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“See you,” Bakugou waved goodbye to Midoriya.
Bakugou watched as Midoriya left the building, chasing after Uraraka, who was leaving the celebration of Midoriya getting his hero suit. He frowned, quickly getting up to watch the conversation.
Midoriya stopped, realizing that Uraraka had noticed him.
“Oh, great, you’re here!” Uraraka gave Midoriya a small smile–a simple gesture of her own kindness.
“I wanted to talk to you more,” Midoriya said, looking at his shoes. Bakugou thinks about how stupid he is for even watching this conversation happen.
“Oh,” Uraraka smiled again, her red cheeks flushing darker. Midoriya looked back up at her, smiling.
“What do you say?” Uraraka nodded.
“I was thinking the same thing.” They took each other’s hands, ignoring the busy scenery around them. Bakugou thought back to what he had said to Midoriya–
”Giving everyone special treatment… means no one is really special to you.”
Bakugou was right, of course, but somehow seeing Midoriya take his advice and choose someone left a pit in his stomach.
Quickly walking back into the building, Bakugou waved his goodbyes to his friends and the rest of his class. Kirishima stopped him, prodding him about why he was leaving so abruptly.
“Hey, bro,” Kirishima paused, “you good?” Bakugou brushed him off.
“I’m fine, shitty hair. When am I not?” Kirishima wasn’t convinced.
“Man, whatever. You’re being weird.” Bakugou shrugged.
“I’m fine.” Leaving the building again, Bakugou started walking to his car. Midoriya quickly ran up to him.
“Kacchan, are you still giving me a ride home? If not, it’s alright, I can take the train.” Bakugou unlocked the doors.
“Get in.” Bakugou was a bit harsh, but it wasn’t out of character. Midoriya got in the car, setting his new hero suit briefcase at his feet. He got in shortly after, turned the car on, and locked the doors. He drove out of the parking lot, heading towards Midoriya’s apartment. It was later in the evening—around nine—so the sunset was long past and streetlights and headlights illuminated their faces in the car. You could clearly see his sharp, red eyes and a scowl on his face. Bakugo felt suffocated, as if the car might cave in and they were running out of air. Midoriya didn’t know what was going on with him, but he didn’t want to say anything to disturb the peace of the quiet car.
Bakugou saw Midoriya’s apartment building–all too familiar from nights of drinking and celebrating at his place after high school. He could remember the eyes that lingered too long, the touches that went further than they should, and their flushed faces after drinking too much.
Parking on the side of the street, Bakugou gets out and opens Midoriya’s door for him. Midoriya smiled.
“Thank you, Kacchan!” Bakugou grunted, his own way of saying ‘sure, whatever’. Bakugou watched as Midoriya entered the building, and he felt sick to his stomach as he remembered the conversation he had witnessed. He leaned over the sidewalk and vomited the contents of his stomach, nose burning as tears threatened to stream down his face. He went back to his car and opened the glovebox to get a tissue to wipe his mouth. He did so, then took a deep breath to keep his composure.
“Fuck,” Bakugou whispered to himself, getting back in his car.
“I’m fucked.”
–
Bakugou arrived home. It was empty–as always–but somehow that left his heart aching for something more. He missed Midoriya, mostly, or the idea of him being around. He wasn’t sure which one it was, and he didn’t care. He kicked off his shoes at the entryway and walked into his living room, the silent room illuminated by the moonlight and streetlights streaming in through the large windows. He sat on the couch and grabbed the remote, flicking on the television. A random drama plays, and he ignores it and pulls out his phone, noticing a text from Midoriya.
had fun tonight :-) are you still coming to my lecture tomorrow?
Opening the text, Bakugou leaves Midoriya on read. He felt bad, of course, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer. He probably wasn’t going to show up to the lecture either. He felt sick about it, to be honest. Midoriya was his closest friend, and he had been for years. He saw him starting up his hero career after UA. He saw him start his agency and celebrated it, too.
Midoriya Izuku was one of the most caring friends Bakugou had ever had–and he was ignoring him. He thinks about it, and honestly, it’s ironic. They went full circle back to avoidance, to co-dependence, and then back to avoidance again. Or at least, he did. He shoved the thought away, closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep on his couch.
