#and despite Deku being entrusted with 'that depends on you guys'

[codenamesazanka]

What Deku doesn't understand is that the “League of Villains” encapsulates exactly who Tenko - the Crying Child Deku was so adamant about saving - is. He thinks reaching out a hand, smashing that hatred, and saving Tenko means getting Tenko to abandon the League. He is completely wrong - and he would've realized this if he just talked to Shigaraki in all the time he fought against Shigaraki. And listened to what Tenko said in Chapter 418.

The League of Villains is the group Shigaraki Tomura created in order to wreck shit and kill All Might and bring down Hero Society. Shigaraki picked the name and picked the purpose and picked its members and he leads them towards the apocalypse—

—and this is also the group of outcasts that are his comrades and friends; that he gathered and created a place for, where they can be themselves in a society that ruthlessly denied them that. He accepted Twice without care for his insanity and inability to use his quirk, never pushed Twice to do more than he was able to. He accepted Spinner despite being a Stain fanboy and having a weak, nearly useless quirk, and promised him the destruction of the world that hurt him; for all of League. When Toga was pushed by the other members to choose a Villain name despite wanting to live as herself, as Toga Himiko, Shigaraki spoke up in indirect defense of her choice, providing himself as an example of someone who didn't use a Villain name, and who can override the boss' words? Dabi was allowed to come and go as he pleased, and although he was the most aloof member, by the end, he was declaring the world burn for "our" sake - plural; the League's. Mr. Compress believed in Shigaraki enough to entrust an ancestor's dream and family legacy to him; when surrounded by Heroes at Jaku, he was willing to die to save Shigaraki, to let him escape.

The League is a collection of people that Shigaraki cares for - that he saved. That was always the surest sign that ‘Tenko’, sweet and kind and hero-aspiring boy, was alive inside.

Without the League, without having seen the time Shigaraki spent with the League, a reader can just write off Shigaraki and say there’s nothing left in there worth saving. The League is literally the evidence for Tenko have still existed and that Shigaraki was "worth" saving, long before we ever saw ‘Inner Tenko’.

But Deku doesn't understand that.

To go further: outside of the League, Shigaraki still had his distorted but undeniable kindness and fairness. I've spoke about it before, and sorry for repeating myself, but even towards his Villain enemies, he gives them consideration: Shigaraki left Overhaul crippled, but 100 chapters later, he's still continuing Overhaul's work - the quirk erasing bullets - and even laments that Overhaul would be disappointed when Shigaraki sees some of the bullets destroyed. All For One at Jaku tries to take over his body, at the time seemingly only a phantom voice in his head, but Shigaraki still acknowledges that he's grateful AFO took him in. It's only when AFO oversteps that again and again, taking possession of his body, that Shigaraki would tear the AFO vestige from inside out and mock him when the opportunity arises.

And there's ReDestro, and the importance of the ending of MVA. RD and his army picks a fight with Shigaraki - something that Shigaraki explicitly points out; the blame for what happened to Deika is on largely them. RD challenged Shigaraki and the League; blackmailed them, kidnapped their broker, and attacked their pitiful 6-member team with a town-sized militia; insulted Shigaraki, destroyed The Hands, tried to kill him. Shigaraki had every reason to just dust RD while the man was sitting there bleeding out with his legs cut off. Just finish him off without even giving the guy last words. It was more than fair.

But Shigaraki didn't. He went and talked to RD. To mock him for picking this fight, but it was still a talk. And when RD acknowledge his defeat and kowtowed, Shigaraki let him live. Took over his army and resources, but RD was still alive and even made lieutenant.

Without this - if Shigaraki had just dusted RD after defeating him - we would have only seen Shigaraki as a conquerer and not someone who can be reasoned with. He would just be AFO with different minions. And Shigaraki wasn't.

He can be brutal, and he seems like he's destroying for evil fun; but Shigaraki has his compassion and justice. A Villainous Hero for the Villains. It's why he destroys; it's why he doesn't regret his actions, why he wishes good luck to Deku to continue it, even after Deku smashed his core of anger and hatred. Shigaraki saved his League, and he refuses to disavow doing so. Because he shouldn't.

And Deku just doesn't understand that.

