Chapter Text
Today, no matter what, you need to let fate run its course.
Some details have changed, obviously. For instance, since Katsuki and Izuku have a better relationship in this world, he won’t blow up Izuku’s hero analysis notebook. But that shouldn’t affect the timeline or anything.
After school, Izuku immediately heads home—and in the process of doing so, he encounters All Might. Well, the Slime Villain first and foremost, but All Might will be quick to follow.
As long as you don’t waste time by hanging around after school, it should be fine. You know exactly which way to go, too. The Slime Villain appears by filtering out of a manhole while Izuku is walking through an underpass. You can already picture the scene in your mind: the glistening ooze seeping between metal grates, the wet sound of it hitting pavement, and Izuku’s startled gasp.
Since you know the area and the rough time in which it happens, everything should go as planned.
It should.
But of course, nothing is a guarantee. Especially since the so-called plot of this world is no longer exactly as it used to be.
That’s why you need to be extra careful. You need to do whatever you can to ensure that Izuku does end up meeting All Might. You’re perfectly content if some other details change—like keeping Tomura from a path of villainy, for one—but this is something that absolutely needs to remain the same.
Otherwise, if you end up being the reason that Izuku doesn’t get a Quirk… you’re honestly not sure how you’d handle it.
And so, for the rest of the day, although you do your best to hide it, you’re understandably restless. You just keep waiting and waiting and waiting. It feels like time is barely crawling by, every tick of the clock stretching longer than the last. The sunlight outside the window seems frozen mid-afternoon, suspended in cruel stillness.
Still, you stick it out. It’s not like there’s anything else you can really do. You try your hardest to distract yourself with other thoughts (it doesn’t work) and finally, finally, the school bell rings.
At long last, classes are over.
Now, it’s time. You need to follow Izuku to ensure that his first encounter with All Might goes exactly as planned—
“Leaving already?”
Katsuki’s voice. He came right up to your desk the moment everyone started packing up, and now he’s staring down at you, brows knit as he watches you collect your belongings in a hurry.
“Um, yeah,” you say, offering a strained smile. “I’m gonna leave pretty soon. I want to head straight home today.”
“Why?” he asks. “I know you’ve already finished all your homework. Let’s go do something.”
…right. Originally, he was supposed to go out into town today.
After saying some particularly cruel things to Izuku, he went out after the school day came to an end—and somewhere along the way, got swept up by the Slime Villain when All Might accidentally dropped the plastic bottle containing him.
That’s how canon unfolded. And although you don’t exactly want Katsuki’s body to be taken over by the Slime Villain, it kind of has to happen, doesn’t it? In order for Izuku to try and save him, thus spurring All Might into action himself and proving that Izuku has what it takes to become a hero.
You’re worried about how your presence might shift that sequence of events.
If you’re there, accidentally altering the location and trajectory of the event, what if Katsuki somehow doesn’t end up getting caught by the Slime Villain at all? You fear that Izuku might not have the chance to prove himself if that’s the case.
“No, it’s okay,” you insist, stuffing the last of your things into your backpack. The zipper catches for a second before you tug it closed with a shaky breath. You stand up, throw your bag over your shoulders, then offer another smile. “If you already have plans, just go hang out with your friends. I’d rather go home today. I’m feeling kind of tired.”
Katsuki frowns at you for a few moments, then his gaze flickers over towards the two boys who almost always follow him around. He was supposed to be with them in canon on the day of the Slime Villain incident, so the fact that it seems like they’re going to be hanging out together is reassuring. It means everything will most likely unfold the way it should.
But as is usually the case with Katsuki, he refuses to make things easy for you.
“Fine, whatever,” he just shrugs. “If you want to head home, let’s go home. I’ll hang out with those losers another day.”
Uh… what?
You blink slowly, in utter disbelief. Wait, no. This isn’t supposed to happen. You need to be with Izuku today. You need to be right by his side to ensure that he follows the correct route home and runs into All Might.
But Katsuki’s saying… he wants to go with you?
Wouldn’t that mean he’d be there during the whole encounter?
Then he’ll meet All Might too. He won’t get taken hostage by the Slime Villain, and Izuku won’t end up rushing to save him later on. Izuku might not even have the chance to save anyone.
There’s just no way you can let that happen.
“I’m walking home with Izuku,” you blurt in a panic.
