Chapter Text
In the first place why the fuck did he choose to walk on this street, when he wasn't even familiar with it? Good question.
Let me answer that.
This sweet idiot of a bush baby had been hit with the infamous artist block for the new song. Because of that the band promptly kicked him out of the studio for him to unwind. 𝘎𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 or something along those lines. Now with a ton of time on his hand Izuku decided to explore the city he was currently in, a big mistake on his part since it delivered him to his personal doom.
He could have sworn he hadn't offerended any and all form of higher being, nor any vengeful spirit, so imagine his surprise when he suddenly came face to face with the person who was the last one he wanted to see. Not out of anger, nothing of that sort. It's just that things hadn't ended well since they've last seen each other. Trust him it was ugly, horrendous even.
For the past elven or so years Izuku did not once think he'll be seeing his childhood friend again. When you take into consideration what happened back in their last day in middle school, where everything was left on a sour note, anyone within earshot back then would come to one conclusion that what semblance of friendship left between the two was burnt to dust. Izuku didn't hope that he'll see Kacchan again, and even if they did it sure as hell ain't going to be pretty. So as someone who hates confrontation until the last minute of course his reaction was incredibly 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦...
He turned the other direction and booked it, you know like a fucking coward that he was.
What he didn't expect however was for the blonde to follow him soon after, and if he remembered correctly, his middle school self was freakishly obsessed, Katsuki was fast, even without the help of his quirk. And judging by the sound of explosions coming his way he didn't stand a chance. So here's the thing even if Izuku were to have a minute head start the blonde would still catch up.
On top of that Kacchan was a Pro Hero. Now with all of those piled up Izuku's already 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘮 chance of survival has gone down to negative zero. Nonexistent, just like the number.
He was still running like the devil was on his tail which, to the eyes of outsiders, was a fairly accurate description of his situation. What was that other moniker they had for Kacchan? Oh right... '𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥'.
Izuku shivered at the thought. Feeling a hand was about to grab the back of his hoodie he immediately ducked on instinct, by doing so his assailant went careening several feet past him. Their eyes met for a millisecond before Izuku ran again and turned to a corner, it wasn't the time to celebrate after all as the other will surely be quick to recover.
“Izuku!”
Oh.
Oh shit.
Izuku did not expect that, so much so that he was willing to believe that he must've hallucinated what he just heard. 𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥. That was such an underhanded tactic, even for Kacchan, just so he could get Izuku to stop. Yet the way his heart was hammering like a jackrabbit high on adrenaline didn't exactly disliked the way his name rolled off the others mouth, it's unfair.
He called him Izuku.
It snagged on something in his chest he had long ago shoved into a dusty box labeled 𝘋𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘊𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. Just for half a second his feet faltered, and that single hesitation was all Katsuki needed. A blast cracked against the pavement ahead of him, not at him, but in front of him, forcing Izuku to skid to a halt unless he wanted to eat concrete and dignity in equal measure. Smoke curled upward, sharp and hot, the scent of nitroglycerin and memory burning his nose.
𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤.
His eye visibly twitched as he turned slowly and saw Katsuki landing a few meters away, boots grinding against asphalt. The years had carved him sharper, broader shoulders, stronger stance, jaw set like stone and can definitely cut one. His hero costume was unmistakable, the gauntlets, his mask pushed up into his ash-blond spikes. He looked well… obviously older. Devastatingly handsome. Unsurprisingly, furious. Yet he looked unbelievably tired at the same time.
Panicked green met fuming red.
𝘈𝘩 𝘺𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦.
“You ran.”
The accusation was flat, hollow, yet it didn't stop Izuku from flinching as if he'd been struck. He didn't mean to run but that seemed like the best option for the both of them, no confrontation means no unnecessary emotion would spill over. Though he hadn't taken to account that well... Kacchan would outright chase him.
Izuku swallowed, nerves fraying. “Did I?”
𝘠𝘦𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘦. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘺𝘢 𝘐𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥-𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥-𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥-𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.
“You did.” The blonde snapped at him. A little more subdued than in their middle school days, but still the flicker of the teenage blonde overlapped with the older.
And for some reason that was enough for Izuku's caffeine, spite, and sleep deprive fueled brain to decide that Izuku's should also bite back. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘰... 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵! Forcing out a laugh he opened his mouth before he could stop himself. “You can’t blame me for wanting to extend my breathing permit." Though against his minds 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 judgement he thankfully didn't snapped at Katsuki.
Katsuki wrinkled his nose, he looked miffed to say the least. 𝘏𝘶𝘩, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. “I’m not going to hurt you De— idiot.”
𝘈𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
“That wasn’t exactly our track record last time we saw each other.” The words slipped out before he could cage them. Casual, mockingly joking in a way that didn't fit their history, as if all of the anger and torment was nothing more than some inside joke only the two of them knew.
“I know, dumbass.” He murmured, the words sounded like they’d been dragged through gravel before being allowed out. The insult lacked the bite you would usually hear from Katsuki. It fell halfway to the ground between them and stayed there, uncertain. And he shits you not that might have unsettled Izuku more than if Katsuki had barked it at full force.
He sees the blonde's hands flexed once at his sides, they weren't igniting, but he must be itching to so. Katsuki had never been good with words as he has always been so used to solving almost everything with just a quick blast to the face. Izuku would know, he's been the receiving end of those. He knows like the back of his hand that he can handle that Kacchan just fine.
But this one? He doesn't even know where he should tread around him, it's like holding a bomb while being held at gunpoint. He can't read this version of Katsuki at all. Where even is the fine line where that Katsuki ended and this one started, Izuku badly wants to know so he can shape himself accordingly.
Silence dropped heavy and suffocating, the traffic noises felt miles away. The city kept moving, indifferent to the implosion happening on a random side street. Though as every second passes and they still continue to stand at a bustling street, a civilian and pro seen talking to each other a little too longer to be necessary, was bound to bring in attention.
Izuku immediately placed the hood on his head, this was the least he could offer as privacy in cases that this interaction would be posted on social media. His throat tightened in betrayal of his carefully constructed emotional distance. This was not how he had imagined this going. In all the hypothetical scenarios his overactive brain had drafted over the years, Katsuki was always angry. Dismissive. Explosive. Not—
Not whatever 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 is.
Izuku crossed his arms, more for protection than attitude. He has forgiven Kacchan all those years, he'll swear up and down just to prove it. But his actions weren't excusable either, both his body and mind knew of that fact. Even all these years, even though he had already forgiven him, it feels like he's still stuck in the past. “Look, Kacchan, whatever this is. Awkward reunion, cosmic joke, karmic punishment, take your pick. I really don’t think we need to—"
Izuku's phone chose that moment to interrupt whatever atmosphere that was about to form, and for that he was internally grateful. It was obnoxiously loud and horrifically cheerful for the emotional devastation currently unfolding on a side street. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯. Izuku startled like he’d been shot, nearly fumbling the device as he yanked it out of his hoodie pocket. The screen lit up with a name that made his stomach drop for entirely different reasons.
𝙃𝙞𝙢𝙞 (╹ᵥ---ᵥ╹)
For a split second, as the ringtone kept going Izuku considered ignoring it. The idea however was completelh shut down when Katsuki’s eyes flicked to the phone. Then back to him.
“…You gonna get that?”
There it was again. That snarl wasn't sharp enough. That poorly disguised demand was nearly flat, wrapped around something guarded Izuku couldn't place it was bringing him on the brink of hysteria. He couldn't do that though so instead he stared at the screen like it had personally betrayed him, and the ringtone chirped again. Bright. Pop-punky. Completely tone-deaf to the emotional landmine field surrounding him.
“…It’s work.” Izuku muttered, because apparently he needed to inform the blonde and that was the safest route he could take. He swiped to answer before Katsuki could even open his mouth.
“H-hello?”
“Finally.” Came the familiar voice on the other end, sharp and dramatic as ever. “Were you dead? Kidnapped? Dramatically struck by lightning for songwriting sins?” Izuku winced. He did not need this conversation to be happening on speaker-adjacent range of a Pro Hero.
“Me answering this call is proof enough that I'm alive.” Izuku hissed under his breath. “Why are you calling me?”
“We kicked you out of the studio because of your creative crisis spiral and yet you didn’t text for two hours.” Himiko replied. “You’re banned from brooding without supervision, we talked about this.”
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?
Izuku's eyebrow twitched as he turned slightly away from the blonde, as if that would somehow muffle the entire conversation. He squeezed his eyes shut, already feeling a massive head ache creeping in, and Katsuki boring holes onto the side of his head was not helping at the slightest.
