to listen to Recovery Girl; my own health is more important. You and the other heroes have always done an exemplary job, I have no doubt that you'll rise to take my place as the number one hero, and the new Symbol of Peace."
He's put on his teacher's voice, that even, patronizing tone that plays at being reasonable. Todoroki knows what it really means: sit down, shut up, and deal with it.
All Might's back is to him now. He's forcing one of the windows open, trying to waft the gray cloud of smoke now clinging about his ceiling outside. Todoroki grabs him and forces him down on the couch. All Might will listen, one way or another!
"I don't accept that!" He spits the words in All Might's gaunt face.
"What-"
Todoroki cuts him off before he can derail the conversation again. "This is not how this is going to go! I'm not - I won't accept being made the number one hero like this!"
All Might blinks up at him, slack-jawed. "Why not? That's how it works. If a hero is removed from the ranks, everyone else goes up a-"
"I know how the ranking works, All Might!" he seethes, "I will not accept being given the number one spot! I will earn it!"
Even though he's as plain as can be, All Might seems as dense as a brick wall. "Enji, you have earned it!" He tries placating him with a hand on his wrist. "You've been the number two hero for years! Who is more deserving of the spot than you?"
Todoroki has given up. All Might seems incapable of understanding - and as irritating as that is, it isn't that surprising. How could a man blessed with the world's strongest Quirk ever truly grasp the frustration of fighting tooth and nail for incremental improvement, of clawing above the mediocre masses to ascend the path toward greatness? He had risen like the morning sun, effortlessly taking his place at the zenith from the moment he had received his Hero license.
Well, he's never been much for words. Actions speak so much louder.
"I will beat you, All Might. Even if I have to drag you out of retirement to do it!"
His fingers twist in the collar of All Might's shirt, smoking. For the first time All Might reacts, pushing his arms off so forcefully that his fingers burn with the friction. "Enough, Enji. I am retired, and that won't be changing."
It doesn't scare him. He's more interested in the way All Might's arms had swollen, filling the loose holes of his shirt for an instant in a practical application of his Quirk. See? He can use it if he wants to.
All Might's puffing out his scrawny chest, looking down at him from his full height for once. Got him angry enough, eh?
"Fight me," he grins, positively electric with anticipation.
"Why?"
Todoroki is momentarily struck dumb by All Might's blockheaded attempt to turn this back into a conversation. He sputters, then finally finds the words. "Why - to settle this, once and for all!"
For the first time there's something other than forced calm or surprise in All Might's voice when he answers. "Settle what, Enji?"
He sounds frustrated, but nowhere near as frustrated as Todoroki is. "To settle who is the strongest!"
He's sick of this. Sick of this endless protraction, and All Might's recalcitrance.
But for once All Might stops, eyes lowering, considering. He's silent for a long moment, and when he looks back up the emotion in those blue eyes Todoroki can't quite read, but it instantly puts him on high alert. When All Might speaks, his words are soft, almost wondering.
"Do you think I'm stronger than you, Enji?"
It's like All Might's reached inside him and pulled out something naked and indecent. Panic is his first, instinctive reaction. His heart rate skyrockets, his stomach plummeting to his knees - but why?
All Might is watching him intently, like a child examining an ant under a spyglass. The following wave of indignant anger is more familiar and welcoming. He embraces it, letting the Hellfire flare on his shoulders so that All Might instinctively leans away from the heat.
"You are not stronger than me! I'd prove it to you now if you had the decency to fight me!"
The eyes on him are still calculating, most certainly gauging his reaction. He refuses to look away, staring All Might down and watching the fire dance in the other's eyes. In a battle of attrition, he will most certainly win.
It works. All Might lowers his gaze and moves, like he's trying to go around him. Todoroki pushes him back.
"You really want to fight?" All Might asks.
"Yes." He's so ready for it, he's prepared to just throw the other man over his shoulder and carry him to his car. But All Might only shakes his hand off.
"Okay. But I want another cup of tea first."
