Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It was nearing 8PM, yet Bakugou was still in Kirishima’s dorm room. They were both sitting on his bed, notebooks and pens scattered around them.

“Still not done with #5?” Bakugou yawned. “Fuck, you’re slow.”

With his elbow, Kirishima lightly shoved his friend’s side.

“You’re the one who’s too quick” Kirishima replied. “This is hard as hell.”

Despite time quickly flying past the blond’s usual bedtime, Kirishima wasn’t planning on kicking him out. He had invited Bakugou to do homework together, after all.

Well, ‘invited’ wasn’t necessarily the correct word – as the invitation hadn’t been said out loud in quite some time. He had stopped offering, both of them having fallen into the habit of studying together after eating supper. It had started a little over three weeks ago, and Bakugou didn’t even need to knock anymore.

They were simply together. No invitations needed.

“Well, hurry and catch up, shitty hair.”

Kirishima’s heart skipped a beat when he felt spiky – yet incredibly soft – hair come to rest on his shoulder.

“I’m tired” Bakugou said, his voice a low, breathy whisper.

“S – sure” Kirishima blurted out.

Overwhelmed by Bakugou resting his head on his shoulder, Kirishima tried his best to hold the pencil as still as he could. He took a slow, deep breath, really hoping Bakugou couldn’t hear how untamed his heart was.

Unable to concentrate properly, Kirishima knew this would take even longer than usual. He anxiously continued working on the math problem, having even more difficulty now that all he could think of was how close they were.

Hearing Bakugou yawn again, five or so minutes later, and snuggle ever so slightly closer against him, Kirishima’s breathing itched.

There was no way he’d manage to finish the math problem in these conditions.

He could tell Bakugou that he didn’t need to wait for him. He could wait for tomorrow for a correction. He could tell him to go to sleep.

Yet he couldn’t tell Bakugou to leave.

Kirishima felt like Bakugou didn’t want to leave in the first place – or rather, he hoped that was the case. He really hoped Bakugou enjoyed his company as much as he did, even for mundane things like homework.

For a long moment, the blond silently watched as Kirishima struggled to focus and figure out how to solve the equation. A torturous eternity passed before he finally arrived to an answer. Finally done, Kirishima shakily set the pencil down. He held his breath, expecting Bakugou to lift his head away from his shoulder and start pointing out the countless mistakes he had made.

Nothing came to break the silence.

Daring to glance over at Bakugou, Kirishima found him asleep against him. The red eyes were hidden away under a tranquil expression which replaced his usual scowl. Even the scars running across his face, the remnants of war, were softened into peaceful features.

Hypnotized by the uncommon sight of a soft Bakugou, Kirishima knew.

He never felt like this with his other friends. He never wanted to spend this much time with anyone else. He never made this many excuses or plans to be by someone’s side. He never longed to be close to someone like this.

In a way, he had always known. From the moment he had seen that grumpy face on the first day of school. Even after seeing the aggressive behavior Bakugou had in the beginning. The foul mouth, which stayed despite his violent tendencies lessening, didn’t change anything.

This softer side of him only confirmed it for the millionth time over.

Kirishima knew he was in love.

Snapping out of his daze, his skin heated up. If Bakugou woke up and saw him all flustered up like this, his cover would be blown. He had to get him out of his room, now.

Yet he really didn’t want to wake him up. Admittedly, Kirishima wanted to keep looking at him. He wanted to stay in this moment forever. He wanted to live in the fantasy where Bakugou loved him and had intentionally fallen asleep on him.

But that was all that was: a fantasy.

Not wanting to risk it, he let out an uneasy sigh.

As carefully as he could, he shifted in place, trying to pick up the blond without making any sudden movement that could accidentally wake him up. Kirishima managed to wrap an arm under Bakugou’s knees and behind his back, lifting him off the bed. As muscular as the blond was, he was surprisingly light and easy to pick up.

Fast asleep in Kirishima’s arms, Bakugou’s hair tickled against his collarbone. The blond moved his head slightly, unconsciously nestling closer into his chest.

Kirishima didn’t move for a moment, letting the sight sink into his heart.

Fearing he’d wake up, Kirishima pushed his feelings aside as quickly as he could. He gave furtive glances down the corridor before passing through the doorframe, absolutely not wanting to be caught carrying Bakugou bridal style to bed.

Gently, he placed Bakugou on his own bed. As soon as his arms left him, the blond let out a small grunt – almost giving Kirishima a heart attack – before turning to sleep on his stomach.

Leaving, Kirishima knew he wanted to be more than friends.

Closing the door, his heart pinched.

Whatever Kirishima wanted didn’t matter – because he doubted Bakugou wanted it too.

Chapter Text

During combat training the next day, Kirishima was up against Bakugou – and he was struggling to put up an actual fight. He hadn’t slept well, his mind endlessly spinning at the thought of what would have happened if he had let Bakugou sleep on his shoulder for the rest of the night.

Bakugou hadn’t made a comment about it, and Kirishima could only hope he wouldn’t.

Tired, Kirishima couldn’t keep up with the blond’s explosions. Not dodging an attack properly, he was stunned for a moment – just long enough for Bakugou to grab his hardened arm and throw him over his shoulder and onto the ground.

His chest landing roughly on the floor, Kirishima winced in pain. The fight not done, Bakugou didn’t waste any time before immobilizing him. His friend sat on his back to weight him down and swiftly grabbed both of Kirishima’s wrists to effectively pin his arms to his back.

It happened so quickly Kirishima barely had time to register anything. Now, he had to figure out how to free himself, or else he would either lose by admitting defeat or by being unable to get back up within 20 seconds.

With a plan, Kirishima deactivated his Quirk and let out a loud, defeated sigh.

“Really?” Bakugou asked.

As Kirishima suspected he’d do, Bakugou leaned closer to whisper into his ear.

“Going to give up already? We just sta– ”

With a smirk, Kirishima hardened his face and headbutted his friend.

“Pfft, like hell I’d give up” Kirishima replied as Bakugou, in pain, let go of his wrists. Managing to kick Bakugou off, he confidently added: “Fight’s far from over.”

Back to his feet, Kirishima saw that Bakugou was grabbing his bleeding head in pain. Seeing him hurt, Kirishima was momentarily worried he had hardened himself too much, however, noticing a soft smile on Bakugou’s lips, all worry left him.

“That’s what I thought” Bakugou said as he stretched his neck. “If you’re strong enough to carry me to bed, you’ve got more to offer.”

Finishing his sentence, the smirking blond dashed up to attack him. Being reminded of the night before, of the indescribable feeling of having Bakugou sleep so peacefully in his arms – even if only for an instant –, Kirishima messed up his next counterattack.

Bakugou managed to grab one of his wrists again, but, instead of throwing him over his shoulder, Bakugou jerked Kirishima’s wrist, making his body spin on itself as he stumbled backward. With too much momentum, Kirishima was definitely heading for the floor, but the blond placed a hand on his back and stopped his fall. His body almost parallel to the floor, most of his weight was held up by Bakugou.

A grin on his face, Bakugou locked eyes with him.

Kirishima couldn’t bring himself to move, lost in the moment and paralyzed by how nice it felt to have a strong arm holding his back like this. He suspected his face was probably red from the memory, but he tried to hide his embarrassment by returning a smile.

Finally realizing the blond was holding him in a dip, Kirishima’s face only grew hotter.

“Tsk – almost lost again, shitty hair” Bakugou teased.

Without warning, Bakugou yanked his wrist, projecting Kirishima forward out of his reach.

At the sheer force of the pull, Kirishima almost stumbled to the floor again. His feet didn’t cooperate for a moment as he was still dizzy with processing the fact that Bakugou dipped him. Bakugou didn’t continue the fight right away, giving him a second to ground himself and take a fighting stance.

Red eyes staring into his again, Kirishima’s chest warmed up and fluttered in that nice way which only ever occurred when Bakugou looked at him.

“C’mon,” Bakugou said, lowering his stance, “show me what you got.”

Kirishima pushed his feelings aside, not wanting to ruin a good brawl.

=====

Kirishima left the last class of that day alone. Bakugou had stayed behind to argue with Midoriya and Iida about some science topic unrelated to their classes. A math exam quickly approaching, Kirishima didn’t want to waste time on something he couldn’t even begin to understand.

As he walked to the dorm, he thought he was alone – up until rapid footsteps echoed behind him.

“Sooo,” the familiar voice started as the person approached him, “I might have overheard you two while you were training.”

Turning around, he saw Ashido abruptly stop right in front of him. Her eyes were shining with curiosity.

“Heard what?” Kirishima asked, genuinely confused.

“Something something you carried Bakugou to his bed?” Ashido clarified.

As much as Kirishima wished he could have some self-control over his emotions, he couldn’t. His eyes widened on their own. By the way his skin was instantly washed over with warmth – and by the way Ashido started smiling widely –, he knew she had noticed. Again.

Ashido had tried to subtly confront him about his feelings for Bakugou a few months ago. Unluckily for him, he had a feeling she was about to confront him about it once more.

“He fell asleep while studying in my room, so, yeah, I did?” Kirishima said, knowing she wouldn’t stop nagging him until she had an explanation.

Ashido’s smile turned into a grin.

“What about it?” He asked, trying to act unbothered.

“You blushed when he said that,” Ashido said, pointing at his face, “and you’re blushing again.”

Kirishima’s eyes wandered to the side, embarrassment taking over for good. He dreaded what was coming and tried to figure out the quickest way he could escape this conversation.

“You love him, don’t you?” She asked before he could think of anything.

Even if he had seen it coming, the question still pierced through the air and ran him over. The words, echoing in his mind, were so heavy with meaning they almost sounded foreign. His skin flushing, Kirishima felt like his brain was short-circuiting.

“Love who – Bakugou?” Kirishima said, stumbling over his words. “What? No! I don’t.”

“You totally do. You – ”

“I – no – I got to go” Kirishima speedily interrupted, turning around to leave.

“You can’t run away from your feelings forever, Kiri” Ashido called out, not following him.

Kirishima ignored her and walked quicker.

For as long as he could, he absolutely would run away from his feelings.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

It was a hassle, but, so far, Kirishima had managed to avoid being alone with Ashido for an entire week following the messy discussion. Just because he knew he was in love absolutely didn’t mean he was ready to say it out loud – not even to her.

Avoiding a conversation didn’t change much, since Ashido didn’t need to speak to get her message across. With a simple smirk, she reminded him of his feelings. With a wink, she playfully teased him about his crush, day after day, class after class.

And night after night, Bakugou would join him in his room to study or hang out, endlessly stabbing Kirishima’s feelings deeper into his heart.

Today was no different. Bakugou was sitting down on the bed next to him, both of them already in their pajamas as was usually the case.

What was different today, however, was that Bakugou had decided to rest his head on his shoulder again, about half an hour ago. Kirishima had been slightly overwhelmed by the repeating occurrence, but, thanks to the fact that neither of them were addressing the close contact out loud, Kirishima managed to overcome his emotions and focus on the homework.

“I think I got it this time” Kirishima said, hesitantly glancing down at Bakugou – who had finished his own homework a while ago.

Bakugou raised his eyes away from his phone and tilted his head to look at Kirishima’s paper, making blond hair brush against the skin of Kirishima’s neck.

“How the hell did you get a negative?” Bakugou asked, baffled.

“That’s… not possible?” Kirishima asked, just as confused.

Bakugou’s head left his shoulder as he pointed at the sheet of paper.

“The entire equation’s to the power of 4. Of fucking course that’s not possible.”

Kirishima groaned as he erased his work for the fourth time.

“Fifth time’s the charm” Kirishima mumbled.

“Hope so” Bakugou yawned. “But I’m not correcting you again tonight. I’m out.”

Saying that, Bakugou stretched his arms and let his back fall onto the bed. The boy’s head landed on Kirishima’s big shark plushie – and he proceeded to take it, squeezing its face.

“Aww man, you’re leaving already?” Kirishima asked.

“Nah, I’m not leaving if that’s cool with you” Bakugou said through another, lengthier yawn. “I’m out out.”

“Uhh – I’m sorry?” Kirishima voiced, not really understanding what Bakugou meant.

Rolling his eyes, Bakugou threw Kirishima’s shark plushie at him.

“I’m sleeping here” Bakugou clarified. “Your bed’s comfortable.”

Holding onto his plushie, Kirishima, mystified, locked eyes with Bakugou. He blinked, his brain not wanting to process that simple sentence. As Kirishima finally understood what Bakugou had just said, his eyes widened slightly and his skin started flaring up.

Seeing his reaction, Bakugou smirked.

“What? Scared you’re going to drool on me?”

His lungs not functioning and his heart picking up the pace, Kirishima instantly put his plushie down and picked up his studying material. Averting his eyes, he really hoped his skin wasn’t as red as he felt it was.

“No – no, it’s okay bro” Kirishima said, trying to force his voice to sound steady. “Good night.”

Feeling Bakugou’s intense stare analyzing him for a long moment, Kirishima gulped. He did as if he was starting the math problem again, scribbling down numbers that didn’t make any sense.

“You can steal my bed if you’re bothered” Bakugou eventually whispered, breaking the silence.

Kirishima acted as if he didn’t hear him, keeping his eyes fixed on the homework in embarrassment.

=====

Kirishima finally managed to arrive at another answer about an hour later.

By then, Bakugou was already fast asleep in his bed. His friend was sleeping on his back, an arm under his head and another on his stomach. Blond hair messily resting on Kirishima’s pillow, his scar-covered face stood as peaceful as it had been last week, in his arms.

For a moment, Kirishima thought about carrying the sleeping Bakugou to his own bed again. Yet Kirishima felt unable to. He felt weak.

Because the blond really did look comfortable in his bed.

Kirishima’s heart was hammering out of his chest at the thought of staying. Bakugou hadn’t said they couldn’t sleep together – if anything he had insinuated they could –, and there was just enough place for Kirishima to sleep next to him without their bodies overlapping.

With a lot of hesitation, Kirishima laid down next to Bakugou.

Surely, this was fine. Surely, Bakugou didn’t mind. Surely, friends could sleep in the same bed without raising any suspicions.

Lacking courage to put a cover over the both of them because he feared he might accidentally wake the blond up, Kirishima balled up next to Bakugou. Squeezing his shark plushie in his arms, he glanced up at him.

Seeing Bakugou’s soft sleeping face, Kirishima was overwhelmed at the thought of waking up looking at this.

As nice as that would be, he didn’t want to start the day a complete mess.

Kirishima got back up as he started overthinking. Hugging his shark plushie tighter, he walked back and forth in the room.

Sleeping on his own bed was out of the question. Going to sleep in Bakugou’s room felt weird. Kirishima had a feeling he wouldn’t even manage to sleep there in the first place – Bakugou’s sweet scent was all over the room and it would probably keep him up. Knowing Kaminari had a spare sleeping mat, Kirishima thought of crashing at his dorm for the night, but that wasn’t really an option since he knew that arriving there uninvited would raise a lot of questions.

With every possibility having awful outcomes, Kirishima’s eyes landed on the floor.

Yeah, that’s the best option, he thought, having never expected the floor could seem so appealing to sleep on.

Kirishima gave Bakugou one last fond glance before laying down on the floor next to the bed. Shutting his eyes, he balled up and hugged his plushie, trying to ignore how uncomfortable the floor was.

After an hour of obstinate determination to fall asleep, Kirishima managed to drift into unconsciousness.

=====

When Kirishima woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm blaring, he painfully lifted his face off his plushie. His left shoulder was incredibly sore, and his back was aching in a need to stretch. Momentarily, he forgot why he was on the floor and assumed he had fallen out of bed.

Yawning loudly, he let go of his plushie and stretched his pained body off the floor to close the alarm clock. At that moment, he remembered the night before – and panicked as he quickly stood to his feet.

His bed was already empty.

Slightly relieved he wouldn’t need to face Bakugou here, Kirishima exhaled steadily. Looking at the time, Kirishima felt somewhat stupid for having expected otherwise: Bakugou always woke up earlier than everyone else.

Glancing down at his plushie on the floor, Kirishima’s mouth squeezed.

When Bakugou had left, he had definitely seen Kirishima hugging the plushie in his sleep. He tried not to think about it too much, hoping the blond wouldn’t tease him about it or laugh at him for it.

=====

Walking to class alone that morning, Kirishima was massaging his neck. Sleeping on the floor had really not done wonders to his body. He could only hope this wouldn’t get in the way of his training.

As soon as he crossed the doorway, his eyes landed on Bakugou – who noticed his pain and let out a small snort.

“Didn’t sleep well, sharky?” Bakugou asked as Kirishima approached him.

Sheepishly, Kirishima let go of his neck and tried to ignore how tense he felt. He didn’t bother addressing the new nickname because it sounded kind of nice compared to the usual shitty hair and insults-turned-nicknames.

“Got to admit, my bed’s more comfortable” Kirishima replied.

His tie within Bakugou’s reach, the boy grabbed it and pulled it lightly – making Kirishima lean forward.

“Keep that in mind, next time” Bakugou whispered against his face with a smirk.

Kirishima blurted out a yeah as he instinctively rubbed his tense neck in embarrassment – only realizing what Bakugou had said once the blond let go of his tie.

There would be a next time.

Feeling himself start to blush all over again, he didn’t ask Bakugou what that was supposed to mean. Even if he would have wanted to know, their teacher stepped in the class and cleared his throat before any more panicked thoughts could rise to Kirishima’s mind.

Not wanting to get in trouble, he left Bakugou’s side to go sit at his desk. Once he turned around, he saw that Ashido was staring at him intensely.

And she had the most shit-eating grin on her face.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

When the bell rang to announce the end of the last class of the day, Kirishima wanted to go ask for some clarifications from the teacher. Bakugou’s explanations simply wouldn’t get through his head. Kirishima would have walked up to the front of the class right away had Midoriya not been quicker than him – the boy already asking his own questions by the time he stood up.

Knowing it would take some time before Midoriya was done, Kirishima sighed and started chatting with Kaminari as he waited. The class slowly emptied itself around them.

“Still not down to come over to my dorm to binge watch the last season?” Kaminari eventually asked, throwing his bag over his shoulder, ready to leave as well. “We got caramel popcorn!”

Kirishima smiled apologetically, really wishing he could.

“Nah, sorry dude” Kirishima replied. “I got to stu– ”

His words were cut short when someone jumped on his back. Really not expecting it, Kirishima’s feet stumbled forward. As legs swiftly wrapped around his waist, Kirishima placed a hand on the desk next to him to stop himself from falling over.

“Caught you off guard again, shitty hair?” Bakugou snickered, wrapping his arms around Kirishima’s neck as well.

Although startled, Kirishima couldn’t fight back a smile. His chest warming up with contentment, he lightly nudged Bakugou’s stomach with his elbow.

“I told you to give me a warning” Kirishima playfully said, unbothered by Bakugou’s weight on his back.

From the corner of his vision, he noticed Kaminari grin and shake his head ever so slightly.

“Hitoshi’s probably waiting for me” Kaminari quickly said, the grin not leaving his lips. “See you guys tomorrow!”

“Have fun” Kirishima said as Kaminari waved them goodbye.

Bakugou, still on his back, snuggled his head over his shoulder to look at his face and brought a hand up to squeeze Kirishima’s right cheek.

“So, where we going?” Bakugou asked, tightening his legs around his waist slightly. “Cafet? Library? Gym?”

Passing a hand to push Bakugou’s hand away from his face, Kirishima’s smile turned shy. It was really tempting to go hang out with Bakugou despite having turned down Kaminari.

“I got to ask something to the teacher first” Kirishima said, avoiding looking at the blond because their faces were far too close for his heart to handle. “You don’t need to wait for me. I’m going straight back to the dorm.”

Without struggle, Bakugou jumped off of his back. The boy didn’t back off much, keeping one of his arms wrapped around his shoulder.

“Sounds like an excuse to skip leg day” Bakugou teased, giving his cheek another squeeze. “Sleeping on the floor doesn’t suit you at all, huh?”

“Tomorrow’s exam’s more important” Kirishima said, aggressively ignoring the floor statement. “See you after supper?”

“Sure” Bakugou said before turning around to walk out of the class. “Later, sharky.”

Hearing the nickname again, Kirishima’s mouth wobbled into a happy timid smile.

=====

When he finally got out of the classroom, a solid hour later, Kirishima almost sprinted out of the corridor at the sight of his pink friend waiting for him. Air left his lungs, knowing very well that she was going to confront him about his feelings again because of the grin she had given him that morning.

Ashido’s eyes widened in excitement as she ran up to him, one of the widest grins he had ever seen slapped on her face. Without a word, she shoved him into an empty classroom quicker than he could protest.

