Work Text:
BANG
A hand slams the bottom of an empty glass sport mug against a table.
” ANOTHER ROUND OVER HERE DAMN IT! “ A thunderous voice that shook the bar demanded, his fiery gaze burning those who met it.
“Ha..Kacchan calm down, you’re scaring away the other customers” Izuku spoke, his face flushed from both the drinks and the warmth from the bar.
“You’re on your fourth glass already Bakugo, slow down.” An assertive cool tone insisted, sliding a glass of water towards the tipsy blonde.
”Just keep your mouth shut, icy hot..” Bakugo’s words began to slur as he snagged the water.
Izuku sluggishly laughed, tugging at the neck of his shirt. He pointed at the two, a clumsy smile on his face.
”Are you guys still bickering? I thought you guys were past it already”
”I am, this one still holds grudges though it seems..” Todoroki elegantly brought a glass mug to his lips, peering over at Bakugo who had been sulking, following the rim of the glass cup with his finger.
This had become a frequent thing. Whenever they were available the three would meet at a bar and just drink, eat, and catch up. They were all busy being heroes, and teachers, everything was so hectic. These meetings had become a comfort to Izuku, it became the only brief moment where he could unwind, aside from sleeping.
However, Todoroki and Bakugo would get into frequent arguments from time to time. Izuku couldn’t keep track of how many times the two had given each other the cold shoulder, forcing him to either choose a side or try to mend the tensions. This time though, Izuku had enough and let them resolve their own problems. After all, it wasn’t his business what they did in their relationship.
”Tch! I’m not holding a grudge!” Bakugo took hold of the cup firmly, and downed the water. Todorki just ruffled his rigid spikes, with such tenderness in his eyes.
Izuku flushed, a little out of embarrassment this time, he’d take a sip of his beer and rolled his eyes to look to the side. The two had only been going out for a few months, and given Bakugo’s personality they weren’t always obvious about their status, but sometimes they’d act like a proper couple and it felt like an invasion of privacy to watch.
Izuku cleared his throat.
”So..Are you guys doing anything this summer?” He’d change the subject, leaning back into his chair, his posture slugging, arm extended, clinging to the mug like he was worried Bakugo would take it if he didn’t hold onto it.
Todoroki rested his head in his hand, the other draped on the table,
”I’m flying overseas to visit Fuyumi”
Izuku’s gaze shifted into curiosity. He hadn’t seen Fuyumi for a while, and though he knew she was married, Todoroki didn’t talk about her much. Well, Todoroki didn’t really talk about his family much at all anymore to be honest.
” Oh really? How is she?” Izuku inquired
”She’s doing well, she actually just g-“
”She squeezed out *Hic*…a kid a couple months ago” Bakugo blurted.
Todoroki rolled his eyes and returned to Izuku, whose mouth was now agape in immense shock; he hadn’t known Fuyumi was pregnant until now.
“A baby! Wow, she must be ecstatic! How exciting” Izuku gushed.
He always did enjoy news like this, he was happy for her. She always desperately wanted a normal family, but unfortunately that never happened. And though her family had forgiven each other, their relationships were too far gone to just move on and live like a proper family.They’ve all gone their separate ways. Though Natsuo, Fuyumi, and Shoto chatted from time to time. Now, she’d have the opportunity to make her own perfect little family.
Todorki smiled “Sure is, I can’t wait to meet the little guy”
”What about you Kacchan?” The greenette joked.
”Summer’s a busy time for me at the agency! So I’m staying back and working day and night like a hero should be!’ He rambled on.
“What about you Midoriya? Are you busy with the upcoming school year’s lesson plan?” Todoroki asked.
“Actually, I prepared those in advance” Izuku tapped the table with a finger.
”But now I don’t know what to do with all that free time”
Izuku wasn’t used to having a clear schedule. If he wasn’t at U.A teaching, he was doing hero work in his modified suit, or out of town spending time with his mom. However, not only had he prepared his lessons in advance, his hero suit had to be repaired and wouldn’t be done until after the summer, and Inko had planned a trip with Bakugo’s parents. Clearing his schedule for the summer.
”Have you thought about traveling outside of Japan?” Todorki mindlessly suggested.
Izuku had thought about it, but he wasn’t well versed in other languages and found it nerve wrecking to travel abroad alone. Besides, the only time he had ever left Japan was for his high school work studies, and hero work. He wasn’t one to have leisure fun just because. In fact, he could feel a little restless when not busy so vacation sounded like torture rather than fun.
