Chapter Text
Chapter 2: "Call me Eijiro"
The day had been pretty good in Eijiro's opinion. It had been sunny but not to the point of being uncomfortable, the classes hadn't been that hard and Aizawa-Sensei had even congratulated him for his improvements in training! The best part though, is that it was a Friday!
Eijiro felt like there was nothing that could ruin this day for him...
at least until it was time to do his homework. More specifically, Math and Biology homework (aka, the two subjects where Eijiro struggled the most).
He'd tried; really, he had. But no matter how much he reread his class notes, Eijiro simply didn't understand! He'd been trying to do his homework since 4:30 p.m.; now it was dinnertime at 6:30 p.m. and Eijiro hadn't managed to answer one single question! He almost wanted to cry from frustration.
Resigning himself to this miserable failure on his part, Eijiro made his way downstairs to eat Bakugo's special Friday dinner... Wait a minute, Bakugo!!
Upon seeing the blonde, it was like someone had flipped a switch inside Eijiro’s brain and he suddenly felt like the stupidest person on Earth. How could he have not thought about asking for Bakugo's help earlier?!
As soon as he heard Bakugo mentioning he was going to do his homework, Eijiro knew this was his chance. So, he patiently waited for the blonde to deflate their friends' attempts to get him to hang out with them instead of doing homework (usually, he would've joined them; in fact, he almost felt bad for not doing so... but, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sorry guys) and, when Iida (God bless him) took his spot scolding Mina and, by extension, Kaminari; Eijiro knew it was now or never.
He caught Bakugo just as he was about to climb the stairs (which was kinda weird considering there was a perfectly usable elevator right there but whatever) and, when the blonde clicked his tongue, Eijiro already knew his mission had been successful. If Bakugo wanted to ignore him, he wouldn't have even spared him a glance; the fact that he turned around even before Eijiro said anything was already a good sign.
–Did you lose something? – Bakugo asked sharply, with his classic scowl. While some might be deterred by his expression, Eijiro was way too versed in Bakugo's dictionary for this to work.
So, putting a smile on his face and taking a hand to his neck in slight embarrassment, Eijiro said –Well, I just heard you were going to do your homework and was wondering if you'd help me– he finished with a small self-deprecating laugh.
−Tch. What's getting that small brain of yours all worked up this time? Math or Biology? − Bakugo asked, putting his hands on his pockets and turning his back on Eijiro to climb the stairs. For other people, that'd be a rude dismissal; for Eijiro though, this was an invitation.
Not one to look at a horse's gift on the mouth, the redhead went right after him. (If he caught the way Bakugo's shoulders loosened a bit in what he could only describe as a mix between relief and relaxation, then that was a secret Eijiro would take to his grave).
–Eh... kind of both if I'm being honest– Eijiro answered after taking some hurried steps to match Bakugo. Apparently, he'd been lost on his thoughts for a bit too long cause when he least noticed it, they were already on their floor.
Once there, Eijiro quickly went to his dorm to grab his notebooks and throw away the honestly pathetic attempts at doing his homework. Sadly, what should've been a less than a minute thing took him five minutes cause apparently Past Eijiro had gotten so frustrated at one point that he all but threw his Biology Book and so, Present Eijiro had to spend the next four minutes looking for it, only to find out it was under his bed (the last place he would've thought to look for).
With his book in hand, he made his way to Bakugo's room. Not missing the slightly annoyed glance the blonde (who hated when people arrived late) was sending his way, he hurriedly explained himself before even stepping into the room. −Hey man! Sorry for the delay, I couldn't find my Biology Book.
At Bakugo's small eye roll, Eijiro felt safe to enter the boy's room... and promptly froze once he saw the state said room was in. It wasn't particularly messy per se; in fact, there were just a few things scattered here and there. It was still pretty ordered compared to Kaminari or Eijiro's room, but it was still pretty out of character for The Bakugo Katsuki (whom, out of the boys in the class, had one of the most organized dorm rooms along with Iida, Todoroki, Ojiro and Shoji. He'd count Midoriya as well, but all that All Might merch kinda took away the room's organization in Eijiro's opinion) to have anything out of place.
Seeing this, Eijiro couldn't help but tease him a bit. – Jeez man, what happened here? You got me thinking I was in Denki's room for a second. – Again, that was an exaggeration (and a complete act of hypocrisy considering Eijiro himself had one of the messiest rooms in the dorms), but this was just too much of a good chance to let it pass.
Bakugo simply scoffed −I just forgot to clean it up this morning. – that was already weird on itself considering that, again, this was Bakugo they were talking about, he didn’t just forget to do something; there had to be something else. Still, something told Eijiro that he shouldn’t pry if his friend didn’t want him to. If it was anything actually serious, Eijiro hoped knew that Bakugo would hopefully probably tell one of their friends. So, he decidedly ignored the strangeness of that statement, especially when Bakugo added − Don't burn more of your brain cells by worrying about it though, I'm cleaning this up as soon as we're done here. Now, did you come here to do your homework or to criticize the state of my room?!
−Uh-oh, he’s actually getting mad now. – Eijiro thought. That last exclamation was Bakugo’s way to say “I’m done with your bullshit and will blast you to hell if you don’t stop bothering me right now”.
So, quickly getting the message, Eijiro rushed to say −Yeah, yeah. Right. Let's do this!
...........................................................................................................................................
Bakugo is a wizard.
That was the only explanation that made sense in Eijiro’s head as to how he’d managed to perfectly understand everything in 30 minutes once Bakugo explained it to him after failing miserably for two hours. Just… how?! How was this possible?!
Bakugo must’ve a secret quirk that allows people to understand any subjects he explains to them; otherwise, there was no possible explanation!
