Archive of Our Own

Anyone worth their salt in UA high school know Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto. The first, a bad boy type who also happens to be the top of the class, captain of a nationals level basketball team, and all around excellent student. The latter the most eligible high school bachelor, captain and star of the Kyudo club with the biggest fanbase, who also happens to be the son of a famous athlete himself.

Heck, with those credentials all these damn extras tremble in fear and awe just from their goddamned names. As they should, and Bakugou really wouldn’t have it otherwise.

More than who they are, the entirety of the student body knows the disaster that is Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto meeting. They say in the first meeting, they exploded a room and destroyed the school grounds. Teachers still reportedly shudder whenever the incident is mentioned.

They say it only takes a word from Todoroki for Bakugou to fly off the handle. They say it’s only Bakugou who can make Todoroki make a face other than his signature Ice Prince one.

So it’s pretty well known that the best advice when you see these two coming into each other's orbit is to run away as fast as you can into the other direction.

Which kind of doesn’t make sense because they’re in the same class?

Anyway, you can imagine it seemed only natural that these two can keep a secret when everyone’s first instinct is to run away from the sight of both of them together. Bakugou Katsuki could have lived his entire high school life without it turning into teen movie, thank fuck.

But, of course, that isn’t always the case. And that is how the true story of Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto came to light, one brave soul at a time.

-

-

-

-

-

U R A R A K A     O C H A C O

Ochaco prides herself in the name Round Cheeks. Who else can boast of a very benign, borderline cute nickname from local feral gremlin Bakugou Katsuki himself? She likes to think she earned it. After all, other than resident Ice Wall Todoroki Shouto, if anyone has the capability and the history of pulling the rug under Bakugou it’s really just one person—that's right, Uraraka Ochaco.

Gym has become something of a spectacular nightmare ever since she managed to pin him down That One Time They Shall Never Speak Of Again Okay Bakugou-kun Calm Down Sheesh during freshman year. Granted her record since then had been one win to hundreds of losses, that doesn’t stop all their friends from siccing her on him whenever they have the chance. Sure, it used to terrify her at first but being up close and personal with Bakugou lends her with the first hand knowledge that inside that pop rock candy exterior, he’s really just that inside—sweet and maybe a little tangy depending on the flavor of the day.

It’s hilarious to watch him try to escape the match-ups—and he really did try—but no matter what happens she always seemed to be in his class since that eventful first year.

Hence, here they are again.

Ishiyama-sensei had never been strict when it comes to teams. All the boys and all the girls are free to play in the sandbox of whatever sport he’s lined up for the day. Today, it’s soccer, and because the girls decided to be cheeky, the theme for today is BROS v HOES.

Ochaco had been marking him since the first minute and she likes to think it’s only because of her single-minded tenacity that he hasn’t scored a goal—not yet at least. She knows it’s only a matter of time before he forced one. Especially because so far, the only goal they’ll have scored is courtesy of Todoroki-kun. And while Bakugou gave him the assist on that, all eyes will still be on the Ice Prince and honestly, Bakugou will let him get away with it if he scores a goal as well.

Bakugou needs to ditch her with a distraction, and fast. She can literally see the gears turning on his head while they battle for the ball. Ochaco sighs, it’s not really life and death, it’s just gym class, better to just get it over with sooner rather than later.

“Hey Bakugou-kun,” she says conversationally, as if they aren’t trying to outdribble each other with their feet, “I’m still trying to figure out how I managed to beat you That One Time.”

“I thought,” Bakugou hisses through gritted teeth, “We are never going to bring that back again.”

“Oh come on,” she says as she tries to steal the ball for the seventh time, “It’s not like anybody’s paying attention.”

“Yeah? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure Shittyku over there has his eyes all over you.”

Deku-kun is what?

She can’t help the embarrassing squeak that comes out of her as she tries to look at Deku-kun’s direction where he’s stuck minding the scoreboards like the adorable nerd that he is. Deku-kun, absolute angel and love of her life, shouts, “You can do it Uraraka-san!”

Ochaco honest to god flares up a vicious bright pink, standing shock still, hands on Bakugou-Katsuki-christened round cheeks. God damn the man, he actually managed to bait her with her one weakness, hook, line, and sinker.

Bakugou doesn’t even give her the courtesy of laughing at her expense as he breaks free of all the other defenders to score a goal right past Kyouka.

“GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!” he roars to the sky in triumph dropping to his knees on the grass.

