Archive of Our Own

Shouto wasn’t sure how he kept letting his brother talk him into these things. They stood in line outside a large haunted house. He kept looking up at the big sign that hung above the entrance path. Underworld Almighty. He turned his attention back to his brother. Touya was talking to his friends as they all stood in line together. 

“You said Himiko met her new girlfriend here, right?” Touya asked his friend. 

“Yeah,” Shigaraki said, not looking up from his phone. “It’s all she fuckin’ talks about.” 

“I think it’s sweet,” Keigo, Touya’s long-time boyfriend, said, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. “Himiko has been a lot happier because of this girl.” He looked around their little group. “I know you said Spinner couldn’t make it because of a family thing, but where’s Jin?” 

Shigaraki shrugged. “Fucked if I know. Probably asleep still.” 

“It’s like 10 at night, what do you mean still?”

Touya wrapped an arm around Keigo. “He means Jin doesn’t sleep like a normal person, babe.” 

Shouto sighed, checking the time on his phone. “This line is long.” 

“It’s a popular haunt. Besides, it’s not like we paid full price. Himiko’s friends' discount saved me like six thousand yen.” Touya lifted his head to look over the crowd. “We’re almost to the front, pest. Just relax. Or are you so scared you’re gonna piss your pants?” 

“I’m not scared,” Shouto said. “It’s just people in costumes in the dark. What are they gonna do? Turn on some mood lighting and say ‘boo’?” 

“They don’t say boo. Himiko was telling me in the same rant about her new girlfriend. No saying boo, or get out. They want you to stay and pay more money. Buy their snacks and merch,” Shigaraki said.

“I don’t blame them, those fried Oreos were good as hell.” 

They moved up several places in line. “So, pest,” Touya said to Shouto. “What are you afraid of? If not, the people in costumes.” 

Shouto didn’t even hesitate. “Small spaces.” He opened his mouth to keep talking before he closed it with a snap. It probably wouldn’t be very appropriate to talk about how his father used to lock him in a closet when he was angry with him. Or how Shouto spent nearly an hour hiding in one after his mother burned his face, and now being too closed in made him want to throw up. “They make me feel... Bad.” 

“I don’t like needles,” Keigo confessed. “When I see them go into skin, I gag. Blood doesn’t bother me, though. Just needles.” 

“Clowns,” Shigaraki said.

“Really?” Touya asked, clearly unimpressed. “Clowns? Little guys in white face paint who honk horns at you? Clowns?” 

Shigaraki shoved him. “Yeah, the makeup is the worst part. It puts them in the uncanny valley. Whoever came up with clowns can go to fucking hell.” 

“Where do clowns come from?” Keigo asked. He pulled out his phone. “It seems like such a random thing to come up with.” Before he could look it up, they had reached the front of the line. “I’ll look later.” 

The man at the front smiled brightly at them. He had to be in his thirties with blond hair a mustache. “How many in your party? Four?” Touya nodded. “Nice! Go on in! Try not to die in there.” He laughed and gestured down the path. 

It was an outdoor wooded area, the path twisting off to the side. “Alright!” Touya said, strutting out confidently, his arm still on Keigo’s shoulder. 

“I’m suddenly a little nervous,” Keigo whispered to Touya in a teasing voice. “You gonna protect me, Hot Stuff?” 

“Oh yeah, sure.” 

“My hero!” 

Shigaraki rolled his eyes. “I hate third wheeling with you assholes.” 

The trail turned the bend, stopping them in front of a large manor facade. It looked somehow smaller than a house should be. The front doors opened by themselves, as if inviting them inside. 

“Oooh, spooky!” Keigo mused as they walked in. Shouto looked around. It looked like they’d walked into a real house. He glanced up. No, they hadn’t. It was inside some kind of warehouse? In the room were a pair of stairs that seemed to get smaller the farther away they got. Not real. They were in a foyer, a lone man stood with his back to them. 

Slowly, the man turned to face them. It was a man in his thirties with dark hair that hung in his face. He seemed to be wearing a butler’s outfit. He didn’t speak. He simply stared at them. His gaze was intense. Shouto wouldn’t want to meet him on the street. 

“Uh... Which way?” Touya asked. 

The man closed the distance between them, staring down at Touya. He was close, but he wasn’t quite touching him. 

Touya stared up at him, not scared, but mildly uncomfortable. 

They stayed like that for a moment. Finally, the man broke away. He pointed down a narrow hallway to the left, then went back to facing away from the door. 

“Okay,” Touya said and gently led Keigo away. The hallway was narrow enough that they had to walk single file. It made Shouto feel queasy. 

“I hate this,” he muttered. 

The hallway turned to the right and opened up. It bent in a circle, the left side lit up, and was covered in jars full of things like plastic eyeballs and what looked like fake lizards in water. The right side was a chainlink fence that separated them and a mad scientist’s lab. The scene beyond the fence had a body lying on the table, with two large Tesla coils on either end of the table. Behind the table was a woman in a lab coat with pink hair, black gloves, and a pair of goggles that covered most of her face. 

She laughed as the four of them walked past the fence. “IT’S ALIVE!” she cried, and flipped a large switch. 

The coils sparked, making them all jump back. 

The body on the table jolted to life. It was an actor. Shouto was shocked he hadn’t noticed before. It was a tall and broad man who was still wearing his glasses. “Rarrrr!” The actor cried before jumping off the table and crashing into the chain link fence. 

