Chapter Text
An Audi A8 stopped in front of the entrance to the AU around nine o'clock in the morning. The passenger door opened and from inside the car emerged a young man with riotous hair and green eyes. A big smile lit up his face as he contemplated the campus of the most prestigious university in all of Japan: an elegant and dark fence marked the limits of those magnificent gardens and that stately building that stood at the end of a stone path.
Izuku jumped with excitement and ran to get his luggage out of the trunk. Out of the driver's door came a middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes who tried to help him, but Izuku had already carried the backpack on his shoulders and was holding his wheeled suitcase with both hands.
"I'm sorry I can't stay to help you, son, but I have a meeting in half an hour and I'm already late.”
"Don't worry. I'll manage.”
"Do you carry everything? Books, money...?”
"Yes, don't worry. I have everything I need.”
"Tomorrow I'll send someone to bring you the rest of things. Tuition is already paid, and so is the dining room. I've been told to ask at the entrance for the School Counselor and...”
"Don't worry, Dad," he calmed him down. “Everything will be fine. I'll be fine. This is my dream," he reminded him, eager to get into the university he had wanted to attend since he was little.
Izuku had always wanted to study criminology. He loved to analyze the psychological, sociological and biological factors that influenced the crimes taking place in his country. He wanted to be able to get ahead of criminals, know how they thought and look for ways to prevent other similar crimes in the future.
"Very well. So, I'm leaving. We Will tak later?”
"Sure.”
Toshinori Yagi got back into his car and sped off. Izuku took a breath and slowly let go. He was nervous, but he didn't want his father to worry about him.
Suitcase in hand, he entered the enclosure and toured the gardens admiring the flowers, fountains and trees that embellished the place. As his father had told him, he asked for the school counselor as soon as he arrived at the building, and was soon approached by a young man taller than himself, with dark hair and square glasses.
"You must be Izuku, the son of Toshinori Yagi," he said, looking once more at the paper. “There must be a mistake: your last names do not match.”
"Actually, Yagi-san is not my father," Izuku replied, somewhat awkwardly. “My mother married Yagi-san after my father... Well, it's a long story. My last name is Midoriya," he concluded.
"Oh, in that case, let me welcome you, Midoriya-kun. My name is Tenya Iida. It's nice to meet you.”
"The pleasure is mine.”
"Follow me: I'll show you the university and then we'll go to the dorm.”
“Good.”
They left Izuku's luggage at reception and walked along the building while Iida pointed out where the classes, library, toilets, cafeteria and rest areas were located. He was so immersed in his explanation that Izuku did not feel able to tell him that he already knew everything about that place, that he had researched, seen videos and images and had even walked those corridors while his father met with the rector.
Later, they picked up Izuku's suitcases and headed to the residence: a separate building where the students' dormitories were located.
"What are you going to study, Midoriya?" Iida asked him on the way.
“Criminology. And you? What do you study, Iida?”
“I study International Relations.”
"Wow, that seems very difficult.”
In reality, Izuku was not quite sure what was being studied in that career, but he also did not want to knowingly ask that his new partner could spend hours explaining to him what his studies consisted of, and that way he would never arrive at his room.
“Now that I think about it, yesterday a student arrived who is also going to start in the first year of Criminology. In fact, I think I'm seeing her right now: Uraraka!”
A young girl with short hair who was talking to other girls turned around and waved at Iida. She said goodbye to her friends and ran towards them, setting her sights on the new boy.
"Good morning, Iida-kun.”
"Good morning, Uraraka. I wanted to introduce you to Midoriya. He will be your partner this year.”
The girl smiled broadly.
"Really? That is very nice! I finally know someone I can go to class with! I'm Ochako Uraraka.”
"My name is Izuku Midoriya. My pleasure, Uraraka-san.”
"Are you going to see your room?"
"Yes, we were heading there.”
"Do you already know who your roommate will be?"
"No... I didn't know I would have one.”
"At the UA all the rooms are shared," Iida explained. “Otherwise, it would not be possible to accommodate all the demand of students that this university has. Your roommate will be Katsuki Bakugo, a second-year student of Criminalistics.”
"Criminalistics? How cool! We can complement our studies," Izuku exclaimed enthusiastically.
Criminology was the scientific discipline that focused on the analysis and interpretation of physical evidence related to crimes. It could be said that it was the active part in the fight against crime, while Criminology was the most theoretical part.
Despite Izuku's exaltation, Ochaco seemed worried.
"I've heard about that Bakugo," she said. “Apparently, he is not very kind. Many things about him are rumored.”
"Like what?" Izuku asked.
"They say their roommates don't last long. They always end up leaving or asking for a transfer to another room. Some have even preferred to sleep on the sofa in the common room. It is said that he made a boy cry because he left his socks lying next to the bed.”
"It won't be that bad," Izuku nervously laughed.
"I don't know... I don't know him, but too many things are said about him. Many are afraid of him.”
"Uraraka-san, it's not okay to prejudge people without knowing them and not talking behind their backs," Iida scolded.
"Yes, you're right. I am sorry. Maybe Izuku is right and not so bad.”
Maybe. But those comments had already made Izuku nervous.
Iida guided him inside the building and they took an elevator to the area designated for the men. His room was two hundred and two. He gave him a key and an identification card that accredited him as a student and showed what his room number was.
They stood in front of the door and knocked a few times. Izuku jumped up like a frightened guinea pig when a deep voice responded with a yell from inside.
"Who the fuck is it?"
"Bakugo, I'm Iida, the school counselor. I bring your new roommate with me.”
