Work Text:
the things you said when i was young
“You’re gonna be great one day,” Masaru says, watching his son plan out hero costumes and gadgets in the living room, voice filled with pride and adoration.
Katsuki puts down his pencil, tiny hands smudged with graphite and the remnants of a dream. His eyes are wide and innocent when he asks, “the best?”
“Yeah,” Masaru agrees, “the best.”
The sun quietly sets outside, unable to shine any brighter than the grin on Katsuki’s face.
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the things i said when i was ignorant
“You can’t be a hero, Deku!” Katsuki’s smile is wide but his eyes are cruel, cutting deep into Izuku’s hero fantasy. “You don’t even have a quirk!”
Izuku’s eyes widen, fat tears rolling down the side of his face while everyone agrees with his childhood friend. “That’s not true! Mommy says I can be one with or without a quirk!”
“Well, hate to break it to ya, but Auntie Inko’s a liar. She probably just said that ‘cuz she felt bad or something.” And then the blond saunters away, not looking back to see if anyone is following.
It’s not like it matters if Izuku is, anyway.
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the things you said when i wasn’t enough
“Are you kidding me, Katsuki?” Mitsuki slams the door, shattering the framed glass photo of their family (how ironic, Katsuki thinks, but he doesn’t dare say it out loud). “I didn’t raise you so you could slack off in school. You missed two points! I’ve taught you these things before!”
“It’s just two points!” Katsuki yells, throat scratchy and pride bruised. “I was the highest in the class, isn’t that enough?”
The “no,” his mother gives hurts more than her punches ever could.
Even after his father reprimands the both of them and forces them to apologize, her words remain floating in his head for years to come.
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the things you said when i told you to go
“Kacchan! I found this place that—”
“No.”
“But it’s—”
“I said no, Deku! God, why won’t you leave me alone?”
“I could never leave you, Kacchan.”
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the things i said that i’ll always regret
“Go take a swan dive off the roof, you freak! See if you get a quirk in your next life!” As soon as the words escape his mouth, he realizes that he’s gone too far, but he knows he can’t take them back. His two lackeys are stunned silent for three seconds while Katsuki’s mind screams at him to get over himself and apologize, but he doesn’t.
“Kacchan...you don’t mean that…do you?” Deku’s words are quiet, but his whisper thrums loudly in Katsuki’s ears. The blond turns away, crimson never meeting green. He wonders if Deku knows him well enough after all these years to not take the words seriously (but then again, his mind laughs, did he really know you if all you did was ostracize him?).
Katsuki feels guilty. He knows that Deku sees him hovering around him obsessively for months after that, and if Katsuki picks on him a little less, that’s not anyone’s business but his.
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the things i said when i was scared
The sludge is choking him, slithering into his throat and causing him to gag, tears springing to his eyes out of pain. His hands are surely raw and red, blisters forming from the excessive use of explosions. It’s not like he can turn his head to see them, though.
“Stop!” He gasps, mouth filling with putrid green slime. “Let me go, you fucker!”
The onlookers, composed of both heroes and civilians alike, don’t say anything. He doesn’t know how to feel about that, but his head is hurting too much to ponder on that thought for too long.
Sleep seems especially appealing right now.
.
the things you said in the very beginning
“Hey bro! I’m Kirishima Eijirou!” The boy’s sharp teeth show through his grin, gleaming in the sunlight like some sort of deity. The robots lay destroyed behind him, Present Mic’s voice announcing the end of the physical exam droning on in the background.
Katsuki regards him for a few seconds before he roughly grits out, “Bakugou Katsuki.”
“That’s such a cool name! Your quirk is hella awesome too. Mine’s just hardening, ‘s nothing special,” Kirishima frowns slightly at the last part before his signature sunny smile is plastered back on.
“Shut up, Shitty Hair. Your quirk is fine and it’s good for defending and protecting and shit. Y’know, shit that you’ll need to be able to do as a hero.”
The redhead’s eyes widen, cheeks a rosy hue. “That’s so manly, Bakugou! Thank you! I hope to see you in UA!”
“Oh, you’re definitely gonna see me in UA. I’m the best, fuckwad.”
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the things i said in disbelief
“What was that, Deku? Did you just hide you quirk from me for years just so you could fucking look down at me and laugh? I bet you feel so proud of yourself for making me look like a fool.” Katsuki sneers, shoulders hunched down in embarrassment.
