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Eijirou stands in front of Sero’s door, sweating. He’s raised his fist to knock about a dozen times already. He just has to commit, get the advice he’s come for before he sees Bakugou this afternoon. Shaking out his hands and huffing a quick breath, he raises his hand again. Before his knuckles can decide if this is the time they make contact with the wood or not, the door swings open. Sero stands in front of him, unamused.
Surprised by the sudden appearance of his friend, Eijirou squeaks out the reason he’s here, “I like Bakugou.”
Sero blinks at him a couple of times before sighing and grabbing his arm, dragging him into the room. Eijirou should’ve known the click of the closing door to be his death sentence.
“Hurry yer ass up, I’m meeting E in a few,” Katsuki grouses, gauntlet case tucked under his arm. It’s his fifth trip to Gym Gamma this week.
“Oho, that’s what this is about, Kacchan?” Midoriya teases. “Getting out any excess tension before seeing your boyfriend?” Singsonging the last word, he bumps Katsuki’s shoulder then bolts ahead of him, just out of reach. He spins on his heel, facing Katsuki with a challenge, “Instead of beating me up, you should just invite Kirishima to the gym. I’m sure it’d be much more fun. An actual challenge, hm?”
“You just gotta stop holding back, maybe then you’ll actually land a hit!” Katsuki shouts as he chases Midoriya down the path.
“Say that again,” Sero demands.
“I like Bakugou,” Eijirou repeats, voice much stronger this time.
Sero shakes his head. “That’s not news.”
“Oh.” The surprise is clear in Eijirou’s voice. “Sorry, I guess I haven’t been too subtle, huh?” Maybe Bakugou already knows, then. Oh, god. If Bakugou knows and hasn’t said anything, then maybe Eijirou shouldn’t either. He’ll make it awkward, for sure.
“Wait,” Sero’s voice cuts through his thoughts, disbelief wobbles his words, “are you guys not dating?”
Eijirou tilts his head. “No?”
Sero’s eyes bug out. Eijirou would find it a little funny if not for his current predicament.
“That’s actually why I’m he—” Eijirou doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Sero interrupts him.
“Fuck my life, okay, dude. Get out of my room.” He moves to push Eijirou in the direction of the door by his shoulders.
“What? Man, what? Are you, like, not okay with me liking dudes? I thought you knew!” Eijirou tries to make sense of what’s happening. He just wanted some advice from a friend, now he’s learning said friend is not okay with a core part of his being? “I thought I knew you, man.”
Well that hurts.
“What? No, I’m not—” Sero stops pushing him out for a second, quirking a brow before shaking his head clear. “Oh, my god!! Fuck off! Go talk to Kami about this, holy shit, not on my day off.”
Eijirou is unceremoniously kicked out, left to flounder in the hallway as the door closes behind him.
He worries his lip on the elevator trip down two floors. Well, now he’s a different kind of nervous. He coulda sworn he’s talked about being gay with his friends before. Right? Sero never said anything then. And, what if Kaminari reacts the same way? He’s starting to reconsider his choice in friends, now.
The elevator doors open and he makes his way to Kaminari’s room. He actually knocks this time, preparing himself for any possibility. The door swings open and Kaminari welcomes him in. Eijirou is surprised to see Jirou over, sitting in Kaminari’s desk chair. She lazily twirls her earphone jack, but her expression is grim. She sets her phone down and looks up to Eijirou.
“Sero told us,” she reveals.
“Wh-what?” Okay, Eijirou might need new friends. This is ridiculous. Hasn’t Kaminari talked about some fling with a guy before? Did Eijirou make that up? How did he get so unlucky in the friend department?
Jirou and Kaminari share a withering look, she shuts her eyes closed as he lets out a disappointed sigh. “It’s worse than we thought.” Jirou nods.
Yeah. Eijirou decides that’s enough. “Not cool guys. What the hell? I’m not suddenly a different person just because I like dudes!”
“What?”
Eijirou pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters, “I can’t believe this. Making friends with bigots. Mama, give me strength.”
“Dude,” Jirou cuts in, “I’m lesbian. This isn’t about being gay.”
Oh.
Eijirou gets it, now. “So, this is about Bakugou? That’s a whole different issue! First off, it’s not that crazy!”
“Oh my god, I understand why Sero kicked him out,” Jirou groans. Kaminari places a hand on her shoulder, solemn.