–
Bakugou woke up at 9:54. He had definitely missed Midoriya’s lecture. His back ached from sleeping on his hard couch, and he got up to get himself a glass of water. He was in his kitchen, directly in the bright light of the sun coming in through the large window of his apartment. He grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled up his glass in the kitchen sink, quickly chugging it afterward. Water dripped down his chin, eventually landing on his shirt. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
Incoming Call: izuku
Bakugou hesitated. He knew he fucked up not showing up to Midoriya’s lecture, but god was he pissed. He had taken his advice and used it to get a girlfriend (or something like that). He declined the call, and the ache in his chest returned. He thought about calling him back, apologizing, and saying he’d forgotten about the lecture. Something was stopping him–maybe ego, maybe his own self-destructive tendencies–but he just couldn’t bring himself to face Midoriya–even if it were just a phone call. His phone vibrates again.
Incoming Call: eijirou
Bakugou clicks accept.
“What do you want?” Bakugou grunts, annoyed by Kirishima’s intrusion.
“Heard you skipped Midoriya’s lecture,” Kirishima questioned.
“So?” Bakugou attempted to put on a facade, seeming as if he didn’t care, but Kirishima knew him well enough to know he was lying.
“So? You always go to his lectures. Especially if you get to help his students train. Even though you call it stupid, we all know you like it, dude. It’s weird you’d just skip out like this.”
“I just didn’t feel like going this time,” Bakugou lied. He walked to his living room and plopped down on his couch. Kirishima sighed.
“Okay, man. Sure.” Bakugou went to hang up, but Kirishima continued talking.
“You wanna meet for brunch with Mina and me?” Bakugou thought about it for a moment.
“Yeah, sure, whatever. When?”
“Does eleven sound alright to you?” Kirishima waited for a response. Bakugou didn’t have anything planned, so he decided to go.
“Yeah.” Kirishima’s smile could be heard in his voice.
“Alright, bye, dude!” The call ended, and Bakugou decided to shower. His phone dinged again with a text from Kirishima.
meet at that lunch spot by fatgum’s agency
Sending a quick thumbs up, Bakugou shut his phone off to shower. He walked into his bathroom, grabbed a towel from one of his shelves, set it on the counter, and took his clothes off. He turned the shower on, holding his hand under the water until it got warm. He hopped into the warm shower, feeling the warmth of the water on his body. He grabbed his shampoo, putting a big glob of it into his hand and running it through his wet, spiky hair. He rinsed it out thoroughly, quickly adding conditioner to his hair.
Bakugou thought about Midoriya–he thought about how he was avoiding him–and the pit in his stomach formed again. He cared so much about him that it hurt. He was probably in the wrong for ignoring him, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He grabbed his loofa, covering it in soap while the conditioner soaked in his hair. He scrubbed his body and carefully washed his face with his hands before rinsing off all of the soap, including the conditioner.
Stepping out of the shower, Bakugou quickly dries his hair with his towel before wrapping it around his waist. He opened his bathroom door, walking back to his bedroom to change his clothes. He grabbed a black, baggy tank top and bootcut jeans from his dresser, quickly slipping them on over his boxers. He grabbed a pair of short, black socks and sat on his bed to put them on. His feet were still wet, so it was a weird sensation. He checks the clock, and it reads 10:32.
“Shit,” Bakugou mumbled, quickly heading to his front door to grab his keys and put on his shoes. He got ready to leave, quickly bolting out the door and down the stairs of his apartment complex.
Getting into his car, Bakugou quickly backed out of his parking space and got on the road. He drove in silence: no music, no friends to keep him company. It was painful, almost. As much as he pretends to hate company, he craves it. He thought about Midoriya again. It had only been a day of ignoring him, and he already wanted to text him and tell him he’s sorry–and yet, he couldn’t. He pushed away his thoughts, focusing on the road ahead.
Bakugou arrived, parking on the street. He noticed Kirishima and Mina talking outside the restaurant–Kirishima blushing and waving his hands around–and he figured they were flirting. Go figure. They had what everybody wanted; what he didn’t have. It didn’t matter to him, anyway; it’s not like he even cares about being in a relationship. He got out of his car, and they both turned their heads to look at him, smiling and waving. He walked over to them.
