Chapter Text
The room freezes in complete shock and bewilderment at the scene that’s unraveling in front of them.
Is that…
Bakugou observes the view, the thick, long strands of black shooting out of Deku’s hand, going berserk all around the training area.
Everyone else sucks for cover, trying to find a spot in the room safe from whatever is emerging from Izuku’s body… but not Katsuki. No. He stays put, not wanting - and not able to - take his eyes off of the scene in front of him.
Is that… Deku’s quirk?
The dark lines shooting around the room suddenly come to a halt, freezing, then vanishing out of nowhere, causing Deku, who was thrust up into the air by said power to fall to the ground with force.
“Deku!” Monoma shouts, having a front row view of the entire situation. He rushes over to the man currently on the floor. The rest of the team members peak back around from wherever they were hiding, checking in on what is happening.
Katsuki feels his breath hitch, he’s pretty sure his heart has stopped beating in the moments of Monoma checking on Izuku, waiting to hear what he says about his state.
After a few seconds - that feels like eternity to the explosive blond - Monoma finally speaks again.
“He’s breathing! Just unconscious,” he explains.
Katsuki’s breath releases, suddenly realizing that he was frozen in fear over whether or not the boy was okay.
Since when do I care about this idiot? Just can’t have anyone dying on my watch, that’s all. Hawks would have my head if he found out, and the media, God, they’d have a field day with-
“Bakugou!” Monoma calls, snapping Katsuki away from his thoughts and back to the moment. “He’s waking up!”
Dynamight rushes over to the mat, kneeling over the man who’s becoming conscious once again.
“Oi. Deku,” the leader calls out, gently shaking the younger man by his shoulder to speed up his reawakening.
“W-what…. What happened?” Izuku asks, voice weak and confused as he slowly opens his eyes.
“You did it, nerd,” Katsuki says. “You summoned a quirk.” Bakugou spots light returning to emerald eyes as the realization and remembrance hits.
“I… I did?” He asks, voice shaking a bit. Suddenly, as if the memory of what just occurred returned to him all at once, Deku adds, “I did!!” He shoots himself up to a sitting position, barely missing a collision with Katsuki who backed away just in time. “I can’t believe it!” He looks down at his hands. “I really have a quirk?!”
“Unless those black wires shooting out of your hands are just a cool party trick you kept from us, then yeah, I’d say you have a quirk,” Kaminari teased as the rest of the group joined their colleagues on the mat.
“Wow, I…” Being in such close proximity to Deku, Katsuki can see tears begin to swell up in green eyes - though he’s sure even Shouto who’s standing in the back of the bunch can see the wetness that’s threatening to spill over. Bakugou rises to his feet, feeling the sudden need to add space between him and the crying man nearby.
Through sniffles, Izuku continues, “I never thought I’d ever actually have a quirk, I-I…” Deku looks up and around at his teammates as he says, “Thank you, all of you! I really couldn’t have done this without all of you helping me out and-!”
The sound of someone clearing their throat cuts through Izuku’s words, causing everyone to look over to who made the noise.
“Ahem!” Monoma interjects. “You can thank all of them however much you want, but don’t forget that it was during my sparring session that your powers erupted!” The blond places a hand on his chest, clearly anticipating praise being sent his way.
However, if Katsuki has anything to do with it, he’ll make sure that praise never reaches its destination.
“Yeah, yeah, we all know you think you’re hot shit,” the Captain says, stopping Deku from having a chance to give the copycat a compliment. “But as your leader, I second what Deku said, you all worked your asses off in your fights. I’m sure they all contributed to this moment.”
As much as Katsuki hates giving praise to anyone, he knows as the captain of this mission that he’s gotta be the one to keep morale high. This is a big step forward in their journey, so he needs to give credit where it’s due.
“You know what this means?!” Mina asks, a bit of mischief in her tone, which absolutely frightens Katsuki the moment he hears it.
“Oh God. What?” The explosive man dares to ask.
“We need to celebrate!!” The pink hero explains, rushing towards the kitchen area.
“And how exactly are we going to do that?” Katsuki questions, calling out to the girl who just scurried away. Mina returns in an instant, holding something behind her back.
“With… this!!” She reveals a handle of vodka, causing a commotion from the group.
“Aw yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” Denki chimes in. “Party time!”
