Chapter Text
When you live with someone for 40 years you tend to see the way they care and love you.
When they lose the love they had for you
Izuku knew the exact moment it happened when he saw someone younger with so much energy join his job
He knew he was fighting a losing game when he chose to stay
Izuku was born for a generation of personal butlers and main caretakers for the bakugou family, although you could choose to do a different career choice you were heavily shunned by your family and you'd have nobody if you were to truly quit so the thought would never cross on izuku’s mind, until now
He was old—well 40 isn't exactly young is it? And the nonstop work and stress made him age faster
He had wrinkles, his hair stopped being shiny years ago and he needs to take more supplements for his back. He has bad eyebags and his fingers tend to tremble often
Katsuki somehow got the good stick of it, still having those Mitsuki and Masaru genes on him that made him look 30 or at least late 30’s. He still had his wrinkles but they fit more for his face and made him look like he was aging with wine
Both were raised together with a clear intent. Izuku will die working for him, being in the background of photos and portraits—and he never minded! I mean sure it hurts being put in this position of never being able to fall in love with your childhood friend but back then it used to be the two
Just them two...izuku used to put sticky notes and smiley faces on the pages of his reports
It used to be the two in that lonely manor, two old men ready to live the rest of their lives like that or until katsuki gets married
Then new maids and staff arrived, once a year Katsuki would mass hire any staff that was low on numbers and she was one of the maids, Ochako Uraraka
She was in her early 20s, poor family, and had been working hard all her life.
She was everything izuku wasnt
Lively, and young, her bones didn't hurt when she leaned down. A woman.
And—of course, izuku was just a man, it was forbidden to even think about being gay in this household
Izuku felt like he was in one of those stories where he’s meant to be the bad guy, she is the protagonist who works hard and somehow ends up in the eyes of the headmaster, spoiling and courting even if she was just a maid
He’s not meant to have his happy ending. Just to stare from the outside and he’s afraid he’s too old to find love meant for him
**
“Kacchan…your online meeting with your mother will start shortly” izuku informs, reading into his clipboard will all the due dates and schedules, he often stays up late to make these
He looks up when he gets no response from the blond to find him staring out the window where ochako was pulling out the weeds in the summer sun
“Who even told her to do that” he muttered
“It may have been the main gardener—”
“Fire him. Nobody should be working this hard in this heat. What if she gets a heat stroke?”
“Fire the head gardener? He’s been working here for years im sure with a warning—”
“Fire him” katsuki spat nonchalantly and izuku gripped the board trying not to look hurt
He looked like he cared—hell, he cared about her.
“Yes, sir” izuku mumbled, giving him a low nod
“Tell them to bring her water and to sit in the shade”
Im sure she’s old enough to know when she's close to passing out, she’s an adult. Izuku thought but kept his mouth shut
“...Yes, sir” he repeated
“I swear, young people always think they can do everything. It's annoying”
But he didn't /look/ annoyed at all, instead, a small smirk tugged at the end of his lips as he went back to his papers
He finds her amusing, something new to see and observe
Izuku wouldn't lie, she was a hard worker, she listened, and never had an attitude towards izuku so he felt even worse for being jealous of her
Is it selfish for him to have wanted something he knew was impossible to have?
To keep Katsuki’s love for himself, even if it'd never be the type he yearns
“What are you waiting for? I want him out of my property now, and just to be sure pink cheeks are not going to randomly combust call Chiyo to do a health check”
“With all due respect, she’s fine—”
“How do you know that?” katsuki asked sharply and izuku flinched
“She’s just been out for 30 minutes and there is a breeze, she has an unlimited amount of water in the kitchen that's 3 minutes away from her and people are working alongside her If they find she not—”
“I gave you an order, it wasn't an actual opinion, /Deku/” he spat and the green hair gave him a low nod
But he used to, he used to care about what he thought, about what he cared about and his ideas. He used to care
Now he could give two shits about izuku
“Of course kacchan. I—I’ll do what you ordered me to” izuku bowed and walked out
He was too old to cry to things like these like a teenager in love but it was hard not to, he’s always been a crybaby
It hurts to know you spent 40 years with this person, having a crush you knew it was never going to work but stayed anyway in the name of tradition and find you have been replaced by someone younger
He dreads what is about to happen, he doesn't think ‘because you let her out in the sun for half an hour' will sound reasonable for losing the work youve been doing for far longer than ochako has been alive for
**
Approaching Torino, who was meticulously trimming the hedges near the rose garden, Izuku cleared his throat and called out,
"Mr. Gran, may I have a word?"
