#((tee hee))

The problem was solved the day he gave you a job at his agency. The café you worked at got caught in the crossfire of a robbery, resulting in its closure. The dumbass villain couldn’t have picked a worse location at a worse time with a worse crowd. It was a rare day off for Katsuki, so sue him that he went out incognito to get some coffee made by you. So what that it was a 45-minute walk? Was it suddenly against the law to go out of your way for coffee in the morning? He sure as hell didn’t think so. Besides, you were the only one who knew how to make a cup worth a damn. 

But it wasn’t the fact that the villain had directed his threats towards you that had him nearly blowing up the whole block. There was a whole lobby full of innocent people at stake; no other reason for him to act rashly and nearly blast the man to death. ‘Course, his disguise was ruined, but to hell with that. He was more concerned with the fallout of everyone involved, but you were the only one he collected a statement from. Funny how that happened, but, hey, that’s just the way it happened. 

Katsuki was sure he didn’t make your situation better by having your childhood bully save you. It was the first time you had recognized him in years, and it showed. You hunched in on yourself despite the minor back injury you had sustained from a hit from the villain. Your arms crossed despite their cuts, your eyes sharp despite their weariness. He couldn’t blame you as much as he wanted to. He wanted any other reason for you to treat him with contempt other than himself. 

The medics on the scene were quick to dismiss you for your bumps and bruises. You were quick to disappear. Katsuki could justify a lot of things, but he couldn’t justify chasing you down from an active crime scene. Not to the police, at least. It was a few more days before he decided to track you down. Just some standard follow-up bullshit. Nothing weird. 

He couldn’t exactly show up at your ratty apartment uninvited despite stopping himself on multiple occasions before. And he could have gotten away with it, too. A building without security cameras made you a really easy target. Lucky for him, your landlord was quite the fan and chatterbox – expressing his sympathy for losing your job, going on and on about how hard it was for a quirkless young woman like yourself. Apparently, you could barely hold down a job before the café because of your quirk status. Hell, most places don’t even rent to quirkless people on their own. 

Small talk was hardly tolerable for Katsuki. He stomached as much as he could take before excusing himself to your apartment. At least he got some good information out of the bastard, but he didn’t trust him. Said too much, especially about you. It made him even more anxious to see you in such a place. But he couldn’t pretend to understand your circumstances; he had no business to judge your choices. He had to remind himself that you finally opened the door he’s stood by so many times. You didn’t look any more pleased to see him the second time around. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Katsuki was expecting some bark, but you were even more shrunken in on yourself than last time. He felt like he was looking at the little eight-year-old girl who cried her heart out after confessing to him all over again. Small. Weak. Defeated. He had half a mind to wrap you up in the arms that once pushed you and show you just how gentle they could be now. 

“It’s standard for witnesses to be reevaluated after an attack .” Real smooth, Katsuki. But then again, he wasn’t there to flirt. 

“Could have left that to the police like all the other witnesses.” You avert your eyes. He’s losing you. “As you can see, I’m fine. You don’t have to waste any more time. I’m sure you’re a busy man.” 

His foot lodged in the door the moment you began to close it. One. Take a deep breath. Katsuki can’t afford to lose his temper. You already look scared enough without him practically forcing his way in. Two. Katsuki removed his foot and adjusted his posture.

“Sorry, force of habit.” It was a quick remark, shy almost. 

Fuck, he had never had to try so hard in conversation this many times in a single day. Three. Be honest. 

“I wanted to…” Wanted to what? Check on her personally? Apologize? Confess? “I want to offer you a job. I know you lost yours due to my… recklessness.” 

“A job.” You sounded even less thrilled than you looked. “That’s a nice offer, but-” 

Four. Five. Another deep breath. Be honest. Six.

“I mean it. Look, I…” 

For the first time in a long time, Katsuki felt at a loss for words. He wanted everything to stop. Time. Him. You. He wanted you to stop looking at him like he was going to trip you or tease you or shove you. He wanted you to look at him as he is now, not like the boy who laughed in your face when you told him you liked him.

Seven. 

