Chapter Three: Tsu's POV

'What do you think it's all about?'

'Maybe something to do with national security?'

'Perhaps, there's a new villain organization.'

Tsu stayed silent as she did her best to blend in and remain unseen in the sea of reporters and other journalists sitting or standing around awaiting the Japan Hero Association to make an announcement. She could hear all their guesses, but so far, none of them was correct in their assumptions. Unlike Tsu, none of them knew they would learn about Izuku leaving the spot of Japan's Number One Hero and Katsuki stepping up to receive it.

It was better this way from what she learned from Katsuki's occasional texts. His and Deku's publicist decided that by a physical announcement, they could control how the news would get out better and perhaps avoid most of the backlash and bad press. For the sake of everyone's nerves, Tsu hoped it would work.

Discreetly, she fixed her bangs a bit, hoping they, along with her sunglasses, did an excellent job of hiding her face. She was on edge too, hoping the conference would proceed smoothly as she would hate someone or something messing it up and Katsuki's promotion so quickly after he got it given his insecurities that he had confided in her a week ago. It might have looked odd on the outside, but Tsu felt a strange sense of comradery when it came to the loudmouth ash-blond. She knew all too well how her looks and behavior as a Pro-Heroine put her into a box, so she understood most of his struggles. It was also only natural for Tsu to wish to aid him in said struggles which was essentially why she came here in the first place.

To show support.

'Tsu-chan, is that you?' asked someone from the door, and Tsu's eye widened a bit as she feared the loud volume would cause those around her to recognize her. Some people turned to look, but it seemed everyone, but one immediately lost interest.

Thank Kami.

Tsu waited, holding her breath. A woman, the seemingly only one paying her a closer look, finally turned back around, but the sea-green-haired heroine could see her hand moving as she made some notes on her phone.

I hope it's just a coincidence.

She quickly waved at Kirishima Eijiro to come closer. Then she pressed her finger against her lips while he did the same before he put his hands together and whispered softly, 'Sorry.'

The sea-green-haired heroine smiled because she wasn't all that upset, mainly because it seemed no one recognized them yet.

The redheaded hero started to nervously play with the cap attempting to hide his striking hair and the civilian clothes and glasses he put on, 'I guess it wasn't really smart to call out your name like that.'

Tsu waved her hand at his worries, 'No problem. It's not like my attempts of going anywhere incognito ever worked all that much.'

Sadly, that was true. Tsu's unique froglike features made blending in more or less impossible unless she really put some effort into it. Today, she simply put on her civilian clothes, tied her hair in a braided bun on top of her head, and hid her dark eyes behind a pair of nice sunglasses.

He still looked apologetic as he stepped beside her before he asked, 'Did you come for Bakugou too? He told me before the weekend,' he lowered his voice to a volume none of the media people would be able to hear, 'It was a shocker. I said I wanted to come and support him if he'll have me.'

Tsu smiled upon hearing that. Despite how off-putting Katsuki's behavior could be to some, Eijiro always stood next to him, making it clear the ash-blond wasn't all that bad. She learned that firsthand, especially these past two times they met.

'I was surprised he told you too,' he admitted after a while.

Tsu detected the slightly suspicious tone in his voice, 'I mean, you even took him out to celebrate, which was super kind and manly of you.'

She chuckled at the hero using his U.A. old catchphrase, 'Well, it wasn't really intentional. We met at Izu-chan's house.'

'Yeah, but still,' he said, lost in thought before he offered her a genuine smile and fisted his hand in front of his chest in a positive gesture, 'I could tell he was in a really good place when he told me, and I know how you are. You must have really helped him out a lot. I'm glad he had you with him to confine in, Tsu-chan.'

Considering Katsuki and Eijiro's relationship, Tsu felt pride over the fact that he would think that.

Also, she didn't really show it, but she couldn't help but feel relief as she realized Katsuki must have only pointed out Tsu took him out for drinks and not the fatal error on her part that was kissing him the way she had that night.

I'm still at a loss over doing that; she couldn't help but think, recalling the events from a week ago.

That morning after their drinks was probably the first time Asui Tsuyu woke up on a day off feeling so poorly. She was shocked and a bit crossed with herself that she did something like that to Katsuki when he was doubting himself in such a vulnerable moment.

It wasn't like it was something she planned to do. She had no hidden urge to pull Katsuki's face toward her and land one on him like that. He was handsome, and they had a lovely time together. Still, Tsu prided herself in being reasonable and usually considering such things after a couple of nice dates with people she had been interested in for a while now. Not colleagues who she had just started a new-found friendship with. Up until a couple of months, she rarely, if ever, even thought about the ash-blond hero, so it wasn't planned or expected.

It started when she left to use the restroom and pay before Katsuki would get a chance to.

She passed the table with three men, where one of them had taken a photo of them earlier that evening. She heard very loudly and clearly how one of them said to the other two, 'Damn, that ass! It has to look even better in a swimsuit.'

It almost got her to pause and deal with the harassment. Still, at the last moment, she told herself that wouldn't be the wisest choice because even if she didn't feel overly drunk, she was still tipsy, and such things could quickly escalate.

Ultimately, she simply went to the restroom and paid their bill before being stopped by two older women who praised her last rescue mission and thanked her for all her hard work. Several people showed up while she and Katsuki were seated, so it wasn't a big deal until one of those nice women made a grimace, 'You truly must have the nerves of a saint, dear.'

'Excuse me, I don't think I understand,' she said truthfully as the other woman tried to shake her head and give her friend some sort of a signal. Still, she already spoke, 'Well, to be able to stand the company of that rude man. I couldn't even greet him when he acted like such a barbarian. Maybe you should reconsider spending time with such an individual?'

Tsu was left looking at the woman for several moments in complete shock before she felt hot anger enter her body. It was true; she was good at dealing with her emotions and wasn't as quick to make rash decisions as were some of her other colleagues, Katsuki included, but the mixture of alcohol and what Katsuki confiding in her all night got the best of her, and before she knew it she gave both the woman her best attempt at a cold look before she said, 'That individual is our Number Two Hero, kero. He risked his life more times than you can imagine, even for people like you, who say such things about him. He might be rude, but that's just proof of how much he cares for people with a burning passion not every hero would be willing to try and save you with. Please, if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, you shouldn't talk at all, excuse me,' she said, refusing to care about the shocked look on those women's faces, and continued to make her way toward Katsuki and their table when she heard those three men talk shit some more among themselves.

Honestly, every other day they met star-stuck or loving fans. Still, tonight it's like everyone's a critic, she thought to herself, frustrated, especially when she heard how they were talking so disrespectfully about her yet acting like they had her best interest at heart.

When she saw how abruptly the ash-blond stood up from their table, she knew what would happen and quickly rushed toward him.

It would have been more reasonable to simply calm him down. If her mind wasn't already clouded with alcohol that lowered her inhibitions and her body wasn't humming from how upset she was over all those people, she might have done just that.

Instead, the moment she got close to the ash-blond, all she could think about was how wrong they all were and how even someone like Katsuki could get someone like her, and yes, even someone like her could be with someone as handsome as him.

Luckily, Katsuki didn't make a big deal out of it as he brushed aside her apology. Since then, they even exchanged a couple of texts, so Tsu was sure their fragile and new-established friendship survived without any unwanted awkwardness.

Thank Kami, she thought, as she would hate herself if she ruined it like that before they even got a chance. She hated she even did something reckless like that, even if she wouldn't take it back. It did serve those people right.

I just don't understand why they got under my skin so much; she couldn't figure it out for a while until she just decided to blame the alcohol and the fact that Katsuki was at his lowest, and their cruel comments weren't helping.

'Katsuki wouldn't be able to accept anyone's help and support if it wasn't for you, kero,' she told Eijiro as she came out of her thoughts and back to the present moment of Katsuki's promotion. The redheaded hero offered her a happy grin, 'Ah, don't say stuff like that. It'll get into my head.'

'Okay,' she giggled and allowed him to catch a break.

'Eijiro-kun, hello,' said a beautiful older woman who came to stand beside him in a far too loud voice. But even before she spoke, Tsu quickly recognized her as Katsuki's mother. They seemed uncanny alike.

'Hello, Bakugou-san,' greeted her Kirishima while Tsu offered her a small smile. It seemed she and Kirishima weren't the only ones who decided to show up for Katsuki's support. Even if they did so secretly, 'I'm glad you made it. Bakugou will be glad.'

'I doubt that. Getting the news out of the brat was such a hassle. I'm sure he wouldn't even bother unless Izuku didn't tell him Inko knew.'

'Excuse me,' said a man, who came with Katsuki's mother, most likely his father, looking directly at Tsu, who attempted not to eavesdrop, 'Aren't you the pro-heroine Floppy?'

She glanced around to ensure no one heard and then bowed to Katsuki's parents, 'Yes, I'm Asui Tsuyu. It's nice to meet you, Bakugou-san.'

Katsuki's mother immediately shot Eijiro a look, 'Don't tell me you broke up with that sweet girl of yours-'

'No! It's not like that-'

Tsu hid her smile with her hand for a moment before she giggled, 'Actually, I came to support Baku-chan.'

The woman stopped scolding the other hero and looked directly at her before she grinned with a twinkle in her eyes, 'Baku-chan? He lets you call him that?'

'Since the U.A. days,' confirmed Eijiro grinning as well, and the woman looked properly amused, 'You can call me Mitsuki, and this is Masaru. Katsuki's father.'

'It's very nice to meet you,' said the man.

Mitsuki motioned for Tsu and Eijiro, 'So you came to support our kid, huh? He's so secretive, that one. I didn't even know you were close.'

Even if she shouldn't, Tsu had a strange feeling that the woman was assuming things she shouldn't be the way most mothers tended to. It left her feeling a bit like she was under a microscope. She was good at working under pressure. It was a part of her job for so many years now, but she still hoped she wouldn't tell them anything Katsuki would get an earful for later.

'It's a recent development. We didn't talk much after graduation until a few months ago-'

'During the interview,' cut in Mitsuki, and then she nodded with nothing but honest pride radiating from her eyes as they softened, 'I was thrilled when he did that. He always saves people and fights villains, but during that interview, he showed he had a heart too and deserves all that fuss.'

Tsu nodded, understanding what the woman meant. She also couldn't help but smile since even if until then she knew there was more to Katsuki than his loudmouth persona, she was delighted more people would see it too. She was glad she was one of those people.

They chatted a bit before Katsuki, Izuku, and some other people, probably from the Japan Hero Association, came and took their respectful places before the microphones.

