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As Katsuki sits in the common room trying to work on homework, he is subjected to his idiot classmates going on and on about Valentine’s Day. The afternoon’s excitement with finding the ‘Prince Charming of Class A’ left them abuzz, thanks to the revelation that it was Mineta.
It’s the same thing year after year. The boys impatiently wait to find out if a girl is going to bless them with chocolate and the girls awkwardly pass them out while trying not to give away their feelings. He’s above all of that. Katsuki doesn’t care if he gets chocolate. He especially doesn’t care if he gets chocolate from a girl—a realization he was forced to come to terms with in his last year of middle school.
It's almost the end of their first year. He hasn’t said anything, not like he intends to. It’s none of the extras’ business. Sure, his classmates might have been promoted from ‘extras’ to friends in the last year, but Katsuki still isn’t outing himself to all the nosy fuckers. Especially when none of them can keep a secret.
God, I hate Valentine’s Day, he thinks. Katsuki glances at Kirishima who entered the dorm not long after him. He’s sitting at the dining table talking to Kaminari with a dopey smile on his face. He can’t help but wonder if Kirishima is waiting for chocolate. Or if he’s going to do the manly thing and give chocolate out himself. Earlier in the day, Kaminari and Mineta convinced the girls to make chocolate for all the boys. Now that the hunt is over and the chocolates have finished cooling, they are in the kitchen with Sato decorating the desserts.
Katsuki’s gaze flicks to Uraraka, then Asui, Yaoyorozu, Jirou, Hagakure, and finally Ashido. He lingers on her until she notices, giving him a peace sign with her fingers. Katsuki huffs and goes back to his homework.
“What about Kacchan?” asks Kaminari as he moves to throw himself over Katsuki’s shoulder.
Katsuki fails to shrug him off. “What about me?” he asks, pissed to have his homework interrupted. He hadn’t been listening to the conversation.
“You ever get chocolates from a girl before?” Kaminari waggles his eyebrows and gives him a knowing grin. The shithead is mocking him.
Katsuki doesn’t get the chance to answer because Uraraka pipes up with a smile plastered on her face. “Deku told us earlier that he doesn’t think Bakugou has ever received chocolate, not even giri chocolates.” She smacks her lips as she pops a cookie in her mouth, chewing eagerly. Uraraka’s cheeks brighten as she eats.
“It’s none of the nerd’s damn business whether or not I’ve ever received chocolate!” He glares at Izuku who settled into the sofa across from him, sandwiched between Iida and Todoroki.
“Unsurprising with Bakugou’s prickly personality.” Sero teases from his seat beside Kirishima. “He’s not particularly popular with girls outside of our class.”
“And we only tolerate him,” Jirou jibes.
Katsuki glares at them. He’s grown leaps and bounds in the last year, but he still falls prey to the goading of his classmates. He jumps to his feet, slapping his textbook shut on the coffee table. “I’ll have you know; I received chocolate last year!”
“Kacchan, your mom doesn’t count,” Kaminari argues.
Sparks crackle in the palm of Katsuki’s hand. Everyone distances themselves, knowing what is to come next. Katsuki draws his elbow back to send an explosion directly to Kaminari’s face. He deserves to die for this one. Katsuki can get chocolate from girls if he really wants it. His popularity has increased lately. People still find him loud and abrasive, but they also acknowledge his strength as a hero. Civilians excitedly wave to him when he’s on patrol with Endeavor’s agency. One of the grannies near the agency tried to force chocolate on him this morning!
An arm blocks Katsuki’s field of vision. His hand falters as Katsuki recognizes the hardened cracks that stretch out in front of him. Kirishima saves Kaminari yet again. Katsuki clucks his tongue and lets the explosion die out. “Tch.” He shoves Kirishima’s arm out of the way and reaches for his homework on the coffee table. “I’m done with this stupid-ass conversation.” He turns his attention to the girls in the kitchen. “And I don’t need any of the dumb giri chocolates you let those idiots rope you into making!” Katsuki points his thumb back at Kaminari and Mineta without looking, then stalks off towards the elevator.
His shoulders slump and he shakes his head. Who cares if Kirishima tried to stop him? Not Katsuki! That’s for sure. So what if they shared chocolate together at the park a year ago? Kirishima probably doesn’t even remember. Katsuki certainly hadn’t recognized him at first. In the short few months between Valentine’s Day and the entrance ceremony, Kirishima became an entirely new person.
Katsuki presses the button on the elevator and waits for it to reach the first floor. He’s bouncing from heel to heel, filled with nervous energy. For what reason, he’s unsure. He just knows it’s time to head up to his room. Katsuki doesn’t want to listen to the others go on and on about Valentine’s anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to watch them exchange chocolates and gifts. The bell dings and the doors slide open. He steps inside and turns, pressing the button for the fourth floor. As they slide shut, he catches a glimpse of Kirishima, and his thoughts wander back to last Valentine’s Day.
