Chapter Text
Fuck college and fuck the goverment. If it weren’t for the high prices on his favorite pork, kurobuta, to make his comfort dinners after a long stressful day, he would not need this. Katsuki would not have picked up a night shift at a supermarket. A supermarket that has vegetables that barely pass as digestible.
Kirishima had suggested it first when Katsuki had him over for dinner a few weeks back. He was supposed to make katsudon. Supposed to. But when he checked the fridge, it was drier than a desert. Not a protein or carb in sight.
“Whoa bro! Are you that down bad right now?” Kirishima chuckled, “I can spot you a couple of—”
“Do not finish that shitty sentence.”
“Well, you obviously are having some problems… I mean look at your fridge.” Kirishima gestured to the machine that was very lacking to say the least.
Coming up behind him and slamming the door shut, Katsuki clenched his teeth, “I can fucking see that.” He runs his hand through his hair with a grunt, “I just can’t afford the tuition on top of keeping my diet in check.”
Kirishima placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder with a smug grin on his face, “Well have I got a deal for you! I can get you a job and a discount on groceries! You’ll be living the life!” He even threw a thumbs up to seal the deal.
And boy, oh boy, did he fucking seal it.
It wasn’t hard to get the job. It was nearing Winter time, so people will be stockpiling their fridges for the Winter festivities and the new year coming up. Since it was late November, the manager practically begged him to stay as a seasonal part-timer. Begging wasn’t even an over exaggeration.
When Katsuki walked into the store for his interview and saw the near death produce, horrible line situation, and smelt the god awful aroma that infiltrated his nostrils, he was positive he was not going to take this job.
“Oh great you’re here!” The comically large man shouted walking up to him, “You’re here for the interview right?!”
Katsuki scoffed, taking one last look at the place before turning around, “Yeah, I think I’m good though.”
“WAIT! Sir please, I beg you!” And when Bakugou turned his head to the side to look at the man, all he saw was a lump kneeling on the ground. The manager, he assumes, is on all fours, head tucked into his chest, begging.
“Please, we need someone to push in the carts and bag the items! Our last courtesy clerk walked out on us and it’s near the holidays. We have been swamped, my employees are suffering, I’m suffering.”
“And what’s that got to do with me?” Katsuki could care less about these damn extras and their—
“I’ll let you choose any shifts you want and I’ll add to your pay.”
“Can I have seventy five percent off the food? The food’s garbage anyways.”
“Yes, but don’t tell the other employees.”
“We have a deal.”
The man stands up and grips his hand to shake it, engulfing his arm in the process. “My name is Toshinori, I run the place around here. Welcome to the team!”
And that is how he ended up here. Pushing the carts. In the cold.
He has to admit, it makes a decent workout. Sometimes, he goes past the, “you can only push four carts at a time,” rule and tries to push as many as possible. He’s discovered that ten is the limit though until it becomes a traffic hazard. Katsuki’s first week at the store and he had to sit back and watch as one of the carts at the end of his line rolled into a customer's car. He thanks whatever god or all powerful being there is that there are no cameras in the parking lot or he would have definitely been fired.
The last cart in the lot clinks into the cart corral and it’s like music in his ears. He’ll have to come back out in about an hour and redo the whole process, but Katsuki didn’t mind. As long as he gets to go inside and warm up at the end of the checkstand.
Each checkstand had a separate conveyor belt dedicated to bag groceries. The cashier would ring the items and the belt rolls the products down to him. All he had to do was place the items in the bag and occasionally help the elderly to their cars when they bought too much heavy junk. It was easy, other than the cold.
Toshinori kept his end of the deal. Katsuki got to pick what days and nights he worked and although the groceries were sent from hell itself, he got seventy five percent off as promised. He chose Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from four to eight. That way it didn’t interfere with his regular job on the weekends and he got enough sleep for classes. Katsuki makes double what he makes at the supermarket by tutoring highschoolers through the weekend. The rest of his time was dedicated to his classes and the gym.
Damn, he would much rather be at the gym right now. Fixing his clerk vest, he chooses dunce face’s line since he scans the slowest. He still needed time to warm up and he was not about to work above his pay grade. To hell if the lines were long, Katsuki is not about to play sports olympics just to get some groceries in a bag.
