"Fifty-two rescued, nine injured, and one in emergency care, huh?" A pen tapped rhythmically on the surface of the table. They should really get it cleaned. It was a far cry from when Izuku was first here and could practically see his reflection staring back. The woman at the desk, gold badge on her vest and a gun at her belt, discarded the papers with a sigh. "I hope that young boy is okay. It's a shame that he was already in critical condition by the time we arrived."

Izuku eyed the clock, patience wearing thin. "That's not what happened."

"Oh?"

He directed his attention back to her. The worst thing now was for her to misinterpret his sudden refusal as a sign of cowardice rather than resolve. "He was hiding behind the couch at the back of the burning room. I was so focused on the cries of the injured that I didn't consider the silence of the dying. He could've been saved a lot sooner with only a decapitated leg but my right arm was already full. I failed."

"I don't think you understood me the first time, Quirkless." Her badge shone, blinding him in the face. "The firefighters and police were there, and saw that the boy was already suffering first-degree burns before you were even on the same wing of the building. We then took the liberty of removing him from the situation and bringing him to paramedics. It was something that couldn't be helped."

"That's…not right. His parents deserve to know the truth."

The lady leaned forward, a peeved tilt to her head. Izuku suddenly became overly-conscious of the other occupants in the office, all law enforcement figures that were there and could act as witnesses. "Where's this sudden defiance coming from? Don't tell me that you're late in hitting your rebellious stage. Listen, Quirkless. This deal was made between us a long time ago. We get the credit for rescuing the boy, you escape the repercussions of your own failure. It's win-win-win for you, for us, and even the public. If they found out about your little injury, everyone will lose faith in their symbol of hope and begin panicking. What's more important, the idiotic guilt you feel towards this family, or the sense of security of the entire country?"

Izuku pursed his lips, glare unwavering. "I'm not signing it."

The police report was slammed onto the desk. "You will sign it."

"How long are you going to keep me here to try to convince me?" His green costume was charred. Taste, smell, feel, hear, and see; ash made a home in every sense he had. "Miss, I respect your authority a lot. This city wouldn't be the same without you, but I humbly refuse to go along with this any longer. I can't keep denying my failures exist or else I'll never move forward and … isn't the kind of hero I want to be anymore."

She narrowed her eyes. "So you're choosing to take the credit, to add to the miniscule efforts you've made to increase your rank, rather than uphold your relevance as the symbol of hope? Quirkless, I'm disappointed."

Izuku smiled, wistfully. "Me too. But I'll get that title back by my own strength. Right now, I'm not ready for it."

Not long after, the mourning hero was on the deserted streets outside the main city police station. Needless to say, pulling off another graveyard-shift and being cooped up in a dark room until the morning to noon hours would really put a number on anyone. Izuku knew the backlash was coming. When the reporters got word of this from the police reports, from the official witness testimonies, he'd be swamped by outrage for lying about his arm. He'd lose his title. But, it had to be done.

Despite being called the symbol of hope by those around him: strangers, best friends, even lovers, Izuku never felt that way. It was done for the public to maintain a sense of safety, that there was someone else to look up to after All Might's fall. Straight out of high school, he accepted the title too early for the sake of a false peace rather than listened to the part of him that wanted to refuse it. Overcome by stress from getting back together with Atsuko after graduation on top of that, and he was stuck in this endless cycle. Now that he'd broken it, Izuku only had a faint idea of what to do from this point onwards.

For starters, he needed to eat something. Maybe shower too.

Ignoring the gawks of morning joggers, he slugged his way into the closest café in search of a muffin. The disgust of having tiled floors littered by ash was replaced by automatic reverence when the cashier chirped at him. "Welcome! What can I get you?"

"Blueberry muffin, please." Despite the ache in his mind, Izuku sent a pleasant smile. She nodded enthusiastically, star struck but making quick work of removing the item of choice from the display. The hero made to hand over the pocket change only for the girl to shake her head adamantly.

"Don't worry, it's on me! That's the least I can do for all the rescuing stuff you do for us." She grinned. Normally this demonstration of energy from innocent civilians would be enough to energize Izuku enough to keep going with his hero path. It was important to save everyone physically and psychologically as well, after all. But today, it only made his eyes droop further.

"T-Thank you," he bowed. "I'll make sure to let all of my friends know about this place."

Slightly wobbling from his own exhaustion, Izuku slowly walked to the back of the café. Eyes crusted, he didn't notice the excited hand reach out to pull back on his hoodie until he was already butt-first on the floor. Izuku blinked confusedly. Whoever did that was strong.

"Hiya! Remember me?" He blinked again, adjusting to the sight of a pink-skinned woman beaming at him from her table across. She modified her simper into a more modest one, rubbing a hand against her neck. "Sorry about that. I've been calling you for a while but you weren't responding. I figured I'd surprise you!"

Tiredness almost forgotten, Izuku shot up to his feet. "O-Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't ignoring you, just really sleepy. You were that really nice lady who came over to Kacchan's house the other day, right?"

