Warnings: Brief discussion of suicide, blood

Shoto let out a breath of frosty air as he sat on the rooftop of the UA dorms.

He knew it was past curfew and therefore against the rules to be up there, but he needed the peace and serenity that the roof provided.

Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts. At first he was confused as to why his mind so quickly returned to the present, but he saw another person sitting next to him.

Shoto tensed, preparing to get up and leave. With luck, they'd see no reason to tell Aizawa about his rule break in the morning.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Shoto froze. That voice didn't belong to any of his classmates, but who else would be up here?

"We're so high up... we could fall and die if we're not careful. There's no railing." The mysterious person that the fire user had yet to look at said placidly.

Well, that's just creepy. Why would anyone say something so foreboding? Shoto couldn't help but wonder.

He looked over at the other.

They were shorter than he was anticipating, wearing a collared shirt and dress pants with a matching black vest and tie (even though it was tied rather haphazardly), the strangest part of the outfit was the oversized, red tennis shoes that were almost less dressy than the rest of their outfit. They had thick, wildly curly dark green hair with black undertones and large, round emerald green eyes. Their face was covered in freckles.

They laughed. "You know, if you took a picture, it would last longer."

Shoto realized that he had been staring. "Sorry." He quickly apologized, looking away.

The green eyed one smiled. "I don't mind. It was quite refreshing, actually. Most people look at me like I'm some sort of criminal. Not that they're wrong, but they don't even try to understand my motivations for becoming what I am." He blushed out of embarrassment, laughing awkwardly. "I-I have a habit of rambling, sorry about that."

Shoto shrugged. "I don't care. You're fine. But that being said... why are you here? I don't recognize you from school."

"Ah! That's because I'm not a UA student!" They waved their hands frantically.

Then... why are they here? And, more worryingly, how did they break in?

"Why are you here?" Shoto asked, mentally preparing for a fight.

The figure smiled, putting a finger to their lips. "That's a secret. But since you've been civil thus far... I have an idea."

"What is it?" Shoto's eyes narrowed.

"I'll be coming here a lot for the next few weeks. My idea is that you keep quiet and don't report me and I won't cause any trouble. I'll even let you ask me a question every night. I promise that I'll answer honestly. Deal?"

Shoto didn't trust him. They had just met, after all. But agreeing to his terms seemed smarter than fighting him head on. "Deal."

Their smile widened. "I won't even make you waste a question on my name! I'm Izuku Midoriya, but you may know me better by my alias- Deku."

Shoto's heterochromic eyes widened. "As in... the villain Deku?" He asked cautiously. This boy didn't seem like a villain, he looked to genuinely kind.

He shrugged. "I prefer the term anti-hero, but you're close enough."

Shoto clenched his fists. "You-"

Izuku checked his nonexistent watch, gasping slightly. "Oh! Look at the time! I have places to be!" He turned to the hero in training. "See you tomorrow!"

"WA-"

Izuku disappeared into the dark covering of the night.

***

Shoto found himself sitting on the rooftop once again.

He didn't understand why he came back. Was it to learn more and eventually defeat the villain? Yes, that had to be it.

He hadn't been there for long before he heard the villain's energetic, youthful voice.

"There you are, Hero-san! I was worried you wouldn't be here!"

Shoto turned and glared at him. That's right. He told himself. He's not a friend. He's the enemy. Besides, I don't have 'friends'.

The smaller teenager chuckled sadly. "Ah... of course. I'm hated once again. Why am I surprised? Everyone hates me." The pain in his voice sounded genuine.

But Shoto quickly decided that it must be a trap. "If you're looking for pity, you picked the wrong person." He said coldly.

"Oh, I think you misunderstand." Izuku shook his head. "Pity's far worse than hatred. I was simply trying to provide a similarly between us."

Shoto growled. "How would you know anything about me?"

The villain sighed again. "Of course, I phrased it that way. My social skills need work; Sensei doesn't let me get out much."

Sensei? Shoto raised a brow.

"So..." Izuku trailed off expectantly.

"So?" Shoto repeated confusedly.

"I told you that you get to ask me a question every night. What's your question?"

Why would he remind me? Wouldn't he rather keep his secrets to himself? Shoto frowned. "I do, don't I? Alright then, what's your quirk?"

Izuku's smile vanished. "Haven't you seen the news?"

"Wha-"

"I went missing a year ago. Don't you remember why my case was so notable?"

"Am I supposed to remember?"

"I suppose not." His shoulders slumped.

Why does he sound so disappointed? The hero in training frowned.

"I was hoping someone would remember me, especially since everyone thought that I died and all."

Shoto suddenly remembered something. A missing middle schooler, but most assumed that he committed suicide because... "You're quirkless?"

Izuku grinned, his zeal returning. "So you did remember! I'm glad! I was starting to think that everyone had forgotten!"

"But... you're such a well known villain... how is that possible with no power?"

Izuku suddenly scowled. "I was thinking that after all that you've been through that you would know better than most that power isn't everything. I guess I was sorely mistaken."

Shoto couldn't help but feel taken aback by the sudden surge of anger. Had Shoto offended him?

Izuku left without saying goodbye.

***

The villain didn't come back for a few days after the harsh encounter he and Shoto had. The hero in training was beginning to think that he'd left for good.

For some reason, that thought frustrated him. He was curious about how much the villain knew. He had implied that he knew a bit about Shoto's past, after all. He was curious about who the villain worked with and who his 'Sensei' was. But most regrettably... he was curious about Izuku, the boy behind the villain. Shoto found himself thinking about him in his spare time, the thoughts both enraged and entertained him. Why was a villain so interesting to him? He couldn't wrap his head around it.

He still found himself sitting on the rooftop every night, waiting for Izuku.

And every night, for a week, he was disappointed.

But, on the eighth night, just as Shoto was about to return to his dorm, Izuku appeared.

His entrance wasn't as graceful as Shoto vividly remembered, he was panting as he haphazardly scaled the building, heaving himself onto the concrete roof.

Shoto involuntarily sucked in a breath as he saw the heavily bleeding side of Izuku's torso.

Shoto's mouth went dry. Without thinking, he picked up the boy princess style and carried him to his room. Luckily, that night, none of his classmates were out to get a midnight snack.

He rushed Izuku to his futon.

He was extremely grateful that the dorm bathrooms were stocked with first aid supplies in that stressful moment.

He took off the villain's vest. As he went to take off Izuku's tie, the boy's emerald eyes cracked open.

"What... are y-you doing?" Shoto could tell that he was embarrassed and alarmed, but too weak to do much other than whisper.

Shoto realized how suggestive he must look from Izuku's point of view.

He drew back, waving his hands defensively. "I-I'm not doing that! I'm helping you!"

"Oh..." Izuku pursed his lips. "Why?"

"Because I'm a hero; I d-"

"Why do you care?" Izuku elaborated.

Shoto paused. Why did he care? "I... believe it or not, you're the first one to approach me in years." He admitted. "I suppose that I... have grown attached to you. I'd be sad if you died."

Izuku blushed, tearing up slightly. He turned his face away from the scarred ice user. "That's... the nicest thing someone my age has ever said to me."

Okay. That was sad.

Shoto's eyes widened as he finished bandaging up the deep injury. "Really?"

Izuku nodded.

"Well... I could... say nice things to you again, if you want."

Izuku gasped, his eyes sparkling. "A-are you serious?!"

Shoto couldn't help but blush slightly. "Only if you keep visiting me."

It was the beginning of a strange relationship. A relationship of enemies turned friends...

And eventually lovers.