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Almost the entire UA knows how flirty Denki is and how much he loves to tease.
Especially all the bakusquad.
He flirts and tease and gets touchy even, in very different ways depending on who the target is. It is pretty obvious that his relationship with Sero it's different from the one he has with Mina, for example. But of all his close friends those with the most special treatment are without a doubt Kirishima and Bakugou. The sweet sunshine boy and the angry but caring-in-his-own-way pomeranian.
His relationship with the duo it's like nothing else.
No one except for Kirishima can say they have the privilege of becoming Kaminari's favorite seat.
The electric blonde, of all the bakusquad, only sits on the redhead's lap, and to be fair he does so a lot.
Denki could walk into a room full of people and approach Kiri to sit on his lap like it was nothing.
Kirishima was surprised and kinda confused at first, but soon learned to place his hands on the blonde's hips or held him close and tight with his arms returning the affection in his own way.
Kirishima was too oblivious to notice he was the only one with the "lap privilege" but Bakugou did notice, as well as most of the Bakusquad.
The aforementioned pomeranian got other type of privilege. More like the silent and subtle type.
Because, yeah, Denki seemed to be reckless enough to tease Bakugou without any fear... But he showed the explosion boy just how much he meant to him with the most tiny and simple gestures.
Maybe he went to the kitchen to help Bakugou cook, not chomping veggies or anything like that; he wasn't very good with his hands and wouldn't want to mess Bakugou's work... But simply cleaning what the other blonde had already used and wasn't necessary anymore. That way there were less things around Bakugou, and he could cook more efficiently.
Denki would talk to him sometimes during those cooking sessions, maybe asking some simple questions or teasing lightly, but always without really annoying Baku.
He knew cooking was something Kachan liked to do to cope with his anxiety when it grew too much and would hate to disturb the only moment of peace the explosive blond could find with his verbal nonsense.
To be fair, Katsuki really appreciated his company, although he would NEVER admit that.
The bakusquad also knew about the blond duo moments in the kitchen. Bakugou had made very clear that NO ONE except for Denki could stay in the kitchen while he cooked.
And, well, maybe Kiri could too, but not always.
The cooking privilege was reserved for Denki, and with that they shared something no one else could ever reach. Except for, yeah, Kirishima.
And the thing is that, since they met, Bakugou and Kiri crushed for each other hard. Ridiculously hard even.
It was the type of love that starts with a spark, bright and unexpected, something neither of them could recognize.
But the spark became a little flame during his friendship, warming their chests slowly but surely. They found in each other a safe space; a comfort so unique... And so incredibly different from anything they had felt before... It was natural for them to fall deeply in love, and after some awful pinning, into a relationship.
It simply felt right.
For them and for all the bakusquad.
Even for Denki, oblivious and heartbroken Denki.
He could see how natural their relationship was, how well they worked together... And he was happy for them! Really! If his best bros were happy, he was happy. But something in his chest got tighter the day both boys walked into the common room holding hands.
He didn't know why though.
He thought maybe he was jealous, since now they spent a lot more time together and since he also wanted a partner! But he knew jealousy, and this wasn't exactly like that.
He tried to keep his distance to make that feeling go away, avoiding some squad meetings or being alone with the pair for long periods of time... But the more time he was away the worse it got.
A few days after the Kiribaku one month anniversary, Denki decided that he would ignore that feeling. He would act like it didn't even exist and maybe someday it would just disappear, right?
Fake it 'til you make it.
Yeah, that seemed right.
But soon they fell into their old dynamics.
Denki would sit in Kiri's lap shamelessly, even when Bakugou was leaning against the redhead's shoulder just a touch away; or spend some alone time locked up with Bakugou in the kitchen.
It was how things worked in their friendship, right?
Why should it change?
Apparently, it had to. Or at least the lap thing with Kirishima.
Everyone thought it was weird.
What would do Bakugou if he wants to sit on his boyfriend’s lap, but you are taking his place??
Denki didn't see it that way.
They could share Kiri's lap! The man had thighs wide enough to have both of them seated at the same time! One in each thigh! Why to choose?
But... Maybe Sero and Mina were right... Maybe he was overstepping now that Kirishima wasn't single.
Since then, Denki didn't sit in the redhead’s lap if Bakugou was in the room, and if he arrived later than the rest Kaminari would make an excuse to get out of the room and sit in a different place when he walked back in.
And, God, Kirishima hated it.
Denki could tell by the way his eyes filled with confusion and worry. How his brows furred, and his lips curved downwards. His whole body language changed for a few minutes, or even for the rest of the day.
He felt rejected, but Kaminari couldn't see that.
He even made grabby hands one time! Just like the big baby he was.
And how could Denki resist that?
Even with Katsuki observing every step he took, he let himself walk towards the couple and sit in one of Kirishima's thighs, the one putting most distance between him and Bakugou.
But he wasn't comfortable anymore. He couldn't help but move every few minutes, worried about what Bakugou might be thinking, even when he left a free space for him to use.