“I want to apologize. For everything. I’m sorry. Let me do this for you.” 

You scoffed. Eight. Deep Breath. You stood there, looking at the ground and chewing at your lip the same way you did ten years ago.

“What do you expect me to do for you, huh? I’m just a quirkless, worthless loser, remember?” You spat, finding some bite to your bark. 

Nine. She’s just trying to get you to react, Katsuki. 

“I need a secretary, someone to keep track of my bullshit back at the agency. It pays way fuckin’ better than whatever you were making there.” It was his turn to sound timid, to feel afraid of rejection. 

“Fine.”

“Good. I’ll see you at my agency tomorrow at 8 AM.” 

Ten. Exhale. Just a phase. 

It had been a year since that day. Not that he’s been counting. Definitely not. You adjusted quickly to your new environment at the agency– at his side. It was like he dragged in a feral stray when you first started, too skittish and too guarded. Sometimes, he feared that you would really bite him if he got too close too soon. Now, you’re much more like his comfortable pet, sitting perched in front of his office where you belong. 

Even after you accepted the job offer, you hardly seemed interested in accepting his apology. It was cool. Fine. Good. Katsuki could move at your pace, no problem. He’s waited this long; what’s a little while more now that he has you in his pocket? No reason to be so anxious now that he’s got you so close. It’s not like you’re a goddamn flight risk, he’s made sure of that. 

Katsuki was older now, much more keen on the idea that slow and steady can indeed win the race. But, my god, did you like to take a Sunday stroll right through his life. He thought by this point, you would have given in to your own affections – if you were even aware of them yourself. It’s like an instinct he’s developed after being a public figure for so long, and an attractive one at that. He knew the shy looks; he knew the subtle blush. He bet you didn’t even know. 

He knew how to spot a fangirl from a mile away. 

‘Course this was bound to happen, damn near planned to happen. Leaving his love life up to fate? Fat chance. Katsuki knew how it was going to go down; he’s had you stuck in his mind for too long not to. He practically glowed at the thought of you, or he would if that was something he did. He wouldn’t mind doing it for you. Despite the swelling pride in his chest for his confirmation, you were still too…guarded for his liking. 

Hasn’t he been good to you? Given you a chance, even you yourself didn’t think you deserved? Showed you how he changed? Showed you how capable he was? Because he was capable of a lot, a lot more than he let on. He knew his childish arrogance would get him nowhere – despite how much he wanted to flex for you. Katsuki was tired of being subtle, tired of holding back in fear of coming on too strong and scaring you off for good. 

He hadn’t felt this emotional since he was 15, twisting and writhing with himself when he wanted to twist and writhe with you. Izuku was the one who suggested he start writing his thoughts down just to get them out of his system. “Journaling,” or whatever the fuck he called it. His past therapist had suggested the same thing, but he never saw the need for it; work was all he needed to get the frustration out. 

But this was different. This wasn’t frustration directed towards himself, but directed towards his work. This was deep-seated, rooted in the core of insecurities he really didn’t know existed. This was not his hero ranking, his stats, his work ethic – all things that he didn’t need approval for, at least not anymore. He knew he was the best hero on the scene, and he didn’t really need to do much to prove it. He could take it when he was criticized for it; too aggressive, too ruthless. It didn’t matter to him.  

But this? This was him. No rankings, no smoke and mirrors, no quirk. Katsuki could be the very best of himself, and it still might not be good enough for you. And that was a rejection he could never accept. A rejection he would never accept. 

So he wrote. Katsuki wrote and wrote and wrote until he felt like his hand would come clean off his wrist. It started out simple, surface-level things anyone could see about you if they cared to look hard enough. Easy right? All out of his system. No problem. Just some simple detailing about what he thought about you. 

And it was simple until he got to the real details. Details that were just a little too personal, a little too intimate. Details he wasn’t supposed to know, details that should make him ashamed but don’t. Details that were years in the making. But it was fine, right? Izuku was the freak with hero journals, dating more than ten years back, with classmates he barely spoke to anymore. Hell, the nerd had some on heroes he’s never even met before. So Katsuki wasn’t a freak for keeping one on someone he spoke to every single day. It wasn’t weird at all. 