Dunce face gives a way too energetic wave like usual as he walks up to his checkstand, “Bakubro! I see you chose me to be worthy today!”
Katsuki hums, not really in the mood for conversation, “If you say so.”
“I feel so touched, so honored,” Denki grins, placing his palm over his heart.
“Can you start scanning so I can do my job in peace?”
Denki jumps at the reminder, “Oh shit, right!”
“Launguage!” The customer with an obvious nose job barks.
Holy shit Katsuki wants to go home.
As he's placing the radio active garbage this snob extra is buying in a bag, he can’t help but daydream about getting in bed later. This job did mess with his bedtime schedule, kinda sorta. Usually he would be in bed by eight sharp, but now it’s more like nineish, maybe tenish. And of course he has a quiz tomorrow and he’s going to have to rush home, brush his teeth, and do his skin care. Did he start the dishwasher before leaving for work? He’ll have to unload that too. What the hell was he gonna buy to mak—
“Can you scan any slower?!”
Katsuki couldn’t ignore the obnoxious asshole that just ruined his bedtime planning. Who in their right mind shouts in a supermarket? At seven o'clock at night. Some people are trying to plan a damn routine!
“I-I’m sorry sir! I promise, I am scanning as fast as I can! This is my first week and I don’t know all the produce codes an—”
“I have places to be! Just put the damn items in the bag and get a move on!”
Bokugou looks to his right to see a cashier, on a different checkstand, who he’s never seen before, waving his arms profusely in apology. His green curls bouncing as he bows his head over and over for this nobody. What a damn people pleaser.
“I am terribly sorry sir! I just need to find the code for this kind of apple and I have to look at my cheat sheet! I know it’s taking long, I will try to—”
And then the dirt bag sticks his fingers in the cashier’s face and gets way too close for Bakugo’s comfort. Even from a distance he can see the green boy flinch. Bakugo may be an asshole, but he does have morals. One of those includes screaming in stranger’s faces and making them visibly uncomfortable. He used to do the same thing to extras in middle school, but he’s a grown man now and knows how to act like one. Unlike this jackass holding up a line.
So without thinking, he walks over and stands at the end of the conveyor belt.
“Is there a problem here?” He grunts, crossing his arms over his chest. He hopes the daggers he’s staring at this old geezer are piercing his soul.
“N-No! I have it handled!” The cashier stammers out, his voice getting higher the more the situation escalates.
“You obviously don’t!” The man shouts back, slamming his fist on the computer. “Just put the fucking items in the damn bag so I can move on with my day!”
As the greenette reaches for the code sheet to begin scanning again, the customer snatches it before the cashier can grab it and rips it in front of his face. And that is the last straw for Katsuki. Because what the hell was this guy's problem?!
Katsuki steps up to the man, clenching his fists. He can feel his nails digging into his palms. It’s taking all of Bakugou’s willpower not to punch this damn extra right in the fucking jaw. “I suggest you get your ugly ass out of this store right now,” he growls, “before I drag your ass out of it myself.”
And the ogre laughs in his face.
He needs this job. He needs this job. He needs this job.
Apparently he doesn't. With the way his hand goes to grip the man’s shirt to smash that smug grin off his face. But just as he reels his fist back to sucker punch the fucker, Toshinori steps in between them.
And cut to the clip of his boss getting punched in the face. His boss.
If he wasn’t fired before he sure as hell is now.
Toshinori is gripping a hand on his jaw, hoping to keep it intact. There is already a bruise forming where Katsuki’s fist made contact. Bakugou fully expects his boss to look at him and tell him to take the vest off and go home, but to his surprise, Toshinori turns to the customer instead.
“Get out of my store now or I will have you escorted out. You are creating a hostile environment sir and I do not tolerate this kind of behavior in my store.”
The man looks taken back and grits his teeth, “My behavior?! What about your employee’s?!” He then sticks a finger out at Katsuki and Bakugou wishes he could bite the damn thing off his hand. “This one just tried to assault me!”
Toshinori, the best boss ever, gestures to the cashier, “If I am not mistaken, you harassed young Midoriya here. You also attempted to damage our property, the computer you smashed.”