[datninjalyfe]

Stay, Part 1: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Back to the Present 

All evening, Katsuki and Izuku kept their distance.  They hung out on opposite ends of the common area with opposite kinds of people, but that wasn’t the only thing that kept the separated: Iida had taken his chaperoning of he and Izuku a little too seriously.  Izuku had gotten up to use the bathroom and Katsuki watched as he passed, looking at Izuku’s hips flow from side to side.  They teased Katsuki and when Izuku passed the corner, Katsuki started to get up to follow, but Iida yelled at him to sit back down. Reluctantly, Katsuki agreed, but Izuku had sent him a text that read: He can’t help it, we’ll just have to stay separated.  Katsuki groaned, watching Izuku as he turned the corner again and sit down next to Todoroki and Uraraka.  

Until tonight.  Katsuki smirked as he sent the text, only half-listening to Kaminari, who was talking about the mission, despite Aizawa telling them not to, but when Kirishima sat down, the conversation immediately got switched around.  

“You guys don’t have to keep quiet about it.” Kirishima said.  

“I hate that we have to go to see a counselor, though!” Kaminari told the group of them.  

Sero threw a baseball above his head and caught it, just before it hit his crown. “Not sure, might be a good idea for Bakugou—”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, not in the mood to have a pissing contest.  Instead, he pulled out his phone and typed: Can’t wait to finally get you alone.

“So, you and Midoriya?” Kirishima asked, his face turning red.  “How—how did that happen?  Like, you were such an asshole to him—,”

“Not true!” Mina said, jumping in. “He’s an asshole to everyone.”  Shinsou and Kaminari laughed, but suddenly stopped as thunder clapped outside and the lights flickered off.  There was a slight groan from the class and Iida instructed a few people to go get flashlights.  “Ugh, it’s so dark.  Make us some light, would you?” Mina instructed Katsuki.

“Don’t know.” Katsuki told her. “You’re kind of being an asshole.” But as he said that a little flicker of light shimmered in his periphery and watched as Izuku’s face lit up slowly from a small flame Todoroki made. Katsuki watched the way Izuku had thanked him, placing a hand on Todoroki’s shoulder and pointing at the flame, no doubt incredibly interested in something about his quirk.  Katsuki lifted his ear, trying to overhear what Izuku was saying.  

“Thinking of ditching our squad, bro?” Sero asked him.  Katsuki’s eyes shot over in Sero’s direction, who had a playful smirk.  “I saw you looking over there.”

“It’s almost pitch black, you didn’t see anything.” Katsuki said.  His clammy hand lit carefully.  He looked at Kirishima, who’s hair started to grow back in.  “You going to dye your hair red again, or keep it dark?”

Kirishima smiled.  “No way, I’m changing it back to red when it grows back out.  Wouldn’t be Red Riot without red hair, would I?”  

“He’s upset now that he can’t call you Shitty Hair anymore.” Mineta said.  “Because you don’t have any!”

“Oh, shut up, Mineta, you’re not funny.” Mina said.

Kirishima clapped his hands together.  The group of them looked at him.  “Now that I have your attention, about Midoriya—,”

“You mentioned in the meeting with Aizawa earlier that you wanted to take a break from your work study, that still true?” Shinsou asked Kirishima.

Kirishima glared at him, but then looked at the floor.  “Yeah, it is.”  They were quiet for a moment before he said, “Will someone please tell me what happened between Bakugou and Midoriya?!” Kirishima yelled at them, so loudly, Katsuki saw Izuku’s head poke over in their direction from hearing his name. But when Todoroki bent forward and whispered something in his ear.  Izuku smiled and looked away from them, but Katsuki swore Izuku winked at him before turning all the way around.  

Katsuki smiled too, feeling the heat in his body get a little warmer and his hand ignited a little more as he heard Kaminari say, “Bakugou basically confessed his love for Midoriya after a fight with Shinsou during training and they just decided that they would try dating for a month and then depending on how they like it, they’ll keep it going.”

“Christ, can anyone just not gossip around here?” Katsuki asked them.

“Please, it’s why you love us!” Mina said, pulling her arms in the air and stretching.  “Well, I think that’s it, boys!  I’m headed to bed.”

“What now?  It’s only—holy shit, it’s that late already!” Kaminari said.  “Yeah, I think I’m hittin’ the sack too, guys!”  He got up and waved to everyone as he walked away, followed by Mina and then Shinsou and Sero not too long after until it was only he and Kirishima, who went to bed as well.

