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It was a quiet evening in the 1-A dorm common room. Kirishima, Mina, Denki, and a few others had gathered in a loose circle on the couches, faces lit with sly grins as they discussed the latest mystery that had them all curious: what would Katsuki Bakugou's laugh sound like?
See, none of them had ever heard it. Despite Katsuki being close with his classmates and having shown every conceivable emotion—from rage to rare moments of vulnerability—he never, not once, laughed around them. It had become something of an inside joke among them, the elusive sound of Bakugou's laughter, and tonight they were making bets on just what it would be like.
Denki was practically vibrating with excitement, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'm telling you, it's gotta be horrendously loud. Like, he probably sounds like a crow cawing or something! It'd be the funniest thing ever!"
Kirishima chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, man, Katsuki's way more manly than that. It's probably this deep, booming laugh, y'know? Like a warrior in a movie or something."
Mina rolled her eyes at them, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Are you kidding? For the plot, it would be hilarious if his laugh was actually... cute," she declared, and a round of groans filled the room as everyone vehemently disagreed.
"Bakugou? Cute? Yeah, right!" Denki laughed, leaning back against the couch.
But then, surprisingly, a small, hesitant voice piped up. "Actually... I-I think it might be cute," Izuku murmured, cheeks dusting pink. He fiddled with his fingers, looking anywhere but at his classmates as they all gawked at him.
"Ohhhh!" Denki crowed, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Deku thinks Kacchan's laugh is cute!"
Izuku flushed even deeper, stammering out, "I just—he's always so intense, you know? It'd be... nice if he had a cute laugh. To even it all out."
Mineta wrinkled his nose. "Nah, I bet it's ugly. The dude's always yelling like a maniac; his laugh's probably awful."
They bickered and laughed amongst themselves, tossing around theories and teasing Izuku about his shy vote, when a familiar voice broke through their conversation like a sharp crack.
"What the hell are you idiots going on about?"
They all froze, heads turning like guilty children. Katsuki Bakugou was standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised in irritation, looking very unamused by their huddled huddle. He was wearing an oversized black shirt, one that looked a little too big on him, the hem of it reaching mid-thigh over his gym shorts. It was a rare sight to see him in anything other than his usual fitted clothes, and Izuku found himself staring, the blush on his cheeks refusing to fade.
Katsuki caught his look and his scowl deepened. "What're you staring at, Deku?"
Izuku scrambled for words. "Uh, I just... where did you get that shirt?" he asked, hoping it would deflect Katsuki's attention from whatever they were plotting. "It's, um, a bit big on you."
Katsuki's cheeks turned faintly pink, and he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Mind your own damn business! Not everything is some mystery for you to solve!"
Mina couldn't help but snicker, nudging Denki with her elbow. "Ohhh, what if it's from a secret lover?"
"Shut up!" Katsuki barked, the color on his cheeks darkening. "You don't know anything!"
Denki, seizing the opportunity, suddenly snuck up behind Katsuki and dug his fingers into Katsuki's sides in a quick, ticklish jab. Katsuki let out a startled yelp, shooting across the room as if Denki had shocked him. He landed on the couch, scowling, and glared daggers at Denki, who was grinning ear to ear.
"What the hell are you doing, you moron?!" Katsuki demanded, his voice wavering between anger and an unexpected hint of nervousness.
Mina leaned over, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Bakugou... are you ticklish?"
Katsuki's eyes widened, his cheeks heating up. "No! Don't be ridiculous!"
"Oh, come on, you totally are!" Denki laughed, sauntering over. Sero gave Mina a grin, then shot his tape around Katsuki's wrists, pinning him just enough so he couldn't escape easily.
"LET ME GO!" Katsuki shouted, thrashing, but the combined weight of his classmates kept him anchored.
"Sorry, Bakubro," Kirishima said, though he didn't look particularly sorry. "It's for science!"
"Yeah, think of it as a little... class experiment," Mina added, winking.
Denki wiggled his fingers menacingly, and before Katsuki could unleash another round of fiery threats, Denki's fingers found his sides again, and he began to tickle mercilessly. Katsuki squirmed, attempting to keep his composure, but it wasn't long before a sound—something between a snort and a muffled gasp—escaped him.