Before the chorus of whoops and hollers from the team can begin, Katsuki butts in to say, “That’s not happening.”
“What?!” Mina responds, face looking as if she had just been told the worst news of her life. “Why not?!”
“Because!” Katsuki knows he has his hands full trying to explain to his squad why this is a bad idea. His friends definitely like having their fair share of fun, and he oftentimes finds himself being the one to draw them back into reality. “This is just the first step forward. If we take time to celebrate after every single move in the right direction then we’ll never see any actual progress.”
“Aw, c’mon, Bakugou!” Kaminari pleads, displaying his best puppy-dog eyes towards his friend. “We’ve earned a bit of a reward!”
“For what? Doing the job you got hired to do?!” Katsuku spits back.
“Yes!! Exactly!!” Kaminari commits to his wish.
Before Bakugou gets a chance to reject this thought once more, Shouto’s voice is heard.
“I think it’s not a bad idea,” the entire bunch turn towards him. “We have all put in a lot of effort, and this is a big step in Deku’s progress. Why not give ourselves a chance to enjoy it.”
Shouto’s tone is flat, as if he is simply stating a fact, even though it’s blatantly defying the captain's orders - though Katsuki’s sure he doesn’t view it that way.
Bakugou gives his team a good look, seeing the pleading on their faces, but also realizing that what they are saying isn’t totally incorrect. Everyone has worked hard, these past two days were pretty intense, and it’s only going to get more serious from here on.
As much as I hate to agree with Half-and-half… he’s gotta point.
Katsuki sighs, shaking his head at himself, knowing he’ll most likely regret this decision.
“You all better not drink yourselves stupid. We still have training tomorrow, so don’t forget it.” The team erupts in cheers, excited for their upcoming night that is bound to be filled with fun.
Kaminari rushes over to Bakugou, throwing an arm around his shoulder to say, “You’re the best, man!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Katsuki replies shrugging the arm off of him. He turns towards Deku, who has been silently observing the situation, knowing he doesn’t really have a say in the matter. “Oi, Deku.”
Izuku’s eyes catch Bakugou’s - though Katsuki isn’t sure he was ever looking away from him.
“Yes, Captain?”
“You can join them too,” Katsuki says, granting Izuku permission to drink with his colleagues, knowing the nerd is probably unsure if he’s allowed to. “Just don’t make an idiot of yourself.”
“I-I won’t!” Izuku replies, slightly bowing to his leader.
“Enough chatting!” Mina says. “Let’s pop open the bottle!”
“Already?” Bakugou questions. “It’s barely mid-afternoon.”
“Which is exactly why we should start now! Make sure we’re in bed early - just like you always are. Right, Bakugou?” The pink girl teases with a wink.
Bakugou shakes his head yet again.
Yeah, I’m definitely going to regret this.
The afternoon passes very quickly, with all the members of Operation: Deku sitting around a large table in the dining area of their base while they pass the time by drinking and sharing stories. Izuku is soaking in every word, obviously curious and excited to learn about some of his favorite heroes. Katsuki can see this excitement written all over his freckled face.
Tch. He’s not even trying to hide it… though he has become more and more obvious with each drink.
“And that’s why we’d rather be caught dead than go back to that town!” Mina finishes up one of her outrageous stories, causing the group to sound in a harmony of laughter.
“Yeah, we decided to just celebrate our anniversary at home ever since,” Kirishima explains.
“Wow, I can’t believe you two are a couple!” Izuku exclaims, his voice slightly louder than usual due to the alcohol loosening his nerves. “I never would’ve guessed with the way the media portrays your relationship!”
“Yeah, that’s not surprising! We have been pretty secretive about it,” Mina says.
“Our lives are super public as is, we wanted our relationship to be something just the two of us share,” Eijiro explains. “Well, and our friends too, of course.”
“Do most pro heroes keep their relationships a secret?” Deku asks, genuinely curious about this topic.
“I’m not too sure. It depends on the person, I guess!” Kirishima adds.
“If that’s your way of asking if any of the rest of us are keeping our romantic life from the public, that would be a no,” Monoma chimes in.
“Yeah,” Kaminari scratches the back of his head, “unfortunately, I’m not hiding any relationship either.”
“He wishes he was!” Mina jokes.
“Hey! I’m trying, alright?! The dating pool just sucks right now!” The electric hero tries to defend himself.
