Chapter Text
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Bakugou had been waiting for this moment his entire life.
The day that he would step foot on the campus of UA University for the first time.
Although it was just a college tour, it gave him such a rush that he almost couldn’t contain himself.
Everything that Bakugou had done his entire life had been to prepare for getting into UA. The alma mater of his idol, All Might, UA was the only school that Bakugou could even see himself going to. He did everything he could to bolster his application. Joined club after club, dedicated himself to studying, he even joined the IB program to look more competitive. He was on track to be valedictorian by the time he graduated in the spring. His grades were perfect, and he even volunteered in his off time.
He was the perfect applicant. Smart, well rounded, and focused on his goal. He wouldn’t get distracted by things like friends, parties, or relationships. He didn’t have time for those. They were irrelevant, anyway.
Anything that couldn’t go on his college application was unnecessary in his eyes.
He didn’t do distractions.
He didn’t even bring his parents on this tour, because he knew how they were. They would talk about things and wander off and be a burden. He couldn’t tolerate that.
He had booked this tour two months in advance, after all. He was not about to have his concentration broken by ANYONE.
Or so he thought.
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Kirishima was the complete opposite. He wasn’t even supposed to BE on this tour. He only got his spot because someone else dropped out.
He was excited, though. Not for the school in particular, but to be on a college campus. Growing up, he hadn’t been exposed to much college wise; his parents didn’t have the money to send him.
And so he started playing sports, hoping to find an opportunity there. He tried his hand at every sport in the book: basketball, football, soccer, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, hockey.
He was exceptional. At every single one.
But he fell in love with two: lacrosse, and cheerleading.
He first picked up lacrosse at age 9. The rush he got from a lacrosse goal was like nothing he had ever experienced. Before he knew it, he was playing 9 months out of the year, only stopping in the winter because it was too cold. He watched match after match, teaching himself the rules and learning moves that his teammates were envious of.
Cheerleading came later. His first high school football game was his first experience. The skirts, the pom poms, the yelling, the moves. Everything was perfect. He WANTED that. He WANTED to be that.
But he couldn’t do both. And it broke his heart.
He had an entire epiphany in 10th grade about which one to choose. He wanted to be a cheerleader SO BADLY but he had to pick lacrosse. He needed to pick something that would get him a scholarship.
And boy did he get scholarships. Schools started scouting him in 11th grade, offering him free rides, wanting him to come visit them, sending him free gear, anything to try to get him to choose them. It was exciting, going from not being willing to think about college, to being wanted by all the top schools in the country.
But with that came another challenge: trying to get around to researching all the different schools. He enlisted the help of his parents, but there were so many schools that he couldn’t keep track of all the deadlines.
And so, when he went to sign up for the UA University tour in the fall, it was already full. It was the only one that he could get time off from lacrosse practice to go to, and he panicked. He was so relieved when he saw the email that said he had secured a spot after someone dropped out. He immediately filled out the form, barely managing to pay attention to what the questions were asking him. He was pretty sure he filled out at least a few incorrectly, but he NEEDED this spot.
They were offering him a ridiculously generous scholarship, one of the best offers he had gotten. He wanted to go see the school before deciding, though. A lot of schools were giving him good offers.
He hoped UA would have something that would make them stand out.
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“Okay, is everyone signed in and ready to go?” The tour guides stood at the front of the room, wearing matching UA University shirts with capitalized text reading “TOUR GUIDE”. Bakugou sat a few rows from the front, alone. He wasn’t here to make friends, or socialize. All he wanted to do was learn. He wasn’t going to take his eyes off the information being presented to him.
That plan went out the window as, just as the guides got their powerpoint set up, a redhead burst through the double doors at the back of the lecture hall. Hands on his knees, doubled over and panting, he tries to explain himself.
“Sorry….I’m late! My flight- delayed, couldn’t find my luggage!” Wobbling down the stairs to the front, he presents himself in front of the three guides.
“It’s fine, just grab your materials and take a seat.” The boy obliges, picking up the last packet of information before looking for an empty seat. His eyes lock on Bakugou before he’s bounding up the stairs to where the blonde is sitting.
