Work Text:
The thumping started out fairly quiet, but Aoyama couldn’t ignore it for long. His mirrors and crystals hanging along the walls and ceiling of his room began to rattle as the noise grew louder. He looks up from his desk and stares at the wall he shares with Midoriya.
The last time so much racket came from Midoriya’s room, he’d found his friend lying in the debris of his destroyed room.
Concerned, Aoyama stands from his desk and hurries to the door. In the hall, the noise isn’t as loud, but he can still hear something banging around. He makes his way to Midoriya’s room and prepares to knock when he hears a groan within.
“Fuck, Deku,” the voice grunts, and Aoyama freezes.
That sounded like Bakugou.
Aoyama feels his face heat when the thumps continue. He hears Midoriya mumbling something unintelligible and then another, louder bang. Bakugou’s cursing again, and it’s all Aoyama can do to not run away.
There’s no way they’re doing that. Midoriya and Bakugou? Impossible!
He slowly knocks, half hoping they don’t hear. “M-Midoriya-kun…? Could you keep it down?”
The sounds stop all together and Aoyama grows worried - what if they really are doing… that? If they are, then Bakugou is sure to come and explode his face off.
Instead, the door opens and Midoriya smiles sheepishly at him. From the crack, Aoyama can barely see into the room, but Bakugou is definitely there. While that would be surprising all on its own, Aoyama is more shocked at the state the two of them are in - sweaty, shirtless, and very flustered.
So they were doing that.
“Sorry about that, Aoyama-kun,” Midoriya chuckles, rubbing his neck. “Kacchan and I, uh… kinda started wrestling…”
Aoyama stares at him, doing his best to look convinced. “I see, of course. Continue your, hm, wrestling, but try to keep it down? The… grunting is a bit much.”
Midoriya blinks, confusion evident on his face when Bakugou flares up behind him. “Haah?! The fuck does that mean, Sparkle Freak?! What did you think we were doing?!”
Aoyama clears his throat and smiles sweetly. “Oh, Bakugou-kun, you don’t need to pretend! I can surely keep a secret for you two!”
“What secret?!”
Midoriya shakes his head, blocking Bakugou from lunging at Aoyama. “Aoyama-kun, what are you implying…?!” He looks flustered, caught in the act and apparently shocked his lie isn’t being taken at face value.
Aoyama chuckles and winks, sparks flying in his nonverbal assurance. “Oh well, you must have been wrestling, of course!” He turns and waves to the two childhood friends - apparently lovers, now - and hurries back to his room with a laugh.
Bakugou explodes, rattling the whole hallway with his scream. The mirrors and crystals hanging about his room shake with his explosion, clinking together in a beautiful chime. Aoyama chuckles to himself, returning to his desk.
It’s alright, they can count on him to not tell anyone!
———
He heard something he shouldn’t have.
Mineta had been hearing the thumping for the last hour and didn’t know what to make of it. At first, he just figured Midoriya was doing some weird workout routine, but then he heard the grunting.
Then he figured Midoriya was simply masturbating in some weird way. And frankly, that idea was almost shocking considering how flustered Midoriya got about anything sexual.
When he heard Bakugou’s voice mix into the grunting, that’s when all bets were off.
Mineta spent several minutes pressed against the wall trying to hear what they were saying but it was more or less their usual banter of cursing and stuttering, so there wasn’t much to take away. For all he knew, they were just working out.
But it definitely didn’t sound like working out and Mineta had to start considering the idea that Midoriya might swing that way despite how close girls liked to get to him - and to think, all that lady magnetism is wasted on a guy who's more interested in Bakugou, the asshole of their class!
Then again, Midoriya was very flustered around girls, especially when they got close for hugs, or when someone (usually Mineta, honestly) made lewd comments about him hanging out with girls. Maybe he didn’t swing that way… maybe it was just a workout routine.
But why was he with Bakugou? And in his room, no less?
By the time Mineta remembered that bisexuals exist, he heard Aoyama’s voice asking for the two wrestling (and it’s still at this point up for debate what sort of wrestling was happening) to try and keep it down.
Mineta had hurried to his door and cracked it open to hear the conversation a little more clearly. From his vantage point, he could only see Aoyama standing at Midoriya’s door and by the tone of his voice and smirk on his face, Mineta knew he had his answer.
Midoriya and Bakugou are fucking!
Mineta rushes to close the door once Bakugou explodes and jumps out of Midoriya’s room, shirtless and angry and heading to Aoyama’s room. His heart is pounding with the revelation, back pressed against the door.
The shirtless state of Class A’s human bomb seals it all for him.
“Oh my god,” he rasps, trying to keep his voice down. “I have to tell someone!”
Mineta runs to the door of his balcony, nearly slipping on the magazines he has strewn about the floor and smacking into the glass. He pulls the door open with a shake of his head, glad no one was around to see that, and hurries out onto the balcony, looking up the outer wall of their dorm building.
Kaminari’s room is right above them, but he’s going to have to climb at an angle due to his room being above Midoriya’s. That’s not too terrible, but Mineta thinks he remembers the guys saying they would be in Sero’s room for the evening playing games if Mineta wanted to join.
That’s three floors up and three rooms over.
Groaning, Mineta pulls off the first of his sticky balls and decides to start climbing now and worry about his limit as he goes. Silently, he thanks whatever big titted goddess is out there that they’ve been training their quirks to surpass their limits.
While diagonally would be the fastest route, the balconies of other rooms would get in the way and it would probably be easier to go straight up before making his way over to Sero’s room. His sticky balls seal perfectly to the building and he quickly scales the building towards the fifth floor.
Mineta’s feeling pretty good about his ascent when something grabs him and pulls him away from the wall. Flailing, he does his best not to scream in fear (he fails) and tries to prepare himself for a fight (he doesn’t, he curls into a ball and covers his face).
“What are you doing, Mineta?” The long suffering sigh of the new voice is familiar, and Mineta uncurls to look at his captor.
Shoji glares at him, one of his many arms holding Mineta aloft but safely over his own balcony. Mineta relaxes despite the precarious and loose hold Shoji has on him. “I’m trying to get to Sero’s room - Kaminari said they were all hanging there tonight.”
Shoji doesn’t look convinced, although Mineta has no idea what he could be weary for with Mineta doing scaling the boy’s side - if he were up to something perverted, he wouldn’t be anywhere near Shoji’s room.
“Why didn’t you just use the doors inside like a normal person?”
Mineta shakes his head frantically. “I couldn’t, Bakugou was outside my room!”
Shoji raises a brow. “What did you do to piss Bakugou off - well, aside from the usual?”
“I didn’t piss him off,” Mineta scoffs, waving his hand casually, “he was pissed with Aoyama.”
He welcomes the floor beneath his feet as Shoji sets him down. “Why would he be mad at Aoyama? Those two don’t interact.”
“What is this, a million questions?” Mineta snorts, moving towards Shoji’s door, “I have some stuff to talk about with the guys, it’s not my business what Aoyama catches Bakugou and Midoriya doing in Midoriya’s room!”
Shoji heaves a sigh and lets him leave. “Whatever you say, Mineta - just don’t go spreading rumors about anyone.”
Mineta stops and turns at the door to send Shoji a weird look. “It’s not a rumor if it’s true,” he wisely says, continuing on his way when Shoji only continues to give him a narrow eyed look.
Getting to Sero’s room didn’t take long after that, though Mineta did have to hurry up the stairs when he saw Bakugou storming down the hall of the fourth floor from the elevator. He barely caught a glimpse of Midoriya chasing after the angry blonde, looking panicked, before he swiftly and silently made his way to the stairwell.
Sero’s door is unlocked when he tries it, and Mineta slams the door shut behind himself as though he were being chased. Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, and Kirishima look up from the card game they were playing on the floor with various degrees of curiosity.
“You look like you were running for your life,” Kirishima comments, perhaps the only one concerned for the short teen.
Mineta ignores his concerns and scurries over, kicking the card pile next to Sero. “You guys won’t believe what just happened!”
Sero frowns at him, fixing the stack a little. “Did you have to kick the cards over?”
“What happened, dude?” Kaminari asks, barely glancing up from his hand. He sets down a few cards, looking to the others as he smirks and says “five queens!”
Ashido gives him a narrowed look. “How do you have five queens?”
“Bullshit,” Sero chuckles, taking the cards Kaminari placed down and revealing no queens. Kaminari sadly takes the stack as Sero and Ashido laugh at him.
Kirishima heaves a sigh. “Kaminari, dude, do you even get this game?”
“You lie and win!”
“Well, sorta…”
Mineta scowls, stomping his foot and flailing his arms. “Listen to me! Something big happened!”
Ashido rolls her eyes. “What? Did you see up someone’s skirt again, you little perv?”
“Yeah, that’s not cool, man,” Kirishima mumbles, placing down a card after Ashido apparently plays two kings, calling it an ace.
No one challenges him as Sero goes to play his own cards. Mineta can tell they’re not taking him seriously, so he jumps in the middle of their circle, knocking all the cards away.
“You guys, seriously! I heard—“
“Why would you do that?!”
“Sheesh Mineta, rude much?!”
“Dude, what’s gotten into you?!”
Kirishima heaves another sigh and everyone looks to him. “Maybe we should let him talk…?”
Ashido huffs, crossing her arms and glaring away from her boyfriend. “Whatever, it’s probably something stupid!”
Mineta scowls at her, turning to face the only two who seem interested. “So, I was in my room when I heard Midoriya thumping around, right?”
Sero’s smiling but he looks skeptical. “Yeah, and? He was probably doing some weird work out routine.”
Kaminari snorts, “yeah, he’s always working out!”
Mineta holds up his hands to stop them. “But it was more like,” he glances back to Ashido, who’s now glaring at him suspiciously, before facing his friends, “more like those kinda thumping noises, especially ‘cause I heard someone else.”
He’s watching for the realization to dawn on their faces. It hits Sero first, then he hears Kirishima makes a soft noise of understanding to his right. Kaminari is the last he cares to focus on, looking completely shocked at the idea of Midoriya doing anything remotely sexual with someone.
“With who?!”
Mineta grins. “You’ll never guess!”
Sero laughs, “well yeah, I mean, with the way the girls all talk to him, any one of the girls could be in there.”
“Except Mina,” Kaminari says, pointing to the girl in question, “hey, do you know who’s having sex with Midoriya?”
Mineta turns to see the thoughtful look on her pink face. “Hm… last I heard, Momo and Kyouka were doing a girls night and Tsu and Tooru were definitely gonna join them - I know I am when I’m done here… maybe Ochako?” Ashido frowns, shaking her head. “But no, wait, Ochako has been more interested in someone else lately since Midoriya seemed to be way too focused on training rather than relationships these days…”
“It could be Uraraka though,” Sero comments, shrugging casually. “They’re super close, I don’t think Midoriya really knows the other girls.”
Mineta chuckles, getting all four of them to focus on him again. “You’re all wrong - it wasn’t a girl!”
Kaminari and Sero gasp, grabbing hold of one another. Ashido gapes up at him, clearly in awe as her cheeks grow darker. Even Kirishima, who had seemed embarrassed and shied away before, looks interested.
Ashido starts to bounce in her seat when Mineta doesn’t reveal who it was - and what a lovely view it made for him. “Oo!! Oooo!!! Was it Todoroki?!”
“Or Iida?” Sero asks, snickering at the idea.
Kirishima huffs a soft laugh, shaking his head. “You guys can’t be serious… Midoriya and,” he frowns, now looking a bit confused, “wait, no. Who was in his room?”
Kaminari begins to cackle. “I would lose my shit if it was Bakugou!”
The others all stare at him before they begin to laugh as well, but Mineta simply crosses his arms and nods sagely.
This catches them all off guard. For a moment the laughter continues in confusion before it completely dies off. They stare, waiting for the punchline.
Mineta doesn’t have one for them.
When nothing more is said, all hell breaks loose. Sero, Ashido, and Kirishima are all screaming Bakugou’s name to various degrees of shock, Kaminari has gone pale and looks ready to collapse, Mineta’s being shaken by the combined effort of Ashido and Sero. She looks mesmerized and little too excited by the news while he looks frightened and even a little unhinged, but Mineta can barely catch their screaming questions.
“Dude, but,” Kirishima is holding his head, “but Bakugou, he…” Something seems to dawn on him, holding Ashido’s arm in shock, pulling her away from Mineta. “Oh my god, it makes perfect sense…!”
Ashido laughs, falling against him as she shakes Kirishima now. “It does, it does!”
Sero shakes his head, holding it in his hands. “No way… how does it make sense?”
Kirishima shrugs, looking a little lost. “Man, I dunno, like… they’re weirdly obsessed with each other, ya know?”
