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Breaking News! Prominent actor Katsuki Bakugo, known for his roles in World Domination 4, The Fall of Rome, and Die Die Die: The Musical, has been cast as Kacchan in the hit new series My Hero Academia! The series creator is a huge fan of the actor and has allegedly based the role on his early years. He will be playing opposite Izuku Midoriya, a rather new actor known for smaller documentary film work; including most recently, ‘Can We Save Every Whale?’
Much like Katsuki, Izuku has been typecasted in the role so viewers are excited to see how they’ll play off each other. It’s understood that the cast will keep their own names, but be written nicknames and hero names as the series takes place in a world where kids have powers known as “quirks” – and wouldn’t that be nice? If I could write myself into that world, I’d snap my fingers and have my laundry be done!
The series is set to begin filming this week. So, keep an eye on this space as we bring you all the latest news on the actor front! As a reminder, to draw up attention, a manga is being released that will follow the series storyline so you can still see Katsuki and Izuku in action if you can’t wait a week between shows!
Many are excited to hear that pop legend Shoto Todoroki, son of the rapper Enji Todoroki, has also been considered…
Izuku put down the magazine. What a whirlwind, he thought. If he was being totally honest with himself, he could barely believe that any of this was real. That all of this was actually happening and he would be playing the main protagonist on a primetime television series. He half expected to wake up from this daydream any second.
Breathing out, Izuku put the magazine back in his bag and took out the advanced copy of the manga he received (and had been carrying around ever since). The whole cast had been given a bundle of the manga as gifts to prepare for their respective roles. This particular copy Izuku held in his hands, and the one he always carried with him, was the yellow beauty that was volume number one. To Izuku, this was everything. His own face was on the cover, next to the legend of an actor that was Yagi Toshinori. And – oh god. The fact that he could breathe properly while looking at it was almost as miraculous as being cast in the first place.
He had of course read all the volumes of the manga the cast had received, but this one – volume number one – was the most special. This was where the whole story began. Yeah, to say volume number one was well-read would be an understatement. It was hard to miss the worn edges and small coffee stain on the bottom left-hand corner of the cover. Gingerly, Izuku brought his fingertips to the stain and traced it, making a mental note to be more careful, as he set it back down.
Izuku glanced up at the clock above the coffee shop’s front door. It was 6:59 am and he was brimming with anticipation. Deep down he knew he was more excited than nervous, but at this early in the morning, it was hard to tell the difference.
The wait staff in the café was nice enough, filling up his water and generally not paying him any mind. If anyone noticed him silently flipping through gossip magazines with shaky fingers, and then holding a worn manga copy to steady himself, they were kind enough not to mention it.
It was just – any moment now, Katsuki Bakugo would be walking through the café’s front door. His character’s childhood best friend and ultimate rival. And, this – this was what Izuku had been working towards ever since he had started acting – for the opportunity to work with seasoned actors like Katsuki (and Mr. Toshinori, obviously, but that was more of a daily freak-out kind of thing).
Izuku was already a huge fan of Katsuki’s, admiring how the man never backed down from a challenge, showed up prepared and ready exactly when you needed him, and insisted on doing all his own stunts.
Izuku debated pinching himself again. Just to, you know, double… triple check that this was all definitely real. Working with a group of people as talented as the My Hero Academia cast, including Katsuki Bakugo, was nothing short of incredible. A true once-in-a-lifetime kind of dream come true.
And true to his character, the minute hand on the clock moved, and the bell on the front door jingled.
Izuku saw the blond hair first, neatly styled up in all directions. Katsuki looked cool and comfortable and more collected than really anyone should this early in the morning. The wait staff took notice of him immediately, but it was kind of hard not to. Katsuki was wearing black jeans and loafers, with a gray sweater that had the sleeves rolled up. He had a pair of black and red designer sunglasses hanging off the front of his shirt and a silver watch across his wrist. Katsuki walked with his head held high and his shoulders rolled back. It was a bit too easy to want to shrink at the sight of so much confidence, but Izuku had been waiting for this. He was ready.
With the coolest expression he could muster up, Izuku stood up and waved Katsuki over to the back booth where he was situated. Their eyes met briefly and weirdly enough, Izuku felt himself begin to relax.
“Well, if it isn’t Deku.”
Izuku smiled wide. So, it had begun. “Hey, Kacchan.”
They shook hands and then their arms clasped around each other in a brief hug. Izuku sat down and tried to tame the giddy excitement inside him that was threatening to bubble up to the surface.
“You picked this place, huh?” Katsuki sat down across from him, leaning into the booth and Izuku laughed.
“Hey you picked the time and not much else was open.”
Katsuki eyed him. “I can definitely think of more places open than this craphole.”
