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Kirishima called everyone bro.
That was just his thing. And it wasn't just bro either! Dude and man were very present in his vocabulary, sometimes he even went for the occasional mate because it sounded friendly as hell. Bud was one he liked a lot, budster, buddy, buddy boy - he could go on forever. And let's not forget the beautiful homie.
But recently, calling his best friend Bakugou bro had felt a little different. He still did it, obviously, you can't get rid of a habit like that! But he couldn't stop thinking about three nights ago, when him and Bakugou were lying next to each other watching the stars. They'd just been walking back from a night class before Bakugou looked at Kirishima, raised a finger to his lips, then took hold of Kirishima's hand. And that had been enough for Kirishima to go all wide-eyed and wonder what the hell was going on, but he just let Bakugou lead him in a direction that definitely wasn't to the university dorms. Instead, they were heading to the sports field.
And Kirishima still said nothing when Bakugou let go of his hand and laid down on the cool grass, patting the spot next to him lazily. He wanted to say something when he followed suit, their body warmth mingling in the cold night air, but he was caught by how serene the scene was. How Bakugou had his eyes closed, no anger or heavy emotion crinkling his awesome face, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
Kirishima kept thinking about that, too.
"You look really nice when you're this relaxed, bro," Kirishima had whispered eventually, and Bakugou had cracked an eye open, giving him the smallest yet most striking of smirks.
"Then relax with me," Bakugou murmured, voice playful and raspy. "'Bro'."
Now whenever Kirishima called Bakugou bro, he couldn't stop thinking about that smirk, thinking about how close they were when it was so cold but he could barely feel anything but the electricity zipping through him, thinking about the word coming out of Bakugou's mouth like something from a dream. That was when he knew.
"I'm into Bakugou," Kirishima said at lunch and Kaminari spat out his juice while Sero's fork missed his mouth.
"No. Don't do this to yourself. Don't DO it," Kaminari whined, grabbing Kirishima's shirt and shaking him about. "How can you even allow yourself to admit it, dude? You could've just repressed the thought and gone on with your day!"
"It's not that bad, though? He's hecka nice to look at," Kirishima hummed dreamily, and Sero and Kaminari both gagged. "HEY, IT'S TRUE!"
"How'd you even figure this out? God, I can't even imagine a romantic moment with Bakugou that's the type to make me think I like him," Sero said, shivering as he took a sip of his drink and Kirishima did blush a little at that. He didn't think he could tell them about the moment yet. It still felt so intimate, like something he wanted to wrap up and lock away in a tiny piece of his heart forever.
Bakugou had called him bro. And even though it had sounded sarcastic as hell (if soft sarcasm was a thing?)...it was kind of all Kirishima had ever wanted, having his favourite bro call him bro so they could officially be the bestest bros for each other while also acknowledging that they were indeed each other's bros. Sue him for having a dream! But the way you say words can really change things, because now the thought of Bakugou saying bro with his pretty voice and pretty face only made Kirishima want to kiss his pretty lips and basically he was currently having an inner breakdown.
He'd even started feeling a little strange whenever he saw Bakugou's contact name in his phone. He could change it, but he'd had it as 'bakubro' since they first met in freshman year and he didn't want to. But when the target of his recent out of control affections took a dramatic seat next to him a minute later, instead of the usual 'bro' that always slipped out of his mouth at the sight of him, Kirishima went for something else. "Hey, man."
Kaminari instantly let out a wolf whistle which definitely deserved the loud kick under the table.
"I stole five desserts," Bakugou said, moving the tissue covering his tray and Sero and Kaminari both gasped in delight but Bakugou slapped their hands away. "This is all for me, you fuckers. I've had the worst goddamn day, watch me guzzle these in front of you."
"Kirishimaaaaa, your boy's being mean to us!" Kaminari whined and Kirishima's eyes widened, but Bakugou smacked the guy clean round the head.
"I don't belong to anyone, you bloody- SOY SAUCE FUCKER, GET AWAY FROM MY TRAY IF YOU VALUE YOUR FINGERS-"
Usually Kirishima would be in on the action, but it was really nice just chuckling to himself as he watched Bakugou hiss and defend his bounty of sweets like a fierce gold dragon with his hoard. Kirishima always kept getting surprised by how much the guy liked sugary stuff, but Bakugou was a crazy indulger. He'd binge shows, food, any kind of entertainment, and Kirishima was pretty sure his reasoning was something like 'I deserve what I want so I'll do what I want'. And he still got good test scores. Curse him.
"Oh, Denk, we gotta head off," Sero said after he checked a message on his phone, and Bakugou looked happy with the news while Kaminari looked up from where he was currently in a headlock.
"Oh!"
"Where're you guys going?" Kirishima asked, as Sero shook Bakugou's arm and the guy reluctantly let go of Kaminari.
"Ashido's Zumba club! She really wanted people to come so we decided to help her out."
"Got no muscles in these limbs but I can still wiggle like a worm!" Kaminari cheered as he did some kind of wobble-flex and sent Bakugou a wink which was the completely wrong thing to do because his foot was cleanly stamped on in the next second. "OW-"
"Easy, you mountain lion," Sero said wryly to Bakugou who just turned back to his tray smugly. "See you guys!"
Kirishima waved until they left the room, and then his eyes fell onto Bakugou. The guy wasn't doing anything special, just munching on a pastry, but Kirishima still felt his smile swelling bigger by the second. Or maybe that was his heart.
"Things are seriously never boring when you're around, huh?" Kirishima asked amusedly, and Bakugou paused. Then he took his knife and sliced into half of one of his desserts, pushed it onto some tissue, then held it out to Kirishima. He stared at it for far too long, brain not quite processing, but Bakugou was surprisingly patient. "Wha- you liked that?"
"I said I had a shitty day," Bakugou muttered, going back to his food when Kirishima finally took the treat. "Any dumb thing you could say would be better than how today's gone."
When Kirishima's brain pulled up his Bakugou translator, what he got was: "what you said made me feel better."
Oh man. Oh man oh man, when Kirishima slid a hand onto his chest and felt the quickening beat underneath his fingers, he officially knew he had it bad. How hadn't he realised earlier? Didn't matter. He was into the hottest guy ever, he was gonna enjoy this.
