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Love, he thinks, is something completely unnecessary. It’s not that he believes people would do better without it, or that it’s entirely foolish for people to get attached to others. It’s just that it’s unnecessary to him .
It’s something he doesn’t have the time nor the patience to bother with — Bakugou Katsuki has different priorities, and love is something he’s happy leaving to the secondary characters in his life. It’s of no importance to him.
It stands to reason, then, that he’s never thought it’s something he’d experience. He never cared to.
So why is it that as soon as he started thinking about it, he could no longer stop? It’s all his mother’s fault, that fucking ugly bitch, and fucking Kirishima who started getting the nerve to come visit him pretty much every day ever since he’s been “rescued”.
Bakugou can’t wander outside his home, and so Kirishima thought he would enjoy some company outside of his family’s. He was wrong, of course, he couldn’t give any less of a shit, but he didn’t refuse his company regardless.
And that’s been his mistake.
On the eve of his fifth visit, after Kirishima had sent him a text to let him know he was coming over, but before he actually got there, his mother simply blurted out:
“You really like him, don’t ya? Your classmate! He’s really cute too. Too cute for ya, he’s way outta your league.”
At the moment, his response had been something along the general lines of “Fuck off, you’re nuts”. And though his mother had made sure to hit him for that, she didn’t press on the matter any further.
It was just a stupid question.
He shouldn’t have given it any weight and it should have been out of his mind the moment his mother left his room.
But it didn’t.
For the following twenty minutes or so, Bakugou tried his goddamn hardest to forget what his mother had said. He tried really hard to reason with himself that no, he didn’t like Kirishima, why the fuck would he? He just barely tolerated him. But when he heard the ring of the doorbell first, and his mother calling his name out a moment later, he felt his stomach jump right into his throat. By the time he heard the subsequent knock to his room’s door, he was beyond pissed and irritated.
(He wasn’t panicking, of course he wasn’t. That’s not something he ever does.)
Another knock, and he was forced to get off his bed and actually open the door. Unsurprisingly. Kirishima was on the other side, with his usual fucking grin and his way, way too casual attitude.
It’s cute.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, before Kirishima had the time to say hi, Bakugou simply slammed the door of his room shut, right in front of him. No yelling, no words at all. Just a door slam shut in Kirishima’s stupidly cute and adorable face.
Eventually, through some bargaining on Kirishima’s part, he let him in just so his classmate could share with him his (shitty and entirely useless, mind you) notes for the lessons Bakugou was missing. But unlike the previous days, things kept tense right until Kirishima finally left, and Bakugou was in a thoroughly sour mood the entire while.
He didn’t want to think about this. He shouldn’t have to think about this. And maybe if he stopped altogether he’d finally forget how much he likes to look at the way Kirishima smiles.
Or at the way he shrugs off every insult he can think of throwing at him, like it’s no skin off his knee.
He could even forget, maybe, the way he could feel his heart skipping a beat when he heard his voice, back then, when he saw his hand held out to him.
If he tried hard enough, maybe he could forget about Kirishima having earned somewhat of a presence in his life, too.
So that’s what he did.
In the following days, when Kirishima would text him to let him know he would come visit, he’d replied (already fairly rare, he hardly ever did — but in Bakugou’s case, a lack of response meant something along the lines of “do whatever you want”) telling him not to bother.
It didn’t help, of course it didn’t, and the less he saw Kirishima, the more he was thinking of him. It was infuriating.
It’s on the fourth day of Bakugou’s “don’t bother”s that Kirishima decides to take matters into his own hands and simply show up at his classmate’s house anyway. Bakugou’s parents aren’t at home and won’t be for a while, but since that old hag of his mother tends to forget all sort of shit at home, when he hears the doorbell he isn’t suspicious in the least and simply assumes it’s her, and that she forgot her keys.
When he opens the door and sees Kirishima on the other side instead, he’s surprised — and for once he doesn’t know what to do.
Kirishima, on the other hand, had already decided to prevent any eventual door-slamming by hardening his hand and sticking it on the door’s frame.
“I told you not to fucking come—”
Bakugou starts, but doesn’t have the time to finish.
“Come on, you’ve been givin’ me the cold shoulder for days now. What’s wrong?”
Kirishima’s eyebrows are furrowed, but his voice is soft and betrays some serious concern. Bakugou can tell, too, that his classmate has already figured on his own that the reason can’t be something he did to piss him off — not so much because he hasn’t done anything wrong, but simply because Bakugou’s much more the type to loudly let you know just how much you’ve pissed him off.
He doesn’t ask “what did I do”, he asks “what’s wrong”.
The idea that Kirishima’s worried for him pisses him off and annoys him to no end, but it warms his heart a bit, too, and deep down he can admit that it’s not a bad feeling.
It’s the only reason he lets him in.
Bakugou moves away from his spot just to give Kirishima enough space to step inside his home, and he clicks his tongue, putting on his best non-caring expression before walking toward the living room.
“‘The fuck is that supposed to mean? I’m fucking fine.”
