Chapter Text
Lately there was a name that simply bumped into Shota’s mind whenever he got annoyed. It was something automatic, as if that tone in his voice ―the “I really appreciate you but if you don’t stop, I’m going to lose my mind” tone― was linked to that one name.
“Kaminari, stop!”
He didn’t realize his mistake until he heard a burst of laughter coming from the other side of the room.
“Kaminari, huh?” Hizashi said with a smirk.
“No― I mean―”
Hizashi’s brows softened a bit when he saw the light blush on the other man’s face.
“Do I remind you of him?” he was still a bit teasing, but this time there was also something tender in his voice.
Shota just nodded a bit and shrugged. It was more the opposite: it was Kaminari who reminded him of Hizashi. But at the end of the day, it didn’t make any difference. At least he didn’t mix the names the other way around in some class, in front of all the kids.
“Maybe you wouldn’t if you didn’t act like a teenager,” he ended up saying.
How wouldn’t they remind him of each other? They were two loud blondes who had mastered the art of bothering him. Always ready to tell a joke, even at the worst time. But the truth was that Aizawa didn’t wanted to talk much more about that, because he was afraid that would lead to another obvious lookalike. One that Hizashi had probably noticed too, even though he had never mentioned it.
It was better that way. It was better not to remember.
**
Everyone in the UA knew about Bakugo’s crush on Kirishima: everyone, of course, but Kirishima himself. However, he wasn’t the only one who had fallen for his friend, and soon after all his friends found out about his little secret, they also discovered Kaminari’s.
So now, whenever the three of them met ―which was quite frequently, considering they were on the same class and on the same friend group― there was this big manly red elephant in the room, as Mina liked to call it. Sometimes Bakugo couldn’t help but feel like that elephant was sitting right on his chest, taking his breath away and breaking ribs. He fucking hated that feeling.
“It’s because you don’t let it go,” Uraraka had told him one night, while they watched a movie in her dorm.
“Whatever, Elsa.”
She chuckled. “I think I like that better than Round Face.”
“You love all my nicknames, Pink Cheeks. I mean, look who you hang out with... I’m your funniest friend by far. Not that the bar is too high, but still”.
Ochako punched him in the arm, frowning, but in the blue light of the screen Bakugo could still see her sided smile. “Don’t be mean. And you know what, Bakugo? You’d make it so much easier for me to hang out with you if you admitted to everyone that we are friends.”
“Half and half asked if we were together? Again?”
Ochako took a handful of popcorn and rolled her eyes. “It was Iida this time.”
Bakugo was trying not to laugh, remembering the first time Ochako had told him about her friend’s suspicions ―he was quite used to Todoroki thinking whatever weird theory came into his mind―, but the mention of Iida made him snort.
“I didn’t think he was that nosy,” he said. “For fucks sake, I’m fucking gay.”
“Well, they wouldn’t be so confused if you didn’t deny we are friends all the time, you douchebag.” Bakugo smiled a bit. He liked when Ochako spoke like that. When she smiled back at him, with an expression he was starting to hate, he knew she wasn’t finished. “Or… you could make a move on Kirishima.”
Bakugo couldn’t remember when did his relationship with Ochako became like that. Because she was right: they were friends, good friends, no matter how many times Bakugo denied it in front of their classmates. They spent a lot of time together ―studying, watching movies, or simply chatting― and he couldn’t say he disliked it. On the contrary.
He had a lot of respect for Uraraka ever since the first-year sports festival, already two years ago. Deep down, he wasn’t as disrespectful as people thought: he respected their classmates, but he didn’t show it much. With her everything was, however, a bit different. She had some guts, and she had the convincement. She was proud, he liked that of her. He respected Ochako so much that, at some point, he had started to admire her, even if that was something we would never ever say out loud. Over my fucking dead body.
Being proud and brave, Ochako hadn’t forgotten to be kind. That was maybe the part of her that Bakugo disliked the most. In that exact moment, he was blushing. He could feel it, the ridiculous heat of his cheeks, but his friend didn’t make any comment. Her silence was almost compassionate, and he didn’t want her pity. But he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and there it was again, that kindness. No pity at all. Just kindness.
He was being pathetic, and she was still kind.
“I can’t do that, Round Face.”
“Of course you can! I mean, you are able to. What happens is that you are a coward.”
Wow. Maybe not that nice.
Anyway, Ochako was the only person with whom he could speak about that giant red elephant. Or, at least, the only one that made him feel comfortable enough when it came to that. She was so easy to talk to and, most important, she wasn’t part of his friend group.
Bakugo loved his friends ―once again, he would never tell them that― and that was exactly why he couldn’t talk to them about his crush, beyond the occasional jokes Mina an Sero made. It would be just weird. Because Denki liked Kirishima too. He didn’t want to make them feel like they had to pick sides.
“Don’t you ever call me that again,” he threatened.
Uraraka raised her eyebrows and leaned a bit on his direction. “Then prove me wrong.”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Fuck,” it was literally the only thing he could say. “What the fuck should I do?”
So, they stopped the movie ―they weren’t paying attention anyway― and they planned the whole thing.
The whole class had this important field practice in a couple of days, similar to the internships’ ones. The classes had been infuriating theoretical lately, and everyone was impatient to wear their hero costume again. They would let go of all the tension inside of them, they would do what they do best and then, as soon as they got back to the UA that night, Bakugo would confess his feelings to Kirishima. Just the thought of it made him dizzy.
They discussed every single detail: what he should and shouldn’t say, how he should speak ―“please, please, don’t curse too much, Bakugo,” Uraraka had said. They talked about the time and the place, and he even rehearsed what he would say, as if that was a goddamn romcom.
They planned everything. Every. Single. Thing. Every possibility.
And still, they didn’t expect one thing.
The next day, just one day before their great plan, Kaminari and Kirishima kissed for the first time.