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Katsuki goes on runs before the crack of dawn because no one else is around. No annoying kids building sandcastles along the path he runs that loops around a large city park. No one in his way, taking their sweet time jogging and conversing while Katsuki is trying desperately to run till he’s panting and sweating and breathing hurts his teeth. He runs before dawn because then it’s just him, the dark light between night and day, and the erratic beating of his heart. Or at least it was supposed to be.
This morning had started out much the same. Katsuki waking from his usual anxiety stilted sleep. Checked the news while he pulled on his running clothes, nothing had happened while he was trying to sleep. Checked his calls, no one needed DynaMight. Left his phone after the usual fight with himself, plugged in at his bedside, and stepped out into the cold air. Katsuki runs the same path every morning. Walking to the park, hopping over the useless little gate, letting out a breath at the head of the trail. And then he runs. Sprints. Feet pounding on compressed mulch, hair pushing back to lay flat against his head. It’s freedom, flying down the path. He wonders if this is what Hawks felt like. And then he’s bowled over.
Whatever knocked him over hit him with enough force that he falls and slides over the ground. Spitting curses as he goes. As soon as his back is on solid ground his face is attacked by a long wet tongue. He thinks for a brief panicked moment that it’s a villain. Taking him down in a moment of weakness, but if it’s a villain, it’s very soft. And makes snuffling little noises and finally a bark. A happy little sound that has Katsuki’s mind going from panicked to pissed off.
The dog is a large golden retriever, and by large he means huge. Its paws are planted firmly on Katsuki’s chest, tail swinging happily and tongue drooling heavily.
“What the fuck!” Katsuki snaps, pushing at the dog. “Get off you monster!” the dog does not get off. Just lets out a yapping woof, tapping its massive paws on his chest. It pushes the breath out of Katsuki’s lungs and leaves him wheezing.
“Riot! Oh my god!” Suddenly the dog is being removed from Katsuki’s chest. “I am so fucking sorry man. Riot! Dude! We’ve talked about this.”
Katsuki stares up from his heap on the ground at the man who scooped his big ass dog off of him. He’s cradling the massive beast in his arms like it’s an infant.
“What the hell?”
The guy looks down at him. “I’m sorry.” he places his dog onto the ground. “Stay.” Then he holds out a large hand. “He gets really excited sometimes if I let him off the leash.”
Katsuki sneers at the hand, getting up himself. “Your beast's name is Riot?”
The guy, who really is just an outline in the dark, drops his hand. “Uh, yeah man.”
A scoff falls out of his mouth, “Like Red Riot?”
Stupid shitty-haired, strong ass, handsome, vigilante. Damn him and his smug smirk and sharp ass teeth. Katsuki has never hated a person more than he hates Red Riot. Always showing up and stealing the limelight. Taunting Katsuki as he treats villains like punching bags. A damn bastard if ever Katsuki had seen one.
“Bro,” the man laughs, “Like Crimson Riot. Ya know, the hero?”
Katsuki glares. He doesn’t know if the man can see his face in the dark. Katsuki can't see his. “Of course, I know who Crimson Riot is.” Damn shitty vigilante stealing his name wearing it with pride. “ Also why the hell was your dog off his leash? Isn’t that fucking illegal?”
The guy shuffles where he stands, “Probably, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here so early. Who runs before the sun comes up?”
It occurs to Katsuki then, as his suspicions about whether the man can see him or not are confirmed, that this stranger has no idea he’s talking to a pro hero.
“I do, asshole. Keep your mongrel on a leash next time.”
“No need to be a bitch about it. I apologized, it was a mistake, Riot is harmless. Go back to bed if you’re gonna be this unpleasant to people.” and with that the guy turns, whistles for his dog and walks away. Katsuki blinks, jolted by the unexpected call out. He sneers and turns back to the trail.
“Hey baby.”
Katsuki presses his eyes closed. He’s not in the mood. Not now, not ever. But in usual fashion Red Riot saunters over, refusing to read the mood and not caring if he did. His chest on display like it usually is, streaked in soot from the lava Quirk that had been rampaging up the street.
“Don’t call me that.” Katsuki snaps. He refuses to look at the other man. Focussing on scrubbing his own soot-covered face.
“Sorry.”
Katsuki can hear the grin. He slams a hand down on the sink he’s bent over. “Shut up!”
Red Riot raises an eyebrow at him through the mirror. His arms are folded over his chest and his stupid hair looks like it’s been re-gelled as if that was the most important shit to deal with after the mess they just went through.
“You’re uptight.” he says, daring to step closer. The bathroom, which had already been small, seems to shrink as Red Riot closes in on him. He cages Katsuki against the sink, stare piercing into Katsuki through the smudged mirror. Katsuki shivers, hating the control this man has over him. The control he wouldn’t have if Katsuki hadn’t fucking given it to him. “You did well today.” Katsuki shivers, “You almost didn’t need my help.”
He shoves Riot off. “I never need your help!”
Leaning against the sink Riot grins, “You sure about that Sweetness? Looked like you were struggling something fierce. Had Shoto down. You would’ve been toast if I hadn’t shown up.”
“You’re a fucking villain.” Katsuki growls. He watches in satisfaction as Riot’s eyes darken. “Yeah. That gets you doesn’t it? Why is that Riot? Is it true?”
There is something different here. Normally their words aren’t this cruel towards each other. Riot will call Katsuki a variety of pet names, and Katsuki will snark and snap. They’d maybe wrestle but eventually go their separate ways grinning like teenagers. Maybe it’s different because that villain did have Katsuki on the ropes. He was outmatched and back up was far off, Riot had more or less saved the situation, and it pisses him off to no end.
“What are you going to do then?” Red Riot asks, eyes dark and teeth flashing. “Why haven’t you arrested me yet? Number Three. Why am I not rotting in Tartarus right now?”
“Fuck you!” Katsuki roars. He throws a fist. Riot steps to the side dodging the clumsy hit with ease.
“You wanna fight DynaMight?”
“I want you to shut up.” Katsuki barks. “Do you have a fucking death wish? You wanna spend the rest of your life in prison?”
Riot stands straight. He’s so big, dwarfing Katsuki in every way. “You don’t have the guts to fight me. You’ve never won, and you’re never going to.”
They’re both high off adrenaline. Katsuki can feel it in his chest and see it in the heave of Riot’s. It feels like a vital turning point for them, one of them needs to stand down, and normally it’s Riot. Backing off with raised hands and an easy grin, only to disappear off into whatever his life is when he’s not raining on Katsuki’s parade. But he doesn’t look like he’s going to bow to Katsuki this time. Until of course he does, because stupidly, annoyingly, charmingly, Red Riot is a good man.
“Wanna try me Red? I’ll fight you right now, no fucking punches pulled. I’ll fight you to kill.”
Riot’s eyes go wide before he sets his jaw and he steps towards Katsuki. Before he can react, the vigilante picks him up and tosses him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“The fuck are you doing!”
Riot grunts against the blast Katsuki sets off on his shoulder, but hardly flinches otherwise. He carries Katsuki out of the small public restroom and into a dark alleyway. The vigilante drops him and reaches behind a dumpster for a duffle bag.
“Sit.” he commands. “I don’t want to fucking fight you.” he shoves something taken from the duffle bag into Katsuki’s arms. A large hoodie.
“What the hell is this for?”
Riot doesn’t look up from where he’s digging around in the bag. “You’re shaking, hero. Put it on. Sit down.”
And Katsuki. Does. He pulls on the hoodie. It smells like sandalwood and warmth, and the scent of burnt cinnamon and baked goods takes Katsuki quite suddenly back to the sun filled memories of his childhood kitchen. The material pools around Katsuki’s hands and brushes down his thighs. He lets out a sigh and slumps against the wall, reaching up and unclipping his headpiece. The swathes of color look unnatural on the dark floor. Something else gets tossed at him, he fumbles for it and then sends Riot an incredulous stare.
“A snickers bar? Really?”
The vigilante is already biting into his own. He shrugs, grins, “Aren’t yourself when you’re hungry.”
“I’m not hungry.” Katsuki mutters unwrapping the candy bar, “I’m pissed. At you.”
“Whatever,” Riot mumbles around his mouthful. “I’m hungry and we were getting heated and not in a way I wanted,” he wiggles his eyebrows and Katsuki has to look away to avoid the heat that crawls up his cheeks.
“Shameless asshole.”
They eat in silence. Riot finishes his bar then reaches into the duffle for a bag of almonds and a water bottle.
“Why do you have that?” Katsuki asks as he takes a handful of almonds, and jerks his chin towards the duffle bag.
“Case I get fucked up in a fight. I can’t exactly go to a hospital.”
It’s a stark reminder of where they sit with each other. Katsuki leans his head back against the grimy wall, staring up at the moonless night sky. There would be stars if it weren’t for the light pollution. Now the sky is dark and smudgy orange. The chocolate sits heavy in the back of Katsuki’s mouth. He’s not really one for sweets, Riot is though.
“We gotta do something.” Riot says quietly. “Might. We can’t keep doin this.”
“Fuck.” Katsuki breathes, warm sated in the hoodie. “I know. Quit showing up.”
“You want that?”
No. No he doesn’t. Red Riot is the worst thing that could have happened to Katsuki’s career. A vigilante that doesn’t hurt anyone but villains, that causes general chaos and breaks every law about Quirk use, and someone who DynaMight can’t bring to justice. Deep down Katsuki thinks won’t. It’s true. He’s never beaten Riot in a duel, but if he really wanted to, he could have brought Riot in a long time ago. Sure he probably would be half dead and forced into an early retirement because Riot’s Quirk seemed like it was made to shield against Katsuki’s. Really all of this would be fixed if Riot would stop showing up and helping Katsuki, flirting with Katsuki. Making Katsuki trip and fall only to catch himself by his fingertips before he plunged head first into love with him. That isn’t to say the water hasn’t risen to meet him. Licking at him gently, tugging at his weakening resolve to hold on to dry land.
“No.” Katsuki finds himself saying.
“I don’t want that either.” Riot murmurs. “I worry about you.”
“Shut up.” Katsuki whispers harshly. “Just. Fuck. You can’t say shit like that.”
Riot leans forward. He’s still shirtless. Even in the cold of the night. His nipples have reacted and Katsuki tears his gaze away to meet cranberry eyes. “Why? Why can’t I say that? It’s true.”
Katsuki scoffs, turning away, he has to turn away. “You can’t mean that shit. We, us. That can’t be a thing.”
Riot’s hand is warm as he grabs at Katsuki’s. “Like damn it can’t.”
Katsuki stares down at the hand encompassing his. The criss-cross of white scars, that Katsuki doesn’t want to think about. Riot shouldn’t have scars. The prominent bones that lead into a thin V down to his wrist. And damn it all. Stupid shitty-haired, strong ass, vigilante. Damn him and his smug smirk and sharp ass teeth. Katsuki won’t say he’s in love with the man. Can’t let himself think it, say it. He hates Riot more than he’s ever hated anyone else. Hates him for a lot of things. Hates him for the way he makes Katsuki wonder if he can and should fall in love.
“I can’t. We can’t. I don’t even know your name!” Katsuki sounds desperate even to himself. Riot clutches at him.
“I’ll tell you. I don’t care anymore. I’m so tired of being your enemy. I don’t want to fight. I want to kiss you, and hold you. I-”
“Red. Stop. Stop it. We stand for totally different things.”
“Tell me you don’t want me.” Riot demands. “Right now. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me.”
Katsuki’s stomach falls. “That’s cruel.” he says quietly.
“It’ll end everything Katsuki.”
“Don’t call me that.” Katsuki snaps. “Not when I can’t have your name.” he holds up his free hand when Riot opens his mouth. “I don’t want to know. Please. Don’t trust me with that yet.”
Red Riot’s eyes are full of desperation. Searching Katsuki’s face in the dim light. “I promise you, if you tell me you don’t love me, I’ll go. No more flirting, no teasing. Just there and gone.”
“Red,” Katsuki croaks. “Don’t make me say it.”
And as always, in usual fashion, Red Riot goes easy on Katsuki’s rattling heart. He brings Katsuki’s hand up. Still wrapped in his Quirk drenched gloves and kisses the back of his hand.
“M’sorry I yelled at you. Earlier.”
Katsuki snorts. It’s wetter than he wants it to be. Then it should be. “We were both being dicks. You cocky motherfucker.”
“I wasn’t wrong.” Riot grins. “He had you beat.”
Katsuki pushes him away. “Nah. I woulda gotten him.”
“Hmmm.” Riot hums. His pocket buzzes and he goes stiff. “I think this is it for the night, Might.” He lets go of Katsuki’s hand, gathers up their empty wrappers, and shoves them in his bag. He stands, his back cracking in a series of snaps. Katsuki scrambles to follow him.
“Do you want this back?” he plucks at the hoodie. It’s warm and really he loathes the idea of having to take it off.
Riot smiles. Soft. Katsuki doesn’t deserve it. “Keep it.”
They part ways at the mouth of the alley.
Katsuki runs early in the morning because no one else is awake. He runs before the sun comes up because his bed is cold and foreign. He runs when it’s dark because his mind is loud and the cold burns into his eyes and skin, taking his thoughts from his loud mind. This morning though he’s once again tripped up by the same giant golden retriever. And once again the dog’s owner hauls his dog off a cursing Katsuki.
“Okay man,” a phone flashlight is suddenly blinding Katsuki, “I need to see who-” he chokes. Eyes going wide. Katsuki can see more of the stranger’s face too. Black bangs falling into wide brown eyes, pink lips popped open in shock. “Oh my god. Oh my god. You’re fucking DynaMight! My dog has tackled DynaMight twice in a row!” he looks down at his dog that’s glowing a golden white in the beam of the flashlight. “It’s almost impressive.”
Katsuki growls. He gets up and dusts off his clothing. “Why the fuck are you out here?” He pushes the dog away as it comes looking for affection.
“I could ask you the same thing dude!”
“I literally told you yesterday you fuck. I’m running!”