Ochaco promptly marches over at him and kicks him viciously at the side. “Cheater!” she hisses at him.

Bakugou cackles at that, “Don’t be a sore loser, Cheeks, you’re the one who gave me the idea.”

“What do you mean I gave you—” she roars, only to stop, her previously indignant eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Oh Bakugou-kun, she thinks, so desperate to score that goal that he lets slip his own one weakness. She grins at him. “It seems that I may have connected the dots.”

It's almost pitiful watching Bakugou-kun scrambling to his feet at the realization that he may have played, well, himself. Like a wolf threatened, Bakugou uses the full advantage of his not-so-towering height over her as he growls too little, too late, “You didn’t connect shit.”

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by the other star of Ochaco’s spectacular memory of defeating Bakugou That One Time They Shall Never Speak Of Again Okay Bakugou-kun Calm Down Sheesh.

You see, That One Time in freshman year, she and Bakugou had also been bantering when her eyes had caught mismatched ones watching their match so earnestly. It would have been flattering to realize that the school’s most handsome boy is looking at her, but no, his eyes were reserved only for one wild blonde. She had, in surprise, pointed it out to Bakugou himself, only for the boy to trip over his own feet leading to Ochaco pinning him down in that one legendary moment.

Holy shit, she thinks as she definitely connect the dots, encircles them over and over.

“Bakugou, Uraraka, we need to get back to the center for the kick-off,” Todoroki reminds them as if Living Dynamite Bakugou Katsuki isn’t having a staredown with Little Miss Smartypants Uraraka Ochaco over here, while said Little Miss Smartypants has reached enlightenment well before she reaches her grave.

“I’ll get to it Half-and-half!” Bakugou barks at Todoroki and something niggles at the back of Ochaco’s head.

“You know,” she points out, “It’s very interesting how come you never really tell Todoroki-kun to fuck off whenever he bothers you, unlike the rest of us.”

“That’s what you think, Cheeks!”

“Bakugou, the kick-off…” Todoroki, magnificently oblivious bastard that he is, repeats.

“Fuck. Off. Halfie!” he shouts at Todoroki-kun as if it would magically lead him to read the room and for Ochaco’s suspicions to fly away. He grins triumphantly at Little Miss Smartypants as if to prove a point, only to spectacularly fail. Because instead, Ochaco is very intently watching mismatched hair and eyes tilt confusedly at Bakugou as he asks with a pout, “Did I do something wrong?”

Oh Uraraka Ochaco you have really done it this time.

“Nope, you did perfectly fine, Todoroki-kun,” she tells him sweetly as she pats him in the shoulder, skip in her step as she walks to the center line.

Todoroki, beautiful idiot Todoroki, smiles beatifically at her before turning back to Bakugou. “Let’s go?” he asks, disgustingly cute, and incredulously innocent, and wow, no wonder even Bakugou-kun is soft for him.

“Yeah, yeah,” he answers as they follow her to the center line, all aggression wiped out of his voice.

The girls take the ball after kick off and Bakugou is right there facing her head-on immediately, to confirm correct any correct absolutely wrong misconceptions she might have.

“Hey,” she starts again conversationally, and she can see all the alarm bells ringing all over Bakugou’s brain, “I just remembered that time in first year when I told you that Todoroki-kun was watching you very, very closely.”

“Fuck off, Cheeks! I just said we were never going to talk—”

“Oh look, he’s doing it again, how cute!”

Here it is, the secret to That One Time They Shall Never Speak Of Again Okay Bakugou-kun Calm Down Sheesh: Despite all his bravado, Bakugou-kun is only human with an incredibly gorgeous weakness and yes, he absolutely cannot resist when said weakness only has eyes on him.

He makes eye contact with Todoroki-kun across the field who, true to his own nature, was already looking at Bakugou-kun’s direction. Ochaco watches as he gives Bakugou-kun a small nod, watches as Bakugou-kun can’t help but puff up his chest at the gesture.

God damn, Ochaco is loathe to break the moment but there is a goal to be scored.

And so the Mighty Bakugou-kun falls flat on his face as Uraraka ‘Round Cheeks’ Ochaco finally manages to unsettle his balance and get away with the ball. The cheers of the girls–and even the boys–are deafening as she manages to add to her legend of defeating Bakugou Katsuki once again.

