Chapter 5
It took a good four days to get a reply from Katsuki after Izuku texted him. He'd sent something extremely neutral, after spending an embarrassing amount of time writing and erasing messages.
Izuku: Hey
So neutral. Maybe too neutral, because Katsuki didn't reply, and Izuku refused to double text. It took four whole days for Izuku to realize that because Katsuki's phone had died, he wouldn't have Izuku's number. Again. Katsuki had been right, Izuku was fucking stupid.
Izuku: Um, it's Deku
The immediate response brought a wash of relief. Izuku hadn't realized how tense he'd been, constantly wondering how things were between them. Had Katsuki decided he didn't want to be friends after all? Was he upset about the conversation? Had Izuku said something that bothered him? Apparently not.
Kacchan: Then fcking say so jfc deku ur useless
Izuku: I know, I know, I'm sorry! I thought you just weren't texting me back >.<
Kacchan: When have i ever not
Izuku: #allofUA #elementaryschool #mostofourlives
Kacchan: …
Izuku: Sooorryyyy Kacchan, I know I'm the worst :(
Kacchan: Ur shitty txting is at best a 5.5/10
Kacchan: ;)
And just like that, Izuku was laughing over his phone again, like a massive dork. When had Katsuki grown a sense of humor? Maybe it had been covered up by his constant bad attitude, before. Now though, Izuku was quickly becoming addicted. Maybe he had just been too scared before to pick up on when Katsuki was actually serious.
They finally agreed to meet again, this time for coffee on a day when they each had evening shifts. Izuku picked a place he hadn't been to yet, called Pothos Place. It was perfectly set between his and Katsuki's sectors, and therefore a very fair place to meet. If it just happened to be a highly-rated date spot, Izuku wasn't at fault. Still, with a while to go before meeting Katsuki, he decided to check out the place first. A good hero is always prepared, right?
Uraraka was the friend of choice, and soon enough they were sipping mochas in Pothos Place. It was a fairly large cafe, with high, white ceilings and an open sitting area. Shelves lined the walls, dripping with vines and bushy plants. One of the walls was covered in moss, even. The iced mochas were absolutely heavenly, and Izuku was in bliss right up until they reached their table.
"I cannot believe you're bringing me here as a pre-date for Katsuki," she said, as soon as they sat down. Izuku choked on his mocha, coughing violently.
"It's not a date." He managed to make his voice sound reasonable, and not like he was a kid denying a crush.
"Mmm yes, you're right. Katsuki would totally come to a plant-covered coffee shop just to chill, for fun, with someone he's not into," Uraraka rolled her eyes. "Have you met him?"
"Yes?" Izuku said. "Maybe he likes plants now. Idk, I went to his noisy dive bar last time, so…"
"This is your second date?" Uraraka screeched. Izuku clapped his hands on her cheeks, gently.
"Not. A. Date."
"Hmph," she said. "If you say so. I don't know what his game is then, because his flirting is outrageous."
She'd finally succeeded in making Izuku blush, at least. "Kacchan isn't. He wouldn't. He's not, he doesn't, um,"
"Sweet, darling, baby Deku-cheeks," she said. "Come on! Get your head in the game! I saw you guys together, remember? He was all over you, it was ridiculous. Like, 'Oh, let me help you walk to the bathroom 'cause my sweet little nerd baby can't do it by himself?' Give me a break."
"You're making stuff up," Izuku sighed. He didn't even want it to be a date. The idea of dating Katsuki was nearly impossible to conceptualize, it was so strange. Just calling them friends was making his heart pound through his stupid ribcage. The whole situation was hurting his poor brain.
"Nah, he's been checking you out shamelessly. If Iida ever looked at me like that, I'd just strip on the spot."
"Oh please, like you'd ever make a move." Izuku graciously refrained from pointing out Iida's love-sick glances, because that would fall on deaf ears. Pot calling the kettle black, and all.
She stuck her tongue out. "You're right, you're right. But Deku, I hate to say this but… you should be careful, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."
