Work Text:
Sleepover (Izuku x Bakugou)
It was no lie, Deku was destroyed from today’s practice. Everyday the practices at U.A. high school seemed to get more and more difficult and strenuous on his body. He felt as if he never had time to rest and heal his sore muscles, not to mention that he was still recovering from a few broken bones from a battle he recently participated in.
Deku had still not mastered his quirk, and because of that, the teachers have been pushing him especially hard during practice and closely monitoring his progress. He has had to work outside of class sessions with All Might almost everyday as well, further adding to his current level of exhaustion.
He sighed, dragging his feet as he walked down the dorm hallway towards the common room, eyelids half-closed and lips parted as he breathed heavily. He wanted nothing more but to collapse on his bed and sleep for days.
“Deku!”
He snapped his head up, looking around wildly until he spotted Uraraka standing by one of the common room couches, smiling and waving at him excitedly. Deku didn’t even realize that he had stumbled into the common room. Todoroki, Mina, Tsu, Kirishima, and a few others were gathered on the couches chatting loudly and eating snacks, all looking in Deku’s direction as soon as Uraraka called to him.
“Want to come hang with us for a bit? Momo is making tea!” Uraraka gleamed, flashing Deku an almost irresistible smile.
He smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment in response to all the eyes on him—and the social pressure they brought. “A-Ah…Uraraka-san I would love to but I’m very tired, I should get some rest early tonight.”
Her smile disappeared and she tipped her head at him sadly. “Oh...okay. Well, I hope you get some rest then.”
“Awe c’mon Midoriya! I gotta tell you all about my practice fight with Bakugou today!” Kirishima chimed, Sero chuckling next to him.
“It was quite the show, man!”
Deku continued scratching the back of his head nervously, not sure how to get himself out of this situation. He has always been bad at telling people when he didn’t want to do something or be somewhere—like right now at this time of night.
He licked his lips, “I—”
“Actually, young Midoriya needs to speak with me first.” An adult male’s voice suddenly sounded from behind Deku, causing him to flinch and let out an embarrassing squeak.
Upon turning around, he was greeted by Aizawa, who was towering over him with a stern look in his eye. “Come, Midoriya. Let’s speak in a place that is a little more private.”
Deku’s mind immediately hypothesized about all of the things that could be wrong and he blurted uncontrollably, “Aizawa-sensei, is everything alright? Is All Might in trouble? Did I do something wrong? Am I needed somewhere—“
“You are overthinking this, it is not anything life-threatening in the slightest.” Aizawa responded, leading Deku further down the dorm hallway so they were out of earshot of the students in the common room.
Once they had made it down the dorm hallway a good distance away, Aizawa stopped and turned to face Deku, hands in his pockets and eyes cold and intimidating as always. Deku fumbled with his shirt with his hands to his sides, looking up at his teacher with wide, restless eyes. Am I in trouble? Oh no, what did I do?!
“We are having electricity issues in part of the building right now due to some of the attacks on U.A. from a few weeks back. Unfortunately, your dorm room has been affected by these technical issues and your power is out, which includes your air conditioning vent.” Aizawa spoke, Deku immediately sighing in relief that nothing seriously concerning happened. He could easily deal with a little power outage for a night.
“Tonight is going to be very hot, and the other teachers and I are worried that you will overheat and have a hard time going to sleep. Without a fan or air conditioning, it is cruel for me to have you sleep in your room in this summer heat.”
“O-Oh! I should be okay. I’ll just take a very cold shower and dress lightly so I—“
“I am assigning you to another room to sleep in for the night. You are not the only one I am having to move around because of power outage issues. Momo is sleeping in Jiro’s room for the night because her room is experiencing similar problems.”
Deku looked at his professor with a confused look on his face. “So, I’m sleeping in a girl’s dorm as well?”
“No, you will be staying here in the boys dorm. I have already talked with your host for tonight and confirmed that it was okay with him. I hope that you will be able to get decent rest tonight and tolerate being in someone else’s room for tonight.” Aizawa explained, eyeing Deku’s expression carefully.
