Chapter Text
6
“I don’t think so.”
Kirishima turns in his office chair, deaf to Yaoyorozu’s pleas.
“Kirishima, please!” Yaoyoruzu cries out, shaking Kirishima’s shoulders. “Please! I'll give you lunch for the whole month if you do this one tiny favor!”
Kirishima sighs in defeat, giving a small glance at the stack of papers in Yaoyorozu's shaking hands, he looks up to her pleading face; the 'wide eyes and bottom lip in a pout' combination’ and hates how it alone almost works on him.
“Why me?”
Sero scoffs from beside him. Kirishima responds with a raised brow.
“What's funny?”
Sero looks at him with wide eyes, genuinely unaware of his actions, but grins and bows his head apologetically.
“Sorry, man. Didn't think it'll come out like that. But it's not like you don't know.”
“Don't know what?”
“How obvious it is?”
“How obvious what is?”
Sero was going in circles and Yaoyorozu was becoming restless.
“The boss has a weak spot for you, Kirishima!” Yaoyorozu interrupts. Her hands are still on the tall stack of papers, her forearms giving in time as she drops them on Kirishima's table. “And these papers need his signature ASAP. I tried getting it to him, but hell would freeze over before he'd give it a second glance!”
She pushes it closer to him, the neat tower wobbling in his direction. “But, listen now, maybe if you give it-”
“What makes you so sure that I can sway him to sign a bunch of papers.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sero mutters to himself under his breath. “The boss obviously likes you, silly. Yaomomo here is taking advantage of his feelings to get productive!”
“I am not!” She shrinks. “Okay, I kinda am, but you didn’t have to word it like that.”
Kirishima flushes at the response, there is a tingling feeling in his gut, butterflies rampaging as Sero’s words process in his head.
But he isn't falling for that.
Kirishima shakes his head to deny it. “He doesn't like me.”
“It’s not that far-off of an assumption, Kirishima.” Yaoyorozu says. “How he acts around you these past few days have been, well, uncharacteristic of him.”
“Just say Grumpy’s picking favorites.”
“What Sero said.”
“And it’s bold of you to question your errands, rookie. You are technically a new employee.” Sero grins, tapping the top of the paper tower. “Get to it, Water Cooler.”
“Water Cooler?” Kirishima repeats.
“You're really bad with nicknames.” Yaoyorozu comments.
“It has an origin story, mind you.” Sero sneers dusting off the side comment. “The tension between you two whenever you're by the water cooler. I can cut it with my ninja sword.”
“You have a ninja sword?” Kirishima perks up.
“How gaudy...” Yaoyorozu whispers. “Anyway, Kirishima. These papers are incredibly important. They discuss lengthily the proposal for a merge between two companies. I don't think I need to remind you why the Osaka branch had to let go of some employees.”
Kirishima, at the sound of his old company, straightens up from his seat. “Why doesn't he just sign it?”
“I have no idea!” She whines, stomping her heels as she did. “The company we're merging with is good, the Todoroki Inc. have been very generous with their offer but Bakugou took one look at it and I had to take the papers away from him before he brought out the shredder!”
“The Todorokis, huh?” Kirishima deeply sighs, connecting the two dots. “Okay, I can ask him to sign. And if he asks why I'm the one doing it and not you, the Office Secretary?”
“Tell him I had an emergency.”
“The emergency being…?”
“My house is on fire and I had to step out.”
“Damn, Yaoyorozu.” Sero laughs loud. “Dedication.”
“Desperation, actually.” Momo corrects. “I'll knock all the wooden tables on my way to the lunchroom.” She flashes Kirishima a bright smile and two thumbs up. “Goodluck! Not that you really need it!”
Bakugou's office was nothing short of intimidating, it had the same set of furniture as every other office save for his personal belongings like a wide porcelain vase at the corner of the room and the large painting hung over the accent table on the side.
There was simply something about it that makes walking towards a path of hot coal a much preferable option.
Nonetheless, Kirishima shakes the nerves away and carefully knocks on the door with Bakugou's gruff ‘come in’ follows quick. He enters with caution and waits for Bakugou to look away from the other papers he's browsing on the desk, grey tabs cascading the side with his pen gliding across the bottom edges.
“What is it now, Yaoyoro-” Bakugou starts on an annoyed drawl, casting his eyes up but then straightens up at the sight of him. “Oh. Kirishima. It's you.”
Kirishima notices the squirm in his movements, hands quick to smoothen his spiky hair and wrinkled collar.
Sero's taunting voice goes off in the back of his head; 'Bossman's favorite!' it chants.
Kirishima tells it to shut up.