The stranger tosses his hands up and shrugs, “I thought it was like a one-off thing. Like you know spontaneous shit you do when you can’t go back to sleep. Like midnight burger runs.”
Katsuki squints at him, “No. I go running every morning, and why the fuck are you asking me when you’re out here too? Out on a midnight burger run?”
“It’s five forty-five my guy. Nowhere near midnight. And you know how dogs get.”
Katsuki hasn’t the slightest idea how dogs get. He’s literally never owned a pet in his entire life. Too risky as a kid and his leaking chemical Quirk and too time-consuming as an adult. It must show on his face because the guy reaches down and places a hand on his dog's head.
“Zoomies.”
“ What.”
The guy smiles. His cheeks rounding out, his teeth are sharp. Katsuki thinks suddenly of Riot. “Sudden release of energy. They just gotta run!”
“Cool.” Katsuki deadpans. “Have fun with that.”
“Oh we have a blast! Careful out here man, could trip on a branch.”
Katsuki glares at him. “I had never tripped once until your devil animal decided to murder me.”
Stranger laughs, a happy sound that echoes through the dark park. “You are so dramatic. Yeah, not sure why he keeps coming after you like that. Maybe because he isn’t used to weirdo’s who run so early.”
“Says you. Fucking weirdo.” Katsuki turns away. The sun is lighting the sky far off in the east beyond the skyscrapers. Turning it light green and then fading out into blue, and ending in a deep indigo of night that still clings desperately to the highest point in the Earth’s curve. Katsuki wonders what his day will hold, who he’ll save, and how much paperwork will be waiting on his desk. How many of his friends will try to get him to come out with them because it’s Friday. And deep in the treacherous part of his mind that is connected to his betraying heart he wonders if Riot will make an appearance.
A hand brushes against his back. Flinching he spins around. Stranger has his hand stretched out, his face tipping into guilt out of something Katsuki doesn’t recognize.
“Sorry. You had some dirt on the back of your hoodie.”
Red Riot’s hoodie.
“Tch. No thanks to your dog.” Katsuki, tired of the interaction and aware of the cold setting into his bones, takes off again.
“He’s just really friendly!” Stranger calls after him.
It’s Kyouka who asks him to come get drinks with them that Friday evening. Katsuki, to everyone's surprise and he thinks chagrin, agrees. There’s nothing better to do and while he hates being drunk maybe he could actually get a good night's rest for once. So he lets himself get dragged down to the bar his friends regular. A literal hole in the wall that they have to climb through to reach the cavern themed interior. It’s the tackiest thing Katsuki has ever seen and if it weren’t for Denki hanging off his arm he would have turned around and gone home. He has a bottle of bourbon gifted to him by some sidekick sitting in his empty alcohol cabinet. He could have gotten drunk without the stalagmites.
“Yo! Kiri!” Denki detaches himself from Katsuki and waves towards the bar.
“You made friends with the bartender?” Katsuki asks, ducking away from the eyes that are following the group of pro’s.
“Yeah man!” Denki croons standing and waving, trying to get the bartender's attention. Katsuki pulls on his sleeve, begging him silently to sit the fuck down. Hanta, who had belined for the DJ upon their entrance, stops off at the bar and finally manages to get the bartender to pay attention to them.
“No fucking way.” Katsuki whispers as the bartend steps out from behind a man who was blocking their view of him. It's Stranger. Hair tied back, eyes bright as he talks animatedly with Hanta. Who is turning and pointing at the table where Katsuki is sitting. He doesn’t have time to duck down before recognition lights across Stranger's face.
“Wait, do you know him?” Denki asks. Katsuki glares.
“No. I don’t know him.”
Hanta comes back over and slides into the booth by Denki, “He knows you!” he says brightly. “You should have told us!”
Kyouka looks towards Stranger, or Kiri, who cares. And offers her own wave. “Seriously, why didn’t you mention you know him?”
Katsuki throws his hands up, “I literally don’t! His dog has tackled me twice, and for fucks sake I’m number three hero everyone knows me!”
“Bro, you’ve met Riot!” Denki is all over him again, “I’ve only seen pictures. What a cutie!”
Katsuki shoves him off. This was a fucking mistake. Everything about this was a very bad idea. Especially since Stranger. Kiri. Fuck. Is coming towards their table, tossing a towel onto his shoulder.
“Hey man.” He holds out a hand, “I gotta admit I never would have thought I’d see you here.”
Katsuki takes his hand, just because they’ve already made a scene, and his friends are sitting around him. He bites the back of his teeth through it.
“I’m Kirishima. We have yet to properly introduce ourselves.” He smiles, sharp teeth. Is that common?
“You know who the fuck I am.” Katsuki says, reclaiming his hand and busying himself with the menu.
“I do! But it’d still be cool if you’d introduce yourself.”
“Katsuki Bakugou.” he grits.
Kirishima’s face softens. “It’s nice to properly meet you.”
Katsuki closes the menu. “Sake.”
A black eyebrow raises, but Kirishima still pulls a notepad out of his pocket and a pen out of his hair. He scratches down Katsuki’s order.
“Okay, one sake. You guys?”
The idiots rattle off their orders. Greasy food that Katsuki refuses to order himself but that he’ll gladly steal from their plates.
“Thank you so much dude!” Denki chirps as he hands the menus to him. “You really didn’t need to take our orders!”
“It’s no problem, you guys are like my best friends!”
Denki places a hand on his heart, “Love you man.”
Kirishima copies the motion, “Love you too bro.” Then he’s walking away. Katsuki can’t help but notice how he’s managed to make himself look smaller. The man he’s run into the last couple of mornings looks like he bench presses redwoods on the daily, and now, tucked into the black and white attire of a bartender he’s managed to trim off his muscle somehow.
“So, “ Hanta starts, “Heard Riot got away from you again.”
Katsuki nods jerkily. “Bastard came in at the right moment. Taking him out would have compromised the rest of the goddamned mission.”
Hanta hums, “Yeah, Sho told me you guys weren’t looking too good.”
Katsuki grunts, “Fucking Deku being gone is shit.” They all blink at him, Denki’s mouth even falls open. Katsuki glares at them all. “What is the matter with you fuckwads?”
“You just admitted that Midoriya not being here is and I quote, you from like a minute ago, ‘is shit.’”
“So what? I’m not a fucking teenager anymore. He’s the damn symbol of peace, the asshole. Villains are getting ballsy while he’s off on vacation .”
“He was seriously injured.” Kyouka points out. She’s building a precarious tower out of salt and pepper shakers she’d snagged from the surrounding tables. “I think he’s well within his rights to get some time off to be with his fiance.”
“ That doesn’t mean shit.”
She rolls her eyes, “Yeah you don’t get it cuz you’re a massive virgin who’s going to die alone. Maybe that’s why you’re so cranky.”
“Piss off.” he snaps.
“Get laid so you stop being a massive ball sack to everyone.” she shoots back. Katsuki reaches over and knocks her tower over.
“Here you guys go.” Kirishima has returned before a fight could break out over the toppled tower. He places the tray bearing their food down and distributes it amongst them. He has to reach across Katsuki to reach Kyouka. He does so with a quiet apology and as he stretches Katsuki catches a whiff of something tantalizing and familiar. So familiar and yet he can’t put his finger on where he’s smelt it before. It’s gone as soon as it was there. Leaving Katsuki grasping at the remaining strains. His sake is placed down with a little shot glasses to accompany it.
“Anything else I can get for you guys?”
Hanta smiles, “Not food wise, but I was wondering if you were free? It’s been awhile since we’ve caught up.”
Kirishima looks down at the watch on his wrist nibbling at the pink flesh of his plump bottom lip. Katsuki knocks back a brimming shot glass.
Three hours in, Katsuki is feeling heavy. That terrible feeling that makes his hands sweat twice their normal amount, he’s wiping them constantly on his pants. He can taste the headache that's going to crash over him on the back of his tongue. But Kirishima is sitting at his elbow, laughing with his friends and making a general annoyance of himself. He’s let his hair down and it brushes against Katsuki’s arm tickling in a ghostly whisper. He still smells so nice and maybe Katsuki is already drunk off his ass, because for once the thought of making a mistake and taking home a stranger doesn’t sound too disturbing. He wants to fuck Riot and probably only Riot, he’s gotten close several times. Messy makeouts pressed against walls, pressed against the street behind a pile of rubble, frenzied hands and desperation, the burn for something. But they always drew a line somewhere, and dammit, Kirishima reminds Katsuki of Riot. Just something about him rings the same.
“Ookay,” Hanta is reaching over and snatching the bottle of sake from Katsuki’s lolling grip. “That’s enough for you.”
“Fuck,” Katsuki slurs, gazing bleary-eyed around the table. “Did I jus say that shit out loud?”
Kirishima takes the shot glass he’d been reaching for, tucking it safely around his elbow on the other side of the table. His face is blushed a pretty pink, it curls up over his cheeks and up to the tips of his ears.
“Dude, you just admitted to wanting to fuck Kiri.” Denki frowns. “What the hell bro?”
Katsuki groans, “Not like, often?” the fuck is that supposed to mean? This is the reason he doesn’t drink.
Kirishima stands, “I think I’ll go get some water.” he practically flees from the booth, leaving Katsuki to blink under the disproving gazes for his friends.
“What?” he snaps, oh. The world is tilting. He grabs at the table and Kyouka grabs at his arm. Pulling him upright.
“You freaked him out, man. That wasn’t very cool.”
“You jus told me to get laid!” he shouts.
Kyouka lets out a long sigh. “I was mostly kidding you massive asshat, and I definitely didn’t mean our friend. Why are you drinking so much? This is like the second time I’ve seen you drunk.”
“Fuc,” he burps, and yup. Nope. Fuck this. He’s DynaMight he is not going to embarrass himself like this, “I wanna go home.”
Hanta sighs, pushing away the empty grease stained cardboard container that their fries were in. “Yeah it’s probably about time we head in. I got an early patrol.”
Denki pulls out his wallet. Dishing out a nice tip. Katsuki blinks at the pile of money.
“I needa ‘pologize.” he mumbles letting Kyouka push him out of the booth. He stumbles as he stands, reaching out to grab one of the annoying plastic rock formations. Hanta grabs his arm and tosses it over his shoulder.
“Yeah I don't think that’s a good idea.”
Katsuki goes careening off into a table, catching himself on the edge. Kyouka mutters apologies to the people sitting around, grabs Katsuki and they drag him back through the hole in the wall.
He still runs the next morning despite the agony and wooziness that accompanies every step. He likes to think of it as punishment for the way he’d acted the night before. The universe though seemed to have taken pity on Katsuki for once in his sorry life, and his plea for Kirishima to not be out with his dog is answered and he’s alone on the path, watching the sun rise. He still feels bad about being so gross towards the bartender. Katsuki doesn’t usually think with his dick. He blames Riot for everything. Making him feel heartbroken for absolutely no reason, pissing him off as he continues to taunt him, making Katsuki want .
He stops at the crest of a hill, panting. His head is spinning, the headache that had been building like a thunderstorm in the back of his head pounds at his temples.
“Fuck.” he breathes. “ Fuck .”
Two days. It takes two days before Katsuki sees Kirishima again.This time though it’s not during his run. He’s walking home, grocery bags on his arms, after one of the few days he allows himself off, when he gets tackled by the dog. Katsuki fights desperately against tongue and wriggling paws, but eventually gives up, waiting for Kirishima to come and pull the animal off.
“You let him stay on me longer than usual,” Katsuki accuses, sitting up.
“Me? I would never.” Kirishima grins at him, offering him a hand. Katsuki takes it, letting the other man pull him up with ease. Riot dances around their feet.
“I uh, I wanted to apologize for my shitty comments at the bar the other night.” Katsuki hedges, looking down at his shoes. Kirishima lets out a breathy little laugh.
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be creeped out or complimented.”
“The hell is that supposed to mean?”
Kirishima smiles, “Well it’s not every day that the number three hero admits to wanting to fuck you.”
The word sounds weirdly lewd as it falls out of Kirishima’s mouth. It tickles up Katsuki’s spine and he bites the inside of his cheek to make it stop.
“You would have been okay with it?” Fuck. Does he sound hopeful? Desperate?
Another laugh, “No. I wouldn’t have been. But you were drunk. I’ve had worse said to me.”
Katsuki scrubs his hands up his face. If anything that makes him feel worse.
“Let me make it up to you.” he says, a very un-Katsuki like thing to do. He doesn’t do shit for people because he hates feeling like they’re caught in a loop of I owe you. Kirishima tilts his head, a strange mirror to his dog who is watching Katsuki with a tilted head and flopping ears.
“How?”
“You drink coffee?” Katsuki doesn’t drink fucking coffee. Never has.
A smile cracks at Kirishima’s lips, “I do.”
“Great.” Katsuki digs around in his pocket. He always keeps a pad of sticky notes and a pen on him for autographs. He scribbles down his number and the address for the little cafe he frequents. They make good tea. Kirishima has his bottom lip clamped between his teeth when Katsuki offers up the note. “What?”
Kirishima takes the note, holding up a cell phone cracked to hell and wrapped in a sparkling pink Pinky case. “You coulda just put your info into my phone.”
“Shut up!”
Kirishima laughs, pocketing the sticky note when Katsuki goes to snatch it from his fingers.
“No take-backs!”
“ I regret talking to you.”
Riot boofs. A deep sound, his attention caught on a fat pigeon that's waddling it’s way down the street.
“You don’t.” Kirishima sing songs, then he whistles lowly, his dog turning his big brown eyes on his master. His butt wiggles as he wags his tail. “Aw buddy, the pigeon isn’t doing nothing to you.”
“He literally has no idea what you’re saying.” Katsuki deadpans. Kirishima pouts at him, scruffing his hand through his Riot’s chest fluff. Katsuki hadn’t even noticed the bright red collar until now. There’s a bone shaped tag on it, Riot’s name engraved in it.
“Maybe he does. You don’t know.”
“And neither do you because he can’t tell you.”
