Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Shitty Hair, is that order for table six ready yet?” 

Katsuki ignored the stunned look on the couple’s face sitting at the bar he walked by to peek into the kitchen, rolling his eyes when finding a familiar sight. His best friend was an amazing cook, reliable and determined to make sure Katsuki’s bar, Ground Zero , stayed in the green. But despite his redeemable qualities, the social butterfly always had to have someone’s ear to gab to. Currently, he had hooked the attention of Kaminari, his idiotic bartender. Though the flirty banter between the two was common, Jirou’s well earned break meant he was the only one left up front. 

“Dunce Face! What the hell are you doing?” 

Kaminari jumped in his spot before turning around, his smile too wide for his small face. “Bossman!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I’m just giving Kiri a little moral support back here. Gotta make sure our chef is in the right headspace to make our delicious food.” 

“It’s fucking frozen chicken tenders and fries, not a Beef Wellington,” He snapped out, feeling his headache growing at Kaminari’s dramatized pout. “I get that’s basically heart surgery for you, but most people have enough brain capacity to manage a deep fryer.” 

“Aw, don’t pick on our bro.” Kirishima slid the two baskets of food onto the serving shelf, playfully hitting the bell despite Katsuki standing in front of him. “It’s not like we’re busy. The snow is keeping most people at home, and Tuesdays are already slow. You could run this whole place by yourself tonight.” 

He snatched the food off the ledge, glaring at both men like he could light them on fire with his eyes. “Except I shouldn’t have to, because I pay you idiots to do it.” 

“I’ll grab the next table. I promise!” 

At Kaminari’s vow, he rolled his eyes, scoffing before he stormed out of the kitchen. Muttering under his breath about ways to ‘exterminate’ his problems, Katsuki managed to keep his annoyance off his face when dropping the food onto the table of the customers. Just as Kirishima suggested, there weren’t many people in the business, only two tables and the couple at the bar. He glanced out at the wintery wonderland, the first real snow despite being two weeks away from Christmas. The drop in temperature only increased his bad mood, never being a fan of the winter season. Not only did it have a negative effect on the sales, but people’s ‘holiday cheer’ never seemed to carry over to customer service. 

After checking in with the pair at the bar, he walked past the final trio at the table in the corner. The men looked to be around his age, maybe a little older than twenty-four. He didn’t bother to ask, leaving the socializing to Kaminari or Kirishima. Jirou has said they had already received their bill, though appeared too hooked into whatever conversation they were having to notice. Though he didn’t like dealing with people, Katsuki had some tact, so he moved to clean the tables around the customers while he waited for a break in the flow of words to step in. 

“— uku won’t care.” The laugh that fell after the comment held a little too much bravado for Katsuki’s normal threshold. “No matter what I ask of him, the bleeding heart does whatever he can to make me happy.” 

“Man, you really hit the jackpot with him, Haru.” He didn’t know which extra made the comment, though the blunt words paused his cleaning of the table. “He’s got an amazing body, and you always have the best looking date at any of our work stuff.” 

“Yeah, his ass is perfect. That’s the main reason I asked him out. Makes it almost worth listening to all his nerd talk about that stupid All Might thing.”

The objectification of a man who wasn’t there to defend himself rubbed him the wrong way, but his rage intensified at the slander over his favorite comic series. Even if this… Deku kid was a nerd, why did Toshinori Yagi (the creator of All Might) have to suffer the insult of an idiot? Narrowing his gaze onto the polished wood under him, Katsuki tilted his head to see what other slander would be spewed at his establishment. 

“Aw, don’t be so mean.” One of the idiots seemed to have a conscience. “Isn’t he kind of sweet? Anytime you bring him to the office, he always talks about how proud he is of your accomplishments. Plus, he’s really smart. You can’t say he’s just a good physical distraction.”

“You want to date him?” The lack of care in Haru’s tone made it sound like he was speaking about sharing leftovers, not an actual person. “Cause I’ll probably be done with him soon. He’s an emotional pipebomb and super clingy. He’s always worried about upsetting me or not being good enough. Like, yeah it’s nice to have someone doing stuff around my apartment, and the sex is amazing, but his mumbling is so annoying.” 

“Then why don’t you just break up with him?” Asshole friend asked, his nasally voice wearing down every one of Katsuki’s nerves. 

“I’m probably gonna keep him until someone hotter comes around.” Haru’s laugh stoked the flame of anger in his chest, first forming on the table he leaned on. “At least until after Christmas, so I don’t have to deal with him ruining my holiday with his crying. Plus, I’ve been hinting at him buying me a new laptop. Might as well get something out of the relationship other than a headache.” 

Finally, he snapped.

“Oi!” Throwing his towel down, he stomped over to the table, uncaring of the surprised faces to glare at the leader of the group. “What the fuck is your problem?” 

“Excuse me?” Haru’s tone reeked of entitlement, like nobody from the service industry had spoken out of turn with him before. 

Luckily, Katsuki liked being the first experience for people. “What kind of dumbass sits in public and talks about their boyfriend like that? So, you’re not the ugliest fucker that’s walked into the bar. Big whoop. Doesn’t mean you have to spread your shitty behavior all over this place like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant. Not to mention you have to have your hype men tear down someone, who's not even here , to make your micropenis feel a little bigger.” 

