Chapter Text
“This is complete and utter bullish— “
“Kyouka, we are in public .”
The girl in question let out a loud huff, slumping back in her chair, hand reaching up to twirl one of her ear jacks between her fingers while the other hand reached out to tap on the tabletop. She had never been good at sitting still, even when conversing. “Don’t act like you don’t swear just as much as me, babe.”
Giving her friend a look, Momo just sighed, slumping back in her own chair in a more tired manner. “I am not that bad…”
Now Momo was the one receiving a look, and she knew she deserved it. For as ladylike as she could be, she had certainly picked up an… unsavory habit. Something hard to avoid when working with heroes over the years, but for some reason had stuck with her more than others.
But given they were out in public for brunch, at a high end restaurant even that catered towards heroes who want to eat without cameras shoved in their faces, she knew better than to start dropping swear words. She had an image, unfortunately, and her publicist would freak if she started breaking character.
She was the prim and proper queen with a heart of gold. She had no room for cursing.
…but sometimes it did slip out during fights. Unfortunately.
“Remember the one training incident,” Kyouka drawled, an amused smile creeping up on her lips. “The one where you forgot that the teachers were linked into the comms—“
“ Please , do not remind me of that—“
“Aizawa looked so done!” Kyouka crowed, holding back cackling. “ You were supposed to be the headache free one of us! And Snipe looked ready to piss himself in fear any time you looked even remotely pissed after that—“
With an audible groan, Momo collapsed forward, lightly hitting her forehead to the table. “All I wanted was to get mildly tipsy over Mimosas and forget that yesterday ever happened.”
She felt the familiar poke of one of Kyouka’s earphone jacks against her head, prodding her for attention. “Forget that you managed to take down the Number Two and Three Villains in one single encounter?” Momo shifted her face to look up at her friend. “Or forget that all the public took from that encounter was hashtag boob canon .”
Another groan, and she shifted her face back to the table to hide her shame.
“Hey, come on now, lighten up,” Kyouka encouraged reaching out to awkwardly pat her head. “You took down Shouto and Ground Zero all in one go. Now that’s impressive—“
“I only took down Shouto because he has a huge weakness for me because of our past friendship,” Momo chimed in as she sat up from the table. “And Ground Zero was not confirmed down before they both escaped .”
“Still better than what anyone else has managed—“
“And no one else has to deal with trending for being a living boob canon .”
Finally admitting defeat, Kyouka threw her hands up. “Look, I get it, it sucks . The Hero Industry is far from the sunshine and roses from when we were kids.” Gesturing to herself, she asked, “I mean, look at me, I quit after like three years because I couldn’t handle the Limelight.”
Momo’s pout faded as she let out a sigh. “You traded Hero work for a music career. You’re still in the spotlight.”
“Yeah, sort of. But I don’t have to deal with fans sneaking into active battle sites.”
Momo slapped her hands on the table at the reminder, nearly knocking over the remnants of her drink. “Shouto would have been secured in custody if they had not given away my position—!“
“And that is one of the many reasons I switched.” Giving Momo a sympathetic look, Kyouka gently added, “You know, you don’t have to keep doing this. You reached Number Two! That’s higher than most of us can even imagine, especially in our class, and Hawks isn’t stepping down anytime soon. You could retire—“
“And do what?” Momo asked with a bitter laugh. “I’m not like you Kyouka. I don’t have hobbies and outside interests. I have my work, I have my cases, and that’s it .” Snatching up her glass and downing the rest of her drink, she muttered, “If it weren’t for you and the others checking in on me, I likely would not have any friends given how much of a trainwreck I am when it comes to maintaining relationships.”
Kyouka gave her a sympathetic look. “Momo, we are very well aware of your workaholic tendencies. Half of us would not have graduated were it not for you being on our asses all the time.” Then with an oddly blank expression, she added, “Well, without you and Iida —“
“ Not you too! ”
“Hey, it’s a valid statement!” She defended, though they both knew that she meant it as an entirely loaded one. “But while we are on the subject…”
“Why does everyone have to pester me about my love life—“
“You mean your fake love li— Umpth !”
Momo had half jumped over the table, slapping her hands over Kyouka’s mouth out of instinct. The place was near empty, yet she still looked around in concern. “Can we please not talk about this here—“
Yanking Momo’s hand away from her mouth, Kyouka asked with a grin, “So we were right! It is fake—“
“ Shh! ” With a pleading look, she hurriedly whispered, “Alright, okay? It’s fake, please , be quiet—Wait, what do you mean by we ?”
