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When Bakugou and Midoriya made it back to the dorms, almost everyone from Class 1-A was in the living room. The students were simply just relaxing, chatting, and enjoying their Sunday evening.
“Yo, where have you two been all day?” Kirishima asked, being the first to notice the two's return.
“Oh, we were training together.” Midoriya answered with a nervous smile. It was weird to admit that they’d basically spent the whole day together.
Quite literally everyone paused at that. Everyone stopped to stare at the two. “You’re telling me that the two of you were hanging out? All day?” Kaminari asked, raising an eyebrow in utter disbelief.
“Tch, yeah. And what about it, Dunce-Face?” Bakugou answered, already irritated by the stares they were receiving. He knew it was weird. He knew everyone would be talking. It made him feel gross. Like his skin was crawling.
“Woah, I’m just saying, I didn’t expect the two of you to be sticking so close.” Kaminari raised his hands in the air defensively. “I mean- Midoriya, were you forced?”
It was clear that Kaminari was joking. Of course he was. Still, Midoriya knew deep down that the question asked was probably circling through the minds of everyone else in the living room. Kaminari was the only one easy-going enough to ask.
“I wasn’t forced, Kaminari. Bakugou and I just happened to be training at the same time so we just trained together.” Midoriya shrugged.
That was when the entire class froze. Did they hear that correctly? Did…did Midoriya just refer to Bakugou…by his name?
It was like time stopped. The class just stared quietly as Bakugou and Midoriya headed upstairs together. No one spoke for a while.
“We all just heard that, right?” Tsuyu asked, finally breaking the silence between all of Class 1-A.
“What happened between them that caused Midoriya to call him Bakugou?” Ashido questioned. “And like- they trained together?”
Sero leaned forward from his seat, “I know right!? That’s so unlike them..”
As the group began whispering random ideas about why the two were acting the way they were, no one noticed Kirishima as he quietly made his way upstairs.
Midoriya and Bakugou were in the baths together. They soaked in the water, letting their bodies relax. They hadn’t said much to each other since walking away from their classmates.
And they stayed silent long enough for Kirishima to join them in the bath.
“Hey.” Kirishima mumbled, sinking into the warm water.
“Hi.” Midoriya responded with a soft smile. Bakugou only nodded toward the male, not saying a word yet.
“So…I’m guessing you guys talked?” Kirishima tried to pry.
---
Kirshima was worried. He had always been worried about Bakugou. I mean, the dude was always pushing people away. He knew from the beginning that he wanted to be the one to befriend Bakugou.
It was pretty easy to do so, honestly. It was easier than expected. He realized that as mean as Bakugou was, he was still a good guy. For the most part, at least.
The more their friendship grew, the easier it was for Bakugou to relax around him. And soon, they’d become best friends.
Bakugou could be more of himself around Kirishima. He could say and do things he never felt comfortable doing in front of others. For one, Bakugou was surprisingly into romance manga more than one would expect.
Kirishima knew Bakugou’s secrets. He knew that Bakugou had wanted to properly apologize to Midoriya for everything in the past. He knew that Bakugou cared for Midoriya more than he let on.
Getting to know Bakugou better than anyone made Kirishima feel special. And it was far too late to turn back once Kirishima realized his feelings for his best friend.
Eijirou Kirishima was in love with Katsuki Bakugou.
And he knew Midoriya was in love with Bakugou, too.
----
“Uh, we didn’t really talk.” Midoriya answered after a bit of awkward silence. “I, uh, wrote him a letter.” Midoriya nodded his head toward Bakugou.
Bakugou felt so awkward. He didn’t realize that Kirishima knew about the situation. How much did he know? What did he know? “Yeah,” was the only thing Bakugou could say right now.
“A letter?” Kirishima was a bit shocked by that. He was sure they’d talked. “DId…did you write one back?” He turned to face Bakugou, clearly showing that he was the subject of that question.
“What? No. I ain’t writing a stupid letter.” Bakugou bit back defensively. He knew the letter wasn’t stupid. He also knew that it probably took Midoriya a lot of courage to give him that letter. But he couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth.
