Archive of Our Own

ACT I

the more he contemplates it, the more he realizes that this wasn’t supposed to happen. they were three fucking feet away from each other, immersed in some stupid, competitive game, snacks of all sorts between them, unopened and scattered, but before he could comprehend his thoughts, a body was on top of him, mouth clashing with his own, slick and rough and empty. 

there were hands touching him, nails scratching at his skin; his abs, his shoulders and ribs were screaming, inflamed and welted, it made him hiss. everything felt too rushed, his thoughts were pouring in, but it didn’t seem to matter because in the end, he consented, he had every opportunity to end this thing before it got too far. 

his blood was rushing, the body before him felt foreign and warm. too warm. the floor was crowded and his knees were bumping into everything, it annoyed him to the point where he was getting pissed off. unable to suppress his growing frustration, he detached himself, catching his breath. “this isn’t working.” he announces gruffly, standing up, knees weak and sits on the end of the couch, legs widening.  

the boy below him scrambles to his knees, breathing deeply, hands clumsy as they reach straight for his zipper, fingers grappling for his thickening member. the touch made him flinch. he didn’t realize how pent up he was until now. this was so fucked up that he wants to laugh. he’s so pathetic, but he has no intention of stopping. not when he watches the boy begin to suckle the head of his dick, or when he tries to swallow him. 

he clenches his fists, a grunt working its way up his throat. wordlessly, he reaches a hand out towards the boys’ hair, tugging at the roots, hardly caring if he’s causing some pain to the other. thinks that it’s okay since he releases a moan, tugs harder, pushing more of himself inside this hot, wet, mouth. god, this was so empty. so fucking empty and he doesn’t stop. 

his ears are ringing, observes the other boy, raising and sinking his head with earnest, it seems like he’s enjoying himself. good for him. bakugou can’t say the same. there was no attachment and maybe that was his own doing. no attachment beside being friends. he was so fucked for this. “stop.” bakugou says, tone rough. “get up here, i can’t wait anymore.”  

he really couldn’t. he was so hard it started to throb; his stomach was tensing. the boy stands up, a little off balance when he begins to strip himself of his jeans, bakugou thought it was cute. his skin was kind and clean, the setting sun burning through the flowing curtains. then there were thighs straddling him, hands on his shoulders as the other adjusts himself on top of him.  

with little haste, bakugou raises his hand. “open your mouth.” and when lips part, he presses his index and ring finger against the flesh of his tongue, soon enough it’s coated in warm saliva, past his knuckles and bakugou smirks. “you’re pretty obedient today, wonder why. you’re usually a brat.”  

the boy licks his lips. “fuck off, i’m in a good mood.” words harsh but voice gentle, arms encasing around his neck as he grinds lazily against bakugou’s hips to create some friction. they both intake a lungful of air at that. “stop being an asshole and making fun of me, the other’s will be here soon enough.” with that, bakugou inserts his fingers, the body on top of him trembles, shaky breaths fanning over his neck, mindlessly rutting back against his long fingers. 

“i should have known that this was your plan.” bakugou begins, pulling out his fingers and shoving them back in, taking pride in knowing the boy above him was gasping for air, cursing. “you like that kind of shit, don’t you? the thought of getting caught any moment.” he mutters. “what if they decide to meet up and come earlier than planned, right?” a shiver racks on top of him. “what if someone just opens my front door, right now, and sees me fucking your ass with my fingers.” 

“seriously, fuck you. i hate you.”  

bakugou simply cannot help the smirk that overwhelms his lips when the other says that. “yeah, fuck me.” is what he concludes and pulls out his fingers, a hiss emerging from above him. “better hurry before they come. they’ll be here any time, now, denki.” bakugou reminded in a teasing manner. he couldn’t help it. once he got started it was hard for him to stop. 

the boy grabbed ahold of his cock, giving it two long pumps before aligning it with his entrance and slowly sank down on it. bakugou grunted from the tightness, hot and slick, sucking him right up, inviting and empty. he wonders if the other feels the same way. just filling a void since it was convenient for both of them. they were friends. good friends. who just so happened to fuck every now and again. 

it wasn’t long before the living room was overflowing with provocative sounds of the two. bakugou got too impatient and gripped denki’s hips and surged his hips upwards, matching the sync of when denki would slam his hips down, the impact was becoming too much, bakugou knew because every time the other would tense up, it meant bakugou was hitting the spot inside him where it really counted. 

denki leans back, one hand resting on the arm of the couch for stability, the other still on bakugou’s shoulder, fingertips digging into his skin, making him wince. given his current view, bakugou soaks up the scene in front of him, sees denki’s faint abs, watches as his cock jumps with each bounce, precum leaking from the head, sticky and rubbing against his own stomach.  

bakugou tilts his head and reaches out, hands engulfing his length, giving it some strokes, sloppy and messy, just like his thoughts and feelings. the boy shudders, grinding his hips down on bakugou’s cock and whines out, becoming over stimulated. “fuck. fuck.” he cries out loud. always so loud, and he comes first. bakugou milks it until nothing comes out. “don’t stop. keep going until you come, too.”  

it was a selfish thing to take advantage of. bakugou knew this and he fucking hated himself for it every god damn time but he secretly loved this part. the part where he could keep going, the part where he didn’t have to stop. it was so fucking hot to him. maybe denki picked up on this at one point and gave bakugou a source of control ㅡ something. whatever it was, it made bakugou lose his fucking mind. perhaps he really liked the idea of overstimulating someone, the sight and sound of someone crying because it hurt really good. who fucking knew. he was already in deep shit, what’s the point in stopping now? 

only when bakugou readied himself into a position to pump his cock hard and deep into denki’s hole, both of their phones begin to ring seconds apart from each other. the sudden sound made them flinch. pulling away, they looked at one another, puzzled, before awareness settled into their faces. denki gives him a sorrowful expression before slowly removing himself from on top of him, eyes slightly screwing shut from the pleasure and bareness. 

bakugou sighs. pouting at his slick covered cock that lay pitifully against his torso. he ignores his phone and glances at the other who was already buttoning his jeans, pulling the hem of his shirt out. he takes a deep breath before answering his phone, a forced smile planting itself on his mouth to try to trick his voice into sounding completely fine and not just splattering his friend with his own come, seconds before. bakugou commends him for that. 

“hey, tsu, what’s up?” denki says, clearing his throat and glances at bakugou’s displeased form. he smiles a little and walks back over, getting on his knees. bakugou already knows what he’s going to do and again, bakugou doesn’t stop him. he really hates himself for this shit. “yeah, i just arrived at his place a few minutes ago.” he wraps his hand around his cock and gives it a slow pump, as if testing out bakugou’s reaction. he’s pleased with himself when bakugou doesn’t make a move to get away. “i got the snacks for everyone, you guys don’t have to worry about that. just the drinks.”  

bakugou also thinks this is really hot for some reason. denki’s on the phone, watching him, biting his bottom lip and sliding his hand up and down his dick, wrist twisting towards the top and he almost hisses out loud. he can hear tsu’s voice on the other line. why was this getting to him? the spark of excitement. 

“bakugou? yeah, he’s awake. he’s getting ready. he said he might take a shower before everyone gets here.” suddenly the movements stop and bakugou gives him a what the fuck look before understanding what the other is implying him to do and fuck ㅡ this is so fucked. all of it. everything. he hates himself. “he seems like he’s in a good mood today, so we have that going for us.” denki chuckles, watching as bakugou ruts up in his hand, careful at first before getting into a good pace. one that was igniting a fire in his stomach. finally, time to get this over with. he was there, right there. 

“okay, we’ll see you guys in a few. be careful on your way here. tell eijiro no speeding. see you.” denki ends the call and tosses his phone on the ground before removing his hand and swallows his cock in his mouth and sucks hard enough for bakugou to groan, spilling inside, his body tightening up then relaxing. the boy was nice enough to tuck bakugou back in his boxers. “might want to change. they’ll be here any minute, for real.” 

“fuck you.” bakugou says, breathing in. smiles a little when denki chuckles. “i’m going to shower, i’ll be right back.” he stands up, pulling his shirt over his head and walks to his room, tossing it in the hamper and digs out another clean one, grabs a towel and heads in to the shower, mind kicking into gear. thoughts leaking in and yeah, he was really fucked up for doing this, but then again, there really wasn’t a reason for him to feel so guilt ridden. they were friends. they knew what they were doing and it didn’t impact their friendship in a negative way so why the fuck does this always happen to him afterwards. 

when bakugou emerges from the bathroom with a towel over his hair, he’s greeted by his friends. they all decided to come over and hangout and frankly, bakugou didn’t really mind the chaos that ensued. it helped him forget about everything that he would normally struggle with when he was alone. he walks to the kitchen where toru was and peeks inside the one of many plastic bags.  

“don’t worry, tokoyami got you those gross cigarettes you like.” she smiles, wavy teal hair falling over her shoulders. she pulls out a few cases of cheap beer and honestly, bakugou has no idea how they get away with getting it but it doesn’t concern him enough to ask of their ways.  

“don’t call them gross, you literally asked me for one the other day.” bakugou rolls his eyes, bumping shoulders with her. she laughs, shaking her head. he scans the room, noticing it wasn’t the usual count. “where’s shouto and mina? they didn’t want to come?” he waves when midoriya and aoyama make eye contact with him. 

toru opens the fridge and places them inside. “they’re out in the car, talking.” she says, then when she turns around, she leans in close to bakugou, hand covering the side of her mouth as she speaks in a secret. “shouto’s a little shy right now.”  

“shy?” bakugou repeats, confused. “why?” he takes off the towel and throws it somewhere. 

toru runs her fingers through her hair. “he got dressed up and now i think he’s regretting it. he doesn’t want to come inside because he might be embarrassed. mina’s trying to persuade him.” 

bakugou nods. there must be more to this than he can grasp. maybe he should go see if he was okay. shouto was the second to last person to join their little group, he’s a boy with a feminine build and face. bakugou always thought he was pure in his own way. he doesn’t see a reason for why he would be embarrassed about clothing. “i’ll go see if he’s alright, then.” he says, searching in the last bag and spots the pack of cigarettes and snatches it.  

as he heads towards to the front door, eijiro throws him a lighter, laughing when bakugou drops it. he flips him off and goes outside. unwrapping the plastic, he tosses it on the ground and opens the lid, raising it to his mouth and his teeth clenches on the filter, sliding it out and lights it up immediately. he inhales it, squints at the sun that is painting the sky in too many complex colors. still, he thinks it’s nice. 

he sets his sight on the car in the driveway. it was still running, he could hear the engine humming and trudges towards it in slow steps, taking his time. the windows were tinted enough to make him weary about approaching in the first place but he was half way there. he leans against the car, arm resting above the window and knocks on it twice, gently, with his knuckle.  

after a minute or so passes, the window lowers and bakugou exhales the smoke in another direction, hoping it didn’t get in their faces too much. mina smiles at him, but her eyes seem different. he leans down more to see shouto there, a hoodie covering his legs but he doesn’t look at him at all.  

“sorry if i’m interrupting, just wanted to see if you two were okay.” bakugou begins, thinking that this is the better way to go about it. that, and not wanting to make toru the bad guy for telling him something that the pair didn’t want him to know. “is someone not feeling well?” he tries. 

mina offers a smile. “we’re okay. just talking a little, right, shouto?” she turns her head to look at him, her hand patting his shoulder. bakugou studies him until the boy nods, his white hair looks gray in the shadows. “hey, i have an idea. why don’t you show bakugou your outfit and see what he thinks? he’s not one to sugar coat stuff.”  

“his outfit?” bakugou plays dumb, tilting his head. shouto whips his neck towards him, eyes wide and he thinks he can see his ears glowing red.  

“i don’t know, mina. i’m not reallyㅡ”  

“i won’t lie.” bakugou cuts in, inhaling from the cigarette, eyes locked in with shouto’s. “but i also won’t make fun of you.” he says, earnestly. 

it’s quiet for a couple seconds, shouto breaks contact with his gaze falling to his lap, where he fidgets with his fingers. something that seems delicate and bakugou feels oddly drawn to it. mina looks between the two and comes to a conclusion. one that bakugou doesn’t see coming but isn’t against. 

“i’m going to go in so you guys can talk some, okay?” when shouto nods she gives him a little hug, cooing. “don’t worry shouto, bakugou isn’t like that, you should know that by now, yeah? i’m going to get us some cold drinks. we’ll see you inside.” 

she rolls up the window and he barely makes out her figure as she sits forward, pushing a button to kill the engine then bakugou steps away in order for her to get out and she quietly goes inside, leaving him and shouto to themselves. he finishes off his cigarette and flicks it to the ground, scuffing it with his shoe. he pets the nape of his neck and walks around the back of the car and leans against the drivers’ side door, crossing his arms. 

he clears his throat, not exactly knowing what to do with himself but he knows he doesn’t want any discomfort to grow inside anyone’s heart. “you don’t have to rush.” he says, peering downwards at his shoes, kicking a pebble. “whenever you feel ready you can come out.” he doesn’t even know if he’s getting through to him. he might be talking too softly. 

he’s not sure how many minutes pass, but he’s patient. the look in mina’s eyes seemed serious enough and he had no right to force someone into doing something when they’re unsure of the outcome. this was important to shouto especially. the least he could do was hear him out if he had any complaints or worries. besides, what’s so wrong about an outfit?  

“i’m coming out, now.”  

this catches bakugou’s ears and he straightens his posture. he keeps his gaze settled on the ground, in case shouto felt more timid if he were to watch his every move. until he hears the door shut and sees a pair of shoes in his sight, he drifts his eyes upwards, taking it all in. sneakers, worn and plain, legs decorated in fishnets (ㅡ that’s interesting), a black skirt (ㅡ also interesting), short and pleated; flutters a little bit when the wind picks up and then a white button up shirt that’s a little bit oversized, partially tucked in.  

it looks untidy but maybe that’s the idea. hell if he knew anything about fashion, all bakugou is known for is black shirts, ripped jeans and piercings. when he meets shouto’s eyes, the boy appears nervous. his hands are engulfed in the cuffs, but he’ll bet money that he’s fidgeting. his hair is shiny, half crimson, the other half cloud white. his bangs are getting in the way of his eyes. he brushes them back and that’s when bakugou notices that his cheeks are tinted pink. pink and lovely. bakugou says the first thing that came to his mind. 

“is the shirt supposed to be tucked in like that?” 

there was silence between them until shouto hides his face but his shoulders were jerking lightly. is he laughing? it’s confirmed that he is when he sees shouto’s smile, the apples of his cheeks are round and sweet. bakugou feels weird all of a sudden. seeing him like this. this shy side. he wasn’t this way before, and he wonders why a pang of curiosity bubbles inside him for a brief moment until it disappears. 

“yeah, it is.” shouto answers, smoothing out the fabric, his fingertips peeking out of the cuffs. “i thought it looked nicer this way.” he trails off. he glances at bakugou and clears his throat. “do i look okay? the skirt is something new to me.” 

bakugou takes another long stare. thinking. thinking that he doesn’t mind this shouto at all. in fact, seeing this outfit on him makes bakugou’s heart rate pick up a little. he leans away from the car, takes a step closer to shouto and hums. stalling, to get him worked up because he’s a bit of an asshole like that. shouto’s eyes widen a bit at the close proximity. startles when bakugou ruffles his own hair and squats down, getting a closer look. he reaches out a hand and taps shouto’s thigh once. finger grazing over the thin material, feels shouto’s smooth skin. 

“i like these.” bakugou mutters, lifting his head and blinks at shouto’s appalled reaction. dumbfounded but relieved to hear his words. so much so that he even closes his eyes, like he’s trying to calm his own heart. he stands up again. “and your skirt. i think you look pretty.”  

it’s not a word that bakugou is well acquainted with. he doesn’t even know if he’s ever said that word out loud in his lifetime but it suited him and maybe that’s why it came out without even thinking twice. shouto is practically gleaming at this point. unable to produce words, like they’re stuck in his throat, burning up and raging with gratefulness.  

“didn’t the others see what you’re wearing? why are you nervous?” he asks, genuinely curious.  

shouto sighs, looking down and shrugging. “before i came out of my house, i was already covering myself with my hoodie, so no? they didn’t say anything about it if they did. i guess i was scared to see their reactions, too, so i didn’t bother to look at them either.” he explains. “you guys have only ever seen me wearing my usual clothes, i don’t know why i got dressed up, i feel stupid now compared to what the others are wearing.”  

bakugou scratches his head, sniffing. “i paint my nails and they don’t say anything to me about that.” he says, stretching out his hand and showing off his chipped nails. he’s going to have to repaint them now that he sees how messed up they are.  

shouto nods, taking a look. “but you’ve always done that since before. this ㅡ this is completely different for me. in public, around friends, you know?” 

