"No way." Ai was behind the register in a tall tall chair with a cup of coffee steaming at her side. She was staring disbelievingly into the paper. She always got dramatic like this so Izuku continued loading books onto the book cart to put them back onto the shelves. "Izuku." She held up the paper and shook it.

"What?" Izuku squinted. It was a bunch of articles and he really didn't know which he should be looking at. Then he saw it.

"No way." Izuku grabbed it from her

"That's what I said!" Ai said excitedly. "You got so second hand famous that you made the paper without Dynamight!"

Izuku's stomach turned. He hadn't told Katsuki about this. The photo was just him sitting across from the other man as he sipped on his drink. He didn't even remember what the drink was, the date- and man- was so uninteresting. Well…everyone was uninteresting compared to Katsuki but he had to shake that thought quickly out of his mind.

"Was he not to your taste?" Ai asked as she snatched the paper back from him. "Oh! I should text him and tell him he's in the papers!"

He was not to Izuku's taste, he was a nice guy. But he wasn't…him.

His next date was on Saturday and he really wasn't looking forward to it. But it was the last one before he satisfied Ai and Daisuke that he was trying. This last guy was clearly told about the whole Dynamight situation because he slipped in questions about Katsuki in their casual conversation and Izuku was finding it more and more difficult to forget about Katsuki if just for a night.

He left Ai with the paper and disappeared into his office.

Didn't look like you were having much fun - K

Izuku stared at his phone. It was sent since 5:34 am this morning and Izuku wondered what he was talking about. He knew now. He finally opened the message and his fingers hovered over the letters, unsure how to respond.

I didn't.- I

It was all he could think to say. They hadn't talked in a week. It had begun to feel forced almost, texting him. He was embarrassed to text first, so he didn't. He didn't want to show his neediness, his want of Katsuki's attention. He avoided all the tabloids because Camie and Katsuki had fast become the novelty couple. There were only so many photos of Katsuki holding someone else's hand he could take.

I hope the next one's fun. - K

Ugh. Izuku sighed and smacked his cheeks. The next one? He was fine with Izuku going on dates?

I don't think it would be, I don't like doing this - I

Izuku was honest if not anything else.

You should try. - K

What did he mean? Why was he so infuriating? Did this mean that the Camie thing was going to last long? That they had no shot of being anything? He was angry and sad and that's what fuelled his next text.

I'll try Kacchan. Hope you and Camie are alright. - I

When Saturday came and he sat down opposite a man with glasses and red eyes, he did a double take.

"You're Ingenium!" Izuku said it too loudly and covered his mouth. The man blushed. Izuku whispered this time. "You're Ingenium."

"Hi, Iida Tenya." The man extended his hand and Izuku took it.

"I didn't know Ai and Daisuke knew you." Izuku's eyes were still wide with wonder. This would be the second pro hero he's known and all of a sudden, the date was infinitely more fascinating. Not for romance, but he had followed Ingenium's story, the brother losing the use of his legs and the man sitting before him taking up the mantle to become a hero with his brother's hero name. It was just all so wholesome and inspiring.

"We went to the same middle school." Iida palmed the back of his head and smiled shyly.

"I-" Izuku thought him very handsome, but again, he wasn't him . He was honest. "I think you should know I'm not interested in dating anyone, I was just doing this to satisfy them to leave me alone because of-"

"Bakugou." Iida laughed a short huff of breath. "Yea. I know. Sorry you had to go through that."

"It wasn't bad!" Izuku waved his hands dismissively. "I went to school with Kaccha-Katsuki and I grew up with him in the same neighbourhood."

Iida's eyes widened a little before he nodded. "Ah, so you were helping a friend."

"I was." Izuku nodded before looking at his empty plate and fiddling with the fork.

"So Izuku." Iida leaned back into his seat, the menu ignored on the table in front of them. "Izuku, right?" Izuku's embarrassment lit his face aflame.

"Sorry!" Izuku buried his face in his hands. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you!"