The man looks around, stuttering to come up with an excuse, “W-Well whatever! This business isn’t worth my money anyways!” He shoves past Toshinori and Katsuki, making sure to shoulder check the young blonde on his way out. “I’ll be leaving a review!” He shouts as one last jab before rounding the corner and out the front doors.
Katsuki groans, rolling his shoulder back to adjust his muscles. If he ever meets that man in public, he’ll be sure to give him a black eye.
Toshinori runs a hand through his hair before turning to Katsuki, “Will you please take his groceries back onto the shelves before they spoil? And Bakugou,” he places a hand on his shoulder, “please refrain from hitting our customers in the future.”
Katsuki is shocked at the fact he still has a job. Maybe he’ll come in an extra day next week as a thank you for letting him still be able to have food on the table. Katsuki brushes the hand off his shoulder, “Yeah yeah, my bad boss. I’ll get on it.”
Toshinori smiles, his shoulders relaxing now that the tension in the air has calmed, “Thank you.” He turns to Midorya, “Go ahead and take a break, I’ll take care of the line.”
“Thank you, boss!” And the man named Midoriya scurries to the break room.
* * *
It’s the end of the day and Katsuki is so mentally drained. Listening to people ask where things are when there are giant signs telling them where the item is has got to be top ten on his list of things he hates most about people. Their lack of common sense.
He can’t help but drag his feet as he makes his way into the break room. Lockers line each side of the walls and theirs a decent kitchen area where he can heat up leftovers in the microwave. Some of the other workers have put stickers on their lockers, which he’s never bothered about. It’s not like this is permanent. Katsuki turns the dials on his lock to grab his jacket and put away his vest when he hears a…snore?
Turning to the table in the middle of the room, there's a mop of green hair piled on the surface. The man’s arms are folded and his head tucked to the side. His mouth is slightly agape letting out heavy breathes. It’s nine at night and the man doesn’t have his uniform on from earlier. The apron long forgotten and his shirt untucked and hanging loose on his shoulders.
Another obnoxious snore slips between Midoriya’s lips. The sound is so outrageous coming from such a soft looking man that Bakugou can’t help but snort. It is late and the greenette is probably supposed to be on his way home considering his work uniform is missing. He probably fell asleep by accident before heading out for the day.
Katsuki is a nice guy, when he wants to be.
“Good morning!” Katsuki shouts, clapping his hands together, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lip.
The cashier jolts awake, his legs kick out in front of him. As he lifts his legs, he leans back at the same time causing the chair to tilt, tilt, and tilt until the greenette’s whole frame is smacking into the tiled floor.
Midoriya grabs his shoulder, squeezing his own muscles to ease the pain. “Was I asleep again?!” The man shouts, jumping up to fix the chair, “Oh my, I was probably snoring again right? Ah! And my phone! Where did I put my phone?” Midoriya rambles, patting his pockets, looking like a frazzled mess as he inspects the area. He’s lifting up papers, checking under the lockers, and he just won’t shut up.
“My Mom is going to be so disappointed if I lose my phone again. I need it to get my ride or directions. And the pictures of my babies! What if I dropped it out on the sidewalk? Maybe someone brought it to the front desk? I should look outside then I can check the—”
“Do you ever shut up?” Katsuki groans, pointing at the end of the table, “It’s right there dumbass, no need to get your panties in a bunch.”
Midoriya frowns and relaxes his shoulders. “I don’t wear panties…” He mumbles, as he picks up his phone and opens the lockscreen. He’s already busying himself with whatever he’s typing out.
From up close, Katsuki can see the freckles that decorate the man’s face. They spread across his nose and into the fat of his cheeks. He notices a tiny trace that extends into his collar bones, where Midoriya's shirt is stretched and slack. The collar sags across his flesh as if the man has been purposefully tugging at it. The cashier lets out a loud, tired moan as Katsuki begins to appreciate how those green curls fall just right against his cheekbones.
“I’m just not having the best day” Midoriya frowns, staring at his phone.
“What’s wrong?” Katsuki inwardly cringes at himself for asking. He’s supposed to be home and doing his routine already.
Midoriya scratches the back of his neck, “I just can’t find an uber or an available taxi I can afford right now.” Midoriya’s face pinches in embarrassment and his hands are already flailing around from across the table, “I’m so sorry! I don’t mean to be rude! I shouldn’t be complaining to someone I don’t even know! Even if you are my coworker and I shouldn’t have said anything at all! Please just forget I said anything and—”
“Shut up nerd, I’ll give you a damn ride.”
