Archive of Our Own

Izuku can taste it. Smell it. Every breath feels plagued with the suffocating scent  of iron. He runs, ignoring his injuries and runs. The walls are streaked in it, blood. Rody’s blood. He can taste it, cloying, revolting. He’s too late, he knows he is. Too late for the world, for his friends for Rody. Kacchan’s blasts had stopped shaking the cavernous room long before Izuku was able to get away from Flect Turn. He doesn’t know what it means, but the fact that Kacchan hadn’t stormed his way into the room after defeating his villains, sends a shock of fear through Izuku. He might have just killed all of the people who had come to help him. 

Izuku stumbles, coughs, falls against the blood damp wall. His stomach heaves and he grits his teeth against the bile rising in his throat, against the agony rolling through every part of Izuku's being. If this is it, if he dies here in this hall, only yards from victory, he’ll never forgive himself. There was so much he needed to do. To say. He doesn’t really remember what  the last thing he told his mom was. But he needs to see her again, tell her not to worry, that he loves her. That he’s so grateful for everything. He should have spent more time with his friends, should have said something more to Todoroki before they jumped. And shit. He should have kissed Rody. There in the crowded cockpit.

He coughs, blood falls from his lips, he wipes it away with the back of his hand. He’s sure the only way he’s moving is the power shot from One For All and the adrenaline pounding through his veins. The doors to the room are in his sight now. If there is any time left he needs to act now. He sprints, pushing himself off the wall, shoving himself into the motion. His shoes slid along the gruesome path Rody had left. A morbid part of Izuku is grateful the blood is there. Throwing open the doors, time seems to freeze. Rody is on the floor, blood still pooling lazily around him, pale in the odd lighting, and Pino is laying just as weak on the key. The key that is set in place. 

Izuku’s knees buckle. He falls to the ground, he could stay there, would have but then he see’s Rody’s chest rise.

“Rody.” he chokes out his name, chokes on blood and bile and fear and relief. Everything is washing out of him, he’s losing everything. He drags himself across the floor, pulls himself up and gathers Rody’s head into his lap. He brushes his hands across his cheeks, smearing their blood across his skin.

Rody cracks open his eyes, “Did we do it, Hero?”

Izuku sobs, leaning over to press their foreheads together, “Yeah. You did it, Rody.”

Rody lets out a shuddering sigh, “Good.”

Nodding wildly, Izuku fumbles for Rody’s hands, “Yes. Yes. It’s good. Stay awake okay? I’ll get you help. You just need to stay awake.”

“Izuku, hey. Hey. Calm down.”

Sucking in a breath Izuku pries himself away to look at Rody’s face. There’s a smile lighting up his eyes.

“We did it.” and then he starts laughing. Izuku watches his face contort into laughter, tears streaming down his face, cutting salty trails through the blood. He’s laughing in hysterical disbelief. Izuku wipes shaking thumbs over the tears, but as he watches Rody laugh he feels his own build in his chest. They did it, and both of them are alive, and Izuku doesn’t know the extent of casualties, but he laughs. Laughs and cries and blinks up at the high ceiling. He feels insane for it, cruel for it. It makes him laugh harder.  Rody is still shaking with mirth, with tears, in his lap. Izuku blinks down at him, trying in vain to clear his vision. 

They’re both covered in blood, both close to passing out, maybe for good. Rody’s face is a mess of tears and blood, his hair matted against his head. Izuku isn’t sure he’s ever been more in love with anyone or anything before. He bows over Rody’s head and presses their lips together. It’s a mess of adrenaline shaking and inexperience, but once it starts, Izuku never wants it to end. With their lips pressed close, Izuku can feel Rody’s breath, feel the life in the heat of his mouth.  Rody reaches a feeble hand up, pulling Izuku closer. Izuku rubs over Rody’s jaw in retaliation pushing his mouth up to slot them more cleanly together. They cling to each other, still crying, breathing in each other, relishing in the life of the other. 

When Izuku draws away to look down at Rody, his tears drip from his nose to land on bloodied cheeks. 

“I told you.” he whispers, “I told you we’d see each other again.”

“If dying is what it took to get a kiss I would have died sooner.” Rody mumbles back. Izuku chokes, tears running faster down his cheeks. Rody’s eyes widened, “I-I was kidding.”

“You’re bleeding out.” Izuku sobs, “Now is not the time.”

Oh. Fuck. They are to be quite frank, both dying. Right now. Izuku has no idea when they’ll get out of here. He holds Rody tighter, he should try to staunch the bleeding or something. He isn’t sure where it’s coming from though, and he doesn’t have the strength to tear a piece of his clothing to make a makeshift bandage. The room is in better shape than the rest of the facility. The only opening being the door Izuku had come through minutes ago. It might be the only way out, and if it is, they’re dying in the hall just beyond. 

“Hero,” Rody’s hand has slid from his neck up to his face, pawing clumsily at Izuku’s cheeks. “You aren’t gonna be able to carry me out of here.”

“I can.” It sounds weak, even to Izuku. He can’t. His strength is all gone, and the longer he sits here the harder it's going to be to get back up. Rody’s hand falls from his face, landing heavily on the floor beside them. Izuku reaches for his hand, leans down to press his ear to Rody’s chest, fear stabbing across his awareness. “Rody.”

No answer. The beat of his heart is far off, quiet, wrong. Izuku feels his limbs become static, his breathing becomes heavy. Slumping forward, Izuku covers Rody’s body with his own, one last desperate attempt to protect him from any harm that may come. He wishes this wasn’t it, wishes he was back in the mess of a truck. Watching the countryside go by as Rody talked about how he wants to fly. He closes his eyes.

And then, the room fills with heat as Endeavor steps inside. Thank god.  Izuku thinks, and he lets himself go limp.

Kacchan had died. It’s one of the first things Izuku hears after waking from a hours- long surgery. He came out of woozy darkness to hear Endeavour's gruff voice and someone else's much softer one.

