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Izuku knew upon first meeting him that Bakugou Katsuki was trouble. He was constantly scowling, as if the universe personally offended him, and had the general look of a mafia crime boss. Izuku, in particular, seemed to be the object of his worldly spite. The day after he moved in, he brought Bakugou a plant as an introductory gift, and he literally chucked it over the balcony.
If he really hated him, though, he went about it in a weird way. Normally, one would avoid the person they disliked, but Bakugou seemed to hang around Izuku more often than not. When he returned from evening classes, the scowling blond would be leaning against the railing outside his door, smoking or glaring at passersby. As soon as they locked eyes, he would tilt his head with a scoff, say something along the lines of, “About time, nerd,” and disappear back into his own apartment.
If Izuku was honest with himself, it was almost like Bakugou had been waiting for him to get home safely. You wouldn’t do that for someone you hated, right? Then again, it was more of a nuisance than anything else. There was a collection of cigarette butts growing outside his door. Izuku thought he ought to tell Bakugou smoking was bad for him, but he was a bit afraid he’d get punched or perhaps chucked off the balcony like that poor potted yucca.
It wasn’t that Bakugou was unapproachable. The more time Izuku spent around him, the more he realized that he wasn’t a dangerous or threatening person in the least. He may have had the outward appearance of a thug, but he had a secret soft side. Waiting up for Izuku every night, helping the old man who lived downstairs carry his groceries, and even picking up lost strays: Bakugou had done all of those things, yet he still scowled and cursed and permeated the air outside of Izuku’s apartment with the stifling scent of smoke. It seemed an impossible feat to crack his hard outer shell and get to know the real him.
The tiniest bit of progress he made was offering him an umbrella on a rainy day. Bakugou had been waiting at the edge of the overhang for a solid twenty minutes, glaring at the dark sky with a murderous expression. Izuku thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get in his good graces—even if he only had one umbrella.
“Bakugou-san, here.” He nudged the blond’s arm lightly with the handle, hoping his head wouldn’t get ripped off.
“What?” Bakugou glared at him, but he snatched the peace offering out of his hand anyway. “I didn’t ask you for this, damn shitty nerd,” he grumbled under his breath. “Whatever… Thanks, I guess.”
Izuku felt his lips twitch, but he knew that Bakugou would be angry if he smiled, so he turned around to temporarily retreat. “I forgot something. See you later.” He disappeared into his apartment, waiting anxiously with his back pressed against the door for a solid five minutes. When he poked his head out again, Bakugou was gone, along with his only umbrella.
* * * * *
Izuku had to walk home in the rain after class, but it didn’t dampen his spirits in the least. An umbrella didn’t seem like a big deal, but it meant a lot to him that Bakugou accepted it. Having a neighbor who hated you was unbearable, so it was a relief to know there was even the smallest bit of hope for them to become friends. Bakugou had a terrible attitude, sure, but he was a good guy.
There’s no doubt about it, actually, Izuku thought, pausing at the crosswalk. He’s definitely a good guy. Even if he threw my plant, he’s got a soft side. Maybe like… a German Shepard puppy?
Izuku cracked up a bit thinking about his face when he took the umbrella. He’d been blushing a little, hadn’t he? Was he secretly the tsundere type? His personality certainly fit the bill. German Shepard tsundere...
“Oi, Deku!”
“Huh?” Izuku frowned at the childish name. “Deku? Nobody’s called me that since elementary school.”
“Fuck. Look up, you damn moron!” Bakugou was standing across the street, pointing accusingly from under Izuku’s umbrella. “You gave me your only umbrella, didn’t you?!”
Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He was still getting over the shock of being called Deku, and by such an unfriendly guy. Did Bakugou come after him because he knew he gave away his only umbrella? Was he really that nice?
The light turned green and Bakugou stormed across the street on a warpath. Seizing Izuku by the wrist, he pulled him under the umbrella, nearly against his chest. “Don’t you know walking in the rain will make you sick, you damn moron?”
“Uh… sorry,” was all Izuku could muster. “How’d you know it was my only umbrella?”
“I… saw you from the balcony.” Bakugou’s voice grew incredibly quiet. He shook his head, quickly shoving the umbrella into Izuku’s hand. “Ugh, whatever! Take this shitty umbrella,” he growled. “I’m going back now.”
“Wait!” Izuku caught him by the sleeve before he could run off, gulping when Bakugou’s sharp eyes bore into his. “Uh, I mean… you’ll catch a cold, too. Can’t we just walk together?”
When he didn’t immediately protest, Izuku went for the killing blow. “It’s hard for me to carry the umbrella with my bags… and you’re taller.”
Bakugou seemed like he would refuse, but with an irritated click of the tongue, he reclaimed the umbrella and slammed the crosswalk button. “Fine, but don’t crowd me.”