Todoroki was not having any of that however. Ochaco watches as he approaches Bakugou-kun still lying face down on the grass in the face of this humiliation. He grabs Bakugou by the shoulders to set him upright, mismatched eyes roving over his body to check for injuries—honestly how could she have missed all this for three years when it’s all so obvious?

“Are you hurt?” Todoroki-kun asks worriedly and at this point Ochaco finds herself wondering if it wasn’t just a one-sided simple crush after all and maybe something more.

“M’fine,” Bakugou-kun grouses at him. Over Todoroki’s shoulder, Ochaco makes eye contact with him and she flashes him a grin and a peace sign.

‘I’ve connected them,’ she mouths at him.

If she had a very angry Bakugou exploding at her for the better part of the afternoon, all she's got to say for herself is: ‘Worth it.’

-

-

-

I I D A    T E N Y A

Kyudo is a precise science and art. As vice-captain of the Kyudo and Archery club, Iida Tenya takes it upon himself to practice Kyudo’s preciseness to the letter even in his daily life to be an example to those around him but especially his very impressionable batch of juniors.

First, placing your footing. Iida believes that a good day starts with starting off on the right foot. He practices this everyday by always waking up on the right side of the bed even when he wakes up on the wrong side of it. Mind over matter after all.

Next, is to form the body by never missing exercise time and always attending morning practice. Here is where Iida believes Todoroki-kun may need to improve as the Kyudo captain always shows up to practice half-asleep. But no one has the heart to call him out on it when he looks like that—namely, like a kitten absolutely cozy in the chill of the early morning air.

Also, no one can really call out Todoroki when, the moment he steps onto the line, he personifies the perfect shooting technique.

And so, morning practice drones on, in the peace and calm of the dojo and Iida loses himself in the mantra of ‘no thoughts, no illusions’ as he tries to embody the perfect posture needed for true shooting, certain hitting.

The bow is readied, the target sighted. The bow is lifted above the head to prepare the draw, moving down to achieve full draw, arrow below the cheekbone and level with the mouth. And finally, release with a—

BANG!

Iida turns to face the intruder, livid as he sights his arrow wildly missing the target thanks to the sudden noise of the dojo door opening with a slam.

“Bakugou!” he admonishes, drawing hand chopping the air in indignation, “An exhale!! It was supposed to be released with an exhale and you turned it into a ruckus causing my arrow to be misguided, you trespasser, what are you even doing here—!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bakugou drawls, waving him off as he stands outside the dojo, eyes roving around the club members until he spots who he’s looking for.

“Oi, Todoroki!” he shouts, further destroying the calm Iida carefully cultivates in his daily routine.

Just as Iida was about to have a conniption, his captain gives a soft ‘Ah’ beside him before moving towards the dojo doors where the blonde disturbance is waiting.

“Captain!” Iida exclaims in alarm. Everyone in campus is aware of what happens when Unstoppable Force Bakugou Katsuki meets Immovable Object Todoroki Shouto and Iida has already had enough excitement in one day thank you very much.

But the doors slide shut with a whisper under the graceful hands of star kyudoka Todoroki Shouto and the two are left to their own devices out of sight, out of mind.

Iida debates the merits of saving his captain from the sure chaos that is going on outside versus staying put and trying to preserve what’s left of his state of calm.

“It’s alright,” a small, quiet voice says to his left. Their newest member, Eri, is sitting seiza, stringing her bow with unpracticed but sure hands.

“Eri-chan,” Iida exhales in slowly evaporating patience, “You’re a freshman so you don’t know the history between those two, but Bakugou doesn’t rush to our dojo armed with a good reason.”

“I think they’re very good friends,” Eri says as she finishes stringing her bow. She looks up at him, bright apple eyes, and punctuates the blasphemy with a winning smile.

Iida swears he’s gonna have a stroke but then the door opens again, as quietly as possible and their captain comes back unscathed, a beautifully wrapped bento in one hand. Iida blinks at him in disbelief before stammering out, “Wh-wha—! Todoroki-kun! What did Bakugou want?”

“Oh,” Todoroki says nonchalantly, setting his bento aside carefully at the side of the gym, before picking up his bow where he left it, “I left my lunch behind.”

“You—and he brought it to you?!”

Todoroki blinks at him. “Yes, of course,” he says after a short pause, “He wouldn’t want to let his hard work go to waste.” Without another word, he moves to the line, body and hands performing the action of position, drawing, sighting, breathing, and with an almost imperceptible exhale, lets loose an arrow.