“i can understand that, yeah.” bakugou agrees. looking back towards the house then to shouto. “so, you’re sure they didn’t see your whole outfit?”  

shouto nods. “besides mina, i don’t think so.” he mumbles, bakugou can tell that he’s feeling pressured. “i’m sorry. i know this probably sounds really stupid to you.” 

“not at all.” he cuts him off, waving that comment away with his hand. “you’re scared. it’s nothing to feel bad about.” bakugou reasons, trying to make him feel better. “if anything, i’m the one who would feel like shit if you felt forced to stay here when you didn’t want to. do you want to go home? i’m sure mina and the others would understand.” 

“that’s the thing.” shouto begins. “i really wanted to hang out with everyone tonight. it’s been a while since we all got together. i was really happy when midoriya texted me saying everyone was going to meet up.” he brushes away his bangs again. bakugou is drawn to it while listening to his words. “i don’t want to leave when i just got here.” he mutters. 

bakugou thinks for a minute. comes up with a plan. “then just stay next to me tonight.” bakugou says, shrugging, tilting his head when shouto’s eyes sparkle. “if anyone says anything to you, i’ll take care of it. don’t worry and have a good time.”  

“really? you won’t be annoyed with me sitting by you?” shouto asks, crossing his arms over his stomach. bakugou thinks he looks smaller than usual. weird. that’s fucking weird.  

“why would i be annoyed? i offered and we’re friends. nothing to be annoyed about.” all shouto can do is nod. “if things get too much for you, you can always hang out in my room until you feel better, as well. how’s that sound? good? alright? the best plan you’ve ever heard in your life? i agree.” 

he succeeds in making shouto smile again, a breathy giggle escapes through his lips. makes the worldㅡ

“thank you.” shouto says. “really. i appreciate it.”  

bakugou nods towards the house. “come on. i think toru was putting ice cream in the freezer before i came out here. i wonder which flavor she got.” he was just saying shit now. he has no idea if toru actually bought ice cream, he was only making an effort to put shouto’s mind at ease if it were still reeling with unpleasant thoughts. “i’m betting mint chocolate chip.” 

before entering, shouto’s hands wrapped themselves around bakugou’s forearm for comfort (ㅡ if anyone else tried that shit, he would have shrugged them off) but he allows him.  

when they reenter his house, bakugou is pleased to see and hear everyone having a nice time so far. the television is on, some music is blaring in the background. food and drinks are littering everyone laps. when mina greets shouto in a happy manner, everyone’s eyes turn to them and bakugou blinks, eyes narrowing at their uncertain glances. shouto tries to hide himself behind him. 

bakugou has always had an open mind about almost everything, it’s rare for him to feel closed off. it could be the way he was raised, the environment surrounding him and he really wants to believe that the people he’s known for a long time are the same way but that’s not always the case. he wants to believe in them, think that the others would have a similar mindset and he guesses that this was going to determine their future of whether they would continue being friends. 

bakugou takes a glimpse over his shoulder. “are you hungry? let’s go get something to eat.” he’s fucking starving now that he’s thinking about it. the pair walk past denki and midoriya, then toru and eijiro, who nod at them wordlessly. bakugou gets both of them plates for their food and slowly, the assemblage goes back to what they were doing before. a part of him was glad he didn’t have to resort to anything nasty. though, if he had to, he would. 

“here’s some drinks!” mina exclaims, setting soda down on the island counter. “i got your favorite shouto.” she smiles widely, pouring with joy when shouto offers his cup. 

“get what you want, i’m getting a beer.” bakugou says, opening the fridge and grasping at the first bottle he lays his eyes on. he twists the cap off and takes two gulps before sighing in content. wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. he waits for shouto to get some food and grab his drink before going into the living room. he comes into contact with aoyama and tokoyami. “move over, fuckers.” 

the pair laughs and calls him stupid before moving over enough to where shouto had a seat, too. they get comfortable and begin eating, shouto is pressed against bakugou’s side. he’s not used to this either but whatever makes him feel better for now. mina and tsu end up by shouto’s side, striking up a conversation with him and shouto seems more relieved than before. participating in social situations. 

everything’s is going fine so far. bakugou was already on his fourth beer before the taste was finally getting to him. it tasted so cheap and thin, but it worked like a charm, made his brain all fuzzy and loose, it was nice. he was in the middle of playing a game with midoriya and aoyama before he screwed up his fingers and lost. everyone was giving him shit for it, even shouto was laughing. 

“you fucking suck at this game.” denki laughs, taking a sip of alcohol, when bakugou peers over in his direction to glare at him, he’s biting his lip. it’s subtle but bakugou knows that look anywhere. of course he’s fucking instigating. 

“and you suck in general, don’t you?” bakugou shoots back. it sounds like bickering to the rest of the group but obviously bakugou doesn’t have enough self-respect to not go along with it. a smirk is plastered on bakugou’s lips when denki’s face turns red and he coughs, turning his head. tokoyami asks if he’s alright and pats his back.  

he hands the controller to tsu who was holding out her hands, whining that it’s been over an hour already and it’s finally her turn. shouto hasn’t left his side since earlier, but mina and him were still talking. it’s hard to tell what’s going through everyone’s mind, but no one has brought up anything about shouto’s outfit but that doesn’t mean that the glances they steal every once in awhile aren’t positive. 

he doesn’t mean to, but his eyes fall on to shouto’s legs. his thighs were right fucking there. personally, if it were bakugou, he would tell shouto not to wear the tights. he did like them, but shouto’s skin looks really fucking nice, felt even softer, like silk. he blinks when shouto moves one leg over the other, crossing them. the muscles there flex slightly, and he has to force himself to look elsewhere. 

the sun was finally gone when bakugou came to, waking up from his doze. night fell quicker than bakugou had anticipated. everyone was either passed out or on the verge of doing so. there was still tokoyami and midoriya who shut off the game and opted to put on a movie; something to fall asleep to, on the floor. tsu and mina were off on the other side, and even shouto was resting his head on his arm as he leaned against the couch. bakugou thinks he might have fell asleep at some point. 

he gets up and does his best not to stir anyone, making his way towards the bathroom, pleased to know that no one was in there. he splashes cool water on his face and checks his phone while he’s in there, clearing some notifications and texting his brother back, telling him his friends were more or less spending the night.  

there’s a brief moment where he wonders if he should just go sleep in his room, but a part of him felt bad if shouto were to wake up and see that he left. he sees no harm in telling him that he’s going to go to bed. thanks to the television light, he doesn’t have to strain his vision when he comes back into the living room but shouto isn’t there on the couch anymore. where the fuck did he go?  

he twists back around, checking his own room, only to find it empty, then his brothers, but that’s empty, too. walking out into the living room again, he sits down on the couch, waiting, wondering if maybe shouto forgot his hoodie out in the car. even so, he should be back by now, right? bakugou ruffles his hair and bites back a groan before deciding to get up once again and minces around bodies, careful to not step on anyone. 

when he extends his hands towards the door knob, he notices that the door itself is already ajar and if he leans in, he can make out voices. denki. the other is shouto. what are they doing outside? it’s got to be cold. still, his curiosity gets the better of him. he doesn’t exactly remember a time when those two were close enough to be by themselves. they were friendly; civil, but to be alone? something didn’t settle with him. 

“ㅡing at?”  

“i don’t understand what youㅡ” 

fuck, bakugou is really hard of hearing. everything is too cut up and he can’t make out their full sentences. what did denki intend on talking to shouto about in the first place? denki was a nice guy, him and bakugou got along really well putting off the fact they had sex every now and again. he never struck bakugou as the hostile type. is that what he’s doing to shouto now? he swallows and tries to listen in more. 

“ㅡrn those before. why now?” 

“i like it.” 

bakugou makes out the sound of denki’s soft laugh, but it sounded different. condescending. condescending to the point where bakugou feels an emotion begin to swirl in the pit of his stomach. was he imagining all of it? maybe his brain was trying to put them against each since he fucks around with denki but also couldn’t help viewing shouto as cute. 

“ㅡyou. only me. remember that.” 

bakugou didn’t realize denki’s voice was growing louder until the door opens and they’re face to face. denki’s eyes widen in surprise and bakugou blinks, lips pursed. doesn’t know what to make of their conversation, or if he should even ask. “what are you guys doing outside?” bakugou looks over denki’s shoulder and sees shouto, head bowed, not too far behind. 

“getting some fresh air. shouto wanted to get his hoodie, too.” denki smiled. “he didn’t want to go alone so i went with him.” he smelled like smoke. he was smoking. shouto squeezes past bakugou wordlessly. makes his way over to the couch and lays down after slipping out of his sneakers. doesn’t say goodnight, doesn’t look at him at all. doesn’t have his hoodie with him either. 

bakugou sighs again, couldn’t help it. bakugou turns to denki who was taking off his shoes, too. “what did you guys talk about?” 

denki just grabs ahold of his hand and leads them towards bakugou’s bedroom. he doesn’t supply his question with an answer and bakugou already had a feeling that he wasn’t going to do so in the first place. he also knows that denki has a mischievous glint in his eyes when he closes the door and presses himself against his chest. wraps his arms around his neck.  

bakugou feels too warm. too warm and too empty. this thing that they share together. filling a void. just because. no reason. no reason other than convenient and fun at times. it’s fun but there was nothing more to it than that. just empty words, phrases, questions and touches. they had no attachment other than being friends. this was okay. 

they end up fucking around that night. bakugou’s mind goes blank right away. can’t think, doesn’t want to. too much of a hassle to bare his emotions in the light of the sun that’s why he waits for the dark of the moon. it’s always like this with him. and that’s why he comes to terms with hating the way he goes about it but maybe this is just the way he’s always been. he hasn’t caused no trouble to anyone’s life, so it was fine. it was fine. it’s fine. just fine. it’s okay. 

ACT II

he finds himself in town a few days later. he got a text from mina and asked if he was free to meet up at the new restaurant that opened a couple days prior to everyone coming to his house to hang out. originally, midoriya suggested they all go there but everyone was already drinking by then. bakugou remembered he ruffled the kid’s hair and told him that his timing was shit. that he should work on it. 

he doesn’t bother reading the name of the diner, just goes inside, gets escorted to a booth by the host and waits for the waiter to come take his order. he skipped out on breakfast this morning simply because he didn’t feel like eating anything but now that he’s surrounded by the scent of food, it made his stomach grumble and his throat feel dry. 

it’s barely been a couple of minutes when mina appears, waving kindly at him. he nods towards her as he adjusts the bracelets on his wrists.  

“were you waiting long? i tried to get here before you did.” she smiles, setting her bag down on the seat next to her. her pink hair reminded him of cotton candy.  

bakugou shakes his head. “no, i was already in town when you texted me.” he answers, looking around. “is anyone else coming or is it just us?” he asks. out of everyone in the group, mina was quite possibly the nicest, setting aside midoriya and his awkward ways. “you don’t usually contact me other than asking for homework answers.”  

mina gasps. “that’s not true.” she deflates when bakugou stares pointedly at her. “okay, fine, a little bit true but to answer your question, no one else is coming. i asked denki and tokoyami but they’re at momo’s studying for their next test so they couldn’t make it.” she explains slowly, the furrow in her brow doesn’t go unnoticed. “but there is actually something i wanted to talk to you about since they aren’t here.” 

bakugou hums, waiting for her to continue. there wasn’t anything that came to his mind when she said that, he wonders what it could be. 

“i know i was last to join the group so i don’t know everyone that well.” she starts, threading her fingers together on top of the table. bakugou is resting his chin in his hand, listening. “please don’t take this the wrong way but... is denki someone who would be outwardly rude to anybody?”  

the question throws bakugou off so much that his eyes widen. “what? did he say something stupid to you?”  

mina shakes her head. “no, not to me, but to shouto.”  

mina has bakugou’s full and undivided attention now, he lifts his chin off his hand. “do you know what he said to him?” denki was being a jerk to shouto? was it the night when they both were outside? that night? 

“shouto didn’t tell me all the details,” mina begins, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, her smile long gone. “when we left your house after cleaning up, i could tell something was wrong with him but he just told me that denki was very sure of himself. i don’t know what he meant by that but i could tell it wasn’t praise.”  

bakugou doesn’t know what to make of this. truly, he doesn’t. he was so sure that denki wasn’t that kind of person, and he wasn’t, was he? bakugou opens his mouth then closes it. runs a hand over his face, sighing. “i mean, i heard them talking that night, but i couldn’t hear everything that they were saying.” bakugou confessed. “i didn’t think anything of it since shouto went right to bed after, so did denki and i.” 

mina nods along. “denki’s a nice person. i know that much.” mina says, like she’s trying to be careful with how she words herself. “but shouto is even nicer, you know? sometimes he gets hurt easily, especially now sinceㅡ” 

“i’m so sorry for the wait! what can i get you two?” 

the voice pops up from nowhere, both of them jump, eyes bulging when they turn their head and see shouto himself, standing there, tiny beads of sweat forming on his temples, chest heaving from running around. he was dressed in neat clothes that hugged his body; the sleeves of his blouse folded as to not get in the way of his hands. he was holding a little notepad and pen but stills when he makes contact with the pair.  

“shouto!” mina laughs nervously, inserting herself to appear unsuspicious. “you didn’t tell me you were working here, how long?”  

“since they opened.” shouto supplies, clearing his throat and adjusting the pen in his hand. he’s wearing a black mask, only his eyes show, bakugou leans back, eyes drifting towards his secured onyx apron that clung to his waist. he clears his throat again. bakugou brings back his gaze to his eyes. “um, what can i get you, guys?”  

“i’ll have a soda.” mina answers, her smile sincere as she watches her friend scribble it in his notepad.  

bakugou lifts his hand to his lip piercing and twists it. “i’ll have whatever. you can choose for me.” he says, watching the way shouto stares at him playing with his lip. bakugou even lets himself smirk.  

“andㅡand what to eat?” shouto stutters, he returns his gaze to mina, and bakugou senses a bubble of satisfaction course through his veins. 

“oh, we didn’t get any menus.” mina frowns. 

shouto’s eyes widen. “i’m so sorry, i forgot. oh, my god. just one second, i’ll be right back.” he scrambles off, mina giggling at him, bakugou watches as he flurries away towards the entrance and thinks. thinks that it was kind of cute. he’s back just like promised, handing them the single laminated menus. “do you need a moment for your order?” he’s breathing heavy. bakugou wonders if he’s overexerting himself. 

mina scans the food and asks for a salad and burger. shouto shakes his head at that. bakugou orders a burger, no salad. they hand the menus back to shouto who takes them in his arms. “i’ll put these in right away. sorry again.” he says, bowing slightly before scampering off. mina coos at him. 

“look at him, he’s so adorable! i had no idea he picked up a job, i wonder why he didn’t tell me.” she pouts. bakugou shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest.  

“maybe he didn’t want anyone to know.” he suggests. doesn’t know why he’s defending him; it just came out. (ㅡ that rarely happens, what the fuck.). 

mina slouches in her seat. “i don’t want to stir up anything, i promise. i was just worried for my friend, that’s all.” she mutters, sincere. “i could have misunderstood the whole thing, but i’d like to think that i know shouto pretty well. we’ve basically grown up together, so i can tell when something is bothering him. do you think maybe you could talk to denki and ask him?”  

bakugou thinks. he did ask him, sort of. denki never answered him and that was partially bakugou’s fault for not insisting. he let himself fall numb to everything around him the moment his blood rushed to his dick. he leaves that part out. “i did. denki didn’t answer me, but i’ll keep an eye on him if by chance we hang out again soon.” he can compromise this much. 

mina nods, thanking him in a whisper as shouto appears again, setting down their drinks. “i thought maybe you’d like our ice tea. it’s not too sweet, but the flavor is nicely balanced. i made it myself.” shouto mumbles, handing him a straw. bakugou plucks it out of his fingers then takes a sip.  

it was sweet. not too sweet. he licks his lips. “have you tried this before?” he asks shouto, who shakes his head.  

“do you not like it? i can get you something else.” shouto’s quick to resolve. 

“try it.” bakugou says, lifting the glass from the table and holding the straw in place. shouto seems confused. as does mina but he doesn’t pay her any mind at the moment. “try it.” bakugou repeats. voice rough, sort of daring. wonders if shouto will come up with another way of not doing it. 

instead of wavering, shouto removes his mask, revealing that shouto’s lips were coated in a shiny substance. he bends down and wraps his lips around the straw. a heat ignites inside bakugou’s chest as he watches shouto hollow his cheeks, sucking up the liquid. bakugou tilts his head to the side. “do you like it?” he asks. 

shouto pulls away, swallowing and nods. “yes.” he mumbles, returning bakugou’s stare.  

“me, too.” bakugou says, smirking, bringing the drink closer to him and sipping right after. shouto’s nose is tinted damask. bakugou feels accomplished (ㅡ for whatever reason). “why are you wearing a mask in here? it’s too warm.” 

shouto turns around to grab their plates of food. “men aren’t permitted to wear makeup.” he replies, sour in his tone. 

