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Deku was beyond excited, going to a hero conference with All Might wasn’t something that happened every day. Plus, they had to stay a couple of nights there, which made it all more thrilling. The two heroes were boarding on the plane and after a while the pilot’s voice resonated through the speakers. “Good morning everyone, it’s your pilot. The plane will take off in a minute and the flight will last more or less three hours. Thank you for traveling with us, enjoy yourselves!” Deku could’ve sworn that the voice was Rody’s one, but it was impossible. Rody was still a student after all… The young hero was pretty sure he was wrong, which is why he was even more surprised when that voice called for him again.
The brunette couldn’t believe his eyes when he had spotted a to him well-known green turf of hair among the passengers. He would recognize him everywhere because he belonged to someone who meant a lot to him. Fate really was a scary thing sometimes. After the huge incident that could’ve shattered the entire world things have gone well for Rody and his little family for the first time in a long time. He had gotten a new job and restarted to pursue his dream to be a pilot someday. It certainly wasn’t easy, managing taking care for his siblings and taking flight lessons as well as going to school, but he didn’t give up, remembering the words he had told him back then… and now, a few months later, here he was, taking his first flight as an assistant pilot and he met him again. After the plane had taken off and reached its flight height, Rody was allowed to leave the cockpit for a bit, since the autopilot was managing everything else for the next hours. Pino was already chirping for excitement as he opened the door to the aisle, making his way to him. “Midoriya, is that you~ Oh my God, we haven’t- Hey Pino, come back,” Rody stopped and reached out one hand, as the bird dashed forward, landing on the other’s shoulder, rubbing her head against his cheek.
“Huh? Who’s calling m- AAH!” The freckled boy was startled by the bird dashing towards him, but he soon recognized him and started rubbing his head with his fingertips. Then he looked towards the aisle and his eyes sparkled with joy. “Rody?? Oh my is that you? What are you doing here? Are you doing okay? What about your siblings? And how’s it going with your lessons? Is your job alright?” He didn’t even try to stop his rambling, it would’ve been pointless given how rejoiced he was, and besides, Kacchan wasn’t there so he didn’t have to fear his annoyance or wrath. In the meanwhile, Pino had nestled in Midoriya’s fluffy hair, giving no sign of wanting to move. Izuku smiled at that and looked at his friend. “Pino seems to have missed me…” He chuckled in endearment.
Rody giggled shyly as he watched Pino proudly making herself comfortable on his head, listening to the wave of questions from his friend. “She’s not the only one who missed you~” he said more to himself as he sat on a free seat - lucky him - next to green bean, telling him all the things that had happened to him. He told him about his studies as a pilot, that he followed his dream, encouraged by him, that his siblings were looked after by a nice old lady that lived next to their new home, how they talked every morning and night and how much they missed the “hero trio” - especially the cheerful one. How this was his first official flight and how scared and yet excited he was about it. He laid a hand on one cheek, smiling warmly at the other as Pino gave a relaxed chirp when Midoriya, crawled her soft belly, while listening to his tale.
The green-haired guy smiled, a bit embarrassed from hearing how much his words had influenced Rody and how much the little family missed him. He also could’ve sworn that the ex-thief had said something about Pino not being the only one who’d missed him, but he let it slide since he was way more interested in what his friend had to tell him. “I’m so proud of you for chasing your dreams and taking care of your siblings as well. You’re a hero in your own way, and the flight is going splendidly. You sounded very professional when you greeted us passengers!” He exclaimed with his usual cheerful tone, while petting Pino to not make her feel left out.
“Ahh you think so, hehe, I really thought a lot what I should say to sound professional, you know, not sounding like a total idiot~” Rody replied, rubbing the back of his head, his grin growing wider. He was glad that Pino was still sitting on the other’s head, otherwise he would’ve seen the deep red blush o the birds face. Rody had always been weak to praises and hearing him saying something like this only made his heart beating faster. “So, what brings you here, another mission to catch an honest thief~” he joked, trying to clear his mind a bit.
“Oh hahaha no… not at all,” Deku told him “I’m accompanying All Might to a hero conference, he’s resting right now to save energy to appear in his best form during the reunion.” He whispered to not let others know that the most famous hero in the world was on the plane. “I’ll be assisting online, that way the staff will interrupt the call when they start to discuss classified matters, but it’ll still be useful.” He chirped, visibly being on cloud nine at the thought of being able to live such an experience. “But are you alright? Pino feels quite hot…” He observed, but luckily for Rody, the pilot called him to observe the landing. As soon as they got off, they were “greeted” by an equipe of technicians that had noticed a malfunction during the landing and wanted to make sure everything was okay. Unfortunately, it wasn’t and there weren’t other flights to Otheon, which put the brunette and the pilot in a difficult position. On the other hand, Deku wouldn’t allow them to sleep in the airport in pitiful conditions and talked to his mentor about it. Before they knew it, the whole group was settled in the hotel where the two heroes were supposed to stay and, to make it all even better, the two boys had just become roommates.
Rody couldn’t help but smile as he watched Midoriya’s eyes sparkle for excitement as he talked about the tasks assigned to him, you could really tell how much he admired All Might and how happy he was to help him out, even in a more minor manner like this. Rody was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the other’s concerned question, happy when he was called back to the cockpit, to watch the landing process, time really flies by if you’re enjoying yourself in good company. The brunette was relieved when he waved to him and walked back, Pino following a few seconds after. He could feel his face heating up, thanks to a certain bird that couldn’t hide her excitement. The landing at least went smoothy, well, unfortunately not what followed after. The tower had spotted an error on the plane, one thing led to another and a few hours later Rody found himself together in a hotel room with Midoriya, thanks to his mentor, allowing him and the pilots to stay with them until all the checks and repairs were completed. Putting his bag on his bed, Rody let out a relieved sigh. “…I didn’t think I could have the chance to spend some more time with you, much less sharing a room with you. All Might really is a great hero, taking all of us with him and even paying for us, you indeed have a great mentor Midoriya,” he said, aided by Pino who chirped approving. “It’s just like old times, right?” he said, remembering the nights the two, ahem three of them had spent during said incident.