“Oh shit!” Keigo cried out, the three of them laughing. 

“Yeah, that was a good one,” Touya said, pulling them along. 

The hall ended at an open door that took them outside into a graveyard scene. A skeletal man stood in front of large iron gates, holding a lantern. “If you’re going to make it home, you’ve best watch your step. Don’t worry, though, I am here to guide you.” He lifted his lantern and motioned for them to follow.

Walking through the gates of the cemetery gave Shouto an eerie feeling. It was very well decorated. From where he stood the graves looked almost real, but once you looked a little longer, you could see they were made of styrofoam. 

“Braaaains!” a voice cried before a man dressed as a zombie rose from behind a tombstone. 

“Yeeee!” A blond zombie appeared behind them, making Shouto jump a little. “Brains!” 

He sneered a little. “You do seem like you could use some.”

The black haired zombie snorted. 

The path led them deeper out of the cemetery into the woods. The skeletal man and zombies didn’t follow them. “That was kind of lame,” Shigaraki said. “What kind of shitty zombies actually say brains?” he asked Shouto. 

He shrugged. “They were fine. Nothing has been super scary yet, though.” 

“I thought the Frankenstein was cool,” Keigo said. 

“Technically, that was Frankenstein’s monster. Frankenstein is the scientist,” Shigaraki corrected. “The monster wasn’t even really a monster. Just a confused newborn in a horrific, mangled body who didn’t know their own strength.” 

“Wouldn’t that make Doctor Frankenstein the real monster?” Touya asked with a shit-eating grin. 

The group finally came upon the next scene. A run-down shack with the front door hanging open. They could see the light of candles inside. 

“Well, that’s ominous,” Keigo mused. 

Touya led the group inside. The shack was full of hanging fake body parts, and blood splattered on the walls. In the middle of the room was a large pentagram with fake candles at each point of the star. In the center was a fake decapitated head. 

“DIE!” a voice yelled, making the entire group jump. A man in bloodied clothes burst from the shadows. He was blond with red eyes and held a fake knife in one hand. 

“Okay,” Touya laughed. “That one got me.” 

The blond smirked before he lifted his fingers up to his mouth and whistled. 

VROOM VROOM!

A broad man in a ski mask with flaming red hair behind it appeared in the door behind them. He revved the large chainsaw in his grip. 

“Told you, you’re gonna die!” The blond yelled. He turned to the other actor. “Get ‘em.” 

The man with the chainsaw ran at them. 

For the first time that night, real fear coursed through Shouto. The four of them scrambled over each other to run. Touya shoved Keigo forward out the back door of the shack. They ran into the woods a few paces, all of them yelling. 

They ran to the entrance of the next area. It looked like a cave entrance, but Shouto could see it was also carved out of styrofoam and painted to look like a cave. “Holy shit,” Keigo panted, leaning a hand on Touya’s shoulder. “Those guys scared the hell out of me!”

Touya nodded, looking back at the trail. “I think we lost them.”

“No shit!” Shigaraki snapped. “They’re actors. They went back to their scene to wait for the next group.” 

Shouto stopped listening to his brother and his friends bicker. He turned his attention to the cave. There was a sign above it. He squinted to read it in the dark. “‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’” He sighed. “Dante’s Inferno, really?” He turned back to the other three. “I think we’re going to hell next.” 

They stopped arguing and turned back to Shouto. “Sick,” Touya said with a grin. “Always wanted to tell people to go to hell and actually send them there.” He walked past Shouto into the next room. 

It led them down a dark hallway. The deeper they got, the more candlelight they could see. The walls slowly turned red as fake flames decorated the walls. It was very eerie here with fake bones lining up along the walls like catacombs. In the distance, they heard a woman laughing. 

Finally, they spilled out into an open room. A pretty girl with her skin painted pink and with horns on her head sat in the middle of the room on a throne made of fake bones. “Welcome to my domain. Before I allow you to pass, you must admit to your sins!” 

“Uh... No thanks,” Shigaraki said. 

She laughed. “No? Then burn forever in the mouth of the beast!” 

A large puppet glided toward them. All four of them ran back, crashing into the wall as the puppet stopped just short of them. It was a demon, with large black horns and glowing eyes. 

“CONFESS!” the demon girl yelled. 

The puppet swiped at them. Shouto pressed back into the wall. He knew it was fake. He knew that, so why was he so scared? 

“I drink from the milk carton!” Keigo cried, holding onto Touya’s arm. 

“I lied about quitting smoking! I sneak cigarettes on my work breaks!” Touya yelled, pulling Keigo closer. 

“I had sex with your brother!” Shigaraki confessed to Touya. 

The tension in the air popped like a balloon. “You’re having sex with Shouto????” Touya yelled. 

“That’s news to me,” Shouto deadpanned. 

“What? No! Natsuo.” 

“Oh.” Touya blinked. “YOU’RE FUCKING NATSUO?” 

The demon woman was clearly trying to hold back laughter. “If you boys are done, I think my friend here would like to eat now.” 

The puppet swiped at them again. 

“AAAAH!” They screamed. Touya picked Keigo up and ran out of the room. Shigaraki and Shouto ran after them. 

The trail changed from its hellfire aesthetic and let them back out into the woods. Touya gently put Keigo down, and Shigaraki glanced behind them. “Not gonna lie, that puppet got me good.” 

Touya glared at his friend as they started down the path again. “When were you going to tell me you’re fucking my brother?” 

“I dunno. If things got serious.” 

