Work Text:
Breaking someone's nose could be such an exhilarating feeling. Of course, there are better things than that in the world for Bakugou Katsuki. Like getting the top place in anything he tried or the sort of spicy meal that would leave a pleasant burn on his lips. Ever since Katsuki became a werewolf though, hearing how an opponent's nose broke while receiving only dull pain in return had a different appeal to it. Even more so, when whatever he was fighting didn't look human at all. Saved him from the need to justify his violent impulses.
The Nomu thrust a foot back to keep itself upwards. For such a massive creature, it sure was nimble enough.
So much for knocking it out, Katsuki thought with a click of his tongue.
"Watch out!"
The warning came late though. Something smashed against his back, splinters scattering in a cloud around him. Katsuki didn't stumble forward, didn't cry out, didn't show any sign this had affected him.
He simply cracked his neck as if trying to ease up a crick there. "Feeling daring, huh?" he growled, turning around.
His attacker swayed. Dropping the chair's remnants, the Nomu collapsed sideways to reveal a disheveled Ochako. She shot a wobbly smile before her eyes widened in alarm.
Not wasting time, Katsuki jumped. The bulky arm trying to smash his head into the ground shattered the tiles of the hallway instead. Landing against its midnight blue skin, Katsuki dashed towards the head. The Nomu tried to catch him with his other arm. He somersaulted and slashed at the back of the creature's neck, sending it to join its fallen comrade.
After the tremors subsided, Ochako bounced to him. "We did it!"
"Yeah," he said. "Who would have thought that's their weak spot. Are they Titans or something?"
She giggled. "You always come up with the weirdest things, Mr. Wolfman."
It was equally comforting and embarrassing that she still didn't know his human identity. He had to defend his inner nerd twice as much.
"Whatever." Katsuki crossed his arms. "What were you doing here this late anyway?"
"I told you. I forgot something in class."
"Couldn't it wait for tomorrow? School is dangerous after hours."
"But I can always count on you to keep me safe," she said.
The words hung in the space between them, more tangible than anything they've exchanged in the past. Sure, Katsuki wouldn't leave anyone to die on school grounds. This was his turf and he'd defend it with his pride on the line. But Ochako hadn't been a nameless extra for quite some time. He couldn't keep denying this fact.
"Listen—"
Ochako jolted as if something dawned on her. "I-I didn't want to i-impose," she said flailing her hands. Her already rosy cheeks had flushed a brilliant red. "Just forget I said anything!"
Before Katsuki could reply, the monsters at their feet started stirring.
"Shit's fucking regenerating." He grabbed her arm, dragging Ochako after him. "Gotta go."
"We have to stop them!"
"You return to the dorms and I will deal with them."
"Can you at least hear me out?" Dropping her weight in the opposite direction, she forced him to look back at her. "I have an idea."
Her brilliant plan was to become bait and lure the Nomu into the school's outdoor pool. From previous encounters, it was clear that the creatures didn't fare well with water. Katsuki was to prevent them from leaving after they reached the pool and potentially shove them into it.
He didn't like this idea one bit. But she had explained it with such blunt confidence that he couldn't refuse her from giving it a try.
Things went well at first like they always do. The monsters followed Ochako like starved animals, stumbling into the enclosed courtyard without destroying any walls. It should come to no one's surprise that it all went downhill from there.
Katsuki had just finished securing the door when a shout pierced the silence. Realizing he'd have to take the long way around, lest he wanted to let it all go to waste, he cursed under his breath and made a run for it. His body felt like it was made of lead, heart hammering in his chest from anxiety.
The chain fence couldn't appear any slower. When it did, he started climbing before even catching his breath. Through the metal links, he saw the creatures had cornered Ochako near the springboard. She was so tiny compared to them. This fact made Katsuki's stomach knot and he doubled his efforts to reach her.
It gathered her attention, some kind of resolve flashing in her brown eyes. Ochako threw away the pipe in her hands. It clanged against the cement, distracting the monsters for a split second. Using that window of opportunity, she dashed onto the springboard and leaped with the Nomu in tow.
Time slowed down. The underwater lights doused Ochako in every shade of cyan. Her form was perfect. Nothing less than one would have expected from a former gymnastics' athlete. She floated midair, almost like magic, as if gravity meant nothing to her and this little world she had created. The moment was ruined when Katsuki realized she was going to hit the water in time with the creatures.
He crossed the distance in seconds. His wolf feet skidded against the floor when a pillar of water shot out of the pool. It sprayed on them like a drizzle. Securing the girl in his arms, Katsuki observed the Nomu struggling to crawl out. They were already dissolving though. Soon enough, there were blotches of mud spread thin against the water's surface.