Of course the newest contributor of said headache kept on talking, oblivious to Izuku's internal and external turmoil. “Anyway, we need you back tomorrow. The producer wants to hear the new chorus draft. Also you left one of your notebooks and I swear if that thing contains another seventeen versions of the same bridge—”
“You're exaggerating. It's not that bad!” Izuku lied immediately. He was definitely running on fumes this past few days, his notebooks were absolutely filled with doodles, scribbled out lyrics, and emotional annotations in green ink. All of that and he still hadn't finished yet.
“You’re such a terrible liar.” Izuku made the mistake of glancing at Katsuki at that moment. Slightly, almost imperceptibly, something unreadable flickering behind red irises, something he couldn't place. Izuku was at his wits end.
“…You’re a musician?” Katsuki cut in, voice carrying easily despite Izuku’s attempt at privacy. There was silence on the other end of the call.
“…Who was that?” Himiko asked slowly.
“Nobody.” Izuku replied far too quickly, ignoring the offended sound Katsuki just made for his peace of mind. He'll lament on that later, at the privacy of his apartment and pillow.
“Doesn't seem like a nobody to me.”
“It's fine.”
“But you don't sound fine.”
“You didn’t answer the question.” Katsuki crossed his arms, posture shifting from confrontation to something almost defensive. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬? 𝘐𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?
Izuku subsequently hissed at the blonde as he pulled the phone slightly away from his ear. “I am currently on the phone.”
“I can see that.”
Himiko, still very much present, gasped dramatically. “Oh my god. Is that a man? Izuku Midoriya are you fucking someone right now?”
Izuku choked on his own spit. Vibrating like a fault line, he could feel the instinctive itch to crawl in a hole and live there until he died, the embarrassment he couldn't take it. Just this once can the world grant him mercy and let the earth swallow him whole? Or better yet some rouge villain just happened to pass by and "accidentally" puts him out of his misery?
𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥.
“What brought you to that conclusion?!!”
“You're deflecting!" Himiko accused followed by an over the top gasp. "That sounds like something someone having sex would say!!?”
Izuku inhaled through his nose, telling himself repeatedly like a mantra that 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. “I have a much better chance at taking Pro hero Shoto out on a date before I can have the possibility of even fucking this one." Which was technically true since Pro Hero Shoto was notorioudly known for not having a single date, but unlike the peppermint ice king there was no way in any form, timeline, or space in the history of madness would he and the blonde right in front of him would have some sort of intimacy with each other. 𝘍𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯' 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. "Also can you calm the fuck down?”
Katsuki’s expression did something complicated at that. Izuku's already too far gone at this point into this shithole to really care about his brain-to-mouth filter, so the blonde would just have to suck it up if he's not leaving.
On the other end of the line, Himiko made an offended noise. There was shuffling, then what sounded like someone tapping a microphone. “Oh right! You need to come back ASAP.” She announced dramatically seeing as there was no point in staying on the previous topic. “Touya just listened to the demo and said, and I quote, ‘Where is the emotional devastation? I want to feel like I’ve been personally wronged.'"
Izuku closed his eyes, brows furrowed. “I’m pretty sure he was joking.” He reasoned weakly.
“He was not joking.” Himiko replied cheerfully. “He wants angst. Pain. Turmoil. Possibly unresolved childhood trauma. You know. Marketable stuff. Also,” Himiko continued, bulldozing forward, as if there was no tomorrow. “if you don’t come back soon, he'll rewrite the chorus into interpretive screaming and we both know Touya will commit to the bit.”
“He would not.”
“Oh, he absolutely would.”
Izuku risked another glance at Katsuki, thankfully the blonde’s gaze wasn’t sharp now.
“𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯.” Katsuki repeated quietly, pretty red pools shining in wonder as if the itself discovery was some earth shattering secret.
Izuku swallowed. “Yeah.”
“For how long?”
Himiko, still on the line, whispered loudly. “Wow, he has a very intense voice.”
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose. “Himi.”
“What? I’m observing.”
“You are not helping.”
“Oh, I’m helping. You’re getting inspiration as we speak. Is this one of your exes? Because if so, I need details for songwriting integrity.”
Izuku choked. Katsuki’s eye twitched. “I'm hanging up.”
“You’re not coming back, are you?” The sudden sharpness beneath the theatrics almost made Izuku hesitated. Almost.
“…I will." Izuku assured the words draped with some sense of finality. “Just... not yet.”
A beat.
“…𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺.” She replied, voice a softer lull now. “Don’t spiral. And don’t get kidnapped. We need you mildly functional later.”
“I’m always mildly functional.”
“That is not the reassurance you think it is.”
The line clicked dead. The street felt louder in the aftermath. Quieter at the same time. Izuku slid his phone back into his pocket like it hadn’t just detonated several landmines under his carefully curated anonymity. And to no one's surprise Katsuki was still staring at him. Not the way a hero looks at a civilian. Not the way a former bully looks at someone they used to tower over. He was recalculating as if this was some hero mission that needed to be thought of strategically.
Throughout the time Katsuki tries to form a coherent sentence the freckled man patiently waited for him to say what he wanted to let out, spine straight, posture open, face welcomingly neutral. Patiently he waited for the nth time until he couldn't no more, watching as the words immediately died at the blonde's tongue before it even had the chance to escape.
The city breeze slipped between them, cool against sweat-warmed skin. Somewhere down the block, a car door slammed. A camera shutter clicked. Someone laughed. Life went on.
“I should go... my band 's waiting.” Izuku said suddenly, because standing here felt like standing on the edge of something dangerous. “It was… nice seeing you, Dynamight.” The hero name felt strange in his mouth, distant even. It was for the best, though. And, no, the ugly feeling that swirled in his chest did not count as Izuku protesting. “I’ll… see you around. I guess.” He turned this time without bolting and behind him there were no explosions that followed. Just the quiet, heavy feeling that something long buried had just started breathing again.
Contrary to his words, Izuku did not, in fact, return to the studio until the next day.
Instead, he wandered the city like a ghost, half-looking for inspiration, half-looking to avoid every corner that might hold a flash of ash-blonde hair. The neon lights blurred past him, street sounds folding into the hum of his own thoughts. Every honk of a vehicle, every hurried footsteps on asphalt, even the faint smell of roasted chestnuts from a street cart, all of it pressed against the memory of Katsuki’s eyes, sharp and searching. He realized something: the encounter hadn’t just unsettled him, it had lit a spark he hadn’t felt in years.
Somewhere, at the edge of his mind, he knew that his repressed emotions, buried and sealed tight, would creep into every note, weave its way into every lyric, and every bury itself into chord. No matter how much he tried to run, some things just didn’t let you go, because he kept coming back in the first place.
There on the studio's wooden floor Izuku plucked a string and started with a rift, the melody curved back on itself like how often memory does.
━━━━━━━━━
𝗔𝗶 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝘁 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
Any news on Ai yet? I'm dying here!!!
𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝘁 @𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘺_𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
As of now? Nothing. Just radio fuckin silence ಥ_ಥ
𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 @𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
They’re probably in the studio plotting world domination as usual
𝗔𝘁𝗵𝘆 @𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘴_𝘧𝘪𝘭 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
They always do this. Hyping us up then randomly going silent, it's driving me nuts, damnit!!
𝗟𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 @𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘰𝘨 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
I've already put up a calender to count how long it’s been since we last heard anything. We are currently at day 20, which is their longest hiatus without official announcements as of yet.
𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗜𝗜 @nightowlmusic ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
the fact that none of them have accounts(except for Mister E's streaming account) just makes this worse… we’re all lost souls
𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗤? @𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_ ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
Please tell me they’re not ghosting us again ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ Ai, we miss youuuuuu!!!
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @beanstalkz ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
Do you think they’re planning a surprise drop? They love doing that.
𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 @ 𝘪𝘻𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘻𝘰𝘶𝘱 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
I swear if they're running away again I’m flying to Japan to find them myself
𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻 @𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
is anyone else just… staring at this post like it’s a sign of life? i think i’m losing it
𝗕𝗮𝗮𝗯𝘀 @𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭4𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 ・3 days 𝘢𝘨𝘰
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘬
Imagine if Ai actually sees these comments… they’d laugh and release a new track just to mess with us
━━━━━━━━━━
"Eh?"