Kyouka went stone faced. “I would never betray my sources—“
“It was Shouji.”
“It was definitely Shouji.”
Momo took a deep breath. “Listen…our publicists just…pushed.” Bracing her elbows on the table, she let out a tired sigh. “After those pictures went viral last month of him and I helping each other out of that building wreck, rumors circulated that we were dating, and well…”
Kyouka understood. “PR pushed to just go with it?”
Momo nodded with a tired look. “Apparently, it was to make us both seem more… approachable and less like our entire lives revolve around work.”
“So, basically, to hide from the public that you are both workaholics—“
“Remind me why I go out for Mimosas with you again?”
She held her hands up in the air. “Wow, okay, I get it, this is a touchy subject. I will totally drop it…sorry.”
Momo smiled softly at her friend. “It’s fine, I appreciate that you all seem concerned…it’s just been a lot to process.” Waving to the server for another round of drinks, Momo then eyed Kyouka. “…how exactly did you all know?”
Kyouka simply gave her a deadpan look. “Momo. Iida is the textbook definition of an Aromantic Asexual if I have ever met one.” Then, with another smile, she added, “Also, him and I made out at our graduation party that turned into him going into a ten minute speech about finally realizing and accepting that he was not attracted to anyone nor wanted to date. Then he cried, became empowered, cried over the toaster Denki broke earlier that night, and finally blacked out on the kitchen counter.”
Momo gave her a horrified look before something clicked. “Isn’t that the night he woke up with a drawing of…of male gen—“
“You can say dick, Momo.”
“…no, I very much do not want to, and oh my god , that was you —!“
“Iida was not the only one who was wasted, and Mina had spare Sharpies.”
After a few more drinks, they were walking down the street, each wearing their respective hats and sunglasses to try and hide their identities. Thankfully, with loose fitting clothes on Momo and Kyouka expertly hiding her ear jacks, they could hide easily in a crowd.
Sometimes, Momo found it disconcerting how easily they could hide amongst the masses as she skirted around a rather tall man walking rather slowly through the crowd. He seemed to look directly at them in his sunglasses but did not even flinch, turning his attention immediately back to his phone.
Vaguely thinking about the baseball cap and face mask he wore as well, maybe he was trying to blend in with the crowd just like them…though wearing that garishly colored All Might hoodie probably leaned away from the idea of trying to blend in.
Still. She has seen worse disguises.
Before she could dwell on this random train of thought, Kyouka broke her musings.
“ So ,” she drawled in a very pointed tone.
“We are not discussing my boyfriend again,” Momo stiffly interjected before Kyouka could say anything else.
“What about discussing things tangential to him—“
“ Kyouka— “
The girl held up her hands in surrender. “Look, you are one of my best friends. I am just trying to figure out what you and your boyfriend discussed as far as boundaries.”
Momo sighed heavily. “What do you mean? You know how he is, neither of us is afraid of the other pushing—“
“I meant more like what happens if you actually become interested in someone else.”
Momo nearly tripped over her own feet. “I—what?” Shaking her head, she insisted, “I have no intention of dating anyone else. I am perfectly fine with this arrangement.”
Kyouka leveled her with a look. “Really?”
“ Yes . Kyouka, I rarely have a day off, today was forced by my agency because of the amount of healing for my back.”
“I still can’t believe you did interviews while your back looked like someone took a cheese grater to it,” her friend muttered under her breath.
“And that is my point,” Momo replied with a sigh. “I love my work. I don’t love the spotlight, but I love helping people. It comes first. I don’t even have time to be interested in someone.”
“You seemed fairly interested yesterday.”
Momo’s face scrunched up in confusion. “…what do you mean?”
Kyouka looked smug. “What I mean is that someone looked very comfortable with a particular someone pinning you to the ground…”
“… Jirou Kyouka , are you insinuating that I had sexual tension with the man actively trying to kill me?! ”
“Hey, look, hot is hot!” Kyouka defended. “And if boob canon wasn’t trending right now, that pin would be!”
And Momo’s brain stuttered to a halt, realizing exactly why the Commission was allowing that hashtag to trend. “…oh fuck —“
A choke of surprise came from behind them, and they both spun to see the man in the All Might hoodie not too far away, having heard her swear.
Great. Her publicist is going to kill her…maybe he didn’t know who she was—
“Creati…” the man mumbled behind his mask.