“Why do you care about my crybaby boyfriend?” As if he wanted to save face in front of the two idiots at the table, Haru sat up straighter and scoffed. “It's not your business how I talk about him.” 

He took the aggressive posture for what it was, leaning over the table to snarl his response in the other’s face. “I’m making it my business, dickhead.”

“Are you his friend or something?” One of the extras asked, Katsuki rolling his eyes at the dumb conclusion.

“I don’t know who the fuck Deku is,” he answered, quick to shut down any excuse for his call-out. “The nerd seems like an alright guy, and since you’re letting your friend be a perverted creep about his body, I bet he’s hot. Probably a catch, which is more than I can say for any of you crotch goblins. You’re complaining cause he cares about you? Cause he wants to be a good boyfriend? Sounds pathetic to me. If anyone should be worried about not being good enough in the relationship, it ain’t Deku.” 

“Yo-You’re unprofessional.” Haru stood up from his chair, putting distance between Katsuki and his truthful words.

“No, I’m blunt. Got a real knack for giving people the ugly truth. So here’s yours, free of charge; I hope Deku finds out what a shitty garbage fire you are and dumps your ass.” Grinning with his arrogant pride, he used his few extra inches of height to stare Haru down. “Hell, when he does, I’ll make him a homemade dinner and debate which age of All Might was the best. Show him what dating someone with more than two brain cells looks like. And when I give him the best fucking night of his life, it won’t be just for his perfect ass.”

Haru gaped at him, face flushed and anger rolling through his shout. “This is outrageous. I’m a customer here!”

“And I don’t give two fucks.”

“Excuse me? You— I want to speak to your boss!”

“It’s my fucking bar, idiot,” Katsuki replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “So you can bitch all you want, but it ain’t going anywhere. Now pay for your shit and get out, before I shove the bill down your throat. If I see your grimy face here again, I’ll kick your ass.”

 He wasn’t sure if the money thrown on the table was enough to cover the meal, and he doubted they left any tip for Jirou’s hard work. She wouldn’t be happy, but Katsuki would make it up to her later. He couldn’t stand seeing the trio linger in his establishment any longer, feeling victory fill his chest when watching them stumble out of the bar. There was a reason he tried to keep out of the front of the house, knowing his mouth and short temper were better in the kitchen with people who had learned to ignore him. But tonight, he didn’t regret letting it fly, cutting down the pompous man to size. 

When he turned away from the table, his gaze sharpened on the familiar pair of idiots watching him from the bar. “What?” 

“That was so manly!” Kirishima shouted, grinning with pride. 

Kaminari poked his head out from behind his phone, Katsuki’s stomach bubbling with irritation when he noticed the camera light was on. “When your boss defends someone’s honor with threats and violence.”

“You better not be recording me,” he growled, but Kaminari only grinned at his own video. 

“Someone let Deku know he’s got a free dinner and drinks waiting for him at Ground Zero, courtesy of our super single, super gay boss. Hashtag ‘FindDeku’!” 

“Dunce face!” Katsuki lunged across the room to chase his dumb employee out from behind the bar, murder becoming a better option with each second that passed. “I’m giving Jirou all of your tips tonight. If you hadn’t been too busy trying to get in Shitty Hair’s pants, I wouldn’t have had to deal with the prick!” 

“But look at the bright side!” Kaminari shouted back once scampering into the kitchen, knocking over pans and dirty utensils along the way. “We got a killer TikTok out of it for Ground Zero.” 

“You’re so dead.” 

And though he never got the phone out of Kaminari’s control, the promise that he wouldn’t post it on his account was enough to settle Katsuki’s mind going home. 

~**~

“Oh, that’s really cute.”

Izuku bit his lip while he looked at the cat mug in his hands, turning it around to inspect the craftsmanship. He smiled at the ‘you are Purrfect’ written in red bubble letters, a contrast to the white feline sleeping on the opposite side. Todoroki was always one of the hardest people to shop for, the man’s lack of interests and overwhelming wealth keeping most options moot. Still, he had found a secret code to the mild-mannered man; silly cartoon cats with terrible puns. The mug was the perfect fit, and though it wasn’t expensive or rare, the little trinket would probably make Todoroki smile. 

“Okay, that’s almost everyone.” 

Once the purchase was finished, he scrolled down his phone, clicking Todoroki’s name to cross it off his electronic list. Proud of the progress he’d made throughout the hours of shopping, his gaze lingered on the only name not marked as completed. Haru hadn’t been shy in his need for a new laptop, complaining how the slow speed and glitchy screen made it impossible to get work finished from home. Though it was an expensive purchase, Izuku didn’t mind working some extra shifts to help his boyfriend. He had always had steadier work, and tended to better with money management than Haru. Ochaco hadn’t looked pleased when he announced his plan, but most of his friends weren’t the biggest fans of their six month relationship. 

As if knowing he was thinking of her, his phone rang. Izuku pulled out the device to see Ochaco’s name across the screen. “Good evening, I’m still not telling you what I bought you.” 

“That’s not what I'm even calling about!” She paused, huffing into the phone. “But I will get the answer out of you.” 

Terrified of her sneaky ways, he only laughed, moving out of the store to talk to his friend without disturbing others. The chilly air of December nipped at his freckles, and he yanked the green scarf closer to his face to hide away. “Okay, then what’s up?”