Ah, was it that bad? All he had had so far was a glass of water. A waitress came over to them before Izuku had a chance to defend the choice.
“Here are your menus, boys!” The woman laid out two laminated papers with a flourish that Izuku was pretty sure wasn’t standard. “And um, I just wanted to say that we’re huge fans of yours here,” she was looking at Katsuki, batting her eyes at him, but he hadn’t seemed to notice her yet. Instead, he was going through the shoulder bag he brought with him, putting his phone and keys away. Izuku cleared his throat to help her out and watched Katsuki’s bright red eyes look up.
“Oh, thanks,” he said. “Appreciate it.”
“Of course! We’re all super excited for the live-action of My Hero,” she continued, and then her attention moved to Izuku. “Can’t wait to see you both bring it to life!”
Izuku felt a bit shy. He had a lot to live up to, he knew that. He nodded his thanks as Katsuki separated the menus.
“Before you go,” Katsuki said, and the waitress immediately stopped and turned around. “Could you make sure no one else sits in this section? No pictures or autograph either until we’re ready to leave.” He turned to Izuku. “My childhood best friend and I need some time to catch up. He’s a big talker.”
Izuku was definitely grinning like an idiot, and then the words caught up with him. “Hey, I am not—"
“Absolutely!” The woman answered and Katsuki threw him a satisfied smirk. “It’ll be our pleasure. I’ll give you both a few minutes to look over the menu.”
Izuku shook his head, trying to tame the smile on his face. “Childhood best friend, huh?” It was dumb, but he felt a spark of something like hope swell inside his chest.
The goal of today was to bond. The studio wanted the two of them to hang out and get to know each other. They needed to be comfortable doing their scenes together. The viewers needed to be able to pick up on a connection, a friendship. A deep, complicated, and at times – pretty contentious, relationship. It was a challenging role and the two of them were going to need to put in a substantial amount of work to get it right. Izuku Midoriya had never felt more ready for anything in his life.
“Unless I’ve got the wrong Deku,” Katsuki was saying, but then his eyes locked on the manga sitting atop Izuku’s bag – the bright yellow volume one of their respective futures. He leaned back and let out a short laugh. “You’re such a nerd.”
“Yeah….” There was no use in hiding that part of himself. Izuku picked up the manga, being more careful with its edges.
“How far in the story are you?” Katsuki leaned forward, folding his hands on top of the menu as Izuku debated just how much of himself he wanted to give away. But as his eyes met Katsuki’s he found a certain kind of understanding in those fiery irises, a sort of simmering purpose that Izuku recognized. Izuku might not have had the experience and the years of training that the man in front of him had, but he knew what it was like to have passion burn inside you.
“I’m caught up,” he answered.
“So,” Katsuki’s smile stretched, “how many times have you read it?”
Ah. “At least twenty.”
Katsuki let out a big laugh and Izuku felt warm all over. If they really were type cast in these roles, then it didn’t matter how little they had known each other, they already knew each other. He was being nervous for nothing.
“Well, if you’re on twenty, then I’m on forty.”
Izuku smiled. Yeah, they definitely knew each other.
“It uh, gets a bit intense.”
“A bit?” Katsuki picked up the menu.
“Yeah,” Izuku laughed. “Maybe we shouldn’t start there.”
~~
They started with coffee. Izuku’s with cream and sugar, and Katsuki’s black. It was pretty early on a Sunday, so fortunately there weren’t many patrons. Aside from the waitstaff, it was probably too early for anyone in their fanbase to be up. They sipped their coffee and chatted about easy things first.
Izuku learned that Katsuki had actually been up for hours, crushing two extreme workouts back-to-back. Izuku shook his head, feeling very not surprised. He shared that he had gone on a long run himself this morning, which had then turned into a debate on which workout routines were most effective.
They lasted a good fifteen minutes before circling back to My Hero Academia. The television show that the world had its eyes on. The two of them had been cast because their characters fulfilled the creator’s vision, and the more they spoke, the more Izuku found that to be true.
In the manga and soon-to-be show, Deku and Kacchan start off on rocky ground. The ease at which he could talk to Katsuki now was something their two characters wouldn’t get the chance to do for a while. Katsuki was driven, competitive, a bit of a perfectionist and an all-around force to be reckoned with. Izuku was so excited to work with him and see him bring those traits to his character performance. But at the same time, he couldn’t help feel bummed that they had to start off yelling and fighting with each other first.
“The writers definitely have their hands full, don’t they?” Katsuki had his tablet out and was scrolling through the scripts for Seasons 1 and 2. “Special effects crew, too.”
Izuku nodded along, swallowing down a big gulp of his coffee. He thought more about their character arcs that weren’t yet finished. The pain, the realizations, and the growth that awaited them. How special were they, that they got the chance to bring the lives of these two aspiring heroes to life? That they got to pretend to have superpowers and save others, that they got to be a part of a mission so much bigger than themselves?