Just as the arrow makes a dull thwack as it hits dead center on the mato, something clears up in Iida’s baffled mind and he turns to look at Eri in disbelief. The girl in question just nods at him before placing a finger on her lips in a shushing motion.

Of course he isn’t going to tell anyone. Who would even believe him when he can’t believe it himself?!

-

-

-

Y A O Y O R O Z U     M O M O   and   J I R O U    K Y O U K A

One good thing about living in a boarding school like UA means going on all-nighters without having to worry about asking permission from parents or walking home way too late at night.

It’s a really good thing, considering that final exams for the summer term are coming up. So here they are, most of the girls in Yaomomo’s room, trying to cram for what were sure to be another set of killer exams considering it’s their final year in high school.

“Man, I’m beat!” Hagakure groans.

“Well it is almost midnight,” Yaomomo points out, “We could call it a night here and pick up again tomorrow?”

“Yaomomo~” Uraraka cries, “I still don’t know enough English phrases to pass Hizashi-sensei’s exams!”

“Okay, okay,” she chuckles.

“I think it would be a good idea to get some midnight snacks if we’re gonna keep going,” Asui points out.

“Good idea, Tsu-chan!” Yaomomo agrees, “I think I have some biscuits downstairs which will go well with the chai tea I still have left.”

“Ah,” Hagakure sighs, “You’re our angel Yaomomo!”

Said girl just chuckled and stood up. “That’s sweet, Tooru-chan. I just need to find my flashlight…”

“I got it,” Jirou says, standing up, “I’ll go with you downstairs.”

“Thanks, Kyouka!”

Together, the two leave the room to a chorus of come-back-soons and be-careful-of-ghosts which they all know just means Be Careful of Mineta but that’s exactly why Jirou volunteered to go with Yaomomo so she can deck him in the face if he even shows up with that ugly mug of his.

Win-win.

They’re almost to the communal kitchen when Jirou’s sharp hearing picks up some rustling and groaning sounds from the darkened room.

“Wait,” she whispers to Yaoyorozu, “I think there’s someone there.”

The taller girl narrows her eyes, “If it’s a burglar, we have to stop them at all costs.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I got your back, Yaomomo.”

“Thanks, Kyouka,” Yaoyorozu says with a small smile before turning serious again, “Let’s go.”

As one, they turn into the kitchen, Jirou leading the way with a yell, shining her flashlight, catching the tail end of two people sticking to each other before they separate with an animalistic shriek.

“What the fuck,” a voice that sounds so suspiciously familiar it sends Jirou into a disoriented spiral as she tries to reconcile what she just saw with what she just heard.

Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu manages to find the light switch, flooding the room with flourescent brightness revealing a flustered Todoroki on one end of the kitchen counter, and a livid Bakugou on the other, both of their faces smeared with frosting from some of the ruined cupcakes in the center that Jirou thinks are supposed to be for Mina’s upcoming birthday, seeing as Bakugou promised-not-promised her a batch.

Jirou blinks, speechless at the picture before her. Yaoyorozu, reliable as ever, starts speaking for both of them, “Todoroki-san, Bakugou-san, what…”

Exactly! Jirou screams in her head, What happened here! What is going on! What is the reason why the two of you look like you were caught in the act—

“What happened to the burglar?” Yaoyorozu finishes.

“Eh?!” Jirou turns wild eyes at Yaomomo who only stands blinking, the very picture of confused shock that Jirou herself feels.

“It…” Todoroki speaks first, “...Got away.”

“Got away,” Yaomomo echoes numbly.

“Yes,” Todoroki replies, voice getting steadier as he gains more confidence, “We…tried to fight it off, unsuccessfully as you can see.”

Bakugou swivels an incredulous look at the utter bullshit Todoroki is spouting off at the top of his head but Yaomomo, actual angel Yaomomo, seems to actually believe what he’s saying.

“Did you see anything that could help us with finding the burglar, Todoroki-san?”

“It was—”

“A cat!” Bakugou all but screams, “It was a goddamned fucking cat and we can never catch it ever so can you two fuck off and we can clean up the mess!”

“That’s not very nice Kats—”

“Cats are not very nice Halfie and that is absolutely not the issue here you dumbass!”

“Of course,” Yaomomo smooths over, “Do you two need any help?”

