Chapter Text
The cameras love them together, where one shined— the other was always there, making the lights click brighter than before.
The cameras paint them as rivals, as foes.
Two sides of the same coin, in a constant state to outdo the other, to prove something that only they knew.
As complex and contrasting the public image of them got.
It was always them— not just one. them.
Katsuki,
with his stand tall persona, as if he owns every room he moves swiftly in. Loud, evident in every movement, his explosive power still holds its presence even when it's not being used. Being put with another—who handles that— explores the complete and utter depth of his character.
Well it was just uncontrollable.
Izuku,
With a personality, a smile, a strong sense of passion. Moving with a similar mindset that many “wannabes” carried, it wasn't hard for him to win the favor of many.
a dimmer personality than the other, calm— collected. His quick wit allowed for him to be one of the few who compare with Katsuki on certain levels.
Allowed for the cameras to speculate— other ideas with them.
It would never detect the true atmosphere they created, it would never truly understand. The rivalry they attempted to build would never be all the way proven, a deeper bond was within. Something that couldn't be just seen.
So it wasnt any different when they were constantly shoved into the same fucking interviews.
“How does it feel— being so connected to each other?" The interviewer asked, angling his smile to both heroes, “Graduating in the same year, placed in the same classes? And now being paired up on the constant?”
Bakugou sighed, in truth he wasn't sure how to answer that. Honestly? He wasn't sure if he even cared, yeah it was annoying at some moments but it’s nothing.
“I do—”
“It's okay! I think it just paints UA stronger than it was before.” Izuku interrupted, softly smiling, letting the attention naturally flow to himself.
“You're not in the slightest annoyed?”
“No..! I wouldn't be annoyed at the attention. Especially since it's not one or the other. We're almost always painted together.” He chuckled, “Sometimes I think it's just our conflicting color palettes rather than our compatibility.”
“That might be it too,” the interviewer chuckled alongside, “ And Dynamite? How do you feel?”
“I don't care.”
“Oh! I thought you would be the one to absolutely mind the weird pairing? Would you say you like it then?”
“What?! I didn't even say—!” Katsuki shot up, twitching his fingers at the weird insinuation…
Why do they always irritate him and not the other one?
Or maybe they do and he just never picks up on it, he really needed to start listening and replying appropriately. His words are often misconstrued in these things.
“Ah! I don’t think dynamite was saying that,” Izuku peeped up, at the lack of arguing from the blondes side, “He simply just said it didn't bother him, the same as I said,”
“And here you have it, proheroes, Dynamite and Deku, let's hear it for them!” The interviewer exclaimed, directing his words to the audience, “Lets continue the love for these two and allow them to head out!”
__
Heading back, the cheers from the audience faded away, still hints of the noise passed through Izuku's and Katsuki's ears as they passed through the hallway together.
There were no cameras, noises, flashing lights. It was just him and Izuku.
And it still pissed him off.
He didn't know why, he didn't know if he was even angry.
He knew something was wrong, maybe the way Izuku was walking directly beside him, all calm and collected— because he didn't get his words all mixed up. Or maybe it was the slight smile plastered on the other person's face.
It was definitely one of those reasons.
Katsuki's hands itched, twitching more as he became more irritated from both the interaction with the interviewer, and from how Izuku hadn't said anything yet.
Sparks clicked from his hands, flickering despite not directly being triggered. Truthfully, he wasn't planning on blowing up a public area— not now anyway.
“Quit it,” Katsuki said, falling sharply off his tongue, unknowing on whether it was meant to come out like that.
“What?” Izuku blinked, glancing to his side, looking at Katsuki's weird movements, “What's wrong?”
“You’re what's wrong.”
Katsuki stopped moving, pausing in his tracks . He didn't know what he was going to argue with him about— he just needed to. Or he just wanted something to throw Izuku off of his high horse.
“Kacchan, I don't know what you mean by that?” Izuku sighed, chuckling a little at the end of his words, “How am I being a problem for you?”
“You do!” Katsuki argued back, “Why do you always take control of every damn public interaction!”
“I do?”
Putting up an innocent front, he still had that smirk plastered on his stupid face. Did he even know what he was doing— why he was doing it?
“Deku— You do it all the time,” Katsuki sighed, “you just did it again back there!”
“I don't think I did,” He replied, “I think I was just helping you out.!”
Katsuki scowled, jaw tight, “It's not helping me..” He sighed, “If anything, why don't you reject these things.— every time you accept my team makes me come.”