“I don’t have to hear this. You aren’t going to convince me I shouldn’t like him,” Eijirou huffs.
Kaminari takes a step closer. He has pity written all over his face and he approaches Eijirou like a cornered animal. “Kiri, my bro, my love, the sweat on my sparring mat. You.” He points to Eijirou.
“You mean to tell me.” He turns his hands towards himself. “Me. That you like Bakugou?”
“Yes. And you’re not going to convince me I don’t,” he responds, exasperated. He regrets his choice of leaving his room this morning. Following the chain of events, he’s flip flopping between whether it’s good he knows how his friends feel now or not. Maybe ignorant bliss is the way he shoulda gone.
Kaminari breathes in slowly, asking, “And he knows this?”
“No! And that’s what I’m tryin—”
Kaminari lets out some sparks as he whips around to face Jirou. His voice has dropped an octave when he utters, “He doesn’t know.”
“Shit.” Jirou grabs her phone and dials a number Eijirou can’t quite catch.
“Guys, what? Why are you all being so cryptic?” he asks, frustration clear through the growl at the end of his sentence.
“Nope.” Kaminari turns to him, snapping his hand like a mouth shutting. “Shut up. No speaking from you. Sit your ass down.”
As Eijirou is being shoved onto Kaminari’s bed he can only catch the tail end of Jirou’s side of the phone call.
“Yeah,” she says, “No. Yep, okay, sounds good.” She hangs up, stands from her chair, and approaches Eijirou and Kaminari at the bed.
“Ashido is on her way,” she says.
He wonders how long this’ll take. Eijirou is really reconsidering talking to Bakugou about this, even if there is a small chance of him reciprocating, if this is the response his friends have to the mere idea? He wonders if this is how they’d react if he was, instead, telling them he and Bakugou were dating. Hm. Really, he’s considering if he should just ditch everyone, Bakugou would be more than happy to.
Katsuki is toweling off his hair as his phone alarm buzzes. Perfect, done just in time. He shoulder-checks Midoriya as he leaves the locker room, throwing a “later nerd” behind him.
“Have fun!” He hears as the door shuts closed. Katsuki rolls his eyes. There’s no time to dwell on the nerd’s mockery, he’s going to see his boyfriend, so who’s the real winner here, huh?
He’s making his way back to the dorms when his phone chimes again. There are very few people who can bypass his Do Not Disturb, so once he’s in the common room’s entryway, he checks who it is.
Jirou 2:37
Don’t come upstairs.
Another one replaces her text on his screen.
Sero 2:42
you might wanna wait a sec before coming back to the dorms dude. we’ve got a situation
A situation. What kind of situation? He just wants to see his boyfriend before their break starts. He opens Sero’s text to reply just that.
Bakugou 2:44
What do you mean.
Sero 2:44
just. a situation. we have it under control
Bakugou 2:45
And I can’t help?
Sero 2:46
you’ll make it worse 💯
Bakugou 2:47
Hell’s that supposed to mean??
Read 2:47
Katsuki fumes at being left on read. Fuck this noise, he’s texting Kirishima.
Bakugou 2:51
Hey. Back from the gym just now. Thinking about making something with our leftovers, if you want. Just give me 20ish minutes, yeah?
Delivered 2:51
He pockets his phone and makes his way to the kitchen. Whatever is going on better be done by the time food is ready.
One pan of oil and some reheated chicken later, Katsuki is plating two bowls and walking to the elevator when Midoriya rushes past him, almost running into him in his haste. Shoving the stairwell door open, he quickly looks back at Katsuki. The conviction in Midoriya’s eyes cements Katsuki in place, only having seen such intensity during the war.
“Stay,” Midoriya commands, and it sends chills down Katsuki’s spine. Midoriya’s gone before he can protest. What the hell is going on?
He checks his phone, Kirishima still hasn’t seen his text. Katsuki hates being left in the dark.
Bakugou 3:16
What’s going on.
His foot taps as he waits for a response.
Ashido 3:23
What?
Ashido 3:23
Nothing!
Ashido 3:23
Don’t come upstairs.
This is arbitrary, Katsuki decides. He’s goddamn Dynamight, he doesn’t have to listen to anybody in his own damn house. He’s not even involved in any of this drama, doesn’t know a damn thing about what’s going on with who. He’s going to see his boyfriend, that’s it. Taking his two bowls with him, he calls the elevator down and sends one last text.
