Chapter Text
Bakugou glanced down at his lap, shifting uncomfortably in the tiny seat he and Kirishima were sitting in. When Kirishima had suggested the photo booth, Bakugou had been vehemently against it, he couldn't think of many things worse than having his picture taken. That was, until he saw the pout on his best friend's face, the pleading eyes, pushed out his bottom lip. That was worse, he decided.
"You will smile, won't you, Bakugou?" Kirishima asked, flicking through the large number of filters for one he deemed funny enough for the first photo.
"Huh?! You're lucky you even got me in here, don't push your luck."
Kirishima chuckled, settling on one that enlarged facial features. He settled back against the backboard of the booth, grinning. "Okay, you don't have to smile, but at least look like you're having fun!"
Bakugou didn't say anything, instead choosing to shift once more before glaring at the camera in his ever Bakugou fashion.
A single click was heard, signifying the picture having been taken.
"Your eyes are huge, dude!" Kirishima exclaimed, pointing at the preview picture. "Want to choose the next filter?"
"No, you paid, you pick." Truthfully, he'd only paid because Kirishima had shoved the money in before Bakugou had a chance to put his own cash in.
"It's okay! There are four pictures, we can pick two each!"
"No, really. You pick."
"Boo, you're no fun." Despite his words, Kirishima still grinned at him, leaning forwards to once again flick through the filters. He only took a few seconds before deciding on another weird one.
Countdown, click. Bakugou breathed out, leaning forwards himself so he could pick a filter before Kirishima asked him to.
"Ooo, what are you going for?" Kirishima asked, leaning closer to Bakugou's personal space, resting his chin on his shoulder.
"I don't know, something fucking normal?" He settled on a basic filter that just ever-so-slightly changed the contrast of the photo.
"That's so you, Bakugou!" Kirishima leaned back, shifting closer. "Let me guess, the next one will be no-filter?"
"That's an option?"
Kirishima lightly bumped his shoulder as the click of the camera sounded.
"Aw, man, I wasn't ready!" He whined, looking at the preview photo. Kirishima was looking at Bakugou, a wide grin present on his face, leaning close as their shoulders bumped.
"Whatever, let's just take the last one so we can get out of here!" Bakugou did exactly as Kirishima predicted, turning off filters altogether for a normal, plain photo.
"Let's get close for this one!" Kirishima immediately wrapped an arm around Bakugou's shoulder, pulling him in against his side. Bakugou turned his head incredulously as Kirishima leaned his head close. Bakugou's lips touched soft cheek just in time for the camera to click.
"What the fuck?!" Bakugou exclaimed, jumping up from the seat, his body far too big to stand in the small booth.
"Bro you totally just kissed my cheek!"
"I did no such fucking thing! You got too close! This is your fault, fuck you!" Without another word, Bakugou stormed out.
"Bakugou wait!" Kirishima scrambled after him only stopping to collect the two slips of photos, but Bakugou was gone by the time Kirishima made it out of the arcade.
As soon as Bakugou was back in his room, he slumped down onto the floor, resting his head in his hands. He'd done it. He'd ruined their friendship in a matter of seconds with an honest mistake. He didn't mean to! He didn't want to kiss his best friend. But that didn't matter. It had happened. He'd never be able to look at Kirishima again.
A short rap against his door brought Bakugou out of his thoughts.
"Bakugou? Are you in there? You didn't need to run, bro, it was an accident, I'm not mad at you. Just talk to me, man."
Bakugou stayed silent, frozen in his spot against his door. He knew Kirishima would be able to see his shadow under the door. Kirishima knew he was there.
"I'm going to give you some space, I'll be in my room when you're ready to talk - these are yours." Just beside him, Kirishima slipped the photos from under the door, photo side down.
'Ei + Kats 20**' was written on the back in the neatest handwriting Bakugou had ever seen from Kirishima.
He snatched the photos up. The bottom one was neatly ripped off. The one that showed him kissing Kirishima had been removed, a neat tear being the only indication it had ever even been there to begin with.
Kirishima had thought of Bakugou. Had thought of him being uncomfortable and did what he could to remove that discomfort.
He looked over the photos. Looked over Kirishima. At Kirishima. At his best friend with the dumb hair and dopey smile. The same smile that definitely didn't fill him with hope in the darkest times.