“I like it?” Izuku questioned, “I like people noticing how close we are, I like the validation that others can sense just how in tune we are with each other."
“That’s so fucking stupid,” Katsuki retorted, resuming walking down the hallway, causing Izuku to jog up a little to follow closely to him.
“It is, but isn't it good I talk for the both of us?”
“Huh?” Katsuki groaned, “Dont go thinking your better than me ‘cause you can phase your words around theirs.”
“No! I meant like… you're always so tense in these activities but you still want the publicity so why not let me help you. It's a win-win!”
Katsuki blinked a couple times— he didn't know if he often seemed tense during interviews or anything like that, but it coming from Izuku rather than his own team pissed him off.
“A win-win?”
“Yeah! You get the popularity.“
“And what do you get?”
“You?”
The hallway stretched in length, seemingly. Silent besides the noise of their own footsteps. No cameras, No noise— Him and Izuku..
Yet- it didn't feel comfortable.
Katsuki's fingers crinkled as another spark flew from his palms. Tiny and restless movements, a feeling flowing through his spine— something similar to irritation but it felt nicer.
“You’re hard to deal with.”
“From what I know,” Izuku muttered, “You like it hard.”
Katsuki froze, jaw slack. “What the hell did you just say?” His hands threatened a bigger spark than the others before it, he moved his hands wiping the nitroglycerin off his palms onto his jeans. With his focus on his palms, he didn't notice the slight change in distance caused by Izuku.
Izuku smiled, chuckling at the harsh tone of the other voice, “I meant that you like— rougher conditions, harder to deal with. More of a challenge!”
His green eyes glimmered with the same teasing light he oftentimes used on both Katsuki and their fans. Katsukis face almost— almost. Key word.— flustered up.
“Right.” Katsuki replied, moving his slow pace up, speeding up to avoid the weird teasing Izuku had started.
Izuku quickly matched the speed, returning to his spot right beside Katsuki. They both walked in silence, Katsuki had too much on his mind to know exactly what to say, Izuku was satisfied with how it left off.
—Or not satisfied, he wanted more of the banter.
He didn't mind the sudden quiet.
“Stop following me.” Katsuki sighed into his palms, continuing his fast pace.
He also didn't mind that.
“We’re going to the same place,” Izuku returned, “Once we're downstairs, you won't see me for a good while.
Katsuki mutters under his breath, glancing back at Izuku before stopping in front of the elevator.
He moved his fingers to press the down button, before the action was interrupted by another's voice.
Not Izuku— someone else.
“Hey! Dynamite, Izuku?” The person said, rushing towards the two, “You guys know that you have to ride together right?”
“We meant to tell you before you left, but you both left rather quickly.”
“Hijo?” Izuku muttered, “Is something wrong with one of our teams?”
“No.. not exactly, anyway.” Hijo admitted, “Dynamite?”
Bakugo groaned in response, not offering a word of acknowledgment.
“From what I'm told Dynamite has to ride with you, Izuku.” He sighed, chuckling a little, “It's something about.. the public wanting you guys to be closer.”
“Closer how?” Izuku asked.
“In a relationship sense?”
The words hung in the air, sounding louder in the silent hallway.
“What,” Katsuki's head snapped up.
Izuku stiffened, the smile that he almost always had on his face faltered, “We didn't.. that’s not something we had a conversation on.”
Hijo raised his hands in defense, “It wasn't me! They just now brought the idea to me.. although they seemed to be planning this for a while, did they really not mention it to you?”
“Hijo, I would remember something like that!”
“Fucking hell,” Katsuki muttered under his breath, directing his attention to neither of the men now.
“Relax! It's not official, you both don't have to say anything.. It's just public appearances with each other, more photos together. Things like that!” Hijo began, “You don't have to say a statement or confirm, just play along with what your agencies are promoting.”
“The agency wants us to do what? Just play along with an obvious lie?” Izuku asked, his hands reaching to press into his temple, “How would that help with anything?”
“It's just optics, the audience already has speculation on the both of you, the agency is just trying to bring more publicity—.. to the both of you! It wouldn't hurt to lean into it”
“Absolutely not,” Katsuki said almost instantly.
Izuku inhaled slowly, almost growling out these words, “I'm not just going to… pretend?”
“It's not—, just appear more together, ride for each other. The only difference is to be less resistant to the idea of you guys being more than what you are now.”
