Work Text:
"Dude, check out all the pictures I took! I already posted the best ones on Instagram." Kaminari thrust his phone under Eijirou's nose.
He had been trying to study in the common area but kept getting distracted. This was definitely better than geometry.
"No way, bro! I can't wait until we go back to the beach again. Why does Spring Break have to be over already?" Eijirou let out a whine as he thumbed through Kaminari's phone.
"I'm still surprised Bakubro joined us." Mina plucked Kaminari's phone away from him and started scrolling through his camera roll.
"He didn't play frisbee with us." Sero rested his chin on Mina's shoulder. "These turned out good."
"Even Blasty needs sun. Plus, everyone likes the beach." Eijirou leaned against Mina to look at the pictures. "That's a good one! Send it to me!"
"Holy shit, dude. You look really good!" Kaminari gave him a playful shove.
Eijirou wasn't vain but he really liked the way the picture made him look. It was taken mid-jump and the sun hit his skin so his muscles glistened at the right angles. A smile stretched across his face, confident he was about to catch the frisbee.
"Wait. Zoom in on the right side of the photo." Sero pointed to something on the screen. Mina let out a giggle and spread her fingers against the screen.
"Bakugou's watching you!"
Sure enough, Bakugou was staring at him from his towel, face above the book he was reading. His expression wasn't his usual scowl; it was softer. Not that it meant anything, of course. Bakugou was bound to be caught without a frown on his face one day.
"I wonder if he's looking at Kirishima in other photos." Mina bit her lip and started scrolling. "Holy shit! Here's another one!"
"You guys! Stop! Why would that matter?" Eijirou could feel his face heating.
"Um, because you have a huge crush on him and if he's watching you in your swim trunks, it probably means he likes you back?" Kaminari elbowed him.
His friends pulled out their phones and began to compare pictures. Sure enough, they found eleven photos of Bakugou looking at Eijirou. The one where he was staring at Eijirou's ass was particularly incriminating.
"Look at this one! He's watching Mina!" Eijirou pointed at Sero's phone. "See? He could like Mina too!"
All three of his friends dismissed him with a wave of their hands, then ducked their heads back to their phones.
"Oh my god. I just found - I don't know." Mina held out her phone. Eijirou swallowed nervously because this time, he saw it too.
At first glance, it looked perfectly innocent. They finished their game and Eijirou had gone over to say hi to Bakugou. He sat next to him on the towel and made a joke about catching crabs in the sand. Bakugou had scoffed and snorted a single laugh.
Mina had taken the photo at the exact moment they looked at each other. Eijirou's hair was blowing in the breeze with a wave washing up inches from their feet. Both were smiling, their skin flushed from the sun. Their hands were resting beside them, fingers almost touching.
It looked like a photo of a happy couple.
"That's a coincidence." Eijirou pressed his lips together. "Bakugou's made it very clear he doesn't want to date people."
"You're exempt from most of his rules, aren't you?" Kaminari wiggled his eyebrows.
"No one is exempt from any rules!" Iida marched into the room, his eyes narrowed. "What are you four planning?"
Kaminari patted Iida on the shoulder. "Don't worry, man. No one is breaking rules. Right, guys?"
They nodded in unison. Iida still didn't look convinced.
"They're just teasing me, dude." Eijirou gave him the thumbs up.
"We're discussing Bakugou." Mina flashed him a smile. "You know how he is."
Iida nodded solemnly. "I do." After giving them one more suspicious stare, he walked off to the kitchen.
Eijirou and his friends blew out a breath of relief. Iida was great but he was very intense.
"You should talk to him, man." Kaminari looked at the picture of Eijirou and Bakugou. "He'll definitely say yes."
"To what?"
"Asking him to be your boyfriend, of course." Mina squeezed his shoulders. "Show him the pictures."
Eijirou buried his face in his hands. "No way."
"It's not very manly to chicken out like this." Kaminari gave him a challenging smirk.