He looked at the way Kirishima was effortlessly beautiful. His skin was perfect, the scar above his eye accentuating the red of his eyes. Bakugou didn't find many things beautiful, but Kirishima? He was another story entirely. Bakugou would never get bored of looking at him. The faint freckles along his nose that you can only see from close up, the slight bend to his nose from what Bakugou could only assume to have been a broken nose in childhood.
But why? Why does he love looking at Kirishima? At the way even though it was a picture from the shoulders up, Bakugou could picture the muscles beneath his shirt - not in a weird way, Kirishima just loved to take it off. Bakugou is forced to look. He'd swear that on his grave.
Bakugou stood abruptly, yanking his door open and heading straight to the only person he knew he could talk to without judgement or the potential of Kirishima hearing about it, even by accident.
Midoriya pulled his door open. "Kacchan?"
"I need your help, Izuku."
For once, Bakugou was glad he was over his bullshit and could talk to someone about his problems rather than let it build up.
"Everything okay?"
"I don't know, I just need your advice."
"Of course, Kacchan, come in." Midoriya stood to the side to let him in. "Sit anywhere. I do have plans with Ochako soon though, so it'll need to be quick."
"Okay. Fuck. I don't know where to begin."
"Try with why you're here."
"I like looking at Shitty Hair?"
"You like looking at Kirishima? Like how?"
"I don't want to fucking say, Izuku. It's so fucking embarrassing."
"What made you have this revelation that you like looking at him?"
Bakugou shoved the three pictures towards Midoriya, turning his back on him to not see his face.
"I'm confused, these are just pictures of you both? Speaking of, how did Kirishima manage to get you in a photo booth, you hate having your picture taken?"
"He pouted. Like some sad loser."
Midoriya was silent before a large smile spread across his face. "Oh my God, you like him!"
"No, I don't!"
"Oh, really? So you're not here because these pictures made you really look at Kirishima and how you find him so attractive that you like looking at him, and he definitely didn't manage to get you to do another thing you hate by just pouting at you? Hard to believe, Kacchan."
"Shut up, nerd, he's just some loser than follows me around. Like you."
"Stop lying to yourself, you like him. As more than a friend. You should tell him!"
"Deku, shut the fuck up, okay? I don't see Shitty Hair like that."
"Bullshit, Kacchan. I've always suspected it, since our first year. I'd never seen you warm up to someone the way you warmed up to Kirishima."
Bakugou glared at him, slumping down into Midoriya's desk chair. "Fuck, I hate this."
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's Kirishima! Kind, selfless Kirishima. My best friend, Kirishima. My longest and first real friend, Kirishima. Kirishima, the one that taught me how to actually deal with my bullshit rather than let it build up."
"Kirishima, the guy who no matter how nasty you've been, stuck by you. Stood up for you against every single person who had a bad thing to say about you. Kirishima, the one who talked four of his classmates to risk their lives just to save you, because he needed to be the one to do it. Kirishima who was always the first to suggest inviting you anywhere purely because he liked your company. The same Kirishima that would ditch every single one of his close friends just to hang out with you."
"Oh my god, shut up."
"I'm just saying, don't assume your feelings are one-sided."
"I know I'm number one, but I'm not his number one."
"And what makes you say that?"
"He's nice. Why would he like me? I know I'm not."
Midoriya shrugged. "No idea, Kacchan. Your guess is as good as mine, but I definitely believe he does feel that way about you."
"I doubt that."
"What advice did you need? If you're not going to listen, why are you here?"
"Because you're the only loser I can talk to about this! If I talk to Pikachu and Soy Sauce Kirishima is bound to hear about it!"
"Who says I won't go and tell him?"
Bakugou glared harder, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because we both know I'll kill you if you do."
"Nu'uh, I'll kick your butt before you can even lay a finger on me."
"Whatever." He sighed. "So what do I do? I need to remove these dumb-ass feelings I didn't even realise existed as soon as possible."
"Or, here's a better idea, tell him!"
"And admit weakness? Absolutely not."
"I see it as more overcoming your fears. Very, as Kirishima would say, manly."
Bakugou punched his arm. "Shut the fuck up."