“No! Kacchan I could never look down on you!” Izuku waves his arms and blushes, sweat shining on the tip of his nose.
“Then explain what that little shitshow was. Are you actually quirkless?”
“Yes! I got that power, well, I’m not supposed to tell you this,” Izuku stammers, averting his gaze from Katsuki’s glare, “but I got this power from All Might! It’s borrowed!”
It’s completely silent as the wind gently blows on the boys’ hair. The tense moment is broken when Katsuki scoffs out, “Do you take me for a fuckin’ idiot, Deku? That’s absolute bullshit. I’ll surpass you and your pathetic quirk so you can’t look down on me anymore, and I’ll be number one. Just stay out of my way, you fake-ass bitch.”
Then he walks away, Deku far behind him, like how it always was and always should be.
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the things you said that made me feel included
He sits alone at lunch, on the rooftop with no other companions besides the occasional bug flitting by or bird chirping annoyingly in his ear. It’s quite nice, and contrary to popular belief, he can enjoy peace and quiet.
His classmates can’t though, apparently.
The door bangs open two weeks into his little tradition of sorts, almost startling him into dropping his lunch. “What the fuck?” He asks, glaring at the four heads that pop in.
“Sorry to interrupt you, bro!” Kirishima laughs, slinging an arm around Katsuki like it’s nothing. He snarls and pushes the arm off, which warrants a pout from the redhead.
“What are you doing here, dumbass? With your whole idiot gang too?”
“Hey!” Kaminari and Ashido exclaim at the same time, while Sero only huffs out a small laugh. A small breeze blows by, causing a piece of paper from Kirishima’s hand to drift away.
“No! Fuck!” Kirishima exclaims, “Sero, dude, use your tape and dangle me off this balcony so I can catch that.”
“What the fuck? No? Just improvise, bro.” The black-haired boy replies, leaning against the door.
“Improvise?” Katsuki asks, because his curiosity trumps his annoyance.
“Well, Kiri over here,” Kaminari says, ignoring the protests from the aforementioned person, “decided that he needed a whole-ass script in order to convince you to become part of our squad. Like eat with us at lunch and hang out with us. I dunno why, but you’re smart and powerful so maybe I’ll absorb all of your brain cells or something.”
“Kami! You weren’t supposed to tell him that yet! We haven’t even convinced him!” Ashido stage-whispers, nudging the boy in the stomach.
“You idiots are so fuckin’ stupid,” Katsuki drawls, “but I’ll join you.”
“What’s the catch?” Kirishima says, because apparently he knows Katsuki better than he thought.
“You gotta convince me.”
“Wha...I thought we already did!” Kaminari whines.
“All you’ve done is shown me how desperately you guys are in need of someone with a brain. And Soy Sauce over there is too far gone to count.”
“Fuck you,” Sero flips him off, tone taking a teasing tilt, and at the same time Ashido chants a high-pitched “hell yeah! Bakusquad!” much to his frustration.
He starts eating in the lunchroom after that, surrounded by people who don’t give two shits about his personality. It’s not as nice as the roof, but it’ll do.
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the things you said because of the things i did
“You care about him, don’t you?” Are the first words that come out of Todoroki’s mouth.
“What the fuck are you talkin’ about?” Katsuki growls, arms sore and legs scraped bloody in the aftermath of the USJ.
“Midoriya. For all that you like to say you hate him, you wouldn’t try and protect someone so violently if you despised them.”
“Shut the fuck up, Half ‘n’ Half. What I do is none of your business.”
“You didn’t deny it,” Todoroki helpfully points out, and Katsuki thinks that the explosion he lets loose is well-deserved.
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the things you said to motivate me
“You’re going to be the one giving the speech at the sport’s festival,” Aizawa says, tired eyes boring into Katsuki’s own, “don’t mess it up.”
“The fuck?” Katsuki eloquently responds.
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the things you said when you thought i couldn’t hear
“My dad…” Todoroki begins, and Katsuki immediately thinks nope, I am not having this today, I am not listening to another tragic and pitiful backstory to fuel your already protagonist self before his ears really pick up on what is being said.
“He used to beat—” Todoroki stops himself, before he humorlessly huffs out a laugh and continues, “well, torture was more like it.” And Katsuki’s hands start to involuntarily shake while his breathing picks up. Holy shit. How does someone even respond to that?
His only saving grace is that Deku seems to be just as lost as he is.
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the things you said that made me respect you
“Come at me! Don’t hold back!” Uraraka yells, a feral grin stretching across her face.
