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The chattering at the bar was louder than he’d like it to be, but he wasn’t so drunk that it was unbearable. Laughter clashed with private conversations, assaulting him from either side as it burst out from those around him. Friends, Bakugou remembered, feeling safe in their presence, if a little annoyed by the weight of Shitty Hair leaning on his shoulder. Warmth was bubbling inside of him, and he almost thought he was floating a couple inches off the ground. Was this how Round Face felt? Or had Deku somehow transferred one of his quirks to him?
Speaking of, another bout of laughter caught his attention on just the man himself. Turning to look, he let himself enjoy the sound, knowing not many (idiots) would consider Deku’s laugh “beautiful.” To Bakugou, though, it was a rare sound, as his childhood friend didn’t laugh often. But when he did, truly, it was abrupt, and unexpected, filling the room with life, and genuine glee. And at that moment, when it seemed like the air was woven of stars and they sat high among the softest clouds, Bakugou couldn’t imagine hating any sound that came from Deku’s mouth.
“Oi, nerd.” As he spoke, Bakugou could tell his words weren’t as crisp as they felt in his mind, his mouth not completely obeying him, lilting more like the world around him did. “Did ya getta new quirk or somethin'?” He tried to speak, but it felt like running through a muddy obstacle course, with weights tied to his ankles.
Deku sent him a strange look, the mirth from his laughter echoing in his eyes. “A new quirk? What do you mean, Kacchan?”
Bakugou frowned, wondering where all the words in his mind had scattered off to. Using his arm to gesture sloppily to the entirety of the person sitting beside him, he said, “Yer glowin' an' shit.” Those big ass eyes widened impossibly more.
“I am?” Deku looked himself over seriously, and for some reason, that seemed to inspire snickering from the others around them. But he didn’t really give a fuck. At that moment, Deku was a bright light in that dimly lit bar, everyone else a faceless shadow that he could barely even remember the name of. Staring at him in that moment, Bakugou couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why he hadn’t kiss that beautifully freckled face yet.
“Hey, Deku.” The other man looked up from his self-inspection, curious and attentive as he held Bakugou’s gaze. As serious as he tried to be, the world was tilting and shifting beneath his chair, and the sound of conversation was muffled and garbled as it filtered over them. He could only imagine what his own voice sounded like. But fuck, this moment was so important; he needed to tell Deku how much he loved him, has loved him forever. He needed Deku to know the depth of what Bakugou felt for him. Pink bubbles seemed to float in the air around them, a rosy glow exuding from the atmosphere, and there was music humming in his veins as he braced himself for what he needed to say. “You’re cute as fuck.”
A bright smile lightened up Deku’s face, a gentle blush tinging his cheeks, causing Bakugou’s heart to flutter frantically. “Aw, thanks Kacchan!” Fuck, this was going so well.
Emboldened by the positive response, Bakugou sat up straighter, before leaning against the bar in front of him as leverage when the world began to spin too fast. Deciding to set his elbow onto the counter and rest his cheek against his fist, Bakugou hoped he looked as smooth as he felt.
“Does a cute face like yours got a boyfrien'?”
That mirthful light continued to dance in Deku’s eyes, a strange, satisfied grin turning up those cute lips.
“Yes, actually, I have someone.” Bakugou’s heart dropped.
“Eh?” Fuck. What the fuck? The nerd...was already dating someone? Since when?
“He’s super handsome, you know,” Deku continued with a mischievous look on his face, as if Bakugou actually wanted to hear this shit. “Incredibly talented, too. And his quirk is amazing.”
That one felt low to Bakugou, who knew damn well just how much Deku loved quirks, after all the times the damn nerd used to fawn over Bakugou’s explosion - and still did. The snickers that had surrounded them turned into groans and scoffs, with an “aww,” scattered about, and even a muttered, “so damn cheesy.”
Deku chuckled, embarrassed, apparently, in response to these reactions, and despite the throbbing pain in his chest, Bakugou still wanted to beat them all up for inspiring such a look on that freckled face.
