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Izuku gathered the last of his things, ready to head out to the agency. His phone started ringing in his pocket, the old All Might theme song blaring. It put a smile on his face as he knew exactly who was calling.
“Hey Kacchan!” Izuku answered brightly.
“Happy birthday, Sweetheart,” Katsuki’s tired voice spoke gruffly through the receiver.
“My birthday isn’t until tomorrow.”
“Tch, time difference dipshit,” his boyfriend clicked his tongue. “Might still be yesterday in America, but here it’s your birthday.”
“Kacchan, it’s just after midnight. I’m surprised you’re still awake.”
“Yeah, well, gotta make sure I’m still holding onto the number 1 boyfriend spot by being the first to wish you a good day.”
That sentiment made Izuku’s throat tighten and brought tears to his eyes. Long distance was hard already, but being pro heroes who had little downtime and working in countries on the opposite side of the world made everything so much harder.
“Gotta make sure no one is encroaching on my rightful place,” Katsuki continued.
“O-Of course not, Kacchan,” Izuku said through the tightness in his throat.
“Izuku?”
“Sorry,” he sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. “We knew this was gonna be hard when I accepted the offer to work in the US, but…” he couldn’t finish on account of the emotions muting his larynx.
“I know, Baby,” Kacchan cooed softly. “But you gotta finish your All Might Era before you come home.”
Izuku laughed wetly at that. “Just miss you…a lot. And with my birthday being tomorrow all I can think about is wanting what I can’t have.”
“And what’s that?”
“You,” the freckled hero sighed. “I just want to hug you or see your face in person and not on a screen. My teammates are cool and really friendly, but they’re not Kacchan.”
“Izuku, you’ve got less than a year left in the states, then you’ll come back to Japan and we’ll open our own agency like we’ve talked about since we were four.”
“But seven months is still so far away,” Izuku whined.
“Do you want to come home?” Katsuki asked and the pause that echoed between them as the greenette pondered that question felt like days.
“No,” he finally sighed. “I’ve got to finish my All Might Era.”
“You’re so strong, Baby. You can get through this,” Katsuki reassured him. “We’ve been through so much together already. Long distance ain’t gonna tear us apart. Listen, I’ve got to hit the hay, had a long patrol. Just wanted to be the first to tell my angel how amazing he is.”
“Kacchan sugoi,” Izuku breathed, feeling touched.
“No you. I’ll call you again tomorrow to wish you a happy birthday on American time,” Katsuki snorted. “Two birthdays you spoiled brat.”
He laughed at that. “I love you.”
“Love you more.”
The call disconnected and Izuku felt the silence ringing in his ears. He slid down the front door of his tiny apartment and hid his face in his knees. Heart breaking and eyes flooding, the hero cried out his frustrations.
He’d been so excited to take this position. To live in America just like All Might. He’d even gone to California just like his idol and mentor.But the 16 hour time difference was slowly killing him. It may be just after 8 in the morning in Los Angeles but Kacchan had forgone his bedtime just to call him at midnight Tokyo time. So many days they’d played phone tag, leaving voicemails about their patrols or things they did on their time off because the other was already sleeping.
If Izuku was being honest with himself, he wished Kacchan had put up more of a fight for him to stay in Tokyo. But his ever supportive, explosive boyfriend had urged him to do this. It wasn’t until the first couple weeks that they both realized how co-dependent they were on each other and how much harder long distance would be because of it.
With a deep breath, Izuku got to his feet, patted down his pockets and left his apartment. The agency was only a few blocks from the housing units, so he liked to walk. Although, now that it was full blown summer, the sun made everything hot early in the day. Luckily he’d be switching to night shifts next week.
Only a block away from the agency, Izuku’s phone started chiming with a flood of text messages coming in. His friends’ antics put a smile on his face. And though he was still feeling down that he wouldn’t be celebrating his birthday with them for the first time in years, it was nice to know they were thinking about him.
Izuku shook his head. Poor Shouto still wasn’t a conversationalist but it was great to see him trying! The freckled hero imagined Kacchan smacking Shouto upside the head for that question. The blush that would be painted across those high cheekbones would be so pretty. Kacchan was always pretty, but especially when he was flustered.