“So you’re just having casual sex with my little brother?” 

“If it helps, I don’t care, I’m just offended Touya thought we were fucking.” Shouto shoved his hands into his pockets. 

Shigaraki rolled his eyes. “I’d never stoop so low.” 

They rounded the corner and came into the last area. A circus tent. 

“Oh fuck!” Shigaraki cried. “I hate clowns. I hate them so much.” 

“Too bad, it’s where Himiko is.” 

“Yeah, just stay close to us, scardy cat.” Keigo grinned at him. 

They had to gently open the tent flaps to get inside. But the first room was already terrible. It was filled with smoke, with a laser in the back spinning, creating a cone effect. It was impossible to see beyond the light. Shouto didn’t want to go in there. It looked tight.

 “Maybe you should go first, babe.” Touya pushed Keigo in front and walked behind him. 

“I hate you so fucking much,” Shigaraki muttered. He kept close behind Touya, ready to hide in his back. They walked in single file, trying to see past the smoke.

Something moved in the smoke.

“Wait-” Shouto began to say. 

“HI!” A clown girl had appeared in front of Keigo. 

Keigo, Touya, and Shigaraki screamed, almost falling back into Shouto. “Wait, holy shit-” Touya grinned. “It’s Himiko!” 

“That’s Bloody-chan the clown to you!” Himiko laughed. She grabbed Keigo by the wrist and pulled them out of the smoke room. The next room was a stage with a clown mannequin standing on it. Shouto was able to get a good look at Himiko. She was in all black with red pom poms on the front of her outfit. Her skirt was red and ripped at the edges, her hair up in her normal messy buns with a cute little pointed hat between them. 

He eyed the mannequin on the stage as well. It was dressed in a similar look to Himiko, but instead of black and red, it was dressed in white and pink with a head of messy, blown hair and a matching little hat. It was hard to tell in the multicolored lights, but Shouto was half sure it was alive? 

“I’m happy to see my friends!” She giggled, holding up a fake knife. “So have you been getting really scared?” she asked, leaning closer to Shigaraki. “You look scared!” 

Shigaraki buried his face in Touya’s back. He refused to look at Himiko. 

“He’s got it so bad!” she laughed. 

“Oh man, Himiko, some of those people scared the hell out of me,” Keigo admitted. 

Touya nodded. “Yeah, that was some fucked shit.” 

“Oh, good!” she cooed. “You wanna keep getting scared?” 

“Sure?” 

“GOOD!” the mannequin yelled. The girl jumped off the stage at them, laughing manically. “Also! Her name is Bloody-chan!” 

“Thank you, Balloon-chan!” Himiko cooed. “Darling, shall we eat my friends?” 

Himiko’s ‘darling’ nodded. “I would love to, my dear!” 

The girls walked around their group laughing minaically. Shouto gently shoved Shigaraki into Touya. “Let’s go.” 

“Stay after!” Himiko shouted as they left the room. “We’re gonna have a fire! And we’re gonna use you as kindling!” 

They left the stage room, listening to Himiko and Balloon-chan giggling after them. “She was pretty creepy,” Keigo said. “I’m proud of her.” 

The halls in the carnival area were tighter than the rest. It made Shouto’s chest feel tight. “Let’s just keep moving,” he muttered. 

“Please. Pleaseeeee...” Shigaraki whined. “I fucking hate clowns!” 

They turned the corner and found themselves staring down a long hallway. The only light was a strobe flashing above the hall. At the end of it was a clown in black and white. He was frowning. The strobe stayed off for a moment, and when it came back on, he was several inches closer.

“Oh, I hate that,” Keigo muttered. “Can we go back to Himiko?” 

“I think this is the only way out,” Shigaraki said. “Just keep moving. The sooner we get out, the better.” 

Shouto didn’t want to go down that hall. It was tight. He didn’t want to be here anymore. 

They began to walk toward the sad clown. He didn’t react as they got closer. Shouto got a closer look at his face. His makeup was painted into a sad frown, with deep bags under his eyes and a puff of purple hair on his head. He tried to keep his focus on him, or else he’d start freaking out about how tight it was here. They had to squeeze around the clown. Shouto held his breath, keeping his back to the wall, trying not to touch the clown. The clown didn’t change his expression or move. When they got around him, he turned to face them. 

It was creepy. 

Shouto just wanted to be out of this hallway. He wanted more open space. 

“AAAAH!” the clown yelled and chased after them. 

Fear shot through Shouto. He let out a scream and pushed Shigaraki forward. The four of them ran out of the hallway, but it didn’t get any easier. The next area was an even tighter winding hallway. 

The light from the strobe room didn’t reach here. The only light was from the glowing paint on the walls, giving the entire space a psychedelic feeling. Shouto felt dizzy. He turned around to see if the clown was still chasing them, walking backwards to try and get away from him. 

He didn’t pursue. Of course not, Shouto tried to remind himself. He’s an actor. 

He turned back to his brother.

Touya and the others were gone.  

Oh no. 

Shouto looked around, but the entire space made his head spin. There were multiple paths. It was a maze. That was bad. This was very very bad. 

Everything was so tight. He tried to take a few steps, but the room was spinning. He was in a tight space. He could hear his father’s voice in his head, screaming and yelling. Looking for him. 

Sheer terror had gripped Shouto’s heart.

He turned a corner to find the way out. To escape. He didn’t want to be here anymore. 

