Archive of Our Own

"This has to be a joke?", Katsuki looked at the letter in his hand in disgust and couldn't believe his eyes. Grumbling, he read through the text again, but the words refused to change magically.

"What's wrong?" his best buddy asked as he was in the process of taking the groceries out of a bag and putting them away in Katsuki's kitchen cabinets, since the blond was currently unable to do so. He didn't get very far with his casted hand. Katsuki nearly threw the letter at his head and glared hatefully at the piece of paper, hoping it would vanish into thin air or burst into flames.

"Please tell me I'm too stupid to read and it doesn't say what I think it says." Angrily, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and his palms tingled, ready to blow something up.

Kirishima looked at the writing for a moment. His eyes darted back and forth as he read, then he frowned.

"The Hero Commission? ... Your Hero license for Dynamight is hereby revoked, effective immediately- Huh?! Actions recommended by the counselor, anger management therapy? Forty hours of community service in the What?!", shocked, the redhead looked to Katsuki.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't too stupid to read after all.

"Shit!", the blond cursed loudly and hit the kitchen table with his broken hand out of reflex. As punishment, a sharp pain instantly went through his entire arm, causing him to drop to his knees for a moment. "Fuck!"

The fucking Hero Commission was really going to revoke his license?

"Fuck..." he repeated more quietly as Kirishima inspected the letter again.

"You're being accused of acting - recklessly and negligently."

"They don't even know what they're talking about! I saved ten people!"

"And destroyed a block of apartments."

"Yes, but there was no one there!"

"I guess they don't think so. Shit, now what?"

Growling, the blond straightened up and threw a roll of paper towels off the table to make himself feel better. It wasn't working and he just felt fucked. He had been a good hero, taking all the fucking orders and doing his fucking job to everyone's fucking satisfaction!

"I don't know!"

"It says to contact the Hero Commission and make an appointment."

"They can suck my dick, the sons of bitches!"

Katsuki was furious.

Surely these idiots couldn't be serious?
He wasn't- Yes, admittedly, he was reckless, but that's how he had to be if he wanted to save people! He was not a stupid rookie! He knew what he was doing! Here and there something would get broken, but that was the case with everyone! Even All Might had laid whole districts in rubble and ashes during a fight! Deku had kicked in a bridge pillar last week! Did he get shit like that?! No!

"I don't think they'll do that," Kirishima replied quietly, almost resignedly. "Maybe you can submit an appeal? You're one of the top 10, that's gotta be worth something."

"I kill them!"

"That doesn't sound very heroic right now."

"I don't care, I'll kill them all! Motherfuckers!" he hissed, kicking his table, but getting nothing more than pain in his toe for it. "I hate everything and everyone!"

Kirishima sighed, put his arm around Katsuki's shoulder, and pushed him out of the kitchen.

"Calm down, we'll write a letter in a minute and you'll report to Endeavor afterwards."

"Fuck! I'll have to let that bastard know too! What if he fires me? The apartment isn't going to pay for itself!"

"First things first: First objection, then Endeavor, then we'll think about the rest," Kirishima said calmingly, pushing him down on the couch. "It'll be fine!"

-

It didn't.

Katsuki went to Hero Administration the very next day and threw his objection on the receptionist's counter. The latter almost cried out in shock.

"I have to go to the fucking- um.... I have to drop this off."

The woman looked at the letter for a moment.

"Ah, Dynamight- not longer without a license- "I'm sure you're here to turn in your license. You can-"

Katsuki stopped her immediately.

"No, no, no. I'm here because I want to file an objection. Look," he pointed his index finger at his own letter. "It says 'Ob-jec-tion' here. There's a mistake here. And I want to object to it."

The woman frowned.

"Okay, but I don't think there's a mistake here."

"I'd like to talk to the whoever's in charge."

The woman took a look at the letter.

"That would be Mr. Todoroki. I don't know if he has any free appointments today."

"Then you'll check?!" the blond growled. His hands tingled eagerly to be used. He would have loved to blow this place to hell.

The woman's face twisted in annoyance and she snorted loudly.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do for you." Then she clicked around on her computer. Katsuki calmed down a bit. "There's a free time slot in an hour, you can have it." She looked like she wanted to add something, but she didn't. That would be fine with Katsuki.

"Thank you," he forced out. It also could have been a 'fuck you all here'.

"Go up to the ninth floor, room three. There's a waiting area up there. Just take a seat and you'll be called."

Katsuki snatched his two letters from the woman and stomped off to the elevator.

Shithole. Motherfucking shithole.
If he had been able to, he would have wrecked the fancy interior, but he was very sure that cameras were installed everywhere. And he was about to lose his license already.

-

He got lost on his way to room three.
The building was fucking huge and it sucked!

-

And it didn't get any better.
The bastards made him wait almost two hours before he was summoned.

He tore himself away from his cell phone game. He couldn't play well with his left hand anyway.

"Finally-" the rest of the sentence stuck in his throat. Red and white hair, two different colored eyes, and that stupid stoic expression. He knew that face. "What the-?" a photo of the guy was in his boss's office. And suddenly it clicked.

This was Endeavor's son. Shouto Todoroki.
Shit.

Shit, shit, shit!

Katsuki's heart slipped into his stomach area and hopped right back again. Along with the contents of his stomach.

He would never see his license again.
Not with this fucker as his consultant.

"Follow me," the guy instructed, and it took Katsuki a moment to force his body to obey him.

Whoever was controlling fate hated him.