Katsuki narrows his eyes. “So? I’ll come with you guys. What’s the problem?”
“Um…”
Shit. Shit!
What are you supposed to say to that? You have no idea what justifiable excuse you can possibly offer him. And why is he being so weirdly stubborn about this anyway? It’s not a big deal. You’d be more than happy to hang out with him any other day—just not today.
It can’t be today. Today is absolutely no good.
It’s the one day where things need to stay as closely aligned to canon as the situation will allow.
“You don’t have to do that, Katsuki,” you chuckle nervously. “I feel bad making you change your plans just because I don’t want to come along today. Please go spend time with your friends. We’ll hang out another time, okay? Anyway, I should get going now, so…”
You turn away from him, already headed towards Izuku, whose lips pull into a smile as your gaze meets his. You figure that should be the end of it. You’ve said your piece, you made it so that everything will go as planned, and now—
“What the hell’s your problem?”
All too suddenly, you’re jerked back by the wrist. The tug is so forceful that you stumble backwards, nearly bumping up against one of the desks.
When you turn, Katsuki isn’t just frowning at you anymore. He’s full-on glaring.
“I said I’d come with you guys, so what’s the big deal?” he snaps. “You don’t want me there or something? Are you and Izuku up to some secretive shit, or what?”
His grip on your wrist tightens as he continues fixing you in his glare. It’s not so tight that it’s downright painful, but if you were to try and pull away now, you doubt he’d let you break free.
“It’s not like that,” you insist.
“So then what is it like?” he mutters darkly. “You’re pushing me away and acting like I shouldn’t be there. Are you lying to me? Are you hiding something from me? Because you know I can’t stand that. I can’t stand it when people are too spineless to tell the truth.”
As expected, he still hasn’t let go. His fingers burn against your skin—hot, possessive, as if he’s daring you to try and wriggle out of his grasp.
Your gaze momentarily drifts towards Izuku again, and the moment it does, Katsuki steps closer to you.
“You’re even ignoring me now?” he asks, incredulous.
You quickly shake your head. “I’m not ignoring you. Just, um… you’re right.” You take a deep breath, then lean in so that you can whisper in his ear. “I actually have something I wanted to talk to Izuku about in private. It’s not a big deal. I’ll explain later, but I need to handle this alone, just the two of us. Okay? So, please go hang out with your friends. Don’t worry about us and go have fun.”
Throwing on yet another smile for good measure, you finally manage to tear yourself out of Katsuki’s grasp.
He doesn’t say anything else; he just blinks at you, looking as if he’s still processing everything you just said. The anger in his expression falters, replaced by something quieter—confusion, maybe, or perhaps even a slight twinge of hurt.
You did it, though. You came up with an excuse—and although you still need to figure out what you’re going to tell him later on, for now, it’s good enough.
“Katsuki, are we going?” one of the boys asks, nudging him lightly on the shoulder. “If [Name] doesn’t want to come, just leave it. You two are always together anyway. Don’t you ever get sick of her?”
Katsuki still isn’t saying anything.
Rather, he stands completely motionless and just watches.
He watches as you wander over to Izuku’s desk with a big, beaming smile on your face. Then he watches as the two of you leave the classroom together, practically attached at the hip, with a shared fondness in both of your gazes that makes Katsuki want to hurl.
You said that you have something you want to talk to Izuku about in private. It’s something that you can’t say with him present, based on how strongly opposed you were to him coming along.
A private conversation, something that feels strangely urgent, and above all else… the way you’ve been stealing glances at Izuku nonstop today.
All of the blood in Katsuki’s body suddenly runs cold. No way. It’s not what he’s thinking, is it?
He refuses to believe it—he refuses to even entertain the thought—yet it rises to the surface nevertheless.
If by some chance you’re about to confess to that shitty nerd…
He’s going to lose his fucking mind.
“What’s wrong, [Name]? Are you looking for something?”
Izuku tilts his head inquisitively. He’s no doubt wondering why you keep glancing around, and even though you were hoping to be a bit more subtle about it, clearly, it’s not working out. But that’s fine. Whether or not you seem more skittish than normal right now, it hardly matters in the grand scheme of things.
The point is, you’re here now. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Exactly where everything is set to happen. The underpass is just within sight, a shadowed stretch of concrete framed by the golden glow of the afternoon sun. Any moment now and you’ll both pass right under it.
