Becoming a hero was overrated. Everyone wanted to be a hero. It's that basic dream all little kids have. It's the same kind of dream that people have about becoming actors or music artists. You have to give up those dreams, after a while. Some people just don't have the skills to be a hero.
Izuku Midoriya wasn't going to become a hero anymore. A hero knows what he believes in. He fights because the world is cruel and unjust. He wanted to be a voice to those who had none. Ever since the war, Izuku hadn't thought of himself as a hero. No one thought of him like one. They thought he was a monster. One of All for One's little minions. Maybe they were right. After all, One for All did come from that bastard.

   He couldn't seem to shake this kid though.

        For the last two weeks, Izuku and this boy who went by the name of Hunter, had been glued at the hip. No matter the amount of running and hiding Izuku did, the boy wouldn't go away. At one point, Izuku was sure the boy was one of the many villains after his quirk. It didn't seem to be the case though.

       The boy had no quirk, unless Izuku was wrong. He was wrong a lot nowadays. But Izuku didn't mind the company Hunter brought him. Maybe he should've asked for his real name. Everyone on the streets knew Izuku's full name and his hero name. Having a secret was nice, though, Izuku didn't have many left in him.

       "You're going to get yourself killed," Hunter said, leaning over the railing. His dark black eyes took in the surrounding area. "There's two gang members at the corner store down there. A bystander is bleeding. I can't tell if there's more than one."

       "What even is your quirk?" Izuku asked, but Hunter only shrugged. Hunter didn't answer him for a moment, before handing him a water bottle. "Hunter, what-"

       "If you die on me, I am not letting anyone come to the funeral, baby."

       It had been two weeks since Izuku had left the Hero Course. Mid April came, and the work hadn't gotten any easier. Hunter helped, but the Pros were wary of him. Izuku trusted him.

       Izuku sipped his water before tugging on his mask. Beside him, Hunter sighed. The water bottle was left on the railing of the apartment. Hunter ran after Izuku, who was always much faster. Hunter was fit. Very fit. Izuku would've been head over heels in love with Hunter if his life wasn't in constant danger.

    Shame.

    They rushed toward the corner store. Hunter was right, like usual. Seriously, Izuku needed to get this guy to open up about his quirk. Hunter rushed to the civllians. There was more than one.

    Izuku had to be smart. People were fucking terrified of him as it was. They see him and they scream for their mothers. They mistake him for All for One. He was All for One in different clothes. It made sense. He didn't bother correcting them anymore. There was no point.

    He let out a sigh as he used Blackwhip to tug the criminals away. Hunter whistled. Izuku always felt awkward using his quirk around Hunter. He didn't get it.

    In UA, everyone had gotten used to Izuku's quirk. Well, quirks. Everyone knew him and what he could offer up. Hunter and Izuku met two weeks ago. Hell, Hunter hadn't even watched the Sports Festival. He claimed he didn't own a tv, but Izuku knew the signs of an abused child anywhere.

    He had worked with Todoroki, after all. Plus, what's a hero without a tragic backstory?

    Hunter kicked the criminals for good measure. Izuku was sure he heard a crunching sound. The boy was strong for a quirkless guy. Not quirkless guy? Honestly, he wasn't too sure. Izuku sighed, itching his neck under his mask. His claws left a scratch that dripped blood down his already filthy neck.

    "You're bleeding, idiot," the boy with the bat themed mask grumbled. Hunter was adamant on taking care of Izuku. Actually, Hunter did more than take of Izuku some nights. It made him feel terrible. Izuku couldn't repay the boy. Hell, Hunter was lucky to be alive right now. The assassins only came at Izuku harder, meaning it was only a matter of time before Hunter died.

    Izuku looked up, taking in his stained claws. Honestly, Izuku didn't know if it was his blood on his claws, or someone else's. "I'm fine."

    "Fucking liar."

    Hunter grabbed his arm, taking in the blood. Izuku could see the boy's pitch black eyes taking in his appearance. Izuku shuttered a bit. The touch sent shockwaves through his already exhausted body. Izuku tried to pull his arm back, but he didn't have that energy anymore. Even the former holders of One for All were telling him to give into Hunter's affection.

    "It's just some blood," Izuku said, staring up at Hunter. "I can handle it, Hunter." The boy was a bit taller, but not by much. It pissed him off, actually. Looking up to someone made him feel like a kid.    

    Izuku Midoriya was not a kid.

    "Incorrect buzzer sound," Hunter said, taking in the other injuries on his body. "Come on, let me fix you up. The Pros wouldn't want you aching like that, Izuku."

    Izuku sighed. "You know my first name and I still don't know yours."