“Yeah, uhm...” Kirishima places the papers on his desk. “Yaoyorozu had an emergency and, she asked me if I could have you sign these papers?”
Bakugou nods rather enthusiastically, eyes on him while he grabs his pen, cursing as it rolls off the desk.
“Shit, wait.”
He doesn't even ask about Yaoyorozu and something about Bakugou being frazzled around him makes his ego inflate.
Kirishima slowly gets a hint of what it is Sero has been witnessing down at the water cooler but tries not to let it get to his head.
This was Bakugou Katsuki, after all.
“Just these papers?” Bakugou asks, eyes still on him. “Nothing else you want to ask me about?”
It was strangely refreshing to see the brash blonde go soft on him, there is a certain fluidity to his actions, and yet nervous habits come to break the image from time to time. Bakugou reaches to unbutton the cuffs of his wrist, and buttons it again. He can spot the subtle practice of his signature in the air in his attempt to look cool.
And he allows these minuscule actions to raise his self-esteem, even just a little.
“No, just these papers.” He rubs the back of his neck. “It's about the merge proposal with the Todoroki's and-”
“Where’s the fucking shredder?”
Bakugou’s interruption makes Kirishima freeze on the spot. A wave of panic goes over him, moving fast to grab the papers away from Bakugou.
“Woah, wait, what!?”
“Nevermind, you won’t know where it is. I'll get it myself.”
He stands from his leather chair, swinging open bottom drawers in search of the gadget.
“Sir!” Kirishima says scandalously, holding the stack to his chest. “I won’t let you shred these.”
“I should have shred those papers long ago, fucking Todoroki and his fucking harem-” Bakugou brightens up as he pulls out a large machine from one of the cabinets. “Give it here!”
“Waitwaitwait!” Kirishima runs to the other side of the table. “We need this merge, Bakugou!”
“We don't.” Bakugou stomps towards Kirishima, who only runs to the opposite side, out of his reach. “Give it!”
“The merge can literally save several branches from bankruptcy! Maybe my old office can even hire me- WOAH!”
Bakugou leans over the table, torso on the glass of his desk, trying to reach for him.
“Kirishima, the papers!”
“Listen to me!” He continues albeit breathless going in circles trying to run from Bakugou around his office. “Our finances-”
“Are fine.” Bakugou grits his teeth, undoing a button on his shirt. “Our finances are fine! We have back-up stocks and-”
“And several of our partners are threatening to pull, come on, man!” Kirishima doesn't stop to catch his breath, jumping on his office chair, the papers still tightly clipped in between his thighs, and uses it to slide across the room. “Your stamina is manly, but we really-AH!”
Bakugou winces as the wheels of his chair get stuck, the sudden stop throwing Kirishima face first and ass up in the air, landing just centimeters away from one of the porcelain vases in the office.
He'd been meaning to get that fixed.
“I don’t feel sorry for you right now.” Bakugou says, surveying the mess.
Bakugou’s comment goes over his head as Kirishima grabs onto the vase, his legs shaking as he stands. “I can't pay for this vase. Please tell me I didn't break it. Is there a crack, I can't repair a crack! Maybe if I put some ramen noodles like in that one video-”
“You're- fuck- it’s fine.”
“Oh thank God.”
Even with the commotion, Kirishima hugs the papers, bent as they are close to him. “Bakugou, can you just sign the papers? For the company?”
“I told Yaoyorozu, and I'll tell you, and I'll tell the fucking board over and over again.” Bakugou pulls his tie loose, walking close to pull his chair back up. “I am not working with Todoroki, most especially with Todoroki Shouto.”
“Is this because you two dated? Is that it?”
Bakugou presses his lips together, frowning at nothing in particular. Kirishima feels a sickening surge of something surge in his veins at the sight of it.
“He's obsessed with me.” Bakugou finally answers, reaching his hand out to help Kirishima out. Kirishima rolls his eyes, but reaches for it, dusting his pants off. “Don't give me that look, I'm not exaggerating!”
“You most definitely are.”
“I am not.”
“If you're not working with The Todorokis, just because he happens to be your ex back in college, that’s pretty unprofessional of you, man.” He glances to the side, mumbling to himself. “I mean if I can do it…”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Bakugou frowns at his words. “Let me make it clear that I'm not refusing a merge just because he's someone I slept with.”
He rolls his chair back to place, speed dialing maintenance to fix his mess of an office.
“Bakugou.”
“I won’t sign it, Kirishima. Leave my office. And the next idiot who brings up the merge is getting fired.”
“Do it for me.”
“Ha?”
Kirishima crosses his fingers, rides on Sero’s keen observation of Bakugou’s feelings for him, screw what Bakugou will think of him now, consequences be damned; there’s a company he can and would save.
