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The day was terribly tiring, leaving him mentally exhausted.
He was actually glad when that interview thing died down and the media left, because he was sure he couldn’t deal with that any longer. It was all too confusing and loud and filled with a strange energy that left him drained.
He noticed his friends together in a corner, chatting, and decided to approach since he didn't have anything better to do.
Uraraka seemed exasperated, talking to Midoriya and Momo in hushed tones.
“Has he always been like this? I mean, Bakugou simply doesn't help himself!” She said, agitated, and Midoriya gave her a nervous little laugh in response.
“I think so? His mom is really scary, worse than him, so he was raised like that. To never show weaknesses, never admit defeat. And well, her mouth is really foul, so I don’t think it's actually his fault. She was always beating him and cursing him, so Kacchan turned out like that,” the green haired boy replied, scratching his head in uneasiness.
But his words made Shouto pause, a cold feeling spreading over his body that had nothing to do with Quirk.
“She beat him?” he asked, not caring that he was intruding in a conversation that he was not invited to.
“Hm… yeah. It was actually funny, since she seemed like the only one capable of taming Kacchan,” Midoriya replied while Uraraka and Momo giggled at his words.
“It’s not funny when your parent beats you. Bakugou is not an animal to be tamed,” Shouto said, the cold feeling making him tremble discreetly, something he was sure went unnoticed by the others. “And you shouldn't tell people’s secret like that, Midoriya. It’s wrong.”
He was sure the shorter boy apologized, but he didn’t stay to listen to it. He needed to get away, to breathe , anything that would make that horrible feeling stop.
Shouto knew a thing too many about being beaten into submission by a parent. He knew about abuse, and to hear his friends talking like that… laughing like that… made him quite nauseous.
He considered Bakugou a friend, no matter what the other boy told the world. They shared so much time and experience and Shouto learned how to appreciate him. Bakugou was powerful and fierce, protective in his own way, and Shouto admired his strength and will.
Learning that his friend had been abused actually made him ache . Sometimes, he could notice the self-doubt on Bakugou’s eyes, he could see the anxiety bleeding into those explosive fingers while he tried his hardest to succeed. Bakugou was a perfectionist, someone who never accepted less than the best and Shouto could understand that.
Bakugou helped him improve while they were at the remedial classes and Shouto learned a lot from him, even though the other boy was as socially awkward as Shouto himself. In a different way, of course, but still. Bakugou didn’t know how to deal with people because it was never taught to him.
He kept imagining what Bakugou’s mother did to him. Did she call him weak? Did she hurt him? Did she make him doubt himself? Shouto knew all about that. And it hurt knowing that someone else, so close to him, also knew.
His friend .
He was telling the truth to those interviewers when he said they got along well. They did . Shouto trusted him, felt like he could rely on him, and they work great together. A good team, as Kirishima used to say. They were a very good team.
So, Shouto walked, not really paying attention to where he was going, too lost inside his own head.
The weekend was coming and all his friends were making plans to see their families. Shouto would not go back home; he had no reason to and he didn’t mind being alone. But now… knowing about Bakugou…
Shouto only noticed he was back in the dorms when he stopped in front of the other boy’s door. He didn’t know what he was doing there or what he would say, just that he wanted . He wanted to say something, to be near him, to… comfort him. He never had comfort in his life and he knew Bakugou didn’t need it (and actually wouldn’t appreciate it) but still he wanted.
Knocking the door, Shouto took a deep breath, bracing himself for the blond’s anger. And he wasn’t disappointed.
“The fuck do you want, you bastard?!” Bakugou yelled, clearly irritated, and Shouto almost smiled. Almost. So predictable…
“To talk.”
“I have nothing to say to you! Get lost!”
Shouto didn’t say anything else, but he pushed the other boy enough so he could enter his room without permission. Bakugou sputtered, screaming at him in surprise and anger, but Shouto simply didn’t care. The small explosions the blond created on his hands as a clear warning didn’t affect him in the slightest, since he was too used to Bakugou’s temper by now.
“What the fuck?! Have you gone crazy? Get out of my room, you piece of shit!”
“No. I want to talk to you,” Shouto replied, calmly, while the blond seemed ready to murder him on the spot.
“Say it already and leave!” Bakugou snarled back, sitting on his bed like he simply gave up on trying to reason with him.