Eijiro had been so caught up on his amazement that he almost missed when Bakugo turned around to grab his computer. Once he did though, Eijiro was a bit confused and, honestly, scared (if his magical tutor turned his back on him, then what cruel fate would await Eijiro?!)
−Uh, Bakubro...? What are you doing? – the redhead asked, thankfully with his confusion being the only thing to come out. Very smooth, Eijiro. Very smooth.
−Are you blind or something? I'm grabbing my computer – Bakugo responded, looking at Eijiro as if he was the dumbest person on this planet. Which… look, Eijiro may not be the most confident person in his class, but even he thought that was a pretty rude assumption for Bakugo to make. Plus, he’d probably misunderstood his question anyway!
−Well yeah, I can see that. I was more like asking why. – Eijiro could see the way Bakugo slightly raised his eyebrows at the clarification. So yep, he’d totally misunderstood his initial question. Good guess there!
Apparently, this was a question that the blonde considered worthy of answering (not without letting out a sigh that was way too exaggerated for Eijiro to take completely seriously and which was most likely only for a dramatic effect. Bakugo could be kinda petty when he wanted to). −Well, you already understood the subjects of the assignments, so I don't need to explain each step anymore. So now I'm grabbing my computer to do the research for History Class. – Eijiro was about to protest because how was he supposed to do this without some good ol’ Bakugo magic?! Sadly, the blonde held out a hand to silence him before he could even as much as move his lips. − And before you ask: yes, I already did that homework; − not what he was going to ask, but good to know, I guess. − and no, I'm not letting you see it so you can "compare our answers". − well, now that was just mean (and, knowing Bakugo, probably a lie; he always managed to fluster him annoy him with his purposefully loud whines about whether his answers were correct or not (he felt like they were but Bakugo was one of the smartest in the class, so having the same answers as him was his final relief) until he agrees. Granted, he threatened to “blow him to Hell” if he shared his notes with anyone else, but Eijiro still considered it a win).
He was about to whine about Bakugo abandoning him to “do some research” but… Wait, did he just say he was going to do the research for History Class?! As in, the one they’d literally been assigned today and that they had over a week to complete?! What the hell…
−Hold on, the research for History Class?! – Eijiro couldn’t help but ask with wide eyes.
Which, apparently, he shouldn’t have done, considering the blonde was now hitting him with the “disappointed mom look”. −Tch, yeah. Don't tell me you forgot about it.
Woah, okay, Eijiro knew he wasn’t the most responsible person when it comes to school assignments, but he didn’t think he was bad enough for Bakugo to look at him like that either! −No, no! I didn't! It's just... − the redhead paused for a second, thinking of something to say that wouldn’t get him an explosion in the face. − It was assigned today and it's for the next Thursday Bakugo. There's still plenty of time. You don't have to do it right now. – Was that good enough? Eijiro risked a glance at the blonde and was pretty satisfied when he only found a bit of annoyance instead of sparkles. Eh, that’ll do, I guess.
−Tch. And get caught up in schoolwork while I could be training? I don't think so. – Yeah, that tracks. Knowing when a battle is lost, Eijiro simply raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. And he calls Midoriya a nerd.
−Alright man, your choice. − completely disregarding his earlier complains, Eijiro started doing his own work.
After some undefined time, Eijiro was pleasantly surprised to find that Bakugo had been right! He had been able to do the homework all on his own!
Just as he thought about this, he heard the blonde closing his computer (and winced internally at the force he’d used on the poor device. Nothing weird coming from Bakugo, but still, poor computer) and greeted him with a smile as he turned around.
−Hey Bakugo! Already done with your little research? – Eijiro asked. His voice was a bit louder than usual, but he just couldn’t hold back his excitement at finally understanding Math and Biology at the same time and making progress with his homework all on his own. Eijiro was proud of himself and, honestly, he didn’t feel like being quiet about it.
−Yeah, yeah. Since your stupid ass is still here, I figured that I might as well get started on turning this place back into an acceptable living space. – Eijiro paused in his tracks upon hearing this, not because of the words themselves, but because of the way Bakugo said them. It felt like one of those times where you’re in an uncomfortable situation but desperately trying to pretend you weren’t.
Does Bakugo feel uncomfortable around me?
The thought made an ugly feeling blossom in his chest. He started reviewing everything he could’ve done to make his friend could he even still call himself his friend if he was the cause of his discomfort?! feel uncomfortable. Had he made a mess of the desk? Said something out of place even though he’d barely spoken? Stepped on some of his All Might merch? Accidentally disrespected some secret family tradition?
Each possibility felt more unrealistic than the previous one. So, after what felt like an eternity but realistically couldn’t have been more than 15 seconds, Eijiro spoke up −Oh. Alright then, is there any way I could help you? – he tried to keep the uncertainty out of his voice; considering Bakugo’s expression hadn’t changed, he seemed to have succeeded.
−Tch. Just raise your feet when I tell you to. – okay, scratch that. Succeeding at hiding his concern didn’t mean shit when Bakugo sounded like he wanted to lay down and sleep for a week at least. Oh my God, seriously, what did I do?!
He barely registered the boy telling him to finish his homework, much less the empty goofy response he’d offered. What he did register was the way Bakugo had seemed to cringe at the volume of his own voice and how he’d tripped on a few corners while he went to grab his cleaning supplies.
If Eijiro wasn’t concerned already, then he definitely was now. This is way more than just “feeling uncomfortable”. Could Bakugo be getting sick? Or what if he’d accidentally hit his head during training and didn’t tell anyone? Perhaps he’d been hit by a quirk when he’d gone out to get snacks after class?!
The redhead was perfectly aware of the fact that his thoughts were spiraling again, and yet he couldn’t stop himself. He never could when it came to Bakugo.
