"Katsuki…"
The dull crimson eyes that met Shoto's had the fire and ice hero's stomach rolling with worry. Without thinking he reached a hand forward only to have it swatted away by the once explosive hero. He saw hurt flicker across Katsuki's eyes for a moment before it was replaced by an emotionless blank stare past Shoto. It was like looking into a mirror of himself at 15 when he first arrived at UA. Back when the only thing that mattered was surviving and getting out from under his father's control. When his emotions were shoved down so deeply, he could no longer access them himself.
This was not who he had expected to step off that train. Sure, he knew Katsuki would have changed in their five years apart. Hell, he knew he wasn't the same person anymore either. But there was always one thing that remained unchanged in the fire and ice hero, even after all these years. He still cared deeply for Katsuki. It tore his heart in two to see the that the blond hero truly had moved on and forgotten about him.
With a heavy sigh he turned his attention to where Katsuki was staring. Kirishima was gently pushing his way through the small crowd gathered around him, insisting he needed to get going. His smile warm and apologetic. Until he made eye contact with Shoto. His smile faltered for a fraction of a second before being replaced by another. One that most would have mistaken as a sign of happiness to see his long-time friend. But Shoto could see right through it.
He would admit he was once pretty clueless when it came to a lot of things. Shoto had been called dense more than enough times growing up and he really couldn't disagree. His lack of regular socialization as a child and aloof personality left him silently questioning a lot of what his classmates said or did while in school. He had pieced a lot of things together as he got older though. Sometimes reeling with secondhand embarrassment for his younger self at the memories. How he'd managed to make such a fool of himself and still have so many friends was beyond him. Though he was pretty sure now that his calm personality and rational thinking had something to do with it. Oh, and his looks.
Despite this he was unbelievably observant. Picking up on subtle queues of body language as he spent years watching and listening to those around him rather than talking. His observational skill set growing as he came to understand the feelings and emotions driving the body language. Time spent patrolling with Hawks honed those skills into a useful tool. He prided himself on his ability to read people and right now he did not like what he was reading on Kirishima.
The sturdy hero's smile was fake. Forced. Face muscles tense as he no doubt ground his teeth hard enough to break if not for his quirk. Most telling was how the smile failed to meet his eyes. Normally so kind and inviting they were now cold and dare he say, resentful? He strode over to them with fists clenched at his sides before possessively wrapping an arm around Katsuki's waist and pulling him to stand behind him. Something the blond would have exploded over years ago. Now he just hung his head and obeyed. Angling himself away from Kirishima.
The fire and ice hero smoothed his clothes out and attempted to mask his worry with the impassive expression he had once worn so easily. He was less practiced at hiding his emotions these days but not knowing what was going on between the two, or if it was even his place to say anything, he wanted try to ease the tension that now hung around the three.
"Nice to see you Kirishima" he nodded to the red head. "You too Katsuki."
"Bakugo" the red head growled lowly, crossing his arms, and glaring at the fire and ice hero.
"What?" Shoto questioned. Unsure if Kirishima had been addressing him or Katsuki. He certainly wouldn't still be calling his boyfriend of six years by his last name, would he? But Shoto and Katsuki had been on a first name basis since some point in their first year at UA. Sure, they hadn't seen or talked to each other in the last several years but that wouldn't mean all their time together meant nothing anymore. Right?
"You'll address him as Bakugo. Now let's go, we're tired." He scowled at Shoto before grabbing his suitcase and spinning around towards the exit, followed by Katsuki who hadn't looked at the fire and ice hero since their initial greeting.
Shoto felt rooted to the spot like the red headed hero had just used his quirk to hammer him in to the floor. He watched the two leave with a dazed expression. A chill seeping into his core as he replayed those words in his head – You'll address him as Bakugo. They were spoken for the blond, without so much as a glance in his direction for approval. Maybe the two had talked this over before coming and Kat- no, Bakugo, asked Kirishima to tell Shoto not to address him by his first name anymore? Maybe in their five years apart the friendship Shoto had cherished with the blond had evaporated and he was holding on to nothing but smoke now.
But something just didn't sit right with him. Gnawing at his insides. Festering beneath the surface. Everyone had always thought of Katsuki as the stubborn one though Shoto came to see it more as drive and determination in their time together. Few people realized that the fire and ice hero was actually the more stubborn of the two. He couldn't let this go. Driven by an unshakable determination to get to the bottom of the change in their friendship, he threw his shoulders back and set off quickly to catch up with the pair.
The car ride to the hotel where Kirishima and Bakugo were staying was filled with quiet, awkward silence. The tension from earlier seemed to grow in the enclosed space. Shoto attempted to make small talk, a skill he was still working to improve, but all he received in return were short, forced answers from Kirishima. With a sigh Shoto turned up the radio and softly hummed along, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Wincing slightly each time his left fingers flexed too far.