“that’s not fair!” mina scoffs, knitting her brows together in irritation. “if girls can, boys can, too!” shouto just gives her a small smile, telling her to eat her fill. those words sparked something in bakugou. flashes of him when he was younger. a conversation that was hazy. couldn’t remember. so he doesn’t dwell on it. 

bakugou slides his plates closer to him, dipping a fry in ketchup. “do you want to wear your mask?” 

“not really. it’s hard for me to breathe while running around.” he places mina’s bowl of salad on her side, along with silverware. “but i don’t want to take off my lip gloss either.” 

“then don’t.” bakugou replies easily. popping the fry in his mouth and chews. “if they ask you about it just tell them you lick your lips a lot or something. a habit, you know.” 

shouto, brushes back his bangs, considering. “do you think i can really get away with it?” he asks in a hushed tone. he’s fidgeting with his hands again, nervous to think he could get in trouble. 

“depends. how good is your lying?” 

shouto bites back a smile but bakugou sees the ends of his lips turn upward nonetheless. “i guess i could use some practicing.”  

bakugou nods. “when does your shift end?” he takes another sip of his drink while mina happily munches away, a piece of lettuce peeking out of her mouth. 

“i still have an hour so left. they placed me in morning shift right now, but i’m still part-time.”  

mina hums in excitement, covering her mouth with her hand as she speaks. “can we wait for you to get out? maybe we can all go to the mall afterwards. or see a movie.”  

bakugou isn’t against it. “yeah.” 

shouto looks around. “i mean, sure. if you don’t mind waiting that long for me.” 

“we’ll wait, then.” bakugou responds. “do you guys charge extra for refills?”  

shouto smiles freely this time, white teeth blinding. “no, we don’t. just let me know if you guys need anything else in the meantime. i’ll be back to check on you.” he waves and leaves after that. bakugou watches him as he scutters off, visiting his other tables. 

time passes. more so than bakugou imagined. mina was surprisingly easy to talk to. mostly because she did all the talking, bakugou just sat back and listened, humming, nodding, saying a few words here and there but he didn’t mind it, he thinks. mina was full of smiles and excitement, she even offered to pay for their meals since she’s the one who brought him here in the first place. bakugou denied it. he could pay for his own. 

they had around twenty minutes to go, bakugou finished off his tea. he was craving more. he felt bad to interrupt shouto in the midst of this just for one little drink. he was all over the place, he tried to not stare at him as he walked back and forth, bending over to collect dishes, or speaking politely to the elderly, it was all so fucking weird to him. why was he having this much trouble to look away? 

the peace was short lived when mina’s expression morphed into forced. it made bakugou turn his head. “what’s wrong?” he begins to ask, maybe he was zoned out for too long and she noticed that his lack of participation to the conversation was obvious. it wasn’t that. no. her eyes were trained elsewhere, not him. not bakugou. he blinks, turning around to follow her gaze and sees two people. denki. the other was tokoyami. what were they doing here? he turned around at the wrong moment. denki spotted them and they make their way over, dismissing the host. 

mina makes contact with bakugou before they near, eyes brooding. the time came for them to hang out a lot sooner than either of them expected. “hey, you guys!” mina greets, forced smile on her lips, she scoots over and makes room for tokoyami who waves at her, bag slung over his arm, filled to the brim with books and paper. “how was the study group? everything go well?”  

tokoyami grunts as he sits. “it was okay. drained the hell out of me.” mina and tokoyami converse and bakugou has to move over as well so denki has a place to sit, they’re shoulder to shoulder and denki seems normal to him so far, raving about how nice of a place momo’s house is and that they’ll most likely never get used to it. 

“are you guys done eating?” denki asks. “sorry we couldn’t come earlier.”  

bakugou leans forward, resting his arms on the table, messing with his bracelet again. “yeah, we’re done.” he replies. “we’re waiting for shouto to get done with his shift then we were planning on going to the mall.” he subtly studies denki’s reaction but sees no change in his eyes or body language. “he should be getting finished by now.” 

“oh, shouto works here?” denki asks with his brows raised. “i had no idea.” 

“neither did we.” mina interjects. “he’s working so hard, though, and he looks so cute in his little apron.” she gushes, slapping her hands together, a smile too bright it almost blinds tokoyami to the point where he has to close his eyes. bakugou chuckles. “you can’t say i’m wrong, right, bakugou? you’ve seen him!” 

“i’m not saying anything.” bakugou mutters, finishing off the rest of his fries before pushing the plate away. content with how full he is.  

“there’s shouto, now!” mina cuts, waving to shouto who is making his way towards them, stopping for a quick second in his tracks before regaining his composure, nodding towards tokoyami who addresses him. “are you ready?” mina asks, slipping out of the booth when tokoyami gets up.  

“after i take your plates and wiping down the table. i’ll meet you guys outside.” he says, but turns to bakugou and hands him a cup with a lid on it. “i got you more ice tea. i’m sorry i couldn’t give it to you sooner.”  

bakugou takes it from him. “thanks. you were busy, i didn’t want to add even more work for you over a drink.”  

shouto is on the verge of smiling until denki inserts himself. “ice tea? is it any good?” he doesn’t wait for an answer and grabs the cup from bakugou’s hands and takes a long sip, scrunching his nose. “it doesn’t taste very good. did you make this?”  denki asks, looking at shouto’s wide eyes. 

“yeah.” shouto bows his head, slowly collecting the plates. “i’ll take it back and get another drink, instead. sorry.” he reaches for the cup that denki is holding out and bakugou scoffs, snatching it from denki’s hands. shouto flinches from the movement. 

“you don’t even like tea, why did you try it knowing that?” bakugou questions, narrowing his eyes at denki. “you’re an idiot. let’s go wait outside, we’re just holding him up at this point.” he doesn’t wait for the others to process what happened. saunters out, sunlight splashing down over him. he takes a drink, sloshing it around his mouth before swallowing. there’s an arm over his shoulders. he shrugs it off. 

“what’s up with you? i was just teasing him.” denki tries, backing off. 

“don’t. he had a busy day.” why the fuck was bakugou feeling irritated? it was just denki. denki’s a brat. always has been. bakugou could handle it. he could. he takes a deep breath. trying to release the fog in his head. “are you guys going to stick around, then?”  

denki removes his arm, scuffs his shoes then reaches in his pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. offers one to bakugou. he takes it. “the more the merrier, right?” 

“there’s a few stores that opened up at the mall, i heard. i’ve been wanting to visit.” tokoyami appears with mina by his side, adjusting his bag. 

bakugou contemplates sitting down on the bench but shouto emerges from the restaurant, sighing in relief. he brushes his bangs away from his eyes with one hand, the other applying more lip gloss. it’s strange. the way bakugou just studies him like this. feels weird. doesn’t want to think too much about it so he doesn’t, he starts walking down the street, the others complaining to wait up. that he’s walking too fast. he slows down. 

the mall was filled, as usual. filled with students and families and strangers. it’s been a minute since he’s been here. since his brother left on a college trip, he’s been preoccupied with guarding the house. maintaining it. stationary. inviting his friends over to hang out. inviting denki over to screw around. it was loud. it was busy. loud enough to hush the seeping thoughts in bakugou’s mind, busy enough that he doesn’t have to stay still for too long. 

bakugou doesn’t have a specific place in mind so he wanders behind mina, shouto and tokoyami who have taken the lead, chirping happily and deciding which place to go first. bakugou realizes that shouto is smiling, looking at mina who is clinging to his arm and laughing. how long has it been since he’s heard a laugh like that? sounds like wind chimes, light, airy. bakugou’s brain kicks back into gear when denki’s hand presses against his lower back.  

“hey, guys, i want to show bakugou that cd shop, we’ll be right back, okay?” it was a sudden explanation, and before bakugou had time to actually process what was happening, he was being pulled off somewhere else, the last thing he comprehends is shouto’s eyes.  

“where the fuck are you taking me?” bakugou inquiries, apathetic.  

“chill out.” denki smiles that smile. the smile he seen a few days ago, the one where he was up to no good. the empty kind. the one bakugou knows so well because he does it, too. denki leads them into a clothing store, grabs a few random items off the rack and heads for the changing rooms. bakugou knows where this is going. does he stop it? no. does he want to stop it? the hatred dwells and billows in his veins. a spark of warmth swirls in his stomach. he’s so fucked up for this shit. he hates it. he hates it so much. 

bakugou skips passed the kissing. he doesn’t feel like doing it. there are people all around them, so close. people in the next rooms. bakugou feels conflicted. this shit is so hot to him, but he knows after they’re done, bakugou is going to feel numb. empty. wrong. guilty. verklempt with hate and self-loathing. this empty thing they have. this stupid connection they share. does denki feel this way, too? he does, right? 

bakugou already has two fingers plunged into his hole, denki’s bent over, breathing heavily, struggling to keep himself quiet. he slips his fingers out and aligns himself, hand pushing his shirt up to see better. rubs it against denki and he moans. bakugou’s eyes widen and forcefully pulls denki up by his arm and seethes. “shut the fuck up. you want them to hear us?” he hisses in a whisper, threatening. “i know you get off on this shit, but seriously.”  

“as if you don’t, too.” denki whispers back, equally venomous. “you’re in a shitty mood, so i’m helping you out.” bakugou wants to retort. to scoff. to tell him off, but the room on their left opens and voices sound. distinct voices. voices he knows. 

“i don’t think this color will look good on me.”  

it’s fucking shouto.  

“how will you know unless you don’t try it on?”  

and fucking mina. 

“should i try on these, too?” 

“i’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” 

bakugou grows still. denki gets impatient. always so fucking impatient. a fucking brat in a sixteen year old body. bakugou doesn’t realizes how hard his heart is beating until he notices that his chest is thundering, striking him. like a punch to the gut as he hears shouto’s giggle. he doesn’t know why he’s so fucking focused on it. on shouto. what was he trying on? another skirt? what else? what else was he wearing right now? bakugou strangely wants to know. wants to see. wants to see shouto in his skirts. in his shy state. he’s so fucking close. a wall away. 

biting his lip, his cock grows harder, starts throbbing. he covers denki’s mouth with his hand and presses himself inside. hot. wet. leaking. denki shudders. loses a breath. bakugou wonders if shouto would have the same reaction. if he’s into this shit, too. he moves his hips in harsh thrusts. his mind is reeling. what would shouto look like if bakugou were to fuck his face? he’d be flushed, right? covered in pretty pink, tinted and cool. lips covered in spit, maybe lip gloss, since he likes to wear it. 

could shouto handle this? wonders if he likes to fuck around in public areas, wonders if he’s loud or quiet or both. was he daring and eager? bakugou feels heat coming off of denki’s skin and he hates it. the warmth. doesn’t want to bathe in it but he doesn’t stop. never stops when he’s given the opportunity because bakugou was selfish this way. likes the control too much. 

his thrusts grow more rapid, but thankfully the sound of their colliding skin is overrun by other sounds from outside. laughing. screaming cries from children. music pouring from the speakers. it’s all so much for bakugou because he hears shouto laugh at something mina said. denki’s hair morphs into crimson and white, body more slender, waist smaller, skin clearer. he lets denki touch himself. bakugou doesn’t care. he starts to see shouto. wants to see him, but doesn’t know if he can after this. he’s too fucked up. so fucked up. 

his body tenses. the sensation overflows but bakugou pulls out before he comes, pushing away from denki’s body and spills pathetically over his fingers as he jerks himself off, trying to control his breathing. denki falls to his knees with a soft thud, panting. bakugou is disgusted with himself. this thing he feels after doing this. it festers. it’s frustrating. frustrating but fun. empty and hot. 

bakugou’s the first one to tuck himself back in his pants, barely, with one hand. doesn’t wait for denki and flees the changing room, head down. finds a bathroom and quickly washes his hands, ignores his own reflection to splash water on his face and pat it dry with a hand towel. he prays he doesn’t appear too disheveled. he passes by denki on the way out, sluggish as he walks. 

“i’m going home. tell the others i don’t feel good.” 

bakugou doesn’t say anything to that. just walks away. walks somewhere. wonders if he should text tokoyami and the others to see where they were now. he doesn’t have to because he runs into mina, she’s happy to see him. her vibrant personality is too bright to ignore and he thinks that maybe it’ll help wash the gloom from his skin. shouto will be there, too. fuck. he still wants to see him. even now. even afterwards. 

“there you are! where’s denki?” she asks, peeking over his shoulder.  

“he went home. he didn’t feel well.” 

she doesn’t ask about it further and bakugou is relieved. “where’s the others?” he asks instead, feeling bad about the growing silence between them. he has to play dumb. pretend that he wasn’t in the next room where shouto was changing. trying on new clothes. he has to lie. nothing to gain from it. so, he does. he lies. he lied. 

“oh! we were checking out this new clothing shop that opened, want to come? tokoyami’s there, too. he was pretty fascinated by all the keychains.” she laughs, grabbing ahold of his arm and practically drags him. bakugou lets her, doesn’t have the mental strength to pull away. besides, maybe he’ll feel better once shouto is in his sight. “shouto’s still trying on some clothes so hang out here, we’ll be back.” 

bakugou is left alone again, feels weird standing still and decides to walk around, look for tokoyami, maybe but something catches his eye as he walks by. he backtracks. hair clips. there’s a fucking lot of them. they’re all different. some are shiny, some aren’t. others have different colors. there’s a couple next to him, a girl is squealing at the pins. asking her boyfriend to pick one out for her because there’s so many to choose from. the boyfriend is way too obedient. it’s gross how cute they’re being. bakugou is repulsed. 

bakugou also grabs a hair clip and checks out.  

he found tokoyami a little later, the pair were looking at belts. tokoyami is messing around, being oddly playful. thinks that he picked up on the glazed expression he was trying his best to conceal. appreciating his attempts, bakugou finally smiles, calling him an idiot. tokoyami bumps his elbow with his. 

“so, what do you think about shouto?”  

the question makes him blank. “what about shouto?” 

tokoyami sifts through more belts, grabbing one off the hook to examine it closer, holding it up over his pants, puts it back. looks for another one. “honestly, i was a little surprised when i seen what he was wearing that day we all came over to your house.” bakugou feels his fist clench. still doesn’t know why. he waits. “but he looks happy, so i don’t really care how he dresses.”  

bakugou should have known better. tokoyami has presented himself to be fair and equal even before. doesn’t know why he felt so defensive when shouto was brought up. he sniffs, calming himself. “yeah, he does look happy.” he concurs. can’t ignore that crucial fact. shouto likes skirts. he likes makeup. maybe he’ll like hairclips, too. “i thought he looked nice wearing it. i don’t really give a shit about how people choose to live their life. i have no right to judge them.” 

tokoyami hums in agreement. bakugou walks beside him when he makes his purchase. sees shouto and mina there, too, still in line, almost out. bakugou makes out something purple. lighter. a light purple. what’s the word for it? lavender. that’s it. lavender. shouto’s hugging it to his chest. he notices another color. white. doesn’t know what it is but shouto is looking at him when he brings his eyes to shouto’s face. his nose is kissed pink. thinks he could be blushing. if he is, bakugou wonders why. wonders why he kind of likes it. 

they stop by the food court after since tokoyami complains of an empty stomach. he gets something for to-go, saying that he has to head home soon. bakugou buys a slushie. mina and shouto decide to call it a day, too. bakugou tells them he’ll walk them to the station. it’s not that far from where the mall is. mina and tokoyami are discussing who would beat each other on a one on one battle in a video game and shouto is beside bakugou, smiling at them. his lips are still coated in gloss. they’re shiny. they’re pretty. 

“i got you something.” bakugou blurts out. shouto snaps his neck to look at him, lips parted.  

“really?” he asks, swapping the bag to his other hand. 

bakugou slips his hand in his pocket and tugs out the tiny plastic bag the cashier put the clip in. he holds it out to shouto who takes it from him, fingertips brushing against his. bakugou scratches the nape of his neck, sipping his drink. the cold taming the heat of his tongue. he glances at shouto. watches as he pulls the hairclip from the bag and witnesses him smile.  

“it’s really pretty. it’s purple, too. i love purple.” shouto says, grazing his finger over it. 

bakugou feels proud of himself over a happy accident. “i noticed you push away your hair from your eyes a lot. i thought it would look nice on you, too.” he mutters. can see shouto looking at him from the corner of his eye but he stares ahead. mina and tokoyami are still deep in conversation.  

“that’s really sweet of you. thank you so much.” shouto mumbles. “it’ll go perfectly with my new outfit.”  

this spikes bakugou’s interest. tries to play it off. casual. “you bought another outfit?” shouto hums, examining the clip closer. bakugou nods. takes another drink. “whatㅡwhat’s it look like?” that weird feeling is blooming in his chest. that one weird fucking feeling. one he isn’t accustomed to. 

shouto looks like he wants to smile. instead, he locks eyes with bakugou. “why? do you want to see me in it?” ah, this answers bakugou’s previous wonder about him. shouto is daring. there’s a glimmer in his eye. a glimmer that bakugou wouldn’t mind seeing more of. it’s a kind of challenge here. in his tone. in his words. the question itself. bakugou accepts it. 

