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"No."
"Oh come on, Kacchan! We're all going!"
"Yeah, dude. Do you really wanna stay here all by yourself?"
"I hadn't thought about that. In that case—" the boy hummed, closing his eyes for a couple seconds— "YES, I DO WANT TO BE ALONE!!"
Bakugo turned on his heels to head back to his bedroom but Mina blocked him, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Listen, we all know you're a gremlin but even gremlins have fun every once in a while"
Mina put on a slightly ominous smile which sent chills down Bakugo's spine even though he'd never let that show in his face.
"KIRISHIMA!!"— Mina yelled, turning to look at the other boy.— "Could you please escort this fine gentleman to his room and make sure he gets ready? Be here in five minutes."
"ESCORT?! WHAT AM I? A FUCKING PRINCESS??!"
Kirishima put his hand on Bakugo's shoulder.
"Sorry, man. You know no one can say no to Mina, she's unbeatable. Now, let's go."
Somehow, Kirishima managed to drag a very frustrated Bakugo to his room, the latter muttering cuss words under his breath.
"Can't wait to get to the funfair and get some snacks. Thinking about it is making me hungry all over again." Denki groaned.
Jiro rolled her eyes.
"Again? You literally just ate lunch."
"Well there's always space for snacks." the blonde boy smirked, patting his belly.
"Just don't eat before going on a rollercoaster ride or something otherwise there will be puke everywhere."
"Ewwww, Jiro! That's so vulgar."— Yaoyorozu shook her head in disgust.— "Let's not talk about that, shall we?"
By the time five minutes had passed, Kirishima and Bakugo were back and everyone headed out, to wait for the bus that would take them to the funfair.
The group of class 1A students had been planning on going there ever since they heard about the fair. They had decided to go together and take the opportunity to forget all about grades, training and villain attacks. That day was a day reserved only for relaxation and fun.
"Luckily today's a lovely day. It's sunny and it's not too cold, actually. The perfect fall weather, right, Tsuyu?"
Uraraka and Tsuyu were sitting side by side in the bus. Sitting right behind them were Iida and Deku.
"Worried about training, Midoriya?"
Deku didn't answer.
"M—Midoriya?"
Deku seemed to be completely absorbed in his own thoughts. Iida gently tapped his shoulder, the sudden interruption making the other boy almost jump out of his seat.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"I—It's okay. Don't worry. What were you saying?"
"Are you stressed about your training? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Deku raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh!"— he chuckled —"It's nothing. Lately, training has been very productive, actually. Sorry if I seem out of it. Maybe I'm just tired." he scratched his head, visibly uncomfortable.
"Just know that I'm here for you."
Deku found Iida's worry to always be reassuring. He was so grateful for having such good and supportive friends. He held them near and dear to his heart.
"Thank you, Iida."
**********
"Oh shit, there's so many food stalls and attractions."
Denki just stood there, mouth slightly open, as if it was his first time at a fair.
"Your mouth's open, dumbass." Jiro smacked the back of the blonde's head.
"Ouch! That was uncalled for!!"
"I'm surprised you even know that word."
Meanwhile, Todoroki had that same childlike reaction upon entering the fair venue. Deku noticed it, feeling sympathy for the other boy. Having a vague idea of what his friend's family situation was, Deku knew going to a funfair was probably a first for Todoroki.
There were so many food stalls and attractions that they'd need a whole afternoon just to look at everything. The sweet aroma of cotton candy reached Deku's nose.
"Why are we here again?"
Through the corner of his eye, Deku took a glance at Bakugo who was clearly unimpressed.
"Okay so right now it's"— Mina checked her phone —"3:05. Let's agree to meet again at 5:30. Where should our meeting spot be?"
"How about meeting by the ferris wheel? It's easy to spot from anywhere." Sero pointed at the illuminated wheel full of colourful carts.
"Good idea!! Also, don't forget to walk in groups so you won't get lost!!"
Iida's tone of voice was that of a strict teacher ordering their students to behave during a school trip.
Uraraka grabbed Tsuyu's and Iida's hands, who quickly reached for Deku's, and hurried them all to a crêpe stall.
Slowly, everyone dispersed into different groups.
**********
'Oh, this is bad. This is very bad.'
Deku called Iida. Again.
"The number you're trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again la—"
There was no use. He had tried calling multiple people but no one would answer the phone. Texting wasn't working either. They probably couldn't hear it over the loud music or they were too distracted.
