JULY, YEAR 3

Izuku passed through the large gates of UA not really knowing what to expect from the day. For as great a mentor as Ms. Joke was, she was terrible with fine details. All she said when she excitedly approached him about a possible job opportunity was that it would be informal and not to stress about it too much.

"Eraser is excited to meet you! It'll be like an informal get-to-know you. He wants to help place you with a good agency."

"Oh, that's nice of him."

Joke laughed. His mentor's laugh was one of the finer things in Izuku's life. She laughed loudly and often and it was always unapologetically her. Izuku wished he could let go like that.

"He likes to pretend he's a hardass, but he's got a soft spot for hard workers. I put in a good word for you, so you better tell him how great I am."

"I will," Izuku said, lightly smiling at his teacher's weird crush.

"And tell him I'm available Friday night!"

"Uh," Izuku stammered. Joke laughed again, clutching her gut.

"I'm only joking! Well, not really, but that would be inappropriate. Hilarious, but inappropriate."

"Right," Izuku said, not really knowing how to pull the conversation back to more pertinent information.

Luckily he had a letter and a map of the campus. It was written by Eraserhead himself, Aizawa Shota. It was short and concise with about as much detail as his conversation with Joke. It said to come in comfortable clothes and to meet in Training Gym 3 on the west side of the campus. He walked swiftly along the highlighted route on his map, his eyes shifting from the map to the surrounding buildings and courtyards. He was at his dream school. Ketsubutsu was something akin to his home now, but UA would always be the unattainable dream he longed for.

Sometimes he wondered if he would've made it to the hero course at the "plus ultra" prestigious school. He had more confidence in his abilities as a hero than he did a year ago, but he had a hard time believing he would be recognized in a school of elites. Ketsubutsu was a high ranking hero school, but it hardly had the reputation for excellence that UA and Shiketsu maintained.

"You're on time. Good."

The second the door of the gym shut behind him, Izuku came face to face with one of his most inspiring heroes. Aizawa Shota wasn't much to look at when his hair wasn't standing on end and his capture weapon wasn't whipping around his face, but he had an undeniable presence about him that immediately turned Izuku into a puddle of nerves.

"Eraserhead!" Izuku wanted to slap himself. What kind of eloquent greeting was that? So much for good first impressions.

"You can call me Mr. Aizawa. I'm a teacher first and foremost on UA grounds," Aizawa said, his no bullshit manner ever present. Izuku nodded.

"Midoriya Izuku, better known as Quirkless. I remember you from the licensing exam."

"Oh," Izuku said, the wind fully going out of his sails for good. His first impression was already tarnished. The provisional licensing exam would go down in his personal history as one of Izuku's lowest points in his career. He proved himself to be unprofessional, immature, and absolutely feral in the presence of Bakugo Katsuki. He was a serious liability on that field, and he barely passed the exam with 58 points—he would never admit out loud that he took a lot of pride in beating Bakugo's score of 51. He could only imagine the fallout of such a massive hit to Bakugo's ego. If not for the swelling sense of shame pooling in his stomach, he might've laughed. When it was clear Izuku had nothing to say, Eraserhead continued.

"You were no standout but the fact that you're Quirkless and you managed to pass is inherently impressive. And even I can appreciate anyone ballsy enough to go toe to toe with my most volatile student—even if it was a spectacular waste of time and talent."

"Thanks?" Izuku wasn't sure what to say to such a backhanded compliment. Aizawa continued without much regard for what he said anyway.

"I've been keeping tabs on your progress since. Joke tells me you're a fast learner and a dedicated worker, but there's only so much you can glean from your professors who can rely on physical Quirks. That's why you're here. Show me what you got, kid."

Suddenly, Aizawa was in a fighting stance, his capture weapon coming to life around his neck. His goggles were visible around his neck, but Izuku figured Eraserhead wouldn't put them on since he had no Quirks to cancel in this fight.