“Sit Riot.” Riot sits. Kirishima rubs behind his eyes, “Are you happy Riot?”A loud bark and more butt wiggling. Kirishima sends Katsuki a smirk. “Do you like Bakugou? You seem to.”
Riot cocks his head lulling out his tongue and fucking smiles at Katsuki. The tail wags are slow, sweeping at the leaves on the street. Then as a final cherry on top Riot lifts a paw and offers it to Katsuki. He stares blankly at it.
“Well?” Kirishima asks, he’s smiling so wide it looks like it hurts, chest puffed up in pride.
“What do you want me to do?” he asks.
“Hold his paw. It means he likes you.”
Katsuki licks his lips suddenly, stupidly, nervous. He reaches down and collects the dog's paw in his hand. It’s soft, fluffy and well groomed. All of Riot oozes with signs of care and probably a hefty amount of spoiling. The dog’s tail whaps against the ground and he leans his head down to press his wet nose to the side of Katsuki’s hand. And Katsuki. Katsuki melts. Like butter. His fucking eyes fill with tears, his stomach warms. His other hand comes up and he scratches at Riot’s back.
“He’s kinda a criminal,” Kirishima says, still smiling.
“What?” Katsuki rasps. Because this angel? This glorious being that Katsuki had ignored so cruelly being a criminal? Never.
“Riot steals a lot of people’s hearts.”
Katsuki is prone to agree.
It’s a startlingly long amount of time before Red Riot is seen on the streets again. Katsuki had been in a foul mood because of it. Fighting with sidekicks, ignoring his friends, and then going home and sleeping wrapped in the vigilante’s hoodie. He feels like it’s his fault that sightings have gone down. But really there haven’t been any major villain attacks in his region of the city so he might not care. Until finally Katsuki sees him again.
Late-night patrols are a luxury for some and a travesty for others. Katsuki tends to love them. The nights lit up by neon, Katsuki sitting with his feet dangling precariously over a golden skyscraper. He’s doing that now. Kicking his boots against the side of the building and staring down at the street. It’s windy tonight, it pushes cold through Katsuki’s hair, his phone is in his naked hand, his glove caught between his teeth. Kirishima’s contact pulled up. The idiot had texted him an hour after he got home, a picture of Riot carrying a giant leaf that falls from the trees that line the walkways on the other side of the city. They haven’t gone for their coffee yet. Tomorrow will be a good day. Katsuki has a week of late nights and relatively free days unless there’s an emergency.
“Hey Might.”
Katsuki jolts, shutting his phone off and turning to stare at the vigilante that had managed to sneak up on him.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Katsuki demands, scooting over to make room for him.
Red, a change in name based on Katsuki’s new found appreciation for Kirishima’s dog, settles beside him, propping up a knee and laying his chin on it. For once his chest is covered. A worn Crimson Riot hoodie that’s faded to a salmon pink, the design on the front little more than an outline now.
“Been busy. You missed me?” he smirks over at him. Katsuki buries his nose into the high collar of his suit.
“Maybe you dick.”
Red snorts, reaching over and hitting Katsuki hard on the arm. “You’re not supposed to miss me.”
“I do. Fuck you. You’re like. My best friend.” Best friend, maybe the only person he’s ever going to be in love with.
“Might,” Red’s voice is soft, “That’s dangerous.”
“I know.” Katsuki says, just as softly. “Maybe I’m giving up.”
“Don’t say that.” Red snaps.
Katsuki frowns hard. “Why the hell not?”
Red grabs at his hand, squeezes it, “You’re DynaMight, you love this shit.”
Katsuki presses his eyes closed. He does. He loves this. He’s a good hero. The fucking best, but god. He’s tired . Fatigued down to his bones. Katsuki has grown weary of this cat and mouse game with Red Riot. They’ve fallen so far from that.
“Nothing would happen if I just quit.” Katsuki murmurs. Red sucks in a breath.
“A lot of shit would change. Your people love you and villains fear the hell out of you. Why do you want to quit? What changed?”
“I don’t know.” Katsuki whispers harshly. Maybe watching his friends have more to them than their hero names. Maybe the gnawing pit of yearning that has opened up inside of him. He barks out a cruel laugh. It echoes out over the roof of the building and back to them. “You’ve driven me mad.” he rasps.
“Me?”
Red is close. When he'd drawn near, Katsuki doesn’t know. But he can smell him, feel the heat that radiates off of him in waves. Turning Katsuki’s stomach into liquid gold.
“Yes.” Katsuki gasps, clawing at Red’s shoulders, pulling him closer. He needs desperately. Red holds him back, wrapping his hands around Katsuki’s waist, pushing them away from the edge of the building and the fatal fall that awaits them if they tumble over the edge. “You were the only thing keeping it fun, but you’re here now. I have you.”
“Katsuki.” The use of his name arches his back. Red lays them down, hovering over Katsuki and pressing him down into cold concrete. “You said we can’t.”
Katsuki digs his teeth into his bottom lip. “I know,” he moans. His vision is glassy, Red blurring in a mess of red and black.
“Sweetness,” Red rasps. It dredges itself out of his mouth, falling heavy into the space between them. Katsuki grabs for Red’s arm, pulling his hand up into his shirt, pressing it over his wildly beating heart.
“You’ve ruined me.” Katsuki pants. He thinks maybe he’s close to tears. “Is this what you wanted?”
“Sweetheart, baby. Might. Look at me.” A large hand lands on his face, turning Katsuki’s face. Red’s thumb smooths over his cheek, “Open your eyes, look at me.”
He’s met with blown out pupils and ember red when he peers through heavy eyelids up at the man above him.
“I don’t want your submission, Might.” He looks so beautiful in the golden light. Soft and achingly, painfully, gentle in his caresses. “I want your love.”
Katsuki shakes his head, “I don’t know if I can give you that. Not like this, not how I am.”
Red hushes him, leans down, presses warm lips to the corner of Katsuki’s mouth. It’s by no means their first kiss. This entire encounter had started off like any of their adrenaline bound makeouts, that led to bleeding lips. But this is different. Never has Katsuki been kissed like this. A warmth that he doesn’t think he deserves. Affection and sadness all poured out in one simple touch. Katsuki keens under it, an embarrassing noise falling out of his mouth. Red tilts his chin up and presses their lips together. Another soft press.
Katsuki feels like he’s shaking apart. He pulls Red down harder, drags his mouth down to his neck. Red licks up the long tendons on stark display from Katsuki’s arching back. Nipping sharp teeth along the bottom of his chin and leaving wet kisses across his bite marks.
“Lower.” Katsuki gasps, tugging at red hair.
“It’s cold.” Red murmurs. “I can’t take you apart up here.”
“Please.” Katsuki begs. He’s begging for more than the carnal act of fucking, he’s begging Red to stay. Just a little longer, maybe kiss him again, punch him. Anything.
“No.” Red breathes. “I can’t do this to myself, Katsuki. This means more to me than you think. And baby,” Red’s voice gets lower, closer to Katsuki’s ear as he kisses his cheek. “You aren’t reacting well to this.”
“Ugh.” Katsuki groans, it’s wet, tears slipping off his lash line. He’s so pathetic. So pent up. He’s not even hard. His arousal has pooled in his stomach, pulsing in waves of heat but never traveling lower. “You’re so fucking good.”
Red wraps Katsuki up, pulling him into his lap, letting him rest against his shoulder. There’s a fine layer of hair on the hoodie. Katsuki sniffles, brushing it off. Probably from a cat or some other animal, Red stops to fawn over.
“You should be a hero.”
“Nah.”
Katsuki frowns, “We coulda been in the same class you know. At UA.”
“Maybe.”
“No. We would have. If you’re implying you wouldn’t have made it in, you can shut up right now.”
Red shifts, turning to put his back against the wind. “I wouldn’t have applied.”
“You hate hero society that much?”
“No.” Red snorts, “I hated myself. I didn’t have enough confidence to look at myself in the mirror some days. Like hell I would have applied to the hero school. And I don’t hate hero society.”
“Then why aren’t you a hero?” Katsuki isn’t sure he’s ever spoken this quietly before in his life, and for so long. His problems would be solved if Red Riot was a hero.
“Because I’m not good, Katsuki. I want villains to hurt for the crimes they commit. I want them to bleed, each time they fall by my hand it feels good .” Red leans his neck back to look up at the sky. “That’s not heroism.”
“Maybe not.” Not by any traditional definition of the word. But sometimes Katsuki feels the same way. Watching a villain go down. A villain that had hurt or destroyed fills Katsuki with a swell of something , definitely something also not found under the traditional definition. And really he wonders just how separated his world is from Red’s.
Katsuki leans up and kisses Red’s jaw. Softly, simply. A quiet thank you and a loud i love you . Red sighs.
“You’re a cruel man, Might.”
Katsuki drops his head back onto a broad shoulder. “I know.”
It rains the next day. Cold sheets of rain that turn slushy with ice as the temperatures drop. Katsuki had sent a text at three in the morning after climbing down from the roof with numb fingers and numb lips. Each for different reasons. Kirishima had been up with Riot anyways so a text that early shouldn’t have been all that obnoxious. He hadn’t slept much, rolling over and over, face buried in Red’s hoodie.Waking up at the crack of dawn and forgoing his run. Listening instead to the storm outside, his body refusing to go back to sleep. He hadn’t gotten a reply until later that morning and now he’s trudging towards the cafe. Face buried against his coat, hands shoved into his pockets.
Kirishima is already there. He has a red knit beanie pulled over his hair. It’s braided into a loose plait that drapes over his shoulder. He waves one mittened hand at Katsuki. The other is holding Riot’s red leash.
“Good morning.” Kirishima says. There’s something missing from him this morning. His voice is quiet and dark bags hang under his eyes. Katsuki ducks his gaze and reaches out for Riot, he bumps his hand lightly against his nose.
“They gonna let him in?” Katsuki asks. Glancing back up at Kirishima’s eyes. The gray sky makes the brown almost look unnatural. Kirishima points to a sign on the door that Katsuki had never noticed.
“Pet friendly,” Kirishima says. “All covered.”
Katsuki grunts and grabs the handle, pulling open the door and letting Kirishima step through it.
“Oh.” Kirishima has stopped just inside the door. Looking around the dainty little cafe with shining eyes. It’s interior is all wood, bookshelves lining the walls, plants growing down their sides. It’s quiet and calm. A sanctuary when Katsuki just needs to get away. “I love this place.”
Katsuki smirks, “Gotta try some of the shit they make. This is the only place in the city that makes decent muffins.”
“The great DynaMight likes muffins?” Kirishima asks as he follows Katsuki towards the counter.
“I’ll admit it. This shit is good.”
Kirishima admires the arrangement of muffins in the glass case. “Well then, what kind should I try?”
Katsuki shrugs, “I don’t fucking know.”
“What do you get?”
“Blueberry.”
Kirishima snorts, “Boring. I mean look at that one!” He points to a tall mound of chocolate muffin drizzled in white chocolate and sprinkled with chunks of more chocolate. Katsuki wrinkles his nose.
“That shit is way too sweet.”
“I like sweets.” Kirishima says. “I’m gonna get it.”
Someone has come from the back now. The owner's daughter, Anzu, who’s hair is graying at the temples. She smiles at Katsuki when she sees him.
“Good morning kid. It’s been awhile.”
Katsuki stands straight. Nodding and offering his own strained smile. “Yeah. Sorry. Been busy. You?”
“So so. I wasn’t expecting anyone this morning. Not with that sleet.”
Katsuki shrugs, “I gotta keep you on your toes somehow.”
Riot barks then, demanding the attention of this new person, wagging his tail when Anzu turns her many eyes on him.
“Oh what a handsome guy!” She pulls a jar from under the counter and looks up at Kirishima. “These are dog treats. Can he have some?”
“He’d love some!” Kirishima says. Anzu beams and offers the jaw to Kirishima, he unscrews the cap and grabs a fat biscuit from the top of the pile. Riot snaps it up in a flurry of wet jowls and teeth. “What do you say, Riot?”
Riot takes a step down then lowers his chest against the floor, his hind quarters raised and tail helicoptering.
“Good boy!” Kirishima croons. He hands the jar back. “Thank you. I don’t think he was expecting to get a treat when I drug him out into the cold this morning!”
“He’s a darling.” Anzu says. She replaces the jar and steps away to wash her hands. Katsuki sends an impressed eyebrow raise at Kirishima.
“How much shit does this dog know?”
“All the shit.” Kirishima grins. “I’ve taught him a lot of stuff, but he really is smart even though he doesn’t look it, and he just picks stuff up sometimes.”
Anzu returns, “Who are you dear? I think this is the first time Bakugou has brought anyone with him.”
“I’m Kirishima, I’m getting to know Bakugou over here.”
Anzu’s eyebrows fly up her forehead and she sends a look at Katsuki. “I’m Anzu, and I hope that goes well. Now, what can I get you two?”
“I’ll take my regular.” Katsuki says. Kirishima scrambles to look up at the drinks menu.
“A caramel latte and that really chocolatey muffin. Uh, medium on the coffee please and thank you!”
Anzu pulls out a blueberry muffin and Kirishima’s chocolate monstrosity, sliding them across the counter before ringing them up. Katsuki is tapping his card against the reader before Kirishima even has the chance to pull his wallet out of his pocket. Katsuki grabs their muffins and takes them to his usual table. Tucked into the corner of the room, a bookshelf extending out and blocking the little space from the rest of the shop. It smells like books and coffee.
“You didn’t have to pay.” Kirishima says. He has to steal a chair from another table and when he sits their knees brush under the table. Katsuki shrugs.
“I have the money for it. Number three pays nicely.”
Kirishima huffs, “Wow. Calling me broke on our apology date. Low. Even for you.”
“I’ve seen where you work. I saw how much Denki left as a tip.” Katsuki reminds him.
Riot lets out a huff remarkably like Kirishima’s and puts his head on his master's knee. “I’m not broke enough I can’t buy my own coffee.”
“Kirishima,” Katsuki says. “I don’t mind, really.”
“I-okay. Thank you then.”
