"…what the hell is going on Deku?!" Katsuki hissed, barely able to keep the seething fury out of his voice. He knew logically that it likely wasn't warranted, knew that anger was just the thing he always seemed to fall back on when he was confused or caught off guard. But the truth was seeing Izuku, seeing him here, was worse than the fear of an ambush, worse than any sort of ploy a villain had ever tried to pull, and it immediately sent his fight or flight into gear.

He'd be stupid to not have expected some sort of reunion. It was the first time he'd been to Japan in years, and even if he managed to keep it from all of the extras, his parents would happily blab to Inko the first chance they got. He knew that, was figuring out how to deal with that, but he'd never intended anyone to know the full details of his transfer, especially not Deku. Being here though meant Izuku was part of the mission, it meant he was no doubt aware that he had been placed on probation, that all of his years away and accomplishments had spiraled down to this.

He equally wanted to rush to save face and threaten his life for showing up at all. Shame, guilt and embarrassment all fought for control, the flurry settling in his stomach, agony, hatred-

Joy.

He pushed all of that away, fanning the flames of the familiar and gripping his rage like a lifeline. Anger kept him moving, anger kept him alive.

"Are you just gonna stand there like an idiot? What kind of stunt are you trying to pull?!" Katsuki demanded, his gaze subconsciously flickering across Izuku's form.

Izuku looked…different.

His normally short hair had grown messy and long, the hair tie holding back the handful of curled locks practically half undone from his morning rush. His muscular body was swallowed up by a grey blazer, the jacket a rather nice design had he not ruined it with the 'Uravity' graphic shirt underneath. Despite never needing glasses his eyes were covered by a pair of thin silver frames, presumably matching the chunky metal bracelet and ring peeking from beneath the cuff of his jacket.

Before he had a chance to see if he was still wearing his lame red sneakers Izuku's hard stare narrowed, angry and unflinching under Katsuki's bite. It was unnerving to say the least, the muted seething not something he was used to seeing on his face. What was even stranger was the coldness, the warmth that had been present only moments ago now vacant and frigid.

And- though it might have been the jet lag talking, he was almost certain that he was exuding some sort of dark cloud, the air around him tasting like tangible death.

"Woah, a black aura huh? That's a new one," Kota noted with interest. Eri's eyes widened at that, quickly turning in her seat to panickedly shake Tsuki's arm.

"Tsuki, your quirk," she quietly stressed. Tsuki jumped to attention, her antenna shooting into a rigid line as she realized what she was doing. The black mist lingering around Izuku vanished, but his hard stare did not.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize I was doing it," she breathed, her wings instinctively twitching in shaken tandem with her antennas.

With far too much control for Katsuki's liking, Izuku placed the chalk back down onto his desk before motioning calmly to the door.

"May I speak with you outside for a moment Mr. Bakugo?" He questioned, causing an unpleasant shiver to run up Katsuki's spine. His organs moved sideways in his body, physically sickened by the sound coming out of Izuku's mouth.

Even if the man was undercover, even if they had been apart with no contact for five years, something felt viscerally wrong about Izuku calling him anything but his childhood nickname.

"Gladly," he growled, desperately trying to corral his unease, practically flipping the desk he was sitting in as he stormed through the door. Izuku kept his eyes trained on him, easily following behind as he calmly closed the door behind them. Before the latch had even caught Katsuki was already fuming, his hands curled into tight fist as he grunted in frustration.

Izuku Midoriya, of course it was Izuku Midoriya!

"God I should have known it was you that dragged me into this!" he hissed, not bothering to lower his voice despite how much effort Izuku had made to give them distance "what sort of strings did you pull to get me here?!"

Izuku crossed his arms in agitation, clearly trying to stay his tongue.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Izuku hissed, though for now his voice remained steady "get you here for what?"

"For the mission dumbass! The one you're assigned here for!" Katsuki shouted.

Izuku raised a brow, genuine confusion etched across his features. For a moment Katsuki felt like he lost his footing, his rage dimming for a singular second before flying back to its peak. Izuku could put on whatever act he wanted, what other explanation could there be? Deku was the symbol of peace, the strongest and most capable hero of their generation. He ended the Hero War, destroyed All For One, and literally saved the world from total annihilation. The idea that he needed a Hero to protect him, for Katsuki to protect him, was laughable at best and insulting at worst.

As if reading Katsuki's mind Izuku let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"...I'm not on any mission Bakugo, I had no idea the school was even outsourcing its security to pro-heros, let alone that you were contacted. Trust me, if I'd been informed beforehand I would have had some choice words of my own," he muttered, the easy slip of his name causing another roll of disgust to seep through his stomach, only further aggravating his skepticism.

"Right…" he taunted, unable to keep from rolling his eyes in turn "it's obvious now why they forced me here- goddamnit! What the hell were you thinking Deku?! I didn't call you for a couple of months and what, you put me down as some partner request? Is that it?! Did you even think about what kind of influence you have?! No wonder Blaze made up some crap to force me here! No ones going to say no to the goddamn symbol of peace, who cares what I think about it right?!" Katsuki snapped, his voice dripping with venom.

"I'm sure this is a real treat for you then," he rambled, pointing an accusatory finger "you get a wild hair and instead of asking me how I feel about it our agencies go over my head and derail my whole goddamn life!"