"Then thanks. Let's go watch something when we get back to cheer you up, bro!" Kirishima cheered, though the instant his cheeks started heating up at the last word he'd said, he saw the smile peeking out from the corner of Bakugou's lips. Kirishima turned even redder, but this time he grinned and threw an arm over Bakugou's shoulder. "Bro bro bro. Bakubro."
"What," Bakugou growled, and Kirishima grinned bigger as his chest filled with warmth. Calling Bakugou bro didn't have to be weird - now it felt like an inside joke. Well, actually he wasn't even sure if Bakugou understood it too but it was different now, and Kirishima would roll with it. Let his favourite word become an almost pet name for his favourite guy.
"Nothing," Kirishima sang, before bursting into laughter when Bakugou snatched the dessert right back.
"So are you gonna like, do something about it?" Kaminari asked one day, looking uncomfortable to even touch on the topic, and Kirishima had to think about that. He wasn't really sure. He'd been curious about what asking Bakugou out might be like, but all he could envision was lots of yelling and kicking and "YOU'RE GROSS GET AWAY FROM ME" so who knew? Kirishima wasn't sure Bakugou was into guys. Wasn't sure he was into girls either. Wasn't sure he was into, well, people. He seemed the type to be romantically attracted to success and himself.
He accidentally snorted milk at the thought of Bakugou having a candlelit dinner with a mirror, and Kaminari yelped in alarm but still thwacked his back to help.
"Who drinks straight up milk?" Sero asked with a wrinkled look as Kirishima's head descended on the table while he huffed through his sore nose.
"Me because I'll get so tall. I'll be taller than trees."
"Trees are generally twenty feet."
"I will be twenty feet and an inch. And to answer your question," Kirishima pointed at Kaminari, "I think I'll get killed. So probably not. I'll love him from a distance."
Sero and Kaminari both looked at each other before bursting into laughter on creepy cue. Kirishima furrowed his eyebrows, all for humour but he didn't get what was funny. "What?"
"Kirishima Eijirou, my boy," Kaminari hooted as he slammed a hand onto Kirishima's shoulder. "You? Loving someone from a distance? Being subtle? Two things you've never been able to do."
"Trust me, in next to no time, everyone in this uni will know that you wanna kiss his face off, even Bakugou," Sero snickered, patting Kirishima's back. Kirishima frowned at that. He could totally be subtle. So he was loud and liked showing love towards people but not in every sense, come on, he already showed Bakugou a ton of friend love so that'd be enough for him, right?
"I'll bet you twenty that won't happen!" Kirishima yelled, banging the table but the others just groaned.
"Dude, don't bet on shit like feelings. That's way too messy."
"You guys are good friends," Kirishima sighed as the two patted his back sympathetically.
When he got back to his dorm room that night, Bakugou was already there on his own bed, typing away on his laptop. Kirishima tried to hug him and got shoved, and then they were both working for the rest of the night, comfortable enough in each other's presence to coexist in the almost-silence. In freshman year, Bakugou used to complain about Kirishima's excessive tapping on his desk and Kirishima used to cringe a bit hearing Bakugou's music that was usually up so loud that it was audible outside his earphones. But now Kirishima tapped along to the music. Now he'd settle beside the guy on some of the mini breaks he'd take and take out one of his earphones, shove it in his own ear then rest his head on Bakugou's shoulder. 5 out of 10 times Bakugou would shove him away. 4 out of 10 times Bakugou would ignore him but let him stay! And 1 out of 10, Bakugou's head would gently nudge against the top of Kirishima's and stay there.
Kirishima liked listening to Bakugou's music in these little pockets of time. None of the songs were ever something he'd pick out himself, even though Bakugou liked so many genres meaning it was different every time which was also cool, but it felt like he was getting to know a tiny tiny piece of him that he wouldn't be able to figure out socially. Bakugou was a tough cookie, and Kirishima liked to think he'd done a good job cracking him so far but sometimes he needed help, too.
He didn't do that today, though. He was too swept up in working and each break was just him slamming his head against the desk and pouting whenever Bakugou cackled at him. He irrevocably forgave him when he nudged Kirishima's head with a mug of coffee by the time it was ten pm, though.
"Shit," Kirishima groaned, rubbing his face when he caught sight of the big black bag by his bed. "I'd wanted to go to the laundry room today."
"Fuck, same," Bakugou replied in sudden realisation as he hopped off his bed and disappeared into the bathroom only to lug an almost identical bag out. "Let's go before it closes, idiot."
"Carry meeeee," Kirishima whined, wanting to make grabby hands at Bakugou but he was too weak even for that, and Bakugou rolled his eyes with a scoff. But by the time they'd both grabbed coins and left the room, Bakugou was carrying Kirishima on his back as the latter held onto the laundry bags. It was the worst kind of arrangement; was what Bakugou kept saying as the bags wouldn't stop hitting his face, but Kirishima was simply in bliss coiling around Bakugou's back like a koala. He could fall asleep like this, he totally could.
He totally wouldn't though, if he valued his life. But he did close his eyes a little.
"Kirishima," Bakugou seethed what seemed like the next second, and Kirishima quickly blinked his eyes open, groggy. "Get off."
Kirishima pouted but slid off Bakugou's back, grabbing the bags tighter. Then Bakugou looked at him. "What time is it?"
Kirishima reached into his pocket to take out his phone. "Uh...midnight."
There was a silence for a second, before Kirishima snapped his head up to meet Bakugou's festering gaze. "It's midnight."
"We're fucking late!" Bakugou roared, kicking the locked door and Kirishima frowned, dropping the bag to wrap his arms around the guy and stop him.
"Hey, hey, dude! It's alright," Kirishima reassured, watching Bakugou huff but finally leave the poor door be. "Let's leg it to the laundromat. I'll hold the bags. We'll look like really cool smugglers."
