Work Text:
Kirishima first saw him at the waterfall. He thinks that maybe, that was the first time he fell in love. There was a boy with a wild look in his eyes, a strong golden sword gleaming in the partial afternoon sunlight, the blood of a dead titan running down his forearms. He must’ve gone out beyond the walls. Kirishima didn’t know if it was that fact alone that made him realize, but it must have been.
Crumpled by the thick boots of the mystery boy was a corpse, with injuries to its head, shoulder, and stomach. Kirishima could recognize the entity from anywhere, with it’s eight feet on humans, thick limbs and crooked horns. Usually entire human armies were used to fight the titans, but it seemed this boy survived all on his own. This piqued his curiosity.
The boy stepped under the shower of the waterfall, wetting his battle armour. Which wasn't much, only consisting of a thick lion skin cape, fur lining the hood, and dark trousers. Kirishima watches as his spiky hair melts down over his face as it gets wet and briefly thinks that he should look away. He most likely looked like a complete creep. But, he had so many questions to ask. Like, did he fight the titan all by himself? Even if he knew it was illegal? Not to mention leaving the city’s safe zone. He looked like a a teenager, no older than Kirishima himself, so. How did he survive?
There was really only one answer. He must have used his quirk. That’s three broken laws right there. This boy must be crazy, defying the rules like that. Looking back, that was probably why Kirishima fell in love.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Is the first thing Bakugou Katsuki ever says to him.
Kirishima goes red in the face, letting his jaw fall open. “No- I, it’s not like that. I just, the titan..” Kirishima couldn't work well under pressure. Bakugou doesn’t look impressed.
“This fucker?” The blonde plants a brown boot in the center of the titans chest, crushes his heel down until Kirishima can hear a sickly crack. The familiar break of bone. “He’s dead, don’t worry.”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” Kirishima shakes his head, takes a few steps forward, cautious. He didn’t know what kind of quirk this boy had, and if it was powerful enough to defeat a titan, even at his age, he should be even more careful. “How?”
“Ground Zero.” The stranger states, and that’s enough. Kirishima understands, this boy wants to be a hero. Figures, Kirishima didn’t know why he didn’t understand that earlier.
“Can I.. see?” Kirishima motions towards the decaying body of the titan with his eyes, briefly, before looking back up to the blonde. His eyes were a beautiful shade of red.
“Go ahead.” He steps backward, crossing his fabric clad arms over his bare chest. He didn’t look the slightest bit flustered to be so exposed to a stranger. He was the embodiment of confidence.
Kirishima leans over the being and studies it further. From up close, he can see burn scars and melted skin. Maybe a fire quirk? It must have been strong, because the titan’s left hand was completely dismembered from its body. Maybe dynamite, or some kind of bomb?
“You want to know what my quirk is.” The boy says and startles Kirishima from his concentration. He looks up from the titan with wide eyes. The boy continues. “Don’t you wanna know my name first?”
Even now Bakugou never failed to make him flustered. “I- Well.. I mean, I guess.”
“I rather just show you.”
“Show me what?”
“My quirk.” The boy says matter-of-factly, shaking the water droplets from his fringe. He licks his lips, braces himself in a classic fighting stance, brings his arms out in front of him and meets them by the wrists. He aims away from the both of them but Kirishima can still see the red hot energy building in the center of his palms, It is silent as the boy curls his fingers, squints and blasts. It's obvious he has a very powerful quirk, orange hot flames blasting through the air. Explosive. That was the best word to describe Bakugou.
“Katsuki,” He says when he’s finished his impressive display. When Kirishima just blinks at him he goes on. “My name. Katsuki Bakugou.”
“Oh, right. I’m Eijirou Kirishima.” Kirishima makes sure to close his jaw before flies start flying in. “That was crazy, Bakugou. How’d you learn to use your quirk so well, y’know.. since the ban.”
