Chapter Text
Izuku had finished up his school work for the day. His mind was still in a loop thinking about what Kaminari had said earlier that day.
Izuku was wondering if he wanted to invite him over this weekend or not. He could maybe tell him about Mikumo, though he didn't want Kaminari to think less of him or anything. Or for him to absolutely hate him, yell at him, or anything normal people would hear when learning your friend has a fake identity.
Ugh. It's so confusing to think about.
Well, Izuku still had some free time before he had to work. He might as well do something fun.
Izuku's new favorite thing to do in his free time was A) hacking into random things to ‘test’ his hacking skills. B) hack into the police station and watch Eraserhead have fun with all the paperwork Izuku would leave him.
Though Izuku had only hacked into the police station once, Izuku knew Aizawa wouldn't be there if he still had a class. So he concluded that Aizawa must have expelled his class. There weren't many other possibilities.
Izuku hacked into the police cams and noticed Aizawa in one of his two usual spots. He was taking a nap in his usual yellow sleeping bag.
Izuku peacefully watched around the station, feeling unhappy when he didn't find anything of interest.
He wondered if he could hack into anywhere more secure, and pondered where that could be.
I mean, he had a few ideas, but really didn't want to intrude on the place. I mean, knowing what place he had In mind, Izuku ouldn't make it out in one piece.
Of course Nedzu would have top-notch security. I mean, they were one of the best hero schools in Japan.
Eh, Izuku could still try. I mean, if he successfully hacked into the cams his computer is untraceable.
And if he didn't, his computer was still untraceable. Though knowing Nedzu, you never knew what you were getting yourself into.
Izuku would take his chances.
He started hacking into UA, careful not to let off any of the tripwires Nedzu was sure to have planted.
After almost 52 minutes, he successfully hacked into the cams. A grin appeared on Izuku's face at the knowledge that he was getting better and better at this. He switched through some of the cams, not knowing which one to keep an eye on.
He switched through them all until he switched to the teachers lounge. It wasn't anything special by any means, but it was nice enough for the teachers.
He saw Present Mic, (Present Mic!!!), Loudcloud, and Midnight chilling and talking while grading papers. Izuku didn't know if he was able to turn the audio on or not, but decided to try anyway.
After about 5 minutes, he finally found the toggle allowing him to turn the audio on.
He caught a part of what Present Mic said.
“-eah! I still can't believe Sho expelled his entire class! I liked some of those kids!”
Who was ‘Sho’? He knew Eraser might've expelled his entire class, but he didn't know his full name. He knew his last name was Aizawa, and that was about it.
“Yeah! Though I do understand why he did though. I've gotta admit some of those kids had zero potential, though I still feel bad,”
Loudcloud mentioned.
“Yeah! I think after only one kid passed the tests, he was just kinda done with the class. Especially after he already expelled half of them at the beginning of the school year,” Midnight chimed in.
Izuku knew Midnight and Present Mics full names, though he would never purposely tell anyone. Probably because the info was supposed to be private, but Izuku still found out anyway.
Wait. Midnight talked about how only one kid passed the tests. Aizawa had talked about how he only had one student pass the tests he made.
Izuku started to think Present Mic, Eraser, Midnight, and Loudcloud were closer than most people thought.
But, he didn't think Eraser would have the first name of Sho. Perhaps it could be a nickname of sorts? Izuku started to wonder about the relationship between Present Mic and Aizawa as he continued listening.
That was until Izuku's eye caught the sparkling metal on Present Mic's left hand. Now, this wouldn't be uncommon, considering a lot of heroes wear rings in their hero costume. Though Izuku didn't think this was a mere coincidence, especially because the ring was placed on his ring finger.
Izuku quickly switched tabs to the cams at the police station, hoping Aizawa was done with his nap. He found Aizawa overlooking paper work at his desk.
Izuku searched for it, and finally found what he was looking for.
There was no way this was just a coincidence.
A metal ring, identical to Present Mics’ hanging around a necklace chain.
Huh. Izuku actually found actual black mail for not only Aizawa, but also Present Mic. (Though he would never blackmail Present Mic if he had the chance).
Now this, this was interesting.
Izuku realized the time and closed his computer. Izuku got ready for work, making sure to eat something before he left.
_____
Huh. This was definitely intriguing indeed!