Izuku kept eerily quiet, keeping his hard cold eyes upon Katsuki as the man spiraled. His lack of reaction only further grew Katsuki's unease. He'd expected Izuku to try and shut him up somehow, especially considering how 'in character' he had been holding until now. Even if the man didn't want to wallow and beg for forgiveness he could at least try and fight back.

Because…he had to have a good reason for dragging him here, he had to have an explanation…right?

"And what the hell's up with that stupid undercover persona? Yagi? Really? Couldn't think of anything more original?" Katsuki jabbed, already feeling himself running out of steam but unable to take the tense quiet any longer. His insult finally drew a response, Izukus's brow further tightening as he clenched his arms across his chest, the toned muscles beneath his shirt growing tighter.

"Not much I can do about it, seeing as how that is my name," Izuku replied.

Katsuki groaned, tipping his head back. The urge to ignite and burst flickered in his clasped fist but he forced it to dim. It was bad enough to have been dragged into this shit show, he couldn't put up with Izuku feigning ignorance too.

His eyes moved to the classroom, knowing full well that the students inside could likely overhear if he continued yelling. It was possible Izuku was keeping up the act for their sake, but why he felt the need to Katsuki couldn't understand. The schools director had shown him all of the relevant files while leisurely walking through the school grounds, and it wasn't as if she tried to hide the reason he was there to the students. If Izuku was supposed to remain undercover even while on campus, wouldn't they have said something earlier? It seemed like a pretty rocky operation to just throw them together and see what happens, though, perhaps Izuku had assured them that there was no need.

They hadn't talked in five years, but Izuku had seen himself as his 'friend' through worse.

"Bullshit," Katsuki angrily countered "you just don't want to get into this because you know it was a total dick move! Well I don't give a shit about what you want, your little…cult of under achievers can wait, we're doing this now!" Katsuki pushed, trying to regain the upper hand.

Despite his unflinching expression Katsuki could tell Izuku's patience was growing thin, something only he ever seemed to actually achieve. Instead of giving in to his shouting match however Izuku stepped forward, his cold eyes daring Katsuki's own to look away. Even without the girl's quirk surrounding him Katsuki could feel the difference in the air. His form tightened on instinct, his chest puffing as he subconsciously readied himself to stand his ground. Within his fist his quirk popped, eager and willing.

"How many times can I rephrase that I have no idea what you're talking about? You're not stupid Bakugo, so stop acting like it. If I was attached to this mission in any way why would I have an undercover persona and not you? Beyond that, if I had been the one to ask for you don't you think we'd have some sort of debriefing before you were just…thrown into my classroom? The classroom I'm supposably undercover in? Or do you actually think everyone around you is so dense they couldn't see an argument like this coming from a mile away?" Izuku questioned.

"It's not exactly like we have a reputation of being cool and collected, at least not around each other," he added with a mutter.

Katsuki scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Your classroom. Right. What a stupid role to try and put you in," he muttered "...look, that director lady clearly had no qualms giving me confidential information in the school so just drop the act and be straight with me. Why are they having you be the one who does this? They trying to bait out whoever's been screwing with the security system?"

Izuku kept his eyes on Katsuki, not bothering to try and answer. After a moment he shook his head in defeat and slid open the door so that his voice would carry into the classroom.

"Eri, please supervise the others until an aid arrives. Mr. Bakugo and I need to have a chat with the principal," Izuku stated, waiting only until he heard a quiet reply to turn towards the lone elevator at the end of the hall. Katsuki raised a brow, the man not even bothering to wait and see if he'd follow. Stifling another growl he shuffled into the cramped space, all the more aware of its size now that he was sharing it with Izuku. He couldn't help but fidget as they waited, his foot tapping without conscious thought as he watched the floors increase.

He had convinced himself that once the doors shut and they were free of prying ears Izuku would break down into what was really going on, preferably with stuttering apologies and adequate levels of groveling. Instead he remained tensely quiet, no longer bothering to spare Katsuki a glance even as he guided them through the school.

The long silence was uncomfortable and strange, but Katsuki would be damned if he was the first to break it. Instead he shoved his hands into his pockets, whittling away at his raging thoughts until they were daggers, mentally preparing himself for whatever nonsense the two of them might try to throw his way. Just as he put the finishing touches on a new derogatory nickname for the overbearing mouse he found himself once again floundering, completely caught off guard when it was Aizawa staring back at him.

"Izuku…Bakugo," he called in a tired greeting.

"Ugh, don't call me Bakugo if you're not going to call him Midoriya, it sounds weird," Katsuki hissed, immediately throwing himself into the nearest chair. Aizawa raised a contemplative brow at the man's tantrum but otherwise remained unphased. His old teacher had been aging well given the hell they'd put him through. His hair was longer and he'd put on enough weight to not be so fragile. As far as he'd last heard the man was supposed to be training Deku before returning to his teaching job. He had no idea when he'd decided to take such a big promotion- or why. The whole thing stank and Katsuki couldn't help but feel he was being given the runaround.

Aizawa waited for either one of them to start, but when all he got were stares he sighed and shrugged, pushing aside the stack of paperwork he was currently reading through.

"Alright…Katsuki," he tried instead, though it still sounded offensive to Katsuki's ears "to what do I owe the pleasure? I was told by Aki that…Katsuki…had already been briefed. Was she misinformed?"

"Someone was," Izuku stressed, quickly placing his hands down on the man's desk "how long exactly has this been in the works? and why the hell wasn't I told?"