Ashido grinned. "Bingo! Just so it isn't awkward, my name is Mina Ashido! Take a seat. I was just on my lunch break."

Figuring it considerate to continue the conversation and also genuinely curious to know more about her, Izuku scrambled to a chair, muffing thankfully still safe from his little fall earlier. "Thank you for letting me join you, Ashido-san."

"So polite, geez." Despite the words, her happy demeanor didn't waver in the slightest. "Total opposite of explodey-boy. You don't look too good though. You okay there, Midoriya?" She shoved a bite of chocolate cake into her mouth.

Letting his sleepy smile take over once more, Izuku shrugged. "I've been better."

Showing no remorse for the chunks of sweets that flew out, Ashido blared out. "I know what will help! You need some fun, so I'm going to tell a story."

Calmly bringing a napkin to his face to wipe off a smear of cream that had flown onto his cheek, Izuku hummed. "Oh, what kind of story?"

"One you'll like, especially because it's about your little boy-crush." At the responding blush painted across freckles, Ashido smirked. "Really, you and him are a total mismatch. I'm surprised such a sweet man like you would be attracted to that. Strangely though, I can see it perfectly too."

Izuku frowned. "Don't call Kacchan a 'that.'"

"AH HA!" Ashido lifted a sharp finger to point at him accusingly. "So you admit that you have a crush on him!"

"I…" Thoughts rushing over the conversation again in his mind, Izuku blinked wildly before groaning. The pink woman cackled at his expense. "Okay, maybe… I'm serious though, Ashido-san. Please don't talk about Kacchan like that."

"Ah, he's used to it, that drama queen." She waved him off, bringing her coffee close to her lips to take a sip. "Besides, he knows I don't mean it. I can't exactly bad-talk the guy who kind of saved my entire life from going up into flames after all."

Now this, Izuku felt a little guilty for jumping at the opportunity to know more. "What do you mean by that? O-of course, you don't need to answer! I was just wondering. I don't really care if you tell me or not- ah no, that sounds so insensitive. Just, if you feel comfortable, feel free to tell me because I wouldn't be opposed to the idea. Is it even okay to know this without asking Kacchan first? I should reject! Yeah, that's it. Ashido, I'm afraid that I can't accept violating your privacy like that. That sounds kind of presumptuous though- ahhh…"

The hero took to clutching his head, eyes focused on jumping from one spot of blue to another on his confectionary. Meanwhile, his companion took to watching this train wreck unfold with a bit of a bewildered glance. "Midoriya, breathe! It's fine, I swear! It's not even a secret, Baku doesn't care who I tell."

"Oh."

She laughed, bringing a fist down on the counter in merriment. "You're a weird one too, huh? That's good. Baku tends to only like you if you're a little bit weird. Then he has the nerve to turn around and yell at the sky for why all of his friends are a bunch of freaks."

Feeling a giggle wanting to escape his mouth, the green-head let it out. "That sounds like Kacchan."

Ashido gestured wildly. "I know, right! Honestly though, he was a lot worse back in high school. Despite how he talks shit all the time, I wouldn't change him for the world." Finishing off her cake, she went to make a sweet basketball throw towards the garbage can on the other side of the room. When the crumpled paper plate hit dead center, she whooped. "I don't think anyone else but him would've done what he did."

At seeing the hero lean forward, focused and muffin forgotten, her smile turned tender. "You see, I have someone who I love very much. He's a prideful idiot, definitely isn't perfect, but he tries his best and loves me back. That's more than most people can say!"

Izuku nodded, face forlorn. "It is."

"Being prideful and someone who tries his best sounds like great qualities. But sometimes it gets in the way and causes him to make mistakes. Those traits that made me love him were what drove us apart." Subconsciously, a light pink hand fell from the table to give the smallest hint of a bump on her belly an affectionate rub. "I got pregnant. Neither of us were living in the best conditions, and his career as a hero was plummeting fast. His parents are rich but refused to help supply for our family unless he broke it off with me. They had a bride arranged for him and everything."

At hearing a sharp gasp, Ashido rushed to reassure him. "He didn't tell me any of this, because he's a prideful idiot who thought it'd be less heartbreaking for me if I hated him. I thought he didn't love me anymore because I couldn't be the great woman he deserves. I just, I kind of shut down after that. Mina Ashido was out, goodbye, lights out, not a sound. But Baku was the first person I confided in."

An image flashed through Izuku's head then. A blond man full of rage kicking down his own church doors and pinpointing the frazzled groom with unbridled rage, uprooting his entire life plan just for a new baby bud to grow.A mind wired for quick thinking and covered in bushy green hair made the connection. "He crashed the wedding."

"Yep, he did!" She chirped. "Smacked my bae in the head and everything. Maybe the force of the swing was so strong that it knocked Eijirou's brain cells in order, because he came running back to explain everything to me right away. After telling his parents to stick it, I mean. I wish I could've seen it."

Green eyes softening, a lightness overcoming his chest, Izuku whispered. "Me too."