Relief mixed with pride swelled in his chest. He wanted to boast at the one who kept sending these losers, that they've been owned by the most ballsy girl he had the honor of knowing.
"What were you thinking?!" He yelled at Ochako instead. "That was reckless as hell!"
"I knew you'd catch me."
"Don't go putting your faith in random strangers."
"And here I thought we are friends," Ochako said with a tired smile.
Katsuki didn't try to rebuke her words. His sensitive ears picked rushed footsteps approaching their direction. "Security is onto us," he warned.
"Then, put me down so we can get out of here."
"It'd be faster if I carried you."
Tightening her hold around his shoulders, she buried her face into the crook of his neck. "O-okay."
A couple of short minutes later, they were in front of their class' dormitory. Katsuki sighed. It had been quite a long night. He couldn't wait to crash on his bed and sleep in; not having to worry about classes since it was the weekend. But he still couldn't bring himself to let go of Ochako. Her body seemed pliable under his touch, soft and tough like the dough of her favorite mochi sweets.
"Um…can ya put me down now?"
He did, immediately regretting it. Not sure what exactly, but he did. "You should get inside. They are going to search here next."
"Right." Ochako scratched the back of her head, ruffling her hair even further. "It was...nice."
"Be more careful next time."
"You too."
Katsuki scoffed. "I'm not the one searching for trouble."
"I don't search—" The security guard's whistle cut her sentence short. "Hold that thought for next time," she said and climbed the stairs in a rush. "See ya!"
When the edge of her skirt disappeared behind the double doors, he let his raised hand drop. Now, how am I gonna get inside without running into her again?
Sneaking into his—formerly estranged—childhood friend's room, just so he could return into his quarters, wasn't ideal. It might have given weird ideas to the guy. For example, that Katsuki wanted to discuss his love life with him. Izuku rarely pried on the matter. If anything, after Katsuki found a new appreciation for Mother Nature and her calls, Izuku fancied himself into a Monsterologist. Sometimes though, while updating his ever-in-progress Monster Encyclopedia, Izuku would have a flash of inspiration for the human condition.
"—so, they can be hurt, but they'll regenerate in a matter of minutes. Since they dissolve into a muck, maybe the material has an additional will of its own. Can't be simple Golems then. How did you find water is their ultimate weakness?" he asked.
Katsuki snapped to attention. "Uraraka hosed one of them a while back. Fucker lost an arm and didn't pop another one right away."
"I see. Makes sense." Izuku nodded, his curls bouncing at the movement. "I have to say though…Her latest plan sounded risky."
"I know right?!" Katsuki threw his arms in the air. "That girl is insane! I wonder if your reckless streak is rubbing onto her. You hang around her an awful lot."
"That's mean, Kacchan." He side-glanced at him over the edge of his notebook. "I think you're just jealous."
"Huh? Of who?" Noticing the raised eyebrows, it dawned on him. "You? Ha, good one."
Izuku shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."
"Don't get confused, Deku. I ain't wishing to be in your shoes and never will," he declared.
"You want to be able to talk to Uraraka in human form though, don't you?"
Katsuki growled and felt the familiar surge of wanting to rip things apart. Closing his eyes, he went through the calming exercises his friends had instilled into him. In and out. In and out. In and—
"Hey, guys!" Eijirou's voice interrupted his inner monologue. "What are you doing?"
"Trying not to commit murder," Katsuki mumbled.
"The usual I see," Denki said as he leaned against the bench. "So...a little birdy told me you got kind of intimate with Uraraka the other day."
"Buzz off."
"C'mon, man," Hanta pitched in from the other side. "That's not the way to talk to your best buddies."
"Last I checked, I'm only tolerating you." Katsuki glared at them. "We're not buddies."
"Ouch!" Denki grabbed the fabric of his shirt over his heart with an easygoing smile. "That was quite the cold shoulder there."
Eijirou furrowed his brow. "It didn't go well?" he asked. "With Uraraka, I mean."
"Nothing happened."
"Can't lie your way out of this, bro. Someone had front row seats to the whole thing." Denki pretended to swoon. "You cradled her in your arms like a princess. I can already hear the wedding bells."
The biggest disappointment regarding his lycanthropy: it hadn't given him the ability to explode things on sight. Katsuki wished once more for his werewolf powers to have been a little out of the ordinary. It would have been convenient in embarrassing situations like this one.
"She was in danger. I saved her. That's it," he said.
