Work Text:
January 21st, Thursday, 7AM ☆
Kirishima was a shy kid to say the least. He had just moved into the neighborhood because of his mother’s work, and he didn’t have many friends yet at school. So, he’d usually stay behind the big oak tree during recess and play by himself. Unfortunately for him, Katsuki Bakugou existed—and even more unfortunate was them being in the same school. Kirishima was 7 while Bakugou was 8. It wasn’t a big difference, just a few months, but Bakugou would take every chance to gloat his little mind off.
One day, Bakugou noticed Kirishima behind the oak tree and chuckled maniacally as he slowly approached, tiptoeing before spooking the younger boy.
“AH!”
Kiri immediately looked up and spotted Bakugou.
“Hey! That’s not nice!” he said, his little body still trembling from the scare, a death grip on one of the many branches from the tree.
Bakugou giggled and smirked.
“Hah! Well look who it is—shy little baby Kiri!” he cackled.
Kirishima frowned and tensed up from the boy’s harsh words.
“I-I’m not a baby!” he exclaimed.
This only made Bakugou’s little smirk widen.
“Oh yeah? Then what are you doing behind this tree hiding like a big ol’ scaredy-cat, huh? Only babies do that,” he teased.
“I’m not hiding! I’m just… I’m playing… by myself, okay..? It’s quiet and it’s nice… I-I like it…” Kiri said quietly, stuttering his words in a display of shyness and loneliness.
Bakugou, on the other hand, didn’t buy it at all.
“What, so you like don’t have friends? That’s so lame!” he said, approaching Kirishima.
Kirishima felt hurt by Bakugou’s words. It’s not like they were false claims. In fact, they were true—Kiri didn’t have any friends, and he felt very lonely sometimes. But like any friendless kid, he wasn’t going to just admit that to this boy.
“I-I have friends! I-uhm… I just wanted to play alone today?”
The lie wasn’t very good at all, and Bakugou could immediately tell it was false.
As he was about to comment on it, Bakugou looked more closely at the boy’s face. He had a medical patch on his left eye—kind of looked like a pirate, but much less cool. Instead of asking normally, he decided to tease Kiri about it.
“What’s that, got a little boo-boo?”
Kirishima frowned.
“I… had an accident with my quirk…” he said shyly, clearly embarrassed.
Bakugou chuckled at the boy’s words, teasing him.
“An accident with your quirk? Haha! What kind of weak little quirk did you get that it hurts you? That’s so pathetic!”
Kirishima’s little heart sank. Bakugou’s words hit him hard. He clenched his small fists, hurt by the comment.
“It’s not weak and it’s not pathetic!” he protested, trying to sound more confident despite the tears prickling at his eyes.
“My quirk is a good one! It’s just… it’s just not fully under my control yet, okay? It’s strong. I just need to learn how to use it properly!”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, not believing any of it.
“Hmph, yeah right! If it was so strong, then why did it mess up your face like that, huh? You look like some kind of lame bandit with that dumb thing on your eye!”
Kirishima flinched. The mention of his eye patch made him feel even more self-conscious, but he knew it was necessary until his eyelid healed.
“It-it’s not lame! I need it ‘til my eye is done healing, okay? Once it does, I won’t need it no more! And then you’ll see! My quirk is good! Super good!”
“Yeah right!” Bakugou chuckled. “If your quirk is so great, then why don’t you show it to me then! I wanna see how ‘super good’ it is!”
Kirishima gulped, unsure if he should try. He didn’t know how to control it yet—would it even work? Well… it couldn’t hurt to try. He moved his arm away from himself and tensed his little muscles. Soon, a ripple of thick, almost sharp skin presented itself, and Kirishima’s eyes lit up—it worked. Bakugou looked at it and hummed. It was kind of cool…
“Okay, maybe it’s kind of cool—but it’s not cooler than mine!”
He then angled his hands to the sky, and soon his palms started to pop with little explosions until a big one manifested, scaring a bird from the tree.
“Hah! See? I’m great!”
Kirishima wows.
“W-Woah! That’s so cool!”
He couldn’t help but feel envious—his quirk was nothing like Bakugou’s. It wasn’t flashy or exciting… his skin just got hard. What’s cool about that?…
“Hell yeah I’m cool!” Bakugou said proudly, showing off.
“What can your quirk even do? Make you look like a wall? Hah! I bet it can’t even go against my amazing explosions!”
“Nuh-uh! That’s not true!” Kirishima exclaimed. “It can!”
Bakugou huffed.
“Yeah, right.”
Before Kirishima could react, Bakugou aimed one at his hardened arm. Kirishima flinched—then looked back. His arm was unharmed.
“Hey! What was that for?! You could’ve really hurt me!” he exclaimed, his voice cracking a bit.
Bakugou only rolled his eyes.
“But it didn’t, idiot.”
He looked at Kirishima’s arm and hummed.
“I guess it can withstand my explosions, huh… not so bad, I guess…”
Bakugou looked Kirishima over. What a strange boy. His ears were pointy—but something else was, too. His teeth. He looked like a freaking baby shark!
“What’s up with your teeth, shark boy?”
Kirishima looked up.
“Huh?”
He looked down at his teeth and flushed, covering them with his small hands.
“Hey, don’t call me shark boy! It’s because of my quirk, okay…!” he said, feeling embarrassed.
Bakugou giggled quietly and leaned closer, moving his hands onto Kirishima’s jaw and opening his mouth to look at the boy’s teeth better.
Kirishima’s heart rate quickened. Bakugou was looking at his teeth so closely—too close. He felt a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed at the intimate scrutiny.
“H-Hey, what are you doing?” he protested weakly, trying to pull away from Bakugou’s hold.
Bakugou, suddenly realizing what he was doing, pulled back immediately and glared at Kirishima, a blush creeping up his face—full of panic—before pointing at Kirishima and yelling:
“Weirdo! Freaky shark teeth!”
And then he ran off to class.
Kirishima’s eyes widened in surprise. Before he could even say a word, Bakugou was already gone. He stood there, confused by the whole situation.
Just then, recess ended, and they all headed to class.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
An hour later, recess restarts, and Kirishima heads back to his spot—
Bakugou nowhere to be seen.
He’s hidden behind a large tree, restless and confused as well. Why did he get so close to the boy like that? He’d never acted like that before… so why now? He couldn’t understand. He leaned his small head against the old tree, letting out a frustrated sigh.
He needed to get it together and act normal around the boy.
Five minutes later, the recess bell rang, signaling the end of their break. Bakugou got up and made his way to class.
