It was back to the way things were before Izuku had gotten hurt in that building. He was back to work sixty hours a week at night and doing random rescue work here and there. Some things were different though. Shouto came around a lot more and it was mostly for Dabi but he didn't mind.

Tenko had been a lot more quiet lately. His random bursts of jealously had died down some and he had chilled out against Dabi even. Truth be told, Izuku had distanced himself some too. Even though they slept beside of each other every afternoon, they were quiet sometimes.

This worried Dabi. He was expecting Tomura to explode at some point. The two of them were always playful and loud but it died down a lot.

"Where are you going?" Tomura asked.

Dabi stood up from the couch. They were watching a horror movie but he had no interest in it.

"I have things to do."

The villainous leader rolled his eyes

"What are those things you have to do?"

"Friend stuff."

"Friend stuff? I find that fucking hard to believe."

A warp opened up and Dabi made his way through, leaving his leader behind in Izuku's living room.

X

X

Izuku had left with letting anyone know but Kurogiri. Dabi had seen him leave only because he had went to turn into the kitchen. The look on the hero's face as he walked through the warp spoke volumes of the problems that were plaguing him.

"What's your problem?" Dabi asked.

Izuku jumped and turned around. He was in the same place Kurogiri had seen him the first time when he needed time alone.

"Why are you here?"

"Because you have been a mopey cry baby. Shouto has been worried about you and he hasn't been able to talk to you."

"There's nothing wrong-

"Bullshit dumbass. I think we are way past hiding shit. You owe me for that fucking lap dance I was forced to sit through."

Izuku raised his eyebrows with a little smile on his face.

"This is literally the weirdest place Kurogiri would come up with to go too. Fucking flowers everywhere."

"It's calming."

Dabi sat down beside of him. The flowers did have a soft sweet smell.

"So, what's the problem?"

"Nothing at all."

"Please, Tomura is the same fucking way. He shuts his mouth when he has problems and he explodes like a psycho. For someone so fucking nice you sure keep things to yourself."

"I don't like burdening others with my problems."

"Not even your own fiance?"

"What? That was just because he was drunk-

"No it wasn't. He was drunk but he wasn't stupid. He knows you're too good for him. He wants you anyways."

Izuku smiled.

"I'm not so sure about that. He seems like he prefers the boyfriend title instead."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

The smile faded off the hero's face.

"What is that you won't tell your man bride to be?"

Deku snorted but stayed quiet.

I really hate doing this shit, Dabi thought.

"Tomura is a fucking idiot but he's not stupid. He's let on that he knows something is bothering you. He figured it out about me too. He knew that I was the son of that asshole Endeavor. He said my arrogance and bright blue eyes gave it away."

"That's um...."

"That was the first night we started drinking together. Neither one of us would admit it but we were best friends after that one. He's a big jackass but he had admitted he was the puppet for that guy All for One. He knew it and he was bidding his time but part of him didn't want to let go because he was all he knew. That was his dad. Fucked up isn't it?"

Dabi laid back in the grass and flowers.

"The reason we were all there was because we weren't accepted by the other people in our lives. Instead we decided to make one big fucked up family. People who had no where and were willing to do whatever it took to make the other happy. Himiko, I and Jin had decided we only wanted to follow Tomura not his fucked up daddy figure."

"I wanted to talk to All for One."

Dabi looked extremely surprised.

"Why the fuck would you do that?"

"I hated my power. The power I had received from the one person I looked up too. Six months after I graduated, One for All stalled on me. I knew why and I hated myself for it."

"Is it that hard to control?"

"Yea. I'm always struggling to make sure I don't break everything. The image of trying not to burn or explode the egg in the microwave only works so much before my mind is strained due to the power flow."

The two of them fell silent for a short while.

"Why did you stall after all of that?"

"I hated the image I had set for myself. The victory in my head was Kacchan. For the longest time he was victory and I beat him anyways but it didn't feel like it was enough. The words rang in my head that someone else would've been better. Someone other than me.

"All Might had said that he couldn't picture anyone more accepting of this power but I don't see it. The self doubt clouded everything. I even had Endeavor get in my face and tell me I would be nothing like All Might. I was just trying to copy him even when I found my own style my second year."

"Did you tell Shouto that?"

Izuku shook his head.

"Good you wouldn't want him to be a murderer."

The hero chuckled.

"The thing is.... Tomura had said the same thing to once. I was nothing but a worthless copy and I could do nothing with a power that wasn't mine. The only thing was none of you knew I was quirkless before hand."

"Wait- he said that to you and you like him? You love that fucking idiot and he said that to you?"