Let him have his tea. Todoroki's mind is racing, already leaping light-years ahead to the fight. He has the perfect place all set up: closed-circuit cameras, privacy, a battlefield large enough to accommodate both their Quirks, yet without any of the fancy trappings of that UA possesses. It's essentially a large patch of dirt for them to go mano a mano without destroying any of the surrounding infrastructures.
In the corner of his eye he sees All Might leave the kitchen and head off to the back of the apartment. Perhaps to grab something?
The longer he waits, the more certain he is that All Might's about to do something reckless, like jump out of his window to escape him. He pushes his way into the back, peering around the corner to find All Might on his hands and knees - making the bed?
"What are you doing?"
All Might gets to his feet, glancing at him quickly. "Nothing. Just looking for my - my inhaler."
He didn't even know All Might needed an inhaler.
"Well, come on," he insists, impatient. "I have a place in mind that-"
Then All Might grabs him by the neck and yanks him forward. Todoroki is unprepared for the throw - All Might is one of the last people he'd expect to go for a cheap shot, after all - but manages to turn it into a roll, landing squarely on the neat futon. He's about to get to his feet, fists raised but All Might's predicted him, already wrapping one lanky arm around his neck in a chokehold.
The pressure is intense; his face feels like an overinflated balloon, ready to pop. But even then he can feel that All Might's holding back; the tightness of his hold isn't strangling off Todoroki's airway at all, just threatening. He's able to speak just fine.
"All MIght! What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"We're fighting. Didn't you want that?" comes the teasing voice in his right ear.
This is - this - is this just a game to him?
Todoroki roars, finally too incensed to be articulate. This seems to frighten All Might, because he loosens his grip like he's getting ready to make a break for it.
"What- why the hell- are you kidding me?" he snarls, turning as far as his neck will allow to look at All Might's face. The dark eyes that glint back at him are flat, surprisingly serious.
"No. I'm not."
He grabs All Might's arm at his throat, yanking as a warning before he decides to plant a sharp elbow right in the other man's tender guts. "If you wanna fight, I'll end you. But we'll do it right. Now get off me."
"You're only saying that because you're losing."
All Might sure knows exactly the wrong thing to say. "The hell are you talking about?! You're the one taking cheap shots -"
"If you're really better than me, you should be able to beat me no matter how we fight. You're full of excuses, Enji."
If you're really better than me -
No more messing around.
Todoroki breaks All Might's hold with ease and reaches for him.
Fighting this man is hardly a challenge. It's like wrestling with a scarecrow; the most difficult part is figuring out where his scrawny torso is inside that gargantuan shirt. Once he's got that, it's all too easy to whip him to the ground and twist one twiglike arm behind his back.
All Might meanwhile is panting like a racehorse. Todoroki can feel the birdlike cage of his chest heaving beneath his knee; and most irritating of all, it doesn't look like an act.
Fingers tap at his leg, the universal white flag. For a second he considers twisting the arm beneath his fingers a little harder, but relents.
"You win." The words are out of All Might's mouth the second he rolls over.
There's no way in hell Todoroki is letting him off that easy. "Get up, All Might."
All Might just folds his hands behind his head, reclining back like he's about to take a nap. "No. It's over, Enji. You win."
What kind of fool does All Might take him for?
He picks All Might up by the collar of his shirt; it's like curling a particularly dense feather pillow. And when he shakes him, All Might only dangles loosely in his grasp, completely pliant. Unresisting. He's like a wet noodle, and the absolute insult of his efforts is like claws raking over Todoroki's raw nerves. "That was not a fight!"
"It's the best you're going to get." All Might touches his hands, and Todoroki drops him to smack them away.
Readjusting the neck of his shirt, All Might shrugs again. "You can hit me, if you want." He spreads his arms, taunting. "It might make you feel better."
If there was ever a question of whether or not All Might ever respected him as a rival, this answers it. He's spitting on Todoroki's honor and grinding it into the dirt.
