Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya was obsessed with Katsuki Bakugo in a way that few would consider healthy. Izuku tapped a finger against his notebook. Number fourteen. All of Izuku’s notebooks, numbered one to fourteen, were dedicated to Katsuki. Izuku needed to know everything about the teen. From Katsuki’s homelife to his childhood, his current adolescence, his personality, his strengths, his weaknesses, his favorite arcade, what time he went to bed, what positions he slept in, what time he woke up, the brand of toothpaste he used to how long he brushed his teeth. Notebook twelve was dedicated to Katsuki’s favorite foods, to every favorite food he’d ever had and how he liked it prepared. Simply put, Izuku was a stalker and Katsuki the unfortunate object of his unnoticed affection.
Katsuki noticed the way Izuku seemed to act like a servant around him, tying his shoes when they were younger and continuing to cling onto and assist Katsuki as they got older. But Katsuki had a strong quirk, he was praised for his natural ability and genius while Izuku had nothing. So wasn’t it only natural for the weak to gravitate towards the strong? Katsuki was a king after all.
“Oh, Midoriya, weren’t you trying out for Yuuei as well?” The teacher asked and all eyes snapped towards Izuku’s hunched figure.
“Midoriya? But he’s quirkless!” One student called out and the rest fell into laughter, several taunts being shouted at Izuku who stayed quiet. Izuku took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fist beneath the table. Izuku and Katsuki had long since decided they were going to stick together, and that included which high school they would attend.
“I-I’m just going for Gen Ed!” Izuku weakly called out, wrapping his arms around himself as he turned to the teacher who had a dark look in his eye. Izuku knew the man called him out on purpose, maybe hoping the bullying would dissuade Izuku from actually applying.
“Alright that’s enough.” The teacher called out after a moment and the shouting stopped. “Let’s continue with the lesson.” Izuku frowned, still hearing whispers around him. When Izuku was around other people, he got nervous. It was hard for him to put together coherent sentences, often stumbling over his words or stuttering. When it was just him and Katsuki, though, things were different. Izuku felt like a new person. His head was clear, silent, and he could focus, he could speak. Izuku found a new sense of confidence when alone with the blond, he was more pushy too. They were simply meant to be. Izuku wanted Katsuki, and he knew one day Katsuki would want him back.
The school day let out without any more incidents and Izuku trailed after Katsuki and two of his lackeys. Lackeys. Izuku thought, because that’s what they are. I am Kacchan’s only friend. The four decided to go to the arcade near the school to let loose. Izuku followed after, a few paces behind, eyes watching Katsuki's every move.
When they arrived at the arcade, Izuku withheld from playing any actual games. He merely stood back and watched, eyes once more trained on Katsuki. Izuku’s hands itched to write as he watched Katsuki play air hockey against the student with the long fingers. Itched to analyze Katsuki’s strategy, his speed, the strength with which he sent the puck flying into the goal. Izuku focused on committing everything to memory, not contributing to any conversations as he merely observed, memorizing which games Katsuki played, his play styles, and the genre of game that he liked best. Of course, this was all information Izuku had written before on one of their many other outings to the arcade, but Izuku always liked to be up to date.
“W-Wow, Kacchan!” Izuku exclaimed as they walked out of the arcade, the sun beginning its descent. “I can’t believe you beat them both at air hockey!” Katsuki smirked, chest puffing up in pride as he grinned down at Izuku.
“Obviously I beat them both, Deku. I’m the best there is, and one day I’ll be the number one hero.” Izuku nodded along to Katsuki’s words enthusiastically, noting the way his lackey’s scowled behind them. Long fingers whispered something to sharp teeth and the two snickered. Izuku turned his eyes back to Katsuki with a smile.
“I’ll cheer you on the whole way!”
The next day at school, Katsuki cornered Izuku. “Oi, Deku.” Izuku tilted his head, waiting for Katsuki to speak. “You’re too fuckin’ scrawny.” Izuku laughed at that, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Ah, you think so Kacchan?” Izuku turned to his arm, his uniform practically swamped him. This, of course, was intentional on young Izuku’s part. Izuku was far more muscular than he let on, he trained his body endlessly working out near every day of the week. He had to be strong enough to protect Katsuki, to support him.