“Yeah, yeah!” Ashido nods, hugging Kirishima to herself and rocking happily. “They’re always all over each other,” she squeals, bouncing Kirishima a little, much to Mineta's envy, “how could we have missed this?!”
Kaminari finally seems to wake up from his shock, staring at the pink girl. “Missed this? Missed what?! That two of our friends a-are gay? And dating?”
“No way, dude,” Sero shakes his head, “I mean. I don’t care if they are but like…! Midoriya! He’s got all those girls hanging off of him! He’s into girls!”
Ashido stops bouncing to glare at him. “Uh, hello?” She waves her hand in a gesture as though she’s presenting herself and Kirishima to the group. “Bisexuals exist, Sero!”
Mineta holds out his hands to stop him from arguing back. “While I do agree with Sero, the facts do not lie! They were crashing around and grunting in Midoriya’s room, and I saw them when Aoyama knocked on the door!” He crosses his arms again and nods to himself. “They were shirtless and looked like they’d been busy!”
Ashido begins to bounce again, shaking Kirishima in her excitement. Kaminari and Sero still look unconvinced, Kirishima too distracted by his hyper girlfriend to really give off any feelings for the story.
“They could have been wrestling?” Kaminari suggests, sighing when Mineta just frowns at him. “Look, I get what it looks like, but Bakugou just doesn’t seem interested in… anyone like that!”
Sero nods, “especially Midoriya.”
Kirishima manages to bring down Ashido’s excitement and looks to the group. “Well, I guess maybe it’s just cause I hang with him a little more, but I’m not surprised if they are dating.”
Kaminari and Sero give him a strange look. Even Ashido looks confused, cocking her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
He rubs at his neck, briefly glancing to Mineta. “Well… have you heard anything else from Midoriya’s room before, Mineta? Or maybe… have you seen Bakugou leaving his room recently?”
Mineta considers this for a moment, thinking back over the last week. “Ya know, now that you mention it… I have been hearing Midoriya talking to someone, and there’s been a couple of thumps. Not like tonight, but…”
“Was it Bakugou?”
He frowns, really trying to remember. “I really don’t know… I think he was saying ‘Kacchan’ when I heard him, but…”
Kirishima nods, looking to the others again. “I’ve been hearing Bakugou talking late at night recently. Once, I went to get some water from the kitchen late at night, and when I was coming back to my room, I saw Midoriya leaving B akugou's room. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now—“
Ashido suddenly stands, knocking him back in her excitement. “Oh my gosh, that’s it! It’s official! I have to tell the girls!”
Before anyone can stop her, Ashido is out the door and the room is left in silence. Kaminari and Sero are gaping at Kirishima, who looks a bit embarrassed.
“Dude, why didn’t you mention that before?” Kaminari asks, and Kirishima shrugs.
“Like I said, I didn’t think much of it! I dunno, they’d been getting along for the last couple of weeks, so I guess I just didn’t find it weird that Midoriya was in his room late at night!”
“How is that not weird?” Sero scoffs, shaking his head. “No one is allowed in Bakugou’s room!”
“I’ve been in his room!”
Kaminari scoffs, shoving at Kirishima. “You’ve been in the doorway and nearly gotten your head blown off for it.”
The three of them begin to discuss the validity of Bakugou and Midoriya’s romantic relationship when Mineta feels a text come in on his phone. Pulling it out, he sees it’s from Asui, and the message is a simple question.
Asui Tsuyu: are you sure that’s what happened? [20:04]
Mineta smirks and knows Ashido told the girls.
Me: positive. would I lie about two dudes? [20:04]
He doesn’t get a response, which usually means Asui doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of her believing him.
He can already tell, as Sero and Kaminari begin texting others, that this isn’t something that’s going to stay quiet for very long. Mineta grins, realizing this means that he’s the reason news like this is traveling through their class.
In that moment, he allows himself to forget about whether or not the two men in question would even mind. As more texts come in asking him to confirm his source, Mineta doesn’t even think for a second about the consequences of telling everyone about Bakugou and Midoriya.
———
Midoriya sighs, rolling his shoulder as he tries to get the kinks out. Last night had been difficult, what with how cramped his room is compared to an actual training ground. But Bakugou had insisted on trying to get the black whip to work and even came over to help! How could he say no to that?
He thinks he might have felt a new quirk trying to surface when Bakugou had him pinned on the ground, smirking down at him and whispering challenges to him as usual. Midoriya had struggled badly, doing everything he could to focus and pull the new quirk up and let it free—
When Aoyama had knocked on his door. It threw off his concentration, and the feeling had immediately disappeared.
He and Bakugou had stared at one another in surprise that someone would even come to Midoriya’s room, but when he hurried to open it and greet his friend…
Yeah, they might have been a little loud…
Midoriya feels his cheeks burn now as he remembers what Aoyama had thought they were doing, a bit of shame curling in his stomach. Part of him, in the moment, had thought there was no way he’d ever do anything with Bakugou - it’s Kacchan for crying out loud! His rival? His former bully? His… friend? Were they friends again?
The shame he felt came from the other, smaller, quieter part Midoriya usually ignores. The part that knows he likes girls and boys and also knows that one of the most attractive boys in their class was just straddling him in his bedroom before Aoyama had knocked last night.
He hurries to tighten his tie, choking himself a little bit in his rush and loosening it down again. It’s still a knotted mess around his neck but Midoriya doesn’t bother to feel embarrassed about it anymore.
Bakugou had set Aoyama straight and the shame crawled back to its hiding place within Midoriya as they relocated to Bakugou's room to discuss how One For All had reacted to the impromptu sparring.
It was getting easier to talk to Bakugou lately. Midoriya liked it, liked that they were getting back to a place he’d almost forgotten ever existed. Kacchan would always be Kacchan and challenge him on everything, quick to remind anyone listening that he’s better than Midoriya - but he’s also gotten calmer, quieter, and Midoriya appreciates having a mind like Bakugou’s involved with figuring out what his quirk is doing.
It’s just a matter of whether or not they can keep it a secret.
The rest of the class has taken notice to their rekindled friendship, some asking Midoriya in private if he’s going to be okay while others interrupt and step between them when it appears that Bakugou is going too far again. They’re all concerned and aware that something happened in their past and while Midoriya appreciates their concern, it’s difficult to talk in private about One For All and not have one of their classmates jumping in to help him when he doesn't need it.
Honestly, it has been surprising how Aoyama had seemed ready to leave them alone last night when he thought they were doing… that! It was almost like a blessing in disguise! Aoyama being so quick to leave thinking it was something intimate instead of sticking around to make sure things were okay between them allowed them to continue their discussion, and Bakugou kick him from his room an hour later after feeling satisfied enough with the progress they'd made. It was almost enough to have Midoriya consider telling the class they were dating, just to get the privacy they seemed to lack these days when All Might isn’t with them to ward off the other students.
But there’s no way Bakugou would ever agree to something like that, so Midoriya has let that thought go. He sighs to himself as he opens his dorm room door and is immediately shoved back inside, the door slamming shut behind him and his intruder.
“Wha—“
“That little shit next door blabbed,” Bakugou says, looking rather calm despite his harsh words. “Now the whole class thinks we’re fucking.”
Midoriya stares at him for a moment. “What…?”
Bakugou clicks his tongue and crosses his arms, patience running thin. “That gross little pervert? He heard us last night and thought, just like Sparkle Freak, that you and I were fucking and decided to tell everyone he saw, and they went around telling everyone else.”
Midoriya glances to the wall of his room that he shares with Mineta. “Mineta-kun told everyone we… but why?”
“He’s a freakin’ perv, why do you think?” Bakugou snaps, shaking his head. “Whatever, that’s not the problem here - everyone thinks we’re doin’ it!”
Midoriya just gapes at him.
Imagine that - his exact plan for privacy with Bakugou has gone into effect. But obviously Bakugou isn’t okay with this.
He slowly nods, “okay… alright, that’s not so bad.”
Bakugou raises a brow in question. “Explain - what’s going on in that nerd brain, and don’t mumble it.”
Taking a deep breath, Midoriya tries to order his thought process quickly so it doesn’t come out a jumbled mess. “Okay. Aoyama-kun had thought the same thing last night, right?” Bakugou nods, scowling. “Well, when he asked us to keep it down, he was ready to leave us alone and go back to his room.”
“So?”
“Haven’t you noticed?” Midoriya frowns, gesturing to the door - out to the rest of the class. “Every time we try to have a private conversation about One For All, someone’s quick to jump in and make sure we’re not at each other’s throats and we have to stop talking altogether and lose track of where we were on figuring this out!”
Bakugou grunts, nodding. “They all act like we have to be monitored or something… so, what? You think going along with the pervert’s rumor will make them leave us alone when we need it?”
Midoriya nods back, glad Bakugou isn’t just outright refusing. “Remember when Ashido-san and Kirishima-kun started dating? Every time they would start flirting with each other in the middle of the conversation, others would disperse and leave them to it!”
“True,” Bakugou hums, holding his chin as he considers it. “We could use it to get more time alone to figure out the black whip or get that new one you felt last night…” He frowns, meeting Midoriya’s gaze. “What if they don’t leave us alone? What if it gets worse?”
He hadn’t thought about that possibility. “Uh…”
Bakugou clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “I’m not tying myself to a relationship with you if there’s no escape plan, Deku!”
“N-no, wait,” Midoriya holds his hands up, “we could just… break up!”
The look Bakugou gives him is less than impressed. “Break up? Seriously?”
“We could say that it wasn’t easy being in the relationship with everyone hovering over us?” Midoriya suggests, but even as he says it he knows it’s not a good excuse.
“And if that doesn’t guilt trip them into leaving us alone, then what?” Bakugou snorts, “we would never be left alone if that happened!”
Midoriya feels his shoulders sag. “Then I don’t know, Kacchan, do you have an idea of how to make this work?”
“Yeah, tell them to fuck off and mind their own business!”
Midoriya immediately thinks of how Ashido and Kaminari will no doubt begin to follow them around trying to figure out their business anyway.
Bakugou sighs, apparently thinking the same. “Do you seriously believe they’ll leave us alone if we just tell them the rumor is true?”
Midoriya honestly didn’t know for sure, especially with how surprising class 1-A has been in the time he’s known them. But he nods anyway, watching Bakugou’s shoulders relax as he sighs once more.
“Then I guess we’re dating, Deku,” he grimaces, and Midoriya feels the unpleasant shiver go down his spine just from Kacchan saying it. They stare at one another, and Midoriya wonders if he’s supposed to do something now that he’s “dating” his childhood friend.
“Uh…”
“Let’s just get to class,” Bakugou huffs, turning to stalk out of Midoriya’s room. He nearly crashes into someone, scowling down at them before he turns and rushes down the hall. Midoriya hurries after, smiling sheepishly down at Mineta, who’s got a look of horror on his face.
“Sorry - good morning, Mineta-kun!”
Mineta just shakes his head as Midoriya shuts his door. “Unbelievably shameless - on a school night, Midoriya? How long were you two at it anyway?”
He hesitates, slowly turning to look back at his short friend. “What…?”
Mineta’s horror is reading differently now and it’s making Midoriya’s stomach flip from the smirk that crosses Mineta’s face. “No need to be shy, we all know…” Midoriya’s face is burning from the insinuation as he realizes what Mineta is getting at. “So, which one of you is the dude?”
All embarrassment is tossed aside at that statement, and instead is replaced by the strong desire to kick Mineta for even asking. Before he can register the feeling of black whip ready to launch at the little pervert, Bakugou’s voice comes booming down the hall.
“Deku, hurry the fuck up!”
Midoriya flinches, the black whips retreating before Mineta sees them. He turns quickly, leaving Mineta behind and walking past Bakugou to the stairwell. He doesn’t look back as he rushes down the stairs to the first floor, knowing that Bakugou followed after him.
Some of their classmates are in the common areas of the first floor when Midoriya leaves the stairwell, Bakugou close behind. Todoroki and Iida are in the kitchen helping Sato with dishes, while the girls, Tokoyami, and Shoji are seated on the couches. They all look up and begin to greet Midoriya, hesitating suddenly when they notice Bakugou.
For a moment, nothing is said, and Midoriya can feel the uncertainty with the others as Bakugou begins to push at Midoriya’s back towards the main exit. It’s like something collectively crosses through Midoriya’s classmates, each one turning back to what they were doing and allowing Midoriya to leave the building with Bakugou uninterrupted.
Outside, the two walk in silence towards the school, and Midoriya’s head feels heavy.
He can’t take the silence for long. “No one said anything.”
“Good.”
“Is it?” Midoriya glances over, seeing the calm expression on Bakugou’s face. “Is it really a good thing if they’re not willing to talk to us about it?”
