A punch was thrown at Izuku's head by a fist the size of his face and somehow he managed to dodge, only to be served a hard kick to the shin which was followed up by another blow that caught him by the chin.
He fell hard to the ground, but got back up in a heartbeat despite the buzzing in ears. A smile creeped around his face right as his foe threw a strike aimed at his gut and he responded by stepping out of range and slamming his fist into their belly. That earned him a grunt of pain from his foe as their muscled stomach handled the attack, then he followed it up with a blow to the side. Evidently that was not a good idea since his opponent recovered at the right time and kicked him in the thigh and sent him to the floor again.
Sweat blisters on Izuku's forehead and everything hurt, but he was enjoying himself and hoping the fight could go on, only to be met with a loud *ding* from the bell. Scowling at the match being over he got to his feet as his foe threw off his gloves with a huff before looking back at the quirkless man.
"Not bad Mop Head, you're getting better. Still got a long way to go, but all in all you did good today."
Izuku eked out a smile at his employer and undid his own gloves, making sure to take his time and rest instead of pushing through and hurting himself.
"Thanks boss, I tried to make it a pain in the ass."
The Sugar Hero smirked and took a seat at the corner stool on his side of the ring.
"Well you succeed in that since you just wouldn't stay down. Anyway man, I've been wondering about how you've been ever since Bakugou crashed back into your life. I mean everybody's heard of you all the time when we were teens, but dealing with somebody like him can't be pleasant."
Izuku shrugged and stretched as sweat gathered under his shirt.
"Ah...honestly after the initial shock wore off I've kind of accepted it. Like don't like the guy, hell I used to really fucking hate him since I always thought he lived the high life and now…"
He paused to breathe and shook his head in confusion at his emotions.
"He's still not my favorite person, but the guy has his own problems. I mean I still want to break his nose every so often when he starts mouthing off, but I don't wanna stab him anymore so that's...good, I guess."
Sato listened and shrugged in turn, having gotten the bad habit from his sidekick.
"Hey I hear ya. He's never the best person to hang with, but he does try at times to be better. Though if I can ask, what exactly made you wanna shank him?"
Izuku raised an eyebrow at the man like something was wrong.
"You're taking a near admittance of contemplate murder really well for a guy in your position? Shouldn't you be taken aback or shocked or horrified?"
A scoff came from the muscular crimefighter that sounded cynical and more than a little resentful.
"For Katsuki Bakugou? Hell no, we've all wanted to whip his ass even if he has some good qualities sometimes and I can only imagine how bad he was as a kid with bombs for hands. Fuck, most of us have fought with him before since he was such a dick. I remember one time during our third month at UA he started getting pissy and using his quirk to intimidate a guy in our class by the name of Kaminari and ended up getting electrocuted into passing out."
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Izuku and he suddenly found himself working through his mental catalog of heroes.
"That guy...he goes by Charge Bolt, right? The same guy who runs that record label with his wife...Earphone Jack?"
Sato nodded.
"Yeah, they've been together since before the war and they do okay. Anyway, I gotta ask dude, why exactly was Bakugo so obsessed with you? Because given how much of an asshole he was to the people who were the cream of the crop, I suspect he was horrible to someone who was quirkless."
Izuku pursed his lips at that and sighed.
"Honestly I believed he completely forgot about me the second I didn't show up for school during the start of eighth grade for him. All his life he was a dick who abused me for fun because I was an easy target and he'd done this since we were four. Ironically it was always me chasing after him and trying to get him to like me, I was the one who always said he was going to be the greatest hero ever because I was so damn lonely."
A whistle came from Sato at that.
"Damn dude, you sounded like a narcissist's wet dream. No wonder he went nuts when you weren't around, you were probably the only person left who would blow smoke up his ass when he got to UA. That being said, I'm curious how the hell other people treated him before he was a kid, because that's bound to be a can of worms."
Izuku shrugged once more, feeling oddly numb to what he was about to say.
"If you really want the truth of it, people told him that he was special since the day he was born and it went to his head because nobody ever corrected him. Everyone from the time he was little to up until UA, they all showered him in praise everyday for what he could do because they wanted to ride his coattails or not be a subject to his anger."
Izuku paused for a heartbeat and cringed as an old memory came back from his childhood. The one that still made him feel honestly bad for the guy.
"...And...can you keep a secret?"
Sato placed a fist over his chest and raised his right hand.
"On my life I can."
Izuku sighed and continued, unsure if he should really be talking about such a private thing about someone's life to a third party.