Bakugou might as well have dragged a finger across his throat with how intensely his eyes are screaming to leave them alone but thankfully Todoroki seems to have gotten the message with a simple, “No, thank you, we got it from here Yaoyorozu.”

Yaomomo nods at them before turning to her, “Well, let’s go Kyouka, it looks like we’re safe now.”

Jirou gapes like a fish out of water at her before Yaomomo turns around to head back to the stairwell. She turns to scream something at Bakugou but this time he really does drag his thumb across his throat in a threat to shut up and get out of here, Earphones.

It doesn’t really take much to follow a threat from Bakugou Katsuki himself and hurries to follow Yaoyoruzu back, the hunt for midnight snacks all but forgotten.

“You do know they were making out, right?” Jirou says when she finally finds her voice.

Yaomomo heaves a long-suffering sigh, “I know, Kyouka, I know.”

-

-

-

S H I M A N O     K A T S U M A

The scene keeps replaying in his head, how small scaredy-cat Katsuma could not find an opening to aim for the ring, how he desperately tried to pass the ball to Bakugou-san, how their opponent forced his way through him to get to Bakugou before he makes the shot, how he barely just touched the ball that left Bakugou’s hands causing it to miss just as the final buzzer rings.

Their 89 points to the opponent’s 90 and their Fall Qualifiers tournament journey comes to an end because Katsuma dreamed of joining a National’s level team and failed to deliver.

Bakugou-san left in a quiet rage after the team meeting, their usually loud captain not even speaking the entire time. The team doesn’t pay him any mind as they start to pick up their equipment to prepare for the journey home.

Kirishima-san claps him in the back. “Hey,” he says gently even in his gruff voice, “Don’t beat yourself up over it, you know. We don’t blame you and Bakugou sure as hell doesn’t.”

“B-but,” Katsuma blubbers, teary-eyed, “The third years… We’re not sure you’re coming back for the Spring Tournament… right?”

The vice-captain sighs, “Yeah… We’ve got a big decision ahead of us.” He ruffles Katsuma’s head affectionately, “Hey, that’s on us, yeah? All you’ve got to do now is be better than you were today.”

“Oi, Kirishima!” Sero-san calls from the chaos of the locker room.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there!” the vice-captain calls back, he squeezes Katsuma’s shoulder one last time, “Shimano-kun, you should pack up your stuff so that we’re good to go when Bakugou comes back, alright?”

Bakugou-san…

“Sorry!” Katsuma yells as he stands up, “I… I have to go to the bathroom!”

He rushes out of the locker room and runs off randomly trying to find Bakugou. He finally manages to find him on the sinks outside, running cool water over his head. But Katsuma could not approach him, not when there’s someone else standing there beside him, mismatched hair unmistakable despite his back facing Katsuma.

Todoroki Shouto.

He knows the stories of course, of the infallible Todoroki Shouto, and his rivalry with the indomitable Bakugou Katsuki that steadily rocks the halls of UA High School. His knees go weak in fear of what he’s about to witness but the terror has him rooted on the spot.

“You do know it’s not your fault, right?” a cool voice asks and Katsuma almost flinches because the question feels directed at him more than the blonde captain still trying to drown under the running water.

The faucet shuts close with a squeak and the water stops as Bakugou draws to his full height, eyes to the gray overcast sky matching the mood of the day.

“I could have saved that ball,” he murmurs quietly.

Todoroki steps closer but not close enough to crowd the fiery captain. “You told me something once. That when an arrow leaves my bow—”

“Where it goes is already out of your control,” Bakugou finishes for him. He turns to give a sarcastic look at his fellow captain, “I’m playing basketball not kyudo in case you didn’t notice.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” Todoroki shrugs, “Like what you said after that. That what matters is the way I prepared for that shot. So I should always move like I’m shooting a winning arrow. Always.”

Todoroki steps closer again, this time close enough that they're practically side to front. “You did everything perfectly for that shot. So did your teammates. This is just your peak. That’s all there is to it.”

“That’s all?” Bakugou chuckles darkly, “This tournament is over for us and that’s all? You’re really lousy at this pep talk, Halfie.”

“There’s only one thing left to do now, is there? ‘Go beyond,’ or something like that?”

Bakugou’s shoulders start shaking and Katsuma is struck with a very sudden fear that he’s about to witness the great Bakugou Katsuki crying. But then, like a movie, a sliver of light cuts through the gray clouds. Bakugou straightens and goes off in full-blown laughter for several good long minutes. Soon enough, his laughter dies down and he goes quiet.

