Work Text:
“Bakugooouuu! Come ooonnn, it’s snowing!”
Kirishima begs in the doorway of Bakugou’s room, already bundled up and ready to go out into the winter. For the past five minutes, the redhead has been trying to convince him to come out and have some fun in the weather. Bakugou, however, isn’t too keen on the idea. He stands with his arms crossed, still making no move to join his friend in his desire to play in the snow.
“Okay? I don’t care.” Bakugou replies, clearly not swayed by Kirishima’s words. A hand reaches for the door handle, getting ready to close it. Kirishima bounds forward to grab the door as well, refusing to back down as he exclaims,
“It’s the first snow of the season, we have to go out!” The door is pushed by a miniscule amount in and out as the two fight to keep it either closed or open. Bakugou’s other hand lunges up to help shove it closed, but Kirishima has two hands placed as well to counteract the force. The blonde yells out,
“You can go by yourself, no reason to drag me out into that cold shit!” When Bakugou takes his eyes off the door to look at Kirishima, he’s met with a sad pout. Seeing him with such an expression causes the grip he once had on the door to loosen, for reasons he will never say out loud, until his palms drop off completely. Kirishima opens the door wide, and while still putting on his best pout, tries to change the blonde’s mind one last time,
“Please? I really want to experience it with you though, not by myself.” Bakugou pinches the bridge of his nose between two fingers, sighing deeply through his nostrils. He turns back into his room, walking away from Kirishima to grab his scarf off of a chair.
“Fine. But not for long.” The blonde calls out as he searches for his winter coat and a longer shirt in the closet. Kirishima beams at him, excitement building back up as he waits for the blonde to get ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A two inch blanket of snow covers the ground already, producing a satisfying crunch when stepped on. Reflections from the street lights create shifting sparkles on the snow’s fluffy surface. The sun has recently set, making the bright white snow stand out even more against the darkness.
The two walk side by side, breathe visible as they exhale into the wintry air. It is silent with the exception of their footsteps, choosing to bask in the scenery instead of hold a conversation. Bakugou keeps his head down while Kirishima swivels his head around to marvel at the blanketed landscape.
The redhead notices his friend’s disinterest, but he takes the opportunity to have a little fun with him. Gradually, Kirishima distances himself from Bakugou, letting the blonde continue to stride ahead without realizing that the gap between them is growing larger. Once enough space has accumulated, Kirishima carefully bends down to scoop up a ball of snow and launches it at Bakugou’s back. It splats in between his shoulder blades, falling straight down after the impact. Trying to contain his laughter, Kirishima slaps two hands over his own mouth.
The blonde stands perfectly still at first, but then his palms let out tiny pops and crackles. Without turning around Bakugou grits out,
“Oh, you’re fucking dead.” Kirishima makes a dash for the trees immediately and releases the hands holding back his laughter. His laughs echo in the open space, only agitating the blonde more as he hears him roar,
“GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER HERE YOU COWARD!” A sturdy oak tree works as a makeshift shield for Kirishima as he leans back against it. He listens for Bakugou to approach while he bends down to form another snowball. However, he hears nothing. Not even the shuffling of feet from standing in place or the smashing of snow to form a hard, throwable ball.
Curiosity gets the best of him. The redhead peeks around the tree, anticipation building as his eyes scan across the white landscape in search of blonde hair. He pokes his head out a bit more, still unable to find his friend. Instantaneously, his face is met with a freezing packed ball of snow, causing him to stumble back from the sheer force it was thrown at.
Kirishima trips over a hidden root, falling flat on his back with a thud. When he looks up, Bakugou towers over him with another snowball ready at hand - tossing it up into the air languidly. The blonde gives him a smug smile and bends down at the hip to address him,
“That’ll teach ya.” Kirishima returns his smile with a confident one of his own, making Bakugou suspicious. He watches the redhead’s hands, expecting there to be an already prepared snowball waiting to be thrown. What Bakugou doesn’t expect, however, is getting his feet swept from underneath him.
