Chapter Text
Bakugou Katsuki is bent over the arm of a customer when the front bell rings and he hears his mentor call out. “I am here!”
“We’re back, Kacchan.” Izuku calls after Yagi, who was doubled over in a coughing fit at the front of the store. Katsuki rolled his eyes and finished up his line work as Izuku took the supplies they had purchased to the back to organize. Katsuki was an apprentice at One for All Tattoos, the world famous shop owned by Yagi “All Might” Toshinori. Yagi was known for being one of the best tattooers of his age and he had chosen Midoriya Izuku to be his successor. Katsuki and Izuku had grown up together, and after getting over their own relationship issues, Izuku had suggested that Yagi take on Katsuki as well. Since then they had been able to work pretty well together. Izuku spent all of his time at the shop tattooing and piercing while Katsuki split his time at the shop and at nursing school. His friends knew he worked at One for All but he rarely discussed it, enjoying it to be a time away from everything.
Izuku had just been rejected from art school when he met Yagi. He had his rejected portfolio with him, which had impressed Yagi enough to offer him a position right away. It had taken Katsuki a while to believe Izuku when he told him, but after they finally made up, which was a long conversation and a lot of fighting, he finally felt comfortable taking up Izuku’s offer to introduce him to Yagi. Izuku had improved at his tattooing quickly, even being able to learn from a friend of Yagi’s for a while.
Izuku took the paper towels and gloves to the back of the store, stowing them away in cabinets and stretching as he looked around the room. Yagi had given him his old room, saying that he was no longer healthy enough to tattoo and Izuku had earned it. Izuku had cried then and when he had moved him. He almost started crying at he glanced around at the mix of his own art and Yagi’s donning the walls. SIghing, Izuku grabbed his Ipad and started to work on his sketch for Shinso Hitsohi’s next tattoo. Hitoshi was a good friend and personal client of Izuku’s. When Izuku had gotten into the business, Hitoshi had been one of his first clients and had stuck with him ever since. Hitoshi must have had at least ten tattoos by Izuku now and a few piercings. Izuku loved piercing interesting places on the body and happily agreed to pierce both of Hitoshi’s nipples one night while they were both drunk. He then made Hitoshi make good on it the next morning, while they were both chugging coffee to beat their hangovers. It had been one of Izuku’s first piercings he had done without Yagi around to help. Izuku had to say they looked very good.
Izuku was finishing up the line work of the art when Katsuki’s client finished and Katsuki entered his room. “Hey, nerd.”
“Hi, Kacchan! Wanna see this design for Hitoshi? It’s a bunch of vampire cats.”
“Eye Bags has some weird taste in art, but then again he pays you to stick needles in him so.” Izuku laughed and closed his tablet. “My friends are gonna come in after closing tonight, Dunce Face wants a tattoo but I refuse to let them be around actual customers.”
“How sweet of you! I’ll be working late with Hitoshi tonight, he wants it colored tonight if possible and said he’d pay double for any ‘overtime’. I wouldn’t charge him but he’s so sweet I said yes.”
“Stupid Deku, you’re too soft.” Katsuki scoffed, sliding onto the client's chair. “If I didn’t know any better I’d assume you were pure. But I’ve tattooed you enough to know that’s not true.”
“I am pure!” Izuku imitated his best puppy dog eyes and Katsuki rolled his own. “So who is Dunce Face? Is that Sero?”
“It could be.” Katsuki laughed and leaned back, closing his eyes. “It’s Kaminari, the English major. I don’t even remember how I met him.”
“What does he want done?” Izuku leaned down to pick up his tablet again to finish coloring the drawing.
“Lightning bolts or some dumb shit, maybe a quote from a dumb book.” Katsuki let out a sigh. “I don’t even know why I said yes but now I can’t say no. They’re all coming, too, Raccoon Eyes, Shitty Hair, Soy Sauce. The whole bunch, sadly.”
“I’d love to meet your friends, Kacchan! Do they have actual names?”
