As he dropped his final box onto the floor of his new apartment, he slouched down onto the sofa with a groan, letting his head fall back as he shut his eyes. It had been a long day: the 13 hour flight from New York plus the taxi to get to Musutafu, and then he had to unload his boxes from the moving van. He was up before the sun and up long after it had set, and he wanted nothing more than to go to bed.
He looked around at the unopened boxes that contained his life and decided that it was a job for tomorrow; so, he ordered take-out before having a shower, enjoying the hot and spicy ramen before unrolling his futon for the night...
He spent the next few days setting up his apartment, decking out his kitchen and living room and sorting out his closet. He went grocery shopping, enjoying not having to wear his mask and hat to hide his identity, and went to the local spicy curry shop he recalled visiting with his parents as a kid. The smell was so nostalgic he had to send a picture to her, grinning at the mad emojis sent his way.
It was good for him to brush up on his Japanese too. He only spoke it at home from time to time with his mom, and he hadn't been to visit since he started at the USA's top hero school: National Hero Academy.
Once the weekend was over and he was comfortable in his new surroundings, he headed off to the agency he was collaborating with for the next six months. He was assigned to help with a case of trafficking, and he would be advantageous both due to his excellent combat skills and quirk but also his identity was not as well-known as some prominent heroes in Japan. The pay was pretty good too, but that was more of an afterthought.
The agency was huge, sitting atop a hill on the outskirt of the city, close enough for heroes and sidekicks to rush to the action but far enough away that civilians wouldn't come snooping and villain attacks would be detected immediately. The walls were made of glass and steel, tinted so you couldn't see what it looked like inside, and the doors were large and revolving, a constant flow of heroes and workers going in and out.
He was wearing civilian clothes himself, matching black shirt and jeans, but once he showed his hero license to the security at the door he was immediately led to the front office to sign in. The lady was in awe and he gladly gave an autograph, grinning in the elevator as they went to the top floor. The floor was wide and busy, full of desks with the top heroes filling paperwork or investigating cases; some were empty for those on patrols. Phones rang and emails dinged, the constant chatter making him adjust his hearing aids from the feedback.
The guard knocked at a large oak door before it swung open to reveal a grand meeting table, the current number one hero sitting at the centre. Around him were sidekicks, analysts and other people from random departments, and they all turned to look at him as he entered.
"Dynamight. Glad you could finally join us."
Ah, right. Endeavour was known for having a temper, as well as being harsh on his sidekicks, so him showing up just on time instead of early was a test to see how well he could maintain his composure.
"Sorry, traffic." He shrugged before sitting in the last empty seat, a name plaque with his hero alias set on the table before him.
"We've just begun recounting the possible locations for the traffickers' warehouses. We believe there are three here in Musutafu, as well as another in nearby Hosu. We have a separate team in Tokyo handling the rest." a woman in a crisp suit spoke, looking at him over the bridge of her glasses.
He nodded and began to read through the case file, frowning at the lack of in-depth or certain information present. He knew this was a tough case, these thugs really knew what they were doing, but there was nothing to go on here.
"Good thing you brought me here. This is wack."
"Excuse me?" the woman asked.
"I've worked on cases like this before. You need help if this is all you've got for four months of investigating."
"Dynamight," Endeavour interrupted, "you were highly recommended for solving a similar case to this in America. Can we trust you will be a valuable addition to my agency whilst you are here?"
"No doubt about it. I-"
He was cut off by the doors opening and a young kid walking into the room. He kept his head down, ignoring the mixed looks from those seated around the table, and went right over to Endeavour with a file in his hand. When he reached the hero he held out the file, not making eye-contact, and Bakugou noticed the smallest flinch when Endeavour grabbed his wrist instead of the file, saying something under his breath that had the boy nodding and retreating as if he was never there in the first place.
He frowned at the interaction between the hero and the boy, but also at the similarities between them. He hadn't caught his eyes, but the left part of his hair that was deep red was the exact same shade as the number one hero's. Who was the kid? An intern? His son?
Zoning out the rest of the meeting, he groaned in thanks when it ended and he could leave to start surveillance of his own. Back in the states he did both overt and covert operations, and it was pretty funny when the villains were surprised at his appearance at an ambush, especially when he was known to pop-off both with villains and the media.