“I don’t give a fuck about what the government says I can or can’t do,” Bakugou sates, grinning wide, manic, a way he did only while blasting titans to hell. “It’s my quirk. My fucking birthright. Fuck them.”
Kirishima’s never met someone quite like Bakugou before. “And the titan?”
“Killing every single one of them is my destiny.” Bakugou says and he is sure of himself. Nothing anyone could say would change his mind. Maybe he made his own fate. “If I’m breaking their stupid rules than so be it. This is what I was born to do.”
Kirishima nods because there was nothing he could say otherwise. He felt it then and he knew it now.
“What’s yours? Your quirk, I mean.” Bakugou says, showing his first sign of any kind of interest in Kirishima.
The redhead lowers his gaze slightly. “Well, I could show you, if you’d like.”
Bakugou says nothing but looks at him expectantly.
Kirishima takes a deep breath. He hasn’t shifted since he was a child. He takes a few moments to clear his head, focus on the task. His skin changes first. Many people, upon seeing his quirk for the first time think he has a normal working hardening quirk. His skin goes rocky, irregularly thick and rough, his face takes on an angled shape, resembling something of a rocky snout. Next are his wings. They sprout strong and red from his shoulder blades, and he revels in the way Bakugou’s eyes widen. His legs transform into strong clawed ones, and soon he stands at a whopping thirty five feet. Kirishima stands tall, let’s Bakugou fit his eyes over every part of his newly transformed body before lowering his head to the ground, looking at him expectantly.
It takes Bakugou a moment before understanding. Like Kirishima expected, he wasn’t scared. Or at least, didn’t show it. Bakugou gripped onto his strong horns, propelling his body onto his head. “If you fucking drop me I’ll blast your ass back where you came from.” Bakugou says as a warning, maybe the only sign of weakness, besides the way his hands slightly tremble around his horns.
Kirishima can’t respond, not in dragon form but he gets it. Really, anyone else but Bakugou would have definitely refused the offer of a ride, seeing as Kirishima was a complete stranger, and you couldn't truly trust anyone in this world. And, yet. Bakugou wasn’t just anyone.
Kirishima made sure to go for a gentle take off, only getting to a trot at most, edging nearer and nearer to the edge of the waterfall. If anything, there was water underneath, so hopefully that calmed Bakugou’s mind a little. As he prepared to fly he stretched his wings out far, viewing the pinky horizon. And, he jumped.
Bakugou gasped lightly, held on even tighter, but he made no motion of wanting to stop. Soon enough, as they ventured further and further into their own paradise Bakugou started to laugh. Kirishima would feel him buzzing overhead, adrenaline of being in flight pumping through his veins and rendering him feverish.
Kirishima made sure to do nothing reckless, just to show him around impossible heights. He swirled past trees and flatland, finally remembering what it was like to fly. It had been years, and he guessed he had Bakugou to thank.
“Oh my god,” He heard Bakugou whisper, not for his ears to hear. With his heightened senses in this form Kirishima picked up on all of the little things Bakugou did. Like every time his hands slipped his hold on Kirishima's horns, or the way his legs tightened around his neck. Every gasp, every breath. He was so in tune with the stranger, he felt like he had known him forever, even after only just meeting each other. Kirishima knew, he just knew he had to know more about this boy.
By the time the pinks and oranges were starting to fade from the sky and leave traces of navy and stars Kirishima lands back at the waterfall. Bakugou jumps off and catches his breath, a slight tremor still in his hands. Flight will do that to you.
Kirishima transforms back, from dragon to human. He takes a moment to breath. It had been quite a while since he exerted himself like that.
“What is your quirk exactly, Kirishima?” Bakugou quizzes, arms crossed over his chest and a small frown on his face. “At first I thought you had some type of defensive power, hardening or some kind of skin control quirk, but. You’re- you can’t be human, not like that. What are you?”
Kirishima grins, flashing pearly daggers. “Exactly what I look like, Bakubro. I’m part dragon.”