“You slept in Bakugou’s bed?” She almost shrieked as soon as she shut the door.

“Uh?” Kirishima voiced, not understanding how she managed to reach that conclusion.

“You said your bed’s more comfortable” Ashido said, pointing at him in an accusatory fashion. “So you both slept in his bed?”

“No – what? We didn’t” Kirishima frantically said.

“We?” Ashido repeated.

Kirishima groaned, hating how he kept making this worse for himself.

“No – I – we were in the same room but – ”

“You two totally slept together” Ashido interrupted with a wink. “Stop trying to hide it.”

“No, really, it’s not what you think” Kirishima said, his skin flushing. “He was in my bed, but I wasn’t with him.”

“Where were you then?” Ashido asked.

Kirishima’s mouth squeezed, knowing this would sound weird and not knowing how to explain this concisely.

“… on the floor.”

Ashido raised an eyebrow, not seeming impressed.

“He fell asleep there after studying!” Kirishima explained before she could ask anything else. “He said he finds my bed comfortable, so I let him have it.”

“Let him have it?” Ashido repeated, dubious. “What? You say that as if there’s not more than enough space for two to sleep on it? Did he kick you off or something?”

“No.”

“You basically let him steal your bed?” Ashido asked.

“Yeah” Kirishima insisted. “That’s all there is to it.”

Ashido voiced a suspicious uh-huh, squinting at him.

“Is that all you want there to be to it?”

Kirishima took a moment to even understand her question. Once he did, he struggled to find the courage to answer, his skin heating up. Seeing him turn red, Ashido grinned.

“Oh, you’re in deep” she teased.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Kirishima stammered, turning around to leave.

“No, you don’t” Ashido said, grabbing his sleeve. “Kiri, listen, I’m your friend.”

Kirishima hesitantly glanced over at her, his feet sinking into the floor.

“I know crushes can be hard to deal with” she pressed on. “Talking about it can really help.”

Kirishima absolutely didn’t believe she was telling the truth. Talking about it felt like an open trap to ruin everything. He felt like if he confessed here, everything would be set into motion for him to have to say it to Bakugou as well.

A one-way ticket to a disaster of a love confession.

“You can trust me” she whispered, an honest smile on her face.

His eyes wandered to the floor, knowing very well that wasn’t a lie. There were so many embarrassing things about him she knew and that she had kept secret. If he could trust anyone with this, it was her.

As much as he didn’t want to address it, he knew he couldn’t hold it in forever. Ashido clearly already knew anyway. Saying it out loud to her wouldn’t change anything. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t.

“Alright – fine, I – uh… have feelings for him” Kirishima blurted out.

Ashido smiled widely, no signs of tease or malice on her face. Despite his embarrassment, a pressure he didn’t know weighted so heavily on him finally came off his chest. A short sensation of relief washed over him, pressing an unsteady smile on his lips.

“I’m proud of you, Kiri” Ashido said, squeezing his shoulder. “Now, what’s stopping you from telling him that?”

All relief instantly left him once reality slapped him in the face.

“I can’t tell him!” Kirishima said. “If I confess, I’ll ruin our friendship.”

“Duh, you gotta ruin the friendship to start a relationship” Ashido said. “That’s kinda how it works.”

“No – that’s not it” Kirishima groaned. “I’ll ruin everything for sure. He doesn’t love me back.”

“Oh hun, he does” Ashido instantly said, rolling her eyes. “Just talk to him.”

“It’s too risky” Kirishima mumbled. “If I confess and he doesn’t feel the same, he’ll never talk to me again – and, like, no offense, but he’s my best best friend. I don’t want to lose him – I can’t lose him.”

“No offense taken. But you won’t lose him. He totally feels the same.”

“You can’t know that for certain.”

“With two eyes and a brain, yup, I can. Like, 99.9% certain.”

“No – you can’t. He probably only sees me as his bro” Kirishima argued. “He’s probably not even gay.”

Ashido snorted as she raised her eyebrows in shocked amusement at the statement.

“I don’t know about guys, but I don’t have straight girls complimenting my abs and ass every other month” Ashido said. “I say he’s into you.”

“That doesn’t count” Kirishima mumbled. “He’s just trying to be nice; he knows I care about looking manly.”

“Oh my god, Kiri” Ashido sighed. “You’re literally the only person in class that Bakugou is consistently nice to. And the only person he willingly spends his free time with.”

“Cause I’m his closest friend?” Kirishima offered.

“This is Katsuki Bakugou we’re talking about” Ashido said.

“Yeah – the guy who’s so focused on being number one he probably doesn’t even want to be in a relationship” Kirishima said.

“He’s a pro at multitasking, don’t worry.”

“Still doesn’t prove his feelings.”

“Ok then, what about the fact that you’re also the only person that can actually tease him without hearing a single warning blast?” Ashido insisted. “And the only person who ever managed to make him genuinely laugh? And the only person he goes to when he feels distressed?”

“What? I’m not – ”

“And, like, one of the few people who got to go in his dorm more than once. And you’re the only person I’ve ever seen him smile fondly at? Like, ever? Do I really need to continue?”

“None of that means anyth– ”

“Mr.-don’t-touch-me-or-you’ll-die doesn’t mind physical contact if it’s you. He literally jumps on your back – for fun!” Ashido groaned. “Better yet, I know he lets you hold his hand whenever you’re stressed. What’s the meaning behind that, huh?”

“He’s a good friend?”

“I want to dissect your stupid little brain” Ashido said, ruffling his hair. “What’s stopping you from seeing the truth?”

“Common sense” Kirishima shrugged.

“You’re the only one in our class with any common sense, then.”

Kirishima blinked a few times, not certain how to interpret that.

“Pay attention a little and maybe you’ll catch up with everyone else” Ashido added with a wink – before turning around and waving goodbye.

Left alone, Kirishima’s mind raced, not believing Ashido was right but wishing he could.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

As Kirishima headed back to the dorm that evening, he felt tenser than ever. He was really starting to regret having told Ashido. This was the kind of secret he should have taken to his grave. He shouldn’t have trusted anyone with it. Not even her.

He had far, far too much to lose.

Dragging his feet, which seemed to be growing heavier under his rising stress, Kirishima started imagining what Bakugou’s reaction would be if he found out. Every scenario he could think of was nothing short of a disaster; maybe the blond would think it’s a joke and laugh, maybe he’d call it gross and move on as if nothing happened, maybe he’d curse at him and storm off, maybe he’d try to blow him up in anger, or maybe he wouldn’t even say anything and simply walk away.

Most likely, he would stop talking to him for forever.

Mind clouded with his worst nightmares, he almost dreaded seeing Bakugou again. As much as Kirishima thought Ashido wouldn’t betray him like this, he felt like she had told him. As much as he knew Bakugou wouldn’t hurt him, he felt like Bakugou was waiting for him, ready to scream homophobic slurs at him as he tried blasting him straight to hell.

Kirishima’s fears were irrational. He knew that. The blond supported Kaminari and Shinsou just like the rest of them. But that didn’t stop Kirishima from expecting the worse anyway.

So, when he entered the dorm, Kirishima stayed as quiet as possible. He closed the door behind him slowly, trying to listen to who was downstairs. As soon as he took a first, hesitant step inside, he heard Bakugou’s voice in the kitchen – and saw Ashido leaning over the counter, talking to him.

Every inch of Kirishima’s being froze. He held his breath, needing to hear what this was about before he could even consider breathing again.

“Out of everything you could pick, you want Okonomiyaki?” Bakugou asked from out of Kirishima’s field of view. “Really?”

“Yeah? Is that too difficult to make for mister the chef?” Ashido teased.

“Fuck no, it’s too simple” Bakugou answered from afar. “Thought you were going to give me a challenge. What do you want in it?”

“Surprise me” Ashido said.

Hearing Bakugou let out a huff in agreement, followed by the sounds of footsteps and the fridge opening, Kirishima gulped. This wasn’t about his confession. Everything was fine.

Breathing uneasily, he realized he was being overly suspicious, standing so still in the entrance. It was only a matter of time before someone would see him and ask what’s wrong. It was a miracle Ashido hadn’t seen him yet.

“I’ll buy what’s missing tomorrow – but, seriously, did you have to kick me out?” Bakugou asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Trying to push his fears aside, Kirishima took off his shoes. He continued to stay as silent as he could, yet he had no idea how successful he was as the sound of his heart racing in his ear drowned out his surroundings. Legs wobbling slightly, he took a few steps into the common area. The sound of Bakugou closing the fridge nearly made him jump.

He didn’t know why he was still so on edge. This wasn’t about his feelings. Bakugou didn’t know. Regardless, Kirishima was really nervous. Perhaps sleeping on the floor really messed him up. Perhaps he was stressing for the math exam more than he thought.

“Of course I had to!” Ashido answered, smiling. “It’ll be more fun if it’s a surprise for the both of you. If you could leave right after the last class, that would be perfect. The guys and I are – ”

Her eyes catching him walk in, Ashido cut her sentence short. She snapped her head in his direction, her smile not leaving her face. Kirishima tried his best to hold his composure as he forced a smile and waved hello.

“Hiii Kiri!” Ashido gleefully said, not moving from her spot on the counter. “Why are you so late?”

A wave of relief hit him at the sight of Ashido acting as if they hadn’t been talking, barely 15 minutes ago. He had to remind himself his secret was safe. Everything would be fine – Kirishima wouldn’t lose his best friend.

“Had to ask some questions for tomorrow’s exam” Kirishima blurted out.

“Tsk – how many questions did you ask?” Bakugou questioned as he walked out of the kitchen. “It’s almost been two hours.”

His eyes finally landing on Bakugou, Kirishima’s heart fluttered.

The blond had a red popsicle in hand and a tiny smile on his lips. The smile was small, but it was there – and it completely mesmerized Kirishima. Looking at that soft smile, Kirishima’s stress almost entirely disappeared. As tense as he felt, it was as if the air became breathable again.

Giving Kirishima a glance, Bakugou walked over to lean on the counter next to Ashido.

“Only three” Kirishima mumbled even if he knew it was nothing but a rhetorical question to tease him. “But I think I got it now.”

“Took your bloody time” Bakugou grinned at him before giving a quick glance at Ashido for a reason Kirishima couldn’t understand.

“Oh, shush” Ashido said, lightly shoving Bakugou’s side with her shoulder. “He’s come a long way. We all know you’re proud of him, stop lying to yourself.”

Bakugou let out a small warning blast, letting her know she’d better back off. Sticking out her tongue, Ashido took a step back and innocently raised her arms in the air.

“Proud of him?” Bakugou repeated, walking up to Kirishima. “He’s still failing miserably right now. He needs to catch up.”

Kirishima sighed unsteadily, knowing Bakugou was right. If he failed tomorrow’s exam, he probably wouldn’t manage to pass maths this year.

As the blond approached him, he nibbled on the popsicle. Red eyes were staring into his so intensely that Kirishima could barely muster the strength to maintain eye contact.

“I’m sure he’ll catch up” Ashido chuckled. “Just you wait.”

Bakugou stopped right in front of him. Barely half a step more and their feet would touch. His heartbeat spiking again, Kirishima’s eyes wandered to the side before daring to look up at the blond’s much-to-close face again.

The grin was gone. However, as the boy nibbled on the sugary treat, there was that small smile from earlier – and Kirishima found himself lost in it again.

Bakugou’s smile eventually disappeared as he opened his mouth to take a bite of the popsicle. Right after, the boy pointed the icy red sweet in Kirishima’s direction. He looked down at it, admittedly staring at Bakugou more than anything else.

“It’s strawberries” Bakugou offered.

Barely an inch away from his mouth, Kirishima couldn’t say no. Hesitantly, Kirishima leaned slightly forward and took a small bite of the popsicle as well. He barely took in the taste, his mind too focused on Bakugou’s lips. The cold in his mouth made him self-aware of how hot he suddenly felt.

“So?”

Analyzing Bakugou’s face, it was at that moment Kirishima realized how incredibly dumb he was; he couldn’t run away from feelings he couldn’t outrun.

This was more than a crush. Kirishima wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of his life. It was as simple as that. These feelings wouldn’t let go of him until he found out if that was a dream he could achieve – if that was a future they could have together.

Seeing him unresponsive, the blond tilted his head slightly.

“Cat’s got your tongue?” Bakugou asked, a grin returning to his lips.

Kirishima took a deep breath, trying to push his racing thoughts aside. Figuring out how to tell Bakugou about his feelings was a problem for later.

“It’s good” Kirishima whispered out, unable to raise his voice any louder.

“Iida forgot to put his name on the box again so feel free to steal some too” Bakugou snickered as he took a step back and started walking away. “I’m going to shower. See you later, shitty hair.”

His breathing itching, Kirishima weakly returned a see ya.

The two of them now alone, Ashido skipped over to him and gave his shoulder a pat. His emotions all over the place, he eyed her in distrust.

“Don’t worry” Ashido winked. “I didn’t tell him.”

“Thanks” Kirishima mumbled, feeling slightly better to have a confirmation that she hadn’t betrayed him yet almost wishing she had.

“Don’t mention it. Now. Pay attention a little~” Ashido whispered the same words from earlier – during his confession –, almost singing it out this time. “You’ll catch up with everyone else.”

She nonchalantly walked to the girl’s side of the dorm, leaving him behind.

Walking over to the fridge to find something to eat, Kirishima’s mind started racing again. He had no idea how to go about telling Bakugou how he felt. He feared his response. He longed for that smile. As much as he dreaded losing him, he wanted to have him.

Confessing felt like a disaster, yet hiding his feelings felt like torture.

Kirishima couldn’t tell which was worse.

Chapter Text

Hunched over his desk about half an hour later, Kirishima was trying really hard to concentrate on his studies. As if stressing out about his feelings wasn’t enough, Kirishima was also stressing about maths far more than he ever thought he could. Thanks to the teacher’s explanations, he could finish solving the equations far quicker than before, however he kept making small mistakes all over the place.

Realizing he had messed something up again, he groaned and had to erase half an entire page of writing.

While he was erasing, a hand landed on his shoulder – making Kirishima almost jump out of his seat.

“Stressed?” Bakugou asked.

Kirishima hadn’t even heard him walk in. Not having the strength to look up at the blond, he continued to erase the paper.

“Yeah” Kirishima confirmed with a defeated exhale.

Bakugou leaned forward slightly, wanting to see what he was writing – or rather, erasing. The scent of caramel filling his mind, Kirishima couldn’t help but steal a glance at the boy. The blond was already in his pajamas, his hair slightly puffier because of the shower.

“You’re doing better than yesterday, that’s for sure” Bakugou said with a small snicker.

Although not convinced Bakugou was being honest, Kirishima mumbled out a thanks.

Bakugou’s hand left his shoulder when the boy made his way to go sit on Kirishima’s bed, as he usually did.

Listening to Bakugou turning pages, starting to study, Kirishima’s pencil stayed still on the piece of paper. Staying at his desk might cause the blond to be suspicious; he always sat with him on the bed. It felt odd to leave him sitting alone, yet Kirishima didn’t know how to feel about this anymore.

Ashido’s ‘pay attention’ kept repeating in his mind. He suddenly felt very much aware of how much time they spent together.

But that’s what friends did, right? There was nothing to pay more attention to.

After a few minutes of hesitation, Kirishima sighed, picked up his stuff, and stood up to go sit next to him.

=====

It had been an hour.

Endlessly, Kirishima kept writing and erasing. It felt like the more problems he tried to tackle, the worse he became.

Bakugou was silent next to him. Unlike Kirishima, the blond was more than ready for tomorrow’s math exam and had decided to start reading a book that wasn’t due until two months from now. He didn’t seem to particularly like it, his brow slightly twitching in irritation every few pages.

Perhaps out of mercy for Kirishima’s heart, Bakugou wasn’t resting his head on his shoulder today. Kirishima could push his feelings aside – he could study without having his heart do useless cardio.

That was until he noticed where his left hand was.

I know he lets you hold his hand whenever you’re stressed.

Kirishima’s pencil abruptly stopped in the middle of writing a square root. No longer moving an inch, he glanced down at the hands resting in between him and Bakugou.

He hadn’t even noticed. Who knows how long ago, he had instinctively taken Bakugou’s hand to squeeze it out of stress. And Bakugou had let him. Without complaint.

What’s the meaning behind that, huh?

Friends. Bakugou had offered to hold his hand as friends. There was no hidden meaning behind it. His friend simply wanted to help him with his stress.

Not wanting to be caught staring, Kirishima’s eyes darted back toward his notebook – yet his mind stayed on the feeling of Bakugou’s hand in his.

Realizing just how tightly he was holding onto the hand – a little more tense and he might as well have activated his hardening Quirk –, Kirishima took a deep breath to try to relax.

The touch itself was calming. Bakugou’s fingers, which on all account seemed rough, actually felt incredibly gentle. As usual, his palm was a little sweaty, but Kirishima really didn’t mind. If anything, it felt nice against his dry hand.

Content he had such a good friend, Kirishima smiled.

Feeling how perfectly Bakugou’s palm fit into his, Kirishima thought it was a shame they were only friends. Their fingers intertwined together effortlessly. They should be holding each other far more often.

If Kirishima confessed, perhaps they could walk to class like this every day.

But then again, if he confessed, perhaps he’d never get to hold him again, not even to help him with his stress.

“You good?”

Hearing Bakugou’s whisper, Kirishima’s eyes widened in surprise. Realizing his pencil still hadn’t moved an inch, he nodded and swiftly finished writing the square root. What was supposed to be a straight line above the equation ended up looking like a childish doodle.

“I just zoned out” Kirishima mumbled with an awkward chuckle. “My brain’s fried.”

Self-conscious, he felt his palm grow hotter. Even if he feared Bakugou would notice, he couldn’t force himself to let go. He wanted to stay like this for as long as he could.

Sadly for him, his palm started growing cold when Bakugou’s finger slowly left him.

Fearing he had done something to cause his departure, Kirishima tentatively looked over at the blond. Nothing was wrong; Bakugou simply brought his hand up to yawn.

“Gonna sleep on the floor again?” Bakugou asked through the yawn. “I can leave if you’re that bothered.”

Bakugou’s hand didn’t land back on his. One of his fingers brushed the skin of his wrist, but nothing more. The touch was over.

Kirishima hesitated on the answer he should give. He acted as if he was concentrating on writing his next line to stall time. He didn’t want to tell Bakugou to leave, and he felt like doing so would expose his feelings more than letting him stay.

By the time Kirishima finished writing, Bakugou was sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking at him. Waiting for his answer. Ready to leave if that was Kirishima’s choice.

Seeing Kirishima eyeing him, Bakugou tilted his head, tired eyes looking for answers on his face. All Kirishima could think about was one simple word: friends. And friends could have sleepovers without it being suspicious.

This didn’t mean anything to Bakugou. This wouldn’t out his feelings.

“It’s cool, bro” Kirishima whispered. “You can stay.”

=====

By the time Kirishima finally gave up trying to study more and fix his errors, it was midnight.

Bakugou was already fast asleep in his bed, his expression as peaceful as the previous night. Slightly balled up, the boy hadn’t bothered covering himself. He was sleeping on his side, facing the wall.

Warily, Kirishima stood up and picked up his studying material off the bed. As quietly as he could, he placed it back on his desk before turning around and eyeing the bed. Hours had passed since he had agreed to let Bakugou stay and now that his tired brain was left to wander back into his fears, the floor was looking like a very tempting option again.

With a gulp, Kirishima pushed that option aside.

They could sleep in the same bed. As bros.

Trying not to wake the blond up, Kirishima slowly laid down next to Bakugou and brought his covers up. His shark plushie blocking his pillow, Kirishima sighed. Self-aware of his habit of hugging his plushie to sleep and embarrassed at the thought of Bakugou waking up seeing him hug it again, Kirishima placed it down on the floor.

Glancing back, Kirishima made sure the blond was still asleep before moving again.

Thankfully for him, he was. With a slightly shaking hand, Kirishima reached out to turn off the lamp on his nightstand. The room was so quiet. He knew that turning the lamp off would make a small click – which would be deafening in this silence.

As expected, it did make a rather loud noise. Submerged in darkness, Kirishima held his breath, afraid he had accidentally woken up Bakugou.

As careful as he had been, apparently it wasn’t enough – the bed shifted. Bakugou was awake.

Through the darkness, Kirishima saw Bakugou’s head lift and turn slightly in his direction. Faintly seeing half-open red eyes looking at him, Kirishima froze.

“You go to sleep way too late” Bakugou mumbled tiredly.

“Sorry” Kirishima whispered. “It doesn’t happen often, I promise.”