"It's alright, we're having a day." Iida chuckled. "What do you like to do for fun? I heard you run the bookstore Ai and Daisuke work in."

"I do! I love books!" Izuku blushed furiously at his knees. "I like to read, and-" He's never told anyone about his books, the books he writes when he analyses the heroes and their techniques whenever he sees their battles on television or on Youtube. Not since Katsuki had blown up his last one. Iida was patient, he didn't push him. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I write books on you guys."

"You guys?" Iida sipped on their complimentary water.

"Heroes. I wanted to be one. So I analysed how people fought, all the heroes. Techniques and special moves. But I'm…" Izuku smiled sadly, he had come to terms with his quirklessness a long time ago, but saying this to an actual hero was a little beyond his scope of imagination if he ever had to imagine it. "I'm quirkless."

"Oh man, that's neat." Iida smiled. "It must be nice to not have that responsibility."

"What do you mean?" Izuku had never heard those words concerning quirklessness before. Responsibility?

"Well, everyone when they have a quirk thinks they're going to be a hero. Or they can't use their quirks at all because it's illegal in public situations, right?" Izuku nodded. "It must be nice not to have to think about it all the time. You're not hiding who you are."

"I never would have thought about it that way." Izuku scratched his chin. "People hide who they are?"

"Have you ever wondered what Ai and Daisuke's quirks were?" Iida leaned onto the table and smiled. His smile made Izuku feel so welcomed, so…normal, he wanted to open up to this stranger whose relationship with himself only just began. He shook his head. "Ai can feel energies, so when someone's excited or angry, or sad or happy, she feels it all. Think of it like a heart monitor. It spikes on a graph for her, but she can't always feel their emotions or distinguish it. I tried to help her figure it out, but not everyone wants to train. Daisuke, he's just good at knowing what people want."

"Oh, she's scared of Kacchan because his energy is always so high!" Izuku realised. "I feel like such a shitty boss. Why don't I know this about them?"

"Because you don't care." Iida shrugged. He lifted his hands as though he meant it in a complimentary way. "You see people for people, For instance, you haven't treated me oddly since you recognised me, and you helped Katsuki Bakugou, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight despite his reputation and because you remembered him from your childhood."

Izuku smiled as he thought about Katsuki and how much he admired him, how much he would help him even now after he was hurt by the Camie situation.

"You really like him, huh?" Iida folded his arms in a self satisfied way like he had figured out a big mystery. "That's why you're not interested in dating."

"I-I-it's not like that!" Izuku waved his hands in an overly dismissive action that confirmed to Iida what he had just said. Izuku sighed. "I always admired Kacchan-Katsuki. He was so amazing with his quirk and I always looked up to him."

"So he wasn't always…" Iida struggled for the words, "the way he is now?"

Izuku laughed and shrugged. "He was always a mean guy, but," He played with the condensation on his water glass. "We both admired All Might and I could tell he would be amazing."

"Ah, All Might." Iida nodded. The waiter approached and took their orders. "So, you don't think he's going to be like Endeavour?"

Izuku shook his head. "He's far from being like him."

"Oh yea?" Iida laughed. "I don't hate the guy, but everyone has a point."

"He's not like Endeavour!" Izuku heard his voice echo off and the chatter of the restaurant died around him. Iida looked shocked and he lifted his arms.

"Okay, so he's not like Endeavour. What is he like?" Iida leaned forward to listen, his voice low as the other patrons resumed their conversations. And Izuku couldn't stop himself. He spilled everything about how Katsuki had treated him, but nothing about Katsuki's personal goals and feelings. That was for Katsuki to tell. Iida never once looked disinterested. And he would offer advice and views in between, so Izuku learned all about him; things he couldn't read in the paper.

Iida was a family man, he didn't think his quirk was special but he was determined to help people. When his brother was attacked by Stain, he almost gave up having attacked the villain in revenge and lost, losing all his hope for himself and having to find himself again amongst it all. Despite all of the distractions, he was able to graduate from UA and take over the hero name Ingenium, the entire time, he learned to care about his friends more, to be open to everyone and their stories because he knew his own. Izuku loved talking to him. He wanted to keep talking to him.