"I won't," Izuku said, trying not to sound annoyed. "I can handle him. Besides, he said he just wants to be friends again." Yes, friends. Friends was safe. Well, relatively safe, at least. Right? Izuku sighed heavily. "It's fine. I just don't think that's what's happening. It's not like he can't get what he wants anywhere else, you know? Like, why go to all the effort of getting with, with me?"
"I'm not answering that one," Uraraka said wisely. Then she gave Izuku one of those blinding smiles that you just can't resist being cheered up by. "As long as you know I'm here for you no matter what, right?"
Life can be so strange. Somehow, Izuku was more at ease with Katsuki in some chic, heavily-planted cafe than he'd been with Uraraka, even if it was just due to her teasing. Izuku was having a latte this time, concerned about the potential for being teased about a mocha. He realized this was stupid when Katsuki ordered the most sugary, over-the-top frappuccino Izuku had ever seen.
"I need calories for tonight's shitty-ass shift," was all he said. Izuku just barely managed to refrain from teasing him, and was rewarded shortly with a happy and relaxed Bakugo, reclining in a chair by, legs stretched out gloriously. It was a sight. Sunlight dappled his face, softening his normally hard expression.
"How's your sector been?" Izuku tried making conversation. Katsuki's faint sneer told him it was a lame attempt, but he played along anyway.
"Shitty. One of our companies just started up some weapons manufacturing and goddamn, these fucking extra villains will not stop trying to break in."
"It's that bad?"
"Literally my whole shift tonight is just guarding this one building. Fucking drudge work, I tell you. I'm a goddamn security guard."
"Every time I go into work, they're on me about interns," Izuku sighed, commiserating. "I still feel like I can barely handle myself sometimes."
"You can handle yourself fine," Katsuki snorted. "You're just a fucking coward."
"Real nice," Izuku snapped, instantly irritated. Apparently Katsuki couldn't keep his nice act that long, after all. Katsuki just waved a hand, looking out the window like he couldn't possibly care.
"No, no, not like that. You're too fucking brave for your good, always have been. I mean that you're scared you'll fuck it up. Don't wanna take the risk, even though it's a sign you're a damn good hero."
Oh . Izuku found himself nodding, his face folding into a frown.
"You're right. I wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to someone on my watch," he said, thinking of Iida and the fight against Stain. So many things could go wrong, and it was already so hard just caring for civilians. "Like I'm actually worried it would really mess me up, you know?"
He nervously watched Katsuki, hoping his admission wouldn't be torn apart. But Katsuki only sighed, letting his head lean back against the chair.
"I wish someone would trust me with an intern," he said. Izuku's jaw dropped. "I'm fucking stuck at #19 right now because everyone thinks I'm just gonna kill everything around me. As if I'd explode some idiot kid intern. They'd be safer with me than with half the fucking trash heroes in this city, anyway."
It was an interesting thought. Katsuki was historically known for charging in alone, but with an intern? Maybe it would be the chance he needed to show his caring side, which he technically did seem to have. "You'll get there," Izuku said, automatically. Katsuki raised his eyebrows.
"Ya think? I don't fucking know anymore, man. Maybe this is all I can do. Rankings are all popularity bullshit anyway. Best Jeanist had it right, except that I can't win a goddamn popularity contest."
"Well, Shouto's #9 right now, which is pretty amazing," Izuku said. "And everyone does seem weirdly fixated on him."
"Maybe I should dye half my hair," Katsuki snorted.
"Or wear a muzzle," Izuku said, without thinking. Katsuki let out a bark of a laugh.
"Didn't know you were into that kind of bullshit," he snickered.
"Just, just no," Izuku groaned. "No. Just, maybe consider not acting like literally everyone is a villain you plan on killing?"
"Maybe," Katsuki finally said, looking pensieve. "Doesn't fucking matter as long as I'm taking out trash, though, you know?"
Long after they'd left for their respective shifts, Izuku was still thinking about that conversation. It kept bothering Izuku, and it took him a while to pinpoint why. Katsuki hadn't seemed, well himself. He'd expect him to be more rabid, frothing at the mouth to hit #1. He always had been, after all. Bakugou Katsuki content at #19? Bakugou Katsuki content with being behind Deku? It felt viscerally wrong. As much pain as it had caused him back in the day, Izuku found that he missed that single-minded ambition in his friend.