Blushing slightly as he realized he insinuated that he expected this to happen again, Kirishima tucked his arms into the covers, keeping his back to Bakugou. A moment of silence passed, only interrupted by the sound of Bakugou turning around in bed.

“Sharky?” Bakugou whispered.

Kirishima’s breathing itched, yet he let out a questioning hum.

“Y’don’t hug your shark plushie to sleep?”

Sheepish at the thought of Bakugou judging him, Kirishima mumbled a quiet ‘nah’. Truth was, he did. Every night. With the exception of school trips, he had never really slept without his plushie.

Wrapping his arms around his own chest, Kirishima could tell he would have troubles falling asleep without it. But that was fine. If that was the price he had to pay to have Bakugou stay close, Kirishima was ready to sacrifice his hugging habit.

“Liar. I saw you with it on the floor” Bakugou whispered, not a single hint of ridicule in his voice. “It’s cute. You don’t have to hide it.”

Cute.

Silence fell over them, yet that word seemed to echo off the walls of the room a few times. Kirishima couldn’t tell if Bakugou meant that his plushie was cute, that the habit was cute, or that he was cute.

Kirishima chose to ignore the comment altogether. Closing his eyes, he tightened his arms around himself and let the silence linger. Hopefully the blond would ignore his lack of response and fall back to sleep.

“If you’re too embarrassed to hug it, you can hug me instead.”

His heart skipping a beat, Kirishima’s eyes shot wide open.

The offer resonated in his skull. He was very thankful he wasn’t facing Bakugou right now. Bakugou would have probably laughed his ass off at how quickly Kirishima’s face had burned up at the thought of hugging Bakugou to sleep.

Kirishima stayed still, trying to keep his breathing easy, trying to act as if he was already asleep.

Listening to the loud silence, his face felt like it had been set aflame.

“Suit yourself” Bakugou breathed out. “G’night.”

=====

The clock said it was one in the morning.

Kirishima still couldn’t fall asleep.

He eyed the edge of the bed, thinking about picking up his plushie.

He glanced over at Bakugou, wishing he had the guts to accept his offer.

He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping exhaustion would knock him out soon.

Chapter Text

When Kirishima woke up, he felt refreshed.

Lazy, but refreshed.

Through his heavy eyelids, he could see that the room was already completely submerged in light.

Despite how little he had slept, this might have been the best sleep he had had in months – and he didn’t want to wake up any time soon. He let himself bathe in the morning sunlight, enjoying how cozy he felt.

Kirishima cuddled his head closer and wrapped his arms tighter, hoping he would manage to get a few more minutes of sleep before his alarm started blasting his ears off.

Then, he finally realized he was hugging something – and it wasn’t his soft plushie.

Waking up, he finally realized there was an arm thrown over his waist and a hand resting in his hair.

Oh shit, he thought.

Heart instantly picking up the pace, Kirishima’s sleepy eyes forced themselves open.

He was immediately confronted with Bakugou’s t-shirt. He was so close to him that that was all he could see without moving. Frozen still, Kirishima realized that he wasn’t only hugging Bakugou; he was clinging onto him. Both his arms were tightly wrapped around the boy’s chest and one of his legs was swung over him.

Kirishima held his breath, trying to figure out how to let go of him without waking him up. One of his legs tangled with Bakugou’s, he knew that would be nearly impossible to pull off.

Before he could attempt anything, he felt the hand in his hair move ever so slightly. However, Kirishima couldn’t tell if the movement was voluntary or not.

Slowly, he distanced his head from Bakugou’s chest, trying to see if the boy was still sleeping.

Unfortunately for Kirishima’s weak heart, Bakugou’s eyes were very much awake and staring at him.

Looking at him, Kirishima assumed he had to be dreaming – because Bakugou somehow looked even more handsome than usual. His blond hair, messily resting on one of Kirishima’s pillows, seemed to be glowing under the streaks of morning sunlight. The scars on Bakugou’s cheeks stretched to the side because of a small smile that pressed onto his lips – which seemed very soft this close up.

Despite being awake, Bakugou didn’t move to break the cuddle. The strong arm wrapped around Kirishima’s waist stayed still and comfortable, lazily securing him into the warmth of a morning hug.

Bakugou’s hand moved over Kirishima’s head again, fingers brushing through his hair – intentionally this time.

“About time you woke up” Bakugou murmured. “I’m not used to sleeping in.”

Hearing his voice, Kirishima crashed back down to reality. Eyes widening in shock, he took a sharp inhale and shoved himself out of the embrace.

Too overwhelmed, Kirishima accidentally pushed himself out of the hug so quickly that he went over the edge of the bed and fell to the floor. Thankfully, his head landed on his plushie, but his back landed rather roughly, sending a small jolt of pain up his spine.

Bakugou let out a small, almost amused huff.

“So?” Bakugou said, leaning over the bed to look at him. “What do you prefer? Hugging your shark or me?”

The answer was obvious, but Kirishima absolutely couldn’t say it out loud.

“I – ” Kirishima tried to find a reply, lost in red eyes.

Before he could continue stammering his way through his feelings, his alarm started ringing loudly.

Bakugou smirked, jumping out of the bed and turning the alarm off. The blond didn’t help him off the floor, he simply started walking out to go to his own dorm to get ready for the day.

“Bet it’s me” Bakugou teased as he walked out.

The door closing, Kirishima slammed his blushed face into his plushie and let out a muffled groan.

Chapter Text

It took Kirishima a solid ten minutes for his racing brain to calm down enough for him to start getting ready for the day. His face was still hot as he rushed to put his uniform on.

Pay attention.

Fixing up his hair, Kirishima eyed himself in the mirror, unsure what to think.

In less than 12 hours, Bakugou had held his hand, fallen asleep in his room, called him cute, offered to hug him to sleep, pet his hair as he held him, and smiled softly at him in bed. Everything was adding up and tugging at Kirishima’s heart. Everything was hinting that Bakugou might – just might – like him.

Despite the possibility that Bakugou liked him back slowly forming in his mind, Kirishima couldn’t take it seriously. He had a feeling Ashido’s words were making him see things and reach conclusions that weren’t true. He was simply being over-attentive of acts that didn’t mean anything.

Realizing he might be putting his hopes up for nothing, Kirishima’s expression turned gloomy.

“Oi, we’re gonna be late.”

Not expecting Bakugou to come back at all, Kirishima hardened himself in surprise. His hairbrush nearly snapped in half in his hand.

Already smirking, the blond was leaning on the bathroom doorframe, his own bag swung over one of his shoulders. Seeing him again, Kirishima’s skin tinted pink.

“You should learn how to knock” Kirishima said, trying not to be self-conscious. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“You’d have as much of a heart attack hearing a knock too” Bakugou snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “And waiting for you to come open the door is a waste of time. So that’s not happening.”

Kirishima smiled lightly, happy to see that nothing had changed in between them despite their morning hug and his ungraceful fall to the floor.

“So much for privacy” Kirishima awkwardly laughed, finishing up his hair.

“Pff – as if you got something to hide” Bakugou grinned.

Locking eyes with himself in the mirror, Kirishima’s expression froze. If only Bakugou knew how much he was hiding from him.

“You done yet, sharky?” Bakugou asked. “Your hair’s not getting any shittier than that.”

With an uneasy sigh, Kirishima placed this hairbrush down and nodded.

“C’mon then, we’re really going to be late” Bakugou smirked. “You don’t want EraserHead scolding our asses today – you know damn well the bastard won’t give us any extra time.”

Remembering their exam was on the first period, Kirishima’s eyes widened.

“Shit” Kirishima let out, dashing out of the bathroom to go grab his bag.

“You forgot about the exam, didn’t you?” Bakugou snorted, opening the door for him.

“Maybe” Kirishima replied, quickly walking past him.

Bakugou snickered as he closed the door and ran to catch up with him. They both dashed down the staircase, not bothering to go get breakfast and simply half-running their way to school.

Perhaps it was Kirishima who initiated it out of stress or perhaps it was Bakugou who knew he would need it, but, as they ran, Bakugou’s hand joined his.

Kirishima was too stressed to notice.

=====

He nearly tore the exam paper in two when he erased yet another mistake.

Stress of failure was rising to Kirishima’s guts, making his jaw tense up. The problems seemed relatively easy, but he was so anxious at the thought of messing up that he kept messing up. His eyes darted at the clock so often that he felt like he was spending more time watching time waste away then he was actually doing the exam.

As he started the question over, he saw Ashido swiftly and discreetly turn around to put a small piece of paper on his desk.

Keeping his pen on the paper, Kirishima awkwardly took it out of sight and unfolded it under the desk. He silently sighed as he did so, expecting to read something along the lines of ‘I can’t solve #2, can you give me your answer please?’.

That wasn’t what was written at all. It wasn’t even words.

It was a drawing of a heart – with the initials B and K in it.

As quickly as he could, Kirishima crumpled the paper up and shoved it in his pocket. Face turning red in the middle of the exam, he nearly threw his pencil at Ashido.

=====

It was finally over.

Standing up to go give in his copy, Kirishima’s mind flooded with relief. Despite his stress and Ashido’s teasing, the exam had gone very well. He had managed to both finish and have enough time to revise his answers – a first since arriving at U.A..

With Ashido lined up in front of him to give the exam, Kirishima didn’t shy away from kicking at her heel a few times as payback. She kicked him back in return, sticking her tongue out in tease.

With how well the exam went, Kirishima quickly forgave her.

A moment later, Bakugou lined up behind him. The boy gave him a questioning look, probably wondering if his exam had gone well. Kirishima held in his excitement as best he could, knowing their teacher would scold him if he spoke before the copy was handed over.

When they finally stepped out of the class, Kirishima broke into a huge smile.

Without hesitation, in the middle of the corridor for all to see, Kirishima quickly wrapped his arms around Bakugou – catching him off guard. The blond was probably going to stumble backward, but Kirishima squeezed him tightly in place. Bakugou didn’t shove him off, a small snort escaping the boy’s mouth and buzzing into his ear.

Cheeks hurting in happiness, Kirishima slightly lifted Bakugou off the floor by accident. He didn’t care that Ashido was two steps behind him. This was what friends did. This wasn’t anything suspicious, he was simply really grateful and overjoyed.

“So, fuck my lungs, huh?” Bakugou huffed out, a breathless grunt carrying his words.

“Sorry” Kirishima laughed, letting go of him.

Feet returning to the floor, the boy didn’t take a step back. Kirishima only smiled even wider when he noticed Bakugou had the faintest of proud smiles on his face.

“Exam went well?” Bakugou asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah!” Kirishima gleamed. “Thanks so much for all the help, dude. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Don’t mention it, sharky” Bakugou huffed, bumping his shoulder.

Kirishima returned the bump right as Kaminari loudly groaned and walked out of the classroom.

“Y’all going to get lunch?” Kaminari asked, looking like his exam hadn’t gone well at all.

“Sure” Ashido replied, pushing Bakugou to walk in front.

Bakugou glared back at her but complied. Kaminari walked alongside the blond, asking what answers he had reached. After only a few steps, Kirishima saw Ashido discreetly wave in front of him, trying to get him to walk at a slower pace.

Noticing she wanted to talk privately, Kirishima’s smile wavered a little. Ashido fluttered her eyelashes innocently.

Kaminari’s face sank in despair as Bakugou explained how he was supposed to solve one of the questions. She eyed the both of them, making sure they were far enough to not hear them talk.

“Did you notice how he didn’t threaten to blast your head off, just now?” Ashido whispered.

Kirishima glanced at her, his smile slowly dissipating.

“It was just a hug, he had no reason to be angry” Kirishima mumbled.

Ashido scoffed – before sprinting to catch up with Bakugou and Kaminari.

Seeing Ashido throw her arms around Bakugou’s neck, Kirishima let out an audible groan. As expected, as soon as he registered he was being hugged, the blond elbowed her in the stomach – a warning blast drowning out his screamed ‘Piss off, raccoon eyes’.

Ashido bickered with him for a moment before nonchalantly hugging Kaminari as well to not be suspicious. By the time they reached the stairs, she had already managed to slip back out of their conversation.

“You caught him off guard” Kirishima mumbled as she approached him.

“So did you. Only difference was who was hugging him.”

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It doesn’t? How about the fact that you two were holding hands again this morning?”

“We were?” Kirishima asked, unaware.

“Imagine being so used to holding his hand you don’t even notice it anymore” Ashido teased.

“We were in a rush” Kirishima groaned.

“And why’s that?” Ashido asked, grinning. “How did Bakugou early-riser Katsuki almost end up late?”

Being forced to return to the feeling of the morning hug, with their bodies all tangled up and comfortable together, Kirishima’s eyes wandered to the side.

“You’re just paying too much attention” Kirishima awkwardly blurted out. “It was nothing.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” Ashido guessed. “C’mon Kiri, no matter what happened this morning, he still waited for you and held your hand. It’s soooo obvious he likes you.”

Kirishima looked over at Bakugou walking into the cafeteria ahead of them. He really wished he could be as certain as Ashido was.

“I… don’t see it” Kirishima sadly admitted.

Ashido rolled her eyes.

“Alright, how about this,” Ashido started, “if you’re comfortable, you could confess to the rest of the squad and ask them what they think.”

At the thought of having even more people know how he felt, Kirishima’s guts turned on themselves.

“How would that change anything?” Kirishima asked.

“It wouldn't change much, buuut you’d get more point of views” Ashido smiled, nudging him lightly. “If they all think Bakugou likes you back, then, it could help you see that something’s going on.”

Kirishima’s mouth squeezed, not wanting to admit it would be nice to have more opinions.

“I managed to get Bakugou to cook something for me tonight,” Ashido pressed on, “so the coast is clear. It won’t be suspicious at all, promise!”

“I’m not sure – ” Kirishima started, wanting to decline.

“Come on! You love him” Ashido teased.

From afar, Bakugou turned his head in their direction. The blond raised an eyebrow at them, thankfully not seeming to have heard their conversation. Giving the boy an awkward smile, Kirishima’s skin flushed.

Blond hair turning away from him, Kirishima’s smile sank. This was torture. As much as he didn’t want to lose Bakugou, he couldn’t continue like this for long. He needed to know if they had a chance to be together. If Kaminari, Shinsou, and Sero all thought Bakugou liked him as well, perhaps Kirishima could build up the confidence to confess.

Ashido waited until Kaminari completely caught Bakugou’s attention again before continuing.

“And you know the boys won’t judge you – c’mon! You got nothing to lose!”

Eyeing the back of Bakugou’s head, Kirishima sighed heavily.

“Fine, yeah…” Kirishima let out. “Yeah, I can tell them too.”

=====

After classes, Kirishima was held back by Tetsutetsu – who had bumped into him and asked for his opinion on an upcoming hero costume redesign he had in mind. Kirishima had happily given his opinion, finding it manly as always. He had maintained the conversation far past costume redesigns, secretly procrastinating heading to the dorms because he knew Ashido would be waiting for him.

Still, the time came. Entering the dorm with an agitated heart, Kirishima was hit with a mixture of good smells. Suspecting it was Bakugou cooking – and curious to see what Ashido had asked him to make –, Kirishima wandered into the kitchen.

With a black apron on, Bakugou was already surrounded by ingredients. He was chopping scallions at a terrifying pace while an okonomiyaki sizzled in a pan.

Noticing him walk in, the blond smirked.

“Sorry, sharky, you can’t hug me while I cook” Bakugou said, setting the knife down. “I got shit to do.”

“It – it looks good” Kirishima stammered, ignoring the blond’s words.

“Of course it does, I’m the one cooking it” Bakugou smirked, flipping over the okonomiyaki.

As Kirishima leaned over the counter, fascinated by Bakugou’s cooking abilities, rapid footsteps ran up on him. Knowing very well it was Ashido, Kirishima sighed deeply.

“Kiri!” Ashido said, seizing his arm. “You have to come see this! Kaminari managed to plug ten chargers in his nose! And they all work!”

“He what?” Kirishima blurted out, a little worried.

“What a fucking idiot” Bakugou snorted from the kitchen.

“Oh – and bossman! Don’t put any of that spicy stuff!” Ashido called out as they walked away. “You’ll ruin it!”

“Ruin it?” Bakugou screamed back. “Your taste buds are weak.”

Chapter Text

Entering Ashido’s room, Kirishima found the others were already there – and he realized Ashido had lied to drag him away as unsuspiciously as possible.

The room had been rather calm before they entered. Sero was on Ashido’s bed, seeming to have been chatting with Shinsou before they had arrived. The purple-head was sitting on Ashido’s beanbag with Kaminari sitting on his lap. The latter was playing on his phone, thankfully without any chargers stuck up his nose.

“Whew, glad that worked” Ashido sighed as she closed the door.

Awkwardly, Kirishima walked in and eyed his group of friends, knowing he would need to confess. Noticing his red face, the conversation inside the room died out. Sero and Shinsou seemed confused to see him in this state, whereas Kaminari looked very interested.

“What’s this about?” Shinsou asked, resting his chin on Kaminari’s shoulder.

Already dying from embarrassment, Kirishima threw himself onto Ashido’s bed. He sat against the bedframe, bringing his legs up. Taking one of her pink pillows, Kirishima hesitated, thinking this might be a horrible idea.

“Care to do the honours?” Ashido asked him.

The room fell dreadfully silent. Looking back at his friends’ intrigued expressions, Kirishima knew he had to say something. They wouldn’t let him go until they found out why he was acting like this.

He took an uneasy breath and squeezed the pillow into a hug.

“What’s wrong dude?” Sero asked, looking a little worried.

“Nothing’s wrong… It’s just…” Kirishima whispered. “I’m… in love with Bakugou.”

Hesitantly, as he spoke, he raised his eyes to see his friends’ reaction. As Sero’s frown deepened, Shinsou squinted his eyes at him in disbelief. Kaminari’s excitement only grew, a huge grin appearing on the boy’s face.

“I knew it!” Kaminari screeched. “Sero, Hito, you owe me and Ashido twenty bucks.”

Hearing that, all Kirishima could do was shove his head into the pillow.

“We had a bet?” Sero asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“Yeah, last year” Ashido giggled.

“Ugh, really? Why did we even accept to bet on that” Sero groaned, sounding like he was handing over money to Kaminari or Ashido. “It’s their own business.”

“Because someone didn’t give us a choice” Shinsou snickered.

As Shinsou said that, Kaminari erupted into laughter. Discreetly, Kirishima raised his face just enough to look at them to see what was happening.

Shinsou was tickling Kaminari from behind, mercilessly sending him into a breathless laughing fit. Watching Kaminari struggle to get out of his boyfriend’s reach, Ashido and Sero chuckled.

Kirishima’s mouth squeezed. He wondered if Bakugou was also ticklish – if he could make him burst into laughter like this as well. In all honesty, he started being a little jealous of his friends.

Quickly enough, Kaminari managed to jump off of Shinsou’s lap.

“Ok but you have to admit,” Kaminari said, catching his breath, “it makes sense.”

“Makes sense?” Shinsou repeated, a little dubious.

“Yeah!” Kaminari replied. “Those two are really close – and I’m 200% sure Bakugou likes him too.”

Kirishima hesitantly took the rest of his burning face off the pillow.

“You think so?” Kirishima mumbled.

“Duh” Kaminari answered. “Only love could explain why you manage to make U.A.’s-infamous-feral-cat-with-a-resting-bitch-face smile!”

“Oh come on, he’s not that bad anymore” Kirishima said.

“He flipped off a five-year-old yesterday” Sero snorted.

“The kid did flip him off first” Shinsou snickered, inviting Kaminari to come back to sit with him. “He deserved it.”

Kaminari landed on Shinsou’s lap again and gave the purple head a quick peck on the cheek. Kirishima darted his eyes away, the awful feeling of jealousy setting in for good.

“Ok – he’s not the best role model but that’s not him being feral” Kirishima sighed. “He doesn’t look angry all the time. He smiles sometimes.”

Eyes fixed on Ashido’s bed, Kirishima could almost see Bakugou’s small smile as they laid in bed together. The view had imprinted itself in his heart.

“Fine, maybe I’m exaggerating a little,” Kaminari said, “but you got to admit he def doesn’t smile a lot.”

“He mainly smiles when he’s with you, Kiri” Ashido nodded.

Kirishima barely heard her, lost in the memory. It wasn’t only the view that had consumed his heart. The feeling of Bakugou hugging him wouldn’t leave him. It was the kind of warmth he knew he would never be able to forget, the kind of softness he knew he could never get enough of.

The kind of smile he wanted to see forever.

“Smiling doesn’t mean much tho” Kirishima mumbled.

“From Bakugou?” Kaminari laughed. “Kiridude, a smile from him is basically a marriage proposal. I’m betting he really reaaaally likes you. If I’m wrong, you can steal my Switch for a month.”