“Have you talked to Haru today?” 

The abnormal question slowed his pace to his car, brows furrowing. “Haru? No, he’s on a retreat with his company this weekend. They’re up at some ski resort, and he said the service is really bad. I think he left me a voicemail when I was shopping, but I haven’t had time to listen to it.”

“Don’t!” The shout rose with her emotions, the panic tugging at Izuku’s growing anxiety. “Please don’t listen to it until you come to my house. Todoroki and Ida are on their way here, too. They’re bringing ice cream and wine.” 

“The break-up protocol? But we don’t ever meet up like this unless something bad’s happened.” When she didn’t answer, his stomach twisted. “What’s going on?”  

“Do you trust me?” 

“Of course! You’re my best friend.” 

“Then can you trust that I’ll explain everything once you come over. It’s too complicated to explain over the phone.” 

Though he didn’t like her evasion of answering, Izuku nodded and hurried toward his car. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” 

In reality, it only took him half the time he estimated, unsure if it was his driving or good luck quickening the route. He tried to keep his mind from racing, but that was one of his biggest weaknesses. Haru hadn’t seen Ochaco or his other friends for weeks, so he doubted it had anything to do with them. Izuku tried to think if he’d talked to any of them recently about Haru, though he knew he tended to avoid the sensitive topic unless he was in a panic. Over the last week, he barely saw the man, Haru claiming he was busy at work due to the upcoming holiday. Their only time off together had been the previous Tuesday, though Haru had already made plans with his friend to go out to dinner.

Despite telling himself there was nothing to worry about, he still hesitated before knocking upon his arrival. 

“You don’t have to do that,” she said when opening the door, rolling her eyes. “We’ve been friends for a decade; you can walk right in.” 

“But that would be rude,” he answered, sending her a small smile when she punched his arm and pushed him toward the living room.

Just as she’d warned, Todoroki and Ida were setting up the snacks and drinks for the night, both turning toward the duo. Todoroki raised a hand, giving a short wave. “Midoriya.” 

“Hi, sorry for the sudden meeting.” He didn’t know why he felt the need to apologize, but his tongue continued to roll out his undeserved responsibility. “Thanks for the ice cream. You got my favorite.”

“Of course!” Ida rushed to his feet, stiff despite their years of friendship. “We wanted to be here for you for your tumultuous time.” 

“Which we’re going to talk to him about, since he doesn’t know yet .” Ochacho’s words hinted her annoyance with the slip of information, leading him to the middle of the couch to sit between herself and Todoroki. “Ida, can you get my laptop? I already have the video loaded.” 

“Video?” Izuku’s fingers twitched on his knees, tightening their grip. “I didn’t do something embarrassing, right?” 

“Not this time,” Todoroki answered, already scooping out his own bowl of ice cream despite the tension growing in the room. 

Ochaco, sensing his panic, reached out and grabbed one of his hands between her own. “Tsu showed me a video this morning that she thought you’d want to see.”

“After viewing it myself, I agreed with Ochaco’s plan to meet and review it together.” 

Ida being concerned about whatever had been captured was more concerning, forcing Izuku to swallow. “What is it?” 

“Haru being verbally humiliated by an angry pomeranian.” Todoroki didn’t mince words, though his description went from confusing to embarrassing when he continued. “Mainly because of your ‘perfect ass’.” 

“My what?!” 

“Oh my God.” Smacking her forehead, Ochacho looked toward the ceiling as if praying before she sucked in a breath and turned her determined eyes back to Izuku. “Remember when Tsu and I did that morning yoga class a year ago?”

“The one that gave you free mimosas and smoothies after?” He asked, knowing the real reason his two friends dragged themselves to the gym so early on the weekend. 

She waved the extra information away. “That’s not important. Well, when we were there, we made friends with a girl named Mina. She was just starting a TikTok page, so we followed to support her. Most of her stuff is about make-up or outfits based on random themes, and she’s really sweet. And she’s gotten really popular in the past year!” 

“I’ll have to check her out,” he said, unsure where the story was going. 

“No! I mean, yes you should totally follow her, but that’s not why I called you over.” She smiled at Ida when he offered the laptop to her, pushing the empty wine glasses to the side to settle it onto the coffee table. “On Fridays, Pinky— that’s her TikTok handle—  does a ‘Pinky’s Clip Corner’. She collects interesting videos and gives them a shout-out to help spread them around. Mainly, it’s one where people are looking for someone they need to find, or they’re exposing someone’s bad behavior.” 

An unpleasant feeling crept through his lungs when he took a shaky breath, starting to connect the dots. “So she dropped one last night that… had something to do with me?” 

“I’m not sure. I mean, I think so, because of the topic but— Haru’s in it, talking about his boyfriend. Which means it has to be you.” 

“Unless you’re a polygamist.” 

“Todoroki!” Ida’s shout after the suggestion made Todoroki blink.

“If it’s consensual, isn’t it acceptable?”

“We’re monogamous,” Izuku said, hoping to steer the conversation back to the video staring at him from the dimmed screen. “Can we…?”

“Of course!” She didn’t let go on his hand, which he was grateful for when Ida leaned across to start the linked video. Todoroki took the other hand without words, though continued to eat his ice cream without a care. The bubbly girl on screen ran through an intro before diving into the meat of the show. 