Katsuki sat on the park bench after school, shoulders hiked with his hands stuffed in his pockets to keep warm. He wasn’t ready to head home. He had been riding the high of the UA entrance exam, confident in his performance, when the days passed by, and his stupid classmates forgot about how impressive he was and started going on and on about love and Valentine’s Day. Katsuki only wanted to talk about his future career as a pro hero—the number one hero!
Even the two guys he considered to be friends had moved on, wondering if they would get chocolates from the girls. Girls were fucking stupid and a waste of his time. The shitty nerd received a few boxes of giri chocolate, while no one dared approach Katsuki. Not that he wanted any chocolate! He would have refused regardless, but it was irritating to watch Deku get chocolate when he didn’t. Katsuki was clearly the best in his class. The strongest, the smartest. So why did Deku receive gifts, and he didn’t?
His mom had teased him before he left for school that if he didn’t chill out, no one would give him any chocolate. Katsuki set off an explosion in protest as he walked out the door. He could buy his own damn chocolate. Katsuki didn’t even like sweets that much. Why did anyone care about some stupid, bullshit holiday anyway?
He huffed. Katsuki hiked his shoulders up as he leaned back against the park bench. The collar of his uniform peaked out against his neck from within his jacket. He kicked his shoe at the dirt and replayed the entrance exam in his head for the thousandth time since it ended, making sure he had done everything he could to pass the test. Katsuki had crushed the robotic villains, and his written test was flawless.
I will get in.
Katsuki’s mind wandered to Deku. The quirkless nerd had the audacity to take the test as well. As if they were equal! No way a school like UA would let someone like him in! But if they did… What did that say about Katsuki? He pulled his hand out of his pocket and pointed his palm up, setting off an explosion in the park. Hopefully, no one was around to yell at him about using his quirk in public.
“Woah, dude!”
Katsuki froze. Quickly, he retracted his hand, stuffing it in his pocket once more and turned to look over his shoulder. Behind him stood a kid with long black hair and bright red eyes—red eyes that were fixed pointedly on Katsuki.
“What?” He barked angrily from over his shoulder.
The black-haired kid smiled sheepishly and clutched a large gift bag close to his chest. “Uh… Sorry. You just looked lonely sitting out here in the middle of winter. I was gonna ask if everything was alright and then you startled me.”
“I’m fine,” said Katsuki. His gaze flicked from the bag to the kid’s face and back. “Just over this stupid, shitty holiday.”
“Ah.” The boy took a step towards him. Katsuki hadn’t given him the okay to approach! “Yeah, I don’t really get the hype. My friends are really into it though. They were all hoping they’d get girlfriends.”
Katsuki clucked his tongue. “You look like you made out well enough.” He nodded his head at the bag.
“Oh!” The boy glanced down, then back up at Katsuki. “It’s all giri chocolate. We made chocolates and cookies in Home Ec. the other day, and we were allowed to take them home today. Do you want some? Not sure how good it tastes though. I’m not great at the whole cooking thing.”
“You don’t cook sweets, you bake them,” corrected Katsuki. The black-haired boy came to sit down next to him on the bench. Katsuki let his shoulders relax slightly as he glanced into the kid’s bag. “I’m not really big on sweets,” he said.
“Well, I have more than I could possibly eat, so take however much you want.” He pulled small boxes and baggies out of the bag, setting them on the bench between them. “I’m Kirishima, by the way.”
“Bakugou.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Bakugou.”
“S’whatever.” Katsuki picked up one of the cookies. It was burnt on the bottom but not blackened. He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly. “S’not terrible.”
Kirishima’s eyes widened in delight. “Awesome!” He pumped his fist in the air. “I was worried. My mom runs a bakery, and I did not inherit her skills.” Kirishima popped a truffle into his mouth and chewed. “Are you in middle school?” he asked.
Katsuki shrugged in reply. “Ninth grade.”
“Same!” Kirishima smiled as he ate another chocolate. “Have you taken entrance exams yet? I took the exam for UA the other day and it was so tough. I think I did okay on the practical but I’m sure I flopped the written exam.”
Katsuki’s eyes widened and he studied Kirishima carefully. “You applied for UA?”
“Yeah! I wanna be a super manly hero like Crimson Riot.”
“All Might’s better.” Katsuki scoffed.
Kirishima furrowed his brows. “He’s cool, but Crimson Riot just hits differently, ya’ know?”
No. Katsuki didn’t know. “I guess,” he said. “I took the UA entrance exam as well.”
“No way!” Chocolate clung to Kirishima’s unusually pointed teeth as he smiled wide. “This is crazy. Maybe we’ll be classmates.”
“Maybe.”
Katsuki watched Kirishima as he laughed and ate. He was in his own little world, chattering happily, and would occasionally glance at Katsuki to make sure he was paying attention or still eating. Normally, Katsuki hated idle chit chat with strangers, but he didn’t mind listening to Kirishima talk. They swapped stories about their fights during the practical exam. Finally, someone understood Katsuki. All he wanted to do was think about his future at UA and the inevitability of becoming a hero, not talk about love and girlfriends.