“Damn flashlight, why the fuck doesn’t anything work!” Kirishima hit it a few times before it finally turned on again and waving at Katsuki before heading into the dark hall. Katsuki watched him until the light that illuminated his friend disappeared.  Sighing, he looked over at the group Izuku was sitting in, and grew a bit angrier to find that most of Izuku’s group had gone to bed and it was only Izuku and Todoroki.  They sat comfortably close, but Katsuki thought against sitting next to them.  He still hadn’t talked to Todoroki since their fight all those weeks ago, but Katsuki wasn’t about to apologize.  Still, a few jealous thoughts roamed in his mind.

Why is it always the two of them?  Lightning lit up Izuku’s face, thunder following closely behind. Katsuki caught a glimpse of Izuku’s expression as he stared at Todoroki, intrigued by their conversation.  Don’t think about it.  He got up from the couch, his hand still lit, but as he got up, Katsuki heard them laugh as they stared at something on Izuku’s phone.  Heat spread to his hand faster than he thought and in an attempt to control it, he smothered the explosion by smoking his hands, making the room smell like burnt sugar. The aroma drifted through the air as Katsuki made his way down the quiet hall.  His phone buzzed as he pushed the door open to the stairs on the bottom level.

A text, from Izuku, that read: Bedtime already?

God, I just really need you, he thought to himself and he responded with: Not quite.  He typed out another message along the lines of: I’ll be waiting but thought against sending it.  Instead he hit the lock button on the side of his phone and started his way up, taking each stair carefully.  His quirk lit each stair well enough, but there was a creepy feeling of being alone. When he opened the door to his floor, he was met face-to-face with Iida.

“Aha!” Iida said, making Katsuki jump.  The hand that waved in front of his face was slapped away quickly, smoke billowed from Katsuki’s hand as a spark ignited.  

“Four Eyes, you scared the shit outta me!” Katsuki told him.  “This isn’t even your floor!”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning.  Any minute now, Midoriya will appear from one of these elevators!”

“That doesn’t even make sense, the elevators aren’t working.  In case you hadn’t noticed, the building is out of power.  Get your prescription checked, Four Eyes.  You’ll be waiting out here all night.” Not a total lie, but he knew it wasn’t exactly the whole truth either.

“Not true!  I asked Kaminari to reroute the system so any second, the power will come back on.  And when it does, I’ll be waiting!” Iida put his fist to his chest and said, “Aizawa entrusted me with this.  I won’t let him down!”

At least he’s preoccupied now, Katsuki thought, telling him, “Suit yourself. I really don’t care.”  He walked a few steps before the lights flickered back on for a moment, but immediately went back out.  Katsuki could hear Iida yelling even as he closed the door.  

And Izuku almost gave him a heart attack.  “Why is everyone being so creepy today?” Katsuki whispered.  Izuku was sitting on the edge of Katsuki’s bed.  As lightning struck outside, Izuku’s eyes flashed an intense green.  Thunder crashed.

“I wanted a chance to talk to you.” Izuku said.  “Alone.” A wet, white t-shirt stuck to his chest. His nipples were hard, a tight abdomen teased Katsuki.  Izuku got up and without thinking about it, as soon as Izuku stepped forward, Katsuki grabbed him, pulling him in close with his good arm.  The pain from his broken one stung, but he didn’t care.  He just held onto Izuku, as tightly as he could. Izuku nuzzled his head into Katsuki’s chest.  It’s the first time Katsuki could feel Izuku’s wet hair, cold against him. Katsuki warmed his entire torso, arms and hands, in case Izuku was cold and he must’ve been because he pushed his arms up against Katsuki’s stomach.  

“If you want to talk, nerd, you have to say something.” Katsuki said, through a coy smile.  He was just so happy to see Izuku—his Deku.  

“I ran into Nebina Kogo while you were away.”

Katsuki’s smile dropped as he remembered listening to Izuku talking about her.  That there was apparently a lot of—what word did Deku use?— learning involved as he remembered that Izuku had lost his virginity to the girl.  He took in a deep breath, but couldn’t help the growl that came out as he exhaled.  

“She says hey, by the way.” Izuku told him.  Of course she does, Kastuki thought as Izuku said,  “Todoroki accidentally let it slip that we’re together, so—,”

“You were with Icy Hot?” Katsuki asked before he could stop the words from leaving his mouth.  “I’m going to need the whole story here, things aren’t making sense.”