Katsuma is about to leave, feeling like a voyeur more and more by the second but he feels like he needed to hear those words from Todoroki Shouto as well. But then, Bakugou headbutts Todoroki in the chest and Katsuma startles, suddenly fearing again that he might have to stop a fight he is thoroughly ill-equipped to handle.

To his great shock, Todoroki lifts his hands, not to retaliate but to grab Bakugou’s shoulder in a steadying grip, the other losing itself in spiky blonde hair.

“We were supposed to retire after the Fall tournaments so we could focus on other things,” Bakugou murmurs against Todoroki’s jacket.

“It’s fine,” Todoroki says with a small smile, “I can always get another shot at the National championship. At least that’s something I do better than you.”

“You wish Halfie,” Bakugou snorts, “Just you wait, I’ll catch up with you soon.”

This time Katsuma finds the strength to will his legs to move and walk away. He feels like he heard the words he needed to hear but also, that he may seen and heard more than what he should have. He’s happy for them, he really is, and he’s glad Bakugou-san isn’t mad at him but he needs to get out of there before they start kissing or something.

-

-

-

M I D O R I Y A     I Z U K U

The remaining students of Class 3-A were assigned to do the set-up for Senior Night while some of their group has to go off to central Tokyo for the remaining National Tournaments, among them, the Kyudo and Archery club and the Basketball club in their revenge run following their premature defeat in the Fall Tournament.

“Aaaghh!” Midoriya yells in frustration as he hacks some colorful paper into pieces to use as confetti, “I want to watch Kacchan’s game!”

“Wahh, Bakugou-kun, Kirishima-kun, and Sero-kun really got to play in the Championship!” Uraraka beams with pride as she drops more colorful paper for Midoriya to destroy.

“Yeah, after what happened in the Fall Tournament, you’d think they’d just give up,” Kaminari cuts in with a wolf whistle, “But of course, that’s Kacchan for you.”

“What pisses me off is why that pretty boy Todoroki still wants to grab another Nationals title when they already placed in the Fall Tournament!” Mineta complains as he tears through his pile of paper.

“Come on Mineta,” Ojiro teases, “You could have just avoided getting eliminated on Day 1 of the Tennis Nationals if you wanted to beat Todoroki.”

“Ojiro-kun I think that’s too much,” Midoriya placates.

“That’s easy for you guys to say!!” Mineta cries in sincere envy, “Both of you left for Tokyo at the start of the year and came back with titles!!”

“Heck yeah, we did!” Ojiro yells, high-fiving a grinning Midoriya.

“In any case, I don’t think Todoroki-san did it to spite you, Mineta-kun,” Tokoyami finally speaks up from where he’s drowning in a long pile of streamers.

“You don’t say,” Jirou comments drily as she and the rest of the girls join their little huddle with the materials they got from the faculty room.

“He probably just wanted to spend more time with Bakugou-kun,” Asui points out.

“Hahahaha!” Midoriya laughs heartily, “That’s silly Tsu-chan why would—” Midoriya stops short at the chorus of nods from the rest of his class.

“What? What?! You guys can’t be serious, those two hate each other!” he shrieks.

“They’ve watched each other’s tournaments for years now,” Shouji points out.

“To gloat! Because it’s what they do!”

“Iida-kun told me once that Bakugou-kun brings Todoroki-kun a bento whenever they have really early morning practice,” Asui pipes in.

“What!” Kaminari complains, “Kacchan never cooks for us, that’s not fair!”

“You’re not his boyfriend, Kaminari!”

“And I don’t want to be! Todoroki is a fucking saint!”

“They also make out a lot which we really didn’t need to know but caught them multiple times anyway,” Jirou adds in with a smirk, watching Midoriya steadily grow redder and greener rapidly.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t get evidence of that!” Hagakure grouses.

Ashido starts gushing, “Just imagine, the two hottest guys in campus, making out in a darkened dorm kitchen, it must’ve been hot!”

Hagakure starts fanning herself, “I bet my ass it was hot.”

“Your ass is flat, babe.”

“Also, Hagakure, gross.”

“Love is love! Who said that! I’m kicking your ass!” Hagakure shrieks, “Mineta get back here!”