Midoriya shrugged, a cheeky grin playing on his lips. "I said what I said, Kacchan."
"And what if he doesn't? What if he doesn't feel that way I end up making a complete ass of myself and he starts hating me?"
"Why would he hate you? You've made plenty an ass of yourself and he's yet to feel like that about you."
"Wow, tell me how you really feel, asshole."
"Just tell him, Kacchan. You have nothing to lose."
Bakugou sighed, leaning back. He had everything to lose. Just because Uraraka jumped for joy at the prospect of her and Midoriya together, doesn't mean Kirishima will.
"I have to go to Ochako now." Midoriya opened his door. "You know, if you and Kirishima start dating, we can double date!"
Bakugou gagged. "Don't make me sick."
"See you later, Kacchan, let me know how it goes!" Midoriya grinned, and with a wave was off down the hall before Bakugou could say anything more.
“Damn, nerd,” Bakugou muttered, collecting himself to leave for his room.
Bakugou was sure he was wearing a hole in his floor with the way he paced back and forth, the pictures of him and Kirishima still in hand. His personal revelation of romantic feelings weighing on his shoulders.
He'd never had a crush before. Not even a little one. He was better, more important than everyone he'd met, why would he have? Not until Kirishima.
How long had he had those feelings before then? Was this new? Old? First-year? Second? That year?
He stopped in his tracks. A memory from their first year playing in his mind. A trip to I-Island. A trip he'd wanted to just be him and Kirishima, just them. Alone. The anger he felt at the rest of the class showing up to spoil his time with Kirishima. The suits Kirishima bought for them. The way his anger came to a simmer just from a light touch on his shoulder. The anger boiled with worry deep within his veins as Kirishima took a hit for him. Him thanking Kirishima. The blush. God, the blush playing on Kirishima's cheeks at that.
Then.
Bakugou realised exactly the moment his heart faltered at his best friend. The moment his already softening persona turned to marshmallow for his best friend.
And with that realisation, Bakugou turned and marched out towards Kirishima's room.
He rapped hard against the door, pictures still in hand.
"Bakugou, are you okay?" Kirishima asked as soon as he opened the door. "I was worried about you."
"I'm fine," he responded, stepping past Kirishima into his room, immediately going to take his place on Kirishima's bed. The same place he had every time they hung out in that room, back pressed up against the wall.
"You sure? I'm not mad about the kiss, you know? It was an accident, but I understand you were uncomfortable and probably embarrassed, I shouldn't have got so close."
Bakugou glanced at the pictures he could see sellotaped to Kirishima's wall, the final one ripped off that selection too. He probably hated it.
"It wasn't you."
"What?"
He wasn't going to let Kirishima ripping off that picture make him falter.
"You weren't the problem, I was." He looked at his own pictures, and then up at Kirishima, refusing to not look at him as he said it. "But not because of the kiss."
Kirishima tilted his head slightly. "What are you talking about, Bakugou?"
He's so fucking cute.
"Did you hate it?"
"The kiss? Bakugou, it was an accidental peck on the cheek, it wasn't a big deal! I was never angry about it. You were the one that got angry."
"I wasn't angry. I was embarrassed." He sighed. "Why did you rip off your one of it didn't make you uncomfortable?"
Kirishima furrowed his eyebrows. "Because you were uncomfortable," he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why would I have kept something up on display that I knew made you uncomfortable?"
Up on display? Did he keep them?
"So you would have kept it there if I wasn't uncomfortable?"
"Of course? It was a good picture, bro."
"I don't… Why the fuck would you think that?"
"Because it's a picture of us." He said it so matter-of-factly, a grin on his lips. "Any picture you let me take of you is a good picture, they're so few and far between. I like having physical memories of our time together." Kirishima sighed, eyes on the floor. "We graduate soon, man, I just like the physical proof of friendship for when we inevitably fade out of each other's lives." He glanced back up, eyes determined, piercing. "When you leave me behind for your amazing Hero career, I want that proof that I was part of you getting there."
Bakugou bit his lip, anger building in his veins. "Are you fucking serious?!"
"Huh?"
"You really fucking think after this we're just going to stop being friends? You think I'm not strong enough to balance us and my career?"
