[Mild angst with a happy ending wherein Todoroki discovers that Midoriya is a villain and confronts him about it feat. Villain Deku, hero Todoroki, and established TodoDeku.

Requested by Echoisaweeb]

"You want a tour of my agency?" Todoroki asked his boyfriend.

"Yeah! I've met most of your sidekicks, but I've never actually been to a hero agency before. I want to see where you work. It sounds really cool!" Midoriya said, smiling brightly.

They were sitting on the couch in their apartment while the credits rolled on the movie they'd been watching. It had been a documentary about the history of organized heroics, which had brought them to the topic of Todoroki's own hero agency, and the fact that Midoriya had never even seen it, despite the fact that they'd been dating for almost two years by this point.

"It's really not that special," Todoroki said, "But I don't see why not. You've got the day off tomorrow, right? My agency is organizing a team up with a few other heroes for—well, I can't tell you about it yet, but I'll give you all the details once it's over. I can give you a tour before the briefing."

"Awesome! Who are you teaming up with?" Midoriya asked.

"A couple of guys I went to school with who've been partnered up for a while, as well as The Lurkers, and Centipeder's Nighteye Agency. My father wanted in as well, but I refused. He may still, inexplicably be the number one hero, but I'll never work with him."

"Wow, that's a pretty major team up. You must be onto something big."

"Yes, but like I said I can't talk about it yet."

"Yeah yeah, top secret. I gotcha."

By the end of the night, though, Todoroki caved and told his boyfriend about how they'd managed to get reliable intel on a previously unknown base for the remaining members of the League of Villains and were planning an ambush on their base to finally apprehend them and hopefully end the League for good.

He didn't think there was any harm in telling Midoriya.

He was wrong.

—

The following day, as Shoto neared the end of the tour he was giving Midoriya, some of the other heroes in the team-up started to show up.

"And now we're back to where we started," Shoto said, gesturing around the lobby.

"Are all hero agencies set up like this?" Midoriya asked.

"Not exactly like this, but most are similar. It's a pretty standard set up." Then, catching sight of some of his new temporary allies, he pointed them out and introduced them. "This is Dynamight and Red Riot. I was in the same class as them in high school, and now we're doing a team up together. This is Midoriya."

"Yeah, I've heard of them," Midoriya said, smiling and trying not to glare when he met Dynamight's eyes, though he was not given the same courtesy. "Looks like your meeting's probably gonna start soon if they're here already, so I'll head out. Thanks for the tour, babe, I'll see you at home. I've got some errands to run while you're at work, anyway. Love you!"

"Love you, too." Midoriya stood on his toes to give Shoto a kiss on the cheek, then waved goodbye and headed out the door. Dynamight stared after him severely until he was no longer visible through the glass front doors.

"How do you know Deku?" he demanded.

"That villain you haven't been able to capture so far, that keeps blowing stuff up and causing mayhem? I've never run into him. I only know what I've heard," Shoto said.

"Never run into him my ass! He just fucking kissed you on the cheek!" Dynamight yelled.

"Bro, ease up," Red Riot put a hand on his partner's shoulder and he went from boiling over to simmering. Shoto thought it was probably stuff like that that made their fans think they were a couple, even though they insisted otherwise.

"That was my boyfriend Midoriya, not Deku," Shoto told him. "I think you're mistaken."

"Like hell," Dynamight seethed. "I'm the one who gave him his name, the only hero who's seen him without that fucking gas mask on. I know Deku when I fucking see him. I've known him since we were kids."

"Midoriya is no villain," Shoto stated firmly.

"You had better be damn fucking sure about that," Dynamight snarled.

"I am." Dynamight stalked off toward the conference room, and Shoto saw sparks on his twitching fingers, like he was desperate to blow something up.

"I'm sorry about him," Red Riot apologized, looking after his partner with concern. "He gets really worked up when it comes to Deku because he feels responsible. I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you, but... he's right. I don't want to throw distrust into your relationship, but you may want to look into it. How much to you really know about Midoriya?"

