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It wasn’t a surprise to anyone when Kirishima finally outed himself. Everybody figured it out years ago, but nobody mentioned it, because they decided it was none of their business and if their friend felt comfortable enough to tell them, then he eventually would. It was also no surprise that the first people he shyly asked to accompany him to the local gay club were Sero, Kaminari and Bakugou. They’ve been close in school and they remained close after their graduation from Yuuei – especially Bakugou and Kirishima.
Bakugou remembered the day Kirishima told him about his sexual orientation, remembered the nervous stutter spilling from lips that are usually stretched in a warm smile, and the rare flush of sun-kissed skin while Kirishima tried to express with his hands what his tongue couldn’t wrap around. He recalled the picture of a flustered Red Riot, who’s never been afraid of anything – one of the reasons why Kirishima earned his respect on the day that the villain alliance struck for the first time. They fought alongside each other, and back then Bakugou decided he saw something in the other boy.
But they weren’t boys anymore, and this wasn’t Yuuei. They were grown-ups in their twenties, and this was the ugliest club Bakugou has ever been to (it was also the first club he’s ever been to).
It’s not that Bakugou hates being around cheerful people, but he hates it.
Slowly, he takes a sip from his drink, while eyeing the people around them. Next to him, a very excited Kirishima bounces up and down, waiting for Kaminari and Sero to return with their shots.
“I’m so happy you’re here, dude,” he shouts over the blasting music. The bass is so harsh Bakugou’s ribs feel like they’re vibrating and instead of one there are two hearts beating in his chest. “To be honest, I thought you’d say no.”
“Yeah, ain’t I full of fucking surprises,” Bakugou growls, not sure if the redhead heard him, because instead of a reply he simply gets a hearty pat on the back.
Through the crowd, a brunette has been watching them, and when he catches Kirishima’s eyes, he waves the young man over. Kirishima gasps, head whipping around to Bakugou.
“Dude,” he starts, pointy teeth slipping from behind his lips. “I think he wants me to come over. Oh my God, what do I do? How do I look?! What do I say? Oh boy, I’m really nervous. Damn, that’s so unmanly!”
“Relax, hair-for-brains,” Bakugou grouches, and puts down his drink to tug at Kirishima’s collar, pulling it in place. “I don’t know why you’d ask me for some goddamn dating advice, but – alright, I got one for you. So, dating advice #1: you don’t look at anyone other than me.”
He avoids Kirishima’s burning gaze while he speaks, but he feels how the redhead’s muscles tense when he ends. For a long moment, Bakugou fights the urge to punch himself in his own face right about now. Wouldn’t that be a nice headline? Local Hero Punches His Own Goddamn Lights Out With 200 Homosexuals Watching. More on Page 12.
“Bakugou,” Kirishima eventually says, and the sand-blonde finally dares to look up from the other’s dotted shirt. His highschool friend’s smiling at him, crimson eyes looking dangerously dewy and Bakugou feels like the ground beneath his feet turned to quicksand.
“Yeah,” he grumbles, clearing his throat against a sudden lump. “Anyway, that’s all I got.”
“That’s okay,” Kirishima says, and Bakugou’s eyes flutter shut all by themselves as the redhead leans in, “it’s the only advice I need.”