Rebirth and Blood

Izuku woke up at six in the morning like usual. He had slept with Himiko again(Though to his disappointment she refused to let him dip in) and woke up in her bed with her arms around him. Except it wasn't his alarm that woke him up, it was a phone call. 

Grabbing his device in a groggy daze as the two of them woke up Izuku stared at the number, one he did not know, and answered it while Himiko clung to his bare chest.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end was literally the one his nightmares were made of as a shout echoed out through the dark, peaceful room.

"Oi Deku, wake your dumbass up and meet me at Bakerman's agency! I've been waiting for two fucking hours now so get up or I'm coming to get your ass!"

The call ended as soon as it started, leaving Izuku to stare out into the darkness of the room with utter perplexity. He saw Himiko's eyes glowing in the void and her expression was more or less the same while she kept her arms wrapped tight around him in a possessive manner. Leaning back and sighing, Izuku broke the silence as he cupped a hand over one of her breasts.

"Well, I'm not coming in today."

Himiko scowled at him in darkness, sitting up and pushing his hand aside.

"So you're just gonna let that fake dictate your life again by running away the second he shows up? Izuku, you worked your ass off to get that position and you are getting somewhere, so don't give up because of him. You're better than that."

He sat up in turn, running a hand down her arm and kissed her somewhere in the vicinity of her face.

"Would it help if another part of it is because I wanna stay here and blow my load all over you?"

A punch landed lightly on his arm.

"Don't be gross."

He laughed.

"You weren't saying that last night when I did it on your back."

Suddenly he was on his back when she pounced on him like a wrecking ball, making the springs creak under their combined weight. A finger lingered under his chin when she responded.

"Because you would have gotten pissy otherwise. Now stop gabbing with me and go chase your dream."

Izuku shrugged and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"I kind of want to forget that for now and stay here with you...but you have a point. I'll put up with being away from you, but Himiko when I get back I'll take my prize."

The blonde rolled her eyes as he began to kiss along her neck. Abruptly she pushed him away as his fingers began to go up her thigh and touch her womanhood.

"Just go before you get too caught up in stuff, do that and maybe I'll hear you out afterwards, alright? And if that fucker does give you trouble then just clock out early and come here and I'll help you through it."

Mild disappointment played out on Izuku's face as he was pushed to the edge of the mattress, but it didn't affect him too much. Instead he stepped out into the cold air of the early morning where the thin walls of Himiko's apartment barely were able to keep it out. Stretching until his bones popped, Izuku turned around, walked to the other side of the bed and grabbed his lover. She hummed in protest, but didn't resist when he held her.

Izuku stayed there for ten second, committing the feel of her skin to memory. He wanted to stay, he wanted to let back down and spend the whole day with her. To hear her laugh and shout and glare and moan. He wasn't even against the idea of her roughing him up and calling her that weird name. Kacchan had nothing to do with it right now, as far as Izuku was concerned, that bastard was on mars because he just wanted to not be apart from her.

Sighing he kissed her forehead and let his fingers slowly fall from her body as he moved to gather his pants and an old hoodie he left over from a previous visit.

"I promise I'll be back as soon as I can and then I'll spend the whole day with you, okay?"

Himiko also arose from the bed, her form vaguely outlined in the darkness. A sorrowful resignation came with her voice that plucked at his heart strings.

"I know. Just try not to start trouble today and come back here when you're done. It's gonna suck being here alone, but I can wait and busy myself with work. And Izuku?"

He turned his head right as he opened the door to the living room.

"Yeah?"

There was an absolute sincerity in her golden eyes.

"I love you...I really, really love you."

A smile came over him. It was warm and honest, one of the few she had ever gotten of that type.

"I love you too Himiko."

With those five words he shut the door behind him, casting into the dark and left their sanctuary to embrace the cruel, amazing world.

It would be some time before he reached his apartment so as he boarded the train, Izuku leaned back into his seat and prayed he could use the peace well. Yet his phone went off right as he thought that. Looking at the caller ID, he saw not Katsuki's number, but Mina's. Swimming through his confusion, he answered it and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

A voice like glazed honey and pop rocks came through the speaker and proceeded to make this shitty morning just a little better.

"Hey Green Bean, it's me. So I just wanted to drop in and see how you're doing, since last night at Toshi's...you didn't look so good."

Izuku shrugged at the accusation. At least the woman had eyes to see.

"That's right enough, but I'm over it now. I went home, vented it out and now I'm fine."

There was a pause as the heroine listened. Her voice sounded condescending and yet not when she answered.

"Not that I don't believe you Izu-boy, but nobody gets that angry and just washes it away in a single night. You looked ready to kill that guy and frankly I wouldn't blame ya with how much of an asshole he can be. That being said however, I wanna make sure you're okay, so I took the liberty of asking Sweets to hand you over to my agency for a while after Bakugou left."

Izuku blinked for a second as he processed the information.

"Wait, you can do that?"

Mina nodded behind the line.

"Yep, all I needed was his approval and a good track record with the HSCP. It isn't like a permanent thing, but you'll be hanging out for about a day or so. The only thing I need is your signature on a consent form and it'll be official."