Glancing at the blond in the back seat through his
rearview mirror he caught wide eyes staring back for a brief second before they returned to look out the window. With a furrowed brow, blue and grey eyes returned to the road. Mind buzzing with questions that had no answers yet.
When they arrived at the hotel, Kirishima had wrenched both of their bags out of the trunk and quickly rushed himself and Bakugo into the hotel. Confirming they would be at Endeavor agency at 8am the following morning without so much as a backwards glance. Failing to get the blond hero to meet his eyes again Shoto huffed as he sat back down in his seat and pulled out his phone to send a quick message. He had too many thoughts to process right now and needed someone to ramble at. After listening to Izuku mumble for years he had discovered it to be an almost therapeutic way to work through his own problems.
Hawks would have been his first choice, but the winged hero was out on patrol right now and without his hero costume Shoto couldn't join. His thoughts drifted to his green-eyed friend next. He had known Katsu- Bakugo, the longest. The two had rebuilt their relationship into something resembling friendship after their first year at UA and Shoto had his suspicions that they may still talk, though he could never bring himself to ask. But Izuku spent much of his time caring for his mother since she had fallen ill a few years ago, taking a hiatus from hero work even, and it didn't feel right to bother him with something like this considering what he was already dealing with.
With his mind made up he sent a text to the only other person he had openly discussed his feelings for the blond with. A soft smile rose when he received a quick response agreeing to meet at a small coffee shop close to Central Hospital. Clicking his seatbelt in to place he pulled away from the hotel deep in thought.
Arriving at the coffee shop a short while later he headed to their usual seat in the back corner of the room with a tall black coffee in hand. Sinking into the plush cushions of the booth he sighed and rolled his shoulders to ease the tension that had been building all day. Rubbing small circles in his forehead with his palms to dull a growing headache Shoto closed his eyes. Thoughts of the blond hero swimming through his mind stopped to play a memory of the first real interaction the two had.
---
The sports festival was already hell and it had only just begun for the fire and ice hero in training. Knowing his father was here to watch, his goal was to keep his distance for as long as possible. He would need to put on a good show for the bastard or risk extra training on top of his schooling, but the only real competition he had here was Bakugo and possibly Midoriya. The later being the most confusing to him.
The kid seemed kind, probably too kind for his own good, but had abysmal control over his quirk. What kind of person can't control their powers by now? There was also a nagging feeling in Shoto's gut that he couldn't ignore. There was some kind of connection between Midoriya and All Might and he was hell bent on figuring it out. What better way than to challenge him in front of the class, right?
He felt their eyes darting from him to Midoriya and saw mouths hanging open as he declared war against the green-eyed hero hopeful. Considering he hadn't spoken more than two words to most of the class their reaction wasn't much of a surprise. What had caught him off guard was Midoriya's rise to the challenge. The passion burning behind his eyes as he clenched his fist and vowed to do his best.
With a short hum of acknowledgment Shoto had left the room. Struggling to keep his icy exterior up. Intending to put as much distance between himself and his class as possible and stomp down the sudden swell of emotions before they pored out. He couldn't understand why they chose now of all times to show themselves.
Finding an empty corridor away from the main activity, he leaned his back against the wall and slowly slid down to sit, squeezing his eyes shut. With deep breaths in and out he pushed the tightness out of his chest. Deep in thought about how this class, and the people so determined to befriend him, were pulling feelings from somewhere he couldn't even reach he didn't hear the thud of boots stopping next to him.
"Oi IcyHot"
"Hm?" He peered up to see one of the few people in his grade, more like in the school, that he considered competition. Sharp crimson eyes peering at him below spikey blond hair. "What do you want Bakugo."
Bakugo stared at the other for a moment. Searching for something in cold grey and blue eyes, before rolling his eyes and responding.
"Tch. I came to tell you that your little declaration of war back there was to the wrong fucking person"
A soft scoff escaped passed Shoto's lips at the comment. The blond seemed to be fuming because he hadn't been the one called out by one of Class 1-A's strongest students. The smell of burnt caramel hung around him as he clenched his fists at his sides. A vein in his temple throbbing with his struggle for control.
"This has nothing to do with you. I need to keep my old man off my back" he replied cooly. Rising to leave the corridor and return to his class.
Before he could pass the blond hero to be, he was forcefully stopped by a nearly bruising grip on his wrist. One that instantly pulled memories to the surface of being dragged behind a hulking inferno to train day in and day out. With a sharp exhale he wrenched his wrist away and cradled it for a moment with wide eyes. Bakugo stared at him with a mix of confusion and something Shoto couldn't pinpoint at the time before shifting on his feet and looking away. When he met his eyes again that piercing crimson gaze was back.
"What the hell does your father have to do with it?"
"Nothing if I can help it" he spat before striding away. Setting a pace brisque enough he hoped the blond wouldn't follow.
