UPROAR

Summary: Just because you're a Pro doesn't mean you're immune to the shit life throws your way. But that's part of the fun, right? Ugh, All Might made it all look so easy. Aged-up. Rated T for now. Connected drabble series.

A/N: Hello, hello! Here's part two/the finale of the TV interview. Don't feel bad if you don't like Hinata Teodasu. You're not really supposed to ;) Anyway, this part of the interview kind of goes more into how Deku and Bakugo's rivalry has evolved and matured a bit over the years…and it was just fun as all hell to write! Next chapter should be out shortly :) Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Knucklehead and Blockhead

Helping Hands with Hinata Interview, finale

There was a long moment of silence onscreen in which Ochako's phone began to buzz so incessantly that she had to turn off her notifications altogether. This interview was quickly dissolving into a tense standoff between Hinata and her guests, and Ochako couldn't tell if she was doing it on purpose to boost her ratings or if she was just that terrible of a host.

"Well, I do believe I owe you another apology, Kacchan." Hinata gave a small chuckle though there was no warmth in it. "It's quite clear you are all still close despite the three years since graduation. So, let's focus on the future now that we've gotten a glimpse of your past at U.A."

The three former classmates waited for their next question with less enthusiasm than before. Ochako sat on the couch in astonishment at Bakugo's stoicism. A few years ago, he would have blown his chair to smithereens and would have had to be held back before daring the host to insult him again. She had planned to watch the interview expecting to agonize over Deku's visible nerves, but now she couldn't take her eyes off his brooding rival. She'd been under the naïve impression that not much had changed since their graduation, but apparently, she'd been very wrong.

"Tsukuyomi, you've risen quite rapidly through the hero ranks thanks to your association with the #2 hero, Hawks. Being the only hero on this panel who is still a sidekick, your fans want to know if you see something more for yourself in the future." Hinata managed to get her interview back on track, but it was clear that the boys were not as eager to answer her as they were before.

Gone were their TV jitters, probably overtaken by the new feeling of resentment they felt towards her questions. Interviews were supposed to be one of the easier parts of being a hero. Well, maybe not easier per se, but definitely not as tricky or dangerous as fighting a villain. The media and the heroes always used to work together in a symbiotic relationship, but it was a different world now. In the past, peace was maintained not only because of All Might's presence, but also by his reputation that the media shared with the world. Were it not for the glimmering grin he flashed for the cameras in the most desperate of situations, the crime rates would have been much, much worse.

But ever since his retirement, those enormous shoes were meant to be filled by the remaining Top Heroes, who were not ready for such a sudden exodus. Certainly not Endeavor, at least, who had become the new #1. And while he had done a lot to repair his reputation, it would never be enough to reach All Might's status in the public's heart.

That being said, a slew of new shows had begun to pop up over the years. Particularly, investigative shows that focused more on the regular police force's efforts to curtail crime, and less on romanticizing the Pro Heroes. There were very few in the immediate aftermath of All Might's departure, but as both time and the crime rate went unchecked, more of these cynical series began to appear.

And Ochako couldn't understand their appeal. What did these journalists hope to achieve by undermining the heroes that kept them safe? Sure, maybe some people got their kicks by watching a hero squirm under the lens of invasive questions during an otherwise standard interview, but what good did it truly do to try and sabotage their reputations? In her opinion, the crime rate would never start to decrease again until the heroes and these kinds of journalists began to get along again. Because all it was doing was giving the wrong kinds of people the right kinds of information, plus a soapbox to stand on.

Tokoyami chuckled, the first show of any sort of emotion from him all night. "While I thank my fans for their support, they should know that I am happy where I am. I believe I still have a lot to learn from Hawks and hope to do so before officially setting off on my own."

Hinata smiled warmly at his honest and eloquent answer, which seemed to ease some of the former tension in the room. She turned to Deku next, lest she risk poking the bear in Bakugo again.

"You've been on your own for over two years now, isn't that right?" She asked. "Why be a sidekick for only a year? Some would argue that's too short a time."

Ochako felt her heart seize in her chest as she grew anxious for Deku. It was the first direct question of the night that didn't require him to piggyback off someone else's answer. She could see the way his spine stiffened and his how his hands clenched into fists atop his knees, probably fighting off the urge to nervously ramble off the reason why he transferred from his first agency after only a year. She held her breath as she mentally ran through how he could have worded his answer without revealing too much personal information. Even Bakugo seemed to shift in his seat in anticipation of how his childhood friend would answer the unintentionally personal question.