“So our video today is actually kind of special to me, because I know the original person who filmed it and the star of the show. From my friend’s rambling backstory, he said these three men were being absolutely awful about one of the guy’s boyfriends. We’ll call the jerk ‘Asshole Boyfriend’ and the mentioned boyfriend ‘Deku’. You’ll see why in the video. Anyway, Asshole Boyfriend ends up pissing off the wrong guy, and… well, my lovely pinkies, meet one of my best friends, ‘Hot Owner’.”

And then, from a shaky camera that looked like the person was hiding behind a napkin dispenser, a video cut in. Izuku couldn’t see much of the location, though he assumed it was some sort of restaurant. Though the original angle of the camera was far away, the person behind it zoomed in, catching a heated conversation from a group around a table. Haru’s shocked face made him nauseous, knowing the earlier concerns were true. He leaned closer to the laptop to try and pick up the background details, the scenery somehow feeling familiar despite never seeing the video before. 

It wasn’t until a flash of blond hair and angry red eyes filled the screen that his mind filled in the blanks. “That’s Ground Zero.” 

“You know this establishment? I didn’t think you’d remember a bar that clearly,” Ida said when pausing the video, Izuku feeling his cheeks redden.

He tried to avoid the truth with a shrug. “I’ve been there a couple times. Haru likes going after work cause it’s close to his office. I just… um, that man was there both times I went. He’s very… memorable.” 

“Oh. Miroyia has a crush on Hot Owner,” was Todoroki’s conclusion, too smart for Izuku’s heart. 

“He’s just pretty!” He argued back, groaning when Ochaco giggled and nudged his arm. “It’s not a big deal. I’m dating— either way, he doesn’t even know me.” 

“Not technically,” she replied, then nodded to Ida to continue the video when Izuku tilted his head with confusion. After a little rustling from the filmer’s to get closer to the event, the audio picked up. 

“ —sits in public and talks about their boyfriend like that? So, you’re not the ugliest fucker that’s walked into the bar. Big whoop. Doesn’t mean you have to spread your shitty behavior all over this place like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant. Not to mention you have to have your hype men tear down someone, who's not even here, to make your micropenis feel a little bigger.” 

“Why do you care about my crybaby boyfriend?” Izuku knew instantly that he was the topic of discussion from Haru’s description. He flinched at the insult, though Todoroki’s thumb against the back of his hand helped keep his breathing steady. “It's not your business how I talk about him.” 

“I’m making it my business, dick.”

A co-worker that he might have met before spoke up next. “Are you his friend or something?”  

“I don’t know who the fuck Deku is,” Hot Owner (he wished they’d given him a name that didn’t remind Izuku how attractive he was) came to his defense without a reason, a sprout of fondness blooming from the blunt words. “The nerd seems like an alright guy, and since you’re letting your friend be a perverted creep about his body, I bet he’s hot. Probably a catch, which is more than I can say for any of you crotch goblins. You’re complaining cause he cares about you? Cause he wants to be a good boyfriend? Sounds pathetic to me. If anyone should be worried about not being good enough in the relationship, it ain’t Deku.” 

“Yo-You’re unprofessional.”  

Haru didn’t deny any of the claims since the recording started, which sent another wave of shame over him. The fact his friends didn’t look surprised at the comments proved that this wasn’t the first time Haru had complained about him. Izuku wasn’t naive enough to think they were perfect, but… had he really let his co-workers objectify him? Was he just a joke to Haru? An ache settled in his soul, tears wetting his lashes while he watched the owner tear into Haru some more.

“No, I’m blunt. Got a real knack for giving people the ugly truth. So here’s your, free of charge; I hope Deku finds out what a shitty garbage fire you are and dumps your ass.” Then, words he hadn't expected to hear spilled from the foul-mouth. “Hell, when he does, I’ll make him a homemade dinner and debate which age of All Might was the best. Show him what dating someone with more than two brain cells looks like. And when I give him the best fucking night of his life, it won’t be just for his perfect ass.”

The following bickering was a blurred conversation to Izuku, swept away by how a stranger saw more value in him than his own boyfriend. He doubted the offer was serious, just something the hot-headed man threw out to hurt Haru’s ego. But for a moment, while he watched beautiful red eyes turn toward the camera and shout something at the person taping him, he felt… seen.  

The camera switched suddenly, showing a blond man with a grin too big to fit on the screen. “When your boss defends someone’s honor with threats and violence.”

“You better not be recording me.”  

“Someone let Deku know he’s got a free dinner and drinks waiting for him at Ground Zero, courtesy of our super single, super gay boss. Hashtag ‘FindDeku’!” 

“Dunce face!”

Then, the video cut back to Mina, though Ida paused it to let the silence seep back into the room. Despite the sweet ending of the video, Izuku’s tears still slipped down his face, dripping off his chin and onto the hands holding his own.

“Guess Haru was right about me being a crybaby,” he mumbled, trying to laugh despite his dismal mood. 

“Izuku, don’t let what he said get to you!” Ochaco leaned closer, pressing her head against his shoulder. “You’re perfect just how you are. Haru has always been a terrible boyfriend.” 

