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To say the last few weeks had been life-changing for Bakugo would be an understatement. He never would have guessed that telling his parents and friends his arguably most personal business would make him feel so good. Just three little words that felt like mountains.
"I'm fucking gay."
He worried the least about his parents' reaction. The pair were so sappy, they'd be happy to hear that he even thought about love at all. As soon as he told them, they just smiled at each other, grabbed hands and said, "That's just fine with us." His friends, on the other hand, he was a little more worried about. Not that they were homophobes or anything, but he wasn't sure how they'd react to HIM being gay. He wasn't the best at making friends and the thought of losing the ones he'd managed to find was terrifying. Not that he'd ever admit that. To anyone. Once he'd taken a deep breath and shared the not-so-new news, though, his friends just smiled.
"Thanks for letting us know, Kacchan!" Midoriya said. Uraraka nodded along as she leaned against Midoriya's back. "We're so happy you felt comfortable enough to tell us!"
"Wait, you aren't surprised? You don't hate me for only telling you now?"
"When you tell us isn't up to us, Kacchan!" Midoriya squeaked, scandalized by the thought of being upset over this new info.
"But it's not weird?"
"Bro," Sero said, one hand gesturing to his entire body, which was stretched lazily across their couch. "Ace, remember?" Bakugo grunted. He'd honestly forgotten, since they'd never talked about it aside from one time when they first met.
After that, Bakugo's life seemed to adjust. He felt a little less trapped in his own head. A little more free to express himself. Once he told his family and friends, he didn't care who else knew. He could finally walk past the LGBT space in the campus' cultural center without feeling guilty that he was keeping such a crucial part of himself a secret from the most important people in his life.
So, a few weeks later, when Sero asked him for the 20th time if he wanted to go with him to the local pride parade, he caved and said sure.
Sero went to get his hearing checked that afternoon.
Bakugo hated crowds (and people in general) just as much he always had, but pride was such a massive part of the culture that he'd locked himself out of for so long. Now that he was out, he wanted to know what it was like to be surrounded by others that felt like him.
On the day of, Bakugo spent all of an hour trying to figure out what the fuck he was supposed to wear to something like this before opting for some black shorts, a light gray tank, and some Vans. Comfortable, best for the hot weather, and the closest thing he owned to colors.
He'd agreed to meet Sero there, since the dude needed to go to some morning-of breakfast tradition with his other friends that he usually went to the parade with. Not that Bakugo minded walking there alone. He wanted to get his first taste of the whole thing on his own, anyway. As soon as he made it to the main road where the parade would reach its peak, though, he realized what a terrible mistake he'd made. Way more people than he'd ever imagined packed to road and the surrounding restaurants, wearing every color imaginable. It was a sight unlike anything he'd ever seen before.
It was a sea of rainbows.
More infuriatingly, it was a mass of people using up all the cell signal. Getting a text to anyone was almost impossible, let alone making a call. Bakugo growled at the error message that popped up as he tried to send a message to Sero for the 12th time. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, just careful enough not to damage anything, and looked around. He had no idea where Sero would be. There were people EVERYWHERE. He could barely even move.
Suddenly, he felt very lost.
Bakugo didn't handle emotions well. Especially not fear and uncertainty. His fists balled up, nails digging into his palms. The mild pain distracted him just enough to not spiral down into the black void of his thoughts. Stuffing his fists into his pockets, he pushed his way through the crowd toward the closest building. He leaned against a free spot on the wall, keeping his head down, hoping that people left him alone. The only way he could decompress was if he was left alone.
The seclusion lasted all of 5 seconds before someone touched his arm. "Hey dude. You okay?" Lips bending into a scowl, Bakugo was ready to rip the stranger a new one until he looked up.
Standing in front of him was probably the hottest guy he'd ever seen.
Firetruck-red hair was spiked up, forehead covered by a rainbow bandana. His red shorts dropped only to mid-thigh, showcasing his muscled legs perfectly. His arms were covered by tight rainbow-colored compression sleeves, and he was fucking shirtless, abs on full display, baking in the sun. Bakugo felt his mouth get a little dry.