Even when the plan started to become a real plan with a real timeline, it still wasn’t weird. His thoughts and feelings couldn’t get him in trouble; they belonged to him just as much as they belonged to you. The way he felt about you, the things he wanted to do for you. Writing down what he was too afraid to admit out loud, admit to himself. It was fine because he didn’t act on anything; this was just a release for him. 

But that’s just it, isn’t it? Katsuki wasn’t weird. No, no, no. Katsuki was an addict, and he could admit he had a problem. But it wasn’t all bad. He was doing his own rehab on his own time. The more he accepted his feelings, the better he felt. Acceptance and wellness, it’s just so easy to conflate the two. However, Katsuki still knew that accepting his feelings and acting on them were two entirely different beasts. 

Prepping a room for you didn’t mean he actually planned to make use of it. Once you agree to move in with him, he can just convert it back into an office. He just needed to get it out of his system. Easy. Done. Following you around on his off days was his way to decompress. His form of relaxing. God knows he could use some more of it. Seeing you safe made him at peace more than anything massage or meditation could offer him. Hell, he even had the restraint to never approach you outside of the office. Perfectly fine. Not weird. 

So what if the original plan was not what was on paper? It was fine. You weren’t sticking to the plan he had in his head when he first hired you, so why should he? These things happen, and Katsuki can adapt. You were too shy, he surmised. He won’t let it slow him down; he can be plenty bold for the both of you. His new plan was more realistic, more thoughtful, more tailored for success. Katsuki left no margin for error. 

And this is exactly where his plan led him, down to the minute. The time was 10:18 on a Friday evening, well past the time his main agency was closed for business. It was just you and him left in the quiet halls, just like it always should have been. Half the lights had been shut off, the music had been cut, and the chatter followed everyone else out the door for the long weekend. He waited for a beat, watching you, too engrossed in your work to realize you had been left behind. Not by him, though. He was more than eager to pick you up, finally. 

“You still here?” 

He wanted to chuckle when you jumped, your gasp filling the almost deafening silence. You were the one to laugh it off, placing a hand on your chest. 

“Yes, I’m still here. I had no idea it had gotten so late.” You sighed, the small smile from your laugh still gracing your face. 

Katsuki always liked the way you looked after work. You had a slightly messy look to you after so many hours, a look he’d always hoped to ruin one day if you ever got brave enough to slink into his office when no one was around to see. The light above your desk was one of the few that stayed on, illuminating you like an angel. His angel. He was comfortable where he was, leaning on the wall across from you. The light was only half as good on him, making him more unreadable than usual whilst he lurked so close. 

“Let me walk you to your car.” It wasn’t really a request; these things hardly ever were with him. He knew you didn’t have a car. You didn’t know that, though. Always so impersonal with him.

The bag you brought to work was a worn thing, a little satchel in your favorite color with a Dyanmight bomb keychain attached to it. It was the first thing he ever gave you, a frivolous tchotchke you still held onto. You barely reached for the bag before he took it for you, slinging it on his shoulder as it belonged there. Your coat was already in his left arm as he gave you his right. 

“I, uh…I actually don’t drive.” You acted like it was something to be ashamed of, something he would shame you for. You take his arm anyway, just your hand nesting its way into the crook of his elbow. “I take the train a few blocks from here, you don’t have to-” 

“Bullshit.” He interjected. “Like hell I’m lettin’ you walk and take the train at this hour. I’ll take you home.” 

There was an almost awkward moment of silence in the deadened hallway, save for the sound of your shoes and the rustling of his costume against your things. You let out another short yet contented sigh, slightly squeezing his arm. “If it's not too much trouble.” 

“For you? Heh, never.” He was equally as contented, hardly able to contain the grin that wanted to split across his face. 