"It's still difficult, don't get me wrong." She sipped at her coffee once more. The only indication that the cup was empty was when the stir straw made an obnoxious spluttering sound. "We can't all have the perfect happily-ever-after's, so we, Baku and Kaminari and Eijirou and I, just kind of get together and make shitty things as less shitty as possible. When Eijirou is with me, we both manage. I can't thank Baku enough for that."

"That's why," finally abandoning her drink to stare Izuku down, Ashido's smile fell. "I want you to do the same for him."

And Izuku, after everything that had happened, after their argument against a cold backdrop with the setting sun in front of an empty clinic, after seeing the utter defeat dominating crimson eyes usually so filled with fire, slumped. "I don't think I kept my promise very well."

"Whoa there," she clicked her tongue, confused. "It's only been a few days! Did you mess up already?"

"I… I don't know, but something happened." He resorted back to staring at his muffin for comfort. The minimal amount of bites taken from it stared back. "I just… like you said, he comes in and changes everyone's lives, Ashido-san. I want to do for him what he does for me."

She blinked. "You mean, cheer him up?"

Izuku winced, a bashful smile overtaking his features. "Uuhhh, how do I say this? Not exactly. It's hard to put our relationship into words, but I feel like I understand it a bit better now."

-HH-HH-HH-HH-HH-

Katsuki screamed into his pillow when his phone went off for the thirtieth time that morning. His damn so-called friends known as dumb (Ashido), dumber (Kirishima), and dumbest (Kaminari) have been texting him nonstop. It was almost like some creepy outside Bakugou-instincts were awoken within them as they all decided to assault his phone this past week.

When his phone's vibration sent the device sprawling to the ground, Katsuki sprung out of bed to pick it up with a renewed anger. About to give those jackasses a piece of his mind, he froze at the newest slew of notifications.

[image sent]

Two figures, one shorter and the other scrawnier, were shown resting on a fountain against the sunrise. The pink, orange, and yellow hues perfectly complimented the foreground, the two unmistakable smiles of the symbol of hope and the retired symbol of peace standing out. They were both waving to the camera, almost as if to greet a frazzled Katsuki running towards them from the other side of the park.

'i found a photographer he s retiring soon and wants 1 last gig'

'what do you think'

'he added some amazing filters'

'he ll be taking the photos and videos 4 the wedding to put together a collage'

It was Izuku. He stared at the ellipses that appeared and disappeared on his screen, indicating that the hero was constantly typing out, erasing, and reforming a new message. Throughout all of this, Katsuki couldn't bring himself to move.

'don t be mad but i told all might about you'

'he wants to meet you again'

Finally gaining control of his limbs, Katsuki threw the phone across the room and went back to sleep.

-HH-HH-HH-HH-HH-

The next message from Izuku came in the next day. He was in his office then, going through the motions of bending that limb here, filling in so-and-so form, and shrugging off the concerned looks of Ashido and Miss Miko, when his personal phone vibrated within his pockets.

'the doctor u recommended was really nice'

'she said the same things u did'

'i ll be ready to go into surgery by next week'

Shoving the phone back into his shirt, Katsuki returned his attention to wiping off the dumbbell.

-HH-HH-HH-HH-HH-

Just finishing taking Lord Murder for a walk and sprawled out on the couch at his apartment, Katsuki would be damned if anyone accused him of checking his phone. It was always something different; that he wanted the time, that the weather was supposed to be crappy today and knowing the temperature would help him dress, but he knew the truth.

It's been four days since Izuku's last message.

The nerd had taken the habit of sending the blond updates on everything in his life no matter how mundane or stupid it was. Random musings on what it would look like when Todoroki started growing gray hair, how many villains would underestimate Uraraka before being smashed into a building, and Sato's continual conveyer belt of sweets being brought into work to share with everyone while the wedding was getting closer flooded his phone at intervals that never became annoying enough to block Izuku or turn it off completely.

Because as lame as it was, hearing about a fly on Izuku's wall was infinitely more interesting than being a physical therapist.

So it wasn't like Izuku to suddenly shut up. Maybe he'd finally realized that Katsuki would never reply and decided to give up. It wouldn't be the first time. His overall stand-offish nature combined with bad temper and foul mouth had most people gone by the end of the week. He'd long accepted that this was a result of his own stubbornness early on as a kid, and stopped trying to make friends in middle school. Putting the phone aside, Katsuki scoffed. He felt like a high school girl waiting for a text from their best friend.

"Stupid Deku," he mumbled under his breath and flipped the channel absentmindedly.

Only to stop when one news headline flashed into his face like a fucking beacon.

Number Five Hero, Midoriya Izuku, steps down as the Symbol of Hope… for now, he says

On the screen was a whole blown-out conference that Katsuki would've more expected to see in some soap opera than in real life. If the unedited cuts of people running around weren't hint enough, the entire thing was being filmed live. Cameras flashed a mile a minute, said hero standing at the front with nothing but a conference table and a microphone as his sole companion. To his right, All Might stared straight ahead, proud and unwavering as some of Izuku's other friends shot each other worried looks from within the audience.