Now why in the fuck did he just say that?
“Really? I don’t want to trouble you.”
“As long as you promise to keep your mouth shut.”
And why did he just seal his fate?
Midoriya is instantly beaming, grabbing Katsuki’s hand and shaking it. The force is so strong he feels like his arm is about to rip at the seams.
“Thank you so much!” Midoriya grins.
Katsuki groans, yanking back his hand, “Whatever.”
***
“It smells like mildew in here.”
“Well it’s fucking old and I still have shit to fix. Not like you have much room to complain.” Katsuki glances at Midoriya, “Why don’t you have a ride anyways?”
It’s dark out, but the street lights illuminate the pavement in a warm glow. Katsuki cracked the front windows of his 4runner and opened the sunroof to hopefully air out the smell. The squeaking sound of the glass and the not so pleasant roaring of the engine is just a painful reminder that he is just a broke college student. The trees are dead, but the crisp, earthy, air begs to differ as it blows a refreshing breeze through the vehicle.
Katsuki brings his gaze back to the road, “Aren’t you in college or something?”
“Sure am!” Midoriya beams, leaning his head against the window.
Katsuki glances over again, watching those curls fly around in tangled ribbons. He can see more freckles at the tips of Midoriya’s ears.
“Then why no car?” He brings his eyes back to the road again. Dead leaves scatter the ditches on the side, some melting onto the road.
Midoriya shrugs, “My Mom was sick and I just didn’t have the time to get a job, ya’ know?”
This time when Katsuki glances at the man it’s not the freckles he notices. It’s the far away look in his eyes. The way Midoriya fiddles with fingers, digging under his nails, and his suddenly stiff shoulders are more than telling Katsuki that this is not a conversation to have right now.
Katsuki turns his head back and hums, “Can you open the glove compartment? There should be a cassette tape in there.”
Midoriya leans forward and opens the compartment. As he does, something falls to his feet, “Oh! Sorry I didn’t mean to–” Midoriya lifts up the key chain with a smug grin across his face, holding up the toy to Katsuki’s peripheral vision.
“Put that back!”
“This is so cool! I have one almost the exact same!” He reaches into his back pocket, “See look!”
Katsuki takes a quick glance, “That ain’t even Deadpool, nerd. That’s Spiderman.”
Midoriya huffs, setting the keychains down in his lap and grabbing the cassette tape like he was asked, “I know but they’re basically the same.” He places the cassette tape in the player. The click sound of the play button fills the momentary silence. Music starts humming through the speakers: ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac.
Katsuki whips his head to glare, “They are not the same!” He scoffs, bringing his attention back to what’s important, “Not even fucking close.”
Midoriya grabs the keychains again, studying the two, “Well they look the same,” he shrugs.
Katsuki scoffs, his brows frown and gives Midoriya the most disgusted look he can manage. “They do not! Deadpool's suit is way more badass and his origin is way cooler!” Passion filling his tone as he continues, “The guy had cancer then ended up kicking ass! He literally created an alternate time line for the woman he loves!”
Midoriya snorted, “Now who’s the nerd?”
Katsuki huffs, “I ain’t a damn nerd.”
“Uh-huh,” Midoriya smiles, taking the deadpool keychain and clipping it on the tooth necklace hanging from the rearview mirror.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Making sure you don’t forget your origin.”
Katsuki scoffs, “ And what does that have to do with a toy?”
Midoriya smiles, his dimples play at the corner of his mouth. And when Katsuki glances for the millionth time, those deep green eyes catch him by surprise. They aren’t far away like they were before, but radiant. Light orange crescents reflect on his iris from the street lamps. Katsuki can’t look away from the way his eyes crinkle and push up ever so slightly as his smile deepens.
“How can you live your life to your fullest if you forget where you started?”
There is a pause of silence that drapes between them. Only the underlying hiss of the cassette and the gentle thump of the beat to be heard.
“Oh shit!” Katsuki groans, frantically clicking the buttons for his sunroof, “Are you kidding?! You’re gonna do this right now?!”
Midoriya has no idea what he’s yelling about until he feels it too. A soft trickle of rain landing on his cheek.