He loses balance, falling into a similar position as Kirishima - who scrambles to climb on top of him. With a handful of snow, the redhead deposits it into the front of Bakugou’s hoodie, causing him to let out a high pitched yelp.
The blonde rolls both of them over several times, fighting for dominance, until he eventually ends up on top. Using each of his hands, he jams two fistfulls of snow down Kirishima’s shirt. The redhead yells out, though not nearly as loud of his friend, at the frigid contact. He notices Bakugou start to go for another round of snow, so he stops him,
“We’re even! We’re even!” He splays his hands on Bakugou’s chest, trying to keep him away from putting more snow in his clothes. The blonde does comply with his request, though, as he slides off his friend to lay next to him.
Both boys rest for a moment, looking up at the gray sky as snowflakes fall on their bodies. Kirishima turns to Bakugou and nudges his arm,
“Gotta have a snowball fight when it snows, man.” The blonde huffs out a sigh when he tilts his head to face Kirishima. But the expression on his face has softened from the toothy grimace he was sporting earlier. In a much softer voice he replies,
“It was alright. I guess.” Kirishima chuckles into the back of his hand, happy that his friend was having fun. He pushes off the ground to stand up, and reaches out the same hand for Bakugou,
“Come on! Let’s keep going!” The blonde takes it to get back up, and once on his feet, searches through his pockets. Kirishima is about to question what he’s looking for, but he gets his answer as Bakugou pulls out two black gloves. He probably didn’t want to wear them to look tough, but after handling all that snow Kirishima is sure he can’t handle the cold anymore. Of course the redhead didn’t bring gloves with him, mainly because he didn’t own any. Cold weather never really fazed him, in fact, he loved it - and Bakugou was putting up with his love for the frigid temperatures.
The blonde eyes him as he slips one glove on after the other, fingers red and slowly turning numb - making the process a bit stiff and awkward. Bakugou’s eyes follow the movement of Kirishima’s arms as he stuffs both of his fists into his pockets. He looks back up, raising an eyebrow inquisitively,
"You don't have gloves?" Bakugou asks while shaking out his hands to regain feeling in the appendages. The redhead shrugs his shoulders, nonchalantly commenting,
"Nah, I'm good." The same pair of gloves are already being shoved into Kirishima’s chest, causing him to stagger backwards. Bakugou rolls his eyes, stating flatly,
"Here, idiot." Kirishima stares at the gloves forcefully thrust upon him, frowning. He looks back to Bakugou who is trying to conceal the faintest of shivers as he buries his hands as deep as they’ll go into his coat pockets. The shivers become more and more noticeable, no matter how hard Bakugou tries to suppress them. Kirishima holds the gloves out for Bakugou to take,
"But your hands are gonna get cold now…" The redhead’s sentence is cut off by an idea, eyes going wide at the genius solution. Kirishima suddenly swoops in to grab one of Bakugou’s hands, pulling a glove on it. The other hand, however, he holds in his own, "there we go!"
They each adorn a gloved hand while their free one clasps onto the other for warmth. Bakugou covers his face to cough, but the red tint coloring his cheeks and ears indicate he’s trying to cover up more than just clearing his throat. Kirishima squeezes his palm once,
“Feel warmer, Bakugou?” The blonde doesn’t pull his hand away, instead letting Kirishima knead his hand from the palm down to his frostbitten fingers. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling warmer, though the source of said warmth isn’t entirely coming from the hand currently massaging blood flow back into his own. Bakugou speaks into the back of his palm to answer,
“Yeah, I do.” Kirishima replies with a gentle smile in place of words, and grips onto Bakugou’s hand solidly. They begin walking along the sidewalk again, disturbing the untouched snow while their eyes wander. Bakugou keeps his gaze in the opposite direction of Kirishima, purposefully hiding his face, while the redhead looks onward in front of them.