Tsu couldn't help but smile once more as she saw how much effort the hero put into himself to look professional and presentable. His suit seemed expensive and well-tailored, fitting him perfectly, and his hair was obviously fixed just for today because she never saw it in such a way. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was some very serious businessman who prided himself in always controlling everything around him, including himself.

Just before he took his spot, Katsuki's eyes scanned the room. His face remained the same, dominated by his typical ever-present Bakugou-scowl. Still, even if just for a second, she would have sworn he lingered a bit at her face, so she made sure to mouth: 'You got this.'

She sensed Mitsuki turned her head in her direction, but Tsu couldn't bring herself to look anywhere else but at Katsuki. Her body was practically vibrating as it started to realize the magnitude of the situation. Katsuki would become the Number One Hero. More importantly, he would finally achieve his dream. Something he had been working on since he was a child. The gravity of the situation didn't escape Tsu. Even if she was struggling with her own unfulfilled dreams at the moment, she couldn't help but feel beyond happy and proud of the man in front of her.

The news that Bakugou Katsuki would become the new Japan's Number One Hero broke out exactly one week from the evening they met in Izuku's house.

Everything went as his agency prepared it, and she, Katsuki's family, and Eijiro watched it happen. Izuku's speech was moving, confident, and beyond hopeful, just like the man himself when he announced he would be stepping down, knowing he was leaving the spot in good hands. Katsuki sounded very professional but also grateful, maybe even without realizing it, revealing just how much it meant to him that Izuku thought so highly of him. Overall, Tsu would say it went rather well.

Of course, the others present were stunned and started firing questions somewhat chaotically since they weren't prepared for this. Still, at the same time, they seemed genuinely decent, sticking to the point.

Finally, it seemed nothing new could be said, and many of the questions started to repeat themselves or, at the time, were impossible to answer, so they called it quits.

As she was leaving, Tsu was sure she saw someone point a camera at her and the others, and she thought she heard someone ask rather loudly, 'Why was she here anyway?' But she wasn't sure if they meant her or not.

'Aren't you going to go greet him with us?' asked Masaru in a quiet and sweet voice.

She thought about it for a moment. Perhaps, this was something Katsuki wished to do surrounded by his family and not have outsiders meddle.

'Come on!' urged her Mitsuki and even tossed her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, 'He wouldn't ask you to come if he didn't want you around. You're already here. What's five more minutes?'

She didn't have time to answer because suddenly, she was led to another room where Katsuki was leaning against the wall listening to an older kind-looking man and a slightly younger-looking woman who must have been the man's assistant.

Tsu caught Izuku by the window on the phone with someone. And they shared a wave while Mitsuki let her go to go and argued with her son about how it wouldn't kill him to smile a bit more.

She and Eijiro shared an amused look over Katsuki getting laid into like he was a kid before the ash-blond ended the argument with a firm, 'Just drop it already, you old hag!'

'You-'

'Ah, Baku-chan, can we talk for a second,' said Tsu, quickly stopping a new argument from starting over.

Katsuki walked toward them, and Tsu had to admit up close he looked even more handsome dressed this close than when he was on the stage. The clothes and hairstyle really suited him. She was uncertain if he would care for her input on his looks, so she kept it to herself for now.

She put her index finger against her lower lip while Eijiro grinned and raised his fist for Katsuki to bump him, 'Great job not blowing up, Bakubro!'

Katsuki had his eyes narrowed at him for a moment giving him a look before he said, 'Whatever, thanks for showing up.'

He even fist-bumped him looking annoyed adequately about it, while Tsu covered her mouth so she wouldn't laugh out loud.

When Katsuki glanced at her, she offered him a broad and happy smile, 'You did really well. You sounded just like a Number One Hero should. Everyone who came today will report it like that.'

His face eased slightly before he sighed and brushed his hair, ruining it almost immediately, 'Thanks. It's just the first step. I'll have tons of interviews now and bullshit media outings.'

At times like these, she wished the sympathy she felt toward his struggles could be easier to read from her expressionless face. Still, seeing that it couldn't, she merely smiled while Eijiro patted his shoulder, obviously annoying Katsuki some more.

He was then called by someone from his agency and barked back at the poor woman, 'One minute!'

The woman flinched.

'We don't want to keep you waiting,' said Tsu knowing Eijiro felt the same as the redhead nodded by her side, 'We just wanted you to have a few familiar faces in the crowd.'

She meant it too. When he texted telling her that if she had a day off and was bored, she could show up, she understood he actually wanted her there and made sure to change her shifts so she could make it.

The ash-blond watched her momentarily while the woman behind him looked somewhat nervous that he wasn't paying her attention and that she would be forced to call out to him again.

However, before Tsu could point it out, the ash-blond stepped closer to the sea-green-haired heroine, shielding her a bit from Eijiro and the others.

Surprised, she blinked but accepted the gesture and put her hand on his arm without realizing it.

Katsuki didn't seem to notice either as his red eyes stayed focused on her behind her dark sunglasses, 'I already spoke with…' he suddenly stopped talking and narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, making it clear he was upset, but not as aggressively as he usually did when he was angry, 'Put those down for a sec. It feels fucking weird not to see your eyes when we're talking.'

It surprised her to hear him say that.

She couldn't help but smile to herself as she put them down, though. It was the first time they had seen one another since their night out, and she couldn't help but feel glad for it. She knew now that he was officially the Number One Hero, they wouldn't be able to hang out as often, and even if it was a part of their lives and jobs, she couldn't help but feel something close to anguish over the fact. It felt like she had just got Katsuki and would already be losing him, and Tsu already thought she was losing a lot of people due to her busy schedule.

Katsuki's narrowed eyes softened slightly once they met hers, causing her to smile again. She noticed it was his equivalent of a friendlier look.

'I already spoke with All-Might and the Hero Association. They'll call you tomorrow about funds for your project.'

Tsu's dark eyes widened in surprise.

Last week after hanging out with Katsuki, she decided to work out a better plan to help her Kids at the Beach project. The ash-blond hero reminded her why she was so invested in it, and she couldn't bring herself to give up just yet. Also, she felt a bit more confident after his words of praise. A lot of people supported her, and Tsu did in no way lack confidence as she always prided herself in being very in touch with her strong and weak points; however, having someone as talented and famous as Katsuki to tell her she was doing the right thing, not to mention the plan to support her and help her when he became Number One Hero meant a lot. Deku would help her, too, if she asked, but with how busy he always seemed, Tsu never felt like doing that. The same went with Ochako.

She was just caught off-guard; he would do this for her so quickly. Especially when he was dealing with all of this, 'B-Baku-chan, I-thank you!'

Her lips curled into a broad smile, and she had the most immense urge to hug him, but after what happened at the bar, she thought better of it.

She sighed and nodded, 'Thank you. It means a lot, kero.'

His expression became primarily confused. Could he tell she wanted to hug him? For all his fake ignorance or lack of noticing unimportant things for him, Katsuki was a good judge of body language, 'Yeah, don't… don't worry about it.'

'Bakugou-san-'

'I said give me a minute,' he warned the woman again, and Tsu couldn't help but at least take his hand into hers, 'Thank you, Baku-chan.'

She felt him squeeze her hand back for a second just as someone shouted, and a door opened.

Tsu's reflexes kicked in, and she quickly ripped her hand away from his, hopefully just in time before the intruders took pictures and recordings.

They shared a look as the people from Katsuki's agency started to deal with the rogue press members and attempted to get them out.

She offered him one final smile, hoping it would encourage and support him for now, before she walked toward Eijiro only to find him looking at her with his eyebrows raised and a small smile across his face.

'Do you want to leave together, kero?' she asked, and he blinked, looking above her head with a very suspicious look on his face that immediately told her something was up.

'Sure.'

Tsu didn't look back, feeling a bit self-aware now. Still, she waved goodbye to Katsuki's parents, noticing they exchanged a look as well, leaving her with an odd feeling that she might have done something wrong even without impulsively hugging the ash-blond hero.

'Is everything alright, Eijiro-chan?' she couldn't help but ask.

'Yeah, don't worry about it. They like you,' assured her redhead with a big grin which she repaid with a smile. Maybe it was nothing, and she was just overthinking everything after all.

Her phone went off with notifications all the way home since Izuku's announcement was huge news. Of course, her disguise hardly worked, and she was tagged and posted in several photos along with Eijiro and Katsuki's parents. The news was big enough so that no one really questioned her presence that day. Still, she figured speculations would start soon as everyone would try to pry some more into Katsuki's life from now.

That night before bed, she found a text message from the ash-blond.

Bakugou Katsuki: Thanks for showing up, Froggy.

She smiled to herself and quickly replied, I told you not to thank for such things, Baku-chan.

Bakugou Katsuki: Also, thanks a lot for that! My old hag won't STOP calling me that one now!

Her smile morphed into a grin before she turned off her lights and wished him good luck and good night right before she fell asleep; she couldn't help but find it strange despite his mother's teasing, Katsuki didn't ask Tsu to stop calling him by the special nickname.

I know you secretly like it, Baku-chan.


Since the announcement of Katsuki becoming Japan's New Number One, the media was swapped with all sorts of things connected with either the hero or what this could mean for the future. The news was relatively positive or factual for the first couple of days.

Tsu periodically checked social media whenever she had a spare minute and was glad Katsuki's reputation wasn't taking a hit, and many people supported the news. She supposed the good positive approach got old, though, and very soon, many negative opinions started circulating in the open.

Most of them were mostly from individuals and less severe media and tabloids. Still, she could tell it bothered him whenever she exchanged a text with Katsuki. She offered her support, but so far, he had yet to take her up on her offer and talk about it, claiming his agency was handling it. She also wrote a long, touching, and positive congratulation on becoming the Number One hero, as had many other co-workers. That got linked to the picture of them taken from the Hero Association announcement. Still, just as Tsu hoped, they only caught the two looking toward the direction of the cameras with a space between them and no touching, so it was quickly brushed aside and forgotten as some weak attempt at a rumor.

It was a bit surprising to learn that they were close friends unless you saw the interview from a couple of months ago, but for them to be dating would be insane. – was the top comment under the picture, and Tsu couldn't help but force herself to accept that it was good.

Even if it shouldn't matter, and usually, it didn't matter what anyone else thought, the sea-green-haired heroine couldn't help but feel offended that someone would consider her or Katsuki too good for each other. They were relatively attractive people with feelings, and even if platonically, they clicked and enjoyed each other's company.

She didn't like how they made it sound for some reason.

'You shouldn't let them get under your skin, Tsu-chan,' assured her Ochako on the rare moment she managed to call her while Deku was giving Nagi a bath, 'Remember? Many people had much to say about Izuku and I being together.'

