Chapter Text
“Why’s your number always at zero?”
Izuku turned his head to look at the young girl who was suddenly looming over his desk, her brows furrowed in confusion. Izuku followed her line of sight and glanced down at the numbers on his forearm, the dark ink stark and clean against his skin like that of a tattoo. It read, very clearly, “00:00:00”, just as it always had. Before Izuku could launch into an explanation, someone else butted into the conversation- a classmate with blond, spiky hair, and eyes like fire with a temperament to match.
Katsuki Bakugou was Izuku’s friend. Sort of. He had been his friend for a long time, but it seemed that recently the other didn’t want anything to do with him. Izuku still didn’t really understand why.
“It’s ‘cuz Deku doesn’t have a soul mate!” the other burst out, grinning, “He’s a freak!”
Startled, Izuku turned to the other boy and immediately tried to defend himself, “K-Kacchan! That’s not true! I just-” Izuku looked back at the girl, whose eyes had softened with what was both pity and fear. He hated the pity more than anything. He swallowed thickly, voice caught in his throat, “I just…”
“C’mon, Deku, get real. Everyone knows what counters are for. They count down to when you’re gonna meet your soulmate and yours has always been at zero!” Bakugou laughed, baring his teeth in a mock grin.
Izuku brought his gaze down to his desk, turning his palm flat against the surface so that his forearm followed, the numbers disappearing from sight. His ex-friend wasn’t wrong. His counter had always been at zero, from the moment it appeared on his skin. Bakugou had been around him long enough to be well aware of this fact.
“It doesn’t mean I don’t have a soulmate, Kacchan. It just means...well, it might just mean something happened to them. Or maybe that I passed them before the soulmark appeared, you know? There’s a lot of reasons people don’t have soulmates....” Izuku tried to explain, pulling from all of the knowledge he had from his cumulative months spent researching the way soulmarks worked. He'd made good use of his library card in the past, obsessively looking into every case of timed-out soulmarks that he could find.
Bakugou snorted, “Yeah, keep telling yourself that, nerd. I can see why you don’t have a soulmate- you’re so annoying, who’d wanna be with you, anyways? Even if you did have a soulmate I bet they’d leave you! I’d rather die than have a soulmate like you!”
Izuku didn’t look up; refused to meet Bakugou’s eyes. He never liked what he saw in them any more. He didn't reply.
“Uh...sorry I brought it up, Izuku,” their classmate spoke up suddenly, twisting her hands together in a way that showed her obvious discomfort. She left quickly, clearly feeling unwelcome in the new atmosphere. She probably agreed with Bakugou- most people did- that he was weird for having a broken timer. Only old people were supposed to have timed out soulmarks, since they'd already met their soulmate usually. For a kid to just be born with a bunch of zeroes? It wasn't natural. He'd heard other adults call him 'unfortunate' when talking to his mom, and other kids whispering that it was weird.
“Kacchan...why did you do that?”
There was a brief pause before Izuku felt the palm of Bakugou’s hand on the back of his head, fingers tangling in his unruly hair- and then it shoved his face down against his desk, hard enough that when he managed to sit up straight in his chair again, he felt blood dripping down his nose to his lips, copper on his tongue. He used the back of his hand to wipe some of it away, tears stinging at his eyes and threatening to spill out at any moment.
“Because everyone should know you’re a freak, Deku, that’s why. Don’t you think there’s a reason you were born without a soulmate?”
“...right,” Izuku agreed, his throat feeling dry. He watched Bakugou stroll out of the classroom, seemingly undisturbed by the entire exchange. Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions and stave off any stray tears, Izuku gathered his belongings and packed them into his bag. He found an old package of tissues and used it to clean his face as best he could, tossing the wad of bloody ones away as he started on his way back home.
Bakugou was supposed to be his friend, but it had been a very long time since he’d acted like it. It had started once they were in classes together- as soon as everyone around them gained enough self-awareness to start showing off their soulmarks, giggling and chattering, Bakugou had lost all interest in their friendship. It had continued all the way through middle school, relentlessly.