The old man turned turned, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
"What can I do for you?"
Izuku hesitated for a moment
“It's about your employment here. Master Bakugou has requested that I inform you..." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words.
Toshiro's eyes narrowed
"Inform me of what?"
Izuku took a deep breath and continued, "I regret to say that Master Bakugou has decided to terminate your employment, effective immediately."
A stunned silence settled over the garden as Torino’s face contorted with a mixture of shock and anger. His wrinkled hands clenched around the garden shears
"...Fired?”
Izuku's gave him a slow nod
"Master Bakugou didn't provide a specific reason—” he knew exactly why, but what would it be the point of telling him?
“ —He simply wishes to make this change."
Torino’s face flushed with frustration,
"I can't believe this," he muttered, more to himself than to Izuku.
Izuku knew the gravity of it. He had no family to rely on, and this job was his livelihood
The old man got out from the ladder
"This is your doing, isn't it, Midoriya?" Torino accused, his voice laced with bitterness. Without warning, he swung a fist at Izuku, the pain caught him off guard.
Before Toshiro could land another blow, several of the garden workers rushed forward, intervening to prevent a further altercation. They circled Toshiro, trying to calm him down while casting worried glances at Izuku, who was still recovering from the first punch.
Torino struggled against their hold, his face twisted with a mix of anger and sorrow. "I won't stand for this injustice! This is my life, my livelihood!"
Izuku slowly got to his feet, holding a hand to his throbbing cheek, but he made no move to retaliate.
“...Kick him out” izuku ordered and the others nodded
He needs to see Chiyo for bandages and...what is he saying? She is busy tending to ochako.
The green hair hisses when he touches his bleeding cheek and swelling near his eyes, it was a good thing he didn't get any ideas with his scissors
He wants to go to katsuki to show him how he looks, but he's going to guess he's also busy attending to her needs...
He hopes kacchan cares when he sees those bandages
*
“What's up with your bandages” katsuki pointed to them at dinner
“I had a complication with Torino” izuku mumbled, closing his eyes in pain when he spoke
"Ah," Katsuki responded with a nonchalant shrug, not even bothering to show a flicker of concern, let alone ask for details. It was like he couldn't care about anything.
There was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal…ochako
“What…is she doing here?” izuku asked katsuki and he shrugged
“Thought she deserved to eat here”
“Katsuki, the workers have their own dinner room—”
“So you want to join them? Shes staying here, want it or not” izuku gripped his fork and said nothing otherwise
“This used to be a place just for us..” izuku whispered
Everyone wants an older, colder man with a soft spot… Bakugou glares at him and izuku winces, not once has he ever been looked like that until now
“Oh quit it. You sound like you're 10." he snapped
"Dont sound like you're hurt"
How could he not? His heart is /shattering/. It's breaking with every decision he takes that makes him realize how he doesn't matter to him
He gave all his life to this man, and he does not care
"And move her to be one of my personal maids, to clean my room and all that. Less work for her."
Ochako sat in the seat in front of katsuki with her food
“...I think im going to go,” izuku said, grabbing his food and noticing the way ochako stared at him, he ignored it
“Okay,” katsuki said, turning his attention back to her
Until that soft spot isn't for you
If he leaves...would Katsuki ever chase after him or leave him the same way he did now?
TBC