Despite how strong he tried to sell himself, Eijiro knew there was a side (a soft, vulnerable side) to him that the blonde desperately tried to hide. He succeeded most of the time, but Eijiro wasn’t fooled by his “tough guy” act so easily. (And he knew that Midoriya wasn’t either, having grown up with the boy; but the relationship between those two was just… complicated, to say the least) And so, as one of the few people Bakugo actually listened to, Eijiro always tried to look out for him. He couldn’t bear the thought of the boy getting hurt or worse, taken by the villains again, without Eijiro being able to do anything. He couldn’t allow that.
After all, that’s what friends are for! Because they were only friends, right?
Still, Eijiro knew better than to push his luck; especially when Bakugo was very clearly already in a bad mood. And so, he let out a small sigh and went back to his homework, not without shooting concerned glances towards his friend’s direction way more times than he’d like to admit.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
If someone asked him later, Eijiro could probably safely that he was glad he’d only had one exercise left to complete on his homework for two reasons: 1) he was so concerned about Bakugo he wouldn’t have been able to finish otherwise; and 2) it meant he had some time to pay the blonde his fully undivided attention. (He’d admit that he cared a bit more about the latter rather than the former if he was being honest; but no one else needed to know that).
However, this also meant that he had to watch as his friend’s discomfort and, dare he say, pain, grew; to the point where he looked like he should be laying on his bed rather than cleaning. Usually, he would’ve said something by now, but considering Bakugo hadn’t turned to look at him since he started cleaning, the boy probably thought he was still doing homework and the last thing Eijiro wanted to do was startling him.
But, when Bakugo finally looked at him, all of his worries were eating him up, which the blonde clearly noticed if the annoyed look he was sending his way was any clue. So, after a small moment of hesitation, he decided to speak up.
−Hey man... – Eijiro started, trying to find a way to voice his concerns that wouldn’t cause Bakugo to threaten him and close off. –are you like… good? I haven't heard you cussing at any germs, or even speaking at all since you started cleaning up and well, that's kinda weird coming from you, y'know? – the redhead considered that as a pretty good excuse for him to feel concerned without admitting that Bakugo had been acting weird even before he started to clean up (something the boy could take as Eijiro calling him weak and get offended). Plus, it was true anyways. After living next to him for a few months by now, Eijiro knew that Bakugo was a bit of a germaphobe and was used to hearing “DIE, DAMN GERMS” on a daily basis; so, while not being the main cause of his concern, it certainly added to it.
Thankfully, Bakugo seemed to have realized this as well. Still, realization didn’t equal acceptance when it came to him, so Eijiro shouldn’t get his hopes up yet.
−Tch. It's whatever, I've just got a bit of a headache, it's not the end of the world – alright, scratch that, Bakugo was accepting he didn’t feel well in front of him?! This almost seemed too good to be true!
Wait, no! This is not good Eijiro! Bakugo has a headache!
It’s time to activate the “sympathetic and supportive friend” strategy.
–Oh man, those are awful. I've got some painkillers in my room; I can bring you some if you'd like to. Or maybe I could help you clean. − Eijiro tried to offer. He knew that Bakugo would probably rather keel over and die than let someone else clean his room, especially if that someone was part of his "Idiots squad" as he'd oh so lovingly decided to call them. However, it was because of this that he'd offered to bring him painkillers as well; even if he refused now, hopefully he'd ask for some later or at least know that Eijiro wouldn't hesitate to lend him a hand whenever he needed it (he'd probably choose to ignore that last part either as an act of pride or because he'd think Eijiro was looking down on him, but hey, a guy could hope!)
–No need to do that. I'm almost done here anyways. − the blonde shrugged. He was right, the only spot left was where Eijiro was sitting, the boy noticed sheepishly. He had been so focused on watching him that he'd almost forgotten what Bakugo was doing in the first place. –I'll just go lay down for a while or something and it'll pass on its own.
Even though his friend seemed convinced of this, the redhead had a feeling that he was trying to convince both himself and Eijiro. He didn't know how successful he was being on the former but he knew that he certainly wasn't being in the latter and wouldn't be quiet about it, allowing his skepticism to show.
− If you say so... Just let me know if you need anything, alright? − despite his apprehension, Eijiro couldn't help but smile slightly at Bakugo's grunt. From anyone else, that could be considered as a "yeah, sure"!
Still, Eijiro was just noticing that, since he'd finished his homework, he didn't have an excuse to be in Bakugo's room anymore, something the boy would probably notice soon and kick him out. But he really didn't want to leave his friend alone right now; so, he started to look for an excuse to stay a bit longer and his eyes just so happened to land on Bakugo's laptop. The perfect excuse.
− Oh! By the way, would you mind if I borrow your computer? I might as well follow your example and get done with the History Research already before it catches me off-guard at the last minute, hehe. – Eijiro commented, trying to sound nonchalant and like he actually wanted to do that. He was 90% sure Bakugo could see right past his act but thankfully the boy was just too tired to care or simply decided to do him a favor and ignore it. Maybe a mix of both.
Either way, his friend didn't call him out on his bullshit and for that, he was grateful.
He made sure to get out of the way so Bakugo could be done with cleaning as fast as possible and, once he knew he'd finished. Eijiro turned off the lights, leaving only a small lamp on the desk so he could see the laptop's keyboard, but making sure to place it in an angle where it didn't hit Bakugo's eyes as the boy finally laid down on his bed.
Eijiro would like to say that things had gone smoothly after that but, as he watched Bakugo toss and turn on his bed, clearly trying to get comfortable and failing miserably, his concern for the boy only increased. It had gotten to the point where he was sure Bakugo could most likely tell how Eijiro felt (not like he was trying to be precisely subtle about it with the way he kept throwing glances at him every three minutes at least). Usually, he would've gone for a more discreet approach but today he just couldn't. Not when his friend was most likely in pain and Eijiro was just sitting there doing nothing; being useless once more...
−Oi, Shitty Hair.
