Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Aizawa’s Office

"Your internship is canceled."

Aizawa’s words landed like a bomb. Midoriya froze, his half-full notebook dangling uselessly from his fingers. Bakugo’s eye twitched.

"What."

Aizawa sipped his coffee, completely unfazed. "There’s a villain in the area. Too dangerous."

"Wait, what villain?" Midoriya leaned forward, already analyzing a hundred possibilities. "Did someone escape Tartarus? Is it a terrorist attack? Is there a—"

"Classified."

"—new villain group? Is this a repeat of the—"

"Classified."

"Sensei—"

"I said classified."

Midoriya’s mouth snapped shut. Bakugo, arms crossed, scowled. "So what? We just sit here and do nothing?"

Aizawa hummed. "Well…" He set down his mug, leveling them with a look. "This is… an available mission."

Silence.

Midoriya and Bakugo were hooked.

"We’ll take it!" Midoriya instantly declared.

"Damn right we will," Bakugo added.

"On second thought, no, just let the pro heroes handle this."

Aizawa didn’t even look up from his coffee as he shut them down, voice flat, final. That should have been the end of it. But of course, it wasn’t.

"Aizawa-sensei, please!" Midoriya clasped his hands together like he was praying to a higher power. "We’ve trained for moments like this—we can help!"

“No.”

"C’mon, Eraser!" Bakugo jabbed a finger at him. "Quit treating us like extras! You know we’re better than half the pros you got lined up for this!"

"Just hear us out!" Midoriya leaned forward, eyes practically glowing with determination.

Aizawa finally looked at them, face blank. "Midoriya. Bakugo. This is a high-level investigation that requires skill, experience, and subtlety. Do either of you have those things?"

Midoriya opened his mouth.

Bakugo immediately answered, "Damn right, I do."

Aizawa finally looked at them. His expression was a perfect mix of exhaustion and regret. "Bakugo, last week, you tried to uppercut a security bot because, and I quote, ‘it was looking at you funny’."

"IT WAS."

Aizawa ignored that. He turned to Midoriya. "And you. You spent an entire stakeout whispering notes into your recorder. Out loud."

Midoriya’s face went red. "I—I was being thorough—"

Aizawa sighed. "No." He took a sip of his coffee. "The answer is no. And before you ask again—still no."

There was a beat of silence. The teens looked at each other.

"Please, Sensei, we won’t get in the way—"
"You’re seriously picking some extras over us?!"
"We’re fast, we’re strong, we work well under pressure—"
"I’m literally better than every single other candidate, just sayin’—"
"You won’t even have to do anything! We’ll handle it!"
"LET US PROVE WE’RE NOT USELESS, DAMMIT!"

Aizawa dragged a slow, exhausted hand down his face, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "I should’ve just let Mic do this briefing."
Then, finally—"Fine. But don't complain when you hear the details."

Midoriya’s face lit up. Bakugo smirked triumphantly.

Aizawa didn’t react. He just… watched them. Too calm. Too neutral. Too suspicious.

"It was originally going to be either me and Present Mic or Midnight and another pro hero."

Then, slowly—too slowly—he started listing the mission details.

“Alright. Since you two have so much confidence, let’s go over the details.”

Midoriya straightened, pulling out his notebook. Bakugo just crossed his arms, but his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“There’s a villain on the loose.”

Aizawa let the silence linger for a painful moment before finally continuing.

“The villain’s name is Black Valentine—real name Shirogane Itsuki. Their quirk is called ‘Sweetheart’s Curse.’”

Midoriya’s pen scratched across the page, his brain already racing through possibilities. “What does it do?”

Aizawa took a long, slow sip of coffee before answering. “It’s… disruptive.”

Bakugo scowled. “The hell does that mean?”

“It means the effects are temporary but very annoying,” Aizawa said, setting his mug down. “Once the quirk activates, the targets experience a… shift.”

Midoriya leaned forward. “A shift how?”

Aizawa’s eyes glinted. “It varies. Sometimes, it makes them blurt out dramatic romantic lines against their will. Sometimes, it forces unconscious gestures—holding hands, leaning closer, mirroring each other’s movements. Other times, it just throws off coordination, making combat ridiculously difficult.”

Midoriya stiffened. That—

That was so much worse than he expected.

Bakugo’s face twisted. “You’re saying this freak just—forces people to act like lovesick extras?!”

Aizawa nodded. “Only for about two minutes per activation.”

Midoriya scribbled furiously. “So it doesn’t create real emotions—it just manipulates behavior?”

“Exactly.” Aizawa rubbed his temple. “The quirk only works on people the villain perceives as a couple. If he doesn’t believe they’re together, nothing happens.”

Midoriya swallowed hard. A sinking feeling crept into his stomach.

Bakugo caught on immediately. His eyes twitched. “Wait. Wait. You’re telling me—”

Aizawa gave them a look. “That’s right.” He leaned back, savoring the moment.

“If you want to get close enough to catch him…” His voice was dry.

“You’ll have to be convincing.”

Silence.

Midoriya and Bakugo sat frozen.

"You’ll need to blend in, keep a low profile."

The silence was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"You’ll have to play a role."

Aizawa exhaled through his nose, trying not to smirk.

Aizawa sipped his coffee. “Because, thanks to your very persistent begging, you’re now going undercover.”

Another pause.

Bakugo’s entire body tensed. “Undercover as what?”

Even with his efforts, Aizawa’s lips had curled into something that was almost a smirk.

"You’ll be going undercover as a couple."

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating silence.

The air in the room plummeted. Midoriya’s body lost all the confidence it had. Bakugo blinked—once, twice, three times—like he’d misheard.

"...What." “WHAT?!”

“You begged,” Aizawa repeated, seeming pleased with his execution. “Now, you’re in. Congratulations.”

Bakugo exploded. “EXCUSE ME?!”

Midoriya’s panicked rambling filled the background.

Midoriya's pen froze mid-scribble as the information sank in.

Midoriya’s face turned red. "Wait. What?!"

Bakugo short-circuited. "HELL NO."

They tried to backpedal immediately.

"Forget it—let the pro heroes do it!"

"Yeah! They’re much more qualified—"

Aizawa, completely deadpan: "No. You wanted in. You got in. That’s what you’re going to get."

“You can’t back out,” he said while sipping his coffee.

Aizawa silently handed them some papers, letting them read. Bakugo glared at the paper like it had personally offended him, while Midoriya’s hands shook.

“Better start practicing. The mission starts next week.”

Izuku tried to lighten the mood.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad?”

“Shut up, nerd. We are NOT holding hands.”

“That’s literally the first thing on the list. Now get out of my office. Hope you learned a valuable lesson—this is why we don’t beg.”

As the two boys exited with newfound grief, Aizawa just chuckled to himself.

“They didn’t learn, did they? Huh. This was going to be fun. Better call Zashi.”

═════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ═══════════════════════

Midoriya and Bakugo made their way back to the dorms.

The silence was suffocating, Midoriya knew it was bad but he guessed Bakugou just took it worse.

“I’m sorry Kacchan.”

Bakugou snapped his head to glare at him, “Why the hell are you sorry? It's both damn our faults.”

“I just thought...maybe it won’t be as bad as it seems.”

“Won't be bad, Deku. Really?”

Midoriya gulps. Bakugou took a step closer.

“We have to act like a fucking couple for...Fuck! Who knows how long!”

Bakugou took another step closer only to take a deep breath and walk away.

“Wait!” Midoriya blurted, regret sinking in instantly.

Bakugou stopped, not turned around, shoulders tensed.

“It could be fun. You know, we could go to theme parks and just have fun. Plus, we still get to take down a villain like we both want. Sure, It’ll be awkward because we have to look like a couple but...it doesn’t have to be...that bad.”

…

A heavy pause.

Bakugou barely turned his head, looking at the floor, fists clenched.

“Tch.” A scoff, “You think I want to do that shit with you in the first place. Huh? Now we have to act like a couple on top of it?” He took a deep breath. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

Bakugou didn’t mean that... Did he? He stormed off, leaving Midoriya behind.

‘You think I want to do that with you.’

Those words echoed in Midoriya's mind.

I thought you would.

Midoriya blinked back the tears out his eyes, forcing his feet to take unsteady steps to carry him towards the dorms.

═════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ═══════════════════════

 

Bakugou stormed through the dorm doors, already irritated beyond belief. All he wanted was to get to his room, take a damn breath, and not think about the bullshit mission waiting for him. He was already on edge—only to be met with a swarm of idiots ready to test his patience.

