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Okay so they were teenagers.
Despite them being pro heroes in training, despite reputations to uphold and dreams to fulfill, they down to their core were still teenagers.
Which meant what? Hickeys.
Kaminari was the first victim, given he was the first one with a serious boyfriend in Shinsou. He was caught rushing to the dorm freezer one morning with a spoon, his hand covering a purpling mark on his neck. Sero and Kirishima wouldn’t let him live it down for days, and it took Denki wearing a turtleneck and Shinsou glaring at both of them for a few classes for both of them to get the true message and stop. They weren’t too fair behind, marks of their own secret flings cropping up here and there.
After proudly walking up to the freezer for an ice cube to soothe a deep red circle on the crook of her jaw (to the mortification of a blushing Iida) Ochako loudly exclaimed that she had bought some cheap spoons to put in the freezer for “normal, ice cream related reasons”. After that, the epidemic that had struck Class 1-A seemed to die down. Sure, they were still going at it the same amount, but without physical proof of a bad idea.
There were a few however, who escaped this proof of lustful pursuits. Todoroki for one, never commented on it, and mainly kept to himself, so many assumed he had just decided to refrain for now. Yaomomo and Jirou were dating, but at least careful enough that they were never forced to take the walk of shame. Bakugou, for as much as his friends seem to get into it, steered clear. And for different but similar reasons, so did Izuku. He’d tease people lightly but flush at the idea if someone tried to dish it back to him. Not to mention, Izuku Midoriya was maybe the only person who ALWAYS wore his uniform buttoned up to the top, except for maybe Iida (and it didn’t count if you knew he was giving them anyway).
Which is why Bakugou, for once, was standing by his group of friends as they gawked at the couch across the room.
There sat Izuku, furiously scribbling in a notebook. His hair was a mess and there were observable bags under his eyes, but that wasn’t what drew stares. No, it was not even the fact that his uniform, usually so neat and pristine, was barely buttoned and hanging off his shoulders.
Bakugou’s eyes zeroed in on the spidery rosy blotch just below Izuku’s collarbone. And his eyebrows officially left his face.
“Haaahhh??” He didn’t think he was that loud until Kirishima smashed a hand over his mouth.
“Shut up Bakubro! You’ll make him notice us.”
“Where do you think he got it? Sero and I should make a chart.” Mina was half in Sero’s lap as he typed out Deku’s Possible Lovers into an Apple Note.
“I mean you can knock out all of us to start. Unless you suddenly had a change of heart, Bakugou?” Denki turned towards Bakugou with a sheepish expression.
“Fuck no! Why do you extras fuckin’ care anyway?” He moved back a little to hit Kirishima’s shoulder a little too roughly to be normal. And yet he was so, so normal about all of this.
Not a lot of things took up space in Bakugou's brain. One could argue that half of it was related in some way, shape, or form, to becoming the best hero that Japan had ever known and wiping all others from the face of the Earth. if he did his job correctly there wouldn't be a top 10. Half n’ half, Round Face, even Shitty Hair, would have to deal with the fact that he was better than everyone. However that was only part of his brain, not all of it.
Bakugou never liked to think about Deku. Every single time he devoted energy to the subject different parts of his brain would quarrel and fight with each other like rabid dogs. One of the dogs every single time would bring up what a terrible way he had treated his childhood best friend and how maybe, just maybe, he would never be able to make up for that. Another screams that he shouldn't care about the green haired nerd and what he thought ( even if he constantly proclaimed that Kacchan was the best or the coolest) and that he could just go about his life without worrying about Izuku Midoriya. But it was the last dog, maybe the least used and the least listened to that was winning out now. Something he would never admit, even under duress, unless of course he was given the benefit of reciprocation. That dog snarled as it asked who had given Izuku Midoriya, Bakugou’s own little Deku, the biggest hickey this side of the Pacific.
“I don't know, I guess I'm wondering because it never happens. " Kirishima was the first one to speak up, running a hand through his red hair as he also sheepishly looked back at Bakugou. Snorting a little at his friend's audacity to be honest Bakugou suddenly noticed sudden movement on the other side of the room.
Todoroki had emerged from one of the hallways leading into the common room. Shuffling, he walked over to Izuku and murmured a quiet hello, sitting down next to his friend. The two boys began to talk quietly, but it was not lost on Bakugou that Todoroki looked equally as tired as Izuku. Although his uniform wasn't as messy, his tie was missing.
A terrible, violent stream of jealousy flew through Bakugou.
