BayBlonde

Izuku sighed, rubbed his eyes until he saw sparks of color, then handed the stack of papers to his friend.

"I'm just looking over my courses and trying to come up with a schedule," Izuku explained, excitement growing in his voice. "I know it's a lot, but honestly I'm so relieved to be done with gen ed."

Shouto's heterochromatic eyes met Izuku's green eyes with admiration.

"Nothing you can't handle."

Izuku couldn't stop the warmth blooming in his chest.

"Right," he breathed, breaking Shouto's eye contact. "Are you ready for your last year, Shouto?"

"Yes," Shouto replied simply, returning Izuku's papers. "I'm taking seventeen units, th-"

"Then medical school!" Izuku finished for him, his eyes gleaming with adoration. "You're really amazing Shouto, you're going to help so many people!"

Shouto's ears tinged pink and it was his turn to avert his gaze from Izuku.

The sudden pitter-patter of rain upon the windows filled the comfortable silence between the two men. They were both well accustomed to the moodiness of the weather, oscillating between warm sunshine, foggy grey, smatterings of rain, sudden downpours and, on occasion, theatrical thunderstorms.

"I was told you'll be getting a roommate after all, someone signed up last minute," Shouto said, changing the subject. "I assume they'll be arriving later today."

"How exciting, I'm really getting the full dorm experience, like everyone else." Izuku felt sheepish. He knew he shouldn't be embarrassed that most of his friends had started and graduated college earlier than him, he just hated the feeling of being behind everyone else. The prospects of a roommate made him feel more normal; he wasn't the only one with a new beginning.

Seeming to read Izuku's mind, Shouto handed him a fluorescent green flyer.

"There will be a meet and greet for this dorm floor tonight, every transfer is a little nervous about making friends."

Seashell floor dorm mixer! Pizza, ice breakers, games, and more! Izuku read, hope swelling in is heart.

"This looks great Shouto," Izuku folded the corners of the flyer. "It'll be nice to meet new people. And, if no one likes me, we have so many friends near us anyway."

"Of course people will like you, Izuku," Shouto objected, standing up. "I have to go set up, but I'll check on you later, okay?"

Izuku nodded, praying he wasn't blushing as his RA left his room.

☽ ☾

While waiting for Shouto to return, Izuku had gone to the campus bookstore to retrieve all the books he needed for his courses, which turned out to be a mountain's worth. The sky had unloaded heavy rainfall, but luckily Izuku had been prepared with his green raincoat and umbrella, and had managed to keep his precious books dry.

With an exhale, Izuku dumped all his materials onto his desk, and plopped himself down on his desk chair.

Suddenly, Izuku's door blasted open, the doorknob slammed against the wall like a gunshot, and in stormed—

"K-Kacchan?!" Izuku exclaimed, incredulous. He had jumped to his feet like there was a fire drill. His heart beat rapidly against his ribcage as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

He didn't have the time or grace to retract the old childhood nickname he had given the angry, grown man standing before him.

Katsuki Bakugou glowered down at Izuku, his sculpted arms crossed defiantly across his broad chest, his spiky, ash blonde hair was soaked from the rain, plastered against his pale face haphazardly. He bore no raincoat or jacket, simply donning a tight, black—soaking wet—t-shirt and wide leg, baggy blue jeans.

"Deku," Katsuki sneered, his red eyes ablaze, "don't call me that."

Izuku's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"B-b-but you just called me 'Deku'!" he cried indignantly, reverting back to his high school self.

When was the last time he stuttered this much?

"Tch. Well you're a goddamn Deku, that's the difference," Katsuki countered as if that was self-explanatory. He carefully removed his muddy shoes and made a quick survey of the small dorm room, which was becoming quite claustrophobic for Izuku.

"W-what are you doing in here?" Izuku cursed himself for stuttering again. He watched as Katsuki's disgruntled face scanned Izuku's side of the room, from his unmade bed, collection of All Might posters covering the wall, and desk cluttered with an obscene amount of books and journals.

"This place is a fucking mess," Katsuki grumbled, ignoring Izuku's question.

Izuku flushed with growing anger.

Who does Kacchan think he is? Waltzing into my room without so much of as a hello, an explanation as to why he is here, as to where he has been the last four years?!