"In coffee stained shirts and pyjama pants," Bakugou deadpanned, but he looked considerably happier at the idea as he grabbed a bag to sling over his shoulder, then grabbed Kirishima's hand. Kirishima felt his heart race at the feral grin Bakugou sent him which was probably seventy percent because of coffee and thirty percent because the thought of running through the streets like madmen in the middle of the night while high on coffee seemed right up Bakugou's street. "Ready?"
Kirishima was honestly never ready for Bakugou, but he lived to take the things the guy did in his stride anyway, and he nodded as he threw his own laundry over his back. Then they were running.
The unsolicited laughter didn't spill out of them until they were off university grounds, coming out of Kirishima in badly held snorts almost instantly and Bakugou's nails dug into his hand to get him to shut up but he was snickering too by the time Kirishima almost tripped over his very badly tied laces. They were breathless giggly messes by the time they swept into the store and Kirishima just about managed to call out a quick, "Hey, ma'am!" to the lady at the front who waved good-heartedly at them. But one look back at Bakugou and his messed hair from the wind had laughter bubbling up his throat again.
"Shut th-the fuck up, you ditz," Bakugou gasped through cackles as he pushed Kirishima's face away while he tried to load a machine and Kirishima just fell to the floor dramatically, clutching his stomach. "Get out your money before I shove you into one of these!"
It took a while, but they managed to calm down by the time the washing machines whirred. They sat down either side of one they were using on the floor, and kept stealing glances that had Kirishima smiling giddily. Bakugou thwacked his head eventually. "Talk to me, idiot, you look like a schoolboy with a dumb crush."
Kirishima would wonder if he'd been found out if Bakugou had a bigger reaction than that. "It's the caffeine kicking innnn, though I think it's kicking out now."
Bakugou looked unimpressed. "No-one says that."
"Kicking out? They should. It works!"
"I'll kick your ass outta this damn shop."
"Oh, that's why..."
Bakugou snickered as he closed his eyes and knocked his head back against the washing machine. Kirishima watched him, a little shyly. It was fine to check out bros but watching Bakugou always made him feel kinda shy, the guy was just so...perfect. Strong neck, sharp jaw, fair skin with tiny smatterings of faint freckles. Always baggy pants but what was the point paired with the shirts he wore that were on the side of too tight, curse him. There wasn't a single part of Bakugou that he didn't want to admire. And kiss. He'd smack that on there too to fit with his newfound discovery.
"What you staring at?" Bakugou said calmly, eyes still closed. Kirishima reached out and poked Bakugou's Adam's apple.
"Mole. Right there!"
"Oh." Bakugou looked down and lazily swatted at his throat like that would get rid of it. "Got tons of those fuckers."
Kirishima swallowed. He didn't mean to think about it, he really didn't, but he'd never been able to look at Bakugou closely when he was shirtless or wearing shorts (obviously or that'd be weird! Probably) so he hadn't caught sight of them. Where would they be? On his hips? Thighs? The dimples in his back? The bottom of his spine? Was Kirishima quoting a One Direction song right now?
He definitely was. Okay. That had to be some stage of pining.
"I would love him and all his little things," Kirishima muttered accidentally out loud before almost having a heart attack when Bakugou asked, "What?"
"'Your hand fits in mine'," Kirishima started singing in panic, grabbing Bakugou's hand for some reason which could only be chalked up to panic too. "'Like it's made just for me'."
Bakugou was staring at him with wide eyes, slowly backing away. "Kirishima, what the fuck-"
"'But bear this in mind'!" Kirishima yelled, a grin growing on his face as he decided to roll with it and brought their hands to his chest, wiggling his eyebrows as he sang, "'It was meant to be'."
Bakugou looked so weirded out as he opened his mouth again, but Kirishima got up on his knees and grabbed his face. "'And I'm joinin' up the dots with the...freckles on your cheeks'..."
Bakugou was staring up at him, skin touched up with soft pink, and he looked like he'd drop the act for a second to curiously wait for the next line. Meanwhile Kirishima couldn't keep going after he noticed his thumb lying just under a small fading freckle by Bakugou's sharp ruby eye that he could see his reflection in. See the way he was holding Bakugou like he was his world.
He let go.
'And it all makes sense to me.'
"You not gonna keep going?" Bakugou drawled sarcastically when Kirishima had shuffled back into his original position, face averted to hide the way it was burning up.
"N-Nah, you don't have crinkles by your eyes when you smile. You're a robot," Kirishima managed to joke before he got anymore suspicious. Though that was a lie, Bakugou had the cutest crinkles and Kirishima could probably draw them (badly) with how much he'd focused on Bakugou's smiles in the past so that he'd find out how to get him to do the glorious things.
Oh God. Kirishima was every level of embarrassing and he was really only figuring that out now?
"You do. You're gonna get wrinkles so quick with how much you goof about."
"Same for you if you keep scowling like you do, dude!"
"S'better than smiles that stretch over my entire fucking face, how does your mouth not hurt."
"'M used to it. Smiling is the thing I'm best at so I'll milk it, bro," Kirishima said, leaning precariously to the side to bump his shoulder against Bakugou's (though it more met his torso) as he grinned up at the guy. Bakugou looked down at him with his irises all melted apple cider, long blond eyelashes almost covering them.
"'Guess that's a good thing."
Bakugou-translator: "you've got a good smile."
Kirishima couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the fucking day.
“D’you think if I ask Sero if I can crash in his room, he’d let me?” Kaminari whispered loudly in Kirishima’s ear as the three of them walked to the dorm complex, and the mentioned Sero watched them with a raised eyebrow. Kirishima grinned with a roll of his eyes, punching Kaminari in the arm.
“The dude would do anything for you, come on. Why do you wanna crash at his, though?”
“I’m getting lonely and my roommate doesn’t like me and your roommate hates me,” Kaminari whined, and Kirishima had to agree with that, Bakugou would throw an absolute fit if Kaminari stayed over. But well, he wouldn’t say Bakugou hated the guy! Just simply always felt an urge to throw him out a window, rather. Super random.
“Sorry, buddy. I’ll see if I can swing by later.”
“Hell yeah, the trio!” Kaminari cheered, grabbing Kirishima and Sero’s shoulders. “We’re the best trio ever. Blasty and Ash wanna try and get in on this spicy-hot perfection and they’ll never.”