“Hi! My name is Kirishima Eijiro! Nice to meet you, uh, Bakugou!” He sticks out his hand, Bakugou staring at it for a while before realizing that all the eyes in the room were on them. He begrudgingly returns the handshake before beckoning Kirishima to sit down. He does so clumsily, fiddling with his packet before finding his nametag. He puts it on before turning to Bakugou.
“It’s not crooked, right?” Even his whispers were loud, echoing around them and Bakugou turns to him, snarl turning to a slight smirk as he looked at the nametag.
“Not at all, Lirishims.”
“What?”
“Did you have an aneurysm filling out the form or something?” Kirishima looks down at his name tag, noticing the misspelling, and groans loudly.
“Dang it! I filled it out so quickly that I must’ve misspelled it! I just wanted to make sure I got this spot, and now everyone is going to think I’m an idiot!”
“That’s not the first indicator.” Bakugou mumbles under his breath as the head tour guide shushes the room.
“Welcome everyone to UA University! The three of us are going to be your tour guides today! My name is Toogata Mirio, and I’m a sophomore here at UA, majoring in kinesthesiology! I’m glad to have you with us today!” The head tour guide was a blonde, buff man with a baby face. His smile was bright and sincere, and yet Bakugou still could tell.
He was the type of person that he couldn’t stand. He HATED bright, happy, friendly people.
Much like the guy sitting next to him. The redhead was obviously fit, muscles practically bursting out of his red sweater with sharks detailing it, matching red Crocs adorning his feet. His bright red hair completed the outfit, spiked up, with two little tufts in the front, almost like horns. His teeth were about as sharp as his hair, showing every time the boy spoke or grinned, which somehow managed to be all of the time. He was so positive that Bakugou found it almost impossible to ignore him. It was like sitting next to the sun.
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“I’m going to have my two other guides introduce themselves!” Toogata gestured to the other two people at the front of the room, turning to a dark haired boy first.
It’s obvious that he’s saying something, but he’s so quiet that his voice doesn’t project through the hall like Toogata’s did. Toogata grabs a microphone, thrusting it at the boy, who hesitantly takes it before starting again.
“Hi my name is Amajiki Tamaki and I’m a sophomore majoring in marine biology.” He was still quiet, putting the mic too close to his mouth. The interference reverberated through the hall, prompting chuckles from the students.
Kirishima noticed that Bakugou didn’t laugh along with everyone else. He glanced over, taking his time to really look at him.
He was undeniably attractive, blonde hair adorning his head, almost like a pomeranian. The way he gritted his teeth didn’t stop him from being pretty, skin almost glowing, even in the dim lights of the room. He had a singular earring dangling from his left ear, and two chains hung around his neck. He wore an orange and black flannel, with a faded black t shirt underneath. He didn’t seem like the type to pay attention to trends, and yet he seemed to dress better than Kirishima was able to.
“Hi! I'm Hadou Nejire, and I’m a sophomore majoring in engineering! I’m glad you guys decided to come today!” The pastel haired girl practically bounced around the stage, rubbing off on Toogata, who began smiling and yelling as well. Amajiki, on the other hand, shrunk away, flinching and putting his hands over his ears.
“You guys are going to blow their eardrums out, calm down.” Amajiki’s sentiment was picked up by the mic, bringing with it another chorus of laughter. Try as he might, Kirishima couldn’t help the smile that came to his face, even as Bakugou huffed and crossed his arms.
He didn’t know why the blonde boy seemed so adamant about being serious, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from making him his friend.
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“We’re going to be heading outside now, so make sure that you have everything you came with, as well as your name tags!” The room breaks out into noise, as kids shuffle to collect all their belongings.
“You don’t seem very excited to be here, Bakugou.” Kirishima remarks as he attempts to slide the paperwork into his backpack.
“I don’t want all these damn extras trying to fucking distract me from learning. Especially extras that can’t manage to make it here on time.” Bakugou places his notebook in a binder, shoving it into his backpack aggressively.
“Ouch man. That hurt. I wasn’t late on purpose. I just didn’t expect to even be able to make it here. Plus, this is my first time travelling alone, so it was a struggle.” Kirishima stands, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and turning to Bakugou.