He pursed his lips at the idea. Sato had been nothing except helpful and allowed him to get his foot in the door. The man had a hard enough job and it wouldn't be right to up and abandon him. Sighing in contemplation, Izuku answered.

"I'm not against the idea, but would you mind if I checked in with the big guy? Gotta dot my I's and cross my T's and all that."

The acid heroine spoke casually at that.

"I was about to tell you to do it. Give him a call and if you're down then come meet me in front of my agency, alright?"

The quirkless man nodded despite nobody being around to see it.

"Sure, just give me a minute."

Putting the call on hold and tapping the Sugar Hero's contact, Izuku waited for it to connect and a few seconds later it did just that when Sato's husky voice came through the speaker.

"Hey Midoriya, now's not exactly a good time-"

A voice like a frag grenade boomed through the speaker, making Izuku jerk away from the phone as who could only be his childhood tormentor shouted just like he had all his life.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER THREE FUCKING HOURS!"

A sigh came from the sugar hero as the sound of tiny, firecracker type explosions filled the air.

"Look little bro, I think today's not a good day for you to show up so just go patrol with Ashido instead. We already talked it over yesterday at the bar and you're all good to go, I even dropped off your uniform at her place. Don't worry about me, Bakugou volunteered to team up this morning so I have someone watching my back."

Another *boom* sounded off in the background, causing Sato to exclaim like he'd been affronted.

"Hey, that heavy bag's expensive dickweed!"

A stream of curses and insults answered back, making the more bulky hero sigh in exasperation.

"I'mma let you go now, I have an exploding asshole to deal with."

The call cut off an instant later and Izuku couldn't help but feel sorry for his boss since he knew the ordeal he'd be faced with. He was also beyond grateful to the big lug for giving him an out and made a mental note to repay him somehow. 

A text flashed onto the screen from Mina's number, one that had the address to her agency. Izuku didn't know if he should be creeped out or not on account of him already knowing where her agency was from his note taking habits before they even met. He calculated that his arrival should take an extra hour on account of the distance, yet thankfully his place was on the way instead of the complete opposite direction.

The procedure was standard fare once he got home, yet he hurried as fast as he could in the process to not keep Mina waiting. Strangely enough when he stepped out of the shower he noticed a surprising lack of pomegranate smell...that made him upset. Putting those emotions aside Izuku took a few moments to gather himself before heading out the door to catch the next train.

The ride was relatively short compared to the time it would have taken to reach the Sugarman agency and once he exited at the proper stop, Izuku couldn't help but note how the environment became far more pleasant rather than utilitarian and oppressive. It was still an urban landscape of course, but it somehow felt more alive and active. He took the route dictated by the GPS and soon found a massive difference in not only the city, but the wealth granted to higher ranking heroes.

Sato's agency was a squat, square building that you would find in any decaying town with a bright yellow painted on it. That place looked like a rundown garage beforehand, now it was outright pitiful when he saw the "Acid Girl" agency.

It stood two storeys tall with a massive plexiglass gate surrounding it on all sides while the entire building had a swirling pink and green paint job that looked ungodly retro. Taking a few steps towards the gate Izuku hit the buzzer for the intercom and waited to be received. A few seconds passed before Mina's voice echoed out.

"Hey Izu-boy, I was just wondering if you were gonna show or not. I'll buzz you in and don't worry about getting ready just yet, our patrol doesn't start for a little bit."

The gate clicked with a beep as it was pulled into a slot within the side of the walls, allowing him to enter at his leisure. Taking the initiative Izuku strolled inside the grounds and watched as the acid colored steel doors swung open with the hinges crying from the weight of the ten inch thick slabs. Suddenly it occurred to him that he was well out of his depth and hitting beyond his league at this point, yet it was too late to say anything because the moment he passed a line behind the doorway the slabs of bluish pink steel slammed shut without mercy, locking him inside the building.

The interior, for lack of a better word, was like stepping into a time machine of an era long before the emergence of quirks. Neon green shag carpet laid underfoot while a bright pink paint job covered the walls. Along which were paintings of leopard patterns scattered with framed posters of pre-emergence action films next to them. The whole place had a low, gentle lighting that was reminiscent of a bar with these strange, oversized chairs that resembled eggs that one would likely side inside rather than on.

Lava lamps of various colors had been mounted to the wall in the fashion of external lights and then with them came an undercurrent scent of what he could only describe as "weird" from the stairwell near the end of the main floor. Footsteps echoed from above and before long he came face to face with the Acid Heroine herself.

Sweat coated her body as she barreled down the stairs in nothing more than a sports bra and athletic shorts. Mina smiled at her arrival and extended an arm to the quirkless man when she caught her breath.

"Hey Izuku, sorry about the smell but since you were taking a while I thought "why not get my workout started early?" Anyway, come on up and get settled in, there's snacks upstairs."

He shrugged and took the mutant's hand in some attempt at professionalism. The moment their hands touched Izuku felt a warm, slime-like sensation on his palm and when he pulled away there was a goopy ooze coming from the girl's hand that had attached itself to his. A heavy wave of embarrassment colored Mina's face as she frantically wiped it on her bare stomach.

"Ah crap, sorry about that. My quirk factor is located under my skin so when I sweat too much it has a chance of leaking out mucus through my pores."