Deku had lost sight of Iida and the others when he impulsively rushed to a stall where plushies of All Might and other pro heroes were being sold.
'I shouldn't have done that' — he whined — 'But how could I say no to an All Might plushie??!'
Needless to say, he had got completely lost, ending up wandering around all by himself.
'It's 5:25. I should head to the meeting spot. Maybe there's already people there.'
Deku realised there was indeed someone waiting by the ferris wheel and the closer he got to them, the faster his heartbeat was. He chuckled softly to himself.
'Of course it had to be him.'
Deku took a deep breath, waving his arms in the air.
"KACCHAN!! KACCHAAAAAN!!!!!"
Bakugo looked up from his phone although he didn't need to look up to know who was approaching him.
"Are you the only one here?"
"Are you seeing anyone else here, dumbass?"
Deku laughed nervously.
"Anyways, I'm so glad I found you. I lost sight of Iida, Uraraka and Tsuyu and had a mild panic attack once I realised I was completely lost. Why are you here alone? Where's Denki and the others?"
"I didn't feel like going on every fucking ride there is so I decided to head here instead of waiting for them."
Neither of them talked for what seemed like an eternity.
Five minutes had passed. Ten minutes had passed. Fifteen minutes had passed...
Deku started anxiously tapping his feet.
"Why are we the only ones here? It's ten minutes past the time we agreed to meet at. What if something bad happened to them, Kacchan?!!"
Bakugo shook his head, listening to Deku's anxious rambling.
"Denki and the other airheads have probably forgotten about it."
Probably but Deku found it hard to believe Iida would ever get carried away like that. Hopefully everything was okay with them.
He took a glance at the boy standing beside him. Him and Bakugo hadn't had a chance to be alone in a while, apart from when they were training of course or when they met with All Might. They had grown so much closer ever since Deku had told Bakugo about One for All. It felt nice to spend time together outside training but he couldn't help but feel nervous. Something had been on his mind lately. He was trying so hard not to let it completely take over his mind but that was becoming harder and harder to do. Especially with Bakugo standing as close to him as he was at that moment.
"I can feel you staring at me, nerd."
Bakugo looked up from his phone, keeping it away in his green winter coat's pocket.
Deku averted his gaze, hoping the blonde boy hadn't noticed how pink his own cheeks were.
"Kacchan?"
"What?"
"Let's go ride that ferris wheel."
"Why would I do that?"
"Why not?"
"Being alone with you in a tiny cart metres away from the ground? No, thanks. It smells like trouble to me."
"But—"
"But?"
Bakugo could see wheels turning in Deku's head as he tried to come up with a convincing excuse.
"Ihavesomethingtotellyou!!"
Bakugo raised a brow as he studied Deku's face.
'Why did I say that??! That's NOT what I wanted to say at all!!'
Deku wanted to scream.
Bakugo slightly leaned in.
"Is this about…?"
Deku could not let a single word out, his mind had gone completely blank. Instead, he simply nodded.
He was lying. There was nothing to talk about despite the fact that a tiny voice in his head kept telling him there was indeed something he should tell the other boy.
"Alright."
Deku surely couldn't have heard that right.
"W—What?"
"I'm saying I'll go with you, nerd."
Bakugo shook his head upon seeing Deku's stunned face.
"Come oooon, let's go before the others arrive so we can go home."
The blonde boy went ahead to buy them tickets. Deku immediately hurried to his side.
A green cart was waiting for them. They both hopped on it, waiting for the wheel to start turning.
The boys sat in silence. Deku was trying really hard not to focus on the fact that they were sitting so close to each other, their thighs and knees could almost touch.
"Damn it, why is this cart so cramped?" Bakugo complained.
Suddenly, the wheel started turning at a slow pace. They were now meters away from the ground.
Deku grinned, taking in the view from the cart.
"Look, Kacchan!! The sunset is so beautiful and we can see pretty much everything from up here."
Bakugo quickly observed their surroundings.
"Yep, totally worth every penny."
The boy's sarcastic tone made Deku roll his eyes.
"Anyways, what did you want to tell me?"
Deku flinched. Bakugo's question had caught him off guard.
"Right, uh— I— I wanted to tell you that— uh—"
That was going nowhere and panic was slowly creeping into Deku's brain who tried, in vain, to remain calm. The fact that he could feel Bakugo's piercing gaze was definitely not helping him.