He was shown to the changing rooms, making note of the arrows leading to the training gym along the way, and quickly changed into his hero suit before heading out into the city. He didn't have a designated patrol time today, so he could spend as long as he wanted observing the public and making note of the areas with the highest crime rate.
The patrol was dull, he tried to avoid interactions with any reporters to keep his presence on the down low for as long as possible. Kinda hard when you're the number five hero in the USA at age 21. But, as he reached his final precinct for the day there was the screeching sound of glass shattering a few blocks ahead. He booked it, using his explosions to fly through the streets before dropping into the attack.
There were some thugs trying to rob a jewellery store, the lack of originality making his eyes roll. He dived in and took the four men down, disarming them and putting them in quirk-restrictive handcuffs to be safe. Once the main threat was out of the way he helped the sidekicks to rescue and re-direct civilians. There was glass shattered on the ground and the remains of a small explosive in the store. Workers and civilians were injured and being led into hospitals, the scene being routine until a familiar figure caught his attention.
It was the boy from the agency, the one with half n' half hair. He was lying on the ground, his bag and its belongings sprawled out next to him. He seemed to be coming back from school, for his uniform was torn from the glass, and he was unconscious. He immediately went back into hero mode, checking for any serious injuries before picking him up and carrying him to the nearby paramedics who were driving people to the hospital.
A quiet groan made him look down, momentarily pausing at the contrast that met his gaze. Piercing eyes of grey and blue, split just like his hair, looked up at him in a daze, a frown appearing between his brows.
"You're safe now kid, relax."
The boy frowned, seeming like he was trying to recall who the hero was, and for a second a flash of recognition appeared in his eyes before his head fell onto his shoulder.
"Thank-you." He heard the boy whisper before he was taken by the paramedics...
The next few days passed by in the same way, with Bakugou getting to know the area better, dealing with minor thugs and trying to scope out the locations of the traffickers' warehouses. He didn't spend much time in Endeavour's agency except to train and shower, the hostile air coming from the man steering him clear.
One evening, Bakugou was sure he was the last one in the gym, nobody in their right mind would train after midnight apart from him. How else would he have such a great physique? He dried off from his shower and put on his civvies to go home when he saw the lights from the gym were still on. Curious, he went over to the training room and looked in through the glass windows. He was surprised to find Endeavour there, alongside the kid from before, and they were training together.
Well, Bakugou frowned, thinking he was trippin' from a long day, it looked like the number one hero was attacking the boy who was dodging like he depended on it. He winced to himself when the flame hero managed to get a hook to the boy's ribs, sending him flying off the mats in a heap. He stuck to the shadows when Endeavour left, sneaking into the gym before the doors could close.
He saw the boy struggling to push himself up, one of his wrists bruising a deep red, and he caught him before he fell back onto the floor. He heard the surprised gasp before he saw eyes looking up at him in shock, words seemingly stuck in the boy's throat.
"D-Dynamight-san?"
"Just call me Bakugou, kid. You okay?" Bakugou asked, looking at the newly forming bruises on the kid's skin.
"Yes. I'm fine, thanks."
Sensing hesitancy, he helped the boy up before asking his name, trying for a conversation as he led the way to the med bay.
"My name is Shoto." He then surprised Bakugou for speaking in somewhat shaky English. "Thankyou for saving me the other day."
"No problem, that's what heroes do. You go to hero school?
"Yes, I go to UA Academy."
"Nice one, betcha you're kicking ass there."
"I don't try to get violent." Shoto denied, looking somewhat distraught making Bakugou laugh. By now they had made it to the med bay and Bakugou was gathering some supplies, Shoto sitting on one of the beds holding his wrist tenderly.
"Now," Bakugou began, sounding a little more serious, "I'm not here to grill ya, but does this happen often?"
He treated the injury carefully: wiping it with antiseptic before wrapping it up in a bandage, keeping it secure with medical tape. He noticed how Shoto kept a blank face, trying to hide if he was in pain or not, as he slowly nodded his head.
"It's part of my training. To make me stronger."
"And Endeavour is always on the offensive?"
