Here's a Taste of My Own Medicine

[ShinKami, Villain!Shinsou, Background BakuKiriDeku & TodoMomo]
[Sequel to this: https://twitter.com/PastelSomebody/status/1247944277335904257]

Denki’s agency gets the call at nine o’clock. Some of the LOV had been seen making moves downtown, and Fatgum and his team had been watching. Denki and Shouto’s agencies get called in for cleanup, and it’s expected to be a quick night.

Suneater already has most of the villains tied and waiting when Denki arrives, but he ends up helping Red Riot and Ground Zero corner some villains in the basement.

Most of them are clearly new, wide eyed and shaking in their boots at their first official showdown with heroes, and it’s a good thing, too.
Denki’s frozen on the bottom step, staring wide eyed at the villian who had simply put his hands up when they came running down.

Trick Question is rolling his eyes at the way Red Riot is stroking his boyfriend’s ego, effectively ignoring both Denki and the villain he was kissing when they arrived.

Despite how much Denki tries to catch his eye, Shinsou doesn’t spare him a single glance during the whole ordeal. The only time he acknowledges his existence is to scowl when Fatgum appoints Denki to take Trick Question in.

They’ve all figured out by now that Trick Question has a sort of brainwashing quirk, and they all think that Denki must just be immune.

The immediate relief that flooded his veins when Deku spoke up at a meeting and said that something about Denki’s mental fortitude must keep him from being influenced is still fresh in his mind.

He remembers being so sure they were found out, or that they thought Denki was an accomplice. (After all, there was a weird moment in high school when everyone thought he was some sort of traitor.)

Midoriya is too good for that line of thought though, and came up with another, plausible reason for Shinsou’s quirk to not work on him.

One that didn’t involve another night they don’t talk about, where Denki was laying on the villain’s chest while he quietly admitted that he didn’t think he could use his quirk on Denki and be able to forgive himself.

Denki wants to talk about what he saw in the basement though, because what the fuck? They’re not exactly exclusive or together, together; how could they be, when they’re on entirely different ends of the spectrum?

Denki refuses to lose everything he’s worked for over a boy, and Shinsou has a vendetta against heroes that Denki has yet to figure out. But that doesn’t mean that they go around /kissing other people./

“Ease up, little hero,” Shinsou says.
It takes a moment for the words to register, half because Shinsou still has his mask on and that is not the voice he’s eager to respond to, and half because he’s so lost in his head.

Denki blinks, and realizes just hard he’d been gripping the steering wheel. He tries to ease up his grip, but his teeth remain on edge.

How does he go about asking? Does he have a right to? If he won’t claim Shinsou in public, is it really any of his business who he chooses to kiss?

It’s his own fault, honestly. They don’t talk about certain things between them for a reason, yet Denki lets himself remember them all anyways. He should forget them like he’d promised, but it’s hard.
Everything between them was supposed to be purely psychical.

You can be psychical with more than one person if you aren’t committed to one of them, right? It’s what he’s always believed, anyways. That’s what dating culture is.
So why is the image burned in his brain

(it doesn’t help that he’s pretty sure he recognized the villain, too; Toga or whatever her name is that’s been harassing them since his first year at UA.) Denki has seen plenty of people he’s made out with someone else.

Hell, Denki has made out with the entire wonder trio that consists of Kirishima, Bakugou, and Midoriya and didn’t feel a damn thing aside from excitement for them when they’d all gotten together.

There was literally zero reaction from his emotions when Momo decided that she’d rather be kissing Shouto than him.
Honestly, he’s reacted so little that he just thought maybe jealousy isn’t something he’s all that capable of.

So why is rearing its ugly head now over a villain of all people?
“If you have something to say, Chargebolt, you can say it to me,” Trick Question says, gazing lazily at Denki with his head propped up on his elbow.

“You’re practically stinking up the car with how hard you’ve got your brain working over there.”
“Why were you kissing her?” Denki blurts out, before he can stop himself.

Shinsou raises an eyebrow.
“Bisexuality, Chargebolt. I figured you’d heard of it,” he drawls, entirely indifferent.