Everyone in the room froze when they heard Katsuki's voice.
"Oi, Dunce Face, what the hell is wrong with you?"
His voice sounded strangely calm considering the situation.
Bakugou was very protective of what he loved and cared about; and all of them knew that the most important thing for Bakugou was Kirishima. All of them assumed that now he would show just how protective he could be.
The entire room was paralyzed in fear, this was the day. Today they all would see Denki Kaminari's death, by the hands of the explosive psycho they had for friend.
They all were paralyzed, but Kirishima. The redhead looked at Kaminari with such a deep worry in his eyes.
He looked in pain even... But why? Denki couldn't understand.
"I've asked you a question, Sparky. What's the matter with you?" he sounded more on edge now.
"W-with me?" Denki didn't know where to hide, refusing to look into the eyes of the other blond.
"Yeah! With you. Is there any other Dunce Face in here?" he was getting more irritated by the second "Why are you twitching so much? Did something happen today?"
What?
"Uum..." Denki was confused "N-no?"
Why would Bakugou ask something like that in this situation.
"You don't sound very sure about that, Denks" Kirishima's soft words almost made him jump in his lap, he had forgotten about the redhead's proximity.
About how those preoccupied lips were just a few inches away from his temple.
"Y-yeah! I'm... Ugh..." he will regret this "I just wondered if, you know..."
"Spit it out, Sparky" Bakugou commanded frustrated.
"Would you like to shareKiri'slap?!"
The words came rushed and mixed, in a pitch much higher than what was normal in Denki standards.
"Huh?"
But Kirishima did understand, and that hand that have been resting over his hip, now traced idly lines on his skin.
Kaminari sighed in surrender, not sure about what Kirishima's reaction meant, but knowing that he had to confront Bakugou about this.
Now was the time. It was now or never.
"I... Always sit on Kiri's lap and I was wondering if, I don't know, you would like to share and sit with me on his lap. O-or if you didn't like it at all. I mean, Kiri is your boyfriend now so maybe I should stop sitting on his lap, since, you know, it's your place as his boyfriend and—"
"Kaminari" Bakugou cut his rambling with such a sharp voice that he could almost feel the bleed in his heart "That is your place I wouldn't it take away from you."
As the rest of the room, Denki was completely shocked in surprise. This was something he had not seen coming.
"B-but... He's your boyfriend! Why would this be my place!" he was so confused he almost fell when he leaned towards Bakugou, saved by Kiri's strong grasp.
"First of, Dunce Face, I don't own Shitty Hair, and if he's okay with it so am I. Secondly, you, dumb whiny Pikachu, really think I would get mad at you for having your flat ass seated over Kiri's thighs in a room full of people? Of course not! And if I wouldn't like it, you know that I would make it very clear. You understand?"
Denki's eyes were open almost comically wide, mouth agape still processing every one of Katsuki's words. Then he turned to look at Kirishima, whose touch grounded him like the most powerful anchor.
"You're okay with that? Can I keep sitting here?" his voice was barely a whisper.
The redhead's features softened, drawing that kind smile that warmed his heart so much.
"Of course I am, I've miss you man! What am I supposed to do without your cuddles?!"
He was smiling but Denki saw in between his lips a contained sadness.
But God, he was so relieved he felt like crying.
He smiled openly, still with tearful eyes, and leaned against Kirishima's chest, turning and rearranging himself to face Katsuki and place his legs over his lap too.
He was so happy, he completely forgot about the rest of the room. He felt calm and at ease for the first time in weeks, with Kiri's heartbeat pressed against his cheek and Bakugou's tender hands caressing mindlessly his legs.
After that Bakugou talked a little about how, even if Kiri and him were together, none of them wanted to interfere in the other's relationship with him. Kaminari was special for them and none of them wanted to lose that.
Kaminari cried in front of the explosive hero.
"Oi! Why are you crying now?! This is not meant to make you cry like a dumb baby!"
Kaminari couldn't hold it anymore, he just— Couldn't.
And still with soaked hands approached Bakugou in their tiny kitchen, hugging him as tight as he could.
"I love you both so much..."
He was sobbing against Kastuki's chest, letting all those weird emotions he couldn't really comprehend finally pour out of him in the most embarrassing way.
And Kaminari... He wasn't aware of how true his words were.
"We know Dumb Face... We know" Bakugou murmured with the softest voice returning the hug with the utmost care.
"Just... Don't think! You are not meant to think about things like this, that's my job, okay? You just... Keep being your dumb self and let us be there with you as we've always been."
He sounded exasperated, and Kaminari found it funny.
"Okay..." Denki chuckled against his chest, feeling that strange easiness that so usually visited him during his time with his best bros.
Their relationship did change after that, but it was in the most awesome way.
Nobody could understand how Denki could sit now over both Kirishima and Katsuki's lap, or how Bakugou allowed Kaminari to feed him and Kirishima every now and then.
From the outside it was getting weirder every passing day.
But for them... They were surrounded by pure bliss.
Kaminari didn't think about what he should or shouldn't do, he simply did it, and the pair was okay with it.