There had been few people who had successfully hacked UA in the past, all of them before Nedzu’s time, but now it seemed this hacker upped their game.
Nedzu wondered who had successfully hacked into UA, but not taken anything - no data, training plans, nothing.
Whoever it was had only hacked into the cameras. Nothing more.
Nedzu tried to trace the device, like he had done with all of the previously failed attempts. He found every single person who had hacked into UAs system, but he could not this time.
Whoever this person was, Nedzu definitely wanted to meet them.
_____
Izuku had just finished his shift, and was headed home. He really wanted to go straight to bed before a night of vigilanting.
He was really starting to get the hang of it! Though Izuku had started realizing in the few days he had been out, he only really ran into people who either didn't use their quirks, had mental quirks, or didn't know how to fight very well.
I mean, Izuku wasn't complaining! He would rather run into a fight he could win rather than not.
A distant thought plagues his mind. What if he runs into a fight he can't win? Don't be silly. You won't survive long enough for that.
Izuku got ready for bed and fell asleep the moment he hit his mattress.
Izuku woke up at 12 to his alarm, actually feeling well rested. He changed into his usual vigilante outfit and grabbed his notebook.
Izuku knew he definitely needed to find some weapons soon, though he really didn't want to buy them. That would be too easy to trace back to him. He could always search for some at Dagobah beach.
That was when Izuku checked his phone, and was surprised to see a text from Kaminari.
Kaminari -12:25am
_______
Be safe! I texted now cus I didnt really know when you go out lol
It definitely made Izuku feel nice, though he felt bad for making him stay up this late.
12:26am - Midoriya
______
Thank you! Though you really don't have to stay up late to text me!
Kaminari - 12:26am
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Nah bro, I'm up this late anyways! There's quite literally no reason for me not to text you
12:27 - Midoriya
_____
Thank you!
Kaminari - 12:27am
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No problem! Also you better text me when you get back.
12:28am - Midoriya
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It's fine! I don't really want to bother you anyways!
Izuku didn't really know where this conversation was going.
Kaminari - 12:28am
_______
Midoriya, it will be a bother if you don't text me. I will probably not get to sleep if you don't text me
Izuku knew he couldn't reason with that.
12:29am - Midoriya
_______
Fine! But tell me if I'm being annoying and I'll stop. Anyways I have to go, byeee!
Kaminari - 12:29
_______
Byeeee! Be safe
With that, Izuku closed his phone and put it down. Luckily he didn't need to take it with him anymore, because it really was just extra weight in his pockets.
He put his mask, shoes, and gloves on and walked out the door.
_____
Izuku had been patrolling and running off and on for what felt like an hour. He checked the time in a local building, surprised that it had actually been an hour.
Izuku wondered how much more effective he would be if he was able to run on the roofs. He'd be able to see what's going on so much better. He'd need to learn how to jump far enough to get over the alleyways though.
He quickly tucked that thought away for later as he heard a scream from a local convenience store. Izuku looked into the store from a window, seeing two guys threatening a few people at gunpoint. Oh.
Izuku quickly called the comms, unsure of who was closest.
“Theres a robbery at ### convenience store. I'm unsure of who's closest, but there's people being held at gunpoint. I'll do what I can,” Izuku hung up the call, not having enough time to wait for a response.
He watched carefully, knowing it could end badly if he just jumped in.
One of the two guys openly used his quirk, which was perfect for Izuku. The man could make blades from his hands anywhere from 1 inch long, to about a foot long.
The blades definitely held some sort of fire or heat on them, seeing as he could melt through anything with them. Maybe it created heat when he made them?
The other one turned slightly, just enough so Izuku could see his eyes. They looked like googly eyes to be honest. Izuku assumed they allowed him better vision or something of the sorts.
Izuku knew he probably couldn't win in a fight against them, maybe one of them at best.
Izuku watched as Googly Eyes was about to pull the trigger. His body moved on its own, luckily still following the plan he made earlier.
Izuku kicked the gun out of the first one's hands, then using the surprise from the blade guy, he managed to kick the gun out of the way as well.
He just had to keep the attention on him as either the hostages escaped, or a pro showed up. Either way would work.
Izuky ran backwards so he could get a clear view of the two.
He gestured to the others to run.
Most of them stood there for a few moments before getting the idea and leaving. Now there was no one in the way to get hurt.