This wasn’t going to go well.

"Bakugou! There you are, dude!" Kirishima called, waving from the common area.

"Oh, perfect timing!" Mina grinned, hopping over the couch. "We were just talking about—wait, wait, look at him! That’s a face hiding something."

That was all it took.

Like sharks smelling blood, the rest of the group zeroed in.

"Yeah, yeah, he looks guilty," Kaminari said, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Or stressed," Sero mused. "Maybe both."

"Or," Mina smirked, stepping into his path, "he got himself into something juicy."

Bakugou stopped just long enough to level her with a glare.

"Move."

Mina just grinned wider. "Make me."

He did.

With a sharp step forward, Bakugou pushed right past her, ignoring her dramatic yelp as he plowed ahead.

"Geez, rude much?"

"He's so hiding something," Kaminari whispered.

"What’s got you all worked up, man?" Kirishima tried again, jogging to catch up.

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Fuck off."

"Oookay, someone’s in a mood," Sero muttered.

Bakugou clenched his jaw, barely resisting the urge to blast them all away. He just needed to get upstairs. Get away from these nosy-ass idiots.

A door creaked open, and a boy with green hair was revealed, a nervous smile on his face.

"Maybe he's pissed 'cause something happened with Midoriya," Kaminari joked.

Bakugou froze. His jaw unclenched.

A split second. Barely noticeable.

But they noticed.

"...Wait," Mina said slowly. "Did something actually happen?"

Bakugou’s hands curled into fists.

Shit.

"Shut up," he growled.

Kirishima blinked. "Dude... what happened?"

"None of your damn business." He shoved forward again, harder this time, knocking into Kaminari’s shoulder as he stomped toward the elevator.

"Hey—!"

But Bakugou was already jamming the button, waiting for the doors to slide open.

"Ugh, come on!" Mina whined. "Give us something!"

The doors opened. Bakugou stepped inside.

His classmates barely had time to process before the doors snapped shut, cutting off any further interrogation.

A beat of silence.

The hum of the elevator movement was calming, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

The elevator dinged.

This wasn’t his floor.

How the fuck did that happen?

He glanced down at the numbers, realizing he hadn’t even hit the right button.

FUCK!

The doors slid open, revealing a tall, blue-haired boy with the straightest posture he’d ever seen.

Should’ve taken the damn stairs.

"Good afternoon, Bakugou. Surprised to see you on this floor. I thought you were at Aizawa-sensei’s office for some news?"

"Yeah. Got put on a mission." Bakugou kept it plain, hoping it would make Iida shut up. Sadly, Iida was horrible with social cues.

"Wow! Sounds exciting. Just you, or both of you?" Iida angled toward him.

"Both?" Bakugou’s eye twitched. (That was happening a lot more all of a sudden.)

Take a damn hint, Glasses.

"You and Midoriya. Weren’t you both sent down there?"

This elevator was taking its sweet ol’ time, wasn’t it?

"Sure." Bakugou’s patience thinned, his voice tight through clenched teeth.

"Sounds great! What kind of mission?" Iida, oblivious, kept talking.

Bakugou started tapping his foot at a rapid tempo. He really did not feel like discussing this.

The elevator finally dinged. Bakugou was abundantly grateful.

He hurried off to his door, nearly breaking a nail trying to unlock the damn thing.

"Next time, Bakugou!" he heard before the elevator doors shut again.

A long, exhausted sigh escaped him, followed by the click of his door closing.

 

═════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ═══════════════════════

Midoriya watched in stunned silence as the elevator doors slid shut, swallowing Kacchan whole. The lingering tension crackled in the air, thick enough to make his skin prickle.

He had barely stepped foot into the dorms, and somehow—somehow—he was already under scrutiny.

“Oh-ho,” Mina drawled, spinning on her heel to face him fully. “That was very suspicious.”

Midoriya stiffened. “H-huh?”

Kaminari jabbed a thumb toward the elevator. “Dude, what did you do? Bakugou looked like he wanted to commit a war crime the second I mentioned your name.”

“I— I don’t—” Midoriya floundered, his brain short-circuiting. His mouth worked faster than his thoughts. “Kacchan is always like that! That’s not new!”

“No, no.” Sero wagged a finger. “This was different.”

“Super different,” Kaminari added, nodding.

Kirishima crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face. “Now that I think about it… Bakugou’s been acting weird ever since he got back.”

“And the way he reacted when we mentioned you?” Mina smirked. “Guilty. So guilty.”

Midoriya felt his face heat up. No, no, no—this was spiraling way too fast.

“I didn’t do anything!” He waved his hands in front of him frantically. “Why do you guys always assume it’s me?!”

Mina grinned. “Because it usually is.”

Midoriya groaned. She’s not wrong.

“I’m kind of hungry. Did you guys make lunch already?” he asked, desperate to change the subject.

Mina narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Yes, and we saved some sandwiches and chips for you and Bakugou.”

“Babe, you’re a little on edge. What’s wrong?” Uraraka’s voice startled him.

Okay, so switching the subject didn’t work. Now, instead of just Mina interrogating him, he had three people on his case.

Wait—three?

When did Iida get here?

“Uh, Iida? And—uh—no need to worry, Mina! Just hungry!” Midoriya shrieked a little too loudly.

His anxiety was through the roof.

He hastily slid past everyone, only to be blocked by Iida.

“Bakugou told me you both got a mission,” Iida said, adjusting his glasses. “He didn’t elaborate on the details. So, could you?”

“Oh, he did?”

If Kacchan got that mad when they brought it up, this mission must be even worse for him than Midoriya had thought.

That… didn’t feel nice. Remember to think about that later.

“Yes, but he didn’t say what kind, who the villain was, or anything for that matter,” Iida pressed.

“Oh, well, it’s an undercover mission. Can’t say too much because it’s, you know… undercover.” He let out a nervous laugh.

Midoriya slowly backed his way into the kitchen, grabbing his food.

Just as he was about to sit down, Kirishima popped up beside him.

Then, one by one, the entire BakuSquad followed.

Midoriya had always been a little jealous of how fast they all became friends.

He quickly shoved that thought away.

Not the time.

“What are you undercover as?” Kirishima asked, his usual bright smile in place.

“I don’t th—”

“Are you guys going undercover as girls?!” Kaminari cut him off, his voice way too excited.

That definitely turned some heads.

Midoriya nearly choked on air. “What? No! Of course not!” He waved his hands in front of him. “I would tell you, but I don’t think Kacchan would be too happy about that…” He trailed off, looking away.

Mina pouted like a child. “Come on! You’ve got to give us something!”

Midoriya completely forgot about his food as he shot up from his seat and made his way toward the stairs.

“Sorry, everyone, but—uh—I need to go do some homework!” That was a lie.

“Wait!”
“I still have more questions!”
“Oh, bye, Midoriya!”
“I won’t forget about this!”
“Make sure to finish that homework! A hero in tra—”
“We get it, Iida!”

Midoriya rushed up the stairs, his heart pounding. The commotion was too much. His nerves were all over the place.

Halfway up to the second floor, he leaned against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut.

I didn’t know Kacchan hated me that much… I guess I was wrong.

But why?

I thought we were better.

I thought we made progress.

I thought we were finally understanding each other.

Was I wrong?

I thought we were fr—

“Deku?”

A voice, unusually soft with concern.

Crap.

Midoriya snapped his eyes open and sat up straight.

“Hi, Kacchan.” He forced a smile.

“Don’t give me that. What’s wrong?”

…

“Why didn’t you take the elevator?”

Midoriya hesitated. “I learned my lesson last time.”

Confused on what he meant by that just ignored it.

He tried to slip away, but Bakugou wasn’t having it.

“No, no. You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong.”

Great. Kacchan never gives up. Not the best trait at the moment.

“Just a little- uh, overstimulated from what happened downstairs.”

Bakugou frowned. “What happened?”

Kacchan, why do you care?

“I don’t really know… it’s not important,” Midoriya deflected, his voice a little too high.

“Deku.” Bakugou’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s not important, then why were you leaning against the wall, eyes shut, looking like you were having a panic attack?”

A pause.

Midoriya looked away.

“…Why are you going downstairs anyway?”

“Hungry. Now stop avoiding the question.”

The air between them felt heavy.

The silence stretched.

Midoriya took a deep breath. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow… Bye, Kacchan.”

Sorry, I really can’t talk about this right now.

With that, Midoriya turned and dragged himself up the stairs.

