#please please let Horikoshi realize

[court-jobi]

Flip of a Switch

((banner by me! I don't own Horikoshi's work or this splendid art))

Pairing: Hawks x reader (fem!reader)

Words: 3.4k

Rating: M, 18+ (put down the spicy chicken bucket, baby birds)

Warnings: NSFW, oral (m receiving), fingering, praise, slight!overstim, est. relationship, sweet dirty talk, marking, Hawks / Reader are SWITCHES, porn w feelings, where we're going we don't need plot

Summary:

Any chance he gets, Hawks is going to be bounding into your apartment, ripping off his shirt and ready to spoil and be spoiled by your loving hands when he has a free afternoon or a rare night off the patrol circuit. His 'issued residence' is hardly a zen getaway for him, but your home is. Pleasing and pleasuring your beloved Pro Hero is the least of your worries. It's playing with yourself that's the hard part, so opening up your bedroom to your Keigo to let him try his hand at it is still a touch-and-go battle. But it's your playtime, too, and he's set on making you feel as sexy as you look.

A/N: It's smut hours, yall, and pretty bird is up next. Thank you all for the comments and love, hope you like this one!

For my My Hero Academia Masterlist, check it out here!

Read on Ao3

"Stop," Hawks breathes out fast, "Stopstopstop…"

With a rough hand, your personal Pro Hero forces you to listen: he smooths over your hair to get your attention along his hip, and cupped your chin with a lift to keep it up and away from temptation.

Looking up all too innocently, your small voice cracks from… lack of use.

"Wass'matter?" 

You swallow some residual ‘excitement’ from the corner of your mouth with a flirty tongue. Hawks's pupils are blown.

"Bad idea. Fuck... You're too good at that." He smirked, reining himself in.

"Mmm, thank you~" you laid down along his abs, mindful of the pulsing just below you, in between your breasts. Rocking back and forth under the excuse of 'getting comfortable' only got a rise out of Hawks more– your beloved companion inhales a cleansing breath to steady himself.

"And here I thought you had those pesky confidence issues, lovedove…"

"I did, a little." You pressed a little kiss and a twiddle of fingers along his sides, "But m'better now, thanks to you-"

Those fingers press and press towards his back, and the thought just crosses your mind…

Hawks clutches a wrist almost instantly- frowning hard to hide his near outburst.

Eyes flickering between Hawks’s face and his squeezing hand, you narrowed your set stare.

"... Are you ticklish?"

"No."

"You're lying."

"My wings aren't ticklish. Common misconcep’shn."

"Oh." you hushed. "So you won't make a fuss I do this..."

"Okay now, don't you gooo-ooh-woah, HEY!!"

Hawks rose up with laughter as you gave him a mighty ‘ole raspberry on his taut stomach. 

Happy Keigo is your favorite Keigo.

The bark of his involuntary giggles echo for a passing beat in your perfect, cozy room, cascading into low chuckles as you sought out his sides -close to where his winglets are pinned down– to tickle him further. 

The cuteness aggression on both your parts died down as he continued to cry uncle, so you eased up with the sweetest realization: this was probably the first time you recalled having so much pleasure and fun in bed. What a combination…

"You absolute brat!" Hawks rasps incredulously and pins you back towards the foot of the bed. This puts you squarely out of the covers to force your little squirming self against the cold- bringing out your subsequent pout. No amount of bargaining will help you now, "Oh no~ you don't get to hide. You asked for this."

And he copies your razz, causing you to burst out in high, carousing squeals- after which you immediately slap a hand over your mouth. 

Surprised by yourself, you had to mute the sudden noise with a panicked look at the door.

Hawks hummed, disapproving. 

"Look who's being loud now. Whatever would the Hikamotos say?"

The game of teasing only brought out your competitive nature. Your dear old neighbors hold no weight over you, but you weren't about to spark their wrath at you for being too loud again. 

You winked and teased your lip, "What they don’t know won’t hurt them."

"That so?" Hawks' eyes sparkled in the low light. "Then I have your permission to make you scream another way…?"

That made you stiffen- in all good humor, but aware of the sinful look in Hawks' dilated sights, you knew this wasn't a bluff. It's a promise.

"Okay, wait, no-- they'd definitely suspect something then!"

"Since when do you care what the old coots across the hall think?" Hawks countered, a jealous twang slipping into his words.

"Since I’m the one who has to deal with them whenever you're gone. And PopPop asks me -often- about my love life, and what I think about those heroes I'm always hanging out with. Pretty hard act to play, when I have to be cool even though I'm thirsting after your ev-.. ev’ry move, while you're.. y’know..not here."

Your words were slowing off your tongue as Hawks' wandering hands skimmed over your skin- one heading up your body to cradle your head, the other snaking down and swatting back the bunched-up covers to give him space.

"Yeah? And what're you going to tell the poor geezer now, hm?"

You smiled suggestively, but the sensations thrumming through your bones now send you reeling- knowing what was coming next, and already feeling the nerves push back up your gut.

Hawks' gaze flickered down as a hint. A whisper on his lips instructs you to 'open your legs a bit', very easy going. 

Letting your thighs go lax, you busy your hands by tugging his upper body down close so you could reach his hair- something, anything to hold onto, to touch him gently enough so he'd show you mercy.

He says it's his favorite way to unwind, being at home with you. Fierce Wings shed all over your room in batches, stripped down in next to nothing himself, unencumbered by teeming fans and villains alike– your boyfriend lights up at the idea when you offer your own cleared schedule to spend it with him. 

Within minutes of texting a particularly alluring selfie his way, Hawks is bounding into your apartment, ripping off his shirt and ready to spoil and be spoiled by your loving hands anytime he gets a free afternoon or a rare night off the patrol circuit. His apartment -while calm and aesthetically pleasing in its simpleness- is an ‘issued residence’, and reminds him of his commitments to work and thus far from his ideal zen getaway.

But making him feel good is the least of your reservations. It didn't take you longer than an episode of a kid’s cartoon to make him lose his mind and start begging to cum. 

It's playing with yourself that's the hard part, so opening up your bedroom to Hawks to let him try his hand at it was still a touch-and-go battle. 

You knew full well you were in the best care with him, knew it in your head and heart– but the flare of insecurity would not leave you alone when you're with him like this. Your entire waistline will tremble on its own, your spine will go stock still, and your legs are unable to really go weightless unless he’s telling you step by step to do so. 

But he makes it really convincing, bat of his eyes and all. He's never once rushed you or made a jab about how long you take to unwind. This is your playtime, too; where he can see past your flirty shell that's obviously attracted to him, but needs a little encouragement to turn sensual. He'd offer you the moon if he could- whatever would make you feel as sexy as you look.

Seems that simply watching you does it enough for him, at least… hence why he had to forcibly remove you from his lap to avoid releasing too soon. 

"So?” Hawks croons down to you, “You were going tell him..~?"

"That I-- uh..." you raked along his skull to feel grounded.

Gone are the featherlight and soft touches. Hawks is on a massaging mission. Memorizing  you by way of warmed skin and the stuttering breaths of almost kisses.

"You–?”

You squirm, brow furrowed.

“I– I can get the- uhm-”

“No…” the twist of your body is halted by his palm on your hip. Shaking his head at your suggestion of a toy to speed things along, he presses a chaste kiss to your nose, “no rushin’. Gonna try this the old-fashioned way.”

You flare with heat up your neck.

“Old-fashioned way?”

“Mhm~ Lovin’ touchin’ squeezin’, mama.”

He's honestly getting a bit creative in a way you haven't felt before. Rather than dip into where he knows you’ll be wet and stuff you full, he's mapping the entire area with expert touch, until he happens upon the nub of you that takes his full, thorough attention. 

Once he's got it, Hawks' rubbing grew distracting, very quickly. 

It's a good spot– the spot.

It's just little circles, why does this feel like it's numbing me straight to my brain…

Dammit, those teasing looks. You moaned, shutting your eyes to focus down. 

Your brain traipsed nearer and nearer to a fuzzy state, as was each word pushed out with lidded eyes: cast to him for an answer. 

"I-- mmmm.. What the hell you doing, and why'sitfeelsogood?..." 

Hawks drank them in and studied you with a proud but soft expression, watching you slip closer and closer to what he wanted. With bated breath, he nosed close to your ear,

"Gonna make you cum, sweet thing." Hawks cooed ever so lovingly. "Gonna go nice and slow~ just relax for me, deal?"

“B-but you haven't even-”

“I know~” kisses start getting littered on your neck, “I know, but I'm easy, babe. Wanna get you warmed up a bit, too. Only fair to my lady with that pretty, pretty mouth of hers, y'know? I hafta make things even~”

A broken hum in the affirmative, you give in and sink towards his neck and let him touch. 

“I– it's… it's not as easy for me, though… might take a while, n’ you shouldn’t hafta wait so long.. I don’t- know if I can…”

You’re never short on reactive noises, but your shyness overtook when the warm fluttering waves dominated your focus. It was too much and not enough; and between Hawks’ ministrations and his words, you had a hard time pinning your thoughts down on anything at all. 

“We don't have a timeline, sweet’eart,” your loving boyfriend nuzzles you, “s’just you and me here. Lemme love on you a little, hm?”

That voice of his- low and rolling, like he uses to talk to his higher ups in order to get away with his charming bullshit- was doing something powerful to you now.

"You sound amazing like this. All let loose and open for me?” Hawks lays on the praise thick, “Oh, I could listen to you all day and night. Just might do that.. mmm, feels good to touch you like this, too."

Fuck, Keigo. 

"Wanted to, for the longest time.. wanted to feel how much you missed me, if you miss me as much as I miss you... I want to listen to you breathe, like we did before. Hear you sing your own little birdie-songs, and just let everything else fade away.. wanna feel you around me and just let that heat take over -fuck, you're so wet, aren't you…”

Fuck, Keigo… 

“Wanted… to lay you back down on that sofa in my office that first day you said you'd come n’ meet me for lunch. Almost kept you all’to myself. Even after fighting every fuckin’ thing in sight between here to Tokyo, filthy as sin- I wanted you, even then..."

He’s kissing down your torso now, speaking this lovesick poetry straight to your core. 

To his retreating warmth, you grasped along his arm for his hand until you connected.

"Didn't fucking matter though, did it sweet’eart? You had my whole heart in a chokehold, I know that now– but God was I such a damned idiot for waitin’ so long. All I wanted was to tell you how much I loved you... N’tell you everything I do, and how I do it. All the stories you want– they're yours. Knowing I have you to come back to... To come home to..."

Next to bursting, your breaths came sharp and painfully arousing.

 "Keigo~~"

Ever the enticing hero, Hawks slunk down on his belly -ear to your abdomen- speaking right to you. Granting you the sweetest words he can muster in the gentlest voice- you feel closer than ever to the man claiming he's always been yours. 