Warmth spread in Katsuki’s chest the longer he sat with Kirishima and heat bloomed on his cheeks. He cleared his throat. “I should probably get going. I’m feeling weirdly warm, and I don’t want to get a fever.”
Kirishima looked at him in surprise, then nodded. “Right. Sure. Don’t wanna get sick.” He packed up his leftover bag of snacks and handed one of the bags of cookies to Katsuki. “Here. Happy Valentine’s Day, Bakugou.”
Katsuki stared at the proffered chocolate for a beat, then took them from Kirishima, their fingertips brushing. “I don’t have anything to give you.”
“Don’t sweat it! I just appreciate not being forced to eat them all myself.” Kirishima stood and dusted himself off. “Well, good luck getting into UA.” He hesitated, like he wasn’t quite ready to leave. Katsuki stood as well and slung his backpack over his shoulder.
“Yeah. I hope you get in.” A genuine smile parted his lips briefly, then he turned to head in the direction of home. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Kirishima still standing there. “See you around, Kirishima.”
Kirishima smiled and waved. “See you around, Bakugou!”
Just as the elevator doors are about to close completely, they slide open once more. Kirishima is standing on the other side, and he steps inside as the doors part. Undisturbed, they begin to shut again, this time for good. The elevator dings, and then the motor begins to hum, lifting them up to the fourth floor. Kirishima rocks on his heels, then reaches into his pocket to pull out a small bag.
“For you,” he says, hesitantly.
Katsuki reaches to take it, inspecting the bag. He peels it open to find cookies within. “What is this?” he asks.
“I made cookies for Valentine’s Day. I promise they taste better than last year.” Kirishima’s cheeks turn a faint shade of red.
Katsuki narrows his gaze at the redhead. “You remember?”
“How could I forget?” Kirishima clears his throat and rubs at the back of his neck. “That day really stuck with me. I was happy to find out we both got into UA and that we were in the same class. Though, you were a bit different than what I had remembered when school started.”
Katsuki huffs. He was an asshole. That’s what Kirishima was trying not to say. “I didn’t…” He purses his lips. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“That’s okay.” The elevator dings to let them know they’ve reached their floor, and they step into the hall when the doors open. “I didn’t expect you to.”
Katsuki pulls one of the cookies out and inspects it. Looks edible. It doesn’t appear burnt like last time. He pops the cookie into his mouth and chews slowly. Swallowing, he says, “It’s good. You’ve improved.”
Kirishima slams his fists together enthusiastically. “Yes!”
Katsuki licks his lips and eyes the cookies. “So, what? You make cookies for everyone?”
“What?” Kirishima’s smile falters. “No. I—uh—I only made them for you.”
“Not even Ashido?” Katsuki asks, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
Kirishima stills, studying Katsuki carefully. “No. Ashido’s my friend, like everyone else in the class, but—”
“But?” Katsuki interjects.
Kirishima breathes in, then exhales sharply. “But she’s not the person I want to give gifts to on Valentine’s Day.”
“Giri?” asks Katsuki.
Kirishima shakes his head.
Katsuki sucks in his bottom lip and bites down as hope builds in his chest. “Honmei?” Kirishima nods slowly. Katsuki lets out a shaky breath. “You know we’re about to fight in goddamn war…”
“Bakugou, I would feel worse if we fought in the war and something happened, and I never got to tell you how much I like you.” Kirishima’s lip wobbles and Katsuki has the overwhelming urge to kiss it. He swallows thickly.
“I taste like sugar cookies,” he says dumbly.
“What?” Kirishima asks, perplexed.
Katsuki stuffs the bag of cookies into his sweater pocket and closes the distance between them. They stare at each other awkwardly, both unsure whether it’s okay to make the next move. Katsuki summons all the strength he can muster to close the distance and lightly brush his lips against Kirishima’s. His eyes flutter shut, and he wraps one hand in Kirishima’s hair.
Kirishima snakes his arms around Katsuki’s middle and breathes out. “I didn’t taste it,” he says.
“What?” asks Katsuki as he blinks in confusion.
“The cookies,” says Kirishima. “I didn’t taste them.”
The confession makes Katsuki’s heart stutter in his chest, and he presses his lips to Kirishima’s more fully. Their mouths part slightly, lips slotting together perfectly. The day Katsuki realized he was gay was after he met a raven-haired boy on a park bench in the middle of February. His disinterest in girls had become apparent after that. The day Katsuki realized he was in love with his best friend was after he held his hand out for him as they soared through the air on a ridiculous rescue mission.
And the day Katsuki realized he never wanted to live without Kirishima was on Valentine’s Day, their first year of high school, as they kiss in the hallway of their dorm floor, tasting of cookies.