“Who have you paired me up with sensei?” Deku tried to ask as respectfully as he could, his head a mad blur of anxiousness but also excitement at which classmate it would be. Maybe it’s Todoroki! The professors know that he gets along with him well, right? Or Iida!
“Bakugou.”
Every muscle and fiber in Deku’s body tensed at the name, his excited expression falling into almost a disappointed look, his lips parted and eyebrows furrowed in scepticism.
“But he doesn’t like me much so why...”
Aizawa noticed Deku’s nervousness and placed an affectionate hand on his shoulder. “Do not worry, I have warned him that if he ever makes you feel uncomfortable, there will be consequences. I have gone over exactly how he should host you tonight and how he should respect your presence in his room. I told him to keep the air conditioning on tonight and turn on a few fans to keep you two as cool as possible. There is also a blow up mattress I have put in there so you two do not have to sleep in the same bed.”
Deku looked down at his feet and blushed, his face growing hotter as the seconds went by. Sleeping? With Kacchan? In his room? I don’t know if I can do this...he’s going to hate it. He’s going to hate me.
“I think you would be surprised to hear that he was quite compliant about hosting you.” Aizawa mumbled, causing Deku’s eyes to widen in surprise and interest as his teacher predicted they would.
“R-Really?” Deku muttered softly.
“Yes. He didn’t put up much of a fight.”
Deku looked down at his shoes again, face flushing. He has always admired Bakugou and thought he was the coolest person he’s ever met before in his life, not to mention the fact that he also looked like the coolest person ever. Everything from his explosive palms to his glistening muscles and shock-resistant armor infatuated Deku. Accidentally catching the intense gaze of his crimson eyes sent shivers down his spine during practice.
However, Bakugou has never been the nicest to him. If anything, Deku’s mere existence seemed to anger him. For these reasons, Deku was shocked to hear that he didn’t fight Aizawa when hearing that he was going to host him in his room for the night. Part of Deku was excited and curious as to why Bakugou didn’t protest, but another part of him was extremely nervous. The last thing he wanted was to be pushed around and belittled all night long by his childhood idol. He was exhausted and just wanted to be left alone so he could rest.
“Aizawa-sensei, I’m worried that he won’t like that much, and I can’t afford getting bad sleep tonight so maybe I should just sleep in my room after all.” Deku murmured, pushing away his admiration for Bakugou and trying to focus on the best thing to do for himself in this situation.
“There is no need to worry, as I have previously stated. I have gone over rules and boundaries with him. He knows that you are tired and need rest. Actually, I believe that he understands what you are going through better than anyone else here. That is why I have paired you two up.” Aizawa said, Deku casting his glance down. He had not thought of that, and he supposed that Aizawa was right. Kacchan does know me better than anyone else. Maybe he’ll respect me being in his room when I’m this tired and worn out.
“Okay. I’ll change clothes and try to find him then.” Deku concluded, bowing slightly before his professor.
“You do not need to look for him, he is in his room right now—presumably waiting for you to arrive.” Aizawa mumbled, tucking his chin into his tattered, white scarf and starting his journey down the hallway towards the doors to the outside of the dorm building. “I had my conversation with him only a few minutes ago.” He mumbled over his shoulder as he left.
“Oh...okay!” Deku stammered at his professor‘s back, watching him leave down the hall. Oh god... What do I do now? Should I shower first? Should I tell him that I’m showering?! Oh god, but I don’t want to make it awkward. Maybe I should just shower right now and then go into his room? Yes, I don’t want to be smelly, he’ll probably hate that. I should be presentable.
Deku quickly skipped down the hallway to his room, which was not far from Bakugou’s, as it was only a few rooms away. He fumbled with his keys frantically and unlocked his door, an intense heat wave knocking him in the face, causing him to sweat more in his already soaked shirt and shorts.
“Geez…maybe it’s a good thing I’m sleeping with Kacchan tonight. There’s no way I’d be able to sleep in this heat.” Deku muttered to himself, closing the door behind him and immediately stripping his clothes off and throwing them into a small laundry basket near his desk.
