"So, I'm sure you all have been thinking about where it is you want to go to high school by now. If not, well... you've got a nice zero in the gradebook waiting for you. Though, I'd hope all of you have turned in your papers with your top choices for high school by now."
Ugh, could you talk any slower, teach? Wastin' my damn time.
Katsuki's head lolled back over the end of his chair, feet up on the desk. Hell, he didn't need to be here. He knew what he wanted to do. Didn't need some high school dropout with a pathetic quirk ordering him around.
"Looks like we have a few overachievers here though—oh, Bakugou!" His teacher pulled his form out of the stack, eyebrows scrunched up in a way that somehow made him even uglier than before. "You were supposed to write down your top three choices, yet you... you only put one on here." His teacher seemed a little nervous about continuing. "You—you know U.A. only has about a two percent acceptance rate, right? As amazing as it would be for you to get in, you better be planning on applying to other schools as well...!"
I've had enough of this shit for one day.
Katsuki groaned, heaved himself up into a (slightly) more regular sitting position, and stared his teacher dead in the eye. "Oi. Shut the hell up. Who are the hell are you to be telling me what the fuck I can and can't do, hah? I'm going to U.A., and that's a goddamn fact."
If it wouldn't have been a mark on his perfect attendance record, he'd have walked out right then and there.
The rest of the so-called "lecture" was a bitch to listen to, and by the end of the day, he was dying to do anything more productive. With a loud, exhausted groan, he stepped out of the school, debating on whether to head to his house before going to the gym or not—just before being stopped by a couple more of the resident class shitheads. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and kept walking.
Not in the mood today, fuckers.
"Katsuki, you really went off today." The finger-fuck kid jogged over to him. "Dude, the look on his face when you said that...! Shit, that was good, man."
Katsuki clenched his teeth and kept walking. "S'nothing. Shut up."
"Aw, but he was kinda right, you know?" Weird-face said as he came up beside him. "You're amazing as hell, Katsuki, but you should probably apply somewhere other than U.A.—hell, you know that those entrance exams are practically impossible!"
Shut up, shut up, shut up!
"Don't you know who you're talking to?" Bitterness, cold and scathing seared through his words. "I'm gonna be the best damn hero there is, and U.A. is the only starting line I'll accept. S'not that hard to fuckin' comprehend, is it!?"
The two laughed beside him, falling a few nervous paces behind. "You... you sure are something, Katsuki." They paused for just a minute, an awkward silence filling the air as an even more awkward question came up. "Uh... wanna hit up the arcade this afternoon? The prey'll be good right now, y'know..." Finger-fuck trailed off, long past having overstayed his welcome.
"You think I would want that shit to wind up on my record if I was caught? Hell no." Palms sparked at his hips. "Leave me alone, idiots. I have more important shit to do."
How many times do I have to say—
"Training for U.A. entrance exams then, huh?" The other said, a bit of a mocking edge to his words. "You're not—Katsuki, you're not that much better than us. Why don't you ever just do what we do, the same shit that everyone else does? It's weird, man. Why can't you just be norma—"
"And why don't you learn to fucking leave when someone tells you!" he spat, rage bringing his anger to a boiling point. "You really think I want to spend any time with you bastards!? Get—get the hell outta my life!"
Explosions rocketed out through rigid fingers, blood pounding in his ears. "Got nothing to say to that, hah? Get lost already!"
"Uh, K-Katsuki—"
"If you're gonna say something, don't make it so damn worthless!" he growled, stepping closer. "Leave me the hell alone. I've been asking you for—"
"Katsuki, behind—!"
"Oh, finally gettin' the fucking point and leaving, hah?!"
Why are you shits only getting it—
"Ha... ha."
He froze.
Wha—what—no, no, this isn't—not now, it can't—
"That's a powerful quirk you have..." the new voice gargled from behind. "Oh, yes... and the perfect size for a nice little disguise, too."
His eyes were blown wide, words lodged in his throat as his legs went stiff, unmoving.
Why can't I move, wait, no, what—
Slime pooled around his ankles as every bone in his body turned to brittle ice.
"Get—g-get the fuck away from me!" he shouted, weaker than he'd expected. "The hell do you think you're do—!"
But before he could say another word, something awfully, horribly disgusting was in his mouth, choking, suffocating, killing—
"It'll only take about forty seconds as long as you stay relaxed—don't fight it, kid."
F-Fight... no, I—I have to fight this! I-I can't just—let this—
He wasn't even aware that he'd started setting off explosions. One by one, desperation blurring everything together, screaming at the top of his lungs in the hope that somehow, in some way, it would help. There was no choice. This was sudden, too sudden, even for—
I can't think about that right now! I don't have a fucking choice, do I? Get—get your fucking ass in gear! You're not pathetic, are you? ARE YOU!?
Sludge shoved its way down his throat, every crevice of his body screaming at the foreigner to get out, GET OUT! But no, he couldn't think about just how violated he felt, not as slime sunk into every corner of his skin and forced itself everywhere it possibly could.