"I just figured you'd get too busy, Bakugou. You're aiming for number one, we don't see each other much even when we live here together, do you really think we'll balance our careers when we're living fully apart?"
Bakugou stood up, fists clenched at his side. "Fuck you, Kirishima."
"We both know I'm right. And it's okay. Friends grow apart, it's part of life. How many pros do you see with close friendships outside of their personal team? None, Bakugou."
"Then we'd be the first."
"I don't want to get my hopes up."
"You calling me a liar?"
"I don't want to fight about this, it's just a fact of lives as Heroes. It's a lonely job. We're busy, apart all the time. We'd make time to see each other at first, but as time goes on… it would just be too hard."
"You really think a stupid fucking photo will be enough to remember me?"
"If that's all I have, yes."
He took a step forward, grabbed the front of Kirishima's shirt and pulled him to his feet. "Fucking listen to me when I say this, Hero life would have to pull you out of my cold dead arms before I let you not be my friend, you hear me? I don't care how busy we are, we will stay friends."
"Bakugou…"
"No. If you don't want to be friends, then fucking fine, but I have no plans to let you go."
"Of course I want to be friends! But when… when we graduate, we'll leave. We'll live apart, and work for different agencies. We'd inevitably stop being friends."
Bakugou let go of his shirt and stepped back. "I've been looking at flats."
"That's cool, near Endeavours agency?"
He shook his head, slumping onto the bed. "You haven't been?"
"Looking for places to live? Of course I have."
"Just near Fat Gums?"
"Well, that is where I'm off to next, makes sense I'll live near it."
"I see."
"What's going on, Bakugou?"
Bakugou looked down at the pictures abandoned on Kirishima's bed, and then up at the ones taped to the wall, before turning to look at Kirishima again. "No, you're right. Inevitable. Why don't we just stop now? What's the point if you truly believe we'll never stay friends past UA."
"Don't be like that, I'm just being realistic."
"It's fine. Whatever." He stood one final time. "See you in class."
Abandoning his photos on the bed, Bakugou left, Kirishima staring after him dumbfounded at the exchange that had just happened between them.
Bakugou slammed both his and Kirishima's doors, slumping down against his door once again. I'm a fucking idiot. A stupid, dumb fucking idiot.
Bakugou was glad it was Sunday, after his fight with Kirishima he loathed the idea of leaving his room to go to class.
Instead, he texted Midoriya asking him to meet him in the gym, packed his bag and left in a hurry first thing in the morning. He left his phone on his bed, letting Midoriya showing up be the way he'd know the response.
"Kacchan?"
"Izuku," he greeted, waiting in the middle of gym gamma for Midoriya to put his stuff down outside.
"You don't often call me out for training on a Sunday morning, that's the day you relax. What happened?"
"I talked to Kirishima, it's nothing. Just let me blow you up."
"You can blow me up on the condition that we go for breakfast and talk about things after."
"I don't want to talk, okay? I just want to train and then go back to my room."
"We've talked about you bottling things."
Bakugou sent an explosion his way. "I'm not fucking bottling things up, I just don't want to talk about it right now."
"I really think you should."
"And I really think you should shut your stupid fucking mouth and come fight me."
"Shouldn't it be Kirishima you're taking this anger out on?"
"You know what? Never mind. I'm going back to my room."
"No, wait, Kacchan, sorry. Let's train."
After an hour of the boys all out fighting their frustrations out, Bakugou lay panting on the gym floor, rocks and rubble surrounding him, Midoriya sitting beside him on a large piece.
"You sure you don't want to talk?"
"The only person I want to talk to is Kirishima, and I pretty much blew that shit up yesterday, so let's just forget it, yeah? I took your advice and it fucking backfired and now we're not even goddamn friends."
"You really told him? And he really decided not to be your friend anymore?"
"I didn't tell him, no, but we did talk and he made his feelings very clear. After we graduate he's ready to not be friends anymore, so I saved him the trouble of the next few months and ended things there. What's the point of keeping up a friendship with an expiration date? Fuck that. Rather end it now."
"Wow, Kirishima really said that? You sure you didn't misinterpret it?"
"Hard to misinterpret 'we'd inevitably stop being friends'. I get it. I knew it would be hard… I had plans though."
"Did you tell him that?"