He didn't even notice when the photographers came.

You looked like you had a better time last night - K

Izuku frowned at his phone. He did have a good time last night. But it wasn't a date, so much as socialisation and making a new friend. He had no interest in sleeping with Iida. There was no reason for Katsuki to know that, though. Izuku wanted him to sweat. The photo of him laughing at something Iida had said was much bigger than the photo of him and the last date. Because it was a pro hero dating the fling of another pro hero.

It was nice. He was nice - I . Izuku stared at his message and almost regretted it. Was he still holding onto hope that Katsuki would just…come back to him?

That's good. I heard he was a good guy. - K

Izuku wished he could show Iida the message, to prove further that Katsuki was amazing and not jealous and very kind. But he wanted Katsuki to be jealous. To come back and sweep him off his feet. He groaned. His fingers were hovering over his keyboard trying to form a response when Katsuki messaged again.

Hope he treats you right, nerd. You deserve better - K

Better than what? Him?

So Izuku didn't date. But he did go out more and more with Daisuke, Ai, and eventually with Iida. He stopped caring about the photos that ended up in the papers and tabloids inevitably of him and Iida laughing on a club dancefloor or over drinks. His messages to Katsuki tapered off and he slowly was able to ignore the hole that had sunk into his chest where Katsuki would be.

He was about to reheat leftovers when the echo of a knock bounced up the stairs. It was the back door, closer to the staircase. He frowned and put the cold food onto the counter. It had no peephole, or glass, he would have to open the door.

"Who is it?" Izuku called, settling for safety.

"Zu." Izuku felt the syllable chill him. He turned the lock.

"Kacchan?" He peeked and found Katsuki with a cap pulled over his eyes, a medical mask over his face and shades.

"Can I come in?" Katsuki gestured inside and Izuku thought he looked defeated. His shoulders slumped, his demeanour lacklustre. He stepped aside and shut the door locking it behind him.

"What's wrong?" Izuku was startled to see a jewel of a teardrop clinging to his chin.

"I know we haven't talked in months." Katsuki's voice was broken and muffled behind the mask. Izuku took his hand and squeezed, but Katsuki's shoulders tensed. "But I needed- I need to just not exist right now and-"

Izuku pulled him into a hug, his hat fell off with a sharp thud on the floor. He threaded his fingers into Katsuki's spikey hair and squeezed him tightly. Katsuki's sobs weren't audible, but it shook through Izuku's body as he composed himself. When he inhaled shakily and pulled away, Izuku pulled off his shades and found his red eyes bloodshot and swollen. He took his mask off and brought his t-shirt up to Katsuki's face to dab the tears away.

"You want to talk about it?" Izuku brushed his cheek with his thumb and Katsuki looked so vulnerable and tender, Izuku just wanted to take care of him. "I have some food upstairs." He took Katsuki's hand again and pulled him up. He seated him on his bed because his stools were high and uncomfortable; Katsuki watched him with dazed eyes as Izuku heated the food in his microwave and brought it for him. The food went untouched as Izuku sat beside him.

"She screwed me." Katsuki said to his knees. He was twisting his hands together, picking at his nails in a general restlessness Izuku wasn't used to seeing from him. "We-" Katsuki glanced at Izuku before he shook his head slightly and swallowed thickly, "we slept together and she filmed us."

Izuku saw red. It pumped through him so furiously he had to inhale to find his thoughts and focus on Katsuki's words. He could feel the tips of his ears blaze hot with anger but he concentrated on his fists and digging his nails into his palm. He wasn't upset that Katsuki slept with her. He knew it would happen. He was upset that someone hurt him.

"She released it last night." Izuku suddenly couldn't hear anything. He had muted everything Dynamight about two months ago when he was trying to find joy in being with friends and ignore the hole in his chest with Katsuki not around. He wouldn't have seen anything about this. "Izuku, I don't know what to do."