“Dude, we’re a squad before anything,” Sero laughed, and Kirishima murmured dreamily, “And Bakugou’s the spicy-hot one.”
That might’ve been a bit much but Kirishima still didn’t think it warranted him getting pushed into a fountain and left alone to thrash about. For a little too long.
(He always sank like a rock in water. It was awful.)
When he eventually and very miserably walked into his dorm room, pretty sure he was about to catch a cold, Bakugou raised his head from his work to give him a quick once-over like his usual greeting. Though this time he dropped his pen, and Kirishima grinned sheepishly.
“Why in the living fuck are you wet,” Bakugou growled as he stomped over and pushed Kirishima into the bathroom so he wouldn’t drip more water over the living space, slapping him around the head. Kirishima pouted, ready to explain but Bakugou poked his chest, hard. “Go change or go to the showers. Choose. You’ve got two seconds.”
Kirishima’s eyes widened. “U-Uh-”
“One,” Bakugou said calmly, looking down his nose and his reading glasses made him look like a hot teacher and Kirishima’s heart couldn’t take this. He hadn’t even found any teachers hot before. Or well, any that taught him. The teacher who taught his best friend’s class in middle school had these giant biceps that Kirishima had wished would-
“Two-”
“I’LL GO SHOWER!” Kirishima yelped as he rushed out of the bathroom, hastily grabbed clothes and a towel then bolted his way out of there. He heard a distant call of “GOOD FUCKING CHOICE” and his steps quickened. Though it’s difficult to run when your nose is running with you and Kirishima didn’t pause to sneeze, which had him groaning as his head ached gently, but ached all the same. For fuck's sake, he didn’t want to shower when he was coming down with a cold. Who even knew how much hot water there’d be at this time?
Answer (which was discovered the very very hard way): not enough.
He was shivering while trying his best not to look like he was when he got back. His nose wasn’t running anymore which was a great sign, but his chest felt way too warm while the rest of his body was freezing. Fuck, he should’ve just flopped right out of that fountain like a fish. It would’ve hurt a bit, for his body and his dignity but well…he wouldn’t kid himself that he had much of that last one.
Though while he was fumbling with his key to his dorm room once he got there, it opened itself. Bakugou barely ever did that even when Kirishima was obviously struggling, which was most times since he was always carrying stuff or without his contacts or tipsy. But before Kirishima could thank Bakugou for the unexpected act of kindness, something inexplicably warm was pushed into his stomach.
“Hug it,” Bakugou said, and Kirishima blinked after him as Bakugou trudged away, hands shoving into his pockets. Then Kirishima looked down. And sort of wanted to cry.
“I-I didn’t know you had a hot water bottle,” Kirishima managed to say after he swallowed the lump in his throat, and Bakugou was rooting around in his drawer.
“‘Course I fucking do, you should get one. Soy Sauce texted about what him and Pikachu did. They feel bad.”
“They were just having fun,” Kirishima dismissed with a laugh, which only descended into a cough that racked through his entire body. Bakugou turned to grimace at him when Kirishima slumped sadly against the door.
“Get into bed, you dolt.”
“But I have work to d-”
“Get into bed.”
Normally Kirishima really would’ve fought Bakugou on this kind of thing, but his limbs felt weary, and getting into bed did sound so good. And the hot water bottle was so cute that it somehow made him want to snuggle up with it. It had a Hello Kitty cover!
“Do you have a younger sibling, man?” Kirishima asked woozily as he slowly climbed into his bed, sighing softly as he sank into the mattress. Not that the university provided the most comfortable things, but it felt like heaven right now.
“No fucking way. I’m an only child.”
“Oh yeah? This case a hand-me-down, then?”
“What?” Bakugou asked confusedly as he spun his chair over to Kirishima’s side, and Kirishima smiled sleepily up at him. Bakugou had a few emotions on his face, one of conflict and one of some quality of…softness. And Bakugou seemed to cave into both of them as he reached out a hand and carded it through Kirishima’s hair, gentle. “It’s mine. It’s cute.”
“Hehe, you’re cute,” Kirishima giggled, and it took him a few minutes for him to fully process the words. But when he had, the time for gasping surprise was long gone, and he simply stared up at Bakugou in wide-eyed wonder. “The scariest guy I’ve ever met likes cute things?”
“I’m not scary,” Bakugou scowled and Kirishima hummed, nodding.
“You’re right. You don’t scare me. If you were a big bad beast I’d still hug you - and you’d let me! I know you’d let me. I know because you let me now.”
“I fucking don’t.”
“You do sometimes! And that’s how I know.”
Bakugou looked like he wanted to argue, but Kirishima flashed him a beam, curling his hands into fists in front of his face. Suddenly, Bakugou was groaning loud, hand dragging down his face and stopping to cover his mouth, eyes deadpan. Kirishima eyed the sliver of red flush of his skin peeking beneath his big hand in wonder.
“Unbutton your shirt,” Bakugou sighed, and Kirishima frowned, hugging the water bottle tighter.
“I’m all for getting shirtless, bro,” Kirishima teased, wiggling his eyebrows and Bakugou looked so ready to deck him. “But that’ll be cold, I don’t wanna be…wait, why?”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, then reached over and tore open Kirishima’s shirt buttons himself. Kirishima’s eyes grew bigger, and he tried to roll away but Bakugou pinned him in place with one hand easily. Then he held up a small tub that definitely looked familiar.
“Oh no. That. Vicks. No,” Kirishima whimpered, trying to get away again but Bakugou ran a hand through his hair again, hushing him with a light raspy “shh” and Kirishima was knees-weak to the single softest sound he’d ever heard leave Bakugou’s mouth. Thank God he was already laying down.
“This fucking thing works like the devil, just let me.”
“I’m dizzy,” Kirishima breathed out, mostly as a cry for help that only he would understand. Obviously Bakugou didn’t understand, though, and simply made it even worse when he leant closer and murmured, “I know.”
Thankfully, sleep beat out his rapid panic. Bakugou’s hand smoothing gel down his chest was firm, slow and rhythmic, and Kirishima pinched his eyebrows together in focus as he tried to breathe in and out in time with it, and it did his airways wonders. Bakugou gave him a small amused smirk when he noticed and it was an awesome last sight to see right before he closed his eyes. Sweet slumber, here he came.