"Hello! Earth to nerd. Is anyone home?"
Deku blinked, noticing a hand waving right in front of his eyes.
"What the fuck is going on with you? It's like you're not even here."
The blonde studied his face attentively, as if searching for the answer to his question, making Deku's cheeks start to burn.
Deku opened his mouth to reply when suddenly, the cart started trembling underneath them.
"Did this shit stop moving?"— Bakugo glanced at the other carts— "What the fuck?"
A man with a megaphone started talking:
"DO NOT PANIC, IT'S JUST A SHORT-CIRCUIT! WE'RE ALREADY INVESTIGATING ITS CAUSE AND REPAIRING IT! IT MIGHT TAKE AROUND 30 MINUTES! UNTIL THEN, PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT MOVE!!!"
Deku wanted to cry. Of all things that could have happened, getting stuck on a ferris wheel with Bakugo was not on his plans.
'Kacchan's right. I really am cursed.'
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME! ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
Bakugo's sudden burst of anger made him flinch.
"Kacchan, please calm down."
"I AM CALM!"
Deku sighed. That day kept getting worse and worse. It's true that he had been craving some alone time with Bakugo, but this was taking that to a whole other level. If he could crawl into a hole and stay there for all eternity, he would.
"Can't fucking believe we'll be stuck here for half an hour."
"Well, it could be worse right? At least no one's hurt."
"Right."
The blonde boy rested his chin on his left hand, looking into the distance.
Deku closely studied the way the setting sun's beams highlighted Bakugo's features, painting him in a soft orange glow. It was such a beautiful view but, at the same time, it was like a pang to his heart. Deep down, no matter how he felt, there was no way he and Bakugo could ever—
"Since we have time, you might as well tell me what you wanted to tell me."
Deku blinked, trying to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.
"R—Right. That—uh—well, you see… I—"
Once again, Deku's brain was shutting down.
'I am completely hopeless, aren't I?'
"What?"— Bakugo sneered —"Are you trying to confess to me or something?"
Deku hoped his face didn't show how absolutely horrified he was.
'That was a joke right? RIGHT???!!!!'
Bakugo snorted.
"So..what is it? Is it related to All Might?'
Deku's eyes almost teared up.
'Oh, thank goodness he's so oblivious!! Sometimes I forget how much of a dumbass Kacchan actually is… He almost gave me a heart attack!!'
Deku felt so anxious, trying to decide whether to lie or to tell the truth. In both scenarios, being murdered by Bakugo would be the outcome. His heart beat so fast, he thought it was going to jump out of his chest. If Bakugo didn't kill him, his anxiety would.
Bakugo was looking at him, expectantly.
"P—Please don't get mad at me, Kacchan."
"Why the hell would I be mad?"— Bakugo frowned at him —"What did you do, Deku?"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!!!!!"
"Uh–uh. Then why are you so nervous? What are you hiding from me?"
'Shit shit SHIT. Okay, you can do this, Izuku. You can do this!!!!!'
"I lied."
Bakugo blinked his eyes a couple times in complete disbelief.
Apart from shock, Deku couldn't guess what was crossing the other boy's mind.
"What did you say?"
"Icalledyouheredespitehavingnothingtosaytoyou."
Silence.
"There is nothing I want to discuss. I shouldn't have lied. I'm sorry."
"You're full of shit, Deku. Did you know that?"
Bakugo crossed his arms, looking away from him.
At first, Deku felt guilty. Maybe the two of them wouldn't be stuck on the ferris wheel if he hadn't lied but a part of him felt frustrated.
"Do I have to have a reason to talk to you? To spend time with you?"
Bakugo didn't even move a muscle, pretending to be busy looking at something in the distance.
"You say I'm full of shit as if you're not like that too. Why would you think I only want to talk to you when it's related to training or to All Might? Do you think I think so little of you? No, wait. Let me guess. Do you hate me, Katsuki Bakugo? Do you actually hate me this much? Does the idea of us spending time together outside of school repulse you? Well, shit. I'm sorry that you're stuck on a ferris wheel with a loser. It must be horrible."
At the mention of his full name, the other boy looked up at Deku. The determination in Deku's green eyes sent chills down his spine. It sparked something in him.
"Are you done, idiot?" Bakugo sighed, shaking his head.
Deku looked away, which Bakugo took as a sign to continue.