“He should be recovering now. Slowly but surely.”

“That’s good,” Endeavor says, “And Bakugou?”

A soft sigh, “They lost him on the table for a second, his recovery will be much slower. But as of now he is stable.”

Izuku can’t help the strangled little gasp he lets out. He’s connected to several machines, there’s a tube down his throat, and his arms still feel like they don’t belong to him. 

“Are you awake Midoriya?” He feels Endeavor's heat off to the side of the bed even with his flames subdued the man emits heat. The other person, a nurse, leans over him. She smiles at him.

“He is awake. We should be able to remove your tube now. It’s not going to be very comfortable, okay?”

Izuku wants to tell her that he’s had plenty of medical tubes down his throat and if she could hurry so he can make sure everyone is okay, he’d appreciate it. As said it’s not comfortable when the nurse pulls it out, wiping away the string of saliva that follows the plastic out. She deposits the tube on a cart in the corner of the room then peels off her gloves as she returns and pushes his bed up.

“I’ll go get a doctor, I’m very happy to see you awake.”

Endeavor thanks her quietly as she walks past him, then he turns tired eyes on Izuku.

“Is everyone okay?” Izuku rasps. Endeavor leans over to the cup of water gone unnoticed by Izuku and hands it to him.

“So far. Reports are still coming in from around the world, but so far everything shut down without any negative effect.”

The water hurts going down his throat, “Kacchan, is he.”

Endeavor sighs, running a hand over the scar on his face, “Gone for only a short time. He’s back now, stubborn bastard.”

Izuku hums, “Rody?”

“I’m guessing that’s the boy you were with?” 

“Yeah.”

“By some miracle, he’s fine. Still asleep but fine.”

God. Oh fuck. Izuku feels like the world has been lifted from his shoulders. He slumps against the crinkling pillow at his back.

“How long has it been?” He always loses track of the days when he’s in the hospital.

Endeavour folds his arms over his chest, “Bout four since we brought you in. But since you went on the run it’s been nearly ten.”

Izuku looks down at his bandaged hands, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make a mess of things so fast.”

“It was sloppy on your part, young hero. But, all is said and done. There is no use being angry about it now. Learn from your mistakes and grow, hero.”

“I will.” Izuku says, determined. “I’m glad. Everyone is okay.”

Endeavor nods, then he stands, rubbing a hand along his back, “I’ll send Shoto in, he’s been waiting for you to wake up.”

“Thank you Endeavor.” Izuku bows his head to the older hero.

Shoto comes in a few minutes after Endeavor steps out. He rushes to the bedside and hugs Izuku. It’s awkward and a little painful, and so strange, but Izuku rests his head in the junction between Todoroki’s neck and shoulder, letting himself find comfort in the familiarity of his best friend. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay Midoriya.” Todoroki says when he pulls back. He sits on the bed and puts his feet into the chair his dad had vacated. “I’m sorry I wasn’t of more assistance. The villain overwhelmed me faster than I anticipated.”

“Don’t even start Todoroki!” Izuku says loudly. “You were of more help then you will ever know. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t gone after that villain.”

“I do,” Todoroki says darkly, “Bakugou wouldn’t have died, and you wouldn’t have been hurt like you were. I would have been there for both of you.”

“Kacchan is too stubborn to die for long,” Izuku says. It’s a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. It doesn’t work very well, and makes Todoroki wince with his entire body. Izuku sighs. “There’s a lot we could have done differently. I threw us all, including a civilian, into unnecessary danger. I should have gone back and plead my case. Endeavour could have smoothed things over.”

“Midoriya, you saved the day. You saved the world.” Todoroki admonishes him, as if that’s an excuse for the hell that went down.

“I didn’t though. I acted as a distraction while Rody took the key. He saved the day. He saved the world.”

Todoroki tilts his head, “Your romantic attachment was an unforeseen result of your timing running from the law.”

Izuku feels his cheeks burn, “You make it sound so scientific Todoroki!”

“I’m just saying, I wasn’t expecting you to fall for a foreigner.”

“God please stop,” Izuku says, ducking his head. 

Todoroki pats him on one sheet covered leg, softly. 

“I think that you are very,” he pauses, looking up as if the ceiling would have the words he wants to say written across it. “Cute. Very cute together.”

“You’re killing me Todoroki.” Izuku wheezes. 

Todoroki sends him a very concerned look, “I hope not. That would be very hard to explain to the hospital.”

Izuku laughs, “Yes. I guess it would be.” 

Todoroki reaches for one of Izuku’s bandaged hands, clasping it in his, “What are you going to do when we have to go back home?”

“About what?”

“Rody.”

Izuku stiffens a little. It had been a thought that lingered in the back of Izuku’s mind with every interaction he had with the other boy. He knew realistically, that they would be parting ways at the end of this mess. He also knew, realistically, that Rody was not really in the position to maintain contact easily. 

“I’m not sure,” he admits. Todoroki hums thoughtfully.

“What do you want to do?”

Izuku looks away, over the left side of the bed, where the machines he’s connected to whir away.

“I don’t really want to say goodbye. But I know I have to.”

“Goodbyes aren’t always permanent.” Todoroki says sagely. 

“No, but there’s a part of me that wonders if Rody wants anything to do with me after all of this is over.”

Todoroki frowns hard, “I don’t think that would be the case. Why do you think that?” 

Huffing miserably, Izuku squeezes Todoroki’s hand, it sends a jolt of painful sensation through his arm. “Well, I did put him in danger, and drug him away from his family, and maybe he’ll realize that he’s crazy for kissing someone like me.”

Todoroki looks profoundly uncomfortable after that, his face meshing into a mix of anger and embarrassment. “You’re a perfectly good person to kiss. I would kiss you, Midoriya.”

