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“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”
Eijirou shook his head, trying to clear whatever scenario he was obviously imagining right now because there was no way that the real life Katsuki, sat beside him, focused on the book he was reading, had actually just said that.
His throat tightened as he tried to think of a response, just in case. Maybe he’d heard Katsuki wrong? Yeah, that must be it.
“Uhh…what?”
Eloquent as always, Eijirou. Good one.
Katsuki closed his book gently, before letting out a heavy breath through his nose. “I said, why haven’t you kissed me yet?”
The pointed look aimed at Eijirou was enough to have him almost swallowing his tongue. “I..um.. I didn’t know you wanted me to?”, he replied – his voice coming out embarrassingly high.
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened, and Eijirou swiftly realised that this had definitely not been the correct answer.
“You didn’t… you know what, never mind.” And with that, Katsuki was up and out of the room before Eijirou could even properly register what had just happened.
~
The next few days passed and Katsuki was acting as if he’d never said anything. Eijirou couldn’t let it go, though. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss Katsuki he’d just…never expected Katsuki to want to kiss him back.
Now that he really thought about it, really went over every interaction between the two of them in his head, he realised that maybe they weren’t as platonic as he’d been convincing himself. His crush on Katsuki had been inconvenient and he hadn’t wanted anything to change between them so whenever Katsuki had only ever wanted to visit new places with him…whenever Katsuki had sat a little too close and let their arms brush against one another…whenever Katsuki had forced himself to stay up later than he usually did just so he could have some more time studying with Eijirou…
Oh.
Wait. Had he just unintentionally rejected Katsuki?! Is that what he had done?
Well, fuck. Nice one, rocks for brains. How are we gonna fix this one, then?
~
Katsuki had been avoiding Eijirou since the redhead had made it clear that his feelings were not reciprocated. It was fine, it was fucking fine. Katsuki didn’t need the distraction and he definitely didn’t need Eijirou with his stupid pretty face and his dumb cute smile and his annoying bright eyes. Katsuki didn’t need anyone.
Unfortunately, on this particular occasion, he hadn’t been quick enough grabbing his things and getting changed after practice. Which is how he’d found himself crowded against a locker, Eijirou’s arms bracketed on either side of his head – making it impossible for him to leave. Katsuki briefly considered blasting his way out, but he knew that Eijirou would preempt it and simply harden himself against the blow.
“Fucking…let me go, Kirishima”, Katsuki snarled at him, trying to ignore the way that Eijirou winced at the use of his last name. They’d only called one another by their given names for a while now and Katsuki had always thought that had meant something. He’d been wrong, obviously.
“Katsuki…please…can we just talk about it?” Eijirou’s voice was impossibly gentle and Katsuki wanted to punch him in the face.
He steeled his features and looked Eijirou dead in the eye. “There is nothing to talk about. I’m an idiot, and that’s it. Leave it alone.”
Eijirou let his arms drop, feeling as though he’d been hit right in the chest, and Katsuki moved towards the door.
“You’re not an idiot, Kats.”
Katsuki spun around, palms crackling, looking almost manic. “What the fuck does that mean? Of course I’m a fucking idiot. Here I was, thinking that maybe for fucking once I could have something I wanted but that would have been too easy. I never get anything. I’m never fucking good enough.”
His voice was cracking but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
“I thought that you…well it doesn’t fucking matter what I thought because clearly I was wrong, wasn’t I?! I want you and you don’t want me and that’s fine,” Katsuki ground out through clenched teeth, glaring at the floor. He didn’t want to see the fucking pity that he was sure would be plastered all over Eijirou’s face. He didn’t want to hear soft words and apologies and promises that they could still be friends. Fuck that.
What he didn’t expect, however, was for Eijirou to get up in his face looking angrier than Katsuki had ever seen him before.
“Oh, and who the fuck are you to tell me what I want, Bakugou?!” Eijirou pushed him roughly back up against the wall. “You don’t get to decide that for me. Sorry I’m a little slow on the uptake. Sorry I’m so agonizingly stupid for not realising that this whole time I’ve fucking loved you I should have just acted on it.” Katsuki’s eyes widened at the confession, and at the slowly disappearing gap between their faces. Eijirou’s voice lost its edge as one hand reached up to softly cup Katsuki’s jaw. “Sorry for being fucking scared, okay? But you can get out of here with that bullshit, I don’t want to hear it.”
They stared at each other, breathing each other’s air, neither one daring to make the next move.
“Katsuki.”
Katsuki’s voice was barely a whisper. “Yeah?”
Eijirou licked his lips, and Katsuki’s eyes flickered down to follow the movement. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”
Katsuki needed no further invitation. He pressed his mouth against Eijirou’s, and it wasn’t the most coordinated kiss since neither of them had any practice to speak of, but it didn’t matter. Katsuki was kissing Eijirou, and Eijirou wasn’t running away. As he went to pull back, he suddenly felt large hands tangle in his hair and pull slightly, causing him to gasp. Eijirou took this as an opportunity. An opportunity to slip his tongue into Katsuki’s mouth and then they were really kissing. Katsuki’s body was on fire as Eijirou’s tongue licked into his mouth, seeking its counterpart. Katsuki didn’t need to be asked twice. Not to be outdone, Katsuki’s hands moved down to Eijirou’s hips and pulled him flush against his own body. He felt the tell-tale hardness of Eijirou’s erection against his thigh, but he wasn’t in much of a better state himself. There would be time for that. Hopefully. Not now.
Their lips slid against each other, the desperation obvious between them as the kisses became a little more pressured, a little more biting. They both had so much tension, so much emotion inside for one another, that it all threatened to spill out into this one kiss. It was overwhelming and Katsuki had to break away, to catch his breath. Eijirou took the hint and stepped back slightly, his hands moving around from the back of his head to take hold of Katsuki’s face – palms pressed against each cheek, foreheads touching.
Eyes falling shut, because he couldn’t bear to see the vulnerability and openness – things he found so difficult to convey – across Eijirou’s features much longer, Katsuki had to ask.
“Did you…did you mean what you said? That you...you’re…” His mouth snapped shut. He wanted to finish the thought so bad, but it hurt. He didn’t deserve it. But then he was being pulled into strong arms, and Eijirou’s lips were in his hair, and he felt himself melt against his better judgement.
“Yes. I meant it. I love you Kats. I’m…I’m in love with you. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here but I’ll never let you go again. Please believe me.” Eijirou tightened the grip he had on his best friend, hoping to convince him with actions and words alike, and Katsuki could do nothing but loop his own arms around Eijirou’s waist, allowing a smile to cross his features. It was just a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, but it was a smile, nonetheless.
Maybe…maybe he could have this. Maybe this could be his.