Bakugo wished things like ghosts and evil spirits weren't real. But, ever since growing up, he had seen them. His parents almost had a heart attack when he told them what he saw. Realizing his mistake, he played it off as a joke and never talked about it again.

Thankfully, ghosts were actually a rarity. At most, Bakugo would see two during a regular weekday and those were usually the same two ghosts. One haunted a train car on the subway he usually took and the other hung around the lobby of the building he worked at.

But one day Bakugo saw a third ghost, undoubtedly the most annoying creature he had ever met on the planet. The problem that arose needed to be dealt with instantly, so Bakugo went to the one person he knew could deal with it.

"Oi, Deku!" he shouted while opening the door to his little office space."Get your ass out here!"

He looked around the space which also served as his home, wondering if the nerd was even home. It was technically after his working hours but Bakugo didn't have time to come during the day. He had things to do to.

"Kacchan?!" Izuku called back, sound coming from the bathroom."Give me one second!"

Bakugo huffed, plopping himself down on one of the couches he used when consulting clients. Todoroki, who had been hovering over him this whole time—ever present, followed him down and naturally stood behind him, arms wrapping around him and head coming to rest far too close to his.

Bakugo swatted at him and tried to push him away, but it was impossible. If Todoroki didn't want him to touch him, then he wouldn't be able to.

"I don't like it here, Bakugo," he spoke."Let's go."

"If you don't like it here, then leave," Bakugo growled, patience wearing thin.

"No."

"You—"

"Kacchan!" Izuku called, stepping out of the bathroom in a plain suit. He held a tie in one hand."Nice timing! Could you help me tie..."

His voice trailed off, eyes going wide as he saw Todoroki wrapped around Bakugo. His maddening curiosity was already sparking up.

"Fix this shit, damn nerd," Bakugo growled."This fucker wont leave me alone. It's annoying."

Izuku's eyes were still wide, never moving away from Todoroki. He draped the tie over his neck, walking over to the pair with cautious steps."You know, I never thought one day you would be coming to me as a a client. This is all so exciting. I wonder what kind of ghost decided to haunt you."

"You can see it clear as day." Bakugo pointing a rude thumb at Todoroki, trying to take an eye out but it just went right through him."Now stop being so goddamn fidgety and sit down."

Izuku let out a nervous chuckle, doing as Bakugo said. Todoroki watched him with narrow eyes, squeezing himself closer to Bakugo. His hand went and rubbed at Bakugo's ear.

"Fucking cut that shit out!" Bakugo yelled, attempting to swat Todoroki's hand away. This time, he did as he said and stopped.

Izuku grinned."I'm so excited! I never thought the day would come, but now I get to tell you all about ghosts! You've been rejecting me all this time, but now you have no choice! Ah, where should I start? There's so much I want to tell you about I just—"

"This is why I didn't want deal with all this ghost shit," Bakugo grumbled."I knew you would get all mumbly like this and start shitting out useless crap."

"Eh?" Izuku blinked."It's not because you're holding a grudge because of what I did when we were kids?"

"Why the hell would I do that? We were fucking kids, neither of us knew any better."

"What happened when you were kids?" Todoroki asked.

Bakugo leaned back with a deep sigh, carrying Todoroki into part of the couch."It's all because of this nerd that I can see you right now." Bakugo stared at Izuku across from him."When we were brats, we hung around each other so much that some of his shitty medium powers spread onto me."

"But Kacchan still refuses to learn anything about them." Izuku let out a sigh."With training, he could even execute an evil spirit!"

"Huh?!" Bakugo jumped up, glaring at Izuku."Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Hurry up and tell me! I want this shit gone!"

"That's no good, Kacchan." Izuku crossed his arms over his chest."Our job is not to execute ghosts, it's to help them pass on. Only evil and disruptive spirits are meant to be executed."

"Well he's disrupting my life, so deal with him!" Bakugo shouted back, pointing at Todoroki who had gotten up to float behind Bakugo, watching everything go down.

"Sorry, Kacchan, but this ghost is not an evil spirit." Izuku looked a bit nervous as he spoke, afraid of what Bakugo might do."And since it's not, you're not my client, he is."

"...Huh?! What the hell is that supposed to mean, shitty Deku!" Bakugo shouted, full of rage. He grabbed Izuku by the collar of his shirt, jerking him around.

Izuku put his hands up in mock surrender even as he was being pushed back and forth."As a medium, my priority will always be the ghost, Kacchan. Since helping him will also help you, just calm down."

Bakugo stopped jerking him around, letting out an angry huff and throwing Izuku back down on the couch. He sat down where he was previously and Todoroki wrapped his arms around him again. This time he wasn't as snug, thankfully.

"Well then." Izuku fixed his ruffled suit. He looked over at the ghost."Would you mind telling me your name and any other information you wish to share?"

Todoroki stared back at him."I'm Todoroki Shoto. I've been a ghost for one month."

They both waited for him to continue but as the silence persisted, they both soon realized that he was finished.

"Hah?!" Bakugo snarled at him."That's all you're going to say? What the hell?!"

Todoroki glared back at him."You want me to say more?" He then looked back at Izuku."I hate him."

"What the hell?!"

"Calm down, Kacchan," Izuku tried, comforting smile on his face he knew wouldn't work."Ghosts are still people. You can't expect them to say everything in one go."

