Work Text:
Katsuki is pissed. He’s not sulking, Mina, he’s pissed! He screwed up, and now his music career is taking a hit. Not only that, but he couldn’t perform his new song at UA because of it. His team at least gave a suitable reason for canceling his performance, so nobody could tie it back to him, but he still doesn’t like it.
He’d cracked a few ribs, strained his right wrist, and he’d been on crutches for a broken foot before that was taken care of. He’s being healed, but the progress is slow because he’d injured himself in the early hours of the day. So he’s been benched for the day because otherwise, Recovery Girl wasn’t going to let him patrol this weekend, not even if he was healed by then. She’s tried twice to heal him since his ankle was healed, and he’d passed out only to wake up still strained and cracked. As a result of this, his team decided to cancel the concert he’d been pushing for all year after they were first approached by Nezu and Present Mic with the idea.
It was only going to be three songs, short and sweet because the risk of being discovered was a lot higher at UA, but one of those songs was going to be his unannounced song, Ordinary Boy. He’d put his heart into that one, especially because the war had almost ruined everything for him.
“Hey, what’s wrong Bakubro?” asks Eijirou just as Izuku steps out of the kitchen, instead of leaning through the island window, and yells, “Kaachan! Tell them to let me eat my Katsudon!”
Katsuki ignores Eijirou, despite him being the one to bring him out of his brooding.
“Who the hell isn’t letting you eat your damn Katsudon? I fucking made it for you!” snarls Katsuki as he stomps towards the kitchen, stopping half-way there to holler at Eijirou over his shoulder. “I’m fine, just pissed that my plans were wrecked.”
“Man, me too. We were so excited to see Karin in person.”
Katsuki hears him just as the door shuts behind him, and he growls under his breath. But the kitchen is empty, so he focuses his anger into a glare in Izuku’s direction.
“Listen, nerd, you have two minutes to explain what the fuck I’m doing in here when no one is keeping you from eating except for you.” snarls Katsuki harshly, quiet in his anger towards Izuku because it’s really confusion turned to anger.
“Because, Kaachan, I know why you’re grumpy. Did they talk about rescheduling or anything?” asks Izuku as he pulls out his Katsudon to reheat.
“No, they fuckin’ said it was a good thing, but I’ve been debating telling our class for a good while now. So, it fuckin’ sucks, ya know? Like I know everyone would figure it out, and we’re so tight-knit that no one would spill.” grumbles Katsuki as he leans against the counter by the microwave, looking out at the few classmates hanging around the common room.
“So, perform here. I mean, you want them to know, and I know you don’t need a band to put on a show. So, let them know this way, make it special without everyone else.” mumbles Izuku thoughtfully as the microwave beeps between them.
“They’re not gonna believe me just ‘cause I’m singing, you know they won’t.” mutters Katsuki even as he lets the idea roll around in his mind.
“But you can prove it, and so can I. So, why not try anyway?” asks Izuku curiously as he carefully pulls his plate out of the microwave.
“Yeah, okay, point. I guess we’ll do karaoke, and I’ll whip out some proof. You get them started, while I grab a few things… Nerd, you know that’s not how that works.” replies Katsuki with a sigh as the door swings open, and he turns to see his idiot friends at the island.
“What secret? Singing? Bro, what are you keeping from us?” asks Eijirou in a curious, yet hurt tone as he steps into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, Kaachan, I thought we were being quiet enough.” says Izuku with a wince.
“Fuuuck,” breathes Katsuki as his head drops forward, but then he rolls his shoulders and meets Izuku’s eye. “It’s fine. We both forgot about Ears, and how nosy these idiots can be.”
“Bro, you gonna explain?!” asks Hanta as he leans over the island, tone going slightly high almost like he’s panicking.
“Not right now. Look, get everyone in the common space, I’ll grab something, and when I get back to a full class A filled first floor, we can talk. I’m not telling a few of you, I’m telling all of you.” replies Katsuki seriously as he looks at his idiot friends.
“We’ll listen to Karin while we wait, and I’ll let you know when everyone’s here. Take your time, Kaachan.” pipes up Izuku apologetically as he works the joke plan back in.
“Why does Mido know when we don’t?” whines Denki with a pout that the other idiots agree with.
“Because he’s known me our entire lives, and this began way before UA, idiots. Don’t be a bunch of dicks.” snaps Katsuki harsher than he meant to, but Izuku is already trying to hide how hurt the whiny statement makes him feel. “Now apologize to the nerd and do what we fucking said or suffer knowing you screwed everyone out of my secret by being a bunch of jackasses to the nicest person you know.”