“You.. can’t be. They all went extinct when the titans first attacked the city.”
“Ah, so you know your history, figures.” Kirishima shakes his head, runs his tongue against the sharp undersides of his teeth. “Not all of them. My parents, they went into hiding. My mother was pregnant with me, so she couldn’t fight alongside her clan. She gave up that part of her life for me. And, now I’m doing the same.” Surely this went against every one of Bakugou’s morals. Everything he preached was about living up to one's destiny. He should have been outraged at Kirishima's blatant show of ignorance. But. He also must have understood how it was a matter of survival. Of family, and of love. He must know, because Bakugou was the brightest kid Kirishima has ever come across.
“Alright,” Bakugou says, he says it like he gets it. “It’s late.” And that’s all he needs to say.
\
Turns out, Bakugou was the same age as Kirishima after all.
The next time they meet it’s during first period. Bakugou doesn’t look very thrilled to be there, lacking a tie, first three buttons undone and oversized trousers hanging low on his hips. He looked nothing like the wild boy with passion in his eyes and a burning inferno at his very core like the week prior. He took a seat at the very back of the class, letting his bag fall to the floor with a muted thud and slouching in his seat. He stares out the window like he has somewhere he’d rather be. Kirishima knew he most likely did.
Kirishima finds out pretty quickly that Bakugou has no intent on being a good student. He boutmouths the teachers, and just about anyone, has a personality more explosive than his quirk and a quick tongue. He also makes a point of openly using his quirk, which gets him reprimanded very often. Soon enough Kirishima was the only one that wasn’t the littlest bit scared of him. No one else understood. They didn’t see how brightly Bakugou shone among them. Bakugou rubbed some of that light onto Kirishima, too.
Every night, Kirishima would fly back to the waterfall, just to see if Bakugou was there. To see how many titans would be dead by his feet that day. To see if he maybe wanted a ride. Also, as the littlest voice in his head said, he was concerned about his safety. Not that he thought Bakugou couldn't handle his own, no, he made that fact very clear. It was just that he knew Bakugou could sometimes get in over his head. The titans beyond the walls of the city were no joke. And, well. Everybody needed support, sometimes. Even Bakugou.
“Can I walk you home today?” Kirishima asks when the final bell rings, ignoring Iida from where he was standing in the doorway, ordering everybody to get out of their seats in alphabetical order.
Bakugou scowls at him, shoves his textbooks in his backpack aggressively. But, he doesn’t say no, so that’s something.
Kirishima shoves his hands in his pockets. “Boring day, huh?” He says, just as conversation. It was hard to start normal ones with Bakugou, ones that didn’t involve violence and rage and passion. He didn’t mind them, obviously, but he wanted to see the more human side of the warrior Bakugou was.
“Sure.” Bakugou grunts. He hunches his shoulders as he walks.
Okay. Not much of a talker. “Well, what’re you gonna do now?”
“Kill some titan fuckers, that’s what I’m gonna do.” Bakugou grins, clenching his fists by his side. Kirishima wondered why Bakugou had so much conviction when it came to fighting the titans. Other than the obvious ones, like how they’re rendering humans afraid for their lives and unable to move past the four grey walls that encircle their city. Kirishima knows it must be bigger than that. He just doesn’t know why.
“Be careful out there, yeah?” Kirishima clutches onto the strap of his bag. A little itch inside of him keeps on reminding him of how curious he is about how Bakugou goes about fighting them. He knows he uses his quirk, that’s for certain, but Kirishima noticed the sword he had beside him that very first day at the waterfall.
“I’ll be fine, don’t tell me what to do.” Bakugou sets off mini explosions in the palms of his hands, “Plus, they’ll need it more than I will.”
Kirishima supposed that was probably true.
“Do you wanna come?”
Kirishima stops walking. “Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to come, dumbass. Fight with me. I could use your height and mobility during combat.”