“Yeah, All Might is the best hero ever, he never fails to bring a smile on everyone’s face…” Deku replied with a nostalgic tone, thinking about how much his idol had sacrificed himself for others “And yeah, you’re right, it’s like old times… but at least now we don’t have hitmen chasing us, I’m not wanted and the world’s safety isn’t at risk” He tried to crack a joke “oh, and we’re sleeping in actual beds and not in emergency shelters.” The young hero jumped on the bed, bouncing back given how soft it was, then he started to open his suitcase and get settled in the room. “Oh, Rody one more thing,” the freckled boy remembered all of a sudden “can I check on Pino for a second to see if she still feels hot? I wouldn’t want to see her sick. And since you’re connected, you should measure your temperature as well.” He pulled out a notebook and started scribbling some notes. Obviously, he would’ve never missed the chance to write down something new about his friend’s amazing quirk, so he intended to discover if the two of them also could get sick together.
Rody laughed at this, remembering how they slept on haystacks or in abandoned ruins, all while needing to look out for their pursuers, between now and then were indeed worlds. “Haha, yes, it really was an adventure in itself, I still think off that one morning when I woke up one day and you were literally clinging on me~” he said, chuckling more as the other demonstrated the softness of their beds. However, hearing his request, his chuckles almost went over to coughs, as he was caught off guard by the question. “You want to check her? You don’t have to, it’s- *sigh* Oookay, guess I’ll humor you after all,” Rody said, being betrayed by the little pink creature that landed willingly in front of the teen, ready to get some more attention from him. Damn, you really have to be honest in everything, Rody cursed in his mind, actually happy that the green-haired was thinking so much about their well-being. He sat down on his bed, opposite of Deku, watching as the other scribbled the last kind of information, whatever it was, in his notebook before he continued his “examination”.
“Good girl!” Izuku smiled cheerfully when Pino went to him willingly “Don’t worry, I won’t take long and I won’t hurt you, you know I’d never do that.” He reassured her as he started checking her vitals, not professionally like a vet or a doctor, but still with great effort, attention and care. “Well… she isn’t hot anymore, so maybe she was just reflecting your excitement for your first flight, if we don’t count that time when you brought Kacchan, Todoroki and I to Humanrise secret headquarters.” He concluded, visibly relieved that nothing was wrong with the little bird. “You’ve been a very good patient, your brave as a hero just like your companion. Good, good girl…” the green-eyed boy scratched softly Pino’s tummy as a sign of affection.
Rody watched as the other carefully checked the bird, as if it was his own pet, taking note of the smile he had on his face while doing so. “Told you nothing’s wrong~ It was just the excitement of the first flight” and seeing you again, he finished inside his head, relaxing some more when the other seemed to be finished, glad that the topic was from the table now. However, when he had to praise Pino for being such a nice little patient, scribbling his fingers over her soft tummy, Rody could suddenly feel a strange feeling on his own one, as if soft feathers for wiggling over his skin and suppressed a giggle, pressing a hand on his mouth, hoping the other wouldn’t notice.
Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered when Deku turned towards him with a worried expression. “Rody, what was that noise you made? Are you hurt? Sick maybe?” He asked, worried even more than earlier. He thought about what he could do and then looked at the bird. “Just bear with me for a little more, please…” He asked, smiling warmly when she chirped in content. He turned towards Rody and gave him a concerned look. “I’m gonna check you through Pino, that way I won’t have to touch you directly, which will make you feel more at ease, I suppose. Trust me on this, at UA they taught us the basics of how to take care of people, and if it’s necessary I won’t hesitate to call a doctor.” He tried to calm down his friend, who looked particularly antsy, then he started to poke repeatedly the bird’s tummy, starting from that spot because he was touching there when Rody winced. “Does it hurt if I do this?” He asked without stopping.
Rody was feeling his face heating up again. That couldn’t be happening, no it couldn’t be. Midoriya touching him wasn’t the issue, it was something else, something from what he thought he could hide from the world, something only two people knew about and had used one many occasions in the past once they found out about it. He stretched on hand out to him, the other still covering his face, as he tried to stay calm when Midoriya began to check his soul’s likeness body for injuries again. “I-I’m fiHine, rehEhally~ I-It’s nohothing, haHAhaha, just st-stoHop, okay?” he tried to sound convincing, which didn’t really seem to work as more giggles begin to flow out from between his fingers, all while Pino was just sitting where she was, leaning against his touch, making some high-pitched tweets and chirps in return, red cheeks, seemingly happy. “NohoHohoho~”
“Wait… are you… laughing?” Izuku looked at him perplexed “That’s not how I expected you to respond… oh my-” He finally understood, kicking himself internally for not figuring it out straight away “You’re just ticklish!” It was too good of an occasion to let it slip, so the hero decided to play the part of the villain for some time. He sat on his bed, holding Pino with one hand and scribbling quickly with the other. “So you can feel what she feels… I’ll have to write it down…” he mumbled to himself while watching Rody struggle to hold in his laughter by covering his mouth. “You might as well give in, there’s really no point in hiding it anymore.”
“NahhHAh, I- I’m noHot ticklish, I just thohHohought of something fuHuNny~” Rody tried to deny the inevitable truth, not able to hide the giggles anymore as the other continued to gently wiggle his fingers over the bird in his hand as he scribbled down his newest knowledge in the notes especially made for Pino and him. “I’m not hiding any- haHAHAh ohHoh mhyYhyh GohohOHOd, o-okahAhahy, okaAhhay, I ahAmm, you cahAnn stoHop,” Rody giggled, as Midoriya had finished his first notes, focusing his attack on a new spot. He didn’t except to buckle so easily, but what could he do, denying it would only encourage him to tickle him more, now that the secret was out, he would stop, right, right? Wait, did he actually want him to stop? The last months were stressful, with all the learning and training sessions, he hadn’t seen the little ones’ much, well, at least in person, and maybe this was exactly what he needed right now, Pino seemed to know, he just had to accept it himself. Letting himself fall back into the soft fabric, Rody hold his forehead and stomach as he let his laughter finally out. “AhahaHAhAh~”
“Hmmmm… so you lied to me” Deku said feigning disappointment while poking experimentally Pino’s little paws, which should’ve corresponded to the guy’s feet “But I understand why you did, that’s quite the big weakness indeed. For example, imagine if I was a villain and did something like this” He laid the pink bird on his bed and swiftly moved towards his friend, helping himself with One for All to be quicker and catch him by surprise “What would you do, huh?” He was straddling him while grabbing his wrists, letting him know that he could’ve pinned them above his head whenever he wanted. As attentive and observant as he was, he had noticed how the little pet was reacting to his tickles, and she’d never tried to pull away, so he had figured that Rody didn’t really mind his actual predicament.