Katsuki scoffed, moving his arms to his chest, appearing more and more agitated.
“Thats bullshit, you do know that right?”
The elevator dinged, right as the last word flew out of Katsuki's mouth, directing the three men’s attention to the opening door.
“Just think on it,” Hijo added, watching the two move towards the door, “I doubt it's a decision either of you can decline.”
Izuku moved in first, because of course he did. Katsuki followed soon after, staring back at Hijo.
Katsuki stood there, jaw clenched as he watched the doors close the two behind it.
It was quiet for a moment— a good moment.
Then Izuku exhaled, “I didn't know.”
“To hell you didn't,"
“I didn't.”
“Then what other discussions have you had with your agency to think this is fine?”
“I don't know! Kacchan it's not up to me what they do!” Izuku exclaimed, “I just… I want you to know I wouldn't have put you in a situation where you had to lie to the public.”
“Tch.. I know that.” Katsuki groaned, “It's just, it's always your agency.”
Silence again— It had been quiet between the two a-lot. And it had almost always been izuku breaking it
“I’m not saying yes,” He admitted, “but I'm also not saying we should let this idea fly over our heads.”
“Why not?” Katsuki shot him a look.
“Because,” Izuku said, eyes forward, “whether we can see it or not, they can. They see it and if we push back, it's just going to get bigger, giving them more that they think they can see.”
“It gets uglier the more you deny it.”
Katsuki fingers twitched at the implication.
“Always thinking ahead,” he muttered, "aren't you?”
“You do too,” Izuku glanced over, a sudden softness in his voice, “just differently.”
The elevator hummed, the music from the halls could be heard within, seeping from the space at the bottom.
“You don't have to,” Izuku continued, “You don't have to do as my agency says, I can shut it down at the sound of your voice.”
Katsuki didn't answer right away,
“I can talk to them at any time.”
for you
He didnt know why he was bothered, he didnt know if he was bothered.
He understood the publicity part, it made sense. The assumptions didn't, being boxed into something he didn't understand made his skin crawl.
He knew that pissed him off.
He didn't know if the reason he wasn’t cussing the whole agency out was because it's Izuku’s agency or because it's Izuku who is the denominator of the rumors.
Some part of that was the reason he didn't hate the idea.
At least, that's what he thinks.
“Don’t decide shit for me.”
Izuku nodded along, a soft, barely noticeable grin on his face, “Then decide.”
The elevator slowed, a ding echoed as it reached the lobby.
Doors opened slowly, letting the light from the hall fuel the inside.
Katsuki stepped out first, then Izuku followed. As soon as they did, the cameras clicked and clacked from different directions. Light shined directly in their faces.
“We’ll talk later,”
“Yeah,” Izuku smiled, “We will.”
And just this once, the cameras didn’t capture the moment, the way they looked at each other while behind those closed doors.
“Closer.”
The cameras were already rolling by the time Katsuki realized it wasn't like the shots they had before.
Izuku stood beside him, his posture relaxed, expression held no clear sign of discomfort— it was just neutral, in the way he obeys instructions despite not fully agreeing with the idea of it.
He didn't hate it. Didn't love it. Just wasn't looking to fight the directions.
Katsuki hated that look.
“Dynamite, don't step away,” someone called out, “Angle toward each other."
He didn't move to the words, they got closer, not because of Katsuki. But izuku, he had guided his own body towards the other.
Pressed directly behind the other, someone had come and adjusted his body. Making his hand move to Katsuki's waist, moving his head to appear on the other side of the blondes.
Katsuki's jaw tightened at the sudden—forced touch. Throughout the whole shoot he ensured he didn't move, at least not that much. But the space between them was already measured, adjusted, narrowed to match the narrative of the two.
After the person had stepped back, like magic— the shutter of the cameras were hard to miss.
It wasn’t sloppy, it was steady. Precise in the angles that they needed.
It wasn’t rapid, it waited at times, as if it was preparing for a scene that wasn't going to happen.
Katsuki could feel it in the pauses, the way they lingered when Izuku didn't move— or twitch his body away from Katsuki.
It's not just photography— it's hunting. Hunting for something only they could see.
Katsuki palms itched, in the way he prepared to let out an explosion. But he didn't, it wasn't enough to let out a spark— not a big enough itch.
He stayed still.
“That’s good,” one of the photographers had shouted, “fuck! it's really good, this is perfect.”
