Chapter Text
Izuku was excited.
Today was the first day of Hero Con, and he and his friends had worked for over a year for this. They had crafted art and stories and cosplays and saved up as much money as possible so they could buy every single piece of merch the Artist Alley had to offer.
Or at least Izuku had saved up for the merch.
His friends were planning on shopping, but they didn’t have the same drive as Izuku did to own everything that had his favorite character on it.
Was he a bit obsessive? Maybe.
Was he happy being surrounded by countless art prints, keychains, plushies, and more? Yes. Yes, he was, thank you for asking.
But there was another reason to be excited for the convention. Because this year, Izuku’s absolute favorite fan artist would have a booth in the artist alley and would be selling their art prints and other merchandise, and Izuku frankly couldn’t wait to meet them in person.
He had chatted with them a few times in different Discord servers or on other social media sites where Dynamight420 was posting his art, but he wouldn’t say they were close. Izuku was much too afraid of somehow offending the artist and getting blocked, or even worse, making a fool out of himself while talking to them.
Dynamight was a bit brash at times, and very short and to the point, but he had a passion for the All Might comics that rivaled Izuku’s own, and for that alone, he was an alright person in Izuku’s books.
And the most amazing thing had happened a few months ago: Dynamight had drawn fanart for one of Izuku’s stories.
He had written his fair share of stories over the years, some better, and some worse. He had put All Might, his favorite character, in every possible situation. As he grew older and more and more characters joined the cast of the comic, he wrote about them too. Some of these stories were safe for work, others were… decidedly not so.
But his most recent one, the one he had been working on for over two years, had gained quite a lot of traction online. It was a Fantasy epos with All Might as the Main character going on a quest with his best friend and (in Izuku’s biased opinion) lover. It was his pride and joy, and he was very pleased that so many people liked it as well. And now, Dynamight had drawn fanart for it.
Izuku already had a freak-out when he first saw it online. He had sent it to every single one of his friends and even showed it to his mom, who had been a bit confused but supportive.
And then Dynamight had added it to his merch lineup for the convention. Izuku had been elated and immediately commented that he was going to pick up a print. Dynamight’s reply was still giving him butterflies of excitement when he thought about it.
‘If you come by my booth, let me know it’s you. I’ll give you a free copy and sign it. Your story is fucking awesome.’
So, in Izuku’s opinion, it was very understandable why he was almost vibrating out of his skin with excitement when they entered the convention center straight from the attached hotel. Today was reserved for shopping and looking around, so Izuku had chosen a rather casual cosplay, unlike Ochako, who was completely decked out and looked amazing. His friend was a well-known cosplayer online and had a full line-up for the three-day weekend, complete with props, competitions, and everything. Izuku was more than happy with his small Yoichi cosplay. He had wanted to cosplay All Might, of course, but he was feeling a bit self-conscious about his lack of muscles.
Small Might had of course been an option, but the character of Yoichi, who had only been introduced to the long-running comic series a few years ago, also held a dear place in Izuku’s heart. The story of him and his lover (confirmed this time, and not only a headcanon by him. The reaction of the fandom had been insane back in the day) Kudou was heartbreaking. So Izuku had taken to try and give them a happy ending in a lot of his stories, even if they were just side characters who were happily married.
Dynamight seemed to think along the same lines since a lot of his art pieces were of them as well. Of course, his main focus was All Might, just the same as Izuku. It was no wonder, really, not with the All Might comic series being the most popular publication for the last twenty years. And it was showing no signs of slowing down with more and more animated adaptations, spin-offs, games, and movies.
Izuku was as happy as a clam while he ignored the anguished cries of his wallet. Denial was a great friend of his while he spent most of his paychecks on new merch or art and writing commissions.
And speaking of spending money, he tugged lightly at Ochako’s sleeve to get her attention.
“I’m heading to the artist alley. Do you want to come with me, or are you going to take some pictures first?”
“I’m heading over to the atrium to meet Himiko,” Ochako replied, and Izuku grinned.
“Oh? Meeting your girlfriend?”
“Shut up!” Ochako said and shoved his shoulder. “She’s my photographer!”
“And you want to kiss her!” he answered in a singsong voice and dodged the next shove coming for him.
“I’m going to murder you. Go and meet that artist you can’t get enough of.”
“Oh, I will,” Izuku said and waved at her. “I’ll see you later!”
He reached up to quickly adjust his flowing white wig before following the signs toward the artist alley. Even though he was early, there were already many people milling around, walking the rows and looking through the displayed prints, merchandise, and various other crafted items.
He knew roughly where to go in the hall to get to Dynamight’s stall, but he couldn’t help himself and looked at some of the other artists first. He recognized a few of them and their styles from social media, and it made him giddy to meet them in person. Some of them were in cosplay like himself and some of them were here in casual clothing.
