Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bakugo’s always had a soft spot for Kirishima, whether he knows it or not. Kirishima’s the only one that’s always taken his side. Through all the trauma of becoming a hero, he’s the one Bakugo always turns to when he needs a friend. He’s the only one Bakugo hangs out with outside of class. Kirishima’s seen a side that most people never see. He knows that Bakugo really is a good person, he just has a temper and a lot of passion. Kirishima’s also the only person who can touch Bakugo without him getting mad. 

Today was one of those lazy Saturdays where Bakugo was escaping his nagging mother by spending the day at Kirishima’s. “Did you really just come over here to lay on my couch all day?” Kirishima teased the blond.

“I’m tryna sleep.” Bakugo rolled over, facing away from Kirishima. “I can’t get any at my place.”

“Maybe if you went to bed at a reasonable hour you wouldn’t have to sleep during the day.”

“You're one to talk.” He glared up at the redhead from the corner of his eye.

“Don’t give me that look!” Kirishima laughed. “I was kind enough to let you come over when I have shit I’m supposed to do.”

“You wouldn’t do it anyway.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yeah I do.” Bakugo finally sat up. “I know you.”

“You do.” He sat next to his friend. “Why is that?”

“What do you mean? We’re friends.”

“I know. But I was wondering about this earlier; about how I’m the only one at school who you consider a friend. You don’t really hang out with anyone but me. Out of everyone, why did you choose me?”

Bakugo shrugged. “Why not? You made an effort, I just did the same.”

“Other people made an effort. Especially Midoriya. But you didn’t want to be friends with anyone except me.”

“Why does it matter?”

“I doesn't, I guess. It’s just something I’m curious about. I wanted to know if there was a reason.”

“Not really.” Bakugo dropped his hands into his lap. “It’s just easy with you.”

“I see.” Kirishima smiled. “I’m glad.”

“About what?”

“That you chose to be my friend. And that you find it easy between us. I’m glad that we met.”

“You’re so sappy, dude.” Bakugo leaned back. “Maybe I shoulda tried to sleep at home.”

“Yeah whatever, you don’t mean that.”

“What makes you so sure about that, spiky hair?”

“I told you not to call me that!” Kirishima patted Bakugo’s spikes. “Yours isn’t any better!”

Bakugo pushed his hand away. “Is too! My hair is perfect!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-ha!” Bakugo punched his friend lightly. “Next time you make fun of my hair I’ll blast you to Mars.”

“You started it! Plus, you wouldn’t dare.”

“Why not? You really think you could beat me?”

“No way.” No matter how confident Kirishima was in his abilities, he knew that in a real fight he wouldn’t be able to win against Bakugo. “I just know you’d never start a fight with me.”

“You sure? I think it'd be fun.”

“No thanks. Even if you did, I wouldn’t wanna fight you.”

“Aw, come on!” Bakugo pleaded. “A little one on one practice! Why won’t you?”

“Because. I don’t want to fight you!”

“Why?”

“We’re friends!”

“So?” Bakugo pursed his lips. “We fight our friends all the time at UA. It’s good training.”

“I know, but it’s just you specifically that I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Bakugo laughed. “Like you could hurt me! Hah, that’s funny!”

“Hey, I’m serious! I’d feel terrible if something went wrong. I mean, you get that, don’t you?” He looked at the boy sitting next to him. “Don’t you think it would be a little difficult to try our best if it was each other we had to fight?”

“I guess… I still just think you’re scared!”

“Well, keep talking like that and maybe I will fight you!”

“Good!”

“Good!” Kirishima leaned back next to Bakugo. “You don’t actually want to fight me, do you?”

Bakugo faced him. “And what if I do?”

“Nothing… I just hope you dont.”

“I wouldn’t, even if I wanted to.”

“You said if, so that means you don’t want to fight me!”

“I guess not.”

“Maybe if you showed this side of yourself to people, they wouldn’t find you so intimidating!”

“That’s exactly why I shouldn’t! You're the one obsessed with being manly, you should understand!”

“For the record, Manly doesn’t equal intimidating.” Kirishima pointed his thumb at himself. “I classify it as chivalrous and charismatic! Kind of like being a hero!” 

“You’re full of it. You’re probably thinking of that time you and the shitheads supposedly saved me from all for one.”

“Supposedly? We did save you!” Kirishima side-eyed his friend. “Since you brought it up, does that mean you think it was manly of me?”

“Regardless of what I say you’re going to think it does. …Dumbass.” Bakugo added.