Shouto Todoroki had stripped the license from none other than his father three years ago, the current hero at the top of the charts, Endeavor, and he didn't give a fuck about the rank, name, reputation, and skills. The media had called him heartless and crazy. At the time, the blond thought the whole story was pretty funny, now, however....

They took a seat in a large, bright office. It seemed that the jerk earned enough money by giving heroes a hard time.

"What can I do for you?" asked Todoroki, his eyes darting briefly to the paper, then back to him. "Bakugou."

Katsuki handed him his two letters and sat back. The chairs in the waiting area were really the biggest crap and this one was only a little better. His ass was already hurting from sitting for so long.

"I want to object."

Todoroki looked calmly at the papers again and then at Katsuki's face.

"You can't."

"Why not?!" Immediately the blond was pissed again and barely could control himself not to jump up - and snap the bastard's neck. Even with a broken hand!

"I handled your case myself. It was my recommendation to revoke your license."

Katsuki's jaw dropped, but he quickly collected himself.

"Then change your fucking recommendation! I'm not negligent or anything you're accusing me of!"

"No."

"No?!"

"No."

"You-! Why not?!"

"I've looked at your behavior over the last two years and evaluated it several times. You may be number five, but that does not allow you to defy established laws. You are highly negligent, reckless, and caused extremely high levels of damage on your last assignment. You are a liability to the hero system."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" the blond hissed angrily, his artery throbbing on his forehead and he was about to blow up. Literally. Who did this guy think he was!

"That means you're doing more damage than your work is worth." With a neutral face, the guy clicked around on his laptop and then turned the monitor in Katsuki's direction. "Look, here's your file." He opened the folder with many documents, pictures and other files and started a video.

It was older, but he recognized himself and Kirishima at work. He even recognized the day. Shit.

This was not good.
He had been anything but heroic that day and he knew it.

"Here you are blowing up a fully functional car that was at the scene of an accident. Later, you ignore two injured civilians." Katsuki got a little smaller in his chair.

"This-I've had a bad day!"

"Well, then explain this day to me here."

Another video.
Katsui messes with some naughty teenagers.

"They started it!"

"Or this."

An entire house collapses.

"Or-"

"Stop! That's enough!" the blond interrupted. "Okay, okay, those were not my shining moments! I know, but I'm not always like that! Those are just... bad moments."

"I have over two hundred complaints against you on file. Give me one good reason why I should let you keep your license."

"I'm a good hero!"

Todoroki looked at him indifferently.

"Then maybe you should act like one."

That hurt.
And reminded him of his school days.
Yes, he was sometimes shitty and quick-tempered and whatever, but he was a good hero!

"What do you know?" he grumbled defensively. He felt cornered. This guy had power over him. Over him and over his career. And Katsuki hated it.

"I know enough about heroes who shouldn't be," the other replied calmly, eliciting a contemptuous snort from Katsuki. Sure. "You won't get your license back until you do the required actions."

"I don't need therapy and community service!"

"No, I think you need even more than that."

This was going too far. Katsuki jumped up, his red eyes sparkling wildly and his palm tingling as he pressed it down on the table. He was going to blow this guy and his fucking two-tone hair up! Along with that fucking pretty face! And that awful indifferent look on his face!

"I advise you to think carefully about what you are about to do."

Katsuki growled, but he had to realize that he had no chance. And if he blew the guy's head off now, not only would his boss be pissed, but his life would be over forever. He could get the license back...the years in prison probably not.

So he capitulated.
Snarling, he awkwardly took his wallet out of his pants with his broken hand and pulled out his license.

That hurt.

He had worked hard for it. To give it up now...

"Bakugou, this is your chance to become a better hero. Take it."

The blond tossed the little card that meant so much to him onto the big table without a word and turned around.

"Why don't you go to hell," he grumbled angrily.

This was the worst moment in his life.
Right next to the day Deku showed up at UA and told him he now had a Quirk. And the day from the first video. When his former best friend had kicked him off rank eight and had been in front of him ever since.

"After you."

Katsuki forced himself to walk through the door before he really did any more damage.

-

"This is bad," Endeavor hummed. His eyes stayed on the letter from the Hero Commission for a while, but slowly wandered back to Katsuki, who sat slumped in his chair, hating his life. Endeavor looked at him with the same blue eyes as Todoroki. His son had really gotten half of Endeavor's genes. With double the asshole factor, though. "Shouto issued that?"

"Mhm."

Endeavor sighed heavily.

"Then there's nothing I can do. Sorry."

"Why not! You're his father, threaten to disinherit him or something? Put him over your knee! But do something!"

Endeavor shoved the letter at him.

"I can't. He's... stubborn. But maybe he's right in his accusations. You are causing a lot of damage and costing the country a lot of money."

Katsuki snorted angrily.

"I am a good hero!"

"Maybe you are, but you don't have to convince me, you have to convince Shouto. Just do what he wants. Do the therapy, the community service. Just do it."

"But... my job." And my dream, Katsuki's inner child added sadly, disappointed.

"Don't worry about that for now. I'm not firing you. But I do expect you to be back to full duty after you've recovered and done what you're required to do. And that the whole thing has been a lesson to you."

The blond grumbled aloud. Surely this couldn't be true.

"Why doesn't the number one of Japan have any influence on this fucking shithole?!"

Endeavor crossed his massive arms in front of his chest.

"The Hero Commission is independent of any rank, social standing, or money. They act in accordance with the legal system and being the best, strongest, most awesome hero ever doesn't help. The bottom line is that Shouto has the upper hand and is very powerful within the Hero Commission."

That was not the answer Katsuki wanted to hear. In general, that was not the conversation he wanted to have. He had hoped that his boss would call his stupid son and give him a piece of his mind. Why was Endeavor sucking up to such a pretentious little office boy!

