Chapter Text
Izuku should have known something was wrong at the start of the gala, when Uraraka had been even more persistent to be next to him constantly, but he’d shrugged it off as her annoying habits he had no way of breaking and went back to talking to his boyfriend, Shoto. They were trying to work out which of him, Shoto and Kachaan would be number one this year. Shoto thought it would be Izuku, but he’s a simp so that didn’t count for anything, and Izuku thought it would be between Shoto and Kachaan, with himself in 3rd. Uraraka annoyingly kept butting in saying it was going to be Izuku as well. Fucking hell, nothing Izuku could do would get this girl of his back. He was literally dating a man, what more was he supposed to do?
Izuku watched from besides the stage as Uraraka waltzed on in 5th place. In his humble opinion, she should be lower, but she had very recently been a part of a major rescue mission which had boosted her ranking from 9th to 5th- one that was abnormally far from her usual area of work, and a little too recent for Izuku to think it wasn’t partially a PR stunt, but he didn’t say anything. Of 1A, the only one more PR orientated was Aoyama, who had moved back to France last year. Some (imbeciles) might argue Mina was higher on that, but she only was in the way Present Mic had been. She just genuinely loved the media aspect.
Izuku smiled as Hawks- the only hero not from 1A in the top ten- arrived happily to take his spot in 4th. Izuku had actually become fast friends with the hero, and he knew for a fact that Hawks was not even the slightest bit upset about his decrease in rank, especially after the HPSC was reworked and vastly improved. (Yes, Izuku probably knew more about that situation then he should, but that had been in one of his years where he’d been number 1 and so he’d been privy to a lot of information)
Sure enough, as usual, it was just him, Shoto, and Kachaan left to be in the top three places.
“No hard feelings, no matter what?” Izuku asked, the same question solidified at the start of each of these every year.
“No hard feelings, no matter what,” The other two immediately agreed. Izuku grinned, immensely grateful for his improved relationship with Kachaan (only made possible by Kachaan’s genuine improvement as a person, something the other man had worked hard on).
In the end, it was Shoto who was called out for third place, which he gracefully accepted with his own pre-prepared speech.
Then, it was Izuku’s turn. 2nd this year, not that he particularly minded. He had just finished his speech, wide smile and even wider joy, when he was surprised to hear Uraraka’s voice, not Present Mic (his favourite retired hero turned announcer).
“Deku, you may only have gotten second this year, but you will always be number one in my heart. You have been amazing to me through all of highschool and into our many years on the field, and I feel it is only right that I ask you this question today, in front of all the fans you care so much about, will you, Izuku Midoriya, do me the honour of marrying me?”
Izuku stared at Uraraka in stunned surprise as the girl kneeled in front of him, holding up a ring with a too big diamond and looking at him with that look he had grown to know meant “do as I ask or you will regret it.”
Frantically, Izuku tried to think of a way out of this, but all he could think about was how everyone kept congratulating him on his relationship and he hadn’t known who people thought he was dating since nobody outside of 1A, Hawks, and their teachers, knew about him dating Shoto for a reason- that reason being Endeavor. It was too dangerous for him to find out, but how could Izuku reject Uraraka in front of the entire world, without explaining that he was dating Shoto?
In a fit of desperation, he looked to Present Mic, pooling all his desperation into the look and praying the hero would understand.
“Andddd I think it’s time for an ad break! Stay tuned to find out what pro hero Deku has to say!” Present Mic declared, and then a moment later, “I’ve cut your mics, you have two minutes to talk before the viewers come back, take advantage of it, no one wants to see the sappy stuff.”
Izuku was immensely grateful that Present Mic made up that lie for those there in person, because this was not something he was ready for.
“Uraraka why? You know I’m dating… him.”
“He can’t give you half of what you need! Do you know the one thing that would keep you in 1st place forever is having a public relationship? People eat that up! It would help with so much more!”
“Uraraka I don’t care. I don’t care, and I am not going to marry you.”
“You are going to accept my proposal, and you are going marry me, or I will tell the world who know we are dating-”
“We are not dating.”
“I will tell the world, who know we are dating,” Uraraka repeated, her tone sharpening, “That you had an affair with Shoto there, and not only that, but I will make sure your name is dragged through the mud, I will not hesitate to call you abusive, and I will not stop until civilians run from you. So, if not for your sake, or even for Todoroki’s sake, accept this for the sake of all those you could save if they weren’t afraid of you.”
Izuku stared at her, trying not to cry- because that would just be embarrassing AND send the wrong message. He heard Present Mic’s warning of “30 seconds left”, and looked around desperately. Shoto was as white as a ghost, looking frankly terrified- he was close enough to hear Uraraka’s threat.
Izuku looked away, unable to face his boyfriend when he knew he would have to say yes, which would be the biggest damn betrayal of his life. Instead, he looked to his childhood best friend, the man who never did anything he didn’t want to do, and wished, just wished, he could be more like Kachaan in this moment.