“yeah, i do.”  

shouto flushes red instantly, turns his gaze to the ground. bakugou feels the urge to touch him. to make him look at him. grab him by the chin and have him stare in his eyes, unable to look away when he gets this embarrassed. fuck. what the fuck is this feeling. he thinks he wants to know. it’s not a feeling he wanted to get rid of, nothing weighted down by brumous clouds and black static. 

shouto releases a small nervous laugh, takes a glimpse at bakugou who’s still looking at him. “maybeㅡmaybe i’ll send you a picture. maybe.” bakugou smirks, nothing is behind it though. just a smirk. no intent. like a smile. he nods. doesn’t say anything else, and neither does the other. they arrive at the station, all of them board except bakugou but he waves at them when they depart.  

it’s eleven at night when bakugou finally goes to his room, bored out of his mind. movies were too bland; television shows were too bland. he discards his shirt, falls supine on his bed. arm thrown over to cover his eyes. when he’s finally comfortable, that’s when his phone vibrates on the table beside him. he almost ignores it. almost. until he remembers what shouto said earlier. bakugou practically pulls a muscle when he grabs it, plucking it off the charger. 

it’s a video message from shouto. a text comes right after. what do you think? it reads. bakugou’s heart begins to pound as he clicks view, then play. the phone is being propped up. he can see shouto’s arms being pulled away, he steps back. bakugou’s bites his lip. he’s wearing a skirt, purple. no. lavender. a lavender skirt, short and pleated. he’s also wearing these starch white socks that have these cute little bows on the cuffs and the cuffs rest on his thighs.  

his top is something oddly attractive to bakugou as well. it’s long sleeve; tight. same color as his skirt but he’s wearing a tank top over it. lace. it’s lace. the shoulder straps are so thin it looks like it could break. it clings to his frame. bakugou’s fingers are starting to itch. he wonders what it feels like. the lace, the long sleeve. the skirt, and socks. his skin. shouto’s skin. he’s so fucked when it comes to fashion sense but it looks really fucking nice on shouto. this. this outfit.  

shouto spins around, enough to wear his skirt fans out a bit. bakugou’s intrigued. so god damn intrigued. shouto is smiling shyly in the video. takes a step closer and bends down. if bakugou’s heart could just calm the fuck down he thinks he may be able to hear shouto’s stuttering breath. that’s when bakugou sees the hair clip he bought for him, pinning back a lock of his bangs. bakugou feels as if he’s floating when shouto taps on it once, as if to show it off. the video ends with shouto getting close to the camera, reaching for the phone and it’s over. under a minute. thirty-seven seconds. 

bakugou breathes in deeply, feeling weird, feeling confined. when adjusts his legs that’s when he realizes how fucking hard he is in his boxers. hard enough to hurt. to ache. his hand brushes downwards and he stops for a few solid seconds. is this okay? can he do this? bakugou asks himself once, then twice, if he should. then he does. he replays the video, hand pushing down his underwear to reveal his leaking cock. he smears the bead of oozing come over the head and sighs out loud. 

he grunts, hand pumping up and down. twisting towards the base. wonders if shouto would do something like this. touch himself over a video. he’s spinning around now. his hand picks up the pace. sees shouto smile and bend over. hears his breath. bakugou comes. spilling over his abdomen in thick ropes. he shudders, milking himself. feels light. feels okay. was this okay?  

he wipes himself off, breathing still uneven. grabs his phone. saves the video. what do you think? he reads again. what does he think, huh? 

i think you look pretty. 

he types another message. 

i also think 

another message. 

i would like to see it in person. 

his messages are read immediately. bakugou finds that one end of his mouth is turned upwards. a smile. he was waiting for his reply. he wonders if shouto is still wearing it. he could be in his bed right now. playing with the lace, or the tiny little bows that bakugou thinks is cute. wonders if shouto is going to reply at all or just go to sleep. his phone vibrates, bakugou reads it. once, twice. 

maybe. 

ACT III

“dude, you’re coming right?” 

bakugou stares at the mess all over his bed, he’s searching for a jacket. he knows there’s one in here somewhere. he decided to clean up the house today. he woke up, feeling energetic and that led him to do chores. he washed the dishes, swept the living room, and much to his disinterest, washed all his clothes. it was annoying, having the put them all away afterward. 

“i don’t know.” bakugou responds, disinterested. he spots one finally, throwing it over his shoulders, pulling his arms through, zipping it up half way. “who all is going to be there, do you know?” 

“not really. i’m guessing the usual crew.”  

bakugou grabs his phone, ambles his way out of his bedroom, plops himself down on the couch, kicking a leg up on the table. tokoyami called him when as he got out of the shower, first to bullshit, then he had brought up the little party mina was going to throw to celebrate end of the year exams. it was supposed to be a bonfire, her parents were away for a business trip for the next two days. bakugou was on the fence about it. didn’t know if he was in the mood for people. 

“when’s it for?” he clicks out of the call, sees the message mina sent him. having a little bonfire at my place, want to come? sees no further details. it was sent a few hours ago. maybe he should keep his notification sound on instead of silent.  

“i think eight. yeah, eight. i’m heading over a little early to help set things up since she asked. don’t know why, shouto practically lives at her house.”  

bakugou hums, thinking harder. thinking that there was nothing to really think about since shouto’s name was mentioned. it was a given. it’s been well over four days since the night they texted each other. 

“i guess i’ll come.” bakugou decides. “i’ll text mina about it in a bit. see you.” 

he ends the call after that, texts mina and tells her he’ll come if she picks him up. he doesn’t want to make the extra effort to walk through town, to the station. she tells him that’s no problem, and to be ready for when she’s on her way. bakugou doesn’t do anything in the meantime. listens to music. waits. it’s already dark out when bakugou stepped out of the house to smoke. he was half way done when mina pulled up. he snuffs the cigarette on the cement before climbing in. 

“you could have just smoked in the car. i don’t mind.” she shakes her head, checking the review before turning around, bakugou says that would have been rude. she gasped and told him that he was surprisingly considerate. he rolled his eyes at that. they make small talk on the way there. riding in the car was much quicker than if he were to have taken the subway. 

there’s already quite a few people there when they arrive. mina and bakugou depart ways, saying she had to go inside to grab a few things. bakugou makes his way to a familiar face. midoriya, who already had a beer in his hand. he ruffles his hair, asking where he could find one, too. he leads him to an ice chest near the stack of chairs. doesn’t look like there’s a lot. bakugou bets some will have to take refuge on the ground. 

“don’t get too shitfaced or else your mom is going to be mad.” bakugou reminds. midoriya just smiles, promising he won’t before leading bakugou out towards the fire.  

it’s hardly an ember right now. a guy is pouring fuel over the large sticks of wood, lights a piece of paper on fire and sticks it carefully under a stick, flame spreading, rising, scorching with heat and everyone cheers. it’s stupid. cheering about lighting a fire but midoriya is clapping excitedly beside him and he shakes his head with a smile. idiot. 

mina came with chairs with the help from jirou and sato who offers him and midoriya one and bakugou accepts it, thanking him. he’s taken aback how comfortable it was, enough space for him to man spread if he wanted to and enjoy the fire. mina is sitting to his right, heaves a big sigh. he glances at her, takes a sip of alcohol. can feel her eyes burning a hole into the side of his temple. 

“did you know that you’re really, really amazing?” she comments. loud enough. direct enough for him to take the bait. 

“what did you forget?” bakugou gives in, unable to ignore it for much longer. mina smiles gratefully at him, clapping her hands together.  

“my phone. it’s on the kitchen counter.” 

that’s how bakugou ends up in mina’s house. treads to the only source of light. the kitchen. there’s a door ajar. he pushes it open and that’s when he sees something. someone. two people he knows. it’s tokoyami and shouto. he’s leaned against the counter, tokoyami is in front of him, his hands were touching the fabric of shouto’s skirt. the lavender one. the one he wanted to see in person but not like this. not this way. not to see someone else touching it before bakugou. 

they don’t register his presence. not yet. not until bakugou begins moving. his steps were light. doesn’t know why there’s an ugly feeling tickling his fingers. his bones. his veins. can’t grasp the reason why he feels like he wants to get angry. it’s anger and something else. wants to walk away. maybe he should. right now. just go back home. he didn’t feel like coming in the first place but he did want to see shouto. not like this, though. with someone else touching him. the skirt. the fucking skirt he wanted to touch first. it’s stupid. it is. tokoyami’s fingertips are just barely pinching the hem, but it was enough to send bakugou spiraling into this silent tantrum.  

“excuse me.” bakugou mumbles, trying to cool his head from invading thoughts. unwonted thoughts. excessive and trivial thoughts. shouto jumps from his voice, head whipping in his direction. tokoyami, too, but he ends up beaming once he recognizes bakugou’s there. innocence in his eyes. as if he did nothing wrong. maybe he didn’t. maybe he did. 

“you came! where were you?”  

bakugou locks eyes with shouto’s. they’re shiny. hopeful. there’s even a small smile on his lips. he’s wearing the outfit. the one in the video. the one bakugou said he’d like to see. shouto was wearing it and he looked really nice. really fucking nice. the lace. the socks with the little bows. the long sleeve. it’s not fair. it’s really not fair. bakugou wanted to be the one to see it first. to touch it first. he reaches for mina’s god damn phone. it was right there, inches away from shouto. sees that shouto’s wearing the hairclip he bought for him. fuck. fuck it all. 

“outside. i just got here a few minutes ago.” bakugou answers. looking away from shouto. tearing away. the itch in his fingers comes back. ignores it. “mina forgot her phone. i was just getting it for her.” once last glance at shouto, one second longer. moves away. they all walk out together, bakugou taking the lead, can’t decide on what to feel. what to think. it’s a hassle, having so many thoughts. wants to shut off his brain. 

he gives mina her phone, she thanks him with the biggest smile and offers snacks as payback. bakugou declines, sits down on his chair. midoriya hands him his beer and he takes a long swig. it’s gross. refreshing. bitter. sees shouto off to his side. can’t help but to look. people are watching him. staring. bakugou thinks they should all fuck themselves if their views come to light. 

more people show up. it’s a quiet kind of rowdy. bakugou expected to see denki here by now. night already blanketed the sky. the fire was warm. the chill was growing. hasn’t seen denki since that day in the mall, almost asks if midoriya if he was planning to come. doesn’t, in the end. everyone was in a seat. couples, were huddled on top of each other. looks like a nuisance to deal with. 

“just take my seat, shouto, i’ll sit on the ground.” mina offers. “i wish i had some spare blankets of my own. i didn’t think this many people were going to show up. i’m pretty popular, aren’t i?” she boasts and bakugou catches wind of shouto’s weak laugh. strained. unbefitting. he ends up sitting on the ground, in between bakugou and mina. everyone was immersed in conversation. mina was swept away by other classmates, apologetically dismissing herself from shouto’s company. he sits in silence. staring at the fire. 

bakugou pats his pocket, tugs out his pack of cigarettes and takes one with his teeth. notices he doesn’t have a lighter on him. tries his other pocket. nothing. no lighter. midoriya is laughing with their other friend, shinsou. doesn’t want to bother him. takes the cigarette out and holds it between his fingers. numb. flames of the fire flickering, growing. rises higher and higher. the breeze is cold. maybe he’s too far from the bonfire. 

there’s movement from his right and he glances over. shouto scooted closer to him. he’s peering up at him. the side of his face penumbra. he’s holding something, it’s small and compact. sees shouto’s thumb flick over the silver part and a flame is produced. wonders what shouto is doing with a lighter. he doesn’t say anything. he’s cupping the flame from the wind. waiting. bakugou is hesitant. 

he gives in. gives in because shouto looks good. looks better in person than a video message. thinks he may not ever have the heart to ignore him completely, even if bakugou decides he was a little bit upset earlier. doesn’t know why. probably won’t understand it for as long as he doesn’t come to terms with that one specific feeling. that one specific emotion. he puts the cigarette back between his lips, leans all the way over to meet shouto. they lock eyes over the small flame. bakugou breathes in, hearing the sizzle, thick smoke swirls. shouto blinks. thinks his nose is pink. blushing. the flame disperses. 

bakugou exhales. “thanks.” shouto hums, like he can’t trust his voice to speak. “why’d you have a lighter?” can’t help himself from talking to him. doesn’t want to not talk to him. he’s the reason he came here, after all. 

“for the sparklers.” shouto finally replies. his voice is sincere like crystal, almost. he’s still staring at the fire while bakugou is still staring at him. people are starting to gather around, crowded and garrulous. some students were already tipsy, trampling around. one girl bumped her knees into shouto’s back. hard enough to make him lurch forward. she would have fallen face first into the fire if bakugou didn’t catch her in time. one of his hands grabbing the back of her shirt to stabilize her. 

“watch where you’re going before you hurt yourself.” bakugou chides, tone brash. slightly annoyed and caught off guard when the girl spouts nonsense, trying to paw at his chest but bakugou pushes her away. “fuck off. if you can’t hold your liquor, don’t fucking drink. it’s a burden to others.” the girl grumbles something incoherent, she gets dragged away by her friend, slurring an apology. bakugou scoffs, dusting off his jacket, disgusted. it was too early for people to get this intoxicated. 

before shouto gets the chance to be trampled over, he stands up in a hurry, trying to move in a way so he doesn’t collide with other bodies that are billowing around and stumbles. for some reason, shouto keeps apologizing for brushing against them, doing his best to give them their space. they don’t deserve it. he does it anyway. even when it’s not his fault. it’s not his fault yet he keeps saying sorry. his words aren’t reciprocated by the others. he’s ignored and that alone makes bakugou more agitated. he should have stayed home. events like these were so draining when he wasn’t in the mood. 

shouto’s still standing, arms hugging himself. is he cold? it was getting colder. even though the fire was right there in front of them. even bakugou had a chill but it didn’t faze him. not in the slightest. not when shouto is right there. right there next to him. when he turns his head, shouto’s skirt is aligned with his eyes. so close. that fucking itch returns, three times worse. he has to clutch the bottle of alcohol tighter in his hands to keep from touching. he’ll be reserved. he could do that.  

“are you going to stand there all night?” bakugou asks. shouto turns, eyes gazing down at him. he takes a sip from his drink, staring right back.  

“no.” he shakes his head. bakugou sees the glint of the hairclip. feels his pulse quicken. “i’ll sit here. next to you. if that’s okay?”  

“your skirt will get dirty.” bakugou comments. shouto smooths out the material. front and back. bakugou thinks the way he did it was sort of endearing. “sit with me.” he crumbles. bakugou never told himself for how long he would remain reserved. in any case, if he were to accept, maybe bakugou could release the tension in his shoulders from what he had to endure to see earlier involving tokoyami. he would he feel better? would the ache in his chest that he was suppressing, ease? 

bakugou presses himself all the way against the backrest, spreading his legs wider for shouto. it looks titillating, the way he does it without breaking eye contact with the boy. he takes inhales from his cigarette, blowing out. shouto’s body is moving before he thinks. taking a step forward, standing in front of him, shielding bakugou from the flames and his skin is being bitten by the breeze that courses through. 

“won’t you be embarrassed if they see me so close to you?” shouto has to bend down in order for bakugou to hear him properly. knows that if he didn’t, his words would have been swept away by the chorus of the other students. 

bakugou unzips his jacket, laying it on the arm of the seat, eyes sharp. “i don’t give a fuck what they think,” it only takes a minute before shouto decides on what he’s going to do. bakugou watches him with intent. something so simple. so simple. shouto’s regarding his words with propitious favor. shouto must have remembered one thing about bakugou. a crucial trait. he doesn’t lie to gain. “but you don’t have to. just an offer.” 

shouto straightens himself, then. turns around. back facing bakugou, but he can’t wait. the itch is festering. wants to be patient. wants to be. can’t. as soon as shouto bends his knees, his hands rest on bakugou’s thighs as if to guide himself, then the pressure of his body is directly in front of him. between him. his legs. 

“do you have enough space?” bakugou asks, flicks the ash of his cigarette to the grass.  

“i do. i didn’t realize how big these chairs were.” shouto mumbles, looks over his shoulder at bakugou with the tiniest smile. he feels his blood surge. bakugou drifts his gaze to the fire, the people around them. no one seems to be outwardly gawking. good. that’s good. bakugou doesn’t have to rip anyone’s throats out. 

