Chapter Text
Everyone is right this time, it's not easy to work for Dynamight, Japan's number one pro hero, even though he's Izuku's childhood friend, in fact, he believes that makes it worse somehow.
They saw each other after 24 years when Katsuki was hired to be in one of the most famous pro heroes' magazines. The one Izuku works for as a makeup artist. The "first" meeting was a bit awkward, but it surprised him the fact that the pro hero seemed to remember him as well.
He kept observing him the whole day, and while Izuku got nervous under his intense gaze, doing his job helped keep his mind out of it. He didn't address him as "Deku" as he used to, but as Izuku, which the green haired man truly appreciated then. He even tried to return the favor and called him Dynamight-san instead of the childhood nickname Izuku used for him, but the blond got irritated and demanded him to use "Kacchan" because it'd be weird if he used any other name. And to be fair, he had a point, it felt almost unnatural to call his childhood friend anything else.
Katsuki hated that part of the job, and he clearly showed it the day of the photographs; Izuku watched as the pro hero became grumpy and even complained about the whole thing being superficial (which was fair, but that didn't mean he had the right to scare the people who worked there). The green haired man thought that maybe his problem was that it frustrated him that the hero ranks were influenced by popularity as well and not only hero work.
It was a shame. Izuku silently agreed with him at the moment, as his PR team begged him to do this because otherwise he'd be surpassed by pro hero Shoto next year.
Both of them were handsome and unbelievable hot, but the thing with Shoto was that even though he looked mysterious and cold, people seemed even more eager to find out what he was thinking and doing. Sometimes, he was also awkward, he had not much experience with normal social interaction, but that made him charming somehow. On the other hand, Katsuki was constantly scolding and growling like he wanted people to be scared of him. He had a very attractive body and a handsome face, but his perfect features didn't look as good when he was making the most ridiculous angry faces Izuku had ever seen; It was like he was doing his best to look ugly.
Even though Dynamight agreed to the pictures after a while, he kept snapping and scowling at everyone around him. Izuku was probably the only one not afraid of him, since he had dealt with that as a child, besides, he knew Katsuki wasn't a bad person, just an asshole sometimes.
At some point, Izuku had enough of him, and, without thinking, started scolding him.
"Kacchan, stop! We get it, you hate this kind of thing, but if you keep growling and yelling at these people who are just trying to do their job you'll just make it last longer, which I bet none of us wants at this point!"
When he was younger, his mother worried about him constantly; she used to say that trouble didn't find him, he purposely ran into danger, like he was attracted to it. He had the scars that proved she was right, but Izuku was convinced he left all of that in high-school. He wasn't so sure now. The problems he used to get in school were mostly physical, but as an adult, he had different ways to put himself in danger.
In that moment, just as everyone remained silent, waiting for Dynamight to explode, Izuku was sure he was going to get fired. But that didn't happen, instead, Katsuki nodded and sat down in silence so the green haired man kept applying makeup on his face.
After a while, Dynamight chuckled and stared up at him for a moment.
"Glad you're showing your teeth now, nerd."
Izuku didn't know then that particular interaction had sealed his fate, he was just happy he managed to keep his job somehow.
Now, a couple of months later, he has become some sort of Dynamight's personal makeup artist; he keeps working for the magazine, but he also gets called by the pro hero's manager often because he doesn't tolerate any other person around him now.
Izuku hasn't decided if that's a good or a bad thing yet.
"Kacchan, could you please stay still? I can't give you smokey eyes if you keep moving like that!"
"I thought you were the best," Dynamight smirks, like he's enjoying their banter. "A minor inconvenience shouldn't be such a big deal. Bet you could do your job with a hand tied to your back."
He smiles, trying not to let him know his provocation almost worked; yes, Izuku is perfectly capable of doing that with one hand and despite having a very stubborn pro hero as his model, but he wants to do a good, and meticulous job and he knows Katsuki is capable of behaving like the pro hero he is. He's seen him in action, when he's fighting against a villain or keeping people safe, there's none of that petulant expression on his face. He does his job in the most efficient way possible.
"If you don't stop, I'll sit on your lap, Kacchan." Izuku tries not to blush at his own words or the fact that the people around don't even blink at them anymore; after six months, they have gotten used to their arguments.
"I don't think you'll-"
Izuku calmly plops down on his childhood friend's lap, ignoring Katsuki's gasp or the fact that he suddenly stays still. He knows he doesn't like physical contact that much, but he's also aware that the pro hero is a full grown adult who can kick him off if he's actually uncomfortable by it. So Izuku finally sighs and keeps doing his job.
Like a charm, that seems to do the trick because Dynamight finally behaves after that. He's mostly silent for the rest of the afternoon, watching as Izuku keeps applying makeup on the corner of his eyes and then his neck and lips.