"Hey." The voice pulled Bakugo back to reality, making him blink as he tried to focus back on the guy's face. There was a long rainbow stripe painted down his face from his scalp, over his right eye, just past the side of his mouth, and ending at his jaw. Bakugo had never seen a rainbow look so fucking sexy before. "Are you okay?" the guy asked. "Should I call someone?"
Having a reason to finally slip back into his mildly-annoyed personality, his version of a social security blanket, Bakugo grumbled, "Can't. There's no fucking service." That seemed to perk the guy up. He smiled wide, showing off a row of blindingly white teeth, and laughed. Bakugo was VERY gay.
"You're right, bro," he said. "Totally no chance of getting any sort of call out."
"No shit," Bakugo grumbled.
He wanted to keep his eyes glued to the attractive, helpful stranger forever, but he knew staring would be weird. So he scanned the mass of people in front of them idly.
"Do you wanna wait with me until the parade starts?" the guy asked. Bakugo's pretty sure his heart just exploded from excitement and nerves and anxiety all at the same time. "There's a second-story cafe just a couple buildings away that most people don't know about. It's got a great view, too. You could look for your friend." Brain fried by the sudden invitation, Bakugo just blinked back. "You don't have to say yes or anything... I was just-" Panic spread across the guy's face as he rambled. He was cute when he was embarrassed.
"Yeah, sure," Bakugo interrupted, hoping he didn't sound too excited. "That's not a fucking awful idea."
That made the smile that could fight the sun and win return. Bakugo mentally patted himself on the back. "Great! Let's go!" he said. "We should still be able to get some good seats."
When the guy grabbed Bakugo's hand to lead him through the crowd, Bakugo realized something very important. He didn't even know this guy's name. Even worse, that didn't really bother him.
Neither of them said anything until the guy led them down a small alley. "Are you gonna murder me or something, Shitty Hair?" Bakugo asked as he glanced around wearily. The guy rolled his eyes and kept walking.
"I told you a lot of people didn't know about this place. It's cause the entrance is way back here. And my name is Kirishima Eijirou."
"Doesn't change the fact that your hair is shitty," Bakugo grumbled.
Kirishima's hand squeezed Bakugo's just a little and, to the blonde's surprise, he didn't hate it. In fact, he kinda hoped the contact would continue. But as soon as they reached a set of stairs leading up to a solid wood door, Kirishima dropped his hand.
The cafe was a surprise simply because of how ordinary it looked. Bakugo had been expecting some trashy decor or a food hazard or something to justify its unknown status. Instead, the place looked perfectly clean and perfectly average. They both ordered a drink before claiming a table next to the long row of windows that faced out toward the festivities. It was the perfect viewing spot without being in the middle of everything.
"How'd you find this place?" Bakugo asked.
Kirishima shrugged. "I had a friend who wasn't out yet, but wanted to see what everything was like," he explained. "He wanted to be an ally, but he was still lying to himself about who he was, so being in the crowd made him uncomfortable." Bakugo didn't say anything, because he didn't fucking care about strangers or whatever, but he knew that feeling all too well. "So we scoped out this place like a week before Pride one year and he watched from up here while the rest of us were down enjoying the party." Bakugo grunted in response. He wanted to ask where the guy was now, but he didn't want to seem too interested. "By the next year, he'd fully accepted who he was," Kirishima added idly. "This is just kind of a sentimental place for us now."
The barista with their drinks smiled politely as she dropped them off, her gaze sitting on Bakugo a little longer than it should have. When she walked away, Kirishima chuckled before taking a sip. It wasn't a happy chuckle, though. The laugh never reached his eyes. "Leave it to the straight ally to get hit up at Pride," he sighed.
Bakugo choked. "What makes you think I'm fucking straight, Shitty Hair?"
Kirishima's hands froze, cup halfway to his mouth. "You're not?" he whispered.
"No fucking way," Bakugo said, rolling his eyes. "I'm gay."