Katsuki returns it for a split second before he sends himself flying, and he knows that this match will be a good one.
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the things you said with a fake smile
“Congratulations on your win, Young Bakugou!” All Might’s words ring through the stadium, his smile never once wavering. The sun makes the metal around his jaw hotter as sharp spikes stab at his face, causing him to silently wince every time he grinds out a protest.
He throws away the medal as soon as he leaves the podium. When he returns to pick change out of his costume, he can see All Might spotting the shitty award in the trash can, a confused look dawning over his face before he moves on.
Katsuki doesn’t say anything.
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the things you said to defend me
“He is a child! A child. And you thought that chaining him to a podium and forcing a muzzle over his jaw, the same kind that actual villains would use, was a good idea? And for what? Trying to save your reputation on the news? The kid didn’t want the damn medal. You could’ve given it to Todoroki or Tokoyami. But no, you had to force Bakugou to take the award knowing his issue with being choked and unable to breathe or speak. I am ashamed to call myself your colleague.”
“Aizawa, with all due respect—”
“Shut up, Toshinori. You don’t get to say shit as the so-called ‘Symbol of Peace’ when one of your own students is probably terrified of you now. That goes for Midnight and Cementoss as well. Every single one of you are idiots.”
Katsuki feels his eyes start to water from his position outside the door.
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the things you said when we were apart
boom boy bakusquad bitches
shitty hair
guyssysysys how r ur internships goin
me
i’m still on the fuckin’ train, loser
raccoon eyes
I MET THIS LIL GIRL WHO HAD PINK SKIN LIKE ME IT WAS SO COOL
dunce face
yoooo what was her name i’m lonely asf n lookin for a boo if u know what i mean
raccoon eyes
R U A PEDOPHILE KAMI????
dunce face
NO HOW OLD IS SHE WHATSYSJKW
me
yes he is
soy sauce slut
yes he is
shitty hair
sorry bro
yes u r
raccoon eyes
she’s like SIX u fucks
haha 69
dunce face
lmaosfhjdhgjdhgkh sexy
EVEN KIRI??? U BETRAYED ME??? damn
but anyways m also still on train like bakuhoe
shitty hair
sorry bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
me
pikachu, if you call me that one more time, i will skin you alive and make curry with your organs while everyone fuckin’ watches
soy sauce slut
bakuhoe
shitty hair
bakuhoe
dunce face
bakuhoe
raccoon eyes
bakuhoe
me
i will gladly murder all of you
shitty hair
:D
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the things you said that cut deep
“I don’t like you, Bakugou,” is the first thing Best Jeanist says when Katsuki arrives at his agency.
“You chose me,” Katsuki grits out. He stuffs his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to ignore the stinging tears pricking at his eyes.
“Only to fix you,” Best Jeanist reminds, “you’re a rather interesting project, I’d say.”
Katsuki doesn’t really talk for the remainder of the internship, the only proof of his presence being the charred furniture and empty bottles of hair gel.
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the things you said when we were alone
He’s paired with Todoroki for the ‘scare a couple of cowards in the woods’ activity, and he’s almost glad it’s him and not some other extra.
“So,” Todoroki starts, the two of them walking by themselves with a tiny flame on the taller boy’s finger illuminating the path in front of them, “why do you want to become a hero?”
“What?” Katsuki snarls, pushing away a couple of leaves and branches.
“You know what I said.” The same stupid poker face rests on the bastard’s face, and Katsuki internally sighs. “Nobody else is here; I won’t judge.”
“I wanna be number one, of course. I’m going to surpass All Might and be the best, and I won’t settle for anything else. Anybody can be the symbol of peace, but I’m going to be the fuckin’ symbol of victory.”
Todoroki stares at him for a few seconds, face passive as always, before he just nods once and continues walking.
“Hey!” Katsuki shouts, “walk behind me, dumbass!”
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the things i said to protect you
“Don’t come, Deku.”
Izuku screams.
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the things you said that didn’t convince me
“Join us,” Shigaraki’s grin is feral and sharp, and his four fingers curl around Katsuki’s neck while the fifth one hovers threateningly above his skin, “you’re practically one of us, anyway.”
Katsuki glares, red matching red in a battle of wills.
“No.” Katsuki grits out, and Shigaraki stills, his next words dripping with malice and anger.
“What did you just say?”