Bakugou 3:27
Headed to your room now, Red
Delivered 3:27
As the elevator ascends four floors, Katsuki belatedly wonders if Kirishima is involved in all this hubbub. He really hopes not, but considering the concerted effort to keep him away from the dorms, his gut tells him Kirishima is.
When the elevator doors open, Katsuki is greeted with a blessedly quiet floor. Shouji left for summer break already, so it’s just him and Kirishima for a few days.
Not bothering to knock, Katsuki opens Kirishima’s door and announces his presence.
He’s met with an empty, dark room. Odd. Katsuki sets the bowls down on the desk and looks around the room for any hints of Kirishima’s whereabouts.
His gym bag is still on the floor, propping open the closet door. He wasn’t downstairs. And he knew they were hanging out this afternoon, so he wouldn’t be out with Tetsutetsu or anyone. Shit. So, Kirishima is involved in all this “don’t come upstairs” bullshit. The intervention, or whatever Sero called it?
Katsuki takes the stairs two at a time up to Sero’s dorm. He knocks until his knuckles hurt, but no response. He’ll check Kaminari’s next. If that one’s empty then he’ll check the girls’.
Throwing the stairwell door open again in frustration, Katsuki almost runs into Yaoyorozu. He hears her yelp and before he can get his bearings, she rushes back the way she came. Whatever. She doesn’t have to share a stairwell with him if she damn well pleases. Katsuki is on a mission.
He gets down two floors fast enough, stalking his way to Kaminari’s door. As he approaches, he hears multiple voices yelling at once. God, this’ll be headache inducing, Katsuki knows. As much as he wants to be with his boyfriend for the rest of the evening, he really hopes Kirishima isn’t behind this door.
Opening it with more force than necessary, Katsuki would swear his hearing has finally gone out with how silent the room falls. Nearly half the damn class is shoved in here, packed together like sardines and circled around Kaminari’s bed like a conference room. All heads turn to face Katsuki and he’s greeted with a myriad of emotions. Some look ragged, exasperated. Others with misplaced relief, thinking he was someone else, slowly morphing into the general emotion most of his peers sport: horror.
And on the bed, the center of all goddamn attention, sits his boyfriend, absolutely red in the face. It’s a humorous situation to stumble upon, were Katsuki privy to the situation at hand. But he isn’t. So, it’s mostly just confusing.
The silence is piercing as Katsuki eyes half his peers, the line in his shoulders tense and eyes narrowed like a Spaghetti Western showdown. Midoriya stands. Why the hell is Midoriya here? He opens his mouth to say something when the door creaks open.
Katsuki whips his head around to see Yaoyorozu standing there, surprised.
Many things happen at once.
Kirishima stands up. Ashido jolts out of her seat to stop him. Jirou walks out of the room with Yaoyorozu in hand, throwing insults behind her as they leave. Kaminari and Asui are shouting something about keeping someone’s mouth shut, making it sound like the end of the world. Sero, Uraraka, and Midoriya move to block Katsuki’s line of sight, all three talking over each other trying to tell him something while simultaneously pushing him out of the room. Tokoyami is muttering about bad omens and wrong starts to the summer.
Katsuki shakes off his classmates’ grasps and marches to the bed. Kirishima sits there, stock still, watching Katsuki with big eyes. He looks ready to bolt. Good thing Katsuki is there to save him from whatever their friends were scheming. He takes Kirishima’s hand in his and leads him out of Kaminari’s room, shutting the door on all the chaos.
Katsuki doesn’t let go of his hand the whole trip back. Only when they’re safely in Kirishima’s room, with the door locked and phones silenced, does Katsuki let go.
“What the hell was that about? And why didn’t you text me? I coulda come a lot sooner if I knew you were stuck in the middle of whatever all that was.” Curiosity is the only thing in Katsuki’s voice when he speaks, simply relieved to finally have Kirishima to himself.
Kirishima chuckles nervously, moving to sit on his bed. Katsuki follows, grabbing the two bowls he left on Kirishima’s desk and handing him the warmer one before plopping down.