Midoriya had to admit that he felt a little hurt by those words. He felt like he’d been shit on a little. But he knew Bakugou. He knew that Bakugou was just lashing out because he couldn’t say what he wanted to. “He didn’t need to. It wasn’t a letter that needed responding to.”
“Oh…” Kirishima felt relieved. That had to have meant that he didn’t confess. “Ok…well…I don’t want to get in your guy’s business and all. It’s weird that you’re calling him Bakugou now, but I won’t ask why you’re doing that.” Kirishima knew where he stood. He knew he had no right to be pressing into their matters this much.
“Thanks.” Midoriya didn’t want to have to explain it. He didn’t want to explain the complexities of his thought process.
“Yeah…thanks.” Bakugou didn’t want to have to admit it. He didn’t want to admit that he and Deku were as far apart as they’ve ever been. That they were close to strangers now. That he had to start all over again.
---
The three had left the shower soon after that conversation. The awkward atmosphere was still in the air as they made their way back to their dorms.
Kirishima went to his room, feeling hopeful and hopeless at the same time.
Kirishima had figured out how he felt close to the end of first year. He just couldn’t help but think about how manly Bakugou was and how…pretty he was. He’d been pretty freaked out over his own feelings. It took a lot to truly admit that he liked Bakugou.
Still, Kirishima was trying his hardest not to come off as obvious. And since Midoriya opened up to him the other day, he was sure as hell doing a pretty good job.
Kirishima didn’t want Midoriya to confess. Of course he doesn’t. He’s afraid that if Midoriya confesses his feelings to Bakugou, that Bakugou will definitely accept them. He’s afraid that Bakugou is just waiting for Midoriya to say it first.
He knows that they’ve been together since diapers. He knows that even with everything that’s going on right now, that they care deeply about each other. He knows there’s no way he could get in the way of their feelings for each other.
He can’t confess. He would just get rejected right? Bakugou would never want to be with a guy like him.
----
Bakugou sighed, flopping onto his bed, belly first. He nuzzled his face into his pillow, thinking about today.
He knew one day of acting like pals wasn’t going to change anything. He knew that he had to do a lot more to even be considered being called Kacchan again. It sucked.
It’s not like Midoriya said his name a million times today. But even just saying the name ‘Bakugou’ once was enough to make Bakugou’s chest ache. He wanted to make things right. He had to make things right.
If he ever wanted to be called Kacchan again, he had to prove that he was worthy of being by Midoriya’s side. He needed to earn his trust again and once he did, he would apologize for everything. He’d say he was sorry.
And God could only hope that Midoriya would forgive such an idiot like Bakugou.
----
Really, Midoriya was exhausted. Who knew hanging out with Bakugou could be that much fun? It was exhilarating just running around with his childhood friend.
Midoriya sat at his desk, immediately grabbing a journal.
Today, Bakugou and I decided to start over. It wasn’t a verbal agreement or anything. In fact, we never really discussed the letter I wrote. But that’s okay. Like Kirishima said, Bakugou just doesn’t have a way with words.
Still he showed me through his actions that he was seeing me in a different light. I’m so happy. It’s a rocky relationship and I’m sure it won’t be perfect but I think we’re one step closer to becoming sorta friends.
I’m just glad we could have today. Today was so fun. We were like kids again. Beating the pretend villain, we worked together in sync. It’s something I never want to forget. If calling him Bakugou and telling him what I did caused all this…I wish I’d said something sooner.
I hope this is the start of something better than before.
Midoriya closed the journal, smiling softly to himself as he remembered just how much fun he had today. Sighing, he went to bed with hope.
The three boys were all dealing with their own internal turmoils. They prayed that tomorrow would be a good day. They hoped for a chance to show their feelings in any way possible.
----
A week had passed since then and Bakugou’s and Midoriya’s relationship seemed to be improving by the minute. It was a bit painful to watch, Kirishima admitted to himself.
It was clear that the two were still pretty nervous around each other. They didn’t know how to act. It was understandable, though. Bakugou never let Kirishima read the letter himself but he had told the red-head that they were starting from scratch.
They no longer had the binding title of “childhood friends” floating about their heads. Apparently, that’s why Midoriya was calling him Bakugou now.
