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Bakugo had a friend.
He had more than one friend of course and there was nothing wrong with the fact that Bakugo had a friend. It was just that class 1-A didn’t know this friend and their interest had been piqued.
It had mostly been piqued because they hadn’t known about this friend until now, more than half a year later. And they only knew because they had to move into the dorms, which meant that some privacy they had before, was no more.
So they had found out about the friend.
Since as much as Bakugo had apparently tried to hide this friend, he wasn’t willing to give up contact over it and called with the friend regularly.
He hadn’t talked with them just in front of anyone and it was only after a few weeks in the dorms that they first heard the name.
Bakugo was grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, phone held between his shoulder and ear as he listened to what the person on the other side of the line was saying. Most assumed it was one of his parents and left him to it, not wanting to interrupt or listen in.
After he had gotten the glass of water, Bakugo decided he wanted a snack, but not before telling the person on the other side: “Stop muttering, Izuchan. You know I can’t follow you, just fucking tell me about this great discovery like a normal person.”
The room stopped at ‘Izuchan.’ That wasn’t just a nickname, that was a personal and friendly nickname, completely opposite to the ones he had for his classmates. So they stared as Bakugo grabbed a snack while he listened intently.
Then Bakugo laughed, actually honest to god laughed, at something this Izuchan said, before replying: “That’s your revelation? Of course I could beat that motherfucker up.”
After another silence, he said: “You don’t get to tell her I said that! She’ll kill me.”
“What you should tell her? Uhm,” Bakugo thought for a moment, “Tell auntie I considered it before agreeing politely.”
Izuchan said something and he pouted: “She might believe it.”
They could faintly hear laughter over the line, before Bakugo whined: “No, I wanted to ask her to make me curry, she won’t do it if she’s mad at me.”
He nodded at something Izuchan said, then agreed: “You’re right, maybe this whole dorm situation will help me. Does she miss me much? Tell her I said hi, by the way.”
Then he turned and saw some people looking at him, so he lowered the phone for a second and growled: “Oi, I’m not a fucking circus act. It’s rude to stare, you fucking extra’s,” then he said into the phone, “They were being annoying and rude, I’m not overcompensating, Izuchan.”
So yeah, Bakugo had a friend.
A friend they didn’t know of and had never heard more about other than the fact that Bakugo called this friend Izuchan and apparently was more open and fun with this person. And by god if a few people weren’t absolutely curious about this Izuchan.
When Bakugo returned downstairs for dinner, Mina pounced on him first, she had been there for the phone call and she was very curious: “So, who did you have on the line?”
“None of your fucking business, raccoon,” Bakugo scoffed in response.
“Ahw, come on, you can give us more than that,” Mina pouted.
“I could, but it’s none of your business,” Bakugo told her again.
“Mina, you shouldn’t pry, it’s unbecoming of a hero!” Iida jumped in with chopping hands and for once Bakugo was glad for the rule-stickling class president.
“But, Iidaaa,” Mina whined.
“No, leave people their privacy, we already lost so much,” Iida said and Mina backed off, knowing when to stop.
That didn’t mean she let it go completely, nor a few others. Kirishima was all for respecting others and their privacy, but he felt a bit weird knowing that one of his best friends hadn’t trusted him with the fact that he had more friends outside of school.
It was a strange thing to keep secret.
So, a few days later he asked: “What are you doing on the weekend. Heard you got permission to go home. Visiting anyone?”
Bakugo looked at him suspiciously, before shrugging: “Mostly seeing my mom and dad and eating some curry.”
“Oh, yeah, Mina said you mentioned curry on the phone,” Kirishima commented, he didn’t want to, but in his curiosity it slipped out, so at Bakugo’s look, he immediately added, “Ah, sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Bakugo sighed, “I just don’t know why everyone thinks it’s such a big deal. Mina pestered me in the hallways again and Kaminari during lunch. I’m not going around asking them every detail about their life.”
“To be honest, I don’t think you know stuff even if they have told you,” Kirishima said, “You didn’t know Uraraka’s name during the sports festival and you fought her before.”
He made a ‘that’s fair’-face, then said: “Yeah, but I don’t get why they want to know.”
“You’re just so grumpy all the time, bro. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but you can be a bit stand-off-ish and I think most of us are just surprised you never mentioned this person.”
“I don’t have to if I don’t want to, dumbass.”
“You don’t, you don’t,” Kirishima quickly assured him, already regretting starting this conversation in the first place, “But you can’t blame people for being curious.”
“I suppose,” and that was the end of the conversation, because Bakugo moved on to the Hero Training lesson they’d had today.