Katsuki nibbles at his muffin. Picking out the blueberries on the top and eating them by themselves before biting into the warm bread. Kirishima breaks his muffin in half, turning it to show Katsuki the spill of dual colored chocolate that drips from the center.
“Jesus Christ.” Katsuki mutters. “That’s gonna kill you.”
Kirishima hums happily, dipping his finger into the gooey mess and sucking it off. “I have no problem with that. What a good way to die.”
“Disgusting.” Katsuki flicks a blueberry onto Kirishima’s plate, “There. Healthy.”
“Come on! Your blueberry muffin looks just as sweet.”
Katsuki shakes his head, “It’s whole wheat.”
The look of betrayal and disturbance on Kirishima’s face is almost funny. He scoots his muffin away as if he’s afraid that it just being in the presence of Katsuki’s will defile it somehow. The blueberry gets flicked back at Katsuki.
“You just hate life then.”
Anzu calls out to them that their drinks are ready. It’s Kirishima who stands, knees banging against the bottom of the table to go get them. Riot peers at Katsuki from under the table when he lets out a long sigh. Nosing at Katsuki’s hand. He indulges the dog, running the back over his hand over his nose to scritch between his ears. Maybe he should look into a dog. He knows realistically that it would be cruel to get one on his schedule. But petting Riot entices a nice kind of calm in Katsuki. Soulful brown eyes sooth him. He understands the appeal of having a pet now.
“Here you go.” Kirishima says, sliding Katsuki his tea. “One Earl Gray tea. No sugar. No cream, DyanMight is a fucking demon.”
“Fuck you.” Katsuki drawls, lifting the mug his tea is in and sipping at the boiling liquid.
“Nah. That’s kinda why we’re here.” Kirishima grins at him. Licking at the pile of caramel drizzled whipped cream on his latte.
“You’re a little shit.” Katsuki says.
“Talent of mine.” He wiggles his eyebrows and Katsuki scoffs at him.
“Do you have a Quirk?”
Kirishima blinks at him, whiplashed by the odd change of topic. “Uh. No.”
“No?”
Wiggling uneasily in his chair, Kirishima nods. “Yeah. Quirkless.”
“Shit.”
Kirishima shrugs, eyes falling to his muffin. “It’s just how it is.”
Yeah. Just how it is. Katsuki sips at his tea. It burns down his throat. He can feel every drop.
“Thought your Quirk was maybe dog whisperer or some shit.” he says. Maybe it's insensitive. Probably is, but Katsuki isn’t known for his tact.
Kirishima’s mouth forms a perfect O as he considers his dog. “No, that would be fucking awesome. Aw man. Then I could actually talk to him.”
“Ha!” Katsuki shouts, pointing across the table. “You can’t understand him!”
“Dude. I never said I could! But I’ve had RIot for a while now. I raised him so I kinda understand what his little actions mean.” Kirishima smiles. “You’re so weird.”
Katsuki frowns, “have you always lived in Tokyo?”
“Pretty much. Why?”
“I don’t know. You remind me of someone.” Red Riot. Kirishima reminds him of Red Riot.
“Well my face is pretty generic. Cut my hair off and I’m just some dude.” he smiles easily, leaning back and taking a large drink. There’s whip cream smeared over his top lip when he places the cup back on the table. Those teeth. That smile. They all reign true to Red. But Kirishima isn’t wrong. He does have a very generic face. Round, unassuming. Brown eyes. He could be any civilian on the street, any civilian Katsuki could have saved.
“Ya know this isn’t very fair dude. I can’t really ask any questions about you. The tabloids have spilled everything.”
“You read that shit?” Katsuki scoffs.
“Wouldn’t you read,” Kirishima throws his hands up, “‘Number Three Hero: Sexy Night Gone Wrong!’”
“No!”
Kirishima shrugs again, “Missing out dude. That was some spicy shit.” he has the absolute audacity to wink at Katsuki.
“Fucking lies. All that shit. I swear those writers reach into their asses and toss whatever they pull out onto the pages.”
“Gross man.”
Katsuki glares at him, “So is reading bullshit about people’s private lives.”
“Ah. You got me there. Grocery lines are boring as hell though.” he considers the dwindling coffee in his cup. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Seriously? What are we, five?”
“Humor me dude.”
Katsuki rubs at the bridge of his nose. “Red.”
“No way! That’s cool as shit. Red is so ma-uh, amazing.”
Someone else comes into the shop. Blowing in the scent of cold and wet. Anzu calls out a greeting and Katsuki shrinks further against the wall.
“Yours?”
“What?”
Katsuki rolls his eyes, “Favorite color dumbass. Keep up.”
Kirishima’s smile dips into something. Wistful maybe. “Orange. But a certain type of orange.”
“Really? Thought for sure it’d be red too.” he waves a hand at Kirishima’s hat.
“Red’s great, don't get me wrong, but orange just grew on me.”
Katsuki shakes his head, finishing off his tea, the dredges from the tea sitting thick on the back of his tongue. He feels floaty, untethered. It’s a feeling he’s had to get accustomed to. It sits heavy on his shoulders whenever he isn’t at work.
“You should come out with your friends more often,” Kirishima says. His muffin is gone. The wrapper pushed towards the middle of the table, out of reach of Riot’s searching nose. “They mention you a lot.”
Katsuki grimaces. “I don’t like getting drunk. It makes me feel bad.”
Kirishima tilts his head to the side. “So what was wrong that night? You got drunker than Denki and that’s impressive.”
“You shouldn’t care,” Katsuki says. There’s a book above Kirishima’s head. Old looking with an English title written in gold print. The spine is pulling away from the rest of the book.
“I do though.” Simply said. It annoys the hell out of Katsuki, making him feel unworthy of this.
“Thing is, it’s not really your business.”
“No. It’s not, you’re right. Sorry.”
They sit in awkward silence after that. The sleet lashes the windows, Riot’s tail brushes across the floor, hitting the sides of Katsuki’s foot. Kirishima’s latte dwindles down to golden foam. Katsuki wonders if he should say something else. Nothing comes to mind though, really he shouldn’t see Kirishima in such an intimate setting again. He’s fine with the dog tackling him early in the morning when nothing feels real but Kirishima is like a passing wind in those moments. Katsuki can’t tie himself to this civilian.
Kirishima pushes his cup away, dropping the bundle of wrapper into the bottom of it and getting up. “Thanks again, man.”
Katsuki follows him, collecting his trash and waiting for Kirishima to return his borrowed chair to its rightful table, then they walk together towards the trash and little cart where dirty dishes go.
“Stay warm boys!” Anzu calls.
“Thank you!” Kirishima says, “The food was amazing!”
There’s a dripping awning over the steps of the shop. Kirishima smiles up into the storm, wrapping Riot’s leash around his hand. Pulling his hoodie up.
“You live far from here?” Katsuki asks over the storm. Kirishima turns to look at him. It feels like a physical push on his sternum. And he doesn’t know why . The energy around Kirishima confuses the hell out of Katsuki. Leaving him reeling, like he’s fallen out of orbit and landing on shifted ground.
“Kinda. Walking distance if that’s what you’re asking.”
Katsuki nods dumbly. “Yeah. Uh. Good.”
“Yeah. See ya around, DynaMight.”
He offers a two finger salute, pushing them out from his brow, and a sharp grin. Then he’s bottling off down the sidewalk, yelling something to his dog, sliding on the slush on the concrete. His arms windmilling to keep his balance, his laugh ringing.
Mina has been out of the country for six long months. She’d flown in two mornings after the cafe. And of course, the idiots want to get together to celebrate. Katsuki has been thinking up an excuse the whole day. Anything to get out of having to go back to that shitty bar. But when Hanta pops into his office with a shit-eating grin, he’s come up with nothing.
“We rented out the whole place,” Denki chirps as they walk into the bar. “Just in case Kacchan gets drunk off his ass again.” he digs a sharp elbow into Katsuki’s ribs.
“Not gonna happen.” Katsuki grits. Hanta, who had brought fucking IcyHot, places a hand on his arm.
“We’re here for you if you decide to be irresponsible.”
Katsuki ignores them. Stalking towards their booth, which is covered in sparklingly green and pink decorations. Momo is sitting in one of the corners, a guest of Kyouka. She smiles politely at Katsuki as he slides into the other side.
“How have you been Bakugou?”
“Fine. How’s life as number two treating you?”
She smiles at him, “Oh it’s going well. Are you ever going to keep good on that promise you made me?”
“Of course.” Katsuki says, easily. “I’ll beat you, and then Deku.” he grins, feral, and swipes a hand in a downward motion. “In one fell swoop.”
Momo laughs, her eyes glinting at the challenge. “We’ll have to see about that.”
Really she’s been insane. Her second place is well deserved, she’s a fierce hero. He wouldn’t be surprised if she beat Deku at the next Hero Billboard Chart. Especially after his absence.
“We should team up some time.” She offers. Again. For the tenth time. Katsuki shrugs, like he does every time. “Bakugou,” she says quietly, “Are you okay?”
Katsuki shrugs, “Fine.” he pauses, “Actually, do you ever hate doing this?”
She blinks at him, “Hate being a hero?”
“Shit. Forget about it.”
Momo reaches out and grabs his wrist, “Yes. I do. Sometimes I despise this.”
Katsuki lets out a breath, slumping back against the sticky plastic that covers the seats. “Good. I guess.”
“Why do you ask?”
Their friends are clumped around the bar. Mina clinging to Kyouka’s arm and laughing at something Denki had just said.
“I hate doing this, I think. But I also don’t.” Katsuki tugs at his hair. “I’m tired.”
“You’re missing something aren’t you? You don’t hide your feelings as well as you think you do.”
Katsuki blows out a breath, “I just feel torn I guess. I’ve fought hard as hell to get where I am, I’m proud of myself. And I want to keep going up, but for the first time I feel like I’m missing out. Like I've already missed out.”
Momo hums. “You aren’t too late Bakugou. You’re a human as much as you are a hero. It’s okay to want things.”
“I’m scared that I’ll fall until I get back up if I let go now,” Katsuki admits. A fear that plagues his nightmares. Accompanied with the physical feeling of falling, the jolt when he either wakes or hits the ground.
Momo squeezes his wrist. “Then you need to find something that makes letting go worth it. And Bakugou, letting go doesn’t mean letting go. ”
“Helpful,” he mutters. “But yeah. Sure. Thanks.”
Momo opens her mouth and starts to say something before Denki throws himself into the booth, pressing himself against Katsuki’s side.
“Guess who’s coming!” he waves his phone in Katsuki’s face. “Kirishima!”
Well. Fuck.
Mina appears behind the booth wrapping an arm around Katsuki’s head and pulling him into an uncomfortable hug.
“Hi, Bakugou! Noticed you walked past without even saying hi to me. Cruel. So cruel.”
Katsuki smacks at her arm, “Get the fuck off me.” she releases him and flounces over to the other side of the booth. “Jesus christ, I couldn’t breathe.”
“It’s how I show affection,” she croons. “I haven’t seen any of you in so long!”
Conversation falls on Mina’s adventures overseas. She’d gone to work with heroes in France to uncover a drug ring. She has a new scar that travels from her elbow to her wrist.
“Piece of rebar came back at me while I was helping with a rescue. Embedded itself right under my skin. What are the odds of that happening?” She laughs as she shows off the shining skin to them.
They’re being regaled with the story of this French man who Mina had to tail for a few weeks, when Kirishima comes in. Katsuki’s breath catches involuntarily in his throat. He’d dressed up for the occasion. Hair swept up in a bun that looks a few breaths away from falling out, chest flashing in a loose white blouse and a fucking light blue skirt brushing his ankles. Kirishima smiles when he sees them all, grasping Mina in a hug when she reaches for him. Katsuki stares unabashedly at the other boy. Watches him gush over Mina and wipe tears out of his eyes.
“Scoot over.” Kirishima says, his eyes look brighter tonight. His eyelashes are painted in broad strokes of clean mascara. Katsuki swallows and scoots closer to the wall. “How are you?”
“Fucking fine.” Katsuki snaps. Kirishima laughs, lifting his hands in mock surrender. He smells good too. Better than last time, shoved close together in their little book nook and it’s distracting.
“Sorry.” Then his attention is turned to his other friends and the waiter that’s approached their table with a nervous smile. Katsuki does not order alcohol. But damn he wants to. He hates this with a passion. Other people don’t usually affect him like this, but he can’t stop staring at Kirishima. At the way his hair catches the lights embedded in the walls. Or how he wiggles when he dances to the music sitting down. And everytime he catches Katsuki staring and offers him a smile and a quirked brow.
Mina eventually gets tired of sitting around the table, and drags Kirishima towards the dance floor. Lit up by strobe, the floor trembling with the base of the music that pounds through Katsuki’s chest to rattle at his lungs. He watches Kirishima dance, hair falling further out of its lopsided pin up. Hands lifted up to the ceiling and head tossed back, the tendons in his neck pulled tight. The blouse clinging to his skin slipping off his shoulder.
“Do you think he’s attractive?”
Katsuki jumps, “What?”
Todoroki is staring at him. He’s leaned back against the back of the booth, an arm tossed along the top. Hanta’s jacket resting over his lap. “Do you think he’s attractive? Kirishima.”
“Fuck no!” Katsuki sputters. He reaches blindly for the first cup with liquid in it he sees. Knocking it back with a grimace. He slams it down as the beat of the upbeat song playing drops and Kirishima’s body contorts in a way that makes Katsuki’s stomach heat.
“I think you’re lying to me. To yourself.” Todoroki says, picking up his glass and holding it like he’s afraid Katsuki’s going to grab it from him.
“So what?” He challenges, “What if I think he’s the prettiest fucking boy I’ve ever seen?”
Todoroki raises his brows. “So go dance with him.”
“I don’t dance.” Katsuki scoffs. He never really has, but watching Kirishima he wants to.
“No one will know but us.” Todoroki says, he takes a casual sip of his drink, eyes drifting over to where Hanta has stripped out of his shirt. The lean muscle on his stomach thrown into stark shadow by the light.