"...His mom was also kind of abusive. She wasn't absolutely horrible, but he inherited his anger issues from her and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if she had bipolar. Because at one moment she was loving and kind, then the next she'd start yelling at her husband or him over the tiniest issue. Now keep in mind that this happened while my mom and I were visiting so you know they tried to downplay it."
Izuku contemplated the memories and kept talking.
"She'd smack him, grab him by the hair...I've even seen her punch him in the gut when we were still in middle school. Granted Katsuki never got it half as bad as his father since she'd attack him way more, like if you ever wanted to see a prime example of a beaten down husband he'd be it to a tee. I mean fuck, when I was a kid I would over hear phone calls she'd make to my mom to complain about him and said multiple times that she'd kill him if he ever thought about leaving her."
A silence came over the room as the two processed that information in full, both speaker and listener still taken aback by the harsh truths. Then after a time, Sato turned his eyes towards the wall and spoke.
"Well...that explains a lot, do you think he's gotten better mentally now then when he was a kid or did it get worse?"
Izuku gave another shrug as he leaned against the corner post.
"He's just as crazy now as when he was a kid. In fact he's still doing the same shit where he'd pick on me if I ignored him when he had gotten bored. Only now he's the top hero in the nation and nobody wants to deal with his bullshit so he focuses on me since I put up with him."
A crack of the knuckles came from the quirkless man as he went on.
"Yet at the same time I don't think he's the worst person in the world. I just...find him complicated because I'm fairly certain I'm the closest thing he has to an actual friend and...am I stupid for playing along because part of me doesn't want the guy to be sad in spite of all shit he did to me?"
A hum left the pro hero as he stood from his seat.
"Nah, you're just nice at heart. That and it is kinda completely hard to hate him with how messed in the head he is. Enough about Bakugou for now, how's your life going so far? Everything okay with your girl?"
Izuku winced a little as phantom pain rushed through his skin at the memory of last night and couldn't help not to shiver in disgust at what he allowed to happen to him while feeling a tightness in his pants that made him sit back down for dignity's sake.
"It's...good, but um...she's been a lot more open about her tastes and...it was an experience to say the least."
The Sugar Hero raised an eyebrow as he turned his full attention back to his sidekick with a slight curiosity.
"How so? Or do I not want to know?"
The green haired man shrank back, utterly unsure if he should talk about what went down last night or that it was even appropriate to do so. Yet who else did he have to talk to? He loved Himiko without a doubt, but given how intoxicated she got roughing him up she'd clearly be biased. He needed an outside opinion because being this baffled over what happened was bugging him.
Pausing for a moment, he studied his boss and inhaled deeply to ready himself to speak.
"Well...I was actually hoping you'd be able to give me some advice because I think I may have crossed a line with myself. I know this isn't normal, but she asked for it and we discussed it at length, but...is letting your girlfriend cut you with a knife...okay?"
The eyes of the hero went wide in shock at the words, as if he had trouble understanding them.
"No, that is not okay. You mean to tell me this chick slashed you with a knife and you allowed that? Dude, I'm not trying to be rude, but what the fuck? Why the hell would you let that happen?"
Izuku flinched with shame and shrugged.
"I just wanna make her happy as best I can and she's always talked about wanting to slice me. I mean she's been real polite about it and honestly it isn't bad, if anything it hurts less then getting punched in the gut over and over again."
Sato shook his head in amazement.
"You know there's easier ways to get laid, right? Most women aren't that nuts."
Izuku glared for a moment then sighed at his emotions.
"It's not about that...at least not completely. She needs blood and she always comes to me with that need, that desire for a thrill and the way she looks at me when we're together...I get to show how much she means to me. Granted getting sliced up is a bit much since she always used to bite me, but I get to take care of her and I know she won't leave."
He sighed and smiled in defeat at how admittedly crazy he sounded.
"I know how that sounds, but have you ever just wanted to give everything to someone? To bare your entire soul to them and have them give theirs in return? I'm not sure what it is about her, but I can't stop thinking about her most days and I just wanna do everything to repay her for making my life better."
Again Sato shook his head now with a bit of pity.
"Izuku, with all due respect you sound like you're obsessed with this chick and I'm not one to shame, but she doesn't sound all that great. Like would you ever consider marrying a woman like that who does that kind of crazy shit?"
Izuku raised an eyebrow, now looking genuinely perplexed.
"Yes, I've told her as much. That and how badly I want to have kids with her."
Now the Sugar Rush user flinched at his words before observing the words and filling his eyes with pity.
"Is she your first experience with a relationship by any chance?"
The eyebrow remained up for a moment until a mournful twist came to him as he darted his eyes to the side.
"In a manner of speaking, I almost had something back in my teens but that got derailed. Now she's all I have."