"M’never letting 'nother day go by…” Hawks praised you with needy fingers still dancing around your folds, “Gonna swear to you, every single chance I get: how much I want you... adore you.. how much I fucking love you."

"Fuck, Keigo~~!" 

Your back tipped off the bed and suddenly, you felt attacked by the strangest surge of need that you gripped his wrist still; willing it to.. not stop- pull away? Or pull nearer?

He peeks up to you again with a devilish smirk. Popping up with a passionate lift of his wing’s assist, Hawks grumbles teases against your neck, 

"Bout to fly off into the clouds, are we?"

You whined beautifully; or at least, you think he'd say so. Through your head swims, swirling in all of his confessions of one-sided pining, you tried to beg for the unknown: 

Things feel tight, and achey.

"Wai-- Kei, I can’t-"

"Yes, you can," Hawks pressed into your neck and sped up his hand, "Yes you can, sweet thing. Let go, you're so close."

Breath was hard to come by. Little nosies grew high and light in your moans, and you're clutching at Hawks to come back up to you, seeking his protection and his warmth- higher and higher as your impending, ultimate high dangled mysteriously in front of you.

But no, he's back onto his belly with nothing but kisses to your midsection and some open mouthed nibbles at your skin on his way. 

Honestly, you had no real clue how this could happen with what he was doing, how he moved so expertly and pinpointed this edge of pleasure and agony for you with amazing precision- all by some fanciful words. 

This was different from any encounter you've had before. You think you know why, too, since it was apart of your draw to him in the first place- 

You are stuck on his voice. His mind. His inner man under all the showmanship. It all comes out through a honey-sweet tone that means every secret he spills is true. And he knows that'll strike to the core of you; you're a wordsmith, after all. He turns poetic, because he knows that will resonate with your artistic heart. 

It's working, because you’re  pulsing everywhere  and  need him so badly-

"Shit, Keigohoney, please!!" you begged- near tears- cupping his strong neck and looking for his assurance and safety.

–only said object of your affections is too into this, and aims to please and tease your way through to finishing. 

“What's that, baby? Whaddyou need?”

“I-I wan’ you, ughhh…” 

Those needs melted into moans the more you feel him pet and stroke. 

Your darling boy simply smiles and kisses you tender and quick against those trembling lips.

"I got you," Hawks rasped, his tone becoming urgent and coaxing, excitement lighting his eyes and nodding along with you as you convinced yourself: 

…this was new, but going to be oh-so worth it, just like he said- how he promised- 

Hawks bobs his head while he picks up the speed of his fingers on your clit, 

"You're gonna come for me, yeah? Gonna come hard and fast and you're gonna love every second of it, c'mon-- I got you, I'm right here."

You begged in half-whimpers.

‘I'm right here,’ the bed seems to agree- currently being rutted against by Hawks’ more hybrid tendencies, with you in between: 

"You're gonna feel so good. You don't need to beg… there's nothing but all the time in the world, nothing but this room, this bed. Nothin’ but your Keigo. Just you and me here."

Your very heart rose to the surface, slurring your words,

“Love you-…”

"Mm. I hear how much you love me," his moan into your ear to ramp up your pleasure, and make you cry out, “N’ I love you, too, little dove.”

He's caressing you even faster, but equally as light. It's not a push, but a thrum of constant pressure.

 "My girl’s almost ready to cum, isn't she?"

"FUCK yes!" you moaned at the change of pace. You're a panting mess and embarrassed by it– but  he's so excited to see it.

Chancing a look at him, Hawks is a man starved. Just touching you alone, he's heaving big breaths.

"That feels good, huh?” Hawks growls- nearing feral, “Gonna be even better with my cock inside you."

 It's the key to unlock your next cry.

"GODS, fuck me now!!"

"Not. Yet.”

Hawks tips your chin up with a possessive hold on your neck. His palm -gloveless since this began- cradles you from underneath, bringing your gaze to his fire-lit eyes.

“You go first. Then I'll fuck right into you, just like you want. You cum first for me, yeah? You gonna cum?"

"Yes~" you begged, breathless and in a trance under him, "Yes yes, please, I'll co-- ahh, I'm- ah.."

Hawks with his controlled strength squeezed his hand ever so gently, craning your head up and up, grinding with your leg in perfect rhythm with his hand's curl.

"That's it-- there you go, c'mon. C'mon."

Hawks spat his passions again and again, delicious in its roughness.

Then, you finally sobbed until it silenced you–

You’re jumping up against the weight slotted to you -his weight- but immediately stilled by Hawks' hard kisses over the column of your throat: kisses adorned with canines that bite when you start to shake through your pleasure.

Ultimate relief gushed out of you while you twitched and crashed against him, riding out his  hand to your body's high.

As the shocks spilled over, you're gasping- eyes wide open. 

Then as quick as it came, your entire body gave up its ghost; limp and clutching close to your anchor while he started chuckling in complete rapture,

“Atta girl, atta girl!! You did it, baby, I knew you could!”

He's celebrating this win, over and over as if it's his own. It was a vain effort since your ears felt stuffed with cotton from the exertion you'd just been put through, and could barely make anything out with the headrush ebbing away. The only thing you could register was Hawks’ frame bracing himself up on an elbow above you– your source of shelter.

Veritable alpha energy coating you from top to bottom, you relish each passing second of settling down easy while receiving little assuring kisses along your hot skin. 

Well, at first, they were kisses. Then some longer ones. Then a few licks along your neck working to cool you: he was tasting your sweat.

"Ohhhh-ho that's my best girl! You were amazing to watch- fuck~~. That was the most gorgeous thing I ever did see, hmmm... Oh, poor thing, can you hear me? Shhh hey, you. Can you hear me alrigh’?"

His voice was turning playful, and when you finally open your eyes, the dizzying sensation had gone away finally. But while the intensity had dimmed, it only reignited your heat when you met your lover's adoring features. 

Brilliant half smile on display, Hawks brushes your hair back and presses some loving forehead kisses across you… eliciting light breathless chuckles in thanks to the touch.

Hawks centered back on your flushed cheeks and lax brows- free from all tension,

"Back down on the ground with me?"

"...Holy shit."

"Good shit?"

"Good shit~"

“Color?”

“Golden.” Better than green, when it’s him.

You giggled in relief, shuddering against the cold and turning to the side aghast at yourself. Only in the let down of your post-bliss did you realize how fast you'd turned into a full sap the moment his hands were on you. 

And after being in control of his pleasure for so long before… he flipped a switch and blew your mind. 

Hawks was an incredibly fast learner, though was there any surprise there? You cover your neck for a second and gave a glowing laugh again, "Wow, my throat is tired."

Your blond beauty atop you simply stroked still-damp fingers along the supple edge of your breast. The experimental touch could hardly be considered fondling due to the soulful look of reverence in how he handled them. He'd be sure to shower up with you later and clean it off. 

"You were enjoying yourself- I’d call that a good job~”

"I don' think I can make any sandwiches for you after that one," you limply waved your hand: "no bones right now."

“Haha! No offerings needed, lovedove. It's entirely my pleasure.”

He’s your absolute angel, you’re convinced now more than ever.

Hawks rumbled happily, "Tired girl, huh. You do look pretty wiped out." He twirls your side swept hair aside. “S’pose I won’t be making good on my promise to fill ya up this time, will I?”

The tease prominent on his mind (and now yours), you focus in: broke from the daze and blindly shift your leg up and over Hawks’ thigh- pulling him in flush to you and grinding up with a smirk, 

"Not that tired, pretty bird."

[pikahlua]

Not the same anon, but there was a thread on X summarizing problems with this chapter and how rushed it feels. I think these are pretty valid criticism if I am being honest. [link removed] I really love MHA and I want to enjoy this epilogue, but I really do feel like it is being rushed in some places.

I resubmitted this ask to remove the link. I'm not interested in sending critics flying at someone I disagree with.

The link you provided is for a criticism that is precisely the sort of commentary my blog exists to correct. Why are you guys judging the story based on a bad fan translation??? Is that really what the issue is here? If you're feeling like a chapter is rushed based on Rukasu's rushed summaries or my own disjointed, unnatural-sounding translations or the fan translations that just push along with awkward translations they clearly don't research that well, yeah, I bet it does seem pretty rushed.

Fan translation (left) vs official translation (right)

Some differences are stark and some subtle, but they all lead to totally different readings!

And as for this criticism:

And while I get what Horikoshi was trying to communicate here, the execution is just... Absolutely tone deaf

I don't understand how anyone could say something like they know what the author intended in good faith when they KNOW they're reading a fan translation.

Starting with the 1st page: now, I get Horikoshi is trying to this monologue more for the audience to highlight Uraraka's self sacrificial tendencies similar to Izuku in order to explain her behavior and showcase her flaws. [...] Because, in universe, Uraraka is breaking down with guilt and grief over someone she finally reached/understood sacrificing her life for her, something only SHE knows, and Izuku shows up, ignoring what's going on, and starts "explaining" her flaws and HIS feelings about it all. [...] Now, again, I understand that Hori is trying to communicate to the audience that Izuku has realized Uraraka's flaws and struggles and is deciding to become her support instead.

This reading completely ignores the fact that Ochako doesn't want to open up. Izuku is trying to convince her to! That's what's happening in this scene! He's not "ignoring" what happened with Toga--because he doesn't even know what happened! That's part of why Ochako is so upset!

I've explained before how the western fandom has a bad reading on these so-called self-sacrificial "flaws" Izuku and now ostensibly Ochako have. This is not the first time a character has realized they relied too much on another person's strength and let that person shoulder their burdens alone. All Might acknowledged the same thing with Katsuki after DvK2. I do not think what Izuku is doing here is "explaining her flaws and HIS feelings about it all." My reading of this scene is based on their conversation after she lost to Katsuki in the sports festival. He's saying the same stuff she said to him back to her. He's talking about HIS OWN flaws. He's saying "You are my hero, the way you've been since the beginning is heroic, I admire you, when you're hurting I'll protect you just like you protected me, I won't be a burden by relying on your strength to get you through and letting you handle your pain alone anymore, I'll pull my own weight and be here for you now that you need me, it will be easier to shoulder the pain together." That last part is coming from her UA speech, of course, and I don't know how it could be more relevant to addressing Ochako's pain. "Please open up to me, just like you encouraged me to do." That's what he's saying!

Now, the other criticism this person levies is that using Izuku as a vehicle of exposition is clunky. I don't disagree, but the thing is...this isn't new. This isn't unique to the ending. He's been like this really since chapter 1. I've criticized this before. This isn't a sudden change that makes the ending feel any more rushed than any other part of the story. To focus on this just feels like an attempt by the critic to FIND something to criticize.