Of course they didn’t buy it. Izuku sighed and rubbed his forehead. He was pacing in front of the agency, waiting to go in until he could finish this conversation and compose himself. His American teammates were far more nosy than most of the heroes he’d worked alongside in Japan. It was a culture shock for sure and if he walked in looking distraught, he was sure to suffer a round of 20 questions.
Izuku bit his lip and slipped around the side of the building. He could feel his emotions getting the best of him again. And seeing heroes and sidekicks arriving for shift change made him feel like he was about to be under a microscope. Izuku missed a lot of things about home. His friends, the food, his mom, All Might…Kacchan.
With a heavy heart, Izuku pocketed his phone. He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath and walked into the agency. Luckily, there was a lot of activity, meaning he was able to slip into the elevator without being spotted by a few of the heroes he worked with on the regular.
Keeping his head down, Izuku went to the locker room to change into his hero gear and splash water on his face. His reflection still looked forlorn, his freckles hidden behind splotchy red skin. But with a smile fit for the new Symbol of Peace, his teammates wouldn’t know any different.
“Morning Deku!” Cyber Punk greeted brightly. His smile fell a bit, eyes squinting as he looked over the Japanese hero.
Crap! Izuku swallowed and grinned brighter. “Morning! Gonna be another hot one today.” When in doubt, talk about the weather.
And his diversion must have worked because Cyber Punk dropped any hint of concern in his expression. In fact, his face lit up…literally. The hero had cybernetics all over his body, but the one that stood out the most was the metal rectangle around his left eye. They both glowed a bright purple as his smile brightened.
“Isn’t your birthday this week?”
Izuku nodded. “Tomorrow actually. Well, today, back home in Japan, but because of the time difference, my birthday is tomorrow here in the US.” Shoot, he was rambling again. Of course Cyber Punk knows about the time difference.
“Damn, two birthdays? You lucky duck,” the hero laughed. “I bet your phone is blowing up.”
A hand came up to rub the back of Izuku’s neck. “Ah, well, it’s almost one in the morning in Tokyo, so not quite. But I did hear from Kacchan and some of my friends.”
The cybernetic hero nodded and walked over to his locker to change into his costume. “It’s real nice you’ve got a support system like that.”
“Yeah,” Izuku said quietly. “It is.” That emotional wave washed over him again and Izuku had to turn toward his open locker so he could hide the tears that clung to his eyelashes. Today and tomorrow would be hard, especially because of how much he was missing Kacchan. Maybe if he threw himself into work, he could forget about how homesick he’s been feeling.
“Make sure you’re not late for check-in,” Cyber Punk reminded him on his way out.
“Right, I’ll be there in a minute,” the Japanese hero nodded.
Izuku’s mind wandered and tumbled over his thoughts as he changed into his costume and snapped his cape into place. By the time he trudged out of the locker room, a huddle had already formed near the tech board. The freckled hero jogged over to join them.
“Morning Deku!” A chorus of greetings rang out.
"Morning everyone,” Izuku returned and offered a small wave. He could feel Cyber Punk’s eyes on him again. And with all that cool tech being part of his quirk, the greenette wondered just how well the other hero could read him.
“Let’s get started,” someone said, quelling all the small conversations taking place.
One of the lead heroes at the agency, Lion Heart, took the floor. “While it was a relatively quiet night, two of our junior heroes uncovered a plot to smoke out the movie premier at the Chinese Theater. They reported three villains with possibly volatile quirks lurking around the area before the event and again once everyone was inside. Available teams rushed in and foiled the plot. No injuries were reported.”
A few of the heroes in the huddle relaxed.
“However,” Lion Heart went on. “One of the villains broke out of containment during transport and is MIA.” The board on the wall lit up with streetcam footage and Izuku watched the video with rapt attention.
The transport truck slowed as it came to a red light and then the back doors exploded open with a flood of smoke. A petite shadow jumped out the back and ran across traffic. Any defining features were lost in the poor quality footage.
“So what do we know about the escapee?” Cyber Punk asked while still studying the footage.