“Midoriya, I would strongly recommend not allowing this… uncivilized man to continue wearing the title of boyfriend.”

Ida’s tip-toeing around insulting Haru made him smile, Ochaco quick to tug on his hand. “Yeah, dump that bozo!” 

“Which would allow you to date the angry pomeranian,” Todoroki said, nodding without understanding why his comment flushed Izuku’s face. 

“That’s not gonna happen…” 

His eyes turned back to the video, wondering if the recorder’s offer was genuine. Free food to nurse his broken heart wouldn’t be the worst consolation in the world. He doubted a bombshell like the owner would actually date him. Haru’s assessment wasn’t exactly wrong; he was emotional, tended to worry about doing enough in his relationships, and cried if things got too overwhelming for him to handle. He even complained about All Might, since the owner brought it up during his… offer. The dream of getting whisked away like a Disney princess was probably just another negative trait about himself.

But if he didn’t say it outloud, nobody could hold it against him. 

“So…” Letting go of his friend's hands in order to grab his phone, he looked around the room and gave a soft smile. “Anyone wanna help me write a break-up text?”

~**~

Kaminari didn’t upload the video.

Instead, he gave it to Mina, who uploaded the video on her TikTok channel . 

Katsuki had been tempted to throw his bartender off the closest cliff he could find, if not for Kirishima talking him down in a way only he could. A part of him recognized the sudden influx of business despite the terrible weather, and he got a good laugh over Haru trying to sue him for ‘defamation’. Apparently his job hadn’t found his degradation and the negative feedback from Mina’s viewers fun. The internet had worked its weird magic, and Haru was asked to resign. Katsuki hadn’t planned for the loser to get financial karma, but his smirk might have been a little too wide when watching Mina’s update video. 

But he didn’t get to bask in his victory for long; the video (and following update) left Ground Zero understaffed throughout the holidays, forcing him on the floor more than he liked. Jirou and Kaminari were good at their job, but they had limits, so he would pop behind the bar or took care of orders whenever the rush hours swept through. The hard work wasn’t the problem; it was the constant barrage of flirting. Men, women, even full groups of people didn’t seem to stop them from ‘shooting their shot’ with him. The numbers on napkins became a running joke in the bar, though the teasing decreased after he threatened to make Kaminari eat them. Using the bluntness everyone found ‘sexy’, he shut them down without a hint of hesitation before moving to his next customer. 

Mina’s update video had come out the day after Christmas, though Katsuki refused to admit he watched it. According to the sneaky woman, she had contact with a friend of ‘Deku’, who confirmed he had broken up with the ‘Asshole Boyfriend’. 

“From what my sweet cinnamon bun said, Deku’s been much happier since he packed Asshole Boyfriend’s stuff and kicked him out of his life. I got to see him on a video call, and he is adorable. Asshole Boyfriend made a huge mistake. When I asked him about his thoughts on Hot Owner, Deku got bright red and said he’s thankful there are still sweet people in the world. Looks like he agreed with our name for him! Can anyone say #DateDeku?” 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at Mina’s description of him, doubting anyone that knew him would agree. Like Kaminari’s before, the hashtag took over the trending tab, people who knew nothing about him cheering for their ‘happy ending’. Though he didn’t have any social media, Mina and Kaminari made it their job to update him on people’s reasons for why the ‘DekuDate’ needed to happen. He tried to ignore their ribbing, because what was he supposed to do? Ask Mina to help him find some random guy he accidentally named ‘useless’ for a date? 

Like that was going to happen. 

“Alright, just cleared off table three.” He shoved the tip into the jar on the bar, uncaring of the phone number that went along with the rolled up bills. “And seven needs another round of whatever shit they ordered. Ears, do you—”

“I know it.” Trusty and good at her job, Jirou barely showed the stress of the New Year’s Eve rush while she swept Kaminari’s group of drinks onto her perfectly balanced tray. “I think Denki seated a group in the dead zone, so I need you to cover that one for me.” 

“Why the fuck did he put them there?” He snapped out, glaring at the blond distracted on the other side of the bar. 

The ‘dead zone’ was a table they never used for customers, being too close to the kitchen and bar entrance for any of the employees to be comfortable. It was also shoved into the corner of the bar, which didn’t make it an easy path for the servers to keep a steady flow when juggling multiple routes. If it wasn’t used for employee breaks, then Katsuki commandeered it when going over the payroll and expenses. 

“I think he said something about being Mina’s friends?” She shrugged, then swept past him. “Either way, they’re all yours.”

“Stop slacking so much and I wouldn’t have to cover it!” Both knew his blustering was a lie. Jirou didn’t react to his complaining, already focusing on the several tables in her server book. If he could have cloned the easy-going woman, he would in a heartbeat. 

Instead, he scoffed, cutting across the floor to wedge past the bar and next to the dead zone table. Praying that Kirishima or Hanta didn’t open the kitchen door into his back, he barked out his greeting. “Alright, what are we having?” 

A quick glance around the table helped him assign nicknames to the different customers now looking up at him with mixed expressions. The woman of the group seemed positively pleased at his appearance, and he bit back his groan at the thought of round cheeks trying to hit on him. Next to her sat what looked like a school principal, clothes too stiff when wearing such thick glasses. He watched Katsuki with a concentration that rivaled a father meeting his daughter’s prom date. In contrast, the man across from Glasses looks bored out of his mind. The strange candy cane style of his hair and burn across his face screamed defiance despite his apathetic glance to the menu. The conflicting sensation made Katsuki’s hackles rise, turning his glare to the final member of the group.  