“Dating isn’t really something I think about right now, if I’m being honest,” Shouto states his reasoning.
“So,” Monoma leans forwards, his elbows on the table and hands cupping his face, giving Deku a mischievous grin. “How about you, Deku? You have a girlfriend?”
Katsuki feels his body go cold at the question, stopping mid sip to make sure he doesn’t miss a single second of Izuku’s answer.
“M-me? Oh! Well, uh…” Crimson eyes peer over the glass in explosive hands, trying to read every microexpression that could be seen on Izuku’s face. Katsuki felt his heart begin to race, for some reason, feeling suddenly anxious about what Deku’s next words would be.
Finally, Izuku continues, “No, I don’t have a girlfriend. Even though I wouldn’t mind having one.” Izuku laughs, making light of the subject.
Bakugou feels his breath release, finally able to sip the rest of his beverage.
Tch. Why was I even waiting to hear what he had to say? Of course the nerd doesn’t have a girlfriend.
“Oh? And what about a boyfriend?” Monoma continues, his voice clearly egging on the conversation.
Suddenly, Katsuki chokes on his liquor at the sound of this question. Luckily, no one notices his small coughing fit, trying to cover it up by just clearing his throat.
Boyfriend?! Why would the copycat even-?
“No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” Izuku replies. “Though…” Emerald eyes land on the man across the table from him, causing Katsuki to feel a jolt down his spine at the sudden visual contact. “I wouldn’t mind having a boyfriend either.”
The moment is so small, the gesture so miniscule that anyone else would miss it- and it seems like they all did - because Katsuki seems to be the only one to notice the glint of darkness in Izuku’s gaze. The weight behind his words that seem so meaningless to everyone else.
Being under the gaze of those green eyes… It makes Katsuki feel stuck. Even though he can look away whenever he wants to, he finds his eyes staying stuck on the pair glued to him, almost as if he’s under some sort of transe…
Fuck... What’s in this drink?
That’s gotta be the reason for these abnormal feelings, right? He normally doesn’t drink, so this liquor must be going to his head fast.
“I understand you, Deku,” Kaminari responds. “I’ve been trying to get either a boyfriend or a girlfriend and I’ve been losing in both fields,” he says with a pout, dropping his head to the table in shame.
“Tch, that’s not surprising,” Katsuki says. He didn’t mean to start speaking, but the words leave his mouth before he realizes it.
Shit, maybe I am a lightweight.
“Says you!” Kaminari rebuts. “I can’t help but notice that you’re the only one who hasn’t spilled their guts about their dating life!”
“He’s right, Bakugou,” Monoma says, leaning his head on his hand, giving his full attention towards the leader. “Why don’t you tell us about your relationship status?”
Katsuki lets out a small laugh, finding this topic a bit idiotic, especially when the romance in his life is practically non-existent. Sure, he’s had a few hook-ups here and there, but that was mainly experimental, trying to see if he even was interested in sex and all that. Turns out he really isn’t - at least, he doesn’t see anyone worthy of his time like that. He has other, more important things to do than…well, some random guy.
The blond leans back in his chair, assuming an unbothered position as he answers, “Oh please. Like I’d tell you all if there was somebody.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Mina says, “So there isn’t anyone you’re seeing?”
“Nope.” Bakugou turns his attention back to the newest member of the team to say, “Guess I just haven’t found a guy worth my time.”
Bakugou sees the way Izuku’s pupils dilate when he mentions the word ‘guy’. Katsuki can tell that even in his tipsy state, Izuku noted that new information. The freckled man brings the straw in his glass up to his mouth, taking another sip from his drink… except this time when he does so, Katsuki can’t seem to sway his eyes from the boy's lips. Seeing the way they wrap around the straw so perfectly… it makes the blond’s mind race. He wonders what else those lips could wrap so-
“Well, Bakugou!” The sound of his name pulls Katsuki out of his mind and back to the moment. “I’m sure you’ll find the right guy soon enough,” Mina says with a wink - unsure what the meaning behind her words could be.
“Yeah, she’s right!” Denki joins in. “You’ll be with him before you know it, Cap-i-tan!” The electric man says, for some reason drawing out his title, adding a bit of a weird voice to his naming of the older man.
What a weirdo.
“You are the number one hero,” Izuku decides to join in on the conversation as well it seems. “I’m sure you could have anyone you want, Kacchan!”