He tried to keep in mind that he was the company... That he wasn't in the relationship, but... Just as things were, he was more than happy.
That tightness inside of him was still there, but by their side he could almost forget about it.
It was more difficult when he was alone.
At night.
Then he would notice how empty he felt without the boys, how much he would love to sleep with them, firm bodies pressing against him and bringing him comfort.
But he was with the lovebirds enough during the day. They almost couldn't kiss or make out if the sun was in the sky... Because of him.
Because they didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable! They refused to kiss so he felt comfortable.
God he was such a cockblock, if it was him the one in their situation, he would have sucked the souls of his boyfriends in front of anyone.
Wait, what?!?!
Did he... Like...
Did he want to kiss his bros???
In like, a non-bro way??
Okay, wait a damn minute.
Denki raised his body abruptly, no longer lying over his bed. He needed to think.
Okay, Katsuki says it is better to follow some sort of other to get things done, then, he needed to examinate what he knew, before considering anything weird.
Keeping this advice in mind, the first thing Denki knew for sure, was that he was bi, which meant he could, in fact, like his bros in a non-bro way. Technically he could find any person attractive and appreciate them under a more sexual light, so that had to include his bros, right?
Okay.
The second thing he knew was that his bros were hot, like, insanely hot. Totally the two hottest guys in class 2A.
Well, maybe Shinsou and Sero were close to them but…
Kirishima and Bakugou were definitely the hottest.
Based only on their looks, Kirishima was the prettiest guy out there. The prettiest and a fucking tank.
He had the best of both worlds, big and strong, with muscles that could crush watermelons; and the sweetest smile anyone could ever dream of. He was handsome and kind while capable of tear whoever he wanted into shreds.
God that would be kind of hot…
And then is Bakugou, the Katsuki Bakugou.
You could ask any UA student and they would say that he was hot, very hot in fact, but he was so fucking terrifying that no one could ever dream of getting close to him. Thinking about Bakugou in that way could be considered dangerous even! No one knew if the blonde hid any more secret abilities, and absolutely not a single soul would risk their life for a horny thought.
Not even about Bakugou Katsuki.
But he was different, apparently Denki would risk it all for a horny thought.
Kaminari Denki noticed the alluring curves of his body, the way his chest barely fitted in some of his oldest shirts, or the ridiculously tiny waist he had.
He had a bigger waist being shorter! What the fuck!
Katsuki’s chest, to waist, to hips and thighs OMG, ratio was completely unreal. How could a man be granted with such a pair of boobs, as well as the smallest waist and the most sinful thighs, Denki would never know…
He supposed God had to use that horrendous temper of his as a way to balance Bakugou out. If the explosive hero could act like a decent human being while being that hot, he would be too OP.
But he wasn’t that bad with Kami, right? He could see a different Bakugou, one unafraid of expressing his emotions and let others take care of him. It was a Bakugou reserved only to Kirishima’s eyes… And his own.
Denki thought that could mean something… But… He wasn’t sure. He knew how important he and Ei were for the blonde, but… Was he as important to Kats as his boyfriend?
Ugh, he could feel the pain blossoming in his brain after so much thinking. It was too late to function; the effects of his ADHD meds didn’t last for that long.
Okay, so, he knew he could experiment non-bro feeling for his bros, and he knew that they were objectively hot. It was time to find out if he did in fact feel that way.
He tried to remember any previous crush, anyone who could compare to the boys he called his best friends, in the way they made him feel. But soon he noticed not even his most heartfelt crush was even close to what those two could elicit inside of him.
“FUCK!” he whined way too laud.
“Shit” a new complain whispered against his fingers.
Okay, maybe he did like his bros in a non bro way.
Groaning he let himself fall back against the mattress, staring at the ceiling like it had personally offended him.
God how could he be so stupid?
Of course, he was in love with Bakugou and Eijirou, how could he not? They were the most kind and loving guys in all UA, the ones that could understand him; and even when they couldn’t they refused to leave him alone.
It was by their side where he could feel safe, where he could forget about that self-imposed role of clown class he had to play before everyone else. Because, yeah, maybe he could be a little slow with some things, or too draining if it was one of those days, when his brain simply couldn’t stop… But none of that mattered if he was with them.
Both boys loved him past any of that. Even when Denki himself thought he was too much.
He had been so blind, all those weird feelings, and that angsty weigh pressing unbearably hard against his chest… It all had been his dumb feelings for the couple.
But how could he… How…
They were a couple. They loved each other. They confessed and talked about their feelings and now were an item, Denki couldn’t… He couldn’t just step in and hope for them to accept him…
He didn’t even know if they could return his feelings… God they probably didn’t. They already had each other, the way they acted when they were with him didn’t mean anything!
But… It would be so great if they could be together… The three of them.
Denki couldn’t sleep that night, and apparently, everyone could tell by his eyebags. Even Shinsou commented on it!
He obviously shrugged it off, telling everyone he got distracted playing videogames, but he knew the moment Bakugou or Kirishima could see him, they would simply know something was off.
