Glasses

7:29 P.M.

Footage secured. I have it on a thumb drive that I'll be keeping on my person. We can go over it together tomorrow. A lot of paperwork needed to be signed, and you and Aki will need to provide additional signatures. Honenuki has already done so. Without those forms, I am disallowed from sharing the footage with you.

Katsuki scanned the text rather quickly, focusing only on the key words. He and the rest of the group, minus Amaya and Eijiro, were making their way back up the steps to the 1-A floor of the dormitory building. Upon seeing what he wanted to see, he composed an incredibly thoughtful reply before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

K

"Aki- you got plans tomorrow?"

"Just lazing around in existential dread as we await the first day of class and probably binge eating spicy chips, why?" the tailed teen replied. "Got something in mind?"

"We need to go see Iida tomorrow morning," Katsuki answered cryptically. "He got it."

"I'm kinda surprised," Daisuke said, his tone of voice matching his statement. "Especially that quickly…"

"What's going on?" Tsuyu asked, looking between the two boys as they continued to climb.

"Both of our dorms were missing some things that are supposed to come standard," Katsuki lied without missing a beat. "Door stops, I'm short a light bulb… that kind of shit. We filled out a form and Iida took care of it. Just have to sign a bunch of stupid papers to pick it up for record-keeping purposes."

"That's annoying," Kyoka added. "I'm pretty sure our sink leaks. Maybe I'll come w-"

"Take care of that now," Katsuki interrupted. "That could cause problems pretty much immediately. Don't sleep on it."

"He's right," Daisuke chimed in, picking up on the problem immediately. "That's a pretty serious issue. Waiting until morning is a bad idea."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Kyoka admitted with a sigh. "I was honestly hoping Kan would just take care of it, but…"

"I might be able to, but it's probably better to go to Iida first," Katsuki suggested. Another vibration in his pocket caught his attention, and he ignored it. The thought of starting a needless conversation wasn't exactly something he wanted to deal with, especially while trying to focus on a lie. "In the future, I can do small repairs."

"That'd be great," Kyoka said. "Thanks… Kats."

Katsuki shot a glare in Daisuke's direction, and the other boy avoided his eyes. There was a smirk on his face as Katsuki got two more texts, and he finally pulled out his phone.

"…that's not becoming a thing."

Yaoyorozu

7:31 P.M.

We need to talk at your earliest convenience. Midoriya spoke to me about his Quirk. I have already arranged for Kirishima to stay with Ashido tonight in my dorm, so you and I can have some privacy. Forgive me for not asking your permission to come to you again tonight, but this shouldn't wait for obvious reasons. Best wishes.

Dumbass

7:32 P.M.

Yo man, Mina just invited me up to her dorm again. Yao knows this time and she's cool with it. See you in the morning.

Yaoyorozu

7:32 P.M.

Again, my sincerest apologies, Bakugo. Please let me know when you receive these messages. If you would rather I not stay or you don't want to deal with the situation tonight, I can make other arrangements. Perhaps I was a bit hasty, but I would like to reassure you about all of this as soon as possible.

"Fuck," Katsuki said out loud before he could stop himself. He did stop his momentum on the staircase immediately, drawing looks from the rest of the group. "God damn it, that stupid asshole…"

"Come on, Iida's not that bad," Daisuke said jokingly. "A little nerdy, sure…"

"Not that," Katsuki snapped, clearly in no mood for humor. "All of you, just… get upstairs. I've got to deal with something. And here I thought today might be okay."

Fumikage merely nodded and began his ascent once again.

"Good luck. I hope the situation is resolved quickly."

"Fuck 'em up!" Dark shadow added ever-so-helpfully. "Whoever's causing problems, kick their ass!"

"I just might," Katsuki seethed as he put his phone away once again. Daisuke, Kyoka, and Tsuyu weren't so quick to give him space, and the sight of them blocking his path up the steps only served to infuriate him further. "What?"

Kyoka and Tsuyu both looked to Daisuke as though they were asking him for guidance. He merely shook his head and stepped to the side, leaning against the staircase railing.

"…do what you need to do, man. Just… let us help, if we can."

"You can't," Katsuki insisted as he began to climb once again. "This isn't like the situation with my mom, before any of you say it. This is much bigger and actually dangerous. Stay out of it."

"Just… one thing," Kyoka dared, stepping in front of Katsuki to block his path. She didn't flinch at the venomous look he shot her, nor did she blink. "If whatever's going on is dangerous… will you personally be okay after you deal with whatever's going on? I mean, physically. You're not throwing yourself into harm's way, are you?"

"I'm not," Katsuki growled. "I'll be fine. I promise."

Kyoka gave Katsuki a slow nod and stepped aside, standing opposite of Daisuke.

"…okay. I trust you. Fill us in when and if you can."

Katsuki watched Kyoka move aside and hesitated only a moment before pulling out his phone and beginning to reply to Momo.

"That's not happening. Don't tell Kan about this, or I'll never hear the end of it," Katsuki warned. He took a deep breath and started up the steps again before stopping and turning to face his friends. Katsuki's face twisted as if he was in physical pain, and he let out a heavy sigh. "And… thanks, for not being fucking obnoxious and shitty about this. I really appreciate it."

Katsuki took off up the steps immediately after he said it, disappearing on the switchback staircase above and passing Fumikage. The girls once again looked to Daisuke, and the boy shrank slightly under the pressure.

"…do you have any idea what's happening?" Tsuyu asked in a low voice, her eyes on the bottom of the staircase above. "We really do just want to help."