Eijiro turned to look at Bakugo so fast his vision had gotten a bit blurry on the edges. He'd gotten so lost in his own head that he hadn't even noticed when the boy sat up (Great Eijiro, you had one single job and couldn't even do that well. Wonderful). Hoping the blonde didn't notice he'd spaced out, the redhead did his best at sounding nonchalant −Yeah? –okay, that sounded convincing enough... probably...
Hopefully...
−Is… your offer to bring painkillers still up?
For a second, Eijiro just blinked dumbly. However, his brain quickly caught up on what he’d just heard. Bakugo was actually asking for help!? This felt unreal… I mean, obviously he hoped that with his offering from earlier Bakugo would open up, but he didn’t think that would really happen!
But alas, it was happening right here and now; and so, Eijiro had no time to waste. −Of course! I’ll get you some right now, just wait a minute. – as soon as the words escaped his mouth, the boy was already sprinting towards the door. − Blink and I’ll be back. – he added for good measure, hoping to reassure his friend.
Eijiro got to his room in less than two strides (after all, his and Bakugo’s rooms were next to each other and he was in a hurry) and quickly looked inside the cabinet where he kept painkillers and some medical supplements (one could never be too prepared). Once he grabbed them, Eijiro picked up a water bottle and went back to Bakugo’s room panting slightly.
Realistically, this was probably unnecessary and something he could’ve done walking like a normal person rather than running like someone was seriously injured (in his mind, Bakugo was. Well, he wasn’t hurt per se… but he still needed assistance!).
He didn’t miss the way Tokoyami looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. But whatever, Bakugo was worth it!
Just as quickly as he’d left, Eijiro went back into Bakugo’s room, where the blonde remained on his same spot on the bed. −Here I am! I brought you some water as well.
−You didn’t have to do that. – okay now that was just Bakugo being petty.
−Nonsense! Of course I did. How were you going to swallow your pills otherwise? – You’re welcome, Captain Obvious, Eijiro felt tempted to say that last part out loud but decided against it because 1) he didn’t feel like dying today, thank you; and 2) Bakugo wasn’t feeling well and the yelling that’d come afterwards certainly wouldn’t help his headache.
So, he purposefully chose not to give his friend’s statement that much relevance in favor of placing the painkillers and water bottle on the desk, making sure to keep the latter away from Bakugo’s computer (despite how much a certain explosive friend of his would like to say otherwise, Eijiro wasn’t a total idiot).
However, the other boy, in typical Bakugo fashion, merely scoffed at the light-hearted question. −Tch. With my saliva obviously.
What...?
What?!
Did Bakugo just say with a straight face that he swallowed his pills with saliva?! Eijiro could barely swallow his pills with water! What the hell?!
He couldn’t help but let out a gasp and exclaim −Woah! Hold on! You’re telling me you swallow your pills dry?! Regularly? As in, something you usually do?
His voice had uncontrolably acquired a high pitch by the end, which clearly made Bakugo uncomfortable since he clenched his teeth. Damn it, Eijiro. Get a hold of yourself! So much for not making his headache worse.
−Sorry, sorry man, my bad. You just... caught me off-guard. – Eijiro made sure to amend.
–Tch. Whatever. I should have guessed an idiot like you would find that weird. – Bakugo shot back with a tone that was clearly meant to be rude (and which Eijiro would’ve usually faked to be offended about) but which was hard to take as such when the other boy was clearly in pain. He was about to just put that behind and resign himself to watching Bakugo swallow his pills dry if that’s what he wanted, when the boy added: –But, if it helps you sleep at night, then I guess I can down that stupid medicine with some water.
Oh thank goodness. Despite his previous thoughts, Eijiro really wasn’t looking forward to witnessing that.
However, his relief is short lived at Bakugo’s next comment – I'm not taking "pills" though, I'm taking a pill. Singular.
Eijiro pauses hesitantly at this – ...Are you sure? One pill alone might not be enough to get rid of your headache completely. – he really doesn’t want to get Bakugo in a bad mood, but he couldn’t in good conscience allow him to take a single pill knowing it might not be enough to get him to feel better soon.
Bakugo rolls his eyes slightly (clearly wishing to be more expressive but stopping in order not to make his headache worse). –Then I can take another one later. But I'm not taking two at the same time. – okay. That was… not ideal in Eijiro’s opinion, but it was something he could work on…
–Alright then... But if you still don't feel better in like... – Eijiro paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and come up with a request that didn’t aggravate his friend’s mood (read: get him a blast to the face) – an hour, just let me know and I'll get you another one, got it?
Eijiro waited in anticipation and preparation in case Bakugo decided to yell at him to fuck off. However, he relaxed significantly when the blonde only let out a puff.
–Whatever. Just stop acting like an annoying hag and bring me that goddamn medicine so I can tell this headache to fuck off once and for all. – Well, that was good enough for Eijiro’s standards.
Offering his best smile, Eijiro passed him the water bottle after having taken a pill out of the tablet. –Here you go!
Bakugo’s grunt in thanks wasn’t unexpected.
What was unexpected was noticing the boy almost getting the pill stuck in his throat and drinking more water than necessary.
So much for the whole “I swallow my pills with saliva” thing. Eijiro could barely hold in his laughter at the sight; the only thing that probably gave him the willpower to do so was the very real threat of Bakugo blowing him to hell and Eijiro making him feel embarrassed when he was already feeling down.
Still, he couldn’t stop the slight twitch of his lips when his friend turned to look at him. Then he just… stared at him. He didn’t know why, he just looked at Bakugo in casual clothes, for once without a frown on his face, replaced by embarrassment and what Eijiro could only describe as a sort of shyness, with his cheeks blushing slightly and some hair sticking to his sweating temple… and Bakugo just looked so... handsome.
