Count to Ten

Prologue

Superheroes don't exist in this world. Okay, that's a lie, they do exist. There are all different kinds of superheroes in comics. Real life superheroes don't exist. But, villains do. Criminals, that is. Izuku Midoriya is one of them. Well, kind of, not really. Izuku isn't anything but your average guy. He goes to work. He comes home. He sleeps. He disinfects. He washes his hands ten times. But, the moment he falls asleep an alternate persona takes over. Deku. Deku is a demon. Deku loves to kill for fun. He tortures and annihilates everything and everyone. Deku is also a huge flirt. One other fun fact: Deku is a pyromaniac. Izuku is a water lover. Imagine that. The two couldn't be any more different. 

Izuku doesn't know anything about his alternate self. But, the police do. The world knows. So he is stuck here, in this facility, for the "mentally ill." This place, full of bacteria, full of germs and bugs and disgusting items. Izuku went mad with as much disinfectant as he could get his hands on. Because of that, he was sent to a "more specialized" facility. One that locks him in an all-white room with padded walls so he doesn't injure himself. One that pretends to care about him. Pretends to give him the proper care. Well, at least they tried. 

It took years before Izuku was allowed his own special living quarters with his own rules. As long as he promised to sleep in the padded room, Izuku was allowed whatever he wished. He was living the dream. Not to mention, the new counselor in town was his favorite. He had magical white and red hair. It was nearly perfectly parted down the center. Izuku loved it. He wished in his heart of hearts that this psychiatrist would counsel him. 

His wishes came true. 

Shouto was assigned to him. In fact, he was only assigned to him. The higher-ups decided Izuku was a special case. He needed all of the attention anyone could give him. That was fine. It was all fine. 

"Izuku Midoriya, do you mind if I call you Izuku? Or, do you prefer Midoriya?" Shouto asked. The two were sitting in a room, his room, Izuku's room. No, more correct to say a special area where visitors could be. This area was requested by Izuku himself. It had a wall, like a prison, separating the 'outside' from the 'in' to ensure no foreign bacteria made its way to him. There was a little ledge behind the glass on both sides, a table, perhaps. Shouto had a clipboard resting on his lap and a coffee mug on the table. "I know some patients prefer to be called by their last names," he finished, Izuku was distracted, barely paying attention to what he'd said. He couldn't stop staring at the hair. So nice. So nicely parted. It satisfied his deepest desire: perfection. 

A single word resounded in Izuku's ears. "Patients? Is that what you think of us as?" Izuku wasn't offended. In fact, it was the nicest term he'd heard in a while. 

"No, I think of you as people."

"Izuku is just fine, Dr. Todoroki," Izuku answered the question. People? People. Ha, so nice. He really liked Shouto. Yes, yes, nicely parted hair and he thinks of him as a person, not a villain. He didn't even know Deku. Damn police. Damn them all. He was nice. He was a nice person. Ah, parted hair. Hm. Izuku wanted to touch it. Touch it? That's gross. Bacteria. Grr. Why did he want to touch it?

"Please call me Shouto. I find that if patients are on a first name basis it allows for them to open up more," Shouto said. Izuku wasn't very convinced. The man didn't look like he smiled one day in his life. He was ice cold, just like the snowy part of his hair. Izuku didn't mind that. It was oddly comforting. Just the right amount of distance.  Ah, but if he was so cold...what happened when he turned hot? 

"Why do you wear gloves, Izuku?" Shouto asked. 

"That's a silly question, isn't it? Haven't you read my file?" Izuku was confused. This new doctor didn't seem like he knew anything about him. Was this part of some game? When Shouto didn't answer, Izuku sighed. He might as well provide a response. A conversation was better than eternal silence. Izuku got enough of that in his (surprisingly homey) cell.