All Izuku had to do was keep their attention on him while waiting for a hero to arrive. That was much easier said than done.
Izuku was glad he watched some Capoeira videos, because they just kept going back and forth.
Izuku mostly dodged while the two guys tried to get a solid hit on him. They weren't very good at the technical aspects of combat, which Izuku was forever grateful for.
This was definitely one perk of running every single night and morning. You start to gain stamina and speed, which is what Izuku was solely relying on at this point.
These guys were brutes, so Izuku really didn't want to test his chances by landing a hit on them.
Izuku still wasn't very strong, and he couldn't really kick very well yet. He mainly relied on punches though, considering he had his metal gloves.
The three continued going back and forth in a little dance of sorts until a hero did actually arrive.
Izuku was ready to sing the heroes' praises.
Rocklock quickly locked the guys while he tied them up.
“Nice job,” Rocklock stated. Vigilantes were fine in his book, but he really didn't like kids running around and acting like heroes. Hopefully this vigilante wasn't a kid.
Izuku practically beamed at the praise. He didn't really deserve it after all.
“Thanks!” Izuku started writing down how Rocklock took them out in his notebook, the different quirk techniques, etc.
“What are you doing?” Rocklock was genuinely curious and confused as to what this vigilante was doing.
“Ehheh, just um, taking notes, is all,” Izuku trailed off at the end. He knew once the heroes found out, they probably wouldn't look in his direction much longer. They'd find it weird. It was bound to happen one way or another.
I mean, who didn't?
“Wait, on me or these guys?” Rocklock asked. He'd never experienced a kid who takes notes on heroes. Except for hero students, who were forced to do so. That was actually kind of impressive.
“Ummm. I plead the fifth?” Izuku asked
sheepishly.
Of course the kid would know even American laws. He seemed pretty smart if Rocklock was being honest.
“Kid, I don't care if you take notes. Just be careful if you do, and don't let the wrong people get a hold of them,” Rocklock would've told the kid that it was a little surprising, but he really didn't want to encourage him. Encouraging vigilantes is a bad idea.
Izuku knew this was the closest thing he would get to praise or compliments from Rocklock.
He finished writing in his notebook, considering there wasn't too much to write about.
He tucked it away in his sweatshirt and continued on his merry way.
Running around definitely tired Izuku out, but in a good way. Izuku had about 20 minutes left with his patrol as he heard a scream coming from an alley.
He made his way to the mouth of the alley, making sure not to be too loud while assessing the situation.
This time it was a woman who looked to be in her 20s.
There were no obvious signs of her quirk, so Izuku was blind in that region.
The victim was crying on the ground. He was tied up with rope while the woman brought a metal stick over his head.
Izuku checked who was closest, and was honestly looking forward to it when he remembered Present Mic was closest.
He called over to Present Mic individually. This shouldn't need more than one hero.
“Present Mic? You're closest and there's a woman over here physically assaulting a kid. No obvious signs of a quirk. The address is ### 8th street.” He tried to whisper quietly, but apparently not.
He hung up the call, and focused on the woman who was staring directly at him.
Oh.
Then, she charged.
Izuku was able to move under and past her, so they weren't fighting directly in the street.
No matter what Izuku did, she was always two steps ahead.
Izuku had gotten a few hits in, and was starting to wonder what her quirk was. Was it something that aided her with combat and knowing what her opponent's next move was?
At this point, his sole advantage was unpredictability. The more he surprised even himself with his moves, the more he out maneuvered her.
That was until the lady started talking to him, in a maniacal voice of course.
“You know, you're not too bad! First guy I've fought that actually holds their own against my quirk!”
Izuku hoped she'd take the bait.
“Really? What even is your quirk? I could write all about it and help you improve it!”
“My quirk is already to its fullest potential, kid! I can hear almost anything you know! I heard you when you first walked to the mouth of the alley! I wondered what you'd do until you talked into that little comm of yours! I can hear your movements and the air before you even do anything!”
Okay, Izuku could work with this. Present Much could definitely work with this.
Alright, so she could predict his movements based on the sound of the air and stuff. Then Izuku would just have to make sure she couldn't do that.
That was the plan until she completely over powered him and kicked him into the brick wall. Great.
Ouch. That would leave some bruises.