Kirishima Eijiro could safely that Bakugo Katsuki was one of the most handsome people he’s ever seen. And he would be lying if he said this realization didn’t shake him to his core, changed something in the way he saw the boy in front of him; made this dark room suddenly seem bright with unspoken feelings, with the spot where Bakugo was sitting, water bottle in hand, seemingly brighter than everything else. A peaceful silence and a heavy clamor congregating around the boy…
The boy who was now looking at him with annoyance because Eijiro had been staring at him for God knows how long! –Oi, you got a staring problem or something? I thought you were doing the research for History.
Oh shit. Oh holy shit!
Eijiro wasn’t only screwed, he was utterly ruined! He’d used some History Research as an excuse to stay at Bakugo’s room and hadn’t even got half of it done!!
For the blonde, that’d probably be even worse than Eijiro staring at him. Although, he wouldn’t be that mad if that was the case, to be honest. Anything was better than having to confront this suddenly new-found feelings towards the boy.
–Oh, yeah... right! You're right! I'll go finish it. You just... lay down for a while, okay? – Eijiro stuttered, praying to whoever was listening that it’d be enough.
Thankfully, the universe seemed to take mercy on him today, because Bakugo only muttered –Tch. What do you think I’m gonna do? Go on a midnight stroll? Idiot. – Eijiro almost could’ve sworn that he’d said that last word with something akin to fondness on his tone!
Either that or he’d finally gone insane and was imagining things… He’d choose to believe it was the former.
Putting this aside, with Bakugo finally laying down on his bed with his back turned to him, Eijiro relaxed a bit and decided to check his phone for a distraction. (At this point, he'd already decided to close the computer tab with their history research on it, knowing he'll most likely either end up doing it the day before along with Mina, Kaminari and Sero under Jirou's judgemental eye; or asking Bakugo for his help. Probably a mix of both if he was being honest).
Upon doing this, he noticed a message from Kaminari from around 10 minutes ago he'd totally ignored.
kami ⚡💛
heyyyy kiribro!
u up to watch a movie with mina,
sero, jirou and me in my room
i promise i cleaned up this time!!
Eijiro couldn't help but snort (although it was so quiet that it'd probably be more accurate to call it a puff of air) at this.
The thing is, after being friends with Kaminari this long, the redhead knew that the boy's definition of "cleaning up" was what Bakugo would call "a fucking disaster that should make you feel ashamed of yourself, Dunce Face" and honestly? Eijiro kinda agreed with him. (He'd never tell Kaminari that though, he was more content with letting his friend think that it was just "Bakugo being Bakugo". He simply didn't have the heart to break his illusion).
Anyways, whether he'd cleaned up or not, Eijiro already knew what his answer would be.
kiri🪨❤️
sorry man, don't think I can this time
i'm at Bakugo's rn
kami⚡💛
awwww c'mon broooo!!
don't tell me Kacchan's turning
u into a nerd Ó╭╮Ò
Eijiro snorted quietly. Kaminari and his emojis never failed to make him laugh even during a bad day.
kiri🪨❤️
lmao nah it's not that bro
kami⚡💛
then whyyyyyyy not🥺🥺?????
u should use some of your good ol'
kirishima charm to get our resident
Pomeranian to join😋😏
Eijiro couldn't help but blush slightly at Kaminari's choice of words: "Kirishima charm". Did he have that? I mean, yeah, he could convince Bakugo to do things he would've adamantly refused to otherwise more often than not, but that's because he was his best friend! That's what buddies are for! Right?
This whole thing certainly wasn't helping with his newfound feelings from earlier. And so, Eijiro decided to cut to the chase.
kiri🪨❤️
I'd do it any other day man, but
bakubro has a headache rn
he'd probably blow my face if
I tried to get him out of his
room 😅😖
Plus, Eijiro would feel like the worst person to have ever walked on Earth if he did that, but Kaminari didn't exactly need to know that last part.
kami⚡💛
ohh man, that sucks .·´¯(>▂<)´¯·.
want any of us to go over there?
Eijiro appreciated his friend's concern this time more than ever, but having other people over was probably the last thing Bakugo needed or wanted right now.
kiri🪨❤️
nah, it's ok man, everything's
under control here
Bakugo's lying down on his bed rn
Feeling a little bad for possibly worrying his friends (in plural because Kaminari was most likely telling the others right now) and then keeping them in the blue, Eijiro quickly added:
kiri🪨❤️
I'll make sure to tell you
when he wakes up tho ;)
kami⚡💛
thanks bro😁👍
Yeah, judging by that fast response, Eijiro had most likely worried them. Just great.
kiri🪨❤️
np bro :D
He hoped that made up for it. Eijiro knew hoped his friends probably wouldn't take it personally, but that still didn't stop him from feeling bad.
After texting Kaminari though, he suddenly had an idea: to text Midoriya.
Bakugo would probably kill him if he found out about this, especially because he'd already made it pretty clear that this was only a headache and told him not to make a big deal out of it, but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him... or well, Eijiro in this case.
He just wanted to make sure this was actually an inoffensive headache (although that would be an understatement since in Eijiro's humble opinion, nothing that caused Bakugo pain could be considered "inoffensive") and not his friend dying or something. No, he wasn't exaggerating, thank you very much.
So, he looked for the boy's name in his contacts list and couldn't help but laugh softly when he found it.
The thing is, back at the beginning of the year, specifically two days after the Battle Trials, Eijiro and Midoriya had exchanged numbers (for reasons he honestly couldn't remember anymore) and, when he was saving the boy's contact, Kaminari and Sero had mentioned something about having come up with a name idea. So, full of curiosity, Eijiro had handed them his phone and almost died of laughter when they gave it back to him.
They'd saved the green haired boy's number as "mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴". Eijiro probably shouldn't have found that as funny as he did but he just couldn't help it!
