10 Chapter 10

Lida had driven him and Uraraka back to their places, giving them both some very judgemental vibes. Uraraka had personally delivered him to his door, muttering about Katsuki murdering her if she didn't tuck him in or something, Izuku couldn't really remember.

Izuku was hungover the next morning, and furious with himself. Being hungover for hero work was absolutely unacceptable. He chugged two hangover-cure smoothies and prepared to do his very best work that day.

And that included avoiding thinking about how he'd basically climbed down Katsuki's pants last night. Humiliating. And if Katsuki hadn't stopped him, he'd honestly have had sex with him. Sex! Right before explaining how he was accepting that they could only be friends. What was wrong with him?

Well, it didn't change anything. He'd uphold his promise to talk to Katsuki today, and he'd manage to communicate well even if it killed him. Katsuki's texts were short and to the point. They agreed to talk in a restaurant/cafe that stayed open late, as Izuku didn't want to go to either of their houses. He couldn't bear it if a corner of his house became the place where their pseudo-relationship officially became just friendship. He wanted to preserve his last memories of Katsuki's house. The way he'd said Kacchan and Deku , as if that meant something. Izuku didn't want to pollute image with the pain of losing more-than-friends-Katsuki forever. So, the restaurant it was. Maybe the public space would help Izuku not burst into tears.

The day went horribly slowly, and horribly quickly.

Before he knew it, it was dark out and he was walking to meet Katsuki. It was a cozy looking restaurant, its generous windows spilling warm light onto the sidewalk. It was strange to walk into such a nice place when Izuku felt like his world was ending. Strange to see happy couples ordering appetizers when he was pretty sure he was about to toss his heart over his shoulder and into the trash.

Izuku would face this. He'd invited Katsuki back into his life, and he'd deal with their difficult friendship. Even if it hurt to give up something he'd never even had. He could only imagine how gently Katsuki would explain he didn't want to be with him. How he'd try and break the news gently that Izuku wasn't good enough, that he was too… He had to stop overthinking this. He squared his shoulders, about to go in when he heard his name.

"Deku!" Katsuki was strolling down the sidewalk in his green bomber. Izuku was surprised; he'd planned to get there early and settle his feelings. Apparently Katsuki had had the same plan, because it was a full twenty minutes before they'd agreed to meet. Izuku tried not to think about the night before, and how he'd begged him to take him home. Shame tasted bitter in his mouth.

Katsuki looked better than last night, but still seemed stressed. Izuku could only imagine. He'd seen some of the aftermath of the interview that morning, but for the sake of his focus had avoided most news the rest of the day. From what he could tell, public opinion seemed mixed, and people were hotly debating the topic of Ground Zero's worthiness. He'd passively contributed by recheeping the most positive cheeps, because he couldn't help himself.

"Kacchan," Izuku said, pulling his thoughts together. "Sorry for making you wait so long."

Katsuki shrugged him off. "You okay? You were pretty gone last night."

Izuku blushed. He'd half-hoped Katsuki would have the grace to not bring it up, but he should have known better.

"I was hungover this morning, but I'm fine now," he murmured. Katsuki reached out hesitantly, his fingertips brushing Izuku's cheek. His expression looked tender, and it killed Izuku.

"I don't want to be just friends," he blurted out. Katsuki's mouth dropped open.

"Who the fuck said anything about just being friends?"

Izuku had the strange sensation of being in a conversation where he'd fundamentally lost track of what was being talked about.

"Um," he managed. "You?"

Katsuki growled, and pulled him into a hug. Izuku was suddenly awash with warmth, with the faint smell of smoke and nitroglycerin. He may or may not have buried his face in Katsuki's eye-wateringly orange shirt. Katsuki's fingers were in his hair, holding him closer.

"Christ, Deku, you're really stupid for a smart kid."

"Not stupid," Izuku muttered, attempting to pull himself together. Proximity to Katsuki was making it difficult to think.

"You still pull this bullshit," Katsuki said, apparently intent on calling out Izuku for everything under the sun. "You hear one thing, then spiral like a motherfucker. Then god knows what idiot conclusion you'll come up with."

"Oh." Fine, Izuku was prone to obsessive overthinking. He could admit that. Katsuki's chest lifted as he let out a heavy sigh.