Izuku slowly got up, acting dramatically as he did. Maybe she'd think he couldn't fight to his full potential. I mean, he couldn't, but his adrenaline says otherwise.
That was actually the perfect time to drag something out, as Present Mic arrived. She was no match for the voice hero, considering his direct counterattack for her quirk. It was perfect, really.
Present Mic was able to yell with barely any volume before she was on the ground, hand over her ears.
As much as Izuku didn't like villains, he couldn't help but feel bad for some of them.
Izuku took out his notebook and started writing notes on Present Mic's strategy to quickly subdue her. Again, there wasn't much, but Izuku was hungry for anything.
After Present Mic tied her up and untied the kid, he came over to Izuku.
“Listener! That was a pretty nasty kick! You good?”
As much as Izuku knew most people would call him Jasper, the pros would probably never stop calling him ‘kid’, or in Mic's case, ‘listener’.
Izuku completely disregarded Present Mic's worries as he continued to write in his notebook.
He didn't even realize he was mumbling, but apparently he was.
“Present Mic had to have known her quirk as he toned his volume down a lot more than normal. Then again we are in an alleyway. He could've also known that move would've completely disabled her, and so used it. It's pretty effective-...” Izuku finished rambling and writing as he realized Present Mic was standing right in front of him.
“Listener? Are you taking notes on me and the fight?” Present Mic asked, though he sounded almost surprised, but in a good way.
“Oh yeah… sorry! I can rip the page out if you want! I know it's kinda creepy and-”
Izuku was cut off.
“Listener, I wish my students would do that! That's impressive! Is it a hobby of yours?” Present Mic asked, excited he finally got to meet this vigilante.
Izuku looked at him in complete astonishment. The Present Mic wished his students did this. What!??? That makes no sense!!!
Present Mic asked as the kid went from almost excited, to deflating.
“No really, it's fine! You don't have to lie to me about it! I mean everyone thinks they're just creepy stalker notes and-”
Present Mic looked at Izuku with his most determined, yet still soft look.
“Little listener, if anyone says they think notes on heroes are creepy, they clearly need their heads checked. I think they're nice, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!” Present Mic actually wanted to go beat some kids up, but his husband would probably beat him to it.
Or, even worse, make him sleep on the couch! Ugh, Hizashi could not let that happen again. Last time that happened, it had been for one week. That week had been absolute hell.
Izuku thought he might actually cry, but made sure to keep the tears in.
“You really think so?” Izuku asked in a tone that sounded way more grounded than he felt.
“Yes! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!” Present Mic worked on properly tying the villain up, making sure to keep his eyes mostly on Jasper
Izuku decided to change the subject, because he might actually cry if he didn't. He looked at Present Mic's hand, and remembered his hypothesis he made earlier.
A sly smile slithered its way into existence, though Present Mic couldn't see it.
His tone matched his facial expressions.
“Hey Present Mic. That's a really pretty ring! It looks like a wedding ring. Hmm, I wonder what that could mean,” Izuku dumfoundedly asked.
While Present Mic was still shocked from that comment, Izuku ran off and back to his apartment.
____
Kaminari had been waiting for a text from Midoriya for almost 3 hours.
Did Midoriya really patrol that long? I mean, Kaminari knew the heroes did, but Midoriya?
Alright fine, Kaminari would admit it. He was worried about his friend. Probably even more so than his other ‘friends’. Midoriya was the first one who didn't find his personality ‘annoying’ or ‘overstimulating’. He couldn't really help it at times!
And he really wanted to help his friend overcome his own issues. I mean, he never thought that anything he did was impressive!
He always said, ‘Really, anyone else could do this.’
Like what!??
Kaminari could not have started moving the trash on Dagobah by himself. He could not have ever become a vigilante, considering he'd probably short circuit. Kaminari could not teach himself how to fight off tutorial videos. Like, who watches tutorials and successfully does exactly what the video says? Definitely not Kaminari!
Izuku even says he analyses quirks! Like, Kaminari could definitely not do that. Especially while quirkless! Kaminari didn't really know anyone quirkless before Midoriya, so he didn't really know how to react around and about them.
But he thought it was hella impressive that Midoriya did all of that without a tool of sorts!
Kaminari was really starting to worry about his friend until he got a notification from him.
Thank goodness he's okay! Okay, maybe he worried more than he had too, but that's what friends do, right?