"But-"

"Shouto didn't stop at me, so he won't care who you are either. Don't mess with him."

Katsuki wasn't sure, but he heard a certain undertone from the last sentence that took away the last of his hope.

-

"How did your appointment with the Hero Commission go? Are they going to take another look at your case?"

Kirishima glanced at him expectantly, but Bakugou hid himself in his food. Udon noodles. It wasn't that he hated them, but he had imagined something different when his supposed best friend asked him if he wanted to go out to eat. With his left hand, he was only able to hold his chopsticks like an incompetent tourist, or a little kid.

"They're the biggest fuckers," he replied grumbling, breaking his wooden chopsticks in anger. What had Kirishima been thinking when he had picked this shitty place. 'Let's try something new' my ass! He couldn't eat like that!

"Meaning?" echoed Kirishima, handing his friend a new set of chopsticks. "Do you want me to get you a fork, maybe?"

"Fuck you! You could have thought about where we were going to eat before!"

The redhead ducked his head.

"Sorry, well? Hero Commission?"

"Guess who got my license revoked?"

"No idea?"

"The devil himself!"

"...Deku...?" the redhead asked, confused.

"No. Shouto Todoroki."

"Huh? Endeavor's son- Oh! Oh.... Oh no..."

Kirishima made a sorry face.

"Yep. Exactly."

"Shit..."

"That stupid motherfucker!" the blonde went straight into a temper and gripped tighter around his new chopsticks, but the noodles kept slipping down, making him even angrier.

"Eh, Bakugou-"

"You should have seen him. Fucking little pretty boy, bet he runs crying to his mommy when you scare him in a dark alley at night! Feels fucking cool though, when he can take away other people's licenses!"

"Bakugou... wait!"

"And the look on his face! Arrogant scumbag. I wonder who he thinks he is to decide about my abilities! I bet he doesn't have a clue and is just frustrated that he's not a hero and has to rot in his shitty office!"

Kirishima looked at him in panic and waved his arms around trying to calm him.

"What's going on? Is that fucker standing behind me?" Katsuki asked jokingly, turning around-

Todoroki was standing behind him.
And had probably heard everything.

Fuck.

Immediately Katsuki turned to Kirishima and heat rose in his cheeks.
This was the moment he wanted to die.

Had Todoroki heard something?
His face had revealed nothing. But that meant absolutely nothing in his case.

Fucking shit!

Couldn't the earth just swallow him up right now? Please?

"Fuck...," Kirishima quietly commented, clearly feeling embarrassed for Katsuki as well. As Todoroki wordlessly walked past their table and took a seat three tables away with his company, they both breathed another sigh of relief.

"What a mess!" Katsuki hissed, tossing the chopsticks away. Kirishima leaned across the table to whisper to him.

"Maybe he didn't hear anything."

"My ass! He's a stupid prick! Of course he heard everything!" whispered Katsuki back in a hiss, leaning backwards as the owner of the Udon house joined them at the table.

"My child, it makes me sad to watch. Here take these!" she pressed chopsticks for children into his healthy but incapacitated hand. The chopsticks had a small rubber Endeavor as a support, which looked at him fiercely. "There, that should make it easier!"

"What the hell...?" he began, but Kirishima covered his mouth while thanking the old lady for her trouble.

"Keep it down, you can't afford to make a scene!" The red-haired idiot laughed at him, but unfortunately he was right. "Come eat, then we'll get out of here before you blow up the place."

-

Katsukis hated his life.
Therapy was a fucking joke and he hated every moment of it. And yet it was only his second session. Out of thirty. Thirty!

"Tell me about your childhood, Bakugou."

He hated the woman.
And he hated being here.
He didn't want to talk about his childhood.

His childhood was normal, damn it.
He was normal!

Abnormal was the motherfucker whose fault all this shit was!
Fucking Shouto Todoroki. If this was all over, and he happened to run into him in an alley... he might be a hero, but he'd punch him in the face.

Hopefully he choked on his crappy udon noodles!

-

With the certificate that he had started therapy and had already completed two sessions, he went directly to the Hero Commission. He had also signed up for social services at the hospital.

He didn't even wait for an appointment and almost kicked in Todoroki's office door. With a thud, the door hit the wall, then Katsuki confidently stepped into the room.

The French fries ketchup mayo guy looked up from his laptop, visibly irritated.

"Bakugou... Can I help you?" he asked nonetheless, fairly composed.

The blond stepped in front of the latter's table and slammed the documents from his stupid therapy and the hospital's confirmation on the table.

"Here. I hope you're happy! I don't know if you get off on bullying heroes, but you won't break me! And when I'm done, I'm coming back to get my fucking license back!"

Todoroki looked at the papers, then at Katsuki.

"Fine. I'm glad to be of help to you on your way to becoming a better hero."

"Oh, shut up!"

"If that's all, I'd like to get back to work now."

"See you next week!"

"You don't always have to come here. All you have to do is drop them off downstairs at the front desk."

"And miss out on the fun of getting on your ass? Never." He snorted in satisfaction with himself and turned to head for the door. If he was going to suffer, the guy was going to suffer with him. He'd see what he got out of messing with Bakugou Katsuki!

"Ah, Bakugou. One more thing." The blond stopped. "You don't have to worry about my well-being, in dark alleys at night, for that matter. I can take good care of myself."

Bastard.
So he had heard after all.

The tips of Katsuki's ears grew hot.

"Yeah, sure," he replied contemptuously and slammed the door behind him.

