Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya was on a mission. He was going to find himself. He didn’t know where exactly this would happen but he was determined. He had travelled thousands of miles across land and sea, visited remote monasteries, tried the strangest foods - all for one purpose.
And his mission was going well. Or at least it had been before he tripped over his own feet and broke his ankle. And because Izuku was a special favorite of the universe herself, this unfortunate accident had taken place in the middle of a secluded mountain range. There wasn’t a single hospital within walking distance.
Not that it mattered anyway since he couldn’t walk. After his fourth attempt and an ominous creaking sound from his leg, he had admitted defeat. Curled into a ball over the rocky surface of the area, leg sticking out an odd angle.
His cell phone was his last and final hope. He unlocked the device with trembling hands, only to curse as his eyes drifted to the top right corner of the screen.
Who was he kidding? Those precious bars of signal strength had been absent since he first hiked into this valley. It wasn’t any different in this part of the forest.
He locked his phone again and placed the device back in his pocket. He needed to conserve its battery. Just in case a flashlight might come in handy tonight.
He knew his friends would report him missing, of course, when he didn’t call like he was supposed to. But his next check in wasn’t until tomorrow morning. He would have to survive the wilderness at least overnight and pray that he didn’t seem appetizing to any predators in the area.
A twig snapped in the distance, breaking him out of his thoughts. His body tensed as he listened for any more noises. He grabbed the small pocket knife from his Camel pack. The metal was cold and unfamiliar against his palm.
Was he about to be a bear’s dinner?
He heard voices talking in the distance. Decidedly human and not animal voices. He exhaled the breath he had been holding.
“Over here! Please help, I’m hurt!” Izuku called out desperately.
The green haired man dropped the knife he had been gripping. It fell to the ground with a loud clash of metal against rock.
The sound of footsteps pressing down into rock filled his ears. The person was so close! A pair of sleek black boots gradually came into his field of vision. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. His eyes scanned over the label peeking out from above the shoelaces. His angle from the ground wasn’t the best and he had to do a double take.
Gucci ? Seriously ? He didn’t know the luxe Italian brand even made hiking boots!
Was he being rescued by Elon Musk or something?
All of Izuku’s mystery savior came into view a second later. The man was tall with wild blond hair, a chiseled jawline and deep red eyes. Izuku could tell even beneath the layers of equally expensive looking clothing that the man was built. It was like a GQ shoot in the woods.
His Good Samaritan was hot .
“I’m so glad you found me!” Izuku smiled brightly. “I thought for sure a mountain lion or something was going to eat me!”
The man didn’t answer. He walked over to Izuku and crouched down. Appraising eyes zeroed in on him.
“I’m such a clutz, I think I broke my ankle. If there’s any way you could help me to the nearest village, I’d be so grateful!”
Izuku squirmed as the man’s hands began feeling along his body.
“Ah! Th-thank you, but I’m fine everywhere else really! It-it’s just my leg that’s hurt!” Izuku tried to tell the stranger.
The freckled male was beginning to wonder if the man could even understand him. He hadn’t responded to a single word yet.
Izuku shivered as the man lifted up his shirt, exposing his bare torso to the chilly air. He blushed in embarrassment as the man’s slender fingers traced over his skin. The warm flush spread from his freckled cheeks down his neck.
“S-see? No other injuries. Just the leg!” Izuku scratched the back of his neck.
The man finally leaned back and out of Izuku’s space. The fabric fell over his chest but his stomach was still visible. The freckled male quickly pulled the shirt back down the rest of the way.
“Kirishima! Kaminari!” The man suddenly barked behind him.
Two men came running up the path, both a bit shorter than the ash blond.
“Yeah, boss?” One of them asked.
“This idiot hurt his ankle. Carry him back to the lodge.” The blond turned his back from the group.
But not without one last glance at the prone form on the ground. Izuku wasn’t sure how to interpret the expression in those blood red eyes.
Wait - had the man understood him the whole time?! What the hell?!
“Hey, there.” Izuku startled as one of the two newcomers sank down next to him.
He hadn’t even noticed they had joined him on the ground. The redhead was smiling at him, bright and friendly. Such a stark contrast to the sulking blond from a few moments ago.
“H-hi.”
“Your leg looks a little banged up. This range can be super tricky, huh? Would it be okay if we helped you?” The other one asked. Blond but in a canary yellow shade.
“Yes, please!”
The two smiled again at him. The redhead slung an arm around Izuku’s back and lifted the injured male into his arms like he weighed nothing. The blond gathered up his bag behind them.
“Bakugou’s place isn’t too far from here, don’t worry. We’ll have someone take a closer look at your ankle, man.”
Izuku didn’t know who Bakugou was for sure. But his educated guess would be the moody blond he first encountered.
“Thank you.” Izuku said as they started walking back down the steep incline.
For the first time since he felt that fateful snap in his ankle, he was genuinely hopeful. He wasn’t fated to be some predator’s meal, after all.