And Shouto was glad for that.
He sat beside him, ignoring the murderous glare he received, and looked at him intensely.
“I’m really sorry about the interview thing. It was not fair to you.”
Bakugou frowned, his glare turning into something… confused, searching, like he was trying to guess Shouto’s motivation behind his words.
Shouto also didn’t know about his motivations, so they were both lost there.
“Why do you care?” the bond asked, his tone of voice low and sincere, something the taller boy was not used to.
“Because it was wrong. I don’t get it. I don’t understand people sometimes, but that was wrong. You were there too, they shouldn’t cut you out like that just because they didn’t like your words,” Shouto explained, noticing that Bakugou was moving around, clearly agitated.
“You got all the attention, that should be enough for you. People like your stoic ass.”
That made Shouto raise an eyebrow, confused. He sure got attention, not that he enjoyed it and he knew that was a good thing for his career. But… it didn’t feel right .
“As I said, I don’t understand people most of the time…”
“That’s because you are an idiot,” Bakugou interrupted him, and Shouto sent him an exasperated look, not bothering to acknowledge his words.
“I don’t understand their motivations, their jokes, their happiness. I wasn’t supposed to have fun here, to make friends , and it feels like I missed out a lot.”
“You mean, your shitty dad locked you up like a princess in a tower?!” the blond sputtered, moving his arms in irritation and Shouto felt lost once again.
“Why is the princess locked? Did she do something?”
Bakugou choked. He simply choked . On his own breath. It worried Shouto a bit, but the other boy recovered fast, coughing a little and looking at him like he was something he had never seen before.
“Shit… you are worse than I thought.”
Frowning slightly, Shouto felt like he disappointed his friend somehow but he wasn’t sure why. And it bothered him. He didn’t want to disappoint Bakugou anymore than he already did. He didn’t want the blond to look at him with irritation or disgust.
“I’m sorry, I’m still trying to grasp how it works.”
Bakugou sighed loudly, looking at the other direction with a vulnerability Shouto never noticed before. It made his heart ache for some unknown reason and he felt the need to… touch him.
To run his fingers through that perfect jaw and make Bakugou look at him again.
That thought left him feeling as vulnerable as his friend and he bit his lip, looking at the ground to avoid embarrassing himself even further.
“I wish I could say that it was your fault. That you were just a dumbass. But it’s not and that fucks me up,” Bakugou finally said, his voice so low that Shouto felt himself turn to stare at him in awe.
They stayed like that for a long time and he could see that Bakugou really understood him, his pain, his inabilities. It made his heart beat faster, in a way that it never had before. That was not compassion or pity. That was… companionship and understanding. And it made Shouto feel less lonely.
“I really think we get along well,” he declared after a few minutes, a small, discreet smile on his lips.
Bakugou blushed slightly, turning his head around aggressively with a frown.
“Why is this so important to you?” the blond grunted, holding his pillow like a shield and Shouto understood why.
He understood. Bakugou was feeling vulnerable and it was his fault, but he didn’t care. He felt the same.
“Because I enjoy your company and I want to keep having it. I like working with you, I trust you and I think you like working with me too.”
Bakugou’s eyes widened when they met his, like he couldn’t believe his words. Like he was too surprised and baffled to control his reactions.
And that was too much for Shouto.
He gave into the craving and touched his friend. It was just a brush of fingers, his hand meeting Bakugou’s in a soft touch, but it was enough to make the other boy react.
The blond took his hand, holding it firmly against his calloused palm, and it took Shouto by surprise, making him gasp and blush. It felt… good . And right. Like his hand was supposed to be there all along.
And Shouto wanted more of that feeling.
“You have no idea of what you are doing, have you?” Bakugou asked, looking at him intensely. “You are all instinct and the politeness you shitty father beat into you.”
Shouto swallowed, feeling hot all over under that scrutiny. He wanted… more . And he didn’t know of what .
“I...”
“Tell me what you want. Tell what came to your mind while you were looking at me like that ,” Bakugou demanded, squeezing his hand lightly.
Shouto wanted to ask about the way he looked at his friend, but he didn’t dare. The moment felt too… fragile, too intense to break it with his inability to understand basic things.
“I wanted to… touch you. Your face,” he replied, his voice small and rough from embarrassment. It was hard to admit something like that, and he didn’t want to anger the blond.