Which is why, even though he could and probably should have changed the boy's contact name (he was way better with his quirk now and didn't break his bones that often) he simply hadn't found it in himself to do it. Especially when he noticed the tiniest hint of a smile that formed in Bakugo's face whenever he glanced at the name on his phone.
And so, here he was, about to ask what he considered to be a very serious question to a boy he'd saved as "mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴"
kirishima-kun🪨💪
heyyyy midobro!! How's it going?
The response was almost immediate.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
Hiiiii Kirishima-kun😁!!
Pretty good thanks, what about you?
Eijiro almost felt bad about the boy's contact name when he saw his response. (Key word being almost. That contact name was still golden and the redhead couldn't bring himself to change it for the world).
kirishima-kun🪨💪
glad to hear that man :D I'm pretty good as
well
hey midobro, I kinda wanted to ask you
something
it's about bakubro
Welp Eijiro, you could've been more subtle about it. Whatever, there was no point pushing around the bush now. Still, he made sure to add another message beforehand:
kirishima-kun🪨💪
I mean, if that's ok with you of course
Eijiro hadn't noticed any sort of animosity from Midoriya towards Bakugo (sadly, he couldn't say the opposite was also true) but he still didn't want to risk making his classmate uncomfortable or anything. Especially when it seemed like those two were finally making some progress with their friendship (read: Bakugo didn't look like he wanted to murder Midoriya every time the other as much as looked at him anymore).
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
oh yeah sure, it's alright
is everything ok with Kacchan tho?
Great, now he's worried. Well done, Eijiro!
kirishima-kun🪨💪
oh yeah, he's fine
i mean, I think so..
Holy shit, what was he doing?! What kind of response was "I think so"?! If Midoriya wasn't worried already, then he certainly would be worried now!!
Dreadfully noticing the three dots that indicated the other boy was typing, Eijiro rushed to send another message first.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
I mean, I'm sure he's fine!!
just texted you to make sure he's not gonna
die or smth
Before Eijiro could rush to fix the mess he'd just created, the other boy had already sent another message.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
WAIT WHAT
WDYM BY "DIE"😨😭?????
Fuck! He'd probably just made Midoriya cry thinking his childhood friend was dead in an alley, kidnapped by villains, or something equally catastrophic!! He needed to fix this mess RIGHT NOW.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
OMG I'M SORRY I WORDED
THAT HORRIBLY😭😭😭
BAKUGO IS FINE I SWEAR,
HE'S WITH ME
He just has a headache
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
Oh...
Eijiro could almost feel Midoriya's relief through the screen and felt even worse for worrying the poor boy.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
yeah, I gave him a painkiller not too long ago
and he's lying down rn
I tried to get him to take two but he was
pretty insistent about ONLY taking
one at a time (๑•﹏•)
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
yeah, that sounds like Kacchan😅
Well, at least now Eijiro knew it wasn't because Bakugo thought he was going to poison him or something. That was a relief.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
anyways, that's good to hear
Huh?! Well, his momentary peace was officially gone now.
What did Midoriya mean by "that's good to hear"?! Was he happy about Bakugo having a headache?!
Again, Eijiro knew those two didn't always get along, but he never expected for Midoriya to wish harm upon the blonde! Had he misjudged him all this time?! Had Bakugo been right to hate him after all?
kirishima-kun🪨💪
huh???
Oops, he wasn't meant to send that. Still, after what he'd just seen, Eijiro couldn't find it in himself to regret it. If Midoriya Izuku had a problem with Kirishima Eijiro's best friend to the point of wishing him harm, then he had a problem with Eijiro as well and he would make sure he knew this!
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
WAIT NO THAT CAME OUT SOUNDING SO
WRONG, SORRY😣
Yeah, he better be sorry!
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
I meant that it's good to hear as
in I'm glad that Kacchan isn't
hurt or anything😖
Not as in I'm glad he has a
headache, that'd be just
messed up on my part😓
Oh…
Oh!
Shit, Eijiro had completely misinterpreted this! Abort the "kill Midoriya on his sleep" mission!!
Now, he felt like an idiot. Of course sweet, innocent, "looks for good in everyone" Midoriya wouldn't be happy because his best friend has a headache! Eijiro truly felt like Bakugo's nickname of "Shitty Hair" was more than deserved at this moment.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
oh!! Sorry man, I'd misunderstood mb (˘･_･˘)
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
it's alright. again, I worded that terribly😅
How could have Eijiro seriously thought for even a moment that this guy would wish harm upon Bakugo?! He was such a dumbass.
Whatever, he had time to beat himself over this later. Right now, he still had something to ask.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
uhm, anyways, I just wanted to ask if this is
normal for him
like, does it mess with his quirk or smth??
should I get an anti-explosive brigade or
anything of the sorts???
Eijiro knew he was probably being overkill, but hey, one could never be too sure!
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
oh nono! I don't think that's necessary😅
since you say it's just a headache, Kacchan
should be fine with a pill and a little rest
at least that's what auntie always said when
we were kids
Eijiro felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. That means he was on the right track to get Bakugo to feel better!! However, there was still some haunting detail he wanted to know more about.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
ohhh well good to know. thanks midobro!!!
btw, bakubro had mentioned something
about swallowing his pills with saliva is
that normal for him or...?
It felt like a silly question, but Eijiro just needed to know so he could be at peace with himself!
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
yeah, I'm afraid it is😅
according to Kacchan, swallowing his pills
with water or any other type of drink is
"an absolute and unnecessary waste of
resources" when he could just use his saliva
to do so
Eijiro let out a small chuckle at this. That sounded like something Bakugo would say.
kirishima-kun🪨💪
sooooo, a Bakugo thing then?