“B-b-b-but!!!” Midoriya shouts over the continued sharing of evidence they’ve found throughout the entire year. “Do you all realize how ridiculous this sounds!! This is Todoroki-kun and Kacchan! It… It doesn’t make any sense!! They’re my best friends!! I should have known if something was going on!!”

Uraraka claps him emphatically in the shoulder, “You know, Deku-kun, for being one of the smartest people in class, you can be kind of dense.”

Midoriya deflates into a dazed stupor. “You…” he murmurs to Uraraka with glazed eyes, “You think I’m smart?”

“Really?!” Ashido shrieks, “Of all the words in that sentence that’s what you hang on to?!”

Uraraka placates her friend with a sheepish smile while trying to revive the catatonic Midoriya ovewhelmed by the revelations of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Hagakure stands up, “Alright, that’s it! We have got to stage an intervention! Everybody finally knows about the Two-Top Secret Relationship, thanks for being late to the party Midoriya! So how do we get them to confess?”

“That they… like each other?” Tokoyami asks in confusion.

“No! We already know that! Heck, they already know that!”

“You mean, how do we get them to admit that they’re in a relationship?” Jirou asks with a small smile.

“Yes!” Hagakure hugs her, “Finally, someone who understands!!”

“You probably just want to see them kiss or something.”

“That is true and I won’t deny that.”

“That aside,” Yaomomo finally speaks, and because everyone respects Yaoyorozu in this class, they all shut up and listen, “I think I may have an idea.”

-

-

-

-

-

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, we’re finally on to the most awaited part of the night,” Kendou gamely hypes the crowd up, “Drumroll please!”

“The Yearbook Awards!” she and Monoma exclaim after the duly prompt drumroll from resident drummer Bakugou Katsuki.

“First up, we have ‘Most Likely to be Famous’!” Monoma announces, “Any bets on who’s it gonna be?”

The awards flood one after the other soon after that. Yaoyorozu comes up for Most Likely to Change the World, while Kirishima wins over both Bakugou and Todoroki for Campus Heartthrob, definitely boosted by the winning basket he scored to secure them the national title. Aoyama gets the upset to win the Best Captain of the Year award for the Host Club, Sato garners the Most Likely to Be Missed thanks to his cakes, and Koda wins Campus Sweetheart.

“And now we have a very controversial award, Kendou-san!” Monoma opens to amp the intrigue.

“Indeed, Monoma-kun! Despite it's name, this award has brought more people together in anguish and loathing rather than romance.”

“A curse or a boon. They say this award has both been awarded to awkward exes and to ultimate rivals. What do you think Kendou-san?”

“I think it all depends on the couple of course, but you know, I believe that we will yet see a time when this is given to a couple so legendary they break this so-called curse and stand the test of time!”

“How romantic, Kendou-san, who knew you had it in you!”

The next second sees Monoma doubled over where Kendou karate-chopped him in the solar plexus. “Well then, I won’t keep you all waiting any longer! This award is no other than the Campus Power Couple!”

An AVP flashes on screen as Kendou explains, “There are no limitations as to who gets nominated of course, but the award goes to the people this school thinks has the potential for a passionate and long-lasting relationship that is the stuff of movies!”

“A tall order, isn’t it?” Monoma groans beside her. She promptly claps him in the back, sending him sprawling to the floor.

“It is indeed a tall order but if the overwhelming number of votes tells us, this really is the couple who will do it all! And without further ado, our Campus Power Couple of the year goes to…”

The AVP flashes on screen with pictures of various people from the third year class until the one on the left stops on a picture of Todoroki Shouto, in full kyudo attire, long bow in a full draw, ready to shoot. Everybody holds their breath as the Ice Prince is highlighted with a spotlight in the middle of the room, oblivious as he sips his drink.

Then the second picture stops at the most unlikely person. Gasps scatter in the crowd as Class 3-A themselves cheer in a fruit punch frenzy. On the right, captured mid-motion in the air, ball overhead about to take a shot, is basketball captain Bakugou Katsuki.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Monoma practically howls in delight as Todoroki is herded to the stage while Bakugou is manhandled by Kirishima and Sero. Kendou has suspiciously disappeared. “Looks like the curse holds up! We have the least likely people to even date each other winning Campus Power Couple?! What do you say huh, Todoroki?”

Todoroki blinks at him and the mic Monoma shoves at his face. “Are we cursed?”

“Seems like it, Todoroki-kun~ Now what do you have to say—”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes, how unfortunate for you—”

“But I still want to date Bakugou longer.”