Understanding showed on Sato's face as he crossed his powerful arms.
"Alright, so how exactly did you say you wanted to marry her?"
Izuku pursed his lips and fiddled with his hands.
"It isn't like I proposed on the spot, I just said I planned to one day and...She was more than a little taken aback by it. For the longest time she's been alone, she doesn't have friends or any family...I'm really all she has and so that seemed a bit much to her."
Sato studied him and spoke rather coldly, as if he smelt something wrong.
"This chick has no friends, no family and she's into carving you up like a roasted ham. Izuku there's something wrong with this woman. There's no way anyone is that isolated without a damn good reason."
Izuku mentally wavered under the pressure and eked out a somewhat meek response, feeling just in defending his point while feeling oddly wrong somehow.
"Well...her quirk revolves around blood and she's an eight on the Lindsay Scale, so she had a history of mental instability. But she medicates with animal blood so she's fine. Her family kicked her out at fourteen and everybody else she knew died in The Calamity."
There was a sudden expression of dreadful shock on Sato's face, one that contained a deep, primal fear that just as soon turned into a glaring, baneful anger as he stepped towards him, the massive height difference becoming dangerously apparent as he stood there studying his sidekick.
"Does her quirk allow her to turn into other people if she drinks their blood?"
The words were laced with a suspicion compounded by a slight threat to his voice, like the merest suggestion of whomever he was referencing brought violence to his mind. It only became clearer when Izuku met his eyes and saw an old, wrathful fury that was coupled with concern. In an instant Izuku was reminded of all the bad Himiko had claimed to have done in the past and found fear within himself for her sake. So he smiled weakly while masking the emotion like he'd done countless times before in life and answered.
"No, it just makes her shoot out this red goo from her skin that lets her use it like armor. I think she calls it 'Blood Shield' but I haven't asked too much."
Sato continued to stare with his gaze hitting like a sledgehammer to the mask Izuku was wearing, as if he already knew the truth and was simply waiting for an honest confession. Then his brows creased and he asked another question that cut through the tension like a dagger.
"You wouldn't happen to be dating Ochako alongside this chick, would you?"
Now Izuku balked in full fashion, his mind utterly unprepared for that to be brought up in any context, much less by someone who absolutely should know nothing about it. Against his better skills and old habits, a blush formed in his cheeks as he was found out.
"I-I...how the fuck?"
Relief filtered on the hero's face at the reaction, relaxing his posture and smiling with a sigh as he laughed.
"Well shit, that's good. If she's around then you're alright. Sorry about that man, I thought you were involved with some villain from back in the war."
Izuku continued to chatter in perplexion and shame as he kept going with his embarrassment still fresh.
"That doesn't answer how the hell you know that! I never told anybody about it so how-"
Sato cut him off with a shrug.
"I overheard her and some other chick when I called you up last time to try and get Bakugou into that mixer. Like I said, I don't judge, but I gotta ask how the heck you managed to pull that off?"
Izuku pursed his lips while his mind rattled, unsure of what to say, yet glad the topic had steered away from his lover.
"A gentleman never tells."
Sato raised a hand in acceptance as he exited the ring and made his down to a cooler to grab some water.
"Fair enough."
Suddenly his eyes hardened again, growing distant and troubled as his fingers clenched around the bottle. He turned with that same dire seriousness and spoke with an authority only a war vet could have.
"I need to show you something."
Without another word he set the bottle down and walked towards his office. Izuku, unsure of what to say, followed after as Sato opened the case where his old suit was displayed and pulled out an accordion folder from a drawer under the lid. Immediately he started to flick through it until he found whatever he was searching for and pulled out a paper. He peered over it for a moment before handing it to his sidekick.
"Here, this was the villain I was talking about."
Shifting his eyes from his employer to what was in his hands, Izuku was met by a form that had been taken from the Commission's criminal database and in the header right on top of the page, it listed a name "Himiko Toga" and under it was a picture of his girlfriend, who looked younger judging by the lack of stress lines on her face and the school uniform she had on. Blinking at it, he read the information in detail and it contained a general section of her quirk dubbed "Transform" by the registry which was fitting enough.
It also contained a shorthand list of her crimes, which was everything she told him about such as over eighty counts murder in the first degree, one count of capital villainy, three counts of domestic terrorism, thirty counts of torture, over eighty counts of unnatural practices with a corpse, one hundred counts of felony stalking, and a lot more petty things such as shoplifting and theft.