"Oi, Deku, you know I can hear everything you're saying, right?" Katsuki rolled his eyes as he made for Izuku's desk, his shoulder knocked into Izuku's unapologetically, causing the smaller man to stumble slightly.

"Well, I have a right to know the answers to those questions. I mean, I feel like I have whiplash right now!" Izuku's voice squeaked at the end of his sentence, causing his face to flush further with embarrassment.

Katsuki clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You really oughta get your shit together nerd, especially if we have to share this damn prison cell of a room."

"What?" Izuku said dumbly, his brain not comprehending the news.

"You heard me," Katsuki replied, stacking Izuku's strewn books and journals into neat piles.

Finally, Katsuki turned to face Izuku and shoved his large hands aggressively into the pockets of his soggy jeans. Izuku slowly looked up at his former friend—er, frenemy?—and took in his familiar face, which was now more matured, his jawline somehow stronger, his eyes fiercer. Green eyes widened as they took in a silver eyebrow piercing, varying silver and black earrings, and a silver lip ring.

A lip ring?

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Katsuki said sarcastically, not turning away from Izuku's gawking.

It was then, when Katsuki was talking, that Izuku noticed he had a tongue piercing too. They all suited Katsuki well, Izuku couldn't deny it, but they marked how much time had passed, how much had changed, how—

How Katsuki ghosted Izuku.

"Where have you been…" Izuku trailed off, half-falling into his desk chair. "You…you disappeared Ka—Bakugou," he corrected bitterly. "I called you. I called so many times."

A cocktail of hurt, confusion, and anger churned in Izuku's stomach as his adrenaline wore off and reality started to sink in.

Katsuki's whole body tensed and he ground his teeth down in lieu of a response.

Izuku scowled uncharacteristically, and he was on his feet again as anger dominated his undercurrent emotions.

"You left all of us. Shouto, Ochako, Denki, Kirishima, Mina, Shinsou, Iida, Momo, Jirou," Izuku counted off hotly, "and, a-and me…"

Izuku's lower lip wobbled against his will, his hands started shaking and didn't stop when he closed his fists at his sides.

Katsuki's eyes widened fractionally, his lips parted as he met Izuku's teary eyes.

"De-"

"Is everything okay in here?"

Both men jumped and turned to see Shouto standing in the door frame, clipboard and pen in hand.

"Bakugou," Shouto said, surprise crossing his face momentarily before settling on scrutiny.

"Half and half," Katsuki retorted, his face returning to a scowl, "we're kind of in the middle of something, if you don't mind."

"Charming as ever I see," Shouto looked at Izuku with concern, "are you alright, Izuku?"

Izuku rubbed his eyes and swallowed thickly. "I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. It was bad enough Katsuki was here, an emotional tornado of mass destruction, and even worse to have Shouto get sucked into his vortex.

Shouto wove around the blond man to Izuku's side and placed his hand on the small of Izuku's back comfortingly. With a shudder, Izuku leaned into the touch, grateful to have an anchor as his legs felt more and more like jelly.

Katsuki's eyebrows raised briefly at their physical contact before furrowing them.

"Why are you here?" Katsuki muttered tiredly. He ran a silver ring adorned hand through his hair in a sorry attempt to fix the sopping mess.

"It's nice to see you after all these years too," Shouto responded coolly, "I am the Resident Advisor of this, your, dorm floor so—"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Katsuki groaned, "we're the same age. Ain't know way you're actually in charge of us."

"Ka-Bakugou!" Izuku admonished, "you can't talk to people like that, we're your—we were your friends!"

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room, palpable tension replaced speech, and the only sound to be heard was the now torrential downpour of rain.

When Katsuki's upper lip curled, Shouto spoke first.

"As your RA, I coordinate occasional social gatherings, act as a mediator for quarterly roommate meetings, and address any concerns or conflicts from the residents of this floor," Shouto explained matter-of-factly.

"Well, I have some concerns and conflicts Half and Half," Katsuki grunted, "I can't room with him." Katsuki jabbed his finger at Izuku while holding eye contact with Shouto.

"Wow," Izuku gaped, absolutely floored. He couldn't keep up with Katsuki's jarring mood swings. Just when he thought he had seen a hint of regret, of something, in Katsuki's eyes, it was immediately replaced with rage.

