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Nothing and nobody would get in the way of Bakugou’s ultimate goal: complete and total victory. Blasting through robots and propelling his way across a pit, he was in the lead for the first test of the Sports Festival. Half and half wasn’t too far behind, but he wouldn’t let it distract him from getting first place. No way.
He began to lose momentum at the minefield, but still made steady progress despite the small setback with Todoroki hot on his heels. Halfway through the minefield, everything took a turn for the worse when a series of massive explosions erupted behind him, getting closer with each second. A green blur flew past with mines setting off in its wake. Bakugou was sent flying forward and had no choice but to use his blasts to keep himself from hitting the ground with Todoroki throwing ice around him to catch his balance as well.
With a sneer directed at the blur, Bakugou propelled forward as quickly as possible, neck in neck with Todoroki. No matter how fast he pushed, there was no catching up. The blur barreled into the stadium and “MIDORIYA IZUKU IS IN FIRST PLACE” echoed throughout the stadium. Bakugou stumbled, nearly falling on his face. He was in shock. How the fuck did Deku get into UA? And why did he get first place when Bakugou was supposed to?!
The remainder of the the Sports Festival played out in a blur, with Bakugou in second place once again in the next event. Deku was impossible to get to with his entire group aerial for most of the round and the damn bird creature lunging at him every time he tried to get close. As impressive as Bakugou’s quirk was, it was hard to face off against four people plus a shadow creature in an aerial battle when he was only one person. In the end, he managed to snag enough headbands to rack up a nice number and take second place. Yet, there was nothing satisfying in his victory.
The matches leading up to his fight with Todoroki were lackluster at best. Uraraka put up a pretty good fight but lost. He caught a glimpse of Deku’s match with Todoroki but ended up staying in the back, feeling too infuriated to watch for long. Deku lost, of course. Which was expected. As great as his fancy green suit was, it wasn’t a real match for a guy with such a powerful quirk. Bakugou’s victory against Todoroki left him feeling empty. In the end, the tournament was one giant disappointment.
With the tournament over and his stupid gold medal hanging from his neck, Bakugou spotted Deku in his ridiculous green metal suit talking to a girl with pink hair and goggles on her head. He looked utterly elated chatting with her. Disgusting .
Bakugou stomped over, grabbed Deku by the forearm and pulled him away from goggles girl. “You little shit! When did you get into UA?!”
“Kacchan!” Deku’s mouth hung open.
“I told you not to try to fucking get in!” Bakugou said with a menacing, throaty growl. “You’re useless.”
Goggles started laughing and Deku fixated him with a glare. At first, Bakugou thought the pink haired nuisance was laughing at Deku until she laid eyes on him and her expression morphed into derision, laughter ceasing.
“I don’t need your permission to do anything. I worked hard just like anyone else to get in.” He pulled his arm out of Bakugou’s grip and stomped over to the Goggles, suit clinking with every step. “Let’s go, Hatsume.” She threaded her arm around his with a grin and they walked off toward the school.
A seething, uncomfortable rippling began in Bakugou’s gut as he watched the pink haired nuisance and Deku walk off together. The simmering heat radiated beneath his skin as he stood watching the pair with a deep scowl until he was interrupted by Kirishima throwing an arm around his shoulder, congratulating him for his win.
Despite the disappointment the festival brought and the newfound information of Deku’s attendance at UA, Bakugou didn’t have time to think about it. With schoolwork piling up and an upcoming exam, including a physical exam, he was too busy to focus on much else. What little time he had at his disposal, it dedicated to naps and workouts.
The written part of the exam was a piece of cake, but the fight against All Might destroyed not only his bracers but a bit of his pride too. Kirishima was a decent partner and was attentive to Bakugou’s directions, but despite their best effort, only Kirishima managed to make it out the gate with All Might pinning Bakugou to the ground as he slipped into unconsciousness.
The exam made him realize several things, the foremost being the bulkiness of his bracers and possible lack of durability. When he told Aizawa he needed some advice to help redesign them, he was sent to the support department.
As he approached the room, the door was slightly ajar and he heard voices from the other side. The closer he got, the louder they became but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He pulled the door aside and the voices continued. One belonged to Deku and the other to Goggles chick. Great , he thought to himself.
He slunk inside, Deku still talking a mile a minute across the room as Goggles girl nodded enthusiastically. Bakugou got to the center of the room before the two finally spotted him. Deku clamped his mouth shut and scurried off to a corner to rummage through a pile of what was presumably parts.
“You’re the guy who won the tournament, right?” Goggles stepped forward, wiping her hands on an apron wrapped around her waist.
“ Tch. Yea, what of it?” Bakugou said, folding his arms and jutting out his chin.