All bodies at the table freeze for a moment, before turning and looking at the man who just spoke. Bakugou feels as if his body is made of ice.
Did Shouto accidentally trigger his quirk?
“What did you just say?” Bakugou asks, his voice low and dark - though Deku seems none-the-riser at the leader's internal panic.
“I just said that since you’re the top pro hero, that I’m sure anyone would-”
Before Izuku has a chance to finish his sentence, Bakugou steps back in to say, “No. Not that. What… what did you call me?”
Deku looks around the table, suddenly realizing that everyone’s full attention is on him, which clearly makes him nervous.
“O-oh… I just said Kacchan. Isn’t that what Kaminari just called you?”
Bakugou can feel the heat rising to his face - unfortunately not suppressed by the alcohol one bit.
“No, he called me Captain in a stupid fucking voice.”
“O-oh! I’m sorry, I thought I heard him call you Kacchan, so I just assumed that was a name you went by.”
Katsuki’s chest is growing tight. Whether from embarrassment, shame, or just pure hatred of this situation, he’s unsure.
“I already told you, Deku. You are to call me either Captain or my hero name. Even if Dunce Face over here did call me Kacchan or whatever the fuck you said, that doesn’t mean you can.”
A silence falls over the table, the air becoming thick and heavy. Green and red don’t dare look away from each other, practically being in a stand off of eye contact, neither one of them wanting to be the first to look away.
“Aw, c’mon, Bakugou!” Denki’s voice rings over the stillness. “It was a simple misunderstanding! But honestly, I think Kacchan is a cute nickname, maybe we should call you that!”
As much as Katsuki disagrees with this new name for himself, he is a bit thankful for his outgoing friend for breaking the tension and lighting the mood.
“Tch,” Bakugou scoffs, finally looking away from the nerd. “If you try to do that, I’ll kick your ass,” he says, all bark, no bite.
The tense moment has passed, with the company at the table now all feeling comfortable and not on edge anymore. After a few more minutes, Deku excuses himself to use the bathroom, signaling all of the teammates to turn their attention to Katsuki immediately, not wanting to waste this opportunity.
“Alright, dude, what’s your deal?” Kirishima asks once Izuku is out of earshot.
“What the hell are you talking about?” The blond asks back.
“With your attitude? This isn’t like you,” the red-head explains.
“Whatdya mean? I’m always like this.”
“To a certain extent, yeah,” Mina adds. “We know you put on this tough guy persona for the media, and we also know how you used to be back in school, but you’ve outgrown this behavior!”
“Again, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Come on, man! The way you’re treating Deku!” Kirishima finally explains.
“Hah?” Bakugou doesn’t understand what they’re getting at.
“Seriously, Bakugou?” Monoma says. “You treat him like he’s a pebble on the ground that you can just kick around.”
It’s rare that Katsuki finds himself speechless, but right now… he is.
“I-“ He ducks his head down, turning his attention towards the cup in his hand. “No I don’t.”
“Yes you do,” Shouto enters the talk. “You gotta go easier on him, Bakugou. You can be a leader and be nice at the same time.”
“Have you met me? Since when am I nice?” Bakugou tries to defend.
“Katsuki,” Mina reaches over and places a hand over the one Bakugou is resting on the table. “You are nice, you just have a different way of showing it. We wouldn’t be friends with you if you weren’t nice at least a bit of the time. All we’re saying is that you should go easier on the guy, he just wants to do a good job! Besides,” Ashido pulls her hand back from where it was, leaning back in her seat to say, “he totally idolizes you.”
Katsuki feels his heart jump at this comment. Of course he knew Deku loved pro heroes - and with him being the number one, he was bound to be a bit of a fan - but to hear that Izuku completely idolizes him? It’s making him feel a way that’s foreign, and he isn’t sure he wants to become used to this sensation.
“He’s just a fanboy,” Katsuki defends.
“Well, yeah,” Mina responds. “But you’re different.”
Different? How am I different for him?
“Just don’t crush his spirit, ‘kay?” Pinky suggests, and that ends up being the last word of the conversation before Izuku returns.
The rest of the night Katsuki can’t get that talk out of his head.
Don’t crush his spirit…
Katsuki isn’t intentionally being rude or mean to Deku.