Izuku never got to find out why, and that bothered him more than the bullying sometimes. not understanding Kacchan was something new to him. Sure, the blond had always been crass and rude- but his better qualities always shown through above all else. He was smart, reckless, athletic, and competitive to boot. It seemed that anything he did, he excelled at. So, despite his behavioral problems, he had always been doted on by those around him, including Izuku.
The ending of their friendship had been abrupt, leaving no room for talking or working things out. Bakugou had been perfectly clear that he hated Izuku, and at the same time he managed to get most of the school on his side when it came to picking on him. It was a blessing when he and his mom finally moved away after his last year of middle school. It was a chance to start over, to focus fully on his studies, and to finally hide his soulmark behind long sleeves or bandages and tie off a piece of himself to keep it a secret, at least for a while.
Izuku smiled wearily at his mom, who had just burst into tears for the fourth time today. She was wiping at her eyes with the long sleeve of her cardigan, her cheeks and nose slightly pink as she sniffled a little.
“Mom, please, you have to stop crying…”
“I know!” She fretted, her voice a little shaky as she wiped her eyes more furiously, “I just can’t help it! My baby boy is going away to college, I’m just so….I’m just so proud of you Izuku!”
Izuku was sure she would have pulled him into another hug if he wasn’t holding two cardboard boxes in his arms at the moment. Izuku looked around at the others bustling around the dorm’s parking lot, cars honking and flashing hazards everywhere. They’d been lucky enough to grab a parking spot, but they had barely gotten five feet from the car before his mom had started the waterworks again, and now they were standing in the middle of various kinds of traffic, not moving, while she tried to hold herself together.
At home it had been endearing, but right now it was a little embarrassing. He loved his mom, but she’d cried twice this morning at home and once while driving them to campus. Izuku knew it was a big step for her, to accept him moving out and into the dorms to attend the most prestigious university in Japan, so he tried to be considerate and not rush her too much.
His arms were starting to hurt from holding the boxes up, though.
“Okay, sorry, sorry,” Izuku’s mom found a napkin in her purse and dried her eyes, taking a deep breath, “Sorry dear, let’s get going”. She picked the duffle bag up again and Izuku hurriedly began leading the way towards tower C, where his new dorm would be. The elevators were terribly crowded- people pushing bins and roller suitcases and boxes and blankets in before climbing in afterwards. It took twenty minutes for Izuku to get to his floor, twelve stories up, arms straining the entire time. He dreaded knowing it was definitely going to take a few more trips, and he was suddenly grateful that he’d hadn’t packed all of his collectible superhero memorabilia.
“It’s room 1217,” Izuku said to his mom as they shoved past some people to get off the elevator and started down the hall. They found a little map by the elevator doors and used it to find where Izuku's room would be. The halls themselves were plain and it seemed that most decorations hadn’t been put up yet. A nearby bulletin board sat empty with colorful paper prepped as though it would soon be decorated, a box of what looked to be crafting materials sitting on the floor below. On the door to his room, there was another, smaller bulletin board with little cutout stars placed all around it. There were two giant stars where, presumably, the names of the occupants were supposed to be written, but clearly they either hadn’t gotten to their floor yet or their particular RA was a slacker. Izuku wasn't going to pass judgement yet, but it did mean that he had no idea who his roommate was going to be. Not even a name at this point. He put the boxes down by the door and fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a folded white envelope containing the brass key to the room. He unlocked the door with ease.
The room itself was also plain- sterile and inoffensive in its simple decor. Tower C was newer, built recently for honors students, so the floor was light-colored faux wood, matching the desk, bed frame, and built-in closet. The walls were painted a mellow off-white, the window curtains drawn and allowed a lot of natural light in. Nothing seemed badly damaged or dirtied since these rooms had yet to be forced to endure endless years of college-aged stupidity.
Izuku had been expecting a terrible, dimly lit cinder block cell with particle board furniture, so he and his mother were both pleasantly surprised by the modern, comfortable space.
One half of the room was already half moved into, though, Izuku noted. The bed on the right side was already made up with red flannel sheets and a black comforter, a half empty suitcase sitting top with some clothes still in it, folded neatly. On the desk were a couple of boxes, one filled with what looked to be posters and various knick-knacks. On the floor next to the bed were various bags and boxes, things clearly still packed away in them. It seemed that his roommate had already started setting themselves up. Izuku didn’t mind that he’d chosen a side already and put his own boxes down on his desk, wanting to inspect the room further.