And that’s how it’s supposed to be, right? They’re both supposed to be indifferent to each other once they step out of the bedroom. They don’t even acknowledge each other as civilians, despite Denki frequenting the coffee shop Shinsou works at during the day.

(Which is another thing he probably should’ve stopped doing once he learned Shinsou’s identity, but the place has the best and sweetest iced coffees Denki has ever had. It’s another thing on a long list of things he refuses to give up for Shinsou.)

So why does it just serve to make Denki angrier?
“I know what bisexuality is. That’s not what I was asking, I just… I thought….” Denki trails off, snapping his mouth and clicking in frustration.

The end of the thought hangs in the air between them, and enough time passes that Denki thinks that Shinsou won’t answer. They reach the jailhouse that Shinsou has been assigned to, and he obediently holds out his wrists for Denki to restrain him.

Much like Shinsou can’t use his quirk on him, Denki can’t bear to tie him up.
Just as they reach the steps, Shinsou steps forward to murmur in Denki’s ear, “Not being exclusive was your rule.”

Shinsou hurries ahead, giving Denki no time to answer.

____
Denki leaves once he’s handed Shinsou over. He knows it won’t be long before he brainwashes everyone into letting him out again, and they usually mess around every time he does, but he can’t bear to face him right now.

He opts instead to laze around the office while they get paperwork for the mission done. Well, Shouto does it while Suneater tries to gather up the courage to try and help him with it, and Ground Zero preens in the background because it’s Deku’s turn to talk him up.

Red Riot agrees with everything Deku says with excited nods of his head and loud, “It was so manly!”’s thrown in that make Suneater jump.
“They’re so loud,” Suneater mutters, pulling his hood down.

Denki hums and kicks his legs up on his desk. Tamaki eyes him because technically Denki isn’t supposed to do it, but Shouto quite literally does not give a single fuck about what they do to his father’s agency.

Bakugou has set off enough explosions when Deku gets a higher ranking than him enough times to make Denki the favorite.
“You aren’t used to it yet?” Denki teases, leaning over to playfully tug on Tamaki’s hood.
Becoming friends with Suneater isn’t something Denki anticipated.

He knew they’d have to be around each other, considering that he reached best friend status with Kirishima a long time ago and he’s dating Mirio, who is best friends with Midoriya, but they’ve gotten a lot closer than he thought they would.

Not that he’s complaining. Tamaki is a nice, level headed contrast to the rest of his loud and excitable friends. Denki likes how dependable he is, even if he adamantly denies being so.

He’s enjoyed watching him go from flat out refusing all the compliments Denki throws at him, to taking them silently with a pleased hum.
It’s like watching character development in real time, and honestly, it’s what Tamaki deserves.

“Not really. Kirishima is a lot quieter when we’re together,” Tamaki says, then pauses for a moment to think. “Well, when we’re not at work anyways.”
Yeah, Denki can see that.

Kirishima is pretty good at accommodating for the comfort levels of whoever he’s talking to, if he really cares about them. It’s not that hard to make Kirishima care about you.
They both turn their attention back to the wonder trio, who have finished fawning over Bakugou.

They’re talking about what Deku is doing with his agency, and how getting their own agency is going for Bakuogu, Shouto and Denki. Denki honestly has no idea where they are in the process; he just signs where Bakugou tells him to sign.

Tamaki watches them with the fond half-smile he gives all his friends, and Denki tries not to be jealous. Their excited faces and proud exclamations of love are what Denki wants. Could he have that with Shinsou, if he’s brave enough to acknowledge his feelings?

Or will they just argue over morals all the time?
Just because Shinsou is what he wants doesn’t mean he’s good for him, or that they’ll be good for each other. Denki’s learned that lesson a million times, and he doesn’t feel like learning it again.

Denki sighs, and leans forward to put his head on his desk.
“If you’re bored you can leave,” Shouto offers, and Denki peeks to look at his genuine face. “I’m the only one working on this anyways.”
Tamake opens and closes his mouth, a half-way offer that gets stuck in his throat.