Matsuma, their band manager, stared blankly at Izuku's confused panicked face. "Daibakuhatsu is asking specifically for you to model for them next week, along with Pro Hero Mirko." She announced again, slowly this time. Beside him Himiko was whining about how unfair it was that they only wanted Izuku, and he couldn't agree more with her. Daibakuhatsu is a very formidable force in the fashion industry, Izuku knows this because Katsuki's parents owned the company. Which is where the problem lies. "The pay is good and it'll help boost the bands popularity, so I agreed."
"But what about—"
"Use this time to let your mind stray away from the new single." Matsuma-san may not show it, but she really cares for them immensely. And Izuku gets that, he really does.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺?!!
And that was how Izuku ended up in this situation, sitting in front of a vanity mirror, posture perfectly composed, hands folded neatly on his lap to keep them from fidgeting. The reflection staring back at him wasn’t entirely his, long lashes darkened with liner, glossed lips, and contoured cheeks. His persona looked back at him, sharp, dangerous, confident. Orange contacts hiding away his green eyes, the wig he was wearing styled into a dutch braid hid his originally curly hair.
He inhaled slowly to soothe his fraying nerves, adjusting one bracelet on his wrist and practiced the tilt of O’s chin, haughty, detached, a menace. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝙝𝙚 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦—
He spoke too soon.
"Oh you have got to be fucking with me."
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘒𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?!!!
Time slowed in the most unhelpful way possible, and Izuku felt his stomach dropped somewhere near his heels. 𝘉𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘨𝘰𝘶 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪 stood framed in the entrance like the universe had designed a punchline specifically for Izuku. Hands in pockets, expression already annoyed, spiky ash-blonde hair catching the overhead lighting like a personal spotlight.
The stylist beside Izuku was clearly accustomed to strong personalities and stronger language, because she didn't even bat an eye and just greeted the blonde as if he frequents the place. Well this is his parents company after all so of course Kacchan is more than welcome here, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?!!!!
When their manager told him the fashion house 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 asked for him specifically to model a new set of street wear and jewelry line he knew he should've refused the proposal, he knew it would be a bad idea but Matsuma-san had already agreed and— 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘵.
"Where's the hag?" The familiar bite in Katsuki’s voice snapped across the room, sharp and impatient.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘪𝘵! 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯! 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵! 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵!
"She should be here in a few moments." The stylist beside him merely adjusted the tablet in her hands and offered Katsuki a professional smile, clearly immune to the blonde. "Why don't you sit down while you wait."
Izuku heard the blonde grunt in reply, at the corner of his vision he can make out ash blonde shock of spiky hair sitting just a few paces away from him. Yet it was still too close for his safety and comfort.
𝘐𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸?
"Miss O, I'll inform the photographer you're ready."
𝘕𝘰, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦!!!!
Not trusting his mouth to not say something out of character Izuku opted for a nod, the stylist wasn't all that bothered and promptly left after that. 𝘖𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘩𝘩𝘩𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴!
"De— Izuku, look at me."
The correction caught halfway in Katsuki’s throat, and that alone made Izuku’s pulse jump. Apparently the universe wasn't merciful at the moment, there was no escaping this time.
"Hi Kacchan."
He would bet his head he looked nothing but constipated with the crooked smile he was wearing, stretched thin over nerves he refused to acknowledge, Katsuki returned it with a murderous glare hot enough to melt reinforced steel. Somebody please take him away from this horrible nightmare, he was pretty much hyperaware of how he must look and Katsuki's full attention to him was not helping at all. He was more than ready to combust on the spot.
"How long have you known?"
The blonde merely rolled his eyes, but his overall reaction was neutral. Except for the way his eyes seem to swirl with an emotion Izuku couldn't pin point. "It's pretty obvious."
"Ah, I see. That's expected of Kacchan."
Katsuki only hummed at the statement, it was slightly disorienting seeing him so... civil. He raised a brow after another assessment on Izuku's overall state.
"What's with the get up?"
Izuku dreaded this conversation as he glanced down at himself, he was currently wearing a dark blue halter top with long puffed sleeves trimmed with cuffs that ends at his wrist, yet shows his shoulders, then paired with a sleek black skirt that ends just below his knees and matching combat boots. It was definitely eye catching, Daibakuhatsu expects nothing less, but it was completely mortifying to know that the expanse of his back was on display for the world to see. He doesn't mind showing some skin, but 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯.
𝘕𝘰𝘸... 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵?
"Ummm... As you have already known I'm in a band but my public persona is introduced as a woman, Miss O. And well Daibakuhatsu specifically asked for me, well Miss O, to model for them and I couldn't refused." 𝘕𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵! Awkwardly, a small strained laugh escaped his lips. "So please address me as O while we're here."
"I do whatever the hell I want nerd."
Izuku couldn't help it, so he just let the fond look wash over his face.
"Thanks Kacchan."
"Darling, it's been too long!"
Hearing the familiar voice of the Bakugou matriarch swept in like a glamorous storm, wrapping Izuku in an embrace before he could process it.
He melted into it on instinct, allowing himself to be smothered by the older blonde in a bone crushing hug, seems like she too also knew all along who he was. Whatever persona he wore, this woman had known him since he was small enough to hide behind Katsuki’s back.
"Hello auntie." The greeting was out of character for his persona as O, but Izuku might get a beating if he were to glare and curse at the Bakugo matriarch like his son would usually do. He values his life thank you very much.
"Still a sweetheart, I see." She teased, while pinching his cheeks. "Unlike this no good brat of mine."
"Hey, I'm helping as a substitute!"
"Shut up, you twit!"
Izuku hangs on to the word. "Substitute?"
Mitsuki paused, finally realizing that she hadn't told Izuku of the current situation. "Oh yes, Mirko-san called because of some last minute changes, so Katsuki here will be the substitute."
"Oh... You're alright with that Kacchan?" Izuku turned to look at the younger blonde only to find that the other was looking away.
"It's just some dumb photos."
━━━━━━━━━
Katsuki was not prepared for this.
He does not know which lunatic greenlit this theme, but they better hide because he will blow them to kingdom come! For those who were wondering why he was reacting like this, it was because it was fucking ridiculous! Who thought enemies to lovers was a good fucking idea?!
𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
The hag said along with the photographer. Fuck them both.
The nerd didn't seem to mind, in fact he owned it like it was his to take, a manic grin here, a condensing glare there, looking at the camera as if it was beneath him.
And right now they were on a couch Izuku was above him, eyes shaped into crescent moons as he smiled with his tongue out, even when a fake short sword pressed against his throat. The metal ball on his tongue complemented the necklace dangling between them and the ring Katsuki was wearing.
𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵.
It was agreed that they will be alternating the shots, solo to show off the clothes and jewelry, then they'll partner up all while being in compromising positions. It was fun at first, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy getting the nerd flustered. But as time went on the nerd got the hang of it, got bolder, tapped into that persona of his and everything just went downhill from there.
"Nerd, what the hell?"
The little shit had the fucking audacity to look sheepish! The personality switch was making him annoyingly dizzy, the way he was glaring at him moments ago somehow sent his heart to the stratosphere. It was fucking confusing! What the fuck was wrong with him?!!!
"Matsuma-san said I needed to be more confident on stage, and well... at our debut I kinda panicked and just copied your personality, albeit far more flirty, hehe. It worked so we just rolled with it." He looked away, more embarrassed at the admission than being scared to face Katsuki.
"Miss O, can you lift his head from under his chin?"
Izuku complied on autopilot, easily slotting his eyes with his.
"Sorry Kacchan, I hope you don't mind."
He wasn't. But he'll be damned if he admitted that. Unconsciously, the blonde rested a hand on Izuku's hips, the thought prompted him to frown and made him glare at the other. Izuku glared with the same intensity, one hand bracing against the backrest and leaning closer than necessary.
"Whatever."
𝘊𝘓𝘐𝘊𝘒
━━━━━━━━━
"Oh sick. You listening to Ai?"
Kaminari the ever nosy man with a death wish, and the bane of Katsuki's existence, leaned unto the other blonde's personal space without any regard for his life. True to the idiots words Katsuki was indeed listening to Ai, the band Izuku was in. Since he forgot to ask for the nerds number, and Katsuki refuses to find him through his social media, this was the next best alternative he could find.
He was not stalking the nerd, but he was curious enough to type in "Miss O" on the search bar and read about him as Ai's 'resident fire cracker'. Listening to their songs was just a bonus, Katsuki can appreciate a good song when it meets his standards.
"They're not bad."
His eye twitched at Kaminari's dramatic gasp.
"That's practically a compliment coming from you, Mr. Perfectionist." He cackled, pulling away before Katsuki could shove him with a force that could lead to a minor concussion. "Have you seen their bassist, Miss O? The woman with orange eyes."