Midoriya - 3:27am
_______
sorry! I forgot to text you before I got ready for bed!
3:27am - Kaminari
_______
No worries dude! Just glad you're alright!
You didn't get hurt, did you?
Midoriya - 3:28 am
_______
nope! I did get kicked like 5 times though but I'm fine. It's really nothing
3:28 am - Kaminari
_______
dude! You said you didn't get hurt and that qualifies as getting hurt! Are you alright?
Midoriya - 3:29am
_______
yup! I put some bruise cream on them. I did have a little trouble with my back though
3:29am - Kaminari
_______
dude! You got kicked in the back! That had to be mega painful! You sure you're alright? I can go over to your house if you want
Midoriya - 3:31 am
_______
no! I'm fine, really! I don't want to bother you at all! Really, it's not a big deal! And it's not like I was kicked in the back, I was kicked and I flung onto my back. Not as bad
3:32 am - Kaminari
_______
That's even worse! If I knew where you lived
I would go over there right now, seriously.
Like, it would be a bother if I didn't
Midoriya - 3:33am
________
Wait, really? Maybe we can hangout tomorrow and you can see how I'm completely fine. And then maybe I can show you my place
3:34 am - Kaminari
________
That would be awesome! Though
maybe in the afternoon since
I like to sleep in a lot lol
Midoriya - 3:35 am
_______
That's totally fine! We can meet at
Dagobah since we both know where it is
3:36am - Kaminari
_______
That works! I'll see you at 3?
How does that sound?
Midoriya - 3:36 am
_______
yeah! That definitely works! See you then! Anyway, goodnight see you tomorrow!
3:37 am - Kaminari
_______
Goodnight! Sleep tight and see you tomorrow!
With that, both of them put their phones down and went to bed. Kaminari was peaceful now that he knew his friend was alright.
Izuku was peaceful with the fact that maybe Present Mic did actually believe in what he said, and wasn't just lying. Also from the fact that maybe Izuku finally had a friend that maybe cared about him.
____
Hizashi had been in some sort of daze ever since Jasper had basically told him he knew he was married.
Only the quad squad, Nedzu, Recovery Girl, and Tensei knew about their marriage. Oh, don't forget the 4 cats they have!
Hizashi had gotten back from patrol, and Shouta immediately knew something was wrong.
“Okay, Zashi, what's wrong? You've been spacing out,” Shouta asked, making sure to talk the slightest bit more gently. “Please don't tell me this is about Jasper,” Shouta grumbled while stuffing his head in his hands.
Hizashi finally got out of whatever daze he had been in previously.
“Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I think the listener knows we're married. Or at least the fact I'm married,” Hizashi said, knowing he probably couldn't keep it from his husband even if he tried.
Shouta looked surprised, but not shocked.
“What did he say?”
“He said something similar to, “pretty ring you got there. Looks like a wedding ring.” Before getting some mischievous look in his eyes. I don't think that was what he said exactly, but close enough. If he didn't have a mask on I could've sworn he was grinning,” Hizashi word-vomited with a sigh.
“So he didn't mention me or a partner at all?” Shouta asked.
“Nope. Just that. Or something.”
Shouta sighed, “I don't even know why I can see him doing that. I've met him once.”
Hizashi laughed, lightening the mood overall.
“I mean, so long as he doesn't tell anyone, it's fine for now,” Shouta said. I mean, yes it wasn't preferable to have a kid know something like that. But if their estimates were correct on his age (17-19) then he should know better.
Shouta doesn't know why he has a sinking feeling they were wrong regarding that estimate.
“I'll try to find out more without giving anything away if I see him next time,” Aizawa suggested, knowing it would help make his husband feel better.
“Thanks Sho. You're the best.”
_____
Ugh. What time was it? Izuku had no idea. When figuring out his training he decided that weekends should be spent resting and focusing on vigilante work. Maybe he could find some weapons to fight with this weekend.
Izuku checked the clock, not surprised to see that it was 9am. His body was used to not getting much sleep, though it probably wasn't good for him.
Kaminari said that 3 worked for him, and Izuku agreed. They would meet at Dagobah, since they both knew where it was.
Izuku dragged himself out of bed, grabbing some food as he did. Some peanut butter toast, considering it kept him full for a while.