Izuku snorts, an ugly bit of laughter falling from him, “I would kiss you too Todoroki, but we’ve known each other for years now.”

“You kissed him right?” Todoroki asks. 

“Yes.” Izuku can feel the back of his neck burning. 

“And did he kiss you back?”

“Oh my god. Yes.”

Todoroki sits back with a nod. “Then I don’t see the problem. Was the kiss bad?”

Was it? Yes. No. Maybe both. It had been, if Izuku was completely honest with himself, disgusting. Rody had tasted like blood, been sticky with it, and Izuku knew he hadn’t been much better. But in the moment, where that felt like the end, it had been one of the best things Izuku had ever experienced. It was something given to someone you could never see again, and if felt like it. 

“It was a little bit of both. I guess. I mean we were dying, I had to do it. I didn’t really care if it was good or anything.”

“Do you want to kiss him again?”

Izuku sputters out a laugh, batting weakly at his friend, “You should become an interrogator Todoroki! All these questions!”

“I’m trying to get you to see that you are being ridiculous.” Todoroki knocks light knuckles on Izuku’s forehead. “Goodbye doesn’t have to be goodbye. I don’t think Rody is going to regret, or whatever you think he might be feeling, the kiss you shared. If anything he will probably be jumping at the opportunity to kiss you again. It’s not fair to put feelings or thoughts onto someone else like that.

“I hate this conversation.” Izuku says. “But thank you Todoroki. You’re right, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll just...have to see when he wakes up.”

“Which you hope is soon.” Todoroki says, stoned faced and serious. It sends Izuku into a painful laughing fit.

“Yes. I really hope it’s soon.”

They settle into silence after that. Todoroki seems content to sit pressed against his legs as Izuku fights the tendrils of morphine assisted sleep that tug at him. 

“How,” Izuku mumbles, head jerking up from where it had fallen towards his chest. Todoroki looks over at him, concern flashing briefly across his face and a hand inching towards the call button. “How hurt was Kacchan?”

Todoroki exhales long and low, “Very hurt. I heard someone say he should have been dead on the spot. There shouldn’t have been an opportunity for him to die on the table.”

“That’s not good.” Izuku murmurs. Todoroki smiles softly at him, pushing him gently to lean back fully against his pillows. He goes willingly, tired and floaty.

“No. It’s not good at all. Kirishima is going to be pissed.”

When he wakes next, it’s dark outside and the window that has been exposed by pushed back curtains, lets in dewy city light.  Izuku is in a lot more pain this time round. Morphine drip on the low now. His room is empty, the chair placed back in a corner and any sign of Todoroki gone. Someone has replenished the water and left it close enough to the bed that Izuku can reach it. It’s quiet, a little too quiet. After the chaos and noise the last few days had been, it sets his nerves on end. Prickling with the pain that pulses around his wounds. He suddenly wants someone with him. Even if it’s just the nurse, and even if it’s late at night or early morning. He needs someone here. The call button is harder to reach, Izuku has to twist around to reach it. It sends agony through him but it’s nothing compared to the gaping hole of loneliness that’s opened in his chest cavity.

A nurse arrives slightly out of breath. He looks relieved and a little annoyed when Izuku seems fine. He lets the nurse bustle around him, refilling his pain medication and creating light conversation.

“Have any of my friends woken up yet?” he asks the nurse as he leans over to check Izuku’s vitals.

“I’m afraid they haven’t, but you’ll be the first to know when they do.” Vitals checked, water and pain meds replenished, the nurse turns to leave. 

“Wait,” Izuku calls, “Can I have a phone?”

The nurse sends him a skeptical look, “It’s two in the morning.”

“At home it’s not. Please? I need to talk to my mom.”

The nurse hesitates, “Okay. I’ll go find you a phone.”

“Thank you!” Izuku calls after the nurses retreating back.

The phone handed to him has a timer on it. A measly ten minutes to talk to and apologize and reassure his mother. It rings for a scarily long amount of time.

“Come on mom.” Izuku whispers, clutching the phone to his ear. She probably is waiting for a call on his phone, or maybe even from one of his friends. He just hopes she’ll answer, the toll for the call was already staggering. But finally the call goes through.

“Hello?” God. She’s crying. Voice watery and congested.

“Hey mom.”

The line goes silent before a sob ripples through the line, “Izuku! Are you okay? I’ve been so worried, All Might told me he was flying out there, but- but that was the last I heard!”

“Mom.” Izuku says calmly, though he’s feeling weepy himself, “Mom I’m okay. Or as okay as I can be considering.” he laughs weakly.

“You scared me. You keep scaring me!”

“I know.” Izuku says, voice breaking, “I’m so sorry mom. I was thinking about you. I wasn’t gonna let myself die without talking to you again.”

His mom sniffles louder, “Mitsuki called me. They got a hold of her two days after Katsuki died.” her voice drops to a near whisper. “She thought he was okay, she had no idea. What if I never learned what happened to you!?”

Sorry doesn’t sound right anymore. Doesn’t sound enough anymore.  He’s said it so many times, in so many instances, and it feels so fake now. He wipes at his face.

“Sorry.” That's all he can say. He doesn’t have the words, he doesn’t have the ability to comfort like he should, because both him and his mom know that he isn’t going to stop. He’s going to continue to throw himself in front of others. He’s going to continue to work himself till he drops if he has to. 

“When are you coming home?”

“I don’t know mom.” Izuku says. “I’m safe though. And so is Todoroki, and I think Kacchan is going to be okay. But I will come home.”

His mom is quiet, sniffling gently every once and awhile, Izuku wishes he could stay on the phone long enough to put her at ease, but as is, the seconds are ticking down. 

“I’m gonna have to go soon mom. Promise me you’ll try to get some sleep?”

“You ask a lot from your mother.” Izuku’s mom teases him wetly. The nurse is peering into the room, Izuku turns away from him, as far as his wounded body will allow.