I do think there is an emotional reaction at play in the fandom's general response here, but I'm not convinced that the criticism I've been reading actually gets to the heart of what's upsetting people. Something IS upsetting people. Is it BAD WRITING? I'm not sure. In some (not all) cases it seems to be a bad reaction to tragedy or anticlimax. I do also think there are people who have convinced themselves such and such will be addressed, that these two characters will talk about X, etc. etc. and they're panicking that there may not be any space allotted for that in the end, and that's why they feel things are being "rushed." I certainly have some criticisms I could levy at the ending, but I'd like to wait until the ending (the OFFICIAL ending) before I put them on the record.

The thing is, in the end, "what Horikoshi was trying to do" is entirely irrelevant to the final product. If all we do is just argue over what we each think Horikoshi was trying to do, we'll get no where. This was hammered into me in my education, that what an author intended is useless to literary analysis. When I find something in a story that doesn't make sense to me, I take a step back and try to figure out what reading does make it make sense. Sometimes I have to ask others their opinions to puzzle it out. I do appreciate that you sent me this criticism, but I am not yet convinced the fandom has truly identified any concrete issues with the actual writing of the ending as of now. I'm not saying the ending is perfect, just that the problems I see with the ending are very different from what the fandom so far keeps talking about.

[dekusleftsock]

Don’t y’all love it when a popular tiktok creator is analyzing a character and interpreting it so, so wrong, and him and his dumb ass take is spreading.

Like it was one thing for you to be wrong

ITS ANOTHER THING FOR YOU TO BE WRONG AND MAKING OTHER PEOPLE MORE WRONG

If one more person says that Izuku is “underdeveloped” and that he’s “uninterested in all of his other relationships” and that he “has a power imbalance in his relationships with other characters bc they care more about him than he does them” STOP. PLEASE STOP.

A fundamental part of Izuku’s character: He is an UNRELIABLE NARRATOR. Most of his character is, therefore, told through SUBTEXT.

Izuku doesn’t say that he feels ashamed about his feelings for Katsuki.

But he does say that he thinks they’re gross.

Izuku doesn’t say that he thinks that Toga and her feelings aren’t human

But he does say that she is the “perfect counter to this quirk”.

THE LIST COULD GO ON.

Izuku is an unreliable narrator in a third person omniscient story (though sometimes mha acts more like a third person objective story? Anyway). That means that the way we do not understand the story is not through a retelling of what is happening to you, the viewer, unreliably—instead it is not telling you the full extent of his character and his thoughts.

To say “izuocha’s relationship is underdeveloped because it’s one sided” is NOT the same as saying “bkdk’s relationship is underdeveloped because it’s one sided”.

Izuku has always been obsessed with Katsuki. At some point the rhetoric being passed around was that it was Katsuki who was underdeveloped and uninterested in the dynamic. Now that rhetoric has been reversed since we’ve seen so much of Katsuki’s POV.

Ochako has always been obsessed with Izuku, NEVER THE OTHER WAY AROUND. In fact, Ochako’s arc even surrounded letting go of those feelings… as literally said in the text. Because that is a textual statement that she makes.

Izuku does not understand how or what Ochako loves in anybody, especially him. She loves a unique sense of personhood, which Izuku has always carried, and of which she saw in the entrance exam.

Izuku does not know how to view things he deems as “girly”, and Ochako very personally CANT be in a relationship with someone that she has realized is very repressed. Her friendships turn from friends to fascination very quickly, into her heroic form. (Think her few moments with Katsuki in that extra, or how disinterested she became of Izuku as she saw him run away from help, and not know how to respond to an apology. Or, hell, how much more interested she became when Himiko was honest with her feelings in their second real confrontation. She even says that she “admires how she can love so freely, and say it with her whole chest”)

LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS. THIS IS WHY IZUOCHA ISNT DEVELOPED. That’s a purposeful choice in genius writing, at least in my opinion.

Bkdk is a result of Izuku being uninterested in acknowledging said feelings, and this is shown to be different because of the amount of times he has had that imply a deeper emotion or thought that we are not told. Think black whip, controlling your heart solely surrounding katsuki, “my feelings are gross”, the ear piercing scream when katsuki was kidnapped and the “this was a total loss” line, relaxing into katsuki’s arms after the apology, only coming home because of Katsuki, comparing romantic feelings toga had for him and admiration to ALLMIGHT and not katsuki who was “actually in his life”, I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS.

This is absolutely NOT underdeveloped, this is called SHOW NOT TELL. Horikoshi is so purposeful in what he shows vs what he tells. He tells you that ochako and toga are the same, he tells you that katsuki is worried about Izuku, he tells you that katsuki is there to step in when deku can’t handle it on his own, he tells you that ochako has a crush on Izuku, and he tells you that Katsuki is Izuku’s “closest person”.

But he also SHOWS YOU SO MUCH MORE. Unreliable narration is such a key part of Izuku and his character. Izuku doesn’t understand Izuku as much as the audience doesn’t understand him. It’s why I genuinely think most interpretations of his character are wrong, because you really can’t take him at his word. It’s the same reason no one understood katsuki for the longest time, he was in the same circumstances of a character who is only showed to you, not told.

I know i named so many god damn references so if anyone is curious as to what specifically I’m talking about with what, I’ll gladly show what scene I’m referring to. Apparently I can’t remember a damn thing but this manga anyway.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 407: Wait Why Are You Running Away

Previously on BnHA: Kacchan figured out how to control his quirk upgrade and was totally chill and normal about it. Definitely not terrifying at all. He actually spent the entire chapter smiling and laughing like the wholesome little boy he is. I don’t know why Kid For One is so freaked out about it. He even politely introduced himself using his childhood nickname. Clearly he just wants to be friends with you, KFO!

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “sorry to keep you waiting, here’s the AFO and Yoichi flashback you ordered at long last” and proceeds to serve a nightmarish stew of HUMAN MISERY and RATS and STABBING and CARNAGE and SO MUCH MURDER and THE SINGLE MOST FUCKED-UP CASE OF CODEPENDENCY ANYONE HAS EVER WRITTEN. I was not even remotely prepared for any of this, and if anyone else claims that they were, I will call you a liar to your face. If this chapter had a mouth it would scream. Or just sob, ceaselessly and uncontrollably. I’m really glad Horikoshi is on break next week because that man needs to take a fucking nap. My god.

okay WOW

anyone else read the first two words and just immediately say to themselves, “oh okay, so it’s gonna be one of those chapters”? I mean, I guess we were due for a darker chapter after last week’s Kacchan Comedy Tour. but idk, I just wasn’t expecting “homeless sick prostitute with a drinking problem” levels of dark

AND SHE’S PREGNANT?!

what exactly is this manga rated again? doesn’t this backstory seem just a little bit raw for the impressionable kiddos??

has anyone actually checked in on Horikoshi recently? you know, just to make sure he is okay??

what a fun and wholesome manga this is

the lil baby arm covered in blood with the AFO hole on the palm. lying next to the dead mom hand. what an image to sear into our minds. I guess it’s been a while since he killed any dogs. gotta keep us on our toes somehow

also wasn’t expecting AFO and Yoichi to be twins! that puts an interesting spin on their relationship, because it’s usually a closer bond than even regular siblings. especially with all of that delightful shared trauma from a young age!!

yes, exactly

ohhhh this chapter is gonna hurt me, isn’t it. okay. ooooooookay. let’s do this

OH I’M SORRY, THERE’S MORE?!

Horikoshi my dude. you do realize that their mom dying in childbirth and the two of them just barely surviving and growing up as street orphans would have already been MORE than tragic enough, backstory-wise. you did not have to turn this into a freaking horror show with RATS TRYING TO EAT THEIR NEWBORN SELVES jesus christ

and THAT’S where you chose to put a one year timeskip?!

what the fuck am I reading here, you guys. no please tell me, I am actually desperate to understand

so the narrator is saying that some of the quirks manifested later in life, in “pubescent and pre-pubescent stages”, which is interesting because it’s the first time I can recall hearing about someone actually manifesting a quirk that late. maybe Deku’s old OFA cover story was more plausible than I realized

anyway so eventually it occurred to everyone that they should maybe freaking study this shit, idk. and eventually the researchers concluded that the superpowers came from a new gene that apparently isn’t human. and upon hearing that, society apparently lost its freaking mind. which is fascinating to me because it implies that the turning point wasn’t actually the superpowers themselves, but the realization of what it meant

like, so they were apparently fine with it when they thought it was a “mysterious disease”, but somehow it hit different when they learned it wasn’t actually a sickness at all, but instead the Next Step in Evolution. and it became an “us vs them” thing, as opposed to a “we have to cure these poor people” thing. damn

anyway so now Japan is a dystopia and we’re cutting to a big crowd of merc-looking dudes who are getting ready to attack some “meta freaks”, how lovely

but who is this figure in the shadows

I ask politely, as if it wasn’t already beyond obvious that this is AFO about to wreck some people’s shit

ohhhhh my god lmao

hopefully Katsuki and Deku can take the present day AFO out before he winds up looking like this. because this little fella is clearly demonic and idk if anyone can stop him

you all don’t understand. you need to run the fuck away right now

oh shit it’s already too late for them

it’s too late for any of us. it’s over. it’s all fucking over

((((；゜Д゜)))

AFO I am putting the manga down. I am backing away slowly with my hands in the air. I mean you no harm. please for the love of god have mercy

holy

“you see, we told you he wasn’t human” okay Scientific Research Group, you know what?? you win this round I guess

“HE WAS LITERALLY EVIL FROM BIRTH” HORIKOSHI SERIOUSLY ARE YOU OKAY??

HE WAS BORN AN ARROGANT BABY is literally the most terrifying sentence I have ever read

what the entire fuck

it’s a gorgeous sunny mid-November afternoon outside my window. but no matter how hard it tries, the light cannot reach this place

what kind of moron would throw a can of soda at him. officially the stupidest person we have ever seen in this manga

OH MY GOD OF COURSE IT’S HIM LMAO

(ETA: how come baby Yoichi has clothes that fit him perfectly but baby AFO is just stomping around wearing a tablecloth.)