During class, he couldn’t help but sneak a few quick glances at the boy sitting a few desks away from him.
Why was he so preoccupied with him all of a sudden?
Why did he keep staring?
Why did his heart beat a bit faster when the boy smiled after getting an answer right?
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
January 22nd, Friday, 1PM ☆
They don’t have classes. A lady comes to Bakugou’s home to chat with his mom. He overhears that they just moved into the neighborhood. He goes into the living room and sees a boy who’s standing behind his mom’s legs shyly. Bakugou wonders who the boy might be before the boy looks up and stares at Bakugou.
It’s the boy with sharp teeth from school!
Bakugou’s little heart skips a beat. Mitsuki waves him off, telling Bakugou to take Kirishima to his room so they can play. He nods reluctantly, taking Kirishima to his bedroom. They both sit awkwardly on his bed, not looking at each other, the silence deafening. He fidgets with his hands, not sure what to even say or do.
Why did Mitsuki have to pawn the new kid off on him?!
He glances at the boy. He’s sitting silently on the bed, looking away from him.
Kirishima feels Bakugou‘s eyes boring holes into the back of his head, so he glances at him from the corners of his eyes, taking in how tense the boy looks. He looks away and fidgets with the hem of his shirt.
“Uhm… your room is cool…”
Bakugou looks at Kirishima and nods awkwardly.
“Uhm, yeah… thanks, I know…” He scratches the back of his neck. God, they were never getting anywhere like this!
Bakugou spots Kirishima’s sharp little teeth again and stares at them. Kirishima notices this stare, subconsciously moving his hand to his teeth—a habit he picked up when his quirk first manifested. He flushes and looks away, then attempts to start conversation.
“So uhm… what kinda stuff do you do for fun?”
Bakugou shrugs.
“Eh, I dunno. Video games, read some All Might comics, blow stuff up—the usual.” He looks at Kirishima again, at his teeth.
“Hey, can I ask you something? ’Bout your teeth…”
Kirishima looks at Bakugou, his eyes widening slightly.
“Uhm, yeah, what is it?”
Bakugou leans a bit closer to him, eyeing the boy’s chompers intently.
“Your teeth are just… kind of cool, I guess…”
Kirishima can’t help but fluster at the compliment and smile shyly.
“R-Really? You think they’re cool?… Thank you…”
Once again Bakugou’s heart races when he sees the boy smile, why is he being weird! Damn heart, stop it, ugh!
Once again, Bakugou’s heart races when he sees the boy smile.
Why is he being weird?! Damn heart—stop it. Ugh!
“Do you wanna touch them?” Kirishima asks innocently.
Bakugou flushes.
“Uhm… I guess… sure…”
Bakugou moves even closer before lifting a shaky hand up, and he pokes one of the boy’s sharp teeth.
“Wow, they’re really sharp… You ever bit someone?”
Kirishima giggles. He had never bit anyone before, but he had broken a fork once. He had been too excited about the curry his mom made and bit into it too hard—he only noticed himself chewing the metal five seconds later.
“Hm, I’ve never bit anyone, but I’ve broken and destroyed some stuff… forks, pens, erasers, stuff like that.”
Bakugou giggles at that. This boy has no control over his quirk or his teeth!
Some few moments later, Bakugou pulls his hand away and suggests a game the two of them could play, and Kirishima nods happily. For the next two hours, they play some video games on Bakugou’s console. The two become closer—Bakugou could consider him a lackey now, perhaps…
Later, Kirishima and his mom have to leave. They wave at each other, Kirishima with a large, toothy grin on his face, and Bakugou with a softer, less noticeable smirk on his.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
January 23rd, Saturday, 3PM ☆
Bakugou comes to the playground to find a boy bullying Kirishima for his long hair and how “not boyish enough” he is. Bakugou’s eyes zero in on the tears trickling down Kirishima’s cheeks. His blood boils. He quickly walks over, fists clenched. He pushes the other kid away, his voice booming as he shouts at him,
“Oi! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”
The bully looks at Bakugou, and his smirk falters.
“Ah, w-we were just having some fun! He’s just sensitive!”
Bakugou doesn’t buy it. He wouldn’t in a million years. His hands start popping with mini explosions.
“Bullshit! You’re picking on him, aren’t you? Oh, I’ll show you what picking on is. Get the hell out of here!”
The bully, realizing he’s bitten off more than he can chew, runs away quickly from the scene. Bakugou huffs angrily. He takes a moment to breathe out before he turns to face Kirishima.
Before Kirishima can speak, he’s interrupted by Bakugou grabbing his wrist and dragging him off somewhere hidden. Kirishima doesn’t protest. He only follows Bakugou and sniffles, still wiping off some tears from his face as they continue to fall. Bakugou feels his heart clench at the sight.
Once they’re somewhere more quiet, Bakugou lets go of his wrist and turns to Kirishima, pouting as he looks at the tears still streaming down his face.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Kirishima sniffles.
“I-I’m fine…” he sniffles, his voice shaky. “I just… I hate it when people make fun of my hair.”
He looks at the ground, dejected.
“They all say it’s too long and that it makes me look girly.”
Bakugou moves his hand out, hesitating for a bit before he holds Kirishima’s face tenderly, trying to comfort the boy in front of him. Bakugou isn’t familiar with comforting people whatsoever—but he’ll try for him. For Kirishima…
Kirishima’s eyes widen in surprise as Bakugou gently cups his face in his hands. His heart hammers in his chest at the unexpected gesture, his cheeks flushing a pretty red shade that matches his eyes. He doesn’t pull away. Instead, he finds comfort in the warm touch of the taller boy’s hands.
“W-Why are you doing this?” he whispers, his voice sounding small and vulnerable.
Bakugou isn’t entirely sure why he’s doing this. He feels a strange urge to comfort the boy in front of him. He awkwardly clears his throat, keeping his hold on Kirishima’s face as gentle as possible.
“I just… I don’t know. You looked really upset, and I… I didn’t like seeing you like that. Not at all…”
He feels a mixture of unfamiliar emotions swirling in his chest.
Kirishima’s heart flutters at Bakugou’s words. He can feel himself getting more and more flustered by the second. He looks up into the taller boy’s eyes, his own red eyes still teary from the crying. He can feel the intense warmth from Bakugou’s hands seeping into his soft skin, making him feel safe.
“Y-You… You didn’t have to do this, y’know.” He mumbles, but makes no effort to pull away.