So cool! Izuku tried to not fanboy too hard, he really did, but he attributed so much of his fighting style to Eraserhead it was hard not to. Izuku spent so much time watching the few Eraserhead videos he could find online to try to understand his fighting style, but he was so different in every video the only conclusion Izuku drew from it was to be unpredictable. His spar with Eraserhead was just that. Eraserhead was quick and nimble up close, and deadly precise from afar with his capture weapon. His best bet was to get close, but he was feeling naked without his support weapons.

Right around the time he got his first hit on Eraserhead—a roundhouse kick to the gut—and he countered by wrapping his capture weapon around his outstretched leg and flinging him into the air—he was sorely wishing Joke had the presence of mind to tell him to bring his gear.

Informal get-to-know you, my ass, Izuku thought as he did his best to reorient himself in the air to counter the next attack.

In the end, Eraserhead won, but Izuku thought he put up an admirable fight even without his bo staff. Time would only tell if Aizawa was impressed. Time, and a lot of reading between the lines. Aizawa didn't seem like the type to give outright praise.

"Not bad." Aizawa, panting from exertion, retracted his capture weapon to hang lifelessly around his neck again. Izuku smiled, absolutely star struck and honored.

"You don't use any support items?" Aizawa asked, disapproval clear in his voice.

"I do. I wasn't expecting to need my utility belt. Ms. Joke told me I was having 'an informal meeting' with one of her connections with an opportunity for me."

Aizawa rolled his eyes at Joke's antics, but let it slide in favor of asking about Izuku's support gear.

"For close combat, my go-to is usually a bo staff, but I've trained with other weapons. I'm pretty deadly with throwing knives, but KB has a policy about training with deadly weapons, so the support course made me these blunted projectiles that stick on and electrocute on contact. It's basically a taser, which I also carry. And my bo staff is electrified on one end. The support course likes to make a lot of stuff for me to try out but those are my staples."

Aizawa nodded, clearly a man of few words. Just then, the door opened and a tall figure sauntered into the room. He was dressed almost exactly like Aizawa, except where Aizawa wore black, this man wore purple. He also wore an intricate mask that covered the lower half of his face.

"Right on time. Midoriya Izuku this is Shinso Hitoshi."

Both of them bowed to each other, but Shinso didn't speak.

"I remember you from all your sports festivals! I was rooting for you. I damn near fainted when you came in fifth this year, I was so excited," Izuku said, calling on his extensive knowledge of Shinso's Quirk. He recalled that, just like Izuku, Shinso started in General Studies as well, and rose to the hero course through his impressive display during his first sports festival as the only General student to place in the top 10. Shinso pulled the mask lower down on his face, so Izuku could see his smirk, "Thanks, man. Aizawa tells me you're a lot like us. Can't depend on a Quirk, so you found other ways to be a badass. I look forward to working with you."

Izuku raised an eyebrow and looked to Aizawa for clarification. Aizawa sighed, "I haven't gotten to that part yet."

"Basically I want to restructure Heroics courses to include kids with non-physical Quirks. The idea is to implement it at UA first, and if all goes well the rest of the country will follow," Aizawa said once they'd all gone to his office after their spar.

"UA has a lot of sway when it comes to hero training, but we'd have to present a proposal to the Ministry of Education. I refuse to not have the proposal go through on the first run, so it will be heavily researched and you two will learn everything you can about the heroics industry and heroics education." Again, Aizawa took the no bullshit approach when debriefing them on the catch.

"So while you work with your agencies, you'll also be working with me on the side. From the second you graduate, you'll start your research. We will meet once a month to share our findings and craft a suitable proposal."

Shinso opened his mouth to speak and Aizawa's eyes flashed red—clearly a warning to cease and desist.

"If I hear either one of you complain about extra work on top of being heroes, you're out on the spot."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir," Shinso said, a little surly and sarcastic.

"You won't hear me complaining. I'm in," Izuku said fervently. It would be hard balancing what was basically two jobs at once, but this was the chance of a lifetime. Izuku was no stranger to hard work, and he couldn't help but think this was the ultimate payoff.

