Chapter Text
Stare
Bakugo couldn’t remember when it became a hobby to stare at you. He often found himself gazing out the window of his classroom, receiving the lecture through a blur of sounds as if his head was underneath the pool of water outside the yard. His crimson eyes were upon the cerulean sky, its space filled with cotton stuffed clouds that moved leisurely across the horizon. There were trees in the distance, its leaves were as still as a beetle’s wings on a summer morning, fluttering when the soft breeze brushes through them. His fingers were pushing up against his cheek when he laid his head against his knuckles. The scowl on his face couldn’t compare to the gentle atmosphere beyond those windows.
It was then when he heard a soft melody through the crowded muffles of his teacher’s voice was when his head was finally out of the water. His red eyes were no longer clashing with the sky but instead, they were at the front of the class. First row, third seat, near the teacher’s desk, burning holes onto the back of your head. It was like he was under a spell the moment he heard you speak, his mind couldn’t comprehend the words that left you, but he knew you had his full attention. You were asking a question and that’s all he got from it. He could tell you were smiling even though your face was no where to be seen. You were speaking softly and light as if your voice was glass to be shattered in a single drop. You were shifting uncomfortably in your seat for whatever reason and the heel of your shoes were tapping against the tile floors like a woodpecker abusing a tree.
Bakugo noticed you always did that whenever you were speaking in class. He always assumed you were shy when speaking but after watching you with Midoriya and Uraraka, it proved him wrong. It was when you shined the brightest. Like you were the sun that shined your rays upon the chilly planets, waking them from their dark slumber. Without you, they would orbit mindlessly without direction, frozen in time and dead without your light. Midoriya and Uraraka was proof of that. When you were absent from school a few days straight, they grew worried, packed their bags, and went to visit your house. Bakugo wasn’t spared an invitation from them, but his stubbornness prevented him from going. He was worried, but he didn’t want them to know. Instead, he walked home with Kirishima, his scowl deeper than his hands in his pockets.
Bakugo never found out what happened to you during those days. You returned to school normal, your light still as bright as ever like the newborn sun that pierced through the retreating clouds of a storm. He was relieved, but it was hard to tell through his usual furrowed brows.
Class was over in a flash and Bakugo swore he created holes all over your back because his gaze never left you during the lecture. He watched you pack your books in your bag and soon, Uraraka was by your side. He didn’t know what you were talking about with her, but he knew whatever it was, it was making you giggle. You brought a hand to your mouth to cover the laughs that bounce their way out of you and with that same hand, you brushed your bangs away from your eyes and hooked them behind your ears. He knew whenever you did that you were nervous about something.
“Midoriya!” Uraraka waved at Midoriya who had just packed his bags. He usually sat behind Bakugo which greatly annoyed Bakugo. “We’re going Karaoke! Want to join?”
“Karaoke?” Midoriya repeated the word in interest and a sea of voices followed him. One by one, the male students of 1-A surrounded him while the girls surrounded you and Uraraka.
“Karaoke? Can we join?” Ashido, with her pink bubble gum smile, and Tsuyu, with her wide one, was by your side. You were also smiling, soon nodding to answer them. They threw their arms up in celebration, their high-pitched cheers can be heard around the room and possibly out the hall. Bakugo sighed, his gaze shifting from you to the presence of Kirishima who just came to him. He had his usual cheerful grin while he greeted him.
“You going, Bakugo? Seems like fun.” Bakugo snorted, occasionally glancing at the group of girls. His eyes were only on you. Kirishima took note of that, his grin only growing wider as he looked between Bakugo and you. “Come on. It’s not like we have anything to do after.”
“Iida, Todoroki, do you also want to come?” Midoriya’s smile is directed at them and by the looks of it, they were willing to go. Iida greatly encouraged karaoke as a class bonding trip and Todoroki wanted to tag along for similar reasons. Mineta and Kaminari also greatly expressed their desire to join, their eyes shamelessly locked on to the girls as inappropriate thoughts ran through their minds. Bakugo wanted to hit them. He hoped you weren’t one of the ones who crossed their perverted minds.