Shoto frowned, but brushed the comment off. There was no way his sweet, gentle, dorky, adorable boyfriend could be a villain, let alone a villain as reckless and hateful as he'd heard Deku was. Midoriya was no villain he was a... what was Midoriya's job again? He must have said at some point. He payed half the rent so he must have one. That job couldn't be... Deku was a vigilante, not a thief, and there was no money in that, anyway. There was absolutely no way that Midoriya was Deku.

But Shoto would ask him about his work, just in case.

He ignored the doubt Dynamight had sown in him, and focused on briefing the other heroes on the situation.

—

That night, after work, he came home to find that Midoriya had made him his favorite cold soba. Midoriya smiled brightly at him, and Todoroki was once more certain that he couldn't possibly be Deku. But just to be sure...

"Midoriya, what's your job again?" Todoroki asked, after thanking him for the meal and sitting down to eat with him.

"Did your forget or something?" Midoriya chuckled. "I'm a librarian. I guess I don't talk about it much, huh? It's not that exciting, not like your job. Being a hero is so much more interesting, and more fun to talk about for sure."

That's right, Midoriya loved heroes, he couldn't be... but... librarians didn't work nights did they?

"I thought you worked nights sometimes," Todoroki said.

"Yeah, for some reason I'm always the one who gets called in to open the doors when book deliveries show up late, which is too often." Midoriya sighed, looking a little exasperated. "Now that I think of it, maybe we should find a new delivery company. Plus a bunch of my coworkers like to drag me along to parties and things after the library closes. They do karaoke a lot."

"I see." That explained it then, but just in case... "Dynamight said he knew you."

"Oh yeah?" A look of worry flashed across Midoriya's face. "That's odd."

"He said he'd known you since childhood." Midoriya's eyes widened, then he exhaled, and relief took over his expression.

"Oh, that's right! We actually went to elementary and middle school together, but he used to bully me a lot back then, so I guess I kinda blocked it out." Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow, I totally didn't make the connection, how embarrassing."

"He bullied you?"

"Yeah, I wanted to be a hero when I was a kid, but I don't have a quirk. He always told me that I was too pathetic, that I could never be a hero, and I guess he was right. I was deluding myself back then. Being a hero was never really an option for me."

'He always told me... that I could never be a hero... he was right.'

'He get's really worked up when it comes to Deku because he feels responsible.'

"He called you Deku, too," Todoroki, swallowed.

"He would." Midoriya was frowning at the table. "That's what he called me when we were kids. He said that it was another way of reading my name and that it meant useless. Crazy coincidence that there's a villain he fights now that goes by the same name, huh? Feels like just desserts if you ask me."

"Midoriya..." Todoroki wasn't sure what to say. The look in his boyfriend's eyes was putting him on edge. Was it really just a big coincidence, like he said?

"I don't really want to talk about my childhood trauma anymore," Midoriya said. "How'd the meeting go?"

"It went well," Todoroki said. "Everyone's looking forward to finally putting an end to the League of Villains."

Deku worked with the League of Villains, didn't he? He wasn't a member, but they were something like allies. They shared information. Todoroki had already told Midoriya everything about the raid on their secret base, if he was Deku, he would have told the League about the plan. He would have had all afternoon to do it.

—

When the team of heroes, led by Shoto, showed up at the League of Villains hideout, it was empty. There wasn't a single trace that they had been there at all, except a childish note taped to the wall.

Whoops! Missed us. Try again.

xoxo League of Villains

"Are you sure you got the right place, icy hot?" Dynamight said.

"I'm certain. I scoped the place out myself just last week, and they were here," Shoto said.

"This mission was top secret," Edgeshot said. "They couldn't have known we were coming, but they couldn't have left ahead of time if they didn't know, so how did they find out?"

Dynamight turned an angry gaze to Shoto. "You didn't happen to tell your boyfriend about this op, did you?"

He did. Midoriya was the only one outside of the group of heroes who knew. The only one who could have given the information.

"This mission is a failure," Shoto said coldly. "I'm leaving. I've got work to do. I suggest you all do the same. I apologize for wasting your time."