"This is why I wanted to talk so much," Katsuki rumbled, pulling Izuku off of him. "Let's go inside. I want to clear things up."

They found a table in the corner. Katsuki ordered coffee, and Izuku tried to organize his thoughts.

"Can I talk first?" Izuku asked quickly. Katsuki nodded tensely, his face unreadable. Was he mad at Izuku for overthinking? Did what he said earlier mean he wanted more than or less than friendship? And... he was overthinking again, damn it. Izuku took a deep breath. He'd thought hard about what he needed to say, and he was going to say it.

"Look, um, there's some stuff I want to apologize for," he said, starting out strong.

"You don't need to-"

"I do," Izuku insisted. "When we talked, I left before you could say what you wanted to. I let my emotions get out of control, and I lashed out at you. And you're not cruel like you used to be. I'm sorry I said that."

"Thanks," the word ghosted past Katsuki's lips.

"And Kacchan, I'm not overwhelming and I'm not needy," Izuku continued, his jaw set. "I don't know why you would say that, because I don't think it's true even between us. And it really, really hurt me. So I was really upset about that. What you said, about not wanting a relationship, about dealing with your own stuff? It reminded me of when we were kids, and how you used to push me away, tell me I was useless, and all that stuff. Every time I'm reminded of it, it hurts again. The closer we get now, the more I realize how fucked up it all was, when it's obvious you have the ability to not be such a dick. And then you called me clingy and overwhelming-"

"I didn't," Katsuki snapped, trying to keep his voice down. "I meant when I was fucking dumbass in elementary school, Deku. I haven't thought like that since then. Even in high school I was over that shit phase. And you were fucking clingy back then, but that doesn't excuse how I treated you. And for the record, I think you're loyal and motivated and I like those things about you, okay?"

Izuku stared at him, jaw set. He appreciated what Katsuki was saying, but still. It had cut him really deeply. He wasn't done, yet. "Well, maybe I don't appreciate being reminded of the past every time we talk."

"I shouldn't have said it in the first place, and I'm sorry," Katsuki said, voice even. Even if he was clearly making an effort to keep his tone even. "When you were asking me about being in a relationship, it started to feel like you were bringing up the past to like," Katsuki gestured uselessly. "It made me feel like shit. Like I owed you something. I got really defensive and lost my temper for a second, and I feel horrible. I promise I'll do better, okay?"

Izuku thought back to the conversation. He knew Katsuki was right, in a way. He'd said things without any regard to their impact, without considering if they were helpful to the conversation. He felt horrible, and it just compounded what he needed to say.

"I shouldn't have brought it up either, Kacchan. I'm sorry too. I've realized that when you reminded me of our past, I got really reactive and defensive. I wasn't thinking about what you wanted or needed, and I'm sorry for being only thinking about myself. I should have considered your feelings. I've realized that this isn't even the first time I've done this, and I'm worried it will keep happening. But the thing is, I think you're right. About not wanting a relationship." The words were harder to choke out than Izuku had expected, but he bravely continued despite Katsuki's rapidly darkening expression. After this, they could be friends. Eventually, it would hurt less, right? He bravely continued.

"Every time something like this happens, I'm just reminded of what you put me through, and then I lash out at you. It's not a good dynamic, and I understand why you wouldn't want to start a relationship like this. I don't even want a relationship if this is how I'll act. So I wanted to say that we should just be friends, okay?"

Izuku took a deep breath, willing the tears prickling the corners of his eyes to go back to where they came from. Katsuki looked distinctly less than happy. Izuku held up his hand. He had one more thing he needed to say. "I sincerely am happy you're back in my life, okay? I want to be friends with you, real friends. So I'm hoping this doesn't change that."

There was an incredibly long stretch of awkward silence, then Katsuki cleared his throat. "Fuck, that's what you really want? Outside, when you said you don't want to just be friends, is that what you were talking about? I fucking thought you meant that I was the one who didn't want more." He rubbed his face with his hands.

