Chapter Text
If you asked 13-year-old Eijirou what his life would be like at 22, he would tell you that he'd be a great, chivalrous hero like Crimson Riot. After all, that's been his dream for as long as he can remember.
But sometimes dreams are just that: dreams; something to think about when you want to escape from reality for a moment, or to ponder as you fall asleep, and Eijirou made peace with that when he decided against applying to UA.
The guilt of giving up that dream stung for a while after the fact, especially when he'd turn on the TV and see UA's elite students competing in their famous Sports Festival.
A freckly boy breaking his bones to coax his opponent into using his full power.
A girl able to manipulate gravity willing to take hit after savage hit to win.
A spitfire blond with sharp words and explosive power to back them up.
Those students—those were the ones who deserved to be in the hero course and to go on to defend the public, not Eijirou with his boring quirk.
That sting finally faded into a fierce admiration for heroes when he realized he could still help people even if it wasn't as a hero, though.
When he decided to go to university to study medicine, it's like something clicked in him; he finally felt that same spark he felt when he wanted to be a hero.
So, yeah, his life at 22 might not be what a 13-year-old version of him expected, but he's happy.
Being a medical student leaves little free time, especially as he is in his last pre-clinical year, but Eijirou still likes to keep up with hero news when he can.
Currently, the Top Ten is mostly made up of UA's hero course A, the class Eijirou would've been a part of had he applied and gotten in.
Deku. Creati. Uravity. Shouto. Chargebolt. Tsukuyomi.
And Eijirou's favorite,
Ground Zero.
If Eijirou's being honest, the guy kind of scared him during that first Sports Festival, but he was still drawn to Bakugou's tenacity, his sheer, unrelenting thirst for victory. It was inspiring and it was manly as fuck.
Eijirou admired him.
Seeing him chained up like an animal on the podium, first place medal being thrust upon him despite his adamant rejection, left Eijirou with a bad taste in his mouth.
Then, villains attacked and he was kidnapped and Eijirou had never been so scared watching a live broadcast.
The broadcast focused more on All Might's last stand, keeping the cameras on the Symbol of Peace as he fought valiantly against his terrifying enemy, but in the corner of the screen, small flashes of explosions could be seen and Eijirou couldn't take his eyes off of them.
As time went on, the explosions grew smaller and smaller, with more and more time between them.
Bakugou was losing and Eijirou's breath was trapped in his throat.
This was a kid his age, fighting for his life. It didn't matter if he was rough around the edges, that he was brutally honest and viciously sure of himself. He was a kid and he was trying harder than anyone to become a hero despite that.
He wasn't a villain.
Behind All Might, there was a streak of green lightning and suddenly, the entire screen flashed with a blinding light. The camera shook with the force and a resounding boom filled the air.
For just a moment, the attention was off of All Might and All For One, the camera panning over to show a crater in the earth at least 100 meters wide. At the center of the crater, Bakugou was passed out, surrounded by the bodies of a handful of villains.
The battle ended relatively quickly after that.
Or it seemed to in Eijirou's mind at least, as he couldn't focus on anything except the news ticker at the bottom of the screen saying that Bakugou had been rescued by the pros and was en route to the hospital to get his injuries treated.
Eijirou later found out that Bakugou had dislocated both shoulders after letting out that huge explosion, his drained body not equipped for such a powerful blast despite his training.
But, he was safe.
He was alive.
He had won.
And Eijirou admired him even more.
After that, Eijirou couldn't help but pay attention to Bakugou.
His hero debut, the second and third year Sports Festivals, his internship with Miruko—any time Bakugou made it into the news, Eijirou found himself paying special attention without realizing it.
So yeah, his admiration of Ground Zero had started early on in the hero's career and only grew as Bakugou really came into his own as a hero. Ground Zero's journey inspired Eijirou in his pursuit of his own career and Eijirou just wished he could meet the guy to thank him.
Although, if Eijirou thought about it, Ground Zero didn't exactly seem like the kind of guy who would want to be thanked for being an inspiration.
Or he would, but his response would probably be something rude like, "Of course I'm inspiring, asshole!"
Whatever, it wasn't like Eijirou would ever run into the guy anyway.
Tokyo is a big city, with a population of over 9 million.
What are the chances of him running into his favorite pro hero?
Eijirou is brought out of his thoughts by a huff from beside him.
Blinking a couple of times, Eijirou sets the newest Ground Zero figure back on the shelf. Honestly, it's a really cool figure, Ground Zero in the middle of a Howitzer Impact with a clear plastic stand.
"God, he's so cool," He quietly sighs, moving to step away from the display before he makes a rash purchase.
A disgruntled 'tch' comes from the same direction as the huff from before and Eijirou can't help but look at the person out of the corner of his eye.
The person has their hands stuffed into their pockets, posture hunched and defensive. A dark baseball cap is pulled over their eyes, while a black face mask covers the rest of their features.
Under one of their arms is a Ground Zero figure.
"Oh hey, you're a Ground Zero fan too?"
The stranger lets out a low growl, the sound rumbling in their throat, before grunting in a gravelly voice, "No shit, idiot."
Brushing off the rude reply, Eijirou sheepishly chuckles. "Well, that's definitely his coolest figure so you made a good choice!"
The stranger huffs again. "I know." Then, after a tense moment of silence, bright red eyes fall on Eijirou's empty hands. "You're not buying one?"
"Oh," Eijirou lets his own eyes fall to his hands and juts his lip out in a pout, "no, not today. Rent is due next week and I have student loan payments and—"
"Shut up."