“Wow, Bakugo, you’re coming?” When the boys approached the girls, Tsuyu was surprised at seeing Bakugo being a part of the group. He usually skipped when the class wanted to hang out together. He never wanted to participate in these events before, so she wondered what changed.
“I’m not fucking singing.” You were looking at Bakugo.
“What’s the point of coming if you’re not going to sing?” Uraraka asked. Bakugo hated that confused look on your face when you looked at him. It made him feel stupid.
“Whatever.” His grumble was as low as a car’s engine. He tore away his eyes from you. He couldn’t stand that look on your face.
“I might not sing too but I’m definitely in need for some food.” Kirishima’s positive attitude brought a soft smile to your face, and Bakugo wasn’t happy about that.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re not singing. I think as long as you join us, it’ll be fun either way!” Your voice made Bakugo’s eyes return to you. You were looking at both Bakugo and Kirishima, your smile as bright as it could be. You were truly the sun in his eyes. How much he would give to see that smile always shining on him. He didn’t care if it would blind him or burn him, as long as it was only for him.
The whole of class 1-A was making their way to Karaoke in the city. The class was split up into its own groups. You were in the front with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida while Bakugo was lagging right behind you. He was trying his best not to stare at the back of your head like he did in class. He was hearing Kirishima talking, but it was muffled. When his attention was on you, it was like he was blind, deaf, and dumb to everything around him except you. He thought it was stupid that you made him feel this way. He thought it was stupid feeling like he was weak to you. He thought it was stupid hearing you laugh, and his stomach doing flips. He thought it was stupid, so, so stupid. And yet, it felt like he craved stupidity if it meant it involved you.
“So stupid…” He grumbled under his breath and Kirishima thought he was responding the story he was telling. He laughed at him, his sharp teeth showing.
“Yeah, I thought it was stupid too.” When Bakugo didn’t respond to his words, it was then when he noticed his attention was elsewhere, and that “elsewhere” was you. Kirishima knew Bakugo had it bad, but he didn’t think it was this bad. His mind was just filled with you 24/7, and Kirishima couldn’t pinpoint when Bakugo started acting like this. But he knew Bakugo couldn’t get rid of this love sickness as easily as he hoped. Kirishima couldn’t stop the smile that grew on his face. He raised his hand and slapped it hard against Bakugo’s back. Bakugo jumped, the hairs around his body upright as he shouted at Kirishima.
“What the hell!” He glared daggers at Kirishima. Bakugo’s scream made you glance back at him. Kirishima took note of this but Bakugo didn’t. He was too occupied on figuring out why Kirishima had struck him. With Bakugo’s attention finally on him, he grinned, his eyes flickering to you and Bakugo as he threw him a thumbs-up.
“I’ll help you out!” He stated with his trademark smile and Bakugo’s eyes widen for a moment before he tore them away from his red headed friend. He looked angry, but Kirishima swore he saw his cheeks dusted in red.
It wasn’t long until the class reached the Karaoke place. The class booked a large booth for all of them to fit. The costs are split between your classmates which made the bill insanely cheap. The booths were decorated with a semi-large flat screen tv, and several comfy couches were in front of three large tables with already several glasses of water and a pitcher on it. When it was time to choose seats, Bakugo’s lingering eyes were on you. He saw you were about to sit right next to Mineta, whose face was filled with shameless perversion, his hands kneading the air as his eyes were fixed on your bum.
Bakugo moved in an instant. It was like Mineta was never at your side. You felt Bakugo’s tall presence beside you and you turned to meet his eyes. Mineta was on the ground, twitching.
You brushed your bangs away from your face and hooked them behind your ear, your voice small, fragile like glass. “Hi Bakugo.”