"You were…months ago when all of this started," Aizawa answered, his face holding a tint of confusion despite the evenness of his words "Katsuki was a late arrival to the mission. I only got word that he had signed on last night. I was going to go over the finer details with you this morning but the staff couldn't find you before classes started. I figured, seeing as how it was Katsuki, I could just give you the paperwork later. After all, you knew that all of the teachers would be receiving security detail until this data breach is settled. Finding a partner for you has merely been…a more timely task. You knew this was coming so I'm unsure why you're so angry."

Izuku bit back an eager remark, his eyes flicking away from Aizawa's own. It was clear that the motion did not go by unnoticed, Aizawa taking in Katsuki with more clarity, as if trying to piece together what Izuku was not offering by reading Katsuki instead. Before he had a chance to make any conclusions however, Izuku stepped forward, attempting to take back what little control the situation offered.

"My house is more than well enough equipped to handle any sort of attack, and this school is one of the safest places in Japan. Katsuki has made it quite clear he didn't volunteer for the job, and placing a pro-hero here with me to…babysit…is quite honestly bordering on asinine. So, thank you, but all of this is really not needed and I'd like to go back to teaching my class now…unescorted," Izuku answered.

Katsuki watched Izuku tense in agitation as a long, familiar sigh fell from Aizawa's lips.

"All those petitions and demands for security upgrades and protocols and the moment we actually have a legitimate, provable concern you want to turn a blind eye?" Aizawa questioned, intertwining his fingers together to lean his head atop. Izuku's foot twitched, the both of them staring at one another in a pass of silent language that each had clearly spent years learning.

"...my security concerns were for the students, not my own. My identity has already been compromised. If I am ever in danger it's not going to be because of what they gained from those employee records," Izuku eagerly replied, though it was clear the excuse wasn't doing him any favors.

"That may be so but I can't protect you from the unknown Izuku. What I can do is take sensible action when a threat has been presented," Aizawa reminded with a low glance.

Katsuki watched them with careful eyes, feeling like an outsider despite being in the room. He knew that the two had grown close from those years in private training, but the connection he was seeing now was far beyond simple student and mentor.

It was like they were old friends, bickering over an old feud.

"Thanks to our increased vigilance the attackers were unable to access any of the current students data, yes, but we are still unsure of what they were even trying to steal in the first place. There are many parts of our system that have yet to receive a full upgrade, and what we do know is that the teachers' profiles, including addresses and civilian names, may have been at risk. Until we learn who did this, and why, I'm not taking any chances- with any of you- regardless of power, or age, or preference," he commanded, and though his words were final there was a hint of softness in his eyes that felt out of place between them, each staring at one another in quiet warning, something understood but not said.

"...of course none of that means that your escort has to be Dynamight," he added lazily, causing Katsuki's heart to suddenly clench "my concern for your safety does not override your right to feel safe and…comfortable with whoever is assigned to you. With that being said the heroes I have left don't have the same track record at keeping you alive. If you choose to ask for someone else, with you living so far out of the city I'd really feel best having two or three heroes on shift at a time. As for Dynamight…well, I'm sure whatever displeasure he's announced is misplaced. From what I understand it is incredibly important to his career that this mission goes well. As the professional that I know him to be, it would be incredibly unwise of him to make his post feel uncomfortable before his detail has even started…"

Katsuki tightened but bit back an argument. After all, just what could he say to counteract that? He'd been caught off guard seeing Izuku there, finding it so easy to believe that he had been the reason Blaze had turned on him, that it wasn't ever actually Katsuki's fault. Only, as impossible as it felt, Izuku seemed truly confused by his presence, and if it hadn't been him that drafted him here then that meant Blaze's contract and threat still stood.

It seemed at least Izuku knew better than to ask what Aizawa had meant, his gaze merely flicking to Katsuki's form in an effort to sift out the sincerity.

"...well?" Aizawa questioned, always seeming to know just when his students had reached a conclusion. Izuku let out a small sigh, defeat riddling through his shoulders.

"...fine…" he breathed, quietly pushing off of the man's desk "...you just flew in right? Just…take your bags and decompress at the house. You can set up whatever sort of perimeter you want while I finish out the school day…"

Katsuki got the feeling Izuku was less concerned about having security set up than he was about putting distance between them, but he didn't need to be told twice. Pushing away his chair he moved to storm out of the office when Izuku grabbed hold of his wrist, sending an unnatural jolt of electricity through him, the shared contact so hot that for the first time in his life Katsuki feared he might actually burn. His eyes shot to it, expecting to see some trace of Izuku's quirk, but all there was was skin.

"You're going to need these," Izuku muttered, handing off a keycard and a cell phone. Katsuki raised a brow, able to logic what the card might be for, though the phone clearly threw him for a loop. It was off brand, but had a custom case and buttons, so, it was unlikely to be a burner. Before he could complain that he had his own supplies provided from the agency Izuku rolled his eyes, pushing the items forward.

"You'll need my phone to remotely disable the security. Unlocking the door won't be enough," he muttered. Katsuki nodded, caught off guard by Izuku's ability to read his thoughts before he'd actually voiced them.

Now that Aizawa had all but proven that Izuku had nothing to do with his assignment here the guilt and shame had already slowly started to seep back in. He knew that his temper was nothing new, he'd yelled at Izuku before, had accused him of worse. He could handle a little misplaced anger- but this wasn't exactly how he'd wanted this reunion to go.