However it was the "known affiliations" section that made him pause. At the top labeled "Paranormal Liberation Front, Carmine Division" which he already suspected. Yet under that was another one labeled as "League of Villains". It was then Izuku had to re-read the paper to ensure his eyes weren't fooling him. It struck him like a light punch to the gut as he managed to look back up at his employer.
"There's no way she was in the League of Villains, I thought they were all dead."
Sato shook his head solemnly with anger boiling in his eyes as he took the paper back and returned it to the folder.
"Not all of them, out of everyone of those monsters she was the only one who managed to escape justice. Worse yet the Commission decided to let her out of Tartarus due to quirk based insanity after one of our own vouched for that monster. She's still out there roaming free and I just want you to be aware of the shit that's out there, alright?"
Izuku said nothing as his heart pounded slightly as the initial shock remained and a cloud of apprehension hung over him. He was silent for a minute as he contemplated the facts and found a vein of anger that had gone undisturbed for some time, but he inhaled and calmed himself. He loved this woman and she had been honest since day one, however there would be an uncomfortable conversation coming home with him.
Shaking his own head, Izuku took a seat at his desk and opened up the forms that needed processing.
"I appreciate it, but let's try and get this month's paperwork sorted out."
Hours passed as he dove into the comfortable numbness of bureaucracy, losing himself in the information like a large puzzle while pushing the issue bothering him aside for the time. He wasn't sure when he got a tap on the shoulder, but when he looked up from his desk he saw darkness come through the window and Ojiro and Shoji standing in the room with Sato smiling down at him.
"You feel up to heading to Toshi's with us tonight?"
Izuku stretched his arms out as he managed to get up from his seat and stand, not realizing how sore he was.
"Sure, I can do that."
Taking a quick five minute shower to wash off the grime of his body after his initial workout and dressing himself, Izuku walked with the trio to their usual stomping grounds and despite Ojiro's incessant pestering, he was silent. What else could he be after finding out what he did? He adored the woman and it wasn't like it was an absolute revelation since he knew from the start she had a violent, prolific past filled with murder and blood.
Yet he always assumed it was a smaller, less horrible group she belonged to, like the Yakuza or some other petty gang. However it really made sense now that all the pieces were here, why else would both Kacchan and Lamillion be involved at the time unless it was massive? Why else would she be thrown in Tartarus and not a reform camp like other teenaged criminals? Yet...what the fuck should he do?
He didn't want to leave and she hadn't done anything to make him think otherwise, but...there was still that old fury from losing everything because of the League of Villains. The PLA was one thing because that was a large, disorganized group that labeled themselves as an army but dispersed the second day they attacked. The League...was a whole other thing, a far more darker entity and his lover was a founding member.
If he was honest with himself a large part of him wanted nothing more than to walk back home and slap her across the face as hard as he could and start yelling and berating her simply because she was at fault for what happened to the world. In a strange way she ruined his life and cost him what could have been a bright and happy future, but that was in the past.
She hadn't be unfaithful and Himiko loved him like nobody else, fuck he felt safe enough to literally go confront her about this which had to say a lot about him and her. But he had to say...something, right? He couldn't just keep this tucked away and hope it never gets brought up because he knew it would or more likely she'd smell it on him and he'd spill everything like he always did when it came to her.
That was the thing, the other part of him that wanted to run back and reassure her, to throw himself at her worries and show his love for her. He found that her past didn't bother him nearly as it should and stupidly, he simply wanted her. For all her horror and pain and issues, he just couldn't resist the thought of her, how good it was to be in her presence and be in her arms. He wanted nothing more than to go back and finally make love to her, perhaps because he was scared of her leaving and wanted to give something.
Yet that was the overly attached side of his emotions that had wrapped around her like a vice while the logical and moral side screamed he should be affronted by her past actions and do something, anything that wasn't catering to her mistakes because of his devotion and lust. He wanted to cast her away for a time and embrace her and never let go despite the evil staining her hands in the same breath.
He clenched his fists as they finally entered the bar, finding it crowded with the usual faces and the lads roamed towards their regular table, but Izuku paused when he saw a slightly alien looking face peer at him by the counter of a high stool and smile, waving over to him. Looking back he saw his group had gotten into their own conversation and decided to follow the mutant's instructions.
Taking the seat next to which had been left open, he ordered a single beer and turned towards Mina, hopefully without his inner turmoil showing.
"So, it's been a while. You've been doing okay?"
She smiled and shrugged as she sipped her half glass of whisky. Seeming for all the world as happy as can be as her mind could allow.
"Ah, I'm doing just fine Izu-boy. Life's pretty cool and that isn't just the booze talking, although a weird question, do you mind if I ask about what you and your girlfriend get up to...ya know with all the blood and stuff?"