Izuku ate pretty slowly, considering he had no rush to be in. He basked in the glory of the morning, realizing he missed the feeling of waking up for training even though he had only started it that week.
Izuku was already starting to see improvements, as his speed and stamina was improving rapidly.
His strength was slowly getting better, though he didn't think he was seeing any immediate improvements. Izuku was surprised he was seeing any improvements at all though, so he was grateful.
Izuku wondered what he wanted to do until he hung out with Kaminari. He took this evening off because of his plans with Kaminari.
I mean, he did need some weapons for fighting. Early on, just his skills were effective enough, but now he really needed to up his game.
Izuku wondered what weapons he'd want, though he wouldn't want to spend money on them.
He would want something effective, sturdy, but also compactable. Maybe something small, but accurate.
Izuku could find some metal pipes and fix them up so that they're compactable. But he did still want something small and accurate. Like something he could throw.
Izuku hopped on his computer and searched it up.
He did find what he was looking for though.
Ninja stars.
They could be small, and they would be pretty half-decent for long distances. Izuku could easily make them from different scrap metal on the beach. There was plenty of it too.
He might not get them back each time, so it was good to have a lot. He would however, have to find a way to store them in his hoodie or a belt somehow. He could probably sew something together.
Izuku decided to go on a little walk over to Dagobah with a different bag after getting ready for the day. He started the walk over to the crowded beach, thinking about different designs.
Izuku was able to build a variety of different gadgets, though he never had a reason to. It was another hobby of his including analysis. He had gotten into it when he was little, starting off as small things.
Izuku arrived at Dagobah, happy to see the, albeit small, amount of progress on the beach.
He started looking around for any type of metal he could bend and weld into a ninja star.
He definitely found some of what he was looking for. Izuku found a lot of aluminum, copper, and iron, which according to the internet, was perfect for ninja stars. He could bend this metal, unlike most.
Izuku was looking around when he spotted the other thing he thought about. Some metal pipes.
He needed some parts for it, which he could make if he found the right pieces and such. Considering the sheer amount of junk here, there had to be at least some of the stuff Izuku needs.
Izuku looked around the entire beach for about an hour, happy he found what he needed.
Izuku made his way home, surprised when he saw it was already 12pm.
Izuku began bending the metal into stars, happy he got the result he wanted. He successfully made 11 basic shaped ninja stars. Though they were small, they were exactly what Izuku was looking for.
Surprisingly, that didn't take as long as he thought it would. Izuku still had enough time to start on the contractible metal pipes. The idea was that they were 4 inches long until you pressed a button on them. Then they would return to the normal 2 feet they were. This would definitely help with storing them when going places.
Izuku was able to get started on them, though was kinda sad in one way when he checked the time and saw it was time to leave. However, he was excited to see Kaminari.
Izuku barely even realized he hadn't had lunch, though he didn't really want it anyway.
He grabbed his phone, his wallet, and began his journey to the beach.
____
Kaminari had gotten to the beach 10 minutes early. For him, it was the only way to avoid being late. He left on time? He still arrived late.
He was happy however, to hang out with Midoriya. He was the first genuine friend he had, and Kaminari was grateful for that.
____
Izuku arrived at Dagobah, seeing Kaminari patiently waiting for him.
Izuku couldn't help himself, and ran forward.
“Kaminari!!!”
Kaminari's face immediately brightened as his eyes laid upon Izuku.
“Hey dude!! How you doing!?” Kaminari yelled across the beach while also running towards Izuku.
“I'm good!!! How are you?” Izuku forgot how sore he was, and visibly winced when he ran wrong. His back still kinda hurts after getting thrown into a brick wall yesterday.
“No, you're clearly not! Is there anything I can do to help?” Kaminari asked as the two finally caught up to each other.
“Nah, it's fine. I'm probably just overreacting anyway,” Izuku said as nonchalantly as he could.
“I wish you'd take better care of yourself,” Kaminari huffed. Okay, he was worried for his friend, alright? He was worried about him constantly going out and risking himself.
Izuku looked at Kaminari in astonishment for a good 30 seconds.
“Umm you good?”
“Oh sorry! It's just,” Izuku scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Nobodys ever really cared like that for me before-” before Inko died. “Before my mom passed,” It was a tough topic, but he felt Kaminari deserved to know.