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
hehehe pretty much, yeah (＾∇＾)ﾉ♪
don't tell Kacchan I said this tho, he'd
probably kill me😅🫣
kirishima-kun🪨💪
*kill us you mean😆
no worries man, this stays between you and
me👍
It was true, if Bakugo heard them talking about him like this, he'd be threatening to blow their faces off in a matter of seconds. Eijiro maybe could save himself, but he didn't want to cause more problems than necessary for poor Midoriya.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
hehe yeah kill us😅
thanks kirishima-kun
kirishima-kun🪨💪
nah, it's nothing man
if anything, I should be the one thanking you
Especially after that misunderstanding earlier, Eijiro thought, cringing once more at his horrible interpretation skills.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
oh it's alright, glad I could help☺️
Midoriya was definitely too pure for this planet: Exhibit 1435454536.
Unlike me, Eijiro couldn't help but think, suddenly feeling a pang of envy at how much Midoriya knew about Bakugo, way more than him without a doubt.
Maybe he shouldn't have even texted him in the first place, the boy would probably laugh at how much of a mother hen Eijiro was and tell everyone and they’d would laugh as well and Bakugo would get angry and stop talking to him and ruin his life and everything would be because of this stupid green haired boy...
Wait no! Nope, bad Eijiro!! We're not going to throw unrequited hate at kind, innocent Midoriya again! Not happening!
Deciding it'd probably be best to leave this conversation here before Eijiro's brain betrayed him, he quickly typed:
kirishima-kun🪨💪
anyways, I'll keep you updated about when
our sleepy beauty gets up ;)
That sounded natural, right? Not too short to seem rude but short enough to end the conversation under the promise of future updates.
mido - professional bone breaker - riya🥦🦴
thanks😁
Oh thank goodness, it worked!
kirishima-kun🪨💪
yw
With that out of the way, Eijiro noticed that Bakugo's computer was still on; and so, he had a brilliant idea: look for a movie to watch when (not if, but when) Bakugo was feeling better!
He knew that even though the blonde would never admit it, he looked up to Best Jeanist after his internship; which is why he decided to look for a movie about him rather than one about All Might (along with the fact that Bakugo had probably already seen most, if not all of the All Might movies ever released, considering his merch from the hero almost rivalled Midoriya's, and that was saying something. The guy was such a fanboy, even if he'd never admit it).
After a bit of research, Eijiro found one called "Best Jeanist: Threads of Fate"; although the cast choice for the blonde hero wasn't one that he liked very much, the synopsis and trailer looked promising. So, he clicked on it and decided to look for the poster on his cellphone so it would be easier for Bakugo to see when he got up.
According to the clock on the wall, it had been only 15 minutes since he laid down, so Eijiro still had plenty of time to just relax for a bit. So, he did what any reasonable guy of his age would do and decided to scroll through social media on his phone...
At least until this peaceful activity was disturbed by a notification from "todotheories🔥❄️". (When Mina looked at the name with a questioning eyebrow, he explained that Todoroki had once asked him after a training session if he was "Crimson Riot's secret love child". The laughter that followed this explanation only increased when said boy had come in, mentioned something about "Midoriya being with his dad" while pointing to their green-eyed classmate talking with All Might, and then followed his path with the same blank expression he always had).
todotheories🔥❄️
Kirishima
Welp, he could at least give a guy a warning before texting like that. If Eijiro didn't know him, he'd think someone had died or something.
Kirishima🟥
hey Todoroki!!
He thought about typing "how's it going" but considering the boy was pretty clueless when it came to socializing or using more casual terms (which Eijiro chose to think was due to his parents not giving him a phone until High school or anything relatively normal like that, rather than trust some of the awful rumors people spread about Endeavor on the Internet), he decided to go for something more straightforward.
Kirishima🟥
how are you?
Yep, that was direct enough... At least he hoped it was...
todotheories🔥❄️
I'm fine
Midoriya mentioned something
about Bakugo having a headache,
is he alright?
Why was Midoriya Izuku spreading things that were none of his business?! No, calm down. Be rational.
Knowing Midoriya, he was probably worried about the blonde, so it made sense that he would've shared his worries with one of his close friends like Todoroki.
Kirishima🟥
oh yeah, everything's under
control no worries
As an afterthought, he couldn't help but add:
Kirishima🟥
do you know if Midoriya's
told anyone else tho?
Sure, he understood that the boy was worried, but in Eijiro's opinion, that still wasn't an excuse to share Bakugo's business with everyone in the class!
todotheories🔥❄️
not that I'm aware of
would you like me to tell him to??
Oh, no! That was the last thing Eijiro wanted him to do!
Kirishima🟥
NO!
Oh God, now he looked desperate and had probably scared Todoroki. Fix this mess Eijiro!
Kirishima🟥
I mean.. nono that's not what I meant
todotheories🔥❄️
then what did you mean?
Geez, doesn't anyone have a quirk that allows you to send mental messages over here? That'd be useful at times like these.
Kirishima🟥
I meant that actually it'd be nice
if you told him not to tell anyone else
Okayyyyy, that sounded like Eijiro was bad mouthing Midoriya, so he made sure to add:
Kirishima🟥
not like I think he'd tell everyone
in u.a or smth but just in case
todotheories🔥❄️
oh
“Oh”?! What did he mean by "oh"?! Goodness, Todoroki was going to give him a heart attack at this rate.
todotheories🔥❄️
I get it
I'll tell him that then
Phew. Another catastrophe avoided.
Kirishima🟥
thanks Todoroki-bro!! you're the best😊
todotheories🔥❄️
you're welcome
please let me know when Bakugo's
feeling better
Kirishima🟥
sure thing ;D!
Alright, unless anyone else decided to text him right now, Eijiro could finally enjoy some peace!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
− The hell are you doing?
Okay so, on the bright side, the next time Eijiro heard something, it wasn’t a message notification, but Bakugo sitting up, which caused him to quickly put away his phone.