“That’s mine” Shinsou snorted.

“Oh, true” Kaminari said, sticking out his tongue. “Then, uh, you – ”

“Nah, you can keep the Switch up for grabs,” Shinsou interrupted, “because I’m starting to think you and Ashido are right. Bakugou’s into him.”

Kirishima dared to look back at the duo sitting on the beanbag, really surprised to hear more of his friends starting to agree with Ashido.

“Seeee?” Ashido told him. “I’m not the only one who thinks Bakugou feels the same.”

Squeezing the pillow, Kirishima started hoping they were right. There was only one more opinion to go.

“Sero?” Kirishima mumbled. “What do you think?”

“Me?” Sero asked, pointing at his own face, a little shocked to be called out. “Think what about what?”

“Do you think… Bakugou likes me too?” Kirishima clarified, face not getting any opportunity to cool down.

“Oh, umm, well, according to my very professional opinion,” Sero said, his tone as unserious as could be, “I believe that Bakugou’s a heartless raging psychopath – ”

Ashido smacked him over the head.

“Ouch! Let me finish!” Sero laughed. “As rough as he is, Bakugou’s soft for you, Kiri. With the way he acts, there’s definitely something that makes you different for him. My bets are also on love.”

Kirishima sank the lower part of his face in the pillow, hiding his wobbly smile.

“Glad we all agree” Ashido said, smiling widely. “What now, Kiri?”

Heart palpitating out of his chest, Kirishima hesitated to open his mouth. With all his friends thinking Bakugou really did share his feelings, it was hard to resist trying to figure out the truth once and for all.

“How do I…” Kirishima started, eyeing the four of them. “How do I tell him?”

Ashido gave him a grinning look before pointing at Kaminari and Shinsou.

“Huh?” Kaminari voiced. “What about us?”

Catching on quicker than Kaminari, Kirishima’s mouth soured.

“You guys could help!” Ashido said. “You two lived through this before, you’ve got valuable experience to share.”

Remembering the mess of a day that was when Shinsou tried to confess to Kaminari, Kirishima eyed the yellow-head, wanting to make sure he truly had become more comfortable talking about it.

“Lived through it” Sero half-audibly repeated, probably only heard by Kirishima. “Real smooth, pinks.”

Kaminari’s eyes flashed in fear for a split second, probably reliving through the confession from a year ago. Kirishima doubted they could have had it worse. When Shinsou had finally said ‘I love you’, Kaminari had discharged so much electricity that he had falsely triggered the fire alarms, had caused the school security barrier to fail, and – worst of all – had accidentally sent Shinsou into cardiac arrest.

Shinsou seemed a little worried too, eyeing his boyfriend to make sure he was alright. Kirishima noticed him hug him a little tighter, a reminder that he was fine.

Fortunately, the worry didn’t stay for long. “I almost killed him!” Kaminari chuckled lightly, really not seeming as pained by the memory as before. “You’re asking the wrong people.”

“I’m asking the perfect people” Ashido laughed.

“We can learn from the worst!” Sero tauntingly added.

“Low blow” Kaminari groaned. “Seriously, that was out of my control.”

Kirishima smiled, glad to see the couple had moved past their rough start.

“Oh, sure for the part where your Quirk went crazy” Sero said. “But the part where you didn’t speak to Shinsou for an entire week following that? That was very much in your control.”

“I was scared!” Kaminari said. “And what was I supposed to say? ‘Sorry for giving you a heart attack – it’s cause I like you too. Date me please?’ No! That would’ve been awkward as hell!”

“You could have at least given him flowers or something” Ashido said, rolling her eyes.

“He wasn’t sure in which hospital room I was” Shinsou defended Kaminari with a smile. “Can’t blame him.”

“He could have known if he had come to visit you with us” Kirishima said. “He was just too embarrassed to see you again.”

“Doesn’t matter” Shinsou shrugged. “Point is, I don’t think we’re the most qualified to help you.”

“Yeah, no” Kaminari said. “You don’t need our help anyway. You’ll do better than us.”

“Uugh, really? You guys don’t want to help at all?” Ashido pressed on. “Not even a tiny advice from sir brainwash?”

“Oh, I do have one advice” Shinsou snickered. “Before you go confess to him, make sure you have an ambulance on standby.”

“Babe” Kaminari groaned.

Shinsou smirked, kissing the back of Kaminari’s neck in forgiveness.

“He doesn’t need that advice” Sero pensively said. “I don’t think Kiri even needs to tell Bakugou – I think he can go for a more direct method.”

Kirishima eyed him, expecting more of an elaboration. Sero smiled, putting his fists together to copy Kirishima’s signature move.

“You brace yourself, harden your Quirk,” Sero explained, “and kiss him.”

His eyes widened, really not expecting that kind of suggestion.

“What – NO?!” Kirishima screeched. “I can’t do that!”

“Why not?” Sero laughed. “Even if he decides to try to blast your head off, you’ll survive just fine – no need for an ambulance! Actually, you two are a match made in heaven; with your Quirk, you’re the only one who could survive him.”

Kirishima shoved his face in his hands, feeling like he was burning all over at the thought of kissing Bakugou.

“Oh my god, Sero! It’s not a question of survival” Ashido said, throwing a pillow at the boy.

“I was just saying there’s nothing to fear” Sero replied, catching the pillow and swiftly throwing it in the air to tape it to the ceiling in revenge. “You won’t end up like Shinsou, promise.”

“Can we stop bringing that up” Kaminari groaned as Ashido jumped to try to reach her lost pillow.

“Nope, you’re stuck with it forever, sparks” Shinsou said, squeezing Kaminari from behind.

“Point is – Bakugou –” Ashido said in between jumps “won’t – attack him.”

Ashido managed to grab her pillow, roughly hitting Sero over the head with it a few times.

“Yeah, I know” Sero laughed as he tried to defend himself. “That’s my point. Kiri could totally just kiss him and see what happens.”

“Explosions or not, no – I can’t, no” Kirishima stammered, his hands twitching in apprehension. “That’s out of the question.”

“Finee” Sero groaned.

“Where’s your sense of adventure” Shinsou jokingly said.

Letting go of her pillow, Ashido let out a loud gasp. An idea seeming to have dawned on her, her eyes filled with excitement.

“What if I plan something tomorrow?” She almost shrieked.

“Like what?” Kaminari asked.

“Something that will definitely confirm whether or not Bakugou likes him” Ashido vaguely offered.

“… How could you prove that?” Kirishima questioned.

Ashido grinned and brought a finger to her lips.

“You’ll find out tomorrow” she answered.

“I like some mystery” Sero grinned. “Can we help?”

“Of course!” Ashido said. “I need all of you. Kiri, are you in?”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea” Kirishima let out.

“Come on dude!” Kaminari said. “She always has great ideas!”

“Always?” Sero scoffed.

“We almost got expelled last month because of one of her ideas!” Kirishima argued, voice filled with dread.

“Hey!” Ashido groaned. “That doesn’t count! Most of that was Kami’s idea.”

“Was not” Kaminari retorted, half-chuckling. “I said it would be funny if we put fishes in the swimming pool. You’re the one who went and bought ten squids and convinced us to help!”

“We weren’t very hard to convince” Shinsou said. “It’s everyone’s fault.”

“Come on guys,” Ashido grinned, “it’s nothing Nedzu can scold us for this time.”

“I somehow don’t believe that” Sero scoffed.

Kirishima eyed Ashido, absolutely not liking the idea of letting her lead whatever plan she had in mind.

“Aww, don’t give me that look!” Ashido said. “I wouldn’t do anything that would put you in trouble.”

“What’s your plan?” Kirishima asked, not liking the suspense.

“It’s a mystery” Sero replied for her.

“Can you at least tell us where it’ll take place?” Shinsou asked, probably trying to help Kirishima become more at ease with the idea.

“In the common room downstairs after classes” Ashido said. “It’ll be fun.”

Kirishima frowned. Hearing her say it would be fun absolutely didn’t give him any confidence.

“I want you two idiots to end up together” Ashido pressed on, seeing his uneasiness. “Pinky promise, it can only help.”

Grinning, his four friends looked at him, expecting an answer. Out of all of them, Kirishima eyed Kaminari and Shinsou specifically.

They had managed to end up together despite their messy start. Surely it could work out for him and Bakugou.

“Fine, we can follow your plan” Kirishima gave in.

Ashido jumped in excitement, quickly dashing up to him to grab his arm.

“Great!” Ashido shrieked, dragging him off her bed. “Now off you go! We need to plan it without you!”

“What – ” Kirishima started, stumbling on his footsteps.

“Oh nice, we’re really in on it?” Kaminari excitedly said.

“Yup!” Ashido replied, opening the door to her dorm to push Kirishima out. “See you tomorrow Kiri!”

The door noisily shutting behind him, Kirishima blinked in confusion. His face still warm, he darted his eyes down the corridor, happy to find that nobody was there.

Hearing Ashido’s giggle on the other side of the door, he held his breath, wanting to stay and listen to the plan. A moment of silence passed before the door opened again – Ashido waving her arms at him as she mockingly said ‘shoo’.

Having no choice, Kirishima groaned and turned around to leave. Fanning his face to calm down, he went back downstairs to join Bakugou in the kitchen. Seeing blond hair again, Kirishima’s breathing itched a little.

The boy was almost done with the okonomiyaki, having cooked enough for 5 people.

“Did Pikachu manage to get the chargers out?” Bakugou snickered as he took off his apron.

Kirishima frowned, having momentarily forgotten about Ashido’s lie.

“Oh – yeah, he thankfully didn’t get hurt” Kirishima lied, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

“He should have” Bakugou said. “Maybe he would've learned his lesson.”

“Don’t act as if you don’t use him as a human charger too” Kirishima teased, trying to push away his stress concerning Ashido’s mysterious plan.

“Irrelevant, he’s still a massive idiot” Bakugou scoffed. “Are the others coming down soon?”

As the boy walked out of the kitchen, he sent a glance toward the staircase, not seeming to expect to see anyone. Red eyes quickly glanced back at him, waiting for an answer.

“No idea dude” Kirishima replied, trying to force a smile.

“Too bad for them if the food gets cold” Bakugou shrugged. “Anyway, I’m not hungry yet. Want to hit the gym first instead?”

Without much of a warning, Bakugou swung his leg up, kicking him on the shoulder. Kirishima only barely managed to harden himself in time, shoving the leg away.

“Been a while since our last brawl” Bakugou grinned. “You down? Or are you too scared to lose?”

“Pft – hell no, I’m not losing today” Kirishima smiled. “Bring it on.”

Chapter Text

Neither of them had won a round yet.

Dodging another one of Bakugou’s jabs, sweat flew off of Kirishima’s forehead.

Hardening his fist some more, he managed to return a punch. Before he could even notice if it pained Bakugou, the blond made an explosion directed at the floor to project himself into the air. The ceiling of the gym wasn’t as high as the training grounds, but it was just high enough for Bakugou to use the air above the fighting ring to his advantage. While the rules stated that they had to stay within the confines of the fighting ring, nothing specified that they had to stay on the ground.

Kirishima darted his eyes up, and, barely a fraction of a second later, saw Bakugou aiming at him mid-air. The grinning blond let out a multitude of fast-paced shots in his direction. Smoke impairing his vision, Kirishima lunged out of the way and tried – with difficulty – to avoid accidentally jumping out of the ring.

Quickly enough, gravity carried Bakugou back down to the floor. Hearing him land, Kirishima dashed in his direction, not wanting to waste an opportunity to attack now that he was within his reach.

As he threw a punch at Bakugou’s silhouette in the smoke, another explosion shattered through the air. Bakugou successfully dodged him again. Almost instantaneously, the boy managed to get behind Kirishima and swiftly swiped him off his feet.

Despite no longer touching the ground, Kirishima didn’t fall to the floor. An arm holding his back and another holding the back of his knees, Kirishima froze. Intentionally or not, Bakugou was holding him bridal style – and Kirishima couldn’t help but remember the time he had carried Bakugou in a similar fashion.

He pushed the memory aside as best he could and looked upwards in confusion.

Through the clearing smoke, he saw Bakugou smirk – and wink at him.

“Too slow” Bakugou said.

Kirishima didn’t have any time to process the wink before Bakugou dropped him. Back finally roughly landing on the ground, Kirishima coughed.

A foot landed on his chest, effectively pinning him down. Smoke finally clearing away completely, Kirishima noticed Bakugou aiming at his face. The boy was also covered in sweat – but he still had that unwavering smirk on his face.

“Eighteen, seventeen, sixteen…” Bakugou counted as he stepped on his chest a little harder, a warning he was about to win the fight.

“No mercy at all, huh?” Kirishima panted out, grabbing hold of Bakugou’s ankle.

Bakugou let out explosions toward his hands. Although hardened, the strength of the detonations still hurt Kirishima enough for him to let go.

“Nope – thirteen,” Bakugou snickered, “twelve, eleven…”

Like hell I’m losing, Kirishima thought, a small grin on his face.

“… ten, nine – ”

As rapidly as he could to catch him off guard, Kirishima shifted his lower body and kicked the back of Bakugou’s knees. The blond stumbled forward, leaving Kirishima’s chest free.

Not wasting time, Kirishima jumped to his feet and lunged to attack his friend. Slightly disoriented, he leaped at Bakugou a little too hard, accidentally making the both of them roll to the floor.

Kirishima accidentally landed on top of Bakugou. The blond let out a pained grunt at the unplanned attack.

“Bastard – ” Bakugou mumbled, trying to get the upper hand.

Although unexpected, Kirishima wasn’t going to let Bakugou go. Sitting on his chest, Kirishima punched the blond in the face – stunning him slightly. At the sight of a bit of blood flying out of his mouth, Kirishima’s fists loosened, hating the thought of really hurting him.

The initial daze over, Bakugou seemed as unfazed as always by the pain, swiftly raising his arms to blast Kirishima straight in the face.

Right before Bakugou started blowing him up, Kirishima’s eyes half-mindedly noticed the boy’s armpits.

Explosions submerged him in a blinding light. Kirishima hardened himself as much as he could, keeping the struggling blond pinned to the floor.

The pit of his stomach twisted in envy.

Despite getting blasted in the face, all Kirishima could think of was whether or not Bakugou was ticklish. He wanted what Kaminari and Shinsou had. He was jealous of a lot of things – but, today especially, he was jealous of Kaminari’s laughter.

You know what? Kirishima thought through the unending explosions. Why not find out.

In the blinding light, Kirishima held out his hands to grab Bakugou’s arms. In response, the blond kneed him in the back, but Kirishima stayed firmly in place.

Trailing down muscular arms, Kirishima’s finger gradually unhardened themselves.

“What – ”

Reaching the blond’s armpit, Kirishima grinned and tickled Bakugou. Instantly, the blond let out a sharp scream as he let out an explosion – far stronger than before.

The detonation made Kirishima’s ears ring for a moment. Once he could hear something again, he heard choked-up giggles escaping Bakugou’s mouth. Hearing that, Kirishima was washed over with warmth. Mostly the explosion’s warmth, but also warmth derived from happiness.

The blond tightening his arms to his side, Kirishima struggled to keep tickling his ribs. Incapable of stopping him, Bakugou broke out into full-on laughter.

Bakugou’s struggles to free himself from under Kirishima’s weight only quadrupled, however his explosions started to falter. In spite of kicks and punches, hearing his building laughter, Kirishima wasn’t letting go of him any time soon.

If Kirishima had thought it was impossible for him to fall even more in love with Bakugou, he had been dead wrong.

“Fuck off!” Bakugou laughed out, nothing but small sparks escaping his palms.

“I didn’t know you were ticklish” Kirishima chuckled, leaning forward a little.

“Am not” Bakugou lied, slamming a hand on Kirishima’s face to try to push him off of him.

Raising his hand meant his armpit was free again – and Kirishima didn’t waste a moment before aiming there. Bakugou again struggled to squeeze his arms to the side while also trying to push Kirishima off.

“Really?” Kirishima smiled widely. “Then what’s up, bro?”

Cackling so much he was out of breath, the blond couldn’t reply. The side of Bakugou’s eyes twinkled, tears threatening to escape his eyes.

“Fucking – ” Bakugou started, his words breaking into laughter.

“Umm?” Kirishima voiced. “Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

Bakugou’s legs stopped trying to kick him off.

“It’s been over twenty seconds!” Bakugou almost screeched through his laughter. “Fucking stop!”

Smiling uncontrollably, Kirishima let go of Bakugou and placed his hands on the floor next to the blond’s head.

“So, not ticklish?” Kirishima asked. “Not even one bit?”

“Fuck you” Bakugou chuckled, taking a sharp inhale to catch his breath.

Finally noticing how pink Bakugou’s skin was and how messy his hair looked, Kirishima suddenly became aware that he was not only pinning Bakugou to the floor, but also leaning over him. Their faces were now barely a few inches apart – the distance shortening ever so slightly when Bakugou’s head seemed to slightly lift off the ground.

Kirishima couldn’t tell if he imagined it or not, but he could have sworn Bakugou’s eyes wandered to his lips for a split second.

“You won” Bakugou smiled, going back to staring into his eyes. “Happy, asshole?”

Eyes also stealing a glance at Bakugou’s lips, Kirishima’s heart pounded into his ears. Embarrassment taking over again, Kirishima practically jumped off of Bakugou.

Unable to look at the flushed and still-smiling blond, Kirishima eyed the ground next to him. Doing so, he noticed they had both gone over the line delimitating the fighting ring.

“Oh – nope, I didn’t win” Kirishima awkwardly chuckled. “We both lost.”

Still on the floor, Bakugou tilted his head. Eyes landing on the line, he also finally noticed that they had both indeed gone over the limit.

“Good – you didn’t deserve that win anyway” Bakugou snorted. “I’m never falling for that ever again.”

“Better be on the lookout, then” Kirishima replied, trying to sound confident. “Cause I think I just found my winning strategy.”

“Piss off” Bakugou whispered, the corner of his mouth curling into a soft smile. “That’s not a real fighting strategy. Don’t fucking rely on it.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Kirishima was still feeling the high of happiness from hearing Katsuki laugh so much. Even as he dried his hair, having just showered, the brawl and laughter would not leave his mind.

You won. Happy, asshole?

Despite all the time that had passed, Kirishima’s smile would not falter. Bakugou had no idea how something as simple as his laughter could make his entire day – no, his entire week.

Desperately trying to stop his cheeks from smiling on their own, Kirishima sank his face in his bath towel. His face was starting to hurt from smiling too much – and Kirishima knew Bakugou was most likely already in his room. He couldn’t walk out looking like this.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes of forcing himself to keep a straight face, he felt confident enough to see Bakugou again – or rather, as confident as he thought he could get.

Once he got out of the bathroom, Kirishima found that Bakugou was indeed already in his room. Scrolling on his phone, the blond was laying on his back on Kirishima’s bed.

Red eyes glancing up to meet his, Kirishima couldn’t stop his lips from cracking into a smile again.

“Someone took his time” Bakugou huffed. “Chat’s been tagging you. Go reply, the notifications are driving me fucking insane.”

“What, really?” Kirishima said, his smile sinking in fear. “What are they talking about?”

“Something about planning a study session tomorrow” Bakugou replied. “I didn’t bother reading.”

Hearing that, Kirishima instantly went over to his desk and grabbed his own phone – trying as best he could not to look as panicked as he felt. He scrolled through the messages of their group chat. Even if Bakugou had said he didn’t read them, he wanted to make sure none of their friends had said anything that revealed his feelings.

Seeing nothing but normal texts, the invitation to study, and quite a few ‘@Red_Riot’s and ‘@Dynamight’s, Kirishima discreetly sighed in relief. The reassurance wasn’t much, though, as Kirishima knew very well that the invitation to study was a coverup for something else.

“Did you want to go?” Kirishima asked, almost unsure if he wanted to go in the first place.

“Don’t care” Bakugou replied. Used to his responses, Kirishima knew this one meant he’d go with little complaint.

“I think it would be nice” Kirishima lied to calm his own heart. “When’s the last time we studied as a group? Last month?”

“The correct answer is fucking never” Bakugou scoffed. “They never actually study when we meet up.”

Kirishima went over to his bed as Bakugou spoke. The blond pushed himself into a sitting position to let him some place to sit on the bed.

“They try, at least” Kirishima chuckled, knowing very well Bakugou was right. Studying plans almost always ended up with them goofing around instead of doing anything productive. “Maybe they’ll be a little more serious this time?”

As soon as Kirishima sat down, Bakugou went right back to laying down on his back – his head coming to rest on Kirishima’s lap.

“Still don’t care” Bakugou said, looking up at Kirishima. “I’m only going if you’re going.”