BABY YOICHI. OH MY GOD. HOW THE HELL DID YOU GROW UP TO BE SANE AND KIND AND GOOD. THAT’S MY QUESTION THAT I NEED ANSWERED RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE LITERALLY A MIRACLE. YOU ARE AN IMPOSSIBILITY, DO YOU KNOW THAT

small and weak, but also so, so cute. all of the cuteness genes went straight to him. no wonder AFO was jealous

(ETA: just want to press pause for a second to speculate about what type of twins AFO and Yoichi are, since it has some relevance to the story, and especially to the OFA/AFO quirk lore. so! at first glance the two of them would appear to be fraternal twins, just based on the fact that they have very different appearances, and also the fact that Yoichi doesn’t have the AFO quirk – no holes in his hands, etc. identical twins are born from the same fertilized egg, so in theory they would both have the same sequence of DNA, which means Yoichi would have had the same quirk as AFO. but that doesn’t appear to be the case. so all of that points to them being fraternal, not identical.

on the other hand, there is one piece of evidence in this chapter that does support them being identical twins, and that’s the fact that per the narration, AFO absorbed most of the nutrients from their mother. a few minutes of google fu informed me that this condition is relatively rare, and only happens in cases where two twins share a placenta, which typically is only the case for identical twins. HOWEVER, for what it’s worth, there have also been rare instances where two fraternal twin placentas fuse together and become a single placenta. AND this apparently also increases the chances of one of the twins gaining more of the nutrients and causing the other twin to have a lower birth weight.

so based on the evidence here, my conclusion is that the two of them are most likely fraternal twins with a case of placental fusion. besides, you can’t tell me that stealing his baby brother’s placenta while the two of them are literally still in the womb doesn’t sound like exactly the type of BS that fetus!AFO would pull, lol.)

HEY!?!

okay?!?!?! well to be fair he did throw that soda at him

oh my god this is so fucked up. in like the best and worst way possible

I genuinely couldn’t ask for a better AFO backstory. it’s so incredibly twisted, and you actually do feel sorry for him. or at least I do. but it’s also beyond clear that this kid was FUCKED UP BEYOND ALL REASON right from the get go. zero goodness in him. literally doesn’t see other people as people. sees them as possessions only. things to rule over. not other thinking, feeling human beings. and that includes his own little brother

but. even if it’s not actually what I would call love, there’s still... attachment, there. it’s the closest he can get to actually caring about someone. guh. just, somehow they have both managed to humanize him, and at the same time made him less human than ever. this manga, man. this fucking manga, though

lmao and here we go. Captain Hero

you know, all those times that I made fun of AFO for not knowing how to read, I never suspected that the twist in his backstory would be that he LITERALLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO READ dfksjdlfkjslkdf

but seriously though. because Yoichi appears to be self-taught, and I can’t see AFO having the patience for that, and CLEARLY no one else was around to teach him, sooooo...

oh my goodness it’s actually getting wholesome up in here

what a good fucking boy. poor AFO. fuck me, I can’t help it. it’s not your fault you’re the world’s greatest monster you poor bastard

now we’re cutting to THREE YEARS LATER. okay

is he going to declare war on the glowing baby

typical teenager concerned about nothing but likes and view counts. AFO you would be so much happier if you stopped worrying about all of that and just focused on your own growth

oh, lol. well that was quick

(ETA: r.i.p. Damien.)

“this guy had more instagram followers than me. so I killed him” honey. sweetie pie. you need therapy

omfg

all this time I was wondering who AFO’s middle school lit teacher was who had failed so spectacularly at teaching him reading comprehension. and it was YOICHI ALL ALONG. omg

“and, presumably, that’s how it always was and always will be.” dude. can you imagine listening to AFO’s oral book report on A Tale of Two Cities. “ahem. it was the Best of Times. the end” buddy noooooooo

it was at that moment when Yoichi knew, etc. etc.

oh my GOD I scrolled down to the next panel right after this one and I just IMMEDIATELY DIED LAUGHING

“WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID” ffffffffffffffff I fucking can’t omfg

NOW THIS HUSSY IS STEALING HIS BROTHER AWAY FROM HIM NOOOOOOO

HE’S HIS!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! THAT’S NOT ALLOWED!!!

oh my god the hands. so wait, is this just the standard symbolic BnHA handholding, or are there More Levels To This. when exactly did Yoichi pass OFA on to Kudou. like is that why the sudden close-up and all that? omg

WHAT!!!!

OH THAT’S THE END, HUH? THAT’S THE END RIGHT THERE, AND THAT’S JUST HOW IT IS. I SEE. OKAY THEN. EXCUSE ME WHILE I PUT MY LAPTOP DOWN AND GO INTO THE NEXT ROOM AND SCREAM INTO A PILLOW

oh my god. and break next week too. this is what you guys have been dealing with this entire time huh. I understand your feelings now. godfuckingdammit lmao

[x-kiwi-03]

And Horikoshi does nothing with him.

Tomura dies, we don't see him change at all. He doesn't atone for shit.

But Kai could. He's the parallel of Tomura, please for the love of god let us see Kai ACTUALLY atone! Let us see his battle with himself!

I need to watch his tears as he realizes he repeated the cycle of his abuse through Eri. Let me watch as he carries his crimes and horrible wrongs on his shoulders as he attempts to continue his tread through life.

I need to know what his blood family was like. Did they abandon him? Did he kill them as a child accidentally? Where they taken by an outer sorce? Did he resemble his mother or father more? Did he ever even know them?

Denial will never leave me alone.

[super-paper]

Rereading the early chapters of MHA, and tbh I think we can pin this scene as the exact moment Tomura develops his fixation on Izuku.

Everyone in this scene assumes that All Might doesn’t need any help and starts wandering off, leaving All Might to face Kurogiri and Tomura alone. Izuku is the only one to intervene, "offering help that no one asked for." Of course, Izuku is the only one with actual insight into All Might’s condition and realizes that he's in danger— but from Tomura’s perspective, Izuku is some rando kid that's throwing himself into danger to help someone who doesn’t appear to need any help. And the emphasis on everyone else being willing to just sit back and do nothing while All Might handles everything is something we know ties directly to one of Tomura’s biggest traumas:

Tomura: "Don't just watch. Help Me. Someone please look at me. Don't just tell me not to cry. Don't just smile and pretend that everything is alright. Don't pretend you don't see me." MHAReddit: Ah, I understand-- obviously, the series is saying that Tenko is dead and we can beat this guy by punching him harder! :)

I gotta stress that Shouto and Co. are kids and I'm not faulting them for deciding to let an adult handle the situation (and I don't doubt in the slightest that they would have also chosen to intervene if they were privvy to the same information abt Toshinori's health as Izuku)-- but from Tomura's perspective where he holds pretty much everyone equally responsible for society's failings, this act was enough for him to start subconsciously singling Izuku out.

Meanwhile, the sports festival just reinforces Tomura's budding interest bc it reinforces that Izuku is actually batshit crazy and Tomura's response to this is to ask ".... how crazy we talkin'? 👀"

Oh, Izuku, you were definitely gonna get kidnapped at some point 😭

Anyway, stuff like this is also why I feel that Horikoshi likely planned on having Izuku save Tomura from the very beginning (And I've seen ppl argue that Hori had planned to have Tomura be the final boss and get defeated/killed because of Nine's existence, but let's be real-- Nine was an AFO expy parading around in a Yoichi expy's body and ya'll know it). There's a lot of set up for why Izuku is ultimately the best person to save Tomura scattered throughout the early stages of the manga, like, literally starting from the very first page:

Izuku: *crying the biggest and ugliest tears mankind has ever seen, snot pouring out of his nose, sweating a frankly concerning amount, and fighting back his own tears because he just can't ignore the tears of others* I GOTTA SAVE THAT CRYING BOY....!!! Shigaraki Tomura, famously a freak, inching himself closer to Midoriya Izuku's splash zone with every chapter: ....... :) :) :)

Izuku saves others despite being a sobbing, snotty, sweaty mess--often times while he's being a sobbing, snotty, sweaty mess. It's antithetical to All Might and Nana's beliefs about saving others with a smile and about cultivating an "image"/"mask" meant to reassure others-- but that's not a bad thing, and the whole series is built around showing us why it isn't a bad thing.

Izuku cannot separate his own inherent humanity and desires from his heroism and is driven by impulse/ego/pain the same way Tomura is. He remains a crybaby who wears his emotions on his sleeve throughout the entirety of the manga-- and the lesson he ultimately learns isn't that he should "just stop crying and hide all his fear behind a smile," it's that he shouldn't run from that aspect of himself because it's the part of himself that allows him to empathize with others. Izuku saves a piece of himself every time he gives his all to save those who are in tears, and he's become the exact type of hero who would've given it his all to save his child self.

This might not be the sort of hero Izuku fantasized about being-- but it's exactly the sort of hero Tomura needs after a lifetime of having his own tears downplayed and ignored by everyone.

on that note, the anime having Tenko and Izuku's "masks" basically evaporating to reveal their soft, sparkly, shoujo-y centers in that one season 6 OP remains one of the most on-point visuals the anime has ever given us lmfao. can't wait to see what they do for s7.....!

[darkietrashcan]

Analysis on Izuocha and Bakudeku

An epilogue about moving forward

This post contains spoilers for the end of the manga and volume 42

Izuocha.

I haven’t thought about them in a long while… it was the first ship I sailed for when I started MHA, then I deviated to Bakudeku. But please, I am not a biased woman on neither behalf. I will express my analysis and opinions on the matter as a shipper for both who CAN analyze facts with objectivity:

Bakudeku was NEVER gonna be canon and many of us knew it: first of all, because Horikoshi is a middle aged man writing a Shonen. Sorry for being so stereotypical, but it is a fair assumption to make.

Second of all, the blushing, man. Izuku blushed every time he was near to her: he was attracted. Maybe not a full developed crush but there was something stirring him up. Uraraka was a person Izuku admired.

She was the person that gave him the nickname Deku. SHE changed the meaning Bakugo had gave him initially: from useless, to a man who does his best. Uraraka did a wonderful thing right there and it stuck to Deku until the end of the series.

She also was his first friend alongside Iida and Todoroki. Healthy relationships.

Uraraka developed a crush. She was mesmerized and when she realized that plus the fact Izuku was so set to meet his goals, that she set her crush aside to follow her own path: she built her way towards becoming a woman with own goals to pursue. She no longer depended on that crush.

Toga came.

Firstly, she didn’t understand her. She hurt Toga’s feelings and something stirred her up since then.

(During these times, Deku leaves U.A and Uraraka gives her beautiful speech: she connects the people with Deku, and, begs for him to get recognized. A beautiful action.)

Let’s get back to Toga now that I got that fact out of the way.

Her view about life changed, so did Izuku’s with Tomura. They were the only ones who could talk about it, since they experienced similar situations. Uraraka is set to her goal of reaching Toga.

Here is where, for me, things change between them. I viewed Izuocha as a thing before Toga, before Uraraka decided to move on. Then, I viewed them more as very close friends. But it seems like feelings aren’t forgotten and this connection regarding saving other people: Tomura and Toga, united them spiritually.

In fact Uraraka never stopped thinking about Toga.