After several minutes of strolling in silence, Kirishima abruptly yanks Bakugou off of the sidewalk and into the snow-covered grass. Before the blonde even has a chance to ask where they’re going, Kirishima shouts over his shoulder,
“Oh, oh! Snow angels! Let’s do snow angels!” He’s practically bouncing up and down as he talks, searching for a good, flat spot to make their angels. Bakugou’s eyes roll as he watches him, and voices his disdain,
“Hell n-.” But it’s too late. Bakugou’s body is being dragged down forcibly onto the soft, freezing cold ground. He lays there like a board, crossing his arms, unwilling to engage in another of Kirishima’s winter activities. Meanwhile, said redhead is having the time of his life flapping his arms and legs up and down to create the best snow angel anyone has ever seen.
“Your’s isn’t going to have any wings if you lay there like that, here I’ll help you!” The blonde’s folded arms are forcibly ripped from his chest and placed to each of his sides. Kirishima sits behind his head, giving Bakugou an upside down view of his toothy grin. When the redhead drags his friend’s arms across the snow, the movements are jerky, leading to jagged imprints that more closely resemble that of an angel whose wings were caught in a fan. Bakugou groans loudly as he’s then lifted up by his shoulders,
“You have to get up slowly or it’ll get messed up!” He hears Kirishima excitedly say from behind, and in one swift motion he is dragged up to his feet. What lays before them when they turn around is one exemplary and one sorry attempt at a snow angel.
Bakugou starts to giggle. The giggles become louder and more frequent, turning into a genuine laugh that is so contagious that Kirishima can’t help but to laugh as well. Bakugou’s sad angel next to Kirishima’s perfect one is just too comical for either of them not to laugh at.
Shaking his head, Bakugou snatches Kirishima’s ungloved hand and leads them back onto the sidewalk. The action brings about a discernible blush on the redhead’s cheeks, though he can’t help the goofy smile that finds its way on his face at the fact that Bakugou grabbed for his hand this time.
When they walk, Kirishima steals glances at Bakugou who steals glances back. And when they make the occasional eye contact, both manage to acquire a pink tint as one smiles warmly while the other hurriedly turns away. This goes on for a few moments until Kirishima finds it appropriate (and much needed) to break the unexpected tension,
"It's so quiet, isn't it? It's nice." Kirishima has stopped, releasing Bakugou’s hand in the process. He takes a number of steps towards the woods, observing the branches knock off loose snow when a strong enough gust of wind comes through. The blonde stays motionless as he responds, "yeah, sure."
In an instant, Kirishima spins around on his heel to face him, extending a hand out. Bakugou’s eyes flit back between the hand outstretched and Kirishima’s face, confusion only growing. The redhead nods towards his palm, smile wide as he waits for him. However, he still isn’t entirely sure what he should be doing with the offered hand, asking instead,
“What?” Taking one long step forward, Kirishima decides to just initiate himself. He grabs the blonde’s right arm and begins leading them to the lit area under the lamppost. Kirishima stops in the middle, directly below the light, shifting the hand holding onto his arm to loosely curl around the tips of Bakugou’s fingers. He could easily take his hand back with the feather light grip Kirishima has on him, but he doesn’t want to just yet. Their fingers tickle each other, both ready to retreat at any moment in this game of uncertainty.
“Dance with me?” He asks, cocking his head to the side. Kirishima becomes the first again to take action, squeezing the blonde’s hand and lifting it out and over to the side of their shoulders. His other hand helps to persuade the blonde to entertain the invitation by pulling him closer by the back of his shoulder, leaving enough space to not make it too uncomfortable.