They all paused, holding their breath. Katsuki clenched his teeth, glaring at them as if daring them to continue. But Denki, ever the instigator, resumed his attack, fingers darting over Katsuki's ribs, his underarms, and his stomach. Katsuki bit his lip, trying to fight it, but finally, a little giggle slipped out.
"Oh my god, did you hear that?" Mina whispered, her eyes wide with delight.
"Shut up!" Katsuki snapped, but the attempt at intimidation fell flat as Denki kept tickling him, his hands quick and relentless. Katsuki's resistance crumbled, and the giggle broke into a laugh—a bright, soft, and utterly endearing sound.
"Holy crap," Kirishima murmured, grinning. "Dude, this is priceless!"
The entire room was silent, enraptured. The laugh was... cute. Mina's eyes sparkled in triumph, mouthing, "Told you," to Denki, who just sat there in shock.
"Oh my god, it's adorable!" Mina squealed, pulling out her phone to record.
"Quit it, you extras! Stop!" Katsuki gasped between giggles, his laughter coming out in breathless bursts as Denki kept tickling him.
"No way!" Denki crowed, his grin stretching wider. "I'm making this my ringtone!"
Katsuki finally mustered enough strength to activate his quirk, small sparks flaring at his wrists as he broke free of Sero's tape. He tackled Denki, pinning him to the ground, still panting and flushed.
"You... you absolute dick!" Katsuki panted, trying to regain his composure, though his smile lingered just slightly.
Denki, pinned beneath him, just laughed. "But, Kacchan! It's so cute!"
Katsuki's eyes narrowed, his smile instantly replaced by his signature scowl. "Say that again, and I'll blow you to bits."
Denki grinned up at him, undeterred. "Kacchan's laugh is the cutest thing ever!"
That earned him a blast to the face.
As the smoke cleared and Denki lay on the floor, looking dazed but delighted, the rest of the class exchanged knowing smiles. Kirishima patted Katsuki on the back with a laugh, Mina waved her phone in triumph, and Izuku, hiding a soft smile, couldn't help but think that, yes, Katsuki's laugh was cute.
As Katsuki finally released Denki, standing there slightly out of breath and still red-faced, Hagakure's voice chimed in from the corner, clearly excited by the revelation.
"And talk about a cute smile," Hagakure mentioned, her voice carrying a playful, almost teasing lilt.
Katsuki's head snapped in her direction, his blush deepening as he realized everyone was staring at him, not just because of his laugh, but also because of the rare, genuine smile that had slipped onto his face. He quickly wiped the grin away, his mouth setting into a tight line, but the softness in his eyes lingered.
"What the hell are you all looking at?" he growled, though the usual sharpness in his tone was noticeably dulled by lingering embarrassment.
Mina giggled, nudging Izuku, who was watching Katsuki with wide, admiring eyes. "She's right, though! That smile... Who knew Bakugou could look so sweet?"
"Shut it, Pinky!" Katsuki snapped, his ears burning. He glanced away, scowling at the floor, clearly flustered by all the attention.
But the others weren't about to let this go.
"Aw, don't be embarrassed, Bakugou!" Kirishima chuckled, clapping him on the back in his usual friendly, overzealous way. "It's manly as fuck!!"
Katsuki grumbled something under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck and glaring at Denki, who was still grinning up at him from his spot on the floor.
"That smile was so sweet, Kacchan," Izuku murmured softly, giving Katsuki an earnest, gentle look that made his cheeks heat up all over again. "It's... nice to see that side of you."
Katsuki's gaze shifted to Izuku, his expression softening for just a moment before he realized everyone was still watching. With an exaggerated groan, he hid his face in his hands in frustration.
"Enough already! I swear, if any of you bring this up again, I'll—"
"Make us laugh till we cry?" Denki interrupted, barely dodging a playful spark from Katsuki's hand.
The room erupted in laughter once more, and even though Katsuki grumbled and rolled his eyes, he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from curling into the same sweet smile they'd all fallen for.
And he'd never EVER admit it, but a small part of him liked the way they were looking at him, like he was more than just the loud, brash guy they all knew.