A flare of self-consciousness came as a phantom pain rocked over his skin at the memory of last night.
"Why do you ask?"
She shrugged again and gave another sip.
"Because a friend of mine from Highschool managed to get herself wrapped up in some weird polygamous relationship with a dude and some chick with a thing for blood and I'm wondering what the hell makes someone want to do that."
Izuku paused as he held in the urge to curse, how the fuck did so many people know!? Furthermore why does this have to be on top of the bullshit he just learned a few hours ago!? Should he leave? Where the hell did he have to go? His apartment?
Maybe he should go check up on Ochako, after all the woman knows way more about Himiko's past then he did and she likely would appreciate the company...later, for now just play along and learn what can be found.
"Ah, I see. Well, I'm not exactly the right sort to ask since I didn't specifically go looking for someone like that. We kind of fell into each other's laps and she was just really into that stuff and I love her enough that I let her have her way with me."
A hum came from the heroine before curiosity found its way to her void colored eyes.
"But what exactly do you love about her so much that none of it is a deal breaker? I mean you can care about someone all you want but there comes a point where they cross a line. Like if she...I don't know, decided to cut you with a knife all over your body, what keeps you from just getting up and leaving?"
A heavy blush came over his cheeks and Izuku managed to sip some of his liquid courage as honesty came out.
"Speaking from personal experience of what you just described...part of it is wanting to be the cause of joy for my partner. When we're together like that and she's showing me who she is, I know her only focus on anything in the world is me. Now granted...that can be rather unsettling if things get out of hand, but the act of willingly giving yourself over to another who you absolutely adore and fulfilling a need only you can provide...that's worth almost any pain."
Izuku went on as he sought to vent some lingering memories and their strange emotions.
"The pleasure alone you can give someone is goddamn wonderful. Like last night, I was laying down and I let her slice me a bit and she was so aroused that she started to shake. Have you ever been that excited that you have to physically control your body to move? It's literally one of the best feelings in the world and I managed to give that to her by simply letting her have her way with me."
Mine stared at him in bewildered amazement as she soon finished the last of her cup and spoke.
"You really are loyal to damn fault, aren't ya? I gotta ask Izuku, doesn't any of that seem like major red flags? I mean someone has to be really fucked in the head to like seeing their partner bleed, quirk or no quirk. Like what if she slipped up and cut an artery? You'd be dead."
He shrugged and drank to ease his lips.
"Then I'd be dead. It wasn't a spontaneous thing, we discussed it for hours and went over what we both wanted and she took care of the first aid stuff. I agreed because she's my partner and I love her and she's asked for this before. Besides, she's been nothing but trustworthy."
The acid heroine raised an eyebrow and shot back.
"You've only known this girl for barely a year and you're willing to put up with that kind of physical pain, just to make her feel good? Don't you think you're giving a bit too much a little too early?"
Izuku raised an eyebrow in turn.
"No, if anything it feels like I haven't given enough. I love this girl and I just wish I could have a stronger way of showing it."
It was then Mina's eyes went wide.
"Dude, you've literally let her carve you like a turkey and drink your blood, that doesn't sound like love to me. It sounds like a really unhealthy and possibly life threatening relationship. I mean what more can you do?"
He crossed his arms almost defiantly.
"By giving her a family, by binding myself to her in totality."
It was then Mina paused as if having been shown some disgusting secret, which soon came as a low, judgemental anger.
"You can't be serious dude, you've only known her for barely a year and you wanna have kids with her? A chick who gets off on seeing you in pain?"
Izuku raised his ire to speak, but withdrew it as he realized through the haze of his emotions how it sounded to one more level headed then him.
"Well...not this second, but maybe in a few years. Don't get me wrong she has her issues, but everything else she's done for me...my life wouldn't be nearly as good if it weren't for her. I mean...she's just so wonderful to me that I can't picture my life without her."
The mutant narrowed her brow questioningly as she waved at the server for another glass.
"But then what if she left?"
Izuku froze like he had been struck across the face. He stared at the crime fighter in the utmost perplexion like she was speaking Greek.
"What?"
Mina spoke again, more than a little unnerved by his reaction.
"I said, what if she left? You know, broke up with you? As shitty as it is that stuff does happen, more often than you'd think. I mean just look at me and Kiri-boy, we were together for years and survived through a war together. We assumed everything would always be okay, but then one random was day, we had one stupid little argument out of a thousand we had over our lives and it finally all ended. He packed his shit up and left me and everything we did behind."