“Hey,” Bakugou paused, “We should get a table.” Kirishima nodded, and they followed each other inside. The restaurant was a ramen place and was relatively popular among the people who could easily access it. They walked up to the hostess stand and were immediately greeted by a cheery woman.
“Hi! How can I help you today?” Mina smiled at the woman.
“Hi, we’d like a table for three!” The woman smiled.
“Of course, follow me.” They followed the cheerful woman to a table in the corner of the restaurant and sat at their table.
“Would you guys like anything to drink?” The woman asked.
“Water,” Bakugou slouched in his seat, and Kirishima smiled at the woman.
“Water for us, too, please.” The woman nodded.
“I’ll be right back with those drinks.” Mina raised an eyebrow at Bakugou.
“So, I heard you skipped Midoriya's lecture.”
“God, not you too,” Bakugou grumbled, annoyed by her prodding, “How’d you idiots even figure out I skipped?” Kirishima looked down.
“Well, uh, someone might’ve called me worried about how my friend might’ve skipped an important lecture he was invited to.” Bakugou was embarrassed–somewhat, at least. Mostly, he was annoyed that Midoriya had snitched on him that quickly.
“Right,” Bakugou sighed. A different woman came back with their drinks and menus.
“Hi! I’ll be your server today.” She was very perky, but nobody had any complaints.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to look over the menu,” she smiled, walking away. They started at their menus, deciding carefully what to eat. Bakugou decided quickly, but his phone kept buzzing in his pocket. He figured there was no harm in checking who it was, since Kirishima and Mina were occupied.
7 unread messages from izuku
Bakugou figured Midoriya was worried, maybe a little, but not enough to keep texting him. He opened the texts.
kacchan please answer me
im not mad at you
just talk to me please
Kacchan
Kacchan
please kacchan
i just wanna know youre okay
Bakugou left him on read, and his phone buzzed again.
i saw you read this just answer me
Bakugou closed his phone, feeling guilty all over again. He felt like he might vomit, but Kirishima’s mumbling about the menu distracted him. He saw the waitress approaching, and he nudged Kirishima.
“Decide soon, shitty hair.” Kirishima looked up, and the waitress was standing at their table.
“Is everyone ready to order?” The waitress asked, smiling. Mina nodded.
“I’ll have the tonkotsu ramen.” The waitress wrote it down on her notepad.
“I’ll have the same,” Kirishima smiled.
“I’ll have the miso ramen,” Bakugou grunted out, handing all of their menus back to the waitress. She smiled awkwardly (maybe even a bit uncomfortably).
“Alright! Your food shouldn’t take too long.”
“Thank you,” Mina smiled at her, and the waitress quickly walked back to the kitchen. Mina stared daggers at Bakugou.
“You need to stop ignoring Midoriya,” Mina paused, “before you can’t repair your relationship with him.” Bakugou frowned.
“My relationship with him is fine, for one, and for two, it’s none of your goddamn business.” Mina frowned back at him.
“Don’t get an attitude with me, I know damn well your relationship with him isn’t ‘fine’.” Mina flicked Bakugou’s nose like his mother did when he was young and misbehaved. Mina continued.
“You never ignore him, let alone not show up to his lectures. So be real with us, what happened?” Bakugou crossed his arms.
“Fine. I’ll fuckin’ tell you. He’s in love with pink cheeks, and he used my goddamn advice to confess to her.” Kirishima raised an eyebrow.
“The whole bit about nobody being special was supposed to be advice?”
“Idiot, that’s besides the point,” Bakugou rolled his eyes, putting his arms back at his sides.
“Why’s it a problem that he confessed to her? I mean, like, bro. It was bound to happen sometime. Uraraka has had a crush on him since first year,” Kirishima shrugged, and Mina frowned.
“I swear, sometimes you’re dense on purpose. It’s pretty obvious our ‘Kacchan’ is in love with him.” Bakugou turned beet red.
“Hah? You can’t just say shit like that.” Mina giggled,
“You’re not denying it.” Kirishima shrugged.
“Man, how’d you even find out he confessed to her?”
“I saw it with my own two eyes, dipshit. He said some shit about wanting to talk more to her,” Bakugou confirmed, a permanent frown etched on his face. Mina raised an eyebrow.
“So, he didn’t confess? He just said he wants to talk to her more?” Bakugou thought for a second. He hadn’t really confessed; he just said he wanted to talk to her more. Nothing had happened yet.