Okay. Maybe he is a little bit. But that’s just how he is! It’s how he’s always been, and if Deku is as big of a fan as he seems to be, then he should know that!
After getting next to no sleep that night, his mind racing and re-living every interaction he’s had with the nerd, he comes to the conclusion that he has been a bit harsh on him.
Ugh. Fine.
He decides that for the day today, he’s going to attempt to lighten his mood and be less harsh towards the newbie.
God. Just the thought alone of being kind makes me wanna vomit.
As much as he hates to admit it though, Mina was right. He shouldn’t crush the spirit of a brand new hero - especially not the one inheriting All Might’s power. This guy is going to be useful in the future, so he may as well try to start to get along now.
After gathering the team together and explaining the goals for the day, they all split off to begin their tasks. Since Deku was able to conjure up a quirk the day prior, they are now working on honing in on that one power, try to bring it out again and then see how much they can learn about it.
Tomorrow will be the first test day, quirk experts will be coming in and making use of the lab, a day Katuski is sure Deku is dreading. No one likes to be poked and prodded by scientists, but it’s what’s gotta be done. That is not until tomorrow, though, so for now, the focus is still on today’s tasks.
A lot of the morning and afternoon is spent on helping Deku conjure his quirk. The one that showed itself yesterday - which the squad has named Black Whip - has been able to re-appear a few times so far. However, every time they try a new tactic to have it come out, only small wisps of it occur. Even Monoma tried insulting Deku like he did prior, but to no avail this time around.
Fed up by these dead end trials, Katsuki has finally had enough. He decides the only next path is to go back to their sparring training. Since that is where Black Whip first made its appearance, he figures being back in a similar setting may help Deku’s mindset.
This time, Katsuki isn’t leaving this task to any extras. They’ve already wasted most of the day without any new knowledge or progress in Deku’s quirk, and with the lab day being tomorrow, Katsuki wants to have something to show for it.
“Deku. You’ll be sparring against me,” Katsuki declares, making his way to the mat to prepare for the battle.
“R-right!” Deku answers, joining him in the area.
“Hey! Bakugou!” Mina approaches him. She drops her voice to a whisper to say, “Remember what we talked about last night. Don’t go too hard on him, he’s going to-”
“Yeah, yeah, Racoon Eyes, I know,” he dismisses.
“I knew you would!” She says with a smile, before prancing off back to join the rest of the team who is watching on the side.
Katsuki turns his attention towards Deku, seeing the boy doing some last minute stretches to prepare.
“Oi, Deku,” Bakugou calls, gaining Izuku’s full focus. “Don’t hold back, you got it? I’m not made of glass so don’t be afraid to really fight me.”
“You got it, Captain,” Izuku answers, getting in a fighting position, a newfound confidence on his face.
For Bakugou, that was the best encouragement he could give the guy - it was also the nicest he could be without wanting to die right there on the spot.
“Alright, here we go,” Katsuki says, before beginning their spar.
The duo circle around each other for a moment, before Izuku makes the first move, charging towards Bakugou. Just when the blond thinks he knows where Deku is going to aim his first hit, the freckled boy switches up on him, changing directions and using his foot instead to kick Bakougou’s side, knocking the air out of his lungs at the sudden impact.
Katsuki remains on his feet, not losing his concentration as he takes the opportunity to use an explosion and switch sides so he’s behind Deku now. However, being a fast learner, Izuku turns around and faces Katsuki before he can get the true upperhand.
Bakugou lands a few punches, Izuku lands a couple as well. The pair are properly fighting. After a few minutes of this fighting, Bakugou propels himself into the air, getting ready to aim a blast attack at the boy still on the floor.
“Got you now!” He calls, reading his explosions.
Just as he is about to fire, the blond feels something wrap around his waist. He looks down, seeing the black glowing rope that he had seen once prior suddenly now around his torso.
“What the-!” Is all the man can say before he’s quickly pulled down towards Deku. Bakugou looks at the guy who he is being dragged towards with extreme speed. He sees Black Whip seeping out of the boy, similarly to yesterday. The only difference is that this time, Deku seems to be in control.
Holy shit. Deku’s using his quirk.
That’s all the time Bakugou has to think before Deku’s fist meets his face with massive force. The blow rattles Katsuki, causing him to be thrown across the mat as the ropes around his waist vanish.