“GyhaHAHAhaha Mi-Midoriya, nohOHhot thEhhre~” Rody squealed as he could feel ghosty fingers on his soles. It was always strange when he was tickled through Pino… even though he wasn’t touched, he could still feel how his fingers were working up and down his feet and he curled his toes inside his slippers, having removed his normal ones as soon as they had arrived. He was so occupied with laughing, that he didn’t even hear his announcement, being caught off guard when he suddenly felt the other’s weight on him, being pushed, or rather thrown completely on the bed by him, losing his footwear in the process. He tried to move around but it was pointless, the playful hero had him safe and sound under him and he was at his hand’s mercy. Looking up to his smiling face, Rody knew he was blushing, a reddish tone creeping up his ears.
Deku smiled as he noticed his friend’s cheeks and even ears turn red, seeing such a playful guy as him acting so bashfully was quite the rare sight. “So? What would you do if I were a villain, and you were my target?” He decided he had beaten around the bush for long enough, so he pinned Rody’s arms above his head and looked at him in his eyes, making him gulp a little. Then he walked two of his fingers from his wrist towards his underarm, going agonizingly slow to let him fully realize what was coming for him. “Come on, stop me” the freckled boy taunted, aware of the difference of strength between them, “I’m sure you can at least free your wrists if you try hard enough.”
Rody groaned trying to free himself from his grip, but his arms didn’t even move a centimeter. The other was enjoying the situation way too much. “Let go, argh why are you so damn strong, come one! PINO help~” he called, but the bird, just sat on the other side, watching them eagerly, making no attempts to help him. Just you wait, no more snacks for you, Rody thought, only to let karma hit him as he felt two fingers tickling up his arm, down to another weak spot of his. Giggling in embarrassment, he could make out a light chirp, managing to get a side-glance to said bird, curling around in pleasure. “I cahAhan’t, you jehEherk~” he cursed to him, not thinking about the consequences it might cause.
“Hehehe seems like Pino prefers staying on the side of the villain…” Izuku chuckled, enjoying the little “walk” towards the brunette’s armpit. As someone who often got tickled by almost everyone, he found it funny to switch sides for once; he thought there was great joy in putting a smile on someone’s face, especially Rody, who deserved happiness more than anyone else after all he had done for his family. Then Rody said something he shouldn’t have said. “Jerk? Me..?” Deku gasped with the best fake heartbroken expression he could master. “You wound me… how could you say such a mean thing. If that’s what you think, I might as well stop being a nice villain…” He stated calmly, while his fingers had reached the dreaded destination. The hero decided to take his time with the ex-thief, stroking his index up and down his sensitive underarm, watching him twitch and squirm in vain. Then he added another finger, noticing how his reaction changed, then another, and another, and another… The poor guy soon felt a whole hand scribbling up and down his armpit, even going a bit up to tease his tricep and lower to get that little spot where the underarm meets the pectoral.
“You know I didn’t mean it like- *sigh* You suck at acting you know that? Good you became a hero, otherwise you surely would’ve ended up with- No, nonono I haHAHHAhahh~” The green-haired just couldn’t act like being mad at him, he was one of the nicest person he had ever met and the twitching smile in the corner of his mouth was speaking for itself. Besides, the brunette knew that whatever he said now wouldn’t matter, he knew Midoriya well enough to know that - once he was in his playful mood, nothing could stop him anymore, same as when protecting his friends. So, with nothing to lose, Rody decided to fight back with his words instead of escaping a fate he would receive anyways. Though, with each finger the other added to his attack, the ticklish feeling got more intensive and Rody pressed his eyes together, clenching his fists into the mattress. “OhoHoo my GohoHOd, it tiHihickles~” he whined, pulling and pushing on the one hand that was still holding his in place, worming them out millimeter by millimeter. Pino on the other hand still chirped as delightful as before, making it way too easy for Midoriya to see that Rody still hadn’t reached his limit.
“It tickles?” Deku kept using his poor acting skills “Does it tickle that much? Because Pino seems pretty happy…” Did he mean to tease him? No, at least not at the beginning, but given how red Rody was turning and how flustered, yet still happy, the bird was getting, he decided to continue. “Now you have to tell me, how do you survive with your siblings if you’re this ticklish? I’m sure they like to get you from time to time…” He asked with an innocent tone, but also with a little smirk on his face. Then, taking advantage of how his friend’s shirt had ridden up, he wormed his fingers on the exposed patch of skin of Rody’s stomach, watching it quiver from all that laughter. “Are you ticklish here as well? Is it better or worse than your underarms?” He asked, wiggling a finger in his belly button before he could reply. He chose to dip his pinky finger to be able to scratch the little walls as well.