"You know." Hanta's long arm settled across Katsuki's shoulders. "You might be a little murder machine now…"
Another hand joined; the additional weight pushing him forward. "And one of the brightest in our class," Denki chirped. "But sometimes…"
"Just sometimes…"
"You can be as dumb as a brick," they said in unison.
He shook them off. "What gives?"
"They are right," Izuku said. "The year is almost over. When are you going to tell her?"
"About what? It's already bad enough you bozos know about it. I can't go spill my secret at every random—"
"I don't think they are talking about that one, man." Eijirou scratched his cheek with an uneasy smile.
Katsuki replayed the conversation in his head and it hit him. "Nah. No chance in hell."
"I get it. Confessing takes a lot of courage," he said. "You're one of the manliest dudes I know, man. I'm sure it'll all work out."
"Dude! What does he have to fear? He fought against all sorts of creatures. Even Chinese zombies!"
"Technically," Izuku interjected, "Jiangshi is more of a crossbreed between a vampire and a reanimated corpse. So, we can't classify them as simple undead—"
His already frayed patience snapped. "That's irrelevant!" Katsuki jumped to his feet, turning around to face them all. "Smartasses. Do you think it's so easy to tell her any of this? Any girl worth her salt would run away."
"Don't be so harsh on yourself," Hanta said. "You're not a bad guy, Bakugou."
"You joke around, but you're scared of me too."
Denki leaned back, raising his hands like a shield. "Anyone would kind of freak out if you got in their face, all glowy eyes and sharp teeth."
"Kacchan, your teeth!"
Katsuki's hand had already gone to his mouth. "Shit."
"Hey, Bakugou!" Mina's voice echoed in the courtyard. "Someone here wanna tell you something~"
Ochako let out a familiar squeak. "It's not like that!"
Their footsteps were too close to comfort.
His claws were already at the stage of needing a visit to the vet for some trimming. Katsuki bolted.
"Wait, where is he going?"
The other guys tried to come up with a satisfying answer. "He was bound to get indigestion one day with how much chili peppers he wolfs down." Someone slapped a hand over Denki's mouth.
"You see, I told him to lay off the spicy food. He just wouldn't listen," Hanta said.
This was the last thing Katsuki heard before they went out of earshot.
While running at the speed of a motorcycle had its perks, the world went by in a blur at that speed. Sometimes, other things would take it upon themselves to make Katsuki stop—like a wall or a railing. This time it was a tree.
He dropped into a roll as soon as he hit the ground and stood back up again. Head pulsating and ears ringing, he leaned against the tree trunk to catch his breath.
This is fucking stupid, he thought. If that doesn't make her think I'm a weirdo, dunno what else will.
You haven't tried to tell her you have a hairy problem yet, his mind supplied in the voice of his Werewolf Creator. Bet that's gonna be a shocker!
"Shut up."
You should also tell her how close you came to killing her or your friends too! The Creator's voice dripped with irony. Will you let her know how hard you fight against your instincts? Only for your supposed friends to throw your struggles at your face for fun.
Katsuki's hand clutched the trunk harder. "Enough."
Imagine how sweet she'll taste when you sink your teeth into her soft flesh.
"I said." He leaned his head back. "SHUT UP!"
Katsuki struck his forehead against the tree trunk—again and again, and again in precise repetition. It did little to faze him. His hag of a mother had always called him thick-headed, and the wolf transformation accelerated his healing. This frustrated Katsuki, more so when he wanted to relieve the tangled feelings in his chest through some pain.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." After a final loud thud, Katsuki rested his head against the wood. "Dammit. Why the fuck am I so weak?"
"Mr. Wolfman?"
If he could jump out of his skin, this was the definite moment. Katsuki slid on the opposite side of the tree instead. "What do you want, Moonface?" he demanded. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
The fallen orange leaves littering the ground crunched under her shoes. "That looked painful."
"Well, it's none of your business what I do in my free time." He could see her silhouette out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm not saying it is." Ochako huffed. "I just didn't think you could lose your cool like this."
Before she could see the mess he was in, Katsuki jumped into the foliage. "I'm fine," he said. Settling on the fork between two big branches, he observed how she started circling the tree.
"I can totally see that," she quipped. Her eyes seemed to pierce through the growing shadows in the vegetation. "I hope you aren't bleeding."
"Even if I was, it'll heal."
"Alright, alright. The truth is I was looking for you." Leaning against the trunk, she fumbled with her fingers. "Didn't get the chance to thank you for the other day."
"There is nothing to thank me for. It was an occupational hazard."
"I noticed I haven't thanked you for saving me all the other times too."