Bakugou lets the redhead lead, mirroring him in placing his hand on the back of Kirishima’s shoulder as well. Both are holding each other in poor form, shoulders too stiff and hands floppy. Though, even if their stance is not up to par, no one is watching anyway - Kirishima loosens up a bit realizing this. Bakugou, on the other hand, is still rigid. A blush colors his cheeks when he tells the redhead,
“There’s no music you dummy.” Kirishima chuckles, and abruptly begins swaying them back and forth, left to right. The blonde fumbles with his feet trying to keep pace with him, making for a clumsy waltz. But Kirishima doesn’t mind, replying to him,
“We don’t need it.” He proceeds to whirl them around, but slows his stride down to let the blonde match his movements. Both of them move in synchrony now, though each still manage to step on the other’s foot or miss a step altogether. Bakugou narrows his eyes and asks him in a lackluster tone,
“Why are we dancing?” Kirishima turns his face upwards to watch the snowflakes glide through the light. He spins them around at the center, being cautious not to go too fast to avoid getting dizzy. When Kirishima responds he keeps his head lifted,
“It’s too pretty not to dance in.” Bakugou looks up at the snow as well and clicks his tongue in agitation,
“You’re so annoying.” Kirishima laughs lightly, and counters the blonde,
“But you took my hand?” His fingers slip in between Bakugou’s on the hand outstretched, fitting snugly over the knuckles. Kirishima drops his head to face the blonde, who lowers his head as well to reply,
“Because I know I don’t have a choice.” In Bakugou’s blonde eyelashes, Kirishima can see that two to three snowflakes have been trapped within. Being so close, Kirishima starts to notice other things about his friend. Like how when he isn’t scowling, he’s actually quite handsome. Or how his red eyes can be so captivating that he can’t stop himself from staring. He finds the tally growing in his head, unable to think about anything or anyone else besides his best friend.
"Can I say something kind of weird?" Kirishima asks as he pulls them into another full spin. Bakugou, having gotten used to the motions by now, confidently parallels Kirishima’s feet through the step as he responds, "go on."
Kirishima doesn’t hesitate, nor does he pause in their dance, when he tells Bakugou,
"You look… really nice right now." Bakugou’s face instantaneously heats up at the comment, barking out at the redhead,
"What the hell are you saying?" Kirishima huffs, shaking his head gently as he clarifies to the blonde,
"I'm saying you look attractive. Like a prince." At this point, Bakugou’s cheeks are redder than Kirishima’s hair. He withdraws his eyes to look at anything else besides the redhead in front of him. When he speaks, there is less bite to his words,
"Stop messing around." Kirishima can tell just by his tone that the blonde is upset, thinking he would tease him in such a way.
"I'm not! I really mean it." He affirms in a serious manner, with no hint of a grin or indication that he’s joking. Bakugou takes note of his earnest statement, and in a quiet voice asks the redhead,
"... can I say something weird?" Taken aback, Kirishima’s interest piques up at the unforeseen question. At the same time, his heart begins to flutter in his chest at what Bakugou could potentially say. He nods his head, "shoot."
Bakugou’s eyes land on Kirishima’s, and for a minute, he just stares at him. The redhead waits patiently, observing him while the blonde observes him in return. Finally, Bakugou speaks up,
"Your eyes. They're… nice looking." Kirishima blinks, scrunching his eyebrows together in bafflement.
"My eyes?" He asks, leaning in closer. Bakugou leans away, averting his gaze while he does so,
"Yeah, I like them." The blonde answers, trying his best to conceal his flushed appearance - but to no avail. Kirishima proceeds to question him,
"What else do you like about me?" Bakugou can feel his palms turn sweaty, though Kirishima doesn’t seem to be aware of it. His throat feels constricted as well, and takes a swallow of spit before he decides to reply,
"Lots of things." Kirishima gives the blonde an eye roll, and encourages him, wishing to know what is included in this abundant, unknown list of ‘things,’
"Name something, anything." Bakugou inhales deeply through his nose, and lets out one long breath of air out his mouth. The hot air creates what looks like smoke, which occupies the little space there is between the two dancing friends. He answers him as they sway rhythmically from side to side, spoken so softly that Kirishima barely hears him,
"You."
