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It wasn’t like Izuku hadn’t noticed before - he couldn’t help it, fact - but he found himself becoming more and more captivated by the way Kirishima’s muscles strained and twisted with each manoeuvre or lift of a weight. How did his muscles, his skin, even his hair, change from being so firm and soft in appearance, to hardening like bricks with sharp edges. One second it’s plush skin and the next…
“...it’s solid and unbreakable,” Izuku trailed off from his head to his mouth, the pads of his fingers unconsciously trailing against the light hairs on Kirishima’s forearm.
“You okay there, Midoriya?” Kirishima questioned with a concerned yet amused expression on his face.
“Uh-” Izuku stuttered, pulling his hand back quickly and turning his head. But then his eyes met Bakugou’s, who had an even more amused expression than Kirishima. He sat up from his crossed leg stretch and Izuku wanted to know how Bakugou could even reach so far forward when sat like that-
“Deku…” Bakugou said in a warning tone. “Why the fuck are you staring so much?”
“Oh!” Izuku jumped and shuffled around on the large training mat they were sharing in the gym room. “I was just… thinking!”
“About?” Asked Kirishima as he tilted his head to meet Izuku’s eyes.
“I was wondering, uh, the muscles you have, does your hardening become stronger, or more layered? So if you work out more and lift heavier weights, does that then increase the strength of your quirk?”
After blinking in surprise, Kirishima said, “I never thought of it like that. But not really. I have to actually use my quirk in order for it to get stronger.”
He wriggled closer to Izuku again and held up his forearm that Izuku had been stroking mere seconds ago. Kirishima stretched out his arm and slowly tensed his muscles as he bent his arm, activating his quirk and then releasing it again.
“Bakugou’s forearms are actually stronger than mine,” mused Kirishima casually. “Because his quirk is more focused in that area, where as mine is all over. More defined, too!”
“Yeah, I noticed how defined Kacchan’s arms are.”
Bakugou made a choking sound followed by a throaty cough as he blushed and turned his face away with his hand over his mouth.
“But, hey! What about your legs, man? How are they shaping up in comparison to how you started with your arms? I know you use both now, but that’s gotta add in for some major damage.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Izuku nodded, tugging up his shorts to show Kirishima his more sculpted thighs and how his whole leg was more powerful than ever before. “I train my legs just as hard these days. I don’t want my only moves to come from my arms.”
“I get that.” Kirishima nodded and then tugged his own shorts up to show his leg next to Izuku’s. Their knee’s brushed together briefly and Kirishima grinned. “Dude! You’re getting so much beef I’m gonna need to up my game here.”
“Will you two stop fucking nerding out over muscles, already?” Bakugou barked with very pink cheeks.
A laugh fluttered from Kirishima’s mouth as he smiled brightly and shared a look with Izuku that matched his own. Izuku couldn’t deny that his own face had turned red, too, having been caught up in the moment with Kirishima.
“Why?” Kirishima challenged as he leant forward into Bakugou’s space. “You feel left out? Want us to compliment you more?”
“Fuck no-”
“Did you see that amazing shot Bakugou landed on Todoroki today?” Kirishima cut Bakugou off and turned to Izuku again. “He was moving so fast that Todoroki could hardly keep up.”
“Mhm,” Izuku nodded enthusiastically and clapped his hands together. “And when Uraraka was right behind him at one point and he didn’t notice, but as soon as he did, he spun so fast.”
“Oiy! ” Growled Bakugou. “I already know all this shit, so quit talking about it already.”
They tried their best not to laugh at Bakugou’s satisfied expression as they continued to stretch, but Izuku still couldn’t tear his eyes from either of the boys. As Bakugou got up from the mat to get a foam roller from the stack, Kirishima edged close to Izuku and whispered down his ear, “let’s jump him with a surprise attack. It’s probably the only chance we’ll get to land the first hit.”