They dispersed. He could hear the malicious 'I told you so' in Dynamight's glare as him and his partner split off to head back to their agency. When he got back to his own agency, he went right to his office, and started compiling notes. If Midoriya really was Deku, he was going to wrack his brain for every possible piece of evidence he could think of before confronting him.

If he wasn't absolutely sure, then he knew Midoriya would convince him otherwise. He loved that man too much, trusted him too much, and if he couldn't muster up the resolve, he knew he would end up ignoring the truth just to be with him. He was still convincing himself when he got a call from Midoriya.

"Hey, Todoroki, I got dragged into bowling with my coworkers today, and I know from experience that Mara's gonna ask for at least two rematches when she inevitably loses. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna end up being pretty late home tonight."

"Okay, I'll see you later then. I'm still at work anyway."

"Oh yeah? Still doing paperwork for the raid this morning?" He was trying to throw Shoto off by feigning ignorance, but he couldn't fall for it. Midoriya must have known that the raid was a failure.

"Yeah," Shoto lied. He hated lying, but evidently, Midoriya never had a problem with it so why should he.

"Well, good luck with that," Midoriya said. "I gotta go, it's my turn. I love you!"

Midoriya hung up before he could return the sentiment. Shoto wasn't much of a bowler, but he knew that bowling alleys weren't that quiet. He turned his computer on and accessed the news. If he was right, there was going to be a breaking story pretty soon.

He was right.

Just ten minutes later, the screen lit up with a breaking news story. It was Deku. He had walked into a small hero agency and set off a massive gas bomb which knocked out all the heroes basically as soon as they got close enough to see him. He caught them off guard, and when they were all out of commission, he rigged explosives throughout the building.

Deku had never attacked an agency directly before.

Midoriya had asked him if all agencies were set up like his when he gave him a tour a few days earlier.

Shoto had thought nothing of it.

How foolish he had been.

Dynamight and Red Riot arrived on the scene sporting gas masks similar to the one Deku wore which covered his nose and mouth, and they had to fight Deku, disarm the bombs, and get the heroes out safely all at the same time.

Police had cordoned off the hero agency, and were trying to keep the civilians away, and the news woman was reporting from the edge of the police barricade, trying to describe everything as well as she could as it happened.

The fight went on for quite some time, every few minutes, Red Riot would come out of the building, frantically carrying a few injured or unconscious heroes out of the fray while his partner took on Deku. In the end, they weren't able to stop the explosion, nor were they able to capture Deku, but they did manage to get all the heroes out safely. Red Riot accepted the interview with the reporter on behalf of the pair of them while Dynamight yelled at himself in the background about how close he'd been.

"We may not have been able to catch him, but everyone's alive, and only a few sustained injuries, so I'd say the fight today was a stalemate," Red Riot told the reporter, ignoring the screaming and swearing going on behind him, which the censors barely managed to bleep out. "On top of that, my partner, Dynamight, managed to bang up Deku's leg pretty severely. An injury like he sustained tonight should slow him down at the very least, and he probably won't be able to give us much trouble for a good few days, if not longer."

"That bastard had *bleeeep* better hide!" Dynamight shouted from behind him. "Next time I'll blow up more than just his leg, that *bleeeeeeeeeeeep* better wish his *bleep* face farewell because next time I see him, I'm gonna blow that mother*bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*"

The bleeping continued in the background as Red Riot regained the reporter's attention. It seemed like the censors were bleeping out everything Dynamight said now, though surely not every word could be foul enough to warrant... actually, no. They were probably doing the right thing.

"I can't give you too many details while he's still at large, but Dynamight and I are working tirelessly to track down Deku and capture him," Red Riot assured. "I think for now though I'm gonna take my partner off the scene before he causes an even bigger explosion." Red Riot laughed amiably, and the reported smiled and wished him good luck before giving a recap of events and signing off.

Deku's leg had been injured. If Midoriya came home with a leg injury as well then...

Shoto put away his notes, changed out of his hero costume and headed home. Midoriya wasn't there yet. When he came back, it was nearly midnight, and his left leg was in a cast.