The quirkless sidekick didn't appear upset at this and flicked it away as he gestured to the stairs.

"It's alright, now...do you want me to go over your paperwork or…"

She waved a hand dismissively and led the way upwards.

"Ah don't worry about it. I have an accountant who handles all of that so I'm good, right now I wanna hang out and prowl around town."

Izuku raised an indignant eyebrow at her.

"You mean patrol, right? We're heroes not-"

Mina raised another dismissive hand with a giggle.

"Jeez, you're just like Iida right down to the sticks up your butts. It ain't that big of a deal if we take our time walking the beat, besides people resonate a lot better with friendly people then silent, uptight robots. After all, a hero is there to assure the public first and foremost and uphold the law secondly."

He pursed his lips at his own misplaced self righteousness. In the over friendliness of their relationship he forgot that this woman was within the top fifty rankings, a veteran of the Calamity War and dedicated most of her life to heroism. Following her, Izuku found more of the same in regards to decorum except there were bits of exercise equipment organized in a corner of the space. Soon they were inside her office and it was filled with little trophies of the war in the forms of newspaper clips, pictures and plaques.

His outfit was laid haphazardly on a table set against the left wall along with his "support items" (two heavy sticks and one long stick), while Mina's signature acid jumpsuit was displayed in an illuminated case under a pink light. Rolling his eyes at the situation, Izuku moved to grab his suit, but the pro stopped him with a hand to his wrist.

"Hold up big boy, don't get ahead of yourself, there's still a little bit of time to kill before we roll out."

Izuku glared at her with a professional disdain at her lax attitude towards being punctual in regards to her work, but she knew more than him. Letting the annoyance go he eyed her for a moment.

"So what do we do till then?"

Mina stepped back to a chair behind her desk and stretched her arms, letting the muscles rest for a minute.

"We talk, ideally about what the heck happened back at the bar when Bakugou showed up. He called you "Deku" it's the first time he's ever called anyone by that nickname and he said it almost constantly back when we were in school only no one knew what the heck he was talking about or why. Judging how you reacted, I assume it's as bad as it sounds, so do you want to fill me in?"

Izuku suppressed a sudden surge of anger. It wasn't at the girl or anyone in particular, it was nothing more than an old flare up he had learned from a lifetime of abuse associated with that word and his only defense now was to get angry. Letting it flow away from him, he looked at the mutant and sighed.

"I don't really want to get into it but... let's just say me and him have a very long history or we used to at least and it didn't end well for me. He used to always call me that as an insult and over time it became so ingrained in my head that it still pisses me off."

Her expression was one of complete shock at his words.

"Really, an insult? That wasn't how he used it. Boom boy would be chanting it like a spell before any exam to psyche himself up and he would mumble it under his breath whenever he was feeling anxious. Hell, he'd scream it whenever he got into a fight. Like when those villains attacked our teacher at the USJ he ran in screaming that word before anybody else had time to react. He even blew up the Nomu's head like a grape."

Izuku scoffed at the idea as fresh anger swarmed him.

"That's probably because he was picturing me to beat up on since I was always an easy fucking mark. There's not an ounce of kindness or remorse in that fucker's body and I have a life time of experience to prove it."

Mina pursed her lips at his words and unscrewed a bottle of water from her desk.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit? Don't get me wrong, he is an asshole and not the greatest person in the world, but he has saved people before. He was the one spearheading the counter defence during the war. If you need more proof, those slimeballs in the League kidnapped him and offered him a place in their ranks way back when and he told them to go fuck themselves to their faces."

He glared at the woman, his teeth starting to grind as he heard nothing but excuses for the person who ruined his life. Yeah, he had a dangerous job and sure he had saved the world, but that doesn't erase his wounds and scars.

"You can do good things and still be shit. If you've abused people in the past then it doesn't mean anything if you say you've changed but act the damn same. People by and large don't and won't change unless they're forced to and he's be given everything for acting like an overgrown narcissist so why the fuck would he?"

Black eyes stared at him silently for what felt like eternity until she stood up and opened the display for her current costume.

"You have a lot of resentment inside, don't you Izu-boy?"

It wasn't a judgemental or disdainful tone, she wasn't dismissing his emotions or assuming he wasn't being manly and should get over it. Her voice was soft and gentle like one reassuring a lost child and Izuku didn't know if he should be angry or not about it. Sighing he grabbed his own outfit and made his way to the door.

"Yeah I do because it was all I had until five months ago."

He shut the door behind him and moved to a spare room next to the office. The steel plates snapped into place and before long he was The Limit Breaker again, though it wasn't nearly as great as he would have liked. At the end of the day he was still just a quirkless man in a metal suit. Stepping out he saw Mina standing in her pink and blue latex bodysuit which clung rather tightly to her curves.

Advertising his eyes behind his helmet, Izuku was met by a loud giggle from the heroine.

"Oh my freaking god, even your costume looks like Iida's! All you need is a pointer helmet, some exhaust pipes coming out of your legs and a white paint job and it would be the exact same!"

He rolled his eyes behind his helm and readjusted the wooden sword strapped to his back and the clubs on his sides as he marched towards the main exit.

"Whatever, we got rounds to do."

