Chapter Text
Bakugou was not having a great day.
That was a fucking understatement.
He was having a shitty ass day.
Start at this morning – his alarm did not go off for some stupid fucking reason. That fucked up his entire goddamn morning. He couldn’t do his morning training routine so instead he would just have to deal with this restless energy all damn day until classes are over. Maybe he should just punch shitty hair at lunch – he could take it.
Then, because he was running late, he didn’t have time to make breakfast. Stupid Deku – who was waiting for him in the kitchen looking stupidly worried like the idiot he was – gave him one of his favorite spicy granola bars and a tumbler of coffee that apparently Raccoon Eyes made. Which.
Raccoon Eyes didn’t know how Bakugou took his coffee, but seeing as the kitchen was unscathed, he would let the nerd get away with breaking his ban in the kitchen this one time. Good to know the nerd wasn’t completely useless.
Stupid nerd aside – the complete disruption of the start of his day just set the fucking tone for the rest of the day. He couldn’t focus in class, something he knew the teachers picked up on but were smart enough not to call him out on it. Unless they wanted an explosion to the face.
By the time lunch finally came around, his mood was at rock bottom. Not even blasting shitty hair at point blank – he gave him a warning, shut up – did much to improve his mood. At least the heat of his explosion temporarily got rid of the cold. Stupid UA setting the air conditioning too high. It felt like fucking Antarctica and for a moment he wished he had the hoodie he left in his room.
As Bakugou chomped down on his lunch, he glared around the room, looking for something to occupy his thoughts away from UA’s poor temperature control. The stupid extras in the cafeteria were doing their stupid extra things. Deku was a few tables over sitting with his stupid ‘squad’ as Raccoon Eyes called them. Damn Icyhot was sitting next to him – sitting way too fucking close for being just a friend. Deku hadn’t said anything to him – not that he would, they weren’t friends, just rivals – but Bakugou had eyes. And ears.
The half-and-half bastard had taken to calling Deku ‘Izuku’ lately and been touching him way more. The stupid two-faced teen practically pulls the idiot into his lap. Just thinking about the disgusting show of PDA made Bakugou feel physically sick, nausea creeping up his throat and forcing him to stop eating or he might actually throw up.
Great, now his fucking lunch was ruined too.
He gave the couple another glare for good measure before deciding he could try to pay attention to his stupid idiots. Dunce Face was telling some dumb story about how he made a fool of himself in front of Ears. That served him right for focusing on girls when they were supposed to be focused on being the best. Not that these idiots would ever be the best with him here, but they could at least try not to make it easy.
“Man, maybe I should ask Mido for advice. That man has all the game. Look at him and Todoroki,” Dunce Face said. Fuck this, Bakugou thought, as he got ready to leave. He didn’t need to put up with this bullshit today.
“Denki, I thought you would have learned this by now. Platonic cuddles are a thing!” Raccoon Eyes huffed. Bakugou pausing in his packing up. Wait, what?
“You’re telling me that that is platonic?” Dunce Face pointed to the couple – not couple? – where Deku was at this point just straight up half-sitting in Icyhot's lap. Bakugou kinda had to agree with Pikachu, that sure as hell wouldn’t be platonic if it was him – which it would never be. Because that would be weird. Bakugou liked girls.
Yeah, he liked girls.
“Yes, Denki! God, there is so much wrong with your assumption, I don’t even know where to begin. Wait, yes I do. First, I am pretty sure Todoroki is straight. So stop right there. Second of all, granted Todoroki spends more time with Izu than me, but I cuddle him the exact same way. It is not romantic or sexual, it is just a comfort thing. It’s fucking possible. If you stopped making it weird, I would do the same thing with you. And third, just because Todoroki is a guy doesn’t mean he’s Izu’s type. I know his type, and Todoroki isn’t it. Not that he isn't cute in his own way.” Raccoon Eyes actually looks mad, which was new for Bakugou. He didn’t think the pink gremlin could get actually mad. She looked like Pikachu was one bad word choice away from becoming a puddle of human flesh. She had even stood up to loom over him from the other side of the table, with just the briefest hint of acid in her hand.
It made him proud.
“Ah, sorry Mina! I didn’t mean anything by it, I just don’t get it, I guess. I mean, I don’t really want to do anything like that except with Jirou, who I like so I guess I thought everyone was like that, but I’ll stop assuming now. Sorry, don’t melt me!” Dunce Face looked like he was two second away from just booking it as the words spilled out of his mouth. Mina huffed one more time before deflating back into her seat.