"How dare you - you patronize me like this, All Might!" he hisses, trembling with the rising urge to ignite his fist and grind it into the other man's flesh.
All Might is already shaking his head. 'Not patronizing. I told you already, I can't fight anymore. This is all I have left." Then he smiles, a small, lopsided curve of his lips.
And despite it all, despite All Might's insults and half-truths - Todoroki believes him.
He believes him.
And that grates worst of all.
"You bastard. You did this on purpose. You retired before I could-"
But all of a sudden All Might is closing the distance between them. He feels something touch the back of his head and reacts instinctively, twisting the reaching hand around and thrusting it between them like a shield. It makes no difference. All Might butts himself right up against the makeshift barrier and tilts his head down, mashing his lips to Todoroki's.
Stunned doesn't quite cover it. He's paralyzed, long enough that any villain would've had ample opportunity to slip a knife through his ribs. Then, just as suddenly he has control again, and shoves All Might away with all the force he can muster.
When the other man bounces off the wall and breaks his own lamp, Todoroki doesn't feel bad. He doesn't feel much of anything at the moment. It's like his brain has been frozen, stuttering over the previous three seconds like a video glitched on repeat.
"What. The. Fuck, All Might."
No one does that. No one has ever done that to him. He stares down All Might, waiting. Waiting for the words that will cut the noose from his neck, because if he doesn't have a good fucking excuse, Todoroki is going to hang him right hear.
"Afraid, Enji?" All Might cocks his head, arching one eyebrow at him. He doesn't seem fazed in the least. "Afraid to meet me on the only battlefield where we could possibly be equals?"
Those are fighting words, completely add odds with the man's attitude up til now. "What?"
"I know you don't want to believe it, but I'm essentially powerless Endeavor." And that marks the first time today he's addressed Todoroki properly, like another hero. It's done intentionally, to command his attention, and he stiffens, wary.
"You don't seem to be all that satisfied with our fight, so I'm giving you an option to meet me in a battle I have a chance of winning."
A battle he has a chance of winning...
A battle…
No. It's impossible. Too ludicrous to be borne. But All Might's eyes are on his mouth, leaving no question as to his meaning. "Kissing? Kissing is not fighting, All Might!" He's so off-put by the statement that his voice cracks on the first word.
"Isn't it?"
All Might takes one small step towards him, and Todoroki takes a compensatory step back, half-expecting the man to lunge after him again. His eyes - deep-set, electric blue - hold Todoroki's as intently as a snake charming its prey.
"I'm not sure what kind of kissing you do, but it's all about control. The body goes where the head follows. You take someone's mouth, you've as good as got them." He takes another step.
Kissing isn't something Todoroki is particularly fond of; someone else crowing right up into his personal space, all that wet and sloppy action - he'd rather skip all that and get to business. He'd never thought of it all that much before, but something about All Might's words rings true.
Todoroki has always been the one controlling the kiss. He's never had a partner strong enough or pushy enough to ever try to take control. And when All Might puts it like that...
"If you win, I'll do whatever you want, short of coming out of retirement. If I win, you have to do what I say." All Might takes another step towards him. Now they're less than three feet apart, and he still hasn't taken another step back. It's like he's being hypnotized.
Everything but the one thing he wants above everything else. Some incentive. But wait - no limitations on his end?
There's something All Might wants. Something he's not letting on, but Todoroki knows a trap when he sees it. Is All Might bluffing? Hoping the astronomical absurdity of this wager will make him fold? And if so, why?
He feels off-kilter, reeling like a punch-drunk boxer. But there's no way he'll let All Might know how badly he's gotten to him.
"How do you decide the winner?" he asks, playing for time.
There's a flash of surprise on All Might's face, quickly smoothed over. So he hadn't even thought that far, huh? Expected Todoroki to outright reject it. That must mean that this course of action isn't the one that he expected to take after all.
After a moment's pause, All Might says, "Whoever gets an erection first."
"You think I'm gonna get hard kissing you, All Might?" Todoroki sneers.