Matching those eyebags, his eyes seemed dull and empty. Denki didn’t know what he should do and thought of his feelings as something wrong and close to immoral. Those feelings could end not only his friendship with the pair, but also their relationship! And Kaminari couldn’t forgive himself if a love like theirs was compromised by something he’s done.
Because of this, he tried to avoid both of them all day. He even refused to join all of them in the common room after class. He needed to think and figure all this shit out.
But it was pointless, they knew where to find him.
Curled over himself, half covered by a fluffy blanket, the electric hero was almost asleep.
The soft background music of Minecraft turning into a lullaby even when he was searching for diamonds in an abandoned mine.
God, he was tired. Maybe he should stop the game before any spider came to kill him. That would make the fourth arachno-murder of the day, and he would like not to lose all his inventory AGAIN.
But he was so comfortable... He didn't want to move at all.
He felt his eyes closing, incredibly heavy once everything faded into darkness...
A soft knocking opened them in fear, not expecting that sound in the middle of a forsaken Minecraft mine. He moved the joystick to look around the tunnel and find himself alone, without any door at sight, not even a spiderweb.
Okay, that was weird.
"I told you not to knock, that shit is useless!" the unmistakable voice of Bakugou reached his ears.
Ohhh. It wasn't a sound from the game.
Oh, shit.
The door of his room opened abruptly, almost crushing against the opposite wall with the force of Katsuki's grip.
"Oi, Sparky! You sick or what?" he asked with a shout, as always, but he didn't sound mad.
"Bakugou! I told you he may be sleeping! We—" Kirishima was also loud, but he silenced himself once he saw the small yellow ball over the bed facing the same door Katsuki almost destroyed "Shit, sorry Denks. Were you asleep?"
His voice was a comforting whisper, a melody that could finally make him fall sleep, but once Kaminari raised his gaze to properly look at the couple he felt all the calm he so much needed kicked out of him.
Eijirou was very worried, even a toddler could tell, from his brows to his pouty bottom lip. He contained the pain of unanswered questions, of not knowing if one of his loved ones was okay. And if there was a way to hurt Kirishima, it definitely was by hurting the ones he most cared about.
Kats, as usual, had planted himself near the door with his arms crossed over his chest, legs slightly spread in a defensive pose. Denki could see all his muscles tensed, crowned by a deep scowl. He was serious, and that was more terrifying than any of the large collection of maniac smirks he could wear.
Kaminari saved the game and placed the little machine over his nightstand, sitting up cross-legged against the headboard while he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"No, I was... Just playing Minecraft. Don't worry" Denki groaned still not fully awake. He rested his hands over his still blanket covered lap before asking with a tired voice "Did you guys need something?"
His fingers couldn’t stop moving, fidgeting with the soft material awkwardly under his friends’ gaze.
"No, no, no. Not at all. We just wanted to check in, you know?" Kirishima reassured, approaching the bed just like he had done a million times before, but Denki felt like it was the first time. "We haven't seen you a lot today, and Sero said you didn't look good."
He sat cross-legged in front of the blonde, keeping too much distance to Denki's liking. But he didn't know if being closer to the redhead would be good either.
Kiri tried to keep his sweet smile on, but something seemed to be making it hard.
Denki turned to Bakugou when Eijirou did so, and saw the stoic man sigh, slightly lowering his head before walking forwards to join them over the mattress.
"You got Ei worried, shit for brains, so we came here to see if anything was wrong."
His voice sounded softer than usual, but it kept that natural harshness Denki had learned to appreciate. Kats sat at the end of the bed, closer to him but still leaving enough room to not touch him. Kaminari silently thanked him for that.
His heart was tight enough just by his voice, he didn’t want to also feel the heat coming out of him, the promise of a calming touch brushing against his fingertips and at the same time so far away.
Denki dropped his eyes to his hands, taking a small breath to gain the strength he needed to talk to them.
How did he end up fearing a simple conversation with his best bros? This didn’t make sense.
“Guys, I’m okay, really, I just couldn’t sleep last night. Today I wasn’t feeling that social, so I wanted to simply try to sleep… That’s all…” just with a few weary words Kaminari could feel the mood getting heavy around him.
He wasn’t very good at pretending, or lying, or keeping secrets, and he was painfully aware of how little the pair believed him. Even before hearing Katsuki’s complains.
“That’s straight up bullshit, Sparky. Cut off the shit and tell us what’s wrong before I get mad.”
He didn’t raise his voice, and yet his words had been sharp enough to incite a shiver in Kaminari that threatened to release a tiny amount of electricity.
"I- I'm not lying! I just wanted some alone time, that's it! I'm fine!" that anxious feeling crawled from its den, taking up space inside of him and threatening to turn into shreds every one of his thoughts.
“Denki, you don’t sound fine. Just yesterday everything seemed to be perfectly right, and now you look like the top definition of sorrow!” even when Kirishima’s first words tried to sound comforting and supportive, soon his own emotions took over his tongue “Why the sudden change? What happened? We- Well, maybe you don’t want to tell us, and that’s fine-”
“No, it’s not” Katsuki deadpanned.