"What about her?"
Katsuki was definitely not liking Kaminari was wearing. "Nothing special, but there's a running theory that you two could be related. Todoroki's words not mine."
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘯' 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦?
He doesn't know what prompted him to do it, but the moment he opened his mouth he knew it wouldn't be anything good. "We grew up together, but we aren't related." Were the words that flowed out. The statement was true, they did grew up together, but something about it just rang hollow on Katsuki's ears.
Kaminari made a noise that pulled Katsuki back to reality before he could spiral any further. It irritated him to bits when the idiot was nodding sagely as if he had witnessed an eye opening secret. "Ah... So it's like a childhood unrequited love going on with you two."
And once again Kaminari has successfully became the receiving end of Katsuki's wrath, thankfully he narrowly escaped his demise.
━━━━━━━━━
𝗟_𝗢_𝗩_𝗘 @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 ・43 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
Sometimes there are just pages you can't close.
[𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: A seventeen second clip that separately shows Touya, Izuku, Himiko, and Tenko each laying down in different places while a guitar rift and drum beats plays on. It went back to Izuku sitting on a railing the cityscape overlooking behind him, and at the last second before he could sing the clip ends just as Touya pushed him off the rails.]
𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗤? @𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_ ・40 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭
A month of silence and this is what you give us?!!! I shit you not my heart fcking dropped when L pushed her! Why you gotta cut it like that, O?!!!
[𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: The part where Izuku falls.]
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 @miku_azua ・40 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭
The fact that they've ended it at the last second was UNFORGIVABLE. WHY ARE YOU TEASING US?!! WAS THAT PUSH EVEN NECESSARY, DAMMIT?! ᕕ(ཀʖ̯ཀ)ᕗ
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @beanstalkz ・38 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭
L and O on the same frame? Folks, this ain't no drill, prepare a shit ton of tissue!!!
𝗘'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀 @𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 ・38 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied 𝘵𝘰 @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭
New wallpaper unlocked!
[𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: Tenko laying on a field of daisies.]
At this point I'm not even mad that you guys posted this at midnight, or the fact that you ghosted us.
𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗩'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 @ 𝘺𝘶𝘶𝘻𝘶_𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘰 ・35 min 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯
Oh shut up. They always posted their teasers on ungodly hours and this won't be the last, especially the random hiatus'.
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗺 @𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪_𝘭𝘪𝘮 ・35 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied 𝘵𝘰 @𝘢𝘪_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭
One of these days O's gonna be the death of me.
𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀 @𝘐_𝘭𝘪𝘷_4_𝘥𝘢_𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭 ・25 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘶_𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘢
First time? Definitely a new fan
𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝘁 @𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘺_𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴・33 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_
I swear O does this shit to fuck with us, and L is definitely encouraging it. I mean look at him and tell me his face does not spell trouble!
[𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: Touya sticking his tongue out just enough for his piercing to show.]
𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 @𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢_𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳・ 30 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯
We gonna relapse hard for the next few weeks (´º∀º｀)
━━━━━━━━━
𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥
𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯
Izuku doesn't know if you can call this a blessing in disguise, but after that meet up he finally finished the last missing pieces to the song, and 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 released Ai's newly awaited single. 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘦. After that midnight upload, with a cryptic caption, and a staticky teaser clip where the band doesn’t quite look at the camera later, their fans had gone nuts after one month of silence from them.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭
𝘖𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦
Despite what their band name might suggest, no, they rarely dabble in the topic of love... the happy ones at least. Their manager had always said: 𝘉𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴. So they did. The juxtaposition between them was striking that unique to their band, a study in the duality of human experience. Each of them reflecting the other's shadows and hopes, their contrasts illuminating the complexities of the human heart.
𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘐𝘚 𝘎𝘖𝘖𝘋𝘉𝘠𝘌
When 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘦 dropped, the comments flooded in within minutes.
━━━━━━━━━
𝗢'𝘀 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗲 @𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪_𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 ・1 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘰
WHO HURT MISS O THIS TIME?
𝗰𝗿𝘆_𝗺𝗲_𝗮_𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 @𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘬𝘪 ・1 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘰
SIR L MISS O WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US(-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
𝗪𝗮𝗸𝘂𝘄𝗮𝗸𝘂 @𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 ・1 hour 𝘢𝘨𝘰
IS THIS ABOUT A BREAKUP??? OR A SECRET EX??? O DO NOT TELL US YOU’VE BEEN HIDING A WHOLE DIVORCE???
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @beanstalkz ・55 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
The way she screamed "This is goodbye" ??? WHO ARE YOU SAYING GOODBYE???
𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗜 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗤? @𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_ ・52 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘻
O doesn't scream in any of Ai's songs (for some reason that's always L's job), so this one is definitely personal.
𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗩'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 @𝘺𝘶𝘶𝘻𝘶_𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘰 ・50 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
I can't take this heartache anymore!
And as always Lady V is so GORGEOUS
[𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: Himiko on a swing in some abandoned playground.]
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 @𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦73 ・50 𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰
replied to @𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_
But the role switch is definitely welcomed. My ears are blessed!
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲 @𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘦_𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘰 ・49 min 𝘢𝘨𝘰
If it's L and O who are singing it's a sure win that they'll make you cry *sighs and prepares for another secondhand heartbreak*
━━━━━━━━━
𝘖𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦
𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘨𝘰
The eldest duo in the band, Touya and Tenko, or as they were affectionately known L and E, had a tendency to lean into the darker corners of life. Defiant edgelords that always dance at the depths of discomfort, dwelled in the complexities of family drama and the decay of societal norms, as if daring the world to throw its worst at them.
𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦
𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦
In stark contrast, Himiko and Izuku, V and O, navigated a realm of bittersweet longing. Their songs woven from threads of unrequited yearning and almost-happy endings, a poignant melody that lingered in the air, refusing to be silenced. It was as if they were forever caught in the limbo of possibility, their love a whispered promise that never quite came to fruition.
𝘐 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥
And this?
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥
𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭?
It was one of those lingering longings, a bittersweet refrain that played on repeat in Izuku's mind. Even though it had already ended, he couldn't help but come back to it, like a moth drawn to a flame that's already been extinguished.
𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩?
(𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭?)
It was a wound that he so carefully preserved, keeping it exposed, in order for it to never have a chance to heal.
"My beating heart, will it end though?"
The final note holds just a little too long, like someone waiting for an answer that never comes.
"Can you tell me why we even started at all!"
There was no crescendo resolution, leaving the melody unfinished and the lyrics hanging in the air. No dramatic conclusion, no neat wrapping up of loose ends, just a slow, lingering silence.
"Aaaaaaaand that's a wrap!"
Amp feedback hummed softly before cutting out. Sweat clung to Izuku’s collarbone beneath stage glitter and fabric.
"Yes!"
"Damn, I'm not even mad that you've scrapped everything. Good job, bean."
Izuku grinned from ear to ear, carefully extracting some strands of his wig that were caught on the chains of his skirt. "We can still use the previous one for a new song, you know."
The studio lights buzzed faintly, casting a warm, uneven glow across the polished floor. Tripods and cameras lined the edges of the room, lenses like silent eyes following every twitch of movement. He stretched, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. Chains jingled softly as he adjusted his skirt, still catching stray strands of the wig. The faint scent of hairspray and stage glitter lingered in the air, a residue of performance and of a self he had almost abandoned.
"Yosh! Once this is done I'm treating everyone for a drink." Everyone cheered at the prospect of alcohol, after a long day of filming Izuku wouldn't blame them.
The filming of the music video was a good excuse for him to stay cooped up in his apartment. And it was a good thing because he doesn't know if his heart can take another encounter with Katsuki so soon. Even though they were now in slightly good terms™(?) Izuku was sure to implode if he were to see even a tuff of ash-blonde spiky hair.
“Alright, everyone.” A voice called from the director’s corner. Sharp, clipped, and professional. “Let’s roll the last take. Since they want their fans miserable, we'll make it miserable!” They pinpointed their attention to Izuku. "O, dear. I need you to pour out everything you have on that scream one more time that even the dead won't be able to ignore it."
Chains jingled again as Izuku shifted his weight. The skirt swayed with an almost deliberate rhythm, catching the light on every polished metal ring. The camera rolled.
All in all Izuku did not disappoint.
━━━━━━━━━━
𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪 ・5 days ago
Look what I found (〃O_O〃)
[𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: A picture of a magazine from Daibakuhatsu with the cover being Izuku and Katsuki, facing the camera while pressing a gun at the side of each other's head.
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘻・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
Approved!
[𝗚𝗜𝗙 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: Knuckles stamping on a document while saying approve.]
𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 @𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘺_𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘣・5 days ago
replied 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
I, a 110%, ship it!
𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽 @𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶_𝘨𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘮 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
They could have also invited Mirko but noooooooooo it just had to be these two.
𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 @𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
When I saw the magazine cover I immediately bought it. The tension is CRAZY. They look like they’re about to either kiss or shoot each other and I can’t decide which I want more.
𝗦𝗼𝗼𝗼𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗮𝗮 @𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘦 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
Nah because this is the greatest collab Daibakuhatsu has made. @𝙖𝙞_𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 is this for real?!!!
𝗟𝗹𝘆𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 @𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳_𝘪𝘴_𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶_𝘨𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘮
From what I heard Mirko-san was originally the one they've hired but she was called in for a mission so Daibaku called Dynamight-san as a sub(parent privileges). I don't know who this lady is but their chemistry is undeniably good.
𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 @𝟯𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
The body language is not giving “we just met today” it’s giving “we know each other’s breathing patterns.”
𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 @𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘦
The lady you're talking about is none other than Miss O from the band Ai. They're really good I recommend listening to their songs!
𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 @𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘩 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
Okay but imagine 𝘵𝘩𝘦 behind-the-scenes footage. If they were this intense on camera?? I’m unwell.
𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗽 @𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
My two favorite hotheads have finally met!!!
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘻 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪
If this is “just promo” then why do they look like divorced exes who never stopped loving each other?!!
𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪 ・5 days ago
𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦
I opened this app for FIVE MINUTES.
FIVE. Why is everyone feral already?!!!
━━━━━━━━━
Katsuki caught the object thrown at him before it hit his face, he had half a mind to throw it back at the perpetrator ten times harder. He was about to do just that until he realized what he was holding, a magazine. To be more specific it was the latest Magazine from his parents fashion house, with him and Izuku being the front cover. How could he not recognize the offending thing when he has a copy of it, sitting on his office table, since his hag of a mother mailed him one just a few days ago.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬?
Raccoon eyes, the one responsible for the assault by magazine, squealed in delight at his reaction. She approaches him with an ease only she could exert, truth be told the remaining members of his self-proclaimed friends we're all like that. None of them seemed to value their lives.
"I can't believe you get to meet Miss O!!!" She snatched the magazine before shoving it to his face, a glint passed her eyes that made Katsuki briefly contemplate running away. "Give me the details, right now." Mina leaned closer, practically vibrating with excitement as she continued on her onslaught of questions.
"What was she like? A tsundere like you? Maybe a secret sweetie? Or a shy recluse? You knew each other when you were kids, right? So was this an unexpected reunion?"
Katsuki stared at her.
“…Who the hell told you that?”
Mina blinked once, then slowly turned her head and pointed across the room with absolutely zero hesitation. Katsuki followed the direction of her finger.
There, standing several feet away and suddenly very interested in the ceiling, was Kaminari, the moment their eyes met, the idiot froze.
“…Oh.”
For a split second, Katsuki didn’t move.
Then his palm crackled.
“KAMINARI DENKI.”
“WAIT—”
Kaminari immediately dove behind Sero like he’d just remembered survival was an option.
“I WAS JUST ANSWERING A QUESTION!”
“You ran your damn mouth.”
“I ran it a little!”
“You told her we knew each other, you electric idiot!”
“She was very insistent!”
Sero raised both hands like he wanted no part in whatever explosion was about to happen, while Kaminari kept screaming 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 at him.
“Hey, hey, don’t drag me into this.”
Meanwhile Mina was still vibrating with excitement like none of this chaos was happening around her. “You didn’t deny it though.” She giggled. Katsuki was approximately one second closer to committing homicide.
“Because it’s not a big deal.”
Mina flipped the magazine open again and shoved it right back into his personal space.
“Then explain this.”
The glossy page caught the light and Katsuki looked down despite himself. It was the last shot they took that day, on the couch with Izuku above him, sticking his pierced tongue out and lifting Katsuki's chin, all the while Katsuki was pressing a short sword on the other's neck. Their faces were way too close, and the bastard looked like he was enjoying himself. Katsuki snapped the magazine shut with a sharp click of his tongue.
"It was a damn photoshoot, Pinky. What did you expect?"
"You don't typically allow these types of poses though. Heck, you don't even like to partner up..."
Her voice trailed off suspiciously, which was exactly when Eijiro stepped in like a man attempting to stop a train wreck.
"Uhhh guys, I thought we were drinking out tonight."
Every head turned toward him, they answered instantly.
"Then what are we waiting for, Christmas? Come on let's leave."
The redhead grinned, already reaching for his jacket, physically dragging the evening toward alcohol like the plan was now escape immediately before Mina could interrogate anyone further. The blonde shot him a grateful look, or at least as grateful as it could get coming from him. Unfortunately, Mina Ashido was not done, not even close. She squinted at Katsuki like a detective who had just uncovered the first clue in a very juicy conspiracy, then she hugged the magazine dramatically to her chest.
"This isn't over yet."
It wasn’t often that all of them managed to be in the same place at the same time anymore. Back when they were younger, it had been easy, classes ended together, training schedules overlapped, and someone was always free enough to drag the others somewhere stupid. But adulthood had a way of tearing apart even the most stubbornly close groups through something as mundane as conflicting schedules. Hero work didn’t run on a nine-to-five clock, patrol shifts rotated constantly, mergency calls didn’t care about plans, reports stacked up, injuries happened without warning.
So nights like this, when all of them were free, were rare enough that nobody dared cancel. The bar they picked wasn’t fancy, it never was. Just one of those dimly lit places tucked between two taller buildings, dark enough that no one would easily recognize them, the music wasn’t too loud, and the drinks were cheap enough to order without guilt. It was perfect.
By the time they were halfway through their first round, the tension from earlier had mostly dissolved into the usual chaos. Kirishima had claimed the middle seat like the unofficial host of the table, already laughing too loudly at something Kaminari said. Sero leaned back in his chair with the relaxed ease of someone who came here often, one arm hooked over the backrest as he watched the others. Mina had ordered something pink and sparkly that matched her personality a little too well.
And Katsuki was, obviously, drinking, glass of whiskey sat in front of him, half-empty. He wasn’t much of a chatterbox even on good days, but being around them like this had a way of easing the usual sharpness around the edges of his mood. Kirishima was halfway through recounting some ridiculous patrol story when Mina suddenly slammed her glass down on the table.
“Okay but we’re circling back to this.”
Katsuki didn’t even look up from his drink.
“No we’re not.”
“We absolutely are,” Mina insisted, already pulling the folded magazine out of her bag like a magician revealing a trick. “You met Miss O.”
Katsuki’s eye twitched..“Photoshoot.” He dismissed flatly.
Across the table Kaminari whispered to Sero, “He’s been saying that for an hour.”
Sero nodded solemnly. “Consistency is important.”
Katsuki took another slow sip of whiskey. “Didn’t talk much.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T TALK MUCH?”
He held up a finger. “She showed up." Then another. "We shot the photos. End of story.”
“That’s not a story!”
Kirishima laughed loudly. “C’mon man, throw her a bone.”
Katsuki glared at him. “I’m throwing someone out a window if this keeps up.” He stared into his glass like he was contemplating murder.
If only they knew that the mysterious, hot headed, untouchable Miss O was actually the same green-haired idiot who used to cry over scraped knees and now apparently thought sticking his pierced tongue out for the camera was funny. Katsuki drained the rest of his drink.
“Bathroom.” He muttered, pushing his chair back.
The hallway toward the restrooms was narrower than the main bar area, the noise from the crowd dulling into a low, steady hum. The lighting was dimmer too, softer and warmer, casting everything in a hazy amber glow that matched the mild buzz in Katsuki’s head.
He wasn’t drunk, just… pleasantly tipsy enough that the tight knot between his shoulders had finally loosened. Enough that the noise of the bar didn’t grate on his nerves the way it normally would. Katsuki exhaled through his nose and rubbed the back of his neck as he rounded the corner.
And immediately slammed into something, or rather someone slammed into him hard enough that Katsuki stumbled half a step backward.
“The hell—”
The words died halfway out of his mouth as the person in front of him wobbled like a poorly balanced tower. Green curly hair, a smattering of freckles, and every familiar face. Midoriya Izuku had apparently just attempted to walk through him like he was a ghost and Katsuki was a wall.
After the collision Izuku just stood there, blinking, slowly processing. Then his entire expression lit up, the kind of sudden, blinding excitement someone had when they unexpectedly found something they loved, like discovering the last limited-edition collectible on a store shelf.