Green eyes stole his focus for a heartbeat longer than he wanted. They matched the soft-looking hair curled around a splatter of freckles. Katsuki tilted his head at the way anxiety and awe swirled through the stranger’s expression, nervous fingers clenching his napkin in a death strangle on the table. There was a pink flush to the cheeks peeking out from the scarf (a vintage All Might comic sewn into the threads) around his neck, looking almost ready to hide in the cozy material. But he didn’t look away, and the determination curled Katsuki’s lips into a smirk when leaning a little closer. 

“Yo, Freckles.” His sudden break in the silence seemed to catch the other off guard, jumping in the booth. The reaction made him arch a brow. “Did you drink somewhere before this? Cause you look pretty flushed, and I ain’t letting you poison yourself before the ball drops.”

“N-No, I’m good!” The pink hue turned to red in seconds, the fidgeting fingers tearing the paper napkin in two. 

Before he could tease him for the suspicious behavior, the bored man beside him raised his hand. “I think it’s because he finds you attractive.”

“To-Todoroki!” The shout turned Freckles away from Katsuki, trying to shove his hands up to cover the other’s mouth. “That’s not— what are you saying?” 

“I must ask you not to embarrass our friend so early into the evening!” Glasses shouted like he was trying to calm a rowdy classroom, his hand chopping on the top of the table. Round Face didn’t say anything, seeming content to snicker while glancing between Katsuki and Freckles.

Easily avoiding the kitten-like attacks, ‘Todoroki’ continued to answer Katsuki’s question without care. “I haven’t observed Midoriya drink tonight. But we’re here for that purpose, so you may see him drunk. He becomes quite cuddly under the influence, so please don’t hold that against him.”

Another round of whines, shouts and giggles made Katsuki shake his head. He’d been hit on for weeks, but it was the first time someone had hit on him for someone else. Despite the absurd behavior, Katsuki snorted, smirking. “Jesus, you’re a weird table. Especially you, Candy Cane.” 

“Thank you.” 

“It wasn’t a compliment!” 

“Really? It sounded kind, considering how you normally speak with customers—”

“Are you gonna fucking order or not?!”

The shout finally brought the conversation back on track, the four giving their first round before Katsuki left to fill the order. Throughout the night, he popped by the table, keeping an eye on their dwindling drinks and empty plates like any good server would. Each time he engaged with the customers, Freckles sunk deeper into his scarf, looking like he wanted to melt when his friends would rib him or send knowing looks. Though Katsuki had dreaded the thought of Round Cheeks wanting to flirt, he hadn’t had the same visceral reaction when catching green eyes watching him. Instead, he leaned into the new energy, tugging the scarf or mentioning the freckles that made his cheeks look like overripe strawberries when he blushed. The guy was cute, and if the bar wasn’t packed with dozens of customers that needed his attention, he might have entertained the idea more. 

“Alright, idiots,” Katsuki said when coming around a final time, not bothering to pull out his server book. “Last call for drinks, so tell me what you want.” 

“Oh that’s right.” Round Cheeks balled her hand into a fist, dropping it against her other open palm. “Mina said you close the bar to the public an hour before the ball drops. That’s kind of sweet that you let your employees celebrate instead of cashing in on the money.” 

“More like they’re all annoying and I don’t need to listen to them whining,” he replied, rolling his eyes at the misconstruing of his intent. “So give me your last order or pay up.” 

“Bakubabe!” He cringed when a familiar voice boomed against his eat, slender arms wrapping around his neck to hug him without consent. “Don’t kick out my friends, you grump.” 

“Raccoon Eyes, if you don’t get the fuck off me—” 

Mina didn’t flinch at the threat, pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek before letting go of him to slip into the table’s booth. Her new target of affection was Round Cheeks, whose newly rosy flush from her third drink pressed against Mina’s when she snuggled into her side. “Oh my gosh, Cinnamon Roll! You look so pretty tonight.” 

“Of course I do; you picked out my outfit,” was the reply, both girls laughing over the joke Katsuki wasn’t privy to. “Thanks for inviting us to your New Year’s party. This place is so much fun, and the drinks are really good.” 

“Hold up.” He narrowed his eyes when the familiar nickname tugged at something in the back of his mind. He couldn’t pinpoint where he’d heard it before, growing the irritation in his cadence. “Did you invite these extras to hang out after closing? Don’t you think you should have asked the bar owner if more people could come to my event?” 

“Technically, you invited one of them yourself,” she answered, looking too excited about the information. 

Insulted at whatever game his friend was playing, he crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. “I haven’t seen any of these nerds before.” 

“Well, that’s true.” Mina glanced not at Katsuki, but across the table, voice softening like an encouragement instead of a taunt. “I think Kami’s offer was free dinner and drinks, courtesy of the Hot Owner. Ring any bells?”