“But we are your friends, we care about you. Don’t push us away.”
"I-I'm not pushing you away! I..."
God, this was hard. He was so frustrated... How could he stop worrying his friends without telling the truth?! They would know if he said anything that wasn't real, but the mere thought of wording what he was feeling got Denki shaking.
He was so afraid of the truth, of what letting it all out could do to them.
All the things he could destroy with a few words.
He couldn't.
He couldn't do that.
"Guys, please, it doesn't matter. You don't have to worry, just... Let me manage this on my own. I… I'm grateful! I'm grateful for all the things you've done for me, all the support you give me every- Every single day... But this time- This time I just..."
"Denki" rough warm palms placed over wet cheeks and strong fingers enveloping trembling hands.
"Denki, breathe."
Kaminari couldn't see the boys, his tears blurred everything around him once Bakugou forced him to lift his head.
The red figure that was Kirishima was closer now. It had been his hands the ones capturing his own, trying to ground the electric blonde without being very intrusive.
Katsuki was now closer, a pale blur with two red spots fixed on him.
"Sparky, focus on me, okay?" Katsuki's voice was the only thing he could perceive clearly, his voice and the touch of both sets of hands. "We know you can do that, so breathe with me, okay?"
Bakugou inhaled, loud and slow, keeping the air inside of him for a second before exhaling it in the same exaggerated way he had inhaled.
And just as they've done a million times before, Kirishima squeezed his hands with every inhale, softening his touch with every exhale. They were working as a team without needing a single word, just like they did every day, but this time helping Kaminari out.
Helping him out of himself.
God, they knew him so well it was scary.
But it really helped… A lot.
With every breath, Denki seemed to calm that annoying piece of muscle tissue inside of his ribcage, that pressure over his chest that seemed to be one second away from killing him. The tears slowly falling down his cheeks and soaking Bakugou's fingers, gradually allowed his eyes to draw more precise lines around him.
Now he could see Katsuki's features, the intense worry and his overly shiny eyes.
He searched for Kirishima without daring to move his head, stilled in between Bakugou's palms. The so dangerous weapons everyone feared, the ones he used to annihilate both, enemies and every obstacle in his way, now were the most comforting anchor he could ever wish for.
But that wasn’t enough, he needed something more to be at ease. He needed someone else.
Denki found the redhead staring at him with an expression similar to Bakugou's, his fingers steady and intertwined with his own. The utter despair in his gaze, not covered in the slightest by all of Kirishima's determination to help him.
But he wasn't crying.
Good, he couldn't see Eijirou cry.
With one final sob, Kaminari closed his eyes, trying to shove the beast that his anxiety was sometimes, into the deepest part of his brain. Into the cave it should never get out.
He breathed slowly, preparing himself to return to the real world. To Kirishima and Bakugou.
"Okay" he sighed.
"Are you feeling better?" Kirishima asked, caressing his hands with his thumbs.
"Yeah… I think so…" his voice sounded weak, but now he felt calmer and could at least open his eyes without tearing up "I'm sorry about… All this…"
"Don't you dare apologize for feeling bad again, Kaminari" an order leaving Katsuki's lips with an extremely serious tone, just as his hands left his face reticently "Feelings are nothing to apologize for."
"I'm sorry- Ouch!" a punch straight to his chest "Bakugooou"
"I told you not to apologize, dumbass."
Denki opened his mouth, probably to apologize again, but closed it as soon as Katsuki threatened him with a tight-closed fist, making Kirishima and the electric boy laugh weakly.
But that almost joyful second soon turned into an awkward silence.
"Denks…"
Kaminari's eyes found Kirishima's face, that ugly worry still contaminating his beautiful features. His voice had been incredibly soft, like he was afraid of hurting Denki just by pronouncing his name.
The electric blonde knew what his next line would be, something like…
What's wrong, Denki?
Did someone hurt you, Denki?
Please let us take care of you, Denki.
But the redhead surprised him when, instead of pushing with questions he didn't know the answer of, or simply didn't want to respond, he got closer and placed rough fingers against his cheek, keeping there the warmth Katsuki had left on his skin.
W-what is happening?
Confusion took over his face as he looked directly into Eijirou's eyes, now a couple of inches away from his. Golden eyes still fearing the possible interrogation and worried questions. But his friend must have read that, because, once again, he surprised Kaminari with very different words.
"I don't care about what's going on in that head of yours, or if there is someone who's bothering you, neither Katsuki, nor I, will be leaving this room until we are convinced that you are okay. If it is space what you need, and you don't want to talk about it, that’s okay. But let us at least comfort you this way" fingers caressing his skin with the utmost care as that soft voice spilled the redhead’s feelings "We know how helpful cuddling can be for you, so please, let us at least stay here."
It was strange, how such a categorical demand could feel like the most tender love confession. Even when Denki knew; there was no real love behind his talk, not the love he so much craved. Maybe that was why he felt even closer to the edge.
