Fic: A Hero’s Welcome

For: @twinstarsweek​

Pairing: BakuDeku

Day One Prompt: Stargazing/Blood/Blankets/Childhood

Warnings: Blood, Violence, Smut, Angst, Comfort, One-Shot

Summary: It’s cool. This life is cool. This moment is cool. He and Kacchan are cool, so cool. Their younger selves would be so proud of them, so excited about the bruises and near death experiences in their future. They’ve become the heroes they grew up watching on television, and really, it’s cool, the absolute coolest.

[Or: Being a hero isn’t as cool as they make it out to be]

Snippet: The first time Izuku Midoriya bleeds real bad is when he’s four years old. He comes home after spending the day with resident cool kid, Katsuki Bakugou, knees scraped and his front tooth in his pocket instead of his mouth. His mother panics and tells him that he’s not allowed to hang around that Katsuki boy for a week, which in kid terms is longer than forever. Izuku tries to put the blame on himself, says that he knew he shouldn’t have gone into the closed off area but he’d followed along because Kacchan is amazing!

Mama Midoriya doesn’t care. One week. End of story.

That’s when young Midoriya learns that people generally are opposed to seeing blood. It’s a sign of violence, of unspeakable pain and hurt that you try your best to avoid. 

But when he sees Katsuki at school he’s got a scar on his forehead that he’s bragging about, the kids in awe over the injury. To him, it’s a sign of toughness, of overcoming obstacles and coming out on top. Heroes bleed and collect bruises like stamps, and the greatest one of all does it with a smile on his face.

That childish notion is one Izuku clings to when facing off against a particularly nasty villain.

Read the rest over at A03!