"What difference would it have made? He clearly didn't have any plans to keep our friendship, so why the fuck should I?"
"Because you don't want to lose him?"
"But he wants to lose me, so whatever."
"Don't be a baby, Kacchan. If you don't tell him what you're thinking, he'll never know. I mean, you don't know he's not been thinking of a future with you, he might just be scared to talk about it with you in case you tell him exactly what he told you."
Bakugou sat up, lip between his teeth. "Then he's even more of an asshole than I thought."
"Want me to talk to him?"
"No. I just want to forget this ever happened. I was fine before Kirishima and I'll be fine after him. It's whatever."
"It's clearly not 'whatever' you're hurting. It's okay to admit that. I guarantee you didn't finish the conversation with Kirishima and instead stormed out before anything could be resolved. I know neither of you wants your friendship to end." He grinned. "The first time I really saw you happy was with Kirishima, don't throw that away without clarifying everything with him first."
Bakugou breathed out a sigh, choosing not to respond with words.
"I mean it. If you really let that be the end, you'll never forgive yourself. Go to his room and talk to him. Don't get angry, don't get frustrated. Just tell him exactly what you need to. If you still both decide to end things here, then so be it, but don't do it out of anger when neither of you has the full story of what your thinking."
"But-"
"No buts," Midoriya interrupted. "I understand where Kirishima is coming from, and you must do too. So many pro heroes have no real friends outside of their agencies. You're going to different agencies, it's completely natural he'd be scared of your friendship fizzling out. You just need to really prove to him that it won't happen."
"Fucking hell."
"You don't want to lose him, right?"
"No."
"Then do it. Tell him everything. Prove to him you have no intention of letting your career get in the way."
"I don't want to."
"Yes, you do. Don't be a baby. Get over yourself and talk to him, I don't want to hear your whining ten years from now about what might have been."
Bakugou groaned, flipping back down. "Fine. I'll talk to him."
"Good. I'd definitely suggest showering first though."
Bakugou slipped his laptop under his arm, the laptop with all the proof he'd been thinking about their future for a long time, and then headed to Kirishima's door, knocking once before letting himself in.
"What the hell?!" Kirishima exclaimed glancing up at Bakugou. "You can't just let yourself into my room, Bakugou."
Bakugou shrugged, glaring at Kaminari who was laying with his maths textbook held above his head.
"Out, dunce face, I need to talk to Kirishima."
"You can't just tell my guests to leave."
Kaminari sat up, looking between the two, both faces of steel glaring.
"I am though, so, leave."
"Kaminari, stay."
"I said leave."
"Nah, I don't get paid to be in between your lovers' quarrels, see ya later, Kirishima." He got to his feet. "Leave him in one piece, yeah, Blasty?"
"I'll come down to the common room when I'm done here."
"Thanks, bro, see ya."
Bakugou shut the door behind Kaminari.
"That was rude, even for you. Why are you here? Didn't you end our friendship yesterday?"
"I want to show you something. Proof that I won't let our careers get in the way of our friendship, and if you still believe we can't do it, then I'll go. You'll never have to speak to me again."
"I don't see how it can work."
"Just shut up and look," Bakugou snapped, setting his laptop down on the table and taking a seat beside Kirishima, goosebumps forming over the skin as their arms press together from the close proximity.
"What am I looking at? The flat you want to rent?"
"Do you know where they are?"
"Near Endeavours agency? What's this got to do with anything?"
"Yes, near Endeavours. But also Fat Gums. They're perfectly in the space between the agencies." He shifted to look at Kirishima, their eyes meeting. "It's also two bedrooms."
"Two bedrooms? Why? You moving in with Midoriya?"
"Are you being intentionally fucking thick?"
"No?"
"You. I wanted to - figured it, really - that we'd move in together after graduation."
"You… you've been looking for both of us?"
"Of fucking course, I thought it was unsaid but known that we'd live together. I've only looked at places somewhere between our agencies. The commute is long, but I thought it would be worth it for both of us." He sighed. "I meant it when I said the world would have to pry you from my cold, dead hands, Kirishima."
"You really want to live with me?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"But you said our friendship was over now?"