Bakugou didn’t seem perturbed by that, though, since he simply got closer to Shouto’s body slowly, exploring the hand under his with care. It made the taller boy blush even harder.
“Why did you want to touch my face?”
“Because…” Shouto tried to reply, swallowing the saliva in his mouth and trying to hide his embarrassment. “Because it’s pretty. Your face. It’s very pretty.”
Bakugou made a sound Shouto never heard before. It was a mixture of a pained groan with a moan and he ran his free hand over said pretty face, so exasperated and red that Shouto got worried. Maybe he said the wrong thing? Maybe he offended Bakugou?
“I’m going to kiss you now, you stupid dense motherfucker,” the blond said before leaning in and touching Shouto’s lips with his own.
And… oh. It felt good. It felt so good that Shouto let out a small sound of pleasure that seemed enough to make Bakugou let go of his hand and pull Shouto closer to his body.
The blond’s arms were strong, enlacing Shouto’s waist like he didn’t want to let him go. Like… an embrace. And he melted into it, kissing back with a hunger he didn’t know he felt, and holding Bakugou as well.
He was not as graceful as the other boy. His arms didn’t hold him as perfectly, his mouth didn’t respond as skillfully, but Bakugou didn’t seem to mind. Quite the contrary, if his reactions were anything to go by.
The kiss made Shouto feel hot inside, his whole body trembling with pleasure and want and need . It overwhelmed him so much that when the blond broke it so they could breath, Shouto rested his head on Bakugou’s shoulder, struggling to get himself under control.
And his friend smelled so good… his skin was warm and soft and Shouto wanted to touch him all over, but he dared not. Not without permission first.
“Are you alright?” Bakugou asked, that rusky voice on his ear making Shouto shudder in pleasure, so he simply nodded. He couldn’t trust his voice in that moment.
Bakugou adjusted himself so he could hold him better, between his parted legs, and Shouto felt himself leaning into the embrace, needing it so much that it overpowered his will. He held the blond back, tightly, feeling all the muscles of his chest and stomach against him. It was not helping his situation, but it felt too good to stop.
They stayed there for what it seemed like hours, until Bakugou laid down on his bed, taking Shouto with him. He could feel the other boy was as hard as he was, but neither of them made a move to do anything about it. They just stood there, hugging each other, comforted by the other’s arms.
And that, for Shouto, was more than enough.
“Next weekend… I will not go home. Stay with me?” he asked after a long time, raising his head to look at Bakugou.
The small smile that greeted him was enough to make his heart beat insanely fast, the blush creeping over his cheeks one more time.
“Sure. I don’t want to see that old hag anyways,” the blond replied, touching Shouto’s hair with a docility that he was not expecting. It made him close his eyes and lean into the touch, wanting, needing more of it. “You are really something, aren’t you, Halfie?”
“Huh?”
His inquiring glance made Bakugou snort, clearly amused, which only served to make him even more confused.
“You didn’t even notice that the bitch was flirting with you!” the blond said, holding his face with an exasperated look. “Mt Lady was all over your dense ass and you didn’t even notice .”
“Oh. She… was?”
“Oh my fucking god! I just said she fucking was, you moron!” Bakugou yelled, laughing at him and shaking his head. “You are hopeless.”
“I just noticed she was mean to you,” Shouto declared. At that, the blond stopped, turning serious and frowning at him. “I don’t like when people treat you like that.”
Bakugou took his lips into another kiss, so full of meaning, of passion , that Shouto had to hold onto him for leverage. His body was on top of the blond’s so he was able to feel everything , which only served to make him dizzy with arousal and need.
Shouto never noticed he wanted, craved , Bakugou so much until that moment. He never noticed how much he cared until he said it out loud. Perhaps he really was hopeless…
“Well… maybe we do get along well, after all, you bastard,” Bakugou said after kissing him for so long that both of them were breathless, their mouths tender from the thirst they consumed each other.
And that sentence made Shouto smile, leaning to kiss him one more time. Because they got along well. Because he couldn’t get enough. Because he wanted more and Bakugou seemed quite inclined to give it to him. To teach him and guide him through things he never experienced or considered before.
They were not alone in their pain and hopelessness and that was more than enough in Shouto’s opinion.