Hello, again, dearest readers! Please enjoy the chapter!
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Letters From a Fan
Chapter 19
Pandemonium.
That was the only way Todoroki could describe the hellish situation that had begun unfolding before the sun even got close to peeking over the horizon. Pro Heroes and sidekicks had begun gathering at the shops' doors hours before they'd open for the day, all wanting to get their specialty orders in first.
He, Hatsume, and Midoriya had haphazardly gotten dressed upon being woken by the proximity alert system, barely looking presentable as they'd tripped down the stairwell to get to their assigned places, leaving a startled and confused Kirishima behind.
It had seemed like a good idea at the time, Todoroki supposed. Even if it was disgustingly early, the crowd would only get bigger as the hours ticked by, so, why not just open their shop and get started, right?
Wrong.
It was only half-past seven in the morning now—the actual opening time for the store—and they were exhausted. Todoroki was doing his best to remain vigilant for anything nefarious, but it was difficult due to the massive, increasingly unruly crowd he also had to keep in check.
If Kirishima hadn't wandered down about half an hour after the chaos started, Todoroki doubted he'd have been able to maintain any semblance of order. The redhead was totally in the dark about what the hell was going on and why, but he'd jumped into action anyway.
Hatsume would send Midoriya 'tickets' electronically, letting him know which hero had arrived and what gear they'd already created for them. Kirishima was charged with running back and forth, bringing out the requested tech as quickly as possible to keep the line moving.
Unfortunately, many of the customers were heroes and sidekicks from the same agencies as someone who'd gotten a 'Deku' letter the day before. They didn't really know what they wanted or needed, just that Deku was endorsing this place and that they wanted something too. It was this group that had caused the bottleneck to steadily grow.
'Attention Customers: Anyone who has not received a letter from the Analysis Hero, Deku with specific support item information should fill out a form on one of the available kiosks. The server is highly encrypted and will safely transfer your request to the Analysis Hero. Once received, Deku will personally review your file and send a response via Deku Mail. Thank you for your patience and understanding!"
Todoroki sighed to himself, the pre-recorded announcement having little effect on the crowd no matter how many times it replayed on loop. Some of the calmer, clearer-headed people did as instructed but most stubbornly waited in line to speak with Hatsume, determined to have a consultation for specialized gear.
They weren't happy when she tried to schedule them at a later date, insistent on needing the equipment as soon as possible. To them, it wasn't fair. Their colleagues were able to simply walk up, show their Deku Letter, and get some stupid-awesome support item for a reasonable price right away, but they had to come back? They had to fill out a form so that 'Deku' would know they existed? That just wasn't acceptable.
"I'm certain that Deku will review your information as quickly as possible," Hatsume kept assuring, doing her absolute best not to get frustrated. "Even if I did a consultation with you right now, it wouldn't be ready for some time."
Disheartening wasn't even close to how it felt to see 'Heroes' behaving so rudely. As Todoroki was in his hero costume and standing guard at the entrance, his presence was probably the only thing keeping frustrations from boiling over. Still, he had to occasionally flick a small chunk of ice into the backs of customer's heads, reminding them that he wouldn't tolerate belligerence of any kind towards Hatsume or Kirishima.
At least with the store brimming with heroes, he didn't feel too concerned about a potential villain attack.
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Bakugo listened to the chaotic chatter occurring outside his 'bedroom door' for hours, fighting with himself on what to do. He wasn't tied down anymore and with the commotion, he could probably slip out without anyone being the wiser—even with Hatsume's security system and Todoroki on guard.
Continuing to live in the same building as Todoroki and Midoriya was an awful thought, but it didn't seem nearly as bad as tucking his tail and running. Finally, he'd seen himself for who he truly was—a bully, an abuser. But that wasn't who he wanted to be… in the deepest part of his heart, he wanted to be a hero... The one Midoriya believed he was.
Such a title was something earned though and he'd yet to prove himself a better man, let alone someone worthy of being called a hero. Midoriya had assured him that he was still deeply loved and cared for… that he was still his personal hero and would always be his best friend. That's why he had to stay. Bakugo had to prove himself as the man that Midoriya swore he was deep down.
But realistically, customer service wasn't something he was remotely qualified for. He was a fighter and despite all his flaws, a damn good one. Working with Todoroki as security was his best option to be of use to Midoriya and Hatsume… at least in the future.
Right now though, there was too much going on. He didn't know anything about the security system Midoriya had mentioned and his hero uniform was still back at his house. There was also the fact that he and Todoroki were on terrible terms; waltzing up to him and demanding to be allowed to assist after what he assumed was a stressful morning was obviously a bad idea.
Bakugo steeled his still rattled nerves and dragged himself to his feet, forcing himself to leave the safety of his room upon deciding he'd go find Midoriya and ask what he could do to help. It wasn't until he saw Kirishima rushing out of the large doorway that led to the storage/development area that he faltered.
