Izuku's phone chime sent a dread-filled shiver down his spine. Not many people had his number and usually a text meant terrible news. Imagine his surprise when it was an unsaved number. 

Unknown~

You went into hiding for seven years and didn't change your number? Really lightning bug? 

A constricted breath loosened from his chest once he saw the familiar nickname. Hanta had changed his number over the years since Izuku still had his old one saved. He supposed it was finally time to delete it. 

Now came the hard part, deciding whether to answer the pro hero or not. The last time they'd seen each other had thrown Izuku for a loop. He'd never expected to see Hanta face to face again, let alone get their lives so entangled that the hero was texting him again. Was he supposed to run with it? Was he supposed to let himself be happy, for however long the universe decided before it crashed and burned again? Or was he supposed to fight it to protect not only himself but Hanta as well? 

Before Izuku could decide, Hanta sent another message. 

Unknown~

Did you always keep this number? 

Izuku ran a hand through his hair while rereading the text. Of course, he'd always kept the number, but he knew why Hanta was asking. The first year after Izuku disappeared off the face of the earth, Hanta had texted him no less than a hundred times. It started off as frantic messages, wanting to know where he was, if he was okay, if he was alive, but they slowly faded into something else. Izuku regularly received life updates and pictures, as if he was scrolling through someone's social media feed. He got deep, introspective conversations Hanta seemed to have with himself, since Izuku never replied. He got confession after confession, longing, and pining, heart-wrenching admissions, just about everything you'd expect from a heartbroken teenager. 

With a shaking hand, Izuku typed out a response and hit send before he could change his mind. 

Izuku~

Yes.

Unknown~

That is... so embarrassing

In the middle of Izuku's spiral, Hanta made him smile effortlessly. 

Izuku~

Maybe

Kind of endearing

In like a stalker kind of way

Unknown~

So you're into stalkers now? 

Izuku~

Always have been

You know one time this boy FOLLOWED ME TO MY HOUSE

Just to get me to train him

Pretty stalker behavior if you ask me

Unknown~

Ok I walked right into that one

But in all fairness would you really qualify the compound as your house?

Izuku~

What'd you need tape boy?

Unknown~

Why do you think I need anything? 

Izuku~

People don't text me just to have a chat

They always need something

Unknown~

You really think I texted you because I need something?

What if I just wanted to talk to you? 

Without you acting all dark and brooding?

For the first time in seven years?

What then lightning bug?

Izuku~

Then I'd suggest getting a psych eval

I'm not someone you should WANT to talk to

Unknown~

Didn't we just have this conversation where I openly admitted to not caring about who you are or what you've done because you're still just Izuku?

Was that a fever dream I had?

Izuku~

Must have been

Unknown~

You're the fucking worst

When can I see you again? Preferably not in a life or death situation or having one of my sisters present

Izuku~

Hm

Never? 

Unknown~

Hardy-har-har

Give me a time and place

Izuku~

No

Unknown~

I didn't give up the first time lightning bug

What makes you think you'll win this time?

Izuku~

Because I'm scarier? 

Because I got your sisters and mother kidnapped and held for ransom? 

Because I've killed people? 

Because I attacked a school of defenseless children? 

Do I need to go on?

Unknown~

No you're not

That wasn't your fault for caring about them, really wish you'd stop blaming yourself for having a heart

Your dad and other murderers do not count as killing people, that's a public service

No one got seriously hurt and you were doing it to protect my family, can't exactly be pissed about that anymore

Go on if you feel like it, I'll shut you down every step of the way 

Izuku read and reread those texts like they were gospel. Hanta wasn't kidding about not caring about his crimes, just reaffirmed it. 

He didn't know the extent of those crimes and Izuku decided that he wouldn't find out, not that night anyway. That night, Izuku got to be selfish. That night, Izuku got to sneak out of his house and meet his tape boy on a rooftop. 

Izuku~

The roof in an hour

Unknown~

I'll be there

Izuku pocketed his phone with a sigh. "I know," he mumbled to no one but himself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, I'm here. What'd you want?" Izuku asked as he stood to his full height after landing on the rooftop. He brushed himself off while eyeing Hanta wearily, still sure there had to be some kind of catch. 

"To see you?" Hanta's answer was presented as a question, sounding unsure if it had been a trick question or not. Internally he couldn't help but curse the awkwardness that had taken over them. It had never been like that before, never awkward or unsure, even when Izuku didn't know what a friend was. Why now was there tension?

Izuku crossed his arms, more to shield himself than anything else. "You'll end up dead or arrested for it," he grumbled. Hanta hadn't learned any self-preservation skills during their separation and it was becoming more and more obvious to Izuku. 

"So," Hanta drawled taking a step closer to the shorter man, "I'm trying this new thing where I ignore your cryptic and morose stuff in favor of just being happy you're alive. What'd you think of it?" He wore his lopsided smile that Izuku was always weak to, taking another step and invading the other man's space. 

Izuku knew what he was doing, trying to get him to crack. Unfortunately for the hero, Izuku hadn't cracked in a very long time. He looked up, meeting dark eyes with a dull expression. "I'm surprised you know what morose means." 