“Hehehe!” a voice giggled behind him. A shiver ran down Shouto’s spine. Warmth pressed to his back. Someone was right there. “Hi there,” a man cooed in his ear. “Did your friends abandon you? Don’t worry, kitty. You can be my friend.” 

Shouto jumped forward, turning and smacking his back into the wall. 

A clown stood before him dressed in neon greens, yellows, and reds on black. His face was painted in glow-in-the-dark makeup, his green paint around his wide green eyes. His mouth was painted in a too-big red smile. His head was a mess of green curls. He looked sinister. 

He looked cute. 

His heart rate spiked. 

“Aw, what’s the matter, little kitty?” he asked, stepping into Shouto’s space. He put his hands on the wall next to his head, blocking him in. “Cat got your tongue?” 

He was shorter than Shouto, but his presence felt massive. Shouto shrank down, his legs turning into jelly. He fell to his knees, the clown laughing and leaning over him. 

Shouto stared up at him, his eyes blown wide.

The clown smirked down at him, the makeup distorting his features. Yet, there was something about it. He didn’t look human. Shouto didn’t hate it. The fear in the pit of his stomach morphed. 

“Aw, look at you.” He leaned down, his face centimeters away from Shouto’s. He smelled good. He could catch the notes of pear in his cologne. “You’re shaaaaaking.” He drew the word out.

Shouto’s thighs quivered. He was scared. He was so scared. And yet...

This clown’s voice rumbled in such a way that it made him feel woozy. He carried himself with an easy swagger. He was dangerous. “Oh god,” Shouto squeaked out. His voice sounded higher-pitched than normal. It was hard to think. He was afraid, and yet, he was hard. 

He was the most turned on he’d ever been in his entire life. This maniacal clown, leaning over him and pinning him to the wall, had Shouto’s cock leaking precum in his pants. His entire face was flushed. He leaned his head back into the wall, unable to do anything but stare up at his captor. 

His brows furrowed. “You seem a little out of it,” he said, his voice softening. “Can you stand?” 

“Uhh...” Shouto tried to form words, but nothing came out of his mouth. The clown stood up and stepped away from Shouto. Funny, he normally hated being blocked in, but when he stepped away, he felt open and exposed. “Ngh-” he grabbed a hold of the front of his costume. 

“Here,” the clown reached down and picked Shouto up onto his feet. “Can you walk?” he asked. 

“No...” 

He nodded and scooped Shouto up into his arms as if he weighed nothing. He carried him through the halls, taking different turns. “Just hang on, I’ve got you.” 

As they walked, Shouto could hear distant screams. “Touya?” he asked quietly. 

“Probably getting chased by my friends. You can wait for him outside.” They approached the exit. Shouto looked up. The way out was a hallway with two giant balloon walls pressed together. He would have to squeeze through that tight space. 

“I can’t go in there!” Shouto yelled, grabbing onto the clown harder. “No nono-” he begged. 

“Okay, okay! I’ve got you. Just relax. Hold onto me. This is the fastest way out. Just put your face in my neck, and hold your breath.” 

Shouto wrapped his arms and legs around the clown and buried his face. He didn’t want to go. 

“...Oh,” the clown mumbled. “Just... just hold on.” 

The clown used his back and arms to push the walls apart. He walked sideways down the hall, trying to give Shouto as much room around his head as possible. They made it to the other side. 

“We’re out.” 

He lifted his head up. They were in a room full of bubbles. The clown walked through it and pushed open the final door. 

They were back outside, right near the entrance. There were people laughing and getting food from the food truck or waiting in line to go in. “Your friends are gonna be out soon. Do you want me to wait here with you?” 

Out in the cold night air, Shouto felt sober. He shook his head. “No um... I’m fine.” He looked down at himself. He was still hard. Oh fuck he’d been pressed right against this guy. Had he felt it? His face burned in embarrassment. “Thanks...” 

“Sure!” he smiled at him. “I think I hear your friends. I’ll go scare them in the bubble room. See you around.” 

He winked at Shouto and went back inside. 

Shouto stood there, humiliated. 

***

He wanted to go home. Why was he still here? This was bad. This was very bad. In Shouto’s panic, he forgot that his brother and friends had agreed to stay after the haunt closed to hang out with Himiko and the other actors. 

So here Shouto was, standing in a field behind the haunt’s trail, staring at a large bonfire as various actors, now changed into street clothes but still wearing their makeup drank and talked around the fire. 

Touya sat in a chair close to the fire, Keigo in his lap. Himiko and her girlfriend, Ochako (who turned out to be the matching clown in her scene) were talking. Shigaraki was nowhere to be seen, but he’d heard one of the actors asking if he’d like a ‘Jay walk.’ Why anyone would go jaywalking after midnight, Shouto wasn’t sure. 

“You guys were so funny!” Himiko cried. “I heard you guys almost peed yourselves in the maze!” 

“That little girl was so scary,” Keigo admitted. “There’s something terrible about little kids in haunted houses.” Had there been a kid? Probably someplace else in the maze. “Who was that anyway?” 

“That’s Eri-chan!” Ochako explained. “Her dad works the front room, but she’s really taken a shine to Togata-kun and Deku-kun. The other two clowns in that area. They all act and scare together.” 

Touya frowned. “I only saw the little girl and the big goofy guy.” 

“Yeah, the maze can get super confusing,” Himiko admitted. “I still get lost when I go through it. The three of them split up and scare people lost in it, so you don’t usually see all three. But trust me, if you saw Midoriya-kun, or as Ocha-chan calls him, Deku-kun, you’d know. His costume glows in the dark, and he moves crazy fast!” 