“No. It doesn’t matter if everyone thinks I’m going to be a villain, because all it’s gonna do is make my victory when I become number one all the better.”
Katsuki doesn’t cry when the fifth finger touches his neck, but he does scream.
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the things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear
“You’re next.” All Might whispers, a former shell of the previous hero.
Izuku cries harder, and Katsuki can’t help but think that maybe the nerd had been telling the truth all those months ago. The guilt in his heart blooms like a poisonous rose, and Katsuki doesn’t know what to do but choke on its petals.
His neck is bleeding from Shigaraki’s quirk, but no one seems to notice. He doesn’t think he cares much to bring it up, either.
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the things you said that made me feel weak
“Are you kidding me?” Mitsuki shouts, slapping him upside the head before he can even utter a word. “I thought you were a hero, brat, but you can’t even defend yourself from a couple of villains.”
“Is that all you have to say?” Katsuki says, eyes guarded and posture tense.
The police station is silent, all the sirens in the background seemingly fading into nothing. The crudely wrapped bandages around his neck itch like hell, but before he can reach a hand up to scratch at it, his mom opens her mouth.
“Are you happy?”
“What?”
“Are you happy that you worried me and your father, forcing us to drive all the way up here to rescue your sorry ass when you’re the one training to be a hero? Are you happy that lives were lost and the number one hero had to retire because of you? Are you happy now that you have all this attention?”
Masaru arrives, looking relieved and worried all at once, before Katsuki can respond.
The conversation is over, but the words form a suffocating blanket that drapes itself over his defeated form, never once giving him room to breathe. Katsuki is tired, he is worn, he is bruised and broken but he still gets up because he cannot afford to lose.
Not again.
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the things i said to repay you
Katsuki shoves a bunch of crinkled bills at an unassuming Kirishima, his palms sweaty and sure to ignite at any moment. “Here, dumbass,” he growls, face heating in embarrassment.
“Uh, what? Bro? What’s all this money for?”
“The goggles. I know you paid for them with your own fuckin’ money, like a loser, and I don’t like to be in anyone’s debt.” Katsuki rambles, as if that explains anything.
Kirishima beams.
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the things you said when i couldn’t speak
“In, out. C’mon Bakugou, breathe with me here.” Aizawa’s voice is a comforting presence next to his own shaking body, and Katsuki can see his familiar boots crouched down next to him.
“I—I can’t,” he gasps out, breaths coming in unsteady and short. “They’re here to get me and I can’t just—”
“They’re not here, Bakugou. We’re safe, you’re safe, and if anything was to happen I would protect you all. Follow my lead, okay? In, out. In, out.” Aizawa says, soft and warm and grounding.
His teacher smells like laundry detergent and coffee. Katsuki draws in a shaky breath and feels the tears run down his face while Aizawa just sits there, murmuring out faint nothings in his ear.
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the things i said in the beginnings of a breakdown
“You were always behind me, a little quirkless loser that could never be anything! But now you’re closer to my dream than I am even though I worked so goddamn hard and I’m—why was I the one to end All Might?”
Deku doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know if that’s good or bad, but explosions come alive in his palm before he can find out, and he leaps up, ready to let the energy of the fight encompass him whole.
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the things i said when no one was around
Katsuki hasn’t slept for more than four hours in this past week, and he’s sure it shows on his face, in the dark circles that adorn his eyes and his already pale skin turning freakishly lighter. He barely talks or eats and works himself to the bone in a desperate attempt to be someone better, someone who had a chance.
He’s the tiniest bit grateful that Todoroki failed the License Exam with him, but the embarrassment and shame flooded that feeling and made his heart sink to the bottom along with any previous hope he had before.
He feels worried glances being directed at him every time he disappears to the gym straight after class, only returning when it closes and beelining straight to his room. There, he studies and sits in silence, sparks dancing across his skin as he tries to feel something again.
“I don’t wanna die,” he whispers, “but I don’t wanna live, either.”
The fire licks his inner thigh, leaving behind angry red skin in its wake.
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the things you said when you were concerned
He isn’t close with anybody from the class, really, which is why it surprises him when Yaoyorozu and Iida, the only two people he has yet to beat in academics, corner him after hero training.
“What?” He says, annoyed at being interrupted.
“Are you okay?” Iida asks. “I know Kamino was a tragic incident and as your class president, it is my duty to make sure you are safe!”
“Tragic my fucking ass. It’s none of your business, shitstick. I’m fine.”
