Chapter Text
“You won’t laugh?”
“I won’t!”
“Promise?”
“I promise I won’t laugh!”
Rody felt hot as he avoided Deku’s eyes. Of course, Pino had settled on top of his head, looking bashful. No one knew about his lame ass quirk except for his siblings. But, spending all this time with Deku as fugitives, Rody had begun to feel like he could trust the amateur hero.
“It’s Pino. She’s my quirk. Pino’s actions… show my true intentions…” Rody almost couldn’t bear to say the words coming out of his mouth. He felt exposed and vulnerable. His cheeks grew hotter by the second, and Pino was in no better shape.
“Really?” The light had only brightened in Deku’s eyes, much to Rody’s surprise.
“No matter how much I lie, Pino gives away how I really feel.” Rody tore his eyes away in embarrassment. Or at least, what he thought was embarrassment. What would he do now that Deku knew about his ridiculous quirk?
As much as he loved Pino, having her broadcast his true feelings could spell trouble for the ex-criminal. He had grown fond of the hero over the course of their adventure, beginning from that heart to heart in the cave. They seemed so different at first. Finding themselves in these life-or-death situations has shown the boy that they might’ve been more alike than he thought. So much so, that this fondness had been developing into something more, something he couldn’t quite understand.
“Not much of a quirk, is it?” He sighed. He suspected the green haired boy would only retort, as he was prone to doing when he said anything self-deprecating.
“That’s not true, Rody. Not being able to lie… is a really wonderful Quirk.”
Rody didn’t think his face could get much hotter. Something bloomed inside of his stomach and was almost too much for him to take. Pino chirped in glee, flapping towards the amateur hero and snuggling him as she perched on his shoulder.
Deku giggled at the sudden display of affection. “Ah, Pino!”
Rody, with his heart damn near popping out of his throat, grabbed the bird harshly and shoved her into his coat. He laughed it off nervously, scratching the back of his head. He must’ve been a brand new shade of red.
“H-ha ha, it’s getting late, huh, hero? Let’s turn in for the night.” Pino squawked in dismay as Rody carefully shrugged off the coat that became the bird’s prison.
“Right, of course…” Deku seemed dumbfounded at the sudden aggression towards the bird, but complied anyway.
Rody faced away from the hero, propping his head up on his coat like it was a pillow. Pino squeezed out of the fabric and squawked angrily at him. He shushed her, hoping and praying that this goddamn bird didn’t completely out him. “Good night, hero.”
Deku had gotten comfortable next to him, laying on his own t-shirt pillow. He chucked some wood into the campfire near them for good measure. “Good night, Rody.”
Rody didn’t sleep.
He was restless, filled with anxiety at the notion of Deku knowing his secret. For what reason, he wasn’t quite sure. His siblings knew, and he handled that just fine. But Deku, his new friend, knowing that Pino did exactly what Rody truly wants and feels like doing… It was absolutely terrifying. Slowly, Rody turned to look at the green haired boy.
His breaths were slow and steady. Definitely asleep. If Rody knew anything about his new friend, is that he was a heavy sleeper. Against his better judgement, Rody allowed himself to study the sleeping Deku. The latter’s sleeping and peaceful face, his curly green and black hair, his slightly parted lips… and Pino snuggled up next to him.
He had never felt an urge to physically harm his own quirk, but that was before now. Hissing under his breath, he crawled quickly but quietly to the bird and the sleeping Deku.
“Pino!!! What are you doing?!” Rody pleaded at his feathered manifestation of his quirk. He must have been a bit too loud, because Deku stirred. Rody watched in horror as the green haired boy brought up his arm to cradle the bird and drift back to sleep. Pino only relished in the affection, blushing and chittering happily.
Rody’s heart skipped a beat at the display. He found himself suddenly longing to be the one cradled in the green haired boy’s arms instead of Pino. To feel his warmth, nestle into his neck… Rody suddenly snapped out of his daydream and shook his head violently. Why did he think that? Why did he think of doing that with Deku? Staring at the two snuggled together, Rody’s mind raced. He never had these kinds of thoughts before. And If he ever did, shouldn’t it be with a woman?
He didn’t have time to ponder whatever was happening in his head. Rody had to get Pino out of there. Carefully, he crept down to the dreaming Deku’s level. Barely daring to breathe, he reached for the bird that was fast asleep in the hero’s embrace. As he got closer, his heart raced. Their closeness had that strange feeling come back with a vengeance in the pit of his stomach – the warmth spread to his chest and rose to his face, damn near consuming him. All he could think about was Deku’s lips as he slowly gripped Pino like a claw machine. Rody’s heart was beating so fast that it almost hurt, but he used all the strength he had left to lift little Pino.