Bakugou hesitates as he maintains his hold on Kirishima’s face, rubbing the boy’s cheek gently, trying to keep up his usual stoic composure. But the damn butterflies in his stomach are making it difficult. He clears his throat again.
“I know I don’t. I just… I couldn’t stand seeing you so upset like that,” he mutters, avoiding eye contact, his ears turning slightly red.
Kirishima simply closes his eyes and leans into Bakugou’s gentle touch, thankful he has such a great buddy—a buddy who’s there for him and cares about him and his feelings, who protects him.
Bakugou looks at Kirishima tenderly, the stoic persona he has on struggling to stay put.
“You feel better?”
Kirishima nods.
“Yeah… yeah, I do. Thank you, Bakugou.”
Bakugou simply nods, too shy to answer with words right now.
After a long minute of silence, Bakugou asks,
“Actually… can I try something?”
Kirishima looks up at him, confused but nods. A beat—then Bakugou leans down, pressing his trembling lips carefully onto Kirishima’s small forehead. The shorter boy flushes tomato red.
“A-Ah, Bakugou? W-What was that for?”
Bakugou doesn’t respond. He doesn’t know either—but he felt like he needed to do that. And it felt right. He liked doing it.
“You look fine. Don’t let those idiots get to you, do you hear me?”
Kirishima nods shakily, and Bakugou sighs and ruffles the boy’s hair.
“Good. Let’s go play?” he asks, looking at Kirishima gently.
Kirishima smiles softly at him, feeling better about himself.
“Yeah… let’s go play…”
Bakugou takes Kirishima’s hand and drags him back to the playground, where they play kings and dragons for the remainder of the day.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
January 25th, Tuesday, 9AM ☆
Recess starts, and Bakugou is playing with his friends. When he tries to look for Kirishima behind his tree, he finds the spot empty. That’s weird. He scans the entire playground before he spots Kirishima and—…
The boy is having his hair braided and played with by some of the girls in their class. His hair has gotten longer, and so naturally they’d want to play with it. Who wouldn’t? It looks gorgeous right now.
Wait—gorgeous? He’s never thought of anything on Kirishima as gorgeous…
Bakugou’s heart sinks as he spots Kirishima, surrounded by a handful of giggling girls from their class. They seem to be entranced by his hair, gleefully braiding it into various styles.
Bakugou’s hands clench into fists at his sides. He feels a strange pang of… jealousy? Weird…
He grits his teeth, torn between going over there and dragging him away from the girls, or leaving it be—stewing in his envy from afar.
Kirishima is blushing bright red as the girls fawn over his long hair. He looks like a deer caught in headlights, a bit overwhelmed by the attention he’s receiving. One of the girls comments on how soft his hair is, and another chimes in about how cute it looks in its current state.
Kirishima stutters out shaky “thank you”s, his eyes wandering around the playground in anxiety, hoping to see his certain spiky-haired, ash-blond buddy.
He doesn’t spot him—it’s not easy to with his eyepatch still on—but thankfully, they let him go once they’re finished braiding all of it.
Kirishima is left with an assortment of braided sections in his hair, a pretty hairstyle that the girls had meticulously arranged. He feels a bit like a walking doll. He murmurs a few more thanks to the giggling girls before they finally let him be, and he takes a moment to gather his bearings.
He looks around the playground once again, hoping to spot a familiar mop of ash-blond hair…
As if on cue, Kirishima’s eyes spot Bakugou standing a distance away in the playground. He feels a mix of emotions bubbling up in his chest as he makes his way over to the boy. He subconsciously fiddles with his new braids as he approaches, trying to get a read on how Bakugou will react to them.
He stops a few feet away, his voice soft, slightly shaky as he speaks. “H-Hey, Bakugou, uhm…”
Bakugou looks at the hair. Despite how angry he feels, he can’t deny that Kirishima looks… pretty. What’s with him and these weird thoughts? Gorgeous, pretty—what’s next? Beautiful? Handsome?…
Well… he was…
Ah, whatever!!
“Hey…” he says. His voice cracks a bit, betraying his stoic expression. “You look… nice.”
“You think so?” Kirishima says, looking at him with those big eyes of his. Why does he have such thick eyelashes anyways?
Bakugou nods. “Yeah… yeah, I do.”
Kirishima flushes. “Thank you…”
Bakugou then suddenly grabs Kirishima and walks away with him to the big tree he’s usually behind. He sits the both of them down. He asks Kirishima to sit between his legs, his back facing him, and Kirishima doesn’t protest, even though he’s confused.
Then, before he can ask what Bakugou is doing, he feels the taller boy’s hands in his hair and… wait…
“W-What are you doing?” he asks shyly.
Bakugou doesn’t answer at first, staying silent for a while, his eyes laser-focused on the shorter boy’s hair and the mess the girls made of it. His fingers work methodically, yet gently, to undo the braids.
After a moment, he replies, “What does it look like, idiot? I’m fixing this mess. Stay still,” he says, with a possessive tone to his touch.
Kirishima’s heart skips a few beats as he feels Bakugou’s fingers gently untangling his braids. The fact that he is taking the time to fix his hair—and the possessive edge to his actions—sends a rush of confusion and excitement coursing through him.
He simply nods and does as he says.
After Bakugou has finished unbraiding his hair, he starts doing his own two little braids near Kirishima’s temples.
Kirishima’s heart thumps. He’s caught off guard when he feels Bakugou’s fingers start to braid his hair once more. The boy can’t help but shiver at the gentle but meticulous touch. His mind swirls with questions, but ultimately, he feels a huge sense of comfort.
“H-How do you even know how to do this…?” he asks shyly.
Bakugou grumbles as he continues braiding the boy’s hair, his movements precise. He tries to maintain his expression stoic, a façade of indifference—but his touch is still gentle and careful.
He mutters an answer, “Learned it with the old hag… she works for some models. Makes them look decent for photoshoots.”
Kirishima hums. “It’s kind of sweet…”
Bakugou huffs, cheeks flushed. “It’s not sweet, shut up…”
Kirishima only softly giggles at that, which makes Bakugou’s heart feel like it’s gonna explode.
After a bit, he finishes the two braids, letting them fall down against Kirishima’s cheeks. He moves his hands to the back of Kirishima’s hair, taking a rubber band out of his pocket—previously used for a slingshot—and uses it to make a ponytail instead.
Kirishima flushes more and gently leans back into Bakugou, feeling the warmth of the taller boy’s body against his back.
Bakugou huffs, flushing, and grumbles gently, “Idiot, I told you to stay still. I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing if you keep moving…”
Kirishima flushes and stays still, listening to Bakugou’s orders.