“Whelp,” Kyouka drawled, looking very tired.
Momo felt a little panicked, wondering what all he might have heard. “…any chance you could forget all of this?”
“…perhaps?…” he mumbled, barely looking directly at them. Then, he pulled an autograph book out of his pocket and held it out nervously.
She should have known the guy in the All Might hoodie was a fanboy.
This was supposed to be her safe space. The one place she could go to de-stress away from others and the spotlight. No one had a key. No one had access. Not her friends, not her ‘boyfriend’, and certainly not her absentee parents and extended family. No, the only one with access was her.
…or at least that is what she had thought.
She stood in the doorway of her open floor plan apartment, blinking slowly at the sight in front of her.
“What the actual fuck is this? When was the last time she fucking went to a grocery store?!” She watched in mild fascination as Bakugou pulled the nearly full milk jug out of the fridge, twist off the cap to sniff the contents curiously, only to start wretching , barely managing to recap the jug and shove it back into the fridge. “Holy—!”
“I’ve been meaning to throw that away.”
Fiery red eyes snapped in her direction, and she felt her entire body tense, resisting the urge to move. They both simply stared, having a silent stare off, a test of wills, trying to see who gave in first…
Only for Bakugou to be possessed by another wretch, rushing to the trash can.
Deciding not to risk him blowing up her apartment and subsequently a large part of the high rise apartment complex, Momo carefully closed her apartment door, making her way over to the man as he heaved over the trash. “What the fuck , Princess?” He snarled out. Not even looking at her, he held a hand, flailing it in the air. “Water, fuck , that was nasty shit—“
Not knowing how to respond, she edged around to a cabinet that still held clean glasses. The sink was filled with dirty dishes and wine glasses, and she had to maneuver the glass just right to get the water out of the faucet, all while trying her best to not turn her back to the villain looking close to puking in her trash.
Cautiously sitting the glass in his outstretched hand, she quickly darted back after he snatched it away, chugging down the glass in a near instant. She finally noted that he was not wearing his usual gear, just a plain black tank top that was just barely a proper fit along with a pair of equally black military style pants.
His black and orange boots were clearly from his villain costume however.
Subtle .
She could not help but note how he was very well built. Not that he had not been when they were teenagers—Bakugou had been one of the few in their class that had taken their training seriously. He came into UA with eyes set on a goal, with a drive and a passion that none of them could hope to achieve.
And then he had left without a word or explanation.
Lowering the glass, Bakugou wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, stepping back to lean on the kitchen countertop. His eyes slide to her, his body remaining relaxed as he held the glass loosely between his fingers. A smirk worked his way onto his lips as he crossed his arms, grinning like a cat that caught the canary. “Never took you for the slob type, Princess.”
She looked at him, then blurted out, “You’re taller in person.”
Silence.
“ I’M WHAT— “
“Sorry! Sorry!” She immediately began apologizing though she had no idea why. ‘I just always see you in pictures next to Deku and Shouto and—“
Small little crackles, ones so similar to when he was in high school, flickered along his palms as he practically growled, “It’s not my fucking fault those two asshats are fucking giraffes! I’m well above average—“
“Look, I’m sorry—“ then she cut herself off with a frustrated growl of her own. “What are you even doing here?!” She threw her hands in the air. “This is my apartment! And you are breaking and entering!”
He stared at her for a beat. Then, he burst out laughing, nearly doubling over and having to grab the counter for support.
Her face flushed bright red. “This—this isn’t a joke!”
“Do—Do you hear yourself, Princess?!” He was still cackling, barely able to catch his breath to speak. “Fucking hell, you really think—after every crime I’ve committed, that breaking and entering is the worst?”
Her face felt like it was burning at this point, and she knew she was getting ridiculous levels of red. “I—I just—“ Overwhelmed, she produced a staff from her hand, grabbing it with practiced ease. “Get out! ”
But her attempt to swing at him was easily blocked, Bakugou grabbing the staff and yanking her closer, his free hand snatching her around the throat. “Now, now, no need to be violent…”
She couldn’t help herself. “Will you just… fuck off! ”
The words seemed to hang in the air, the hand still tightly wrapped around her throat, both of them still holding the staff. If she didn’t know better…she would have said thatBakugou looked genuinely surprised. But surely she was just imagining—
As the expression melted off his face into a wicked looking grin, she mentally wished that his face would go back to the surprised look.