In truth, Deku's mother had fallen ill a few months after graduation and hadn't been well since. It was as though the composure she'd struggled to maintain during his schooling had finally left her body after his graduation. And after a dizzy spell sent her tumbling down the stairs of their old apartment building, it was Deku's turn to fret over her wellbeing. He transferred to an agency closer to his old home and insisted that she move into his ridiculously oversized apartment the very moment she was discharged 3 days later. But she had refused, stubbornly insisting that it was his time to live his life and no mother could ever be so selfish. She would not be a burden to him after all he had been through to achieve his dreams. So, he reluctantly compromised and bought her a new apartment after transferring. One that had an elevator for her to use. He also paid her rent and visited whenever he could.

"Well, it wasn't exactly something I'd planned." Deku finally answered with a sheepish smile. "But there were a few things going on in my life at the time that all seemed to point me in the same direction. So, I chose to take it as a sign and discussed my options with my agency. They suggested the transfer, and I just try to do my best to make a difference no matter where I am." He shrugged with another nervous smile.

It would never cease to amaze Ochako how timid Deku still was no matter how strong he became or how much he improved controlling all of his quirks. He was the odd type who would take on multiple villains at once on his own without a second thought…but then second-guess going to dinner because it'd made him late and he was afraid of being scolded.

"Oh…that sounds like it must have been tough." Hinata nodded in solidarity. "But tell our captivated viewers – was one of those issues a girl?"

Ochako's cheeks began to heat up as she squirmed on the sofa, looking everywhere around the living room except the TV. She suddenly began to feel incredibly guilty for sitting pretty in Deku's apartment like some kind of exhibit A in his love trials.

Deku instantly turned red and started shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Bakugo released a snort, which made Deku freeze and suddenly change his mind.

"Actually…" He backpedaled. "Technically, yeah, I guess it was."

At this, Hinata threw Bakugo a suspicious glare, so he covered his smirk with his hand and focused his gaze elsewhere, which made Deku chuckle as they shared a bond over the inside joke.

Ochako couldn't help but recover her composure after witnessing this show of camaraderie. Of course, his childhood friend would have known about his mother's condition. In fact, ever since their secret fight after the licensing exam, their mothers had become fast friends all over again, bonded over the trials and tribulations of raising their stubborn sons – Katsuki the Knucklehead and Izuku the Blockhead. And now, after hearing about her downturn in health, Mitsuki made sure to always check in on Inko in what she believed to be inconspicuous ways. But they were in fact quite the opposite. The two lived nowhere near the other, so every surreptitious visit of being in the neighborhood and deciding to drop by would fall apart under the mildest of scrutiny.

"Surely you're not just going to leave your fans on that!" Hinata exclaimed. "Tell us! Who is the girl you care for so much that it made you transfer agencies before your first year was even over?"

Deku merely gave her another sheepish smile, hand on the back of his neck as apology. "I didn't mean to sound so mysterious! That was just one of the reasons I transferred, though. The rest I can't really say without running it by my superiors first! I'm sorry!" He gave a deep bow for the camera in the hopes it would finally get Hinata off his back.

"So, there is no woman in your life right now…?" Hinata's enthusiasm seemed to visibly deflate.

Deku shook his head negatively as he resettled himself in his seat. "No, I'm afraid not. Not like that, anyway." He chuckled, eyeing the camera that seemed to glare at him.

Ochako's face began to warm again as she felt like Deku was looking straight at her through the screen.

"I'm sorry to disappoint my fans, but I have all that I need waiting for me back at my apartment." He mustered up a wink for the camera, still blushing before he finally turned back to Hinata. "But I'm sure Kacchan's or Tsukuyomi's love life will be much more interesting than mine."

"Haaah?!" Exclaimed Bakugo, nearly leaping out of his seat to growl at Deku. "Don't go deflecting your questions onto me, you damn nerd!"

Ochako couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the broadcast after that. Bakugo's ranting and raving at Deku had fallen on deaf ears at that point. Ears that were so hot from blushing that she elected to remove the mint-colored cardigan she'd been wearing lest she sweat through the damn thing. She plucked her phone off the table and stared at the screen, a little relieved that her classmates were also in the process of having a meltdown. To the everyday viewer, Deku's behavior would have been dismissed as typical hero showboating…but to those in the know of the true awkward and bashful Deku, that kind of sudden charisma was sending a much different and very intentional message to someone.