All Might only grins crookedly at him. "I never said you couldn't play dirty to get a result. Do we have a deal?"
His mind races. He's looking for an angle, trying to hook his claws into the crack that will allow him to peel back All Might's armor. Why is he doing this? What could he possibly have to gain, other than Todoroki's silence? He must know that Todoroki will die before letting himself be humiliated like this -
Yes.
Maybe that's exactly what he wants. To humiliate the new number one into his place. To play at intimacy, to wring an unwilling reaction from him that can be used as a lash to keep him in line.
If he loses, All Might will have him exactly where he wants him.
There's a lot at stake, but Todoroki has never felt less aroused in his life. His pride and honor are on the line. Will he be able to live with himself if he refuses?
Will All Might win if he says no?
He decides to trust his instincts.
"Deal."
Before his resolve can drain into disgust, he attacks. All Might's back hits the wall, the nape of his neck cradled in Todoroki's hand for maximum leverage. His first impulse is to turn it into something feral, punishing All Might with a bit of pain - but no. Intelligence wins out. If he is to secure victory, he needs to kiss the way he thinks All Might would want to be kissed.
So how would All Might want to be kissed?
The bravado put on for the public has a veneer of toughness, but he's seen the way the man looks at his students. Mushy, sentimental, betraying a tender heart. Yes, All Might would want to be romanced.
So Todoroki woos him.
When his lips touch All Might's, he keeps the pressure light, experimental. Sampling the flesh beneath his. When his tongue presses to All Might's chapped lips, it's all he can do to keep pushing forward; he squeezes his eyes shut, repressing a shudder.
No. Don't think like that. He can't win if he doesn't approach this differently. Kissing All Might is no different than kissing a woman, lips are lips. He wrestles the emotion down.
I will win!
Stoking the fire of competitiveness works; he pours his enthusiasm into the kiss, moving in ways he hasn't tried since his high school flings. When All Might grips the back of his head in return he growls, pushing tongue against tongue.
Despite his resolve, it's not long before he tires of kissing. Hot breath blowing into each others faces, the taste of another's mouth - it quickly becomes more than he wants to deal with. He pulls his head away. Tilting All Might's chin, he spies the long whipcord of muscle that jumps at his neck and targets it, sucking at the sweat-dampened flesh.
He can hear panting breaths blowing past his left ear. It's hard to tell if the rapid respirations are from exertion or more, but he isn't going to be the first to put his hand on another man's dick to check.
Wetness tickles his earlobe. He resists flinching away, even when teeth graze the flesh and the soft sucking sounds in his ear. God, that might even be worse than kissing.
Thankfully All Might doesn't linger. He pulls off Todoroki and plants kisses along his jaw towards his throat. The man is positively catlike; he nuzzles Todoroki's neck and then laps lightly at it before mimicking Todoroki's actions and sucking at the muscle like a man sucking the last meat off of a turkey drumstick. He almost feels smug when All Might's hand slides down to cup his groin.
No, not enjoying that in the slightest.
But being felt up still irks him, so he pushes All Might back against the wall and pins him there with one leg slotted in the vee of his hips. There's no way he'll take control.
How long they kiss, he isn't sure. He only knows that it's too damn long for his liking, and with each passing second it's harder and harder to restrict his first impulses. Each kiss is rougher than the last, and when he sucks All Might's neck it's hard enough to leave a red spray of dots on the skin where capillaries have burst.
Just get hard, dammit!
This time it's he who grips All Might's crotch, rubbing him through the ridiculously baggy fabric of his pants.
Wait.
Is that-
He continues his massage for a moment, feeling All Might's cock springing to life beneath his fingers. Though his face is currently buried in the other man's neck, there's no mistaking the rigid warmth there. He squeezes, just to make sure then steps back.
There's an obvious tent in All Might's pants.
The triumph that crashes through him is more potent than any aphrodisiac. He had won! All Might stands before him, red-faced and sheepish and looking towards his feet.