The brown haired photographer moved in to see how the image came out, and to his satisfaction, he nodded to himself.
“Thats a wrap,” he said, grinning to himself, “you both are good, to put together.”
At his words Katsuki shifted away from Izuku's touch, letting the hand that was once on his waist fall to the side.
Izuku followed a beat after, stepping back as Katsuki moved forward. Glancing at how Katsuki rolled his shoulders, removing all the tension.
“You guys did good!” Hijo said, rushing over towards Izuku and gripping onto his shoulder, squeezing a bit before letting go, “I told you it wouldn’t be as bad as you thought.”
“Yeah,” Izuku chuckled, “I had fun!”
“Dynamite?” Hijo smiled, “was it okay? I like to check in with the other agencies we partner with.”
“It was fine,” Katsuki stated, not elaborating on if he had fun, or if he was comfortable. Treating it simply as work, which it was, "I'm heading out now, don't call me for more photoshoots or whatever, call my team.”
He moved himself to the doors, pushing them open and this time, he didn't fly down the stairs, his steps were slow.
It wasn't clear if he wasn’t bothered by the shoot, or if he was tired. He was less of how he typically is, snappy, quick to aggravation.
He seemed relatively calm— or no, he didn't seem calm but there wasn't a word to describe how he was at the moment.
“You should follow him,” Hijo says, fumbling with the hem of his shirt, “He seems bothered, did you do something?”
“No?” Izuku replied, “what would i have done?”
“Ge’ man I don't know,” He sighed, turning into a chuckle at the end, “Maybe you should go find out, I don't want to lose how well you guys are together.”
“And besides, once this is over.” Hijo smirked, glancing up towards Izuku,
"I'd like to keep him near, close.”
He said it in english, low and deliberate. He knew Izuku wouldn't understand. If the other had picked up on it, Hijo would've been beat blue— probably.
He understands that they have something, something that neither of them understood directly. He saw how they sunk into each other, emotionally— physically, he had just seen how their bodies connected together with ease.
He knew he couldn’t compete, or compare. He wasn't trying to.
But just to have, for a while. Well it would be all the same.
“What?” Izuku asked, aware of the change in language, he understood very little English, just enough to pick up on small words— like the weather or common greetings, the basics.
He didn't understand what was said at that moment.
And Hijo, despite being American, rarely spoke English.
At least not to Izuku.
“Nothing,” Hijo replied, “Go check on Dynamite, before he gets far.”
“Right, okay.”
Izuku moved his body through the same direction Katsuki had gone into, moving swiftly in comparison of the slow movements from the other.
He wasn't sure if Katsuki had gotten far, so he didn't think ahead. Just followed the request that was made.
Besides, he had to stay. At least for a little while so they could be caught leaving together. And despite not wanting to be complicit to the agency's ideas, he can't reject good publicity.
Or he could— He did just about anything he wanted to.
“Kacchan?” He says, once he reached the bottom of the stairs, guiding his body into the parking lot. Surrounded by cars, different colored lights, and the smell of smoke.
Well it had been a smoke free zone upstairs.
“Kacchan?” He repeated, now moving in the direction of the assigned parking spaces, the ones made for his own agency, that they allowed Katsuki to use.
“Izuku?” He replied, moving out from in between the cars, “What are you doing down here?”
“Nothing, uh.. you kind of left quickly..” Izuku started, “Was something bothering you? Did my team mess something up?”
“No?”
“I just wanted to come down here, stop acting like that.”
“Acting like what?”
“Like some type of parrot.”
Izuku chuckled, not understanding the comparison. He moved towards Katsuki as the other retreated back into the spot he had left.
“I don't know what you mean by that,” He admitted, “Were you smoking?”
He could tell— he didn't need confirmation. He could smell it on the others' clothing.
“Yeah?” Katsuki nodded, glancing back at Izuku, “I have a couple more, you wanna share?”
Katsuki slid down the side of his car, sliding to the ground and pulling the cigarette out of his pocket, not waiting for an answer.
Like Izuku would pass up a chance to smoke? Fucking addict.
Katsuki moved the cigarette into his mouth, holding it between his lips, pulling out the lighter with a free hand.
“Here, let me light it.”
“I can do it,” Katsuki retorted, “I've been doing it before you came down.”
“I know,” Izuku lowered his body to the ground, mimicking katsuki, he moved his palms towards the lighter and when it wasn't met with a pull back, he took it.