Get out, get out, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!
Katsuki yanked his head away, gasping for any bit of feeble air he could get before the villain's protrusion dove back into his throat again, because that's what this was—a villain.
"Oh, you wanna play hard to get?" The villain laughed, bone-chilling and distorted. "Hah, the feisty ones... those are always the most fun to use!"
I-I'm not a fucking plaything!
He wrenched himself away for a split second, lungs burning as he tried to keep himself awake, alive—even if just for a little while longer. His hands strained at the edge of green ropes, blasting away as much as he could, begging that the sound of broken glass and kindling around him meant the villain was going down, down.
Let go, let go! I-I have a goddamn career ahead of me! I have shit I need to do, fucker!
He screamed again, ragged and utterly raw before an even thicker wad of slime tore his mouth to shreds, dragging desperate, dirty tears from the corners of his eyes. Adrenaline was his only lifeline, every limb moving on its own. As much as he wanted to stay calm, wanted to stay composed and controlled, his body was reacting like a wildfire and would burn till there was nothing left to incinerate.
Then, to his horror, he heard what might have been the sound of talking.
No. No. Don't see me like this, don't you dare look at me like this! I- I'm stronger than this...! I-I don't need... don't need...
But further in it went, clogging up every avenue of oxygen in his body. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his attacks were growing weaker, and just focusing on getting air into his body was all he could really try and do. This—this wasn't fighting. This wasn't winning.
This was survival.
"Oh, looks like we have some friends," the villain cackled. "They've all got their eyes on you, don't they! Oh, I spot some heroes, too... but, they won't be able to save you. Can't you see—"
He was shoved to the front of the villain's body, eyes pulled wide, and every kind of shame and embarrassment flooded down to his toes.
"—can't you see just how weak these people are?"
Let go, god, let go! At—at least give me an opening, something, anything to just fucking prove myself! I'm not—I won't be taken down this easily!
"You're such a fun one, though—yes, keep fighting, and you'll drain your strength so I don't have to." Sludge wound its way around his arms, around his legs. "And who could possibly stop me? You do realize that your explosions are being thrown around the area instead of attacking me, right? You might have a powerful quirk, but—"
Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!
"—you're so weak!"
Katsuki faltered, screaming more from the pain in his own arms and shoulders than anything else. Each new blast ripped more and more from him, and he wasn't sure how much—just how much longer—
I... I-I can't—
"And who are you to be saying that, villain!?"
Before he knew what had happened, a huge gust of wind shot past him, followed by another, and another. Something grabbed his arm, but before he could retaliate, the rest of his body fell from the villain's grasp and left him dangling in the air as another blast of pure energy nearly sent him flying.
"Hang on, I've got you—!"
And Katsuki couldn't do a thing but let himself be pulled towards the owner of that voice—so solid, so strong and determined.
Who... who is this?
"Here, we're going to sit down." The voice came again, and Katsuki realized he was being held right against the stranger's chest. "Easy, easy... it's gonna be okay now. I've got you."
Katsuki tried to look up, to see the face of his savior, but everything was already blurring around him. He managed to make out green hair, green eyes... but, his hands...
They're so warm...
He passed out.
———————
Waiting for updates had never been easy. Not that it was for anyone, but especially not for brand-new pro hero, Midoriya Izuku, on the debut of his first rescue. He'd escaped the media as fast as he could after he'd gotten the victim out of danger, and the rest of the heroes at the scene had helped to clean up the area and apprehend the villain. But, that wasn't what concerned him the most.
"Valiant, he's awake."
At the call of his still-new hero name, he shot to his feet, taking longer than he should've to remember to stay calm. It wasn't that he was nervous, no—just anxious from anticipation. The hospital nurse raised an eyebrow, as if asking him a pointed really in regards to his slightly-jumpy behavior.
"I—can I see him?" Izuku asked, trying to keep the sudden surge of emotion under wraps. He was a hero, and yes—though he might be new, he still had to be professional. Right.
The nurse pursed her lips, but nodded. "Right this way. Keep your voice down in the hallways."
"A-ah, yes ma'am!" He answered, head bobbing with a quick nod. Izuku followed her into the main hallway of the hospital, all the way to two doors from the end. With some of his costume stripped off and his bare, scarred hands resting against his sides, he looked kinda like a mess right now.
Eh, whatever. That's okay.
"Right in here." The nurse stopped and turned back towards him. "By the way, the police found a school ID in his belongings and contacted his parents. They should be here shortly, so if they arrive, don't be surprised. Got it?"
"Yes, got it!" Izuku swallowed. "Oh, u-uh... what's his name?"
"Bakugou Katsuki," she paused, glancing down at the paperwork in her hands. "He's a third year in middle school. I can't speak for how his mental state is right now, so be gentle with him. He just had a very traumatic experience, and if he doesn't want to talk, don't make him."
She said that as if Izuku could have forgotten the look in those red eyes when he'd pulled him out.
But the new hero simply went quiet, and nodded.