Izuku nodded, pulling away from his chest.  Katsuki walked over to the bed, sitting down, offering Izuku to sit next to him.  Izuku did, the weight of the bed making them both bounce a little and Katsuki wrapped his arm around Izuku’s waist.  He listened intently as Izuku told him that he and Todoroki left campus, but for what reason, he wouldn’t tell Katsuki. “I can’t, I told him I wouldn’t!” he said as Katsuki protested and continued about how when they went back to the train, they had time to kill and ran into Nebina at the restaurant.  “I asked her if she knew whether you really loved me or not.”

Katsuki’s chest blared with heat at that.  “Why the fuck would you ask her that?” knowing full well that Nebina could read emotions.

Izuku’s head titled. “Because Kacchan, I’m still uncertain about this.  About us. I’m still—,” he paused. “Apprehensive.”

He looked into Katsuki when he said that.  As if he was looking for something.  “I was really angry, Deku.  I’m sure Nebina felt that.”

“She said she sensed confusion.”

Damn, that girl has some serious control over her quirk.  “Because I was confused, Deku.” Katsuki told him.  Izuku pulled his knees into his chest and stared at his feet.  “But I’m not confused anymore.  I have everything I want.  I have you. Deku, just—,” he placed his forehead on Deku’s shoulder.  “Let me love you.”

He kissed Izuku’s shoulder and trailed them up his neck.  He brushed his fingers through Izuku’s wet curls and lightly tugged on a few of the tangles that he ran across.  

“Fuck, get this shit off of me.” Katsuki looked down at the sling.  Izuku helped him pull it over his head.  He winced a little.  As much as he tried not to show his pain, Izuku had seen it anyway and started to say, “We don’t have to—,”  

No!  I want this!  Katsuki’s mouth was on top of Izuku’s, their tongues immediately interlocking.  A whimper came from Izuku, who pulled off his shirt, his hair wavy and still dripping from the rain.  His wet skin glistened as lightning struck again, followed by a loud clap of thunder. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Kacchan.” he whispered into his ear.  Katsuki closed his eyes, just listening to Izuku breathe through those words, feeling his tongue as Izuku said the word glad, Izuku’s lips touching his ear.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.”  Katsuki breathed back, lifting Izuku’s chin, their eyes meeting for brief moment.  Katsuki peered through his deep, earthy eyes.  Let me love you, Deku.  Their gaze didn’t hold longer than that short second before they kissed again.  Long, hard and slow, allowing their tongues to really taste each other.  There was heavy anticipation as Izuku’s mouth never left Katsuki’s—only Izuku’s cold hands unbuttoned Katsuki’s shirt, pushing it down his shoulders, down his arms and onto the bed.  A noise escaped Izuku as Katsuki grabbed the back of his head—a deep, low moan that penetrated Katsuki, rumbling throughout his entire body.  

He wanted Izuku to touch him so badly.  He leaned down to kiss him, but before their lips touched, Izuku holds up a hand. “Kacchan.”  Katsuki stops immediately.  “Kacchan, is this okay?”

Is this…what?  “What?”

Izuku paused, holding his breath and sat up to look over at Katsuki.  “I mean…how do you like it?”

“How do I—I mean, it’s great.” Katsuki said.  He was so confused.  “Did you enjoy it?”  Izuku nodded. Katsuki inhaled deeply, trying not to lose his cool, but he felt his quirk heat up from within his body, heating to his hands.  “Is there a problem, Deku?”

But Izuku was quiet.  His wavy hair started to curl, but water still dripped down onto his forehead from his wet hair.  There was soft thunder in the distance as the sky lit up.  “Am I pretty?” Izuku asked at last.  Katsuki sat on the bed and stared dead into his eyes. Was he pretty?  He’d never thought about it like that, only that he knew Izuku was attractive.  He had beautiful eyes and curly hair that often knotted itself.  He had seen Izuku’s body go from being tiny and frail to being able to withstand the quirk of All Might.  His freckles were adorable, complimenting his light complexion. Izuku smiled when Katsuki didn’t say anything.  “No, sorry, that was stupid.”

“No!” Katsuki said.  “I just—are you pretty?”  he repeated.  “Deku, I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”  Izuku’s eyes lit up, his cheeks turning bright pink, making his freckles even darker.  Christ, could he get any more fucking adorable?  “Why do you ask?”

Izuku shook his head.  “It’s nothing, Kacchan.”

Izuku leaned forward for a kiss, but Katsuki stopped him this time.  “Seriously, nerd.  Why did you ask that?”  That question was followed by more silence.  “Deku, I’ll get it out of you one way or another.”

