Mako Habiki had a problem. That problem had green hair, green eyes, and a quirk stronger than his body could handle. It made Mako stress more than his poor heart could handle it.  Izuku couldn't. go more than a few minutes without launching himself at any danger he spotted. It was admirable sometimes, really.

     Other times it made Mako want to bash his head into a wall.

     He had been dealing with rescuing people all over the city. Corpses became the usual around here. Weeks ago, he had watched child after child wail over the mutilated bodies of their parents. Mako couldn't relate very much, since he hoped his mother had drowned after the Tartarus outbreak.

      She was a cruel woman. Nothing to really miss.

      The Crawler, also known as Koichi Haimawari, gave him a thumbs up. The two had become quick friends several months ago. Mako had helped bust some illegal drug ring with him, and then Koichi took him out for lunch. The best of buds, they were. "You've been running around with that Deku guy, right? What's that like? Busted any really shitty criminals?" The boy still wore his All Might hoodie, which made Mako smile a bit. All Might still held an influence over people, even though his hero-ing days were over.
Izuku had been working to become the next All Might. He had overheard Endeavor talking about it the other night. Izuku wasn't All Might, and All Might was not Izuku.

     "I just kinda make sure he doesn't get himself killed," Mako said with a sigh. "He's an incredible guy. He's strong and caring. He was born for this, I think." Mako thought back to the Lady Nagant battle. He had watched Izuku fight to protect the assassin, even if it almost killed him. It made Mako want to explode his brains out. "I just don't get why. Why does he throw himself into danger? He could be doing so much with his life."

     "Aren't all heroes like that, Habiki?"

      Koichi had a point, even if Mako didn't want to admit it.

      That's where Izuku and Mako were different. Mako didn't throw himself in danger to be heroic. He did it to cancel out the misdoings of his mother. Izuku was out to kill All for One. He was out to save lives. The mere idea of doing what Izuku was trying to do made Mako feel like throwing up his stolen lunch.

      Izuku was truly a good person.

      He made up for what Mako lacked.

      "I wish he valued his own life as much as I valued his."

      Koichi gave him a knowing grin. "Do you like Deku?"

      Romance made his toes curl. Look, it wasn't like Mako had never dated anyone. He had a girlfriend back in middle school like everyone else. And a couple hookups here and there.
Izuku was different. Mako wasn't sure where exactly they stood. He didn't want to ruin anything and go questioning it all. If he got to hold Izuku and kiss him, that was enough for him. Sure, it confused Mako all the time. But that's how life was, right?

      One moment, Izuku's on top of him, hands in his pants. And he tastes so good. And they're kissing away whatever freaky emotions they have. In Mako's eyes, it's perfect. Especially when Izuku's lips were curled around his-

     Anyway.

The other half of the time, Izuku didn't look at him. He just kind of sat there with miserable eyes and wouldn't even respond to him unless he was eye level. That was a rare gift, however. Mako wished Izuku would let him in. He wanted to understand the boy he cared so much about.

     "I guess."

      Koichi narrowed his eyes, shifting his spot so that he was staring at the setting sun. "Do you love him?"

      Oh.

      Oh.

      "I don't know." Koichi looked like he didn't believe him.

      If Mako was being honest, he did love him. Love was hard for him. It was more than just the three words. He had given this boy his body. He had told Izuku about his mother. No one except the kids from school knew that about him. Hell, Mako had struggled to even tell Black Cat that one time on patrol. Koichi only found out after Mako had punched a guy too hard. Love burned  him. It was too hot for him to handle. He had too much to give, and struggled to keep it down. Love was too hard for him to feel properly anymore.

    For Mako to love, he had to trust. He didn't trust anyone anymore.

     And yet, Mako trusted Izuku with everything.

     "I think I do love him."

     Koichi smiled, ruffling his hair. It was stupid, especially considering the fact Koichi was only a year or two older than him. But they were brothers at this point. The war was hard on the regular folk. The heroes were fucking useless. It was up to vigilantes. And it was fucking terrible.
Izuku asked him where he'd gone. Mako only tells him the basics. He was too in love to explain the rest. Izuku only asks if they can sit on the floor and eat. The boy walks over and lets Izuku sit.     The boy was silent, which made Mako a bit anxious.

    "Is something wrong?"

      Izuku only stared at him for a moment. His eyes had become duller as the days dragged on. Mako had watched the occasional smile disappear into nothingness. Mako missed it. He missed life in Izuku's eyes. These couple of weeks have destroyed what he admired about him.
Mako was convinced Izuku was just a shell.

      "Nothing's wrong, Mako. I just wanted to sit with you for a bit." He watched Izuku's entire body shake with exhaustion. He was going to work himself to death. Mako raised his hand, but Izuku lowered it. "I'm fine."

      Mako didn't want to start an argument. The two of them didn't argue. It was more just crying and sex. But Mako wanted to start something. He needed this boy to understand how much he cared. Izuku had a complex, a terrible one at that. No matter what Mako said would just go through the other ear.

      "Are you sure?" he asked. Izuku looked away. He had some dried blood on his cheek from one of the Tartarus prisoners. He hoped it hadn't been painful. "Izuku, seriously, you can talk to me. I don't get the All for One stuff or even the whole hero thing, but I want to be there."
       Izuku played with the dried blood on his gloves. He picked at it, not bothering to look up at Mako. Did it piss him off? Oh, of course it did. But what else could he even do? It became more obvious by the minute that Izuku wasn't going to talk.