Shoto nodded again. "It's how I can get stronger, by not feeling pain when I get hurt. It helps my reflexes too."
Bakugou was cleaning a small cut on the boy's cheek when he must have gotten too close to his left eye, as Shoto flinched and moved back, shoulders tensing.
"My bad. Don't wanna talk about it?"
"Hm."
Satisfied Shoto was cleaned up, they gathered their things from the locker room and left the agency, going past all of the sidekicks and people dragging themselves to their night shifts. Villains never sleep, so it was the duty of the number one agency to always be ready to stop them. Bakugou was still thinking about the implications of Shoto's words, but there wasn't a lot he could do about it at the moment. Instead, he walked the kid to the train station before heading back to his apartment...
If anyone at Endeavour's agency noticed Bakugou watching over Shoto then they didn't say anything. They wouldn't dare approach the USA hero with his resting bitch face. Bakugou did his usual patrols as well as paperwork with every villain take-down and his usual training. He made sure Shoto was eating and was somehow always present if Endeavour tried to get physical with his son. On some weekends when Shoto interned he took the boy out on patrol with him, getting to know his control of his quirk as well as about his life in general.
His friends seemed nice, and he was amongst the top scorers in his class for academics. He noticed Shoto didn't talk much about his family, only mentioning names briefly if he needed too. It raised more questions about the mysterious Todorokis but Bakugou pushed them aside.
Back in the US he was known for never having side-kicks with him on the job. He patrolled alone and only called back-up when needed, the sidekicks at his agency working in small groups of their own or helping out at the agency itself. His whole persona was loud and unapproachable, a beast when it came to taking down villains, so it was a surprise when he didn't mind taking Shoto on patrol with him. Shoto wasn't annoying, he didn't speak loud or unnecessarily, and they had actual good conversations.
"Cats or dogs?"
"Cats."
"No, what the fuck?! Dogs are bad-ass."
"But cats are cute. Plus you have to actually earn their love and respect."
"Dogs think you're like a god."
"So you have a god-complex? I knew it."
Bakugou huffed a laugh, Shoto smiling to himself as they made their way down the street. It was a warm day so they stopped at a cafe for iced coffees, Bakugou's picture being taken as more media outlets each day became aware of his presence in Japan. So much for a covert investigation. Shoto was even asked questions about his experiences working with Dynamight, making Bakugou roll his eyes amusingly at his sincerity.
His investigations into the warehouse of the traffickers took place mostly late in the evenings or at night if he headed into the more dangerous parts of the city. His days were spent catching thugs and rescuing cats from trees; a particular one with grey fur and heterochromatic eyes unable to leave the back of his mind. Dead ass. It was starting to get annoying.
But finally, after a month of investigating he had finally located the traffickers' base and a raid was organised that very night. Some of the heroes were top-ranking, given the seriousness of the case, such as Hawks and Midnight, both whose personalities pissed him off. The day was spent on briefing and planning until they were all in their positions ready to move in.
He could hear everyone confirming the plans through his earpiece, knowing that somewhere on the line Shoto was listening in too: his father insisted he be a part of the mission despite the dangers of the traffickers and their unknown quirks.
It was a blur from the moment Endeavour gave the signal to attack. Fights broke out between heroes and villains all around the warehouse complex. Sidekicks and rescue heroes were helping any discovered victims to safety, and reconaissance were surveying the area for any new sightings. Bakugou blasted trafficker after trafficker dealing with villains with more powerful quirks who were no doubt hired to be bodyguards. One managed to get a nick on his shoulder, but the graze didn't faze him at all.
He made his way further into the warehouse, not too deep or else his quirk may do property damage and risk civilian lives, and the plan seemed tight. The heroes close by were working quickly and the constant messages in his earpiece were promising. A victorious grin made its way onto his face, knowing he was saving lives by winning his fights with low-life scum and using his quirk to stop villains.
But the grin slipped when he entered a new room in the warehouse.
The place was an ice rink, spikes and shards left and right with fire flickering in and out of the open space. He could see many villains trapped in the ice, yet a group of metamorphic-quirked villains were all attacking Shoto, slowly backing him into a corner. He was stunned momentarily watching Shoto's fast movements and dangerously precise control of his quirk; he could see the training he had learned at UA clearly. Yet, he also noticed a patch of blood on the side of his blue hero suit that brought him into action.