A woman with glasses, the blond didn't like her already, stood up to shove one of the recording cameras closer to them. "All Might, what are your thoughts on the protégé you trained becoming a failure?"

Katsuki wanted to drive to the conference himself to personally punch her in the face if it wouldn't get her germs on his fist. Luckily, the scrawny man known as the old number one hero, expression unchanging, stated calmly. "Young Midoriya is not a failure. He is human, with aspirations and a new resolve. That's what makes him a true hero, not a label. If you wish to taint my perception on all of this, you're sorely mistaken."

"Quirkless, why did you keep your injury a secret for so long? Is your hero career over?" A man piped up this time, making sure to remain seated so not to anger All Might any further.

"I was mistaken." Izuku looked around the crowd with sincerity. "There's no excuse. I made a mistake on assuming what the public needs and for that, I can do nothing else but apologize. If everyone will still accept me, I am not giving up on being a hero or on being the Symbol of Hope. I'm temporarily leaving starting next week so my arm can heal properly. After that, I'll take everything I learned to aim to be the best hero who saves and is at the top with a new ferocity."

That same woman from before interjected. "Don't you think that you're being selfish, Quirkless? What will we do without a symbol of hope to ward off villain attacks?"

"Please don't ask leading questions," Izuku smiled sweetly. "And you do have a symbol of hope while I'm gone; several of them. Shouto will be working twice as hard for the both of us. Uravity is quickly rising up on the charts with her unrivalled rescue-work. Ingenium is very reliable and recently saved an entire retirement home. Lemillion is still number one, and will be here to intimidate anyone who wants to disturb the public's happiness." Here, the hero shook his head. "And no matter how impressive our powers seem and how colossal our feats become, please don't forget the everyday heroes as well."

Katsuki couldn't listen anymore. He shut off the television and slumped back. Well, that explained why the texts became infrequent. Izuku was most likely going through hell the entire time, the worst of it only tiding over now that he could get a fair word out without someone twisting his intention. He wouldn't be surprised if the nerd was preoccupied the entire week leading up to the surgery and his temporary leave.

Which was why, an hour later, when his phone lit up with another message from Izuku, Katsuki nearly choked on his soda.

'kacchan'

'i really like working with u'

'it s incredible'

'what we can accomplish together'

'with the wedding i mean'

'i want to see it'

And not even Katsuki Bakugou was heartless enough to not respond back.

'Your punctuation is still shit.'

If seeing the texts nearly made him choke on his soda, the blond almost dropped the entire damn thing when his phone suddenly started vibrating with the notification of an incoming call. He stared at the word 'Deku' written on top with a silent skepticism. It was pretty convincing just to ignore it. But fuck it, Katsuki Bakugou wasn't going to run away. He pressed the green button.

Immediately, Izuku's voice attacked his ears. "Kacchan!"

The addressed snarled. "The fuck do you want?"

"N-Nothing." In the background, faint sounds of cars rushing past could be heard. The hero was likely just returning from the conference, a lighter tone to his voice despite the hardship it should've brought. "It's just great that we're still talking."

"Yeah, great talking with you but I'm hanging up."

"WAIT!" Katsuki paused, eyes wide as he took in the unexpected outburst. For how eager he was to say whatever he wanted to say, Izuku took the next few moments to prepare himself for whatever would happen between them next. He breathed heavily. "I meant what I said earlier in the text. I still want the wedding to happen."

The blond couldn't help it. "Do you have a mouth?"

"Huh?"

"Probably not, seeing as you're talking out of your ass right now."

"Kacchan, oh my god."

"I'm serious, Deku." He spat out, not liking the exasperated tone in the other's voice as if he was the one doing Katsuki a huge favour by listening."If you and Atsuko have both changed since what happened, moved on from it, and learned to love each other, then that's peachy. But that's obviously not what's going on. Tell me one good fucking reason why I should help you or why you should even get married in the first place."

"You already know-"

"Yeah, I read your text and I'm telling your text to suck it."

Izuku went silent at this. The car he was in had reached an intersection, the incessant beeping from somewhere beside him fading by the time he spoke his next words. "Atsuko was… she was the only one who stuck by me when no one else would," his voice turned quieter, paying mind to All Might who was driving in the front seat but at the same time loud enough so the older man could hear as well, "when I was quirk less. She saw how much I did to save people from the very beginning and loved me for that."

Katsuki played with a stray string hanging off of his shirt, breaths almost mute.

"But we're not good for each other," sure enough, the ex-symbol of hope found the courage to continue. "I've tried to make it good for so long and denied the very thing I was trying to fix. Still, I love her. I care about her, and we need to talk." By the full tone that Izuku's voice took up, he could tell that the hero was trying hard not to cry. His primal instincts, those who endorsed fear, were itching at him to clam up again, to push this epiphany to another day.