“Hey.” It was so different in comparison to Bakugo’s deep, gruff voice. He sounded like he could break you the moment he spoke. You turned away from him shortly after, Bakugo was slightly disappointed. You took a seat on the comfy couch and Bakugo followed suit, his knee bumping into yours which made you jump slightly. It made Bakugo questioned himself if you were really that afraid of him for jumping like that. He understood he had his moments, but did you really had to jump like he was about to attack you? Bakugo sucked his teeth, but his eyes still lingered on you. You were talking to Uraraka and Midoriya as usual, but you seemed more nervous. You were tapping your shoe against the ground and your face was more flushed than usual. Bakugo wondered what could’ve happened that was making you so nervous.
“Alright! Who’s going first?” Ashido jumped out of her seat, grabbing the mic and waving it in the air. The class’s faces were stuffed behind the menus, conversing among themselves on what kind of food to get. Ashido wasn’t completely ignored, Jiro raised her hand and Ashido excitedly handed her the mic. “This is gonna be good!”
Bakugo sat back, not really interested in listening. Kirishima was showing him the menu, but Bakugo wasn’t hungry. He did overhear how you were though, and you were struggling to find something to eat. You were saying no to everything Uraraka suggested, so Bakugo pointed at your menu as he hovered over your shoulder.
“Get the dumplings, heard they’re good.” At least that’s what Kirishima just told him. Bakugo felt you slightly jump again when he spoke. He was rather close to you; his shoulder was barely touching your back. His breath was probably lightly brushing against your ear.
“I-I guess, I’ll get that. Thanks.” Your eyes met with his for a moment and they returned to the menu. But like always, his red eyes lingered for a moment longer, observing every detail of your face, every imperfection and perfection he found in your features. He wanted to meet your eyes again.
“Kyoka, that was freaking amazing!” Jiro had finished singing Ignorance by Karamore with her amazing vocals. She sang her heart out to the lyrics that had appeared on the flat screen TV, and even some of her classmates were singing along with her. She threw the mic dramatically towards Ashido when she was done, like she had just finished singing at her own concert. Her classmates cheered like they were her fans, and she soaked in all the praise from them.
“Let’s get a duo out here! Midoriiii, Ura-chaaaaan!” Ashido pointed the mic at Uraraka and Midoriya. They were shaking their heads, their faces so heated you thought it was blowing off steam. Ashido started pulling Midoriya forward by his arm and you began pushing Uraraka forward until she was on her feet. With the help of their friends, Midoriya and Uraraka both found themselves staring at the TV. Ashido quickly picked a song for them and gave Midoriya another mic. Soon, the song started with the slow notes of a piano. The words appeared on the screen, and it was Midoriya’s turn to start.
“I-I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering splendid.” A shaky start for Midoriya made him flustered, his voice was off key, and his eyes were fixed on the screen. He held the mic tightly with his shaky hands.
Ashido and you were snickering in your seats. Bakugo watched the pair with little interest. The servers entered the room with various plates of food and drinks. The plate of dumplings you ordered was placed in front of you. Bakugo watched as you sampled one of the dumplings. He watched your eyes grow wide when you took your first bite, it was like a light had flashed over them as the savory flavor of the dumpling washed over your tastebuds. He instantly found your eyes on him, and it was his turn to jump slightly.
“This is great, Bakugo! It tastes amazing!” Ah, the sun had shined on him once again. Your bright smile was in his direction, beautiful to all who gazed upon it. He soaked in the warmth of your beauty, stunned by the light of your smile that had blinded him from his thoughts. You pushed the plate of food near him.
“Wanna try?” He glanced at the plate and then back at you. His voice was low which was so unlike him.
“Sure.” Bakugo reached for a dumpling and popped it in his mouth. His eyes widen in a similar way that yours did. “It’s pretty damn good.”
“Right? It’s delicious!”
Bakugo reached for another dumpling. He felt Kirishima move closer to him, his eyebrows were raised, and his smile was wide.
“I thought you weren’t hungry?”
“Shut up.”