“Are you so immature that you can’t fucking catch a plane by yourself?” Bakugou brushes past Kirishima, attempting to leave him behind, but the redhead jogs to catch up to him.
“It’s actually my first time travelling ever! My family doesn’t really have the money to go on vacations, and so it took a lot for my parents to scrape together the money to even get one plane ticket. But I really wanted to check out the school, so it’s worth it!” Kirishima slams his fists together, beaming at Bakugou as they walk out of the lecture hall. Bakugou stares at him in confusion, shaking his head and hoping that Kirishima would get the hint and leave him alone.
“You’re really putting in all this effort for a school that you just want to ‘check out’? Seriously?”
“I uh never really thought about college before. I didn’t have the means to go, so I didn’t know anything about them. I know, it’s kinda weird haha.” Kirishima rubs the back of his head nervously as the tour guides start to lead them around campus.
Despite all the effort that he had put into being focused, Bakugou couldn’t help but be captivated by Kirishima. Something about the ease of his conversation drew Bakugou in, taking his attention from the guides as they drifted to the back of the group.
“What changed?”
“Oh, well, I play lacrosse in the fall and spring. I’m actually one of the top players in the country.” Kirishima curls his fist up, poking his thumb out and sticking it towards his chest.
“You’re a jock. Figures.” Bakugou turns away from him, sticking his hands in his pockets and shivering a little. He had read the weather report, but hadn’t factored in the wind chill into his outfit choice.
“Dude, are you cold? C’mere!” Kirishima wraps his arm around Bakugou’s shoulder, who goes bright red and tries to squirm away.
“What the hell are you doing, dumbass?” Bakugou’s yell attracts attention to them, which makes him somehow manage to get even redder.
“Sorry, sorry! You just looked cold!” Kirishima’s easygoing smile diverted most of the stares, but that didn’t stop Bakugou from grumbling.
“You stopped shivering, though, so I must’ve done something right!” Kirishima was correct. Bakugou could feel himself getting warmer just from being closer to the redhead.
He hated it.
But he didn’t want it to stop.
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Kirishima kept himself wrapped around Bakugou the entire tour, keeping him only slightly distracted as Toogata, Amajiki, and Hadou took them around the giant UA campus. The sports facilities were what kept Kirishima’s attention, who squealed as they made their way to the football field.
“Cheerleaders!” Kirishima jumped up and down, waving at the girls on the field. Their laughter was audible as they waved back at him, making Kirishima light up even more than he already had.
“I LOVE cheerleaders, man!”
“Of course you would, Mr. Jock.”
“Not like that, man! I wanted to be one so badly! But I had to choose between that and lacrosse, and lacrosse gave me a better chance at getting into school. I do dance in the winter, but it’s not the same.” Kirishima pouts, hanging off Bakugou in such a dejected manner that the blonde almost feels bad for him.
“Tch, that’s stupid. Why not just do both?”
“My practices always conflicted, and my coaches made me choose. It was a rough time in my life. The outfits are so cute. I totally could pull it off.” Kirishima strikes a pose, and Bakugou can’t help but snort.
“Yeah, I bet you’d look good in a skirt.”
“Really, bro? I’m honored.” Kirishima’s eyes glisten, and Bakugou has to turn away from him again, in an attempt to not laugh directly in his face.
“It was a joke, idiot.”
“Bakugou, you wound my pride.” Kirishima thumps a hand to his chest, pretending to have taken a hit. Bakugou had to admit, Kirishima was more entertaining than most people he knew, as laughter bubbled up from his chest on its own. He wanted to hold it in, but the way that Kirishima wiggled his eyebrows at him forced it out. Bakugou had to cover his mouth to quiet himself down, but it didn’t matter, because Kirishima started laughing with him, and he completely lost his resolve. The two boys almost missed the group leaving the field because they were so caught up in their giggles. Bakugou looked up to see them disappearing out a side exit, and grabbed onto Kirishima’s arm, looping it around himself as he pulled them out the door.