“It’s okay if you’re not, Bakugou.” Yaoyorozu speaks up, words shaky but eyes firm.
Katsuki leaves, unable to say anything in response.
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the things you said to cheer me up
“Shitty Hair,” he begins, eyes staring at seemingly nothing in particular, “do you think I’ll be a hero?”
“What do you mean, bro?” Kirishima’s words are shaky, clearly unused to Katsuki being so defeated and vulnerable, “of course we’ll be heroes! We’re in UA, after all. What else would you be besides a hero?”
“Dead.” Katsuki humorlessly laughs, ignoring the way the air seems to still.
“Bakugou—what? Bro, no, you can’t just do that! You’re not allowed to!” Kirishima finally finds his voice, stammering out worried phrases like a mother hen, eyes huge and wide and full of love.
“You can’t control what I can or cannot do, dumbass. Just drop it.”
“Drop it?” Kirishima’s voice is borderline hysterical by now. “What? I—you just said you want to die. I can’t just ignore that!”
“You can,” Katsuki points out, “I’m not a good person and you know that. Everything I do is never good enough; Uraraka hates me for no reason even when I’ve done nothing but begrudgingly respect her ass, and Deku still fuckin’ flinches around me. I’ll never be hero material, just face it.”
“You’re wrong!” Kirishima shouts. “you may not be the nicest person, but you’re trying and I know you’re not evil. You care about us in your own prickly way and you held your own against villains who specifically targeted you. You cook us dinner and buy us groceries and train with us and you always tutor me and give me your leftovers. You may not be all sunshine and rainbows but you’re a good person! Todoroki, Ice Prince Extraordinaire, even considers you his friend!”
“It’s nice that you care so much for someone who doesn’t even care about you back.”
“You do care, Bakugou.”
“Do I? I don’t even know what I feel, Kirishima!”
“And that’s okay. We’ll be here for you, y’know? If you ever need it.”
Katsuki doesn’t respond, and Kirishima doesn’t need him to.
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the things you said when you found out
“How long have you been hiding these, Bakugou?” Aizawa’s tone sounds disappointed but his face screams worried, and Katsuki is too tired to answer, instead choosing to fall asleep in Recovery Girl’s office, head fuzzy from the effects of the quirk.
When he wakes up, Aizawa is there to his right, slumped over the edge of a chair in the same clothes as yesterday.
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the things i said in recovery
“Why do you even care?”’
“To make up for your lack of it.”
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the things i said when i was half-asleep
“I’m proud of you, Bakugou.” Kirishima whispers, textbooks and homework completely forgotten as Katsuki struggles to stay awake in his bed.
“Love ya too,” Katsuki slurs, unaware of Kirishima’s face bursting into flames.
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the things you said when you needed a change
“Bakugou!” Uraraka yells across the training grounds, and Katsuki looks up, rubbing away the soot on his face. “Spar with me!”
“The fuck? Why now? Don’t you have Deku or Glasses or some shit?”
Uraraka glares, “they won’t give it their all, and I’m more than pissed, but I know you will. Humor me, won’t ya?”
Katsuki feels a murderous grin taking over his face. “Oh, I’ll humor you alright,” is all he says before he blasts himself towards her, arms itching for a good fight.
“Hell yeah!” Uraraka beams, already dodging and sending a strong kick his way. “That’s more like it!”
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the things we said that brought us closer together
“Hell yeah! Bakusquad board bitches!” Ashido cheers, vibrant skateboard matching her oversized black sweatshirt and neon green biker shorts. Her skin positively glows in the setting sun, smile brighter than the flickering streetlights.
“We’re Kacchan’s board bitches, and I take that role very seriously,” Kaminari says, throwing down his skateboard (obviously adorned in lightning bolts) and hopping onto it, black skinny jeans and crop top because fuck toxic masculinity highlighting his figure.
“Don’t call me that, Dunce Face,” Katsuki rolls his eyes. “We’re not even at the skate park yet and I already want to go back.” His naturally tiny waist, to the awe and jealousy of everyone, is being wrapped around by a studded black belt keeping his cargo pants up, a random shirt haphazardly thrown on and tucked in last minute.
“Bet,” Sero chimes in, “you’re only chickening out ‘cuz you can’t even do an ollie.” The normally plain-looking boy wears a bright cartoon turtleneck tucked into tan pants, catching the eyes of random strangers, much to his embarrassment and everyone else’s delight.