Tsu smiled at her friend over the video chat. She was grateful that she found the time to hear out her struggles and attempt to help, but the truth was Tsu didn't see the two instances the same. In Ochako's case, the public was worried Deku wouldn't perform his responsibilities to his fullest potential if he was with someone or had a family. Something which partly turned out to be accurate but with less catastrophic outcomes. In general, the public adored the two rays of sunshine even more now that they had Nagi. Katsuki was right to worry as everyone could see Deku's status as a family man hero earned him a lot of good press. In Tsu's case, people most condemn the possibility of her and Katsuki because of her looks, which they deemed not as good as Katsuki's, and his attitude, which they believed made him a bad boy who would corrupt her.

However, Ochako did allow her friend to find comfort in venting, and she ended the call on a happy note when Izuku called Ochako, distressed that he and Nagi got water everywhere.

After work, she feared that was her last joyous moment of the day since Tsu felt her whole body giving up on her.

She had worked around the clock during a ship heist involving explosives, and although she managed to write a report on the incident afterward, change, and drive home, finishing those last five flights of stairs was becoming impossible for her weakened body that only wished to rest.

Just a little bit more, she told herself as she was one floor away.

Once she reached the top of her stairs, she stopped and blinked, confused, 'Baku-chan?'

The ash-blond was sitting on the ground with his back to her door, going through his phone, 'Finally. Where the hell have you been, Froggy?'

Tsu was left speechless, mentally running over the messages from the last couple of days, trying to remember if she and Katsuki had made any arrangements to meet up today. Still, she came out empty, 'I was at work. We had a crisis, and there were bombs, kero.'

The new Number One Hero slowly stood up, and she couldn't help but realize she never really told him where she lived, 'Why are you here, Baku-chan? And how did you know where I live?'

'You weren't answering your phone, so I asked Cheeks,' he said and crossed his arms, 'Now why the hell were you not answering your phone, huh?' he asked, upset, but Tsu was too tired to humor him tonight.

She slowly walked toward her door, 'It was a tough day today. I wanted to run a bath and go through my messages afterward.'

She didn't properly look at him as she started to unlock her door, but she could see out of the corner of her eye that his posture eased a bit.

And when she did glance at him, she could tell his face softened because of how less sharp his eyebrows were. 'Shitty day?'

'Just tough,' Tsu admitted before she pointed at his face, 'You know, if you managed the look you have on your face right now, I'm sure the public wouldn't have a single bad thing to say about you, kero.'

Katsuki blinked, 'Not possible.'

'You have it right now? And I saw it on you a lot before-'

'That's because you're not an annoying dumbass,' he said, suddenly putting his palm against her head. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes and face were calm and soft enough that Tsu almost thought he was, 'At least when you're not being a dumbass who doesn't checks her messages and worries her friends or whatever.'

Tsu was left speechless for a moment as Katsuki took his palm away. The gesture surprised her too much to properly appreciate it, though.

She finally offered him a smile even if she felt beyond exhausted, 'I appreciate your concern, Baku-chan.'

Then she finally unlocked the door.

'Come in, kero,' she said as she opened the door and allowed the ash-blond to enter. It occurred to her that it was the first time she had had another hero over since she moved. Ochako was too busy with the baby, and it seemed more practical to come and visit her at her and Deku's place. Her family came to help her move and look around, but apart from that, she didn't even have time or the will to host a small new home party with her friends. Also, everyone was always busy.

They put out her home and guest shoes for Katsuki and put them on before she walked inside, 'Did something happen?'

'Yeah, you didn't answer your useless phone,' mumbled Katsuki, and Tsu couldn't help but smile a tiny bit, sensing he was like this because he was worried.

'Thank you for taking the time to come to check up on me, Baku-chan. I appreciate it,' she told him and put away her back and suit into washing, 'Please have a seat. Can I get you anything?'

'No,' he sighed and turned to face her, 'Look,' his red eyes then frowned, 'Your hair looks gross.'

'Always so tactful,' she joked and sighed, 'I only got a quick shower in the agency so I wouldn't be sweaty in the car, but I planned to take a bath at home. I have special hair products here.'

The ash-blond watched her momentarily before he crossed his arms, 'Fine, take your precious bath. I'll wait.'

Tsu blinked, surprised by the idea, 'Uh, that's alright. It can wait, kero.'

'It can't,' he argued firmly, 'Your hair is really weird like this, and you look like you need it.'

'Alright,' she smiled even if she knew it must have looked more like a grimace with how sore her body felt, 'You're strangely sweet, Baku-chan. Especially when you don't try to be.'

He rolled his eyes at her and snatched her arm, 'Just go.'

His nudge was very tame, but it was a clear signal he wanted her to take her bath already. Tsu felt grateful because otherwise, she would have to play a good hostess for as long as he was there while as hurt as she was.

'Feel free to turn on the T.V. or go on my computer,' she said, but she sort of knew he wouldn't do either of those things. People could say whatever they wanted, but Katsuki was very respectful and raised right regarding house etiquette.

'Hard pass. I've had enough of both of those shits and my phone for a lifetime,' he said before he glanced toward her kitchen, 'Did you come here right after work?'

'Yes?' she confirmed, confused about what he might mean, but he didn't say anything else.

With nothing new to add, Tsu decided to just take her bath and be done with it. Her body momentarily forgot its soreness and was overjoyed at the prospect of her warm bath with her special ointment, soups, and shampoo.

Only once she was inside did it occur to her less-than-usually sharp mind that Katsuki never said why he showed up. Did he want to hang out? She often texted him that she was free for a chat if he wanted to, but she figured someone like him would rather have her invite him than do so himself. He could quickly get somewhat insecure and anxious for all this bad boy look. Maybe he really was just worried about her when she didn't answer her phone and watched to check on her, and only once he saw how bad it was did he decide to stay.

In any case, Tsu tried to be quick about it. It couldn't be good for the ash-blond to be alone inside her place like that without anything to do. Still, when her body got into the warm water, she let out a satisfied moan. She closed her eyes, almost drifting away into sleep. It wouldn't be the first time she would wake up to find herself inside her bath with cold water. But she knew she couldn't afford to do so now, with a guest inside her home.

She stuck to her routine, telling herself she would still have time for another more extended bath tomorrow before work if she really wanted to, and came out almost forty minutes later of her bathroom.

Katsuki was still there, but walking out covered in her oversized fluffy green bathrobe, she was surprised he didn't stick to the living room.

Instead, the sea-green-haired heroine found him in her kitchen finishing a kaarage chicken with rice, 'Huh?'

'You finally done soaking yourself? Great,' said the ash-blond wearing her apron that resembled a frog and moving beside her small kitchen counter, filling their bowls.

When his red eyes looked over at her, he momentarily paused, causing Tsu to wonder if not putting on clothes before she went to find him wasn't a bad idea. Her robe was long and extensive, covering her everywhere, so it wasn't like he could see anything, but maybe the whole idea was a bit too risqué and soon for their new-found friendship, 'You cooked?'

He blinked and chased away whatever he was thinking before dropping his eyes back to the identical bowls he was decorating because there was no other way to name it with the food he prepared, 'You said you came here right after work, and that it was a tough day, so you didn't have time for dinner. Figured you could eat.'

Whatever awkwardness she caused with her robe was quickly forgotten as a feeling of sentimental warmth entered her body, 'That's really kind of you.'

She meant it. She wishes more people would see this side of Bakugou Katsuki and know he was worthy of their admiration and support.

He didn't look back at her, but she could see the slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips, 'Whatever. I still fucking owe you for cheating me out of that bar bill.'

She grinned upon hearing that, 'I didn't cheat you out of anything. I invited you, kero.'

'I make more money than you,' he argued, and it wasn't like she could say anything back, so she decided to drop it, 'Alright, let me just put on some clothes, and I'll be back in a bit.'

She left and did just that, making sure to wear a bra even if she was at home just so she wouldn't embarrass either of them again.

When she came to the kitchen, Katsuki set everything on her table, and they started eating. It was a while since Tsu managed to have a proper dinner with anyone who wasn't her family or co-workers grabbing a bite during patrols. Even less so that it was someone else cooking something specifically for her.

'So good,' she moaned quietly, genuinely taken back by how delicious it was, 'You're really talented, Baku-chan.'

'Yeah, yeah, whatever,' he attempted to brush it off, but Tsu saw right through it and enjoyed the smirk playing across his lips and visible pride shining behind his eyes.

They ate and chatted a bit about the different types of food they preferred and how unfortunate it was that they lacked time to cook more during their busy schedules. This time, Tsu wasn't even all that surprised by how easy-going and natural the conversation was. It felt good to be in Katsuki's presence. They weren't alike, but they did share a lot of opinions. Tsu was honest and blunt, so it worked rather well with Katsuki's brutal no-bullshit honesty.

Once they were done, she went to wash them while Katsuki put on a more serious face, 'Listen, as… nice as this is, I didn't really come here just to hang out.'

Tsu sensed the importance of the situation and stopped before returning back to the table to face him, 'What's going on?'

He looked hesitant for a moment before he pulled out his phone, 'A lot of losers with too much time on their hands started to send me shit and attempt to start to shit up with old pictures or rumors from a couple of years.'

'Okay,' said Tsu to encourage him to go on. She figured that would be happening now that Katsuki was even more famous than he used to be. There was far more pressure in being the Number One Hero.

He must have found what he was looking for on his phone before he looked at her, 'One of those losers sent my agency this.'

Even before he turned his phone for her to see, the sea-green-haired woman already knew what she would find there. She was right; on Katsuki's phone was a picture of a surprisingly good quality of her and him kissing in the middle of a bar with blurred-out faces around them.

Her heart sank all the same.

'They're blackmailing me, sort of. The message with the picture only stated how much I would be willing to pay to make this disappear.'

She looked at the ash-blond, perhaps for the first time ever, feeling genuine hate toward herself over what she had caused because she knew this affected someone else, 'Katsuki, I'm so sorry.'

Her eyes dropped to the photo again. One irrational decision, and of course, it backfired, 'I'll pay them.'

'That's my line,' he said before he put his hand on her arm. The gesture brought her infinity of comfort since it was clear Katsuki didn't hate her despite her error in judgment that night, 'I told you not to apologize, Froggy. I know why you did it… and trust me, to have those assholes see me leave with you with their envious eyes was fucking worthy,' he said and looked genuine and soft when he did.

She even managed to chuckle, 'Good. It felt good to shock everyone like that.'