The acid heroine followed behind with a skip in her step.

"Sure thing Sir Greenbean."

They emerged out to the warming morning air and Izuku couldn't help but feel more...masculine walking beside Mina and seeing the looks of respect thrown his way by those they passed. Though he also began to feel far more self-conscious at how silent he was when Mina was high fiving and waving at most people they saw like a magnet of optimism. He didn't say anything for the first half hour of the walk and it suited him just fine. The only reason he did eventually speak was due to her asking something. Her fist clanged against his shoulder guard and the acidic user smiled a bit as they continued down the street.

"So what'd ya think so far about this whole superhero thing after getting your hands wet?"

He shrugged and touched the escrima sticks at his side habitually.

"Honestly it's more or less what I expected. It's hard, dirty work but I said I'm gonna do it so I am. Besides, compared to working in an office this is way more enjoyable than punching numbers on a screen."

The mutant grinned proudly at him and delivered a few well meaning taps to his armor.

"That shows you aren't a wimp at least, most people flinch at the idea of danger. That being said, I gotta ask how things are going between you and Ms. Bloodsucker. Are you guys still having trouble?"

Izuku shrugged once more and felt the sweet spot on his shoulder ache a little as he recalled the events of the previous night.

"Ah, things are...good? Like they aren't bad, but...there was a bit of an argument between us and...I wanna ask you something weird. Not inappropriate, more like…" 

He sighed for a moment and shook his head.

"So long story short I had a panic attack at her place and she calmed me down, but things led to another and...she told me a lot of personal stuff and I'm not sure how to process it. Like I'm okay with it, but how do I respond to some of the things she talked about?"

The pink crime fighter furrowed her brows at her temporary side kick.

"What kind of stuff did she talk about?"

There came a pause from the man as he thought about how to best explain without demonizing his partner.

"So...she explained how during the Calamity all of her friends died in front of her, along with how she had to...defend herself from certain people. She said it so matter of factly that...neither of us really reacted and we kinda just went to bed."

Mina pursed her lips with a pop as the words flowed through her ears. Briefly she cast a gaze at his helmet and shrugged.

"The only thing you can really do is just wait for her to tell you about what happened. If she's breaking down then yeah try to at least make sure she's stable physically, but if it's a passing thing that she isn't that worried about then just listen. Don't even talk back or try to assure her, just let her vent and then talk about it. If she wants to cuddle or go to bed then do that for her instead of prying into her trauma because that can make it worse."

Izuku suddenly felt two feet shorter when he looked back at how he wanted...no, the time he didn't want to ask. All he wanted was to hold her and run his hands over her body until they both stopped hurting inside. Oddly at the time he had a sense of...solidarity with what she said, even a hint of envy at how she was the master of her fate and took the power back from those that wronged her. 

If someone laid a hand on her or tried to take her from him...Izuku had no doubt in his mind he'd likely do the same as Himiko had done to avenge her friends. A part of him whispered that he would do even worse for her sake, that all the repressed bits of anger would seep out and let him slowly steal the life from those who were foolish enough to try and take the most precious thing in the world from him. He would gut them piece by piece until nothing was left but stumps and display their mutilated bodies to their friends right as he repeated the process over and over again until the only person in the world who saw him as more than shit was avenged.

He loved her, more than he loved anyone so what he would do for her sake was justified. There would be a trail of ruined, twitching, broken bodies before he'd give her up. So long as she was loyal he'd burn it all for her. He would maim and kill and gore until his debt to her was repaid because she was worth it. Himiko was his alone and only his. She was his responsibility, his obligation because nobody else was there for her, as such he would do everything in his power to ensure she was safe.

Muscles all along his body tensed as a sense of murderous anger flowed in his blood. It was a good feeling that made him feel like he could take on anyone even if he died in the process. Perhaps it was a lack of companionship growing up or the resentment he harbored towards the world, but regardless of whatever it was he found the emotion comforting as pictured Himiko staring back at him. He would amaze her one day and grow into a strong person just like her and control his own destiny like she had.

In the moment as he walked the streets Izuku felt that bullish rush shoot up his spine. His breath felt hot, his heart pounded, sweat gathered under his armor and there was a throbbing in his ears. He wanted to fight and hurt. God, if only she was near then he'd rip into that tight shirt and bare himself raw and red to her. The things he planned to do to her when he got home…

Blinking at his thoughts and shook his head. Now was not the time to let his emotions and fantasies run wild when he had a job to do and work associates to his immediate left. Letting the heat drain from his chest and pushing the lust back into his lower brain he looked at Mina who had been staring at him perplexed for who knew how long. She noticed his eye movement and finally spoke up.

"You alright there? You zoned out for like twenty minutes."

He blushed unintentionally at such a woman asking him anything after what he pictured doing to his lover...or rather what she would do to him. Mina wasn't ugly, assuming the pink skin, alien-like eyes and horns weren't a deal breaker, and she was more than friendly enough. The fact alone that she was a mutant put her somewhere in his league, pretty far in his league, but still and he wasn't opposed to courting mutants. Heck, one of the girls he tried to ask out back in his youth had the countenance of a lizard with scales instead of skin(she did have a pretty face despite the red reptilian plating on it.)