He introduced himself a few times with his screen name, at least to the artists that he had already talked to before online, and they were just as happy to meet him in person as Izuku was. He was always taken a bit aback when he realized just how many people were following his stories and that the name Dekiru wasn’t a simple nobody in the All Might fandom.
He wasn’t quite sure when or how that had happened, and at this point, he was too afraid to ask.
Even though he stopped at several stalls, it didn’t take him long to get to where Dynamight’s booth was located. And even if he hadn’t known where to look, it would’ve been obvious from far away. The booth was covered in printed-out explosions, which served as background to different prints and merch items the artist offered. He could see two people behind the stall, and he knew which one Dynamight was by the process of elimination, since one of them was a woman and the only thing Izuku knew was that Dynamight identified as a man.
What he hadn’t expected was for Dynamight to also wear a cosplay. The red, spiky hair and giant facial scar of Kudou were the first things Izuku noticed, and he felt his knees going weak.
What were the chances that their cosplays would match like that? He suddenly felt self-conscious because Dynamight’s cosplay was good. Like, stepped right out of the comic pages, good. Up until now, he was happy with his cosplay, but now he wasn’t sure he wanted to go up to the stall. What if Dynamight thought he was weird? What if he made fun of his cosplay? What if he made fun of Izuku?
But no, that was ridiculous. Dynamight may be harsh and a bit crass online, but he never ridiculed anyone, and he didn’t go out of his way to be an asshole to someone who didn’t provoke him first. It was just Izuku’s brain being a bully again.
He took a deep breath and stepped closer.
He had been looking forward to this day so much, and he wouldn’t let anything get in the way of meeting Dynamight in person, not even Izuku’s low self-esteem.
The red eyes of Dynamight snapped over to him and widened when he realized who Izuku was cosplaying. His lips tugged up into a smirk, and he cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Nice getup,” he said, and holy shit, his voice was deep. It sent a shiver down Izuku’s back, and he was ridiculously happy for the makeup he used to cover his countless freckles. Hopefully, it would be enough to also hide the blush he felt heating up his face.
“T-Thanks,” he stuttered out and tried to keep meeting Dynamight’s gaze. “You too.”
“Oh my god, that’s so cute!” the woman with bright pink hair next to Dynamight said with a squeal and leaned over the desk. “I need to take a photo of you two! Please! KudoIchi is one of my OTPs!”
“For god’s sake, Pinky, stop harassing our customers!” Dynamight barked, and with a jolt, Izuku realized that the woman had to be AlienQueen, a popular cosplayer in the scene. He had gathered that she was one of Dynamight’s close friends, but as usual, Izuku had been too shy to approach her. Now he knew where the nickname Pinky came from, though.
“It’s not a problem,” Izuku answered and smiled at them. “I’d really like a picture as well if that’s alright with you…?”
Dynamight’s eyes snapped back to him, and there was just something in them that made Izuku’s knees weak in a certain way he hadn’t experienced since middle school. The red eyes travelled over Izuku’s form, and another shiver raced down his back.
“Sure,” the artist said with a shrug and stepped to the side to squeeze through the narrow opening between booths. AlienQueen squealed and whipped out her phone while holding her hand out for Izuku’s. He could feel his heartbeat start to race as Dynamight stepped up next to him. He caught a whiff of caramel, and a wave of nostalgia hit him out of nowhere. Suddenly, he was five years old again and sitting in Auntie's backyard eating caramel toffees while Kacchan sat next to him, his small hands clutching the newest issue of the All Might series.
“This okay?” Dynamight asked, and just as fast as the memory had surfaced, it slipped through Izuku’s fingers again. He blinked rapidly to get his bearings back and nodded.
“Say cheese!” AlienQueen said, and Dynamight scowled.
“Fuck off.”
“You know what, never mind. This fits Kudou more anyway. And look at Yoichi! Awww, you’re just as cute as in the comics!”
Again, Izuku was glad for the makeup hiding his blush as AlienQueen took countless pictures.
“Would it be okay if I uploaded one of these to Twitter?” she asked once she had handed Izuku’s phone back to him, and he nodded again.
“Yeah, sure thing.”
“Do you want me to tag you in it?”
“If you don’t mind. My handle is Dekiru.”
Dynamight’s head snapped toward him.
“You’re Dekiru? The one that wrote The Dragon’s Knight?” he asked, and Izuku averted his eyes with a shy smile.
“Yeah, that’s me. It’s nice to meet you in person, Dynamight!”
“Shut up!” AlienQueen yelled, her excitement practically radiating off her. “I love that story! I’ve read all of your fics!”
“Oh my god,” Izuku whispered and hid his face behind his hands. “Thank you so much, that makes me really happy.”
Dynamight wasn’t saying anything, but Izuku could still somehow feel that he was looking at him.
“So you really came, huh?” Dynamight said as he took his place behind the counter again, and Izuku nodded.