Katsuki looked at him now, his eyes red and dry, shock froze his expression. "They're never going to take me seriously. No one is ever going to take me seriously." Izuku pulled Katsuki to his chest and stroked his hair.

"Kacchan. You're okay." Izuku pressed a kiss to his head. "Camie is an idiot. Everyone will see right through her."

"I don't know why she'd do it." Katsuki held onto Izuku's forearm like he was a liferaft. Izuku knew though, he knew why. Daisuke and Ai had mentioned that in the months since their debut, the relationship had died down in media. No one cared. Camie was still barely top 100, Katsuki was within the top 10, and by throwing her name back into the forefront of a scandal had everything for her to gain, and nothing for Katsuki to lose; except his reputation.

"You made amazing progress in the past few months. No one thinks that badly of you like they had before." Izuku turned Katsuki's face to look at him. "You hear me? You're brilliant, Kacchan. She can't take that away from you."

Katsuki smiled, but it was more like a grimace.

"Do you want to eat?" Izuku reached around for it and almost put his hand in the food. Katsuki shook his head. Izuku found it difficult to leave him there but he chucked the plate back into the microwave and left it there. Katsuki was standing and gazing out his window when he returned.

"You know. It wouldn't have been a big deal if I didn't have all these scars." Katsuki laughed as his hands skimmed his hip and shoulder where Izuku knew he had gotten stabbed a few years ago. "My face wasn't in the stupid video, but it's obvious it's me."

"First thing's first, you need to publicly break up with her." Izuku's anger and bitterness was barely contained. Katsuki chuckled and his expression, tired before, softened as he looked at Izuku.

"I should never have agreed to the stupid publicity stunt from the beginning." Katsuki picked something out of Izuku's hair. The heat of his palm was like a kiss on his cheek.

"I know I'm quirkless, but I will hurt her." Izuku clenched his fist. "I'm not opposed to hitting women, not if they hurt you." Katsuki laughed again. It was a nice sound, Izuku wasn't sure he would be hearing it tonight.

"I should never have left you." Katsuki dipped his forehead to Izuku's. "I've fucking missed you more than I could say."

"I missed you too, Kacchan." Izuku pressed his forehead more forcefully to Katsuki's so he rocked back a bit and he laughed.

"I'm so sorry, Izuku." Katsuki stepped back. "I came here out of nowhere. I stopped texting you because I saw you were happy with Tenya-"

"What?"

"And I didn't want to ruin that for you." Katsuki dragged a hand through his hair and gave a lopsided smile.

"Iida and I aren't dating." Izuku shook his head. Katsuki blinked. "We just hit it off, but as friends."

"But the paper-" Katsuki frowned.

"They just say whatever they want, don't they?" Izuku laughed. "And you can come to me anytime," Izuku stepped back up to Katsuki, he could smell nitroglycerin on him, he was nervous and sweating. "Look at me, hey." Katsuki brought his eyes up to Izuku. " Anytime you need me, okay?"

Katsuki nodded. Izuku jumped when his phone vibrated loudly on his nightstand. He walked over to it and answered while looking at Katsuki.

"Hey, did you see the news?" Iida's voice sounded panicked.

"Yea, I did." Izuku grimaced. There was a scuffle sound.

"Is that Izuku?" Ai's voice sounded distant. "Oh my god, is he okay?"

"Hey, Iida, I have to go." Izuku saw Katsuki retreating and he panicked.

"Is Dynamight with you?" Ai's voice was closer and louder, it sounded like they were at a bar. "Izuku! You sly-"

"Ignore her." Iida came back on. "Take care of yourself, yea?"

The phone went dead and Izuku inhaled.

"Ah, I guess everyone's hearing about it." Katsuki looked wounded again and Izuku turned his phone off and took his hand.