He walked over to his clothes cabinet to grab a large, red towel and threw it around himself, slipping into his shower shoes during the process. He couldn’t help but let his mind wonder about what he would do with Bakugou tonight. It has been awhile since they’ve had a decent conversation. I’m sleeping on the blow up mattress sensei gave us, right? So, does that mean that Kacchan will give me one of his pillows and one of his blankets? Should I bring my own bedding instead? Maybe sensei gave us bedding to go along with the mattress. I’ll bring my blanket just in case.
Deku’s face reddened at the thought of sleeping in Kacchan’s blankets as he opened his door and made his way down the hallway to the boy’s bathing place, the squeak of his flip flops echoing throughout the silent hallway. I hope Kacchan isn’t angry with me tonight. It’d be kind of nice to have a decent conversation with him...if that’s even possible.
Deku sighed, hanging his towel up on a rack and slowly creeping into the large, warm bathing tub, sliding out of his flip flops and throwing them near his towel. The warmth of the water worked like magic on the young hero’s muscles, relaxing them and actively healing their soreness.
Deku laid his head down in his arms, closing his eyes and doing his best to clear his anxious mind. He let his mind momentarily drift in and out of consciousness as he relaxed in the hot water, making up different scenarios of starting a conversation with Bakugou in his head...
......................................................................
Bakugou sat upright in his bed, leaning back against the wooden backboard of the bed frame. He was scrolling through UA’s social media feed as he usually does before bed to keep himself updated on the Hero and Villain attacks, student awards, and general gossip and drama in the student body on campus. Fortunately, there wasn’t much negative drama being spread at the moment, but there was a lot of relationship drama, which surprised him. He wasn’t good at staying on top of other people’s relationship statuses, and that was mostly because he didn’t care, however, he had heard recent rumors that Todoroki and Izuku have been spending more time alone outside of school. He’s also heard contradicting stories stating that Izuku was hanging around Uraraka and supposedly had a crush on her.
Bakugou immediately cringed upon seeing a post Todoroki had sent to the social media feed of him and Izuku sitting on a small couch together, clearly in someone’s dorm room. It made him feel odd and sort of jealous that Izuku was getting so much attention from other people on campus. He’s always been jealous of people who spend a lot of time around his childhood friend—especially Todoroki and Uraraka.
“Damn nerd...” Bakugou mumbled under his breath in frustration, taking off his sweatshirt so that he only lay on his bed in a black tan top. Izuku was supposed to be sleeping over with him tonight. He had pumped up the air mattress on the floor for him and folded blankets over it neatly, although he’d never admit that he had.
His relationship with Izuku had improved significantly ever since he apologized for everything he had done to him in the past. Bakugou had to admit that he actually started to grow fond of working with Izuku during practice. Recently, he started to pay more attention to Izuku, for reasons he didn’t know why. He discovered that he really liked the way Izuku laughed and the way he stood with his legs so close together and his hands at his sides messing with his uniform. Bakugou found out that he liked it when Izuku paid attention to him. He liked when he giggled at his petty remarks.
Bakugou grit his teeth and shut off his phone, tossing it on the floor while face-planting into his pillow. Fuck. When did I start caring about him so much? When did he start looking so cute and shit?
It’s not like he liked him, right? And it’s not like he wanted to be friends with him. Although Bakugou didn’t feel like the word ‘friends’ correctly summed up the type of relationship he wanted to have with Deku.
Shit. Fuck. Bakugou scoffed into his pillow, bringing his arms up to clutch it close to his face. Where the hell is he anyway? It’s been over an hour now.
Three knocks on his door answered his thoughts. The sound made the blond flinch and accidentally bite down on his lower lip.
“K-Kacchan?”
Bakugou cursed at the angelic sound of Deku’s voice coming from outside his door.
“What,” he snapped lowly, sitting up in his bed and frantically eyeing his room to make sure everything looked clean and tidy.
“A-Aizawa sensei said that he talked to you and told you that I was going to sleep in your room tonight because the electricity in my room is off so it’ll be too hot in my room for me to sleep and he didn’t like that but he said that you were okay with it and—“
Bakugou rolled his eyes at Deku’s anxious rambling, quickly hopped out of bed, and made a beeline for the door, swinging it open forcefully to reveal a wide-eyed, trembling Deku clutching a blanket and a few notebooks.