“Awh dude, I'm so sorry!” Kaminari embraced Izuku in a hug, which Izuku hadn't felt the comfort of in years.
He gratefully accepted the hug, melting into Kaminari's embrace.
“D-do you live with your dad then?” Kaminari didn't want to ask the wrong question, but he was pretty curious. The two broke the hug and separated. “You don't have to answer it if you don't want to! Sorry if its a sore subject I shouldn't have asked-”
“Kaminari, seriously, it's fine! And that's another reason I wanted to meet up today.” The two started walking towards the cafe they visited the previous day.
“I honestly really don't know how to say this. But it does also have to do with my parents, ” Izuku half-chuckled.
Kaminari looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure you're comfortable talking about this? I mean, you really don't have to!”
“Ive gotten over it a long time ago. It's fine, really!” Izuku responded.
“Alright. If you're sure.”
Izuku put his hands in his pockets as he and Kaminari walked side by side.
“To be honest, my dad left the moment I was diagnosed. I hardly even remember him now. Don't care for the guy. Then my mom died of a villain attack,” Izuku decided to let Kaminari digest that.
“I'm sorry about that.”
“Kaminari, I can tell you want to ask a question. You can ask it.”
Kaminari bit his lip before answering, “If you don't mind me asking, who do you live with now?”
“Thats where I have to swear you to secrecy,”
Izuku stopped and looked at Kaminari with an intense look.
“I promise I won't tell! No matter how bad it is!” Kaminari exclaimed, waving his arms around.
Izuku's sweet look returned. “Good! Anyway, I went in and out of foster homes. When I turned 13, they told me they were gonna put me in an orphanage.”
“That sucks Midobro,” Kaminari really didn't know how to respond.
“Thats when I got pretty bold. I spent all of my free time fabricating a completely fake identity.”
“You're pulling my leg, right?” Kaminari asked.
“Nope! I bought some stuff to change my appearance temporarily. I was later successful in adopting myself with said fake identity. Still don't know how it worked, but they bought it. Probably wanted me gone if I'm being honest,” Izuku chuckled at the thought.
I mean, in all honesty Izuku thought it was funny.
Kaminari just stood there in total and utter shock at what he just heard.
“Wait. So you've been living alone ever since!?”
“Yup. I don't know how, but I managed to get a pretty nice and cheap apartment. 2 bed one bath,” Izuku replied. He never thought it was anything to flaunt, but it was nice.
“Wait, so what's your fake identity? And you're seriously not pulling my leg!?” Kaminari asked. He felt like his friend was definitely joshing with him.
The two arrived at the cafe, and found a nice place to sit down.
“Nope, I'm seriously not pulling your leg. I can pull out my fake ID if you want,” Izuku suggested.
“Yeah, that's actually kinda cool! Especially since you live in your own apartment! Though it must be lonely living by yourself sometimes.”
The two ordered their drinks before resuming their conversation.
“Yeah, it can be lonely sometimes. But I met you! And besides, I love talking to the heroes at night! But I especially love messing with Eraser.”
Kaminari looked confused for a little bit.
“Who's Eraser? I've never heard of him.”
“Oh yeah! His full hero name is Eraserhead! I'd expect you wouldn't have heard of him, considering he's an underground pro-hero and all!”
Izuku could go on about him for ages, though he probably shouldn't ramble too much. Kaminari might think he's annoying.
This made Kaminari look even more confused.
“What's an underground pro-hero?” Kaminari asked sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.
“Oh sorry, I didn't specify! An underground pro-hero is a hero who avoids the spotlight, and focuses more on the silent takedowns, more nighttime stuff, undercover work and information gathering! They often use more stealth, intelligence, and surprise! They do more of the ‘dirty work’ as more people call it. Ah sorry, am I rambling too much?” Izuku quickly digressed.
“No no! That actually helped me get the full picture! Thank you,” Kaminari quickly reassured his friend, not wanting Midoriya to further crumble in on himself. “I guess I never thought about that type of work! I mean, someone's gotta do it, right?” Kaminari chuckled.
“Yeah! Some of it is super interesting too! Though don't get me into it, or I'll be rambling for the entirety of today,” Izuku sighed as he ended his sentence. He knew how risky it was to get him started on things like that. He would never stop talking about it.