“Wow! My dorm was never this nice,” Izuku’s mom marveled, propping the duffle bag up on Izuku’s bed, plastic mattress cover crinkling under the new weight, “I’d expect nothing less for my little scholarship student!” Her face was aglow with pride, eyes shiny with more tears. She pulled Izuku into a hug before he could protest, telling him how proud she was for the nth time. Izuku laughed and thanked her again, hugging her tight to his chest. She was quiet when she pulled away, her hands holding tight to Izuku’s arms, her expression fond and loving.
“I can’t believe how tall you’ve gotten.”
“Mom, you see me every day,” he laughed, and they headed out the door and back to the hall, knowing they needed to make a few more trips yet.
“I know, honey, but it always amazes me how quickly you grew up. You’ll get it when you’re a parent.” She laughed, and they found their way back to the crowded elevator.
It took four trips total to get all of Izuku’s stuff out of the car and into the dorm room. The whole time, there was no sign of his roommate, either in the halls or in the dorm itself. Considering it was early afternoon, Izuku figured he’d gone to lunch with his family or something. To be honest, he was nervous about meeting him. He’d heard so many horror stories about roommates gone wrong- what if they played loud music at midnight or slept with the lights on? What if they never cleaned the microwave? Cleaned the microwave too much? Never showered? Had people over all the time and locked him out? Got a sudden urge to learn how to play the saxophone mid-semester?
There were too many variables to consider, so Izuku tried not to. He’d already had several anxiety spirals over this issue, and he figured there wasn’t anything he could really do about it, anyways. He’d just have to wait and see what his future held.
Before he could even start unpacking, Izuku’s mom dragged him outside and demanded she treat him to a nice, late lunch. Knowing it might be his last decent meal for a while before he filled his life with cheap microwave meals and cafeteria food of a yet to be determined quality, he gladly indulged her. They ate and toasted his new adult life (his mom may have cried again) and, as a final parting gift, she foisted a bag full of leftovers she had made on him, so that he wouldn’t have to miss her home cooking for the week,
They hugged again in the parking lot and quietly, by himself, Izuku made the elevator ride back to his dorm. He was quickly becoming accustomed to the route. Without his mom, he felt a bit of a lonely pit in his stomach. He was excited, sure, but it was his first time really being on his own as well. It was as intimidating as it was exhilarating.
When Izuku found his room again, he could hear music behind the door- loud, lots of screaming and guitars. His heart sunk a little, but he tried not to pass judgement too quickly. The guy was alone right now, after all. He’d probably use headphones once he met his new roommate, right? Izuku took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob, pushing it open as casually as he could to hide his nerves. He thought about the greeting he'd rehearsed in the mirror earlier today.
“Hey! I didn’t see you here earlier! It's nice to meet you, I’m--”
Izuku froze in the doorway, the other man in the room mirroring him. He was holding up a sweater, clearly in the middle of putting it on a hanger when Izuku had barged in. Izuku had been preparing for a lot of possibilities behind the door, but this was not on his list.
Blond, spiky hair, and eyes like fire with a temperament to match.
Katsuki Bakugou, undoubtedly.
The two of them stared at each other silently for a moment, the loud electric guitar blasting from the small speaker on Bakugou’s desk suddenly deafening.
There was no mistaking that it was his old childhood friend-- his jawline had gotten sharper, any boyish features gone now. On top of that, he’d gotten taller and more built as well. He’d always had an athletic build as a kid, but with age he’d filled it out with muscle, clearly focused on his upper body strength.
It wasn’t immediately obvious that Bakugou recognized him back. He seemed to furrow his brows deeply before his pupils contracted and his eyes went wide. It wasn’t a hard expression to read- Izuku had gotten adept at reading him so many years ago. He was very clearly more surprised than he was angry, despite how he bared his teeth in a grimace.
Izuku was the first to speak up as the song in the background broke into a harsh drum solo, “K...Kacchan?”
“No shit, Deku. The fuck are you doing here?”