“Of course you still want to date him longe—WHAT?”

Todoroki blinks at him. “What?”

Another collective “What?!” runs through crowd followed by an indignant shriek of “That’s it?!” from Jirou.

“What do you mean, ‘That’s it’ Shitty Earphones?!” Bakugou roars finally breaking off Kirishima and Sero.

“Dude, we voted our asses off so you can win power couple with Todoroki, you could at least make it some kind of big reveal!” Kaminari yells at him.

“Kacchan how could you not tell me! Todoroki-kun, you too! I'm disappointed in you!”

"Apologies, Midoriya."

“Yeah! Deku-kun didn’t talk for days!” Uraraka added.

“How is that my problem?!”

“My future husband almost died because his best friend didn’t tell him he was dating his other best friend!”

“I am not the shitty nerd's anything!”

“F-f-future husband?” Midoriya squeaks beside her, before frothing in the mouth and swooning, caught by a distressed Shouji.

“Uraraka you killed Midoriya!” Mineta cries.

In the chaos that ensues, Todoroki managed to find his way to Bakugou’s side. He tugs at his sleeve. “Katsuki, Monoma says we’re cursed,” he says frantically.

“Ha?! And you believe some shitty bit-rate extra rather than—uuuugh I can’t believe I almost said ‘us’ like some sappy teenager.”

“But you are a sappy teenager. Just yesterday, while I was eating ice cream you—”

“I get it!” Bakugou shrieks, running a hand down his face in frustration, “The point is, we are not cursed, Halfie.”

“Oh,” Todoroki says, instantly calming down, “Then why did Monoma say we’re cursed?”

“Damn it, have you been paying attention at all?”

“I was too busy watching you. You look good playing the drums.”

“Holy shit, Shouto.”

Kendou appears out of nowhere, resting an elbow against Todoroki's shoulder like a sleazy businesswoman. “Let me get you up to speed Todoroki-san. You and Bakugou-san won this award called Campus Power Couple, and everyone who wins it either hate each other or break-up soon after.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Oi, what do you mean that’s nice?!” Bakugou roars, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, ready to throw hands at his soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.

Todoroki looks at him, nonplussed, serene smile on his face. “Well, that means we’ll be the first one to change that, right?”

Bakugou stops and stares. Then he regains his bearings, cursing up a storm as he sags in disbelief, headbutting Todoroki’s shoulder. “I can’t believe I’m in love with you.”

A hush falls in the crowded, previously chaotic gymnasium. Someone shrieks. It sounds suspiciously like Hagakure.

“By the way,” Kendou tells them slyly, “We have a mic right above you so everyone has heard what you just said.”

Bakugou crushes his face further into Todoroki’s shoulder in mortification. Todoroki looks at her sideways as he places his arms around Bakugou’s waist and says, “That’s okay. I love him too.”

“Oh my god!” Someone shrieks in the crowd and the cheers start coming alongside the wailing anguish of fangirls realizing they no chance with the hottest guy in campus when he's already dating the other hottest guy in campus.

“You have to kiss!” Ashido yells at them.

“Like hell we’ll entertain you extras!” Bakugou roars at her general direction. But it’s too late, the crowd has taken up the mantle of chanting “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

“You know,” Kendou says thoughtfully, “I’m pretty sure no one has kissed during this award before.”

Todoroki blinks, knowing Bakugou's propensity to take anything and everything as a challenge. He turns to his boyfriend who is already grinning at his direction. Todoroki smiles at him, “Such a shame, don't you think?”

“Heck yeah,” he grins, pulling at Todoroki’s tie to drag him close enough.

As the crowd screams in delight, Kendou gives a discreet thumbs-up to Yaoyorozu who lifts her drink in salute.

“Alright UA High School, that’s your Campus Power Couple: Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shouto! Drinks still free-flowing and the music will continue once our drummer stops making out on center stage—” Bakugou gives her a middle finger for that without breaking his kiss with Todoroki, “Well, let’s have our DJ Shinsou Hitoshi play a song then! Have a good night everybody!”

As the music starts to play Todoroki and Bakugou break apart, foreheads leaning against each other.

“I can’t believe we’re some cliche high school romance,” Bakugou complains.

Todoroki smiles at him, “It’s not so bad.”

Bakugou smirks, content, “Yeah, I guess not.”

-

-

-

-

-

I N   C O N C L U S I O N