His grip on her throat shifted, his hand large enough to wrap all the way around the back of her neck while his thumb traced gently along the hollow of her throat. Unlike during their fight, his hands were ungloved now, and if she was being honest, she was not sure how to react to this.
“ Fuck ,” he drawled out, a low rumble in his throat as he leaned in, somehow shifting them around to where she was trapped between him and the counter. “Has anyone ever told you how hot it is to hear you swear?”
She dropped the staff and braced both hands on his chest, pushing slightly. “I have a boyfriend.”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, clucking his tongue absently. “Yeah, and my quirk produces bubbles .” He met her gaze dead on, hand shifting from her neck to her chin, tilting it up to meet his gaze. “I think we both know a lie when we see one.”
She felt her breath hitch. Swallowing heavily, she maintained her resolve as best she could. “I have a boyfriend .”
He did not move for a beat. Then with a defeated sigh, he dropped her chin and stepped back. She could not help but sag a bit in relief.
Seeing his shit eating smirk, however, made her very tempted to kick him.
“What are you doing here, Ground Zero ?”
The smirk remained, and he had the audacity to shrug. “Got bored and decided to snoop. And let me tell you…” His gaze drifted to scan the rest of the apartment. “I was not expecting this out of you, Princess.”
Her face flushed in embarrassment, knowing full well the state of her apartment. “I…am very busy.”
He let out a whistle as he sauntered out of the kitchen area towards the living room, eyeing the clothes scattered around the place, the books and papers covering most surfaces. Poking his foot at the precarious pile of online delivery boxes next to the trash can. “I can see that.” Spinning on his heel to face her, he drawled, “What, can’t your hero salary afford a maid?”
She gave him a flat look. “It can.” Then, shoving past him, she added, “But it can’t buy loyalty.”
He followed after her towards the couch. Clothes strewn about, cups and plates scattered: it was a mess, but still livable. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means , Bakugou,” she replied stiffly as she rounded the couch and flopped back on it. “That after the fifth maid stealing my personal belongings or doxing my address to the internet, I stopped hiring them.”
He paused, standing at the far end of the couch, staring. “After they what —“
“They were paid well above their usual salary, even signed on with NDAs through their companies, but still,” she continued slumping back against the cushions and staring up at the ceiling. “Everyone acted like I should just get used to it.” Deciding that she really did not care at the moment, she shifted so that her feet were up on the couch, wiggling around to get comfortable amongst the plush cushions. “I decided I would rather just not .”
Bakugou seemed to be processing. “…what shit did they steal?”
She shrugged. “Random things, probably more than I noticed. I don’t keep many valuables anymore that aren’t in safes, but I noticed things missing like shoes and cheaper jewelry. I mostly was aware of when my prescriptions started going missing as well, mostly pain medication from after fights.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “The doctors always prescribed too much, so I had a lot sitting around, though I did my best to keep track of it.”
Then, before he could speak again, she added, “Oh, and one thought that stealing my underwear and posting it for sale on the internet was a great idea.”
Jolting at the thought, Bakugou’s hands crackled slightly. “Someone what— how do they even prove that it’s yours?!”
Her head tilted slightly. “Easy. With cameras.”
Bakugou went deathly still. “…you mean—“
“I do not like my privacy invaded for a reason, Bakugou,” she stated softly, her head tilting back up slowly to the ceiling.
Silence hung between them for a minute, and Momo honestly thought he might have left. That is, until he quietly asked, “Would you like me to leave?”
Her head snapped back to face him, surprised. Except for those in her inner circle, those she was closest to, it was… rare to have someone ask her about anything boundary related. While yes, he had ignored her protests earlier, seeing him look genuinely…concerned? Over making her uncomfortable due to her past experiences caught her off guard.
She began to wonder why a villain would respect her boundaries infinitely more than most civilians.
Then, after a beat, she found herself blurting out, “Well, you are already here, so…”
He nodded, shifting awkwardly in place as neither really knew what else to say. Then, he glanced at her massive tv, then back to her before carefully asking, “…happen to know where the remote is in all of this shit?”
Ten minutes later, the two were watching “Say Yes to the Dress,” Momo’s feet planted firmly in Bakugou’s lap as he yelled at the bride on the screen for being an ‘entitled bitch.’ Momo quickly found herself questioning how her life had led to this. Good little heroes don’t let villains chill on their couches. Good little heroes don’t relax around villains this much.
Good little heroes don’t enjoy a villain’s company.
And deep in her gut, she began to wonder if maybe the lines between hero and villain were a little more blurred than she originally had thought.