The rest of the tour went without incident, and both boys managed to learn a lot, despite all the research Bakugou had done about UA before the tour. They got to see all the high tech facilities the university housed, the different types of dorm systems, and the various activities going on around campus. Research really couldn’t compare to seeing the real thing in person. Kirishima made sure to take lots of pictures for his parents, even making Bakugou get in some with him. He couldn’t make the blonde smile, but that didn’t bother him much. Just having him in the picture was enough.
All too soon, the tour comes to an end. The group ends up standing outside a cafeteria near where they started the tour. It seems to be a popular eating spot, with students milling around the entrance, sliding in and out of the automated doors.
“This is the main dining hall on campus. You guys are going to have your meals here while you stay with us. You can have lunch, and then feel free to explore campus on your own until dinner. Meet back here at 6:30, and don’t be late.” Toogata eyes Kirishima, making the group laugh again. Kirishima apologizes again, but Toogata waves him off with a smile.
Kirishima and Bakugou walk into the dining hall, both heading in completely opposite directions. Kirishima starts for the grill, while Bakugou gets in the ramen line.
“I’ll see you after I grab something to eat, bro!” Kirishima’s voice rings above everyone else’s as the redhead disappears into a sea of students. Bakugou sighs before grabbing a tray.
He gets the spiciest ramen he can, grabbing some tea before striding over to the seating area. It didn’t take long before he spotted a mound of red hair peeking through the crowd, wandering around in search of him. He sets his tray down at a table, but waited until Kirishima spotted him before indulging in his food.
“Hey dude! I was looking for you!” Kirishima tray is packed with different types of meats, food almost teetering off the edge.
“Are you even going to be able to eat all of that?” Bakugou eyed the tray as Kirishima collapsed into the chair across from him.
“Are you joking, man? I’m starving! Takes a lot to sustain this body!” Kirishima flexes and Bakugou watches as the fabric of his sweater strains to contain his muscles. He was very well built, and Bakugou felt himself unable to look away. Something about Kirishima seemed to have that effect.
He’s broken from his trance by Kirishima inhaling his meal at a completely unholy speed. He’d never seen anyone eat that fast before, and he knew it wouldn’t go well.
“You’re going to end up choking.”
“Mmmno ‘m mnnot!” Kirishima’s response seemed to prompt the prophecy to fulfill itself, as he began to cough quietly. Bakugou snorts into his ramen as Kirishima finally manages to swallow, looking up at Kirishima with a satisfied smirk.
“Thought you weren’t going to choke.”
“Shut up!”
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After eating, Kirishima begs Bakugou to go back to the football field with him.
“Please, Bakubro! I want to go talk to the cheerleaders!”
“What the FUCK did you just call me, Shitty Hair?”
“Sor- wait, you think my hair is bad?” Kirishima brings his hands up to rest atop his head, and Bakugou can’t help but notice that the grin he usually has isn’t there anymore.
He didn’t like that.
“What, no, it’s fine. I like it. C’mon, let’s just go.” Bakugou starts walking away, followed quickly by a bounding Kirishima.
“You’re going to go with me? Really? AWESOME!” Bakugou can’t imagine getting so elated over such small things like Kirishima does.
But it’s not the worst thing in the world.
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They went to the football field, Kirishima engaging in passionate conversation with the cheerleader. After they left, the pair wandered around campus, taking in everything that UA had to offer.
Bakugou had never done this before. But for some reason, being around Kirishima didn’t drain him like being around other people did. It was almost refreshing, being able to explain the differences between the SAT and the ACT, or how weighted classes worked. Kirishima was confused, but he dutifully listened to everything that Bakugou had to say.
They ended up sitting outside on the quad, Kirishima flopping on the grass and Bakugou standing next to him, complaining about being outside and the cold. Kirishima tugs on his hands, pulling the blonde into the grass, who threatens to leave and go somewhere else. Kirishima knew he wouldn’t though.
Kirishima was enjoying the company. He was nervous about flying across the country himself, to a school with a bunch of people he didn’t know. He was always good at making friends, but part of him was still scared to be away from his parents for so long. He had never left home for more than a day, and now he was all alone in a completely new place for three days?
But Bakugou’s presence was calming. He didn’t understand how. The blonde was abrasive, loud, and didn’t seem like he liked other people all that much. But his eyes sparkled when he laughed, and he told Kirishima so much new information about college that he felt that his brain was going to burst. He was different than anyone who Kirishima had met before, and he could feel himself being drawn to Bakugou.