He left for the weekend and never said anything beyond ‘it was fine’ whenever someone asked how his weekend had been.
So, people let it go.
Sure, they were curious and wanted to know who the person was that Bakugo was trying to hide from them, but he obviously didn’t want to tell him and they weren’t getting on his good side by asking. So, better to let things be.
Well, until they overheard Bakugo talk to Izuchan again a few weeks later. He was walking to his room when his phone went, he looked to his screen before sighing and picking up: “What happened, nerd? I am not bailing you out again, Izuchan.”
If it had been anything other than that, class 1-A would have let it go again, but this just made them wonder about so many things that it was impossible to not be curious again.
Who was this Izuchan?
Bakugo then replied to Izuchan: “It’s not that weird that I thought that. So why are you suddenly calling me? Not that I don’t appreciate it.”
And who was this polite Bakugo?
“You got what?” Bakugo’s voice went a bit shrill, “Are you okay? Did you contact auntie? Or my mom or dad at least? Or the fucking police? An ambulance maybe? What’s fucking wrong with you?”
Everyone startled at the sudden change of tone and Kirishima asked: “Is everything alright, bro?”
Bakugo now seemed to notice the audience and held up a finger while he listened to whatever he was being told over the phone. He sighed in relief, before saying: “You had me worried there you dick, you don’t get to tell me you were attacked when it was just that.”
There is a short silence, then Bakugo huffed: “No, a goose doesn’t count, no matter how terrifying they are, now wait a moment while I tell these idiots that you’re fine, fucking hell.”
He turned to the class, who was waiting with curious gazes, and told them: “Izuchan’s fine, he got attacked by a goose in the park and decided to be a dramatic bitch about it. He’s stupid as fuck, don’t mind him. Shows over.”
That did little to explain the enigma that was this Izuchan, but did calm the class slightly after the outburst just then.
Izuchan apparently said something again, because Bakugo rolled his eyes: “Yeah, yeah, whatever, you nerd. I’ll talk to you later, when I’m not pissed at you for giving me a heart attack, okay. You know you can’t joke about that shit.”
A silence.
“No, I don’t care how much you thought you were going to die, geese are not emergency material and I will kick you the next time I see you. Also call auntie if it actually bit you, that needs to be disinfected.”
Izuchan probably pouted something, because Bakugo laughed and said: “I still hate you, bye,” before he hung up.
“So your friend is okay?” Iida asked after a moment of quiet.
“Yeah, yeah, he is,” Bakugo sighed, “There is nothing wrong with him, physically at least, he is fucking stupid, but that’s permanent and he’s always been like that.”
“Don’t be mean, Bakugo,” Kirishima grinned, knowing his friend wouldn’t listen.
“I’m not mean, if you’d met him, you would agree.”
Kirishima raised a brow and Bakugo added: “Which you will not, so just take my word for it.”
“Not cool, bro. I wanna meet him, I don’t get why you’re so mysterious about this, it’s literally killing me and making me more curious.”
Bakugo shrugged: “Not my problem,” then walked off. He didn’t want them to meet Izuchan for the simple reason that he couldn't help but be soft around the nerd and he had a reputation to maintain. That and he also had trouble sharing Izuchan’s attention and a small petty part didn’t want his best friend to like his other friends better than him.
So, he kept his mouth shut about Izuchan and lived his life.
He slipped up one other time when he was calling with his mother. He knew some had been watching his phone calls like hawks and he found those extra’s mildly annoying, so he’d kept most of his calls to his room, but he thought his mother would be safe.
But apparently not.
“Inko and Izuku are visiting right now,” she told him, “They miss you brat, wanna say hi?”
“What do you mean auntie and Izuchan are visiting, old hag? You guys having Friday dinners without me, ey?” he frowned, “And of course I wanna say hi.”
The Friday dinners had become a bit of a tradition, reprieving busy parents from cooking once every two weeks while maintaining college contacts and having a fun play date for their kids.
Izuchan’s voice came over the line: “Hi, Kacchan! Sorry that we’re eating without you, it’s less fun, but you’re here in spirit.”
He just knew the little shit would be smiling all sweet, so he grumbled: “In spirit my ass, you’re just eating my food.”
“Actually I’m eating my food,” Izuchan corrected, “I learned how to make katsudon, so I cooked. You don’t have anything on me.”
“You did?” Bakugo exclaimed in surprise, he vividly remembered the pancake incident.
“Yeah, I did. I’m not that horrid of a cook, you know,” Izuchan pouted.