“Nothing. You just looked familiar but I wasn’t sure who you were.” Hatsume said flippantly.
A vein popped along Bakugou’s forehead. “How the fuck do you not know who I am?”
Hatsume shrugged, not phased by Bakugou’s sharp tone. “I don’t have time to remember stuff like that,” she said dismissively and busied herself with another project.
Bakugou’s anger only grew. Fists clenched and teeth bared, he stomped over to Deku who was tinkering away at his workstation. “Oi! Deku!”
Deku glanced at him, put a finger to his lips and said, “Shh, Kacchan! You’re too loud.”
Bakugou continued to glare but his next words were significantly softer. “Who do I got to for changes to my hero gear?”
“Oh. That would be me.”
“ Hah?! ”
Deku fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, looking everywhere but at Katsuki. “Um. Yea. I’ve been making all the adjustments for your equipment since the beginning, Kacchan.”
“You have to be shititng me!”
“Izuku does great work! Those bracers were finely crafted,” Hatsume shouted enthusiastically from across the room, earning her a sidelong glare from Bakugou. He settled his glare back on Deku who continued to fidget under his piercing stare.
“Kacchan, what do you need done?” Bakugou grit his teeth.
“I want someone else to help me.” He demanded with a scowl.
“Why?” Deku squeaked out, hands flying about around him.
Bakugou narrowed his eyes. “ Why? Because you’re a useless Deku. I don’t want your stupid hands on my equipment.” He shoved Deku sending him stumbling back into his workstation table, eyes wide with fear as anxiety betrayed him.
“Kacchan.” His eyes teared up but Katsuki’s glare only deepened, neck muscles bulging as he ground his teeth violently.
“As opinionated as you may wish to be, this is our space. If you don’t want Izuku to work on your hero gear, kindly submit a request to the proper channels. Otherwise, you－ ” Hatsume grabbed the scruff of Bakugou’s shirt and dragged him to the door with a smile. He sputtered and tried to pry her fingers from his shirt, “ － can leave.” She dumped him at the threshold of the door, brushed off her leggings and hopped back over to her side of the room next to a large pile of scrap metal.
Bakuogou left without another word and spent the next week pondering over recent events, such as the tournament and more specifically the discovery of Izuku being a student at UA this whole time. It was hard to fathom how the useless, quirkless nerd managed to get his ass into UA, but it also made sense. He was a thinker, as well as stubborn and determined as fuck. Bakugou remembered spotting him jogging and working out at a nearby park when he was out for his own morning jogs. They never explicitly crossed paths, Bakugou made sure of that, but Deku had been training before they graduated middle school.
Bakugou sat at his desk one evening, not able to stay focused on his studies. Nearly half a year had gone by and he didn’t notice the little nerd was going to the same school as him. They never crossed paths on the train ride to or from school. They definitely didn’t see each other in school, but it seemed to be the case for pretty much all the classes in general. Once you were with your assigned class, you tended to see them only unless otherwise specified.
He ran a hand through his messy platinum hair, pulling lightly on a few strands. Biting his bottom lip, he pulled out his cellphone and opened up the contacts app. He scrolled down for a bit until he reached the contact “Fucking Nerd”. With a growl, he tapped on the name and opened a text message.
Bakugou - you don’t belong in UA.
He hit send before he had the chance to rethink his decision. The response was almost instantaneous.
Fucking Nerd - you may think that, Kacchan, but I don’t. If you have nothing else to say, I’m going to bed. Good night, kacchan.
He sat back in his chair, staring hard at the text as the familiar anger simmered beneath his skin.
Bakugou- fuck you
Bakugou knew he was being petty as he threw his phone on his desk. Deku wouldn’t be at UA if he wasn’t useful in some way, but it was a hard pill to swallow. He never heard of anyone quirkless being accepted at UA, so he must have done something right. Then he remembered when Deku spoke about the new rule allowing quirkless people admission into the school.
He sat up and opened Google and did a search of UA admission rules for quirkless people. Sure enough, the rules allowed equipment created by the individual for the physical portion of the entrance exam. That fucking dweeb must have managed to create something to help him in the exam. Bakugou couldn’t help but be a little impressed. Even the suit he was wearing at the sports festival was impressive. Who knows how long he had been working on the thing to make it work so smoothly.
As much as he hated to admit it, Deku had changed. He was no longer the weak nerd Bakugou pegged him to be. As infuriating as that fact was, he needed Deku. Which only made him more irritated. He went to bed a ball of rage and woke up the next morning from the most unsatisfying night of sleep he had in nearly a year.
Bakugou had no desire to see the annoying girl with pink hair again. So, he sent a text to Deku while at school politely demanding his presence after school. Deku of course replied at lightning speed, agreeing to said demands. All Bakugou had to do was wait until school was over.
