Chapter Text
Katsuki's POV:
Katsuki loved fighting. To him, it was his escape. A reminder that he didn't need anyone to back him up. He was the strongest. He was the best, and it had always been so, even when he was a kid.
That's probably why he took an interest in high physical contact sports at a very young age. He remembered the first time he'd seen boxing on TV. He remembered watching, as a man known as 'All Might' was crowned as the world champion. He remembered the match in such clarity that it was as if he was a kid again, watching it play out on the TV as his mother sat on the couch behind him, elbows to her knees and torso tilted forward in anticipation.
Katsuki knew in that moment that he wanted to be just like All Might, he wanted to surpass him and to be the very best. One day, he'd walk up on that stage and he'd receive that title after defeating the strongest, or, rather, second strongest man in the world. And when Katsuki became set on something, it was impossible to stop him. He was like a bull, nostrils flared and head bowed, ready to charge at anything that stood in his way.
After that day and lots of begging on his part, his mom had finally decided to surprise him for his 5th birthday with lessons at one of the best MMA academies in the country; the UA Fight Club.
Being in the best fight club Japan had to offer came with a boatload of pressure and expectations however, with his parents having high hopes of him and his coaches being critical of his form and technique. Day after day, Katsuki worked hard, sticking to a strict workout regimen and diet to build his body into an iron-clad killing machine. Within three months, little Katsuki had found himself an invite onto the junior competitive team, where his workload only continued to increase. His life revolved entirely around the sport, eating and drinking was now simply a way to fuel his body and build strength, he kept strict sleep schedules to optimize recovery, and he always stayed on top of his workouts, tracking his progress and adding weight or reps where needed.
By the time he'd reached the age of 13, he was already competing for world titles in his age range, taking down every opponent who stood in his way. He was the best, with an undefeated winning streak. This continued well into his later years of the sport, now 21 years old and still standing as an undefeated champion: a legend, said to be greater than All Might himself. Of course, that fight would never come to fruition, so it was just theory. All Might had retired shortly after Katsuki’s career as 'Dynamight' had begun.
This life was great, sure, or at least he'd try to convince himself of that. Well, it had been great for a while. He loved the fighting, he loved being the best and the pride and confidence which came with it. The only thing that had really become a thorn in his side was the damn paparazzi, always getting in his face and trying to dig up more on his personal life. There was nothing interesting to him other than fighting and being the best, and he'd told them as much. What else could they want from him?
That was how he'd ended up in this room with his mom, pestering him about his non-existent love life.
"Don't you ever think about settling down? Finding a nice girl? I won't be around to look after you forever."
He scoffed in indignation. "I can look after myself just fine, calm down mom. Did fuckin' Enji put you up to this? I swear that old windbag needs to get off my ass-"
She rolled her eyes and smacked him over the back of the head, only earning an unimpressed glare from Katsuki. "He is your media manager, he's the one who has to put up with all your public stunts and make you look presentable, which is not an easy job. You wouldn't be half as popular as you are now if he didn't hide your shitty personality from the public as much as he has."
"I don't fucking care about the fans or my reputation! I just want to fight. I'm already the best, what more does he want?"
"Gee, sorry, I forgot I raised an ungrateful brat!" His mom exclaimed, getting up from the couch and giving him a hard stare. He didn't flinch or back down, giving her the same unyielding stare straight back.
"Honey?" A calmer voice interjected, ending the staring match the two had going on. Katsuki’s mom sighed, relaxing her shoulders and turning to face her husband, Masaru, who had a phone in hand. "Yes? Is something the matter?"
He slowly made eye contact with Katsuki, though it was fleeting as his gaze turned back to his wife. "Mr. Todoroki is on the phone, he'd like to speak with Katsuki."
The young man in question hardened his glare. "Tell the prick I'm not home."
His words were followed by an angry flurry of curse words from the other line, and his father winced. Katsuki groaned, getting up and snatching the phone out of his father's hands rather roughly. "What do you want?"
"I want to know why you've been ignoring my calls. Seriously, Bakugo? Can't you have even an ounce of respect? I'm the sole reason you've been this successful so far, if people were to know your true personality you'd be back at the bottom again. I had to cover up for you again last night, because you decided a 5 o'clock interview on the national news was too much to ask? Are you serious, what were you even doing?"
"Training." He grunted, fighting back the urge to yell at Enji. It always seemed to piss him off more when he acted like he didn't care. "It was rush hour, you seriously think I was going to go out of my way to make that?"
"Your arrogance never fails to amaze me. You're going to destroy your image, I can only pay off so many reporters, and frankly you do not make me enough money to continue on this stupid game. You know what they found last week? Video surveillance of you beating on three guys on the street! You could have been arrested! Do you know what that would do to your image?"
"They deserved it." He replied in a nonchalant tone, though he could feel his jaw tighten with annoyance. "Is there any reason why you're lecturing me right now?" He leaned back against the doorframe between the kitchen and the living room, glaring at his mother when she tried to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Yes, actually, because it seems karma has finally bit you in the ass. Someone leaked footage of the incident to a radio station and they’re threatening to air it. I paid them off for now, but do you understand what this means? If this gets out, your image will be ruined . Even worse, if it gets to authorities, it will put a stain on your criminal record, which means you will be withdrawn from all fights and rankings for this year. You won't be able to fight anymore."
Katsuki ground his teeth together, feeling a vein in his forehead pop. "Ok, and what am I supposed to do about that? You fix it. That's your job, isn't it? That's what I'm paying you for."
"Oh, no." He replied, and Katsuki could practically hear the shit-eating smirk growing on his face. "Not anymore. If you don't tidy up your act, I'm quitting as your manager and I won’t be paying them off anymore. That kind of media will destroy your career and your life. You don’t make me enough money to keep them off your back forever.”
Part of him felt his heart sink, but the other part was in denial. Nothing bad could happen to him, he was Katsuki Bakugo, the greatest boxer of all time, better than All Might.
But the other more logical side of him knew. He wasn't stupid-- he knew his career was hanging by mere threads. One more mistake would be all it took for him to go crashing down. Who would take his place after he fell? Midoriya? He tightened his grip on the phone at the thought, feeling it shift underneath his grip. He couldn’t let that happen. Not in a million years.
"Fine." He grumbled, picking at the threads of his shirt, clearly unhappy about his predicament. "How the hell am I supposed to make more money, then?"
He almost regretted asking when he heard Enji's chuckle from the other end. That man never laughed-- he already knew he was doomed before he'd even spoken.
"You're going to get engaged."
"What?" He asked, his tone dripping with poison. Enji couldn't be serious.
"You heard me. News like this will be the only thing big enough to cover up your mistake and make me enough money to keep paying those damn reporters off. This is your last chance. Meet me at noon tomorrow, on the dot. If you're even a minute late, I quit. Deal?"
"Fuck you." He hissed, slamming the phone down and hanging up. He was trapped, backed into a corner with nowhere else to go. He felt like he was losing control, and he hated it. He needed to calm down before he hit something-- or someone.
"Where are you going, what did he say?" His mom pried the second he grabbed his keys, making a break for the door.
"Don't worry about it." He sneered, giving her a look that told her to mind her business before slamming the door shut. He got onto his motorcycle and plugged the key into the ignition, turning it on. He pulled the clutch in, shifting down into first and revving the engine before he took off, his mind set onto the only place where his heart felt truly at peace.