“Kacchan—!”
The word came out slurred but unmistakably delighted. Before Katsuki could even react, Izuku lurched forward and latched onto him. Both arms wrapped around Katsuki’s shoulders in an unsteady, drunken hug that nearly knocked them both sideways. Katsuki'sbrain stalled somewhere between shove him off and what the hell is happening.
Izuku, meanwhile, seemed perfectly content with the situation.
━━━━━━━━━
Izuku is the reigning dumbass of the century.
He had been too complacent since it had been weeks without meeting the blonde after the photoshoot. Small mercies.
Now naturally when the band finished releasing a song they would go out and drink to celebrate, naturally Izuku would join. Naturally he would go all out and get black out drunk with zero regrets, but right now, at this very moment, he has some. And the biggest one of them all is currently staring, glaring, at him. Naked in all his glory, and laying on his stomach with a hot compress on his lower back, while Izuku withered on the floor equally undressed.
"Oh please, you don't get to look at me like that when you were the one who blew my back out last night."
That was it. Izuku's soul has left the mortal plain through his pores. Gone. Evaporated, like steam on a kettle. The silence that followed was so tense it deserved its own obituary.
The fleeting memory of last night came crashing in like a ten wheeler truck, he wished an actual truck would hit him. His drunk self slamming unto what he thought was a wall only to realized it was actually an equally tipsy Katsuki. The part where he lit up like he just received a limited edition All Might merch, and proceed to latch himself on the blonde was enough to send his dignity into a cardiac arrest and die shortly after. Of all the places that they could've drinked like there was no tomorrow it just had to be where Katsuki was.
Izuku’s lungs felt like they’d forgotten how to function. Every inhale was shallow, every exhale was a betrayal of a composure he didn’t have. His brain was doing somersaults, unable to decide whether to curl into a ball or fling itself across the room like a feral animal. Izuku wonders if his apartment floor was high enough for him to die if he jumped.
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.
Katsuki, the asshole that he undeniably is, remained impossibly calm, still lying there like some kind of cruel statue of perfection, eyes narrowed, lips twitching with the faintest trace of amusement at Izuku's inner turmoil.
"I've committed a sin worthy of death."
"Then die."
"I'll make it up to you."
"You bet your ass, you will."
At this point the green head idiot was willing to do anything to make it out to Katsuki.
━━━━━━━━━
𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘨!
𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
+81-𝘟𝘟-𝘟𝘟𝘟𝘟-𝘟𝘟𝘟𝘟
[𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯?]
[𝗬𝗲𝘀] [𝗡𝗼]
: 𝘏𝘪 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘐𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶, 𝘣𝘵𝘸（-""-；)
𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 :
[𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗺] [𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁]
━━━━━━━━━
[𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱!]
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Katsuki shouldn't have chased after the nerd. He should've just looked the other way as if he didn't recognize him and walked away, it'll save them both the trouble. From Izuku's reaction alone, wide eyed, paper pale as though he had seen a ghost, that was the most logical action. And yet when the fucker ran Katsuki's body unknowingly followed before his brain could process it, leaving a confused Kirishima behind.
Did he regret it though? No. No, he did not. As a matter of fact he was actually relieved that he did it. Seeing the nerd in the flesh and not actually dead in fuck knows where, had lifted some sort of metaphorical weight the blonde didn't realize he was carrying. He couldn't believe it himself but he was glad the nerd is still alive.
Now as someone who has leveled villains to the ground, a simple conversation with the person you've tormented twelve years ago should be fairly easy for Katsuki, or so he thought. The little shit wasn't helping either, as he was more adamant on avoiding Katsuki like the fuckin plague. Which was fair for his case. He hasn't encountered the nerd after that though, gone like the wind, as if he was nothing more than a manifestation of Katsuki's mistakes.
And that was it that was supposed to be his chance. Fate finally had enough and took matters into their divine hands and shoved them both together in order for Katsuki to just say it. To say sorry. For middle school. For everything. For not reaching out sooner. For being—
𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴.
Then fate gave him another chance when his mother called him in his day off to substitute a model, he silently patted himself for not refusing. He blew that opportunity as well though, he was too distracted with how the nerd looked that he just kinda zoned out. His hind brain was saying nothing but '𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺' like a damn broken record. For fucks sake he couldn't even ask for the nerds number!
At that point he was willing to just ask the hag where he could find Izuku, dignity be damned. But then another encounter, a few days later, presented itself 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 at his feet in a form of a happy drunk nerd clinging unto him. He doesn't how much patience he has left from fate, so this time he didn't hesitate to take it.
He had sort of planned it, not the "fucking" part mind you, and it was fairly simple, drag the nerd somewhere quiet. Shove his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t explode something out of nerves, spit out a half-decent apology. Maybe even a real one. But he faltered, those repressed twelve years of something wreaked his system and the nerd made it worse by looking at him like he couldn't do anything wrong, their intoxicated selves had no form of rational thought after that.
𝘒𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺
He didn't hate it, not that he has any experience in the past to compare it with (yes bitch that was his first time), so he doesn't really know what to feel. All in all he got the nerd to take his number, by doing so he is giving the nerd the opportunity to take control over their situation, to decide on whether or not texting Katsuki was worth it. The blonde won't admit it, but he was glad the nerd eventually texted him.
Katsuki barely registered Kirishima’s presence, though the crimson-haired man’s voice was enough to pull him from the haze of thoughts circling the last hour. He was still leaning against the locker, one boot propped up on the bench, arms crossed, eyes hooded, as if trying to look casual, or maybe just to hide the chaos of his chest.
His mind was replaying it all on a loop: the nerd’s sloppy drunk grip, the absurd weight of all those unspoken words, and that damn smile that made twelve years of guilt feel like a live wire running through him.
Kirishima, ever perceptive and annoyingly cheerful, raised an eyebrow. “You’re awfully in a good mood today, Bakugou. You didn’t explode on anyone, didn’t yell, didn’t throw anything at the wall… what’s up?”
Katsuki snorted, a short, humorless sound, but it carried a note of something else, satisfaction, maybe even relief. “Does it matter?” he muttered, finally letting his gaze drift toward the floor. He knew the redhead wouldn’t push, not really. The guy had patience bred from years of watching him make a mess of… well, everything.
“You’re grinning.” Yet it seems that wasn't in the shitheads agenda today, as he kept pressing for answers. “That’s not your usual ‘I hate everyone’ expression. You’re… different.”
Katsuki’s jaw tightened. Different. Yeah. He was different, but not in a way he could explain. Not in a way that didn’t make his chest clench and his stomach twist. “Shut up.” He muttered, but the corner of his mouth betrayed him, tugging upward just slightly.
“Mm-hm.” The red head personification of a lemon shark tilted his head, grinning knowingly. "You've got plans tonight, huh."
Katsuki’s eyes flicked up sharply, a flash of annoyance, or was it something else, crossing his features.
Eijiro just laughed, clearly enjoying the sight of his friend caught off guard. “Relax, man. I’m not judging. Just… curious.”
The blondes's jaw tightened, chest twisting at the truth in those words. He wanted to argue, to snap, to throw something, but… he didn’t. "I'm meeting up with someone at that izakaya we frequent."
His grin widened, sharp and knowing. “They must be very special, huh?”
Katsuki’s cheeks burned before he could stop it. All he could do was growl, though the corner of his mouth betrayed him, twitching upward just slightly.
"Good luck with your date, man!"
"It's not a damn date!"
━━━━━━━━━
This wasn't a date but the nerd sure was taking his sweet ass time. Or that's what he's been convincing himself for the past thirty minutes or so, because there was no way Midoriya "I'm too nice to hold a grudge" Izuku is gonna leave him hanging.
Katsuki checked his phone again. No new messages. The idiot had read the last one though. He’d seen the little “Seen” notification pop up ten minutes ago and then... nothing.
“Tch.”
The izakaya was loud enough to drown out most thoughts, glasses clinking, low chatter, the sharp scent of grilled skewers hanging in the air, but Katsuki’s mind refused to shut up. His boot tapped against the wooden floor, impatience radiating off him in waves. He wasn’t nervous, he didn’t get nervous.
He’d fought villains twice his size without blinking. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵… 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥, 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰—
His jaw tightened.
The door slid open again and for half a second his eyes snapped up, heart doing something annoyingly dramatic in his chest.
An old couple walked in.