After a moment of missed lines and off-key vocals, Midoriya and Uraraka finished their song. They heaved a heavy sigh as their classmates cheered for them. They returned to their seats and Uraraka was expressing how embarrassed she was to you. You laughed at her, and Bakugo’s stomach started doing flips. Ashido, who sort of designated herself to be the host, jumped out of her seat. She already knew who she wanted her next victim to be. The mic was pointed towards her classmates and you found yourself to be directly at the end of it.
“M-Me?” You pointed to yourself, and already you were shaking your head. At the same time, Ashido was nodding back at you, her pink lips curled upward.
“Yes, you! ___-chan, get up here!” Ashido threw the mic at you and it landed on your lap. You took it in your shaking hands and gulped. Bakugo watched you brush your bangs away and tuck them behind your ears. You were nervous. Ashido reached over the table to grab your arm. She started to pull you to stand. “Come on, you know you have a good voice!”
You felt Uraraka’s hands on your back pushing you forward. She had a wicked glint in her eyes. “Since I had to do it, you have to do it too!!”
“Waah, Uraraka!” You yelped to your feet, and unwillingly you found yourself staring back at your classmates. Your eyes met with Bakugo’s for a moment before you turned to look at the TV. Bakugo looked like he didn’t care to most people, but he actually anticipated this. He was leaning back with his arms folded across his chest, and his steady red eyes on you. He had no idea you could sing. It was probably one of the many things he didn’t know about you.
“Heheh, it’s fine! You know this song!” Ashido winked before pulling away from you. You felt highly uncomfortable after seeing the song title appear on the TV. Dangerous Woman by Ari Chiisai. You knew it from anywhere. You sang it once when you and the girls had a sleepover at Yaoyorozu’s house. It was when you finally let loose, and the girls saw a different side of you. A more relaxed and bold you. You were having fun that night, and you didn’t want to let your shyness ruin it.
As soon as the song started, you gulped, and the girls cheered as they were reminded of the sleepover. The boys watched with curious eyes, Bakugo, being one of them. You took a deep breath and sang the words off the screen. You honestly didn’t need it, so instead you turned to look at your classmates.
“Oh yeah. Don't need permission. Made my decision to test my limits.” The words rolled off your tongue in a melody that Bakugo never heard from you before. Your voice was low, but smooth and filled with sultriness. Your eyes heated as the lyrics came to you like second nature. You walked around the booth, flirty in your steps, eyes were following your figure. Bakugo couldn’t lift his eyes from you. It was like you were a magnet, and your energy was pulling everyone’s attention in the room to you. All eating had stopped, and everything was just about you. The girls were just starstruck, but the boys were shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
“All that you got, skin to skin, oh my God. Don't ya stop, boy.” Oh shit. Bakugo gripped his pants and gulped. To Bakugo, that line sounded more like a moan rather than you singing. It made his mind wandered into a territory where he would rather wander in at home, in his bedroom, with the lights off. More importantly, it felt like everything you sang was for him. At least, he wanted it to be. Oh he, so, wanted it to be. He never knew you had this side to you, this bold and incredibly sexy side. Where did all of your shyness go?
“Somethin' 'bout you makes me feel like a dangerous woman.” Bakugo felt like your eyes met with his for a moment, but he discarded it as his mind tricking him. You were certainly a dangerous woman to him. He couldn’t go five minutes without thinking about you, and how much he would want to have you.
It was two more minutes of agony and wild thoughts for Bakugo before you reached the end of the song. The girls cheered your name and the boys just stared with red faces. It was Sero’s whistle that broke the silence for the guys, and they soon all started to cheer for you, except for Bakugo.
“Ah, I’m in love!” Bakugo heard Aoyama dramatically exclaimed. He threw himself back against the couch, holding his hands to his chest like he’s been hit by Cupid’s arrow.
“Yeah, that was really something…” Kirishima mumbled under his breath but Bakugo heard him clearly. He wasn’t happy at all that you started to get all this attention. The boys were seeing you in a different light. It felt like you revealed to them something only Bakugo wanted to know.