A beat—and Bakugou finishes the ponytail.
Instead of letting Kirishima stand up to show it off and let everyone see, he hugs Kirishima from behind, resting his chin on the boy’s shoulder, keeping them there in comfortable silence.
Kirishima’s mind goes blank. The unexpected hug, coupled with the feeling of Bakugou’s chin resting on his shoulder, leaves him reeling. He can feel the warmth of the boy’s breath against his skin—it sends millions, billions of tiny goosebumps down his arms and back.
Bakugou can feel the rapid thumping of Kirishima’s little ol’ heart against his chest as he holds him close. The proximity, the intimacy of it all—it’s uncharted territory for the both of them, and it’s doing strange things to his little brain.
The taller boy takes a deep, shaky breath, his voice gruff but softer than it usually is. “You… uhm… you okay?”
Kirishima can only silently nod, face almost tomato red, unable to use his words as his brain is completely fried.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
February 4th, Wednesday, 9AM ☆
Kirishima runs to Bakugou at recess—he has two surprises for him. They go behind the big tree and sit down, facing each other. Kirishima slowly removes his eyepatch to reveal the new scar that his little quirk accident had left.
Bakugou woahs at it, gently moving his hand to press a thumb against the scar, tracing it.
“It’s badass…” he says, voice hushed.
Kirishima flushes at the gentle touch and closes his eyes softly.
“You really think so? I thought it was kind of ugly…” he says, voice hushed as well.
Bakugou shakes his head and keeps tracing the small scar.
“It’s not ugly. It looks cool as hell… I like it.”
Kirishima hums contentedly, smiling gently.
“Thank you…”
After a bit of silence, Kirishima decides to show Bakugou the second surprise. He leans back a bit and grins.
Bakugou’s confused—until he spots Kirishima’s teeth. There are no normal teeth left; all of his chompers are perfectly sharp.
“Woah… they grew really freaking fast. It looks so cool.”
Kirishima giggles happily.
“Don’t they? I look like an adult shark now, huh?”
He shows them off, chomping them together, and Bakugou huffs, chuckling.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You look like a feral puppy. You could probably bite through steel with those bad boys.”
Kirishima huffs with mock offense.
“A puppy? I’m a big ol’ dog, thank you very much!”
Then he hums and looks down at them.
“I don’t know about steel, but I could probably bite through wood or something!”
Bakugou chuckles.
“So like a puppy running to a stick its owner throws, huh?” he teases.
“I’m not a puppy, Bakugou!” Kirishima exclaims, trying not to laugh as he puts on his not-so-believable grumpy face.
“Puppy.” Bakugou says with a stoic expression.
“Not a puppy,” Kirishima says, flicking his tongue out at the boy.
“I know a puppy when I see one, Sharky.”
Kirishima grumbles playfully—and before Bakugou can react, Kirishima tackles him to the ground. Bakugou huffs, chuckling, as they get into a mini spar. Giggles float into the air, their boisterous nature on full display for any onlooker—and they don’t even care.
They forget about the world for a while, only focusing on each other, letting out all the energy they’ve got built up in their little bodies.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
February 14th, Monday, 10AM ☆
Valentine’s Day. Bakugou gets a lot of cards, as expected by everyone—but Kirishima is surprised when he sees he has a few too. Probably from the girls that did his hair the other day. He spots a particularly big red one. They’re not allowed to open them in school, but they can take them and open them at home.
Bakugou spots Kirishima’s bag is a bit full and feels… jealous? Kirishima overhears from someone that this always happens with Bakugou—him getting a lot of cards from girls—but Kirishima doesn’t mind and doesn’t really feel jealous.
Bakugou can’t help but cast occasional glances at Kirishima’s bag, filled with Valentine’s cards from the girls. He clenches his jaw; a pang of jealousy rises in his chest. He knows it’s stupid. It’s dumb. He knows he shouldn’t feel like this, but seeing all those girls giving Kirishima attention… it makes his blood boil.
Class starts and ends as normal. When everyone’s out, Kirishima sneaks a card into Bakugou’s bag. Later, when they all leave to go home, Bakugou runs to Kirishima, almost crashing into him. He looks nervous and tense. Kirishima’s about to ask what’s wrong before the taller boy shoves a card right into Kirishima’s little chest and runs off, embarrassed—his hands popping with tiny explosions.
Kirishima blinks in confusion. He looks down at the card—it’s a bit crumpled and burnt at the sides from Bakugou’s quirk, but it’s still pretty. He smiles gently and puts it in his bag for now, and his mom soon arrives to pick him up.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Kirishima sits on his bed in his bedroom. He ignores the other cards for now, too giddy and curious to read the one Bakugou gave him.
As he opens the card, Kirishima’s heart skips a beat or two. The words inside are… sweeter. Sweeter than he ever expected from Bakugou. Was he sure he wrote this? It almost bordered on romantic! He can almost feel the nervousness in which they were written. Some words are crossed out, and some shakily written—some with more force than others, as if he gripped the pencil and forced it onto the damn colored paper. Each sentence he reads seems like a confession of sorts. It feels personal. It feels… special. Made just for him and nobody else.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Bakugou practically bursts into his home when he arrives, still feeling the adrenaline and nervousness all rushing inside his tiny body.
His mother, Mitsuki, is surprised at the way he enters the home. He closes the door behind him, locking it and putting the key away. She raises an eyebrow curiously.
“Hey, brat. Hell’s got you so worked up, huh?”
Bakugou huffs, trying to act stoic, but there’s a hint of pride in his voice.
“I… I gave someone a Valentine’s card, okay? So what?”
His mother’s eyes widen in surprise and curiosity.
“A Valentine’s card, huh? Did Hell freeze over or something?” She chuckles playfully. “Who the hell did you give it to anyway?”
Bakugou’s cheeks flush slightly red at his mother’s questioning. He attempts to maintain a rough exterior but fails.
“‘S none of your damn business, old hag!” he exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest and flushing even harder.
Mitsuki only looks at him and chuckles more. This damned brat…
“Oh, come on, Katsuki. Don’t play coy. You can tell your dear old mama who you gave the damn thing to.”
Bakugou’s cheeks flush even more, but he hesitates.
“Fine, okay… it was… it was Kirishima, okay? Happy now?! Can you drop it?” he says, completely embarrassed.
Mitsuki’s eyes sparkle with mischief and curiosity.
“Kirishima, huh? The black-haired kid who’s always hanging out with you? Well, well… you’ve developed a little crush, haven’t you?”