“Oh, you’re so on,” Bakugou growls, before pushing himself far ahead of everyone else and doing a kickflip on the empty road.
“Guys, guys, don’t fight!” Kirishima says, as if he’s not actively showing off his own heelflips and clearly superior carves.
“You don’t get to speak, you fashion disaster!” Kaminari yells, seemingly unbothered by the pebbles and cracks in the sidewalk as he effortlessly dodges them.
“He’s right,” both Sero and Ashido say, the latter continuing, “you’re dressed like a straight fisher boy in America.”
And Katsuki laughs, absolutely unbridled joy bursting from his very being, fully allowing himself to be a kid again. Sero, distracted by the rare moment, goes to do a simple ollie and falls flat on his ass.
Everyone bursts out laughing, with shouts of “didn’t you tell me I was the one who couldn’t ollie?” and “damn your ass is fat, bro!” and “shut up, you whore!” driving passerbys away from the teenagers, the remnants of the sunset lingering in the clouds as they laugh and tease and smile, knowing that this is the only chance they will get to be kids again for a long time.
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the things you said that made my heart flutter
shitty hair
yo bro
can i call u kats
me
what the fuck
shitty hair
u kno
short for katsuki
but kats cuz u also remind me of a cat
me
again, may i reiterate: what the fuck
shitty hair
please?????????? :((
u can call me some version of eijirou
trade off
me
why the fuck would i want to do that
shitty hair
bcuz u luuuuuuuv me
JKJK OMG IGNORE THAT
i didn’t mean that
don’t take that srsly
but pleaseeee
me
…
what the fuck
okay fine dumbass do whatever you want
shitty hair//eiji
OMGMGMGMG YAYAYAYAYYAY THANK U KATS
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the things we said that we didn’t mean
“Your music taste is shit,” he comments, but he never once makes a move to try and change the song. Jirou hums, half-heartedly flipping him off while giving him a knowing smirk.
“Your personality is shit,” Jirou responds, but neither of them leave, basking in the afterglow of the stars.
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the things i said when i finally noticed you
Katsuki is in the gym, sweat dripping down his back from his spar with Todoroki earlier in the day. The area is empty, devoid of any people during the time people normally eat dinner, and he relishes in the sweet silence.
“Bakugou?” Or apparently not. Ojiro rounds the corner, holding a plastic water bottle full of some sort of energy drink. “What are you doing here?”
“I could say the same to you,” Katsuki replies, jogging laxly on the treadmill, “aren’t you normally with your girlfriend or some shit?”
“What—I thought you didn’t even know our names? How did you even know that I’m dating Tooru?” Ojiro stammers.
Katsuki hums noncommittally. “I know everything, dumbass,” he spares a look at his classmate, noting the karategi the other is donning, “you do martial arts?”
“Yeah? What about it?”
“Wanna spar? No quirks or any bullshit like that.”
It takes a lot of persuading, but eventually the two of them are sparring, Katsuki sending kicks that Ojiro easily dodges, the two of them in a sort of dance in which neither of them let up. It’s the most interesting sparring session Katsuki has had in a long time, but he doesn’t give the other the satisfaction of knowing.
“You know, Tails, you’re not half-bad. I don’t know why you’re always in the background so much during class; you could knock out half of those extras in a second.”
Ojiro flusters, tail twitching out of genuine embarrassment, before he says a simple, “thanks.”
Katsuki just nods, towel draped over his shoulder as he leaves the gym.
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the things i said that you didn’t expect
“I’m...fuck, I’m sorry.” Katsuki says, eyes looking anywhere except the person right in front of him.
“What?” Izuku asks, mouth gaping wide open like a dead fish.
“You heard me the first time,” Katsuki grunts.
“I know but...I just didn’t expect it. Why say this now?”
“I should’ve said it a lot earlier, but better late then never, I guess, even if I still despise your guts.” Izuku beams, a knowing smile already making its way onto his face, and Katsuki doesn’t have the heart to say a trademark insult in return.
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the things you said that made me laugh
“I fucking hate grocery shopping,” Katsuki grumbles out, a frustrated pout forming on his face.
Todoroki doesn’t acknowledge this, instead choosing to pick out all of the bananas and plop them in the grocery cart.
“Why the fuck are you buying so many fuckin’ bananas?” Katsuki asks, reaching into the cart to pull a couple bunches out.
“My father is surprisingly allergic to them. Besides, I stole his credit card, so you don’t have to worry about paying,” Todoroki says, holding said card in his delicate hands and showing the blond. “It’s payback for the years of trauma he’s given me.”