And this leads me to think that this epilogue meant more than just an ending to their individual stories. Because if you read my other analysis, you understand that I believe that Bakugo never stopped chasing Deku.

While Deku after losing OFA moves forward, becoming a teacher… Bakugo never let go of OFA: competing with Deku literally turned him into a better person. So he sought for that dream, built Izuku a suit, asked him to join his agency but Izuku refused. Because Izuku had moved on. And so had to do Katsuki. And for bkdks it hurts like hell because it is a new step into their relationship: growing as separate adults, who are FRIENDS now, fucking finally. They had a happy ending. But it hurt bkdk’s because Katsuki never let go and I am sure, had their relationship been romantically coded, with them blushing and acknowledging crushes like on Izuochas behalf, I would have taken it as a romantic rejection, too.

But it wasn’t bakudeku’s path because Katsuki’s story always was about learning to ackowledge his mistakes and atone. His story was never a queerbait because romance wasn’t a main focus to explore for his character. All that were just headcanons.. The reason why the apology felt like a freaking romantic confession for bkdks: While, in fact, it was the climax for his character development. Apologizing was finally accepting what he did and growing beyond that. And all the extra stuff just proves how regretful he is because of the bullying he did.

(One thing I have always been greatful for was that Izuku never replied to Katsuki’s apology because it was never needed. The apology was meant to be done, and done. Katsuki never expected a reply either because he understoos just what I said.)

Let’s sum this up: in this epilogue, Katsuki had to learn to move forward, get over Izuku.

And in my opinion it was now Uraraka’s turn to move past Toga: her guilt was paralyzing her. The path that initially made her into a separate woman from Izuku, with own goals to pursue, is now a weight to carry. Plus it is not that she didn’t do anything about it: from the epilogue it seems she has sort of an agency going on and the program to help children!? She is twenty five and accomplished so, so much!

Here is what bugs me from the epilogue: I believe theur romantic relationship was rushed because it was a short timeskip! Had this been long, had their introspection gone a bit longer, I would have believed it and sailed for them.

Izuocha went from a crush, to a strong, deep friendship, whose romantic undertondes diminished as time went by. The flames were never blown away: I do believe they loved each other deeply since the first day. But, since they had different goals, (Toga and Tomura) a romance couldn’t blossom.

But now, Izuku became a teacher separate from OFA and knows what he wants to do. And Uraraka also did her thing: the path cleared for both of them to explore their relationship.

Because, Toga became a weight for Ochako to carry, and it is not that her character becomes a push for a heterosexual relationship. Toga was not diminished to that! Toga was the representation of Ochako’s growth, because all she did, she did for Toga. For her story to not repeat a cycle. When she pushes Ochako, she’s freeing her. So that she can grow besides Toga: she already did a lot to pay homage to her. So yes, Toga pushes a heterosexual relationship but her character WAS NOT REDUCED TO A TOOL! She is pushing her to a new path, and this path is coincidentically a romantic path.

And deepening his relationship with Deku was Horikoshi’s idea of moving forward, for them, at least. Why is it bad that they decide to get together?

As Bakudeku’s we dreamt of a future where Bakugo and Deku get together building an agency together or just competing. Our moving forward was them to become a couple or a team or whatever. We dreamt of them getting together.

Now when it gets to Izuocha it is bad because they can’t grow as separate adults? When it is their choice to get together? This is their choice of keep growing as adults, explore a romantic relationship!? Isn’t this the same like bakudekus desire but for their ship?

(My ship too, bcs I always bkdk>izch)

So yes. I believe Izuocha was rushed, and a bit forced. But it is mainly due to HOW SHORT THE EPILOGUE WAS! Had it been longer with more introspection… man I would have bought it.

But I also as a mha fan have to accept that stories need to conclude and Hori can’t keep drawing and epilogue forever.

I am sure a lot of pieces are not put in this puzzle because this analysis stems from rough translations from the leaks.

But this is what I think about Izuocha and Bakudeku. And boy, if you don’t ship bkdk good for you, but as a HUUGE fan, I am hurt like hell.

(read my other analysis to understand)

[idreaminmugiwara]

Okay, my honest opinion of MHA 431, even as a multi-shipper?

What was that?

No seriously.

What was that??

I am baffled. My flabbers are gassted. I am disappointed.

Did I want to see them grown up and see how they were doing post chapter 430? Yes.

Did I wish them all to follow their authentic happiness and have happy, fulfilling adult lives? Also yes.

Did this feel completely shoe-horned in and did it diverge almost entirely from the arcs of the characters prior to this chapter and let down every expectation I didn't even know I had? OH MY GOD YES.

Also the art felt sloppy? Maybe rushed? At least comparatively.

Horikoshi's art has always stood out to me because every single panel is so emotionally potent. His art jumps off the page and hooks you. It's like drugs. The only panel that grabbed me in this chapter was this one, because it's the closest to what I would consider to be his usual standard. Like this panel slaps.

Also that absolute look of LOVE that Todoroki is giving Deku here. Tooootally not contemplating a fic about the two of these mooks now, nope, not at ALL.

Okay the biggest elephant in the room. IzuOcha. I just...like....

Look, there was close to zero tension leading up to the Predator hand hold moment which incidentally held zero emotional impact for me.

I also honestly feel like it does disservice to Ochaco's growth as a character. She canonically does have feelings for Deku (in high school, mind you) but I thought she'd more or less grown past them when she realized that part of what she admired and loved about him is that it represents the person SHE wants to be, the kind of hero she wants to become.

And what even is Bakgugou and Deku's relationship now? We spent 430 chapters watching their relationship deepen and evolve into something that becomes so important that it ends up saving the entire world only for that super uncomfortable car ride and a bland wave from Bakugou as Deku runs to get the girl?

I never expected BakuDeku to be canon, just so we're very clear. This is a shonen and I'm not that naive. I also want to remind everyone freaking out about IzuOcha : just because it's canon doesn't mean your headcanon is cancelled. BakuDeku is one of the most beautiful ships in anime, at least for me, and nothing will ever change that.

It's just....if this was going to be a canon epilogue tying up alllllll story ends, all character arcs, this was possibly one of the laziest and least fulfilling ways I think they could have done it. If the story had spent even half the time developing Deku and Ochaco's relationship as they did his and Bakugou's , maybe I"d feel differently, but MHA revolves very, very intentionally around the two of them and a bond that one may consider legendary.

Y'all this felt like fanfiction, and not even good fanfiction. I was maybe one of the few that was relatively okay with chapter 430. I think Deku as a teacher is a beautiful twist and very true to his character. I LOVE the idea of Uravity starting counseling for people with quirks. I think Bakugou bouncing around the hero's rating list makes sense given his character, but this....this just wasn't it for me. My headcanon says this all ended at 430.

On that note, I gotta get back to my bkdk longfic.

Only an entire third act to go, nbd.

PS: if you DID enjoy this chapter, please don't let my analysis take that away from you. people are allowed to like what they like and ship who they ship. I just needed somewhere to process my feelings.

[epickiya722]

I completely agree with you about the MHA by the way. It's really not as awful as people keep making out to be. It was good in my opinion. I don't think it was perfect, there would be some things I would change, but looking at what we got, it really was good. I loved what you said about Midoriya by the way. About how he had to go through these events to realize that he can be a hero with out a Quirk. He still inspires people, gives them hope, all things a hero does. Then there's the shipping sides of things. I'm personally glad no ships actually happened personally. Shipping is one of the most annoying things when it comes to interacting with other fans, not just with MHA. I know some people feel queerbaited and other stuff. I don't know what to agree when it comes to that because there is a different between a writer's intention and fans interpretation. I'm glad that Midoriya is still gonna continue his dream though of being a hero though. I think that's well rounded ending when it comes to that aspect. For the World's Best Hero thing by the way, who are you looking to winning?

I honestly believe that some people really just want to be negative. The ending is really not that bad and having read Horikoshi's other works, it's like how I thought it would be. Not in a bad way either. It's just his thing I noticed. To have openings in his ending, which I'm fine with because I like to imagine "what could have been".

It's not that some of the fandom lacks reading skills, said it before. They want everything handed to them and wanted the story to go their way.

It's been happening for years, let's be real. Some people are upset because their ship isn't canon. MHA is not a romance, hello. Upset that Horikoshi wasn't explicit with some things. They're not incapable of just imagining, let's be real. They would upset even if Horikoshi was explicit. They'll pull the "It's not good enough" card.

There's no pleasing them at all.

"It's okay to be a hater." No. No, it's not. Not when you want to be negative and complain all the time. People who said that end up being the same people who never enjoy anything because they go into reading or watching something ready to be a hater instead of looking at that media like another source of entertainment.

MHA was just another story a mangaka wanted to share.

Now as for World's Best Hero thing, I want to be Midoriya. I need him to be #1 for once. (And I just want Miruko to at least make it into the top 20.)

[sapphic-agent]

Can you please get into how much the fandom demonizes Rei? Like, I’m not disagreeing that she wasn’t the best mother. But people really turn this woman (who is financially, socially, AND emotionally dependent on her husband and Clan!) into some abusive mother who WANTED to burn Shoto’s face! When it’s obvious that she was begging her mother to take her away from the house because she was too stressed out from Endeavor’s influence and Touya’s death!

I don’t know, I just think she’s not a perfect mother, but nobody can be a perfect mother. She clearly did her best with what she had, and who would’ve believed her if she said Endeavor was an abusive husband and father? The police? Other heroes? No! I bet Endeavor would’ve claimed that SHE was the terrible parent and that she was suffering from PPSD (which, she probably was, four kids, two of which were born when Endeavor started getting obsessed with overcoming All Might? She definitely had that) and she would’ve ended up in the hospital no matter what.

Let's talk about it😈

So I was actually skimming through the manga where Shoto mentions this. He says that his mother was pushed and pushed by Endeavor until she just broke. And I love this because Shoto understands that his mom was in a shitty situation and never intended to hurt him. Unlike this shitty fandom, he's aware enough to see who was the abuser and who was the one who made a mistake.

Let's go over Rei's past for a minute. She:

Grew up in an environment that was at the best neglectful and at the worst abusive

Was sold like an object (and yes this is canon, the Himura Clan canonically sells their children it was a forced marriage, not an arranged marriage)

Married Endeavor and had Touya at 18

Already, she was dealt a shitty hand. Endeavor is also four years older than her, so he was 22 while she was only barely an adult. Even outside her being bought by him, there's a huge power imbalance here. Even if he was polite and nice in the beginning, she was at a major disadvantage in their "relationship."

One of my gripes with Horikoshi and the later parts of the manga is the retcon of the Todoroki past. How Shoto tells the story and how it's portrayed later are very different.