"Good. This packet highlights everything we've discussed and has the logins for Heroics databases with all the sources we'll need to sift through. Once you get your names out there as respectable heroes and we get the go-ahead to implement our program, you'll make an official statement of intent to join UA's staff, and you'll start working toward your Heroics teaching credentials. Go over everything in that packet this weekend and email me if you have questions or comments."

Izuku nodded, feeling like Aizawa handed him the golden ticket instead of a sheaf of papers.

"How long do you think it would be before an actual class starts? What timeframe should we be shooting for?" Izuku was a fan of clear goals, and a whiz kid when it came to analytics.

"I'm not sure. A proposal could be done within the year, but I don't want to rush. You and Shinso need to make a name for yourselves more than anything, and that can't really be rushed either. I guess we'll know when the time comes."

That made sense. No one would take any kind of reforms seriously if it was helmed by two no-name heroes. Izuku never felt so motivated to make himself known.

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa. This is… amazing. This will change everything."

Shinso gave a tired smile at his gushing praise, but the look in his eye told him that he felt the same wash of gratitude and lighthearted kinship Izuku was feeling. There weren't many people in the world who could empathize with Izuku's plight, his bone deep need to prove himself a hero despite his Quirklessness. Even though Aizawa and Shinso had Quirks, they clearly had to fight just as hard to be recognized. Izuku wouldn't let them down. He refused to let a thousand potential heroes down because he was nervous about a little paperwork and a heavy workload.

Izuku left the UA campus feeling as if he'd spent the last few hours asleep and dreaming. If not for the fresh bruises forming on his forearms from sparring with Aizawa, he might've believed it really was a dream.

A professor at UA. Changing the heroics course.

In a way, it was everything Izuku ever wanted. Up until his last year of middle school, UA was the only school he wanted to attend. He wanted to be recognized by the top notch heroics program, to be part of its history. Now, he was and could be. And to do it in the name of kids like Izuku and Shinso, kids who had to fight naysayers for any kind of success? It was too perfect. Nothing could bring him down from his high.

His phone rang. Mom flashed across the screen over a recent photo of the two of them. He picked up without hesitation, ready to gush over his good news.

"Mom!"

"Hi, Izuku. You sound excited."

"I am! I—"

"You're going to dinner at the Bakugo's house tomorrow," she said, her words speedily blurring together like she was throwing him a live grenade and was preparing to run.

"Eh? What?" So much for nothing bringing him down.

"I let slip to Mitsuki that you're in town and she insisted on having you over. You know how she can be."

"Loud? Overbearing?" Izuku instantly regretted saying that aloud. It was true that Mrs. Bakugo was loud, abrasive, and pushy, but she was always kind to Izuku. She used to pinch his cheeks and gush about how lucky her son was to have a friend like him. The fact that she continued to do this long after her son started bullying Izuku led him to believe that she knew nothing about what her son got up to at school.

"Midoriya Izuku! Respect your elders."

"Sorry, mom. I didn't mean it."

"You're awfully cheeky now that you're a big bad hero. How did your interview go?"

"I wouldn't call it an interview, exactly, but I got a job offer. A really big one." Izuku chuckled at the enormity of it all. The offer didn't come without conditions, and it would definitely be a delayed payoff, but they were reasonable.

"I'm proud of you, honey. You deserve every good thing coming your way."

"Thanks, mom. Are you sure I can't get out of dinner? I was having a really good day."

"Izuku," she warned.

"Fine. But I won't be happy about it!" Izuku said, caving at the first sign of his mother's disappointment. He was incapable of being a selfish teenager when it came to her.

"They love you like a second son. They'll be excited to hear about the job offer."

"I know. I'll tell them you said hello." Izuku tried not to sigh into the phone. He wasn't worried about the Bakugo's specifically. Mitsuki was a little scary at times and Izuku always felt drained after being around her, but she wasn't mean. Masaru was a very level headed, gentle man who was always very forthcoming about how proud he was of the "upstanding young man" he was becoming. His parents were lovely people. Their son was not.

Izuku sighed and decided that he'd call Shindo while his phone was still in his hand. It rang twice before Shindo's pleasant voice trilled across the phone lines.