Kirishima knows he’d just get in the way. Still, he too wanted to experience life outside of the city, maybe even help at defeating one of those god forsaken titans. “I’ll probably just get in the way..”
Bakugou snarls and grips onto Kirishima's shoulders. His palms are warm through his uniform jacket. “Don’t say bullshit like that, it makes me fucking angry. Don’t be stupid, I can use you to my advantage. You’re a motherfucking dragon Eijirou, you’re hot shit and you know it.”
Kirishima didn’t know how to react to the proximity, the flattery, the tone or the use of his given name. He just blinks dumbly. “I- uh, ok-kay.”
“Good.” Bakugou says, hits him on the shoulder and is on his way again. A walking enigma, Bakugou Katsuki was.
Bakugou comes to the waterfall thoroughly prepared for battle. He wears the same clothes as last time, furred line cape, dark pants and furry thick boots to match. Around his neck was what appeared to be some kind of tooth, lined with cyan crystals. Kirishima tried not to stare at the milky display of skin.
In bakugou’s hands were two swords. Kirishima didn’t even know where a high school student could find weapons like those.
“Here,” Bakugou says, shoves the handle into Kirishima's grasp. “If you don’t want to go, say that now. I can protect you, if you need it, but, just know that this is the real fucking deal. It’s dangerous as fuck. And, also, illegal. So, fuckin’. Ugh, do you even want to?”
Kirishima takes a moment, tightens his grip on the blade and nods. “Yes.”
Bakugou grins maniacally, and Kirishima knows this is it.
“Let’s fuck shit up.”
Admittedly, ever since meeting Bakugou, Kirishima has done a lot of things he wouldn’t have done without knowing him. Much of what he previously believed in had been questioned like his purpose, the safety of their city, credibility of the government. He wasn’t sure of anything, and he knew all he ever wanted to do was fly. Ever since getting that little taste of shifting, the adrenaline he got from being thousands of feet in the air, he craved more.
Even more so, ever since seeing that titans body dismembered and burnt by Bakugou’s feet he had wanted to have that view for himself. He wanted to pierce the very soul of the godforsaken creatures that loom on the other side of the city's safety walls. Bakugou was wearing off on him, and Kirishima liked it.
Today, that craving was going to be satisfied. He couldn’t say he wasn’t the littlest afraid.
“Do we have a plan?” Kirishima whispers as they cross the veiny borders, deeply hidden by the waterfall's mighty cliff.
“Yeah, I’ll blast my way through and slice their ugly fuckin’ heads off like I always do. Just- find a momentum. You’ll do fine.” Bakugou sounds sure of himself. As he always does.
“Are you sure that's so smart? If we use a surprise attack we can beat them before they even realise we’ve passed through.”
“So you do have a brain between your eyes, good to know.” Bakugou says, before wielding his sword and charging behind the walls.
“Wah- Bakugou-” And Kirishima dutifully follows, stumbling over his own feet and uncertain. Beyond the walls, was something Kirishima had only ever dreamed about. He was never the kid to test the rules or fight against authority. The only thing that ever stood out about Kirishima Eijirou was his hair. The old lessons his mother taught him, fit in, go with the flow, listen and obey, they always stuck. It was what helped them survive. It was also what kept him in shackles all his life.
The titans were beastly creatures. They stood so much taller than Kirishima and Bakugou did, and he didn’t understand how Bakugou could just go at them without a care in the world. Kirishima wondered if he was even scared. There weren't very many that Kirishima could spot right at the get go, but two of them noticed them right away.
Bakugou looked manic as he ran towards them, sword glinting in the sun. Bakugou jumps and swings at the titans face, falling short and slicing a good hunk of flesh off from it’s chest. In retaliation the beast roars, driving a clawed hand towards Bakugou’s face with vigor.