“If I told you what is in my head, you’d probably leave this room and never come back…” he sounded close to tears again, so defeated, incredibly tired of his own mind and what he was hiding in his chest.
He was tired of dealing with those stupid unrequired feelings. Tired of watching how the most important guys in his life could leave at any moment because of a single slip up, anything that could show how he truly felt and made them aware of his situation.
He was tired of those terrifying thoughts, caused by something he couldn’t control, something he had not even wanted in first place. Because he had not wanted to fall in love with Eijirou and Katsuki, to endanger both their friendship and their relationship. He truly had not, and if he could, he would throw all his feelings away.
But he couldn’t. Feelings didn’t work that way.
“You don’t know that, Denki…” Kirishima whispered frustrated and hurt.
“Sparky, we may be loud and sometimes maybe a little harsh, but you know damn well we don’t judge. Much less if it is you, we’re talking about” Katsuki’s voice also sounded tired and defeated, something so rare coming from him and his so victory-oriented personality.
“I-I know! I know you don’t judge me! You’ve never done it before! But this… This is different” golden eyes dancing back and forth between the pair in fear, desperate to find the way to finally talk to them “It’s not something bad itself exactly, but…”
“Yeah, in fact it is something bad” Denki groaned.
Katsuki placed one hand over his, still caged by Kiri’s own, creating a tangle of fingers and rough palms. This was another timid display of how much he really cared, how much he tried to express how he felt in a way that Kaminari would easily understand, and not have to interpretate.
“We don’t fucking care about what you could possibly have done, you idiot. We only care about you, if you are unhappy, we are unhappy; if you are hurt, we are hurt. This is not about whatever shit you’ve done, it will never be; it’s about how you’re feeling and who you are to us.”
He was trying really hard not to scream or sound mad, Kaminari was aware of that, but every second seemed to deepen the hurt in both sets of red eyes. Too close to him to not create an unusually intimate atmosphere.
“Denki, you could push an old lady and make her fall off a cliff and we probably wouldn’t care once you’ve explained yourself. You could make the dumbest excuse and we would buy it” it was a fact and a small attempt to shift the mood to something lighter.
And although Denki couldn’t repress a tiny smile… He was feeling terribly miserable, he didn’t deserve such an honor, such an incredibly unconditional love and trust. He truly didn’t, and he couldn’t keep lying anymore, hiding who he truly was.
A fool, stupid enough to desire what he could never get.
“Guys I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry” he could feel the tears blossoming again under their worried gaze, but this time he wasn’t loosing himself in the anxiety but finally releasing all those feelings that had been bleeding him out during those past few days “I swear I didn’t want this to happen, I’ve never wanted to create a problem, or hurt any of you, or… God, until literally yesterday I didn’t even know what was happening, why I was that emotional! I-”
None of the boys interrupted him, but he knew he had to pause if he wanted to say something they could understand, something more than all his feelings of guilt and pain.
Kaminari closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He held the air in, waited a few seconds, and let it out. Kirishima’s and Katsuki’s touch, warming his hands and his cheek, were a grounding blessing, keeping him attached to reality just as he mentally said goodbye to them.
To all the moments they had shared and all the plans they once had.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt somewhat calm, like the quiet stillness before the storm. It was the same cold calm they felt the minutes prior to a fight against a villain.
He had a mission he hated, but that needed to be completed.
Kirishima’s hand left his cheek to give him the space he so much required, and that became the final push to finally start talking.
“I love you guys. I love you both more than you could ever imagine, and not in the friendly-bro to bro-way. And it’s so embarrassing…” Kaminari’s voice didn’t sound weak for the first time since the boys came to check on him, but his words still were rushed and kind of on a verge.
He tried to look at his friends, but he simply couldn’t. It was like a strange force refused to let his gaze rise enough to meet their expressions. He felt stuck somewhere in their chests or necks, never daring to approach their faces, in fear of what he could read in them.
“I’m ashamed of these stupid feelings... Because I don’t want to lose neither of you. I would fucking leave it all behind and move to another country before letting anything happen to your relationship, to the bond you share! To... Your happiness... God, I’m so sorry, guys” sadness became obvious, staining every word “And I thought that maybe some distance would help me erase this, you know? But I can’t do it! And it hurts, because I know I’m breaking our friendship with this... I’m… Fucking it all…”
For a few seconds, the room was filled with silence. Kaminari had his head lowered, unable to make the slightest eye contact with the other two. All the poisoning thoughts, those bugs eating him alive, were now over the table for his friends to see, and to judge.
He had never felt so incredibly vulnerable before. He knew neither Kirishima, nor Bakugou would ever hurt him, but… His feelings for them made it awfully easy for them to say something extremely painful.
And at that point even the most innocent remark could make him feel devastated.
Kaminari didn’t know how much time passed in between his last words and the boys’ reaction, but those seconds seemed like ages, running slowly until he felt smooth hands leave that weird union they had created not so long before.