In Shoto's version, Endeavor hit Rei for defending him from Endeavor. In the Touya flashback, she tripped. In Shoto's version, Endeavor only saw his children as means to an end. In the Touya flashback, he's portrayed as caring about them. In Shoto's version, there's a menacing and villainous aura surrounding Endeavor. In the Touya flashback he's portrayed normally.

And this is done to make Endeavor look more sympathetic. Which is bad not only because he was an abuser who doesn't deserve sympathy, it also antagonizes Touya and Rei in the process.

(People could argue that Shoto's love for his mother and young age make him an unreliable narrator. But to me this is dismissing the victim. Shoto might have been young, but he recalls enough to tell it in excruciating detail. It was a huge part of his life and writing it off like that does him a disservice)

So there are two instances specifically that people demonize Rei for.

1. Shoto's Burn

Now this is the one that is her responsibility. My thing is though... No one ever said it wasn't? Least of all Rei herself. Once she saw Shoto again, she immediately apologized. During the event itself, she realized what she did and broke down and tried to fix it. She also spent 10 years in asylum paying for what she did (which is more consequence than Endeavor faced btw).

The thing no one seems to acknowledge about this is that this didn't come from nowhere. She didn't do what she did out of cruelty or hatred towards her son. She did it because Endeavor had abused her to the point of insanity. To the point where even seeing them in her kids' faces caused her to have a complete mental breakdown. Which is understandable due to the physical, verbal, financial, and sexual abuse he was putting her through.

You know, there's an irl story like this. A woman was suffering from severe PPD and other mental issues after having four kids I think it was. Doctors and everyone repeatedly told her husband that she souldn't have more kids. He didn't listen (I'm not sure if SA was involved here but I'm inclined to believe it was) and they continued to have more. Eventually one day she snapped and killed her children.

PPD is seriously dangerous when it's left untreated, even worse when that isn't the only thing going on. Rei was no doubt suffering from the ramifications of that, but on top of everything else Endeavor out her through I can't believe she didn't break earlier.

2. Touya's Situation

It baffles that people find it in themselves to blame Rei but feel sympathy towards Endeavor over Touya.

Because on top of every instance of abuse I mentioned above, Rei was also taking care of four kids completely by herself. That would be hard even without her own and Touya's mental issues.

From the manga panel I provided, she was the only one between her and Endeavor taking Touya's mental well-being seriously. She knew how having more kids would affect him and she was right. She was the one who had to deal with Touya lashing out when Endeavor ignored him (which also contributed to her breaking down and burning Shoto due to Touya emulating Endeavor).

Rei is a character who's been judged so unfairly. Partly because Endeavor fanboys, partly because Dabi/Shoto fangirls, and completely because of the misogyny that runs rampant in this fandom. She deserved so much better.

I have a fic giving Rei the justice she deserves if anyone's interested. It features my OC who happens to be Rei's quirkless younger sister. Give it a read if you want

[vimara00]

Hello everyone, It's Vi! 💕 I had some 'Shoto vibes' today so I decided to write something about him. As always I hope you enjoy! Please comment, like or send me requests on my DMs (I don't know how it's called on Tumblr jajaja)

All characters reservations yo Horikoshi

Warnings: toxic relationship (not with Shoto) and swearing but fluff💕

~Always~ ShotoTodoroki

• Shoto and y/n had been friends since they entered the UA. Well, actually that's not so true...it took time for Todoroki to get used to others but the more he knew her, the more the walls he had put around himself where trembling down. It was a slow process but Shoto realized his days were better when she's around and that he smiled more just at the thought of seeing s/o but those things had nothing to do with his growing feelings for her...right?! He indeed liked her as more that a friend but she wasn't supposed to know about this till it was too much for his heart to take

• One of the reasons He never made a move (a part from being a coward) was because she already had a relationship or more specifically a toxic relationship. For someone who wasn't given enough love and care as a child, he could see miles away how terribly it was. She was always the one who ended up hurt by the asshole's sharp and cruel words, the one who took to much space and time and that would never be enough for him not matter how much she tried. He treated her as something that belonged to him, something he could show off to his stupid friends. He had so much power over her when he laughed about her dreams of becoming a hero in front of everyone saying he'll let her play the heroine but they all know she'll be just his pretty wife. And everyone was laughing, except her and Shoto, who wanted to throw up.

• With all he might, Todoroki wished to take her out of that relationship (and burn that idiot alive but that wasn't too heroic, was it?). However, y/n, who had such a beautiful soul, too kind for this world and even more kinder for that man, always ended up forgiving him and justifying his actions after the promises that 'he'll change, he'll grow, he'll be better' (quoting Maddie here hehehe)

Shoto had witnessed how abusive behaviors and unhealthy relationships could take an amazing woman to madness and he'd known that even if that asshole didn't fiscally abuse her, his words caught deeper than a knife. She tried so much to hide her low self-esteem but Shoto knew her better than she knew herself. He could see behind that fake smile and those eyes filled with sadness, how much she struggled to save her soul. At first, he had tried to convince her about leaving him but the last few weeks he came up with the idea of showing her how she should be treated. Not only the material things but the acts of service like making her favorite tea when she was studying or heating her hand when she was cold and the attention her boyfriend lacks off giving like just listening what her worries were or how her day went and remembering all she'd said by heart. It actually was not much work, he already did that but he added more enfasis to the lingering touches that she seemed to reciprocate. Shoto was sure she noticed his longing stares when they were watching a movie or how his hand always found hers when they were in a crowd room (cause he knows she hates being surrounded by many people) or the blushing mess he became when she'd found staring for too long. Todoroki could tell something in their friendship was changing and he couldn't be happier if it werent for the fact that the dickhead was still present in her life...

• However, He had enough when one night in particular that idiot decided to visit at the doorms and ruin their weekly movie marathon (the one Shoto and y/n always did in the common area when everyone was already sleeping but her boyfriend didn't have to know that she cuddle him under the covers that they shared) Apparently, he had important news to deliver so he proceeds to enlighten the mood by saying that he was offered an amazing job abroad and that she didn't have to keep on attending to that worthless school with those wannabe heroes and that she needed to hurry cause their plane leaves in three hours. Y/n open her mouth to protest but he interrupted her like always. To that idiot surprise and Shoto's too, y/n took a few steps closer to him and shouted 'STOP FUCKING TALKING! I'M TIRED OF YOU AND YOUR TWISTED GAMES. STOP LAUGHING ABOUT MY DREAMS AND MAKING ME FEEL LIKE I'M THE PROBLEM WHEN I COMPLAIN. I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU! I'VE TOLERED TO MUCH OF YOUR BULLSHIT. I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING THAT I LOVE YOU CAUSE I DON'T. AND I WON'T GO ANYWHERE WITH YOU EVEN IF YOU WHERE THE LAST MAN OF EARTH. SOMEONE HAS ALREADY TOOK THE PLACE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD IN MY HEART AND SHOWED ME THAT I'M WORTH LOVING SO FUCK YOU!'

The room was silent and Shoto took this opportunity to grabbed that asshole and take him out the residence. Y/n will never know as Shoto would take it to the grave, that he had frightened her ex so he'll never come closer or even breath the same air as her EVER again

When he entered, he saw her trembling figure and the tears rolling down her cheecks and all he could do was embrace her body in hope of giving some comfort. Her face was against his chest as he caressed her hair delicately. Suddenly, she looked up at him and said 'I know its bad...you don't need to save me but would you stay by my side even after the storm?'

And Shoto responded firmly without a pause and without a doubt but with his entire being 'Always' and hugged her even harder

• A few days later, after things had calmed down, he confronted her about what she'd said and she confessed to him even if she wasn't sure that he'll reciprocate, she was glad that she found someone as great as him to love.

Shoto's had enough time to figured out exactly what he felt towards her so he make it his life mission to show her every day why he was worth of her love. No one will ever hurt her ever again and God forgive who'll try...

[lilybecca1]

Is it just me or does this whole thing feel...odd, for some reason?

The new art style feels weird, it looks like fanmade, it just looks off. And the new scenes too. I know we were all crashing out yesterday, but now that some time has passed I'm kind of starting to realize how strange the whole thing is. Even if it does turn out to be official, I think I would have no problem straight up ignoring the ending, because it just...doesn't make sense. There was no buildup to it, the ending disregarded the entire character development of more than one characters and put a random ship in the last scene as if the entire manga revolved around that ship. It looked like the big epiphany moment of a shonen romance manga, except this isn't a shonen romance manga and their chemistry never came close to that in the entire story.

So I don't know guys, but I'm doubtful about this whole thing, because it makes no sense, it's not even diabolical, it's just straight up nonsense to give the manga this ending when it has literally nothing to do with the story. This is either fake or Jump made Horikoshi change the epilogue last minute, basically meaning that we can disregard it because that's now how the manga should have ended. I'm not saying another ship should have become canon or anything like that, all I'm saying is that usually the ending of books, stories, mangas actually make sense for the story. Because that's how an ending SHOULD be, it should be a conclusion that well...concludes the entire story. So even if the leaks aren't fake, I think we do very well have a right to disregard it.

Because just imagine if Attack on Titan ended with a date or some romantic shit...or a high school anime ended with an alien invasion...like that is NOT what the story is about, that's just straight up stupid and makes no sense.

Remember, even if something is technically canon, it does not mean that it's what makes the most sense to the actual canon story.

The original ending would have been the second movie's ending where Izuku gives Katsuki OFA, and rn that feels like it would have been much more true to their character and development than what the epilogue did to them. The amount of nonchalance that the epilogue gave to some of the KEY development aspects in the entire manga was outrageous.

So at this point, all I can say is this: we, the fandom are the ones that know these characters the best, that know what they deserve, because WE are the ones who have been with them through thick and thin, who have witnessed their development and who can see what they are truly worth. A random ass epilogue is not going to ruin that for us. The ending is not what the characters deserved, and especially not what we deserved as a fandom.

The beauty of a fandom is that we all have been inspired by the stories, the characters, have made our own headcanons about them and created such wonderful fanfictions and art that make the original story 10 times better than it actually is. The fandom is what keeps a story alive, and this epilogue will not change that, and please, for God's sake, don't let this divide the fandom and turn us against each other!!! Let's stay respectful and let's keep creating masterpieces and continue on even after the manga's "death". It's the journey that matters, not the ending!