Bakugou nods but is surprised that she’s not bothered it’s a boy and not a girl.
“You’re not… angry that it’s a boy?” he asks shyly.
Mitsuki looks at him gently.
“Why would I be angry about that, kid?”
Bakugou’s not sure either. Don’t boys usually like girls?
“Kid, I don’t care about who you like. As long as you’re not a dumbass to them and treat them with damn respect, I don’t give a single fuck.”
Bakugou looks gently at his mom, fights a small smile, and looks away—happy that his mother is so accepting about his feelings.
“Thank you, Mom…”
Mitsuki smiles gently and ruffles her boy’s hair playfully.
“No problem, you little fuck. Thanks for telling me,” she says gently. “Bet you looked like a lovestruck little puppy when you gave him that shit, huh?”
Bakugou flushes tomato red and grumbles,
“Did not! I’m not a lovestruck puppy!” He grumbles and pulls away, storming off to his room, and Mitsuki only cackles, amused by her son’s reaction.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Inside his bedroom, Bakugou drops the bag he got full of Valentine’s cards from all the girls and huffs. But he spots a black one amongst all the reds and pinks—the usual lovey-dovey Valentine colors. He decides to pick it up, curious. He opens it and starts reading.
As he opens the card, his eyes scan the words. The handwriting is messy and familiar. He reads the message quietly—a feeling of contentment and pure love blooming inside his little chest. The words are so sweet. Overly sweet. Almost to the point of being cheesy.
Kirishima. It had to be.
He turns the card around, and just as he expected—“KIЯISHIMA.” He still struggles with his spelling.
Bakugou’s heart skips various beats.
Kirishima… likes him back?
His face flushes and he almost faints from the sudden rush of adrenaline his heart gets.
Kirishima likes him?.. He likes… him?
He likes him.
HE LIKES HIM?!
Bakugou feels like he’s on cloud 9.
Kirishima—his best friend—likes him back.
He couldn’t be happier.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Kirishima is still so absorbed in his thoughts, reading the card over and over again, that he doesn’t even hear his mother enter the room.
His mother, noticing the card in his hands and his dreamy expression, can’t help but snicker at the sight.
“Eiji, who’s that from, hm?”
Startled, Kirishima jolts back to reality. His cheeks flush horribly red. He looks up at his mother, still holding the card tightly in his small hands.
“O-oh, um… it’s just a Valentine’s card, Mom…” he stutters out, nervous.
“That so?” she questions. “Who’s it from, hm?”
Kirishima’s mom tries to read the card, but Kirishima—panicking—puts the card down, hiding the name.
“Aww, you’re shy? Tell Momma about the girl that gave it to you, hm?”
Kirishima feels even more nervous.
It’s not a girl. Crap…
Kirishima stammers, trying to come up with a quick excuse.
“O-Oh, u-um… it’s just from a… a secret admirer! Yeah! I don’t know who it is exactly…”
He’s terrible at lying, and his mother can see right through it all. Her smirk widens. She crosses her arms, eyeing him shrewdly.
“A secret admirer, hm? Come on, baby, you can’t fool your old Momma. You’ve been staring at the card like it’s the most precious thing in the world! Spill the beans, hm?”
Kirishima’s cheeks flush a deeper shade of red. His mother’s intuition is too strong to fool.
He shifts, feeling uncomfortable. He’s been caught.
“I-…okay… it’s not a girl. It’s a… a boy,” he mutters, looking down at the ground nervously.
Kirishima’s mom’s smirk drops as she freezes.
A… boy ? A boy gave her sweet Eiji a Valentine’s Day card?
Kirishima braces himself. His stomach twists in knots as he waits for his mother’s reaction.
Her expression changes from playful to visibly shocked. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking again.
“You… you don’t like the boy back, right Eiji?”
Kirishima feels his heart drop.
“What if… what if I did, Momma? What if I liked the boy back?” he asks nervously, hoping she’ll accept him—hoping she’ll say it’s okay. Hoping she’ll—
“You can’t,” she says simply.
Kirishima almost immediately sobs in front of her, but he holds it in.
“Why not, Momma..? Why can’t I?” he asks, trembling.
“Eiji… boys can’t like boys. Boys are meant to be with girls. You know that, honey…”
Did he? Did he know that? That’s not how he viewed it…
“But what if I don’t want to, Momma? What if I really like this boy? I don’t wanna go back on my feelings. I don’t wanna hide them… I can’t…”
Kirishima’s mom sighs.
“Eiji… this is just a phase, alright? You just have a big heart for everyone around you and are confusing it with love. It’s just friendship. It’ll pass…”
She says this without considering her son’s feelings, then leaves the room, closing the door.
Kirishima immediately bursts into tears, burying his little face into his pillow and soaking it with his tears—tears that seem to never cease their never-ending flow of pain.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
February 15th, Tuesday, 11AM ☆
Bakugou is happy. His mother accepted his feelings for another boy, and he got a card from Kirishima. He’s overjoyed—he’s about to find said boy when he spots him behind their tree, but… something’s off. Different. He looks… sad… head rested on his knees, his hair covering his face. Bakugou frowns and walks up to him, sitting down next to Kirishima.
“Hey, Kiri. What’s wrong?”
Kirishima jolts slightly at the sound of Bakugou’s voice. The last thing he expected right now was to be caught in a vulnerable moment. He lifts his small head, though his hair still partially covers his frowning face. His eyes are red-rimmed, clear evidence of tears recently shed. He tries to force a smile—he really does—but it comes out weak. His lips tremble, and it’s obviously forced.
“Oh… hey, Bakugou. I’m… I’m fine. Just… tired, y’know?” he says, trying to hide the severity of the situation.
“Bullshit. You look horrible. Tell me what’s wrong,” Bakugou says, not believing Kirishima’s fake cheery behavior even for a moment.
Kirishima sighs, his shoulders slumped in resignation. He knows Bakugou won’t accept any of his failed attempts at halfhearted excuses or lies. He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back, and sighs.
“It’s just… my mom… she…” His voice trails off, and he looks down, avoiding Bakugou’s eyes and messing with a loose thread on his pants instead. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself before continuing. “It’s… it’s about the Valentine’s Day card. My mom… she saw it. She didn’t take it well. Not at all. S-she said… it’s not right—boys liking boys. That it’s ‘just a phase,’ that I’ll get over it…”
Bakugou’s hand suddenly jumps to Kirishima’s as he takes hold of it and squeezes hard.