“I like you,” Kirishima blurts as he takes the proffered bowl on autopilot, then sets it where he was sitting as he clumsily rises to his feet. “I was trying to get advice on how to tell you but I think Sero misunderstood, so I was kicked out and pushed into Kaminari’s room.” Kirishima’s waving his hands around as he speaks. Miming the movement of his adventure. Katsuki just watches him with amusement, not really registering the jumbled mess of words.
“Then, Ash and Jirou were involved and Jirou kept calling people into his dorm and I couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying, they were all talking over each other.” He shakes his head. Katsuki’s eyes follow the movement of loose hair.
“And they kept saying things like “he doesn’t know” and “you’re so dead” and “I thought it was obvious” and I’m pretty sure that, like, at least half our class hates gay people, except Jirou’s lesbian, so, at least they don’t like me being gay? I don’t know, a lot was unclear. Maybe they don’t think I should like you, and that’s the problem, but also, they can go fuck themselves ‘cause all I want is to be with you, so it shouldn’t matter anyway. Unless it matters to you. Then, I don’t know, you can just forget I said anything, I guess.” Kirishima releases a big puff of air as he fully faces Katsuki, his shoulders dropping down and his fingers fidgeting together. He’s funny, Katsuki thinks.
Then, you can forget I said anything.
Hold on. What are they talking about?
“Huh?”
“I—” Kirishima takes a deep breath. “Bakugou. I don’t have a letter written or anything to give you, but, I like you. And, I was hoping you’d, maybe, want to go out together?”
He looks so nervous, standing in front of Katsuki with his red hair and redder ears. There’s a shake to his voice when he speaks and an anxious twitch to his cheek, but the conviction in his confession—confession? Katsuki supposes so—has him swooning. He can’t help the mirthful laugh that breaks through all the confusion. And, really, it’s a fit of laughter, Katsuki clutching at his stomach as it falls past his lips.
“Oh—” he wheezes. He can’t even be upset about the misunderstanding. Kirishima was so determined with his confession, it makes up for it all. And the shit show he must have endured today? Yeah, Katsuki isn’t angry. He tries to quell his laughter and gather his thoughts.
“Kirishima,” Katsuki says through an amused sigh. He takes Kirishima’s hands in his, pulling him closer. “We’re already going out, aren't we?”
Kirishima tilts his head, brows furrowing, but he doesn’t pull away. “What?”
Katsuki laughs again. He holds their hands up between them, gesturing back and forth as he asks, “What do you call this, huh? The study dates? The hiking? We’ve always gone out to eat on Thursdays. Alone! I call you Red! No one else calls you Red! You’ve met my parents. Hell, when’s the last time you’ve slept by yourself? Hm?”
Kirishima’s eyebrows are still furrowed, now in thought. “Huh,” he says as realization dawns on his face, drawing out a wide smile as he looks down to Katsuki. “I guess so.”
“You idiot,” Katsuki chuckles, matching his grin. Their hands are still entwined between them. Kirishima leans closer to him, his eyes filled with relief and something Katsuki dares to call devotion.
“Your idiot?” Kirishima parrots, his gaze darting down to Katsuki’s lips and back. Katsuki sits a little straighter, swaying to meet Kirishima in the middle when a knock at the door has them jumping apart as if they aren’t in the privacy of their own room.
“Kiri?” It’s Kaminari’s voice. “You alive?”
Katsuki rolls his eyes as Kirishima takes a haggard sigh, clutching at his chest. He walks to his door and cracks it open just enough to glare at Kaminari.
“Did you tell Bakugou?” Katsuki hears him ask.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Kirishima retorts, the bitterness of an interrupted first kiss clear in his voice.
“You still haven’t told him?!” Kaminari squawks. “At this point it’s your life, not mine.”
Kirishima closes the door in his face.
Bounding back to the bed, he tackles Katsuki into the pillows. Katsuki is smiling like a maniac, Kirishima’s giggling is no better. He winds his hands around Kirishima’s shoulders, holding him close. Their breaths mingle, and there are no fireworks, no explosions, no fanfare with being this close.
It’s exactly like how Katsuki imagined. Because it’s Kirishima, and there are enough explosions between them already. Katsuki doesn’t want Kirishima to harden for a kiss. He doesn’t want the aching recoil in his shoulders and an expectation of a retaliatory impact. He wants soft skin and even breathing.
They share a simple peck, both smiling into it. It’s all he really wants, going into summer sweetly.