Suddenly, the sleeping Deku, feeling the absence of his feathered pillow, grasped at the air. Finding the hem of Rody’s shirt, he pulled the boy in close to him, until their noses were millimeters from touching. Wide eyed and face on fire, Rody didn’t dare to move or breathe. He was frozen in a ridiculous pose, holding the bird up and limbs spread as far away as he could, not daring to touch the hero. Deku wrapped his arm around his waist, pulling him closer and settling back into sleep.
Rody’s mind went blank.
He completely forgot about his mission to extract Pino. He forgot about the Humarise, the mysterious briefcase, and the fact that they were fugitives. It was just him and Deku in this moment.
The hero’s breath tickled at his neck and sent shivers down Rody’s spine. His gentle yet strong embrace was electrifying – completely different from the hold Deku had on Rody as they swung through the city just a few days prior. The latter recalled feeling like quite the damsel in distress at that moment, but that was nothing compared to now.
Deku seemed to stay asleep. Rody finally exhaled, realizing he just about suffocated from holding his breath for so long. What was he going to do now? He could squirm out of the boy’s grip and possibly risk waking him. Rody shook his head at the thought. How could he possibly explain how he ended up snuggling him in the middle of the night?
There was also the option of staying in Deku’s arms. Rody relished in the thought. Deku’s touch was intoxicating, and their faces being as close as they were made Rody go limp.
He pondered. Much to Rody’s dismay, it’d be much less of a hassle to squirm out of the green haired boy’s embrace. He seemed to sleep through just about anything.
Sighing, Rody relaxed his limbs finally. Carefully, he placed the sleeping Pino next to him as he reached for Deku’s arm wrapped around him. Pino stirred, awoken from the movement. Blinking its eyes awake, it slowly took in the scene happening in front of it.
Much to Rody’s dismay, it squawked in glee.
Holy FUCK, Rody mentally screamed as the bird’s sudden trumpeting shook the sleeping Deku. Wide eyed and cheeks freshly flared, Rody watched in horror as his newfound crush blinked his eyes awake.
“R…Rody…?”
Hair standing on end, Rody froze in place, hardly daring to breathe.
The hero’s half lidded eyes travelled from the distraught ex-criminal’s tomato-red face to his own arm wrapped around his friend’s torso. Rody watched helplessly as Deku started to put the pieces together.
“Wha- why-“ Deku stuttered, eyes slowly widening and voice raising in pitch. Rody could only stare as his heart did somersaults in his chest.
It might have been Rody’s imagination, but Deku had a pink tint to his cheeks.
“Ah- y’see- well-“ Rody struggled to grasp for something, anything, to explain why the boys were cuddling. He braced himself for the green haired boy to let go, push him away, or even get violent against him.
Deku didn’t let go.
The excuses died on his tongue as Rody finally looked into the hero’s eyes. They studied him, expression unreadable.
An eternity seemed to pass as they gazed at each other.
Deku slowly lowered his gaze again to his arm wrapped around Rody’s waist. The ex-criminal gulped, heart practically fighting its way up his throat.
“Deku…?” Rody finally breathed. The green haired boy returned his gaze to him, only to respond by tightening the grip he had on him.
The air seemed to escape Rody’s lungs. He searched in Deku’s eyes for an answer to a question rapidly forming on his tongue but he didn’t dare speak. His pulse roared in his ears, and the heat in his cheeks flared relentlessly. Deku was holding him, completely conscious.
The ex convict lowered his gaze to the hero’s lips. His skin was on fire where Deku held him, but he was desperate for more. Tentatively, he moved his free hand up Deku’s arm, brushing his bare skin before finally resting it on his cheek. Rody looked up into Deku’s eyes – now half lidded, watching him – and waited for permission.
Deku didn’t hesitate. Closing the distance between them, the hero met the ex criminal’s lips with his own.
Rody felt as though he was struck by lightning.
Deku’s touch, his breath, and his warmth sent shockwaves throughout his body. He clumsily kissed the green haired boy back, his inexperience embarrassingly apparent. Deku chuckled softly against his mouth, pulling the ex-convict closer to him until their bodies were pressed together, legs entangled with one another. Rody’s breath caught at the contact, hardly able to bear the sensation of deku’s thigh between his own. He responded by licking the green haired boys lips, begging for entry. The hero accepted, parting his lips and meeting the ex-criminal’s tongue with his own.
The initial chasteness quickly disappeared as their kiss deepened, desire enveloping them. Rody ached for more. He grabbed a fistful of curly green hair as he pulled back, revealing the hero’s neck. Deku moaned pitifully as Rody lightly grazed his nape with his teeth. He rocked his hips against Deku’s, the hero’s breath catching at the movement. The ex-convict traced the hero’s jawline with kisses before rolling the latter onto his back.
Deku gazed up at him, eyes half lidded and wanting, his cheeks and lips brushed with pink. Rody wished he had a camera quirk in that moment, to catch the expression the green haired boy was giving him and treasure it forever.