“She goes by the name Ash, and based on the testimonies of the law enforcement involved in transport, her quirk is unaffected by dampening cuffs. A sample from the scene was taken to the lab at 0300 and it has been confirmed that the substance she creates is strikingly similar to volcanic ash. It holds a high temperature, as well as acid properties. The guards in the van are all in critical condition. They all suffered third degree burns and two are likely blind.”
“Oh that’s awful,” Mystic sighed. She shook her head making her long blonde pigtails swing over her shoulders. When Izuku started at the agency, his first thought upon meeting the heroine was that she looked like she’d stepped straight out of a Sailor Moon episode.
“If her quirk is so volatile and she’s on the run, wouldn’t it be safe to assume we’d hear reports related to severe burns or the melting of public property?” Izuku asked.
“Right on, Deku,” Lion Heart grinned, his elongated fangs glinting in the fluorescent lighting. “We’ve been keeping track of reports, following her path and have determined her destination is most likely Port of Long Beach. After looking into known liaisons and accomplices, we believe Ash is connected to a drug running gang that has used the port in the past to slip illicit substances past security.”
“But how does that connect to the attack on the movie premier?” Mystic asked.
“A distraction,” Izuku said, hand already on his chin and finger tapping against his lower lip. “A lot of celebrities were at the premiere, meaning an attack on the theater would draw a lot of attention, leaving whatever plan at the port relatively unseen. Did anyone check shipping manifests or a record of what carriers docked in the last 12 hours?”
“Already on it,” Lion Heart nodded again, a proud smirk on his lips as he addressed the group. “A block of crates from Colombia were on a shipping manifest for a carrier that came in from Panama. It’s known that our drug gang often use Panama as a go between.”
“So, why have they never been caught?” Izuku asked, confused.
“They have someone very special on their crew,” Cyber Punk huffed. “A Colombian scholar who studied at UCLA. Spent time here and studied the everyday lives of Americans. He also has a screening quirk. Anything wrapped up in material he touches won’t get pinged on an x-ray or geiger counter. It’ll just appear as regular merchandise.”
“I see,” Izuku sighed. “And I suppose they hide the drugs in something that looks harmless?”
“Yeah,” Mystic nodded. “It’s kind of sick actually. But my team and I busted a shipment last year and 5,000 vials of Trigger were being smuggled inside children’s toys.”
“Trigger is still an issue, here?” The Japanese hero asked, face twisting with concern.
“It never stopped,” Cyber Punk shook his head. He looked back at Lion Heart. “So, are our routes changing today?”
“Not everyone, no,” their leader told them. “We’ve notified law enforcement of the situation and three other agencies have lended their heroes to the cause. Mystic, I’d like you to team up with Allied Agency since you have worked with a handful of their team members.”
“Yes, Sir,” she saluted with a grin.
“Cyber Punk and Deku, you will follow your designated patrol like usual.”
“Got it Boss,” the cybernetic hero nodded.
“Intel and dispatch teams will continue to monitor the situation from here and notify all of you if something comes up.” Lion Heart looked around at them all, his intense golden eyes boring into each hero. “Dismissed.”
A fist softly punched Izuku’s shoulder. He jolted, not realizing he was still staring at the looping footage on the screen. Cyber Punk smiled and jerked his head toward the door.
The two fell into step, taking the stairs to avoid the droves of admins and management that were starting to filter into the building.
“I don’t know how you do it, Deku,” the cybernetic hero snorted softly.
“Do what?”
“Impress the boss.” They stepped out onto the street. Live music was already brightening up the street corner where a man with a guitar was playing for tips. “Took me over a year to get recognition from that man, and here you are, 11 months in getting call outs and proud smirks.”
“O-Oh,” Izuku stuttered, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He’d never been one to take compliments well. “I d-don’t know.” He shrugged. “Just trying my best.”
Cyber Punk hummed in thought. “Well, I suppose when you save the world at 16…”
“I-I-I, that was just-”
The taller man grinned, “You’re really humble, you know that?”
“You think so?” Izuku twiddled his thumbs as they passed honking cars at a stoplight.
“Totally. Don’t ever lose that, okay?”