Realistically, you know there’s a chance the Slime Villain will take control of your body if you’re here right now, but that’s a sacrifice you’re more than willing to make. You can put up with some momentary discomfort. All Might is tracking him down anyway. You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, but… it needs to happen.
For the sake of Izuku becoming the hero he was always meant to be.
“No, it’s just a nice day,” you brush off, grinning at him. “I’m in a good mood. Sometimes it’s just nice to admire your surroundings while you walk, isn’t it? You know, focus on the simple things in life.”
Izuku’s eyes brighten. “Oh. That’s true! You’re right. It is a really nice day. And it’s nice that we get to walk home together like this. I-I mean, we almost always walk home together! But usually it’s the three of us. You, me, and Kacchan… today we’re alone, which feels kind of, um, different. B-But in a good way!”
He’s already blushing profusely, seeming rather embarrassed by his declaration. You’re not really paying attention to it though, because you’re about to step through the underpass.
It’s going to happen now. It’s really, really going to happen.
Except… it doesn’t?
You slow your steps, feeling a sense of dread creep up your spine. You’ve already gone past the manhole, but the Slime Villain still hasn’t appeared. Did you get the timing ever-so-slightly wrong? Should you have waited at school for a bit longer? Because in that case… what the fuck are you supposed to do?
“O-Ow,” you stammer out, dropping to the ground out of pure instinct. The gravel scratches through your clothes, and the sharp chill of the concrete against your palms makes you shiver a bit.
Izuku reacts immediately, of course, scrambling to crouch down beside you. “Are you alright?” he asks, eyes wide with concern. “What happened? Did you twist your ankle??”
“I don’t know,” you say, swallowing hard and hoping your acting is somewhat convincing. “I’m just having some really intense pain all of a sudden. It really hurts to walk. I think I might need a little break…”
You’re floundering for some kind of excuse to stay close by, waiting for both the Slime Villain and All Might to appear, but Izuku doesn’t need to know that. As far as he’s concerned, your pain is genuine. And even though you’re not a good liar and lying to other people almost always makes you feel guilty, this much should be fine. A white lie never hurt anyone. Especially not when this moment is crucial towards his beginnings as a hero.
So, you wait. You sit on the ground for a few seconds, and soon enough, those seconds turn into a minute, followed by another minute, but finally—it happens.
From behind you, so sneakily and abruptly that you don’t even notice, not even while you were expecting it, the Slime Villain appears. Izuku actually takes note of it before you do, because he’s half-facing the underpass, and a strangled gasp leaves his lips.
“[Name], be careful!”
He forcibly pushes you out of the way. You’re honestly not sure if the Slime Villain really was aiming for you this time or not, but again, the details hardly matter. What matters is that he’s here. He’s here now, having already taken hold of Izuku’s body, while the poor freckled boy desperately claws at the slime and tries to break free.
“Come on, stop moving around so much,” the villain coaxes in an eerie, garbled voice. “I’m just gonna take control of your body for a little bit, okay? It’ll only hurt for a little bit, and then the pain will disappear. I’ll get rid of your friend in just a moment too, don’t worry.”
If you’re being honest, this feels absolutely sickening to have to watch. It’s different seeing it unfold in an anime, when you already know the protagonist will be safe, but this? This is real life. It’s real life, and your beloved friend is being tormented right in front of you. Out of pure instinct, you take a step forward. You have to at least try to help a bit, before All Might shows up.
Izuku is terrified. There are tears streaming from his eyes, and you can’t stop yourself from reaching your hand out towards him and offering at least a moment’s worth of comfort.
But the frightening situation doesn’t last much longer, thankfully.
“Have no fear!” a low, booming voice calls out—and just as you predicted, another figure emerges from the manhole. Followed by the trademark phrase you’ve already heard so many times before.
“It’s alright now! Why? Because I am here!”
The rest is pretty much history. All Might punches the Slime Villain with so much force that the pressure causes the villain to splatter into a helpless pile of goo. The whole thing barely takes a second. And Izuku ends up passing out—most likely from a combination of fear, shock, as well as the devastating impact of All Might’s attack. He collapses right against you, face nearly sliding into your chest, and you crumple to the ground along with him.
