Work Text:
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” Shouted the class of 1A. They sprung from all hidden areas of the common room, not even surprising Bakugo on his way in from training.
“Kirishima, you organized this, didn’t you?” Bakugo muttered to his sparring partner, red faced in embarrassment.
“Heheh, yeah...Mina and Jiro talked me into it. Sorry man, I know it’s not really your bag!” Kirishima sheepishly said, tucking his arms behind his head.
“Well, I know for a fact all you extras would do something like this,” he said under his breath. “Thanks.”
The birthday boy made his way inside, hoping to get to his room to soothe his sore muscles, but he was blocked by Kaminari.
“Hey, hey, heyyyy, Bakugoooo! Happy birthday! Have some cakeeeee!!” he waved a large piece of chocolate cake in front of Bakugo’s face.
It smelled amazing. Just what he’d needed after a long day of training.
“Thanks.” he accepted the cake gratefully, shoving it into his mouth like a savage. “Be sure to slow down on the cake, Dunce Face. Don’t wanna be hyped on sugar when your training slot is at 7am.”
“Awww, worried about me, Kacchan ?” Kaminari teased.
“Shut up.”
Bakugo scanned the room. It seemed that all the people in his class were there. Even Koda, Mineta, and Aoyama. He only identified a handful of kids who really wanted to be there. The rest were only there for the party. They didn’t really care about him .
The party drew on for hours. Bakugo kept to himself in the kitchen, stuffing his face with birthday cake, while everyone else played their childish party games in the next room.
God, it was so loud . As the night went on, Bakugo got more and more irritated. His fuse was about to explode when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Deku right behind him.
“Whattaya want, ya damn nerd?! Come to steal my birthday cake? To hell with you, you’re not getting any!” he shouted in his face.
“N-No! I already had a few cupcakes before you showed up.” Deku smiled.
The nerve of that kid.
“I just came to give you your birthday gift!” he extended his arm and handed him a shining limited edition All Might card.
Bakugo’s eyes grew wide. “How did you find this?! I’ve been looking for this card since I was six!!”
Deku watched Bakugo marvel at the shiny card in his hands. It made him so happy seeing him so excited like this. Moments like this were rare. It reminded him of their childhood together. They were such great friends, and Deku missed what they used to have.
“I remember! I had the card in my collection for years, and I remembered that you always wanted one!! I want you to have it.” Deku beamed.
Bakugo’s cheeks blushed. He...remembered?
“Thanks, Deku. This card is amazing.”
“Happy birthday, Kacchan!”
He looked over at Deku’s smiling face. He couldn’t believe that the damn nerd remembered he’d wanted it- it had been nearly over a decade since he’d made it known. This kid was always here for him, through scraped knees and bullies of all kinds. His gut twisted with a weird feeling. He couldn’t pinpoint it.
“So, Deku . Why don’t you go back to all the other extras, playing their silly little games.”
“Heh?” Deku looked up quizzically.
“Everyone else left me alone. Even on my damn birthday. They threw me a party and didn’t invite me to do anything. So just go.” He sunk into his kitchen chair.
“Why don’t you join everyone? Come with me!” Deku insisted.
“No. That’s not even the point.” Bakugo said dejectedly. They don’t care about me.”
Deku’s heart sunk to the bottom of his core. He felt awful for him. How could he let him know that what he felt was just wrong?
He sat across from him, trying to think of what to say next. The silence was deafening, even through the excited chatter in the next room.
“Kacchan,” Deku said, once the silence eased between them. “You know that’s not true, right?”
When Bakugo failed to answer, he knew that he really believed what he said.
“ I care about you, Kacchan.”
Bakugo met his eyes for a brief second, feeling a blush creep in his cheeks. In Deku’s eyes, he saw trust, admiration, and friendship. It was a look that was so hard to come by for him, and it meant everything to him.
“Thanks…” Bakugo said quietly, averting his eyes.
Deku grinned at the floor, happy that Bakugo might be starting to understand how he felt.
“Glad to see that you’re finally getting it through your thick skull, Kacchan.” he teased.
The birthday boy let out a low huff. “Don’t push it, ya nerd.”
They sat in silence again, listening to the others talk next door and thinking on the brief conversation they just had. Bakugo pushed the cake closer to Deku, offering him an extra fork.
It was just like old times.