"Looks like you lost." He can't stop the smile from overtaking his face. Wild joy rages through him; despite the fact that he can't force him from his retirement, he has the man here, in front of him, undone in a way that no one has ever seen him.
"It seems I did." All Might grins, a weak twitch of his lips that doesn't meet his eyes.
Now he can ask anything of him. Anything at all.
But what?
Really, the answer is as simple as it is repulsive. All Might had attempted to humiliate him using sex as a weapon; therefore, it's only logical that he return the favor.
"So, what do you want me to-"
"Kneel." He heads the other man off with the curt order, heart beginning to quicken. What's about to happen is something All Might will never admit to, something so disgraceful he'll never regain that untouchable place in Todoroki's mind.
And it's something only they will know.
All Might goes to his knees. Even at this height he's tall enough that his forehead reaches nearly to Todoroki's chest before he settles back on his heels.
"Suck me."
He doesn't move. Doesn't even flinch as All Might's hands reach for his belt, then stutters over the button of his jeans. He watches everything intently, wanting to sear every moment of this encounter into his memory forever.
As All Might pulls him through the flap in his boxers, he waits with bated breath.
The mouth that closes over him is lukewarm. Nothing compared to the Hellfire that runs through Todoroki's veins. All Might's cheeks, already hollow, deepen further as he sucks. His hands alight gently on Todoroki's thighs, as if hesitant to touch him.
He's sucking hard, hard enough that blood is drawn inexorably into Todoroki's cock.
"You've done this before."
The lack of teeth, the knowing press of his tongue - there's no way this is the first time All Might's sucked cock. The knowledge is surprising; though he had never given two shits about any hero's sexual identity, the fact that All Might could be anything other than ramrod straight has never crossed his mind.
He gives voice to this opinion.
"Never took you for a queer, All Might. Was all your posturing with the ladies an act?" The derision is there, unmistakable, though the emotions he feels are softened by the sensation pulsing through him. Pleasure is beginning to simmer beneath his skin, stoked however unwillingly by All Might's mouth and fingers.
With a pert pop, All Might pulls away. "Does it matter?"
Got you.
"Did I say you could stop?"
He's almost hoping All Might will take offense and get mouthy, but all he does is bend his head obligingly back down. Threading his fingers through the long waves of blonde hair, Todoroki takes control of All Might's head, turning it into a proper face-fuck. He wants to see how much the former number one can handle.
All Might takes it all in stride, slobbering and gasping around his cock. Todoroki can close his eyes and imagine that those wet, filthy sloppy sounds are being wrung from softer, more curvaceous lips - at least until the moment a low groan vibrates through his most sensitive bits. He looks down to see All Might rubbing the heel of his palm over his crotch.
"You're enjoying this, huh?" He pushes All Might off, tipping him over backward onto the futon so that he's forced to catch himself with both hands. Right foot placed squarely over All Might's erection, he curls his toes over the hard heat pressing urgently against the fly there.
If he enjoyed that, he's going to love what comes next.
"Strip."
All Might complies, but Todoroki notices that each article of clothing comes off slower than the previous one. When at last he's down to a pair of tented red boxers he hesitates, thumbs his fingers into the waistband and then draws them down swiftly, chucking them towards his closet before kneeling with alacrity. His hands pause just over his groin, before settling over his knees.
Clearly, he wants to hide. Endeavor can't understand why; All Might's cock is enormous. Pinked as the scars marring his ribcage, curving in a gentle arc, it's long enough to poke at the taut skin just above his navel. It would've been poetic justice if the man had been packing light, but of course, even in this Todoroki can't win.
"Get on all fours facing the wall," he orders sourly.
When All Might's skinny shanks are facing him, Todoroki kneels down himself and pulls the round globes of All Might's ass apart. The wrinkled skin staring back at him is a shade darker than the creamy paleness of the rest of his flesh, surrounded by a smattering of pale blonde hairs. It's an asshole, all right. All Might's asshole. It contracts to a starlike bud as he pulls the skin taut.