Ignoring the way Kirishima’s breath tickled against his neck and sent shivers down his spine, Izuku nodded with a mischievous grin that matched Kirishima’s. They waited for Bakugou to walk back over and quickly, before Bakugou knew what they were doing, Izuku sprang up and hooked his arm around Bakugou’s shoulders, while Kirishima swiped at his legs, making them all fall down to the mat with a thud.
“The fuck! What are you shit heads doing?” Bakugou growled as he rolled to the side, dislodging Izuku from his back as wrapped his calves around Kirishima’s neck. Kirishima only laughed even more as Izuku struggled to get ahold of Bakugou again. Even with his legs occupied with a struggling Kirishima, Bakugou still managed to keep Izuku at arm's length.
After a few more seconds of struggling, Izuku lay on his back with his head beside Bakugou’s. And Kirishima, now released, crawled up to lie down next to them. Their chests were heaving as they continued to laugh, the burst of adrenaline slowly seeping away.
“You’ll have to do better than that if you want to beat me, nerds.” Bakugou’s grin was wide and fierce, and Izuku didn’t doubt that he was throwing down the gauntlet for both Izuku and Kirishima to pick up.
“Challenge accepted, my man,” Kirishima said as he swung his arm out to pat Bakugou’s chest, all the while meeting Izuku’s equally excited gaze.
The first day, Bakugou was snoozing during self-study, his face resting on his hand as Izuku beckoned a waiting Kirishima over.
The rest of the class didn’t even bat an eyelid, now accustomed to the three of them huddling around their dusks to study. Though Kirishima spent more time listening to Bakugou explain and then having Izuku explain again in an easier way to understand.
Izuku slowly leant forward over Bakugou’s back, being careful not to touch him as Kirishima approached from the side, his large hand on the desk as he reached for Bakugou’s propped up arm. Just as Izuku was about to tickle Bakugou’s next, his eyes flew open and he yanked Izuku’s arm down so his chest was now pressed firmly against Bakugou’s back unmoving. Kirishima was pulled into a headlock, already laughing from the strain between Bakugou’s brows as he growled at them, cursed at them and hid his smile as he pushed them away.
Kirishima made a plan the following day, texting Bakugou to come to his room while he and Izuku laid in waiting. They were stood on Kirishima’s bed, continuously shoving each other when they couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“Shh, stop giggling,” Kirishima scolded with a laugh of his own.
“You stop,” Izuku countered covering Kirishima’s face with his hand to stop his own laugh from bubbling up.
There was a click out in the hall, followed by the sound on Bakugou’s door closing.
“Hide,” Kirishima whispered, tugging Izuku’s hand to pull him back against the wall beside him.
When Bakugou opened Kirishima’s bedroom door, they remained as quiet as they could manage. Their hands still clasped together as Izuku could practically hear their hearts pounding in anticipation. Kirishima’s hand was warm.
Bakugou’s footsteps suddenly cut off out of sight, and Izuku thought for a moment that he wouldn’t come all the way in. Then the sound of Bakugou’s quirk hit Izuku’s ears, followed by the familiar crackle of sparks echoing around the silent room.
Just as Bakugou’s foot came into view, Kirishima pounced on him, only to receive an explosion in his face as Bakugou stepped back and stuck his hand out. Izuku followed anyway, jumping on Bakugou’s back with a yell, wrapping his legs around Bakugou’s waist and grasping at the wild spikes of Bakugou’s hair. Soft, was Izuku’s first thought. And his final one, too, as Bakugou threw himself back and Izuku suddenly made impact with Kirishima’s bed.
“Oof,” Izuku gasped as the air left his lungs and his stomach was squashed with the weight of both boys.
“Argh,” Kirishima groaned, crawling off Bakugou and pressing his face into the covers. “Thought we had you that time.”
Bakugou let out an amused chuckle, sat up and reached over to flick the back of Kirishima’s head. “Not a chance.”