That was likely who Shouto saw. 

“Neat,” Touya said. 

“I heard my name,” a familiar voice cut in. Shouto looked up from his brooding spot behind them. The clown from earlier appeared. He was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized blue hoodie, his hair sweaty and messy, his face still covered in slightly smeared makeup. 

He somehow looked hotter than before. 

Ochako and Himiko waved and smiled at him. “Hey!” Ochako called. “How was your night, Deku-kun?” 

Midoriya shrugged. “Not too bad. I had a strange interaction at the end of the night with this gorgeous guy but other than that-” his eyes scanned over the group, before finally settling on Shouto. His eyes went wide. “Oh, hey!” he said. Those same green eyes began to sparkle. “What are you doing here?” 

Everyone turned to Shouto. 

Himiko came to his rescue. “Midoriya-kun, I told you my friends were coming tonight! This is Touya, his boyfriend Keigo, and his brother Shouto! Tomura is around here somewhere too, but I think he went with Sero and Kaminari to smoke weed.” 

Is that what jaywalking meant?

“Oh, nice! It’s great to meet you guys.” He walked over to the seat next to Shouto. “Can I sit here?” 

And humiliate Shouto more? “Sure.” 

Midoriya sat down as the others went back to their conversation. “You look less pale,” he said. “I’m glad.” 

He shrugged. “I’m fine. Just... Don’t like small spaces like that.” He wasn’t mentioning Shouto’s embarrassing fear boner. That was good, right?  

“Yeah, and those claustrophobia walls are a menace even when you don’t have well... Claustrophobia.” He opened the beer he was holding and took a long sip. “So, other than that, did you enjoy the haunt?” 

He nodded. “It was very well made,” he said. “I wish I had been more in my right mind in the clown area. That maze looked cool. It was just a little too dizzying.” 

“It’s my favorite section,” he said. “I helped paint it myself.” 

Shouto raised an eyebrow at him. “Really?” 

“Yeah! A lot of us come down during the summer on our days off and help build. I’m not too great with power tools, but I love painting. I painted the maze and the hell scene. That cave facade is one of my favorites.” Midoriya’s voice was sweeter out of character. Shouto found he could listen to him talk all night. He sort of wished he’d use that deeper, scary voice again. 

He imagined it in his ear, whispering something dirty. Shouto shook his head and tried to focus in.

“You painted that? I thought it was real for a second. What about the manor facade at the start?” 

He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve done some touchups on it, but that’s it. That facade has been here for a while. Twenty years, I think. Before my time.” 

“Oh wow. How long have you worked here?”  

Midoriya paused for a moment and did a mental count. “Um, I think this makes it fourteen years? I started in high school.” 

“That’s a while. Have you been a clown the whole time?” 

“Just about! Deku the clown is my go-to. I’ve helped out in other scenes when we’ve had callouts, but the carnival is my home. But I’ve always loved clowns. Even as a little kid, I got super obsessed with them for a while.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I used to do a bunch of research on them and everything. But I’m like that with anything I get really into.” 

Shouto nodded along, remembering a question from earlier in the night. “Who came up with clowns anyway?” 

Midoriya turned to face Shouto properly, his eyes sparkling. “No one person came up with clowns. They’ve morphed into the modern clown over the course of several thousand years, actually! The oldest records of a fool or jester character actually come from ancient Egypt! They were called dangas, and it was a highly respected profession because they entertained the Pharaohs and their families. But the real start of the modern clown from an Italian improv style of theatre called Commedia Dell’arte! It had these stock characters that had a specific look to them. Most often with masks, but sometimes they painted their faces; it just depended on the character.” 

“I’ve heard of that,” Shouto said. “I think a friend of mine had to do a paper on it in college. She spent a long time telling me about it, but I don’t remember the specifics.” Was it weird that Shouto found this infodumping extremely attractive? Midoriya was so passionate. It made Shouto’s heart beat faster.

“Yeah! It’s super neat. It had all sorts of characters, but they tended to fall into four categories. Il Capitano, which were usually these big captain characters with a lot of false bravado. Innamatori, who were the young lovers. Vecchi, the rich merchants who were often villains, and most importantly for clowns, the Zanni. That’s actually where the English word zanny comes from.” He talked with his hands. It was endearing. “But they were fools and servant characters. Two of them were Pierrot, who is the basis of the sad clown. He was always in all white, with a white-painted face, and Arlecchino. That was a brightly colored fool type. Arlecchino’s anglicized name might be a bit more familiar, though. Harlequin.” 

His eyes went wide. “Oh wow.” He found himself hanging off Midoriya’s words, yet all he could picture was the version of Midoriya that pinned him to the wall earlier that night. 

“Aw, what’s the matter, little kitty?” 

That seemed so at odds with the man nerding out about clown history in front of him.

Midoriya’s grin got wider as he talked. “That’s at least the origin of the oldest type of clown, the whiteface. But there are actually four main clown types! Whiteface, Augustine, Character, and Tramp or Hobo, but that’s a whole other deep can of worms. But clowns got involved with the circus before it was even the circus! Circuses were from the Romans, and they were horse and chariot shows. Clowns became children’s entertainment at more modern horseshows and just kind of stayed around as those horse shows transformed into the circuses of today!” 