He sees the guilt wash over their faces as soon as his words break through the hurt, and he leaves as soon as the apologies begin to spill. He heads straight to the elevator as his phone starts popping in his pocket, the pop of his explosions being the sound he set for the class chat’s ringtone, and he ignores it as he gets into the empty box of metal.
Katsuki ignores his classmates as soon as he sees them in front of the elevator, shoving past them with loud huffs as he escapes down the hallway. He’s impatient in his need for the safety his room provides, slipping inside and locking the door in case anyone tried to come get him or anything like that. Katsuki walks himself to the center point in his room, the spot equally adjacent from all four walls, and he lets himself carefully crumble to the ground. He takes the deepest breath he can as he pulls his phone out to skim over the messages in the group chat, but his breath catches at Izuku’s newest message.
Nerd <3: @Kaachan, we’re jammin’ with everyone. Save me from Karin’s ‘Best of Both Worlds’ … Third time in a row… *crying face emojis*
Katsuki stands gingerly, ankle smarting at the awkward pressure, feeling much calmer than before as he goes to his desk to grab his songbooks. Izuku has his quirk analysis journals, and Katsuki has his song books. He has several, but he grabs the ones that have written, dated, yet faded proof of two of the songs he was meant to perform as well as his newest one that’s already almost full. He leaves his room and heads to the stairs this time, he needs the time to prepare for this.
Katsuki doesn’t do this. He doesn’t perform in front of people without his wigs and all that expensive, secretive jazz. The only people that get to see his performances, before the concerts, are his parents and his team. They’re the only ones who know besides Izuku and Auntie Inko. Though, Katsuki stops on the second floor landing as his head tilts thoughtfully, Aizawa has caught him writing in his books, and he’s always got that stupid knowing look when a new Karin song gets put on the training playlist. Katsuki hums as he makes his way down the last set of stairs, ‘Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let Aizawa, and maybe Present Mic, know this secret too… Could make my travels easier since I have to go from campus to the studio and back, and I’m very well known now..”
Pushing his way through the door, Katsuki immediately winces at the sound of his own voice rumbling under his classmates pterodactyl screeching of his lyrics to ‘Best of Both Worlds’.
“Nerd wasn’t kidding, they’re stuck on replay with the most annoying song I’ve written.” grumbles Katsuki, cringing at Denki’s screaming when the song ends.
“Play it again!” screams Denki over everyone.
“Shut that shit off.” groans Katsuki as he steps into their little living room space.
“Hey! Karin is talented as hell, we don’t knock him as a class rule Blasty! You agreed!” exclaims Mina pointedly, hands on her hips.
“Why am I doing this again?” mutters Katsuki in Izuku’s direction with a grimace before he looks over everyone, mentally checking that everyone’s here. “Hey, nerd, you wanna get Mic, Zawa, eyebags, and Eri here?”
“Sure! I didn’t know if you’d want them here, but I made sure they weren’t busy just in case you did! Give me a minute.” replies Izuku with a bright smile, encouraging as he whips his phone out.
“Thanks. Alright, look, Ei, Denki, and Hanta had some fun with whoever else in eavesdropping earlier. I’m going to answer the questions about the secret. So, while I can listen to Karin, I’ve got some shit to explain. Hence me telling you to turn the shit off.” explains Katsuki in a guarded way as he grabs their island barstool and carries it to the middle of the little Jam session space they’d created, sitting himself onto it as the door opens.
Eri runs straight to him, and Katsuki leans over to hug her without hesitation.
“Kaachan! Deku said you had an announcement to make. Do- do you-” she seems to lose steam ahead of her question as Katsuki pulls out of the hug.
His brows scrunch as Eri hides behind him all of a sudden, especially because she’s extremely comfortable with their class.
“Hey, munchkin, what’s with the hiding shit?” asks Katsuki as he twists awkwardly to look at her with a bit of his normal scowl, easing her from the weirdness of the room.
“Weird.. Uh.. tension! And my question is dumb.” whispers Eri with her wide eyes sparkling again.
“Yeah, they’re mad at me, ignore them. What’s your ‘dumb’ question?” asks Katsuki with a skeptical look.
“I-um- I was gonna ask i-if you w-wanted me to s-sit with y-you f-for s-support.” stutters Eri quietly, pouting at herself.
“Oh, that’s not a dumb question kid. That’s a sweet question. And yeah, you can sit with me… I'm pretty nervous.” replies Katsuki just as quietly, ignoring everyone around them as he talks to Eri.
