Chapter Text
Izuku blinks as his alarm goes off, glancing up from the lines of code displayed on his computer screen to grab at his phone. It’s still early, since he likes setting his alarm earlier than when he actually needs to be up, but he’s been awake for the better part of two hours already, so he turns it off. The ringing goes silent instantly and he sighs, leaning back in his chair, head tilting to the point it strains his neck. He doesn’t want to go into class. Dealing with school has become nearly unbearable, to the point dread sits heavy in his stomach at the thought of even getting ready. Halfway through junior high and he can’t deal with it, how sad− pathetic, as everyone at school says. He huffs at the thought.
Either way, he should get ready. So he pulls his backpack closer to himself, pulling out the circuits that he’d gotten, shoving them next to the wires on his desk as he saves his code with one hand, making sure all of his school notebooks are where he needs them before he closes his laptop. He stands, dragging his backpack to set it by his door as he quickly gets dressed, pulling on his uniform before grabbing his phone and slipping out of his room.
He smiles at his mom, grabbing something quick to eat with her before she leaves. It’s quiet in the morning like this, peaceful. His movements are relaxed, lacking a familiar shake that otherwise makes itself known constantly. Here is one of the only times his mom doesn’t look absolutely exhausted either. He knows she loves her job, but he knows a lot of the time it leaves her drained when she gets home.
She stands after a few minutes, smiling gently as she ruffles his hair.
“Have a good day, Izuku. Love you.”
“Love you mom.” He returns, smiling as she grabs her bag and keys, heading out the door. He stays seated for a few minutes more, shoulders slumping at the thought of standing, of leaving, before he breathes out and picks himself up. No point in delaying the inevitable any further, he guesses, so he stands, washing his plate quickly. The sound of the water running is loud in the otherwise silent apartment.
It doesn’t take long before he’s flicking the lights off, stepping out and locking the door behind him. The walk is quiet, only punctuated with a brief sight of Hawks flying by over head, a few feathers zipping by closer to the ground like search dogs on the hunt. He wonders if every feather has pain receptors. Or do they only have the telepathic link? Do they have other senses to?
Izuku shakes his head, shifting his grip on his backpack as he starts forward again.
School is normal to say the least, that being unpleasant, but that’s what he’s used to, so he just gathers his belongings and quickly, quietly makes his way up to the roof for lunch. The space is empty as always, and he leaves the door just barely closed− enough that the latch doesn’t click itself into place and lock him out again. Nobody comes up here, halfway because he thinks no one else knows how to get up here, or that it’s an option, so it gives him a peaceful spot to minutely relax.
He pulls his notebook out as he turns on his phone, looking through the news. He makes new notes down of pro heroes, a few more thoughts about Kamui Woods’ quirk jotted down on his dedicated page, adding a few sticky notes to the rushed short-hand writing. He’ll transfer it to his better ones once he gets home, since even he can barely read his own writing, but for now it works well enough, especially when they get taken on the off-chance he lets his guard down enough for someone to yank it from his grasp.
The warning bell rings and he flinches, snapping the book closed as he breathes out shakily, putting his notebook away, zipping up his backpack and carefully, slowly returning to class.
In his defense, no one in there likes him, and he doesn’t think the teacher would even notice if he skipped class, but Katsuki would, and he doesn’t want to deal with that.
The next few classes go by in a blur of boredom. He’s tired, and the last few periods feel like they’re dragging on. It takes forever for the teachers to switch, and he itches to leave. Katsuki looks even more agitated than normal today, and Izuku doesn’t want to figure out why, or what that means for him. There’s not long left and he packs his textbook away, the sound of his zipper all but silent against the chatter of his classmates.
He’s out of his seat as soon as the bell rings, slipping through the door as he hears the crackle of explosions that makes his shoulders burn with phantom heat.
The door slams open behind him and he speeds around a corner, shoulders hunching as his grip tightens on his backpack straps.
“Deku!” He hurries to a near run, weaving between chattering students with a practiced ease, slipping between the gaps left between people, taking random turns to try and throw the blond off his trail. The thing about being targeted is that you always, always have to faster. Smarter. Quick wits will cover the lack of physical strength when you know what you’re doing.
He breaks into a run as he enters an empty hallway, taking two swift turns and then ducking into a closet where the lock has been broken for the entire time he’s been there. He leans against the door, listening to the sharp, thundering footsteps and loud shouting outside, breathing shallow as he waits for them to leave. He’s tired and really just wants to go home, or pick up a few more wires he needs, but he can’t do that if Katsuki is on his ass as soon as he leaves his hiding place.