“Dude, me too! There's some stuff you don't want to ask me about, or I'll be stuck talking about it all day long!” Kaminari cheerfully replied, happy someone could relate with him.
The two continued small talk about different hobbies, interests, etc.
“Wait, you can build support stuff!? That's mega cool!”
“It's really not much. I mean an-”
Izuku was cut off by a steaming Kaminari putting a finger on his lips.
“Don't you say another word about how “Oh anyone could do this, really!” My guy, I could not do a fraction of the stuff you can do! Stop talking so low about yourself!
Kaminari took his finger away, hmphing and crossing his arms as he did.
“Fine! Fine! But anyway, I'm building some stuff right now. We can go to my apartment and you can take a look if you want.”
“Oo sure! Then I can see where the infamous Jasper lives,” Kaminari put on a sly grin, probably trying to fake flirt. (Izuku assumes he does this with everybody)
“Let me lead the way then, oh so wise one,” A mirroring expression on Izuku's face was enough to shut Kaminari up.
The two walked to Izuku's apartment.
“Wait, this is actually really nice considering the condition of the outside!” Kaminari said.
“I know right!? That's what I said! Anyway, this way.”
Izuku led them to the room where he kept his support, vigilante, and other miscellaneous stuff.
He kept a table there for working on things.
The two talked for a while.
When they got bored of that Izuku suggested the grand idea.
“Wait!?? You can hack into UAs and the police stations cameras!? That is hella impressive, you've gotta show me!”
Izuku opened his computer to the two tabs he had opened, and watched as Kaminari's face went from shock, to impressed, to utmost respect.
“Midobro!” Kaminari looked half to happy and proud tears. “I have utmost respect for you and your abilities. They're seriously top tier!”
Izuku and Kaminari switched between the UA comms and the police comms, wondering if anything exciting would happen on a Saturday.
Izuku saw a blur of yellow, and knew he had to show Kaminari.
“Kaminari, meet Eraserhead. Who ironically sleeps in a yellow sleeping bag whenever he has extra time.”
Kaminari burst out in laughter as he watched Eraser head make his way into his office with a bright yellow sleeping bag.
“That's absolute gold! Who knew a hero-” Kaminari laughed even more. “-would sleep on the job, in a yellow sleeping bag!”
The two laughed about it for a while before deciding to watch a movie in Izuku's living room.
He kept a TV in his living room over his bedroom. It was a pretty cheap tv, but worked nonetheless.
“Soo what do you wanna watch? These are the disks I have.” Izuku pointed to a small stack of DVDs.
“What's this one about? Looks pretty good.” Kaminari asked.
“Oh that one? It's called the Prince of Egypt. It's a pre-quirk animated movie! Although it is religious you can set that aside from the movie! It's really good!”
“Let's watch it!” Kaminari said enthusiastically.
The two made their way to the one single couch Izuku had. On both sides, it had a button you press to bring out a foot rest and to lean back. It was pretty nice when Izuku had someone over.
Though Kaminari was the first person he had over.
_____
The two must've fallen asleep somehow while watching the movie. The tv was now on a screen saver, and Kaminari noted how it was now 1:34 in the morning.
“Midoriya, wake up! Wake up!” Kaminari half yelled while trying to wake Izuku up.
Izuku woke up just enough to register the situation.
“Midoriya, is it okay if I spend the night? It's pretty late, and my parents don't really care. Is it okay with you?”
Izuku, still groggy, said, “Yeah that's fine. Just go back to bed,” He kept his eyes mostly shut while Kaminari went and turned the tv off.
Sensing discomfort, Izuku mentioned. “Blankets in the hall closet. Get one for us both please,” Izuku rolled around, still laced with sleep.
Kaminari grabbed one for the both of them, making sure to drape one over his friend.
He honestly thought Izuku fell back asleep.
Until Izuku spoke, definitely still laced with sleep and fatigue.
“Thanks for being my friend, Denks,” Izuku rolled around on his spot on the couch, pushing his face into the other side of the couch.
Kaminari was surprised at the nickname, but quickly softened to it.
“Thanks for being nice to me, and being my friend, Izuku.”
Izuku almost missed it by the way he was half-asleep, but he still heard it.
“Thank you,” Izuku said gently, choosing that moment to drift back to sleep.
With that, Kaminari curled up on the couch, and fell asleep.