Twenty-eight more sessions and three months of hospital work, then he'd be shoving his fucking license under the guy's nose! And he'd feel good about it!

-

Hospital work was.... something.
He'd expected to be sorting colored pills and cleaning jars. But Todoroki wouldn't be Todoroki if he hadn't had educational asshole intentions.

The half-assed bastard had put him in a special facility on purpose. It was mostly a matter of... Collateral damage. People who had been injured in hero missions because no one had noticed them, or ... or their deaths were accepted for a greater purpose.

Katsuki couldn't sleep after the first day.
The second day was much worse.

Several seriously injured children were brought in.
They had been trapped in a room and overlooked during evacuation efforts, according to his caregiver, an elderly woman with an injury-localization-squirk. Two of them were in mortal danger. One already arrived here in a body bag.

On the third day, he wondered if he should go back at all. He hadn't slept for two nights. The only rest he found was in the break room in an uncomfortable chair.

He had seen a lot. Injured and dead. Burn victims, bodies torn to pieces, but somehow this was different. On the field, he was fighting the bad guys, didn't have time to worry about civilians. He was not a supporter. He was a hero! Heroes fought the bad guys, but here he just stood by and watched the damage. And after that he carried out food for those who could still enjoy it.

He would need thirty more therapy sessions after this.

-

By the end of the week, he was at his own wits' end.
He managed to sleep, but mostly he just dreamed terrible things. The nightmares after he was kidnapped by Shigarki's boy band had been a joke compared to that.

His shift ended at six in the evening, but he was still sitting on the stairs by the main entrance waiting for Kirishima and the other idiot. They still wanted to go to the movies and have a drink, even if Katsuki wasn't really up for it.

"Todoroki here."

Katsuki listened up.

"I sent out the requested documents today."

Katsuki looked up and easily recognized Todoroki's candy cane hair. Why was the scumbag here? Was he going to visit and taunt him?

"I'll report back tomorrow. I'm busy now." Elegant fingers packed away the smartphone, then their eyes met. He had probably felt Katsuki's piercing gaze. Or the hatred the blond was radiating.

Katsuki rose from the stairs and walked toward Todoroki.

"What do you want here? Checking if I'm doing my job well?" he snarled, glaring angrily. He just felt pranked at that moment. He was tired, work was completely draining him, and now this motherfucker showed up!

"No."

"No? Are you sure?" He dropped the polite form and growled.

"Very sure."

"Oh come on, you probably find this awesome."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You put me here on purpose!" pointing to the hospital.

"You mean your ward?"

"Yes, what else!"

"It's chosen in a standard way. Don't you like seeing people who have to live with the consequences of others?"

"You bastard!" Katsuki cursed. "You're really getting a kick out of this, aren't you?!"

Todoroki remained silent for a brief moment before a truly angry expression spread across his face.
"No. I'm visiting someone here who is the best example that not all heroes are worthy of their title."

And with that, the red and white prick just left him standing there.

-

"Bakugou, tell me about your work."

"Mhm."

"Does it make you happy? Do you like being a hero?"

"Mhm."

"Do you want to tell me why you chose to work?"

To be honest, Katsuki didn't really even know an answer to that right now.

-

Once again, Katsuki kicked open the door to Todoroki's office. This time it didn't hit the wall. Todoroki had apparently learned and placed a doorstop as a precaution.

"Here."

Katsuki once again tossed his therapy certificate onto the other's desk, along with a report card on his first week in the hospital.

"I hate you."

"I can live with that."

The blond turned away and headed for the door. He paused for a moment. He needed to ask this.

"Did you really visit someone in the hospital?"

Todoroki took a moment before answering.

"My mother."

-

"Oh, my poor baby!" Katsuki's mother sighed in sympathy, squeezing her son tightly against her chest. "Would you like me to talk to this guy for a minute, maybe?" she offered as he choked on her perfume. "And by 'talk,' of course, I mean 'beat him up.'"

"No! God damn it! Let go of me," he almost screamed, trying to get away from the woman. She didn't seem like it, but the hug could have come from a bear. "I can't breathe! Your perfume stinks like hell!"

Mitsuki clicked her tongue in offense, but let go of him. "Ungrateful brat."

His father calmly approached him and patted Katsuki on the shoulder. How his parents found each other remained a mystery to him to this day.

"Don't worry, you can do it." Encouragingly, his father looked at him and Katsuki sighed heavily in frustration. He had told his parents about his dilemma and they had directly decided to visit him - to his regret.

He loved his parents, but by God they were demanding and annoying!

"I googled this guy earlier," his mother began after she had shifted onto his couch and packed her feet on the table. "He's quite the cutie. Isn't he totally your type? Tall, cute and-"

"Mother!" the blond yelled, covering her mouth.

"The only thing I want from him is to drown him!"

"Yeah, but he's really a pretty-"

"Shut up!"

-

Katsuki would never admit it, but the visit from his parents had been good for him.
He was still very far from being motivated, but the week didn't start out quite as crappy as the old one had ended.

There were no dead kids brought in either, which added to his improved situation.

It was eleven noon and he was pushing a food cart through the halls, without motivation.

The patients who were housed here received special treatment. In addition to medical care, they were given direct legal assistance to advise them of their rights. Katsuki had never been aware that such facilities existed because he didn't have to deal with them, but now that he was here, many things made more sense. He learned that people who got involved in hero activities were entitled to certain compensations. When he had been attacked and nearly eaten by a slimy tentacle monster when he was fourteen, the insurance company and Hero Commission lawyers had contacted his family as well. However, his mother had sorted everything out on her own and he hadn't suffered any serious consequences anyway, except that he hadn't been able to watch tentacle porn since.