Upon witnessing Bakugou open the door so fast, Deku immediately shut his mouth and felt his cheeks grow hot as the blond’s blood-red eyes stared down at him.
“You done?” Bakugou asked sarcastically, raising a brow at the shorter, trembling boy.
“Mm...mhm.” Deku confirmed softly, breaking their intense eye contact to look at his feet.
“You take a bath?” Bakugou questioned, leaning against the door frame so he was closer to his childhood friend. Being so close and undoubtedly taller than Izuku, he could see water glistening in the curly green strands of hair on top of Deku’s head, and he ran a gentle hand through Deku’s wet hair, ruffling and fluffing it up a bit.
Deku nodded slowly, blushing as Bakugou momentarily played with his hair. Deku has noticed that Bakugou has been more physical with him than ever before since he apologized to him. It was a subtle change, but Deku paid close attention to it.
The taller blond only stared at his childhood friend in awe and wonder as he spotted the pink hue spreading across his soft, freckled cheeks. I wonder if damn Izuku likes it when I pat his head? Does he like it when I touch him? Wait...why AM I touching him?
Bakugou withdrew his hand from Deku’s head and turned away, thumping toward his bed, his mood clearly changed. “Whatever, just lay down on the mattress sensei left for you and be quiet. I’m tired.”
“Oh, okay Kacchan.”
They both settled into their respective beds, Izuku’s being an air mattress on the floor. The green-haired boy couldn’t help but smile when he saw that Bakugou had laid out a few blankets on the bed, their corners neatly tucked under the mattress. Kacchan is so thoughtful, even if he never admits it. It’s very nice of him to set up the mattress for me.
Bakugou watched Deku settle into his mattress out of the corner of his eye, examining his every move. Is he really dating that floaty bitch? Or icy-hot? Has he had his first kiss yet? No, there’s no way. He’s too damn nerdy. There’s no way. There can’t be a way.
“Kacchan?”
Bakugou trained his stare on Deku, eyes wild as thoughts raced through his head. “What,” he blurted, interrupting the storm of questions raging in his head.
Deku squirmed under Bakugou’s intense stare. “I just was wondering if you’ve been feeling okay...it’s been awhile since we last saw each other and you were pretty beat up last time from that one villain that you were—“
“I’m fine, dumbass,” Bakugou grunted, picking up his phone and continuing his seemingly endless scrolling on Instagram.
“O-Oh okay good! I’m glad Kacchan is feeling better.” Deku laughed nervously and awkwardly scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond to Bakugou’s snarky reply.
As always, Bakugou caught onto Deku’s nervousness and awkward vibe, taking a break from his phone to look down at his green-haired friend sitting on his mattress with his fingers entwined, eyes staring down at his lap. He looked like he had something to say but was too nervous to speak.
“Oi.”
Deku quickly turned his head toward Bakugou, his eyes wide as he gave him his full attention. “Hm?”
“Are you really dating Uraraka?”
Deku stared at him, expecting him to laugh or confirm that his question was a joke. However, the serious look on Bakugou’s face caught Deku completely off guard.
“W-What?”
“Cut the shit. Are you or are you not?”
Deku glanced at Bakugou with a look of disbelief, as if he were out of his mind. Why would he ask something like that? What makes him think I’m dating her? Is he interested in her? Is he trying to take her out or something?
“No…Kacchan.” Deku murmured, continuing to eye him strangely.
Bakugou grunted and crossed his arms over his chest, breaking their intense eye contact. Huh, I guess he isn’t dating her after all. He’s looking at me like I’m crazy. That nerd still can’t get a girl. For some reason, Bakugou felt relieved by Deku’s answer, however, he didn’t quite understand why he felt that way. He exhaled in satisfaction and closed his eyes, relaxing back into his blankets.
Deku watched Bakugou intently from his mattress, even more confused when he heard him sigh calmly and close his eyes as if his response was relieving. T hat must mean that he likes her, right? He likes Uraraka?! When did this start!? I had no idea... Wait, maybe he doesn’t like her, I should ask to make sure.