The door was pushed open all-too carefully, and inside lay its single occupant. Yet, the victim—no, Bakugou—didn't even look his way. A little more worried now, he took few more steps forward and sat down in a chair next to the bed.
"Bakugou?" He started, voice drifting down to a more appropriate level. "You hanging in there?"
Bakugou spared him a glance, hands in a loose, trembling fist by his side.
"...m'fine," he mumbled, barely audible. "You... you the one who...?"
Izuku dipped his head. "Yeah. I pulled you out of there."
Silence fell over the two for a long moment.
"I..." Bakugou's voice was so... small. "I should thank you, right?"
"I mean, you don't need to." Izuku rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what to do. "I'm just glad you're safe, really."
"I-I didn't need..." Bakugou trailed off, and to his surprise, seemed to start... crying. "I... I-I would've made it out...!"
What...?
"I'm... I'm not weak," Bakugou rasped, voice ragged. "I'm not. I—"
Oh. Oh god, I see.
Izuku stared down at his own hands, fingers running over scarred knuckles. "Bakugou, being saved... it doesn't make you weak."
Is... is this sort of dealing with the aftermath a part of being a good hero too?
Bakugou bit his lip, probably trying to just calm himself down, and Izuku decided to remain silent as long as he needed. It was hard to watch him slowly try to relax, and Izuku couldn't help but notice red rashes staining his still-shaking hands. As much as Bakugou seemed to want to hide how much he was hurting, his body couldn't lie.
The room was quiet for some time. Izuku didn't move.
"...hey. Uh..." Bakugou's voice was barely a whisper. "You... you're a hero, right? What's your name?"
It was an honest question.
"My—my hero name is Valiant," he answered, only for Bakugou to shake his head a little.
"I-I asked for your name, dipshit." Bakugou looked back over at him and squinted. "Wait... that your ID over there...?"
Izuku turned towards the counter to realize that it was sitting nearby. The nurse had taken it from him for verification earlier, and must've left it there for him on accident. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to ask her for that back, aha..."
Oddly enough, Bakugou seemed to be looking at his ID with a strange curiosity more than anything else.
"Did your parents really name you... Deku?"
Izuku cocked his head, more than a little confused. "Huh? No, my name is Midoriya. Uh—Midoriya Izuku."
Bakugou looked back towards him, then back towards the ID, eyes tired. "Huh. Well, you can read the 'Izuku' like 'Deku' then, too. Go fuckin' figure," he paused. "I like Deku better. Sounds... sounds kinda like you can do it, y'know?"
Izuku rubbed his arm. "Yeah, I guess so. But, uh, why'd you ask my name to begin with?"
Bakugou hesitated for just a moment before meeting his eyes with the most steady gaze he'd seen so far. "I-I wanna tell you something. 'Kay?"
"Yeah, of course."
Bakugou's body visibly relaxed, and he stretched a shaky, yet confident arm out to him.
"I-I'm going to get on your level." His voice was quiet, but firmer now. "I'm going to become a damn good hero, and I—" he swallowed. "I'm going to stand by your side one day, Deku. I will."
Huh?
"Wait, why m—"
"You're not looking... you're not looking down on me," Bakugou said, clearly trying to keep his composure. "I wanna be like that. Like you. You—you're strong."
Holy shit.
"Bakugou, that's some pretty high praise," he laughed, unsure of how to react. "I mean, I'm just a rookie. There's plenty of other heroes—"
"No. They're not like you," Bakugou insisted. "You're different. And that—what I just said, that's a goddamn promise."
Out of everything that could've happened, this was the last thing he expected.
"I—okay." The answer left his mouth in a rush. "Okay. I-I'll wait for you, Bakugou."
"God, don't call me that," Bakugou groaned, rolling his head into his pillow. "Just Katsuki is fine. I—" he stopped, turning a little red. "I don't want you to remember me as Bakugou."
"Katsuki," he repeated, the name a little strange on his tongue. "Katsuki. Okay. I'll remember that."
Katsuki let out a short laugh. "Better. I'm gonna be your goddamn partner one day, after all."
Part of him wondered if Katsuki was a little high on pain medication. The other part didn't care.
He took Katsuki's outstretched hand, turning it in his own. "I won't settle for anything less than the best, you know. Think you can make it there?"
Katsuki squeezed his hand, far more stable and solid than it had been before. "I don't make empty promises."
He's... he's so cute.
"That's what I like to hear." Izuku smiled. "Keep that up, and you'll become a damn good hero. You're stronger than you think you are. Got it?"
Katsuki snorted, but looked marginally happier than before. "Yeah. Got it. Better keep your damn eyes on me, then. Just watch me."
A bit of warmth bubbled up within him. He hadn't expected this to come out of his day—no, there was no way he could have expected this to come out of his debut as a hero, of all things. But here, with Katsuki's hand in his own, a reminder, a promise—
"I won't look away, Katsuki."
Yes. He could remember why he was a hero to begin with.
Katsuki grinned.
"I'll hold you to it, Deku."