Bakugou’s jaw clenched. He tried to figure out how to react.

“What the fuck.”

Bakugou stood frozen, stunned by hearing his own words used against him.

═════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ═══════════════════════

A Buzz*

CLASS 1A Group Chat

Kirby🫧: Dinner at a fast food place sound good?

✨Can’t Stop Twinkling✨: ✨ Definitely, mi amor! ✨

Red Riot♨️: YESS!

Pinky🩷: Sounds exciting! 💖

Tenya Iida: But we need to make sure to behave. If we do, I will ask Aizawa-Sensei in advance.

🔋ELECTRIC💡: BRO, IIDA, WE GET IT!!!!! 👏

Tenya Iida: Very rude!

Shinsou: k

🐙Tentacles: Nice.

🧁Suga man🍪: I can make some snacks after!

TAPEY: YES, PLEASEEEE.

Jirou💜: Nicee.

Momo: Sounds great!

Pervert: Hey, who keeps changing my NAME?!

Momo: Mineta, if you want to come, you have to stop being a creep. And it was me!

Pervert: Fine. BUT CHANGE MY NAME BACK!!

Kirby🫧: You definitely should not.

Shoto Todoroki: 👍

Kouda🐇: Yippee!

Froppy🐸: Ribbit.

Shadow: HECK YEAH.

⚫Toko: Shadow, you are big.

Shadow: I’M GONNA GET YOU!!!!

Shadow: NFDUFINLEBFEHOLWDGUHWBLVFWU

🔋ELECTRIC💡: so not Skibidi.

Invisi💕: YASSSS

Tail dude: nice

Deku💚: I would love to! 🙂

💥Katsuki: Hell no.

Red Riot♨️: Come on, man. 😟

💥Katsuki: I’ll think about it.

Red Riot♨️: Yippeeeeeee!
═══════════════════════════════

"Yeah... this is not gonna end well."

Two boys. Same thought. Same dread.

Chapter Text

Dorm, Common Room

The dorms buzzed with their usual evening chaos—chairs scraping against the floor, dishes clattering, and voices overlapping as Class 1-A gathered around the dining tables. Unsurprisingly, their request for fast food had been shut down, so here they were, eating dinner in the common room instead.

Midoriya sat among his classmates, trying to focus on his plate, but his mind kept circling back to one thing: the mission. Specifically, the absolute disaster that was going to be his and Bakugo’s ‘undercover’ partnership.

His eyes flicked up—purely by coincidence!—only to find Bakugo sitting directly across from him, aggressively stabbing at his food like it had personally offended him.

Midoriya barely had a second to look away before—

“Oi, nerd. Stop staring. You’re making it weird.”

Midoriya nearly choked on his rice. “I—I wasn’t staring!”

“Yeah, you were.” Bakugo scowled, jabbing his chopsticks in Midoriya’s direction. “The hell are you scheming now?”

“Nothing! I was just—” Midoriya scrambled for an excuse, but before he could finish, Kaminari leaned in, smirking.

“Deku, dude, if you wanna admire Bakugou, at least be subtle about it.”

Midoriya turned bright red.

“SHUT UP, DUNCE FACE.” Bakugo’s palm crackled as he slammed his hands on the table, making Jirou sigh as she nudged Kaminari away.

“Seriously, do you have a death wish?” she muttered.

Midoriya waved his hands frantically. “I wasn’t—! It’s not—!”

Uraraka tilted her head, amused. “You two have been acting weird all day. Something happen?”

Midoriya froze.

Tch. Bakugo wasn’t gonna bail him out.

Midoriya stiffened under the curious gazes of his classmates. He wasn’t sure how to answer. Technically, nothing had happened—yet. But in less than a week, he and Bakugo were going to be forced into the most ridiculous situation imaginable, and nobody here knew it.

“Nothing happened,” he said quickly, forcing a laugh. “Just… a long day.”

Todoroki, who had been quietly eating, suddenly spoke.

“You look nervous.”

His heterochromatic eyes studied Midoriya carefully, and it sent a shiver down Midoriya’s spine.

“I—I’m fine!” Midoriya squeaked, voice going a little too high.

Bakugo snorted. “Dumbass can’t lie to save his life.”

Midoriya shot him a panicked look, but before he could think of an escape route—

Shinsou, who had definitely figured out that Class 1-A thrived off of drama, leaned toward Todoroki and whispered— loudly.

“Aizawa-Sensei told me about the mission. Something undercover or whatever.”

Midoriya’s stomach dropped.

All eyes snapped toward Shinsou, who blinked innocently.

Then, in the most pathetic voice ever, he muttered, “…Whoopsie.”

NO. Shinsou, I thought we were friends.

Chaos ensued.

Midoriya’s leg bounced under the table as the class erupted with questions. Bakugo, of course, brushed them off with ease. But Midoriya? Not so much.

“Wait, wait, wait. How could you not tell us?!” Mina gasped, pressing a hand to her chest like she’d been personally betrayed.

“‘Cause it’s none of your damn business!” Bakugo snapped.

Midoriya braced himself to say something similar—maybe they’d back off—

But before he could, Todoroki spoke up.

“Oh, did you guys not know that? My father told me today. They’re doing a mission because of the cancellation.”

Midoriya felt his soul leave his body.

Bakugo glared daggers at Todoroki.

“You ICEY-HOT BASTARD, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU JUST DROP THAT?!”

“That makes so much sense,” Sero chimed in. “They wouldn’t just give you a mission during an internship!”

Todoroki, very unfazed, simply blinked. “I thought everyone knew. My apologies.”

More voices piled in—

“Midoriya! Bakugou! Are you certain this is safe? Why didn’t you inform us?”
“Wait… if Aizawa agreed, doesn’t that mean it’s dangerous?”
“So let me get this straight… you guys begged Aizawa to be part of some mission, and he actually agreed?”
“Forget danger, why is it only you two?!”

Okay, this was getting out of hand.

Midoriya gritted his teeth. “Cut it out!”

“Cut it out!”

The common room fell silent.

Midoriya and Bakugo snapped their heads toward each other. Bakugo looked just as thrown off as he did.

“…Creepy as hell,” Kaminari muttered.

“Yeah…” Kirishima agreed.

The class hesitated, but—eventually—their curiosity died down, and they went back to eating.

…Mostly.

“Guys, I still think they’re going undercover as girls.”

“No.”
“No.”

A pause.

“…Okay, this is getting weird.”
“…Okay, this is getting weird.”

Another pause.

Midoriya was going to lose his mind.

══════════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════════════

After dinner, Sato brought out dessert—a homemade vanilla cake.

He carefully plated slices and set them down on the table.

Midoriya, seeing Bakugo’s plate in the way, reached to grab it—only for Bakugou to push it into his hand without even looking.

Midoriya froze.

That was… weirdly smooth.

“You guys have been in sync so much lately,” Sato remarked.

Midoriya tensed. “Yeah, kind of weird…”

Reaching for the lemonade, his hand brushed against—

Bakugo’s.

Midoriya jerked his head up—only to meet startled crimson eyes.

Bakugo had been looking at him.

Instead of the anger Midoriya expected, he saw something raw. Something different.

…Why does Kacchan look like that? Like, nice? No, wait, not pretty—just… different. Yeah. Different. Totally not pretty. Nope. Not even a little.

The moment shattered as Bakugo ripped his hand away like he’d been electrocuted, looking anywhere but Midoriya.

Midoriya tucked his hands into his lap. But he didn’t stop looking.

“Y’know, the way Bakugou and Midoriya are so sync. I think they may be better a just going undercover as a couple.”

Midoriya almost choked.

“What!”
“What!”

“Oh, Fore fucks sake—STOP saying what I’m saying! And you!” Pointing a finger at Kaminari, “Stop saying anything! Forever.”

“What? I’m not doing it on purpose Kacchan!”

Bakugou scooted out of his chair and made his way to the stairs. Sadly Aizawa and Midnight just had to arrive, almost breaking the door with their entrance.

I’d like to formally request one at least 1 normal day. Just one. Please.

“Bakugou, Midoriya. Your mission is starting early.”

“Meaning right now” Midnight added looking at her pretend watch

Midoriya immediately stood up, walking over to the two heroes.

“I thought it wasn’t supposed to start until next week.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

Bakugou said, startling Midoriya, appearing on his side of him.

“Black valentine has started being more active.”

“So loverboys, time to start your date.” Seems like she wants us to suffer

Oh no…

Midoriya short-circuits, Bakugou freezes, and the class is screaming.