"Go on," Katsuki pushed.

"This wedding isn't to win her back, not anymore." Izuku sobbed out.

As much of a breakthrough as this was for the man, Katsuki wouldn't let him off the hook without going all the way. There would be no half-ass admissions or commitments, only statements when the source was completely ready to accept their choice. "Prove it."

A swallow and the rustling of tears being hastily wiped up by a pristine sleeve took over the feed of the phone next. A faint 'are you all right' from the driver of the car sounded but it was too soft to hear the response Izuku gave back to his mentor. Instead, he turned back to the phone with a determined tone. "I can, but we have to meet up."

The blond rose a brow at that. "What?"

"Skylight Gourmet; it's a catering company in between both of our homes that serves everything from almost every culture. Many of the guests have different tastes and ethnic backgrounds, and I searched for a place that would have food for everyone. If you're free, let's meet there this Sunday right after my shift and before yours."

Katsuki should've said no, at least asked the nerd for more details on what he was planning, but some part of him saw this as a challenge. A challenge to see if he could truly prove his resolve to Katsuki. He was hit with the fire that lit to life to such intensity in Izuku's voice that he couldn't help but take it without standing down. "Fucking fine. I'll see you there at eleven."

Days later found the blond waking up more by the action of smashing his clock into the window rather than the alarm itself, getting dressed hours too early to only be for work, and leaving out the door with his car keys in hand. And really, the car ride there should've been long enough to talk himself out of it, he should've talked himself out of it and made a nice fucking one-eighty-degree turn but he, miraculously, didn't. It wasn't until he saw that green silhouette in the distance that Katsuki began to regret his life choices.

Izuku sprung up, dressed in a plaid jacket which might've been two sizes too big for him. "Kacchan, you came!"

He scowled. "Of course I showed up. I said I was coming."

"You did," the green-head nodded pleasantly. He turned his attention to the building, a strange purple logo standing out against the dark window panes. "Most of the guests listed their favourite food as desserts and I already sent the information over to Sato-san. Those who do like meaty dishes cited things from over 12 different cultures, but I found a package of twenty selections that this place offered that might be good."

Katsuki shrugged. "Whatever; did your amnesia-riddled head forget that I'm not helping, Deku?"

"No, I know you aren't helping." Despite those words, Izuku went up to the blond to tug him inside the establishment. "You're just accompanying me for a bit."

"Oh, such cuties!" As soon as the two were under the roof of the restaurant, a chubby old man came bounding out with a boisterous stride. Katsuki was about to flip him off until a sharp pain in his cheek sent him reeling forward. The bastard had both the hero and doctor in his grasp, pinching their faces like they were five-year-old brats.

Katsuki slapped at the hand to no avail. "OI, OLF FPAN! RRREMME GO!"

At hearing this, the stout chef finally released them with a hearty laugh. Izuku went to hold his face painfully while Katsuki seethed at him. "Please, take a seat! I'd recognize those freckles anywhere, you're that adorable-as-a-pea hero, aren't you? Well we've heard your interest in our limited-time package and are happy to take any request!"

Finding a nice spot near the back to keep attention away, Izuku delved into the menu while Katsuki looked around. It was a dimly lit restaurant, with vintage dark wooden seats lined with shell patterns. A single light hanging from the ceiling above their table lit their space up in a hazy glow. That in itself wasn't the problem though. About six other tables were occupied and all of them but one which housed a single man reading a newspaper, were filled with couples.

Katsuki shot his head forward, refusing to observe any more. "Stop hogging the menu."

"Oh, sorry," Izuku was quick to pass the laminated paper over, deep in thought. Seeing just how much was inside, Katsuki had to admit that he was impressed. "It's just that the package dictates that I choose 20 dishes from the menu that are listed as being less than ten dollars. Katsudon and sushi are popular choices, but burgers and pasta are also well-received by the guests. We need vegetarian options as well."

The blond made a noncommitted sound, adamant on not contributing. He threw the menu back, appetite lost. "Just hurry the fuck up. I have an appointment later today."

They didn't talk much after that. Izuku brought out a piece of paper to scribble on and cross-out options that he thought would appeal to his guests. Some had to be moved around, some toppings changed, but in the end, he managed to produce a list of twenty items without any input from the blond before him. As you could probably imagine, a lot of muttering and whispered shouts of 'shut up' were exchanged.

Finally, the chef came out baring the first dish for their taste-test. It was a simple platter of sashimi cut up to resemble a blooming flower. Izuku was quick to say words of respect under his breath before separating the provided chopsticks to dig in.

"You're not eating?" Izuku, having just swallowed a piece and declared it as being perfect, drank from his glass of water. Seeing Katsuki send him a glare, he backtracked. "It's not helping if you're just eating. You don't even have to say if it's good or not."

Finally, after a curse under his breath, Katsuki went to tear up his own chopsticks with rage and stab into a piece of fish like it personally insulted him. The chubby chef, who had returned to place another dish of lasagna in front of them, grinned. "To help ensure that there is enough for everyone, the package comes with two free refills for every dish, ten liters of five selections of drinks, and eight caterers from this very company who will be at your cute commandment for the entire night. Isn't that exciting?"