Kirishima's face suddenly matched his hair. "I'm so sorry," he said desperately, eyes pleading for forgiveness. It has been a mistake, but Kirishima was clearly beating himself up over it. Bakugo didn't like that.
"It's fine or whatever," he said. "Why did you think I was straight?"
Kirishima stiffened. "I uh," he started before taking a big swig of coffee. "I've seen plenty of straight dudes that look lost and uncomfortable like you did. They're usually dragged along by someone else to make them an ally in the crowd or whatever, but they never look happy." Bakugo never looked happy, either. At least, that's what everyone else always told him. He just grunted in response, not really wanting to admit that he now understood exactly why Kirishima got that vibe from him. "So is this your first Pride?" Kirishima asked, not letting Bakugo's lack of response drag the conversation down. Bakugo nodded, not really wanting to admit that out loud either. "Well I'm glad I had the chance to meet you during your first Pride experience." Kirishima smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I hope I didn't ruin it for you already."
Bakugo didn't like the forced happiness look on Kirishima. It didn't suit him. "You didn't fucking ruin anything," Bakugo replied. Then, a little softer, "I'm having a good time." This time, Kirishima's face radiated pure sunshine when he smiled.
With the air cleared, Kirishima returned to his cheerful, chatty self. He asked Bakugo all sorts of questions, which the blonde answered with as few words as possible. But he liked this. Sitting around, listening to Kirishima talk while he was free to just watch. He knew Kirishima wanted to talk with him, but the redhead never forced him to say any more than he wanted. Everything about the situation felt comfortable. Bakugo relaxed in his chair, mug in hand, shifting his focus between the festivities and the redheaded boy that didn't feel like a stranger anymore.
The peaceful atmosphere only lasted for a few minutes, though, before a group of colorful new customers burst through the door. "Bakugo! I finally found you!" Sero was basically asking to get killed. He rushed across the cafe and wrapped his arms around Bakugo, rubbing his cheek against the top of Bakugo's head. "I thought I'd lost my precious baby gay," he said, pretending to tear up.
Bakugo growled and squirmed his way out of his roommate's grasp, shoving him just hard enough to get some space. "Are you fucking drunk already or do you just have a death wish," he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Awwww Bakugo," Sero whined. "I was just worried about you." He was definitely at least a little drunk. Bakugo rolled his eyes and turned his attention out the window again.
"You two know each other?" Kirishima asked. Glancing back across the table, Bakugo couldn't hold in the laugh that bubbled out of his chest at the sight of Kirishima's very confused expression.
"Bakugo's my roommate," Sero explained. "The one I was telling you about at breakfast."
Bakugo's eyes narrowed at Kirishima. "You're a part of fucking loser brunch?"
"Pride breakfast!" Sero corrected, slightly exasperated that he had to make that correction every time Bakugo mentioned it.
Two others approached the table, to-go cups held tightly in their hands, and Sero introduced them. Each of them had stripes of color paint running down their face, just like Kirishima did. Sero's stripes were black, dark purple and gray. The girl, who Sero had introduced as Mina, had pink, yellow and blue stripes, matching her bubblegum pink hair and neon clothes. The other guy, Kaminari, had pink, purple and blue stripes, which stood out against his bright yellow hair. None of them looked nearly as good as Kirishima, but they all matched. They were a very evident group.
Bakugo suddenly felt alone again.
"It's almost time to start," the guy with the yellow hair said, handing a to-go cup to Sero. "We should go get a spot if we actually wanna hear good music this year." The others muttered their agreement, turning to the door. When Bakugo didn't move, Sero and Kirishima both paused. "C'mon," Sero said. "You don't wanna get lost again."
"I'm gonna stay here," Bakugo said. "Less fucking people." Sero frowned, but seemed to understand. Bakugo had never been a fan of large crowds.
Kirishima still hesitated, though. "I'll catch up with you all in a second," he said. He held up his mug causally. "Gotta finish my coffee." The others just nodded and walked out. They were too far away to see that Kirishima's mug was already empty. One they'd all left and the door closed, Kirishima's eyes shifted back to Bakugo. He looked grumpy still, but more like he was upset with himself rather than the world. "So what's wrong?" Kirishima asked.