“I guess not,” Bakugou sighed. Mina looked displeased.
“So you’re ignoring him for what exactly?” Bakugou stayed silent. Luckily, the waitress saved him by coming with their food.
“There you all go! Would you like me to go ahead and bring the check?”
“Yes, thank you,” Mina smiled. The waitress walked away and returned quickly with their check.
“Just bring it up to the counter when you’re ready,” the waitress smiled, walking away from their table. They ate their food in silence, nobody daring to speak or question each other. Mina was pissed off with Bakugou’s idiocy, but she wasn’t gonna say anything (for now, at least). Bakugou finished his food first, eating like he had been starving for years. Kirishima finished as well, Mina following shortly after.
“So, Blasty, are we gonna talk about this?” Mina prodded, trying to get more out of Bakugou. Bakugou frowned.
“Hell no. Hand me the check.” Mina handed it over, frowning right back at Bakugou. He took the check and walked up to the counter to pay. He handed his credit card to the woman at the counter, and she took it without saying a word. She handed the card back, and he walked back to their table.
“Time to go,” Bakugou grumbled, heading towards the exit. Kirishima and Mina followed behind them, and they all immediately noticed the pouring rain outside.
“Need a ride home?” Bakugou asked, holding back a laugh. Kirishima and Mina nodded. Bakugou opened the door, bolting outside to his car with them trailing behind. He unlocked the car, immediately jumping in–his hair wet and his clothes soaked from the harsh rain. They all laughed, big smiles on their faces from the situation. He already knew the way to their apartment, and he yielded to the busy street. He was a bit annoyed though, cause now his back seats were going to be wet.
They chatted in the car, talking about recent hero news and work drama. Mina and Kirishima’s apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant–only about a z drive. They quickly arrived.
“Thanks, Bakugou,” Kirishima smiled as he opened the door to Bakugou’s car, ready to bolt inside of him and Mina’s apartment building to avoid the rain.
“Thanks, Blasty,” Mina smiled too, rushing out of the car and running inside her apartment building.
“Before I go, just make sure you talk to Midoriya,” Kirishima said, gently. Bakugou looked back at him.
“Can’t make any promises.” With that being said, Kirishima got out of the car and went into his apartment building. Bakugou thought to himself about what Mina had said. Midoriya hadn’t really confessed, had he? He had basically just said he wanted to talk more. Which isn’t a confession, but it could lead to one. It was too early to show up at Midoriya’s apartment now, because he wasn’t home yet. He always came home around seven, so he’d have to wait until then.
Pulling back into traffic, Bakugou felt secure. He finally had a solid plan. He was going to talk to Midoriya, not over text or by phone call, but in person. He pushed his thoughts aside for a moment to focus on the busy street ahead. He flicked on the radio, and loud pop music blared through his speakers. It was annoying, but he didn’t care. He was happy. At least, for the moment.
The busy street traffic slowed Bakugou’s drive home by an hour and a half. He was annoyed by the time he got home, but at least he had killed some time. It was around three in the afternoon, so he had four hours until he was going to head to Midoriya’s apartment.
Bakugou paced around his apartment, spiraling about what Midoriya was going to say if he was truly honest about how he felt about him. Sure, last time he was fully and truthfully honest was when he apologized back in high school–and that had ended well. Midoriya came back to him–back into his arms–back where he belonged. So really, what could go wrong? I mean, god, just the way he looked at him like he painted the moon and stars was enough to warrant asking for his hand in marriage. That might have to wait, though.
Sitting down on his couch, trying to calm his nerves, Bakugou flipped on the television and watched an All Might documentary. Even after sleeping for a while, he felt himself growing tired, and he slowly drifted off.
–
Groggy but awake, Bakugou rolled over on the couch until he hit the ground, smacking his head against the hardwood flooring. He quickly realized he had been asleep for a while, as it was now dark outside.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Bakugou panicked, checking what time it was on his phone. It was 20:43. Almost two hours had passed since he was supposed to go over to Midoriya’s apartment. He figures that it doesn’t really matter (since Midoriya didn’t know he was coming). He quickly got up from the floor, running to put on his shoes and grab his keys. Once he did, he bolted out of the door and down the stairs of his apartment complex. He ran to his car, jumped in, and sped out of the parking lot to his apartment.