Not that he had any idea just what he'd hoped had been different.

"...alright. Well if that's all then I suggest you return to your students Izuku. I think it's best we not let their imaginations get the better of them, left to their own devices as they are," Aizawa announced, pulling Izuku's eyes off Katsuki. After a moment he nodded, not bothering to start another fight. Katsuki would be assigned to him, that was all there was to it. The faster he found a way to get over it and return to his normal the better.

As Izuku turned to leave Katsuki went to follow, his movement given pause as Aizawa's trained stare suddenly pierced down his own.

"Not you Katsuki- not yet-" he urged. Katsuki sighed, defeat falling through his shoulders as he slumped back into the chair. He should have known that Aizawa wouldn't just let things lie, not with how upset Izuku had been from their pairing. With how casually Aizawa brought up his joining the program he wouldn't be surprised if the man had no idea they'd even fallen out of contact. After all, with everything they went through, with all the hell they'd pushed past, what possible force could be strong enough to tear them apart?

Me.

Always me.

"Would you mind explaining exactly what happened there?" Aizawa questioned.

Katsuki let out a tired breath as he pushed his hair off his face.

"I…might have jumped the gun and accused him of being the reason I ended up here," he muttered, hoping if he was quiet enough Aizawa might mishear or give up on prying. Unfortunately he was given no such luck.

"...the reason you ended up here?" Aizawa repeated, the familiar tinge of disappointment not lost on him "...correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand that was a situation all of your own making. Even if your agency wanted to give you no choice but to accept this mission I highly doubt they would cite 'poor job behavior' as an incentive to send you. I had thought Blaze's report on your performance was strange, given the Katsuki I know, but perhaps I was wrong. Are you really already falling back into old habits of blaming Izuku for your own personal failures? After everything you worked through to change that?"

Katsuki's lungs tightened, feeling small and cornered. All at once he was fourteen years old again, targeted by villains because no one could believe he'd turn into a hero.

"I was just-! I was caught off guard- ok?! I was pissed he was working the same mission without telling me, like, like he knew I wouldn't accept if I knew we would be working together! I thought he was just being normal Deku and trying to…manipulate me into talking to him, I just didn't like that I was being tricked!" Katsuki shouted, feeling out of breath despite the fact that his body was motionless. Aizawa's expression softened but Katsuki had a sickening feeling it was not because of his explanation. He almost wished the man would go back to being angry. Anything was better than being pitied.

"Because he is…working the same mission…isn't he? I mean, come on, he's not really…" Katsuki tested, but Aizawa stayed silent.

"A great deal has changed while you've been gone Katsuki. I wasn't lying when I said I think you are the best person for this job, and that I trust you implicitly, but I need your assurance that the man I'm giving this mission to is not the same child that I once knew. I can't knowingly put Izuku back in that person's care. I won't." Aizawa warned.

The judgement in his eyes had softened, but he looked no less stern. It was clear, whatever was happening, whatever Izuku had gotten himself into, one wrong move and there would be no second chances. He'd heard it before. From Aizawa, from All Might, from Blaze. This time though it hit him like a punch, something that felt tangible and raw as it ripped from his heart to his throat.

This was wrong. All of this was wrong! He had worked so hard, proven himself time and time again. He'd done everything they'd asked, been better than everyone else, so why?! Why didn't Blaze believe in him? Why didn't Aizawa? Why were they treating him like some weakling? Like a kid?

"...why would you say that?" Katsuki breathed, sounding far more hurt than he had been willing to let on.

"Look, things are weird between us right now but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna protect the shit out of that nerd! Though, I think you and I both know he's right, Deku doesn't need protecting-"

"That's not what I'm concerned about Katsuki. You're a Pro-Hero, and a good one. I'm not worried about you failing against an unknown villain. After all, I think we both know the only person who can really hurt Izuku is standing right in front of me," Aizawa corrected, giving Katsuki pause. He didn't like the implication, but it wasn't like he was wrong, no matter how much he wanted to dismiss it. With a heavy breath Kastuki shook his head, trying to gather himself.

"...I'm not…I'm not…that person anymore. You know I'm not. Deku and I have shit to work out but…I'm not gonna let anyone hurt him. Me included," Katsuki answered, firmly, leaving no room for question. He screwed up, he knew that, and he'd probably continue to screw up, but that didn't mean he was him again. He wasn't sure if Aizawa believed him given the man's silence, but eventually he gave a resigned sigh and nodded, handing back the mission tablet.

"...I certainly hope so. Regardless, I must caution you to refrain from any further outburst. Is that understood?" he pressed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I got it," Katsuki muttered, feeling that same bit of shame riding higher in his gut. Aizawa hadn't talked down to him like that since he was a kid, and though it should have only furthered his anger he couldn't help but feel that he had done something far more…wrong than he'd meant to. Not that he'd meant to yell at Izuku in the first place, a fact that was quickly growing more difficult to come to terms with the longer he had to cool down.

Why was he like this? He wasn't even angry at Izuku until he realized he had no leg to stand on, that they wouldn't both be apologizing or standing on equal footing. He hadn't been angry until seeing his face, shocked, and hurt, and realizing that he was in the wrong. His mind had been so quick to find some reason that he wasn't the only villain, that he wasn't the only one who had made a mistake, that he'd ended up making an awful situation even worse.