He shakes his head as he gets up, regaining his footing and looking around for his opponent. Finally he finds Deku, who seems to be back to his normal sans-quirk self, but now he’s charging at him, fist in the air and ready to strike.
Unfortunately for Izuku, the thrill of using his quirk must’ve got to his head, because now his next hit is blatantly obvious to the blond, making it easy for him to move out of the way, grab hold of Deku, and slam into the ground, pinning him to the floor.
The pair are breathing heavily, attempting to catch their breath from the intense battle. Izuku’s face is being smushed into the ground, his chest pressing down as Katsuki is on top of him.
Bakugou’s knee holds Izuku’s legs in place, one hand on Izuku’s head and the other bringing his arm behind his back, making sure that the nerd can’t escape his hold.
“Even with that quirk, I still managed to pin you down. How’s that…” Katsuki leans down, close to Izuku’s ear. “Deku?”
The second the name slips past Bakugou’s lips, he can hear how his tone sounds. It isn’t the same threatening voice he uses against his opponents, no, this one is different. Katsuki’s grip on Izuku tightens, wanting to accentuate just how in control he is. The second he does this though, a whine escapes Deku’s lips. It’s high pitched, and breathy, and -
Fuck.
The sound goes right to Katsuki’s head. And no. Not the one above his shoulders.
Crimson eyes scan the body beneath him, really taking in the view for the first time. Izuku’s muscular shoulders, arms and back can be seen even through his loose fitting shirt. Katsuki can see just how sculpted this man is, and for some reason he doesn’t want to look anywhere else.
Except when he does look at another place, he finds himself in even more trouble, because his eyes travel south. Bakugou’s gaze lands on the perfectly shaped ass of the man below him.
Holy shit. Did he always look like this?
The truth was that Katsuki didn’t allow himself to look at the nerd long enough to get a good glimpse, but now that he has, he doesn’t think he can ever look away. The man’s ass, so plump, so round, so perfect. Bakugou feels a twitch in his pants.
Shit!
Bakugou looks down, realizing the positioning of his body on top of Deku’s has his dick lined up exactly with Izuku’s ass. The sight makes Katuski feel lightheaded - that could also be due to the rush of blood going towards his cock, but who’s to say. Seeing his body be so close to Deku’s, seeing how easy it would be if Izuku just moved his hips slightly, bringing them up to rub up against him, giving him that friction that he so desperately craves right now from none other than the man he’s holding under him.
Katsuki feels himself growing harder by the second… which would also mean that Izuku would be able to feel it too.
Fuck.
Quickly and suddenly, Bakugou releases Izuku from his hold, standing up and turning away from the boy face down on the ground.
Confused by the sudden change, Deku asks, “What did-?”
“Seriously? Even with your ‘All Might’ quirk, you still lost to me? How pathetic,” the blond says, not even turning to face the younger man as he speaks, before he quickly walks towards the exit. “We’re done here.”
Katsuki rushes back to his dorm, slamming the door shut behind him, finally releasing his breath as he leans his back against the door.
“Shit,” he says in a slight whisper. He looks down, the tent in his pants slightly visible. He had to get out of there fast, not daring to have anyone spot his problem below the belt… even if it meant backtracking on his plan to be “nicer” to Izuku.
Bakugou knows he’s being a bit childish, that he shouldn’t let these extreme emotions take over him this badly… but the problem is that he doesn’t really even know what emotions have their grasp on him.
Katsuki sighs, too tired to attempt to analyze just what his feelings mean.
Hours later, Bakugou finally reemerges from his room - his growling stomach winning the battle against his desire to stay locked in his dorm for the remainder of the night.
He enters the kitchen, finding his team all already there, chatting and eating (based on the smell, what can only be described as a disaster of a meal).
“Oh, Bakugou,” Shouto says, noting his entrance as he stands by the stove. “We saved a plate for you,” Todoroki notes, motioning over to a plate filled with food, wrapped, and placed on the counter.
Katsuki grunts as a reply, making his way over to the food.
“Are you finally ready to join the rest of your team, Captain?” Mina teases, but he can tell she may actually be wanting an honest answer as well.