“NoHoHOho, j-jsut wahaHait a sec~” Rody laughed, as the other continued to tease him in this oh so honest version of his “I’m-mad-at-you-so-take-that” acting, stating the “bitter truth” that he actually enjoyed the situation quite a bit. Having a tiny bird that shows the world how you truly feel does has in cons, but on some occasions, it can also be quite helpful to have it… “I g-geheHet them baHack, I’m not a big broHother for nothing…the t-ti-tiHihickle mosnter’s goHohna geheet you, rahWhr~” Rody tried to explain, even imitating the sound he would make when he would chase Roro and Lala through their house, before catching his siblings in a playful manner, tickling them gentle. His “rawr” however came out like a high-pitched squeak, sounding more like a baby cat, as Midoriya used the favor of the hour to tickle the exposed area of his stomach, wiggling his fingertips over the soft skin, even worming one finger in his button, circling it around. “PfahhHaAAhhaHAHAHThat!” That was it, a tremble went through his entire body, as a wave of chortles escaped him, the tinglish feeling spreading throughout his entire body, from the last tip of his hair to his toes, and in a forceful attempt Rody managed to free his hands from his grip, only to grab the one that was still tickling his middle area, holding it in place. Heavily beathing, Rody used, the bafflement of the other to get some precious puffs of air into his lung. “J-Just *pant* *pant* Just wait a moment~”
Hearing his friend pant made Deku snap out of his playful mood and immediate get off his friend to let him breathe better. He went to the mini-fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and brought it to the brunette. He opened it and poured some water into the cap to offer it to Pino, and then he gave the rest to Rody. “A-are you okay? Did I go too far?” The young hero asked while helping his friend sit up. He knew that not everyone had the same stamina as him, and training to get One for All surely gave him a level way above average, so his concern was natural. “Do you need anything? When you’re done drinking, please ask anything you want and I’ll bring it to you.” He offered before grabbing his notebook to write down every tickle spot he had discovered on Rody in order of sensitivity.
The brunette needed a few seconds before he was able to sit up, gladly accepting the bottle of water. The cold fluid felt refreshing, and he sighed, relieved that the tickling came to a stop, he didn’t know how much longer he could’ve handled being tickled like that otherwise. “I’m fine, thanks ehm for stopping~” Rody gave Pino a glance, a mutual agreement being made. Midoriya was so focused on writing everything down, that he didn’t notice the shadow approaching him before it was too late and the world turned upside down for a second, before he found himself pinned down with a grinning Rody above him, Pino chirping happily on his shoulder. “You didn’t think I would let you get away with it, do you? Now let me show you what happens when you provoke the tickle monster~” …and with that he dove in, moving his hands immediately down to his sides.
“No problem at all” Deku smiled without taking his eyes off the notebook, not realizing how much of a fatal mistake it was until he found himself under a tickle attack. “Noooooohoho thihihis ihihisn’t fahahahir” the young hero failed immediately at keeping his giggles under control “Ihihihi gahahave yohou ahaha wahaharnihing ahand tihihime tohohoho freehehe yohoursehehehelf!!” He whined between his squeaks. He briefly glanced at the pink bird to see if he had a chance of convincing her to help him, but as he saw how contently she was chirping, his hopes shattered.
Rody smirked down at him when he heard his complains. “Didn’t you say you were a villain, villains don’t play fair, so let me show you what’s being tickled by true monster, a tickle monster would look like~ Let’s go Pino~” *Chirp* With that the brunette wiggled his hands up to his underarms, making claws as he attack the sensitive area, Pino on the other hand had landed o Midoriya’s chest, swirling her feathers under his chin.
“Ihihi’m thehe vihihihillahain!! Nohohohot yohou” Deku observed with a sassy tone, well… as sassy as he could sound while giggling like a little kid. To be honest he had expected some kind of retaliation from his friend, but not that soon! He had surely underestimated his stamina if he’d managed to recover that quickly. “Nahahahaha dohohon’t behehe meheahahan…” he begged, but he understood he hadn’t convinced Rody when he felt ten sneaky fingers clawing under his arms. “NahAHAhahaHA ihihihit’s bahAHAHahad heHEreheee” he reflexively clamped his arms to his sides, knowing it would only make it worse, but his body refused to move. Even scrunching his neck was pointless, Pino’s soft feathers always found a spot to trace. “Pihihinohohoho hehelp mehehehe nohohot hihihihim” He asked once more, but the little creature simply ignored him. He couldn’t even use his Quirk because of how much he was laughing. He was truly stuck.
“Haha, you think that’s mean, oho you underestimate me hero, tell me who’s the more ticklish one or I’ll never let you go~” he threatened him with a fake deep-voice~ “So, you mean right here it’s bad~” Rody teased further, holding the other with one hand down while the other sneaked under his shirt, shooting right up to his armpit, leaving no cottoned-barrier between him and his wiggling fingers. “Pino will not help you, say does it tickle~” Oh he was in his element now. He loved teasing his siblings, but was always careful not overdoing it, with Midoriya, he could finally show the true side of the tickle monster, not needing to hold back. “Tickle tickle tickle~”
“OhoHOH goohohoHOhodnehess wAHAHAhait” the young hero arched his back and squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the tickly fingers right on his skin. And Pino’s delicate assault was making everything way worse for him “YehehEHEHEhes ihiHIHIt’s bahaHAHhad juhuHUHUhust lihiHIHike yoHOur beheHEHElly buhUHUHUhuttohon!!” He said, hoping that Rody would get flustered and give him a couple of seconds to counterattack. “AhaHAhand stoHOHOhop sahahaying thahHAHAhat wohoHOHOrd yohoHOHou meheAHAhan mohOHOnstehEHer!” He yelled, playing along with his friend’s “tickle monster” antic.
When Rody heard the comparison to his belly he faltered. “You really said just that, did you~ Guess you leave me no choice but to use my secret weapon Midoriya~” With that he reached into his pocket, pulling out a keychain Lala had made for him. It had one tiny pink feather attached to it, a little gift Pino had contributed. “The tickle monster will tickle tickle tickle you~” he sang, as he began to swirl the feather under his nose and over his ears, all while his other hand continued to tickle his bare underarm, before moving it down his chest, heading for the spot the green-haired seemed to love to say so much. “Almost there Midoriya, I’ll gonna gehehet you~”
“EEK!! Why dohohOHO yoHOHou hahaveHE aha feheHEHEAHahather ihihin yohoHOur pockeHEHet??” The freckled boy squealed, failing to hold back a sneeze when the tiny object twirled under his nose. He was keeping his eyes half shut, so he couldn’t understand he was a homemade keychain with the bird’s personal touch. Then a shiver ran down his spine as he felt Rody going down with the feather, imagining where he wanted to strike. “NohoHOHOhooo wahAHAHAhait!! IhiHIHit’s nohHOHOhot seheHEHEhensihihitivehe!!” He bluffed, praying it would work.