"You have lube?" he asks.
"Yes, I think so. Should be in the bathroom under the sink. Do you want me to get it?"
He doesn't bother to answer, merely pads toward the indicated doorway attached to All Might's bedroom. As he rifles through the various bottles of cleaning products and toiletries, he strokes himself idly. At last he finds it - a small blue bottle, maybe one-fourth full. He turns it over in his hands, first to register the brand and then to look for the small black print that indicates it's expiry.
He finds it, eyes widening.
"Jesus, All Might. This shit has to be ten years out of date!" Unless All Might's in the habit of going in dry, the only way he's still got something this old lying around is because he never used it.
As if echoing his thoughts, All Might laughs."You think I have time to get laid?"
There's just a hint of derision in his tone, which Todoroki quells with a hard slap to one ass cheek. "I didn't say you could talk."
He drizzles a line of lube over himself, then spreads one of All Might's cheeks again and splashes liquid down All Might's crack, right over his anus. He slicks himself with a few pumps of his hands, then presses the tip of his cock to the small aperture, pressing forward to pop the head through the ring.
It's a tight fit. Clearly the man doesn't normally do this, a thought that gives him grim pleasure. It will make this encounter all the more significant.
He's never been with a man before, but he's not an idiot. Endeavor knows how sex works. And most importantly, he knows that it's possible for it to be pleasurable for them both; there's a reason so many men like to take it up the ass, after all. He'll exploit that to its fullest.
As he rocks into All Might he feels the other stiffen, muscles going taut and ropey under his fingers. He's squeezing down so tightly that Todoroki thinks that if he tried to slip out right now he'd strip the skin right off his dick, so he digs the pads of his thumbs into All Might's back, willing heat through them to force the muscles to laxity.
When at last the spasm stops, he works the rest of the way in and pauses to take a breath - tension is already beginning to build in his groin, its been too damn long - and then pulls out completely.
All Might relaxes perceptibly.
Hurts, doesn't it?
Fortunately for him, hurt is not Todoroki's aim today. He drizzles the remaining lube over All Might and himself then presses in again, gratified by the lack of resistance this time. He gives one tentative thrust.
It's like a watershed breaking open. Sensation roars up like a wave, a shockwave of pure pleasure that blows away his rage and frustration and leaves nothing in its place but relentless need. He thrusts again, rocking All Might so hard that he has to brace himself against the wall.
Chasing after the sensation, Todoroki quickly accelerates until he's pounding All Might into the mattress. Jerky grunts shudder out from below, sounds he's not quite sure are pleasure or pain. Whatever they are, he doesn't care right now; all his machinations have gone right out the window. There's no space in his brain for anything but pure sensation, and the freedom is bliss.
Like all good things, it seems destined to end too soon.
His strokes become choppier as the bubble of tension in him swells, threatening to burst - and suddenly beneath him All Might swells too, scrawny frame ballooning in an instant to the muscled back as familiar to him as his own Quirk.
He stops, considering the development, then pulls out entirely.
"Turn over," he demands, feeling the first tendrils of real lust kindling. All Might complies, rolling to reveal the face Todoroki knows; this is the true Symbol of Peace, spread before him right now.
"Legs up!"
God, he's never imagined the man like this. The dominant hero now subservient, willing - if the erection straining against his belly is to be believed - and ripe for the taking.
And Todoroki will have him.
He grips All Might's thighs and slides back in. The pause has given his brain the chance to catch up with him, and now as he remembers his original plan, he sets to it.
The prostate. If he remembers rightly from that first, highly uncomfortable exam, it should be in and towards the front of the body.
He experiments with thrusts, tilting his hips at different angles until one push sends a visible quake through All Might.
"Uhn!"
The sound is guttural, wrung from deep All Might's his throat. It almost sounds pained, but the sudden jump of the hero's cock guides him to a different conclusion.