“Yeah.” Katsuki smirks, “No one has to know.”
Todoroki places his glass down and stands from the booth. He looks pointedly at Katsuki as he walks onto the dance floor. Katsuki stares as Todoroki places his hands on Hanta’s waist, pulling him back against his chest. Hanta tosses his head back against Todoroki’s shoulder, his hand coming up to wrap around the back of his neck, pressing kisses to Todoroki’s throat.Then he grinds down. Katsuki looks away, face flaming. He could be doing that with Kirishima, could go up and wrap his hands around him, let him rest against Katsuki’s chest and roll his body sensually down Katsuki’s. Momo, who hadn’t fallen into the temptation of the dance floor, sends Katsuki a knowing look. Kyouka is resting heavily against her side, her earphone jacks tapping against her shoulders in rhythm to the music.
Fuck. Damn. Shit. Katsuki’s palms sweat, the music is building again. Kirishima is alone on the dance floor. Katsuki stands. He moves before he can let himself think about it.
“Can I dance with you?”
Kirishima pauses to look at him, dark hair falling like a wave into his eyes, his shirt is barely covering anything. He smirks, pulls the white fabric up over his shoulder again, Katsuki misses the flesh immediately. But Kirishima is nodding, and Katsuki is moving, copying Todoroki. Wrapping his hands around Kirsihima’s waist and pulling him flush to his chest. He can feel the sharp inhale of breath Kirishima takes as much as he can hear it. He doesn’t wrap his hand around Katsuki’s neck, but he does toss his head back against his shoulder and presses his palms against the back of Katsuki’s hands.
Katsuki will probably be embarrassed about how he humbles later. But now he doesn’t care. It’s hot under the strobe, hot in Kirishima’s body heat, hot in the press of their bodies. No one else matters. It's them alone, moving against each other, the music moving in a current through them. There's a fluidity to them once Katsuki gets more comfortable. They move together like they have before. Kirishima dances like he might stop breathing soon. Like the world might end and he couldn’t let life go until he had danced. It’s passionate and searing with warmth. Katsuki’s chest feels like it’s going to explode. Pooling with liquid metal.
“You’re not bad at this.” Kirishima says breathlessly. He rolls his hips against Katsuki, making him bite at his lip.
“Of course I'm not. Fuck you.” Katsuki gasps. Kirishima laughs, turning his face against Katsuki’s shoulder. His lips brush against the skin of his throat, trailing a path of fire where they touch.
“You okay? You sound breathless.”
Katsuki huffs, “Fine.” He readjusts his hands on Kirishima’s waist, his sweat has soaked into the white fabric, making it dark and transparent. “Shit.” he breathes. “Sorry.”
Kirishima rolls his hips again, “It’s fine.” he’s starting to sound breathless too. “It’s just a shirt.”
He’s gorgeous and Katsuki lets himself think it. Lets himself admire the body that’s moving against him. Let’s himself shiver and shake, and pant over the rolls of hips and stilted breaths. It burns with the same adrenaline as fighting does, gets Katsuki high in movement and heat. Kirishima awakens that beast in Katsuki, the same one that roars to life when Red Riot goudes him into a fight, or kisses him till he can’t think of anything else. Katsuki chokes on a groan, his lips parting and eyes fluttering closed. Kirishima touches the back of his hair, his fingers ghosting up his neck, pulling. It grounds him.
“Easy Might.”
Katsuki’s eyes fly open. “What?”
Kirishima swallows, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just, hah, I just thought it was cool. Uhm, your hero name but shortened.”
Katsuki feels dizzy. His throat is dry, “I need to sit down.”
Unwrapping himself from Katsuki’s hands Kirishima leads him off the dance floor. He helps Katsuki sit down in the booth then heads to the bar, he returns a moment later brandishing a water bottle. Katsuki chugs it in three loud gulps.
“I’m sorry again.” Kirishima mumbles. He’s combing his fingers through his hair. Combing out the slightly curled strands and braiding it with deft fingers. Katsuki catches the glint of something on the back of his hands.
“S’fine. Wasn’t expecting it.” Katsuki croaks. Kirishima holds his gaze, then he smiles.
“You’ve never danced like that before have you?”
“No.” And Katsuki finds himself grinning back.
“And? What did you think?”
Katsuki laughs. It’s an ugly sound really, scratchy, high in all the wrong places and uneven as it rolls out. But he laughs and it makes his chest expand and fall freely, opening the cluttered space that felt like it was suffocating him. Kirishima is staring at him, lips parted, cheeks lit with bubbly pink.
“It was fucking awesome.”
“That makes me happy. Can’t live until you’ve done the ol’ hip bump in the club with a stranger.” he winks, “though we aren’t really strangers are we?”
And no, no they aren’t.
“I’m glad.” Katsuki finds himself saying. Kirishima’s smile dims, like that’s bad news. Something that pricked at him wrong. But just as soon as the clouds had moved to cover the sun, it’s out again.
“Me too.”
The rest of the night Kirishima’s attention is given to the others. Hanta and Todoroki had disappeared for an hour before coming back to the table, hair mussed and clothes askew. They slip into the booth with downcast eyes. And linked pinkies. Katsuki wrinkles his nose at them and pointedly moves to the other side of the table. Denki pouts at Hanta, complaining that he’d abandoned him in favor of a quick bathroom fuck. Which then gets Mina whining that all of them have forgotten the real reason for the party. And yeah, maybe Katsuki had, but it was definitely Kirishima’s fault.
By the end of the night, Momo, Katsuki and Kirishima are the only people left sober. Momo organizes rides for everyone, going as far as to pay for each taxi fare.
“Goodnight Bakugou, and goodnight Kirishima, it was wonderful to meet you.”
Kirishima nods, “It was nice to meet you too. Be safe going home.”
Momo helps her drunk wife into the taxi at the curb, and then they’re alone. Bakugou shifts where he stands, watching the wind catch at Kirishima’s skirts. Exposing his ankles to the bitter cold.
“I forgot to ask you,” Katsuki says abruptly, grasping at straws as gooseflesh climbs up Kirishima’s skin. “At the cafe. What’s your entire name?”
“It’s just Kirishima.”
Katsuki balks, “Really?”
Kirishima nods, grasping at his skirt, pulling the fabric taut against his legs. “For now, yes.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Katsuki snaps. Kirishima’s eyes flash under the streetlight they’re suspended below.
“It means that’s my name.”
Katsuki sighs, “I think you’re probably the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”
Kirishima’s face darkens. “Thank you. You’re not too shabby yourself.”
The last light in the bar behind them flickers off. Kirishima moves away, walking down the sidewalk towards the crosswalk at the light.
“You live far from here?”
Kirishima tosses a smirk over his shoulder, “Within walking distance.”
The street is deserted. And Kirishima takes time to hop across the white lines painted on the road. Katsuki follows. Led on by something. They walk side by side, through patches of light and dark that checker the sidewalk. Finally, though, Kirishima stops. At the entrance to a road that’s surrounded on either side by an overgrowth of parasitic trees that look pretty enough that no one bothered to remove them.
“Can I walk you home?’
Kirishima smiles, shakes his head, pulls the blouse up over his shoulder where it’d slipped again. “No. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re Quirkless!”
Disappointment flashes across Kirsihima’s face. “I can handle myself.”
“Fuck. I didn’t mean it like that. Or, maybe I did. I don’t know. Just, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“It won’t. I promise.” he gives Katsuki a reassuring grin. He walks away down the leaf covered street.
“Does Riot still get zoomies?!” he yells. Too loud for the sleeping neighborhood. Red turns to walk backwards.
“Every morning!”
I’ll see you soon then, Katsuki thinks. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and turns to trudge all the way home.
There’s blood dripping from Red Riot’s knuckles. The skin from the man he just punched bunched in the crevices of hardening that ripples across them. Katsuki wheezes from the ground. There’s blood in his mouth, his vision is blurry. The blood from Red’s hand drips hot onto Katsuki’s face, speckling his cheeks and flecking up into his eyelashes. He’s standing over him, a mountain of hardening. The villain, who had hit Katsuki with a blast of power so hard he vomited before crumbling to the ground, doesn’t have a face anymore. Just a mess of blood and carnage. It’s grizzly, the man still standing for a few seconds before falling over. Hitting the ground inches from Katsuki with a wet thump
“Shit.” Red spits, dropping to his knees by Katsuki’s side and lifting his head onto his lap. “Are you okay?”
“Y-you fucking mascaraed him.” Katsuki giggles. He’s in so much pain. Every movement hurts, and he’s pretty sure there are tears running down his face. The world is fading in and out of focus. Spotty at best, and spiraling dark at the worst.
“Fucker,” Red hisses, he’s pulling Katsuki’s belt off tossing it away, “Keep breathing!”
Katsuki isn’t breathing? He was a little bit ago.
“Katsuki!” Red snaps. He hardens a hand and cuts through Katsuki’s hero costume, grabbing the rip and tearing it open the rest of the way, letting the frayed fabric fall in tatters around Katsuki’s chest. He nicks Katsuki’s stomach as he goes. It spills blood hot across his skin, but he can’t worry about it because suddenly he can breathe. Red’s hands are on his chest, pressing under his sternum and tracing his breast bone up, to press lightly at a pressure point under his jaw. Katsuki heaves, pushing Red away frantically. He rolls over, vomiting a second time, nothing more than acid, his stomach feels like it’s being stepped on.
“What,” he slurs, groans, “What was that?”
“Pain Quirk.” Red sneers. “Cowardly shit.”
Katsuki shivers against the ground. He’s vaguely aware of the other heroes that had been on the scene calling out to him.
“Where did you come from?” Katsuki asks. Red has procured a water bottle from somewhere he’s shoving it at Katsuki’s mouth.
“I heard you screaming.” he says darkly, “Open your mouth, your throat is probably ripped to hell.”
Katsuki obeys him, letting cold water rush down his throat. “I was screaming?” he asks after his mouthful is gone. Swallowing was hard. He’d had strep throat before. When he was younger it had left him in tears on the couch. Unable to move or breathe or swallow. The pain now was similar to that if not worse.
“Like bloody murder.” Red takes a violent swig from the water bottle. The blood is drying. Chipping away as he moves. “I thought you were dying.”
“DynaMight!” the calls of the other heroes are getting closer. It’s agitating Red. He hovers jittery hands over Katsuki.
“Go.” Katsuki rasps, pushing weakly at his legs. “They’ll arrest you if you don’t go.”
“How the hell am I supposed to leave you like this?” Red demands, “That villain is fucking dead.”
More than dead. Obliterated more like. And yeah it’s going to look bad, but Katsuki can tell the truth. Red Riot came outta nowhere and killed him, then ran off. He pushes harder against Red’s leg.
“Go, you stubborn ass. Please.”
Red clenches his jaw, leans down, presses a kiss to Katsuki’s forehead, then stands. He kicks the villain he’d downed before leaping onto the side of a building and climbing his way onto the roof and disappearing into the night.
Katsuki lets his head fall back against the cold ground. Waiting until Uravity skids into the alleyway and calls back to the people tailing her. Then he’s surrounded by people, murmuring about the state of the villain and him. Talking about him like he isn’t even there.
“What happened?” Uraraka asks, kneeling by Katsuki’s head, slipping his mask up off his face.
“Fucker hit me with a Quirk. Barely touched me.”
Her eyes flit up to the body of the villain, “Did you do that?”
“Nah. Would’ve if I had the chance though.” he struggles to raise his head. He’s still thirsty and sore. Uraraka, who looks vaguely sick, slides an arm under his shoulders and helps him up.
“Well I’m glad you’re okay. Medics will be here soon.”
Katsuki dozes in Uraraka’s arms. Blocking out the snippets of information that he hears through the fog in his mind. Someone, Iida by the sound of it, has puzzled out that the brutal death dealt to the villain had been given by Red Riot. Concerning that he was able to figure that out, but Katsuki can’t help the little swell of pride over the fact Red’s work is recognizable. He’s immediately disgusted at himself for thinking such a thing.
“You doing okay, DynaMight?” Uraraka asks.
“Peachy.” He mutters. There’s still blood in his mouth. His tongue throbs something fierce. Must have bitten it at some point.
Uraraka pats at his shoulder. Her other hand is holding a part of Katsuki’s wadded-up hero costume against his stomach. The wound Red had inflicted on him when he’d ripped the suit off had been deeper than Katsuki could feel. “Just a few more minutes. Sorry we lost track of you. And the villain. You didn’t get distracted by Red Riot did you?”
“No.” Katsuki huffs, “I didn’t even know the fucker was here, came outta nowhere and fucked that guy’s shit.”
“So, he saved you?”
Katsuki leans over to spit the blood in his mouth into the mess of vomit on the ground. The smell is noticeable now. “Yeah.” his hand shakes as he lifts it to wipe at his mouth “Not the first time.”
Uraraka makes an odd humming noise. “I’m guessing he’s the one who did this?” she gestures to the ruins of Katsuki’s hero suit.
“Mmm. Think he knew stuff about that villain we didn’t.”
“Maybe they’re partners, or were, I guess.” Uraraka says darkly. Katsuki huffs. The flash of emergency lights are splashing against the walls of the alley.
“I don’t think they were partners, Ravity. Red, he works alone.”
“He does not even.” she scoffs, “You two work together all the time.” she pinches at Katsuki’s ear. “You work better with a vigilante than with other heroes trained to work with you. Bitch.”
“No I don’t.” he does. A paramedic has joined them, sidestepping Katsuki’s mess and leaning down to press a stethoscope to Katsuki’s chest. He works quickly, bandaging the wound on his stomach and asking Katsuki questions. The usual gist.
“You’re not going to wind up in the hospital so that’s good.” The paramedic says. He’d told Katsuki his name, but he can’t be bothered to remember it. “Rest up for the rest of the day. I’d recommend limiting activity.”
Uruaraka thanks the paramedic and then helps Katsuki sit up. He’d been given some kind of nasty liquid that set his equilibrium right, and the world isn’t spinning anymore.