Izuku didn’t know how to answer that without making it sound like Bakugou had asked a stupid question. He frowned and looked away for a moment, thinking, “Uh, I mean...this is my room. 1217”. Quickly, Izuku backed up a couple of steps and looked up at the outside of the doorframe. The numbers were clear, bright white against the dark metal plaque. Yeah, he definitely had the right room, as if he'd really had any serious doubts about that in the first place.
“No, you idiot, I meant what the fuck are you doing here? At Yuuei?” Bakugou rolled his eyes, finally breaking from his shocked stupor so he could finish the task of putting his sweater on a hanger. He laid it neatly on a stack of other clothes he had also been neatly prepping for the closet.
Izuku, despite his nerves, actually managed a smile at that, “Well, to be fair, I did always tell you I’d be able to get in, too.” He laughed and shut the door behind him, finally. Once Bakugou had started moving again, some of the tension in the room had diffused, “You’re not the only one who apparently worked hard during high school, y’know.”
At that, Bakugou’s fists clenched around the dress shirt in his hands, wrinkling the dark red fabric, “Fuck off, like I don’t know that. I just didn’t think they’d lower their standards for someone like you,” He practically spat, his motions harsh as he draped the shirt over the hanger and began angrily buttoning it up.
Years ago, this kind of talk would have hurt Izuku more than he could say.
But he’d gone to a new high school after his miserable years in middle school dealing with Bakugou’s constant teasing. He’d made new friends with the same goals as him, even if he wasn't the most popular there either. He’d proven himself to be in the top percent of his class, academically speaking. He’d made peace with the fact that his soulmark was timed out, and even found people around him who were the same. He’d absolutely earned the position he stood in currently. He'd earned being able to stand in his dorm, at his school, despite anyone trying to drag him down. It had been four years since he’d seen Bakugou Katsuki, and like hell he was going to let him think nothing had changed or that he could still affect him in the same way.
Playground bully or not, they were not on the playground any longer.
Izuku calmly put the food his mom had given him in their shared mini-fridge. Then, he walked over to Bakugou’s desk and shut his music off, heart pounding in his chest at the way Bakugou whipped his head around to glare at him and yell. Okay, so maybe Bakugou still affected his nerves a little bit. Still, he wasn't going to let it show.
“They didn’t lower their standards for me, Kacchan. I got into this school just the same as you. I worked hard, and I’m going to keep working hard. We’re roommates, okay? That’s an unavoidable fact, so we’re going to have to at least try and get along.”
Bakugou’s nose crinkled, “I know that! Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about being stuck with you, Deku. What, you think that just because you ran away to some other high school and got into Yuuei too you get to boss me around now? Huh?”
“I’m not trying to boss you around Kacchan, I just- I just don’t want to start this semester on the wrong foot--”
“Too damn late for that.”
“-- and I just think things will be better if we talked.”
Bakugou turned to look at him as though he’d grown another head. He looked confused before he went back to putting clothes on hangers, now at a messy and furious pace, “Nothing to talk about, nerd. Stay on your side of the room and I’ll stay on mine. And don’t fucking touch my stuff ever again, you got it?”
Izuku let out a heavy sigh, but put his hands up in defeat. It was like talking to a brick wall. “Okay, Kacchan, whatever you say.”
As soon as Izuku went back to his side of the room and began unpacking his own things, Bakugou smashed the play button on his speaker and twisted the volume knob as loud as it could go.
Sure, Izuku had heard all sorts of horror stories about bad roommates, but he was certain none of them had to deal with the one and only Katsuki Bakugou.
The first few days were rough. He’d been close to Bakugou as a child, sure, but living with him was an entirely different beast. His standards of cleanliness turned out to be beyond anything your typical college student should possess, to the point of being insufferable. Izuku had found this out when he’d come home from his first day of classes and immediately had a broom shoved into his arms, before he’d even gotten the chance to put his backpack down or take his shoes off.
“Clean up your mess.”
Clutching the broom and dustpan in his hands, he didn’t reply, only giving Bakugou a blank stare. He had no idea what mess he was even talking about, considering they'd been in the room for a total of three days at this point. The blonde practically growled and pointed at the floor under Izuku’s desk. Izuku tilted his head and looked, but couldn’t see much. He walked over to inspect further, finally seeing the small gathering of crumbs under his chair.