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that had he been completely single when they met then he'd go for it. Now? Now he had someone to devote himself to and to top it off she needed him just like he needed her. She wouldn't leave and so he had no intention of doing so either. Popping his knuckles Izuku reattached himself to reality and addressed the heroine.

"Yeah, I'm just eager to get this shift done so I can go see her again."

A glint of disappointment lingered in those raccoon-like eyes and with them came a noticeable pout as the Acid Hero crossed her arms.

"So you don't wanna go for drinks after this? I gotta say that girl is crazy lucky to have a guy as devoted as you, if it were me I'd pay ya back triplefold."

He shrugged once more, choosing to ignore the taste of jealousy he heard in her voice.

"I'm just doing what a man does and giving her every ounce of love I can. Anybody who does any less for a woman they claim to love is full of shit. You either throw your entire being into it or not at all because life is too short for anything less intense and fierce. You love with all your soul because that's what it means to be human. You toss your love, your intensity, your lust and your dreams to them while they do the same until you both drown and rise again stronger and more devoted since it's you and them against the whole damn world."

Izuku blinked as he finished the statement and realized how cheesy and over the top it sounded.

"Well you get the idea. Sorry if that was a bit...much to hear."

To his eternal surprise Mina didn't wave it away or joke about his silliness. No, instead the girl's cheeks turned from pink to a deep purple and she looked straight ahead. Was she blushing?

She spoke again in a rather diminished tone and began to fiddle with her fingers.

"No...it's fine. In fact you sounded down right...manly. It's good to know you're one of the types to stick around regardless of how hard things get. That girl of yours is more lucky than she knows to have a strong, fearless guy like you sticking to her. Men like you are a once in a lifetime thing."

Words couldn't begin to describe the wealth of discomfort in the air as they continued to walk in silence with neither daring to look at each other. A sigh came from the heroine as she filled the void with a voice full of old regret.

"Shit, sorry if that sounded like I was coming on to you. It's been a while since I've had anything with anybody and honestly that was one of the sweetest things I've heard about anyone for a long time. Kiri-boy would talk to me like that all the time and...I miss him."

Melancholy found its way to her voice and with it the usual peppy bubbly mood died.

"He was always there with me ever since the start. We entered UA together and endured everything the world threw at us as a team. We survived the villain attacks, the endless exams, the war, all of that by sticking together through and through. Then one day three years after the fact there was an argument over some petty stuff I brought up and he said he had enough."

She shook her head in dismay at the memory.

"He pushed me to the floor, rushed to our room, packed his bag and left. He just fucking left me alone in that tiny was apartment and gave me a phone call the next day saying he couldn't take living with everything that happened. He said he loved me, but that he hated being reminded of so much death everywhere he looked and dealing with the shambles of everyone's lives because he just couldn't help them."

A slight quiver came to her voice.

"He said he was too weak to help me or Katsuki or Kaminari or anyone. He blamed himself for it, for those nights he woke up screaming and making me worse by not being stronger. That he let the bottles and the sex wither his soul and that it was better we split up for both of our sakes so that we can recover from the shit we witnessed and did."

She continued.

"He never forgave himself for letting Bakugou get as crazy as he did and what we had to do to those villains to save the people. They were scum, but Kiri always had a big heart and...after he watched me melt some of the PLA goons once that white haired fucker was put down he never looked at me the same way."

Again she mournfully shook her head at fate.

"I'd do anything to have him back, but I know he never is and I can't abandon my homeland and my friends after everything we did to safeguard it. I'm alone and have been that way for a long time...It hurts you know? Knowing deep in your heart that you had something perfect only to screw it up with one little mistake?"

Izuku remained quiet for a moment as he listened, finding some strange kinship with her plight. He stretched a bit as they continued walking and eventually found his voice.

"It wasn't your fault. The Calamity was a messed up time where the normal rules were thrown out the window, you were only doing what had to be done."

Mina balled her fists, looking even more remorseful.

"I know, but maybe if I went to therapy sooner or actually discussed what was wrong instead of drinking my sorrows away then maybe he would have stayed. Kiri loved me, but he just couldn't understand how I didn't feel any remorse for melting those villains. He thought everyone could be saved even if they were the worst of the worst, hell he'd even forgive those monsters in the League if they were still up right."

There was a sudden burst of anger erupting from the remorse that Izuku could feel ooze out from the mutant as she glared at something in the past.

"Me...I'm of the mindset that most people can be helped, but once they reach a certain point it's better for the world if they just died. I mean so many people, innocent, good people who never hurt anybody had their lives ruined because of fuckers like those in the League since we played by rules they never followed even once. They were monsters who wanted to burn everything because they could so they deserved what happened, hell I'd reduce them to sludge if one of them managed to somehow pop up. Kiri tried to save villains and the only thing that earned him was a knife in the back."

The anger continued to grow as she pictured the scene.

"That's why I had to melt them because he'd be dead and the people we were meant to protect were likely going to face something worse than death. He understood it, but he was still so kind hearted that it hurt him. It was why he couldn't stand me or anybody else from the past since we changed so much, said it was like being around parodies of the people he loved."

Mina paused for a moment and sighed as she began to rub her temples.

