章 14: Of Course, Dear

The Villain was indeed still in his house when Shouta returned.

In fact, he was there by his side every day.

Whether or not Shouta left, Izuku was there next to him.

That was, of course, Nezu's plan in keeping an eye on Izuku, but personally Shouta didn't think that it was that great an idea.

Other than making it harder for Shouta to get a hold of his feelings, he thought that the Villain was sneaky enough that he could be doing bad things while Shouta was unaware.

…Not that he did, of course. The Villain had even gone as far as showing him his call history and his every text as if he was a puppy waiting for approval from his master.

He even accompanied him when he was taking a bath to prove that he 'wasn't hiding anything'.

Shouta scoffed. Wasn't hiding anything indeed.

He really wasn't hiding his ulterior motives. That's what he wasn't hiding.

Shouta originally made to ignore that request of his, but he gave in in the end.

…He really was growing weaker. He wondered if it was because of the time he spent as a cat? He seemed more prone to following his feelings instead of rational thought.

School was starting, which was something that just added to his worries at this point. What should he do with the Villain that wouldn't leave him alone?

Izuku kept flirting with him, and it was doing things to him. Things that he'd never allowed himself to consider before this.

…Noticed it, have you? Even in the sanctuary of his own thoughts, he could no longer refer to the Villain as 'Midoriya' so easily. His mind just kept slipping until the Hero gave up on it altogether.

His tried to steel his heart, but every time, Izuku would do something that reminded him of the time when he played with him in his cat form, and his heart couldn't help but soften.

Shouta smacked his forehead. Where did the unfeeling and logical Eraserhead go?

Izuku took his hand, it was only then that he realized that the other man had entered his room without him noticing.

Thinking about how he had probably seen Shouta smack his own head, the Hero's cheeks pinked a little.

"…Let go."

Midoriya didn't let go, but instead tightened his fingers. The flush spread up Shouta's cheeks, and the Hero had to force it down.

Just as Shouta was about to take back his hand, Izuku bent over it, brushing his lips over his fingertips softly.

Shouta froze.

"Don't bully yourself. The only person that's allowed to bully you is me."

Izuku smirked at Shouta and the Hero cursed the traitorous blood that rushed to his face.

He swore that he wasn't this weak before the Villain's inclusion into his life!

How could he think that the Villain was handsome like this! It was like some cliché flirting out of a badly written romance novel!

Still, Shouta would likely have punched anyone else in the face, but with Izuku, he only felt a smattering of annoyance that was mixed with affection.

"What's up? You need help?" Izuku asked, sitting on the edge of his chair. He leaned down, placing his chin on the Hero's shoulder.

"No." Shouta gently pushed away the Villain's head.

Izuku pouted a little but didn't push it. He knew that there were things that the Hero still didn't feel comfortable with him looking at. He really had given up his life of crime. Now he just had to convince the Hero to take a chance on him.

…Or had he already? Izuku smirked, nuzzling the back of the Hero's neck.

Shouta squirmed a little in his seat, reminding Izuku of the way his Nekozawa had squirmed adorably whenever he teased him.

Izuku reached out and took a silky lock between his fingers, rubbing it. He combed the Hero's hair, and Shouta all but melted into his embrace.

Izuku hid a smile.

He wondered if Shouta realized he reacted so much like he did as a cat. But even if he didn't realize, Izuku wasn't going to bring it up with him. After all, he was trying to win the other man's heart, not drive him away.

Shouta seemed to snap out of it eventually, pushing him away. "Stop that."

"But you enjoy it so much."

Shouta glared at Izuku, not that it fazed the Villain any.

The Hero sighed. "Later, alright?"

"Fine," Izuku acquiesced. "What's got you in such a mood, though?"

Shouta fell silent. Though Nezu didn't forbid him from telling Izuku about anything to do with the upcoming generation of Heroes, the man himself didn't know whether or not he trusted the Villain with such information.

Izuku wisely backed off, seeing the wariness on the man's face. He didn't like that he'd put such an expression there, and it made him feel a little bitter.

Shouta seemed to realize what he was feeling, because he made an apologetic expression – or as apologetic as the Hero got, anyway.

Izuku shrugged showing that he didn't take any offense. He had indeed been a Villain, but he made sure to never touch those who were underage. Instead, Izuku had been a Villain for the thrill of it.

The mainly dealt in information, cons and white-collar crime, but that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy the occasional bout with Heroes.

He made sure to never injure too badly, but that didn't mean that he hadn't killed his fair share of notorious Villains. Of course, he never harmed an innocent.

Izuku wasn't a good man, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a bottom line.

And if the man he was courting needed him to be a good person, well, Izuku could pretend like no one else.

He could let go of his urges for violence and use it in a more productive way, if permitted.

He rather looked forward to the day where he would get to fight alongside the notorious Hero Eraserhead instead of against him.

Just the thought of it sent his blood into a frenzy.

Izuku just barely bit back the crazy grin at the thought in time for him to catch Shouta's little sigh. The Hero's black eyes studied him and seemed to come to a decision.

"Don't make me regret this."

Izuku grinned and pressed a chaste kiss to the Hero's cheek. "Of course not," he breathed.

Shouta's cheek flushed adorably again, and he glared at the Villain lightly. "Don't push your luck. I only trust you as far as I can throw you right now."

"Of course, dear."

"Don't call me that."