“you can lean back on me when you feel tired, too.” another offer. seems like bakugou can spare all of them when it comes to shouto. he never made such offers to denki. doesn’t like being confined in that way. always brushed off denki’s hands when they were a bit too touchy. didn’t concern himself much when denki had a really hard time except for a pat on the back. an ear to listen.  

his thoughts were cut short when there’s more pressure applied to his chest. the back of shouto’s head was resting on his shoulder. feels his hair on the side of his face. notices shouto crossing his arms. feels his lips turn upwards. 

“are you cold?”  

shouto is slow to nod. “a little. i wasn’t even planning on coming but when ㅡ when mina said you were going to show up... i wanted to see you.” he’s fidgeting again, instead of his fingers, his body squirms and bakugou thinks it’s kind of cute. just a little. “i guess you didn’t like my outfit all that much in person, right?” he mutters. he looks small. his cigarette timed out. timed out awhile ago. he drops it to the ground. 

“and why do you think that?” bakugou asks. wishes he could see shouto’s face. his eyes. the hair clip. he reaches for his jacket and lays it over shouto. it only covers his knees, down his shins. good enough for his most exposed areas. bakugou thinks he picked a decent one for tonight. more importantly, the conversation that bakugou wasn’t too keen on only because ofㅡ 

“you didn’t say anything when you saw me.” it sounds like he’s pouting. the tension in his shoulders feel lessened as shouto talks to him. the boy cuddles against the material of his jacket. “why?” 

“it wasn’t fair.” bakugou responds, the image bumping around in his head. finishes off his beer. it’s so fucking gross. the flavor. gets the job done, though. doesn’t have to think so hard. the image in his head get blurry so that’s enough for him. it’s enough. sets the empty bottle down. 

“what do you mean?” 

with both of his hands free, bakugou slips them underneath his jacket, over shouto’s stomach. on his waist. keeps them there. feels him tense. “i wanted to see it first. touch it first. tokoyami beat me to it.” he says. voice melting into stone. “kind of pissed me off how close he was to you, too.” sounds so fucking lame coming out of his mouth but it’s the truth. his fingertips graze the fabric of his skirt and it’s soft. really soft. wonders if shouto’s skin is softer. roams one hand down to shouto’s thigh, squeezes there. not too hard. fingers with the hem. “he was touching this. you. pissed me off as well. don’t know why.” 

shouto’s hands find bakugou’s forearms. holds him. doesn’t stop him. doesn’t question him. wonders why. his breathing is uneven. bakugou wonders if he should resign his hands. keep them only on his waist. “heㅡhe helped me,” shouto begins. his lower body shifting. his ass nudges against bakugou’s crotch. his other hand tightens on his waist. “there was a thread on the hem that i didn’t see. he noticed and got it off for me. that’s all.” 

bakugou hums. right in shouto’s ear. it makes the boy shiver. “okay, i believe you.” that’s all it took. made sense. the only sense. the reason why tokoyami didn’t have any guilt in his eyes when bakugou showed up. same goes for shouto. still recalls how his eyes appeared gentle and shiny. waiting for the praise that never came because bakugou was confined by a feeling he thought was for children. jealousy. that’s what it was. the ugly feeling. he misunderstood and for that bakugou owes a silent apology to his friend. to shouto. brings the hand that was placed on his thigh to rest on his stomach again. both hands. 

everyone was still so loud, so lively. bakugou tunes them out, but watches how much fun they’re having aside from the idiots who shouldn’t be drinking in the first place. shinsou and midoriya are having pleasant exchange. all his friends were there, bonding. drinking. laughing and dancing. making fools out of themselves but it was all in good fun. bakugou was glad they were comfortable; having a good time. the two drift into silence. it’s not heavy. it’s not tarnished by awkwardness for which bakugou was grateful for.  

at some point, mina wobbles over, arms full with fluffy blankets and shouto scolds her. “those are your father’s! why did you bring them out here?” bakugou wonders if mina is going to comment why he’s sitting there but she doesn’t. it’s not as though she doesn’t see them. maybe she’s just choosing on ignoring it. “won’t you get in trouble?” 

mina only smiles at him. at them. drops one on shouto’s lap. it’s big, covers them fully all the way up to shouto’s chin. can hardly see the movement beneath when shouto tries to unbury his arms but gives up. they’re shrouded in warmth. both watch as mina wanders off and gives them out to those who look like they’re cold. momo’s there cuddled up with uraraka and tsu. they’re leaned against each other, hands filled with plates of food and tipsy smiles. bakugou wonders how much time has passed since he arrived. couldn’t be that long. perhaps an hour or so. he doesn’t really care. how can he when shouto was here, practically laying on him? 

shouto shifts after a while and bakugou grunts softly without thinking much of it. he’s just getting comfortable right? yeah. that’s all it was. all it is. nothing more to it than that. he does it again. then again. again. finally, bakugou feels shouto’s hands on his thighs once more and shifts. it’s enough to make bakugou smirk. sucks in a breath when shouto applies a bit more strength in his movements. bakugou wraps his arms around shouto’s torso. 

“what do you think you’re doing?”  

shouto freezes. “gettingㅡgetting comfortable.” he stutters. 

“are you sure about that?” bakugou queries, voice gruff, throat riddled with wonders and questions. questions for shouto. wonders about shouto. his intentions right now. “you have plenty of room and you’re still not comfortable, shouto? because when you move around like that, it makes me hard.” maybe he shouldn’t be so blunt with his words but it’s bakugou. he has no will or power when it comes sensations like this. especially when it’s deliberately. thinks that when it pertains to shouto, he caves in twice as fast. he offers twice as much. “you know that, don’t you? that you’re making me hard on purpose?” 

shouto doesn’t respond. not immediately. bakugou thinks he may have overstepped but shouto’s hands are searching for bakugou’s and he releases his arms from shouto’s waist only to be guided somewhere. knows where; his palm brushes against shouto’s frontside.  

“have you been drinking?” bakugou whispers in his ear. if he has, bakugou wouldn’t let himself fall into this. it’s a dumb question, he knows shouto hasn’t even glanced at liquor being handed out but there was a chance he could have drunk some before coming here. 

“no.” shouto answers, voice already wrecked. bakugou’s cock twitches from the sound. light and delicate. hasn’t even touched him like he wants. like he wanted to. shouto presses his hand down on top of bakugou’s in that spot and he can feel shouto growing underneath. bakugou glances around, notices how no one pays them any mind. 

“you want me to touch you, shouto, is that what you want?” bakugou is on high alert now. the fuzziness that poisoned his mind from the alcohol has swept away with the breeze. “do you want me to jerk you off, right here, while we’re surrounded by all our friends. even strangers?” bakugou massages shouto’s thighs. slips a single digit under the cuff of his sock. his skin is heated. so fucking soft, just like he imagined. can’t believe this is happening; isn’t opposed by it, either. he estimates where his hands were located under the blanket to check if there were obvious signs of motion. pleased to see there wasn’t. if bakugou was careful, they could get away with this. 

“if you aren’t going to tell me how pretty i am in my outfit, then yes. i do want you to.” 

bakugou bites the smirk that wants to show. he can’t give any indication of what he’s doing. his cock twitches again, straining. sort of hurts. sort of aches. wonders if shouto is testing him. testing to see if bakugou would actually go through with this and shouto is in for one hell of a fucking storm if he thinks bakugou isn’t.  

“how about i do both, then?” bakugou replies, giving shouto’s thighs one last squeeze before his fingers scrunch up shouto’s skirt, pulling it upwards. shouto gasps and bakugou bathes in it. “you have to be quiet, shouto, or else they’ll hear you. you don’t want them to hear you, do you?” he lowers his voice. nuzzles his nose in shouto’s hair. smells strawberries.  

“no.” shouto says shakily under his breath. “i’ll be quiet.” 

“if it gets to be too much, hide your face.” it’s only advice bakugou provides. 

he starts out simple; rubs his palm over shouto’s clothed length, satisfied with how quick he was growing by his touch. feels his dick jerk when he presses down with more pressure. hears shouto hiss. something about the way he sounds makes bakugou feel good. wants to hear more of it. yeah, more. a little more. once he deems shouto hard enough, he slips a hand under the band of his underwear and pulls him out. it feels confined under the blanket but it’s necessary. bakugou hooks his chin over shouto’s shoulder. 

“did you know that i’m into this kind of thing?” bakugou whispers to him. doesn’t wait for a reply. curls his fingers around his dick and gives it a few tugs before pressing his thumb on the slit where it’s slick. wet. shouto’s fingers dig into his thighs. bakugou bites his lip. “it caught me off guard when i realized what you wanted to do,” he continues in a low tone. “someone as precious as you, doing something so dirty. it fucking turns me on.”  

the boy shivers and bakugou wonders when he had buried his face in the blankets. he didn’t even see it. feels his pride bloom in his chest.  

“you. you with your pretty face and innocent smile. who knew you were capable of wanting to try something so risky.” he continues his vocal assault. wonders if shouto’s nose is pink like it always is when he’s embarrassed. “for the record, when i saw you, i thought you looked really fucking good.” bakugou says. “so good i got jealous when someone else was so close to you. touching you. i never felt that before but you managed to cause it.” 

bakugou grips at the base, stroking upward, the palm of his hand grazing over the head. he’s leaking and he uses that to lubricate the rest of his member. he wonders what he tastes like. wants to taste him. really fucking bad. he twists his wrist with a downward shift. very faintly, he can hear shouto moan, although muffled. bakugou thinks he may not have enough self-restraint to keep doing this. not when he craves something more. a little more. a little more of shouto but this has to be good enough. he needs it to be. 

“hey, shouto!” 

shouto’s head snaps up to the source of the sound. bakugou keeps himself from reacting, but it was difficult. his pulse was racing; like his heart was going to burst from his throat. sero’s off to the side, holding up his phone. “you guys look adorable; can i take a picture?” 

shouto is gaping. words stuck on his tongue and bakugou sees the opportunity arise. he continues to touch shouto. moving his hands up and down, picking up pace. “better answer before he suspects something is off.” bakugou comments hoarsely. 

“sure.” shouto squeaks out. “yeah, thatㅡthat’s okay.”  

sero takes a picture of them with a big smile on his face, even bakugou manages to pull one off. he wants to see what shouto looks like right now but at this angle, it was no good. fuck. damn it. “i’ll send it to you right now. it’s rare as hell to see anyone close to bakugou like this!” his comment draws others to glance at them, cooing and aweing at the sight and bakugou has to remain cool. his usual self. twists his wrist pulling up. 

“fuck off, it was cold. go away.”  

they all laugh at that, but do so anyways. returning to their drinks and food. shouto shudders and both of their phones chime signaling that the picture was indeed sent to them, too. bakugou was going to have a fucking field day with that in particular.  

“bakugou.” shouto’s voice cracks, even through the thickness of the blanket, bakugou understands.  

“you can’t come, shouto.” he says, stilling his hand. “not yet.” he thinks. shouto snuggles his face into the blanket more. he hears muffled noises, doesn’t know if he’s talking or crying or both. bakugou begins to feel bad a little. “if you really want to, take us somewhere else, not here.” 

he doesn’t know how he managed to do it but shouto makes up an excuse to mina. she’s tipsy when she responds, lopsided smile and waves them off. shouto’s still wrapped up in the blanket, it drags as he walks. his face shadowed when he turns to bakugou and grabs his hand, leading them towards the house once more. inside, he knows where to go. bakugou doesn’t think about anything, just what he’s planning to do, how he’s going to do it. focuses on the pounding of his heart and how shouto turns down the hallway, up the stairs, almost trips and bakugou catches him. 

he flips on the light and bakugou’s eyes squint from the sudden change of light, when he adjusts, he comes to see everything stained in pink. only one person with such a strong attachment to this color comes to mind, and bakugou feels himself chuckle. shouto drops the blanket, standing in the middle of the room. his legs look shaky and he ends up plopping on the bed, filled to the brim with plushies. one ends up falling to the carpet, rolling towards bakugou’s feet. 

when their meet eyes, bakugou sees the thick tears that cling to his lashes and bakugou feels all the blood rushing in his ears go straight to his dick in that instant. his eyes are wide and glossy, something bakugou believes he’s caused. he’s squeezing his thighs together, rubbing them in the most delicate way and bakugou wants to moan from the sight. he’s right there, decorated in his thigh high socks and cute tiny bows, the lace and the long sleeve. his skirt is fanned out just enough to show a gap of skin of his legs and bakugou thinks this is hot all on its own. feels bad. feels bad because bakugou really wants to make him cry more. more. just a little more. yeah. 

he walks towards him, dropping to his knees, can’t think about nothing but shouto in front of him. how pretty he looks. how pretty he feels when he runs a hand up his leg. feels shouto flinch under his touch. presses a finger on top of the bow. “this is really cute.” he mumbles, can hear shouto breathe deeply, continues to ghost his fingertip and rub along the patch of exposed skin. grips shouto’s knees and widens his legs. 

“bakugou.” shouto says, a hand being placed lightly on the top of his head, fingers playing with his unruly hair. “it hurts. really hurts.”  

bakugou hums in response and stills. their eyes lock. “are you sure you want to do this, shouto; with me?” flutters his eyes when shouto’s hand cups the side of his face. “because i’ll only make you cry more.” 

he’s greeted with his answer when shouto opens his legs wider. “i want you to make me cry.” 

and that’s all it takes for bakugou’s thread to snap. 

shouto scoots himself back, leans against the wall of plushies there and breathes in, reaching for the zipper of his skirt to take it off and bakugou pushes his hand away. “don’t take it off. leave it on. i want it on.” there’s more than enough room for bakugou to get on, so he does. positions himself between shouto’s legs and pushes up his skirt, hooks a finger under the band of his underwear and pulls down. shouto’s cock is flushed red, smeared with precum, enough that it soiled the skin of lower torso. 

at first, bakugou just peers at him. draws his gaze to shouto who is gripping a plushie and hiding his face and it’s so fucking cute. so cute. bakugou lets him hide himself for right now because in a few minutes, shouto will want to see. will want to look at bakugou.  

he leans down, closer, lifts shouto’s leg over his shoulder and stick out his tongue to lick a strip down the side of his shaft. presses his lips on the fold of skin, lapping up the come there. it’s kind of sweet, kind of salty, bakugou wants more and he takes it. with no hands required, bakugou suckles the head, so entranced that he moans when he pokes his tongue in his slit and that’s when the reaction bakugou was waiting for finally shows. shouto releases this sweet, dulcet sound; like bakugou’s favorite poem and juts his hips upwards and bakugou allows him. 

more of his cock is swallowed up in his mouth and bakugou thinks this is so fucking lewd. all the sounds his mouth is making, the sounds shouto is producing is all boxed in this room, echoing in his ears, through his skin. it’s beautiful. bakugou hums. it’s funny. it’s funny because here bakugou is, giving shouto his most elaborate fucking blowjob that he’s never even graced denki with. he’s in a pink fucking room on his stomach with shouto’s cock in his mouth and it’s so fucking dirty. so goddamn dirty that when bakugou feels the tip hit the back of his throat he stays there, wanting more, wanting to suffocate and just when he thinks things couldn’t turn him on more, he hears a choked sob from shouto. 

that’s when he pulls off with a gasp. a string of saliva connected to the head and bakugou’s lips. he’s in a daze. shouto has pulled the plushie away from his face and he’s staring down at bakugou with tears falling from his eyes. dark pink has painted its way from the apples of his cheeks to the tip of his nose and bakugou licks his wet lips. something comes over him, over bakugou. something sweet and cold and it envelopes him in a hug and he likes it. likes it a lot.  

“you kind of look like an angel, shouto.” bakugou comments, licking a wide strip up his leaking cock, wraps his arm around his thigh to splay his fingers over his stomach after slipping a hand underneath his shirt. feels him tense there. shouto is panting, chest heaving. “an angel that’s about to come all over his best friend’s bed.” smirks devilishly when shouto contorts into that of slight shame. “you could have taken us to the bathroom. i could have sucked you off in there, you know. instead, you take us in here. the very place mina sleeps. was this your plan? have you always wanted to do this kind of stuff in here?” 

bakugou’s voice is hoarse, strained as he speaks but he doesn’t stop, not when shouto screws his eyes shut like this. like he’s focusing all his attention on how he’s feeling. how bakugou is making him feel. thinks maybe shouto likes this. the way he’s talking to him. it’s fair game now. he continues before thinking because bakugou never fucking thinks. sucks on his tip, humming. the licking and sucking and slurping emitting around them, his own cock is rock hard, he ends up pressing his hips into the bed to release some tension but it’s not enough for him. 

“bakㅡugou, wait. wait.” 

he doesn’t wait. can’t. shouto ends up painting the insides of his mouth and bakugou swallows it all. sees shouto’s entire body convulsing and curling in, feels shouto’s hands thread through his hair and tugs, revealing a shriek of gasps and moans, quiet sobs rack his frame as he begs for bakugou to hang on. bakugou feels too immersed in the sight to stop completely. even when shouto’s cock is softening on his tongue. his scalp is sore but he doesn’t care. can’t bring himself to. 