Then, his heart became heavy inside his rib cage, the first bleeding cut of rejection creating the most agonizing pain he had ever felt. It was like his heart was turning into something smaller and denser, so heavy he thought it would collapse and make his body fall.
But as his chest threatened him with the most unbearable of burdens, those same soft hands, so incredibly nice to touch they could only belong to Katsuki, pulled him in a careful embrace.
His cheek met the cotton covering Bakugou’s heartbeat, fast and strong, and there he allowed himself to let another shaking breath slip past his lips, let new tears slide past golden eyelashes.
“You really are stupid as shit, if you thought we didn’t feel the same way about you, Sparky” those words sounded like the blond was the one closer to tears, a pained voice desperate to grasp at least an inch of control.
That would have been enough to catch Denki’s attention, something so apparently impossible to happen as to find the Bakugou Katsuki crying; but there was also what he had said, those arms around him keeping him firmly pressed against his body.
“W-what?”
Denki wasn’t sure if he had simply imagined those words, if any of that had been real, and Katsuki’s hug didn’t allow him to move and look up, to his face. He couldn’t reach for the truth in the other blonde’s face, so he reached for the redhead’s instead, turning his head slightly in Kiri’s direction from his position in between Katsuki’s legs.
He was gazing at them, loving red eyes pouring so much emotion over the two blondes Kaminari didn’t know how to respond, how to feel about that. That expression was an answer itself but, how could he be sure he was getting it right? Kirishima would look like a puppy at anything he could find even a little endearing!
“You were not the only one pinning like crazy, Denks…” his voice carried some sort of relieve, an easiness that could only be achieved after a long-borne pain “Sweet Jesus, we thought we would lose you if we told you how we felt.”
Golden eyes widening as Eijirou approached them, placing the heavy mass of muscle almost on top of Denki, squishing him between the two bulky bodies.
“Y-you guys… Feel the same?” Denki asked with a cry, salt flooding over his skin relentlessly, breathless due to the force of their embrace and still skeptical.
Denki didn’t have that much luck, this could perfectly be a dream, a fantasy his mind had created to soothe the increasing pain.
“Yes, you fucking idiot! I swear to God if you question our feelings again, I’ll kick your ass so hard you’ll feel it next month” even when he tried to sound dangerous the tightened hug gave him away.
“No, no, no. Kacchan I need to understand this” confusion took over Denki’s emotions and encouraged him to try to get out of that prison made of flesh and claim for answers “Do you guys don’t love each other anymore? D-did I…”
Both of them moved to put distance in between the blonde, exclaiming different types of negation and allowing Kaminari to retrieve himself enough to get in front of the pair and properly look at them. If they were finally having that conversation he needed to focus on the talking part, not in their touch or the comforting heat they radiated.
“Denki it’s not that at all. We love each other! More than anything in this world. I couldn’t spend a single day without seeing Kats’ face or hearing his voice! But that doesn’t mean we can’t have more love to nurture...” the anxiousness in Eijirou’s voice grounded Kaminari.
Those words drenched in pure anxiety made him feel like he was experiencing something real, like that moment wasn’t an illusion created by some evil monster inside his head. Since no fantasy of his could elaborate a picture that realistic of how Ei sounded and looked like when he was anxious.
“Wow, Kiri I didn’t know you could be such a poet!” Denki half laughed, trying to erase that unease in the redhead’s face.
“Don’t joke about this, dunce face. We’re serious” the cold and harsh tone returned to Katsuki, leaving behind that softness and vulnerability the other blonde could see just a second ago “We do love each other, but for some fucking reason we… Have that type of feelings for you too.”
Denki became the very image of surprise, golden eyes opened so wide it looked painful and soft lips parted in awe. He had never thought Katsuki could be able to admit his feelings out loud, especially the feelings that could make him most vulnerable, and especially those that were directed towards him of all people.
Because, sure, Katsuki had not said the “L” word, but he had implied the existence of that feeling. He said it himself! Him!
God, Kiri was doing a wonderful job teaching him some proper emotional intelligence. Someone should reward the guy.
And wait a second.
He had said “we”, as in… Both of them!
As in both, Katsuki and Eijirou!
His gaze danced around the pair, trying to read past what had been said, searching for the truth behind the lie.
But… There was no lie.
Their expressions seemed real, natural and even… Shy or even nervous. While Kirishima feared the worst, waiting with the faintest hope in his eyes; Bakugou had caught his bottom lip in between his teeth, trying to hold back all the emotions Denki knew that burned inside of him.
Even his signature scold, now stained with anxiety and frustration, felt right!
They were being honest, tearing their chests open to let Denki take a peek.
“You guys are for real…” a statement “I… I didn’t know I could have… You… W-we… What are we supposed to do?! Is a couple still considered a couple if it has a plus one?”
Kirishima laughed at the sudden worry in something as meaningless as a label, hearing Katsuki groan by his side.
"No, no, I'm being serious! I need to know what to say whenever I get the chance to brag about my two amazing boyfriends!"