Shouto gently tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, licking his lips. He felt a little insane for how just... hot he found Midoriya. He was cute and earnest, and Shouto kept wanting him to use that raspy voice again. 

And not to be weird about it, but the clown makeup was kind of doing it for him. 

“Can I give you my phone number?” Shouto asked. 

Midoriya let out a squeak. “Uh- uh- huh?” 

Shouto leaned closer. “You’re really-” he hesitated for a moment. He felt insane. Shouto was never this forward. Usually, relationships just sort of happened to him. He didn’t pursue; he simply allowed a handful of people to sleep with him. No feelings, just mutual benefaction. But this man? Shouto wanted to see him in the morning. “Cute,” he said finally. “I want to see you again.”

Midoriya’s neck and ears turned bright red. Shouto was a little mad that he was wearing so much makeup. He wanted to see that cute blush on his face, too. “O-okay!” Midoriya said a little too loudly. 

Touya and the others paused their conversation, glancing back at them for a moment before returning to their talks.

Shouto leaned closer to Midoriya. “Give me your phone.” He held out his hand. With shaking hands, Midoriya gave his phone to him. Shouto quickly made a contact in his phone, made eye contact with Izuku, and slowly gave his phone back. “Feel free to call me any time.” 

“I will!” 

He eyed the beer in Midoriya’s hand. He was thirsty. “Is there beer to spare?” 

“Huh? Oh! Yeah! We usually have a lot left over at the end of the night. Want me to grab you one?” 

Shouto smirked. “Please.” 

***

Shouto was three beers deep. He was pleasantly buzzed, but he probably shouldn’t drive. Midoriya seemed a bit more sober. Shouto had always been a lightweight. Most of the other haunt workers had left by then. Soon, it was just a handful of them around the fire. Shouto had not left Midoriya’s side the whole time. He listened as he talked about whatever came to mind. He found him so interesting.

“Mm,” Shouto began. “Something else that I wondered about clowns.” 

“What’s that?” Midoriya asked. 

“Why are so many people afraid of them?” 

He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Well, a few reasons. Mostly John Wayne Gacy and Steven King’s It.” 

“I know about It, my brother dragged me to see the first movie a little while ago, but who’s the other guy?” 

“American serial killer. He’s a sick person, and he’s mostly associated with clowns because he was a party clown at some point. There’s other stuff that got clowns into horror, but those two are the big reasons. It’s interesting that it’s happened within living memory, though. I’m sure people were afraid of clowns before, but it was probably more of an irrational fear.” Shouto leaned on the arm of his chair, watching Midoriya talk. Midoriya stopped to check the time on his phone. “Aw, crap, it’s super late. I should probably get home soon.” 

But Shouto wanted to keep talking to him! 

“Wanna take me home with you?” 

The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. 

Midoriya’s eyes shot open wide. “You- I mean- Right now? Tonight?” 

“Is this a no?” 

“No! Yes! No! Wait-” he scrambled to lean over the armrest of the chair. “I just. I want to be clear. Are you- do you wanna come back and-” 

“Have sex with you?” Shouto asked. “Yes.” 

Midoriya squeaked. “We barely know each other!” 

“We can get to know each other more, if you prefer. You do have my number. But listening to you nerd out kind of turns me on, so if you’re okay with me coming over.” 

He gulped, gripping the side of the chair harder as he blurted out. “OKAY!” 

A few others turned their heads back to them again. “Great,” Shouto said and stood up. “Touya, I’m heading out. I’ll get an Uber home tomorrow.” 

Touya looked up from his conversation with Keigo and Himiko. “Eh?” He eyed Midoriya. “What- you’re- Fuck it, I don’t care. Keep your location on.” 

“Kay,” Shouto turned back to Midoriya. “Lead the way.” 

“Damn, Deku-kun can pull,” Himiko’s girlfriend whispered. 

“Told you!” Himiko giggled back. “He’s got that Goofy Goober Rizz!” 

Shouto didn’t understand any of those words. He just thought Midoriya was adorable. He wanted to bounce on his dick. 

He was gonna. 

“R-right! My car is over here...” Midoriya gently took his hand. 

***

Midoriya’s apartment was in a quiet part of town that Shouto hadn’t been to much. He parked his car and pulled Shouto up to the third floor. The inside of his place was quaint, with lots of comic book hero posters. Shouto pulled his sneakers off at the door while Midoriya rushed past him and quickly cleaned up some old trash. 

“Sorry! It’s a little messy. I wasn’t expecting... visitors.” 

“It’s fine,” Shouto said, walking into the living room proper. “I like it here. It feels cozy.” He sat on the couch. It had a large throw blanket bundled up in the corner, depicting a hero with blond hair in a blue suit. “So, what next?” he looked up at Midoriya expectantly. 

He fidgeted a little, pulling on the hem of his t-shirt. “I guess uh... I can wash my face off, and we can. You know. If you still want to.” 

“I do, very much, but-” Shouto hesitated. “You can keep the makeup on. If you want to.” 

A look crossed over Midoriya’s face. It was hard to read, but he was thinking about something. “You... like the clown makeup?” 

He shrugged. “Yes. I think it gives you an air of mystery. I would very much like to see your face without it, but... I like how dangerous you feel.” 

“I get it,” Midoriya said, approaching the couch. His voice had dropped down to those low husky tones from the maze. “Shouto-kun,” he leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Who were you hoping to fuck you tonight. Me? Or Deku.” 