Emerald eyes peered up at mismatched cybernetic ones. Deku nodded softly.
“Too many heroes let the fame go to their heads. They think their accolades speak for them. It becomes a lot of talk and not much action to back it up after a while.” Cyber Punk crossed his arms and sighed. “Can’t tell you how many times the phrase never meet your heroes really hits hard for kids here.”
“Did that happen to you?” Izuku asked. A long pause followed. “Sorry, that’s not really any of my bus-”
“Yeah,” his partner cut him off. “When I was 11, my family was in a car accident. We were on vacation, driving through the mountains. It was raining, and the roads wound around the peaks to the point visibility was practically zero. My dad didn’t see the other car until it was too late.”
The hero sighed. “Typical tragedy story, I guess. I was the only survivor. When the heroes and police showed up, Mr. Fantastic was among them. I was obsessed. He was cool and always fought the villains like he was barely breaking a sweat. But when I needed reassurance the most, he just sort of brushed me off onto someone else. I’d lost my family…lost my eye, broke my arm, and I was in shock. All I wanted was for my favorite hero to tell me it was going to be okay, but when the time came he was wrapped up in the reporters and their fawning.”
Cyber Punk took a deep breath and released it slowly. He tilted his head to look toward Izuku and smiled softly. “I’ve come to terms with that night, but it took a long time, and a lot of therapy. But it was that event that made me want to become a hero. I wanted to be the person I needed for others. I promised myself a long time ago that interviews and ratings would never come before someone who needs me.”
Izuku felt his heart skip. “You’re a really cool hero.”
“Yeah?”
“Totally,” Deku grinned.
A scream from down the street had both of them on high alert. Some guy was running hard, barreling through throngs of people while a group of teenagers shouted and raced after him.
Cyber Punk took off. The index and ring fingers of his right hand opened up and electric lines shot out, attaching to the wall of a nearby shop. The electrified fence forced the culprit to slow. The man twisted and changed course only to yelp as Blackwhip wrapped around his ankles, bringing him to the ground.
“He took our phones!” One of the girls shouted.
Cyber Punk crushed beside the struggling man and pulled the stolen merchandise from his hands.
“Now, what’s a man like you looking to do with a Hello Kitty smartphone?” The cybernetic hero asked with a laugh. The guy groaned and slumped against the concrete in defeat.
Deku kept the thief bound until the cops arrived. It was a pretty routine mugging. A lot of tourists hung out in the area. Easy targets for thieves.
But when the freckled hero returned to his partner, he was surprised to see the three girls waiting around. He expected them to go back to whatever they were doing, and yet, there they were, looking a bit nervous as they held out a notebook and green gel pen.
“C-Could we get your autograph, Deku?”
Izuku felt his breath catch. Sure, he’d been recognized plenty of times while he was working in the US, but it wasn’t often anyone asked for a picture or an autograph.
“M-Me?” He pointed to himself.
“Of course!” One of the girls giggled. “You’re so cool! I’ve watched your takedown of All for One like five bajillion times!”
“It’s true,” one of the other teens snorted and elbowed her friend. “She’s a superfan.”
“Tiffany,” she whined. “Don’t embarrass me.”
Deku chuckled and took the notebook. “I’d love to give you an autograph.”
It was still strange being the one people approached. Even when he was a sidekick at Endeavor’s agency straight out of UA, Izuku got a lot of attention. So much so, Kacchan had to beat back the crowds once. That hadn’t been a good look for the rookie heroes, but PR quickly turned it around and the public respected heroes’ personal space a lot more.
When Deku handed the notebook back, his so-called ‘superfan’ hugged it to her chest with a bright grin. It made his heart flutter. That was the exact look he got whenever he saw All Might on television.
“Do you like working in the states?”
“Do you miss Japan?”
“Are you sticking around for a while? We’d love to keep you!”
“But I bet his boyfriend wants him back, Rebecca.”