”I have..But where would I even go, I’d just feel lost and weird anywhere but home..” Izuku crossed his arms, leaning into the table.
“What about Otheon?” Bakugo calmly stated, given his cool tone, the alcohol had set in and he had reached his limit, his eyes glossed.
”Otheon? Why there?” Izuku questioned a half scoff, Todorki turned to Bakugo, draping an arm around his shoulder.
”Don’t you have a local friend there? You know the one that saved our asses with that meek little bird of his…what was his name..” Bakugo rubbed his chin.
“Roko..R..Riley..no that’s not it.. Roly?…Rave, no..I know it starts with an R” Bakugo’s face scrunched as he scanned his foggy brain for memories of the old friend.
”Rody soul..?” Izuku softly muttered out.
Izuku felt his chest sink, Rody soul, a name he hadn’t thought about in years.
”AH! Yeah! Rody! If you go to Otheon you’d have a local to show you around.”
”Huh…. He actually makes a really good point. Plus Otheon does sound like the perfect vacation spot. I hear it has many popular tourist sights.” Todorki inserted.
Izuku’s thought for a moment,
”But..I haven’t talked to him in like 9 years.” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck.
The three fell into an awkward silence before Bakugo broke it.
”So….Just reach out. Tell him you’re on vacation and need a tour guide.”
”It’s not that simple, I don’t even have his contact info..” Izuku rebutted.
Bakugo gritted his teeth in frustration “You have social media don’t you? Just look for him?”
”Yeah but-“ Izuku squirmed in his seat, avoiding Bakugo’s gaze that had become so intense it felt like it would burn a hole into him.
”Tch! I’m not saying you should, but it’s worth a shot. It’d be a shame to waste your summer just doing nothing here.” Bakugo rambled on, leaning onto Todorki’s shoulder who had quietly drank while listening to the two talk.
”I mean, who knows when you’ll have a break like this again.” he added.
Izuku slinked further into his chair, Bakugo did have a point. Being a hero is difficult. You can’t just take a break whenever you feel like it, and teaching U.A took so much of his time already. This may be the only vacation time he’d get for a while. But he hated when Bakugo was right. He pouted.
“I guess..” Izuku ushered under his breath scratching at his freckles, a habit he picked up from stress.
“Have a goodnight you two”
“Goodnight Midoriya,” Todorki softly said behind the cab car’s open window. Bakugo, clinging to his arm, fast asleep, his eyebrows furrowed.
”Oh and about earlier,” Todorki leaned closer to the window, and Izuku leaned in.
Todoroki examined Izuku’s face for a moment, and smiled, his eyes closing.
”I’m positive Rody would be ecstatic to hear from you.”
The window rolled up before Izuku could get another word in, and just like that the cab drove off.
Izuku watched until the cab was out of sight and sighed. He felt his mind fog, both because of the alcohol and the topic of Rody. Izuku had thought some more, and he didn’t want to spend summer holed up in his apartment, but the thought of reaching out to a friend he hadn't spoken to since he was a U.A student was nerve wrecking.
Rody and Izuku had met while Izuku was under Endeavor's agency for a work study. Endeavor had to be called in to help assist in some affairs in Otheon and brought Izuku, Bakugo, and Todorki along.
Their first encounter was memorable to say the least, Izuku remembers chasing Rody through the alleys and spaces of Otheon to retrieve a measly case. He remembered how he had been accused of murder, and how the two fled together. How they shared secrets and dreams. How Rody had been the one to save the world. How they so tenderly and so tightly held onto each other’s blood soaked hands.
They had only known each other for a short amount of time, but that summer bond they formed was an unforgettable one. So to say Izuku forgot about Rody wouldn’t be quite right.
Izuku wondered what reaction Rody would have if he reached out.
Would he be mad that after so long Izuku finally contacted just to use him as a tour guide. Would he be sad that a close friend had abandoned and “forgotten” about him. Would he be happy?
Izuku clutched his stomach, knots began building up the more he thought.
Maybe a good sleep would help him collect his thoughts.
“Nothing good ever happens when you’re around,” The voice half joked, a hint of melancholy underlying beneath it.
Stormy grey eyes scanned the airport windows away from Izuku’s eyes. Izuku desperately wanted to just reach out and tilt the individual's face to meet his gaze.
”Make sure to never come back..Kay?” Rody turned, a forced smile plastered, revealing his dimples.
A string of whimpering chirps sounded.
A small pink bird clung to the boy’s cheek, overwhelmingly big tears in its little black beady eyes.