Whatever the cause he was too high strung to try navigating all of this, the shift from risking his life on patrol to mending emotionally broken relationships too great. He felt like his whole body was experiencing whiplash, dragged from one burning dumpster fire to another. Was this what Blaze had wanted? For him to come home and make an absolute ass of himself within the first five minutes? Or was she hoping he'd come to that realization himself, trapped in a vicious cycle of violence and self loathing. Maybe Aizawa was right, maybe he really had just fallen back into old habits.

With a heavy groan Katsuki gathered his supplies and returned to the front of the school.

By the time he reached the front doors someone already had a car waiting, his luggage tucked neatly within the back seat. He raised a brow at the lack of driver, giving his 'mission' items another once over. There were no keys, and no one had mentioned borrowing one from the school. He stepped closer to see if the keys were hidden somewhere close only to jump backward as the car revved to life, the phone in his hand vibrating with a small chirp before 'jumping' to the car dash. Before he had a chance to get a good look at the interface the console guided itself to navigation, a second later loading up an address he didn't recognize. Any attempt to change the address or change applications was blocked, but given the context clues he had to assume the car knew more of what was going on than he did.

With an abundance of caution he lowered himself into the driver's seat. Despite the new features, thankfully, it seemed the rest of the car was still manually driven. While he was still on private property he gave the car a quick test, going above the speed limit, diverting from the map's instructions, and laying hard on the brake. The car took away no control other than to give a word of protest from the console, reminding him to drive safely and correct his destination. For the first time in hours Katsuki felt himself relax. It was a small victory, but it was the most amount of control he'd gotten since he'd landed here.

As much as he would have preferred to avoid the tongue lashing he'd just received, he was slightly relieved to be given some time alone before his mission actually started, especially as the person he would be stuck here with, and supposably protecting, was none other than the one person in the world he had been unprepared to face.

Izuku's cold and angry eyes flickered in his vision, and all at once the reality of what he'd seen, what he'd done began to burrow in. It had been easy to pass off Izuku's strange new garb and occupation as the work of an undercover identity. It was what had fueled his conspiracy about his placement in the first place, the difference between the pro-hero he left, and the man standing before him now, so stark that it felt impossible to be reality. Even now his mind searched for ways that this set of circumstances could make sense. Izuku and Aizawa were close now, closer than they'd ever been, and Aizawa had given up his teaching role for a largely political one. He doubted it was the man's idea, but U.A had been in shambles since the start of the war, it wasn't outrageous to think he could be talked into it.

What about Izuku though?

It was obvious why Aizawa would have wanted him. He was strong, capable, trustworthy- but so was everyone else in their class. The real question was why had Izuku accepted? Not just for a year if the director was to be believed, but three, without any obvious indicators of stopping.

His hands tightened on the wheel as he tried to sort through everything he knew. If he took everything at face value, if he assumed it was the truth, then where did that leave things, where did that leave Deku?

He pulled himself out of his thoughts long enough to glance at the map in front of him. Aizawa hadn't been kidding about the house being outside the city. He'd already been driving for ten minutes and the program estimated that he'd need to continue for about twenty minutes more. Katsuki tried recalling his knowledge of the area, though it only got fuzzier the further out of the city he drove. As the minutes passed by the less of society he saw, the cluster of cities surrounding U.A merely lights in the background as the roads grew slimmer and the trees grew larger. He had only been out this far once or twice, the area bare of anything but a few good climbing spots and trails. Even the camps and lake houses strayed away from this part of the woods, the area bare of anything but an isolated gas station and corner market.

As such the homes this far out were typically older, leftover sheds and estates that were passed from hermit to hermit. His intuition sparked with the same unease he'd had at the school, the difference of what he knew, and what was reality, unmatching. He knew Izuku likely wasn't making a huge salary at the school. U.A was a prestigious academy, but given he'd only just started his career there and his small class size he wouldn't be making enough to be comparable to what a hero agency could offer him. Even with that in mind though he'd never been terrible with money, beyond a few impulse purchases with his leftover pocket money. He also knew that small salary or not, all of the students who'd taken part in the Hero War had been retroactively awarded with a fairly sizable nest egg from the government and hero oversight committee.

All of which was to say he should have been able to afford a sizable house in the city.

So why here?

Whatever the answer, Katsuki was no closer to finding it by the time he pulled into the hidden gravel drive. The trees obscured his view of the house up until the last few meters, meaning if nothing else it certainly afforded the young hero his privacy. He wasn't convinced that was a factor though, not after taking a job at one of the most famous hero academies in Japan. Unknowing of what to expect he rounded the corner, vaguely aware of the phone beeping at his side. A whir of machinery broke the forest quiet as a hidden gate slowly rose from the ground behind him, effectively cutting the road off from unwanted visitors. Katsuki hummed beneath his breath as he glanced to the phone at his side. That must have been why Izuku was so insistent. The only reason he was able to get this far onto the property was because he had the 'key' riding along with him.

Katsuki wasn't sure what to think when the house finally came into view, but the reveal was not as jarring as he had feared. With its isolation he had feared he was walking into something decrepit or bare. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if Izuku had holed himself up in some abandoned barn, but the property at least looked liveable. The house was split along its bottom and second floors in a strange architectural silhouette, half of the top floor decorated with angled floor to ceiling windows. The roofs and bevels cut at strange, artistic angles, a stark contrast to the older 'folk houses' that speckled the rest of the ghost town. The combination of raw, cut stone and dark wood gave off a vintage air, but the property seemed well kept and maintained.