"First of all, I said you're full of shit because there's clearly something you don't want to tell me. Second of all, I don't hate you. My feelings towards you have changed a lot throughout these years. I still struggle to understand them but— Anyways, if there's anyone here who should hate someone...well...that person is you. I've done a lot of shitty things to you, Deku and I'm not proud of that. But looking at you hurts me because you remind me of what I lack. I've always tried to look down on you, as a way to mask my own insecurities but somehow, you always prove how far ahead of me you actually are. I've been trying so hard to make you look at my back when, this whole time, I'm the one who's been looking at yours. It infuriates me, yet I can't seem to be able to look away… I'm sorry, Izuku. For everything."
Neither of them spoke for a moment. Deku needed time to take in everything that had been said.
"Thank you for apologising, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I owe a lot of my strength to you. I'm not saying I've forgotten the things you've done but I know you've grown a lot. I know things are different now."— Deku's voice was a murmur. Quiet, soft, light. So light that the wind could steal it. —"All Might has been an inspiration for so long. I've looked up to him, I've dreamt of being like him. But there's someone whom I've looked up to for even longer."
Bakugo slightly turned to Deku, his heart skipping a beat as they locked eyes.
"Do I know them?"
"Perhaps."— he shrugged —"He's an idiot who doesn't know how to depend on others, always trying to shoulder everything by himself. He's bad-tempered, loud, rude and sometimes, he gets on my nerves."
The blonde boy snorted, his lips slightly curling up in a smile so small, almost unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Deku continued.
"He's young but for some reason, he behaves like an old man, always nagging people, going to bed at 8:30. Have I mentioned how grumpy he is? He's the grumpiest guy I know. But, believe it or not, he's actually very cool, extremely smart and kind... when he wants to. To this day, I still can't believe how drawn to him I feel."
It's as if something had possessed him. A part of him couldn't believe he had said all those things. Deku hoped Bakugo couldn't see how red his cheeks were, or hear how fast his heart beat against his chest.
More silence. Slowly, Bakugo shifted closer to Deku.
"Kacchan?"
"Hm?"
"I could stare at your back all day."
Bakugo almost gasped, raising his eyebrows in shock at what he had heard. His reaction made Deku chuckle but he stopped as soon as he noticed the blonde's cocky grin.
"So it really was a confession, uh?"
"UH???!!!"
"I can read you like a book, you green dumbass."
Deku gasped.
"EXCUSE ME??!!! YOU CANNOT!! Otherwiseyourdumbasswouldhavenoticedmyfeelingsagesago!!
Suddenly, Bakugo's words dawned on Deku.
"Does this mean that... D—Do you feel the same way?"
Bakugo brought his hands to his face, perhaps to hide his embarrassment.
"Jeez, you're such an idiot."
"So are you, Mr. I-want-you-to-look-at-my-back!! Kinda romantic if you ask me."
"If you ever tell anyone that, I— Stop grinning, you dumbass."
Bakugo's cheeks had turned bright red which made it all so much more amusing to Deku.
"Hmmm? Why?"
"J—Just stop! It's embarrassing!!"
They both laughed, the tension between them finally dissipating.
Suddenly, they heard someone clearing their throat. Everyone on the ferris wheel looked down at the man with the megaphone.
"CAN I GET YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE? THE SHORT-CIRCUIT HAS BEEN SOLVED! WE'LL TURN THIS ON SO YOU CAN LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ONCE AGAIN, WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED AND WE OFFER TO GIVE YOU A REFUND! FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME!"
Deku sighed in relief as soon as he noticed the wheel had started turning again.
“Oh, thank goodness."— he rewrapped his All Might-themed scarf around his neck —"It’s getting so chilly. I can’t wait to get home and drink some hot cocoa or one of Yaoyorozu’s fancy tea.”
The boy shivered, rubbing his hands together.
"Give them to me."
"Give what to you?"
"YOUR HANDS, DUMBASS!"
Bakugo immediately grabbed Deku's hands, holding them tight between his. The green haired boy looked down at their jointed hands and then back up with a quizzed look on his face.
"Mine are warmer. That's all.", said Bakugo in response.
Averting his gaze did nothing to hide how flustered he looked which made Deku let out a chuckle.
Fortunately for the blonde, in a couple minutes they were finally out of the ferris wheel.
"OH MY GOODNESS, YOU GUYS!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN???!!!!"