“I’m excited for the special effects,” Izuku commented. “I wonder how they’re going to manage with everyone’s powers. Some are very unique like yours, Kacchan.”
“Oh, yeah,” Katsuki huffed out an agreement. “I don’t know what they’re planning, but if they expect me to carry around explosives all day then they better have a top-notch first-aid team.” He locked eyes with Izuku, “and hopefully they do considering your ass is gonna need them 24/7.”
“Hey!” Izuku tried to protest.
“I’ve counted ten times recovery girl kisses you and we’re barely two days into school.”
Izuku laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew Katsuki was exaggerating, but still… he had to defend his character’s honor, didn’t he? “When Deku first gets his powers…”
“Uh, huh. I’m listening.”
“There’s a learning curve—”
“Learning curve? Some of these stunts look like suicide attempts.”
Izuku put his mug down. “Deku is trying to be strong! He doesn’t yet have a grasp on his powers or know how to control this inherited thing—”
“Because All Might is a shitty teacher.”
Izuku audibly gasped and Katsuki smiled at him.
“Admit it, Izuku! He leaves you high and dry.”
“He does n—”
“He trains you on the beach – spare me the romantic montage – but after that, he kinda just… leaves you high and dry! It’s on Deku to figure all this shit out by himself.”
Izuku didn’t know what to say to that. His mouth was hanging open and Katsuki was just shaking his head, scrolling through the script. Technically, he wasn’t wrong. All Might could probably have offered more insights on the inherited power to Deku, but… well, he trusted the writing staff. If you reveal everything too early, you risk the audience getting bored.
“I think Deku does his best given the circumstances,” Izuku finally answered. “He’s… resourceful, observant. He takes the initiative to figure things out on his own.”
“Which gets him into trouble…”
“Ok, yes, sometimes,” Izuku had to hand it to him. Katsuki must’ve read through the source material quite extensively. “But his heart is always in the right place. That’s what counts, isn’t it?”
“Not if it gets him killed, it’s not.”
Izuku groaned, feeling like he was running out of comebacks. Katsuki smirked at him, looking like he was enjoying this.
“He tries to protect the people he cares about,” Izuku continued. “His mom, his friends, and you.” He was going for cheeky, but the word came out rather fond. Katsuki winked at him, and Izuku’s whole face turned red. He coughed and took a gulp of his coffee.
“Deku definitely has spirit,” Katsuki said, letting him recover. And yes, okay. Least they could agree on that.
The waitress chose that moment to come over and refill their coffees. Izuku felt grateful as he set his mug down and watched as the steaming liquid rose up to the cup’s rim. He would need all his energy if he was going to keep up with Katsuki’s quick wit. The waitress sat down a small pot of cream and a box of sugar packets and Izuku thanked her before she left.
Katsuki took a sip of his fresh cup of coffee, not bothering to let it cool down. “And maybe he is resourceful.”
“Maybe?” Izuku couldn’t help himself, even if his face was still a bit red.
“I’d still consider that nerdy,” Katsuki said, but he was still looking at him, still smiling. Izuku took another sip of coffee, wondering if he should voice just how observant he considered Kacchan to be.
~~
“Ugh, I can’t believe you have to save me from a giant slime villain.”
Izuku laughed as he cut his food. They had ordered omelets. Katsuki’s had lean protein and spinach, and Izuku’s had ham, cheese, and broccoli. A large plate full of bread, jam, potatoes, and fruit also sat between them.
“I’m going to need to shower for a week,” Katsuki groaned, eyes skyward. He was holding his fork like a spear, moving it around with this casual certainty in which he seemed to do everything.
Izuku was a little bit more than mesmerized. Confidence was something he had struggled with for most of his life. To see someone who radiated with it so much that even the way they chewed their food seemed purposeful was wild. They had barely been here for half an hour and Izuku found himself wanting to be better, fixing his posture and trying to seize these moments; rising to the occasion of Katsuki’s presence.
“I’m actually really excited for that scene.” Izuku tried not to lower his eyes, though it felt like a confession.
“Why? Seeing me covered in slime?” Katsuki’s eyes were bright red and on him and Izuku laughed, finding it now impossible to look away.
“My first big heroic act! Kind of sets up everything if you think about it.”
“Maybe for you,” Katsuki replied. “For me, it crowns me king of the ‘I hate Izuku Midoriya’ fan club. Or, sorry, I guess it’s the ‘I hate Deku’ fan club.”
Izuku stopped chewing. “Right, yeah. I don’t think you ever say my full name, do you?”
Katsuki put his fork down and reached for his tablet. His face looked confused, a bit of that casual certainty that Izuku was getting so used to started to slip.