Eijirou furrows his brows, starting to get a little offended. "Hey, man, chill—"
"I said shut up, dumbass." It sounds as if the person is gritting their teeth before they stomp off.
Yikes. What an asshole.
Eijirou sighs and tries to shake off the whole interaction.
He hears the faint noise of the cash register towards the front of the store as he resumes his shopping, trying to get back to the task at hand. He really shouldn't let himself get so distracted.
Spending a few moments scrolling through his list on his phone, Eijirou doesn't notice the person approaching his backside until he hears a gruff voice over his shoulder, "Here."
The stranger is back, holding a clear plastic bag containing the figure out towards Eijirou.
"W-what? I can't accept this, it's 5000 yen!"
"Just fucking take it."
"But don't you want to keep it?"
"I don't need my own merch."
Eijirou scrunches up his nose and snorts, the movement jostling his glasses. "Sure, man, whatever you say."
"What the fuck do you mean 'whatever I say'?"
"'My own merch', that's a good one! I like you, dude! You're funny."
Yanking their face mask down, the stranger sneers. "It wasn't a goddamn joke, asshole!"
Oh shit.
"Fuck," Eijirou's freckled cheeks burn bright with blush, eyes widening.
Ground Zero.
Bakugou Katsuki.
Right in front of him.
What the fuck.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, dude, seriously I—"
"Save it. Do you want it signed or something?"
Signed?
Does he want what signed?
Oh. The figure.
"Oh, uh, no? I really can't accept it, that's so much money!"
Bakugou pinches the bridge of his nose and angrily sighs. "Look, dumbass, I'm trying to be fucking nice. This is a once-in-a-goddamn-lifetime occurrence so just accept the miracle for what it is and take the damn figure."
"At least let me pay you back somehow!"
"Jesus Christ," Bakugou grumbles, rolling his eyes, "fine. Fine! Answer one question for me and consider me fucking paid back in full."
"Yeah, anything!"
"Why me?"
Eijirou cocks his head, ebony bangs falling into his face. "What do you mean?"
"Why me? Why do you want my figure? You seem like the kind of idiot who'd like, fucking, I don't know," Bakugou moves his hand erratically, floundering, "Deku or some shit. So why me?"
"Seriously? You need me to tell you how amazing you are?"
"Fucking—forget it. Enjoy the figure or whatever." Bakugou shoves the bag into Eijirou's chest, then shoves his hands into his pockets once more, turning towards the door.
Shit.
"Bakugou, wait," Eijirou reaches out and clasps his hand around the hero's forearm.
"What?" Bakugou doesn't even look at him, spitting the word like venom.
"You're wondering why I chose you? I chose you because you're incredible." Eijirou sighs. "When you fight, god, it's not like anything I've ever seen before. Your strength, your passion, your will, your unrelenting spirit. You're inspiring, man! I know you've inspired me a lot over the years and I'm sure I'm not the only one."
Eijirou hears Bakugou's breath hitch for a moment before he finally turns to meet Eijirou's eyes. "Of course I'm inspiring, asshole." It's obviously supposed to be snide, a snap to hide an emotional reaction, but it lacks the bite of Bakugou's usual snark.
Smiling, Eijirou squeezes Bakugou's arm lightly and lets go. "Almost wish I had decided to go to UA so we could've fought together."
"You wanted to go to UA?"
"Oh, more than anything. It was the dream, y'know? But my quirk isn't flashy enough to be a hero."
"What is it?"
"What's what?"
"Your quirk, dumbass. What is it?"
"Oh, just plain, old hardening," Eijirou lifts his arm and hardens it to a point, "nothing special."
Bakugou cocks his head, examining Eijirou's arm closely before clasping a calloused hand around Eijirou's forearm and setting off an explosion.
"Dude, what the hell!" As the smoke clears, Eijirou can't help but gape like a fish at Bakugou. "We're in a store! What if I couldn't withstand your explosion and you leveled this place?"
Ignoring the question, Bakugou nods in what might be approval. "It's a strong quirk, idiot. You should've applied. Fuck flashy."
"Easy for you to say," Eijirou mutters, shaking his slightly singed arm out.
"Yeah, it is," Bakugou narrows his eyes and pokes a finger into Eijirou's chest, "because flashiness means fuck all if you can't stay standing in a fight."
Eijirou shrugs. "You might be right, but it doesn't matter anymore."
Bakugou gives him a searching look, intense eyes trained solely on Eijirou. It makes him feel exposed and vulnerable, a light blush breaking out over his cheeks as several excruciatingly quiet moments pass. "What are you doing instead?"
Eijirou quirks an eyebrow. "I'm gonna be a doctor."
"So," Bakugou hums, "you're going to be a different kind of hero."
Eijirou can't help the blinding grin that spreads across his face. "Exactly!"
"I suppose that's an acceptable alternative," Bakugou eyes him some more, "but it's not too late, you know."
Eijirou sighs again, shaking his head. "Bakugou, I gave up that dream a long time ago. Things are different now, I can't just drop everything I've worked for!"
"I ain't fucking asking you to drop shit. There's a provisional license exam coming up in a couple of months. You can go to classes or whatever, then come train with me after. I'm damn smart so if you need help with assignments, I could even fucking tutor you. You can work under me as my intern until the pro exam next year while still getting your degree. It'll be fucking hard, but I don't waste my time on people who aren't willing to put in the work."
Eijirou can hardly piece together two words, his mind buzzing, "Tr-train me? Tutor me? Dude, you don't even know me!"
"Then come to my agency tomorrow at 6 A.M. and show me who you are. Don't be fucking late."
And with that, Bakugou was gone.
What the fuck.