“I heard from Izuku this morning.” Uraraka tells him as they limp out of the alley. Iida comes rushing over to support Katsuki’s other side.
“Is the fucker coming back yet?”
Uraraka laughs, “Yeah, he says he’ll be back in a week. He’s well rested. And you would have known that if you would pay attention to your phone,” she scolds.
“Good.” Katsuki mutters, ignoring the last part. “You shouldn’t even be out here.”
“I wouldn’t provoke her.” Iida says. He sounds weary, “I have tried to convince her to take it easy.”
“Baby,” Uraraka sings, “Until my ankles are too swollen to fit in my boots I’m going to be out here with you guys. I promised Izuku.”
“I know.” Iida says. Definitely tired.
Katsuki is suddenly very glad he’d been hit by the pain Quirk. He can deal with that, if he dies who fucking cares. Better him than anyone, but definitely not Uraraka who is four months pregnant. Katsuki is sure she wouldn’t have gotten hit anyways. She still comes and shows them all up. There’s a reason she and Katsuki are fighting neck and neck for the number three spot.
“What are we going to do about that vigilante?” Iida mutters. They sit Katsuki on a bench. He’s frustratingly cold. The bandages around his middle are damp with sweat though.
“You’re going to do shit about him.” Katsuki snarls. “I’m gonna take out Red.”
Iida sends him a look. It’s dripping with patience. Iida is a teacher at UA, and sometimes he treats the other heroes like his students. It pisses Katsuki off to no end.
“Fuck off,” Katsuki snaps. “I’ll get him.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Iida says. “But you can ask for help, you know.”
“I have my sidekicks.”
“Yes, but you could have our sidekicks too.”
Katsuki glares at him, “ I’ll take down Red.”
Iida opens his mouth to protest when Uraraka grabs his arm. “This is literally the stupidest thing to fight about. I’m sure Katsuki can deal with it himself if he wants to.”
“The hell is that supposed to mean?”
Uraraka sighs, bracing a hand against her stomach as she sits down on the bench. “Katsuki, come on. If you wanted to arrest that vigilante, he’d be in prison right now.”
“Red is fucking good at what he does!” Katsuki defends.
“So are you.”
Katsuki throws his hands up, “Why are we having this conversation?!”
“I was just asking.” Iida says. He’s pulled his phone, and glasses case out of his pocket. “He’s becoming a bit of a character I suppose. There are online communities dedicated to him, and a few of my students have raised the question of vigilante versus villain.”
“He ain’t a villain.” Katsuki snaps.
“I saw that body.” Iida sniffs distastefully, “Looked like villain work to me.”
Now, Katsuki isn’t one to admit to being saved lightly, it wounds his pride more than anything in this world. “He’s saved me more times than I want to admit. He’s never hurt a civilian or a hero for that matter. The only law he’s broken is Quirk usage without the proper license.”
“And murder,” Uraraka muses. “He’ll have a few years in prison for that.”
Yeah. So Katsuki will let him keep slipping his grasp. Fuck. That was in the part of Katsuki’s mind that he refuses to acknowledge. And now he’s thought it, there’s no going back. He’s the worst fucking hero on the planet.
“I’m going home.” he grunts, pushing himself to his feet. He doesn’t stumble, doesn’t take the arm Iida is quick to offer. “Send over my part of the report. I’ll have it completed by tomorrow afternoon.”
“You don’t have to.” Uraraka calls as he walks away. “Take your time with it, and I swear to god, you better rest!”
Katsuki bought a ball. A fuzzy, neon yellow tennis ball. It had been an impulse buy. There had been a basket of them by the door of the sports store where he buys athletic tape and his mind immediately went to Riot. He waits now, at the hill on the path in the dark of the early morning. Waits until he hears the pounding of Riot’s paws, then he turns and catches the dog before he can jump on his back.
Kirishima is right behind his dog, a flashlight in his hands and a grin on his face. It won’t be long before the sun rises, because while it’s still early in the morning, and the world is still mostly quiet, Katsuki runs later so he can see Riot.
“You doing okay?” Kirishima asks, tugging Riot down by his collar. Katsuki’s face is covered in dog drool, uncomfortable in the cold.
“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”
Kirishima shrugs, “I don’t know. You’re a hero. Shit happens to heroes.”
“Not to me,” Katsuki boasts. “I brought something for Riot.” he holds out the ball, it’s blinding in the beam of the flashlight.
“You didn’t have to. I’m sure he’ll love it though. Let him smell it.”
Katsuki holds the ball out to Riot. He snuffles it, licks around the curve and nibbles at the sides of it. He takes it from Katsuki’s palm, turning to look up at his master. Tail going berserk.
“Doof.” Kirishima says, “You a little doof Riot.”
“Does he like it?” Katsuki asks. The dog looks excited to have to ball in his mouth. Katsuki can’t be too sure though. Kirishima nods enthusiastically, ruffling Riot’s fur between his ears.
“He likes it a lot. It’s not his first tennis ball. Is it boy? No.” Kirishima leans closer to Katsuki, lifting a hand up to his mouth and dropping his voice to a whisper. “He has a collection of them under the couch. I know and he doesn’t think I do.”
Katsuki laughs, “How does he even fit under the couch?”
Kirishima’s smile is huge. “He can’t.”
They walk together silently sometimes. Conversing occasionally. Kirishima seems to have a lot to say. About work, and Riot, and the fucking weather of all things. But nothing really about himself. Riot plods along ahead of them, ball clutched tightly in his mouth, drool stringing from around his teeth in long strands. As the sun comes up, Katsuki calls the dog back. He holds his hand out.
“Give me the ball.” Riot tilts his head, ears perked. “Come on, give me the ball.” Katsuki reaches for the ball and Riot takes a step back, eyes wide. Kirishima giggles from behind them.
“Can I have the ball?” Kirishima asks. He holds his hand out in a mirror to Katsuki’s. Riot places it into his palm. Katsuki tries not to feel betrayed. “Good boy!” Kirishima croons, he deposits the soaking ball into Katsuki’s hand.
Winding his arm up, Katsuki throws it as far as he can. “Fetch!”
Riot looks up at him, wags his tail, and does not fetch. Kirishima falls into hysterics, laughing so hard he has to grab Katsuki’s arm to keep himself from falling over.
“Fetch Riot! Go get the ball!” Katsuki tries again, flourishing a hand towards the lawn. Kirishima laughs harder. “Shut up! Oh my god what is so fucking funny?!”
“He doesn’t fetch.”
Katsuki stares, “Fuck off. He can say thank you.”
“Never learned to fetch.” Kirishima says. It’s slurred by the smile he’s wearing.
“How the fuck did he never learn to fetch, he’s like a genius dog!” Katsuki throws a hand to Riot, who’s staring at nothing in particular, tongue hanging out of his mouth. He looks like he misses his ball. “Go get it if you want it!”
“Dude,” Kirishima says, “he isn’t a genius dog. He’s just a really good boy who likes to thank people. He only learns skills that he thinks will be useful.”
“You’re both.” Katsuki rubs a hand up his face. “God. Fuck. You’re both so stupid. Not a single thought behind your fucking eyes.”
Katsuki starts to stomp down the hill.
“Where are you going?” Kirishima yells after him.
“I’m going to get the ball, and we’re going to teach your dog how to play fetch!”
And they do. Katsuki tosses the ball so many times his arm starts to hurt. Kirishima is little help, laughing through most of it and confusing Riot. Katsuki will throw the ball command him to go get it, he won’t, and Kirishima will fall onto the grass laughing. Which would then make his dog tackle him and completely lose interest in the ball. Katsuki starts to send Kirishima after the stupid thing. Finally, after three hours of work, Riot goes for the ball.
“Yes!” Katsuki shouts, throwing his hands into the air. “I fucking knew he’d get it!” except, Riot gets the ball, and goes the opposite direction of them.
“Riot!” Kirishima calls, whistling when the dog steps into the trees that line the path Katsuki runs. “Come here, boy!”
Riot doesn’t come out of the trees. Kirishima shuffles uneasily. He calls again, adding a high-pitched whistle at the end.
“Why isn’t he coming back?” Katsuki asks. Riot is, if anything, an obedient dog. Katsuki can’t remember a time when he ignored Kirishima.
“I don’t know.” Kirishima starts towards the trees. “Riot, come on buddy.” there’s worry in his voice. Katsuki follows him, reaching to wrap his hand around his wrist.
“Maybe he found a squirrel. There shouldn’t be anything in those trees that could hurt him.” Katsuki assures. Kirishima hums absentmindedly.
The ball is lying in a puddle of drool. Just within the trees. Kirishima sucks in a breath and crouches to pick it up. “Riot!” his voice echoes throughout the trees. There isn’t any sign of the golden retriever and now worry has spiked in Katsuki.
“Riot!” Katsuki yells, cupping a hand by his mouth. “Where did he go?”
Kirishima’s hand is gripping at his, “I don’t know.” his voice shakes, his other hand clutches the ball.
“We’ll find him.” Katsuki says. “I mean he’s just a dumb little guy. Probably went after something.”
“He always comes when I call.” Kirishima mutters. “H-he always comes. Even if he’s found something.”
Katsuki squeezes Kirishima’s hand. “Should we split up?”
“Y-yeah. Uh, you have my number, call if you find anything.”
Kirishima goes right, tearing off into the thicker part of the trees, calling for his dog. Katsuki grits his teeth at how watery each cry is becoming. He’s going to find Kirishima’s dog, and whoever had the balls to take him is going to get a howitzer to the face. It doesn’t make sense to steal a random dog. Unless it's some shitty villain and that’s their shtick. Piece of crap person if that’s the case. The trees thin out pretty quickly leading onto the street on the other side of the park. Cars speed past as people go about their days. It’s the morning rush and Katsuki has a terrible vision of Riot getting hit in the busy road. He speeds up, calling for the animal several times. He even stops to ask a woman who’s setting up a tiny bench to sell paper wrapped flowers if she had seen a dog pass by.
Katsuki stops at a light. Digging his hands into his hair. They had watched Riot walk away, there’s no way he covered enough ground to just vanish off the face of the earth. Katsuki turns in a slow circle, he’s attracting people’s attention. A small group has gathered at the light with him.
“Have any of you seen a golden retriever? About this big,” he raises a hand to his hip, “Pretty fluffy, has a red collar?”
There’s a murmur throughout the crowd. A girl with flaming hair points down the street in the opposite direction Katsuki had gone.
“There was a man with a golden retriever down that way. I think the collar was red.”
Good enough. “Thanks.” Katsuki says, before crossing the street with a blast to avoid the traffic that’s still flowing through the open intersection. He runs when the soles of his shoes touch concrete. His phone vibrates and he fights it out of his pocket.
“I’m right behind you.” Kirishima pants. Katsuki casts a glance over his shoulder and sure enough, Kirishima is running towards him, gaining on him at a concerning rate. The sidewalk is on an incline and when they get to the top they can see the man. He has Riot, lopping along beside him.
“Hey!” Kirishima yells, “That’s my dog!”
He moves before Katsuki can blink. Strikes before Katsuki has a chance. The man goes down and Riot starts barking, tugging at an invisible force that won’t allow him to pull far enough away from the man to get away. Katsuki can’t worry about it now though, because Kirishima is pummeling the man.
“Kirishima!” Katsuki drags him off, “Stop it! Stop! You got him!”
Kirishima is panting, tears in his eyes as he looks down at the man who cowers away from him. There’s blood running from his nose, not a lot, but the skin is swelling up the side of his face and towards his left hand.
“Sorry. I, fuck.” Kirishima pants. Riot is still going nuts, snapping at the air.
“Let him go.” Katsuki demands. “Whatever Quirk you’re using, let him go.”
The man’s eyes widen before they narrow. “Fucking hero .” he spits on Katsuki’s shoes. Riot’s bark dies in a choked whine.
“You’ve gotta let him go!” Kirishima cries, “He can’t breathe!”
Katsuki makes a choice then. He grabs the man’s head and slams their foreheads together. It hurts like hell, but it works. The man howls in agony and whatever Quirk he has on Riot let's go. Kirishima gathers his dog close and scrambles back. Reeling, Katsuki pulls out his phone and he dials the first pro hero on his contact list.
Denki shows up in a dramatic show of his power. He’d been, by some miracle, close by. Katsuki’s head is splitting, and it’s Kirishima who has the villain restrained. Katsuki had walked away as far as he dared with Riot. The dog is shaken, trembling where he sits pressed against Katsuki’s leg. The ball is in front of his paws, and every so often he’ll lean down and lick at it.
“Never thought you’d call me up for help.” Denki says as he saunters over after getting the villain in cuffs and handing him over to a sidekick.
Katsuki groans, “Shut up. You were at the top of my contact list.”
Denki tosses a hand over his heart, “I’m touched, truly.”
Riot is pulled away from Katskuki’s leg and into Kirishima’s lap. He buries his face in his dog's chest. Katsuki looks away when he thinks he sees Kirishima’s shoulders shake.
“Aw, Kiri. He’s okay, yeah?” Denki says, crouching to rub a hand up Kirishima’s back. Riot looks at Denki soulfully, he gets a few pets for it.
“Yeah. He’s okay.”
“I have to tell you,” Denki says turning his attention to Katsuki, “Hanta’s gonna be pissed, that guy has been on his radar for months at this point. His Quirk is literally dog catcher. Lets out a dog whistle that lures them in then traps ‘em with like an invincible leash. I guess.” he shrugs, “Weird. Not sure why you’d go the villain route with that, but whatever.”
“I don’t really care,” Katsuki mumbles. The headache is receding. “As long as the fuckers locked up.”
“Sure thing boss.” Denki grins.
“Thanks for helping us,” Kirishima says as Denki stands.
“Of course dude. Anytime for one of my best bros.” he looks between them, “Why were you guys together and at,” he looks at his watch, “Seven thirty in the morning?”
“Denki,” Katsuki grits, “Don’t you have a job to do?”
“Oh. Yeah. I do. Uh, catch you around Kiri. Glad your puppers good, glad I got to meet him!”