“Huh, I… I think you’re right.”
“It’s the same for Deku,” Izuku said quickly. “I just call you Kacchan.”
“I’m glad they do that,” Katsuki said. He put down his tablet and those red eyes were back on him. “So, the audience knows we’re close and that I don’t really hate you.”
Izuku paused. “Well…”
“Yeah, what am I saying?” Katsuki ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at his food. “If I’m any good at this job then they should believe that I do.”
Izuku nodded tentatively, but Katsuki seemed lost in thought. He reached for a potato but then halfway stopped and pulled back.
“Hey, everything alright?”
“Yeah. Yeah, just…” Katsuki cleared his throat. “I really put you through it, don’t I?”
Of all the things Izuku expected Katsuki to say, that was not one of them. He stilled, not quite knowing what to say. Because, yeah. Their character’s relationship could be described as contentious at best. Maybe passionate if you were trying to be positive – but, uh, it definitely wasn’t sunshine and rainbows. That was fine, though! The two of them played teenagers who grow considerably as they come into who they are.
“Is that something you’re worried about?”
“Ah,” Katsuki rubbed the back of his neck, looking more unsure than Izuku had seen him. “It’s hard to explain. Kacchan is such a great complex character. He’s a hero, but an unrefined one to start. And he’s… not very gentle with you. I mean, I like that he challenges everyone. That he gives his all at the sports festival even against Uraraka. To me, that shows that he respects her skill and wouldn’t go easy on someone for something as dumb as gender norms. With you, though – Deku – he challenges you the most, and I don’t know if it’s because he knows you can handle it or if he’s trying to use you to work out his own issues because he considers you the cause of it—”
“All Might did choose Deku, and Kacchan did consider himself responsible for All Might’s retirement.”
“Right, but he wasn’t. And even if he was,” Katsuki stressed, “it’s not an excuse to be so, so harsh with him.”
Izuku set his fork down. “I’ll agree with that.”
Katsuki gave him a look as if to say ‘no shit’ and Izuku smiled and picked up a piece of toast.
“I’m not worried about hate mail or people calling me a bully,” Katsuki continued. “But how I feel is weird to articulate. Even sitting with you now, out of character, I can’t describe it. There’s this… this thing between us. I bet it’s the reason we were cast.”
“Y-yeah,” Izuku gulped. He had thought he was the only one who felt it, but with as perceptive as Katsuki was, it was no surprise he could also sense it. The two of them were technically mild acquaintances, but this strong connection between them, this drawing force he felt towards him, said otherwise. With how comfortable his character Deku was with Kacchan, it seemed to reason that they were close like one would be with family or friends, but their relationship was neither. It existed in a grey area of sorts that he didn’t know how to define. He just knew that his character needed him and seemed to excel whenever he was around.
“Don’t worry about me, though,” Katsuki said, and that quiet confidence had returned. “There’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Izuku wasn’t sure if he was saying that as Kacchan the character or Katsuki the actor, but that answer didn’t matter.
“Just because you can handle something, doesn’t mean you should.”
“Interesting,” a grin broke out across Katsuki’s face, “you should tell Deku that.”
Izuku rolled his eyes, but felt fired up. He loved conversations like these. Overthinking – or analysis – was probably the kinder word, was his all-time favorite activity. “He’s got to learn that, just like your character does.”
Katsuki picked up another piece of toast and pointed it at Izuku, “my character learns first.”
“Oh, you think so?”
Katsuki broke off a piece of toast and threw it at him. Izuku tried to move, but the toast hit him square in the cheek.
“I know so, Deku!”
Izuku started laughing but brought his hands up in surrender when he saw Katsuki pick up another toast point. “Ok, ok.”
Katsuki sat back, shaking his head as the current toast point made it into his mouth.
Izuku pushed his plate out of the way and leaned forward. He thought of their characters’ journeys, he thought of the bond between them and how they helped one another. Katsuki’s words resonated in the back of his mind: I really put you through it, don’t I?
“To be honest,” he started, “when I first read the script I thought, wow, why does my character care so much about yours? Kacchan starts off so mean to Deku. Especially, I don’t know if you saw your line on our first day of school—"
“Oh, where I tell you to kill yourself? How could I miss that.”
“Exactly. And that’s like, extreme. But I think that’s where I realized that these two guys speak their own language.”
Katsuki pushed his own plate to the side and leaned his crossed arms over the table, meeting Izuku halfway. “Own language, huh?”
“Think about it,” Izuku pointed at the table. “From what you know about your character, how would he actually react if my character, Deku, did that?”
Katsuki nodded as a realization seemed to wash over him. “He’d be devastated.”
“Yeah, see?” Izuku smiled at him, feeling proud of his own analysis. He couldn’t say he had any childhood best friends of his own, but he did know that kids who lashed out were usually kids who were hurting.