“Please mom? I’ll try to call you again. Maybe when Kacchan wakes up. I have a lot I need to tell you.”

“If it has anything to do with you getting hurt, I don’t want to hear it.” The shaking sternness in her voice makes Izuku smile.

“Don’t worry. It’s not that. I-I’ll tell you later. I love you mom.”

His mom all but wails her goodbye’s, and then the line goes dead. Izuku sighs, willing the prickle in the back of his eyes to cease. He hands the phone back to the nurse.

“Thank you.”

“Of course kid, sorry you didn’t get any more time. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Izuku presses back into his pillows. The pain has been numbed again, and with it the exhaustion from healing has returned. There is an ease in his chest that came from the conversation with this mom. He thinks he’ll be able to sleep again.

“I’m fine.”

The nurse gives him a nod, “Alright, well if you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call. Would you like the light on or off?”

“Off.” The light from the window is enough. 

It still takes a frustrating amount of time for Izuku to truly sleep. He floats through the heavy space between sleep and wakefulness. The back of his mouth tastes disgusting and he’s hyper aware of it even in his lull of pain medicated relaxation. He wants to brush his teeth. It gets him thinking about his mouth as he lays staring at the din city lights outside of his window. The blur and sway as his eyelids dip. He’d kissed Rody. It seems like lifetimes ago, but he had, and it hadn’t been for nothing. He’ll get a chance to do it again. It makes him giddy to think about. Being alive makes him giddy. Kacchan being alive and Todoroki and everyone being alive makes him swell with euphoric happiness. He could laugh again, cry again. Instead he closes his eyes with hope for tomorrow as his bed mate.

Rody wakes around noon the next day. Todoroki is in Izuku’s room again. They’re talking to a few classmates that had managed to get a hold of them. Iida is taking up most of the small screen. He’s talking loudly, scolding them and then becoming stiffly emotional. It hurts Izuku to see his friends so upset.

“Fatgum was going to fly Kirishima out there,” Mina says. She looks tired, dressed down like the rest of their peers except Iida, and curled against the couch.The general yammer on the other end of the phone goes quiet. 

“What happened?” Izuku asks. Mina lets out a breath, pulling her legs up.

“Air traffic is still a mess, and there were a lot of casualties here in Japan.”

Todoroki and Izuku share a glance, there had been talk about getting Recovery Girl to Kacchan’s bedside, but she’d been overwhelmed where she was, and it wasn’t an option to pull her away from civilians.

“I don’t know how updated you are on everything,” Todoroki says, “But Bakugou is stable as of now.”

Izuku nods eagerly, “The doctors say he is improving! I’m sure he’ll be up and about in no time!”

Iida puts a hand on Mina’s shoulder, “I’m sure when we relay this message to Kirishima, he will feel better.” he turns his attention back to the screen. “How are you holding up, Midoriya?”

“I’m,” there’s a knock at the door, interrupting Izuku. A nurse leans in.

“He’s awake.”

Izuku’s stomach seizes, he fumbles for the safety bar on the side of this bed and leverages himself out. The floor is cold against his bare feet, his classmates are calling for him, Todoroki’s hands are on his elbow, catching him before he can crumble to the floor.

“Midoriya! Calm down.” Todoroki says, hefting him up and gingerly ducking under the wires Izuku had taken with him when he stood. 

“Todoroki, please. Please help me.” he resists his friend's attempts to get him back into the bed. Grappling with his arms and clinging frantically to his shirt. 

“You can barely walk Midoriya!” Todoroki snaps, the nurse that had brought the nurse is hovering uselessly about them. 

“I don’t care! Help me walk, please Todoroki!” He can hear Iida’s muffled voice, probably trying to reason with  him from across the world. “I need to see him. Please.”

“Damn it Midoriya,” Todoroki hisses, but he’s turning to the nurse. “Help me remove everything safely.”

The nurse hesitates, “I’m not sure that’s the best idea. You need to get back into bed young man.”

“You’ll have to sedate me.” Izuku threatens. 

“Fucking hell.” Todoroki sighs. “Please help me so he doesn’t hurt himself.” this he directs back towards the nurse. She finally steps forward, removing patches and setting up a rolling IV. The needle is pushed back more firmly into Izuku’s arm. Todoroki then slips one of Izuku’s arms up over his shoulders. “Don’t make me regret this.” he says quietly moving slowly across the room.

“I won’t.” Izuku says, ignoring how much concentration it took for him to talk and walk at the same time. 

Rody’s room is on the floor above Izuku’s, closer to the ICU where Kacchan is. There is no one waiting outside of Rody’s room, no family or friends. It makes Izuku mourn the loss of people he’s never met. The nurse goes in first, making sure Rody is able to talk to them. She comes back out with a doctor.

“I wasn’t expecting him to get out of bed.” she’s saying. The doctor, a tall woman, looks  down at Izuku, tapping her pen against her clipboard.

“You can talk to him, but he has just woken up, so if he isn’t prone to response, you have yourself to blame for not being patient.”

Izuku nods, standing as straight as he can manage with someone else supporting him so thoroughly. 

“Yes ma’am.” he says. The doctor looks at him incredulously, but steps out of the door. Todoroki bows to the doctor as they walk past her, dragging Izuku down with him. Even that minuscule pause in their trek to Rody makes Izuku’s nerves jump with agitation. Finally though, Todoroki opens the door and helps Izuku and his IV over the threshold. 

Rody’s bed is elevated, and he’s looking out the window. His hair is splayed across the pillows, shining dully in the afternoon shafts of light that fall into the room. Dark circles are painted in purple swathes under his eyes, and his skin is still pale from the blood loss, veins glaring blue. He’s beautiful and alive .

“Rody.” Izuku murmurs, pulling Todoroki towards the bed. Rody turns to look at him. His eyes widen, he struggles up, mouth opening then closing. He opens his arms, and Izuku uses Todoroki as leverage to launch himself into the other boy. 