Kirishima was momentarily dazed by how handsome Bakugou was, looking up at him like this. His hand twitched around his phone, almost dropping it by accident.

“Well – uh, I’m going” Kirishima awkwardly let out.

“Fine by me” Bakugou grinned.

=====

Bakugou was sleeping next to him again.

Unable to fall asleep, Kirishima was sitting against the bedframe. In the darkness, he scrolled on his phone and read countless articles – all of them titled something along the lines of ‘How to Tell if Someone Likes You’.

If he took the articles at face value, they all suggested that Bakugou loved him. However, Kirishima kept finding counterarguments for every generalizations made by the articles. Compliments and touches could be affectionate signs of love, yes, but they could also mean nothing but friendship. Same went for smiles and time spent together; Bakugou might simply like his presence, not him. Other arguments simply didn’t apply to Bakugou; having sweaty palms was part of his Quirk, having different mood depending on who he was with was part of his explosive temper, and being nervous simply wasn’t like him.

In short, Kirishima found none of them helpful.

Tired, he glanced over at the clock. It was already 1AM. He was exhausted. Yet, reading all these articles, his mind felt restless.

Realizing he had gone as far as the 10^th page of Google, he let out a defeated sigh. It was useless to search more. All the articles were starting to repeat themselves, anyway.

Hoping he’d be able to fall asleep despite his racing thoughts, he placed his phone on the nightstand.

Before laying down, Kirishima fondly analyzed Bakugou. The boy was sleeping on his side, facing him, with the covers only brought up to his waist. Looking at the blond’s left arm, which seemed to be lazily reaching out to him, Kirishima gulped.

It would be fine if I hugged him again, right? Kirishima thought. Bakugou offered. He doesn’t mind.

Hesitating, Kirishima’s heart grew untamed. Unable to make a decision, he slowly laid down facing Bakugou and carefully brought the covers up. The blond didn’t react at all, already fast asleep.

Examining Bakugou’s face in the low luminosity, Kirishima’s chest weighted with uncertainty. These sleepovers were fine for now, but, if Ashido’s plan ended up disastrous, all their shared time together would end.

Maybe this is the last chance I’ll ever get to hug him, Kirishima thought.

An aching sadness shot through him.

At the thought of never having another opportunity to be this close to Bakugou again, Kirishima pushed all his hesitation and fear aside and shuffled a little closer.

Trying not to wake Bakugou up, Kirishima slowly lifted one of the blond’s arm and let it rest above his hip. With a shaky breath, he wrapped his arms around his friend. Although Bakugou felt incredibly soft and comfortable to hold, Kirishima was tense all over.

That was until Bakugou’s head shifted closer, coming to snuggle against his chest.

Feeling Bakugou’s arm squeeze his waist lightly, hugging him back in his sleep, Kirishima’s heart filled with warmth – and all worries left him. Whether or not he would be able to hug him again tomorrow was a problem for the future. Right now, he should let himself imagine everything would end up alright. Right now, he should enjoy Bakugou’s comforting presence as much as he could.

As Kirishima listened to Bakugou’s slow breathing against his chest, his own breathing grew steadier. In the peaceful silence, Kirishima gradually relaxed into the warm embrace.

Smiling, he went to sleep hoping their hug would never end.

=====

Early morning light had only started peeking through the curtains when Bakugou tried to get up. The boy had carefully wriggled his arm free and was trying to lift away Kirishima’s arm when he took notice.

Kirishima, still half-asleep, let out a small groan at the movement. He really didn’t want the hug to break, so he squeezed his arms around Bakugou tighter – perhaps a little too tight –, securing him in place.

“Five more minutes” Kirishima mumbled, still too tired to even realize what he was doing.

There was a small huff – and Bakugou’s attempt to get up stopped. Bakugou’s arm returned to rest on his waist, letting Kirishima enjoy the hug a little longer. Happily, Kirishima nestled Bakugou closer to him.

In the comfort, Kirishima fell back to sleep within moments.

When he woke up again to the sound of his alarm hammering his head, Kirishima’s arm instinctively searched for his missing hug. As he opened his heavy eyelids, he found that Bakugou was gone, the boy having managed to free himself without him noticing.

With a grunt, he turned around to close his alarm. Kirishima stayed in the silence for an instant, staring at the ceiling, not wanting to get up.

Remembering Ashido had something planned today, his guts churned.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The day had passed far too quickly for Kirishima’s liking. He had barely listened in class; he had mostly kept his eyes on the clock, giving it a dreadful look. He had watched as time wasted away, as Ashido’s plan loomed ever closer.

He had spent all day stressing and when he had seen Ashido rush out of the class right as the last bell rang, his anxiety only grew. Kaminari had quickly said she needed to go see a friend for an emergency, but Kirishima doubted he was telling the truth.

With Ashido missing, the rest of them had gone back to the dorm to study together as planned. Almost half an hour had passed already, and, for the most part, it had actually resembled a real studying session for once.

The room falling silent for a moment, Bakugou, who was sitting next to him on the couch, shifted in place to rest his head on Kirishima’s shoulder – making Kirishima’s heartbeat instantly spike. He shot an anxious glance up toward his other friends, but none of them took notice yet.

The others were all busy. Sero was sitting on the floor, his studying material on the low coffee table. On the other couch, Shinsou was reading a book with Kaminari sitting on his lap.

Seeing him tap away at his phone, Kirishima stared anxiously at Kaminari. He couldn’t tell if the boy was playing a game or texting someone.

As stressed as he was that his friends might comment on their closeness, Kirishima didn’t have the heart to nudge Bakugou off. The soft hair tickling the skin of his neck made his chest warm up. The familiar scent of caramel made his heart melt. Being close to him was simply too comfortable to resist.

Kirishima went back to his studies, trying not to think about how the others would react once they saw Bakugou resting his head on his shoulder.

As much as he wanted to concentrate, Kirishima couldn’t. He kept fearing when Ashido would show up – and now that Bakugou was sitting against him like this, his anxiety wouldn’t stop rising.

Thinking Ashido’s mysterious plan was destined to fail, Kirishima’s mouth wobbled with distaste.

“Uuughhh” Kaminari groaned, barely ten seconds later.

Hearing him, Kirishima instantly tensed up. He looked up to find his yellow-haired friend exaggeratedly stretching his arms up. Kaminari saw Bakugou and, locking eyes with Kirishima, gave them a teasing wink.

Hoping Bakugou hadn’t noticed the wink, Kirishima immediately glued his eyes back to his books.

“I’ve had enough of studying” Kaminari said.

“Had enough?” Sero repeated with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve been on your phone the entire time.”

Bakugou’s head shifted in place, the blond probably looking up at the others.

“I’ve had enough before we even started” Kaminari said. “But now I’ve had enough enough. The silence is boring and I can tell none of you really want to study.”

“Our exam was yesterday, no fucking wonder” Bakugou scoffed.

“Glad even you agree” Kaminari grinned. “I say we play a game!”

“Like what?” Shinsou asked, putting his book down on the couch next to them.

“How about truth or dare?” Kaminari offered as he turned around to face Shinsou.

“You just want to dare me to kiss you” Shinsou snorted.

“Maaaybe” Kaminari grinned, leaning closer.

Rolling his eyes, Shinsou whispered something along the lines of ‘you’re too predictable’ before closing the distance between them to give his boyfriend a quick kiss.

His newfound jealousy not wavering, Kirishima instantly averted his eyes away from the couple as soon as their lips pressed together. As discreetly as he could, he tilted his head to steal a glance at Bakugou – who was still studying with his head on his shoulder, minding his business.

“I’m down to play” Sero said, putting down his pen. “You in, Kiri?”

Kirishima snapped his head back toward his friends. By the grin on Sero’s face, he guessed he hadn’t been very subtle.

“Yeah, I’m in – sounds fun” Kirishima half-mindedly agreed, trying to act unbothered in an attempt to stop his skin from growing hot.

“And you, Bakugou?” Kaminari asked.

It was then that Kirishima realized that this was most definitely part of Ashido’s plan. He held his breath, waiting for Bakugou’s reply.

To his disappointment – and relief –, Bakugou lifted his head away from his shoulder. Feeling as if the blond was staring at him, Kirishima didn’t have the strength to look at him.

“Sure, whatever” Bakugou replied, not sounding particularly interested.

“Great!” Kaminari enthusiastically said. “I’ll go first. Ummm… Sero!”

“Shocked you didn’t pick me” Shinsou said, resting his chin on Kaminari’s shoulder.

“I got my kiss, I’m good for five or so minutes” Kaminari chuckled. “So, Sero, truth or dare?”

Sero squinted, not seeming to trust Kaminari.

“Dare” Sero tentatively said.

“Yes! Thank you so much dude” Kaminari gleamed, eyes sparkling in joy. “I dare you to order us a large pizza!”

Sero threw his head back and groaned loudly.

“Feels like abuse of power” Kirishima said through a suppressed laugh.

“A dare’s a dare” Bakugou snickered.

“Yep! And not just any pizza” Kaminari quickly added. “You remember that pizza place with the super meaty pizza? That one!”

“Why did I even agree to play?” Sero complained as he took out his phone.

“Hey, it’s your fault for picking dare!” Kaminari gleefully said. “Oh – and I want extra bacon!”

Sero grumbled a few more dissatisfied comments as he entered the phone number. As the boy ordered the pizza, Kirishima locked eyes with Kaminari again. The grin on his face couldn’t possibly be only because of the pizza. Kirishima turned a blind eye and tried to convince himself he was simply being paranoid.

“It’s on the way” Sero begrudgingly told Kaminari once he hung up.

“Great!” Kaminari said, overjoyed. “It’s your turn now.”

“Shinsou?” Sero asked after a little hesitation. “Truth or dare?”

Analyzing the boy’s face, Shinsou raised an eyebrow. “Planning your revenge?” He asked. “Not a chance. Truth.”

“Boring” Sero grumbled. “Umm… Let’s see… Have you ever used your Quirk to do something illegal?”

“What are you, a cop?” Shinsou snorted.

“Avoiding answering the question?” Sero pressed on, sounding interested.

“Fine” Shinsou sighed. “Yes, I have.”

“What?!” Kaminari shrieked. “Really? What did you do?”

“Stole stuff” Shinsou shrugged.

“Stole what?” Kirishima asked, also intrigued.

“Mainly groceries” Shinsou said, not looking proud of himself. “My family was really broke when I was young, so I’d brainwash cashiers into letting us go without paying.”

There was a shocked moment of silence.

“For legal reasons, that was a joke” Shinsou added before anyone could talk.

“Joke or not,” Kaminari broke the silence, “I’m sure you did the right thing for your family.”

“And it’s nothing too bad” Sero nodded. “It’s not like you killed anyone.”

Kaminari lovingly squished Shinsou’s face as Sero spoke. The purple-head seemed relieved by their responses.

“Yeah, whatever, it’s in the past” Shinsou said. “So, my turn… Bakugou? You’re playing, right?”

Kirishima’s eyes shot wide open.

“Gimme a truth” Bakugou said as a reply.

Oh – no, Kirishima thought, glaring at Shinsou in panic, don’t ask him anything like ‘do you have a crush on Kirishima’, please, no, please.

“Was hoping you’d pick dare” Kaminari mumbled.

Hoping? For a dare? Kirishima thought, growing a little scared. For what exactly? What would be the dare?

Shinsou hesitated on what question to ask. To Kirishima’s puzzlement, the purple head eyed the back of Kaminari’s head before speaking.

“Have you ever seen a ghost in the dorm?” Shinsou asked through a grin, tilting his head toward Kaminari.

Kirishima was incredibly relieved to hear a normal question. Kaminari, on the other hand, didn’t seem so pleased since his face darkened with fear.

“A ghost?” Bakugou repeated. “Fucking really?”

“Too scared to talk about it?” Shinsou teased, still grinning.

“Hell no, I’m just saying there’s not only one ghost in this goddamn cemetery of a dorm” Bakugou scoffed – and by the tone of his voice, Kirishima knew he was lying. “I’ve seen at least 15 different ghosts.”

Sero snorted as Kaminari let out a small yelp in fear.

“Have you seen…,” Shinsou started, taking a dramatic pause, “the decapitated bride?”

As Shinsou asked that question, he raised one of his hands and did a scratching movement in the air – just out of Kaminari’s field of view. Right away, Bakugou seemed to understand what he wanted him to say.

“That bastard?” Bakugou said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah, of course I have. She’s annoying as fuck. She keeps scratching at doors and windows in the middle of the night.”

Kaminari’s face started growing pale as he clung onto his boyfriend. Getting a chance to forget this game might be part of Ashido’s plan, Kirishima tried his best not to burst out laughing.

“You might be right after all,” Shinsou whispered into Kaminari’s ear, “about that scratching noise last night.”

“Babe, that’s not funny!” Kaminari complained, sounding genuinely frightened. “Bakubro, say sike!”

“Oh – and I heard a rumor that the decapitated bride started going into rooms” Bakugou added over Kaminari’s words. “She stands in the corner and waits. Like a creep.”

“It’s not just a rumor” Sero joined in, trying really hard not to snort. “It happened to me. The day after I heard scratches, she showed up in my room. She’s scary as hell, even without a face.”

“Guys!” Kaminari whined, his face turning really pale.

“Why do you think she does that?” Shinsou whispered in a sinister tone. “What if she’s jealous and wants to steal our heads?”

“She does carry a bloodied scythe around” Bakugou offered. “Maybe that’s what it’s for.”

Seeing the horror in Kaminari’s pale face, Sero was unable to hold back any longer. He broke out laughing, ending the gag.

“I told you it was a tree branch” Shinsou told Kaminari – who groaned in annoyed fright.

“Can’t believe you’d lie in a game of truth or dare” Kirishima whispered to Bakugou, leaving Shinsou and Kaminari to bicker for a moment.

“Or did I?” Bakugou mockingly whispered back.

“That’s not going to work on me, bro” Kirishima chuckled, elbowing Bakugou’s side.

“Thank fuck” Bakugou grinned. “You’d probably choke me to death in your tight hugs if you got scared at night.”

As he spoke, Bakugou returned the shove. However, instead of leaving a little distance between them afterward, the boy’s shoulder stayed pressed against his. Kirishima eyed him, anxious by the comment and worried that Bakugou didn’t like the ‘tight hugs’ as much as he did.

“Did I… hug you too tightly?” Kirishima hesitantly asked. “Did I hurt you?”

“Not even remotely” Bakugou replied.

Kirishima let out a relieved sigh.

“That’s nice to hear” Kirishima awkwardly started. “Still, you can tell me if you don’t like me hugging – ”

“I wasn’t complaining, idiot” Bakugou interrupted.

Bakugou’s voice echoed in his ears. There was a softness to it that Kirishima definitely hadn’t expected to hear. Thinking that might mean Bakugou enjoyed the hugs, Kirishima’s heart twinged with happiness.

“Hey, Bakugou, it’s your turn” Kaminari called out, forcing him back down to reality. “Please, something not paranormal this time.”

“Scaredy cat” Sero commented.

“As if I’d ask dumb crap like that” Bakugou huffed. “Shitty hair, tru– ”

“No nicknames!” Kaminari interrupted. “Or else he can try to skip!”

“Who the fuck came up with that rule?” Bakugou snarled.

“He did” Shinsou replied, pinching Kaminari’s cheek. “Remember when Sero tried to avoid doing a dare because Ashido called him ‘Cellobro’?”

“I wish it had worked” Sero groaned. “That toothpaste-orange-chicken smoothie she dared me to drink was disgusting.”

“Hey, be grateful we didn’t add wasabi!” Kaminari pointed out.

“Sooo considerate” Sero said.

“Point is, no nicknames” Shinsou reiterated.

“Fine” Bakugou said, rolling his eyes. “Kirishima, truth or dare?”

Trying not to shy away from how close they were, Kirishima looked over at Bakugou. He analyzed the blond’s face, unsure which to pick.

“… Truth?” Kirishima answered.

“What’s your ideal first date?” Bakugou asked without a moment’s hesitation.

Kirishima’s brain went straight into overdrive.

“Uh?” Kirishima let out.

“You heard me right” Bakugou smirked.

“Smooth fucker” Sero whispered through a chuckle – so faintly Kirishima didn’t quite hear him.

What? A first date? Kirishima thought, his skin warming up. Why does he… want to know?

The rest of his friends all but disappeared out of Kirishima’s vision. Bakugou’s red eyes staring into his, Kirishima couldn’t bring himself to believe there was any hidden motive behind the question – he couldn’t force himself to think that Bakugou really wanted to know.

Despite thinking it was nothing but a joke question, his mind raced to find an answer.

Going to a restaurant or to the movies felt too cliché for his taste. A simple training session at the gym would be nice, but that wasn’t much of a date. Going hiking would be a good idea. However, that was something they had done together numerous times already, so that was out of the question – Kirishima couldn’t out himself that easily.

Truth was, Kirishima didn’t have an ideal first date. As long as it was with Bakugou, it would be perfect.

“Umm?” Bakugou voiced. “Don’t like dates, sharky?”

Seeing Bakugou raise an eyebrow in suspicion at his silence, Kirishima pushed his racing thoughts aside and picked whatever came to mind first.

“I – umm,” Kirishima blurted out, a little panicked, “I don’t – maybe… going to a public aquarium? Yeah – an aquarium date would be nice.”

To Kirishima’s confusion, Bakugou’s face turned pensive.

“An aquarium date, uh?” Bakugou repeated.

With a nod and a wobbly smile, Kirishima averted his eyes.

“Isn’t there one near that arcade you two go to?” Bakugou asked Shinsou and Kaminari.

Staring at his hands, Kirishima didn’t really hear Bakugou’s question. He was engulfed in his imagination. He started daydreaming about what it would be like to go on a date with Bakugou – at an aquarium or not.

Kirishima stole a glance at Bakugou from the corner of his vision. He watched as his lips moved, as he talked with the others. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to listen. Staring at him, he started to crave for even more time together; time they both knew was spent for their shared love.

If only he feels the same, Kirishima thought, gluing his eyes back to his hands.

Conflicting emotions of helpless love and fear of rejection overtook his mind. Kirishima’s hands tightened into fists, not understanding how he had gone so long burying these feelings inside of him – and how he was supposed to keep this up.

”Oi,” Bakugou said, bumping Kirishima’s shoulder, “it’s your turn.”

Snapping out of it, Kirishima took a shaky inhale.

“Oh, yeah, sorry” Kirishima said. “Umm…”

He eyed his group of friends, unsure who to pick. He had no ideas for truths to ask nor dares to order.

“Kaminari, truth or dare?” Kirishima picked.

“Dare” Kaminari replied.

Instantly, the boy started repeatedly mouthing ‘please’. Kirishima chuckled a little, knowing very well that Kaminari wanted him to dare him to kiss Shinsou. Not wanting to feel jealous, Kirishima decided to ignore Kaminari’s wishes.

“I dare you to hold a headstand for 30 seconds” Kirishima said, having no better idea.

“Aww, come on dude!” Kaminari complained.

“You kiss Shinsou every day” Kirishima smiled. “I don’t need to dare you to do it.”

“Ughhh” Kaminari groaned as he got up – still giving Shinsou a quick peck on the cheek despite the dare not going his way. “Can I at least use a wall? I suck at stability.”

“Sure” Kirishima said as he took out his phone to track the time.

With a displeased expression, Kaminari walked away from the couch. The boy placed his head on the floor and his forearms to his side before swinging his legs up. After a moment of struggling to find his balance against the wall, he took his arms off the floor.

“Time started” Kirishima said.

“This hurts dude” Kaminari whined after barely 5 seconds.

“Suck it up, Pikachu” Bakugou snickered.

“Don’t fall,” Sero chuckled, “Or you have to start over.”

As Kirishima’s timer reached 15 seconds, the door to the dorm opened. Thinking it was Ashido finally showing up, he snapped his head in the direction of the entrance. Bakugou also looked over, seeming a little interested.

Pink hair peeked into the dorm, confirming her presence. Seeing Ashido nonchalantly walk in with a plastic bag in hand – looking a little out of breath –, Kirishima’s lungs started to ache again.

“So…” Ashido spoke, noticing Kaminari doing a headstand. “What did I miss?”

“Not much” Kaminari grunted out, his face turning a little red in effort and from being upside down.

“Almost done” Kirishima told Kaminari.

“We’re playing truth or dare” Sero explained to Ashido.

“Oh – nice!” Ashido said. “I’ll go unpack this and then count me in” she added before speedily going to the kitchen.

“Aaand time” Kirishima informed Kaminari.

The yellow-haired boy practically crashed back down to the floor.

“Don’t pick dare with Kiri, noted” Kaminari grumbled as he got up.