Katsuki's mind wandered to Izuku's old restored car they had driven to the airport. He'd been giddy when he'd found it, able to see the potential behind the rust and junk. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the same face when he'd bought this house, if he'd lost sleep restoring it back to its former glory, into making it a home. Had he picked up his phone to tell him like before- or had he already given up trying by that point?

He swallowed hard and forced the thoughts aside.

After parking the car and dumping his luggage at the door he made a quick pass over the property. He may not want to be here, or think it was necessary, but he wasn't going to half ass a mission just because neither he or Izuku wanted him around. He kept the phone on him, listening for sensors or the click of security cameras. He would familiarize himself with the program once he was inside, but for now he made a mental note of all the machines he could count, checking for any obvious blind spots or weakness in the hidden gates.

As Izuku promised the system was close to flawless, not a huge surprise given that it was Izuku's knowledge but impressive nonetheless. The back of the house mirrored the front, well maintained but otherwise unremarkable. Izuku had installed from raised garden beds, though all of the plant life looked rather pitiful. The more native plant life had kept itself alive, peppering the yard with bushes and flowers. The biggest thing of note was a sizable koi pond that received fresh water from a small river that ran down his property. Since most of the land was forest he couldn't be sure how much of it Izuku owned, but an intruder would be hard pressed to hide anywhere close to the house without being spotted. Satisfied that he wasn't going to be ambushed he made his way back to the front door.

This time the phone wasn't enough. A section of wall next to the door handle lifted once he was nearby. He held the keycard to the revealed scanner, standing still as he heard the whir of a camera focusing. Once it had gotten a good look at him the phone finally flickered to life and the lock clicked in place, allowing him inside. He dragged his luggage behind him, already eyeing the interior as the door closed itself.

It was a good deal larger than he had been expecting. Izuku had clearly gutted most of the original floorplan, the house almost completely open save for a few bedrooms. The walls that had once been used to section it were replaced with exposed supports, the beams simplistic but placed with intention. The first floor housed two separate 'areas', one side filled with computer and engineering equipment while the other was a more traditional 'lounge', staged with a few couches and a sizable tv. Dividing the two spaces was a metal staircase, the exposed walls making the second floor seem more like a loft than a completely separate part of the house.

The upstairs held most of the living areas, the couches on the first floor near pristine from being untouched. He could see the kitchen as well as a dining area in front of the tall windows he'd seen outside and if Katsuki had to guess the two enclosed spaces next to it were bedrooms.

Once he was sure that the door had locked behind him he went back to finishing his patrol. He started upstairs by the windows. The view spanned from the front of the house to the back, giving him a good eye on the property. A few quick tests proved the glass to be custom as well, strong enough to at least be considered bullet proof. With the variety of quirks villains could possess it was unlikely to ever be completely secure, but it was far more than he'd expected. The kitchen was suspiciously clean, though one look at the minimally stocked cupboards and fridge answered that question quick enough. After all, it wasn't difficult to keep a clean kitchen if you never bothered to use it.

The next door opened to a minimally decorated bedroom and bathroom. The freshly stocked travel size amenities and lack of personal decor gave him the impression that this one was reserved for guest. He dropped off his luggage but didn't bother to unpack. The second upstairs bedroom was locked, and neither the keycard or the phone gave him entry. He made a mental note to ask about it later before continuing his investigation downstairs.

The workshop was, unsurprisingly, a disaster zone. Abandoned coffee cups and bowls of instant ramen littered each workstation, his journals and mad scientist scribbles taped with half hazard care to each of their adjoining projects. Ignoring the tidbits of chaos the machines themselves were rather impressive. There was more variety than Katsuki had suspected, ranging from medical equipment to hero tech. He allowed himself a few minutes to gawk over the complicated gym system, the weight and resistance added artificially to a body suit to simulate different training conditions. Next to it were a few 3-D printers as well as a computer set up that even Hatsume would have been envious of.

He didn't remember Izuku ever being interested in engineering, but it was possible he had picked it up as a hobby. He'd always been thinking of new ways to make their suits better, it was unlikely that had stopped just because they'd graduated. Still, if he could afford this kind of hardware why was he storing it here in the middle of nowhere? His mind found itself wandering as he checked over the equipment for bugs or spyware, trailing back to the strange interaction he'd had with Aizawa. Before he and Izuku had cut contact Izuku had yet to debut with any of the agencies, but the director at U.A did say he had only taken the job three years ago. That left two completely unaccounted for, one if he'd kept to his original plan in training with Aizawa.

Maybe there had been an incident with a villian? He highly doubted anything could shake Izuku's conviction after All-For-One, but his disbelief didn't change the reality.

He hadn't followed any of Japan's newspapers since he'd moved, but Izuku was a national celebrity, surely they'd have some information on what had happened. He attempted to turn the computer on but even with Izuku's 'keys' it remained unusable. With a new focus he pulled out his own phone and began typing. When it didn't immediately load he grunted and gave it a pointed throw on the couch. It landed harmlessly but he felt no better. Instead he kept his mind busy with overlooking the living area, certain that it would be finished by the time he was done. When he finally picked it up again he blinked in confusion, an error screen plastered across his browser.

He had converted the phone to a local provider the minute he'd hit the ground but the screen showed he only had access to his phone services. Izuku must have had something that blocked foreign data, though the prick hadn't thought to mention that when he'd sent him out here on his own. With a low growl he tossed his phone aside again and moved on to the last room.