"Why do you think anything's wrong, Shitty Hair?" Bakugo replied. His grip on the mug in his hands was tight and stiff. Uncomfortable.
"No one goes to their first Pride after they've come out and spends it alone."
Bakugo doubted that was actually true, but he knew what the redhead was getting at. "I'm not about to be some weird outsider clinging onto your group or whatever, okay?"
Sharing his insecurities that easily, especially to someone he'd just met less than an hour ago, wasn't something Bakugo did. What the fuck was wrong with him? He'd have to think about it later, though, because Kirishima was suddenly digging through his bag. "Ah! Found it!" He pulled out a small palette of creamy makeup in every color imaginable. Bakugo pretended not to notice that it only took him two steps to get around the table. Big, powerful strides. Hot.
"You could've just said that you wanted some colors too," Kirishima said as he sat on the edge of the table in front of Bakugo. Chiseled abs filled Bakugo's vision. Everything around him suddenly felt warmer.
"I don't want fucking face paint," Bakugo sputtered. He turned his attention back out the window, hoping desperately that Kirishima would just believe that and go back to his side. The redhead was too close. He needed to move. Of course, nothing worked out that way.
Kirishima stayed perched on the table, confusion spread across his face. "Are you sure, bro?" he asked. "It's really no big deal."
Oh. Bakugo's frown deepened when he heard the "bro", the air around him cooling a little. He felt ridiculous, getting all excited over some well-defined muscles. What was he, fourteen? "Fucking whatever," he grumbled. "Do whatever you want."
Kirishima smiled, suddenly pulling Bakugo's chair a little closer. He wrapped a hand around Bakugo's jaw, turning the blonde's head to face him directly. Bakugo's breath hitched. Kirishima was so close. He did his best to remind himself of the "bro" that the unbelievably handsome guy in front of him said just seconds ago, but it didn't matter anymore. His brain had gone absolutely haywire. Kirishima's smile grew a little wider as they just looked at each other for a minute. Bakugo's eyes glanced at Kirishima's lips. They were so close. All he had to do was crane his neck forward a little and-
"This shouldn't take too long," Kirishima suddenly said, sitting back up and grabbing the palette again.
For the second time, Bakugo felt ridiculous. Hiding disappointment and embarrassment was second nature to Bakugo. The frown that almost never left his face was a great wall to hide his emotions behind.
Kirishima used his fingers to paint the rainbow stripes down Bakugo's face. The blonde could just barely feel the calloused fingertips through the makeup, dragging lightly across his skin. The contract made his skin burn, driving his shame even deeper He'd already fallen so hard, but he was just a "bro".
After a few minutes, Kirishima sat back, inspecting his work. A proud smirk stretched across his face. "Done," he confirmed. "Now you have to come celebrate with us." Bakugo huffed. He'd never agreed to that. But he wanted to go. Plus, he was still too embarrassed to put up a decent fight.
"Whatever," he muttered.
They left the cafe, heading back through the alley toward the main road. As soon as they made it to the crowd of people, Kirishima grabbed Bakugo's hand. "It's easier to keep track of each other this way," he explained.
"Right," Bakugo muttered.
He savored the feeling of Kirishima's hand in his, their palms adjusting temperatures to match each other. It might be the only time he'd get to experience the feeling. He was so distracted by the sudden contact that he didn't realize they'd walked right into the street. "Bro!" Kaminari waved at them from behind a smaller float, jumping around to make himself more visible. Kirishima waved back with his free hand, still holding onto Bakugo's with the other, and made his way over to where the rest of the group was.
"You came," Sero said as soon as he spotted Bakugo. "Awesome! Hope you like dancing." Bakugo blinked.
"Being in the parade is way more fun," Mina explained, gesturing around. "We get to dance through the WHOLE thing."
"You could do that from the sidewalk," Bakugo muttered.