Oh. Oh .
Kirishima stops waltzing, freezing in place much like the icicles hanging above them. Bakugou is making a conscious effort not to look at him, but his blush is all too prominent not to notice. He tries to detach himself from their embrace, but is only held tighter by two strong hands unwilling to let him go any further. The same hands guide him, maneuvering them back into a slow dance and causing the blonde to trip over himself from surprise. Lowering his head, Kirishima whispers into Bakugou’s ear, still leading in their private dance,
"Bakugou... I like a lot of things about you too." The blonde feels his face heat up more, wondering if he’ll even need the winter coat at this rate. He hides his face in Kirishima’s shoulder, as it is the only place he can. Being careful not to trip up again as he’s pulled gently in varying directions, Bakugou asks him in a timid voice,
"You do?" Kirishima squeezes his hand, voicelessly comforting the blonde through his doubts. They twirl around several times, adding to the pattern of swirls at their feet. Still speaking in a hushed voice, the redhead replies,
"I do. But you know what I like the most about you?” He stops guiding the both of them, planting his feet, and Bakugou pauses as well. Kirishima raises his head to look into his eyes, and Bakugou matches his gaze to ask,
"What?" The redhead smiles. It isn’t exceptionally wide and bright like usual, but more subdued. His eyes match the small smile as he looks on at the blonde in what can only be described as pure infatuation. When Kirishima replies, he makes sure his voice is clear,
"You."
Neither one can help but blush at the realization that they indeed have just confessed to each other. Kirishima drops Bakugou’s hand kindly to wrap around his upper back, drawing him in nearer.
"Hey, my lips are getting cold. Could you warm them up?" The redhead playfully asks, tipping his head to the side. Bakugou gathers his hands to rest on Kirishima’s chest, preparing himself for what he knows is about to come. The two angle their faces, eyes switching between their lips and their intense gaze.
Bakugou squeezes his eyes shut while Kirishima keeps one open to see exactly where he’s putting his mouth. And then they lean in, but when they kiss, it’s hesitant. Both so nervous of messing up that when they go to press their lips together, they barely make contact. It’s more like a peck than an actual full-on kiss.
Therefore, they try again. This time, all eyes are open from both parties, which is a good start. When they tip their heads to kiss, the contact is much better as well. Their lips radiate warmth off of each other and become relaxed as they grow more accustomed to one another. The kiss itself is soft as they tenderly press their mouths on each other, hands taking hold of clothing to pull the other closer.
Bakugou moves away first after a straight minute of kissing, touching his forehead to Kirishima’s. He shivers as he requests from the redhead,
"My hands are freezing, let's go back." Kirishima doesn’t complain, beginning to feel his feet and fingers finally become affected by the cold.
The two head back to the school, with Bakugou’s hand held tightly in Kirishima’s pocket. A thumb rubs tiny circles into the top of Bakugou’s hand, and the contact coaxes the blonde to show his true clingy self. With his free hand, Bakugou grasps onto the redhead’s bicep, tugging him closer till their bodies are flush up against each other. Next, after Bakugou determines that Kirishima is comfortable with their position, he lowers his head onto his shoulder. For the rest of the way they keep their embrace, and continue to when they reach the school.
They spend the rest of the evening huddled together for warmth in the common area, a blanket draped over both of their shoulders. Each sips on a hot cup of cocoa, hands interlocked with one another while they watch whatever is on tv. As the night goes on, Kirishima feels a weight start to grow heavier and heavier on his shoulder. When he looks, he sees Bakugou has fallen asleep.
He presses a soft kiss to his head and wraps an arm around the blonde’s shoulder. They stay like that for a while, Kirishima unable to move from their position on the couch without waking Bakugou up. Not that he wants to move, anyway.
In the end, Kirishima falls asleep too - basking in the heat of the body next to him that belongs to the one he can call his own.