Rody is clumsy and frantic as he runs his hands up Izuku’s arms, across his collar bones, exposed by the hospital gown, and down to his beating heart. He presses his palm firmly against the frantic pounding. Rody trembles, dropping his forehead to the middle of Izuku’s chest. Izuku tangles his hands into Rody’s hair and squeezes his eyes shut. The shaking is minute. But it’s there, Izuku can feel it as he works knots out of Rody’s hair. 

“Are you scared?” He whispers, pressing his lips against Rody’s head as he speaks.

“Yeah,” Rody rasps, “But also really fucking relieved. I didn’t,” his voice hitches, “I thought I was dead, I thought you were dead.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Izuku murmurs. Rody nods, hands still gripping at Izuku's hospital gown. There’s a lot Izuku wants to say, and do. He wants to kiss Rody again so badly, but the other boy is heavy against his chest, feeling the effects of his injuries and the pain medication they have him on. Izuku leans back, brushing Rody’s hair away from his face and laying him gently back against the pillows. He realizes then, the strange absence of Pino. 

“Rody,” he says carefully, “Where’s Pino?”

Rody’s lips part slowly in a tired smile, “She’ll be back. Once I feel better. I’m too weak to maintain her right now. Or at least that’s what the doctors told me.”

Izuku collects Rody’s hands in his own, turning to look at Todoroki, “Can you help me up?” Todoroki obliges, lifting him carefully onto the bed so he can lay on his side next to Rody, back pressed against the safety bar that Todoroki pulls up. Rody tugs at his hands, trying to pull him closer. Izuku inches nearer, tossing his IV arm over Rody’s chest. They both let out a simultaneous sigh.

“Where are we?” Rody asks after a while. Izuku, who had been content to lay in silence, frowned at the questions. He’s pretty sure they’re back in Otheon, but they could be at a hospital closer to the lair.

“We’re in Otheon.” Todoroki says. “They transported us back here after Bakugou’s surgery.”

Rody’s eyes fly open, “I can’t pay for any of this. Oh,” he starts to sit up, “Where are my siblings? What day is it?” 

Izuku grabs for Rody’s shoulders, tugging him back down, his heart monitor beeping erratically. “Sh, hey. Calm down, you’re not going to help anything by moving around like that.”

Todoroki lets out a scoff, “You’re one to talk Midoriya. And if it eases your worry, Rody, my father will be covering all of the hospital charges. You shouldn’t have to worry about that.”

Rody looks pained, and whether that's from actual pain or something else, Izuku isn't sure.

"Can someone please confirm that my siblings are okay?"

Todoroki stands, "I'll see what I can do." He levels a gaze at Midoriya, "do not move until I'm back."

Izuku goes red, "I won't!"

Rody flops back onto his pillows, groaning. Izuku mirrors him, sinking his hands back into his hair. It’s more for Izuku’s comfort at this point. 

"So." Rody starts, his voice still sounds like he swallowed a bucket of nails. 

"So?" 

"Are you going to kiss me?"

Izuku pauses, fingers caught in the split ends fraying Rody's hair.

"You want me to kiss you? Again."

"I mean." Rody splutters, " you don't have to. I'm not, like, gonna make you."

"Rody." Izuku turns his face towards him. He lets out a bark of laughter. Rody's gray eyes are drowsy and off center. " You're so high right now, and I am too. Let's kiss later?"

"Mmm." Rody hums, " I don't wanna go to sleep yet. I need to make sure my siblings are okay."

Izuku can see the pain on his face. The exhaustion, but also the worry. Izuku should have thought to ask after the Soul siblings. He wonders if Todoroki will be able to figure anything out. 

"Rest is important for recovery." Izuku says. 

"Yeah," Rody rasps, "but they've been alone for so long, Hero. What if I'm alive for nothing?"

"They aren't dead." Izuku says sternly. 

Tears are welling in Rody's eyes. He's showing so much more emotion now by himself then Izuku has seen since the flower field and the cockpit. It must be the drugs, or maybe Pino acting from wherever she lies dormant. 

"You can't know that," Rody blubbers, " you aren't there."

"I know but I can feel it."

Rody bats ineptly at his cheeks as tears drip out of his eyes. " That's sounds so stupid."

Izuku nods, it does. It sounds stupid and he feels delirious. He wants to comfort and assure. He's a hero, it's his job to do that. 

“It does,” Izuku agrees. He sniffles himself, truly he’s unsure how he has the fluids to get teary eyed and much less cry. He buries his head in Rody’s side, tired. So tired, and now so comfortable. Rody swallows audibly above him, Izuku can feel the motion through his cheek where it’s pressed against his ribcage.

“Izuku,” he breathes, a hand lands in his hair. 

“Yeah?” Izuku says, maybe a little hopeful, hoping that Rody will say something sweet.

“I think I’m going to vomit.”

Izuku is banished back to his room after Rody vomits over the side of his bed. Some of the blood tinted sick had ended up on Izuku’s hospital gown and the sight of it had sent him into a panic. Todoroki had burst back through the door with the nurse, caught Izuku’s shoulders and pulled him away from the bed. It had taken two nurses and a doctor to get him to breathe normally again. He was stripped of his hospital gown and placed into a clean one, then set back into his bed with supervision.

“We’ll probably need to send you through a psych evaluation,” the doctor set to watch him says. He’s going through a pack of paper, scribbling down things as he goes. “How are you feeling?”

Bad. Awful. He wants to go home. Wants to sleep. 

“Not amazing.” Izuku answers, he rubs at the skin above the IV. The doctor nods, jotting down a few notes. 

“Physically are you in any serious pain?”

“No. I feel kind of numb.”

“Mentally?”

“Tired.”

The doctor writes down one last note, then takes off his glasses and sticks them in his pocket.

“I’ll make sure you have some sleep medication administered tonight. The nurse on duty last night said you were up late.”

