Chapter Text
As cold and insensitive as Bakugou appeared to be, he was great at reading people.
Really, in all honesty he cared a lot about the people sorrounding him, even if he was constantly threatening them with explosions, and cursing at them 24/7. That's how he knew Kirishima had self esteem issues within the first week of knowing him. The constant comments on how great the others' quirks were weren't just out of admiration. He was also comparing himself to the rest. He put himself down constantly, even without realising it.
At first Bakugou tried not to mind too much, but as their friendship grew stronger, he became attached to that stupid red-haired dork, and knowing he was hiding his insecurities and suffering on his own pissed him off. So, he swore to himself he'd be the one to help his best (And probably only) friend. That shittyhair bastard would love himself one way or the other.
Walking out of their last class, Bakuguo decided to start randomly complimenting his friend. Maybe that way he'd feed the dumbass' ego a little bit.
"Oi, Hair-for-brains. Nice work today in practice." It was just a cassual comment, but it made Kirishima beam with delight. It was the first time he'd heard Bakugou complimenting him, and it made him feel like the manliest man in the world.
"Thanks, man! You did great as well!"
"Well, duh", Bakugou grunted.
Kirishima just rolled his eyes in amusement as they walked inside the dorm building's common room and dragged his friend to the kitchen, at the scream of "TIME FOR ENERGY DRINKS".
Of course, Bakugou wouldn't admit it, but Kirishima's bright smile made something flutter in his stomach.
Maybe hunger?
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. How can you think that the stupid Engine guy has a better quirk than yours? Are you out of your fucking mind??"
This time they were hanging out in the gym. They had been sparring for about half an hour, and at some point they started talking about their classmates' powers.
"Bakugou! Don't call Iida stupid, you know he's amazing. And of course his quirk is better", he sighed, stopping the fight and resting his back against the wall to catch his breath. "I'ts flashier...and there's way less risk of hurting someone with it. Also, his hero costume is super cool, while mine is...rather boring."
The blond guy slapped Kirishima in the back of his head.
"Shut up, idiot! Your quirk is totally better. What if he has speed? You got strength. And your quirk could save someone from getting crushed by falling rubble. You want flashy?? You turn into a goddam rock, for fuck's sake! Your hands turn into cool-ass spears and when you go unbreakable it's fucking fantastic. Also, his suit is stupid. It restrains movement, if anything." And with your hero costume I can shamelessly check out your abs (But of course he didn't say that part out loud. He wouldn't hear the end of it if he did.)
"Uhm...I guess you're right about the costume part...mine lets me move around freely, but..." Kirishima was basically mumbling, repeating many of the downgrading things about himself he had been talking about earlier in the day.
"Stop that fucking ramble" Bakugou argued with a click of his tongue. "Your quirk is the best one after mine and that's the end of it"
The redhead offered him a shy smile and handed him a bottle of water he'd just taken out of his gym bag.
"Thanks, Bakugou...I still don't believe it but it's nice of you to say"
Bakugo slapped Kirishima's head again and grabbed the water. There's still a long way to go before his friend feels confident in his own skin....
One Friday afternoon they were hanging out in the common room again. There was a dumb show playing on the TV, which none of them was really paying attention to. Kirishima was actually dozing off, exhausted after the long week of training. And Bakugou...
Bakugou couldn't be more awake. How wouldn't he be, with the redhead leaning on his shoulder, in a position where, as soon as Kirishima fell completely asleep, he'd probably fall on Bakugo's lap.
"Hey Shittyhair." No answer. "Oi, hair-for-brains" Kirishima yawned and grabbed onto his arm like a pillow. FuckFuckFuck. "Kirishima, you're falling asleep." He tried poking his head a couple times, but the only answer was a scrunched nose and a Kirishima nuzzling his shoulder.
Well, since he was that much asleep and in denial he technically wouldn't hear anything he said right?
"Hey...Eijirou..." Although his words were barely audible this time, he could swear he felt Kirishima's grip on his arm tighten, altogether with a soft gasp.
Suddenly blushing, he shoved his elbow into Kirishima's side.
"Wake the fuck up, Shittyhair! You gonna drool on me or something!" He pushed the redhead to the other end of the couch, and all of a sudden the crappy show on TV became the most interesting thing in the world.
Kirishima rubbed his side to soothe the pain and stuck his tongue out to Bakugou.
"Damn dude, that was uncalled for..."
Still, while a rosy blush dusted his cheeks, he smiled shyly. It was the first time Bakugou called him by his first name, and it filled his heart with joy.
"Sorry for falling asleep on you...I'll go get some rest now." He got up and headed for the stairs. Before going up, he turned around with a smirk. "See you later...Katsuki."