“That was amazing, ___!” You returned to your seat and Uraraka was gushing about you and your voice. She said something along the lines of how she wished she could sing like you. You were excited from all the praise you were getting from your classmates, but there was one person whose words weighed more than anybody else in this room. You turned to look at the blond boy sitting next to you, a bright smile on your face as you looked for recognition. But when you thought you would at least be acknowledged, it didn’t come. You felt your heart sink. You hoped Bakugo would look in your direction, but his eyes were elsewhere. You couldn’t see his face at all because he was completely turned away from you. You didn’t understand. Did he not care?
Bakugo couldn’t look at you. He refused to after seeing that. He felt like if he looked at you that he would be completely sucked in, like a black hole vacuuming everything in its path. He had to wait until he calmed down, until everyone stopped giving you attention.
Eventually, it was over. And soon, everyone was getting ready to leave. They said their goodbyes and left in different groups. Bakugo was standing to the side, near the entrance of the Karaoke building. Kirishima had just left to go talk to you. He wanted to ask you to join them on their walk home since the three of you were all leaving in the same direction. From Bakugo’s view, it looked like you agreed, and you said your goodbyes to Midoriya and Uraraka before walking to Bakugo alongside with Kirishima.
“Hi Bakugo…” You greeted him, but you sounded dejected.
“Hey.” There was a moment of silence before Bakugo greeted you back. He gave you a quick look and he walked ahead with his hands in his pockets. You and Kirishima quickly followed him.
Bakugo was ahead of you and Kirishima for most of the walk. He pretended like he wasn’t listening, but his attention was well into your conversation. It all started with a simple question about your singing and it blew up into a deep conversation with Kirishima. At times, you would laugh at his jokes, and Bakugo’s stomach would feel like it’s flipping. Bakugo couldn’t stop himself from glancing behind him. You were smiling brightly unlike when you last greeted him. You looked so natural when talking to Kirishima. You didn’t look scared or nervous like how you did with Bakugo. It was like he was staring at a pair of suns. Together, they shined brighter than anything. But what did that leave Bakugo as? What was he to you?
Bakugo’s frown grew deeper.
“Well, I’m heading this way.” Kirishima pointed to one of the streets in the upcoming crossroad. He said his goodbyes to both of you, leaving you alone with Bakugo who looked more upset than he usually did. Bakugo continued shortly after Kirishima left without telling you. And when you noticed he wasn’t near your side, you moved to quickly catch up to him. You were by his side, your gaze to the floor as silence quickly filled between you two. It was different when Kirishima left. The energy that was there was absent. The light that once shined so bright was now dimmed. Bakugo hated the fact that he couldn’t make you shine like how Kirishima did, or how Midoriya did, or Uraraka. It just felt like to him, you were never able to reach your full potential. He thought your fear of him was holding you back on acting like your normal self.
“Bakugo?” Bakugo was surprised you called him. He turned his head to look at you. “Are you feeling okay?”
You brushed your bangs behind your ears. You were nervous. Bakugo wanted to sigh. “What the hell are you talking about?”
You looked away from him, remaining silent for a moment. “Well… you were really quiet today.”
“And?”
“I mean, I don’t know… I just expected you to be like,” You put on your best Bakugo glare you could make but it only made you look like an adorable angry kitten. You then shouted out like Bakugo, trying to impersonate him as best as you could. Bakugo just looked at you like you were mad. Was this really how you saw him? “But you seemed down today.”
“I wasn’t down or anything, alright!?” He expected you to jump at his sudden outburst. But you remained staring, a smile growing on your features. He suddenly felt warm.
“There’s the Bakugo I know.” You spoke fondly, your eyes never leaving him. Bakugo didn’t quite understand. Did you like him that way? “Did you at least have fun at Karaoke?”
“I don’t even know why I came. Waste of my damn time.”
“But I’m happy you came…” You were staring at the path ahead of you. Bakugo couldn’t tell if you were blushing or if it was the sunset’s pink hue coloring your face. You tightened your hold on your bag, repeating your words softly. “I’m really happy you came, Bakugo.”