    Hunter looked around the area, snickering a bit. "I'll tell you whatever you want if you let me take care of you." This is how it always started. Izuku would let Hunter tend to his wounds, away from the eyes of the Pros. In return, Hunter would tell Izuku just a bit about himself. It would've been romantic, except Izuku's Dangersense quirk never turned off the entire time. It wasn't Hunter who had him on guard. It was the environment.

    "Fine."

    The walk back to their makeshift hideout was always Izuku's favorite. It was quiet. Sometimes, Hunter rested his arm on Izuku's shoulder. Sometimes, Izuku rested his head on Hunter's arm. It was comforting. Hunter was comforting. Izuku twisted his fingers around Hunter's, who let him with ease.

    It wasn't romantic. Izuku couldn't do anything romantic right now.

    He was going to get Hunter killed.

    As they climbed the stairs, Izuku's vision swam. He was exhausted, but the work didn't stop until All for One was dead. He needed to keep going, even if his body hated him for it. Hunter led him into the apartment, and onto the couch.

    "Stay put, pretty boy," Hunter warned as he disappeared to get the medical supplies. Izuku had no plans to go anywhere, especially when Hunter used that tone of voice with him. He didn't know what to do.

    Hunter returned with some medical stuff Izuku couldn't focus on long enough to read the labels. He removed his mask, and Izuku sucked in a breath. Hunter was perfect. He had these tired black eyes that made him want to know every secret the boy could possibly have. He had a scar, running from his left eye to the middle of his forehead. No matter how many times Izuku saw his face, he just couldn't turn away.

    Izuku shifted in his spot, shivering under Hunter's warm hands. "Sit still, Izuku." He began to take off Izuku's mask, tossing the material aside. Hunter's nose scrunched up as he wiped some blood and dirt from Izuku's cheeks. "Now, what do you want to know today, Mister bleeding out on my couch?"

    "Your name. We've been working together for two weeks, and you haven't told me your name."

    Hunter sighed. "Mako. My name is Mako." He smiled at Izuku, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to kiss Hunter, no, Mako right now. "It's not as cool as your name, but it's cool to a certain degree, y'know?"

    Izuku mouthed his name silently. Izuku nodded. "It suits you." Mako's face lit up for a second, his pale cheeks a gentle pink. Izuku liked seeing him like that. Mako always was so serious, even with a couple quips here and there. "Do I get another question for being such a good patient?"

    Mako thought about it for a moment. He removed Izuku's gloves, wrapped a couple scars that had been reopened in the last two days. Izuku hadn't even noticed. "Sure. You've been a great patient, Izuku." Mako was staring right into his soul, peaking at every single corner of his mind.

    Izuku swallowed nervously. "What's your quirk? I can't tell if you've got one or not. You fight like a quirkless person, but you're stronger than one."

    "You caught me," Mako said, putting his hands up. "I've got a quirk. I call it Echolocation. Vibrations sort of help me find things, or people. I found you with it, actually. Two weeks ago."

    Two weeks ago Izuku Midoriya had been bleeding out on a roof top because of a puncture in his stomach. Mako had found him, completely by mistake. He had taken care of him. Mako had cleaned him up, and even offered him a place to sleep. All Might thought Mako was going to kill him in his sleep. Mako flipped off All Might that day, and told him to go to hell.

    Izuku would be lying if he said he didn't like it just a little.

    "I just thought we were fated to meet each other," Izuku said, wincing as he sat up. Mako laughed, pressing a kiss to Izuku's forehead. He walked away again, making Izuku's heart break a little. This was probably a terribly codependent situation they had going.

    Izuku didn't mind. In fact, he wanted them to stay like this a bit longer.

    Mako came back with mochi and a blanket. He sat beside Izuku, wrapping the blanket around them. He offered Izuku one of the mochi, which he took easily. The two of them sat there in silence for a moment.

    "Can you promise me something?" Izuku asked, taking a bite of his mochi. It was chocolate flavored. His favorite. Mako knew him well. Too well. This made him feel even worse.

    "If you're making me promise you to let you die, I'm not letting that happen." Mako rested his head on Izuku's shoulder, making the slightly shorter boy flinch. "You're my friend, Izuku. I don't have many of those left from that fucking hand job guy's attack. I'm not losing you." Mako glanced up at him, black meeting green eyes. "If you die, I die."

    "I don't want you to die," Izuku said, only for Mako to cover his mouth.

    "Izuku Midoriya, we are not going to die. We die together, or not at all."

    Okay, this totally sounded like a suicide pact. It was more than that. At least, to Izuku it was more than that. He had been so scared about losing one more person, he hadn't even thought about what Mako might think. They had been stuck together for weeks on end. They were quite literally two peas in a terrible pod.