“Do it for me.” Kirishima repeats, an unfamiliar feeling clawing at his chest, tightening his throat. “If you don't get this merge, then something really bad is going to happen.”
“Like what?”
“You won’t see me again?”
Kirishima figures it would be wise to suggest it with a lighthearted tone, but an overwhelming air of awkwardness still blankets the conversation.
Bakugou keeps his eyes on him, narrowing as the seconds tick by agonizingly slow.
“I was joking. I actually meant that-“
“Fine.”
Huh? Wait. What?
“Give those here.” Bakugou says, “I'll sign them, and you can tell Yaoyorozu to get her ass out of the lunchroom and stop passing her tasks to you.”
“You're actually going to sign them.” Kirishima looks at him, dumbfounded. “Was it because…”
“I just have one condition.”
Kirishima stands rigid straight and prepares himself for the worst. Whatever it was, he should just say. If it meant saving a company and getting to keep his only means of getting to afford what he eats every day.
“When Todoroki gets here.” Bakugou starts, looking out the view of his office. “Don't show up for work. And if he drops a fucking surprise visit, you are not going to show your face at all.”
Oh.
“Is that clear?
“C-crystal...”
“Now,” Bakugou plops down his seat, looking exhausted. “Leave them and I’ll call for someone to send it over later.”
With a bow, Kirishima exits his office.
Sero notices his messy tie, messy hair, and messy clothes and prepares to tease him, but then he sees the tears welling up in his co-worker’s eyes and looks the other way.
Something happened, but he knew not to poke his nose where it doesn’t belong.
Yaoyorozu will never get to hear the end of this one.
2
“Don’t touch me.”
“This really isn’t that big of a deal, Katsuki.”
“Don’t call me that either.”
“But I have to.”
Bakugou sneers at the Todoroki heir. Annoyed at his calm demeanor, at the way he blinks at him like there was nothing wrong, like being bound by contract dating is something he’s used to; forced to spend hours with one another all in the name of entrepreneurial success.
“How the fuck are you okay with this?” He growls, inches away from doing god-knows-what. “Your dad is outdated, sick in the head, power-hungry-”
“This is why we’re perfect for each other, Katsuki.” Todoroki interrupts, sipping his cup of coffee. “We agree with how bad of a father Enji is.”
Todoroki smiles at the face Bakugou put on.
“I, however, do like being your boyfriend, Katsuki. This deal between our parents is a good thing...I think.”
“It’s Bakugou to you.”
“It’s Katsuki from now on.”
Todoroki gets out of his seat and walks to his side, offering his hand. “This’ll be fun, sweetheart.”
“Fuck you.” Bakugou shoves his hand away, and Todoroki watches it flail at his side.
“While that’d be a fun time, how can we go from that when you can’t even hold my hand.”
“Don’t touch me.”
“You’re making this harder than it has to be, Katsuki.”
“Stop calling me that, scarface.” Bakugou stands and walks away.
Todoroki sighs and follows suit, not too bothered with the attention and commotion they’ve brought on them as they leave the cafe, unlike Bakugou who glared at every bystander, ready to claw their curious eyes out.
It was silly, this whole dating thing, and Bakugou is inclined to think that Todoroki Shouto thinks so too—
“Katsuki, let’s hold hands.”
“We don’t have to hold hands.”
“It’s what boyfriends do.” He hums. “If I say that ‘Your hand is warm, and I like holding it’ will that make it better?”
—but then he pulls crap like this and Bakugou hates the possibility that Todoroki might, unfortunately, be taking this seriously.
He stops walking and, right on cue, Todoroki pauses behind him.
“Katsuki?”
“You’re not serious with this are you?” Bakugou frowns, fearing his answer. “You hate Enji, so why the hell are you following through with his bullshit?
“For your parents?”
“Don’t drag the Hag and Old Man signing into things to make our company grow, that’s none of your business.”
“It is, if my name is in it, right?” Todoroki reaches to tuck blonde strands behind his ear, bending to hotly whisper. “Besides, there’s no room to complain, that non-disclosure agreement surely covered everything.”
Bakugou’s three seconds away from choking him.
“Oh fuck off, half-and-half.” Bakugou says gesturing to the sides of his shoulder like he was knighting him. “You don’t like this stupid thing as much as I do and you’re gonna come up with a plan to—”
“But I do like it.” Todoroki tilts his head, bored save for the sliver of sincerity in his eyes. “I like you.”
“Well I don’t.” Bakugou retorts. “I don’t want you touching me and holding me and—”
Todoroki, cheeky as he is, interrupts him and pulls Bakugou close, shamelessly kissing him. He feels Todoroki’s tongue forcibly parts his lips, and before Bakugou could bite the offending muscle off, Todoroki breaks the kiss swiping his cold thumb on his bottom lip.