Izuku nodded enthusiastically. Katsuki stabbed another fish.

"If any of the options runs out, it'll be extra to refill but definitely not impossible." A small bell is rung from behind them, its small ting causing the man to turn around. "That's my call! Let me know when you're done sampling all twenty dishes. We can talk about the contract afterwards."

Sure enough, the food came barreling out after that. From barbeque ribs to dumplings to burgers, Katsuki didn't stop himself from picking at whatever looked good. Izuku ate at a much more controlled pace as you normally do at a sampling. He took one, three bites maximum before moving onto the next item, washing out his mouth with water each time.

"If we want to keep this lobster in the shell to preserve its flavour, it's going to be really messy."

"Uh huh."

"I hope he takes requests for extra napkins and clean-wipes. I don't want everyone's outfits to get dirty."

"Sure."

"Ah! Some people are going to have quirks that will make holding cutlery difficult. I wonder if there's specialized tools for that kind of thing?"

"Who fucking knows."

The hero chewed silently at that, his mutters finally petering out until there was nothing between them but the silent clank of knives against plates. Katsuki kept his focus on cutting up a fajita into twenty-eight organized bites. Now having touched all of the dishes at least once, he took to leaning a freckled cheek onto scarred elbows. Green eyes stared. "Tell me about yourself."

Reminders of all the couples around them made the blond snort. "What is this, a shitty first date?"

"O-Of course not! That's- I mean," Izuku flushed red, his voice rising an octave, "what a crazy suggestion, Kacchan!"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, making the hero gulp.

Okay. No, this was fine, Izuku could totally save this. He just had to try a different approach using a harmless topic that both could banter over without any discomfort or tension. "How's… being a doctor going?"

The hero wanted to smack himself some times. Izuku would've actually done it if Katsuki's responding silence didn't cause him to sweat. He continued, trying to bring the spiraling conversation back. "I-I mean, since what happened, I was worried you stopped seeing patients."

The blond sighed, returning to cutting his fajita. "Calm your stupid hair, Deku. I told my clients that I'll see it through with them to the end and I never go back on my word."

And that, that kind of answer didn't go unnoticed by the other. "What about after?"

Katsuki's silence sent a chill up the hero's spine. Scarred palm clenched into a fist, upset with the situation. It still wasn't the time to talk about this. Izuku changed the subject once again. "I've lived with my mom for my entire life. I never really met my dad. He was busy working overseas. That's why she's the only blood-related family I have who's coming to the wedding."

"Is she the one who fainted when I kicked down the door?"

"She was," he confirmed with a nod of his head, "she's okay though! Luckily the flower girl, Eri, was there to catch her. You made quite an impression."

Katsuki leaned back, bringing both hands behind his head in an unashamed gloat. "I make the best fucking first impressions, you ass."

The man whirled to him next, pinning him down with curious eyes hiding a storm of forest. "What about you?"

Scoffing at him, the doctor took a large chug of his water and slammed the glass back onto the counter. He never missed an opportunity to complain about Mitsuki. "There's not much to tell. I have an old hag of a mom like I told you about, the one who likes tiger lilies and is a bitch. We're too much alike. We'd end up in a shouting match over something stupid like who gets the better spoon at dinner. My old pops was the calm one who split us up every time so we could drown in our murderous rage. I don't know how he put up with us for so long."

The other hummed a pleasing sound. "He sounds really nice. I hope I can meet them both someday!"

Red orbs looked away. "I doubt it."

"Kacchan?" At seeing the slightest hint of rapid movement of tense shoulders, almost like it wanted to be a flinch but was held back at the last minute by the blond, Izuku furrowed his brow in concern. "Are you oka-"

"Ah, what a surprise!" The old tub of a man skipped out to join their table when he was done supervising the cook on the shrimp. "You've already tried everything! Excellent. What do you adorable little munchkins think of our cuisine?"

Temporarily allowing his companion off the hook, Izuku turned to the chef with a beam. "It's delicious! If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to make a request regarding extra cleaning wipes to hand out to the guests, and some modified cutlery for some of the guests with animal quirks."

Katsuki twitched, bringing his hand down to tap on his knee.

"Oh yes, I see." The man brought a finger to his lips in thought. "That is a valid concern. I'm willing to throw in cleaning services as well, free of charge. Consider it a gift for doing such a swell job protecting this city for so long."

Hearing this, Izuku smiled. It seems some people didn't care about his injury. "Thank you."

Tapping no longer satisfying, the blond resorted to clanking his utensils together in annoyance. It went unnoticed by the chef, who continued in a pleasant voice. "Are there any more requests which you would like to make?"