He didn’t know when he woke up, but it was dark in the room by then, and the only noise was Bakugou tapping away in the corner. Kirishima shifted in slight alarm, trying to open his mouth to speak but his throat hurt so fucking much. Oh geez…
“Kat,” Kirishima said weakly, hoping the guy would hear him and the pause in tapping sounded promising. The footsteps were even better, and soon he had a hand brushing back his hair and and a glass touching his lips. Kirishima blinked in surprise, but he sat up a little, laughing as he took the glass and downed some. “You’re so forceful. But helpful. And kind. It’s awesome. My maid. Wait. Why is a mermaid called a mermaid. But then a male version of a mermaid is a merman? Did they just get lazy when trying to figure out the male version of maid? Or is the male version of maid man? Are you my man?”
The hand on his forehead pressed harder before the glass was suddenly tipped so it dribbled down the sides of Kirishima’s mouth and he yelped when he felt the water splash on his lap. Then Bakugou said a deadpan, “Oops.”
“Brooo,” Kirishima whined, descending back into what had once been his warm haven without mean bros who did mean things as he curled up under the covers. Hearing Bakugou’s husky tired chuckle soothed things a little, though, and he had to hide his face too.
“Hey,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “I know I’m sick but I really gotta do-”
“I’ll break your kneecaps if you ever try to move,” Bakugou growled immediately, and Kirishima nodded, eyes already closing again.
“Okay…I’m staying here...”
Apparently it was one am, and Bakugou grumbled a complaint but still turned on the lights when Kirishima asked. He didn’t feel so sick anymore, though he knew Bakugou wouldn’t believe him, but maybe he’d believe if he said the Vicks had done wonders. But the Hello Kitty water bottle was laying in his lap and he instantly smiled at the sight of it, wanting an excuse to hug it for a bit longer.
“Bakugou?”
Bakugou’s grunt came from across the room. He’d gone back to working now.
“Do you collect cute things?”
Kirishima watched as he saw Bakugou’s back tense, shoulders almost hitched to his ears. And he didn’t say a word, but he shook a tiny bit, and if this was a cartoon there’d so be steam coming out of his ears.
“Oh my God, you do!” Kirishima yelled in glee, kicking at the blankets before sitting up for real, clutching them to his chest. “And you didn’t want to lie about it! Bro! Stop being the cutest ’n coolest thing!”
“I fucking hate you so much,” Bakugou groaned, lowering his head to rest what seemed like permanently on his desk, but Kirishima was already up and about, looking around.
“Do you keep them here? Or at your real house? Do you have some small trinkets here though? Bro, I’d love to see I swear I’d never make fun of you-”
“Yeah, well it ain’t your fucking idea of manly, is it?!” Bakugou yelled sharply, raising his head to glower at Kirishima with such blazing eyes that they froze him right on the spot. The words sounded like an insecurity, but the way Bakugou had said them and was looking at him made Kirishima feel like he was in the wrong.
“No…no way, man, who told you that? Letting yourself indulge and have what you want is already hecka manly. And letting yourself like cute things even if everything points towards the fact that you shouldn’t? You already know what I’m gonna say!”
Bakugou’s glare drooped a little then, more like to something confused but without any spite, like he genuinely didn’t believe Kirishima was real. The expression had Kirishima heating up for a reason he didn’t even know before Bakugou got up, strode over to him quick and fast, then grabbed his hand. And tugged.
“Here,” Bakugou muttered, walking over to his cabinet of drawers by his bed, They had wide handles, and he reached by the side to pull forward a baby pink bear keychain that was hanging onto the top handle, previously hidden. Kirishima watched in awe as Bakugou handled it with care, thumb brushing gently across the top of its head. Even the way he looked at it was tender. “I keep some shit that I find around this place in this drawer.”
“Can I look?”
Long pause. Then, “No.”
Kirishima was the tiniest bit disappointed, but he wasn’t one to pry. “You can trust me then! I won’t snoop. But thank you for telling me, my heart is now a million percent warmer.”
“What d’you think about cute things?” Bakugou asked, almost defensively, and Kirishima grinned at him.
“Well, I like you!”
He was shoved off the bed, but the small blush he saw curling up Bakugou’s face made it all worth it.
“See, I don’t think it’s like…bad to date a bro,” Kirishima said, lying on his back with arms spread and head handing off the bed and Kaminari sat cross-legged in front of him on his third beer can while Sero was rooting around for snacks. “But it changes the bro-namics. You know? You can think a bro’s hot and all but once two bros date after they’ve been bros for a really long time already then the relationship might be kinda different to what it’s supposed to be, ya know. Especially if you’re both mutually bros with other bros. It can upset the force between everyone.”
“Brorce,” Kaminari said, and Kirishima threw out an arm towards him.
“The man gets it!”
“But what if they’re really in love, Kirishima,” Sero said amusedly as he returned with armfuls of crisps and Kirishima raised his head immediately.
“Then no-one listen to me whatsoever, love prevails all! There’s just so many obstacles. But I believe in healthy loving bros who want to be more than bros to get past them all. But still. The bro-namics.”
“This sounds super specific, you know. We know exactly what you’re worrying about,” Sero said, flicking his eyes over to Bakugou who’d just emerged from the bathroom, looking as beautifully disgruntled as ever. “Forget the…‘bro-namics’, dude. If you feel like Bakugou’s the one for you then just go for it.”
“We’re not one hundred percent guaranteeing that you won’t die along the way but I agree with Han,” Kaminari said with a firm nod, cheeks already getting more and more stuffed with crisps and though his words were sound, his speech was getting more slurred by the second. “I still find it weird as hell but you’re all gooey and heart eyes! I can’t take it!”
“Yeah but I’m too scared to go further than being all gooey and heart eyes,” Kirishima groaned, grabbing a pillow to suffocate himself with. “The dude is a pure slab of granite! He doesn’t like anyone like that! He wouldn’t like me like that, what do I have to offer?”
