Three weeks
Three weeks had already passed since Bakugou's altercation with Deku. Three weeks without him uttering a word about the connection between the vigilante and Midoriya the waiter.
Three weeks that he had been beating himself up over why the hell he didn't just tell anyone - anyone - about the notes he consistently found waiting for him on his balcony.
He still hasn't figured it out.
Something else related to Deku also happened during those three weeks however: The chase had brought renewed attention from the media towards the anonymous vigilante, creating more pressure for the heroes to finally catch him. In hopes of up-ing the manpower they increased the number of people working on the case with the interns of the heroes already on it. In other words, multiple students from 3A, among them Bakugou, were now included in the hunt for vigilante Deku - and Bakugou was withholding what could possibly be a major lead to his true identity.
He really had no idea why he was doing this and it was pissing him off just thinking about it as he walked down the familiar street down to a certain Espresso Bar.
Bakugou didn't really have any hope of seeing that person there but when he opened the door and the warm air surrounded him as he stepped inside he locked eyes with the very one.
For a few moments they both stood frozen in time, red eyes meeting equally wide green ones.
There was no fucking way…
First to break the eye contact was Deku who proceeded to calmly but swiftly move between the tables and disappear out the staff-only door with a last glance in Bakugou's direction.
When he finally collected himself Bakugou, instead of following the green haired boy, went back outside and hurried around the corner into the small alley he estimated Deku would exit from. When he arrived however all Bakugou could see was thrown out trash bags and quite pathetic-looking bins, there was no vigilante in sight. But there was no way even Deku would have managed to get away that fast.
“So where the hell did he go then…” Bakugou mumbled thoughtfully just before the impact of someone crash landing on his shoulders from above hit him and he just barely managed to hold his balance. Deku wrapped his legs tightly around Bakugou's throat and head and squeezed hard with his thighs, making Bakugou gasp for air.
In an attempt to throw Deku off his shoulder Bakugou hurled himself backwards into the brick wall. Both of them grunted in pain but Deku stubbornly held on and only squeezed harder. By now Bakugou could feel his consciousness slipping away and in a last attempt to break free he reached up and gripped Deku's dark gray button-up and violently heaved the smaller boy forward. Finally he got him off and managed to pin the vigilante underneath him, still coughing for his lost breath.
Deku squirmed and wriggled trying to break free from his grip but Bakugou put his whole weight into holding him down and soon he stopped fighting to stare directly into his red eyes instead. And you called me feisty.
Bakugou met his rebellious gaze without blinking and they stayed like that for a while. Just staring at each other. So close that Bakugou could have counted the freckles on Deku's face one by one forever like an astronomer counting the stars in a constellation. He couldn't tell if his heart was beating so fast because of the fight or because of something else.
Suddenly Deku's eyes looked away towards something on Bakugou's left and automatically his own followed.
He should have seen through the feint, it was a mistake to look away for even a second when it came to Deku.
That moment of lost focus allowed Deku to jerk free one of his hands and grab Bakugou by his hoodie collar, pull him down, and headbutt him. Hard. While Bakugou was still disoriented he then proceeded to push him off and reverse the whole situation. Now it was Bakugou who was being pinned to the ground with his arms locked down by Deku's strong grip on his wrists.
“Goddammit..!” Bakugou gritted his teeth in frustration.
“I should be the one saying that '', Deku cut in. “You couldn't have just not come back here? I realize it's a nice place and all that's why i work here but talk about annoying”
Bakugou snorted sarcastically. “Oh I'm sorry, I thought I was supposed to come after you?”
“Fair point but forcing me to quit my job is quite a low blow don't you think?”, Deku considered him for a minute. “This may have been just luck on your part but you found me awfully fast… do keep up the good work!”
Deku smirked mischievously down at him and leaned in close just by Bakugou's ear to whisper: “If you keep entertaining me Bakugou Katsuki, maybe one day i'll let you get close enough to have a chance at finally catching me”.
Bakugou was about to snap back at him when he suddenly froze. Deku chuckled. “What? Surprised I know your full name? What can I say, I have my ways of finding things out”.
This time Bakugou didn’t hesitate to give back a snarling reply: “Get the fuck off me you damned villain..!”
Deku sighed and shook his head. “Can you even put in a little bit of effort into remembering what I said last time we met? I'm a criminal, not a villain. Got it?”
“Fuck you”
“Dinner first please” Deku smirked Bakugou's ears turned red against his will. “But I'm afraid I can't stay any longer than this though, much as I like playing with you. I'll be waiting for when you find me next time”
Here he jumped off of Bakugou so suddenly the blonde boy didn't even have any time to react before he had already disappeared past the corner of the alley. Once again leaving Bakugou with a racing heart and raging thoughts, confused and pissed off to the point he barely knew what to do with himself.
Walking down the street, already on a completely different block, a certain green-eyed vigilante stopped in his tracks to look back where he'd come from with a small laugh. “Let's see how long it takes you to come after me this time”.
Kaminari jumped at the sound of a door further down the hallway being shut with enough force for the noise to reach loudly into even their dorm. With a concerned look on their face the yellow haired third-year peaked their head out into the corridor and was met with multiple of their classmates doing the same.
“Was that Bakugou's door? Did he just come back?” Mina whispered, as if he could hear her through his door.
“I haven't seen him since he left a few hours ago just after lunch and I've been in the common room since”, Sero said. “I was just coming back up to grab something so it must have been just now”
Mina and Sero stepped out of their rooms to meet up with Kaminari just outside Bakugou's door as they all simultaneously put their ears against it.
A muffled yell, as if into a pillow, was heard and then something soft hit the door with considerable force.
“He seems frustrated”, Kaminari commented and earned a look from the two others. They quickly added: “Like, I know he's always a bit irritated at everything but this time it's like… for a reason, you know..?”
“No, I think you're right about that actually '', Mina said after some thought. “Kiri mentioned something like that too. He's just been extra edgy lately”
“I've noticed it too now that I think about it. we’re just lucky he hasn't taken it out on us yet”
“Speak for yourself, he's almost blasted me straight through the wall during training multiple times ever since this crappy mood of his started. It's a miracle I haven't broken any bones", Kaminari rubbed their shoulder at the thought.
“To be fair though you do annoy him intentionally quite often so you kinda bright some of that on yourself”
“As if I'm the only one who does that! - You don't think that's actually what he's pissed about though do you?”
“Doubt it, he wouldn't be holding it in like this in that case. Buuut ” Minas golden eyes glinted cunningly and she leaned forward as she added: “I believe I know just the way for how we can get our dear Katsuki to let out his frustrations - without it being on us”
“You sure? Sero would make a perfect punching bag in, my opinion”
“Fuck you coming after me for?!”
“Just saying,” they shrugged.
“As much as i love seeing Hanta get his arse kicked I have a better idea”, here Mina put her hands on her hips. “Games! Or, more accurately; the arcade!”