He pressed down on the trigger, his other hand cupped around the lighter, insuring the wind wouldn't blow it out.
He brought the flame closer to Katsuki's lips, lighting the tip of the cigarette, pulling back after a few seconds.
He looked good in orange, fiery lighting.
“Theyre deciding what photos to release,”
Katsuki inhales, pulling the cig from his mouth, slowly blowing the smoke out, looking up at nothing.
“Did you see them?”
He passed the cigarette over, looking at Izuku. Waiting for him to smoke it or to reply.
“Yeah,” Izuku said softly, “I mea.. no I didn't see them,”
“Are you distracted?” Katsuki asked, taking the stick back, brushing against Izuku's fingers which went unnoticed by the both of them, "What's the matter?”
“It’s nothing,” he says, “I don't think anything's wrong,”
Katsuki hummed as he blew os from his mouth, he liked doing tricks, for some reason.
“They have to get one more shot of us,”
“Doing what?”
“I don’t remember,” Izuku admits, “I know it's supposed to be unposed, like something natural.”
“Oh? Okay.”
Izuku sighed, he looked down, looking into his lap.
"You're not bothered by having to take these photos with me? Or are you?”
“Did I say that I was?” Katsuki stood, slowly. Exhaling the final blow of smoke from his mouth and dropping the bud to the floor, smushing it into the ground.
“No, it's just… it's just you seemed really bothered, Kacchan.”
“Well I wasn't," Katsuki replied, his voice didn’t heighten or lower, remained neutral, “It's just work, you of all people should know work doesn't bother me that way.”
“No.. no! I know that! I do, trust me” Izuku said, he knew how the other felt, and he knew the other knew that he knew.
“Okay,” Katsuki said, eyeing the way Izuku fumbled with his own fingers, cracking them in the way he always did during a conversation— when he didn't know what to say, “It’s fine, I know you know me.”
“Let's go back?” He continued, offering his own hand to lift the other up, bringing him to the same height that the other was.
They were close, maybe too close. But it was comfortable. It was just— it was good. They looked at each other, nothing laced within it, nothing forced.
They were just, hand in hand.
Click
They let go.
They both snapped their hands towards the sound, looking at the camera. Because of course it was a camera.
Because of course anything they did would be captured.
Well, the cameras couldn't capture sound. Their conversations were their own.
Their eyes dilated at the leftover light from the device, getting smaller and returning back to normal after a second.
“The fuck?” Katsuki said, looking at the guy behind the camera, “Cijo? Rijo? Fucking camera guy, what the fuck your problem?”
“It’s Hijo” He corrected, smiling slightly at the reaction he pulled from the blond, “My apologies! We needed an unposed photo.”
“Something natural..” Izuku sighed, “Is that all then? Are we all done?”
“Yeah, I mean— pretty much,” Hijo said, responding to Izuku but having a focused gaze on Katsuki, “Were you two smoking?”
“Yeah, so what?” Katsuki says, turning around to his own car, this time to leave.
“Woah! Wait, are you two about to leave?” Hijo asks, moving to Izuku's side, in front of Katsuki.
“I am.”
“We're still doing edits on the photos and they have to decide how to post them,”
“What does that have to do with me?” Katsuki asks, turning and blinking slowly at Hijo, “I told you, take that stuff up with my agency.”
“I know, I know,” Hijo replied, “But wouldn't you want to see what they're going to post and what you have to sa-”
“No?”
“You should!” Hijo says, a suggestion. He means it as a demand, but he didn't have the voice for anyone to register it as such, “It wouldn’t be good for you, publi—”
“Hijo, stop pushing,” Izuku interrupted, getting annoyed with the constant rejection and the attempt to persuade, “If he wants to go then he can.”
“Lets just go up, you and me.”
“Fucking hell,” Katsuki answered, though the words not directed to him, “You keep doing this, lets go.”
“Doing what?”
“You're not leaving anymore?” Hijo proceeds, “That's good, let's head up.”
Hijo moved, placing his arm around Katsuki's shoulder and walking, leaving Izuku behind a few steps before he followed them.
“Get your hands off of me,” Katsuki growled almost, pushing the other's body off.
“That's my bad,” Hijo chuckled, “Anyway, since you're working with my agency, maybe you can call me by my first name, and I do the same, as I do for Izuku.”
“Do what you want,” Katsuki replied with indifference, “besides, it was weird with you calling me Dynamite all the time.”
“Right,” Hijo replied, “Katsuki.”