"Midoriya! I just got out of my interview."

"How'd it go? Which agency was it this time?"

Izuku was only a little jealous of Shindo's success with nearly all his interviews. Even the ones that surely wouldn't pan out only had good things to say about his future. Izuku wasn't as lucky. He was fighting the stigma of Quirklessness at every turn. Agencies either wanted him for the novelty of it, or rejected him on the spot because he was considered a liability. The agencies hardly saw him as a person, let alone a prospective hero.

"Mount Lady's agency. I heard she was moving her headquarters out of Mustafu to a less populated area this year. She seemed like a good fit from all the structural damage payments she's had to make over the years."

"Yeah, who better to teach you how to not ruin cities with your Quirk than someone like her?"

"That's what I said! In the end, I think the idea of racking up more property damage complaints turned her off. But she gave me a referral so it wasn't a total wash."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find your placement soon. Sounds like you've been killing the interviews," Izuku said, only slightly able to hide the jealousy in his tone.

"How'd your thing go?"

"Really good, actually. Eraserhead put a good word in for me with some underground agencies too. Hopefully it'll help."

"You know, when I told you to rock the whole Quirkless schtick, I never thought it'd give you so much grief. I can't believe so many agencies refuse to see how great you are."

Izuku felt his heart warm at the praise. Shindo was always doing that. Always earnestly inflating his ego.

"Well, I've got bigger fish to fry now. My mom's sending me to the Bakugo's tomorrow."

"And you're not faking your death to get out of it?"

"Maybe not my death, but I'm kind of hoping for a major villain attack to go down so I can at least break an arm and spend the night in the hospital."

Shindo laughed, but quickly turned serious.

"If it gets to be too much, call me. You shouldn't have to deal with this shit on your week off."

Izuku smiled, grateful to have someone in his corner.

"Make sure you're home for dinner tomorrow, brat. We've got a guest coming."

The second Katsuki answered his mother's phone call, he instantly remembered why he usually lets it go to voicemail and pretends not to listen to it.

"Why the hell does it matter if I'm at your idiotic schmooze fest?"

Katsuki was no stranger to business dinners. His parents were always entertaining and building connections. Katsuki was a surly bystander at the dinner table from the tender age of six. In recent years, he was more than happy to get away from them as a result of living in the UA dorms. He secretly thought his parents were happy to have him absent as well.

"It's not business, you little shit. Izuku is in town for his interviews and we haven't seen him in ages."

Katsuki's stomach twists with something like the fiery anger of a thousand hells as he remembered the shit Deku pulled at the licensing exam. The look of pure rage on Deku's face was startling to see, and Katsuki didn't think he'd ever forget it. He was pissed off and mortified that he was one point away from failing the exam completely because of stupid Deku's bullshit.

He started to tell his mom to fuck off when he realized that could be considered hiding from another encounter with the green-haired menace. He wasn't afraid of Deku and he refused to allow anyone to think that. Katsuki grunted his assent.

"Do something nice for him, Katsuki. You used to be such good friends. It'd be nice to have him back here."

Katsuki didn't know why his mom had such a soft spot for the Midoriya family. He would never understand the relationship between his mom and Auntie Inko. They were polar opposites. Midoriya Inko was soft, wrinkled smiles and motherly attentiveness and his mother was… not. He hadn't seen much of Auntie once they moved away but every now and then she'd come to visit. It was astounding to see his mother cowed by her presence, softened by her words. She was almost bearable when Auntie was around. He could always tell when his mom had a particularly long phone conversation with her because she smiled and sang her way through cooking dinner. It was the closest she ever got to pleasant.

Katsuki never had a friend like that. He was very aware that him and his mother were incredibly similar. They were both hot headed and prone to angry outbursts. They both had trouble making friends. He'd finally given in and admitted that Kirishima and his gaggle of idiots were his friends, but they never had that kind of power over him.

There wasn't a person alive who could soften Bakugo Katsuki. That was a fact.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll get him an All Might autograph or something."