    Izuku looked at Mako's hand on his mouth, then at Mako's face. Izuku's chest tightened. He hated not being able to let himself feel. He couldn't. He couldn't love Mako. He had been comfortable in his sexuality since the Sports Festival, but he wanted to love someone in a time of peace.

    But also, he might die tomorrow.

    "Mako," Izuku whispered, bringing his hand away from his mouth. Mako blinked for a moment. He looked confused. God, Izuku wanted to love him. "I want you to kiss me."

    Mako's eyes grew wider. "You want me to what?"

    "Kiss me."

    Mako didn't waste any time, wrapping his hands around Izuku's face. Izuku closed his eyes, letting Mako feel him. Mako and his stupid ill timed jokes. Mako and his strong arms made him want to bite him. Mako. Mako. Mako. Up until today, Mako was just Hunter. Mako was more than Hunter. Mako was the boy he was kissing. And God, Izuku really didn't want him to stop.

    Izuku kicked the blanket off, moving a bit until he was seated on Mako's lap. He hadn't done this in a while. Unless you count his one time kiss with Kaminari. That was truth or dare, though. Not the real thing. Mako inhaled deeply, breaking the kiss as he glanced at Izuku.

    Izuku traced the scar on his face with his thumb. Mako shivered, black eyes filled with emotions Izuku couldn't exactly place. "Hi," he whispered, leaning down a bit until his lips brushed Mako.

    "Is this some sort of good bye makeout session, Izuku?"

    "Depends on how you take it," he said with a slight smirk. Mako placed his hands on Izuku's waist, which was covered in his tattered suit. "Do you want it to be some sort of good bye makeout session, Mako?"

    "You just learned my name and now you're saying it like that?"

    Izuku didn't bother responding and just pressed his lips back onto Mako. He felt desperate to feel the warmth of another person. He couldn't even hear the voices of the former One for All holders. They weren't talking right now. Good. They were giving him some privacy after all.

    Mako's hands found the bare skin underneath his shirt. Izuku didn't flinch for the first time in his entire life. It felt right. Izuku grabbed a fist full of Mako's hair in his hand. Izuku sighed onto Mako's lips. He needed this. No, Izuku needed him.

    "Izuku..."

    Izuku wanted to cry at the sound of Mako saying his name. He had always liked how he said it. Like he was running out of air. "Hmm?" Their foreheads touched as Mako's hands rested firmly on the area near his waist. His grip was hard, but it didn't hurt.

    "What do you want me to do?"

    Izuku thought about it for a second. He wanted Mako. That was simple enough, wasn't it? "Whatever you want." Mako gave him this pathetic smile that made Izuku want to eat him whole. "Please."

    "Of course, Izuku. I'll do my best."

    Mako found a way to remove the rest of the gear on top of Izuku's suit before tugging it from his body. Izuku shivered as the cold air met his scarred skin. Mako had seen him shirtless before. Hell, he'd helped him bathe one time. Mako had seen more of him than his friends from UA. Former friends. He couldn't let people know about them. He had to protect them.

    They went back to kissing. Izuku adjusted how he was sitting, so that his legs were spread around Mako's waist. Was this out of character? Honestly, at this point in time, Izuku had no idea who he was. Izuku didn't want to think. He flushed red when Mako adjusted how he was sitting, shifting his hips forward a bit.

    "Deku, are you ready to keep-" Endeavor froze in his spot, staring at the two teenagers with somewhat wide eyes. He covered his eyes, giving both boys enough time to exchange one last kiss.

    "Sorry about that, dickwad," Mako said with a shrug. He grabbed one of the many shirts he had stolen from the shops at Izuku, who was just there. Izuku fought a terrible giggle from escaping. That wasn't the worst thing he'd done in front of a Pro Hero, but it was definitely the funniest. "My bad." Mako didn't mean that in the slightest.

    That made Izuku want to makeout with him all over again.

    "We plan on moving locations. Some of the vigilantes are attacking our cars. We can't be here anymore."

    Mako stretched, exposing his...oh my god. Izuku rubbed his face. He grabbed his discarded mask and gloves, hoping to hide the fact he was losing it a little over Mako. Mako. Mako. Mako. Oopsies.

    "The other vigilantes are so chill. Maybe they just don't like you, Endeavor. Black Cat wants you dead, though. She will find you." Mako was well known with the other vigilantes since the war. He told Izuku all there was to know about them. Izuku swallowed and tugged on his mask. He put on his gloves and walked toward Endeavor.

    "Where are we going?"

    Then Izuku fought Lady Nagant. Mako stood there, after the battle. Mako had gotten a bullet through the arm, though he wasn't all that concerned about himself. Izuku had Lady Nagant's blood drenching him. It smelled like old pennies and a childhood dream dying.