“I was.” Izuku says. “But I slept fine after I was able to fall asleep.”

“I see. I’ll see what I can do. If we decide to have you examined I’ll let you know.” He stands, slides Izuku’s chart at the end of his bed.

“When can I leave?” Izuku asks. The doctor pauses at the door.

“We’ll let you know.”

After that it’s a lot of stale waiting. Izuku dozes, falling into fitful sleep then coming awake in a jolt. Todoroki pops in and out, sometimes Endeavor comes with him. They sit around the bed and talk quietly. The clean up around the world is going well, Izuku’s classmates are finally returning to Japan, and Kacchan’s condition has stayed more or less the same. Rody’s siblings, much to Izuku’s relief, were in the reluctant care of one of Rody’s friends. They’re fine now, accounted for and on the way to the hospital. 

“All Might, just landed.” Endeavor says that evening. He’d brought dinner that didn’t consist of hospital food. It’s spread out over Izuku hospital bed.  “Of course that bastard found a way to get here. You’re spoiled young hero.” Endeavour rumbles.

“I wonder if Mr. Aizawa sent him.” Todoroki wonders. He’s picking through the variety of food. Looking slightly nauseous at the thought of eating any of it.

“My mom mentioned he was coming.” Izuku says. He can’t stomach any of the food, so he’s forced to eat Jello. “I didn't think he’d actually come.”

It makes him happy, if not spoiled. Warm inside that his mentor has chosen to come be with him. They don’t have long to wait. Endeavor rolls his eyes as All Might runs into the room. His hair is everywhere, sunken eyes wide and wild. He crosses the room in a few short strides of his long legs. Izuku opens his arms to accept the hug his mentor envelopes him in.

“I was so worried.” All Might wheezes. 

“I’m okay. We’re all okay.” 

All Might nods, then reaches over and grabs at Todoroki’s shirt, catching his sleeve in his fingers. He pulls him up and out of his chair, pulling him into the embrace.

“I’m so proud of you heroes.”

Todoroki stares over All Might’s bony shoulder at Izuku. All Might doesn’t seem to be inclined to let either of them go for a long while. Izuku has accepted his fate, is quite pleased with it. Todoroki less so.

“Help me.” he mouths, eyes wide and pleading. Izuku turns away, his friend can deal with a little more affection. Hell knows they all need it.

With All Might at the hospital and Izuku gaining strength everyday, the trips to and from Rody’s room become more frequent. Izuku walks with his mentor, arm wrapped around All Might’s thin one. They don’t really talk about much. All Might had grilled him about Rody the first morning. Izuku had requested help walking to his room. He’d spilled everything, including his insecurity about him. They talk briefly about Kacchan, Izuku and Todoroki had finally been able to get a glimpse of their friend. They had to stand outside the large window in the hallway that went past the ICU. It was hard to see Kacchan hooked to so many machines. He was dwarfed by them, his usual power stripped from him.

Rody’s siblings and Izuku had gotten really close to each other. They’ve spent meals together in Rody’s room. Izuku with Lala on his lap teaching himself how to braid her hair. He learns a simple fish tail and braids Rody’s hair the next night. Pino has yet to make a reappearance. Rody is healing, but slowly, the eternal damage is so great that he struggles to keep anything down. His little Quirk will appear sometimes, a hazy outline perched on Rody’s shoulder, but just as soon as she appears she disappears. 

“You gonna kiss me now?”

It’s late. Rody is still awake. Propped up with his pillows, hair braided but falling out, siblings asleep at his side. Izuku is in one of the soft chairs the hospital brought in. He tilts his head, smiles softly. 

“Yeah.”

He leans over the bed, cups Rody’s jaw and draws their mouths together. Rody makes a sound in the back of his throat. A low hum of approval that has Izuku’s stomach rolling with butterflies. There is no blood on either of their tongues this time, only the light mint of hospital grade toothpaste and whatever medication they are required to take by mouth. They fall against each other, careful of the children on the bed, Izuku clambers up, tossing a leg over Rody’s legs to settle in his lap. He gets a hand around his neck, pulling him closer. Izuku feels desperate suddenly, like the clock that had been disappearing and reappearing was suddenly back and ticking ten fold in his ear. Reminding him over and over that he is running out of time. 

“Hey,” Rody pulls away, Izuku chases him. Nipping at his lips and making an embarrassing noise when he gets too far away. “You’re crying, Hero.” Rody says quietly. For the sake of the atmosphere, suddenly so thin it feels ready to break.  “Was it really that bad?” Rody smiles brushing their noses together, letting his eyes slide shut. 

“No.” Izuku says, kissing his smile, “Maybe too good.”

“That’s a high compliment, but I don’t think that’s why you’re crying.”

Izuku leans back, just enough to look Rody fully in the eyes, “What if this is all adrenaline?”

Rody tilts his head, his hair falls further from it’s braid, falling in a waterfall of brown over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what if none of this is,” he grabs Rody’s hands and presses it against his chest. Right over the rapid beating of his heart, “What if this is just adrenaline? What if we’re just high? From running and nearly dying, what if none of this is real Rody?!”

Rody hushes him, pressing the soft pads of his fingers against Izuku’s quivering lips.“Do you really think that?”

Izuku shrugs helplessly, “I don’t know, but you and I, Rody. We, this.” he gestures between them, “I want this.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I don’t know!” Izuku whispers harshly again, taking a breath, “I feel so much. Too much, is it too much?”

Rody smiles at him, like he’s the most wonderful thing he’s ever seen. He brushes Izuku’s hair off his forehead, smoothing it back and keeping it contained with one flat palm.

“Probably.”

“Rody,” Izuku groans. “I’m serious. I feel like I’m going to explode with this.” he rubs a hand over his chest, “And I don’t want it to be fake, but it’s been such a short time.”