“Does Kacchan like Uraraka?” Deku asked quietly, staring at the side of his friend’s face with wide eyes.
Bakugou smirked, laying back with his arms folded behind his head. “Pfft, in her dreams.”
Deku laughed at his crude joke, but was even more confused by his answer. So if he doesn’t like her, then why did he look so relieved when I said that I didn’t like her?
Silence fell over the two of them for a couple minutes as Deku re-read the notes he took earlier that day and Bakugou scrolled on his phone. Deku glanced over at Bakugou when he could, too timid to say something. It’s been at least a decade since they’ve had a sleepover. Deku reckoned they had been in elementary school when they last slept in a room together. Things have changed so much between them since they used to do stuff like that. Their relationship is so drastically different than it was when they were kids, not to mention that they are much older and more mature.
Bakugou noticed every time Deku snook a peak at him, his huge eyes obvious. What does he want? An invitation to speak? A spot on my bed ? Bakugou clenched his teeth in embarrassment for thinking such a thing. Little nerd. Such a little creep. Bakugou smirked and snorted to himself.
Of course Deku’s eyes were trained on his face as soon as he made a noise. “W-What’s so funny Kacchan?”
A familiar sense of cockiness filled Bakugou and he playfully snarked, “you.”
Deku bit his bottom lip in confusion but also happiness at hearing Bakugou laugh. “What is so funny about me?” He shifted his feet closer to his body, sitting in the middle of his mattress with his notebooks on his lap. He felt a little self-conscious by Bakugou’s remark and tucked his crossed legs closer together, as if trying to make himself as small as possible.
Bakugou shifted his gaze from his phone to the introverted boy on his mattress. Deku held his legs close to his chest and clutched his notebook tightly to his knees. He looked so anxious but so curious at the same time. His baggy t-shirt made his whole body frame look small and cuddly. Bakugou wanted to squeeze him just looking into his large, green eyes.
He looks so fucking cute. Fuck. What the hell.
“Hey, I’m just teasing. Relax, you being so nervous is funny.”
Deku looked away quickly, glancing down at the mattress. “Sorry, it’s just been so long since I’ve been in Kacchan’s room…or even slept with Kacchan.”
Heat rose to Bakugou’s face at Deku’s wording. However, he quickly diffused his own embarrassment by snapping, “Well, we’re not actually sleeping together. You’re sleeping on a mattress on the ground, not my bed. So there’s nothing to be nervous about.”
“Yea…” Deku murmured quietly, unfolding his legs and slowly laying down on his side on the mattress, setting his notebook and phone away from him. He laid facing Bakugou, fluttering his eyes open and closed a few times while staring off into space tiredly.
Bakugou couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows looking at Deku’s solemn face. He noticed that Deku seemed to be more quiet and distant ever since coming back from living on the streets. Being a vigilante seemed to have really taken a toll on his mental health. Bakugou hated thinking about how much Deku changed from just those few months being alone in Tokyo. Now, it was harder for Bakugou to read the green-haired boy's emotions, and harder still to understand what he was thinking in general. He remembered how easy it used to be, and it made him feel strange—almost sad. Was it weird that Bakugou wanted to try to make Deku feel happy? He’s always overworking himself. He’s never taking care of himself. I fucking hate that trait of his. Maybe I could fill that role for tonight? Bakugou never really practiced being a caretaker, and that was mostly because he didn’t care enough to do that for other people. However, the somber expression on Deku’s face made his stomach twist in knots for reasons he didn’t understand.
But first, there’s something I really need to ask him.
“So, how’s the other side of the dorms going?” Bakugou slurred casually while scrolling through his phone, clearly beating around the bush.
Deku perked up at his childhood friend’s sudden question. “It’s good, pretty quiet over there compared to your side,” he half-heartedly laughed.
Bakugou cringed upon hearing how empty Deku’s laugh was. “I see you and Todoroki are pretty close now, huh?”
“Oh! Well, if you’re talking about all the Instagram posts, blame Todoroki. He always takes pictures of us together. It’s really not that often we hangout.” Deku replied quickly.
Bakugou verbally scoffed. “Ya, not that often. Just everyday.”