“I was right!”
“I WAS RIGHT.” Mina practically fell out of her chair.
“Gosh, this is too good.” Kaminari clutched his chest like he was about to faint.
“NO. WAY.” Kirishima looked personally betrayed. “BRO, HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?”
“I knew it,” Shinsou muttered, sipping his drink.
“Class, we should not make fun of our classmates’ mission,” Iida scolded.
“OHHH, L’AMOUR~!” I think we all know that’s Aoyama.

“Quiet down. There are peoples lives in danger. Now you two better get ready, meet in my office in 30 minutes.” Aizawa then exits.

Bakugo clenched his fists. “Hell no, I’m not doing this shi-”

…

He crumpled instantly, slumping straight onto Midoriya.

Deku Panic Meter: 75%

“…Kacchan?” Midnight made him pass out.

Kacchan why can’t you just shut up.

“Should’ve seen that coming,” Kaminari snickered.

Bakugou is now slumped against Midoriya, who is very uncomfortable.

“Now carry him upstairs.”

Midoriya grabbed Bakugou by the arms and started dragging him toward the stairs.

“No,” Midnight hummed. “Bridal style.”

Deku Panic Meter: 130%.

There is no way this is happening. This is a nightmare. A very oddly specific, oddly public nightmare.

Midoriya froze. “You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

He clenched his jaw. “Midnight—”

“Ah.”

“Come o—”

“Midoriya.”

Damn it.

Midoriya picked up the heavy teenager (thank you for his strength) in bridal style and carried him up the stairs with aww’s and ooo’s filling the background.

Oh no. Oh no. Kacchan is going to wake up, realize what happened, and explode me into next week. Or maybe he won’t even wait—maybe he’ll just kill me in my sleep. Is this how I die? Carried him bridal style and now I perish?

══════════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════════════

Midoriya grunted as he struggled to adjust Bakugo’s weight in his arms, barely managing to kick open the door to his dorm. He didn’t get the luxury of turning on the light before dropping Bakugo onto the bed—not roughly, but not exactly gently either.

With a sigh, Midoriya rolled his shoulders, already exhausted. He hadn’t even started getting ready, and yet, the mission was already testing him.

Midoriya sat on the edge of Bakugo’s bed, hands curled into fists against his lap as he tried to process everything. His mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour, but his body? Completely frozen.

How had things escalated this quickly?

Midoriya exhaled sharply and glanced at Bakugo, who was still slumped against his pillows, arms crossed like he had passed out mid-complaint. Which, technically, he had. Midnight’s quirk was terrifyingly effective. Bakugo probably didn’t even realize what happened yet.

Midoriya inhaled, running a hand down his face. This was a disaster.

…He inhaled again

His hoodie smelt different.

He smelled like Kacchan.

His hoodie, his sleeves—his hands. Somewhere between hauling Bakugou up the stairs bridal style, dumping him onto the bed, and waiting for him to wake up, Midoriya had been completely engulfed in Bakugo’s scent.

Midoriya shook his head quickly, shoving the thought aside.

Midoriya groaned softly, resting his forehead against his hands. Maybe if he stayed quiet, Bakugo wouldn’t wake up. Maybe he’d sleep for another hour, and then Midoriya could just—

They have a 30 minute limit.

Midoriya angled towards Bakugou.

A sudden shift on the bed made him tense.

This is where I die. I love you mom.

For a second, he didn’t move. He just blinked at Midoriya, eyes hazy and slow, like his brain hadn’t caught up to the situation yet. Then, his brows furrowed.

“…The hell’re you doin’ in my room?”

“…U-uh—”

His gaze snapped fully awake, locked onto Midoriya with sudden intensity. His nostrils flared. His hands twitched.

“What the hell is going on?!” Bakugo snarled, throwing the blankets off himself. “Why are you just—just sitting there like a dumbass?!” His eyes darted around the room .

“Well—Midnight told us to get dressed, but you were about to talk back and she made you pass out. Since we had to leave soon, I started to drag you upstairs but then she told me to carry you bridal style, which I’m really sorry about, I had to, I then carried you up the stairs and the whole class saw. We also only have about 24 minutes left to get ready!”

Bakugou just stared at Midoriya, probably offended and stunned.

“Deku. Shut up.”

Okay…That was more anticlimactic than Midoriya was waiting for.

“Oh. You're not mad?”

Bakugou just glared towards him.

“Oh well, I’m going to go get ready.” Midoriya announces backing up towards the door.

“What? Why? Just wear the clothes you have on now.”

Midoriya glanced down at his outfit.

Midoriya hesitated, shifting awkwardly on his feet. “Well a T-shirt and shorts are nice but… I was thinking I should probably wear something… nice?”

Bakugo scowled. “For what?”

“For the da—.”

“It’s not a real date. Just wear your clothes.” Bakugo stared at him like he’d grown another head.

Midoriya frowned, crossing his arms. “Kacchan, we’re supposed to be undercover. If we just show up looking normal, we won’t be believable as a couple. So you wearing a white-beater and sweatpants is not romantic”

“Who cares?” Bakugo muttered, already standing and rifling through his dresser for something to wear.

Midoriya sighed. “I care. If we want to sell this, we need to look the part.”

Bakugo shot him a look, gaze raking over Midoriya’s current outfit—a plain t-shirt that says T-SHIRT on it , slightly wrinkled from carrying him earlier, and some old cargo shorts. He scoffed. “Yeah, well, you’ve got no damn style. You wear the same damn clothes everyday.”

Midoriya gaped. “Excuse me?”

Bakugo didn’t bother answering. Instead, he yanked a black sweater out his dresser, throwing it at Midoriya.

Midoriya barely caught it before the fabric smothered him. “H-Huh?”

“And these.” A pair of dark jeans followed, landing on the bed beside him.

Midoriya blinked down at the clothes, then back up at Bakugou , who was already pulling on his own outfit—an effortless mix of a fitted t-shirt and ripped jeans. It wasn’t anything fancy, but somehow, he still looked *good.*

Midoriya, on the other hand, was being *dressed* by Bakugo.

“…Why are you giving me your clothes?” he asked slowly.

Bakugo rolled his eyes. “Because if you’re gonna whine about looking nice, I’m not letting you go out looking like a damn mess.”

Midoriya opened his mouth, then closed it. He wasn’t sure whether to be touched or insulted. Maybe both.

“…Thanks?” he tried.

Bakugo just scoffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, yeah. Hurry the hell up. We’ve got a villain to bait.”

Midoriya exhaled, staring down at the turtleneck in his hands. He was definitely going to regret this.

If I smell like Kacchan now, putting on his clothes, I definitely will.

He was definitely going to regret this.

══════════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════════════

Bakugo yanked open his door and stepped into the hallway, arms crossed as he waited for Midoriya to stop messing with his sleeves.

“Oi, quit fidgeting,” he muttered, watching as Midoriya pulled at the cuffs of his turtleneck for the tenth time in the last minute.

“I’m not fidgeting,” Midoriya shot back, but the way he smoothed his hands over the fabric immediately after said otherwise. He still looked uncertain, like wearing Bakugo’s clothes was some kind of crime.

I mean Bakugou didn’t…dislike him being in his clothes

Bakugo rolled his eyes. “Just walk normally, nerd.”

Midoriya sighed, finally giving up on adjusting the sleeves. He took a few steps before slowing down again, nose scrunching slightly.

Bakugo narrowed his eyes. “What now?”

Midoriya hesitated before mumbling, “Nothing, just… your detergent smells different.”

Bakugo blinked. “The hell kinda weird thing is that to say?”

Midoriya looked away, embarrassed. “I just noticed it, that’s all.”

Bakugo scoffed but didn’t say anything else, pretending he hadn’t caught the way Midoriya’s fingers curled slightly against the hem of the sweater—like he didn’t mind the scent.

Tch. Whatever. Not his problem.

Without another word, Bakugo shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking, ignoring the sudden warmth in his face as they made their way downstairs.

The dorms were still buzzing with energy despite it being late. A few of their classmates were lounging around, but no one paid them much attention at first—until Kaminari’s voice cut through the air.

“Yo, is that Bakugo’s sweater?”

Midoriya nearly tripped on the last step.

Bakugo groaned.

For fuck’s sake.

Immediately, all eyes were on them. Kirishima raised a brow, Sero leaned forward with a grin, and Mina gasped dramatically, grabbing Kaminari’s arm like she’d just uncovered the biggest gossip of the century.