So he was relieved when Katsuki agreed to come to another UA drinks night. Izuku got there before everyone else, mostly because he'd already texted Katsuki, who'd instantly replied with, Ill come for you . Again. If he didn't know better, Izuku would start to think the phrasing wasn't an accident.
But did he know better? The issue he was facing was strange - he knew Katsuki inside and out, but well, he actually didn't, not anymore. It would be more accurate to say that he knew teenage Katsuki inside and out. Adult Katsuki was a different beast entirely. Maybe he actually was a flirt? Maybe he was that way with everyone? Izuku was no stranger to tabloids, and there'd been so many photos taken of Katsuki leaving someone's building early in the morning, sunglasses on, middle finger up that the papers didn't even bother reporting on it anymore. There were Instabook accounts dedicated to following pro hero's various flings, and after seeing far too many pictures of Katsuki's walk of shames, Izuku had pointedly stopped looking. So he could admit that maybe Uraraka hadn't been entirely wrong to suspect him of being on the prowl. It just didn't feel like that, though.
And anyway, it was all speculation. Izuku had to admit that he couldn't really read Katsuki as well anymore, and it was bothering him.
Momo and Jirou slid into the booth next to him.
"Can't believe we didn't get tapped for the beach fiasco," Jirou complained, flopping on the table. "I saw you guys on the news. It looked fun. Tsu's gonna be pissed she missed it."
"Search and rescue isn't fun," Momo said, placing menus in front of them. "It's serious work."
"But it's fun when I'm so good at it," Jirou grinned, rolling sideways to stick her tongue out at the tall girl. Momo met Izuku's eyes over her back.
"I can't believe they put Kacchan against a water manipulator," Izuku found himself saying. "Was there really no one better suited?"
"No one's better than fucking Ground Zero," Jirou scoffed in a fairly passable Katsuki impression, making Izuku snort. "I missed the fight on the news, though, how'd he do? That jerk's been kicking ass up north, I hear."
"Mm, it wasn't bad. Not his flashiest," Izuku found himself saying, like he was some sort of expert. "Look, it's gotta be on YubeTou."
A very kind waitress dropped off a pitcher of beer, and Izuku typed "Ground Zero" into the search bar. Strangely enough, there wasn't a clip of the recent fight on the front page yet. He scrolled a bit until he saw something that looked like, well. An ass. A familiar ass.
Katsuki's ass in tight pants. Izuku squeaked.
"What's that?" Jirou asked, prying herself off the table. The video was titled, "BOOM." Izuku clicked it. He couldn't not.
It opened with a muted news clip overlaid with some heavy dance beat. Katsuki was in the video thumbnail behind the reporter, wearing street clothes and clearly being mobbed by paparazzi. Then the news clip cut to Katsuki's feed, just as he propped one foot on a bench, bending forwards to shout at some reporters. But he was facing away from the camera.
Then the song went, Bring that ass back like a boom boom boom boom.
Each boom zoomed in closer, ending with a close-up shot of Katsuki's very muscular, well-defined ass. Izuku screamed.
"Oh my fucking god," Jirous whispered in awe. "No way."
As the dance music continued, expertly-cut sections of various news-sourced videos of Katsuki as either himself or as Ground Zero were stitched together. Each time the song dropped, it synced with one of his massive explosions.
There was a clip of Ground Zero being debriefed, looking absolutely exhausted, his lips somehow synced perfectly with when the pussy splash like water then it make your dick get harder . Izuku was starting to laugh uncontrollably.
Each Fuck it line had actual audio from Katsuki's interviews overlaid. Well, there was no shortage of material there; the guy never stopped swearing. Izuku's eyes were tearing up with the hilarity of it.