“That’s fine, Denki. Some people are like that, for better or worse, but don’t assume everyone is. Izu and I, we just like physical contact. It’s a comfort thing and it makes me really uncomfortable when other people turn it into something it isn’t.” She explained, looking tired. Bakugou expected there was more behind that statement, but god he wasn’t about to step into that minefield. Let Deku handle that, he would just punch the extra. Dunce Face looked sheepish, but kept his mouth shut.
“Wow Mina, I didn’t know you had that in you. That was manly as hell,” Hair-for-brains said, gushing over her like the idiot he was. God, could he be more obvious.
“Kiri, don’t ever say anything I do is manly. I will punch you.” Mina glared that Shitty Hair, which caught all of them off-guard. Bakugou made a mental note to ask shitty Deku later because that seemed like another minefield he wanted nothing to do with.
“Ah, that was womanly as hell?” Hair-for-Brains offered. Mina considered it, then nodded firmly.
“Acceptable.” With that, the weird attitude that Mina had brought out disappeared. Like it was never there. She smiled at Kiri as she went back to eating.
“Seriously, what the fuck was that?” Bakugou asked.
“I was just following Izu-babe’s advice on how to deal with assholes. Channel your inner Baku-babe, tone down appropriately for who you’re talking to and their level of assholery, and then let it out. It’s very effective,” Cotton candy hair explained. UA must have finally fixed their damn thermostat, because for the first time that day, Bakugou didn’t feel cold. He just stared at the pink menace.
“I’m surprised the useless nerd came up with that, it’s actually a decent strategy, to emulate me,” he begrudgingly admitted. Raccoon Eyes rolled her eyes and took the last bite of her lunch.
“If you wanna fish for compliments, go to Izu. That man will go on a 2-hour rant about you without repeating a single item. I'm almost impressed.” Bakugou didn’t know how to respond to that - or the implication behind it - so he went back to his lunch. Pink Panther smirked at him, like she got something over him when in reality he was just hungry.
Bakugou looked at the not-couple again. The same level of nausea from earlier didn’t come back now that he understood it wasn’t romantic affection, but he still felt disgust at the sight. Hot disgust that bubbled in his chest and eyes, bringing back his weird heartburn. He needed to stop letting Deku convince him to eat junk food, clearly, it was messing with his body.
Also, the damn AC must have turned back on.
As soon as classes were over, Bakugou changed and went for a run. A long, several miles run that finally got rid of the restless energy that rampaged inside him. His mood didn’t improve much, but at least now he didn’t feel like punching everyone. As much.
Walking back to the dorm, he entered the kitchen to get a drink before heading to the showers. Of fucking course stupid Deku was in the kitchen – the bottomless pit must have wanted to mooch food off their classmates. That reminded Bakugou that he needed to figure out what he was making them for dinner tonight; something easy, he didn't feel like putting to much effort into it. Spicy ramen? Bakugou grunted an acknowledgement to the nerd as he opened the fridge to grab a sports drink and check what was in there. Yep, there was everything he needed.
The nerd didn’t respond.
Opening the bottle, Bakugou turned around to see what was up with the shitty nerd. What he saw made him pause and run through a mental checklist.
Cup of hot chocolate that Bakugou could smell the cinnamon in, check. Blanket his mom made for him when he was a baby around his shoulders, check. His favorite, worn-out All Might shirt, check. Staring at the table oblivious to the world, check.
Shit, he needed to get Mina before the nerd realized he was there. Bakugou started to back out of the room but bumped into one of the chairs. Shit.
“Kacchan?” The nerd snapped out of his fog and looked up at him. Shit.
“What’s wrong with you, nerd?” Bakugou spit out. He briefly heard Auntie Inko’s voice telling him to be nicer – that’s not how you comfort someone, Katsuki. Whatever, that was what his old hag would say. Bakugou breathed through a sudden muscle stitch that hit him in his chest – ugh, that was what he got for skipping his morning routine.
“Nothing, Kacchan. Don’t, don’t worry about it. I’m just waiting for Mina to come back from her trip with the girls.” Crap. Raccoon Eyes wasn’t here.
“Alright, nerd. I’m going up to my room then.” Bakugou did not run out of the room. He walked out of there, pulling out his phone to tell the damn pink menace to get her ass back here as soon as possible. He made it to his room, grabbing clothes to put on after he washed off. When he opened his door to go to the communal showers, he was stopped by the green-haired idiot in his way.
Fuck his life.
“Kacchan, can I ask you a question?” No. He was not doing this today.
“No, get out of my way.” The idiot didn’t budge.
“Do you – well, um – do you think being gay makes me a f-freak? And if I can still be a hero?” He asked. Bakugou froze.