“Tell that to the kitchen you almost burned down and the apartment complex that had to evacuate, Izuchan,” Bakugo grinned.
“So mean, Kacchan.”
“Aim to please,” Bakugo rolled his eyes with a smirk, then there was some shuffling on the other line and he faintly heard Izuchan: “I’m not hogging the line, mom,” before Inko greeted him: “Hi, Katsuki, is school okay? Are you eating well?”
“Hi auntie,” he replied fondly, “School’s fine and unlike your offspring I know how to cook. I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“He is getting better, he made us kastudon,” she told him.
“So he said, but you don’t have to lie to me. Is it edible?” he grinned.
Izuchan yelled: “It was perfectly fine, Kacchan. Mom, tell him it was okay.”
“I mean…” Inko decided to mess with Izuchan, who guffawed loudly, making Bakugo laugh as Inko amended her hesitation and praising her son’s cooking.
Then the phone was commandeered back by his mother, who said: “And that was enough harassment from my brat. Do your best out there, we’ll see you next weekend.”
“Bye old hag, say bye to the others.”
“I will,” and then she hung up.
When he looked up from his goodbye, he came face to face with Mina, who was leaning on the back of the couch. She asked: “Izuchan?”
Hearing her say his nickname for his favourite nerd, snapped something in Bakugo, who growled: “His name is Midoriya to you.”
“Touchy, touchy” Mina tutted. “So, Midoriya?” she repeated her question, mocking him when she said the name with an eyeroll.
Bakugo huffed and stomped off, not willing to deal with that or talk about it ever again.
Sadly, nothing turned out someone planned and no one could plan for every surprise there was, so despite his best efforts Izuchan met his classmates by chance.
It happened when Bakugo got injured in class. This was not an uncommon occurrence, but since he’d been hit in the head, which could have lasting damage his emergency contact had to be informed of the injury.
This in itself wasn’t that big of a deal, but it just so happened that his parents were away on a fashion show in Milan and Inko wasn’t allowed to take calls at her job, so for the time being Izuchan was the one who would be called for him.
Bakugo was completely fine and had already been healed by Recovery Girl and stormed out when she was done, but he hadn’t been when Aizawa called his emergency contact, quite baffled by the young anxious voice that had picked up.
Because Midoriya was a nervous person overall, hearing that his best friend had been injured to the point of unconsciousness, made him spiral and demand he could see him in a fit of concerned bravery.
UA wasn’t about to wave off demands from the relations to the students that had managed to get kidnapped under their watch, so Aizawa agreed to meet Midoriya at the gate.
“Midoriya Izuku?” he asked.
“Ah, uhm, yes, we spoke on the phone,” the young boy said, “It’s an honor to meet you Mr. Eraser Head, big fan.”
Aizawa wasn’t aware he had fans as an underground hero, so he just thanked the kid awkwardly, before he moved on: “Bakugo is at the dorms, he got up pretty soon after we called.”
“That’s a relief,” Midoriya smiled, still nervous around the edges.
Meanwhile in the dorm Bakugo was scowling at everyone and telling them that he was ‘perfectly fine now fuck off, tapeface’ when the door suddenly opened and a familiar voice yelled: “Kacchan!”
He looked up and there was Izuchan, already rushing towards him as he said: “You’re alive, oh my god you had me so worried, Kacchan.”
Izuchan took his face between his hands, trying to find a wound already gone as the rest of the class watched, completely baffled Bakugo was pushing this stranger off.
“You pinky promised me, you wouldn’t get yourself badly hurt, Kacchan. You know how worried I get, where did you get hit. God, they told me you were unconscious,” Izuchan rambled on.
“Izuchan. Izuchan, I’m fine. It’s already gone, it healed,” he assured his friend, then frowned, “What are you doing here anyway?”
“Do you have amnesia? Who is your favourite hero? How many fingers am I holding up?” Izuchan asked, “Do you know who your parents are?”
“Oh, the fashion show, slipped my mind,” Bakugo remembered, “And stop being so concerned, nerd. Also you promised you wouldn’t get arrested anymore and you almost did last weekend, so stop getting on my dick about one little head injury.”
“Key word being almost, Kacchan. Besides, a head injuries can be very serious. You could have been hurt, like badly.”
“Well, I’m not, so you can stop being an idiot, I’m fine, promise.”
“Pinky promise?” Izuchan held up his pinky with those big eyes, he knew Bakugo couldn't say no to.
Bakugo sighed and interlocked their pinkies, he was very aware of his entire class behind Izuchan watching them with big eyes. They were about to explode, he just knew it. He mumbled: “Pinky promise, Izuchan.”