Midoriya waved his hands frantically. “It’s not—it’s not like that! I just—”

“His clothes?” Jirou smirked, eyes darting between them. “I dunno, Midoriya. Kinda sounds like it is like that.”

Mina clasped her hands together. “This is so cute! I knew you guys were getting close!”

Bakugo scowled, face heating up. “Shut up! The nerd was just whining about looking decent or whatever, and his closet is full of ugly shit, so I gave him something normal to wear!”

“‘Ugly shit’—?! Kacchan, my clothes are fine!”

“Sure, if you’re a grandpa.”

Kirishima grinned, nudging Bakugo’s arm. “Didn’t think you’d be the type to care about his fashion sense, man.”

“I don’t!” Bakugo snapped. “I just couldn’t stand watching him embarrass himself before the damn mission even started!”

Sero nodded sagely. “Right, right. Strictly professional.”

Midoriya groaned into his hands, clearly regretting all of his life choices leading up to this moment.

Bakugo tsked and turned on his heel. “We don’t have time for this. We’re leaving.”

Before he could get another word in, he grabbed Midoriya’s wrist and dragged him toward the exit. He didn’t let go until they were outside, the cool night air greeting them as the dorm’s chatter finally faded behind them.

Midoriya let out a deep breath, rubbing his temples. “That was awful.”

Bakugo clicked his tongue. “Could’ve been worse.”

Midoriya gave him a flat look. “How?”

“They could’ve taken pictures.”

Midoriya paled. “Oh God.”

Bakugo smirked. “Yeah. Count your blessings, nerd.”

They made their way to Aizawa’s in silence waiting for the impending doom that was awaiting them.

“Oh hooray! You guys made it just on time!” MIdnight exclaims.

“Why is this psycho woman still here? She made me pass out!” Yelled Bakugou, who did not forget that.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend Mr. Grumpy. I know you're a little stressed with your new teen romance going on with your lover boy over here.” responded by pulling at Midoriya’s cheek, who was turning bright red.

Bakugou just growled and mumbled under his breath.

“Okay, okay, stop harassing them Midnight.” Angling back to Bakugou and Midoriya, Aizawa continues. “You two will be dropped off 2 blocks from Palm & Pine. You two will walk there and have a date for at least 20 minutes. Just do what couples do to make it believable, hold hands, casual touches, hugging, etcetera.” He was very deadpanned.

…

“Come on lovebirds. It won’t be as bad as you think.”

Yeah right.

══════════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════════════

Now in the warm tone of street lights at 8:30pm, stood two rivals boyfriends. Starting to walk along the path to Palm and Pine, a well known restaurant for its mostly couple customers. After walking for about 7 minutes the boys got to a more populated area. Midoriya thought it was time to put his acting skills to the test.

Midoriya tried to hold Bakugou’s hand.

Bakugou smacks his hand away.

Midoriya tried to hold Bakugou’s hand again.

Bakugou smacks his hand away again.

 

Midoriya tried to hold Bakugou’s hand again, growing impatient.

Bakugou smacks his hand away again, growing irritated.

“Deku! We are NOT actually dating!” Bakugou yells, fists tight with agitation from Midoriya’s attempts.

Midoriya glanced around at all the eyes now on them. Grabbing Bakugou by the wrist, dragged him to a random alleyway, looking at him with an intense gaze.

“Okay, Bakugou. I get that you’re mad, but we are still on a mission. We are supposed to be heroes, so please stop being stubborn. Be my boyfriend and HOLD MY DAMN HAND!” Midoriya angrily whispered, forcefully connected his hand to Bakugous, walked out of the alley with a big smile and new found confidence.

Bakugou just walked, now hand in hand with Midoriya, way too flustered for his well-being. He didn’t know what just happened, and why he had absolutely nothing to say to it. His heart started to race, his eyes kept darting next to him. He couldn’t ignore it, but something was so off. He wanted to pull away, rip his hand from Midoriya’s, but... it felt too right.

“What the hell just happened?” he grumbled under his breath, but Midoriya didn’t respond, walking all carefree, happily oblivious to Bakugou’s sudden shift in mood.

Bakugou got stiff.

Was he acting like this on purpose? Was this part of the damn mission too? Why the fuck is his hand so warm!? Why am I not as mad as I should be!?

Usually anger helped Bakugou with any emotion he felt, but this time… it just couldn’t. Why couldn’t he just yell, snap at him like he always did? Why did this feel so... different?

Just as fast that conversation (If you could call it that) ended, they were at the restaurant.

“Here we are Kacchan.” Deku announced, letting go of his hand.

Hmm… The warmth is gone.

They sat at a booth and ordered their food.

A silence of unspoken words filled the room.

Midoriya fidgets with the hem of Bakugou's shirt “Sorry about that back there Kacchan.” His voice is a little more uncertain now. “I just got a little frustrated. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

Bakugou just stared at the table.

“Kacchan? Are you okay?” Midoriya leaned in, concern etched onto his face.

Bakugou’s eyes met Midoriya’s for a split second. Midoriya’s eyes are hesitant, unsure.

Looking away Bakugou felt odd… not sick per say, but not great either. “Yeah- um, you’re good or whatever.” Bakugou slowly tried to put on his tough facade. His gaze still distant, “You didn’t make me uncomfortable or whatever. I was just… I don’t know…” He trailed off, searching for something to say . “I didn’t think…” He can’t find the right words. He didn’t have the words.

The silence stretched.

A sigh, “Nevermind.”

Get it together. It’s just pretend. Don’t get all gross and sappy.

The waiter arrived with their food, setting the dishes down in front of them with a polite smile. Midoriya muttered a quiet "Thank you," but Bakugou barely acknowledged the server, eyes still focused on his plate, the tension not entirely gone.

The steaming plates of delicious-looking dishes that both boys would normally devour without a second thought. But today, neither of them seemed all that hungry.

Midoriya picked up his chopsticks, glancing at Bakugou to see if he would start eating first. Bakugou just poked at his food, his appetite all but gone,

The silence between them was suffocating. Midoriya fidgeted with his drink, clearly trying to figure out what to say, but Bakugou couldn't stand it anymore. The air was thick with things they weren’t saying, and he hated it.

He leaned back in the booth, crossing his arms. “This is fucking ridiculous,” he muttered, more to himself than to Midoriya.

Midoriya looked at him, unsure if he should respond or not, but then he cracked a small smile. “Yeah, I guess it is,” he admitted, his voice lighter now. “But hey, we’ve gotten this far, right?”

Bakugou couldn’t help but snort, he couldn’t believe he was actually starting to relax. “You’re fucking lucky we’ve gotten this far,” he grumbled, trying to return to his usual gruff tone, though there was no bite in it. “Don’t think I’m gonna forget about this anytime soon.”

“Right,” Midoriya laughed, clearly relieved that Bakugou wasn’t angry anymore. “Just, uh, try not to kill me before the mission is over, okay?”

Bakugou looked at him sideways, feeling a strange pull in his chest, but he shrugged it off. “You’ll be fine, Deku,” he said, though it sounded less harsh than it usually did. “You’ve survived worse.”

Midoriya’s grin widened, and Bakugou almost felt the weight of his earlier discomfort lift. “I guess that’s true,” Midoriya agreed, his voice warmer. “But I’m really hoping I don’t have to survive a date with you every day, though.”

Bakugou’s face flushed, and he quickly looked away. “Shut up. It would be a dream to go on a date with me. You should feel blessed.” he muttered, though there was no real anger in his voice.

“Sure,” Midoriya said, his tone teasing now, “if you say so.”

They both lapsed into a brief, comfortable silence. The awkward tension was finally starting to dissolve. It wasn’t perfect—Bakugou still couldn’t shake the weird feeling in his chest—but at least they were talking again. Maybe, just maybe, they’d make it through this ridiculous mission without losing their minds.

A wash of warmth and dizziness hits Bakugou.

“Have you ever dated someone before?” Midoriya questioned.

“Why do you want to know?” Bakugou realized how flirty that sounded.

Midoriya didn’t seem to notice, “Just wanted to know. So have you?”

“No, I haven’t. You?” Bakugou suddenly is drawn to know more about Midoriya.

“Me neither, but I wouldn’t mind you though.” Midoriya blinks his eyelashes.

what.

…okay… what is going on?

“You know, I think it’s pretty cool, you wearing my clothes to be exact.” Bakugou didn’t say that. I mean he did, but he didn’t mean to. Did he?

He looks down at their hands glued together on the table, Bakugou doesn’t even know when that happened.