Izuku sighs heavily, stepping back from the door as his head tilts back and he closes his eyes. Can he not have one decent day?
“I didn’t think there would be others hiding.” Izuku’s eyes snap open, nearly shrieking at the strange voice. Instead, he muffles his surprise to a short yelp as he whirls around, attempting to step back at the same time only leading to him tripping over his own feet, nearly crashing to the ground when a hand wraps around his bicep. He blinks owlishly, still as the stranger makes sure he’s not going to fall over before the hand retreats, taking the warmth with it and Izuku stares.
Well shit, how did he miss a whole ass person?
Said person snorts and Izuku flushes, realizing he said that out loud and lifts his hand to start picking at the buttons of his uniform.
“Sorry.” He mutters under his breath, shuffling in place as he leans closer to the door, head tilting as he listens. The shouting has died out to silence, and in any other instance he’d breathe a sigh of relief, but now they’re going to be waiting for him at the entrance, which is probably worse.
He cracks the door open, silent and stiff with apprehension, ready to bolt if he needs to.
No one shouts, and he doesn’t see anyone, so he opens the door fully, stepping out to properly look down the hall, turning as he hears a small sound of offense, watching as the stranger blinks rapidly in the light. He’s taller than Izuku, but not by much, and has light purple hair that sticks straight up, defying gravity, eyes a similar shade of lavender.
“Rude. First you barge into my hiding spot and then you attack me with the obnoxiousness of light?” He huffs and Izuku snickers before he can think about it, shaking his head as he steps out of the closet, mentally cataloging all the exist. There are multiple from the building itself, they’re fire escapes that would set off the alarms. And while there are multiple exits to the campus, any spot other than the main one is unfortunately monitored, so there isn’t a way to get through like the cleaning closets or the roof.
He’s checked.
He glares at nothing, nose scrunching as he thinks, looking at the window frames.
He could climb down…
“Are you insane?” He jumps at the voice, glancing back at the purple haired stranger, who’s staring at him in some mix of confusion and disbelief.
He barely registers the fact he was muttering again before he shrugs, waving at him with one hand.
“Probably, but you were hiding out in a closet and I don’t see you proposing anything better.” Plus, it’s only three stories, and if they can get a northeast window open they can use the fire escape instead of climbing down. He can work with either.
The other− Izuku’s just going to start calling him Lilac− raises an eyebrow, looking over him before shrugging.
“Alright. How are you planning on getting off campus, there’s only one gate.” Izuku starts down the hallway, a mental map already laying itself out before him and he glances back to see Lilac follow, slouched with hunched shoulders.
Izuku grins, wide and maybe on the edge of feral. He might have not gotten enough sleep the night prior.
The returning look he gets is one of cautious interest.
Maybe later he’s going to regret this, but honestly, right now he couldn’t care less, not when it’s the better plan he can come up with at this point.
He doesn’t elaborate as he hurries through the now empty hallways, managing, somehow, with Lilac to pry open one of the windows by the fire escape. They climb out and down, then, instead of turning to the front, Izuku goes back towards the staff parking lots.
There, in the corner, is a nearly eight year old scooter that Izuku knows damn well no one has touched in almost that long. There’s a bit of rust on the edges, and the thing is covered in dust, but he knows it has to be functional because every now and again the headlight flickers, making people think it’s haunted or something. Izuku, however, knows was just a faulty wire. Because he fixed it out of boredom one day while waiting for it to get late enough that his bullies gave up waiting for him in almost this same situation.
He grins as he crouches down beside the scooter, popping open one of the panels to get to the engine, sticking his tongue out as he looks through the wires.
“…What are you doing?” Lilac asks after a moment.
“Hot-wiring it.” Izuku buries his hands up to the wrist inside the panel, following one of the wires deeper.
“Why do you know how to hot wire a scooter?”
“Do you want to get out of here in a reasonable time or not?” He snaps, wincing minutely. He doesn’t mean to be rude, but he’s tired and wants to be home early for once. And he has to remember how to hot wire a scooter from that one YouTube video he watched during a random deep dive.
“Rude. Why are you even helping me?” Izuku breathes out harshly, leaning closer to the scooter, flinching as he feels a jolt of a spark at his fingertips.
“‘Why are you helping me?’” He mocks, glaring at nothing as he continues trying to get the wires just right- “Maybe it’s because I’m an empathetic person even when running on two hours of sleep, suicidal thoughts, and an oreo while being fully ready to fight god?” He hisses as another spark zaps his fingers, grinning as he feels something click in place and he retracts his hands, the scooter humming to life, eyes bright with the accomplishment. He didn’t think that was going to work to be honest, the thing’s been here for years.