The students of U.A. had quickly heard about Midoriya’s and Bakugou’s sudden change. It was not a secret that they were the most talked about in school. From the beginning, they had caught the attention of everyone around them. And as they improved on their strength and strategy, it was rumored that they would definitely be a part of the next Big Three. Todoroki was also rumored to join that title.
Kirishima had been watching them from afar. The way Bakugou was trying so hard made his chest hurt. Almost everyday this week, he found himself in Bakugou’s room, listening to the blond talk about how he doesn’t wanna mess things up. It was endearing, seeing Bakugou get so nervous for the sake of his childhood friend.
“We’ve started texting, you know. It’s so fuckign weird. I don’t know how to respond. He sends me the stupidest shit sometimes. I mean- most of it is about All Might or school, you know. He’s always texting me first.” Bakugou would sit in his bed, hugging his pillow as he spoke.
Kirishima doubted that Bakugou realized how cute he was.
~
“Oh, we’ve been working on a new move together. Training’s really paying off. It’s strange to admit how much fun it is training with Deku.”
It felt like his best friend was being stolen from him, if he were to be honest. He hated feeling like a third wheel. But, again, he knew where he stood.
He knew his place. He was the supporting character. An extra in Bakugou’s life that was on;y there to build him up when he needed to be.
He’d accepted that fact a long time ago. He knew from the start that Midoriya loved Bakugou and he quickly realized that Bakugou probably felt the same. He could probably confess to Bakugou and Bakugou might even say he feels the same.
But there’s no way that Kirishima could be Bakugou’s endgame and he decided that he didn’t want to get the chance to experience a love with Bakugou if that meant getting dumped for Midoriya later on.
--
A month had passed and mostly everyone had gotten used to Midoriya calling Bakugou by his last name. Classes went by so much smoother now that Bakugou wasn’t screaming at Midoriya for every little thing.
It wasn’t like Bakugou had changed completely though. Of course, he was still just as loud and mean to everyone else. But the amount of times his screams are directed at Midoriya are significantly less than before.
And Bakugou was right. Training was paying off. Bakugou and Midoriya moved in absolute sync. They’d hardly say anything and yet they knew exactly what to do together. It was insane that in just one month, they’d gotten to be this good together.
--
Today was one of those days where Kirishima would be joining Bakugou and Midoriya for a study session. Usually Kaminari joins too, but he decided to study with Shinsou instead.
They’d sure been getting close lately.
The three had gathered in Bakugou’s room. Kirishima on a chair as both Bakugou and Midoriya shared the bed. It was a sight to see.
Kirishima ignored the lump that had formed in his throat as he flipped through the pages in his textbook. He cleared his throat, “So, uhm, what’re we starting with first? Math?”
Midoriya hummed in acknowledgement, “I think we should start on English first? We have an essay coming up don’t we?”
“Ack, you’re right?” Kirishima winced at the idea of having to write another stupid essay for class. He hated the writing assignments they were given. It was always so much work for no reason.
Bakugou grabbed his notebook, “Ok, English it is.”
The three worked the majority of time in silence. They’d agreed to write a small rough draft based on the essay prompt that they were given two days ago. Their essay wouldn’t be due for a while and no one has really decided on what exactly they’re gonna write about. It was a stupid prompt for creative writing: ‘Create a story about experiencing heartbreak/break-ups. It doesn’t have to be about a romantic couple. Let your imagination run free.’
Kirishima had quite an easy time writing about it, if you couldn't tell.
Once the three were done, they switched notebooks to peer-review. Bakugou gave his to Midoriya, Midoriya gave his to Kirishima, and Kirishima gave his to Bakugou.
--
Bakugou didn’t know Kirishima was capable of writing such a story. It almost felt real. Like the characters in the story were about someone. It was a story about a girl who was in love with her best friend. She had confessed to him but was rejected. Still, the girl wished to be by his side. So, they remained friends. After a while, the girl had been able to convince the guy that she was over him. They guy ended up believing her and told her that he was in love with someone. She helped him pursue the other girl. She watched as they fell in love and she could only smile at their love. But when she was alone, she’d cry herself to sleep.
Wasn’t that just sad?
