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Bakugou had never been more grateful for his choice in dark pants than as he wiped the sweat from his palms onto his pants for the nth time that afternoon. He shifted his feet, turning to hide his face. He quietly adjusted his breathing and risked a glance at the green-haired boy that was admiring a swarm of fish through the aquarium glass. If you asked any onlookers, they’d say he looked nervous. They’d sound crazy, after all Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight doesn’t get nervous. Lucky for them, it’s not the explosive hero but Kacchan Bakugou standing there. The blonde teen who was still recovering, trying to get his heart under control. If his heart monitor went off, they’d have to go back to the dorms, ruining the day out they had planned. He finally got the courage to ask Izuku on a date and refused to let his stupid heart ruin it.
Bakugou got his heart back to a semi normal pace and turned to face Izuku. He was muttering something, probably facts about what kind of fish he was looking at. Regardless, it fell on deaf ears. Bakugou was too busy admiring the way those sage green eyes, despite the room being dimly lit, seem to sparkle like glitter. They were full of pure awe, and yet, when those eyes landed on him, they somehow got brighter. They were practically glowing. Dark green curls perfectly framed his face, and his smile was enough to make Bakugou’s heart start racing again.
Izuku gasped “Kacchan,” pointing to a stingray that was near top, pressing flat against the glass, slightly shifting every couple of seconds. “Isn’t it so cute?” No, it isn’t. Bakugou wasn’t even sure what he was looking at. The underside of a stingray is something no human was ever meant to see. It looked like that “Last Human” thing from that time traveling show Izuku made him watch a couple weeks ago. It was probably slimy as shit too. But he can’t say that. Not when Izuku is looking at him like he was the only thing in that room that mattered. Instead, he just nodded in agreement. “Surprised that one hasn’t eaten the others.” Bakugou pointed to a shark that was moving closer to the glass. It’s rather small and lazily moving amongst the fish, not even attempting to eat the ones right by its mouth. This had Izuku raving about sharks for a good 20 minutes. He didn’t even notice when Bakugou slowly led them across the room. The blonde was more than happy to get away from the ugly ass stingray that he was sure would open its mouth and ask to be moisturized if he stayed for even a second more.
They made it through an archway into a larger area. This space was somehow darker than the previous one. There weren’t any kids running around, being loud and bumping into strangers, just scattered couples whispering amongst themselves. A couple passed by fingers linked as they pointed around the room at various fossils and such that caught their eyes. Bakugou felt the sweat build up on his palms and couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to hold Izuku’s hand in that moment. Sure, it’s normal to hold hands on a date, but what if Izuku found his sweaty hands gross? Or worse, what if Izuku thought they weren’t on a date? What if Izuku thought this was just a normal hangout with a friend? He wasn’t the best at the whole ‘feelings’ thing, so he probably didn’t make it clear he meant ‘go out’ as in ‘go on a date’. God, why did he have to be so emotionally stunted. He should’ve just asked Raccoon eyes for advice.
He can’t ruin what they worked so hard rebuilding. So, he won’t do it. Maybe another time he can properly ask him on a date, make sure there is no room for confusion. He’ll make it clear that he wants Izuku to be his boyfriend. For now, he’ll shove his hand into his pockets and force himself to think about anything other than what Izuku’s hand would feel like intertwined with his. His eyes locked onto the way Izuku was entranced by the jellyfish floating through the water. Face mere inches from being pressed against the glass, childlike wonder radiating off him like rays from the sun. The darkness of the room contrasted with the soft blue light of the aquarium made Izuku look like an angel. Bakugou gasped softly, barely counting as noise. It was still enough to catch Izuku’s attention. Vibrant ruby locked onto enchanting emerald. They stayed there for a moment, lost in the comfort of the other’s presence.
Izuku smiled softly and Bakugou was grateful for the dark, hoping it’s enough to hide the red coating his cheeks. “I’m glad you asked first,” Izuku chuckled softly, awkwardly scratching his cheek. “I wasn’t sure how exactly you go about asking someone on a date.” Without thinking, Bakugou lifted his hand, brushing away the stray curl that was stuck to Izuku’s cheek. The freckled boy’s face flushed as the blonde's hand lingered for a second more. They froze as a chorus of soft gasps echoed throughout the room. Bakugou’s hand fell to his side as they turned, eyes landing on a whale shark. An assortment of creatures surrounded it, loosely following it as it moved. It was something straight out of a painting.
Izuku took a hold of Kacchan’s hand, pulling him along to try and get a closer look at the creature. Even the stingrays looked cool next to it, looking almost like bats as they glided through the water. Bakugou smiled softly as he let himself be led around the room. As Izuku started rambling all the whale shark facts he knew, Kacchan adjusted his hand so that their fingers were interlocked. The rough, scarred hand against his own that was soft and warm in comparison made his heart skip a beat. Red eyes glanced at the spots on the whale shark; they reminded him of the freckles decorating Izuku’s skin. Suddenly all he wanted to do was count them. Maybe there were new ones he had yet to discover. The words leaving Izuku’s lips sounded like a melody as Bakugou admired his... Boyfriend? Were they official now? He’d have to ask. That would have to wait though, right now; he was admiring Izuku’s smile in the glow of the aquarium.