"There I go again bringing old history up again. Apologize about that, it just gets hard having nobody around that I can vent to without it adversely affecting them."

Izuku withdrew an escrima stick and twirled it in his hand to keep himself busy as they continued walking the beat.

"Ah it's fine. I know exactly what it's like to have nobody to actually talk about heavy stuff with, it eats you up inside until you feel like screaming. Besides I can talk to you about my weird fucked up relationship issues, no reason I can't return the favor. Phones work two ways so if you got something you want off your chest then feel free to give me a call...So long as it's after 4pm on a weekday or anytime on the weekend."

The mutant stared at him for a moment to take in his armored form and grinned as she threw a punch at his arm.

"Thanks Tiger, I'll be sure to take you up on that sometime."

The day soon passed into night and with it came not a peep of danger or rather none that was life threatening. A few minor street fights that had broken up by Mina sliding onto the scene and...challenging the combatants to a dance off...which she won. A shoplifter or two that gave up after they gave chase and one encounter with some religious folk who were blocking the sidewalk. Basic stuff all around that completed their shift and when they got back Izuku couldn't help but groan in relief when he removed his costume and sat down in Mina's office.

Marching for eight hours straight was a pain even for a trained crimefighter(though he didn't know about his superior's case). She remained in her leotard as she collapsed into her desk chair and strangely there came an oily smelling slime from her pores when she tipped a cold bottle of water to her mouth and drank. She didn't even seem to notice so Izuku said nothing on the matter as his momentary employer spun her chair around. They were eye to eye now and a more cheerful grin colored her face as she took out a small bottle of whisky from a drawer.

"That was a day well spent, Green bean. I gotta admit I never realized how much I missed having somebody watch my back out there and honestly you were pretty fun to hang with. You think this could maybe be a semi-regular thing for us where you work for both me and Riki?"

He shrugged and sipped his own water, begrudgingly admitting that it was rather enjoyable to work with the woman.

"It's up to the big guy. Personally I have no issue with it, but he needs my help a lot more than you due to simple finances. Right now I act more as his personal bookkeeper than anything else since he can't afford to pay an actual accountant to manage his stuff. It wouldn't be right to leave him alone when he's still in such hard times."

The girl tapped a finger to her chin and eyed him somewhat.

"What if I rented you out from Riki? I pay him triple for your time and you help me out for most of the week, that way everybody is fine. It might even be able to let you go full time if I pay enough."

She smiled a little at him.

"How much are the bills for your place? I wouldn't mind helping you out there if you can keep me company on the job, heck I can do that and pay ol' Sweets for your help."

Izuku darted his eyes to the side as he was getting far too uncomfortable. Then he laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"My girlfriend would be dying right now laughing if she heard that. Like I said, I'm not against the idea of helping you but it's up to Rikido."

Another pout came from the mutant.

"Ah poo, that's a shame. You and I go pretty well together, but that's for another day. So is there no way I could convince you to stay a while? We don't even need to go to the bar, we can just be here and chat."

He grinned slightly at the lady who was the closest thing he had to a friend, laying his costume on the spare table as he gestured towards the door.

"Sorry but there's a beautiful woman waiting for me to get home and I'd be damned if I'll wait another minute. That being said, if you ever do need someone to talk to then give me a call, alright?"

Two shot glasses rested between Mina's fingers as she set them down and poured a little bit of whisky into each before offering it up to her side kick for the day.

"I can do that for you Izuku, but can ya share in my little tradition? I always have a shot of something after a good shift and I wanna have it with you for all you've done."

Looking at the glass Izuku took it, partly to not be rude and partly because he wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

"Cheers then."

The glasses clinked, causing the heroine to smile in satisfaction.

"Cheers Izu-boy, enjoy it. It'll be the first of many in our line of work."

It was a foul tasting, warm sensation that made him feel utterly good and with a quick overturn of the glass followed by a quick salute as he left. Izuku wasn't much for alcohol but by god if he hadn't been looking forward to finishing his shift since he got out of bed. He missed Himiko madly and he felt himself leap at the prospect of seeing her again. Taking the train he whittled down the time by imagining what the rest of his night would be like with her.

His fingers flexed and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw in his head. Part of him wished he had laid back down when that phone call came back in the morning, but it was all worth it now. He was returning to her and she was waiting for him. The simple fact that someone so beautiful and wonderful was actually looking forward to seeing him made his heart soar, so much so that he nearly broke into a run when the train pulled into the station.

Soon he actually did start to run and felt lighter than air and faster than light as he did it. Her complex was in front of him now and before long he reached her apartment number. Knocking on the door it slid back slowly as Himiko emerged in her custy pajamas with her tanto knife in hand. She raised an eyebrow at his expression, but relaxed all the same.

"Hey Greenie how was your-"

She never got a chance to finish the sentence as Izuku scooped her up in his arms and kissed her deeply. The door shut behind them and Izuku did not let go of either her or the seal on their lips until they reached the sofa. He set her down on the cushions and finally pulled his mouth away while his hands caressed her body. His breath was hot and there wasn't a moment of pause as he touched every ounce of skin he could. It felt grand to be next to her again, to have her eyes focus only on him and him alone. Gently he placed his forehead against hers and rubbed her cheeks tenderly as he planted a kiss on her neck.