Not that he had a problem with that.
“Get the fuck off me, loser!”
“Come on, Bakugou! Please, it’s so comfortable!”
Kirishima had positioned himself in between Bakugou’s legs, laying his head in the boy’s lap as he leaned back against a tree. Bakugou squirmed, but he didn’t force Kirishima off of him.
“What are you majoring in, Bakugou?” Kirishima flipped over so he could look at Bakugou, who flicked his forehead, bringing whines from Kirishima.
“Physics. I want to be a rocket scientist.”
“Wow, that’s so cool! Is it because you like All Might? Astronauts are SO cool, but space is kinda scary.”
“That’s why I picked being a rocket scientist. Forming the perfect vehicle, to make space travel not only safer, but more affordable to the masses?” Bakugou’s fingers unconsciously worked into Kirishima’s hair as he talked, and Kirishima sighed. The contact felt good, better than it normally did. Something about the softness of Bakugou’s hands caused Kirishima to relax, and he sighed.
“What about you, dumbass?”
“I don’t know, honestly. I haven’t really thought about it. I like rocks, so I was considering a geologist, but part of me still wants to be a professional cheerleader. I could major in dance, and then use that to become a cheerleader. There’s just so many options, man! I mean, being a marine biologist like Amajiki also sounds really cool! I’m going to talk to him more about it later, and see if he can give me some more insight…” Bakugou leaned further back as he listened to Kirishima drone on about his indecision. Usually he hated listening to pointless drabble, but Kirishima had a way to make anything sound interesting.
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“These are the dorms that you’ll be staying in. There are bathrooms attached to each set of rooms, and you’ll all be bunking with another person. Your names are on the doors of each room. If you guys need anything at all, Amajiki and I will be at the end of the hall. Sleep well, we have a ton of stuff planned for you guys tomorrow!” Toogata bumps shoulders with Amajiki, the both of them wandering down the hallway, conversation drifting through as Amajiki says something that makes Toogata laugh heartily.
“Hey, Bakugou, look!” Kirishima points at the third door, which read:
Bakugou Katsuki
Lirishims Eijuri
“I forgot how badly you fucked up your name, idiot.” Bakugou flicks Kirishima’s forehead before walking into the room, picking up his suitcase and bringing it to one side of the room.
The room was spacious enough for two people, neatly made beds laid out side to side instead of bunks. There were matching desks by the window, and two closets lined the space near the door. Besides that, the room was sparse, save for an air conditioning unit tucked into a corner.
Kirishima flops onto the other bed, groaning in satisfaction as he stretches out.
“I’m beat, man! I am so ready for bed.” He stands, lifting his luggage and sliding it under the bed, except for a giant red shark that was almost as tall as him.
“What the hell is that thing?” Bakugou looks over from digging through his suitcase, almost losing his resolve as he sees the shark.
“Crimson Riot the Third! Named after the legendary lacrosse player, Crimson Riot! He’s actually my inspiration for a lot. I mean, my nickname on the field is Red Riot.”
“What happened to Crimson Riot the Second?”
“We don’t talk about Crimson Riot the Second.” Kirishima barely manages to keep his face serious long enough for Bakugou to feel bad, before breaking into helpless giggles, causing Bakugou to push him back into the bed.
“Idiot. I actually fucking felt bad for a second.”
“Good! Crimson Riot the Second is off limits!” More giggles escape Kirishima as Bakugou takes the pillow off of his bed and launches it at Kirishima. He puts his arms up to block the attack, laughter pouring out of him as Bakugou picks the pillow up and beats him mercilessly. He can barely work out an apology in between hits, a savage grin growing on Bakugou’s face as he repeatedly hit Kirishima.
“Hey guys? It’s your turn in the bathroom.” A few knocks accompany the words as the boys fall silent, chests heaving and matching smiles.
“We’ll be right there, thanks!” Kirishima finally manages to catch his breath enough to respond, and they hear the footsteps recede.
“You’re such a fucking nerd, Kirishima.” Kirishima can’t help but light up, even though Bakugou is insulting him.