Damn that Shittyhair for making his stomach turn.
...Sobs?
Bakugou was woken up that night by the muffled sound of sobs and hiccups at the other side of his wall. Who was crying at...He sat up and checked his phone. Three A.M? What the fuck?
The only occupied room next to his was Kirishima's.
He wasn't sure what worried him more. His best friend crying, the fact that he was crying in the middle of the night, or his sleeping schedule.
Cautiously, he tapped lightly on the wall.
"Kirishima?" He spoke in a whisper, not completely sure what he was doing or why.
Suddenly the sobbing stopped. He heard shuffling, and another hiccup.
"Are...are you alright?"
Again, no answer.
"Kirishima, I'm coming over". This time he didn't wait for an answer, and with a grunt he got out of bed and put a shirt on. Then, he dragged his feet across and out of his room, and stopped outside Kirishima's door.
"Kirisihima, open the door." His voice was calm but rough. He was worried and didn't know what to do. After a few seconds without answer, he knocked. "Kirishima, open the fucking door"
Silence. Then a hiccup. Then silence again.
"I know you're fucking awake so open the door right fucking now or I'll blow it down!"
This time Kirishima rushed stumbling to the door and cracked it open a few inches.
"Dude!" He whispered. His voice was shaky, and he was hiding his face. "Stop screaming, you'll wake everyone up"
"Then let me the fuck in."
"No, go back to sleep." Kirishima tried closing the door, but Bakugou stuck his knee between the door and the wall to keep it from closing. Then pushed it open and stepped inside Kirishima's room.
They stood in silence for a minute. Kirishima lowered his head, but even through the hair falling over his face, Bakuguo could make out his reddened cheeks and runny nose. Not to mention the sudden rising of his shoulders caused by the hiccups.
"So? What's going on here?" Bakugo clearly lacked tact. Always straight to the point with no sugar-coating and an angry voice.
"It's nothing, really". Kirishima forced a laugh. "Don't worry about-" He was cut off by Bakugou smacking the back of his head. "Ow! Stop that."
"I will when you stop your bullshit. You can't worry me like this and then say nothing happened." Bakugou looked away, embarrassed by his words. Since when did he show emotions? "I thought I was your best friend, or whatever."
Kirishima sighed and rubbed his neck, feeling a bit guilty. He knew those words meant a lot.
"You are, Bakugou. But really. it's nothing to-" This time he was able to dodge Bakugou's slap. With the movement, the blond was able to see his friend's puffy, reddened eyes. Clearly he'd been crying for a while now. "Seriously, stop that. I'm not in the mood for fighting." He had a serious look in his face, one very rarely seen in his usually joyful demeanor.
"I'm not fighting. I'm trying to help you."
Kirishima rubbed his temples and sighed.
"It was just a nightmare, ok? So...let it go and go back to sleep. I didn't mean to bother you. I'm sorry." He rubbed his eyes and wiped his nose with the hem of his shirt.
"Don't do that. it's disgusting and it'll become full of germs. Come here, asshole." Bakugou ignored what Kirishima had said, and pushed him towards the bathroom. The other boy just surrendered and let himself be dragged along. Once in the bathroom, Bakugou made Kirishima sit on the edge of the bathtub. He grabbed a hand towel and damped it with cold water, then proceeded to pat his friend's face with it, with surprising delicacy. Kirishima was a bit shocked, but the cool water was a relieving feeling on his skin.
Looking around his friend's bathroom, Bakugou spotted his bandana, so he left the towel to grab it and pull Kirishima's hair back with it. Without a word, he left the bathroom and came back a minute later with a clean shirt, which he tossed to Kirishima.
The other boy started pulling off his dirty shirt, but between the exhaustion, the poorly tied bandana and the embarrasment of having his best friend babysitting him, he managed to get stuck in it and couldn't pull it over his head.
With a sigh, Bakugou approached him. "Stop that struggle, Shittyhair." Bakugou's voice was softer this time. He kneeled besides his friend, towel in hand, and helped him out of his shirt, then pressed the cold towel on his bare neck, and after a few seconds on his chest, all the while internally screaming. Holy fuck. Focus, this is your best friend having a crisis. Stop crushing on him for a minute. Kirishima shivered, and then sighed in relief, relaxing his shoulders. After a minute that felt like a torturing eternity, Bakugou retrieved the towel and slid the clean shirt over Kirishima's head, managing not to undo the bandana's knot. Kirishima then diligently put his arms through the shirt's holes, yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"You're not a bother, ok?" Bakugou whispered, and gently punched his friend's soulder. "I worried because I care. Fucking idiot"
As answer, Kirishima just chuckled lightly and quickly wiped a new tear that was forming in his eye. He opened his mouth to speak, but took a few seconds before saying anything.