“Does it matter?” Bakugou snorts, meeting Midoriya’s gaze. “Technically no one’s asked if we’re dating, so we don’t have to lie if they’re not gonna ask. As far as we know and as far as they know, we’re not dating.”
Midoriya frowns. “But they think we are!”
Bakugou shrugs, picking up his pace to get to the main building. “I’d rather they just think it and not have to confirm something so stupid.”
Midoriya stops, watching Bakugou continue to walk away. His stomach is in knots from those words alone - it’d be stupid to date him?
Bakugou notices he’s stopped and turns around, staring at him. When Midoriya doesn’t move, Bakugou scowls and walks back to him. “What’s your problem?”
“Stupid, huh?” Midoriya shakes his head. “Then let me just go back there and tell them it’s not what they think! We’ll just continue having to deal with them interrupting our private conversations about One For All if dating me is so stupid.” Bakugou doesn’t say anything, urging Midoriya on. “Why would you agree if you think it’s stupid in the first place? We can quit before it gets too far, right? Before we start agreeing with them and—“
“Shut up,” Bakugou says, glancing over Midoriya’s shoulder. “Dating you isn’t the problem - it’s having to say I’m dating when I’m not.” Midoriya stares at him, and the confusion must be evident because Bakugou scoffs. “I fuckin’ hate lying, even over something as stupid as this.”
Midoriya knows that. He doesn’t need to say that though.
Sighing, Bakugou glances back again and seems to see something because he reaches out and takes Midoriya’s hand. “Might as well get some use out of it - let’s go.”
His heart is in his throat as Bakugou begins to guide him forward and soon they’re walking hand in hand towards the main building. Midoriya gapes at him, and from the corner of his eyes, he sees Shoji, Tokoyami, and Asui having left to head for class some ways behind them.
Midoriya forces himself to relax, walking as casually as he can with Bakugou holding his hand. It’s clammy, hot, and Midoriya desperately wants to wipe his hand from all the sweat.
He can’t bring himself to pull away though.
“The grape pervert said something to piss you off,” Bakugou states, and it’s surprising enough that Midoriya actually jumps when he stares back at him. Bakugou raises a brow. “I saw the black whip - you were ready to throttle him. What’d he say?”
Remembering exactly what was said makes Midoriya grimace. “He asked me who’s the guy between us…”
Bakugou’s hand tightens and Midoriya can feel the heat rise - for a moment, he worries his hand will take the brunt of the explosion if Bakugou starts going off. “Did ya tell him to fuck off?”
“No, I was going to kick him when you yelled at me,” Midoriya says, willing himself to not try to yank his hand from Bakugou’s overly sweaty one.
Bakugou huffs, almost like he was laughing much to Midoriya’s surprise, and the heat of his hand calms. “Shit, I shoulda let ya…”
Midoriya bites his bottom lip to keep from laughing. He can feel himself wanting to bounce with his next few steps or swing their hands between them, but he’s certain that would make Bakugou yell at him. So he pushes those feelings down and focuses on making it to class.
A few other students from other first year classes seem to recognize them as they walk, and Midoriya stares at his feet in embarrassment when more than one person winds up doing a double take at them. He can feel them all staring soon after, in the courtyard and especially in the halls when they finally enter the main building. The hold Bakugou has on him becomes stiff and awkward until he lets go altogether, the rest of the students around them staring and whispering.
It’s all blurring together and Midoriya wonders if this is what it’s like when he murmurs, only multiplied by a hundred.
Neither of them look to one another before rushing to the nearest bathroom, deserted in the early morning hours. Sound erupts from the halls just as the door closes and Bakugou scowls as he looks back.
“What the fuck is their problem?!”
Midoriya shakes his head, the heat in his face quickly becoming apparent from the chill of the restroom and a quick glance into the mirror. “Well, no backing down now - everyone in the school must know by now.”
Bakugou kicks at a stall door, the plywood slamming into the stall wall and bouncing back with a clatter. “Shit - I just - you…!” He scowls, yanking at his hair for a moment before rounding on Midoriya. “Are you satisfied?”
Midoriya gapes at him. “M-me…? You’re the one who grabbed my hand ‘cause a few classmates were behind us!”
“Yeah, to ask you about the stupid whip earlier!” Bakugou shouts, throwing his hands up. “You didn’t let go when we were done!”
“I didn’t think I’d have to!”
Bakugou scoffs, rolling his whole head with his eye roll. “Whatever, you shoulda let go if there was nothing more to say.”
Midoriya grinds his teeth, standing tall before crowding into Bakugou’s space. “You can’t blame me for them staring, Kacchan! If you didn’t think there was anything else to say, you should have let go!”
Bakugou stares at him and Midoriya watches the way his red eyes look between his own. They’re very close to one another. He shivers lightly, gulping to himself and wondering why they were even really arguing here.
The door opens and someone enters only to stop and gape at them. Midoriya and Bakugou slowly turn to look at the stranger, their cheeks nearly brushing from their proximity. It’s enough to have Midoriya flailing as he moves away, his face warm. Bakugou glances back at him with a questioning look, just as the other student high tails it out of the room.
For a moment, Midoriya and Bakugou just stare at each other. The silence of the bathroom echoes around them, the heat leaving Midoriya’s face. Neither move, at least not before Midoriya’s phone goes off.
They both jump at the sound, and Midoriya quickly pulls it out to silence the alarm. “Class starts in ten minutes.”
Bakugou scoffs, heading for the door. “I swear, if that extra tells people what we were arguing about—”
“I don’t think he heard what we were talking about,” Midoriya murmurs, hurrying after his fake boyfriend. “We… we’re still doing this, right?”
Bakugou scowls, glaring over his shoulder at him. “Might as well, people already think something is happening and if everyone reacts to seeing us doin’ shit by running away, then it’s working. Right?”
Midoriya gulps, nodding slowly. “Yeah… right!”
Bakugou rolls his eyes and pushes the door open, grabbing Midoriya’s wrist and pulling him along to their classroom.
Not as many students are milling about in the halls when class is about to start, but those that are running late stop to stare at the duo. Midoriya keeps his focus on Bakugou’s shoulder, following dutifully behind him as he’s yanked across the school to class 1-A. He can still feel their eyes on them, and he tries to not let that get to him.
This is part of the plan and he has to get used to it. If he wants to keep All Might’s secret and master his quirk, he will need to work at it. Having Bakugou help him along the way will make things easier, but not if people insist on getting into their business. Pretending to date his childhood friend would surely give them the privacy they need to help him reach his goal of becoming the greatest hero.
Right…?
The door to their class opens quickly under Bakugou’s hand, clattering in such a way that the chatter within abruptly stops. Midoriya shivers at the silence, looking over Bakugou’s shoulder into the room.
Eighteen sets of eyes are on them, digging holes into the pair and making Midoryia’s stomach twist with uncertainty.
Maybe this isn’t such a good idea anymore…
As soon as he thinks it, Ashido, Kaminari, and Hagakure are at the door and in their faces. The three are loud and asking questions faster than Midoriya can think, and soon a few others have gathered behind the three - whether to pull them back and stop the commotion or to join in on the questions, Midoriya isn’t sure.
He does know his face is overheating as he shrinks behind Bakugou, and that Bakugou has backed up into him, bringing them much closer than before. Ashido and Hagakure crowd in further, both of them simultaneously asking with a squeal to their voices “when did you two get together?!”
At least they’re supportive…?
Bakugou’s popping off a few explosions that get the girls to back off, grabbing onto Kaminari in surprise. The others behind them - Sero, Ojiro, Kirishima, and Jirou apparently - help move the excited trio back when they notice Bakugou’s hands sparking.
“Back the fuck up, assholes,” Bakugou sneers, “I don’t owe anyone any answers!”
A hand grabs hold of Bakugou’s wrist and surprises him enough to stop the explosions. Midoriya peeks around him, finding Iida had been the one to grab him. “Calm down, Bakugou-kun - you know you shouldn’t be using your quirk like this.” Iida releases him before Bakugou can retaliate, turning to the group at the door. “Everyone, please return to your seats! Class will begin soon!”
“Aw, but we wanna know!” Ashido whines, pouting at their class representative.
Hagakure is flailing, whining just as much, “yeah, come on, Iida-kun, let them answer!”
“This is ridiculous,” someone grumbles from within the room just as the two girls begin to plead, the rest of the class beginning to talk again, only now Midoriya can hear his name being said within the chatter.
Iida claps and the class quiets down, slowly returning to their seats. “If Bakugou-kun and Midroiya-kun want to explain, they can, but we, as their classmates and fellow future heroes, have no reason to pry into their lives!”
Midoriya moves to stand beside Bakugou, smiling at his friend. “Thank you, Iida-kun,” Midoriya quietly says, earning a smile from him. Bakugou only huffs, nodding as he glares at the ground rather than meeting Iida’s gaze. Midoriya glances to him and understands this is Bakugou’s way of saying thanks.
Iida’s smile drops as he looks behind Midoriya and Bakugou, catching Midoriya’s attention. A chill runs down his spine before a hand comes down onto his shoulder, another grabbing hold of Bakugou. They jump at the touch, both slowly looking back to find Aizawa standing over them.
“You two need to come with me,” Aizawa says, his face looking grimmer than usual. Midoriya feels the blood rush from his face and force his stomach to flip with fear, wondering if Bakugou feels the same dread that he does. Aizawa looks to Iida and nods. “Keep an eye on everyone else - take this time to study, we won’t be long.”
Iida nods and bows low, turning to the class to relay the message. Midoriya and Bakugou are dragged from the room and the door is shut behind them as Aizawa leads them down the hall. Not for the first time, Midoriya can already feel the weight of a mistake pulling him down as he drags his feet.
Aizawa leads them to an office, one much like the room Midoriya would meet All Might in, and directs them to the couch. He opts to stand across from them, glaring down at the two students in his charge.
Midoriya wiggles under his gaze, unable to meet Aizawa’s eyes. Bakugou, on the other hand, is relaxed, reclining in his seat as he meets Aizawa’s glare.
“These rumors they were all raving about,” Aizawa starts, cutting right to the chase and setting Midoriya on edge, “are they true?”
Bakugou grunts. “Which rumors exactly?”
“Were you two,” Aizawa grimaces, glaring at the wall behind them as he tries to think of a way to phrase things. “Were the two of you—”
“No, we were not having sex,” Bakugou deadpans, clicking his tongue. “Yes, we are dating, but no - we are not having sex.”
Midoriya gapes at him, and it’s as if his body doesn’t know how to react. For one, he’s pretty sure he should be embarrassed that Aizawa was asking them about their sex lives or that Bakugou is capable of talking about this with such a straight face. However, on a different note, should he be concerned that Bakugou sounds so… convincing about the lie of their current relationship?
Will he be that convincing…?
Aizawa seems to relax. “Do I have any reason to be worried?”
“Nope,” Bakugou pops the the sound from his mouth, glancing to Midoriya. “Do you think he should be concerned, Deku?”
Midoriya glances between the two of them and gulps, shaking his head. “N-no, everything is fine…! Wh-why wouldn’t things be fine? Things are fantastic between us!”
Aizawa raises a brow. “This relationship came out of nowhere - just a few months ago you were beating each other up after hours, but now you say you’re dating.” He doesn’t sound convinced, and Midoriya shakes under the pressure of his gaze. “Midoriya, if you have something to say—”
“He doesn’t,” Bakugou snaps, “say it, Deku.”
Midoriya nods hurriedly. “Things are perfectly fine, Aizawa-sensei,” he says, and it’s honestly concerning how bad he is at lying about this. “R-really!”
Bakugou is glaring at him and he just wants a pit to open under him to take him away.
Aizawa narrows his eyes. He looks to Bakugou and sighs. “Wait outside, Bakugou.”
“No—”
“Now,” Aizawa firmly says, making Bakugou go rigid. Midoriya watches as Bakugou hesitates, seeming at odds with himself before finally just obeying and standing from his seat. He looks to Midoriya on his way out and Midoriya meets his eyes, seeing the silent plea.
He can’t mess this up.
Bakugou leaves the room, and Midoriya stares at the door. Bakugou is the first to call Midoriya on his shitty lies, getting angry about Midoriya’s inability to tell a convincing lie ever since he was brought in on the secret. He’s been reprimanded more than once for being so unconvincing when explaining his quirk and the changes he’s going through, but Midoriya… He doesn’t know how to lie.
Especially not when it comes to his relationship with Bakugou Katsuki.
Aizawa sighs, settling down in a seat across from Midoriya. “Are you going to tell me the truth or are you going to continue covering for him?”
Midoriya stares at his teacher. “What do you mean…?”
“Something is happening here, and for whatever reason you’re helping him cover it up by lying about your relationship,” Aizawa states, shrugging. “The two of your have been at each other's throats since the beginning, Midoriya - do you really expect me to believe you and Bakugou have fallen for each other?” He snorts, shaking his head. “Or worse, that this isn’t something romantic and that this relationship is more unhealthy than anything else.”