Kirishima immediately knew who Midoriya had written about. It was about two friends who had been together for everything. They’d remained friends until they got to high school. They’d realized just how different they were now that they were grown up. It was so scary that they’d been changing all this time. They didn’t want to let go of each other. But they knew that for the sake of their future happiness, that they had to forget about their time together.
Bakugou was the only one whose story didn’t seem like it matched up with their lives. Or at least, from Midoriya’s perspective, he didn’t think so. The story was about a boy who was bright and eager. Clearly not Bakugou. The boy had always loved the idea of being a hero. It was his greatest dream. But that dream came to an end when he realized that he didn’t have a quirk. That’s when Midoriya realized what the story was about. The boy had given up on becoming a hero. He watched as his friends all moved on and went to a hero academy while he went on to a normal high school with other normal teens. And one day, when his favorite hero came on screen, instead of excitedly watching, he only turned the tv off.
Midoriya knew that Bakugou wrote about him, only it was the sadder ending. If All Might hadn’t given Midoriya his quirk, he probably would’ve been like the boy in that story. He’d probably have given up and moved on to the point where heroes no longer interested him. The idea terrified him.
“Wow, great story Midoriya.” Kirishima forced himself to speak. He couldn’t handle the silence. “Uh, should we move on to math now.” He was quick to close the notebook, handing it back to the greenette eagerly.
“Uh yeah.” Midoriya let out a nervous chuckle, tossing Bakugou’s notebook towards him. “Let’s do that.”
Bakugou was probably the only one more confused than anyone. He knew that he probably made Midoriya feel a little uncomfortable with his story. He just didn’t know what else to write. He wasn’t good at creative stories and honestly, he couldn’t stop thinking about Midoriya. But why was Kirishima acting so strange? What did Midoriya write? Also, what was up with Kirishima’s story? He wondered if it was fake or if it was really about someone. Was it about him? Was Kirishima the boy who broke his best friend’s heart? Or was he the girl who got his heart broken? If so, by whom?
Weren’t they supposed to be best friends? Kirishima gave himself the title but Bakugou had never really disputed the claim. Wouldn’t Kirishima tell Bakugou if he had feelings for someone? He would, right?
The three carried on with studying. They worked together to solve countless math problems and it seemed to have gone back to normal again. The awkward tension had dissipated almost as soon as it had appeared. Still, Bakugou found himself wondering about the two boys in front of him. He was truly confused by both of them. Were they closer than he thought?
It’s true that Midoriya had talked to Kirishima first before giving him that letter. Did they have a secret relationship that Bakugou didn’t know about? Was Kirishima in love with Midoriya? Wait…no, if that were the case then Midoriya would have to be in love with…Todoroki, right?
Bakugou’s chest tightened but he couldn’t tell if he was reacting to the idea of Kirishima or Midoriya being in love with someone else. Just what exactly did Bakugou want out of this? Why was he thinking so hard?
--
When the study session ended, Midoriya went back to his room. He suddenly remembered the story Bakugou wrote. He found himself feeling a bit happy. Bakugou wrote about the Midoriya being bright and eager. He wrote good things about him. Not only did he do that, but it felt like Bakugou was seeing into Midoriya’s life for a second. It felt like he was finally being seen.
It made him think that maybe Bakugou was watching Midoriya all this time. It gave him hope.
--
Kirishima was just about to leave Bakugou’s room when the blond spoke. “Hey Shitty Hair.”
The red-head cocked his head in curiosity. “What’s up, Bakubro?”
“If you…liked someone, you would tell me right? We’re friends…right?” Shit. Bakugou felt like such a fucking loser asking this. Of course they were friends. But still, Kirishima’s stupid ass story is making Bakugou anxious. He doesn’t know why though.
Kirishima’s eyes opened wide and he found himself panicking, “Wh-wha-why would you think that? Do-do I look like I like someone right now? Did-did someone say something?”
That was not the response Bakugou was expecting. He had thought that Kirishima would’ve brushed it off as a joke or something: “What? Since when have you been interested in my love life? Nah, I’m not crushing on anyone right now. And bro! OF COURSE we’re friends!”