Izuku's blood was rushing in his ears. Why did he feel like he'd done something wrong? He'd seriously considered this. Obviously, any relationship with Katsuki would be an emotional minefield, and Izuku already struggled with handling his strong emotions. It made sense to work on their friendship first, right? He tried to discreetly wipe at his eyes. He watched Katsuki's face, his internal struggle clear. He'd known Katsuki long enough to tell when he was trying very, very hard not to shout about something. He looked at Izuku for an unbearably long moment, turning something over in his head.

"So why the hell were you all up on my dick last night if you just want to be fucking friends?"

Called out again. Izuku froze, unable to say anything. Katsuki had plenty to say, to Izuku's mortification. "Were you just trying to get some before explaining how you only want friendship? "

Yes, that's exactly what had happened. Izuku couldn't say anything, his cheeks burning with shame. Katsuki just shook his head. "What-fucking-ever. Guess it doesn't matter now."

"Katsuki, I'm really sorry about that. I shouldn't have been so drunk, and I shouldn't have jumped you like that-"

"Deku. Shut up." Katsuki stared at the ceiling, breathing slowly. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and looked at it for a moment. "Shit, I can't do this."

He stood, looking too large for the restaurant. Face set, he dropped some money on the table. "For the coffee."

"Don't leave like this," Izuku whispered. Katsuki leaned over him, one hand on the table.

"Deku, you weren't wrong. We obviously have a lot of history and it's not easy for us to communicate. Let me explain something, though. I know I was avoiding talking about a relationship. I was being selfish - I wasn't ready for the discussion, but I fucking know how you are. I should have known you'd hate not knowing what to call us, but it didn't fucking cross my mind, so I'm sorry."

"But let me be clear. I want to be with you," he ground out, cheeks red. "Fucking hell, Deku, I just wanted to take things slow. My life is a raging shit show right now, and I felt like I couldn't be a good fucking boyfriend and I wanted to be the best for you."

Izuku's mouth dropped open. Katsuki's gaze dropped briefly to his lips, then back up. "I'd planned to ask you out tonight. I want us to date. We'll work up to everything else."

Yeah, Izuku had fucked up.

"I still think we should," Katsuki said, fiercely, unrelenting. "We just gotta figure out how to talk. I'm so fucking keyed up right now I want to level the building, so I'm gonna go take a walk. No way I'm going to let myself lose my goddamn temper again, so I'm gonna get some goddamn air. But I fucking think we should be together, and if you agree, then tell me. I promise we'll figure shit out." He stared at Izuku for a moment longer, looking conflicted, and then he was gone.

Izuku was definitely the fuck up here. He'd shot himself in his own foot, and he was bleeding out. On the table sat enough money for maybe ten coffees, Katsuki's untouched drink, and the crumpled piece of paper. Feeling shaky, Izuku reached for it. After carefully unfolding it, he saw Katsuki's terrible handwriting. It was some sort of list. It was hard to read, but from what he could make out, it seemed to be notes on how to talk to Izuku.

-listen + don't swear too much

-sincere apology - acknowledge what was wrong & explain understanding

-sorry for - calling him needy / not explaining relationship / losing temper / being an asshole

-ask deku to not run away / to not fcking guilt trip me

-reframe what he says so he knows you understand

-get space before losing temper

-ask to take it slow. Date???

-try not being a dickhole

Izuku didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd massively underestimated Katsuki, and he felt terrible about it. Somehow, in the back of his head, he'd never really believed Katsuki would actually want him. It was too ingrained in who he was, how he'd grown up, that even when Katsuki had said it to his face, he hadn't been able to believe it.

He smoothed the paper with trembling hands. Katsuki had left it behind accidentally, but there was no better proof that he was honestly trying. Izuku's heart had made a permanent home in his throat, his pulse hammering in his ears. He was distantly aware that what he did now would impact his foreseeable future.

Before he knew it, he was moving, paper shoved in his pocket, running out of the restaurant in search of Katsuki. He skidded to a halt on the sidewalk, cool night air at odds with his burning cheeks. Katsuki wasn't in sight. Restraining himself from just aimlessly searching the neighborhood, he pulled out his phone and hit Kacchan's number.

One ring, and he picked up.

"Yo, Deks," he said, like he hadn't just punched Izuku's heart clean out his ribcage.

"You left your paper," Izuku said into the phone, shivering slightly.