“Uh, a great bod, a killer smile, a sweet personality, you’re literally perfection shut up?”
Kirishima pouted, kicking at Sero. “I’m upset but that was very sweet, thank you.”
“Mayyyyybe you just need to let off some steam!” Kaminari cheered, and only Sero seemed to notice Bakugou joining them, taking a seat next to Kirishima who was still squishing the pillow into his airway. “Find a bro to kiss the heck out of! Then- then then any pent-uppityness will be all gone!”
“That could be a good idea but I don’t wanna do that right now,” Kirishima whined, dragging the pillow down to his chest. “It just doesn’t seem right. Not when my heart belongs to-”
That was when he locked eyes with Bakugou, who was watching him with rapt attention, eyes flashing like they were urging him to go on. Kirishima’s throat went dry, but his next word didn’t fail. “Bakugou.”
“What are you morons talking about? Bro to kiss? You’re calling random hook-ups ‘bros’ now?” Bakugou asked in distaste, and Kirishima could finally breathe when those eyes left him. Then he processed the words, and scrambled to sit up.
“No, dude, like an actual bro!”
“It’s safer than kissing a random person,” Sero said with a shrug.
"Kissing friends is totally chill," Kirishima followed on as he took another handful of crisps and Sero clicked in agreement while Bakugou seemed to choke a little.
"No strings attached!"
"Me and Han used to make out all the time," Kaminari said as he dove face-first into Sero's lap, making kissy faces up at the guy and Sero snickered at him. "How else are you gonna get some action especially in the kinda rut I was in last year, no fish in the sea for me!”
"Me 'n Tetsu also-"
"You and the metal bastard?!" Bakugou yelled before Kirishima even got anywhere near finishing the sentence, and everyone turned to stare at the guy. His face was bright red, and his eyebrows were furrowed so hard they looked like they were gonna make dents.
"Dude...you've never done it before, huh?" Kirishima asked carefully, and Bakugou flared even redder. "I get it. It doesn't seem like your scene. But it's a normal thing to do, it's nice!"
"No way, you lot are just a bunch of frat boys," Bakugou scowled and Kirishima was the one to choke a little this time as Kaminari squawked in laughter yelling, "HE CALLED US FRAT BOYS!"
"No, man it- it's totally an ordinary thing to do, I swear! And it makes sense if you wanna get physical without the feelings-"
"Oh fuck you, I don't wanna hear about that," Bakugou groaned as Sero and Kaminari's laughter was the soundtrack to Kirishima perhaps losing his best bro by finally grossing him out too much.
"Come on, I'll prove it to you! I'll kiss Kami."
"Oooooh, yessiree," Kaminari said with a clumsy wink, rolling over in Sero's lap to pucker his lips at Kirishima upside down. Oh man, the dude was even drunker than usual. Well, Kirishima would deal with a little slobbering if it'd prove Bakugou wrong.
"Moron, if you really wanna sell it then there's only one option," Bakugou snorted from behind him, and before Kirishima knew it, the guy was spinning him around and grabbing him by his shirt, sneering in his face, "Kiss me."
Sero and Kaminari made purely identical 'shit's going down' type catcalls, while Kirishima's eyes were ready to bug out of his head. He tried to reach out for his trusty buddy (his brain) to call on but the darn thing was too preoccupied with screaming his entire head down as Bakugou cocked an eyebrow at him, slowly pulling Kirishima closer by his shirt and Kirishima officially decided that his brain was not trusty in the slightest as it disappeared in a red puff of gay panic. Why red? Kirishima would like to say because it was his brand, but it was more because Bakugou's sharp red eyes were cutting right through him like ruby dynamite.
This was bad. This was so bad. Bakugou was the one guy he couldn't do it with, because then it would be very far from no strings attached. Kirishima stayed awake most nights wondering what it would be like to kiss Bakugou. And not in a friend way to let off steam. In a way where they'd hold each other close and drink each other in and laugh between kisses for dumb reasons and just...be in love. He wanted love kisses with Bakugou. Or whatever you called them.
But if he refused now, then Bakugou might take it as Kirishima not seeing him on par with all his other friends. And yeah, that was true, but not in the way he'd think.
Fuck.
"S-Sure, dude," Kirishima said weakly, and Bakugou's smirk was going to be the utter death of him. The other idiots' hollers got louder, and Kirishima took in a deep breath as he tried to remember how to do this. Be close. Yeah, they were pretty close already and Kirishima was sweating. And God, did Bakugou look pretty this close. His skin looked like it'd be so soft under his fingers and Kirishima didn't really think when he raised his hands to steal that feeling. He watched in a light trance as delicate pink dashed across Bakugou's nose, the same colour as his little bear keychain. And his skin was soft. Oh so soft. Kirishima squished his cheeks the tiniest bit and when his hands were met with an easy bounce, he genuinely wanted to cry.
"Get on with it, idiot," Bakugou muttered lowly, eyes blown just the smallest bit wider but Kirishima could tell. He could tell a lot of things about Bakugou. He was the only person he knew inside out, the only person he wanted to know every little thing about.
"H-Hit me if you don't like it."
"Obviously."
Kirishima swallowed, before nodding firmly, leaning closer into Bakugou's space as the guy rested a calm hand on Kirishima's thigh. His fingers went tip-tap on his skin and Kirishima used it as a timer. One, two. One, two. One, two. Go.
Bakugou's lips were soft. Of course they were. How could he expect anything else. Kirishima was insistent against them, maybe more than he needed to be so he could drown out the sensations of his fiercely beating heart, but they gave him nothing back. Plush and full, but still. Dread wracked through him as he carefully blinked his eyes open, and almost broke the kiss to gasp when he saw Bakugou's one's staring straight back into his. This time they weren't sharp. They were that familiar but still shiver-inducing apple cider light, hooded as they looked at Kirishima with a tone of curiosity and yearning tenderness, like he was afraid to go the next step but it was all he wanted, that still brought goosebumps to Kirishima's skin when it was nowhere near intense. They were warm. They weren't mad or grossed out. And when they slowly drifted closed with the grace of a satisfied cat, only then did lips finally push against his, drawing a shaky breath from Kirishima's mouth that vibrated thinly between their skin.