“It’s not a phase,” he says matter-of-factly. “She’s wrong. It’s not wrong to like boys. There’s nothing wrong with it. My mom told me… it’s okay. Your mom is lying. You can like me. I can like you too.”
Kirishima flushes hard and feels his heart burst as Bakugou speaks.
“R-really? It’s okay? But—”
Bakugou immediately interrupts.
“But nothing. We like each other. Your mom can’t say anything against it. It’s not like we can just stop it, okay? And we won’t.”
Kirishima sniffles, his eyes teary. “Y-yeah, you’re right…”
Bakugou huffs and squeezes Kirishima’s hand. “Of course I’m right. I’m always right, idiot,” he says playfully. “But I mean it. It doesn’t matter what your mom says. If we like each other, we like each other, and that won’t change, okay?”
Kirishima looks at him and nods. “Okay… thank you, Bakugou. It really means a lot…”
Bakugou huffs and flushes. “It’s nothing, dumbass…” A beat, and suddenly Bakugou lets go of Kirishima’s hand and opens his arms wide shyly at Kirishima. The boy’s eyes widen in surprise, but soon a soft smile replaces it, and he leans in, wrapping his arms around the taller boy. Bakugou wraps his arms tightly around the shorter boy, and they stay there hugging for a while.
Soon, the bell rings, signaling that class has begun. They both get up, untangling themselves from the hug. But before they go, Kirishima pulls Bakugou’s arm and places a gentle kiss on Bakugou’s cheek before running off to class, giggling. The spiky-haired blonde can only stand there stunned, flushing violently as he huffs, a small smile on his face as he runs after the soft black-haired boy.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
When Bakugou arrives home, Kirishima’s mom is there talking to Mitsuki. He greets her and heads to his room. Kirishima’s mom remembers the conversation she had with her Eiji and decides to share it with Mitsuki, not knowing it was Bakugou Kirishima likes.
Bakugou doesn’t really pay much attention to the conversation between their mothers, his mind still reeling from the peck from earlier.
He plops down on his bed, the events of the day replaying in his head on a loop. He can still feel the sensation of Kirishima’s soft, gentle lips on his cheek—it drives him crazy. He flushes horribly, burying his face in his pillow.
Their moms begin to talk, and Bakugou’s ears perk up to overhear the conversation—a bad habit of his.
Kirishima’s mom sighs, her voice expressing a mixture of concern and resignation.
“You know, I had a talk with Eijirou yesterday. He… he told me he had feelings for a boy. A boy! Imagine that! I don’t know where I went wrong, what I did to lead him astray like this.” She takes a moment to breathe and resumes her rambling. “He’s adamant that it’s not a phase too! That he actually likes boys! I don’t know what to do. I was hoping you could offer some advice—you have experience with ‘boy issues’ and all, with Katsuki.”
Mitsuki sighs, her voice understanding yet firm.
“Honey, I understand where you’re coming from. But the truth is, you can’t control who your boy loves. It’s not a matter of right or wrong. You can’t force him to like a girl. You can’t make his feelings disappear.”
Kirishima’s mom sighs shakily.
“But what if people judge him? Ridicule him? Won’t they think he’s weird for liking boys, Mitsuki?”
Mitsuki’s voice softens, the understanding in her tone evident.
“Of course, there’ll be people who won’t understand. There will always be those people. But there will also be people who will accept Eijirou—who will love and support him for who he is. Your job, as his mother, is to be one of those people. To love your boy regardless of who he chooses to love.” Mitsuki takes a minute to breathe and resumes. “I understand that this is a lot for you to wrap your head around. Just… try to remember that he’s still your Eiji. Your baby. Your son. His sexuality doesn’t define who he is as a person. He needs your love and support, now more than ever.”
Kirishima’s mom sighs and nods.
“Okay… okay, yeah. I need to be there for Eiji. Thank you, Mitsuki. Really…”
Mitsuki waves her off.
“Eh, it’s nothing, really. Just be there for your boy, hm? He needs a loving momma to be there for him—not against him.”
Bakugou can only smile gently as Kirishima’s mom finally gets it.
Mitsuki is such a cool mom…
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Kirishima is in his room when his mom comes back home. She enters his bedroom and quietly closes the door, sitting down on his bed and sighing. She wants to apologize to him. Kirishima looks up as his mom does so. From the look etched on her face, this won’t be a regular chitchat. He puts aside the manga he was reading and sits up straight, bracing himself for whatever it is she’s about to say.
His mom sighs as she sits down next to him, her expression a mix of uncertainty and guilt.
“Baby… Eiji, I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to apologize. I… I was rude—cruel—to you the other day. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. I immediately shut you down when you proposed the idea of you liking boys to me. I’m sorry I answered you like that. I’m so sorry I wasn’t supportive of you, baby. I really am. I love you, I really do.”
She tears up, her voice shaky as she grabs Kirishima’s small hands and squeezes them.
“Please forgive Momma. I’ll support you from here on out.”
Kirishima looks at his mother and tears up.
“M-Momma…” he sniffles before his mom pulls him into a tight hug, and he sobs into her chest.
“M-Momma, it’s okay, it’s okay. I forgive you—” he sniffles, shaking. “Thank you, Momma. Thank you.”
“I love you, baby… I really do,” Kirishima’s mom says, sniffling as well.
Kirishima can only tighten his small hold on her and sob out, “I love you too, Momma. Thank you…”
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
February 16th, Wednesday, 12PM ☆
Kirishima comes to school happy—happier than he’s ever been these past days. Now that his mom has apologized and let him be who he is, he’s back to his old self.
At recess, Kirishima and Bakugou are making bracelets. Kirishima was lent a bracelet-making box by one of the girls, and so he took the opportunity to make matching ones for Bakugou and himself.
Bakugou is making a bracelet for Kirishima with the word “Sharky ” on it, and Kirishima is—struggling—but making a bracelet for Bakugou with the word “ Blasty ” on it.
Bakugou glances over at Kirishima, trying not to laugh as he watches him struggle with the bracelet.
“You’re doing it wrong, dumbass. You’re supposed to weave the thread, not knot it all together.”
Kirishima huffs, sticking out his tongue playfully.
“I’m trying my best, okay! This is totally harder than it looks!”
He continues to struggle with the thread, his brow furrowed in complete concentration. He’s about to make a masterpiece—the next Mona Lisa in bracelet form, he’s sure of it! He’s the Picasso of his time! Or was it Leonardo da Vinci? Ah, he wasn’t good with names, but it didn’t matter! It was gonna be amazing.