"Oh." Then he heard a gravelly laugh. "Embarrassing. Yeah, uh... I was in anger management for six years, and my counselor gave me a lot of tips for communicating. Fucking making a list of what I needed to say was one way to help me from losing my shit every time I have to cough up an emotion."

"Kacchan," Izuku trailed off. His chest hurt. He needed to get Katsuki back. "Where did you go?"

"Roof. Marseilles Hotel. I'm on top of the greenhouse." The line clicked dead. Well, that was an invitation, right? Unsure how Katsuki had got up there, Izuku indulged in some light Full Cowling to leap to the roof of the hotel. Katsuki was right where he'd said he'd be, reclining on a slanted skylight. He sat up as Izuku landed next to him. It was a cool night, stars just beginning to show. Sounds from the streets drifted up - a couple's laughter, a dog barking, vendors selling their wares. Katsuki gave him a small nod.

"Hey, nerd."

"I'm the nerd, but you brought notes," Izuku said, fondness overwhelming him.

"Motherfucker, I said I was going to do this right," Katsuki snorted. "Why are you here?"

"It's just… thanks for you know, this. For being here and for trying." Izuku's heart was pounding in his ears. When Katsuki was being like this, it was impossible to ignore his feelings. Damn, how he loved him. Friendship had probably been his worst idea to date. Would he look wishy-washy if he tried to take it back? He could taste the bitter regret in his mouth.

"Deku," Katsuki said, his face in shadow. "Why are you here?"

What a great question. "How would it work?" Izuku said. "What if it goes badly? What if I keep being reminded of the past and lash out at you? What if I keep running?"

Katsuki's expression softened, and he scooted closer, putting an arm around Izuku. "It'll be fine."

"Oh," Izuku managed to say. He was tearing up, and he rubbed his eyes. Next to him, Katsuki sighed. Izuku continued, feeling the need to fill the silence. "But what I said hurt you, before. I hate that. I hate that it's so hard for us to talk through things."

"Yeah, I know. Seems like a shit idea, right?"

"Yeah," Izuku sniffed. Katsuki took a deep breath, turning Izuku to face him.

"Yeah. Look, I know you said you want to be friends, but fuck that. I mean, fuck, if that's your choice, fine. I can't force you, but… Look, I don't care if you bring up the past every time it hurts you. I don't care if you lash out at me. Fuck, Deku, I deserve to feel bad for that. At least let me be there for you when it happens."

"Kacchan," Izuku whispered. In his wildest dreams, he'd never imagined Katsuki saying something like that. He was done for. There was no resisting this anymore.

"Please fucking date me."

Izuku was unable to form words. If he'd been less overwhelmed, he'd probably have burst into tears. Happy tears. Katsuki cleared his throat nervously. "Um, I know you said you want to be friends, but maybe take some time to think it over and-"

"Does this count as a first date," Izuku blurted, cheeks burning. Katsuki's mouth dropped open. Then as what Izuku'd said sunk in, a smile formed. Not a sneer, or a grin, but a genuine smile.

"Fuck no," he said, clearly struggling not to smile like an idiot. "I'm taking you somewhere nice for that. But uh, does this mean that you…"

"As if I could resist you," Izuku sighed, fighting a smile of his own. "I guess we're dating, then?"

Katsuki took Izuku's cheek in one big hand. "Yes," he simply said, and kissed Izuku slowly, his lips lingering. He pulled back, gaze searching Izuku's eyes. "You could try sounding more excited about it, though. Jesus."

Izuku snorted with unexpected laughter and threw his arms around Katsuki's shoulders. The man straightened, lifting Izuku onto his lap and into a tight hug. "I'm so happy, Kacchan," Izuku mumbled over his shoulder.

"Me too, baby," Katsuki rumbled, squeezing him. Izuku's brain melted out of his ears. They were already using pet names? And god damn, it was affecting Izuku a lot. He was blushing hard enough his cheeks might actually melt off.

"So um," Izuku said, as Katsuki released, "What do you wanna do now?"

"Go back to your place and look at all your nerd books," Katsuki said promptly. "I need to research, and your's is better than the crap I can find online."