Finally it was over, ending with one of Katsuki's biggest explosions. He'd vaporized some huge, insect colony villain by incinerating a three-mile radius out in some desert county. (The county was Morocco, it was two years ago, in April, and Izuku knew literally everything about it like he did with everything Ground Zero did.) The resulting mushroom cloud looked apocalyptic.
Izuku's phone fell to the table with a clatter. Jirou was staring at it, soul vacating her body. Izuku could relate.
"Where the fuck is my music video?" She suddenly screeched. "I'm the audio one, damn it! Why'd he get one instead of me?"
Izuku hit replay, and began dissolving in laughter. "He hasn't seen this, right? He's gonna kill someone."
"It's so good," Jirou groaned. "I wanna hire this person to do mine, but like. With a less slutty song."
Momo was the third victim to watch it, and was notably less impressed. Uraraka appeared later, Iida in tow.
"Uraraka. Look." Izuku thrust the phone in her face. On the screen, quick cuts of every inadvertent hip thrust Katsuki had ever done on screen were playing in rapid succession.
"Oh yeah!" She grinned. "I love that video." She grabbed the phone, and scrolled down to the comments. "See? I have the top comment. 1.7k likes," she snickered.
Izuku snatched the phone back. The comment, from tastemyfistsuwu read, "Katsuki? More like BakuHO." Izuku stared at her.
"What?" she said. "He's clearly flaunting it."
"Kill me and lay me in my grave," Izuku groaned. "This conversation isn't happening."
"Low hanging fruit, sorry!" She grinned, sliding into the booth. Iida followed, looking relatively calm.
"There's not actually anything in regulations about this," he said. "So knock yourselves out."
"I am currently knocking myself out," Jirou said, in a way that could only be described as vicious. After fiddling on her phone, she presented it to the group. Her official, verified Cheeps hero page read,
LOL @ BAKUHO'S NEW MV: yu.tu/239rty658/BOOM Who will make me an mv??????
It had 250 recheeps already.
"He's going to kill you," Uraraka cackled.
"He can try," Momo said, calm in the face of what clearly was a disaster.
Izuku's phone buzzed.
Kacchan: Omw
Shit.
"So, what are the chances we don't bring this up when Kacchan gets here?" Izuku said, feeling the end of his life approach. He didn't know if Katsuki could actually go supernova, but had a feeling he was about to find out.
"Bring what up?" Shouto's cool voice could never be mistaken for Katsuki, but Izuku jumped nonetheless.
"Bring that ass back," Uraraka said unhelpfully, as Iida patted the seat next to them.
"Get ready for your eyes to melt out of your head," Jirou added, cheerful as all hell. She laid her phone down on the table, and they all watched the cheeps add up.
"It appears to be going viral," Momo said, looking amused. "Jirou, why?"
"This girl just wants to have fun," she laughed. Uraraka slapped the table.
"Damn straight! Okay, here's the real question. What music would our fan-made videos be set to? I call dibs on Anaconda!"
Iida spit his beer out, coughing violently. "What," he choked out. "Why-"
"Mmf, good choice," Jirou said. "Gotta own that shit! I've gotta do something by Rezz, maybe one of the newer remixes actually…" she proceeded to go off muttering something. Momo rubbed her temples.
"Ice Ice Baby mixed with This Girl is on Fire," Shouto said, with a completely straight face. The table erupted in laughter. Izuku was laughing so hard he cried. He'd almost forgotten Katsuki was coming, but come he did. Only twenty minutes late, actually, which was pretty good for a social outing as far as Katsuki was concerned. Izuku noticed him the moment he entered, and desperately tried to get everyone to shut up. At the very least, they'd managed to pause all the iterations of the BOOM video currently playing at their table.
So they were all suspiciously quiet when he showed up, the occasional snicker escaping Uraraka and Jirou. Izuku barely trusted himself to speak. With a frown, Katsuki pulled a chair over to the end of the booth. Jirou had turned away from him, looking religiously at her Cheeper feed, Momo was staring fixedly at the ceiling, and Shouto had covered his mouth with one hand. Uraraka had just face-planted on the table, arms hiding her head. Iida was trying to clean up the beer he'd sprayed.
