MHA/BNHA react to For The Want of A Nail by Clouds part 1

CC:SS 9 Katsuki

It wasn't that Katsuki wasn't angry, but that anger was simmering beneath the surface in a type of cold rage and some other emotion Izuku couldn't place. Maybe confusion? Was Katsuki confused about Izuku talking back to him? Or maybe he didn't understand why he'd gone home yesterday? There wasn't much point in thinking about it right now, because ultimately, it didn't matter. What mattered was that Izuku got away from here before he got hurt again.

Inko: He's stopped calling him 'Kacchan'...

Mitsuki: Must be why Katsuki's not blowing him up yet...

"Well," Izuku forced a wobbly smile onto his face, trying his best to imitate Mei's confidence, "um, if that's all you wanted to ask me, then we should all probably be getting home."

Katsuki looked at him intensely for a moment before scoffing, "So, are you some sort of inventor now or something?"

Shinso: Analyst, actually.

It took Izuku a moment to realize that Katsuki was talking about the support course. Of course, he'd made the same assumption that Izuku had at first, but he didn't really know if it was smart to let Katsuki know anything more than he had to about his new dream, "What's it to you? You're going to be a hero, Katsuki, I'm not. Isn't that good enough for you?"

"I told you not to apply!" Katsuki growled.

Everyone: Oh just leave him alone already!

Dabi(scowling): Sheesh he's just coming up with random excuses to hurt someone at this point.

Izuku felt a swell of anger and recognized the feeling from his phone call with Mei yesterday. It wasn't his fault that Katsuki was a jerk, so it wasn't his responsibility to avoid setting him off, "I'm not one of your cronies, Katsuki. You don't control me."

Toga: Yeah, tell him, Izuku!

A few small explosions popped in Katsuki's hand, but instead of being afraid, all Izuku could think about was the fact that Mei had apparently accidentally blown up her phone at least once. Hope mingled itself with the anger. Maybe if he hung around her enough, explosions would take on a different meaning. Maybe eventually, he'd come to associate them with friendship and acceptance, rather than disappointment and pain.

Mei: Yeah! Explosions are a good thing!

Power Loader: ...In this context that's actually fine I guess.

Izuku squared his shoulders, "Katsuki..."

"What the (@*$# is up with that, Deku?" Katsuki inturrupted. "Why the hell are you calling me Katsuki all of a sudden? I thought you were still using that stupid nickname."

Midoriya: Don't you hate me calling you 'Kacchan'?

Bakugo: I have no idea anymore!

Izuku took a step back. For some reason, he hadn't realized that Katsuki would even notice the change. He was just a pebble on the side of Katsuki's road to greatness, so what did it even matter what Izuku called him? But apparently, nothing that Katuski did made sense. He was angry when Izuku called him Kacchan, and he was angry when he didn't. There was no way for Izuku to win, and honestly, he was sick of trying.

"People have nicknames for their friends, Katsuki." Izuku said lowly. "And we're not friends anymore."

Everyone: Yes, he admits it!

Katsuki glared at him, but Izuku held his ground. He wasn't going to look away first. He wasn't going to let Katsuki win this one. Eventually, Katsuki scoffed and stepped aside, "Whatever, Deku. Like I care what you do."

Mitsuki: You can open your eyes now, Inko, they're not fighting.

Izuku gripped the straps of his backpack and walked past him, tense as he anticipated an attack from behind. Katsuki, however, seemed just as tense. He might be pretending like he didn't care and that was why he was letting this go, but Izuku knew the truth. He had won. It filled him with an unfamiliar sense of victory and accomplishment that he'd only ever experienced when analyzing or hacking. It gave him the confidence to stop walking a few steps past Katsuki and turn around. Maybe it was petty and more than a little stupid, but Izuku wanted the last word.

Spinner: Yeah, make sure you get the last word.

"Oh, and Katsuki?" Izuku smiled slightly as they made direct eye contact. "I'm not going to be a &(@$*# inventor. I'm going to be a @(#$* analyst. Turns out, some people actually like my creepy stalker notebooks." He turned and started walking away, promising himself that he'd have a panic attack when he got home, "See you at UA, Katsuki!"

Katsuki didn't follow him.

Hagakure: At least this story seems to be getting better.

Uraraka: Yeah, Deku's standing up for himself now.

Iida: I hope things get better when they get to UA...