“Maybe, but probably best if you don’t. Who knows how they’d react to you, you’re a fucking ray of sunshine.” Izuku squealed and nearly threw his tablet as he went to hug Katsuki. Katsuki groaned and shoved him off, sitting upright. “Shut up, I never said anything, got it?” Izuku nodded quickly and happily as Katsuki sighed and stood. “I gotta go clean my shit and then head to dinner. You going anywhere for food or should I bring you something back?”
“Could you grab me some soba? I’m gonna work until Hitoshi gets here, which will be in about two hours. Thanks!” Katsuki nodded and left, reaching for his phone. Izuku smiled and went back to drawing. He didn’t get out much as he spent most of his time practicing and drawing. Hitoshi was probably one of the few people he saw on a regular basis, which was almost sad. He had friends, and he loved them very much, but Ochako and Tenya were pre-med majors and almost never got out and Todoroki was even more introverted than Izuku. But Izuku was fine with that, he liked his work and he loved the people he got to meet.
Katsuki had been regretting agreeing to the tattoo but as soon as they stepped into the studio and all hell broke loose he almost kicked them out and backed out on his promise. But Katsuki was a man of his word. “Dude, this is the real One for All!”
“Did you think I was lying, Dunce Face?” Katsuki whipped around and Kaminari shook his head.
“Nah, it’s just crazy to be here. Is Midoriya here? The guy Yagi took on? I’ve only ever heard about him, he’s like a myth!” Katsuki rolled his eyes as the rest of the group agreed.
“Deku is in the back, but do not bother him. He’s fucking working out.”
“Deku? I thought his name was Izuku?” Mina questioned, cocking her head at the nickname.
“He’s a childhood… friend of mine. I call him Deku. Ok get on the table asshole, and the rest of you, try not to be too loud.” Everyone excitedly, and rather loudly, gathered around Katsuki’s workstation. He still had the bag with Izuku’s dinner in it so he went to give it to the boy. “Hey, nerd, I got your dinner!”
“Thanks, Kacchan!” Izuku yelled back, sticking a pale and freckled hand out of the curtain to grab the bag.
“Who’s Kacchan~” Sero teased and Katsuki rolled his eyes and ignored him.
“Come on, Bakugou! You won’t let anyone call you any nicknames but this guy can? Oh, are you secretly dating?” Mina questioned, leaning in very close to him.
“Y’all are drunk already, aren’t you? Oh my god.” Katsuki groaned and went to grab a sharpie. “Ok, I’ll freehand it and then we can tattoo, let’s make this quick.”
“I want a lightning bolt on my ass!”
“No.”
“Why not? It would be so cool!”
“I’m not tattooing your ass.” Everyone booed Katsuki and Kirishima laughed, slapping Katsuki hard on the back.
“What, too gay for you?” He joked, knowing full well how gay Katsuki was.
“No, just don’t want to see his sweaty ass ever again. How about your arm?”
“OK!” Katsuki rolled his eyes and went to start sketching the shape. He sketched a few minutes then, with Kaminari’s drunken approval, shaved the hair off of his arm and got his gun ready.
“This shouldn’t hurt, if it does, you’re a bitch.” Kirishima laughed too hard and glanced around the room. He didn’t see any photos of the supposed successor to All Might, but he knew he was just behind that curtain. And that he had freckles. Yummy. Kirishima hated to admit it, but he was a horny drunk.
“Ow, the fuck is that!” Kaminari yelled and Kirishima turned to see Katsuki annoyed as fuck as Kaminari flailed around.
“A fucking needle, Dunce Face!” He went back in and Kaminari was still but still loudly protesting the pain. Kirishima watched as his friend tried to not squirm and laughed as Katsuki threatened to tie him down to the table. Just then, a soft voice came from the back of the shop.
“Thanks for the food, Kacchan, how much do I owe you?” Without looking up Katsuki responded.
“On the house.” Kirishima couldn’t take his eyes off of the green haired man. He was short and wearing loose clothing, with freckles covering every inch of his body. He had a cute face and wide green eyes that made Kirishima want to melt. “Oi, Soy Sauce, grab me a paper towel.”