"What happened to your leg, Midoriya?" Todoroki tried not to sound as concerned as he was. Villain or not, no matter how much all the lying and secrets upset him, he still couldn't stand to see Midoriya injured.

"Isumi is strong, but really bad at bowling," Midoriya explained with a laugh, and oh how badly Todoroki wanted to believe him. "I'm even later than I expected because I ended up in the emergency room with a broken tibia from taking a thirty pound bowling ball to the shin. I never could figure out why he'd become a librarian with a strength quirk like his until he heard my bone snap and fainted on the spot. Turns out he's really not good with blood."

"So you didn't injure your leg in a fight with Dynamight and Red Riot while trying to blow up a hero agency with all the people inside?" Midoriya's eyes widened, and it looked like he forgot how to breathe for a second.

"No, did something like that happen?"

"I know you're Deku, Midoriya," Todoroki said. He didn't want to say it. It felt like a betrayal for him to accuse the person he loved most in the world of being a villain, even though he was the one who'd been betrayed. Deku had been at large since before Todoroki even went pro. Midoriya had been a villain the whole time. "I wrote down every time you got home late because of work or whatever, and every single one coincided with a Deku attack.

"The League of Villains had evacuated their hideout already when we got there this morning, and you're the only one outside of us heroes who knew about the raid, the only one who could have warned them. You're the same height, and build, and blood type as Deku, and you have the same hair and eye color. Dynamight warned me, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to think that you could be a villain, but you are, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Todoroki had never been much of a crier, not like Midoriya who cried when he was happy, and when he was angry, and when he was scared, or sad, or hurt. Even when Todoroki really felt like crying, tears wouldn't come. And though the tears didn't come, he really felt like crying as he confronted Midoriya.

"Are you going to break up with me?" Midoriya asked, and he was crying again. Todoroki actually envied his boyfriend's ability to cry so easily. "Because I love you, I do, so much, but I'm not going to stop. Are you going to turn me in to the police, or hand me over to Kacchan and Eijirou?"

Todoroki shook his head. He should do that. He should do all of that, but he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to. "Why do you do it?"

"Because they deserve it," Midoriya said, wiping his eyes. "Because I gave everything to be a hero. Because I put in so much effort, even though everyone told me I couldn't. Even though being quirkless is basically a disability, and everyone told me I was useless and pathetic, and that I couldn't be a hero in a million years. Because so many people who do become heroes take it for granted. They slack off, and let someone else do the hard work even though they're supposed to be heroes. They only help people for fame and popularity, and not out of any sense of morality or justice, which I'm not convinced they even have.

"Even you only became a hero to spite your father, but at least you actually give it your all, and you... I met you by accident. I wasn't planning to fall in love with you, or even to use you since you're a hero. I didn't plan any of it. You were empty and hurting and lost, and I wanted to help you find your way. You changed for the better, and became the kind of hero I wanted to be. I'd rather die than leave you Todoroki."

"I'm not going to break up with you Midoriya." Todoroki walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug, mindful of the crutches. "Villain or not, you saved me, Midoriya. You helped me to accept my flames, and to overcome my past. You're my hero. I don't condone your actions, but I can look past them. I'm not going to let the police, or Dynamight, or anyone take you from me, but if we happen to be on opposite sides in a fight, I'm not going to let you have your way."

"I can live with that," Midoriya choked out through his tears.

"I love you more than anything Midoriya, and even being a villain isn't going to stop that," Todoroki said. "But maybe someday I'll return the favor, and save you from yourself."

[I would have posted on Sunday if I'd had something ready, but unfortunately, I didn't get this request until the day before, which wasn't enough time to get this done and edited and ready to go, so here you are, I hope you liked it.

I feel like I should tell y'all that part of the request was essentially "kill one of them off if you want, but please don't let them break up." I don't know what to say about that, but I wanted it to be said. I'm still waiting on requests, so please guys, I'm beggin' ya. Love y'all.

<3 Raaor!]

[Edit Jan/2021: I've changed Bakugo's hero name from Ground Zero now that his canon name has been revealed.]