Midoriya’s mouth is dry. “I don’t… what do you mean by that exactly?”
Aizawa sighs and sits forward, nodding to him. “Are you certain that things between the two of you are progressing in a romantic way to call this a relationship and not in a way that’s more… physically stimulating?”
He’s pretty sure his head will explode from the blood rushing there. “Ai-Aizawa-sensei, Kacchan and I aren’t… we haven’t done anything like…”
Aizawa nods, gesturing to the door. “So what goes on when you two aren’t fighting?” He raises a brow. “I don’t need details, but I need you to convince me that this is mutual and that you’re not being forced to do something you don’t want to do.”
If anything, Bakugou is the one being forced to do something, but Midoriya can’t tell him that. This fake relationship was his idea, thought of that morning and came into being by a misunderstanding they agreed to ride the coattails of. Not only that, but Midoriya thinks he’s being asked something slightly different than just whether or not it’s true.
“Aizawa-sensei,” Midroiya takes a deep breath and meets his teacher’s eyes confidently. “Kacchan has done nothing to me that I didn’t want, this relationship is completely consensual and we have barely even… well, at most, we’ve held hands,” he falters for a moment, flustered by that admission. Aizawa raises a brow, spurring Midoriya on. “If you really need to know, I asked him to date me, a-and… well, I’m sure you know by now that we’ve known each other for years?”
Aizawa nods, though he seems confused by where this is going.
“I’ve… always admired him,” Midoriya admits, brain hurrying to catch up with his mouth and where exactly he was taking this lie, “just… really admired him.” He meets his teacher’s gaze again, not even realizing he had looked away, “and recently, with things getting better between us, I - well, I’ve realized exactly what it is that I was admiring.
“I’m, uh… in love with him,” it sounds so awkward, Midoriya stares down at his twiddling thumbs as the words tumble out of his mouth, “and I always have been… so, really! Nothing… heinous is going on here! Kacchan hasn’t forced himself on me and I didn’t manipulate him and this isn’t some weird… situation with the two of us exploring ourselves or—”
“I get it,” Aizawa cuts in, holding up his hand. Midoriya’s mouth snaps shut and he stares back at his teacher. Aizawa looks him over, seeming to come to a good conclusion as he nods. “Don’t let this affect your studies, and you’re not allowed in one another’s rooms late at night.” He glares, sending a jolt of fear through Midoriya, “do you understand?”
“Perfectly,” Midoriya nods, “absolutely, yes, things are. Good, we’re good.”
Aizawa nods back before gesturing to the door. “Head back to class, I’ll be there soon.”
“Sh-should I take Kacchan with me…?”
“No, I need to talk to him,” Aizawa says with a heavy sigh.
Midoriya nods again, standing from the couch as he recalls the pleading expression on Bakugou’s face. “Aizawa-sensei, he’s… he’s good to me, I promise.”
Aizawa stares up at him. “Considering it’s Bakugou, who wants to be the best at everything… that doesn’t surprise me.”
Midroiya grins at that. “He is the best.”
“Get to class already…”
He doesn’t argue, hurrying from the room. Bakugou is right outside the door, and feeling Aizawa’s gaze upon them spurs Midoriya to continue the lie a little further for some reason. He moves closer into Bakugou’s space without a second thought.
Bakugou freezes in Midoriya’s sudden embrace, and he knows Aizawa is watching them.
“I told him I was in love with you,” Midoriya murmurs softly against Bakugou’s ear, “and that you’re the best, so don’t worry.”
Bakugou scoffs, pushing him away lightly. “I’m not worried, stupid Deku,” he grumbles, but Midoriya can see the relief echoing in Bakugou’s eyes.
“Class, Midoriya,” Aizawa calls, getting their attention. “Now.”
“Right!” Midoriya bows and quickly takes off, trying to keep from running down the hall. He glances back for only a moment, enough to see Bakugou enter the room with Aizawa before the door closes. He stops in the middle of the hall, his heart pounding from the rush of adrenaline he hadn’t noticed before.
Lying to Aizawa was the last thing he expected to have to do, let alone having to admit to being in love with someone. Actually, the whole situation is mind boggling in general - being in love with Kacchan? No way!
His heart pounds a little harder, and his face burns a little hotter. Midoriya bites his bottom lip and takes a deep breath, turning on his heels back toward the classroom, where he’ll no doubt have to tell the lie again.
———
“He told me he’s in love with you,” Aizawa says, just as blunt as always.
Bakugou huffs, “yeah, I know - I was just as shocked as you.”
“Bakugou—”
“Look, I get it,” Bakugou cuts him off, staring at the table between them, “from day one it was obvious I had problems with Deku.” He licks his lips, trying to think of a way to spin this enough to convince him. “Of all people, why would I wanna date Deku?” Aizawa is silent, waiting for Bakugou to get it out. He sighs, shaking his head. “Truth is, I don’t know if I really want to do this.”
“So why are you?”
“Because I know some part of me does,” Bakugou whispers, this small truth something he thought he’d never admit. At least, not in the way he currently is.
Since coming to UA, Aizawa has been the only instructor to really seem to get Bakugou. All Might seems to get him now since the fight with Midoriya, but Aizawa had understood him at least slightly more than anyone else. Telling him the truth isn’t difficult, even if Bakugou would rather not have to do this.
No, it’s the fact that he can’t go into detail about what he means. It’s not the dating Deku part that he wants, but as far as Aizawa knows that’s what he means. In reality, Bakugou is referring to wanting to help Midoriya and All Might take down All For One, helping his old friend figure out this crazy quirk that was gifted to him just because Deku has the heart of a hero or some shit.
Some part of him wants to be one of the reasons they succeed in taking down these villains, to be the one to help Deku become the hero All Might sees in him.
If that means pretending to date him, then Bakugou will do it.
Aizawa hums thoughtfully, standing from his seat. He gestures for Bakugou to follow, heading for the door. He stops before he can open it and turns to Bakugou with a frown.
“Don’t let this affect your studies—”
“No shit.”
“—and you’re not allowed in one another’s rooms late at night,” Aizawa finishes, ignoring the interruption. “And Bakugou?”
“What?”
“Don’t stay with him if you realize you don’t like him back,” Aizawa says, opening the door and leaving the room, “it’s better to break his heart than lead him on.”
Bakugou stares after him, surprised by the odd piece of advice. “Right…”
He finally starts to follow again back towards the classroom, staring at his feet as he goes. He’s pretty sure if either of them is going to break off this stupid plan, it’s going to be Deku anyway - between the two of them, he absolutely has no reason to want to be close to Bakugou. Not in the way they’re trying to convince people, anyway.
Midoriya Izuku actually being in love him? That’s a load of crap. Even if Midoriya says he admires Bakugou, it’s impossible for him to actually be in love with his former bully.
Bakugou knows he was horrible, he doesn’t need anyone to explain it to him. Deku was the source of his frustration and he took it out on the source - not exactly a hero-like thing to do, but no one ever stopped him. Deku might have tried, but why should Bakugou listen to the person who’s a reminder of how weak he truly is?
He’s grown though, changed even. Bakugou can acknowledge this. They both have in their own ways and Bakugou is recognizing his weaknesses as things to work on rather than hide away. Maybe helping Midoriya (and by extension, All Might), Bakugou is trying to apologize for what he had done before. He hadn’t really given an apology actual thought, though - if he’s in an especially cynical mood, it’s Deku’s fault anyway - and he isn’t even sure if Midoriya would accept one now after all this time.
They’re supposed to be dating now, does that mean he should apologize? Actually, should he treat Midoriya as his “boyfriend” instead of as the useless Deku he always saw him as, or should he continue with being the tentative “friend” that he was slowly becoming again?
He doesn’t come to conclusion before Aizawa is opening the door and gesturing for Bakugou to enter the classroom. The commotion inside doesn’t die down like it usually does when Aizawa enters the room, and Bakugou can see why the second he enters.
Midoriya is in his seat, holding his face in his hands as all of the girls surround him, along with a few of the guys. Iida is shouting from his seat, arm chopping as he tells the group to disperse and return to their seats. The group is ignoring him however, asking Midoriya question after question, and the rest of the class watches on with different expressions of amusement.
Aizawa’s staring at the group with a dark expression, and slowly, one by one the group begins to notice him when Kirishima glances over and sees the two at the door. He elbows Kaminari, who shoves Ashido, bumping into Sero and Asui, which gets Jirou and Yaoyorozu’s attention, prompting the taller of the two to place a hand on Uraraka’s shoulder and stopping her from asking her question. Her abrupt silence gets Todoroki and Aoyama to look up, and finally all of them have noticed Aizawa has returned.
Bakugou can feel his eye twitching, wondering just what Midoriya told them to garner a large crowd. He watches as they all slowly, one by one, return to their seats, and that’s when he notices the seat behind Midoriya is empty.
Aizawa must have noticed as well - “Where’s Mineta?”
No one answers, the last of the group making it back to their seats. They all glance to Midoriya, who’s sunken further in his seat.
“Midoriya?”
Lifting his face from his hands, Bakugou is surprised to see how red he is. There’s a scowl on his face, his eyes shining with tears through whatever embarrassment he faced, and Bakugou is suddenly reminded of what Mineta had said to Midoriya before they left the dorm.
“Where’s Mineta?” Aizawa asks again, his question immediately being answered with a groan.
Slowly, Mineta’s hand comes into view as he pulls himself up from the floor behind his desk. A few people look a little concerned, but Midoriya only goes tense hearing Mineta pull himself up.
Aizawa continues to stare in their direction. “Someone explain what happened…”
Mineta holds his hands up and shakes his head. “I asked a stupid question, Midoriya isn’t at fault, sensei!”
Aizawa raises a brow, and Bakugou is certain his face looks the same. “Oh?”
“It’s fine, really,” Mineta laughs, though it sounds a little off, “I was out of line, Midoriya made sure I understood.”
Bakugou scowls, pretty certain he knows what Mineta means. Aizawa doesn’t look impressed but seems to settle with his answer, turning to Bakugou so he can gesture towards his empty seat. Bakugou doesn’t wait for the verbal command, making his way to his seat and glaring at Mineta on his way.
Mineta doesn’t meet his eyes, shrinking in his own seat the closer Bakugou gets. It’s satisfying to watch.
He glances to Midoriya before he sits, and their eyes meet. Midoriya’s eyes are no longer glassy with tears, and his cheeks have lost the red hue, though he can still see the tinge of pink dusting his freckles. Bakugou stares for a brief moment, finally turning to sit when Midoriya’s lips twitch into an attempt at a smile.
Once seated, the peace of the class returns and Aizawa begins whatever lecture he had prepared today. Bakugou, for once, has a difficult time paying attention, knowing damn well his classmates are sneaking glances over to him throughout the hour.
The lesson ends far too soon, and Aizawa is heading out of the classroom for the next teacher to take over. Bakugou takes a deep breath, watching the door close behind him and for a split second, he believes the class will let it go.
That’s just wishful thinking, though.
No one moves away from their seats this time, instead choosing to either stand or simply turn in their seats towards Bakugou and Midoriya.
“Is it true?!” - “You two really are dating, right?!” - “Congratulations, it’s about time!” - “Who confessed?! I bet it was Midoriya!” - “Did you seriously have sex last night?” - “When did this even happen?”
Bakugou stops listening, glaring at his desk and wishing the next class would start soon. Their voices are all bleeding together into a buzz of happiness for the new “couple” and Bakugou can only focus on one key phrase.
It’s about time...?
What does that even mean?
Bakugou glares at his desk, the excitement of his class becoming a dull throb in his head. He grinds his teeth, angry at the very suggestion that dating Midoriya is some inevitable thing for some of their classmates, that at the very least one person among them believes the two of them should be together.
What a load of garbage!
Bakugou watches the invisible girl bounce as she turns around in her seat, standing a little to shout her own questions to Midoriya. He glares at her stomach, his jaw shifting with his brewing anger before he finally turns around as well to look at Midoriya.
Midoriya is staring right back, eyes wide and face slowly becoming red again. Distantly, Bakugou hears one of the idiots in the room whistle under Iida’s shouts for order. It’s a fruitless attempt, the class transfixed on the two of them as they stare at one another, their questions slowly dying down.
He wonders what they’re waiting for - something stupid, probably. Midoriya seems to go tense under his gaze, but the hesitation within his green irises slowly fades to the confidence Bakugou has seen many times. This is the real Deku, not the embarrassed face-in-hands kid he saw when he walked into the room.