Miraculously, Izuku was able to blush even harder than before. Katsuki grinned at him. "You're such a fucking happy dork when I compliment your nerd shit," he said, as if he was deeply proud of this.

"I hate you," Izuku replied, rubbing his face. "Let's go."

"Kay, baby."

"Stop calling me that!"

"I will when you stop blushing like a virgin. It's too fucking funny."

"Did I mention how much I hate you?"

"Keep it up, baby, I like it when you're feisty."

"Let's break up," Izuku growled, as Katsuki tested the fire escape.

"Fuck no, you're stuck with me now," Katsuki laughed, throwing an arm around Izuku's shoulders. "Hashtag no take backsies."

"I can't believe that sentence just came out of your mouth," Izuku grumbled, but a happy Katsuki was a shameless one, and Izuku was having a hard time being salty when Katsuki's warm arm was holding him close.

They walked all the way back to Izuku's apartment, enjoying the night. They were both quiet, thinking about the conversation they'd just had. Izuku's stomach growled.

"You eaten since your shift?"

Katsuki, being concerned about him. Izuku ate it right up. "Nope." Katsuki looked at him sidelong.

"Do you even have real groceries in your house? Chips and salsa do not count, Deku."

Izuku pouted. "I've been busy."

"You're a walking disaster," Katsuki muttered, dragging them into a convenience store. Izuku found it best to wait by the register while Katsuki stormed through the store, finally emerging with three bags of groceries.

"That's gonna go bad in my house," Izuku pointed out.

"I'm cooking," Katsuki said, as if that explained everything. Izuku didn't ask, because visions of Personal Chef Katsuki were dancing in his head.

Izuku hadn't been far off the mark. He sat on the couch, draped over the back, watching Katsuki fuss around the kitchen. Izuku cut his finger one time and suddenly he was banished from the kitchen forever. Unbelievable. On the other hand, he could die happy watching Katsuki cook. He obviously knew what he was doing, and Izuku strongly suspected he cooked most of his own meals, most likely out of some anal need to get the perfect amount of nutrients.

Dinner was chicken katsu and rice, with vegetable sides. Izuku watched in horror as Katsuki upended a bottle of hot sauce over his, completely smothering it. He was dating a monster. Dating. Izuku made some kind of face.

"What?" Katsuki said.

"You scare me," Izuku muttered, earning an eye roll. "I honestly don't get why you even bother cooking. Why don't you just drink the hot sauce and be done with it?"

Katsuki gave him a scornful look. "A diet of hot sauce wouldn't hit my macros. You ever think about how many calories it takes to make explosive sweat? It's fucking hard to build muscle when everything I eat… you're not even listening anymore, are you."

Izuku wasn't. His brain had kicked into overdrive: all these years and he'd never even considered how calorie intake could factor into Katsuki's quirk. Did he even have space left in his Kacchan notebook? And what if he ate different food - how did his body convert it into pseudo-nitroglycerin sweat? Would different food be processed differently or over a different rate in time? Would-

"Sweetheart," Katsuki said, snapping in Izuku's face. Izuku's mind screeched to a halt, as he blushed horribly.

"Why," Izuku groaned, face in his hands. His face was redder than Katsuki's monstrous hot sauce puddle.

"You're fuckin' weak," Katsuki snickered. "Oh wait, I meant: You're fucking weak, sweetheart ."

"And you're an asshole," Izuku said, finally looking up. No sense in hiding his face. Let Katsuki see what hideous blotches of blush he'd created.

"You've got such a dirty mouth, sweetheart," Katsuki replied, back to deadpan. "I thought you liked my asshole."

"I know you're just teasing me," Izuku said, refusing to fall for the bait. He'd finally figured it out. Bakugou Katsuki, probably the most foul-mouthed hero to ever get their license, loved to call people names. Of course that would apply to his relationships, too, and from the feel of things, his intention remained the same: to torment Izuku within an inch of his life.

"Not the kind of teasing I really want to do… Pumpkin." Yep, just tormenting Izuku.

"I'm not talking to you," Izuku said. "At least not until I'm done eating. Your hot sauce horror show is ruining my appetite." It wasn't true. Literally nothing would stop Izuku from eating something Katsuki had cooked for him, but he was starting to love the way Katsuki's lips twitched with humor every time Izuku teased him.