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Incomplete list of changes I would make to mha if god gave me the ability to do so

So

Shinso is Midoriya’s main rival/foil among his classmates and actually gets a proper arc, Shigiraki can continue to be his villain rival

No Bakugo, he’s not plot relevant at all after the first episode. We will vaguely refer back to him in the final season with a shot of him staring at one of Deku’s battles from like a store or something but that’s it I want him gone

Female Shouto Todoroki

Also less in the whole Todoroki family arc about how sad Endeavour is that his family hates him for abusing them for their whole lives and more about the Todosibs complicated relationships with each other and Rei

No villains for the entire first season its just focused on UA, the competitive environment and how Izuku adapts to that and also his blossoming friendships

No Toga Ochako foil, there’s no reason for them to be foils sans ‘girl’. Idk develop that one gas villain (Mustard?) or whatever and have him be Ochako’s foil

Give Toga a proper character about self identity or whatever instead of just that love bullshit, idk she can foil someone else, I like villain hero foils but Ochako Toga was not it for me

The first villain the UA kids would fight is Stain. This isn’t just bc the Stain arc is one of my personal favorites, but I think it would be a cool transition between a mainly school focused 1st and partially 2nd season that would mainly worldbuild and get us into hero society and graducally exposing the flaws in that society. Given the LoV are basically just a bunch of people who are the result of the cracks in hero society I think it would be a nice seguway

Also Iida Tensi should actually be a corrupt hero.

Stain Iida parallels!!

Aizawa is actually forced to realize he’s a shitty teacher and has to undergo a character arc to be nicer to the people around him and realize that trauma does not make people stronger, it didn’t for him and it won’t for his students

Midnight is given development as a mentor and hero beyond boob jokes and dying

Also, like... if you want to make Mineta a character people don’t want to see die the second he’s on screen just have him gradually grow out of being so perverted?? Like a joke here or there is okay I guess but as the series goes on he should also get development lmao

Significantly more of 1A and 1B should be from hero families. Nepotism baybee.

More focus on some of the topics in heroism set up earlier in the series, like how heroes are paid based on who gets credit for taking down a villain and things like public image and charisma and how that allows for more corruption to fester

Either develop Aoyama more and make us care about him or make someone else (ie Ochako, refer back to my ‘why Ochako should have been the UA traitor post) the traitor who we actually care about

Keep Izuku analyzing quirks jesus fuck let him think instead of just be a plot device

More worldbuilding in general tbh

Let at least some of 1A ultimately become vigilantes after realizing the system is corrupt and made to benefit the people in power and heroes in this world are just functionally superpowered cops and that’s not the right type of system to see as morally infallible- *I am shot and killed by Horikoshi*

There’s more but I’m tired, please add at your wish

[poppy5991]

MHA Meta: Negative with the Public in Disasters & Early PTSD in First Responders

Ok, so MHA really nails this one in a way that most shows do not! When you work in disaster situations, you will see humanity at its best and at its worst! On the news, you will mostly see feel good stories, but yeah stressful situations bring out the bad in people. And that’s traumatizing to witness.

Some real life examples of common occurrences:

Harassment, Threats, & Violence Against Responders and Volunteers by angry public or conspiracy theorists

People deliberately abandoning their children or elderly relatives at disaster shelters

People attempting to steal purebred or particularly cute dogs from disaster pet shelters by falsely claiming ownership

Media and random civilians trying to sneak photos of injured, sick, or deceased persons

In my experience, witnessing horrible behavior is more traumatizing than what you would expect to witness on the job. You are trained with how to cope with injury/illness/death. Not so much the general horrors of humanity.

It’s a very bizarre experience to be treated as a ‘hero’ in one respect while also being treated very poorly by the public that you are meant to be helping. You take a lot of the brunt of anger over problems caused at an institutional level way above your head.

A LOT of us (including me) experienced death threats and threats of violence to our faces doing COVID work. As well as straight up belligerence.

My trauma therapist used to work with combat vets and would say that her pandemic responder patients reminded her heavily of her work with Vietnam veterans. Because the trauma was chronic and focused heavily on ‘I’ve seen what humanity is capable of and it’s horrifying.’

People dying of the virus was not the main trauma, it was how the public reacted around it.

So the trash throwing scenes hit me right in the stomach.

And if you wanted the perfect visual metaphor of what this feels like, it’s this:

To see Deku who is carrying the entire burden. Overworked and exhausted. Being pulled apart in a million different directions by a mob.

And he is losing parts of himself to the work he is doing. I mean the apathy and horror in his eyes says it all.

Deku is displaying very early signs of PTSD: self-isolation, pushing others away, refusing to rest, overwork, refusing to talk about his experiences (avoidance)

AND the belief that you cannot share the burden with others because it is too heavy/dark/traumatizing.

Now let’s talk about All Might and what he unconsciously taught Deku. All Might is a singular symbol of peace, but this is achieved through extreme overwork, keeping secrets to himself, not trusting or confiding in others, and even working through near fatal injuries.

Opposed to that, we get this new narrative- that nothing can be accomplished alone. Deku has to rely on both the former users and his loved ones/colleagues. It’s not sustainable or healthy to bear all the burden alone. This is what Nighteye kept trying to warn All Might about.

And he finally realizes it with the heartbreaking bento scene.

But the recurring beauty of MHA is its appeal for two things: Empathy and Connection.

We get the reunion of class 1A. This forces Deku to share the burden of his experiences with peers, to rest physically, and to receive support.

And Uraraka pleads with the public for empathy; a reminder that heroes are human. And to please treat them with humanity.

So Horikoshi’s message is kind of two-fold: Trauma is a burden that can’t be endured alone AND the solution to society’s problems is empathy for others.

[haleigh-sloth]

Honestly I think people don’t realize is alot of the leaks are scan of another scan and if you ever pick up a shounen jump mag the paper is cheap so for rukasa he going by what he can see it why we can’t see the art very well and when the offical drops things change sometimes and before the scans used to be in korean or mandarin like it happen alot during the naruto fandom so it like Japanese to korean to English I don’t think translator mess up on purpose

Idk about translations, I try not to comment on them too much because I do not read Japanese. I’ll bitch about Caleb making a line sound incredibly stupid, but I really TRY to keep it limited to that. But the summaries are a different story, they are routinely just not great.

Sometimes it almost feels deliberate toward Todoroki chapters, like consistently. And sometimes things get pulled out of absolutely nowhere and it’s a question as to why that was even put in a summary in the first place.

However, honestly, it’s less annoying that the summaries suck and more annoying that people don’t even try to stop and wait for better translations and then take the summary as THE chapter. Rukasu even today posted saying please don’t do that, because you’re not reading the manga at all by going off of that. But yet, people still do it. I’ve learned my lesson to take everything in a summary that sounds questionable, as something that needs clarification. Almost every single time I feel that way, it turns out to be something different later. For example the line from Natsuo, I knew it couldn’t have been the way it was described in the summary. And I was right to wait for an actual translation and not just go off of the summary.

But people don’t do that, a LARGE group of people, at that. And it erupts into the most annoying fandom discourse ever seen.

And I’ve commented on this before, but people acting like the leakers’ opinions are descended from Horikoshi himself is also pretty bad annoying, because idk if people have noticed but the leakers are pretty fuck awful at predicting things correctly.

I don’t have comments on Rukasu’s or anyone’s translating skills, but when the summaries are so bad that the full chapter feels like a completely different story I feel people can be annoyed.

However! The leaks are a free service. Which is why I keep my annoyance limited to myself and my friends. I don’t comment on the leakers’ posts, bring attention to them in a negative way. I leave it as is. I understand people don’t do that, but they should. Just let it go. Or maybe read the full chapter.

[agentark88]

Think: An Explosive Ending

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not claim any ownership of characters present in this piece that are owned and created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia.

Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, and violence.

(Ending 1 of 8)

An Explosive Ending

You couldn’t move. You stared back at a Shigaraki possessed by All for One. In this form, he was beyond your worst nightmares. With a flick of his finger, he could disintegrate you. All your fears came rushing back. You quivered in fear.

“Out of the way,” All for One said. He lifted Shigaraki’s hand, and your chest tightened.

No. Please no. It was all you could do not to collapse to the ground, holding yourself. Please stop. Stop hurting people.

Shigaraki’s outstretched hand wavered. Your hands moved to your head, clutching your mind with your fingertips. You’d used your quirk without your control again. The words in your mind were being streamlined out.

“This can easily be remedied if you just stand aside. You’re wasting my time with such ridiculous pleas,” All for One said. He lifted Shigaraki’s hand again.

You shut your eyes, unable to move out of fear and your malfunctioning quirk. You trembled, resigning yourself to your fate.

An explosion rattled Gigantomachia. A ringing penetrated your ears, and heat washed through you. Wind rushed past you.

“I won’t let you touch her!” Bakugo bellowed. It was a miracle he was still standing. He’d gone unconscious several times since he’d been stabbed in the chest, yet here he was still protecting you. His arm came around you, and he ushered you back, barely standing on his own. “Go, Big Brain. This isn’t your fight. It’s that Damn Nerds’ and my responsibility.”

Bakugo suddenly coughed out blood, and you gasped.

“What are you talking about?! Neither you nor Deku can even stand up straight. How do you expect to stop him like this?” you asked.

“I expect to keep you safe, like I promised,” Katsuki said through clenched teeth. “Now, get out of here. You’re the last person I ever want to get injured,” he murmured.

“I haven’t even…” you trailed off. You hadn’t even gotten to fight Shigaraki. You were too scared to fight him. Just the sight of him dredged up the past. All for One’s presence in his body only made it worse. With Bakugo in front of you now, you realized an even more horrifying reality ahead of you.

“Go,” Bakugo snapped, staggering.

The nightmare. All those weeks, no months, ago you saw him disintegrate in your arms. You watched him turn to ash, felt Katsuki dissipate into the wind.

“Why won’t you just die?” Shigaraki asked. That was his voice, not All for One’s. Had he fought through? He raised his hand again. The air stilled. Spikes of red and black energy raced from his fingertips.

Bakugo shoved you behind him, raising his own palm. Your quirk fired, rushing around you and Katsuki as you realized his explosion wasn’t even going to go off. Was he out of sweat? Did he intend on sacrificing himself for you? The strands of energy pierced through your mind shield but only by a crack, unable to completely break through. You gritted your teeth, fighting through the mind-splitting migraine twisting through your temple.

Bakugo doubled over, another burst of blood coming from his lips. “No, dammit. I need to protect her. Stupid body.” He clutched at his chest. His eyes were shutting on their own.

Your eyes widened as you were struck from behind. You yelped out in pain. Shigaraki had missed everything important, but he had hit your shoulder. Your mind whipped out, taking the quirk energy between two different strands and snapping it. You tried not to look at the damage to your shoulder, but your glittering hero costume was already turning crimson.

You turned your gaze back on Katsuki, and rage lit up his expression. Explosions burst to life in his palms, as he observed the wound that had been inflicted on you while beside him.

“That Bastard will die for that,” he seethed.

“Katsuki, you can’t—”

Bakugo was gone before the next word came out of your mouth. You clutched at your dripping wound, watching in awe as Katsuki unloaded an onslaught of explosions the equivalent to the impact of fifty missiles. The Nomus headed up the hill were even struck by the impressive display, delaying their objective to retrieve their master.