"Soft spot, All Might?" he taunts, repeating the motion. All Might refuses to answer, turning his head to muffle himself against his upraised arm. Todoroki seizes on that small action, fierce triumph flaring in his chest like gasoline going up in flames.
"Move your head," he demands, waiting for the moment those hollow eyes meet his. "I wanna hear it."
Then he snaps his hips again.
Now he takes his time, working All Might over. It's not about his pleasure now.
Everything begins to blend together; only snapshots of this moment will be burned into his brain, to be reviewed later. Broad hands twisted into the bedding. A tendril of precome stretching from the tip of All Might's cock to puddle on his belly. The primal slap of flesh on flesh, punctuated with groans so low and filthy he knows he'll never watch another porn that can compare.
This is how it was meant to be. All Might moaning like a bitch in heat for his cock, that powerful body wracked by quakes as Todoroki pounds into him.
Who knew the hero could make noises like that?
What would the world say if they could see the Symbol of Peace like this?
No.
He doesn't want anyone to see this. It's meant for his eyes only.
The pleasure building in him crests all too quickly. On the knife's edge, he hunches, burying his face the curve of his rival's neck. All Might whimpers - fucking whimpers! - in his ear, his legs clutching Todoroki's sides as he rocks his hips up to squeeze them together. The thick muscle jumping in his neck is too tempting to ignore; Todoroki sinks his teeth into it, feeling All Might's surprised yelp resonate against his lips. He comes like a bullet train, burying himself so deeply into his rival's body that he's not sure he'll ever make it back out.
When every last drop had been wrung from him, he collapses, panting. He becomes aware of the humid fog of sweat rising off of both of them, the sultry stink of sex clinging like perfume. He pulls out, rolls off and props himself on one arm, observing his rival.
All Might is quivering, cock still full and twitching against his belly. Come drips from his ass, blood drips down his neck; Todoroki hadn't realized how deeply he had bitten. On a whim, he leans in, swiping his tongue over the oozing punctures.
Pure salt and copper, a mineral tang as primal as the scent of their coupling.
Mine.
Rolling the flavor in his mouth, he settles back to savor the taste of victory. If only All Might could see how desperate he looks - how wanton; Todoroki thinks he could ask almost anything of him at this moment, and it would be given.
He decides to be merciful. "Touch yourself."
All Might pulls himself off with three quick strokes, spending himself all over his chest and stomach. Then, almost as quickly as he had come, he explodes in a puff of steam, reverting to the wasted form Todoroki is coming to despise.
The change wracks a cough from his rival, one that is muffled quickly. But not quickly enough for him to miss the blot of red that spreads across All Might's palm before it's folded into a fist.
The silence between them spirals, thick and suffocating as superheated steam. All Might is watching him almost expectantly and Todoroki doesn't know what to say; he's empty as a spent shell casing.
"What're you looking at?" he grumbles, just to break brittle silence.
"N-nothing." All Might looks towards the bathroom, then back to him. "I'll be right back."
As the door closes behind him, Todoroki scrambles to his feet, pulling on his clothes as fast as humanly possible. Ideally, he'd like to be gone before All Might's done inside, but when he goes to grab his cap he realizes that his pullover and shirt are both clumped ash on the man's floor.
Fuck.
He returns to the bedroom, aggravated by his error.
Just another casualty of that fiery temper. Hawks' voice, bright and silvery with amusement drifts through his mind. This is what you get for not thinking ahead.
Hands stuffed in his pockets, Todoroki glances back into All Might's closet, tempted to just snatch a shirt and go.
Coward. Don't tuck tail and run!
No. No, after all this his pride demands he stay. So he does, waiting for the moment that the bathroom door opens and All Might waddles out, still totally naked. A white bandage is plastered on his neck, thick and conspicuous.
His gaze meets Todoroki's for an instant before his rival looks down, hands moving like he wants to cover himself. He falters, then bends to pick up his underwear.
Not much use in hiding what I've already seen.