A green mop of curls shookin the negative. "Nope-"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, DEKU!" Katsuki shot out of his seat, finally having enough of this pathetic nonsense. "You really are useless at this!" He turned an accusing glare at the chef, fangs bared. "Oi, old man, this idiot doesn't know what he's talking about. First of all, the wedding's theme is koi fish, so the garnishes and plates must be the colours of ORANGE, RED, and WHITE!" His arms made a show of presenting the black ceramic plates with a disgusted look. Crouching down, the tablecloth became the next victim of his tirade, being held between two fingers and away from his gagging body like it was some kind of disease.

"These tablecloths ARE A FUCKING DISGRACE TO MY EYES. Don't you DARE use these. Wewant swirling shades of blue and tucked with a scallop skirting, no bow, to resemble waves. Secondly, the fifth, fourteenth, and nineteenth dishes are ripe-offs." Red eyes honed in on the minimalistic vegetables and eggs piled on said dishes. "I can cook this shit myself by throwing THREE things in an oven, leaving it there for two days, then having it rot on the underside of my shoe. Take those off the menu and give us a goddamn discount!"

Moving the plates aside, the lengthy advertisement was snatched without remorse from Izuku's hands and waved menacingly. "Thirdly, show us the profiles of all eight SO-CALLED caterers you're sending us. You're probably auctioning off some fucking newbies who DROP HALF THE THINGS THEY CARRY AND CAN'T EVEN OPERATE A FUCKING SODA MACHINE!"

Finally done, Katsuki fell back in his seat with a satisfied smirk.

Izuku gaped.

And chef-mc-creepy, after a solid second of processing, laughed boisterously and without any restraint. Tears streamed down the poor man's eyes, assault harsh enough that he had to cling onto the edge of the seat to keep himself upright. Finally gathering enough breath, he regarded Katsuki with a grin. "I like your spirit, young man! Now you know how to talk business, albeit a harsh one. I can include those changes. The discount from subtracting the three choices is more than enough compensation for the tablecloths, but it will take me a while to revamp the contract." The man made eye contact with the hero who was still slightly stunned. "I'll email the new one over to you. How does that sound?"

Snapping out it, Izuku regarded the other with a shaky nod. "Y-Yes, thank you!"

A scurry of waiters coming in to clear out the samples later, and the two were engulfed in silence. A cashier at the front was ringing up the bill, her movements seemingly agonizingly slow to the both of them. Katsuki sighed. "Deku, this was a one-time thing. You didn't prove shit to me, so I'm not helping with the wedding, got it?"

Izuku smiled sadly, eyes downcast. "Got it."

When the bill finally came, there was a bit of a conundrum over who would pay. The blond was pushy, downright insulted at the thought of having a hero pay anything for him, while Izuku insisted that he was the one who asked Katsuki to come and therefore should cover the bill. After a heated game of rock-paper-scissors, the green-haired mess came out on top with a proud grin and threw the cash onto the pad, much to Katsuki's dismay.

Before going their separate ways, a timid hand tugged at his sleeve.

"What." The blond spat out.

Green eyes raked over his form in a way that reminded him of when they first really talked. This time, they lingered on his face. Izuku smiled again, posturing adopting that wistful tone. "Contact me when you get back."

"No promises."

And it was true. Katsuki really wasn't planning to text the ex-symbol of hope anymore. They had nothing tying them together, their deal with the wedding planning gone, and Katsuki would be damned if he called such a high-ranking hero his friend. He wasn't the worst of the bunch, that was for sure, and Izuku became progressively less grating on his very soul once he stopped whining. But that was it, they were acquaintances. The ex-symbol of hope being his acquaintance was already a huge leap that the blond hadn't been expecting to make.

That is, until he made it home that night. Rounding the corner into his neighborhood, Katsuki had to pass his clinic on the way to his apartment. But whatever was standing there, whatever he passed, it wasn't his clinic. At least, not the same clinic.

At the front, there was a large truck open at the back and filled with supplies ranging from pipes to tiles to exercise equipment. A group of people who had no business there swarmed the entrance, door unlocked and some carrying exercise equipment out. The giant cans of paint bringing up the rear finally had Katsuki snapping out of his stupor enough to screech his car into a parking space and angrily march towards the scene with a poisonous glare. He rounded on a man in a hard hat, the others too preoccupied with their tools.

He clawed at the guy's collar, voice dark. "Tell me in the next ten seconds what the hellyou're doing to my building."

Crinkling the blueprints between them, the man fixed Katsuki with a stern look. "Sir, it is perfectly legal for us to be here. Here is my license proving my profession as a contractor." A calloused hand presented a card only for it to be smacked away with a snarl from the blond. It landed in the ground adjacent to them, workers around sending the two a wary look. "We were given full reign over the renovation of this clinic, complete with a new more convenient piping system, repaired ceiling, plaster, floor tiles, counters, and installing modern features."

Not buying it, Katsuki stepped forward, backing the bastard up into the wall, its brick digging into the other's back. "Who is paying for all of this?! Who even gave you PERMISSION, FUCKING WHO?!"

"Bakugou?"