But then Deku leaned in closer to him, close enough to hear his heart breaking, and said, “I wonder sometimes at how lucky I am, and what I did to deserve him. He’s the coolest person I’ve ever met.” And just like that, he sat back on his stool, smiling at Bakugou so damn sweetly, that the drunk man couldn’t help it; his anger dissipated, and he cried.
“Fuck.”
“K-Kacchan?”
“Woah, dude, is he crying?” One of the extra’s voices grated against his ears, but he didn’t even give a shit. He’d fucked up big time.
“I’m too fuggin late,” he muttered as he rubbed his stupidly wet eyes. But the damn tears kept building, against his wishes. “I’m sorry Deku – fuck – I shoulda told ya how I felt sooner. Dammit!”
“Kacchan, please, don’t cry!” And just like the sweetheart that he was, Deku worried over him, looking a little overwhelmed as his hesitant hands hovered over the slumped Bakugou. “What’s wrong? Do you want to go home?”
“No!” he grumbled, staring grumpily at the empty glasses in front of him. Who’s were those? Why were they empty? And littered all over the bar? Shaking his head, he thought about how, long ago, he’d promised himself that he’d support Deku, and he needed to come through for the other right now. But still, he wanted his childhood friend to know how he felt. “I wan' you ta break up with yer shitty boyfrien' and go out with me.”
Having said his piece, Bakugou looked back at Deku to see the reaction, and he watched as those green eyes blinked at him, understanding slowly dawning. Around them, there were snorts and muffled laughter infiltrating on their private moment.
“Wait, is he serious?”
“Ha!”
“Kacchan,” Deku said, subtle humor in his voice as he interrupted Bakugou from thinking about exploding all those shitty extras. And still, that tone felt like a slap in the face. “I was just joking… We’re married.” And a scarred hand appeared before his face, a golden wedding band flashing beneath the lights, stealing the air from Bakugou’s lungs; he felt like he was going to puke.
“You married the fucker?”
Laughter roared around them, creaking wood signifying bodies doubling over and shaking in their seats, but he didn’t care about the supposed hilarity of his own heart break. Deku’s face was turning red and sheepish, green eyes swimming in a pool of freckles as the blurriness only worsened while tears continued to slip from his eyes.
“Kacchan,” Deku said, the slightest touch of exasperation in his otherwise gentle voice. “We’re married, you and me!” Then he reached over and grabbed Bakugou’s hand, showing him the matching wedding ring on his own finger. What the fuck? When had that gotten there? “I married you, Kacchan. You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
“Are you sure about that, Midoriya?” a voice was quick to ask, sounding in tears from their own laughter, a teasing lilt that Bakugou could unfortunately recognize anywhere.
“Shut the fuck up Dunceface,” he growled. And yet he was greeted to more chuckles while he reeled from the realization that he and Deku were married.
Married?
Looking down at his own hand again, studying the ring that hugged his finger, Bakugou spared another glance at the other man, the love of his god damn life, the boy he knew from personal experience that he would die for, over and over again. And that man was smiling at him, a small, wholesome grin, with less judgment than the laughter than continued to echo around them. He was married to Deku, would get to wake up to Deku tomorrow morning, and then the next, and the next one after that; he would get to see that smile every day of his fucking life. Was he really that lucky?
“So Kacchan,” Deku started up again, the mirth returning tenfold this time. “Do you still want me to break up with you?” The way that light sparkled in those eyes, and that face beamed as the other looked at him expectantly, Bakugou was reminded that somehow Deku had learned how to outshine the brightest star in the sky without even gaining a new quirk.
“Fuck you, I want a divorce.” And again, he was assaulted by another wave of uproarious laughter, but it felt good this time, like he was more in control.
Deku didn’t crumple the way Bakugou had earlier. Instead, his husband simply chuckled at him, watching him push the empty drinking glasses aside and settle onto his own arms atop the counter, resuming his disgruntled pout.
“You’re so cute, Kacchan.” That gentle murmur whispered over him as loving fingers stroked through his hair. He closed his eyes for those brief, couple of passes, reminding himself to pretend to be angry. But fuck, was it difficult. With a fluttering heart, and a flushed face, Bakugou thought about how long and hard he was going to kiss his husband's stupidly cute face when they finally got home.