Despite his relief at someone not texting him again though, he couldn’t help but be a bit worried because there was no way it could’ve already been an hour since Bakugo laid down! So, he was either feeling better or worse and Eijiro wanted to find out which one it was.
−Bakugo! What are you doing up, it’s been like… − way too little time for you to actually rest is what he wanted to say, but the redhead knew his friend would likely take offense to that, so instead he decided to act like a sensible person and check the time on his cellphone – half an hour. Are you good? Do you need another pill? Cause if you do, I’ve still got the whole tablet here, y’know? Seriously man, if you’re in pain don’t hesitate to tell me! I’ll gladly help you out. And I’m not only talking about this moment, I mean in general; you can always rely on me for anything you need! Just stay the word and I’ll…
− I’m fine, Stupid Hair. – Bakugo interrupted him. Eijiro was aware he’d been rambling at that point, but he just felt like it was important for Bakugo to get message across! The redhead couldn’t help but feel frustrated every time the boy brushed off any help someone offered him, even when he clearly needed it.
Yet again, a just-got-up-after-having-a-headache Bakugo probably wouldn’t be very willing to listen to his friend’s (very valid!) concerns.
– That stupid pill worked, just like I knew it would. My headache is gone. – Eijiro doubted that was 100% true since no pill could be strong enough to completely get rid of a headache so fast, unless it was altered by some sort of quirk (which his most certainly weren’t. Eijiro got chills at the mere thought, remembering all the awful things Overhaul had done to Eri to create his quirk-erasing bullets), but the blonde did look better than when he laid down, so he chose to put on a smile and give him the benefit of the doubt this time.
– Oh. Well… I’m glad to hear that. – suddenly, Eijiro remembered what he’d been doing not too long ago, so he turned around with wide eyes to grab his phone, which he then shoved not so gently right in front of Bakugo’s face. – By the way, I just found out that there’s a movie about Best Jeanist! It’s from a few years ago but it looks promising. Would you like to watch it?! – he asked excitedly, especially when he noticed the smallest of glints in the boy’s red eyes, indicating his interest.
−It looks decent enough, I guess. – even though Bakugo had clearly meant for his words to come across as nonchalant and bored, Eijiro knew that he actually wanted to watch the movie now. After all, if he didn’t, the boy wouldn’t have hesitated to say so.
So, Eijiro wasted no time on placing Bakugo’s computer on a chair by the foot of the bed, where the beginning credits could already be seen. As he went to arrange the pillows so they could both be comfortable while sitting up, the redhead didn’t miss the way the other boy shook his head slightly, as if he couldn’t believe Eijiro’s certainty about him accepting to watch the movie. And sure, maybe it was foolish and even a bit egotistical of him to think Bakugo would be immediately convinced, but he’d been right, hadn’t he? After all, just like Kaminari said, he had that “Kirishima charm” (and oh boy, was he starting to love the sound of that).
−Thanks Bakugo. You’re the best!
−Don’t call me that. – the rawness in Bakugo’s voice caught him off-guard. And so, he couldn’t help but turn around to look at the blonde’s face, which did nothing but aggravate his concern once more at noticing what he could only describe as a hurt look in the boy’s eyes.
−Huh? – Eijiro asked. Had he read this whole situation wrong?! Was Bakugo not actually feeling better and had just managed to fool him? Or did he simply not want to be around Eijiro anymore tonight? Or maybe that “don’t call me that” meant he didn’t Eijiro to talk to him at all? That he didn’t want to be his friend? Maybe, he’d finally realized just how pathetic and worthless he really was and…
−It’s just the two of us in this room, no need to keep up the last name bullshit. Just call me ‘Katsuki’ or whatever.
Eijiro was pulled out of his self-deprecating spiral by Baku- Katsuki’s words. Had he heard that right…? Did he actually want him to call him by his first name?
This possibility seemed to become more plausible when the blonde added − It’s not like I ever call you by your real name anyways.
It was more like an afterthought, but it was still true. Katsuki (okay, he liked the sound of that) didn’t really call him by his last name, only “Shitty Hair” or some of its nickname derivates.
Upon realizing that this was, in fact, actually happening, Eijiro smiled once more. −Alright, Katsuki. First-name basis when we’re alone, got it!
−And none of telling the other idiots or I’ll blow your stupid-ass hair to the moon, do you hear me?! – if there was any doubt before, then there was none now: Katsuki was definitely feeling better.
−Loud and clear! – Eijiro exclaimed. Suddenly, he realized that this offered him an opportunity, and one he certainly couldn’t miss. −But… if this is the approach we’re taking, then I must ask for you to call me Eijiro… When you don’t call me Shitty Hair, that is – he added the last part with a small smile.
Oh God, at this rate he could get away with calling him Katsuki-kun. That sounded so manly and cute!
− Whatever, Eijiro. − Katsuki scoffed while taking his spot on the bed, leaving enough space next to him for said redhead to sit.
He made sure to send Kaminari, Midoriya and Todoroki some half-assed message along the lines of “Bakubro’s up and better already” before putting his phone on silence and dropping it carelessly on the desk. Eijiro couldn’t help but feel like a kid whose parents had just told him a secret as he sat down next to the blonde, knowing he could now mentally call him Katsuki.
Hehe, take that Midoriya. We’re one on one now, he couldn’t help but think victoriously.
As the movie went on, Eijiro was getting sloppy, so he didn’t even notice when he started leaning heavily on Katsuki’s side. What he did notice was the boy wrapping his arm around him as this happened. Somehow, this felt like the world was right for the first time in his life, and so, Eijiro let out a sigh of contentment and slowly drifted to sleep.
The class material he’d originally come to ask help for had been long since shoved to the far back of his mind, whose only current concern was using Katsuki as his human-sized teddy bear.
The end.
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(?)
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Studying
"Call me Katsuki"
"Call me Eijiro"