Izuku left Katsuki with a pile of his journals while he did the dishes. It was surprisingly peaceful, especially once Katsuki had (at least temporarily) grown tired of making Izuku blush by throwing around pet names. There was something fundamentally endearing about Katsuki hunched over, paging through Izuku's journals, occasionally humming or asking him a question. It made Izuku feel strangely whole, like there'd been a chunk of his life missing and he'd somehow never noticed before Katsuki had come and filled it.

He was nearly done with wiping down the counters when he noticed the screen of Katsuki's abandoned screen lighting up.

"Kacchan? Someone's calling you."

"When aren't they," Katsuki muttered, not looking up. Feeling strangely guilty, Izuku watched the call go to voicemail. Izuku never missed calls, and he if did, he called back promptly. Then he saw his lock screen. 179 missed calls. 324 unread texts.

"Um, Kacchan? That's a lot of missed calls."

Katsuki finally looked up, eyes narrowed. "I've been avoiding my phone since yesterday," he said, voice like death. "My PR rep is going to gut me. I finally got you to date me and I'm not ready to die yet."

"Dude, you can't just ignore it forever," Izuku said, unthinkingly falling into concerned-classmate mode. Katsuki snorted.

"Sure, okay. Want me to answer it right now? I'll put it on fucking speakerphone. It'll be a fun bonding activity."

Izuku stared him down, calling his bluff. "Yeah, do that." He joined Katsuki on the couch, pushing his journals out of the way. They set the phone on the coffee table, and waited for it to ring again. Something about the situation had Izuku bubbling with barely restrained laughter - two top heroes, afraid of a phone call.

He was so focused on the phone's screen that he squeaked in surprise when Katsuki dropped into his lap like a sack of potatoes.

With the absolute most bored expression possible, he said, "Hold me, I'm scared."

Izuku burst into laughter but obediently pulled Katsuki into his arms. Then the phone went off.

"Ah, it's Ono. This one's PR." Katsuki grabbed the phone, answering it and putting it on speakerphone.

"Yo, what's up," he said, eyes meeting Izuku's. Izuku swallowed another laugh.

" -swear if you don't, wait, Bakugou-san? Are you actually there?"

"Why are you calling me? I'm busy." Katsuki's lips twitched in his typical not-smile. Izuku put a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. He felt almost guilty for having fun when whoever worked in Katsuki's PR division must be living a daily nightmare.

"Busy?! Are you kidding me?! Busy ruining our entire firm, maybe! What were you thinking! Did you not think to discuss anything with anyone before you ever open your insolent, immature little mouth-" Katsuki muted the phone.

"Do your PR reps yell at you like this," he whispered to Izuku.

"I am a joy to work with and everyone loves me," Izuku smirked at him. Katsuki stuck his tongue out, but switched the volume back on.

"-you ever pull something like that again I swear I will get you arrested and-"

"Ono?"

"What?!"

"Sorry for being a dick and not talking to you beforehand."

"It's fine, Katsuki," came a heavy sigh. Apparently they were more familiar than the irate call had initially let on.

"Actually didn't plan to say that bullshit," Katsuki said, looking up at Izuku. That look was doing funny things to his heartbeat. "I was just sick of trying to tone down who I am."

"Well," the voice on the phone sounded simultaneously gruff and fond. "It's okay. Just tell us next time, we could have prepped so much! We missed out on probably thousands of opportunities to capitalize on this success, but at least it went over well."

"Wait, what?" Katsuki looked shocked.

"You've been hiding from the internet, again." From her tone of voice, this was a frequent thing. Given how many controversial articles about Ground Zero there were, Izuku figured this made sense.

"Can you blame me after that video shit?"

"Katsuki, check the internet. Get a newspaper. Go outside. Look anywhere! Go on, I'll wait."

Izuku pulled out his phone. He hadn't been keeping track either, at least not since the day before. He'd been a little preoccupied. Katsuki propped himself up, looking over his shoulder. The #1 trending hashtag was #YoureWelcomeGZ. Confused, Izuku clicked it, and was suddenly awash in stories about Ground Zero.