They watch him walk away, he throws a peace sign over his shoulder. Katsuki turns to look down at Kirishima. Riot looks a little less shaken, his tail bats once against the sidewalk when he catches Katsuki watching him. Kirishima on the other hand looks pale and sick. He’s clutching at Riot’s collar like he’s afraid he’s going to disappear.
“Kirishima,” Katsuki says, reaching for him. He pulls his hair over his shoulder, tucking it behind his ear. “Riot’s okay. You did good.”
Kirishima bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. “I handled that poorly.”
Rubbing at his head Katsuki grimaces at the space on the sidewalk where Kirishima had tackled the villain. “You were pissed, and scared.”
“Yeah.”
Katsuki’s phone beeps, and goddamn he’s so happy he didn’t leave it home this morning. It’s his hour alarm. An hour before he needs to be at the agency. But he’s not going to the agency this morning.
“Have you had breakfast?” Katsuki asks.
“Nah.”
Katsuki knocks a thumb over his shoulder, “Wanna?”
Red is quiet the next time Katsuki sees him. They aren’t coming out of a fight, aren’t wind blown and ash washed. They just fall into step together as Katsuki makes his way through patrol.
“You doing okay?” he asks, stepping out of the spotlight of a street lamp and into the shadows of the building, the space between them feels vast. A pit opening between them.
“Fine. They kept me off duty for way too long.” Katsuki kicks a wrapper that must have blown out of the trash. He stoops to pick it up. Depositing it in his pocket. He’ll throw it away later.
“Just wanna make sure their number three is fit for the fight.” Kiri-Red says, grinning at Katsuki from the shadows. His teeth are bright, his eyes are hidden.
Katsuki pauses. “You’re acting odd. What’s wrong?”
Red moves past him to sit on the edge of a shop window. “I’ve been thinking about moving on.”
“Moving on? What does that mean?” Katsuki faces the vigilante, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Like, you know. Leave the city. Get the fuck outta dodge.”
“Red.” Katsuki snaps, “Why?”
“I’m a fucking criminal, Might. Someone’s gonna get me.” his eyes darken again and he stares down at his hands, “Or I’m going to get someone.”
“You’re not making any fucking sense.”
Red curls his hands into fists on his knees. “Someone I love dearly got hurt,the person who hurt them, got taken care of but,” he looks up at Katsuki. There’s terror behind his irises. “I wanted to kill them. I wanted to hunt them down and hurt them .” his voice breaks.
“You already do that.” Katsuki defends. “You said so yourself.”
“No.” Red snaps. “There’s a fucking difference. I felt like a fucking villain, Might. I wanted to break someone out of prison, just so I could kill them.”
Katsuki sneers, he grabs Kir-Red’s face, “You think I don’t feel like that? You think there aren’t bastards rotting in Tartarus I want to make suffer for what they’ve done to the people in my life?”
Red grabs his wrists, “You and I aren’t the same!” he shouts, “I damn well could. I was going to. That’s the difference.”
“So you act like a fucking villain once and that’s it? You’re done?”
A dry, cruel laugh falls out of Red’s mouth. “It’s not like I’m retiring you asshole. I don’t get that privilege. But if I’m acting like a fucking villain, I’m no better then them.”
“You are better!” Katsuki explodes. “You’re so much better than them! You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count, you’ve tipped off other pros about the villains they’ve been chasing. You help old ladies cross the street in the middle of a chase you asshat. You never fucking think about yourself you aren’t a villain! And if I could I’d find away to go back in time I’d make you see yourself like I fucking do, and I could finally fucking have you like I want you!”
Red is staring at him. “Katsuki,” he says quietly. “Don’t go telling me you’re in love with me now.”
“You’ve had to have known.” Katsuki says quietly.
“Of course, I knew.” Red whispers harshly. Katsuki sits beside him. Grabs his hand and pulls it into his lap. He traces the scars that run over his knuckles.
“Things got messy when you fucking kissed me like that.”
“When? All of my kisses have meant something.”
Katsuki hesitates before he leans over and presses a soft kiss to the corner of Red’s mouth. “That one. I’d never been kissed like that before.”
“You deserve those types of kisses.” Red says. His voice is husky, scraping against the night and the quiet corner of the city they've found themselves in.
“Nah. Not really.”
Kiri-Red, lets out a miserable sigh. “I just wanted to be a good person. I wanted to be someone Crimson Riot could look at with pride.” he shakes his head, “But I was too fucking weak to become a hero.”
Katsuki scoffs. “More like you wanted to stay a fucking human.”
“What?”
“You and I are much more alike than either of us want to admit.” Katsuki says, “I wanted to be a hero my whole life, wanted to be the next All Might. I worked my ass off and I finally got somewhere I want to be, and now what? I watch my friends get married, watch them have pets and families, identities outside of their fucking hero names, and lives.” Katsuki grip tighter at Red’s hand. “And I never fucking minded. I thought no, it’s fine, I don’t need that shit. But I,” he swallows, “I want that.”
“Katsuki, you can have it.”
“Shut up!” Katsuki snaps, then softens, “Listen to me, and believe me when I say, I’m just as happy you aren’t a hero as much as it pisses me off. Because you made me see that there’s more to life than whatever the hell this is.”
“I’m not good . Don’t you get that?”
Katsuki laughs, “You are good, but don’t you get, I don’t care? You’re so fucking human it rubbed wrong against me.” he waves a hand down himself, “I was a fucking robot before I met you.”
“Might,” Red breaths, disbelief dripping from his tone. “Fuck me.”
“Is that an offer?” he tugs Red closer, hooking his arms around his neck.
“Maybe.”
He kisses Katsuki then, pressing him back against the window. Dragging his tongue across Katsuki’s bottom lip, sucking at it. Katsuki lets out a strangled moan. Fire burning bright down his spine and fizzling into his stomach. He gasps when Kiri-Red, pulls away from him, spit strings between them.
“Also,” Katsuki groans. Words are a struggle when Red is ravaging his throat, yanking his collar down and exposing his skin to the biting cold. “Never tell me you’re gonna quit after telling me I can’t.” he captures Red’s ear in his mouth and bites down, relishing in the hitch of breath he pulls from Kirish-Red’s mouth. “Bitch.”
“Shut up.” Red hisses. Bites him hard, “Just for once, shut up.”
“Rich, coming from you.”
Red’s heat is overwhelming, “You piss me off so much.” he groans onto Katsuki’s hair pushing him back further. They’re slotted against each other on the minuscule ledge. He laughs, “God. What are we doing? This poor shop owner is going to wonder why there are people smudges on his window.”
Katsuki lets his head fall back, “Ruining the moment.”
Red shifts off of him, pulling him upright, “Maybe that’s a good thing. I can’t fuck you here.”
“Come back with me then.”
Weariness shutters over Ki-Red’s face, “No, I don’t wanna know where you live.”
Katsuki pulls up the collar of his suit, “Why?” Red sends him a look, stretching his arms over his head.
“I have a lot of enemies, Katsuki, that would do anything to figure out where you live.”
Katsuki lands a hit on his shoulder, “There you go again, would a villain let himself get blue balled for the sake of his lay?”
Red wrinkles his nose at him, “You aren’t a lay, Katsuki.”
Katsuki stands, peering down the deserted street, “Could’ve been.”
“Jesus christ,” Red mutters, “Do I have to spell it out for you? Sex isn't just a thing for me, Might.”
“I know.” Katsuki says, he brushes the tips of his fingers down Red’s bicep. “It’s not for me either, even though I make it seem that way.”
“It’s a little late for you to be playing edgy don’t you think?” Red elbows him in the ribs. A playful nudge that is far too fond.
But then Katsuki takes his hand for the rest of patrol.
It happens in the middle of the night. Katsuki comes away with a gasp and Kirishima’s name on his lips. His sheets are damp and he feels like he’s fallen off a cliff and hit the ground hard. And it wasn’t a dream that woke him, at least not that he can remember, but a realization. Breathing heavy, staring at his ceiling he realizes that he is very much in love with Kirishima. Katsuki fights out of his sheets and buries his face in his hands. The realization is painful as it is relieving. It washes through him like rain, but leaves behind mud that he has to sort through. He’s in love with Kirishima. His stupid smile and laugh that make Katsuki feel alive. His eyes and hair, the challenges Katsuki throws at him that he accepts with his entire heart. The love for Riot that Kirishima so full gives.
Katsuki realizes belatedly that there are tears dripping out of his eyes. He wipes at them even as he opens his mouth and sobs. It’s devastating, it’s glorifying. How though? Because Katsuki loves Red. Loves him with what he thought was all the violent love he could give. There should be no more room left in the beating chambers of his heart. And does he have to choose, can he choose?
“Fuck.” he feels like his insides are being twisted in unforgiving fists. “What,” he sobs again, grabs at his chest. He needs something, right now. Someone. He stands, reaches with blind eyes for his phone, he drops it, catches it. The screen blurs into a mess of colors. And his thumbs slide against the screen as his tears drip onto it.
Izuku picks up on the third ring.
“Hey Kacchan, what’s up?”
Katsuki presses the back of his wrist to his mouth. Why is he crying? An ugly sob tears itself out of his mouth.
“What’s wrong? Katsuki?” his voice pitches into worry. Katsuki paces to his door, then back again.
“I need help.” he manages, choking on the words.
“Anything, I’m here. Are you hurt?”
Katsuki tosses his bedroom door open and stumbles down the hall towards the kitchen, flipping on lights as he goes. “No, shut up. Just. Listen to me.”
“Okay.”
He’s exhausted by the time he’s explained everything. He spilled his guts, poured out the secret of his affection to Izuku. His feelings of fatigue and resentment towards his job. Now Katsuki is sagging against the black marble counter in his kitchen.
“I. Wow. “ Izuku mumbles, there’s knocking on the other side of the phone. “I’ll be out in a minute Lala. Kacchan, that was a lot.”
“I know. Fuck. What, what do I do?”
Izuku blows out a breath. It rattles with static through their connection. “I don’t know. Do you want the rational or emotional answer?”
“Rational.”
“Arrest Red Riot.”
Katsuki rubs the back of his neck pressing his eyes closed. “I know. I should’ve arrested him a year ago. But, he’s not a villain.”
“I know, Katsuki. I know. But he’s still wanted for illegal activity. What would a relationship with him be like?”
“Fucking amazing,” Katsuki snaps.
“You wanted rationality.” Izuku reminds.
“I know.”
There’s shuffling on Izuku’s side, “I do think however, that you should talk to Kirishima about it. No reason to push the attraction aside.”
Katsuki doesn’t think Izuku understands his problem, why he called in tears he didn’t understand himself, why he feels like he’s spiraling fast and dangerously towards the sun. But how does he explain it to him? He can’t. So he hums and lets himself relish in the comfort of finally spilling everything.
“I will.” he might.
“Good. I think it’s good that you’ve found someone. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.” Katsuki says.
“Are you feeling better? I don’t remember the last time you were that worked up.”
Not since highschool. At least. But he also hasn’t felt this much since highschool. “I feel better.” He does. Still lost as hell and terrified, but better. Like the tension in his chest has been let out.
“I’m glad. And I wish you luck when it comes to Kirishima.” Izuku says. Katsuki can hear his smile, fucker is way too earnest.
“You aren’t mad at me are you?” Katsuki asks.
“Why would I be mad?”
“I fell in love with a vigilante.”
Izuku laughs, “Kacchan, do you remember how I met my fiance?”
Katsuki grunts, pushing himself away from the counter and opening his fridge. “Fair.”
“So no. I’m not mad, worried more like. Just, be careful, okay?”
He needs to go grocery shopping. His fridge is bare, the white shelves glaring under the light. He pulls out a half empty carton of apple juice. It stings his teeth as he chugs it. “I will be.” he says, wiping his lips.
“Good. That’s all I can ask.”
Katsuki is sitting in the grass when Riot bounds over to him. He lets the dog drool his affection all over him. Burying his face into his fur. Kirishima sits down next to him. Quiet in the morning hush.
“Riot.” he says, “Down.”
Katsuki smiles at Kirishima, happy to see him. So fucking filled with ecstasy he feels like he could float.
“What is it?” Kirishima asks, reaching up to touch at his face like there’s something wrong with it. Like something could ever be wrong with it. “You’ve never looked at me like that. Katsuki?”
“I fucking love you.”
It’s not earth shattering. Not like Katsuki had thought it would be. The sky doesn’t fall, the soil doesn’t swallow Katsuki.
“What?” Disbelief. Katsuki fumbles for Kirishima’s hands.
“I love you, Kirishima.”
Kirishima shakes his head. Eyes going bright with the tears that spring to them. “You can’t.”
“Why?”
Kirishima stares down at their hands, “You don’t know me Katsuki. There’s so much you don’t know.”
“I know enough about you.” Katsuki argues. He reaches up to wipe at the single tear that falls from Kirishima’s eye.
“No. You don’t.”
Katsuki frowns, “If you don’t share the feeling it’s okay. Just tell me” it’s not. That is earth shattering and devastating and makes Katsuki’s heart pound.
“Katsuki.” Kirishima says. It sounds like he’s grieving when he says it. Fractures in the sound and shape. “That’s cruel.”
His eyes are pleading, begging for something. He clutches Katsuki’s hands in his, bringing them up to his face and pressing a kiss against one of Katsuki’s knuckles. Again, he’s missing something, something vital that means a lot to whatever is happening. Whatever has happened between them since that first night in the bar.
“I don’t understand.” Katsuki says. “I just confessed to you and all you have to say is that?”
“Katsuki, this is more complicated than you think it is.”
“How?” Katsuki demands, “How is it so complicated?”
Kirishima’s jaw flexes, “it just is. You don’t want this, trust me.”
“Are you saying I don’t know what I want?”
“Yes.” Kirishima says. “I am. Because you don’t fucking know me, and if you did.” he cuts himself off, staring down the dark lawn. “You’d be so fucking pissed I don’t even want to think about it.”
Katsuki breaths, one slow inhale in and one slow exhale out. “Then tell me. I’ll listen.”