The Soul big brother smiled at his reaction, reminding him of Roro, who would react the same if he used his special move. “A parting present from the little ones’ for always doing my best~ Hehe both in studies and when doing this~” he teased, swirling the feather right into his belly button.“ Now, obviously the last part was his idea, but he was sure Midoriya wouldn’t mind either way.
"NonononohohOHOho waHAHAhaihit” Deku whined while arching his back and squirming as much as he could to prevent the feather from going into his belly button “doHOHon’t Ihihi’m nohOHohOHOhot seheHEnsihitivehe theheHEHEhereee” He tried to lie once more, hoping to fool his friend. He had to admit that Rody was quite merciless, but he didn’t exactly mind. He always liked his playful side and he wished he could see it more often.
“Not sensitive, hm~ Then why are you squirming so much, why are you squirming so much~” Rody sang as he wiggled the feather around and into his navel, again and again. His reactions were so promising that he even added his other hand as well, sliding it down his side, poking it in-between his ribs in the process, before another quintet of fingers joined his ruthless attack on the poor boys “not sensitive” belly button.
Izuku needed to find a good excuse, and he needed to find it quickly. Luckily, he managed to think of one. But was it good? He had one way to find out. “IhihIHIhit’s behHEcahAHAHAuse ohohof PihihinohOHO yohoHOHou duhuHUHummy ehehHEHEhe” He lied. Of course the bird’s attack was making him laugh, but his chin wasn’t even close to his navel in terms of sensitivity. However, the young hero realized one thing. If one of Rody’s hands was holding the feather and the other one was helping, his own arms weren’t pinned anymore! Seeing an opportunity to counterattack, the green-haired boy gathered all his strength, which wasn’t much given his predicament, and tried to at least make the situation better for him. Catching his friend by surprise, he snatched the keychain, paying attention to not break it, and held it tight in his fist, obviously squeezing the key and not the feather to not ruin it.
“Aha mhm mhm, so Pino is the cause of the giggly mess you’re in right now, yeah I’m totally buying that, it’s kinda adorable to see you trying so har- Hey give that back Midoriya!” The sudden countermeasure caught Rody complete off guard as Midoriya managed to steal the tool from his hand, trapping it inside his fist. He pulled on his fist, trying to get it back, but even though Midoriya was worn out from the ticklish assault, he was still stronger than him. Nothing helped, and if he didn’t want to be on the receiving end again, he had to think about something that would finish the other before it was too late. The seconds ticked by as Rody had a brainstorm, it was risky, but it was all or nothing. “You leave me no choice, this will end you~” As if she knew what was about to come, Pino suddenly stopped and flew to a safer position. Pulling his already slid-up shirt further up, revealing more of his skin, Rody took a deep breath, before he bent down and blew a long raspberry right on his belly button, holding him on both hips into position. “Pffftt!!!~”
“Yohou sahahaid thahat vihillahahains dohon’t plahahay fahahair” Deku sassed his friend, while still giggling from Pino’s feathers caressing under his chin “Ihihi gohot yohohohour weahahapon nohow!!” He unsuccessfully tried to make an evil voice. But his eyes widened as soon as he heard Rody take that deep breath. He knew exactly what was coming and it wouldn’t end well for him. “No..! Nononono wahahait you cahahan’t!! W-we’re friehends..!” He begged in vain. “Pleasepleaseple- EEHEHEHEK!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA STOHOHOHOP IHIHIHIHIT YOHOHOHOU WIHIHIHIN!!” He yelled as loud as he could when his friend dealt his final blow.
As soon as heard the magical words, Rody stopped his attack, with one last squeeze on his hips, before he stopped, stroking the hero’s stomach, to get the tinglish feeling out of his system. “Took you long enough~ Sorry, I guess I just got a bit too excited here, hehe you’re laugh was just so alluring and I kinda got pulled in by it,” he admitted, feeling a flush run over his face. “We’re equal now, right?” he asked holding out a hand to him to pull the other when he was ready. Pino had sat on his shoulder again, eyeing Midoriya worriedly.
The freckled boy closed his eyes in relaxation, enjoying the belly rubs like a little puppy. He took deep breaths and slowly his breathing returned regular. “Oh… I didn’t know you liked my laughter that much hehehe…” Deku blushed again, like every time he received a compliment. He just couldn’t help it. When he was ready to get up, he let his friend help him and then he sat on his bed. “Even, you say? I gave you a fair warning before attacking you, and extra time to try to free yourself. Plus, I was just testing your sensitivity for scientific purposes. I don’t think we’re even…” His eyes were sparkling with playfulness again “Just you wait until tomorrow, after the meeting, we’ll see if we manage to get even then.” Deku looked at both the guy and the bird in the eyes, making them shiver in sync.
Rody teared his eyes open when he heard the other’s announcement, feeling a shiver running down his face. “Y-You want to tickle me again, come one Midoriya, your Quirk is way stronger than mine, so of course I had to do something to tire you out… I ehm, I’ll let you cuddle with Pino as much as you want,” he tried to bribe, knowing that it was probably all in vain anyways. He was so doomed.