Izuku went stiff in his back as panic filled his eyes, his hand wrapping around the beer bottle so tightly his fingers turned white. He was distant and plagued by an unendingly deep fear that left him almost gaunt in the face. Then came an affronted anger that served to burn the crippling fear as he grit his teeth before calming himself.
"That won't happen, she wouldn't leave me, not now or ever."
A bright, understanding sympathy showed in Mina's otherworldly eyes and she spoke in a far softer, kinder tone.
"I believed the same thing about Kirishima and I was wrong...maybe I'm wrong about your relationship, but you have to always prepare for the worst because life is rarely that kind. But, let me ask Izuku, if she did leave you...what would you do?"
He paused as he stared at the woman, finding someone who was similarly hurt in life and felt a gentle hand touch his if only to help dispel the dread through physical contact. He sighed and gripped it as the most painful fact worked out of his mind, glad to simply have an anchor to the sad truth of himself.
"...I'd kill myself. I was about to jump off the Kongu bridge last winter because I was so sad and pissed and done with everything, but I ran into her by a stroke of luck and she...talked me out of it and over time I just fell deeper and deeper in love with her. She was literally the only one who encouraged me to go work for my dream and if it weren't for her then I'd still be the same person I was."
He inhaled as he continued, glad to just get the weight off his shoulders.
"Mina, I owe everything to this woman and she hasn't asked a damn thing in return. She's a demon and I know she's dangerous, but she's everything to me and I'm everything to her. I…"
Again he paused and looked around, finding no one focusing on them. He leaned into her ear and whispered as a slight panic entered his voice.
"I love her so much that if she asked me to kill someone I probably would. I'd maim myself and die a thousand times over and over to keep her safe and I don't why. I've never felt this way about anyone in a long time and I just...is something wrong with me? She hasn't asked for anything like that and I know she'd be horrified and disappointed if I told her this, but...I would. I'd burn down the whole world if she asked."
He pulled away with his turmoil showing clearly as he stared back at the mutant pleasingly, gripping her hand like it was a lifeline.
"Am I just nuts? Because I know normal people don't think like this, even with all her issues and past horrors, I'm still psychotically in love with her. Like I'll get antsy if she isn't around and I just want to rip anything that keeps us away."
A thumb rolled over his knuckles, one almost inhumanly soft and supple as Mina smiled warmly at him, seeming to banish all the darkness away.
"You're not nuts Izuku, you just sound like a guy who's been put down all his life who finally found something to cling to. Granted it is a tad intense, but you strike me as a guy who never got to express his emotions. Besides that, you just went through a traumatic experience when you met her so it's natural you'd get attached."
She gained a more stern yet somehow still relaxed tone that sounded reaffirming in the best way possible.
"But that doesn't excuse her going at you like a slasher villain. You can love someone and still stand up for yourself, if you're uncomfortable then you have the right to say so. And if they make you feel unsafe then you're better off somewhere else."
The air grew a tad less muddled and Izuku a little less burdened as he answered.
"Thanks...I needed to hear that."
She smiled again and smirked as she gave a soft jab at his arm.
"No problem Green Bean, though I got a favor to ask. There's this class reunion happening next week and I need you to be my plus one since I'm sure Riki and Bakugou will drag you along anyway."
He grinned in return and lifted his drink.
"If you'll have me of course, it seems more than fair."
Again she tapped him on the arm.
"Good, then I'll see ya this Friday. You feel like staying for a spell? I'm down to keep talking."
Izuku kept smiling, but it lessened somewhat as the things he learned came back and pressed on his soul. Eventually he pursed his lips and regretfully stood from the counter.
"Sorry, but I have a lot of stuff to get done. I'll see you Friday though."
Mina raised a hand to protest, but relented with a mildly happy resignation on her face.
"Alright Green Bean, I'll see ya later."
Taking leave of the bar after excusing himself from Sato's group, Izuku made his way to the nearest train station and boarded, finding all his worries returning in full. What the hell should he do about this? Perhaps he should go to Ochako about this, but who knows the consequences of such an act. Fuck it might even get Himiko thrown back in Tartarus if word got out to the Commission.
Then again, wouldn't they have forbid her from having any romantic relationships if that was the case? Wouldn't Todoroki or Ochako just have relocated her the second he got close to her? He wasn't breaking any rules by simply knowing about her past...he hoped, so maybe it was alright to talk to them? Fuck, maybe he should call up Kacchan and prod him for knowledge on Himiko(without naming why he actually wanted the infomation), but that wouldn't result in anything good.