"What the ever-living fuck…" Katsuki trailed off, pulling the phone from Izuku's hands.

"Yeah," Ono said, her voice full of meaning. "Apparently after you said 'Thank you very much,' like a complete and utter idiot by the way, someone thought it would be funny to say 'You're welcome' after describing a time you saved him from some muggers. I just sent you the original cheep."

Katsuki's phone pinged, and Izuku opened it. The thing had a shocking 5 million recheeps, and was a reply to the TV network's clip of Katsuki's shocking statement. The tweet read,

"@Ground Zero, you're welcome for the time I let you save my life from people willing to kill me for the 10 yen in my pocket. My daughter says you're welcome, too. <prayer emoji> #YoureWelcomeGZ #TYVM #BringDatAssBack #GroundZero #ProHero" The cheep was accompanied by a picture of an older man with his teenage daughter, who was sullenly smiling while wearing a shirt with the classic Ground Zero orange X on it. Izuku was floored and found himself recheeping it without a thought.

Katsuki was still scrolling through his phone, mouth open. Story after story appeared of times Ground Zero had helped someone, from bringing a crying kid's toy out of debris to stopping dangerous supervillains to everyday robberies. The stories were often accompanied by fan-taken photos, showing a blurry angle of a scowling Ground Zero, and very occasionally, a photo of one of Katsuki's rare smiles after a job well done.

"Right?" Ono's voice came through the phone. "The country decided, Katsuki. They want you."

"Oh," Katsuki said, voice sounding choked. Izuku held him tighter, heart constricting. The pure disbelief and awe on Katsuki's face was heart-wrenching; he clearly hadn't believed anyone would accept him. He'd thought he'd have to fight harder to gain people's trust. That the only way forward was to forcibly become the best, because then no one could deny him.

It turned out that the last seven years of back-breaking, constant work had made an impact. Izuku watched as Katsuki teared up, face tight.

"Holy fuck," Katsuki whispered, hand trembling over the screen. "Holy fuck."

Izuku kissed his forehead. "So proud of you, Katsuki," he murmured.

"Should I call back later?" Ono said, gently. Izuku loved her in that moment. She clearly knew Katsuki well and cared for his well-being. "I'll keep the dogs off your back a little longer. Maybe consider how you want to reply to this, though. I've only seen things like this a few times in my career, so treasure this. People won't always appreciate you, in this line of work."

"I know. Thanks, Ono. I'll come by the office tomorrow, okay?"

"See you then." The line clicked dead.

They sat in stunned silence for a moment.

"I've gotta," Katsuki trailed off. "I can't believe they would…"

"I know," Izuku said, looking through the cheeps. Someone talked about a time Ground Zero had visited their kid in the hospital after they'd been burned in a fire, about how Ground Zero had demolished wall that had collapsed on them, had carried someone to the medics while under enemy fire, had faced down terrifying villains when no one else was there to help… the list went on and on.

Katsuki pushed himself up on the couch and took a selfie. After a moment of typing, he showed the screen to Izuku. It was a picture of him, looking strangely mundane in his orange shirt and tired eyes. He had the ghost of a smile, and his eyes were a little damp, full of emotion. The caption just read, "So fucking grateful. Thanks, everyone."

"Send it," Izuku said, watching as Katsuki hit the cheep button. Then immediately tossed the phone across the room, covering his face.

"I can't believe this," he groaned. Izuku pulled him into a hug, feeling Katsuki's trembling under his hands. He traced slow circles over the man's back, hoping to calm him. It was strange to see Katsuki vulnerable in any way, and it made Izuku feel extremely protective. "I thought they all hated me," Katsuki muttered.

"It's not that hard to see what a good person you are," Izuku told him quietly. "I see it, and now everyone else can too. You earned this, Kacchan."

Katsuki looked up at him, his face full of hope and longing. "It was you, you know. I said that shit because of what you told me. It's always been you. You're… everything."

Izuku wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but the momentous feel of the words stole his breath. Katsuki kissed him, and all hopes of breathing flew out the window, lost in the night sky. Because it was the same for Izuku - it had always been Bakugou Katsuki. They were binary stars, circling each other endlessly, their combined light brighter than it could ever be if they shone alone.