Shouto’s legs began to quiver as he pulled them together. “I- um-” Words were hard. Harder than he was. “I like them both very much. But I have a feeling my time with Deku will be more... limited than my time with Midoriya.” 

“Don’t worry, kitty,” he breathed. “You can have whoever you want, whenever you want.” He grabbed Shouto by the hair and pulled him back to look up at him. “So, let me ask you again. Do you want Deku?” 

He let out a low moan as Deku pulled on his hair. “Yes, please.” 

Deku laughed and let him go. “I’ll be nice and give you a ten-second head start. My bedroom is the third door on the left. If you manage to get undressed and on the bed before I catch you I’ll make you cum before I fuck you. How does that sound?” 

“O-okay!” Shouto stood up excitedly. He wanted to be chased. 

“One. Two. Three-” 

He shot down the hall, pulling his shirt off over his head. Things were harder when he was drunk. He crashed into Midoriya’s bedroom. It was a little messier than the rest of the apartment but Shouto didn’t care. 

“Eight. Nine-” 

He pulled his pants and boxers off in one pull, jumping out of them. “Shit-” 

Deku ran down the hall. Shouto ran away from the door toward the bed as Deku burst through it. “Here, kitty kitty!” he cried, his eyes with a minaical glint in them. He pounced, jumping and knocking Shouto into the bed. “Caught you. You didn’t run very well. Did you want to be caught?” he asked. He adjusted so he was on all fours over Shouto’s naked body. 

“M-maybe...” Shouto breathed out. “I want you to be rough.” 

“I can be rough,” Deku promised. He swooped down and kissed Shouto. He tasted like makeup and beer. He should hate it, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything but lay there and take it. He opened his mouth and let Deku’s tongue invade him. 

He pulled back, a line of drool connecting their lips. “Pretty boy,” Deku cooed. He sat up and rubbed his hands down Shouto’s chest. “You’re so smooth and soft.” He pinched his nipples. “You look easy to bruise.” 

“Yeah,” Shouto breathed out. “I am.” 

“Next time, maybe. I can be rougher. I can squeeze that pretty neck of yours until my fingerprints are etched into it.” 

Goosebumps rose all over Shouto’s skin. “You can if you want. Just a little.” He bore his neck to Deku. “If you promise to be gentle.” 

Deku let out a shaky breath. “I’m trying to be nice... But you’re making it impossible.” He moved his hands up his chest before wrapping them around his neck. “Just a little. Just enough to make you feel it.” 

He squeezed. 

Shouto’s eyes rolled back into his head. It wasn’t enough to cut off his air, just restrict it. His entire face went red as Deku squeezed. His cock throbbed, precum drooling onto his stomach. “Oooh...” 

“You’re such a cute toy,” Deku whispered. “You love it rough, don’t you? You like to be thrown around and hurt. You get off on it. Where have you been hiding from me this whole time, huh?” he let him go. “I want you. I can’t take it you’re too hot, Shouto-kun.” 

He panted, catching his breath. “You can have me any way you want.” He smirked. “I can suck-” 

Deku pushed him down into the bed. “No, I’ll uh... I’ll cum really fast. You have me pretty worked up.” 

Shouto was absolutely smirking now. “Tomorrow then,” he declared. 

“Y-yeah...” He moved off him to reach into his bedside table. He pulled out a condom wrapper and a half-empty bottle of lube. “Hold your knees back, kitty.” 

He grabbed his legs under the knees and held himself open. “Yessir,” he said at once. “I always do what I’m told.” 

“I bet...” Deku moved back between his legs, staring at him. He reached down and gave Shouto’s cock a few strokes. “Even this is pretty. You’re just perfect everywhere, aren’t you?” He let him go and slapped his thigh. 

“Ah-” 

“You love it.” He uncapped the lube and poured a generous amount on two fingers. “Let’s see...” He pushed both in at once. Shouto grunted in pain, but it only made his cock harder. “Masochist,” Deku cooed. “Aren’t you?” He pushed his fingers in deeper, making Shouto keen. 

“OOooh yeah! I don’t care if it hurts. I just want you.” 

Deku cursed under his breath. “You’re dangerous. I want to let loose, but you’re so into it you’d probably let me really hurt you before you stopped me, wouldn’t you?” 

Shouto nodded dumbly.

“Yeah. So I gotta be smart. For both of us.” He curled his fingers, searching. “Making the clown be the smart one... You must really love danger.” 

His finger struck something. 

“Oh-” Shouto cried out, his toes curling. “Right there again, Deku please-” he begged, trying to angle his hips. 

“Here?” Deku asked, his fingers rubbing his prostate perfectly. Stars dance around Shouto’s eyes. “Like this?” 

“Y-yeahhhh!” 

He pressed into the spot a few times, each time Shouto’s cock jumped and twitched. He felt like he was going crazy. He whimpered as Deku spread his fingers apart. “You’re loosening up quick. Do you get fucked a lot? You like it?” 

“Uh-huh,” Shouto whispered. “I like being used... I like being scared, I think. I like it when you scare me.” 

Deku’s other hand flew back to his neck, and squeezed. “You like being scared? You like the threat of someone hurting you hanging over your head while you cum?” 

“Mhmm!” Shouto was so close. Deku could hurt him. He barely knew this man, and he had his hand around his throat. He was gonna cum. 

“You like feeling like you might die it feels so good?” He pushed down hard on his prostate. 

Shouto’s vision turned white with pleasure. “AH!” he cried out, his hips bucking as cum shot from his cock so hard it splattered all over his chest, face, and the back of Deku’s hand around his throat. 