“Glad to know I’m not one of the shitheads, by the way.”

“What?” The familiar sound of Bakugo’s rough annoyed voice sounded through the house. “Don’t start thinking you're superior to the rest of the class! I’m the top student and I plan on keeping it that way!”

“Not because of that. When you said who saved you, you phrased it ‘you and the shitheads’. Which separates me from them. You think more highly of me than you’re willing to admit.”

“Do not!”

“You haven’t changed your temper since you started at UA, but you’re still different. You’ve always had drive, but it’s different than before. You have competitors to keep you motivated, but even more than that, you have friends to support you.” Kirishima saw Bakugo glaring at him. “You know it’s true.”

“Hmpf.” Bakugo laid back onto the couch. “Boring.” He kicked his feet up, ignoring the other boy on the couch.

“I’m not a footrest!”

“Coulda fooled me.” Bakugo tucked his hands behind his head. “It works for me.” Bakugo faked an appearance of being asleep. Kirishima grabbed Bakugo’s ankle, using his hardening quirk to make sure he couldn’t escape as he dragged the blond off the couch. “Hey! Hey! Let me go before I blast you!” Bakugo angled his hand towards Kirishima.

“Fine.” Kirishima let go of his friend, causing him to topple to the floor. 

“Ouch!” Bakugo grimaced. “What was that for?!”

“Do you seriously want to spend the whole day doing nothing?”

Bakugo got to his feet and brushed himself off. “Alright, smartass, what would you recommend instead?”

Chapter Text

“Hmm.” He thought about things his friend may enjoy. “I still wanna hear you play the drums again.”

“Nah.” Bakugo shook his head. “Then we’d have to go to my place and I don’t feel like spending my limited time out of the dorms cooped up in my house.”

Kirishima threw his hands up. “Fine then you think of something!” Bakugo slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and walked towards the hallway. “Where are you going?” Bakugo didn’t answer. His socked feet made barely any noise as he padded through the house. “Katsuki?” Kirishima used his friend's given name, trying to get his attention. 

Bakugo disappeared around the corner, into the in-home office of Kirishima’s parents. “Dude, seriously, what the hell?” He poked his head into the room. “What are you- Ah! Hey!” Bakugo was holding a framed picture. Kirishima recognized the wooden frame, it held a photo of him from his last year of middle school. He always told his parents he didn’t want them to have a picture up of how he used to look, so they settled for a small one in a room he never went in. “Don’t look at that!” Kirishima grabbed the picture, trying to pull it from Bakugo’s hand. He tugged but Bakugo didn’t let go.

“I didn’t know your hair was naturally black.”

“That’s the point of dying it. You’re not supposed to know.”

“Why do you dye it?” Bakugo looked up. “Is there a reason?”

Kirishima let go of the picture, realizing Bakugou wouldn’t hand it over. “I dyed it before I started at UA. I wanted- I want-” He corrected. “-to have a unique look. So when people see me, they’ll recognize me as a hero.”

“Like Crimson?” Bakugo knew Kirishima’s inspiration.

“Yeah.” He found himself smiling, despite his secret being revealed. “Exactly like him. I wanted something unique. I started spiking my hair up. And I already had red eyes to match, which makes the hair look natural.”

Bakugo reached a hand to Kirishima’s hair, rolling a piece through his fingers. “Did you have to bleach it?”

“Um… yeah- does it feel damaged?”

“Not too much.” Bakugo let go of the hair, looking back at the photo. “I think your natural hair is cool though.” He set the photo down, leaving the room.

Kirishima stared at the photo. That’s it? He’s not going to make fun of me? He’s just going to say he likes my natural hair? Kirishima reached up to brush a hand through his hair. Somethings off today. He’s not aggressive… or at least less than normal. He turned on his heel to leave the room. “Bakugo wh- Oh-” He turned right into Bakugo, tripping over his feet. “Shit.” 

Bakugo grabbed his friend to steady him. “You okay?” 

He actually sounds… concerned? “Sorry- I thought you left.”

“Obviously I haven’t.”

“I realize that now.” Bakugo’s hands were still on Kirishima’s sides from where he caught him. “Um…” Kirishima didn’t know what he wanted to say, wanted to ask. He didn’t know why he felt his heart beating louder than normal. He didn’t know why today felt different.

“Baku… go.” Kirishima’s voice trailed off as he met Bakugo’s eyes. The other male was staring directly back at him. Light pink blush was visible on his cheeks. Neither dared utter a word. Each frozen, analyzing the situation.