    "Can we just spend this night together?"

    Mako watched as Izuku sat closer to him. He smelled of sweat and blood. Mako felt Izuku's head in his lap. He curled up like a sad child. Mako bit his lips, unaware of how to handle the situation. Mako's hand found its way into Izuku's matted curls. Izuku shuttered. Mako wished this was how they could be like this forever. Under different conditions, Mako was sure he would've kissed this boy silly after all this died down.

       "Is this okay?" Mako asked. "Izuku?" Izuku glanced up at him for a moment. He had those eyes again. The ones from the first time this happened. When had that been? Mako lost count. Izuku was going to ask him to do something crazy.

       Mako loved crazy. Oh, how he craved it.

       Izuku sat up from his lap. Mako shifted backwards giving him some space. The boys stared at each other for a moment. Mako wasn't sure how to feel anymore. Koichi opened his eyes. He did love Izuku Midoriya. That was his full name. All Might had called Izuku 'Young Midoriya' after the Lady Nagant battle.

     "Can I?" Izuku asked.

      You don't even have to ask.

      Mako pressed his lips onto Izuku's, taking in the bitter copper taste of blood on his tongue. No matter how many times they did this, Mako still was amazed. He moved his hands from Izuku's face to his hips. That's where they stayed. Izuku sighed into Mako's lips, which meant that the boy was doing something right. Mako started working toward Izuku's shirt, bunching the material in his fists.

     There was no All Might or Endeavor here to interrupt them. They were alone. In some sort of way, it made Mako feel uneasy. Izuku was a loose canon at times. Maybe Mako would have to keep him at bay.

      Izuku helped Mako take off his shirt, and soon began working on taking Mako's off. Mako shivered as Izuku traced the scars on his chest. All from his mother. Izuku never shamed him for them. Izuku pressed his lips to the scar on Mako's shoulder.

      Mako was very, very, very bisexual.
People used to tell him that they could just tell. But right now, Mako felt like Hawks himself had come down from the heavens (he wasn't dead) and granted him the ability of bisexuality himself.
Just friends, Mako chided himself. They weren't dating.

       Izuku's hips were on his. God, he couldn't think. All that separated them was those thin pants of theirs. He wasn't sure how far Izuku was willing to go. He looked stressed. Too stressed for that pretty face of his. Mako wanted to make it all stop, just for a little bit at least.

       Mako slowly got up, moving Izuku to the side. They rotated positions. They switched a lot. Izuku once took it upon himself to pin Mako to the couch. That was a great night. Even if he was sore after. "Tell me what you need," Mako whispered, looking down at Izuku. Izuku and his beautiful green eyes. Izuku and his stupid hero complex. His Izuku.

       "Make it go away," Izuku said, his arms wrapped around Mako's neck. In Izuku's eyes, Mako saw his issues. For the first time, Mako understood why Izuku needed to be like this. To be hardened. To be emotionless. He couldn't get anyone else killed. Mako wanted to take care of him. "Please."

      "Whatever you want, I'll do it."

       Izuku smiled at him. Mako could tell it was strained. It made his chest ache. Mako pressed his lips to Izuku's neck. Izuku shivered. Mako wanted to be gentle, not rough. He wanted Izuku to feel something. Something that wasn't fear. Something that wasn't the responsibility of the world.

      Mako's hands trailed down Izuku's torso, feeling the groves of every single scar on his body. They were memories he never experienced before. He didn't get to see Izuku in his prime. Hell, Mako didn't know this boy existed until a couple of weeks ago. He wouldn't change anything though.

       His hands found the waistband of Izuku's pants. His cheeks were flushed red, though Mako couldn't tell if it was blood or Izuku blushing. Mako pressed kisses to the skin he exposed, hoping this would ease some of the stress the boy under him was harboring. Izuku only twitched and whispered things that filled Mako's head with fantasies he would rather not share.

       "There's that pretty face," Mako said, easing the boy through it. Izuku closed his eyes, but a smile and a laugh escaped his lips. Mako was doing well. He was getting his boy to smile. "I missed that smile, baby."

       "Don't say that stuff while you're doing that," Izuku huffed. "I'll kick you."

         Mako smirked, leaning closer to Izuku's face. The shorter boy swallowed. Adorable. "You won't."

         "I won't."

         Izuku was perfect, Mako would say. He knew everyone had their issues. Everyone had their quirks. Mako knew that people had problems that they didn't talk about ever. But he wanted to be there through all of Izuku's unspoken issues.
Izuku pressed his lips back to Mako's. His lips were soft despite being dehydrated. That did nothing to quell the boiling sensation in his stomach. Mako wanted to say that three word phrase, but he couldn't. Would it ruin everything?

       I love you, Izuku Midoriya.

       But Mako wouldn't dare ruin it. I love you wasn't something you could just say. It was hard. Izuku was making it a whole lot harder to not ruin a good thing.

hi guys. this is the closet id ever get to any sort of steamy scene. i imply sex a lot in this, but i dont write it. its makes me so very uncomfortable and i actually despise it. but yeah. hello mako and izuku and their weird casual by chappell roan relationship.

also if you dont know who the crawler is you should probably read my hero academia: vigilantes!! its like a spin off of the original series and it follows vigilantes which are like. super illegal in japan actually