Footsteps were heard and the door slammed open. Izuku swallowed and looked at his new roommate: he was tall and muscular, with spiky blond hair and a hostile look. He was wearing a tank top shirt and sweatpants. Izuku felt a little less guilty for coming in on his first day with a sweatshirt too big for him and his usual red shoes.
"I thought I'd made it clear that I don't want a fucking roommate," Katsuki growled, staring at Iida, not even noticing the young man with his head down next to him.
"We've already talked about this, Bakugo-kun: the university can't afford for students to have single rooms.”
"They can't afford it? Our parents pay a fortune a month to keep us here, and are you telling me that they cannot afford for me to have a room to myself?
“It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the students.”
"I don't give a shit. I don't want to live with any damn pigs again.”
"If you have a problem with your new partner, you know you just have to file a complaint and we'll take part right away," he assured him. “Now I have to go. I must welcome other students. Try to get along as well as possible. Once again, welcome, Midoriya. I hope your stay is pleasant.”
"T-thank you, Iida-kun," Izuku said before the school counselor disappeared down the hall.
Izuku swallowed again and looked sideways at Katsuki. The blond boy had nailed his eyes to him as if they were knives. He seemed to examine him carefully, looking at him up and down.
"My name is Izuku Midoriya," Izuku introduced himself in a voice so weak that he could feel nothing but embarrassment. “May I... May I go in?”
Katsuki grimaced and turned away from the door clicking his tongue.
Izuku entered the room cautiously. It was a spacious place with good lighting. It had two beds with white bedspreads, two oak cabinets and two desks with shelves to place the books. The place was clean and tidy, perhaps too much for a twenty-year-old's room.
Izuku guessed that Katsuki's part would be the right one, because on top of the bed were a couple of books and the quilt was slightly wrinkled.
"Is that my bed?" he asked, pointing to left side, to make sure.
"For now," Katsuki replied.
Izuku laughed, nervously, and went to his side of the room to drop the suitcase and backpack. He was leaving some books on the desk when he noticed a presence behind him. He turned around and almost collided with Katsuki, who had cornered him against the table.
"Listen to me well, Deku, because I'll only tell you once," he said.
"D-Deku?”
"If you want to stay in this room, you will have to comply with some rules. If not, I'll be forced to kick you out of here, and I don't care what that idiot say," he threatened, raising one of his fingers and pointing at his face.
Izuku nodded, leaning against the desk to gain stability. That boy was so close that he could feel his breath on him.
“Rule number 1: I don't want any noise in the room. If you want to listen to music, you put on some fucking headphones. Rule number 2: at half past eight the lights go out. If you want to study until later, you go to the common room.”
"A.. at half past eight? Isn't it too early?”
"Shut up," he demanded. “Rule number 3: the room always has to be clean and tidy. If I see that you leave a dirty sock on the floor, I stick it up your ass. Rule number 4...”
"Are there a lot of rules?" he dared to ask.
"Rule number 4," Katsuki repeated, deliberately ignoring him, "only you and I enter the room. No parties or meetings. And of course, I don't want to see your stupid ass while fucking someone.”
"Hey!” Izuku exclaimed. The blood had risen to his head and he was beginning to feel dizzy. “I'm not going to do... THAT to no one!”
"Well, in that case, I'll be more specific: I also don't want to see someone fuck your white ass on that bed.”
Izuku covered his face with his hands. That couldn't be happening. It couldn't be that his new roommate was someone so shameless and foul-mouthed.
"I'm not going to do that here! Please stop saying it!”
"I hope so. Rule number 5: In the room you do not eat.”
“Not even some snacks? I like to eat something while studying.”
"It bothers me to hear the sound of plastic bags or the crunch of chips while studying. It deconcentrates me.”
"What if I eat jelly beans? That doesn't make any noise.”
Katsuki grunted, and Izuku decided not to argue.
“Rule number 6: Do not touch my things under any circumstances or grab anything without my permission. Rule number 7: no perfumes or air fresheners. I am bothered by smells that are too intense. Rule number 8: Don't even think about putting an animal in the room.”
"An animal? Are they not forbidden?”
"They are, but there's always some idiots who forgets.”
"You don't seem to have had very good roommates," Izuku tried to reconcile.
"Rule number 9," Katsuki ignored again. “It's the last rule, but also one of the most important: As long as you're here, don't bother me. I'm not interested in you. I don't want to be your friend. So just ignore me and I'll ignore you. Is that clear?”
Izuku nodded. Katsuki seemed satisfied and finally separated from him. Izuku sighed and looked towards his side of the room. It was a nice room, but something was missing.
"Can I at least decorate my part of the room?"
“As long as you don't hang satanic posters, you can do with your space whatever you want.”
Katsuki walked to his bed and plopped into it with a book in his hands. Izuku began to take his clothes out of the suitcase and place them inside the closet while thinking. His start at UA hadn't been the best, but even so, he knew he wouldn't have any major problems following Katsuki's rules. Perhaps the schedule was too rigid and he was a little obsessed with cleanliness and order, but Izuku had always been good at pleasing others.
Since his strict companion had given him a break when it came to decorating, he decided to take out some posters of All Might, the fictional character played by his father in the films that had made him a famous actor before becoming one of the largest producers in the country. He climbed onto the bed and stuck some to the wall. Then he placed the books on the shelves and finally took out his most precious treasure from the backpack. He wore it wrapped in newspaper so it wouldn't break: it was a silver frame with a photograph of him and his mother when he graduated from high school, just days before a traffic accident snatched it from his side forever. She had always wanted her son to study at the UA, and finally, the dream was both fulfilled.
He kissed the glass and placed the frame on the table.
"I'm here, Mom," he whispered.
From the bed, Katsuki looked at him sideways.