It’s the only answer he gives Kirishima. He’s not having it, of course he’s not, but for now being allowed to enter is already a victory and he knows he has to pick his battles with Bakugou. So he doesn’t press on further and simply follows him.
Kirishima hasn’t brought with him his class notes or his homework, but for the first time in days the two of them finally talk normally, without that same tension that plagued their last meeting.
It’s not so much that Bakugou’s any better, because he isn’t. Those stupid fucking thoughts are still at the back of his mind.
It’s just that as they chat, he realizes how much he’s missed Kirishima. It’s only been a few days and yet it feels as if he’s taking a breath of fresh air once again, after having to hold his breath for way too long. Not just that, but he can admit, maybe, that he really does enjoy his classmate’s company.
Finally, Kirishima decides that Bakugou looks less on guard than he did when he showed up at his door, and that now is as good a time as any to ask again.
“So what’s wrong? You ever goin’ to tell me or do I gotta guess?”
There’s no way Kirishima could ever guess what’s going through his head. He’s perceptive, Bakugou will give him that, but his own thoughts have been surprising to him, so there’s honestly no way he could guess.
So he just rolls his eyes and gives him a noncommittal “whatever”.
And at that, Kirishima seems to honestly, genuinely try to figure out what’s wrong with him. He stays silent, move a fist under his chin and hums as he looks completely lost in thought. At that moment, Bakugou takes the time to look over his classmate — actually look at him. And for the first time he realizes that he’s kind of attractive. It’s not that he didn’t know , Kirishima isn’t plain by a long shot, he’s got some nice facial features and a pretty well toned body.
He’s seen that: his Hero Costume barely covers anything, after all.
But it never really hit him, never affected him just like the thought of falling in love has never really occurred to him.
Christ, he’s staring.
And Kirishima notices it too, on top of that.
“— Are you checking me out?”
“Fuck, no!”
He tries to put as much indignation and disgust he can manage into the words, and to anyone else, maybe it’d sound believable. But it doesn’t to Kirishima.
He’s figured it out, and Bakugou knows it.
Shit
“Woah! So that’s it, you got a crush on me!”
Kirishima finally says that out loud, talking about it like it’s no big deal, and why didn’t he guess it right away? But for Bakugou, that sort of attitude only makes things worse.
It’s irrational, but he immediately feels like he’s being made fun of. And this once, it’s something he actually cares about. As a result, lashing out is the obvious conclusion, and before Kirishima can say anything already Bakugou’s ready to explode his damn face off.
But he doesn’t get to.
Once again it’s Kirishima who takes the initiative, and a huge risk with it. He reaches for the front of his shirt and pulls him in for a kiss, closing his eyes and placing his lips against Bakugou’s.
Just like that, as if it were nothing.
He should find it disgusting, should push Kirishima away for doing something so unnecessary, or better yet, he could finish what he meant to start and kick his ass into a sorry puddle of blood. But he doesn’t, and instead of an explosion, all that comes out of his hands is just some black smoke.
It’s a simple kiss, lips against lips and nothing else. Kirishima has his eyes closed, but Bakugou keeps his open — not just because he’s surprised, but because he has no idea what to do or say.
And when Kirishima pulls back, he still doesn’t know what to do or what to make of the bubbling emotions that he can feel are starting to overcome him.
“Well, the truth is —” Kirishima starts, embarrassed but trying to push through this regardless. Bakugou notes how red his cheeks are, and can tell he probably doesn’t look much different. But it’s the way Kirishima brings a hand to the back of his neck and keeps averting his gaze that really catches his attention. “I kinda like you too. So you don’t have to give me the cold shoulder for that.”
Love really isn’t just unnecessary, it’s fucking exhausting. It is distracting in a way he doesn’t like, and Kirishima hadn’t left his mind for several days now. It’s no wonder then that his first instinct would be to deny everything, tell Kirishima he’s out of his fucking mind and that he never wants to see him again.
But he does want to see him again.
And he does like him.
“I wasn’t checking you out,” a lie, but he has to be stubborn about at least one thing. There’s a long pause, after that, and Kirishima doesn’t interrupt or fill the silence only because he can tell Bakugou is working up the courage to say something else. And eventually, the second part does come. “But I don’t mind it if you like me.”
Bakugou’s face is utterly red and much like Kirishima earlier, he’s averting his gaze. For him “I don’t mind if you like me” is as good as a confession. A safe one, where he doesn’t have to put the focus on himself or has to admit he has any sort of feelings beyond rage, but a confession nonetheless.
And Kirishima’s more than happy to take it.
He grins — that huge, wide grin that’s always plastered on his stupid face, and once again Bakugou can’t help but think that FUCK, he’s cute.
“But that was a fucking shitty kiss.” he can’t possibly just say he wants another, despite the fact his hand is already reaching for Kirishima’s to hold it. “So make up for it.”
Like the idiot he is, Kirishima simply squeezes his hand and tells him “aye, aye” before complying to his wishes and going for another kiss. And this time, Bakugou closes his eyes, too.
Maybe his mother was right.
Maybe Kirishima really is way too cute for him.
But he’s not going to complain, just this once.