Katsuki leaned back, arms crossed, scowl deepening. If the nerd was chickening out, he was going to—
The door slid open again, he refused to look. He wouldn’t give himself the satisfaction, or the humiliation, if it wasn’t him again, he’d look like an idiot, hopeful, waiting, like a pathetic fucking dog. The floor creaked softly. Unfamiliar clicks of heels scuffed against wood.
“…Kacchan?”
The nickname hit him square in the spine.
𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵.
Katsuki’s head snapped up before he could stop himself. Izuku stood in front of him, slightly out of breath like he’d jogged the last block. Hoodie thrown on in and practically swallowed him cheeks a little pink from the cold… or nerves. And—
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴? 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦?!!!
"The fuck?!"
Actually, now that he properly looked, the nerd’s face had been transformed. Red sharp eyes traced the subtle shimmer of eyeshadow, warm copper and amber tones that made those ridiculous orange contacts pop even more. Eyeliner had been applied with careful precision, framing wide eyes in a way that somehow made them look half the size of what they originally were, it made him sultry in a way. The freckles across his nose and cheeks were softened by a dusting of foundation, making them look like they’d been kissed by sunlight rather than covered up. Even his lips were slightly tinted, a muted carmine that somehow accentuated that ever-terrifyingly adorable frown he was giving him.
Katsuki blinked. Twice. “…You look like a clown.” He muttered, though the words felt absurd even as they left his mouth. Because the nerd didn’t look like a clown, not at all, he looked… good, deadly in a good way. That much he can admit, he wasn't blind and he totally appreciates eye candy, even back then at that blasted photoshoot Izuku was painfully attractive.
Katsuki’s chest tightened and his jaw twitched, not from irritation, but from the stupid way his brain was short-circuiting at every tiny detail: the shimmer of highlighter catching the overhead lights, the soft curl of mascaraed lashes, the careful balance of boldness and subtlety that somehow screamed confidence… and made Katsuki feel like a fool sitting there, arms crossed, trying not to stare.
The freckled idiot's shoulders hunched, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I—I know. I’m sorry. It’s just… last-minute assignment stuff. And I was already running so I didn't have time to remove it. Please don’t laugh.”
Katsuki blinked again, because wow. Just… wow.
“… I’m not laughing.” Though the corner of his mouth twitched despite the assurance. Yeah, that was his version of a compliment. Don’t push it.
Izuku, or 𝘋𝘦𝘬𝘶, as his brain still insisted on calling him, looked up, eyes wide, like he’d just survived a close encounter with a villain. “R-really?”
“Yeah.” Katsuki crossed his arms, trying to look unimpressed. His brain, however, had other plans prompting his chest to tighten in a way that had nothing to do with fighting.
“… you look… fine.” He admitted, voice low and begrudging, like he was granting the idiot a pardon he didn’t even deserve.
𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴.
━━━━━━━━━
𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗻 @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶 ・a week ago
Holy shit! Is this a date?
[𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱: Izuku and Katsuki's side profile at the izakaya captured at a distance. Izuku absolutely beaming, eyes closed, while Katsuki is looking at him with a soft smile.]
𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 @𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘪 ・a week ago
replied to @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
I knew that magazine was foreshadowing something!
𝗬𝘂𝗻𝗮 @ 𝘮𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘻𝘢𝘬𝘪23 ・a week ago
replied to @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
@𝘺𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘰_ are you seeing this shit?!!!
𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶 @𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯 ・a week ago
replied to @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
IS THIS FR?! @𝙖𝙞_𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 are you for real?!!!
𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 @𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢 ・a week ago
replied to @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
oh yeah! The break up song is gonna be lit!
𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 @beanstalkz ・a week ago
replied to @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
What in the PR stunt is going on?! I thought their meet up was just a one time thing!!
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗸𝗮 @𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘶_𝘱𝘪𝘨𝘶・a week ago
replied 𝘵𝘰 @𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
I can already see the headlines for tomorrow's daily gossip.
"Ai's resident firecracker is seen on a date with a notorious hotheaded hero: What could go wrong?"
𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗩'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 @𝘺𝘶𝘶𝘻𝘶_𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘰 ・a week ago
replied to @𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘶_𝘱𝘪𝘨𝘶
It doesn't matter we will support Miss O's decision!
𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 @𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘺_𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘣・a week ago
replied 𝘵𝘰 @ 𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘪_𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘶
I don't know if I should be terrified or be happy that these two can actually smile without twisting it into a sadistic sneer. Anyway, good for you Miss O and Dynamight-san! You have the full support of this fandom.
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Kacchan apologized shortly after they left the izakaya.
Like actually, down to earth, apologized.
The night air was cool, brushing against skin still warm from alcohol and old memories. Neon lights flickered against wet pavement, city noise humming distantly around them. Katsuki didn’t look at him at first. His shoulders were stiff, hands shoved deep into his pockets like he was holding himself back from bolting.
The apology came out rough, dragged over gravel and pride. His words were clipped short, the sentences awkward, his shoulders tense like he expected Izuku to laugh in his face. He didn’t make excuses though, he didn’t soften it with a “but.”, didn’t argue they were just kids. He owned every ugly part of it. Izuku could hear it in the pauses, in the tightness of Katsuki’s jaw, in the way he refused to dress it up with excuses, that he meant every single word.
Izuku wanted to interrupt halfway through and tell him that apology or not, he’d already forgiven him. That even without this apology, even without the explanation, even without the effort, he would forgive him in a heartbeat. But that wasn't what Katsuki needed.
So he listened from start to finish, and when silence settled between them, fragile and heavy under the streetlight, he finally spoke.
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘒𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯.
The words landed softly but firmly, not cruel, not vindictive, but true. Katsuki flinched, barely, but Izuku saw that flicker of guilt, that crack in the armor. He hoped and prayed that would be the last time he’d ever see that expression on the blonde’s face. Not on him. Not because of him.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘚𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘺𝘦𝘢?
The tension didn’t disappear instantly, but it shifted, something old and bitter loosened its grip.
What happened back then was nothing more than a meeting to mend a broken friendship. Nothing more. Nothing less. Unfortunately, the internet had other ideas. The photo taken at exactly at the right angle and exactly the right moment exploded overnight painted a narrative far more dramatic than reality. One with tension and unresolved longing and headlines crafted for maximum engagement.
Comments, edits, speculation, all of it spiraling faster than Izuku could process. Their manager had already done damage control before Izuku even thought of panicking. She’d contacted Katsuki’s PR team, cross-referenced engagement metrics, and monitored trending tags.
The result is the discovery that the public loved it.
Two strong personalities of two similar industries colliding, meeting, and developing a love story of the century. The fans ate that shit up like starving men, and were surprisingly supportive, both sides even. Which was rare nowadays. And if he was being brutally honest… between Katsuki’s notoriously sharp reputation as a pro hero and Izuku’s firecracker persona as O, this whole mess softened them.
Still that didn’t mean he was off the hook, it was a good thing Matsuma-san was a wonderful manager and just chastised him. His bandmates on the other hand weren't going to let it slide. Forgiveness between two people was simple, PR charts were simple, internet narratives were predictable. Bandmates teasing you though? Were not even close.
The next afternoon, the studio lounge felt less like a rehearsal space and more like a courtroom. Couches arranged in a loose semicircle, half-empty energy drinks on the table. Everyone pretending they weren’t absolutely invested yet kept quiet, to save everyone from the trouble, and himself from the inevitable humiliation, Izuku caved and spilled the beans.
Tenko leaned back into the cushions, fingers steepled thoughtfully, eyes narrowed in theatrical scrutiny. "So let me sum it up. More than two weeks ago you and your ex-bully randomly saw each other."
Izuku sat cross-legged on the floor, hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands like armor. "Yup."
Tenko didn’t blink. "Then you ran."
Izuku stared at the carpet as if it held the secrets of the universe.
"Yup."
Touya snorted softly from where he perched on the couche's backrest, arms crossed. "After that you saw each other again from that fashion company that invited you to model for them."
"It was rude of them to not include us."
"Hush, Himiko."
"Then a week after that you bump into each other again at that place we went to... then you fucked him."
Izuku nodded without shame.
"After that he bullied you into getting his number."
His brain visibly shut down. "Wait hold on that's not how it—"
"And 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 asked you on a date so he can apologize to ya." Tenko cut him off lazily, waving a dismissive hand.
Izuku deflated mid-protest. "I— it's not a date but, yes, he apologized, and... yeah, that's about... everything."
A pause followed, Izuku knew they weren't judging he'll be damned if they did, when they were much worse than him in the romance department. Himiko, perched delicately on the arm of the couch, swung her legs idly before clapping once to get everyone's attention. "Hmm... honestly I respect the guys hustle. Good for you, Izuku."
