Two to One (Katsuki Bakugou x Reader x Izuku Midoriya)

Chapter 14: Angling

"So, Deku, have you seen what news articles are saying about you recently?"

The TV talk show host, Ema, on her show, Ema, changed the topic to an attention-grabber, and the audience noticeably silenced. Izuku sat across from her, relaxed in a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up half-way and the top two buttons undone. He must have shaved this morning – or his makeup crew did it for him – because the light stubble that was growing in was nowhere to be seen.

The interview played on the small cable television kept in the staff backroom of Satou's. (Y/n) was on lunch break and glanced periodically at the TV, trying to convince herself she didn't actually want to watch.

Deku smiled back at the host. (Y/n) knew that he was probably aching to slouch in that chair or at least rest his cheek in his palm. It wouldn't be a good look for the Symbol of Peace, though. The public didn't know how tired he always was.

"There's quite a lot of news articles that say a lot of things about me," Deku replied, and he wasn't wrong. (Y/n) had been wise to keep her Deku and Dynamight news consumption limited to Twitter – for what it was worth, anyway.

Ema grinned, glancing at the crowd and back to Izuku.

"Well," she started, "Some people have noticed how often you cross your legs, Deku." Her gaze flickered to Izuku's current posture. His legs were crossed, all right. The camera zoomed in on them. Izuku waited patiently.

(Y/n) never took her eyes off of Izuku. His brow twitched the slightest hint at the urge to furrow, but he didn't. He continued to offer a kind yet curious closed-mouth smile.

"And we all know what it means when a man is able to cross his legs!" Ema looked to the crowd, checking her own presentation in the monitor.

The crowd was heard giggling, especially when Izuku finally made a face that must have been itching to press through. However, he's been in the public eye for eleven years now; he's learned many tricks of de-escalation, redirection, and humor.

Izuku kept his legs crossed and a soft smile. He fought the desire to shift in his seat, knowing how talk show hosts picked apart any sign of weakness for the audience's pleasure, even if it wasn't on a predetermined script. "I don't really think that tracks...," Izuku's reply wasn't as well-thought out as it could have been. He was juggling to maintain composure and his reputation for a comment that was off-script. As the Symbol of Peace and the Number One Hero, Deku became rather strict about how his image was viewed.

"Oh, really?" Ema gave the audience and then Izuku an impressed look. (Y/n) noticed Izuku's smile was less prominent now.

Izuku then took his Ema-branded and provided mug of coffee that was sitting on the table between them and gave a purposefully overexaggerated sip. The audience laughed. Ema laughed as well, and while everyone was distracted with Izuku's slight diversion, he sent a glance at his personal assistant, who was standing just out of sight behind the stage. She understood what his look meant. Izuku continued to smile as he set the cup back down on the table.

Sakurai, Izuku's assistant, quickly made her way over to Izuku's head of PR team, Fukuda, who had already communicated to Ema's team that Izuku would no longer be a guest on Ema in the future. Sakurai briefly mentioned that Ema should quickly change the topic or otherwise face a lawsuit for a breach of contract. The head of Ema's team hurried to signal her from her earpiece.

"So, Uravity was–," Ema hesitated, and Izuku knew she must have gotten the signal. "You and Uravity teamed up this past week against a class SS villain. What was that like?"