“Okay! I’ll be brave for both of us!” whispers Eri, determination shining in her nod as she climbs onto his lap without help.
“Senseis, eyebags, sit down somewhere. Weirdos.” huffs Katsuki as he focuses on their loitering on the doors, rolling his eyes when Hitoshi flips him off.
“You’re gonna spill the beans, huh?” asks Aizawa softly as he passes Katsuki to sit in the chairs Izuku, Shoto, Iida, and Ochako moved for them.
“Yeah, I am. Hopefully it doesn’t blow up in my face like my quirk does.” replies Katsuki quietly, nervous as he pulls out the rag specifically to wipe his hands on to keep explosions from accidentally happening.
“Kaachan, I think we’re ready. Take your time.” says Izuku loudly, encouraging in the way only he can be as he draws everyone’s attention.
Katsuki clears his throat twice before he lets himself say, “What I’m going to say and do cannot leave this class. This is a monumental secret that only a few people know, and it’s one that I can’t have villains finding out about. It’d be dangerous for everyone involved.”
“I’ll make sure no one spills, problem child, no matter the outcome.” says Aizawa from his spot in the corner, tone reassuring as he practically glares at everyone else, eyes noticeably skipping over Izuku as he does the same.
And the uproar begins again.
“Wait!” exclaims Eijirou as Hanta and Denki pipe up in unison, “You know too? What the hell bro?!”
The trio look between Aizawa and Katsuki with hurt and frustration in their eyes, and Katsuki is ready to just explode their faces in.
“I didn’t tell him. He’s just fuckin’ observant!” growls Katsuki in annoyance as he adjusts Eri to sit across his lap so he can hold up three leather-bound notebooks. “If you three are done being butthurt, maybe I can give you the explanation you yelled for. And when you feel guilty about being dicks because you were butthurt, apologize to Sensei and the nerd. Got it?”
They pout, but the murmurs of agreements force the three of them to nod and fix their faces.
“Alright, I got proof to back up what I’m about to say, I got plans for additional proof too, and neither of these things include putting anyone else involved in the spotlight, even if it’s the Class A spotlight. But, as I said earlier, this shit cannot leave this room, this dorm. Only this class, and others here, are privileged enough for me to do this because I trust you, all of you, with my life. That clear?” explains Katsuki as he meets each of their eyes, only moving on when they’ve nodded at him. “Alright, I’m going to say it, you lot can quietly lose your shit and be loud about your disbelief, then I’ll give you your proof… I am Karin Eimei.”
Katsuki closes his eyes, arms up so Eri can slip away if she wants, and he waits for the explosion. And an explosion it is, but not as Katsuki had been expecting.
Tiny arms squeeze his neck as the uproar begins, a quiet voice whispering, “One of my favorite heroes is my favorite singer! You owe me a concert!”
His eyes open and all he sees is white hair as Eri fully invades his vision, and when she lifts up again as his name is called, Katsuki knows she’s trying to protect him from everyone else. He hugs her back, eyes misting as she hugs him tighter, and then he clues into the explosion.
“Katsuki doesn’t say what he doesn’t mean!”
“Holy shit, he’s actually Karin!”
“Blasty needs to join our writing sessions!”
“How did we not know this?”
“Oh my heroes, he’s secretly an amazing singer! He could’ve sang too!”
“A hero, a student, and a performer… Tracks for Katsuki, for sure.”
“Alright, everyone quiet down!” calls Aizawa in his teacher's voice, silencing everyone instantaneously as he moves to stand behind Katsuki, his hand laying on his student’s shoulder. “This is a secret, and if I find out that any of you leaked this to anyone outside of our class, with or without Katsuki’s permission, you will be dealt with by Nezu personally. This secret is now your responsibility as well, which means you must protect it as well. And no more complaining about low grades or unfinished assignments because of your Hero Work. Ask for help, but if Katsuki can do this, so can each and every one of you, and I know that for a fact. Is that all understood?”
Katsuki hides his gratefulness, his preening at his Mentor’s pride and protectiveness, in Eri’s hair as she attempts to squeeze the life out of him.
The shouts of agreements ease up his nerves as he pulls out of the hug, though Eri pouts at the movement.
“Alright, I appreciate your hugs and protection little hero. But I gotta deal with the idiots so Aizawa can sit down again.” says Katsuki with a chuckle as he boops Eri’s nose, smirking when she giggles.
“Fine, but we gotta talk about my concert.” says Eri as she settles on his lap again with a pout.
