Katsuki didn't like a lot of things, and the things he did weren't enjoyed often. Heroics was an exception.

Watching them in their bright colors exercise their power over anyone stupid enough to oppose them like he wished he could became cathartic. They were gods to his mere mortal self, and every time he paid attention to them he was flooded with the thought of never being able to reach them.

Perhaps though, he learned to live vicariously through them. Even if he didn't always feel like be was living. Just...breathing.

It irritated him. Insulted his existence in a way that made it odd for him to not resent and despise them like he probably should've. But he couldn't. And even if he did, what would it have amounted to? Nothing.

Katsuki often felt like he was just like that fucking Deku.

He'd never tell him though. Not upfront anyway. It didn't take a genius to look at two quirkless kids and recognize that they're mostly the same. Mostly.

But even after he found out about his condition, he didn't have friends. He didn't want any. He especially didn't want the Deku thinking they were anything alike so any association with him was pointless.

Exactly why he was quirkless was weird, too. Some shit with a toe joint, he wasn't paying attention. There wasn't a point. No matter how much analyzing he did, it wasn't gonna lead him to something that took away his quirklessness.

Deku had never gotten the memo, though. It surprised and pissed him off at the same time, how he could go on with himself knowing he'd always be nothing and still take the time to appreciate heroes and even take notes for the "future". Not to mention going on like he wasn't quirkless. Like he had a chance.

Katsuki used to wonder if he was stupid and settled for him doing it to irk him specifically. It was the only thing that made any sense since they used to be friends and all. Seeing Katsuki as upset as he was and then...dare he say handling it better than him so blatantly made him swear it was only to anger him.

It was why Katsuki in turn made sure Izuku knew how dumb and pathetic he was for daring to go against what made him, him. Because if Katsuki couldn't, he knew the little Deku sure as hell couldn't either.

Katsuki could've left him to figure it out himself, but he couldn't simply let the other boy give off such blatant disrespect. Not Deku.

Thus began their little dynamic. He'd see him around with his All Might merch, writing every quirk he saw in his dumb fucking notebook, and rightfully pressed him for it. Sometimes he threw punches, sometimes he just screamed at him until he cried, and it always made him feel better. Benevolent, even. It may not've been pretty, but it had to be done.

Seriously, he even titled it "Hero Analysis For The Future" like he even had a future! It'd be hysterical if it wasn't so insulting.

But Deku always made more. No matter what he did with the other one, whether it was thrown in the street, a ditch, or outright shredded, he always came back to school the next day jotting in a new copy. Deku was meek and submissive yet somehow remained so stubborn. It was partly why Katsuki thought he kept it up just to fuck with him.

Up front behind the class podium, their elderly teacher looked at the object of Katsuki's resentment, eyes crinkled with a sad smile, "You're still shooting for UA, eh Midoriya?"

Suddenly the previous celebratory air was gone, replaced with scrutiny at the delusional kid before everyone in the room. And it was deserved.

"Y-yes sir," The bastard confirmed, looking straight ahead, not daring to meet the stares of their classmates.

Even though he was met with humiliation and criticism, Katsuki's blood still boiled and his heart assumed a quickening tempo from the other side of the room. He thought to all the times he imagined himself triumphantly being the only guy from the shitty school they attended to get into UA, and had that replaced with...Deku. It was wrong. It infuriated him.

b

He saw Izuku shiver and just knew he felt his stare on him. The little fucker just didn't acknowledge it.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped," Their teacher said, "But I wish you the best of luck, Midoriya."

And that was the end of it. The bell rung, and everyone eventually shuffled out of the room, even the teacher. But not them. Izuku tried looking his way to see if Katsuki was still staring, which he was.

He was over there before the Deku could pack away his shitty notebook. He snatched it from his hands and held it up in the air, daring him to try and get it back.

"UA, huh?" Katsuki snarled, and Izuku flinched. Good, "The fuck did I tell you about this? You're not getting into UA-you weren't even supposed to apply," He growled out, crumbing the notebook a little as his grip tightened.

Izuku gaped fearfully, almost like a fish out of water, "I-I...I know, but-"

"But what?!"

"Why does it even matter if I won't get in?" He offered softly, looking anywhere but Katsuki.

Why did it matter?

"Because I know you're only entertaining this dumb fucking idea of your's to piss me off, Deku," Katsuki readied his aim, "You think I'm fucking stupid, huh?"

"No!"

And just like that, his notebook was flung out the window, "Fuck you!"

Izuku tried running to the window as if he was ready to hop out for it, to which Katsuki grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and forced him back in his seat. It was easy, Deku'd always been weak like that.