Jumping into the fight he began to attack a bigger villain who seemed to be able to morph parts of his body into wolfish features. He dodged sharp claws that dripped with shiny red blood, the sight making him angry until he stunned the villain blind with a miniature version of Howitzer Impact. The concentrated explosion sent him crashing through a pillar of ice. He turned to fight the second villain but he was frozen once more.
Shoto was on his knees, blood pooling by both his right ankle and ribs. The other villain who produced knives from all across his body was holding him around the neck, cutting off any air flow leaving veins to protrude from the boy's neck. A knife was held above his chest, right where his heart lay, inching closer with every step Bakugou took towards them.
"Let him go." Bakugou had never heard himself speak like that before, in a way where his rage was so contained it sounded even scarier than his usual screaming.
"Nah, don't think so. Imagine how much someone would pay for a kid like him. Son of the number one hero, just turned 18, and such exotic features..."
Bakugou couldn't pay attention to the villain's words, only focused on the dazed look in Shoto's eyes as they rolled back. He swore he heard the name Dynamight come from his bluening lips, flickers of frost falling from a limp hand.
"How much do you think, Dynamight? Think they'd pay more dollar in America?" the villain grinned, tracing the tip of the knife down Shoto's jaw, droplets of blood blooming in its wake.
Bakugou saw red. He flew right towards the villain, aiming a careful explosion to the side of his head in order to send him soaring across the room. He dodged knives and sent blast after blast until the villain was cornered, knocked out and ready for arrest. The moment he knew the villain was KO'd he raced back over to Shoto who lay immobile amongst the ice and debris. With unknown gentleness he turned the boy onto his back before leaning down to check for a heartbeat, weight almost giving with relief when he heard the slow but constant thudding of the boy's heart. He carefully picked him up before retracing his path out of the warehouse where the nearest ambulance waited...
Shoto woke to blinding white and warm blues, a stark contrast to the dingy and dim warehouse he remembered fighting in. The next thing he noticed was the pain, a dull throbbing pain all around his neck that felt like he was suffocating if it weren't for the IV connected to his wrist. It was a small hospital room, Shoto was more than familiar with them, but what was not familiar was the figure slumped asleep in the visitor's chair next to him.
"D-Dyna-" His voice came out faint and raspy, his coughs making him slump backwards into the pillows behind him. After a moment of catching his breath and calming the slight panic that arose within him, he reached out his hand to lightly tap Bakugou's hand.
The slightest touch woke him from his sleep, and his sharp eyes immediately looked up at Shoto with relief. He stretched his arms, groaning at the crack in his shoulders, before pulling the chair closer.
"How you feelin'? Last night was wildin'."
"Could be better." Shoto replied honestly, even if what came out was a few broken syllables, leading to another coughing fit.
Thankfully, Bakugou poured him some water from the pitcher on the bedside and gently cupped the back of his neck so he could drink carefully. The cool water was a relief to his dry throat, and he drank a whole glass before noticing the tender, almost-intangible feeling of Bakugou's fingertips tracing his nape and the wisps of his hair.
"Okay?" Bakugou asked, slowly moving away to put the glass down.
"Hm. The mission?"
"A success. We snuffed them all out and found all the missing victims. They're all currently being treated in another part of the hospital and the traffickers' trial will be soon."
"And you?"
"I'm Dynamight. Nothing can hurt me." Bakugou grinned, Shoto smiling softly back in a way that made him look small and vulnerable on the hospital bed, bringing back all of the emotions of last night.
"Shoto." Bakugou called out, tentatively holding the hand Shoto used to wake him up on his own. "I..."
Shoto looked at Bakugou's face, noticing the uncertainty that seemed so out of place in the usual confident eyes. In hopes of helping, Shoto gently squeezed Bakugou's hand before speaking:
"I know."
"Huh?"
"I feel it too."
Bakugou frowned, but it was hard to miss the glimmer of hope in his gaze.
"You sure about this? It ain't easy."
"Positive. I've got you with me, right?"
"Hell yeah."