“Okay!” Izuku said, but he closed his eyes as he said, “Did you think Camie was beautiful, too?”

Katsuki thought long and hard before answering.  He knew that was a dangerous question.  “Am I not allowed to think that—?”

“Is there something you like?” Izuku asked interrupting him.  “Like, is there something that you absolutely love?”

Katsuki thought about it.  In all his fantasies of Izuku, they were intimate in more ways than one.  They were close, emotionally and physically.  Even when Shinsou’s fake Izuku held him, it was a passionate memory. “I really want to be close with you. I want it to mean something.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

Katsuki’s eyes rolled into his head.  He felt like he was being interrogated. “What the hell is up with you, Deku?” Katsuki said, reaching a hand out to touch Izuku’s face, but it was slapped away. “Why is it so hard to have a simple fucking conversation with you?  Yes, you’re beautiful.  And—I don’t know, I guess I like to be teased.”

“Teased.” Izuku said back at him.

“Yeah, like in my fantasies, you—,” Katsuki gulped, shaking his head, not wanting to tell him, but after looking in his eyes earlier, he was sure that Izuku wanted to please him as much as he wanted to please Izuku.  He stopped himself before finishing that statement.  “Is there something you like?”

Izuku shook his head.  “No, I think it’s perfect, Kacchan.”

Katsuki knew that was a lie, but shook his head, but didn’t ask anything else about it.  Instead, he asked, “Could you just hold me?  Until I fall asleep?”

Izuku was in his arms and wrapped an arm around his torso.  He wasn’t too cold anymore and his hair was almost entirely curled up in its natural state. Izuku lightly kissed Katsuki on the forehead.  “Of course, Kacchan.”

“I love you, Deku…”

(previous)(next)

[codenamesazanka]

Aren't you supposed to save people with a smile? Because last time I checked deku was not smiling when he "saved tenko". imo, if you can't smile while saving someone, you are probably doing something wrong...

I had a post about this last week! (with additional cope fantasy.)

………Did Deku ever smiled when he was ‘saving’ Shigaraki/Tenko?

Not just a slight upturn of the corners of the lips, but an actual smile. The smile Nana promoted; the smile All Might whenever he saved people has that Deku aspired to; the smile that Shigaraki resented because he was never saved.

(We never see Shigaraki/Tenko smile big either, despite that being Nana’s wish for Kotarou - a life full of smiles and joy, and presumably wants for her grandson too now that she sort of reconcile with him)

(the League all smiled)

It’s not a certain thing - iirc, the Todoroki Save didn’t have smiles either, and neither did the heteromorphs - but for Shigaraki and Deku, who had connections to All Might and Nana, it would be weird for them not to smile?

Perhaps the saving isn’t actually done?

I'm more convinced after Chapter 424, since Deku is upset about being unable to save Shigaraki (tho Deku seems upset about the wrong thing, imo - that Shigaraki refused to renounce the League/his friends, instead of like. him being unable to save Shigaraki/Tenko as a whole complete person, even one that isn't converted), and he seems to be unconvinced by All Might's "well, if the crying boy disappeared, he was probably fine."

But if the saving isn't done, then what does this mean? Is Shigaraki coming back somehow? So that Deku can save him completely once and for all? But what does saving him look like then, now that All For One is gone, and Tenko's traumatic hatred has been smashed?

Do we need to have Shigaraki completely give up destruction and Villainy, and everything associated with it, like the League? Ditch his conviction of being a "Hero for the Villains" (and just become a hero? a civilian that support heroes?)? Which seems to be what Deku thinks is what Tenko should've done.

For Shigaraki/Tenko (the vestige that Deku calls and acknowledges as Tenko, the one that he says is Tenko... but stayed leader of the League till the end), however, he implies through "That... depends on you guys starting tomorrow. Really, do your best" in response to Deku's claim that he already destroyed 'it' that he is instead entrusting the continuation/permanence of his destruction to Deku (and others). He's holding Deku responsible for it, he's tasking a Hero with destroying. Shigaraki thinks it's a task that a Hero like Deku will undertake, that it's heroic enough for Deku to take over. And that's significant, I think.

Because after all, Deku destroyed Tenko's hatred. Smashed it; that's the word Deku uses.

So then. Whether it's to a revived Shigaraki/Tenko, or the memory of Shigaraki Tomura, or some future version of a "Shigaraki/Tenko", or through reincarnation hijinks, how and what exactly can Deku save with a smile now?

Thanks for the ask!