Deku smiled at Bakugou’s annoyed face, chuckling softly. “You’re welcome to join us, Kacchan.”
“Fuck him.” Bakugou snarled, while Deku’s responding giggle made it clear he was completely oblivious to Bakugou’s seriousness.
“I don’t understand what about him makes you so mad, Kacchan,” Deku admitted, tone soft.
The explosive blonde couldn’t help but pout, shutting off his phone and setting it down on his nightstand aggressively. “Everything.”
“Kacchan!” Deku exclaimed, laughter erupting from his throat. “Don’t be so mean, he’s a really good friend. He cooks me soba and we do lots of fun things together. Last night we went to karaoke together and went shopping in Daiso for pro-hero keychains and little figures. It was really fun!”
Bakugou stared into Deku’s eyes, chest burning with jealousy. The feeling ate away at his insides and clouded his mind with a dangerous hatred that was pointed towards nothing in particular. It felt like his eyes were on fire staring into Deku’s joyous ones. Everytime Bakugou’s been hurt before, he’s gotten a mark he can see. But this feeling—it hurt so much, and he couldn’t even see it.
“Well, I’m glad you had fun,” he said, voice monotone.
Deku patiently smiled at his friend’s lack of communication. He secretly loved seeing Bakugou like this, when he was trying hard to suppress his feelings and vulnerability. “You should join us next time, Kacchan. I bet Todoroki would like it.”
An invisible string snapped in Bakugou’s head upon hearing the other boy’s reply. “Deku, I don’t give a rat’s ass how icy shit feels. He cooks you soba? Bet it’s just him microwaving instant noodles from 7-Eleven. And how the fuck would he know what you like in Daiso? He doesn’t even know anything about your favorite heroes. Icy fuck doesn’t even know who you like, I bet, but I do.”
Deku’s face grew hot at Bakugou’s tangent, cheeks turning a light shade of pink upon witnessing him bragging about how he felt like he knew him better. “Well, if you know me so well, then it’ll be even better when you’re with us! You can teach Todoroki how to cook from scratch and then you can yell at him all day long in the mall. I know you’d love to spend your day doing that!” He laughed and buried his smile in his palm, laying back on the mattress, shirt scrunching up and exposing his stomach.
Bakugou stared at the other’s exposed skin, mumbling softly, “no, it should be just me and you.”
A heavy silence hung in the air after Bakugou spoke. Deku slowly pulled his hand away from his face and looked up at the blonde, staring at him like he was a foreign creature. Bakugou returned his surprised look with a confident one, denying his eyes permission to blink until Deku did. Part of him wanted to look into the nerd’s eyes forever.
“Just me and you?” Deku breathed, looking into Bakugou’s eyes for approval with a cautious mannerism.
Bakugou gulped thickly, forcing his insecurities away. “Yea.”
His response seemed to have an effect on Deku. The greenette muttered nonsense under his breath and immediately shoved his face into his pillow, green curls fluffing out on his pillow in all directions. He laid on his stomach, sliding his hands underneath his pillow and holding it to his face. Bakugou observed his odd behavior with curiosity, having never seen his friend act that way before.
“Uh, what are you doing?” He questioned, getting a little worried that Deku didn’t like what he said. What the hell is he doing by hiding his face and shit like that?
“Nothing,” Deku’s muffled response came unnaturally quick.
Bakugou rolled his eyes and sighed. “You’re freaking me out weirdo, get your face out of the pillow and tell me what’s wrong. We don’t have to hangout, you know. I didn’t mean to sound so pushy. It’s really not a big deal, nerd.”
Deku whined or something, making a weird sound into his pillow. His legs fidgeted and he shifted his grip on the pillow, his fluffy hair sprawling out everywhere.
“Deku,” Bakugou snapped, earning another soft grunt from him.
“Alright. That’s it. I’m coming down there, nerd.”
“Noou Kaffhan I’m fione!” Deku’s muffled voice came from his pillow as he kicked his legs aimlessly, squirming under the blankets while still clutching the pillow to his face. Bakugou snorted at how ridiculous Deku was being, observing his cowering figure under the blankets on the mattress. Fucking cute little shit.