“It has.” Rody says, his face has fallen back into that well worn mask of cool confidence, and selfishly Izuku wishes Pino was there to help Izuku get a read on the other boy. “But I feel the same way, and shit. I know you're right and it’s a bad idea. Fuck Izuku.”

“I don’t want this to end, but maybe if we both agree it never started, we won’t have anything to end.” he chokes on the last few words, watching hurt crack across Rody’s face. 

“I can’t.” he says, dropping his hand from Izuku’s forehead. “I can’t do that. Not when we nearly died together, not when I’ve seen you hold and take care of my siblings, not after kissing you. I refuse.” his voice drops into a whisper.

“It would be so much easier.” Izuku’s voice is a mere whisper. 

“I don’t want easier. I want you.”

Izuku feels everything then. He feels like his breath has been stolen, his heart squeezed and his stomach stirred by fluttering wings. Rody pulls him back against him, closes the gap Izuku had been struggling to maintain and kisses him. Rody wraps an arm around Izuku’s shoulders, dips him so he’s laying across his lap, and kisses him. Slow and languid. Rody’s hair curtains around them, tickling Izuku’s cheeks and reflecting the little light shining in from the window and the cracked door. 

“You,” Izuku pulls away, eyes pressed closed, hands still on Rody’s cheeks, “You aren’t going to regret this?”

A thumb smoothes over Izuku’s brow, “Never Hero.” the thumb tracing his eyebrows, trails down his face, brushing over his eyelids, and down the apples up of his cheeks. 

“I wish you’d stop talking,” Rody whispers. His thumbs traces fire onto Izuku’s lips, cooled by the whisper of each word Rody says. He’s that close. Close enough that each word can be felt against the sensitive, kiss flushed flesh of Izuku’s lips. 

“You can make me.” 

Rody does.

The day Kacchan wakes up it’s raining. Izuku, Todoroki, and Lala are sitting on the floor of Rody’s hospital room coloring when a nurse pokes her head in and drops the bomb. Todoroki  springs to his feet, crayons scattering as he grabs Izuku’s hand, who is already standing. Leaving Lala in the supervision of the nurse until her brother’s get back from their walk and run. All Might was already there, standing side by side with Endeavor peering into the ICU. Izuku comes to a stop by his mentor, peering into the room at the doctors that surrounded Kacchan’s bed.

“How long?” Todoroki asks.

“Not long. Maybe ten minutes, but so far it looks like he’ll be staying awake.”  Endeavor looks relieved as he says it, some of the angry tension held in his back bleeding out. Izuku feels much the same way, he sags towards All Might, leaning against his mentor’s slight frame. All Might puts an arm around him.

“Everything is okay now.”

Izuku finally believes it. Finally allows himself to believe it. The doctors move away from Kacchan’s bed, he’s still hooked to copious amounts of machines, but when he catches sight of them, he grins, raises a shaking hand and flips them off. 

A doctor appears behind them, “You should be able to talk to him in a few days after we assure he’s stable. We’re going to move him out of extensive care and into a standard room.”

Endeavor and All Might bow to the doctor, Izuku and Todoroki follow their examples, bending at the waist.

“Thank you for saving him.” Endeavor says lowly.

The doctor laughs, “Trust me. That boy saved himself. He was fighting the entire time.”

Endeavor stands straight, “What do I need to do in the way of paperwork?”

The doctor takes Endeavor down the hall, leaving Todoroki Izuku and All Might to wait around. Todoroki has his phone out, probably updating everyone on Kacchan’s condition. His phone goes off every few seconds as their friends clamor for details. Todoroki lifts his phone and snaps a quick blurry picture of Kacchan.

“Todoroki,” Izuku hisses, smacking his arm, “You aren’t supposed to do that!”

Todoroki shrugs, “No one saw.”

“I saw!” Izuku yelps.

“Our friends asked.”

“That doesn’t mean you should have,” Izuku chastises. He looks towards All Might, he’s looking pointedly at the floor. Betrayal flares in Izuku’s chest and he crosses his arms. Todoroki pats his shoulder.

“It’s not hurting anyone,” his phone buzzes, “Okay. Maybe it’s hurting Kirishima, but other than that, no harm done.”

Izuku pouts harder, “We’re supposed to be heroes, Todoroki. That means respecting and following rules!”

“Midoriya. We literally stole a plane a week ago.”

And honestly Izuku can’t argue against that.

They move Kacchan three doors down from Rody. They still aren’t allowed to talk to him, so Izuku returns to Rody’s room. The other boy is back in bed and finally Pino is back on his shoulder. She lights up like a light bulb when she sees him. Izuku catches her in soft palms when she comes barreling towards him. He laughs, rubs her against his cheek, and meets Rody’s eyes. Soft and light.

“Is this you or her?” Izku asks, he deposits the Quirk onto Rody’s shoulder, and inches onto the bed to sit flush against Rody’s side. 

“Little bit of both,” Rody says. He lays his head against Izuku’s shoulder. His siblings are playing quietly in the corner of the room. They’re well behaved for being raised by someone like Rody. Izuku blushes, ashamed over that train of thought. “I heard Bakugou is awake.”

“Mm,” Izuku hums, “He’s up alright, first thing he did was flip off the number one hero in Japan and All Might.” 

“I like him.” Rody says thoughtfully. “Very spunky, but he’s also one of the most terrifying people I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.”

Izuku laughs, hard. And it’s not even that funny. He still finds himself laughing till his shoulders ache and moisture gathers in the corners of his eyes. Rody is smiling at him, and Pino is fawning.

“I like it when you’re happy.” Rody says with a nod, as if he had just come to that conclusion. 

“I feel like there’s a lot to be happy about now.” Izuku points out, “It’s a good day.”

Rody turns to look out the window, it’s streaking with rain, the lights outside blurring into an iridescent mess. “Too bad it’s raining.”