For all the shit that had happened to him, he had given little thought to others.
Somehow he had assumed that others would also handle the situation as he had. Nightmares, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. Aizawa had said at the time that this was normal in a hero's life, so Katsuki just related it to everyone. But maybe there was a difference.

Civilians were not prepared to die overnight.
This realization he wrote in his weekly report.

-

In the third week, the children who had been hospitalized at the beginning of his hospital career decided to get on his nerves. His supervisor called it admiration, but the blond didn't believe that. The little brats were awful! They were loud and annoying!

They were glued to him half the time, asking him annoying things and screaming enthusiastically when he told them his heroic stories so they would leave him alone.

"And what happened then?" one girl asked, while the others looked at him with wide eyes full of childish expectations. He was sitting on one of the beds, surrounded by little dwarves who saw him as a god - whom they could harass.

"Then I punched the son of a bitch full in the fuc- in the nose and he dropped like a rock."

"Woah! You're so cool Dynamight!"

"When I grow up, I want to be that cool too!"

Well, that made him a little proud.

-

"Bakugou, tell me about your week."

"It was okay."

"What did you do?"

"Social service at the hospital."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

-

On Friday he slammed his credentials and report card in Todoroki's face once again and looked at him in smug satisfaction.

"I thought I made myself clear when I said you didn't have to come to see me in person," the halfling bastard merely replied, taking the documents.

"Felt like seeing your annoying face. You didn't miss me, did you?"

The corners of Todoroki's mouth twitched suspiciously.

"I guess you don't think much of professionalism."

"Not a fucking thing."

"Fine. I'm satisfied to see you take your stuff seriously."

"I take all my stuff seriously!" Even if sometimes it didn't seem that way.

"Mmm...I hope that attitude continues."

"You betcha! I'm going to be the best fucking social services assistant ever and then I'm going to get my fucking license back from you!"

He straightened his back as Todoroki relaxed and leaned back, eyeing him for a moment. Why did the dumbass look so fucking good? Office people weren't supposed to look that good. Especially not with that stupid face and stupid red and white hair. The guy did have a burn scar on his face, but it somehow added to his coolness.

"I can't wait," the unfair creation of Endeavor said as he elegantly interlaced his long fingers in front of his stomach and then eyed him closely. Katsuki felt like he was on a display. Was this guy making fun of him?

"Don't look at me like that!" he grumbled, gritting his teeth tightly. If he laughed at him for Katsuki putting effort into shit here, then the guy was gonna get the surprise of his life! Katsuki knew several ways than just brute force to make someone pay.

"How do I look?" the guy dared to ask innocently and smiled too!

"Amused! And arrogant!"

"That's just my face. I assure you, I'm not amused by you."

"Yeah, kiss my ass. See you next week!"

-

Katuski's life was getting better.
Not good, actually far from good, but much better.
He still didn't have his license back, and the work at the hospital was still draining and sometimes depressing, but he was really feeling better again.

And Kirishima noticed that too during their breakfast together at Starbucks.
Katsuki's therapy session was postponed until the afternoon, and Kirishima had a day off, and he wanted to start it with American cookies and cake.

"So tell me, what's it like at the hospital?" he asked curiously, stuffing a large piece of cheesecake into his mouth. Disgusting.

"Could be better," Katsuki replied, watching his buddy in disgust as he mixed sugar into his latte. The sun was shining and they were sitting outside. The place was busy, and really not his thing at all. He would have preferred a quiet corner in the cafe, but Kirishima had insisted, as if it was the last sunny day of the year.

"Uh-huh, so what? What do you have to do?"

"Suffer."

Kirishima laughed up and threw a crumpled paper tissue at him, which Katsuki dodged.

"Honestly! I just want to know how you're doing, man!" the redhead grumbled, bending down beside the table and gathering up his tossed mess.

"I'm doing great. Saw a couple of corpses already."

"Ew..."

Katsuki wasn't particularly happy to talk about it, so he steered the topic in another direction.

"I have a fan group of my own. They're annoying and loud, but they're less bad than you and that other airhead."

"Whoa! Bakugou, you are so shitty sometimes!"

Katsuki grinned cheekily at him and bit into his muffin with pleasure. Mmhh... Blueberry... The day could start like this more often. With good coffee, a muffin and -.

"You're breaking up? With me?!"

At the table next to them, a woman jumped up in anger.

Great, a domestic dispute. So much for the beautiful day...
Kirishima looked at the direction with concern.

"Nanako, please calm down.... I just-"

Poor guy.

"You're the biggest asshole ever! I thought we were getting married!"

"No, I... Nanako, please!"

Sighing, Katsuki took another sip of his coffee. It still tasted fantastic, but the woman's yelling was annoying. He hadn't asked for too much after all. Just silence, coffee, a muffin....

"You'll regret this!"

Then everything happened unexpectedly fast, the woman screamed and suddenly a branch fell on the ground.

"Nanako, don't!"

Two laser beams ripped through the air and burned into walls, trees and - the ex.

Kirishima and he immediately jumped up, ready to intervene in the situation.

Yes, Katsuki's life was getting better. Until right fucking now.

Kirishima pushed him aside.

"You can' t intervene!" he reminded him. "Get these people out of here!"

Puzzled, he looked after the redhead.
How could he not intervene here? There was a crazy woman out of her mind who had just lasered her man!

The people around him panicked, all running wildly in all directions as the laser beams burned uncontrollably into walls and furnishings, and Katsuki had never felt more useless in his life. His best friend rushed at the woman and saved lives and he stood on the sidewalk.