Then Izuchan smiled for real and it made Bakugo feel infinitely better about the whole situation… until the whole class finally burst into chaos.
“You’re Izuchan?”
“Bakubro, your friend is so manly!”
“Ahw, he’s so cute!”
“Not at all what I pictured, kero…”
“Bakugo is so nice to him.”
Midoriya got completely overwhelmed by the wall of sound and looked at them with big eyes until Bakugo yelled: “Stop scaring him, you fucking extra’s.”
That send Midoriya into scolding as he berated Bakugo: “You told me you were gonna stop calling people extra’s, I know you know all their names. Stop overcompensating.”
“I’m not overcompensating,” Bakugo protested and Midoriya just send him an unimpressed look, so Bakugo pouted and looked away.
Then Midoriya got off the couch and bowed: “Sorry for my manners. I’m Midoriya Izuku, pleasure to meet you all. I’ve heard great things from Kacchan!” and then he send them his biggest smile that melted everyone’s hearts.
They all introduced themselves while Bakugo pouted in the background. He wasn’t going to deprive his friend of a fun interaction – god knew he needed it – but he was a bit sour how quickly he’d lost his attention.
Kirishima asked: “How long have you know Bakugo? He never said anything about you and wouldn’t tell us why.”
“Oh, we’ve known each other all our lives. Our mums were friends in college,” Midoriya said, “He is a right softie, always protected me from the bullies on the playground. As for why he never talked about me, I can hazard a guess.”
At that Bakugo’s head whipped up, he had told Izuchan his reason and he couldn't believe his friend was about to expose him like that.
“Really?” Mina leaned in with curious eyes, she was delighted that the mystery himself had showed up and was hungry for information.
“Yeah, really,” Midoriya smirked in Bakugo’s reaction who was gesturing for him to cut it off, but why would he? “He thinks he has a tough man reputation, but I know that he cried during the All Might cartoons and that auntie still makes a food face on his ramen when he visits during the weekend.”
Mina giggled and more followed, while Bakugo had enough and tackled Midoriya with a blush, covering his friend’s mouth as he said: “That’s fucking enough, Izuchan. I still have pictures of you at the police station for auntie, so you watch out.”
Midoriya blanched and muffledly promised he was going to shut up now.
“Why were you arrested?” Mina asked, she liked this Izuchan.
He blushed and Bakugo smirked: “Yeah, Izuchan, why were you arrested?”
“Well, uhm, according to the police someone made a noise complaint about me and then I refused to cooperate during my arrest, but in my defense, it is really hard to cooperate when you have chained yourself to a tree,” Midoriya said.
“Chained… to a tree…?” Jiro repeated.
“Yeah, they were going to cut it down, but a few birds had built a little nest in it, so I couldn't let them do it and I had seen others protesting like that online, but I didn’t keep the key on me, while the police officers thought I did. It was really just a big misunderstanding,” he explained.
Bakugo chimed in: “The tree did stay up.”
“That it did,” Midoriya agreed proudly.
Before the class could question Midoriya again, Aizawa stepped in: “While it’s good to see you all get along, we have a time-limit to outside visitors, which is currently running out.”
Midoriya and Bakugo gave each other sad eyes and – surprising everyone except Midoriya – Bakugo pulled his friend into a big hug and whispered: “Thanks for coming to check up on me, Izuchan.”
“Always, Kacchan,” Midoriya promised and Bakugo knew from experience how much the other meant it.
“Say hi to auntie for me,” he told him.
“Of course, Kacchan. Try to keep your promise.”
“Only if you keep yours, shitty nerd.”
“I will. Bye bye! Nice to meet you, everyone.”
“Bye, Midoriya.”
“Bye, Izuchan!”
Then the kid was lead away by Aizawa, while he kept waving for as long as he could, Bakugo doing the same.
Once he was out of sight, Bakugo grinned: “I can’t believe the idiot still doesn’t know auntie already heard he was arrested, but the blackmail is nice.”
“That’s a bit mean against your friend,” Mina said.
“Do you have any idea how long Izuchan has been building a collection of blackmail against me, raccoon? Do you have any idea how much power he holds in his grubby little hands?” Bakugo shot back, shuddering at the thought.
Kirishima said: “He’s great, I hope we’ll meet him again.”
“Yeah,” Sero agreed, thinking off all the stories Midoriya could tell them.
“Oh, you will, he won’t let just anything stop him,” Bakugo grinned, remembering of all the plans Izuchan still had. All the things the nerd wanted to accomplish. Yeah, this wasn’t the last time they were going to see him, just maybe a first taste.