What Shoto didn't see as he left was the frown that replaced a scowl as Katsuki struggled to understand why he was suddenly feeling concerned for the other boy. Forehead creased in thought as crimson eyes burned with determination to find out more about the fire and ice hero in training.
---
"It was concern" Shoto mumbled to himself as he recalled the look in Bakugo's eyes when he had grabbed his wrist. With a sigh he sank further into the comfort of his seat. Whoever said hindsight was great sight clearly didn't live an emotionally clueless childhood. How different could things have been if he'd recognized what the blond was feeling sooner. Perhaps their friendship would have been stronger if he hadn't spent half of their first year annoyed by him.
The soft music and low lighting of the coffee shop had nearly lulled the fire and ice hero to sleep when he felt the booth shift and heard the chink of a saucer and cup carefully set on the table. Looking up through tired eyes he met the warm smile of one of the first friends he had made in UA.
"Hey Momo"
Her smile fell when she caught sight of his bandages as he stretched his arms above his head. "I'm sorry I wasn't at work yesterday Shoto. I hope you were well taken care of." Her voice was laced with concern for her friend. The news of his latest attempt at catching Reality Check was all over the hero network and though it had downplayed his injuries, her job as a director at Central Hospital kept her well connected when it came to her friend's condition and recovery.
"It's fine. You need your days off too. How's Jiro?"
At the mention of her finance, Momo's eyes lit up. Her soft smile was back as she replied. "She's good. We're good. Wedding planning has really taken it's toll but everything is in order now and all that's left to do is wait for the day to come." She continued to ramble wedding details as the pro hero sipped his coffee.
Shoto watched his friend fondly as she gushed about every detail of her wedding from color schemes to cake flavors, dresses to invitations, and everything in between. It all seemed like such a hassle to him, but he was genuinely happy for his friends.
Momo stopped mid-sentence about the DJ, bringing hands to her flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry Shoto, you called me here to talk about something you have going on and here I am rambling on about my wedding."
"It's okay Momo, really. I'm happy for you both and I cannot wait for the wedding." He beamed.
"Oh Sho, you're so sweet. Someday things will be reversed and you'll be gushing to me about your wedding." She winked and he felt his face flush. "Now, what did you want to talk about?"
Unsure of where to start he began by recapping his recent fight with Reality Check. Leaving out details about the visions her quirk induced and his reaction to them. She surely knew thanks to her position at the hospital and to his relief didn't push him for more details. His mouth began to go dry when they got to the topic of his father calling in Dynamite and by the time he recounted their reunion at the station in detail all the tension he had worked out of his shoulders had returned, heavier than before.
The ravenette's eyes were soft as she reached out to take the shaky hand of the pro hero across from her. She had watched his emotional growth proudly over their time as friends but the worry etched in his features was tugging on her heart strings. As much as she disliked Bakugo for leaving Shoto the way he did she wanted to help her friend set things right with him. Or at least get the closure he deserved.
After a moment of thought she opened her mouth to speak, before closing it and drawing her brows together. Once her thoughts were sorted, she started again.
"Well… if you think he won't speak to you because Kirishima is around…" she trailed off, still having a hard time believing that part of Shoto's theory "then you should have someone else invite everyone out for drinks. We can distract Kirishima and you can have a chance to talk to Bakugo one on one."
Shoto's eyes lit up at his friend's suggestion. Though he couldn't pin point when his gut had decided Kirishima was the obstacle, he was glad Momo was willing to help remove him for a bit so he could talk to Ka – Bakugo.
"See Momo, this is why you're the brains and I'm the brawn" he grinned. "So, who do you think should invite them?" He scanned a mental list of the classmates he knew were still in town, crossing off most knowing how the blond felt about them. Well, how he used to feel anyways.
She hummed in thought, swirling the spoon around her drink a few times before her eyes lit up. With a smile she suggested the one person Shoto had overlooked. The one he had to admit would have the greatest chance of success.
"Izuku."
"You sure that's okay to ask of him with everything he has going on right now?" he questioned.
"I think that's part of why it should be him. It would do him good to have fun for a night and he and Bakugo were on good terms when we graduated. They've been friends longer than any of us. If anyone can do it, it's him." she stated.
With her encouragement he pulled his phone out to send the text.
Shoto chucked when Izuku responded to in record time, agreeing with more enthusiasm than the fire and ice hero thought could be conveyed through text. He caught up with Momo as they waited for the green-eyed hero to message back with details. After what felt like an eternity Shoto's phone lit up and he grabbed it so quickly he nearly swiped it off the table. Scanning the text as his knee bounced up and down, he let out a shaky beath before meeting Momo's eyes.
"He agreed. Tomorrow night at 8 o'clock".
Lips pressed together and heart pounding in his chest, he looked back at the text. Resolved set in as he swore to himself he was going find out what happened. He wouldn't rest until he had an answer from the blond hero himself, no matter how long it took. It would be a cold day in hell before Shoto gave up on his friend.