That was true. As much as she wished she thought some more about it, she didn't really want to take back the feeling of empowerment the kiss brought. Not to mention it was a good kiss that left a tingling sensation even once their lips disconnected. Tsu dated a few good kissers, but even if she wouldn't admit it to the ash-blond since it would just make things awkward, Katsuki might as well be her personal best.

He cleared his throat and put his hand away, clenching his fist, 'Anyway, he contacted my agency, so if you want, I'll pay him off.'

Tsu frowned slightly, disliking the idea, 'I don't want you to use your money, kero. It was my mistake and-'

'I make more money than you, Froggy. I'm not about to let you waste it on some fucker just because of a little kiss. There was a shot with me knocking a villain's teeth out that was worse than this, and I managed,' he said, his red eyes serious but confident all the same.

She blinked, realizing something, 'Wait…so you're not worried about what it might do to your reputation?'

At that, the ash-blond laughed, 'Shit, you must be tired to be this dense, Tsu-chan.'

He settled down and sighed with a strangely calm look across his face, 'No, Froggy. I'm not worried about what a little kiss with a hot colleague might do to my reputation. I'm worried about what a drunken kiss in a bar with a bad boy like me might do to yours. You have this smart, cool sweet cotton candy heroine image going on. When they see you making out with the likes of me, they will claim I corrupt you. That intelligent, respected, resilient, and polite good girl persona you spent years building and earning the right to be taken seriously as a heroine will be shattered.'

She opened and closed her mouth, stunned by his speech, and then glanced back at the photo. She really wasn't thinking about the consequences when she took that risk and kissed him like that in the open. She knew far too well the double standard of being a female hero in Japan. It was stupid that it still happened even today. If she hated anything in her life, this right here made it impossible for her to ever succeed without upsetting someone one way or another.

Perhaps logically, it would be better to make the whole mess go away. It would be better for both of them for this to be erased and for them to be able to carry on with their lives just as they did until now. Tsu understood that and even found it more reasonable than the alternative.

But for some reason, she couldn't help but feel upset about the whole thing repeatedly, 'This is bullshit.'

Katsuki's eyebrows raised in surprise upon hearing her say that, 'Damn, I must be rubbing off on you already.'

Something glittered behind his eyes for a moment. Still, she was too worked out to analyze it more profoundly, 'If it was anyone else, people wouldn't bat an eye about something like this, just speculating if we're dating and how long. But because it's someone like me and someone like you, it's a big deal. You're not a bad boy. You're just you. You're loudmouthed and curse way too much. Still, you're also a great hero who deserves to be Number One because you worked your entire life for this,' she told him. She almost smiled at how much she believed it before continuing, 'And I'm not a saint, you know? I get that because I'm polite and attempt to solve problems and fights than to create them. I earned this good girl's image, but just because I don't have my love life splashed across the internet, I'm not some innocent…' virgin, 'flower, kero.'

She met his eyes with a tense look feeling she was coming to a resolution about this whole mess. Yes, she made a mistake in kissing Katsuki like that, but she refused to take it back because of someone else's reasons but her own, 'Tell me, if it was up to you, would you pay them?'

He frowned again and tried to argue, 'Tsu, this isn't about me-'

'Would you, Katsuki?' she asked and didn't let him get off the hook so quickly; she already knew his answer but needed him to say it aloud.

His lips pressed into a tight line, and she could see he clenched his jaw before he admitted with a small sigh signaling his defeat, 'No, Tsu, I wouldn't pay a fucking pussy blackmailer shit. I never pay them. Whatever they want to run, I let them because, usually, it's never as bad as they paint it out to be. Somehow it works out or is forgotten soon afterward.'

Tsu smiled at him once again, feeling hopeful about her decision, 'Because you're a good person, and people can see that even if they're tempted by rumors and media,' she put her palm over his hand on the table. It felt so natural to touch him to offer him comfort, and she wondered if he noticed it too, 'Don't pay them because of me, and I won't either. I kissed you, and a large part of me did it because I wanted to show all those people who were talking shit about us.'

Katsuki watched her face for a moment before he chuckled, his face going soft on her again, 'Well, congratulations, Froggy. You fucking showed them, and in a couple of days, you'll show the rest of Japan and maybe the world too.'

Tsu bit the inside of her mouth, 'That's something I'll have to deal it when it comes to it. If you're certain you don't mind that you'll be linked to someone like me-'

'Shut up, I would be fucking lucky to be linked to someone like you for a change,' he said and rolled his eyes, dismissing her weak attempts at self-insecurities, 'Most of the women I got involved with didn't exactly paint me in the best picture.'

Tsu titled her head, thinking for a moment, 'True, you have a specific type.' She wasn't stalking him, but ever since he became Number One Hero, it seemed the media dug deep to pull out every photo since his hero debut that had another female in it with him.

'No,' he denied, and she gave him a look, 'Yes, you do. You're often photographed-'

'Yeah, photographed because those women want to be photographed. I don't just go for models and media who-girls,' he corrected himself, and Tsu chuckled, 'Nice save.'

'Right,' he groaned and brushed his hair a bit, reminding Tsu it looked different than it had the last time they met when he was so polished and well-dressed, 'By the way.'

He glanced at her again.

Tsu smiled, 'You looked terrific that day. Very professional and handsome, kero.'

The ash-blond watched her for a moment with a strange look behind his red eyes before he chuckled and shook his head, 'Whatever.'

He seemed really pleased about it, though at least in Tsu's humble opinion.

Later Tsu told him she would call her agency tonight to prepare for the photo of their kiss to be leaked by Katsuki's agency tomorrow night. It would buy them some time, and she could get home before the whole chaos of it instead of being stranded on a mission where everyone would try to call or reach her some other way.

'Your hair looks…pretty again,' said Katsuki by the door while putting on his shoes, making a point not to look at her, and Tsu's dark eyes widened for a moment before she beamed at his back.

'Thank you, Katsuki. You've got better at complimenting people and thanking them, huh?' she couldn't help but ask.

'Zip it,' he snapped and shot her a glare, but she was long since immune to those.

He reached for the door handle and could properly slip out of her apartment; she couldn't help herself but put her arms around his neck and hug him, at least for a moment breathing in the scent of nitroglycerin and whatever expensive and expensive cologne he was wearing.

Neither of them said anything, and at least for a moment, and with Katsuki's arms by his side, it was a tiny bit awkward even for the sea-green-haired heroine.

Then the Number One Hero finally hugged her back, putting one of his palms into her still-a-bit wet hair, squeezing it slightly, and the other against her shoulder blades where he rubbed it into her skin.

It felt good.

Tsu had men usually give her quickly friendly squeezes or pats on the back. Then she had men attempt to reach to her lower back and even lower on a few occasions.

She didn't think she ever had anyone hug her the way Katsuki did. Since she knew he wasn't a hugger or a touchy person at all, she couldn't help but think it was a pleasant surprise when he hugged her like this. It just felt really comfortable and safe, just as it had that night at the bar.

Given how tough her day was and how she still felt bad about the media sensation she would cause tomorrow night with her recklessness, it felt really good to have him hold her like this. If he didn't let her go when he did, Tsu could imagine herself falling asleep due to the cozy feeling of being held by someone bigger and warmer than her.

When they parted, Katsuki's face was unreadable, like it had been the night at the bar, but the look behind his eyes spoke of tenderness, 'Night, Tsu-chan.'

She offered him a final smile, 'Good night, Katsuki.'


The next day Tsu knew she had made the right decision, but it would feel so much better if her agency didn't react the way they had. Unlike Katsuki and some other heroes who were the sole heroes in their respective agencies, the agency Tsu was a part of had a few heroes under their belt. Because of this, Tsu felt so strangely crossed with how they seemed angry about her situation. Yes, she messed up, but it felt unfair they were laying into her like that when this was the first time she ever had a problem like this compared to some of her colleagues. It might have been just her anxiety and stress about the soon-to-be-released photo. Still, she couldn't help but feel like even her own agency was treating her like her hero image instead of her own person.

She might have been irrational or emotional, but the heroine genuinely felt she was being treated poorly. She understood the consequences and that it didn't look good that she drunkenly kissed a colleague in public. However, the agency reacted far more scandalized, just as those in the bar who claimed she should know better than to spend her time with someone like Katsuki.

Still, despite how cross she was, she didn't fight it when they told her to take a day off.

She simply stayed home and got an hour-and-a-half long bath doing all her routines, even if it brought her little to no satisfaction before she went to work a bit more on her Kids at the Beach project.

Despite the enormous help from the Japan Hero Association, thanks to Katsuki's help with the funds, she still had a lot to do regardless of the media attention and practical work. So far, she has been good on the work part. Still, the media seemed to be a dead end as none of the shows, internet newspapers, and radio stations she contacted seemed to be all too interested in the project. This wasn't new as she had struggled with media coverage for months now, only getting a decent enough moment for the project during the infamous interview.

Even before the evening hours, she had no doubt the kiss photo must have been already circulating around the internet. Her phone was blowing up with messages, calls, and notifications for a few hours now. However, she made a point to avoid most of her family and friends' calls as she didn't wish to repeat the same situation as with her agency. Almost everyone she knew tried to contact her at one point throughout the day.

No, Katsuki, though, she thought before remembering he was still at work.

However, the fact caused her to pause and wonder why his agency released the photo so early if they both agreed to do it once they were off their patrols to avoid exposure. It was only today that Katsuki managed to get to work again with how many interviews and appearances he had to make after he became the Number One Hero.

Tsu debated a bit with herself before she finally texted him to write her when he would be off work.

She worked on the project for another solid hour before her curiosity got the best of her, and she snatched her phone again.

Still no Katsuki.

However, her best friend, Ochako, texted her for the twentieth time, so the sea-green-haired heroine took pity on her best friend and opened her messages.

The first ones seemed to be written when Ochako saw the photo and were primarily written in a shocked tone demanding Tsu to call her or write her back, except for the last one.

You could have just told me you were dating. I know I said some things about him, but I don't really think he's that bad. I promise! Call me when you can, please? Good luck. It was followed by a series of cute emojis melting Tsu's heart a bit.

She decided to at least text her parents, siblings, and Ochako that she was alright but that she needed some time before she would reach out.

Tsu was tempted to text them that it wasn't like that and that she and Katsuki weren't actually dating, just shared a drunken kiss, but she wasn't confident enough to do so.

I would feel more in control if my agency reacted better, she thought to herself, going over some of the messages of the more important people in her life before she noticed an email from one of the stations she contacted regarding a radio show appearance.