But why did he sound so…panicked? He really did have a crush on someone, huh? That left a bad taste in Bakugou’s mouth.
“Why’re you lying?” Bakugou felt his anger start to boil up. He balled his hands into fists, crossing his arms as he did so, “Why can’t you just tell me the truth? I wouldn’t have forced you to tell me who they are, you know? I just wanted to know if my best friend liked someone.”
Kirishima was scared. He’d never felt more scared before. “It-it’s none of your business if I like someone or not, okay?! I mean- really, what does it matter to you, huh?! It’s not like we hang out that often anymore anyway. You’re always so busy doing whatever with Deku! I mean- it’s not like I could even talk about liking someone, you know. Everytime that you and I are alone, you end up just talking about Midoriya.” Wow. Kirishima got defensive real fast, didn’t he?
Bakugou was at a loss for words. “...What does Midoriya have to do with this?” His voice was quiet. His anger had immediately calmed down.
The two stood there, staring at each other. The tension in the room was thick. Kirishima felt like he’d just ruined everything. He felt like shit. He didn’t have the right to feel like the victim. He knew that he shouldn't take his anger out on Bakugou. It’s not like Bakugou really knew how he felt. This wasn’t anyone’s fault. Kirishima was just angry and jealous. He was being immature.
He wasn’t manly at all.
Kirishima grabbed his book bag. “Nevermind, it’s nothing,” He muttered, no longer able to look at Bakugou. “I’ll see you in class.” And with that he brushed past his best friend, rushing back to his own room.
Throwing his book bag to the floor, Kirishima got into bed. He wrapped himself in the blankets, letting his fingers dig into his palms. He’d bit his lip so hard he could taste copper. “Get it together, Eijirou. You know your place.”
---
Bakugou didn’t know what to think. His best friend had just ran away from him. He wouldn’t even talk to him.
He was angry at Kirishima. Why couldn’t he just talk to him? Did he really like Midoriya? Did Deku know?
Were they dating?
No. No way. Bakugou laughed at himself for being so fucking paranoid. Why did he care anyway? Kirishima was right. It didn’t matter to him. He had no right to butt into Kirishima’s love life.
But why did that fact make him so irritated? He just wanted to know what his best friend was thinking. He wanted to be able to support Kirishima.
Still, Bakugou found himself being slightly relieved. He didn’t think he could handle it if Kirishima was really in love with Deku. Again, his chest hurt. He let out a frustrated groan. This was so fucking stupid. He just needed to talk to Deku.
Maybe Deku could tell him. But the idea that Deku knew more about Kirishima than he did really fucking sucked. “God, that shitty nerd better not know anything.”
---
The tension between Kirishima and Bakugou could be felt by all the students of Class 1-A. They hadn’t spoken to each other all morning. Kirishima’s usually energetic attitude was on an all time low.
He could barely muster up a smile as his friends greeted him. They were all sitting in class, waiting for the bell to ring. Concern was written on Kirishima’s friends’ faces and he felt guilty that he was causing them to worry.
Still, he barely slept the night before and he had no energy to pretend like he was okay. He was afraid that he’d just ruined his friendship with Bakugou. He didn’t want Bakugou to find out that the boy in his story was him.
He knew that the only reason Bakugou had been asking about crushes was because of said story. He cursed himself for writing about it. He didn’t think Bakugou would care so much about that kind of thing.
--
Bakugou also didn’t sleep well last night. He kept thinking about who Kirishima could have feelings for. Midoriya? Kaminari? Sero? Was it a girl? Mina?
He couldn’t believe he was so obsessed with finding the answer. Why did he care so fucking much about some stupid crush his friend might have? Even if Kirishima got a lover it didn’t mean that their friendship would be over. Bakugou would still be Kirishima’s best friend and vice versa.
Bakugou texted Midoriya that morning, asking if they could talk at lunch. Of course, Midoriya responded with an ‘Okay!’ as usual.
It seemed like class was never going to start. It felt so awkward when Kirishima didn’t greet him this morning, but he didn’t know if he should make the first move. He didn’t know if Kirishima even wanted to talk to him right now. He’d decided to give Kirishima some space. Honestly, Bakugou thought it’d be better to figure his own shit out first before talking to Kirishima.