“Thank you. I can’t help but notice how handsome you are, Kacchan.” A smirk appears on his face.

“I guess I didn’t want to tell you for some reason that I didn’t hate holding your hand.” Bakugou grimaced on the inside.

“Your clothes smell like you and… well, I kind of like it.” Midoriya glanced away for a moment.

What the hell!

They stared at each other for a moment, eyes flickering down to their lips. They both slowly lean closer, and closer, and closer.

Oh no. no no No NO NO!!! STOPPP!!! AGHHHHHHHH!! AGE–BHJSWFB–JNFWS– Bakugou.exe has stopped working

Their lips just centimeters apart a wave of realization and awareness washes over Bakugou. Finally gaining control of his body he snapped back to his seat, Midoriya doing the same.

They are both panicked and out of breath, somehow Midoriya still managed to mutter.

“Oh shit.” Bakugou hardly catches his breath before getting his wallet.

Bakugou hurriedly paid for the check and dragged the frozen Midoriya out the restaurant.

Once out of the now traumatised state, Bakugou turns around to see Midoriya looking stressed as hell.

“Okay, what the hell was that!?”

“I don’t know!? You tell m– oh shit…”

A dramatic gasp gets Midoriya’s attention, “You talk to your mother with that mouth? Who taught you that?”

Midoriya is taken aback. “What? No, I think that was Black Valentine's quirk.”

“The hell is that bastard's problem, that freakin’ love-crazed psycho.”

“Yeah…” Midoriya looked away, swinging his leg.

…

“Kacchan.”

“What.”

“Did– did you mean what you said?”

“Mean what?”

Midoriya paused. “That you didn’t hate holding my hand?”

Bakugou deadpanned.

“Really Deku? Is that really our biggest issue at the moment!? HUH!? WE ALMOST KISSED, AND YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT IF I LIKED HOLDING YOUR HAND!?”

Deku went silent, looking at his shoes.

Dammit.

“Deku…” He didn’t respond. Bakugou clenched his jaw, “I did, now can we not talk about that?”

“Yeah.” Even without seeing his face, he can tell it lightened his mood.

Bakugou looked around, the streets were empty, quiet.
Bakugou exhaled sharply, rubbing his face with both hands like he could scrub away whatever that was. “Alright, we’re done talking about this. Let’s just—”

A notification buzzed on Midoriya’s phone. He pulled it out and paled. “Oh… um. Kacchan?”

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. “What now?”

Midoriya hesitated before turning the screen toward him. A message from Aizawa.

Aizawa-Sensei: You two need to blend in. Send a picture. Now.

Silence.

Bakugou stared at the text, then at Midoriya, then back at the phone. “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

Midoriya let out a nervous laugh. “I mean… we did know this was part of the mission.”
“Yeah, but now!? After—” Bakugou gestured wildly at the empty space between them, where they’d almost kissed
just minutes ago. “You expect me to just smile for a picture like we didn’t just—!?”

Midoriya awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “I mean… we kinda have to.”

Bakugou groaned, dragging another hand down his face. “This mission is actual hell.”

Midoriya held up his phone. “Let’s just… get it over with?”

Bakugou scowled but leaned in anyway, arms crossed, glaring at the camera. Midoriya, trying to make it look somewhat natural, hesitantly grabbed his hand and tilted his head slightly toward him.

Click.

Midoriya’s breath caught in his throat. His fingers tightened around his phone as he stared at the screen, his pulse pounding in his ears.

“Midoriya.” Bakugo’s voice was sharp, impatient. “What?”

Wordlessly, he turned the phone toward Bakugo, the glow of the screen illuminating the unmistakable silhouette in the background. Watching them.

For once, Bakugo didn’t explode immediately. His eyes flickered from the picture to their surroundings, body tensing like a coiled spring. Then, without hesitation—

Both of them spun around.

Nothing.

The street was still quiet, eerie, now more frightening than before. But the presence they had just seen in the photo? Gone. Like they had never been there at all.

“That bastard…” Bakugo muttered, his shoulders rising and falling with barely contained frustration. “They were watching us the whole damn time.”

Midoriya swallowed hard, his mind racing. “We should tell Aizawa-sensei. We definitely got their attention.” His stomach twisted at the thought. “And… if they were that close, then…”

“That’s what caused that corny shit.”

Bakugou and Midoriya then ran home, making sure they were not hit by that quirk again.

Chapter Text

Dorms

They finally skidded to a stop outside the dorms, breathless and panting, and still very much holding hands.

Neither of them noticed at first, too caught up in gulping down air. Midoriya bent forward, bracing his hands—wait, no. Bracing one hand on his knee while the other remained firmly intertwined with Bakugou’s. Bakugou was in the same state, slightly hunched, sweaty, furious but still clutching Midoriya’s hand like his life depended on it.

Silence. Heavy breathing. Crickets chirping somewhere in the bushes.

…

“IO, WHY THE HELL ARE WE STILL HOLDING HANDS?!”

Bakugou’s roar sent a flock of birds scattering from a nearby tree, but neither of them moved. In fact, the moment he yelled, their grips only tightened.

Midoriya blinked down at their tangled fingers. “Oh—um- Sorry about that, let me fix tha—.” He tried to flex his hand experimentally. Bakugou’s death grip didn’t budge.

“LET GO,” Bakugou demanded.

“You first!”

“NO, YOU FIRST!”

“YOU’RE HOLDING ON TIGHTER!”

“WHY WOULD I BE HOLDING ON TIGHTER?!”

“THAT'S!…” Midoriya squinted. “That’s a good question.”

A beat of silence.

They flung each other’s hands away like they were on fire.

Midoriya rubbed his palm against his pants, as if scrubbing off some kind of imaginary evidence. Bakugou did the same, more aggressively, like he could erase the last several minutes from existence entirely.

They stood there for another moment, still frazzled, before Midoriya coughed awkwardly. “Well, um—at least we know how the quirk works now?”

Bakugou turned slowly, eyes twitching (This is starting to be a problem) with barely restrained fury. “Oh, yeah. Great. Next time, we’ll just—oh, wait, NO. THERE WON’T BE A NEXT TIME, BECAUSE I AM NEVER LETTING THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.”

Midoriya held up his hands. “Technically, we didn’t let it happen. We were just—”

“DON’T.” Bakugou stabbed a finger at him. “We got hit. We were affected. And we RAN ALL THE WAY BACK HOLDING HANDS.”

Midoriya winced. “I mean… that part was an accident.”

Bakugou snarled. “DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE?!”

“Well, no, but you look like you care a lot.”

Bakugou exhaled so hard it was nearly a growl, shoving his hands deep into his pockets, as if afraid they’d somehow find their way back into Midoriya’s. “We are NEVER mentioning this again.”

Midoriya nodded quickly. “Agreed.”

Another silence. A breeze ruffled their hair.

Then, slowly, realization dawned across Midoriya’s face. “Wait.”

Bakugou stiffened. “What now?”

“…We’re gonna have to explain to everyone why we’re back so fast.”

Bakugou’s eyes twitched. (Happening waay too often)

Midoriya rubbed his temples. “They’re totally waiting in the common room, aren’t they?”

Bakugou groaned. “They’re totally waiting in the common room.”

Midoriya sighed. “You go first.”

Bakugou scoffed. “Hell no, you go first.”

Midoriya grimaced. “Rock, paper, scissors?”

“…Fine.”

Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!

As soon as Midoriya threw out paper, Bakugou realized his mistake.

"DAMMIT!"

For a moment, there is only silence.

Then—

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Midoriya jumped as Bakugou flung his hands into the air, stomping in a furious circle like a malfunctioning Roomba.

"HOW?! WHY?! I KNEW YOU'D DO THAT! I KNEW IT AND I STILL FELL FOR IT!"

Midoriya blinked. "Uh… are you okay?"

"NO, I'M NOT OKAY, NERD!" Bakugou grabbed his own hair like he was trying to physically restrain his rage. "I GOT PLAYED LIKE A DAMN EXTRA!"

Midoriya tried very hard not to laugh. "Well… you always pick rock first…"

Bakugou whipped around. "I DO NOT?!"

"I mean… you did. Every time we’ve done this, you always—"

"SHUT UP." Bakugou jabbed a finger at him. "I DEMAND A REMATCH. RIGHT. NOW."

Midoriya hesitated. "Kacchan—"

"COWARD. BEST TWO OUT OF THREE!"

Midoriya sighed. "Fine. But this is the last one."

Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!

Bakugou stared at his open palm, while Midoriya’s scissors hovered smugly above it.