They noticed Mina and everyone else running to them.
"Where have we been??? WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU ALL BEEN?? WE'VE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR AGES!!!!!"
Bakugo crossed his arms in frustration.
"But we've been looking for the both of you!!" Mina gestured in the boys' direction.
"We lost sight of Midoriya and we've been looking for him ever since then"— Iida wore an apologetic look on his face —"I'm sorry, Midoriya. I saw that you had called us multiple times but we didn't hear it. I can't apologise enough."
"I should be the one apologising to you, guys. I got distracted." Deku tittered, fidgeting with the end of his scarf.
"Was it the pro heroes themed stall?"
"Y—Yeah…"
The group laughed.
"Well, let's head back then. It's so cold and I'm dyyyyyying for some hot cocoa." Denki let out a groan.
"You really are one of a kind, aren't you?"
Jiro poked the boy with her elbow.
**********
While on the bus, everyone was chatting enthusiastically about their plans for the following day. Everyone but Deku, who was too absorbed in his own thoughts. Iida lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Has anything good happened, Midoriya?"
Deku tried keeping a straight face but he could feel himself giving in to his emotions. He hummed, nodding.
Iida's eyes lit up at the sudden realisation.
"Whatever it is, as long as you're happy, you know you have my full support, Midoriya."
'Iida… you're so pure.' Deku bit his lip bottom trying to force himself not to cry. After such a long and emotional day, he felt overwhelmed and exhausted.
**********
Deku was putting on his pajamas when he heard someone knocking on his door.
'Hmmm? That's weird. I thought everyone had already gone to bed.'
He put on his pajama top and opened the door.
"Hey, nerd. Can I come in?"
'KACCHAN???!!!' — He took a quick glance at his alarm clock. — 'I can't believe he's still up.'
"Of course!"— Deku stepped aside to let the blonde in. —"...is everything alright?"
The boy quietly sat down on Deku's desk chair, gesturing for him to sit down too.
Deku sat down and waited for Bakugo to speak. He didn't want to pressure the blonde in any way.
"I brought you something from the fair."
The boy extended his hand. Deku looked down to see a plushie of chibi All Might.
"I forgot I already had one like this so"— Bakugo looked away —"I thought you'd like it."
Deku was shocked. Sometimes, Bakugo could be so unpredictable. He didn't know what to say.
"Thank you, Kacchan. That's very sweet of you."
They sat there in complete silence.
'Aaaaaaah why am I so embarrassed? Why isn't he saying anything?"
Suddenly, Bakugo got up, walking to the door.
"Well, that's all. It's pretty late so I'm heading to bed."
Deku immediately followed after him.
"O—Okay."
He almost bumped into Bakugo as the blonde turned to him again. They stood mere inches away from each other. Green meeting red as they locked eyes. There was fire amidst the red.
"Goodnight, Deku."
"Goodnight, Kacchan."
He noticed Bakugo slowly leaning in. Deku lowered his gaze, staring at the blonde's slightly parted lips. A part of him was nervous but another part couldn't wait a second longer.
He closed his eyes and pulled Bakugo in for a kiss to which the blonde gasped in response.
Deku couldn't tell how many seconds had passed since he felt Bakugo's lips on his.
Their lips made a smacking sound as they both pulled away. The boys awkwardly exchanged glances.
Deku felt like his whole body was on fire. He couldn't help but notice how red Bakugo's face was too. He chuckled.
"Your face is red like a tomato."
Bakugo flicked Deku's forehead.
"Ouch!! What was that for??!!!"
"For making me more embarrassed than I already am!!"
Deku bit his bottom lip. It took his whole energy for him not to wheeze at Bakugo's flustering.
"Come on, Kacchan. Don't pretend you don't like it."
The other boy blinked.
"......I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow, Deku."
Bakugo's cheeks were still red as he turned to the door to leave.
"Goodnight, Kacchan. Sleep well."
"You too."
Deku couldn't believe what had just happened. He'd need at least five to ten business days to process that whole afternoon.
He brought a hand to his lips.
'KACCHAN AND I KISSED!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!'
He felt so happy that Bakugo reciprocated his feelings. Looking back at their interactions, it was painfully obvious.
Deku turned off the lights and snuggled up in bed, keeping his new All Might plushie close to his chest. Thoughts of Bakugo flashed through his mind as he drifted off to sleep. A soft smile appeared on his lips.
'I love him.'