He was useless.
He had no license and was not allowed to intervene.
Kirishima could get hurt and he was not allowed to intervene. He was officially not allowed to do anything! Nothing, neither help nor anything else.

What kind of hero was he?
What kind of fucking hero had his fucking license taken away?!

When a woman bumped into him, it brought him out of his whirling thoughts and he forced himself to act.

"This way! Leave the area immediately and stay the fuck away!", loudly he shouted to the crowd, coordinating them so they didn't run into the fight in the street. He pulled up a fallen, crying child by the arm and almost threw it into the arms of its mother.

"Look at the fucking ground!"

Thanks to his loud manner and straightforward and not-so-friendly instruction, the location became emptier and Kirishima was able to focus on disarming the woman without civilians getting in the way. The madwoman completely lost control of her Quirk and shot laser beams randomly through the area.

Katsuki helped an injured man to his feet and carried him away. His arm protested, but he barely felt it. He wasn't allowed to get involved in the fight, but he wasn't going to stand around completely useless doing nothing!

He was a fucking hero, for crying out loud! With license or without, made no difference! Still, his heart stopped short when he saw the lasers hit his buddy in the arm and blood spattered on the floor.

A short time later, help arrived and the situation was brought under control. Still, Katsuki couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty. If he hadn't lost his license, he could have helped his best friend.
He knew Kirishima was a good fighter, but he still would have needed help. And if Katsuki hadn't been such a terrible jerk in the past, Todoroki would never have taken notice of him. He never would have revoked his license and none of this would have happened. Kirishima wouldn't be sitting in the ambulance bleeding, and Katsuki wouldn't have to feel like such a terrible shit.

-

It was seventeen o'clock and Katsuki was waiting outside the Hero Commission building.

In fact, he had already waited here for two hours without going to the Candy Cane office.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but he had to try... he didn't want to stand so uselessly on the sidelines again, watching his friend get hurt....

Mentally, he told himself that hadn't been the case at all.

"Bakugou? What are you doing here?"

If Todoroki hadn't approached him on his own, Katsuki probably would have even missed him. "Are you stalking me now?"

Katsuki pushed himself off the fence and looked down at Todoroki's flawless shoes. An office job like this must be really nice... you didn't have to pick fights, or get your hands dirty in any other way. The bastard was so lucky.
The fancy, dark blue suit Todoroki was wearing wasn't even wrinkled. Fit like a glove on his body and on the other side was Katsuki. With a hurting arm, dirt on his face and Kirishima's blood on his shoe.

"No, but I want my license back," he said straight out, looking Todoroki in the face.

"The way things are currently going, I don't see any problem giving it back to you in two months."

"No, I mean I want it back right now."

Todoroki frowned, then took a closer look at Katsuki, noting the battered state of his counterpart.

"Did something happen?"

"Some psychopath gone wild has decided she needs to use her laser eyes downtown because her boyfriend broke up with her."

Todoroki remained silent for a moment.

"Did you interfere in the fight?"

Katsuki growled and took a step closer.

"No, I didn't, but I'd sure as hell would have loved to! My friend got hurt in the process, while all I could do was stand by and look stupid because someone revoked my license!"

"I'm sorry about that, but-"

"Nothing 'but'! I want my license back! I'll continue to do crappy therapy and community service too, but can't we-"

"No, we can't," Todoroki replied, looking at his watch. "I'm sorry, Bakugou, but I can't do this. And I'm about to miss my train. You can come to my office tomorrow and we'll talk about it again, but I don't think I'll change my mind. I'm sorry, but I can't."

The ass just turned away and decided to leave the blonde standing here.
Not with Katsuki! Immediately he stomped after him.

"You can, you just won't!"

"That's right," Todoroki replied as he walked, glancing at his phone again.

"Why not?!"

"You're not ready yet."

"You don't know that! I've learned my lesson and I -" He just wanted to be a hero again!

"Bakugou, I see your efforts, but you following me now won't help you."

They turned on a crossing, another hundred meters and they would reach the subway station, to which Todoroki probably wanted to go, then he would leave, leaving Katsuki alone. Without a license.

"Please!" he almost cried out in despair. God, when had he used that word the last time...?

Todoroki actually stopped and looked at him.

"Bakugou..."

Hah! He looked like he was about to give in.

"I know I acted like shit. I admit it, okay! I just don't want to stand by uselessly again while others get hurt if I could help it!"

Todoroki pressed his lips together, then a loud sigh left his throat.

"We can make an appointment and talk about it, but I'm actually thinking-"

A gunshot was fired, and Todoroki went to his knees, gasping. He immediately pressed his hand to the wounded spot on his shoulder, from where blood was leaking.

"Get out of the way!" someone shouted.

A dark van approached at breakneck speed. There was a gun sticking out of the window, and behind the wheel Katsuki made out a masked person. On the roof of the van sat a figure in military uniform wrapped in black mist.

"There he is! The red and white guy," someone shouted from the other side. "Grab him, Smokey!"

Without thinking twice, Katsuki grabbed Todoroki and dragged him to his feet.
Then he ran, dragging the other behind him. Todoroki was hurt, but he would have to endure that. Especially if the alternative was to get kidnapped or shot.

"Shit!" Katsuki hissed as he heard a loud roar of motors. The guys in the car immediately took up pursuit and the other guy was now sprinting after them as well.

"Bakugou!" he heard Todoroki, but he just grumbled at him.

"Shut up and run!"

The black van came closer again and once more a shot was fired, this time missing its target. Katsuki turned down a side street, then into another, but it didn't help, they were still too easy to see.