“You’re the best, Kacchan!” Izuku said, spinning on his heel to duck back behind the curtain. Kirishima took a step towards it.
“Oooh, looks like Eiji thinks someone is cute!” Mina cried and Kirishima blushed as red as his hair.
“Hey, Shitty Hair, don’t bother him he’s with Eye Bags and he’s tattooing like vampire bats or some shit.” Katsuki warned. However complicated their past was, that didn’t stop Katsuki from being protective of the boy. “I know what you’re thinking and no, you cannot hit that. I don’t even know if that guy ever leaves the shop so you’ve got no chance in hell.”
“I’m not-” Kirishima tried to argue but everyone was laughing and agreeing.
“It’s ok, we know you were thinking it! You’re a horny drunk!” Sero yelled and Kaminari cackled.
“Thanks for that, guys, really, thanks!” Kirishima said, raising his voice as his frustration built. But ignoring his friend, he rushed to the back of the shop to peak behind the curtain. Izuku appeared to have not noticed him, or was ignoring him, as he continued to work on his purple haired client. Kirishima had to admit, the vampire cats were cool. Suddenly a hand grabbed his arm and pulled Kirishima back to the table.
“Dude, just sit here and let me finish, I should be done soon, and then all of y’all are going to bed.” Katsuki exclaimed, sitting back down in his seat. Kirishima couldn’t help but smile.
“I want that guy to tattoo me.” Kirishima declared and Mina giggled.
“What would you get? And where? Something sexy?”
“Something manly!” They all laughed and went back to watching Kaminari suffer under the tattoo gun.
In the back room, Izuku was bright red as Hitoshi teased him. “You thought he was cute, didn’t you. You heard what they said, he thinks you’re cute too, Dekuuuu.”
“Oh shush, I have a needle in my hand.”
“Multiple.” They both laughed and Izuku resumed his work. “But really, he looked like he was trying to memorize you. And he wants to be tattooed by you, that could be your chance, give him a happy ending.”
“Ew!” Izuku slapped Hitoshi and giggled. “Like that happy ending I gave you?” They both laughed, remembering when Izuku accidentally slapped Hitoshi’s ass and almost landed his face in his lap in the same appointment.
“I don’t know how you managed that, but god did I tip you well.” Hitoshi had been very flustered afterwards and they had talked it out, Hitoshi explaining that he had been into Izuku, and after an awkward kiss, they agreed it wasn’t meant for them. Since then, it was a running joke between the two.
“Ok, he was very cute and I would not be opposed to tattooing him or piercing him or kissing him or, well, getting fucked by him. But he’s Kacchan’s friend and that would be so weird! Besides, I don’t have time to date, I have to tattoo losers like you,”
“Losers like me who help you keep a roof over your head!” Izuku laughed and grinned. “Besides, it sounds like he might be the least weird of the bunch, ya know, somehow Bakugou is friends with a guy who wants a lightning bolt on his ass.”
“He’s actually apparently super smart, just loud and blond like your dad.” Hitoshi had been raised by his dads Aizawa Shota and Yamada Hizashi. Hizashi happened to be a loud blond with a doctorate in music theory.
“Don’t worry, my dad made sure I would never make the same mistake as him.” They laughed and Izuku went to grab more ink on his gun.
“Even if he was into me now, he was drunk, and probably just horny. You heard them, he’s a horny drunk. I doubt he’d actually be into me.” Hitoshi frowned and let out a sigh.
“We’ve talked about this, people can and do like you, I am living proof. You’re sexy and cute and smart and talented. You’re a catch, so stop doubting yourself. I would still fuck you, but I feel like that would make us weird. So I won’t, but see, you are so sexy and you don’t even know. Maybe you should just get laid, I have a friend-”
“I do not want to meet any of your ‘friends’, Hitoshi. Last time I met a friend of yours they were into stuff way too kinky for me.”
“No such thing!”
“Omorashi! Omorashi, Hitoshi!” Hitoshi dissolved into a fit of laughter causing Izuku to stop for a moment and join in. “No more friends, no dating, just tattoos.”