"He didn't like me then. We didn't like each other. I don't know if he remembers that at all. I know it was because we were on opposing sides and it was something to hurt my feelings. I actually had a lot of people tell I would be nothing like All Might. The thing was... I wasn't trying to be once he told me I was trying too hard to copy. I needed my own thing thanks to my damaged arms."

"How come you never told him he said that?"

"Because I didn't want him to feel guilty. It seemed it took forever to get him to want me. I don't want to push that away."

Dabi picked a flower and smelled it.

"When I saw him.... when I dumped that cake on him.... All I could think was how he was going to kill me and there was nothing I could do about it. I would've been decayed. The cake thing threw me off so much I was thankful for it. Half of me had hoped he would've used me to get to All for One."

"You could easily defend yourself."

"Now yea."

Izuku laid back in the grass and sighed.

"I've been told I was worthless all my life and I thought once I had that quirk, it would change but it hadn't."

He reached under his leg and pulled out a small notebook. Izuku handed it to Dabi.

"That was my plan to break into his prison cell and have him take back what was once his."

Dabi eyed the raggedy notebook before opening it. It was filled with scribbles and thoughts before it actually turned into a full blown plan. It was pretty well thought out and that was scary. It seemed Izuku was really serious about giving up his quirk once and for all.

"It was kept secret from me that was he was sentenced to death. It was odd because for a while no one would let me be alone until the few days after his death. I had no idea until Kurogiri mentioned when you guys first started staying with me."

"What a fucking wild ride. You really think he would've just let you go?"

Izuku nodded.

"Of course. There would be no one to stand in his way anymore."

Dabi had no response for that.

"Heroes are messed up too. Some of us are just able to hide it well."

"I suppose so."

Silence. Dabi felt slightly angry.

"Want to know what's funny?"

Izuku looked over at Dabi.

"Even though Shigaraki realized what a giant ass his 'daddy' was, he still tried to save him anyways. It was too late when we tried to level that building to get to him. I don't know why but we didn't anyways. He ended up accepting it pretty easily."

Izuku bit his lip.

"Maybe that's why you keep that asshole at arm's length?" Dabi said stretching.

"I don't know why I do."

"Hm."

"You mind... leaving me alone?" Izuku asked, "Not to be rude or anything.... I just need time to myself."

"Whatever you want hero. Don't stay too long, Tomura will go looking for you at some point."

Izuku nodded.

At arm's length huh?

X

X

Dabi slammed the notebook down on the kitchen table in front of Shigaraki making him jump. He gave Dabi a pissy look.

"What is that?"

"Your fiance's notebook. His escape plan to release your daddy and get his quirk taken away."

"Shut the fuck up."

Dabi flipped it open for his leader to read. Shigaraki picked it up carefully reading the pages slowly. It was Izuku's handwriting. Even the little scribbles on the side was something he did. He swallowed hard.

"Among his best friend telling him he was a piece of worthless shit, you told him the same thing at some point. He was told by my dad too. All people who are strong, powerful and feared by others all shot him down."

"What? Even if I did, we weren't exactly buddy buddy at that time."

"When was this? What was your plan with him exactly?" Dabi asked coming around the table, "This isn't something to play with because Shouto would turn your ass in so fast it would make your head spin."

The fire user grabbed Shigaraki by the front of his shirt and jerked him out of his seat.

"I just got to fix things with my little brother and I will fucking destroy you if you mess it up. What the fuck did you plan on doing with Izuku huh?"

Shigaraki opened his mouth but closed it, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Tell me you fucked up freak!"

"Nothing alright! I just wanted some damn cake!" he yelled.

"I find that hard to believe-

"You aren't the only one struggling alright! I was bored and when I was saw it was him, I wanted to have some excitement! I didn't think I was going to be rolling around in his bed making kissy faces with him! I didn't know I was going to go soft like a fucking marshmallow! I didn't know about anything about this notebook!"

"No one did."

Dabi let go of his shirt. The two men turned to see Izuku standing there.

"Only All Might knew. Katsuki knew I was struggling but he had no idea what I had planned."

Izuku ran his fingers through his hair.

"Dabi, it's ok."

The hero looked at Tomura with a smirk.

"What is that look?" the villain leader snapped.

"I think you're cute marshmallow."

The serious look fell off of Dabi's face and he started laughing.

Fucking kill me, Tomura thought.

Izuku gave him a smile but it looked almost forced.

I need to master One for All. I can't protect them if I can't reach one hundred percent.

Izuku pulled out his phone as he sat on the couch and texted Shouto.