It was like a switch was flipped, the usual goofy Denki was back in full force, getting closer to the pair with a huge smile and that unique spark brightening his eyes.
"Well, you can always keep calling us 'bros', right?" Eijirou teased taking one of the blonde's hands.
"Fucking shit, I hate both of you" Katsuki growled taking Denki's other hand "If I hear any of you say that stupid word again to talk about us, I swear to fucking God that those would be your last words, idiots."
Bakugou rolled his eyes, even when a tiny smile appeared over his lips at the sound of his idiots laughing, joyful after so much time in dread.
"But then, it's… Official? We are a thing now?" Kaminari asked timidly, caressing their hands with his thumbs.
"Hum… I don't know, Kats, are we a thing?" Kirishima asked still with that teasing smile, lowering his gaze enough to examinate Bakugou's lips "Maybe we should clarify that…"
Words spilled like a needy beath as the blond wetted his bottom lip, staring at the redhead's mouth.
"Maybe…"
Kaminari felt his breath growing irregular, unable to look away while he tried to hold back his now greater excitement. Usually when his friends kissed, he tried to distract himself, searching for something to keep his mind and senses as far of them as possible. He didn't trust himself enough to keep his guard down during those moments, and knew he could pop a boner just by watching them kiss.
But now he didn't need to hide his desire or the desperate yearning in his eyes. He could take all of it in and appreciate the boys' lips, how they touched and move against each other, soft at the beginning and turning desperate nearing the end.
Now he could relish on the barely audible sounds both of them would make, the wetness and the groans, the gasps and the moans.
God, now he could appreciate it all.
In seconds, Kirishima and Bakugou teared apart with shiny lips and quickened breaths, turning to look at him with a hunger capable of raising goosebumps all over his body. It was a little intimidating but, shit, so arousing.
"Fuck. Yeah, yeah, we are a thing. Now please let me kiss you. Denki also wants kisses" Denki sighed erasing almost completely the distance between them.
The boys smiled, pleased with his eagerness but in very different ways. Kaminari had never asked about their dynamic in the most intimate aspect of their relationship, and being as private as they were, no one really knew how they were… Well, when they got physical.
Strangely, the golden boy, the so caring and loving sunshine, was the one wearing the most malicious smirk. It was something much darker than any expression he had ever seen in him, and once he turned to Katsuki, it became dangerous.
“How could we refuse when he asked so nicely, right Kats? I think he could have some kisses” Eijirou’s voice suddenly turned deeper, naturally seductive “Want to be the first, kitten?”
Holy fuck, that was hot.
Eijirou calling Katsuki kitten, holy fucking shit.
“Fuck yeah.”
He knew the moment was real, but this part had to be a dream. No one could have warned him about the pet names, they didn’t seem to be that type of lovers; much less something Bakugou could enjoy… But he did not complain.
Katsuki’s hand found its place over his cheek, caressing the warm and reddened skin with soft fingers. His eyes seemed different, a red more vulnerable, longing and needy but also loving. The eyes of someone who was terribly afraid of his own emotions, finally getting the peace he had denied to himself for God knows how much.
The eyes of someone Denki loved with his entire being.
Anxiously bitten lips settled over his own, a shy touch that captured Kaminari’s breath and made him feel like melting. The so desired touch that made his eyes close and his heart start pounding nicely.
They moved slowly at first, the wetness of Katsuki’s previous kiss easing every motion until the electric blonde parted his lips to get a better taste of the boy. The reaction was immediate, an explosion of energy and a passionate claim, all Denki had expected of a kiss leaded by Bakugou.
His mouth was eager and desperate, so needy for a deeper contact prompting pleased hums in Kaminari, almost completely muffled by Katsuki’s own groans. The electric blonde craved for more as well, wanted to savor the other and gain some control to explore freely the space past his lips.
But just as Denki pressed his tongue forward, Bakugou broke the contact leaving them panting and hungry for more.
“You have no idea for how long I’ve wanted to do this, sparky” every word was an inviting breath against his now redder lips.
“You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed of this” Denki’s answer came in the same way, eyes falling to stare at those bitten lips he now knew the taste of “But… I’m missing my other kiss.”
Deeply blushed face turned to the side to meet Kirishima’s gaze, his arousal so evident in his expression it almost looked painful. Denki knew he would probably find something even bolder if he trailed down his stare, but he didn’t dare to do so.
“Humm, yeah, I think you do.”
And just like that he leaned in, and softer lips captured his own, moving heavily but so precise; it was like each tiny movement was the right one. That same eagerness the three boys shared was also consuming the redhead, but it was so different… It was the passion of those who know exactly what they desire, where to look for their pleasure and, of course, for their partner’s pleasure.
If Katsuki took the control away from him, Eijirou coaxed him to surrender it.
And it felt so good.
The kissed ended sooner than he had wanted, but the sight of Kirishima’s eyes, pupils fully blown and filled by that same hunger burning inside of him was enough to make it worth it.
They had all the time in the world to lose their breaths in the others’ mouths.