Chapter Text
Ashido had never been so disrespected in her entire life.
The way Bakugou and Kirishima had been dancing around their feelings for each other was honestly impressive, the cognitive dissonance required beyond anything she could comprehend. The way Kirishima stared at Bakugou so openly throughout class, and the way he leaned on Bakugou’s shoulder any chance he got, and even how he turned to Bakugou anytime he accomplished something, as if checking to make sure Bakugou saw him do it. He was like a puppy at Bakugou’s heels at times, and it was so very precious.
Though Ashido usually couldn’t understand Bakugou, she could read him like a children’s book when it came to Kirishima. He had invited Kirishima to go to the I-Island dinner event with him (Ashido was still bitter she didn’t get to go!), and bought him Crimson Riot merch for his birthday (even though it didn’t circulate as much since Crimson was an older hero). Kaminari had even told her that Bakugou always saved Kirishima a seat in the cafeteria, and Kaminari and Sero simply had to hang on to the hope that their spots were open.
He did childish challenges with Kirishima, racing him to school from the dorms a few times, and he would laugh out loud. And his laugh was happy more than anything, distinctly different from that terrifying way he would laugh in combat sometimes, and that was so very rare coming from him. Bakugou would even ask Kirishima if he had slept well almost every day, and Bakugou didn’t make any kind of useless small talk. Ever.
Besides, Ashido knew that he had checked out Kirishima’s abs beforeーshe saw it with her own two eyes on their way out from training. Bakugou’s gaze had definitely lingered on Kirishima’s sides, and it was nearly impossible not to scream when she saw it happen.
Even the way the two sat in the common room was so unbelievably in love that Ashido wanted to shake Hagakure’s arm and squeal, “Look at them! Look how cute they are!”:
Bakugou would rest his head in Kirishima’s lap while Kirishima occasionally, absentmindedly, carded his fingers ever so gently through his hairーwhat more did she need to say?
From what Ashido could tell, however, no one else knew. Sometimes she felt like she was insaneーlike she was seeing shadows where there weren’t any due to her hyperactive, romantic imaginationーbut this was insane! She may not have known Kirishima too well in middle school, but she knew enough to say confidently that this wasn’t ‘normal’ Kirishima behaviour. No matter how touchy-feely he was with his friends, that couldn’t possibly explain everything she had seen between the two of them. And even if he was, what about Bakugou? No way in the world he was letting all that touching happen if they were just friends.
She couldn’t be crazy. Everyone else must have been blind to miss this, because she didn’t even hang out with them and it was so glaringly obvious.
“Boys, I have a super important question,” Ashido said very seriously.
She had been sitting with Kaminari and Sero in the common room to get her phone charged, having only gone to the kitchen to get a glass of water when Bakugou and Kirishima walked by to leave the dorm. She had asked where they were going, and they had simply answered that they were heading out to practice this special technique Kirishima wanted to try with his quirk.
Bakugou wasn’t even frowning when they exited, the two bumping shoulders goodnaturedly as they walked out.
So when she returned to the common room, she had decided to finally ask the others if they saw what she saw, or if they desperately needed their vision checked. Kaminari and Sero spent far more time with the two than she had, so they might’ve even had more details, too.
“Bakugou and Kirishima,” she said to them. “They’re totally in love, right?”
Sero just laughed, not even looking up from his phone. “Yeah, no kidding.”
“No, I really really mean it,” Ashido clarified. “Like they’re super totally extremely in love with each other.”
“Bakugou did Kirishima’s dishes yesterday, and Kirishima didn’t even ask him to,” Sero said pointedly. “I’m not kidding eitherーthey’re head over heels for each other.”
Ashido’s eyes brightened, and she practically jumped at the words she had just heard.
“So you see it too, right?!” She pointed at him, practically yelling since there was no risk of the two lovebirds overhearing. “I’m not crazy, they’re seriously like soulmates or something!”
“You wanna know the craziest part?” Kaminari asked with a sly smile. “They aren’t even dating.”
Ashido had figured as much, but hearing it actually confirmed was honestly surreal. How could the two most straightforward, brave people around possibly not confess to each other? Sure, Bakugou was emotionally stunted, but come on.
“You’re telling me Kirishima hasn’t asked him out yet?” Ashido thought aloud.
“Yup,” Kaminari answered, accentuating the word with a pop at the end. “Hasn’t even told me about his crush on the guy. It’s seriously crazy. I tell him all my romantic woes, and he doesn’t say a word. It’s tragic, honestly.”
“Hold on, hold on…” Ashido put her hands up in a time out, shaking her head. “He hasn’t even mentioned it? Mr. Emotional Pep-TalkーMr. Being-Honest-About-Your-Feelings-Is-Hella-Manlyーis keeping it all to himself?”
Kaminari looked at her with thankful eyes, as if no one in the world understood him but her.
“I know, right!?” he agreed in earnest. “He’s always telling me to confess whenever I have a crush, but when the shoe’s on the other foot, he’s suddenly all rules for thee, not for me, you know?”
She, in fact, did not know, but Ashido could understand his pain. She thought Kirishima would at least vent about his lovesick heart, but he hadn’t even said a word about it?
“It’s honestly pretty interesting,” Sero added, only now putting his phone down to fully engage. “And seeing Bakugou acting so awkward feels like some sort of parallel universe.”
“Yeah,” Kaminari agreed. “It’s hilarious.”