You didn’t look at his face, and Bakugo was grateful for it. He didn’t want you to see how pathetic he looked. How just a few words from you can reduce him to a measly puddle. He fucking hated it. He fucking hated feeling so damn weak.
“Um! Bakugo!” Bakugo stopped walking as you moved in front of him. You were looking down, your hands together as your next words came out in a stutter. “I-I was wondering… I mean… tomorrow’s Saturday, right?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Well…” You were fiddling with your thumbs. It was something Bakugo never seen you do before. You looked nervous, even more nervous than when you spoke out loud in class or when you talked to him. Your face grew redder than the sunset near the horizon. “Do-Do you want to hang out tomorrow… I-I mean, there’s this arcade that I found that was really cool and… Do you want to go together?”
Bakugo’s eyes went wide. Were you asking him out? Can he consider this to be a date? The way how you looked, red cheeks, an uneasy smile, gaze downward, does this mean what Bakugo thinks this means?
He suddenly grew bold. A wide smirk plastered on his face that spoke of confidence. “Make this a date, then I’ll come.”
You made a small gasp at his words. Your eyes left the ground and met with Bakugo’s steady red ones. “A date…” You repeated quietly, trying to convince yourself that you heard correctly. You were nodding before you even got the word out, eyes lighting up with excitement. Bakugo thought they looked beautiful. “S-Sure!”
Bakugo chuckled to himself, shaking his head slightly. “I’m gonna beat your ass.”
You were surprised, but not at his sudden use of language but at his assumption of underestimating you. “No! It’s me who’s gonna beat your ass!” You said with your best Bakugo voice, and you cracked a grin when Bakugo smirk dropped.
“I do not fucking sound like that!”
“You do!” You laughed at his outburst, and Bakugo’s stomach flipped. His crimson eyes glaring down upon you like a high sun on a hot afternoon. He snorted, looking away when he did. He resumed his walking, and you followed him.
“Alright! I’m beating your ass twice as hard tomorrow.”
You snorted just like Bakugo. He almost couldn’t believe you were imitating him, but he admitted to himself that you looked insanely cute while doing it. “Bring it, Bakugo! You’ll eat those words!”
“Wanna bet?” He grabbed your arm, thrusting your body closer to his until your arm barely touched his chest. You were taken off guard. You didn’t realize how close his face was to you. You were staring directly into his fiery eyes. They somewhat matched the color of the horizon, steady and soft with a hint of danger, but more beautiful than the sunset itself. “If you win, I’ll do whatever you want. If I win, I get to hear you sing that song for me.”
“Wha…” You were so lost in his eyes that you nearly missed his words. You didn’t think Bakugo cared much about your singing at the Karaoke booth. You were somewhat relieved. You felt like crap when you left the booth but now that feeling had subsided, all because of Bakugo. Bakugo wanted to hear you sing again. Surely, that meant he liked it. “You-You’re on.”
You tried to look determined, but you ended up smiling at him. It was Bakugo’s turn to be caught off guard. The playful banter died by your smile and silence had settled between you two. It wasn’t nearly as awkward as he expected. There was a warmth he felt deep in his chest that seemed to only grow the longer he stood by you. Those crimson irises scanned your face, every blemish, acne scar, and all those imperfections just added to your beauty. It did nothing to deter it.
The grip he had on your arm tightened. The urge to pull you in his arms almost possessed him. You opened your mouth to speak but it twitched away into your previous smile. Bakugo fought the urge but instead, his thumb was tracing your skin as his hands glided down until they firmly grasped your wrist. He was the one to break the silence, his rough voice rumbled within his chest.
“Come on, let me walk you home.”
He started to pull you along. The grip on your wrist was strong. He held it like he didn’t want you to escape, like if he were to let go, you would disappear. You wished he held your hand instead, but you guessed it would have to do until your date tomorrow. Your cheeks warmed up at the thought, wishing tomorrow would come faster than the setting sun.