“That’s only for fucking Deku—” 

But then he stopped. Stunned, his eyes darted back to the little nerd that had caught his attention throughout the night. There, a guilty gaze fixated on the crumbs scattered across the table. The anxious behavior and the nerd’s snickering friends made a lot more sense with the new information. And the All Might scarf was a dead giveaway with the right context. Maybe he should have been annoyed for being left in the dark; he hated surprises and people talking behind his back, normally chewing out anyone he caught in the act. But from how often Deku had begged for his friends to stop, he didn’t look malicious in hiding the information.

Had Deku even planned to tell Katsuki who he was? And if not, then why was he there?

“Isn’t he cutest little thing?” Mina leaned over the table, uncaring that her movement spilled some of Glasses’s drink when she pinched the freckled cheek. “I just wanna eat him up!” 

“M-Mina…” Freckles (Midoryia? Deku? What was his name?) mumbled into his scarf, as if the fabric could cover his embarrassment. 

“We’re approached quite often about Midoriya’s attractiveness,” Candy Cane answered, and Katsuki narrowed his glare on the nonchalant answer. 

Before he could ask how often weirdos tried to get in Deku’s pants, Mina plopped her elbows onto the table, cradling her beaming smile in her palms. “So, Blasty, what do you say? Can my new friends stay for the party?” 

“Ugh.” He knew it was the uncertain green eyes in the corner of his gaze that made his resolve cave. “Whatever. Don’t let them wander around until everyone else is out. I’m going to help Ears and Sparky close up.” 

He ignored the table’s cheering when storming away, focusing his attention on his normal processing for closing down the place. Tabs were paid, tables cleaned, and several customers wished him and the employees a safe ride home before skipping into the chilly night. Most of the party’s set-up had already been done, Kirishima and Hanta preparing the food between orders in the last hour of the night. Once the final group of guests (except the five lingering at the dead zone table) left, and the financial aspect of the bar was completed, Ground Zero shifted from a bar to a party venue.

And his idiots didn’t miss the chance to mingle with their new prey. 

“Heyo!” Hanta's wide grin beamed at Mina’s group, a large hand held out in warm greeting. “I’m Hanta. It’s nice to have some fresh faces here. One can only count bossman’s angry wrinkled so many times before you start needing something new.” 

“If you don’t like my face, then fucking quit,” Katsuki snapped back, growling at Kaminari’s friendly arm around his shoulders. 

“Aw, don’t say that. We’re starting the new year on a good note.” 

“Oh, I remember you.” Todoroki blinked, then nodded. “You took the video, yes?” 

“Wow, I feel kind of famous.” Fanning his face, Kaminari played up his faked bashfulness. “No need to flatter me. I was just volunteering for my civic duty.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Jirou said, sipping on a fruity drink and ignoring Kanamri’s deflation at the shutdown. Everyone laughed after the banter, Katsuki flicking his gaze toward Deku when he stepped forward and bowed in front of him and Kaminari. 

“Thank you.” When he popped his head back up, the wisps of sadness were overshadowed by his gratitude. “You two didn’t have to do anything for me, but I’m really grateful you tried to help a stranger out.” 

Kaminari groaned in his own guilt when he released Katsuki to flop his weight into the nerd’s chest. “You’re too pure for my TikTok greed!” 

“Serves you right for trying to profit off someone’s pain,” Katsuki said, hitting the back of Kaminari’s head before yanking him off the stunned man. “And let him breathe, idiot. Why do you have to be so weird?”

“In our defense, you think everyone but you is strange.” Kirishima came to Kaminari’s defense with a sunny smile and a topic change. “How about we all get a drink and get to know each other a little better? Then we can really enjoy our party!” 

To Katsuki’s chagrin, the groups fit like matching gloves. Learning Deku’s real name was Izuku was the only introduction he cared about, preferring to keep his nicknames for the other members of his hodgepodge group. Mina hung off Round Cheeks while Jirou showed them her playlist floating from the speakers. Hanta retold his crazy adventures from college to Kaminari and Glasses, who looked horrified at each of the rules they broke in the process. Candy Cane seemed content sitting at the edge of the bar, observing the group quietly while chewing on the random samples of food Kirishima offered him between soft-spoken conversations. And Izuku, the bright eyed nerd, stoll everyone’s heart while floating between the mixed formulations of their two groups.  

The extra people left him a little on edge, and he managed to shove down his irritation (not anxiety, Shitty Hair) until Jirou started to prepare the TV over the bar for the ball drop. With everyone joining into one group, he swept past Kirishima, muttering about ‘taking out the trash’ before snagging the bag left by the side door. Crisp air danced on his bare cheeks when wandering into the back of the parking lot, yanking the trash over the lip of the compactor before shutting and locking the corral. The last thing he needed was drunk idiots sneaking in and killing themselves in his machine. The lock slid into place, and Katsuki closed his eyes, taking a few long breaths to enjoy the night silence.

Once centering himself again, he spun around to face the bar, pausing mid-step when seeing someone waiting by the door. “Freckles?” 

“H-Hi.” Izuku jerked his thumb over his shoulder, nerves rocking his feet. “Uh, Mina wanted to make sure you didn’t miss the ball.” 

He glanced down at his watch and scoffed. “What does she think I’m gonna do out here for five minutes? Kill somebody? I’d do that in the bar if I got that bored.”