Hanta chuckled, bringing a hand to Izuku's face with a delicate touch. "All bark and no bite, lightning bug," he teased, his tone soft and light. 

Izuku huffed, conceding defeat just this once as he leaned further into Hanta's touch. "I wish you cared about your safety just a little bit more," he whispered, the words too dangerous to speak any louder. 

An arm wrapped around Izuku's waist, hugging him closer to Hanta. "Haven't cared about my safety since I was nine. Why do you think I wanted to become a hero?" the taller man joked, laughing quietly in hopes of easing the tension they couldn't seem to shake. 

"And when something happens to you? What then?" Izuku asked, his eyes glaring holes into Hanta's chest. He couldn't bring himself to look the other man in the eyes. 

Hanta shook his head with a frown. Getting injured or killed was part of his job. It was something he'd known and lived with since he first decided to start walking this path. He didn't fear dying, wouldn't be a very good pro if he did. It was just something.... that happened. Eventually. 

It was something he knew that Izuku was well aware of. Being on opposite sides as they were, that was one thing they could agree on. Death happened, there was no stopping it. It was something they both lived with, but he knew that wasn't what Izuku needed to hear. 

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, Iz," he assured softly, his hand moving to brush green hair from Izuku's face. He let an easy smile slip onto his lips as the shorter man finally looked up. "Give me a little more credit. I was trained by the most powerful man in Japan, after all." 

Despite his best efforts, a small smile crossed Izuku's face as he rolled his eyes. "Didn't know Eraserhead was such a big shot now." 

Hanta lightly elbowed him in retaliation. "Take the goddamn compliment." 

"I hear it enough without you giving into it," Izuku complained, flicking the hero's nose lightly. 

"Hey!" 

"Oh, don't be a baby. You can take a punch, that was nothing." 

"It actually hurt a lot, thank you very much." 

"I have literally beaten the shit out of you, flicking you is harmless. You're being a baby." 

Hanta's eyebrows shut up in surprise at Izuku's response. "Oh, so we're gonna talk about that?" he asked, testing the waters. He couldn't lie, it had crossed his mind once or twice to bring up the summer camp, he just never found a good time. He'd never gotten the chance to speak with Izuku afterward. They definitely had a few things to unpack about that night. 

Izuku realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth, but there was no taking them back. What were the odds he could get Hanta to drop it?

He tilted his head with squinted eyes, letting One For All rise to the surface to show off the green lightning that had given him his favorite nickname. "Wanna repeat it?" he asked in a dark and low voice. 

Falling back on fear was an issue Izuku knew he had, but it just worked so well. 

Hanta, being Hanta, laughed in Izuku's face, much to the villain's annoyance. After a few seconds, he composed himself enough to ruffle Izuku's hair. "You're not gonna hurt me, Iz, but I'll drop it just because you want me to." 

"Go fuck yourself," Izuku mumbled, roughly trying to get the hero's hand away from his hair. 

"Awe," Hanta cooed, finally giving up his assault on the green curls. "Don't want to help me?" 

Izuku scoffed at the comeback. "You spend too much time with Kaminari." 

Oops.

Izuku watched as the gears in Hanta's brain spun. "You gonna explain that one or make me guess?" the hero asked after his mind finally caught up. The fact that Izuku could point out his behavior matching his friend whom he'd never met or spoken to was tripping him up just a little. 

Izuku just clenched his jaw and looked anywhere but at Hanta. 

Hanta shook off the small shiver he felt, deciding to ignore it like he did with all of Izuku's other red flags. Instead, he felt... happy? Happy that Izuku cared enough to keep an eye on him. Was that what the warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest was? Little villain is fucking with my head, he thought to himself. 

"Have you been stalking me, lightning bug?" Hanta asked, only slightly disturbed about how ecstatic it would make him feel if the villain said yes. 

"No," Izuku said all too quickly. "I was stalking Bakugou because he's the number one hero. I have to keep tabs on him and the people close to him. That's it." 

Hanta's heart skipped a beat as a smile spread across his face. "And those people just so happen to be me and my friends?" 

"It's not my fault you're friends with him!" 

"Iz, you were the one who told me to keep being friends with him." 

"You didn't have to listen!" 

Hanta laughed again, not being able to help himself. The shorter villain was light pink from his blush and huffing in exasperation. "But then you wouldn't have an excuse to stalk me," he teased. 

"I'm going home," Izuku stated, turning on his heels. 

Before he could even take a step, Hanta had his arms around the villain, turning him around and pulling him to his chest. "C'mon, lightning bug. I'm just teasing. I think it's cute you stalked me." 

Izuku rolled his eyes, pulling lightly to test the hero's grip on him. "You need so much therapy, tape boy." 

"Let's try couples therapy first." 

"We're not a couple." 

"Then date me, problem solved." 

"You're fucking ridiculous." 

I was.... unbelievably high for half of this and do not think they sounded like real people at all. 

I'm not gonna fix it or anything, just wanted you guys to know that I am in fact aware.