“Get outta there right now, Deku.” Bakugou demanded playfully, sliding off his bed and crawling towards the small lump of his friend under the blankets.
Deku’s response was equally kiddish, being a terse “no.”
Bakugou grinned at Deku’s stubbornness, chuckling under his breath. “What the fuck is the problem, you weirdo.” He jammed his fingers into the sides of Deku’s outline under the blankets, earning a squeal from him. He continued poking at Deku’s form, earning soft screeches and giggles from the young hero.
“Nothing!! G-Go away Kacfhan!!!” Deku cried out, still hiding under the blankets.
That pillow sure is going to smell a whole lot like Deku. Bakugou’s intrusive thoughts told him to remember this and to not wash it. God, what is wrong with me? What was happening to me? Why do I genuinely not feel as annoyed by him now?
“I’m coming in there, nerd.” Bakugou smiled, yanking the blanket away from half of Deku’s curled up body, receiving a shriek from the boy in response. He kneeled on the mattress close to Deku’s body, pushing fingers into his sides and tickling him in an attempt to get him to un-ball himself. It worked pretty well, as Deku laughed hysterically and involuntarily stretched himself out on the mattress in response to his friends’ intruding hands.
Bakugou pulled Deku’s blanket over his own back and laid down on his side next to the boy on the mattress, leaning up on an elbow to look over at his pillow-covered face. “Perfect, now we gotta just lose this pillow, dumbass. Look at me. No pillow.”
Deku started to roll over onto his side to face away from Bakugou, softly kicking his feet into Bakugou’s legs. “Oh no you don’t, Deku. Look here,” the blond chuckled, blocking Deku from rolling away with a strong arm, planting it beside Deku’s neck on the mattress. “Come on nerd, tell me what’s wrong. Really, you’re freaking me out.”
Deku shook his head silently in the pillow, hiding his entire face. The blond sighed disappointingly, grabbing the side of the pillow facing him with a strong hand and yanking it away from Deku in one swift motion.
What he saw on the other side of the pillow startled him speechless. Deku’s face was a deep shade of red and his eyes were glistening and blurry. His pupils were so large they almost masked his green irises. He was hiccuping and sniffing. Bakugou couldn’t tell if he was crying. He had never seen such a rawness in his expression before. His eyebrows were bunched up and they created soft, nervous creases in his skin. His lips were puffy and red, mouth parted open as if he was about to say something to defend himself. His fingers fluttered in the air statically where the pillow had been, twitching at nothing. Bakugou didn’t know what type of feeling Deku was experiencing, but the truly candid vulnerability in his eyes made Bakugou’s heart pound like never before.
Bakugou felt like he lost his own voice as he stammered out, “I…Izuku?”
Deku’s lips parted further but no words came from him. He looked so embarrassed it shocked the other boy.
“Are you okay?” Bakugou asked softly, still processing what he was seeing.
Deku’s eyes continued to water and he hiccuped, the red hue on his face intensifying beyond Bakugou’s comprehension. If he hadn't been crying before, he was certainly crying now. Bakugou freaked out at the sight of tears in the boy’s eyes and asked, “would a hug help?”
Deku’s nod was immediate and he pressed his lips together, gulping. His eyes shut as two fresh tears rolled down his freckled cheeks. Bakugou watched his eyebrows scrunch together on his forehead as he let out a soft squeak. Why does he look and sound so sad?
Bakugou settled himself beside Izuku on the mattress, facing him on his side. He hadn’t been this close to him in a while, and it made him nervous. He wanted to do anything to make Deku stay with him.
“Come in here, if you want.” Bakugou offered, holding his arms out towards the teary hero. Deku eyed his chest for a moment before scooting closer to his childhood best friend, promptly shoving his entire body in between Bakugou’s arms and burying his head in his large chest cavity. His hands came up to gently clutch at the sides of Bakugou’s tan top, fingers timid and scared of the physical contact. It wasn’t something he was used to, especially from Kacchan.
Bakugou found it surprising how perfectly Deku seemed to fit in his arms and against chest. His body felt so svelte against his own, and Bakugou discovered that it was something he especially enjoyed about hugging him.