The busy road drowned out Bakugou’s every racing thought. The street lights and headlights beamed in his vision, filling it with colors. He felt alive, and his heart pounded in his chest. He turned on the radio, and funny enough, a love song was playing. He turned the radio off again, not trying to hype himself up too much.
Midoriya’s apartment building was lit up–windows with bright lights could be seen all the way to the top of the building. Bakugou parallel parked and got out of his car. He walked up to the entrance of the apartment building, taking a deep breath before entering. The woman who was in charge of watching the building smiled and waved, as he had been here before.
Getting into the elevator, Bakugou’s thoughts were racing. He clicked the button for the fifth floor. The elevator dinged, stopping at the fifth floor. He stepped out, walking down the hallway to apartment 5-F. He knocked gently, and he heard footsteps coming towards the door. The door swung open, almost hitting him.
“Kacchan?” Midoriya said, his face dripping with concern. Bakugou was struggling to find his words, and all he could do was let out a pathetic, whiny voice.
“Izuku.” Bakugou’s nose was burning, and he felt like he was going to cry out of pure frustration–and then he did. It started small, one tear dripped down his cheek, then more, and then a lot more. He was practically sobbing. Midoriya just stared–confused, maybe a bit horrified–but he remained calm and pulled him inside his apartment, closing the door behind them. He rubbed soothing circles on his back, patiently waiting for him to stop crying so he could get to the bottom of why he came, why he was crying, and why he had been ignoring him.
Bakugou’s crying slowed, and he pushed himself back from Midoriya’s touch.
“Shit, ‘m sorry. Came here to say something important,” Bakugou paused, “I swear I didn’t come here to cry on you.” Midoriya let out a soft laugh, easing the awkwardness of the situation.
“Why did you come, Kacchan?” Midoriya prodded, “It’s late, and you look like a mess. Were you drinking?”
“No,” Bakugou said, sounding a bit defeated, “I wanted to talk to you ‘cause I saw your conversation with pink cheeks,” he paused, “and I was thinking a lot about it. About us, mostly. About what I want from you.” Midoriya looked astounded; like anything that was about to come out of Bakugou’s mouth would be unexpected. Bakugou heavily hesitated. He had fucked up–not terribly, but bad enough that confessing would be embarrassing. He continued regardless, potentially embarrassing himself further.
“So,” Bakugou paused, thinking, “Izuku, I want you.” Midoriya turned crimson–he practically looked like a Christmas ornament. Bakugou felt embarrassed. Ashamed, even.
“You,” Midoriya took a deep breath, “want me.”
“Yes,” Bakugou confirmed, his cheeks flushed. Bakugou was embarrassed. Embarrassed as hell, in fact. He had no idea where this was going.
“You’re so–you’re so fucking confusing, Katsuki,” Midoriya groaned, putting his hands over his face. He looked Bakugou directly in the eyes.
“I mean, you ignore me all day, for no reason, and then you come here and tell me you’re in love with me after sobbing. I mean, what the hell? Like, actually. I mean–of course I love you, you’re my best friend. And sure, I definitely have imagined a future with you. More than once. Like, a lot actually. I care about you. A lot. Did I say that yet? So, of course, I–” Bakugou grabbed his face and kissed him. Their teeth clashed and their noses bumped together, but Bakugou quickly took the lead, tilting his head and being gentler with his mouth. Midoriya’s eyes were wide open, and his face was incredibly red–but slowly, he relaxed into the kiss.
Bakugou was the first to pull away. He was panting, his hair a mess, and his pupils blown. Midoriya just stared at him, wide-eyed and red in the face.
“So,” Bakugou paused, taking a deep breath, “you want me too?”
“Yes, that’s what I was getting at,” Midoriya sighed. Bakugou was a bit confused.
“So what was that bullshit with pink cheeks. Grabbing her hand and staring into her eyes?” Midoriya frowned.
“I was trying to be nice.” Bakugou frowned right back at him.
“Idiot,” Bakugou smiled, “we’re dating now.” Midoriya laughed.
“Do I not get a choice?”
“No,” Bakugou smiled ear to ear, “Can I stay the night?”
“You know the answer to that,” Midoriya smiled back at him.