Izuku disagrees. Something about the rain seals the good feeling bouncing in his chest. It keeps him warm. Makes everything feel butter soft, he’s glad it’s raining.

Kacchan is ready to go home. He’s yelling about it when Todoroki, Izuku, and Rody step into his room a few days later. He pauses when he sees them.

“How the hell are they allowed to walk around?!” he points an accusing, obviously once broken, finger at them. 

Todoroki lets out a long suffering sigh. “We didn’t die on the operating Bakugou.” He takes the seat by Kacchan’s bed. Izuku and Rody linger by the door. Kacchan eyes them dubiously. 

“The hell are you here Rat?”

Rody blanches, eyebrows furrowing at the nickname, “Like in your room, or here in general?”
“Both.” 

Rody rests an arm on Izuku’s shoulder, grinning jauntily, “Well, I’ll have you know I kind of sorta saved the whole world.”

Kacchan scoffs, “Yeah, and I’m a fucking princess.”

“He did.” Todoroki sighs. 

“He did.” Izuku defends.

“I did.” Rody smirks.

Kacchan frowns, “You get fucked up while doing it?”

Rody nods, “Got a couple of badass scars now.” He lifts the oversized t-shirt he’d been provided, showing off the fresh scars that criss cross his stomach. Some still have black stitches sewing them shut.

Kacchan nods. In approval. Izuku stares at him, he gets a glare and a sneer, in retaliation. 

“I still think you look like a little rat.” 

Pino takes flight at this, leaving the safety of Rody’s shoulder, and landing on Kacchan’s bandaged bound chest. Kacchan reaches for the little Quirk, hands still shaking, and rubs his ringers over the feather on Pino’s head.

Rody frowns, “Traitor.”

Pino croons, pleased with herself. She hunkers down, ready to sit and let Kacchan pet her for as long as she can. 

“When do we get to go home?” Kacchan asks, after a few quiet minutes punctuated only by Pino’s cooes and the ping of Todoroki’s phone.

“I’m not sure,” Izuku says, his hand twisting with Rody’s. He feels his grip tighten. “But you probably won’t be able to walk out of this hospital, Kacchan.”

“Shut up,” Kacchan grumbles, “I’m not you Deku, I can fucking walk if I need to.”

“No.” Todoroki deadpans. 

“Can it Icy-Hot!”

Rody sighs, “Don’t you get tired of yelling?”

“Don’t you get tired of looking like a little bitch?” Kacchan snarks back. Pino makes a choked off noise and promptly falls over. Kacchan’s eyes widened in alarm, “Did I just kill your bird?!”

“No.” Rody says through grit teeth. “Stop laughing Izuku!”

All too soon it’s time to leave. It comes upon Izuku so fast. Kacchan improves enough to fly back to Japan, and Endeavor has spent enough time away. When Izuku is told they’ll be flying out of Otheon in two short days, he feels like he’s been pushed under water and held there. He spends as much time as he can with Rody. They talk fast sometimes, both aware that time is nearly gone. Izuku feels like he learns so much about Rody, but at the same time not enough. 

And then it’s time. 

On their last night together, they don’t really talk. They just touch. Lay pressed flush against one another, pressing their lips to hands and necks. Izuku doesn’t cry, though the tears are there. If he cries it will make everything seem more permanent and he’s hanging desperately onto Todoroki’s words. The sun rises sooner than either of them wanted it to. 

Izuku is boarding the plane when he hears it. Rody’s yell of Hero! He’s there, bent double, panting, hands on his knees, dressed in that long coat and over sized shoes, a limp and dead flower hanging out of his pocket. Izuku has no idea where he got his clothes from, but he's never been happier to see them.

“What?” Izuku breaths, stepping away from the group. Rody looks up at him, his hair is pulled back, glasses perched on his head again.

“Had to talk to you one last time, Hero.” Rody reaches for his hand, grasps it, pulls Izuku’s into a hug. 

He came for me. He came back.

Izuku clutches at him, a subconscious part of him had wanted, needed ,Rody to come back. 

“I need to see you again.” Rody whispers. “Talk to you again. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything last night.”

“You’re here.”

Rody laughs softly, “Yeah. I’m kind of a coward, Izuku.”

“No. No you aren’t. I could have said something too. I was just as scared.”

Rody steps back, hands on Izuku’s shoulders, “I’m going to do better. I’m going to try and get a job, get my siblings back in school.”

“That’s so good.” Izuku grins, gripping Rody’s wrist. “You deserve it.”

“I want to see you again,” Rody says again, “I’m not ready to let us go.”

Izuku nods, “Me too. I,” he reaches for his bag, pulling it off his shoulders and unzipping it.  “ I don’t have a phone anymore, but I have an email?”

Rody nods, “Yes. Yeah. I can use a public computer for a while.”

Izuku feels giddy as he scribbles down his personal email. He rips the page out of his notebook and hands it to Rody. The other boy folds it up and tucks it safely into an interior pocket of his coat. 

“Thank you,” Izuku says quietly, he rubs his thumb over Rody’s knuckles. 

“For?”

Izuku  looks up at him, taking in as much of his face as he can. His gray eyes, the tilt of his lips, the texture of his hair.

“Everything.” Izuku says, grabbing the lapels of Rody’s coat and pulling him down into a rough, teeth clashing kiss. He hears All Might’s little noise of surprise behind him, and he couldn’t care less, not when Rody tilts Izuku’s chin, leans into him, and returns the kiss with the same fervor. It probably goes on longer than is appropriate for such a public setting, but again Izuku doesn’t really care. They kiss until Izuku loses breath and only then does he pull himself away.

“Goodbye Hero,” Rody says. He presses a kiss to Izuku’s cheek. Pino’s eyes are waterfalling on Rody’s shoulder. Izuku slides his bag back on, turning away with a final squeeze to Rody’s hand.

“Goodbye.”

It doesn’t hurt to say.