“Eeee Dynamight! He’s so hot!” Rebecca squealed, and then she suddenly gasped, eyes going wide. “Sorry, I didn’t mean - I mean, yeah he’s hot, but like I’m not-”
Deku laughed and shook his head. “No, you’re right. Kacchan is super hot.” And then all that time spent focusing on work shifted to his favorite person. A wave of melancholy washed over Izuku and his heart became heavy again. It was nice to see people on the other side of the world admire his amazing boyfriend, but why did the universe have to be so rude sometimes? Did a higher power know that all he needed to be happy was a Kacchan to cuddle and kiss? To hold him in his arms. To roll over and touch his chest so Izuku could feel the strong beat of his heart underneath when he awoke crying and sweating from terrible nightmares.
“Deku?” Cyber Punk asked, pulling him out of his daze.
“Sorry, got a little lost in thought,” he laughed it off, making his voice light. “Um, you girls be safe okay? Make sure to be aware of your surroundings.”
“We will,” the teenagers chorused. “Thank you, Deku! Thanks, Cyber Punk!” They ran off down the street talking fast and squealing at their heroic interaction.
“Let’s keep going.” Izuku took a few steps before his partner’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“I should be the one asking you that,” Cyber Punk said, brows scrunching. “You zoned out completely in the middle of that conversation.”
“Oh, did I?” Deku chuckled nervously. “I do that sometimes.”
The other hero sighed. “Can I ask a personal question?”
“Of course,” Izuku nodded as they began walking again. His heart started to beat faster the longer the other man took to speak again. He knew he’d never been good at lying, and he’d always worn his emotions on his sleeve.
“Do you actually like being here? At this agency?”
“Of course! This is an amazing opportunity. It’s always been a dream to be a hero, but even more so, a hero who helps out all over the world. I really can’t thank you guys enough for reaching out.”
Cyber Punk visibly relaxed at the confirmation. “So if you’re not uncomfortable at the agency, what’s eating you?”
“Eating me?” Izuku tilted his head in confusion.
“Something’s on your mind,” the other hero clarified, tapping his temple. The clink of metal on metal was a bit unsettling.
“Ah, well,” Deku shrugged. “I think I’m feeling a bit homesick. I’m still not used to the food here. I’ve never had this much heartburn. And just the whole atmosphere is different, you know? But most of all, I miss Kacchan…and my mom, my friends.”
A hand ruffled his curls and Izuku blanched.
Cyber Punk offered an understanding smile. “Yeah, I bet it’s hard being on the other side of the world. Hey, I know,” he perked up. “Why don’t you and I go out to celebrate your birthday tonight?”
“But tomorrow is-”
“I’m leaving for that team up mission tomorrow, so let’s do it tonight.”
“Oh right,” Izuku nodded. He pondered the offer for a moment and then a small smile pulled at his lips. “Yeah, okay. Let’s celebrate after patrol.”
“Happy birthday, Deku!” The group shouted as Izuku and Cyber Punk came around the corner.
“Y-You’re all here?”
Cyber Punk patted his shoulder and leaned down a bit to speak softly. “I hope you don’t mind, I sent out an invite to the rest of the agency. Thought it might cheer you up.”
Izuku swallowed back the emotions tightening his throat. All his new friends were here, smiling and cheering for his special day. The tears came on quick, like they always did. But he swiped them away on the back of his arm. He heard a few soft coos from the table.
“Thank you,” Izuku sniffled. “This means a lot.”
“When we heard you were feeling homesick and that you were going to spend your birthday alone if no one said anything, we jumped right on Punky’s invite,” Mystic grinned. “No one should be sad on their special day!”
Izuku nodded, still trying to rein in his emotions. And then he caught sight of the heroine’s heavily bandaged arm. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? What happened? A villain fight?”
Mystic raised her arm a bit. “Oh yeah. Ran into Ash on patrol. Had to get pretty close in order to trap her in an interdimensional orb, but it’s not so bad.”
The group slid over on the bench to make room for the two newcomers. Izuku was squished between Mystic and Cyber Punk. A heated grill took up the center of the table, the sound of sizzling meats and vegetables from other tables mixed with joyful conversation filling the restaurant.
Izuku still couldn’t believe his teammate remembered he wanted to try this Korean Barbeque place. He was pretty sure he mentioned it only a month or two after his arrival at the agency.
