Chapter Text
Bakugo woke up warm and comfortable after the best night’s sleep he’d had in a long while. He shifted, opening his eyes to see Todoroki, still asleep, face half gilded in sunlight.
It wasn’t a dream.
With care, Bakugo sat up, doing what he could to not disturb the other. As he moved away, Todoroki’s hand reached out to grab his shirt, weakly holding him in place.
He smiled, settling back down where he could easily gaze at Todoroki. He moved the few strands of hair that had fallen across the other’s forehead, murmuring, “You’re so cute, Peppermint.”
“Mmh?” Todoroki’s eyelids flickered before staying closed and still. “You say somethin’?”
“Said you’re ugly when you sleep.”
Todoroki snapped awake at the very real, very close voice. His gaze met Bakugo’s for half a second before he looked away, ears burning red. “Ah- um…”
“Morning.”
“Morning.” His voice was soft and raspy. Todoroki still avoided looking at Bakugo as he asked, “Um, are we going to talk now?”
Both jumped as Bakugo’s alarm went off. Bakugo leaned over to turn it off, making Todoroki freeze as the other suddenly invaded his space.
“We should get ready for school. We can talk after. Okay?”
Todoroki nodded and slid out of the bed. “Yeah, later. Sounds good.”
Bakugo watched him for a moment. “Don’t overthink anything. I know you’re a dumbass but try.”
“You’re the dumbass here.” Todoroki’s posture loosened. “I—Thanks for letting me in last night.”
“You could’ve come sooner.” Bakugo slipped an arm around his waist, letting his cheek rest on Todoroki’s shoulder. “I’m glad you did.”
“Me too.”
The alarm went off again, startling them. Bakugo poked Todoroki in the side. “Go get ready. You’re going to make me late.”
“Late for showing up ten minutes early?” he smiled when Bakugo poked him again harder. “You’re not very good at this whole delinquent thing, you know. You’re a bit of a nerd.”
“Get out of my room, asshole.”
Todoroki laughed as he was gently shoved away. He missed Bakugo’s warmth surrounding him, but the heaviness that had been dragging him down had melted away during the night. He stepped out into the hall, still smiling.
And nearly ran into Kirishima.
“Todoroki?”
He pushed down the urge to immediately freeze the other. “Good morning, Kirishima.”
Kirishima’s eyes moved from him to Bakugo’s door and back, taking in his messy hair and pajamas. There was no mistaking where he came from, and no other explanation for why he looked the way he did. Todoroki waited in tense silence for the judgment to come.
“Figure things out?” Kirishima asked cheerfully.
Todoroki nodded, internally dying. “Starting to, I think. Yeah.”
“Good. I’m glad for the both of you.” Kirishima playfully punched him in the shoulder as he walked past. “See you around dude.”
“See you.” Todoroki walked quickly to the elevator, praying that no one else would see him.
The day could not have gone slower for Todoroki. Lessons lasted for hours, and Todoroki found it impossible to stay focused as the teachers moved through the topics like they were walking through sludge.
Time and time again, his eyes drifted to the back of a blond head, mind filled with imaginings of what their afternoon talk would bring.
He was torn between being excited and absolutely petrified.
It was a relief when the bell rang for lunch.
Part of him wanted to grab Bakugo and slip away to talk or just exist together, but he hesitated for too long and was pulled away by Midoriya to the lunchroom. He glanced back just in time to spot Kirishima guiding an irritated Bakugo away from the rest of their group.
He poked at his food, thoughts moving between last night’s events and possibilities for that afternoon. What did he want to happen? They liked each other, sure, but was that enough? What did Bakugo want?
“Todoroki, are you alright?”
“Hmm?” He looked up to see his friends, looking at him with concern. “Did I miss something?”
Uraraka turned her head to the side. “You’ve been really spacey all morning. Something on your mind?”
“Didn’t sleep well.”
“Perhaps you should go to the nurse,” Iida suggested. “This could be the beginning of an illness.”
Todoroki offered a weak smile, trying to laugh it off. “It’s not that serious. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
He ignored the searching look. Midoriya was giving him. There was no way the other could know anything that happened.
Unless Midoriya had suddenly gained the ability to read minds.
Midoriya, are you listening to my thoughts right now? He thought, watching Midoriya’s face carefully for any reaction. Midoriya only frowned back, confused at the intense look he received.
His attention was diverted by his phone buzzing. He half expected it to be his father, or perhaps his sister; no one else would message him that wasn’t at the table.
Or so he thought before he read the name on the screen.
Bakugo: This rock bitch is annoying.
Todoroki stared at the message before leaning back in his seat, trying to keep his screen hidden.
Another message popped up as he watched. Bakugo: Why’d you have to get caught? Couldn’t have been stealthier?
He smiled as he typed out: You were the one pushing me out. This is your fault.
Bakugo: Asshole.
The rest of the day went faster, almost too fast. Todoroki felt a spike of panic every time he checked the clock, realizing that the time for their talk was getting closer and closer.