“You stubborn asshole,” Kirishima sighs, “I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Kirishima shifts away from him, reclaiming his hands from their clasp. “Both.”
“I thought this,” Katsuki gestures between them, “Was mutual. I felt you when we danced, I’ve seen the way you look at me.”
“Katsuki! Look at me.” Kirishima’s tone is sharp in a way it never has been. It demands Katsuki do as he says. “Really look at me.”
He does. He looks at Kirishima. His eyes that are brown, always the same color of brown no matter what. His hair pulled up into a ponytail, his bangs brushed over his forehead, his hands that clench in his lap.
“What am I supposed to be seeing?” Because it's something right?
“You can’t tell.” it’s not a question. A flat statement.
Katsuki wants to shake him, make him explain. Make him spit out what he means.
“I’m sorry.” Kirishima stands. “I can’t do this. It wouldn’t be right.”
Then he walks away. Calling Riot to his side. Leaving Katsuki alone as the sun comes up.
It had been an anonymous tip. Left on the Might agency tip line. A voice distorted by the machine saying that the vigilante Red Riot was seen downtown casually walking out of a ramen shop. Katsuki wasn't around when the tip came in. He’d been out, dealing with a villain with the stupidest Quirk he’d ever seen. It had pissed him off and when he’d returned to the agency, covered in liquid hand soap, all of the sidekicks but a few were gone.
“The hell is going on?” he snaps, focusing on a first floor intern. She shuffles.
“We got a tip about Red Riot sir. A tip pointed us to downtown near the FatGum agency ten minutes ago. They figured it would be stupid to wait for your return.”
Katsuki smacks a hand to his forehead. “They all fucking went?”
“He’s a high risk target sir.”
Katsuki spits a curse, trying to dig his phone out of his pocket. “I goddamn know he’s a high risk target.” he finally gets the device out of his pocket. He calls his closet sidekick. Hero Dragon Breath, stupid name, badass Quirk. He picks up on the first ring. “I trained you assholes better than this!”
“Sir, we finally had him pinpointed. We acted as we saw fit.”
Katsuki flicks his wrist, trying to quicken the ooze of soap that’s climbing down his arm. “I don’t fucking care! You took the entire fucking agency!”
There’s muffled shouting in the background, “Yes sir!”
“Fuck this.” Katsuki starts to strip. He has to get to that scene. Every single intern and sidekick there is in danger. None of them have Quirks that will make Red Riot blink. And normally Red won’t kill heroes, but if they’re all on him at once, he won’t shy away from killing them. His hands fumble over the buckle of his pants, dropping his gauntlets to the floor.
“S-sir!” the intern gasps, tossing a hand up over her eyes, “Can I get you anything?”
“Yeah,” that soap is literally everywhere. “Go up to my office, type in your employee number, and then swipe your card to get in. There’s a duffle bag under my desk. Get it for me.”
She nods and hurries towards the stairs. Katsuki kicks off his boots, dropping his pants, listening to the battle going on through Dragon’s earpiece.
“What’s it looking like out there?”
Ragged panting fills his ears, “Fucking bastard.” Dragon gasps, “We can’t touch him.”
“I’m coming.” Katsuki promises. The intern is back, averting her eyes as she tosses him the bag. He dresses quickly, turning so the intern won’t get an eyeful of his dick. He leaves the bag on the floor and heads back out the door. “Send me the location.”
It’s a mess. A terrible chaotic mess, and above the mess, caused by flying Quirks, is Red Riot. Looking bored and frustrated. There’s a bag from a ramen place in his hand; he's completely untouched.
“Riot!” Katsuki shouts. Red eyes find him and Red grins, raising a hand to wave at him.
“Hey man! Wondering where you were at. Tell your interns they’ve got some sick ass Quirks. Really neat.” he points to Dragon Breath, who has fallen back to Katsuki’s side, “That one? Damn. Would’ve killed to have that one.”
“Shut up!” Dragon yells at him. “You’re under arrest, come down from there.”
Riot smiles wider, “Yeah see, that’s gonna be a problem. As cool as your Quirks are, Imma need you to cut it out.”
“What are you playing at?” Katsuki calls out. Red is hardened. His chest and upper arms thick with his Quirk. Red’s smile falls.
“I have a friend with me. He’s just behind me. Your goons are going to hurt him if they don’t cut out all the crazy Quirk usage.”
“He's lying,” Dragon spits. “He’s up there alone.”
Red’s eyes don’t leave Katsuki. “Stand down.” Katsuki says.
“Sir.” Dragon starts. Katsuki holds up a hand.
“How are we supposed to believe you Riot?”
Red clenches his teeth, “Please. I’ll come down. You can put cuffs on me, but please don’t hurt him.”
Dragon frowns harder, “He’s lying .”
“I’m not lying, I’ll drop my Quirk.” Red stares at Katsuki. Brows furrowing slightly. “Please, just don’t.”
Fuck. Something is very muchly not right here. Katsuki holds out a hand, “Give me your cuffs.” Dragon hands them over.
“What are you going to do?”
Katsuki hooks them to his belt. “I’m going up there.”
It’s silent as Katsuki climbs the mess of concrete and re bar. Dozer’s work. He can feel his sidekick's eyes on him, he can feel Red’s eyes on him.
“What’s going on?” He asks near silently. Red’s lips part, his eyes searching Katsuki’s face.
“Riot.” he says, “Go to Katsuki.”
Katsuki blinks, feels his stomach fall to his toes as Kirishima’s golden retriever steps out from behind Red. His tail gives a few weak wags. Riot presses his nose into Katsuki’s hand. His fur is disrupted, a few specks of blood bleeding through onto usually pristine fur.
“You fucker!” Katsuki yells, he brings Red Riot down in a quick jab at his softened neck. He registers briefly that the vigilante had kept his promise and released his Quirk. He smacks the cuffs onto his wrists and leans down. “What the hell did you do with him?”
“What are you talking about?” Red Riot asks. Voice weak.
Katsuki raises a sparking hand, “Kirishima. Where is he?”
Red Riot stares at him. Then starts to laugh. Loud peals of laughter that shake his shoulders and echoes around the street. Riot lets out a mournful whine. Katsuki pushes the vigilante away from him in disgust. In heartbreak.
“Katsuki,” Red calls, “Katsuki look at me!”
He doesn’t. He refuses.
“Cable.” he calls, “Take care of him.” he grabs Riot’s leash and tugs him down the pile of ruble.
“What do we do with him?” Dragon asks. Watching Cable work, wrapping her Quirk tightly around Riot’s shoulders and torso in a metal cocoon.
“I don’t fucking care.” Katsuki spits. He pulls his phone out with shaking fingers. Kirishima doesn’t answer when he calls. He calls again, buries his hands in Riot’s fur and waits out the rings with baited breath. Riot suddenly starts barking, pulling out of Katsuki’s grip. The dog lunges across the street and sinks his teeth into a sidekick’s calf. He can hear the animal’s teeth clank against the stiff iron blood that hardens with the use of the sidekick’s Quirk. She still screams, reaching down to tear Riot off. Katsuki rushes back into the fray calling the dog back confused to the animals reaction.
“Riot!” Red is yelling, screaming almost, “Riot let go!” the dog obeys. He falls back, releasing the meat caught in his jowls and prowling to Red’s side. Katsuki pushes the sidekick behind him, there are no punctures in her skin, the activation of her power at the right time saving her from damage. Riot growls, the dog that had never once shown his teeth unless he was smiling, looks menacing as he hunches in front of Red.
“It’s me, Riot.” Katsuki says, he holds out a hand. Riot falters, his lips falling over his fangs, he steps towards Katsuki’s outstretched fingers. A shot rings out, loud and clear, from the circle of police officers that have gathered around the scene. The bullet hits Riot and he goes down with a loud yowling whine.
“No!” Red falls to his knees, reaching for the dog. His bound hands clumsy. Katsuki follows him down , pressing a hand to stem the bleeding that pools from under Riot’s front left leg.
“Shit.” Katsuki breathes. Red bows over the dog pressing his forehead between the animal’s ears.
“Save him, Katsuki. Please. He’s not dead. He’s not dead!”
“I know.” Katsuki assures. “I know!” he looks frantically over his shoulder. “Someone, get me help! Please!”
There’s a ripple of movement from sidekicks and police force alike. Katsuki doesn’t care, focused on making sure Riot is still breathing even as blood continues it’s slow spread. Red Riot is crying, his skin lashed in bleeding strips along the digging metal that’s still coiled around him. He’s whispering something over and over again to Riot, things Katsuki can’t hear. His hand pets down his back over and over.
“I’ve got him Red.” Katsuki murmurs. “Why? Why did he do that?”
Red looks up at him, eyes red rimmed. “You’re so stupid.” he sobs. “You’re so stupid. Look at me Katsuki!”
And Katsuki does. He looks at Red Riot. His Red hair, that’s not always red, but sometimes black. At his eyes that are never brown, not naturally at least. He looks at Red Riot, sobbing over his injured dog, and he sees Kirishima. It’s earth shattering, and the sky feels like it’s falling.
“Kirishima,” he breathes, “Fuck.”
Kirishima lets out another sob, pressing a kiss to Riot’s head. “All I ask is that you save him. Please.”
Katsuki nods, numbly. He’s. Well. Elated, and angry, and terrified. But he’s in love with Kirishima in every way, in every light and painted in red. “I won’t fail him. He’s gonna be okay.”
~Epilogue~
Riot gets the zoomies every morning at four without fail. He makes a racket in the kitchen, then scratches frantically at Katsuki’s bedroom door until he comes out. They walk the same path every morning, toss the same old tennis ball that’s wearing down with each use, and then eat breakfast at the cafe.
Routine is rarely broken. An emergency will call Katsuki away, or Riot will want to return home sooner, but routine is not usually broken. Except this morning, it’s Katsuki who’s up at unreasonable times, pacing the kitchen in a three piece suit having a heated conversation with Mina over the phone.
“You said you were going to be there!”
“Shit happens sometimes, Katsuki. And guess what? Shit happened! I already talked to Kiri’s rep about it. Kyouka is stepping in as a substitute.”
Katsuki runs an agitated hand through his hair. Effectively ruining the style he’s fought to comb it into.
“Mina, you fucking knew before any of us, I need you there for me.”
She sighs, “I know. I’m fucking sorry okay? I wish I could be there, for you and Kiri. But Kyouka knows what she’s doing. She isn’t going to let you down.”
Kirishima, or the vigilante Red Riot that Katsuki had been trying to bring to justice for a year, has spent the last eighteen months locked in Tartarus prison. Today however he’s being released. He can walk free as long as he attends the rehabilitation program set up for inmates with lesser offenses for the amount of time he was locked up. However he was in need of a team to back him. A team which Katsuki had been building since Aizawa had explained the requirements for his release.
It hadn’t been easy for any of them. Katsuki, and The Idiots. Katsuki was a mess for weeks after they shipped Kirishima off, leaving him with nothing but Riot and an apartment key. He’d raged, then cried, then raged some more. Then slept in Kirsihima’s bed in his tiny apartment with a street view and an old neighbor who asked whether or not he’s safe. If anything that makes Katsuki all the more emotional. All around Kirishima’s neighborhood there are signs of admiration for the vigilante. People who greet Riot and inquire after Red. People who come to Kirishima’s door looking for meals Red used to prepare for them every two weeks. Katsuki is the number three hero, and he has nothing to offer them.
He’d been waiting, if he was being honest with himself, for the anger over the situation to drive away the burning love Katsuki feels for the other man. But the longer they’re apart, Katsuki aches for him. Sleeping in his bed, and taking care of his dog aren’t enough. He wants Kirishima. Wants him in his entirety that he’d been too stupid to see.
“Thanks again for this.” Katsuki murmurs as he hands his dad Riot’s leash. His dad takes it happily, holding out a wrinkled hand that Riot presses a paw into.
“I wish you’d bring him by more often.” Masaru grins. He claps Katsuki on the shoulder. “Good luck. You bring that young man around for dinner sometime.”
“I will.”
Everyone has gathered outside. Denki and Hanta, Kyouka and getting out of his car is Izuku. He commands attention as he walks towards their group, hands in his pockets.
“Did you invite him?” Denki asks.
“No.” Katsuki says. He hadn’t, he didn’t want to drag the number one’s name through the press hell this is going to be. But there he is, smiling.
“Hey Kacchan, heard along the grapevine you needed some support.”
“I,”Katsuki chokes on the ball of emotion that has risen in his throat. “Fuck.” he steps forward and hugs Izuku. It’s awkward, how tight he’s squeezing him compared to the fumbling little pats Izuku lands on his shoulders. Katsuki steps away, wiping quickly at his eyes. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know.” Izuku says. “I wanted to though.”
The guards at the entrance to Tartarus stand straight when the doors open slowly. Katsuki’s heart is pounding. It's been so long. Eighteen long months. Agony filled months where he’s worried and wondered. Denki reaches for his hand, squeezing it and smiling reassuringly.
A group of guards step through and in their midst is Kirishima. Hair longer, the caramel of his skin that Katsuki remembers is replaced by a near translucent pallor. The bones in his arms are more prominent than Katsuki had ever seen them. But his eyes are bright cranberry. A light in the sun and blazing when they land on them. The guards step away, taking the cuffs that bound Kirishima’s hands with them. They stand in stalemate. Kirishima nervous, the nibbling on his lip a tell. Katsuki’s heart skips a beat and suddenly he doesn’t fucking care.
He takes a breath, then runs, sprints. Bowls Kirishima over as he throws himself into his arms. He lets out a gasp of air, thinner arms wrapping around Katsuki’s waist in an attempt to right them. They’ve just caught their balance when Katsuki kisses him. Kisses him like he’s been dreaming of, yearning for. With the fire he kissed Red Riot with and the gentle passion he’d wanted to kiss Kirishima with. He might be crying, doesn’t know, doesn’t care. He kisses Kirishima until his lungs are straining and only then does he pull away. Pressing their foreheads together he pants.
“Hey Red.”
Kirishima smiles at him. “It’s Eijirou.”