This was the largest of the enclosed rooms and based on the amount of photos and other furniture was likely where Izuku actually slept. There were a few shoji doors separating parts of the room, one of which was half open, allowing him to see the small library and writing desk behind it. A part of him was conscious enough to feel uncomfortable snooping around his personal effects, but he knew he'd feel worse if a villain managed to keep something hidden just because Katsuki wasn't thorough. As a compromise he tried not to actually look at what he was touching, instead narrowing his focus to anything out of the ordinary.

And find 'out of the ordinary' he did.

Attached to the main bedroom was a crib.

No, not just a crib, a whole damn kids room, complete with plushies and highchair and baby books. Katsuki blinked as he shook his head, trying to refocus his vision, like he would realize he was hallucinating, or somehow otherwise erase the very clear sight in front of him. He immediately began picking over the bedding and stuffed animals searching for some sort of answer that didn't equate in what his mind was otherwise screaming. The crib had definitely been used, recently, multiple times if the collection of forgotten binkies and still fresh crackers were any indication.

The set up was too specific to be here for random visitors, the small space littered with pictures of Izuku and his family as well as All Might posters and plushes that Izuku had deemed 'irreplaceable' from his abundant collection. He wouldn't put these out for any random child to play with, these were damn near sacred. For him to offer them at all he had to love this child more than he loved All Might- and that terrified him.

He acted without thinking, grabbing his phone out of his pocket. He didn't know what he was expecting, what he was trying to do, but the need for Izuku to explain himself, to settle this unease was so strong that he was already pushing for his contact list before he realized what he'd done.

This wasn't his phone. That was shockingly apparent as the home screen lit in his hands to a photo that he didn't recognize, and an Izuku that he no longer knew. His same sappy idiot was staring back at him, with a smile too big for his face, and shimmering, joyful eyes that to this day still managed to haunt his dreams. Only this time instead of smiling at him it was his Izuku, holding a little girl that he didn't know, with the same goofy grin and out of control green locks, dressed in a faded familiar All Might onesie that he and Izuku had once shared.

His body grew numb as he squatted next to the toy bin, his hands cold as they mechanically checked each of the toys for tampering. He wasn't sure where he had put the phone, only that it was no longer in his hands. He was overwhelmed and paralytic, like his mind was still burning out from overuse while his thoughts remained eerily silent. In the simplest terms he was in shock, acting on basic commands in an effort to keep from shutting down completely. His body halted as he came across a wooden box, the script "I AM HERE!" burned elegantly across the top. Something in him told him to put it away but the need to finish his task was stronger.

When he opened the lid he found a slew of familiar faces staring back at him. Small, handcrafted cloth and wooden dolls had been dressed and painted to resemble his classmates from 1-A, though by their coloring and new designs he guessed them to be copies from their more current suits. He thumbed through the toys on top, All Might, of course, Eraserhead, Uravity- they even had bird boy and a separate attachment for his dark shadow.

The only one missing was…him.

He tried not to focus on it. These toys were clearly painstakingly made for that little girl, it only made sense that they would give her hero's that were actually around. What use would there be in having a Dynamight?

He hurried to put the toys away, barely conscious enough to keep from slamming the entire thing to the ground as he returned it where he'd found them. With a calm he wasn't sure he had ever possessed before he closed the partition and stumbled back to the living room, fractured and thrown. His mind reeled through the few interactions they'd had since he'd moved to America, as few and far between as they had been. The topics had never been anything important, and Izuku had always insisted on hearing about his life in the states over discussing his own training in Japan. He'd never avoided the subject, but he had always claimed that his life was more or less the same.

Clearly not.

Still, Izuku wouldn't have purposefully kept this a secret, not while they were still talking anyway. So…the kid was a new development.

He should have figured that out by the crib, a four year old would likely have their own bed by now, and the toys wouldn't be so minimalistic. His eyes glossed across the rooms, noting the lack of baby proofing and general hazards the house provided. Izuku had also not mentioned dropping the kid off anywhere in his rant about the traffic this morning. It wasn't concrete proof, but it was unlikely that they actually lived here full time.

Izuku also was decidedly missing a wedding band. He remembered thinking the jewelry he was wearing was strange, so he would have definitely noticed that. It was possible they just hadn't bothered with a ring or a marriage, but there wasn't any sign of an extra occupant in any of the other rooms either.

What exactly did that leave? That Izuku had a kid, but they were only here sometimes, that he'd fallen in love, had sex with a woman enough times to get her pregnant only to end up living here, unmarried and alone?

None of that felt possible, but…

Izuku had surprised him before.

He felt like he was going insane, the lack of answers turning him manic.

Before he knew what had happened Izuku's phone was back in his hand, his fingers quick to hide the home screen picture as he opened up the browser. His plan quickly backfired however as the phone prompted for a fingerprint. Cursing Izuku's frustrating paranoia he scrolled through the phone for any kind of loophole. All of the apps refused to load without the fingerprint, and it wasn't as if he knew exactly what he was looking for either. It was highly doubtful Izuku kept some sort of journal or record, at least, about himself.

His thumb hovered over the contacts, a new idea forming. Just because he'd been an ass and abandoned Izuku didn't mean their other friends had. He scrolled through the most recent calls, trying to ignore the spikes of guilt and embarrassment hos behavior was earning. He had no excuses for this, had no reasoning. None of this was for the good of the mission, and he knew if there was something Izuku wanted him to know he would have said so.