“So, birthday boy,” Mystic grinned and tilted her head in his direction. “You’ve been wanting to try this place forever , so you choose.” He pushed the menu toward him.
“Oh, but shouldn’t everyone get something they like?” Izuku asked.
“God, you’re so sweet. My teeth are rotting out of my head,” Viper squealed.
She reminded Izuku a lot of Setsuna, though her quirk gave her a more snakelike appearance with slit eyes, venomous fangs, and scaly skin. She could split off body parts as well, and grow them back, but it took a long time, especially for larger ones. And though Izuku had been a bit intimidated by her stare the first few times they interacted, it wasn’t until they patrolled together that he got a good sense of who she was. And honestly, her love of the color pink, anything covered in glitter, and her massive sweet tooth completely threw Izuku for a loop. The contrast in appearance and personality often made for hilarious villain takedowns.
“Go ahead and order what you want, our treat,” Cyber Punk smiled.
“Okay.” Izuku stared at the menu again and made selections when their server came around.
The group also pushed for him to get a beer so they could toast to his birthday. He’d never been much of a drinker, and when he did go to a bar and party at Mina’s, Izuku often stuck with something light or fruity.
“Happiest of birthdays to Deku!” Mystic shouted, glass raised. Everyone cheered and they all took a drink.
The taste wasn’t what Izuku expected and he scrunched his face. A few snickers echoed around the table.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “Not really a drinker.”
“That’s okay,” Cyber Punk grabbed for the still nearly full pint and pulled it toward himself. “I’ll finish it for you. Get something else.” The man’s cybernetic infused arm landed across the back of the bench, fingers teasing at Izuku’s shoulder. He winked at him and the freckled hero blushed lightly.
Americans were far more comfortable with touch than he was used to. Sure, his friends hugged him or held his hand, but they were close friends. His first day at the agency, Izuku had received plenty of handshakes, which was also new for him, but it was the easy touching that really threw him off. The light pats on his shoulder, a hand at his lower back as he walked and talked, a gentle touch to his arm as he conversed over lunch with a teammate.
Dinner was good. It was nice to be surrounded with people who wanted to be there and celebrate with him. The raucous laughter when someone told an absurd story about their first flub as a pro hero started to grate on Izuku, though. These people had become lifelines in a confusing time for him…but what would make this all better was if Kacchan was here. Izuku was sure his boyfriend would like these heroes. He could even imagine the fiery blonde getting into an arm wrestling match with Cyber Punk just to test whose prosthetic was better.
His phone started to ring in his pocket. He pulled it out and Izuku’s heart clenched even more.
“Sorry, can I get out?” He asked the cybernetic hero. “It’s my mom.”
He moved immediately, and Izuku left the restaurant. The change in the level of sound was a shock.
“Mom?” He asked, picking up the call on the fifth ring.
“Oh, I thought you might have already gone to bed. Glad I didn’t miss you. Happy birthday, Sweetie.” Her voice was so soft and happy. The sound of something rustled in the background and Izuku imagined she was watering the garden. “I wanted to call earlier but I know you’re scheduled to patrol during the day. I had to look up the time difference again just to make sure I wasn’t bothering you.”
“Oh Mom, you could never bother me,” Izuku breathed, feeling the sting of tears again. “It’s…it’s really good to hear your voice.”
“Everything okay, Sweetie?” She asked, already picking up on his distress. His mom was good at that, always has been. “Did I call at a bad time?”
“No, you called at the perfect time,” he smiled. “I was just about to head home.” Izuku walked back into the restaurant and toward the table. The group was conversing like the tight knit friends they were. It struck Izuku through the heart again just how much he missed his own friends and wished they could be here. “Hey Mom, give me just a second.”
“Okay, Izuku.”
“Hey Deku, you’re back,” Viper waved. When the freckled hero hesitated, she tilted her head in concern. “Everything okay?”
“Uh yeah,” Izuku breathed. “I want to thank you all for coming out and celebrating with me. I really appreciate it, but I think I’m going to head home.”
“Aww really?” Mystic pouted. “Did we…did we do something?”