“Hey, Kacchan!” Deku greeted, walking up to Bakugou waiting at the entrance to the school grounds.
“ Tch. ” Bakugou said nothing more, walking out the front entrance toward the train station. Deku silently followed behind.
The train ride wasn’t much better except for Deku’s occasional rambling which Bakugou vehemently ignored with headphones stuffed in his ears and at just the right volume to drown out Deku’s low murmurs.
The train bumped along, narrowly brushing against a passing train causing the car to lurch and Deku stumbled slightly into Bakugou, profusely apologizing when as he fixated Deku with an angry scowl.
The walk to Bakugou’s house was silent too until Deku spoke up.
“Um, Kacchan.”
“What?” Bakugou snapped.
“Will your mom be there? Or dad?”
“No.”
Deku deflated a little, a frown replacing his usual smile. “Oh.”
“Dad has to work late. Mom is helping my grandma.” Bakugou explained.
“Ah. Well can you tell them I said hello?” The light returned to Deku’s eyes.
“ Tch. ”
When they reached Bakugou’s house, they walked into the foyer and slipped off their shoes. Silence fell over them as they climbed the stairs to Bakugou’s room. The last time Deku had been in Bakugou’s room was when they were five years old. Bakugou’s bullying was gradually getting worse and at the time he refused to let a “quirkless loser” come over his house any more. Deku accepted it, heartbroken, but didn’t bother to argue about it. He still admired Bakugou regardless of the treatment, but after that their friendship further soured until there was nothing left to it but a remnant of what it once was.
Bakugou dumped his bag onto the bed and Deku placed his gently on the floor. He settled himself onto the floor and began rummaging in his large yellow backpack. Bakugou prodded Deku hard in the ribs with his foot.
“Oi. Why are you on the floor?”
“Uh. Well I thought－” Deku was at a complete loss for words.
“Sit next to me, idiot. How can I explain shit if you’re on the damn floor?”
“Uh, right.” Deku got to his feet, grabbed a notebook and pencil, settling himself beside Bakugou. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, trying to keep himself inside his own bubble to avoid upsetting Bakugou.
“Alright, nerd, I need my bracers redesigned.”
Deku nodded, opening his notebook at his feet and made a note.
“Anything specific you need done?”
“You know what, let’s talk about how the hell someone like you got into UA.” Bakugou said abruptly, blunt as ever. Deku frowned, a look of hurt coming over him.
He tore his eyes away from Bakugou, instead staring at the pencil in his hand as he twirled it between his fingers. “I worked hard to get in. I started exercising and changing my diet. The rules for quirkless people allowed me to create my own tech to use for the exam. Since I was at a disadvantage.”
“You shouldn’t be there.”
Deku glared at Bakugou. “While I respect your opinion, it’s not fact. I am not the same helpless person I was a year and a half ago. If you don’t like that I’m at UA, that’s fine. But if you’re going to insult me and belittle me to my face, then you can submit your changes to the support office and I will go home.” Deku said firmly, his gaze unwavering.
Bakugou had to hand it to him, the nerd finally grew a spine. Still pissed him off though.
“Whatever.”
Deku picked up his notebook again. “What do you need me to do?”
“They’re too damn bulky and easy to break.”
“What? They’re broken?”
“All Might shattered them during my exam.” Bakugou said, brows furrowing at the memory.
“Oh wow. Um. Pretty sure I don’t know any material that can withstand a blow from All Might, but I’m sure I can come up with something sturdier than the material I used before. You said they’re bulky too, right?”
“Yea. I can’t keep my arms resting at my sides comfortably.”
“Hmm.” Deku tapped his pencil against his cheek. “Well you want to keep the grenade design right?”
“Yea.”
“I think I might have a solution. They were made to suit your original sketch, but I can redesign the interior to still allow sufficient space for your sweat as well as the mechanism to help cause the fire. This will allow me to shrink their size significantly.”
“Show me.”
“Okay, so what I’ll do is cut down the circumference.” Deku lightly sketched an arm and sketched what appeared to be one of Katsuki’s bracers, but a smaller version. “So I will keep the integrity of the original design by lessening the top and removing the bottom to add material that will hold the bracer in place while also allowing for some room to maneuver better.” He continued to explain as he filled out the sketch more, keeping the overall original idea in a more toned down way.
“I know you must be extremely powerful to use those blasts, but the bulky bracers must be hindering your movement on some level. It’s not wise to keep that amount of weight on your arms while in a fight, so I will see about material that is sturdy, durable and light. And also tweak the explosion so it doesn't hurt you. Which I know it probably hasn’t but your safety comes first－”
“Alright nerd, shut up. Stop rambling.” Bakugou cut in.