Katsuki froze, grip on the other's collar forgotten to whirl around and spot a concerned Kirishima. Within his arms was a pile of tiles and rollers. His muscles were hardened, enabling the red riot to smash out much of the old tile without repercussions. Before Katsuki had a chance to turn his rage towards his friend, a sheet was being shoved into his chest. The contractor from before was dusting themselves off, looking unimpressed. "Read this and leave my team to their job. We don't need any accidents to occur because you're not composed enough to talk normally."

And honestly, fuck that guy. Katsuki would've chased after him to give him a taste of his fist if his red eyes weren't drawn to the summary sheet in his hands. It was a copy, obviously not the original that had a stamp of approval, but three names stuck out to him immediately.

Mina Ashido, the co-owner of the clinic signed off on the contract.

Eijirou Kirishima, one of the main builders who volunteered for the job and offered his signature as a witness.

And finally, Izuku Midoriya, the funder of the fifty-thousand-dollar budget, the exact price of the engagement ring that Katsuki had so meticulously revised.

"You okay, man?" Kirishima went to land a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Katsuki smacked it away and marched back to his car with angry strides. About to follow his friend, a passing worker who needed assistance with a pipe prompted him to jump back into work.

And this is where it left Katsuki, slamming his car door shut, locking it tight, and being forced to call Izuku Midoriya when he was home just as he didn't promise to do.

The culprit picked up on the third ring. "Kacchan, did you make it home already-"

"YOU." He seethed with every word. "SICK. FUCK."

Seeming to understand something, Izuku's tone turned stronger. "I'm guessing you've seen your surprise."

"IF YOU THINK FOR ONE SECOND THAT YOU CAN BUY MY FAVOUR BACK, YOU HAVE NOTHING BUT A FIST TO THE FACE COMING!" He was screeching, he knew it, the volume was enough to get looks from the workers and a few passer-by's who were out for a stroll. However, with a quick apathetic glance at the scene, they quickly moved on.

"Why do you think I'm trying to buy you?"

And really, Katsuki found it hilarious and insulting that Izuku had the guts to ask that."Deku, that is the STUPIDEST thing you've ever asked! Ask again, I dare you-!"

"Okay, okay." Izuku breathed, strangely calm despite the initial panic that he was sure would permeate their entire confrontation when he made this choice."It was a stupid question. But I promise, this isn't the same as the other times."

"Like hell I believe you!" Katsuki kicked the glove compartment, its contents nearly spilling out. He wanted to punch the interior mirror so hard that his knuckles bled."Your sorry rich ass better tell your minions to call off the project before I kick them off of my property!"

"Kacchan, why are you so against this?"

Fuck. So many pathetic, stupid-Deku questions that made him want to rip out the nerd's teeth and smash his skull in with them. Katsuki shouldn't have to explain this. He thought the hero knew better than that, but now here he was, overstepping boundaries. "I don't NEED your help to bring this place to the top. I was just getting there and YOU JUST HAD TO JUMP IN MY WAY!"

A breath of nothing.

Then, "…there's a limit to how much you can do on your own, even if it's Kacchan."

Katsuki snapped, really throwing a punch into the mirror this time. "SHUT UP! I'M NOT A CARRY-ON CHARITY TO FEED YOUR OWN EGO!"

"I KNOW!" He jolted back from the scream. Even Izuku seemed shocked at the sheer power, for he was left out of breath and quiet by his next admittance. "Don't ever call yourself a charity. I'm not doing this because I look down at you and think your efforts are cute. I'm doing this because I want to help, even if it means that you'll hate me."

Katsuki swallowed. The anger, the unhinged rage to destroy everything knocked down and dissolved in an instant. And now he was left empty, empty but a swirl of emotions that he wasn't used to expressing or dealing with, leaving him confused about what to do next.

Izuku continued. "I told you, Kacchan. This isn't a wedding to win Atsuko back. I don't want the ring anymore. I… wanted to prove that to you."

And the dumbest, shittiest part about this entire thing was that Katsuki could tell that the hero wasn't lying. There was no shaky tilt that came with being uncertain, of being wishy-washy, to Izuku's speech at this moment. It was nothing but words, stronger than steel and hitting him faster than a freight train.

Finally, Katsuki choked out. "Why? You could've just kept the money."

"It's for the same reason I wanted an expensive ring in the first place." Izuku sounded lighter all of a sudden, almost teasing.

He brought an arm over his eyes, tired. "Great, now you're just a little impulsive smartass."

"Kacchan…" The green-haired nerd brought his attention back, moving forward when Katsuki grunted in reply. "I'm not telling you what you should do with your life, whether you should continue being a doctor or not. You can even knock the building down once your last client is released. I have no say in it. But will you continue to help me arrange this wedding? I really, really want to see this through with you to the end, Kacchan. Like today, it's fine with just me but you make everything a lot better."

Hearing a knock on his window, Katsuki looked up. Kirishima was there, producing a coffee from his back like a peace offering. He sighed into his phone one last line before hanging up.

"I'll think about it."