"You know what would help us now? My fucking license!" he snarled angrily in Todoroki's direction.

"Stop right there!" someone yelled, and Katsuki glanced behind. The guy who was on top of the car earlier was using the fog to move around and seemed to be catching up to them surprisingly fast.

"Bakugou, wait!" Todoroki protested again.

"Wait for what?!" retorted Katsuki. "Are you stupid? Do you want to die, you idiot?!"

"No, but-"

"Nothing but!" Together they ran into the roadway and Todoroki began to struggle. "Hold still!" two quick grips and he found himself on Katsuki's shoulder. Clawing at Katsuki's jacket for support, Todoroki wriggled his legs wildly, but Katsuki wouldn't let go.

Using his quirk, Katsuki catapulted them onto a bus, then onto a food truck, putting distance between himself and their pursuers. He had to get off the street so no civilians would get hurt, he decided to climb a balcony and then he made it to a rooftop.

The fog guy appeared behind them, he heard that from a loud laugh.

"He's got a gun!", Todoroki informed him and continued to wriggle like a stupid fish out of water.

"Then you better not get shot again!", Katsuki's arm throbbed, but he didn't care right now. He wouldn't just let the bastard die on his shoulder! He turned to the fog guy. "If you want to kill the bastard here, get in line, motherfuckers!"

Then he catapulted himself to the nearest rooftop and from there on toward an old industrial area. He had once led a mission there and knew the area. Most of the buildings there were old and abandoned warehouses, maybe he could outrun them.

"Hang on, Candy Cane!" he warned Todoroki before speeding up. It was much harder to get off the mark with Todoroki as a burden, and generally with only one working arm, but he'd be damned if he'd let Todoroki die here! Or kidnap him? In which case, did one shoot at people whom they just wanted to kidnap?

Katsuki suppressed the thoughts. The important thing was to shake off the enemies, get Todoroki to safety and somehow call for help. In an emergency, he would have to defend himself and the candy cane.

It was more difficult than expected, but Katsuki managed to move with Todoroki. He didn't even want to know how stupid that looked from afar. Todoroki, who was about a head taller than him, on his shoulder, him with only one arm.... hopefully no one saw them.

Breathing heavily, he landed on the roof of a warehouse and after setting Todoroki down, he saw a staircase leading down.

"This way," he ordered, dragging Todoroki down with him.

"Bakugou, we should-"

"Shh, be quiet." He pressed his hand over his mouth and pushed him down the stairs. The hall was nearly empty, with only scattered boxes here and there. Katsuki yanked open a door to a small room, probably an old office, and pushed Todoroki in. Then he took out his phone and almost dropped it. His arm ached painfully and his fingers trembled.... Why hadn't he had it healed when he had the choice to!? "Here, there's no screenlock on it, call the police and call my contact 'Shitty Hair'. Tell him we're at the old warehouses and that we need help urgently."

"Bakugou! You can't-"

"I have to!" the blond interrupted, throwing an old dusty blanket at Todoroki to hide him. He blocked the door with a heavy box.

Then he took a deep breath, took a few steps away from the room and waited. He was sure that the pursuers would show up any minute. Not a minute later, the fog guy flew in. A pleased expression formed on his face when he saw Katsuki.

"Got them," he spoke into a small mike. "Third hall from the left."

"You gonna tell your buddies where they're about to pick your sorry ass up when I'm done with you?", Katsuki taunted him. Actually, he was just stalling for time. The odds were not so good for him. He had only one arm, was out of breath, and actually he wasn't allowed to fight them at all. Ah, and those guys had firearms. All he could oppose them with was his big mouth and his huge ego. And a few acrobatic arts that he could use to dodge.

"Big sounds for someone with a cast around his arm," the guy replied with a laugh, then raised his gun and aimed directly at Katsuki. One shot, Katsuki dodged it. Another, again he dodged.

"Don't underestimate me, you son of a bitch!"

"Quick little bastard!" the fog guy snarled, fending off a box that Katsuki threw at him.

Engine roars erupted, then the van burst through the gate and sped straight at the blond.
Katsuki dodged, catapulting himself high onto one of the boxes to put distance between himself and the idiots.

"Take care of blondie! I'm looking for Endeavor's brat, he's gotta be around here somewhere!" the fog guy shouted, already looking around.

"Forget that! I dropped that fucker off earlier, he's gone!" Katsukishouted, skillfully dodging a shot - only to land in the arms of another bastard, who stabbed him in the side. With a knife.

His body went hot, then cold.
Yelling, he pushed himself away, activated his Quirk. The violent explosion swept the guy off his feet and onto the nearest wall.

He pressed his broken hand to the spot where a knife had been a moment ago. Blood oozed from his side and made him feel dizzy. That was exactly what he needed, god damn shit!

Help would be coming soon, he told himself. He just needed them to stay away from Todoroki as long as possible.

His head was buzzing, but he had to protect Todoroki.
Unfortunately, his body didn't share his opinion. His knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

The room went cold.
Maybe he was imagining the whole thing, but he could swear that a layer of ice had formed under him. His eyes grew heavy and he coughed up something disgusting.

Then someone stepped over him. Weren't that Todoroki's shiny shoes?

"That was a big mistake," he heard Torodoki's voice, just before he fainted.

-

When he came back to life, he was in a hospital room.
An unfortunately familiar place for him.

The terrible pain in his side was the first thing he really noticed, followed immediately by the nasty taste of blood in his mouth and the nauseating scratching in his throat.

"Katsuki!"

Kirishima...

"Kacchan!"

And god, of course, fucking Deku...