“You know, that’s a good point. I really do get that from him.” Katsuki’s face brightened. “The passion, the drive, the wanting to be the best, and then that crash of seeing someone excel who you didn’t think deserved it. I think Deku pisses him off so much because he didn’t see it. Kacchan is someone who considers himself ten steps ahead of everyone and Deku was someone he thought he left in the rearview long ago. And then high school comes and Deku is suddenly in the same advanced program as him. He doesn’t stay in the rearview, he moves closer and closer until he’s almost level with Kacchan and it makes him question everything he thought he knew.”
“Deku is all heart and Kacchan is all power. As Deku tries to become more powerful—”
“Kacchan realizes the only way to surpass him is to work on his own heart.” Katsuki let out a sigh and sat back. “Big oof on that one.”
“Yeah,” Izuku was nodding in agreement. “Katsuki is quite expressive with his, let’s call it displeasure, at their current situation – in the beginning. But it’s all a front for this fire that Deku ignites within him.”
“Fire, huh?” Katsuki grinned and Izuku felt his cheeks heat up. “You know I saw some fan speculation online about if our characters would grow closer.”
“I saw that, too! lots of people shipping us, which I can totally see.”
“Oh, yeah?” Katsuki raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, sorry, did you not mean it in that way?” Izuku tried to play it cool, but Katsuki was clearly seeing right through him.
“I thought they were wondering if we’d end up as best friends, and I…”
“Thought that was unlikely?” Izuku supplied, swallowing something down.
“Looking at the current script, yeah. But you could see… dating?” Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest, a look of genuine interest painted across his face.
“Kind of?” Izuku laughed and then realized he was definitely blushing. “Ok, I can totally see it.”
Katsuki nudged Izuku’s shoe under the table and Izuku met those intense simmering eyes. “This I gotta hear.”
Being the sole focus of Katsuki’s attention was truly something. Izuku wasn’t sure how he was supposed to talk when the weight of Katsuki’s gaze was so profound. It was both startling and amazing, and yet a bit… unbelievable and overwhelming? Izuku was going to need to work on getting over being so dumbstruck. He had done a great job so far, he thought, of not tripping over his words, but the longer they spent together the more Izuku felt drawn in. He tried not to think about their shoes still touching under the table and barreled on.
“Kacchan and Deku have this bond and it’s… well, it’s the deepest bond on the show. I mean, Deku admires him and respects him, and is so loyal after all these years that he even defends him to others. I think it’s through Deku’s eyes that other people give Kacchan a chance. They see that these two guys have their own language and even though Kacchan is telling Deku to shove it, Deku is smiling and stepping towards him and their conversations are so tense, I mean you remember our chemistry read.”
“Oh man, do I. They had us do that one scene one hundred times, I swear. And each time they were like, you’re not staring at him intensely enough!” As Katsuki launched into another memory of the day, Izuku found his heart thumping inside his chest. He liked the way Katsuki lit up like the memory was important to him like their brief moments together had been special for him too.
“Yeah, so, I can see it.” Izuku summarized. Lightly, he kicked his foot out a little and felt surprised when Katsuki hooked their ankles together.
“They do have a deep connection,” Katsuki said and his voice sounded deeper than before. Izuku reached for his water. “With the current script though, I’d see them like... hate fucking rather than dating.”
Izuku spit out his water all over the table. “Oh, my god!”
Katsuki laughed and leaned back. “It would be kisses with teeth, very tough. An absolute competition in every way. It would not be good for either of them.”
Izuku felt dazed, absolutely shook. He absentmindedly tried to wipe up all the spit he got all over the table already feeling horrible for the waitstaff. “I don’t, um,” he couldn’t even try, his face was so red. “Well, I don’t think…” he chanced a look at Katsuki who was still laughing, his eyes playful. Izuku couldn’t believe it, he put down the napkin and started laughing too. “I don’t think that at all and I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”
“You started it!”
“Ugh, you’re right!” Izuku buried his face in his hands, laughing into them. Katsuki leaned forward trying to remove the hands from his face. Reluctantly, Izuku let him.
“You think it would be loving, the two of them together?”
“Well....”
“That’s what I’m saying, Izuku! As the script currently stands—”
“Yes, I do.”
Katsuki paused as Izuku took a breath. “You really don’t, Katsuki? You just think… God, I can’t even say it,” his pale complexion was absolutely betraying him. He wanted to hide his face in his hands again. “You think it’d be just, rough sex.”
It was clear Katsuki was loving this. “I don’t know, Izuku. Kacchan’s character is just so, so complex. He’s self-assured and confident and I do think being around Deku helps him keep to his goal and remember what’s important, but he wants the both of them to be at their very best. So, in that respect, maybe he would only relax if Deku was also relaxing? Maybe they could just chill and play games if they had nothing better to do? But obviously, the world would need to not be ending.”