Soon, they both finish their bracelets. Bakugou is surprised that Kirishima spelled Blasty right as he puts it on his wrist.
“Boom. A masterpiece. You’ve never seen anything better than this, admit it.”
Bakugou chuckles.
“Yeah, sure…” he teases, but he loves the bracelet in all its messy, knotted glory.
Bakugou puts the bracelet he made for Kirishima on the boy’s wrist. It’s perfect—no mess-ups, no knots, no errors, nothing. All meticulous, as Bakugou is.
“This is how you make a damn bracelet,” he says, huffing proudly.
Kirishima giggles and looks at it, turning it around on his wrist.
“I love it. Thank you, Mr. Perfect-Bracelet-Maker Sir,” he says with a soft but teasing smile, which makes Bakugou’s stomach do flips.
“Yeah, whatever… it’s nothing,” he says, feeling shy all of a sudden.
“Well, it’s not nothing to me. I’ll cherish this forever… and now we match! Everyone will know you’re mine and I’m yours!” he says with an innocent and sweet smile.
“Possessive much, no?” Bakugou inquires playfully.
Kirishima doesn’t deny it.
“Hm, maybe. Not like you mind it anyway, Blasty,” he says playfully, and Bakugou huffs.
“Whatever, Sharky .”
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Months Later ☆
Bakugou and Kirishima got super close, and almost everyone in the school knew not to mess with them on the playground. They were a duo—they were one. No one could separate them.
Until that fateful day.
That morning, Kirishima’s mom had told him they had to move neighborhoods. She had gotten a job offer outside of town, and that meant they’d have to change locations and schools as well. Kirishima’s stomach dropped. His heart felt like it might as well stop working.
No… no, it can’t be… It just can’t be??
What about Bakugou!?
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
June 13th, Friday, 12PM ☆
Bakugou notices Kirishima’s behavior the next day. He can tell something’s off, yet every time he asks, Kirishima just brushes him off. But his usual smile is replaced by an obvious and noticeable frown.
Then, when he sees the prickling at the corners of the boy’s eyes, his stomach tightens.
It’s something serious.
He pulls Kirishima aside during recess, his voice quiet yet filled with concern.
“Kiri, what’s wrong? And don’t tell me you’re ‘okay.’ I know you’re not, so spill it… please.”
Kirishima sighs shakily and nods.
“Okay… okay. Just… promise you won’t freak out? Please?”
Bakugou sighs and nods, and Kirishima takes another shaky breath.
“I—I’m moving, Bakugou… M-My mom got a job offer, and it’s out of town… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… I won’t be able to see you anymore. I’ll have to change schools. I’m so sorry, Bakugou—” he says, trembling, eyes so watery he can’t even see the boy he loves in front of him any longer.
Bakugou freezes, his eyes widening in disbelief as the words sink in.
Move?
Change schools?
Won’t be able to see each other anymore?
The words scream in his head—each syllable feels like a violent blow to the gut.
He feels a thousand emotions, and yet one sticks out: anger. Anger at anything and everything that is forcing them apart.
His voice is strained and gruff when he speaks again, fists clenched, knuckles white.
“No. That’s not happening. You’re not leaving. You can’t leave.”
Kirishima can only sniffle. If only it were that simple. His voice trembles, near unintelligible as sadness consumes him.
“I don’t have a choice, Blasty. Momma already accepted the job. The move is set. I’m sorry…”
Bakugou’s jaw clenches.
“Bullshit! Everything’s a choice. T-There’s gotta be something you can do to stay. A way to change your mom’s mind or something. Y-You’re not just leaving—please—”
He stomps over to Kirishima, his voice rising in volume.
“You can’t just up and leave me!” he exclaims, his voice cracking as tears dare to form at the corners of his eyes.
Kirishima can only launch himself into Bakugou and hug him tightly—so tight he might break the taller boy’s ribs.
But he doesn’t care.
And neither does Bakugou.
Bakugou buries his face in Kirishima’s shoulder, sobbing his poor little eyes out.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
June 17th, Tuesday, 3PM ☆
School ended three days ago. The both of them were able to spend those three days completely glued together at Bakugou’s home.
A truck is parked near Kirishima’s house, going back and forth as it moves their things to their new home. Bakugou’s mom is helping Kirishima’s mom pack up and leave. Kirishima and Bakugou are sat at the front of Kirishima’s house, holding hands, talking hushedly.
Kirishima’s grip on Bakugou’s hand is tight, his fingers intertwined with his. He keeps looking at the moving truck, watching as his belongings are loaded into the vehicle, knowing that each item packed away is a step closer to having to leave Bakugou behind.
His heart feels heavy, a lump in his throat that won’t go away. He turns to look at Bakugou, taking in every detail of his face, committing it to memory.
“I can’t believe this is really happening, Blasty…” he says, voice wavering.
Bakugou sighs shakily, replying, “I know, me neither…” He tightens his hold on Kirishima’s hand, avoiding his gaze on the moving truck. “This is a nightmare…”
Kirishima turns to face Bakugou and gently moves his hands to cup Bakugou’s face.
“I hope you know I’ll always, always love you. There’s nobody else for me, Blasty. You only, okay?” he exclaims, voice shaky, eyes shiny.
Bakugou sniffles and leans into the touch.
“Nobody else but you, Sharky…”
Suddenly, without hesitation, Bakugou leans in and pecks Kirishima on the lips gently, then pulls back, face flushed red.
They had never done anything like that before. They’re both as red as a stop sign.
“B-Bakugou…” Kirishima says shyly.
“Thank you…” he says, smiling gently as they press their foreheads together.
A bit later, Kirishima finally has to go when his mom calls him. Kirishima pecks him back quickly again and stands up, sniffling, crying as he walks to his mom.
Bakugou walks up to Mitsuki, and they both wave Kirishima and his mom goodbye.
Both of the boys are sobbing their hearts out as they wave their last goodbyes. One last long, painful hug is given before the two of them break apart for good.
Kirishima’s mom picks him up, helping him into the car and fastening his seatbelt, as Kirishima seems completely unresponsive to anything she says. He shakes, completely sobbing the life out of him.
As the car starts to move out of the parking lot and into the road, Bakugou finds himself sobbing his little heart out too—shamelessly. He doesn’t even care if the other kids in the playground might see him. He doesn’t care about anything right now but the fact that the love of his life just left his arms.
He feels empty.
A horrible, sick lump lodges itself into his fragile heart. He feels heartbroken, distraught.