If Katsuki remembered anything about Deku it was his undying devotion to All Might. It might be fun to rub the fact that Katsuki knew him on a personal level in his face. Katsuki smirked at the idea. He could do something nice for his mom and still annoy Deku. It was a win for everyone.

"All Might. Write something cheesy and make it out to Quirkless," Katsuki said, deciding to forgo a greeting.

"You're friends with Quirkless?" All Might said. His hollow eyes seemed to sink and darken further. Katsuki sneered.

"No," he said and gave him a withering look that made it clear he refused to elaborate.

"Oh. Well, I hope he's doing well." All Might sounded strained and conflicted and Katsuki didn't want to touch any of those emotions with a ten foot pole. He may not be as outwardly volatile as he was a year ago, but he still wasn't good with feelings. He was mentally preparing himself for a night of awkward dinner chat with Deku and his parents—he didn't have enough energy to spend on All Might's forlorn expression.

All Might wrote out a quick note and signed his larger than life signature below it.

Quirkless, keep up the good work. PLUS ULTRA! -All Might

"Great. Later, All Might."

"You're welcome, young Bakugo."

Katsuki halted in the doorway of All Might's office and turned to the man that inspired him to become a hero. He was old and withered and Quirkless now, but his voice still remained the same. It was still arresting to be in his presence when he spoke.

"Thanks," Katsuki said, begrudgingly, before disappearing through the door.

Katsuki found himself standing in the doorway of his family living room when his parents welcomed Deku like he was the son they never had. Katsuki's scowl deepened at the obvious display of affection. He eyed Deku, looking for any sign of the bastard that had the gall to challenge him the last time they met. He found nothing, mostly because Deku refused to meet his eyes. He was very focused on his parents, smiling like it hadn't been almost five years since they saw each other. His mom still pinched Deku's cheeks even though they were hardly chubby enough to grab onto anymore. Deku filled out in hero training. His jaw was harder and he was big enough to really fill up the doorway when he stepped through the threshold. He'd never be taller than Katsuki though, and he had to smirk at that.

"Katsuki, don't be rude," his dad murmured when he noticed he was still keeping his distance. Did he expect him to be kind? To go and hug the guy he hadn't spared a single thought on since middle school?

"Deku," Katsuki muttered. Katsuki was never good with words, but talking to Deku was always the hardest. It only seemed to get worse with time and distance. At least in middle school Katsuki knew what to say, how to push Deku's buttons, how to keep him in his place. If he learned anything from their fight a year ago it was that Deku would keep him on his toes tonight. He felt a little out of his depth.

"Hey." Deku nodded, his eyes sliding over Katsuki's, but never quite landing. His eyes were hard and guarded, something he hadn't seen when he was hugging his mom or clasping hands with his dad. His chilly reunion with his once best friend was only the beginning.

Deku wouldn't look at him and he didn't know how to feel about it. Well, he felt angry, but it didn't feel as good as it usually did. If he wasn't looking at his parents his eyes were trained with intensity on his plate. His mom made spicy katsudon and even though he never remembered Deku liking spicy food, Deku seemed to focus on it with a disproportionate intensity.

Katsuki didn't like to be ignored. For better or worse he was used to being the center of attention and no matter how much he disliked Deku he was peeved by his unwillingness to be attentive.

"So, tell us about school. How's Ketsubutsu treating you?" His dad broke the awkward silence with an innocuous question.

Katsuki would be lying if he said he wasn't curious. He knew Ketsubutsu wasn't on par with UA by any means, but they must've really been slipping in the last few years if Deku was the best they could do in the hero course.

"Not much to tell, really. I like it. I've made some friends and I've learned a lot." Deku gave a forced smile and shoved some food in his mouth to avoid being specific. Katsuki couldn't have that.

"What's your rank?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes when they met Deku's. He had that same hard exterior, like he had to armor himself just to look at Katsuki.

"Eighth. Out of twenty," Deku said, his jaw clenching and shifting. He couldn't see his hands under the table but he'd be surprised if they weren't in fists. Katsuki smirked.