“Well, I…” At the pause, he looked up, Izuku keeping his stare on the clouds covering the stars. “I also wanted to thank you. F-for what you said in that video. I know you don’t really know me, but it … it replayed in my head a lot during the break-up.” 

“Don’t need to thank me for putting a dick in his place. If someone gave me some tough love in middle school, I wouldn’t have been such an insufferable bastard until I got my shit in check.” He didn’t mention the anger management therapy and how crucial the five knuckleheads had been in turning his terrible mindset around. Izuku was still too new to trust with his permanent scars. “Repay me by picking better boyfriends. At least find one that knows All Might’s the best comic out there.”

“It might be hard to find someone who likes that part about me. I can be a little… annoying with my analysis.” 

“So what?” Glaring at Izuku’s quiet shrug, Katsuki moved onto the ledge of the sidewalk in front of the door, leaning against the railing between Izuku and the parking lot. “You think having a hobby makes you impossible to date?” 

“It’s not just that!” Izuku argued, shoving his hands into the jacket that looked too flimsy to keep him warm in the winter night. “Haru—”

“I like Asshole Boyfriend better.” 

Izuku’s small smile tugged at his chest. “Either way, from what I saw in the video, he wasn’t lying. Maybe I wouldn’t have framed it the way he did, but I do tend to cry and overthink a lot when I’m upset.” 

“And I shut down or threaten to beat up anyone near me when I’m pissed off.” Hence the video, though that had turned out better than most outbursts. “People are fucking human, Freckles, which means we have shit that ain’t perfect. Makes us different, kinda, and— I don’t know! Talk about that mushy shit with Pinky or Shitty Hair.”

“So that’s where she got her TikTok name from…”

He ignored the other’s mumbling to finish his thought. “But if you’re with someone who thinks you should be an angel or something stupid like that, that’s their problem.” 

“You’re really nice,” Izuku said, looking cuter than he had a right to be when he pouted over Katsuki’s snort. “You are, Kacchan!” 

“ Kacchan ?” He scrunched his nose, shaking his head. “What are we, four?” 

“You call me Freckles! And nerd and— and you got the whole internet calling me useless. So you deserve a nickname, too.” For the first time all night, determination flooded the green gaze staring stubbornly at Katsuki. “It stays.” 

“You’re getting real cheeky, Deku.” Reaching out, he pinched the freckled cheek between his fingers, tugging enough to stretch his face. “Maybe I need to be a little meaner to remind you who runs this place.” 

“Let go, Kacchan!” 

Yet Izuku didn’t pull away, stepping closer to Katsuki to relieve the slight tension on his skin. The new proximity tickled the back of his throat, and he had to adjust his wrist to keep it from hurting at the new angle. Instead of releasing the warm cheek, he loosened his fingers to press his palm over the curve of Izuku’s face, almost holding it. Katsuki stared down silently at the wider eyes below him, Kaminari’s loud shout of ‘one minute’ from inside the bar the only noise between them. Izuku looked like a captured bunny, frozen stiff in the jaws of a hungry wolf. His heartbeat took it upon itself to slam into his ribcage, Katsuki fighting against the obvious implication when he cleared his throat.

Unsure of the other’s limits, he tried to offer an olive branch. “Freckles, you’re gonna miss the—” 

“I think—!” Izuku’s rushed words and the hand gripping Katsuki’s extended wrist stopped him. “Earlier, you mentioned wh-who I should look for after Haru. And I… I think the next guy I want to date is almost as big of an All Might fan as me. You know, since he… he said he w-wants to debate which era is best over a homemade dinner.”

“Huh?” He wanted to question the ‘almost’, but Izuku’s determined rambling didn’t let him clarify.

“If he meant that, I mean! Which he didn’t have to, because he’s already done enough for me. And we don’t know each other, except I’m a crybaby and he hates people’s real names, so I can’t even say how compatible we’d be other than he’s very pretty. That doesn’t mean he feels the same, and I never even asked if he’d gotten into a relationship since the video was posted—”

This idiot’s talking about the video? Katsuki’s great memory kicked in, replaying his offer to ‘Deku’ when putting Haru in his place. From how quickly Izuku turned it against himself, Katsuki could see he had some of his own emotional scars, though he didn’t know enough to peek under the damage shield. For now, he only had the cute mumbling mess in front of him, lips moving fast and accidentally brushing the bottom of Katsuki’s palm from how expressionate he’d become. 

“Nerd.” And since Katsuki figured he’d get to experience the mumbling a lot more (like he was gonna let the nerd slip away) he didn’t feel bad cutting in by grabbing his other cheek and guiding the startled gaze back to him. “Wanna start the new year with the best fucking night of your life?”

“Oh.” The countdown of ‘ten’ didn’t seem to matter for Izuku, who’s jaw dropped open against Katsuki’s jaw before he nodded. “Uh, sure. Actually, yes. I really would like that.” 

“Good. Me too.” Then, too tempted not to tease the man flushed in his hold, Katsuki smirked. “Not gonna lie, though. Your perfect ass might be the best part of said night.” 

“K-Kacchan—!” 

And if he used the cliche of kissing at the start of the new year to gain him brownie points in the nerd’s romantic mind, Katsuki didn’t care. 

(He did care about Kaminari’s TikTok of the recorded kiss with the hashtag ‘WinDeku’, but that was future ‘Hot Owner’s’ problem.)