“Now do you want to get out of here or not?” He slams the panel closed, standing with a wide, probably feral grin if the concern and mild alarm on Lilac’s face says anything.
There’s a moment where neither move, Lilac looking between him and the scooter before an equally shit eating grin spreads across his face.
“What are we waiting for?” Hitoshi asks, pausing as the green haired boy he’s taken to calling Clover swings himself onto the scooter, watching his face twist as he looks down at the handles.
“Do you even know how to drive it?” He asks, stepping forward as Clover glances up, grin turning sheepish.
“I can figure it out?” He offers and Hitoshi huffs, rolling his eyes.
“Move, I’ll drive.” Clover nods and scoots back, giving Hitoshi space to sit.
“Cool. There’s a beach that’s become a dump site that we can park this at, I’ll tell you when to turn.” Hitoshi swings his backpack to set it on his lap as he sits down, revving the engine. Clover yelps as they’re jolted into motion, throwing his arms around Hitoshi’s waist as they speed up.
He whoops as they break for the gate, the group of five strange students that were standing there scattering to get out of the way. They pass and Hitoshi makes a sharp right, grinning as he listens to the elated laughter of Clover spill into the air, something adrenaline filled and almost chaotic. He glances back in time to see the green haired boy flip off the blond that’s staring after them, face twisted in fury as they speed away. He cackles as he faces forward again, his laugh almost indistinguishable from Clover’s as he continues down the road, turning right into an alley where the other motions for him, taking a quick left through the adjacent alley as he slows down. Almost manic giggling fills the space as Clover’s arms loosen around his waist just slightly, Hitoshi turning to see the green haired boys head bowed, eyes closed with how wide his grin is.
“I’m never going to be satisfied with just walking home ever again.” He gets out between giggles, gasping softly after a second. “Oh my god I flipped of Katsuki.”
Hitoshi snorts, barely containing his laughter as Clover seems to go through an entire crisis in the matter of two seconds, not quite looking like he regrets it.
“I flipped of Katsuki fucking Bakugo holy shit-” Hitoshi snickers, getting a light jab for it, which only serves to make him laugh harder. If there was anyone there to see, he imagines they’d be a sight; two junior high kids on a scooter that looks like it’s falling apart laughing to themselves? They’d get at least a few glances. But there’s no one here, and Clover keeps the directions contained to the alleys.
“Is this the craziest thing you’ve done?” He asks before he can think otherwise, jolting at the tether that appears through his quirk as Clover responds.
“I climbed out the third story window, went through with stealing a nearly decade old scooter, and flipped off my long-term bully in the span of maybe ten minutes, take a wild fucking guess.” Clover bites out, fingers twitching with the anxious energy Hitoshi can practically feel starting to surround him.
“I think you need to chill, serves him right if he’s been your bully.” Hitoshi huffs, getting a strained laugh from the other, veering the conversation to try and salvage this. “Besides, this was better than a lot of stupid thriller movies.”
“Hey! Thriller movies are fun to watch!… And make fun of.” Hitoshi snorts, ducking his head as his shoulders shake at the muttered end of his sentence.
“Ever watch American horror movies? They’re the dumbest people alive.” Clover snickers, the shake in his hands easing away. They continue to talk all the way to Takoba beach, conversation flowing easily between them up until they actually get there and park the scooter. Hitoshi waves, getting a returning wave and bright smile from Clover as he runs off, jogging the opposite direction as where he has to go.
Only after the other disappears does Hitoshi realize that, like a fool, he gave him a nickname before asking for his name.
How did he even manage that?
He shakes his head as he starts on his walk home, shifting his backpack.
It isn’t very far, and soon enough he’s opening the door, nudging the cats back as they try to dart out the door.
“Hey dad, I’m home!” He calls, kicking his shoes off as his dad looks over, blinking slowly, a mug of what he hopes is tea and not coffee in his hand.
“Hey Hito…” His eyes narrow and Hitoshi pauses, tilting his head. “What happened? You’re too… awake for you to have just gotten home from school.” Hitoshi huffs, rolling his eyes as he goes to set his backpack down in his room.
“Wow, thanks.” He grumbles, setting the bag down and scooping up Trouble when she tries to jump onto it. She glares up at him, but he scratches behind her ears as he returns to the living room to give an unimpressed look to the dark haired man.
“For your information-” he huffs, sitting on the couch. “I think I made a friend today.”
“Oh?” The man tilts his head, setting down the mug of what Hitoshi is now sure is definitely coffee.
“I mean, we stole a scooter to run away from bullies so-”
“I’m sorry, you what?”