A fog of harsh black and gray smoke clouded the area. Katsuki landed beside you, taking a knee to keep conscious and wheezing ferally beside you. Shigaraki emerged from the smoke, unharmed. His posture had changed again. All for One had taken back control.

“I’ve had just about enough of your interferences, Katsuki Bakugo.” All for One cracked his neck. “I will finish what my successor started.”

Bakugo continued to push you back as All for One got closer. Katsuki was practically falling into you. At this point, Katsuki didn’t even have the power to speak. All for One would kill him if he got his hands on him. All for One reached Shigaraki’s hand out to place it on Bakugo, and your quirk snapped.

Your quirk launched at the villain, hitting his hand with such force that it broke Shigaraki’s wrist. You screamed as you felt the strand of your mind decay from being touched. But, your self-survivalist quirk had already detached the strand so it wouldn’t destroy your mind along with it. Another part of your mind snapped over the shattered area in your brain. Pain resurfaced again. Bakugo grabbed for you. You shivered in his arms.

The Nomus finally made it up the hill, streaming past both of you with one task in mind. They grabbed Shigaraki, retreating. Katsuki moved from you to pursue him, but he didn’t make it far. He collapsed beside you. You weakly put out your hand to touch him, ensure that he was still alive. Then, you passed out.

…

When you woke up, Heart of Hearts informed you that days had passed. Still, you had been considered one of the luckier ones. Deku and Bakugo hadn’t woken up yet, both recovering from severe injuries.

You stayed by Katsuki’s side as long as they would let you. His entire chest was bandaged. There were hundreds of tiny wires and machines hooked up to him. You’d oftentimes bring him spicy food: chips, noodle cups, and chocolate. The pile was getting extensive beside his bed. You had even bought a small orange bear for him. You were holding the small stuffed animal in your lap now, watching Bakugo continue to sleep and wondering if his eyes would ever open.

“I’m sorry,” you said, clutching the bear closer to your chest. “If I wasn’t so scared to fight, maybe you’d already be awake.” You leaned forward, frowning. “You know that you don’t have to always protect me, right? I know I’m a mess, and I’m clumsy, but…” You teared up, waiting for his grouchy response, but he remained unconscious. “I don’t know what to do without you, Katsuki.” You sniffled, wiping your nose with the back of your hand.

You wondered what he’d say to you now, probably something about using a tissue, or he’d tell you to throw out all that junk food you’d bought him. You turned the orange bear around, holding it out and looking down at its unmoving content expression. Would he even like this?

You set the bear to the side, almost knocking over the other small gifts when you set him atop them. You placed your face in your hands, letting out the tears that seemed to stream endlessly these days. Inconsolable had been the best word to describe your demeanor. Without Katsuki, you felt so alone.

“Anna?”

You froze, fingers coming away from your face as if you’d heard a ghost. “Katsuki?”

Bakugo blinked at you, already shifting restlessly in his hospital bed. He winced, putting a hand to his chest when he tried to get up.

“D-Don’t move,” you stuttered out. “You’ve been in a coma. You were unconscious for weeks.”

Bakugo’s eyes widened. “Weeks?” he asked. He gritted his teeth.

You nodded your head, already blubbering again. You relentlessly wiped away the tears. “I was so scared you weren’t going to wake up,” you murmured. You leapt up from your chair, throwing your arms around him.

Katsuki grunted from the impact but managed to hold you all the same. “Don’t cry,” he grumbled, placing his hand softly on the back of your head. “I told you that I’ll always be there to protect you. I can’t really do that if I’m freaking dead, now can I?”

You shook your head no, trying to avoid pressing on any of his injuries. He stroked your hair, clicking his tongue. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, and you blushed. You didn’t dare pull away, in fear that you might lose him again.

Katsuki patiently waited until you stopped crying, then his hand paused atop your head. You felt him turn.

“What the hell is all that crap?” he asked.

You chuckled, nuzzling into him. “I might have gone a little overboard bringing you gifts.”

“A little is an understatement…” he trailed off, and you turned your gaze up to him.

“What?” you asked.

“The bear. What’s his name?”

You looked at him in confusion.

“You bought me a bear. Don’t tell me that you didn’t even give it a name.” He rolled his eyes, reaching his hand out toward it.

You took the hint and grabbed it, bringing it over to him. He took it, setting it beside him.

“Y-you like him?” you asked in surprise.

“Of course, I like him. You got him for me. Besides, at least he’s not crappy for my health. And, he’s my favorite color,” Bakugo said.

You wiggled your eyebrows mischievously, while thinking about giving the bear a name. You bounced up and down in place out of excitement. “What about Bakubear?”

“Hell no,” Katsuki snapped. “He needs a badass name.”

You put your finger to your chin. “What about Sidekick Explosion Murder Bear?”

“Now, that’s a name for a bear.” Bakugo squeezed the bear with one hand a little too hard. Its tiny body could hardly stand on its own.

You and Bakugo suddenly looked up at each other. His gaze softened.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said gently.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” you said back.

There was a long pause. Katsuki shifted again. His ears grew crimson in color. “I hope you know that I love you.”

Your eyes widened. You blushed just as hard, clearing your throat and finding it difficult to look back up at him. “I-I love you too.”

…Eight Years Later…

“Do we really have to stay the whole time?” Katsuki grumbled, loosening his bowtie for the fifth time that night. “I don’t want to sit here and lose to that Damn Nerd again.”

Your husband, Katsuki Bakugo, had been working so hard to achieve his dream of becoming the number one hero, but with Pro Heroes like Deku, it’s been sort of difficult for him to gain traction in his popularity. Overall, Katsuki had grown so much since the two of you graduated from U.A.. With a little PR training, he had started to treat his fans with a little less hostility, but you always felt like it was a part of his charm.

“I’ve got a good feeling about this one,” you said, leaning forward in your chair. You were being honest. Recently, Katsuki’s ratings had skyrocketed. The two of you had been out on patrol more often together, and you were able to keep him pretty calm around his fans. Meanwhile, he had also made some major breakthroughs with villain arrests. His entire sector had been crime free for weeks now.

Katsuki’s eyes scanned you over. You were wearing a long orange sparkly dress in support of him for the hero rankings today. His mother had graciously allowed you to wear one of her designs. Unfortunately, it was a little too suggestive for your liking. There was a rather large slit up the side and the back was exposed. You were trying to be very careful with how you sat, but your leg kept slipping out of the fold. You fixed the fabric again, and Katsuki’s hand fell onto yours.

“Anna, you look stunning. You don’t need to be so self-conscious,” he murmured under his breath.

You gulped, trying to hide your flushed cheeks from him. “Thank you. It’s a little too revealing in my opinion, but I’m thankful that I could wear something so fancy for the occasion. It was nice of your mom to let me borrow it.”

Katsuki sighed. “Can’t believe you went to her for an outfit. Makes me think you don’t like when I surprise you.” He crossed his arms, staring up at the stage. They were droning on and on about what the Pro Heroes had been able to accomplish, and some speeches were going on far longer than they should have been. Katsuki had checked out by the sixth person called.

“It’s an honor to be invited at least,” you said, shrugging and staring at his bored expression. “At least you know you made it in the top ten.” You were trying your best to stay positive. He deserved to be at the top. He shouldn’t always be so hard on himself.

Katsuki shrugged, gazing back at you. “I’d much rather spend this time off of patrol with you… alone… at the house…” He smirked at you, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

You rolled your eyes at him, blushing. “Sure, I’d rather be cuddling up and watching a movie than here too, but you have to be a little excited to find out the results.”

“What does it matter?” He put his head down on the table over his arm. He reached out and held your hand with his free one. “I’m always second anyway. Come on. We can slip out unnoticed if we go now.”

“You’re not going to go to the stage? Won’t that mess up the ceremony?”

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Like I care if I mess up some stuffy ceremony.”

Your gaze shifted, and you caught sight of Deku making his way up to the stage. Wait, what number had they called?

“Come on. Let’s play hooky together,” Katsuki said.

“Wait…” you said, attention shifting up to the front.

“…and the number one Pro Hero this year is Katsuki Bakugo!” the announcer bellowed.

Your eyes widened, and you jumped up in excitement. Katsuki stared at you in confusion. He mustn’t have even heard the announcement. You gripped his arm, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“You did it, Katsuki.” You pulled him up from his chair, pressing a kiss to his cheek and encouraging him to go to the stage.

He was still confused even as the rest of the room was cheering him on.

“The hell?” he asked.

“You’re number one, Katsuki,” you said, grinning.

“Congratulations, Bakubro. Better get to the stage before someone else swoops in and takes your spot,” Red Riot said, clapping his old pal on the back.

“I did it?” Katsuki asked incredulously. He started to put together what had actually happened. Then, he put on a smirk. “Of course, I did it. Those damn Extras don’t have anything on me.”

Your smile wavered as your husband made his way to the stage. You hoped for his ranking’s sake that he would keep to the PR script, but you really wanted him to just be himself and enjoy the moment. Regardless, his speech would most likely have his explosive flare to it. He’d worked so hard, and you were so proud. You were sure his PR team members were already wringing their hands in worry backstage.

Katsuki took the mic with a sardonic grin. The room grew quiet as he was about to speak. “It’s about time,” he started. He cleared his throat, looking at you in the crowd. “I’d like to start out by thanking you for the support you’ve given me and my agency. I wouldn’t be standing here today without you…”

Well, at least he remembered his script, but it didn’t really feel authentically him.

“…Anna. My beautiful, thoughtful, and intelligent wife is the reason I’m standing here in front of all of you, today. Without her getting me through these boring ass functions, I would never have been standing here.” He gestured out to you in the crowd, and you swore your glasses were fogging up from heated embarrassment. Now, it was definitely more on brand for him, unpredictable and outspoken. Katsuki chuckled. “Can’t say that I didn’t know it would happen eventually. I knew I’d be number one.”

Katsuki tossed the mic behind him, and the host looked shocked and confused. Katsuki then proceeded to give Deku the middle finger, sticking his tongue out at him. Deku simply gave him an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Katsuki made a beeline for where you were standing, wading through the astonished crowd. When Katsuki reached you, he gave you a long breathtaking kiss. You blinked up at him in a daze.

“That was certainly a speech,” you said. “I’m not sure PR would approve.”

“There’s only one person I’ve got to worry about for approval, and it sure as hell aren’t those nerds. I didn’t get to be number one by doing what the PR team wanted me to do.” He stroked your cheek with his thumb. His gaze softened. “Now, let’s go home. I’ve got a whole year to celebrate my victory, and I don’t intend to spend it in this monkey suit around these Extras.”