After what felt like an eternity, Bakugo let go of Kirishima and turned away. “Sorry.” He quickly hurried out of the room. He was headed for the front door.

What’s happening… Kirishima tried to grasp the situation but it didn’t make sense. He couldn’t stop his feet from running after Bakugo. “Wait! Baku- Katsuki!” Bakugo stopped. He was already halfway out the door. The midday sun streamed into the dark house. “Wait a minute.”

“Why?” Bakugo didn’t turn around. “Give me one good reason.”

Kirishima didn’t know why he wanted the blond to stay, he just did. “Be- because! I want to talk to you!” He stepped towards the door. “Just come back inside… Please.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Bakugo’s hand wavered on the handle. Slowly he backed into the house, shutting the door. “You said you wanted to talk, so talk.” He didn’t look at Kirishima.

“Bakugo…” Kirishima reached for his friends shoulder. “I just-”

Bakugo grabbed Kirishima’s outstretched hand harshly, stopping it from grabbing him. “I said talk.”

“I… I don’t know why you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset!” His defensive side was evident.

“Then why aren't you looking at me?” Bakugo hadn’t dropped his hand. “And why’d you stop me from setting my hand on your shoulder?”

Bakugo turned his head towards Kirishima, the redness even more visible now. “Fine. Is this what you want?” He let go of Kirishima’s hand. “Or do you want to make fun of me some more? Is that what you want?”

“M-make fun of you?” Kirishima didn’t understand what Bakugo meant. “Why would I want to make fun of you…?”

“Cut it out with the antagonizing tone! I’m serious, Kirishima! Just say what you want to say so I can go!”

“Why are you so eager to leave?! I thought you wanted to hang out!”

“I do!”

“Then don’t leave!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” Kirishima crossed his arms. He felt annoyed, but didn’t know why. Bakugo’s embarrassment had turned to annoyance. Kirishima couldn’t help but wonder if his face was still warm from blushing? Or if the annoyance made it warm in its own way? What it would be like to feel it…

“Eijiro?”

Bakugo’s voice snapped him back to reality. He saw his own hand against Bakugo’s cheek. The pale skin turning pinker under his touch. “Ah- I-” He moved to pull away but Bakugo’s hand clasped onto his, gently keeping his hand there. “It… it’s warm.” He managed.

“Warm?”

“Your skin… I wanted to know… it’s warm.” Bakugo’s hand was warm too. Even warmer than his cheek, Kirishima figured that must be in part due to his explosive quirk. “It’s… it’s nice.” He wondered if his own face was warm too.

Bakugo must have been thinking the same thing because the boy moved his opposite hand to Kirishima’s cheek, cupping it softly. “Yours is too.”

Kirishima felt his breath hitch. This is different. But I don’t necessarily dislike it… “Oh.” His voice was barely audible.

“Oh?” Bakugo’s voice had dropped to a whisper as well.

“This is new.”

“Do you hate it?”

“No.” Kirishima answered quickly. “Do you?”

“No.”

Kirishima blinked, trying to steady his breathing. “Do you… like it?”

“Do you?”

“I asked you first.”

Bakugo’s mouth twitched. “What if I do? Is that wrong?”

“No…” He moved closer. “Because I do too.”

“Kirishima…” Bakugo’s eyes searched the person in front of him. “What… I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”

“This.”

“What about this?” He asked. “What is this ?”

“I don’t know. I just… it feels…” His voice trailed off, but Kirishima knew what he meant.

“Yeah. It feels…” He knew Bakugo understood him too. “You should just do what you feel is right. Whatever that may be.”

“You think so?”

Kirishima leaned closer. “Or if you’d rather… I can do what I feel is right. If that’s easier for you.” His eyes subconsciously glanced at Bakugo's lips.

“I think I’d prefer that.”

“Alright…” Kirishima circled his thumb slowly on Bakugo’s cheek. “Promise you won’t try to blast me away?”

“As long as you promise not to bite me with your hardened teeth.”

“Oh, so I can bite you with my normal teeth, then?” He was centimeters away from Bakugo.

“I didn’t say all that…”

“You didn’t say not too either…” Kirishima brought his lips to Bakugo’s. He expected Bakugo to back out, but he didn’t. He let their lips touch. He even moved closer. The blond’s head tipped downwards ever so slightly, just enough to cover the inch or so of height difference. It felt right. Kirishima didn’t know how to explain why, so he tried to show it. He tried to communicate it through the kiss. Bakugo did the same, he was never good with words. But they didn’t have to be. This was enough. This moment was enough. It was… perfect.