Midoriya stands, turning to the class and gesturing towards Bakugou. “I understand your curiosity,” he starts, voice shaking despite sounding strong, “but whatever is happening here is none of your concern. Things are perfectly fine between Kacchan and I, there is nothing to worry about. Please, leave us be and we’ll explain whatever we are willing to with time. Okay?”
The class all nods, some disappointed while others accept Midoriya’s words without batting an eye. Bakugou glances over them before meeting Midoriya’s eyes again. There’s a question there, one that Bakugou is certain is meant to convey “do you have anything to say?”
He does.
Bakugou stands as well, holding Midoriya’s gaze. He smirks as he addresses the class, Midoriya realizing what he’s doing right as he goes to do it.
“Yes, we’re dating - no, we didn’t do it - and, who the fuck do you think confessed?” Bakugou snorts, jabbing a thumb in Midoriya’s direction. The excitement returns as a few of the more hyperactive students in the class look between them with a newfound joy, while others simply look… happy for Bakugou and Midoriya.
This reaction isn’t something Bakugou thought he would ever see in regards to his relationship with Deku.
“Now, that’s all I’m ever gonna tell you,” he scoffs, glancing down to glare behind Midoriya at Mineta. “Mind you own fuckin' business.” Mineta gives him a sheepish grin, backing away a little, and Bakugou rolls his eyes.
Standing straight again, he looks back up to Midoriya and sees the surprise on his face. Or maybe he’s upset…?
Shit, maybe Deku didn’t want to tell them all like this…
Bakugou tries to loosen his jaw, still subconsciously clenching it from the grinding before and relaxes his features as much as he can. It seems to work, Midoriya mimicking his movements and becoming relaxed as well. It takes a second, but Midoriya’s anxious gaze calms and appears content with Bakugou’s actions.
Midnight chooses this moment to enter the classroom for her lesson and she’s eyeing Bakugou and Midoriya with a curiosity akin to some of the more obnoxious kids in class. Everyone else has already returned to their seats, and so Bakugou shifts enough to fall back into his chair, listening to Midoriya flail his way into his own seat clumsily.
“Do we need to separate the two lovebirds?” Midnight asks, a smirk on her painted lips as Bakugou scowls up at her. To his horror, Midoriya squeaks out a “no, ma’am!” that has her laughing. “Alright, but you two better behave yourselves!”
Disgusted with her, Bakugou rolls his eyes and leans back in his seat, Midoriya chuckling awkwardly behind him. He can already tell this will be another long lesson filled with stares, but adding a perverted teacher to the mix will only make things worse.
For once in his life, Bakugou understands the need for the school day to rush by in the blink of an eye.
———
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Those two kids from class 1-A - ya know, finger breaker and the walking time bomb? They’re—”
A gasp, “no way!”
“Yes way!”
Midoriya suddenly can’t swallow around his food, and the simple sandwich he quickly purchased looks very unappetizing now.
Bakugou finishes his own off and smashes the wrapper in his hands, nodding to himself. “Okay, so anger seems to be a good trigger for the black whip. Think you can hone into that?”
Midoriya stares at him. “You want me to use anger to control something this dangerous?”
Tossing the wrapper down beside himself, Bakugou holds out his hand and gestures for Midoriya to place his own against it. Midoriya takes a deep breath and shifts to settle his sandwich down somewhere it won’t get dirty, gingerly reaching out for Bakugou to take his hand. Bakugou rolls his eyes at his slow motion and grabs hold of it hurriedly, yanking Midoriya a little closer.
“Bring it out,” he commands, staring at the scars that curl around his knuckles. Midoriya bites his bottom lip, closes his eyes, and focuses, doing his best to bring out the quirk without harming Bakugou.
He can feel it, a wiggling mass that hangs under his skin and worms it’s way out. It’s slow, creeping out of him with a gentle curiosity. For a brief moment, he thinks it might be more than his usual little black slip, but when he peeks he sees the short line of black that barely extends from his hand. Bakugou is staring at it, as though his will alone will bring more of the powerful quirk out.
It doesn’t, and Midoriya tries to hide his disappointment.
Bakugou clicks his tongue and nods to Midoriya. “Do it again, but this time think about whatever crap the pervert said to you in class.”
Midoriya feels his face burn. “Th-that’s more embarrassing than upsetting…”
“Then think back to when he asked you if you were even a man.”
Frowning, Midoriya stares at Bakugou. “What?”
“What?”
“When did he ask that?”
Bakugou raises an eyebrow, looking up from Midoriya’s hand in his. “This morning…?”
Midoriya shakes his head. “He asked which one of us was,” he stops short, gaping at Bakugou. “Excuse me, why do you automatically assume he meant that you were the man here?”
Bakugou blinks, expression unchanging. “What are you talking about? He asked if you were the guy or me, because he’s a hetero dumbass who doesn’t get that gay relationships have nothing to do with heteronormative bullshit.”
Midoriya begins to respond but stops again, Bakugou’s words hitting him. “W-wait… heteronorm… Kacchan?”
“Hm?”
“Are… are you gay?”
Bakugou is focusing intensely on Midoriya’s hand now, and his grip is slowly getting tighter - and hotter, the heat is rising from his palm.
Oh.
“Kacchan—”
“What’s it matter,” Bakugou grumbles, “men can like men and women can like women - hell, you can like both, right?”
Midoriya knows damn well he can - knows damn well he does. “Well, yeah, but—”
“But nothing, Deku!” Bakugou shouts, tossing his hand aside. “This lunch break wasn’t supposed to be about what we’re telling people, it was to use that stupid rumor to have time to figure out One For All and you’re wasting it on this bullshit.”
Midoriya cradles his hand to his chest, avoiding Bakugou’s eyes. “Kacchan, I didn’t mean—”
“What?!”
“—I’m bi,” he admits, wincing when it just comes out. Bakugou’s silent, and Midoriya can’t open his eyes to look at him. “I… I like boys, too…”
Saying it out loud, the feelings he’s been storing up, feels… weird. In a good way. Saying it to Kacchan?
It’s… refreshing.
When nothing happens immediately, Midoriya slowly opens his eyes and looks up to Bakugou. He’s staring at him, and Midoriya can’t make out his expression. The look on his face takes him back to Ground Beta, to when Bakugou confessed to feeling like All Might’s retirement was his fault and the fight that followed.
Some part of him thinks he should look back on that fight with shame for losing, but every part of his being can’t help but love that memory - it was both the end and the beginning of his relationship with Bakugou, and now here he is.
Coming out to him; in a way, bearing his soul.
Midoriya feels lighter having admitted to Bakugou this fact. If anyone should know, it should be him, just like with One For All.
Bakugou’s trance seems to break suddenly and he starts nodding, almost like he’s answering a question to himself. Midoriya waits, wondering just what it is that’s going through Bakugou’s mind.
“Bi, huh,” Bakugou mumbles, focusing on the ground between them. Midoriya looks to it as well, trying to find some kind of common link between them so the distance doesn’t force its way back in. He’s not sure he’s really breathing, waiting for any kind of answer.
It doesn’t come - not really. Bakugou just hums one long note for a second before nodding once more and reaching for Midoriya’s hand again and resuming his focused staring.
Midoriya gawks at the display. “What are you doing?”
Bakugou doesn’t look away. “Waiting for the black whip, are you gonna do it or not?”
Scowling, Midoriya pulls his hand away. “I tell you I’m bi and you focus on my quirk?!”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Bakugou frowns, giving Midoriya a look. “Congratulate you on figuring out who you wanna bone?”
“No, but,” Midoriya feels so tired suddenly, as though the whole conversation has drained every last bit of energy he had left for the day. “But what about you?!”
“What about me?”
“Are you,” he hesitates, glancing around the field outside the school. No one is really outside, the spring time still too cold for being outdoors. In his hesitation, Midoriya reconsiders his question and sighs. “Never mind, you don’t need to tell me…”
“Yeah, no shit,” Bakugou scoffs, grabbing Midoriya’s hand again. “Now fucking train your useless ass quirk!”
Midoriya can feel the irritation that only Bakugou can ignite build up within him. “Kacchan, it’s not useless - don’t insult my predecessor.”
“Well obviously he wasn’t useless with it,” Bakugou snorts, shaking Midoriya’s hand to make his arm move. “But what else should I expect from a Deku like you?”
The irritation has sparked into actual anger now, though Midoriya isn’t sure why he’s so angry. “I thought we were past that!”
“Past what?”
“I’ve made Deku into my own!” He shouts, shaking his arm to loosen Bakugou’s hold. “But you still insist on calling me Deku like it’s a bad thing!”
Bakugou watches the way their hands move between them, a silent and strange tug of war happening. Slowly, his eyes glide up Midoriya’s arm and to his face. “Deku.”
“What?!”
“Black whip.”
Midoriya prepares to start yelling again when he sees the secondary quirk moving in the air. It’s much further away from his body, and curling in towards Bakugou, like as if it wants to grab him but isn’t sure if it should. There’s a few branches coming off the main line, but it’s enough to have Midoriya’s jaw hanging in shock.
When had he gotten so angry? And why?
“You really think you’re some happy and calm guy?” Bakugou asks, shaking his head. “I’ve seen you angry, and when you get angry, these things get out of control.” Midoriya stares at him through the black vines still hanging in the air between them. “Find the same level of passion, focus on that, and reign it in - you’ll have control in no time.”
Midoriya can’t believe what he’s hearing. First of all, is Bakugou giving actual advice to him? And second, does this mean Bakugou has been watching Midoriya just as much as Midoriya watches him?
“I just,” his voice is soft, and the black whip is receding. Bakugou doesn’t stop him. “I just don’t understand what got me so upset…”
Bakugou shrugs. “You came out, I didn’t react much or come out to you as well, then I changed the subject… that’s a lot to deal with, even if you can logically tell yourself it’s not a big deal.”
Midoriya still feels skeptical, especially being that Bakugou is the one saying it all. “Kacchan, what—”
“I’m gay,” Bakugou finally says, holding Midoriya’s gaze with his own. The red color feels just as warm as when he holds Midoriya’s hand. Midoriya isn’t sure he’s breathing. Bakugou frowns, presumably at the lack of a response, and clicks his tongue. “Since you wanted to know so damn bad…”
Midoriya feels himself laughing before he hears it, nearly shrinking back when he realizes he is. “Uh, w-wait,” he cuts himself off, stifling his laugh. Bakugou looks less than amused. “I’m not laughing at you, I just…! Wasn’t expecting an answer…?”
Bakugou keeps his frown trained on Midoriya for a few beats before he finally blinks and shrugs, looking relatively bored now as he sits back on his hands to stare out at the courtyard. Midoriya glances out as well, watching a few students move around outside, stretching their legs after a long morning of classes.
“When’d you figure it out?”
Midoriya sits a little straighter, focusing back on his hand and touching the spots that still feel Bakugou’s warmth. He considers the question, licking at his chapped lips absentmindedly. “I don’t really know, all I know is that one day I thought girls were pretty and then the next day I thought boys were nice to look at, too.”
Bakugou grunts, staring out at nothing. “I don’t know either - girls never interested me, and guys don’t really do much for me…”
Midoriya can almost hear the but, making him peek over at Bakugou. He waits, but Bakugou seems to be finished with his statement. If guys don’t really do anything for him, how does he know he’s gay? Is it one particular type of guy? Did Bakugou look at someone one day and think “I could be attracted to this person” and that person happened to be a guy?
He knows better than to ask, settling in his spot on the grass, looking up to the rustling of the tree above him, the leaves slowly growing back after the short winter. The wind is chilling but he doesn’t feel the shiver, the ever present warmth within him having blossomed further from Bakugou’s honesty.
Midoriya is pretty sure he could get used to this, what this is.
———
“I see your five, and I raise you ten,” Kaminari says confidently, tossing a chip into the pile. Ashido and Kirishima “oooo” in response, looking over to Bakugou with curiosity.
Bakugou glares over his shitty hand. “Are you fucking stupid?”
“You tell me that everyday, so I’ll have to go with yes,” Kaminari grins, sitting straighter. “What’s your call?”
With a glance to Sero, Bakugou considers his options. He knows he has nothing, and Kaminari still being in the game after all this time usually means he’s aware he’s got something good. Sero has his usual grin as he looks between Bakugou and his cards, but there’s a grimace behind it that he recognizes.
Better to fold now, huh?
“Fuck it,” Bakugou mutters, tossing in the chip to match, along with a new chip to raise the pool. Ashido and Kirishima are practically screaming their oo’s and ah’s, leaning over the table in excitement. Sero’s grin falters completely as he shoots Bakugou a look.
But the look on Kaminari’s face is exactly what Bakugou was looking for - absolutely scared.