"You're going to have to manage. Accommodation changes are not given this early, you have to be an adult about this, which, if you didn't realize, you are. Or, are supposed to be," Shouto maintained his composure.

"Whatever," Katsuki grumbled and picked up his skateboard he had left propped up against the wall.

On the bottom of the board was a cluster of stickers, and Izuku noticed a faded, red dynamite stick decal, the same one he had given Katsuki when they were in high school. He was then thrust into a mini flashback of Katsuki trying to teach him how to skate, and how he had failed miserably. He kept falling off the board, scraping his knees and palms bloody, withstanding the screams of Katsuki calling him a klutzy idiot. But no matter how many times Izuku crashed and burned, Katsuki was always there with his hand outstretched, ready to pick him up again.

"Here," Shouto handed Katsuki the same fluorescent green flyer he had given Izuku. "There's a mixer for the floor tonight. Attendance is encouraged but not required."

Katsuki wordlessly snatched the flyer out of Shouto's hand and stuffed it in his pants pocket.

"I'm going," Izuku heard himself say out loud. He chewed on his lower lip, his nerves threatening to swallow him whole.

Red eyes flicked to Izuku's then back to Shouto's.

"Meeting a bunch of extras, what a great way to spend my night."

Katsuki made for the door, white knuckling his skateboard to his side as he stepped halfway out.

"Where are you going? It's pouring out there now!" Izuku sputtered, taking a step toward the ghost of a man he once knew.

Katsuki glared at Izuku over his shoulder, his long lashes clumped together from the rain.

"I can't be around you."

And with that, Katsuki Bakugou was gone again.

☽ ☾

Several hours had passed since Katsuki's abrupt arrival and departure, and the rain had stopped, leaving the sky a melancholy grey.

Shouto had been comforting by offering to listen to Izuku vent. Izuku had politely declined, he was in no shape to explore and unload his Bakugou trauma. It had taken everything in him to not to burst into tears at what Katsuki said.

I can't be around you.

Well, Katsuki had made that abundantly clear, when he abandoned Izuku and his friends, but now, he is back, raising more questions than answers.

Where did he go? How is he a transfer student now? He was enrolled in Sandwash years ago but quickly dropped out. He must've completed his first two years somewhere else, but where? What did he do during the two years before that? What were his reasons for leaving? Why come back? Why now? Why now, when Izuku had finally given up on Katsuki's return, did he come back four years later? And why, why did the universe put Katsuki in a tiny dorm room with Izuku?

Izuku was spiraling, muttering to himself as he worried his lower lip, his pencil drawing distressed doodles in the margins of his diary.

Writing out his emotions always felt like a great purge, but, right now, Izuku was speechless, even in his medium of choice. The pencil he was gripping snapped in half, causing Izuku to look down in horror, as if he had committed a sin.

With a curse, Izuku snapped his diary shut and locked it away in his desk drawer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw fluorescent green, and picked up the flyer with a heavy sigh. The mixer was starting soon.

Izuku checked himself out in his standing mirror. He was wearing low rise, baggy, medium wash jeans, white tennis shoes, and a forest green University of Sandwash t-shirt.

"I can do this," Izuku said aloud to himself, and he made his way to the common area of the floor.

☽ ☾

The floor was bustling with around thirty students, all chatting eagerly away, their loud voices overlapping one another. Shouto was greeting people on their way in, scribbling on his clipboard as he did so. He was also wearing a University of Sandwash t-shirt, with a simple gold pin that said "RA" on it.

When it was Izuku's turn to sign in, Shouto offered him a small smile.

"Are you feeling better, Izuku?" Shouto asked as he handed Izuku a piece of paper and pencil.

"Yeah, much better," Izuku lied. The paper was titled "Getting to Know You" and had a questionnaire on it that Izuku only glanced at.

"I'm ready to meet new people."

Shouto nodded and motioned encouragingly to the crowd for Izuku to mingle in.

Izuku found himself having light conversations with people, ping ponging from table to table. Everyone was nice enough, but he didn't feel any platonic sparks fly yet, which he told himself he was fine with since a lot of his friends lived right off campus anyway.

"Alright everyone, find a partner and take turns asking each other the ice breaker questions on it."

