Chapter Text
Roommates.
What joy.
They had gotten closer since the apology, the war, and the hero suit. That's true. He had wanted it, even. The living together, however, may be a bit too much for his heart. Katsuki grips the assignment instructing his new living arrangement in one hand and drags his other hand down his face. Just as he had to endure that class reunion dinner ending in his absolute worst nightmare, so must he endure this. Uraraka is a strong woman and a brave hero to boot. But hearing the news of her engagement to Izuku felt like a punch straight to the gut. Even worse was Izuku turning down his offer to be hero partners. To be truthful with himself, talking to Izuku afterward was too painful to bear most of the time. His heart can’t take the ache.
So Katsuki kept himself busy.
He has clocked over 20 hours of overtime this week alone. He just kept up the pace he held when he was saving up to fund Deku’s suit. Sure, it had felt wrong sending Deku to voicemail, or turning down offers to get lunch together, or oftentimes making a complete 180 and walking out of the building whenever Deku did show up to the agency. But it hurts to look at that face. Katsuki just can’t do that to himself. He’s sure Deku wouldn’t want that kind of lame energy around anyway, especially since he has a wedding to plan. With his fiancee.
Fuck.
Luckily for him, the happy couple have both been out of the country for the better part of the last year. They were assigned overseas for a joint mission where their engagement came in handy. Instead of a fake relationship, the HPSC just used a real one where chemistry didn’t have to be fabricated. They weren’t the only heroes that were sent off, of course, though they were one of the only real couples. They are set to return in a week and, while they had been away, the HPSC instructed them not to renew their leases as they would likely be sent away again soon. Instead the safety commission has randomly selected other heroes for them to stay with for the time being until they are needed again. Why they couldn’t accommodate both Deku and Uravity in the same place, far, far away from Katsuki, he doesn’t know.
The paper starts to smoke in his grip. Katsuki crumples it into a ball and throws it across the office. The office he shares with Eijirou.
“Hey, man. You, uh… missed the bin.” Eijirou shoots him a worried look before rolling his chair over and snatching up the ball of paper. “What is this anyway?”
Katsuki drops his face into both hands and presses his palms into his eyes until he sees stars. “New work assignment. New Living Arrangement. You know that mass mission where they sent all of these heroes global and are rooming them randomly throughout the country while between jobs? Well, apparently they need me to house one of those heroes with me. Got a guess on who they have in mind?” Bakugo scoffs, groans, then leans back in his chair, hands now flexing in and out of fists at his side.
Eijirou stops in the middle of unfolding the paper and winces at the uncharacteristically pained sound that came from his friend just now. “I assume it’s Midoriya, then?”
Katsuki says nothing.
Confirms nothing.
He only closes his eyes.
—---------------------------------
HONK.
As Katsuki makes his way home, he idles a little too long at stop lights after they turn green. It has become increasingly hard to focus since receiving the new assignment. It’s nearing the end of fall and he can see the leaves flutter around his bike tires as he pulls into his parking garage.
“Good evening, Mr. Bakugou. I hope the day has been kind to you.” The door man of his apartment complex, Mr. Kaitoza, holds the door open with a smile. The blonde man clutches the strap of his bag to his shoulder and walks through the opening with his head down.
“Tch. Kind my ass.”
His phone vibrates in his pocket on the way up the stairs. He pulls out the phone and almost throws it when he sees DEKU on the screen. “Shit, what the-” Of course the nerd is calling him right now. He probably wants to talk about the assignment of which he would have also received a copy. He stops in the staircase and takes a deep breath before answering the call.
“I just got home. What do you want?” It’s all a facade now, his agitation. His annoyance with Izuku. The nerd could hit him with a car and Katsuki would still look up at him from the pavement with hearts in his eyes. But he still falsely generates that appearance to continue holding Deku at arms length. Further, if he can help it.
“Kacchan! Um, I’m sorry to bother you, but… well, I was calling to see… Have you gotten the letter too?” Deku’s mumbling has taken a major decline over the last few years. He can still talk up a storm, but the constant muttering has chilled out. Katsuki can’t decide how to feel about it.
He slowly resumes his ascent up the staircase and answers. “Yeah.”
“.... okay..? I’ll be staying with you for a little while. Is that okay?” Deku’s voice sounds apprehensive as it often does anytime the two have managed to have a conversation as of late. Katsuki scoffs. “Don’t really have a say in it Deku.”
A hum comes through the phone and into Katsuki’s ear. He contemplates throwing it down the center of the stairwell. “You don’t really sound like that’s okay.” - Gee Deku, you think? I wonder why. - “Look I can ask the HPSC to room me somewhere else, but there’s not a lot of options. Plus we’re… friends… so they felt like this would be best.”
Katsuki can’t really blame him for putting the invisible question mark after the word “friends” there. They used to be best friends. Inseparable. The Wonder Duo even. But….
“Deku, it doesn’t matter. I have a second bedroom. It’ll be ready when you get here.” There is a quiet break in dialogue. Katsuki thinks about hanging up, then thinks about something else. “What about Cheeks? They couldn’t get you guys a room together?” Fuck. Why did you ask that?
“Um.. They put her with Tsu. I can ask her about me staying there if you want me to Kacchan. I- I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, b-but…” Katsuki can hear him gulp through the phone. “But I was kind of looking forward to it. I know we haven’t really seen each other… at all… lately, BUT I was hoping it could be like when we roomed together at UA.”
Katsuki sucks in a breath as the memories flood back in.
A pipe had burst on one of the floors in the boys’ dorms and everyone on that floor had to room with someone else. There was no need for him to keep distance then, so Katsuki and Izuku had been closer. So close, in fact, that when Aizawa had stated what would need to happen while the repairs were made, Katsuki was turning around at his seat and offering for Izuku to room with him. Those big green eyes had gotten even bigger and the blush that settled in with those freckles had caused Katsuki’s poor, war-hammered heart to skip a beat. As Izuku nodded his head, Katsuki felt a hefty warmth spread through him, starting at his stomach and traveling up his neck and face. Tch, whatever nerd, he had said, turning back around at his desk. Whatever, indeed.
They had the damage fixed within the week, but Katsuki still vividly remembers it. Falling asleep - much later than his usual bed time - staring shamefully at the green-haired boy on the mattress next to his bed and hearing "Good morning, Kacchan" when the sun finally shone through the curtains.
He clears his throat, shoving the memory back into that dark cave in his chest. “That’s great Deku, but I have to go. Just.. just let me know when you’ll be here, okay?”
He ends the call.
By now he is standing in front of the door to his apartment. He shouldn’t have hung up on the nerd like that, but remembering those few days from third year… What a pining little bitch, you are.
His apartment is empty, as always. Well, almost empty. As soon as the door shuts behind him, four little paws make their way through to meet him in the genkan. MROW. The orange cat rubs her back along Katsuki’s shin and begins to purr. He picks her up and sits her onto his shoulder. Her perch from which she can watch over his heart.
“I don’t think you can get me out of this one, girl.”