"What's...up," Katsuki said, looking vaguely disgusted.
"Hi," Izuku squeaked.
"Ice. Ice. Baby ," Uraraka whispered, then dissolved into laughter. Shouto's other hand went over his mouth, eyes squeezed shut to keep the laughter in. He was wheezing softly with the effort to stifle his laughs. It warmed Izuku's heart to see it; Shouto was still very reserved in groups, and it was nice to see him loosen up.
"I'd just leave, if I were you," Momo said. Katsuki's face began to shift into his trademark scowl, but she held up her hands in a gesture of peace. "For your own good."
"Let's just get it over with," Jirou said, too happy with herself. "1k recheeps now, by the way."
"Yep, you lot are freaks. I'm leaving," Katsuki stood, suddenly. "Deku, you coming?"
"Ohhhhh?" Uraraka said instantly, earning a dark glare. "But Katsuki, don't you wanna see what video got our Deku all worked up?"
"No, he doesn't," Izuku said, wishing he could disappear. "I wasn't-"
"You def screamed when you saw dat ass," Jirou added, unhelpfully. Katsuki pointedly sat back down.
"I changed my mind, Kacchan," Izuku said quickly. "Let's leave now. Or you can kill them all, I don't care." He tried to stand but was immediately pushed back into a sitting position by Katsuki's hand. Damn, he was strong.
"There's literally no way I won't regret this," he said, "But what video?"
"This is a mistake," Shouto added, apparently having calmed himself. "I don't want to pay for property damage."
"Oh fuck off," Katsuki snapped. "Can't be that bad if I'm in it."
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Momo sighed, and pulled Jirou's phone out. The music started up, and Izuku hid his face in his arms. He did not need this.
He could hear the music playing, and Katsuki's perfect silence was deafening. Finally, the song came to a stop. He dared to look up and saw Katsuki pull his phone out of his pocket. He seemed to be typing something, face alarmingly blank.
"Whatcha doin there?" Mina had arrived, innocent of all things BOOM-related. Katsuki looked up at her, eyes staring a thousand miles past her, like he was in his own private dimension of murder explosions.
"Oh, nothing. Just looking up how to find out where someone lives from their YubeTou account name SO I CAN GO MURDER THIS MOTHERFUCKER," he shouted. Smoke was coming from his phone.
Izuku dissolved in laughter again, and Uraraka was wiping tears while holding her sides.
"What?" Mina looked deeply confused, which was fair. She'd arrived at possibly the worst time. Katsuki offered her his chair, and slid in next to Izuku, pushing Momo and Jirou unceremoniously deeper into the booth.
"Nothing," he growled, voice deep and dark. He turned on Izuku, who shrank away, giggling helplessly. "You watched this shit?"
"Maybe," he managed to say. "One or twice."
"Think we're up to ten, now," Iida said, sounding like a martyr.
"Izuku found it," Jirou said, very helpfully.
"Woops," Izuku said, glaring at Jirou, the traitor.
"Technically I found it first, Baku ho ," Uraraka chimed in, but Katsuki was ignoring them, leaning over Izuku.
"So you saw it and showed fucking everyone, huh?" He said, his voice shivering over Izuku's skin.
"Kind of," Izuku said, holding his sides. They were cramping with the effort not to laugh.
"I'm going to kill you for this," Katsuki snarled, holding up a smoking fist. Izuku just giggled harder, helpless against the ridiculousness of the situation. Sparks escaped from between Katsuki's fingers. His growl ghosted over Izuku's skin, and if he hadn't been laughing so hard, he'd probably be hopelessly turned on. Katsuki continued, "Gonna melt your flesh off your goddamn bones. You're gonna be in an urn by the time I'm fucking done, you shady video-sharing piece of filth, you-"
"Katsuki!" Iida exclaimed. "You can't talk to him like that!"
Izuku took the chance to bury his face in his arms again, shaking in silent, helpless laughter. He heard Shouto's cool voice cut in, waving Iida away. "Don't worry, Iida. I think this is some sort of twisted foreplay for them, actually."