Tsu felt hopeful as the email seemed promising enough for the first time in months. The woman, who contacted her, made a point to actually read about Tsu's project and suggest what would be good points to focus on during the radio show, only to puzzle Tsu when she asked if Tsu could also talk a bit about her and Katsuki.

Pity, she said and put her phone away.

The next few hours were beyond exhausting, dodging the calls and texts while trying to find something to engage herself with. At the same time, all the while, she still did not get any text or call from Katsuki.

Not yet worried but perhaps, concerned, she texted him, asking him to let her know if he was alright. She tried not to go online, fearing she wouldn't enjoy the comments and attention caused by the photo. However, when another hour came up, and Katsuki was still MIA, she couldn't help it.

Doing her best to stay at the surface, Tsu checked if there wasn't news about him getting hurt or some enormous crisis.

She couldn't find anything like that, but she did find tons of news regardless of her and Katsuki's secret relationship exposed.

Well, we did expect something like this, she told herself.

She didn't want to stress herself with more negative thoughts, but her eyes still wandered a bit through the news.

She should have closed the page and put her phone away, except the more Tsu scrolled, the more it seemed 'Bakugou Katsuki and Asui Tsuyu's secret relationship confirmed headlines'less like rumors and speculations and more like a confirmed fact.

It puzzled her, and weighing out her pros and cons, she decided to snoop quickly, finding the original photo with a statement from Katsuki's agency confirming her and Katsuki's relationship.

Her eyes widened, and she gasped loudly inside her quiet apartment while staring at the photo she had known about since last night and the shocking news she had no idea about at all.

That… can't be right, she told herself and tried to think. She was exhausted yesterday, ready to fall asleep any moment, and even if she didn't remember word by word what they talked about, she was certain they didn't agree to claim they were dating.

Tsu took a deep breath and opened her eyes again to read the large caption on the phone, 'It's probably just a misunderstanding or-'

Don't be silly. Why would Katsuki agree to lie about the two of you were dating? She asked herself. No, she refused to believe he would. If something like this happened, it was an error on someone else's part.

She tried to call his number after that, but it went to voicemail.

Tsu wasn't a prideful person, but it still took her some convincing and reasoning to contact her own agency after their behavior that morning.

'Bakugou-san's agency ran the photo with the announcement a few hours ago. After our call, we contacted them. I would like to apologize, Asui-san,' said the man responsible for handling the media in her agency, 'You made it sound like you and Bakugou-san, well…it doesn't matter. I'm sorry for what I said, and I hope we can talk soon about how we can use this to further popularize your image.'

Tsu narrowed her eyebrows upon hearing that, 'What do you mean?'

She wasn't one to hold grudges. Everyone made mistakes, and all that was important was that people genuinely regretted their actions. However, she couldn't ignore the fact that her feelings and confidence were hurt and affected by the agency's less-than-supportive behavior when she needed their help.

'Bakugou-san is the New Number One Hero, and it's no secret that this status has improved and brought a lot of popularity to families and partners of the person holding it. If nothing else, it will surely give you the momentum and attention to speak more about your project,' explained the man, and it was only because she was still upset with him and that he mentioned the project that she did not point out how stupid it was that she had been a hero for so long and only thanks to being someone's girlfriend, real or not, would she get a good project that might help a lot of kids and environment up and running.

She ended the call with some formal pleasantries and went to change as she found it impossible to stay at home like this.

Given her situation, she might not have known where Katsuki lived or felt like she could call someone about it. Still, she knew where his agency was and happily made her way there, covering her lower mouth with a scarf and upper with a hat and sunglasses.

What she didn't expect was how horribly crowded the outside of the building would be. Even days after Katsuki became the Number One Hero, it seemed reporters were attempting to get an interview and pictures as if he was a superhero who revealed his secret identity.

She debated what to do for a few moments noticing more people reaching out to her about her project via emails, voicemails, and texts. She knew this was how it worked, but she still couldn't help but feel beyond poorly, knowing the only reason the project was so interesting was her relationship with the Number One Hero.

She wanted to try and call Katsuki one more time. Still, when she was once again greeted by nothing by the sound of his voicemail, Tsu had enough and used her camouflage to get through the crowd and inside the building. Even if she was never there, it didn't take her long to locate Katsuki.

'HOW THE HELL COULD YOU DO THIS?!'

The shouting reminded her all too well of their U.A. days and led her directly into an office where several employees, some of that Tsu recognized from the day Katsuki became the Number One Hero, was cowering or attempting to calm down the hero while he was yelling at them.

'WHO THE FUCK AUTHORIZED THIS?! BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DIDN'T! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO RUN IT LIKE THAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU EXTRAS FUCKING DID?!'

The shouting was unpleased, but it was coherent enough for Tsu to understand that Katsuki had not known this would be the outcome.

As much as she trusted that Katsuki was far better at controlling his anger than others gave him credit for, she doubted he could be immune to his employees' weak attempts at excusing what they had done.

With a sigh, she put down her glasses and scarf. She put her hand over his biceps, noting he was still covered from ash as he no doubt came directly from a patrol without even changing out of his hero suit, 'Baku-chan.'

His shouting stopped almost immediately, but the ash-blond still took a moment to turn to her. His red eyes were burning with rage, and he clenched his jaw so hard she feared he would break it.

She felt her heart speed up just by looking at him and wondering if it was just the hero instinct warming her to stay alert.

Katsuki's eyes never left hers, and she could feel her cheeks warming up for some reason when he looked at her with such anger, especially because she knew it wasn't directed at her.

She glanced at the people behind his shoulder, 'Leave us.'

She didn't even have to snap or give you the word please and the whole office was vacant in a matter of seconds.

Katsuki's face still looked like he was ready to bite someone's head off, but even if slightly, his body relaxed under Tsu's palm, 'Breath, alright?'

Red eyes were on hers for the longest of times, and only when they closed and he took a deep breath she felt she could breathe again, and her heart could calm down a bit.

He looked away from her, 'I don't know who fucked up just yet. But I fucking swear, I'll find them and fire them on the spot.'

Tsu didn't know what to say to that. If it was an honest mistake, she would just suggest some apology from that person and to publicly set the record right. She didn't really believe it was intentional. Why would anyone try to make Katsuki and her a couple?

'I tried to call you, kero,' she finally said.

'I turned off my phone when my old hag started to abuse my number like crazy,' he replied tensely. She couldn't help but try to ease his mood by taking hold of his palm only for him to tear it away, 'Don't!' his voice then dropped into a much lower volume as he clenched his fists to hide them from her. Like he was trying to protect her from them. From himself.

'I'm too upset,' he confessed tensely and weakly at the same time.

She nodded as she understood he meant his quirk and how it was used by the sweat, 'Alright, how about dinner, kero? This time I could cook something for you, hm?'

'I can't,' he said, and she tried to push her disappointment aside to understand him better, 'Why not?'

'I have to find the fucker who messed up. Make sure he gets what he deserves. I've been a pro hero for almost a decade, and this fucking never happened better, and the minute I make Number One….Shit like this isn't supposed to happen in an agency like mine,' he grunted, and Tsu could see where he was coming from.

'It does seem like a rookie mistake,' she agreed, but the moment she did, she noticed something flash across Katsuki's face. She waited, but when nothing else happened, she carried on, 'And I'm sure you'll give that person a piece of your mind tomorrow just as much as you would today, kero. But you worked a lot and are obviously upset and…I am too,' that caused the red eyes that were narrowed and diabolical to widen and clear a bit, which was something Tsu hoped the word. It wasn't a manipulation or anything. She really was upset and wished she could talk to Katsuki one-on-one like they did yesterday and at the bar and after the interview, 'and I don't-I can't really talk about this with anyone, but you, Katsuki.'

He looked at her face, and she could tell he was starting to realize it wasn't just about him because he took a step closer to her and snatched her arms between his hands. His quirk and sweating had forgotten, 'I'll fix it, Tsu. I fucking promise.'

He looked and sounded beyond sincere, even if he was pissed and likely shaken by it all as well.

Tsu couldn't help but smile at him, feeling much better now that he looked less angry with the people around him, 'I believe you, Baku-chan. Now, can you accompany me home for dinner, please?'

She wondered if he knew it was a bit of a dirty tactic, but if he did, he let her because he nodded and went to the door. Tsu would imagine some employees would be interested in eavesdropping. Still, it seemed Katsuki scared them far too much for that.

He took a super quick shower and changed clothes. It seemed everyone knew better than to get in his way except for the publicist, a man with a kind face who Tsu recognized from a couple of days ago.

'Asui-san, correct?'

She nodded, and the man looked nervously around.

'Baku-gou is in the showers,' she corrected herself feeling a bit self-aware. She called him by a nickname, given everything that was happening, and the man breathed out in relief, 'Good. Cold showers tend to help. Thank you for calming him down earlier and your support throughout this whole…everything.'

Tsu nodded. She wasn't sure who was responsible for her and Katsuki being confirmed as a couple the way they were. Still, she couldn't take it out on such a gentle-looking older man.

He cleared his throat, 'I hope I'm not overstepping, but I have something to talk to you about. It's important.'

'What is it?'

'It's-,' they heard a distant sound of someone's locker being slapped, and the man quickly pulled out his card and handed it to her, 'Before you make any decisions, please give me a call. Any time. There's something I would like to discuss with you.'

Tsu took the card only because the man appeared so stressed and watched him run away just as Katsuki got out.

'Let's go,' he grunted, but she stopped him and showed him the card, 'Your publicist gave it to me.'

The moment she said it, Katsuki gave the poor piece of paper his demon glare. The pro-heroine wondered if he would blow it up right there between her fingers before he took several angry breaths and grunted again, 'Let's just go!'


They used Tsu's camouflage to get out of the building into her car, 'They were gone this morning.'

Her dark eyes blinked at him.

Katsuki was gripping the handle at her passenger's door far too tightly for her liking as they rode to her place, 'They showed up right after that stupid announcement from my agency. Braindead morons.'

Tsu nodded, 'It makes sense. You never publicly dated anyone, and you're the Number One Hero.'

Katsuki glanced at her, but she didn't have it in her to look back until a couple of minutes later, when he was already looking out of the window of her car.

They drove silently, and she hated how heavy the atmosphere around them felt, almost regretting getting him in the first place.

Given his slightly dam hair, Tsu could tell he took a shower in his agency while she waited for him, 'If you want a bath, I can run it for you.'

He gave her a look that almost made her laugh at how freaked out he looked before she bit into the inside of her mouth, 'Or not. You can wait in the living room-'

'I'll help,' he quickly shut her idea of him relaxing down and helped her tie her apron even without her asking him for a moment setting his hand on her hip. However, when she glanced back at him, she could tell he was just lost in thought.