He was still staring in terrified desperation at Kachaan when Present Mic announced that they were back and briefly recapped the situation before returning the mics on.
“U- Uravity- I- I don’t know what t- to say…” Izuku forced out, trying to hide the pure panic. Maybe the public could pass this off as him being awkward about a public display of affection, or maybe nervous about such a big moment.
“It’s easy Deku, just say yes,” Uraraka smiled, her voice cheery and delighted, but her eyes dark and threatening, practically daring him to say no. Izuku took one last desperate look at his boyfriend and opened his mouth. Before he could though, Kachaan was appearing in front of him, and Izuku could only stare as the man did something Izuku would never have expected.
“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU ASKING MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND TO MARRY YOU!? YOU FUCKING CREEP! HOW MANY TIMES DOES HE HAVE TO TELL YOU HE’S GAY FOR YOU TO FUCKING GET OFF HIS BACK!? HE WOULD RATHER DATE ALMOST ANYONE THAN YOU, SO GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!”
“Kachaan?” Izuku whispered, blinking at the other man in stunned surprise. Kachaan was dating Kirishima? Not him? Why was he lying? What?
“He’s not dating you!?” Uraraka screeched, “He’s dating fucking bitch boy!”
Kachaan stepped back with his iconic victorious grin.
“No. Deku is not dating me, but he’s also not dating you, and you just admitted to the world that you know that. Deku chose to keep his boyfriend a secret in order to protect him, as the other man does not want to be a public figure, but you, you are a conniving bitch. Unluckily for you, I can read lips, and I saw every word you said. I can’t believe you, a so called hero, threatened to lie and say Deku abused you in order to force him into a marriage with you. You understand how not ok that is, right!? There are people out there, real people who ACTUALLY SUFFER from domestic abuse and you have the nerve to fucking lie about it!? Every single member of class 1A will back me up when I say that you are a disgrace to our class and we wish you had never been allowed in. Get the fuck off this stage, you do not deserve to be up here.”
Uraraka did not simply get off the stage, but the other members of class 1A- and Hawks- who were up there as the top 10 heroes, took it upon themselves to physically drag her off stage. Izuku stood, still stunned and frozen, as Kachaan turned to him.
“You had your body cam in your suit on, right?” Kachaan asked, and hesitantly Izuku nodded, “Good. We’ll release the video after we have bleeped out your boyfriend’s name in case she tries to come after you. As for right now…”
Izuku watched as Kachaan turned to the microphone, curious to see what he would say now.
“Pro heroes Deku and Shoto have equivalently getting the same votes, with less then a dozen separating first from third, and you know what? I’m done with it. None of us would be here without Deku, and while Shoto and I could be argued to be stronger heroes then Deku sometimes, even then it is close. Shoto would not be here on this stage at all if not for Deku convincing him his quirk was his own back in first year. I would have fallen right alongside Endeavor when you all became more aware of the dangers of an angry hero had Deku not helped me become the man I am today. I may be a Symbol of Victory, Shoto may be a Symbol of Courage, but despite Deku taking on All Might’s role as Symbol of Peace, what Deku truely is, is a Symbol of Continuing Against All Odds. Deku is a Symbol of Making The Impossible Possible. Deku is a Symbol of What It Means To Be A Hero. Deku is a Symbol of Heroes. For that reason, and that reason alone, I’m officially reallocating my vote, instead of for myself, I vote for the Symbol Of Heroes. That one vote is enough for him to take my place as Number One. And honestly? Knowing him, Deku did not vote for himself, did you?”
Wordlessly, Izuku shook his head, staring at his best friend in pure and genuine shock. Kachaan never backed down from anything, never gave up on victory except… Izuku was looking in his eyes, and he did not see defeat there, only that white hot anger- anger far greater then his normal level- that only ever showed when someone hurt one he cared for. Ah. This was a revenge thing.
“Uraraka- because I am not giving her a title as a hero when she is not one- Uraraka said Deku is number one in her heart, but I think I can speak for all of us when I say Deku is THE number 1, not for her, but for all of you. It was for you that Deku nearly signed his life away just then. It is for you that Deku does all that he does. So, as a Symbol of Victory, I take my win from protecting Deku the way he would protect all of you. That is my victory for today, and for today, I will take my place at 2nd, but next year Deku, next year I’m getting number one. Just you wait.”
“I can’t wait to see it Kachaan,” Izuku replied, barely able hold in laughter, and deeply not knowing what else to say, “Thank you. Thank you so much for being my hero. Me and my boyfriend both appreciate it more then you could possibly know.”
“I think I know plenty Deku,” Kachaan smiled, “Now go on, give your fucking winners speech.”
“Don’t have one prepared Kachaan, so I guess you’ll have to be number one after all. I mean if you can save me, then clearly you ahould be beating me. Besides, I’m fine in number two. So go, be victorious.”