Izuku didn’t move as Bakugou stood and folded his arms across his chest, his brows raised in question. Waiting. But, for the first time, Izuku didn’t have anything to say. Instead, he found himself staring once again.
With his back turned, Bakugou stood in the hall talking to All Might. His attention focused as Izuku and Kirishima walked leisurely towards them. All Might paid them no mind so it made their latest plan all the more easy to carry out.
Kirishima held his fist up to Izuku as they got closer and Izuku bumped his own fist against it. The look Kirishima gave him shouted 'let’s do this' and 'together we can take him on'. And Izuku believed him without the need for words.
If All Might saw them sneakily walking up to them, he didn’t let on. Either that or he was so engrossed in whatever conversation he was having with Bakugou that he hadn’t even noticed. Which made it easier for them.
They didn’t have much of a plan this time. And maybe they were cheating with Bakugou facing away or being busy, but they were having so much fun with their game, they didn’t even care. Kirishima was going for Bakugou’s right and Izuku was going for his left. They wouldn’t use their quirks because they were out in the hall, and they would also need to be mindful of others around them. Being in front of a teacher wasn’t advisable, but seeing as it was All Might, Izuku figured they would get away with it.
“On the count of three,” Izuku whispered to Kirishima as their fingers brushed together. After Kirishima nodded Izuku started counting down. “One…two…” he mouthed ‘three’ and they leapt. Izuku grabbed Bakugou around the waist and clutched at the fabric of his shirt, while Kirishima went for his arms and locked them behind his back.
“Argh! Why right now ?” Bakugou wriggled around viciously, though couldn’t get out of their nicely timed grasp.
“We got you, Kacchan,” giggled Izuku with a wide and toothy smile.
Bakugou made a grunting noise from the back of his throat and rolled his shoulders as Kirishima slowly released him.
“We won!” Kirishima added, accepting Izuku’s high-five and then clasping their hands together and patting Izuku’s back. “We got him good!”
“I was fucking talking!” Bakugou exclaimed, his squinting eyes becoming all the more menacing under his frown. “That doesn’t count!”
“Aww, Kacchan,” Izuku teased, daring to poke his side. “Are you being a sore loser?”
“I didn’t lose!”
“C’mon, Bakugou, accept your loss,” Kirishima chuckled as he rested his hands behind his head.
All Might hummed in amusement as Izuku and Kirishima slowly moved away from Bakugou who was clearly getting pumped up. “I’ll leave you boys to it,” he said with a fond smile at their silly antics.
“Thanks, All Might!” Kirishima and Izuku shouted together as they turned and started running down the hall, Bakugou following close at their heels. They weaved through the students still at the school, making sure not to get in their way.
“Get back here shit heads!” Bakugou called out as they slipped around the corner and slammed through the doors that led to the dorms.
Izuku grabbed Kirishima’s hand as they rushed into their dorm, they were just about to run upstairs, when Bakugou flew up behind them and grabbed their necks in a headlock.
“Got you, bastards!” Bakugou said triumphantly as he walked to the sofas with them both struggling under his arms. Both laughing so hard that they couldn’t escape and could only continue to squirm.
They must have both been thinking the same thing, as Kirishima met Izuku’s eyes, they hugged Bakugou’s waist and pulled back so they all landed on the sofa cushions. Even as Bakugou released their heads, they didn’t let go.
“Oiy,” Bakugou said more calmly than Izuku thought he would. “You can let go now.”
Kirishima pretended to think about it with a hum and then shook his head. “I think I’m good. What about you, Midoriya? Want to let go?”
“Nope,” Izuku smiled and pressed the side of his face more firmly against Bakugou’s chest and much closer to Kirishima’s smirking face as well. “I’m good, too.”
“Idiots,” muttered Bakugou under the hand spread over his face. He was blushing and it was obvious, too, so Izuku didn’t comment about it. And Bakugou didn’t pull away from them, either.