Izuku nodded, he kept nodding.
“I see it as a very solid friendship,” Katsuki continued. “The two of them get each other in ways that no one else does. It’s a definite soul bond. Whether or not that turns romantic, I don’t know. Honestly, I think I lean towards no because their current relationship is already so intense. It’s so much, Izuku.”
“I get that, I do,” Izuku swallowed hard. “But I don’t know I can still see it. I kind of picture them as a badass superhero duo and then… coming home and taking care of each other after taking care of the world.”
“Taking care of each other, huh?” Katsuki raised his eyebrows once again and Izuku wondered if the booth could swallow him up. He knew this was pretty embarrassing stuff, but from his analysis, this is what he saw! He did like that Katsuki seemed intrigued though, and like he was… open to the possibility of it.
Katsuki shook his head, one of those big disbelieving smiles sat on his face. It almost seemed like he was questioning whether or not Izuku was real – or maybe, whether this conversation was actually happening. “So, you do. You picture a loving home. Gotta admit I wasn’t expecting that. Least of all from the character who gets bullied by him.”
“I guess I just see right through it.” Izuku finished the remainder of his water – what was left in his glass after spitting all over the table – but he still felt incredibly warm. “Our characters understand each other so well that they’d know what each other needs, and I just think that’s really special. It’s… it’s not often life brings that to you.”
Katsuki seemed to survey him. They had both finished most of their meal, and their coffees and waters were now empty. Izuku took a deep breath and let it out. it had been a while since he felt this stimulated. And for the first time since Izuku sat down, he let himself take in the rest of the restaurant. It was packed and it looked like it had been that way for a while. Izuku had hardly noticed.
“Well, I’m not gonna say never because I’ve been wrong about this stuff before, but… it did look like they were setting up your character and Uraraka.”
That was true, and also an observation Izuku had noted. “It did, but… they need to know more about each other. The time they spend together just decreases and decreases. They have a bond for sure, I’m not disputing that. It’s just… it’s not what I have with you. I mean – sorry, Kacchan.”
Katuski nodded in agreement as a waitress came over and took their plates and refilled their coffees and water. They must’ve been truly busy because they were in and out. No lingering, or small quips or flirty smiles thrown at Katsuki. Izuku picked up the ice water and chugged it.
“It’s funny, I actually do picture Kacchan with a guy, or a chick tough enough to keep up with him. But right now, dude needs to work on himself. He’s 100% focused on his goals with no time for anything else.”
“Yeah,” Izuku set his water down. “And that’s what happens with Deku and Uraraka. Deku has his eye on his own goal and he and her don’t get together because of it.”
“All Might never ended up with anyone,” Katsuki said, rather thoughtfully. He started moving his coffee mug back and forth on the table. “His Master’s family ended in tragedy. Do you…” he paused and stopped moving the mug, “picture Deku with a family?”
“Uh,” Izuku froze. “I actually… don’t know.”
“Did I just stump the nerd?” Katsuki looked proud of himself as Izuku desperately searched his brain.
“I know the scripts are still being written and everything’s super crazy where it’s currently at, but… I don’t know.” He looked at Katsuki’s intrigued face, at the packed diner that had faded into the background, and the yellow volume one still sitting atop his bag. “I think it’d be nice if he got the chance to have moments of peace and love in his life. With as big of a heart as he has, I think he needs connection to sustain him. All Might had the love and admiration of the world and he basked in it.”
“All Might ate it up. That man did interview and after interview and was on every cereal box.”
“Well, if you’re going to be a symbol, it makes sense to be everywhere. But,” Izuku shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “This is such a tough question. On one hand, Deku is so loving and he’d be a great dad. But on the other, the last thing he’d want would be to put his family in harm’s way. If you’re going to be the number one hero then you’re going to have a huge target on your back.”
“Deku might be too selfless where he couldn’t swing it. Kacchan, on the other hand, would probably believe he could protect his family no matter what.”
“Which is a reason he’s good for Deku, just saying.”
Katsuki laughed, his eyes smiling at him. “Maybe.”
These kids, their characters, were in a hero society where the world’s safety was always threatened. With a job as important as helping to secure the world’s safety, Izuku couldn’t imagine trying to prioritize family – how taxing and tough that must be.
“Endeavor had a family,” he said out loud.
Katsuki picked up his coffee and drank from it slowly. Izuku let his analytic mind relax as he copied the gesture. He didn’t know what number coffee they were on, but he liked that neither one of them seemed to mind.
Katsuki sat his mug down first. “Endeavor’s a huge dick, though.”
“But hardly anyone comes after his family. Or do you think they secretly do and we just don’t know about it?”
