It's Over

It didn't occur to him that the Villain had called him Nekozawa until later. He'd been so stunned from the sudden stolen kiss that it had completely slipped his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. His thoughts ran around in circular loops, connecting back to the same point.

After all, hadn't the Villain all but run after realizing that Shouta had disappeared from his home?

Shouta thought back to every interaction the two of them had as cat and human and felt his face burn. Oh, god. The Villain had seen every slip, every embarrassing moment.

He'd been bathed by the damn Villain! Shouta resisted the urge to swear under his breath.

Midoriya knew he was Eraserhead! That's why he'd called him Nekozawa.

Shouta's emotions did a funny, complex thing where he felt everything and nothing at once. It was utterly overwhelming.

His phone pinged, which shouldn't have happened, considering that he was in work mode, which meant that his phone was on silent. Shouta triple checked each time he started working, so there were no doubts about that.

There was a text message from an unknown number with just a link.

Shouta raised a brow, intrigued despite himself. His phone should be safe from any viruses that the link might provide, and even if it didn't, he didn't keep his personal information on the phone, so he was safe.

He clicked on the link.

Shouta's face immediately darkened because of the multitude of familiar pictures that greeted him.

When he scrolled down, there were various comments about how cute and grumpy he was, which weren't doing his own feelings any favours.

Shouta made a sound of pure rage, though it mostly stemmed from embarrassment. He could still remember each incident very clearly.

He knew! He most definitely knew!

It wasn't until the groan from the Villain he'd already apprehended that Shouta snapped out of the loop he'd unintentionally allowed himself to fall into.

He'd been briefly embarrassed at his lack of professionalism, as well as allowing the minor Villain to witness that whole debacle.

Shouta glared at the Villain until he quailed under his glare, swearing not to say anything.

When his glare didn't lighten up, the Villain had knocked himself out on the floor, rendering Shouta speechless.

In the end, he had to drag the Villain himself, putting him in an even worse mood.

When he returned back to his apartment, Shouta audibly sighed, letting his head thump on the apartment door. He was tired.

He felt like he hadn't gotten any proper rest in these past few weeks.

He – dare he say it – kind of missed Midoriya.

Shouta made a strangled sound at the admission of any feelings, shoving his door open and entering his abode. Was it strange that however little time he'd spent in the Villain's apartment, it had felt more like home to him than his own apartment ever did?

Before he closed the door properly, he was bodily slammed into it, shutting the door with excessive force.

Shouta immediately fought back, only to find himself trapped against the door with his arms immobile, a familiar face in front of him.

Shouta stilled momentarily, stunned. "Midoriya," he growled, snapping himself out of it.

"Dear Shouta," Izuku murmured, nuzzling his face against the man's cheek. "Or should I say, Nekozawa?"

Shouta made a sound that suggested the anger he was feeling quite keenly right now. "Unhand me!"

"Mm," the Villain said, visibly thinking about it. "I don't think so."

"What do you want?"

It didn't feel like the Villain was here to kill him. Rather, it felt more like when he was playing around with him during his time stuck as a kitten. Shouta eyed him warily, watching for any sudden movements.

"Who says I want anything?"

Shouta didn't say anything. He just frowned, ducking his chin down into his capture weapon.

Izuku mock pouted, pulling back lightly, but still making sure that the Hero wouldn't get the upper hand.

"Fine. I came over to ask if you would be amendable to dating."

Shouta stared at him in disbelief, although his traitorous heart fluttered at the words, the slightest of flushes creeping up onto his cheeks. It just made Shouta duck his head more.

Izuku tilted his head up using an index finger, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. He thoroughly enjoyed the way the pink flush on his cheeks deepened to red. "What do you say, Mr. Hero?"

Shouta glared at him, shoving his feelings under wraps. Just how did he know that this wasn't some elaborate ploy the Villain was luring him into?

"You're a Villain," Shouta said instead.

There was an unholy gleam in Izuku's eyes when he heard the words that came out of Shouta's mouth. "Yeah," he breathed. "That's not a no."

"I won't date a Villain," Shouta says firmly. No matter what he felt for the Villain, that didn't mean anything. Not if they were on the wrong side of the law. His pride wouldn't allow him to do that.

The pesky little things called morals that he possessed in spades didn't allow him to do that either. But he wanted to.

Oh, did he want to. But his brain reminded him of everything that could go wrong, despite the feelings he held for the man. Izuku was – he was like the calming waves of the ocean.

When you dipped for feet in, they lapped and teased you. When you waded further in, they took the chance to sweep you off your feet, tugging you out to sea. You either swum or you drowned, and Shouta – Shouta wanted to live.

But there was another part of him that wanted it so badly – he wanted the Villain's kiss on him again. Soft, slightly chapped lips. He wanted the firm, hard press of the Villain's body against himself, keeping him grounded.

Shouta intended for the words to break off this thing that existed between them, but Izuku's reaction was unexpected.

The gleam in his eyes only deepened as he licked his lips.

Shouta's eyes couldn't help but trace that pink tongue no matter how much he shouldn't. There was just something so magnetic about the Villain. He was charismatic and knew how to work the room.

"That's your hang up?" Izuku said, his voice silken and luring, much like Shouta attributed to the devil himself. "That I'm a Villain? Not that I've likely killed people? That I've robbed and murdered? Ended people's careers?"

Shouta swallowed, as if he'd just realized himself. He hadn't realized that was how it came across – but they were his words. They'd been spoken – from the deepest part of himself – and he didn't know if he was okay with that.

Izuku hummed, pressing a kiss to his forehead, surprising Shouta.

Then, he released his hold on Shouta's body completely and smiled at him. "Okay then," he said simply, and just as simply disappeared from his life.

Shouta felt a complicated mix of emotions when he realized that his feelings for the Villain – unwanted though they may be – were stronger than those that the Villain had for him.

He felt a bittersweet sensation that the other had given him up so easily – without any fight whatsoever. Not another single word to try and convince him otherwise.

Shouta powerlessly slid down the door, burying his face in his hands.

It was over.

Goodbye, Midoriya Izuku.

If only the other wasn't a Villain…