He shoves his hood over his face again, and Denki pats his knee sympathetically.
“I’m not bored, just thinking.”
“If it’s causing you distress, you can talk to us about it,” Shouto says, completely serious.
It makes Denki smile.

“What’s wrong with Dunce Face?” Bakugou yells, much too loud for the quiet room.
Shouto rolls his eyes, and Tamaki flinches closer to Denki’s side.
“Nothings wrong, Kacchan, go back to being adorable,” Denki says, waving him off.

“I will beat the shit out of anyone who hurts you.”
“I know, Blasty,” Denki says, making Kirishima stifle a laugh behind his hand.

Bakugou has in no way chilled since high school, but through a lot of blood, sweat, tears and confessions that felt like pulling teeth, he’s healed past all the shit that made him so angry and hostile.

The anger is much more lighthearted now, having shifted into aggressively loving his friends and two equally as love-struck boyfriends.
Bakugou turns back to Deku and Red Riot, and Tamaki leans closer to say, “What’s wrong?”

Denki blows air out of his mouth, hoping that he’d get away with it but knowing Tamaki would see past it anyways. That’s the one thing they don’t warn you about picking up wallflowers.

They’ve spent so long observing people that they’ve got you analyzed before you can even say, “Hi.”

“I’m just thinking,” Denki says, slowly. “This is going to sound incredibly insensitive, and you have every right to tell me to shut the fuck up, but.. You wanted that, with Mirio, when you were in school, right?”

Denki gestures to the wonder trio, and Tamaki smiles sadly when he gets what he means.

“I wanted to take on the whole world with Mirio and Neijire,” Tamaki admits. “Why, is that what you’re worried about? Is the person you’re interested in not a hero?”

Denki rubs the back of his neck, “Ah, it sounds kinda shallow when you put it like that. I think I’m just more worried that our morals won’t match up.”
Shouto, who Denki wasn’t even aware was listening, nods solemnly.

“There’s a certain type of altruism that comes with putting your life on the line for complete strangers that not everyone will get. Before Momo and I admitted our feelings, but after you and I hooked up,”

Shotou inserts, casually, making Tamaki choke on his spit in surprise, “I dated someone who didn’t get it. They asked all sorts of questions that I’d never thought of before, like ‘what if the person you’re saving is racist? What if they beat their wives and kids?

What if letting them die is better for the greater good than saving them?”’
“Which are just thinly veiled ways of convincing yourself it’s okay that you put yourself above strangers,” Denki finishes, and Shouto nods.
Tamaki deflates in his chair and looks at Denki pitifully.

“I don’t think I could put up with someone who asked me those questions all the time. It seems tiresome, and I tire /myself/ out with my thoughts all the time, let alone someone else’s. But, for what it’s worth, it still is me, Mirio and Nejire against the world.

Just not in the way we’d originally imagined.”
Shouto squeezes Tamaki’s upper-arm in a silent display of support. As much as he swears he’s past it, you can see the way losing his quirk has taken its toll on Mirio.

If Denki has noticed it, someone who admittedly isn’t that close to him, there’s no way Tamaki hasn’t.
Denki gets what he’s saying.

Maybe he won’t fight side by side with Mirio like they’d originally dreamed of, Suneater and Lemilion unbeatable team, but Mirio is still giddy to play Tamaki’s eyes and ears.

Neither of them got exactly what they wanted, they’re still one of the most grossly in love couples Denki has ever met.

Maybe that is what it means to love someone, to roll with the punches both as seperate people and together. Is that something he and Shinsou can manage to do, or will everything just blow up in their face?
Would Shinsou even want to?

Was tonight his way of telling Denki that he’s holding up his end of the promise? Denki wants no exclusivity, so Shinsou is trying to honor that? He flat out refuses to entertain the idea that he’d done it simply to hurt him, but a darker part of Denki’s mind won’t leave it alone

Despite all of the good qualities Denki has seen in Shinsou, he’s still a villain. Hurting someone for the sake of hurting them isn’t exactly something he’s above, but…

But Denki had thought he was in a different, safer category in Shinsou’s mind. Maybe he was wrong.

Maybe Shinsou doesn’t care about him anymore than he cares about anyone else.