"Yeah because what's the point of a friendship with an expiration date? But I don't think we have one." He forced a rare smile. "We can do it, Kirishima. We may be away from home a lot, but I want to come home to you. I want you to want to come home to me."
"You are home, Bakugou."
"So does that explain things? Do you still want to end our friendship?"
Kirishima shook his head. "I never wanted to. Ever. I want to be with you too, Bakugou."
"I have one other thing to say. It might change everything, but I figured now is as good a time as any."
"Okay?"
"I like you. Like, really fucking like."
Kirishima furrowed his eyebrows. "I know?"
"As more than a friend, Eijirou. Romantically."
Bakugou watched Kirishima's cheeks gain patchy red stains, which he could only imagine matched his own face.
"Shit. Oh… holy shit!" The biggest grin Bakugou had ever seen spread across Kirishima's lips. "Are you serious?! You're not messing with me?"
"Why would I mess with you?"
"To make up for the past 24 hours?"
"I'm not messing with you. I mean it."
Kirishima jumped to his feet. "Hold that thought," he said, rushing out of his room, leaving a very confused Bakugou staring at the door. That is until he heard the muffled 'yes!' followed by a slam against the door and a muffled 'fuck'.
Bakugou smiled softly at the closed door, smile only falling once the click of its opening sounded.
Before coming back to sit, Kirishima rifled through his drawer pulling out two small slips of something, then settled back into this space beside Bakugou.
"What was that?"
"Nothin'," Kirishima replied, hiding his reddening elbow. "But these," he started, placing the things he'd taken onto the table. "These belong to us."
The final picture from the day before, Bakugou's lips pressed firmly against Kirishima's cheek in clear HD.
"You kept them?"
"I wouldn't have them on display, but there was no way I was going to be throwing them away." He pushed one towards Bakugou. "Do you want yours?"
"Does this mean…?"
"Yes, Bakugou, I like you too. God, I have for so long."
"But you said yourself you were looking for places for you to live - without me."
"Because I figured you'd be moving in with Midoriya, he is your partner and you'll be at the same agency."
"And that's why you thought we'd grow apart?"
Kirishima nodded. "You'd be so busy with him, even busier than you are now, so we'd just naturally grow apart."
"Listen to me, Eijirou, when I'm not fighting or training, the only people I want to spend my time with are you, and the other three losers, but mostly you. The person I want to come home to after a long day at work is you. Not Izuku. It will never be Izuku. He's like my brother, but you're my chosen family, and to me, that's an important difference."
"Bakugou…"
"I think you can call me Katsuki, Eijirou."
"Katsuki… I want to move in with you too. I want to come home to you too. Let's do it. Let's move in together."
Bakugou couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips. "Then let's look for something. We can do it together."
"Absolutely." Kirishima shifted closer. "I think for now, though, you should kiss me for real."
"Is that a challenge?"
"More like a request."
"Guess I got no fucking choice then, eh?"
Bakugou leant forwards, hands curled in his lap awkwardly. Kirishima did the same. It was supposed to be romantic. Their first kiss. The kiss that'll start it all.
It was far from it.
As soon as they got close, Bakugou surged forwards, pressing their lips together. Except it was all sharp teeth and hovering hands. It was messy and uncomfortable, nothing like Bakugou figured the first kiss with the person you liked was supposed to be.
Kirishima pulled back with a laugh. "Never done this, have you?"
"Fuck off, neither have you."
"Who says?"
"Have you?"
Kirishima shook his head. "No, but seeing your jealous face was so worth it."
"Asshole."
"Let's go slow." Kirishima cupped his face, both moving to their knees to get a better angle. "Put your hands on my waist - don't blow me up."
"No promises," Bakugou admitted, hands gripping Kirishima's wait softly, pulling him even closer.
"Okay, now just lean in slowly." Kirishima's hands slip down, thumb rubbing softly over Bakugou's cheek as he gently brings their lips together. Bakugou's fingers tighten, grip causing Kirishima to harden slightly under his fingertips. "Wow," Kirishima said, pulling away to rest his forehead on Bakugou's. "That was well worth the two-year wait."
Bakugou smiled softly. "Fucking hell, yes."
"Wanna start looking now? Let's plan our future together, Kats."
"About fucking time."
Bakugou had never been more thankful for a single photo strip.