One of Kirishima's hands strayed to thread through Bakugou's hair, fingers curling into wild locks that were just as unfairly soft as everything else, and when they broke apart to breathe, there wasn't even a second for either of them to gather themselves before Bakugou was pushing up and pressing against him again, arm thrown over Kirishima's waist as it tugged. And Kirishima felt his mouth go drier than a desert, mind drunk on the thought that Bakugou wanted this.
It was enough to have him moving closer, just like Bakugou wanted, so close that Bakugou was knocked onto his back but their lips stayed locked as Kirishima crawled closer, moving together with fervour that had adrenaline zipping through his veins. He dragged in each of Bakugou's short sharp breaths because he wanted them all, and let Bakugou's lips trail warmly up his jaw when he broke away to finally take air in himself in gasps because he’d entirely forgotten how to breathe through his nose. Bakugou's eyes were gems, twinkling at him with amusement.
"You," Bakugou whispered, teeth teasing his earlobe gently, "are so fucking cute."
Bakugou liked cute things.
"You're gonna get me addicted," Kirishima whined breathily, eyes squeezing shut and Bakugou's laugh was all rasp.
"It's okay, bro. S'just a friend thing."
"No. No, no no no no no no," Kirishima said helplessly as he threw his arms around Bakugou's shoulders, hugging him tight. He couldn't stop repeating the word until Bakugou kissed his ear and whispered 'shh'.
"Look at me."
Kirishima reluctantly raised his head, only to see Bakugou smiling at him. It punched clean at his heart as he begged his brain to save the image.
"I'm so fucking mean," Bakugou laughed, and Kirishima was confused but Bakugou sounded so happy that it dazzled him. "Getting you to kiss me so you realise you like me already. But you know."
"You knew?" Kirishima asked in shock, and Bakugou turned his head, biting his lip slightly.
"I hoped so."
Bakugou-translator: "I hoped you liked me."
"Oh," Kirishima said, sitting up, not quite realising he was using Bakugou as a stool as his brain failed on him once again. He barely saw Bakugou look back at him, nor his face scrunching up in alarm. "O-Oh."
"What the- why the fuck are you crying?!" Bakugou barked as he pushed himself up to sitting too, and Kirishima wailed a forlorn, "I DON'T KNOW!"
"Shit-" Bakugou looked behind Kirishima only to growl in annoyance. "Those morons fucked off somewhere. Jesus-"
"It's okay. I-I'm sorry," Kirishima sniffed, wiping furiously at his face and missing the way Bakugou's expression softened. "I don't know why I'm crying- I don't- this feels like I've kept it in for so long, m-man, I can't stop-"
Slender fingers wrapped around his wrists and pulled his hands away, before lips pressed under his eyes, and Kirishima's next batch of tears choked back down his throat.
"I'm not good with words but. I can do that kind of shit now, right?" Bakugou asked softly and fuck, that had new tears forming in seconds, so many that Kirishima couldn't reply. He heard Bakugou sigh before rough hands cupped his face then he asked again, lighter, "Why the fuck are you crying?"
"I really don't know," Kirishima croaked, opening his bleary eyes to just see a blurry mix of red and blonde but it comforted him tenfold. "I just...I think I just feel so much for you...you're my bro...my best bro, the bro I wanna hold hands with and fall in love with and kiss the shit out of...and you want me."
"Are you joking?" Bakugou asked, and he sounded so exasperated that it was grating. "You're calling me bro in a fucking romantic way?!"
Kirishima giggled, grinning big as he wiped an arm over his eyes. "Manly Pet Names 101, dude. And you did it first. What was all that that one night under the stars while you looked at me with damn bedroom eyes?!"
"BEDROOM- I was making fun of you, you dipshit! Calling me good-looking while saying bro, you're a lost cause."
"Yeah, well, it messed with me. You better not be hot like that with someone else while teasing them or they'll just fall head over heels with you," Kirishima huffed, and Bakugou stared at him with renewed interest.
"Holy shit. Did that happen to you?"
"What do you think?!"
"I think you've got a fucking bro kink."
"WHAT-"
"To be honest, the main reason why I wasn't a hundred percent sure you liked me was because of that manly pet name of yours."
"Bro!" Kirishima gasped, and Bakugou raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "But you- you're still my bro!"
Bakugou's eye twitched. "Kirishima. You fucking suck. You better know that or I'll beat it into your skull."
"Okay, okay, okay - but I do like you. I like you so much. I'm borderline in love, it hits me hard. It's big and scary and so worth it because it's you," Kirishima said, serious now as he leant down and watched the way Bakugou's eyes widened a fraction, pink highlighting his pretty face. So, so pretty. Kirishima leant down to kiss it before this all became a dream. "I wanna be with you, bro."
"I would've even preferred babe," Bakugou said, looking entirely existential, and Kirishima burst into laughter as Bakugou tugged on his collar and crushed their mouths together.
(Kirishima would have to consider stepping out of his comfort zone and going for babe, though, because even he had to agree that Bakugou was such a babe. The definition of a babe.)
It sucked that the night was one where Kirishima needed to study until probably pretty early in the morning, maybe until four. All he wanted was to roll into bed with Bakugou so they could wrap up in each other and kiss until the sun came up, the thought had him drooling though he wasn’t even sure if anything like that was on the cards. Still, he’d dream, because it was all he wanted.
Damn. It was all his own fault for slacking recently, too caught up in himself and his heart and thrashing about in fountains. He sighed at midnight as Bakugou leant over his desk to help him with what he was confused about. He sighed heavier at one am when he almost fell asleep on Bakugou’s warm good broad shoulder and the guy shoved him and stayed at his own side from then on. He sighed from deep within his soul at two when Bakugou left the room so he was all alone and tired and muddled. And he was about to scream-sigh at three but stopped himself as Bakugou called out, “Ei.”
“You sleep first,” Kirishima yawned, already dead weight pretty much but his fingers still had some typing life in them. “I’ll catch up, I just gotta-”
“I know, I know.”
It was a few minutes of pulling hair out and numb tapping before soft lips met his cheek which had him stilling, and a steaming mug was pushed in front of him.