“Can’t,” Bakugou curtly replies, grabbing hold of the plate. “Got some paperwork to go over and calls to make for tomorrow. Hawks wants a report by tonight for the scientists tomorrow.” Everything he is saying isn’t a lie, but it definitely wouldn’t take the whole night for him to finish. Truth be told, he just wants to be alone. And more than that, he wants to not be in the same area as Deku.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to finish it all, Kac- uh, Captain,” Izuku reassures. Katsuki’s eyes betray his mind, looking over and meeting Deku’s gaze.
His heart begins to race. His palms heat up. His stomach feels like it just dropped out of his ass. He needs to get out of there, and fast.
“Whatever,” is all the blond can say before leaving the room as quickly as he entered it.
The rest of the night, what was supposed to be spent by Katsuki working on his paperwork, was instead spent with Bakugou’s head in his hands, his mind working overtime to attempt to figure out what the actual hell is going on with him.
He’s never felt this way before. Ever. Everything he is experiencing is foreign to him, and he isn’t able to make a single emotion out. He backtracks, going over every interaction he’s had with Deku since they’ve met.
Bakugou has been able to figure a couple of things out. He’s sure that when he’s around Deku, he feels more on edge than he usually is. This could be because he’s supposed to be protecting him, so the pressure from having someone else’s wellbeing in his hands is a lot to handle.
However, when he thinks of that as the solution, something doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like that’s… it.
And then he thinks about their sparring match. The most recent one. When he had Izuku on his stomach, his back to him. When Katsuki’s eyes were tracing the outline of Deku’s build, all the way down to his ass. The shape of it made Katsuki’s throat feel dry but his mouth wet at the same time. Just thinking back to it was making Bakugou want to-
In one swift and sudden movement, Katsuki stands up suddenly, grabbing his belongings and heads to the kitchen. He decides that if he’s going to get this paperwork done, then he needs a change of scenery.
He makes himself at home at the large dining table in the space, being able to spread out all of his papers and notes to reference for his brief. It’s late in the night so all of the squad members are fast asleep… At least, that’s what Katsuki believes, until a certain green haired man enters the kitchen, groggy and unexpecting of another person around.
“Oh!” Izuku chirps, surprised by Katsuki’s presence. “Captain! I’m sorry, I didn’t expect to see anyone here.”
The sight of Deku, hair slightly disheveled, his t-shirt that reads “t-shirt” on it hanging slightly off of his left shoulder, it’s a view that Bakugou painfully forces himself to look away from, though every atom in his body is screaming at him to stare.
When Katsuki doesn’t reply, but instead goes back to typing on his open laptop, Deku continues, “You couldn’t sleep?”
Izuku marches over to the cabinet, grabbing hold of a glass and filling it with some tap water.
Finally, Katsuki answers, “Gotta finish this paperwork.”
“Oh, right,” Izuku replies, gulping down his drink, then making his way back over towards the rooms. “Well, goodnight, Captain.”
Bakugou forces his vision to stay on his screen, but he can see out of the corner of his eye that Izuku stops, freezes for a second, then turns back towards him.
“Can I ask you something?” Deku says. He’s standing a few feet away from Katsuki, but the second the words leave his lips, Bakugou’s eyes shoot over to land on Izuku.
After a beat of silence, Deku walks over towards the table, taking a seat across from his leader. Bakugou is torn in how he feels at this moment. On one hand, the sudden spark of confidence from Izuku feels demeaning to Katsuki’s place as the Captain of this mission. On the other hand though… His boldness is the most intriguing thing Katsuki has ever witnessed.
“Well it seems you’re going to ask it anyway, so,” Bakugou replies, shutting his laptop and leaning back in his seat, preparing for what his question may be.
Izuku takes a deep breath, his emerald eyes studying Katsuki’s before he finally asks, “Do you hate me?”
…
What?
Katsuki freezes. He thought that maybe the nerd would ask him something about his quirk. Maybe about his relationship to All Might or some sappy shit along those lines. Never did he ever think he’d ask him… that.
“What?” Katsuki asks back, unsure if he heard the question correctly.
“It’s just,” Izuku begins to explain, sitting up more in his seat. “Ever since we met, you’ve been pretty quick to dismiss me. I know that I’m a new hero, and that I have the power of someone you were close with and lost, but it seems like everyone else is able to at least try to get along with me. So I’m just wondering, Captain, do you hate me?”
Bakugou opens his mouth to speak, yet for one of the first times ever, nothing comes out. Normally he is always fast with a quip to respond to someone, but in this instant, he isn’t sure what to say.