"Who cares?" Izuku squeezed reassuringly. "The next scandal will happen and it won't matter anymore. You'll go back to being Dynamight. One of the best heroes of our generation."

Katsuki huffed.

"You're too good for me." Katsuki looked down at Izuku's hand around his own.

"I'm just trying my best to help one person at a time, Kacchan." Izuku smiled. Katsuki kissed him.

It wasn't hungry, but soft and desperate. He was begging to be loved. And Izuku would be lying if he said right then that he didn't love him. Because he did love Katsuki Bakugou. Irreparably. So he loved him.

Izuku allowed himself to be touched by Katsuki's explosive hands, his shirt shifting under his grasp until he pulled it off over his head and let it fall to the floor. Every touch was like a whisper, a secret, a plead. Izuku pulled at him, the taughtness of Katsuki's muscles beneath his palms, the way they rippled as he moved, stepping into Izuku so they fell back onto the bed, all had him hard against Katsuki's thigh where he pressed down onto Izuku as he grabbed fistfuls of hair and tugged.

"Kacchan," Izuku gasped when Katsuki moved from his lips to his jaw, then to his throat. "Are you sure?"

Katsuki laughed, his eyes still swollen and red but finally focused. He pressed his own cock onto Izuku's hip and hissed at the friction. "I'm sure, nerd. Are you?"

Izuku pulled him down to him and kissed him in response.

Somewhere in the haze, they found the lube and condoms. Before Katsuki could slip it on, Izuku tasted him. He was sweet and musky, bitter and smoky somehow. He licked the entire underside of his cock, catching the precome on his tongue as he pursed his lips around his pink head.

"I want to return the favour." Katsuki tugged on Izuku's hair and pulled away. He lowered his mouth to Izuku and kept his eyes on him. Izuku almost blacked out from the sheer image of his cock disappearing into Katsuki's mouth. He widened his legs and thrust a little, Katsuki grinned as he kissed his head. His spine arched off the bed when Katsuki slipped a finger into him and then another, curling them into his prostate.

"You're beautiful." Katsuki kissed a trail up his stomach, to his chest, and he could taste himself on Katsuki's tongue. Izuku was almost completely gone to the daze of Katsuki's fingers inside of him. He opened his eyes and focused just enough to admire Katsuki rolling a condom onto himself. Katsuki grabbed his thighs, pulled Izuku roughly to him and lined himself up with Izuku's hole. Izuku nodded. Katsuki sunk into him and shuddered as they both adjusted.

"Oh fuck. " Katsuki hissed before he came down and swallowed all of Izuku's moans. Izuku hooked his ankles together and angled himself so Katsuki could sink deeper yet and they rocked together until his cock oozed against his stomach, painfully aroused and neglected. He reached for himself, ready for release and Katsuki shifted off of him abruptly.

"Spin around." Izuku did as he was told, and Katsuki thrust into him, reached around and grasped his shaft. His hips buckled and his arms gave out. He grabbed onto the sheets for purchase as Katsuki's palm pulled along his length. "I need you," Katsuki whispered. "You're so perfect."

Katsuki's rhythm increased, his thrusts were more forceful, his hand was delicate and his strokes never let up. Izuku sobbed into the sheets as he came and clenched onto Katsuki as he was drained completely. Katsuki groaned and collapsed onto Izuku, and he could feel the man's cock twitch inside him as he came. They both trembled in an effort to stay upright, their orgasms rocking through their bodies in waves.

Finally, Izuku fell flat to his bed and onto his own mess. His body was jelly and he didn't care. He heard Katsuki tying off the condom before the bed sank and he opened one eye. Katsuki flipped him onto his back and kissed him softly, nipping at his lips. They were both heaving for breath and Izuku could feel their heartbeats against his ribcage, both battering in irregular beats.

Katsuki had a towel in his hand and delicately, he wiped at Izuku's mess before laying down another towel on the messed sheets.

"Thank you." Katsuki kissed his forehead and whispered the words into his skin. Izuku pulled him to his chest and they fell asleep intertwined.