Eijirou bit his lip. It was true; months of pining had done nothing but give him sweaty palms and heart palpitations. That wasn't manly in the least bit. "You guys really think I should go for it?"
His friends erupted in exasperated groans. "Of course!" Mina shook Eijirou's shoulders.
Kaminari nodded. "Plus, I don't know how much longer I can keep this a secret. I might slip up any day."
"What are you idiots talking about?"
With a collective gasp, they stared at Bakugou. Sero was the first to regain his composure. "How long have you been here?"
Bakugou glared at him. "Not like it's any of your business but I just got here. This explains why Shitty Hair didn't show up for his tutoring session."
Eijirou swallowed and pulled himself off the couch. Mina's fingers typed furiously on her phone and his phone buzzed several consecutive times.
They walked into the elevator. Eijirou cleared his throat several times, trying not to blush.
"You talking shit about me or something?"
"Huh?" Eijirou finally met Bakugou's eyes.
Bakugou scowled and crossed his arms. "Whatever. If you're sick of studying, just fucking tell me."
Eijirou shook his head furiously, feeling his neck pop. "No way, dude. It's just something that came up on beach day. I actually like studying with you."
The elevator dinged and they walked down the hallway to Bakugou's room. Bakugou flung open the door and sat at his desk, leaving the bed for Eijirou.
He studied Bakugou as he took his notes out of his bag. Bakugou really was handsome enough to be a model. His features were well-defined, with perfect cheekbones and jaw. Eijirou had memorized every inch of Bakugou's face -- and other assets.
"Fuckin' what?"
Eijirou realized he was staring. "Um, do you want to know what we were talking about? The beach day thing?"
Bakugou rolled his eyes. "You're gonna tell me anyway, aren't you?"
However nonchalant it sounded, Eijirou knew Bakugou was really saying, "Yes."
"Well, we were looking at pictures. And we noticed some things." Eijirou knew he had to tread carefully with how he brought up the topic. If Bakugou felt cornered, he'd probably kick out Eijirou from his room. "Specifically about you."
"What about me?"
"I think it'd be easier if I showed you." Eijirou motioned Bakugou to come to the bed, shocking himself at how smooth he was.
Bakugou settled in beside him. "Show me the fascinating photos."
Eijirou unlocked his phone and began to scroll through the photos Mina, Sero, and Kaminari had sent him. He watched as Bakugou narrowed his eyes, his cheeks pinkening.
He swiped to the final photo, the one of the two of them. Bakugou sharply inhaled through his nose, his body visibly tensing.
"I, um, I like you a lot, dude. Not just as a friend. And this, um, makes me think maybe you feel the same way?" Eijirou set down his phone and wrapped his fingers loosely around Bakugou's wrists. His heart pounded in his ears.
Bakugou let out a huff. "You're an idiot."
A lump jumped into Eijirou's throat. He wasn't sure what he had expected, he definitely didn't think Bakugou would outright reject him. Tears stung his eyes. "Oh my god. I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have listened to them. Obviously, you don't like me."
Bakugou's hands squeezed Eijirou's. He fell silent. "I was fuckin' trying to ask you out at the beach but those idiots kept interrupting us."
"Oh." Eijirou blinked. "Wait, you were trying to do what?"
"Don't you remember I asked you to go to the beach with me in the first place? And then they all heard about it and made it a group trip." Bakugou scowled again. "I couldn't get you alone for more than five fucking minutes at the beach."
Holy shit! Bakugou liked him! He wanted to date him! Happy tears spilled out of his eyes. "Dude, yes! Please be my boyfriend!"
He crashed their lips together. It was messy and awkward but it was so much better than Eijirou had ever imagined. Bakugou's fingers threaded through Eijirou's hair and he huffed a laugh, pulling away.
"Your shitty friends know about this, then?"
Eijirou nodded. "They're your friends, too. And, uh, yeah. They know."
"Whatever. Send me that photo."
He picked up his phone and grinned at the picture of them. This was the first of many to come.
FIN