Izuku’s heart ached at the scene before him, without thinking he inched closer, arms extended. He wrapped around Rody. And clung so firmly that he could feel the sad rhythm of his heart.
”I’ll be sure to visit. I promise”
Rody slid his hands up Izuku’s back, resting his head into Izuku’s shoulders.
Once the space between them opened, Izuku saw tears running down Rody’s flushed cheeks, they glimmered against his sun-kissed skin. His lips quivered, and his brows angled upward as he tried to fight back the tears betraying “tough” facade.
”Sure thing,” he spoke.
The memory fades to black, and soon the boy is engulfed by the darkness of the fading memory.
”hero.”
GASP
Izuku sprang up, his heart quickened. He rested his hand on his chest, trying to soothe down, a sigh of relief washing over him.
”Oh, it was a dream..” He rubbed his eyes
As they opened the moonlight leaking into his room adjusted his eyes to the dark. He looked towards his nightstand where a limited edition Deku clock stood, 2:45am, the green light gave a soft green glow that kissed Izuku’s face. He sighed and laid back down.
I can’t stop thinking about Rody, Ugh stupid Kacchan should have kept his mouth shut! Izuku thought, staring at the engravings of the ceiling.
He thought back to the dream, where he promised to come back. He never did and the gravity of the situation began weighing on Izuku’s chest.
Izuku pictured Rody. His stormy grey eyes complimented his beautiful brown skin, and his thick straight layered auburn hair wrapped his face in a way that almost made him look innocent and playful. His deep dimples whenever he showed off that goofy smirk of his. Izuku could envision him with so much detail, but that was 9 years ago.. he wondered how different those features were now..
Maybe they’re right, it wouldn’t hurt to reach out.
Izuku contemplated for a moment before sliding his hand under his pillow, grabbing his phone. He turned it on and squinted as the sudden illumination stinged his delicate eyes.
He made his way onto Instagram, his hands trembling with every click..
”Rody Soul” he entered into the search bar, the loading circle teased him, generating slowly….
His heart stopped and his breath stalled, there he was. Rody Soul’s page. 9 Years, and a simple search was all it took to find him, Izuku felt guilty as he tapped on the profile.
The first thing that caught his eye was the profile picture. A little pink bird laid on top of something that looked like a pilot's hat. Its eyes were closed and its feathers were messy and ruffled. PINO!
Izuku recalled the time when Rody confided in him about his quirk, he couldn’t remember all the details but he remembered the little bird played a big part in it.
He took a deep breath and scrolled further down to the post.
Izuku noticed a theme of sky pictures taken through an airplanes window, always capturing the plane's wing. However they all differed. Some skies were red, others were blue, some were a blend of colors.
Geez did Rody become a sky enthusiast?
Izuku’s eyes widened and he stopped scrolling, one picture stood out from the uniform squares of skies.
Rody’s face.
It was, so similar and yet so different.
Rody stood tall, his hair had grown long since the last time Izuku saw him. It rested just below his shoulders. His eyes were still warm and grey, but visible eyebags had made their home. His smile was tired, but genuine, and his dimples had only gotten deeper.
On both sides stood two different people.
A boy with short hair similar to Rody’s. His posture gave away his introverted nature, he had an arm wrapped over Rody’s shoulder and the other held a thumbs up. His smile was crooked and shy. RORO!?
On the other side, a girl. Her hair was by far the longest, it reached just below her waist, she wore a soft pink headband and her bangs were uneven and short, highlighting her thin eyebrows. Her cheeks were full and dappled in a soft pink as she smiled ear from ear. She had her arms wrapped around Rody’s waist and laid her head on his chest, while his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Lala..
Rody wore loose black pants, and a white button up shirt that held epaulets on each shoulder. A black tie hung from his neck, and a black pilot's hat, the exact one on his profile picture, sat on his thick hair, and there was a little pink bird.
An overwhelming sensation washed over Izuku the further he scanned Rody’s profile. Bird and pieces of Rody’s life Izuku missed out on taunted him. People he had never seen before, seemed so close to Rody. A pit formed in Izuku’s stomach but he couldn’t pull himself away.
Izuku had viewed every post and had by now looked through Rody’s highlights that seemed more different than his posts. Pictures of places Izuku had never seen before, Rody drinking with what Izuku assumed were his friends. Slowly, Izuku’s vision blurred and he tried to fight off sleep.
Izuku’s fingers slipped,
Ding!
Izuku startled awake and groggily looked at his phone.
Hearts bombarded the screen, and Izuku jolted. His heart sank.
Shit.