“Oh, uh…” Kaminari looks at the betting pile and his hand, and the uncertainty is there. Bakugou relaxes, sitting back as he watches Kaminari fumble with his decision. Finally, he sighs and sets his hand on the table, bowing his head in shame. “I fold…”
Bakugou grins, tossing his shitty hand down and immediately Kirishima and Ashido are out of their seats, jumping and hollering in excitement. Kaminari is gawking at the winning hand, Bakugou raking in his wins while Sero smacks his forehead.
“Kaminari, dude! How many times have I told you that he starts to call you stupid when he’s got a shitty hand!” Sero shouts, Kaminari deflating in his seat.
“Don’t get mad at him,” Bakugou snorts, the other two settling down to listen to what he has to say, “it’s not his fault he can’t bluff.”
Pouting, Kaminari stares at his small chip pile and starts to clink the pieces together. “I just wanna win once, is that so bad?”
“Then bluff,” Bakugou rolls his eyes, reaching over to grab the hand Kaminari had folded with. It was a straight flush, and he shakes his head. “You would have won - stick with your guns and play the cards if you know it’s a good hand. This is the only time I lie, never believe me in this game.”
Kaminari gapes up at him, shocked for some reason. The other three are also staring at him incredulously. Bakugou glances between them all, hating the way they're all looking at him.
“What?!”
Kirishima clears his throat, leaning on the table and scratching his neck. “It’s just… you never give advice to Kaminari in poker.”
Ashido is nodding along, adding quickly, “a-and you were helping Midoriya-kun earlier, right? I saw you, from the window!”
Bakugou’s stomach twists. “So what if I was…?”
“You’re just… so helpful today!” Ashido finishes lamely, making Kirishima chuckle.
“I heard you telling Hagakure in class how to finish the English sentence she was struggling with,” Sero adds on, ticking off on his fingers, “and you told Jirou the answer to a math problem she did right but still got the wrong answer somehow.”
“Oh, and you grabbed something for Mineta at lunch he couldn’t reach,” Kirishima thinks about this for a moment, shrugging, “though you, uh… did just drop it on his head, it was the sandwich he wanted.”
Kaminari’s face lights up, pointing to Bakugou in excitement. “Man, dating Midoriya is making you into a softy!”
The group goes silent as they gape at him, Bakugou feeling his blood run cold. Being helpful makes him a softy? He’s a hero in training, isn’t he? He’s supposed to be helpful, what does Deku have to do with this?!
So he says as much, watching the way his friends avoid his eyes. All four of them can’t seem to supply an answer to what they mean by this.
“One of you better explain why you think dating Deku is making me different!” Bakugou crosses his arms, scowling at the group. “Deku has nothing to do with how I act, and I’ve always been helpful!”
Ashido coughs, earning his glare to be trained on her. “It’s just… well, sure! You’ve helped before, but you’ve always insulted people or hid the answers behind mean words and it took a second to get what you meant!”
“Yeah,” Kaminari nods hurriedly, “now you’re straight forward about what you mean and you’re not as insulting! Jirou was saying that before, you would tell her the right answer she was having trouble finding but you’d always call her a moron or something and you’d mention the answer while insulting her, but today you just. Told it to her.”
Bakugou can’t find an argument against this. For one, he had no idea he was even doing any of this, let alone that he was considered to be so rude before. To him, the way he interacted with his classmates was normal, and today was no different. The only thing that’s changed is that he’s telling people he’s dating Midoriya and getting more time alone with him to talk about One For All.
On the other hand, however, his stomach is in knots over what they're saying. Not only is he apparently acting noticeably different after the announcement of his supposed relationship, but the class as a whole is talking about him. What other shit could they possibly be inferring from the fake relationship based upon his actions?
“It’s not so bad, is it?” Ashido asks, cutting into his thoughts. “I mean, Kirishima is still as tough as he was before we started dating, right?”
Sero makes a fake and a grossed out sound. “No one wants to be around the two of you because you eventually start getting all mushy in front of people.”
Kirishima looks hurt, turning to Kaminari. “Do we really?”
“Yeah, man, it's kinda gross,” Kaminari chuckles, waving away the raspberry Ashido blows at him. “Especially when you start kissin’ and stuff no matter who's around!”
Sero groans, placing a hand on Bakugou’s shoulder. “Please don’t start sweet-talking Midoriya in front of us, and definitely keep your make outs to the bedroom!”
Kirishima looks shocked, his face as red as his hair when Ashido slams a fist down and points at Sero. “We did not make out in front of you!”
Releasing his hold on Bakugou, Sero raises his hands in defense. “Fine, fine! But seriously, Bakugou, don’t kiss Midoriya in front of all of us - it’s weird enough seeing you hold hands and I’m not even sure I’m ready to see you two hug.”
Ashido coos, holding her face. “That would be so cute!”
“Two dudes hugging is cute?” Kaminari sounds uncertain, earning him a narrow eyed look from Ashido.
“Well, yeah, when they’re dating!” Ashido shouts, gesturing to Bakugou. “You can’t tell him to not be sweet on his boyfriend, guys! Let him have this!”
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t expect to see anything like that right away, but Midoriya is an emotional person,” Kirishima shrugs, “I would be surprised if they didn’t have some PDA after a while!”
The conversation has turned down a path he’s not ready to hear - Bakugou stands, leaving the dining room to search for Midoriya. If his friends are being this annoying about his apparent change in attitude, he wonders how Deku’s friends might be reacting as well.
“Bakugou, wait!”
“Where are you going, dude?”
“Hey, you leave we take your winnings!”
He ignores them, rounding the corner and stopping just short from the sight of the kitchen. He can hear Uraraka talking, and a look to the window’s light reflection is enough to see who’s with her - most importantly Deku’s blurry image.
“—the way he says Deku is different too, did you notice?” Uraraka’s voice carries to him the closer he gets, hidden behind the wall. It’s hard to say for sure who’s in the room from the window alone, but he’s pretty sure Todoroki, Iida, and Asui are there, too.
Midoriya’s soft mumbling reaches him, but the words aren’t easy to make out. Asui’s the one to answer Uraraka’s question, though. “I think I know what you mean, kerro - before it sounded like he was making fun of Midoriya-chan, but now it sounds like when you say it, Ochako-chan.”
Uraraka laughs, but it sounds awkward and nervous. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“I think what Asui means—”
“Tsu, Todoroki-chan.”
“—Tsu means is that Bakugou always sounded like he was spitting the name Deku out, but you always sounded like you thought it was something nice and it sounded cute when you’d say it.” Todoroki’s reflection shrugs. “Midoriya, does it sound different to you?”
The mumbling is cut off, and Bakugou watches the way Midoriya’s green reflection jumps and seems to bounce around in surprise. “I - what - huh?”
“Bakugou-kun,” Iida says, making Bakugou stiffen and glance to the entrance of the kitchen when he continues, “the way he talks to you. Is it different?”
Bakugou relaxes, turning back to the reflections again - he was just explaining things, huh?
Midoriya is silent for a second, his figure surprisingly still. “W-well… Kacchan has only ever called me Deku, so… I’m not sure if it’s really all that different now?”
“But you’re his boyfriend,” Asui muses, “shouldn’t he be calling you Izuku-chan?”
“Or something like ‘Kacchan’ if you’re calling him that,” Todoroki offers, making Uraraka snort back her laughter.
“Imagine Bakugou saying ‘Izuchan’ or something!”
Asui giggles as well. “Okay, but even just 'Izuku' would be better than calling his boyfriend 'Deku,' right?”
Midoriya’s reflection is flailing again. “Wha - b-but wait, no! D-Deku is my hero name, I don’t mind!”
“But even I call you Deku-kun,” Uraraka sighs, a timer going off as her image in the window moves away from the group. “You’ve known each other for so long, he should be able to call you something no one else does, especially if you’re dating.”
Midoriya’s shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter! Besides, Kaminari-kun calls him Kacchan sometimes, and I don’t mind!”
Iida hums thoughtfully, nodding to himself. “Well, it is your relationship, Midoriya-kun. If you're happy with Bakugou-kun, then I have no place to tell you how the two should act.”
Todoroki grunts, nodding as well. “It’s not our business to know what you two are doing. Just let us know if things end and if it was on good terms or not.”
“We’re here if you ever do have any issues, too,” Asui adds, “things weren’t so good not too long ago, but I guess things have gotten a lot better since last year.”
Uraraka returns, placing something on the counter that smells sweet as she scoffs. “And you better tell us now if he bullied you into this, Deku-kun!”
Bakugou scowls, ready to reveal himself and make her eat her words when Midoriya laughs. “I can assure you, Kacchan hasn’t made me do anything I don’t want to do.”
She makes a thoughtful noise, turning to grab something else from a nearby counter. “Okay, I believe you. No means no, though!”
Midoriya chuckles again, the others laughing softly as well. “Thanks Uraraka-san - your concern is appreciated.” He makes a weird noise then, and Bakugou watches him move around the island counter towards him. “I just remembered, we were supposed to study tonight!”
“Right, studying,” Todoroki says, and the way he says it sounds suggestive, surprising Bakugou.
Midoriya’s reflection, which by this point is right next to him, flails and Bakugou can practically feel the movement. “N-no! Really, we’re—”
“Uh-huh,” Uraraka says, and Bakugou can hear her grin, “go on now, have fun studying.”
Bakugou’s own face is starting to heat up, the others laughing along with her. Iida sounds to be the only one who isn’t amused, and Midoriya slowly makes his way around the corner. He nearly stops when he sees Bakugou and they lock eyes, the shock evident in Midoriya’s as his cheeks burn a brighter red. Bakugou quickly gestures for him to follow and Midoriya fumbles after, trying to keep from looking like he was about to stop. They quietly make their way to the elevator and Bakugou immediately presses the button for his floor.
Midoriya is quiet as the doors close. Bakugou looks at him in the elevators reflection, seeing that the blush in Midoriya’s cheeks has yet to go down. “Your friends are morons.”
“Your’s are worse, I bet,” Midoriya mumbles, twiddling his thumbs. “Your room?”
“I’m not giving the pervert another chance to claim we were doing something.” Bakugou grumbles, the elevator chiming off the floors as they climb higher and higher.
It stops suddenly, stuck between three and four, and Bakugou feels his stomach drop. “What?”
Midoriya looks to the ceiling as though that would tell them what happened. “It stopped.”
“Yeah, no shit!” Bakugou grumbles, pushing at the fourth floor button a few more times. The lights flicker and dim, the elevator emergency lights activating. “What the fuck?”
Midoriya hums, holding his chin. “I think Sato-kun mentioned this happened once when Kaminari-kun short circuited the building…”
Bakugou kicks the wall. “You have got to be kidding me! How did he do that?!”
“I genuinely don’t know,” Midoriya shrugs, “I think he was acting as an extension cord for something?”
Bakugou can feel the vein on his neck throbbing. “You mean to tell me the moron is using his quirk on the dorm?”
Midoriya chuckles nervously, shrugging. “The building should be back up soon, but Sato-kun said he had to climb out of the elevator because it took a second to run again.”
He looks up to where the emergency hatch is and heaves a sigh. “I’m not sticking around, give me a lift.”
“Huh?”
“The space is too small for me to use my quirk to get up, your’s would break the elevator completely, and unfortunately Sato is taller and didn’t need a lift up to reach this thing,” Bakugou points up, “so lift me up and I’ll pull you out once I’m up.”
Midoriya looks between him and the hatch, nodding slowly. “O-okay, come here…”
Bakugou steps closer, staring at the hatch as Midoriya grabs his legs, lifting him easily. He grabs the latch, but suddenly Midoriya is shaking, making him grab hold of his head. “What are you doing?!”
“Th-the elevator is—”
Bakugou feels himself falling before he can grab anything, crashing down into Midoriya and knocking him back. Flailing, he catches them both against the wall and sags against Midoriya in relief. He hears a ding just as the lights flash on, and the doors are opening soon after.
Pulling back, Bakugou looks down at Midoriya in his arms, pinned to the elevator wall. His eyes are shut, bracing for an impact that didn’t come. Slowly, Midoriya opens his eyes and they stare at one another.
Someone coughs. “Um, are you two…?”
They both whip around to look at who it is. Shoji has his hand on the doors to keep them from closing. He coughs again, avoiding looking directly at them. Ojiro and Mineta are behind him, and of course the only one trying to get a good look is the little pervert who started this mess.
Bakugou immediately pulls away, grabbing Midoriya’s wrist and dragging him out of the elevator. They push past Ojiro and he has half a mind to kick Mineta, but he settles on glaring at him as he makes his way to his room. He rushes inside, trying not to look back at the three of them as he drags Midoriya into the room and slams the door shut behind them.
Midoriya looks mortified. “What do you think they saw?”
He glares over at him. “What the fuck do you think they saw?”