“G’night,” Bakugou whispered in his ear, kissing behind that too for good measure, before he walked away and the lamp on his side of the room turned off.
Kirishima smiled so big that it was about to break his face.
He could feel cartoon love-hearts practically floating around his head as he drank the coffee (that his maybe-boyfriend made him, HIS MAYBE-BOYFRIEND) and tapped and jotted down side notes jauntily, mood shot up to good all the way until five am. Then, and only then, did he promptly pass out on his desk.
“Wake up.”
“Mmm….”
“Wake up.”
“Mm…m…no…bro, one more minute…”
There was an exasperated snarl and a mutter that suspiciously sounded like ‘shithead’ before Kirishima in his sleep-hazy state just barely felt his chin being pushed up and lips pressing against his, so fierce that they drew the air right out of his lungs without even trying.
He made an embarrassing noise. Okay, he probably made a few embarrassing noises. But at least he raised his head and managed to reciprocate as Bakugou sank into his lap and kissed him dizzy. Kirishima’s head was about to explode. His day hadn’t even started yet and he got his mind blown first thing?!
“Was that minute enough for you, bro,” Bakugou growled as he pulled away abruptly, swiping a thumb over his own bottom lip, and Kirishima swallowed, feeling the urge to say ‘yes sir’ but his cheekiness seemed to be catching up with his morning brain as he grinned slowly instead.
“You know, I’m probably never gonna stop calling you bro,” Kirishima teased, leaning in close as Bakugou narrowed his eyes at him. “Bro, bro, bro. My beautiful bro. Pretty bro. Best bro. Bakubro. Brobabe.”
Bakugou outright retched at the last one and Kirishima burst into laughter, wrapping his arms around the guy as their noses touched. And Bakugou let them.
“So. We’re together? We’re together together?” Kirishima asked in wonder, and Bakugou glowered.
“The fuck are you saying? If you don’t wanna be my boyfriend then get out-”
“Oh my Go- no! No, dude, that’s all I want!” Kirishima said quickly, almost desperately but he never had much to lose and Bakugou watched him in surprise. “I wanna be, so bad it hurts. I’m so into you that it hurts. Heck, remember I said I was borderline in love with you? Take all my words, man, I’m head over heels, you’re my one and only, my number one, my dream guy - how far down this rabbit hole do you want me to go?!”
Bakugou didn’t say anything at first. He just stared at Kirishima, face remarkably pink, and there seemed to be a tick in his jaw. Kirishima was so scared that he'd gone too far that for a moment he was seriously considering just dropping Bakugou and running and regretting all his life choices ever. But then the guy suddenly sat up, slid off his lap, then jammed an arm under Kirishima’s knees and the other behind his back. Kirishima squeaked in surprise, but he was having an outright heart attack when Bakugou lifted him.
In one go. So easily. Like Kirishima and all his hard-earned muscles weighed nothing. Holy shit, he was swooning.
“Hey- woah, woah, dude!” Kirishima yelled, legs kicking out by instinct as Bakugou started moving, pretty fast, to his side of the room. Then he got on one knee and rested Kirishima’s weight that he let go on it when he freed up a hand to open the top drawer of his cabinet, the cute things one. Kirishima had no idea what was going on, until Bakugou outright tried to shove him into a drawer a tenth of his size. “BAKUGOU!”
“YOU’RE FUCKING CUTER THAN ANY OF THE SHIT IN HERE!” Bakugou roared, seriously sounding so angry and Kirishima had no idea how to react as yells stuck in his throat and his face burned a deep red.
“S-STOP TRYING TO PUT ME IN A DRAWER!”
“I’VE WANTED TO FOR FUCKING YEARS, DON’T YOU DARE TEST ME!”
Kirishima’s mind finally detonated. “YEARS- BRO-”
“I hate you,” Bakugou snarled, but eventually he collapsed back onto the ground, sighing as he wound his arms around Kirishima’s waist and stuffed his face into the guy’s shoulder. “I’m so…fucking sweet on you…and you’re the thing that’s the sweetest shit ever. Hate it, hate it, hate it.”
Kirishima wanted to blush, wanted to scream, wanted to die right here because come on, at least he’d die happy! But he was a man, and he let all his other urges simmer for a moment as he took hold of Bakugou’s face and pushed it back, looking at his blotchy huffy face. Kirishima just wanted to kiss it to pieces, so he did, pecking Bakugou's lips over and over until the guy slowly fell pliant against him and kissed him back as saccharine as ever.
“I told you it was manly to like cute and sweet things,” Kirishima laughed shyly, averting his gaze when Bakugou’s lidded eyes watched him so fondly that it had him wanting to curl up right into his heart. “And hey. I fell pretty hard for a cutie too.”
“You’re the biggest cliché that’s ever been created,” Bakugou complained, a hint of whining in his tone but Kirishima pointed at him in triumph.
“You’re the one who’s fallen for it, though!”
Bakugou looked so mad at the fact that he couldn’t rebut that point that Kirishima officially declared him master of cute. Though the way Bakugou looked at him made Kirishima feel pretty cute too. They could both be cute. Cutest couple ever.
“Fucking hate you.”
“You already said that.”
Bakugou grabbed Kirishima’s shirt, eyebrows furrowed and glare so audacious and vivid. Then he crossed the last tiny stretch of distance and kissed Kirishima’s jaw, saying just as loud and bold, “Fucking love you.”
Kirishima’s eyes grew bigger than moons as his heart warned him that it was going to beat right out of his chest any second. “H-Haven’t…said that…”
“Show me you love me too,” Bakugou muttered, the tiniest hint of insecurity in his tone but it was warm, yet fiery. Like he was asking for something between a challenge and a promise, and the small daring smile on kissed-pink lips sold it. Kirishima could do that. Kirishima could do that for the rest of his dying days, and he could definitely do it now.
He pushed Bakugou back against his bed frame and rested one arm around the guy’s shoulders before linking their free hands and squeezing tight. He watched the way Bakugou's eyes fell to his lips when Kirishima beamed just for him, and they were warmer than ever.
“I’m on it, bro.”