"Wouldn't you rather experience something than just see it from the sidelines, new guy?" she asked, looking right at him.
That exact mentality was what had caused Bakugo to tell everyone that he was gay in the first place. He wanted to stop living on the side, just watching everyone else, and start actually living his own life. Most importantly, he just wanted someone special in his life. Someone who got him. Someone who didn't mine his attitude and outbursts. Someone who would just love him for who he was. Bakugo felt his hand being squeezed and realized Kirishima was still holding onto it, despite having already found their friends.
Remembering how Kirishima had distanced himself before, Bakugo tugged his hand free and stuffed it into his pocket. The others had already gotten distracted by the rhythmic thump of music that started blaring out of the speakers on the float in front of them. "It's almost time!" Mina squealed, vibrating with excitement. Immediately, the other three began dancing. Kaminari and Sero flailed around wildly. They were probably the furthest thing from skilled dancers, but their confidence and joy made it so that no one even noticed. Mina was better, clearly well versed in at least a few steps. She glanced over at Kirishima and immediately grabbed his arm, dragging him closer and lightly pushing him around until he joined in.
"Come on Bakubro!" Kaminari called, waving Bakugo over. "When the music starts playing, you gotta start dancing."
"It's basically a rule," Sero agreed.
"I don't dance," Bakugo huffed. A part of him, way deep down, desperately wanted to join. But he didn't know how to dance. He didn't even know how to try without making a complete fool of himself.
"Here, we'll help," Kaminari volunteered. He grabbed Bakugo's arms, pulling his hands out of his pockets. He started moving them in time to the beat, sometimes twisting his torso along with it to help loosen him up a little. Sero moved behind Bakugo, putting a hand on either side of the blonde's head and rotating it along with Kaminari's movements. From an outsider's perspective, they probably looked ridiculous. But Bakugo could feel himself loosening up. He was a quick learner. By the time the parade actually started moving, he was moving on his own, swaying with the music between his two flailing idiot friends. He let himself lower his guard more and more as they all danced and walked, giving in to the feeling of just letting go and living in the moment. It was calming, losing yourself in a beat and forgetting about everything else.
It took about an hour and a half for him to loosen up enough to bump into Kirishima without even noticing. When he did notice, he felt his face turn a deep red. Moving more on instinct, he immediately stepped away. But Kirishima was quicker, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. "Dance with me?" Bakugo's stomach rose up into his throat. He couldn't find words. So instead, he simply nodded.
They stayed together through the rest of the parade, dancing as best they could while keeping their hands laced together. It was awkward and difficult, but they managed. Not that either of them were complaining.
"Refreshment time!" Sero called once they reached the end of the route, stretching his arms up over his head.
"He means alcohol," Mina explained to a confused-looking Bakugo. "We always hit the bar after."
Bakugo nodded. He could use a drink. His nerves were all over the place. Kirishima was still holding his hand, despite the parade being over. Maybe there was still a chance.
"I forgot something back at the cafe, so we'll meet you guys there," Kirishima muttered quickly before dragging Bakugo along with him. The blonde just followed, brain unable to process everything that was going on quick enough.
"Wait," he said after a few minutes. "But you didn't forget anything."
"I know," Kirishima answered, turning down a deserted side alley.
Now, Bakugo really had no idea what the fuck was going on. Kirishima led him just far enough to where they wouldn't be noticed from the main road before spinning around to face him, the confidence he had going into the alley immediately disappearing. He stared at Bakugo, eyes wide with panic, as he realized just what he'd done.
"What's going on?" Bakugo asked, glancing around the space. Kirishima tried to say something, but nothing came out. "Spit it out, shitty hair. You're freaking me out."
Kirishima sighed before closing his eyes. He needed to do this. For both of their sakes. But he was so damn insecure. Nerves were flooding his brain with doubts. He took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't wait any longer, and blurted it out. "Do you like me?"
"Huh?" Bakugo didn't understand. "You made up some dumbass excuse and dragged me here to ask me THAT?" Kirishima just nodded, eyes still closed. "I wouldn't waste my time with you and your extra friends if I didn't want to," Bakugo said, the usual bite in his voice basically not-existent.