“Even though you’re just going for the gen ed course, you’re still going to be attending Yuuei. I’m going to start training you.” Katsuki said, voice taking on a high edge as he awaited Izuku’s appreciation.
“Really? Thank you Kacchan!”
They started with runs. Katsuki would show up at Izuku’s house at 6am everyday and drag the smaller boy on a 1k run. After a week, Katsuki upped it to 2k. A month in and the two teens would run a 5k in the morning and a 5k after school. Katsuki didn't seem to realize that Izuku should be having a much harder time with this than he was.
“Not bad, Deku.” Katsuki said, smirking at Izuku after their run. “I started you with just running so we could get your endurance up. However, the entrance exam is in just eight months and, even though I’m obviously going to get in, I can’t sacrifice my other training like that.” Katsuki raised his fists, cracking his neck to the side. “So today you’re going to fight me.” Izuku gave a nervous grin, standing straight and raising his fists. He’d have to be careful not to hurt Katsuki.
The day of the gen ed entrance exam arrived quickly and Izuku quickly looked around the room while the written tests were being passed out. Everybody looks so… dull. Izuku frowned, without Katsuki life was always so gray.
Izuku got to the last question with an hour to spare and he read it carefully before rereading it. ”Why do you want to attend Yuuei? Use a minimum of 100 words to explain your reasons for applying.” Izuku sighed, the question was easy enough. He put the pen to paper, wanting to write ‘for Katsuki’ but instead starting writing some bullshit about bettering his future and receiving the best education possible for his grade level. Izuku hummed before deciding to add a quick paragraph about how, just because Yuuei was a hero school, didn’t mean it was just for heroes and attending would give him a leg up in finding a career and furthering his education.
Izuku finished with ten minutes to spare and he put down his pencil. Kacchan will have no trouble on the written exam. If I was able to find it easy, Kacchan will surely ace it.
“Oi, Deku!” Izuku’s heart jumped when Katsuki unexpectedly greeted him at the school gate. “Finished your exam?” Katsuki grinned, showing off his teeth, and Izuku nodded with a smile of his own.
“Yeah! The written exam was really easy, Kacchan. I have no doubts that you’ll do really well.” Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes as he walked off, waiting for Izuku to follow.
“Obviously I’ll do good, Deku. Now, let’s go get some okonomiyaki, my treat.” Izuku nodded rapidly, heart thumping in his chest as he followed after.
Our first date!
Izuku found himself enraptured for the entirety of their ‘date.’ For once, he didn’t listen to what Katsuki was saying religiously, unable to stop the pounding in his chest as he stuffed more food into his mouth.
“Thanks for coming to get me, Kacchan. I can’t wait to go to Yuuei together.” Katsuki huffed, ears tinging red as he averted his gaze.
“Yeah, whatever Deku. Don’t say it like that.”
The day of the hero course entrance exam arrived and Izuku walked with Katsuki to the entrance. As Izuku was bidding the blond goodbye with a cheery wave, he spotted a familiar head of spiked purple hair. I think I’ve seen that boy before. At the gen ed exam. I guess he’s trying out for both courses. Izuku hummed, turning around and walking off with his hands in his pockets. As long as he doesn’t touch Kacchan, he doesn’t matter. Izuku pulled out his phone, checking the time. He had far more important things to worry about than testing applicants.
Izuku slid into a rundown gas station with no cameras, he checked, and headed for the bathroom. Izuku put his backpack down on the stall floor and began getting dressed.
When Izuku emerged again, he had a black beanie cap covering his bright green hair and his gakuran had been replaced by black jeans and an orange hoodie. Izuku pulled on a black facemask, securing the loops behind his ears, before pulling on a pair of black latex gloves as he walked out, backpack hanging over one shoulder.
