Inheritance: A My Hero Academia AU

Katsuki Bakugo

 My stomach twisted, and I looked up from the floor, turning in the direction of the voice. Standing on top of the grand staircase in the middle of the foyer was Deku. He looked a little different than the scrawny teenager I remembered. He was taller, and a bit more well built and he had a more confident air about him, but it was undoubtedly Deku. He still had that ridiculous green hair.

"I appreciate you all coming here this evening," Deku continued his speech, "and I look forward to getting to know you all more. I've dreamed of living on this island ever since I was a little kid, and it's unbelievable that I'm finally here. Now, enough talking. Enjoy the party!"

Conversations resumed, and people looked away from the staircase, going back to whatever they had been doing before the interruption.

I watched as Deku made his way down the staircase, shaking hands with and talking to people that came up to him.

"What's up with you, Bakugo?" Kirishima asked me. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"I'll explain later," I said. "There's someone I have to go talk to."

"O...kay?" Kirishima said, obviously uncertain.

I started walking towards Deku, keeping my eyes firmly planted on the top of his head. When I finally managed to reach him, he was talking to Uraraka. She must have said something funny, because Deku was laughing.

"Hey, Deku," I said.

Deku froze, his laughter coming to an abrupt stop.

Uraraka glared at me. "Hey, I was talking to him."

Deku turned around to face me, his expression surprisingly calm. "Hello, Kacchan, it's been a while."

"What are you doing here, Deku?" I asked him.

"I live here," Deku said. "I'm surprised that you came. I didn't think you'd care."

"I wanted to see it with my own eyes," I said. "I didn't believe that you were really here."

"Well, I am," said Deku, crossing his arms. "What do you want? I won't be your punching bag anymore, you know."

"I'd assumed as much," I said. "How the hell did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Get this freaking rich," I said. "You were still dirt poor when I left. And don't say hard work, because that's just some lie that people tell kids to make them feel good about themselves."

"Why do you care, Kacchan?" Deku said. "You never did before."

I glared at him. "I want to know why a loser like you was able to catch up to me so quickly."

"I promised to keep it a secret," said Deku. "You're just going to have to imagine how I got my money."

Anger flared up inside of me, and my fists clenched at my sides. "Damn you, Deku."

"When I told you that I would catch up to you ten years ago, I meant it," Deku said. "Maybe you shouldn't have doubted me, Kacchan. If you would excuse me, I have guests to attend to."

At that, Deku walked away. Uraraka turned to me, curiosity in her eyes. "Do you two know each other or something?"

I rolled my eyes and pushed past her. All of a sudden, the crowd and the noise was all too much. It was giving me a headache. I searched the crowd for Kirishima, and saw him talking to Sero.

"Hey, Bakugo," Kirishima said when he spotted me. "Did you talk to who you needed to?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm tired. I'm going to head home."

"Are you sure?" Kirishima asked, that stupid furrow appearing between his eyebrows. "We've barely been here an hour."

"I know," I said. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so."

"Alright," said Kirishima. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll walk," I replied.

I wish that Sero weren't standing here so that I could give Kirishima a kiss goodnight.

"Will you come over tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Sure, yeah," Kirishima said. "Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

"Yeah," I said, giving his hand a subtle squeeze before shoving my way towards the exit.

I instantly feel better as soon as I enter the cool night air. I make my way down the walk, keeping my eyes on my shoes so that I won't have to talk to any of the people gathered in the front yard.

"Hey, Bakugo," Mina said, stumbling towards me. "I heard that the host is cute. Is he cute?"

"Sure, yeah," I said, nudging my way past her. "Maybe slow down on the champagne a little bit."

"Yes, sir," Mina slurred, saluting me with her empty glass. Her friends giggled behind her, and I rolled my eyes.

My walk home was a peaceful one. I enjoyed the quiet, the fresh air, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the crickets chirping in the bushes.

When I walked into the foyer of my house, my servants were there to greet me, as always.

"Home so soon, Master Katsuki?" our housekeeper asked.

I waved her off and tromped up the stairs to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I collapsed onto my bed, unknotting my bowtie and staring up at the ceiling.

Of course Deku was here. Of course he'd managed to catch up to him, surpassing all expectations, and of course he'd managed to do it in some mysterious way that he refused to tell me.

All of it frustrated me.

I tangled my fingers into my messy white blonde hair. "Dammmnnniittt, Deeekkuu."

In that moment, in the silence of my dark bedroom, I resolved that before the end of the summer, I would somehow, someway, find out how, exactly, Deku had managed to catch up to me. Me, who'd had such a significant head start.