Kirishima’s feet were glued to the floor. He could see that Bakugou was in trouble but he just couldn’t move. It was like the world was in slow motion, the beating of his own heart drowning out the sounds of battle, numbing his senses and leaving him frozen. Bakugou shows that he shouldn't be underestimated. He makes a quick job of bringing the sword up over his head, gliding the blade right through the titans wrist. Kirishima can only blink dumbly as a massive hand falls by his feet. He clutches his own sword tighter. Bakugou was being so cool and he was just standing there like some kind of damsel in distress. It irritated him. Kirishima knew how to fight, and he knew how to put his own skills to good use. If only he could fucking think.
“Just gonna stand there all day?” Bakugou taunts without looking back, turning his attention to the second titan. He stabs the flesh of it’s shin, using its weakened footing to then attack from behind, so fast he makes it lose its balance and topple over. Bakugou drops the sword in favour of using his quirk, setting off a massive explosion until the titan turns to ash at his feet.
Damn does he feel stupid. “I..” Kirishima trails off. The words taste foreign in his mouth.
“Fine, then. Just don’t get in my way.” Bakugou ducks to pick up the sword, grins wide as he charges to the first titan again, focusing his explosions on its already injured chest. Once he winds the creature, Bakugou drives a punch hard to his jaw, and swings his sword in the direction of its throat. Though, the titan is faster, connecting a huge balled fist to Bakugou’s ribs and punches him with so much force that he gets blasted several feet away. Bakugou’s body crumples into the dirt and Kirishima stares.
Bakugou doesn’t stand up right away. Fear spills out of Kirishima’s heart and through his veins, dominating his blood stream and attacking his brain. He needs to save Bakugou. The titan is taking quick steps towards Bakugou’s heap of limbs and if Kirishima doesn’t move right fucking now Bakugou will get crushed under its gigantic feet.
Kirishima doesn’t register himself moving until he is inches away from Bakugou, and faintly, he hears screaming. Belatedly, he realises he’s the one screaming. It’s second nature that he transforms, when in full dragon form can rival the titans height. Bakugou coughs and looks up at him, face stained with soot and blood but still he smiles, grabs a horn and jumps up on Kirishima’s neck. It only takes one breath to take the titan out for good, and he’s cautious of keeping his head as still as possible.
When the titan is unrecognizable as anything other than a blob of charred nothingness, he slumps against the ground, letting Bakugou off gently.
“Holy shit. ” Bakugou says, grabs his blonde spikes and laughs. Really, genuinely laughs and Kirishima can feel his heart swell. For a moment, he can pretend it was him that made Bakugou truly happy and not just the adrenaline pumping in his veins or the lifeless bodies of the two titans. “That was fuckin’ amazing, Kiri, fuckin’ incredible.”
Kirishima nuzzles his snout against Bakugou’s bare ribcage, minding the dark skin of his forming bruise, and gently purrs. Bakugou’s eyes widen before he’s smiling again and grabbing onto a horn. “Saved me out there. I coulda handle it, obviously. Good to know you made yourself useful.”
Kirishima found Bakugou’s huge pride endearing. He would soon find out this is also Katsuki’s greatest downfall.
Kirishima flies them both to the waterfall where they rinse off, one at a time (Bakugou never tells Kirishima to look away before confidently stripping but he always turns away, red faced.) Kirishima had dried off while Bakugou was still under the gentle fall of the spring water, red spikes flat against his forehead. He eyes Bakugou’s greenish bruise and moves under the spray of water before he can think about it twice.
Kirishima knows Bakugou senses his presence behind him but he doesn’t have a reaction until Kirishima gently touches Bakugou’s side and Bakugou flinches, breath hitching in his throat. “Does it hurt?”
“Whaddya fuckin’ think, moron, of course it does. I just got pounded in the dirt.” Bakugou tenses in front of him and his words are clipped, defensive. Kirishima supposes he may be flustered. He doesn’t even know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but if Kirishima knew anything it was that he quite liked making Bakugou flustered. He was always so sure of himself. So self-righteous. It was admirable, but Kirishima wanted to have his way once and a while. Have this side of Bakugou, bare and open.