Midoriya buries his face in his hands. “Everyone’s gonna think we’re perverts…”
“Yeah, well, I thought you said it took forever for Sato to get out!”
“That was last time!” Midoriya shouts, hanging his head as he sighs. “Maybe the school upgraded our building because Kaminari-kun does it a lot…”
Bakugou never recalls the building doing that. “When does this shit happen?”
“Usually at night when you’ve gone to bed,” Midoriya mutters, looking over at him pitifully. “Kacchan, people are going to say we were making out in the elevator…”
Bakugou stares at him. “This is what you signed up for, Deku.”
“I know, but…”
“But what?” Bakugou frowns, getting in his face, “you don’t want people to think you kiss your boyfriend? That you’re kissing me?”
Midoriya bites his bottom lip and avoids his gaze. “Not when I’ve never actually been kissed!”
Bakugou pulls away at that, his heart pounding. “Really?”
“Well, yeah! No one wanted to kiss a quirkless nobody before,” Midoriya murmurs, playing with his fingers as though he needed something to do. “And I haven’t exactly gotten that close to someone since coming here…”
Bakugou understands what he means; he wasn’t quirkless, but Bakugou wasn’t exactly well liked before either. Granted, no one was willing to ostracize the most powerful person in the class so he wasn’t a social outcast, but he was placed so far above everyone that they forgot to treat him like any other kid. At the time, Bakugou didn’t mind, but looking back, he realizes he missed out on certain things by being better than everyone.
Or for thinking he was better than everyone, at least.
He reaches out, grabbing Midoriya’s hand and holding it for a moment. Midoriya’s gaze slowly shifts from their clasped hands up to Bakugou’s face, his red cheeks putting his freckles on display. Bakugou wonders how many he has exactly.
“Guess we’re each other’s first kiss, then,” Bakugou says, shrugging. “Even if it didn’t really happen.”
Midoriya gapes at him, and Bakugou feels the urge to hold him close. He fights against the nerves in his arms, keeping them back from doing so. He can’t just hold him, that would be weird, especially when they’re not dating!
No one else knows that though.
No one else is there right now, either.
Bakugou pulls away, moving to his bed to grab the notebook Midoriya gave him a week ago with updates about One For All. “Did you want to pick up where we left off at lunch?”
Midoriya coughs. “I-I think I should go to my own room…”
Bakugou hates that idea, but he doesn’t look back, just keeps looking through the notebook for the last entry he’d added. “Why?”
“People are going to talk again,” Midoriya whispers, and it sounds almost like shame. “Kacchan, I’m not so sure I wanna be the talk of the school - at least, not if it’s about my relationship.”
Bakugou stops on an entry about the black whip cutting off his circulation in his finger once, glaring at the book. “So what, you’re breaking up with me?”
Midoriya is silent, making Bakugou face him. He’s staring at his feet, a look of guilt on his face.
His throat is dry. “You’re breaking up with me.”
It’s not a question.
It’s not even real.
So why does it hurt?
Midoriya finally looks at him. “Do you want me to?”
“No,” he answered too fast. “I want to figure out the black whip and find out what the other quirks are.”
“And us…?”
Bakugou scowls, “we’re not really dating, so what does it matter? It’s barely been a day, stop letting others get to you and realize this is the shit people will talk about when you’re a pro anyway. Now, are you breaking up with me?” He considers the question and backtracks. “Are you fake breaking up with me?”
Midoriya hesitates. His silence is suffocating and Bakugou hates how it feels to have to wait. The answer should be obvious, but he can’t find it. In terms of their meetings, it’s all about the quirks - in terms of what Midoriya’s so worried about, though…
Everyone thinks Midoriya is head-over-heels in love with Bakugou, and him breaking up with Bakugou literally the day they “came out to everyone” would make it seem like Bakugou hurt him.
He can’t let Midoriya break up with him.
This fake relationship just officially became the worst idea they ever had, less than 24 hours into it.
Shit.
“Go to your room,” Bakugou says, sick of waiting for an answer. “We’ll see how people react to the elevator story, and go from there. We’re not ending this tonight.”
Midoriya takes a second to consider it before nodding, rocking on his feet. “Um…”
“What?”
“Goodnight, Kacchan,” he says, smiling over at him. “Today was… nice.”
Bakugou’s stomach flips for the hundredth time that day. “Yeah…”
It’s awkward, it’s awful, and it’s clearly not what Midoriya thought he would say. But Bakugou can’t get the words out, his throat constricting strangely.
Finally, Midoriya nods and smiles, the relief in his shoulders clear as he turns and leaves. Bakugou watches him go, his head swimming and heart heavy.
Definitely, 100%, completely and totally their worst idea ever if Midoriya’s making him feel all clammy and nervous.
Holy fucking shit, what the fuck.
———
The elevator story didn’t get talked about as much, almost as if everyone felt too embarrassed by the idea of the two making out in a semi-public place to really acknowledge it.
Therefore, Midoriya has no reason to break up with Bakugou, at least according to Bakugou he doesn’t. No one is talking about them like they did the first day, which was the fear MIdoriya brought forth, so that means he should be fine to continue to call Bakugou his boyfriend.
Right?
Wrong.
Midoriya can’t do this.
It’s been three days of people referring to Bakugou as his boyfriend, including Bakugou himself - who strangely sounds proud to call himself that, which absolutely no one was expecting, Midoriya most of all - and Midoriya can’t take this lie anymore.
Because that’s all it is. A lie. A giant, ugly lie that makes his heart race at the prospect of dating someone only to be reminded that it’s not real. A lie that burns him every time Bakugou grabs his hand, or brushes against him, or even glances in his direction.
And it burns even worse when Midoriya thinks “that’s my boyfriend” because it’s immediately followed by “except he’s not” and that. That is what’s getting to him.
Bakugou is his boyfriend - only he’s not.
Kacchan is his boyfriend.
But don’t get comfortable, because he’s not actually your boyfriend, no matter how much you wish it were true.
Ah.
There it is.
Midoriya heaves a sigh, staring at his scribbled notes of his racing thoughts, illegible because they’re not even words at this point. It’s simply his racing thoughts that, by this point in his life, have become a code from his unconscious mind.
And the code of the day is “you have a crush on your fake boyfriend.”
He gives a brief look at the board and the English isn’t making any sense, even with Present Mic’s booming voice reading the sentences to them. He’ll ask Bakugou for his notes later when they’re talking about One For All, and he’ll probably get a light smack to the head for not paying attention.
Midoriya can’t help it, though - his focus turns to the blonde head in front of him and he slumps against his hand, looking at the nape of his neck and wondering how warm his skin is.
It’s always warm.
His phone is buzzing, so Midoriya pulls it out to see who’s messaging him.
All Might: Please meet me for lunch! [11:45]
All Might: Bring Young Bakugou! [11:45]
Midoriya stares at his phone. He tries to think back to when he last talked to All Might, and whether or not he was made aware of their… relationship.
He’d been away on a trip for the last two weeks, Midoriya honestly isn’t sure if anyone’s told him.
Checking to make sure Present Mic isn’t watching, he sends a quick text back to confirm before ripping out a small corner of his notebook not covered in doodles and chicken scratch. He writes as neatly as he can before folding it tightly, reaching forward to tap on Bakugou’s shoulder.
Bakugou barely flinches, glancing back at him. Trying to remain as subtle as he can, Midoriya shows the tiny note to him and waits for Bakugou to reach under the desk.
It isn’t the first time he’s passed a note to Bakugou, so he waits for him to shift and hold his hand out for the note. Midoriya quickly places it into his palm, his fingers grazing his rough skin, and Bakugou grabs hold of him for a second. It’s burning, just like it always is, and Midoriya shivers at the contact before pulling away. Bakugou returns to his regular sitting position, unfurling the note to look it over.
Sero’s grinning at Midoriya and it's embarrassing to have been caught - at least Present Mic didn’t notice.
He stares at Bakugou again, waiting for the short nod he’ll get in response to the note. His leg starts to bounce the longer it takes when he sees Bakugou shift to return something back.
Midoriya takes a moment to simply stare. Bakugou’s never written a note back to him!
He’s shaking as he reaches out, taking the new note, and Bakugou once more grabs hold of his hand for a second. Present Mic is looking in their direction, so Midoriya pulls back and shrinks in his seat. Bakugou settles back in his seat again, and Present Mic carries on without a pause.
Relieved, Midoriya unfolds the note and hunches over it a bit when he sees Sero trying to get a peek. He gives him a look, making Sero shrug and focus back on the lecture. Midoriya turns back to the note, relaxing a bit.
Should we tell him the truth?
Midoriya’s feeling dizzy at the question. The only reason they’re fake dating is to give them privacy to talk about One For All, which All Might is well aware of that. Why should they lie to him about their relationship?
He looks up to Bakugou and sees he’s glancing back at him again. He nods quickly, not wanting to send another note up to Bakugou.
Not if he’s going to try to hold Midoriya’s hand again.
“Alright, I can see that even the new lovebirds aren’t interested in learning about verb placements,” Present Mic says, making Midoriya jump and sit up straight in his seat. The Pro Hero grins, looking over his glasses at him. “Don’t think I didn’t see those notes - we’ve got about ten minutes until lunch anyway, plus it’s a Friday. Let’s end early today!”
The class cheers, hurrying to put their books away. Midoriya wants to disappear however, a few people glancing over to grin at him and Bakugou.
Bakugou, on the other hand, ignores them all and gathers his things quickly, standing to look back at him. “Are you coming?”
Midoriya avoids his gaze, slowly putting his things away. “Sorry we got caught…”
“Better Mic than Midnight,” Bakugou shrugs, “she woulda taken the notes and read them out loud, and then we’d have a whole other mess on our hands.”
He’s not wrong, but Midoriya can’t help but feel ashamed anyway. He stands from his seat, swinging his bag onto his back and nods to Bakugou. “Let’s get to All Might, we should tell him about the progress so far.”
Bakugou takes his hand without a second thought, leading him out of the classroom. Midoriya feels like he’s going to explode.
Even with all the sudden PDA between them, Midoriya can’t help but admit the privacy they’ve gained has helped with the development of black whip so much. Somehow, knowing that he could sit in Bakugou’s room or have Bakugou’ in his room for hours and that no one will interrupt them has made him relax, enough to ease the wispy whip out into something stronger, more corporeal.
It’s also made him just as anxious being alone with Bakugou, their boundaries no longer a foot apart but rather close and in the other’s space. The amount of times Midoriya has wanted to jump forward and kiss him when Bakugou is leaning in close to him has been ridiculous, and he wants to crawl into a hole every time he thinks about doing it.
Still, he can’t deny that black whip was falling more and more under his control, these days.
Bakugou leads him to the room they usually meet All Might in and knocks. They wait for the door to open, and just as it unlatches Midoriya realizes they’re still holding hands. He pulls away, putting his hands behind his back and smiling up at his mentor when the door opens to his sunken face.
“Hello, boys,” All Might says, opening the door more for the two of them, “it’s good to see you.”
“You too, All Might,” Midoriya greets back, moving to the couch quickly, “how was your trip?”
Bakugou joins him, sitting closer than he’s ever done before, and Midoriya stiffens from his proximity. All Might hums thoughtfully, closing the door and moving to his seat across from them.
“Well, it was long, but good.” He nods to himself, smiling as he sits. “Saw some old friends, got to relax a little.”
“Retirement strangely suits you,” Bakugou comments, making All Might laugh.
“I never thought I’d be in a position to be able to agree,” All Might leans forward, pouring himself his usual cup of tea. “Tea?”
They both nod, waiting for their tea to be poured. The silence between the three of them is serene, but Midoriya is itching to move, his leg starting to bounce. Bakugou sends him a look, making him stop.
They just need to tell him.
“I’ve heard some interesting things have happened since I left,” All Might comments then, and Midoriya thinks he’s going to be sick - All Might already knows. He smiles at them, a sparkle in his dark eyes. “Congratula—”
“We’re not really dating,” Midoriya blurts, All Might freezing on the spot.
Bakugou grunts, leaning forward to take his tea. “Yeah, we don’t like each other like that. We just told everyone we were dating so they’d give us privacy when we wanted to talk about One For All.”
All Might stares at them, and Midoriya is surprised to see the hurt on his face. “Oh, I… I see…”
“Yeah,” Bakugou mumbles, taking a sip and setting his tea back down. “Did you really think Deku and I liked each other?”
Midoriya hates the way that sounds - he hates how casual Bakugou is about this. He shifts in his seat, coughing as he takes his own cup and drinks from it. It burns, but it’s nothing compared to the way his hand still feels after Bakugou held it.
All Might sighs, rubbing at his neck. “I guess I was just hopeful you were getting along better than ever.”
“Yeah, but dating?”
“I suppose you’re right,” All Might chuckles, but it’s soft and off putting. “Well, you two do seem closer because of this.”