“What is wrong with you!”
“That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
Bakugou winds his closed fist back, not second thinking as his fist meets cheek. There is a scandalous gasp around them as Todoroki flies back, the beginnings of a bruise blooming on his porcelain skin.
“Touch me again and you’ll get more than a punch.” Bakugou growls, pushing his hands in his pockets, turning on his heel, and running in the opposite direction.
Todoroki’s eyes follow him, incredibly displeased as he spots Bakugou walk by Kirishima’s side. He narrows his eyes, observing the nervous body language, the way Bakugou’s hands will hesitate to intertwine with him; the kinds of moments he wants to be reciprocated performed with someone else.
It made him sick, but then Kirishima’s eyes meet his and, immediately, takes a few steps away from Bakugou’s side.
And yet, something about it, the naivety and courteousness of it all, ticks Todoroki off.
Kirishima is truly the biggest threat there is.
“Congratulations, Bakugou!” Kirishima says excited, maybe even a bit strained with the cheek-pulling grin of his. “You and Todoroki make a great couple.”
“You’re lying.”
Kirishima laughs, hitting him playfully, but no words to deny it come from him.
That one class they have together was painfully awkward, strained from the stares and whispers from students and professors alike.
“I’m being honest,” Kirishima says, swallowing that lump in his chest. “I think you and Todoroki are pretty cool, you know, together.”
“I guess.”
“How’d you two meet?”
Bakugou groaned at the question, familiar with the consequences he and his family would get if he dared break the NDA. And with their income steadily flowing in, several plans and extensions coming to fruition, there were simply too many things at stake.
“We met at a conference room.” Bakugou says, compressing the whirlwind of events in an underwhelming sentence.
But it wasn’t too far from the truth.
Todoroki says he’s liked him this entire time but Bakugou hasn’t even given the Todoroki heir a single glance before the contract signing. “Parents, businesses, that thing.”
“Oh!” Kirishima says, nodding slowly. “That’s cool.”
He plays with the zipper of his pencil case, twirling the pen in between his fingers before he flashes Bakugou an awkward smile.
“I guess that dinner this weekend is uh... cancelled, yeah?”
Bakugou has the sudden urge to throw himself out the window.
“Since you have a boyfriend now.” Kirishima says, scratching his scalp. “I’m sure you and Todoroki would be super busy doing what boyfriends do!”
He really really wants to throw himself out that window, right now, this very moment. A painful pang resonates in his chest, there is a spike of sensations dancing on his palm, it was hard to even look at Kirishima.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s alright.”
It wasn’t surprising that Bakugou and Todoroki were at each other’s throats when alone.
Well, it was more of Bakugou screaming and telling him to go away and Todoroki insisting that everything was just fine.
Either way, it wasn’t fine at all.
And that’s how Bakugou finds himself at Aizawa’s bar in the first place, stumbling down the dimly lit bar. It was run by two men, Aizawa and another cyan-haired young adult who didn’t like being around busy times, but he did frequent hanging by the smoking area, ash gathering on his palm.
His first visit was not the last, and soon enough, there were nights were Bakugou locked up for the two men. It was crazy to admit, but Aizawa’s masked excitability to head home with the other man was something he was envious of.
He wants to come home to someone who cares too and, honestly, only one person came to mind.
His phone fumbles in his hands, the characters turn wonky and wiggly, it was nearly impossible to type a message, let alone navigate his contacts.
To: Eijirou
Are yuu up? You’re stayig at Yuuei aren’r you?# Im comingbbover
From: Eijirou
I think visiting hours are over ☹
Bakugou?
Hey?
Room humber ?.>.’
Is there something wrong?
Is this for an assignment?
Room
Can we talk about it tomorrow?
I’m really sleepy :”((
RoomM
17th
Fourth floor.
I don’t know if the guard will let you in tho
It was blurry from there.
All he remembers Kirishima’s concerned voice. And his touch. And every minty breath of his.
Then he remembers pillowy lips. He remembers Kirishima’s fingers running down his back, and Kirishima’s tongue sweeping his. He remembers shifting sheets, tossed pillows, and discarded clothes.
Bakugou wakes up the next day with marks blooming down the valley of his chest. Kirishima’s hand wrapped around his waist, hickeys adorning his jaw.
And for once, Bakugou wakes up full of love.
He waits for the guilt, for the realization dawning to him to wreck him inside and out, but nothing surfaces; nothing but that triumph feeling of things being everything but wrong fills him.
It was a first, but it certainly was not the last.