“Hahahaha what happened to the evil, fearless tickle monster, huh? Did he run away?” Deku chuckled, finding it genuinely funny how the usually sassy and tricky thief was trying to bargain. “Your offer to let me cuddle Pino seems interesting, but you’d let me do that anyway… so, as I already told you, be ready for tomorrow.” He concluded, then the two of them had dinner and went straight to bed; that day had been quite full of action after all… The next morning went on normally. Rody went to the airport with the pilots to check on the plane and see how to fix that kind of malfunctioning, and the green-eyed boy followed the hero conference online. The two friends met up again for lunch, where they talked about what they had learned during the morning and went straight to their room. To be honest, Rody was feeling a bit antsy. He didn’t know how or when the freckled guy was planning to get his revenge. Was there a chance of escaping? Or maybe a possibility to counterattack? He could try to convince him to put an end to the tickle war, or maybe- “Rody?” Izuku called for him, interrupting his train of thoughts “Come here please, the clerks put my shampoo in the highest shelf, and I can’t reach it…”
Hearing the other say those things only made Rody blush more, thought this feeling of lightness was overshadowed by the knowledge that he would get him the upcoming day. This feeling followed him for the rest of the day, the night, as he even dreamed of Midoriya tickling him until he cried tears of mirth, up to the next day. The hours passed and his uneasiness grew with each moment it came to an end. He couldn’t fully concentrate - Pino was feeling it too and was constantly watching the hero whenever she saw him. FINALLY, when the day came to its end and Rody had survived the tension up till now, he was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Midoriya’s request after they had returned to their shared room. Really, that’s the best he could think of? Well, if I’m quick enough I can settle that once and for all. “Sure Midoriya, I’m coming,” he called, before he walked into the bathroom. It was obvious that when he would stretch up, the green-haired would use the favor of the hour to carry out his promised revenge. Rody for once thought that he could turn the tables, beating him in his own plan. He stood on his tiptoes, eyeing the other from the corner of his eyes, as he reached for the bottle, ready to strike.
Deku watched him, casually tapping his fingers on the border of the sink, without doing anything else, leaving the other perplexed. Then he grabbed the shampoo, thanked his friend and took his shower. When he was done, he waited for him to wash as well, then he asked for another favor. “Can I take your height and measures in general? I need them for the page of my notebook about you.” Rody complied, and Midoriya did nothing again. He gave Pino some cuddles, without taking advantage of their shared sensitivity, and created many other occasions to attack him without actually tickling him. Not even once. “Well… today was pretty tiring. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight” Deku yawned sleepily “Goodnight Rody, and goodnight to you too, Pino.”
Rody was flabbergasted, speechless to be specific. He had so many chances, so many obvious possibilities, but not even a poke or a squeeze, nothing, nada. Didn’t he want to tickle- No, no that couldn’t be, he had a plan, right. Should he ask him, no that would be a bad idea, but then why did he say he would do it, was it all a lie to drive him crazy. As he watched Midoriya got into his bed, he couldn’t bear it any longer. “Midoriya, wait… ehm didn’t you want to- I mean, you know…” his voice failed him as he saw the grin appearing on his face, he had fallen right into his trap after all.
Deku smirked widely, watching his friend stumble on his own words, too flustered even to finish a simple sentence. But he had a plan in mind, and it wasn’t the moment to put it in action yet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about… maybe you had a weird dream and you’re confused…” He said, observing his friend’s face contort in a confused expression. “Now I’m really tired though… goodnight.” He went to bed, knowing they basically had the whole next day to themselves since their plane was taking off at 10 pm. The next morning, the young hero woke up really early, not surprised to find Rody still asleep. Luckily, Pino was sleeping near the window, which made the first phase of his plan way easier. He woke her up, inviting her to stay quiet, then he took her to the janitor closet and hid there. Before going, he left a note for his friend that said “I had to go out with All Might this morning, have breakfast without me. I’ll probably be in your room when you come back”.
Open-mouthed Rody just stood there for a few more seconds, his face heating up as he hid it behind his hands. This was too much for me. “A dream hm, yeah maybe it was~” he mumbled silently, before he himself got ready for bed, falling into a deep slumber. Waking up a few minutes after the hero had left, he looked around, neither seeing Pino nor his friend. Stretching his arms, he lazily yawning he stood up and trotted through the room. “Pino, where are you~” Finding the note, he had left him on the table, he read it curiously. “Midoriya that idiot. not even saying goodbye and where the heck is she~ Pino come out~” he called for her once more, checking several places the tiny bird could hide.
Izuku checked the time. Rody should be awake, he thought. It was time to start his mission. After giving Pino some caresses on her head, he started sliding a finger up and down her back, tickling her gently. Considering her reactions, he understood that the back was another bad spot for his friend. He wished he could’ve seen the ex-thief’s face, but he had to stay hidden for his plan to work. The best way to wreck his friend with no risk of retaliation was attacking him “remotely”, and luckily there was a way to do so.
After checking the entire room without finding any clue of the little bird’s whereabouts, Rody began to get restless, it wasn’t Pino’s way to just disappear like that, but when she wasn’t here then where could she- “AhHAHah~” A shiver went through his entire body and the brunette bend backwards, tensing up, as he felt a well-known tingle on his back. “Midoriya, you jerk, just wait until I gehEHeht yoUHu~” he laughed, reaching behind him to instinctively lessen the feeling, which naturally didn’t help at all. Cursing silently, he quickly out on a jacket over his sleeping wear as well as some socks and switched into his shoes and went into the corridor, pressing a hand over his mouth, not wanting to attract any more attention needed. Knowing him, he couldn’t be too far away, surely not wanting to miss seeing him in this state.
Not knowing that his friend had already gone out of the room, Izuku went for a sweet spot, feeling a bit mean. He snuck a few pokes on Pino’s tummy, asking her to be quiet when she started chirping loudly, then he started scribbling with more vigor. With the other hand, he decided to slide a finger up and down the bird’s ribs, curious of what reaction it could elicit. Alas, he couldn’t see it for the moment. He had to make that little sacrifice for his genial plan to work. He had to admit that he felt like a true evil mastermind.
Where could they be? Rody wondered, looking from right to left. He was definitely somewhere in the hotel, not in another room and remote enough so that he could tickle a certain bird without getting spotted. “HahAHAHAhha~” another wave of laughter came over him as he felt a new sensation on his stomach, already, getting even higher when it traveled to his sides. A door opened and a woman looked outside, giving him an annoyed gaze, before shutting the door again. Rody had giving her an apologizing bow, giggling silently, his whole body trembling - she probably thought he was mocking her. Oh Midoriya would so gonna get it, and Pino, that traitor, no more snacks for a while. “P-PihiHino~” he whisper-giggled, as he slowly walked along the floor, leaning against the wall with one hand. Said bird, still couldn’t hear him, being occupied by two hands holding her carefully in their embrace, tickling the shit out of her, as her chirps filled the cramped room with happy sounds.