--
Inevitably, class did start and soon it was lunch. Midoriya and Bakugou met in an empty classroom.
“Hey, Bakugou.” Midoriya greeted, “What’s up?” He thought it was strange that Bakugou asked to meet up like this. Bakugou never really texted first often and when he did, it was usually about training. He especially thought it was weird since Kirishima and Bakugou weren’t talking. What happened when he left the room yesterday?
“I need to ask you something.” Bakugou wasn’t a coward, but it was hard to admit vulnerability. He didn’t like asking for help. And a part of him was screaming to just punch Deku in the face and run away. But he couldn’t do that. Not just to preserve his newfound friendship with Deku, but to be able to help Kirishima in anway he could, he’d have to ask for help.
“Okay…shoot.”
“Did Kirishima confess to you? Or did he tell you who he likes?”
“C-con-confess?! Why would he confess to me?! Does he like me?!” Midoriya was freaking out. He had no idea that Kirishima liked him!
“No! I-I don’t know! Look- his story…from yesterday…if felt like he was writing from experience. And then I asked him if he liked anyone and he basically dodged the question. It turned into a small argument and he mentioned your name…? It’s not like he said he liked you or anything but it sounded like it.” Bakugou has never talked about this kind of stuff to anyone before. It was all so foreign to the blond. “I just…I’m supposed to be his best friend, you know? And I thought maybe, for some reason, he told you who he likes but not me.”
Midoriya relaxed at his words. He didn’t think Kirishima liked him. There’s no way. “Bakugou, honestly, I don’t know what to tell you. Feelings are hard. They suck. Who knows who he likes? Maybe it’s someone from his middle school and he hasn’t gotten over them? Maybe it’s someone from a different class? Kirishima-kun didn’t tell me anything, I promise. He’s your best friend. He’ll open up to you eventually. Maybe he’s just not ready to. Give him time, okay?”
Logically, Bakugou knew Midoriya was right. He knew that so why did his words only make him more worried? Kirishima liked someone he didn’t know? That bugged him more than the idea of him liking Midoriya for fucks sake. “Gah, yeah, you’re right. I should just talk to Kirishima himself and ask.”
Midoriya smiled at that, “Yeah!”
Bakugou stared at Midoriya for a second without speaking. “Thanks, nerd. You actually helped me out here.”
Midoriya gasped dramatically, “Ugh, that was rude!” He giggled at his own dramatics. “Okay, come on. We’re not going to be able to eat if you keep this up.”
And with that, the two headed towards the cafeteria to join the rest of their classmates at lunch.
---
Midoriya needed to be careful. He almost said it. He really almost did.
“...Who knows who he likes? Maybe it’s someone from his middle school and he hasn’t gotten over them? Maybe it’s someone from a different class? Maybe it’s you.”
He’d had a feeling Kirishima might’ve had a crush on Bakugou. He’d spent so much time looking at Bakugou, it was kind of hard not to notice the red-head who followed him everywhere he went.
Still, he almost believed Kirishima didn’t feel that way toward Bakugou considering he’d tried so hard to get Midoriya to work things out with him. But Kirishima’s a good guy. Of course he’d try to help even if that meant lowering his chances of getting with Bakugou.
Not that Bakugou could like Midoriya like that anyway.
He figured Kirishima was rooting for him even if it meant giving Bakugou up. Though, he didn’t expect Bakugou to be this clueless. Both of the only guys that he’s actually close to both like him and he doesn’t even have a clue. How oblivious is he?
It was better that way, though. Bakugou needed to figure it out himself. He needed to find out on his own if he feels the same towards Kirishima. Midoriya, in no way, wanted to hand over Bakugou, but he also knew that with the way things are going right now, he had no choice. They were barely starting to form a bond of trust. And not just on the battlefield but in private matters too. I mean seriously, Midoriya could’ve never imagined Bakugou coming to him for advice.
Midoriya was satisfied with their current relationship. He couldn’t hope to be anything more than friends. So if Bakugou figures out his feelings and realizes that he loves Kirishima, Midoriya would root for them with all his heart.
Because he knows that Kirishima would do the exact same thing for him.