“You were eating granola last night and it got fucking everywhere.”
“Everywhere? What are you talking about? It’s just a little-”
“Do you want mice in our dorm?”
Begrudgingly, Izuku had swept up the crumbs and emptied the dust pan into their shared trash can. It wasn’t as though he had a good rebuttal for not cleaning up, anyways. If it diffused Bakugou, it was worth the minor strain.
Beyond that, Bakugou was...unconventional. He didn’t adhere to any of the usual college stereotypes, it seemed. He kept himself on a strict schedule. He woke up, willingly, at 6 am to go running and go to the gym before his classes. Izuku worked out, too, but even he did so more sporadically and at more normal hours of the day, when he could squeeze it in between his classes. Because of his workout schedule, Bakugou went to bed by 9 pm almost every single night, often shutting the lights off without asking and putting in his earplugs to pretend he couldn’t hear Izuku’s protests.
He was keen on forcing Izuku to deal with and adapt to his schedule. It was Bakugou's way or bust, it seemed. Izuku didn't particularly want conflict, so he often found himself working in the dark or moving to the lounge if he wanted to stay up.
It all struck Izuku as fundamentally petty.
Bakugous had moved away from schoolyard taunts, sure, but it wasn’t entirely clear if this was any better or any more mature.
Izuku was eternally grateful that a few of his friends from his high school had ended up going to Yuuei as well, otherwise he might have found the situation outright miserable. On a Friday night after their first week of classes, he was glad to be going out to dinner rather than going back to his dorm to get chewed out for the next thing he’d done wrong.
His friend Iida was the first one to spot him and flag him down when he entered the little ramen shop. It was good and cheap, so naturally it was also crowded and small. They’d managed to push two tables together and barely fit at it all together, but they didn’t really mind pressing close.
“Midoriya!” Iida called, smiling before he made everyone scoot down so that they could fit their final puzzle piece in.
“Hey guys!” Izuku said, slinging his backpack off his shoulders and putting it under his chair to try and save space in the tiny establishment. They all greeted him back, looking happy and hungry.
“I know it’s only been a week but it feels like for-ev-er since I’ve seen you all!” Uraraka grinned up at him, all bright smiles and flushed cheeks. She had been the first friend Izuku had made back when he'd moved schools, a kind girl with a soft spot for him and by extension, the most investment in his current situation with his past tormentor. It didn't surprise Izuku when it was the first thing she asked about. “How’s the roomie situation? Still as bad as your last group chat update?”
Izuku laughed softly and settled in at the table, “I’d rather not talk about it right now.”
“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Tsu spoke up next, her voice low and nasally, easily distinguishable from anyone else. She was generally quiet, hunched over in her chair and tilting her head at Izuku questioningly. Her long hair was pulled into an elaborate updo resembling a bow, given the unseasonably warm weather outside.
“Ugh, it’s fine, guys. I’m just adjusting is all. It’s weird since we haven’t seen each other in so long-”
“He treated you like shit! I still think you should submit a room request change.” Uraraka pouted slightly. She’d been vehemently against Izuku trying to just deal with the situation on his own in the first place.
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, smiling nervously, “Ah…I know, I know. I just think that’s a bit rash. Besides, the honors dorms are so nice. Right Todoroki? Who knows where they'd place me if I aksed to move out.”
“Hm?” one of the others glanced at him as his name was mentioned, then nodded slightly, “He has a point. The building is practically brand new. It’d be hard to give that up.”
Todoroki had actually ended up on floor 5 of Tower C. Izuku hadn’t known at all until he’d ran into him in the student lounge one night. He was their friend, but he was tight-lipped about a lot of things and had trouble keeping up with their online group chat. It got so bad that when they actually needed to get him to reply to things, they changed the name of the entire group to “RED AND WHITE ALERT!!! TODOROKI READ THIS” or some variation thereof so that he’d know they needed his attention. Failing that, the plan was relentless phone calls.
He was soft-spoken in a lot of ways, but Izuku really liked having him around, and he knew the feeling was mutual even if he wasn't the best at expressing it. He and Todoroki had actually started off on terrible terms back in his junior year of high school. Todoroki had been the first person his age that he’d ever met in real life who had a soulmark like his. Izuku had seen it one day in gym class, on his shoulder blade. It sat, unmoving, at 00:00:00. Admittedly, Izuku had been so excited that he’d approached him about it rather directly, not realizing it was a terribly sensitive subject for the other kid.