But…

The phone was dialing before he'd made a choice, his body acting on its own. The screen centered with Ochako's name and picture, the photo far more recent than he'd last seen her. Her name was the first on the list he'd recognized, though that didn't necessarily mean she'd have the answers he wanted. She and the nerd had always been close though, and if she wasn't the mother to Izuku's kid it was a good chance she knew who was. He still wasn't sure if what he was doing was right, but he also knew he didn't have the self control to make himself stop.

"Zuku!" Ochako's chipper voice answered, not even making it past the first ring "what's up baby cheeks? I'm driving so you're on spea-"

"DID YOU AND DEKU FUCK?!"

"-ker…"

The words had tumbled out faster than he could stop them, his lungs gaping with heavy, angry breaths. He could hear the girls shock on the other line followed by a tense silence. He gave the phone a quick hit to make sure that she hadn't hung up on him, ready to track her floating ass down if she tried running away. Before he could figure out a plan on how to do that exactly someone in the car cleared their throat, breaking the quiet.

"I believe we are in fact not speaking to the aforementioned baby cheeks Ochako," a deep voice corrected. Katsuki recognized it instantly, even after years apart Katsuki could place Ida's strange speaking pattern anywhere, even if he did sound less whiny than normal.

"Yeah I got that, thanks babe."

"Why does Deku have all this baby crap?!" Katsuki rattled, unable to stop the high now that it had broken through.

"Katsuki Bakugo, are you at Izuku's residence? He had not alerted anyone else that you would be returning home. Are you switching agencies? If so, have you given any consideration to working with-"

"Shut the fuck up four eyes!" Katsuki screamed, practically shooting himself across the room as he paced.

"What the absolute hell has been going on since I left? Why isn't Izuku working as a hero? When did he start teaching at U.A? Who the fuck is that little girl on his phone, and why the hell does she look exactly like Deku?!"

There was a collective gasp in the car making the hair on Katsuki's neck stand on end. He could hear Ida begin to speak before swiftly being silenced, his low tone cut and muffled as Ochakos hand clamped across his lips.

"Oh my god did no one tell you about Mizuiro?!" Ochako asked, and Katsuki could swear he could hear her smiling through the phone, like this was amusing, like the idea of Izuku Midoriya, his Izuku Midoriya having a child and torrid love affair that Katsuki knew nothing about was a goddamn joke.

"What the fuck is a Mizuiro?" he demanded, but of course received no clearer answer.

"Alright, look, you're calling from Izuku's phone right? So you're back in town?"

"Obviously-" Katsuki growled.

"Let me make some calls and we can plan on meeting somewhere tonight! Promise you'll come out with us for a few hours and I'll tell you everything!"

Katsuki shifted on his foot, mulling the proposition over. The last thing he'd wanted was for more people to figure out he was back in the country, and after everything that had gone wrong this morning he was in no mood to go out and socialize. It had been a shitty day, and was only proving to get worse. He just wanted to sink into bed and forget any of it had happened.

Ignoring it wouldn't change anything though, and he knew after what an ass he'd made of himself Izuku was unlikely to actually answer any of his questions truthfully.

"Even the stuff Deku doesn't want me to know?" he muttered, earning a rather giddy laugh from the woman.

"Especially the stuff Zuku doesn't want you to know! Actually, it'd probably be best if you didn't bring this up to him at all, just convince him to come meet up before he has a chance to backpedal or make shit up!"

Katsui grunted, looking at the clock. Izuku wouldn't be home for a while, that meant he still had time to do some sleuthing before he had to hold up his end of the bargain. If he put enough pieces together it was possible he'd be able to get Izuku to break without ever having to leave the house. Promises didn't mean shit when he had all the information he wanted. With this new plan in mind he nodded, still unable to help but let out a sigh as he quickly jotted down Ochako's number.

"Yeah, alright…but just for a few hours! Don't fuck me on this Ochako, this is serious, ok! This impacts my career, I can't afford to not have the whole picture," he urged, grabbing his own phone from the table.

"Oh trust me, we all know how seriously you take your career. Text me your current number and I'll send you the deets once I've figured out the invites! I'll see you two tonight!"

Katsuki rolled his eyes but grunted in acknowledgment, ending the call. Thankfully he'd already written the number down, as the second he had hung up his own phone began to buzz. He raised a brow, bringing up the unknown number only to find Izuku's phone shutting down. He rushed to find a way to stop it, eyeing the full battery bar before watching his own phone light again.

Unknown Number: Are you making a call on my phone? Your phone should still have service, please refrain from using my personal devices.

Unknown Number: Katsuki. I am at work, I can't afford to be monitoring what you're doing on my data. Your phone will work on the server, put mine away and use your own.

Unknown Number: You called Ochako? You haven't called anyone in five years and now you're calling Ochako?

Unknown Number: KATSUKI.

Unknown Number: You're an ass.

Katsuki sighed, Izuku's phone now officially bricked. He should have guessed that he had remote access to it, someone with this level of security wouldn't have it all tied to one device. He was probably granting the house permissions through a secondary program at his desk. He hadn't expected him to figure out he'd been prying so quickly though.

The black screen mirrors his own face back at him, but all Katsuki could see was the photo hidden just beneath.

Fuck.