“I mean, I was already planning on coming here anyway. I think I’ve liked everything you’ve ever posted,” he said with a smile, and hoped the other two were taking it as a lighthearted joke and not the stone-cold truth it was. Izuku swore he wasn’t a stalker, okay? He was just really passionate about his hobbies!
“I’m pretty sure the same is true for us,” AlienQueen said with a smirk and pointed at Dynamight, who glared at her. “Our entire friend group is subscribed to your AO3.”
“Oh my god,” Izuku said again, and AlienQueen laughed.
“So one of everything?” she asked with an eyebrow wiggle.
“Basically,” Izuku agreed.
“Nerd,” Dynamight said and grabbed the print he did for The Dragon’s Knight. He started writing on the back of it, and Izuku felt his heartbeat speed up. AlienQueen was busy grabbing the other things Izuku had pointed out, but his eyes didn’t stray from Dynamight. He used the chance he got to take a closer look at the other now that he was distracted. There was just something about the way he moved and how he talked that niggled at Izuku’s brain. It almost felt like déjà-vu, but not quite. More like he knew Dynamight, but that was impossible. Today was the first time they had ever met face-to-face, or even talked without a screen between them.
But still, when those red eyes snapped back up to lock with Izuku’s green ones, there was a connection between them. At least Izuku thought so. But he was too much of a coward to say anything. How weird would that be?
‘Hey, do we maybe know each other?’
Yeah, right. He would much rather keep talking to the other man online than be shunned or, even worse, blocked. He needed his art fix, and he wasn’t going to throw that into jeopardy for a strange feeling he was having at that moment.
“You’re staring,” Dynamight said as he handed over the print, and Izuku wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
“Sorry!” he squeaked out and hid his face behind the print. “It’s just so cool to meet you in person! I didn’t mean to make things awkward. I’ll just go.”
“Way to go, Blasty,” AlienQueen snickered before handing a bag full of goodies over to Izuku. “Cash or card?”
“Card, please,” Izuku answered, keeping his eyes lowered.
“Oi,” Dynamight said, and Izuku lifted his eyes hesitantly. Dynamight seemed uncomfortable, which only made all of this worse for Izuku. “Don’t you want to read what I wrote?”
“Huh?” he said, taken aback. He thought Dynamight had simply signed the print for him. He flipped the print around to find a much longer message than anticipated. It was a quote from his story, a rather good scene between Kudou and Yoichi if Izuku could say so himself. And underneath that another sentence:
‘Thanks for always inspiring me and being one of the good ones in this fandom. – Dynamight’
“Did you have that quote memorized?” Izuku asked, his voice choked up with emotion. Dynamight scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“So what if I did? It’s a fucking amazing story, and your writing is the best, alright? And everyone who says something different is just a bitter, jealous loser! You'd better keep on creating!”
“Oh.” Izuku could feel tears rising to his eyes, and he hurried to dry them with his sleeve. “Thank you for saying that. That means a lot to me.”
‘Your writing is the best, Izuku! Don’t listen to those fuckers! They’re just bitter, jealous losers because they can’t write or draw like us!’
Kacchan’s voice echoed in his head, the same way it had always done since he had said. Even during middle school, when his friend had turned against Izuku as well. Even after their ways parted during Izuku’s move with his mother at the beginning of high school. Even at his lowest moments, he remembered back to the days when Kacchan thought Izuku was amazing.
“For fucks sake, don’t cry!” Dynamight said, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and AlienQueen laughed while handing over some tissues.
“I’m not!” Izuku protested. “Your words just hit a bit too close to home for me.”
“Yeah, well.” A flicker of regret passed over Dynamight’s face as his fingertips followed All Might’s face on one of the prints lying on the table. “I promised myself to be more open about things, and that includes telling someone with talent that they should keep trying. Deal with it or don’t, I don’t care.”
Izuku giggled, and Dynamight’s ears turned pink.
“Thank you, really. It means a lot to hear that, especially from you.” Suddenly, he noticed the people crowding around and behind him, and he startled. “Oh no, I’m holding up everyone and wasting your time. I’m sorry!”
He took a step to the side to let other people get a closer look at the prints, but Dynamight stopped him.
“You can come back later if you want, or drop by tomorrow again if you’re still here. If you want to or whatever.”
Izuku’s heartbeat skipped a beat, and he felt as if the smile he gave Dynamight in answer could light up the whole room.
“Yeah! I’ll have to help my friend with her cosplay today, but I’ll drop by again tomorrow! I’m here all three days.”
Dynamight nodded and smirked in response.
“See you then.”
Izuku ducked into the throng of people walking the aisle, and when he was sure he was out of sight, he turned back to catch one more glimpse of the booth. Both of them were busy packaging up orders, but Dynamight’s eyes were still looking in the direction Izuku had disappeared to.
His heart fluttered. He couldn’t wait to come back tomorrow.