He swallows, trying to give himself a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. But truly… How does one respond to a question like that?
“I’m the leader,” Katsuki answers after some time. “I have to make sure everything is in order. If I can’t give you the same treatment as these people that I’ve known for-”
“No, that’s not what I mean,” Izuku cuts him off. Normally, if someone were to dare speak overtop the number one hero, there would be hell to pay. But that look in Izuku’s expression, the way his tone holds so much confidence, it’s shaking Katsuki to his core, rewiring his brain from his usual behavior.
“What I’m saying,” Deku goes on, “Is that I expect you to treat me differently than your teammates and friends, of course. But you don’t just treat me like a stranger, or someone you’re tasked to look after. No… you treat me like a threat.”
A… huh?
“So I guess my question is, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight,” Izuku leans forward, not breaking eye contact with his leader, “What about me makes you feel threatened?”
Despite there being an entire table in between the pair, Katsuki feels as if the boy is close enough to read his thoughts. He’s never thought about it this way, about Deku being threatening to him, but now that that idea has been presented, he realizes that the man is right. Katsuki is threatened by Izuku.
But how?
Not giving him a chance to answer, Deku continues to speak saying, “Is it because I have All Might’s power? Do you feel that since he used to be the greatest hero of all time, that me having his ability might threaten your place at the top?”
Katsuki wants to respond. God, he needs to respond. To say something to oppose the words from the man in front of him. Except he finds himself still, just sitting, listening.
“Or maybe,” Deku goes on. “It’s because I’m getting along with all of your friends so well? You feel that I may come in and they’ll all like me more than they like you?”
Say something, damnit!!
Katsuki curses himself inwardly. Why can’t he speak up for himself? But deep down, he knows why. It’s because he wants to hear what Izuku has to say. He wants to learn where the nerd is going with this analysis.
“Or,” Izuku speaks once again, and for the smallest of moments, the most brief of instances, Katsuki can swear he sees Deku’s eyes dart down to his lips, before returning to his eyes. “Do you feel threatened by me for some other reason?”
The question rolls off Deku’s tongue so quietly, yet the words ring in Katsuki’s ears.
What is he getting at?
Bakugou’s heart is racing, feeling as if his thoughts and feelings have been put on full display and read completely by this man who was a stranger only a few days prior.
The blond isn’t sure how much time has passed since Izuku’s last question, but he finally answers, “I don’t hate you.”
It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s… safe. A response that answers Deku’s original question, without needing to address all the other ideas Izuku offered.
Katsuki can see Izuku read his face, trying to make the most out of his expression, before finally nodding, and rising to his feet.
“Alright then,” he answers, Katsuki following his movement with his eyes. “I’m glad to know you don’t hate me, Captain, because truly, I do really admire you. I hope one day, maybe we can get along.”
Deku begins to make his way in the direction of the dorms, though clearly waiting for another reply from Katsuki before he exits.
“Tch, what, you wanna be one of my friends on my team?” He asks, a light tone in his reply.
“No, I didn’t say that,” Izuku responds, turning back towards the number one. This reply leaves Katsuki even more confused, though.
“So you don’t want me to hate you but you don’t want to be my friend. So what do you want then, Deku?”
The shorter boy clearly ponders this for a second, really thinking about his reply before answering, “I guess, I kind of like being a threat.” His words should be mean, should be said in a way that would challenge Katsuki, but the boy says these words with a smile plastered on his face, taking away any possible bite in his tone. But his tone isn’t all that simple, because there still is a hint of darkness, of wanting and longing that is so clear, yet complicated to place.
“Goodnight, Dynamight,” Deku says before exiting the kitchen.
And that’s when it hits Katsuki, the realization washing over him like a tidal wave of reality drowning him. His emotions. The way he’s been feeling when around Izuku. Deku’s speech about being a threat… It all makes sense. Katsuki is threatened by Izuku. But not by his quirk or his relation to his friends.
Bakugou is threatened by Deku because of the way he makes him feel.
These emotions, his heart racing, how he reacted when hearing Deku likes men, the way he got turned on when pinning him to the ground, it all becomes clear to Katsuki. The real threat is that Izuku makes Katsuki feel weak, because Izuku is his weakness… because he has feelings for him.
Oh I’m so fucked.