    "I'm fine," Izuku said, rocking on the balls of his feet. The voices of previous One for All holders flooded his ears. It made his head hurt more than when he typically used Danger Sense. "Just a couple scratches, Hunter."

    Mako's black hair had pieces of blood from some civilians that didn't make it. But that wasn't what mattered. Izuku was focused on. He watched Mako run forward. The boy was limping but that didn't matter.

    "You fucking liar," Mako whispered, lifting Izuku's chin up to met his gaze. Blood dripped down from the wound on Mako's head. "You're so reckless. It's going to get you killed. And didn't we just make a deal?"

    That deal was made not only two hours ago.

    The deal that either they die together, or not at all.

    All Might and the other heroes stared at them in confusion. Hawks let out a sigh, and Endeavor averted his eyes. Izuku would have laughed if he wasn't completely frozen under Mako's gaze.

    "I'm alive, you know that. Can't kill what you can't catch." Mako didn't wait for Izuku to continue his stupid rant before kissing him. It had begun to rain again, and the blood was dripping from the both of them.

    Izuku didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to touch the boy. He didn't know how to love someone. Izuku just wiped the blood from Mako's cheek, though the rain just made it worse. Mako was far worse than Izuku, by a long shot.

    But.

    He didn't let Izuku die. He helped during the fight. Is this what Kacchan hated about him? Izuku had a reckless fighting habit. Mako was the same, but he didn't have the abilities Izuku had.

    "You can't keep following me into battle, Mako."

     Mako laughed against Izuku's lips. "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth,if that meant I could fight by your side another day." That was probably the most romantic thing someone had ever said to Izuku. He wasn't too sure.

     He still had his hands on Mako's face, and Mako didn't look like he was letting go anytime soon. Izuku didn't want him to let go. He didn't want Mako to stop chasing after him. He could protect this boy, even if it killed him.   

    It would go against their death pact, but Izuku cherished Mako.

    He wasn't sure if he could love anymore, but this was the closest thing he had to it.

    "We have places to be," Hawks said, clapping his hands. Mako looked up from Izuku's face, glancing back at the heroes watching them. "Practice all that safe sex junk later. My girlfriend would probably kill you if I didn't tell you this."

    Mako and Izuku stared at him for a moment before Hawks handed them each a small pink package. Hello Kitty stared back at them for a moment. Wait.

    "Are these condoms?" Hawks only shrugged. All Might blinked, looking like this entire interaction took more years off his life. "Did you just hand us Hello Kitty condoms?"

    "Yes."

    Mako face palmed, which only made more blood drip from the wound on his head. Izuku wiped it away with the soft material of his glove. "Don't do that," Izuku warned.

    "Let's get you two patched up," Endeavor said, awkwardly talking to the both of them.

    Hawks nudged Mako and Izuku with his elbows. "Why's the big guy so weird around the two of you?"

    Mako smirked, which only made Endeavor's face turn redder. "He caught us making out. Interrupted the good part."

    "Please stop talking, Hunter." Endeavor rubbed his face with a very embarrassed and annoyed expression on his face. He handed them both water bottles, which only seemed to make Mako enjoy this entire situation some more. "Take care."

    Mako took a sip, sighing. He sat on the sidewalk and lay back on the gravel. He knew the streets better than any of the heroes. He had mentioned growing up on them to Izuku once or twice, but his backstory was completely unknown. Not even the heroes had his full name. All Izuku was working with was his first name. Mako.

    He needed to ask Mako for his last name next name. Maybe he could learn more about the boy he considered his...wait a damn second. What was Mako to him?

    Mako groaned as he sat up again. "How many more of those villain dudes are after you, Deku? You've already gone against the cool gun lady, but that's based on what I know."

    All Might tapped his chin. "It's hard to say how many assassins are out there right now. All for One has been sending them out constantly."

    Mako nodded. "The vigilantes have been working over time. I had to help that Knuckleduster guy round up some punks a few days ago while Izuku busted up that muscle guy. They need to get these guys back into some kinda prison. My job was a hell of a lot easier when these fucks were locked away."

    Endeavor shook his head. "You do realize being a vigilante is illegal, right?"

    "Did you know abusing your kids is illegal, right?"

    Okay, Izuku was definitely in love.

i wish wattpad had notes like ao3. im so serious.
but yeah hi meet mako and izuku. wheres shoto you ask? great question. not even EYE know. (i know exactly where he is) i feel sinister right now. like genuinely. this fic is pure headcanons and such. like super self indulgent. black cat is my friend's oc, and is soooo cool. its on ao3 under the title 'id move so fast id outpace dawn' and its so so so good. and yeah!

xoxo, lana