They went for tendon finishing in record time and sitting down to a much different conversation than one they had before, 'So what now?'

Katsuki sighed, looking much more relaxed now that he was eating, even if the moment that question left her mouth, his shoulders tensed a bit, 'Whether the pussy who made the mistake comes clean or not, I'll take the blame myself.'

'But-?'

'I'm the head of my agency. If they screwed up, I'm the one to take most of the heat,' he said, sounding more or less at peace with the idea but tense with the overall situation.

Tsu had no illusions that if she was in such a position, her agency would let her sink with the burden of her mistakes, 'Maybe I should start working for your agency.'

The ash-blond stopped eating, frowning immediately.

'Why did you say that? Did your give you shit?' he asked, working himself up again, and the sea-green-haired woman felt a sense of gratitude, 'Not exactly. Before when they assumed the kiss was just a drunken mistake, they made it very clear how disappointed they were with me. I understand it was a fatal error for someone like me who should be better than that, but it felt like an overkill. I'm sure the lecture wasn't so hostile whenever some of the other heroes in my agency messed up.

Katsuki frowned at his food, 'I can talk to my people.'

It seemed like the end of it, and Tsu still felt the tension and saw it on Katsuki's shoulder while he appeared to be thinking about something. Then out of nowhere, his eyes softened a fraction. As he continued to eat, the most bizarre thing fell out of his mouth, 'Girlfriends usually tend to work for the same agencies as their boyfriends.'

Tsu opened and closed her mouth, and she could tell by the light blush and widened red eyes that Katsuki was about to freak out, thinking he had said something inappropriate. Still, before he could, she found herself giggling, not in a way to embarrass or mock him, but rather at how silly it was to hear him say something like that at that moment.

'Cute,' she offered him a smile before she said, 'but I think those are wives and husbands, kero.'

Katsuki seemed to relax, and by that, he scolded and furrowed his brows a bit, 'What are you talking about?'

She chuckled.

'Deku and Ochako were in the same agency for years before they got hitched,' argued Katsuki and took another bite of his fried fish while Tsu thought about the past, 'No, it was more complicated than that. Their agencies were just close, and Izu-chan often requested Ocha-chan for support.'

Katsuki rolled his eyes, 'Yeah, shy nerd wasn't fooling anyone with that shit.'

Tsu laughed again, almost spitting her food, 'True, but it was sweet, right? They didn't have much time for each other, so they always tried to squeeze in some alone time.'

'He wasn't trying hard enough,' said Katsuki for the sake of always trying to bring Izuku a bit down, even years after they resolved their issues.

She shook her head, but then he said something that caused her to pause, 'I already saw you three times this week alone.'

Tsu had to stop eating and press the index finger against her lower lip, 'Yeah.'

There was a slight pause after that. It was a bit odd to realize that it was true and that they spent more time together this whole month, and in Tsu's case than she had with anyone else.

'Look,' she heard him say and looked at him only to find him not eating and obviously panicking, 'forget, I said anything-'

'Accidental girlfriends are different,' she hurried to cut him off before he could finish.

When his red eyes landed in her dark ones, she beamed at him, 'They require more maintenance.'

He watched her momentarily before he chuckled, taking the chopsticks into his hand again, 'Guess so. I can't remember the last time I ate dinner with a chick twice in a row.'

Tsu grinned, 'Me either. I guess that's a bit pathetic.'

'You're pathetic. I'm sticking to my eligible bachelor lifestyle,' he teased her, and she immaturely kicked him under the table. He barely moved to indicate she touched him at all.

They carried on for a while, but the atmosphere still needed improvement.

At one point, he clenched his fists, looking beyond frustrated but strangely sad at the same time.

'I'm…' he started hesitantly before he finally got out, 'I'm really sorry you ended up in this whole mess, Tsuyu.'

'It's not your fault-'

'My agency-'

'Not your fault,' she said again, hoping her words would get through to him. When it didn't seem to work, she reached out and took hold of his fist, covering it with her hand, 'You did everything right. This is on someone else. And I admire you for trying to take the blame. You're a good hero and boss, Katsu-chan. And a good friend, kero.'

The ash-blond watched her momentarily before he sighed and took his hand out to brush the back of his neck.

'Besides, so far, it wasn't so bad. The phone calls and messages were slightly annoying, but apart from that, it wasn't a big deal,' she said, hoping to help him ease his nerves.

'I got a lot of…offers for interviews and appearances about the Kids at the Beach project. I know all of them just want to talk about you-well us?' she motioned between them, 'But at least they spent the time researching about it to try to convince me.'

Once she said it out loud, she realized, like a few times before, she was too honest, and it might have come out wrong. Especially when Katsuki didn't look at her.

She felt her cheeks warming up, 'It's lame, I know, and it's not like I would ever agree to them. It just sucks that this is what it took for people to become interested in the project.'

'You should accept them,' he said, and Tsu blinked, 'What?'

Katsuki looked at her; the look on his face was unreadable, 'You should accept them. Your project deserves attention. Just… don't let this chance go to waste.'

Tsu was left speechless for a moment, wondering what she should say to that, 'I don't understand-'

'You told me I deserved my chance to be Number One. That I earned it. This,' he said, pointing at her table, 'You earned this. There wouldn't be a project if it wasn't for you. You worked your ass off, Tsuyu,' he looked away, 'So who gives a shit why they want to talk to you? As long as some attention is on the project, it's fine. Your project deserves its spotlight. You can go a long way with it.'

She watched him momentarily and couldn't help but smile and reach for his arm. She didn't say anything, but she felt like she didn't have to simply make sure he could see how she was beaming at him.

He looked back at her and mapped her face with his eyes for a while, but he didn't look all that better. He was lost in thoughts, and she knew it concerned their 'relationship' announcement, but she couldn't help but think there was more to it.

'Baku-chan,' she said, squeezing his arm, 'It's not that big of a deal. Yesterday, you convinced me it wouldn't matter if it was just one drunken kiss, so why is it all that different now? Someone made a mistake, and tomorrow, you we can-'

'I think my publicist sent me the photo and leaked the news,' said Katsuki cutting her off and standing away from the table, obviously stressed out.

She stood up too and followed him. Her apartment was cute and practical but not very spacey, so it wasn't like he could walk around too much.

She thought about the card and the old man who insisted he needed to talk to her, 'The older man with the kind face?'

He grimaced upon hearing that, and Tsu understood why trying to analyze what it all meant, 'Yeah.'

She waited after that, standing directly behind him and waiting until he would sort out his thoughts, 'He has been on my case about how problematic my image is. He was the one who helped me clean it up a bit over the years and set me up with more public appearances to win over the public. To win over the-everyone. After we announced me becoming the Number One Hero, he saw you and me and pointed…some stuff.'

'What sort of stuff?' asked Tsu, not liking how Katsuki's back tenses.

'Bullshit about how…just stuff!' he snapped, and she understood; he needed more time to talk about it if he ever would. But she still said, 'That a nice unproblematic heroine like me might be good for your image?'

He relaxed just a fraction before he shrugged, 'More or less.'

He turned to look at her or through her since his eyes looked angry and unfocused, 'Then came that fucking picture of us, and when we were discussing what to do, he asked me again that shit about you and whatever. Basically, to sum it up, he said it wouldn't be the worst thing for me to look more like Deku on this.'

Tsu felt her entire being softened for the man before she stepped closer, not yet touching him but making herself close so he had to look down at her, 'You know you don't have to be like Deku, right? You know people like and adore you for being you. We covered this already, Baku-chan.'

He grimaced, 'Yeah, I know, super insecure of me to go into the same bullshit again. It just fucking sucks to have my publicist say that knowing everything I do-'

She snatched his hand into hers, 'It doesn't matter. It's just an image. It doesn't make us better heroes or people. Besides, it might not be worse for me to be liked by you. At least, people might think of me as more than a polite mediator. I did kiss you in a crowded bar.'

'Yeah,' he said and once again put his palm against the top of her head, 'So fucking short. Still can't believe you could have reached me at all.'

It occurred to Tsu they had been really touchy lately. Still, oddly she liked it sensing physical contact that wasn't for combat was something the ash-blond desperately needed, and maybe she did too.

She giggled before remembering they had severe issues. She sighed, 'All that about your publicist sounds suspicious, but what about the photo from the bar?'

He sighed, appearing far more serious again, 'He was the first one who showed it to me since he handled everything sent to the agency. He kept on asking about you. Shit, like if we were close and secretly dating, it could be useful for me. I shut it down,' he said and made sure to meet her eyes, but it didn't matter because she would believe him either way, 'but then this shit happened. I don't know. Feels awfully convenient.'

She nodded, 'I get it, but above everything, he's loyal to you and works for you. Unless you have proof, I will wait it out, kero,' she suggested and watched as he thought it over.

'Yeah,' he said eventually, but it sounded weak and unconvinced.

It was an overall messy situation. Tsu knew they couldn't really do much about it but wait until the morning and set the record straight.

'At least we're not dating anyone who would get hurt by this…right?' she asked, knowing she was right.

The ash-blond nodded, 'True. And it can't be all bad if it gets your project some attention. Still, my old hag will be on my ass for months for this.'

She chuckled upon hearing that, picturing Bakugou Mitsuki and what little she learned of her interaction with Katsuki's mother, 'She's trying to get you to give her grandkids?'

'Fuck off,' he said with no heat and let her go, 'It will be a nightmare now that Izuku has the second one on the way. She's set me up on blind dates again and shit-'

'Again?' Tsu covered her mouth and watched Katsuki return to the table, 'Don't ask.'

'Please,' she begged as she was dying to hear about something like Bakugou Katsuki going on a blind date.

'Next time,' he said, but it didn't sound like a promise, so Tsu wasn't sure he would deliver.

'You're no fun, kero.'

He shot her a look that forced her smile to freeze a bit and her heart to speed up. He was good at making confident women blush if he wanted to, 'Trust me, Froggy. I can be plenty of fun.'

The giggle that got out of her throat sounded a bit too nervous, but she returned to the table as well. They continued to eat and chat some more. It was overwhelming, but at the same time, in the comfort of her kitchen and apartment, it seemed almost surreal. No one was asking them questions or taking pictures, and it almost felt like it was just a joke, and tomorrow she would go about her day like any other one.

Her phone, which was on vibrate, seemed to quiet down, so people must have stopped texting and calling her about it.

After a while, she couldn't help but ask, 'Did you…did you check to see if it helped your image at least?'