Then there was how the girl herself would react if he went anywhere with that, knowing her she'd be outraged...or maybe she'd be murderous. No, that was stupid beyond belief. Himiko was a killer and down right sadistic when she wanted to be, but after all she's told him, almost begging to unload the baggage, she wouldn't kill him for knowing who she was. But should he stay? Being chained in spirit to an assassin and a murderer was one thing, being involved with the person who was involved in ruining everything was another.
It wasn't like he was utterly unlovable, Aki proved that in his youth and Ochako proved it now. People wanted him, maybe not a lot, but some and it was like Mina and Sato said, other people would doubtless be less of a hassle. Fuck, he still had Asui's number in his phone and he could go to Mina for a new relationship if need be, they were lacking in the trouble that would come along with staying with Himiko.
Yet even as he thought that a large part of him loathed the idea. So what if she was a League member? She was still Himiko, the same woman who lifted him up and loved him endlessly. She was there when he had nothing and stayed when he broke down. She was his everything and he knew that deep in his heart like an iron bound fact, yet his mind fought his heart even if it was a losing battle.
She was a dead weight to him and a person so low in morality that she literally tried to burn the world down...and in a truly strange way, as he considered it, he was envious of it. To take a stand against everything and say "Fuck you" to all the thing pushing you down and make them bleed...he knew that if he was in his teens and they had met...he likely would have idolized her.
To have that courage to go forth even at your weakest and be strong enough to take the lives of those in your way for a better tomorrow that you can see, the same Gestapo motherfuckers who got fat enforcing the status quo...if he was even a fraction of that, then nobody would have hurt him and maybe he could have been change something about the world.
Why the hell was she so much stronger than him? Why did she take all the horrible bullshit life threw at her and not even flinch while he crumpled like paper? Except...she did falter one time and it was because of him, wasn't it? How much did it have to hurt her, a person who faced the whole world, to think he had left her? How much did he have to mean to her in order for her to scream and cry to the point her strength, her very composure which she relied on, was gone?
...He thought about it more, about how devastated the mere thought of her leaving him had left him, how he couldn't breathe and wanted to lash out at anything. What would her anguish be if he left? How much worse would her sorrow be? If she lost her dignity merely from assuming he'd moved on after only a few months and sobbed in his arms, what would her reaction be to his complete departure?
Wouldn't she move on though? There were other people like him, people who could replace him, so why should he worry? But...again came that jealousy which made him curl his lips back in a snarl, he loathed that idea no matter how hard he pushed it. Nobody would have her except him, nobody was good enough except him and the god of luck and fate pity the fool who thought otherwise because he certainly would not.
Nobody else was like her, nobody else had her personality quirks, her wisdom, her beauty, her unyielding devotion she kept tight to her chest. There was only one Himiko and there was only one of him and he'd sooner be dead than anyone else think they could have her.
Calming himself with a deep inhale, Izuku leaned back on the bench and considered it again with a more collected manner, expelling the lie that he could or would go anywhere else. He placed his hands over his face and sighed.
Alright so leaving wasn't something he could bear, meaning he had to confront her about this. How the fuck is that going to go? Would she be angry that he knew who she was? Happy? Ashamed? Would she want him to simply drop it or would she be completely open about her past?
Thinking more on it, he found a rather a stupid thought enter his mind and he wanted to slap himself for being so ridiculous. However, was the whole reason she was so averse to letting him go the full mile because he didn't know who she was originally? That seemed like a damn good reason, but now that he knew and was willing to stay...would he finally get to have her?
God, he sounded pathetic. If he was going to stay with her it wouldn't be over getting to screw her. There were easier ways of getting laid and if he was willing to be her partner despite her past then it'd be out of love, not his damn ego.
Sighing and lowering his hands as the train rolled to his stop, Izuku decided to move forward regardless of anything else and stepped off at the station. Taking the usual way brought twenty minutes before he arrived at her apartment complex, but it felt way longer than that as sweat began to grease his palms. Eventually he did arrive at her building with his heart beating wildly like so many times before when he was in such an uncomfortable situation.
The closest he could think of was either the night before the Calamity or the one time he almost told Kacchan to fuck off, only this time he had to see it through. Taking a moment to collect himself, Izuku reached to knock on the door, only to have it swing open of its own accord right as his skin touched the oak and Himiko appeared with knife in hand.
She was dressed in the same crusty pajamas she usually wore and she smiled warmly at him, the force of which seemed to erode some of her reserve as she leapt over to hug him.
"Hey Mister, bet you missed me a ton, didn't you?"
There was so much strength to her hold that it felt wonderful, yet instead of returning it and hoisting her inside like he had gotten into the habit of doing, he awkwardly stood there unsure of what to do. She saw this and looked at him with confusion and more than a little neediness, like she was eager to be picked up. However Izuku merely walked inside, leaving her to stare with even more perplexion as she shut the door behind her when she re-entered her home.