"I hate you all," Izuku cried, sucking in breaths between laughs. "Seriously. Kacchan, go off. Take 'em out. I don't wanna live in this world anymore. I wanna move in with Onito because he doesn't make fun of me, unlike you guys. "
Instead, he felt a friendly slap across his back. "Cheer up, nerd," Katsuki was saying, looking hugely pleased with himself. "I know it's hard to resist checking out my ass."
"Not the only thing that's hard," Shouto said, levelly, pointing a finger at Izuku.
"God, Shouto, why! Why would you say that? You know what!?" Izuku proclaimed, glaring at Shouto, who just gave him a thumbs up. He turned on Katsuki, who still looked viciously smug. "Go ahead and do kill me. I'd rather be a pile of dust and listen to anything any of you say ever again."
"It's the best thing I've seen this year," Uraraka said, leaning across the table to interrupt. Bless her. It was near the end of the video, where each boom was accompanied by a different shot of Katsuki's ass. "Look at the comments! It's blowing up!"
Izuku pulled it up on his phone, ignoring how Katsuki crowded into his space to look at the screen. It wasn't as easy to ignore the muscular arm on the back of the booth behind him, but Izuku made a valiant effort.
2.2k likes - tastemyfistsuwu: Bakugou? More like BakuHO amirite?
1.9k likes - johnnymiko69: Ground Zero can Pound Zero me any day jfc
1.8k likes - [deleted_account]: guys dont comment on this, ground zero's gonna find us and kill us lmfao (seriously though I'm deleting after this)
1.2k likes - letsgoh444rd: this shit actually slaps tho, gz actually looks cool af
1.1k likes - Corinthians420: Wow, are there no standards for pro heros anymore? What happened to respectable heroes like All Might and Endeavor? They'd be so disappointed in all of you. GZ, please at least try to be a worthwhile hero #bakuNO
1.1k likes - bestpurpleboi: bakugET OUT OF HERE. i swear if I have to see this guys ass ONE more time im gonna explode myself and save him the trouble
There were several thousands of comments, most of them either horrifyingly thirsty or laughing about Katsuki's inevitable retribution. Izuku could practically feel the explosion building next to him.
"You're right, Deku," Katsuki said, looking up. "I'm going to explode you, this bar, the rest of the city, and then myself. In that order."
"Aw, I get to be first," Izuku snickered, chronically unable to take this seriously.
"Look, just a suggestion, but could we not talk about Katsuki's ass for at least some part of tonight?" Iida asked, in a hilariously polite voice.
"Finally a good fucking idea!" Katsuki shouted. "Come on losers, what do you normally get up to these days?"
"Kaminari says we should go to this club he's at," Mina said, holding up a text message with way too many emojis in it. "We haven't been out in ages guys, we should go!"
"Fuck no," Katsuki said, just as Izuku pounced on the idea. He'd have jumped on anything to get them out of this hell situation.
"I want to go dancing!" He said, excited despite himself.
"Fuck yes," Katsuki said, in exactly the same tone of voice he'd used to shoot the idea down, and that was that. Izuku couldn't deny the bubble of happiness warming in his chest, though, because there was no denying that Katsuki was going somewhere just because he wanted to.
Kaminari's club was ten blocks away, but the night wasn't cold yet and a nice walk never hurt anybody. Having Katsuki back in the group was strange. He fit in seamlessly, in a way he never had in high school. Izuku couldn't tell if it was just that he'd mellowed out, or the rest of them had learned his sense of humor. Or maybe he just hadn't had a sense of humor before? He felt that strange sense of disconnect from Katsuki again. Would he ever know him as well as he used to?
Then from up ahead, Iida stopped. "Have you guys been checking the rankings? I just got pinged by my agency. I'm up five spots away from Top 30 Rankings!"
Izuku pulled out his phone, hitting the browser. He had the page bookmarked. He was at #15, which was honestly very impressive given his age. It was also very, very far from #1. He couldn't help the disappointment that came from seeing the score, though. To his right, Katsuki was also checking, sharp face lit by his phone screen.
