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Chapter 18: I'mma blow this (blow this) blow this whole house down

To his shame he didn't have the courage to simply call Midoriya's bluff or to ask for help. He couldn't risk exposing something he'd spent practically his entire life being ashamed of. But what he could do was outfox the fox. He got what he needed using seduction and subterfuge. Two things he thought he'd never need in his arsenal considering the raw power of his Quirk.

He'd brought his own ultimatum to the table. The only person who cared about being a hero as much as he did was Midoriya and you can't replace the symbol of peace with someone who can't be trusted. He'd hoped for evidence that Midoriya wasn't the choir boy people thought he was. His plan wasn't foolproof. So much could go wrong. He was no longer the confident person he used to be. It is why he needed Harada for a boost of confidence. It's why he'd painstakingly planned and plotted and searched for somebody who could manipulate the laws of probability to improve his odds. Katsuki hadn't found anybody but it turned out he didn't need to, somehow he'd managed to obtain this blackmail-worthy material regardless. Getting evidence for a crime - one that appeared to have put an innocent man in prison was beyond his wildest dreams. He'd googled his old teacher's name while hiding out in the closet and discovered he'd allegedly gone to prison on charges of fraud, embezzlement and drugs. Somebody with a clean record, a modest income, little incentive and no computer skills whatsoever didn't end up with millions they'd never touched and twenty kilos of cocaine left out in the guest room. It was a set-up and now Katsuki had a confession proving it. Time for phase two of his plan. He's no damsel in distress. He's Bakugou fucking Katsuki. He's going to save himself, protect his friends and expose Midoriya's alarming behaviour all while keeping his secret under wraps.

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"I'm done. We're done."

After all he's been through Katsuki thought this would be much more satisfying than it is but he's just tired. They're out on the balcony of Kirishima's room, the wind ruffling their hair. Katsuki has laid out everything he's done. How he now has blackmail on Midoriya, blackmail he can actually use. They both knew he was never going to use the secret of One For All as a source of blackmail.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Midoriya tilts his head. "A principle of mutually assured destruction? I'm proud of you Kacchan."

The fuck?

Midoriya reaches out to touch him but Katsuki flinches away.

"I said we're done. You don't get to do that anymore."

"I apologise Kacchan."

"Whatever, now that's been clarified let's go."

"Why would I do that?"

"What? This is Kirishima's room. We're in here because we needed a private place that was neutral. We're done now. In agreement that neither will release the blackmail on the other, so we're leaving."

Midoriya pastes a smile on his freckled face. Throws himself onto Kirishima's bed. Picks up a bottle of protein powder laying nearby and examines it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Katsuki is starting to feel on edge. "You understand what I have on you right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Midoriya waves a hand dismissively in his direction and Katsuki feels like strangling him. "You've taken away my most treasured source of happiness, so I'm waiting here to try and find another."

"Listen you imbecile you can't tell Kirishima or -"

"Or you'll release the audio you took of me? I know, you said. It's very rude to record someone without their knowledge you know."

Katsuki's scowl deepens further but he doesn't respond.

"Don't worry," Midoriya sighs. "I'm not going to tell Kirishima anything about you. I'm going to confess. I think we'd make a good couple and who knows. Maybe one day he'll be just as amenable to my desires as you once were before you decided to ruin us."

Logically Midoriya pursuing Kirishima makes no sense. Katsuki can clearly see it's a jibe designed to get under his skin but it works and he loses it. The thought of Kirishima being hurt again...There's a ringing in his ears and hole in the wall and among the carnage all he can see is Midoriya grinning smugly like he's won. So he kicks him, again and again and again and doesn't stop to think why Midoriya isn't even trying to defend himself, never mind fight back -

"Bakugou!" Kirishima shouts, bursting into the room. He's furious and it's terrifying because Katsuki has never seen Kirishima look at anybody other than a villain this way. However right now Kirishima is directing his fury at the wrong person because that look of disdain is directed at him, not Deku. A moment later somebody else barges into the room and calls out to him in the most annoying calm manner.

"Get out Mind Freak!" He screams.

The moment the words pass his lips, he registers his mistake.

"It's f-fine," Midoriya gasps, from where he's lying on the floor, clutching his stomach. "You can release him, Shinsou. We've just had too much to drink."

Katsuki's eyes widen at the lie and he goes towards Deku again but this time it's Kirishima who stops him by grabbing him and bodily slamming him into the wall. "Sober up and pull yourself together," he growls. "You aren't acting manly at all!"

"We're both to blame." Midoriya warbles, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "If you'd come in a few minutes earlier you wouldn't have thought I was so innocent either."

Kirishima's grip relaxes slightly, dropping his hardening Quirk. He stares intently into Katsuki's eyes. "Fine. I'll trust that this isn't as one-sided as it looks, but Bakugou I'm cutting you off for the night."

Katsuki feels like screaming. Like tearing his hair out. Like blowing the entire world up. "I'm not drunk!" He yells. "And I know what I'm doing!" He gestures wildly at Midoriya, eyes practically bugging out his head as he clamours to get Kirishima to understand. "He's a fucking sick! How the fuck can't you see it! He deserves to be hurt!"

"I'm sorry!" Midoriya shrieks, shocking the occupants of the room to attention. His next words are softer and honeyed. "I'm sorry Kacchan. I didn't mean to tease you like that. I didn't mean it." He looks seriously at Shinsou and Kirishima. "This is my fault. We're in your room Kirishima because I played a prank in poor taste. I probably should drink some water...Kirishima, Shinsou. I instigated it so please don't blame Kacchan."

Katsuki staggers back. I can't tell them anything, can I? Isn't that what we just agreed to? Is that what he's doing? But then if Midoriya isn't exposing me and I don't expose him...doesn't that mean that I'm free?

A single tear drips down his face.

Freedom is truly oxygen for the soul because for the first time in a long time, Katsuki finds he can breathe.