All Might collects the Slime Villain and jams it into some plastic bottles, and just as quickly as the threat appeared, it’s gone.
Finally, he turns towards you, beaming like always.
“It’s alright now! Rest assured he won’t be causing any more problems. I usually don’t make rookie mistakes like this, so I hope you’ll forgive me!”
You blink a few times. Even though you already knew he’d be showing up here, you have to admit, you’re a little starstruck. He’s not just any hero, but All Might. And it’s your first time actually meeting him in the flesh.
“How is your friend doing?” All Might asks, peering down at Izuku. “It must’ve been quite a shock. Try to shake him lightly until he regains consciousness. And here. I’ve already signed this for him.”
He proceeds to slide over Izuku’s hero analysis notebook, which fell out of his hands the moment the Slime Villain seized him. All Might already signed his autograph, as expected. He didn’t even wait for Izuku to ask.
“Did you want an autograph as well?” All Might asks you.
“I-I’m okay,” you stammer awkwardly. The truth is that you wouldn’t mind one, but today’s not about you. Today’s about Izuku taking his first official step towards becoming a hero.
So, you grab onto his shoulders and lightly shake him. It takes a little while, but eventually, his eyelids peel themselves open. At first, he’s understandably disoriented. He comes to with a heaving gasp, big, green eyes flickering in every direction—until they finally land on the man of the hour.
“Oh, good,” All Might says simply. “You’re awake. How are you feeling—?”
“HOWWWWW?!”
Izuku lets out a disbelieving wail. Not in a bad way, of course (although it is really loud), but you suppose he just can’t help himself. The hero he’s always admired the very most is standing right in front of him. No one can blame him for fanboying right now.
“I’m glad you still seem so energetic,” All Might continues grinning. “As long as you’re safe, that’s the most important thing.”
“Look, Izuku,” you nudge, placing the notebook into the boy’s hands. “He gave you his autograph, too.”
“W-Whoa!”
Izuku stares down at All Might’s showy, very much on-brand penmanship. He’s still in disbelief, chest heaving erratically because he just can’t seem to wrap his head around how this is actually happening.
“Th-Thank you!” Izuku squeaks, bowing his head over and over again. “Thank you so much! I’ll treasure this forever! I might even make it my family heirloom—”
“Sorry, young one, but I have to get going now,” All Might quickly interrupts. “I need to go turn this villain in. Pro heroes must constantly battle against both evil and time. I wish I could stick around to chat longer, but I’m afraid my schedule simply won’t allow for it. With that being said, I’m counting on your support in the future!”
“...huh?”
All Might’s crouching down, and having seen this exact moment more than a handful of times, you know he’s preparing to spring off into the air. Izuku is supposed to jump onto him and follow along as he does. He ends up clinging to All Might, and in the process of doing so, discovers his true form.
You’re not sure if you should do exactly as Izuku does, but it’s probably okay, right? Again, just to make sure everything goes according to plan. Just to make sure that all the pieces are in place.
And so, you prepare to step forward and grab onto All Might with all your strength, but a voice suddenly cuts you off.
“...[Name]?”
Your entire body feels like it’s just turned to ice. That single, brief moment of confusion, that moment of shock and disbelief, is more than enough for All Might and Izuku to have already taken to the skies, while Izuku cries out and clings to him for dear life.
It’s fine. You suppose you didn’t necessarily need to be there while the reveal happened, just as long as Izuku gets to see it for himself.
And yet, you’re worried. You’re so worried you can hardly put it into words. Because as you slowly turn around, you find none other than Katsuki standing a few feet away from you.
“What the hell?” he frowns. “That was… All Might, wasn’t it? Did Izuku seriously just jump onto him? What the fuck is that idiot thinking? He’s getting in All Might’s way. Pro heroes have shit to do—”
“Katsuki.”
The way you say his name sounds low, distant, and he seems to realize it too, based on how his brows furrow.
This is horrible. This is everything you didn’t want to happen. Because if he’s here, then who the hell is getting taken by the Slime Villain? Who the hell is supposed to spur Izuku into doing what he needs to do? It’s all so frustrating. You desperately needed today to go as planned, but everything’s crumbling apart in real time, and you feel sick to your stomach.
“Katsuki,” you say again, not bothering to hide the anger in your eyes this time. “What are you doing here?”