Then he saw Katsuki tense, his shoulders pulling in and steps faltering. Izuku checked for Katsuki's name. #30. Izuku was shocked. Ground Zero had been floating around #17 for a while, rising and dipping with his various victories and outbursts respectively, but he hadn't dropped under #20 for years. Izuku's throat felt tight. What had happened? If anything, Katsuki should be up after the beach thing, since he'd resolved the situation and only flipped off the cameras once.
"Kacchan," he said softly.
"I'm almost off the fucking top thirty," the man muttered, slowing to a stop.
Maybe Izuku could still read him, because he could feel the heartbreak from here. Their friends continued on, but Izuku couldn't leave Katsuki. "What, what happened?" he asked, hating how hesitant he sounded.
"Fucking video," Katsuki ground out, hanging his phone to Izuku. There was an email from his PR agency, which Izuku quickly skimmed. Essentially, they were notifying Katsuki of the video, explaining that the scandalous nature of some shots and reminders of his potty mouth (yes, they used that phrase) had trashed his rankings. He'd dropped eleven whole spots. Then came the inane suggestions to improve his ratings. Izuku didn't even realize his hand was covering his mouth.
It was horrible. Katsuki had clawed his way out of the top hundred by sheer force of will, leaving behind a myriad of insulted civilians, reporters, and officials. Hitting top thirty had been a big deal, and Timesweek had even run an article on whether he deserved it or not.
To be back at #30? He looked up at Katsuki, who looked like he was either about to fall to pieces or spontaneously combust.
"Kacchan, I-"
"It's nothing," he growled. "Look, you go dancing. I'm going to go drink 'til I black out. See ya later, Deks." He turned, and began slouching away. Izuku's heart hurt for him.
Before he knew it, he'd caught up with Katsuki, grabbing his arm. "Kacchan, wait. I'll come with you."
"For what," Katsuki sighed, jerking his head away from him.
"Company," Izuku said, a little forcefully. He knew he was taking a big risk. Katsuki historically never accepted comfort of any kind, and hadn't confided in anyone except maybe Kirishima, and then only on a good day. Or except for Izuku, when they were four and told each other everything.
Katsuki finally slowed, turning to look at Izuku, his expression heavy and resigned. "Fucking hell, Deku. Can't believe this shit, you know? I didn't even do it this time, and the fuckers docked me eleven spots. I'm pissed as all hell, and I don't want to take it out on anyone. On you."
It was hard to hear. Bakugou Katsuki never accepted defeat, never backed down, fired on all cylinders all the time. And as Ground Zero, even more so. Everyone knew that if it was an impossible fight, too dangerous to risk, you sent in Ground Zero. Yet here he was, looking exhausted. Drained. Like finally, somehow, this was what had turned it all into too much to bear.
"I'm not #15 for nothing," Izuku said, with a little bite to his words. Katsuki's eyes snapped to his, but he rushed on, "So I can handle a pissed off Ground Zero, okay? You don't have to be alone. I'm here. I don't want to go dancing when my friend is, is… when my friend is having a rough time," he finished lamely.
Katsuki swallowed, clearly trying to decide whether or not to let him in. Izuku had said his piece though, and the ball was in Katsuki's court.
"I'm going to chug booze till my liver fails," Katsuki finally said, voice rough. "So it can be at the shittiest bar in the city, at my place, or at yours. You pick."
Izuku's mouth dropped open. He was in. Holy shit. Then came the crushing realization that while Katsuki might have let him in, even a little, and now he couldn't mess it up. If he ruined things tonight, who knew if Katsuki would ever speak to him again? He knew instinctively that Katsuki's aggressive personality hid someone that really, truly cared about what he did. Who cared about everything, exhaustively. It was actually something they had in common.
"My place," Izuku said, trying to sound decisive. "People keep gifting me alcohol but I never drink it, so…"
"Fucking using me to get rid of your booze?" Katsuki scoffed.
"Yep," Izuku said, risking a small smile.
"Smart move," Katsuki hissed. "I'm gonna get trashed. Hope you're ready to take care of a useless sack of fucking garbage."