"Oh god, you're alive! I thought you'd just die without me!" the redhead threw himself to his side, sobbing. He was joined by a howling Deku and together they drowned him in a sea of tears.

"Kacchan, you can't scare us like that!"

"God..." Katsuki croaked. "Get off me... fuck off!"

"I'll never leave you alone again, Kacchan!"

-

The police saved him from the two madmen in his room and briefly questioned him.
How did it all start, did the masked men say what they wanted? Unfortunately, Katsuki could only help to a limited extent, since he had kissed the floor from the middle of the action and then only bled all over the area. They left his own questions about Todoroki unanswered and said they were not allowed to reveal anything about the ongoing investigation.

After they left, Katsuki turned on the TV. His cell phone was probably with Todoroki and until he had it back he would have to entertain himself somehow. He switched to the news channel when Kirishima entered his room and put a bottle of coke on his table.

"Here, this is good for your circulation." Then Kirishima looked at the TV.

'Endeawor's son saves hero,' reported the reporter. 'Tonight at around half past five four armed men tried to kidnap the youngest son of number 1 pro hero Endeavor. According to statements, they were promised a high bonus. What the men didn't anticipate was that the professional Hero Dynamight would be with him. A chase ensued, but luckily no one was hurt.'

A video was displayed of Katsuki grabbing Todoroki on his shoulder and flying away with him.

"Hey, you're on TV!"

'The highlight of the planned kidnapping took place in an old warehouse, where Dynamight is said to have done his best to defend them against the attackers, according to Todoroki Shouto. However, he was incapacitated by a stab wound and Endeavor's son had to act on his own. It is known from internal circles that the flame hero trained and educated his son in his childhood. However, Shouto didn't seem to have had much interest in the hero profession. However, it worked to his advantage as he saved himself and no other then Dynamight.'

"What the hell is that?!" Katsuki yelled at the TV, nearly crushing the remote control in his hand. "What the fuck?!"

A Video popped up of him hanging unconscious in Todoroki's arms as he carried him out of the burning warehouse. Bridestyle.

"What... the..." Katsuki was to stunned to speak.

"Maybe it's me, but I think it's really hot the way he carries you out of the building," Kirishima interjected from the side, and Katsuki almost exploded.

"Hot?! I'm hanging in his arms like a silly damsel in distress! Oh my God! What the fucking fuck is that?!"

Kirishima laughed out loud.

"But he looks really fucking awsome in that half-burned suit with the ice on his face."

"Are you kidding me?!" Katsuki was beside himself! What the fuck happened in this fucking hall?! Did Todoroki save him?! How the fuck did Todoroki save him?

"Eh-no?"

"Tell me, did your hair dye etch your brains out?! How am I supposed to justify that?! I'm a hero and instead of me rescuing the bastard, he's rescuing me and carrying me out like a princess?!” Like in some super shitty action movie!"

"Chill, we've all been carried out somewhere before. I dragged you out of a burning house once."

"Yes, on your back! Not like a fucking princess!”

Katsukis was pissed and he was going to explode any minute.

"Oh come-"

"Don't 'come on' me!"

And of fucking course there was a knock on the door at that moment and of course a red and white haired scumbag peeked into the room. What else. Well, maybe it was a good thing he came to Katsuki. He could immediately rip the skin off his body!

Kirishima jumped up with a grin on his face.

"I think I have to pee now."

"Just go and die, dumbass."

Kirishima pushed past Todoroki out of the room and closed the door. Now they were alone.

"You seem fine if you can yell and curse already," the stupid candy cane commented. Katsuki snorted.

"I hate you."

"Why?" Todoroki asked confused while standing in front of Katsuki's bed.

Katsuki pointed to the TV, which again showed the video of Todoroki heroically and dramatically carrying him out of the building. The media got too damn excited about it...

"Should I have left you there? You would have bled to death if I did.”

"Yes! I would very much prefere bleeding to my fucking death then be carried like a princess ever again!", he shouted. "What are you even doing here?! You got shot, damn it!”

"The bullet went straight through and got stuck in a wall," he pulled his shirt down a bit, revealing white bandages under it. “My shoulder should heal quickly. You, on the other hand... you took some damage."

"First and foremost to my reputation."

Todoroki smirked before walking around the bed and standing by Katsuki's side.

"Your reputation will surely take it."

"I'm not sure. What was that supposed to mean? What did you do? Since when can an office guy like you incapacitate four professional killers? And I don't weigh fifty kilos just to carry around!"

Todoroki shrugged.

"I wanted to intervene all along, but you wouldn't let me. I had an allergic reaction to dust thanks to that blanket you threw at me, otherwise I would have been there quicker to help you. My dad taught me… well, let's say, taught me. And I do have a valid Hero License.”

Katsuki looked at him in surprise.

"You have a what?!"

"Should I show you?"

"Fuck, no!"

Laughing softly, Todoroki pulled Katsuki's phone out of his pocket.

"I wanted to give your phone back and... which is actually why I'm here. I wanted to thank you for protecting me."

"Mmm, wouldn't have been necessary at all," Katsuki grumbled back, crossing his arms infront of his chest. The whole day sucked. From morning to the end. The coffee and muffin hadn't made anything better. He couldn't even eat it!

"Still."

"Mhm, I just thought that nobody is allowed to snap your neck before me."

Todoroki chuckled.

"I see," he said then, looking a bit awkward as he put his hand back. "My dad said I should have asked you out on a date before I carried you like that."

Katsuki snorted loudly.

"You should have."

"Maybe we can catch up on that?"

"Not until I get my license back."

"All right."

"Because until then, I hate you."

"I think I can live with that."