"Fuck that," Bakugo growled back."Tell us how you died or some shit and we'll help you get revenge so you can pass on."

"It's not that easy, Kacchan," Izuku explained."A ghost isn't just some dead person with unfinished business. If that were so, there would be much more of them wandering around. Ghosts have deep pasts, philosophies, and histories. The way they act, how they talk, and what they do all contribute into the makings of how they were as a human. Connecting the puzzle pieces isn't enough. You have to glue it together, frame it, and hang it up somewhere or else you will just keep rebuilding it."

"Who the fuck hangs a puzzle up?" Bakugo questioned, throwing his analogy out the window.

"No many," Izuku smiled."But there are a few weirdos out there. You and I are just two of them."

"Fuck..." Bakugo rested his head back, already tired of all this shit.

When his eyes opened, Todoroki was staring back at him. His face was way too close but Bakugo was already used to it by now. If anything, it was nice to know that he couldn't breath his nasty breath at him but his body was incredibly cold. It radiated onto Bakugo and caused him to shiver.

"Well." Izuku stood up."I have some books and other materials you can look through to get an idea of what type of ghost Todoroki is. I have a party to go to and I'm already running late, so I gotta go."

"What the fuck," Bakugo grumbled, staring at the pile of books and various papers Izuku dumped on the coffee table in front of him."You're just gonna leave me here with this shit?"

"Like I said, I have a party I need to go to..." Izuku mumbled off, grabbing his things and heading for the door."You can stay here as long as you want. You already know where the extra futon is."

Bakugo stood up and walked to where Izuku was. The other had a look of surprise on his face, tensing slightly as Bakugo got closer.

He didn't bash his head in, thankfully, and instead grabbed his tie from around his neck and moved to fix it. Izuku smiled at him, letting him fix him up.

From the sidelines, Todoroki watched the two with narrow eyes. He hovered a bit farther from Bakugo, simply observing.

Bakugo finished up the tie and practically shoved him out the door. Izuku let himself be pushed."See you later, Kacchan! Read those books!"

"Fuck off," Bakugo growled back, shutting the door.

He stared at the pile waiting for him, not wanting to deal with such a thing as his long awaited weekend finally arrived. Todoroki floated in front of him.

He stared at the closed door."As I thought, I hate him."

"Huh?" Bakugo looked at him with a raised brow."You're so damn pissy about everyone I talk to."

Todoroki glowered at him."Yeah, but I really hate him. The mood between you two was strange."

"What mood?"

"It's like you're lovers."

Bakugo scratched the back of his head with a frustrated sigh."Well, I guess you could say we're fuck buddies."

Suddenly he fell to the floor, hands forcing their way around his neck and squeezing tightly. He choked and found that he couldn't breathe. His heart was pounding out of control and he started clawing at Todoroki's hands and squirming underneath him. Tentatively, he looked up at him to try and plead with him.

What he saw scared the shit out of him.

It wasn't the Todoroki he had met before. This was a beast shrouded in black and red like death. Its eyes were crazed, wide and endless like Bakugo was drowning in an abyss. Its mouth was twisted into a snarl and it felt like the teeth buried underneath were threatening to break through and completely devour him.

This was a spirit, devour of souls. It was a creature which hungered and hungered after what it could not reach. It rebuilt itself over and over like a puzzles, slowly losing pieces of itself along the way until it lay forgotten for many years until it's thrown away in the trash.

Bakugo was scared. Bakugo feared death and eternity beyond it.

Then, Todoroki started crying.

"N-No...!" he sobbed."That's no good, Bakugo..."

Bakugo struggled to breathe, vision blurring and blotching with black spots. He was going to pass out if this continued.

"Don't do that! Not anymore...Don't do that!"

Bakugo tapped rapidly at his arm and Todoroki slowly loosened his hold a bit.

"I-I wont..." Bakugo rasped, hoping he could hear him properly."I...wont..."

Todoroki finally let go of him and Bakugo coughed wildly. He sat up, continuing his coughing even as Todoroki hunched over and hugged around his waist. He continued to let Bakugo touch him and Bakugo sagged against him.

"No more. No more. No more," Todoroki mumbled into his stomach.

Bakugo stared down at him, fearing the worst. He needed to get this all sorted out and fast.

Todoroki was dangerous.

===

Izuku came home from the party, worn out and ready to sleep. He noticed instantly the presences of both Bakugo and the ghost that was haunting him. He had a feeling the other would end up spending the night and didn't mind it too much.

He came into his room to see if Bakugo was still up or not. It seemed he had completely disregarded him about the extra futon and slept peacefully on his bed instead. What was surprising was the ghost, Todoroki, sleeping right next to him. He had as much of his body touching Bakugo as possible without disturbing him.

Izuku walked closer and waited for a reaction out of the ghost, perhaps just him looking up at him was enough. There was not a flinch which had Izuku thinking this ghost really was asleep. It wasn't impossible for him to be. Just another puzzle piece clicking into place.

Izuku thought he might test the ghost but then noticed something strange on Bakugo. There were bruises around his neck, shaped exactly like fingers.

"That's not good..." Izuku mumbled, fingers brushing over the marks.

It looked like he couldn't go to sleep just yet. It was time to do some research.