"You wouldn't need saving if you weren't so reckless." He climbed higher. "Stop sticking your nose in places it doesn't belong."
Ochako chuckled. "I hear that a lot."
"Good thing there are reasonable people in your life."
"I wouldn't know about that. They are kinda wild themselves," she said wistfully. "There is one guy, especially, that's pretty inspirational. Always telling me I shouldn't put myself down because I'm tougher than I look."
"And you're willing to listen to that guy rather than your gut?" he asked with disdain—and maybe a hint of envy. "He sounds like a total tool if you ask me."
"You'd be the first person to call themselves an idiot."
Katsuki lost his footing. After toppling down from the branch in a heap of limbs and pain shooting up his spine, he felt more than saw her lean over him.
Not one to beat around the bush, he groaned. "You knew?"
"Wasn't too hard to figure it out. Same spiky hair and prickly personality. Trusting me to handle myself until I can't. Even your wrestling moves were the same," Ochako said, counting down with a smile. "I was waiting for you to tell me on your own."
Rage resurfaced, hot and blinding. Good thing he had already transformed, or it would have been near impossible to stifle this wave of anger. "Tell you, what? That I'm a monster?" He waved his hands in front of her. "I can cut you in half with these." He pointed at his sharp canines. "I can bite right through your neck with these." With a somersault, he was already behind her back and leaned close to speak next to her ear. "I can outrun and catch you without breaking a sweat. Is that what you wanted me to admit?"
She turned around with a defiant gaze. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
"It should!" Katsuki faltered, his voice lowering into a whisper. "Why would you want to be with someone like me?"
For all his bravado and toughness, deep down he had been afraid. What if she couldn't distinguish between the wolf and him? There were times he didn't know if the violent urges were something everyone experienced at this level of intensity. He didn't mind being dominating and unpleasant if that meant he was being his true self. But he didn't want to hurt her, even unintentionally. She had been one of the best things in his life; a constant he hadn't know he needed until she stumbled into it.
Her hands timidly cupped his face. Ochako traced over his sideburns to the fur on his cheeks, resting her thumbs on his lips where his canines were poking out white. "Aside the extra hair and sharp pointy ends, I don't see much of a difference," she said. "You're still my rowdy sparring partner, Bakugou."
Relief dropped on his shoulders like a raging waterfall. He wanted to hug her, nuzzling against her face, maybe even kiss her. His mind lingered on that last thought, remembering a previous encounter. "Wait." He seized her wrists. "I had someone impersonate you before. How do I know it's indeed you? How did you even find me? I'm sure you need a car to catch up with me."
"Doesn't take a genius. I know you come here to wallow in your self-pity. Anyway, let me think." Ochako pouted in thought. "Remember when I did that German Supplex on ya in practice? The one ya passed out for like five seconds from?"
Katsuki nodded. Is this a good or an embarrassing memory? Her accent is back.
"Ya had a big dumb grin on yer face when you woke up. Thought ya had a concussion and wanted to call the teacher. But grabbed my hand, ya did, and asked me..." She looked away, her cheeks getting rosier by the minute. "Asked me how long are ya out because the moon is freaking beautiful tonight."
This unearthed a specific scene he hadn't told a soul from the depths of his memories. Ochako held him in her lap with a concerned expression, the fluorescent lamps overhead casting something akin to a halo around her hair. She had been nothing sort of ethereal. No wonder he got confused.
He dropped on his back, raising a cloud of leaves in his wake.
"Bakugou!" She kneeled in a hurry.
"I'm fine," he said with a wave. "I didn't think this will ever happen. Not in my wildest dreams."
Punching him hard on the shoulder, she made it clear this wasn't one and lied down next to him. "Better believe it. I'm not saying it again."
He snorted. "Yeah, it was pretty embarrassing."
"Isn't it? I don't know how couples on TV do it all the time."
"Beats me." Katsuki noticed her hand was merely a pinky away. He inched his 'paws' closer until they met her fingers.
Ochako couldn't turn even redder, but somehow she managed it. Shifting her hand palm up, she allowed him to lace their fingers together. "They aren't as hairy as I expected," she blurted.
His eyes roamed over his free hand. It was human. "Because I reverted."
"Was that supposed to happen?"
"Dunno. Usually, it's the opposite." He coughed, covering his lower face while his ears burned. "You get me too excited."
"Is that so?" She held his gaze. The sun filtering through the leaves left golden specks across her brown hair like a gilded crown. "Can I stick around until you find out?"
"Moron." He grinned. "Why don't you just stick around forever?"