Katsuki is stunned silent, before he barks out a laugh and grins, “well, what are we waiting for? Let’s buy the entire fuckin’ store!”
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the things i said in the middle of the night
Three knocks on the door to the teacher’s lounge forces Aizawa to leave his stack of papers to go answer it, blearily blinking away sleep from his eyes.
“Bakugou?” Aizawa asks, confused. “Why are you here?”
The blond regards him for a minute, eyes bloodshot and puffy, before he rasps out a soft, “nothin’. Just wanted to make sure you were alive.”
“Why wouldn’t I be alive?” Aizawa whispers, softer than he intended.
“Had a dream that you weren’t. ‘S nothin’, really. You can go back to gradin’ papers or whatever.” Bakugou grunts, leaving to go back to the dorms.
“Wait.” His student turns around, face as passive as always. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.” The words are spoken quietly, but it’s a loud statement for the two of them. Black eyes meet red before Bakugou breaks away, looking embarrassed at his next choice of words.
“I know.”
the things you said through the wall
“God, I hate that I love him!” Eijirou’s voice, albeit muffled through the thin walls, rings through Katsuki’s room, and the latter feels his heart stop. “I hate that I love his stupidly soft and spiky hair and his sharp eyes and prickly curse words and insulting nicknames and—ugh! Why did I have to fall for the most oblivious person alive?”
“Kiri...he calls you by your first name whenever he’s not saying ‘Shitty Hair’ and he’s nicer towards you than anyone else in the class, or even the squad! I love you but you’re possibly more oblivious than he is.” Ashido consoles, a faint thunking noise indicating her jumping on Eijirou’s bed.
Katsuki, as quietly as he can, gets into his bed and screams into his pillow, face a pretty shade of pink.
.
the things we said in good fun
“C’mon, now which squad is better? Bakusquad, the legends, the masterminds, the baddest bitches, or the Dekusquad, the sad and pathetic and ugly worms that don’t know how to properly enjoy life?” Ashido cheers, pretending to be a host on a game show.
“Is that even a question?” Katsuki smirks, looking down at Izuku trying to repress his laughter and Todoroki enraptured by a butterfly. “Just look at them! They’re like the five maggots on the bottom of Pikachu’s leftover pizza plate from three months ago.”
Uraraka glares at the two of them, gesturing over to where Eijirou and Sero are currently trying to have a civil conversation about their dick size. “If we’re maggots, you’re mosquitos! Annoying and not useful and a disgrace to humanity!”
In the distance, Kaminari short-circuits.
.
the things you said that i’ll always remember
“You’ll never have genuine friends, Katsuki. Not with an ego like yours,” Mitsuki comments, tone uninterested but eyes searching for a reaction.
Seven years later, Katsuki gives her one.
“Hey Hag, it’s your bitchy son that you seemed to have forgotten about. You’re probably halfway across the country right now, so I’m leaving you a voicemail because I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. I have people that actually care about me now, and you fuckin’ don’t, and I just wanna say that I’m fucked up but at least I’m trying to get better. Ignorance is a disease, and I hope you recover quickly. If you ever want to see me, don’t.”
He ends the voicemail, and exhales.
.
the things i said in gratitude
“You idiots...did this? For me? What the fuck?” Katsuki asks, mostly because he can’t believe it.
“It’s your birthday, bro! And it’s on weed day! We just had to celebrate.” Kaminari grins, casually slinging an arm around Katsuki’s shoulder.
“I’m not even close with half of you,” Katsuki says, brain still processing the pile of gifts on the table circling around a giant cake baked by Satou, colorful balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling.
“Yes you are,” Jirou rolls her eyes, a fond smirk overtaking her face, “just accept it, dumbass. It’s your birthday.”
So he sits down, surrounded by people that he begrudgingly cares about, Deku flanking one side and Eijirou on the other, his own shitty squad sitting across from him declaring war on Deku’s while Todoroki makes heart-eyes at the oblivious nerd. For once in his life, he thinks he almost feels...happy.
“Whatcha smilin’ about there, Kats?” Eijirou cheekily smiles, poking Katsuki’s cheek with a frosting-coated fork.
“Shut up and eat your cake,” Katsuki grumbles out, pointedly ignoring Deku’s knowing look and Mina making kissy noises at the two of them.
Yeah, maybe people didn’t suck so bad after all.