“I know someone who can heal you right up, if you want.” Kirishima speaks directly into the nape of Bakugou’s neck, fingertips still lightly dancing against his bare skin. Kirishima could really appreciate the muscles rippling underneath his skin from up close. It wasn’t any hidden secret that Bakugou was attractive, it was in the way he spoke and in the way he held himself. He was confident not only in his beliefs, but his body and soul.
Bakugou shudders. “Whatever,” He says, words tight. Kirishima can see the little scowl on his face. Cute.
It takes everything in Kirishima to not bite down on Bakugou’s exposed shoulder. Still, he stands behind him, breathing quietly and finding a rhythm with Bakugous. He lets his hand fall away from Bakugou’s waist before he really holds on; like breaking out of a trance, shakes his head quickly.
What the hell was he doing?
Kirishima was never good at controlling his impulses. It was a good thing that Bakugou wasn’t either. Because the blonde turns around, snarls before gripping Kirishima’s jaw in a heated palm. He walks them a few paces further under the spray of water. “What the fuck was that, huh?”
Maybe Kirishima crossed a line. His mouth gaped and panic flooded his irises. Again, he moved without thinking and it landed him in a terrible situation. Bakugou probably hated him. It was hard, getting Bakugou to trust him (he didn’t even know if Bakugou truly did or not) and now he just blew it in a matter of minutes.
Bakugou snaps his fingers in front of Kirishima’s eyes. “Hey, pay fuckin’ attention, hair for brains, I’m talkin’ to you.”
Kirishima gapes like a fish. “I- I’m sorry, that was weird, wasn’t it? Totally crossed a line there, I-”
“ No. Are you that fuckin’ dense?”
“I- What?”
Bakugou rolls his eyes like this whole conversation was beneath him. “That's not what I was talking about. I meant, what was up with you not fucking kissing me?”
Kirishima is even more confused. “Huh?”
“You’re really going to make me spell it out for you, huh. I want you to kiss me, Kirishima. Take it or leave it I don’t fucking care, but I want you.”
Kirishima first kissed Katsuki Bakugou with his first ever battle scars underneath the gentle rain of fresh spring water over their heads. It wasn’t perfect, distantly, Kirishima wondered if Bakugou had ever kissed anyone before. Bakugou was inexperienced, so Kirishima led, gentle hands cupping his cheeks and guiding his lips in a passionate exchange of air. Bakugou gets ahead of himself, like with everything else he does, clacking their teeth together and pinching his lips. Still, in its imperfections it's all Kirishima would ever have asked for.
/
Things with Bakugou go… as smoothly as things could go with Bakugou.
They spar most days after school, and go out beyond the walls on weekends. This little routine has become second nature to Kirishima, and he couldn;t even remember what life was like before his newfound freedom. It was like the burden of hiding had done wonders for his soul, like the whole world was in colour again. With Bakugou by his side, dead titans by their feet, Kirishima felt indestructible.
Along the way, Bakugou had started to open up about himself, too. Little by little, their conversations started to get less one sided (unless talking about vigilante work or defeating titans, Bakugou would talk about that for lifetimes.)
Like, Kirishima learnt that Bakugou was a really good cook. He had his own place and a fully stocked kitchen and about five bottles of hot sauce.
He found out that Bakugou sang in the shower and cleaned to calm himself down and that he was actually super smart and spent a lot of time after coming back from fighting studying material he may have missed. He found out that he drinks eight cups of water a day and keeps by a strict diet plan and gym routine.
Kirishima also found out that Bakugou’s ears were really sensitive and that when he was kissed breathless his legs would buckle, when he was flustered his cheeks would defy him and heat to a beautiful rose and that he loved just as passionately as he fought.
Kirishima found out that Bakugou had fallen in love, just as he had.