Deku snapped his mouth shut, and hid behind his hand. “Sorry.”
“Old habits die hard don’t they?”
“Yea.” Deku said, a blush coloring his round cheeks.
Bakugou inched closer until he was completely leaning into Deku and peered down at the drawing.
“So you’re going to shrink the compartment holding my sweat? Wouldn’t that make my blasts less powerful?”
“Not at all. There was a sensor that determined how much you sweat and how much you actually used when letting off blasts.”
“A sensor?! What the fuck?”
“It was in the document explaining your hero costume’s function along with accessories and enhancers,” Deku said matter-of-factly.
“That’s so fucking weird.”
“Well it allowed me to keep track of your sweat regulation in case there did need to be a change. Like if the compartment was too small or it didn’t take enough sweat. It was just for me to keep track of all that.”
“Okay, so why can you shrink the compartment?” Bakugou was still in Deku’s space, face not far from his, practically talking right into it and acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Um. Well, you sweat a lot, but not enough to fill the whole compartment in one use. And whatever isn’t used, is stored of course. So in reality, I can actually half the compartment size to allow me to shrink the original size of the bracer, but still allow for enough sweat for your blasts. This will give me space for the fire mechanism which ignites the sweat and releases it as a blast. Because cutting down the size of the bracers themselves also means reworking the actual mechanics within them so you don’t get burned and also to be sure there’s enough space for said mechanisms within the bracer.”
“Okay. I get it.” Bakugou was becoming aware of Deku’s body against his when Deku shifted to make another note. Deku’s arm flexed against his chest and it was apparent he had bulked up a bit since middle school. He grabbed Deku’s bicep, wrapping a large hand around it and stopping him from writing.
Deku froze, cheeks reddening. “Kacchan?”
“You actually have muscles. You used to be a scrawny shit,” Bakugou said, ignoring Deku’s flustered sputtering.
“Kacchan. Why are you doing that? Stop!” Deku tried to pull away from Bakugou’s firm grip, but his fingers only tightened around his arm.
“I’m still pissed you made it as far as you did in the Sports Festival.”
Deku stopped struggling and Bakugou’s hold loosened. “Okay? Does it mean you have to grab my arm like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Kacchan, just let me go, please.” Bakugou gave him an unnerving, unblinking stare and Deku’s cheeks only got rosier. He tugged his arm again and Bakugou let go this time.
Bakugou wasn’t quite sure why he felt the need to grab Deku. He wasn’t really the touchy type, but it almost felt natural to touch Deku. Kind of like old times when they’d cuddle together in his bed and take naps, sometimes holding hands. His ears burned at the memory. It was normal for kids to behave like that, but he was a teenager now. Maybe it wasn’t okay to touch Deku after all.
He pushed himself away from Deku and lay back on his pillow, trying to ignore the sudden pangs in his stomach.
“I want a nap.” He announced and turned on his side, curling up in a ball. He kicked at Deku’s leg, an unspoken command to get off his bed. Deku grabbed his notebook and slid onto the floor. “Oi. Hurry up and put your shit away.”
“I am. I’ll leave as soon as I can.”
Bakugou shot up. “Leave? Who the fuck told you to leave?”
Deku glanced up at Bakugou. “Um. I assumed－”
“Fuck off. Pack your shit and lay down.”
“On the bed?”
“Where the fuck else? The floor?”
“Well.”
“DEKU!”
“Okay. Okay, I’ll be up in a sec.” He shoved this notebook and pencil hastily into the backpack and clambered onto the bed, plopping down unceremoniously on his side against the wall. Once again, he was curled up away from Bakugou as humanly possible.
“Why the fuck are you laying like that, nerd?”
“Well, I don’t want to get in your space and upset you.”
Bakugou glared, grabbed the front of Deku’s shirt and yanked him forward. Deku let out a yell as he flopped into Bakugou’s chest.
“If you breathe a damn word about this to anyone, I’ll fucking kill you.” Deku gulped and nodded awkwardly against Bakugou’s chest. He tried to settle himself more comfortably against Bakugou, but was gathered closer to him as an arm wrapped around his shoulders, shoving him further into Bakugou’s side. Bakugou felt Deku tremble slightly against him and smirked. He would always be a step ahead of Deku, regardless of his progress. This was no different.
He could hide the anxiety welling up inside him unlike Deku. It was the first time in 10 years since he lay so close to Deku and it was honestly one of the most calming things he had done in a long while. He tucked his chin into Deku’s hair, the scent of coconut filling his nostrils. After a bit of struggling, Deku settled down and they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep not thinking about the present or future, merely living in the moment, finally not at odds with each other.