“What?!” Izuku’s eyes widened in alarm. “No, no, no, not at all. I’m just feeling really tired.” He turned to Cyber Punk. “Thanks for putting this together, and good luck on your mission.”
“Sure thing, Man,” the cybernetic hero nodded and reached out to shake his hand. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“Happy birthday, again!”
“Thanks you guys,” Izuku smiled and headed back out. “Mom?”
“I’m still here,” she said brightly. “I may not know very much English, but I can tell when someone is having fun. Did you go out with friends?”
“I did,” Izuku told her. “My patrol partner, Cyber Punk, invited some of the others from the agency to celebrate my birthday. It was a surprise.”
“Oh that’s lovely, Izuku! I’m so glad you’ve made friends in America.” His mom sighed. “Though, I wish didn’t have to go so far away.”
“Yeah, me too,” he responded sadly without thinking.
“Oh Baby,” she gasped. “Are you missing home?”
Izuku’s steps faltered as he came to the intersection. It was pretty late. The sun had already set, but traffic had only slowed minimally. At least the business of the city reminded him a bit of home. And all the billboards featuring heroes and their respective agencies. But that special something that usually thrummed through him when he walked the streets of Tokyo was missing. That familiarity and pride of being a hero in his home country had fallen out of his chest, leaving an open wound he’d been ignoring for a long time.
“Yeah,” he sniffled. “I miss you, Mom. And All Might. And Kacchan. I miss my apartment and just sitting in the park or going to the arcade with my friends on our days off. Everything is different here and I’ve felt, I don’t know, off ever since I got here.”
“Oh Sweetie, I know it can be hard leaving home,” his mother told him. “But you know what? When you come back to Japan, I bet you’ll appreciate that you took a leap of faith and did this. You’d regret it if you declined the offer. You and I both know it.”
Izuku wiped at his eyes, though he still felt wetness clinging to his lashes. He cleared his throat. “You’re right.”
“I’m your mother. I’m always right.”
He laughed at her statement. So many times in his life he’d gone to her for advice, and Izuku followed it…most of the time. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, Izuku. I’ll let you go now. Enjoy your time with your new friends.”
“Thanks. I’ll try.”
“Bye bye, Sweetie.” She made a kissing noise over the phone and Izuku couldn’t help the feeling of love that tingled in his chest.
“By Mom,” he said, kissing back.
Izuku crossed to the other side of the street and continued toward his apartment. A bright storefront caught his attention just before he turned the corner and he backtracked to check it out. It was a bakery. He’d seen them all over the city. Sweet concoctions inspired by local heroes. The window was dark, only emergency lights illuminating the decorated lobby inside. Izuku leaned forward and cupped his hands over the glass.
Someone walked up nearby, and he took a startled step back, feeling a little silly looking into a closed up shop. The young woman raised her eyebrow at him and pointed to the brightly lit screen of a vending machine.
Izuku felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. How did he not notice that?
He watched nearby as she made her selection and paid. A little door slid open to reveal a cubby with her boxed cupcake inside. The woman eyed Izuku with warry before walking swiftly back the way she came.
The freckled hero hated that he just made her uncomfortable by standing around like a creep watching her order a cupcake. Idiot !
Still, Izuku stepped up to the screen and cycled through the available treats. His heart skipped when he saw an All Might themed cupcake. Even after years of being out of the spotlight, his idol was still so beloved by the world.
He tapped the screen, fished out his wallet and waited excitedly for the little door to open. When it did, a perfect box sat inside. Izuku reached in and pulled it out, cradling it to his chest with a smile.
“A little piece of home for my birthday,” he whispered to himself. Of course, that sentiment just had him cycling back to how much he missed Tokyo, but Izuku tried to block out the worst feelings.
By the time he got to his apartment, it was almost midnight. He was exhausted and ready for his day off tomorrow. Kicking off his shoes, Izuku stepped into the rest of his temporary home. It was small. Smaller than the apartment he shared with Kacchan. He could stand in the center of the common space and see the kitchen, dining and living room all at once if he just turned his head a bit.
The little box containing his All Might cupcake was placed on the counter while Izuku went into his bedroom to take a quick chowder and change into a tank and basketball shorts.