"Hey, uh...I know this is not your thing..." his voice was hoarse, and he wouldn't lock eyes with his friend. "But I um...I was wondering if I could ask for a...for a hug."
Bakugou bit the inside of his cheek. Physical affection wasn't his thing, that was true. Rather than not liking it, he just didn't know how to do it without it coming out awkward. Nonetheless, before Kirishima had time to make up stupid thoughts about him rejecting the hug or whatever, he stood up and pulled his friend up with him by grabbing his arm.
"Fine, but you can't tell anyone", he grunted before clumsily putting his arms around Kirishima and holding him tightly. He could hear his friend chuckle again, and then he felt arms around his back, tight as well.
When the hug got too long and he couldn't take it anymore, he loosened the grip a litte bit only to say "Now you need to rest", before crouching down and pulling Kirishima's body over his shoulder. Once he settled the shocked-but-too-tired-to-care-potato sack comfortably, he walked back inside the room and managed to make his way to the bed and put Kirishima down gently, without tripping over aything.
Then he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the other boy.
"How are you feeling?" He saw a tear rolling out of Kirishima's eye and pulled at a strand of his hair teasingly. "Hey, stop worrying now. You know the nightmares aren't real."
His friend just nodded and sighed.
"I just... I'm scared, Bakugou. We're... We're just kids. I know we're training to be heroes, b-but we weren't supposed to go through this stuff... I'm scared for everyone, for myself... I'm scared for you, Bakugou. What if... What if we hadn't saved you that day?? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if-if... " he was already crying again, sobbing like a little kid.
Bakugou's heart shrunk in his chest. What was one supposed to do in situations like this??
"Hey, you'll get dirty again." He mumbled, grabbing a tissue from Kirishima's desk and cleaning his tears. "You shouldn't worry, ok? Not about our classmates, not about you. And definitely not about me. We'll beat any villain's ass anytime, ok?" the comment earned him a light chuckle from his friend.
"Hey...can I ask another favour?" He whispered, this time looking at him straight in the eye.
"I'm all out of hugs tonight, you'll have to wait if that's what you want".
"No, that's not it."
"Then what do you want? Spill it hair for brains."
"Would you...would you stay until I fall asleep again?"
Bakugo took a few seconds to answer.
"Yeah...I think I could do that."
A few days after Kirishima's nightmare, everything seemed to have fallen back into place. Everything was quite peaceful, no signs of villains so far and no signs of Kirishima having nightmares. Peaceful times overall. That day the blonde was lazying on the common room's couch, idly browsing his phone. When he closed some dumb app he'd been checking out, he stared at his screen for a few moments, and his expression softened at the picture he'd set as background not long ago: a selfie that Kirishima had taken of them both, with the red haired boy smiling his big-ass grin, and himself in the middle of trying not to chuckle at a dumb comment.
"I saw that."
Bakugou jumped in his place, startled by the sudden Krishima peeking over his shoulder.
"What the fuck you mean, Shittyhair?". He couldn't have seen anything.... The screen light was quite low, and he shoved his phone aside the second he heard the other boy's voice.
"Your phone." Kirishima was smirking as he walked around the couch to sit next to his friend. "I thought you would have deleted that picture the moment I took it", he chuckled. "Never even thought you might set it as background!"
Bakugou's face was even redder than Kirishima's hair. "Shut the fuck up, I'll delete it right now."
"Nooooo" Kirishima pouted and put his hands together in pleading motion. "I really love that pic! And you still having it makes me really really happy! Come on, keep it? For me? Look, I have it as background too!" He pulled out his phone and, as he'd said, that same picture was set as background.
Bakugou flushed furiously. Was this guy trying to kill him or what?
"Ugh, fine I'll... Just...leave me alone, for fuck's sake." He sinked into the couch, fuming his shame.
"Well if you don't move I'll assume you don't really want to be left alone." Kirishima chuckled and leaned on Bakugou's shoulder. "Mind if I take a nap? I spent most of the night studying for that test today with Present Mic."
"Fuck you."
"Maybe later when I'm done napping, bro." He laughed a bit and yawned. He was certainly tired, so he closed his eyes and in a minute he was asleep.
"Fuck, not this again, Shittyhair..."
Bakugou couldn't stop blushing, and his heart wouldn't stop jumping. First his phone background, then Kirishima's, then Kirishima's comment, for fuck's sake what was that about??? And now he was falling asleep on him again? Was this on purpose to make him even gayer or what?
"I fucking hate you" he groaned. The only answer he got was a mumbled 'cool, thanks'.
This was going to be a long night.