Deku let go at once and pulled out of him. “Oh gosh,” he whispered before coughing into his hand. “You do. Holy whoa.” 

He let his legs go, slumping into the bed. “Yeah...” His cock was still hard. “C-can you fuck me now? Please? I need it.” 

He nodded and stripped out of his clothes. Shouto watched, his heart still pounding in his chest. Deku had a fantastic body. Toned and tan. He wanted to run his tongue across his pecs and nipples, but he felt so weak that all he could do was lie there and wait for more. Deku pulled the condom on and lubed up his cock. He grabbed Shouto by the ankles and pushed his legs back. “I told you to hold these,” he barked. 

Shouto weakly grabbed his knees. “‘M tired...” 

“Just a minute, kitty,” he cooed. He grabbed his cock and guided it to Shouto’s ass. “Let me get in, and then I’ll take care of everything. Since you don’t seem to be capable of doing much but looking good right now.” 

“Sorry...” 

Deku smiled. “Shh, no kitty, don’t worry. You’re so perfect, that’s all you need to do. I like it. I like you.” 

His heart fluttered. “I’ll be yours forever if you keep talking like that.” 

He pushed the blunt head of his cock into his hole. It filled Shouto up from the inside. “Oh fuck-” Deku groaned. “You keep talking like that and you’re never leaving this bed.” He slid in slowly. “You’re so hot inside... Soft...” 

Shouto moaned, trying to relax and take it. It hurt and burned, but it made Shouto feel soooo good. He didn’t care. His cock was leaking and throbbing again. “Fuck more more...” he begged. He wanted Deku all the way inside. He couldn’t move to force him deeper. 

Slowly, he pushed in. He pushed until he bottomed out, balls deep inside. “Oh my god,” Deku whispered. “You’re so hot I’m gonna cum already.” 

“O-okay,” Shouto whispered. His body felt light. His brain was melting. He went limp in his grasp. 

Deku grabbed his legs and hoisted them over his shoulders. “Oh god,” he whispered and began to thrust. They were slow and deep, ramming his cock deep inside on each thrust. “You’re just taking it. You love this.” 

“Mhmm!” Shouto’s eyes rolled back into his head. Everything else had floated away. All he could feel was Deku. He grabbed Shouto’s thighs, squeezing them and digging his nails into them. The sensation made him moan. All the pain made the pleasure better. His cock rammed into him, grazing that spot that made him see stars. 

“Hold on,” Deku pushed his legs back, bending Shouto in half. He rolled his hips and his cock struck his prostate dead on. 

“OH!” Shouto yelped. 

“There it is,” he grinned, and began to thrust in earnest. The sound of his cock slamming into him was obscene and wet. Shouto’s cock drooled. He felt so open and used. Deku could do anything to him. 

He wanted to do whatever Deku wanted him to do

“Next time,” Deku whispered. “Gonna tie you up. Make it so you can’t escape.” He chuckled and leaned down kissing him again. “Not that you’d ever want to, would you?” He kissed him once more, his tongue sliding into his mouth.

Shouto let his mouth fall open. Deku’s tongue slid over his. “Naaah...” 

He was so hot. His cock was going to burst. He felt so full. 

“Fuck,” Deku pulled back from their kiss. “I can’t I’m gonna-” 

His cock rammed his prostate again. Shouto came undone. He whimpered and moaned as his entire body shook. His muscles spazzed and tightened. Cum splattered between them, his ass clamping down. 

“FUCK!” Deku cried out. He pushed Shouto into the bed and buried his cock deep inside. Shouto wished he weren’t wearing the condom. He wanted to feel his cum inside. Deku’s face was twisted into pleasure, his eyes squeezed shut as he came inside Shouto. 

Shouto’s body went limp again. Deku stayed inside him, bent over for a moment before finally pulling back and out. His legs fell into the bed. “Oh god,” Shouto mumbled and stretched his legs out. “That was so hot...” 

“H-heh,” Midoriya panted. He pulled the condom off, tied it, and tossed it in the bin. “Glad you liked it so much.” 

He nodded and grabbed Midoriya, pulling him in for a hug. “Let’s get married. You can.. You can talk about all your cute interests. Then fuck me like that every day.” 

“O-okay!” he laughed. “Shouto-kun, um. Here let me wash my face. It’s late. We can get breakfast tomorrow. If you still wanna see me without the clown makeup.” 

“Yeah,” Shouto mumbled. “I gotta see. I bet you’re cuter without it.” He closed his eyes. He was so warm and cozy. 

He was asleep before Midoriya got up to clean. 

***

Morning light filtered through the window. Shouto groaned, slowly opening his eyes. He was in an unfamiliar bedroom. He lay his head on a warm but firm pillow. He groaned as he sat up, getting his bearings. Right. The haunt. Midoriya. 

He looked down at the bed. Midoriya was on his back, only wearing a pair of super hero boxer-briefs. His face was washed clean. 

Shouto got on his knees to look. 

“I was right,” Shouto mused, gently poking Midoriya’s cheek. 

“Hnn?” Midoriya woke up slowly. “Right?” 

“You are cuter without the makeup.” 

Midoriya’s face turned bright red. Finally, he got to see that pretty blush. Shouto wanted to see more of it. “Huh?” 

“Come on. I’ll buy you breakfast. Then you can tell me more clown history.” 

Midoriya smiled. “Okay!”