"You're wearing shorts today..." Katsuki observes, placing one of his hands on Izuku's knee; since he seems to be just curious and the green haired man feels like he was the first one to cross the line by sitting on the blond's lap, he allows the hand to stay where it is.
"I am."
"You have freckles on your thighs too?"
Izuku tries no to chuckle, he has no idea why Katsuki sounds so surprised, but at least he's acting somewhat civil now.
"On my whole body, actually."
"I-I see."
After that, Katsuki doesn't say anything at all. He seems to be lost in his thoughts, so Izuku decides not to bother him, perhaps he's remembering one of his missions.
***
Since he kinda works for a magazine, Izuku finds out about the tiktok compilation about all the times Dynamight has yelled at his fans even before the pro hero's manager calls him.
He has to be in the pro hero's penthouse in less than an hour because Katsuki has to look presentable for his next online interview; his manager is trying to get him address the situation in the calmest way possible, which, Izuku can guess, is not going well at all.
When he arrives, not only his PR, manager and Katsuki are there, but also one of Katsuki's friends, another pro hero: Ashido Mina. Izuku would have been a mess in front of her, if it wasn't because he already knew her; she gave an interview for the pro heroes' magazine a few weeks ago.
"Hi, sweetie!" She smiles as soon as she spots Izuku. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good! How about you? I saw your fight against the guy who tried to rob a bank, you were absolutely ama-"
"You haven't told me what you're doing here, Pinky," Katsuki cuts him off, looking grumpier than usual. "Izuku, you should be focusing on me now."
He tries not to roll his eyes and opens his suitcase full of makeup. He sits right next to the pro hero on the couch so he can start working.
"Well, I was talking to your manager and I told her I had the perfect idea to soften your image a bit!"
Izuku already trusts her; out of all pro heroes he's seen in interviews and interacting in social media, she's the most charismatic; she doesn't have haters, well, she does, a few, but those don't count because they're the kind of people who just want engagement.
"I don't want to look soft! I'm a pro hero!"
"Blasty, at this point, our dear Todoroki is going to take your crown from your hands and he won't give it back."
"Tch! Fine!"
"It's very simple: you have to fall in love!"
"What the fuck, Pinky?"
Izuku is just looking from one to the other with curiosity; he's not if what he feels is simple confusion, like Katsuki's employees seem to be experiencing at the moment, or if he's just amused by the pro hero's reaction.
She laughs as she moves closer to the counter. Everything Katsuki's owns has to cost a fortune? Because Izuku is sure that's made of black marble.
"Well, maybe not actually fall in love, but you could date someone for a while, maybe an idol or an actor who needs that kind of publicity."
"You mean fake dating?" Dynamight asks, already looking like he wants to murder someone.
"Exactly! Your haters have to realize that you're capable of love, because right now they argue that you're some sort of a monster."
Izuku grimaces; that seems unfair considering the amount of people he's saved over the years, but the public hasn't quite forgotten the Endeavor scandal; it made them realize that pro heroes can be great at their jobs and awful, abusive at the same time.
"No."
He's sure Dynamight's manager is about to pull all her hair out. Katsuki hasn't noticed or he doesn't care; his hands are crossed over his chest and he's scowling at his friend like he's made up his mind.
"Kacchan! Stop frowning! You'll make me mess up your makeup!"
"Fine!"
Now Ashido seems to be a bit delusional, how is she planning to make him look like he's head over heels in love? Katsuki is a great hero, but he doesn't know how to act.
"Come on! It'll only be for a few months!"
"I don't want to pretend to be close to someone who I barely know!"
"The people I have in mind are great! Give them a chance!"
"If we're going to do this," the PR finally cuts in, ignoring his client's glare. "We need someone who makes a good contrast with Bakugo-san's personality, someone cute, kind and charismatic."
"All of them are!"
"What about Izuku?" Katsuki mumbles, almost to himself. Then, upon realizing that everyone is silently staring at him, he clears his throat. "He's all of that and he can actually speak his mind in front of me. Besides, we know each other. I don't want to be with someone whom I'm not comfortable with."
The makeup artist is waiting for someone to tell the pro hero he's crazy, that it won't work, that no one would believe Japan's number one pro hero has fallen for a plain, quirkless man like him.
"It's perfect!" Ashido approves, looking from one to the other with a mischievous look on her face.
"I don't think-"
The manager cuts him off with a pleading look.
"Well pay you a lot for this."
Katsuki keeps staring at him, patiently waiting for Izuku to meet his gaze, and when the green haired man does, he suddenly has the certainty that it won't work with anyone else. His childhood friend is a handful and not everyone understands him enough to make him drop his guard.
He knows his childhood friend can be kind, and gentle; he just doesn't like to show that to the world because he believes it makes him look weak, but that's not true. In fact, Izuku is sure he just needs a little bit encouragement to be his true self.
"Alright, I'll do it." He has wanted to move from his old apartment for a while now, perhaps with another source of income he'll finally make it happen.
It's just a few months after all.