“kiss.” shouto sobs quietly, cupping bakugou’s face with his trembling hands. “want to kiss. please? i wantㅡ” 

bakugou doesn’t let him finish his sentence because his lips are already on shouto’s. it’s clumsy. it’s messy and slick, but it’s so fucking good. so fucking good that bakugou moans so deep when shouto’s practically licks the inside his mouth with his own tongue, grazing over his teeth and nibbling his lips. bakugou smiles at that when they pull apart. graced with the image of shouto’s spit slicken lips, just how he imagined that day in the dressing room at the mall. 

“i really want to fuck you, shouto. i really want to but i know that if i do, i won’t be able to stop and poor mina will have to wash her sheets for weeks before she’s comfortable sleeping in her bed again.”  

“don’t care. want to.” shouto pants, eyes clouded in beautiful stars. 

bakugou leans close to shouto’s face, peppering shouto’s wet cheeks in kisses, down to his neck where he begins to suck hard, giving him a bite. hears shouto’s cry out, hands clinging to the back of his shirt, jutting his hips into bakugou’s and it feels nice. feels cute. the desperation in his voice makes bakugou want to groan. so he does. laying his forehead on shouto’s shoulder and mindlessly ruts his hips down. bakugou grunts when he feels shouto’s legs wrap around his hips. 

“when i fuck you ㅡ and i will ㅡ it’s going to be in my house.” bakugou mumbles in the crook of his neck. “maybe i’ll bend you over the table in the kitchen, or have you on your knees sucking my cock while i film it. film you. would you like that?” it’s getting to him, the images, the possibilities. shouto sucks in a stuttering breath. “then we can both watch it together while we fuck.” 

“please. yes. want it. want to.”  

“you’re really fucking cute, shouto. and really fucking filthy. i like that.”  

bakugou pulls away, arms caging shouto as he gazes down at him and shouto’s so fucked out that bakugou can’t help but give him another kiss. swiping his tongue over his lips before shoving in his mouth.  

“i’m going to fuck your thighs. is that okay? it’s going to hurt for you but you can bare with it, right?” 

shouto doesn’t respond. just nods eagerly. doesn’t think he can trust his voice in that moment but he scoots up, lifting his legs and bakugou wraps his hand around his ankles to place them to rest on his right shoulder after tugging out his dick. shouto’s thighs squeeze together as bakugou slips between them. it’s rough, it’s soft, it’s kind of perfect. so perfect that bakugou lets out a series of cardinal moans. he already begins to feel like shit for shouto afterwards, he’s going to be sore but he’ll make it up to him somehow. someway. 

“fuck.” bakugou grunts, his hips moving in a rapid pace, eyes drifting to the ceiling then falling on shouto and only him. the boy is wrecked, mouth parted and gasping, watching how his cock is appearing and disappearing before him. “never thought you’d see me rutting like a bitch in heat, huh?”  

shouto snaps his gaze to his, cheeks flushed, neck pink. 

he slows down when he notices something, a small smile on his face. “are you hard again, angel?” 

shouto nods shyly, the back of his hand covering his mouth while one grips a random plushie, chest still heaving. jumps when bakugou traces a finger along it, the little vein there. it twitches at his touch. snaps his hips forward and relishes in the way shouto’s dick jumps with the force, so much so that bakugou feels the coil in his gut beginning to spring forward and he comes in thick pulses, all over shouto’s pretty fucking skirt. 

“fuck. fuck.” bakugou whispers, vision going blurry momentarily. can barely see, clarity gracing him every few seconds but makes out shouto’s hands moving to his cock and slides them up and down in quick jerks, the desperation manifesting and bakugou breathes in to pay heed. catches shouto’s shy eyes and keeps contact. notes how shouto’s body is quivering. “do you like it when someone watches you touch your cute little dick?”  

shouto moans, lashes flutter, swallowing a sob. more tears fall from his eyes slipping down his temples. bakugou presses his lips on shout’s ankle, giving it a kiss, tongue and all. it’s sort of obscene, but it makes shouto cry more. the kind of cry bakugou craved from before. the kind of cry bakugou promised shouto. 

“go on.” shouto urges softly, kissing his ankle again. “show me how pretty an angel is when they come. i want to see it again. come on. come on.”  

shouto gives one last downward stroke before he spills on the underside of his skirt, mixing with bakugou’s. his toes curl when he comes, his thighs tense, and that makes bakugou wince since he’s still sensitive but he isn’t complaining. both are left gasping and bakugou has a hard time catching his breath but not as bad as shouto who is still convulsing. bakugou feels the want to give him a kiss. 

so he does. tucks himself back in and straddles shouto, leaning down to kiss the corners of his eyes; the tears. nuzzles him with his nose and cups the side of his face. shouto calms down when he does that. “you’re pretty.” bakugou mumbles, runs the pad of his thumb over the hair clip. doesn’t know if shouto is processing his words but he doesn’t care. knows that when the time comes, he’ll just end up saying it again. and again. again, then once more. a few more. all the time. “so pretty.” 

bakugou finds the restroom, a bit down the hallway from where mina’s room is and gets a cool rag, comes back to shouto passed out, hair splayed out unevenly, fondness courses through him when he gently wipes down his skirt the best he can as to not stir him of his sleep. slips down his skirt and grabs the blanket from the ground to cover him. sits on the edge of the bed for a while. doesn’t know how long. just sits and watches him, hand resting on his leg. and yeah. this. him. shouto. 

the bedroom door is already open when mina comes in, still tipsy and unbalanced. bakugou has to tell her to be quiet and points to where shouto is. mina just giggles into her hand, cooing and crawls into her bed. bakugou feels his face heat up, knowing the event that took place there and feels a tad sorry. only a tad, not enough to find regret in his heart. she ends up snuggling shouto and falls asleep there, too.  

bakugou just sighs, deciding to go home for the night. has to take the subway. hates it. feels empty when he walks down the road towards his house. the night is too heavy. his shoulders and the light warm rain that begins to shower on him. thinks of shouto. shouto. shouto. feels cooler. on the inside. likes the feeling. makes the rain feel like nothing. 

denki’s on his porch steps when he rounds the corner. phone in his hand. bakugou doesn’t feel anything when he sees him. they’re just friends. only friends. friends who talk and laugh and mess around sometimes because it’s convenient and fun. sometimes. just sometimes. never feels anything more than that. wonders why he wasn’t at the party. why was he here. 

“why weren’t you answering your phone?” he asks. voice grim. eyes shadowed. golden hair wet and dripping. 

bakugou pats around for his phone, pockets empty. must have slipped out of his pocket somewhere. somehow. knows how. knows where. 

“i left it at mina’s. i was already half way here when i noticed.” he lies. doesn’t never feel good when he does, but somehow he thinks it has to be this way. so he does. he lies. he lied. 

“oh.” 

he doesn’t ask him how long he’s waiting. he’s too tired. too tired to feel anything else other than cool. to think anything else other than shouto. 

“can i spend the night here?” he sounds tired, too.  

bakugou can’t turn him away. not his friend. not when he sounds like this. bakugou trudges up to him, bends down to grasp his hand and leads him inside the house after unlocking it. takes off their shoes and goes straight to bakugou’s room, lays on top of his clothes because he’s too lazy to throw them on his floor.  

just as he lays his head on the pillow, denki crawls closer and closer. so close heat soaks into his body and no. no. he doesn’t want to feel warm right now. not now. wants to feel cool. cooler. shouto is cool. even when he’s warm, he feels so cool. it’s melts into warmth. denki is hot. always warm. too warm. like he’s engulfed in nothing but flames and bakugou doesn’t know how to snuff it. doesn’t have the strength so when denki puts his arm over bakugou’s waist, he lets him. he’s tired. fucking tired. he can let it go this once. just once. it doesn’t mean anything. he doesn’t feel anything. the touch is empty. empty. vacant. he falls asleep. denki’s arm over his waist. body stained with golden flames and dark dreams. 

ACT IV

it’s early in the morning when bakugou stirs awake. thinks that maybe it was still too warm, even on the couch where he resided to and that’s why he woke up. takes him a moment when there’s light thudding; footsteps. probably denki. passes by him muttering, “you didn’t hear someone knocking on the door? are you fucking deaf?” 

bakugou heaves out a sigh and turns on his side, facing the back of the couch, bending his arm more for comfort. “fuck off. you heard it. it’s too early for you to be talking shit.” he hears denki laugh at that. opens the door, hears an exchange of words and he almost falls back to sleep. almost. he almost does. he can’t seem to now. no. 

“bakugou’s right here. want to say hi?” 

bakugou doesn’t have to turn around in order to tell who it is. can feel it. feel him. can tell by the way he’s so quiet, how light his steps are, drawing closer and closer and closer. he’s awake, keeps his eyes shut even when shouto’s hand is resting on his shoulder; a light shake. bakugou just hums, keeping a smile distanced from his lips and in one swift move, he successfully lands shouto on the couch with him, face to face, can feel the gasp from his lips, soft puffs of air. doesn’t open his eyes. bakugou places his hand on shouto’s lower back, pressing against him and hums, even manages to nudge his thigh between shouto’s legs and that’s when denki scoffs. mumbling words underneath his breath.  

“thanks for last night. i’m leaving.” denki said, can hear more shuffling, felt shouto squeeze his legs together, squirming, but gives up. 

“about time.” bakugou mumbles, voice riddled with sleep. deep and rumbling, nuzzles into shouto’s chest. feels his chin rest on top of his head. “lock the door on your way out, you bastard.” 

shouto keeps silent throughout their exchange, even when denki bids them goodbye and it’s just them there, now. it’s so quiet. quiet. really quiet, can hear shouto’s heart. feel it as it pounds in his chest and vibrates bakugou’s entire body. something powerful and beautiful. beautiful and kind. envelopes him and drowns him in cool. bakugou gives a lazy kiss over his shirt. whatever he’s wearing.  

he closes the remaining gap between them and practically traps shouto with no where to go. no where to move if he wanted. desired. right now, shouto was the only thing bakugou wanted. needed. craved and adored. adored. bakugou never really adored anything. wonders why he’s starting to now. does it matter? no, not really. not when shouto’s fingers are threading through his hair, twisting a lock of his unbrushed hair. doesn’t know why he’s here, can’t bring himself to care. glad he is. 

“you smell like strawberries.” bakugou comments, swiping his thumb back and forth over shouto’s waist and the boy shudders. “what brings my little angel here so early in the morning?” 

“yourㅡyour phone. i found it in mina’s room and i wanted to bring it back you. i think the battery died, though.” shouto pauses. “i didn’t mean to fall asleep. i’m sorry. i felt really bad when i woke up and you weren’t there.” 

bakugou inhales, forcing his eyes open as he pulls away to look at shouto, figure soaked in sunlight from the open curtains. it’s a nice sight to see. makes him feel peaceful; tranquil, all that shit that he isn’t quite used to. “don’t feel bad. i tried staying with you for a while but when mina came in and climbed in next to you, i figured it was just better to leave. thank you for bringing my phone back to me. i’m sure my brother must have called or texted a lot and that’s what caused my battery to die.” 

shouto gazes down at him, hair falling over his eye and bakugou brushes it back for him. “how are your thighs? does it hurt a lot?” his hand travels down between them to massage his muscles lightly. shouto breathes out a little laugh. something delicate. bakugou wonders if he has always sounded like this. wonders why it took him so long to notice. sort of hates himself because of it. 

“not as much as i thought they would.” he answers gently. it sounds deep; his voice. bakugou thinks it’s hot. fucking captivated by it. why’s he so weak when it comes to him? it’s not like shouto is someone who is this fragile little thing who needs to be protected. he’s seen shouto first hand stand up for himself but he can’t fucking help it. he can’t. he just can’t. especially now. recently. he wonders what brought this on. “you still smell like smoke.” shouto says, bakugou blinks, thoughts vanishing in an instant when he sees shouto smiling at him. boyish and cute. he’s getting hard. what the fuck. bakugou needs to get a grip. 

bakugou hums, removing his leg from in between shouto’s before the boy could realize. he runs a hand over his face. “didn’t shower yet. do you work today?”  

“no, today’s my day off.” he answers, goes to retract his hand from bakugou’s hair, lays his hand on his chest instead. fingers splayed open and bakugou turns his head, eyes falling on him rather than the ceiling. his eyes are shining, lips glossy. coated in gloss. the lip gloss. the lip gloss that bakugou likes a lot. he releases a little laugh.  

“can’t believe how hard i got just from looking at you.” it’s unbelievable, really. bakugou knows he has no control over this shit. gets the best of him but he allows it. it’s his own weakness he willingly succumbs to. shouto bites back a timid smile. to him, it must sound like a compliment and truly, it is. “i’m going to go shower, now, okay? i’ll be right back. i’ll make us something to eat after.” 

he goes into his room for a change of clothes. transfers into the bathroom and turns on the shower, water warm rather than hot, doesn’t like it too warm, gets enough of that shit from denki. he throws his clothes into the hamper, steps inside, door ajar and lets the rivulets of water dance down his body for a few minutes and it feels good. feels even better when he doesn’t think too hard and grabs his aching cock in his hand as he pumps it. grip loose. it’s still sluggish but it feels fucking nice. 

his mind is boggled, clouded, thinks about shouto. shouto with his cute smile. thinks about how slender his waist felt when he held it. how mature the sounds he made caused bakugou to crumble into little fucking pieces. he moves his hand faster. head hanging helplessly as the climax draws closer to him, so close he can taste it on his tongue and he knows it’ll be delicious but it doesn’t stroke him. it can’t not when the sound of the bathroom door opens, can hear the distinct creak. 

bakugou freezes in his place for a moment before glancing in the direction, hand still wrapped around his dick and sees shouto standing there. he was moving. taking off his shirt, unbuttoning his pants and kicking them off, his boxers. naked, he stands, like he’s wondering if this is even okay to begin with. bakugou wants to laugh because he can’t fucking believe how awestruck shouto makes him. this side of him he gets to see. wants to see other sides to him as well.  

“come here, shouto.” bakugou raises his voice, enough for the boy to snap out of his own thoughts. he opens the sliding door to the shower and closes it. bakugou turns around to face him, and shouto’s eyes are hooded, as if he’s in a daze. like he’s entranced by bakugou and only him. the droplets of water are splashing on his skin, getting him wet, even from this proximity. bakugou bites his lip, slowly moving his hand again, the sensation is still there, a tiny flame, stuck in his gut. wants to make it grow big enough to engulf both of them. “remember the night you sent me that video of you in your new outfit?” he questions. 

shouto nods wordlessly, glancing back and forth between his moving hand and his eyes. doesn’t know where to look at first. doesn’t know how long to keep his gaze there. his eyes shift and bakugou finds it endearing. bakugou lets out a surprised grunt when shouto suddenly drops to his knees with a gentle thud and swats bakugou’s hand away and takes him in his mouth. it’s hot, ensnares his cock with saliva as his tongue swirls around his head.  

“fuck,” bakugou breathes, lets his head fall back on the shower wall, gasping for air. tenses when shouto’s hands are placed on his hips. pushes back his sopping hair and watches the scene below him. shouto is sucking his cock, gloss coated lips stretched around his girth and it’s so fucking hot to witness. doesn’t know how something like a blowjob could make him feel like he’s soaring. shouto moans, eyelashes fluttering and bakugou gets a sense of deja vu from the previous night. from the day back in the mall. he wondered about this. what shouto would look like with him on his knees. now he knows. he knows now. 

bakugou swallows, groaning as shouto tries to fit more of him in his little mouth and bakugou hums in approval, a low rumble. reaches his hands down to pet shouto’s damp hair. it’s all sweet and kind until bakugou snaps his hips forward, keeping shouto’s head in place. shouto tenses, then relaxes, his fingernails lightly scraping the skin of bakugou’s thighs. feels cold. so cold. bakugou likes it a lot. wants him to do it again. so he does. he surges forward again. again. again.  

“i got off,” bakugou says in between breathes. “on that video of you, shouto.” shouto responds with a throaty sound to make sure bakugou knows he can hear him; that he’s listening to his every word. “you got me so fucking hard just from spinning around like the little princess you are. made me come all over myself.”  

he releases shouto from his hold, the boy gasping for a breath of air and when he catches it, his hand wraps around his cock, sucking on his tip. he locks his gaze with bakugou as he moans and bakugou smirks at that, figures out what he’s doing.  

“stand up.” bakugou says, grabbing shouto’s arm to help him. pushes him against the shower wall and nudges his thigh between shouto’s legs where his own cock was swinging, plump and leaking. “fuck yourself on my leg. i know you want to.” 

shouto blushes, doesn’t move. “i want to make you feel good this time.” is what he says, hands forming into cute fists that are on his chest. bakugou hums at that, leaning in to kiss shouto’s neck, licking the skin.  