“Yeah, yeah, we can talk about it later munchkin.” replies Katsuki as he picks up his books, though he’s not sure when he dropped them. He takes a deep breath and looks at his classmates, specifically his squad, who look as though they’re about to vibrate out of their skin. “Do you have any questions, or do you want the proof? If not, I’d like to show you something that I was planning to show everyone during the concert.”
”Kaachan, did you record it already?” asks Izuku quietly through everyone else’s screaming.
“Yeah, it was just gonna be performed here first, then a surprise drop a few days later.” replies Katsuki as he opens the notebook with his unreleased song that’s inspired by the war, the struggles of being a future hero, just a reminder that heroes are human too.
“What’s the secret somethin’?” asks Tsuyu as she captures the class’ attention with her loud voice.
“An unreleased song inspired by everyone here.” replies Katsuki as his foot taps harshly against the ground, too many eyes locked on him.
“Dude, you should totally perform it! But like, maybe give us a preview though. That way we can listen to it together when you release it! We can have a release day party!” cheers Hanta as he pipes up again, pumping his fist into the air.
“Yeah, alright tape arms, if you say so. Does everyone agree with that? Cause I’d planned to perform the whole song at the concert.” says Katsuki thoughtfully as he throws out the vote idea, waiting for their thoughts.
“I think we all agree that a release party with our class would be worth only hearing a preview.” says Denki after a moment, suddenly popping back into Katsuki’s line of sight next to Izuku.
“Alright, if that’s what you lot want. But are you sure you don’t want physical proof first?” asks Katsuki skeptically even as Izuku shoots him a thumbs up.
“Blasty, we trust you. And we know you a lot better now. You don’t say anything unless you mean it, even when you don’t mean to say it. Give us some credit, we know you don’t lie.” says Kyoka as she pipes up from her spot between Momo and Ochako. “Give us a little preview, oh Great Explosion Murder God.”
“Alright, whatever, at least you shitheads know me. Fine then, I’ll give you the chorus, and I believe it’s dropping at midnight Saturday, so Sunday it’ll be live. But if I’m doing this then you all need to shut the hell up.” says Katsuki loudly as he glares at the louder individual, Ashido, Eijirou, Ochako, and Tooru. “You want to sit on the coffee table, kid?”
“If you feel like putting me there.” replies Eri with a cheeky grin that has Katsuki narrowing his eyes at Aizawa who points his finger at a proud Present Mic.
“Of course, you’re cheeky because of screamo. I ain’t puttin’ ya there, brat, but you can do what you want.” says Katsuki with a snort as his eyes read over his notebook.
“I’m stayin’ here, Kaachan, so stop s-s-st- what’s the word again Toshi?” asks Eri as she looks at her brother, firm tone and all.
“Stalling, stop stalling blasty.” replies Hitoshi with a smirk.
“Yeah, that… Sing for us!” whines Eri with a pout.
“Fine! Shitheads… They are all shitheads.” mumbles Katsuki incredulously as he shakes his head and carefully straightens himself up as silence falls over his classmates. He clears his throat and hums a starting point before he lets himself go. “Sometimes I’m lazy, I get bored. I get scared, I feel ignored. I feel happy, I get silly, I choke on my own words. I make wishes, I have dreams. And I still want to believe, anything can happen in this world. For an ordinary boy, like you, like me. For an ordinary boy.”
Katsuki’s eyes had shut, words leaving him in an alto voice, soft and emotional as everything they’ve gone through plays like a movie in his mind. He can feel a few tears slip past his eyelashes, dripping down his face, but he can’t look at them now that he’s done. He doesn’t think he could even speak right now as the silence turns tense, but he forces some air into his lung and dries his face.
The claps start slow as his eyes flutter open, and the first face his eyes search for is Izuku’s. Katsuki is unsurprised by the tears streaming down his cheeks, but he’s calmer at the sight of him clapping. Eri is hugging him around his middle, and everyone else in the room look like blubbering idiots that are two seconds away from swarming him into what will be an extremely uncomfortable group hug.
“This is your only chance to hug me.” croaks Katsuki as he opens one arm directly towards Izuku.
He buries his face in Izuku’s shoulder as he is surrounded by his class, whispers of love, pride, and support reaching him as he’s swarmed.
And it’s just as bad when they throw the release party three days later, the song finishing as he steps into the kitchen for a drink. Katsuki is forced into a group hug that is yanked from the kitchen so that everyone can be involved, and he’ll let them swarm him, let them drown him in their blubbering. And when a video of his performance is safely leaked on his twitter, he’ll smirk as his classmates gloat about their secret performance every time it’s brought up.