Deku started to hear a faint sound coming from the corridor, laughter to be precise. So Rody was already looking for them… it was time to slow him down a bit. For obvious reasons, he couldn’t target spots like knees or thighs with his tactic, but he could still try to scratch under the bird’s paws. If his reasoning was correct, it would be like tickling his feet. Quite the handicap for someone who was wandering around the whole corridor. He started with one finger from what it was supposed to correspond to the heel, worming his way up to the “toes”. Just to be sure, he didn’t get both her paws at once. One hand was still targeting Pino’s tummy, since he didn’t even know if Rody’s feet were sensitive at all. He started to wonder, what was gonna happen when his friend would find him? He blushed at the mere thought… but he shook his head and focused again on his task. It wasn’t the right time to think about consequences, actually it was already too late for that. He could only hope that Pino would cooperate and try to stay quiet.
If Rody thought that the situation couldn’t get any worse, he was taught better, when he felt a feather light tickle on his left heel that crawled damn slowly over his arch, up to his toes sending his entire body in a shiver, all while his tummy was still tickled without mercy. “GYahha- tzhZHZHz~” he pressed both hands on his mouth, his legs wobbly as they gave in, causing him to crawl on the ground. Luckily, no one seemed to have heard it this time, otherwise the brunette didn’t know what they would think of the situation. Under his giggles, he could make out a faint chirp, that belonged to his other half, which naturally experienced the same playful torture as he himself. Slowly getting up, he dragged himself closer to the source - a room at the end of the corridor. Not waiting another second, he teared the door open, finding who he was looking for. “*pant* pant* F-Found you! *cough*”
“HUH?!” Deku was seriously amazed by how quickly his friend had found him. But it was a problem, given the current situation. After recovering from the initial surprise, he put down Pino, who seemed a bit tired from all the tickling. He could only hope that Rody was in the same condition. “W-well…” he began, already stuttering “I didn’t expect my little trick to end so soon… b-but we can talk about this… right?” Of course they couldn’t, and he knew it. He had predicted this circumstance and he had a plan b ready. Using his quirk to get some extra strength and speed, he dashed past the ex-thief and ran down the long corridor, Rody already hot on his tail. Luckily, he managed to get to his room, while his friend bumped into a lady, who had a bone to pick with him “because she didn’t appreciate being laughed at”. Deku didn’t know what she was talking about, but she gave him the few seconds he needed to lock himself into the bathroom. He was safe, finally. After all, the brunette was just the delivery guy during his days as a thief, so it was safe to assume that he could pick locks… hopefully…
“Oh we’re done talking, your little game is over now, and you surely know what will happen now, right~” he growled, still a bit weak, curling both his hands as he stepped closer to the boy. However, before he got his hands on him, he was once again, surprised by the sheer speed pf his Quirk, as the green bean rushed past him, reaching their room within seconds, opening it before he even had reached the middle of the path, being stopped by a certain woman, scolding him. Giving her some apologizes, Rody danced around her, earning an unfriendly yell from her. Retreating back in the room, Rody let out an annoyed sigh, silently calling her an old hag, before he stomped to the bathroom door, having sat Pino on his bed so she could rest, knocking against it with eager. “Open the damn door you rascal, you can have it the easy or hard way… one last chance!” he threatened, ready to crack the lock.
Deku felt a shiver run down his spine the moment his friend knocked on the door. Maybe he should’ve thought about the consequences of his stunt… nah it was still worth it. But now he had to pray that Rody couldn’t find a way to get in, or it would’ve been game over for him! He really wasn’t ready to face him… and who could blame him? He knew he was doomed, but he could hope that the ex-thief would let it slide… just for once… Who was he kidding… it was more likely for Kacchan to become sweet and soft than for Rody to not get revenge when provoked, especially given what he’d done to him. “Why w-would I do that? I’ll never c-come out of here…!” He yelled, his voice already shaking in fear and… excitement…?
Rody faked-laughed evilly, his playful mood being triggered. “You trapped hero and here I thought I generously would go easy on you once I get my hands on you, BUT now you will experience the full power of my wrath. HAHAHA~” With that Rody began to work at the door, using a few tricks to unlock it with easy… and a few seconds alter the door cracked and swung slowly open, revealing the face of frightened hero, crouching on the ground. “My, my who we have here? A little mouse~ Come and be my prey Mi-do-ri-ya~” Rody laughed, as he trapped the boy under his weigh, immediately beginning to tickle him up and down his sides. “Come one, I’ll show you who of us the better tickler is~”
As the door opened, Izuku let out a squawk and curled himself into a ball on the ground as a futile attempt to protect himself. “W-Wait…! You weren’t supposed to- EEK!” He squealed once more when his friend successfully trapped him. This time, his reflexes weren’t fast enough to use One for All and sprint past him like he’d done earlier. “Nahahahaha thihis ihihisn’t fahahahair!! Yohohohou cahahahahan’t tahahake rehehehevengehe fohohor my rehehevehehenge…!” he whined and squirmed like a little worm when Rody’s hands found his sides. He didn’t even bother to ask Pino for help, after what he’d done. He knew she would’ve turned against him.
“Fair?~ After what you pulled this morning, you of all people have no right to say that~” Rody teased, pressing his fingers in-between his ribs, using every sneaky trick he had to drive to hero over the edge. “Come one laugh for me~ Coochie coochie coo~” he sang, laughing as well, triggered by the other’s carefree and happy face. Pino watched them for the bed, chirping in excitement, seeing them having so much fun. Even though Deku played that trick to him, deep inside his heart, the brunette obviously wasn’t mad at him, otherwise Pino wouldn’t have so willingly helped him out, but for now, all he wanted was to hear the other’s laugh, the sound he had grown so fond of.
“Buhuhut thahahat wahas my rehevehehehenge…! Dihihid yohou wahahahant mehehe tohoho cahaharry ohohohon whahahat Ihihi’ve behehen dohohoing yesteheheherdahay?” He asked playfully, referring to all the times he tricked his friend making him think he was going to strike. “Ahahand doHOhon’t teHEHEahase mehehe lihikeHE thahaAHAhat..! Ihihi’m nahAHAhaHAhahat ahaha kihihid!!” He whined while his laughter changed with his friend getting a different spot. Feeling particularly playful, and not willing to go down without a fight, he managed to give a few squeezes to Rody’s side, hoping he would get distracted enough for him to get the upper hand.