Midoriya stares at his idol, trying to piece together what he’s seeing. “All Might, did… did you want us to be dating?”
Bakugou’s choking on his tea now, setting the cup down to cough and hit his chest. All Might’s bony cheeks are red as he grins.
“Well, you two would make for an interesting couple,” he laughs, coughing himself for a different reason.
Midoriya looks between All Might and Bakugou, and for a moment, he could almost see them all being on the same page.
But no. Bakugou was clear about their relationship - they aren’t dating.
Even if All Might himself wanted it, Midoriya would never get to actually say Bakugou was really his boyfriend.
Bakugou stands, clearing his throat. “I’m… I’m gonna go - I have some stuff I gotta do.”
“Oh, Young Bakugou, wait,” All Might starts, standing to stop him, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable!”
Bakugou shakes his head, heading for the door and coughing a little more. “Whatever, it’s fine. I gotta go.”
He’s out the door before All Might can say another word, the door slamming shut behind him. Midoriya hangs his head, his heart clenching a little. All Might turns to him and moves around the table to sit beside him. Midoriya shifts in his seat, trying not to meet his gaze.
“Young Midoriya, who’s idea was this?” All Might asks, voice soft and open.
He sniffles. “Mine… a-and it only happened because Mineta-kun spread a rumor about us, so I said we should use it to get time alone.”
“Did it work?”
He nods.
All Might is quiet for a moment, his large and bony hand settling on Midoriya’s shoulder. “And… are you doing alright calling him your partner like this?”
Midoriya’s eyes are burning from the tears that are suddenly there. He slowly turns to look up at him. “I… I don’t know…”
All Might’s smile is countered with his raised brows, showing he doesn’t believe Midoriya.
His bottom lip is shaking when the dam bursts and he’s crying suddenly. “No!”
“My boy,” All Might sighs, gathering Midoriya close into a gentle hug. “You’ve realized it, haven’t you?”
Midoriya doesn’t know how to ask how All Might even knew himself, but it doesn’t matter.
Bakugou isn’t really his boyfriend.
———
He’s never missed a class in his life, but Bakugou went ahead and missed the second half of the day anyway. All Might’s admission that he was happy for them keeps replaying in Bakugou’s mind and he can’t get it to stop.
Bakugou had never been so nervous in his life, the truth slipped out and probably would have even if Midoriya had told him to keep the lie going.
All Might was, is, and will always be the Symbol of Peace, even after retirement. He’s Bakugou’s inspiration to becoming a hero, a goal to strive for, and Midoriya’s predecessor. He’s practically even Midoriya’s father at this point!
Lying to him? Out of the question. But he ran his mouth, his own insecurities pouring out in a snarky question of why anyone would think they liked each other - because why would Midoriya even like him?
Bakugou can admit it - he’s enjoyed being someone’s boyfriend. Even if it’s fake, no one else is aware of that fact and if he’s going to be someone’s boyfriend, he’s going to do it right. Being the best at everything includes being a good boyfriend.
Being Midoriya’s boyfriend? Midoriya Izuku. Deku. His childhood friend he pushed away because he made him feel weak. The same childhood friend he can admit anything to, the only person who believed in him from the very beginning but still treated him like he was human. Being that guy’s boyfriend?
He has yet to really consider the idea.
All Might admitting he expected them to be dating was enough to force Bakugou to really look at these feelings he’s been pushing aside since the first rumor. Just hearing it from the man he respected, the simple word of Congratulations coming from the man himself…
Bakugou had never felt so happy.
In that moment, he wished he could have said they were dating. He wanted to tell All Might it was exactly what he thought, that Bakugou was just as happy as he was at the idea of Bakugou Katsuki dating Midoriya Izuku.
But Deku reminded him that it wasn’t real.
Midoriya brought him back to reality, and Bakugou had to face the facts.
They weren’t dating.
Midoriya doesn’t like him like that.
But Bakugou does.
It’s taken him a few hours to really, truly accept it, but… yes. He has feelings for Midoriya, probably has for a while, and fake dating has given him the chance to really become closer to him and accept these feelings.
It was easy to accept being Midroiya’s boyfriend, even if it was a lie, because no one else knew, which meant he could treat Midoriya the way his instincts told him to. It was easy to fall into the habit of grabbing hold of his hand within a few short hours, because he had always wanted to take Midoriya’s hand, even if it only subconsciously.
It was easy to say it was all for helping Midoriya and to give selfish reasons of being the one to solve what secrets One For All holds, if it meant he could be close to Midoriya again.
Bakugou sits on his bed and tries his best to breathe properly. He’s never had a crush, never even once thought of someone this way. He knew he liked men, that he was less interested in the physicality of a woman and would prefer to be with someone like him. He’s just never given much thought of what kind of man he would want to be with.
After dating Midoriya, it’s become clear to him that he likes freckles. Lots of them. And green is a nice shade, especially when looking into the eyes of the person he’s meant to cherish. He’s pretty sure the rough feeling of scars is a unique desire to have, but it feels nice to hold in his hand. He’s also pretty sure most people don’t have dimples, but it makes his chest burst with joy when he manages to get him to smile for real and his dimples are on full display.
Even his muttering has gone from being annoying to being… charming.
Bakugou hates to admit to these feelings, but he knows he likes Midoriya. What makes him hate it is knowing that Midoriya’s feelings for him are non-existent, and that there’s a possibility that Midoriya would never really want to date him.
Not after their history.
He lays back on his bed to stare at the ceiling, his head reeling with these revelations and the heartbreak settling into place. Bakugou knows he’ll have to end their fake relationship, lest he get wrapped up in the fantasy further only to have it crash down around him when Midoriya brings it to an end.
It’s better this way.
Grabbing his phone, he sees he has a few messages, mostly from Kirishima and Kaminari, a couple from Todoroki, and a few more from Iida asking where he is. He ignores those for the singular text from the one person on his mind.
Deku: Can we talk? [16:01]
It was the newest one he’s received, and he immediately sends a text back telling Midoriya to meet him in his room. He doesn’t wait for the reply, tossing his phone across the room and listening to it clatter against the wall.
Thank god for protective cases.
He’s taking a few more deep breaths, trying to keep calm. He can’t allow a fake breakup to get to him, no matter how much it hurts.
But it’s coming and he’s still not ready.
The knock that comes to his door shortly thereafter is soft, almost timid even. Bakugou sits upright and stares at it for a moment.
He’s sweating, and his heart is pounding.
This is it.
Standing, Bakugou goes to the door on unsteady legs and finds Midoriya on the other side.
They stare at one another for several beats, Bakugou’s heart racing at the very sight of him. Midoriya licks his lips and glances down the hall, clearly uncertain about what to do.
Bakugou stands aside quickly, letting him in and closing the door softly behind them. He turns to Midoriya and waits for it to begin.
Neither of them move.
His room is getting stuffy and Bakugou thinks he might be rocking a little, the room is moving a bit much for it to be normal. He feels itchy, like he needs to move, so he does, pacing further into the room and to his bed.
Walking around Midoriya again would be strange, so he sits and wipes his hands on his knees. He’ll have to wash his pants thoroughly - nitroglycerin is a bitch to get out.
Midoriya is shifting from one foot to the other, pulling at his fingers. Bakugou watches, looking at the disfigured and scarred hand and wanting to run his fingertips over the scars. He knows better though, and makes himself look away.
“Um,” Midoriya starts, making Bakugou jump and stare at him. This just makes Midoriya jump and they’re both frozen again.
This is getting them nowhere.
Midoriya must agree because he sighs and practically throws himself into the desk chair. “Kacchan, we—”
“We need to break up,” Bakugou says, simple and matter of fact. Midoriya stares at him, slack jawed and wide eyed. Bakugou nods, gulping around the lump in his throat. “We need to break up.”
“You sure…?” Midoriya asks, brows furrowing in concern. “I-I’m not bothered, I mean… it was kind of weird that All Might—”
“It was weird, because this isn’t real,” Bakugou gestures between them. “All Might shouldn’t congratulate you - either of us on a fake relationship. You deserve to tell him about a real one.”
Midoriya frowns, but he nods. “So do you,” he murmurs, scooting a little closer. “I… I agree, Kacchan. We need to break this off.”
He sounds sad, and Bakugou can’t place why. “We can still work on the black whip though. And if someone asks, we’ll tell them we broke up but still want to hang out.”
Midoriya laughs, and it sounds weird. No dimples either. He misses them. “We shoulda told everyone that in the beginning, huh?”
“Was it so bad?” Bakugou asks, having to pull back from reaching out to hold his hand. “Dating me?”
“No,” Midoriya smiles, and there are dimples this time. A genuine smile. “You were a good boyfriend, Kacchan. I’m sorry I wasn’t very good.”
Bakugou shrugs, “I didn’t think you were bad.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… I’m sure you’ll be a good boyfriend to someone one day, Deku.”
They smile at each other, and Bakugou feels the pull of Midoriya’s very being trying to bring him in. He can’t stop it though, and he lets himself lean forward just a little more.
There’s something tightening on his arms however, and Bakugou frowns, looking down. Midoriya does as well and they both try to jump away, Midoriya gasping.
“Deku, what are you—”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s happening!” Midoriya shouts, the black whip getting tighter around Bakugou. “I was just thinking that I wanted to hold you, but I didn’t mean like this!”
Bakugou sits a little straighter at that. “What…?”
“I told you before, didn’t I?” Midoriya asks, staring at the black whip and trying to pull it back. “When it happened the first time, I met my predecessor who’s quirk was black whip, and he told me because I was thinking that I needed to capture Monoma, that I needed to grab him, the black whip activated to meet those desires!”
Bakugou doesn’t remember ever being told these specifics. This sort of changes things, and glances to the notebook of information he’s been storing for their training. But more importantly…
“You wanted to hold me?”
Midoriya stops moving against the quirk, his eyes widening. He looks up to Bakugou again, almost as if he’s afraid of what will happen when he answers.
“Uh…”
“Deku,” Bakugou starts, considers it a moment, then starts again. “Izuku. Did you want to hold me?”
Midoriya is gawking now, and slowly the black whip’s hold loosens, unwinding around his body. “I… uh…”
Free from the confines of the black whip, Bakugou reaches out to grab hold of Midoriya’s shoulders. “Next time, just do it.”
Without another thought, Bakugou pulls Midoriya close and hurriedly presses their mouths together. He closes his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of Midoriya’s plush, chapped lips on his and he feels the tension within himself practically melt away.
Midoriya pushes back, the two falling back onto his bed, stopping their short kiss. Midoriya clambers over him however, and the black whip is pulling the two of them further onto the bed when Midoriya leans down to kiss him again.
Bakugou sighs into the kiss, letting the feel of Midoriya’s own warmth mingle with his own. Their mouths shift, and Midoriya slips his tongue past Bakugou’s lips and the heat of it burns heavy in their mouths.
He shifts closer, digging his hand into Midoriya’s curls. Bakugou pulls him closer, desperate, seeking, hungry. Midoriya moans, the black whip twisting around Bakugou’s arms and body, trying to pull him close as well.
Their tongues graze one another and it ignites a spark within him. Bakugou takes a deep breath when he has a second, their mouths twisting and pulling and sucking at the other’s lips when he flips them both, black whip assisting with his hurried movements.
Once he’s above Midoriya, he has a better view of what exactly the quirk is doing and it makes him smirk. “You want my clothes off?”
Midoriya’s face is the deepest shade of red he’s ever seen and Bakugou loves it. “K-Kacchan, I—”
“Yo, Bakugou, I got your homework—”
The intruder stops dead, and Bakugou slowly looks back to glare daggers at Kirishima. His best friend is standing in the doorway gaping over at the two of them, the black whip still snaking its way up and under Bakugou’s shirt. Bakugou is clearly straddling Midoriya, who can barely lift his head from the pillows to stare incredulously at Kirishima.
It takes a second before Kirishima’s mouth snaps shut. He gingerly steps closer to the nearest surface and sets a few books down before quietly shuffling back out the door. He clears his throat and waves to the both of them, closing the door behind himself.
For a moment, nothing happens. Slowly, Bakugou looks back to Midoriya who looks as mortified as Bakugou feels.
“Well,” he starts, shaking his head, “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
“Kacchan, don’t!” Midoriya gasps, pulling Bakugou closer with his quirk. “It’s Kirishima-kun, he won’t tell anyone!”
“Or he’ll tell Ashido and she’ll tell everyone.”
Midoriya looks ready to argue before he nods. “No, yeah, she’ll tell everyone…”
Bakugou raises a brow. “At least now we don’t have to break up, huh?”
Midoriya’s grinning, dimples and all, and Bakugou wants nothing more than to kiss him - and so he does.