Midoriya bit his lip. Bakugouu’s hand slowly clenched.

…

Bakugou screamed into his hands.

 

After Bakugouu finished his temper tantrum, he stormed into the dorms without a word.

A door slammed open.

“Heyyy Bakugou. You’re here early. Where’s your dat—” Kirishima never finished that thought.

“Rock, paper, scissors. Now.” Bakugouu said, putting his fist up

Kirishima tilted his head, obviously taken aback. “Huh?”

“You heard me. Rock, paper, scissors.” Bakugouu blinked rapidly.

“…Okay.” Kirishima reluctantly put his fist up.

Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!

Kirishima won.

Bakugouu flipped him off and moved on to the next person as Kirishima put a hand on his chest, acting offended.

Denki stood there for a second as Bakugouu approached him. “Hey man. You okay?”

“Do it!”

Denki flinched

Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!

Denki won.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…How the hell does everyone keep beating me?!

“I mean you always put rock first, so it’s not that hard.” Denki states, shrugging his shoulders.

Bakugou shot Denki with a glare. “I DO NOT ALWAYS PICK ROCK!”

Denki raised his hands defensively. “Hey, man, you just did.”

"Shut. Up."

Bakugou moved toward the next victim—Todoroki, who had been quietly observing the entire interaction with his usual calm demeanor.

"You're next, Todoroki," Bakugou growled, his fist raised as if it were the challenge of a lifetime.

Todoroki raised an eyebrow but didn’t flinch. “I’ll humor you.”

Rock
Paper
Scissors
Shoot!

The tension in the air was palpable.

Todoroki’s ice-cold expression remained unchanged as he revealed his paper, while Bakugou's fist remained stubbornly rock.

Bakugou's Jaw clenched. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Todoroki tilted his head slightly. "It’s just a game, Bakugou."

"IT’S NOT JUST A GAME!" Bakugou roared, his voice bouncing off the walls. "IT’S A BATTLE OF WILLS!"

Kirishima grinned. "Yeah, man, but I think Todoroki's will is a little stronger."

Bakugou whirled around to glare at him. "I’LL SHOW YOU STRONG!" He turned back to Todoroki. “Rematch! RIGHT NOW!”

Todoroki just blinked, unfazed. “Yeah. No.”

Todoroki turned around to finish making some tea, his back to him as if Bakugou's tantrum was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

“HEY!” Bakugou yelled, taking a step forward. “I’M TALKING TO YOU, ICYHOT!”

Todoroki paused just before reaching the kettle and glanced over his shoulder. “I already won, Bakugou. I’m not wasting any more time on this.”

Bakugou clenched his fists, and his teeth ground together. “YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY AFTER THAT?!”

Kirishima, Denki, and even the rest of the group remained silent, all of them deliberately avoiding Bakugou’s gaze. No one said a word, not even to try and lighten the mood.

Bakugou’s face twisted into a snarl as he glared at them all. “WHAT, YOU GUYS THINK I’M A JOKE?”

Kirishima shrugged, his eyes soft but his tone firm. “We’re not gonna keep playing, Bakugou. You're getting a bit… angry, and we don’t want to keep making you mad by winning.”

“OH! SO YOU GUYS ALL THINK I’M PREDICTABLE LOSER, HUH?” Bakugou spat, his voice rising in pitch with frustration.

Still, no one said anything. They just quietly went about their business, not even giving him the satisfaction of a response.

The silence was deafening. Bakugou’s chest heaved as he took in the lack of support, the lack of any kind of attention or challenge. He looked from Kirishima to Denki to Todoroki, each one avoiding his gaze like he was a ticking time bomb.

His eyes narrowed, his lip curled in a sneer, and he turned on his heel. "FINE, THEN," he hissed, his voice low and laced with fury. "I’LL GO PLAY BY MYSELF."

With one last glare, Bakugouu then turned around and stomped up the stairs, his shoes pounding against the tiles.

“Fine with us!…Wait.” Denki teased before quickly turning to other boys. “How do you play by your-”

“Don’t ask bro…Just don’t ask.” Kirishima sighed while shaking his head.

══════════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ 💚💥 ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════════════
Midoriya stepped into the common room, expecting to be overflowed with questions. Instead, he spotted Kirishima, Denki, and Todoroki lounging around, the TV casting a soft glow across the room.

Kirishima was sprawled across the couch, absently tossing a pillow in the air, while Denki sat upside down on the floor, legs propped against the coffee table. Todoroki was in the corner, cradling a steaming mug between his hands, his expression as unreadable as ever.

It looked normal. Relaxed, even. But something felt off.

Denki was the first to notice him. He lifted his head—or rather, tilted it awkwardly from his upside-down position—and grinned. “Dude, you missed Bakugou being insanely invested in rock-paper scissors.”

Midoriya blinked. “...What?”

Kirishima snorted. “Yeah, man. He was way too into it. I mean, he always acts like he’s gotta win at everything, but this was next-level.”

Denki sat up, nodding. “Seriously, he was going crazy on why he kept losing.’”

Todoroki took a slow sip from his mug. “I still think it is kind of easy to lose when every new person he plays against… he plays rock.”

Midoriya covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. “You’re kidding.

“Oh, I wish I was.” Kirishima shook his head, grinning. “Dude looked personally offended every time he lost. Started yelling like it was life or death.”

“After he played everyone he wanted a rematch, but I was scared silent to be honest” Denki threw his hands in the air. “Like, bro. It’s a game.”

Midoriya couldn’t help but chuckle. That did sound like something Bakugou would do—turning even the dumbest competitions into a full-scale argument.

“Then he got all serious and started yelling that he would play by himself?” Kirishima laughed. “Tried to act like it was just a joke, but I swear he was mad for real when he lost.”

Midoriya shook his head. “Wow… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Todoroki added. “It was impressive. And slightly concerning.”

Denki sighed dramatically. “And of course, we played rock-paper-scissors to decide who had to go check on him, and guess what? I lost. Again.”

Midoriya tilted his head. “Again?”

Denki groaned. “YES. First, I lost when we had to decide who had to tell him we were out of spicy ramen last week. Then I lost when we needed someone to ask him to turn his music down. And then I lost this time, which meant I had to go to his room and tell him to stop being a drama queen over rock-paper-scissors.”

Midoriya laughed. “So… where is he now?”

Denki shrugged. “I technically tried to do it, but I got to his door and chickened out.”

“Why?” Midoriya frowned.

Kirishima scoffed. “Because it’s Bakugou! You knock on his door uninvited, and you’re basically signing up for a free explosion to the face.”

Denki waved a hand. “But, honestly? I think he was just salty about losing. He probably needed a minute to cool off.”

 

Kirishima nodded. “We figured he might just need space. But… I dunno, man. It didn’t feel right leaving him alone like that.”

Midoriya's phone buzzed in his pocket, releasing himself from his thoughts. It was a text from Aizawa-Sensei.

Aizawa-Sensei: Hey, couldn’t get in touch with Bakugo. Make sure to tell him you two need to come by my office a little early, somewhere around 8:50-9.

Midoriya blew out a breath of air and waved at his friends. “See you guys later.”

And with that, he turned toward the stairs.

 

When he reached the door to Bakugou's room, Midoriya hesitated for a moment, his hand hovered over the door. He knew Bakugou didn’t like people barging in uninvited, especially when he was upset. But this was different. But something in his gut told him this wouldn’t end well.

Midoriya ignored that feeling.

Taking a deep breath, Midoriya knocked gently, a little unsure of how to approach the situation. "Kacchan? It's me… I got a text from Aizawa-Sensei, he told us to—."

“I don’t care.

Midoriya didn’t expect to be met with defiance already.

For a long moment, there was silence. Midoriya couldn’t even hear movement from the other side of the door. He was starting to second-guess himself, wondering if he should have just woken him up in the morning, but that could put Midoriya’s face in danger of an explosion.

“Why are you still here?” A loud muffled voice from the other side questioned him.

Midoriya flinched, the tone sharp as ever. He realized he had stood there for, god knows how long, but still, he couldn’t just leave him alone. First because of the message, and now knowing that there is something bothering Bakugo. Midoriya believed it could be him, but he didn’t want to admit that

“Are you okay, Kacchan?” Midoriya said firmly, leaning his forehead against the door. “I just had a message for Aizawa-Sensei to be at his office a little early tomorrow.”

Another long pause followed, but this time, the door cracked open just enough for Midoriya to see a sliver of Bakugou’s room. Bakugou was standing there, his arms hanging at his sides, his expression unreadable but tense.