The silence was comfortable after that; there wasn’t much to be said anyway. Even in the awe-inspiring size of his agency, there still wasn’t enough room for the both of you. There are too many corners, too many places to be spied upon, despite being the only ones in the building. Too many places for your feelings to hide. He opened the car door for you, placing your things with more care than you would grant him to have in the backseat. The car was much more spacious, much more intimate. Less worry about the ears listening in and more worry about too much truth coming out. 

His choice of music was odd, you thought. More odd than his strangely calm behavior. You didn’t take him for someone who would listen to something so sappy, so earnest. But then again, he never was too good with his words, was he? 

“I really appreciate you doing this for me.” You murmur, afraid to be the first to break the silence. 

“It’s really no problem.” He was so blunt, so matter-of-fact about things. 

“Not just about the car ride, I mean.” You blurted out, fearful you would lose your courage if you didn’t say it fast enough. 

Your gaze was fixed on the road ahead, not daring to meet his. He was handsome, too handsome. You felt shy just to look at him; your resolve would crumble if you had to. And he knew it, now more than ever.

“You gave me a second chance, you know. With this job? You didn’t have to do that for me.” You felt like you were out of breath, eyes now shut tight. His hand found its way to your knee, grounding you, encouraging you. “I just… I want you to know that I really do forgive you… for everything.” 

Katsuki might as well damn near crash the car at that point, one hand on the wheel with a heartbeat that wanted the car to match its speed. His thumb stroked the inside of your knee, grounding himself as much as it did you. Thank god you hadn’t noticed he already passed your apartment. 

“I’m..I’m just so damn happy that you can see that I’ve really changed.” His grip tightened on your knee as he locked the doors to the car. “I’ve always wanted to make it up to you. I finally know how.” 

The lanes around you started to get slimmer and slimmer as you realized you were driving out of the city. 

“We…we passed my apartment. I think you can flip a U-turn up here.” 

His grip was suddenly too tight, the car suddenly too small to sit comfortably in. 

“I know, I said I was taking you home.” Way, way too matter-of-fact about things now. 

It was wrong; everything was wrong. The car, your job, his hand, it was all just wrong, wrong, wrong. You should have taken your chances with the train, never accepted his arm, never allowed him to take your bag. What were you thinking? Letting him grab his stuff for you like he owned it? He-

“Take a deep breath, you’re okay.” His thumb was still stroking your knee, but you could feel it slowly inching its way up. 

“Please, just turn the car around. Please, Bakugou. We can forget about-” 

“”S call me Katsuki.” He was humming along to the song now. The road had narrowed down to one. It was so dark. 

“Okay, K-Katsuki. Please, just turn the car around, okay? It doesn’t have to be like this.” You really thought you were going to hyperventilate now. 

“I know it doesn’t. Just relax, okay? I said I was taking you home, ‘s exactly what I’m doing.” His arm moved from your thigh to holding you flush against the seat by your chest. 

“My home, my home is back there!” You were hysterical at this point. 

“No, it ain’t. Your home is with me.” He exerted more force to hold you down, expecting your panic to set in and your thrashing to be erratic. Katsuki knew this would happen. He’s okay with it. 

The car pulled into a gravel driveway and parked inside the garage, the door folding quickly behind it. You were crying, crying much harder than he thought you would. He expected a fearful submission from you, but here you were, writhing like a wild animal on its last legs. He was quick to catch you when you escaped the passenger seat, hauling you over his shoulder while you screamed and kicked. He let you. There was no one to hear you anyway. 

It was a struggle to get you to the room upstairs, with you grabbing onto whatever you could find purchase with. Katsuki didn’t want to hurt you, but he was okay with getting a little rough. He hoped you’d grow to like it with time. He spared you no comfort until he got into the confines of your room, where he shushed you and laid you on the bed. Your entire frame was kept down with one arm as he reached into your bedside table, taking out your syringe. 

“You’re more feisty than you let on,” he chuckled. “I like it. But right now, I think you need a nice, long nap to feel better, yeah, angel?” 

You were damn near biting him as he injected you, watching you practically foam at the mouth for a hit into whining and letting your tears run as fast as they came. Your hyperventilating had simmered to a heavy pant as you stared up at him, eyes wide with fear and betrayal.