"I'm part of UA's Big Three."

Deku nodded evenly. Katsuki had enough experience trying to mitigate his own anger to know Deku was furious. It was odd to see that expression on his face. He'd only ever seen it once before, maybe twice. He wouldn't count the first time because that time his face was more upset than angry. It was the last day he saw Deku before he moved away.

"That doesn't surprise me," he says. It's honest enough, but the bite in his voice let Katsuki know he only begrudgingly admitted it.

As if the tension in the room was actually suffocating her, his mom coughed and cleared her throat.

"We're all really proud of you, Izuku. Tell us about this job interview you had today."

Izuku smiled at her and it seemed genuine. For a moment he thought of Deku's stupid friend. The one with the earthquake Quirk that pretended to be pleasant and kind and naive. He wondered if Deku was just better at pretending to be kind than his friend. He was kind once, but he'd changed. Katsuki wondered if he was the only one who saw the cracks in his foundation.

"I wouldn't call it an interview, but it's a big opportunity. I met with Eraserhead. He wants to help hook me up with some good agencies."

"Do you think you'll be moving back to Musutafu? I miss your mom. It would be great if she had a reason to come here more often."

Izuku smiled at the mention of his mom. He shrugged.

"Maybe someday, but I don't think it's best for me to be in a huge city at the start of my career. Big agencies don't want to take a risk on me."

"No shit. You're gonna get yourself killed."

As if any big name agency would want him dying on their watch. He was baffled Aizawa would attach his name to such a liability.

His father gave him a warning look and kicked him under the table.

"That's what some people seem to think." Deku stuffed more food in his mouth again, determined not to speak to or look at Katsuki. He rankled at that.

"So, Izuku, did you find yourself a girlfriend?" His dad, ever the peacemaker, jumped in.

Deku choked on a piece of pork. It took a full minute for him to compose himself.

"Ah, you know me. I've never been much of a ladies man."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. This dinner was the fucking worst and it couldn't be done fast enough.

Deku, like the good little ass kisser he always was, offered to help with the dishes after dinner, but of course his mother refused.

"No, no! You and Katsuki go catch up."

Deku fixed Katsuki a withering look like he'd rather die than catch up with Katsuki. The feeling was mutual. He quickly looked away when their eyes met, but Katsuki wouldn't shy away from being caught the way he did. He didn't care.

"Right. Thank you for dinner, Auntie."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight? We could put a futon down for you. Just like old times," his mom said, looking grossly fond of Deku.

"Ah, no. That's okay. I'm in some student housing until I head home tomorrow."

His mom nodded and gave him an unnecessary hug before sending them up the stairs where their own mutual hells waited.

Having Deku in his room after ten years was surreal to say the least. The eerie silence was unwelcome, but neither person seemed to know what to say. Deku silently moved around the room, his eyes roaming everywhere but Katsuki's faces.

"Hasn't changed much," Deku finally said, facing away from Katsuki.

"Yeah, well, I haven't actually lived here in three years."

Deku hummed and willingly looked at him for the first time.

"Bet you love that."

Katsuki thought he'd love being out of his parents house three years earlier than he planned to be, but shirking off his moody mother came at the price of gaining nineteen roommates. He got used to it but he truly used to hate the dorm system.

He was surprised that even after avoiding each other for so long Deku had a basic knowledge of the things he did and didn't like. He wondered if Deku still liked all the things he used to, and then he realized that he could hardly remember any of those things outside of heroes and katsudon and the color red.

"Uh, I have something for you. My mom made me do it so don't fucking thank me or anything," Katsuki said, doing his damndest to be flippant when he handed the signed poster over to Deku. He took his sweet time unrolling the poster and had the gall to laugh—scoff, more like—at it when he read All Might's words. He didn't waste any time letting it roll back up. He forcefully handed it back to Katsuki.

"What's so funny, nerd?"

"I've grown out of my All Might phase," Deku said, his face looking harder than he'd ever seen it. Harder than when his eyes slid coolly over Katsuki at dinner, or when he told Katsuki to fuck off with fire lighting up his eyes. This was different. It was cold and calculated indifference.