“Fuck, I can’t believe Bakugo is actually taking the Yuuei hero exam today!” A boy whose quirk allowed him to stretch his fingers complained. “If his quirk wasn’t so fuckin’ strong, then all those fights he ended up in would’ve surely been marked as infractions on his records! There’s no way someone that villainous should be allowed to be a hero!” Another boy, with a quirk that let him lengthen and sharpen his teeth, snickered, kicking the other student in the leg.
“You’re just jealous, Tesaki.” Sharp tooth said, “you could’ve taken the entrance exam today too, but we all know you’d fail.” Sharp tooth snickered again and Tesaki’s face went red.
“Hey! You’d fail too, Shiga! Besides, there’s no point in attending Yuuei if you’re not trying to be a hero.” Shiga rolled his eyes, lazily taking a drag of a cigarette.
“Yeah, that’s true, unless you’re Midoriya, then you attend because you have a crush on Bakugo.” Both students dissolved into laughter at that, not noticing the figure creeping up behind them.
Izuku quickly hit Shiga over the head with a metal pipe. The boy crumpled to the ground instantly and Tesaki stopped laughing, eyes widening as he saw what happened. “Wh-Who are you?” Tesaki asked, taking a shaky step back. “Stay back!” Izuku glared at him, grinning beneath the mask as he surged forwards. Tesaki didn’t even fight back, shrieking and covering his head with his arms. Izuku’s foot landed in his stomach and Tesaki fell flat on his back, gasping as the air was knocked out of him. “No, please. I-I have money! I’ll give you everything I have! You can even take him, just don’t hurt me!” Izuku glowered down at the boy, he was truly the worst of the worst.
“No loyalty.” Izuku scowled, kicking the boy’s head in and watching with glee as he fell unconscious. “Good thing you two like to stick together.” Izuku muttered, looking around the part of the forest they were in. Somebody was unlikely to find them here. “Probably hid here so they could smoke.” Izuku sighed, walking over to Shiga’s body and stomping out his cigarette. “Now to make you two disappear.”
Izuku managed to drag both of their bodies to the edge of a cliff deeper into the forest. It looked out over the ocean, waves crashing against the rocks below. Izuku checked the time, he had a little over an hour until Katsuki would finish. “Good, I have to be there to pick up Kacchan, too. We’ll go on another date!” Izuku smiled, feeling giddy all over again as he tied heavy rocks to the ankles and wrists of both boys. “I’m so excited! Aren’t you?” Izuku looked down at his peers, eyes wide with panic and mouths taped shut. “I wonder where I should take him?” Izuku hummed, kicking Shiga over the edge before sending Tesaki following. Their muffled screams could be heard slightly until they neared the bottom. Izuku waited, watching as they hit the rocks in a splatter of blood until the waves claimed their bodies.
“Maybe we’ll go to hot pot.”
Izuku arrived outside the Yuuei gates with three minutes to spare. He’d changed back into his gakuran and disposed of the mask and gloves, the clothes tucked deep into his backpack. “Kacchan!” Izuku waved as the blond walked out, a smug look on his face. “How was it? Was it hard? What did you do?” Katsuki smirked, tilting his head up to look down on Izuku.
“It was really easy, Nerd. I got to fight against robots. With how many of those metal fuckers I killed, there’s no way I didn’t get first place.” Izuku smiled, nodding enthusiastically.
“Of course you did, Kacchan. Do you want to go out to eat? To celebrate? My treat this time! I was thinking hot pot.” Katsuki continued walking, silent for a moment before he nodded.
“Yeah, hot pot’s fine. Once I’m actually in Yuuei I’ll need to develop a better habit. Maybe I’ll even teach you how to cook, Deku.” Izuku’s eyes widened at the prospect of Katsuki teaching him.
“That sounds great, Kacchan! Your cooking is the best.”
The next week at school the news was announced that Shiga and Tesaki had gone missing. Police officers asked anyone with information to reach out before thanking everyone and leaving. That news was quickly overshadowed with questions about the Yuuei entrance exam. Izuku smiled from the background as he watched Katsuki boast. Of course no one would care about those second rate extras, not when Katsuki Bakugo was right there.