When Bakugou grinned Shoto noticed the newly forming scar on his shoulder, almost in a jagged lightning shape. He smiled before saying a word Bakugou had taught him recently.
"Bitchin'."
Bakugou laughed, grin widening. "Bitchin'."
.....
It had been three months since the raid and Shoto was finally graduating from UA. It had been a wild past couple of weeks with looking at agency offers, final assignments and spending as much time with his classmates as he could before they all began their hero careers. He was going to miss them, UA too, but he was excited to move forwards and become a hero that people can rely on.
The past few weeks were made easier by the presence of a certain someone in his life. From late night calls to reminders to eat breakfast, and the ocassional gift that would show up in the mail. It amused Shoto greatly as he watched his class speculate who his mystery admirer could be, whether he was dating someone, or, even more outlandishly, whether he had a sugar daddy. The last one did make him laugh when Mina explained the concept.
On the day of his graduation, he and his classmates dressed up formally with their caps and gowns, getting awards and their diplomas before the ceremony ended with fireworks courtesy of the support course department. Shoto took photos with his friends before searching the crowd for a certain set of messy blond hair, dropping his calm persona when he saw said someone at last.
He practically ran towards Katsuki, he was officially Katsuki now, and crashed into him with a hug, melting into the warm embrace of strong, muscled arms. He noticed the newly-purchased black and orange motorcycle nearby, which many students were gawking over, some even more so than the presence of the hero himself.
"Happy Graduation Sho." Katsuki smiled, leaning down to kiss him softly. "Got you something."
"You did?" he asked. "Is it a cat?"
Katsuki laughed before shaking his head. "Hell no."
"One day," Shoto promised, "one day you will see the light."
Katsuki opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by a high-pitched screech that could only have come from one person.
"Oh my gosh is that the number five USA pro hero Dynamight?!" Midoriya yelled, waving his diploma around rapidly as he patted his pockets down for his notebook.
"Is that the cue to leave?"
"I'll see them tomorrow at the leaver's party."
"Then let's ditch."
Shoto tried to ignore the gawking faces off his friends, but waved to Midoriya before he wrapped his arms around Katsuki's waist, the motorcycle revving as it sped down the street further into the city. The wind was sharp and his heart light, the day everything Shoto had wanted it to be.
They made it to Katsuki's apartment quickly, where he was greeted with a full-course meal with zaru soba as the main course. He gasped at the large serving of the dish, unable to contain his excitement as he dove into the delicious meal, becoming jaw-dropped himself when Katsuki gave him a box of strawberry shortcake.
"This isn't the surprise?" Shoto asked when Katsuki thumbed some shortbread off his cheek. They had settled on the sofa with Shoto wearing some of Katsuki's casual clothes. "You're spoiling me."
"Do you want to have it?"
"Yes."
"You really want it?"
"Katsuki." Shoto whined. "Stop teasing."
Katsuki distracted him with a kiss, slipping his hand into his back pocket before pulling out a small box. He pulled back and watched Shoto's slow blinks as he came out of the kiss, wondering if he liked cats so much because he acted like one himself. With a smile he held out the box, watching Shoto's curious expression before he opened it, revealing a long silver chain with a key attached to the end.
"A key?" Shoto raised a brow as he picked up the gift carefully.
"Not just any key."
"The key... to your heart?"
Shoto sounded so confused it made Bakugou burst out laughing, Shoto huffing and telling him to not be so cryptic.
"It's your key. It matches mine."
"My key..." Shoto was quiet as he figured out what Bakugou was saying, eyes widening when it clicked a few moments later. "My key... for your apartment?"
"I was thinking 'our' apartment. Sounds cooler."
"You want me to move in with you?" Shoto tried to hide a smile, but the twitching of the corners of his lips gave him away.
"I've got an extended work exchange here in Musutafu, meaning I get to keep the apartment. I was thinkin' it'd be kinda lonely all by myself."
Shoto bombarded him with another hug, expressing his excitement, and Bakugou breathed with relief. Of course he knew Shoto would say yes, he was Bakugou Katsuki, but there was still some doubt all the same. They spent the evening kissing and talking and kissing some more, both ecxited to have more nights like these in the future.