“Is it not closing?” Midoriya asks.
Katsuki slams his palm against the dash, “No it’s not!”
A sudden sprinkle of rain falls into the interior. Nothing too strong, almost like a mist if it weren’t for the occasional big drops. It’s enough to make the cloth seats dampen to a darker tone as it soaks in the weather.
Katsuki is losing his mind. He can’t help but hit every button panel and forcibly try to shut the sunroof by pulling at the handle. Midoriya looks over and watches the deranged look in his eyes as he tries to focus on driving and also save his mildew seats. And the car fills with unrestrained laughter.
“What are you laughing at, nerd?!” Katsuki scowls, leaning back in his seat, essentially giving up on saving his shitbox.
“You look so grumpy.” Midoriya giggles, placing a hand on his chest to take a deep breath to calm himself.
Katsuki scoffs at this, “I am not.”
Once Midoriya finally is able to take a full breath, he points to the sunroof. “May I?”
Katsuki has no idea what he’s planning, but he nods anyway. He brings his attention back to the road as his clothes begin to stick to his skin.
But as he looks away, Midoriya unbuckles and stands on the seat. Usually, Katsuki would be pissed about shoes on his clothed seats, but he was interested in what the greenette had planned and the rain was already ruining them. Midorya hangs his torso out the roof and laughs again. And Katsuki can’t stop glancing up at that damn smile.
“This is so fun!” Midoriya shouts from above, raising his arms in the air, “Turn right at the fence!”
Oh yeah. He’s driving him home.
Katsuki turns right, making sure to take caution since he has a human hanging out of his car. After he does, Midoriya folds in on himself and comes back inside with a plop to his seat. When Katsuki glances this time, he can’t help but have a sliver of a smile tugging on his lips. Midoriya looked like a wet blanket to say the least. His bangs plastered to his forehead, raindrops in his eyelashes, and those curls — It’s like they got curlier and if it weren’t for the road Katsuki wouldn’t look away.
Midoriya smiles, “Oh my gosh– look at you!” A little puff of air escapes between his teeth.
Katsuki chuckles, “Look at me? No, look at you.” He gestures to the greenette.
The song on the stereo is long forgotten as Katsuki pulls into Midoriya’s drive way. It’s a nice place, a green two story home with a forgotten garden in the front. There’s an oak picket fence that separates the gravel driveway from the yard. Since the porch light was left on, Katsuki can see the forgotten umbrella that lays propped against the door and the wind chimes that decorate the support beam.
As the car comes to a stop, Midoriya is quick to open the door. “Stay here I’ll be right back,” he says, running inside the cozy home.
Katsuki can see some lights flicker on from the entryway and a shadow rummaging through something. Within record time, Midoriya is running back out to the driver's side, holding a towel.
Katsuki gives him a raised brow and a tilt of his head, “And this is…?”
“I know it’s not much but you can use it to dry off or place it on your center console.” Midoriya grins, his nose flaring as he huffs out heavy breathes, “Ya’ know,” he adds.
Hesitantly, Katsuki takes the towel and hangs it around his shoulders. Luckily, the rain was short lived and has begun to ease up, “Thanks.”
Midoriya gives him a childish thumbs up, “Have a good night!” He starts to step back towards the house, “Thanks for the ride!”
And as he walks across the wet gravel to the porch, Katsuki realizes he forgot to ask one important thing. It hadn’t mattered at the beginning of the trip… but now… he wants to know.
Katsuki opens his door, stepping a foot out on the gravel. His arms hold him up above the roof so he can glance at those green eyes again, “What’s your name?” He shouts, why is he shouting? “Or like – um – what do you want me to call you?” He tries to save, he internally cringes at himself because what the fuck is he doing?
The green boy smiles and Katsuki swears he can see the glow that radiates off of him in real time. “It’s Izuku Midoriya!” He shouts as well for no reason.
And Katsuki feels a warm buzz spread through his chest as he watches Izuku run into his house and turn off the porch light. He pulls himself back in the driver’s seat and rubs his hair in the towel. The rain has come to a complete stop now.
“Izuku,” he hums, letting the name sit heavy on his tongue. Shutting the door and backing out of the driveway with a Deadpool keychain swinging from the mirror.
***