He really didn’t like the tone Deku had when he asked that. Some extra was getting punched as soon as he gets away from this situation.
“Why the fuck would you ask that, you useless nerd?” Katsuki, be nice! Fuck, even Bakugou could admit he should probably not be insulting the nerd right now.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Deku said flatly.
“You didn’t answer mine.” Why didn’t this nerd go to literally any one of his friends? Round face or even fucking Icyhot would be better at this than him – which, no he was the best at everything, but he just didn’t feel like comforting this stupid nerd right now. He was sweaty and in a bad mood.
“Monoma called me a fa – the f-word. I guess 1-B found out I was gay? Not sure how, but he told me that no one would want to be saved by a freak like me and – you’re honest with me. Always have been even when I didn’t want you to be. I know what Ochako and Todo would say if I asked them, but I wanna know what you think.” Shit, shit, shit, Bakugou could hear the tears in Deku’s stupid voice. He couldn’t see them since the nerd was thankfully staring at the floor, but he could hear them.
Bakugou knew what his old hag would say. She would punch him and tell him to stop being such a crybaby. To stop being so weak and caring what some extra had to say. To man up and get over it.
Bakugou also knew that wouldn’t work on Deku.
He didn’t know what to say and the Auntie Inko’s voice was silent.
Fuck.
“Kacchan?” Deku looked up at him and – shit, now he could see the tears in those stupid, big dumb green eyes.
Bakugou didn’t think, he panicked. He grabbed Deku and – hugged him. Just hugged him. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest – he should have done a longer cool down – and the blood rushing in his ears.
Deku crumpled in his arms, crying into his tank top. Still in crisis mood, Bakugou pulled the crying nerd further into his room and shut the door. There was no need for the extras to see this. It would make it harder to deny it ever happened. Which it didn't. Happen.
Bakugou thought about how Auntie Inko would hug him when he got hurt at her home as a child. He let the nerd curl into his chest and rubbed his back, tucking the idiot’s head under his. It was kinda – he was doing this out of obligation. Only out of obligation, no other reason. He couldn’t let All Might’s successor give up because of some stupid extra. He needed a proper rival to beat or else it would mean nothing when he became number one.
The nerd stopped crying after a while, but Bakugou stayed there until Deku physically pulled away.
The cold pit in his stomach was just his dread at still having to verbally comfort the nerd. That was all. If he wanted to keep hugging the idiot, it was only to postpone having to talk to him. That was it.
“Do you think I can be a hero, Kacchan? C–can you answer that at least?” That, that he could do.
“You’re here, aren’t you? You got your damn license.” Deku gave a shaky laugh, tears springing back in his eyes. Stupid crybaby.
“That’s…a very Kacchan answer.” Deku said, before hugging Bakugou again. He let the nerd. It was easier than talking.
By the time Deku fully calmed down and left, Bakugou felt overheated. He really needed that shower now.
He left the hoodie he grabbed in his room, not needing it anymore.
“So. I just saw Baku-babe chasing Monoma.”
“Oh. I might have told Kacchan about what Monoma said to me last week.”
“Okay. Why?”
“Was Kacchan wearing a hoodie?”
“No." A beat. "Oh! Well, that’s one way to do that.”
“Plus, Monoma deserves it. I only punched him a little.”
“True! So, can we invite him to the cuddle puddle now?”
“Puppy pile. And there is no way in hell that Kacchan would publicly cuddle us. I had to wait for him to be in his room before I fully made my move.”
“Aw. But I wanna cuddle in the blanket fort.”
“I just don’t see how we could pull that off. I needed a big excuse just to hug him – privately. I was borderline crying at his door. And he still hesitated, so I had to pull out the puppy dog eyes.”
“Oh, god.”
“Yeah. But it worked. He refused to let me go for 35 minutes.”
“Oh.”
“And then he let me hug him again for another half hour.”
“Okay. So how do we go from here?”
“Well, it’s not like we have any shortage of emotional distress. Between you and me, we could scrounge up enough for him to think he’s doing us a favor. Hopefully over time, the excuses can be less – dramatic?”
“Alright. My parents are visiting next week, so I try then.”
“Say the word and your dad will be dead. Just know that. Also, can you talk to Kirishima and see if he could start doing those – like – bro things where they clap each other on the shoulder and fist bump and stuff. I think Kacchan would accept it from him. Eventually.”
“I can work on that.”
“Great. Now I’m gonna see if I can get Momo to join the puppy pile. She seems lonely lately.”
“Cuddle puddle.”
“Alliteration is cuter than rhyming.”
“In your dreams. I say we call a vote.”
“Not until we have more members. I know Todo is on your side.”
“Because he knows what’s cute.”