“At least he didn’t try to poison you with wasabi” Sero scoffed.

As he sat back down on Shinsou’s lap, Kaminari stuck his tongue out at Sero.

“Poison me with wasabi” Kaminari repeated in a sarcastic tone. “Alright then, Sero, truth or dare?”

“My tastebuds would like to survive this game for once” Sero said. “Truth.”

“That’s sad,” Kaminari sighed, “I had a great wasabi-free pickle-mustard-egg-Oreos sandwich I wanted you to taste-test.”

“I’d rather buy a hundred pizzas” Sero said, his face twisting in disgust.

“That’s a win-win situation for me! But, ok, truth… ” Kaminari said, pensively tapping his cheek. The boy looked at each of them pensively. “Alright, out of everyone in our class, who do you think is straight?”

Kirishima frowned in confusion and panic at the question.

“There’s not much of a list” Bakugou snorted.

Eyes widening at the comment, Kirishima had to force himself not to snap his head toward Bakugou. Does he consider himself in that list? He thought.

“Well, except for Mineta, I think everyone’s at least a little bi or pan” Sero answered after a moment of reflection.

“Mineta’s a freak and shouldn’t be taken into account” Ashido said as she joined them.

“Oh, well then,” Sero chuckled, “the answer’s nobody.”

Kirishima glanced at Bakugou, almost expecting him to object to Sero’s answer. Seeing the blond barely react, a tiny glimmer of hope sparked inside Kirishima’s heart.

Ashido leaned on the couch next to them. Kirishima awkwardly eyed her, only for her to give him a wink.

“Pinks? You wanted to play?” Sero asked.

“Yep!” Ashido replied.

“Truth or dare?”

“Ummm, dare!”

“I’m still down to make that sandwich if you want your revenge” Kaminari offered to Sero.

“Unlike you guys, I’m not a sadist” Sero joked. “So, I’ll pick a normal dare; Ashido, I dare you to go on Wikipedia, click on random article, call a random person in your contacts, and read the article to them in a seductive voice.”

“Pfft, doesn’t sound normal but alright” Ashido said, taking out her phone.

“How is that any less sadistic than eating disgusting food?” Shinsou commented. “If she gets a weird article and accidentally calls her grandmother, that’s really embarrassing.”

“Well, for one, she won’t want to vomit afterward” Sero offered.

“I got… an opera composer?” Ashido said, skimming through the article.

“Not something embarrassing, at least” Bakugou said.

“Now for the lucky participant” Kaminari grinned.

Ashido tapped away at her phone. Closing her eyes, she made a swipe down and clicked a random contact.

“Oh” Ashido chuckled as she opened her eyes. “It’s calling Yaomomo.”

“Luck of the draw” Sero snorted. “Who wants to bet that she’ll know the composer?”

Putting the phone on speaker, Ashido made a shushing sound. As she switched to the article again, the phone rang in the room, waiting for Momo to pick up.

“Good evening, Ashido?” Momo answered the phone.

Ashido cleared her throat.

“Georges Bizet was a French composer of the Romantic era” Ashido started reading, making her voice deeper and switching to a more alluring tone.

“Oh, yes!” Momo spoke. “He has made some excellent pieces.”

Sero held back a chuckle as Kaminari brought a hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

“Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death,” Ashido continued, not faltering in her seductive act, “Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, which – ”

“A classic” Momo gleefully interrupted. “Would you like to listen to it? I could get someone to come perform!”

As Momo spoke, Ashido eyed Sero, wondering if she was forced to continue. Sero gave her a thumbs up, allowing her to give up the act. She picked up the phone and took it off the speaker.

“I’d love to!” Ashido said, switching back to her normal voice. “Yep! Tomorrow around 9 sounds perfect” she added after a moment. “Gotta go, see you!”

“You got a free concert?” Sero laughed out as soon as Ashido hung up.

“From the best opera singer in the country” Ashido confirmed, smiling widely. “And I’m going to enjoy it, thank you very much.”

“That has to be the only time any of us got something good out of a dare” Kaminari chuckled. “I’m jealous.”

Ashido stuck out her tongue at him.

“My turn!” Ashido went on. “Eeny, meeny, miny… Shinsou?”

“I’ll go with a dare” Shinsou replied.

“Umm… Oh – I have a great idea!” Ashido said, her eyes shining with excitement. “Wait here!”

Ashido sprinted back into the kitchen – only to reappear a moment later with a box in her hands. Realizing it was a box of pocky, Kirishima finally understood what this game was really about.

Oh, he thought, his skin flushing. Oh no.

“Shinsou, I dare you to play pocky with Kaminari” Ashido said, skipping toward the couple.

“Finally, a good dare!” Kaminari gleefully said, getting up to take the pocky. “Thank you!”

“You’re unbelievably needy” Sero remarked.

“Believe me, this is nothing” Shinsou grinned, also standing up.

“Yet you love it” Kaminari teased.

As the yellow-haired boy walked up to Shinsou, he placed one end of the pocky in his mouth. It was then that Kirishima realized it was cookies and cream – his favorite – which confirmed this was definitely planned.

“I never said otherwise” Shinsou smirked before walking closer to take the other end of the pocky.

Kirishima watched, stunned, as Shinsou and Kaminari took bites of the pocky. Progressively, their faces grew closer. Of course, neither of them backed away from finishing the treat.

Soon enough, their lips met. Instead of ending the game there, both boys pulled each other closer and kissed – and Ashido more than eagerly took pictures.

Kirishima’s skin grew hot as he understood he and Bakugou would be in a similar situation if either of them picked dare. Stressing, he discreetly stole a glance at Bakugou – only to find the blond was also looking at him from the corner of his eyes.

Locking eyes with him for a split second, Kirishima turned his eyes away as quickly as he could. Tensing up all over, Kirishima’s mouth squeezed.

Why was he looking at me? Kirishima panicked. Did he notice me look at him? Probably not. But, why? Does he find looking at them kiss embarrassing? Disgusting? But he didn’t seem to mind before? What’s wrong?

“Not to be impatient,” Sero chuckled, “but we get it. You two just wanted to kiss.”

“Shush” Ashido told him, taking a few more pictures.

How is this supposed to prove Bakugou’s feelings? Kirishima thought, sweating a little. He probably won’t even want to play anymore after seeing this dare. He might be looking at me because he wants to leave.

His mind scrambling in nervousness, Kirishima held his breath. He expected Bakugou to get up and leave. Or perhaps he would simply say that he had enough of playing and wanted to go back to studying. Yet the blond stayed silent by his side.

“Can I have a piece?” Sero asked.

Ashido extended the box toward him. As Sero started eating a pocky, Shinsou and Kaminari stopped kissing. The two kept their foreheads together for a moment, smiling.

For once, Kirishima’s jealousy didn’t take over him. His stress was far too overwhelming.

“Gotta admit, this is good” Sero said between bites.

“Agreed” Kaminari said, still smiling at Shinsou.

“Also agreed” Ashido said, swiping through her phone, probably looking at the pictures she took.

“I was talking about the pocky, but glad everyone enjoyed that” Sero chuckled.

Everyone, yeah, everyone, Kirishima awkwardly thought.

Kirishima grew overly conscious of Bakugou’s shoulder, which was still close enough to touch his own shoulder. His skin became hypersensitive. He expected to feel the shoulder move any second now – when Bakugou decided to leave –, but the blond wouldn’t budge.

As excessively aware of Bakugou’s presence as he was, Kirishima couldn’t bring himself to glance over at him. He really wanted to look at him to see what his expression was, to know what to expect, but he was terrified he’d lock eyes with red eyes again.

“Your turn, Shinsou” Ashido happily reminded.

“Umm…” Shinsou voiced, scanning everyone in the room.

Seeing Shinsou’s eyes land on Bakugou, Kirishima’s heart practically jumped out of his chest.

“Bakugou, truth or dare?”

Kirishima’s heartbeat resonated in his ears – and it only grew faster when he noticed Bakugou turn his head toward him. Feeling like the blond was analyzing him, Kirishima gulped and kept his eyes fixed on Shinsou.

Don’t pick dare, don’t pick dare, Kirishima’s mind raced, don’t pick –

“Dare” Bakugou said.

Knowing exactly what that meant, Kirishima’s face flushed with unbearable warmth.

“Pocky with Kiri!” Kaminari instantly shrieked in excitement.

The pocky box in hand, Ashido practically sprinted up to them.

“What – no – dude” Kirishima blurted out. “It was Shinsou’s turn to pick the dare!”

In harmony, Ashido and Kaminari let out a disappointed groan. Kaminari turned toward Shinsou and gave him puppy eyes. Grinning, the purple head looked over at Kirishima and Bakugou in silence.

“Bakugou,” Shinsou said, “I dare you to play pocky with Kirishima.”

Looking at Ashido take out a pocky from the box, Kirishima’s mouth wobbled with an inexplicable need to find an excuse – any excuse – to avoid this, but no words came out.

If we kiss he’ll definitely find out I like him, Kirishima stressed. What am I supposed to do? Why –

“Here you go!” Ashido said, handing over a pocky to Bakugou.

“You’re going to take a billion pictures, aren’t you?” Bakugou asked.

“It’s a small price to pay, don’t you think?” Ashido grinned – to which Bakugou rolled his eyes.

“She can’t take pictures if you skip the dare?” Kirishima quickly offered to Bakugou, tripping over his words.

“A dare’s a dare” Bakugou dismissed without hesitation, a small grin on his lips.

Sadly for Kirishima’s throbbing heart, there was really no way to avoid this – because Bakugou got up on the couch and came to sit on his lap, facing him. Bakugou’s legs on either side of his, Kirishima was effectively pinned in place. The blond put his free hand on the back of the couch next to Kirishima’s right shoulder, supporting himself as he leaned a little closer.

“I’m not backing down” Bakugou teasingly whispered, holding the pocky in between them. “You can always break it off and lose if you’re scared.”

Kirishima’s hands awkwardly twitched, not knowing where to place themselves now that Bakugou was sitting on him like this.

“Like hell I’m losing” Kirishima whispered back, eyeing the pocky in fear.

“Guess it’ll be a tie, then” Bakugou purred, biting down on the pocky.

Bakugou leaned forward a little more, making the other end of the pocky press against Kirishima’s lips. Hesitantly, Kirishima opened his mouth and bit down on the treat as well. The sugary taste reached the tip of his tongue, but he was too nervous to appreciate it.

Red eyes staring into his, Bakugou started taking small bites. Their faces grew closer and closer with every moment. Despite the pocky being his favorite flavor, Kirishima couldn’t force himself to take bites as well.

Okay, this is…, Kirishima thought, his face definitely turning beet red, this is happening.

With Bakugou taking another bite, their noses brushed. Struggling to keep his composure, Kirishima’s back sank into the couch a little.

Probably feeling Kirishima’s uncertainty, Bakugou paused. The boy glanced down at the pocky before going back to staring into his eyes. He didn’t take another bite right away, as if waiting to see if Kirishima would decide to break the pocky before this could result in a kiss.

I want this, Kirishima thought, his mind racing with a weighty hesitancy and an overwhelming desire to kiss Bakugou. I want this so so much.

His heart palpitating harder than ever before, Kirishima shakily took the smallest of nibbles, an invitation to continue.

Smirking, Bakugou took another small bite of the pocky. This time, their lips almost touched.

Bakugou closed his eyes as he took one last bite. Soft lips only barely resting on his, Kirishima all but forgot about the tiny piece of chocolate stuck in between his teeth.

Frozen still for a moment as he took in the sensation of lips on his, Kirishima involuntarily sank deeper into the couch. He was terrified in place – until Bakugou’s lips finally fully pressed against his.

The tenderness of the kiss drowned out all his anxieties.

Fuck, I love you, Kirishima thought as he closed his eyes as well.

The softness of Bakugou’s lips sent a delightful shiver down his spine and consumed his entire being. Right there and then, Kirishima knew that he could never grow tired of kissing him. If given the chance, he’d kiss him for all of eternity.

Forgetting this was nothing but a game of pocky, Kirishima stopped sinking into the couch and leaned forward into the kiss.

Feeling Kirishima return the kiss, Bakugou brought a hand up to rest on the back of Kirishima’s head. The hand wasn’t forceful at all, it simply gently held him in place. In turn, Kirishima couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Bakugou’s waist, wanting to deepen the kiss.

Why didn’t we do this sooner? Kirishima thought, feeling himself melt against Bakugou’s lips.

Kirishima heard what sounded like someone taking pictures. Unfazed by it because all he could focus on was him and Bakugou, together in this moment, Kirishima ignored it and pulled Bakugou a little closer.

As he held him closer, Kirishima felt Bakugou’s lips curl into a small smile through the kiss. Their chests now pressed together, the blond wrapped his arms around Kirishima’s neck, letting Kirishima pull their bodies as close as he wanted.

Caramel kisses were the only thing on his mind – until he finally heard faint chuckles and whispery exchanges. Becoming aware of his surroundings again, Kirishima quickly remembered that all of his friends were watching.

Kirishima’s lips trembled against Bakugou’s in hesitation.

Not only were his friends watching, Kirishima remembered that this was first and foremost a game. This was nothing but a dare, and Bakugou had said ‘a dare’s a dare’ so he wouldn’t have backed down from anything, not even this.

Sighing internally, Kirishima imprinted the feeling of the kiss into his mind before slowly pulling back.

As the kiss ended, Bakugou and Kirishima locked eyes. Bakugou still had his arms wrapped around his neck, and Kirishima couldn’t force himself to let go of Bakugou’s waist.

Their faces stayed close, as if they both yearned to pull each other back into a second kiss.

Please do, Kirishima thought – almost begged –, if you love me, please kiss me again.

Kirishima could have sworn Bakugou shortened the distance between them ever so slightly again, but the blond’s lips didn’t reach his.

Feeling Bakugou’s steady breathing on the skin of his face, Kirishima realized he had been holding his breath all this time – and his lips were slightly shaking. He took a sharp inhale, almost out of breath. Thinking he was nothing but a mess, Kirishima’s skin grew even hotter in embarrassment. 

Kirishima quickly took his arms away from Bakugou’s waist. Self-conscious, he shily averted his eyes, only for Bakugou to bring a hand up to his chin and force him to look at him again. Bakugou eyed his lips for a moment before going back to staring into his eyes.

“Red really is your colour” Bakugou softly whispered.

Kirishima’s face already felt like it was on fire. With that comment, he might as well have been thrown into an active volcano.

Thankfully for him, he didn’t need to stammer his way into finding a response. There was a knock at the dorm’s door, shifting the attention away from him.

“That must be the pizza!” Kaminari screeched, clapping his hands once in a celebratory manner.

Kirishima darted his eyes up to his other friends and saw that they were all grinning widely. Kaminari speedily got up with Sero, both boys rushing to go get the food.

“Who do you think won?” Ashido asked Shinsou.

Bakugou gave Kirishima one last smirk before getting off of him. He went back to sitting by his side, his shoulder again pressing against his, a reminder that he was right there.

“Pretty sure that was a tie” Shinsou replied. “I didn’t see a piece fall.”

We kissed, Kirishima thought, so lost in the feeling that he couldn’t listen to his friends. We really kissed.

Kirishima’s lips were still shivering. Bakugou’s hand brushed his, but Kirishima barely registered the touch. He kept his eyes fixed on the coffee table, unable to look at the blond.

Who am I kidding? Kirishima depressingly thought. That wasn’t a real kiss. This was just a game he didn’t want to lose. He didn’t really want to kiss me.

Kaminari and Sero came back with the food. For the entirety of supper, Kirishima’s skin wouldn’t cool down.

And for the entirety of the evening, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Bakugou.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Kirishima had never felt this awkward before.

Their group of friends having parted ways, Kirishima and Bakugou had been left behind. Alone. Together. Kirishima had held his breath, dreadfully expecting to hear Bakugou make a snarky remark or flirty comment about the kiss now that nobody else but him could hear it.

But barely any words were exchanged.

A silence settled in between them as they left the common room and headed for the stairs. On any other occasion, Kirishima wouldn’t have paid much attention to their muteness, but, today, the uncomfortable silence was too loud for him.

Furtively, Kirishima looked over at Bakugou – who didn’t seem to feel the same awkwardness he did.

Is he not going to mention the kiss? Kirishima thought. Should I bring it up? Should we even talk about it?

Looking at Bakugou as they walked up the stairs, Kirishima’s stomach went up in knots.

While nothing on the boy’s expression suggested it, Kirishima felt like Bakugou really didn’t care about the kiss. Unlike Kirishima, the blond carried on without embarrassment. He walked as if he had lived a perfectly normal evening, as if the kiss hadn’t changed anything in between them.

We don’t need to talk about it, Kirishima dejected himself, because it was nothing but a game.

Kirishima’s heart pinched, thinking Bakugou might view the kiss as not lifechanging. Not noteworthy. Not even worth remembering.

It meant nothing to him. He most likely didn’t want to kiss me but did it anyway for the dare. He probably hated it. He would never actually like kissing me.

Lost in his disheartened thoughts, Kirishima’s feet grew heavier. He kept staring at the back of the blond’s head, trying – and failing – to push his sadness away. About half-way up the staircase, Bakugou noticed he was lagging behind a little and turned around.

When Bakugou saw Kirishima’s face – which he guessed had to be covered with a demoralized expression –, the blond slowed down a little and, with a small frown, waited for him to catch up. Kirishima glued his eyes to the stairs, unable to look into red eyes.

Why are they so convinced he loves me too? Why can’t I see it? Why am I hoping for something that’ll never happen?

As he went up the stairs side-by-side with his friend again, Bakugou’s pinky brushed against his. Kirishima ignored it, thinking it wasn’t intentional. With a few more steps, Bakugou’s hand met his once more. This time, he purposefully tried to intertwine his fingers with Kirishima’s.

Can he already tell I’m stressed? Kirishima thought. Does he want to hold my hand or does he just want to help?

Feeling the warmth of Bakugou’s palm rest on his, Kirishima’s mouth bittered with unanswered questions. He really wanted to hold him, but not like this. He didn’t want a friend’s support; he wanted a lover’s comfort.

Incapable of knowing if Bakugou reached out to hold his hand out of friendship or love, Kirishima couldn’t deal with his emotions enough to keep Bakugou’s hand in his. He awkwardly freed his hand and, in an attempt to not be suspicious, he rubbed the back of his own neck.

“Something wrong?” Bakugou asked as they reached the top of the staircase.

“Nah” Kirishima mumbled, trying to act as if the touch hadn’t happened.

As they walked down the corridor, Kirishima noticed Bakugou analyzing his face from the corner of his eye. The pit of Kirishima’s stomach twisted as another small moment of silence washed over them.

“Don’t lie to me” Bakugou whispered. “Is it because of the pocky game?”

Simply hearing about it, Kirishima’s skin turned pink.

“No” Kirishima lied, forcing himself to look in Bakugou’s direction to seem confident. “It’s nothing, really.”

Bakugou didn’t look convinced at all. With a few more footsteps, they reached the door leading to Kirishima’s room.

Eyeing the door, Kirishima’s lungs acted up. For the first time since meeting him, Kirishima wasn’t eager to spend time with Bakugou. Keeping Bakugou close meant it would result in one of two outcomes. And both were equally horrible. They would either be submerged in an unbearable silence which would never mention the kiss again, or they would have a messy conversation where they talked about it – a conversation Kirishima wasn’t certain he’d be able to handle considering how awful he felt now.

Bakugou seemed ready to say something, but Kirishima spoke before he could.

“I’m just feeling a little sick” Kirishima continued to lie. “I think it would be better if you don’t stay over tonight.”

As the blond opened his mouth again, Kirishima interrupted him.

“If you sleep over, you know I’ll hug you,” Kirishima tried to joke, but his voice was far too shaky to come off as light-hearted, “and I wouldn’t want to keep waking you up by needing to repeatedly go vomit in the middle of the night.”

“I wouldn’t mind” Bakugou said, sounding slightly worried.

Kirishima opened the door to his room.

“And I wouldn’t want you to get sick from being too close” Kirishima pressed on. “Staying away from sick people is basic disease control, right?”

Kirishima clumsily stepped into his room, keeping a hand on the door to try to make it clear he wouldn’t change his mind.

“We spent all day together” Bakugou frowned. “If it’s contagious, I’ll get sick either way.”

“Maybe, but it would raise the chances” Kirishima awkwardly chuckled. “I don’t want you being sick because of me on my consciousness.”

Not buying Kirishima’s lies, Bakugou’s eyes seemed to be searching for the truth on his face.

“Really dude, sorry, we’re skipping bed-sharing today” he hastily added. “Maybe tomorrow if I’m better?”