After they’ve really left, Mitsuki picks him up gently and takes him to his bedroom, letting him sit on her lap while she cradles him a bit. After two hours, he stops crying, falling asleep from pure exhaustion.
It feels like Bakugou’s life had ended. Stopped for good.
Even though he was just eight, it felt like his entire life—his everything—had just escaped him.
─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─
Bakugou’s dreams are filled with images of Kirishima that night.
He sees his long, black locks—the way they would sometimes fall in front of his eyes when he was deep in thought. His cute little pout, all on display just for him.
He sees his long, beautiful eyelashes too, the way they’d flutter when he was sleepy or laughing—how they’d make his stomach do flip after flip.
And then there they are.
The rubies that had made a home out of the boy’s eyes.
Deep, powerful crimson against sun-kissed, tan skin—less vibrant than Bakugou’s, a slow-burning fire, yet no less captivating.
He reaches out to touch him in that dream, but his fingers grasp nothing but air.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
9 Years Later ☆
Bakugou is 17 now, newly a student at U.A. High. It’s his first year. There’s someone called Kirishima in his class.
He ignores it.
It can’t be him.
But he has red eyes.
It can’t be him.
But his teeth are sharp.
It can’t be him.
It can’t be him—his skin is tanner, and his hair is red and spiked up.
But people change as they grow up.
It can’t be him.
But he has the same scar on his left eyelid…
It can’t be him, right?
Bakugou gets close to Kirishima. They become best friends. He starts to have feelings for Kirishima.
But… he feels like he’s betraying the boy he loved all those years ago.
He probably has a lover of his own now.
This boy can’t be Kirishima.
Bakugou feels bad. Conflicted.
One day, Kiri and he are hanging out in Bakugou’s dorm room when Kirishima mentions making matching bracelets with a boy back in third grade. He shows his to Bakugou.
It says “Sharky.”
No way.
Bakugou rushes to his cabinet suddenly. Kirishima is confused. Bakugou pulls out a bracelet. It says “Blasty.” It’s messy and still as wonky as it was back then.
No.
Fucking.
Way.
They stare at each other silently.
Kirishima’s eyes widen as he sees the bracelet with Blasty scrawled on it. His mind reels, a million thoughts flying around in his head.
It can’t be… right?
It’s a coincidence. A freaky one at that.
He looks up at Bakugou, his heart beating loudly in his chest as their eyes lock.
There’s a tense pause—time seems to stand still as they both process the moment.
Bakugou is frozen, his breath catching in his throat. He can’t believe what he’s seeing, what he’s hearing. It feels like a dream, a cruel trick played by the universe. His heart pounds hard against his chest, his mind racing.
He forces himself to speak, his voice shaky and hushed.
“This… it’s a coincidence, right? Has to be…”
Kirishima can hear the strain in Bakugou’s voice—the disbelief and hope all tangled together. He steps closer, heart in his throat.
“The same bracelets… the same nicknames… it can’t be a coincidence, Bakugou. It can’t be.”
They both want to believe it.
Both want it to be true with every fiber of their being.
But they’re also afraid.
Afraid they’re getting their hopes up.
Bakugou’s fists clench at his sides.
“B-but it’s been 7 years… how..?”
Kirishima swallows hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. He takes another tentative step closer, closing the distance even further.
“I don’t know… fate? Destiny? I don’t freaking know. But it’s here, Bakugou. It’s real.”
He holds out his bracelet, its Sharky lettering stark and irrefutable against the woven leather.
Bakugou can feel his walls crumbling as his best friend gets closer. Every inch of distance shrinking between them feels like another piece of his resolve cracking into a billion pieces. He looks down at Sharky on Kirishima’s bracelet, then back at his own Blasty. They match perfectly—a testament to a connection he never dared to forget.
His hands unclench. His voice is a strained whisper.
“Goddammit, Eijirou…”
Eijirou’s heart clenches at the way Bakugou says his name. It’s rough, as always, but there’s a tenderness there he hasn’t heard in years.
He missed it.
He missed this.
He missed him.
He steps even closer, their chests nearly touching now, the tension in the air crackling like firecrackers.
“You feel it too, don’t you? The connection… Please tell me you feel it? Katsuki… Please.”
Katsuki’s heart flutters at Kirishima’s plea. He’s still hesitant… but he wants to accept it. So, so badly.
“B-but what if we’re wrong, Eijirou? What if—”
He’s cut off by a serious Eijirou.
“We’re not wrong. I’m your Kiri. Your Sharky. Your Eiji.
You’re my Blasty. My Bakugou.
It’s us, Katsuki.
We’ve been apart for so long, and yet we’ve met again—like… like soulmates .”
Katsuki flushes.
“Soulmates…? Do you believe in them…?” he questions.
Eijirou comes even closer, wrapping his arms gently around Bakugou, giving him space in case he wasn’t okay with it.
“I didn’t before,” he says confidently. “But I sure as hell do now.
Deep down, in the most secret, wishful part of my heart, I never stopped loving you, Katsuki.
I’ve never really found success in moving on. In forgetting you.
We’re stuck to one another.
You’re a part of me, and I’m a part of you.
We’re each other’s.”
Katsuki’s heart fills with nothing but warmth at the other’s words. He can’t speak—but he can move. He follows what his heart knows is right and pulls Eijirou into a tight, almost bone-crushing hug, his face buried into the shorter boy’s neck. Eijirou hugs him back just as tight—if not tighter—and buries his face in Katsuki’s shoulder.
“God… Blasty, I’ve missed you so much. So goddamn much… I love you, I love you, I love you…”
Eijirou says desperately, and Katsuki hugs him tighter.
“You idiot… You have no fucking idea how much I’ve missed your dumbass.
Every fucking day. Every fucking night.
Sleep never came easy. It was fucking torture, Eiji.”
“I never wanna be away from you ever again. Ever.
God, I love you, Katsuki. I love you…” Kirishima says, tears in his eyes.
Bakugou moves his hands up, cupping the boy’s cheeks, and wipes his tears gently.
“I know you do. I love you more, you fucking dumbass.
There’s no one that could ever fill the hole—the emptiness I felt—like you do.
I never want to be alone again. Away from you again.”
Kirishima sniffles and kisses Bakugou’s hand gently, sighing shakily.
“Katsuki… you don’t have to try anymore. I’m here. I’m right here with you, and I’m never, ever leaving again.”
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
The next day, they would tell their friend group about their story. They all wowed—some cried, and some still doubted the existence of soulmates. But it didn’t matter to Eijirou. Not at all. Because, after all, Katsuki was his soulmate.