As All Might dresses Todoroki tries to think up the best way to phrase his request. "I need a shirt" sounds too much like a demand, but he hesitates to soften it. He's the one in charge here, after all. Aggravated by his own indecision, he glares at All Might's knees and digs his fingers into his palms.
All Might is more perceptive than he gives him credit for. His eyes widen. Moving past Todoroki he rifles through his closet and comes up with a faded gray t-shirt. Todoroki snatches it and slides it on.
It fits loosely, a size too big.
Mildly aggrieved by something he can't quite put his finger on, he looks to All Might, wanting to say something. Anything.
Dark-rimmed eyes blink down at him. His rival looks very old, very tired, and at that moment, absolutely nothing at all like All Might. He's just a skeletal giant with no power and no idea what he's done to Todoroki's control. Suddenly he can't be there any longer. Can't tolerate even one more minute.
Turning on his heel he heads for the door, catching a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye as he does. A quick tilt of his head catches All Might's hand outstretched, hanging in the air between them like a question.
"I know the way out."
He hopes that All Might has enough sense to read between the lines. When he is not followed, he thinks that perhaps he does.
Slamming the door behind him, Todoroki takes long, earth-eating steps away from All Might's apartment. He ignores the buzz of his phone, too intent on absolutely, positively not looking back.
He keeps his head down, eyes on the ground. For the first time in weeks, he feels clear-headed. The fog of rage has lifted, leaving a curious emptiness; a well that is beginning to fill with the first cold trickles of shame.
Snarling to the empty air, he quickens his stride, heedless of the civilians he barrels through.
He had just fucked All Might.
He had just fucked All Might.
The number one hero on his knees, eyes half-lidded and warm mouth sucking him down endlessly. That thick body beneath him, shuddering and quaking with the force of his thrusts. The glassy-eyed, slack-jawed face of ultimate pleasure as All Might burst wetly into his own fist.
His groin pulses with heat at the mere remembrance of what had just occurred, a delicious echo that twists his stomach viciously. He feels nauseous. Worse still he feels conflicted, mounting mortification now bursting through the cracks in a dam he hadn't even known existed.
He's owned the most powerful man in the world in every way possible - so why does he feel so fucking hollow?
Feet hammering the ground at a pace just below a run, Todoroki forces himself through the lunchtime crowd, knocking elbows and shoulders without so much as an apology.
All Might is his now.
His phone is still buzzing insistently. Pulling it out he sees the bright, bouncing green icon of an incoming call from his agency and the peripheral notifications that tell him he's already missed 9 such calls, and about 11 text messages. Shit.
He swipes a finger up, answering the call. "Yeah?"
"Endeavor. I've been trying to reach you for the last hour, where have you been?"
The dry rasp of his field agent, Suzu. The man was toeing a line, taking that tone with him.
"Doesn't matter, I'm here now. What is it?"
"It was a monster, sir. One of those nomu things that appeared in Hosu City! It appeared in lower Musutafu, did some damage but then disappeared as soon as Kamui Woods and Yoroi Musha showed up."
Lower Musutafu? That feels dangerously close to home, enough so that he feels a brief moment of panic. But none of the notifications on his phone had been from the home security system - it must be fine, then. He takes a breath, calming the racing gallop of his heart.
Well, shit. Now of all times, and he had missed it. The press would have fun with that, no doubt - as if he gave two shits about what they said. Imagine the tabloid headlines if anyone caught on to what he had really been up to instead of investigating villains.
"Damage?"
"Not much. No civilians hurt. It seemed more like...recon." Suzu sounded confused, a little doubtful. He knew that nomu were allegedly unintelligent beings. "I just thought you'd want to know."
"Yeah. Thanks. Call me if it shows up again." He hangs up the phone abruptly, no longer interested now that he knows the threat has ended. Nomus are concerning, but until they start attacking he has much bigger concerns.
All Might.
Moans that had sounded like glass breaking on those lips; the way All Might had shattered with his orgasm had been in utter, crushing defeat. It should have been so sweet to see him broken.
But all he tastes is ash.
It's a long way back to the agency.