Feeling absolutely horrible, Kirishima started closing the door. His heart only stung more when he noticed Bakugou’s face darken a little – with what he could only guess was sadness.

“… Alright” Bakugou mumbled.

“Good night, bro” Kirishima achingly whispered.

As Kirishima closed the door, Bakugou breathed out an unsteady ‘Good night’.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Alone in his room, Kirishima barely had time to walk in before he got a text.

In his horrible state of mind, he hesitated to even look at his phone. He didn’t really care who it might be. He didn’t feel like he had the energy to talk to anyone. The only thing he wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep his hopeless emotions away.

By the time he reached his bed, he got two more texts.

With an exhausted sigh, Kirishima took out his phone to see who was repeatedly texting him. A part of him almost expected it to be Bakugou, but it wasn’t. It was Ashido.

Knowing it would be about her plan – which he considered an absolute failure –, he hesitated to open the notifications. Another text came in, pressuring him into opening her texts. They weren’t much; she simply said she was worried because she noticed he avoided looking at Bakugou during supper and she wanted him to go over to her room to talk.

Kirishima watched as another text popped up, which read ‘Come on, talking about it helps.’

Talking about it led to this mess, Kirishima thought, closing his phone’s screen. I don’t want to make it worse. I don’t want to feel this anymore.

He threw himself on his bed. His phone got a text again. He ignored it and sank his face into his shark plushie. And another text.

Groaning, Kirishima realized that if he didn’t go see Ashido, she would come see him here. With Bakugou’s room right next door, Kirishima didn’t want to risk being overheard by him.

With a heavy heart, Kirishima silently headed out.

=====

Reaching Ashido’s room, Kirishima raised his fist to knock – but the door opened before he could. Ashido was already waiting for him with a concerned look on her face.

“Oh, you really do look like shit” she commented.

Not losing a moment more, Ashido dragged him into her room, making him stumble on his feet a little.

“What’s wrong?” Ashido asked as she closed the door.

Head spinning with unanswered questions and awful emotions, Kirishima didn’t even know where to begin. He dragged his feet, stole a pillow from Ashido’s bed, and threw himself onto her beanbag.

“Did kissing him feel bad?” Ashido pressed on, trying to get a reaction out of him. “It’s okay if you didn’t really enjoy it. First kisses can be weird and you shouldn’t – ” 

Thinking about the softness of the kiss, Kirishima’s lips trembled again. His heart aching in longing, he squeezed the pillow.

“No, that’s not it” Kirishima interrupted, incredibly embarrassed. “It… it felt amazing.”

With a small smile, Ashido sat on her bed and gave him an inquiring look.

“It’s just…” Kirishima continued, his throat feeling like it was clogging up. “I liked it, but I don’t think he did. I think he hated it. He probably didn’t even want to kiss me.”

“I’m sorry – Kirishima – what?” Ashido let out, shocked. “Bakugou picked dare.”

“Doesn’t mean he wanted to kiss me” Kirishima wobbled, sinking deeper into the beanbag.

“Yes, it absolutely does!” Ashido groaned. “Bakugou saw what would happen if he picked dare. He saw Kaminari and Shinsou kiss! And he still chose dare.”

“Sure, he picked dare, but it doesn’t mean he wanted to” Kirishima grumbled. “He totally did it just to win.”

“You can’t win at truth or dare” Ashido said, stupefied.

“In his mind, yeah, he probably can” Kirishima said – unintentionally harshly – as he shoved his head into the pillow.

“Alright, even if he thinks that for some wild reason,” Ashido said, “he could’ve picked truth and ‘won’ too. But he didn’t. He wanted to play pocky with you. He did it on purpose, Kiri, there’s no other explanation.”

“There’s a million explanations…” Kirishima mumbled through the pillow.

Realizing Shinsou had been the one to dare Bakugou, Kirishima sank his face deeper into the pillow in despair. The brainwash Quirk would definitely explain why Bakugou seemed so unembarrassed by the kiss; the blond couldn’t feel awkward about something he could only fuzzily remember.

“Shinsou was definitely brainwashing him” Kirishima grumbled, feeling like he was about to tear up.

“What was that?” Ashido asked, having not heard him.

“Brainwash” Kirishima plainly repeated a little louder, not lifting his head away from the pillow.

There was a small moment of bewildered silence.

“Shinsou did not brainwash him” Ashido insisted, sounding really discouraged by Kirishima’s statement. “Bakugou was very much himself.”

“How can you be so sure?” Kirishima grumbled, lifting his burning eyes away from the pillow.

“Because Shinsou doesn’t need to brainwash Bakugou for him to want to kiss you. Here, give me a second.”

Sadness not letting go of him, Kirishima watched as Ashido took out her phone and speedily texted someone. Within moments, she received a reply and pointed her phone in his direction.

“There,” Ashido said, showing him a text from Shinsou, “he said he didn’t brainwash anyone at all today.”

Kirishima re-read the text a few times but couldn’t bring himself to believe Shinsou was being truthful.

“I don’t buy it” Kirishima muttered.

Ashido blinked in utter confusion before going back to tap at her phone. She pointed it at him again, but this time showing him one of the pictures she had taken during the pocky game.

In the picture, he and Bakugou were well into the kiss. Bakugou’s arms were wrapped around his neck and Kirishima was pulling their bodies so close that the blond’s back had needed to arch a little to keep the kiss going.

“You weren’t the only one leaning into the kiss” Ashido whispered. “If Shinsou had brainwashed him, there would be no reason for Bakugou to have held the kiss for so long – much less wrap his arms around you.”

Seeing them both smiling in their kiss, Kirishima’s chest tightened. He averted his eyes away, incapable of convincing himself it was real.

“You know brainwash needs more specific instructions to do that – instructions Shinsou did not give” Ashido continued. “Bakugou pulled you closer because he wanted to kiss you.”

None of Ashido’s words changed his mind. Searching in himself, Kirishima realized that nothing she could possibly say would. He had clouded his heart with far too much doubt to consider ever again that Bakugou might share his feelings. In his denial, he felt utterly lost.

“The truth is simple, Kiri,” Ashido whispered after a moment of silence, “Bakugou loves you.”

“But why would he?” Kirishima whispered into the pillow.

Just like that, it clicked. Kirishima finally understood why he couldn’t bring himself to believe that Bakugou loved him.

It’s because I’m me, Kirishima thought, self-contempt hitting him in full force. I’m pathetic. I’m stressed out all the time. I still need to hug plushies to sleep. I’m not manly. I can barely ever win our brawls. I can’t get good grades. I can’t even man up to my feelings.

Ashido didn’t seem to have heard his words. However, she did seem to notice the way his expression turned even more despondent with every passing second.

I’m an idiot for thinking this would work, Kirishima thought. Nobody would ever want to love me, especially not someone as confident and manly as Bakugou.

“Is something else going on?” Ashido asked.

Not knowing how to unpack his feelings – not even to himself –, Kirishima put the pillow down.

“No” Kirishima mumbled as he got up.

“Kiri, you – ” Ashido started.

“It’s cool” Kirishima forced himself to chuckle. “Thanks for trying, but I really don’t see it. Bakugou’s a good friend and I can’t let my feelings ruin that. I’ll just learn to deal with this.”

Ashido let out a heavy, discouraged sigh as he opened the door. Thankfully for him, she didn’t force him to stay nor did she follow after him.

Fighting back a snivel, Kirishima rushed back to his room.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Back in his room, Kirishima tossed and turned in his bed. Alone. In the dark. Left to his own helpless thoughts.

Why did I tell Ashido and the others? Why did I let them plan this? Why did I even agree to do this? Why didn’t I shut up and hide my feelings like I always did?

He was trying his hardest to ignore the small tears escaping the corner of his eyes, but it was nearly impossible. He kept being reminded of his feelings with every breath he took; Bakugou’s caramel scent was still on his bed covers and pillows. Faint, but very much present. Sweet, but filling his lungs with pain.

Is this what a heartbreak feels like? Kirishima cried, his ribcage feeling like it was simultaneously being ripped wide open and crushed by a bulldozer. This is stupid. I’m stupid. We were never going to end up together. I broke my own stupid heart.

Kirishima balled up around his shark plushie. Not caring if his breathing grew scarce, he shoved his face in the plushie. He could suffocate himself to sleep for all he cared, as long as it blocked out the scent.

I’ll clean my bed tomorrow to get rid of it, Kirishima thought through tears. Then I’ll need to find a way to stop Bakugou from sleeping over. I can’t keep doing this.

As devastating as it made him feel, Kirishima was convinced he could manage his emotions enough to keep being friends with Bakugou. For his own sake, Kirishima simply needed to reduce the number of moments he could fall in love with his friend all over again – and hugging him to sleep was definitely one of the first things that needed to go.

If I say it bothers me, maybe he’ll respect it and won’t ask questions? Or maybe I could simply change my mattress. It did start because he finds my bed more comfortable than his. If I get a rock-hard mattress maybe he’ll stop coming –

His thoughts were interrupted by three soft knocks at the door.

The sound nearly gave him a heart attack. Kirishima held his breath in fear. Without raising his head, he listened. Waiting to see if the person would knock again. A moment of silence passed, but Kirishima didn’t hear the person move.

He started panicking as he wondered who was behind the door. It couldn’t be anyone but Ashido or Bakugou. However, Bakugou was probably already asleep by now – and if he were awake, he never knocked. Ashido might come check on him to make sure he was fine, but Kirishima doubted she would be this pushy, especially if she saw his lights off.

Hopefully they’ll leave soon, Kirishima fearfully thought. If I don’t go open the door, surely…

When he remembered he hadn’t locked the door, Kirishima squeezed his eyes shut tighter in self-hatred. He was too used to letting it unlocked for Bakugou.

I’m nothing but an idiot.

Kirishima thought about jumping out of bed to go lock it, but he feared the person on the other side would hear him, so he stayed dead silent. Pretending to be sleeping. Hoping they would leave.

Whoever it was, they weren’t going away.

Hearing the door squeak open and realizing he would most likely be caught crying, Kirishima’s cheeks flushed with an uncomfortable warmth. His embarrassment only quintupled when he heard the person make a small, uneasy sigh – and recognized the sigh as Bakugou’s.

Leaving the room’s lights off, Bakugou walked in with careful footsteps. Kirishima’s entire body froze in place. The feeling of wet cheeks only made him even less inclined to lift his face away from his plushie.

Why are you back? Kirishima thought. I don’t want you to see me while I’m this unmanly.

Kirishima’s bed shifted as Bakugou sat down next to him.

“Hey” Bakugou whispered.

A hand landed on Kirishima’s shoulder, but it didn’t nudge or shake him. The hand stayed light and comforting as Bakugou hesitantly caressed his shoulder with his thumb. The gentleness of the touch only made more tears escape Kirishima’s eyes.

Go away, please, Kirishima thought. I can’t handle this today.

“I know you’re awake, sharky” Bakugou whispered with a shaky voice.

Bakugou gave his shoulder a small squeeze before letting go of him to turn on the lamp. The faint light threatening to reveal his tears, Kirishima balled up tighter around his plushie.

“I’m sorry if the game made you uncomfortable” Bakugou tentatively murmured.

I don’t want you to apologize for kissing me, Kirishima cried, I want you to do it again. But you won’t. So just leave.

“You don’t have to be sorry” Kirishima grumbled through his plushie, his voice wet with emotion. “It was a game. It’s nothing to care about.”

“I care about it,” Bakugou whispered – so faintly Kirishima wasn’t certain if the words he heard were correct, “… and I know you do too.”

Hoping Bakugou would simply give up and go away before he noticed he was crying, Kirishima ignored him. For a long moment, no more words came to fill the room. Submerged in a tense silence, he had to try his hardest to fight back sniffles.

Over-attentive to any and all sounds, Kirishima could hear Bakugou’s slow breathing. Although he couldn’t see him, he felt like the blond was hesitating to say something.

“Would you…” Bakugou started after a torturous eternity of silence. “Would you like to go with me to the aquarium tomorrow?”

The question stabbed Kirishima in the heart.

Yes – please – as a date! Kirishima thought as he squeezed his eyes, making more tears flow down onto his plushie. But that’s not what you mean, is it? You wouldn’t go out on a date with me. You just feel bad about the game and want to make it up to me.

“You don’t have to try to comfort me” Kirishima mumbled with a cracking voice. “Really, it’s nothing, bro.”

Another moment of silence flooded the room.

“… You know I literally just asked you out, right?” Bakugou eventually questioned, his voice heavy with disbelief.

The wording of the question caught Kirishima a little off guard, but he paid little attention to what Bakugou might really mean by ‘asking him out’. He simply wanted Bakugou to leave him to cry alone.

“Yeah, and I’m saying you don’t have to feel bad about the game” Kirishima said. “We don’t have to hang out to make up for it. We’re cool.”

“Holy fucking shit,” Bakugou let out, “how thick is your skull?”

What’s that supposed to mean? Kirishima thought.

Before he knew it, Bakugou’s strong arms wrapped around him and lifted him upright. With the blond sitting right in front of him on the bed, Kirishima was forced to sit cross-legged. The shark plushie was now squished in between them.

Bakugou’s arms not leaving him, Kirishima’s face flushed into his tear-soaked plushie.

“Eijiro. Look at me.”

Hearing Bakugou call him by his given name – for the first time –, Kirishima’s heart fluttered with agony.

One of Bakugou’s arms left his back and tentatively came to rest on the side of Kirishima’s face. Kirishima’s lungs ached as Bakugou carefully pushed the plushie just enough to allow him to caress away his tears.

“Don’t laugh” Kirishima whimpered, fresh tears running down his cheeks. “I’m unmanly. I fucking know. Just leave.”

“Unmanly? For what?” Bakugou whispered. “Crying?”

Bakugou tried to push the shark plushie down to uncover his face, but Kirishima hardened himself to keep it in place.

“Letting it out is hell of a lot better than holding it in” Bakugou continued to whisper. “This doesn’t make you unmanly at all.”

Hearing Bakugou’s words – which were filled with so much certainty –, Kirishima’s mouth wobbled. Unable to keep his skin hardened against the feeling of his friend trying to wipe away his tears, Kirishima deactivated his Quirk.

“Can I see that manly face? Eijiro?”

Although the softness of Bakugou’s voice tore his heart to shreds, Kirishima complied and hesitantly lifted his face – just enough to lock his teary eyes with Bakugou’s. The blond gave him a small smile as he passed his thumb on Kirishima’s wet cheek.

“Look at that,” Bakugou whispered, “still the toughest guy I know.”

Thinking this friendship was the closest he would ever get to being loved, Kirishima choked up a sob. The pathetic sound was thankfully mostly muted by his plushie, but it was still loud enough to resonate in his ears.

Also hearing it, Bakugou’s mouth opened to say something, but his lips trembled to a halt before any word escaped him. It was then that Kirishima noticed Bakugou’s red eyes were also glassy with tears that wouldn’t fall. For the first time, Kirishima saw that they were not at all confident, but rather hesitant, fragile, and even slightly afraid.

Kirishima couldn’t bear the sight of his friend trying so hard to comfort him when all of this was his own fault for catching helpless feelings. He took a sharp inhale, wanting to lie and say that he’d fell better tomorrow. Ready to tell Bakugou to leave, Kirishima lifted his entire face away from the plushie. 

At the same time as he lifted his face, Bakugou leaned forward. Kirishima blinked – and all of a sudden Bakugou was cupping his face.

And kissing him.

Much like the first time they kissed, Kirishima absolutely froze. He stared at Bakugou’s closed eyes, unable to process this was really happening. As the blond shifted a little closer to kiss him better, Kirishima’s tear-soaked lips shook against his.

A torrent of overwhelming emotions made more fat tears trail down his face.

Kirishima’s mind went numb with too much to feel. This time, he couldn’t return the kiss. This time, he couldn’t even appreciate it. Even then, a part of him didn’t want to accept why Bakugou was doing this.

With Bakugou pulling back a little, the kiss ended. It was far shorter this time, but just as tender.

The blond – still cupping his face – didn’t move far away. He stayed close to stare into Kirishima’s eyes. Skin flaring up as he slowly processed Bakugou really did kiss him again, Kirishima searched for answers in those unusually shy red eyes.

“I… love you, Ei” Bakugou murmured.

You do? Kirishima thought, teary eyes widening in incredulity. Even after seeing me like this?

Hearing Bakugou say what he could have only dreamed of, Kirishima’s shattered heart slowly starting melting back together. With a wobbly smile stretching his wet cheeks, he tentatively eyed the blond.

Even if I’m me?

“Can you…” Kirishima timidly breathed out, “can you say that again?”

Wiping another heavy tear off of Kirishima’s face, a warm smile pressed on Bakugou’s lips.

“I love you” the blond repeated just as softly.

Time came to a halt as Kirishima let the words sink in. Once they did, relief and joy took a hold of him – and he couldn’t help but throw himself onto Bakugou to kiss him.

Bakugou’s eyes widened in surprise when Kirishima’s lips met his. Kirishima tightly wrapped his arms around Bakugou’s neck. However, having not been careful, he accidentally leaped at the blond with too much strength and sent both their bodies hurtling off the bed. They fell to the floor rather roughly – with Kirishima landing on Bakugou.

Afraid he had hurt him, Kirishima speedily broke the kiss, his heart pounding out of his chest.

“Shit, I’m sorry – ” Kirishima started, blushing profusely.

Not looking pained at all, Bakugou chuckled as he brought a hand up to grab the back of Kirishima’s head. Without a moment’s hesitation, Bakugou interrupted Kirishima’s frenzied apology by pulling him back into another kiss.

Soft lips resting on his once more to silence him, all of Kirishima’s fears washed away.

Every day, Kirishima thought, squeezing his burning teary eyes shut.

Passionate yet slow, hungry yet attentive, they kissed for what felt like the real first time. The entire world disappeared from around them, leaving them alone to share this affectionate moment together.

I’m going to kiss you every single day.

The sweet kiss only ended when Kirishima pulled back, breathless, needing to gasp for air. He lovingly looked down at Bakugou, who was still laying on the floor under him with blond hair messily going in every direction. Kirishima exchanged breaths with him as he took in the truth once and for all.

“I – I love you too” Kirishima whispered – and with those simple words, he felt like the weight of the world had finally come off his back. A few relieved tears escaped his eyes as he added: “More than you can imagine.”

As if Kirishima needed to fall in love with him even more, Bakugou smiled without restraint – a smile wide, truthful, and stunning. The corner of red eyes twinkling in happiness of the likes Kirishima had never seen before, Kirishima’s heart was his for good.

Although enchanted by his smile, Kirishima noticed his tears dropping on the blond. Bakugou barely seemed to even notice, but Kirishima couldn’t help but feel incredibly embarrassed by them.

“Sorry – It’s just – ” Kirishima awkwardly started, pushing himself off of Bakugou. “I was so afraid – I thought you didn’t feel the same” he hastily continued to explain himself, bringing a hand up to wipe away his tears. “I’m so happy – really – I can’t see my life without you and – ”

“Hey” Bakugou interrupted, standing up with him.

Kirishima sucked in his breath as Bakugou took his hand away and kissed his wet cheek.

“I don’t want a life without you either, idiot” Bakugou whispered, intertwining their fingers together. “I love you too much to let that happen.”

Bakugou’s familiar palm sent a warmth of happiness up Kirishima’s spine. A wobbly smile pressed on his lips as he stared at their hands – as he enjoyed how it felt to know that Bakugou wasn’t holding him as a friend anymore.

“So, we – Are we… Like? A thing?” Kirishima shily asked, his skin still blushed a deep shade of red.

Lifting his eyes away from their hands, Kirishima caught Bakugou rolling his eyes at the question. The blond lifted his other hand to squeeze Kirishima’s face closer into a short caramel-filled kiss.

“Does that answer your question, sharky?” Bakugou whispered against his face.

“Yeah” Kirishima blurted out, smiling like an idiot.

Bakugou softly tugged at his hand, inviting them to go back to bed. Kirishima glanced over at the clock and noticed it was getting rather late – it was nearing 11PM.

“So… Can I call you Katsuki?” Kirishima asked as they sat on the bed.

”Call me whatever you want” Bakugou replied with a small smile.

“How about Bae?”

“Sure, don’t care.”

“Even Handsome?”

“Meh” Bakugou shrugged, laying down on his side.

Blushing, Kirishima laid down facing him. He brought the covers up a little, pensively thinking of other pet names to call him.

“What about Sweetheart?” Kirishima offered.

“Ok, no, that’s too cheesy” Bakugou snorted. “Don’t you dare, bastard.”