Hell, he was already crying. It made Katsuki chuckle, it felt worth it. Everytime he brought his punk ass off his high horse and back down to earth, he was always sobbing. It made him forget that he was technically just as useless as Deku. But who could blame him? In instances like these, how could they possibly be on the same tier?

"Y'know what Deku?" he grinned, "Fuck it. I'm gonna just let you fail miserably. I hope trying to make me look stupid was worth it. Fucking loser,"

He grabbed his bag and left. He was only in a better mood because he forgot it didn't feel like he had just as little a chance at UA, either.

...

But of course what came up, must come down. One's mood was no exception.

By the time he remembered this, he was enveloped in a thick disgusting sludge with no hope for any way out. It felt like he could've died in any second.

People were running, there was fire everywhere, and in his fear he saw three or four pro heroes way up ahead just...standing there. He thought he saw some newcomer above him but she was just as useless.

'Is this how I die?' he wondered. Useless, helpless, unable to do anything because he didn't have a quirk to defend himself with? It would've been depressive but he was too enveloped in his terror to really feel it.

Katsuki felt like he was screaming but the sludge came up to his mouth. Eventually though, he saw someone run forward. And felt deathly calm when be saw it was...Deku.

The other boy threw his bookbag at the thing and suddenly he was able to speak.

"Deku?! What the fuck are you doing?!" He watched, dumbstruck as he tried clawing away the sludge with his hands while the monster tried gaining its bearings.

"Helping you!"

He wanted to tell him to get the fuck away, that they were both too useless to be of any help now. But it was so hectic words failed him. So he settled for something less and hoped the message would come across anyway, "Dekuuuu-!"

"Well, shouldn't I practice what I preach!"

Before Katsuki could even freeze since he recognized that booming voice, there was a huge gust of wind that knocked him to the ground, and it felt suddenly cooler.

It was All Might. The fucking nationwide symbol of peace.

Rain began to pelter down. It looked like he didn't even notice, "It's okay, because I am here!"

And it really felt like it was. He wasn't even in his costume but it didn't matter. All Might came through and beat the villain's to a fucking pulp because he always did. It was mesmerizing to finally witness in person.

Then a bunch of reporters and other journalists practically led him astray and ruined it. He wanted to say hello, dammit. However, it was just what he needed to bring him back to reality.

Deku was less of a nuisance than him. For that one moment, he did more than he ever could. Why? Because he always did. If Katsuki wasn't taken hostage by the sludge thing he sure as hell wouldn't have jumped in the fray like Deku did.

The bastard really upstaged him again.

He would've given him a piece of his mind but paramedics swooped him away to check on his vitals or something, he didn't know. Through the questions they asked him, he could still hear the pro's giving Deku an earful. Good. Little shit.

...

Thankfully, that was the last he'd seen of him for a good few months. His life was still a conveyer-belt leading to miserable mediocrity, but at least he didn't have to keep the loser in check.

He still had to attend a normal high school, though. It was boring. And so underwhelming in the face of what he pictured himself doing in his earlier youth.

He supposed he'd have to move past that soon. He'd been resigned to his fate ever since he had to go from one shitty school to another.

That was how things went. People like him were set to be whatever so long as they didn't aim too high, because that was saved for people who could actually do shit. Like be a hero.

Katsuki scoffed, and looked off to the tracks again to see if the damn thing was on its way. He'd be late if it didn't show soon.

Bored, he decided to look around, size up the area as though there was something he could do if shit actually hit the fan. Then he saw him with his earbuds plugged in.

Deku.

In a...UA uniform.

He drew in a quick breath and felt his fists ball up. It was inherently wrong what he was looking at.

Quirkless people can't be heroes so what the hell is he doing at UA

Deku never mentioned applying for the dumb General Studies program, and Katsuki himself swore off such a fate. The 'all or nothing' mentality he held onto could be a real bitch sometimes, but it was worth it. He'd never let himself be so close just to sit and watch others do what he could never accomplish.

He was so angry and confused at the sight of him that he couldn't let go of his stare. It was why he wasn't surprised when the other boy apparently caught on and locked eyes with him, like a deer in front of some headlights.

Then the train came and he scurried inside. Katsuki was too dumbfounded to bother giving chase. It was like he knew what he was looking at but everything that came with it hadn't registered yet. Not even when the train left and he was alone at the station.

He only fully understood when he looked down at his own uniform, a normal white shirt with black slacks and took time to compare to Deku's.

UA...Deku was at UA...

The curse he let out at no one was loud enough to alert the security guards on the lower level.

Author's Note: Wait till he finds out Izuku also has a quirk.