“you already are.” bakugou whispers in his ear before nibbling on his earlobe. a shiver courses through shouto’s body and his arms wrap around his neck, like a hug. so much skin on his, wet, encased in something sweet and beautiful. doesn’t think he can get enough of this. of him. “you’re already in here, you mind as well get dirty before we can get clean, hm?” 

bakugou brushes a thumb over shouto’s nipple, twisting the bud. shouto gasps again, his hips starting to move.  

“there you go, angel. doesn’t that feel better?” smiles to himself when shouto presses himself down on his thigh, swaying his hips, his cock becoming more stimulated the faster he goes. bakugou jerks his leg up; an asshole move since shouto has expressed himself to be quite sensitive from the beginning. “you know, you could make me come just by doing this. that’s how good you make me feel. i don’t even have to touch myself.” he mumbles, the tip of his cock rubbing firmly against shouto. “no one else is able to do that.”  

shouto moans, squeezing his eyes shut and bows his head. “notㅡnot even denki?” 

bakugou knew this shit was bound to be brought up. isn’t mad. can’t be. it’s not like he was the most secretive person when it came to how he fooled around with his friend. is more than sure the others got the clue but never said anything so why does his heart begin to hurt when shouto speaks about it. when did shouto realize? what situation played out in order for him to connect the dots that bakugou wasn’t too keen at hiding? 

“no,” bakugou answers, feels his chest tighten when shouto hums. “no, not even denki.” and it was true. denki was just empty touches and empty words. empty. so fucking empty that bakugou hated himself for how he kept going back even though he didn’t realize half the time, only during. “how did you know?” 

it was an honest question that he was curious about.  

shouto presses his lips against bakugou’s collarbone, doesn’t stop moving his hips. “i knew you guys were next to us in the dressing rooms.” this sparks excitement in bakugou’s fucking veins. he knew? how? were they too loud? did bakugou manage to be extra incautious like the fuck up he was? “i seenㅡseen your cup from my restaurant and i knew. seen denki leaving, too. looked sad. denki.”  

“fuck.” bakugou says, exhaling. hurts when he does. hurts a bit too much. remembers how shouto was staring at him at the check out. that’s why. that was why. it makes sense. too much sense. wonders what shouto thought about the whole thing. “are you mad?” 

bakugou hisses when shouto’s fingers wraps around his cock and starts jerking him off. feels good, feels like his mind is becoming misty, so bakugou removes his leg and grabs on to shouto’s. jerks him off, too. they’re in sync like this, pumping with rhythm. soaked from head to toe.  

“why would i be mad?” shouto moans, hiccupping when bakugou gives his wrist a twist, the water making the slide easy. “i like you too much. besides, youㅡyou have your reasons. can’t be mad.” 

those words caused bakugou to shudder; impulsive and cruel. sweet and mature. paints shouto’s fingers in white, washing away as the water rains down on them. bakugou winces as shouto keeps moving his hand, probably didn’t realize that he made bakugou go over the edge that quick. doesn’t say anything, doesn’t stop him. relishes in the feeling. the overwhelming feeling shouto is giving him. like a punishment. accepts it. bakugou digs his thumb over his slit, and, wonderfully, shouto pants, spilling onto bakugou’s palm. milks him. 

“can i kiss you?” he asks, bakugou pushes his wet bangs from his eyes. hand lightly grabbing his jaw. tilts his head. 

“my angel can kiss me any time he wants. don’t have to ask, okay?” 

shouto nods slowly, leans in and swipes over bakugou’s lip piercing before he slips his tongue in bakugou’s mouth. it’s sweet. sweet and pretty. shouto is always sweet and pretty. thinks back to when shouto was too shy to even look him in his eyes and here they were now, each other’s cocks in their hands as they clash their lips together. it was rough, it was careful but most importantly, bakugou felt weight to his words, to his touches, to everything bakugou gave, shouto’s responses were filled with something ㅡ attachment. fondness. endearment. everything bakugou thinks he wanted in the first place. everything he couldn’t feel from denki. 

they wash each other off after. bakugou washes shouto’s hair since the boy was still calming himself down, humming along as he massages his scalp and moves the shower head to rinse the soap away. grabs the body wash and lathers it over his body, kissing shouto’s pink nose when bakugou roams his hands over his ass, giving a light squeeze. rubs over his stomach and thighs, his arms and back. smiles a little when shouto says he wants to wash bakugou’s hair, too. lets him. can’t say no. he’s too cute. thinks about how shouto says he likes him so much. wonders when he started to like him. what he likes about him. makes his heart race just thinking about it. 

shouto says he doesn’t want to get dressed yet. wants to wait until later so bakugou waits until he puts on his boxers and takes him to his room where he finds a black button up of his and hands it to shouto to wear. it’s a little big on him, not by much, but shouto’s frame is smaller than bakugou’s. even goes the extra mile of fastening the three buttons in the middle. likes the way it kind of swallows him. the hem ends at his thighs and bakugou thinks this is the perfect time in order for him to practice the self-restraint he lacks so much. 

bakugou cooks them food. shouto is right by his side as he does. helps him cut up some toppings and it’s another thing bakugou wasn’t used to but isn’t opposed to. thinks he can get used to this over time. bakugou moves to the side in order for the boy to scrape the ingredients into the boiling water, over the noodles. bakugou excuses himself to plug his phone in to his charger, and places it on his night stand before coming back out. shouto’s stirring the noodles around, bakugou wraps his arms around his waist in a back hug. kisses his neck.  

“are you okay with water? it’s all i have to drink right now.” he mumbles against his neck.  

shouto nods, shyly arching his back against bakugou. lazily, stirs the noodles. losing focus. bakugou smiles to himself before moving away to open the fridge, grabbing the last two water bottles on the shelf. closes it and opens the cabinet to retrieve two bowls for them. they get their fair share, eating in the living room. bakugou sits between shouto’s legs on the floor as he hands the remote to shouto, telling him to put on anything he wants. 

they sit in silence for awhile, enjoying each other’s company. bakugou scarfs his food down, full. wiping the juices of the soup away with the back of his hand. “ugh, i can’t move.” he groans, taking the empty bowl from shouto’s hands to place it on the table. closes his eyes when he feels shouto’s slender fingers thread through his damp hair, combing out the little knots. he breathes in, relaxing. cranes his neck in order to look at shouto despite him appearing upside down. shouto’s bangs were practically dry already, he smiles a little at him, cheeks glowing.  

“kiss me.” he says. wants to kiss him. bad. really bad. and shouto does. bends in half to reach his lips. moans a little when bakugou softly bites down on his upper lip, suckling there. lets shouto lick over his mouth, warm, wet. cold. cool. shouto kisses the same way he acts. bakugou really likes it. likes him. when shouto pulls away, his eyes sparkle. sparkle and gleam. like the stars. like stars during the day. can sense that shouto wants to say something. ask something. 

“what’s wrong?” bakugou questions after a minute.  

shouto nibbles the inside of his cheek. “i don’t think denki likes me.” 

bakugou furrows his brows, blinking. can tell shouto is serious so he straightens himself, climbs onto the couch, one leg propped up as he sits facing towards him. shouto is fiddling with his fingers, gazing down at him lap. “what do you mean?” 

“he said that you would never look in my direction. that you would only look at him.” he mutters, scrunching his nose distastefully as he recalls their conversation. “he thinks the only reason i wear my skirts is to try and seduce you or something.” hears the lump caught in his throat as he speaks and bakugou’s heart feels like its suffocating in his ribs. “but it’s not true. iㅡi would never do something like that. i like wearing my outfits. they make me feel good about myself. did i do something wrong?” when he looks to bakugou, tears are brimming his eyes and it’s so sad to see. so fucking sad. “bakugou, did i do something to make him this mad at me? i thought he liked me. i thought weㅡwe were friends.” 

unable to bare witness to his tears, bakugou opens his arms, invitingly, shouto wastes no time in falling into them. bakugou holds him. shelters him. protects him; from what? he can’t be sure, but he does want to pour his all into making sure no harm can touch him. can touch shouto. this sweet boy who wears his heart on his sleeve. the boy who picks flowers and gives them to his friends just because he wants to. just because he can. this sweet fucking boy. so sweet. so precious. a fucking angel. 

“i’m sorry on his behalf, shouto.” bakugou starts, voice gentle as he speaks. petting shouto’s hair to comfort him. “one thing i know for sure is that you didn’t do anything wrong to upset him. from what i’m gathering, denki might be jealous. i don’t know why but he’s a fucking brat.” he explains, huffing sadly when shouto’s shoulders are jerking, holding back quiet sobs. “it’s not an excuse. it’s not. i’ll talk with him, okay? i promise. i’ll talk to him and try to understand more, okay? please, don’t cry, angel. it’s hurting my heart.” 

shouto breaks down when bakugou says that, crumbling. melting into bakugou’s touch as the boy just stays still, holding him together. thinks back to when mina told him how she was worried for shouto because he’s so kind. too kind. overly kind and he gets hurt easily. shouto gets hurt and that’s something bakugou doesn’t think he can handle. doesn’t want to see him in this state. wants him to smile. smile and laugh. grace him with his boyish grin that shows when he’s done something he’s proud of. like acing a test he’s been studying. making a homemade bracelet from mina’s little bead collection. 

he thought that this thing between denki and him wouldn’t interfere. wouldn’t take a toll. but it did, and bakugou was partly to blame for thinking otherwise. can’t seem to grasp why denki was reacting this way, especially towards shouto who has been nothing less than pure to the people around him. bakugou feels like shit. feels like absolute garbage because he really thought if he didn’t hurt anyone else beside himself, it was fine but it wasn’t. he hurt shouto, too.  

“i’m sorry.” bakugou whispers, pressing his lips against shouto’s head. “i’m really sorry. i didn’t mean for you to get hurt by this.” 

it takes some time for shouto to calm down. pulls away and takes a deep breath. bakugou wipes his tears away with his thumbs, kissing his splotchy cheeks. then his nose. his forehead. shouto pouts but accepts it. points to his lips and bakugou kisses him. kisses him softly. kisses him gently.  

“i want to nap.” shouto mumbles, rubbing his eyes. bakugou smiles at him. takes his hand in his and leads them to his room, on top of his clothes and shouto doesn’t reject it. crawls by the wall and snuggles up to bakugou when he lays down beside him. he’s cool to the touch, gives him one last kiss to his forehead and pets his hair. shouto falls asleep much quicker than bakugou. it’s nice. it’s nice and cool and sort of perfect. he closes his eyes and drifts off. feels like happiness. 

he dreams of something ㅡ someone. knows who almost instantly. it’s shouto. they’re at the beach. with their friends. everyone is having a good time. shouto holds two popsicles in his hands. bakugou feels the heat from the grayed-out sun that looms over him. feels real. shouto’s lips are moving as he stands in front of him, squatting down and offers him a popsicle. want one? is what he asks. i got one for you, is what he says. bakugou can’t talk. can’t respond with his own voice. his body moves on its own. hand reaching out and taking one, brings it to his mouth but he tastes nothing. this seems familiar. like he’s done this before. was this a dream or a memory he’s finally remembering? 

shouto is smiling at him, copying his actions. he says something else while looking at him. i forgot what it’s like to have friends, he mouths. bakugou notices there’s a dim of color pulsing in his face, under his skin. rippling; resembles a rainbow. bakugou still can’t respond, eats his popsicle as he stares at him. thank you for being so kind to me, and bakugou’s popsicle falls from his hand. shouto’s mouth falls open and it looks like he’s laughing. eyes forming into crescents.  

bakugou is looking back and forth between the melting ice cream and shouto’s face. when the boy peers at him with his handsome boyish grin, bakugou feels his mouth move. can’t make out what he’s saying. no sound. no hint. wait. shouto’s eyes widen slowly. what did bakugou say? he doesn’t know. can’t remember. would shouto know? does shouto know? is this a memory after all?  

shouto’s face blooms into color, his body. his skin. everything else stays gray and calm. everything but shouto. the only color he sees. processes. he’s kind of beautiful. can’t remember when this took place but he’s beautiful. did bakugou think that way all this time? has his mind forgotten and he has always felt this way towards him?  

bakugou feels a slight pressure on his shoulder; his chest but shouto hasn’t moved an inch, like he’s frozen. is he okay? he wants to fucking move, ask him, but he can’t. he can’t move. wants to reach out and cup his face. he’s frustrated because of this. what did he say to make shouto react this way? his eyes are soft. there’s still a little smile. was this how he looks when he’s content? what did bakugou say to him? he wants to know. really bad. so bad. 

the more bakugou tries to think, the more pressure he begins to feel on top of his body. on his torso, his chest, his shoulders. shouto’s face is so brilliant with color. overflowing. so bright. he’s glowing. glowing too bright that bakugou’s head automatically looks away, towards the ocean. sees the tide roaring in slow motion, feels like his lower body is drenched with water. it’s weird. a weird feeling, but it’s cool. a cool sensation and it feels like his veins are bursting with something nice. like a kind of pleasure. then everything freezes. the waves, his friends off to the side, too. everything stops. 

bakugou feels like he’s being pulled. like his own dream is casting him out. feels as if he’s waking up, and he is. he’s waking up. it’s slow to catch, to think, but he knows his body is moving, feels this immense amount of pleasure coursing through him like the tidal wave in his dream. so powerful and demanding. he forces his eyes open. blinks when the sun stings his eyes. the ceiling is there, knows because of that stupid fucking crack he asked his brother to patch but never did. he blinks more, inhaling. it’s like his body is being moved up and down, feels hard down there, really hard.  

it’s when bakugou hears a hindered moan seep into his ears that he fully wakes up. he inhales again, squeezing his eyes shut then opening them, hears the slapping of skin and when he draws his gaze from the ceiling to the place he feels the most movement and that’s how he finds shouto on top of him, slamming his hips down on his cock. fucked out. really fucked out. his mind is reeling. shouto is sobbing, grinding down on him. he looks so fucking hot. his boxers were pulled down, scrunched up around his knees and bakugou realizes what was happening. realizes why he felt the way he did. his heart is racing; thundering like a storm. isn’t mad. isn’t panicking. likes it. likes it a lot more than he should. 

shouto is staring at him, as if he’s going to scold him but he doesn’t stop moving. keeps circling his hips and squeezes around bakugou’s cock. bakugou releases a lewd moan, can’t find his voice yet. just watches with the utmost interest as shouto’s hips lift and slam down, hurts in a good way. relishes in the way shouto cries out, face flushed. he’s touching his nipples, pinching. sees his leaking cock jumping with every bounce. he’s so tight. so tight bakugou thinks he could squeeze his dick off. it’s so hot inside, can tell he’s leaking slick from his hole. the squelching is echoing around them. his throat is dry but he ignores it. he can talk now. so he does. he talks. grabs shouto by the collar and pulls hard enough to make him fall forward with a gasp.  

he grounds his feet to the mattress, wincing at the strain of his cock. “couldn’t wait until i was awake to have my cock in your tight ass?” he spits in his ear, confidence pouring out of him. feels urged on when shouto stutters out a cardinal moan. “was my little angel so hungry for my cock that you had to take me while i was sleeping?”  

“i’mㅡi’m sorry. i ㅡ” 

bakugou cuts him off when he slams his hips up, causing shouto to jolt forward with a loud alluring wail that travels straight to his cock. bakugou grunts, catching his breath as he pounds shouto with all the force he can muster just from waking up. “you’re so fucking tight.” bakugou groans, his hands kneading shouto’s ass, spreading him open wide. fucks into him until he feels shouto’s body quivering and he can’t catch his breath. knows that he’s coming, feels the hot liquid pool over his shirt. “did you feel good fucking my cock while i slept?” he asks. 

shouto cries out. “wait.” he says. “hangㅡhang on.” 

bakugou smirks. he holds shouto tighter. feels his thighs burn and fucking loves it. “you saying that makes me want to fuck your hole even harder.” he confesses, and there’s a slight pause, in case shouto wants him to stop but he doesn’t. the boy just tries to grind into bakugou’s hips and yeah. shouto really does things to him. bakugou wraps one arm around the boys waist and flips them. shouto squeaks, face planted into the pillow, bakugou’s hand pressing between his shoulder blades to keep him still. “and that’s exactly what i’m going to do because i know how much you fucking want it.” 

he pulls out, entranced by the way the skin of his hole stretches around him, pink and puffy, glistening with bakugou’s leaking member. bakugou curls his fingers around shouto’s shoulder and surges forward. shouto sobs, arching his ass. bakugou bites his lip. hissing as the boy clenches around him as he pulls out again. shouto’s face turns so that his left cheek is resting against the pillow, staring off. his face is dark pink, tears flowing from his eyes; bakugou smacks his ass, groaning as his supple flesh jiggles, staining red within time. pounds into him, can’t hold back.  

bakugou glances at him, shouto’s mouth is hanging open and little cries fall from his lips, sees a dribble of saliva form a tiny puddle on his pillow and bakugou thinks it’s really fucking cute, how fucked out he is. shouto’s still looking off in the distance, follows his gazes until he sees it. his phone. his phone is propped up and recording them. bakugou chuckles, bowing his head in amazement.  