Heart beating like a hummingbird's, Izuku whipped his head around to look for someone, but his feet were glued to the floor, unable to move as he watched more extroverted people pair up with ease.

He felt a heavy hand grip his shoulder and he yelped in surprise, turning around to find—

"Bakugou?"

Katsuki appeared out of thin air, yet again, although, this time, his same clothes from earlier were dry, as was his hair, spiking in all directions in typical Katsuki fashion.

"You having a panic attack or something, nerd?"

Izuku glared at the audacious man before him.

"No," Izuku bristled, resenting that Katsuki was right on the mark. "I thought you couldn't be around me," he accused, lips pouting.

"So, we have to ask each other these stupid questions?" Katsuki redirected, unfurling the crumpled paper in his hand.

"Yes," Izuku exhaled, exhausted by Katsuki's avoidance and strange behavior.

"Hmm," Katsuki hummed, scarlet eyes on his paper. "What's your major, and where did you transfer from?"

"English," Izuku replied, setting the paper down on the table near them so he could fidget with his pencil. "Sandwash community college."

When Katsuki didn't respond, Izuku returned the question. "And you, Bakugou?"

"Chemical engineering."

"That makes sense for you."

When Katsuki didn't reveal where he transferred from, Izuku continued.

"Are you a morning or night person?"

"Night."

Izuku quirked an eyebrow at Katsuki. "Since when? You go to bed early and wake up at the crack of dawn."

Katsuki stared over Izuku's head. "Things change."

"Yeah," Izuku agreed with a twinge of sadness. "Well, if you remember, I am a night person, too."

"Who's your hero?" Izuku moved on before Katsuki could comment.

"These questions are so damn lame," Katsuki moaned with a dramatic eye roll.

"You didn't have to come, it's an optional event," Izuku muttered impatiently. "Anyway, my hero is All Might of course, the symbol of peace."

"Same," Katsuki agreed. "You're lucky too, otherwise I would've torn down all your nerdy posters in our room."

To his surprise Izuku laughed, feeling some nostalgia from their past of reading All Might Comics at the beach together. They would lay on big beach towels with their comics spread out, arguing over which editions were the best. Katsuki was somehow able to make sure not one grain of sand infiltrated the colorful pages.

"Why are you here…" Izuku's voice died off. The question read, "Why are you here at Sandwash University?" but Izuku's tongue stopped working halfway through, instead asking his old friend the real question on his mind.

Katsuki immediately stiffened, eyes looking everywhere but at Izuku.

"To finish my degree."

“But…why now? Where did you go? You…you haven't explained anything, Bakugou."

Silence.

"I don't owe you a damn thing," Katsuki growled, nose scrunched. His fingers gripped the edge of the table, face contorted with upset.

“Really? Because I think you do, I think you owe me a lot actually,” Izuku countered, his hand wrapped tightly around his pencil.

"Now it's time for the trust fall exercise. This is optional, so please feel free to continue with the questions if you prefer," Shouto's voice rang in the room.

"You first," Katsuki ordered, outstretching his arms toward Izuku.

Izuku looked at Katsuki as if he grew another head.

"You're joking, right?" Izuku scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"S'better than these dumbass questions," Katsuki shrugged, arms still waiting.

"This is a trust exercise," Izuku emphasized, "'trust' being the key word."

"Don't be a baby, Deku," Katsuki chastised, his patience wearing.

"I'm not doing this."

Izuku turned harshly on his heel and made an unfortunate collision with the back of a much bigger man, causing him to fall backwards.

Izuku screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impact of the floor.

When no such impact came, Izuku peeked out of one eye tentatively, then the other, to find a large pair of red eyes looking down at him.

Katsuki had his massive arms under Izuku's armpits and held Izuku's back flush against his wide, muscular chest.

When did Katsuki get so...big?

"Gotcha, loser," Katsuki smirked.

Humiliation devoured Izuku like a wild animal.

Izuku awkwardly untangled himself from Katsuki's arms and readjusted his t-shirt that had ridden up his stomach. He shot Katsuki a dirty look and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a stream of blood that cascaded down his lips and onto his tongue. His hand instinctively shot to his nose and realized his collision earned him a nosebleed.

"Great," Izuku muttered as he wiped the blood off with the back of his hand.

"Bakugou, I—"

But Katsuki was gone.