“You had me on edge the entire day, teasing me with all these obvious things, only to do nothing… So, it’s my turn to carry my revenge for thIhHIihis ahAHAhh w-wahAhahait, iihiht was my tuhUHurn~” Rody suddenly burst out laughing, not expecting the other to fight back. “You cheHeater, st-stohoHop~” Rody laughed, wiggling his hands up his underarms, hoping that this might cause him to stop his assault.
“Thahahat’s whahat yohohohohou deheheserv- WAAAH!! WahaHAHAhait yohOHOuhUHU knohoHOhow ihihihit’s bahAHAHahad hehereheheee!!” His attempt to turn the tables failed miserably when the brunette went for his underarms. It was totally unfair though… he already knew it was a sensitive spot for him! He immediately stopped his attack and brought his arms to his torso, trying to not clamp them completely to not let Rody say something like “you’ve blocked my arms, now they’re stuck”. “IhIHIHIhi dohoHOhon’t cahaHAHAhare ihihif ihiHIhit wahaHAhas yohOHOuhur tuhuHUHurn…! Ahahand ihIHIf yohohOHOu weheren’t soHOHO eahaHAHAhasy tohoho triHIHIhick yohOHOhou wohOHOUhuld’ve stohOHOHohopped meheHEHEHehe!!” He decided to be sassy despite his current position. Truth be told, he was having fun and he wanted to see how much he could provoke his friend and make him wreck him.
The brunette couldn’t believe his ears. Even in this state the other still had the audacity to tease him even more. “Oh I know how bad it is for you, but you should’ve thought about that before developing this nasty plan of yours~” He moved his hands further up, swifting his fingers behind his ears and over his neck. “If I’m so easy to trick my friend, then try to get out of this precarious situation, can you do that?~” Rody teased, circling his thumbs gently into the soft skin, smirking at the high-pitched laughed it caused. he could feel the other’s legs struggling behind him, seems like it was an even better spot than his underarms.
“AHAhand yohOHOu shohOHOhould’ve thOHOhought ahaboHOHOut my reheHEHevehgehe behefoHOHOre gehettihihing meh- NAHAHAHAHAHA WAITWAITWAIT NOHOHOHOHO” The poor hero went berserk when his friend decided to get his neck and ears. He couldn’t explain why, but those two spots had always been overly-sensitive for him. Bakugou used it against him a lot when they were kids and would laugh at him when he struggled to lie down on the grass because even a single brush against his ears was able to make him jump and squeal like a little girl. The green-haired guy tried his best to get out of that situation (maybe not really his best) but nothing seemed to work. He couldn’t pry Rody’s hands off of him because he was too weakened by his worst spots being targeted, and not even bucking his hips worked because the ex-thief was holding himself tight. So he did the only thing he could actually do: arch his back and laugh his head off.
Rody loved what he was seeing, his best friend all flustered and giggly lying beneath him, his cheeks covered in a reddish flush, his green hair tousled from squirming around so much and his wonderful smile covering his entire face. He could feel his heart beating faster, the sight was almost too much for him to handle. His tickling slowed down a bit and came to an end, as he gave the other some time to catch his breath. “You sure a ticklish hero, hehe though it makes teasing you so much cuter~” he laughed poking his stomach, causing him to shriek. “Had enough or do you want to be tickled even more you little perv~” he chuckled, ignoring the fact that he himself also enjoyed this kind if attention.
Izuku lied there for a couple of minutes, taking some much needed deep breaths. He loved being playful with Rody, and maybe one day he would tell him. He was one of his best friends in the whole worl- “HUH?! P-PERV?! HOW AM I A PERV?!” He yelled with a squeaky voice while he was still lying down straddled by his friend, who swore he’d just discovered a new shade of red, given how much the young hero was blushing “Y-YOU’RE BLUSHING A B-BIT, TOO..! HMPH!” He pouted, puffing his red, freckled cheeks like a little hamster and crossing his arms.
“Guess we both are a bit pervy then~” he laughed about his own joke, stopping when the other still pouted like a child. “Haha come one I was just kidding, don’t look at me like that~ Smile, it fits you so much better~” Rody admitted, booping one of his cheeks with his fingers, causing him to laugh instead. “Ahh I’m totally beat”, he said leaning back. “Say since you didn’t seem to have breakfast already, why not grab something to eat now, unless you want to leave another note, hmm~” he asked still a bit grumpy about his little trick.
The two of them got up realizing just in that moment how hungry they were “Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good idea… b-but…” Deku stopped Rody, who was already heading to the door, by grabbing tentatively the hem of his shirt “are you m-mad? You know, for the prank…? Was it too much?” He lowered his gaze and looked at the floor. The last thing he wanted was to say goodbye to his friend while he was angry, so he felt the need to ask him that question and apologize if he needed to.
Rody smiled at the other’s concerned question. He gave him a warm smile, tousling his hair and giving his hips one light squeeze, making him giggle. “…Does this answer your question? We’re friends and goofing around like this actually was a lot of fun~ You should know, Pino would have help you out otherwise.” The little creature gave a humming voice in return, making both boy giggle, laughing about their silliness. “Come on now hero or else we will die of starvation~” he said in a fake-admiral voice, stretching a hand out to him.
After jumping and letting out a giggle from the sudden squeeze, Izuku grabbed Rody’s hand and let him guide the both of them to the dining hall. They spent the rest of the day around the town, sightseeing, taking lots of pictures and being silly with each other. Time passed quickly and, before they knew it, it was time to return to the hotel, pack up their stuff and go to the airport. When it was time to say goodbye, none of them could hide their sadness, but as All Might said, they were surely going to see each other again, maybe during the holidays. That thought cheered them up a bit, and they managed to give each other a warm smile before boarding, both of them already waiting for the next reunion.