4 Answers2026-07-11 15:11:36
I've probably spent more hours than I'd admit searching for good Deku and Bakugo stories across a bunch of sites, and the landscape's definitely shifted over time. Archive of Our Own is the absolute king for this ship, no contest. The tagging system is a lifesaver, especially for a pairing with as many possible variations as these two. You can filter for specific dynamics, from childhood friends to rivals to post-canon stuff, and the sheer volume means there's always something new. Plus, the quality tends to be higher; you get these amazing, novel-length slow burns that actually develop the relationship. Wattpad has a ton, obviously, but the signal-to-noise ratio is rougher. It's where you find the more tropey, high-concept AUs, which can be a fun change of pace but requires more digging. Fanfiction.net still has a massive back catalog, a lot of classics from before the fandom migrated. I found some of my all-time favorites there years ago, like 'Vulnerability' by The Evil Overlord, which is a fantastic pre-canon character study.
For sheer popularity metrics, though, AO3 is where the community is most active. The kudos system and comments really show you what's resonating with people. If you're just starting out, that's the place to go—sort by kudos and dive in. Tumblr and Twitter are better for finding recommendations from mutuals or artists who link to fics, but they're not hosting platforms themselves.
3 Answers2026-06-20 22:40:39
Oh, the Deku vs. Shigaraki dynamic is so much more interesting when it's Deku and Shigaraki, isn't it? I've spent way too much time hunting for those. Archive of Our Own is absolutely the hub for it—the tag filtering is meticulous, and you can find everything from soulmate AUs to dark political marriage-of-convenience fics. People there really explore the psychological parallels. Wattpad has a different vibe, more focused on romance-centric plots and 'bad boy' Shigaraki tropes, which can be fun if that's your thing. I'd also recommend checking Tumblr; a lot of writers post links to their works there, and the community creates amazing moodboards that capture the aesthetic of the ship perfectly.
A less obvious spot is niche Discord servers dedicated to 'My Hero Academia' villain-centric pairings. You often need an invite, but that's where you find the super dark, unpublished WIPs and collaborative writing projects. The quality there can be hit or miss, but the sheer creativity is off the charts. I found this one long-form fic exploring a 'what if Shigaraki succeeded in passing his decay to Deku' scenario that haunts me to this day. For me, AO3's depth is unmatched, but the thrill of the hunt on smaller platforms has its own appeal.
2 Answers2026-07-11 03:06:56
Been wandering around Archive of Our Own lately, and honestly, the tagging system is a godsend for finding stuff like Deku and Dabi crossovers. You can just go straight to the 'Midoriya Izuku & Todoroki Touya Dabi' or 'Dabi/Midoriya Izuku' tag and filter from there. The quality can be a real mixed bag, but the gems are incredible because the writers there are so invested in character study—you'll find these intense, slow-burn fics about the duality of heroes and villains, or even time-travel plots where Deku tries to save him.
I also used to check Fanfiction.net a lot, but it's trickier to navigate. The search is clunky, so you have to get creative with keywords like 'Villain Deku meets Dabi' or 'Dabi adopts Izuku'. The stories there can have a different feel, sometimes more straightforward and action-packed compared to AO3's psychological depth. Wattpad's got a younger crowd, so the stories might skew more toward dramatic, trope-heavy plots, which can be fun if you're in that mood, but you've got to sift through a lot of self-insert stuff. Tumblr and Twitter are where you find the really niche, experimental snippets and headcanons that never get turned into full fics, which is its own kind of treasure hunt.