Katsuki blinked at her, looking properly surprised, 'Not really. My old hag pissed me off by yelling that I should have told her and shit, so I turned my phone off unless it was an active emergency. And I was too pissed at my employees to hear anything they had to say.'

She nodded and took another bite of her food, thinking.

'Do you…want to read some of it?' he asked, and their eyes met, both of them obviously thinking about the same thing before they chuckled, 'Sure.'

She leaned closer to his side, and he pulled out his phone and froze.

Tsu blinked, 'Is something the matter?'

Katsuki swallowed a bit, and it was self-evident something was up, but he didn't say what, 'It's fine.'

He tapped into his phone a few times, looking like he was calming down before he asked, 'Should I finally get the receiving end of Asui Tsuyu's rage?'

He must have come across the list of his text and voicemails and found out she had been quite eager to get a hold of him too.

'Nope, I just told you to call me when you could and that…I was worried and hoped you were fine,' she admitted feeling strangely shy about it now, given the circumstances, and looking away.

Katsuki's red eyes remained on her for a while before he smirked ever so slightly.

He opened some news app and finally showed her his phone.

Their kiss was plastered right at the top with a massive and intriguing headline of NEW NUMBER ONE HERO COUPLE UNMASKED.

When he opened the article, Tsu groaned, 'Of course, they had to pick that picture.' It was the cursed swimsuit photo that brought her so much attention yet grief from a couple of years ago, and right next to it was a photo of Katsuki wearing his hero suit and looking above himself with sunlight coming through the clouds of ash.

'How is that not sexist?' she asked, and even Katsuki groaned, 'I'll have them take it down.'

Tsu blinked, 'You can do that?'

'Your accidental boyfriend is the Number One Hero, Froggy,' he said, using her previous status and causing her to chuckle. They read a bit about the article. It got less horrible from there.

Simply stating their achievements and introductory notes from their lives, most of which they got right. The other online magazines did the same but with far better photos. They seemed to have gone overboard in finding every and all pictures of the two of them close, even going so far as to search their old U.A days.

'That was strangely less awful than I feared, kero,' she said, and surprisingly, even almost half an hour later, they couldn't find an article with anything less than positive to say. The comment sections were mostly good, too, ranging from people being shocked, wishing them well, claiming it was apparent, and demanding they break up because the person commenting was in love with them.

They mostly chatted and joked about some things that they got horribly wrong up until they came across some photos taken from the infamous interview from a few months ago where either Tsu was talking. Katsuki was openly smirking at her, or Katsuki was the one speaking with Tsu, kindly smiling at him.

It was silly. The interview was just the two of them sharing some old stories and enjoying the company of an old classmate. Still, with the way those pictures were taken and filtered, it made it seem strangely intimate. For the first time since they looked at Katsuki's phone, Tsu felt very self-aware of how close she was and how Katsuki even now smelled of nitroglycerin and the expensive cologne he must have kept in his locker in his agency. She could feel how warm his body was against her own and hoped that up this close, he couldn't hear her heartbeat speeding up or see her cheeks becoming hot.

It's some silly pictures, she told herself and glanced at him only to find him looking at her with a strange look behind his face. They were far closer than she realized before. The closest they had been since-

I kissed him, she thought, and her mind supplied her with a tingling feeling against her lips as if it could recall the touch of Katsuki's lips.

When for a tiny fraction, it seemed his gaze lowered, Tsu caught herself preparing to lean forward, assuming he would look at her mouth, and she would-

-kiss him again.

Instead, to her horrified realization, he glanced at his phone again.

For a second, his eyes widened as if he had noticed something. He quickly slapped his phone against the table, startling her even more than the fact that, for a moment, she thought he was going to look at her and automatically leaned forward to kisshim again.

She looked at the phone but could only see its back now.

'What a bunch of bullshit!' Katsuki shouted far too loudly for the poor woman's ears. But simultaneously, it helped shock her enough to move on from the strange moment.

Tsu licked her lips and stood up, trying to get some distance and calm down. It was a rough couple of days, and when she thought Katsuki was looking at her mouth, she moved on instinct.

She took a moment to think about it. She was a rational and pragmatic person, after all. She obviously found Katsuki attractive but didn't have the time for a real relationship. Honestly, she liked having the ash-blond as a friend far too much to mess it up.

Without him realizing it, she made up her mind. She decided to convince herself to just remain friends and avoid future instances of irrational thinking such as these.

I'm probably just lonely, and our strong connection is messing with my head, she told herself, calming down.

'I expected more hate,' she admitted out loud as she went to clean the dishes, and Katsuki went to help her.

It was only then that Tsu realized how nice and domestic it seemed. She had been single for a while now, and with everyone, including her living a busy life, she didn't have many people around like this. When she was young, she shared her room with her little sister, and afterward, she was at the U.A. dorms, constantly surrounded by her classmates and friends. She lived a bit with Ochako after graduation and then with another former colleague after Ochako moved with Deku. Add a couple of short-lived partners here and there, and Tsu was never really all that alone, even if she had her own room and such.

Spending time with Katsuki, eating lunch, chatting, and going out. It was all so lovely and refreshing.

I could get used to it, she thought in the privacy of her own thoughts, convincing herself she was just thinking like this because she was lonely and Katsuki was a dear friend.

'Why?' asked Katsuki, and given how much she was thinking, she almost forgot what she said a while ago before she giggled, 'Oh, sorry, I spaced out.'

He didn't comment on it and simply worked on drying the dishes with a towel. Oddly, it seemed he took notes from her tactics to patiently wait until the other confessed. Even if she knew how this would sound, she still said, 'I'm just not conventionally pretty like you.'

Katsuki stopped and looked at her.

She busied herself with souping and washing the other bowl, but it seemed useless since she was done far too quickly and could feel his red eyes on the side of her face.

Finally, she sighed and handed him the bowl meeting his eyes.

His eyes remained on hers for a moment, and then he smirked in a way she would classify as dangerous.

She swallowed when all of a sudden, his red eyes moved from her face all the way down her body to her feet and then very slowly back up to her eyes, all the while having this look inside them. It was no doubt on purpose, given the nature of their conversation, and it shouldn't be taken seriously. However, the poor woman still found her pulse spiking and throat drying up.

If he looked at people like that, indeed, they would like him more, she thought, hoping she wasn't blushing too hard.

'You're not a fish, so don't fucking go fishing for compliments, Froggy,' he said. She couldn't help but chuckle at how horribly lame that sounded while feeling grateful it broke the ice on her weird attraction toward him.

She gave him a look and shook her head. Still, he continued, 'And if you think even for a second that picture in that swimsuit would cause anyone to think anything else than gorgeous and hot, you're fucking delusional.'

'I said conventionally pretty-'

'Give me a break,' he said, splashing soap and water right at her face, 'We live in a world where people love flashy quirks the most. Conventional is overrated. Bring me something unique any day of the week over fucking boring and conventional.'

She snatched the towel from his shoulder and cleaned her face and palms, 'Alright, thank you, but that's just your opinion.'

'I'm supposed to be dating you, right?' he asked, surprising her again, 'So apart from your own, mine's the only opinion that matters.'

Tsu looked up at him and found herself speechless with a dry mouth. He was closer than she realized, and with his height, he easily towered over her. Once again, he seemed to have messed with her feelings for the third time that night as she couldn't help but feel her warmth inside her belly.

He snatched the wet bowl from the sink where she let it and the towel from her hands and dried it before setting it onto her counter, all the while looking at her as intensely as before.

This is less nice, she thought, because it certainly felt like the atmosphere around them shifted into something heavy and dangerous. And as much as it would benefit her state of mind far more if it stayed friendly and nice or awkward and tense, she couldn't find it in herself to change it.

Then as if a switch went off, Tsu swallowed, and Katsuki cleared his throat at the same time. For a moment, she thought he would say he needed to go and wish her goodnight to escape the aftermath of whatever the hell had just happened. Right before he opened his mouth, his now turned-on phone went off.

The pro-hero rolled his eyes, taking a step away, while Tsu snatched the towel to set it to dry out.

She could see Katsuki snatching the phone from her table and flinching, even if just for a short second, 'Who is it?'

He stayed quiet momentarily before admitting, 'It's…this guy from the Hero Association.'

Somehow the mood in the kitchen changed completely, leaving her puzzled, 'Aren't you going to answer?'

'If it was an emergency, the agency or hero emergency hotline would have called,' he said tensely. Tsu could tell he was trying to convince more than just her.

She watched him momentarily until the phone stopped ringing, and Katsuki relaxed.

'What's the problem?'

'A lot of things,' said the ash-blond, putting the phone into his pocket before brushing his hair aggressively.

She thought about it and tried again, not liking how easily Katsuki seemed to fall from his relatively good mood, 'What's the problem right now?'

'Apart from All-Might, I don't think anyone from the Hero Association is happy about me taking Deku's place,' he said and turned around to face her, pressing his back against the table, 'It doesn't really matter if the public loves me or not which not everyone does. The Hero Association gave me more or less this ultimatum. They were really vocal about how Deku should simply split his place with me and shit like that.'

Tsu walked closer, 'You didn't mention that.'

'What was there to say? I told you, people thought I was nothing but fucking trouble,' he crossed his arms and looked away.

She had a strange urge to step even closer. Still, given the previous awkwardness, she chose against it, 'What was the ultimatum?'

'No scandals or any big bad press,' he said simply.

Tsu remained still, 'Bad press? Like admitting your agency accidentally fabricated a situation of you dating someone to show you in a better light?'

He didn't say anything to that, but he did look away from her again, and this time she came closer to him, 'It was a mistake.'

'It won't matter.'

'You didn't do it, kero.'

'They hate my guts,' he said and looked directly into her eyes, 'And the worst part is that when they talk to me like that, I actually want to prove them right and just blow up in their stupid faces. I kept on thinking about what you and Deku and everyone said and how I earned it, but then I circled back to how I'm never going to be like Deku. The whole of Japan knows that.'

'It's not like he can take you your position. They don't have the authority to do that to heroes,' said Tsu just as Katsuki's phone started to ring again.

He took it out of his back pocket, and both of them could see it was someone from the Hero Association calling, 'No, but they can force me to step down.'

She frowned, feeling cold chills across her body. Katsuki worked his whole life; everyone who mattered, Deku included, knew he had earned this. He didn't deserve people to give him shit. Not for this. He made mistakes, all of which he owed up to. But being the Number One Hero? He deserves it by doing everything he can, sacrificing everything else, and working every day to achieve it.

'They literally told me they couldn't ask for a worse replacement if they wanted to, and they would rather the place remained empty until Deku was back than for me to take it,' Katsuki's red eyes met hers, 'That's what that fucker said right before he shook my hand at the announcement.'