Bakugou opened his arms toward him, inviting Kirishima to hug him. More than happily, Kirishima wrapped his arms around the blond and pulled him closer. Squeezing him tightly, Kirishima snuggled his face into Bakugou’s chest.

“Ok, nothing cheesy…” Kirishima said, grinning a little. “How about Pumpkin Honey Pie?”

“You’re fucking lucky I love you” Bakugou groaned, bringing a hand up to play in Kirishima’s hair.

“I love you too” Kirishima chuckled.

A soft moment of silence washed over them. As they cozied closer together, Bakugou lovingly stroked his hair. Slowly, Kirishima’s breathing learned to relax again, and his skin gradually rid itself of embarrassment.

I can’t believe it, Kirishima smiled. I’ll get to be like this with you for the rest of my life? Really? I couldn’t ask for anything better.

After a moment, Bakugou’s hand let go of his hair and stretched outward to close the lamp. The blond brought his arm back to rest against Kirishima’s waist, lazily hugging him.

“You know…” Bakugou sleepily whispered, “that aquarium date is still up for grabs. Or we can do something else if you don’t – ”

“It’s a date” Kirishima interrupted, smiling widely against Bakugou’s chest.

In response, Bakugou squeezed him lightly. Submerged in the pleasant darkness, their bodies slowly started drifting to sleep.

“Good night, my sleeping beauty” Kirishima whispered.

As he had seen coming, there was a small explosion on his back. It didn’t hurt him at all since he had hardened his skin.

“No cheesy shit” Bakugou complained.

“Alright, alright” Kirishima giggled – and he heard Bakugou respond with a quiet chortle. “Good night, Katsuki.”

Melting back into their comfortable embrace, Kirishima softened his skin.

“Good night, Ei” Bakugou eventually murmured back.

Happier than ever before, Kirishima hugged his boyfriend to sleep.

Chapter Text

As it would be the case for every morning to come, Kirishima woke up to Bakugou carefully trying to free himself from their embrace. Not wanting him to leave just yet, Kirishima let out a lengthy yawn and cuddled Bakugou a little tighter.

“G’morning” Bakugou whispered.

One of his arms free, Bakugou raised a hand to push Kirishima’s loose hair off of his face. In the soft morning light, the blond placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Smiling uncontrollably at such a simple gesture filled with so much love, Kirishima breathed out “Good morning, Bae”.

Bakugou rested his chin on his head, hugging him back in peaceful silence. For an instant, in that warm embrace, Kirishima was rocked by the waves of their slow and synchronised breathing. He was enthralled by how easy it was to be with him – by how simple it was to love him.

“I gotta warn you,” Bakugou eventually murmured, “you’ll have to get used to me waking up first and breaking our hugs. I do want to keep waking up early.”

“You do?” Kirishima whispered back.

The blond hummed a soft agreement – to which Kirishima responded by hardening his skin.

“Free yourself, then” Kirishima grinned.

Bakugou let out a loud annoyed huff, but the small smile on his lips betrayed his irritated act.

“You asked for it” Bakugou said, wriggling one of his arms free.

A quick, weak explosion erupted in Kirishima’s face. The speed of it dazed him just long enough for Bakugou to free his other arm. As the blond put his hands on Kirishima’s shoulders – trying to push himself up out of the hug –, Kirishima tightened his arms around his waist.

Kirishima laughed softly at Bakugou struggling to escape him. A few small explosions later, Bakugou had rolled their bodies over each other, landing on him.

With Bakugou’s neck right in his face, Kirishima couldn’t resist. He playfully gave his neck surprise kiss-attacks – clearly catching Bakugou off guard – and rolled their bodies again so he could be on top. The blond let out a stronger explosion, which was still careful enough not to destroy the bed, but that wasn’t enough to stop Kirishima from riddling his neck with kisses.

The sound of the explosions wavering, Kirishima heard Bakugou fighting back laughter under him. Kirishima’s smile widened against Bakugou’s neck.

Desperate to free himself before he would inevitably erupt laughing, Bakugou rolled their bodies once more – throwing them off the bed.

With a giggling Bakugou on him, Kirishima gave his neck a moment of rest. In a love-struck silence, they both stared into each other’s eyes.

After a moment, without warning, Bakugou leaned closer and kissed him.

The feeling of soft lips on his still new to him, Kirishima’s heart jumped. Warmth tenderly taking hold of him, he deactivated his Quirk and kissed Bakugou back – leisurely, slowly, lovingly.

When Bakugou slowly pulled back, he managed to untangle himself from Kirishima’s weakened arms.

“I win” Bakugou teased as he got up.

With a small grin, the blond left him on the floor to go get ready for the day. Staring at the ceiling, dazed by love, Kirishima’s cheeks burned with a thousand sparks of blissful happiness.

=====

Walking out of the bathroom after changing, Kirishima found Bakugou waiting for him. Without a word, as if they had done this a million times already, the blond reached out a hand for him to take – and Kirishima more than happily took it. As always, their fingers fit perfectly together.

“Do you… care if others know?” Kirishima shily asked as Bakugou opened the door to head out.

There was a moment of pensive silence as they walked.

“Pretty much everyone already knows” Bakugou whispered once they reached the stairs.

“You already told them?” Kirishima asked, flustered. “Wait no – was it Ashido? Did she share the pictures of us playing pocky – ”

“Oh, she definitely shared those to the entire goddamn school” Bakugou snorted. “But, no, it’s not her. It’s just that nobody’s going to be surprised. Half the class thinks we’re already dating.”

“Why would they – ” Kirishima blurted out.

“I told you,” Bakugou interrupted with a small huff, “you have one hell of a thick skull.”

“I didn’t…” Kirishima started, recalling all the times he had dismissed as friendship what should have been obvious hints, “shit, dude, I’m such a dumbass.”

“Oi.”

The slightly-sweaty palm squeezed his dry hand in comfort.

“You needed time to... try to catch on, that’s all” Bakugou murmured. “Doesn’t change the fact that I love you.”

With a wobbly smile, Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Bakugou’s thumb caressed his intertwined hand as they walked out of the dorm.

“Do you care if they know?” Bakugou hesitantly asked. “Well, officially know?”

“The entire world could know,” Kirishima happily whispered, “and I wouldn’t mind.”

=====

When they arrived to class, most of their classmates were already there. A little anxious to see their reaction, Kirishima instantly spotted Ashido talking with Kaminari and Sero at his desk.

They barely had time to take two steps into the classroom before Ashido snapped her head in their direction. Her eyes gleamed as she noticed they were walking hand-in-hand.

“Hey!” She screamed over other students’ conversations. “Bombs man, yes or no or it’s complicated?”

Kirishima frowned a little at the question. Heads turned in the class, and voices turned to curious whispers.

“Yeah” Bakugou replied, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

“Yeeees!” Ashido shrieked, violently shaking Sero’s shoulders in excitement. “Finally!”

“She… knew knew?” Kirishima whispered to Bakugou in shock.

“Yup” Bakugou mumbled. “Pretty sure I owe her an entire week’s worth of meals.”

“For?” Kirishima asked, curiosity taking over him.

Having finished exchanging shrieks of joy with Kaminari, Ashido sprinted up to them.

“I’ll explain later” Bakugou whispered. “Unless these bastards do so first.”

“So, lovebirds, are you going to the aquarium?” Ashido grinned, batting her eyelashes as Kaminari joined them.

Although confused, Kirishima couldn’t fight back a smile at the reminder that they were going on a date after classes.

“Oh, they definitely are!” Kaminari gleamed, playfully shoving Kirishima’s side. “Let me guess, tonight?”

Before either of them could confirm or deny anything, Ashido’s eyes widened as she noticed someone behind them.

“Hey, Midoriya!” Ashido greeted. “Guess what! These two idiots are finally together!”

The green-head blinked in confusion as he walked past them. It seemed to take him a moment to even understand what Ashido had said.

“Wait – you two weren’t already together?” Midoriya stammered, baffled. “Kacchan – how – you – what was the holdup?”

“None of your business” Bakugou growled.

“Ok, sure – uh,” Midoriya said, “congratulations, you two!”

“Thanks” Kirishima awkwardly replied, chuckling at Bakugou’s defensive attitude.

Right as Ashido opened her mouth again, a stern ‘ahem’ resonated from behind them.

The teacher having arrived, they were forced apart. Bakugou and Kirishima shared a small smile as their hands left each other – as the tip of their fingers brushed, wishing they could stay together a little longer.

=====

At lunch time, Kirishima was forced to cover his crimson-blushed face against the lunch table when he found out Bakugou knew about most of Ashido’s plan, about his confession to their group of friends, about his feelings – and about pretty much everything long before he did.

“You should have seen your face when Ashido took out the pocky box, Kiri!” Kaminari cracked up laughing. “It was priceless!”

Kirishima groaned in embarrassment.

“Not as priceless as Bakugou’s needy glances when you and Shinsou played first” Sero teased. “Didn’t know he was such a romantic.”

“Fuck off” Bakugou snapped – not sounding angry. For most of the teasing so far, he had stayed surprisingly silent by Kirishima’s side.

“They’re both hopeless romantics~” Ashido teasingly sang.

Throughout lunch, their friends bombarded them with nothing but teasing comments and questions. Snickering ever so lightly with the others, Bakugou lovingly held his hand through it all.

=====

The school day having finally come to an end, Kirishima was back in his dorm. His heart palpitated with joy as he quickly changed clothes – as he got ready to go out on a date with Bakugou.

“Good to go yet, Ei?” Bakugou called out, opening his dorm door. “We’ll miss our ride.”

“Yep – coming!” Kirishima called back, putting on his shirt as he rushed out.

Kirishima’s chest filled with warmth at the sight of Bakugou. He was wearing casual clothes, as agreed, yet there was a glint of adoration in his red eyes which enchanted him.

“Race you there?” Bakugou offered with a grin – but didn’t wait for a reply before dashing down the corridor.

“Katsuki!” Kirishima called out. “Not fair!”

As he ran after him, Kirishima couldn’t fight back small giggles. Within no time, they were outside, running up to U.A.’s main gate.

Sprinting to catch up with the blond, Kirishima’s smile trembled with unspeakable amounts of glee. Everything yet nothing had changed in between them. Their bond had grown stronger, yet they were both the same two idiots spending time together – the same two idiots helplessly in love with one another.

Bakugou gave him a small smile as Kirishima almost managed to run past him. They reached the metro in sync – and noticed people walking into their train.

“Hurry up, lovebirds!” A familiar voice called out from a window.

Realizing the train was about to leave, Kirishima hurriedly took Bakugou’s hand and dashed to go catch their ride. They passed the door moments before they closed – right as the train started leaving.

“Almost missed your first date!” Ashido tutted.

Panting slightly, Kirishima looked up and saw that Ashido was on the train alongside Shinsou, Kaminari, Sero, Momo, Uraraka, and Jirou. He quickly guessed they were going to the opera concert Momo had offered to Ashido yesterday.

“Speaking of first dates,” Kaminari spoke, eyeing him, “Kiri, dude, are you serious?”

Bakugou tugged at his hand, inviting him to go sit amongst their classmates.

“Serious?” Kirishima asked, confused. “About what?”

“You’re wearing crocs to your first date?” Kaminari clarified. “Bakugou, aren’t you a fashion freak? How are you okay with this?”

Kirishima gave Bakugou a nervous glance. He hadn’t even considered that – even if they had agreed for casual attire – perhaps crocs were a little too casual.

“He can keep his stupid crocs” Bakugou replied, much to Kirishima’s relief. “All that matters is that we’re together.”

Ashido, Kaminari, Momo, and Uraraka simultaneously let out an endeared aww – Kaminari a little more exaggeratedly and teasingly than the others.

“Oh, shut up” Bakugou shily grumbled.

=====

With the exception of the occasional overexcited kids, the aquarium was very calming. Each dimly lit room was accompanied by soft ambient music, submerging them into the sound of soothing ocean waves.

Hand in hand, they slowly walked along the tanks, moving from room to room, admiring a thousand shining fishes and colorful corals. Kirishima pointed at everything from seahorses to clown fishes, crabs to stingrays, sharing his happiness with Bakugou.

They playfully tried to guess the names of some exotic creatures neither had ever seen before – and shared muted laughter together when they inevitably failed horribly.

Walking into a dark room filled with glowing jellyfishes of all shapes and sizes, Kirishima’s eyes widened in amazement. The creatures’ tentacles and arms moved gracefully, making their multicolored bodies dance in the water in unison.

“They’re beautiful” Kirishima whispered, breathless.

The jellyfishes softly illuminated their faces just enough for Kirishima to notice Bakugou glancing at him.

“They are” Bakugou murmured.

As Kirishima went back to being mesmerized by the floating jellyfishes, a breathy ‘but not as much as you’ reached his ears – and a kiss landed on the back of Kirishima’s neck. Blushing and smiling uncontrollably, Kirishima shily eyed his feet.

“I thought you said no cheesy stuff” Kirishima chuckled, bumping Bakugou’s shoulder.

“I said no cheesy shit,” Bakugou whispered with a grin, “for nicknames.”

“So, I can’t call you Pumpkin, but you can say the cheesiest line in the book?”

“Yep. Deal with it, sharky.”

“I don’t think I will, sleeping beauty” Kirishima grinned – making Bakugou roll his eyes. “You deserve the cheesiest of pet na– ”  

He was interrupted by someone tugging the side of his shirt.

“Excuse me, sir?”

Kirishima and Bakugou turned around to find two young girls looking up at them with big, curious eyes. If Kirishima had to guess, he would say they were twins, probably 5 years old.

“Yes?” Kirishima said, frowning a little.

“Are you the little mermaid’s brother?” one of the girls asked, stumbling on her words.

Bakugou snorted at the question.

“Uhh, yeah!” Kirishima replied, playing along. “I’m just visiting some friends.”

“I knew it!” The other girl excitedly said, a wide smile appearing on her face. “Does – ”

“There you are! I told you two to stay close” a woman interrupted, voice filled with relief and anger. Noticing one of her girls was still holding onto Kirishima’s shirt, she quickly added: “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“No problem” Kirishima said as the girl let go of him. “Enjoy your visit.”

“Now who’s the princess?” Bakugou snickered as the girls and their mother walked away.

“Hey, it made them happy” Kirishima chuckled, glancing back up at the tanks.

They took in the sight of the jellyfishes for a few more moments before deciding to continue.

“Let’s go that way” Kirishima excitedly whispered, guiding Bakugou to their left.

Stepping into the corridor, they found themselves surrounded by walls made entirely of glass. Now in an underwater tunnel, they slowed down, charmed by the wonders of the sea.

Turtles, dolphins, and batches of colorful fishes swam around them. The ambient sound of waves and soft musical chords drowned out the whispers from other visitors, leaving them to believe they were alone in this mystical scenery.

As they walked, discovering new fishes along the way, Kirishima trailed his hand on the cold glass.

The hand in his squeezing him gently, Kirishima glanced over at Bakugou – only to find that the blond most likely didn’t squeeze him on purpose.

Bakugou was looking up at the tanks, seeming rather fascinated. Illuminated by the soft blue glow of the aquarium, Kirishima stared into the blond’s red eyes. The fishes reflected in them, dancing amongst the streaks of colorful light coming through the water.

“Have you ever gone to an aquarium before?” Kirishima whispered.

“No” Bakugou admitted, looking back at him. “Have you?”

The fishes floating overhead formed delicate shadows on their skin.

“Me neither” Kirishima breathed out. “I’m happy we get to experience this for the first time, together.”

Bakugou replied with nothing but a small smile.

Their bodies slowly walked closer together in the tunnel. The warmth of Bakugou’s palm in his only made the spectacular sight even more enjoyable.

“Oi, look,” Bakugou said, tugging his hand to get his attention, “it’s you.”

Looking back at Bakugou, Kirishima found him pointing upward. Following his finger, Kirishima saw a huge shark pass over them. It glided across the tank, majestic yet a little terrifying. It swam amongst the other fishes peacefully, casting a large shadow on them.

“If I’m one of the fishes…” Kirishima whispered without much thought, “then you must be a fisherman.”

“Huh?” Bakugou let out, not expecting that kind of reply.

“Cause you’ve got me hooked” Kirishima grinned.

“Oh my fucking god” Bakugou groaned – although a bright smile appeared on his lips.

“Two can play the cheesy game” Kirishima chuckled at his reaction.

“No, that was awful,” Bakugou said – yet Kirishima was fairly certain his skin was a little pink under the wavering light of the tank –, “you’re disqualified from playing for life.”

“Aww, come on! I’m learning here!” Kirishima teased as he brought Bakugou’s hand up to kiss it. “Please Bae?”

Bakugou responded with a small huff – before bringing his free hand to the back of Kirishima’s head to pull him into a real kiss.

“You’re forgiven,” Bakugou whispered against his face, “for now.”

=====

After hours of walking around tanks and sharing unforgettable moments together, the loudspeakers announced that the aquarium was closing in fifteen minutes, inviting every visitor to start heading out.

As they walked out, they passed by a gift shop – and Kirishima saw a wall of plushies at the back.

“Want one?” Bakugou offered, noticing where his eyes were glancing at.

The blond’s voice caught him off guard. Embarrassed, Kirishima darted his eyes back in front of him and mumbled out “nah, I’m good.”

Squinting at him, Bakugou stopped walking rather abruptly. There was a moment of silence, making Kirishima gulp in fear.

“It’s not unmanly to have plushies” Bakugou whispered. “It’s cute as hell.”

Without giving him much of a choice, Bakugou tugged at his hand, dragging him into the shop. Kirishima’s mouth wobbled into a relieved smile.

“Pick whichever you want, I’m paying” Bakugou said as they reached the wall of plushies.

“You sure?” Kirishima awkwardly asked, letting go of Bakugou’s hand.

“If you don’t pick, I will” Bakugou pressed on.

With a shy but excited smile, Kirishima went along the wall of plushies, trying to decide which to take. With too many choices, Kirishima walked back and forth at a rapid pace, incapable of making a decision.

As he waited for him to make up his mind, Bakugou picked up a small shark plushie and squished its face.

Kirishima took that as a sign to hurry up, remembering the shop would close soon anyway. He hesitated between a jellyfish and a manta ray – until his eyes landed on a pufferfish.

“Kats, look,” Kirishima gleefully said, picking up the pufferfish plushie at lighting speeds, “it’s just like you!”

Bakugou snorted as Kirishima raised the plushie in the air to compare it with his spiky hair. Even the color was a perfect match.

“Picking that one, really sharky?” Bakugou asked, walking up to him.

“I’d pick you any day” Kirishima happily replied.

Smiling shily, the blond shook his head.

“I’d pick you too” Bakugou whispered, squeezing the shark plushie he had picked up earlier.

Without another word, Bakugou stole the pufferfish plushie out of Kirishima’s hands and walked up to the cashier to buy both the pufferfish and the shark plushie.

“Here” Bakugou said, handing over the pufferfish over to him.

“Thanks, Bae” Kirishima whispered, watching in adoration as Bakugou tucked the shark plushie – which he had bought for himself – in his arm.

“Don’t mention it” Bakugou said, taking his hand in his again.

Right as they stepped out of the gift shop, Kirishima realized that – with the exception of all the great memories they made together – these plushies were the only things they would bring back. Both of them had been far too enchanted by the colorful tanks to pause and take any photos.

“Oh – wait, before we leave, can we take a pic together?” Kirishima excitedly asked. “I never want to forget today.”

A little surprised, Bakugou blinked – before tilting his head to the right in approbation. With a smile, Kirishima guided Bakugou back toward the fishes, going against the flow of exiting visitors.

“Alright,” Kirishima said, taking out his phone and squeezing closer to Bakugou to take a selfie, “on cheese; one…”

On the phone, he saw that their bodies were washed over with the dim blue light of the tanks. Colorful fishes swam in the background, giving them a perfect shot.

“…two…”

Kirishima’s chest ached in happiness at the sight of himself squeezing the pufferfish and Bakugou squeezing the shark.

“…three…”

Bakugou tucked his head a little closer. Seeing his small smile, Kirishima’s eyes twinkle a little brighter.

“..cheese!” Kirishima let out and took a picture – right as Bakugou turned his head and kissed him on the cheek.

Flustered, Kirishima nearly dropped his plushie. Bakugou grinned as he pulled back from the kiss and rested his head on his shoulder.

“Good enough for you?” Bakugou murmured.

Heart filled with contentment, Kirishima opened the picture he had just taken. With a smile pressed on their lips, Bakugou’s quick peck on his cheek was immortalized. He stared at the picture, knowing he would cherish it forever.

“It’s perfect” Kirishima whispered back.

With a fond shared smile, they walked out of the aquarium hand in hand, knowing countless more moments like these awaited them – knowing this was only the beginning of a lifetime of love.