Bakugou had hugged Deku a few months ago when he fainted in his arms on the street. He found it funny how scary and intimidating Deku always looked in his hero suit from a distance. But up close, he was met with a small, skinny, soft-faced nerd. Deku was noticeably shorter and lighter than Bakugou, so the blond found him built for hugging and cuddling.
Deku was as silent as a mouse in Bakugou’s arms and stayed perfectly still against his chest. The only thing Bakugou felt from Deku was his warm breath hitting the center of his chest. However, that was more than enough for Bakugou to exhale in relief that Deku was conscious against him. He’s safe. I have him now. He’s only with me. I can take care of him. This is my room, no one can bother him. I have him.
“What’s wrong, Izuku?”
The greenette shivered in the other boy’s arms at the sound of his name rolling off his tongue. He was still getting used to being called by his first name by Bakugou. Was it weird that he kind of missed when Bakugou used to give him nicknames? He wished that he could listen to Bakugou calling him nicknames all day while he stayed in his embrace forever. There was something about his large arms that Deku found so comforting. He felt safe, secure, and… loved? Something along those lines, he silently hoped. He wondered if Bakugou felt the same way about hugging him or if he was simply doing it because he felt obligated to make him stop crying.
“I-I just,” Deku stuttered into Bakugou’s chest, burying his face deep in his shirt. He wasn’t going to waste this rare opportunity to inhale as much of his childhood friend’s scent as he could. He had kept it a secret all his life that he was attracted to Bakugou’s scent. When he was younger, he would always try to buy candles that smelt the most similar to Bakugou. Perhaps he only did that because of his intense infatuation with the blond’s quirk and poised character.
Deku couldn’t remember the last time their bodies had been this close together, but he figured it was at least a decade. Why has it been so long? Did it have to be that long ago? Why couldn’t they have done this sooner?
Bakugou tightened his arms around Deku’s back, urging the boy’s face further into his chest. Deku sighed softly, comforted by the warmth of being held so tightly. “I just…miss you Kacchan. And I didn’t know you felt the same way…that’s all.”
Bakugou’s lips curved up into a small smile as he softly murmured, “little nerd.” He rubbed a firm palm up and down Deku’s back, adding, “I’ve been missing you ever since leaving UA for that month or so. Everyone’s always swarming you like flies though, you know. So, it’s hard for me to ever get the chance to talk to you.”
“Why don’t you just come see me in my room when I’m alone then?” Deku suggested leaning into Bakugou’s affectionate strokes on his back, sniffing his tears away.
“I thought it’d scare ya if I showed up to your place out of the blue.” Bakugou answered truthfully, gently bringing his other hand up to play with Deku’s thick locks, twinning them around his fingers.
The smaller boy was practically melting in Bakugou’s arms, overflowing with love for his former enemy. He had no idea that Bakugou was capable of holding him like this and speaking to him so gently. It felt as though they had unlocked a new door between them, opening up a deeper, more profound understanding of each other’s emotions and desires. It was everything Deku wished for at night.
“I wouldn’t ever be scared if you came to my room. I’d be happy.” Deku softly replied, his face against Bakugou’s pronounced collarbones. “Kacchan is always welcome in my room.”
Deku’s assurance was irrationally comforting to Bakugou’s ears. He always felt self-conscious around Deku. There was always a voice in his head telling him he was doing something wrong, that he didn’t deserve Deku’s presence whenever he was near him. But hearing Deku say he was happy around him lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. He felt more at ease than he had since Deku’s return to U.A. Bakugou craved reassurance, and finally, he had it. Who would’ve thought that a long, personal conversation with Deku would make him feel this much better? Perhaps they should have sleepovers more often…
“Then I’ll visit you in your room more often.” Kacchan declared, his voice cautious as he watched Deku closely, searching for any hint of discomfort. Deku stayed motionless, his face hidden, leaving Bakugou wondering if his words had made any impact on him.
Slowly, Deku lifted his head from Bakugou’s chest and looked up at him with a smile and the most endearing gaze, his cheeks still flushed.
“Okay, Kacchan.”