'He's an asshole,' she said quickly, and Katsuki didn't deny it, but he didn't agree with her verbally either.

'I say stuff like that all the time,' he shrugged.

'Yeah, to dumbasses,' she said, and at least for a moment, she saw the faint smirk appear at the corner of his mouth before it was gone. She desperately wanted to do more for him and felt really shitty about how fatally she was failing.

While she bit the inside of another mouth, the phone stopped ringing, taking the decision from the ash-blond hero's hands, 'He probably wanted to give me a lecture about causing a media sensation less than a week on the job. He's anti-media bullshit like that. The worst of them since the others just wanted the news to be citizens-friendly or some shit.'

Tsu couldn't really stand to watch this. This was so wrong. If anyone was going to be hard on Katsuki, it would be because of what he did and not something he took no part in. He wasn't the one to initiate the kiss. That was her. He wasn't the one who decided not to pay the blackmailers and leak the photo by his agency. That was also her. He wasn't the one who announced their relationship. That was his agency. None of this was his fault. And yet he was supposed to take the blame for it and perhaps ruin his career and dream before it even started.

The phone rang again, and Katsuki groaned again, deciding if he would pick it up before he did, 'Hey. Yeah, it's me.'

Tsu could hear the other man's voice loud in clear, even if her heartbeat got pretty loud again, 'Ah, finally decided to pick up, I see. I wonder how hard it would be to reach you if a national emergency was going on, hm?'

One sentence in, and Tsu already didn't appreciate the man's tone. Sure, Katsuki took a while to answer. Still, if it was an emergency, the hotline would have contacted him, not the Hero Association itself.

Katsuki shook his head and closed his eyes, obviously upset, 'What do you want?'

'We received some news and wanted to verify them with you first,' said the man, and Katsuki opened his eyes to meet hers, causing her stomach to drop, 'What news?'

'That your agency tried to pull some PR stun by announcing you were dating Pro-Hero Floppy when it's not true at all. Sounds familiar?'

Katsuki covered and looked beyond exhausted as he rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes again, 'Yeah.'

Tsu couldn't take it anymore. It was so unfair, and she had never felt more helpless than at that moment, watching her friend struggle like this.

'You remember what we talked about-'

'Yeah, I remember-'

'Baku-chan, dinner is ready!' she suddenly called out, causing both men to stop talking and Katsuki to open his eyes and look at her confused.

She pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed mute, 'Tell him the information isn't real and that we're…dating.'

Time seemed to stop as the ash-blond blinked several times at her looking beyond stunned.

'Bakugou? Are you still there?'

Tsu glanced at the phone momentarily, but it seemed the ash-blond was still looking at her speechless, 'Tell him we're dating, and the information about the fake PR stun is the fake one.'

He closed and opened his eyes, shaking his head, 'WHAT?!'

'Do it,' she urged him.

'ARE YOU CRAZY?!'

'Bakugou? Can you hear me?' asked the man on the other end of the phone while Katsuki kept on shaking his head, looking at her like she had just told him she wanted him to do ballet.

Seeing he needed more time, Tsu snatched the phone from him and unmuted it before he had the time to stop her.

'Moshi – Moshi, Asui Tsuyu speaking,' she answered as she pushed at Katsuki, who immediately tried to grab the phone from her.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' he whispered and yelled.

The person on the other end struggled momentarily, probably shocked at what she answered before he spoke, 'A-Asui-san, good evening.'

The man introduced himself, asking for Katsuki while she struggled to keep the hero away from the phone.

'I'm sorry, Baku-chan thought he ended the call,' she finally said. Katsuki threw his arms above his head, accepting his defeat or telling her to do whatever she wanted before he went to sit by her table and watch her.

'May I ask what this is about?' she asked, and the man chuckled for some reason, 'Nothing serious. I was hoping to congratulate Dynamight on the first successful week of being the Number One Hero and his new relationship.'

Tsu frowned slightly, detecting the man's condescending tone even if she couldn't see his face.

She glanced at Katsuki, who watched her, giving her the freedom to say and do what she wanted while occasionally shaking his head or brushing his hair; obviously, still in shock, she did all this.

She wasn't, though. It might have seemed like a momentary error in her judgment again. But, the truth was, this time around, it wasn't. She knew all the facts and could weigh her pros and cons.

Lying wasn't her favorite thing in the world, but she had long since outgrown the childish thinking that all lies were terrible. For example, keeping her friends' secrets wasn't a bad thing. Such as that, Izuku was planning to surprise Ochako with a vacation in a few months. Such as that, she never told her agency about her former colleague and roommate's drug addiction. Such as that she never told anyone why her last relationship fell apart and many more.

This would just be another secret she would be keeping for a friend. A secret that her and Katsuki's relationship was fake.

She met his red eyes and smiled, 'That's very kind of you to say, but our relationship isn't that new. We merely decided to go public now, kero.'

His eyes widened, but she refused to look away.

The man was obviously speechless for a moment, 'I-I see…I…do you truly believe now was the best time for something this big to be announced.'

Tsu nodded even if the man on the other line couldn't see her, 'Of course. It was the perfect time to show everyone who believed in rumors, bad writing, and mistakes of the past that they shouldn't jump to conclusions so easily. You should try it too sometimes. You might be surprised, kero.'

There was a pause before the man spoke, 'How kind of you to say. I'll certainly keep it in mind. Please, congratulate Bakugou-san for me, Asaui-san.'

'Of course, have a good night.'

They ended the call, and Tsu walked toward the ash-blond to give him back his phone.

Instead of taking it, he held her hand, securing the phone in her palm. The air around them was buzzing with static now, 'Y-you really did… that.'

'Yes.'

'You just said that, Froggy,' he clarified, and she nodded.

Katsuki shook his head, still holding her hand in his. It was warm, and despite his chaotic-looking face, Tsu never felt surer about her choice.

'TSU, WHAT THE FUCK?!'

'It's fine,' she said. Katsuki shook his head, obviously panicking and frustrated, 'HOW THE FUCK IS IT FINE?!' he yelled. She was tempted to tell him to quiet down because her neighbors might not appreciate his passionate speeches, 'You-you-YOU! Just told that prick we're… we're…'

'Dating? Yes,' she said confidently, hoping some of it would rub on her friend.

Katsuki looked at her again. His red eyes were unfocused now, and it took him a while to finally speak as he obviously tried to figure out what to say, 'Tsuyu.'

She gave him time.

'We're not dating,' he said, not as loud as before, and Tsu nodded, 'No, but no one has to know that.'

Katsuki still looked shaken and taken back, but less so than he was at the beginning of all this.

He continued to shake his head and, lost in thought, looked all over her kitchen before he looked back at her face, 'How?'

Tsu shrugged her shoulders, 'We just won't correct anyone if they congratulate us or say anything else.'

He let her go and brushed his face looking really upset with her now, 'Damn it, Tsu! That's not how this shit works.'

'Did you ever fake date anyone-?'

'NO! But, like hell, people will just leave it at that. They'll want details. Intimate shit,' he paced around again, 'Like, do you sleep with socks or not socks on-'

She started to giggle at the idea, 'Baku-chan, you would never answer that even if we were dating for real, and you know it, kero.'

He still didn't look impressed with her weak attempt at a joke and full-on frowned at her in that familiar Bakugou-way, 'Seriously, why did you do it?'

Tsu sighed, dropping her smile but looked back into his eyes, 'You worked your whole life for this, and it wasn't your fault the kiss happened, or we didn't pay the blackmailer, or that the agency messed up.'

The ash-blond shook his head, 'Tsu! It's not your fault, either! You…,' he monetary glanced at her mouth and licked his lip before he closed his eyes, 'you were trying to help, and I wouldn't fucking pay any pussy blackmailer either, and the agency-'

She stepped closer again and looked up at him, hoping she sounded as confident as she felt, 'Katsuki.'

He stopped pacing and turned to look at her.

She smiled, 'I can't turn back time and not kiss you, but this? This, I can do just fine. We're not dating anyone, and we're private people. Given the number of people who left us voicemails and texts that genuinely believe we're dating, and during the interview, it looked…,' for some reason, she felt her face warm up and how extremely hard it was to finally get out, 'real.'

He watched her the whole time she spoke, listening and obviously going over what she said in his mind.

'Private or not, people are going to want to know. Friends and fucking family will want to know, Tsu,' he reminded her of the one sort of issue she saw with the whole thing, 'Yes, that might be a challenge, but we can still make it work.'

Katsuki watched her for a while, still looking somewhat unsure, but given Tsu sort of pushed him into it, it wasn't like he could really say no unless he absolutely hated the idea of being linked to her, which she knew he probably didn't since he was so nice to her about it all.

When he stepped closer to her again and looked down at her, she again felt a bit self-aware, especially when he looked at her like this.

His red eyes were brutal when they looked at her like this, analyzing everything about her face. It wasn't a self-esteem issue. He made it clear he thought she was pretty and unique and supplied her with enough praise to last for years. Still, she couldn't help but feel the familiar intensity and warmth of having his undivided attention like this.

Maybe, this wouldn't be the best idea-

'Fine,' he said, sounding just slightly breathless and causing her to swallow and look away.

'Really?'

'Yeah,' he admitted quietly, and Tsu felt a wave of joy wash over her, 'Yaay-!'

'BUT!' he snapped, stopping her from jumping and cheering but not from feeling like she had achieved something extraordinary, if only because she got Katsuki to agree to it. The intensity from before faded, and she found herself grateful for it rather than jumping directly into the feeling of satisfaction and happiness.

'We need to set some rules and discuss this shit,' said Katsuki, and Tsu nodded since she agreed. They definitely needed to do all that. If they had rules and talked about everything, there would be no point in worrying about things becoming uncomfortable and awkward. She was sure of it.

Tsu beamed at him and raised her fist for him to bump.

He shot her a glare for a second or two. Then looking like he absolutely hated himself for it, he bumped his fist against hers, 'There's no fucking way we'll pull this off.'

'We'll see, kero,' she said, feeling strangely confident about it.

Katsuki sighed, 'This will be a disaster, and we'll end up hating each other in the end.' She could hear concern and honesty in his words and put her palms on his arms, 'It won't. I promise.'

He watched her for a moment before his furrowed brows lost their edge, and his face visibly softened the way it did those few times before for her, 'Don't make promises you can't keep Froggy.'

'I don't,' she said, all the while smiling at him, 'You'll see, Baku-chan.'


A.N: Hi there, thank you for your support and reading It took me a while, but the chapter was super long, so I hope you understand Have a nice day and stay safe