"That's not what I meant." Kirishima sucked in another deep breath, eyes still clamped shut. "Do you think I'm attractive? Do you see me as more than a friend?"
Bakugo was suddenly glad that Kirishima's eyes were closed, because all of his blood immediately rushed up to his face. Did he think Kirishima was attractive? Of fucking course he did.
"Why?" Bakugo asked, fanning himself in hopes of decreasing the blush on his face. "If you aren't interested, just say so."
"No!" Kirishima yelped, eyes snapping open. "That's not it. I am. Interested, I mean."
Bakugo's entire body froze. "You are?"
Kirishima just nodded again.
It only took Bakugo a couple of steps to trap Kirishima against one of the alley's brick walls, one hand on each side of the redhead's shoulders. "That makes things more interesting," he muttered.
Their lips connected without the soft, gentle ceremony that everyone associates with a first kiss. It was hot and needy, open mouths with just enough tongue. Hands roamed freely on each other's bodies, tracing over and under clothes. It was the culmination of desires that had started to build up from the moment they first saw each other.
After a few minutes, Kirishima broke away, leaving them both panting. "This isn't some one-time thing for me, by the way," he said, mustering the tiny bit of confidence that had returned to him. "I want us to see each other. I want to date. If that isn't something you want, then-"
Bakugo smirked, keeping his head back just enough so he could see all of Kirishima's face. "Works for me," he interrupted. "But we aren't done here yet." His hand slid up Kirishima's bare chest, stopping at the nipple. Playing with it made Kirishima's breath hitch, his head falling back against the wall. If Bakugo had any thoughts of stopping before, they was gone now. As soon as his hands dropped to the waistband of Kirishima's pants, though, a familiar voice called out.
"Headed to the cafe, huh?"
Mina stood a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest and a huge smirk spread across her face. "You know, if you wanted to run off to get some privacy, you could've just said so."
Bakugo growled in annoyance. "You a fucking stalker or something?"
The pink-haired girl scoffed. "The only reason I'd stalk you two is to make sure Kiri doesn't get kidnapped or something. But he can handle himself."
"Then why are you here?" Bakugo was getting impatient. If she didn't have a good reason for interrupting, he was going to snap.
"Kiri left without his phone and Sero's is dead." She waved a smartphone with an annoyingly red case in front of her face. "If you were ever planning on trying to find us again, you'd probably need this."
Kirishima blushed and slipped out of Bakugo's grasp, rushing toward Mina. "We were totally going to come back!"
"I wasn't," Bakugo grumbled.
"Thanks for chasing after us!" Kirishima added, ignoring the blonde.
Mina gave him a little wave, turning to head back out the alley. "No problem. But we won't be expecting to see you again today." She paused and glanced back, giving them a suggestive wink. "Have fun."
Kirishima's face turned bright red again. Bakugo just grinned. As soon as she turned out of sight, Bakugo stepped up behind Kirishima, who was frozen in place. He snaked his arms around the other's waist, placing his chin on Kirishima's shoulder. "Sounds like your schedule is suddenly empty," he whispered into his ear. "I might be able to have you fill something else..." One of his hands slowly slid down to trace Kirishima's growing erection. "If you're interested." Kirishima gripped Bakugo's biceps and rolled his hips back a little, pushing his ass just ever so slightly against him.
"Where do you wanna go?" he breathed.
Bakugo smirked, nibbling lightly on Kirishima's earlobe for a second as he hummed, pretending to think it over. "My place is just a few blocks away," he said. "Plus, I heard my roommate won't be back for a while." Kirishima laughed, his grip on Bakugo's biceps tightening just a little. Once Mina told the others what she'd seen, there would be no way Sero was going back until the next morning at the earliest.
"Sounds perfect."
Without another word, the two rushed away from the festivities, hands laced together. It may have been Bakugo's first Pride, but he already knew that nothing else would ever top it.
No, nothing would ever beat the day he first met Kirishima Eijirou.