"Never seemed like a phase with you. It's part of who you are."

For the first time that night, Katsuki was genuine when he spoke. He couldn't guess why. Maybe it was the enclosed space or the slight shock of seeing Deku so pissed off that had him reeling.

"No offense, but you don't know who I am."

"Bullshit. We grew up together. I was your best friend."

What was his problem? Katsuki was being nice—as nice as he ever was, at least. He grew up with Deku. Did he really think they didn't know each other, at least on some level? Deku looked incredulous, and pissed off. It was a look he'd never seen on a young Deku's freckled, open, naive face. He'd seen it a lot tonight, but it was subdued and hidden for his parents' sake. It made him look older.

"Shindo is my best friend. The only one I've ever had."

"Hah? Did you bump your head and get stupider, Deku?"

"I got some perspective. You and I… We— Friends don't treat each other the way you treated me."

"Oh, please. You really think you'd be where you are now if I didn't toughen you up?"

Deku's large hands balled into fists. He could see white knuckles from clear across the room. The indignant rage in the set of his mouth and the wrinkle in his brow burrowed into Katsuki's soul. He'd never seen Deku like this. Like something was rotting him from the inside out.

"Don't you ever—" Deku said, his voice shaking with unbridled rage, moving quickly closer into Katsuki's personal space, his hands flexing and unflexing like he needed to punch something—"Ever try to take credit for where I am. I'm here because I didn't listen to you, or my mom, or fucking All Might. I'm going to be a hero because of me, you selfish prick."

Deku shoved Katsuki hard enough to disrupt his balance. In the seconds it took Katsuki to reorient himself, Deku was gone. His brain couldn't really compute the words coming out of Deku's mouth—he was so preoccupied with the idea of Deku cussing (again, but that's neither here nor there). Katsuki was incensed. He'd spent a lot of time in the past controlling the fire of anger in his gut, but no amount of breathing could've kept him from flying off the handle in this moment. He'd never been able to control himself around Deku and clearly today wasn't the day to start. He stomped down the stairs, huffing and roaring, "Deku!"

He could hear Deku's wheedling voice talking to his parents, "Thank you both for your hospitality, but I should be going."

"Don't be a stranger, Izuku. You're always welcome here." His mom pinched Izuku's cheeks again like she did when they were in preschool.

"Hug your mother for us." His dad gave Deku a firm handshake goodbye.

Katsuki just stood there, fuming. It pissed him off to see his parents mooning over Deku like nothing changed. Like they knew who he was. Did they? Was Katsuki the only one in the room who didn't know Deku?

"Katsuki, walk him out."

"That's okay—"

"Nonsense! Get going." She ushered Deku and Katsuki toward the door. Katsuki had learned over the years that it was easier to be quiet when it came to his mom. Arguing was futile. He'd been able to apply this lesson to other people lately, now that public image was such an important part of his life.

A sad, small part of Katsuki was bothered by not knowing Deku. No matter where they were now, he was still his first friend. And now they were nothing—or, if anything, probably more like enemies. He didn't want to argue with Deku. For the first time in his life he just wanted to listen because talking only made things worse. But Deku didn't want to talk.

"Oi, Deku," Katsuki said, trying for soft but only managing gruff. Deku paused his retreat, his shoulders slumped. He slowly looked back at Katsuki, waiting.

"I— I'm starting to realize," he said, trailing off. Realize what? That Deku wasn't useless? That Katsuki missed him on some level? That they were both different, and he might want to get to know him? He cleared his throat, trying again, "I'm starting to realize you're not as awful as you used to be."

That… that didn't come out right. Deku scoffed, crossing his arms across his wide chest. Deku's arms were bigger than his. He looked like he was trying to decide if Katsuki was worth a response. Apparently, he wasn't because Deku sighed and continued his retreat. Katsuki watched him go until he disappeared around a corner, no doubt heading for the train station. He didn't look back once. That bothered Katsuki.