When he sat down at the kitchen table, he slumped in the seat. The All Might treat was on a little plate, a candle nestled between his bright yellow bunny ear bangs. Izuku struck a match and lit the wax stick. The flame danced before him, mesmerizing his tired eyes.
The clock on the wall chimed softly, signifying the passing of another day.
Izuku closed his eyes, and imagined Kacchan sitting across from him, hand holding his own and softly caressing his knuckles. He took a deep breath and blew out. The flame flickered and died, leaving a wisp of smoke. Emerald eyes fluttered open to the sight of a dimly lit kitchen table and no one sitting across from him.
“Happy birthday to me,” Izuku sighed and sat back.
A knock pounded on his door, making him jump with a yelp. Cautiously, he stood and stared at the door. Another round of knocks made Izuku’s heart rate increase.
He took a few steps to reach the door and pulled it open. Expecting to see one of his teammates, the freckled man stopped breathing for a second when that was not the case.
“Hey,” Kacchan smiled tiredly. “Happy birthday.” The blonde breathed out slowly, scarlet eyes roaming over Izuku’s still frozen form. He cleared his throat. “I brought some things.” A black duffel bag hung from one shoulder, but it was the large plastic bag that caught Izuku’s attention as Katsuki lifted it. “Merch team finally released some of my licensed stuff and figured you wouldn’t be able to get it here. So there’s like a fuckton of shit in this bag. Sort of just grabbed one of everything so I don’t even know what’s in there. And some of your favorite snacks, too. Like those sour candies you can never put down and the squid chips you devour before we even make it home from the store. I hope this is o-”
Izuku let out a sob and dove for his boyfriend. “KACCHAN!” His arms shook as he wrapped them around the blonde’s middle and squeezed as hard as he could. There was nothing to stop his tears now.
The thump of the duffel and gift bags hitting the floor were drowned out by Izuku’s cries. Hands snaked around him, one rubbing circles into his back, the other tangling in his shower damp curls.
“Sh sh,” Katsuki said softly, rocking them side to side. “What’s with all the water works, huh?”
Izuku leaned back, still choking on every breath as all his emotions flooded out at once. Kacchan wiped away the rapidly falling tears and smiled.
“Cry baby,” he rolled his eyes. But before Izuku could whine or make a retort, Katsuki had leaned down and captured his lips.
Izuku’s arms squeezed tighter, fingers gripping the back of his boyfriend’s shirt for dear life. The kiss was over too soon. He raised up on his tiptoes to try to chase Kacchan’s lips.
“Can I come in?”
It was then that Izuku realized they were still standing in the hall. He released Katsuki, but moved to grab his hand so there was no chance of him getting away. He turned to lead them back inside.
“Hey,” Kacchan said softly, pulling him close again. Their lips met in another soft kiss. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I didn’t mean to say that outloud,” Izuku croaked, still sniffling.
“Didn’t need to,” Katsuki told him. “I could see it in your eyes.”
They went into the apartment together, each grabbing a bag. The door closed, blocking out the rest of the world and Izuku felt so much of his anxiety and sadness melt away. He had Kacchan again.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“You said you wanted me for your birthday, so here I am,” Katsuki said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I love you so much,” Izuku choked again, nearly starting on a whole new wave of tears.
“Quit that,” Kacchan grumbled softly, cupping his cheeks. He leaned down to kiss the tears away. “Love you, too.”
Izuku sighed and relaxed into his hold.
His boyfriend leaned back and huffed a short laugh.
“What?” Izuku asked.
“Of course you got an All Might cupcake for your birthday.”
The freckled hero reached up to grip Kacchan’s wrists. “Needed a little piece of home to get me through.”
“What did you wish for?” Katsuki asked, scarlet eyes shifting back to wet emerald ones.
Izuku smiled and squeezed his boyfriend’s wrists, “You.”
“Well, you’ve got me for the next 48 hours,” Katsuki continued. “So, don’t waste it on crying.”
“Okay, Kacchan.” Izuku raised up on his tiptoes and pressed their lips together once more. Happy birthday to me.