"So do I," Daisuke commiserated. "But I've got no idea. Really. I just hope he's not in over his head…"

Izuku Midoriya stood in the kitchenette of his dorm room, setting up a tea kettle and humming softly to himself. With only a pink towel cinched around his waist, he stood damp and contented as he got out a teacup from the cabinet over the stove. Upon taking it down, a series of furious knocks assaulted his door with enough force to make him jump and almost drop the vessel.

"C-coming!" Izuku called as he headed for the door. Upon reaching the metal, he worked to unlock it as quickly as he could. "Kacchan…?"

The moment the door opened, Katsuki came storming through and seized Izuku by the throat. He kept walking while pushing the other boy backward, slamming the door shut behind himself as he advanced. Izuku reached up and ineffectually clawed at Katsuki's wrists, not quite thinking straight as the enraged blond began to yell.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

Clarity finally reached Izuku as he thought to channel One for All… only to think better of it as he gripped Katsuki's wrist at a pressure point and squeezed as hard as he could without using the Quirk. It was just enough pressure to allow him to escape without injuring his friend, and he shuffled backward and ran into the couch as he gasped for breath.

"What… are you talking… about?" Izuku asked between gasps as Katsuki continued to advance. "I-I… is this about Yaoy-"

"Of course it's about Yaoyorozu!" Katsuki roared as he stopped mere feet from Izuku, his fists clenched and shaking. "I thought you were fucking smarter than this…"

"She's a class lead!" Izuku pleaded. "She needs to know! They all do! What if we're out in the field a-…"

Izuku trailed off, eyes wide as a flicker of sparks fizzled in Katsuki's palms.

"…Kacchan, don't do anything stupid…"

"What, like you did!?" Katsuki asked. "Every single person you tell puts both of our lives in danger, you stupid ass! Does the invisible cunt know!?"

"H-Hagakure?" Izuku asked as he gripped the back of the couch behind himself. "No, just Todoroki, Iida, and Yaoyorozu. She… I-I haven't been able to track her down to tell her yet…"

"Don't," Katsuki said icily. "Don't you dare. She's up to something, and it isn't good. You fucking warn Todoroki and Yaoyorozu not to say a word to her!"

"But then they'll be suspicious as to why!" Izuku pointed out. "What's going on with Hagakure?"

"I don't know!" Katsuki yelled. "I'm working on it! The more you fuck around, though, the harder it's going to get to… fuck!"

"Calm down!"

"Don't you fucking tell me to calm down!" Katsuki shouted, his volume rising even more. "I can't even believe… I'll handle it. I don't trust you to do it right now. Iida will know enough not to say anything, but the other two… I've got to get to them before they get to Hagakure. This is such a goddamned mess…"

"I'm… I'm sorry, alright?" Izuku tried. "Kacchan, I just…"

"You just what?" Katsuki asked. "You just thought you'd go and spill the biggest secret in all of Japan to three people who have no business knowing?"

"I just thought I could handle this on my own," Izuku said softly, looking to be close to tears. "I thought I could get by, but I can't keep it in. It's n-"

A series of much gentler knocks came at the door, and Katsuki looked over his shoulder.

"…this isn't over," Katsuki warned as he headed for the door. "Man the fuck up and stop sniffling before someone else starts asking questions."

Upon opening the door, Katsuki found a very concerned looking Momo Yaoyorozu waiting on the other side. The young woman had her freshly showered hair down and a silken, shimmering gold bathrobe on matched by a pair of flip flops. In her hand was a pink plastic shower caddy filled with shampoo, conditioner, and an array of soaps and perfumes.

"…is everything alright?" Momo asked. "I heard what sounded like an argument from the hallway…"

Katsuki hesitated a moment before stepping aside.

"Come in. You know what this is about."

"I had a feeling," Momo agreed as she walked into the dorm and waited for the door to shut behind her. "This is all… a lot to deal with. I'm assuming you just found out recently, as well?"

"I just…" Katsuki repeated, dumbfounded. Slowly, he turned his attention back to Izuku as his rage returned. He barely managed to keep it restrained as he hissed through his teeth. "You didn't tell her about how I've been training you?"

"It didn't seem relevant at the time!" Izuku whined, having moved to the other side of the couch to use it as a makeshift barrier between himself and Katsuki. "I was nervous, and I didn't tell her the whole story! Just the essential information!"

Katsuki reached up and rubbed hard at his forehead, doing his best to chase away the throbbing pain in his skull.

"No, I'm not just finding out," Katsuki answered with more bite than he intended. "I've known since it happened. It's all true, and he's… he's going to need my help going forward. Nothing's changed, in terms of that. I'm still going to have to carry this asshole on my shoulders, because he can't handle it on his own. Can we trust you to keep a secret? This is a huge deal and never should've been shared with any of you."

"Of course," Momo answered with a small bow. "The secret about One for All is safe with me."

"It better be," Katsuki emphasized. "I… can't deal with this right now. I'm so fucking pissed… but this conversation is over for tonight. I'm going back to my room and going to bed. Yaoyorozu, you're welcome to follow. Deku… stay the hell away from me for a few days, and keep your goddamned mouth shut."

"I'll be there shortly," Momo offered as she watched Katsuki open the door and step out into the hall. "Allow me to get dressed and grab my laptop, and I'll join you."

Nothing more was said as the blond left the dorm, leaving only Momo and Izuku with the door open.

"He's… really not a bad guy," Izuku said sheepishly. "And he's right, to an extent. Please go easy on him."

"I'll do what I can for both of you," Momo resolved as her gaze lingered on the open doorway. "Not just out of duty… but as a friend. You have my word."

Author's Note:

Katsuki just can't catch a break.

-RD