They continued to gaze at each other for a few scant moments before Izuku turned his attention to the walls as his anxiety gathered in his chest. Himiko stood by the door, sliding the knife back in its sheath and gazed at his back, a self conscious tint entering her voice.
"So I called up Cheeky while you were away and said she wanted some more time alone to gather her thoughts. She also said something about some reunion happening in a week that she needed to mentally prepare for. Which means we'll be alone for a bit."
He said nothing and continued to stare at the drywall as his fingers began to clench to vent out the emotions. Again Himiko spoke, clearly unnerved by his reaction.
"With that being the case I figured we could watch a few movies to kill time, maybe even order a pizza or two."
He was silent still. The woman inhaled at that and flexed her own fingers with an audible *pop* as a certain nervousness entered her voice.
"Look, if this is about last night I'm sorry if I went overboard. I just wanted to show you what I like and that really scratched an itch, we can do other stuff for a while until you feel up for it again."
Nothing came of her response and he continued to fixate on the wall. Now she took a step forward as her feet tapped off the floor with the same uncomfort in her voice.
"Come on Zuzu, did I really scare you last night? Tell me what's got you so weird."
Izuku turned at that with his eyes bouncing to the walls as Himiko was halfway to where he stood. He paused as his lips moved independently of his teeth, almost in a strange attempt to lessen the clamp over his voice. For a moment he looked into her golden eyes and sighed as he began to ease it out, hoping this wasn't about to become a mess.
"...Himiko, can I ask you something about your past?"
She flinched at that and the weight in his voice before readjusting herself and spoke without a hint of hesitation.
"Of course."
He hesitated as the weight of his question crushed his soul.
"...When you managed to get out of Tartarus and enter your parole, did you change your name?"
She paused at that like he had slapped her, looking almost taken aback by it. Yet to his surprise she answered.
"Yes, I had to otherwise people would have hunted me down."
She studied him as sadness entered her yellow eyes.
"...Would you happen to have figured out what it was?"
There wasn't an ounce of threat or danger in the question, only a deep shame and a bitter resignation that coupled with an awkwardness gathering in the air. Izuku waited until he was sure he could speak without stumbling over his words and having them be as gentle as possible.
"...Is your real last name Toga instead of Ito?"
She shook her head solemnly and avoided his eyes.
"...Yes."
It was like an anvil had simultaneously been lifted from him and then dropped on his shoulders.
"...Were you originally a member of the League of Villains?"
Again she nodded, now with her knuckles turning white.
"...Yeah, I was."
So it was true, she was one of those people who ruined the world. Oddly as he looked at her, the only thing he could think to do was shrug.
"Okay then...I just wanted to clear that up."
Himiko met his eyes again and was greeted by an uneasy smile instead of how ninety nine percent of people would react. She blinked, not sure what to make of it judging by her expression.
"...You're not mad?"
Again he shrugged and smiled as earnestly as he could.
"Kind of. It's a little hard to overlook the whole "almost took over the world" thing, but so far that's your only failing I can see. So one out of twenty."
He paused and laughed a bit as he kicked at the floor.
"I really just wanted to make sure, but that aside...you think pineapple would sound good as a topping?"
She blinked again, obviously taken aback by his actions.
"...You don't wanna ask me any questions or maybe scream at me a little?"
He raised his hand to answer, but halted as his smile wavered and a certain seriousness entered his voice.
"Can you tell me why the start of the Calamity had to happen on the day it did and not a day later?"
Himiko flinched again at the harshness in his voice and responded.
"...It was because all the soldiers got tired of waiting and if we chose another day then they would have just abandoned the command structure and attacked anyway."
He glared at her with a heavy resentment and a moralistic hate that bared his teeth, drilling into her spirit for a time with popping fists. Then he closed his eyes, inhaled and let it go. Without another word he strolled forward and embraced her, crushing her to him. His voice was soft yet still held some lingering of that fury, if only by a hair.
"That's all I ever wanted to know."
His hands moved to her face and he kissed her, letting himself drown in his emotions as he held her and shifting his hands around. Then he let her go and moved to the entrance to remove his shoes.
"Anyway you feel like watching 'Casablanca'? I heard it was a really good film from back in the day."
Himiko continued to stare at him in wide eyed astonishment before he arose and smuggled her to the sofa and brought her down with him, spooning and kissing her like nothing was wrong. Eventually she answered as she clamped down hard on his arm that was fondling her breasts like it was ungodly important to her.
"...Sure.