WHO THE HELL IS MIDORIYA DATING?! Kaminari demanded with urgency.

He didn't tell me he had a girlfriend! Iida's disappointment seemed tangible even through text.

A 'live-in' girlfriend! Didn't you hear him say she was waiting for him at home?! Came the clever Ashido's clarification.

Who is it? Wondered Jirou.

It's probably someone we don't know that he met in the town where he works. Yaoyorozu guessed.

Hahahaha who else is busting a gut over Bakugo fighting with the host right now? Kirishima interrupted with several laughing emojis. This poor girl's show is probs gonna get cancelled bc of him!

Yeah, I'd feel bad for any girl who had to come home to either of their faces every day! Mineta chimed in with his own laughing emojis.

You realize they're all in this chat, right? They're all going to see these later. Do you even know how group chats work? Snapped Jirou.

Yeah, so? What are they gonna do, track me down and beat me up for it? It was no surprise that Mineta's bravery came in the form of anonymity. Distant anonymity.

Not right now, but I'm sure Bakugo-san will make you pay for it the next time we all meet up… Was Jirou's cool response.

Oh, crap I forgot about him…! Mineta sent several dogeza-style stickers as apology.

In the midst of reading her classmates bickering, Ochako received a private message from her closest friend, Asui:

"Do your best!" Tsu-chan followed it up with a winking Froppy-emoji. "Just ignore everybody else – if they knew it was you that Midoriya-san was talking about, they wouldn't be saying all those rude things."

Asui had managed to find quick and immense popularity thanks to her incredible abilities as a rescue hero. It also helped that her quirk was so marketable. She'd managed to find moderate fame in her region because of it, part of which apparently included a line of emojis and stickers for purchase through messaging apps.

But Ochako found no relief in her friend's words. Nor the words being spoken on TV for that matter.

"So, you're saying you'll never date while you're a Pro Hero?!" Hinata had thrown professionalism to the wind and was now engaged in a full-on argument with Bakugo. "That means you plan on waiting until you're a retired old man! That's completely unrealistic!"

Deku wore an anxious look on his face as he and the visibly irked Tokoyami were stuck between the two combatants.

"I'm not saying I'm waiting until I'm retired!" Bakugo barked back. "I'm saying that as a Pro Hero, the more popular you are the bigger a liability everyone around you becomes!"

"So as long as you're a hero, you won't ever date!" Hinata shot back like they were drunkenly arguing at a bar. Both seemed to forget the cameras were still rolling. Live. "Just answer the question for your fans!"

Bakugo growled in frustration, palms sparking and clenching his fists to keep from sweating too much more. "It's like the lights are on but no one's home with you, lady!" He huffed. "I'm not a hero so I can date every girl I save! Having a girlfriend or fiancé when you're facing down villains every day is like putting a giant target on their backs! D'you get it?! It's just not worth the trouble!"

Hinata scowled, clearly unwilling to agree to disagree. "So, what does that mean for all the heroes out there who are dating and marrying and having kids together? What are you saying about Deku-kun and his girlfriend, then?"

Bakugo looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head. "What the hell do I care about what that means for everyone else? Especially Deku! You asked me about myself!"

In the background, Deku seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that he would not be badgered about his love life all over again.

"That is so selfish." Hinata sneered. "There are children watching you at home right now."

Bakugo was gnashing his teeth together at this point, so Deku decided to step in.

"I think what Kacchan is trying to say is that as a hero, it's riskier to date because you're in the public eye and in dangerous situations more frequently than others are." He stated diplomatically. "So, he's probably being more selective with his partners than others have to be."

Tokoyami seemed to turn up his nose at the back-and-forth. "None of this actually matters in the end…"

A/N: Soooooo…of course it would be Bakugo who would drag out the unprofessionalism out of a professional reporter XD Also, this chapter's title actually comes from a panel in the manga where Mirio asks Deku's hero name, which can be translated in Japanese to mean "blockhead" which is what he takes it as, which had me rolling when I read it! (You can actually find the panel if you google something like "bnha deku blockhead" etc to see for yourself – his cheerful acceptance of being called Blockhead is worth the search alone!) And if Deku is a blockhead, then Bakugo has to be a knucklehead! As for the next chapter, it should be out soon!