"I've missed you so much."

Himiko continued to look mildly bewildered, but she merely chuckled at him and rubbed his hair as her tanto slid across the floor.

"I'll say, you're hornier than a rabbit in April. Did you take some pills on the way here or what?"

He laughed and held her close, glad to embrace the comfort she gave him in her arms as they snuggled.

"Nope, I just thought about you all day while I was gone. You left me wanting this morning and the only thing I could think about was what we were gonna do to each other since you're such a nasty little woman. I bet you have plans for me, don't you?"

The mood died right before it could even get off the ground as an inquisitive look came over the former slasher as she flicked him in the nose and turned both herself and him to the side.

"Yeah I was gonna ask about that, how was your day working with Bakugou?"

Izuku rolled his eyes and rubbed his hands along the bare skin of her back.

"I didn't go to Sato's agency today. He swapped me out with his friend from Highschool and I worked with her instead."

There was a sharp glint in Himiko's eyes as she wrapped her arms lightly around his neck.

"Her?"

He shrugged at her reaction and dug in closer, running a hand down her locks.

"Yeah it was just a thing of convenience for both agencies because Kacchan would have been too disruptive if I showed up so I transferred for a day, that's about it."

The blonde glared at her lover with every bit of suspicion, but instead of doubling back like any normal man would do, especially when said woman admitted to being a former assassin, Izuku merely kept curling up against her. Himiko continued to glare at him accusingly and spoke her mind.

"Is this the same girl you went to a bar with while I was sobbing my eyes out?"

Now Izuku raised his head up, feeling every prick and barb in Himiko's voice as a kernel of guilt formed at the memory of Himiko breaking down like she did. Pursing his lips he darted his eyes to the side.

"...Yeah, it was. But it was strictly a business venture. I mean granted she offered for me to stay after and drink with her once we finished our shift and…"

He paused for a second as a realization came to him with each passing word digging him into a deeper and deeper hole. Yet why should he be worried? He was loyal as rightly should be as a man and he thought of nothing but the girl in his arms. Except said love of his life was staring daggers at him at such a rate that he half expected the one on the floor to fly up and shank him in the air from the sheer force of will this woman was using to gauge into his soul.

Sighing, he pulled her and himself upright as he wrapped his arms around her torso.

"Should I have told you sooner about it?"

The former villainess kept glaring at him, but softened a bit with the sincerity in his voice. She leaned into his arms and let him place a hand over her belly as she mimicked his sigh.

"...If it was just a work thing for your hero job then no, but...the fact it's the same woman kinda irks me a bit."

A defensive edge lingered in his mind as he tightened the hold on her possessively.

"I would have stayed the whole day with you if I could. Himiko that woman is just a business connection at mo…"

He paused as he remembered the rather personal conversations they shared and felt a wave of shame for doing that to the one girl who pushed him to even start trying again.

"Okay so we may be friends, but that's it. She can't hold a candle to you."

More glares were leveled his way as the blonde looked up at him.

"Why exactly have you gotten so familiar with this woman? What the hell do you even discuss with her and what the fuck is her name?"

Embarrassment flooded the quirkless man when he recalled exactly why he talked to the Acid Heroine, but he bit it down and decided to be honest. After all there couldn't be secrets between them anymore since has literally been stripped bare in front of her before.

"Her name is Mina Ashido and the main reason I talk to her, aside from having a connection in the hero industry, is because...for lack of a better term so that I know how to treat you better."

Himiko raised an eyebrow at him while still giving a death stare.

"Come again?"

His hands raised up to clutch gently at the sides of her face as his legs encircled her. He smiled the most genuine smile he had in a long time and spoke.

"I talk to her so that I can work through my bullshit. This is my first real relationship with anyone and...like I said I have a lot of issues so I don't wanna mess this up. I never really had any advice or really any know how on what to do and she lets me get a different perspective on things so I won't keep fucking up."

Light filled his eyes as he looked at her with a heavy hesitation in his heart that was overcome when he moved his arms down around her torso and held her.

"You just mean so much to me that I wanna get better for you and become the best version of myself. I can't do that unless I get out of my comfort zone and try to improve myself mentally and frankly...she isn't as "weird" as us so I can get a normal perspective on things."

The glaring continued as Himiko spoke again, this time with an aggravated edge to her voice that sounded like she was insulted.

"Who said what we do is weird?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow at her in perplexion.

"I did. So far since we've gone steady you've flogged me, bit me, drank my blood and talked about bleeding me. I don't have an issue with that since it's between you and me, but...darling you have to admit that stuff is rather...out there."

She sat up and jabbed a finger to his chest as the most stern-faced expression he'd seen since that day on the bridge covered her. Her fangs were bared and her words were slow and weighty like a parting knife slicing through skin.

"You listen here Izuku Midoriya, there is nothing weird or wrong about what we do. It is a sacred thing between the two of us and I'd be damned to hell before I would share it even in voice with another person. You are normal Izuku, I am normal and we show it in ways we know feels good only between the two of us. That eager, waiting face you make while you groan in pain makes me feel so special and I know you love the expression I make when I punish you."