“no fucking way.” bakugou breathes, slipping out of shouto and that causes the boy to regain his senses. enough to where shouto whines deeply, turning on his back, fat tears on his lashes, cheeks red, chest red. a fucking embodiment of what bakugou believes to be angelic. “want to record me fucking you in my bed that bad?” 

shouto nods eagerly; earnestly, lifts his legs to his chest, exposing his fluttering hole and bakugou groans at the sight.  

“hold your legs there.” he orders before shifting down, giving no warning when he delves his tongue into the ring of muscle, making shouto cry out so profoundly, feels adrenaline clash in his veins because of it. likes seeing him cry from feeling so good. shoves his tongue as deep as he can, bobbing his head as he slurps around his hole, sucking.  

“fuck.” shouto slurs, drunk with bakugou’s touch. hearing shouto curse was new. turned him the fuck on because shouto never curses. never heard him curse until right now. it was god damn beautiful to hear. bakugou pulls away after nipping at the inside of shouto’s thigh; skin tender. crawling up, trailing loose kisses till he reaches shouto’s neck, his jaw, then finally his lips. shouto releases his legs in order to grab bakugou’s face, kissing him deeper.  

bakugou reaches for his phone. eighteen minutes and fourteen seconds, ongoing. flips the camera so he aims it at shouto’s face, his hands reaching out towards bakugou. he hums at that. “say hi to the camera, shouto.”  

shouto hiccups, mumbling a greeting. docile and pretty. one hand forming into a cute fist to try and hide his tears but bakugou shakes his head, pulling it away. he reaching for the phone, bakugou gives it to him, shouto fumbles for a second before finding an angle that works and bakugou smirks at him. knows he’s watching through the screen so he carries on. 

guides his cock to align with his sopping entrance and pushes forward with a grunt. shouto shivers. bakugou grips his under his thighs and fucks him, more alert. more awake. more motivated. thinks that being filmed this way is something new, interesting. never thought to do this with denki. thinks it’s better when it’s with shouto.  

“too fastㅡfast. going to fast!” shouto stutters, clawing his hands around to ground himself. 

he fucks him into his mattress. it’s rough, rougher than what bakugou is used to but it feels so good. shouto’s so good at swallowing his cock. gives him just as much as bakugou wants and gives shouto all he wants, too. would give him more. all. his all. would give shouto his all with no hesitation. his pressure was building in his gut with no intent of stopping.  

“feels weird.” shouto cries out. “wait. feels weird. feelㅡfeels weird.” shouto babbles like the sweet baby he is. bakugou grunts, speeding up, noticing the way shouto’s cock is leaking something. a liquid, it’s pooling out slowly on his stomach. smiles somewhat devilishly because no fucking way. if he’s right about this and he’s sure he is then with several more severe thrusts, shouto sobs, liquid squirting out all over him, his bed. it’s hot. really fucking hot.  

shouto clenches so hard around bakugou that it sends him flying over the edge and he comes inside him on accident. “no!” shouto says, out of breath, the phone falling from his twitching hands. entire body convulsing from the pleasure. “iㅡi didn’t mean to. i didn’t mean to get your bed dirtyㅡ” 

bakugou can’t catch his heart as it rips out of his chest and runs to shouto. he falls forwards, no strength left in his limbs. shouto catches him. “just means you felt good, angel. don’tㅡdon’t worry. just means you felt really good.” he assures him between gasps. heaving. cock softening inside him. “came inside. sorry. i came inside.” 

shouto’s breathing deeply. doesn’t let go of bakugou. lays there, feels shouto caressing his head. hums. feels whole. feels full. everything he craved. it was right here. it’s always been here, he thinks. he was too ignorant to see it but shouto was patient. shouto likes him. he likes him. bakugou remembers. shouto; he said that he likes him.  

“i like you.” bakugou confesses. “i like you.”  

shouto pauses. pauses and hugs bakugou tighter. 

ACT V

[ ENDING ]

bakugou was sitting on the window sill, puffing on a cigarette when denki returned to the room with two bottles of soda in his hands and a bag of chips dangling from his mouth. it’s nearly been a week since he stayed the night at bakugou’s house and haven’t heard from him since; until now, half an hour ago, asking if bakugou wanted to come over and hang out since his parents were still working.  

there probably wasn’t going to be a better opportunity like this and frankly, bakugou was stuck with having his mind reel at the fact that he had to confront denki about this whole bitter-sweet jealousy thing he had towards shouto. a big part of this was for shouto but also for bakugou, too. there was never a time when denki went out of his way to intimidate someone and bakugou wanted to know what was wrong. why it turned out this way. they were friends. good friends. best friends. bakugou is still trying to process the fact that this happened in the first place and how to bring it up without making denki shrink away. 

he thanks denki with a nod of his head, twisting the cap of the bottle and taking a sip, the carbonation sizzling over his tongue before swallowing. he heaves a sigh and sets it down on the nightstand behind him. looks out the window and flicks the growing ash. denki rips open the bag of chips and munches on some, flipping through the channels and settles on some random television drama. volume low. 

taking one last hit of his cigarette, he snuffs it, tossing it out of the window before moving off the ledge and laying down on denki’s bed, propping himself up on his arm and smacks denki on the back of his head, hard enough to make him sputter out a gasp, dropping the bag in his lap. 

“you’re an asshole?” 

“am i?” 

denki shakes his head, a laugh eventually falling from his mouth and bakugou smiles, ruffling his hair. it gets quiet again and bakugou was wondering when he should bring up the problem at hand, but he wavers. wavers because he missed hanging out with denki like this. when the air between them was filled with nothing but extrication and friendly mirth. he doesn’t know when things became so murky and fugacious. bakugou exhales, rolling over on his back and closes his eyes. 

there’s a depression forming near bakugou, on the edge. peeks open an eye and sees denki looking at him, expression wistful. seems to have thoughts roaming around in his head. bakugou knows it’s coming; slowly. surely. waits. waits because he knows if this is to be started, denki has to be the first to approach and bakugou has to be the one to finish it.  

“you know,” denki begins, voice soft as the sun, harsh as the sunrays. bakugou stirs, one hand under his head as he opens his eyes, breathing in, looks at him. waits. “the day we first met, my parents kicked me out of the house because they caught me and a boy from my class kissing.”  

bakugou adjusts himself. sitting upwards. crossing his legs. denki shifts on his bed, getting situated; pulls his legs up to his chest and hugs them. 

“she never gave me a chance. told me to pack up my shit and leave for a few days until she came to a decision for whether or not she still wanted me in her life. my dad never said anything to defend me. not even when she hit me. he just sat there quietly on the couch, drinking his god damn tea.” he chuckles humorlessly. bakugou sees his eyes glisten as he speaks. tears. they don’t fall. not yet. “then i met you. remember?” 

bakugou nods, reminiscing. “yeah. you were sitting outside the convenience store when i was coming out. asked me for a cigarette. gave you my last one.” 

denki smiles sadly, shrugging his shoulders. suddenly, he seems smaller to bakugou. “and then i told you what happened when you didn’t even ask. just down next to me and listened without saying a wordㅡ” 

“and i invited you to stay over at my house. yeah.” 

“i always thought it was funny how it happened. we hardly ever spoke in school and i was practically living with you the next day. you really did a lot for me. i guess, i didn’t want that to disappear, no matter how empty it was.” 

there it was. the word. the confirmation of what they shared. what they had. bakugou just listened. the atmosphere was thin. really thin. felt like the world was becoming opaque and spared them this moment. brief. fleeting. but it was theirs. 

“i don’t know why but ever since midoriya invited shouto in the group, i noticed how soft you were whenever it came to him. he’s just this boy. this boy who speaks too gently. this boy who is timid by nature but has this sort of confidence around him. over time, it began to irritate me. not because of him but how you always looked at him. the day at the beach. the day at the beach was when i saw how precious he actually was to you. for some reason. i didn’t like it. i didn’t want you to like him.” 

bakugou’s ears perk up when denki’s voice cracks and the tears fall. he stays in place. the scene so fragile to him. he’s never seen denki in this state. never thought he would have to. sort of hurts his heart. no. hurts his heart a lot. this is his friend; his best friend.  

“that’s why i kept initiating sex with you. i only wanted to have you see me. think of me. i didn’t want to be forgotten. i didn’t want you to decide that you no longer wanted me in your life, either, like my mom. like my dad. my parents don’t care for me. they ignore me and pretend i don’t exist but i’m here. i’m right here. you’re my best friend. i couldn’t let that go. i tried to make some kind of thing between us to keep you from looking anywhere else except me.” 

bakugou understands. he does. denki is swallowing the rocks in his throat and normally, bakugou would have hushed him. would have quieted him down but he knows that in order for him to get to that point, denki has to come clean. has to admit and reflect and be true. be true to himself more than to bakugou. they needed this. the closure. in order to move forward instead of being stuck in this endless loop. 

“i hated myself for being that way. i felt so wrong every time we had sex.” he cries, angrily wiping away the tears from his face. breathing out, frustrated. “i felt wrong because i knew i was using you. i was using you to make myself feel like i existed in some kind of way. hated myself even more when i was being a complete dickhead to shouto ㅡ someone who never did anything wrong towards me but during that time i seen you two together, i felt like he did. i really felt like he was going to make you forget about me.”  

denki’s shoulders shake. his lips tremble as he speaks. bakugou wants to move forward and hold him. not yet, though. almost but not yet. almost. not yet. 

“so i tried to make you forget about him and i know i was wrong for that. shouto is... he’s...” 

“kind.”  

denki huffs out a laugh. “yeah. he is. really kind. too kind and i’m sorry to shouto. to you. i am. i used you. i’m a terrible friend for that, aren’t i?” 

bakugou inches forward. opens his arms and denki looks at him for permission before falling into them. cries a little bit more. bakugou holds him.  

“i’m not mad at you for using me, denki. i think i’m more upset at the fact that you assumed i would ever abandon you just because i found someone i like.” bakugou begins, rubbing denki’s shoulder with his hand. “you’re my friend. i haven’t given you a reason to think i could do that to you in the first place, especially after you telling me how your home life is.” he pauses, letting his words sink in. “how you went about it wasn’t ideal, but i’m also in the wrong because i never stopped it. i never told you to stop, no matter how empty it was. but just because the sex was empty doesn’t mean our friendship is.” 

he can feel denki nod. agreeing. takes a deep breath. “i don’t know why i just didn’t tell you in the first place. you’re good at listening. to me. to others. i’m sorry.” 

“i know you are.” bakugou replies. “you’re my best friend denki. i can’t live my life without you in it. i’ll always be on your side and my door will always be open to you. that’s not going to change, alright?” 

denki pulls away, looks at bakugou as he wipes away a falling tear. “alright.” he mumbles. jolts when his phone rings, and sighs, reaching for it. he excuses himself before walking out of the room, into the hallway and bakugou finally feels like he can breathe again. they can breathe again. feels like the world is spinning again and it felt good. this sort of attachment that’s been created between them. this is what he wanted for their friendship.  

it all made sense. perfect sense. denki’s confession. thinks about they way it all worked out because the beach did happen. bakugou did forget. remembers the dream. it was real. the memory. then feels like shit for denki because of what he went through. what he still goes through. although he’s been permitted to live at his house, his parents still despise him for who is he and for that, bakugou could never think to leave his side. to forget about him. and it was all bitter-sweet. it really fucking was. feels good. feels like they accomplished this. sorted this out. talked. talked and felt better. this is good. bakugou knows that he will always be denki’s abditory and he can live with that. 

he rubs his face, heaving a sough of relief as denki comes back in the room. phone in hand. “that was mina. she invited us to come over her house to play. whatever the hell that means.” 

bakugou feels himself smile. “maybe some other time.” 

“she said she has food.” 

bakugou lays himself back down on the bed. “send my congratulations to her.” 

“shouto’s there.” 

bakugou clears his throat, sitting up, feels his heart begin to race at his name. “on the other handㅡ” 

denki laughs, shaking his head. “you’re unbelievable. let’s go.” 

they end up taking the subway to mina’s house. walking down her driveway, bakugou and denki share a cigarette. the tension is gone, the feeling of this invisible wall has disappeared. there’s a moment of hesitance in denki’s eyes when he parts his lips and bakugou stops in his tracks to wait for him. doesn’t rush him.  

“just so you know, i think you and shouto are cute together. even at the bonfire. i know there’s boundaries now and i’ll respect them. i just want you to know that.” 

bakugou tilts his head. “the bonfire? you were there? i didn’t see you.” 

denki only nods. “yeah. just for a few minutes. when i seen you guys, i just left, but my mom locked the door to the house since it was past my curfew. i ended up waiting at yours. i didn’t think you’d show up till the next day, though.” he says, puffing on the cigarette before handing it back to bakugou.  

he hums, running a hand through his disheveled hair and taps on the filter to dispose of the ash. thinks. “hey, do you happen to remember what i said to shouto that day at the beach?” 

denki ponders. bakugou can still see the puffiness of his eyes and wishes it would go away. doesn’t like to see anyone cry. then denki smiles at the ground before looking at him. 

“you told him that the world feels more beautiful when he smiles.” 

“that’s fucking cheesy. fuck.” bakugou says but he’s smiling, too. he’s so fucking lame. so lame. it was the truth, though. shouto is beautiful. the world does seem beautiful when he smiles. when he laughs. denki chuckles, bumping his shoulder to resume their walk. feels giddy. feels relieved and happy. mina greets them from the backyard.  

“over here! i invited the rest of the crew, they said they’ll be here later!” she chirps, hanging on denki’s arm as she drags him to the back porch where shouto is, sitting at the table, beads of all kind spread out in front of him. he’s focusing too hard to notice he arrived and bakugou just watches him. takes a drink from the soda denki gave him.  

he was making a bracelet. tying the knot. stretches with a groan as he wiggles his fingers towards the sky he turns his head and notices them approaching. bakugou waves, walking towards him. shouto smiles slowly, craning his neck back and puckers his lips. unable to resist, unable to care that mina is gawking at them; bakugou leans down and kisses him.  

a shriek sounds from mina, gushing and cooing and praising them. denki is shaking his head as she throws her fit but it’s endearing. shouto blushes and tells to her hush, that he told her beforehand. bakugou kisses his head, asks him what he made and if he can see, sitting next to him. shouto’s nose is stained pink and bakugou watches as he grabs a bracelet from the pocket of his bang and waits. waits for denki to walk over and sit across from them.  

“hey, shouto.” denki says, a light smile on his face.  

“hi.” he replies, clearing his throat. reaches out his hand towards denki, unsure, to which the other boy gives his hand. “i made this for you. you don’t have to keep it, or wear it but i wanted to give it to you, anyway.” he mumbles, placing it in his hand. the beads were of gold and white. something bright. something burning. something resembling the sun. and it fit. it fit denki. denki is like the sun. warm. too warm. always warm.  

denki glances at bakugou. kind, is what his eyes are saying.  

too kind, is what bakugou’s eyes are replying.  

“thank you. of course i’ll keep it.” he slips his hand through it. it hugs his wrist and ghosts a finger over the beads, notices his name there. smiles more. it’s like shouto already forgave him without having denki say anything at all. like he already knew the hardships denki was facing alone. 

mina goes inside to get the snacks and drinks ready for the rest of their friends. bakugou’s arm is slung over shouto’s shoulders and nuzzles his nose against the side of his head. strawberries. he always smells like strawberries.  

“i made you one, too.” shouto says, grabbing bakugou’s hand in his and slips on the bracelet. it’s cute. cute and colorful. stands out amongst the thick braided black cords of his own bracelets and freshly painted nails.  

“thank you.” bakugou whispers in his ear, giving him a kiss there.  

denki’s smiling at them. something fond. something endearing. something that bakugou feels in his heart and spreads throughout his body. shouto hides his face and bakugou chuckles. thinks this is good. thinks this is great. wonders if he can always feel like this. thinks he can when he’s with shouto. shouto waited for him and he’ll make sure to make up for the time. he remembers now. bakugou’s liked him for a long time. since the day at the beach. since then. since that day. shouto is beautiful and shy. bakugou is happy that he has shouto here. glad that things worked out. he likes him. really likes him. 

shouto is sweet and kind. too kind. he’s cool to the touch and bakugou feels protective of him. he’ll protect him. do his best. shouto deserves it. deserves to be happy and he hopes he can make him as such. after all, the world is more beautiful when he’s smiling. when he’s there. existing. makes bakugou feel whole. makes him feel solid and real andㅡ 

yeah. yeah. the world is more beautiful with shouto. bakugou agrees. agrees that his reality is better than his imagination.