Izuku blinked up at her. "Eh?"
Touya tilted his head, amused grin tugging at his lips. "Goodness, Izuku I didn't expect you to be the type of guy to fuck first then date later. You were always so sickeningly sweet with your exes."
The green head squaked, scandalized at Touya. "We both know I didn't date any of them!"
Himiko slid off the armrest and crouched in front of him, smile soft... eyes? borderline murderous. "But know this, our sweet baby sheep. If he hurts you again I assure you no one will find his body."
Izuku swallowed. "Not even me?"
Her smile widened just a little."Not even you."
"But we aren't even dating."
Tenko shrugged, already reaching for his phone after he was satisfied on ruffling Izuku's hair, Touya following after and latched himself onto Tenko like a life size barnacle. 𝘌𝘶𝘨𝘩.
"It doesn't matter, the condition still applies."
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What started as a single, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, post from a nosy fan quickly spiraled into a chaotic storm of speculation, memes, and conspiracy-level analysis. Screenshots were being passed around faster than anyone could keep track of, each repost adding a new wave of commentary. It only took a few minutes for the majority of Japan to collectively lose its mind.
The agency lounge had the strange stillness that only happened when everyone in the room was pretending they weren’t waiting for something. The television was on, muted, some news program running in the background, but nobody was watching it. Phones were scattered across the coffee table, a few screens still glowing with the same image that had apparently decided to ruin Katsuki’s morning.
The blurry shot through the izakaya window that had somehow managed to capture the worst possible angle for him, because he looked… soft. Which was bullshit.
He should have known something was wrong the moment he stepped into the room and Mina immediately looked up from her phone with the most suspiciously innocent expression he’d ever seen on her face. Eijiro was sitting on the couch, trying very hard to look normal and failing miserably, while the low budget car battery wasn’t even trying he was already fucking grinning. Sero wasn't there since he was still in the middle of his shift, but that didn't mean it'll make the oncoming conversation to be anything but unbearable.
Slowly his eyes narrowed suspicion settling in as soon as Katsuki stopped walking halfway across the room. Someone was about to start something, and unfortunately, he was right. And at that time Mina decided to open her mouth, preparing to lay a tray disguised as an innocent tilt of her head. Resting her chin on her palm, she studied him with the curiosity of someone observing a rare animal in the wild.
"So... you and Miss O, huh?"
Katsuki’s expression immediately soured, the question landed exactly how he expected it to, like the start of a trap. He's been avoiding this conversation for a week and at this point he didn’t even bother pretending to misunderstand what she meant.
"For the last time we aren't dating."
Mina’s lips twitched, amusement dancing behind her eyes as if she was already celebrating her victory. She hadn’t even accused him of anything yet, and he’d already jumped straight to the defense. Fuck, he should've kept quiet.
"I didn't say that."
Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes so hard it looked painful. "You're implying it raccoon eyes, for fuck's sake even dunce face has more subtlety than you and he's a fuckin' idiot."
Kaminari blinked, processing the insult with a slow, thoughtful nod. For a second he looked genuinely contemplative, like he was trying to decide whether he’d just been complimented or roasted.
"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."
Katsuki didn’t even bother to look at him. "Do both. It's entertaining to see your remaining brain cells process the information."
Kirishima pressed a fist to his mouth, attempting, and miserably failing, to hide his grin. The pink skinned gossip demon, meanwhile, leaned back against the couch like someone settling in for a show she had been waiting all morning to watch.
"Come now, Kats. You're no fun."
Katsuki crossed his arms, irritation sharpening the edges of his posture. He already knew where this was going, and he hated every second of it. "What do you want me to say, Mina? That we're dating? Because we aren't." The words came out quick and defensive, like he needed to shut the idea down before it could grow legs.
Mina hummed thoughtfully, then she smiled. The kind where it was a little too sharp for it to be considered playful.
"But you want to."
For the first time since the conversation started, Katsuki’s brain completely stalled.
"I— what—"
The sound that left him was somewhere between a protest and a system error. Katsuki stood there, frozen, staring at Mina like his brain was trying desperately to reboot. Denki slowly turned toward Mina, eyes wide with delighted disbelief.
"Wow, you really broke him this time, Mina."
Eijiro, who was still silent to the whole ordeal, leaned back into the couch, rubbing the back of his neck as a grin slowly crept across his face. It wasn’t often that Bakugo Katsuki got verbally cornered, and it was even rarer for someone to catch him so completely off guard that he couldn’t fire back immediately.
Then Kaminari leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he squinted at Katsuki’s expression like a scientist studying a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. For three solid minutes, Katsuki Bakugou, the same man who could yell through explosions and arguments without missing a beat, had absolutely nothing to say.
“Dude.” He whispered, barely containing his excitement. “She actually did break him.”
Mina looked immensely pleased with herself. Looking at Katsuki’s as his mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again. His brain was clearly trying to assemble a response, but Mina’s words were still echoing around in his head in the most irritating way possible.
“Holy shit.” She whispered in her usual dramatic flair. “He’s buffering.”
“I am not buffering,” Katsuki snapped a little too late, scowl settling back to its usual place as it had been temporarily slipped away.
“That pause was suspiciously long,” Mina added lazily.
“It was the sound of my patience dying.”
Denki argued back. “Bro, you didn’t even deny it!”
Katsuki’s eye twitched, mentally reciting the english alphabet backwards to keep himself from blowing up. “I just did.”
“No, you said you weren’t dating.”
Mina, quick to catch on, lights up at the implication and immediately follows Kaminari's lead. “You didn’t say you wouldn’t.” Her grin impossibly stretched wider.
“That’s the same thing!”
“It’s really not.” Mina and Denki sing-songed, giggling like a bunch of lunatics.
Eijiro, who was still quietly watching the entire exchange with growing amusement, finally laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Not gonna lie, man. You look at ease in that photo, I'd say it's your own version of being love sick but then you'd probably kill me.”
𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵
"See, even Eiji agrees."
Katsuki turned toward him slowly. “Kirishima Eijiro, I'm very disappointed in you.”
Eijiro lifted both hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying! The vibe was strong.”
“The vibe.” Katsuki repeated flatly.
“Yeah! You just looked so—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.”
Eijiro could only laugh awkwardly. Still Mina wasn't done yet, since she was pointing at her phone that was still showing the photo on the screen dramatically like it was evidence in a courtroom.
“Face it, Katsuki.” Her eyes sparkled. “You two have some undeniable chemistry. The tension is as real as air, and the internet agrees with me.”
“The internet is stupid.”
“Yet here you are,” Kaminari said, pointing at Mina's phone. “on a "not a date" date with your childhood sweetheart.”
Katsuki’s palm cracked.
“Say that again and see what happens.”
“Noted.” Kaminari saluted immediately, ducking behind Eijiro, who only sighed.
“But… serious question though.”
Katsuki already hated the tone.
“What.”
Eijiro contemplated on how to continue, nose scrunched up as he was thinking hard on how to word out his question without the blonde blowing up. “When you saw her again… did it feel weird?” The room quieted a little, just for a moment. Katsuki’s gaze flicked down to the photo before he could stop himself, and it stared back with Izuku's genuine grin mid-laugh and his own soft smile. He didn't even know he was capable of producing such a look.
“Tch.”
Katsuki looked away, heat creeping up his neck.
“… we're just catching up.”
Was his weak reasoning, unfortunately...
“That didn’t answer the question.”
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𝗖𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗵 @𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴_𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥_𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦
・2 days ago
Musutafu Music Fest is just around the corner, folks!
Another battle royale is about to begin. Who do you think will rise to the top?
𝘣𝘬𝘥𝘬://𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘦.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘣𝘰𝘱-𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥/𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦
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The internet was a dangerous place when someone had too much time and a decent Wi-Fi connection.
Katsuki didn’t mean to keep scrolling due to the fact that he had already gathered more information about the band Ai than he ever intended to in his life. The logical part of his brain said that was enough, the sane part of himself said he should stop before he found something that irritated him even more. Unfortunately, the rest of him had already fallen down the rabbit hole.
Somewhere between archived performances and a forum thread titled “Miss O Lyric Analysis (Part 12)”, Katsuki found another link buried in a comment, an old interview clip from three years ago before the band blew up internationally. The thumbnail showed a much younger version of them sitting on a low couch in a small studio set that looked like the kind of program that specialized in discovering underground artists before they exploded into the mainstream. Which, in hindsight, seemed to be exactly what had happened.
Katsuki hesitated for about half a second before tapping it.