She grabbed his collar and pulled him close.

"We need each other and some Majin Buu look alike with tits isn't going to understand that. I love you Izuku, more than I've loved anyone in a long, long time so don't let anyone make you think otherwise."

He relented a little and leaned back to hopefully gain some space from the girl.

"That's...look, I get what you're saying but there isn't anything like that."

She narrowed her eyes at him, placing her body weight on his tummy.

"So you mean to say there hasn't been anything off about what she talks about?"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but paused for a moment. Contemplating the events of the day he scratched the side of his head.

"Well...She seems really interested in me working for her, even offered to pay Sato three times the cost of hiring me weekly to rent me out and asked if she could pay my bills in exchange for me being her sidekick bi-monthly. And the way she said...it sounded strange."

Himiko balked in surprise, the anger only growing in her soul.

"She was trying to become your sugar mama by paying you off and bribing that sugar rush asshole."

Izuku crushed his brows in confusion.

"A what?"

Himiko blinked at the statement. There was no way…

"How do you not...nevermind, the only thing you need to understand is that she has a thing for you."

He knew that of course, but didn't address it since he was already paired up with the girl in front of him. 

"I don't see how that's an issue since I'm committed to you. I…"

He grimaced when the words finally clicked and sucked in air through his teeth. Crap, he hadn't thought of how it would look to Himiko's point. If the roles were reversed...he wouldn't be so understanding or composed. They stared at each other for a minute, letting the facts sink in as Izuku stroked her back once more.

"Do you want me not to talk to her anymore?"

There was a hot flame in her eyes that screamed "Yes!" which Izuku couldn't help feeling more than a little prideful about. Yet it was extinguished in a flash as Himiko put a hand to her chin and withdrew her mind. She stared ahead at nothing, seemingly lost in her own head and contemplating something of heavy depth. The feline pupils of her eyes darted to the pictures of what Izuku had come to know as the members of her now deceased crew and studied them.

A forlorn sorrow bothered her face while she tracked from photo to photo until turning to stare at him. Her expression was a sort he had never seen on her, one he never wanted to see because he knew that look. It was one fearful of something coming to an end by their own faults, of irritability of the shit that your fate had in store for you.

A hand reached out to touch him and gripped his arm like he was going to vanish. The expression still remained, but it lessened when he placed his hand atop hers and let himself be an anchor as her worries ate away at her. Himiko closed the distance and hugged him tighter than ever before while Izuku remained silent.

Her chin rested right on the sweet spot of his shoulder and with it she spoke, not let go at all in the process.

"No Zuzu...You need friends who can help you and while I don't like it...I trust you enough to have faith that you won't betray me. You need that professional connection and other, more balanced people in case something goes wrong. But...promise you'll be honest if you ever want to leave me."

His arms squeezed her to him, forcing the air out of her lungs as he lifted one of his hands to her face and made her look him in the eye.

"I already told you I don't plan on leaving ever. My life is with you now if you like it or not and so long as you don't fuck anyone other me, I'll stay by your side. You are mine and I'm yours and I'm prepared to kill as many people as you need to understand how damn much you mean to me. Yeah Mina's a good friend, but to me she's nothing compared to you. You're what I want in my life and that's that."

Himiko listened intently, feeling oddly safe in how hard he gripped her skin. He needed her like she needed him, but…

She rubbed a hand on the burn mark on the back of her foot and felt so many horrible things rush past her eyes. Things she did to get some perverted, bloody sort of love and things she witnessed even before joining the league. She had no idea how long this would last once he inevitably knew everything about her, but in the meantime she can at least enjoy his affection until that day comes.

Her lips crashed against his and she dug her fingers into his hair, letting her more needy self rule.

"Sorry about that baby, I was feeling a little down. Of course I wouldn't need to worry about such a ugly woman trying to take you away. After all, you already have me as your mommy."

Fingers caressed the other sweet spot on his spare shoulder and flicked it, causing him to grunt in pain as she continued with a warm, pinkish blush covering her cheeks.

"Now since you've been such a good boy and I've missed you so much, how about I spoil you a bit?"

His face grew flush as she let her tongue slip down from his earlobe and circle the mark her teeth made.

"After I nibble on you for a bit of course, Mommy needs her fun too."

Izuku grimaced once more, but found the will to ask anyway.

"Can I do what I did last night?"

She grinned and smacked her ass to get him hopeful. 

"Sure since you asked so nicely, but remember, don't put it in."

Izuku felt his heart jump and his breath quicken as he looked into her eyes, letting his hands crawl all over her body. He paused when she held up three fingers, but let his shame die since it was just the two of them.

"...Yes Mommy."

Himiko kissed him once more and kicked her feet up and down when he lifted her up into the air.

"Good boy, now let's go make each other feel good."

The door to her room shut behind the two as Izuku carried her to the bed and stripped himself down while she watched with depraved eyes, beckoning him to come like some witch from an old wives' tale. He climbed on and watched as Himiko followed his example, exposing herself slowly to him until they were both nude.

Her arms wrapped around him and as Izuku felt both her touch on his body and the teasing of the needle-thin ends of her teeth on his shoulder, he realized there wasn't another place on earth he'd rather be than here with her.