He'd honestly thought the redhead had left after his explosive confession the day before, but it seemed Kirishima had stayed the night for whatever reason. Now, the poor hero was being used as a mule, rushing around with a cart to hand out the requisitioned gear to waiting heroes.
Great. There was no way he could avoid an awkward meeting, even if he hid out in the back with Midoriya. Growling to himself, Bakugo ordered his feet to keep moving forward; he was a lot of things, but not a coward. Whatever happened, he had it coming.
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Midoriya bolted around the previously clean, organized room with his multi-shelved cart. He'd anticipated a significant influx of customers, including a large wave of heroes that hadn't directly been told about Hatsume's store since he knew that his letters were often discussed between colleagues… But this was insanity.
The tab for new requests pinged over and over, some of the names and powers listed he'd never even heard of before. He wouldn't have any time to analyze villains with how many heroes were directly asking for help regarding support items.
"Damn, Deku… This place is a fucking mess."
Jolting out of his anxious searching, he whipped around to see Bakugo staring at him, clearly attempting to come off as unconcerned and nonchalant about everything. The swelling and redness in his eyes and around his nose were too prevalent for such a disposition to be convincing, however. Bakugo was barely keeping it together.
Midoriya looked between his ex and the door, calculating how long it would be before Kirishima burst in once again. Surely, Bakugo had noticed the redhead coming in and out of the area.
"It's fine," Bakugo mumbled quietly, knowing what Midoriya was thinking. His hands were in his pockets, head down as he somewhat scuffed his toes on the floor. "Just tell me what I can do to help, Deku…"
They were too busy to dwell on personal problems right now, that much was obvious. Maybe it would be good for Bakugo to do something productive and get his mind off of everything that was bringing him down.
"The tickets that are printing out over there are for products that were already made in preparation for today. Help me find the equipment they go to, stick the ticket on the item, and then put it on one of the empty carts for Kirishima to take out to the customers." Midoriya responded, returning to 'work mode'.
He kept his peripheral on the blonde, however, watching his demeanor carefully. As expected, it took less than a minute for Bakugo to understand the 'filing' system he and Hatsume had created. Moving quickly and deftly, he threw himself into the fray, scooping up multiple items and racing back to the cart to fill it up. Midoriya couldn't help but let out a relief-filled sigh, anxiety lessening at least temporarily.
"Thanks, Kacchan!" he hummed, grateful for the help. "I really underestimated how many customers would show up. Did it look like the crowd outside the building is getting smaller at least?"
Bakugo snorted. After leaving Midoriya's office, he had a perfect view of the front doors and though he didn't know what it had looked like earlier, it certainly didn't seem like they were making much headway. "You idiot. You just had to use your hero name, didn't you? That damn peppermint is the only reason those extras outside haven't broken down the doors to get in here. It's still early too… we haven't even gotten to the lunch and after-work rushes yet. It may be Saturday but there's no such thing as the weekend for most heroes."
Midoriya felt ill at the prospect. A steady stream of customers was ultimately what they needed to keep up payments on the loan Hatsume had taken out for this new store as well as potentially hire employees to free himself and Hatsume up to collaborate on the new requests. But this overwhelming surge, while not entirely unexpected, was too much for them to handle even with the free labor Kirishima and Bakugo were providing.
"Cart empty!" Kirishima shouted, interrupting Midoriya's anxious thinking about how best to handle their current situation.
The redhead abruptly skidded to a stop upon seeing Bakugo, the two making uncomfortable eye contact that drained them both of color. He shifted on his feet and looked away, clearing his throat. "Is the next one ready, Midoriya?"
"Yes, you can take that one on the left. Thank you for helping Kirishima—and don't worry. Everything is fine back here!" Midoriya replied a little too emphatically.
Kirishima nodded anyway and left with the newly filled cart, silent and withdrawn. Midoriya turned his attention back to Bakugo, saddened by the fresh tears sparkling in his glassy eyes.
"Don't say it, nerd." The blonde ground out, feeling his friend's pitying gaze burning into him. "Not a damn word."
"Alright…" Midoriya thought determinedly. "I don't need to talk to get my point across."
He put down the reel of stickers he'd been searching for and marched over, throwing his arms around Bakugo in a comforting hug. Before, the rigid tension in his ex's body would have sent anxiety pouring through his veins, but Midoriya knew there was no reason to worry any longer.
As Midoriya expected, all the fight drained from the blonde's strong body. For the second time in his life, he felt Bakugo leaning into him for support. Doing what he'd been told, he didn't say anything, but that was fine. Like he'd explained to Kirishima the day before, Kacchan was physical. This was what he needed; how he communicated.
Midoriya tightened his grip further, determined to show his support in the best way he could.
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Ah, the awkwardness sustains me. Let me know what you think! :)