They waited for the pedestrian crossing in silence, listening to the rain beating lightly against the umbrella. Izuku thought it was strangely calming with Bakugou standing so close. If he shifted only slightly left, their shoulders would be touching. Somehow, it was incredibly warm. Izuku still couldn’t believe Bakugou had chased after him with the umbrella like that. He really was a tsundere.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” he said lightly, hoping Bakugou wouldn’t get frightened off. “I didn’t realize that was my only umbrella.” That was a lie, but it wasn’t like he knew that.
Bakugou clicked his tongue. “Yeah, whatever. The light’s green. Start walking or you’ll get drenched.”
“Hey, you don’t have to go so fast!” Izuku hurried to keep up with his quick pace, grabbing the umbrella just above Bakugou’s hand. “We’re not that far from home. Don’t leave me behind.”
“Gross. If you say it that way, it sounds like we live together.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad,” Izuku dismissed before he could fully think it through. “Ah, I mean… roommates aren’t so bad. We already live next door to each other. Hey, Bakugou-san— You’re going way too fast!”
Bakugou had stopped a few feet ahead of him, his knuckles white against the handle of the umbrella. “You… you’re infuriating. Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Huh?” Izuku hesitated, staring at the spot between Bakugou’s tensed shoulders. The poor umbrella looked ready to snap in half. “What exactly… do you mean by that?”
“Dammit.” The umbrella clattered to the sidewalk, rippling the puddles of water collected there. Bakugou’s face was twisted into the most anguished expression Izuku had ever seen. “Stop it already… I can’t take this.”
“Stop what?” Izuku demanded, resisting the urge to retrieve the umbrella. It was going to blow away, but Bakugou’s gaze had him locked in place. “What did I do to you? Do you seriously hate me so much that we can’t even share an umbrella?! All I’ve done is be nice to you from the start!”
“Exactly!” Bakugou snapped, stomping his foot in a puddle hard enough to splash them both, voice lowering until it was nearly impossible to hear with the loud drone of the rain. “Stop being nice to me already. Don’t bring me a plant or give me your umbrella. Get pissed and ignore me like everyone else.” He gritted his teeth. “Just please… stop making me fall in love with you!”
The words hit Izuku like a bolt of lighting to the chest. ‘Love,’ he said. Not ‘hate,’ but ‘love.’ Bakugou Katsuki; obnoxious neighbor; chronic jerk; killer of yucca plants… was in love with him? He had to be dreaming. In nowhere other than a dream would he be standing in the rain, receiving a confession from his would-be enemy. All Izuku could do was stare at his pinched expression, rendered speechless.
“I hate everything about you.” Oh: Bakugou wasn’t done yet. “I hate the way your stupid hair curls up, and the way you smile so kindly at everyone, and the way you diligently help people like they genuinely deserve it. I hate how you never miss a class even if you’re overworked, and how you think the best of everyone right from the start.” He wiped at his eyes furiously. “Who gave you the right to be so kind? Why can’t you just hate me, dammit?!”
Izuku couldn’t follow what he was saying in the least. “Are you saying… you were trying to get me to hate you?”
“Of course I was!” Bakugou exploded, roughly tearing a hand through his wet hair. “What sane person would throw a plant off a two-story balcony?! I thought it would scare you off, but you just kept smiling at me like an idiot!” He kicked a nearby can into the street. “Fuck! I kept trying to ignore you but I swear, every time I see your face, I fall in love all over again!”
Wait… so then, everything that he did… was to get me to dislike him? Izuku’s head hurt thinking about it. Seriously, though? Is he an elementary schooler? That would never actually work...
Seemingly satisfied, Bakugou stooped down to retrieve the umbrella. “I think you get the message now. Good. Just stay away from me—“
“I accept,” Izuku interrupted. Bakugou’s edgy expression was getting to be a bit too much to handle. Izuku would have to add ‘childish’ to the list of adjectives that perfectly described him. Childish, angry, tsundere German Shepard.
“Huh?” Bakugou squinted at him in confusion. “You… Huh?”
“I said: I accept. That was a confession, right? So, my answer is yes.”
“Are you kidding?” The umbrella fell to Bakugou’s side, as useless as his attempts to speak. “Did you… did you not hear a damn word I just said, you bastard? I want you to stay the fuck away from—“
“You can’t really expect me to believe you after you said ‘I love you,’ right?” Izuku took the umbrella from him, shaking out the gathered water. “Should we head back? It’s raining even harder now.”
“Hey, wait just a fucking second!” Bakugou grabbed his wrist, but he quickly lost his nerve and released it again. “I… You… you aren’t serious, are you?”
“Dead serious.” Izuku raised the umbrella to cover them both, offering Bakugou his biggest grin. “Let’s go home.”
He couldn’t say he’d ever actually thought of him in a romantic light, but if there was one thing Izuku knew for sure, it was that he really didn’t like being hated by Bakugou Katsuki.