Because Bakugou finally used his name.
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“Lights out, everyone! Sleep well!” Hadou’s voice carries down the hall as lights flick off rhythmically in each room.
Bakugou and Kirishima are both tucked into bed, Kirishima already snoring like a bear, body curled around his shark. Bakugou shoves his earbuds in his ears, hoping that his music could drown out the sound. They didn’t completely erase it, but it was enough that he ended up drifting off as well.
He dreamt of visiting the sun, making it his home. The place where he no longer felt alone.
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Bakugou woke from his dream wearily, rubbing his eyes and checking the time on his phone. The screen read 7:13, and he stood, going over to the window and pulling the curtains back.
“Kirishima, get up. We have to be to the dining hall by 8.” Sleepy mumbles answer Bakugou’s demands, and he turns to take a look at his roommate.
The blankets were tangled around Kirishima’s legs, leaving his bare chest out. He was still in the process of waking up, eyes closed as an arm drifted up to block the rays from the sun from hitting him in the face. The sunlight hit him perfectly, and Bakugou sucked in a breath as his heart stopped.
He looked ethereal.
Bakugou could feel him heart racing, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight before him. He had never felt like this before, but he immediately knew what was going on.
Kirishima was the sun. Kirishima was HIS sun.
And he was going to make sure it stayed that way.
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The two remaining days went by much too quickly, despite the mass of activities that were planned in it.
The scavenger hunt, which Bakugou and Kirishima won.
The mock class, where they learned about photosynthesis, and Kirishima fell asleep.
The meet up in the library, where they got to learn about the different majors. Bakugou spent the time discussing the points of the physics program with the head of the science department, whereas Kirishima drifted aimlessly, looking at anything he found interesting.
The club fair, where Kirishima won the pull up contest, and got some free UA gear as a prize. He already had enough UA gear, so he gave it to Bakugou, who was secretly happy to get it.
Even their down time was entertaining, lounging around the dorm or walking around outside.
Kirishima brushing his teeth so aggressively that the bristles on his toothbrush split.
The Mario Kart tournament which both Bakugou and Kirishima lost miserably to one of the other kids in the group.
The impromptu glow dance party that Kirishima tried to drag Bakugou into, but failed miserably.
Late night conversations about any and everything that came to Kirishima’s mind, even after Bakugou’s many requests for him to shut up.
Every moment spent with Kirishima stuck in Bakugou’s mind until the morning of their departure. They started to blur together, Kirishima’s smile and soft, childlike giggling drifting through his head as he zipped his suitcase shut. He turned to watch Kirishima, muscles in his back rippling as he fought with his luggage. He finally closes it, spinning around with the pointy grin that Bakugou learned to be his signature.
“Man, this was incredible! It kinda feels like it ended too soon, though.” Kirishima rubs the back of his head sheepishly and looks to the floor, silence filling the space between the two boys for the first time since they met.
“I enjoyed spending time with you, Bakugou. Really.” Kirishima looks up, smiling, before closing the distance and hugging Bakugou. Bakugou stiffened, still unused to Kirishima’s sudden displays of affection. Kirishima has to make Bakugou bring his arms up to embrace him, but it feels natural. Bakugou tucks his face into the crook of Kirishima’s neck, breathing in his scent.
It was just supposed to be a college tour. The final deciding factor in his dream. And yet, when Bakugou held Kirishima, he felt so much more. He could see his future, him growing out and reaching fulfillment. But the feeling didn’t come from making the ultimate spacecraft, like all of his previous fantasies. It was filled with Kirishima’s red hair, his smile, his laughter, his unbeatable positivity. The boy invaded every aspect of his life, but Bakugou didn’t mind. In fact, he wanted it.
“Let’s exchange numbers!” Kirishima releases himself from Bakugou’s grasp too soon for Bakugou as he takes out his phone, handing it to Bakugou and letting the blonde input his number. He sends off a text, then another, and a third before Bakugou grabs his phone and shoves it back in Kirishima’s pocket. Giggles leave Kirishima, the same ones that had occupied the space between them the entire time.
They felt different, though. A little more empty.
Bakugou didn’t like that.
“I enjoyed spending time with you too, dumbass.”