“Could be the case, for sure. But don’t forget,” Katsuki pointed at him. “His goal was different. He wanted to produce the best hero, not be it. he wanted a child who would surpass him and All Might to be the best.”
Izuku loved this. He loved geeking out over all this stuff. He made a mental note to analyze family dynamics in superhero culture later on when he had the time.
“So much pressure.”
“Yeah, I feel for Todoroki. That’s a tough role.”
Katsuki took another sip of his coffee. “Where is he anyway? Do you know how many times I call him an ‘icy-hot bastard’?”
Izuku burst out laughing, feeling thankful he had already finished his water.
“It’s a lot.”
“Be honest,” Izuku was wiping his tears away. “Is Kacchan fun to play? I feel like it is.”
“I mean,” Katsuki’s eyes darted around the room. “You were there that day I needed like eight hot lemon teas because my throat was so sore from screaming.”
“Yeah,” Izuku smiled. The Director had made Katsuki yell a bunch of lines to see what setting the mics needed.
“I feel bad yelling at everyone because they’re so nice, but… ah,” he trailed off and Izuku looked up.
“But what?”
Those fiery eyes roamed over Izuku’s face. “But I don’t feel bad yelling at you.”
Izuku gulped. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yes, you nerd,” Katsuki was saying, but his tone was different. “I think you hit the nail on the head. The two of us have our own language. Kacchan doesn’t mean a word of it. That’s why – that’s why it’s fine if I call you scum because you know that’s not how I actually view you. It’s… well, it’s kind of cool.”
“Y-yeah,” Izuku answered. “It is cool.”
“Not that anyone’s gonna pick up on that.”
Izuku wasn’t sure he agreed with that. In time, he knew people would. But what he answered was, “totally yeah, people are gonna want to save me.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes, “like you’d need it.”
Izuku nudged his foot and leaned more forward across the table. “Hey, Katsuki?”
“Mm?”
“We were type cast, right? So, I was wondering…”
“If you’re about to ask me whether I’m a bully in real life know that I will punch you.”
Izuku laughed, fighting the blush spreading across his face. Katsuki was shaking his head again but there was a small fond and exasperated smile pulling at the corner of his lips.
“Seriously, Izuku?”
“It’s an honest question! I wasn’t going to phrase it quite like that, but—”
“Wow,” Katsuki kicked him underneath the table. “And here I thought we were getting along.”
“We are, we are! Forget I asked. It was dumb. I wasn’t thinking and—”
But Katsuki cut him off. “No, Izuku, I don’t consider myself a bully.” Katsuki let out a sigh and nudged his shoe a little harder. Izuku, feeling a bit brave, interlocked their ankles, so he couldn’t move to kick him again. Katsuki smirked. “I do consider myself pretty driven. And, I guess… I’ve been known to push others. Not literally,” he clarified, and Izuku nodded rather dramatically. “I may have had a slight inferiority complex growing up. My mom would definitely describe me as hardheaded and stubborn. I… can relate to Kacchan a lot. He’s a version of myself I probably could’ve been.” And then his eyes were back on Izuku. “I’ve never had a Deku, though.”
“I’ve never had a Kacchan,” he answered instinctively.
“What about you? Do you consider yourself a weakling who needs to recklessly prove his worth to the world without regard of what it’s doing to his own body?”
“Wow, ok,” Izuku supposed he deserved that. Though, he felt Katsuki’s other leg come up and bracket the outside of both of his.
“Just getting into character,” Katsuki said, maybe smugly.
“Sure, you are.” Izuku could hardly believe any of this was real. He felt so warm by this man’s proximity, and attention, and by their childish footlock underneath the table. “Uh, I don’t know… maybe?” he answered. “It’s hard to feel like you deserve something – like, this role for example – especially when there are so many great actors out there. It’s like ‘why me? am I good enough?’ I study other actors and their crafts so much. I actually keep a log of their performances and I have been known to lose sleep watching the classics and taking notes and—”
Katsuki was laughing at him.
“—and ok, yeah. I hear it.”
“Wow, spitting image,” Katsuki was saying. “This is gonna be fun.”
“Yeah,” Izuku was aware he was definitely staring.
“I can’t believe you have an actual hero notebook – sorry, actor notebook. A true nerd.” His voice was so fond Izuku felt like he was going to burst. He swallowed hard and smiled shyly.
“Hey, don’t go making fun of my actor notebook.”
“Afraid I’ll throw it in a fountain?”
Izuku’s eyes were tracing his profile, “something like that.”
Katsuki leaned across the table. The air around them felt charged like it was buzzing.
“I’m, uh, really glad we did this,” Izuku said before he could stop himself.
“Me too, but,” Katsuki looked to his side where his shoulderbag sat. He reached into it and pulled out cash that he dropped on the table. “Days not over yet. Wanna head somewhere else?”