“Todoroki.” Mina’s voice was hardly quiet but as her jaw dropped open the people around her clung to each other.
“How could we not see it? They hang out all the time, they’re practically attached at the hip.” Sero’s voice was lower than Mina’s but negated by the fact that he began to excitedly slam Kirishima on the back from the couch.
“I think I owe Shinsou like, at least 50 dollars.” Denki groaned and Bakugou swore that he could feel smoke pour out of his ears.
“You were betting on this bitch-bolt? Where the fuck did that come from?”
“Eh? What has your briefs in a twist dude? Not manly of you.” Kirishima lightly chuffed him on the head and Bakugou let out a slow breath.
“I’ll be back.”
Striding firmly across the room there was nearly nothing behind Bakugou Katsuki’s eyes. He had thought about this once or twice, give or take ( he had hoped they would be adults or maybe graduating seniors before he could work up the courage) but now this was a different game. Izuku had been poached by someone else far before he could work any magic. Bakugou would never admit it to another person seriously, but that was the reason he stayed far away from romance. He had always told himself that he could take the chance whenever he wanted, and now as he approached the two sleepy people on the couch, he realized it was a defense mechanism that prevented him from acknowledging that he didn't want it to be hard. His eyes could only focus on the mark and he took a deep breath as his legs finally knocked into Izuku's knees.
Goddamn his stupid heart and its propensity for Midoriya Izuku.
“Nerd. I want to talk to you.”
“I-I’m a little busy at the moment Kacchan can it wait?” Izuku turned and his green eyes dragged away from Todoroki. Bakugou grit his teeth and Todoroki raised his eyebrows.
“Did you want something Bakugou?” His tone was tired but it registered as arrogant in Bakugou’s hind brain and he leaned forward, his palms starting to smoke.
“I want Deku. Got it?” A squeak came from next to them and both Todoroki and Bakugou turned to see Deku flushed red and fiddling with the hem of his untucked dress shirt. It suddenly occurred to him how his words sounded, and Bakugou turned back to leer at Todoroki.
“I do believe I’ll dip out now. See ya Half and Half.” Not bothering to wait for an answer, Bakugou grabbed Izuku’s hand and dragged him from the couch to the hallway. Given it was a weekend, the hallway itself was very empty as they trudged to the end. A small alcove near the elevators caught Bakugou’s eyes and he swerved hard.
“Kacchan! That hurts, what’s your deal today?” Deku’s voice was still slightly slurred and Bakugou turned back to see him rub his eyes with his free hand. Slamming him up against the wall and caging him in with his forearms, Bakugou breathed in and out.
There were a million ways he could do this. But why do anything that wasn’t him?
“Are you and Icy Hot fucking?”
“What?” Science said that Izuku couldn’t turn a darker shade of red and science was wrong. Bakugou tried not to let himself get distracted by the translucent way that Deku’s freckles moved as his skin grew more flushed. In a moment of madness he moved closer.
There wasn’t a lot he had let himself imagine. But being this close to Deku now made possibilities swirl in his head drunkenly. Leaning further down he tried to make eye contact with Deku, who was currently trying to squirm his way into the wall.
“Answer my question.”
“Well we’re a bit young for that and uh-”
“Are you fucking Icy Hot, Deku? Or do I need to repeat myself another time a little closer?” He seethed out between clenched teeth and Deku finally stopped trying to get away. He looked up at Bakugou like he finally saw his heaving chest, the way his arms shook slightly as they were nearly pressed together.
“No. We-we aren’t, we aren’t like that. Why do you think that?” There was a silent question in there in a way that only Deku could phrase.
Why do you care?
“Look down idiot.” Bakugou moved a hand down to point and press at the watercolor bruise still very prominent at the top of Deku’s exposed collarbone. His friend followed his gaze and quietly cursed as Bakugou’s hand pressed a little harder at the marred skin.
“Shit. I got that last night trying to put up a shelf in my room. Todoroki was helping me, and he knocked over one of my figurines. I must have been so tired this morning I didn’t even notice it. What did you think it was Kacchan?” Deku’s voice slipped from tired to curious, and he pulled back a little to heavily sigh.
Then, leaning forward until his chin was nearly on Deku’s shoulder, Bakugou’s mouth teasing the shell of his ear.
“Ever heard of a hickey Deku?”
He felt the answering shiver, but he didn’t expect to feel hot breath on his own ear and Deku’s hands on his forearms.
“Seems everyone knows but me. Show me then?”