After a lot of apologies and some time, they slowly absorbed him into their friend group.
“You shouldn’t put up with a bad roommate just because you like your room!”
“He’s not a bad roommate, per se... Kacchan’s clean, and after the first night he mostly uses headphones to listen to his music, and doesn’t usually bother me very much aside from nagging about cleaning. He’s actually out a decent amount, too, so-”
“Yeah but it sounds like his personality is so sour. You totally deserve someone better.” Uraraka stuck out her tongue in distaste, making Izuku laugh.
“Come on, you haven’t even met him before-”
“Don’t defend him!” She shouted back, insistent. If Uraraka was anything, she was Izuku’s biggest cheerleader.
Izuku shook his head, “I’m not! Sour is definitely the right word. I’m just saying- I could always end up with someone worse, y’know? I’m just going to play it by ear for a while, okay?”
“Yeah,” Tsu piped up, “I think Izuku is doing the right thing. It sounds like things could be worse. My roommate is fine, but there’s this guy a floor above us. He’s terrible. He keeps wandering into the bathroom on the girls’ floor!”
“No way!”
Izuku sighed, grateful for her change of subject. They all latched on to the new topic, listening to Tsu’s stories of woe and perverts. Iida, in particular, took great offense to this clear violation of school rules. When their food arrived, they did a bit of a round-robin style of discussion, taking turns to update each other on their roommates and their new classes. It was the best Izuku had felt all week, full of warm food and comforted by being back with his friends again, rather than tiptoeing around someone who reminded him so much of the past and seemed to find fault in everything he did.
They stayed out late together, hopping between each other’s dorms to show them off (Izuku was amazed and relieved to find Bakugou wasn’t home and asleep already, but he figured it was a Friday night. Bakugou seemed to have friends on campus as well). They ended the night playing card games in the lounge of Tsu and Uraraka's dorm, not wanting to make the ladies walk home in the dark.
It was around 2 AM when Izuku got back to his own dorm again, surprised when he could see the light was still on. Regardless, he made an effort to open the door quietly and poked his head in first, only to see Bakugou sitting on his bed and tugging his socks off. The blond looked up at him, his eyes a little unfocused, and then the vague smell of alcohol hit Izuku’s nose.
Oh.
Izuku couldn’t help but smile, finally getting some proof that Bakugou was a typical college student after all. “Hey, Kacchan. Were you at a party?”
“Shut the fuck up, don’t wanna hear it from a nerd like you. Probably doin’ boring shit all night, fuckin...nerd,” he grumbled, shifting in his bed to get under the covers. He was a bit too tipsy to bother changing his clothes, apparently, despite that they clearly smelled like beer, “turn the fucking light off, too, shit.”
He wasn’t very articulate when he’d been drinking, was he?
“In a minute,” Izuku replied, pulling off his shoes in the doorway. He was going to change into pajamas, anyways, since he hadn't been drinking all night. He took his time doing so, biting his lip to keep from laughing aloud as Bakugou shifted restlessly in his bed, clearly feeling impatient about the whole light situation but unwilling to get out of bed himself. It wasn’t much in the way of revenge, but it was kind of funny to see Bakugou like this, silently and drunkenly fuming at him. After a few minutes, Izuku had mercy and turned the light switch off before he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he finally crawled into his own bed, he could hear his roommate's breathing had evened and he'd clearly passed out.
He’d never taken Bakugou to be the type to go out to parties. He came off as though he always felt above all of that kind of stuff, so it did leave Izuku wondering who on Earth had the magical power to convince the Katsuki Bakugou to go out.
He figured it wasn’t really much to concern himself with. Maybe this sort of thing helped Bakugou unwind and he definitely wasn’t going to interfere with that whole process.
Izuku shifted on his mattress, the cheap springs creaking under his weight. It didn’t take long before he also passed out, first week of college under his belt. He felt this was no small feat considering the challenge he’d been given- namely, the grumpy childhood friend sleeping roughly seven feet away.