“More… more bonding?”
“Can never have enough bonding,” Katsuki said, smiling at him. Slowly, he took back his feet and stood up, grabbing his stuff and pulling Izuku up with him. It felt like the start of something. “Unless you’ve got somewhere else to be?”
Izuku shook his head so hard he almost fell over.
As they walked out of the diner, Katsuki thanked the waitstaff who were already telling them to come back soon. Izuku stuck close to him, feeling drawn into his orbit and super thankful that their day together wasn’t yet over. Izuku could geek out over My Hero, and acting forever. He could also talk to Katsuki forever if he’d let him. When they reached outside, he stopped in front of a flyer tacked to a telephone pole. It was for a movie palooza in the park.
“Do you ever take notes on other actors, Katsuki?” Or was it all just natural talent, natural pull?
“Never,” he said definitively. “I like to create something all on my own.” Which wasn’t surprising. “If you get too caught up in how one person does something you forget that it’s you who’s doing it. You gotta play to your own strengths, not someone else’s.”
Izuku wasn’t sure if he was referencing My Hero. “I know that, but—"
“Not until season two, you don’t!”
“Hey!” Izuku nudged his arm, feeling light as air. “It’s... definitely sooner than that, isn’t it? Shoot, maybe it’s later. When does Deku learn shoot style?” He should’ve had the script on a tablet like Katsuki.
“You’re busy crying and breaking your bones while I’m screaming at you and trying to be better than everyone.”
Izuku’s smile felt too big for his face. “We’re gonna need to stock up on tea and tissues, then. Maybe some group therapy sessions.”
Katsuki laughed, “definitely therapy. And we should invite Shoto to that. Hell, we should invite the whole cast.”
“We really should.”
The two of them walked down the busy street and turned a corner into a plaza in front of a park. The walk was nice, companionable. Izuku couldn’t help but think about how in the show there was this large feeling of imbalance between their characters. But here, outside, there was none of that. Here it was just the two of them. Two actors figuring things out as they went.
In the plaza, Katsuki came to a halt and pointed up at the side of a building. Izuku stopped next to him and looked up until his eyes saw the large billboard in front of them. It was, of course, for My Hero Academia. The whole cast was on there with Deku and Kacchan front and center. ‘Coming Soon’ the sign read.
Izuku sighed contentedly as Katsuki put his arm around him, and they both stood there just taking it in. At one point, Izuku rested his head on Katsuki’s shoulder.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Katsuki said.
“Pretty cool,” Izuku agreed.
The sound of a camera clicking caught their attention and Izuku saw in the distance somebody snap a photo of the two of them – of the two actors staring up at their character counterparts. What a photo they must make. Izuku made a mental note to check online so he could grab that picture for himself.
He knew their world was about to change. Once this show aired, nothing in his life would ever be the same. It was a dizzying feeling, but Katsuki’s arm was solid around his shoulders and the weight of it felt grounding. The two of them must’ve looked like they’d been friends for years. Funny how that was exactly how Izuku felt.
“How many seasons until our characters can hang out like this?” He asked in a dazed sort of wonder.
Katsuki hummed against him. “Well, according to you, we end up dating, so—”
“I never said that!”
“Uh, huh,” Katsuki’s arm on his shoulder felt like it was drawing him in a little closer, but maybe it was just Izuku’s hopeful imagination. “Maybe eight seasons.”
Izuku knew he was joking, but eight seasons felt like a long time to wait for a comforting embrace from his childhood best friend. Izuku thought of all the hurdles they had to face, all of the villains and heartache and hope and sadness. He thought of the character growth that awaited them; thought of Kacchan saving no one to saving to win. He thought of how he couldn’t wait to get through all of it with his friends, and castmates by his side – the universe willing that the writer didn’t kill any of them off.
Katsuki whistled low, drawing Izuku out of his thoughts. “Gonna be one hell of a journey, Deku.”
And yeah, wasn’t that the truth.
He nodded affirmingly and put his arm around Katsuki’s back. Together, they walked down the block and Izuku knew everything was going to be just fine. He would learn his lines, interact more with the cast, hopefully have many more in-depth character discussions and All Might – geez, he was going to get to work with Yagi Toshinori! Yeah, everything was going to be just fine.
He looked back up at Katsuki, who was taking in the park around them. Izuku knew exactly how to play Deku – he would just look at Kacchan the same way he looked at Katsuki.
“Whatever happens, Izuku, I’m glad we’re on this journey together.” Katsuki’s voice was low and soothing. Izuku leaned closer into Katsuki’s side and let that giddy hopefulness overtake him.
“Me too, Katsuki.”
“Thanks for saving me from the slime.”
“Thanks for not killing me for it.”
The laughter filled his ears.