He froze at his desk when the final bell rang, and his classmates rose and began packing up their things to go back to the dorms.
“Are you going to the library to study?” Midoriya asked, tapping on Todoroki’s desk to get his attention.
“Um,” Todoroki said. He caught Bakugo looking back at him before disappearing through the doorway. “I have something I have to do at the dorms first.”
Midoriya watched him as he gathered his things in a rush. “Did something happen?”
“No. What makes you ask?” He slowed down his movements, hoping that Midoriya would maybe not be able to read him as well as he usually did.
He shrugged. “You just seem a little off today. Thought maybe something might have changed with you know…”
“It—” he stopped, considering how much he wanted to share. Everything felt too new and fresh and close. “Give me some time?”
Midoriya tilted his head to the side, brow furrowing before his expression eased and he nodded. “Okay. Take it easy, alright? I’ll be ready when you are.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you want to walk back together?”
Todoroki nodded, swinging his bag over his shoulder.
The walk back was filled with Midoriya talking about the subjects they had covered in class today, particularly the hero history lesson. As big of a hero fanboy as Midoriya was, there were still things he wasn’t as familiar with as he had thought. But then again, All Might took up much of his attention.
They parted ways in the common room, Midoriya off to meet up with Shinsou and Todoroki heading for the elevators. He bumped into Kirishima on the way there. The redhead offered him a wink and a thumbs-up, which Todoroki was sure was meant to be reassuring, but only served to make him more nervous.
His hands shook as he knocked on Bakugo’s door, reminded of doing the same thing the night before.
Bakugo answered, silently letting the other inside. Todoroki stopped in the middle, throat too dry to talk.
“Are you okay?” Bakugo stood in front of him, red eyes searching his face. “You look like you’re going to be sick, and if you are, you better not make a mess.”
“I—” he forced out, clearing his throat. “I just, um—”
A knuckle rapped against his forehead. “I told you not to overthink things, dumbass,” Bakugo said, a crooked grin decorating his face. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“But—”
“We’re not going to do anything either of us doesn’t want to.” Bakugo pulled at his sleeve, sitting them both down on the ground, backs against the side of the bed. “We don’t even have to talk right now if you don’t want. Nothing to worry about.”
It was easier without having to face Bakugo. He was still acutely aware of the other’s presence beside him, could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, but it was easier. “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do now. I never really thought about this.”
“We don’t have to do anything.” Bakugo sighed. “Honestly, if we could go back to how we were before, just hanging out, I would like that.”
Todoroki’s nose wrinkled. “We can do that?”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
He gestured vaguely in the air. “Aren’t things supposed to be different now? Like everything’s changed, nothing can go back to how it’s supposed to be?”
“Sure, if you’re the main character in a shitty romance movie.” Bakugo laughed, bumping their shoulders together. “Not saying it’ll be exactly the same. But we can do the same stuff. I don’t really want to jump into anything anyway.”
“You don’t?”
“It hurt when you ignored me like that.” Bakugo pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “I thought I did something wrong.”
“I’m sorry.” Todoroki reached out, hesitated, and then laid his hand over Bakugo’s. “I didn’t like it either. But I was too scared of what might happen if I was around you.”
Bakugo scoffed as he moved his fingers to interlace with Todoroki’s. “Yeah, yeah, we know both know you’re dumb when it comes to emotions.”
“Pretty sure you’re not that much better.” He squeezed Bakugo’s hand. “I’d like to hang out again.”
“Good. Because if you didn’t, I’d throw you out the window.”
Todoroki smiled, chest full of that warm, fluttering feeling he’d had every time he thought of Bakugo that day. “I’d like to see you try.”
“You lookin’ for a fight, Peppermint?”
“Only if you try to throw me out the window.” He leaned over, resting his head on Bakugo’s shoulder. “What do you want to do now?”
Bakugo leaned his head against Todoroki’s. “Watch a movie?”
“Sounds great.”
Todoroki never thought he’d be so happy to crawl into another person’s bed. Even without Bakugo, it was warm and sweet-smelling, a cozy nest he hadn’t realized he’d missed. He did notice that something was different, however.
“Did you get more pillows?”
Bakugo glared over his shoulder at the teen half-hidden in his bedding. “No. And that’d be fucking weird to notice. Weirdo.”
He looked at the pillows surrounding him, counting them. “I don’t think you had eight last time I was here. Thought it was only six.”
“The fuck are you counting my pillows for?” Bakugo crawled onto the bed now, settling down on Todoroki’s left side. He left a few inches of space between them. “Fuckin’ weirdo.”
“You’re the pillow hoarder.” Todoroki moved over an inch, slowly warming up his left side.
By the end of the movie, they were tangled up, Todoroki half dozing with his head on Bakugo’s chest. He hummed as a hand combed through his hair and slid down his neck.
“I missed you, Peppermint.”
“I missed you too.”