Bakugou’s lips twitched in a barely visible scowl. “You’re an idiot if you think I didn’t know that”

Midoriya tightened his lips. “I’m not an idiot, Kacchan. Aizawa told me that he couldn’t get in touch with you.”

 

“He did, I just didn’t care. I’m busy.” Bakugou went to close the door.

Midoriya hurried to say something to make him stop. “Busy playing rock paper scissors with yourself?” Midoriya gave him an incredulous look.

It must have worked because Bakugou’s door stopped, starting to open again

“Because I am! And you are rudely interrupting me.” Bakugou stared at Midoriya.

Midoriya just looked at him, unconvinced. “You don’t see a problem with that?”

Bakugou shrugged. “No.”

You’ve gotta be kidding.

“Kacchan. What’s the matter?” Midoriya knew something was off, no doubt.

Bakugou rolled his eyes. “Nothings the matter. The matter is that you can tell me whatever you have to say now, tomorrow.”

“Stop saying we’re going to talk about stuff later! I feel like you’re hating me so much more now, and I just want to know why!” Midoriya snapped, clenching his fists at his sides.

Bakugou just stood there shocked. “Izuku-”

“No. Just meet me at the front at 8, we’ll walk to Aizawa-Sensei’s office.” Midoriya turned on his heels then walked away.

Midoriya felt that his and Bakugou’s friendship is crumbling since this mission, how could he not be mad. He doesn’t know why Bakugou won’t tell him anything.

Midoriya was sure he would tell Bakugou anything on the spot…

 

Midoriya felt queasy getting ready in the morning, putting on a T-shirt and denim shorts, he wanted to run to Bakugou and apologize for that outburst he had the night before. But all he had to do now was to just wait for Aizawa to give them their next mission.

Midoriya strolled down the steps, not seeing Bakugou, so he just assumed he did not want to walk together, and he understood why.

Midoriya stepped out the door, only to meet the roaring sun blinding his eyes. After gaining his sight back, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through some All Might wiki, some text messages, and other things as he walked to Aizawa’s office.

Midoriya walked through the empty hallway, his footsteps echoed as he approached Aizawa’s office door. He took a deep breath, knowing that whatever awaited past these doors, Midoriya would probably not find it pleasant.

“Here is your lover boy!” Midnight’s voice exclaimed before Midoriya was even in the door.

“Hi, Midnight.” Midoriya awkwardly replied, passing over her comment.

Midoriya saw Bakugou’s spiky hair sticking up from the seat he was in. Midoriya decided to not greet Bakugou with his usual ‘Hi Kacchan’ and just sat down. The air between them was condensed.

“Is she going to be here this whole mission?” Bakugou asked. Obviously that comment wasn’t the first one.

Aizawa just glanced at Midnight, sighed, and took a sip of his coffee. “I don’t feel like getting someone else. I needed someone with actual experience with this type of mission, and well…” He didn’t further elaborate.

“The reason why I called you down here is because the villain noticed you earlier than we planned. I assume you’ve been affected by his quirk already?”

Both of the boys' faces flush with red. Midoriya looked away while Bakugou confirmed. “Yes, that bastard already used his quirk.”

Aizawa studied their look before continuing. “I’m certain you two don’t want to tell me what happened but have to warn you about some new things we found about his quirk.” He signaled a look to Midnight.

Her face dropped slightly before grabbing and handing a paper to each of them. As they read she spoke. “Since his quirk is centered around his state of mind and his intent, we realized the repercussions of his quirk have more devastating consequences.”

As Midoriya’s eyes raced down the page, his gaze got stuck on the last section.

 

—If intent by Black Valentine turns harmful, this could lead to the person under the influence of his quirk to think the same. The hallucinations or exaggerated emotional state of Black Valentine quirk could lead to murder or suicide, including the other side-effects of his quirk.—

—(As long as the person is alive, Black Valentine can make you hallucinate someone you hate or love.)
Suicide/Murder could be accidental or purposeful since the amplified emotional reactions could lead to irrational and nonsensical decisions.—

— Some of the traits that could to that result —
-Lovesick = Person(s) is not thinking straight to make rational and thought out decisions.
-Hopeless Infatuation = Person(s) become hopeless and obliviously listens to the hallucination.
-Blurred Boundaries = Could lead to non-consensual touching or more that could lead to a distraught person(s).
-Compelled Honesty = Could lead to a person(s) saying something that could lead to dangerous situations.
-Love/Hate Hallucinations = The biggest root of the problem.

 

“We could—die?” Midoriya mumbled, not really to anyone, but Aizawa answered.

“It’s a low chance now, we don’t know if it’s a hundred percent accurate. But we don't know what he could do while in battle.” Aizawa’s tone deepened. “You can choose now if you want to drop out, we completely understand.”

Midoriya does want to do it, but something nagged in him that maybe this case was far too complex. Especially with him and Bakugou’s past, he could prevent something horrible from happening by saying no. But this is a once in a lifetime chance, Midoriya could save so many people if he just stays focused.

“No, we’re doing this.” Midoriya’s head shot up at Bakugou’s proud words. “When has some dumb life or death stuff stopped us?”

I guess he is right.

Izuku thought. Him and Bakugou have been through way worse things.
“I agree.” Midoriya nodded. “I think we can still do it.”

Aizawa paused for a moment, not seemingly surprised by their decision.

“YES! I knew you two couldn’t say no!” Midnight yelled. “That’s why I’m setting up your next date!”

Bakugou fumed at the news, while all Midoriya could do was think how to attack a villain who basically has control over your entire emotions related to love in the palm of his hands.

Chapter Text

Villain Profile: Black Valentine
Real Name: Shirogane Itsuki.
Alias: Black Valentine
Age: Unknown
Quirk: Lovesick – This quirk allows Black Valentine to temporarily afflict couples with intense, exaggerated emotional reactions related to love and romance. The effects last for two minutes and can include:
Hopeless Infatuation – The affected individuals temporarily develop over-the-top, dramatic romantic feelings for each other.
Unintended Flirting – The person affected may unintentionally act more flirtatious or affectionate, even if they don’t mean to.
Physical Affection – The quirk causes both individuals in the couple to become irresistibly drawn to each other, leading them to engage in intimate or affectionate behaviors they would not usually do.
Blurred Boundaries – As the emotional confusion builds, the couple may struggle to maintain their usual boundaries.
Unintentional Attraction – The quirk amplifies feelings of attraction, making each partner hyper-aware of the other's physical presence.
Compelled Honesty – Both individuals may be compelled to tell the truth, or saying thoughts aloud without thinking twice of repercussions.
Love/Hate Hallucinations – Can make a hallucination of a loved person or hated person of an individual once. Depending on how much he’s used his quirk could determine how real it looks. [The person of hallucination has to be living]
The effects depend on Black Valentine's intent and emotional state at the time of activation. The quirk doesn't bind people together or force real emotions—it just amplifies certain aspects in a chaotic, unpredictable way.
Personality:
Hates Couples – Despises romance and public displays of affection.
Theatrical & Petty – Loves making dramatic speeches about how “love is a lie.”
Manipulative & Cunning – Knows how to push people’s emotional buttons.
Stylish but Deranged – Has a twisted sense of humor, enjoying the chaos they create.
Costume Design:
Black Valentine’s outfit is meant to resemble a corrupted cupid or a gothic anti-Valentine’s mascot.
Color Palette: Black, deep red, and dark purple, with hints of metallic silver.
Mask: A stylized masquerade mask with heart-shaped eye cutouts, cracked down the middle to symbolize "broken love."
Cape/Jacket: A long, tattered black coat lined with red, resembling the frayed remains of a romantic letter. The sleeves are adorned with heart-shaped metal studs.
Top: A fitted dark red or black turtleneck, giving a sleek but dramatic villainous vibe.
Gloves: Fingerless black gloves with heart-shaped embroidery, which glow when the quirk activates.
Pants: Slim-fit, dark pants with subtle heart and thorn patterns.
Boots: Knee-high boots with silver buckles shaped like shattered hearts.
Weapon(s): A crossbow and throwing knives shaped like broken hearts, used for dramatic effect rather than actual combat. Guessed Motivation:
Black Valentine’s hatred for love likely stems from a past heartbreak or betrayal.
They view romance as a weakness and want to prove that all relationships crumble under pressure.
Their crimes revolve around disrupting romantic hotspots, targeting couples, and turning love into a weaponized disaster. And these could lead to suicide and murder.